Prince Albert Lodge Freemasons Newsletter - June 2010

PRINCE ALBERT LODGE’s 1ST DEGREE TRACING BOARD

Brethen from the Scottish lodges who listened to the presentation with VW Bro. Dennis Johnson (WM – Prince Albert Lodge) Wor. Bro. Peter Casper, (IPM Ashton Lodge) and VW Bro. Paul Holland Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies (Yeronga Lodge).




RW Bro. Greg Goding AGM with the Entered Apprentices.

 

 

Prince Albert Lodge hosted an innovative meeting on Monday, March 22, when they invited Initiates to attend the presentation of the First Degree Tracing Board and attend they did. In fact 15 Initiates came together to hear VW Bro. Dennis Johnston give a near faultless rendition of the Tracing Board followed by a “walk around” the lodge to give a further explanation of that Tracing Board.

The Assistant Grand Master, RW Bro. Greg Goding and a team of Grand Officers were present and congratulated Prince Albert Lodge for hosting a most successful night. He complimented the two Initiates from Prince Albert Lodge, the one from Ashton Lodge, the three from Yeronga Lodge and the nine from Burleigh Lodge and those who accompanied them for being part of an excellent night. RW Bro. Goding made special mention of how good it was to have lodges with practice the Scottish Ritual being supportive of Prince Albert’s night and bringing their newly made members along. The Entered Apprentices were: Bros’ Aaron Oliver and Tony Grant, Prince Albert Lodge No 248. Bros’ Peter Clarke, Neil Hawthorne, David Hogan, Jamie Howie, Nathan Laing, John Preat, Fabian Restaino, Jarrod Seroicki, Cian Waugh from Burleigh and Meridian Lodge. Bros’ Ian Godson, Nick Jelicic, Tony Anderson from Yeronga Lodge and Bro. James McLennan from Ashton Lodge.

To add to the innovation of the evening, Prince Albert Lodge had invited professional photographer, Mr Bob Darling to attend and shoot appropriate footage of the entry and exit of the Grand Team and those who gathered for the meeting. The edited result of the film shoot and still photography will be part of the new website being developed by Prince Albert Lodge and available to all lodges on request.

DONATION TO CAMP QUALITY FOR KIDS

 

Wor. Bro. David Sherrit, Prince Albert Lodge, handing a cheque for $1000 to Brooke Kenzier of Camp Qulaity Kids for a 60gb HD Video Camera (worth $1000) to assist in the wonderful programmes Camp Quality organise for children suffering from cancer.

 

 

SECOND OF SIGNIFICANCE

What’s on this month? Why, A “Second” of course. The talented ritualists of Prince Albert Lodge will be called upon to pass Tony Grant to the degree of a Fellowcraft. Tony is keenly looking forward to this and so are we. It’s an ever-popular ceremony because of its originality, its wisdom, and the inspirational messages it conveys. Treat yourself to the opportunity of witnessing, once more, this brief but meaningful degree.

OLDIE BUT GOODIE

“Hi, Gramps!” We’ll salute the oldest member of the family at Prince Albert’s festive board this month. Now that’s something we’ve never done before. The food and festivities will relate to the patriarch of the household. Co-ordinating the event are Ross Fraser and Kev Shaw. There’ll be a special menu created by Kev’s number-one cook and sweetheart, Mavis.

IRRISISTABLE APPEAL

Buzz, buzz! Like bees around a honey pot, new members are being drawn to Prince Albert. Currently we have secured the interest of two potential Initiates and one joining member. And it’s likely there are more to come. This is indeed heartening news. It bodes well for the future. An ongoing contingent of younger members will bring new vigour and character to Prince Albert Lodge.

GET WISE

Remember, our Practice meetings aren’t held just to polish up our floor work. They also give you the chance to have your say on how you’d like Prince Albert to be run. In addition, you get a preview of the lodge’s correspondence and financial status. To be in the know, you’d be wise to regularly attend our Practice meetings.

WE HAVE HARMONY

Here’s a word of appreciation to our melodious Organist, Trevor Hickman. His distinctive musical style dignifies our meetings. Prince Albert Lodge is fortunate to have an organist who’s reliable, experienced and tuneful. It’s truly said that music adds immeasurably to our meetings.

OUT OF AFRICA

Bongo, bongo, bongo, we got a letter from the Congo. Last month, our cheery Secretary, Eric Evers, read out a letter received from our most distant member, Bob Smits, presently stationed in Africa. It was great to hear from you, Bob. We look forward to those rare occasions when you’re able to return to Prince Albert and rejoin our company.

AL AND BERT

Al and Bert are two Freemasons. Al regularly arrives at lodge with a lucky raffle prize. Sometimes it’s a bottle of plonk, sometimes a box of chockies. Bert always arrives empty handed. Al is happy to support his lodge in his own small way. Are you an Al, or are you a Bert?

INSTRUCTIVE NIGHT

Scarcely a spare seat in the house! Nearly fifty Freemasons crammed into the lodge room for Prince Albert’s meeting last month. They witnessed our Master, Dennis Johnson, explaining the First  Degree tracing board to Ben Bold. This was preceded by John Clegg’s “walk-thru” presentation of the Initiation ceremony. Several visitors later remarked that every lodge should favour their Initiates with a similar tutorial session. You could have heard a pin drop during the meeting.

SOUTH WENT EAST

Ah so! Chinese decorations adorned the supper room at Prince Albert’s May meeting. An oriental menu featured black bean beef and rice, topped off with fortune cookies and rice crispies. Optional chopsticks were provided at every table. Crazy games involving yo-yos and hula-hoops kept everyone laughing. Without doubt, John Clegg, Kess Schalkoort and Ernie Smith organised a delightful evening, thoroughly enjoyed by some fifty brethren.

BUFFING THE STONE

The Prince Albert Lodge website can be likened to a stone. At present it’s being polished. It has yet to reach its finished perfection. Page by page, it’s being shaped and refined. The end product, we hope, will effectively inform web surfers about Queensland’s happiest lodge … and maybe persuade them to join our ranks. Our sincere thanks are extended to Dennis Hickman for his generous assistance with this highly work-intensive project.

TRIM TEAM

O.K. if you had an excuse. But only five trusty Prince Albert members turned up last month to help beautify the grounds at Masonic Care, Sandgate. Thanks go to those who did their best to uphold Prince Albert’s reputation … they were our Master, Dennis Johnson, observed manhandling a whipper snipper; Ben Bold, seen entering the security gate of the Dementia Unit and not seen again; and Ross Fraser, Aaron Oliver and Bill Sondergeld, who took mowers to some wildly over-grown terrain reminiscent of Kokoda.

NAMBOUR BOUND

Would you like to experience some country-style hospitality? They keep Saturday 18 July free. That’s when Nambour Lodge will hold their Installation. They are always so glad to welcome us, just as we are happy to welcome them when they make their regular visits to PAL. Several cars are expected to be heading north for the Installation. There’s sure to be a spare seat for you if you’d prefer not to drive.

NEWSWORTHY ITEM

Such is fame. Prince Albert Lodge got a double mention in the May edition of The Queensland Freemason. Featured prominently was our recent meeting attended by 15 Entered Apprentices. There were two colourful photographs of the event, one showing our Master, Dennis Johnson. On another page, our IPM, David Sherrit, was pictured presenting Prince Albert Lodge's gift to Camp Quality for Kids - a JVC video camera and associated equipment.

TALENTED DUO

Prince Albert Lodge takes its name from Queen Victoria's Consort. The royal couple were married in 1840. Albert was a gifted, intellectual man who became the Queen's chief adviser in political and cultural matters. He organised the spectacular and highly successful International Exhibition of 1851. He died in 1861. Prince Albert had been an accomplished organist and composer. Two of his anthems were sung in Westminster Abbey at Queen Victoria's jubilees. The Queen's reign lasted 64 years.

HIDDEN MESSAGE

Have you noticed how our visitors enliven Prince Albert's meetings and enrich our fellowship. They visit us because we visit them. Is there a message here?

FIRST TO FOLLOW

Wot? Another Initiation? Yes, next month Prince Albert Lodge is expected to welcome yet another new member into the fraternity. We anticipate a capacity attendance on the night. So if you want a good seat, be early for the July meeting. This is a sure sign of progress for Prince Albert. And we're confident further progress is just around the corner.

FLASHBACK

Some words of wisdom, taken from Prince Albert's newsletter of October 1986: A lodge should be a growing entity. The growth process is essential to its survival. The growth of our lodge is governed by the extent to which we share our gifts with others. The gifts Prince Albert has in profusion include ...

These are magic ingredients, brethren. Let us use them wisely and well. They will ensure the constant and continual growth of Prince Albert.

TWO SEAS

There are two seas in Palestine. One is fresh, and fish are in it. Splashes of green adorn its banks. Trees spread their branches over it, and stretch out their thirsty roots to sip of its healing water. Along its shores, the children play.

The River Jordan makes this sea with splashing water from the hills. So it laughs in the sunshine, and men build their houses near to it, and birds their nests.

The River Jordan then flows on south into another sea. Here is no splash of fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of birds, no children’s laughter. Travellers  choose another route unless on urgent business. The air hangs heavily above the waters, and neither man nor beast nor fowl will drink.

What makes this difference in these neighbouring seas? Not the River Jordan. It empties the same good water into both. Not the soil in which they lie, nor the country round about.

This is the difference: The Sea of Galilee receives but does not keep the Jordan. For every drop that flows into it, another drop flows out. The giving and receiving go on in equal measure. The other sea is shrewder, hoarding its income jealously. It will not be tempted into any generous impulse. Every drop it gets, it keeps. But the Sea of Galilee gives and lives. The other sea gives nothing. It is named Dead Sea.

 

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