June 1st, 7:30 pm Council of Cryptic Masons #3
June 3rd, 6:30 pm Willamette Lodge #2 Stated Communication
June 8th, 7:30 pm Royal Arch Chapter #18
June 9th, 10:00 am Friendship Rose OES
June 10th, 6:00 pm Washington Lodge #46 Stated Communication (NOTE NEW TIME)
June 13th, 10:00 am The Sunnyside Brunch
June 15th, 7:30 pm Commandery
June 17th, 6:30 pm Washington Lodge #46 Food Carts & Fellowship
June 20th, 6:30 pm White Shrine of Jerusalem
June 24th, 6:30 pm Washington Lodge #46 Officers Meeting

Greetings from the West,

June is our opportunity to squeeze the last and best parts out of spring and slip into summer. It is a great time in the garden as the sun warms the soil, and the plants make great gains in growth and blooms. Particularly in the western part of Oregon where we live, we get to enjoy the special treat of June bearing strawberries. Their tenure is fleeting but while they are here, I hope you get a chance to enjoy some strawberry shortcake or even make some jam to remember this special fruit later in the year.

June is also our time we have the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Oregon. Besides the usual legislation that needs to be voted on it is a great time to meet up with old friends and get to know Masons not met before. We also get introduced to the new Grand Master and his slate of officers who will run our order for another year. I wish them great success.

As we approach the halfway point of WM Jesse McCann’s year as the leader of our Lodge it is hard to miss the strides that Washington 46 has made so far. Some of the most important advances have been made on the organizational side of our order. These important upgrades mostly go unnoticed but bring about better transitions for future Masons by identifying tasks, duties and roles and eliminates misunderstandings as Brothers take on new positions within the operation of the Lodge. Look to this summer as improvements are made to the Lodge building and property. Thank you, Worshipful Master.

I want to remind everyone that July 10th is the Oregon Masonic Charitable Foundation’s annual golf tournament. This is an important fund-raising event for the benefit of Masons and their communities in Oregon. Please come play golf and have a fun day or donate money if you don’t play. Check the Grand Lodge website for registering for golf or click the donate button to show your support for Masonic giving in Oregon. Thank you for your support.

Harmoniously,
Jim Munson

Important words we use as masons so many times:

Brotherly Love, Hope, Charity and Truth.

Why, then, does forgiveness seem so hard to practice sometimes with our brothers?

Many of us learned these simple prayers in our childhood: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

“Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother? Seven times?”

“I tell you seventy times seven.”

For the sake of genuine unity with each other. To let nothing enter the Lodge that would disrupt that unity.

Maybe forgiveness is the way to gain your brother instead of losing him.

Be Gracious. Be Loving. Be forgiving.

June is a special month for masons, but it also recognizes some very major historic dates. For the Masons of Oregon, it is our 176th annual communication; for Eastern Star members it is their Annual Grand Chapter and let’s not forget we honor our fathers on June 21st. The first day of summer falls on the 20th, and one of our most rememberable dates in history falls on June 6th, D-Day, making it a historic military operation.

We have, at Washington Lodge, an important date to mention as we change the start time of our meetings for the next four months. Dinner changes to 6PM and our stated meetings start at 7PM. Dress code for the summer months will be business casual or barongs.  For members that have not attended lodge for a while, this is your opportunity to socialize, meet new members and experience the great work that you lodge officers are doing.  We have some great projects in the works, plans for the summer and fall and degrees to be conferred. We need your participation and this summer will be a great time to start. 

If you know of a Brother or Sister that may need special assistance, please don’t hesitate to notify the master, myself or one of the ladies at Grand Lodge.  The Grand Lodge has several programs to assistant members so reach out if you have questions. 

I wish all of you a very enjoyable and safe summer.  Please take care and God Bless!

Fraternally,

Don Stapleton, PGM, Secretary