Greetings my Brothers. I hope the beginning of Fall
finds you all well and prosperous. Our 149th Anniversary is
fast approaching, and if you have not already RSVP’d with VWBro. Jim
Russell, please do so as soon as possible. I hope all Brothers of St.
John’s will join together for a wonderful night of fellowship,
brotherhood and dancing!
While we celebrate this historic milestone, let us not
forget that our 150th Anniversary is just around the corner.
Over the next year, I will be working with the 150th
committee to highlight St. John’s Lodge through a series of programs and
events. I am looking to all the Brothers of St. John’s to be involved,
volunteer ideas and work together to ring in our 150th
Anniversary.
If you plan on running for an elected position for next
year, be sure to submit your candidacy to VWBro. Jim Russell by October
1.
For our September stated communication, we will be going
back to our regular attire – officers, dust off those tuxes! Also,
September commences our caterer search contest – bring an appetite and
contribute to the gastrological future of St. John’s!
RITE CARE DIRECTOR TO VISIT THIS MONTH
Ms Heidi Fray, Executive
Director of Scottish Rite’s Rite Care will be speaking to the brethren
and guests following dinner at this month’s stated communication. For
many years Rite Care was known as the Scottish Rite Speech and Language
Disability Clinic. The Seattle Scottish Rite sponsors clinics and
screening services for Washington children with communications disorders
and language differences. With 200 clinics, reading centers, and
programs available nationwide, the Scottish Rite is the largest private
sponsor of communications problems in children in the United States.
All
Masons of Washington are encouraged to purchase personalized vehicle
license plates with the Masonic emblem. The plate type is called
Helping Kids Speak and is available for your auto, motorcycle, and
trailer for an initial fee of $40 with an annual renewal of $30 which
will benefit the Rite Care clinic.
Search
for Caterer
Bro. Joe
Oates will be working with three caterers who have expressed an interest
in providing our dinners before the stated communications. He will
choose one to provide the September dinner, with others for the October
and November dinners. Dinner RSVP’s should be directed Bro. Joe’s
direction 425 883-4457 or joates_48323@yahoo.com.
 |
CALENDAR |
 |
·
September 8 (6:30pm): Officers Meeting
·
September 12 (6pm): 149th Anniversary Celebration (Crowne
Plaza Hotel)
·
September 14 (7-9pm): Ritual
instruction at Greenwood Masonic Ctr
·
September 16 (6:15pm) 7:30pm:
St. John’s 9 (dinner) Stated
·
September 21 (7pm): Greenwood Lodge
Fellowship Night – dinner & games
·
September 23 (7pm): District 5 LOMA meeting
·
September 26 (7pm): Seattle Nightlife Trolley Tour
·
October 12(7-9pm): Ritual instruction
classes at Greenwood
·
October 13 (6:30pm): Officers Meeting
·
October
14 (6pm): Board of Trustees (2010 budget)
·
October 19 (7pm): Greenwood Lodge
Fellowship Night
·
October 21 (6:15pm) 7:30pm:
St. John’s 9 (dinner) Stated
Past Masters Night
·
October 23:
Quarterly meeting of Masonic Service Bureau
·
October
24 (6-11pm): District No. 5 Youth Night (Halloween dance) at Alki
·
October
25 (11am): Fall Foliage Tour
SEPTEMBER MARKS 149
YEARS OF MASONRY IN SEATTLE!
Anniversary Dinner at
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Members of St. John's are looking forward to our big
celebration of the year, when we host our 149th anniversary
dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Saturday, September 12.
The Crowne Plaza offers both
a distinctive style and an ideal setting to recognize and give honor to
those who helped bring Masonry to this Emerald City on the Sound.
Dinner will be accompanied
by the Jason Parker Trio featuring Josh
Rawlings -- a highlight for this special evening.
Dancing will follow! Suit and tie or semi-formal attire
will be in order.
Our Social Hour with a no-host bar will begin at 6pm,
with dinner following at 7pm. The evening's entertainment will be
provided by the Jason Parker Trio featuring Josh Rawlings. With an
extensive repertoire, reflected in lyrical arrangements of the
time-honored standards of Porter, Gershwin, Davis, Parker (Charlie, that
is), Monk, Ellington and more, the Jason Parker Trio will keep you on
the dance floor well into the night.
Master Nick Mitchell promises 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 email
at
stjohns9@seattlemasons.org, or calling the secretary at 206
623-0261. Indicate your preference for the chicken or vegetarian
option.
All reservations must be received by Wednesday, September
9! Do it now – the deadline is about here!
The Crowne Plaza is located at 1113 Sixth Avenue just off
the I-5 corridor.
St. John's was granted its charter on September 4, 1860. The
Territory of Washington in 1860 had a population of less than 12,000 and had
been created by Act of Congress on March 2, 1853, only seven years before,
by dividing the Oregon Territory.
The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Territory
had been created in 1858 by four Lodges chartered by the Grand Lodge of
Oregon.
Seattle, 1860 - University of Washington Archives
In 1859, lodges number 5, 6, and 7 had a total membership of
158 Master Masons. They were Port Gamble, Port Townsend, and Walla Walla.
Kane Lodge No. 8 (Port Madison, Bainbridge Island) was chartered September
3, 1860; St. John's on the day following. Except where a clearing of a few
acres in the forest was made on the shore line for a town-site, practically
the whole of the Puget Sound country was heavily timbered with dense
forests, and without roads, and the travel from one settlement to another
was, of necessity, by water.
In
such a sparsely settled and inaccessible country arose the little hamlet of
Seattle, the population of which, according to the census of that year
(1860) was 250, including twenty families. There were no railroads within
fifteen hundred miles or more, and sailing vessels and an occasional steamer
operated between San Francisco and Puget Sound and were the only means of
communication with the outside world, except by pony express and ox-team.
è Online Trestleboard St. John's Trestleboard is moving
to an expanded e-mail format in 2010! If you need to continue to
receive St. John's Trestleboard in print format after December
2009, please contact Jim Russell at 206 623-0261.
BLUE NILE CHILDREN’S
ORGANIZATION
The Blue Nile Children’s Organization will be holding a
fund-raising forum at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral Church from 4pm to 8pm,
Saturday, October 3. The program will feature a speaker, entertainment,
Ethiopian cuisine, music, and a silent auction.
BNCO will open the Richard Oslund Memorial Children’s Clinic
in Addis Ababa in November. Seventy orphans are supported in Ethiopia
through the help of friends of BNCO, including St. John’s.
Tickets for the October 3 program are available through the
BNCO website
www.bluenile.org or 206 760-2873.
LODGE OUTINGS CONTINUE
City of Seattle Photo Archives |
Last
month nineteen from St. John's enjoyed a tour of the Museum of Flight
arranged by VWBro. Ashley Brinkley. This month we will be hopping aboard an
historic Metro “trackless trolley” for a special tour of the varied
nightlife in Pioneer Square, Broadway, lower Queen Anne, and the University
District. Stops for photos and coffee will be made along the way.
The Night Trolley Tour will depart
from 2nd Ave. So. and So. Main Street (across the street from the
Seattle Fire Department headquarters) at 7pm, Saturday, September
26. This three-hour trip costs $5.
|
This marks the twenty-fifth year the Metro
Employees Historic Vehicle Association (MEHVA) is sponsoring excursions and
special trips using its fleet of historic trolley and motorbuses.
Email
stjohns9@seattlemasons.org or call the Lodge telephone for reservations.
Statement of Availability
A reminder as
we approach the annual election of officers in November: Any brother
who wishes to run for the office of Master, Warden, Secretary, Treasurer
or Trustee is encouraged to submit his statement of availability and a
list of his credentials by October 1 to be published in the November
Trestleboard. Statements should be concise due to the limited space
available.
BUSINESS MEETING AGENDAS
To help facilitate an orderly stated communication, Master
Nick Mitchell has instructed that any business that needs to be addressed be
first accepted by Bro. Mitchell as an agenda item. Requests for new
business to be placed on the agenda or to make committee reports or
presentations need to be received prior to his preparation of the agenda
Wednesday afternoon of the stated communication.
ESSAY
ON VALUES
-
Excerpted from
WHY TO JOIN FREEMASONRY: THE
VALUES, by RW Bro Rainer K. Janotta 33°, Past District Deputy Grand Master
of the American Canadian Grand Lodge
within the United Grand Lodges of Germany.
In the days where inquisition still
ravaged over Europe (up to 1714, when it was dissolved !), Masonry offered a
platform where its Brethren could openly and freely discuss on all matters
-- theological and political --without the fear of being tortured or
beheaded. Guess why three years later, in 1717 only four Lodges dared to
slowly disclose their existence and formed the “Grand Lodge of London”.
From there (!) that evolved, which today is commonly taken for granted (in
the Western World) as Human Rights. Freedom of assembly, freedom of speech,
freedom of religion were not always available and had to be fought for
bloodily. And they still are not to be taken for granted. They could
easily be lost again. If you travel into other countries, you may even
realize that they are not omnipresent in our days.
So this platform, these freedoms for which
we stand, are better arguments for our existence than pointing out that we
do charities. Nothing wrong with that, but others do it as well. Our
uniqueness is our focus on values with the strict demand to be free from any
dogmatic teaching. We demand that every member should improve himself. But
what makes us different from other organizations is that we do not
pre-describe what should be good. Everybody shall reflect upon himself, be
free to discuss his opinion with the Brethren, but not try to convince them
in a missionary manner and try to learn from the many different opinions and
points of view. Each is to define upon himself what he thinks “good” shall
be. But everybody is demanded to process upward and onward.
HERE
ABOUT
Bro.
David Flood reports that the annual Lodge picnic at the Nile was a fine
success, coming well under budget and well-received. He added that the
picnic was successful due in large part to the assistance of many hands and
advice, including Bros. Brockway, Grove, Rine, Hans Wehl, and Ken Wehl.
Mrs. Sharon Wehl was of great value in sorting and arranging.
We regret the passing of Mrs. Alma Vera Evelyn Badten, mother
of our Grand Master MWBro. Gale Kenney, and also the passing of our Bro. Don
Johnson.
WBro. Helmuth Svoboda and Mrs. Aundie Collison are
recovering from recent health issues. WBro. Orrin Niles could use a visit
at the Anderson House Senior Center, 17201 – 15th NE, Seattle.
Masonic History of the
Northwest (published 1902)
Seattle in 1886 and Pike Street in 1990 - City of Seattle Photo Archives
The progress of St. John's Lodge has been similar to that of
the city and State in which it is situated; that is to say, its net advance
has been extraordinary, while it has also experienced times of great
depression. Its heaviest set-back was a financial one: A little over ten
years ago, having about $40,000 on hand, it built a large three-story Temple
— dedicated June 24, 1892 — which, with the lots on which it stood, cost
$130,000. Hard times coming on, it lost the property in 1899 through
foreclosure of a mortgage. The loss was wholly unnecessary; for a stock
company had been formed to carry the indebtedness — about $60,000-upon a
plan approved by able bankers and by the Grand Lodge; and an agent had been
sent to New York, with the best of introductions, to procure the necessary
funds. At that juncture (MWBro.) William A. Sutherland, Grand Master of New
York, displeased with the position taken by the Grand Lodge of Washington on
the subject of Negro Masonry and with relation to the Grand Lodge of
Hamburg, published a letter, addressed to the agent of St. John's Lodge, in
which he threw cold water upon his mission and practically boycotted him, so
far as the Masons of New York were concerned. And so his brethren lost their
property — property which, two years later, was worth twice what it cost.
Thus in every age and every land,
"Man's inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn."
St. John's Lodge has now fully recovered from that reverse
and has a snug fortune safely and profitably invested.
I am a Freemason…
This
document was developed by the Grand Lodge of New York and presented by their
Grand Master Neal Bidnick.
·
I believe that freedom of religion is an
inalienable human right and tolerance an indispensable trait of human
character; therefore, I will stand in my Lodge with Brothers of all faiths,
and respect their beliefs as they respect mine, and I will demonstrate the
spirit of Brotherhood in all aspects of my life.
·
I know that education and the rational use of
the mind are the keys to facing the problems of humanity; therefore, I will
bring my questions and my ideas to my Lodge, and strive to advance the
growth of my mind alongside my Brothers.
·
I know that the rich tradition of Freemasonry
and its framework of Ritual are important platforms for growth and learning;
therefore, I vow to stand upon these platforms to improve myself as a human
being, and I vow to help in the mission of the Craft to provide tools,
atmosphere, challenges and motivation to help each Brother do the same.
·
I know that charity is the distinguishing human
virtue, and that personal community service is the best demonstration of
one’s commitment to humanity; I acknowledge that words without deeds are
meaningless, and I vow to work with my Lodge to provide service to the
community, and to promote charity, friendship, morality, harmony, integrity,
fidelity and love.
·
I know that my obligation to community extends
beyond my local sphere and is partly fulfilled in my patriotism: love of my
country, obedience to its laws and celebration of the freedoms and
opportunities it symbolizes.
·
I know that leadership is best demonstrated by
commitment to serving others; I will therefore participate in, and help work
at improving, individual leadership skills, and serve the Brothers of my
Lodge to the best of my ability.
·
I know that friendship, fidelity and family are
the foundations of a well-lived life; I therefore vow to be a faithful
friend to my Brothers, as I expect my Lodge to respect my personal
obligations, and to treat my family as though my family were their own.
·
I know that the last great lesson of
Freemasonry -- the value of personal integrity and the sanctity of one’s
word -- is a lesson for all people in all times; I therefore vow to be a man
of my word.
·
I know that Masonry’s power is best exercised
when its Light is shared with the world at large; I therefore vow to bring
the best of myself to my Lodge, in order that my growth might be fostered
and nurtured, and to present myself to the world as a working Freemason, on
the path to building a more perfect temple.
DECLINING NUMBERS IN MASONRY AND ST. JOHN’S
After World War II, Lodge attendance surged and St. John's
enjoyed record numbers of members. But from that peak there has been a
steady decline and the Lodge no longer enjoys its ranking as the largest in
the City of Seattle.
In 1950 the membership of St. John's Lodge No. 9 was 1,305.
By 1960 that number had fallen to 1,087. By 1970 it was down to 771 and by
1980 the Lodge membership was only 453. During the 1990s three Lodges
consolidated with St. John's. Consolidation of Ionic Lodge No. 90 in 1993
added 133 members to the 260 then on the St. John's roll. In 1997, Elliott
Bay Lodge No. 257 consolidated, bringing 62 new members to St. Johns.
Another 33 new members were added when Theodore Roosevelt Lodge No. 229
consolidated in December, 1997. By 1998, St. John's Lodge had 384 members.
Today we count 265 on our rolls, many of whom are in their
senior years and can no longer enjoy the fellowship of their brothers or
making the evening drive to and from Lodge.
The original e-mail version of the Trestleboard is found in this
PDF file. Click the link. (981,095 bytes)
Home
Senior Warden:
(206) 390-2173
Junior Warden:
(206) 784-9617
Secretary:
(206) 623-0261
Webmaster:
(206) 406-8670
