Happy New Year!

By now you have (probably) entered or completed the Holiday Recovery Stage.  Familiar symptoms are tunneling through mounds of wrapping paper, figuring out which “empty” boxes are really empty, and wondering how to fit the tree and ornaments back into their original packages.  Oh, yes, and trying to cancel that new gym membership that you know you’ll never use.  We can’t help you on the first three, but we have suggestions on an excellent stair-climbing exercise program that might make a gym membership unnecessary.

Yes, it is past the holidays, which places us on the cusp of Inspection Season, and all that comes with it.  Lodges will be announcing their schedule of dinners, practices, more dinners, Pre-Inspection Visits, even more dinners, and finally Inspections.  Some modern Lodges have few, if any, steps from the outside into the facility.  (No, we are not jealous, much.)  Others, such as ours, have enough stairs to provide a nice cardio workout (see above).  Of course, the more activities you attend, the less you need that gym membership! 

Please note:  For those less focused on a workout, or with some mobility issues, we have a wonderful alternative.  Our chair lift, which had been sidelined just prior to Christmas, is back in operation.  A set of new batteries was all it took.  That, plus our Secretary standing on his head in the stairway during the removal/replacement procedure.  He’s OK though, and is getting used to that double vision thing.

With that in mind, below is our anticipated schedule for 2017.  Adjustments will be made as necessary, so check back often.

January 9, 2017                  College Football Championship Game

                                                Even if your team isn’t playing, it is usually a good game.

January 14, 2017                15^th District Work Day, 9am, held at East Liberty #247.

                                                This is open to all members, and gives insight on how all aspects of Inspections are supposed to work.

January 16, 2017                Martin Luther King Day

January 18, 2017                Pizza Dinner at 6:30pm, prior to our Stated Meeting.

Pre-Inspection Visit by RWB Willard Fissell, who will start examining our books at 6pm.

January 28, 2017                Inspection Season Starts, with Mt. Gilead Lodge #206.  Full schedule available at the 15^th District web site link on the left.

February 8, 2017                 Special Meeting for the purpose of practice for Inspection.  Lodge opens at 7:30pm.

February 11, 2017              Inspection of La Rue Lodge in the MM degree.  Lodge opens at 11am, lunch at noon, resuming degree work following lunch.

February 20, 2017              Presidents’ Day

March 25, 2017                    Grand Master’s One Day Class, 9am, at Palestine #158.

March 31, 2017                    15^th District Grand Master’s Reception, 7pm, at All-Occasions Catering, Waldo, OH.

June 24, 2017                      300^th Anniversary of Modern Freemasonry

15^th District Picnic, 2pm, hosted by East Liberty #247.

That’s what we know for now.  See you at Lodge!

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