From the East – January 2022

Greetings from the East!

A new Masonic year is upon us, and we are off to a great start. The Installation of Officers was held on the 18th of December and went off without a Hitch. I would like to again thank my installation team of MWB Michael Sanders, RWB Dale Palileo and WB James Lamb.

By the time you are reading this, you should have received a letter from myself describing some of the events we have planned for this year. As I said in my letter, the success of these events and future events depends on Member support. I hope to see many of you throughout the year.

The year kicks off with an official visit from the Grand Master on January 12th. Dinner will be at 6:30 pm and Lodge starts promptly at 7:30 pm. If you haven’t been to lodge for a while, this is a great time to come back.

The Grand Lodge of Oregon has many programs to help its members. One of these is the education Assistance program. Educational Assistance is for resident or nonresident children or grandchildren of a Master Mason (living or deceased) of a Lodge in this Grand Jurisdiction. The financial assistance is provided to aid the students in obtaining an education in public school, Kindergarten through 12th Grade, or post high school through age 22.

Another program they offer is the Distressed Masons of Oregon Relief Fund. With the COVID-19 outbreak affecting Oregon and the world, we know that many members may find themselves in need. In order to help Master Masons affected by the coronavirus, the Grand Lodge has created a special Distressed Masons of Oregon Relief Fund, under the management of Masonic Aid. Public programs may help with unemployment and some financial assistance; but we’re here to help fill in the gaps.

This is for relief needs directly related to the hardships caused by the virus and its economic impact. This could be for COVID-related medical needs, rent, groceries, and utility payments. The goal is to help our members wherever a genuine need exists.

Details of these programs can be found on the Grand Lodge website https://www.masonic-oregon.com. Speaking about websites, check out our very own at https://washington46.org

If you need any kind of help, you can always call myself Or Our Secretary, Don Stapleton, and we will do our best to assist, if we can.

 

See you in Lodge,

Jim Van Anda