VWB Brian B. Hardy Deputy of the Grand Master in District 4 of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington for 2007-2009 Mailto: Brian B. Hardy

In Support of Our Future

By VWB Brian Hardy, District 4, Deputy of the Grand Master

www.d4masons.org  –  E-mail to b_hardy@comcast.net
 

    My message to you this month is a plea to the members of the Lodges in our District to remember and to take positive action in supporting our Youth groups as well as the youth of our communities.  They are in a great measure our future, and we owe them our attention and resources.  I have three opportunities to bring to you.
    First is an opportunity to support our great District 4 Scholarship program.  In order to make it work, we need your time and commitment to take part in its workings.  Each Master has been asked to appoint at least one individual to represent their Lodge in the formal activities.  This is the bare minimum.  The more representation the better.  And, if you as an individual are looking for something rewarding to do, consider giving some of your own time as well as funding.  It doesn’t take much time, and the satisfaction in helping select deserving students and seeing the happy faces of those that receive scholarships is something very rewarding to experience as a Mason.  The groundwork for sending out applications to our high schools and mailing out requests for donations to support it are already completed this year, but there are several activities we need you for.  On April 10th, the Committee and Lodge representatives will be grading applications at 7:00 p.m. at Green Lake Masonic Center.  On April 22nd, oral interviews will be conducted with those competing as finalists.  This will also be at the Green Lake Masonic Center.  Finally, there will be the annual Awards Ceremony that will take place at the Ballard Masonic Center on Tuesday, May 20th.  Your help in planning and participation are essential.  Please mark these on your calendars and show up.  More details to follow.
    Second, I have some very good news about reviving a Washington DeMolay Chapter in our area.  MWB James N. Reid Jr. - Executive Director of the Washington DeMolay - contacted me and some others about seeing if Occidental Lodge No. 72 would sponsor a new group of young men interested in reactivating the Occidental Chapter. This matter was brought before Occidental Lodge and a motion was enthusiastically passed to offer sponsorship to the Chapter.  I will let you know how it goes.  In the meantime, consider this as another opportunity for any man in our District to show their support.  Our youth groups don’t die for lack of young people interested in them.  They generally fade away when a necessary number of adult sponsors are not found to give continued support.  If you experienced DeMolay in your youth, and/or you care about the organization, please consider this as another way of helping our youth who just might join our ranks some day.
    Finally, a big thank you to all the District 4 and District 5 lodges and individuals that have once again supported VWB Jim Maher and me by purchasing tickets to the Joint District Meeting that will take place on Saturday evening, March 8th at the Ballard Masonic Center.  As a Reception of our Grand Master, MWB Wayne I. Smith, this is an important event for us to gather to honor the leadership of our great fraternity, to socialize with them, and to hear any messages our Grand Master would like us to hear.  In addition, there will be award presentations, entertainment by the Jazz Ambassadors from Bainbridge Island, and a great New York steak dinner served by WB Gary Rhodes and is crew.  Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m.  There will probably not be any tickets available at the door, so if you and your lady wish to attend please contact me ASAP.  Tickets are $25, and net proceeds from the sale of dinner tickets will go to the Grand Master’s charity this year which is Toys for Tots.  His program is another wonderful way to show we support kids (who of no fault of their own) are on the lowest spokes of fortune’s wheel.

Hope to see you in Lodge and at all our District events.

Thanks to both the District Deputy of the Grand Master in District 4, and the Masonic Monitor which publishes his articles for allowing us to reprint them.  The Masonic Monitor is published monthly (except August) under approval of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington.  The Masonic Monitor can be contacted at: 6619 132nd Avenue NE, PMB 237, Kirkland, WA, 98033-8627, USA.  Phone: (425) 822-4605 - FAX: (425) 822-2535 - Email: masonicmonitor@earthlink.net.