April 2003

 

News From the East

My Brethren,

I come to you with a grave concern to us all. My inspection is coming up April 3^rd, and I forgot to tell you that you need to make reservations, if you plan to have dinner. A Prime Rib Dinner will be served in the dining hall at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $10.00 per plate. The deadline for reservations was March 21^st. But because you were not notified earlier Bob Askew has agreed to take reservations up to March 27^th. Call him at 330-225-8444. If you show up for dinner without a reservation you go hungry.

At the meeting of March 6^th WB Lloyd Egbert informed me that at this time nobody has come forward to help with the Fellow Craft team. He stated that he would have to go outside of our lodge to get help on putting on the Master Mason Degree. My Brethren, when we became Master Masons we were told that the Blue Lodge is the basis on which all the other bodies rely. At this time I feel that for one reason or another we find a reason not to come to lodge.

Well my Brethren, if you do not come to lodge we may not be able to open lodge some day. If that happens then it might come to us to turn in our charter. If you do not know what that means let me tell you, our members will have to find a new lodge to join, and the appendant bodies that meet in our Temple building will have to find other quarters. This is not a matter to take lightly. But if the Brethren feel that other things are more important, then so be it. It is up to you.

To Brother Russ Palmateer, WB William Burd, WB Darrell Garris, WB Roger Edgington, WB Robert Brooks, and WB Mike Rizzuto I give my thanks and appreciation for filling in for my line officers who were attending the annual inspection of Ashland Lodge No. 151.

Respectfully,

William C. Thompson

 

 

News from the Southeast Corner

Fellow Craft Degree Conferred March 6^th

Brother Anthony Calco was passed to the degree of Fellow Craft by WM William C. Thompson. The lecture was given by WB Darrell Garris. The charge was given by WM Thompson.  Congratulations Brother Calco!

Calendar of Events

Stated Meetings

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

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

Thursday, May 8^th, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 22^nd, 7:30 p.m

 

Special Meetings

Thursday, March 20^th, 7:00 p.m., Fellow Craft Degree

Thursday April 3^rd, 6:00 p.m., Fellow Craft Degree,     Annual Inspection

 

Special Events

Saturday Morning Breakfasts

Saturday, April 26^th, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Saturday, May 24^th, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Medina Masonic Temple Dining Hall

 

On the Fiscal Health of the Lodge

In the early nineties the Lodge inherited a large sum of money from the estate of a deceased Brother. It was a blessing and it was a curse. It was a blessing because it has enabled us to maintain possession of the Temple building. It was a curse in that it hid the deteriorating financial health of the Lodge.

To understand what has happened, it is helpful to understand that the Lodge and the Temple are two separate entities. The Lodge is a group of men with a Charter or Dispensation empowering them to meet and work under the umbrella of the Grand Lodge. The Lodge can meet anyplace approved by the Grand Lodge.

Although the Temple building is our preferred meeting place, it is not essential to our function or survival as a Lodge.

The Lodge derives virtually all of its income from annual dues and fees for degrees. It has given fixed expenses and certain discretionary expenses.

The Temple building derives all of its income from rent. Utilities, maintenance, insurance, real estate taxes, and repairs are its expenses. In round figures it costs $30,000.00 a year to meet the current expenses of the Temple building. Historically, there has been no "Building Fund" in which to set aside monies to meet extraordinary expenses such as roof repairs, and repairs of the building's deteriorating façade. Because there is no "Building Fund", rents paid to the Temple were set artificially low. Rents were and are insufficient to meet the demands of the building.

The $30,000.00 annual rental income had been paid by Blue Lodge, Eastern Stars, Knights Templar, Royal Arch (now Litchfield Lodge), and Medina Theater. The annual dollar amounts are $7,500.00, $4,500.00, $1,500.00, $1,500.00, and $15,000.00 respectively.

The $15,000.00 derived from the rental to Medina Theater was lost when they closed their doors in May of 2000. Since that time Blue Lodge has paid the expenses the Temple is unable to meet due to the loss of the theater income. It has also paid for extensive required electrical upgrades, removal of the boiler and installation of gas furnaces, roof repairs, and other extraordinary expenses. And where did all this money come from? From the inheritance.

A study of the income and expenses of the Lodge over the past 5 or 6 years shows that to meet its expenses the Lodge requires annual dues to be set at $65.00, historically. So why were dues only $30.00 or $35.00 for so long? Because the Lodge didn't need the money. The inheritance had been wisely invested. The income from the investments was more than sufficient to meet all the expenses of the Lodge. But that is no longer true. The expense of maintaining the Temple building continues to deplete our investments. Investments that once totaled $232,000.00 now stand at $75,000.00.

But there is even more bad news. The annual dues figure of $65.00 is derived from the Lodge's current income and expenses. Current expenses include an annual rent of only $7,500.00. If we were to rid ourselves of the Temple building and all of its attendant expenses, we would still have to pay rent. One may be able to rent a 40' by 50' unit of basic self storage space for $7,500.00 a year.

To meet foreseeable expenses associated with the Temple building (dealing with its deteriorating façade) and to provide for a "Building Fund", the additional annual expenditures of the Temple Company, over a period of 30 years, would be in the neighborhood of $25,000.00. Add to that the current annual operating expense of $30,000.00 and we are looking, conservatively, at $55,000.00 annually. Or about $4,600.00 per month.

Assuming we eventually find a renter for the Front Offices at $12,000 per year and can rent the theater for $21,000.00 per year (or sell the theater for $300,000.00 and invest the proceeds at 7.00%) we are still looking at a rental increase of $7,000.00 per year divided among the Blue Lodge and other Masonic bodies occupying the building. This would mean a $3,500 per year rent increase for Blue Lodge, bringing its total annual rent to $11,000.00 which translates to annual dues of $80.00 if our membership does not evaporate.

Whether we stay in the Temple building or move out, it is going to cost us more than we have been accustomed to.

The table that follows shows Lodge income and expenses averaged over a 68 month period beginning July 1, 1997 and ending February 28, 2003. And an income and expenses forecast for the current year ending June 30, 2003.

 

	Historical		Forecast
	7/1/1997		7/1/2002
	2/28/2003		6/30/2003
INCOME
Affiliation Fees	1,045		200
Dinner Collections	2,901		340
Gifts Received	449		60
Masonic Handbook Sales	62
Misc. Income	108		20
Sunshine Basket	437
Membership Dues	69,165		13,690
Fees for Degrees (1)	6,390		1,305
Interest-Dividends etc	467		85
TOTAL INCOME	81,024		15,700
EXPENSES
20th MDA Dues	75		15
20th MDA Golf Outing	185		35
Awards & Recognition (2)	2,093		235
Candidate Costs (3)	995		175
Community (4)	5,450		350
DeMolay & Rainbow (5)	600		200
Envelopes & Stationary	859		135
Degree Fees Returned (6)	565		290
Forms	50		10
Grand Master's Reception	650		125
Gifts for Grand Officers	40		10
Gifts Other	1,356		0
Gratuities (7)	5,048		890
Lodge Bulletin - Trestleboard	11,734		2,325
Misc Office Expenses (8)	4,166		735
Office Equip & Repair	357		0
Masonic Paraphernalia	251		0
Postage	1,989		350
Recognition Gifts	121		0
Rent	41,261		7,502
Rituals & Manuals	454		15
Secretaries' Assn Dues	30		20
Special Events (9)	8,386		1,250
Travel (10)	2,005		420
Charity Other	1,410		0
Grand Lodge Charitable Foundation	1,375		350
Grand Lodge Scholarship Fund	700		100
Grand Lodge Dues	16,644		4,060
Masonic Charity (11)	1,801		200
Special Olympics	2,795		500
TOTAL EXPENSES	113,445		20,297
TOTAL INCOME MINUS TOTAL EXPENSES	(32,421)		(4,597)

Computation of Annual Dues
Average Annual Shortfall (12)	5,721		4,597
Shortfall per member (based on 300 members)	19		15
Average Income from 2000-2002 Dues increases	10		0
Required dues increase to balance books	29		15
Annual Dues as of April 1999	35
Annual Dues as of April 2003			50
Annual Dues Required to keep books balanced	64		65

 

(1) Fees For Degrees has been adjusted to factor out the windfall provided by the two Grand Master's One-Day Classes                       

(2) Past Master's Apron & Lapel Pin                                               

(3) Candidate Aprons, Bibles & Lapel Pins                                  

(4) Medina Youth Baseball, National Child Safety Council, Camp Paradise, and others                                   

(5) Masonic Youth Support                                               

(6) Refunds to Candidates who paid for degrees not conferred                                              

(7) Per Standing Resolutions                                          

(8) Funeral Flowers, Fidelity Bond, Photocopying                                       

(9) Awards Night, Past Master Night, Ladies Night, Widows Easter Cards and Gifts                                          

(10) Junior & Senior Wardens' Grand Lodge Travel Expenses                                

(11) Masonic Services Association Green Envelope Campaigns                                           

(12) Historical Column only: "Total Income Minus Total Expenses" divided by the number of months (68) multiplied by 12