Greetings from the East. April was a busy month. We made a fraternal visit to Freedom Lodge 118 in Lovettsville and enjoyed a great time with brethren there. The meal was great and I even got to serve as Senior Deacon for the night. Worshipful Brooks is really making progress there. Another interesting thing is that during this fraternal visit Worshipful Dick Walk presented a program on Moon Lodges. It was a great program and a milestone for us in our attempt for Noah Hillman award. Another interesting part of the evening was that the attire for the meeting was overalls and brethren of Herndon Lodge represented us with adequate clothing.

Another great news is that we have raised two new brethren this month. This is a great and significant event for them and I would like to congratulate our new brethren Lillegard and Vaughn. As master Masons it is inherent in the title that we take our young brother Masons and guide them, watch over them and instill in them the wisdom that we have gathered beneath the veil of our mysteries. It is our responsibility to provide a lodge where Masonic education guides the initiate on the journey that leads to upstanding life and towards the ultimate enlightenment. To achieve this we must all be active participants on this, Masonic, journey. It is our duty, as Master Masons to help others become good men and good Masons as well as continuing to ensure that we each maintain the same standing that we expect of the newly initiated.

Unfortunately this month was a very difficult one for me. I was travelling constantly with US military and had very little time to dedicate to my family and The Craft. Fortunately it looks that my travelling will be significantly reduced in May and June. While in my travels I attended lodge in California and North Carolina and have had several discussions with brethren in those states about state of the Craft and how to properly inspire new members to become active in lodge. As a conclusion on that matter I would like to offer you a quote from Nelson Mandela, in one of his speeches as I believe it relates to our current state of Masonry:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others”.

Thank you, be well, travel safe and live in peace and harmony.

Link to PDF version of this month’s Trestle Board: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Bfpq2wDwgYTGRkNmRYN29jTlk

Greetings from the East. March was a relatively busy month for us. On our first stated we hosted our District Deputy Grand Master, RW Ralph W. Smith Jr. for his official visit. RW Smith elaborated on MW Ellison’s theme and goals for this masonic year. On our second stated, the program was on what we can safely say to a non-mason about masonry. This program was originally created by Wor. Edward Brabham Jr of Baker Lodge 441 in Monroe, LA. I modified this program with some of my own research as well as with a few thoughts taken from Dr. Joseph Fort Newton as presented in “The Builders”.

Another important announcement is that Herndon Lodge has been awarded National Mark Twain Masonic Awareness Award by Masonic Information Center (Twain Award). Total of 18 lodges nationwide were awarded this high honor for their excellence in programs and communications. We are very proud to be recipients of this great achievement. Only 2 out of 18 awardees are from Virginia (Fredericksburg Lodge #4 and Herndon Lodge #264). Congratulations to our immediate Past Master, Worshipful brother Phil Brooks, his officers and all of you for contributing in achieving this great recognition. On our first stated in April (April 2nd) our District Deputy Grand Master will present the award to the lodge. We were also recipients of Seymour Jonas Levy award and our DDGM will make appropriate presentation for that as well.

We also participated in Sinclair school. Although there was a little bit of confusion on the dates the school was going to be held, and lots of date conflicts, our Junior Warden, brother Tom Morrison managed, through some extra work and dedication to set up a cast we needed in order to perform in exemplification of ritual as assigned by school. Great work brother Tom.

On April 7th, we will have a called meeting for degree work. Please come and join us as we raise another brother to the sublime degree of master mason. That is always a special moment for a brother and I would like to invite you to share it with a new brother. Our work, however, does not end with the conferral of Master Mason Degree. In fact, that is where the work begins. As Master Masons, it is inherent that we take our young brethren and guide them, watch over them and instill in them the wisdom that we have gathered beneath the veil of our mysteries. It is our responsibility to create a lodge environment where Masonic education guides young Masons on the journey that leads to an upstanding life and towards the ultimate goal of enlightenment. It is our duty as Master Masons, to help others become good men and good Masons, as well as continuing to ensure that we each maintain the same standing that we expect of the new brothers.

Brethren, hopefully at some point during your Masonic life, you have personally experienced the fraternal bond, which is at the core of Freemasonry. Ideally you feel that bond in your daily life. At Sinclair school I had a chance to reflect upon this theme and what it meant to me. Many of you know that I was juggling quite a few things in my life (constant travelling, newborn child at home etc.) and as a result of my non- masonic commitments I have not had as many chances to see and socialize with our brethren from district. However, it never ceases to astound me how we can see each other so infrequently and yet pick up our friendship and brotherly love as if we had just left each other’s company just a few hours ago. The common bond we share through Masonry bridges any gaps that would normally exist between people. When I take time to contemplate on this it gives me the great pleasure to know that I am a part of this great fraternity.

Thank you all for all that you do for our lodge, and the fraternity. I am looking forward seeing you in April in lodge.

February is behind us. We had a visit from Most Worshipful William Talbot Ellison, the Grand Master of Masons in Virginia on our first stated meeting. Thank you all very much for making that event a success. I would like to give special thanks to our stewards who went above and beyond the normal duties to facilitate and support this visit. Special thanks go to RW Michael Pobat and Brother Tom Morrison (our JW) for providing a great and inspirational program for that memorable night. Also, special thanks to Worshipful Barry Bartley for providing us a great program about Knights Templar on our second stated meeting. Most of you know that Worshipful Barry leads a committee that is trying to establish a new commandery in Herndon lodge. Although we all perceive and receive teachings of freemasonry individually, we are all brother masons and we are united around the same conceptual ideals and virtues

Each one of us might have a different definition of masonry. Most definitions stipulate that freemasonry is a fraternity devoted to high ideas and admirable benevolence with faith, hope and charity as principal methods of work.

For some of us the definition of masonry remains unchanged, for others it is one thing at the time something else at another time; still for some of us it is something totally different.

Masonry is a living, breathing organism. One which, when nurtured, will grow and provide us with light and truth on our masonic journey. Every one of us is entitled to his own path within masonry and it is our duty and commitment to help other brethren through brotherly love and affection.
Spring is approaching, and as we enter this season of renewal, both symbolic and physical, I ask you to ask yourselves what masonry means to you. Does it mean the same thing today as it did the first time you passed through the West gate? Have you grown through Masonry? We say that masonry makes good men better – do you count yourself among those men?

As spring awakens the old anew – take some time to reflect. If you are satisfied with what you see, than continue on the path you are travelling on. If you feel that something is not complete, stop and think. For as the seasons change, so can we. And if the change is needed, embrace it and become that great person you are destined to be, a brother master mason.

We will vote on the status of potential new commandery on our second stated meeting. We will not open floor for discussion during tiled meeting, but if anyone would like to offer an opinion and/or sentiment on this topic, please come to lodge an hour before the meeting for discussion will be held at social hall.

Thanks and I am looking forward to see you in lodge this month.

January was very busy for our lodge. Our monthly accomplishments include:

• 5 Blue Lodge Meetings
• 2 stated meetings
• On first I deliver my program about Freemasonry in Croatia
• On Second our SW delivered program about freemasonry in Bolivia
• 3 called meetings
• We raised a new brother master mason – Jan 14th
• We initiated a new EA – Jan 23rd
• We passed a brother to a degree of FC – Jan 30
• District School . We attended district school on Jan 18th
• 1 Fraternal Visit – January 7th
• Attended Masters and Wardens Breakfast on Jan 28th

Having in mind everything that was done this month I would like to offer sincere thanks to all of you that have gone out of your way to help us make all of this happen. I am extremely proud that our brethren are so enthusiastic and even during a busy month as this January was there was always enough brethren willing to participate in degree and/or other work. Thank you all who helped during a degree by occupying a chair, it is your dedication and willingness to help that motivates myself and other officers to do more for masonry. All of you are an inspiration to me and I hope we will remain as productive throughout the year.

On Jan 17th we had an initial meeting about forming a new Knights Templar Commandery in Northern Virginia. Wor Barry Bartley organized meeting and it was very well attended. During the course of he meeting, it was decided that new Commandery will meet in Herndon. I have asked Wor. Rhey Solomon to do a research on open calendar days so we could facilitate this meeting with little or no impact to anyone in lodge. It surely feels great to see so many masons with purpose and dedications.
February looks as busy. On the 6th we will host Grand Master of Masons in Virginia, M.W. Terry Ellison. Please come and join us. We expect full house and the more the brethren the merrier it will be.

Our next District School is on February 15th in Mannasseh #182. We are providing SW.

Finally let me express the special thanks to our JW – brother Tom for stepping up and picking up additional parts that require memorization (he knows what I am referring to) and to our stewards who are doing an absolute awesome job. I must say that we have the best stewards in our district and these guys deserve more kudos than I can give them. Thus, I ask you brethren to show your gratitude to brothers Howie Snowdon and Kennie Capps for everything they are doing for all of us.

Thanks and I am looking forward to see you in lodge this month.

Greetings from the East. First and foremost I would like to wish everyone a lot of happiness, success and good fortune in 2012. Also, please allow me to thank one more time to all of those who helped in our installation both in formal installation part as well as in organization, setup and refreshments. I would like to start my first written communication to you by thanking you for the confidence you have placed in myself as well as our current cast of officers to lead our lodge through the next Masonic year. The feeling of being in the East is a truly humbling and overwhelming experience for me. I feel both honored and privileged to serve in this very active and dynamic lodge. I believe that we just finished a great masonic year for our lodge and it is great to see that in our lodge we have both; new brethren who are very active as well as a very active core of our Past Masters.

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.

Brethren –

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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