Post Office Box 821413, Fort Worth, Texas 76182 USA
November, 1998
Dear Brethren,
I hope this finds everyone doing great! Thanks so much to those of you who participated in the garage sale. Everyone worked together to make the sale a success, and I hope you have all forgiven Brother Al for selling your potato chips!
Thanks also to the Building and Grounds Committee for regulating the sprinkler system! Hopefully the tweaking you did will also be reflected in our water bill! You have all done a great job keeping our yard beautifully manicured!
At the October Stated Meeting, I was greeted with a touching surprise. I was completely overwhelmed to find that the brethren from Paradise Valley Lodge had a tree planted in honor of my year as Worshipful Master. This is truly a gift that will keep giving. The ongoing generosity of Smithfield West plays such a significant role for me and for Paradise Valley East. I am greatly honored to know all of you. My Masonic edifice would not have been the same without Paradise Valley Lodge #61 and its brethren.
"I'm thrilled to see more young men becoming Masons! I'll have the privilege of attending my cousin's, EA degree this month. He is the son of George Hester, a member of Smithfield Lodge. Thanks for helping us carry on the tradition!"
We'll be hosting our annual Wives and Widows Banquet the first Saturday in November. It is always a special night when we honor the women who do so much for our lodge. Please complete the RSVP at the bottom of page 3 and mail it back to the lodge. Again, it is November 7 and will begin at 6 p.m. We look forward to seeing you all at this special event!
Brethren, let's continue to be supportive of each other and other lodges in hopes of continued strength and progress for all!
Daryle Hester
Brethren,
The October stated meeting was over pretty quick but there was still a bit of business conducted. The food before the meeting was plentiful and delicious. I thank you all for bringing it. We enjoyed the company of two guests from Stephenville Lodge #267, Brothers and Past Masters Tom Guest and Foster Plummer. It was Brother Dale Barnett’s first stated meeting after becoming a Master Mason. I had the pleasure of serving as Senior Deacon during his Raising. During Brother Barnett’s raising, we had some of his friends visit and work in the degree, Brothers Vickery, Hopkins, and Polly, made the trip up from Hubbard City Lodge #530. Also visiting were Brother Templeton. from Webb Lodge #1454 and Brother Patton from Richland Hills Lodge #1348.
During the Stated Meeting, Brother Jeter was presented with a watch emblazoned with a crest containing a square, compasses and a scroll containing the words “faith, hope and charity.” If you'll remember, this symbol was used as a Grand Master's emblem in 1997 by the R:W: Joe Regian when Brother Jeter served on the GM’s conference team. The watch was a gift of respect from Paradise Valley Lodge #61 in Arizona.
We also received a petition for the mysteries and made Christmas donations to the Home & School, Retirement Center and for the 64th District Breakfast which will be held during the Grand Lodge Communication on December 4 & 5. Brother Powell announced the recommendation of the Golden Trowel Committee, which was unanimously accepted by the Lodge. Accordingly, Brother J.B. Hutcherson, PM will receive the Golden Trowel on October 17. Also, by the time you read this, we'll have completed the Lodge yard sale. The days were beautiful, the fellowship was good, and we made some money to boot!
David Terrell
Dear Brethren,
Brethren, we have a lot of things going on in the months ahead. The Lodge is presenting Brother J.B. Hutcherson with the Golden Trowel Award. This award is very special. It is given to a deserving Brother for going the extra mile for the Lodge. J.B. Hutcherson, you deserve this award. From all the Brothers at Smithfield Lodge #455, Thank You.
Rickey Levings
Brethren,
Once again, your Lodge has pulled off another successful fund raiser. On the 9th and 10th of October, Smithfield Lodge had a yard sale and raised more than $1100. This is the good news. The bad news is that the same small group of brethren are continuing to spend their time and hard work to make activities like this a success. I know we all have families, jobs and other activities. However, these brethren that are working so hard are no different. They see the value and importance of their efforts and they make the time. They need your help. This isn't to say that fund raisers are the only things the Lodge needs your help with. That may not be your “cup of tea”. If not, there are many other areas that are constantly needing attention. No matter how big or small the task or how often it needs to be done, someone still has to do it. Sometimes what may seem like the simplest of effort might spark the greatest of rewards. An example might be to just come by the Lodge some Tuesday or Thursday night, say hello and thank the Brethren for all of their hard work. If you just can't get away from your other activities long enough, drop the Lodge a note. I assure you it will be read at the next stated meeting for all the brethren to hear. From time to time, everyone needs to hear that their efforts and hard work are appreciated. You will be surprised at how well it will be received and how much energy it will generate.
Let's move on. As you all know, the Holidays are just around the corner. That means shopping, traveling, parties and such. If this is not you, remember, OTHERS WILL BE! Even though this is supposed to be a joyous time of year, it also can bring tension and stress. Most of the time, reminding yourself, your family and friends of the true meaning of the particular holiday will put things in their proper place. Since starting a family a short 13 years ago, I have found this to be a vital tool for enjoying and surviving the holidays. Drive safely and, most importantly, think of others as you and your family share the holidays with us.
Be proud of your Masonry and hold your head high as you walk in the path of those who have walked this way before you. It is because of them that this wonderful opportunity exists for you.
David W. Myers, Treasurer
Brethren,
The year is speeding along. It will soon be time to go to Grand Lodge. The items that will concern each of us will be sent to the Lodges soon. We will have sufficient time to decide, through discussion, how you will have our Worshipful Master respond to these items. The Grand Lodge will send enough copies of the articles and resolutions that each interested member can have a copy to read as he has time. When you have comments about a particular item, inform the W.M. or one of the other officers about how you feel. If you are not a member of the Grand Lodge, this is your only way to make your wishes known. This is your fraternity. Your feelings have as much merit as any other brother, even including the Grand Master's. Please take the time to be informed about your Grand Lodge law. Several of us will journey to Waco for the Saturday morning session. We'll attend the 64th Masonic District breakfast at the American Legion hall which honors the outgoing and incoming District Deputy Grand Master's. Afterward, we'll go to the morning session of Grand Lodge. I can guarantee an interesting time.
Congratulations to "Hutch" on his receiving the Golden Trowel Award. He is a special friend whose opinion I respect. He can cut to the facts of a matter, give his opinion, and accept the opinions of others with aplomb. We could not have honored a better man with this award. He spreads the cement of brotherly love as few men do. Hutch, thanks for your dedication. Brothers Bo Hestilow and Bunk Koonce planted an oak tree in front of the Lodge. The tree was donated by Brothers Fred Stewart and Jim Stegall, of Paradise Valley Lodge #61, in honor of Brother Daryle Hester. A plaque commemorating the event was placed in front of the tree. Come and see it! Thanks, "Smithfield West," you've done it again.
Thanks to those who worked in the Garage Sale. It was made a success by the unselfish sharing of your time. It would have been a bigger success if more members had spent some time working, or contributing goods to, the sale. Thanks to those who have sent in your 1999 dues early. I will send you your dues card as soon as the grand Lodge send them. A suggestion was made and you responded. Thanks.
B.R. Campbell, Secretary
November 5 -- Stated Meeting 7:30 PM
November 7 -- Wives Banquet 6:00 PM
The following brethren will observe their Masonic Birthdays in November. They were raised to the sublime Degree of Master Mason during this month.
B.R. Achtten 10-22-91 F.M. Aldrich 11-21-69 S.C. Bachman 11-18-93 M.D. Cumbie 11-27-62 J.K. Darnell 11-10-60 C.G. Dawson 11-12-59 J.L. Deford 11-16-71 E.C. Galloway 11-28-52 E.L. Hartsfield 11-19-78 J.D. Martin 11-08-62 B.G. McGinnis 11-29-66 D.W. Myers 11-20-85 H.L. Patterson 11-03-61 E.N. Peairson 11-06-79 J.D. Stapleton 11-18-65 M.E. Young 11-02-61
Congratulations Brethren!
Is there truly a conflict between quantity and quality? Yes, there can be, if we allow it to occur. But "it ain't necessarily so." It is the job of the investigating committee and the brethren who care enough to come to Lodge to cast their ballots who must see to it that we do not allow in those who are not fit to be made Masons. Is our Western society deteriorating to the extent that the proportion of men fit to become Masons is shrinking? Could be, but with over 70 million men of lawful age in the US alone, surely at least 5-10% of them are of good character and mentally capable of the work.
Should all the members of a Lodge be "super-Masons?" Is there no place in the Craft for more ordinary men--the crane operators, electricians, plumbers, firemen, and others who may not have a graduate-level education qualifying them to do Masonic research but who can still lead and inspire their fellows?
A pyramid (to use a Masonic symbol) has both a base and an apex. If one were to try to get along without the base, the apex would be awfully close to the ground. The broader the base, the higher the summit, from which reports of greater vision will surely reach the bottom.
Dwight David Eisenhower was one of the great generals of military history, but he could have accomplished nothing against the Nazis without the hundreds of thousands of ordinary fighting men to carry the battle to the enemy. Masonry's quest for moral victory over the forces of oppression and tyranny requires more than generals. It needs as many ordinary Masons who can live Masonry in their communities and shine the light from the East for all to see it.
In Ecclesiasticus, a book of the Apocrypha, there is a passage which begins, "Let us now praise famous men." But it goes on to record that the good of the world is also due to those who lived faithfully a hidden life and rest in unvisited tombs. Each has contributed his grain of good to that vast storehouse.
King Solomon could not have built the Temple by himself, or only with his fellow Grand Masters, or even with the 3300 overseers. The job needed the tens of thousands of workers in the quarries and on the site itself.
No, we should not relax our quality standards in order to pursue mere numbers. But Masonry should not be declining when the population is growing, either. Shrinking to a tiny group of ingrown researchers is a sure road to ultimate extinction. Masonry has always been supposed to be involved with the world, from its earliest foundations in the operative days; if stonemasonry had been mere theoretical architecture, without ever putting one stone upon another, there would be no cathedrals, palaces, and monuments to its worth. The world needs Masonry as much as it did in the time of the Enlightenment, when it spread ideas of free thought and republicanism to eat away the corrupt foundations of the ancient regime. Withdrawing from society to pursue our "work" is to follow a mistaken idea of what our work consists of. (Some Masonic authorities say our work consists only in making Masons--but even that cannot be done without petitioners.)
Finally, a personal note: As a Masonic education officer, I find much more value in enlightening the Brethren in a regular Lodge than I have in arguing the fine points of Masonic symbolism with those who are already well-informed members of research bodies. Lighting more candles will spread the light better than clustering those that are already lit in one place.
Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH
Send your questions or comments to: David G. Terrell (smithfield455@fwst.net)