Germania Lodge No. 46 F&AM

Germania Lodge Newsletter - July & August 2008
Klaus J. Kueck, P.M., Secretary/Editor

GERMANFEST

Mark your calendars now, November 1, 6:30 p.m. will be the first Germanfest at our lodge since 2004. It has been a long time in coming but thanks to Brothers Andy and Melvin Mims and many others our beautiful hall is now ready for such an event. We are looking for prizes for an auction at the event. If you would like to donate a new prize/prizes or money please call an officer. This is our primary fund raiser and all money received has and will be well spent.

We already have secured the band Prost and Ursula Jackson, who has been cooking for us at Germanfest for a while, has agreed to cook again. We have some excellent door prizes and the winners need not be present to win. We are hoping that with this incentive we can be in the black before we open the door on Nov 1. We have 103 members in our lodge, if everyone bought one ticket we would cover expenses, if they bought two it would be a success and if they each sold three well you get the picture. Please purchase at least one ticket for $25.00, the best bargain in town. Price includes admission, German food, music, wonderful door prizes (winner need not be present) and other prizes at auction. The door prizes are: 3rd, 80th anniversary stein from the Deutsches Haus, 2nd prize – two Saints tickets to Monday Night Football, - 1st prize, 30 – 30 Marlin lever action rifle with 3x9 scope. Tickets will be available at the meetings and if you can’t be at a meeting call me, 504-737-6767.

JULY & AUGUST

MASONIC BIRTHDAYS

Michael Poll P.M. 07/22/1975 - 33 yrs.
Larry Tomlinson P.M. 07/22/1981 - 27 yrs.
Alan Cox 07/14/1982 - 26 yrs.
Billy Carter 07/10/1991 - 17 yrs.
Patrick Kueck 07/14/1993 - 15 yrs.
Ian Cairns P.M. 07/23/1997 - 11 yrs.
Robert Rapp 07/22/1998 - 10 yrs.
Wayne Plaisance 07/25/2003 – 05 yrs.
John Day III 07/25/2005 – 03 yrs.
Mike Wills 08/23/1989 - 19 yrs.
Eddie Bopp P.M. 08/27/1994 - 14 yrs.
Shaun Kaulfers 08/08/2001 - 7 yrs.

Trestle Board

Wednesday, July 9, 7:30 P.M. joint meeting at Indivisible Friends #404 in Gretna. Need a ride call 737-6767
Wednesday, July 23, 7:00 p.m. joint meeting at Germania #46 MM degree. We will be raising a young man that was initiated right before Katrina and is finally finish his journey!
Wednesday, August 13, 7:30 p.m., regular meeting – guest speakers Bro. and Lieutenant John Day and his boss, LTC Cris Mandry, Battalion Surgeon for 220th Special Forces Group, deployed to Afghanistan 2003 and 2005 will give a slide and talk presentation about their Iraq experiences.
Saturday, August 23, 9:00 a.m. F.C. degree followed by cook out with family to rededicate hall. The lodge will provide dogs and burgers. Please bring side dishes i.e. chips, salads, dips vegetables, desert, ect.
Wednesday, August 27, 7:00 p.m. regular meeting with degree ____
Please note as in the past 9 years we are having joint meetings with Indivisible Friends #404. No one will be at Germania on July 9. When we host on July 23, W.M. Revelle is asking everyone to bring a dish or desert. Please give him a call if you can help. 289-3354

A Message From The East

Brothers we have a very busy July and August coming up and I want to touch on what is happening. The first meeting in July will be as they have been for the past 12 years! We will be meeting at Indivisible Friends for a joint meeting. It is always a joy for me to go and visit with our Brothers across the river as well as have wonderful food and fellowship. Please try to make this meeting as they will reciprocate to us on the second meeting in July. Speaking of the second meeting in July, it’s a pot luck supper. Please make a dish for the supper on July 23rd. This way we will have enough food for everyone without putting to much pressure on any one person to create a bunch of food by them. Please contact me at 504-289-3354 or our wonderful Sectuary at 504-451-3642 and let us know that we can depend on you to help us with this. We will also be having a MM degree and if you would like to be part of this degree team please call me and we will make sure you are part of the team.
Now on to August! The first meeting we will be having a very special presentation by Bro. John Day and his boss on their jobs in Afghanistan and Iraq. If you heard about this presentation at the New Orleans Consistory or at Dante Lodge but were unable to attend I strongly suggest that you join us for this meeting. I have personally seen Bro. Day’s presentation and it was very informative and interesting.
Before the second meeting in August we will be having our rededicated our hall as the completion of the hall is here! Thanks to all of the people who worked on this project but mostly a big thanks needs to go out to W. Bro. Andrew N. Mims P.M. and Bro. Melvin Mims P.M. for their hours and hours of vested time and the hours of sleep that were lost. Please try to attend this cookout with the whole family. The lodge will be providing the meat, buns and drinks and is asking anyone who would like to bring something to bring sides and deserts. This will be a great time so I hope everyone plans on attending.
The second meeting in August will be a degree meeting. So as you can tell there is lots to do and so little time to do it but I look forward to seeing all of you at the lodge. Until next time may the Grand Architect of the Universe place peace and harmony to rule over your days and nights.

W. Bro. Wilson Revelle W.M. Germania Lodge #46

An Observation of the First Degree
By Brother Stephen Dafoe

At a recent visit to a sister lodge for their D.D.G.M. visitation, I had the opportunity to see a first degree for probably the 100th time. Likewise I heard the presentation of the working tools to the candidate for probably the 100th time. Yet this time there was a great difference. Perhaps I listened more attentively for a change, perhaps it struck a cord with me, but whatever the situation, I came to realize the value of that implement of labor - the chisel.
If I may paraphrase the actual ritual; it is so small but yet so tough that through its perseverance it can carve up the solidest of rock and the great cathedrals of Europe are indebted to its efforts.
Brethren, isn't this just like life. How many times do we as Masons or as men pass on an opportunity for fear that the project is too big for us or the ritual is too difficult to learn?
Let us be like the chisel and face that mass of rock with constant repeated efforts. Why not use our Brethren as the Common Gavel to assist our swipes at the mighty rock, whether it is getting more members out to a meeting or how we are going to raise funds for the latest district project.
Let us together act as working tools of the Great Architect of the Universe and by chipping little pieces from the problem, persevere until that Rough misshapen ashler is a smooth one and made perfect by our Fraternal efforts.
- Source: MasonicDictionary.com - sent in by W.M. Revelle

The Gavel

The common gavel is one of the working tools of an Entered Apprentice. It is made use of by the Operative Mason to break off the corners of the rough ashlar, and thus fit it the better for the builder's use, and is therefore adopted as a symbol in Speculative Freemasonry, to admonish us of the duty of divesting our minds and consciences of all the vices and impurities of life, thereby fitting our bodies as living stones for that spiritual building not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. It borrows its name from its shape, being that of the gable or gavel end of a house; and this word again comes from the German gipfel, a summit, top, or peak the idea of a pointed extremity being common to all.
The true form of the gavel is that of the stonemasons hammer. It is to be made with a cutting edge, as in the engraving, that it may be used to break off the corners of rough stones, an operation which could never be effected by the common hammer or mallet. The gavel thus shaped will give, when looked at in front, the exact representation of the gavel or gable end of a house, whence, as has been already said, the name is derived.
The gavel of the Master is also called a Hiram, because, like that architect, it governs the Craft and keeps order in the Lodge, as he did in the Temple.

A LETTER FROM BRO. AARON RONSKLEY

(now stationed in Hawaii)

Hey everyone, I just wanted to e-mail to let everyone know that I have safely settled here in Hawaii. I have been here for just over 2 weeks and have been having a great time. I have an apartment in Waikiki and am living with another guy from my ship.

Here is my new address:
320 Ohua Ave #502
Honolulu, HI 96815

I have been having fun exploring the island, experiencing the prevalence of Asian food, the great nightlife, and the beaches. I even got a painful reminder this weekend that the sun is a little stronger here than elsewhere.

Starting next week, my ship (the USS Reuben James) will be participating in exercises called RIMPAC around the Hawaiian islands. There are many countries here to participate, including Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea. You can read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIMPAC.

I will be gone for at least 3 weeks, but you can still e-mail me at this address since I will have it forwarded to my ship e-mail address (ronkslaw@ffg57.navy.mil). Hope everyone is doing well, and I have attached some pictures of Hawaii for your enjoyment.