MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE MARCH SUMMONS **
Brethren,
Thank you to all the members of the Lodge who assisted and attended our EA degree in February. It was a fabulous night for our new Brothers Jamal and Jose. With the seventeen visitors in attendance from nine different Lodges it was the perfect foundation upon which to begin to build their future Masonic edifice. It was also a pleasant sight to see the Entered Apprentices span the width of the Lodge floor upon entering the Lodge, which was to show the Brothers in attendance that Masonry is indeed flourishing in Alberta.
Over the next two months we will be performing several Fellowcraft degrees including the joint degree with our Brothers from Bassano Lodge in April which is being billed as the Brewery Degree. Please remember to
register at: bassano55afam@gmail.com to reserve your tickets as the seating is capped at eighty!
Being that we will be putting forth at least one Entered Apprentice to be passed to the degree of a Fellowcraft it would be nice to see a healthy presence of Calgary Lodge members. We may also be performing a
Fellowcraft degree at our Emergent meeting on the 20th of March if our candidates for the degree are in attendance and show proficiency in the work of the preceding degree. We will give Brethren due and timely
notice if it turns out that the degree be canceled!
With March upon us we will of course be putting on another Wild Game dinner so please contact our Junior Warden Brian in order to volunteer your services or to donate any wild meats or tasty treats that you may
feel inclined to donate to his event. Tickets are available from the normal sources, meaning VWBro Jaime Wong or myself, as well as the Junior Warden. Please try to purchase your tickets in advance as the cost of
hosting this event requires a fair amount of capital to cover the cost of acquiring the delectable meats which will be featured. After seeing the success of last years event we can all expect Brother Brian to push this
years effort to an even higher standard. So let’s get out there and show Brian the Lodge’s appreciation for all the time he puts in to staging this and all the other events throughout the year.
In closing, Brothers, as the average age of our Brethren increases we are starting to have senior Brethren who’s night vision is not quite as good as it used to be, hence increasingly more of our Brothers could use a ride. So if you have space in your vehicle on Lodge night let myself or the Secretary know and we’ll see if we can provide some transportation for a Brother who might otherwise not be able to attend.
Enjoy the lovely weather that we are having lately and I will see you at our next regular communication.
Fraternally,
WBro. Gene Johnston
FROM THE SOUTH
Dear Brethren
Greetings form the South! OMG, I can’t believe the WILD GAME DINNER is less than two weeks away. March 14th! If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet hurry up. We need to know ahead of time how many people are attending and how much meat to cook. We also need all the help we can get to make this year another success. Dig deep and lend a helping hand. Any volunteers and donations (including bringing a cooked dish or two), are greatly appreciated. Please contact me for more details
(artistavision@gmail.com) or chat me up next time you see me if you can offer assistance. Thank you in advance. See you in the next meeting and/or for my home cooked festive board afterward.
Fraternally,
Bro. Brian “Bunny” Batista
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE FEBRUARY SUMMONS **
Brethren,
First, I would like to thank all the Brothers who attended and participated in last months Entered Apprentice degree. While talking to our new Brothers that night, and since, they were quite impressed with their experience and look forward to attending the next Entered Apprentice degree.
I assume we will be duplicating the experience for our soon to be Brothers Jamal and Jose with all the participants doing the same lectures. If for some reason you are unable to be there for the degree, please inform me so I can arrange for another Brother to take your place.
As far as upcoming events our wild game dinner is quickly approaching, and the Junior Warden will be seeking assistance. There will also be a couple of practices prior to the degree, dates and times will be sent out soon. Any Brothers that are not directly involved in the degree are most welcome to attend the practice and lend support where needed.
Fraternally,
WBro. Gene Johnston
FROM THE SOUTH
Dear Brethren
Brethren, Greetings from the South. I am invigorated and excited to have had such a great start to the new year and we will continue this momentum as we bring more candidates through our rituals. Our next big event is our annual Our Wild Game dinner. This year’s dinner will be held March 14 at Freemason’s Hall. A spectacular time for the whole family and kids under 12 eat for free. There will be door prizes, raffles, premium scotches and more including all the meat you can eat. Please help us to make this a
success, get yourself some tickets, and/or help sell some off. The JW is always looking for help and donations including wild game meat and cooked dishes to be donated before the day. thank you in advance, see you at our next festive board.
Fraternally,
Bro. Brian “Bunny” Batista
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE JANUARY SUMMONS **
Brethren,
I hope the Christmas season was a pleasure for all, and you have all consumed enough turkey to get you through until Thanksgiving. Christmas is a wonderful time of the year with Brotherly love in full bloom and enough leisure time to actually sit back and enjoy our numerous friends and family members. A time to relax and reflect on the closing of another yearly chapter in life and consider what changes could be made in ourselves to improve life for ourselves, our family and our circle of acquaintances. As the days have started to lengthen again we also have time to once again to enjoy the glorious works of creation and give thanks to the Great Architect of the Universe for the wonderful world that has been
provided us. The splendor of a fresh snowfall, pure and unsullied soon to give way to the first shoots of spring.
This reminds us that we should prepare to sow the Masonic seed in our candidates and provide the fertile ground required for them to nurture their new-found Masonic life to full bloom. As we will be performing Entered Apprentice degrees in both January and February we will be having a couple of practices over the coming month to shake the rust from our tools and hone our skills. So please contact me so we might provide the best experience for our future Masonic Brothers, that they may find the light which they seek and build the finest edifice for their future selves.
I would also take this time to invite all Brothers to visit our dear Brother Andrew Fraser who unfortunately had to spend the 25th of December in the hospital due to an untimely accident resulting from a hand rail
giving way on his staircase. The prognosis is that he will be at the Peter Lougheed Hospital in room 4907 for at least a week, he likes his coffee with two creams no sugar in case you are inclined to stop for coffee first.
In closing Brethren I look forward to a new year of light, and look forward to our first meeting of our new Masonic year. Let us nurture the Light of our Lodge so the world might see the true splendor of Freemasonry and be attracted to the brotherly love, beauty and knowledge contained therein.
Fraternally,
WBro. Gene Johnston
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE DECEMBER SUMMONS **
Brethren,
Our next meeting brings about the beginning of a new Masonic year with the installation of the officers for the ensuing year. I would like to thank the Brothers who have put their names forward to assist in the smooth running of our Lodge and wish them well in their endeavors. I’m sure that with a united effort the new slate of officers will have a year filled with the pleasure of lending their aid in the making of good men Masons, as well as the profit of meaningful education.
I recently went to visit with our RW Bro Chuck Stuart at the Bow View Manor in Bowness with VW Bro Irwin Vines from Mosaic Lodge. I will be the first to admit it has been too long since my last visit; and I was
indeed glad that our brother Chuck had not forgotten who I was. He was in good spirits and the conversation was quite pleasant with Chuck asking about how various Brothers and their wives were doing and how everybody had been passing their time. Since that day I have talked to several Brothers about the possibility of procuring a dispensation to move a meeting to a suitable room at his residence for the purpose of inviting our dear Brother to sit in Lodge with us. We will be discussing this at our next meeting so your input would be appreciated!
As the festive season is upon us, again I invite all to stop by my house for a beverage and some Christmas cheer. !t It might also be a good time to put together several visitation parties and take the time to see how our Brothers that can’t get out to the Lodge on a regular basis are doing. We will also have to inquire of our Junior Warden if he has any plans for a get together prior to the 25th such as a children’s party.
So; everyone enjoy the Seasons celebrations but remember to celebrate responsibly in order that we all meet at our next regular communication in January.
Happy Holidays
Fraternally,
WBro. Gene Johnston
FROM THE SOUTH
Dear Brethren
The holiday season is upon us. We gather this December for our annual installation. I will be remaining the same seat in order to help keep our lodge happy with next year’s events and our Brethren’s bellies satiated at our regular festive boards. This is the time of year to celebrate with family, friends and Brethren, and for us to slow down a bit and focus on the things we are grateful for. It is also a time when we can exercise one of greatest virtues, charity, so be sure to extend your kindness and compassion to those
who are less fortunate. May the season be merry and the holidays be fruitful in the new year.
Fraternally,
Bro. Brian “Bunny” Batista
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE NOVEMBER SUMMONS **
Brethren,
November will be a busy night for Calgary Lodge starting with the election of officers at our business meeting, followed by an emulation EA degree for Step up night on the 15th. We have decided to do an emulation EA degree to get a little practice in before we start to do degrees for the four gentlemen who seek to enter our Lodge. Their petitions will be read out at our business meeting so if all goes well we will be doing their first degree in January. The plan, as of now is to take two candidates through their degree in January and follow up with two more candidates in February. If you are available to do any of the EA work please let myself or the Senior Warden know what part you would like to give.
Ladies Night will be the following night at the Danish Canadian Club with the same 20-piece band, Sentimental Journey, that had every couple on the dance floor at one time. It promises to be another fine night for our lovely ladies. Our Junior Warden Bro Brian Batista still has a few tickets left so it might be a good time to place your order.
The weekend after our step up night the Calgary Highwood District meeting will take place at Corinthian Lodge in Okotoks on the 23rd. Please take the time to attend and show your support for RW Brother Keith Olson who has been an avid visitor at our Lodge in the past. He has taken the time to represent the Lodges in our district as our DDGM and it would be only fitting that we show him our support.
In closing let us now prepare our minds and our lectures for the practice of making good men Masons and assist our new Brethren to enjoy their Masonic journey which lies ahead of them. I look forward to seeing everyone at the festive board after Lodge.
Fraternally,
WBro. Gene Johnston
FROM THE SOUTH
Dear Brethren
November 2nd is our Ladies Night at the Danish Canadian Club. Cocktails at 6:30, dinner at 7, music to follow. Please support our Lodge by helping the JW make this event a success. It is planned for you and your loved ones to celebrate your love. The feast will be delicious with desserts and dancing to music performed by Sentimental Journey. Everybody will have a great time. Festive boards will continue to be high quality and home cooked by me as I will continue to stay in the Junior warden chair this season. So you will have more hearty and hot meals in the festive boards in the upcoming new year.
Fraternally,
Bro. Brian “Bunny” Batista
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE OCTOBER SUMMONS **
Brethren,
Now that we have our DDGM’s official visit out of the way I hope we are ready to get back into the job of making Masons. Over the next few months we will have several interested persons attending our festive boards, so you may want to attend Lodge and get to know them. They will be looking for two sponsors each so please make yourself available to them, after all to ask one, one needs to know one!
It would appear that step-up night this year will most likely be an Entered Apprentice degree, so dust off your blue books and start considering which lecture you might want to deliver. For those of you that could not make it to the GPC meeting there will be some discussion regarding the agenda and your input would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully we will have further information regarding the future of Freemasons Hall by then so we can start formulating a plan for our future.
Ladies night this year will again follow last years format with the exception of it being held at the Danish Canadian Club. So please support the diligent efforts of our JW Bro Batista and purchase your tickets early so we can get an accurate head count to assure there is adequate food for all. Take care and I look forward to seeing all the members in Lodge October 4th!
Fraternally,
WBro. Gene Johnston
FROM THE SOUTH
Dear Brethren
Ladies Night is upon us, an important night to celebrate the love and let your lady know you appreciate the time to come out to meetings. We have a 20-piece band “Sentimental Journey” and a fantastic evening planned for you including a decadent diner dessert and dancing Nov. 2, 2019 at the Danish Canadian Club 727- 11 Avenue SW. Cocktails at the cash bar begin at 6:30, dinner to follow. Dress is formal. Be sure you get your tickets beforehand and let us know of any dietary restrictions so we can make arrangements with catering.
Fraternally,
Bro. Brian “Bunny” Batista
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE SEPTEMBER SUMMONS **
Brethren,
I had a great time over the last few months as I hope you did! It started with the annual golf tournament when we had two challengers in our Pitching Contest that sank the ball with one shot! It was a great day, as the wind died down about the time we were teeing off. The golf was fun, the meal was good and the company exceptional! Then the outdoor Lodge in Bassano, which was a fun day in a field with lots of Brothers that we don’t often see. On a sad note it was the last time I talked to Cecil Briggs our recently
departed Brother. When I became a Mason, I thought that Cecil was a member of my Lodge, it wasn’t until I went to his Lodge that I realised that he wasn’t a member of Calgary No. 23, but definitely was a large part of it.
Next the indoor/outdoor Lodge in Nanton was, as always, a great time. Well, if you ignored the torrential rains outside! If you have not attended their outdoor Lodge you are truly missing a very enjoyable day with some truly fine Brothers. Then it was off to the Shrine with RW Brother Les to assist them with the clean up of fallen trees. Once again it was a great experience, they even supplied a very nice lunch and a short workday thereafter. I would also like to thank Bro Todd Purcell from Mosaic Lodge for having his
wedding ceremony at the Hot Springs in Nakusp BC, attended by about 150 people. There was a large contingency from Mosaic as well as several other Lodges including a Past Grand Master. Being we were already half way to the coast we took the opportunity to keep going and visit Mona’s mother in
Vancouver for a couple of days. Then off to Squamish to visit with some friends for a week. Then back to Calgary in time to go to Lodge for the first time in two months and receive our new DDGM RW Bro Keith Olsen on his official visit. Well I guess its time to open our books as Lodge is now back in session.
Looking forward to your company at our next festive board. Remember visit, your Brothers are waiting for you to join them!
Fraternally,
WBro. Gene Johnston
FROM THE SOUTH
Dear Brethren
Greetings from the south. Exciting times are ahead as lodge reopens in the fall. The kids go back to school and we can look forward to fraternity and brotherly love in lodge. The golf tourney was a success and we have Ladies night to look forward to and to celebrate the women in our lives on November 2nd. We have had a mix of beautiful sunny days this summer and hopefully all our brothers return well rested and ready to do ritual work. It may not be summer BBQ but I promise there will be a good spread at the festive board.
Look forward to seeing you in lodge.
Fraternally,
Bro. Brian “Bunny” Batista
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE JUNE SUMMONS **
Brethren,
We will be having our last business meeting before our summer “vacation” on the 7th of June, I hope to see everyone then. For all the Brothers that ordered name tags, they have arrived and will be available at the meeting. We will also have an educational presentation at the festive board courtesy of our Very Worshipful Brother Garth Cochran which I’m sure we will all enjoy.
The Grand Lodge Communication being in Calgary this year should provide our newer Master Masons with an excellent opportunity to experience the inner working of Grand Lodge and to participate in the voting process. The best day to attend will be on Saturday, so please get there early so you can register and socialize with the Brothers attending. This annual event provides an opportunity to meet members from all of the Lodges in Alberta as well as the incoming and outgoing Grand Lodge officers. There will
also be a banquet on Saturday night which could be an interesting night out for the wife as well as the Grand Master’s barbecue on Sunday. Tickets are available on the Grand Lodge website.
Over the summer Calgary Lodge will be hosting the annual golf tournament as well as the family barbecue later in the summer. Tickets for the Golf Tournament are available now through the regular channels and we are waiting for the JW to set the date for the Family Barbecue. Bro Brian will
undoubtedly give us ample warning so all may attend!
As for visitations, I attended Evergreen Lodge in Edmonton for their annual Wild West Rite degree night with RWBro Kelvin McKay and VWBro Chuck Rose. It was an incredibly entertaining night as we witnessed the Grand Master being put through the degree for the second time due to his inactivity. In the end he was re-branded and put back on the straight and narrow path! This was followed up with guided tours of the various Lodge rooms and banquet hall. The woodwork above the chairs in the East as well as the West is quite impressive and I would encourage everyone to make the trip and spend an evening with our Brothers from the north. Which brought us to the first-rate festive board. The room was filled with mirth and the food and drink was aplenty! As homecomings go it was quite an impressive night for our Grand Master with Lodges from all over Alberta in attendance as well as the 17 or so Grand Lodge Officers. Several members will also be assisting Mountainview Lodge in Olds in their first MM degree in about 10 years. So, if you’re looking for something to do on the 3rd of June come on up to Olds to lend some support!
Fraternally,
WBro. Gene Johnston
FROM THE SOUTH
Dear Brethren
Greetings from the South, It appears that summer is finally upon us so lets get out with those we love and soak up as much of the beauty and sunshine as we can while we have it. Don’t forget our annual golf tournament is
coming up quick so be sure to get your tickets. Your JW off in Holland studying for a month but look forward to reconnecting with all of you upon my return. See you soon brethren.
Fraternally,
JW Bro. Brian “Bunny” Batista
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE MAY SUMMONS **
Brethren,
This month we are going to start with a presentation from RWBro Murray Pay regarding the recent Masonic trip to the Holy Land. Having attended the presentation at Bow River Lodge last month, I found it quite informative, educational and entertaining. While talking to him the other day he mentioned that he had some additional footage and memories to add since my last viewing which can only make it better. As all of us know, Murray’s presentations are always well researched and his manner of presenting the information is quite entertaining so it should prove quite entertaining.
We will also be attending to any business that should arise from the GPC meeting on Sunday May 28th regarding the direction of the Lodge for the rest of the Masonic year and the need to assist the JW to fulfill his agenda for his functions. The Mounted Patrol has asked us for assistance in the cutting and moving of some tree on the Shrine ground, so anyone willing to give of your labour or that of your truck please contact Bro Batista. There may even be some excess wood that a Bro can take home with perhaps a nice bottle of wine for a romantic evening with their significant other. Calgary Lodge also has a long history of holding the annual Family Barbecue at the Mounted Patrol Clubhouse so at the least it would be the Brotherly thing to do.
We are not going to use our Emergent Meeting this month due to it falling on the May long weekend, it being the first real chance for the members and their families and friends to enjoy some quality time outdoors without the threat of frostbite. You have to admit that everyone who made it through the thirty below weather this winter truly does deserve it. So enjoy, stay safe and we will get back together for our Business meeting in June. Which brings us to the Grand Lodge Communication which will be held in
Calgary this year. Please plan on attending this year in support of the Lodge and to assist in the direction that Masonry will pursue in the upcoming year. While attending last years Communication in Grande Prairie we were treated quite well by the local Brethren who took us out on the town for dinner and drinks so if you get a chance to share Calgary’s night life with our visiting Brothers, please do.
Our next major event will be the golf tournament so please contact Bro Brian and lend him a hand with whatever you can do! Thanks and I’ll see you at our upcoming Business meeting for another superb Festive Board courtesy of our friendly neighborhood Junior Warden!
Fraternally,
WBro. Gene Johnston
FROM THE SOUTH
Dear Brethren
Spring is here and summer quickly approaches. Let us feel the joys of longer days and more light. We have a few more meeting opportunities before we go dark so make sure you shake the tree and get fellow Brethren and visitors to attend. Let them know the JW’s food at the festive board is a worthy reason to get out of the house. We have a well stocked bar with many fine scotches available. So let us get together and be merry. See you at
the festive board.
Fraternally,
Bro. Brian “Bunny” Batista
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE APRIL SUMMONS **
Brethren,
March proved itself to be a rather hectic month for the Masonic family as we all came out of our long period of hibernation and joined the visitation circuit. I attended the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert with my wife Mona to
assist the Shrine by selling compact discs to raise money for the Children’s Hospital. It was interesting to see how eager the public was to donate their hard earned dollars to this worthy cause, in fact we had to convince a few people to take the disc since they had already donated!
We also attended Pythagoras’s Ladies Night for a fantastic meal with our ladies and some insightful conversation regarding why we gather together and what exactly we do. The ladies seemed to enjoy the opportunity to pose questions, most of which were answered.
Then off to Zetland for a viewing of Ingmar Bergmans “The Magic Flute “, which proved very interesting. Normally I’m not an opera fan but it was kind of fun trying to pick up on all the Masonic references contained
within the script.
We also took in R.W. Bro Murray Pay and VW Bro Chuck Rose at Bow River Lodge doing a presentation on their Masonic visit to Israel. Which included a very good PowerPoint presentation and our two Brothers gave us an extremely good talk regarding the motivations for the trip and more.
Tonight I will be attending Pythagoras for what I assume will be a stellar talk by Bro Ryan Baker on the Gnostics and Freemasonry with Bros Rob, Steve and Tarek.
To wrap this up I hear too often that people do not find what they seek in Masonry. My advice pertaining to this statement is to look inward and discover what exactly you are seeking. Visiting may show you a
facet of Freemasonry that may help you on your journey and the best place to start might very well be by visiting your own Lodge!
Fraternally,
WBro. Gene Johnston
FROM THE SOUTH
Dear Brethren
Brethren, the Wild Game dinner is upon us. If you do not have your tickets for our March 30th event get them now so you can enjoy all the meat you can eat! If you are reading this after the event, I took many days off work
and did a lot of virgo style planning, recipe and food gathering so I’m certain it was a huge success. I’d like to thank all the volunteers in advance, all those who donated gifts, prizes, booze and funds to our cause. Thank to
my steward Steven Zobatar who got Pro serve certificate to help us properly man the bar. We have many good hearty meals to look forward to in the months ahead. I look forward to enjoying our future times together in
refreshment and at the festive board.
Fraternally,
Bro. Brian “Bunny” Batista
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE MARCH SUMMONS **
Brethren,
I recently read that groundhogs and scientists finally agreed on the fact that we will have an early spring this year! What a pleasure it will be to feel the heat of a fine spring day on our faces after the bitter cold that we have endured this season. No wonder our ancient Brethren worshipped and celebrated the spring equinox with such passion.
Now that the earth is coming alive for another year it’s time to awake from our slumbers and spread joy to our fellow Masons in their various Lodges. Visitation being the lifeblood of a Lodge it may be a good idea to visit a foreign brother and celebrate spring with his Lodge throughout the month of March. Don’t forget to invite him home for a meal and some conversation as well!
As for myself I will be starting my visitations with Mosaic Lodge on Saturday February 23rd at 10:00 am for their Master Mason degree followed that evening with the Brothers of Pythagoras Lodge as they treat the Ladies to a fine meal. Several Brothers will also be attending Pythagoras on the 28th of March for another fine meal and some stimulating education on the Gnostics and Masonry. Anyone wishing to accompany us please contact Brother Nicholls or myself.
It would also be nice if we can put together a visitation party to Mount Lebanon either on the 12th or 26th to return the courtesy of their attendance for the prove up of Bro Kovac in January. It was nice to see their principal officers stopping by for a meal and a beverage. If you have not had a meal with our Bros at Mount Lebanon I must warn you to bring your appetite!
In closing I would like to thank our visitors that attend as regularly as myself for the aid and support that you lend to our Lodge, after all “Without an audience, there just ain’t no show”. Please remember to extend your visitations to any Brothers that may find themselves waylaid in a hospital or may appreciate the opportunity to have an ale with a friend.
Fraternally,
WBro. Gene Johnston
FROM THE SOUTH
Dear Brethren
From The South. We have a very exciting month ahead. First and foremost, Saturday, March 30th, at 6 PM we will be hosting our annual CALGARY 23 WILD GAME DINNER. Tickets are available through myself as well as online through Eventbrite. We need you to attend to make this a success as well as all the helping hands we can get. This is also a call to Volunteers. Help! Wild Game is a big event and we need all the help we can get! Speak to me in person or email me at atelierartistayyc@gmail.com. In our continued effort to clear out old stock and bring you what you want we have nearly a dozen new scotches available at the bar. Our festive board in March will be a hearty one definitely worth making, will have slow braised short ribs with mashed potatoes and more. We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting.
Fraternally,
Bro. Brian “Bunny” Batista
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE FEBRUARY SUMMONS **
Brethren,
Last month our Lodge had a fairly active social life, hosting Concord Lodge’s Canadian Rite educational prove up of Bro Alex Kovac before he left on the 22nd for his home in Austria. Followed by some very interesting education regarding the several languages of Masonry delivered by our secretary WBro
Hamida. The event was well attended, with Concord, Mount Lebanon and Perfection showing up with large visiting parties.
We also sent some Brothers on a Lodge challenge from Perfection Lodge to participate in an axe throwing challenge. The three Lodges in attendance were Foothills/Kelvingrove , Perfection and Calgary Lodge fielding around twenty-five eager axe throwing Masons. The finals turned out to be between
Perfection and Foothills/ Kelvingrove with our friends from Bowmont Hall taking bragging rights home , for now !
We will be having an official visit from our favourite DDGM, RWBro Villar at our meeting on Feb 1st, so let’s get the tuxedos to the cleaners. We should be heading down to the festive board fairly quickly as we have very little business to take care of. We will also be using our emergent night this month as another educational night so stay tuned and the Lodge will send out a memo as to the subject matter. Remember as well that if you have any topic that you would care to do education on please get a hold of our secretary and let him know when you would like to schedule it in.
Have a good week and I will see you in Lodge!
Fraternally
WBro. Gene Johnston
FROM THE SOUTH
Dear Brethren
Greetings from the South. I hope that our continued efforts to bring beauty and fraternity to the Brethren through hot, delicious, high quality, home cooked meals keep you all happy and your bellies filled. My goal this year is to attract more visitors to our Lodge though the efforts in the kitchen. We have a date for our Wild Game dinner, March 30, 2019 starting at 6:00 pm. Brethren, please keep your day timers open for this annual event and mark in your calendars this date for when tickets become available. Please help me serve you by volunteering helping hand. Let’s continue to grow successful Calgary 23 events. See you at our festive board.
Bro. Brian “Bunny” Batista
Junior Warden
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE JANUARY SUMMONS **
Brethren,
Well here we go, embarking on a new year for Calgary Lodge No. 23 and its members. I am hoping the holiday season went well for all of our members and look forward to the next year being filled with happiness and brotherly love.
The most important order of business at our first meeting of the New Year will be to vote on selling Calgary Freemason’s Hall and to begin the process of relocating over the course of the next three years. The outlook seems bright with our Brothers at the Temple Board expending a lot of time and effort over the last three years to provide us with a viable plan to move forward with. Although it is tough to let go of the past, we should all look forward with a positive attitude, to our brand new Lodge, in which to practice our Craft. Remember in the coming years as the future unfolds, that our Brothers will be constantly overseeing the progress, right up to the point where we enter our new Lodge room, for the very first time. We will also be providing an affordable housing option for the average Calgarian which should help promote the image of Masonry to the general public. So let us remember the use of the trowel, and allow those Brothers allocated to continue their work and lend our support in order to promote that
happiness that we all seek.
The officers that were elected and appointed look forward to leading our members into this new beginning for the ensuing Masonic year. Our new JW Bro. Batista who considers himself to be a chef of great renown, and I look forward to sharing his fine cuisine at our festive boards. Our new Secretary WB Hamida has committed to lining up some great education for this year and is looking to the members for any submissions that they may like to contribute. We have some more fresh faces in the chairs with a new JS Bro. Zobatar and in the JD’s chair Bro. Morgia who affiliated with us recently from his mother Lodge in the Philippines. Bro. Altimar has moved to the SS chair and now begins his new year with speaking parts in the degrees. Last but not least we welcome RW Bro. George Tapley into his new role as Registrar and Mentor for our new Secretary. The SW Bro. Genus and myself look forward to lending our able support to this fine line of officers over the year to come. May we all have a successful and satisfying year and may the cement of Brotherly Love and affection bond us together throughout the year to come!
Fraternally
WBro. Gene Johnston
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE DECEMBER SUMMONS **
Brethren
It’s hard to believe that an entire Masonic year has passed since our last installation, but alas, it is true! Our December 7th meeting will once again be our annual Installation of Officers and will welcome the new additions to our current line of officers. Please make an effort to attend and welcome them to their new positions within the Lodge as well as assisting them in the performance of their new duties over the next year.
Congratulations go out to our newest Master Mason, Brother Sokol, for the long hours of study it has taken him to attain the Sublime Degree. It was a pleasure to put on the joint ceremony with Cornerstone Lodge and I thank all that participated in making this a truly memorable occasion for the candidates.
As per usual we will not be having an Emergent Meeting during the festive season. I hope everyone receives some pleasant surprises under the tree as well as many hours of mirth celebrating with our loved ones.
In closing I would like to thank all the members of Calgary Lodge #23 for the opportunity to sit in the East for the last year and for their assistance in making this a truly memorable event in my life.
Sincerely and Fraternally
W Bro Gene Johnston
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE NOVEMBER SUMMONS **
First, I would like to thank all the Brethren that stepped up and filled the roles required to make our recent degree go so smoothly. Thanks also go out to those members that filled chairs on short notice and to the visitors from Perfection, Mosaic and
Foothills/Kelvingrove. We expect to do a joint Master Mason Degree this month with Cornerstone Lodge and possibly Mosaic Lodge. If you would like to assist in the degree ceremony please call me so we can pencil you in.
Ladies night this year was a wonderful event for all who attended. I, and all members of Calgary Lodge, must thank our Brothers, the Tin Lizzies, for catering the event. We have had nothing but positive feedback for the fine meal. The 20 pce. band that followed the meal was superb; and it was a pleasure to see the dance floor so full of couples enjoying themselves. It was indeed a “Sentimental Journey” and based on all the comments we have received, we will definitely give very serious consideration to having the band come back for Ladies’ Night next year.
We will be honoring WBro. Terry Goodwin, our Director of Ceremonies, with his 25 year pin at our November meeting. He has more than earned it for his faithful service to our Lodge in particular and Masonry in general. Please make every effort to celebrate this memorable Masonic milestone with our Brother. I / We also have a 50 year jewel to present to WBro. Ronald Alfred Fox for his distinguished record of service to the Lodge as well as several other long service awards that could not beawarded at our November 17, 2017 meeting due to conflicting schedules.
The election of officers is also on the agenda for our business meeting, so if you have the urge to assume a chair for the ensuing year please contact me prior to the meeting.
Being as we have a limited amount of space in our summons, I’ll draw this message to a close now. I am looking forward to sharing a meal and a beverage at the Festive Board.
Fraternally
WBro Gene Johnston
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE OCTOBER SUMMONS **
Brethren
We look forward to a full schedule this month with Ladies Night at the Shrine, the District Meeting and the ever popular Step Up Night approaching fast. We will be receiving the DDGM, RWB Gerard Villar on his Official Visit to our business meeting on the 5th of Oct, so practicing Grand Honors might be a good idea.
Our annual Ladies Night is drawing near, and the 13th of the month is not far away, so please contact one of the ticket sellers and purchase your tickets in advance to assist the committee in the smooth running of this event. The night begins with drinks at 6:00, dinner at 6:45 and the band “Sentimental Journey” will start at about 8:00. It should be a lot of fun for all who attend so buy your lady a pretty dress and enjoy an evening out.
Step up night will feature a FC degree for our Bro Dane Sokol. If you have a desire to perform a lecture please advise me in the next week or two. Our DDGM informed me tonight while Bro Rob Nichols and I were at Pythagoras Lodge listening to VWB
Jamie Beckstead give education on Saint Germain, that he would be attending the degree. So let’s make sure that we get some practice in and put on a good degree for Bro Dane.
The last item on our October agenda is the Calgary Highwood District Meeting to be held at Freemason Hall on the 27th so please mark this date on your calendars. Registration will begin at 9:00 AM and there will be a lunch provided by Mount Lebanon Lodge, please try to attend and show your support for your district.
Fraternally
WBro Gene Johnston
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE SEPTEMBER SUMMONS **
Brethren,
I hope we all had a good summer despite the weather but now it’s time to get back to the business of building better men. Our summer events, the golf tournament and family barbecue, were enjoyed by all who attended. My thanks go out to the brothers who took the time to help run the summertime festivities. Looking forward to seeing you all at our first business meeting in September!
Fraternally
WBro Gene Johnston
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE JUNE SUMMONS **
Brethren,
Once again, we are at our last meeting before darkness sets in for the summer. This month we have a business meeting only, unfortunately we still do not have an Entered Apprentice ready to prove up and continue his journey by receiving the Fellowcraft
degree. When we come back in September we will be conferring the degree on at least two candidates. I imagine with all this time to practice our Senior Deacon will be treating us to a flawless Staircase lecture.
I will be flying up to the Grand Lodge Communication on Thursday in order to attend the re-consecration of Lodges 105 and 106. Having never witnessed such an event it should prove to be an interesting night. For the first time I will be present for the entire communication and will exercise my vote on all the motions that will be presented
over the course of the weekend. Then a short fight home and it’s back to work again after my glorious vacation in sunny Grande Prairie.
Our golf tournament at Oxbow Golf Course will be June 23rd, so if you don’t already have your ticket you can contact Jaime Wong, Rick Trombinski, Tarek Hamida or myself.
The Family Barbecue will be August 11 this year at the Mounted Patrol clubhouse at the Al Azhar grounds as usual. There will be a reminder sent out to remind everyone shortly before the event.
See you all at the business meeting and I look forward to seeing everyone at the various events throughout the summer
Fraternally
W Bro Gene Johnston
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE MAY SUMMONS **
Brethren,
Finally, it seems that we may have seen the last of winter and we can get the parkas off and turn the barbeque on! Let us hope that we have a terrific spring and summer to help us forget the incredibly long winter through which we have survived. We should as a lodge start making plans to attend the Grand Lodge Communication in Grande Prairie this year. Grande Prairie being approximately a seven-hour drive from Calgary it would probably be wise to car pool and spend the night before undertaking the arduous journey home. It might also be a good idea to book your room early as there will be a considerable number of visitors in town that weekend.
With the shear amount of motions this year it will probably take Friday and Saturday to make it through all the business. Remember that your vote is earnestly solicited to assure equal representation is received from all the lodges in Alberta, assuring a positive
outcome for all Masons. Also on the agenda for all the Brothers that as yet have not been to a Communication, is the vote for the next Grand Senior and Junior Wardens which will in the near future be Grand Masters. This would be an appropriate time to exercise your constitutional right and cast your ballot for the future leaders of the Craft. Also bear in mind that you are representing the honor and reputation of Calgary Lodge # 23 as well as your District via your attendance at the Communication. On Thursday June 7th there will be a joint re-consecration of Grande Prairie Lodge #105 and Lake Saskatoon Lodge #106, the festivities start at 5:30 if you wish to attend.
Good health, good luck, and particularly good weather until we meet again in the sanctity of the Lodge.
Fraternally
W Bro Gene Johnston
FROM THE WEST
Brothers,
As Masons our words are true and our promises are strong. Remember the promises that we made at the Altar, act on our obligations. Charity isn’t only opening the check book, charity is also time spent listening to a brother that needs an attentive ear. Charity is spending a few hours helping a brother at home or visiting a brother who can’t make it to lodge or who is sick or unwell. Let the world observe how Masons love one another.
Fraternally
Bro. Joseph Genus Senior Warden
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE APRIL SUMMONS **
I hope that March has been a good month for all of our members and their families! For the Lodge, it turned out to be a particularly good month with a visit from the Grand Senior Warden, Right Worshipful Brother Ken Cheel at our business meeting who provided an impromptu education on the duties and responsibilities of a Grand Senior Warden. We followed the meeting up with a pleasurable festive board courtesy of our Junior Deacon Pejman who I would like to thank for stepping forward.
Our Entered Apprentice degree went well and I would like to thank the degree team for attending the practice, which is so important in providing the candidate with the proper knowledge upon which to build his future edifice in Masonry. I would also like to
congratulate our new Brother Dane Sokol for taking that first step as an Entered Apprentice and wish him well in the ensuing journey within the Craft in general and our Lodge in particular.
We should all give thanks to our Sister Lillian Sellers from Edith Cavell for the fantastic meal that she prepared for us to share after the degree, as well as to her husband Worshipful Brother Richard and all the other Brothers from the various Lodges for
visiting to partake in the fine fare as well as assisting us to bring our new Brother to Light in Masonry. A heartfelt thanks goes out to the Brothers that invested their time and energy to visit all the Lodges in order to promote the event. Without your continued
effort over the course of the last few months the Lodge could never have put on such a successful event, thanks!
We also as a Lodge owe a debt of gratitude to the various people in and outside of the Craft for their kind donations of their time and wild meat. Letters will be sent out from the Lodge in recognition of their charitable contributions. In closing let us remember
the two great virtues that made the Wild Game Dinner such a success. Yes I do mean, Charity and Brotherly Love! So please remember that as a member of our great Fraternal organization to get out and about and support your Brethren in and outside your Lodge with your contributions and presence, in order to reward them for their efforts as they did in supporting our Lodge.
Fraternally
W Bro. Gene Johnston
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE MARCH SUMMONS **
We had a pretty good month with an Entered Apprentice degree and successful ballot on another soon to be brother. This month, we again have an Entered Apprentice degree to perform so let’s all make sure that we make it to the practice. Please remember to set
the clock back before going to sleep on Saturday night so we will all be in the same time zone.
The importance of practice is in the flow of the degree for our candidate or our brother, depending on which degree we are performing. We should remember that Masonry is designed to have a combined intellectual and emotional impact on the candidate. This desired affect is only achieved when the degree flows smoothly; and holds the attention of the recipient. As we have all seen in the past a slipshod degree leaves the candidate confused and disoriented, which is not the effect we wish to impart. The continuity of the degree depends on all of the individual parts acting in unison to refine and perfect the whole; and provide the candidate with experience he deserves. So, remember that whatever role you have in a degree – someone else’s part usually relies on interaction with yours. Therefore, it is our duty to attend practice, if we wish to provide a suitable performance to our new brother.
We are now in the process of electing a new Junior Warden for the rest of Masonic year; Our Brother, Rob Nichols, will be assuming his chair in the South. Being as Rob is stepping forward on short notice it is expected that all the other officers assist him in settling into his new role within the Lodge. This will be especially necessary at our Wild Game Dinner on March 24, when we will, hopefully, have to feed a multitude of people. Having worked to prepare several of these events, I know first-hand how labour intensive this ordeal can be; so please contact Bro. Rob or WBro. Tarek to inform them of your support and assistance.
On March 10th our Lodge will also be hosting the District Education on Exoteric Masonry for RWBro. Doug Brown, DDGM Calgary Highwood. Congratulations go out to WBro. Hamida on the fantastic job he did organizing the Esoteric Masonry event. There were
several great esoteric presentations in the morning followed by lunch and further worthy educational talks in the afternoon. It would be nice if some of our Brothers could lend in a hand in his upcoming R&E event and partake in the great learning experience he has arranged for us. A Brother from Bow River Lode will be giving a talk on the similarities between Masonry and Sufism, which will be extremely interesting, as well as a number of other papers. Please come and give him a hand.
That about covers our Masonic experience for the month of March and I look forward to seeing each you at our next regular meeting. Please remember to visit a distressed brother or simply invite one out for coffee and spread the Brotherly Love which cements us.
Fraternally;
WBro Gene Johnston
MESSAGE FROM THE WEST
My Brothers,
It is our moral obligation to strive to support everyone, especially our loved ones, in their everyday lives. In the month of February we celebrated Valentine’s Day. I hope that we did our we did our best to fulfill that duty. I would like to thank all the Brethren that made it to our Entered Apprentice degree on February 16th. Despite the fact this winter has been one of the coldest as far as I can remember, we had a good turnout.
Congratulations to our newly obligated Entered Apprentice – Brother Sina Rahiminejab. May you continue to strive more in search of that Light we each seek in life. This month we will be having another Entered Apprentice degree; I encourage everyone to come out and give your full support. Happy Birthday to the Brothers celebrating their birthdays in March.
May the Almighty bless and guide us all.
Yours in fellowship,
Joseph Genus, SW
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE FEBRUARY SUMMONS **
It looks like we are off to a good start for the year, having balloted last business meeting on our soon to be Brother Sina. We will be balloting on Dane Sokol on our business meeting which happens to be on Groundhog Day. Will he see his shadow? I guess we’ll have to discuss that at the festive board. I wonder what color we should dye the beer for that event? We also have a brother from the Philippines eager to affiliate with our lodge that, I’m sure, you will be pleased to meet. Having participated with him during the joint degree that our lodge performed with Cornerstone we all found him to be quite pleasant and are sure he will be of great assistance to the lodge.
We will also look forward to our Senior Wardens education on “his station within the lodge and his duties within and outside of the lodge”. This will begin our officer education plan, which we hope will assist the brethren to have a better understanding of the duties we all owe to the Lodge, the Fraternity and the Community as they progress through Masonry.
Our Brother Tarek is also slated to do the District Education on February the 10th at 9:00 which will begin with a light breakfast and a lunch at intermission. WB Tarek will be presenting a paper on “The Numerological Staircase of Creation” of which I have seen the preview for and would highly recommend that you drop by the lodge for. I too, will be doing a talk on the Masonic meaning of the Cable Tow which I find to be quite interesting and quite overlooked. So, if you would like to stop by and lend some support to your district, as well as to your Brothers, I am sure, we can with the assistance of the other lodges make this a very successful event.
On the 16th of the month we will be doing an Entered Apprentice degree that should be interesting, considering we will all be sitting in new chairs this time around. If you would care to participate in any of the degree work please contact me as we plan to be doing another EA degree next month as well.
In closing, I look forward to sitting in the east for the second time as it would seem that the meeting should turn out to be a carbon copy of my first meeting. So, maybe this time I won’t bother our D of C or overwork my IPM!!! Looking forward to seeing you in lodge soon.
Fraternally
W Bro. Gene Johnston
MESSAGE FROM THE WEST
My Brothers,
As we begin another New Year, please allow me to thank you for the confidence you have shown by electing me your Senior Warden. Just a few years ago, the thought of myself in this position seemed so far away – I owe a debt of gratitude to many Brothers who have helped me grow during my Masonic journey. I would like to extend a special “thank you” to our Immediate Past Master Tarek Hamida in recognition of an excellent 2017, and wish incoming the Worshipful Master, Gene Johnston, much success as he begins a new journey of his own. I look forward to the coming year and wonder what new experiences and which honored traditions we will get to enjoy at Calgary Lodge #23.
Please be sure to join us for our wonderful meals, productive meetings and for some fine fellowship. If you haven’t been to Lodge in some time, join us again to help strengthen the fraternity – and see what types of journeys you can enjoy in the process.
Yours in fellowship,
Joseph Genus, SW
MESSAGE FROM THE EAST ** NEW FROM THE JANUARY SUMMONS **
Brethren, since my installation into the chair of King Solomon I’ve been busy attending the installations of all the friends and Brothers that I have made on my journey through the chairs. During this time I have witnessed lodge after lodge installing their new Worshipful Master and Officers with pride and enthusiasm in order to make this night
a very solemn and memorable occasion for every Brother. All too often Master Elects tend to see it as “my installation“, when in fact it is a yearly event where an entire line of officers move forward one chair as a result of their dedication to the Craft. We must admit to ourselves as Masters of the Lodge that we do not in fact rule, but subtly guide and enlighten the members of our respective lodges in order to assist them in their Masonic studies. Being just another grade in our school of thought we must learn to lead with the four cardinal virtues ever in mind and provide an atmosphere of peace and brotherly affection in which to foster the growth of the brethren as well as ourselves. I feel confident that with the dedicated line of officers and perhaps a little assistance from the Grand Architect we will be able to carry out the duties as the “rulers” of the lodge with the zeal and assiduity required for a successful year. Thank you for the trust that you have placed in my hands and I hope to fulfill the duties of my high office with honour and reputation.
Fraternally,
W Bro Gene Johnston WM
MESSAGE FROM THE WEST
Brethren,
First of all allow me to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I would like to thank the brothers who helped in the kitchen and the maintaining of the bar and the rest of the
lodge. I could have not gotten all of that work done that was entrusted to me last year if not with your helping hands. I would like to also extend my deepest appreciation to all
of you in entrusting me again to perform another job this year.
Another fruitful year went by so fast with lots of exciting activities – memorable ones. We have exciting times before us and we have the opportunity to make tremendous value as brothers in masonry in this coming year. In closing, I would like to wish our brothers who are celebrating their birthdays this month a Happy Birthday!
May the almighty shower you with blessings and may you have a healthy year ahead of you. May everyone of us, and all regular masons, have a prosperous and bountiful New Year!
Fraternally,
Bro Joseph Genus SW
MESSAGE FROM THE SOUTH
Brethren,
It will be an honour for me to bring Calgary Lodge from labour to refreshment through the coming year; and to organize its social events for the upcoming term. As has always been expressed by our Worshipful Masters – this is our lodge; it’s where we meet to unite
in fraternal love with our brothers in the fraternity.
My first order of business for the upcoming month of January will be to organize the festive board for our first meeting. For our second meeting on Friday January 19th, I am looking to put together a night of fellowship, which will be themed a “games” night. Let’s enjoy a night of some chess, checkers, backgammon, crib, poker, heck maybe we even bring out the monopoly board!!! Don’t we seem to forget about having fun amidst
our obligations or our single mindedness that comes from our pursuit of achievement?
These dates for our upcoming annual events are tentative: The Wild Game Dinner – Saturday March 24, 2018; The Golf Tournament – Saturday June 23, 2018 The Family Day Picnic – August 4, 2018; Ladies Night – Saturday November 3, 2018.
Brethren, help me to help you. Share your ideas of what you would like to see from me as your Junior Warden; and it is my goal to fulfill my term by serving you to the best of my ability.
Fraternally,
Bro Greg Bundschoks JW
calgary highwood district 