As the Most canada goose store Worshipful Grand Master of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Colorado, Dana Speaks is completing his tenth year of service to the Grand Lodge.
„That means I’m the CEO of Masons, of the approximately 9,000 canada goose outlet Masons canada goose outlet online in the state of Colorado,“ he said. „I’m the top dog, I guess.“
Speaks has been a member of Fort Morgan’s Oasis Lodge 67 for 22 years. He is also a member of the Royal Arch Chapter in Akron, the Knights Templar in Sterling and El Jebel Shrine in Denver, among others.
„I’ve got a whole wallet full of dues cards,“ he said.
As Grand Master, Speaks, who is retired from the Morgan canada goose outlet new york city County Sheriff’s Office, is in charge of all the Masons in Colorado, 16 Grand Lodge officers, the Grand Lodge budget and canada goose outlet canada all other functions of the Grand Lodge, including the state’s cornerstone ceremonies.
The Grand Lodge maintains offices in Colorado Springs, but Speaks said he’s used the Grand Master’s office there maybe three times this year. All of his business is handled by telephone and email.
His journey to the Grand Master’s seat began when he served as Master of Oasis in 2000 and 2001. He was then asked to join the Grand Lodge line.
„Most Worshipful Brother Ed Zorn, who was the Grand Master in 2004, asked me to Canada Goose Jackets be his Grand Tyler for canada goose outlet jackets that year and I accepted,“ he canada goose outlet said. „So I travelled with him extensively in 2004 while he was Grand Master. And then, in 2005, Most Worshipful Canada Goose Online Brother Richard Schmidt appointed me as the Grand Marshal. That’s where you start through the progressive line in Colorado.“
He was appointed by successive Grand Masters to the various seats in the line until four years ago when he started facing election canada goose outlet store uk by the Grand Lodge.
„Last January, 2013, I was elected by the members, all the canadian goose jacket Masons in Colorado, they elected me to be Grand Master of masons for this canada goose outlet sale year. It’s a one year term,“ he said.
„When the people put their trust in you, it’s a humbling experience,“ he said. „Here’s 9,000 people, 9,000 men telling you we trust you to lead this organization for one year. We’ve seen you for the last nine years, going through the grand line, we’ve heard you talk, we’ve heard things that you’ve said and we’re putting our faith in you. And their putting their faith in one person to lead them for one year. That’s a pretty humbling experience. To me it was anyway.“
After the fourth Saturday in January canada goose outlet online uk 2014, he will canada goose outlet black friday be done, back to being the secretary of Oasis Lodge.
„Not to make canada goose uk black friday men good men,“ Speaks said. „But to take good men and make them better husbands, better fathers, better sons, better citizens of the community, better members of their church, better civic leaders. And we do that through the teachings of Freemasonry.“
There are many goose outlet canada myths about the order it is not a religion and the members do not worship the devil but Speaks is passionate when he talks about it.
„Freemasonry is not cheap canada goose uk a secret society,“ he said. „We have the name on the building. Everybody in town knows where it’s at. We have the Square and Compasses out there. I wear my Masonic ring, I wear the hat with the Masonic (emblem). Anybody that knows me knows that I’m a Mason, they know my dad was a Mason, they a lot of my friends are Masons. It’s not a secret society. It’s not unlike the Elks or anything else.“
The Masons of canada goose outlet Oasis Lodge welcome the community into their Lodge for a few events each year.
On Dec. A tradition started by the city’s Eastern Star chapter, the https://www.amigosdecontreras.es Lodge took over after the women’s organization gave up their charter. Canada Goose Outlet Though usually it corresponds with the city’s Christmas parade, the Lodge chose not to move it to Saturday with this year’s parade.
In March, the men host a chili supper to raise funds for their scholarship programs. Each year, the Lodge helps local seniors go on to college and local musicians go to the Masonic Band Camp in Greeley.
In order to petition a Masonic Lodge, a man must be over the age of 18, of good moral character and profess a belief in a single deity.
„Freemasonry is open Muslims, it’s open to Jewish, it’s open to Hindus, it’s open to people that believe in Buddha,“ Speaks said. „Any religion that you can imagine that believes in monotheism, in one god, is welcome in Freemasonry, is welcome to fill out a petition. We do not allow atheists in Freemasonry. And our reason for that is if you do not profess a belief in deity than no oath or obligation is binding upon you. And we take our obligations, in this lodge, on the Holy Bible. We do have a Quran in this lodge and we have had Muslims in this lodge, but they have moved out of state.“
Speaks, who retired from the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office as a captain and now contracts with the state assisting criminal defense attorneys and owns a bail bonds company, will spend the next few months finishing his travels.
Then, at the end of January, he will step down and allow another to take the on the role.
Contact Times Editor Rachel Alexander at 970 867 5651 ext.
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