Upcoming Events:
- January 12, at 06:30 PM — Visit to Southgate Lodge #100
- January 17, at 06:30 PM — Visit to LuzViMinda Lodge #317
- January 19, at 06:00 PM — Ritual Night
- February 02, at 07:30 PM — Stated Meeting
- February 12, at 06:30 PM — Visit to Ark Lodge #126
Latest Notices:
December Items
We have a stated Meeting on Monday, December 1st (tonight, as of this writing). Come join our Worshipful Master as he conducts his final Stated Meeting. Lodge opens at 7:30, dinner at 6:15 PM in the fabulous Alki Lodge Dining Room.
The 103rd Open Installation of Officers for Alki Lodge #152 will take place on December 13th, 2008, at 5 PM in the main lodge room. Since it is an open installation, the public is invited. If you or someone you know are curious about Masonry, this would be a risk-free way of finding out.
Our Annual Christmas Party will be in the fabulous Alki Lodge Dining Room on Sunday December 7th, 2008, from 2-5:00 PM. And on that topic, the Worshipful Master has the following to say:
Greetings Brethren,
You are cordially invited to Alki Lodge No. 152 Christmas Party on December 7, 2008 at the Alki Temple Dining hall, 3:00 PM - 5:00PM.
Please join us in the spirit of the Holidays.
Fraternally,
WB Sonny DeJesus
From The East:
Monitor Article for December, 2008
This, being the last issue of the Masonic Monitor for the year 2008, I wish to thank WB Gene and Sis Sylvia for the great effort in keeping the publication up at its best throughout the year and for keeping us reminded that our article contribution is due on the 10th day of each month. Hats off to you, WB Gene and Sis Sylvia and our sincere congratulations to you for the job well done.
While the Christmas Holidays are just around the corner, most lodges are now transitioning over to a new beginning with the installation of officers for the ensuing year. To the newly elected or installed officers, this will signal the beginning of new hope for success with a new program plan, new duties and leadership responsibilities, new learning and more travels. For the repeaters, it is a hope for a renewed experience, better plan, more friends and better insight. To all of you in the line, I would like to express my congratulations to you.
Alki Lodge No. 152 will celebrate its 103rd Installation of Officers on December 13, 2008 at 5:00 PM. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and extend my best wishes to the elected main officers for 2009: Bro. Rick Dusatko, WM; Bro. Michael Mann, SW and Bro. Geoff McNeely, JW and to the rest of the elected and appointed officers.
Touching on the events that happened in November, we had a great time in our November 3rd Stated Meeting which was highlighted by the presence of our Guest Speaker, MWB Charles McQuery, PGM (GM, 2006-2007) of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of F&AM of Washington. We also held the election of officers that night and had a step-up in the line of officers for the closing part of the meeting. Thanks to the help of MWB James Reid, Jr. and WB Bel Tugade for tallying the votes during the election.
I would like to extend my special thanks to the Brethren for providing main dishes for our potluck dinner last November 3rd; VWB R. John Bozeat, VWB Boyd Jackson, WB Craig Colombel, Bro. Lozano Canlas, Bro. Robb Gray and to our Lady, Sis Cecilia DeJesus. The food was quite good and plentiful.
We had visited Ark Lodge #126 on November 13th. We also scheduled EAM degree conferral of three candidates on November 17th and another conferral for the FCM degree of two candidates on November 24th. Working on conferring (5) candidates a month was a tough one but the effort was quite rewarding. I would like to extend my appreciation to the degree team for their dedication and support in making the two events happened.
Alki Lodge No. 152 is quite glad to announce and congratulate the (5) candidates in the degrees of Masonry:
- Entered Apprentice Masons: Bro. Christopher Sims, Bro. Chris Greene and Bro. Robert Felder.
- Fellowcraft Masons: Bro. Paul Bolds-Moorehead and Bro. Jethro Hughes.
Our Charity Committee has donated $200.00 and a large quantity of donated canned goods to the West Seattle Food Bank who provided free food to the homeless and the poor last Thanksgiving holiday. Our sincerest gratitude to those people who unselfishly supported our “canned goods drive” and our special thanks to the effort of WB Kent Evans and WB Bob Shoemaker for making the event a remarkable success.
“May we daily increase in Faith, Hope and Charity; more especially in that Charity which is the bond of peace and the perfection of every virtue”.
Events for December:
- December 1st - Alki Lodge No. 152 Stated Meeting, 7:30 PM. Dinner:6:15 PM. Presentation of DESOMES artifacts by VWB Dick Bish and WB Harold Hobbs, courtesy of Grand Lodge Museum and Library Committee.
- December 7th - Christmas Party (time to be announced) to be organized by the WM-elect, Bro. Rick Dusatko.
- December 13th - 103rd Open Installation of 2009 Officers, 5:00 PM
- December 15th - FCM Degree Conferral (3 candidates), 7:00 PM
- December 20th - MM Degree Conferral (2 candidates), time to be announced.
Happy Holidays to One and All.
District Deputy’s Message – Alki Lodge May 5, 2008
My brothers, the strength of Masonry is the strength of individual lodges. The lodges support the brothers and the brothers support each other and the lodge. It is to his lodge that a brother feels kinship first. It is his lodge that raises him, teaches him, and eventually it is his lodge that mourns him.
One of the primary function of a Lodge is to train and educate its members on the basic truths which its rituals and its ceremonies are designed to inculcate; to develop its members as benevolent men; to cultivate social virtues and to propagate the knowledge of the art. And if many of us find ourselves unconcerned with proper Masonic education and development, our membership will decline significantly, unqualified members will assume roles of leadership and will make an attempt to govern the lodge only to have the lodge in an even worse condition than when they had inherited it. It’s been this way in many lodges in this jurisdiction. Some lodges consolidate and many lodges cannot even open and close the lodge without the help of the visiting brethren. I know that the brethren of this lodge wouldn’t want this to happen.
Brethren, the basis of a good Masonic foundation is sharing knowledge and proper training. I know that the Worshipful Master has already been doing this especially for the officers of this lodge. You cannot substitute top quality training and so I strongly suggest to the future officers of this lodge to examine and investigate your options.
Let me share with you some ways in order to attain our objectives:
1. Act as if you are part of the team, not always the head of it. Dig in and do actual work. The brethren will appreciate that you are personally knowledgeable about the efforts needed to get the work done. They will trust your leadership because you have undergone their experience.
2. If we make a rule or design a process, we need to follow it, until we decide to change it. Why would anyone follow the rules if we ourselves don’t?
3. Help the brethren achieve the goals that are important to them, as well as the goals that are important to you. Make sure there is something for each of us that will result from the effort.
4. Do what you say you’re going to do. Don’t make rash promises that you cannot keep. The brethren want to trust you and your leadership. And more importantly …
5. Model the behavior you want to see from others. There is nothing more powerful for the brethren than observing their leaders do the actions they are requesting from others.
My brothers, it is true that Freemasonry is a volunteer organization. Depending on our commitments and priorities, we may or we may not attend lodge meetings and other activities. But it is also true that the moment you become an officer of the lodge you are not a volunteer anymore, but rather, you become an involved member because the position you assume carries with it responsibility – responsibility that requires time and efforts to do something special for the betterment of the lodge.
The brethren who are aware of their responsibility are likely to see things very differently. They are more active and independent. They usually make choices that lead to the growth and fulfillment of their lodges. They are faithful and tireless. Their outlook in life is full of hope. In other words, these brothers are alive and truly responsible.
My brothers, all of us have qualities that are easy to accept within ourselves and all of us have qualities we had rather be without. As long as we deny an aspect of our own personality, it can never come under control. And so the more aware we are of our own qualities, the better equipped we will be to make use of them. It will give us more options to open up in every area of our lives. It is, therefore, my earnest hope that the future officers of this lodge should be truly aware of the responsibility awaiting them and should accentuate more with the positives.
Thank you!
VWB Alden D. Sarmiento
DDGM in District 6
Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of F &AM of WA.
