This is the first issue of the Inuvik Masonic Club Newsletter.
The purpose of this almost regular communication will be to try and keep our members up to date on the happenings in the club, to remind you of upcoming meetings and events, and from time to time pass along a little Masonic Education and Development.
I’m going to try and keep it as light and informal as I can, and hope you’ll excuse me if I putter off into obscurity every once in a while.
With your help, we can make this newsletter a wealth of information and maybe even have a little fun while we are doing it!
If you have anything you want mentioned in here, have a joke or two to pass along, or want to contribute an article or two (or six, for that matter), feel free to pass it along.
As long as the Town of Inuvik has existed, there have been Masons living and working here. Over the years, there have been various attempts to form a Lodge or Club, or at least bring Masons together for a social function or two.
Being a town of transient residence as it is, many of the brave souls who attempted this feat have moved on to other, probably greener, pastures.
The latest venture into forming a Masonic Club started about two years ago, with a chance encounter between two brothers and a soon to be initiated candidate. From a comment along the lines of “we should get together for a coffee and a chat”. The Club we see today has grown.
Over the fifteen years this writer has been here, at least a dozen craftsmen have passed through the town, staying anywhere from a few months to a few years. Some made Inuvik their permanent home but have, sadly, passed on to the Grand Lodge Above.
Each of them has made their mark on this town in one way or another.
Going strictly from memory for this first list, I have listed on another page the names of the Craftsmen who have passed through or lived in our fair town. With your assistance, I hope to expand that list, and look forward to printing an ever-expanding list with each issue.
Although it seems far in the future, I, for one, will be both proud and humbled when we finally receive the okay to form a full lodge – to reflect back on the years of steadfast labour and “indefatigable exertion” that have gone into bringing this group together.
I
Welcome
Our History
What’s In A Name?
Dispensation News
List of Brethren – Past and Present
Wow! That’s a lot of stuff!
Meetings and Notices
Just
a Junior Deacon
Correspondence,
articles, letters, complaints, and especially compliments may be sent to:
The Inuvik Masonic Club Newsletter, Box 2536, Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0 or by
email to: The editor
Depending on your point of view, a lot or a little.
This little newsletter doesn’t have a name at present, a fact that should be remedied soon.
But not without your help.
I’d like to give this newsletter a name that conveys the purposes of the Club, our endeavours, our mission in this world. But as it happens, I am fresh out of original names.
A lot of the good ones have been taken – “On the Level”, “Square Thoughts”, “The Rough Ashlar” – they’ve all been used.
“The Newsletter” is not exactly original. “That Stuff what’s his name writes” won’t fit.
So – see what you can come up with, and pass it along, faithful readers. (I know you are faithful readers, because this is the first issue and you’ve already read this far!)
I won’t guarantee a prize except for the publishing of your name in at least one issue, and of course my undying gratitude.
One
of the goals of the Inuvik Masonic Club is to apply to the Grand Lodge of
Alberta early in 2002 for dispensation to form a lodge. As we work towards
this goal, we have a number of housekeeping matters to deal with.
This section of the newsletter will try to bring all members up to date on
the progress we are making towards that end. As a side benefit, if we
identify the needs, we are bound to recruit people to help out in whatever
aspects they can!
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the whole lengthy process of
forming a new lodge, I’ll outline briefly (and probably missing a few
steps here or there) the process:
First, we needed to establish the fact that there are Freemasons in the area who would be interested in forming a lodge. That’s been done.
Secondly, we needed to get that group together and form a Club, who meet regularly to discuss Masonic matters and further the process of forming the lodge. The Inuvik Masonic Club has been meeting for approximately a year, with anywhere from 4 to 10 members attending meetings.
Thirdly, we need to establish that there is a desire for other qualified men who could carry on a lodge once it is formed. On this front, we currently have two applications for initiation going through Yellowknife Lodge, we have one Entered Apprentice about to be passed to the 2nd degree, and a Master Mason about to “prove” his 3rd degree.
Fourth, we need to identify a larger body of people who would become Charter Members (sometimes called “Founding Members”) of a lodge in Inuvik. Ideally, these would be masons who have (or had) some kind of a tie to the community or the area, but they can just be interested masons. These craftsmen would then become members of the Masonic Club, and when the dispensation to form the lodge is approved, would become the founding members of the lodge.
Once the above is done, we then apply for a dispensation to form a lodge through Grand Lodge.This package is relatively extensive, and will include copies of minutes and financial statements from the Club, a list of Masons interested in becoming founding members and being named on the charter, copies of dues cards and Certificates of Good Standing for all members, as well as proposed by-laws and any other controlling documents. At the same time, Grand Lodge and District assessments and fees are paid. We also intend to request a specific name and number for the lodge (Far North Lodge # 200).
Inuvik
Masons – Past and Present
The following Freemasons have all lived or worked in Inuvik over the last few years, and are listed in no particular order.
Your help in adding
to this list is appreciated. Please forward any other names you may be
aware of to us at:
Box 2536, Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0
Or by email to: The Editor
Doug Billingsley
George (Buck) McLeod
Bryan Edwards
Steve Lozinski
Jim (Scotty) Hammond
Carson Atkinson
Al Allison
Angus Stewart
Howard Townsend
Robin McConville
Terry Rafferty
Chris Garven
Wally Wolfe
Mario Lemieux
Wayne Hamm
(from
previous column)
While we wait for the approval, some of our
members are busy gathering the furniture, furnishings, equipment, collars,
wands, manuals, record books, etc. that are needed for the day to day
operation of a lodge, while others are finding a regular (preferably
dedicated) location for meetings and other activities and events, and
others are working on By-Laws, planning the work for the next 100 or so
years, and generally getting the whole administrative end of things lined
up.
As you can see, it’s a long process, but we are well on our way. The search for a suitable piece of land and a building to put on it is progressing well. We have obtained some furnishings and equipment for the Lodge Rooms, and have been meeting regularly to work with our newest members and plan the future.
We hope to apply for dispensation in Southern Spring (late February to mid-March), so we seem to be right on track.
Many lodges make their annual dues payable on or before January 1st of each year. What a great opportunity to ask your lodge secretary to issue a “Certificate of Good Standing” at the same time as your dues card. Send it along to us, and we will include it with our application.
Pass this newsletter along to other people in your lodge – it has been surprising how many people have come out of the woodwork to say “yeah – I was in Inuvik for 6 months.” Or “I have always wanted to visit Inuvik – maybe this is the incentive I need.” Whatever the reason or the tie to the North, we’ll welcome just about anyone.
Ask your lodge secretary to include a reference to our efforts in your minutes, or your lodge’s master to mention it during the refreshments at your next meeting.
Have an idea that might help promote the Club and the new lodge? Pass it along to us. The address is:
Inuvik Masonic Club
Box 2536
Inuvik, NT
X0E 0T0
Or
email: The
Editor
Planning for a new lodge has brought some interesting things to light.
The next time you visit a lodge room – your own or one you’ve never seen before – take a look around. Take a close look around. Look at all the little things you may never have noticed before, without which the lodge “just wouldn’t be the same”.
In planning what we are going to need to open a lodge, I took the time to flip through a catalogue or two of Lodge supplies. Here’s a partial list of what we will need just to open the lodge and confer degrees:
Charter (framed), By-laws (multiple copies), copies of the ritual, various reference books, enough forms and reports to fill a small warehouse, supply of dues cards and receipts, minute book, attendance book, ledger book, register, V.S.L., V.S.L. markers, Masonic Lights, receiving instrument(s), H.W.’s, S.S.’s, candidate’s suits, gloves, cabletow, ballot box, balloting cubes or balls, wand poles and tops, HSM, moveable jewels, corner tassels, sword(s), mosaic pavement, floor cloths, wardens columns, working tools, gavel, officer’s collars, various aprons.
All that, and we haven’t even touched the furniture yet! Surprised? I sure was.
Member, Operative Web Masons Guild
An election of Officers for the Inuvik Masonic Club will take place at the Sunday, 9 September 2001 meeting.
Positions to be elected are Master (President), Senior Warden (Vice President), Junior Warden (2nd Vice President), Secretary and Treasurer. (Secretary and Treasurer positions may be combined.)
At the same meeting, a proposed set of basic by-laws will be presented to lay out the general goals and objectives, membership requirements and fees, and structure of the Club.
Please note these bylaws are for the Inuvik Masonic Club only, and not for any lodge that may be formed in the future.
We look forward to your attendance and input.
NEXT
MEETINGS
The following meeting dates and times have been tentatively set for the Inuvik Masonic Club:
Thursday, 6 Sep 01 – 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Sunday, 9 Sep 01 – 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Saturday, 15 Sep 01 – 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Thursday, 20 Sep 01 – 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Thursday, 27 Sep 01 – 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
We are trying out a variety of different days, to see what best suits the membership. The first meetings are to be held at NTPC Boardroom.
SPECIAL DATES
October 1, 2001 – Yellowknife #162 GRA
Brother Mario Lemieux will be the candidate, being passed to the 2nd degree.
Also, Brother Wally Wolfe will prove his 3rd degree.
October 20, 2001 – Yellowknife #162 GRA
One or two candidates from Inuvik will be initiated, (provisional on clear ballot).
In the near future, we will be holding elections for the first officers of Far North Lodge # 200, AF & AM, GRA.
All Brethren are reminded that the following officers will be elected or appointed at that time:
Worshipful
Master
Senior Warden
Junior Warden
Senior Deacon
Junior Deacon
Senior Steward
Junior Steward
Tyler
Inner Guard
Secretary
Treasurer
I am just a Junior Deacon,
And my name is Jimmy Wray.
I haven't got that Lecture learned
And there's the deuce to pay.
"I've promised and I've promised
And then some more, I guess,
Now they say it's up to me,
And right here I will confess:
"I haven't learned that lecture,
And there's no one you can blame
I'll just own up truth,
And say with face of shame:
"I haven't learned that lecture.
And next Tuesday's drawing nearer
If I could hear it just once more.
Its meaning would be clearer.
So, please, kind sir, be merciful
And Don't ask me to give,
A lecture that goes through my mind
Like water through a sieve."