September 2022 Trestle Board
Greetings Brethren!
August was another good month and September holds promise! We will be raising two Master Masons this month and are excited to have them both as members of our historic Lodge.
History has been a regular topic recently and, as members of the George Washington Lodge of Research, your Senior Warden, Huey Allen, and I attended the trip to Yorktown 205 this month where we enjoyed a talk on the Masons at the Battle of Yorktown presented by Worshipful Shelby Chandler.
In the same vein, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial is conducting a symposium entitled “Scottish Freemasons in America, 1750–1800 at the beginning of November which coincides with the Grand Master’s visit to Lodge 4. As one of the Lodges whose first charter was issued by Scotland we have been asked to attend. There is a website with information at the following address: https://gwmemorial.org/blogs/news/scottish-masonic-event..Brethren from Scotland will be present at the symposium and at the Table Lodge for the Grand Master’s Annual visit to Lodge 4 on November 4th. I plan on attending the Table Lodge at very least and, hopefully the symposium too. Come and join me!
In August two of our three Fellowcrafts made excellent catechism returns at the Called Communication on the 22nd. The Lodge was satisfied with their Masonic Proficiency and they are to be raised to the sublime Degree of Master Mason on September 19th at 7PM. Please join us and assist in this, most important and enjoyable, Masonic duty. We hope that our third FellowCraft’s work will permit him the opportunity to make his return and be raised in the very near future.
As a part of his duties our Secretary has filed his dues report with Grand Lodge and, I am told, they sent letters to those who are delinquent in their dues without our knowledge. Our Treasurer has received a few calls from people who were apparently offended by the rather brusque request to meet their obligations. That said, I did indicate in last month’s trestleboard that something like this could happen. So, yet again, if you are behind in your payments please do what you can to rectify the situation. If you are in financial difficulty then please let either me or the secretary know so that we can try to assist in some way. There is no shame in hitting hard times – especially in the current economic climate.
Attendance at the August District School at Fredericksburg on the 4th Tuesday of the month was again impressive. Our District will be responsible for presenting the Fellow Craft Degree at this years Area Ritual School in Kinsale on September 17th. I encourage you all to attend.
We have only four Anniversaries this month. Those raised in September include:
WB Milton Gallahan, Jr. 38 years
RW Bro. Wayne Brooks 36 years
Bro. Frank Feldman, Jr. 33 years
WB Andrew Coelho 14 years Congratulations !!
Practices continue to be held on Mondays, if no Degrees are scheduled, at 7pm at the Lodge and we have a group of regular attendees. If you would like to learn a part for a degree, refresh your memory on Lodge opening and closing procedures or re-learn a catechism, please come and join us. We are flexible in what we work on according to the needs and desires of the attendees.
On the Internet, our Facebook page “Friends of Kilwinning Crosse Lodge No. 2-237” is thriving and has an ever increasing number of followers. We have had 108 visits in the past seven days! Check it out!
In the Calendar you will see an entry, on September 10th, for the Grand Commander’s Picnic. This event is being hosted by the Grand Commander of Knights Templar in Virginia, Sir Knight Romulo Capuno. He is inviting ALL Masons to attend – no need to be a Sir Knight, a Companion of the Royal Arch or any other designation. Bring your family too! The event will start at noon and goes until 5PM. Come and go as you please. The event is at the Spotsylvania Chapter of the Isaac Walton League located at 12400 Herndon Rd. (first left off 621) in Spotsylvania. This will be a fun family event! Royal Arch Masons are reminded that the Official District Visit of the Grand High Priest is on the same day at 6:30PM at West Point Lodge. It is easily achievable to attend the picnic for a couple of hours, go home to rest and change, and then drive down to West Point for dinner!
Finally, If anyone would like to contribute any items or articles to the trestle board please email them to me and I will try to accommodate. Fraternally,
Richard J. Fisher, Master
