The Masonic Tribune - Grand Lodge of Washington · Grand Master. The Masonic Tribune is an official publication of ... take and love of our craft. Fraternally, WB Dean Markley, Chairman

The

Masonic TribuneA quarterly News and Information Publication of:

Grand Lodge of WashingtonFREE & ACCEPTED Masons

VOLUME C No.4 - Summer 2019 ISSUE

162nd Annual CommunicationKitsap Convention CenterBremerton, Washington

June 14 - 15, 2019MWB James H. KendallGrand Master

The Masonic Tribune is an official publication of Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington.

Masonic Tribune Committee:WB Dean Markley, ChairmanMWB G. Santy Lascano

Publication Design & Layout: MWB G. Santy Lascano

This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or in part without the permission of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington.

Liability: While every care is taken in the preparation of this publication, neither the publisher nor the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington can be held responsible for the accuracy of the information herein, or any consequence arising from it.

In T

his

Issu

eGuidelines for submission of articles for the Washington Masonic Tribune

1. Articles can be submitted in MS Word format. Please do not do too much special formatting when writing your article because your layout will be subject to change depending on which page your article will be placed in the publication itself.

2. Please always do a thorough spell check of your document especially names that are not common in the built in spell checker of software applications.

3. Please make sure you only use Arial in all your fonts in the document, as the publication body text will all be produced in Arial type font only. If you use another font, some special characters might not translate properly when converted to Arial. This typeface is pretty much Universal.

4. Include the pictures you want used in your article in the Word document layout, but also please attach the original digital photo file as a separate file in the email.

5. Make sure the name and author of the article is reflected on the bottom of the article content.

6. Video clips are acceptable. Please send me a separate email so we can arrange for the transmission of your video media footage ([email protected])

7. When sending your article, your email subject field should say “Masonic Tribune Summer 2017 – Your Name or Com-mittee Name or your GL Title should be contained in the article.”

8. Your article is important to us. Please help us protect its accuracy according to your intended subject.

Grand Master’s Message................. 3

Article submission deadlines:Summer Issue .................................................... First of May Fall Issue .......................................................... September 1Winter Issue....................................................... December 1Spring Issue..........................................................February 1

Deputy Grand Master .................... 4

Senior Grand Warden .................... 5

Junior Grand Warden ..................... 6

Grand Secretary ..............................7

Junior Grand Warden Candidates ....... 8

Junior Grand Warden Candidates ....... 9

DDGM Reports .............................10

Public Relations Committee ......... 11

Washington Masonic Charities ..... 12

A few words from the Chair

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Brethren,We were able to publish 4 issues of the Washington Masonic Tribune for the 2018-2019 year. The publica-tion has been made possible through the great effort and thought by those who submit articles. I am very grateful for those articles and give great thanks! I hope that we can continue and pursue its purpose in the fu-ture days to come. The Masonic Tribune is the best means to communicate to the membership efficient and effective ideas, best practices and successful programs that were promoted in your areas.

You can submit an article to me at [email protected]. Please have the article between 500 and 800 words and put in a word document in Arial format of font size of 10. The next due date will be September 1, 2019. I give great thanks for articles submitted, time take and love of our craft.

Fraternally,WB Dean Markley, ChairmanWashington Masonic Tribune

[email protected]

Masonic TribuneGrand Lodge of Washington

Volume C No.2 - Winter Issue - Page 3

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MWB JIM H. KENDALL

GRAND MASTER

Remember Rule No. 1!

My year in the East is almost done, and by the time you are reading this, we will be wrapping it in a

bow. It has been an eventful year which is no less than I expected. It is just that some of the events were completely unforeseen and unforeseeable. Due to the serious life-threatening illness of me eldest daughter many of my plans for attending meetings and travel-ing the Jurisdiction were knocked into a cocked hat. Happily, the rest of the Grand Line made up for it, with RWB Charles Wood, RWB Chris (Not Christopher!) Coffman and RWB Cameron Bailey all were traveling the Jurisdiction to visit Lodges. RWB Chris has com-mitted to visiting every Lodge in the Jurisdiction and is well on his way to accomplishing that goal. The highs and the lows of the year are very much out of balance, with the highs far more numerous than the lows. We have been greeted and welcomed to virtual-ly every event and especially at district meetings. Rule no. 1 has been in evidence throughout the year. I have never seen so many smiles and gleams in the eyes as I have this year. If you look at the Grand Photogra-phers posted photos you will see what I mean. I just looked at the District 11 photos and in almost every photo you see everyone laughing and having a good time. Despite a certain amount of silliness and good

humor we got our work done in fine style. One of the biggest disappointments was the loss of our District 30 Deputy of the Grand Master. VWB Mark Okusko was a retired Navy Seal and you would ex-pect that he was some kind of tough guy. In reality he was a soft touch. He was awarded the Grand Master’s Achievement Award last year and was, in my mind, an obvious choice to select as District Deputy of the Grand Master. To our dismay and sorrow, he was tak-en by ‘He who holds our fate in his hands’, leaving us bereft and bewildered. VWB Jim Mathews, the imme-diate past DDGM agreed to reassume the collar and finish out the year. I am extremely grateful to VWB Jim for agreeing to step back into the position. We have accomplished a lot of good this year, some obvious, some not so much. We had high hopes of having a final sale of the MRC by this time, but that does not look like it will be accomplished in my year. There is still some small hope but we are not counting on that. We have however, made very real progress in getting the property in a saleable condition, especially in getting the zoning changed. This process has been a process of learning and refining our expectations to the value of the property and the hindrances still en-tailed. VWB Chris Haynes and his team have done yeoman work in moving this process along, as well as providing invaluable advice and assistance to Lodges and Tem-ple Boards on handing of their real estate properties. They deserve a truckload of thanks and gratitude for their professionalism and dedication.RWB Clint Brown, RWB Cameron Baily and RWB Chris Coffman have been instrumental in getting our Apron Memorial finished and ready for the corner-stone ceremony. All this was accomplished within the original budget allocated. Count this one as a big win.I have been blessed beyond measure to have been given the opportunity to serve as Grand Master and especially to have served with the other elected of-ficers. Every one of your elected officers has served the Jurisdiction magnificently and I appreciate the different competencies each brings to the table. This year, for example, a second Lodge has been granted monies from the Washington State Capital Budget to affect improvements and repairs to their building. If it weren’t for RWB Cameron’s experience and expertise

we would never have known this resource was avail-able to our Lodges. RWB Clint picked up the duties of Grand Secretary and hit the ground running. He and the office staff have done a terrific job of supporting the Grand Lodge Team and in doing all the essential duties the Grand Lodge Office must do to keep us on track. Not bad for a rookie!RWB Woody has been having an absolute ball this year traveling all over the Jurisdiction and represent-ing me at other Jurisdictions while I could not travel. RWB Woody has been an absolute jewel in tracking budget items and worked hard to craft the budget be-ing put forward this year. RWB Chris has been our one-man Jurisprudence Committee (after having served five bazillion years on that committee) and has helped keep us on track with some of the nuances of performance of Grand Lodge Business. RWB Cameron I have already mentioned but it is worth mentioning again. He brings unique skills and experience that will help us step back into the public square that we should never have left.The Brethren struck a gold mine with these Brothers. (The Jury is still out on the Grand Master.) You could not have asked for or found better. And every one of them is absolutely dedicated to observing Rule 1!Thanks Brothers! It has been a blast.

Fraternally, James H KendallGrand Master

RWB Charles E. WoodDeputy GRAND MASTER


Volume C No. 4 - Summer Issue - Page 4

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From the table Of the Deputy Grand Master

I was asked at a recent district meeting “do we still have a long-range plan?” Let me assure you that the

answer is yes. That plan is available on our Grand Lodge website by clicking on the GL tab and then on the Strategy tab.As you recall, the Long-Range Planning Committee submitted a report containing the Six Supports of the 20/20 Vision at our 2017 annual communication. That was voted on and passed as a plan going forward.I have pulled the following from that report for you to review.Those “supports” or principles include: Membership experience, Masonic education, Leadership and man-agement, Beyond the Lodge, Philanthropy, and Tech-nology. While these principle supports were being dis-cussed and after they were selected, we continued to discuss what each of these mean to us as individuals, as Lodge members and as a Fraternity.Through this discussion, a summary narrative was de-veloped for each, as follows:1. Membership experience - Engage and retain mem-bers and their families through an enhanced, sustain-ing, and relevant membership experience.2. Masonic education - Educate members and com-munities about the Fraternity’s intriguing and enduring history, values, practical application of our principles, and relevance to society today. 3. Leadership and management - Strengthen our

leaders and cultivate new ones. Strengthen manage-ment and governance effectiveness at all levels.4. Beyond the Lodge - Instill a wider Masonic perspec-tive, inside and outside the Fraternity, by deepening the connection between members, Lodges, the worldwide body of Freemasonry, concordant organizations, and the public at large.5. Philanthropy - Focus our philanthropic efforts through Washington Masonic Charities.6. Technology - In all areas, leverage technology for communications, education, management, charities, and deepening the connections of members to our Fra-ternity.Once these guiding principles and their respective nar-ratives had been developed, we needed a statement that would tie them together.The Long-Range Plan has Six Supports which are...”for Grand Lodge of Washington VISION is this:

• In 2020, Masonry in Washington is growing in membership and has the public perception as an honorable and positive influence on society.

• Masonic events are well attended and considered of great value by their members.

• Lodges are providing inspirational education pro-grams that are both thought-provoking and highly anticipated.

• Individual Lodges work together to expand their ca-pabilities and share their unique talents.

• Masons have an expanded sense of camaraderie with other Masons in their Lodge and across the state.

• The Grand Lodge of Washington is viewed by the Masonic community as a supportive organization.

• Our repository of educational materials and the best practices of its constituent Lodges are of great value to the individual Lodges.

• The Grand Lodge supports the efforts of the mem-ber Lodges and is a source of consultative services to assist member Lodges in being successful.

At our 2017 Grand Lodge Communication, VWB David Colbeth asked attendees: “What is the real long-range plan for the Grand Lodge of Washington?”Bro. David answered his own question saying: “YOU! YOU are the Long-Range Plan for this Jurisdiction. The Master Masons, the Elected Officers, and the Past Masters! YOU are the Long-Range Plan for this Juris-diction.”

It is my belief that these Six Supports not only apply to Grand Lodge, the local Lodges but to one’s own self. I believe Grand Lodge has been working very hard on the first three items and I have every confidence that we are continuing to make great progress on these things and will continue to do so. Our long-range plan is a living, evolving document. I challenge every Brother to participate and help us make that plan our path to progress and a vibrant future for our Beloved Craft. Enjoy Your Masonry, Have Fun, Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk , and ask not what Freemasonry can do for you but what can you do for Freemasonry, the great-est Fraternity ever created.

Fraternally:

RWB Charles WoodDeputy Grand Master

it’s more important than you realize.

Greetings, my Brethren!

As I write my final article as your Grand Lecturer, I’m thinking about not only the meetings I’ve attended

in my travels over this year, but also in years past. As your Grand Lecturer, my focus is on the ritual and floor work, but also in how it ties into our success as Lodges, and as individual Masons. There are several Lodges where the ritual work is ex-cellent, and I can tell the officers have practiced exten-sively. The Officers take their ritual work seriously, and it runs over into the business of the meeting, where the officers and sideliner members proceed to handle the Lodge’s business in an organized and efficient manner. The Lodge members also introduce and accommodate their visitors in a proper and dignified manner. These Lodges are succeeding! They are gaining members, developing a corps of officers that go ‘through the line’ to become Worshipful Master. They have great atten-dance at their meetings, as visitors enjoy attending meetings that are run in a professional manner, and their conduct is inspirational to all members, young and old. Unfortunately, I’ve also attended Lodges where the rit-ual isn’t excellent. Sadly, there is usually a correlation between this and the Lodge’s success. As mentioned before, the visitors and newer members are in-spired by excellence, and the ritual is a key part of demonstrating your Lodge’s excellence. If

RWB Christopher J. CoffmanSenior GRAND WARDEN



5

At the recent Lodge Leadership Retreat I was asked by a Brother whether it was too early to ask to get

on my calendar for 2020-2021. I told him it is getting close to being too late. Our calendars fill up very fast. As one past Grand Master told me, there are only 52 weekends during your term of office. You have around 28 district meetings, another 20 annual events where the GM is expected and then there are the holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays. So, if you want any of the Elected Officers to attend one of your special events, you need to get that request in as early as possible. Even though our calendars fill up very quickly, we are trying to address the perception that the Elected do not visit rural Lodges.As I write this article, I have visited close to 100 of the Lodges in this Grand Jurisdiction as an elected officer. That includes Lodges of every size and in every corner of this great state. The oth-er elected are visiting as well. We drop in on Lodges to find out what is working and what is not. We think it would be helpful to hear about some of those visits and the successes that exist throughout our state. But first, it is wonderful to note that most Lodges are doing degrees and around 60% of the time Lodge is opened on either the Entered Apprentice or Fellowcraft degree. That tells me that Lodges are doing degrees and the new Masons are coming to Lodge.There seems to be a few things successful Lodges are doing that other Lodges are not. Some of these include educational components to meetings, meals(before or after meetings), charity and community service, and family involvement.I have noticed that Lodges that have some kind of ed-ucation as part of their meetings seem to have better attendance. The education is not the same everywhere and needs to satisfy the members. For example, some

Lodges are geared toward the esoteric work of the Lodge. They may have a speaker on the aprons, the relationship between numerology and Masonic ritual, or Masonic history. Others may be interested in Masonic authors. There was one Lodge I attended and the “ed-ucation” addressed the need for our Grand Lodge in the event of a Zombie apocalypse. Many Lodges have meals before their meetings. The meals do not have to be fancy. This seems to bring more Brothers to the meetings. The fellowship among the Brothers is obvious as they sit and share a meal.Charitable activities of the Lodges are important as well. I believe most Lodges in this State have some form of Bikes for Books or a modification to it. Other Lodges have adopted specific programs they are close-ly associated with. For example, Eureka No. 20 in Se-attle is very involved in the Washington Science and Engineering Fair each year. Aurora No. 201 is located in Oroville in North Central Washington within a few miles of the Canadian Border. This Lodge is heavily involved in charity activities and public service work in both Oroville and Toppenish. Family involvement is another aspect that keeps a Lodge vibrant. I recently attended Concordia No. 249 in Millwood east of Spokane. They reported on their stated meeting that fell on Valentine’s Day. They held a very short stated meeting,then they put on a Sweet-heart’s Dinner for their significant others and had the Jobbies baby sit for them. Concordia is also involved in several charitable activities,including the Hutton Settle-ment for orphans, and has meals before its meetings. These activities have paid dividends for the Lodge. The officers range in age from the twenties to over 80 and most are under 60. This is a Lodge that I believe others would do well to emulate.

Chris CoffmanSenior Grand Warden

your Lodge is sloppy with their ritual work, or if you have seasoned Past Masters giving the ritual incorrectly, it shows your newer members that they don’t have to be perfect with their ritual or other aspects of the Lodge, as they see Brethren who have previously presided over their Lodge doing ritual work that is not consistent with the Standard Work, but is considered by the Lodge to be ‘good enough.’ It’s never too late to turn this around, and your District Deputies and elected Grand Lodge of-ficers have the tools to assist you in making it happen.

There will be a resolution to be voted on at our Annual Communication that will allow each Lodge secretary to check out a copy of the plain text of the Standard Work, which would give each Lodge in our Jurisdiction the op-portunity to have a copy at their disposal. Regardless of the outcome of this resolution, your local District Deputy still has a copy of the plain text, and I encourage you to consult him with questions on the ritual when he visits your Lodge. Even if you think you have the ritual totally down, it is quite likely that you don’t. As I mentioned in an earlier article, I finished my Certificate of Proficiency in the Standard Work recently, and one major thing that the testing showed me was how many errors were in my supposedly perfect ritual! My District Deputy, with the plain text, was able to correct my errors and get my ritual straightened out. I was then able to come back and give much better ritual before achieving the Certifi-cation. Don’t be afraid to give the plain text a look-over, you’ll be quite surprised!I’ve also heard Brothers from time to time trivialize the importance of the ritual, saying it gets too much atten-tion compared to other aspects of our Fraternity, such as community service, assisting our widows and or-phans, and so on. In addition, I’ve heard Brothers tell me they just can’t memorize anything, and that they never could. Some Lodges have membership issues to the point that the Brothers who aren’t good at ritual are now officers, so their Lodge can survive. We all must do what we can, but you’ll be surprised what you can do if you practice hard enough. I know of a Past Master in my area who had supposedly very poor memorization skills, but over the course of a year, he succeeded in learning the entire opening and closing ritual, as well as the closing charge. It was a struggle, but his efforts inspired several other Brothers to do the same, and his Lodge’s ritual noticeably improved, and so did the Lodge’s attendance and success. While ritual isn’t the only thing that makes us a Lodge, it is indeed a major component. Remember, our Fraternity provides the tools for its members to improve their minds. Diligent study of these tools and their symbolic uses, and the exercise of memorization, will pay off dividends not only in your conduct within the Lodge, but also in your everyday ac-tivities with your job, your family, and your interactions with your fellow citizens. Find some time, pick up your Standard Work, and see what part of the ritual you can master. It’s well worth the effort!Fraternally,VWB Clayton M. M. La VigneGrand Lecturer

(Continued from page 4)

RWB Cameron M. BaileyJunior GRAND WARDEN



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As my term as your Junior Grand Warden comes to a close, I find myself reflecting back on this past

year. That leads as well to thoughts about all my previ-ous experiences within our wonderful Fraternity.With my wife at my side, I’ve traveled a lot of miles, to Lodges within every corner of our beautiful State. I’ve seen great little spots that I never would have seen oth-erwise and met amazing Masons on every step of this year’s journey. I’ve been warmly welcomed and for that each and every one of you have my profound thanks.I’ve been exposed to a great deal of the good that our Lodges do, and that renews my hope for our shared bright future. That our future is indeed bright is beyond any doubt. I’ve also seen some troubling things, things that must be learned from and avoided in the future, for the good of our gentle Craft. Together I know that we will put all those troubles behind us.Some things didn’t surprise me about the job. I was aware of the extreme travel schedule, and all of the time I would be able to spend in Lodge with my Broth-ers, friends old and new.I was surprised by just how much administrative, behind the scenes, work this job entails. That’s OK though, I’ve enjoyed learning those responsibilities as well, and it gives me an opportunity to work with MW Jim, RW’s Woody, Chris, and Clint, some of the finest men I’ve ever met.What was most surprising to me is just how darn hard our Grand Secretary works. It seems that his responsi-bilities and his efforts never end. Most weeks he seems

to be working, all seven days. Early in the morning until late in the evening, his hours spent in service to Free-masonry. Each of us owes him a tremendous debt of gratitude.I’ve also greatly enjoyed getting a better understanding of the good works done by Washington Masonic Char-ities. The Board and its President, along with our fine staff do some truly amazing things. Check our Charity out for yourself, I think once you see what they are do-ing, you’ll want to support them in whatever ways you are able.I’ve only left our Jurisdiction once this year that was to attend the annual Conference of Grand Masters in cold and snowy South Dakota. Let me tell you, it was interesting to hear the conversations held among Grand Masters from around North America, and indeed around the world. I learned quite a lot while there, and found the trip, and braving the weather, to be well worth it.It is my hope that you will be able to volunteer when this conference is held in Seattle; I think that you will find the same value in it as I did.I also attended the Esotericism in Freemasonry Con-ference, held at the Seattle Scottish Rite, and hosted by our own Washington Masons. That was a superb event, and I look forward to attending again, later this year, when it will be held down in Portland.Prior to my current position, I served as District Deputy, and of course Master of my Lodge. Both of these expe-riences were equally rewarding. It is my sincere hope that each of you are able to find what you seek through Masonry, just as I have, and that it indeed serves to help you achieve greater wisdom and happiness.I think that as Masons, when we are going through the Chairs in our Lodge, we are seeking to make a good, positive, and lasting impact upon our Fraternity. When I have been visiting Lodges this past year, I’ve seen that desire, and seen the work our most active members are putting into making their Lodge a better place. For that, I salute each and every one of you.As I close, I would like to take this opportunity to THANK YOU for honoring me with your trust.

Cameron M. BaileyJunior Grand Warden

Masons 4 Youth

It’s an honor and pleasure to serve another year on the GL Youth Committee. I’m happy to report the Brethren

who serve this committee have been busy doing and will continue to do what they do best – representing our Fraternity to our Masonic youth and hopefully setting a fine example of what we as Masons do and who we are.Speaking of that, one of our committeemen – WB Doug Schroeder, just recently took a group of Rainbow Girls and friends to the Shrine Circus in Spokane. The kids were free of charge of course and all had a great time. WB Doug also sponsors another youth event each summer by taking the Masonic youth and their friends of the Spokane area to a baseball game. Well done Sir!A few weeks ago, I went to a DeMolay Installation in Shoreline. Things are looking up for the young men in that Chapter with some new members and a good core of officers installed. One very encouraging thing of note to me was how many Masons were there in at-tendance. There were a couple WM’s and no less than 15 Masons. Some of the Masons I spoke with were at their first Masonic youth event. They were particularly impressed with the ritual work and how much fun the boys were having.From what I hear and read, the Jobies, Rainbow and DeMolay of Washington, all have a very busy summer planned. There are activities for all – Rainbow Girls Grand Assembly in Yakima, Jobie Grand Session in Wenatchee, DeMolay paintball, a softball tourney, In-stallations, lots of camping, a baseball game in Spo-kane and plenty of other activities. Sounds like FUN! Might be a great time to check it out!Which brings me to Masons 4 Youth. You might ask what exactly Masons 4 Youth. A couple of months ago, MW Jim Mendoza sent me a link to a website connect-ed to the GL of California – masons4youth.orgJust as the name implies, it’s a website with lots of in-formation on how we as Masons can better serve our Masonic youth. There’s a page on Rainbow, DeMolay and Jobies as well as how to open a new local group in your Hall, structure of the organizations, train-ing, along with links to sign up as volunteers, advisors, etc. A nice set up to inform those in

(Continued in page 7)

Masons 4 Youth (continued from page 6)

RWB Clinton M. Brown, Jr.GRAND SECRETARY



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Duty and Honor

“The lapse of time, the ruthless hands of ignorance and devastations of war have laid waste and destroyed many valuable monuments of antiquity, on which the utmost exertions of human genius had been employed. Freemasonry, notwithstanding, still survives”.

Why has Freemasonry survived for over three hun-dred years? Freemasonry existed before the

United States of America was founded; it has survived tyrannical rulers; it has seen countless wars waged and has introduced to its ranks men of character and talent. We have seen great visionaries join our ranks. Men such as George Washington, Voltaire and Thurgood Marshall all sought light in Masonry. What is it about Freemasonry that attracts men of such high character?When I ask myself this question, I am drawn to two words: duty and honor. In the third degree charge, we are taught that “duty and honor now alike bind you to be faithful to every trust; to support the dignity of your character on all occasions; and strenuously to enforce, by precept and example, a steadfast obedience to the tenets of Freemasonry”. While in Washington D.C., the Grand Lodge of Wash-ington had the honor of laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.Participating in this honor, I was reminded of what the words duty and honor truly mean. The Tomb has been guarded continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week since 1937. The guards volunteer for the post and less than 20 percent are accepted for

the training. Only a fraction of those accepted to the training eventually become full-fledged Tomb Guards. Each guard takes an average of six hours to prepare his uniform which is made of heavy wool and always worn regardless of the time of year. You look at these men and you cannot help but think of duty and honor. They are truly the best of the best.Duty and honor also epitomize the three Brothers that I mentioned above. George Washington risked every-thing including his wealth, his family and his life to bring about the birth of a nation and to free the American colonies from the tyrannical rule of the British monar-chy. Francois-Marie Arouet, whose nom de plume was Voltaire, advocated for such radical ideas as freedom of religion, speech and separation of church and state during a time which such writings could result in incar-ceration and perhaps death. Thurgood Marshall was a Supreme Court justice and civil rights advocate during a time when segregation and racism was rampant in America and argued and won Brown v. Board of Edu-cation of Topeka which invalidated state-enforced racial segregation in the public schools.Each of these Brothers were from different time, of dif-ferent nationalities and different ethnicities. However, each had something in common; they were Freema-sons. Each had a strong sense of duty and honor. Duty and honor are two words which should resonate with Freemasons. We should strive every day to be the best men and Masons that we can. We each owe a duty to our God, our family, our neighbors, our coun-try and ourselves. Honor should be our constant care. What we do in our actions and in our words must dis-play to the world that we are men of duty and honor. One of my favorite sayings is “birds of a feather flock to-gether”. The guards at the Tomb of the Unknown have men knocking on their doors to become members of their elite Fraternity. Why? I submit to you that it is because they display to the world that they are men of duty and honor. Brethren, we as Freemasons are men of duty and honor. Like the men who have gone before us, we must continue to display to the world that duty and honor, andif we do, men of duty and honor will seek to join our ranks.I look forward to seeing you all at the Annual Communi-cation in Bremerton, WA on June 14 and 15.Fraternally,Clinton M. Brown, Jr.Grand Secretary

Lodge Leadership Retreat - 2019

our Fraternity on the how to and why’s of getting in-volved with our youth groups. I think we’ll have to take a look at trying something similar here.In the meantime, how can you support our Masonic Youth here in Washington? Let’s explore the possibil-ities - visit your local youth group today. If you have questions or don’t know where to begin, contact one of our local committee members or myself – I know I’ve mentioned it before, but one of the primary duties we have is to recognize adults for their service and dedication to serving our youth. Do you know of any deserving Brothers or adults who are worthy of this recognition? You can nominate them for the Grand Master’s Youth Support Award. The nomination form is on the GL website, or you can email me and I would be glad to send it to you.

WB John B. Danner, ChairmanYouth Committee

J U N I O R G R A N D W A R D E N

C A N D I D A T E S

8



What ideas do you have for ensuring the long-term fi-nancial stability of the Grand Lodge?

I have examined the Grand Lodge funding sources and budget and I find that the Grand Secretary and the Finance committee have done an excellent job of managing the funds available this year. I am told that at the close of the 2018-19 fiscal year the expenses are expected to be under budget by almost 15%. The

proposed budget for 2019-2020 shows a very modest increase of approximately 1% over the last year. The main reason for the projected shortfall in next year’s budget is because of decrease in income available from the 2% management fee that was caused by the almost 20% decline in the value of our managed funds in December 2018. This eventuality has been addressed and Resolution 2019-9 will allow the value of our managed funds to be averaged over a five-year period. This will provide a much more predictable and consistent income source for the Grand Lodge.The Grand Master has also proposed a per-capita in-crease of $12 in Resolution 2019-7. This is a sizable increase. I am sure that this resolution will precipitate enthusiastic and spirited discussions that will probibaly result in a compromise. I hope that this discussion will take into consideration not only the dollar amount in question but also the intrinsic value of Masonry to us all. I was looking through the books in one of our masonic libraries recently and I found several York Rite monitors and other paraphernalia given to the library by the fami-ly of a deceased Brother. I noticed that the initiation fee to join in 1910 was $10and the dues were $1 per year. That seemed like a very modest amount. Upon further

search I discovered that $10 in 1910 was equivalent to almost $300 in today’s dollars and the annual earn-ing of the average worker was around $400. It was very substantial investment to become a member and to pay the dues. Masonry was very highly respected and the members were dedicated and very proficient in the work. It was a big deal to be a mason. The initiation fee for my Lodge is $200. This is not near the financial commitment that was required in 1910. I am proud and honored to be a mason and a member of my Lodge. My Masonic memberships have helped me grow as a man while at the same time enabling me to meet and to learn from many other men of qual-ity and distinction. My Masonic Experience has an inestimable value.In the Future let us not only consid-er the dollar value but the priceless value of Masonry.These are some of my ideas on how to ensure the long-term stability of the Grand Lodge. I am sure that there are many other opinions and I look forward to the many discussions that will arise in the future. I love the Fraternity and enjoy the opportunity to learn from all the men of quality I have had the honor to meet. Grand Lodge is not a Building it is all the peo-ple. We together will shape the future of Masonry. There is a wonderful journey ahead for all of us to share together. Let the journey begin.Fraternally, VWB Chuck Compton,Grand Orator

What ideas do you have for ensuring the long term financial stability of the Grand Lodge?

To keep the Grand Lodge financial stability for the indefinite future we need to be good stewards for the money that we have or that we will get in the future. There is enough in-vestment to do this if we just keep our spending level to what the finance committee has proposed and to watch what we spend in the budget.

The 5% spending limit will insure that there is enough money for the long haul.As Masons we are expected to be good steward of our resources, namely the financial resources and more important the membership resources. If we can keep the spending in tow where we don’t have to keep

raising the per capita, I think we can keep some of our Brothers that are dropping out for Non Payment of Dues or Non Payment of Assessments. We have to have per capita to help support our Grand Lodge. Everyone knows this. But to keep raising it every other year or two is hurting some of our Brothers and in the long run that means it is hurting our Grand LodgeWe also need to keep an eye on what programs the Grand Lodge members vote to support. If they propose a program that is going to cost money, they need to come up with a way to pay for it. Not just think it is coming out of the general fund. As in any big business, as the Grand Lodge is, there are expenses that come with the territory. As a Grand Lodge officer along with the finance committee, we need to watch and be diligent about how we spend the money. The finance committee is doing a good job keeping us in budget and making sure we do not over spendAt the present time we are doing a good job keeping the Brothers money working for them. The next investment we need to try and keep growing is the membership. This is and investment to help with the Grand Lodge financial stability. If we can keep and get more members into the Fraternity, this will bring more money to the grand Lodge coffers by more per capita and dues for the Lodges. If the Lodges are doing well, this means the Grand Lodge will do better, not only by bring in more money, but by bringing in more younger members to help build the craft. All investment does not involve money. Sometimes it means we need people to keep our Fraternity going on into the future, making sure we have people that will keep our craft and our ancient teachings intact. We need to check with the new members to find out what they expect to receive from our Fraternity and combine them with our teachings. This may keep some of the new can-didate to complete all the degrees and become mem-bers that will continue on to become great officers and even maybe on to become our future Grand Master. Of course the financial stability could all change if and when the sale of the MRC goes through. If thing work out as planned we would have a few more dollars to work with. We still would have to keep in the 5% spending limit that we set by the financial committee. Fraternally, VWB Darel Maxfield Sr.



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J U N I O R G R A N D W A R D E N

C A N D I D A T E S

What ideas do you have for ensuring the long term financial stability of the Grand Lodge?

First, a good review is how we are currently doing business. Review all Grand Lodge committees and ac-tivities, especially anything that has monetary need to support them. It is fair to note that the majority of our current committees do not have bud-geted monies from Grand Lodge and

are self-supported. If we are going to expend monies we need to do so responsibly and when necessary be prepared to defend and or explain the need. Second, we draft a budget that reflects the needs of Grand Lodge and adequately supports all that is es-sential and necessary. For items that seem question-able we need to prepare to provide a thorough expla-nation and take the time to explain the need for those items. Let’s take Public Relations for example. Some may ask, what is the point? The explanation would be that Public Relations is a long-term investment that will pay dividends many times over; that the return on in-vestment is the exposure and many inquiries into Ma-sonry our Lodges receive from young men interested in learning more about Masonry. There should always be a reasonable explanation as to line items within the budget that seem ambiguous or leave questions as to the need for those items.Budgets need revenue sources. Approximately 74% of our budget’s revenue comes from our endowments, bonds, sale of supplies, Grand Lodge registrations, de-grees etc., most of which are outlined in our code. Rev-enue from investment accounts rely on a market that

is doing well. In reality we are gambling when we rely so heavily on funds derived from investment accounts because there is no 100% certainty that those funds will be there as was evidenced at the end of last year.So where does the rest come from? This brings us to the other roughly 26% of our budget’s revenue source, per capita. Some argue that per capita is an unnec-essary tax. Whatever we call it, it is currently $28 per Mason. Keep in mind $4 of which Grand Lodge does not see as it goes to the George Washington Memorial Fund and our Youth Groups. Like the stock market, revenues from per capita took a hit a couple of years ago when we voted to relieve all 50-year life members from paying the per capita.Based on numbers from the 2018 Proceedings the total number of exempt Masons was 1936 Masons. About 1000 +/- of those were 50-year life members who are exempted from paying the per capita. This year I have been told that the number is closer to 1919 exempt Ma-sons. By my calculation that is approximately $46,056 in potential revenue no longer available to the budget. What can we do to address the shortfall?Membership and membership retention are one of many areas we as Masons control where we can im-pact our financial future. We must use the Six Steps or similar process to ensure we are bringing the right men into Masonry. We must use the investigation process to fullest extent to ensure that only the best qualified men are admitted into our Lodges. We must build our membership prudently and responsibly. Give our Ma-sons the absolute best degree and ritual experience and keep them actively engaged in our Lodges. Between 2017 and 2018 we raised and enrolled and average of 173 Master Masons. In a “best case sce-nario” Grand Lodge could gain $47 ($20 for each pe-tition for the conferral of degrees, $3 for the degrees conferred ($1 for each degree EA, FC, MM) and $24 per capita (less the $4 dollars that go to the George Washington Memorial and the Youth Groups) for each newly raised Master Mason. At the average of 173 new Master Masons that would be $8131. Membership alone is not enough. It is only one piece of many other parts we need to address to secure our financial future. The suggestion above is not realistic alone because of factors such as deaths, dimits, NPD’s, suspensions/expulsions. These factors will have the

very opposite effect on those prospective gains through membership. While we have no control over deaths, we have absolute control over the others. Get the right men in the first place, we mitigate suspensions/expul-sions. Do quality degree and ritual work and keep members engaged, we mitigate dimits and NPD’s.So how do we best address this gloomy issue? I will close with I don’t have all of the answers. What I will say is that we have to ask ourselves, what price we are willing to pay to support Masonry? What are we willing to do to keep our Fraternity strong and financially sta-ble? Whatever we decide it will be hard work and take several years. What I do know is we have the absolute power through our choices to address the financial fu-ture or our great Fraternity. Fraternally,VWB Edward C. Woods

SUDOKU SYMBOL PUZZLE

Sudoku, but like Masonry symbols are substituted. Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3 X 3 box contains every symbols shown below:

(Solution in page12)

Deputy of the Grand Master Reports



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Thoughts from District Two

This year MWB James Kendall has chosen a Latin phrase he trans-

lates to mean “Light to those who seek it.” This phrase can be interpreted many different ways. This article will explore one of them, that we should be beacons of light to others. Light can be many different things as we go through our daily lives. Fre-

quently we interpret it as wisdom and knowledge. It is also goodness. It is the presence of the Divine Spark in each of us. We should each as Masons be open and willing to shine our Light for those who seek it. In doing so, we can guide others toward the divine and spread our light to them so that they in turn can shine for others. We all know people who are in search of light. They are the co-worker who is looking to do better in their job than they need to, the friend who says they are looking for a better, more meaningful life, the family member, who asks ‘why’ at every turn, the fellow worshiper who seeks to understand the nature of the divine. These people are searching for wisdom, for spiritual meaning, for some-thing more.Brothers, as Masons we should lend a hand. We should answer the questions of others; sometimes with state-ments, but usually with questions of our own. As I said last issue, we are ourselves seekers. None of us has yet seen the face of the Supreme Architect and heard that voice. We often must answer the questions of oth-ers with our own questions, with our own search for the divine in our lives. Just as in the last issue I asserted that we need to give others the benefit of the charitable thoughts, and that it is very unlikely that they are doing whatever they are doing for evil purposes, we must in our lives analyze our own actions. As we act in our everyday lives we must

ask ourselves why we are doing what we are doing. When we punish that driver who cut us off by tailgating them and driving in an unsafe way, why? How is that ac-tion bringing light? We are only endangering ourselves and others, there is no gain. We are acting out of pure emotion, letting our anger rule our actions, and letting that anger get in between our light and the lives of oth-ers. I spoke of the need in a dispute over Temple renova-tions to see the motivation of others, and that they were not just looking to foil what is good. Similarly, when we are in this conversation, we must seek to explain our-selves. Yes, we may voice our opinion, even if it is con-trary to everyone else, but we must also show what we art thinking. We must shine the light of our wisdom in the conversation, and let others see the divine in what we are doing. Earlier I mentioned seekers of the light in our lives. The simple truth is that we all are seekers of light. We may be clear in our intentions, asking questions, praying, and looking in ourselves and others. Just as likely, we are quietly searching without even knowing it. We move through our lives stopping to look at a beautiful view, thinking of our loved ones, trying to help others. In each we are perhaps unknowingly seeking the light. Similarly, those around us do the same. Just as there are no car-toon villains out there, there is no person anywhere who is content going through life in the dark. Brothers, we must share our light with others, even as we seek to find light ourselves. We can guide others with our beacon, even as we search in others and in the world around us for the divine. VWB Matthew AppelDeputy of the Grand Master in District Two

Greetings Brethren.

What, where and why are 3 “W’s” that typically start most questions regarding Masonry to Members of

the craft.What is Masonry all about (or what do Masons do), Where do they meet and Why are you a member?Interesting enough this is part of the reason we should all practice our “Elevator” speeches but what happens when the conversation goes a little deeper?Couple ideas to assist here may be to think about what it means to you to be a Mason? How does being a member make you feel? What have you learned about Masonry? And / or what do you want to learn about Ma-sonry?

Leaning in to learn more every day and education at our meetings provides the added bonus of nourishment for the soul. It sparks interest into something new and uncharted and provides the vehicle for lifelong learning. Our craft and its history are amazing and it’s up to each and every one of us to pass it on to our newer members and kindle that fire of learning in each of them and this will also re engage older members as well as it will spark the conversation of what they remember and why we “do what we do” discussions. There is something to be learned from every Brother as we all have something to share. It’s a pretty cool thing to see a newer member do their proficiency and be eager for the next challenge. But what’s after proving proficiency on the Master Mason Degree? Is that where the learning stops? The answer most sure-ly is “nope it’s just begun.” Becoming a mentor for newer members and exercising the New Candidate Education program every time is a great way to start. Understanding the 6 Steps and how to comfortably talk to someone about the process is something to learn and practice as well. PILM is a great place to look for continued educa-tion and this year we welcomed 50 new Brothers that passed their Part A. We are sure their District Deputies were smiling as they watched these Brethren complete their Part B. These Brethren have committed the time and effort to better our craft and a big shout out to each of you. The MR&E Committee continues to partner with the Leadership Training Committee to provide the Breth-ren with the best 1-2 punch in the business. The Lodge Leadership participants walk away with tools to make them better leaders and the confidence they gain by learning in this type of an environment builds lifelong relationships with a network of “Teachers” or Mentors that are there to assist you along the way. The Chairman for 2018-2019 wishes to thank the mem-bers of this committee for their work throughout the year. The Brothers who have served on this committee have been diligent and hard-working, dedicated to making a difference in our craft and they will no doubt continue to greater successes in the coming years.

Fraternally,VWB James (Jimmy) C Norton Jr, ChairmanMasonic Research & Education Committee

SUDOKU SYMBOL PUZZLE

(Solution of Puzzle in page 6)



11

Since 1780, Grand Masters from throughout North America have gathered together “to get to know

each other, share best practices, and to learn how oth-ers are meeting and handling the issues facing the Fra-ternity in their Jurisdictions”.In 2021, they are coming to Seattle! Events will be held from February 20th – 23rd at the Westin Hotel in Seattle and at other venues throughout the area. Prior to this Conference, the Western Conference of Grand Mas-ters will be held on February 19th also at the Westin. This portends to be an exciting opportunity for us to show how we practice Freemasonry in Washington.

Conference of Grand Masters - 2021


“When common sense isn’t quite so common”

One of the most hotly debated topics at the Grand Lodge Leadership Retreat the past two years has

been the discussion surrounding whether our Juris-diction needs an “official policy” on the use of social media. Many of our youngest Brothers passionately assert that any such restrictions are an egregious in-fringement of their First Amendment Rights, an anathe-ma to fundamental Americanism. Most of the Masons I’ve asked about the need for such guidelines seem to be of the shared opinion that a Brother who remembers his obligation, the degree charge, or has even a vague familiarity with Washington Masonic Code, shouldn’t need another set of rules to govern his behavior. “Ma-sonic Common Sense”, right? Not as common as you would hope. For example, of the 4 or 5 individuals I’ve dropped from my list of Facebook “friends”, all but one have been Freemasons from whose political or reli-gious rants I wanted to distance myself from beyond simply blocking” their posts from my feed.Last year 68-percent of all US adults claimed they were using Facebook, and another one billion were using Instagram. In addition, Twitter, LinkedIn, Vine and a handful of other emerging digital platforms are being used by Freemasons with increasing regularity. Also growing exponentially, unfortunately, is the number of informal complaints amongst Brethren, District Depu-ties and the Grand Lodge office about distasteful social media posts by Masons. The definition of what makes a post a poor reflection on our Fraternity is, in many cases, open to wide interpretation. Ritual and “tyled” information should never be posted, and the inappro-priate use of foul language, racist or sexist remarks should also be a “no brainer”. Perhaps more subtle in its damage, is the effect that a seemingly unrelated and subsequent post will have on the world’s impres-sion of you as a Mason, and our Fraternity as a whole. An innocuous photo and post about a Lodge’s pancake breakfast, followed later by a religiously or politically charged argument or disparaging meme may uninten-tionally give the world the impression that this is the position taken by our entire Fraternity. Our behavior on-line should mirror the behavior one would expect to find in Lodge, where we have not given up our First Amendment rights to expression, but have voluntarily committed to doing so with Masonic dignity and exem-

plary civility.As it’s often been quipped that ‘safety regulations are written in blood’, and ‘laws are created because of knuckleheads’, so also has the need been found in dozens of other Grand Masonic Jurisdictions across America for “official policies” regulating the use of so-cial media by Freemasons. These codified policies range from the ‘weighty and voluminous tome of le-gal jargon’ adopted by the Grand Lodge in one of our four US Commonwealths, to the comparatively ‘brief, almost gossamer set of suggestions’ from a Grand Lodge on the West Coast. The Grand Lodge Public Relations Committee, after months of study, has sub-mitted a proposed set of social media guidelines to our Grand Master and elected Grand line officers for con-sideration of adoption, either as official policy or guide-lines, we hope is somewhere in the middle. As is the case with our fraternal tenets, we strongly recommend Brother-to-Brother intervention as always being the first and most appropriate response when common sense becomes uncommon.

WB Roger Nelson – ChairmanGrand Lodge Public Relations Committee

(ed. – WB Roger Nelson was an investigative reporter for KOMO and KING in Seattle for over a decade before moving into broadcast management. Since 1998 has been the Se-nior Account Executive with the KXLY Broadcast Group and Phase 3 Digital Advertising Agency in Spokane).Sprout So-cial, February 1, 2019



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Service and Partnership to Improve our Fraternity and Community

Washington Masonic Chari-ties serves Masons in need

- including our older Brethren their wives, widows, and those who may need us most, our community’s or-phans (known today as unaccom-panied homeless minors).Our work is discreet, so you may not see or hear the hundreds of stories of those we help each year, but each Mason

can and should be proud of the fact that the Fraternity brings Hope and support when it is needed most. We bring light to those we serve, every day.Our mission is to “To create a culture of philanthropy to invest in youth and education, provide comfort and support for seniors and those in need, and to preserve and share the Masonic heritage of Washington.”WAMC is the 501c 3 charitable arm of the Freemasons of Washington. The WAMC Board of Trustees has recently adopted a five-year strategic plan focusing on three key objec-tive areas – youth, older adults and those in need, and maintaining our Masonic heritage. We are here to partner with and work alongside Grand Lodge and local Lodges to support and improve Mason-ic charitable efforts in Washington. So, what are specif-ic opportunities for Lodges to partner with WAMC?

• On the Level Student Success – Helping com-munity orphans attending public school to stay in school so they can succeed academically and in life.• T.H.I.N.K. Civility–Helping young people develop the tools and leadership skills so the next genera-tion may improve the nature of civil discourse.• Scholarships –Assuring that deserving students with few resources can obtain the vocational, col-lege, or university education to become successful adults.

• Operation Masonic Relief – Partnering with Lodg-es to improve communication, engagement, and support for older Brethren, their widows, and Masons in need.• WA Masonic Library and Museum – Partner-ing with Lodges to provide programming and support for library and museum collections.

To learn more about partnership and how we can help, Kurt Miller at 253.442.2505 x 108 or [email protected] can help with youth and scholarship programs, Br. Byron Cregeur, 253.4422 can help with Operation Masonic Relief,None of this is possible without the help and support of the Brethren. Just 13% of our funding comes from donations and grants. Just fewer than 3% of Masons in Washington contribute directly to WAMC, so one of my goals is to earn your support through our good work.It surprises many Masons to learn that WAMC receives no direct support from the Grand Lodge annual assess-ment. When a new Mason receives the degrees, one dollar ($1.00) is sent to Washington Masonic Charities. Twenty-five cents of a Mason’s assessment is pooled in the Charity Fund, which is a Grand Lodge fund. Just 3% of these funds are available to WAMC each year – that is less than a penny per Mason.(7.03 C., 7.04 C. & D., &7.05 BL)The majority of WAMC funding, 80%, comes from en-dowments and trusts that Masons and their widows contributed to decades ago. My hope is that today’s Masons will pay it forward, like their Brethren from the past.This past year we have had a few especially generous Masons tell us that they support our work so much that they have given to our endowment. Some have even made plans for a portion of their estate to be gifted to WAMC’s endowment when they pass on to the Celes-tial Lodge. If you would like more information about how you or your Lodge can contribute to our endow-ment or other funds, please call me at 253.442.2525 or send an email to [email protected]. To receive our newsletter, updates, opportunities, and-to stay abreast of how your charitable organization is performing, please sign up at this link: https://bit.ly/2IM-56hcFraternally YoursBr. Ken GibsonExecutive DirectorWashington Masonic Charities

To make this a successful and memora-ble event, we are seeking volunteers to be part of the Host Committee. Here is an overview of the volunteer opportunities available:

• Airport – People on site at SeaTac will greet the Conference delegates and

get them either on our charter buses or the Shrine vans. One of our ladies works for the Port

of Seattle and will be coordinating our efforts with the airport. This committee will be chaired by Rachel Coalman. She has recently retired from the Port of Seattle, and her knowledge of working with Port staff will be most helpful.• Concierge – On site assistance at the hotel to help people find things to do and places to eat in Seattle as well as provide translator services for our travel-ing guests who may not be proficient in English. This committee will be chaired by Mary Beth Short. She is presently a Division Director with King County and knows her away around Downtown Seattle.• Docent – These folks will join the delegates on the various tours to ensure that they don’t get lost or left behind. VWB Gene Ulrich will lead this team.• Logistics – This group will assist vendors with set up and take down as well as make sure that the tech is properly set up and working in the presentation rooms. WB John Caverly has point here.

As a bonus for volunteering, throughout the Conference you will have the opportunity to interact with and learn from Masonic leaders throughout the world of Freema-sonry – and we’ll even give you a special conference polo featuring the above logo. I hope that you are as excited to welcome the Brethren to our great state as I am. If you are interested in being part of the Host Committee, please drop me a line at [email protected]. Whether you can donate one day’s worth of time or you can be there for the entire conference, your time will be most appreciated.

Jim Mendoza - Chairman, 2021 Conference of Grand Masters Host Committee


The Masonic Tribune - Grand Lodge of Washington · Grand Master. The Masonic Tribune is an official publication of ... take and love of our craft. Fraternally, WB Dean Markley, Chairman

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