The Grand Lodge Messenger... Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year
From the Desk of the Grand Master Jim Kendall, Grand Master
Closing out 2018, Looking forward to 2019
My, how time flies when you are having fun! November is pretty much in the bag and December is upon us! We continue to make good progress on some of our long-standing challenges.
Apron Memorial: the Apron Memorial Project proposed by MWB Sam Roberts unfortunately failed before it was completed and was left unfinished and deteriorating to the point of becoming an eyesore. Your Grand Secretary took on the challenge of reviving the project and has shepherded it to near completion. The original design turned out to be unworkable with the passage of time, so the project was redesigned almost on the fly, using commercially available elements. The finished product is an attractive memorial to our departed Brethren. The unveiling will likely be in April of the coming year, so stay tuned!
Cornerstone Consecrations: On December 15th we will consecrate a cornerstone for a brand-new Fire Station for Central Pierce County Fire and Rescue at 17520 22nd Ave E in Spanaway. Other opportunities will open up in the future as new public buildings are completed.
Invitations to attend installations and special Lodge events are starting to come in for GL officers to attend and we are delighted at the offerings and will attend as many as our schedules permit. If you have a presentation of a Landsdowne portrait for example and would like a Grand Lodge Officer to attend, please notify the Grand Secretary as soon as you know the event will occur. Speaking of the Landsdowne portraits, we have been able to donate a total of $7000 to honor flight to date and hope to continue to raise more money for that great organization.
November started with a rush, with two back to back “International nights” with each a unique event. Lafayette's International Night was a rollicking good evening of fun and a good bit of historic education as well. Three sitting Grand Masters attended and one used-ta-be doing a makeup for last year. The Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon gave us MWB Ron Yates, PGM and MWB Barry Burch, Grand Master. Washington was well represented by MWB Lester Dickson, Grand Master of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington and Jurisdiction, escorted by yours truly. We all signed the bible as Grand Masters have done going back decades. What an honor it was.
The next night was Lynden International Lodge’s Hands Across the Border, and MWB Barry Burch and I had the pleasure of rubbing elbows once again. It was really a great evening to mingle with the Brothers in attendance from both our Jurisdictions, and we had a really fun time of it.
Late in October we suffered a loss with the death of VWB Mark Okusko of District 30. I hand-picked VWB Mark as a Brother well qualified to perform the duties and he was well liked by all. It is a reminder to each of us to live every day to the fullest and to share the love. You only get to go on this ride once. Make the best of it.
We extend our sincerest best wishes to all for a very Merry Christmas, and for a happy and healthy New Year!
Fraternally,
MWB Jim Kendall
From the desk of the Grand Secretary RW Clinton Brown, Grand Secretary
It is hard to believe that the year is almost over and that the Masonic year is almost halfway over. It has been a great year thus far and I hope that both myself and the Grand Lodge office are making a difference. I hope that the changes that we’ve made in the procedures at Grand Lodge and in the Grandview system have helped the Lodges and secretaries be more productive and made your lives a little easier. I realize that there is still work to do, but we will continue to work to streamline the process. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.
We are getting close to the end of the year process. As you are aware from last year, it was very different than previous years. This year it will be different as well. However, I hope that it will be much easier for the Lodges and the Lodge secretaries to navigate the system. I hope to have a final draft of the process out to the Lodge secretaries by December 7th. This year, the end of your return will be done on Grandview. The only items that you will need to send into the Grand Lodge will be the 2018 Financial Annual Report and a copy of proof of filing of your 990 for the Lodge and Temple Corporation. Please watch for the instructions in your email. You will still need to complete the process no later than February 1st or you will be charged $5 dollars for every day you are late.
I had several Secretaries who joined me for online education in November. I think that it was useful, so I will continue the training in December. I have scheduled the training for Tuesday December 18th at 2:00 pm. Please send me an email if you would like to join me for the training online. This is a great opportunity to ask questions about Grand View, Practices and Procedures, the Washington Masonic Code or any other questions you may have about Masonry.
Finally, we are in one of the busiest times of year. With the holidays, installations and family and work obligations, it is hard to find a free moment in the day. However, I encourage each of you to reach out to a Brother or a widow who you have not heard from in a while. Let them know that they haven’t been forgotten. See if they are in need of any assistance. Remember, every human being has a claim on your kind offices.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year
Clint Brown
Grand Secretary
From the desk of the Assistant to the Grand Secretary VW Clayton La Vigne, Assistant to the Grand Secretary
Ah, Christmas. The Most wonderful time of the Year. For many of our Lodges, this is time for the annual Installation of Officers. It is a time of year to reflect on the year past, and also to look ahead to the coming year.
But before we proceed forward to 2019, let's not forget some important duties that your Lodge must follow:
Audit Committee: As defined in the WMC, every Lodge needs to have an Audit committee appointed before the officers for the following year are elected. The committee shall report their findings by the second Stated meeting following the Lodge's Installation, unless the Lodge has provisions in its By-laws to extend this deadline due to their books being audited professionally. While this annual duty may seem to be common sense, many Lodges have failed to perform audits, with disastrous results. The same duty applies to your Lodge's Building Association.
Speaking of Building Associations, this may also be the time to elect your Board's officers for the upcoming year. Check your Building Association's By-laws, and make sure that your Board meets at the specified time and date for the Annual Meeting, and make sure that your Board's members and officers are in compliance with any term limits or other conditions.
Members in Arrears: By this time, all members of your Lodges who are in arrears should have been contacted and notified of their status. The WMC clearly states the duties that the Worshipful Master and Secretary must perform to make every effort to minimize losing membership due to Non Payment of Dues. If your Lodge must drop members for this reason, it should not be for your lack of trying to prevent it. If a Brother is unable to fulfill his financial obligation, there are provisions in the WMC for a Lodge to waive this Brother's dues, either temporarily or permanently. I know first-hand that a member of my Home Lodge was most grateful when we notified him that we waived his dues, after he notified us that he was no longer able to cover his Lodge dues. It is one of the ways for our Fraternity to look out for our Brother's welfare.
If your schedule allows, I invite you to attend a Secretary/Treasurer-Temple Board training when one is being held in your area of the Jurisdiction. You'll be surprised how easy maintaining books and accounts can be when you work as a team and stay consistent with your accounting methods. The annual audit will be quite simple when you do things the right way.
But enough of the necessaries, let's enjoy the Holidays! It's always fun when you carpool with Brothers to the Lodges for their installations, enjoying the holiday lighting in the cities that we visit, and enjoying the fellowship among our Brothers and Family. It's a time when you get to see family members of your neighboring Lodge's Brethren that you might not see other times of the year. Christmas Carols, Trees, and other decorations make this a truly special time. Always bear in remembrance those who are unable to be home for the Holidays, and always be thankful for all the blessings in your life.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
VWB Clayton La Vigne
Assistant to the Grand Secretary
Message from Deputy Grand Master RW Charles Wood, Deputy Grand Master
2019 Lodge Leadership Retreat
March 15th - 17th, 2019 - Red Lion Hotel, Pasco, WA
Warmest Fraternal Greetings:
I would like to take a minute to wish all a Happy Holiday Season and all incoming officers of our Lodges much success during your term in office.
I would like to remind my Brethren that the Lodge Leadership Retreat is just around the corner so please keep these dates in mind when preparing your calendars for the 2019 calendar year. The Lodge Leadership Retreat Committee has been hard at work reviewing classes in order to meet the current needs of our Grand Jurisdiction. More information will be forthcoming in January 2019 regarding registration and class descriptions.
From the Accounting Department Kathleen Lau
Life Membership Summary Lodge Report
It is that time of year again for you to review your Lodge’s Life Membership Report. This is closely followed by the annual audit of the Endowed Life Membership Fund by our CPAs in January 2019.
Distribution of earnings to participating Lodges will occur in February 2019. In order for the Grand Lodge to produce an accurate distribution to each Lodge, it is critical that your Lodge records match those of our office. Beginning 12/01/18, you will print your Lodge’s Life Membership report from Grandview.
If you have any questions, please email or call me at the office: kathleen@freemason-wa.org or 253-625-7891 x203
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
Kathleen Lau
Accounting Department
Happy Holidays from the Grand Lodge Staff
During the Holiday Season more than ever, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible and in this spirit we say, simply but sincerely, thank you and best wishes for the holiday season and a Happy New Year.
Lodge Secretary’s Corner Election Forms: Please submit your Lodge Election in Grand View as soon as your Elections are complete. Elections must take place before December 14th and installation must be completed by January 31st. End of Year Returns: Please watch for your letter and instruction on the End of Year process from the Grand Secretary going out in December.
Please note that all activity for 2018 needs to be submitted on the Grand View database by January 7th, 2019.
Office Closed: December 24th & 25th - Merry Christmas! January 31st & 1st - Happy New Years!
Secretary,Treasurer and Temple Board Training Date: Saturday, January 26th Time: 11:00 AM - 3:30 PM Location: Greenwood Lodge No. 253, 7910 Greenwood Ave. N, Seattle CLICK HERE to register for free training Notes: Secretaries and Treasurers need to bring their laptops to log on to Grand View.
Secretary,Treasurer and Temple Board Training Date: Sunday, February 10th Time: 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM Location: Centralia Lodge No.63, 218 North Pearl Street, Centralia 98531 CLICK HERE to register for free training Notes: Secretaries and Treasurers need to bring their laptops to log on to Grand View.
Secretary,Treasurer and Temple Board Training Date: Saturday, February 23th Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Location: Scottish Rite Building, 817 S Vassault St., Tacoma CLICK HERE to register for free training Notes: Secretaries and Treasurers need to bring their laptops to log on to Grand View.
Save the Date: Masons Legislative Day On The Hill Date: Monday, January 28, 2019
Upcoming District Meetings:
District No. 7 Meeting - January 11, 2019
District No. 6 Meeting - January 12, 2019
District No. 2 Meeting - January 18, 2019
District No. 8 Meeting - January 19, 2019
District No. 9 Meeting - January 19, 2019