Those with reservations filled the room and those who arrived without reservations scrambled for seating. Our caterers set almost enough places for all and everyone worked to make room for the extras. We utilized two round tables for extra seating at the ends of the columns and we had an overfull dining room for this affair. Actual seating was 69 with reservations for 63 which over filled the tables by 6. At these special affairs it is very important to have good numbers by reservation. This is becoming more and more important and it won't be long before those without reservations will not be seated. WM Charles Tupper and his officers opened the Table Lodge with the usual table lodge ritual and everyone sat down to salad, beef ribs, baked beans, corn on the cob, and dessert. While everyone ate, the required toasts were given. The practice for these was a bit disjointed as were the first few toasts.
The toast ritual smoothed out at about the fourth toast and by the time the sixth was proposed the firing cannons were hitting the tables in unison. A very satisfying sound and everyone was pleased with their timing. Committee reports WB Joseph Lund who reported that Sacajawea will be the next school to receive funding from the Accelerated Reader committee and the date would be announced as soon as it is known. Bro. Brian Downie reported that the Scholarship Committee is up and running and has held its first meeting. All those who are interested need to contact MWB Sat. Tashiro or anyone on the committee. St. John's committees exclude no interested member and all are needed to do the jobs well. WB Charles Tupper reported on the Website and stated that the expenses of the site fall into three categories: (1) Rental which consists of Domain registration fees, server hosting fees, and search engine fees. (2) Manufacturing aids which consist of Adobe Dreamweaver Web Editing software, Corel Paint which is used to make the pictures ready for the site, and the M5 log analyzer which makes it so we know who is using our website and what they are seeing there. (3) The last category is the Webmaster's wages. He stated that he hoped everyone found the St. John's website useful and easy to use. WB Hans Wehl reported that the Company Store is open and has lots of inexpensive goodies for the Brethren to have and good clothing to wear. WB Mark Campbell reported that the West Seattle Rainbow girls would be having a silent auction, a dinner, and a live auction beginning at 5 PM on March 31st to support their activities. VWB Jim Russell reported that the King County Masonic Library Association has a resolution on the table to give all the books to the Grand Lodge Library and to dissolve as a Corporation. WB Charles Tupper reported that the King County Masonic Service Bureau's board of directors has requested the resignation of Leonard Luchau, Executive Secretary. Presentation
Speaker
Traditionalist: (1900-1945) Loyal, hardworking, financially conservative and faithful to institutions. Boomer: (1946-1964) Responsible for many of the rights and opportunities now taken for granted. Baby boomers all but invented the 60-hour workweek, figuring that demonstrated hard work and loyalty to employers was one way to get ahead. Their sense of who they are is deeply connected to their career achievements. Xer's: (1965-1980) Are skeptics and they distrust institutions. They don't expect employer loyalty. They see no problem changing jobs to advance professionally. Millenium: (1981-1999) Eager to learn and enjoy questioning things. Confident and have high self-esteem. Collaborators and favor teamwork. Cuspers: Many of these were born on a dividing line between two of these groups. These are the cuspers and have attributes of two of these. For instance the Boomer-Traditionalist. This type values the strong work ethic of the traditionalists. These are also eager to challenge the status quo if they see an advantage to doing so. In order to successfully bridge the generations it is necessary to: Be aware of the differences Appreciate the strengths. And, manage the differences effectively. Tyler's Toast Following the JGW's presentation the Tyler rose to propose the seventh toast. With the Brethren echoing the chorus refrain the Tyler said:
Are your glasses charged in the West and South,
the Worshipful Master cries; (The Final Toast - Peter Richards - 1852) Table Lodge Closing The WM and his officers then closed the Table Lodge and the WM invited all present to the Lodge room for the business portion of the Stated Communication. Call To Labor The Lodge, having been opened at 5:30 PM on the First Degree, was called to labor by the WM at 8:15 PM. Introductions were made. Resolutions: A Brother became ill suddenly during the evening and still wished to have a vote on the resolutions. The WM changed the order of business to accommodate. The first two resolutions were house keeping changes to the By-Laws of St. John's Lodge No. 9 and were intended to put the By-Laws more in line with the actuality of the functioning of the Lodge. Resolution No. 1: ARTICLE VII - Financial Records and Regulations Section 7. The books and records of the Secretary and of the Treasurer shall be submitted to the Board of Trustees once each year not later then March 1st, or more often when requested by the Trustees, and the Board shall thereupon cause to be executed an audit or review of the books, records and vouchers, including investments and securities owned by or to which the Lodge is entitled. Such audit or review shall be made by a recognized firm of Certified Public Accountants when deemed necessary by the Board of Trustee. An internal Lodge audit committee will perform an audit during all years not done by a recognized firm of Certified Public Accountants in accordance with Washington Masonic Code. This was passed without dissent. Resolution No. 2: ARTICLE VIII- Masonic Funeral Services
Section 1. The Worshipful Master, or his designated
alternate, shall conduct all funeral or memorial services for departed
members This passed without dissent. Resolution No. 3 This resolution was brought to the Brethren to help the Granite Falls Masonic Park in its need to recover from devastating flooding. This was not in the year's budget and needed a special resolution to deal with. Whereas the Granite Falls Masonic Park has been devastated by floods and wind storms and Whereas the Master Masons Club of Snohomish and Island Counties does not have the funds estimated at $95,000 to repair the damage and Whereas St. John’s Lodge No. 9 has a desire to help our Fraternal Brethren in times of need and Whereas this is such a time, Therefore Be it Resolved that St. John’s Lodge No. 9 will increase its 2007 charity budget by $25,000 and will create a budget line item in this amount to help toward expenses incurred in rebuilding the Granite Falls Masonic Park, to be distributed in installments. The first installment of $15,000 shall be stipulated to repair heavy equipment and for beginning all phases of the rebuilding process. The second installment of $10,000 to be distributed two months later for use as park rebuilding funds. Following some discussion and clarification as to the intent and effect of this resolution it was passed without dissent. Minutes, Etc. The Secretary read the minutes of the previous communication, the Treasurer reported that we are solvent, the Secretary read the bills. WB Herb White served as substitute chairman for the finance committee and he reported the bills in order and recommended their payment. This was accomplished without dissent. Communication from the GM was read and the other communications were passed around for all to look at. New Business. SW Jim Wold asked for funding for the Phinney Neighborhood Association auction from the charity reserve fund. This was passed without dissent. WB Joseph Lund requested funds for Sacajawea school's Accelerated Reader Program. This was passed without dissent. Masonic Moment: WB Tupper spoke on the Gothic Cathedral and speculative Masons. He said that: Speculative Masons or, as they were called, "Amateurs and Patrons of the Art" were known as early as the 1200's and were accepted as members of some of the operative working lodges as early as the 1400's. It was during this latter period that one Matthaus Roriczer, who did not sign the German Lodges' Regensberg Statutes of 1459, published one of the most closely held secrets of the Lodges. He put in writing the method of raising pinnacles from a horizontal and gave it to an Amateur Patron. This bit of writing comes down to us today in its original form from that publication. This missive is extremely well known. It has been publicized as an act against the rules of the operative Lodge. Thus, it is probably because of this particular single publication that the EA obligation contains wording relating to writing things down.
Thus, the nest of squares may be interpreted as a series of ground plans at various levels. The angle of recession of the pinnacle may be conveniently defined by the difference between two of the proportionate squares. So, provided with the basic square and the basic sketch elevations and informed of the necessary height relationships, the mason could construct the pinnacle, or any other element, relying on proportional relationships rather than numerical measurements. Over time the numbers of Amateurs and Patrons of the Art grew in the operative lodges until the point was reached when the great Gothic Building age had run its course and the numbers of operative masons in the lodges dwindled until they were basically outnumbered. This change from operative to speculative in operative Lodges continued until 1717 when four Lodges of Speculative Masons completed the break away from the operative and formed the Grand Lodge of England for Speculative Masons only. Good of the Order: WB Mark Campbell complimented the webmaster on the website and the Lodge gave the webmaster a round of applause for his efforts.
It was announced that the Rainbow Girls of West Seattle will hold a silent auction, dinner, and live auction to support their activities on March 31st. The silent auction begins at 5 PM at Alki Masonic Center, dinner at 6 and the live auction at 7. There are work parties at the Granite Falls Masonic Park every weekend. Anyone who desires to help should go to the park early in the morning any Saturday or Sunday and they will be glad to find something for you to do to help. Following other announcements WM Tupper closed Lodge at 9:25 PM, Peace and Harmony prevailing. twenty-first century www.seattlemasons.org
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