Brethren:

I am deeply humbled and want to thank the brethren of E. T. Carson Lodge for placing your trust in me for the coming year and I look forward to serving this fine lodge and all the wonderful brethren to the best of my ability. It is my sincerest hope that 12 months from now, you will look back and not be disappointed in your selection.

The installation is now history and we look forward to 2007. I thank all of the distinguished guests, brothers, sisters, families, and friends that came out to be part of the program. It was good to see everyone. I thank the members of Knights Templar Commanderies from the Third Division that assisted so that York Rite Masonry could be part of the program.

I am especially thankful for the young men and young ladies of Ivanhoe Chapter Order of DeMolay, Bethel No. 12 Order of Jobs Daughters, and Amelia Rainbow Assembly for helping. These youth programs are critical to the future success of Carson Lodge, as well as all Masonry. We will revisit the ways we can support these great organizations frequently in the coming months.

Celebrating an important milestone, such as our 100^th year, it is important to have some goals so we can look back on the year and see if we did those that preceded us their just due. To tie the goals together and judge our success, I have selected a theme for this year to help us focus – Truth and Service. Within the context of this theme, we will work together on our goals. As this is our centennial year, I am confident that we can be successful, if we all work together. The Goals are the Seven R’s:

Rededication: in honor of our centennial, we will reconsecrate our Lodge in May with the members of the Grand Lodge of Ohio and we will rededicate ourselves as Master Masons in October.

Ritual Excellence: the ritual is designed with purpose and there is no excuse for not doing it well and correctly. We will.

Reaching Out: how we are perceived by non-Masons is very important to how we are received within our community and beyond. We have already made overtures to reach out and invite the community to use the E. T. Carson Masonic Temple. These invitations have been well received and brought us recognition within our home community, for which we are grateful. We will continue these efforts.

Renewal: it is wonderful when the sidelines are filled. We need to see this more often. Let us endeavor to invite our brethren back to the meetings and extend an open door in brotherly love for their participation. Remember, if someone sees a dry meeting with a few boring reports and the same old discussions on the same old topics most will never return. We will have some programs this year to liven up our meetings. Come and see what you’ve been missing.

Reflection: we have a great history and in our centennial year, we will work hard to share that history with all. Many have achieved milestones of 50 and 60 (or more) years in Masonry and they all deserve special recognition. Many widows of our past members are in the community and they must not be forgotten. We will welcome them back to join with us in fellowship and recreation this year.

Revitalization: once we were the largest lodge in Ohio and while still one of the largest, we have rested on the past and not looked to the future. There is no reason we cannot once again be the largest.

Reverence: let us always remember and never forget the Source of all that is good. As the Bible is open at all of our meetings; and we open and close with prayer; let us always treat the Supreme Architect of the Universe with reverence.

E. T. Carson Masonic Temple stands as one of the finest homes of our fraternity in Southwest Ohio and we all should be proud of it and make sure it is used well and often. At this time, it hosts the activities of not only E. T. Carson Lodge, but also for Dorcas Chapter OES, Hanselmann Lodge, and Oola Kahn Grotto. We have used the Temple in recent months to host community meetings. Still, it sits empty on many days and evenings. We should think about how the Temple can be a focus for activities in the Clifton Heights area and a home for all Masonic organizations in the North Cincinnati area. Putting a positive, public face on E. T. Carson and Masonry should serve as our aim for this wonderful building.

I am optimistic that we will have a great year in 2007 as we celebrate our centennial year. We have many activities planned and I look forward to seeing the sidelines filled frequently. We are limited only by our inability to think beyond ourselves. We are greater than the sum of our parts, if we work together. Let us put our faith in Him from whom all Truth comes. God bless you.

Ronald C. Hart

Worshipful Master