Has It Been a Year Already?

Transcription

1 VOLUME 61, ISSUE 1 MARCH 2014 About this Publication The Miamisburg Masonic News is the newsletter for the following Masonic organizations: Minerva Lodge #98 Free and Accepted Masons, Trinity Chapter #44 Royal Arch Masons, Adoniram Council #131 Royal and Select Masons, Valley Commandery #80 Knights Templar, the Valley Commandery Ladies Auxiliary, the Miamisburg Temple Board, and the Minerva Lodge Craft Club. Submit articles to Miamisburg Masonic News, PO Box 269, Miamisburg, OH or ed to minervalodge98@gmail.com. Please use the subject line newsletter with your submission. Has It Been a Year Already? It does not seem possible that an entire year has passed since we began publishing the Miamisburg Masonic News again. The favorable reaction we have received is both pleasing and humbling. Our reach extends far beyond the borders of the Second Masonic District; in fact, people all over the State of Ohio have commented on the quality of our newsletter. Being able to share all this information on a regular basis both in print and online has brought some old friends home and attendance is up at all Temple events. As we begin our second year, we are asking for everyone s help to keep the momentum going. First and foremost, if you have an address we do not know about, please send it to us. Every newsletter costs us almost $1.00 to print and mail, but is free. Second, participate! If your Masonic body has something going on; if you know of something interesting happening in community; if you discover a book or website that could help a brother s search for light TELL US! We will print it and the word will go out to the hundreds of people on our ever-expanding list. Third, sponsor! Any amount will help and many of you have decided to commit at the $10 per year Friend or $25 per year Patron level. To the brethren who have approached us with input and suggestions, thank you! We want the newsletter to continue to improve and grow. We could not have made it without you! Temple Website The Miamisburg Temple website, is up. The Web Team is still filling in the information for Blue Lodge, Craft Club, Chapter, Council, Commandery, Ladies Auxillary, the Temple Board, and Dining Room Reservations. Please take a minute to see the work in progress. What do you think so far? IN THIS ISSUE: Has It Been a Year?...1 Temple Website...1 Trinity Chapter...2 Valley Commandery...2 Don t Just Sit There!...3 Friends and Patrons...3 Temple Directory...3 Food Drive...3 Temple Association...4 Craft Club...4 Ritual School...4 Scottish Rite Reunion...4 Adoniram Council...5 Music Man Coming...5 Minerva Lodge...6 DeMolay Degrees...8

2 Trinity Chapter #44, Royal Arch Masons James Potts, High Priest Companions, I want to say a big thank you to everyone who helped with our inspection on January 11th. First, there was the excellent meal prepared by Paul Miller. The colors were posted by Sir Knights Don Wilcox, Robert Oldfather, Steve Goad, and Johnny Watkins (all past Eminent Commanders and Knights of the York Cross of Honour). Sir Knight Wilcox delivered the Flag Lecture in fine form. My daughter, Crystal, sang the National Anthem. I am so proud of her. We had forty-three companions in attendance and seven districts represented. Two Past Grand High Priests, MECs Steve Duncan and George Shell, joined us as well as REC H Jeffery Shaw, Grand Master of the Third Veil. REC Joseph J Fair was our inspecting officer. Our three candidates received the Royal Arch degree, obligated by EC Terry Harris. We need to thank EC Doug Whyte KYCH and Companion Richard Poore for their confidence and precision as they performed their parts. We have fewer companions than we did last year. Currently, Trinity Chapter has 109 members. I think we all need to do a better job of encouraging more Masons to consider Royal Arch Masonry. We will never grow if we are the best kept secret in the Temple. God bless all of you. Mark your calendars and join us at a stated convocation on the first and third Tuesday of the month. Please support these local businesses. Valley Commandery #80, Knights Templar Claude Seibel, Eminent Commander The bad weather has made it difficult for us to meet as often as we would like. As devoted as we are to our commandery and each other, please think about safety first. It s better to miss a few meetings now and be able to attend many more in the years to come. I was very proud of all the Sir Knights who made our January 18th inspection so special. All the parts were performed by members of Valley Commandery, which is something that not many commanderies can do anymore. To Sir Knights Don Wilcox, Johnny Duff, Steve Goad, Steve Taylor, Doug Whyte, Jim Potts, and Johnny Watkins: thank you for the time you spent to memorize your parts. Our candidate received a very good Order of the Temple and I think he would tell you that he was impressed. The Ladies Auxillary took very good care of us in the dining room. All told, twenty-five ladies attended. The refreshments were fantastic. Our catered meal from Christie s got a lot of compliments. We are all hoping for spring so that our travels will be less treacherous. May God bless you and keep you until we meet again. I am so grateful for the support I have received from all of you this year. THANK YOU!

3 Don t Just Sit There! In the Entered Apprentice degree, we are taught that a Lodge consists of a certain number of Masons, duly assembled, with a Charter or Dispensation enabling them to work. The business of the Lodge is indeed varied from the Stewards tending to refreshments or setting up the Lodge room for a meeting to the Worshipful Master planning a year of activities and degree work. Behind the scenes, there are countless opportunities where an extra pair of hands could make the work go faster and easier. Masonic Lodges face the same challenges as every civic and fraternal organization. A few zealous brothers and Past Masters attend to the everyday activities and most of the membership is little more than a collection of names. The valuable first lesson in the Entered Apprentice degree does not tell us how to keep our brothers interested and involved. We never see enough of our brothers returning for events, Craft practice, or doing stuff around the Lodge after they are initiated, passed, and raised. The question remains: what will it take to get YOU interested and involved in the work of YOUR Lodge? We are members of a great and active Lodge it takes all of us working together to keep it that way. Brothers, The Food Drive Continues The donations are continuing to come in for our food drive. The barrel is almost full of canned goods and non-perishable items for needy families in the area. This is an ongoing benevolent project at the Temple and a chance to demonstrate a Mason s charity to the community. Temple Directory In the fall of 2009, Minerva Lodge was approached by a company in northern Ohio to put together a directory of current members and their families. The project was also proposed as a potential fundraiser. The brothers voted in favor of the idea; after all, the last time that the Temple created a directory was in the 1980s. Throughout the spring and summer of 2010, we set appointments and many families sat for portraits. Several bought photo packages. Unfortunately, the directory has not been delivered as promised and the company has been difficult to contact. Other Masonic organizations in the area have also reported a similar experience. As of January, the brethren voted to end the relationship. If anyone ordered a directory and paid for it, please contact the Temple so that money can be refunded. To the best of our knowledge, all the photo packages have been received by all who ordered one. This spring, we are working with a new printing company to produce a less expensive directory that will include the members of all the Masonic bodies that meet at the Miamisburg Temple. More details will be provided as the publication date draws near. Thank you for your patience and understanding. PATRONS AND FRIENDS OF THE NEWSLETTER A continuing and genuine Thank You from your Lodge, your Brethren, and your Newsletter Committee goes out to: RWB RICHARD POORE, WB TERRY HARRIS, WB KEN LIPPS, WB ERIC FLASHER, WB GREG CLATTERBUCK, WB EDWARD SCHULTZ, JEFF NESTOR, WB JOHNNY WATKINS, JOHNNY DUFF, WB MEL POFF AND JAMES MILLER.

4 Miamisburg Temple Association Paul Miller, President I am happy to report that we do not have any major renovations or repairs scheduled at this time. Our water heater died but it has been replaced. The Temple Board and Blue Lodge voted to buy a buffer to keep our new floors looking good and that has been done. We meet on the second Thursday of the month at 6:30pm, before the Blue Lodge stated meeting. You are invited to participate in the business of YOUR Temple. See you there. Minerva Craft Club Al Jackson, President To all who participated in the Master Mason degree for our inspection, my thanks and appreciation for your excellent work well done! I especially appreciated those who assisted the less-informed brethren to make sure that they were aware what needed to be done and when. All of you created a good environment for our candidate. In addition, the Worshipful Master and all the officers performed their work brilliantly. We will have additional degrees for additional candidates in the near future and I am sure that we will accomplish our work just as impressively. Our next meeting is Thursday, March 6 th, at 7:30pm. We will be planning the Spring Fling breakfast. See you then. Ritual and Lecture School We just started this education program and attendance has been good so far. Moving into the spring, we are going to focus on code courses and the officers manual. This information is essential to be a more effective leader in the Lodge. It is also one of the requirements for the Grand Master s Education Award. The school is not just for officers all brothers are encouraged to attend. Likewise, if you know an interested brother from another Lodge, please extend an invitation. The dates for the remaining Ritual and Lecture Schools are March 8 th, April 12 th, and May 10 th, from 9:00am to noon. Scottish Rite Spring Reunion The Scottish Rite Spring Reunion is scheduled for April 11 th and 12 th. On Friday, April 11 th, the 4 th, 9 th, 10 th, 27 th, and 18 th degrees will commence at 1pm. On Saturday, April 12 th, the 14 th, 15 th, 16 th, and 32 nd degrees will be portrayed beginning at 9am.

5 Adoniram Council #131, Royal and Select Masons McKinley Polston, Illustrious Master Companions, Our inspection on December 13 th was a success. I thank all the companions who helped me to make it a special evening. Two candidates received their Royal Master degree. RIC James Frazer gave us a favorable report and I received a Certificate of Achievement and the Grand Master s Award on behalf of Adoniram Council. We were honored to have Grand Master MIC Robert K. Rinehart join us for the evening. His theme this year is Bee the Example and he presented a Grand Master s Award, for outstanding and dedicated service in Council, to IC Dale L Evans. The award included a lapel pin and coffee mug. A total of fifty-one companions attended, including sixteen Past Illustrious Masters. RIC Frazer reported that our total membership is now 124. At our February 14 th stated assembly, we endured a snowy night but still introduced three new companions to Cryptic Masonry in the Royal Master degree. Due to the weather, we set other business aside until the March assembly. Our fundraiser dinner at City Barbecue back in November was a success and we plan to do more of these in the future. Raising money is a priority whether the economy is good or not. Companions, by now you have received the letter that we sent about raising the dues. No one wants to have to think about increasing the cost of Council but, unfortunately, it is necessary. The Miamisburg Temple Association increased the rent for all the bodies that meet in the building. That increase is based on the total expense of maintaining the property. They have applied to the Montgomery County Auditor to qualify for the property tax reduction from House Bill 59. In the meantime, we need to continue to bring in new petitions and brainstorm for new fundraiser ideas. At our March 14 th stated assembly, we will be portraying the Select Master degree for several candidates. We will also be voting on the proposed dues increase. Our annual Fish Fry is on March 21 st at 6pm. We will then move upstairs for the Super Excellent Master degree and Awards Night. Until we see each other again, stay well. The Music Man coming to Miamisburg in March Our neighbors at Children s Performing Arts of Miamisburg announce that they will be bringing Meredith Wilson s The Music Man to the Baum Opera House. Show times: March 8 th and 15 th : 2pm and 7pm March 9 th and 16 th : 3pm March 13 th and 14 th : 7pm Tickets are on sale at More information is available by calling Let s support the arts in Miamisburg!

6 Minerva Lodge #98, Free and Accepted Masons Richard Gore, Worshipful Master Brothers, We have been really busy this year but I think everyone would agree that we are having a pretty good time. Petitions are coming in for the One Day Class and candidates are getting their three degrees traditionally too. In the last year, our Lodge has performed eight Entered Apprentice degrees, three Fellow Crafts, and four Master Masons not including last year s Grand Master s Class and the outdoor raising in Waynesville last June. January 23 rd was the date for our annual Awards Night. Please join me in congratulating the following distinguished brothers for reaching milestones in their Masonic careers: Bill Bowman, 65 years; George Heinz, 60 years; WBs Johnny Watkins and Kenny Lipps, Allen Jackson, and Richard Church, 50 years; WB Doug Casteel, Rick Atkinson, and Jerry Drum, 35 years; and Stan Brookins and RWB Richard Poore, 25 years. WB Steve Stemple presented Masonic pendants to the officers who served with him last year. Our Inspection on February 20 th made me really proud of everyone. Forty-two members were there, including seventeen Past Masters. Thirty-eight visitors brought the total head count to eighty. Congratulations to Brookville Lodge #596 for winning the traveling gavel. Past District Deputies RWBs Walt Barner, Gary Michelson, and H. Jeffery Shaw attended as well as our current District Deputies: RWBs Matt Reed and Arnold Fugate. Two of the three District Education Officers, WB Leo Budenz and WB Troy Davis, joined us for the evening. Sir Knights Steve Duncan, Jim Potts, Johnny Watkins, and Don Wilcox represented Valley Commandery #80 and posted the colors for us. We were also honored to have RWB Doug Kaylor, Junior Grand Warden, with us. WB Ken Ballinger and I presented him with a Friend of the Lodge plaque and a certificate stating that he is now an honorary member of Minerva Lodge. Our candidate received a very good Master Mason degree. I want to thank everyone who walked in the Craft. All those practices paid off. We all need to thank WB Kent Crager for stepping in (with just a few days notice) and doing the lecture. WB Stemple was under the weather and couldn t make it. WB Michael Cockroft filled in as Senior Warden for the entire evening. RWB Richard Poore sat in the Junior Warden s chair, and Brother Tom Downie was the Chaplain. Brother Brian Hyer gave the Charge and WB Greg Clatterbuck delivered the Bible lecture. Once again, Brother Paul Miller took charge in the kitchen and made a fine meal. Tracy Hyer made vegetarian lasagna that many people raved about and, as always, our friend Kelli Brooks made a wonderful cake. Inspecting Officer, RWB Scott Sowder, gave us a favorable report and WB Budenz spoke highly about our Lodge Education programs. At our stated meeting the next week, we relaxed a little bit and had some fun with the 8 th Annual Loud Tie Night. Junior Steward David Gore won the prize this year a Tae Bo exercise DVD. We are going to continue our busy schedule so add these dates to your agenda: March 13 th will be Past Masters Night. WB Ballinger is assembling a team of veterans to put on the Fellow Craft degree for, possibly, two candidates. On Thursday, March 27 th, we will do the Entered Apprentice degree. Saturday, April 5 th, will be the Grand Master s One Day Class at the Dayton Temple. If you know of anyone who wants to become a Mason, let us know as soon as possible. The deadline is approaching. Saturday, April 26 th, is our Spring Highway Clean-Up. We will meet at Rice Field at 9am. The Spring Fling Breakfast will be on Saturday, May 17 th from 7am to 10am. At the Thursday, May 22 nd, stated meeting, we will celebrate Charlie Thomas Night. Thanks to all of you for your support this year. Hope to see y all soon.

7 Trinity Chapter #44, Royal Arch Masons James Potts, High Priest Companions, I want to say a big thank you to everyone who helped with our inspection on January 11th. First, there was the excellent meal prepared by Paul Miller. The colors were posted by Sir Knights Don Wilcox, Robert Oldfather, Steve Goad, and Johnny Watkins (all past Eminent Commanders and Knights of the York Cross of Honour). Sir Knight Wilcox delivered the Flag Lecture in fine form. My daughter, Crystal, sang the National Anthem. I am so proud of her. We had forty-three companions in attendance and seven districts represented. Two Past Grand High Priests, MECs Steve Duncan and George Shell, joined us as well as REC H Jeffery Shaw, Grand Master of the Third Veil. REC Joseph J Fair was our inspecting officer. Our three candidates received the Royal Arch degree, obligated by EC Terry Harris. We need to thank EC Doug Whyte KYCH and Companion Richard Poore for their confidence and precision as they performed their parts. We have fewer companions than we did last year. Currently, Trinity Chapter has 109 members. I think we all need to do a better job of encouraging more Masons to consider Royal Arch Masonry. We will never grow if we are the best kept secret in the Temple. God bless all of you. Mark your calendars and join us at a stated convocation on the first and third Tuesday of the month. Please support these local businesses. Valley Commandery #80, Knights Templar Claude Seibel, Eminent Commander The bad weather has made it difficult for us to meet as often as we would like. As devoted as we are to our commandery and each other, please think about safety first. It s better to miss a few meetings now and be able to attend many more in the years to come. I was very proud of all the Sir Knights who made our January 18th inspection so special. All the parts were performed by members of Valley Commandery, which is something that not many commanderies can do anymore. To Sir Knights Don Wilcox, Johnny Duff, Steve Goad, Steve Taylor, Doug Whyte, Jim Potts, and Johnny Watkins: thank you for the time you spent to memorize your parts. Our candidate received a very good Order of the Temple and I think he would tell you that he was impressed. The Ladies Auxillary took very good care of us in the dining room. All told, twenty-five ladies attended. The refreshments were fantastic. Our catered meal from Christie s got a lot of compliments. We are all hoping for spring so that our travels will be less treacherous. May God bless you and keep you until we meet again. I am so grateful for the support I have received from all of you this year. THANK YOU!

8 Degrees of DeMolay to be Portrayed in March T Solar Lodge #730 is hosting Ralph H McMillan Memorial Chapter of the Order of DeMolay on Saturday, March 15 th, at the Dayton Temple. Both degrees the Initiation Degree and the DeMolay Degree will be presented beginning at 12:00pm. After the Chapter is closed, light refreshments will be served during a meet and greet session. For more information, contact Dad Tony Fyffe at or Dad Doug Cope at cut and send HELP US KEEP MAILING COSTS DOWN! If you currently receive the Miamisburg Masonic News and other communications from the Miamisburg Temple by mail, and have a valid address, we can send you these updates at no cost! Please help us by sending the information requested below to us at P.O. Box 269, Miamisburg, OH 45343, or your contact information to minervalodge98@gmail.com. Name Address address Thank you!