Secretary Notes

From our Secretary

Secretaries Notes:

They say that March winds bring April Showers and May Flowers. Well, my Brothers, you had to stay out of the way in March or get blown away with all of the activities, but April will rain down with much, much more, and some very important activities to show why we are Masons. So, let’s get started:

Brother John Lovill, a 35 year member of Marion-Dunn Lodge this year, is welcoming his daughter and son-in-law and their children to Ocala, but the circumstances are not as we would want. Staff Sgt. John Borders was driving his Humvee in Iraq on January 5, 2005 when he hit one of those infamous IED and got blown up. He has spent the last 26 months in Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington and has undergone an incredible 54 surgeries, John’s wife, Nina reports. He lost his right leg, almost lost his left leg, and had more injuries than most people would want to read about.

Sgt. Borders, a native of Columbus, Ohio (you know, Ohio State) has always loved Florida, and he wants to continue his military career. He will be stationed at McDill AFB in Tampa at this time, and will make Ocala his home, along with wife Mollie, herself a veteran of seven years service, and their two children, 14 year old Brittany and four year old Zander. On April 12, Harley-Davidson of Ocala and Rolling Thunder® are staging a motorcycle ride and other events to help the Borders family in their effort to get a handicap accessible home.

Cost of the ride is $15, and you can register at Harley Davidson at 5331 N US Hwy 441, north of Ocala. In addition, there is a silent auction from 9 am to 3 p.m. with items from Jimmy Buffet, Lee Greenwood, Charlie Daniels, Larry The Cable Guy, Gary Sinise and many more. U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez will also be in attendance.

There will be vendors, lots of food, a 50/50 drawing, a raffle, and loads of music, and lots for you do at the Harley Store that day. You can get information from Ray Thompson at 813-230-9750. You can also visit the website at www.rollingthunderfl7.com.

We hope to have Sgt. Borders and his family and the Lovills here on April 17 at Family Night. Meantime, stop out at the Harley Store and let’s help Brother Lovill’s son-in-law. And thank you, Sgt. Borders, for your service to our country!

One of the surprises of Family Night was when R W Jeff Miller showed up to Lodge with Brother Mel Tillis, the King of Country Humor and Country Music, who had dinner with us, posed for pictures, and sat in Lodge with us.

Brother Tillis, who lives just east of the Ocklawaha River, is lending his name and his efforts to raise funds and awareness for the Champion of Children’s Causes, the Shriners’ Hospitals for Children, with the “Mel Tillis and Friends Fishing Tournament”.

The tournament is being held on Saturday, April 12, at Steinhatchee, and Mel has invited his friends and other country stars to attend the fishing tournament, and at 8 p.m. Tillis and his band, The Statesiders will be performing a benefit concert at 8:00 p.m. at the Gulfstream Motel & Marina in Steinhatchee, Florida. Tickets are $20 and children are free with advance ticket purchases.

Celebrities confirmed to be at the tournament include Ira Dean from Trick Pony, Bobby Goldsboro and Little Jimmy Dickens, plus others lining up.

Check the Fishing with Mel website at www.fishingwithmel.com to see others who will be on hand and what prizes have been lined up. The entire weekend is sure to have surprises in store.

New this year, is a boat raffle to benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Tickets are only $10 each, and only 3000 tickets are being sold. The boat is a ’07 Triton Boat equipped with a 50hp Mercury Motor, and a Road King Galvanized Trailer, courtesy of Millers Boating Center of Ocala.

Boat rides on the beautiful Steinhatchee River are available for charitable donations to go to the Shriners’s Hospitals for Children. So come out and get a boat ride on the beautiful Steinhatchee River.

Brother Tillis is a member of the Branson, MO Lodge, and has painted a beautiful history of Masonry as a fund raiser for the Scottish Rite charities. He was a big hit as he visited in our Lodge with Brothers and their wives.

And if you still want something to do that weekend, stop by the Suwannee River Campground and spend a few hours with Brothers at the Second Annual Masonic Campathon. You just might get to watch Brothers Ladd Poehlman and Randy Strong argue about how to cook whatever it is they plan to cook. Just understand, no matter the argument, the food is delicious!

Secretary:

Talk show hosts say they have a “stack of stuff” on their desks from which they plan their daily shows. The same might be said of my desk. That is a nice way of saying it some times goes from messy to very messy, and that is the situation today as I try to find the words that will inspire you to call with names of your prospects for membership in our Fraternity.

Maybe the photograph of Worshipful Mark Shaffer, who was Master when I was Raised a Master Mason, presenting aprons to Louie Franklin Wise 3rd and old friend Bob Taylor. Presentation of those aprons comes after these new Masons have completed presentation of their catechisms to the Lodge, and is an important part of Masonry. Recently, I have had called from families of Brothers who have been called to the Celestial Lodge Above asking about “Daddy’s White Masonic Apron,” and how it should be handled. “He told us it was very important, but I am not sure what I should do,” is usually the question.

Members of the Craft know how important that apron is to a Master Mason. And maybe that importance will cause you to call with the name of a friend you would like to see come into the Lodge.

Maybe the picture of Worshipful John Story on the ladder installing a new American flag on our flag pole will make you think of someone who appreciates the patriotism that Masons feel, and the way we honor our veterans of military service. Brother John has been a tremendous help around the Lodge for several years, and especially after his retirement 18 months ago. He, like most of our Brothers, is willing to step in and help where needed, and we need more like him. Thanks, Brother John Story, for the inspiration you are to many of us -- even to my Grandson, Spencer, who was concerned when your picture as Master came down. “Where happened to Mr. Story, Granddaddy,” he asked. Spencer is happy now that John Story has taken his place among the Past Masters in the Lobby.

Perhaps it you know a young man who might fit into our new DeMolay chapter, or a young lady who is the right age for Rainbow Girls, and you want to recommend their father to the Lodge as a member. Both DeMolay and Rainbow are recruiting new members, and they will appreciate any prospects you may have for them too.

Maybe the picture above at right of the crew from the City of Ocala installing the new irrigation lines at the Lodge as part of the beautification program undertaken by the City of Ocala under the terms of our lease of the Lodge property for use by the city in their Parks and Recreation Department.

The dedication of Marion-Dunn Masonic Park and the sign that will be unveiled at 4:30 p.m. on March 20 will provide untold visibility and advertising for the Lodge, and will let people know that Masons help provide for the young people of Ocala.

The water lines, by the way, will use recycled water that had undergone extensive treatment at the nearby sewer plant, and will keep the new oak and crepe myrtle trees the city is installing watered.

So perhaps seeing this picture will remind you of someone at the City, someone in recreation, the parent of a child you know who participates in one of the sports programs, and you will want to have us send them an invitation to Brother Bring A Friend night.

The Master and Officers of Marion-Dunn Lodge hope you will come to the dedication of Marion-Dunn Masonic Park and unveiling of the sign designating the park at 4:30 p.m. on March 20. For more than 30 years, the children of Ocala have used the land owned by Marion-Dunn Lodge, and the lease merely formalizes the usage and provides visibility and recognition for the Craft.

So, please give the office a call with names you would like to have invited to Brother Bring A Friend night. We will take care of the rest, and see if we can have a large class ready for the 2008 Outdoor Degree, to be held this year on October 25 at 3 p.m. Put that date on your calendar and plan to attend.

Meanwhile, on normal Secretarial items, please check your dues card. If it does not say 2008, please take a moment and write your check for $88.65 and drop it in the mail. We will be sending out reminder statements in a couple of weeks, and you can help us save some expense if you will get your dues payments in now.

We are here to provide any assistance we can. Give bus a call or stop by anytime.

— pwf

And a chilly February greeting to you,

From humble beginnings come great things . . .

One of the things that Masons do with pride is serve in the Memorial Lodge at a Brother’s final services, and this was the case January 26 as a group of your Brothers met at a beautiful church in a tiny community in North Marion County to pay tribute to a 47 year member of Marion-Dunn Lodge, Brother Bill Dean.

He came from an era that was much slower and much more pleasant – maybe the only thing that is the same is that historic Fairfield Presbyterian Church where Brother Bill Dean was buried.

Born just a few hundred yards to the east, Bill Dean worked for the Ocala Police Department and later for Marion County Sheriff Doug Willis when I was a young reporter and spent a lot of time riding with cops. He was admitted to Masonry in 1961 when the Lodge was on Silver Springs Blvd. adjacent to SunTrust, and has always called Marion-Dunn his home Lodge.

I lost track of him when he left Ocala and went to Florida State University and where he got his degree, then on to the University of Georgia for more education and service as police chief, when on to the International Association of Chiefs of Police where he became nationally known.

Another old friend, Sheriff Don Moreland and others at his burial gave this local boy from Fairfield credit for the accreditation programs used across American for law enforcement, programs that are in use locally at OPD and the MCSO.

That, my Brothers, is an accomplishment.

His youngest son and Brother, Emory Dean called from Forsyth, Ga. where Brother William Thomas Dean and his wife raised their family to tell the Lodge of his death and request a Masonic service. And he also asked to be able to stand with his Brothers to pay tribute to his Father and his Brother.

Rural Marion County played such a major part on our county in so many years when we were young. There were Lodges in more places; the women of every little church held the absolute best dinners before political “speakings” that attracted large crowds of people. The ladies of Fairfield Presbyterian turned out Saturday and served up a wonderful lunch that a thoroughly chilly group enjoyed! It was more like a north Georgia January morning than a sunny Florida day, but the warmth of the Dean family made up for the cold, windy weather.

And this service brought back to mind again the need that the late Worshipful Ben Ayres asked me to stress to our Brothers before he died: we need Brothers to volunteer to assist the Memorial Lodge in paying tribute to our departed Brothers.

Worshipful George Young is Master of the Memorial Lodge and does a wonderful job serving the 15th District of Masonic fraternity. In addition. Right Worshipful Ralph Shollenberger, Secretary of Friendship Lodge, also is available whenever he is called on to provide funeral services to Masonic Brothers.

So, if you would like to volunteer to be called on occasionally to serve as part of the Memorial Lodge of the 15th Masonic District, please call me and give me your name and phone number. It is a duty that becomes a privilege, and one that warms the heart – even on a cold day! It is a beautiful service and one that is provided whenever a fallen Brother’s family requests Masonic services.

And membership in Memorial Lodge is only $10 a year and that pays all the expenses of the Lodge. Join today, please! We can help make that happen. Give is a call.

Worshipful John Story and I stopped by Munroe Memorial to see Right Worshipful B.F. Shealy on our way back from Fairfield, and we could have convened a Lodge of Master Masons, with Right Honorable Russ Poehlman, Right Honorable Greg Wilson, and Worshipful Ladd Poehlman and Brother Pierre Alghannam and his son, Richard Shealy. We found Brother B. F. sitting in his chair, in good spirits, alert, and able to understand everything around him. Unfortunately, at this time, he has trouble talking.

I know this wonderful inspiration to all of us would ask for your prayers that he will be able to join us in the Lodge on March 28 when he will celebrate his 50th anniversary in this Fraternity he loves so much! He has taught us all more about Masonry by the manner that he has carried himself and lived his life, always making others feel better, and fulfilling the statement” Masons make good men better!”

Senior Warden Ken Shaw will be busy putting together our annual Brother Bring a Friend program for March 20, and rather than send additional papers in this issue of the Trestleboard, and asking you to find a postage stamp to send back names of people you would like to recommend we invite to this important event, please just pick up the telephone and call the Lodge office.

All you need is the name and address of your prospect, and we will make sure they get a letter, some basis Masonic information and a special invitation in your name. We need to get the invitations in the mail as soon as possible so your prospect can get this important event on their calendar, so please call today.

The number is 694-2461, and we are here every morning and most afternoons. If we are not here, please leave a message or a number and we will call you back. Lets make this the best Brother Bring a friend ever! — pwf

Greetings My Brothers All,

“I read your Trestleboard and you have so many exciting things happening.”

So said Most Worshipful Robert P. Harry Jr., Grand Master of Masons in Florida.

He was pleased when he and the Grand Line officers were invited by Worshipful Master John Story to be on hand for the dedication next Spring of the new Marion-Dunn Masonic Park to be named by the City of Ocala.

Grand Lodge is excited we have been able to work out an agreement, passed unanimously without a negative vote by the Craft. One of the things a Lodge can do to serve is to work with the community to assist youth, and recreation is a great way to accomplish this.

On a personal note I am thankful for the support of so many of my Brothers as we have worked through the approval of the lease. Some of you came up with very good ideas for improvements, and Worshipful John Story is appointing an over sight committee to help with the development of plans for the landscaping to be installed and our park.

Successful development of anything like this continuing program with the City of Ocala is not an “I” thing. Rather, it is something that comes only with the involvement of all of our officers and with those Brothers who want to be involved.

Past Master Worshipful Frank Goodwin recalled kids practicing youth football on Lodge property way back when he was Master in 1983, and the relationship with the City has been good. Worshipful Mark Shaffer emotionally described the work of Masons in the Blue Lodge, Scottish Rite, Shrine and other appendent orders, and told our Brothers that helping even one child will make the lease worthwhile.

In the days just prior to the vote came a Maryland newspaper story about a 22-year-old Brother of Marion Dunn Lodge, Ryan Mellinger, now a senior at McDaniel College in Maryland, studying something called Thermoluminescience on a football scholarship. I haven’t a clue what that is (even after reading a description), but I know this bright young future scientist got his start in football with the Cowboys who have used our western property for more than 15 years, and who for many years did all of the maintenance on it themselves. I am personally proud of this brilliant young Brother.

But I digress from the Grand Master’s Official Visit:

He and Most Worshipful Robert Trump, our immediate Past Grand Master, were delighted, as was Right Worshipful William P. Furse Jr., District Deputy Grand Master, that we now have our DeMolay Chapter up and running, and was so pleased when Chapter Dad Jimmy Dionne told him the new initiates have already held their first meeting and are exciting about DeMolay. “Our future is in our youth,” they all said.

Frankly, I can not imagine a bigger smile than the one Dad Jimmy had as the two Grand Masters talked with him about his very important role in DeMolay. And for those who do not know, Brother Jimmy was raised a Master Mason just one year ago this month. His activity in so many ways, his total cooperative spirit, his willingness to work at so many times at physical labor, and his interest in learning will take him a long way in this Fraternity of Brothers. Our forefathers were right in teaching us to become Masons who best can work and best agree.

The Grand Master was also complimentary of Right Honorable Greg Wilson, our District 15 Instructor, of his articles in the Trestleboard, where our Past Master has been passing along information to the Brothers to help them understand Freemasonry a bit better.

And, before I forget it, W? Greg Wilson’s beautiful wife, Martha, did a wonderful job for RW Furse handling decorations for the Grand Master’s visit. She used a fall decor, and was inviting and pleasing to all. For all us Brothers, thank you, Martha!”

And, also before I forget it again, decorations at our Family Night dinners this year have been obtained and arranged by Brother Jimmy Dionne’s talented wife, Stacey, and we all have enjoyed the result of her hard work.

And as we come to the end of another year, I would like to thank all of your officers I have been honored to serve as your Lodge Secretary. They have all been faithful to the Craft, honorable and committed, and I shall always be an admiring fan of our Master, John Story, who I expected to be the very quiet, unassuming man and Brother I had known these past few years. Worshipful John in January stepped forward and became the Leader that Masonry can develop. His knowledge of Masonry, his ability to work for and within an organization, and willingness to give of his time and talent has made this year successful and enjoyable.

Finally, it is my duty as your Secretary, to call attention one last time to those Brothers who have not yet paid their 2007 dues. You can quickly determine by checking your Dues Card -- if it does not say 2007, you have probably already received a Final Notice and Summons. This gives you the opportunity to explain if you are having a hard time, and thus allow the Lodge to assist you.

Grand Lodge requires that suspension of members be made by the end of the Masonic Year on Dec. 26. Please check your dues card, or call us at the office if in doubt. We do not want to suspend anyone because of a misunderstanding.

Meanwhile, what a great organization we could have if all the sleeping Masons would wake up, the luke warm Masons would fire up, and the disgruntled Masons would sweeten up.

Try it, Studwell. It works!

— pwf

Secretary Column for September 2007

It has been a long and hot summer, maybe the hottest I remember. My memory may not be as sharp as it once was, but I know this was one hot summer. It was also a very active one for me, since I was on hand every day when the YMCA Summer Youth Camp spent part of the day with us in the dining room as part of Marion-Dunn Lodge’s Community Outreach program.

Not only did we provide assistance to the YMCA, for which Executive Director Ben Marchiano sends his thanks to every member of the Lodge, but there was surprising interest on the part of the young people, especially in the more than 100 portraits of the Masters of Marion-Dunn Lodge hanging in the lobby.

“Who were all these men,” we were frequently asked. “Are they presidents of the United States?” Or “Why do you have their pictures in here.”

They understood that these men were very important people, and when their parents came to pick them up after camp, many of them brought parents came inside and showed off our Past Masters. Several wives commented wistfully, “My Dad was a Mason,” or My Grandfather was a Mason.” Several even said they planned to tell their husbands about the Lodge, how we cooperated with the YMCA Summer Camp. Who knows what the future will hold? Perhaps some of the fathers of those young children will come join us at Lodge.

My thanks to Worshipful John Story who sat in for me when I had errands to do while the YMCA was here. I have come to appreciate John in so many ways this year, and he is involved in almost everything that happens. His retirement from Social Security has come at a great time for Marion-Dunn Lodge.

Then we have the story of Lindsey Moates, the young Ocala lass who graduated in May from Forest High School where she was a standout softball pitcher. Lindsey went about the community raising her share of the funds it took as a member of the USA Softball Team to participate in the Goodwill Games in Chantili, Italy, and she came to visit the Lodge in July seeking help.

As Masons are likely to do, our Brothers contributed when the hat was passed, and Lindsey was able to get strong assistance from us. Well, our little Ocala lady took Italy like a storm. She was the Goodwill Games Most Valuable pitcher, she tossed a perfect game, and did not allow a hit or a run during the tournament. And Team USA won the Good Will Games.

Members of Team USA has a head start on the selection process for the next Olympic Games team representing America, and we may well next see Leslie with that windmill windup and then that whipsaw action as she uses her talent to represent us all.

I have never played fast pitch softball, but I have watched with awe as the ladies play on TV, and I am glad Lindsey isn’t unleashing one of her fastballs at me. She will now take her talent to Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, Pa., where she has a full athletic scholarship at the Division I school.

Congratulations on your successes Lindsey, and have a great career as a student and player!

One of the really “nice guys” in Masonry will be visiting Sept. 6 and it would be wonderful to have a large turnout for him and his group of committee volunteers. That’s when District Deputy Grand Master Bill Furse pays his Official Visit to Marion-Dunn, the largest Lodge in the 15th District and Zone 4. If you live in the Ocala area, please make that special effort to come to Lodge and enjoy the work your Brothers are doing for the Fraternity.

I have been as guilty as the next Brother at missing some of the official visits of our District Deputy Grand Masters, but the message they bring and the work of their committeemen is vital if our fraternity is to continue in existence.

After all, for more than 150 years Marion-Dunn Lodge has worked to further community improvement. For more than 100 years the Lodge has supported our truly great Masonic Home. Even one of our correspondents at one time pushed support for that home.

Finally, my Brothers, we have had an excellent relationship with the City of Ocala under the terms of our property lease we signed last winter. Never in my recollection have the grounds been kept in better condition, as they agreed. Discussion on a new lease will take place at our Family night meeting this month and at Men’s night in October, and it will come to a vote at Family Night in October.

The Last Word: If you have questions on any subject, the best place to take them is where you can find the answers. It doesn’t do any good to complain to those who can not help. And if you are not part of the solution, you may be the problem. So, please come where peace and harmony prevails.— pwf

Secretary August 2007

Attendance at Masonic functions is on the move! Marion-Dunn Lodge has seen attendance increase throughout the year, and the same is true as you travel throughout the District.

More than 45 – including nine or ten from Marion-Dunn Lodge – were in attendance at a Master’s degree in Belleview Lodge No. 95 on July 26, and the largest attendance at a District 15 District Association meeting in quite a while was on hand at Ornan Lodge No. 117 at Williston the next night.

Then on July 28, the dining room was jam packed and the Lodge room overflowed with almost 120 beautiful young ladies from Rainbow Assemblies across the state, as the Grand Family visited Marion-Dunn Lodge for an event hosted by Rainbow Districts 10, 11 and 23.

Our Men’s Night meeting attendance has grown, as has attendance at our Family Night programs. Attendance has grown also at Open Books, where Masons have the opportunity to read the correct words for every Masonic degree and meeting. District Instructor Right Honorable Greg Wilson, Zone 4 Chairman of the Committee on Work, Right Worshipful Jeff Miller along with the Chairman on the state Committee on Work, Grand Orator Fred Latsko are on hand to answer any questions and assist in any way they can. They urge you to visit Open Books.

Perhaps most important, for it gives new Masons a good start in the fraternity, has been the increase in attendance at Degrees recently. When our new Brothers see 20 to 40 sitting on the sidelines to welcome them into Freemasonry, it creates a lasting impression.

Why the increase in attendance? Maybe for many reasons, but all of the publicity in print and television and movies has certainly caused a rejuvenation of interest in Freemasonry, and we are attracting many young people into the Craft.

We have presented petitions for at least a half dozen candidates in the past year who came to us after doing their own investigation online, and after reading the Marion-Dunn website. I urge you to call up wwwmariondunnlodge.com and read the information that is available. And share the wqeb site with your friends and neighbors.

Youth is the future of our Fraternity, and as Brother Jim Cornelison told us when he brought his grandson, Ryan Mellinger, in last year to pick up a petition, “We need to find our own replacement.” We have another petition awaiting a 21st birthday next month—another Masonic grandson— and then it will go before the Lodge for ballot.

And...we get phone calls: Ron O’Guin called from Memphis to say hello. He talked with good memories being raised out doors in Mt Dora as a courtesy to Marion-Dunn in October, 1987, sent good wishes to Mark Shafer, Les King and other friends. The same is true of James Dicksey, who called from Texas to call to my attention a mistake, something we were happy to correct. And Michael Tandy called from Panama City to talk about the fraternity.

And, hopefully, you can see the interest in the fraternity with the number of Brothers and their wives who are willing to assist with the formation of the new Marion Chapter of the Order of DeMolay. You can all participate in some way: as adult advisors, as Chapter Dads, as parents who encourage their sons and grandsons to take a look at DeMolay.

It is a great organization to build character, to teach leadership, to learn educational skills, and perhaps to find college scholarships. We have a good DeMolay CD for you and your child, or perhaps a neighbor’s child or an employee’s son, to watch and investigate. They are free — just call us and request one.

Meanwhile, come sit in on the training session August 25. It is painless, it is interesting, and you will see how DeMolay makes sure your child or grandson is in safe hands with DeMolay. Right Worshipful Carl Edgerton, who has volunteered to serve as our Adult Advisory Council Chair, will be conducting the training. There is no obligation, and you will enjoy the fellowship.

And it will not be long until we are hosting events to find the young men who will be DeMolays!

Finally, many thanks to all the members who helped us raise money for Lindsey Moates, a recent graduate of Forest High School, who is a part of Team USA of women’s softball, and will represent the USA at the Chianti Goodwill Games in San Casciano, Italy Aug. 6-15. She was the star at the Forest team with an 18-2 record, and has earned a scholarship to Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, PA.

Members of the U.S. Olympic team are chosen from Team USA, so we may see Lindsey throwing a softball in the next Olympics! And you will have helped play a part!

July 2007

Happy Fourth of July to each of you as Americans. To many, “the 4th” is just a day not to work, a day to eat more than we need, a day to shoot off firecrackers. To many of us with more than a few years behind us, it has been a day when we went to parades, watched Veterans in uniforms that probably used to fit marching down the street with a flag, perhaps many flags, in front or behind them, bands marching, and little kids saluting as the veterans and the flags went by. Today, we don’t parade much anymore -- we’re spoiled by air conditioning.

We as youngsters never really understood what was happening. We just remembered the blackouts of World War 2, when a siren went off while we were sitting around the big floor model radio, listening to H.V. Kaltenborn, Edward R. Murrow, The Lone Ranger, Amos and Andy and whoever else. When the siren went off, the lights went out, and a Air Raid Warden walked the neighborhood to make sure no lights were on in case one of those enemy bombers made its way to Charleston, W. VA., one of the prime targets of World War II.

We remember the white oleo with a yellow capsule to color it, food stamps not because we were poor, but because food was rationed. Cars went up on blocks to preserve the tires, and we actually walked or rode buses because gas was rationed.

In my hometown of Charleston, we had twin-trailers transformed into buses and pulled by a cab, taking the men who were still at home working and the women that replaced those in service in the defense plants that made synthetic rubber for tires, chemicals, munitions, implements and whatever else was needed by the war machine in Europe and the South Pacific.

We celebrated V-E Day when the German Army surrendered, we and then came V-J Day when the Japanese surrendered, and the “war to end all wars” was over. Of course, war has continued almost continuously since 1945, and continues today.

A dozen or so years later, in my previous life as a newspaper reporter and columnist, I covered some of those events, and wrote more than a few stories about the men and women – those veterans – who came home and resumed their lives. Their stories were not brash and they didn’t brag. They simply told their story, almost always giving more credit to their buddies than trying to claim it for themselves.

I can not remember ever coming across a story that captured my attention like the story of Sgt. John Kriesel, and his being made a Mason At Sight in Washington, D.C. My mother had five brothers serve in World War II, one a POW from the fall of Wake Island in December 1941 until V-J day. Uncle Kenneth was badly treated and came back many pounds lighter, but none of my uncles were severely wounded, none like this brave, courageous young American.

Sgt. Kriesel said when he enlisted at age 17, he was given a tee shirt that said “It All Starts With Attitude.” And is “attitude” that so impresses me about this young man. He had terrible misfortune last December when his Humvee struck a buried bomb, killing two, and blowing the Sergeant’s legs off.

His attitude is positive. He refuses to have a pity party. He looks forward not back. He is proud of his country. He is proud of his unit. He misses his colleagues. He mourns those who died in that terrible Humvee incident. He looked to his wife, his sons, his family and his faith. He talked to his father-in-law, a Mason of more than 20 years standing. He liked what he saw, and he wanted to become a Mason.

Masonry responded. A patient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, he was in the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Washington D.C. The Grand Lodge of Minnesota requested permission to make him a Mason At Sight at Walter Reed. When his medical condition prevented this from happening as first planned, Masonry responded by creating another opportunity, and rather than the Grand Master of Minnesota, and Grand Master Robert B. Heyat obligated our new Brother.

Masonry carries with it principles and traditions, but Masonry has always adapted to situations when necessary. We have members in our Lodge who, during World War 2, were Initiated, Passed and Raised within a day or two. They gave of themselves and served our country to make sure we can honor our flag, and celebrate our freedom, and we should celebrate and honor our veterans.

May I suggest you stop by the Lodge and read the full story of Sgt. Kriesel from “The Voice of Freemasonry,” publication of the Grand Lodge of DC which tells in words and pictures the story of this wonderful example of Freemasonry; this example of Attitude (with a capital A); this example of Freedom.

I have printed out a copy which you may read at the Lodge, or you may go to http://dcgrandlodge.org/ and click on “The Voice of Freemasonry.” You will want to read Volume 24 No. 2.

It will make you understand why Ollie North says “His is a story worth being told” on his FOX News War Stories program.

And to our Brothers and their ladies who have served: Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice.

I hope all of our Veterans will make it a point to attend a Fourth of July program, to visit this or some Lodge, to sit down and tell your grandchildren, some one younger than you the story of World War II or whenever you served. If not you telling them about Freedom, who? If not now, when? Yours is a story worth being told!

June 2007

Brethren,

Grand Lodge is the big event for the middle of the year, what with a batch of proposed legislation for your officers to wade through and understand, with the election of a new Grand Junior Warden and the ratification of the rest of the Grand Line on Tuesday, and the installation on Wednesday.

It will wind up a very busy month for your Lodge, for we have presented two Entered Apprentice Degrees, two Fellowcraft Degrees, and the raised seven new Master Masons on May 26. It has been an exciting period!

There is a growing interest in Freemasonry among young people, and we hope it continues. All across the country and across the state, every fraternal body sees its membership getting grayer (that means older) and if we do not reach out to younger members we will cease to exist.

RW Norm Anders, who spoke at our Fraternal Affairs Night on the Order of Amaranth, recalled that Florida had 50 Courts of Amaranth when he moved to Florida in 1990. Today, there are only 23 chapters. Amaranth last year gave $657,000 to diabetes research, something that affects young and old. He urged wives of Masons, mothers, sisters, daughters to join Amaranth.

W John Story sometime ago announced the Lodge would “adopt” a soldier each year, and he chose for 2007 PFC Christina K. Stentiford, the daughter a mighty proud papa, Tiler Robert C. Stentiford Jr. She is serving as a Paralegal Specialist with the JAG Corps in South Korea, and loves the military life. Next time you are in the Lodge, you will see her beautiful face on the wall in the lobby.

Meanwhile, we have another picture on the wall, this one of 2005-2006 Grand Worthy Advisor Sara McConnell ( upper right) of Order of the Rainbow that hangs in the Dining Room, where the Past Grand Matrons and Past Grand Patrons of the Eastern Star and all the past Matrons of Star for many years are hanging.

The picture at right shows Sara, a Georgia Tech senior studying architecture, as she is in Greece for the summer, says her father, Past Master Dave McConnell. Sara and her sister, Elizabeth, have been very active in Ocala Chapter 66, order of Rainbow, as well as in the state organization. It has been excellent training for both -- the training that can be available to your daughters and/or granddaughters or nieces.

Finally, you and your Brothers have been excellent in keeping up to date on your dues and in your support for our lapel pin fund raiser. But we do have a few who have not yet paid their 2007 dues. We will send out a notice to those with unpaid dues shortly, and you can help us save money by dropping a check soon. Postage costs have increased, the City of Ocala has added a new fire tax that costs about $900 a year, insurance is up, electric power is up, and to offset many of these items, we have been able to allow other groups to utilize our dining room facilities from time to time. But we need your help. So please, stop and drop us a check for your dues if they remain unpaid. We all thank you!

May 2007

Our Brother Bring A Friend Night was nothing short of a huge success. Not only did we have a full house for Junior Warden Ken Shaw’s wonderful meal, but Senior Warden Paul Duscher came up with an outstanding film on Freemasonry, and Worshipful Mark Shaffer did his as always good job of antidotes to spark the interest of our visitors.

We received four petitions in our Lodge business session from people who had responded to information we included in the invitation packets and had their petitions ready to be presented to the Lodge. We have at least four more that will be ready for the Lodge to receive at our next Men’s night, and expect to receive another three or four as a result of the favorable impression our visitors received.

So Thank You goes to all of those who provided the names that made up the invitation list.

One of the most interesting things is the tremendous interest in Freemasonry among the young. There was a period of time where the opposite was true, but in talking to some of our younger initiates, they tell of the need for something other than what they get from their contemporaries, from their work, and from their recreation. Many have been introduced to Masonry as a result of the programs on the History Channel, and some have learned about us from the Internet -- it is surprising the number of calls that come from total strangers who happen upon our web page. We have referred three potential candidates to Lodges in the Orlando area because of the interest they `had after reading our web site.

Worshipful David McConnell was busy helping with the Rainbow Girls Car Wash on April 14, plugging away as the girls washed cars from 9 a.m. until after noon, and he took a break and went home.

That night, he felt rather poorly, perhaps more descriptively, felt real bad and in the middle of the night, Joanne decided he needed to go to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a very bad gall bladder, and under went emergency surgery to remove it.

But you can’t keep a good Mason down for long, and our Past Master was on hand four days later for Brother Bring a Friend night, walking a bit gingerly, but feeling pretty good. Worshipful John Story found a neat musical get well card which the Brothers signed and presented to him in Lodge. We are glad to see him back and recovering very nicely.

Proposed Legislation to be considered at Grand Lodge will be reviewed at the Zone 4 Legislative Meeting on May 10 at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Ocala at 7 p.m.

All Master Masons are invited to attend the meeting. On hand to discuss the proposed legislation will be Most Worshipful Robert D. Trump, Grand Master of Masons in Florida, and Most Worshipful Elmer Coffman, Past Grand Master and Grand Treasurer of Masons in Florida.

Marion-Dunn Lodge will do a large Child ID Program June 2nd at the Marion County Public Library on June 2.

This could be the largest Child ID shoot in the county, for it is at the kickoff of a summer reading program sponsored by the Library. They are expecting several hundred youngsters, and all are prospects for Child ID. The new cameras allow us to provide parents with a small computer disc with their child’s photograph taken in several views, and a brief interview with sound. Should a child be missing, you can give that disc to any law enforcement officer and almost immediately, it can be broadcast to every law enforcement computer in the country.

We will start at 9 a.m. and take pictures until 1 p.m., and we are going to need a lot of help. Hopefully, we can get several of the young ladies from Rainbow Girls to assist in the paper work, and will have enough help from the Lodge to run all three cameras of the 15th District to take care of the volume of young children who will be on hand at the event.

The 15th District provides all of the equipment, including the computer discs, the paper work necessary, and the storage envelopes. Each Lodge has been asked to contribute $75 a year to help pay for the discs. We will use that amount of materials for this one Child ID shoot.

Please mark the date down and come help.

April 2007

Secretary's Notes...

My Brothers, at least once a week, we are visited by a Brother from out of state and we get the opportunity to discuss the status of Freemasonry elsewhere around the country -- and once in a while, overseas.

Generally, they stop by because they admire the beautiful Lodge we have, and they want to not only see the inside of our Lodge, but they want to share successes and failures.

Likewise, we get to visit with our own members who now live out of state, and with many of our older members who cherish the memories of their affiliation with the Lodge and the Fraternity.

And we usually get around to talking about new members, how to find them, and how to bridge that always present problem of “but I am so busy now.”

I have always been very busy, what with my newspaper gig, our commercial printing business, and my almost constant involvement with government and politics, and I understand that time problem, but at least in our home, it is a matter of priorities -- my bride of almost 50 years and I can always find time to do what we want to do.

All of this is to talk about “Brother Bring A Friend Night” that comes up April 19 at our Family Night. Even our out of state visitors sometimes come up with prospects -- after Open Books on March 24, we met a visiting Master from New York -- visiting his sister on her “dreaded” 50th birthday, and he gave us the name and address of his brother-in-law. Then, while having breakfast with another Brother, two friends of his came up, one of them a past master of a military lodge in Germany, Worshipful Omar Kyle Green, who will likely visit the Lodge April 19.

While waiting for that birthday party to start, a couple was looking over the Eastern Star display case, and the lady noted her mother is a past Worthy Matron in Miami, so we talked about the possibility that she may take another look at Ocala Chapter 29, and her husband left with an information packet about Marion-Dunn Lodge.

And when Brother Tommy Needham was in Lodge to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of his raising during World War II, he sent along a Brother with a demit from his Miami Lodge, and gave us names of several others he would like to see consider Freemasonry.

And as we were leaving Open Books, Otis “Dutch” Autry and his wife, Barbara, the retiring Matron of Order of Amaranth, -- they are moving to Chattanooga -- stopped by to share his pride in his grandson in Indiana who is active in DeMolay, and gave us names of some of his Ocala neighbors he has talked with, and maybe they will show up at Brother Bring a Friend Night.

Good friend Paul Wilson, has given us several names during the year, and he spurred me to thinking and that produced more names.

But ... have you called and given us the names you have been thinking about? Or maybe you haven’t started thinking just yet. Our visitors from across the country all tell the same story: our Lodges are getting too old, and we need to bring young men into the fraternity. Marion-Dunn Lodge has initiated four under age 30 in the last year, three over 70, two in their 60’s, and more than a dozen in the 30-50 age bracket. But we need the names of your relatives, friends and associates you would recommend to the Fraternity.

Another brother with whom we had a long telephone conversation is William Lacey McLean Jr. with whom the Lodge had lost contact several years ago. He is important to this column, since he came home by bus on a 30 hour leave from Biloxi, Mississippi in 1945, went straight to the old Lodge on Silver Springs Blvd., received his three degrees, got back on the bus and returned to camp in Biloxi. He now lives near his son in a condo near Jupiter after moving in 1965 to West Palm Beach, where he retired with a long career in education. I knew him when I moved to Ocala as manager of Ocala’s airport and teacher of aviation mechanics at what today is the Community Technical and Adult Education Center, and it was fun to talk about “the good old days” when Ocala was small, and not so busy!

The phone is always on -- 694-2461, and I’d love to hear from you!

March 2007

From The Secretary:

My Brothers, one of the most interesting days I have had in some time was a trip to Grand Lodge in Jacksonville early in February when Master John Story and I took the past 15 years of Marion-Dunn Lodge minutes to Jacksonville to have them copied to microfiche as a permanent copy.

It is a trip I recommend to all our Brothers if they have occasion to be in Jacksonville and have a few extra minutes.

To have three Grand Masters take you on a tour of the Grand Lodge facilities was extraordinary. MW Elmer Coffman, Grand Treasurer, took us to the Museum and after a few minutes of explanation, turned us loose for an hour or so to ponder the activities of Masonry in Florida for the past 160 or more years.

We then visited with MW Roy Connor Sheppard, who answered questions we had about various things, and gave us a short Grand Lodge lecture on just how hard the ladies in Grand Lodge work for us -- something that has become evident to me in my first year as Secretary. Only seven ladies and two men handle all of the work including all the accounting for the Masonic Home in St. Petersburg.

We found how efficient they are when we were attempting to correct the Masonic record of W James Cecil Ferguson, who served twice as Master of Dunnellon Lodge No. 136, but it did not show up on his record. A quick trip to the vault and they had all of the annual returns of the Lodge, and sure enough, the returns showed Brother Ferguson had indeed served as Master of Dunnellon twice: once in 1949 just two years after he was raised as a Master Mason, and again in 1957. His record is now corrected.

MW Robert Trump then took us on a tour of the rest of the building, including the third floor where there is a complete Lodge Room built more than 100 years ago from the old Grand Lodge.

His visit to Ocala to present Brother Ferguson his 60 year Certificate and lapel pin also provided the opportunity for him to present Marion-Dunn with a check for $4,121.85 representing the proceeds earned from Perpetual Memberships purchased by members of our Lodge. That check represents a 20% increase over last year and pays about 80 percent of the Grand Lodge Per Capita dues for the members of the Lodge. If we had about 20 more Perpetual members, the Lodge would have our Grand Lodge assessment paid in full!

It also gave Past Master Ladd Poehlman the opportunity to present the framed Certificate of Appreciation that Marion-Dunn members signed for the Grand Master over the past several months as well as his Honorary Membership plaque. The Grand Master was obviously moved by the presentation, as he thanked the Craft for its vote to make him an Honorary Member. He also said while some say it is an honor to have a Grand Master come and make a 50 or 60 year presentation, it is actually the Grand Master who is honored to be in the presence of a Mason who has devoted so many years to the Fraternity in making the presentation.

Finally, please note of the meeting Feb. 28 to return DeMolay to the Fifteenth Masonic District. Brothers, just as Masonry is a great self improvement program for each of us, DeMolay provides the same type self improvement and leadership training for our sons, grandsons, and young men of our friends and neighbors. Your help in any way will make it easier for us in this worthwhile endeavor. And thanks in advance!

And from W Jerome Gill comes word he is recovering from his cancer surgery, is feeling good, and hopes to be on hand for the first Masonic campout on the Suwannee River in October! — pwf

February 2007

Secretary News

Loads and loads of activity involving your Lodge at this time of year, and we think it is exciting.

First, membership is the life blood of any organization, and your Lodge is well positioned for the later part of the first decade of the 21st century! As we work on the annual audit of the membership of our Lodge for Grand Lodge, we ended the year by raising four percent of our membership during the year, and two were in their 70’s, two were in their low 20’s, and the rest were in the 35-55 age bracket. We have four petitions ready to go to Lodge for balloting and they are all in the younger age brackets.

Ocala 29 of Rainbow Girls, who were barely holding on several years ago, now have more than a dozen pretty active young ladies, and this chapter is growing. They installed officers this past weekend, and the girls are confident they are in a solid growth pattern.

Worshipful Master John Story will hold a preliminary meeting late this month to begin the process to bring DeMolay back to the 15th District for young men. Ten to 12 of our Brothers have offered to serve in some capacity on the adult advisory committee necessary for a successful DeMolay Chapter, and we have several Brothers from other Lodges who have also volunteered to be involved.

Things look bright for Freemasonry in Ocala and the 15th District and your continued support is what makes it all possible.

Right Worshipful Joe Fennell, Past Master of Marston Lodge No. 49 at Ft. McCoy, and District Deputy Grand Master of the 15th District, has been under the weather, suffering a heart attack on Jan. 17, and undergoing major bypass surgery on Jan. 22, is back home recovering after a close call and uncomfortable surgery. Worshipful Russ Poehlman, District Instructor for the 15th District and Past Master of Marion-Dunn, will be filling in for Worshipful Joe as the District Deputy during his recovery.

Worshipful Jerome Gill has some medical problems he is enduring at his home in Georgia, and Hal Mix is battling his own illnesses here at home. Your thoughts and prayers for your Brothers and their families are encouraged.

Worshipful Russ Savageau, past Master of Friendship Lodge No. 53, was elected President of the 15th Masonic District Association, and David Waters, Past Master of Marston Lodge, was elected First Vice President, Worshipful Beekner Platner of Ft. King Daylight Lodge, was elected Second Vice President. Right Worshipful Ralph Schollenberger, Past Master of Friendship Lodge, and Past District Deputy Grand Master, was re-elected Secretary-Treasurer, and Worshipful Story was elected Chaplain. They were installed by Right Worshipful B.F. Shealy, past Master of Marion-Dunn Lodge, and Past District Deputy Grand Master.

Right Worshipful Paul Nearing, Past Master of Friendship Lodge, and Past District Deputy Grand Master, was re-elected President of the 15th District Low 12; Savageau was re-elected Vice President, Joe Fennell was re-elected Secretary and David Waters was re-elected Treasurer.

Low 12 is a valuable organization that all of us should support. It provides immediate cash for beneficiaries when a Brother dies. For a $5 membership fee, you can become a member. There is a $2 per death assessment, payable after five deaths. If you would like more information, please let me know.

Finally, someone commented recently about qualifications for holding office in a Masonic Lodge. The principal qualification is the ability to get elected by a majority of the members present on election night. The qualifications are not like those to fill, for example, the job of a Microsoft software expert. Rather, the basic qualifications as spelled out by Grand Lodge are those exemplified to the Craft through service over a period of years, usually starting in a Steward’s chair, and showing the ability to perform in that task and others, but especially to get along with the Craft and encourage others to follow.

You can see the results of that ability to serve in the pictures of our Past Masters in our Lobby. Theirs is a story of service to the craft that deserves to be told.

January 2007

Early settlers of Marion County and Florida had a tough time: this was rugged territory, and settlements, businesses, and Lodges that were chartered sometimes stumbled, sometimes failed, but due to the strength of those strong willed men of Ocala and Marion Lodge No. 19, we are here today.

M+W+Elmer Coffman called my home one recent Sunday to offer some files he had accumulated during his year as Grand Master concerning the early days of the old Marion Lodge. Our Lodge Minute Books make excellent reading, particularly if you know a little bit about Marion County history and the names of the Masons are familiar as the leaders of Marion County business, political social and religious life.

Some new members may wonder about the reference to the “old Marion Lodge.” Marion Lodge No. 19 was chartered in 1849, and has been at work continuously since that time, although the information furnished by M+W+ Coffman indicates there were several times when representatives of our Lodge were unable to attend the annual Communications of the Grand Lodge of Florida, mainly during the Civil War era, but as Marion County recovered and grew, so did the Lodge in membership and prominence in the community. In 1895, The John F. Dunn Lodge No. 82 was chartered and was at labour for six years before merging into Marion Lodge No. 19 to form Marion-Dunn Lodge No. 19.

The loss of any member of Marion-Dunn Lodge by dimit, by failure to pay dues, or by death is a loss the Lodge never wants to endure, but it is one that must be met each year regardless. Last year, we lost a good Master and friend, W+ Les King who has moved and dimited to Cartersville, Georgia.

We also lost a Brother who taught me much about horses in his capacity as one of the early veterinarians when I toiled as a newspaperman almost 50 years ago. George Edwards was a faithful member of Marion Dunn Lodge. Bernard Harberstein quietly served his community as a Mason, and his son carries on his tradition as a member of Leesburg Lodge. James William Shelton, father of one of my son’s school chums, and Thomas Shelby Morgan were two others who were long time members of the Lodge.

Late in December, we lost a man who I have long admired, W+ Hal Lively Jr. I knew his Dad first when he was expanding Certified Grocers of Florida into one of the major grocery distributors in the south. Then I knew his mother as a landlord when we established started in our printing business. Meanwhile, their son, Hal Jr. was making his mark as an independent grocer and a member of Marion Dunn where he served as Master, and as a Shriner, where he was President of the Ocala Shrine Club.

And on December 20, Mark David Camp, a major employer as owner of H.S. Camp & Sons Meat Co., and a member of Marion-Dunn Lodge for many years passed, to the Celestial Lodge above.

I believe it is important for us to understand the role that masonry plays in our business, political, social and religious communities, and I hope to expand the information available at the Lodge about our members by including the roles we all play in various segments of the community. Hopefully, with your help, we can provide information about the roles played about those who have gone before us. I recognize many of the names of Past Masters who have been involved as business and political leaders, and will record that information.

Any help you can provide in 2007 will be appreciated.

December 2006

Lots of activities during December to wind up 2006, and they will be highlighted by the appearance of Santa Claus at our December 21 Family Night Meeting.

Junior Warden Paul Duscher promises another of his excellent Family Night Dinners, coupled with those wonderful side dishes and desserts from our ladies, and then the grand old gentleman from the North Pole will take charge and spend some time with the little ones.

But there will be lots more activity during the month, including at least one proficiency examination, an Entered Apprentice degree, Dec. 12, followed by a “Short of Time degree,” Dec. 16 and Dec. 19 and our Installation of Officers at 2 p.m. on Dec. 30.

There is no better time to learn Masonry than to watch (or better yet, participate) in the presentation of degrees. Long time Masons will tell you they learned more about the Fraternity during degrees than at any other time.

The seven members of the 2006 Outdoor Degree class are working hard to complete their Master’s proficiency during December and have been able to sit in recent Fellowcraft and Entered Apprentice degrees.

One of our new Master Masons, Pierre Alghannom who was raised August 29, is back from the State of Lebanon where he went to visit his father not only as a son, but as a Brother Mason, and he brought the Lodge a nice plaque pictured above from the famed Cedars of Lebanon. The cedar tree pictured at left is near his father’s home in northeastern Lebanon.

One of the great parts of this job is watching the newcomers to the Craft pitch in and participate, working on the Lodge, working in the rituals, working with each other on their catechisms. From reading minutes and talking to old-timers, this has been the way the Fraternity has always progressed. With the time commitments we all have to our families, to our employment, and to other organizations, sometimes it is difficult to add more hours of work, but it is worth it.

The sparkle in the eyes of long time members like Luther Crenshaw, B. F. Shealy and others when they talk of Marion-Dunn Lodge and Freemasonry tells the story of the love for the Fraternity they carry with them, and are eager to share with all of those willing to listen and learn.

This has been an exciting year for your group of officers. They have worked together to accomplish a single goal: seeing Marion-Dunn Lodge continue to grow and progress. Through my years in Ocala, I have worked in many organizations, and this slate of officers has set a high mark for others to attain.

Please come to Lodge December 7 and participate in the election of the officers for 2007. The fellowship is good, and the business of the Lodge needs your attention. See you in Lodge! -- pwf

November 2006

My Brothers All,

What a busy time of year! And for such a good cause. I am convinced that we have a growing Lodge that will continue the tradition of service to the Brotherhood, to the Fraternity and to the community.

With credit to Father Don Curran, I want to use an illustration he used, but change it to apply to Masonry. It seems to me that Lodges are divided into three groups:

• A “Risk Taking” Lodge.

• A “Care Taking” Lodge, or

• An “Undertaking Lodge.”

I think Marion-Dunn is a “Risk Taking Lodge, where we are willing to make change, to adapt, to do the things necessary for a Lodge to progress and grow, and the record shows this is true -- from 34 years ago when the “risk takers” sold The Masonic Lodge and rental building downtown and moved “out in the country” to the current site, which had been previously used as part of the old Maricamp -- county prison farm -- agricultural operation.

Some Lodges are “Care Takers” in that they seem to simply maintain what their predecessors left them, moving from one uninvolved set of officers after another, wondering all the while why they are not growing

And then there are “Undertaker Lodges,” where the Secretary seems to simply “cross off the names as members die.”

Part of our “risk taking” is the lease with the City of Ocala. We are reaching out to solve problems of insurance, problems of maintenance of our ten acres, yet lowering our costs, and expanding our service to our community. Since the lease is for only one year, the “risk” is extremely limited. If we like the way it works, an extension of the lease is possible.

This will allow us to put more into service to our Brothers, communicating more often and more regularly, and hopefully expanding our youth work to re-establish a DeMolay chapter.

One of the exciting things that happened last month was when Cash Pealer, head of the Central Florida Community College Foundation spoke to the Lodge and our families and explained the CFCC Endowed Scholarship Fund. The late W+ Benjamin Ayres made an initial deposit in the fund in the name of Marion-Dunn Lodge prior to his death. After Pealer’s presentation, a hat was passed among Brothers to increase the funds on deposit, and a whopping $1,261 was raised to increase the original deposit!

Several Brothers unable to contribute at the meeting have asked to donate additional funds, and we will hold up sending the check until the end of the year. If you would like to contribute to this worthy fund, please make your check to Marion-Dunn Lodge, with a notation it is for the Scholarship Fund. This is an excellent place to put funds you wish to donate to charity. The Foundation is a 501C3 corporation, and all donations are tax deductible.

Every dollar contributed is matched with another dollar from the state. The goal is to fund a $6,000 endowment, which, when matched, creates an investment of $12,000, sufficient to fund at least one complete scholarship annually.

Yes, Marion-Dunn Lodge is a “Risk Taking Lodge,” a growing Lodge that will continue to introduce Freemasonry to worthy relatives, friends, neighbors, co-workers and others and hopefully, we will continue to grow, to serve our members, serve our community and serve the Fraternity. In many areas, including some in Florida, membership is down, especially as membership ages. Some Lodges, including one in Marion County, have merged with others in recent years. In South Florida, there have been mergers this year.

The lessons of Freemasonry have been carried from generation to generation for hundreds of years, and as long as there are “Risk Taking Lodges,” the Fraternity will continue to grow.

And while you are thinking about your Lodge, do you have any relative, friend, neighbor, co-workers or other men you know who would make good Brothers? If so, please give me a call, and let me put together a packet that explains Freemasonry. Take that risk, and help your Lodge and your brothers at the same time. —pwf

October 2006

My Brothers all,

This is one of the most important Trestleboard issues I have had the privilege to work on in my ten years as a member of Marion-Dunn Lodge and as a Mason. Please, my Brothers, read it carefully. There are so many activities underway at Marion-Dunn Lodge, things that will put the Lodge on a footing that will carry us forward into a continued very bright future.

As I prepare this column, it has been a very interesting week. It appears that your Secretary misunderstood the words “due notice,” and that failure on my part resulted in the District Deputy Grand Master being notified, and we found that the words “due notice” is not defined in the Digest, but apparently means written notice of the document provided to every member of the Lodge, and a 30 day period before the vote on the issue.

This issue reminds of me several columns written in the previous ten years by Right Worshipful Howard Jeffcoat while he served the Lodge as Secretary. Occasionally, an issue would arise to cause rumors, tales, complaints and grief would occur within the Lodge, and Right Worshipful Howard always counseled in his columns that Brothers should be careful of the source of information is, and to go to the source of the action. In this case, I would have preferred than Brothers who had a problem with the type of notice that was given to have come to Worshipful Master Ladd Poehlman or to me as Secretary. After all, The Master is the one who tells the Secretary when to schedule things, and the Secretary is the one who has been most involved in working with the City of Ocala on the proposed lease.

However, perhaps it was best, because now the District Deputy Grand Master and the Grand Master of Masons in Florida are now fully aware of the By-Laws change proposed, and of the details of the proposed lease with the city. And, for Most Worshipful Robert Trump, Grand Master of Masons in Florida, while not involving himself in the lease or expressing a view on the lease itself, said in an email to your Secretary, “For the record - I think a “Marion-Dunn Masonic Park” is a great idea and would certainly benefit both the Lodge and the City.”

Brothers, the words “Mason,” “Lodge,” “Master,” and “Secretary” do not contain the letter “I” or the word “me.”. This is not about “me” or “I.” Your officers have a fiduciary responsibility to protect this Lodge today, and to prepare for the future. It is my personal view that your officers have done just that in presenting this proposed lease with the City of Ocala. But just as this Lodge has survived before your current officers were here, it will survive after us. Our job is to put it in better condition than we found it. All of your officers strive every week to do just that. And you can help by joining in some of the many and varied activities, helping with investigations, helping with a degree now and then, making some of the phone calls that are sometimes necessary.

If you hear what “they” are doing down there at the Lodge, I urge you to call and find out who “they” is, and what actions have been taken. For my misunderstanding about the un-defined words “due notice”: in the Digest, I am sorry. Many hours of effort have gone into the proposed lease, many more have gone unnecessarily into this past week full of consternation and solving the mistake.

Now, as has been said before, “Nuf said!”

Payments on 2007 dues have been fast and furious, and to the many, many brothers who have responded have our thanks. If you have not responded yet, please take a moment and send your check before the dues notice gets lost on your desk the way it surely would have been lost on mine.

And Brothers, I am forced again to call attention to the fact that we have a list of Brothers who have not made payments for their 2006 dues. The Digest of Masonic Law requires that a “Final Notice and Summons” to all Brothers who have not paid 2006 dues.

The Digest also requires that all delinquent members be dropped from the rolls. My Brothers, we lose too many good men for non payment of dues. Please stop now and send in that check. Failure to pay Blue Lodge does means you can not participate in any other Masonic organization. No one wants to see that list of suspended brothers, so please Brothers, send your check NOW!

And finally, My Brothers, Masonry is too important to all any personality to disrupt it. This has been an excellent year at Marion-Dunn, and I urge us all to band together in the brotherhood we proclaim!

— pwf

August 2006

Two of the great Masons in this area are brothers -- 95 year old Nuby and 93 year old B. F. Shealy and this past week gave the opportunity to talk with both. R+W+ B. F. turned 93 on July 29, and we had the opportunity to serenade him at the EA Degree last week, as well as the Family Night Meeting on July 29, and 96 year old R+ W+ Nuby was on hand when Marion-Dunn visited Morningstar Lodge last Thursday night.

It brought back some old memories for me, when as a young newspaperman, I showed up at Nuby’s Corner on State Road 40 east of the Ocklawaha River in 1959 looking for directions, and this short, very friendly man told me how to get to Salt Springs. I remember the day well, for I had never met anyone who had a corner named after him and I wrote a piece in one of my Tossed Salad columns in the old Marion Sentinel edition of the Orlando Sentinel about Nuby Shealy.

Through the years, I came across B. F. Shealy when I needed a part for something, but I didn’t know the influence either would have on me in my later years until I met them again as Masons. I encountered B.F. when I entered the conference room to receive Masonic Education prior to my Entered Apprentice Degree ten years ago this month, caught a bit of his anger when I was a mite bit (45 minutes) late for the Fellowcraft education, and made sure I was on time for the Masters Education

At one of the first meetings I attended as a Master Mason, there was Nuby Shealy as a member of the District Deputy Grand Master’s team, touting the benefits of Perpetual Membership. What, I thought, why would I at 60 want a Perpetual Membership? Shortly thereafter, a gentleman named Williams took his Fellowcraft and Masters Degrees in a wheelchair -- he was 93 years old and had taken his EA degree more than 60 years previously, and had just never gotten a “round tuit” but there he was finishing up -- he wanted to be a Master Mason before he died. He attended most meetings of the Lodge and one day, he purchased a perpetual membership -- at 94 years of age!

Well, I figured if it was good enough for this elderly Brother, I would take the advice of Nuby Shealy, and I signed up myself. In different ways, both Nuby and B.F. have influenced my life through the years, but especially these last ten years as I have seen their love for the Masonic Fraternity and the men they call Brothers. Would that I will ever attain the stature these Brothers share, but it is a feeling I witnessed at Grand Lodge as Brothers from across Florida and their ladies renewed friendships.

So why talk about the Brothers Shealy and Brother Williams at this point? Well, we will soon be mailing 2007 Dues cards, and with the purchase of a Perpetual Membership, you too can avoid payment of dues for the balance of your life within this Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, and when you go on to the Celestial Lodge above, your memory will always be with the Brothers of your Lodge.

July, 2006

The time . . . how fast she does fly! The 2006 Masonic year is half over, and it is time for certain items of housekeeping.

Your Lodge has enjoyed a busy year. The official audit of the Lodge by Grand Lodge came in this week, and we began 2006 with a total of 440 Masons on the rolls of Marion-Dunn Lodge.

We have initiated seven new Entered Apprentice Masons, have one reinstatement, and three affiliations from other Lodges. Two have been Passed to Fellowcraft Masons and then on to be Raised as Master Masons. They present their proficiency July 6. We have lost three Brothers who passed on to the Celestial Lodge On High, and one brother chose to resign his membership.

The vast majority of our Brothers are current in their dues, and many have been very generous with their $3.65 contributions to Let Your Pennies Make Good Cents, $5 to the Lodge’s Building Fund. Many more have contributed to the Trestleboard Booster Fund, and others have placed their ads in out monthly newsletter.

We do however, have some who have not yet paid their 2006 dues, and Grand Lodge Regulations require that a Notice of Delinquent Dues be sent to each of these members this week. Dues are to be paid at the start of the Masonic year, Dec. 27, and they become delinquent July 1. A final summons must be sent before Nov. 15 requiring that a member bring their dues current, or appear at our meeting on December 7. They must be suspended on Dec. 27 if their dues are not paid.

I urge you to go to www.mariondunnlodge.com and check out your Lodge’s website. A great friend of the Lodge, Senior Warden John Pisani of Belleview Lodge No. 95, is our volunteer Web Master who has dug up much of the information, and has redesigned the site, and he isn’t finished yet! I would like to take credit for the information posted on the site about Freemasonry, about the philanthropy of Masons, and the explanation about how to become a Mason, but I can’t. Brother John gets all the credit and when you read the information, I am confident you will want to thank him personally.

The web site is not yet completed, but you can see from the design, and you can keep up to date on upcoming events -- by checking the calendar, but catch new items that will be posted ASAP for last minute items.

On a personal note, Grand Lodge was the last four days of May, and you can see the photo coverage on pages four and five of this Trestleboard. On Page 6 is a story and photo about the Lodge’s Ritual Team that was one of five to get to state competition. They did not win, but from my standpoint, they were winners for getting there and competing. Marion-Dunn began to practice late in March, and in April won District, and in May won Zone. This was a team composed of officers of the Lodge compared to a team that works together throughout the year.

Grand Lodge was extremely interesting and educational for me and I am sure, for the rest of your officers. The willingness of Masters and other officer we met, especially the Grand Line officers, to answer questions, offer suggestions, and provide guidance was