Orlando Lodge No. 69, Trestleboard for August 2010

From the East: My Brothers, as July slips away, I sit and reflect on where the time has gone since the Installation in January, Countless Degrees; visiting other Lodges; Grand Communication; the new Home of the Orlando Gavel, and so on. All these items have brought attention to our Lodge as a Lodge that is the type of Lodge everyone wants to be a member of. Good times, Brotherly Lodge and great Fellowship. I want to thank each and every one of you for helping make Orlando 69 this type of Lodge. For as your Master, I represent you, but each of you is the lifeblood of the Lodge.

Finally, a great thanks you to all who attended the July the 4th Lodge Family picnic. It was one of my goals to get each of us together with our families to celebrate and a way for the Lodge to thank our families for allowing us to be members of this great Fraternity. But a most sincere and heartfelt thanks to Fred Kidwell, our "Chief Cook and Bottle Washer" for making it happen. Brother Fred took this idea of mine and ran with it to make it a huge success. Just so you know, Fred is already planning a Lodge Christmas Party, so make sure you plan to attend it in December. On the Square, Greg

From the West: My Brothers, were you there? What do you mean, where? The first annual Orlando Lodge #69 4^th of July Picnic, of course. Well, over 100 folks dropped by to enjoy the burgers, chicken and dogs (which were cooked up by your three principal officers), bouncy houses for the kids and a lot more. It really was a great time. W. Bro Scott Bokash maintains the record time for circling the Shrine Center in the little Road Runner go-cart and W. Bro Dave Hershiser entertained everyone with the Directors Staff Parade car. This really was time of good fun and fellowship, which is what we should be all about. One of things I have noticed about our ritual and teachings are the number of time it keeps coming back to the idea of Freemasonry being a place of getting along, common goals, having fun and enjoying one another. In one place it says,“Let us remember that the great objects of our association are the restraint of improper desires and passions, the cultivation of an active benevolence and the promotion of a correct knowledge of duties we owe to God…” it goes on “Let ALL private animosities, if any unhappily exist, give place to affection and brotherly love.” Hey… what a great idea! On the Level, Rickey

From the South: Well, my Brothers, the months are moving faster as we head for the end of the year. The traveling gavel has arrived home at Orlando 69, left, came back and has gone again. There is nothing better than to travel to other lodges with your brothers and meet new people. That’s what it is all about, so join us on our next adventure to bring the Orlando gavel back home. The July 4^th family picnic was a huge success. If you missed it, you missed something GREAT! Thanks to Fred and the Army of volunteers who made the picnic amazing, as well as making the three officers look like BBQ pro’s. If you haven’t been to lodge in a while, make the trip! New and old faces will be there to greet you. By the Plumb, Craig

From the Scribe: My Brothers, the light bill for this year is almost double that of last year for the same period, and although it is expensive, I do not object, as it means that we are using the building, that there are things happening in our Lodge. As of this writing, we are teaching Entered Apprentices, Fellowcrafts and Master Masons, and that’s a good thing. Without activity, a building is just an empty space, activity creates life and atmosphere, fellowship and Brotherhood, and with the Eastern Star, Sisterhood. If you have not been to a meeting in awhile, join us, you just might find it to your liking. I look forward to sharing fellowship with you, Bob. “To thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”

Petitions: Mr. James Smalley, for the 3 degrees, Mr. Danny Anderson, II, Plural,

Mr. Christy Smith, Dual.

Upcoming events

07 Aug 2010 Masters and Wardens, breakfast @ 8:00 AM, meeting @ 9:00 AM Orange Lodge No. 36

10 Aug 2010 Stated Communication 7:30 PM, fellowship at 6:30 PM

11 Aug 2010 School of Instruction 7:30 PM, Orange 36

12 Aug 2010 Gavel Travel St Cloud 221 Fellowship 6:30, meeting 7:30. Join us to bring the gavel home.

14 Aug 2010 Lodge Breakfast 8:00 AM 10:00 AM

24 Aug 2010 Official visit DDGM, fellowship at 6:30 PM, Lodge meeting at 7:30 PM

25 Aug 2010 School of Instruction 7:30, Orange 36

28 Aug 2010 District Picnic 10 AM to 4 PM Shrine pavilion, tickets $10 per family

29 Aug 2010 Mizpah 190 Rob Morris Picnic 12 noon to 4:00 PM

04 Sep 2010 Masters and Wardens at Orlando 69, breakfast at 8 AM, meeting at 9 M.

08 Sep 2010 School of Instruction, Orlando Lodge no. 69 7:30 PM

11 Sep 2010 Lodge Breakfast, 8 AM to 10 AM

14 Sep 2010 Stated communication, fellowship at 6:30 PM, Lodge meeting at 7:30 PM

22 Sep 2010 School of Instruction, Orlando Lodge No. 69, 7:30 PM

28 Sep 2010 Stated communication, fellowship at 6:30 PM, Lodge meeting at 7:30 PM

02 Oct 2010 Masters and Wardens @ Eola 207 breakfast at 8 AM, meeting at 9 AM.

09 Oct 2010 Lodge Breakfast 8 Am to 10 AM

09 Oct 2010 Scottish Rite Center fall reunion

The search for enlightenment is eternal