Brothers: (April- June 2011 Trestleboard as a PDF)

As a Fellowcraft we are taught about our wages and become eligible to receive them at the end of this degree. Mathew 20:1-16 teaches us through the parable of the owner of a vineyard that “the last shall be first, and the first shall be last; for many are called, but few chosen.” In this parable, laborers were paid their agreed about wages at the end of the day. The first hired grumbled that they received the same as the last hired. The owner pointed out that the first were not harmed by his charity with the last. Similarly, all brothers Fellowcraft are entitled to their wages. You just have to show up to receive them. Through each Trestleboard and call-‘em-all voice message, many are called, but few choose to come to receive their wages. Do not complain when you are not present to receive your wages while other Fellowcraft come and get theirs.

Being the father of the bride in March for the third time, it was brought home to me the similarity of our fraternity to a family. The sharing of brotherly love is as joyous as sharing the love within a family. My joy in giving my daughter Cym in marriage would not have been as great if I was not present at the wedding. Such joy is the wages of a loving and attendant father. Be a present brother to share the joy of our fraternity. Examine our calendar and resolve to be at many of our events.

It has been said that behind every successful man there is a woman. This is especially true for Freemasons. Our relationship with our ladies gives us strength. At Ladies at the Table on February 16, we recognized our Ladies with an evening of fun, food (Seven courses prepared by Master Chef Paul Finney of October Kitchen - www.octoberkitchen.com) and toasting to all that women do for us.

On March 16, Richard Denno talked with us on the mission of the Masonic Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Program, which is to increase the number of available donors by increasing the number of Connecticut residents signed up with the donor registry. There are 110,580 people on the National Waiting list, with someone new added to the list every 10 minutes and about 18 people die, every day, waiting, for organ transplants. In Connecticut, there are 1,246 people waiting. Additionally, over 1,000,000 people received donated tissue for transplantation last year. This includes heart valves, skin, soft tissues like tendons for sports injury repair and bone forms for a tremendous variety of uses and procedures. You can help: go to http://www.donatelifenewengland.org/register.html to become a donor or to change your donor status.

The Cookout on June 15 is both an opportunity to receive wages as a Fellowcraft and to contribute to the Masonic Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Program. The proceeds from the Cookout will go to this program. Members or the committee will give a talk on the program.

In April, the Wardens and I will be attending the Grand Lodge Session that will find us at the installation of a new Grand Master. That Grand Master will be joining us in Columbia Lodge on the evening of April 20^th for our Annual Awards Night. This year we have 37 brothers that are due service pins totaling 1,630 years of Masonic service! As a mason currently working on his 18^th Masonic year, that just blows me away. We have one brother due to receive his 70 year pin. He was raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason in October of 1941. Congratulations Brother Miller, I hope you have many more. Dinner reservation forms are included in this mailing, so please return them soon as this event is always well attended.

Our Secretary, Brother Walt, reports that dues payments are proceeding well. Please take a look in your wallet, and if you don’t have a current 2011 dues card, you may have inadvertently missed the first notice. Brother Walt inserted a second notice with this Trestleboard to those from whom he has not received a payment or a request for scheduled payments.

In the first quarter of the year, we raised three Master Masons and initialed two Entered Apprentices. We have a busy second quarter coming up, with a Fellowcraft degree scheduled on April 6^th (at which we should have four Entered Apprentices to advance), a Master Mason degree on May 18^th, and an Entered Apprentice degree on June 1^st. I hope to see some of you brothers that don’t make it to lodge regularly, coming out and visiting with us and enjoying the Masonic fellowship that is available to you.

Fraternally,
Brother Arnie