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Greetings from the Grand Secretary

The Grand Lodge Messenger
 
October 2019
 
Message From M.W. Charles E. Wood
Grand Master


I bring you greetings from the table of the Grand Master.  


Brethren,


September 2019 was a very busy month for your Grand Lodge Elected Officers. We started the month by performing a cornerstone ceremony for a new Fire Station in Mossyrock, Washington. We followed that up with an open-air installation of Centralia Lodge at the Lewis County Fairgrounds. Later in the month, we attended Hands Across the Border in Ferndale, Washington. Your Grand Master then attended Idaho Grand Lodge in Idaho Falls. At the end of the month the team installed the officers of Robert Morris Lodge in Silver Creek, Washington.
 
I would like to take a moment and ask that all masons review the obligations they assumed as they progressed from an Entered Apprentice to Master Mason. Then, review the working tools and their usage. It has come to my attention that some have forgotten their obligations and the working tools that are used to shape our lives.
 
As I travel around the Jurisdiction, I see a lot of degree work being performed along with petitions for membership being read and voted on. Last year we lost approximately 300 masons for various reasons when the Jurisdiction had anticipated a loss of 800 members. The challenge we are facing is retention and living up to the promise we made to assist them in becoming better men.
 
Now, onto the Grand Master’s Challenge to raise $40,000 through direct donation to Washington Masonic Charities in support of:

 
  • DISSTRESSED WORTHY MASTER MASONS, WIDOWS AND ORPHANS.
  • YOUTH PROGRAM. TO KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL AND NOT ON THE STREETS
  • HONOR FLIGHT PROGRAM.  THANK YOU MWB JIM MENDOZA FOR GETTING THIS LATTER PROGRAM STARTED
 

Grand Master's Charity Challenge: 26%,
Total: $10,843.00
 

 

Fraternally,
MWB Charles Wood
Grand Master

 
 
     It is with a heavy heart that I must report that the roll of the workman has been called, and one Master Mason has not answered to his name.  MW Charles W. McQuery, Past Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Washington passed to that house not made with hands on Saturday, September 28, 2019.  He has laid down the working tools of the Craft and traveled to that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns. 

MW Brother Charles served as Grand Master from 2006-2007.  He was a member of Ashler Lodge, No. 121, University Lodge, No. 141 and Grand Mound Historical Lodge, No. 3.  MW Bro. Chuck was raised in Mary’s River Lodge, No. 221 in Oregon on March 22, 1966.  He and his lady Diane recently sold their home in Bothell, WA and moved permanently to Surprise, AZ.  At this time, we have no information regarding a memorial service.  Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. 

The family has requested that donations be made to the Masonic Youth Travel Fund in memory of MW Charles McQuery.  Donations can be sent to Washington Masonic Charities, 4970 Bridgeport Way West, University Place, WA 98467 or online at https://www.wa-masoniccharities.org/donate/chuck-mcquery-memorial-fund/.  

Please make sure that you note on your check that the donation is for the Masonic Youth Travel Fund.


 

From the Desk of Clinton M. Brown, Jr.
Grand Secretary

 

Brethren,

We are entering one of the busiest times of the year.  Lodges are conducting elections, installations and sending out dues statements to their Lodge members.  There are several things that you should remember.  First, as a reminder, the Lodge secretary can enter the Lodge election results and officers into GrandView.  You will no longer submit the Lodge election form.  It is all done electronically now.  If you need help with how to enter your Lodge elections, visit  https://wa.gvsoftware.com/tickets/help_topic/101.  Remember that elections must be completed and entered into GrandView by no later than December 15.  Sec. 15.01 B.L. states that the Lodge shall elect a Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Treasurer, Secretary or a Secretary-Treasurer.  The Lodge shall appoint a Senior Deacon, Junior Deacon, Senior Steward, Junior Steward and Tyler.  They must be installed no later than January 31 (Sec. 15.08 B.L.).

Another quick reminder is that pursuant to the Washington Masonic Code, the Worshipful Master must appoint an Audit Committee no later than the meeting when officers are elected (Sec.14.14 B.L.).  The Audit Committee’s report is due no later than the second Stated Communication after the installation of officers and shall be recorded in the minutes.  The Grand Lodge will be sending out an audit program to assist the Lodges in performing their audits in the next few weeks.

Next, remember that you are required to open on the Third Degree in order to perform any type of installation.  This means that if your Chaplain was not installed at your installation ceremony, Lodge must be opened on the Third degree in order to install him at a subsequent Stated Communication.  No officer shall be installed by proxy (Sec. 15.08 B.L.).

Please remember that if you are making a change to your bylaws, please use the fillable forms that can be found on GrandView under Forms/Resources.  If you have any questions about bylaws submission, please contact VW Steve Pennington at gunfighter11@juno.com.  Please make sure that you fill out the entire form, even if you are only changing one section.

Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions.





Fraternally,
RWB Clinton M. Brown, Jr.
Grand Secretary

 

From The Desk of Clayton LaVigne
Assistant Grand Secretary

 

               

Welcome to October! We’re now rapidly approaching the time when many of our Lodges install their officers for the ensuing year. 
 
We only have two months before the deadline to submit resolutions amending the Washington Masonic Code or the Standard work. Almost all of you who are reading this are fully familiar with Resolutions, as they are read in your Lodge every spring before the Annual Communication, and some of you might be familiar with the process of submitting one. You can find the details of the procedure in Section 5.01 B.L. of the WMC, as well as a sample form in the appendix.

Before your Lodge decides to draft and submit a resolution, be sure to consider not only the short-term effects of the changes you wish to make, but also the long-term consequences. A change that might benefit our Lodges or our Fraternity in the next few years might prove disastrous a decade or more into the future. Conversely, a change that might seem to benefit everyone in the coming years might have an immediate bad consequence once enacted. Also, be sure to look throughout the WMC when you consider drafting the resolution, as your change in one section might also need to be addressed in another section. There have been times when another resolution had to be drafted and introduced at a subsequent Annual Communication to correct a conflict in the Code due to an overlooked section. All this being said, do not be discouraged from working with your Lodge on drafting a resolution to amend our WMC or Standard Work if you truly believe a change should be made. Times change, our technology changes, and our style of living has changed over the decades. A look at a Washington Masonic Code from 40 or 50 years ago would show that there are many things in that book which would be totally out of touch with the way we do things currently, particularly with the advancements in technology, but also with the methods of Lodge governance.
 
At the very least, your Lodge will have a thorough review of our WMC and our Standard Work, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the Masonic knowledge your Brethren will gain from the experience.
 
I have one more project that would benefit from your contribution. Here is a link to a survey for the Long-Range planning committee (of which I am the Chairman). You will also find this link in the upcoming Masonic tribune, and the article in the Tribune will further explain the purpose of this survey. I strongly encourage you to click on this link and take the survey.  glwastrategicplan.wordpress.com

 
 
So enjoy the early Autumn season and I’ll see you in Lodge!



Fraternally,
VWB Clayton M. M. La Vigne
Assistant Grand Secretary

 

Technology Committee
 

We are looking for Brothers who have a background in audio visual production and social media who would like to be considered for the Technology Committee. If any Brother would like to join the Grand Lodge Technology Committee, please send your name and contact information along with a brief description of your experience in these areas to the Grand Secretary at: 

grandsecretary@freemason-wa.org.
 
Grand Lodge Events


October 12, 2019 - 11:00 AM - District No. 9 Meeting - Fidalgo Lodge, No. 77
1019 8th Street, Anacortes, WA   98221

October 12, 2019 - 5:00 PM - District No. 10 Meeting - Scottish Rite Valley of Bellingham
1101 North State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

October 25, 2019 - 6:00 PM - District No. 26 Meeting - Malden Lodge, No. 188
119 West Moreland Avenue, Malden, WA   99149

October 26, 2019 - 11:00 AM - District No. 27 Meeting - Manito Lodge, No. 246
2715 South Grand Boulevard, Spokane, WA 99203

October 26, 2019 - 6:00 PM - Lumberjack Dinner - Newport Lodge, No. 144
600 West 4th Street, Newport, WA   99156-0408

November 2, 2019 - 11:00 AM - District No. 8 Meeting - Marysville Masonic Center
419 Columbia Street, Marysville, WA 98270

November 2, 2019 - 5:00 PM - District No. 7 Meeting -  Lakeside Lodge, No. 258
8561 Willows Road North East, Redmond, WA 98052

November 9, 2019 - 11:00 AM - District No. 21 Meeting - Wenatchee Masonic Center
811 North Chelan Avenue, Wenatchee, WA 98801

November 9, 2019 - 5:00 PM - District No. 29 Meeting - Odessa Lodge, No. 156
104 West 1st Avenue, Odessa, WA 99159


November 16, 2019 - 1:00 PM - Open Grand Lodge - Quincy Lodge, No. 161
406 H Street South West, Quincy, WA 98848 
2:00 PM - Cornerstone Ceremony - Quincy City Hall
104 B Street South West, Quincy WA 98848 
Lodge Secretary Corner


The Grand Lodge Offices will be closed on Monday, October 14th in observance of Columbus Day.


November 10, 2019 - 10:00 AM - Secretary, Treasurer and Temple Board Governance Training
Wenatchee Masonic Center
811 North Chelan Avenue, Wenatchee, WA 98801

February 8, 2020 - 10:00 AM - Secretary, Treasurer and Temple Board Governance Training
Olympia Masonic Temple
521 North Street South East, Tumwater, WA 98501


The 2019-2020 Team Directory can be found on GrandView under My Portal/Resources/Master Mason.  You must be registered for GrandView in order to access.
 
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