From the East
Brothers and Sisters, I first want to start off by saying something simple but yet at many times forgotten… THANK YOU! Thank you to the Sisters that come to any and all our events with the hope only to help us be successful and have a nice event. Thank you to the Brothers that have worked so hard so far this year and know that there is only more work that lies ahead. Thank you to my officers that have put in more time than previous years and continue to ask me for more. Thank you to the Past masters that have stopped to put a hand on my shoulder and whisper proper guidance with all that I am doing. Thank you to Worshipful Edson who as secretary has taken on more than a 40 plus hour a week job! Lastly and most importantly to the wives and girlfriends of the lodge that come to cook dinner, breakfast, and just support us as we strive to make Fellowship a fun and successful lodge.
Last month I had the amazing visit from a Past Grand Master from Lebanon. That was just an amazing experience for me and I am sure for those that got to meet with Worshipful Eid you would agree. This month has started with me meeting a Past Grand Master and current potentate to the Shrine Temple in the Philippines. Through my talks with these two Brothers I can say that without a doubt I don’t know enough about this great fraternity and that I can’t wait to learn more of what I don’t know!
On March 29th Palma Ceia Lodge will be putting on a FC degree and we will have several of our Brothers passed at that time. We hope to put on a degree on April 20th for several candidates. We really are in need of help for this degree night. Brother Steve Plotz will be in the East for this. If all goes as planned we hope to have a Master Mason Class on May 8th. I will keep you posted
If you haven’t already sent me an email, please do and I will keep you posted on our events on a regular basis. No worries only lodge business is done on these emails.Jtorres@shrinenet.org
I am looking to bring in a massage therapist to the lodge to teach a course on couples massages. I would like to gage what the interests of the members are to have this event with their significant other. This will be used as a fundraiser but I want to see how many are interested so email on that idea. Last idea is that I would like to see how many would be interested in having a ZUMBA class here. For those that don’t know it is an aerobic exercise dance class. This would also be as a fundraiser and to get everyone in better health and some fun new ideas. Please let me know on all of this. Hope to see you all at least once before the end of the year, and let’s keep working to make this lodge the best lodge it can be.
Also send me more email addresses so you can continue to get the Trestle Board via email.
Fraternally
Adalberto Torres “Junior”
From the West
Nothing from the West.
Please take the time to educate non-masons about Masonry, and invite potential members to our dinners, or third Saturday Breakfast. If you need anything, please let me know what I can do to help.
Fraternally,
Sean Fontaine SW
From the South
Our Official visit with RWDDGM Woody Newcomb on March 9th was a great success. Thanks so much for Cathy and Steve Edson for cooking the food and to my wife, Lydia, our Master’s wife, Melissa and to our SW’s girlfriend, Melissa for serving and cleaning up, as Cathy was a bit under the weather.
I am looking forward to the upcoming Entered Apprentice degree where I will be serving in the East. I want to thank all the brothers who have been coming to practices and helping me to learn and study for this degree. I really am enjoying my year as Junior Warden and want to thank the brothers for having the confidence in me to elect me to this position.
The Senior Warden and myself are planning some fund raisers to generate money for our building fund to replace the roof over the lobby, dining room and the three A/C units for that area.
Fraternally,
Steven Plotz JW
From the desk of the Secretary
Dues, Dues, Dues. Soon I will be sending out the 6 month delinquent dues notices so if you have not yet paid your dues please send them to the lodge address. Remember that your dues are due by December 27th and considered delinquent after that for one year and then can be dropped for NPD. If you are unable to pay the dues and are wanting to remain a member let us know.
I want to say thanks for all the petitions coming in with the help of the officers and look forward to having some large classes this month. The website will have more up to date information since the Trestle Board only comes out once a month and the website can be updated as things come up. Brothers and sisters if you have e-mail we would like to add your e-mail address to our records. Also if you are planning on moving or changing phone numbers please let us know so our records are correct and we keep Grand Lodge up to date as well.
If you have paid your 2010 dues and have not received your 2010 dues card let me know so I can request a new one from Grand lodge.
Stephen Edson PM/SEC
From the Chaplain
The only thing I have to report is the passing of W.: Steven M. Woods. Lets keep his family in our prayers.
If you know of any sickness or distress let the Master, secretary, or myself know. We all know power of prayer, so let us increase the power of prayer and we can let the person know with a card too.
Jerry Torgerson, P.M. Chaplain torgystoy1@aol.com
Prayer List for all our Brothers and Sisters:
Manuella Valenti (She turned 97 on March 16th and will be moving to an assisted living facility soon.)
Alice Lanier, PWGM (Alice has fallen again and is in the hospital for tests.)
Bea Lovelace, PWGM (Bea also fell)
Norman Nelson, PRP, Century Court (Norm had surgery recently and is recovering>)
Olga Kelly, PM Palma Ceia Chapter
Departed Brothers & Sisters
Fellowship Lodge
Amaranth
Eastern Star
White Shrine
Announcements
To all the brothers and sisters it has been a pleasure traveling with R.: W.: Woody Newcomb this year as District chairman for Perpetual Membership and as Zone 6 chairman for youth activities. It is with pleasure that I will be appointed the district chairman for child ID for the upcoming year. In order to get up to speed with the current technology of the police departments we need to purchase a computer program, which will allow us to ID children with pictures, video with audio and fingerprints all of which will be saved on either CD or USB Flash drives. We need your help to raise this money. Please urge your lodge to make donations for this to Grand Lodge of Florida F& AM Child ID Program and mailed Fellowship Lodge.
Thanks for your help,
Stephen Edson PM
Memorial Lodge No. 23
Brothers and Sisters Memorial Lodge is set up to perform memorial services for a deceased Sojourner and assist local Lodges in Masonic memorial and funeral services. With 17 Lodges in Hillsborough county we only have a few attend the services. We need more to help in these services and to become members so we can contact you when a service is needed. Membership is open to any member of any Lodge and the dues are only $5.00 per year.
Come to the 3rd Saturday breakfast at Fellowship Lodge and attend Memorial Lodge following the breakfast. Breakfast starts at 8:00 AM and Memorial Lodge is at 10:00 AM.
From our Sisters
Amaranth
Meetings
1st & 3rd Wednesdays at 7:30 PM
We want to thank HL Arlene Nelson, RM and SK Norm Nelson, RP for a wonderful year and an outstanding job this year. They will be a hard “act” to follow.
We are looking forward to our upcoming Installation of Officers on April 11, 2010 at Fellowship Lodge at 3:00 PM. It is an open Installation and everyone is invited to attend. If you have never seen an Amaranth Installation it is worth coming out to see. The elected officers are: HL Cathy Edson, RM; SK. Stephen Edson, RP; HL Georgia Deshong, AM; SK Doug Harris, AP; HL Valerie Tooma, WC; HL. Debra Kimbril AC; HL Rachel TerZino, Secretary and HL Dorothy Long, Treasurer.
Our first meeting in April will be Obligation Night by SK Stephen Edson, RP. The second meeting will be a stated meeting. In May the first meeting will be a Mother’s Day Program by HL Valerie Tooma, WC and the last meeting in May will be our Memorial Service. Grand Court Session will be May 26-29, 2010 in Jacksonville, FL. Sojourner's Cathy and Steve Edson are looking forward to representing Century Court #58 as your new Royal Matron and Royal Patron. Also, we are proud to report that Century Court was able to generate 21 ads for the Grand Session Ad Book. Thanks to all of you who either contributed an ad or helped us solicit an ad.
We hope we will be seeing more of you this year. Please try to come out and support your Court. If you need a ride let us know or if we can be of any help to you, please call us.
Eastern Star
Meetings
2nd & 4th Wednesdays at 8:00 PM
Thanks to all who attended the Installation of Officers on March 13th. It was a nice installation and the officers look forward to serving our Chapter and its members for the upcoming year. Your elected officers are: Sister Patrice Barker, WM; Brother Jerry Torgerson, WP; Sister Denise Dobbs, AM; Brother Robert Thibodeaux, AP; Sister Patricia Barker, Secretary; Sister Cathy Edson, Treasurer; Sister June Dobbs, Conductress and Sister Joann Wilson, Conductress.
District Schools of Instruction will be held on fifth Wednesdays. The first one will be on floor work on March 31st at Temple Terrace Chapter at 7:30 PM and conducted by Sister Beverly Newton, PWGM.
Our meeting on April 14th is our Chapter Birthday program and Honoring PM’s and PP’s. Grand Chapter is April 20-22 in St Augustine, Florida. There is also a Mystery Dinner Theatre on April 10, 2010 at Brandon Lodge. Tickets are $15.00. For further information or to purchase tickets, please call Patrice Barker at 300-3302. Our School of Instruction will be on May 7th at 7:30 PM.
Patrice Barker, PM
White Shrine
Meetings
1st & 3rd Mondays at 7:45 PM
The Installation of Officers was held on March 6th and it was really a beautiful ceremony and event. Thanks to all who came out to support our officers and who helped to make this event what it was. We could not have done it without all the help with decorations, flowers, and contributions of food and your time. The elected officers for the 2010-2011 year are Soj. Georgia Deshong, WHP; Soj. John Wyatt, WOS; Soj. Peter Stone, AWOS, Soj. Lorne Stone, NP; Soj. Valerie Tooma, Chaplain; Soj. Cathy Edson, WS, Soj. Joan Hundley, WG; Soj. Lillian Haslinger, Secretary and Soj. Arlene Nelson, Treasurer. Our first meeting after election was our Obligation Night on March 24th. Our new Chaplain, Valerie did a beautiful job and really made it a special night. Thanks, Valerie for a job well done. Our fist meeting in April will be on the 5th and Soj. Gene Hernandez has the Easter program. And the meeting on April 19th the program will be given by Soj. Joan Hundley. There will be no meeting on May 5th due to Supreme Shrine in Orlando. There are quite a few of the officers and members planning to attend this event from May 3– 6th. On May 17th, Soj. James Long will present our Memorial Day Program. We hope to see more and more of you coming out to our meetings. We need the support of all the members to make this a successful year.
Soj. Lorna Stone and the finance committee will be planning some upcoming fund raisers, so keep your ears and eyes open for what is coming up and help with your contributions and attendance.
April 2010
1st, 6th, 8th, 15th, 20th, 22nd, 27th, 29th —Degree Practice
4th—Easter Sunday
5th, 19th—White Shrine 7:45 PM
7th, 21st—Amaranth 7:30 PM
11th—Amaranth Installation 3:00 PM
12th—Neighborhood Crime Watch Meeting
13th, 27th—Stated Meeting 7:30 PM
14th, 28th—Eastern Star 8:00 PM
17th—3rd Saturday Breakfast 8:00—10:00 AM
23rd—Masters and Wardens 7:30 PM
May 2010
3rd—6th Supreme Shrine
3rd, 17th—White Shrine 7:45 PM
4th, 6th, 13th, 18th, 20th, 27th —Degree Practice
5th, 19th—Amaranth 7:30 PM
10th—Neighborhood Crime Watch Meeting
11th, 25th—Stated Meeting 7:30 PM
12th, 26th—Eastern Star 8:00 PM
15th—3rd Saturday Breakfast 8:00—10:00 AM
21st—Masters and Wardens 7:30 PM
26th—29th Amaranth Grand court
31st—June 2nd Grand Lodge