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THE LOUISIANA FREEMASON is the Official Publication of The Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana, F & A.M., digitally published quarterly and in print annually for members of Lodges in Louisiana.  The Louisiana Freemason eEdition is published on Fridays weekly. Articles that are published do not necessarily reflect the views of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana. Email/Address Changes should be sent to the Lodge Secretary.
September 23, 2022



Letters to The Editor

 

 


Write us a letter*. Tell us how you're doing as lodges begin to meet once again. Tell us what is is like to be meeting again. Send us a photo or two, or anything else you'd like to submit to The Louisiana Freemason!

Email gar@la-mason.com and "Send a letter to the Editor" just like the old days. Submissions will be considered for an issue of the Weekly eEdition so the brethren can see what you're up to.
*The Editor reserves all rights to publish any letter sent to him.

DO THE BEST YOU CAN

                        WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT 

                                               AND DO IT NOW!!

A Message from the Grand Junior Warden.


 

My Brothers,

First, Thank You for the Honor of serving you and our brothers as Grand Junior Warden this year.  As our Grand Master says: The Grand Lodge belongs to all the members.  The Grand Lodge line officers work for YOU.  Call on them to help, aid, and assist anytime you or your lodge needs help.

Right Worshipful Dunkin said in his June article, “We as Masons are facing challenging times”.  Coming off two years of inaction due to Covid and the related restrictions is certainly a challenge for all our members and lodges.  Our current economic situation brought on by government policies puts all our financial institutions at risk.

However, as we all have experienced before, without adversity there is no opportunity to excel.  Now is the time to prepare ourselves as Masons to excel and drive our fraternity to new heights of fame and glory.

I spent my working life in the Agricultural Chemical and Fertilizer industries.  In those days, each state had a Fertilizer and Chemical Association that held annual conventions.  Typically, a banquet would be held with a keynote speaker to “pump up” the crowd.

I had the distinct pleasure of attending three such conventions at which Mr. Jerry Clower, of Rt. 1, Liberty, Ms. was the keynote speaker.  For those that are too young to remember Mr. Clower, he was a fertilizer salesman for Mississippi Chemical Company and ultimately a Vice President of that company.  Mr. Clower was a Master Storyteller who entertained farm audiences with funny personal stories of growing up in Mississippi.  He parlayed his storytelling into a very successful career as an entertainer on TV, and live performances.   More often than not, these stories would have a moral lesson to teach.  Not all that unlike the parables Jesus used to teach his pupils.  Typically, after the show was over Mr. Clower would go to the closest coffee shop and sit and talk to whoever was there.  I had the good fortune to sit and visit with Mr. Clower on two of these occasions.  I am pretty sure that Mr. Clower was not a Brother Mason but he was in his heart.

One of Mr. Clower’s stories at the time stuck with me and has stood in good stead for the past 40 years.  The subject of this story was a college football player that was trying to make the team (and earn a scholarship) but was hindered by doubts, fears and failures.  On the verge of quitting because he wasn’t good enough, wasn’t talented enough, wasn’t tough enough, the Coach took him aside and gave the young football player some valuable advice.

The Coach explained to the young man to quit worrying about all his doubts and fears and “Do the Best You Can, With What You Got, and Do It NOW!”

This simple philosophy is a gold nugget for the rest of us.  Whether we’re talking about us as individuals, our Lodges, or our Grand Lodge, this simple thought can help all of us to excel and bring our organization moving forward.

Each of our Lodges are individuals with no two alike.  We have members with many different and varied talents.  We are all short of money to do the charitable works we would like.  We all are confounded by the world we now live in where morality seems to be the object of derision by the media and government.  But if we decide what we want to accomplish with the talent and time we have available and act now our chance of success increase greatly.

Most Worshipful Grand Master Jay McCallum has given all of us a challenge to raise money to support our charities, The Masonic Children’s Charities, by raising money from outside of our organization. The Masonic Children’s Charities fund our Dyslexia Program across the State of Louisiana and fund numerous college scholarships for deserving students.  These two programs touch many, many lives and will continue to help those kids and their families for years to come.  I can’t think of a better way to use our time and talents than to make sure these two programs continue to help the Children of our State.

We have been given a direction to follow, now make a plan to contact the people able to help our Masonic Children’s Charities and GO MAKE THOSE CONTACTS.

As Right Worshipful Brother Dunkin says “We’ve got to get out of Our Lodge Buildings and show the public what Masons Stand For”.

It is up to each of us, you and me, to decide how to best implement a plan to secure that funding.

Then Get out of the Lodge Building and DO THE BEST YOU CAN FOR OUR MASONIC CHILDREN’S CHARITIES, WITH WHAT TALENT AND IDEAS YOU’VE GOT, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY: DON’T WAIT UNTIL EVERYTHING IS PERFECT:

“Do the Best You Can, With What You’ve Got & Do It Now”

 Again, Thank You my Brothers for allowing me to serve you.  Please call on me at any time.

R∴W∴ John F. Knox, Jr.

Grand Junior Warden

Missed an issue over the Summer?
Past Issues back to May, 2022 are here.

Send your tidings to gar@la-mason.com.
Union Lodge No. 172

Honors Past Masters, Donates to GL Children's Charities

Union Lodge No. 172 held a Past Masters night were PMs were presented  and honored. Also at the meeting, the lodge donated to the Grand Lodge's Children's Charity fund, presenting a check to WB Anthony Radosti, Chairman of the Dyslexia program.
 
Pictured L to R: Worshipful Brothers Reggie L. McCue, Kennth Bell, Dennis DeJean,
Reggie J. McCue, Klaus Kueck, Anthony Radosti, Dave Stone, and James Wigstorm.

 

Worshipful Master Reggie J. McCue (right) presenting a check to WB Anthony Radosti (left) and
R
W Dennis De Jean, DDGM  of the 16th Masonic District (middle)  from the Brothers of Union Lodge No. 172.
 
Alexandria Lodge No. 398

Presents Local High School Students with Honesty & Integrity



Alexandria Lodge No. 398 observed Honesty and Integrity awards program on September 20, 2022. 
R
W Jimmie Dean Dunkin, Deputy Grand Master, was guest speaker.  WB Royce Austin, WM
assisted R
W Dunkin in presenting certificates and keys.    


The four recipients honored were Bradley Wilson, Hunter Rivet, Anna Chelette and Drake Aldredge (pictured above from L to R)

 
Check mark, Wingdings font, character code 254 decimal. Save the Date!
Email Info on your upcoming lodge events to gar@la-mason.com to get featured here.

 

Contemplative Masonry Retreat

w/ Brother Chuck Dunning
April 28-29, 2023 • Alexandria, LA
 
 
• FRIDAY 4/28/23 (6pm-9pm)
Book Signing w/ Bro. Chuck Dunning. Ticketed attendees will each receive a signed copy of Contemplative Masonry: Basic Applications of Mindfulness, Meditation, and Imagery for the Craft and The Contemplative Lodge: A Manual for Masons Doing Inner Work Together. Orientation and Fellowship: Following introductions and an overview of the weekend’s workshops, attendees will be treated to an informal dinner and fellowship.

• SATURDAY 4/29/23 (8am-3pm)
Morning Session Workshops: The morning will be focused on the individual Contemplative Mason, and the cultivation of ones own mindfulness and contemplative practice and journey, based on Contemplative Masonry: Basic Applications of Mindfulness, Meditation, and Imagery for the Craft.
• LUNCH •
Afternoon Session Workshops: The afternoon will be focused on a lodge or group engaging in ritual and degree work as Contemplative Masons based on The Contemplative Lodge: A Manual for Masons Doing Inner Work Together.

Closing Workshop: In closing, attendees will be instructed on how they, as Contemplative Masons, can become contemplative leaders in their respective lodges or in organizing a group of Contemplative Masons.

• SATURDAY NIGHT (Optional)
All attendees are invited to attend the stated meeting of Goose & Gridiron No. 1717*. Lodge opens at 6pm. Retreat attendees will be recognized by the lodge, and a brief education on what it is all about will be presented to the members and guests assembled. A Festive Board will follow the meeting, with a speaker presenting. Meals are generally around $15 per person. * A Dark Suit is required for Goose & Gridiron Meetings, so pack accordingly.
 
Notes: Tickets for this retreat will be in the $75-$100 range. This includes two books and two meals. Lodging is the attendee’s responsibility. Attendees must be Master Masons in good standing with a lodge recognized by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana to attend this retreat.
 
This retreat will be limited to a small number of attendees.
Register here to get updates.
 

Masonic Fundraisers


Having a lodge fundraiser?
Send it to gar@la-mason to get it here.

 



Unity Lodge No. 267 in Houma, LA., along with A. W. Connley No. 117 OES, Brashear Chapter No. 82 Royal Arch Masons, and Houma Council No. 49 Cryptic Masons, is having a ROYAUTE' de COCHON Charity Cookoff on October 22, 2022.  The profits from this event will be donated to Unity Lodge No. 267 for their renovations to the lodge due to "Ms. IDA" last year.
 
What is a ROYAUTE' de COCHON?
Competitors are to prepare their BEST PORK DISH (Only pork dishes will be judged). 
The competition will be on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at Downtown Houma Courthouse Square.
The entrance fee is $100.00 per team.
Cutoff date to receive entrance forms and fees is 5PM on Friday October 21, 2022. 

Anyone interested in the competition please email Brother Freddie Touchet
at fj2chet@comcast.net and he will email you all the information you need for the cookoff.  
 


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