Fidalgo Lodge #77 Trestleboard Brethren, Guidance From the East Our next stated meeting will include: Past Masters Night, a guest speaker and, an attempt at a new meeting format. As some of you have already heard, W.B. Dale Fluaitt Passed away to the Celestial Lodge Above. A service is in the works for October 14 th, more information to come at the stated meeting. The Masonic Apron is a symbol of innocence and the badge of a mason. The bright white is a constant reminder to keep ourselves pure and unblemished in our lives and actions. Not just among masons, but also when we are among the profane. When wearing the apron, we represent all of freemasonry from time immemorial; all our Brothers, past, present and future. We owe it to them to conduct ourselves blamelessly in all our actions and deeds. Here is the section of the Washington Masonic Code on wearing the Masonic Apron in public: WMC Sec. 13.08 B.L. Public Appearance as Masons. 1. A Lodge or Mason may appear in public in Masonic clothing: a. To attend a Masonic funeral service, b. When participating in parades, Rev. 2014 2. At meetings of the Job s Daughters International, the International Order of Rainbow for Girls, or the Order of DeMolay; and 3. When attending Divine Services, Masonic sponsored scholarship events, Masonic 4. Information booths at community Fairs and CHIPS events as a Lodge under the following rules: a. The Worshipful Master of the Lodge which is sponsoring the event must approve of the appearance and record this approval in the minutes of his Lodge, b. The Deputy of the Grand Master in the District is to be informed of the event sufficiently in advance to provide additional guidance, as needed; and c. Each event and the participation in it must reflect credit upon Masonry as it is presented in the Ancient Landmarks, the written law of Masonry, and other Usages and Customs of Masonry. 5. A Lodge or Mason may not otherwise appear publicly in Masonic clothing without the consent of the Grand Master. The occasions for which the Grand Master may consider granting a dispensation for Masons of Lodges to appear publicly in Masonic clothing are: a. A strictly Masonic occasion, b. The performance of Masonic duty, ceremony, or custom; and c. To take part in a community patriotic, historical, or educational event. There are so many symbols in our Masonic world that teach us how to conduct ourselves, I think keeping our deeds and thoughts as pure as the apron go a long way towards promoting other principles like Faith, Hope, and Charity. If we keep ourselves pure, these others will follow. Fraternally, Kevin Magill Worshipful Master Fidalgo #77 http://www.anacortesmasons.org E-Mail AnacortesMasons@gmail.com PAGE 1
Wisdom From the West Preparing for my trip to Nepal, I searched for a Masonic lodge I may visit while I'm there. I found this poem on the Facebook page of Lodge Kathmandu of Nepal No. 8194 EC. In honor of Past Masters night, I share it with you now. THE OLD MASTER HE WAS SITTING IN A WHEELCHAIR, LOOKING DOWN AT THE LAWN, I THOUGHT HE MIGHT BE ASLEEP, THEN I SAW THE OLD MAN YAWN. I TOLD HIM I'D COME TO VISIT, A BIG SMILE LIT UP HIS FACE, HE SAID IT'S NOT VERY OFTEN, PEOPLE VISIT THIS OLD PLACE. PARDON MY MANNERS YOUNG MAN, AS HE OFFERED ME A CHAIR, WOULD YOU LIKE A GLASS OF TEA, IT'S ON THE TABLE OVER THERE. I BEGGED OFF THE OFFER, BUT I SAID I HAVE A SURPRISE, I'VE COME TAKE YOU TO LODGE, YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN HIS EYES. YOU KNOW, I'M PAST MASTER, ABOUT THREE OR FOUR TIMES, HE SAID AS MATTER OF FACT, I CAN WORK ANY CHAIR IN LINE. I FELT PROUD TO PUSH HIS CHAIR, AS WE HEADED FOR MY CAR, I HAD ALREADY CHECKED HIM OUT, AND SIGNED HIS PASS CARD. WHEN WE DROVE INTO THE LOT, YOU SHOULD'VE HEARD THE CHEERS, I HAD A LUMP IN MY THROAT, DOWN HIS CHEEK ROLLED A TEAR. THE LODGE WAS FILLED WITH BROTHERS, WHO HAD COME TO CELEBRATE, OUR GUEST OF HONOR HAD ARRIVED, THE EASTERN STAR HAD BAKED A CAKE. WE MADE A SPECIAL PRESENTATION, THAT BROUGHT LAUGHTER AND TEARS, FOR TONIGHT OUR WISE OLD MASTER, HAD COMPLETED SIXTY-FIVE YEARS. WITH COUNTLESS YEARS OF SERVICE, IN THIS LODGE IN HIS HOMETOWN, HE DID IT ALL WITH A GENTLE HEART, AND THE STRONGEST GRIP AROUND. HIS TIRED OLD VOICE CRACKED, BUT HIS MIND WAS SHARP AND CLEAR, AS HE TOOK THE MICROPHONE, SITTING THERE IN HIS WHEELCHAIR. (Cont. On Pg. 3) http://www.anacortesmasons.org E-Mail AnacortesMasons@gmail.com PAGE 2
FIDALGO LODGE #77 ANACORTES WASHINGTON October 2017 (Cont. From Pg. 2) WE ALL SAT DOWN AT TABLES, WITH HOT COFFEE IN OUR CUPS, HE SAID I'D LIKE TO TAKE YOU BACK, TO WHEN I WAS JUST A PUP. YOU SEE, THERE'S BEEN TIMES, THIS OLD LODGE ALMOST WENT DARK, WE WERE DOWN TO JUST A FEW, AND SOME DIDN'T KNOW THEIR PART. BUT WE KEPT ON WORKING HARD, AND DOING EVERYTHING WE COULD, TO GET MORE MEN INTERESTED, IN THE CRAFT OF BROTHERHOOD. OH THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS, THAT'S CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, BUT YOUNGER MEN NOT COMING IN, IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST FEARS. UNTIL THE OLD MASTER IS CALLED, TO THE GRAND LODGE ON HIGH, HIS MEMORIES WILL BE FILLED, WITH THE CELEBRATION TONIGHT. A FEW YEARS HAVE COME AND GONE, SINCE WE HONORED HIM THAT NIGHT, THE OLD MASTER EVEN HELPED ME, RAISE MY GRANDSON INTO LIGHT. HIS KIND AND GENTLE MANNER, STANDS TALL AMONG THE BEST, TODAY HE MADE THE FINAL JOURNEY, WE LAID THE OLD MASTER TO REST To all of our Past Masters, thank you for showing us the light. Fraternally, Bro Bob Belli /G\ YOU SEE, IT WAS DIFFERENT THEN, THAN IT IS THIS DAY AND TIME, I REMEMBER HOW STRICT IT WAS, YOU DIDN'T DARE CROSS THE LINE. ABOUT ASKING A MAN TO JOIN, WHEN YOU KNEW HE WAS GOOD, GOD AND FAMILY CAME FIRST, THIS, THE LODGE UNDERSTOOD. WE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL HE ASKED, ABOUT HOW TO BECOME ONE OF US, THEN WE COULD TELL HIM THE TRUTH, ABOUT FELLOWSHIP, HONOR AND TRUST. WE WORKED HARD AND DID OUR BEST, TO BE GOOD EXAMPLES AMONG MEN, WE ALL KNOW FROM READING THE BIBLE, THERE'S NOT A MAN WITHOUT SIN. SO WE'D TAKE THE BEST MEN, AND GENTLY SHOW'EM THE LIGHT, JUST LOOK AT ALL THE BROTHERS, THAT SHOWED UP HERE TONIGHT. IF I COULD LIVE MY LIFE ALL OVER, AND I COULD REWRITE EVERY PAGE, I'D HIT A FEW BUMPS A LITTLE SOFTER, BUT THERE'S NOTHING I WOULD CHANGE. EACH TIME I WAS ASKED TO TEACH, OH IT MADE ME FEEL SO GOOD, TO LEAD YOU GENTLY TO THE LIGHT, UNTIL I KNEW YOU UNDERSTOOD. I LOVE YOU ALL MY BROTHERS, I ENJOYED BEING THERE FOR YOU, AND I'LL TELL EACH ONE TONIGHT, YOU'VE BEEN THERE FOR ME, TOO. Fidalgo 77 August s Calendar of Events 10/10/17 (2nd Tuesday) Temple Board (5:30 PM) Dinner (begins at 6:00 PM, with presentation at 6:30 by Bro. Kyle Grafstrom, author of Freemasonry in the Wild West Past Masters Night Lodge Officer Elections Stated Meeting (7:30 PM) 10/25/17 (4th Wednesday) District Lodge Officers Association. All are invited. (7:30 PM) 10/27/17 (Last Friday) Masonic Education Evening (7:00 PM) HE TALKED FOR HALF AN HOUR, AS WE TRAVELED BACK IN TIME, HE HAD TAKEN US ON A JOURNEY, AND WE HUNG ON EVERY LINE. IT WAS LATE WHEN WE GOT BACK, BUT HE WAS STILL WIDE AWAKE, AS I PUSHED HIS WHEELCHAIR INSIDE, HE GAVE THE NURSE A PIECE OF CAKE. http://www.anacortesmasons.org E-Mail AnacortesMasons@gmail.com PAGE 3
Refreshment From the South Warm greetings from the beautiful South! Given our upcoming Balloting for next years Lodge Officers this October Stated, I thought reminding of the significance of Balloting timely. The 6 Aspects of Balloting in Freemasonry The Ballot Box is Freemasonry s sentinel. It stands guard at the portals of the Craft to keep off all unqualified to enter. There is peace and harmony inside those portals only as long as it remains faithful to its sentinel duties. No obligation rests more heavily on the shoulders of every member than his duty to see that none pass that sentinel save such as are properly qualified. 1st, The Ballot Box gives practical expression of the principle of Qualification. Freemasonry does not solicit members. Petitioners must come of their own free will. Of all those who come, only those with the necessary qualifications are eligible for membership. The first use of the Ballot is to decide whether a given petitioner possesses those qualifications. 2nd, The Ballot should be Unanimous. A petition should be acceptable to every member of the Lodge. First consideration should be given to the fraternity. The fraternity has not solicited him, he is soliciting it. It is for him to prove himself. If a member has sure and true knowledge and is convinced the petitioner would disturb the peace and harmony of the Lodge, it becomes a duty to exclude him. The good and welfare of the body of men already in membership takes precedence. 3rd, The Ballot must be Secret. It is a violation for a member to tell how he voted, to discuss a ballot in open Lodge, or to discuss the petitioner. This law has two general purposes; it protects the peace and harmony of the Lodge and it protects the petitioner. 4th, The Ballot is a Duty. Every member of the Lodge must vote if present when the Ballot is taken. Membership in the fraternity is an office that carries official duties - as much so as the occupation of one of the chairs; and one of the chief of those duties is to exercise a watchful care over the quality and fitness of prospective members or principal officers. 5th, The Ballot is Inviolable. Once it is taken it is taken and there is no appeal from its verdict. If a Worshipful Master is convinced some error was made while taking it, he may order another Ballot to be taken again. When he has announced it to be completed and the Ballot closed, the transaction stands finished. 6th, The Ballot is Independent. When a member has exercised his best judgment, he is not answerable to any man, Lodge, or Grand Lodge for his action, whether it was favorable or unfavorable. No man can be held responsible for a duty unless he is recognized to possess the power and the authority necessary to discharge that responsibility. Fraternally, Andy McLaughlin, JW Fidalgo #77 Excerpted from: http://www.masoniclibrary.org.au/research/list-lectures/66-the-ballot.html http://www.anacortesmasons.org E-Mail AnacortesMasons@gmail.com PAGE 4
Secretaries Corner Big Changes at October s Stated Meeting: Brother Kyle Grafstrom, author of the soon to be released book, Freemasonry in the Wild West, will be the featured speaker at Fidalgo Lodge at our stated meeting in October. In order that all the brethren and our guests will be able to hear and appreciate Brother Kyle s presentation, he will make his remarks as part of the dinner hour at 6:30 PM. We are changing the usual order of things in response to the concerns voiced by many members, who have noted the difficulties they ve had understanding the proceedings in the Lodge Room, given the limitations of the sound system upstairs. However, the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs have stated that the sound system in the banquet hall works great, so we re going to hold as much of our meeting as possible downstairs in the hall. Brethren and their guests are welcome to sign in at 6:00pm-ish, and proceed to the buffet table and enjoy their dinner. Meanwhile, WB Kevin and the officers will open the Lodge, immediately call the Lodge to refreshment, and join everyone downstairs. The formal meeting in the banquet hall will start at 6:30 with an invocation, our celebration of Past Masters Night, and the presentation by Brother Kyle Grafstrom. The brethren, who are able, will return to the Lodge room for a short business meeting at 7:30 (elections and reports of investigation committees). Others are free to mingle downstairs or depart at their leisure. September s Stated Meeting Highlights: The brethren held a Memorial Ceremony for Brother Dean Kempf, who passed on to the Celestial Kingdom on 5 August. A Scroll of Memory was signed and will be sent to his daughter, Susan. The brethren noted his contributions to various charities supported by the Lodge. The brethren voted to raise the annual assessment to $30, making the total of dues and assessments = $95 The Circle of Concern included: Brother Blynn Cooper injured/broken back; his wife Wilma has retired from the Visitors Center after many years of service; MWB Wayne Haven: wife in hospice; WB Mike Tando s mother-in-law died a week ago; VWB Paul Steinsiek s father died recently Turkey Shoot: Toys for Tots: MWB Myers will collect for our annual support of this project and the potential of winning bacon, ham, turkey and other meat products DeMolay: a reminder from Bro McLaughlin that DeMolay is meant for boys aged 10-18 years; the best time for recruitment is Middle School The Temple Board reported that the Cheney Stair-lift is on its last legs, with parts no longer available following the demise of the company. Unless parts can be found, we will be obliged to replace it. The Scholarship committee plans to rewrite the bylaws of that non-profit to more focus on young people going into the trades. http://www.anacortesmasons.org E-Mail AnacortesMasons@gmail.com PAGE 5
Secretaries Corner Cont. 2018 Dues and Assessments In 2018 dues will remain at $65; however, the assessment will raise by $5 to $30. Total cost for dues and assessments will be $95. Life members pay only the assessments; members who have paid dues for 50 years pay no dues or assessments. The raise in assessments was primarily caused by the action of the Grand Lodge in assessing $1 for each of the Masonic Youth programs and by the need to balance our budget. Here is our budget for 2018: 2018 Budget Income Number Price Ea. Amount Member Dues & Assessment 45 $95 $4,275 Life Members Assessment 32 $30 $960 50 Yr Members Dues 9 $- $- WAGL Life Member Distribution 1249 Total Dues & Assessments $6,484 New Member Fees 4 Degrees 2 $250 $500 Sweethearts Luncheon $914 District #9 Dinner $150 125th Anniversary $- Rent Float to Arlington Lodge $75 Contributions $100 New Members $250 TOTAL $8,473 Disbursements Rent $3,000 Sweethearts Luncheon $914 Food Handler $75 Wardens Seminar $350 Grand Lodge Assessment $2,156 Dues Cards $- Fidalgo Internet Installation $100 Past Master's Apron District #9 Dinner $150 Float License $73 Office supplies (ink, paper) $597 Stamps: Member Mailings, etc. $260 Directors & Officers Insurance $398 Tex-Mex Dinner $- 125th Anniversary $- DeMolay/Rainbow/Job's Donations $150 New Member Expense x 2 $125 $250 TOTAL $8,473 Expense less Income $(0) http://www.anacortesmasons.org E-Mail AnacortesMasons@gmail.com PAGE 6
Elections The following brethren have offered themselves as being available for election in 2018: WM Robert Belli SW Andrew McLaughlin JW Robert Gara Sec/Treas Eric Johnson The following brethren have offered to serve in the following appointed offices: SD Corey Stout JD Howard Livingston SS Daniel Brown JS Dylan Lee Ch Stephen Ellis Mar Richard Ellis Tyler Kevin Magill The Fidalgo Trestle board is edited and published by Bro. Daniel Brown. For any submissions or comments, please e-mail at : danielbrown1235@gmaill.com http://www.anacortesmasons.org E-Mail AnacortesMasons@gmail.com PAGE 7