September 2006 Plumbline, Walden Lodge No. 274
Tidings from the East
Greetings Brothers,
Since our last meeting in June we have raised another candidate and welcomed him to our fraternity! We are also looking forward to conferring the Fellowcraft degree in September and raising another man in October.
There are a couple of items I would like to bring to your attention. The first is that Ebenezer Lodge #101 has taken up a project, and has asked for our assistance. They are collecting items and shipping them to members of the United States Army’s 101st Airborne stationed in Iraq. The Worshipful Master was kind enough to stop by and discuss the project at our Third Degree in June. This is a wonderful service opportunity, and I would like to see us provide help in the months to come. I am going to ask for items to be brought to our October, November, and December meeting and we will pass these along to Ebenezer Lodge. If you cannot bring anything, there is still a need for money to pay to ship these to the troops. Please give what you can.
Secondly, I would like to take a moment to discuss our lodge’s benevolent fund. This fund is what allows us to provide support to worthy, distressed Master Mason’s, their widows and orphans. This fund’s primary means of support is through you, and your contributions via the Penny-a-Day fund. This fund once enjoyed a yearly collection of several thousand dollars per year. However, there has been a drop off in those contributing. Even if you are a 40-year life member, we still need your help! The monies from this fund may be used to help you or a family member one day, but only if we can keep it solvent. During our June meeting the lodge adopted a change to the by-laws that will keep the principle (the meat of the fund if you will) intact and allow us to only spend above and beyond what we collect via interest and contributions. This makes it more important than ever that the contributions from the membership continue. I will be placing a jar at each meal, and ask that you contribute whatever you can afford. This money will go directly into the Benevolent fund. I am also appealing to all Life members to donate to the fund. You have served the craft well and faithfully. But please continue to contribute to the Penny-a-Day fund. This money may one day contribute to you or provide relief to someone in your family.
In closing, it is with regret that I inform you I will not be able to attend our meeting in September. I have a business meeting that will keep me away, but have no doubt but that Chick Davis will do well in my stead. I look forward to seeing you upon my return, and hope this finds you and your family happy, healthy, and safe.
Sincerely, and fraternally,
Chris Grantham
Worshipful Master
“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety” – Benjamin Franklin
