We have some important news for you regarding our Internet service. Would you like to make a statement and show some justifiable pride in your Lodge? How about your very own "Email account for life" with the seattlemasons.org URL? Due to a recent shift in our Internet Service Provider, our Webmaster Charlie Tupper informs me that we can accommodate a sizeable number of these accounts. You can get your own password and Email address (e.g., YourNameHere@seattlemasons.org). Of course you will still need to get access to the internet by either paying for some service in your home, or alternately gaining access free at a public library or Internet café. You can use this account anywhere in the World with an Email program. Simply go to our website, www.seattlemasons.org, and follow the instructions. Just so you know, I am now salbertson@seattlemasons.org. Please drop me a line! I am really looking forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming FABulous family appreciation brunch. Our event starts at 8:30 a.m., and I plan to keep my remarks to a minimum. We will surely say a blessing over the meal around 8:45 a.m., and a few words of appreciation to our families. Mostly, however, I look forward to talking with you as individuals. If you have anything that you would like to say about how your Lodge is being run, this would be a good opportunity to speak to me. In June we have a presentation by our own Joe DuWors on his recent scholarly visit to Egypt. Be sure to bring your mummy. The month following, as hard as it is to believe, is our annual Herb's night Hawaiian luau. Until next month, aloha and maholo plenty! At our Stated Communication on May 1, we will meet one of those children, fifteen year old Sabit Bec (pronounced Sa-beet' Bashe). He will be our guest, along with Maury Clark. They will join us for dinner, and will later tell us about the struggle for survival in war-torn Sudan. Mr. Clark not only manages our investment portfolio, but also is aided by St. John's in his charitable efforts on behalf of children through he Clark Fund. For Sudanese refugee children in the past year, he has paid medical bills, acted as Guardian for children with INS and DCFS problems, and provided food, clothing and shelter when necessary. Sabit was only six years old when he, his older brother, age eleven, a younger brother, age three, and a younger sister, age five, started their flight. About one year later they arrived in a United Nations refugee camp where they remained for seven years while they learned English and prepared for their move to the United States. This family, and about one hundred other Sudanese refugee children now reside mostly in the Tukwila-SeaTac area. The three children are now enrolled in school and are carrying close to straight A averages. This is a truly inspiring story of faith, trust, and determination. It should be a source of joy to all of us in our supporting role for these brave young people. St. John's Lodge No. 9 also is a supporting contributor to "The Blue Nile Children's Organization," the purpose of which is to construct and maintain an orphanage in Bahir Dar, the capital city of Amhara National Regional State in Ethiopia. The Joint Degree Program involves multiple Lodges from the greater Seattle area dedicated to enhancing the honor and dignity of Masonic degree work. These Lodges value the importance of the impression and memory that these auspicious occasions will forever have on the mind and conscience of a newly obligated brother. The Lodge is scheduled to open at 7 p.m., with the degrees to begin immediately following. One out of three Americans suffers from some form of mental illness. Think of two of your best friends. If they are okay, then it must be you. For our Brothers, as the name implies, all members of your immediate family, living at home, are invited. We encourage the kids to join us. Reservations are mandatory and are limited. Call (206) 623-0261 or return last month's postcard. It is yours: yours to wear throughout an honorable life and, at your death, to be placed upon the coffin that shall contain your mortal remains, and be with them laid in their final resting place…" These words are taken directly from the Masonic Monitor which is open to the public to read. Have you shared this information with your family? Are they aware of the pride which you can display when that apron goes with you to your final resting place? Do they know where you keep your white apron when it comes time for burial? Take a few minutes to share this with them and to discuss whether or not you wish a Masonic service when the time comes for a funeral service to be held. Members of the Seattle Youth Symphony, who form the Chrysanthemum String Quartet, will perform selected music from The Magic Flute with commentary by Brothers of the Lodge on the Masonic allegory of this enchanting tale. After the performance, everyone will be invited into a newly remodeled dining room to enjoy fellowship and desserts that have been generously donated by two local bakeries. All of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the Alzheimer's Association, with a "suggested donation" of $20.00. But no one will be turned away regardless of ability to contribute. This is an open community event and as such friends and spouses are welcome. If you are planning to attend, please RSVP right away: Jon Sewell, Master of Queen Anne, (206) 932-5611 or jonah777@earthlink.net twenty-first century www.seattlemasons.org | ||||||||||||||||
