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EDITED BY: VWB JAMES F. RUSSELL, SECRETARY

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June 2007
FROM THE EAST
Charles H. Tupper, Master

 very long time ago man discovered that a stick with a vine tied   to a rock and used as a mace would hit animals harder than the  rock alone and that an extension bar with a spear base to throw the spear from would increase the speed and force of the throw.  He taught those around him this new way of hunting and his tribe became extremely successful at keeping well fed.  Later a man discovered that the same rock, stick, and vine along with leaves and mud could be used to make excellent shelters and he was no longer left out in the elements or confined to a cave.  He taught others how to build and the village was born.

Education has been the key to advancement and survival of man throughout the ages.  Those who learn the most about their chosen endeavor have always had the best chance at success. 

Now June is here again and the public schools have come to the end of another school year.  This time of year is special to us as our scholarship committee winds up another round of interviews and scholarship awards.  Our scholarships do a lot of good as we give them to those who would otherwise not be able to afford a higher education.   Our Lodge does this because it takes education of our youth very seriously and we believe that financial hardship should not keep a good student from receiving an excellent education.

Each and every year our Scholarship committee works hard to see that deserving students have the chance to learn.  They spend many hours canvassing schools to find these deserving students.  They then set up appointments to interview the students and they are authorized to promise scholarships to those they find deserving under our guidelines.  Many, many hours go into this process each year and our scholarship committee members do this with gladness.  They want to help our youth.

The recipients of these are invited to a Lodge Stated Communication dinner so that we may have the opportunity to meet them and their families.  In the past this has been the August Stated but we have moved it closer to the end of the School year beginning this year and it will be held at our June Stated Communication.  Brother David Flood, our Junior Steward, has a talk for us prior to this Stated Communication and we will have a report on the proceedings of the Grand Lodge as well as voting on the mid year budget increases at the meeting.

Please support our scholarship students and your Lodge with your attendance.

SIGN UP FOR JULY TEEN FEED

Members from St. John’s will again be stepping up to the plate to feed homeless teens in the University District.  This evening will be Monday, July 16.  Volunteer organizations purchase, prepare and serve the teens in the community each night of the week, under the auspices of University Street Ministries.  

 

Torchlight Parade Masonic Float

St John’s Lodge will sponsor the Grand Lodge Masonic float in the 58th annual Seafair Torchlight Parade.  This year’s parade will take place on Saturday, July 28, beginning at 7:30pm.  The parade draws 300,000 on-site spectators and an additional 700,000 TV viewers along 4th Avenue.  Bro. David Long chairs the float committee for  our lodge.

    

CALENDAR 

·   June 16-17:  Fremont Fair (Masonic information booth)

·   June 18:  King Solomon Lodge No. 60 Annual Strawberry Feed

·   June 20 (6:15pm) 7:30pm:  St. John’s 9 (dinner) Stated; Scholarship Night

·   June 27 (7pm):  Entered Apprentice degree

·   July 12 (7pm):  degree

·   July 16:  Teen Feed

·   July 18 (6:15pm) 7:30pm:  St. John’s 9 (dinner) Stated; Herb’s Night – Ladies invited

·   July 25:  Greenwood Seafair Parade

·   July 25 (7pm): Officers meeting

·   July 28 (7:30)pm:  Seafair Torchlight Parade

·   August 12 (11am – 4pm):  Lodge picnic at Nile (Sunday)

 

STUDENT SCHOLARS VISIT ST. JOHN’S AT JUNE STATED

Once again students and their families will be the guests of St. John’s No. 9 when we gather for dinner leading to our June 20th stated communication.  Brother David Flood will also be giving a short talk on the American dollar bill and its Masonic references.

The purpose of the lodge scholarship program is to provide an opportunity to support and foster development of the Liberal Arts and Sciences in our community.  Our goal is to “make a difference” in each student’s life by providing financial aid. 

Working with teachers, counselors and individuals, members of our scholarship committee receive recommendations and are able to interview students who have demonstrated industry, character and high moral standards.  We seek students who, without our assistance, would be unable to continue higher education.

The final seven steps on the approach to the Middle Chamber of King Solomon’s temple teach the newly obligated Fellowcraft the importance of a rich mental life, specifically an appreciation of the Liberal Arts and Sciences.  To this end, the Freemasons of St. John’s proudly support the young people in our public schools with scholarships for higher education, as we support the accelerated reader program at the elementary school level.


Worshipful Master Charles Tupper invites all Masons to join us for a full evening of programming and business.  Dinner begins at 6:15.  Please let the Secretary know you and a guest will be in attendance so we can give the chef an accurate count!

Dress code for this meeting remains coat and tie; officers in tuxedos.  Our July and August meetings will be business casual, including officers.

 

RESOLUTION TO ADJUST 2007 BUDGET

The following resolution will be presented for action at the June stated communication:

  • Whereas the Trustees annually perform a mid-year review of our annual budget, and
  • Whereas it is anticipated that an officers and trustees team-building retreat in January will require up-front expenditures in this fiscal year, and
    •
  • Whereas it is the desire of this lodge to extend additional aid for Masonic Park repairs to prevent further flood damage, and
  • Whereas additional charity reserves would permit room to act on requests not foreseen, and
    •
  • Whereas our strong financial growth permits some flexibility,
  • Therefore be it resolved that the lodge increase its 2007 operating budget by $7,000 and 2007 charity budget by $28,000.

GRAND LODGE 150TH ANNUAL COMMUNICATION

 Nineteen members of St. John’s plan to attend the 150th annual communication of Grand Lodge June 14-16 in Kennewick, some as delegates representing other Lodges.  RWBro. G. Santy Lascano, who visited with us at our May communication, is expected to be elected Junior Grand Warden.  RWBro. Gale Kenney of St. John’s should be elected Senior Grand Warden, and MWBro. Wayne Smith will serve as Grand Master for 2007-2008.

STRAWBERRY FEED

WBro. Wilson “Woody” Easterly, Master of King Solomon Lodge No. 60, has invited the brethren of St. John’s to attend the King Solomon annual strawberry feed, Monday, June 18.  Shortcake will be served at 6:30, followed by a regular stated meeting of the Auburn lodge.

MWBro. Al Jorgensen reports that the strawberry feed has been a King Solomon tradition for 70+ years, and that St. John’s has taken part in the event for many of those years.  In the early 1930’s, St. John’s had announced at a Grand Lodge annual communication that we desired assistance in raising a brother to Master Mason who would shortly enter the military.  King Solomon Lodge volunteered to add the brother as a courtesy candidate on the night they would be holding their strawberry feed.  Many brothers from St. John’s came out to participate in both the festival and to witness the degrees.  The raised brother immediately entered the military, and eventually led the team which recovered the bodies of aviator Wiley Post and humorist Will Rogers, killed when Post’s plane crashed shortly after takeoff near Barrow, Alaska on August 15, 1935.

THE MEMBER WHO NEVER CAME BACK

Do you remember me?

I am the fellow who came to every meeting, but nobody paid any attention to me.  I tried several times to be friendly, but everyone seemed to have his own friends to talk and sit with.  I sat down among some unfamiliar faces several times, but they did not pay much attention to me.

I hoped somebody would ask me to join one of the committees or to somehow participate and contribute – no one did.

Finally, because of illness, I missed a meeting.  The next month no one asked me where I had been.  I guess it did not matter very much whether I was there or not.  On the next meeting date I decided to stay home and watch a good program on television.  When I attended the next meeting, no one asked me where I was the month before. 

You might say that I am a good guy, a good family man, that I hold a responsible job and love my community.

You know what else I am?  I am the member who never came back.

 ENTERED APPRENTICE DEGREE

Bro. George Rine has assembled an Entered Apprentice degree team to initiate one or two candidates on Wednesday, June 27, the week following our stated communication.  Lodge will open at 7pm.  WBro. Charles Tupper hopes to see as many brothers in attendance as possible to support our brothers-to-be.

Ritual Classes

Worshipful Master Charlie Tupper continues to offer a series of classes for those brothers interested in perfecting their Blue Lodge ritual Work.  The purpose will be to make our Masonic ritual meaningful as well as correct.  Classes are held at the Greenwood Masonic Center the 2nd Monday of each month between the hours of 7 and 9pm.  No classes will be held in July and August. 

 

Other local activities:

·   Solstice Fair – Fremont June 16-17 (Sat. – Sun.),  Masonic information booth.  Doric Masonic Temple open for tours.

·   Greenwood 15th Annual Classic Car and Rod Show June 23  (Saturday) 10am – 4pm.  Over 500 classic cars.  Event draws estimated 30,000 visitors to view the cars.  Hot dog stand at Greenwood Masonic Temple; Daylight and Greenwood Lodges hosting.

·   District 4 Horseshoe Tournament – June 24 (Sunday), High Twelve at Lower Woodlawn Park, Site #6.

 

More on Masonry and Knowledge . . .

Originally, the practice of using secret passwords and handshakes developed among members of medieval guilds – men who were mostly illiterate used passwords and handshakes “to protect their right to work in a particular town."  In the modern world, Freemasonry "isn't really very secretive at all.”

But for U.S. audiences, a secret organization is a lot sexier than an open one.

While Freemasonry has an element of secrecy, we say it is essentially an organization seeking truth.  And as both Freemasonry and higher education are, in a sense, quests for knowledge, their intersection may at times be natural.

This Trestleboard is published monthly under the auspices of St. John’s Lodge No. 9, VWBro. Jim Russell, Sec.  Articles should be submitted by the first Monday of the month.

   



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