My Brothers,
Wow! February is gone! That passed quickly, but we did accomplish quite a lot. Putting the finishing
touches on the Lodge renovation and expansion project is coming along nicely, and the Lodge is beginning to look
great.
I would like to thank Gene Bots and his wife, Danita, for hanging the pictures and plaques in the lobby and
dining room. I have received many comments about how great they look. Our Charters and a couple of valuable historic
documents have been cleaned and reframed, and they will be hung in the Lodge before the next meeting. I think
you will be surprised at the difference in how they look.
At our first stated communication in February, I had the pleasure of presenting a certificate and a gold lapel
pin to Brother Carl Bunge in recognition of his fifty years of service to our fraternity. Congratulations, Brother Carl! It is indeed a privilege to have you as a member of our Lodge; we hope to see more of you in years to come.
The spaghetti dinner served before our first stated communication was well-attended and enjoyed by all. The
Junior Warden and his stewards, Brothers Wayne Paul and Dale Oliver, are doing a great job.
On February 16th, Brothers Vincent Hable, Scott Jensen, Calvin Hendrix, and Bernard Martinage were initiated
Entered Apprentices and began their lifetime journey in Freemasonry. Under the able tutelage of W. John Martin,
W. Jack Love, and W. Jesse Tiner, we expect them to move forward rapidly and to soon be joining us as Master
Masons.
February 23rd was the date of our first Family Night of the year. The theme was honoring our ladies, who
support us so much in our work. Fifty-seven Brothers and their wives and a few children enjoyed a wonderful roast
pork dinner prepared by Brother George Faucher, his wife Natalia, and his friend, Fireman Brian Sloan. They were
assisted in serving by the Junior Warden’s staff and Brother Donn David. After dinner Sister Lucy Hickox, Grand
Esther of the Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star in Florida, spoke to us about the O.E.S., its history, and
how the order relates to Freemasonry, all of which was very interesting and informative.
At the conclusion of Sister Lucy’s speech, I personally thanked Worthy Matron Shirley Ramsey and all of
the Eastern Star ladies for their help throughout the year, and I presented each of the ladies present with a red rose.
Anyone interested in joining the O.E.S. chapter can speak to me. I’ll be glad to help.
In addition to the work in our home Lodge in February, Brother Jimmy Geddes and I attended an E.A. degree
at Ezra Lodge No. 67, and Brothers Bill Goldwire, Ed Wigger, Jimmy Geddes, and I represented Amelia Lodge
at the Masters and Wardens Association meeting in Callahan. I’m going to need a lot more help if we are ever going
to bring the ceremonial gavel for high attendance at the Masters and Wardens meetings back to Amelia Lodge again.
Everyone, please clear your calendar on March 9th and attend our stated communication that evening. R.W.
Wiley Hart, the District Deputy Grand Master, will be with us on his official visit, and we need to give him and his
party a good impression of our dedication and Brotherhood.
That’s about it for this month, Brothers, except to say that all donations collected at both dinners in February
are going straight into the Building Fund, where we need the money most.
John H. Wigger, Worshipful Master – 2010
