Author: Ray Bailey

GOOD FOOD and SO MUCH MORE!

Dinner!

Dinner is always a special event at Buford Masonic Lodge #292.  We invite you to join us at 6:30 pm (Come early) before our Regular Communication which begins at 7:30 pm.  This year as in many years we have some excellent cooks in the kitchen.

Our meetings are the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, with the exception of November and December when we have only 1 meeting on the 2nd Thursday of those months, due to Holidays.

Come and join us.  You’ll be glad you did!!

Regular Communication – Thursday, November 11th

IF you weren’t at the last meeting celebrating WB Robert ‘Big Bob’ Phillips 50 Year Apron Presentation, you sure missed a great time.  I believe the final count was 109 in attendance.  What a glorious evening for WB Phillips and Buford Lodge!  Our own Brother Ricky Williams treated us to a fantastic meal for this memorable occasion.  Thank you Brother!!

View pictures here.

Just a reminder of our Regular Communication scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, November 11th at 7:30PM.  Per JW Tom Hineline, Cheesy Chicken Casserole is on the menu. Dinner starts at 6:30PM.

We will have an EA Catechism on Thursday, and the Officers are working on scheduling another FC Degree in the not too distant future.
Reminder about 2022 dues…. Please pay at the November or December meeting to stay current.  If you are in arrears for 2020 or 2021, please reach out to WB Forrester for guidance.
At the November Meeting, we will review the Bills from Grand Lodge.  For those who haven’t heard…our own WB Wiley Q. Forrester III was appointed Third Grand Steward by WB Mark Bradley.  Congratulations to WB Forrester on this most deserved recognition.  We look forward to supporting you during your journey through the line.
Keep in mind we only have one meeting in November and December per our bylaws.  The December Meeting (12/9) will include Officer Elections and Appointments.
Last thing…if you have contact information that may have changed, please update this information under the Grand Lodge of Georgia Grandview website.  This will assist us in sharing information with you regarding Buford Lodge functions.  Actually,  it may not hurt just to take a peek at Grandview to ensure your information is accurate.

 

Fraternally,
Br. Bill Garrison
Senior Deacon

PM Lee Pope receives his PM Apron

Brother Wiley presents PM Lee Pope with a PM Apron for his 2020 service as WM of our lodge at the January 14, 2021 meeting.
Thanks to brother Bill Garrison for these excellent pictures.

Presenting PM Lee Pope his PM Apron
Presenting PM Lee Pope his PM Apron

It looks like it will fit just perfectly.

Making sure it fits

PM Wiley and PM Lee Pope smiling beneath their masks!

PM Lee Pope wearing his new PM Apron

A wider view.

PM Lee Pope wearing his new PM Apron
PM Lee Pope wearing his new PM Apron

Meetings Have Resumed

At this posting, we have had 3 meetings since the COVID-19 Pandemic started.  We are meeting at the normal time of 7:30 pm without the enjoyment of a meal at 6:30.  These are strange and difficult times.  Social distancing is being observed as we sit at least 6 feet apart with masks on.  For those with breathing issues, we are permitted to remove our mask while seated.

Degree work is not being conducted for obvious reasons.  The business of the lodge is being handled since bills keep coming in and repairs continue to be needed.

It is very good to see our brothers and share stories of how we and our families are coping with the “new normal”.

SRB

Meetings To Resume Thursday, June 25th

UPDATE: our WM has notified our members of the following:

Brethren,

      The Grand Master has sent out his ruling about our meetings. There are multiple points that he made but I will try to sum most of them up.

1) Masks are to be worn at all times
2) No dinners unless prepared somewhere else and brought in individually wrapped – I will say no dinners as it’s is too difficult to have to deal with individually wrapped meals
3) It is recommended for us to check temperatures before brothers are allowed into lodge – I will say that we WILL do this to follow his recommendation. We will have no touch forehead thermometers and anyone with a temperature over 100 degree F will NOT be allowed into lodge.
4) We will not have any degree work for a while, likely at least until the end of the year.
5) We will have no contact during opening and closing and do not need to transfer the word until at least October 28.
6) Our lodge meetings will be kept to strictly business needed for us to continue to function and we will need to keep the meetings short, we will have no guess lectures or continuing education.
7) There is to be NO balloting with the ballot box. We can discuss this more as needed.
8) We are only permitted to have examinations on Master Mason(of which we have none). All other degree catechisms will have to be postponed.
9) We are not permitted to have any family nights/gatherings unless they are outdoors and we can maintain safe distance.
10) We will have hand sanitizer(as we can find it) placed around the lodge and we will clean before and after the meetings.
These are not all of his points but the ones that I feel like are the main points.
Brethren, I know all this is a lot but we need to take these steps to make sure we are keeping each other as safe as possible. We will make it through this. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we are all trying to find the best way to navigate the times we are in now.

Our first meeting back will be Thursday, June 25th. There will be no dinner so the meeting will begin at 7:30p. If you have a concern that you would like addressed and don’t feel comfortable coming to lodge, please reach out to me or one of the officers for us to bring it up before the lodge. Big decisions that need to be made about the lodge will likely be tabled until we can reach out to members and get more input. Please let me know what concerns you may have and I look forward to getting through this with y’all and looking towards the future.

Fraternally,
Lee Pope WM 2020

Historical Preservation Committee

The Historical Preservation Committee is entering it’s second year, working to preserve the history of Buford Masonic Lodge #292 by doing the following:

  • Record events in photos and text.
  • Create a “Annual” to be presented to the Worshipful Master and bretheren at the end of each year.
  • Update and maintain the Lodge Library.
  • Complete the picture gallery of previous Worshipful Masters.

Email us at 292history@gmail.com with comments and suggestions.