|
Masonic Grand Lodge of New Mexico |
|
I swung the ole’ truck through the rather hard to navigate drive entrance into the usually unoccupied parking lot. I took the pleasure of choosing a parking place close to the door and near a flag pole with my country’s flag rustling in the slight breeze. Pride and honor welled in my chest as I took a quick deep breath of the crisp morning air while gazing upon its splendor. Walking to the front entrance I couldn’t help but notice the landscaping complete with trees dedicated to the memory of great men. At the left side of the entrance hangs a simple sign “OPEN” “COME IN”. Stepping through the portal I immediately noticed an airy brightness, a comfortable temperature, soft music, and the inviting aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Oh, what a vestibule! Not large but large enough to be impressive in its simple decor of portraits of distinguished gentlemen who appear very familiar. One portrait hangs alone with the holy bible resting on an antique table beneath it. I stepped to the left through a doorway into a moderately sized room with unoccupied meeting tables at its center and comfortable chairs and a couch positioned as if waiting for a meeting. I noticed that the walls of the room are wainscoted with lawyer cabinets filled with books. I found myself in a rather impressive library filled with books unread on a particular subject. As I gazed above the glass door cabinets I had the feeling that I was in the presence of greatness as the portraits of long dead honored gentlemen peered down at me from every wall. Certain cases were filled with memorabilia left behind by forgotten hands. My God! An apron in a frame that bears the name Kit Carson! A black powder rifle with Masonic emblems scratched into the silver plates that adorn its wooden stock. The next room on my way is an office with a desk, computer work station, copy machine filing cabinets, and yet another cabinet filled with mail baskets. The next room is a replica of an office once occupied by a secretary for some sixty two years. Because the fixtures have become fragile with age, small signs request that guests should not touch or sit on them. The unoccupied office of the person whose portrait hangs above the holy bible in the vestibule is the next place to visit on my tour. Ah! A vault! This must be the place where the greatest kept secrets are stored! Card files of names and member history in alphabetical order and card files cross-referenced by lodge number. Another drawer revealed large brown files for each lodge in the jurisdiction. Bound books of proceedings, reference books, old volumes too tattered for general circulation in the library, and supplies including lapel pins, ciphers, monitors, and forms adorn the shelves in the vault. No secrets here! The next room is a museum of historic artifacts. A projector from the twenties or before with hand painted glass slides for projection and display cases of beautiful memorabilia attractively displayed. Medallions, collections coins, and other attractive items are displayed in glass display cases. No secrets here! Walking through a work room I could tell where the coffee odor was coming from. A complete kitchen. I poured a cup of coffee and continued down the hall past rest rooms and guess what! An attractive one bedroom apartment. No secrets presented themselves here. I found myself back in the entrance vestibule and followed the music into an office in the middle of the building around which I had been walking. The secretary was busy pecking at a computer updating his data bases. When he saw me he stopped his efforts and inquired if I needed something. We recognized each other immediately and exchanged a handshake and greeting. I asked where the secrets were kept because I hadn’t found them on my own. He looked at me with a wry smile and said what secrets? The Greatest Kept Secret of Masons in New Mexico? The New Mexico Grand Lodge Building! How many of the active Brethren, living in New Mexico, either live in or have traveled to Albuquerque? The next question is “How many of those Brethren know where the Grand Lodge Building is located? The final question “How many of those Brethren have visited our Grand Lodge Building? It is the desire of the Grand Master and his Officers that our facility be made accessible for the use of the Brethren of New Mexico and other groups who may need a meeting place. In my travels around the state I keep hearing the Grand Lodge Building being referred to as the morgue, the sepulcher, the mausoleum, the tomb, and the crypt! “Well, that’s the most unnecessary and under used property in the state!” “They (whoever ‘they’ are) can rent a one room office for the computer and ‘we’ don’t have to pay to keep that huge building for the office of one person!” One person? What about the extensive archives that I told you about in the first part of this paper? Where will these historically significant materials go? Who will manage them and make them available for your use and/or viewing? Brethren, the point of this writing is to let you know that the Grand Lodge Building belongs to all of us. The facility and all of the materials on display are for you to enjoy. The library is there for you to peruse and maybe spend a little time reading and/or researching. The Grand Secretary is a wealth of information and will always be available to help you find what you may need or provide you with the proper Grand Lodge forms, ciphers, monitors, and etc. He always will give a few friendly minutes of conversation and maybe share a cup of coffee with you. The Grand Lodge Building, in most jurisdictions, is a beautiful edifice that catches the eye of passers by and is a monument to Freemasonry and the Brethren of the particular state. Of course, it is true that some jurisdictions share their buildings with various lodges. Under used! Tell me what Masonic building in the United States of America is used to its full potential? Brethren, use our building! Schedule your next District Meeting with the Grand Secretary. Use our library. Use the archives to help create or update your lodges historical and member data. Stop by and visit the facility, look around and see if you can find something to be Masonically proud of! Most of all support our Grand Lodge Building. It belongs to all of us. There are no secrets there, only the Greatest Kept Secret of Masons in New Mexico, our Grand Lodge Building. It is a secret because very few of the Brethren choose to visit and utilize this facility. The Grand Lodge Building is located at 1638 University Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The ground floor is approximately 7,500 square feet in size and there is a full basement beneath it. The structure has high interior ceilings and is very attractive inside and outside. Sincerely and Fraternally, WB David L. Millis Grand Historian |
