a publication of Beaverton Masonic Lodge #100 AF&AM From The East

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1 a publication of Beaverton Masonic Lodge #100 AF&AM Volume 121,12 Congratulations to our newest Entered Apprentice! Benjamin Tripp.11/17 Save The Date!!! Officer Installation..12/10 Upcoming Events: Code Social/ Officers Meeting..11/29 Code Social 5:30 PM Officers Meeting 7:00 PM Stated Communication...12/1 Dinner 6:00 PM Lodge 7:00 PM ****The Jobbies will be holding a dessert auction during dinner at December Stated**** Officer Installation..12/10 Feast of St. John The Evangelist..12/27 Code Social/ Officers Meeting..12/29 Code Social 5:30 PM Officers Meeting 7:00 PM Our full events calendar is available at: embed? src=beavertonmasoniclodge@ gmail.com From The East B rethren, Its been an honor to serve you as an officer for 6 years, and especially this past year as Master of the Lodge. We have had many good times and many reverent times with the passing of a great number of our brothers. Its all part of life and I have gained a greater appreciation of the work we do, especially utilizing the trowel for its allegorical purpose as explained in the MM degree. (EA's and FC's reading this will hopefully get there soon) I have represented Beaverton Masonic lodge as your leader wherever possible and told our story to as many as I could during the year. Its been an honor to serve as your Worshipful Master both at members homes for special awards, as well as public events, and certainly at our own events held in or about the lodge. Your Treasurer and Secretary were second to none in the administration and handling of money in and money out. I signed many a check and we worked December 2011 well and best agreed as Master Masons should and do so well. My officers this year have been "The Best". It would not have been the same without their support, dedication, and commitment. They served you all and our lodge with honor. I feel confident that Nick will inherit many of these great Brothers who will hopefully make him look as good as they made me look. As the month of winter holidays and good cheer is upon us, I want to extend my sincerest wishes for all of you and your families and that also it be a time of remembrance for those who have served our great cause and remain with us in spirit and close to our hearts. Best Wishes to you all! May the Great Architect of the universe bestow good health, happiness and prosperity on you and your families in the years ahead! Fraternally, Garry Weiner Worshipful Master, 2011

2 Page 2 THE TRESTLEBOARD BEAVERTON #100, AF&AM Volume 121,12 From The West G reetings from the West! Well, I guess it's official, I am now your WM-Elect! I am thrilled and honored; I hope I can serve the Lodge as well as those that have served in the East before me! Please join us for the public installation at Beaverton Masonic Lodge on Saturday December 10th, at 4pm! I am looking forward to the upcoming year and I welcome your thoughts and ideas. If you would like to see a specific event happen, or you would like to participate in planning and coordinating an event or fundraiser please let me know! It is my hope to see more members of the Lodge get involved. Let's make 2012 a vibrant and fulfilling year at Beaverton Masonic Lodge! As of now, we do already have one event scheduled for the upcoming year. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, March 31st, and join us for a Basic School of Instruction from 9am to 1pm hosted by W. Grand Lecturer Bob Fountain. You may want to stay after and earn your Basic Proficiency this day! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Fraternally, Nick McKimmy, SW Assurances From The South L ibertine...whenever this word appears in our ritual, it causes me to wonder if I am, or might be, considered a "libertine". It causes me to wonder how and why this odd word appears in our ritual. It isn't a word we use often these days. One doesn't see, on television or in the newspaper, someone calling someone else a "libertine". Certainly it is an intended pejorative. What could it have meant to the author who constructed our ritual? Doing a little "wiki-research", one finds that in ancient Rome, it referred to someone who had been freed from slavery. Hmmm, maybe a "free and accepted" person might also be a "libertine". But that would be a good thing to be, not a bad thing. So let's fast forward in time. In John Calvin's time (1550), Calvin referred to a "Libertine" to negatively specifically describe opponents to his strict church policies in Geneva Switzerland. It is probable that this usage was current when this word appeared first in Masonic Ritual around I found a reference to the phrase in an early Masonic publication: from James Anderson in his Constitutions of Free-Masons: A Mason is obliged, by his Tenure, to obey the moral Law; and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist, nor an irreligious Libertine. I think the context of use might give us a some clarity of intent in early ritual. The referenced quote was published in James Anderson was a Scot, a minster, and an energetic follower of a powerful evangelist, John Knox, who brought the reformation to Scotland two centuries before. So it is possible that this word first appeared in our ritual as a specific reference to those that did not follow the doctrine of Presbyterianism. The effect of Presbyterianism in Scotland was an amazing thing. It was tightly wound around the political interplay between Scotland and England, and was closely tied to the belief that the

3 Volume 121,12 end of time was near. A century before James Anderson, Oliver Cromwell had led English forces against Scotland, and Scotland's sovereignty was lost (to be recently regained in 1998). Nearly every person in Scotland, believing that the end of time was near, had signed a document called the "New Covenant", promising that they would NOT be loyal to the king of England, and NOT loyal to the pope in Rome. These folks were clearly NOT tolerant of religious diversity. From Laurence Dermott, Ahiman Rezon, or A Help to a Brother (London: James Bedford, 1756): "A Mason is obliged by his Tenure to believe firmly in the true Worship of the eternal God, as well as in all those sacred Records which the A Masonic Fish Story...really! THE TRESTLEBOARD BEAVERTON #100, AF&AM Dignitaries and Fathers of the Church have compiled and published for the Use of all good Men: So that no one who rightly understands the Art, can possibly tread in the irreligious Paths of the unhappy Libertine, or be induced to follow the arrogant Professors of Atheism or Deism..." Clearly the links in these two quotes between the word libertine and the references to specific religious doctrine leads to the conclusion that the occurrence in our early ritual was intended to reinforce some lack of tolerance of diversity in theological belief. However old the appearance of this word in our ritual, the word has "evolved" somewhat. Today, one's eye is drawn to: b. "a person who is morally or sexually unrestrained, especially O f course all fishermen occasionally stretch the truth to improve a story. But this one as told by Brother William Bill Miner is verifiable as it resides in his son Don s freezer! Though many trophy fish have been taken out of Miner s Pond, this one is twice the size of the others. The amazing fact is that this brute is one of a batch of 8-10 fish that were stocked a mere 3 years ago. Over more than 30 years living there, the Miners have raised rainbow trout, bluegill, and largemouth bass. The pond is small and has a nice setting of pure fun. Many a child and adult have caught their first fish there. The good and bad news is that Bill s was the last rainbow trout to be caught by hook and line. Within a week of this catch three river otters claimed the remaining trout, while leaving most of the bass and bluegill. So Bill s pond record will remain forever! At Left Is A Photo Of Brother William Miner with his prize catch. Story and photo courtesy of his son Don Miner. Page 3 a dissolute man; a profligate; a rake." I sincerely hope that, in a Masonic Court of Law, this would be the applied interpretation. So I then conclude that I am "mostly" safe (if I continue to remain vigilant and careful), as are you, my fellow brothers in Lodge. Take care. I hope you all enjoyed this little excursion into history as much as I did. For the enthusiastic, I encourage you to look up the related word-of-the-day, antinomianism and also explore the link: pdf/2011_03_sample_article.pdf Fraternally, Dan Gray, JW

4 Page 4 THE TRESTLEBOARD BEAVERTON #100, AF&AM Volume 121,12 Officer Elections Held at Stated Communication On November 3rd A t our regular monthly Stated Communication on November 3rd, our members elected our 2012 officer line. Here are the results: Elected Positions: Worshipful Master: Nick McKimmy Senior Warden: Dan Gray Junior Warden: Brandon VanDyke Treasurer: Wayne Ford Secretary: WB Art Geary Trustee: WB Ted Felt 2012 Officer Installation Scheduled For December 10th Positions Appointed by the incoming Worshipful Master: Senior Deacon: Tom Binkerd Junior Deacon: David Potter Senior Steward: Dustin Miller Junior Steward: Douglas Pringle Tyler: WB Rick Komraus Thanks to all who showed up to vote. A special thank you to WB Greg Jackson, JJ Johnson, and WB Bruce Dyer for counting our ballots. Good Luck to our 2012 officers for a great year ahead! P lease join us at Beaverton Lodge on Saturday, December 10th for our Annual Officer Installation Ceremony. This event is open to the public, so bring the whole family down! The ceremony will begin promptly at 4:00 PM upstairs in the lodge room. We are honored this year to have Worshipful Brother Ted Balistreri as our Installing Officer, District Deputy For District #9 Our New Website Launches On December 1st W e Right Worshipful Brother Ron Eggers as our Installing Marshall, and Brother Don Martin as our Installing Chaplain. Immediately following the Installation Ceremony, all are invited to Stafford Hall downstairs for a Hawaiian-themed reception. Mark your calendars! Save the date! Come on out and show your support for our 2012 officers! are excited to be launching our new website on December 1st. The new site gives a more modern face to the lodge while maintaining the established customs and tenets of Masonry. Dial your browsers to: and explore our new internet presence. You will find pages containing upcoming events, history of our lodge, our officers, photo galleries, a blog for our members to communicate, and a Hall of Past Masters. Any suggestions, concerns, or comments can be directed to me at: bmltbeditor@yahoo.com. I hope everyone enjoys the new website and finds it useful.

5 THE TRESTLEBOARD BEAVERTON #100, AF&AM Volume 121,12 District Deputy Eggers Presents Awards At November Stated B eaverton #100 was honored to welcome our Right Worshipful Brother Ron Eggers, District Deputy of District #9, as he attended our November Stated to present two awards. In the photo to the left, Brother Byron Ward is presented with a 60-Year Pin And Certificate. What an accomplishment! To the right, Senior Warden Nick McKimmy received his Torchlight Pin. Torchlight is a 250- question test designed to teach Master Masons how to research the manuals of Oregon Masonry. Way to go, Brother McKimmy! Page 5 Welcome To Our Newest Entered Apprentice Mason W elcome our newest Entered Apprentice Mason, Benjamin (Ben) Tripp, who was initiated at Beaverton #100 on Thursday, November 17th. Ben moved to Oregon in 2009 with his wife (who was born and raised in Albany, OR) from California. With hopes of start a family, they wanted to ensure that their child would be raised in a wholesome environment and a great community. This was not going to be an easy task in California. What drew Ben to Masonry was his desire to be part of something that was greater than himself. Keeping in mind how old this fraternity is, he knew that Ben With His Lady Keri And Son Jackson the teachings and knowledge that Masonry could offer would only help him become a better father, husband, and man. The next time you see Ben in the lodge, extend to him a warm, hearty Masonic greeting! Job s Daughters Dessert Auction At December Stated Don t forget to pick extra cash on your way to Stated Communication on Thursday, December 1st. The Jobbies will be holding a dessert auction immediately after dinner. These are always fun events. Be sure to pick up some extra treats while helping out the girls! Missing Masons Please notify the Secretary if you know where to find them: Allen C Engen, Lawrence D Faulkner, Wesley G North, Harry E Schulz

6 Page 6 THE TRESTLEBOARD BEAVERTON #100, AF&AM Volume 121,12 The Festival Of St. John The Evangelist As Printed In The Craftsman, December 1866 A ll Christian nations celebrate Christmas time - the anniversary of the birth of Christ, the founder of the Christian religion and the object of its worship. Many curious ceremonies are practiced during festival time, the signification and origin of which are little thought of by those who partake in them. The bringing in of the great Yule Log to make the great Christmas fire, the elevation of the oak tree bough, intertwined with the slender branches of the mistletoe, forming the kissing bush. These and many other Christmas customs of the old world are associated very closely with the commemoration of this anniversary season, yet in themselves are so foreign to the occasion that it is surprising that more do not ask whence come these strange and peculiar usages. They have no natural relationship to the celebration of the anniversary of Christ's birth. There is but one answer to the inquiry here suggested, and that is, that these customs belong to the celebration of an anniversary season celebrated in the North of Europe for as many years before the birth of Christ as that time is previous to the present. Two days after Christmas comes the anniversary of the day given to St. John the Evangelist by the Church Calendar. Anciently this was the great Masonic Festival Day, latterly much neglected for Saint John the Baptist's day, six months earlier in the year. The Evangelist's Day was observed as the great Masonic Festival time from the period of the middle ages, when the Masons in Europe, actuated by their conflict with the Moslems of the East, began to Christianize their system by the adoption of Saint John as their patron Saint. Saint John the Baptist's day, on the other hand, did not rise to any note, even among Masons, until after the year We have alluded to the Christmas customs in this connection to claim that those customs belong with quite as much, if not more propriety, to the Masonic anniversary of St. John the Evangelist on the 27th of December. We do not claim that these customs partake of any relationship to the Evangelist more than to his Lord and Master. The customs are associated with this period of the year, and refer to celebrations observed by Masons long before the days of St. John or Jesus Christ. The conquering church adopted the customs of the period, and adapting them to their new religious systems, assigned to them a Christian name, but failed to give to them a Christian signification. The Masons, finding the St. John's day of the church occurred about the time when Saint John the Baptist's day, on the other hand, did not rise to any note, even among Masons, until after the year 1720 they had been in the habit of enjoying a festival season for ages, chose to call it St. John's day, and so observe it; until those who have inherited their Masonry, having overlooked the true Masonic reason for the celebration at this season of the year, have very generally ceased to celebrate it, even as the anniversary of one of their patron Saints. "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years." As the sun ruled the day and the moon the night, so the moon marked the week of seven days and by its quartering the month of four weeks; so the sun measured the year, and the earth by its revolution and the eccentricity of its axis, pointed out the equinoxes and the solstices. Very much in Masonry has thus an astronomical origin. Among all the nations of antiquity, the equinoxes and solstices were ever regarded as seasons of great importance. Especially in the ancient mysteries, the winter and summer solstice, the shortest day and the longest day of the year, were commemorated with great ceremony. The well-known Masonic symbol, the point within a circle bounded by the two parallels - refers to this - the point, the sun, the centre of the solar system; the circle, the earth's orbit around the sun; the parallels, where they touch the circle, the winter and summer solstice, the limit of the sun's apparent course to the Northward and Southward of the Equator. The summer solstice occurs about the twenty-first of June, near enough to the anniversary of St. John the Baptist to lead to the ready adoption by the middle age Christianizing Masons of that day, in preference to the twenty-first. The Winter solstice occurs about the twenty-second of December, near enough to the day given by the Church to St. John the Evangelist, to induce the Masons to surrender to it their preference for the twentysecond. A day or two either way, it was thought, no doubt, made no essential difference. But a great mistake was committed. It cast adrift the Fraternity from the reverence for days and seasons of deep Masonic significance, and led them to the adoption of anniversaries which have no essential Masonic meaning. And during the present generation the entire neglect of the anniversary of St. John the Evangelist has led to the surrender of the Christmas festivities to the Church, which more properly and only legitimately belong to the Freemasons. Can this departure from old Masonic custom have gone so far as to render it altogether hopeless to expect that the great Masonic festival of the Winter solstice may ever be revived?

7 Page 8 THE TRESTLEBOARD BEAVERTON #100, AF&AM Volume 121, OFFICERS OUR MASONIC FAMILY Garry Weiner Worshipful Master Nick McKimmy Sr Warden Daniel Gray Jr Warden Wayne Ford Treasurer Bill Erickson Secretary Tom Binkerd Sr Deacon Brandon VanDyke Jr Deacon Dave Potter Sr Steward Dustin Miller Jr Steward Art Geary Chaplain Bryan Bukin Marshal Greg Birger Tyler Dave Potter TB Editor BeavertonMasonicLodge@gmail.com Lodge Phone Our Stated Communications are the first Thursday of each month at 7:00pm. Officer meetings are open to all Brothers - The last Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm. Keep our Legacy going, please remember our Lodge in Your will. Contact our secretary or Master for more details. We re on the Web! Calendar of events is available online: src=beavertonmasoniclodge@gmail.com Grand Lodge of Oregon Order of DeMolay Donald B. Berntson Beaverton Chapter (currently inactive Boys meeting at Tigard DeMolay) Order of the Eastern Star Beaver Chapter #106 2nd and 4th Wednesdays 8:00pm Contact: Claudette Scheller International Order of Job s Daughters Bethel #20 1st and 3rd Mondays 6:30pm Guardian: Ginger Bedford mrsgbedford@gmail.com / Guardian Secretary: Rachel Soule rachel.e.soule@gmail.com / International Order of the Rainbow for Girls Meridian Assembly #80 2nd and 4th Mondays 7:00pm Contact: Janet Lovelin LODGE RENTAL INFORMATION Vera Jackson veraj@comcast.net Beaver Nile Club 4th Thursday 10:30am Contact: Lorraine Garde BEAVERTON MASONIC LODGE #100 AF&AM 4690 SW Watson Avenue Beaverton, OR Richard Martin Grand Master of Masons in Oregon