East Gate #630

Daniel L. Flaherty, Worshipful Master Phone: H-266-0625 C-205-8361 Larry Dillon, Senior Warden Phone: H-265-5545 C-306-513 Gene Williamson, Junior Warden Phone: H-265-4367 P.M. Richard Maynard,  Treasurer P.M. Steve Green, Secretary Phone: 270-7017 P.M. Gene Hatfield, Chaplin

East Gate Lodge No. 630 A.F. & A.M. 2501 E. Grand Ave ● Des Moines, IA 50317 Phone 262-6575 Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.eastgate630af-am.com

PM William Morris, Senior Deacon   Larry Blake.  Junior Deacon   Billie Griffey, Senior Steward   Donnie McGee, Junior Steward   Ron Blanchard, Tyler   P.M. Michael Robinson, Trustee   Dave Palimitier, Trustee   P.M. Tom Clark, Trustee

Greetings Brethren,

Saturday, February 11, 2012, will be our second instructional and Valentine’s Dance. By the time you read this I hope that each of you who attended with your sweetheart has fully recovered. Which now begs the question, should we continue the dances? Are they worth it? Are they bringing in new members? Are they promoting our lodge, both to our membership and the community? Let us hear from you on our website (http://www.eastgate630af-am.com/) or by card or letter.

On January 29, 2012, our Pancake Breakfast, raised $176.00 for Masonic Charity and secured three new candidate petitions, whose applications were read on February 8, 2012, investigation committees have been established and will be reporting back at the March stated meeting. My thanks to the Brothers instrumental in the success of the Breakfast and, the Pancakes were good as well. Our next Breakfast will be April 29, 2012, come, participate and bring a hungry friend for fun, fellowship and an introduction to the community around us.

Our newly formed Northeast Corner Club, comprising of brethren raised in the last three years and other interested brethren is under way and our MIs and DLs are working hard to bring to the group the best of information and instruction. Those who would like to see if the ritual is something they might like to learn, please attend. We are practicing on the Second Section of the Third Degree and hope to be able to perform this Section for Past Master’s Night. There are a number of small parts with lots of opportunity to ham it up. Even if you were admitted longer than three years ago, as some of those attending are, you can still attend and grab a part, perhaps that of a Craftsmen. We meet once a month, on the Tuesday before the second Wednesday stated meeting night. There is an officers meeting at 6:30 p.m., immediately before the Club and we start practicing at 7:00 p.m. Come, learn more of the Masonic mysteries.

This month we will be conferring the 1^st (February 15, 2012), 2^nd (February 22, 2012) and 3^rd (February 29, 2012) degrees on our newly accepted friend Rob McRea. This is an invitation to attend at least one of the degrees and welcome Rob into our Fraternity. As you are well aware, dinner for each of these nights is at 6:30 p.m. and Lodge will open at 7 p.m. Hope to see each of you there.

Our Cavatelli Dinner is Sunday, March 25, 2012, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. We are hoping to have tickets for advanced sales. Tickets this year are $7.00. Please pick up a few of these tickets for friends and family, and support of our Fraternity. Once again the money raised will be to offset the cost of the meal, with the rest going toward Masonic Charity.

As for future events, we are still working on a Blood Drive, which will probably grace our work schedule sometime in March, I have located a file kept on past Table Lodges held at East Gate and am surprised by some of the members who are experienced in this event. The meal is being planned and costs set. We invite your suggestions and attendance. The date planned for this event is April 25, a lodge meeting Night. The Bar-B-Que Cook Off is still in the works for September and hopes remain high for a Lodge brother’s trip with family, hopefully to Branson or maybe Kansas City around Christmas. We are working at putting together an instructional class to allow each of you to act as judges for the Bar-B-Que competition and share in the food rewards of the event.

Recently I am reading a book, “Freemasonry and Its Etiquette” by William Preston Campbell-Everden. In it the author states,

                A lodge is an assemblage of Brethren met to expatiate on the mysteries of the Craft, or, in language of the Antient Charge, a Lodge is a place where Freemasons assemble to work and to instruct and improve themselves in the mysteries of the antient science. In an extended sense it applies to persons as well as to the place; hence every regular assembly or duly organized meeting of Masons is called a ‘Lodge.’

Remember when we are together, the Lodge is strengthened, apart, weakened. Come join with us in Friendship, Morality and Brotherly Love, every Wednesday night, starting at 6:30 p.m.

We are saddened by the loss, this month and last of three of our Brothers who have passed from the circle of our Fraternity, Nolan Long, Robert Krouse and Richard Means. As we mourn their loss, let us cherish their virtues and sincere finer principles of life.

                                                                                                                                                Daniel L. Flaherty

                                                                                                                                                Worshipful Master