McKinleyOct14

TRESTLE BOARD

Fri., Oct. 3 – Yom Kippur Begins at Sundown

7:00 p.m. – Special Meeting, Tentative Degree Work

Fri., Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m. – Stated Meeting, Program, “Judo vs. Masonry”

Mon., Oct. 13 – Columbus Day

Thurs., Oct. 16 – National Boss Day

Fri., Oct. 17 – Grand Lodge

Fri., Oct. 24 – United Nations Day

7:30 p.m. – Stated Meeting

Fri., Oct. 31 – Halloween

Greetings Brethren! It’s time for the leaf blowers already. Why is summer so short? If I can’t be boating it might just as well be cooler but, I really do enjoy the month of October. It’s actually one of my favorite months. October, as you know, is a busy month for the fraternity; a new Grand Master and in our case, a new District Deputy Grand Master. All I can say about that is who ever it may be, they have some “BIG” shoes to fill literally, and a “tall order to fill” literally. You all have seen R.W.Bro. Mike Bailey. I have enjoyed the time I have spent with him and he was a great District Deputy Grand Master. Thank you for your service to the fraternity and to our lodge. Hearty thanks also to, McKinley Lodge’s own, R.W.Bro. Gust Goutras as well; for installing me and mentoring me through the years and his dedication to our fraternity. And, R.W.Bro. Steven Colton, thank you for your service. These three men really helped all of the lodges do well these last three years and I’m sure they have found excellent replacements, because if they didn’t, we know where they live; LOL. I’m sure R.W.Bro. Lengler will get them up to speed.

I’m sure your wondering about what the heck I mean about “Judo vs. Masonry” for our program on the 10^th. Well guess what? Come to lodge and find out!

Since I have the microphone here, I would like to chime in on a couple of things about “My” view of our fraternity and its future. The basic concept of our fraternity is “Making Good Men Better, through the practice of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.” Every Mason knows this, but as an officer and as Master you dig deep into the ritual and I have come to realize that the “Ideals of Masonry” are almost perfect. The only problem is that human beings are not. One of the best tenants of our institution is the diversity of our brethren, my favorite line is; “the internal and not the external qualifications of a man is what Masonry regards.” Most of us interpret that as status, wealth or power and when we are together we are all the same. But is that entirely true? Are we all the same? We all have the same goals in mind, we all love Masonry. Unfortunately sometimes are diversity is our “Achilles Heel.” So, let’s dig deeper into the above line; let’s look at our faces in lodge not our clothes, our hearts. What do you see? Think about it? Our elders and our younger members, I’m 46, my J.W. Warden is 33; we have many members in their twenties and many in their seventies and eighties; it doesn’t get much more diverse than that. I have heard the word “Change” thrown around a lot lately and not in a good way and right now our lodge and our fraternity are on a “cusp” of change. Some may view it as out with the old and in with the new, some love change, some hate it, but it doesn’t have to be scary or horrible. These changes are cyclic and have happened throughout the hundreds of years our fraternity has existed. For example: how about learning the ritual from mouth to ear, without a book, I’m sure many Masons hated that change, 200 years ago would this Bulletin even existed? 50 years ago fathers never even asked their sons to join they had to wait for the son to ask them. Throughout these cycles our ideals haven’t changed, just the way we communicate them, that’s all. It’s not the end of the fraternity or the world. If we need to make changes to keep it going then, “So Mote it Be,” it doesn’t need to happen overnight, it can happen gradually and not everyone will like it, but if “Facebook” and texts work, why not use them? Phone calls and newsletters work too. To me it doesn’t matter how the light is spread, just that it is spread. I respect our elders and value them and in no way do I want them to feel slighted. If it wasn’t for them we would not exist, but on the other hand, we won’t exist in the future without “tempering” the way we communicate and operate. The fraternity will survive as long as we keep our ideals just the way they are. Perfect.

Respectfully

Mark J. Gold, W.M.

Mon., Sept. 1 – Labor Day

Thurs., Sept. 11 – Patriot Day

Fri., Sept. 12, 5:00 p.m. – McKinley Observance at the National Memorial

6:00 p.m. – Dinner in the Masonic Temple Ballroom

7:30 p.m. – Stated Meeting, By-laws Change an Adoption Voting

Fri., Sept. 19, 6:00 p.m. – Fellow Craft Team Practice, Time is Tentative

Sat., Sept. 20, 6:00 p.m. – Outdoor Lodge Dinner

7:00 p.m. – Outdoor Lodge, Master Mason Degree

Mon., Sept. 22 – Autumn

Wed., Sept. 24 – Rosh Hashanah begins at Sundown

Fri., Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m. – Stated Meeting

Well Brethren, the summer is almost over and time is clicking by fast. I hope all of you had an enjoyable vacation but, now it’s time to get back to work. We have an exciting September planned. We are going to hit the ground hard right away with our McKinley Observance at the National Memorial at 5:00 p.m., Friday, September 12^th followed by a dinner at 6:00 p.m. at the Temple and then lodge. If you have never witnessed this ceremony, please come out and observe as we honor our lodges’ namesake.

Our outdoor lodge this year will be at the same place as always, Greenport Tactical. We will post all the info needed on “Facebook” and all the lodges in the district will receive fliers. This is a very fun event for us so come and watch as we confer the Master Mason Degree by the light of torches and campfires. Bring jackets and chairs, it may get chilly. We will have a Military theme again this year to honor all our veterans throughout all of time; and the food will be great as always. They don’t call us “The Belly Lodge” for no reason, my weight was 185lbs. when I became a member….and look at me now.

We had a lodge trip in the beginning of August to the beautiful town of Marietta, Ohio. We visited American Union Lodge No. 1 and had an awesome lunch prepared by their brethren. Wor. Bro. William Reynolds P.M. and the current L.E.O. gave us a tour of the Temple and enlightened us on the early history of the first lodge in the Northwest Territory and also the formation of: The Grand Lodge of Ohio and the first Grand Master. Then later we boarded a stern wheeler boat for a dinner cruise on the Ohio River after which we retired to the historic Lafayette Hotel. We all had a very good time. A little trivia for you…the name Ohio is a Native American word that means: “Beautiful River.”

Brethren all of you know that we lost an “Icon” in our lodge this summer. It seems summer sometimes isn’t kind to our lodge; just as it wasn’t last summer with the passing of Wor. Bro. Beaver. R. Wor. Bro. William S. Merriman was one of a kind for sure and it will be impossible to replace the void that his passing left behind. His booming voice, his dedication and his mere presence were incredible to say the least. He will be missed however, this is life and we will carry on. We have a great lodge, full of great Masons. We have many “Icons” in our lodge. I just wish I could see more of them on the side lines on Friday evenings. So get your butts back to lodge; that’s an order right from the top. The same goes for the newer Brethren! Don’t worry about anything; just come back and let us show you what this fraternity is all about. You’ve invested your time to join, now reap the rewards of your investment. I have some interesting programs coming up! I’m not done yet!

Remember brethren, we will be voting on the By-laws changes the first stated meeting back on Friday, September 12^th after the President and Brother, William McKinley Observance program. See you in lodge.

Mark J. Gold W.M.