Those who respect Churchill’s legacy may find comfort in these dark times by meeting to toast his legacy at his birthday each November 29th or 30th. Admirers may bring a 2- or 3-minute topical story about Churchill's life to any suitable gathering on that day. These stories, followed by a toast, would be a fitting tribute.

It's somewhat a myth that Churchill drank as heavily as commonly understood. A drink in hand was often a prop, meant to lull his detractors to drop their guard, allowing him to stay sharp. When he did imbibe, Churchill's favorite drinks included champagne, brandy or scotch, of the latter preferably Johnny Walker Red, which he diluted with much water. Any of these would be a suitable libation for those who partake.  He smoked several brands of cigars, and was fond of Romeo e Juliet as one favorite. He'd smoke an average of eight per day, either long or short, and smoke them about half way through unless using them, again, as a prop to bother an opposing speaker.  It would be most fitting of us, on that late Autumn day each year, to pair our birthday toast with a cigar unless such twin pleasures are banned by those whom Churchill would immediately deem fascists: those who would shackle our freedoms.

Churchill is as important an icon in the fight against global fascism as George Washington was in the fight to free the New World from colonial oppressors. Contemplate him in that context.

Readers may use this poem and script, with attribution, freely, IF they mention that this event was started by Sir Winston Churchill Lodge #351, AF&AM, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Sir Winston Randolph Spencer Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of his noble family, the Spencer-Churchills. His parents were encamped there on a lengthy autumn visit prior to the birth. They were related to the current occupants as cousins through the 7th Duke of Marlborough, although the Palace itself had passed on to a more direct descendent.

Baby Churchill was born, very healthy, under the care of a local country doctor at 1:30AM Greenwich Mean Time, on Monday, November 30th, 1874. For purists here in the US, the exact time of his birth anniversary, calculating for the time shift, applicable daylight savings schemes, etc., would be 7:30PM Central Standard Time of the day prior, but we'll determine when to celebrate based on member convenience, either on the 29th or 30th. --Churchill was a pragmatic man, and would have thought our reasoning acceptable.

The youthful parents had planned that the fortuitous baby would be born in London's fashionable Mayfair district, giving them a few months' last hurrah in The City, but the house rented for this purpose was not yet ready for the family's habitation at the time of the birth. Humorously, throughout his life, Churchill enjoyed the guessing game played by his detractors over the fact that his mother may have been up to three months pregnant with him at the time of her wedding, although his parents kept to the story that Winston was born prematurely as the result of 7th month sporting and dancing exertions on the part of his mother.

It is the tradition of Sir Winston Churchill Lodge #351, to gather annually in celebration of the birth of our patron, and raise a glass in a toast to his memory. Click here for a brochure.

You are all warmly invited to join us in memory of Sir Winston Churchill.

In 2010, to celebrate this event and pay homage to our namesake, we shall gather on November 29th at 6:00 p.m. Brethren and guests will tell stories, and delight in the man, Sir Winston Churchill, at the Happy Gnome in St. Paul, Minnesota, located on Selby, two blocks east of Dale (or two blocks west of Western Avenue). Then, precisely at 7:29 p.m., the actual moment of his birth in the UK, MWB Tom Jackson, Past Grand Master of Masons in Minnesota, will regale us with a poem written to mark this occasion.

While there will be no webcast this evening, we will have both a live Text Chat on this page and a conference call bridge for those who wish to call in. Tonight's conference bridge dial-in number is 1-213-289-0500 in the US and Canada. You must enter an access code of 858452 to join the call. Several of us will be on the phone, along with our traveling members and foreign guests.

The SCRIPT for the evening is below...