As it is December and the end of my year as Master of Wisdom Lodge, I was scrounging around the internet looking for an appropriate quote about endings. I stumbled upon the above quote, which is attributed to Seneca. Since I do not know a Roman philosopher from a town in upstate New York, I researched further. It turns out that there are two prominent Senecas -- Seneca the Younger and Seneca the Elder. I didn't find out which one made the observation in question, but I decided that the uncertainty regarding attribution to Elder or Younger is particularly apropos this year, since two Rosenbergers are stepping aside.

The end of Wisdom Lodge's 2009 Masonic year brings an end to my year as Master and an end to the year for the various officers in their various stations. This, in turn, is merely a new beginning in the life-cycle of the Lodge. But while the end of my year as Master signifies the close of a brief chapter in the history of the Lodge, the end of Dean Rosenberger's year as Secretary marks the end of an era.

Therefore, I would like to honor the contributions that Dean has made to the Lodge, acting as its Secretary since 1981. First and foremost, I am thankful that Dean stuck with me through this year, providing his invaluable assistance to me as Master. By assuming the responsibilities of the Oriental chair, I gained a new appreciation for the contributions that Lodge secretaries make in general, and I gained a special appreciation for all the work that Dean has done for Wisdom Lodge in particular. He has gone above and beyond the call of duty.

I wish the best for the new Master and his line of officers in 2010 and I wish everyone a joyous holiday season.