As I alluded last month, I am going to devote much of this month's column to our rapidly developing website seattlemasons.org. WB Charlie Tupper, our new Webmaster, has just been doing a fantastic job. You owe it to yourselves to take a look! I sincerely hope that I'm not alienating any Brother who does not (yet) have a computer. To them I ask for their indulgence; computers are the way of the future and new men who join our fraternity will increasingly make use of them.

I was one of the chief advocates for starting a website at St. Johns, although I have to give credit to my wife Beth for the "seattlemasons" name. There are many ways that having a website is beneficial to our Lodge. It helps us stay organized when we lose our calendar, it keeps us informed when we miss an event due to illness, and it is a great way to spread our message to Brothers-yet-to-be. A prospective Brother may talk with us for a few minutes at the Fremont Fair, or at work by the water cooler. When we hand him one of our new business cards, with the website on it, he now has an easy way to find out more about us. If he likes what he sees, he will knock at our door. Another purpose for our site is to inform the existing member who has been away from Lodge for a while and wants an update on what is happening. We may soon be adding short video supplements of "From the East" presented as a fireside chat. The list of new additions goes on and on.

I'm very excited about our new Webmaster because he is both a knowledgeable Mason and a skilled Webmaster. Many of our newer Brethren can program computers but still are new to Masonry, which would make it difficult for them to create content. Many of our senior Brethren are still wrought with stone and adz (i.e., they are computerless). Finding a Past Master rich in Masonic knowledge with Charlie's level of web expertise is indeed rare.

If you want to take pictures at a Lodge function we do have a digital camera you can borrow (Ken Lane, Jr. is the camera keeper). If you're going to submit photos, please ask Charlie for the appropriate format. Please also write something to go along with the picture(s).

Our February meeting will feature the Queen Anne Job's Daughters Bethel No. 4 who will earn $5 a pair (tips appreciated) for shining our shoes. So dig out that mismatched old pair of loud golfing socks and make a fashion statement when you come to our "sock" lodge. This will be the official visit of the District Deputy. Kudos to Charlie for our Website and to DD Dave Campbell for helping to arrange the theme for our February Stated.

See you there.

Sock it to me! Sock it to me! Sock it to me! No, we're not fading back to the days of TV's "Laugh-In." Instead, at this coming Stated Communication of February 6, the members of St. John's Lodge No. 9 will be displaying wild and colorful stockings as the Job's Daughters of Bethel No. 4 (Queen Anne) labor to add a shine to everyone's shoes.

As a fund-raising project, the young ladies will shine the shoes of every Mason who leaves his shoes outside the tiled recesses of the Lodge. And meanwhile, the one judged to have the most outrageous socks displayed in Lodge will be presented "the most outrageous socks award."

VWBro. David Campbell will be making his official visit to the Lodge. He will bring greetings from our Grand Master and news about the fraternity in this jurisdiction. VWBro. Campbell is a member of our Lodge, and it has been our honor to have this very worthy and competent leader join us in our deliberations. He was Master of St. John's in 1992, and is serving his second year as the Deputy of the Grand Master for District No. 5.

Dinner will feature another round of stories and jokes (if not good, at least tasteful). Bring a friend who wants to have a good time.

As you are important to us, so is your widow. If you desire a Masonic Funeral, let her know before you are called by the Great Architect of the Universe. We will do all that we can to see that your wants and hers are met.

As a matter of course, we send the Trestleboard to our widows. We want them to continue to enjoy our family events. However, by no means do we want to send her a painful reminder of your parting, so if she does not want to be kept on our mailing list, all she needs to do is let us know.

• January 30 (4pm): St. John's Lodge No. 9 Trustees Meeting
• February 2: Districts 4 & 5 Grand Masters Reception
• February 6 (6pm) 7:30pm: St. John's 9 (dinner) Stated Sock Lodge
• February 13 7pm): Officers Practice (McCurdy Room)
• February 20 (7pm): Joint EA degree at St. John's
• March 6 (6pm) 7:30pm: St. John's No. 9 (dinner) Stated Architecture Lodge

Two candidates for the degrees will be initiated by St. John's on Wednesday, February 20. Greenwood Lodge No. 253 will also have two candidates. This will be the first of three joint degrees hosted by the Lodge this year. The Lodge will open at 7pm, followed by the Entered Apprentice degrees.

Your attendance is encouraged to show support for our new brethren.

• We welcome VWBro. Richard Oslund who has been elected to plural affiliation in this Lodge
• A member is sought to represent St. John's to the Masonic Service Bureau

Go to http://www.seattlemasons.org. On the site you will find the latest news of the Lodge, what it is doing, when things will be done, what has been done, and news and information relating to it and the world around us. Included is a calendar that has the complete schedule of events to date. It will be updated immediately when dates are known or changed. This, we hope, will be an invaluable tool for you to be able to include the Lodge into your own activity schedule.

When you access the site please use the comment form to send the Lodge your e-mail address. We feel that the Internet is an excellent tool for the Lodge to bring itself to all members, wherever dispersed.

A "where are they now?" column is planned, and do not be surprised if you receive a telephone call from the Lodge asking for information about what you are doing these days for inclusion as an article on the website. We hope that all who are called will choose to participate in this. It is a wonderful way to keep the Brethren in touch with the Lodge and with one another. When you are called, if you have a digital picture of yourself and family that you can e-mail to webmaster@seattlemasons.org, it would be greatly appreciated.

If you see something that you particularly like, don't see something you would like to see, or don't like something you do see on the site, please use the comment form to let us know about it. We want our site to be the best that St. John's Lodge No. 9 can offer. To do this we need the help of all members no matter where they are. We cannot promise to act on all suggestions but all will be carefully weighed and many will be acted upon.

A Scottish term for an uninstructed Mason, an unskilled workman. By today's definition, a cowan may be a lower ranking Mason who attempts to enter a Lodge which he has not been initiated to, usually innocently.

Members and their ladies are invited and encouraged to attend the District 4 and 5 reception for our Grand Master MWBro. Robert L. Van Zee, Saturday, February 2, beginning at 3pm, at the Scottish Rite. WBro. Albertson will be reporting on our activities and plans for our Lodge. Dinner will follow at 6pm. A $10 registration fee will include the dinner and surprise entertainment for the ladies!