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Washington Masonic Center Calendar
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March 2nd, 7:30 pm Council of Cryptic Masons #3
March 4th, 6:30 pm Willamette Lodge #2 Stated Communication
March 9th, 7:30 pm Royal Arch Chapter #18
March 11th, 6:30 pm Washington Lodge #46 Stated Communication
March 14th: 10:00 am The Sunnyside Brunch
12:00 pm Fellowcraft Degree Practice
March 16th, 7:30 pm Commandery
March 17th, 10:00 am Friendship Rose OES
March 18th, 7:00 pm Washington Lodge #46 Fellowcraft Degree
March 19th, 6:30 pm Willamette Lodge #2 Entered Apprentice Degree
March 21st: 9:30 am Portland Area Day of Training
6:30 pm White Shrine of Jerusalem
March 25th, 6:30 pm Washington Lodge #46 Officers Meeting
March 28th, 7:00 am Friendship Rose
To have your event added to the calendar, please contact WB Matthew Cox. |
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Brethren,
As we move into March, I find myself reflecting on a simple but important question: What kind of Lodge are we building together?
Freemasonry reminds us that the most important structure we labor upon is not made of timber or stone. It is built within us, and between us. Like any worthy edifice, it requires more than admiration. It requires builders.
The working tools placed in our hands are not decorative symbols. The common gavel calls us to remove whatever prevents us from being fully present — distractions, indifference, hesitation. The plumb reminds us to walk uprightly, not only in public life but in our commitments to one another. The level teaches equality, and the square calls us to act with fairness and integrity. Yet none of these tools accomplish their purpose if they remain untouched.
A lodge is much the same.
Brotherly Love is not merely friendliness at dinner or a handshake at the door. It is the deliberate act of showing up. It is investing time and attention in one another. It is choosing to participate when it would be easier to remain on the sidelines. It is standing shoulder to shoulder in the work — especially when the work is ordinary.
Relief, in its deeper Masonic sense, is not limited to financial charity. It is relieving one another of burdens. When too few hands carry the weight, even light stones feel heavy. When many hands share the labor, the work becomes joyful. Charity begins within the Lodge, as we support each other so that we may better serve beyond our walls.
Truth asks perhaps the most of us. It asks whether we are content to sit among symbols or willing to live them. Whether we attend as observers or enter as craftsmen. Whether we are satisfied with familiarity or seek deeper understanding of the meaning behind our ritual and obligations.
As we continue to focus on Advancing Fellowship, I am not asking for grand gestures. I am asking for presence. For curiosity. For a renewed commitment to the deeper work of the Craft.
Attend a meeting. Join a committee. Mentor a candidate. Help prepare a degree. Share a meal. Engage in conversation. Every time you enter the Lodge with intention, you help shape its future.
No edifice rises by the effort of one Mason alone. It is built stone by stone, placed by many hands, guided by a shared design.
Brethren, the design is sound. The light remains. The tools are in our hands.
Let us use them.
Fraternally,
Jesse McCann
Worshipful Master
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Greetings from the West,
March is the month spring begins and marks the end of winter.
During the month, St. Patrick is celebrated, and college basketball playoffs begin. In our area we will see daffodils, forsythia and camellia bloom. We find there is a balance in the hours of dark and daylight on the day spring begins.
In masonry, we also seek balance in our fraternal pursuits. The balance of labor and refreshment, fraternity and family, introspection and activity are all examples of the choices we make and influence the person we become. We also choose how we behave and who we associate with.
March is also a month that celebrates renewal. In nature we see the renewal in the return of leaves and blooms. We see the grass is growing and know that the lawn mower needs its tune-up and some fresh gas. Masons need renewal too. Active Brothers are better off when they freshen their skills on a degree they haven’t performed in a while or visit another Lodge they haven’t seen in years.
Brothers of Washington 46 that haven’t been in our Lodge room for a while should seek some renewal in their Masonic soul. You used to love the feeling of fellowship and brotherhood, but it is time for your own renewal and balance. Please come for a visit. Pick a day that works for you from the calendar in this trestleboard. You have choices of formal or informal. If your Masonic skills are rusty, then come to brunch on the second Saturday and we will find the path back together. Either way, we look forward to seeing you.
In harmony,
Jim Munson |
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Our Past Masters are among the greatest resources in a Lodge, you do not have to ask about their loyalty and desire to see the Lodge prosper. They have gone through the chairs and answered the call to the East, where they learned to provide the governance of their Lodge and provide providence and wisdom for the membership in their year in the Oriental chair.
Invariably, the Lodge that enjoys the attendance of Past Masters is a successful Lodge in every respect.
The presence of many Past Masters has a deep significance. As a Worshipful Master, a lot of wisdom and guidance you are striving for will come from other Past Masters who have had the experience of sitting in the East.
Fortunate the Lodge which retains its hold on the hearts of its Past Masters and all honor to the Past Masters who have imbibed so deeply of the beauties of masonry that their inclination brings them regularly to the Lodge.
A Lodge that does not have their Past Masters as a guiding force, will find itself floundering and making mistakes that at one time were made by others and resolved in their time. As a saying goes, “If you forget history, you will be doomed to repeat it.” This is also true in a Lodge that does not have active Past Masters to ensure the Lodge is not doomed to repeat mistakes from the past.
Sometimes there is a feeling and perception in some Past Masters that they have done their time and fulfilled their masonic journey, once they have attained the status of Past Master. They have achieved their goal of having been the Worshipful Master of a Lodge and are now called Worshipful Master. They no longer seek to elevate their masonic career, and they are content and complete. That being the case, their relevance to the Lodge is done. However, it is at that point that the Lodge needs you even more, as your counsel is the most needed and valued in the Lodge. Your time is not done, your journey may have been achieved, but it is pivotal to the Lodge that you remain engaged, providing that leadership all seek.
The call from the Lodge is being sent forth, “Come Past Masters, help us by lending your time and expertise in reviving the Lodge that all men aspire to join. Your time and efforts will strengthen the Lodge, its officers and members.” |
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Contribute to the Washington Lodge Trestleboard! |
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Do you have an article or photos you'd like to submit?
Contact the WM for details on how to contribute! |
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From The Secretary's Desk
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Grandview and Our Website
I don’t know how many of you go to Grandview every day or even our website, www.washington46.org, but as your secretary, it's a daily event. I not only update members' addresses but also review their years of service, since many are approaching the 50- & 60-year mark. I bring this to your attention because WB Bob Richardson will be celebrating his 60th anniversary in Masonry. Grandview also does a good job of telling us how many are in certain age categories:
Age 18-29: 1 Age 60-69: 20
Age 30-39: 4 Age 70-79: 34
Age 40-49: 28 Age 80 plus: 44
Age 50-59: 15
Brethren, you can see most members are in the 80-plus category, so we need to work hard and raise those candidates who are just a little younger. Our line of officers is mostly in that 40-49 group, so we are very fortunate to have some youngsters working hard for Washington Lodge.
If you visit our website, you will see a few categories you can access. One is especially important: the tab for paying dues. If you click this tab, it either takes you to Grandview to pay dues or indicates that you can send a check to the lodge. This is important because, of our total membership, only 68 members have registered in Grandview. Grand Lodge has done a remarkable job of tying all our membership data together and has many great programs available to the fraternity. If you haven’t registered, I encourage you to do so today.
A special thank you to all the brothers that support us every month. A great dinner at our stated meetings, the fellowship is hard to beat, and something new is always just around the corner. Our ongoing projects show how much we care about the condition of our building and strive to make Washington Masonic Center a place that you can be very proud of. I look forward to seeing some new faces next month, so please join us in March. Please take care and God Bless!!
Don Stapleton, PGM, Secretary
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VALENTINE'S DAY SUNNYSIDE BRUNCH
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