Autumn? Yes!
After a warm start, we’ve
finally settled into the fall weather patterns we all enjoy: high winds, heavy rains, freezing nights, and
the occasional blaze of sunshine. OK,
possibly those aren’t the best parts of fall, but they are pretty common. Also common are the start of the NHL and NBA seasons, baseball playoffs, and football in mid-season
form. And don’t forget soccer!
In addition to all these
activities, we have interesting things happening in Lodge. In September we hosted the 15th
District Annual Awards program at The Plaza Inn in Mt. Victory. We came away
that evening with an award for Excellence in the FC Degree. It looks quite nice beside our award for
2012, Excellence
in the EA Degree. We also
hosted a pizza dinner for our members, initiated our most recent candidate, and
announced a host of future activities.
But wait! There’s more!
The calendar below lists the important dates.
October 16, 2013. Dinner
at 6:30pm, prepared by our WM, featuring chicken as the main
course. Meeting at 7:30pm.
October 18-19, 2013 The annual communication of The Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted
Masons of Ohio will be held at the John S. Knight Center in Akron, Ohio on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October
19. Be sure to take your dues card and an apron.
November 6, 2013 Dinner at 6:30pm, menu to be
determined. Meeting at 7:30pm for election of officers for 2013-14.
November 9, 2013. 15th
District Education Meeting. Held at Palestine #158 at 9am. Primary focus of the meeting will be the MM
degree. The type-written ritual will be
available.
November
20, 2013 Conferring the FC degree.
December 7, 2013. 15th District Past Master’s Convocation. Held at East Liberty #247 at 9am.
January 11, 2014 15th
District Work Day, held at Indian Lake
#722, starting at 9am.
January 18, 2014 LaRue
Lodge #463, Inspection in the MM degree.
Currently scheduled for an opening at 5:30pm, dinner at 6:30pm, and the Second Section at 7:30pm.
* Please see below.
April 5, 2014 Grand
Master’s One Day Class, held at Marion #70, starting at 8am.
April 10, 2014 EA
Inspection at East Liberty #247. The
Grand Master will be attending, so get your dinner reservations in early.
April 25, 2014 15th
District, Grand Master’s Reception, held at Bellefontaine #209.
There is additional
information on the Inspection process that will be important to us this
year. A copy of the 2014-15 MM
Inspection Standards provided at our District’s Annual Meeting identifies that
the full MM degree experience requires 27 members plus the candidate. As an acceptable substitute for a MM
Inspection, 18 parts have been identified as the minimum required to confer the
degree. Dues-paying members of our Lodge
are required to fill each of the 18 speaking or moving parts identified, plus
the candidate. Honorary members are not
eligible to assist.
This is where you come
in. We need all the help we can muster
for Inspection on January 18th.
If you are willing and able to do a speaking part, we need you!
Just let us know that you
are comfortable with and we’ll work from there.
Finally, in 2013 the
Governor signed the State budget, which included language exempting certain
not-for-profit organizations from paying property tax. Masonic Lodges fit into this category, and
Grand Lodge has been working to determine the process needed to apply for this
consideration. We now have the
guidelines for filing, and the list of documents necessary for
consideration. We will submit our
documentation for initial review by Grand Lodge next month, then to the Marion County
Auditor for approval. From the
information provided, if approved this will not impact our property taxes until
2014. More will be posted on this topic
as it comes available.
That’s all for now.
See you in Lodge!
.
