The Grand Lodge Messenger

 
January 2024
 
 

From the Desk of the Grand Master:
 
M.W. Steve C. Martin

Fraternal Greetings Brethren,

As I look back on 2023 and reflect on what was accomplished, I am very happy with the way things have gone.  I have had the time of my life and hope that I have left a positive impact on those that I have had the pleasure to spend time with along the way.

I think it is important at this time, though, to look forward and not back.  As I have had the pleasure of attending lodge in just about every corner of the state in the past 6 months, I can say that our Fraternity is strong.  We are struggling with numbers, but there are signs that things are turning around.  Freemasons are the light in the world and we need to keep it shining.  Are we doing enough in our communities to let them know we are here?  When you have low numbers and you need to get involved in community to get the word out about Masonry, it is difficult to get the same few members to organize and pull off all the events in the community that we should be involved in.  Night out against crime, trunk or treat, Easter, Christmas ceremonies, etc. are all examples of things we should be involved in.  If your lodge is struggling getting involved, perhaps you should focus on the following information from the Six Supports of the Long Range Plan.

4. Beyond the lodge                       
Instill a wider Masonic perspective, inside and outside the fraternity, by deepening the connection between members, lodges, the worldwide body of Freemasonry, concordant organizations, and the Public at large.

Only by getting out in the community and letting people know we are still active and still relevant can we expect to gain interest in the Fraternity.

I know it can be hard, but isn’t this great Fraternity worth it?  Be all in my brothers!


 
   
Fraternally,




Steve C. Martin 

Grand Master
     
 
From the Desk of the Grand Secretary:

R.W. Clinton M. Brown, Jr.

 
 
Happy New Year to everyone.  A new year is upon us.  There are lots of events coming up and we are starting to get ready for the Annual Communication in June.  Here are some important dates and events to put on your calendars as we start the New Year.

We will be conducting Secretary, Treasurer, Temple Board and Real Estate Governance and Insurance training over the next four months throughout the state.  We will do training on the following dates and locations:

     1.    Saturday,  February 10, 2024 – 9 AM to 12:30 PM – Marysville Masonic Center,
            419 Columbia Ave, Marysville, WA 98270.
     2.    Saturday, March 2, 2024 – 9 AM to 12:30 PM – Sequim Masonic Lodge No. 213,
            700 S 5th Ave. Sequim, WA 98382.
     3.    Saturday, March 9, 2024 – 9 AM to 12:30 PM – Kennewick Masonic Center,
            601 W 6th Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336.
     4.    Saturday, March 23, 2024 – 9 AM to 12:30 PM – Centralia Masonic Lodge,
            218 N. Pearl St. Centralia, WA 98531.

This is a great opportunity for new Temple Board Trustees, Lodge Secretaries and Treasurers to learn more about the requirements of their position.  I hope to see you all at one of these trainings.

Registration for the Lodge Leadership Retreat is now open.  The Retreat will be held in Wenatchee Washington from March 15 – March 17, 2024.  Registration and information regarding classes that will be offered can be found at https://freemason-wa.org/leadership-retreat/.  Registration will be open through February 21, 2024.  This is a great opportunity to meet Brothers from Lodges across the state and learn about managing your Lodge.  

There are two important deadlines coming up.  First, all Lodge officers must be installed into office by January 31.  If there is a compelling reason why an officer cannot be installed by January 31, then you must request dispensation from the Grand Master to install out of time.  Please make sure that Grand View is up to date as well.

Finally, the Lodge End-of-Year Return is due by February 1.  Please remember that all Lodges that own Real Property must submit a Certificate of Insurance from the Temple Board naming the Lodge as an additional insured with their end of year return.  Additionally, the Grand Master has directed that all Lodges will submit their last audit report as part of the end of year.  The End-of-Year Return will not be complete without these items. You can find instructions and forms for completing your End-of-Year Return under the Resources/Forms section of the Lodge Dashboard on Grand View.  Please let me know if you have any questions.




 
Sincerely and Fraternally,


Clinton M. Brown, Jr.
Grand Secretary
 
From the Desk of the Assistant Grand Secretary:

V.W. Clayton M. M. La Vigne



 

 

Welcome to 2024!

It’s starting out with quite a bang, with Lodges working on their end-of-year reports, upcoming District meetings in January and March, the Conference of Grand Masters in mid-February, and the Lodge Leadership Retreat in mid-March. Quite a busy way to start our year! Please see the Grand Secretary’s article concerning end-of-year reports, and if you have any questions, please contact us for assistance.

The Conference of Grand Masters of North America will be held shortly after Valentine’s day, and will be held in the Westin Seattle, in downtown Seattle. It will be the first time in over 50 years that the Conference is in our area of the country. Grand Masters and elected Grand Lodge officers from all over the United States, as well as some foreign countries, will be in attendance for this annual event, and it promises to be quite educational for all who attend. I am looking forward to it! And if you would still like to volunteer to assist in this event, it’s not too late! You can contact MWB Jim Mendoza at (253) 686-9122 or at jim@mendozaline.net and ask where you can fit in. Hope to see you there!

Finally, there will be the 2024 Lodge Leadership Retreat (LLR), which will be held in the middle of the month of March. I strongly encourage your Lodge to send at least one member to this retreat, and once your member returns, have him speak at your next Stated Communication. Give him the floor and take notes. I have found that new members and long-time Past Masters alike have found the LLR to be quite insightful and educational. The LLR is one of the most important Jurisdiction-wide events in the year. Your Lodge would do well to include the cost of sending a member in its budget. It is a worthwhile investment.

The weather might be nasty for the next several weeks, but there will be plenty of opportunities of fellowship in those coming weeks as well! Stay well, and I’ll see you in my travels!
 



      
                             
Fraternal Regards,

Clayton LaVigne
Assistant Grand Secretary

 
 
                                                                                

  
From the Desk of the WAMS Executive Director:
Megan Ferland

Dear Masonic Family,

As the new year starts, we’re excited to look ahead to what’s in store for the work we do at Washington Masonic Services (WAMS). As always, we’re striving to expand the impact we have for Masons, your families, and your communities statewide. 

Washington State’s history is deeply connected with Freemasonry, a fact explored in depth through the Masonic Library & Museum. This program sheds light on how Masons like the state’s first governor and the founder of the University of Washington shaped Washington’s governance and communities. Masons continue today to play a significant role in various local and state entities. This year, we’re embarking on a remodel of the facility to better tell the rich story of Washington’s Masonic Heritage from pioneer days to the present. We’re pursuing public and private funding to offset the cost of the remodel. It’s important to note that funds to support this project won’t come from Grand Lodge membership fees. We look forward to sharing progress on this exciting effort.

January is when our scholarship season kicks into high gear. Our scholarships include tracks targeting children and grandchildren of Masons, the Masonic Youth groups, and funds we’ve received for scholarships for students from families who’ve immigrated to the US. Last year, we gave 36 scholarships totaling $85,000, and we’re on track to expand this year with an award for students attending vocational or trade schools. Applications are due March 31st. Information on our scholarships as well as those available through participating Blue Lodges and other Masonic entities, including the Scottish Rite Scholarship Foundation, is available at www.masonscare.org. 

In October 2023, we started a Lodge Match program, designed to double the impact of donations that Blue Lodges make to their communities. Up to $1,500 in Lodge Match per proposal is available for efforts supporting either pre-K through 12th grade Education or Community needs, such as providing food, shelter, or clothing. Both the Education and Community pools started with $25,000 available in matching funds. We’ve finished the first quarter of the inaugural Lodge Match effort and have received 12 proposals. So far, $3,630 has been approved for Education efforts, and $6,750 for Community programs, meaning Blue Lodges have invested a combined total of $20,761.18 in your communities through Lodge Match to date. Proposals will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis given available funds. For more information, contact Deputy Director Aaron Simon at aaron@masonscare.org. 

We’re looking forward to partnering with you to support the Masonic family and your communities throughout this year.

Best wishes for 2024,

 



Megan Ferland
Executive Director 
 
Washington Masonic Services


(formerly Washington Masonic Charities)




 
 
 
Secretary’s corner
 

Brother Secretaries:

A quick reminder that your End-of -year report will be due no later than February 1 of this year. Let’s take a look at Sec. 14.11 B.L. of the Washington Masonic Code:

End-of-Year Return. Each Chartered Lodge shall transmit annually to the Grand Secretary on or before February 1, an end-of-year return for the previous calendar year, on such forms as may be specified by the Grand Secretary. Each Lodge under dispensation shall transmit a similar return for the period from the date of its organization to December 31 of each year. Any Chartered Lodge that shall fail to submit an annual report on time may have its representatives barred from all privileges of the Grand Lodge and may have its Charter forfeited by a vote of the Grand Lodge. Each Lodge so offending shall, in addition to forfeiting its Charter, be fined five dollars ($5.00) for each day’s delinquency after February 1. 

In addition, there are more instructions on how this is done on Grandview. Here is a link to the document on Grandview; you can also find it in “resources and forms” on your Lodge Dashboard. 




 
 

 
 
 
Grand Lodge Events



District 10 meeting
Sat, January 20, 11:00 AM
Bellingham Scottish Rite Temple
1101 N State St
Bellingham, WA 98225

District 9 meeting
Sat, January 20, 3:00 PM
Fidalgo Lodge, No. 77
1019 8th St.
Anacortes, WA 98221

District 7 meeting
Fri, January 26, 6:00 PM
Lakeside Lodge, No. 258
8561 Willows Rd NE
Redmond, WA 98052

District 6 meeting
Sat, January 27, 2:00 PM
Alki Lodge, No. 152
4736 40th Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116

District 4 and 5 meeting
Sat, January 27, 5:00 PM
Greenwood Lodge, No. 253
7910 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103

Secretary, Treasurer, Temple Board and Real Estate Governance and Insurance training
Sat, February 10, 2024, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Marysville Masonic Center
419 Columbia Ave
Marysville, WA 98270


The Conference of Grand Masters of North America
Friday, February 16  – 20, 2024
The Westin Seattle
1900 5th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101

Secretary, Treasurer, Temple Board and Real Estate Governance and Insurance training
Sat, March 2, 2024, 2024, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Sequim Masonic Lodge
700 S 5th Ave.
Sequim, WA 98382

Secretary, Treasurer, Temple Board and Real Estate Governance and Insurance training
Sat, March 9, 2024, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Kennewick Masonic Center
601 W 6th Ave.
Kennewick, WA 99336

Lodge Leadership Retreat
March 15th – 17th, 2024
Wenatchee Convention Center
121 N Wenatchee Ave
Wenatchee, WA 98801

Secretary, Treasurer, Temple Board and Real Estate Governance and Insurance training
Sat, March 23, 2024, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Centralia Masonic Lodge
218 N. Pearl St.
Centralia, WA 98531