Installation Message - 2004
I would like to thank all of you who were able to take time out of your day and attend
the 137th installation of officers. I promise not to be long winded.
I would like to thank the installing officers for their outstanding work. Every year with
just a phone call a request is made of brothers Wayne Coats P.M. and Cal Mc Carley
P.M.. I don't think they know how to say no when it comes to this. Thank you brother
Dave Jones P.M. another who doesn't know the word no.
Congratulations to Brother Ray on his year as Master. A job well done.
Thank you to Bev and Pete Gumina for being my host and hostess.
Thank you Judy for filling in for my Aunt Barbara giving out the programs.
Unfortunately or fortunately the puppies arrived when no one but my aunt was
around and she couldn't get away to be here. But the puppies are all doing fine.
Thank you brother Horst for making the trip over the hill to be here, taking pictures
and showing your support.
Thank you Glenda for the beautiful corsages and boutonniers.
When I started thinking about what I wanted to say tody I had a lot of trouble. I kept
thinking that the united states is at war protecting us. The men and women of our
military being away from their families and loved ones. We fortunately are here today
all together and safe because of them. Thank you to the members of our armed forces.
May God watch over them and all of us
This year it is my desire to get back to basics and to continue Brother Ray's goal of
making Freemasonry a household name. To that end I have continued with Brother
Ray's wish of a scholarship fund. Monies are now in place, $2,680.00 to guarantee a
boy and girl from Middletown and Lower Lake High School, once enrolled into college
or trade school will receive a $500.00 cash scholarship. These students will have to
submit an essay on ‘What is Freemasonry". These essays will be judged by members
of our lodge and the students chosen for the scholarship will be invited to present their
essays at one of our stated meeting. These boys and girls are the future of masonry.
To insure monies will be available today and in the future, I will be hosting the first
annual scholarship golf tournament. Hopefully, this event will continue through the
years and the amount for scholarships for the kids of Lower Lake and Middletown
High School will grow.
There will be dinners and barbecues. We will be hosting the 2nd Annual Police and
Firefighters appreciation barbecue. I know from what was said by those who attended
last year, attendance for this event will be even larger. I would like to invite all of you
to attend and join us in honoring these people who everyday are there to help and
protect us.
I also hope to coordinate a Freemasonry booth at the County Fair. Here we can show
the public who we are Masons, Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner's. It is my intention
to have a child identification program from Grand Lodge at
the fair. This is an outstanding program and this would be the perfect
forum for this program.
I would like to take a moment to talk a little bit about Freemasonry. Freemasonry is
the world's oldest and largest fraternity. Its history and tradition date to antiquity. Its
singular purpose is to make good men better. Its bonds of friendship, compassion, and
brotherly love have survived even the most divisive political, military and religious
conflicts through the centuries. It is an institution having for its foundation the
practice of social and moral virtues. We strongly believe in Brotherly Love, Relief and
Truth.
Freemasons are respectable citizens who are taught to conform to the moral laws of
society and to abide by the laws of the government under which they live. They are
men of charity and good works. They remain unchallenged as the "world's greatest
philanthropy". Only individuals believed to be of the finest character are favorably
considered for membership. Every applicant must advocate his belief in the existence
of a Supreme Being (atheists are not accepted into the fraternity).
Freemasonry came to the United States more than 250 years ago. Some of our
Founding Fathers of Freemasonry in the United States were George Washington,
Benjamin Franklin and James Monroe to just name a few. Many other leaders in
government have been Masons: "they have included fourteen Presidents and eighteen
Vice Presidents of the United States; a majority of the justices of the United States
Supreme Court, of the Governors of States, of the members of the Senate, and a large
percentage of the Congressmen. Five Chief
Justices of the United States were Masons and two were Grand Masters. The five were
Oliver Ellsworth, John Marshall (also Grand Master of Masons in Virginia), William
Howard Taft, Frederick M. Vinson and Earl Warren also Grand Master of Masons
in California."
Many others have also been Masons like Burl Ives, John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Will
Rogers, Ernest Borgnine, Arnold Palmer, Dave Thomas founder of Wendy's, Mel
Tillis and even Michael Richards of SEINFELD. There are many more well known
Masons but there are too many to mention.
Lastly, it is my sincere hope to have a fun year. I look forward to the initiation of
hopefully many new candidates. I look forward to candidates advancing. I look for and
welcome your support. This is not just my lodge or your lodge. It is our lodge!
Thank you
John L. Flynn P.M.
Master