We survived Winter (so far). According to the Calendar, March 19th is the start of Spring. According to Meteorologists, March 1st has that honor. According to Hesiod, the start of Spring is when Persephone returns to the World of Man from her time with her husband Hades in his underworld realm. Crocus, Daffodils, Tulips will all be blooming soon. Bumblebees will begin their work of pollenating, followed by other pollinators. Birds will be building new nests, or in the case of our resident Eagles, improving theirs in preparation for new hatchlings. Some folks will be starting their gardens for the early vegetables. And that least favorite season of all – Road Construction – will resume!

The end of March will mark Easter Sunday. This is our western celebration of rebirth and renewal. It’s the time of Passover when our Jewish brethren celebrate their liberation from servitude in Egypt. This can be called the rebirth of the Israeli people. Four-hundred-eighty years later, Solomon will build his Temple which we base our Craft on. This signaled a rebirth of the Israeli people from a nomadic to urban lifestyle.

So, what does all this talk about rebirth and renewal mean to us? When we are “raised” as Master Masons, we are effectively reborn. We come to our new life having received “further Light”, but we are really only just beginning our Masonic life. We need to study and learn and “improve ourselves in Masonry”. We need to do this, along with practicing the Masonic virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity to make ourselves into better men.

I had a whole different second section to this message but need to change it due to circumstances. As you may have heard we now have issues with our roof. The shingles are failing, with tabs lifting up and nails being pulled. We have leaks and water is coming through. The roof was installed around fifteen years ago, when the Lithuanian Club owned the building, but no records of work were turned over to us, so we cannot approach the shingle manufacturer for warranty claims. Currently, there is tarp covering the known problem section to prevent further water damage. However, if we have one bad section, who knows when the rest will fail. We do have an insurance claim filed through Grand Lodge, but that has a fairly high deductible. By now, you should have received a letter/email from us asking for financial support to fix our roof. If you can, please contribute to this.

In upcoming events, Grand Lodge Session will be the first weekend in April. As part of the agenda, there will be votes regarding how to proceed with background checks for applicants, and other items. There will also be the installation of new Grand Lodge Officers, and the appointment of new District Officers. As a reminder, all Master Masons may attend the Saturday business session. The Worshipful Master, and Wardens are required to attend or send a proxy. All are required to present their valid Dues Cards and will need aprons to enter the session. There will be aprons available for those who do not have one of their own.

For those seeking further Light in Masonry beyond what Our Lodge can offer you, I encourage you to explore the opportunities in both York and Scottish Rite. For those looking to have some fun and to have a direct impact on certain charities, I encourage you to look at Shrine (Shriners Hospitals support), Tall Cedars (Muscular Dystrophy and other Musculo-Skeletal disorders), and Grotto (Dental Care). All of these organizations have members in our Lodge who are more than willing to speak with you about them.

For the final word please remember this – while our Ritual is relatively unchanged over the last 300 years, much is different. We no longer have to meet on evenings of the Full Moon, to ensure we have enough light to get home on our horses. We have electricity to light our halls, instead of candles and oil lamps. We can communicate almost instantly with others, instead of having to mail a letter or send a telegraph message and wait for a response. What has NOT changed is the Fellowship and Brotherhood of our Society.

Fraternally, WM Joseph P. Grieco