Staying Connected
3 May 2022
GRAND MASTER’S NEWSLETTER
THIS ISSUE OF THE GRAND MASTER’S NEWSLETTER BOUGHT TO YOU BY MASONICARE – PROUDLY HELPING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES
Humility, Kindness and Generosity Lismore Masonic Centre update
A
s I am sure you are aware our own Lismore Masonic Centre and the brethren of Northern Rivers No 77 were directly and substantially impacted by the floods. While they do have some insurance, there is a long road ahead before we see them back to normal meetings.
The GMs video introduction
Welcome to the May 2022 edition of the Grand Master’s Newsletter.
B
rethren: The theme during my term as Grand Master is Humility, Kindness and Generosity. Over the past few weeks and during the devastating floods, brethren and their families have shown that these wonderful traits are still alive and well within the masonic community. Our Grand Masters’ Disaster Relief Appeal is going well, and we look forward to helping those local frontline community assistance groups that have, over the past few weeks, directly helped others. I encourage your lodge to hold a fundraiser or donate some funds from your charity account so that we can make a real and positive impact throughout these devastated communities. All donations over $2 are tax deductible and no amount is too big or small.
DONATE HERE While I do, of course, thank you all for the very kind donations and the assistance we are now receiving, I do want to mention the heroism shown by VW Bro Bob Guthrie from Lodge Eltham, RW Bro Col Lee of Lodge Ballina and others who risked it all in their small boats, helping people find dry land and shelter during the worst parts of the floods. On behalf of us all, I thank Col, Bob and all the others that willingly set their own safety aside in order to help save others. We hope to secure an interview with Bob in a future Grand Masters Newsletter, if YOU have a story of a mason in your area who went that extra mile during the floods, please let me know.
RW Bros John Jacobson and John Andrews from our Board of Management, Wor Bro Joe Corrigan from Masonicare and VW Bro Perry Wells have all visited the Lismore Masonic Centre and met with the brethren of Northern Rivers No 77. Where possible, we will provide assistance with labour and regalia, and we have had some wonderful assistance offered up by lodges that have donated various types of lodge furnishings to the Lismore Masonic Centre. We really hope that this assistance will help see Northern Rivers 77 back in action sometime during the next few months. Brethren, this will be a painstaking process that will be project managed by VW Bro Perry Wells and his team. There is much to coordinate and a mammoth task ahead, but we do hope to see the repairs done in a timely fashion. I will update you on their progress in future newsletters.
The Grand Master’s Newsletter An official publication of the United Grand Lodge of NSW & ACT.
www.masons.org.au Freemasonsnswact
Please submit your articles and photographs to news@masons.org.au and ensure you have permission from all depicted for their image to be published in United Grand Lodge of NSW & ACT publications.
279 Castlereagh Street Sydney PO Box A259 Sydney South NSW 1235 T 02 9284 2800 • F 02 9284 2828
Anzac Day 2022 finally sees us able to physically attend our Anzac Day events and parades. While most of us did something special on this most important day of remembrance, I would like to thank those that attended and supported MW Bro Dr Greg Levenston PGM and Judith at the Sydney wreath laying ceremony. Lest we forget.
Live Streaming Live streaming of our Grand Communications and Grand Installations has now become mainstream.
I
want us all to be involved in our future direction and, in order for this to happen, communication must play an important role in our future activities. No doubt these newsletters and our Freemason magazine play an important and necessary role but there is so much more to us all being “Of One Company” and the live streaming of our special events will play a very important role moving forward. I encourage you all to attend these events and especially help others that may be less active to get involved. Our Grand Communications are held on the second Wednesday in March, June, September and December at 7.30pm and I encourage all members who cannot attend the Grand Communication in person to organise a night at your masonic centre with your peers to watch the event.
Make a night of it, have a BBQ or a sit-down meal and just ‘be involved’. From time to time, there are important decisions made at these events, and it is important that we all have background and understanding when any decision is made. For those who cannot get to Lodge due to sickness or injury, the Grand Communication can now be watched live at your home on your PC or television and, if you know someone that can’t get to lodge, please assist them in getting set up to watch the event. Brethren, we are all masons and I want you all involved, we have some exciting times ahead and I want YOU to be a part of it. Please, stay safe and take care of yourselves, your family, and your friends. Humility – Kindness – Generosity Les Hicks Grand Master
Data Base Training Course
O
ur face-to-face training, and information seminars aimed at introducing and familiarising brethren with various aspects of the newly revised Membership Database and website are now progressing well. I encourage all masons to give just a few hours of their time and make themselves available to attend one of these courses. If there is no course available in your area, please let us know and we will attempt to provide one ASAP. These courses are very informative and cover: 1.
Grand Master’s Representative Requests
2.
Executive Officers Return
3.
Lodge Trustees Return
4.
Improved Lodge Monthly Return (LMR)
5.
New public website (www.masons.org.au)
6.
Updates for Lodge Secretaries.
Everyone is welcome and any participants requiring extra help are welcome to stay after the presentation. Feel free to bring your own portable device.
Freemason, March edition You should have received your March edition of the Freemason magazine, which you can also view online at FreemasonNSW.com. In this issue: Wisdom, Strength and Beauty; The new Initiates Welcome Pack; Lorna Milgate Scholarship Fund; Famous Mason – William Dymock; Like drops of water; The Bright Morning Star – Part 1; Generosity in action; A community dinner; Beyond the Craft; Knee replacements; Young Mason; Raising positive community awareness; plus more... plus all of the regular columns. What did you think of the magazine? Your Freemason magazine is always looking for interesting articles, masonic news, letters to the editor as well as comments about the magazine. Have your say by emailing freemason@masons.org.au.
The Grand Master’s Newsletter An official publication of the United Grand Lodge of NSW & ACT.
www.masons.org.au Freemasonsnswact
Please submit your articles and photographs to news@masons.org.au and please ensure you have permission from all mentioned and depicted for their image to be publicly published.
279 Castlereagh Street Sydney PO Box A259 Sydney South NSW 1235 T 02 9284 2800 • F 02 9284 2828