Triangular Forest Lake Lodge #344 February 2016 Forest Lake Masonic Lodge #344 119 SE 8 th Avenue Forest Lake MN 55025 www.forestlakemasons.com forestlakemasons@gmail.com The Masters Column Master Mike Hill 651-464-4129 wolfinn@midco.net Senior Warden Mike Perreault 651-341-3383 mikep@excelperformanceonline.com Junior Warden WB Michael Schultz 651-210-6584 Mikeschultz01@gmail.com Treasurer Bob Shoberg 651-249-1846 reshoberg@midco.net Secretary Ralph Magnusson 651-398-3618 ralphmag@frontiernet.net All of us have different things that interest us and to help us pass our time. I find my activities include work, Masonry, home, and sports related. With respect to sports some I get directly involved in and the other through watching TV. Prior to the Viking-Seattle Seahawks game in January I watched a TV show about the Goodyear blimp, and then met with a friend. The TV reporter discussed the 1937 German Zeppelin hydrogen gas airship Hindenburg which exploded into flames killing 35 people. He then went on to report that the Goodyear tire had been making helium filled blimps since the 1920 s. It was further noted there had been relatively no changes to their silver blimp or its small gondola since then. Due to their blimps became viewed by the public and company s board as being out dated and ready to be retired without replacement. Goodyear s recent CEO Richard Kramer decided retirement was not going to happen on his watch. As such, working with the board, he commissioned a new modern colored fleet of airships. The super-sized helium Goodyear Zeppelin NT is constructed of a semi rigid carbon fiber skeleton and can travel 73 mph rather than the old 30 mph due to its three engines. And, rather than
the pilots having to pull manual cables to steer the craft they now use a hydraulic joy stick. The much quieter gondola carries more passengers, has wrap around windows, and for the first time seatbelts and an onboard restroom. Each of the three blimps cost $21 million and are manufactured to last a period of 25 years. Mr. Kramer reported being very excited about the new fleet noting customers messages were sharper, the new look catches people s attention and that the overall public reaction to the blimps has been very positive! As I said, I met with a friend after the show and we discussed Masonry in Minnesota. Part of the conversation covered the belief of some that Masonry was only about raising and giving away money to charitable organizations with no money kept by the lodge to reinvest in building maintenance, etc. My friend discussed a lodge who recently merged with another and had to sell its building. The brothers thought the building was worth seventy thousand dollars and wanted to hold out until they got the money. Well that was until the back wall of the lodge fell in! Brethren, the dining room looks pretty good with the exception that some ten plus years have passed since the floors were last stripped and waxed. The kitchen should be brought up to health code and the stairwell leading upstairs still needs to be covered. The outside windows should be replaced or minimally re-puttied and painted. And, of course the upstairs lodge lights need to be brighter for our brethren and the carpet looked. Plus there are some other incidentals are needed to shine the building up and make it more attractive to prospective candidates and people attending functions. While we do not have $21 million to invest in a building that s over 50 years old we do have men and women in our Lodge who are worth more than that. They believe in what Masonry does to make a man better and to remain an integral institution in Forest Lake and surrounding communities today, tomorrow and into the future. Per capita, the lodge is only as strong as its members and the oaths taken by all of us so many years ago. So, like the Goodyear blimp, let us rise to new heights, get their faster, bring more people along for the ride, and shine in the sky as a beacon with pride as we share in our great Fraternity and Blue Lodge with those around us... Fraternally, Mike Hill, Worshipful Master Start by doing what s necessary; then do what s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. Francis of Assisi Senior Wardens Article From the West. Ok the Worshipful Master is putting together his calendar and we are putting the wheels in motion. If any one has any ideas they would like to see in 2016 you really need speak up quickly. I will be sending out the notice for charitable organizations to apply to the lodge to participate at our Pancake Breakfast for a sponsored charitable event. If you are aware of a worthy group they need to go to our website and download the application and/or contact us. We will be announcing the charitable groups chosen in March which means they need to get going. The charitable events we have had in the past were very successful and we hope to have at least one of the events open for a new group. At the last officers meeting there were several new ideas that the lodge can do to make the lodge more engaging for new members and their
families. While we hope to make some new experiences we also intend to keep the old standby events that people enjoy. Your thoughts are always welcome and I am eager to hear your ideas and I welcome the opportunity to help grow the ideas and present them to the lodge for review. Ladies yes I am talking to you in a Masonic publication. You are a vital asset to the lodge because every great man has a wonderful women supporting him. I welcome your thoughts also. We are stronger with two minds for each mason. I welcome your input and advice as always please let me know your thoughts. May brotherly love and support prevail! From the West Your devoted brother and Senior Warden Michael Perreault Brethren Junior Wardens Article It is February and soon we can think about spring. All in all winter has not been too hard on us. We have not had too much snow and there were only a few days in January where is got really cold, but we are Minnesotans we can handle it. We just move the chair a little closer to the fireplace. We recently had a visit from one of our members that had gotten out of the habit of coming to Lodge and it was really nice to see him again. I know when we don t see some of our Brothers for a long period of time we tend to forget about them and they may feel that they are no longer part of the Lodge and may decide to demit or just quit paying their dues. So, if there is a Brother that you know of that hasn t been to Lodge for a while, pick up the phone and say hi. You might surprised at what happens next. Keeping members is a harder job than petitioning members. I recently went to the one-day-to-masonry at the Mpls Scottish Rite on Saturday January 16th. Br. Howard Books joined me and the degree work was the one of the best that I have seen and very much worth checking out. We were planning on having a Widow & Widowers at the end of January, but it was decided that many of the Widow and Widowers were probably somewhere where it is warm. So, the dinner is canceled for January and we will pick another date in the spring or fall. We recently had an officers meeting and WM Mike Hill wants to continue making improvements to the Lodge and he also has some good ideas for future events. I will report on the events as they get scheduled. One thing that was brought to our attention is that our charitable fund is getting very low and as Masons that is something that we do. We are charitable. If you would like to make a tax deductible contribution to our charitable account, please get in touch with me or our secretary Ralph Magnusson. Minnesota Masonic Charities is having its annual George Washington on Saturday February 20 th at 5:30 pm. This year s guest speaker is Mark Twain. Patty and I will be attending. I have another couple joining us. If you would like to attend this dinner with Patty and me, let me know. This is open to the pubic, so wives and girlfriends are welcome along with anyone else you would like to bring. Will need to RSVP by February 10 th though. The cost is $35 per person. Not much else to report on that I can think of. Stay healthy and stay in touch. JW Mike Schultz
February 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 6:00pm Spaghetti 7:30pm Stated Meeting 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 6:00pm Officers Meeting Br Erik WB David Olson Scott 14 15 Br Justin Miska 21 22 23 6:30pm 3 rd 16 17 18 HI 12 at Rustic Inn School of Instruction at MacAlster Lodge 28 29 Notes: 24 25 6:00pm Receiving Grand Lodge Officer Practice 19 20 Br Kirk Luettinger 5:30pm Masonic Charities George Washington 26 27.
March 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Br Neil Mattson 2 3 6:00pm Pot Luck 7:30 Stated 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Br Dale Brainard Br Howard Books 13 14 Br Luke Ulstad 20 21 Apprentice Practice 15 16 17 22 23 Br Eric Eagan HI 12 5:30pm EC Shrine at Key in Forest Lake 18 6:30 EA School of Instruction 19 24 25 26 27 WM Mike Hill 28 Apprentice Practice Br Reuben Hill 29 WB John Ede 30 31 Apprentice Degree Notes: Triangular 5