| From the East -- April 2011 |
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My Brothers,
Finally, spring may be really, almost here. We have actually had some very nice and warm days. Good-bye to the snow, I hope, for another year. Also, tax season got off to a late start for me and I am now extremely busy with my professional responsibilities until April 18, 2011.
March was a very successful month for the lodge. At our March 2nd communication RW Carl Ek presented after the meeting an extremely enlightening and informative talk about Colonial Masonry in Connecticut. All of us in attendance learned several new things about colonial masonry. For those of you that did not attend you missed a very good presentation.
After our March 16th communication the brothers in attendance (about 22 of us) enjoyed a St. Patrick’s Day Irish whiskey sampling and Irish lamb stew light dinner. Our own JW Jason Morse prepared the entire meal. The Irish whiskey was superb and we will remember Bro. Jason’s culinary expertise for a long time. My brothers, those of you that were not in attendance missed a great night of good drink, food and fraternity.
Additionally, the Community Service Committee commenced the Lodge’s food drive for New Haven’s food banks. The drive is in its infancy and we hope for your on going support of this community service project. Through your support of this food drive project we can do our part to help the hungry in New Haven and surrounds. I sincerely hope you all will donate a non-perishable food item or $1.00 or 2.00 dollars in lieu of a food item every time you come to lodge.
On Saturday, March 19th, several of our brothers joined the Connecticut Community Boating Group in performing a community service project of cleaning up the beach at the Fort Hale Park. Fort Hale Park is where the Fellowcraft Club has held its summer picnic the past few years. Thank you to all the brothers that participated in this community service project.
The Lodge has now completed almost all of the paper work necessary to become a Charter Organization for a BSA Cub Scout Pack. We successfully reserved the number 125 for the pack’s name. The pack will be Pack 125. Several brothers have volunteered to become the Pack’s initial adult leadership including the Cub Master and Charter Organization Representative. I hope many of you will volunteer to support the lodge’s newest youth organization
The Lodge’s By-Laws require the Lodge Advisory Committee to meet at least quarterly. The purpose of the Committee “is to assist the Worshipful Master in insuring increased and improved communications among the members of the lodge and to see that harmony prevails.” This quarter, the Committee met two times. Both meetings were very successful and performed its required functions extremely well. I plan to have the Committee meet at least two times each quarter for the remainder of my term as Master.
The first half of April will be very busy for me professionally and therefore, I may not be in Lodge the first communication in April. But, the month will be a busy one for us. The April 6th stated communication will be a business meeting. Thursday, April 7th, we will have a training session on the new equipment used at CTCHIP events. Please sign up with WB David Stern and be trained so the CTCHIP events we are having will be successful. The April 20th stated communication will also be a business meeting.
Saturday, April 30th will be a very busy day for the Lodge. Saturday morning we will sponsor a CTCHIP event at Hamden’s Earth Day. Please sign up for this event with WB David Stern. We need all the help we can muster. Let us show the community that Masons and Cosmopolitan Lodge care about the safety of our youth.
Saturday night we are having the first Easter / Passover Ladies at Table. We have invited Day Spring, Orange, Day Timer and Corinthian Lodges to join us. It does appear we will have a very large attendance. Please see Bro. Morse’s article for more information. Please attend this event and make our attendance the largest of any Lodge attending.
The first stated communication in May will be a Fellow Craft Degree with JW Jason Morse in the East. Please come to lodge and support Bro. Jason in his first time in the East and all the officers in their degree work. The second stated communication in May will be a regular (short) business meeting. It will be a dress down night with a cook out / grill out night. We hope it will be a good fellowship and fun evening for all.
The Lodge has scheduled a CTCHIP event at the Cub Scout Famoree on May 21st. - Please sigh up for this Community Service event with our Community Service Committee Chairman Bro. Jonathan Glassman.
Again, please come to Lodge. The more of you that attend will make our lodge stronger, more vibrant, and allow us to support the good community work we have planned.
As always, as an Eagle Scout, I promise to do my best, as your 2011 Master!
Fraternally, Steven J. Elzholz Worshipful Master |
