Masters Message December 2023

My Brothers,

St Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence is ending 2023 with a burst of activities and nearly in a full-on sprint! At a special communication on Wednesday, November 29th, we conferred the Entered Apprentice degree on our second cohort of candidates. These new Brothers will join the existing class and they will all move forward together through the remaining degrees. In addition to the fine degree work, we also opened and closed our special communication in the Entered Apprentice degree. My thanks and congratulations to the officers on another job extremely well done! For your calendars: our Fellowcraft degree is scheduled for January 17th and Bro. SD Bill Gouge is already prepared with the Middle Chamber lecture! Please plan to join us for another impressively delivered degree and more WOW!

The annual SJ1P Holiday Party is being held on Friday, 12/15 from 6-10 pm at the Alpine County Club in Cranston. Colleen and I have picked out quite the selection of food and it will be a wonderful evening of fine dining, friendship, music and holiday joy. Fliers have been distributed both via regular mail and electronically (also available in our FB group.) If for some reason you have not received your invitation, please contact Bro. JW Bob Larrabee quickly as the 12/1 reservation deadline is rapidly approaching. As a charitable fundraiser at the holiday party, I have selected the US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. The goal of this program is to collect and distribute toys to less fortunate children at Christmas. That said, I ask that each family bring one unopened, unwrapped toy to the holiday party for donation. There is a Christmas tree set up in the ballroom at Alpine Country Club and I would love nothing more than to have the bottom of that tree completely stacked with toys for children. Please support this wonderful cause! If you are unable to attend the holiday party but would like to donate a toy, please contact me directly.

The very next morning, on Saturday, 12/16, St Johns 1P is gathering for its annual Holiday Food Baskets event. This year we are assembling 75 baskets for donation to those in need and facing food insecurity. The hours for the event are 6:30-8:00 am for setup (if you are available for setup, please coordinate with Bro. Hugo) and 8:00-10:00 am for the actual basket assembly. Thanks in advance to our Brothers from Daylight Lodge who will also be providing and serving us breakfast following the basket assembly. The basket event is always a great community builder and is our largest charitable eventof the year. As the saying goes, many hands make light work, so please join us. If you would like to receive a basket to donate, please call Bro. Hugo Adames II (401.366.2766) or Bro. Thom Kumes (401.465.4458) to make the basket reservation no later than 12/10 at 5pm.

Lastly, our December communication will be held on Wednesday, 12/20 and is a joint meeting of St Johns 1P and Collegium Luminosum. The guest speaker for the evening is W:. Bro. Dan Kemble. Bro. Kemble is a fifth-generation Freemason and a fourth-generation member of Hays Lodge No. 517 at Hays, Kentucky. Bro. Kemble is a member, Past Master, and Fellow of Kentucky’s William O. Ware Lodge of Research. At our joint meeting, Bro. Kemble will be sharing his presentation on THE ROLE OF RESEARCH LODGES IN OBSERVANT FREEMASONRY: ESTABLISHING A SERIOUSNESS OF PURPOSE. Bro. Kemble’s presentation willtouch on the history of the William O. Ware Lodge of Research and share how it drifted away from its mission and purpose – almost to its peril. However, through direction provided by Observant Masonry, the William O. Ware Lodge is now thriving because of its dedication to “seriousness of purpose”. This is going to be a wonderful presentation as the subject matter (loss of purpose) is applicable to both blue lodges and research lodges and demonstrates how renewed purpose leads to reinvigoration and growth (via Masonic Observance.)

The Wardens and Officers of Saint Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence join me in wishing you and your families a happy, joyous and safe holiday season!

Fraternally,