Brethren,

By pretending ignorance, Socrates let his opponents unknowingly fall into traps. He was thus able to defeat them easily in argument. This pretence of ignorance has been named "Socratic irony". Born in 470 A.D., the son of a sculptor and a midwife, this great philosopher developed a method of cross-examination whereby inductive reasoning was used to impart knowledge to the less informed. Through the use of his brilliant reasoning powers, this wise man devoted his life to the investigation of virtue, justice and purity. Referring to himself as the "midwife of men's thoughts", he listened to one of his contemporary's comment, "Here walks a man who has brought down philosophy from the heavens to earth." Condemned to death by the Athenian government in 399 B.C., for introducing new gods while neglecting the old ones and for corrupting the youth, Socrates was forced to commit suicide by drinking hemlock. One of his last comments was spoken with sad irony, "The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our separate ways- I to die, and you to live. Which is the better, God only knows." We inherit this wise man's legacy largely through the writings of Plato in his work, "Dialogues". Thus we place value upon education, whether formal or informal, and the further attainment of useful knowledge. On Tuesday evening, August 5th beginning with a dinner at 6:30 P.M., we will honor the recipients of our Mt. Moriah educational grants as they continue their investigation of virtue, justice and purity. The business meeting will follow afterwards, starting promptly at 8 P.M.

Christopher Hodapp, P.M., Knight Templar, in his book, "Freemasons for Dummies", makes the following comments: "Today's society is more mobile than it has ever been. Families are more scattered than ever before. The result is that people have lost the support of their extended family members. Studies have shown that since 1980, 58% fewer people attend some kind of club meeting, 45% fewer people say that they invite friends over to their homes, and 33% fewer people say they have family dinners together. Robert Putnam calls this phenomenon the depletion of social capital. Social research has shown that communities which fail to interconnect have higher crime rates, greater incidence of drug abuse, poorer health and more suicides." Freemasonry is designed to build social capital. Our tenants of brotherly love, relief and truth, lay the foundation upon which the fraternity seeks to build the ties of fellowship and interconnectedness which will enrich us with happier and healthier lives. On Tuesday, August 19th, at 6:30 P.M. we will hold our annual Table Lodge for all Mt. Moriah members. Come and join us for a light dinner, toasts and a night of conviviality. On this evening we will conduct our lodge in the Entered Apprentice degree. Bring with you a joke or humorous anecdote you wish to share.

Fraternally,

Dennis R. Hamlet
Worshipful Master

Dates to Remember (excerpted from A New Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry compiled by Arthur Edward Waite):

1747 - On December 10, Prince Raimond of Sangro presides as Grand Master over a meeting of Masonic Lodges in the Southern Italian Provinces and the Island of Sicily. By reason of persecution, they were compelled to work in secret.1

1749 - Benjamin Franklin was appointed Provincial Grand Master of Pennsylvania

27 Sep 2008 - Bob Schott, Ned Featherston, John English and Schneider Family are geared up for a crowd. Breakfast is free for the Master Masons of the Month. All of you Master Masons of the Month for July and August, who have been saving yourselves for this event, get ready. In September, breakfast is free for you, as well. (Not an excerpt).