From the East

Once again May has come and gone and so has the Grand Lodge’s Annual Communication. Plymouth-Kilwinning was well represented again this year. We had seven attendees this year. The camaraderie in
this lodge is what Masonry is all about.

We have many men at the various stages to becoming a Master Mason. It is difficult to predict when a man will be ready, and thus difficult to get in
the newsletter in time. Please check the website calendar of events for the dates and times of degrees. Please contact one of the Senior Warden, Junior Warden, or Marshal if you wish to be contacted by phone when we are having a
degree.

From the West

Brethren Greetings from the West: Brothers it has been a good year so far. We have had many people joining the fraternity and there are more people planning to become members of this Lodge. Please welcome new brothers to
the Lodge when you see them.

We are planning field trips to the stated meetings of other Lodges, if you are interested in attending, please ask me about it.

From the South

Brother Francis Bellamy was born to an American Baptist minister’s family, at Mount Morris, New York in 1855, entering the ministry himself, as a way to help his fellow man. He viewed Jesus as a revolutionary, so he adopted a political view as a Christian Socialist, which was an accepted view-point in that day. He was raised as a Master Mason at Little Falls Lodge #181. His contribution to society was that in 1892, he wrote the original words to the Pledge of Allegiance; it was as follows:

“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands—one nation indivisible—with liberty and justice for all.”

Bro. Bellamy’s original way to say the pledge was to salute the flag and place an outstretched arm towards the banner. During WW II the outstretched arm was viewed too close to the Nazi’s practice, that it was changed to covering your heart.

Blueberry Festival

The Blueberry Festival is coming up, We need volunteers for Parking. Please contact me at (574) 936-6354 or at hammonds57@embarqmail.com . The earlier you schedule the better chance you have to get the day and time you would like to work. Anyone who knows of someone who has a small travel trailer or mini motor home we may use for the weekend of the festival please contact me.

From the East

Brethren, I hope everyone had a happy Easter with their families. We have had many petitions from good men seeking admission into our fraternity. I would like to encourage everyone to make an effort to attend over the next couple of months to support these new
brothers as they take their next steps in Masonry. Summer brings changes to Plymouth-Kilwinning. Many members will travel to Indianapolis for Grand Lodge, if you’ve never been, you might want to take this opportunity to join us. The stated meetings of June, July, and August are casual and will be table lodges held in our community room. The Junior Warden and Stewards will be serving up a
picnic style meal of grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for the July stated meeting.
I hope everyone has had an enjoyable Spring.

Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.
~Thomas Jefferson

From the South

The month of May is the traditional time to celebrate the anniversaries of local Indiana Blue Lodge’s. You may ask why? The answer you would receive, is because years ago at the Annual Session for Communications (known today as when the Grand Lodge of
Indiana is in session) was when new Blue Lodges would be received into the fraternity and charters granted. So this month Plymouth-Kilwinning Lodge #149 is 157 years old.
To celebrate this landmark in our lodge’s history, do you know what the following years mean to our lodge: 1868-1872, 1875-1876 & 2006-2007? They are the years when a Plymouth-Kilwinning brother was the Grand Master of Masons in Indiana. The first 4 years
indicated is when Bro. Martin Rice was Grand Master. Then Bro. Daniel McDonald and lastly Bro. James Barkdull. The position of the Grand Master is to help, aid and assist any brother within our territory to continue their Masonic work. At times they are required to discipline brothers who step outside of Masonic values. He speaks for Indiana Freemasonry and makes decisions for us during his elected term. Years ago there were multiple terms, but modern times; the Grand Master is elected for one year. So we honor our three brothers this month for their service to all Indiana Freemasons.

Blueberry Festival

The Blueberry Festival is coming up, We need volunteers for Parking. Please contact me at (574) 936-6354 or at hammonds57@embarqmail.com . The earlier you schedule the better chance you have to get the day and time you would like to work. I will be available at stated meetings and degree work for scheduling. Thank you in advance Brothers for helping with this fundraiser, remember the proceeds supports our scholarship fund. Anyone who knows of someone who has a small travel trailer or mini motor
home we may use for the weekend of the festival please contact me.

]]> http://www.pk149.org/2010/05/look-to-the-east-may-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.pk149.org/2010/04/look-to-the-east-april-2010/ http://www.pk149.org/2010/04/look-to-the-east-april-2010/#comments Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:00:48 +0000 admin http://www.pk149.org/?p=201 Look to the East for April is up and available. you can read the pdf, click below to read it in your browser

From the East

Brethren, at the time I am writing this we have Candidates waiting to be voted on, Candidates waiting to receive their Entered Apprentice Degrees, Entered Apprentices almost ready to become Fellow Crafts, and by the time you read this we will have Fellow Crafts ready to become Master Masons. That’s a lot of degree work over the next several months! Unfortunately there are no confirmed dates that I can publish. We will announce times on the website, Facebook and mailing list. We’ve had a request to update the lodge’s call list. If your contact information has changed, or if you want to be added to the list please contact the lodge Secretary.

From the West

Brethren Greetings from the West: Brothers may I say thanks to all those that made the recent degree a success by taking part or in attendance to support everyone. It was also good to see our new brothers in attendance at the first meeting where there was an opportunity to meet more brothers of this fraternal organization.

Brothers, surprisingly April is already here and the year seems to be passing quickly. This may give all of us an opportunity to get out and visit those we had not seen in a while due to weather. Let us take the time to contact those we had not seen recently and see how things are going.

The lodge is also seeking suggestions for fund raisers so please send me your ideas.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the April meeting.

From the South

Greetings from the South. This month we focus our attention on a brother whose Masonic career was only seven (7) years in length, but very influential in our fraternity today. Revolving around his gift for music, Brother Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s talents continue to inspire our gatherings.

Brother Mozart entered our craft at Beneficence Masonic Lodge in Vienna, Austria in December 1784. He was promoted to a Journeyman Mason in January 1785; then shortly after was raised to a Master Mason. Though he was a regular member at Beneficence Lodge, he also attended True Concord Lodge where several of his friends were members. In 1785 his father Leopold, followed his son’s example and became a Mason himself.

Brother Mozart’s music regarding the fraternity was to enlighten the members to Masonic truths instead of the mystical arts. His emphasis was to inspire unity among members, united in the idea of innocence and joy. Of his 600 musical pieces credited to him, seven were written, dedicated and played for the Masonic craft. His most famous is titled “The Magic Flute” which depicts themes of an entered apprentice initiation, containing many Masonic symbols.

Brother Mozart’s life was cut short by a mysterious illness, which caused swelling of his joints and body. He entered the Celestial Lodge above, where no traveler returns, at 1:00 am December 5th 1791.

In an attempt to aid communication in the lodge we have a mailing list. This allows information to be disseminated quickly and easily among mailing list members, and ideally, among all lodge members. I have put together some basic information and instructions on the mailing list. Click below to read these instructions directly. Or use the printable mailing list handout.

What is a mailing list, and what does it do

A mail list provides users with a simple way to communicate with each other. Users join the list and send and receive email to other members on the list by the way of a single email address.

Will it cause me spam

All mail on the list has come from another member on the list. So no, it should not increase the amount of spam you get. However other members may get viruses or otherwise send email that you would consider spam.

What sort of things would I receive

The only planned things currently are announcements from Jim Barkdull and the newsletter.

Who should be on the list

Any lodge members who would like to get announcements and newsletters as email should join.

How do I subscribe

Go to http://lists.pk149.org/mailman/listinfo/masons in your web browser and fill out the form in the “Subscribing to members” section. You will receive a confirmation email, follow those instructions and you have joined.

Forward a subscription to someone else

This is generally considered impolite. If someone is interested in joining, direct them to the page, or discuss it with them before filling out the join form on their behalf.

How do I unsubscribe

Go to http://lists.pk149.org/mailman/listinfo/masons and go to the bottom of the page to the “Members Subscribers” section. Put your email address in the box next to the button labeled “Unsubscribe or edit options” and click that button. Then scroll down to the button labeled “Unsubscribe” and click that. You will receive a confirmation email. Follow the directions in it.

Sending to the list

After joining the list, send an email to masons@pk149.org

Does it always send to everyone on the list

As long as you are a member of a particular list, then yes your mail will go to every other member of the list.

Replying to the list

To reply to a message sent to you need to reply to all recipients of an email. The list does not modify a message as having come from itself.

How to identify mail from the list

Any mail from the list will have [masons] in the subject.

Abuse of the list

The list is not meant for unmasonic conduct. Let’s keep it in the spirit of brotherly love.

Archives

An archive of all messages stored on the list is kept at http://lists.pk149.org/pipermail/masons/. This allows the contents to be reviewed by other members and/or the public for informational purposes.

Privacy

While members of the list are not explicitly available to the world, the archives are. This means that active participants are known to anyone with access to the archives.

I’d like to thank Worshipful Brother Troy Hartz, Junior Warden Dennis Wenzel, and the ladies from Sister’s Tea and Eatery for preparing a delicious meal for our Annual Sweethearts Dinner. It was good to see some brothers there that haven’t been able to attend a stated meeting recently.

The Grand lodge and our scholarship forms are in and on the website. Please visit http://www.pk149.org or see brothers Keith Hammonds or Jim Barkdull to pick them up.

Also, coming to a lodge near you is our 4th annual family game day. This year it will be on April 17th starting at 3:00. Bring your kids and your favorite board game, or your lucky euchre deck and come to the lodge for a few hours of fun. The Junior Warden will provide the snacks. There will be a sign-up sheet at the lodge.

“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

From the West

Brethren Greetings from the West: Brothers may I say thanks to all those that made the Sweetheart Dinner a success. However this may need to happen more than once a year for some of us to stay in good graces.

Brothers the lodge is planning on conducting degree work the next couple of months for those planning to join the fraternity. Contact lodge officers if you are interested in participating and would like to learn a part. The lodge is also seeking suggestions for fund raisers this year. Please send me your ideas that could support your lodge.

From the South

Greetings from the South. I have a question for you this month: Which of our brother’s was known to say, “I entered into Masonic membership by a brother who was a Hindu. Passed as a Fellow Craft by a Mohammedian and raised by an Englishman. Oh yes, the Tyler was an Indian Jew.” Any guesses? This is none other then, Bro. Rudyard Kipling.

Bro. Kipling was an English author of prose and poetry, born in Bombay, India in 1865. After being educated in England, he returned to India to work as a journalist at a local newspaper. His father was an active mason for many years, when disaster struck in his lodge. Not one of the brothers was willing to take the duties of lodge secretary. The older Bro. Kipling told the master his son was a writer and would be a possible candidate, but he was not yet 21 years old. Under special dispensation the younger Kipling was entered, passed and raised in the Lodge of Hope & Perseverance #782 English Constitution in Lahore, Punjab, India.

His accomplishments as an author were works such as “The Man Who Would Be King” and “Kim” which he used some Masonic themes. Children’s book such as “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” and “Gunga Din” have never gone out of print. In 1907, he was, and remains, the youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature. He passed to the Celestial Lodge above at the age of 71, being buried in the Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abby in London, England.

Brethren, despite the bad weather, 2010 is off to a good start. We have several candidates seeking admission to our order. When the dates have been set for their Entered Apprentice degrees, we will post them on the website at http://www.pk149.org.

We will be having our annual Sweethearts Dinner on February 13 at 6:30 PM. We will be serving our famous Prime Rib. The cost is $15 for the men, and their Sweethearts are free. We really need an accurate count on who would like to attend. There is a signup sheet in the lodge, you can email pk149@kconline.com, or leave a message at 574-936-2664 to make your reservation.

We represent a fraternity which believes in justice and truth and honorable action in your community… men who are endeavoring to be better citizens…[and] to make a great country greater. This is the only institution in the world where we can meet on the level all sorts of people who want to live rightly.”
Harry S. Truman
President of the United States

~ Micheal Marshall, W.M.

From the West

Brethren, greetings from the West: may the February meeting be the right opportunity this year for many of you to join your fellow bothers for an evening of fellowship. As we look forward to each and every lodge event as the time and place to inquire about how many of our brothers and their families are doing. Speak to all potential members seeking to be a part of something great. Open the door for those wanting to do more for our society. Next time someone asks if you are a Mason proudly tell them you are a member of this fraternal brotherhood, share with them the contributions our fraternity provides the community and explain where they can obtain a petition if you already handed out your last one.

~ Skip Humphrey, S.W.

From the South

Greetings from the South. A brother who is dear to many masons in Indiana was born on July 18, 1913 in Vincennes, Indiana. Following in his father’s foot steps as a circus clown, at age 10 he traveled throughout the Midwest with a medicine show and by age 15 joined the vaudeville circuit. Yes, I am talking about Bro. Richard “Red” Skelton.
Bro. Red was a pioneer in early television variety shows. The “Red Skelton Show” ran for 21
years, three years short of the longest in history which was the Ed Sullivan Show. He created
memorable characters such as Clem Kidittlehopper and Freddy the Freeloader. Inspired by a
mason at a young age, who gave Red $5.00 to buy his mother a gift, Red knew he would be a
mason one day. Raised in Vincennes Lodge #1 on Sept. 20, 1939 he began his Masonic journey. Also joining the York and Scottish Rites, along with being a shriner at Al Malaikah Shrine in Los Angeles, CA. Bro. Red was a man of morals. Pressured to add some vulgarity into his acts he insisted: “Personally, I don’t think anyone should have to pay money at the box office for what they can read for nothing on public bathroom walls.” He wrote an explanation for the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 for children to understand freedom in this country. The Grand Lodge of Indiana gave Bro. Red his Award of Gold in 1993. His famous signoff line at every show was “Good night, and may God bless.” Bro. Red Skelton was laid to rest in Vincennes in 1997.

~ Dennis Wenzel, JW

I would like to thank the brethren for trusting me with the responsibility of being Worshipful Master this year. I’m truly humbled. Speaking on behalf of all of the 2010 officers I’d like to assure you that we will do our utmost to maintain the high standards set by those who have gone before us. I’d like to thank those brothers who managed to find time during this hectic month to make my Past Masters Degree and Installation something I’ll never forget. I’m not sure you will ever know what that means to me.

I’d like to congratulate Worshipful Brother Troy Hartz for a good year as Master in 2009. I have had a lot of good times over the years following you through the chairs.

The newsletter will be a little different in 2010 as we have a new editor. One of our newest Master Masons, Richard June, has taken on the task. If you have any comments or ideas please email him at rjune@bravegnuworld.com.

“There is no more dangerous experiment than that of undertaking to be one thing before a man’s face and another behind his back.” ~ Robert E. Lee

~ Micheal Marshall, W.M.

From the West

Brethren Greetings from the West: First let us congratulate Past Master Troy Hartz for his guidance during the past year. Brothers we also need to congratulate and pledge our support to Worshipful Master Michael Marshall. What a year 2009 has been for the Lodge and one can only imagine what 2010 will be like. I would like to thank all that continue to make this Lodge the fraternal organization it is and encourage those that had not stopped by for a while to join us at a stated meeting. Call me if there is something you would like passed on to the Lodge. May all of you and your families have a safe and Happy Holiday.

 ~ Skip Humphrey, S.W.

From the South

Greetings from the South. My articles this year will refresh your memories of masons past and present that have contributed much to our fraternity. Some you will know, others you may not; but one fact remains, we are all brothers that span the ages of time.

Born in 1911 in Cincinnati, Ohio as Leonard Franklin Slye. After not finding suitable work to raise his growing family, he moved to California in 1930 for better opportunities. Forming a trio song group called “Sons of the Pioneers” making a name for themselves in 1934. Being discovered as a movie actor he appeared in 100 movies and pictured on 2.5 billion breakfast cereal boxes through his career. He also had a TV show. Early in his Hollywood life he changed his name to Roy Rogers. Brother Roy was raised as a Master Mason in 1946, in Hollywood Lodge #355. He was a member of all appendent Masonic bodies and set up his own foundation for children because of his connections with his local Shrine. His signature line was well known, “Good luck and may the good Lord take a liken to you. Brother Roy died in 1998.

~ Dennis Wenzel, JW

Brethren Greetings from the East: This is my last newsletter as your Worshipful Master, and it has been my honor and privilege to server you and this lodge. Although my time is almost over, I look forward to next year because I know our lodge is in very capable hands and that next years officers will continue to guide and improve our lodge. I also want to thank and congratulate my officers for their outstanding support and service to the Craft. They did an outstanding job and I wish them all success in the upcoming years.

We held an Open House at the Lodge on Saturday, November 21st, from 11:00 AM to 4:00PM in accordance with the Grand Master’s wishes of Lodges in Indiana opening their doors to the public. We had several guests come and visit our building. I would like to thank Worshipful Brother Keith Hammonds for leading this huge endeavor and also thank all of the brethren who were there to help aid and assist where needed. The food was furnished by the Plymouth Order of the Eastern Star… there were many good eats. Again a big thank you to all involved in this event.

The Kids Christmas Party will be held on Saturday December 5th, from 11:00AM to 1:00PM. Santa will be there around noon. There is a sign-up sheet for the Christmas Party in the James M. Barkdull Community Room of the lodge; kids must be 12 years old or younger. Come and enjoy the fellowship and fun…

This year’s Shop with a Cop Breakfast is on Saturday, December 12th, from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM at the Plymouth High School. This is a wonderful event to see where we truly make a difference in the community.

There is a Master Mason Degree on Saturday, December 19th, at the lodge. Coffee and Donuts at 8:00AM and the degree is at 9:00 AM. Please plan on attending and showing your support to these newly raised Master Masons.

Don’t forget the Feast of St. Johns is on Monday, December 28th, at 6:00PM at the lodge. As always we will be serving our World Famous “Plymouth-Kilwinning” Prime Rib. THere is a sign-up sheet in the James M. Barkdull Community Room of the lodge, or call (574)936-2664 and leave a message that you’re coming so we can have enough food for everyone.

From my family to yours I would like to wish all the brethren, their families and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season.

~ Troy Hartz

From the West

Brethren Greetings from the West: I find that the longer I am involved with the lodge, or perhaps it’s just because I’m getting older, I start marking time not by what day or month it is, but by what event is going on at the lodge. It goes by so quickly. It seems just a short time ago that we were at the park for our annual picnic. Then the lodge’s open house has come and gone. Now we have a Master Mason Degree, a Past Master’s Degree, Installation of Officers, the children’s Christmas party, and the Feast of St. John all in this month. That must mean it is December. I’d like to wish all of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It has been a special year for me serving the lodge as Senior Warden

~ Micheal Marshall, S.M.