This past month has offered a wealth of Masonic education for me, but I have also been pulled in many directions; in meditating on how to proceed with MWB Art Borland’s order to rescind our recent bylaws change, to mentoring Bro EA Quinn, and most importantly, caring for my 9- weeks-old twins; I have found myself without much time to organize my thoughts. But I would like to share something our beloved Brother Junior Deacon wrote on our Facebook page in June: Read More
Two brothers received their Service Award for 60 years service to Masonry.
Douglas H. Parrott made a Master Mason on August 1, 1956.
William A. Anderton made a Master Mason September 15, 1956.
I would love to hear from anybody that knows these brothers, and if you brothers would call me so I can hear stories about Friendship Lodge in the 1950’s would be great.
Brothers there is a few of you that have not paid dues for this Masonic year, please ensure you dues are paid. I will send out notice to each of you next month that may have forgot to pay their dues.
Brothers, we are growing. On May 17th, Candidate Quinn Haase was brought to see the light by which a Lodge of Entered Apprentice Masons work. Welcome, Brother Quinn!
By Wilbur D. Nesbit
When are you a Mason?
When you go to Lodge
If there is a meeting
That you cannot dodge?
When you wear your button?
When still up you climb?
The way to be a Mason
Is to be one all the time.
by H. L. Haywood
Give me your hand;
You are rich; I am poor;
Your wealth is your power, and by it you tread
A wide open path; where for me is a door
That is locked; and before it are worry and dread.
We are sundered, are we,
As two men can be
But we are two brothers in Freemasonry
So give me your hand. Read More
At long last, Friendship has made Quinn Hasse a Brother Mason. On Wednesday, May 18 Friendship 160 welcomed out newest Entered Apprentice into the fraternity. That night marked a turning point in his life as well as Friendship Lodge’s as this was the first degree in several years performed entirely with an inhouse cast; with our Junior Warden conferring his first degree and our Super Senior Deacon, Brian Gardes performing in a degree for the first time since his own.
A bright night for everyone indeed and only the first degree of the year! Join us and Brother Quinn for our next Stated Meeting on Wednesday, June 7, and come back for our next EA degree on June 21, when we continue with this great and good work.
Our year of organizational housekeeping continued this month. With our bank and accounting transitions in place, audit complete, and revised P&L and related 2016 financial statements in our CPAs hands for timely preparation of our annual Form 990s, it’s now time to turn our attention to the state of our bylaws. Read More
Greetings from The West, Brethren;
My mind has been pulled in many directions this past month. Consequently, I’ve struggled to find the right words to convey all the lessons I’ve encountered since we last met and worked together. But one thing that has stood out to me is the triumphant return of our Brother Junior Deacon, Kent from his journeys in Europe with his wife. Among his adventures abroad was an evening spent at a Lodge in Antwerp and in commemoration of his Masonic education I’d like to offer a poem from Brother Rudyard Kipling. Read More
Brothers! I am happy to report that the transition of our accounting systems from Quicken to Quickbooks Online is complete. This transition enables a long sought and highly valuable goal: instant reports on budget expenditures by category. While that may sound like a very dull result for a major multiple-month Lodge project, it may catch the eye of all of us who’ve sat in the stations over the years. Knowing to the penny what we’ve agreed we can spend as a Lodge, and how, is a critical tool for anyone in leadership. And, now we have it! Read More
Greetings from The West, Brethren;
I’ve got my mind on mortar and mortar on my mind right now. We are all taught the proper application of the trowel as speculative Masons, and are informed of its utility to our ancient operative Brothers; but today (and regrettably too often) I find illustrations depicting the operative use incorrectly; as a tool used to spread cement over the face of the work. To be clear: if your work needs to be smoothed over on its face – your work is slipshod and the weaknesses you’ve hidden will show in time. Indeed, there were times when our ancient Brethren did find it necessary to veneer their work, but Masonic tradition informs us that that most sublime Masonic edifice did not use tricks or shortcuts – the builders we study and revere took the longer, harder path of carefully selecting and preparing their stones; cementing them together by spreading their mortar between each and every one. Read More
