It’s hard to believe that five years have passed since the last newsletter was sent out. As was mentioned in the request for donations that you received several weeks ago, your lodge is active and hard at labor. So far this year, four brothers have been raised. Congratulations Tim, Jamie, Jarade, and Sam. A most sincere “Thank You” to all who donated toward replacing the roof of our lodge building. The new metal roof has been installed and I am thrilled to report to you that it is paid in full
without any money borrowed. There is currently a fundraiser under way to raise additional money to do more needed
repairs and replace some funds that were depleted from our treasury in paying for the roof. (See the details for the Boston butts at the bottom.)
Awards Banquet / Ladies Night
We had a great turnout at our Awards Banquet/Ladies Night, which was held on March 26th at the Double Springs Fire
Department. Unfortunately, many of the brothers who were due awards were not there to receive them. R.W. Brother Alton Williams, W. Brother Arthur Ledford, and W. Brother Bob Oakley were presented their 50 year certificates by R.W. Brother Johnny Smith, who is currently serving as M.E.C. Representative of the 14th, 15th, and 16th Masonic Districts. W.M. Cecil Conyers presented R.W. Brother Tommy Grant with a Past Masters Certificate. Below are the brothers who were due awards, which we missed at the banquet:
Mike Davis - 25 year pin, Dick Morris - 25 year pin, William Thomas Hunt - 40 year member, Sammy Buchanan - 40 year member, Jack Dobbins - 50 year pin & certificate. If you are due an award and are unable to attend the lodge, please let us know and we will come to you. Otherwise, I urge you to visit your lodge on any regular or special communication so we can present you with the honor which you deserve.
In anticipation of next years Awards Banquet, which I hope will become an annual event, the following brothers are due awards in 2011: Tommy Grant - 40 Year Member, David Kendrick - 40 Year Member, William Merritt - 40 Year Member, Charlie Capps - 25 Year Pin, Robert Gambrell - 25 Year Pin.
R.W. Alton Williams (left)
R.W. Johnny Smith (right)
R.W. Johnny Smith (left)
Arthur Ledford (right)
R.W. Johnny Smith (left)
Bob Oakley (right)
Cecil Conyers (left)
R.W. Tommy Grant (right)
… Dues and operating expenses
Brothers, we have been blessed for a number of years now by having the contributions from the magistrate office downstairs in our lodge building. This has afforded us the utilities, insurance, and gas for heat without passing those cost along to our members. Those same contributions from that office and generous donations from those of you who sent money made it possible to put the new roof on the lodge without incurring debt. Looking to the not so distant future, we are once again going to be fully dependant on dues and fundraisers to cover all of the lodge expenses. In the past, when the lodge lacked the funds to “make ends meet”, passing the hat and donations by the active members at the business meetings often paid for what was rightfully owed by the entire craft. It has been a recent suggestion by the Grand Master of Masons in S.C. that dues should pay all operating expenses of a lodge and that fundraisers should not be used for that purpose. We’ve had a committee study the operating expenses and incoming funds from dues. Brothers, the conclusion was, and is, troubling. Townville Lodge currently has 40 dues paying members, which at $42 each comes to $1680. The average operating cost from the years of 2008 and 2009 were $4059.79. That’s the real numbers; subtracting the expense from what dues are coming in leaves us lacking $2379.79 per year. Unless something changes, the number of our dues paying members will decrease in 2011, adding to the problem. The committee will recommend the following:
(1.) All fees for petitions, degrees, and affiliation be raised to $50. (2.) Beginning with 2011, dues will be increased by $5 per year for the next 10 years in addition to automatic increases to match Grand Lodge per capita increases. I know this may seem excessive to some, but is absolutely necessary. We certainly welcome other suggestions on how we can meet our budget needs and ask that each of you continue supporting your lodge.
New Roof
The picture at the right shows the new metal roof
installed on the lodge. The boxing was also capped with aluminum and a drip cap installed all around the roof to prevent wind from getting under the metal roof. The roof over the bathrooms was in very bad condition and had to be torn down to the framing, with some framing replaced. When we are financially able to do more, there are still areas on the ceilings where the old leaking roof left it’s mark. Other needed repairs are to somehow divert water around the building and repair or replace the heating and A/C, which will not only correct some safety issues, but would likely repay our investment with reduced monthly operating cost.
Thank you again to all who donated to replacing the roof, to Brother Eddie Grant for getting us a great price on the metal and screws, and to the men of A.M.S.I. for the outstanding job they did.
WHOLE BOSTON BUTTS
We are having a fundraiser on May 22nd, 2010 to help pay for our new roof and raise needed funds for more repairs. R.W. Brother Jim Turner will be cooking Whole Boston Butts on Brother Charles Lee’s cooker. If you would like to help out, please contact Jim at 287-3332 and he can fill you in on what he will need. We are currently selling tickets for the butts at $30 each. You must show your ticket when you pick up the butts on the 22nd from 3 P.M. - 6 P.M… If you would like tickets to sell, or to purchase tickets contact Adam at 287-1727.
