UNITY LODGE No. 58 AF&AM

THORNDIKE, MAINE

Summons February 2005

The Worshipful Master’s Tracing Board

Brethren Please; make an effort to attend to the summons.

Installation of the Senior and Junior Wardens. Maybe Degree Work? FC or MM. Depends on who’s ready if any?

Business: Building Committee; projects and work priorities for this year. Finance Committee to address the future needs of the Lodge and our Brethren. Also to look at the last Thursday of June, the 30^th for our Annual Strawberry Banquet. And any other business that may come before the Lodge at this time.

16^th March 2005: Unity Lodge Stated; 6:30pm Potluck supper; 7:30pm Business, Degree Work if presented.

Note: Messalonskee Lodge in Oakland has at the present time the 12^th Masonic District Traveling Gavel. Lets make the effort to get it at their next Stated meeting the 15^th February 2005 Third Tuesday of the Month. It takes at least 5 five Brothers to take possession of it, a number of Lodges are after it so it may take more then five of our members.

From Your Secretary: Please help me keep the records straight by informing me of any change of address, change of status, etc. It also helps if you send your dues payments in early so that I do not have the extra burden of chasing delinquent members. I have sent out a lot of correspondence to members regarding past due payments and to date have had little response. Please have the courtesy to answer any correspondence that I send so there is no duplication of effort. Thank you to the Brethren who enclosed a donation along with their dues. If you need an application to give to someone you feel might like to join the craft, please obtain one from the Secretary or any of the Officers.

There are spaces between our fingers so that another person’s

Fingers can fill them in.

Worry is a misuse of the imagination.

A great many open minds should be closed for repairs

The following came from one of the Masonic newsgroups; it is a bit long but gives an idea of how differently things are done in other Grand Lodges.

For the benefit of those not familiar with the machinations of UGLE, the provinces in England and Wales operate a scale of provincial ranks, and brethren can be appointed to a sometimes baffling range of these. The ranks are denoted by letters such PrJGD (Provincial Junior Grand Deacon) after the brother's name. More often than not you will see a leading P on the rank, standing for "Past". So a PPrAGDC would be a Past Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies. The majority of brethren who receive these honors are appointed directly to Past Rank, and never actually hold the office actively in the Provincial Grand Lodge. Over the years deserving provincial brethren can receive multiple additional promotions through the ranks.

London does things differently. Five years or upwards after leaving the Chair, a Past Master of a London lodge who continues to be active can be put up by his Lodge for promotion to London Grand Rank. Each year one appointment is made for every two Lodges in London, or roughly 800 awards of LGR among the 1600-ish Lodges meeting in London. In common with Provincial Grand Officers, he is then required to wear an apron and collar decorated and trimmed in dark (Oxford) blue, as opposed to his previous aprons and collars (Master Mason and Installed Master), which were decorated in light (Cambridge) blue. There is in addition the possibility of awarding LR (London Rank) to a worthy brother who has given many years of service to the craft, but has never been Master of a Lodge.

A minimum of two years after receiving LGR, but usually at least five years afterwards, a brother who has continued to be active can be put up for a second (and final, in the case of London) appointment, to Senior London Grand Rank (SLGR) - which I am told is held to be the equivalent of a Provincial Grand Warden. There are considerably few appointments to SLGR than LGR - this year there will be about 230.

Entered by; R.W. Bruce Hutchins

Masonic District # 12

Note; in your Calendars