I had a conversation with the Inova Blood Donor coordinator on Thursday, during which she explained to me that in accordance with a new policy recently put in place, we must provide absolute written commitment on the part of 32 donors minimum in order to bring a Bloodmobile to our lodge for a blood drive.

In 2011, our lodge conducted 3 blood drives and although the participation in the first one on February 19th barely achieved the needed participation, the succeeding ones did not. On the July 23rd drive, Inova only received 23 donations and on October 15th only 17 were received.

We love to see “walk-ins” during our blood drives, but we cannot guarantee to Inova that there will BE walk-ins. Their fiscal requirements are such that they have to make receive a set number of donations in order to justify the expense in equipment and staffing and break even on the Bloodmobiles they send out.

Given these cold facts, I would like a show of “e-hands” letting me know if you will be able to donate in our upcoming March 3rd Blood Drive. These would include you, your family members, or friends who will definitely donate on that day.

Please email me if you can make such a commitment, and if you are brining family members or friends, how many.

If we cannot come up with the needed count of 32 donors, Inova cannot send the Bloodmobile out to us. They receive excellent participation when large organizations like the Washington Capitols, WTOP Radio, and the Washington Nationals sponsor drives, but small drives like ours cost them money if we cannot provide the return they need.

We have to be realistic about our support of the blood program. If we cannot turn out the donations for a blood drive, then we will have to turn our support to donations made at the donor centers in our region. Regular donors are the backbone of the blood program. If you can make regular donations a part of your routine (every 8 weeks for whole blood) you will be supporting one of the most worthy and necessary programs in our area. Also, your donations at the donor centers count in the quarterly totals we report to The Grand Lodge of Virginia.

 Please email me by March 16th if you can commit to donating blood on March 3rd.

Thanks for supporting your Lodge Blood Program!

Rt. Wor., Worshipful Sirs and Brethren,

The following should resolve your questions regarding times, dress and parking for the Grand Master’s visit to Districts 2, 3, and 4 on Saturday,7 January 2012.

The details of the event are listed on each ticket. We expect to begin receiving guests at 1:00 pm. Hors d’oeuvres will be served at 1:30, followed by tiled lodge opening at 2:00 to receive the Grand Master. Dessert will be served following the Lodge meeting - Dress will be Black Tuxedo for Past Grand Masters, Grand Lodge Officers, and DDGM’s. Black Tuxedo or Dark Suit for Subordinate Lodge Officers and Brethren.

There is limited parking at the Winchester Masonic Temple as the Lodge shares a small parking lot withBB&T Bank. Please direct the Brethren to park in the auto park parking garage located at 30 N. Braddock St. upon arrival in Winchester. A host from the Lodge will be there to greet you and direct youto the Masonic Temple.

Sincerely and Fraternally,

Ralph W. Smith, Jr.
DDGM District 4

Now, a fair warning to all Past Masters, I will be asking you a lot of questions and for your advice, so you will have to get used to my, hopefully not too frequent, calls or visits. My hope for this year is that we get as close as family through “Living Freemasonry” and sharing of those masonic experiences and understandings that we cherish as an inseparable part of our own identification as a man and a mason.

Worshipful Barry Bartley informed me that there will be a meeting for those that are interested in Knights Templar or are Sir Knights and are
interested in joining a potential new Commandery in Northern Virginia. The meeting will take place on 1/17 at 7:00 PM in Bailey Room. If you are interested please come join us.

As I was thinking about what to write this month, I decided to share with all of you something I read recently hoping that you will get the same excitement from these lines: “The secret of Masonry, like the secret of life, can be known only by those who seek it, serve it and live it. It cannot be uttered; it can only be felt and acted. It is, in fact, an open secret, and each man knows it according to his quest and capacity. Like all things worth knowing, no one can know it for another and no man can know it alone.” Dr. Joseph Fort Newton

My interpretation of these lines is that in order for one to know Masonry, one cannot rely only on knowledge provided to him while going
through the three degrees. Technically after receiving the third degree a man is a master mason but is that enough for one to say that he
understands masonry? Dr. Newton stipulates that one should “seek”, “serve” and “live” Freemasonry.
Seeking Freemasonry – We are all travelling on our individual masonic paths, and each one of us has different experiences and activities that come along. However to maximize masonic experience one should be actively involved and participating in masonic events. The true rewards come to those who seek them out.

Serving Freemasonry – As all things that we care about are not free, this applies to masonry as well. In order to understand it and know it, one has to be able to give back to it. The more time and effort we commit to masonry the greater the reward we receive and more of it we are familiar
with.

Living Freemasonry – Freemasonry is not just an activity we are involved in on first and third Monday of the month and for called meetings. Masonry is about living a life of a mason and incorporating masonic principles and values into our daily doings. The real question is – are we living Freemasonry?

Although we might be travelling on different paths, the great thing about our fraternity is that it accepts all good men that have belief in God.
There are enough places for all, and according to Dr. Newton “like all things worth knowing, no one can know it for another and no man can know it alone”. Therefore, this being my first communication to you, I invite you to live Freemasonry and join up to make good men better and Herndon Lodge the best.

Herndon Lodge was well represented at the annual Grand Communication with 14 Brothers present.   During the proceedings, Herndon was recognized multiples times.  First, Herndon received the Grand Master’s Sponsoring Body of the Year Award in conjunction with the DeMolay.   Herndon was next recognized as one of the recipients of the Get Fired Up Award.   Herndon then also received notice that we were a Hillman Award selectee.   Congratulations to all the Herndon Brethren that were part of these accomplishments.

Our own RW Michael Pobat closed his year as District 4 DDGM with a selection as one of the Grand Master’s Award of Excellence for his support of the Grand Master, District 4, and masonry in general.   Congratulations Brother on this well deserved recognition.

The first stated in November was conducted by our Wardens.  Each provided a glimpse into their thoughts for the upcoming years at Herndon Lodge.   At the second stated Wor Jay Patterson provided a lively look into his work as a correspondent for ABC covering the White House.   His program was both entertaining as well as informative.   Many thanks to each of the Brothers for supplying programs for the month.    We finished the month with a called meeting for the conferral of the Fellowcraft degree.

As 2011 comes to a close, there are plenty of achievements to reflect upon.  There were many Lodge improvements – new furniture, new lights, outside maintenance and painting.   The DeMolay won Chapter of the Year for second straight year and provided the Lodge with a new tree.   The recognitions received at Grand Lodge acknowledged that Herndon is indeed active in our community – 3 blood drives, CHIP events that processed over 600 children, presentation of savings bonds to Herndon Elementary students, and the presentation of a Community Builders Award are but examples.  Herndon also spread fraternal bonds as a traveling Lodge during the year with family trips to the Gettysburg Battlefield, Grand Lodge Temple in Philadelphia, a winery tour, and a visit to the GW Memorial in Alexandria.  Additionally, Herndon Lodge Brethren made 15 fraternal visits during the year where often the “getting there” was the best part of the journey.   In Lodge, there were a bounty of wonderful programs presented by Brethren from inside the Lodge as well as visitors to Herndon, each successful in the goal of spreading light to the Brethren.  Herndon Lodge continued to grow during the year.   We initiated 9 new Brothers, raised 6 new Master Masons, and had 9 affiliations.

There are far too many people to thank for their volunteered assistance and their unflagging patience not only during this year but also in the years leading up to my tenure in the East.   Mentioning just a few, Herndon Lodge is so very lucky to have Brothers like Wor Dick Walk to educate us on the ritual, RW WO Harrison to provide us with a firm grounding in our own history, Wor Rhey Solomon and Wor Jim Morgan to keep our records straight and always help with degree work, RW Pobat for all his advice and support and Brother Carsie Bozeman for getting this Trestleboard out to you each month.  But, with all those thoughts in place, the one person that I could have not made it through this year without is my wife Jennifer.   I can’t thank her enough for putting up with  all the late nights, traveling along with me to open events, all her support of the Bethel, and always bringing over to the Lodge that one last item that I forgot to bring with me.

It has been a great honor and privilege to serve the Brethren of Herndon Lodge this past year from the East.

Sincerely and Fraternally,

Philip Brooks, WM

“Who we are might be predetermined.  The path we follow is always of our own choosing.  We should never, never allow our fears or the expectations of others, to set the frontiers of our destiny.  Your destiny can’t be changed but it can be challenged.  Every man is born as many men and dies as a single one.”

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