Spare Wheel Or Steering Wheel
By Wor Bro. Frederick L. Milliken
Perhaps you remember from previous articles Sister R. Lucille Samuel, Grand Princess Captain of the Lone Star Grand Guild, Heroines of the Templars Crusade of Texas, PHA Texas. Well, Sister Samuel has moved on to found the Margaret A. McDow Grand Court, Ladies Of The Circle Of Perfection, Texas PHA. In her new position, she serves as Royal Grand Perfect Matron.
As The 1st Royal Grand Perfect Matron, she is responsible for chartering 7 LOCOP Courts in the cities of El Paso, San Antonio, Ft Worth, Houston, Dallas, Killeen, and Austin.
I have been republishing Sister Samuel’s annual Allocutions for a while now. She always has such insight into leadership.
This time Sister Samuel told her Order that Leaders have a Vision and so should we all. They don’t just see, they have a plan. They have a map. They have a goal.
Don’t get lost. Don’t get off track. The road ahead may be rocky and full of pitfalls sometimes so know who and what you can depend on to implement your vision.
Never look back. Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” ~ Carl Jung
“A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done.” ~ Ralph Lauren
“When you have a vision, you make believers out of dreamers.” ~ Frederic L. Milliken
”Where there is no vision the people perish.” ~ Proverbs 29:18
In the long run men hit only what they aim at. ~ Henry David Thoreau
June 17, 2017 Left – RM Crystal W. Brown, Royal Grand Perfect Matron of Tennessee presents to L. Lucille Samuel – Right-the charter for Margaret A. McDow Court
June 17, 2017 Left – RM Crystal W. Brown, Royal Grand Perfect Matron of Tennessee presents to L. Lucille Samuel – Right-the charter for Margaret A. McDow Court
The Charter
SPARE WHEEL OR STEERING WHEEL!
by R. Lucille Samuel, Royal Grand Perfect Matron
Psalms 37:5 – Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Margaret A. Macdow Grand Court
Have you ever been driving along and all of a sudden your tire goes flat? Hopefully you were able to pull over on the side of the road in a safe manner without any accidents or injuries. So either you call for Roadside Assistance or if you are mechanically inclined you change your tire with the spare in your trunk or under your vehicle. Of course you expect the tire to be full of air and ready for use. You depend on it.
Many times in life we depend on someone or something like that spare tire. The problem often times is that you only use that spare wheel when you are in trouble or need assistance. Do you ever check that wheel to ensure it is ready or serviced? Do you even know where that spare wheel is located? How many of us depend on prayer when you need a spare? You never pray or pick up the Bible until you need help. I am not saying that any of us are perfect and we should live in church. Church is not where prayer is it is in your heart. Such as friendship. Some of us claim to be our brother and sister’s keeper. How often do you converse with them? How often do you pick up the phone or send a message just to check on them. Not just when they are sick or in need but just to say hello. But when you need that spare wheel you expect them to jump when you call. Have you ever wondered why the windshield of a car is so large and the rear view mirror is so small? Our past is not as important as our future so you should focus on looking forward and not behind you.
You have to remember although that spare tire is not used often it is needed. Value your close friends and treat them with kindness because all things in life are temporary. Just because your life is going well remember you will have speed bumps along the way. Friendships can end like the blowout of a tire. Remember God determines who walks into your life. It’s up to you to let them stay or walk away.
The steering wheel directs our path in life. It is our navigation and allows us to avoid danger in our paths. You need both hands at all times. If you remove your hands you lose control. Sometimes temptations along the way grab our attention and we tend to swerve on the road. We must stay focused to reach our destinations. Many of us rely on the GPS System to direct us. We trust this system to get us where we need to be. Sometimes you may be in an area where the GPS system does not work and your signal is lost. If you are unfamiliar with the area you are lost.
Don’t allow this to happen to you in the Masonic Organization. I was once told the only thing worse that than losing your eye sight is your vision. We can become complacent and lose all sight of what is important. If you run into a wall don’t give up figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it. As a leader you must keep both hands on the steering wheel and navigate the Order. When you lose your vision it is time for a new Driver. You will never have passengers if you can’t control the wheel.
The task of a leader is to get your people from where they are to where they have not been.
In closing I ask that we all remember “The easiest thing to be in the world is YOU. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don’t allow them to put you in that position.
