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Text Box: From May through August of this year, the experience of presenting my program in the various districts throughout the State of Ohio has been most enjoyable and reinvigorating. Everywhere visits were made, I found the Companions to be supportive, enthusiastic and encouraging. I thank all of you for the courtesies extended to me, for your kindness and consideration. The genesis of my theme for the year, Prime the Pump of Capitular Masonry, came from my great friend and mentor, MEC Otis Y. Perkins, PGHP, who used to say to me, I’ve never gotten out of Masonry what I’ve put into it because Masonry has given me so much more than I could ever hope of giving it. I was reminded of this quite by chance when hearing an old Kingston Trio song titled, DESERT PETE, that contains the following refrain:
You’ve got to PRIME THE PUMP.
You must have faith and believe,
You’ve got to give of yourself,
Before you’re worthy to receive.
Drink all the water you can hold,
Wash your face, cool your feet.
But Leave a bottle full for others
As the story of the song goes, a thirsty traveler working his way across a desert happens upon an abandoned well with an old, worn water pump. Under some rocks surrounding the pump he finds a bottle of water and a note in a can. His first impulse is to quickly drink the water down to satisfy his thirst, if only temporarily. But instead, he reads the note left with the bottle of water by a man known only as Desert Pete. The written message encourages the reader not to gulp down the water, but rather to use it to “prime the pump”. That is, to pour the water down into the pump so that it might soften the leather of the sucker washer making it possible to draw water up from underground. Then, to work the handle like there’s a fire, until the water flows sweet and cool. The note goes on to exhort the reader to have faith and give the pump a try even though its old and under-utilized; to pour the water in and pump like mad because you’ve got to give until you get. The end result is that through all of his preparation and hard work, the traveler is, at last, able to enjoy the rewards of labor as he cools and refreshes himself with the water the well has provided. The note then ends very poignantly with the reader being admonished to leave the bottle full for others, as Desert Pete signs off, Thank you kindly! Within my theme for the year, “PRIME THE PUMP OF CAPITULAR MASONRY’, our beloved fraternity is analogous to that water pump. For in far too many instances Capitular Masonry, like the pump, either through misuse or disuse, does not work as it once did. So now it is necessary for each of us to put a little something back into it so that all of us may receive so much more in return. But quite possibly the more significant and meaningful portion of my theme is the concept of “LEAVING A BOTTLE FULL FOR OTHERS”, that is leaving a legacy for future generations of Companions to enjoy. My father used to say, “God helps them who help themselves.” With this sentiment in mind, I am calling on all Royal Arch Masons to the task of helping ourselves by doing the hard work and smart work necessary to improve our Chapters and keep them viable. I am calling on all Royal Arch Masons to “PRIME THE PUMP OF CAPITULAR MASONRY”, to give of themselves so they may be worthy to receive. The task before us is not an easy one. In fact, it has been and will continue to be hard. If it were easy, anyone could do it. But they can not. You see, it is the hard that makes this task worthy of your efforts. It is the hard that makes it great. Therefore we must persevere; we must prevail; we must do all we can to preserve all that has been given to us so that ,we too, may “LEAVE THE BOTTLE FULL FOR OTHERS” a legacy for those who are to follow. I am looking forward to serving my year as Grand High Priest, buoyed with renewed vigor and enthusiasm, as together we address the challenges and opportunities that will surely come our way. It is also my hope that you, too, will re-commit yourselves to the task at hand and will embrace the spirit of my theme. Companions, we must all work together to PRIME THE PUMP OF CAPITULAR MASONRY. We must “have faith and believe” in what we are doing. We must continue “to give of ourselves before we are worthy to receive”. And once the cool refreshing reward of our labors begins to flow, we then owe it to ourselves to become totally immersed in what Masonry has given us; to “drink all the water we can hold, to wash our faces and cool our feet”. Making sure to LEAVE THE BOTTLE FULL FOR OTHERS. Thank you kindly, K.V.Z..!

From the Grand Chapter R.A. M. of Ohio web site

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