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August 2007
FROM THE EAST
Charles H. Tupper, Master
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ummertime! Free days and warm evenings.
Bar-b-ques and cook outs.
Swimming and recreation. Camping and
day trips. Vacations and hotels. These, along with nice weather and all of
the other things that people do at this time of year seem to
get in the way of attending Lodge
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meetings. Lodge picnics would too if they were held on Lodge night.
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August
and September are two of the busiest months for St. John’s Lodge No. 9
despite all the summer activities that everyone has on their agendas.
August brings two degree nights, a Stated Communication, a Trustees meeting,
and for the entire family, there is the Lodge picnic. This continues right
into September where we celebrate the Lodge Anniversary at the College Club
on September 8th and a Stated Communication on the 19th. Between these
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Monday, September 10th, WBro Marv Pearson and I
will restart the monthly ritual practice. It would be nice to see a large
turnout from St. John’s Lodge’s officers and those who have not gone through
the chairs of the Lodge. |
St.
John’s picnic will be held on Sunday, August 12th, at the Nile
Golf and Country Club, picnic area B. Brother George Rine and his picnic
committee are going to put on a very good picnic for all of us this year.
From Bingo for the adults to the haystack full of coins for the little ones
there will be something for everyone. Remember to bring a side dish as
requested by the alphabetical list that our Secretary has published and
bring the whole family. It is always a fun day and we have lots of games
for everyone to play.
On
August 9th we will be doing an Entered Apprentice degree and we
will do a Fellowcraft degree on the 22nd. A good turnout for our new
candidates would be nice to see. Please put these on your calendar and come
to the degrees.
At our
Stated on August 15th we will receive Most Worshipful Brother Wayne I. Smith, Grand Master of Masons in Washington on an official visit. He will have a very interesting message for us and we are honored to have him. We will also be having the Phinney Ridge Association
come to tell us what they do and we will be hearing from Heidi Fray from the
Scottish Rite’s Speech and Disability Center. We also have some business to
attend to and will, as usual, have an excellent dinner. St. John’s is among
a handful of Lodges that do not go dark in the summer so if you are not a
member and are reading this it is an excellent opportunity for you to attend
Lodge, enjoy an evening of fellowship, and have a good time.
I hope
all of you are having a wonderful summer and I will see you at the picnic.
Grand Master To Attend Our August Stated Communication
3RD WEDNESDAY - August 15th
Polo shirt casual will again be the dress of the
day at our Stated Communication August 15 (no shorts please) when Most Worshipful Brother Wayne I. Smith will be making an official visit to St. John's Lodge No. 9.
Birthdays will be celebrated, a
Memorial Scroll will be read for a departed brother, we will install a couple of appointed officers, and Masonic education will continue to be addressed by Worshipful Master Charles Tupper.
We will also hear from a representative
from the Phinney Ridge Association and from Ms Heidi Fray, Executive
Director of Rite Care of the Scottish Rite.
Come to this meeting and support your Lodge as we receive and honor our Grand Master.
FAMILY PICNIC AT NILE AUGUST 12
Round
up your family, invite your friends, especially those who might be good
candidates for Masonry, and enjoy our annual Family Picnic, Sunday,
August 12 at the Nile Shrine picnic grounds, area “B.” Steaks, hot dogs and
buns will be furnished. You need only to bring a choice of one of the
following: hot or cold vegetable, salad, dessert. And, oh, yeah, your
appetite!
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CALENDAR
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August 9 (7pm): EA degree
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August 12 (11am – 4pm):
Lodge picnic at Nile (Sunday)
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August 15 (6:15pm)
7:30pm: St. John’s 9 (dinner)
Stated (casual dress)
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August 22
(7pm): Fellowcraft degree
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September 8 (6pm): 147th
Anniversary Celebration with Jim Foote as Theodore Roosevelt (College
Club)
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September 10 (7-9pm):
Ritual instruction classes at Greenwood Masonic Center
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September 13 (7pm):
degree
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September 19 (6:15pm)
7:30pm: St. John’s 9 (dinner)
Stated Wild Socks and Tie Contest – Prizes for
top 4
ANNIVERSARY DINNER RSVP
St. John’s Approaches 147th Anniversary
August 15 Stated leads
up to celebration in September
Mark
your calendar for our big event of the year, when we host our 147th
anniversary dinner at the College Club in downtown Seattle, Saturday,
September 8. Dinner and conversation will be accompanied by The Andy
Mirkovich Trio, with a visit from our 26th president, Bro.
Theodore H. Roosevelt, following.
Our
Social Hour with bar will begin at 6pm, with dinner following at 7:00.
Bro. Iain Cameron has planned
and prepared an evening to remember. All members of St. John’s and their
ladies are invited to join the festivities. Reservations are a must,
and may be made by returning the enclosed card, by email at
stjohns9@seattlemasons.org, or calling the secretary at 206 623-0261.
Indicate your preference for Baked Prime Rib Choice Cut or
Smokey Lemon Baked Salmon;
these entrees will be accompanied with roasted Rosemary potatoes and a baked
stuffed tomato. Dessert will feature New York Style cheesecake with Melba
sauce.
Those who request a vegetarian choice need to do so when making their
reservation. All reservations must be received by Saturday, September 1!
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“There he is!” Mark said as we
pulled into the parking lot at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site on Long Island. Sure enough, the
unmistakable form of Theodore Roosevelt, clad in black hat and overcoat, was
heading toward us. “Dee-lighted!” he exclaimed as we jumped out to greet him.
No,
we hadn’t succeeded in mastering time travel. We did, however, have the good
fortune to receive an introduction to VWBro. James Foote of Sea Cliff, New York.
James has been recreating the persona of Theodore Roosevelt for twenty-five
years, and today he’d granted us the honor of guiding us through Sagamore Hill,
the Victorian home where TR and his family lived for over thirty years.
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James has traveled the country as
Roosevelt, performing at
events like the commissioning of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS
Theodore Roosevelt and appearing on national television. When he’s not
traveling, he volunteers at Sagamore Hill and makes appearances at schools and
colleges.
James’
interest in Theodore Roosevelt goes beyond his uncanny resemblance. As a boy,
he attended Scout jamborees at Sagamore Hill. Later on, his glasses, mustache
and build kept drawing the question, “Did anyone ever tell you that you look
just like Teddy Roosevelt?” One appearance in costume led to another, and
invitations began pouring in for him to attend events in character. “I couldn’t
keep doing it without knowing more about TR,” says Foote. “And I began learning
everything I could about the man.” He now knows most of his speeches by heart
and can deliver them in the distinctive, high-pitched voice for which the 26th
president is known.
THE COLLEGE CLUB OF SEATTLE was established in
1910. Located in the heart of downtown Seattle at 505 Madison St., the College
Club has a long history of providing its members an enjoyable social atmosphere
to meet, conduct business or just unwind after work. Free parking is
available below the club. Access from 5th Avenue just south of Madison
Street.
SEARCH FOR THE WILD T-SHIRT
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At a break in Ms Maggie Bennett’s wonderful program of folk music and
story-telling at last month’s Stated Communication, judges appointed by
the Master selected three members deemed to have been brave enough to
compete in the “wild T-Shirt” contest. VWBro. Ashley
Brinkley was deemed “the wildest,” followed by WBro. Bill Collison and VWBro.
Jim Maher. They were awarded gift
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certificates redeemable at
Starbuck’s Coffee.
Searches will be made for the
wildest ties and socks at the September Stated.
AWARDS AND PRESENTATIONS
At July’s “Herb’s Night” communication, Bro.
Bernard “Bernie” Gordon was presented with his 40 year pin and recognition
card. Bro. Gordon was raised in Bay Cities Lodge of California, September 15,
1965. He was elected to plural membership in St. John’s Lodge No. 9 on June 2,
2004.
WBro. Mark Campbell was presented with a framed
Past Master’s Certificate to commemorate his year as Master of St. John’s in
2006.
VWBros. David Campbell and Jim Russell were each
presented the Hiram Awards for Outstanding Service to the lodge. VWBro. Jim
Maher, Deputy of the Grand Master for District No. 5, remarked that both
brothers have taken similar paths in Masonry, beginning as Dad Advisors in
DeMolay, Masters of the lodge, and have served as Deputies of the Grand Master
for District No. 5
Goats –
We Kid You Not!
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Wednesday morning, July 25, Senior
Warden Bro. Jim Wold and his son Tyler were guests of the Bob Rivers show on
102.5 KZOK – FM. That show focused on the needs of families in Ethiopia
and raised money to fight poverty in their communities. World
Vision is encouraging contributions to supply goats to those families.
Goats supply milk and cheese, as well as meat.
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World Vision Ethiopia is a Christian Humanitarian
& Development Organization involved in sustainable community based development
and emergency relief with special focus on children. Bro. Wold reports that
goats are $75 apiece. He presented a check from the lodge to provide goats for
seven families in Ethiopia.
MASONIC TV SHOWS ON THE
INTERNET
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With the popularity of Dan Brown’s books,
Freemasonry is getting an unprecedented amount of publicity in “exposé”
television. Most of the shows are well researched and well done. Some of the
characterizations are far fetched and most of the shows are sensationalist but
that’s what sells TV today.
Most of these programs are now
available for viewing on the Internet.
With this in mind we have assembled a page of links on the
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St. John’s web page for your viewing enjoyment. Just click on any link found on the Television shows links page and you can
watch the complete original show. This page will be updated periodically as new
material becomes available and old is removed from circulation.
EARLY CHINESE PHILOSOPHY
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In China the implements of architecture were used in a system of
moral philosophy at a very early date. Mencius, who wrote about 300
B.C., said: “A master Mason, in teaching his apprentices, makes use of
the compasses and the square. Ye who are engaged in the pursuit of
Wisdom, must also make use of the compasses and the square.” In a
book called Great Learning, 500 B.C., we find that “A man should abstain
from doing unto others what he would not they should do unto him; and this is called the principle of
acting on the square.” |
: Mencius - 372-289 BCE |
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