Trestle Board

Thank you for all your support and encouragement throughout my continuing journey. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve the craft in this capacity. My hope is that we continue to innovate, cooperate and take time out of our busy schedule to work for the common goal.

As we move forward and install our new Master, we need to support and learn from a good man. A man who cares a great deal for our lodge, RW Joe Herx. I am confident that we will rally around him and keep the brotherhood alive and prospering.

The opportunity is there for anyone willing to make the sacrifices. You all know where I am and that my door is always open!

It is always difficult to lose a brother, but we had the misfortune to lose two within a day of each other.  Bro. John Thompson and Bro. Robert Burrell, DWA. Please join with me in remembering our brethren and praying for their safe passage to the Lodge on High.

I wish each of you and your families a very special Holiday Season, filled with Health, Peace and Happiness.

Fraternally,

Donald Baldino, WM

My Brother,

Harmony, as described in the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, “is a duty especially entrusted to the Senior Warden of a lodge, who is figuratively supposed to preside over the craft during the hours of labor, so to act that none shall depart from the lodge dissatisfied or discontented, that harmony may be thus preserved is the strength and support of all well-regulated institutions.”

It is no coincidence that our lodge is named after this wonderful concept! How exciting for the new officers to have an opportunity to work together and build our strong fraternity into the fortress of Brotherly Love we all know it can be.

Just like a beautiful melody, in which all notes must complement  each other, so shall we continue to work together and continue to do all good works we know we are capable of.

Music is appreciated when shared with others, and so are our works and good deeds. We can appreciate each other and feed of each other when we work together for the good of everyone. I’m sure you’ll all get a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction after we’ve accomplished a great task.

With the upcoming gift auction, I know you will feel great when we donate the proceeds to the Children’s Specialized Hospital. Knowing that our works are going to beautiful children is a wonderful, fulfilling experience. I hope that you can all be a part of this wonderful benefit, if at the very least, come out for an afternoon of fun and chance.

Fraternally,

Donald Baldino, WM

Time is the symbol of well directed perseverance in the performance of duty. We see this in the image of time, which is the conventional figure of a winged old man with the customary scythe and hourglass. It has since been adopted as one of the modern symbols in the third degree. Time is portrayed as having the never ending task of disentangling the ringlets of a weeping virgin. It’s intention is to teach the Mason , that time,patience and perseverance will enable him to accomplish the great object of a Mason’s labor, the true word, which is the symbol of divine truth will be achieved and thus his object fulfilled.

 

“Time is of the essence” is an understatement! Our whole world revolves around time, and there never seems to be enough of it! We are all so busy with our lives,families, work, and other commitments, that it is easy to lose sight of our true objectives. In a few weeks we will be turning the clocks back and gaining an hour of precious time. Let’s try to put that time to good use and rekindle old ties we have formed with the brotherhood.

 

“Another time perhaps”, is also a common phrase we hear. Maybe we can replace that with “Absolutely, I’ll be there.” Like the symbol of the third degree we must not give in to the temptation of quitting, it’s easy to put other commitments and priorities ahead of our objective, or make excuses as to why we can’t help out, but even one extra hour a week devoted to our lodge would make a tremendous impact.

 

Precious time is probably more of a commodity than gold. It is one thing you can’t get back, except for daylight savings in October, so we need to use it wisely. Time management is not something that can be taught, it is in a learning curve all its own. Everyone applies it differently and there really is no right or wrong way it’s too individualistic. However when the weight of distribution leans to much in favor of the individual it becomes off balance. It is at this time we must reflect internally and see if we are leaning the wrong way.If so only you can change that and correct the balance. Life is a balance, are you running out of time ?

 

Fraternally,

Donald Baldino, WM

 

 

Ancien Maitre is the French phrase for Past Master and Maitre Passe is the term used for the American Past Master. Although there is often confusion in the translation of the rituals and treaties, the meaning is always the same. It is one who has served for twelve months over a lodge and has retired from a chair.-

 

The Past Masters are the integral element to a successful lodge.  The plethora of knowledge that they invoke is invaluable and we must utilize this knowledge and continue to inspire the brethren as a whole. In my journey, as Worshipful Master,  I can attest firsthand how instrumental the support of our Past Masters has been. I’m sure all of you have been influenced or mentored by one of them, so you can agree with me when I say how important they are to all of us.

 

The involvement of our active members and recruitment of new initiates starts with our Past Masters. What is the secret to reactivate and invoke the participation and utilization of this vital source.

 

Being a Master is not a destination, it is just a beginning. Past doesn’t mean past involvement, it means knowledge, present tense. We need you and we need your help to keep us strong.

Welcome Back !

Fraternally

Donald Baldino, WM

Brethren,

The preparation of a candidate is one of the most delicate duties we have to perform. Not only does the candidate have to be mentored, the preparing brother must be competent. Protocol and ritual are two essential aspects of masonry. As I have heard so often, “We make Masons upstairs but we keep them downstairs.”

We as Masons are concerned about the future of our craft and we should be! When you think about this, you think of “new blood” and I believe that this means quality of membership. The only way we can reap this quality is to sow friendship and a sense of brotherhood into our new candidates.

There are a lot of good men out there and it should be our objective to find them and nurture them as brothers.Many of us have brought new brothers into the lodge, but it’s equally important to make them feel welcome. Sit with a new brother and strike up a conversation. We need to keep them motivated and inspired. I believe the way we do this is to reinforce the brotherhood we all share in common.

Remember they are learning from us and us from them. It starts with the Grand Staff and trickles all the way down to the newly initiated brother. We all have a unique talent or trade that we bring to our lodge and by sharing these talents we can form lasting bonds.

These unique talents are what I call gifts. If we can find the gift in each brother, both old and new, and continue to nurture, and help them improve and develop it, the treasure we find will be priceless.

Fraternally

Donald Baldino, WM

Chicken Francaise

Stuffed Shells w/ seasonal vegetables

Coffee, Tea, Soda & Desert

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Cole Slaw & Fresh Vegetables

Coffee, Tea, Soda & Desert

Brethren,

On December 18, 1786, the first Convention of Free & Accepted Masons of the State of New Jersey was held in New Brunswick. It was unanimously agreed at this convention that a Right Worshipful Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, Senior Grand Warden, Junior Grand Warden, Grand Secretary, Deputy Grand Secretary, &  Grand Treasurer be nominated and elected. A month later on January 30, 1787, the actual installation of the officers took place.

Which brings us to present day, my Brothers; the Grand Lodge has a long history in New Jersey and on April 22, 2015, another historic Grand Lodge Communication took place in Atlantic City, N.J. It was a great experience as we met new brothers from across the state, and rekindled relationships with brothers we don’t get to see that often. Besides the eating, drinking, laughing and great camaraderie, we did address a great deal of serious business and good legislation was passed. The information that we exchanged was invaluable and the experience was priceless.

Remember Brothers for the benefit of the craft, travel as much as you can, exchange ideas, be vocal and be true to your ideals and your values, for we are the Grand Lodge.

Fraternally,

Donald Baldino, WM

“If you want to know where the future of Freemasonry will grow and prosper, it is simply in the heart, your heart, my heart and in the hearts of those who follow us.” – Conrad Hohn

“Ideals are like stars, you will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but, like the seafaring man, you choose them as your guides and follow them, you will reach your destiny.” – Carl Schurtz

” Everybody really knows what to do to have his life filled with joy. What is it? Quit hating people; start loving them. Quit being mad at people; start liking them. Quit doing wrong: quit being filled with fear. Quit thinking about yourself and go out and do something for other people.  Everybody knows what you have to do to be happy. But the wisdom of the test lies in the final words:” If ye know these things, happy are ye do them.”” – Rev. Norman Vincent Peale

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas A. Edison

“The great lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.” – Winston Churchill

“Toleration, holding, that every other man has the same right to his opinion and faith that we have to ours; and liberality, holding that as no human being can with certainty say, in the clash and conflict of hostile faiths and creeds, what is truth, or that he is surely in possession of it, so everyone should feel that it is quite possible that another equally honest and sincere with himself, and yet holding the contrary opinion, may himself be in possession of the truth.” – Albert Pike

Fraternally,

Donald Baldino, WM

 

3+6.0

Corned Beef & Cabbage