Brethren,
First of all, my sincere gratitude and congratulations to you all for the very successful event that was the Grand Master’s visit to Herndon Lodge in April. We had a record attendance to our Lodge with visitors from several Masonic districts. The youth groups made us proud with their presence and the program presented by the girls from Bethel #52 after dinner. Herndon Lodge conferred the Community Builder Award that night to Mrs. Connie Hutchinson and Mr. Bill Tirell for their many contributions to the town of Herndon. The event was covered by the local press, featured as a full-page cover in the Herndon Connection newspaper. There are copies at Lodge for those who have not seen it. Well done, Brothers!
Charged by this enthusiasm, we begin the month of May with much more Masonic labor to do, as shown in our calendar below.
We have a called meeting on May 4th to confer a MM degree and another called meeting yet to be scheduled towards the end of the month. The community is also looking for our support and participation at the Herndon Festival, which will take place the last weekend of May, from May 30th to June 2nd. We are looking for volunteers to step up as marshals and other duties at the festival. Please contact our coordinator Bro Jim Butts indicating your availability. This will be a fun event that assists in displaying to the public what we Masons stand for!
But the calendar in May has also another very special touch. The second Sunday of May is dedicated to all our Mothers – a time when we are reminded to pay tribute to the love, care and dedication they have given to us since before we were born, and that continue to give to us throughout the rest of our lives. As Masons, we have much to learn and to emulate from what Mothers do. They provided us with the first tools we ever used to begin exploring this world and to start constructing ourselves. They taught us about love, which is one of those things one simply has to experience, as it can never be explained. They nurtured our bodies and our souls as we grew up, and encouraged us to take our first steps on our own as we learnt how to walk up and – ironically – walk away from them. They represent this and much more. As I reflect on these aspects at a personal level (with my Mom just emerging from a very risky surgery) I believe nothing will be sufficient to pay back all they have given to us. Perhaps all we can do is put their lessons at work, and try to transmit the same to our own children in hope that in this process we will make the world a better place. But this is not something we can accomplish in one Sunday alone. So let’s celebrate them not only on Sunday, but every day of the year. After all, they set out the foundations for the individual spiritual buildings each of us is now trying to erect.
Herndon Lodge will be celebrating all Mothers with a special dinner prior to our first stated meeting on Monday May 6th. Please invite your ladies and come early so they can join and participate of this event. It will be a dinner under candle lights – perhaps not quite romantic, but very fraternal and definitely fun.
Sincerely and Fraternally,
Mauricio Carrasco, WM
