Post Office Box 821413, Fort Worth, Texas 76182
USA
Lodge telephone number: 817.656.2311
Best time to contact the Lodge: Tuesday and Thursday evenings between
6 PM and 9 PM
May, 2001
In Sacred Memory of
Brother R.W. Wright
“He was a true and faithful Brother among us.”
Brethren,
The Stated Meeting in April went very well with a good dinner beforehand. It was my pleasure to present a Certificate of Appreciation to Brother Gary Spraggins for all the things he does around the Lodge. Bro. Gary is a very special Brother who does so much for this Lodge during its time of need.
We have a special big event coming up in the near future that I would like to ask for help from all our Brethren that are able and capable of helping. On June 10th we will celebrate the 125th Anniversary of Smithfield Lodge. Brethren, this is an Historical Event and I hope and pray that all of you and your families can attend. We are hoping to have some special guest speakers and will be serving light refreshments. We also now have on hand the Lapel Pins we had made-up for this occasion.
I would also like to see more Brethren come out for our floor school, this is how we learn to improve on degrees conferred here at Smithfield. I do appreciate the turnouts we have had lately at our Stated Meetings. So help keep your Lodge strong and active by attending on a regular basis.
Ricky Levings, Worshipful Master
Brethren,
Here is an item that I came across and thought that you might enjoy:
THE BIBLE AND EARLY MASONRY by John W. Kelchner
In the oldest Masonic legends, the building of King Solomon’s Temple was not the only, or even the principal event commemorated. Nor is the Bible mentioned in these early times as the Central Light of the Lodge. But the Masonic organizations in which these legends were cherished, like Masonic Lodges today, were religious bodies. Masons working on the abbey at Hirsau in southern Germany, 300 years before our first manuscripts were written in England, were actually organized as Lay Brothers under the Benedictine rule. Almost as early, there were Cistercian Lay Brothers working on a church in Yorkshire. Their motto was “Ora et Labore, “pray and work”.
Practically every one of the old manuscripts containing Masonic legends begins with an invocation to deity: “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, Amen.” Practically every one closes with an oath, or a reference to an oath, “So help you God, and by the contents of this book,” and often with the further admonition, “It is great peril for a man to forswear himself upon a book.” In many manuscripts an actual ceremony is described, practically always in Latin: “One of the Eldest taking the Book shall hold it forth that he or they which are to be made Masons may impose and lay their right hand upon it and the Charge shall be read.”
James W. Allen, Senior Warden
Brethren,
This is the time of the year that we all enjoy so much, the greening of the trees and grass reminds us of the promises of the Great Architect, the continuation of life and plenty. We rejoice in these promises. Happy Easter.
We are in the final stages of planning the 125th Anniversary of our Lodge. Bro. J.B. and Carrie have completed their up-dating of the history of the Lodge, you will be pleased with their work. The coins commemorating the anniversary have been received, thanks to Bro. David Myers. The program planning is nearly complete, so ready or not, the time draws near. Visit the Lodge, and check things out. What a legacy we enjoy, thanks to our founding members.
We were pleased to see Bro. Gary Spraggins receive a Certificate of Appreciation for his dedication to Masonry, and Smithfield Lodge in particular. Good job, Bro. Gary. We hope he recovers from shoulder surgery soon.
We still have several of you who have not taken care of your dues. You must do this before June 24th. If you do not, I must suspend you for non-payment of dues. Don’t let this happen to you. It causes a lot of hard feelings when you receive that notice, it can be easily avoided, just please pay your dues.
Fraternally Yours, B.R. Campbell, Secretary
May 03 Stated Meeting & Dinner Smithfield Masonic Lodge #455 6:30PM
May 05 Moslah Temple Hospital Fund Drive See Your Lodge Secretary Varies
May 10 Guys and Dolls 2 Masonic Home and School 7:00PM High School Auditorium
May 26 Grand Master’s Conference Fort Worth Masonic Temple 10:00AM
June 07 Stated Meeting & Dinner Smithfield Masonic Lodge #455 6:30PM with Election of Officers
June 10 125th Lodge Anniversary Smithfield Masonic Lodge #455 2:30PM
July 7 Installation of Officers Smithfield Masonic Lodge #455 6:30PM
Please give these Brethren a call and visit them when you can
The following brethren will observe their Masonic Birthdays. They were raised to the sublime Degree of Master Mason during this month.
R.P. Burgess 05-23-89
A.T. Cain 05-14-85
A.L. Choate 05-17-56
M.L. Harwell 05-17-49
R.E. Holder PM 05-19-53
R.R. Irwin 05-09-67
D.G. LaPlante 05-16-96
S.F. LeMaster 05-13-67
R.S. Lewis 05-13-50
J.C. Lorenzo 05-27-78
F.M. Morrow Jr.05-19-53
L.E. Morrow 05-31-66
J. Reynolds 05-21-59
W.A. Schopper 05-27-80
T.M. Shaw 05-03-61
B.E. Stark 05-05-47
T.C. Walker 05-12-66
D.V. Wiltze 05-18-95
Congratulations Brethren!
Brethren,
First of all, I would like to take this time to thank the Lodge and Brethren for my Certificate of Appreciation Award that I received at our Stated Meeting. I was totally caught off guard. I was actually speechless (which is out of the ordinary for me). Smithfield Lodge and its members mean so much to me during this period in my life. The things that I do, are done because I enjoy doing them, and working closely with the Brethren, is how I learn to improve my Masonic knowledge. Helping to take care of ones Lodge is only part of what Masonry is. All it takes is a little bit of initiative and giving the ones that have done the work in the past, a break. Split the work up among its members, communicate the things that need to be done, or if you see something that needs done, just do it. That’s called taking pride in yourself, your Lodge, and your community. So lets all pitch in and help whenever we can.
The Trestle Board is moving along fine for the time being. We still need donations to keep it going out to our members, Widows, and the other Lodges that we mail it to. I would also like to see more input and ideas from our members and their families. We can submit articles of upcoming activities, events for other Lodges, or even start a recipe section that can be shared monthly by all our readers. If you know of something that is happening in our community, we can also submit that information. Please let me know what you think about this idea.
Gary L. Spraggins, Senior Deacon
CORNBREAD CASSEROLE
1-1/2 lbs ground meat
2 pkgs Martha White Yellow Corn Bread Mix
Salt & Pepper
2 medium onions chopped or diced
2-4 Jalapenos finely chopped or diced
1 can of Cream Style sweet corn
2 cans of Pinto Beans (or some left-over beans)
1-1/3 cup of Buttermilk (or regular milk)
2 eggs
10-20 oz’s of Cheddar, Colby-Jack, or whatever type of cheese you prefer
Set oven at 425 degrees—use a 9” X 13” Casserole dish and melt a little dab of cooking oil or grease in it before inserting ingredients.
Brown meat in skillet and add onions and jalapenos just before done (drain excess grease when done)
Stir together the cornbread mix, buttermilk, and eggs. Then stir in corn, beans, and 3/4ths of the cheese. Add meat, onions, and jalapenos, stir and blend. Pour into baking dish and cook for 35-40 minutes or until done. Turn oven off, remove and add remaining cheese to top and put back into oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with a nice tossed salad.
Yields 6-10 servings
Other ingredients such as celery, black-olives, mushrooms (sautéed), can be added to suit your taste.
Bro. Jack Jeter really liked this one when I served it at Lodge (but then again, he likes anything).
Submitted by
Bro. Gary Spraggins
Brethren do not forget about our summer Garage Sale. We are taking donations of saleable items on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00PM—9:00PM. If you cannot make it to the Lodge and still wish to donate goods, then call one of our Officers (they are listed on page 3) and they will make sure someone comes by to pick up your items.
On Sunday afternoon June 10, 2001, Smithfield Masonic Lodge will be celebrating its 125th Year Anniversary. The time will be from 2:30-5:00PM. We will be having light refreshments and a short presentation. This is a family event and we are hoping for a big turnout. So be sure and mark your calendars and plan on attending this Historical Event.
We would like to personally thank all the Brethren who came and helped out last month for the breakfast and Annual Spring Cleanup of the inside of the Lodge, it looks great and we all enjoyed working together to get the job done in a timely manner.
We are getting close to the end of this Masonic Year at the Lodge and will be electing new Officers with the installation ceremonies being held on July 7th. So mark your calendars for this event as well. This is also a family event with a dinner before the installation.
Any time you would like something submitted in the news letter (an upcoming event, a recipe, or just to speak out), please submit your article by letter or e-mail, or drop it off at the Lodge no later than the 12th of the month.
R.T. Koonce Jr. PM, Gary Spraggins
Send your questions or comments to: Gary Spraggins (ggllss@msn.com)