Oceanside – San Dieguito Masonic Lodge no. 381

Brethren,
The Installation of Officers has taken place and the new corps of officers are ready, willing and able to perform their duties.

Make one of your New Years resolutions to attend Lodge. We meet on Mondays at 7 p.m. Check the trestleboard calendar for the scheduled activities.

When in Lodge siting next to a brother that you do not know and extend your acquaintance in your Lodge. You will never know many of your own brethren unless you make the attempt. It is better for Masonry to hunt out he men whose humble opinion of his importance causes him to hang back than to rush forward and shake hands with the prominent man who has plenty of friends. If you do not know him, shake his hand and introduce yourself.

I look forward to meeting you in the near future.

I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Fraternally,
John Brooks, PM
Senior Warden

Brethren,

I thank you for your vote of confidence by electing me to serve our lodge as the Master for 2011.

One of the tasks that our Inspector has given us is to create a strategic plan for the lodge. A strategic plan consists of a mission statement with goals, objectives and activities. This is not a task that can be accomplished by just a few brothers; it will take in put from the members – the more the better.

A mission statement: is a clear description of the reason the organization exists. Your suggestions will help establish the reasons the lodge exists and guidelines for our lodge to follow for years to come.

Specific goals help break down the mission into individual elements, and we can then pursue the goals as objectives, which are closely related and similar to goals but are more concrete, well defined and measurable.

We will then go a step further and plan activities and programs based on the goals and objectives, which hopefully will help us, communicate with our members to get them re-involved in the lodge, and inform the public about exactly what we do.

Your participation in this project can greatly help in getting our members involved in the lodge and maybe attract new members.
I will be scheduling a meeting to discuss in put on all of the parts of the strategic plan. If you have any ideas you would like to have considered, please let me know what they are.

Fraternally,
Drew Middleton
Senior Warden

Brethren,

In anticipation of you placing your confidence in me, I have been working to create a budget and calendar for next year. Worshipful Brothers David Lonergan, John Brooks and Roy Youngblood have been providing me with guidance and support in these tasks.

With the assistance of our Officers’ Coach WorBro Tom Traver, those I hope to appoint as your Lodge’s Officers are in the process of qualifying to serve you and our Lodge in 2011.

There is one more duty I need to complete, that of getting you, the members of our lodge, to serve our lodge with me. There are several committees that are needed for our Lodge to be successful. Committees are listed in the back of the Lodge Membership Roster. If there is a particular task you would like to perform to help accomplish this please contact me and let me know what you would like to do.

As a member of our Lodge there is one job that you can do to make our Lodge the best it can be, that is to attend our lodge meetings, be supportive of the Officer, welcome our new members, and to thank those who have accepted the task of serving on one of the committees. We need you as a sideliner, and there is no ritual work for you to memorize.

Fraternally,
Drew Middleton
Senior Warden

Brethren,

Section 805.410 CMC Elected Officers.

The Master, Wardens, Treasurer and Secretary of each Lodge shall be elected annually at the Stated Meeting in November each year.
The election shall be by ballot. A majority of all votes cast shall be necessary for an election. A blank ballot shall not constitute a vote cast. The Lodge, by unanimous consent, may permit any designated officer to cast the ballot for the Lodge.

If an eligible candidate fails to receive a majority of the votes cast, and the candidate receiving a majority is ineligible, there is no election. When a candidate for office is ineligible because he is delinquent in his dues, but his dues are paid before a second ballot, and he receives a majority of the votes cast a second time, he is properly elected.

All members of the Lodge in good standing (current year dues paid) shall be entitled to vote at an election of Lodge officers.
An annual election held contrary to the provision of this section shall be void.

805.430. Appointed Officers.

All appointive Lodge officers shall be appointed by the Master-elect before the Lodge’s installation.

The November Stated Meeting will be held on November 1st. Please attend.

Fraternally,
John Brooks, PM
Junior Warden

Brethren,

I have written about attending Lodge twice this year, focusing on members of Oceanside-San Dieguito present at our lodge meetings. The Grand Master’s theme of “Coming Home” was not just about showing up your lodge but to return to the craft and visit lodge near where you live.

This is a theme that I would like to continue during the coming year. I hope that each of you will attend a lodge somewhere in the world this coming year. We are a fraternity that has members all over the world who would like to get to know you.

I am a relatively new mason and there are many members of our lodge that I have never met, and I would like to get to know each you.

Please “come home” to Oceanside-San Dieguito Lodge, “come home” the fraternity of Freemasonry during 2011.

Fraternally,
Drew Middleton
Senior Warden

Brethren,

With Grand Lodge convening at the end of September this Masonic Year will soon be coming to a close.

As our good secretary has advised me that in addition to making sure that our Inspector is happy with my ritual work I should be working on officer and committee appointments, and the budget for 2011; I ask, that if you are interested in being an officer or serving your lodge on a committee, that you let me know.

Also, as I have stated in the past that coaches for our candidates are needed to teach them the proficiency work. Assistance can be provided you in becoming capable of being a coach. Members as sidelines are also needed and always welcomed.

Fraternally,
Drew Middleton
Senior Warden

Brethren,

A few months ago I wrote that sidelines are needed at lodge meetings. More sidelines are still needed. Since the message was written there have been three brothers who have attended lodge that had not been on the sidelines is quite a while.

I again ask you to start making a change in your habit of not attending lodge meetings by coming to just one lodge meeting in August. There will be five to choose from. Then two lodge meetings the next month. That will be the start of the new habit of attending lodge. We hope to see you soon and often.

HELP WANTED – Sideliners are still needed at lodge meetings. Please join us.

Fraternally,
Drew Middleton
Senior Warden

Brethren,

One of my duties as the Senior Warden is that of being the Head Candidates’ Coach. In that capacity I would like to address our candidates and their coaches.

First to both the candidates who have recently been advanced and their coaches; I would like to say thank you for very proficient Proficiencies that have been given. Keep up the great work.

To those of you who will soon be ready to give your proficiency, and be advance to the next degree of Masonry, please let the Master or my-self know so that we can schedule you for that advancement.

If you have not been able to find the time to work with your coach, please contact him and see what arrangements can be made to schedule more coaching time. If that does not work then contact me and we can discuss what can be done to get you the help needed, so that you can receive the Masonic light you need to be advanced.

Coaches, please keep in contact with your candidates and let me know how they are doing and when they will be ready for their next degree conferral.

Fraternally,

Drew Middleton
Senior Warden

Brethren,

HELP WANTED – Sideliners needed at lodge meetings.

We know that regularly attending lodge or any other activity is a mater of habit. You make it a habit to attend or not to attend.

Start making a change in your habit of not attending lodge meetings by coming to just one lodge meeting this month. Then two lodge meetings the next month. That will be the start of the new habit of attending lodge. We hope to see you soon and often.

Fraternally,
Drew Middleton
Senior Warden