Noah Lodge #357 Trestleboard

Greetings Brothers,

I hope this finds you all well and looking forward to an exciting new year at NOAH LODGE. WE are going to have Fun with the activities this year including a couple of spaghetti dinners, four or more BBQ’s, Garage sales, and some community involvement and maybe a few family nights and movies. So I really hope you come to Lodge to find out what’s going on.

I would also like to thank you for electing me as your Master for 2011. It is a great honor to serve you and Noah Lodge. We should have Four (4) new Master Masons raised by the February Meeting, if we get enough Masons to step forward and take a part in the ceremony. We need some people for nonspeaking parts, and a couple backups. We will be having a MM practice (AT NOAH LODGE) on Monday night, 31 Jan., at 7P.M. with the assistance of Punta Gorda Lodge.

I’m looking forward to sitting in Lodge with you soon.

Larry Newton
Worshipful Master

Brothers and all,

Hopefully my lateness has not affected the punctual publication of our Trestle board. However a thought has come to my mind. Many of us more (term loosely used) computer fortunate Brothers. We have the convenience and privilege to go online to view our Trestle Board anytime 24 hrs a day, however there are many Brothers who do not have a computer and are not capable of viewing and reading our fine Trestle Board. In years past they have greatly appreciated and enjoyed our fine Trestle Board sent via U.S Postal. Many members who now do not receive our Trestle Board via U.S Postal due to NOAH 357 "keeping up with the times" and are uninformed of many of our fund raising and extracurricular activities.

I would like to see a change in these Bothers not receiving the Trestle Board. This labor of love should not be carried by our Trestle Board editor alone to see that all brothers are reached, he is reaching many. We as Masons and Brothers should not sit back in the light while we have Brothers sitting in the dark as to what is happening within our Lodge. These due paying Brothers who cannot view the Trestle Board need my help and your help also. I urge you to remember to help aide and assist these Brothers. Begin now print off this Trestle Board and take it to a Brother sit down read it with them, show them we are still the same Masonic group they joined 20, 30 maybe 50 or more years ago.I know the happiness a Brother feels when he receives the Grip of a Master Mason, go and give it today don’t wait. If you don't know where a bother lives or how to get it to them guess what, our fine Secretary has address labels from Grand Lodge That NOAH 357 pays for on a regular basis and he will be glad to hand you a few.

Moving on now, I was planning a Valentines’ dinner, however this fell through. All the b-b-q dates are fine can’t wait love that Jack Scott chicken. Think he goes online to read the Trestle Board ?

We have a Master degree coming up with Punta Gorda most all the main parts, remember when we used to do that? Can’t wait to welcome our 4 newly raised Brothers as Master Masons. We have plenty of room in the Lodge for them, and plenty of work to share. I would like to thank Punta Gorda Lodge ahead of time now for all their past help and future help for and with our Brothers on the degrees.

One last statement or overview. Send or take a Trestle Board to a Brother who you think might not have one. Come to Lodge if you haven’t been there in a while, and bring a Brother with you. Find out what we got going on and where you can help, cause we need you. And if you know a man of lawful age and find him well for recommending. Introduce him to Masonry.

Oh yeah, get the Trestle Board stuff in on time.

Fraternally yours

WB Lawrence Tomlinson,
Senior Warden (I’ve been here before)

Brethren,

To See One Ask One?

“To Be One Ask One” is a fabulous description of the process of becoming a mason and quite a catchy phrase to boot. While there are many of us out there ready to help quench the thirst for knowledge of the uninitiated, we need to increase our visibility so that those with interest can recognize our availability.

We can do this in many ways but I believe chiefly among them is to start talking about the lodge in our daily interactions. We also need to start talking to each other about masonry. I occasionally come across a Brother that I have not seen in awhile, eventually one or the other of us will ask "have you been to lodge recently?"

In my case for a long time the answer was no, followed by some reason why I hadn't made it there, usually followed by the same response from the other brother, then we would change the subject.

Maybe we need another slogan to accompany the aforementioned as it relates to brothers whom we have not seen in lodge for awhile.

Perhaps we should make an effort to call on a few old friends and lodge brothers personally and ask them to come to lodge with us, and in the end " to see one ask one " may be the way we increase attendance and get people excited about coming back regularly again.

Fraternally yours

Br. James Hamilton,
Junior Warden

Our Secretary has been playing Doctor Pinball (he's the pinball) this month, so his article will be delayed a bit.)

Faith, Hope and Charity, these three: The greatest of which is Charity.

My Brothers, charity translates as love, and February being the Heart Month and Valentine Day, let us show our love for one another with charitable deeds. A visit to a shut-in, a call to a friend, open a door for a stranger. A kind word of encouragement, a smile as we pass on the street. Let us share God's love for us with others.

May God Bless you every day and in every way.

John McKinney
Chaplain