TRESTLEBOARD

April 2001

Greetings Brethren:

Since last Month’s Trestleboard was out late there hasn’t been that much to report. The good news is we’ve put on four EA degrees. The bad news is we lost one to the celestial lodge. Our inspection in the MM degree will be upon us soon. Saturday, April 28, 2001; degree work begins at 2:00, dinner open to families at 5:00. Don’t forget its steak, good steak, hmmmm I’m getting hungry just writing this.

If steak isn’t enough to entice you join us for inspection, the new improved lodge room should do it. The plasterer’s have been busy - and my phone has been ringing off the hook because I think my Temple Board president didn’t quite emphasize to the other bodies just how bad the lodge room would look while the work was going on - in fact its been downright unusable. This better be worth it or I’m joining Ebenezer. So come to inspection for (1) some great degree work; (2) to be first to see the restored lodge room, (3) ride the elevator - YES ELEVATOR HAS BEEN FIXED!!!! (4) steak. Now that I think about it we should probably sell tickets to ride that elevator - it’s been broken since I was initiated. Oh if anyone sees that new cleaning guy tell him I’ve been getting complaints about the lodge room being a bit messy.

The only real committee report I have right now is for DeMolay. WB Bob Brooks has decided to take it easy - stepped down. Jeff Marshall has taken over as Dad Advisor and Dave Darling is now chairman of the Advisory Board. Jeff & Dave have been involved with our DeMolay for a long time and bring plenty of experience and enthusiasm. Stop by some 1^st or 3^rd Tuesday and say hello. I should also mention that our last two candidates are DeMolay boys, so supporting our youth groups pays dividends. P.S. Thanks Bob, your service has been greatly appreciated.

We did have a vote on razing the back theatre. Measure passed quite handily. This doesn’t mean that we will tear it down, but that the Temple Board has permission to tear it down. We’re still looking for a renter. Of course Grand Lodge approval is still necessary given the expense involved.

Past Master’s night will be Thursday, May 17^th. I’ve been approached by a couple of the past masters who asked if they could put on a degree for us. How could I say no? We will have dinner at 6:00, and a Fellow Craft degree after dinner. Seeing we have had plenty of EA’s lately I may even give them a real candidate. I have to tell you all that from my own experience the past masters of our lodge are some of the best brothers and they really make our lodge great. These good brothers have always pitched in and helped when asked - and sometimes when not asked. Join me celebrating and toasting these great brothers!

Finally, some brothers have pointed out that for the second straight year we had a dues increase. The finance committee actually expects dues to increase one more time so that we can balance the books and keep our lodge finances in good shape. Now I know some brothers aren’t too crazy about this, but there is an easy way to circumvent this problem - the life membership. Pay once, pay for life, never pay Blue Lodge dues again - heck, come back to lodge and vote for big dues increases, you won’t have to pay them. I’m sure if you ask that guy in the Southeast corner he’ll be glad to fill you in on the details. Having said that, I better get one of those for myself.

We recently learned of the passing of Brother Orin C. Crandall. Our heartfelt sympathy is extended to his family and close friends. Masonic Services were held April 18^th at Waite's Funeral Home, Medina.

Any member, in good standing, of Medina Lodge may purchase an endowed membership and thereby be relieved from the further payment of dues to Medina Lodge effective as of November 1^st of the 2^nd calendar year after payment is deposited with Grand Lodge.

Any individual, group, organization, or Lodge may purchase an Endowed Membership in honor of or in memory of any Master Mason, or member of his family, living or deceased. The income from such endowments shall accrue to the benefit of Medina Lodge.

The price of an Endowed Membership is $600.00 payable to Medina Lodge. The fee is immediately transmitted to the Grand Secretary for deposit in the Memorial Endowment Fund. Endowed memberships may be purchased on installments, however membership is delayed until the full $600.00 is accumulated and deposited in the Memorial Endowment Fund.

An Endowed Membership Certificate under the Seal of the Grand Lodge, signed by the Grand Master and attested by the Grand Secretary is issued to each purchaser.

Lodge membership cards are issued annually to Endowed Members at the same time other membership cards are issued.

Endowed memberships are not transferable with Lodge membership, and remain to the benefit of Medina Lodge; provided however should Medina Lodge consolidate with another Lodge, any endowed membership held by either Lodge shall become the property of the surviving Lodge.

In the event of the dissolution or demise of Medina Lodge, an Endowed Member, if he affiliates with another Ohio Lodge, may transfer his Endowed Membership to such Lodge.

Upon the death of an Endowed Member, Medina Lodge shall continue to receive the income from such member's endowment.

Ryan R Gilbert and Justin F Taylor, both members of Medina DeMolay, received their Enter Apprentice degrees Thursday, April 19^th. Both degrees were conferred by Ryan's father, WB Rev. James R Gilbert. The fact that the Lodge Room was in disarray, under repair, and cluttered with scaffolding, tools and equipment belonging to the painters working in Temple, did not detract the officers from executing the degree in due form. It was a pleasure to welcome our Lodge's newest members and witness the fine work displayed during their initiations. 

Thursday, April 26^th, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 10^th, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 24^th, 7:30 p.m.

MM Degree, Saturday, April 28^th, 2:00 p.m. Steak Dinner (open to family & friends) at 5:00 p.m.

Past Masters’ Night & FC Degree, Thursday, May 17^th , 7:30 p.m. Dinner at 6:00 p.m.

Ladies’ Night (open to family & friends), Thursday, June 21^st (*)

Sunday, June 24^th (*)

Sunday, July 15^th (*)

* further details forthcoming

(Continued from the March Trestleboard)

In the early periods of the Craft when a bishop somewhere decided to erect a cathedral he would begin by organizing what was called a foundation, and once this was done his next step was to secure pledges for a sufficient amount of money. After these funds were in sight, the Foundation selected a Master Mason to act as superintendent, and he in turn sent out word for craftsmen and set a scale of wages.

From that time until this, Freemasons have never been mealy-mouthed about money; they have always believed in it; and the whole subject is one of the major themes in the rituals of lodges of Ancient Craft Freemasonry at this time, and comes under the heading of "the wages of a Master Mason."

If a man were to object to this on the ground that modern Freemasonry is devoted to idealistic purposes and therefore should leave money out of its philosophy, he would not know whereof he speaks. There is no necessary contradiction between things material and things idealistic. The food which a man places before his family, the roof over their heads, the clothing that he furnishes, and the medicine that he purchases when they are ill, all these are material things, as money is, but they prove that he is possessed of love and affection, which in themselves are not material things.

For such reasons there is no contradiction between this philosophy of wages that Freemasonry teaches and the fact that it itself pays no wages to anybody except to one or two lodge or Grand Lodge officers who must devote whole of their days to the Craft. A mason may devote the spare time of his life to his lodge, and yet never receive any pay for his time. He is never paid for being a Mason, or for being a lodge officer, or for his work on lodge and Grand Lodge Committees; and he will be fortunate if after many years of service he is not out of pocket for the years he has served. Freemasonry attracts men to it as a magnet attracts metal filings. There is much talk about the "mystery of Freemasonry," especially by non-Masons, but the greatest mystery of all is this hold which it has on its own members.

If a non-Mason were to walk into a lodge room for the first time, and when it was not in use, he would find it to be distinctive because each and every detail of its fittings and its ornaments are designed exclusively for Masonic purposes, but at the same time he would see instantly that it is a very simple room, almost a bare one. There are no secret passages in it, no hidden stairs, no caves of darkness, none of the abracadabra which goes with occultism, magic or mystery-mongering, and could not be because Freemasonry has no similarity to mystery-mongering nor any connection with any of its forms. The business and ritual of a lodge are plain, wholesome, homely, sane, human, and unafraid of daylight.