We’d like to welcome you all here today.
Pampa Lodge No. 966, Top of Texas Lodge No. 1381 and Miami Lodge No. 805 want to ThanK You for joining us for the first inductions into the Panhandle Masonic Cowboy Hall of Fame and our Masonic observance of the 200th Anniversary of the Texas Rangers. Welcome. We hope you enjoy today and learn something new about Panhandle History.
But first things first. Masonry teaches us that before any great and laudable undertaking, we should first invoke the aid of Deity. It is appropriate today for our invocation, that we share with you the Rangers Prayer , given by Chaplain Andy Epps. Will you please rise for the prayer and remain standing for the flag presentation by the Wheeler Boy Scout Troop No. 472 and the Pledge of Allegiance to United States Flag and the Texas Flag.
HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE TEXAS, ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
PLEDGE TO THE TEXAS FLAG
It is a great honor to be here today on the 200th Anniversary year of the Texas Rangers to remember and honor the lives of six Panhandle Masons who were Texas Rangers, and to honor them as the first inductees into the Panhandle Masonic Cowboy Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is a virtual Masonic Museum whose mission is to promote the history of Freemasonry in the Panhandle by honoring past and living Masons by showcasing their contributions to our lives and the Panhandle Spirit that embodies the core beliefs of freemasonry.
We will be presenting to the families and representatives of those who are honored today Texas Flags that were flown over the State Capitol. The Texas Flag was selected as our honorarium because not only is it near and dear to every Texans heart, it also has deeply Masonic significance to Texas Freemasons.
After winning approval by a committee of six signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence and then Congress, the Lone Star Flag was officially designated in 1839, and since that time it has graced flagpoles across the state of Texas.
The Lone Star Flag, with its vibrant fields of red, white, and blue and a single inset star, has served as a proud symbol of Texas since 1839, and the elegant simplicity of its design truly exemplified the united will of the citizens of the new Republic of Texas.
The red, white, and blue of the state flag represent, respectively: bravery, purity and loyalty. And on the beautiful blue field rests the Lone Star.
And each of the five points of the Lone Star represent:
Independence The first point on the Texas star represents independence. This point symbolizes our strong spirit and determination.
Friendship The second point represents friendship. Texans are normally very friendly and willing to help others, even a stranger.
Loyalty The third point represents loyalty. Texans stand firm in their beliefs and loyal to those around them.
Bravery The fourth point represents bravery. There have been many hard-fought battles in Texas. Texans take battles head-on.
Purity The fifth point represents purity. While it can have different meanings, many believe it has to do with preserving the natural beauty in the state of Texas. I believe it also represents the purity of heart and the sincerity of our actions. As Texans, we are unique in that we are known by our principled behavior and our code of honor.
The Grand Lecturer of Grand Lodge of Texas, Judge G K Stribling, in his daily journal from 1861-1862, said “If you wish to arouse the Chivalry and Patriotism of a Texan, unfurl his national state banner-The Lone Star”. Judge Stribling was the ancestor of the Miami and Pampa Striblings. He went on to write this: “But, were you to ask the question ‘Whence Come? this emblem’, of the thousands whose hearts thrill with joy and rebound with heroic emotions: very few could tell.”
He then referenced a distinguished Mason and citizen of Texas, George K. Teulon, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas, who just seventeen years earlier, in 1844, while addressing a gathering of Masons in Portland, Maine, observed “Texas is emphatically a Masonic Country: Our national emblem, the ‘Lone Star’, was chosen from among the emblems selected by Freemasonry, to illustrate the moral virtues — it is a five-pointed star, and alludes to the five points of fellowship.”
Those five points of fellowship are:
Assisting a brother in his distress, supporting him in his virtuous undertakings, praying for his welfare, maintaining his trust, and vindicating his reputation as well in his absence as in his presence.
United by the Brotherhood of Masons, these men we honor today lived by these tenants through their daily actions in their lives and in their communities.
We remember today how fortunate we are to call Texas home. How nice it is to have neighbors that care about each other and our community.
These five points – grandly represented by that beautiful Lone Star- are the basic building blocks of The Panhandle Spirit- it is the legacy we inherited from these men and the reason we celebrate and honor them today.
