November,  2009                                                                           

Page 5

MASTER’S MESSAGE

Brethren:  The celebration on November 21st of our125th Anniversary will be a memorable event. The Grand Master contacted me three years ago when he was still Grand Junior Warden and asked me to start planning for this event. I can only hope that all Master Masons, Fellowcraft, and Entered Apprentices of our Lodge and their significant others and close friends will attend if they can physically do so. If you do not, our Lodge will be terribly embarrassed.

      You need to come to see the improvements to the Lodge building that the Center Board has made under the direction of Past Master, etc., Don Griffiths, assisted by the almost daily efforts of of Bro. Armen Oghigian as overseer. The new library/ museum just off the dining room, has been enlarged, painted, and re-carpeted. The new sign at the Duarte Road entrance is now in place and new lighting has been installed in the rear parking lot. Also, we are installing a new 46-inch television in the Lounge which the ladies can watch during the tiled meetings of the Lodge. A number of other improvements and renovations have been accomplished.

      We held a Masonic Information Night on Thursday, October 15th.  About 90 people attended. Our mission was to engage the public in Freemasonry to dispel some of the mis-characterizations  made by Dan Brown and the television documentaries; and to attract good men to become Masons. I think that we accomplished our objectives.  We should do this more often.

      We have been fortunate to obtain the services of an outstanding chef to cater our Stated Meeting dinners and other functions. One of the functions of Master is to field complaints about the food. In the seven months we have had this Chef, I have received NO complaints. That says a lot about the quality of the food. Come to the Stated Meetings and other events to find out.

      Our new Grand Master, Most Worshipful Ken Nagle, has as his motto: “Freemasonry is the Foundation of our Country. The Blue Lodge is the Foundation of Freemasonry.  Coming Home.”  The pitch is to encourage all Master Masons to return to their Lodges and support their activities. Without the Blue Lodges we have no Scottish Rite, no York rite, no Shrine, no nothing. “Coming Home” symbolizes the return to the Blue Lodge. As Master, I understand the need for this emphasis on the Blue Lodge. In my year, all of the activities have been accomplished by a hand full of dedicated Masons. Where are the other 300 Masons of Arcadia Lodge? We can use YOU! Do you remember the recruiting poster of Uncle Sam pointing his finger. Well, I am pointing my finger at YOU. Please come before it is too late.

Fraternally

Jim Helms.