Winter?  Yes.

Water?  Sadly, Yes.

We usually attempt to update our blog before Christmas, but this year the weather threw a wrench into that plan.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to those impacted by the recent flooding.  Although the waters have receded, both cleanup and restoration will be lengthy processes.  Locally, the largest concentration of damage seemed to be in Kiwanis Village, which experienced something similar during the flood of March 2011.  The large number of volunteers who assisted area residents was heartwarming.  Local groups, businesses, and churches combined with Kroger’s, Red Cross, and volunteers from outside our area supplying meals, boxes, cleaning supplies, and strong backs.  A better example of communities coming together would be hard to find.

As a reminder, our next Lodge meeting will not be January 1^st.  Instead, it will be Wednesday, January 8^th.  Our By-Laws specify that:

When a stated meeting falls on a legal holiday,

it may be held on the following Wednesday.

As a result, we will have meetings on Wednesday, January 8^th (Stated), Wednesday, January 15^th (Stated), and Saturday, January 18^th (Special – MM Inspection).  In view of our Inspection in the MM degree, January meetings will feature MM practice. 

Recent posts referenced the recent legislation exempting fraternal organizations from paying property taxes.  We are pleased to report that our application materials have been approved by Grand Lodge, and submitted to the Marion County Auditor’s Office.  As the deadline for filing was December 31^st for consideration for 2014, we were well within the requirements.  According to the staff in the Auditor’s Office, we will be informed of the final decision as soon as it is reached.  There is no specific time limit for that part of the process, so we hope for the best.  Updates will be shared as they come available. 

Here are dates to put into your calendar:

December 31, 2013.           New Year’s Eve. 

It’s not too late to select a Designated Driver!

January 1, 2014.                 New Year’s Day.  The day when the resolutions meet the treadmill.  Or not. 

Normally the 1^st Wednesday of the month would be a regularly stated meeting.  Our By-Laws specify that when the 1^st is a holiday, the meeting will be held on the 2^nd Wednesday.  In this case, January 8, 2014.

January 8, 2014                  First meeting of 2014.  (See above.)

January 11, 2014                15^th District Work Day, held at Indian Lake #722, starting at 9am. 

January 15, 2014                Second meeting of 2014.  MM practice, in preparation for Inspection.

January 18, 2014                LaRue Lodge #463, Inspection in the MM degree.  Lodge opens at 5:30pm, dinner at 6:30pm, and the Second Section at 7:30pm. 

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                       15^th District, Grand Master’s Reception, held at Bellefontaine #209. 

That’s all we know for now.  Stay warm, and we’ll

See you in Lodge!

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