Minnesota Masonic Histories and Mysteries
Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons are a bit of a mystery. Countless books and movies only fuel the mystery behind this "ancient craft." But to many people in need, the Masons are no mystery. Whether it's cancer research, children's healthcare, elder services, scholarships, or numerous other philanthropic ventures, Minnesota Freemasons have become synonymous with building community and giving back to the greater good.
Join Reed Endersbe (Grand Lodge of Minnesota) and John Schwietz (CEO, Minnesota Masonic Charities) as they explore the many unique things about Freemasonry in Minnesota.
Episodes
102 episodes
Episode 102: Shared Purpose (ft. Derrick Fountain)
Grab your fedora – here comes a true sartorialist. Derrick Fountain outlines the power of personalized connection, managing change, and accountability of lodge officers. Creating a lodge calendar requires some strategy, but what does that look ...
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48:41
Episode 101. 18:53 Working Tools Series: Time
What time is it? When you check your phone to see what time it is in another country, when airlines synchronize international flight schedules, when financial markets trade across continents—all of this traces back to a long night s...
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10:58
Episode 100. Building Connection & Trust: It Starts with You
To celebrate 100 episodes, we break down one of the biggest insights we’ve learned so far: the foundation of Blue Lodge is built on authentic relationships, everything else sits on top. Lodges today are facing the same challenges se...
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40:40
Episode 99. Trajectory (ft. Marc Lovin)
How do we set up the Masonic journey to be a success?“We say it, but do we actually do it?” Former Army Intelligence Analyst and Minnesota transplant via Texas and Tennessee: it’s Marc Lovin. Newport No. 118's Senior Warden w...
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47:16
Episode 98. 18:53 Working Tools Series “Carriers of the Flame”
Our incredibly insightful Grand Lodge Education Officer Brad Phelps asks the tough questions and shares several thoughts worth pondering. Transformation takes time, along with a willingness to do the important work. “Ho...
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6:08
Episode 97. Veterans Day (ft. Lloyd Cheney)
“What am I going to do today to make myself a better Mason?” Retired U.S. Army combat Veteran, recipient of the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and dedicated servant leader Lloyd Cheney joins us in studio. From a lengthy deployment to a...
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48:23
Episode 96. Charity = Love (ft. Brian Beermann)
“The heart of charity is the love we extend to each other.” Get your Cipher out: it’s Brian Beermann. Applying the lessons, collaboration, training your successor, and knowing that consistency is essential to lodge success.
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56:50
Episode 95. 18:53 Working Tools Series: The Badge of a Mason
As important as the square and compass are to us as Masons, they are not our primary symbols. This week we take a closer look at what is an outward and visible symbol of an inward and spiritual grace.Back by popular demand, we delve into...
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8:10
Episode 94. What Care Looks Like (Minnesota Masonic Home)
This week it’s some of the greats: Jonathan Ruiz, Anna McCleary, Stacey Brown, and Alex Lee from our Masonic Home. Compassionate, quality care is our mission, but what does it take to maintain such a highly rated care facility? Hear...
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38:59
Episode 93. Resilience (ft. Justin Ortega)
How do you show up every day? Marine Corps Veteran and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast Justin Ortega digs into the challenges of integrity, purpose, and doing the right thing.“Personal improvement is hard, and it takes a lot of discipline...
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51:34
Episode 92. 18:53 Working Tools Series: “Do Good Unto All”
This week we break down the vital importance of authentic friendship, re-thinking lodge education, and identifying our “cause” or purpose as Freemasons. How do all these things impact the overall “member experience” in your lodge? A...
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19:01
Episode 91. Momentum (ft. Zeb Dudek)
Zeb Dudek brings his diverse set of skills (and his ruck sack) to the show this week. Hot topics across the board on this one, like the perils of “tradition prevailing,” rethinking internal lodge infrastructure, and the necessity of partnering ...
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1:15:40
Episode 90. Masonic Cancer Center (ft. Dr. David Largaespada)
What is the nature of treating cancer? The field is moving tremendously fast: medicine is changing, and new forms of therapy are becoming the norm. “There’ll be ways for us to detect cancer years earlier than we do now, and that's g...
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40:50
Episode 89. 18:53 Working Tools Series: The Masonic Home
This year’s Masonic Charities Gala (9/27) will be showcasing the Minnesota Masonic Home. Since its inception a century ago, our Home’s mission has been to provide quality care and services to aging adults.What were circumstances like in ...
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12:14
Episode 88. Relevance (ft. Scott Rich)
We’re hanging out with Senior Grand Deacon Scott Rich. The pride of Mizpah No. 191 shares life adventures from the South Pacific with the Marine Corps, woodworking, skydiving, and perspective on how we ensure lodges are relevant to our members....
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43:49
Episode 87. “Everything You Do Matters” (ft. Bob Davis)
This week we sit down with Robert S. Davis, Grand Master of Masons in Minnesota. Hear about his numerous life adventures: living across the region as a “Pastor’s Kid,” passion for Scouting America, and later serving with the Peace Corps in the ...
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46:41
Episode 86. 18:53 Working Tools Series: The Apprentice Pillar
What happens when the Master Mason fails to perform his duty of instructing the Entered Apprentice, and instead plots to discredit him and claim glory for himself? “Focused energy is a blessing. Unfocused anger and rage are destruct...
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7:00
Episode 85. Building Community (ft. Scott Glendenning & Steve Kaarbo)
Where do we begin the pursuit of authentic human connection and giving back to the greater good? “We find commonality…and connection comes out of that commonality.”Scott Glendenning and Steve Kaarbo share how their non-profit...
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29:14
Episode 84. Trust (ft. Reed Houge)
Our pal Reed Houge poses the question: how do you put yourself out there?“Every relationship, whether business or personal, starts with one thing: trust.” Born in Jamestown, ND, Reed served in the U.S. Army as an Avionics Tec...
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39:53
Episode 83. Priorities & Impact (ft. Brad Phelps)
“The truly impactful people? Their peers trust them, because of who they are…not what they say they are…but WHO they are.” There’s so much depth to our ritual when we reflect beyond just “the words.” This week we sit down with our G...
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43:29
Episode 82. “So Many Goodbyes” (ft. Karla Hult)
KARE 11’s Karla Hult is an Emmy, Edward R. Murrow, and Walter Cronkite award-winning journalist. Her favorite stories are those shared from the heart, including her award-winning documentary of her family’s own Alzheimer’s journey.“We ar...
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42:35
Episode 81. “Charity, Our Guiding Star” (ft. Paul Hodnefield)
Minnesota Masonic Charities was formed in 2006, but how did we get here? Author Paul Hodnefield breaks down the timeline of the three distinct stages of “Charity” in Minnesota and how it has guided us since our inception in the 1850s. ...
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41:09
Episode 80. Leadership (ft. Kathy Quick)
Minnesota takes pride in civic participation, but there’s a leadership deficit in our state. Leadership, as well as volunteering and charity, is crucial for addressing community needs and opportunities. How do we confront generation...
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51:59
Episode 79. Check your Ego (ft. Ben Lacy)
The pod gets electric when Ben Lacy shares perspective on respecting the 24-inch gauge, creating a bespoke Masonic experience, and the action necessary for authentic brotherhood. “Support the people that are working for the betterme...
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43:44
Episode 78. 18:53 Working Tools Series: The Patron Saints
Freemasonry isn’t and has never been a religious organization. It has always been open to members of all religions and faiths. However, the world into which it was born, in Enlightenment-era Europe, was a largely Christian one. As a result, man...
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5:35