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 |  | Greetings My Brothers!
April is past us and we are quickly advancing into summer. This month we held a family supper and Bible and Apron presentation for our new Master Masons. The District Deputy Grand Master Chet King made his official visit where Bro. Lanman gave a 30 minute presentation on the history and beginnings of Pine Castle Lodge. Our Marshall Bro. Tom looked very sharp in his new tux! Mike and Chris did a great job of introducing and conducting the DDGM. We conferred the Entered Apprentice Degree upon 3 brothers and the degree team is preparing for the upcoming fellowcrafts. Watch our on line calendar for updates so you can attend.
This month the brothers voted to convert the outdated water heater system to a much more cost effective "on demand" system. Bro. Lanman lead the charge in donating $100 toward the costs which quickly grew to $600 in contributions by various brothers. In a few moments, almost half the cost of the new installation was already covered. If you would like to contribute a few dollars to the building fund, just let me know. We are working on setting up a Visa/Master Card payment system that will make it easier for brothers to make payments and contributions. More on that next month.
I have made a commitment this year to right the ships finances and tend to the needs of the brothers of Pine Castle. Together we've made progress by cutting back on under used appliances and eliminating disposable dishware. We had the stove "tuned up" and reduced our gas consumption by 30%. The "on demand" water heater should also show a reduction on the electric bill. More ideas are in the works and it all adds up. I don't want a nickel of the brother's money to be wasted!
And now I must take a hard look at our trestle board mailings. It costs well over $100 per month to print and mail out the trestle boards. While I want each and every brother to receive our monthly message, I have decided to take a count of how many need to receive it by the costly printed and mailed method. So, you will see the "Re-Subscription" coupon attached to this trestle board. I am requesting of all those whom do not have e-mail capability to fill out the coupon and mail it back to me with the needed address information. This will be the last trestle board to be mailed out to the old mailing list. Again, if you do not have e-mail, fill out the form and send it in so you can continue to get the trestle board.
Those who do have e-mail and are not registered with us, please do so at our web site www.pinecastle368.com. Those with e-mail will also receive weekly updates and photos of what is happening in your lodge. So sign up!
Brothers, as we heard at the DDGM's visit, there are some who feel it is imperative that we should "travel...travel...travel". While visiting other lodges and getting the "gavel" served a purpose some time ago, it is not really relevant to the needs of Pine Castle at this time. Some will say that traveling helps us to share in the ideas and brotherhood of other lodges. Well, I say we have plenty of great ideas right here at home and working Brothers whose time away from family is precious. They should not be coerced into running around the district. When a Brother is called away from his family in the evening, it should be for something much more important than to attend some other lodges business meeting just to collect a wooden plaque. The evening is better spent at Pine Castle working with the new brothers, holding discussion groups or helping out with building maintenance. If the ideas collected from all the traveling we've done in the past 15 years were that good, we would not be in the predicament we are in today. If we had a perfect sense of brotherhood right here at Pine Castle we would not have lost so many brothers in the past several years.
So I say ..."Stay Put...Stay Put...Stay Put !"
We owe it to our "Wayfaring Brothers" who both started this lodge and continue to support us to ensure that our building and its operations are both efficient and effective. Without this building we cannot continue to spread the Masonic message.
We've got a lot of terrific things going on here at Pine Castle. Some have told me that the second monthly discussion meetings are the best they've been to in years! Our thanks to those brothers who have each taken on a task and are working to fulfill it. It is you that are making things work so well this year.
If you are able and haven't been to lodge in a while, try to make the third Wed. meetings. You will see just how much things have changed here. And if you cannot make it to the meetings, please get your e-mail address to us. We want to stay in touch with you in whatever way we can.
P.S.
The Easter Star Spring Fling and spaghetti dinner will be held on the 8th. All Brothers and families are encouraged to come by and enjoy the dinner. Also on the 8th. The The Star is hosting a "Yard Sale" to raise funds. This is a super recycling event where stuff you no longer use finds a new home, rather than the landfill. So bring your reusable goods to lodge on the 8th.
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 | | Pine Castle Assembly has exciting news! We initiated two girls on April 18th and the officers did a wonderful job. Since we were short of help, one girl filled six stations, doing five for memory! And more exciting news....one of the new girls brought in a petition. So we are having another initiation on May 16th. You are all invited.
We sold cotton candy at the Shriners Circus and turned in $1,537.
On May 15th, we are traveling to Vierra to help serve a dinner honoring the new Worthy Grand Matron and Worthy Grand Patron and will be going to Apopka on May 23rd for our Silver Tea.
Our installation will be June 6th, a car wash on June 12th, then we are off to Grand Assembly the end of June.
The first Sunday of each month at 2 PM is our stated meeting. Please come visit.
Mom Norma
Mother Advisor
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Upcoming Events
May 1st - Masters & Wardens @ Winter Park #239 8am
May 2nd - Rainbow Assembly 6 Meeting 2pm
May 3rd - OES Meeting Honoring Rainbow,
Covered Dish Dinner @ 6:30PM
May 5th - Stated Communication 7:30pm, Dinner @6:30pm
May 6th - OES Friendship Night @ Pioneer 99
(Treasurer, Conductress, Chaplain, Ester, & Martha)
May 8th - OES Spring Fling 12p to 5p, Members have tickets.
May 10th - OES Pine Castle Chapter School of Instruction
with Athena Mock
May 12th - School of Instruction @ Winter Park #239 7pm
May 14th - OES Official Visit @ Composite 305 with Assoc. Grand Matron,
Lois Mock, if you want to win the Bell, Please Attend!
May 16th - Rainbow Assembly 6 Meeting 2pm
May 17th - OES Meeting Honoring Mothers & Sisters 7:30pm
May 19th - Stated Communication 7:30pm, Dinner @6:30pm
May 22nd - Family Breakfast 8am until 10am
May 26th - School of Instruction @ Winter Park #239 7pm
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