North Port Lodge No. 406 F.& A.M. From the East. Lodge Calendar. Inside this issue: September 2012

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1 Dear Brethren, NORTH PORT, FLORIDA From the East This certainly has been a busy and challenging year, but I want to say that I have had a tremendous amount of help from all of the Brothers in the lodge. September Trestleboard Inside this issue: From the East 1 From the West 2 From the South 3 Past Masonic Events 2 Masonic Education 3 Sickness / Distress 4 Committee List 4 Master Mason Association 5 Officer Contact 5 Charity: Brethren for our next meetings please bring food donations to support the NPHS food pantry. Illness & Distress Brethren, please report any sickness or distress among the craft W:. Louis Ortt (941) lhortt@verizon.net Jack Watson jackwatsonjr42@aol.com First of all, I want to thank all of the Brothers, family and friends of North Port Lodge for their interest in bring the lodge where it is today. I sincerely hope that everyone enjoyed the Consecration, Dedication and Installation of Officers. The M:. W:. Grand Master and Grand Line Officers performed a wonderful ceremony. The M:. W:. Grand Masters Visit was a huge Success and I want to thank all of the officers and the brothers of North Port Lodge # 406 for their participation in making the G.M. Visit a memorable one. Hope to See You In Lodge, Worshipful Master James Godshall September 2012 Wed. 5th 7:00pm Officers Meeting & Practice, Englewood 5:00pm District 27 Open Books Sarasota Lodge #147 Wed 12th 7:00pm Stated Meeting ** Sun 16th Trip to Masonic Home: Board of Trustees (All Members Are Encouraged To Attend) Wed. 19th 7:00pm Lodge Calendar Officers Meeting & Practice, Englewood Wed 26th 7:00pm Stated Meeting ** District Deputy Grand Master s Official Visitation Thu 27th 6:45pm Master Mason Association Meeting 7:30pm District School of Sarasota Lodge #147 Sat 29th 10:00am District 27 Open Books Sarasota Lodge #147 ** Bring current dues card All Stated Meetings Will Be 7:00pm 2nd and 4th Wednesday Each Month Farley Funeral Home: 5900 S. Biscayne Blvd., North Port, Florida 34287

2 The Grand Master s visit to our district was a wonderful success. The dinner was well attended by the district members and their wives. In addition to our Master Mason brethren in attendance, two of our three Entered Apprentices were present with their wives to share in the fellowship. Masonic Youth were represented by the Sarasota Chapter of DeMolay, Venice and Braidentown Rainbow Assemblies assisting with the serving of the meal and cleaning up the building after the Dinner and Social portion of the evening. There were a number of compliments as to the attendance of North Port Lodge. A number of lodges had numbers almost equal to ours, with one distinction. We are the youngest and smallest Lodge of the district. We had a greater number of overall participation of the entire Lodge than any other. Myself and Brother Cohen attended the Grand Master s official visit in another district. The attendance was not the same level of participation compared to the 27th Masonic District. Brethren, I was proud to stand to be counted as a member of our newest Lodge in the Florida Masonic Grand Jurisdiction. Brethren I will be presenting the budget for this year. Money and finances are extremely tight. To alleviate these financial concerns we need to discuss the expectations for our Lodge and the direction you, the craft desires to take for the future. We will be restricted to the constraints to which we determine. In addition, a list of committees is available to our Brethren (please see page number four). I'd like to see what we can do to get our North Port members active and participating with the aspects you desire. Making this truly YOUR lodge! Please consider your vision for North Port Lodge s future and we can make it happen. Fraternally, W:. Drew Wormington Senior Warden North Port Lodge No. 406 Brethren, From the West What an honor it is to serve our craft in such company as our North Port Brothers. As a UD Lodge, we have accomplished so much in such a small span of time. It is my deepest and most sincere desire that this enthusiasm and passion continue throughout the existence of North Port Lodge No. 406 from here until the end of time. The Officers, Members and the multiple Lodges of District 27 have made this dream of a Lodge in North Port a reality. To you all, thank you for making this Lodge possible. Many men will benefit from the Light gained as an experience of our North Port Lodge. Did you know: The two structures in the U.S. that have elevators which move sideways, in addition to up and down are the Arch in St. Louis and the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria. Past Masonic Events North Port Masonic Lodge No. 406 was recently put to work at the Consecration, Dedication and Constitution ceremony. Most Worshipful Grand Master Jorge Aladro and the Representatives of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Florida presided over the ceremony. Nearly every seat of Sarasota Lodge No. 147 was filled. Installed Officers Worshipful Master W:. James Godhsall Senior Warden W:. Andrew Wormington Junior Warden W:. Michael E Cullen Treasurer Tom Millaway Secretary Samuel P Cohen Senior Deacon Michael Tirpak Junior Deacon W:. John Degnan Senior Steward David Wheatcroft Junior Steward Larry Bernard Marshall R:. W:. John Wermann Chaplin W:. Louis Ortt Assistant Chaplin John Watson Jr Tyler Riachard McMullen

3 View From The South From the South Greetings Brethren! Although we have only opened Lodge once with our charter, we have been very busy! With The Grand Master's visit, consecration of our Lodge, organization and various preparations, we have had little time for routine meetings and other normal business. The Junior Warden is charged at installation with the responsibility of calling the craft to refreshment to labor, and to labor again, by the order of the Worshipful Master. In the charge itself: "carefully superintending them during the hours thereof, to see that the means of refreshment are not perverted to intemperance and excess, to see that they return to their labor in due season, that the Worshipful Master may receive honor, and they pleasure and profit thereby." Flowery 18th century language indeed! But, as in many explanations Masonic, it is not all defined on the surface. Here in the Grand Lodge of Florida, spirits and other intoxicants are prohibited on Lodge property, Lotteries, gambling and other "games of chance" are also forbidden. Does that render that particular line meaningless? Or is there more to it? Perhaps some of our more experienced brethren suspect there is a reason that the admonition to the Junior Warden has not been changed. This is a good example of the oral and written tradition, or landmarks coming together. In many Lodges, it is tradition that the Worshipful Master appoints the Junior Warden as the chairman of the Vigilance Committee. The Vigilance Committee is charged with investigating any breach of conduct, Masonic Law, Civil Law, or commonly understood moral issue that could reflect discredit upon a Brother, The Worshipful Master, or the craft in general, and then making a full report to the Worshipful Master. Hence, the Junior Warden is effectively superintending the craft, while at refreshment by way of the Vigilance Committee. Our MW Grand Master Jorge Aladro mentioned something at his district visit that cannot be stressed enough. We as a fraternity are looking for quality, not quantity. We attempt to help good men become better, not marginal men tolerable. Being a new Lodge, we will be doing a lot more investigations than the average lodge, There will be a need for brothers to step up and take part in investigations. Get to know the petitioner, check his references, and most of all, listen! The MW Grand Master said he was appalled at the number of Penal Issues being brought before the Grand Lodge in recent years. He also stated that it is not necessary, if the Lodges are doing their jobs when it comes to investigating petitioners. Please keep this in mind when (not if) you are appointed to serve on an investigating committee. Superintending the craft during refreshment has another meaning, one near and dear to many a Brother's heart. Food! So far, we have been limping along as best we can by begging a batch of cookies or some other treats from our lovely ladies. It is a sweet deal, but it will grow old rapidly. We need to discuss how we would like to run fellowship at our stated communications. Will it be a quick snack after closing? Would the Brothers prefer to have something more substantial prior to the meeting and then just pack up and head out after closing? I'm willing to work with the stewards to make either option work. See You in Lodge! W:. Mike Cullen Junior Warden Masonic Education The Forget-Me-Not. As early as the year 1934, after Hitler's rise to power, it became apparent that Freemasonry was in danger. In the same year, the German Grand Lodge of the Sun in Bayreuth (one of the pre-war German Grand Lodges), realized the imminent problems facing them and elected a little blue flower, the Forget-Me-Not, in lieu of the traditional Square and Compasses, as a mark of identity for Masons. It was felt that the new symbol would not attract attention from the Nazis, who were in the process of confiscating and appropriating Masonic Lodges and property. Masonry had gone underground and it was necessary that the Brethren have some recognizable means of identification. Throughout the entire Nazi era, the little blue flower in the lapel marked Brothers in Concentration Camps as well as in the cities. In 1947, when the Grand Lodge of the Sun was reopened in Bayreuth, the Forget-Me-Not was adopted as the official emblem of the first annual convention of those who survived the bitter years. In 1948, the pin was adopted as an official Masonic emblem honoring those valiant Brethren who carried their work on under adverse conditions. At the Grand Masters Conference in the United States, Dr. Theodore Vogel, Grand Master of the newly formed UGL, AF & AM presented one of the pins to each of the representatives of the Grand Jurisdictions with which the UGL, A.F. & A.M. enjoyed Fraternal relations.

4 Sickness and Distress Our Tyler, Bro. Richard McMullen was having some cardiac problems and was admitted to Venice Hospital for a few days. After some routine tests and a cardiac cath, His Doctor implanted a pacemaker/ defibrillator. BTW brothers, the combination "pacemaker / defibrillator" was conceived and designed at the Masonic Medical Research Facility in Utica NY, "Brothers helping Brothers" He is home and doing well. Brothers, please also keep Worship Master Jim Godshall s wife, Sherry and their family in your prayers. Standing Lodge Committees Finance: Vigilance: Chair: W:.Andrew Wormington, Senior Warden - and up to 6 members appointed by the Master Chair: W:.Michael Cullen, Junior Warden - and 2 members appointed by the Worshipful Master Petitions: Chair: W:.M:.James Godshall Masonic Education: Chair: R:.W:.Rodger Lee Craig, PDDGM Board of Relief: Chair: W:.M:.James Godshall - Worshipful Master and Wardens Charity: Chair: David Wheatcroft, Senior Steward - and 2 members appointed by the Worshipful Master Lodge Property: Chair: Samuel P Cohen, Secretary - and 3-5 members appointed by the Worshipful Master Additional Lodge Committees Investigation: Ad Hoc Committee form when presented task - 3 members appointed by the Worshipful Master Scholarship: Child ID: Publicity: Awards: LYPMGS & MH-100: Perpetual Membership: Masonic Funerals: MMRL: Fundraising: W:.Michael Cullen, Junior Warden North Port Lodge No. 406 Coming soon North Port Lodge s own webpage. www. NorthportMasons.com Preferred Dress Code for Lodge Meetings Business Casual is preferred for Called and Stated Meetings. Officers: Black Jackets For Degree Work Don't forget your name tag!

5 Trestleboard Sponsors Thanks to our current Trestleboard sponsor Square Donald White North Port Masonic Lodge invites you to support our lodge through sponsorship of the North Port Lodge Trestleboard. The following sponsorships are available. Plumb: $5 to $20 Level : $21 to $35 Square : $36 to $50 Preferred Dress Code for Lodge Meetings Business Casual is preferred for Called and Stated Meetings. Fellowship Banners are Available Contact our Secretary to order your banner celebrating our new Lodge. Cost $10.00 Lodge Name Tags Contact our Secretary to order your North Port Member name tag. Cost $8.00 Simply contact any officer about becoming a sponsor. If you d like to send a check, please make a note of Trestleboard Sponsor on the check. Master Mason Association & District School of Instruction Size 6 x 8 September 27th - Sarasota Masonic Lodge # Main Street, Sarasota, Florida All Master Mason Association meetings will start promptly at 6:45pm followed by District School of Instruction at 7:30pm. Degree Work Brothers Awaiting Fellow Craft Degree Mark Douglas Yates Michael Allen Short Petitions Officers Eric Bock Candidate Awaiting 2nd Reading/ Investigation Karl Leonard Lorenz Brothers Awaiting 2nd Plural Reading William Burris Thomas Mays Shawn Godshall William Schultz Brother Awaiting 1st Dual Reading John Scrofami Worshipful Master James Godshall 1263 S Salford Blvd. North Port, FL papabear4451@comcast.net Senior Warden Junior Warden Andrew Wormington Michael E Cullen 4296 Dekle Ave 3768 Billingham Lane North Port, FL Nort Port, FL wormington147@msn.com zephyrmec@gmail.com Treasurer Secretary Tom Millaway Samuel Cohen 2702 Dalhart St Bailey Palm Ct. North Port, FL North Port, Fl tommillaway@verizon.net northportlodge406@yahoo.com