MWSA District No. 108 - Issue No. 30

June 2021

Click the image below to be taken to the District No. 108 MWSA website.

Want to be added to the mailing list for this newsletter? Please email Past Master Berndt at david@karateclarient.com and let him know your name, email address, and home lodge and he will add you to the list!

District Service Team

Your District Service Team is here to assist our Lodges in any way they can. Pictured from left to right: Past Master Albert Davis, District Education Officer, R:.W:. David Berndt, District Deputy Grand Master, Past Master Cody Cockroft, District Instructor, & Past Master Carter Sharbrough, District Communications Officer

MWSA Vision

EXCELLENCE BY VIRTUE: Lead with our HEARTS; Think with our HEADS; Work with our HANDS

MWSA Mission Statement

Through education and in consequence of our streamlined focus in pursuit of Masonic excellence, Masonic District No. 108 will work in harmony as a common mass to reinforce our District Lodges in support of the Grand Lodge of Texas.

Contained in this Issue

  • President's Message

  • Called from Labor

  • District 108 May Stated Meetings

  • District Eduction Officer Workshop - Masonic Burial Services - 17 June 2021

  • Masons at the Movies - 18 June 2021

  • Hempstead Lodge Blood Drive - 17 July 2021

  • Waller County First Responder's Event - 7 August 2021

  • Personal History & Funeral/Memorial Service Planning Guide

  • Upcoming Cornerstone Events

  • Lodge Suspense Dates

  • Charitable Raffles

  • Kumntakit Grotto

  • Fun Facts

  • New app from the Grand Lodge of Texas

  • Grand Master's Proclamation - 25 March 2021

  • Degree Team/Esoteric Survey

  • MWSA Business Meeting Rotation Schedule

  • Committee on Work, Southeast Texas - Forum & Exam Schedule

  • Morton Lodge History Book

  • Other Upcoming Events

  • Imperial Chapter, Order of DeMolay

  • Newsletter Archive

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin

President's Message


Brethren,


First of all, thank you to Katy Lodge for hosting the MWSA Called Meeting this past Friday. I am very pleased to hear that so many of you participated in the MWSA's forum on opening and closing the various Lodges. Your dedication to the Craft is outstanding and has insprired many Masons to become more involved and to be as dedicated as you are.


As this Masonic Year winds down, I want to congratulate all the upcoming Lodge Officers and to say thank you to those who have gone this way before us and Him. It's been a crazy year and I know that we will all continue to rise up above the hurdles placed before us.


I look forward to serving you for the remainder of this year and onto the next. The MWSA is an excellent opportunity to share information, training, kinships, and brotherhood. I have enjoyed being a part of this District's MWSA leadership and I hope that you have enjoyed the programs and educations that have been presented.


Our next program, given by our District Education Office, Past Master Albert Davis, is set to take place at Brookshire Lodge on 17 June 2021. This program will be part 2 of our Spring DEO Workshop. The meal will be served at 6:30 PM with the meeting beginning at 7:00 PM. I hope to see you there!


Your Brother in Masony,

John Bradley, President

Called from Labor

Past Master Andrew V. "Buddy" Blair - Sugar Land Lodge No. 1141 - Passed Away 30 July 2020 - Memorial will be held 5 June 2021.

District No. 108 Upcoming Stated Meetings

District Eduction Officer Workshop - Masonic Burial Services - 17 June 2021

The next Called Meeting of the MWSA will take place on Thursday 17 June 2021 at Brookshire Lodge No. 1066. A meal will begin at 6:30 PM and the program will begin at 7:00 PM.

This program will focus on the Masonic Burial Services. We hope to see everyone there!


Masons at the Movies - 18 June 2021

Sugar Land Lodge No. 1141 will be hosting a private screening of the new movie, 12 Mighty Orphans, on Friday 18 June 2021 at 7:00 PM for Masons and their families. The event will take place at the Star Cinema Grill in Richmond. The flyer is below. Click the picture for a larger view.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children under 18. Please click here to purchase tickets on the Sugar Land Lodge web store. We look forward to seeing our Brothers and their families there!

Hempstead Lodge Blood Drive

Hempstead Lodge No. 749 will be hosting a blood drive on 17 July 2021 from 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM at the lodge building. If you are able, please come donate!

Waller County First Responder's Event

Hempstead Lodge No. 749 will participate in hosting the Waller County First Responder's Event on 7 August 2021. For details, please contact Hempstead Lodge.

Personal History & Funeral/Memorial Service Planning Guide

As was discussed at the MWSA Business Meeting held on 27 April 2021, attached below is the Memorial Service Planning Guide that is provided for the use of Brothers by the Grand Lodge of Texas. We plan to do a more in-depth presentation on this guide before the end of the Masonic Year.

funeral_guide.pdf

Upcoming Cornerstone Events

Rosenberg Lodge will be conducting two Cornerstone Events on Tuesday 29 June 2021. Rosenberg Lodge will open a Master Mason's Lodge at 8:30 AM, followed by a Representation of Grand Lodge being opened. We will then travel to the new schools for the ceremonies before returning to Rosenberg Lodge to close.

Lodge Suspense Dates

Mid-June – Look for Annual Returns Format from GL. (Downloaded from the Grandview System after June 24th. Notify the GS staff if you need the returns mailed as a printout).

June 23 – Lodge elections must be completed at the last stated meeting prior to midnight of June 23 (Art. 292). Notify us of new Lodge Officers immediately so they can be printed in the Directory of Constituent Lodges (do not wait for installation). Submission will be available on the Grandview System from May 24 through midnight June 23.

June 23 – Endowed Membership checks must be in the Office of the Grand Secretary by June 23 to start earning interest in order to receive returns by the next year (Art. 318a). Changes to the amount of endowments must be voted on at the same meeting as the Lodge elections, and notification to Grand Lodge must be before June 24th. Endowed Membership applications received at the Grand Lodge on or after June 24 must be for the amount that the Lodge reported.

July 15 – Resolutions and Statements of Availability due to GS Office. (Articles 172 6a).

July 31 – Lodge installations must be performed from June 24 to prior to midnight July 31 (Art. 298).

August 15 – Annual Returns Report due to Grand Lodge (Art. 493).

August 15 & August 31 – Vanguard Applications are due to the DDGM NLT August 15 and to the Grand Secretary NLT August 31 (refer to Vanguard Application Instructions).

September 1 – Lodge By-Laws that must be reviewed by the GL Committee on By-Laws due to the GS Office NLT September 1 (Art. 219).

September 15 – Lodge Minimum Audit Report 71 are due to the GS Office NLT September 15 (Art. 284).

November 15 – Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard), must be filed with the IRS by Lodges that have gross receipts of $50,000 or less, or do not meet the requirements for filing the IRS 990 or IRS 990EZ. Lodges must file the appropriate Form 990 no later than the 15th day of the fifth month following the close of the organization’s fiscal year.

December 28 – Proxy Certificates are due to the GS Office NLT December 28 (Art. 4). You should always appoint a Proxy (in case of an emergency) but he would not vote if any of the top three officers were available. Remember, each Brother can have no more than four votes. Therefore, a sitting Worshipful Master cannot be proxy for another Lodge.

Charitable Raffles

Brookshire Masonic Lodge is holding a charitable raffle to benefit their scholarship fund for Royal ISD. For information, please contact Chad Peschke at 713-725-7612 or chadpeschke@gmail.com.

Kumntakit Grotto

Kumntakit Grotto was instituted on Saturday 27 March 2021 at Sugar Land Lodge No. 1141 and began by initiating nearly 40 new members and installing its new Officers. The Officers and members of the new Grotto represent several of our District Lodges, bringing our Lodges closer together.

Fun Facts

Here is the current membership status of our District!

New App from the Grand Lodge of Texas

The Grand Lodge of Texas has just launched a new app! It contains copies of the current law book and monitor, as well as several years worth of Briscoe Workshops. It can also serve as a communications tool between Brothers. You may find the links to the app below:

Apple App Store - https://apps.apple.com/au/app/tx-mason/id1532889175

Google Play Store - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gltx.app

Grand Master's Proclamation - 25 March 2021

Please click the image to the right for an excerpt from the latest proclamation from the Grand Master of 25 March 2021.

Degree Team/Esoteric Survey

We are attempting to aggregate the esoteric abilities from around the District to provide a common resource to help find Brothers to help in Degrees and Burial Services when needed. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey below regarding your esoteric abilities in regards to those goals. Your information will be kept secure and only made available to members of our District in need of it.

MWSA Business Meeting Rotation Schedule

Please click the image to see the rotation schedule for MWSA Business Meetings through 2022.

Committee on Work, Southeast Texas - Forum & Exam Schedule

Please click on the image for the complete 2021 schedule of R:.W:. Ken young, Committee on Work. The Forum & Exam for District No. 108 will take place on Saturday 2 October 2021 at Katy Lodge.

Morton Lodge History Book

Morton Lodge has completed the third edition of the book on its history. Copies may be purchased from Past Master Cody Cockroft for $20.

Lodge Study Nights

Are you interested in attending a Study Night? Please join us for the following evenings of fellowship and study:


Mondays - 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM - Morton Lodge No. 72

Mondays - 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM - Waller Lodge No. 808

Mondays - 6:30 PM - Katy Lodge No. 1439

Mondays - 7:00 PM - Sugar Land Lodge No. 1141

Wednesday - 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM - Rosenberg Lodge No. 881

Wednesdays - 7:00 PM - Sugar Land Lodge No. 1141


If your Lodge holds a Study Night that is not listed, please let us know so that we may include it here and get the word out to more Brothers!


Other Upcoming Events

Below you will find dates for upcoming events around Masonic District #108, along with other Masonic events in our area. Full calendars for events around District #108 may be found at the District #108 website by clicking the button below this list.


***Tue, Jun 1, 2021 - Katy Lodge #1439 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM***


Tue, Jun 1, 2021 - Waller O.E.S. Stated Meeting - 6:30 PM


Wed, Jun 2, 2021 - Matagorda Lodge #7 Stated Meeting


***Thu, Jun 3, 2021 - Brookshire Lodge #1066 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM***


Mon, Jun 7, 2021 - Park Place Commandery #106 Stated Conclave - 6:30 PM


***Tue, Jun 8, 2021 - Morton Lodge #72 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM***


***Tue, Jun 8, 2021 - Waller Lodge #808 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM***


Tue, Jun 8, 2021 - Sugar Land OES Stated Meeting - 6:30 PM


Tue, Jun 8, 2021 - Westside Assembly No. 233, International Order of Rainbow for Girls @ Katy Loge - 7:00 PM


Wed, Jun 9, 2021 - North Houston Chapter & Council Stated Meeting @ Melrose Lodge - 6:30 PM


Thu, Jun 10, 2021 - Richmond Chapter & Council Stated Meeting @ Morton Lodge - 6:30 PM


***Thu, Jun 10, 2021 - Hempstead Lodge #749 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM***


Fri, Jun 11, 2021 - Ruthven Commandery #2 Stated Conclave @ Holland Lodge - 6:30 PM


Sat, Jun 12, 2021 - Melrose Commandery #109 Stated Conclave @ Melrose Lodge - 6:30 PM


Mon, Jun 14, 2021 - Imperial Chapter, Order of DeMolay Stated Meeting @ Sugar Land Lodge - 7:00 PM


***Tue, Jun 15, 2021 - Rosenberg Lodge #881 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM***


Thu, Jun 17, 2021 - Katy OES Stated Meeting - 6:30 PM


Fri, Jun 18, 2021 - Houston Commandery #95 Stated Conclave @ Conroe Lodge - 6:30 PM


***Sat, Jun 19, 2021 - Pleasant Hill Lodge #380 STATED MEETING - 11:00 AM***


***Mon, Jun 21, 2021 - Sugar Land Lodge #1141 STATED MEETING - 6:30 PM***


Tue, Jun 22, 2021 - Imperial Chapter, Order of DeMolay Stated Meeting @ Sugar Land Lodge - 7:00 PM


Tue, Jun 22, 2021 - Westside Assembly No. 233, International Order of Rainbow for Girls @ Katy Loge - 7:00 PM


Thu, Jun 24, 2021 - Houston Valley Scottish Rite Stated Meeting - 6:00 PM


Mon, Jun 28, 2021 - Fort Bend Commandery #74 Stated Conclave @ Rosenberg Lodge - 6:30 PM

The full Google Calendars for District No. 108 may be found on the MWSA website.

Imperial Chapter, Order of DeMolay

Imperial Chapter, Order of DeMolay was set to work on Saturday 31 August 2019. DeMolay is a wonderful organization for young men from 12-21 years of age. It strives to teach virtues and help young men grow into responsible and committed members of society.


You can learn more about DeMolay here: http://www.texasdemolay.com/what-is-demolay/#


If you know anyone who may be interested in membership at Imperial Chapter, please have them contact David Berndt, Chapter Advisor at chapteradvisor@imperialdemolay.com.

MWSA Newsletter Archive

Need to refer back to a past issue of the newsletter? Click the button below to go to the newsletter archive on the MWSA website.