Thunderbird Lodge No. 15 Free and Accepted Masons
Temple
Talk
552 North 40th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85008-6441
Vol. 17, No. 5 www.thunderbird15.org SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2010
From The East:
Recently, I was having a conversation with a Brother
about a good friend of his that he thought would make a good Mason. He
explained to me that he didn’t think that this friend would be able to join
because he has Cerebral palsy. Did you know that a good man with a physical
disability can be a Freemason? Remember that it is the inner qualities that
recommend a man to be a Mason. With regard to the AMC, Regulation No. 10 spells
it out clearly;
The
person who desires to be made a Mason must be a man, a believer in a Supreme
Being and a future existence; of moral conduct, coming under the tongue of good
report and well recommended, and, at the time the petition is submitted be 18
years of age or older.
This regulation shall be liberally construed,
insofar as the same applies to the physical qualifications of a
candidate.
The
question as to the physical sufficiency of a candidate shall be left to the
sound discretion of the Lodge. When the
candidate is unable to comply to the physical
requirements, the Master shall state the nature and extent of the candidate's
disabilities to the Lodge before ballot is taken.
The AMC gives the Craft guidance
that a Man with disability should not be judged on those disabilities. So, what
qualities should he be judged on then? When posed with this question most
Brothers will respond with “he should act like a Mason” or “have the qualities
of a Mason”. What does that mean, act like a Mason? A Mason is a symbol, an
archetype that we all should strive to be like.
I like to think that the inner
qualities that we talk about are Integrity, Selflessness, a desire to Learn and
a sincere wish to improve oneself. Integrity is a vital part of a Man’s
character. With this attribute real trust can be had among the Brethren. It is
so easy to loss and near impossible to regain. Without Selflessness how can a
Man truly serve another? We are all charged to help our Brothers so far as we
can do so and this is only truly accomplished with Selflessness. What came you here to do? To Learn. A
true and honest desire to Learn should be the quality of every Mason and is one
of the lessons of the Second degree lecture and a vital part of the last
quality, a sincere wish to improve oneself. Do we not say that we make good Men
better? This starts with ourselves. Life is the
greatest gift given to us by the G.A.O.T.U. and we do Him a disservice by not
making our minds into Temples or Spiritual Building, that house not made by
hands eternal in the heavens.
What do you think are those inner
qualities? I suggest that we examine this question daily to make sure we keep
our focus on what is important. I know we will all be better for it and it will
also help us to make the correct selection of a Man for our great Fraternity.
See
you in Lodge Brother.
Jeff Grayson PM
From the Secretary:
Dues notices for 2011 will be going out at about the same
time this trestle board is being mailed. 2011 Dues cards for perpetual and
senior life members will be mailed at the same time. Dues have increased this
year due to another per capita increase passed at the Grand Communication. Per
Capita is now $28.00 per year, up from the $16.00 per year it had been for many
years up to 2008. If any perpetual or senior Life members would like to donate
the increase in per capita it would sure help. Most of you stepped forward last
year and donated, often not just for yourself but for a brother, too, and it
really reduced the impact the per capita increase had on our budget.
We had a pot luck at the
September Dinner and a Movie night and there was some really great food. Some
of our brothers and their ladies can really cook! No one went home hungry that
night and I think we were all on a diet for the next week. Hope we do another pot luck again soon.
Don’t forget that the November stated meeting is
elections night. I’m sure we will have the same tremendous turnout we usually
have for elections. It could be that this year we will have a completely new
roster of elected officers. Elections will be for Master, Senior Warden, Junior
Warden, Treasurer and Secretary, as well as one Trustee.
James Drake PM,
Secretary
Christmas Bell Ringing
The
Phoenix Scottish Rite Bodies will be ringing
bells statewide with the Salvation Army for the Christmas holiday this year and
Thunderbird Lodge #15 is going to participate. We will be ringing bells on
Saturday, December 4. Hours will be 10:00 am – 6:00 pm with two or four hour
shifts, each shift manned by at least two brothers. Refreshments will be
provided. This is an opportunity for the lodge brothers to get out together and
do some community service. If you are ready to do some bell ringing, contact
David Beacco at to be put on the schedule. Contact David Beacco at 801-842-1875
for information or to be put on the schedule.
2010 Fein Ranch
Attendees, L – R: Scott Thomas PM, Clint Molodow, David Beacco, Jay David, Jake
Taylor, Jim Drake PM (front porch only).
New Master Masons
We at Thunderbird Lodge #15 are
happy to announce the addition of some new Master Masons to our roster. On
September 9, Glenn Robbins and Breton Hill were raised in our lodge. Glenn and
Breton’s fathers are members of Thunderbird Lodge #15 and Vernon Robbins and
William Hill had the pleasure of raising their sons. On July 29, we did a
courtesy Master Mason Degree for Jake Taylor, from the Grand Lodge of Illinois.
Jake is a student at ASU and may soon become a member of our lodge, and is
organizing our lodge barbeque. We enthusiastically welcome and congratulate our
new Master Masons and look forward to seeing them in lodge.
Golden Scroll
We regret to have to inform the
brethren of the passing of Brother Beverly Hodges in April. And Brother Allen
Leander Brock on July 14, funeral Services were held at the Arizona Veteran’s
Cemetery. Please have a moment of silence to remember and celebrate the life of
these Brothers as we did in lodge.
Masonic
Veterans Pins for Sale
Thunderbird Lodge #15
has Masonic Veterans lapel pins for sale. Procedes from the sale of these pins
will go to our three Masonic Youth Groups. These beautiful pins have a red field with
the square and compasses and a blue border with “Armed Forces Veteran” printed
in gold. The first 500 have already almost sold out and a second lot of 500
have been ordered. The price is an unbelievably low $2.00 each. To obtain
yours, mail orders and payment to the address on the flyer or stop by lodge and
pick some up and we can save on postage.
Other
Masonic items for sale
We also have some
other items for sale from the lodge – Thunderbird Lodge #15 bumper stickers and
t-shirts, key chains, coasters and several types of lapel pins. These can be
purchased by contacting the Secretary or at lodge.
Masonic Birthdays for: September and
October:
Fred Alexander 9/15/1965 David Beacco 10/26/2002
Elbert Brown, Jr. 10/24/1969 Gary Faucett 9/30/1993
Duncan Hancock 9/30/1955 Jeffry Hester, PM 9/30/2004
Breton David Hill 9/11/2010 William
Dean Hill 9/27/1972
Jon T. Logan 9/27/2007 William LoPiano 9/19/1956
Ralph Packer 10/25/1967 Wilbert Reed 10/13/1950
Robert Rees 10/25/1962 Mathew G. Robbins 9/9/2010
Vernon Robbins 9/27/1972 Donald Vanderwalker 9/28/1972
Amies Webster 9/23/1971
Calendar:
October 21: Dinner and a Movie, 7:00 PM. Dinner will
be at The Red Fez, the movie will be the
original The Day the Earth Stood Still,
with Michael Renny and Patricia Neal from 1951 in black and white.
October 25: Masonic License
Plate available at the DMV.
October 28: Fellowship and
practice, 7:00pm, dinner in the Red Fez at 6:00pm.
November 4: Stated Meeting, 7:00 PM, dinner in Red Fez at 6:00. Dinner is on the Lodge. Elections
Night.
November
7 – 13: Public Schools Week.
November
11: Fellowship and practice, 7:00pm,
dinner in the Red Fez at 6:00pm.
November
18: Dinner and a Movie, 7:00 PM. Dinner in the Red Fez at 6:00, the movie will
be the animated The Fantastic Mr. Fox with George Clooney – a great family
movie.
November 21: 5K run
November 25: Thanksgiving
holiday.
December 2: Stated
Meeting, 7:00
PM, dinner in Red Fez at 6:00. Dinner is on the Lodge.
December 4: DeMolay degrees
for Master Masons, Phoenix Masonic Temple.
December 11: Poinsettia
deliveries to widows.
December
16: Dinner and a Movie, 7:00 PM. Dinner will be at the Red Fez at 6:00, the
movie will be A
Christmas Story.
January
22: Grand Lodge Leadership Conference, Sun City Lodge.
February
4 – 5: Gathering on the River, Laughlin.
Not
Dates yet, but scheduled for the first half of 2011:
Mark Master degree
(first York Rite degree) in our lodge.
Thunderbird Lodge #15 barbeque to
benefit A Stepping Stone Foundation.
Table Lodge in the El Zaribah
auditorium.
For more information on any of these events, please
feel free to contact the Secretary.
Information and flyers are also available in the
lodge room. Or check out the web site.
Temple Talk is Published by Thunderbird Lodge No.
15, F.&A.M.
Submit
information for the next publication by the 15th of each month to:
Jim Drake, Editor
552
N. 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008-6441
Or
by E-Mail to: jandvdrake@aol.com
Direct questions or comments to me at 480-756-1105
Contact List
Master:
Jeff Grayson, H C 520-979-7003 jdg323@msn.com
Secretary: Jim Drake, H 480-756-1105, C
480-495-2108 jandvdrake@aol.com
El Zaribah Shrine
Center: 602-231-0300
Website: www.thunderbird15.org
Thunderbird
Lodge No. 15, F.&A.M.
W.M. * Jeff Grayson PM Trustee 2010 Reza Farrokh PM
S.W. * Gustavo Rodriguez Trustee 2011 VW
George Stablein PM
J.W. * Trustee 2012 Don Wilcox
Treasurer $ Vacant
Trustee 2013 Jay David
Secretary # Jim Drake PM
Chaplain Don Wilcox * Also Trustees Ex-Officio
Marshal Jay David $ Also Treasurer of Trustees
S.D. Vacant #
Also Secretary of Trustees
J.D. Michael Gattorna
S.S. Vacant
J.S. Bryan Campbell
Tyler Clint Molodow
Thunderbird Lodge No. 15 F&AM
552 North 40th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85008-6441