Working Tools

By Edward L Draper,
District Deputy Grand Master

Proud to be a Mason?
You bet I am,
And I can tell you why
I am and will be proud to be one,
Till the day I die.

If you look upon that painting there,
Front and center, you’ll see a square.
It reminds all of my Brothers and me
That, in all our dealings, we should be fair.

The compasses, right by its side,
Remind us that it’s best to hide
The feelings we may feel at first,
For often, those can be the worst;

To rule our passions, think, and then,
Maybe think just once again
Before we act, before we speak.
It is not weakness to be meek.

The gavel, resting on the trowel,
Does not let us rule over all.
We use it to shape our hearts into
A state pleasing to God, and pleasing to you.

It is from the level that all Brothers know
That we are all equals, wherever we go.
It tells us that all destinations are one,
And that we’ll meet again when our work here is done.

The plumb helps us try to be upright and straight;
To avoid falling prey to prejudice and hate.

The gauge under these has twenty-four parts.
It helps us to measure, with our minds and our hearts,
How much of our time we should give to others,
To our God, our families, our jobs, and our Brothers.

The apron means innocence, which can’t be attained,
But which we will strive for until it’s regained.
The Bible supports us, a foundation for all.
Without it, our tools would all tumble and fall.

Proud to be a Mason?
You bet I am,
And now I’ve told you why
I am and will be proud to be one,
Till the day I die.