From The East

From The East - May 2008

From the West

Brenda Hansen informs me that the menu for May’s Stated Meeting will be Mexican, since it is Cinco de Mayo, consisting of Salad, Tamale Pie, Chili Relleno Squares, Spanish Rice and Cupcakes.

At this writing we have reached the goal of 75% to consolidate with Franklin Lodge and all have been for the merger. If you haven’t sent in your Ballot, please do so NOW. It would be outstanding if we were to achieve 100 percent participation in the Balloting.

The Committee Meeting for the Hiram Award met on the 25^th of March instead of the April 9^th scheduled time to enable the paperwork to be completed in time for the May 10^th Hiram Award Dinner. The committee unanimously selected Worshipful Herbert Litvak to receive the Hiram Award this year. Congratulations Worshipful Herb!!

Worshipful Peter Belli, Worshipful Bob Belli and I attended Franklin ’s Stated Meeting and their Inspector suggested that they do the 2^nd Degree they were planning on earlier at the 280^th SOI. Worshipful Peter Belli suggested that Scepter attend and cook the meal prior to the Degree. At our SOI on April 16^th, the 247^th District Lodges voted for the four Lodges to attend the 280th SOI and welcome Franklin members to the District. Peter and Bob volunteered to do the cooking.

On another note, we still have some Brethren who haven’t paid their dues for 2008. You must stay current with you dues or you could lose your privileges as a Mason, which also makes you ineligible to be Shriners, Scottish Rite or Eastern Star. Please send in your dues and keep current.

The only penalties known to Freemasonry are reprimand; definite suspension from Membership; indefinite suspension from membership; expulsion from the Fraternity. To these must be added that intangible penalty which comes to any one who loses all or any part of his reputation. Other penalties suggested in the ritual are wholly symbolic—are not now and never have been enforced. There are legal punishments in the middle ages, designed with special reference to the religious beliefs of the time that a incomplete body could not “rise from the dead”; that a body buried unconsecrated ground (as between high and low water mark) could not ascend into heaven. Some Grand Lodges offer an interpretation of the ritualistic penalties, in order to be sure the initiate understands the symbolic character of these otherwise difficult phrases.