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March 2006
From the East
February 5th, 2006, will always be remembered as an important milestone in Seattle's history. Like many of you, I was excited to see the Seahawks finally make their first Superbowl appearance. But as in all sports competitions, there can only be one winner. Seattle will have to wait until next season for a shot at the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
As fans for 30 years, we've been through a lot. We've seen wins and losses and experienced good times and bad. I had the pleasure of being at the NFC Championship Game where Seattle defeated the Carolina
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Panthers and secured their spot at Superbowl XL. What an amazing experience! Throughout the stadium there was an overwhelming sense of joy and euphoria. Two weeks later our collective emotions would be at the opposite end of the spectrum.
The origin of the game of football can be traced back to a Soccer game in the middle of the nineteenth century. Legend has it that a player, frustrated with a scoreless tie, decided to pick up the ball and run towards the goal. The excitement generated by this act of defiance led to the creation of a new game, Rugby. However, it was Walter Camp of Yale that initiated changes to the new game that would eventually lead to what we would today recognize as Football. In 1880 he changed the "scrummage" to a "scrimmage," thus transforming the continuous action of Rugby into a more orderly system where one team has undisputed control of the ball. Over the next several years more rule changes were made to improve the game and prevent the rising number of injuries and deaths associated with the sport. |
Football, with all of its history and traditions, also provides valuable lessons that extend well beyond the conflicts on the gridiron. These are lessons that, when employed in one's experiences, can lead to continued success in all aspects of life.
1. When you get hit, get right back up again. Football, like life, is about persistence. We all have goals that we are striving to reach. Nothing should stop us from getting there.
2. Show up to win or go home a loser. In Football, it's one game that determines the champion. You either win or you don't. As with anything in life, when you show up to do something be prepared and do your best. Live with the results, no do-overs.
3. Time isn't always on your side. If the other team's ahead and you're out of timeouts, the quarterback can take a knee and run out the clock. Life isn't fair. Take care of business when you have the opportunity.
Come to think of it, Football is a lot like Masonry. Both have teams, rules and procedures. Moreover, both have goals. Let's strive to reach ours and have a good time getting there.
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Mark Campbell, WM
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WELCOME TO ST. JOHN'S
The Master welcomes all to St. John's for our Stated Meeting of March 15. Dinner begins at 6:30. Please let the Secretary know you and a guest will be in attendance so we can give the chef an accurate count! Masons only, this month!
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Coming Events
- March 15 (6:30pm): St. John's 9 (dinner) Table Lodge Stated
- March 22 (7pm): Officers meeting/practice
- March 22 (7pm): District 5 LOMA meeting (Greenwood)
- March 23 (7pm): Master Mason degree
- March 24-26: Wardens Conference - Yakima
- March 29 (7pm): Entered Apprentice degree
- April 19 (6:15pm) 7:30pm: St. John's 9 (dinner) Stated
MASONS CALLED TO ANNUAL TABLE LODGE
Worshipful Master Mark Campbell invites all brothers to join us in our annual Table Lodge festivities, Wednesday, March 15. Fellowship will open at 6:30 to allow everyone to be in their places for an evening of good food, toasts, and a little bit of business.
 | | We are most pleased to have Senior Grand Warden RWBro. Wayne Smith as our featured speaker on this occasion. RWBro. Smith was elected Junior Grand Warden in 2004. He retired from the United States Coast Guard following 22 years of active duty. He was a member of DeMolay when in high school in Newport, Oregon. | He has worked at Lockheed Shipbuilding, the Washington State Ferry System as Senior Inspector for all major renovations to its fleet of vessels, has served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Society of Port Engineers of Puget Sound and its President in 1990. He is currently a member of Langley Lodge No. 218, serving as its Master in 1996.
The table feast as a function, a ceremonial, an occasion, is very, very old. It is older by far than any Masonry we know, so that the lodge feast but carries out a custom in Masonry which was old when the pyramids were built.
The Table Lodge was born in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Masonic fellowship was good fellowship at Table Lodge. A warm and fruitful acquaintanceship, friendship, and affection could flourish - there was no grim and silent sitting on a bench, staring across at a wall. Out of this festive spirit flowered the love which Masons had for their lodge. The lodge was a home, warm, comfortable, luxurious, full of memories, and tokens, and affection, and even if a member died, his presence was never wholly absent; to such a lodge no member went grudgingly, nor had to be coaxed, nor was moved by that ghastly, cold thing called a sense of duty, but went as if drawn by a magnet, and counted the days until he could go. |
It is said. "What business has any lodge to be nothing but a machine for grinding out the work: It was not called into existence in order to have the minutes read: Even a mystic tie will snap under the strain of cheerlessness, repetition, monotony, dullness. A lodge needs a fire lighted in it, and the only way to have that warmth is to restore the lodge Feast, because when it is restored, good fellowship and brotherly love will follow, and where good fellowship is, members will fill up an empty room not only with themselves but also with their gifts."
The Table Lodge is no mere banquet or dinner - it is a special ceremony. It is complete with a ritual which incorporates terminology of centuries ago. It includes toasts, Masonic songs, and a good Masonic speaker. RWBro. Smith more than adequately fills this role.
è Due to the uniqueness of this festive table, everyone is urged to make reservations. Please make your reservations with the secretary at 206 623-0261 or email stjohns9@seattlemasons.org by Friday, March 10, prior to the March 15 meeting. Sorry, no ladies or non-Masonic guests this month, please.
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FABulous Family Brunch
Plans are underway for our annual FABulous Family Brunch, targeted for 8:30 Sunday morning, May 7. Again this year we have an exclusive engagement at Ivar's Salmon House at the north end of Lake Union. You'll want to make your reservations early for this one! Invitations and reservation cards for our members and widows will be included in the April Trestleboard.
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2006 DISTRICT 5 LOMA
The Lodge Officers and Members Association for District 5 continues to meet on the 4th Wednesday of most months at Greenwood. The purpose of LOMA is to coordinate and promote activities of the lodges throughout the district. The Officers for 2006 are WBros. Mike Cuadra, President, Terry Grove, VPres., Conrad Tjemsland, Treasurer, and Ken White, Secretary
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DEGREES IN MARCH
At least one brother of the lodge will be raised to a Master Mason on Thursday, March 23, and two candidates for Entered Apprentice Mason will be initiated Wednesday, March 29. These brothers and brothers-to-be deserve our support and your attendance at their special ceremonies. Starting time for each night will be 7pm, at the Greenwood Masonic Center.
How about making this a banner year with a good candidate to vote on at every meeting. Find out just who is interested in joining and have a petition for them. If you do not have a petition, call, e-mail or US mail your secretary and he will see that you have at least one blank petition shortly. The cost of joining is $150 for the degrees and our annual dues are $12. The $150 is to accompany the petition, with the annual dues of $12 to be paid at the time the candidate is raised.
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CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
In the last issue of the Trestleboard, it was stated that the newly installed sound system and movie screen in the dining area would be a contribution to the Greenwood Masonic Center. This is not a contribution, and will be retained as the property of St. John's. However, it's use is available to those lodges which meet at Greenwood.
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LOOK WHAT YOU GET FOR YOUR $12 DUES!
What a bargain are your lodge dues! $11 goes to Grand Lodge, $1 to St. John's. So, if you attend Lodge and have dinner and go to many of our other events, that $1 gets you:
12 pre-lodge dinners at average $22.50 = $270.00
Birthday card .50 cents + postage
Masonic Monitor for $7
12 Lodge Trestleboards for $5.75
Anniversary Dinner/w Entertainment at $70
Family Brunch at $22
Summer picnic for $23
Company Store $12 credit ($1 per month in St. John's Bucks)
...so for $1 that goes to our Lodge, you get over $422.64 return. Not a bad return....
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THE 13TH MASONIC PRESIDENT
In the courthouse of Plattsburg, Missouri, there is a statue of Brother Atchison bearing the inscription, "David Rice Atchison 1807-1886, President of the United States for One Day." The circumstances were the transition from President James Polk to Zachary Taylor. According to the law at that time, President Polk stepped down as President on Sunday, March 4, 1849. Zachary Taylor was a deeply religious man and refused to be inaugurated on a Sunday. Thus, according to ascension laws, the office fell to the Vice-President, George M. Dallas. However, his term also ended at noon on March 4. Thus the presidential line then fell to the President Pro Tem of the Senate - who was David Rice Atchison. The problem was debated in the Congress for several hours and agreed by them that Brother Atchison, although never inaugurated was legally and by the Constitution, President of the United States from noon on March 4, 1849 until noon on March 5, 1849. Brother Atchison was a member of Platte Lodge No. 56 in Platte City, Missouri.
Contact Us Here
Worshipful Master: Mark Campbell (425) 398-1398
Senior Warden: Charles Tupper (206) 406-8670
Junior Warden: James A. Wold (425) 357-6867
Secretary: Jim Russell (206) 623-0261 stjohns9@seattlemasons.org
Webmaster: Charles Tupper (206) 406-8670 webmaster@seattlemasons.org
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