My Brethren:

April was a remarkably good month for Dawson Lodge.  Our stated
communication was enlightened by an exceptional speaker, Wor. Bro.
Walter Benesch, who not only covered the announced topic of "Lewises"
but gave us additional material on "Third Degree Arrogance" with the
material regarding Lewises to provide additional context.  He was
pleased to join us at our Festive Board following the Lodge, which was
held at the Young Chow restaurant nearby; a number of visitors from
other Lodges were also present for an excellent and inexpensive (!)
meal, at which the traditional toasts were offered by our guest speaker,
Lodge officers, and others.  We will have another such adventure in the
fall, also at a nearby restaurant, although this time, the cuisine will
be more Occidental (with a somewhat higher price likely to result).

Also in April, Dawson Lodge was awarded possession of the Traveling
Gavel, which was just introduced by the 1996 Masters and Wardens
Association.  It was decided to transmit the TravGav to the Lodge having
the most members present at Grand Lodge School that month.  Much to the
surprise of all--even your Master--Dawson Lodge #16 had them all
outnumbered, even that behemoth of Lodges, Gompers-Franklin!  Thanks and
a tip of the Master's Hat to our faithful Wardens, Rabih Salame and John
Saab, our Past Grand Master (and we know now why he holds the Lodge
Fidelity Medal) Darwin Brock, and several other steadfast Past Masters
(Albert Allen, Hugh Shawen, Hugh Bernard, Albert Hemmerdinger).  Since
the count was taken at the end of the evening, we could not include Wor.
Bro. C. Macaulay Ward in the total, his health requiring an advance
departure from GL School, but his presence at an earlier hour was much
appreciated, and his many admirers were glad to see that his health
permitted him to attend a Masonic function again.

The Grand Lodge School exemplified the Entered Apprentice Degree in
April; Dawson Lodge was represented by participation in the South.
Volunteers are sought for the MM degree in June.  Don't let your
officers do all the work!  Contact the Grand Marshal, W.B. Lee Ferguson
or Sheldon Rappeport, and offer your services.  There are small parts
available, as well as large ones.

Of course, our May stated communication was pre-empted by the Grand
Lodge semi-annual Grand Communication.

We may have a large number to be present at our June meeting, since it
will take at least nine visitors from another Lodge to claim the
Traveling Gavel (the Most Worshipful Grand Master has decreed that to
claim the TravGav, a Lodge must visit with more members than were
present to make the preceding TravGav claim).  Let's try for a
comparable turnout from Dawson Lodge, so as not to disappear amidst the
throngs competing for this trophy.

The Most Worshipful Grand Master has also issued an edict regarding "due
and timely notice," which means that we are going to try to get this
monthly bulletin in your hands more than a week before the stated
communication from now on.  In particular, you are hereby given due and
timely notice that there will probably be balloting on a petition for
the degrees at our next stated communication.

The June program will be in recognition of St. John's Day.  Your Master
will be the speaker, offering some brief remarks on the nature of this
observance in a Masonic context--i.e., ways to view the role of John the
Baptist in other than a purely Christian light.  I had hoped to present
an even briefer St. John's Day program, to be supplemented by a program
from our youth, but their annual grand meetings occur at that time,
which pre-empts their availability.  It may be possible to schedule them
later in the year.

June has five Grand Visitations, including all of those of the
foreign-language-speaking Lodges.  If we are to be prepared for our own
G.V. in October, we would do well to attend some of those that are
taking place this spring.  Govern yourselves accordingly.

Since we are dark in July and August, the June meeting will see us more
than halfway through the Masonic year.  If you have not joined us yet,
please take an evening to renew your friendships with your brothers at
Dawson Lodge.  I personally guarantee no snow will menace your trip to
Lodge in June.

July may not have a Lodge communication, but it does, however, contain
Independence Day, and the Grand Lodge seeks participation from all
Master Masons in its jurisdiction.  Masters and Wardens will be helping
with the hot-dog cooking chores, but all are welcome to march in the
parade.  This is your opportunity to make Masonry visible to the
community.  (It's another hundred years to a re-enactment of a
cornerstone-laying, so don't wait--come on the Glorious Fourth!)

The next stated communication after June is our annual Wardens' Night in
September.  Bros. Salame and Saab are doing an outstanding job of
supporting the Lodge; please plan to come and support them when they
wield the gavel.  Bro. Salame will have the responsibility of planning a
program for that evening.

Also mark October as Secretaries' Night (we will have a Lodge Secretary
as our excellent speaker that evening), November as elections, and
December as Installation of next year's officers.

That summary sure makes the year seem short.  Remember the lesson of the
hourglass, as taught in the MM degree.  The sands run quickly; make good
use of your time.  An hour spent with your brethren or an hour spent
with the television--are you choosing wisely?

Brethren, I have formed a committee on the Future of Dawson Lodge, to
report back in October.  The mission of this committee is to determine
how we may continue as an independent Lodge, or if that is not possible,
what we are to do next.  I have been informed by second-hand information
that the purpose of this committee has been misunderstood.  I will be
happy to explain it to anyone who wishes to contact me directly; if you
don't get your information from the proper source--the Master--it is no
wonder that there may be confusion in the Temple.

The appointment of this committee would not have been necessary if we
were seeing about 15-20 Brethren at Lodge, and if there were no
vacancies among the officers' chairs.  If you want Dawson to continue to
be the bright light in DC Masonry that distinguished brothers like C.
Macaulay Ward and Darwin Brock and so many others have made it in the
past, if you don't want Dawson to merge or become extinct, then YOU must
take action.  That action is not to complain, to phone a friend and
grumble, or to sit and stew.  That action is to call me, or Bro. Salame,
or Bro. Saab and VOLUNTEER your services to the Lodge.  We need a
Chaplain, a Junior Deacon, two Stewards, and at least two Deacons for
1997.  No foolin', guys; this is the future of YOUR LODGE.  If you want
to object to my stewardship of your Lodge as Master, come to Lodge in
large numbers and say so.  Of course, if you do, and do so regularly,
drastic measures, such as we are all worried about, won't be necessary.

Fraternally,

Roger M. Firestone, Master