From the East

My Brothers,

The month of May closed with Orlando hosting Grand Lodge again, thank you to all who helped and attended. Those in attendance witnessed Winter Park's own Chet King who now has the title “Right Worshipful” becoming the proud 17th ‘District Deputy’ Grand Master. Congratulations Chet!

As we enter into the hot summer months and hurricane season, June will start and end with a bang. We will have an EA Degree on the Tuesday the 16th. Then Winter Park will host the 53rd Saint John’s Day on Saturday June 27th, starting with breakfast at 8 am. This is one of the fun times of the Masonic year where we share good food, humor, brotherly love and friendship. If you are a new Master Mason or have never attended you owe it to yourself to make it to one of our Saint John’s Day celebrations (no business and all fun).

Now with July and August approaching remember we will be voting to go dark the last meeting of July and the first meeting of August, as is tradition.

Kudos also to the new Grand Line:  Most Worshipful Dale Goehrig, the new Grandmaster of Masons in Florida, RW Dick Martinez, Deputy GM, Senior Grand Warden Jim Harris and the newly elected Junior Grand Warden, Jorge Aladro.  Be sure to be at Winter Park Lodge for the 53rd St. John’s Day Breakfast and Program on Saturday, June 27th, where the Grand Line will be received, with a special welcome for the new JGW.

Thanks to John Halter, for arranging for a truck so that we could get our furniture to Grand Lodge at the Rosen Plaza, and for Hector DeJesus, Mark Avery, Chris Chag, Al Stearns and Ray Malanga for helping load and unload.  Grand Lodge was interesting as usual, and I hope all of you get the chance to attend at some point in the future.  The installation of a Grandmaster is more than a wee bit different than that of a Master of the lodge, and I’m glad I was there last Wednesday.  I think we have a good man in the East, and this will be a good year for Florida Masonry.

Also speaking at Grand Lodge was the Grand Worthy Advisor for Florida Rainbow, Becky Dunlap, from Hope Assembly #82.  The girls will be at the Shrine Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, June 7th, to wash cars and garner support for a Walk-a-Thon that afternoon on Cross Seminole Trail.  The assembly needs your support to insure that they can all get to Grand Assembly, which will be June 25-30 at Innisbrook Resort in Tarpon Springs.

Anthony Pickrin, the DeMolay State Master Councilor, also spoke at Grand Lodge.  Bahia and South Seminole chapters also need help in getting to State Conclave in July in Gainesville.

I look forward to seeing many of you on the Saturday the 27th!

Fraternally, 

Bill Valentino, Worshipful Master

0 comments - Posted by Ricardo Parente at 10:59 PM - Categories: 1. East

From the West

A message from the West, greetings to all,

Grand Lodge is over and I want to thank everyone that helped in the moving of the furniture to Grand Lodge.

On June 23, 2009 we are going to have a special guest speaker or should I say speakers. The Boy Scouts of America has a group of young kids called Adventures. This group is coming to our lodge to speak about their organization at our June's dinner meeting. I hope you all can make it for them.

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0 comments - Posted by Ricardo Parente at 10:52 PM - Categories: 2. West

From the South

My Brothers,

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Bro. Joshua Carter. And so did you.
Brother Joshua came to Winter Park from Pace Lodge for the State competitions for degree teams. During the competitions, the lift station at Winter Park Lodge began to malfunction. As I struggled to resolve the problem over the phone while the alarm from the lift station was blaring, Bro. Joshua stepped in, silenced the alarm and resolved the situation because he is familiar with the equipment we use. Within minutes, the lift station was again functioning properly and we at Winter Park 239 were spared from excessive repair costs or extensive damage.
But what impressed me was that Brother Joshua rose to the occasion not to merit reward or for compensation, but because he knew that he was the man to step in and take care of the situation. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t his lodge. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t his town. A man stood up and took care of a problem. I am perhaps most impressed because I consider this to be the ultimate example of what a Mason should be. Brother Joshua did not spend an instant to consider what needed to be done, but what he could contribute and never hesitated to offer his services.
Bro. Joshua, on behalf of Winter Park Lodge, Thank You. You are the paragon of Masonry and we should all strive to be more like Bro. Joshua. 

Chris Chag, Junior Warden

0 comments - Posted by Ricardo Parente at 10:50 PM - Categories: 3. South

From the Secretary's Desk

Every month I’ll remind you that we need to replace the present secretary for 2010.  The sooner we can work with that person the more proficient he shall be.  Should you have any administrative background and some time you’re a good candidate.

Please pay your 2009 dues immediately.  Thank you. Enough said.

We will confer the EA degree on the following candidates. Messers. Philip G. Schwamberger, Wayne A. Donovan, Kevin Gonzalez, James R. Mangan and with a vote pending on June 9th Timothy L. Martin. Come out and support the degree team and enjoy some good fellowship and refreshments.

Worshipful John E. Bukoski, Secretary.

0 comments - Posted by Ricardo Parente at 10:47 PM - Categories: 4. Secretary