From Faith for Living, 1940
By Lewis Mumford

Man’s chief purpose…is the creation and preservation of values, that is what gives meaning to our civilization, and the participation in this is what gives significance, ultimately, to the individual human life…

The individual contribution, the work of any single generation, is infinitesimal; the power and glory belong to human society at large, and are the long result of selection, conservation, sacrifice, creation, and renewal — the
outcome of endless brave efforts to conserve values and ideas, and to hand them on to posterity, along with physical life itself. Each person is a temporary focus of forces, vitalities, and values that carry back into an immemorial
past and that reach forward into an unthinkable future.

I begin the Master’s Message this month with this excerpt in the hopes that it will inspire you take a moment and contemplate man’s purpose. Why are we here? What are we to strive for and accomplish during our brief time on
Earth? I encourage you to unplug from the business of your daily life and take some time to reflect upon these questions.

Freemasonry teaches us that life is short, that the Supreme Architect of the Universe created all of us and instilled within us an innate sense of morality, and that it is the duty of every Mason to abide by this divinely-instilled
structure of law. We learn also that man is flawed and life is hard. Pride, selfishness, ignorance, and a multitude of other shortfalls cause us to stumble.

As Freemasons, we are fortunate to have tools at our disposal...tools to help us overcome these stumbling blocks and help us in our quest to become better men. Implements such as the square, plumb, level, and compasses
remind us how to think and how to act. These symbols, having been handed down from generation to generation within Lodges, are just what the excerpt describes. They preserve values. They give meaning to our civilization.  They give significance to your life and mine.

Remember too that the Supreme Architect of the Universe has a plan for each of us. It isn’t an accident that
you are here. In times of adversity, it is easy to feel down and allow fear, doubt, or pain to get the best of
you. Take comfort in the knowledge that there is a reason for everything...you may not understand it at
the time, but many of life’s greatest gifts stem from times of great trial.

As you go about your daily lives this month, I urge you to live purposefully. Make conscious decisions that
have a positive impact on not only yourself, but those around you. Be humble and thankful for what you
have. And lastly, do not neglect incorporating daily prayer into your life.

Fraternally,
Ryan Mayrand, P.M.

Temple Topics Comments
It should be a self-imposed obligation of every Mason to make a personal masonic inventory of himself to
evaluate his posture as a Mason.

The “Trestleboard” besides outlining the functions, as ordered, by the Worshipful Master of the Lodge
is also your invitation to participate in the affairs of the Lodge to refresh and strengthen your Masonic
obligations.

The deadline for submission of materials for publication in the McKinley Lodge Temple Topics Newsletter is
the 10th of the month prior. Materials should be submitted to steve@digitaledgecc.com.

The members of McKinley Lodge are invited to submit ideas, opinions, suggestions, news items or articles
that are newsworthy and pertain to the best interest of McKinley Lodge. The publishing of any material is
the reserved right of the Editor.

February Trestleboard
Thursday, February 6th - 6:00-7:00pm - Soup & Dessert Dinner ($5.00 per person) - Open to friends & family
                        7:30pm - First Stated Meeting, Billiards Following the Meeting
Tuesday, February 11th - 7:00pm - Visit Elmbrook Lodge
Thursday, February 20th - 6:00pm - Trustees Meeting
                        7:30pm - Second Stated Meeting, Refreshments & Fellowship Following
Saturday, February 22nd - 7:00pm - BUNKO, Wine/Cheese/Chocolate Social

Masonic Birthdays
Arthur J. Sandner - Raised January 14th, 1960 • Rupert J. Bartel - Raised January 26th, 1961 • Joseph
G. Bubacy - Raised 17th, 1978 • Donald A. Haas, P.M. - Raised January 8th, 1983 • Michael J. Preuschl
- Raised January 22nd, 1987 • Brian S. Breitzmann, P.M. - Raised January 13th, 1994 • Melvyn G.
Feder - Raised January 20th, 1994 • Jose R. Maia - Raised January 19th, 2006 • Lawrence J. Volk -
Raised February 15th, 1943 • Donald J. Klebba, P.M. - Raised February 3rd, 1975 • Jack T. Sneesby,
P.M. - Raised February 11th, 1975 • Klemor H. Knapp - Raised February 9th, 1978 • John R. Batchelor -
Raised February 23rd, 1984 • Mark C. Perdue - Raised February 18th, 1993 • Andrew L. Meyers - Raised
February 1st, 2007 • Jose Rivera - Raised February 24th, 2011