MWSA District #108 News - Issue #17

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Lodge Leadership,

Please distribute this newsletter to the members of your Lodge so that all Masons of District 108 may keep up with the happenings of our great District.

Thank you!

EXCELLENCE BY VIRTUE: Lead with our HEARTS; Think with our HEADS; Work with our HANDS

Through education and in consequence of our streamlined focus in pursuit of Masonic excellence, Masonic District #108 will work in harmony as a common mass to reinforce our District Lodges in support of the Grand Lodge of Texas.

• President's Message
• Virtual Business Meeting
• Next MWSA Meeting (Tentative)
• MWSA Trestle Board
• District #108 Forum and Exam
• R:.W:. Borst’s Official Visit Schedule
• Upcoming Graded Degree - Morton Lodge #72
• Grand Master's Visit to Morton Lodge - 14 July 2020
• District #108 Upcoming Events Google Form
• MWSA Business Meeting Rotation Schedule
• MWSA Strategic Plan 2020
• Committee on Work, Southeast Texas - Forum & Exam Schedule
• Lodge Fundraisers
• Morton Lodge History Book
• Masonic Education
• Other Upcoming Events
  
• Called from Labor
• Imperial Chapter, Order of DeMolay
• Upcoming Degrees
• Lodge Google Calendars
• Newsletter Archive

Greeting Brothers,

As I write this, we have gone over five weeks without conducting any Masonic meetings in the traditional sense. I hope that you and your families are doing well during this crazy time in our world. I also hope that, even though we are unable to meet as we normally do, everybody is practicing the lessons of Masonry in your daily lives as we all go through this together.

Some of our District Lodges have conducted fellowship meetings via Zoom over the past few weeks. While we may not study ritual over Zoom, it is a wonderful platform for checking in with everyone and keeping up with the happenings in the lives of our Brothers. If any of your Lodges will be holding Zoom meetings, please let us know. Virtual meetings are a good way for some of us to “visit” Lodges that we may not normally be able to be at. You may use the Google Form below for letting us know about upcoming events.

Regarding ritual practice, I urge everyone to take this time to work on learning a new part. The Grand Master has authorized ritual practice over the phone, so long as both parties are as sure as is possible that the other is a Brother. Now is the time to find a knowledgeable Brother to work with to learn new parts. Past Master Cockroft, as the District Instructor, is always willing to help with ritual, as are many others. Please reach out to them.

As of right now, all Masonic meetings are still canceled. When we do come back, we will need to be careful to not take it too quickly as not to put our vulnerable Brothers at risk. As such, we will not hold the called MWSA meeting on Wednesday May 13, 2020. We will tentatively plan to meet again on June 24, 2020 for our called educational meeting at Brookshire Lodge #1066. We will communicate if those plans need to change as we get closer to June 24th.

Again, I hope that each of you is doing well and staying healthy. Your MWSA is here to support the Lodges in our District in any way that we can. If you or your Lodge need anything, please let us know.

Fraternally,

David C. Berndt

MWSA President

I’d like to thank everyone who attended our Virtual MWSA Business Meeting on Tuesday, April 28th. We had some good disucussion as well as good education. Our Grand Secretary, R:.W:. Lazor, even dropped in for a few minutes to give us an update on the operations of the Grand Secretary’s Office during this pandemic.

We are still tentavly planning to meet on June 24, 2020 for a Called Meeting to go over the 2nd Section of the FC Degree. This, of course, depends on the situation that that time. We will keep everyone updated as we get closer to the meeting date.

Please see below for the MWSA ”year at a glance”. Special thanks to PM Sharbrough for putting it together! You may click on the photo to access a full size PDF version.

**Please note that the May 13th Called Meeting has been cancelled.**

This year, the District #108 Forum and Exam by R:.W:. Kenneth Young of the Committee on Work will be held on Saturday 3 October 2020 at Morton Lodge #72. Even if you do not plan on sitting for an exam, it is still important to attend the event. Everyone will learn something through observing and taking part in the forum as well as observing the exam if you do not plan to sit for a certificate. District #108 should have a very strong showing at the event.

Morton Lodge is currently coordinating with R:.W:. Young of the Committee on Work to schedule a graded EA Degree as soon as possible. Details will be sent out once it is scheduled. Let's be sure to support our Lodges as they take on the excellent undertaking of graded degrees!

M:.W:. Underwood will be making a visit to Morton Lodge #72 at their July Stated Meeting. Morton Lodge will develop an RSVP method to assure that they do not exceed occupancy and that enough food is prepared. More details will be forthcoming.

Brothers,

Please use the Google Form below to let us know of any events that your Lodge has coming up. These may be entered as far in advance as you know them. Stated Meetings do not need to be entered.

Thank you for helping to keep all the Brethren of District #108 up to date on events!

Brothers,

See below for the rotation of business meetings for the next few years.

Brothers, the MWSA Leadership has been working hard on a strategic plan to continue moving our district forward. That plan is pictured below. Clicking on any of the pictures will take you to the entire document.

Brothers, please see below for the complete 2020 schedule of R:.W:. Ken Young, Committee on Work, for 2020. The dates of the forums and exams in the Greater Houston Area have also been added to the Other Upcoming Events section below.

Morton Lodge is holding a raffle for a beautiful handmade Masonic quilt. Tickets are $1.00 each. Please contact Brother John Bradley if you are interested.

100% of the proceeds will go to Morton Masonic Lodge #72 Scholarship Fund

Raffle Tickets

$1.00 each

For tickets contact Brother John Bradley at 979.264.5384

or email JRLLB1717@GMAIL.COM

Drawing will be held during Morton Lodge’s Stated Meeting

on a date to be determined.

You do not need to be present to win.

Thank you to Brother Mark Herzog of Grey Lodge

for donating this quilt back to raise additional funds

for Morton Lodge Scholarship Fund.

Morton Lodge has completed the third edition of the book on its history. Copies maybe purchased from Worshipful Master Davis for $20.

Below you will find dates for upcoming events around Masonic District #108, along with other Masonic events in our area. Full calendars for events around District #108 may be found at the District #108 website by clicking the button below this list.

ALTHOUGH THE SCHEDULED DATES ARE LISTED BELOW, ALL DATES/ACTIVITIES ARE CURRENTLY CANCELED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Mon, May 4, 2020- Houston Scottish Rite Degree Study Group - 6:00 PM

Mon, May 4, 2020- Park Place Commandery #106 Stated Conclave - 6:30 PM

Tue, May 5, 2020- Katy Lodge #1439 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM

Tue, May 5, 2020- Waller O.E.S. Stated Meeting - 6:30 PM

Wed, May 6, 2020- Matagorda Lodge #7 Stated Meeting

Thu, May 7, 2020- Brookshire Lodge #1066 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM

Fri, May 8, 2020- Ruthven Commandery #2 Stated Conclave @ Holland Lodge - 6:30 PM

Sat, May 9, 2020- Melrose Commandery #109 Stated Conclave @ Melrose Lodge - 6:30 PM

Mon, May 11, 2020- Imperial Chapter, Order of DeMolay Stated Meeting @ Sugar Land Lodge - 7:00 PM

Tue, May 12, 2020- Morton Lodge #72 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM

Tue, May 12, 2020- Waller Lodge #808 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM

Tue, May 12, 2020- Sugar Land OES Stated Meeting - 6:30 PM

Wed, May 13, 2020- MWSA Called Meeting - Opening & Closing Forum - Meal @ 6:30 PM, Meeting @ 7:00 PM - All current Wardens, Deacons, and future Tilers are highly encouraged to attend.

Wed, May 13, 2020- North Houston Chapter & Council Stated Meeting @ Melrose Lodge - 6:30 PM

Thu, May 14, 2020- Richmond Chapter & Council Stated Meeting @ Morton Lodge - 6:30 PM

Thu, May 14, 2020- Hempstead Lodge #749 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM

Fri, May 15, 2020- Houston Commandery #95 Stated Conclave @ Conroe Lodge - 6:30 PM

Sat, May 16, 2020- Pleasant Hill Lodge #380 STATED MEETING - 11:00 AM

Mon, May 18, 2020- Sugar Land Lodge #1141 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM

Tue, May 19, 2020- Rosenberg Lodge #881 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM

Thu, May 21, 2020- Katy OES Stated Meeting - 6:30 PM

Mon, May 25, 2020- Fort Bend Commandery #74 Stated Conclave @ Rosenberg Lodge - 6:30 PM

Tue, May 26, 2020- Imperial Chapter, Order of DeMolay Stated Meeting @ Sugar Land Lodge - 7:00 PM

Thu, May 28, 2020- Houston Valley Scottish Rite Stated Meeting - 6:00 PM

• Past Grand Master Orville O'Neill

Brothers,

Imperial Chapter, Order of DeMolay was set to work on Saturday 31 August 2019. DeMolay is a wonderful organization for young men from 12-21 years of age. It strives to teach virtues and help young men grow into responsible and committed members of society.

You can learn more about DeMolay here: http://www.texasdemolay.com/what-is-demolay/#

If you know anyone who may be interested in membership at Imperial Chapter, please have them contact David Berndt, Chapter Advisor at chapteradvisor@imperialdemolay.com.

The following degrees have been scheduled in our District:

• None scheduled at this time.

Brothers,

Please work to keep your Lodge's Google Calendar that is linked to the District #108 Google Calendar up-to-date. With everyone's calendar up-to-date, Brothers from other Lodges will be able to plan to attend more events and meetings around our District. This will take some work on the part of whoever controls the individual Lodge's Google Calendar, but it will be well worth the time investment.

Thank you!

Need to refer back to a past issue of the newsletter? Click below to go to the newsletter archive on our District website.