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| JUNE |
FROM THE EAST |
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Wor. Steve L. Eberhardt, P.M. |
KEEPING THE FAITH
I stomped the snow off of my feet and opened the door, and the warm air flooded out and stung my frozen face, and I went up the stairs to his office. My art counselor, after three years, I came to him with a distressing question for an artist. “After thirty years in the arts, how do you keep your mind illuminated and creative?!” he answered calmly, “I keep the faith! As an artist, I believe each day will inspire me with its unmatched beauty, and its unfathomable uniqueness!” His Compass and Square ring shined under his desk light!! |
After so many years, his voice yet rings in my ears….keep the faith. HOME lodge to me is an inspiring institution, full of good men and their families, all striving to live upright and inspirational lives when confronted by life’s problems. Our hallowed halls hold warm welcome for those who seek us out, and its very existence and stability inspire us to –keep the faith.
This year has been wonderful in so many ways. Our ladies and EAs and FCs coupled with our willing hands to support them in prayers and efforts have resulted in burgeoning outreach programs that have met with resounding success. The communities that we have stretched out to have made deep expressions of thanks for our efforts and want to know more about us. And we are only just getting started. We have a summer ahead full of fun and activities that will be enjoyable for everyone.
With every step forward we take, we exhibit the fact that we have faith in the existence of an institution that encompasses men and their families of likeminded persuasion, trying to make a difference in life in extraordinary ways. We have a duty here, friends, we have a duty to be above the ordinary, as we go day to day working to make the difference profound. We are the Craft, and we should ever strive to craft ourselves well.
Fraternally from the East,
Steven L. Eberhardt P.M., Master
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FROM THE WEST |
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Bro. Arnold M. Goldstein, S.W. |
Dear Brethren and Ladies,
By the time you receive the July/August bulletin, we will have had our first ‘Sweethearts Tea’ for the widows of Home Lodge #721.We made preliminary calls to the Sweethearts, and the initial responses from the widows we were able to reach have been extremely positive.
Our bigger problem is that much of our Sweetheart contact information is outdated, and there are many widows we couldn’t reach. If anyone has up to date information for any of the widows, we would like to compare it to our data. |
I am very pleased that my Lady Sandy was able to recruit so many of the Ladies of Home Lodge to help in hosting the tea. We will be having another tea very soon, and hope everyone who participated enjoyed helping and would like to help again for the next one.
Summer is here and it’s picnic time and Hawaiian Lodge nights – life is good! Just remember, even though it is vacation time for many of us, our First Lady Lisa will still be organizing the ‘Hunny Do’s’ and she’ll need everyone’s support for this important community outreach during the summer. All non-Master Masons can meet with Lisa after the open session of the stated meeting to see how you can help and have a lot of fun to boot.
August is scheduled to be dark except for Stated Meeting, but I think Wor. Stan Taub is investigating the feasibility of doing a few degrees in August to catch up with our backlog. Keep an attentive ear for changes to the August Trestleboard. We would like to have a good turnout for these extra-special meetings.
Remember, Wednesday night is LODGE NIGHT.
Fraternally from the West,
Arnold M. Goldstein, Senior Warden |
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FROM THE SOUTH |
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Bro. Bob Borden, J.W. |
Brethren and Ladies,
The summer months are upon us. Many of us will be going on both vacations and ‘stay-cations.’ Now would be an excellent opportunity to visit other Lodges, both locally and abroad. Most Lodges, ours included, love to have brethren from other lodges come and visit. |
A little planning will go a long way. According to the CMC (California Masonic Code) “Before admitting a visitor, the Master or presiding officer of the Lodge visited shall satisfy himself that each visitor is a Mason and that each visiting Master Mason has in his possession written evidence under the seal of his Lodge showing that he is in good standing. A visitor shall prove that he is a Mason by an examination or avouchment.”
“Written evidence under the seal of his Lodge” means a signed current dues card. Proof of being a Mason by examination means being able to give the signs, tokens and words of each degree. Proof by avouchment means having someone from that Lodge who has sat with you in our or another Lodge being present to vouch for you at his Lodge. Some Lodges might want you to bring a letter from the secretary attesting to your membership in our Lodge, especially if the Lodge is out of state or in another country.
It would probably be prudent to plan ahead and contact the Lodge that you want to visit beforehand, either via internet or phone to make sure which nights they meet, whether they are meeting during the summer and what requirements they will demand of you.
Visiting other Lodges can be fun and educational. See how other Lodges do their ritual. Other states and countries have rituals and ceremonies that are different from ours. Notice the differences and similarities.
Remember, being a Freemason means that you are free to travel to other Lodges. It is not a right but a privilege. Make good use of it.
Fraternally from the South,
Bob Borden, Junior Warden
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