Robert Burns Lodge Happenings 2011

On this page, your humble webmaster will attempt to relate what has most recently happened in our Lodge.  Mostly these will be items from recent meetings, but occasionally other items will appear here.  I hope these notes will help to keep my Brethren current on happenings in the Lodge, and entice you to come to our next event.  If you are interested in what went on at past meetings, check out our Happenings 2009 or Happenings 2010.

4 October:  Tonight there were 26 Brothers present for Past Masters night, including the twelve Past Masters listed below.  Also in attendance were Bro. Kevin Moran, son of Bro. Jim Moran, VWB Roger Barnstead of Edmonds #165, et. al. and WB Nick Nichols of Genesis #305.  At the dinner before the meeting, two gentlemen from the community attended after filling out interest cards at the Monroe Fair and being contacted by the Master.

The WM called these Brothers to the East, where they were accorded the Public Grand Honors, after a brief mention of how much these Brothers have contributed to our Lodge.  The Master also ended with a brief mention of the contributions of WB John Sutton and WB Steve Wandel, and how they even cooked dinner on Past Masters night.  Also the Master had the honor of giving a 25 year membership pin to WB Ernie McCasland, a 50 year pin to Bro. Thomas Harrington of the Grand Lodge AF&AM of Illinois and another to our own Bro. Walt Smith.   

During the opening, WB Jim Larson did double duty by standing in as Chaplain; and WB Steve Wandel was JW (Bro. Bill Ferguson was standing in as Senior Warden for an absent Bro. Mark Goldberg), and WB Ernie McCasland was JD.  At the close of Lodge, the WM introduced a group of Past Masters who filled the chairs, as is in the above table.  The past Masters did quite a good job.  Notably, WB Denis Lane stood in without being warned, and delivered the closing prayer from memory.

Our newest Master Mason, Bro. Rob Barnett, signed the by-laws and received his apron insert.

During the business portion of the meeting, the WM instructed the Treasurer to pay the rent for the final three months of the year this week, to assist the Edmonds Temple Board in overcoming a cash shortage they have encountered.  VWB Robert Nygren advanced the idea that we could move our meeting night to the third Tuesday of the month, in order to avoid conflict with other nearby lodges.  Also, a vote was held to increase the life member costs as follows:

Also discussed was the plan for a potential Robert Burns Night in January.  It was announced that VWB Norm Watts will be installed as master of Zarthan #148 on the first Tuesday in November.  Finally, the WM announced that as there is no degree work upcoming, we will move the officer meeting to 18 October, and have dinner and fellowship in addition to the business of the officer meeting.  Other upcoming events were announced as are featured on the Upcoming Events page.  Perhaps most importantly, the Master pointed out that the installation of officers will be held on Friday, 2 December, not Saturday, 3 December, as was originally planned.

20 September:  At this evening's officer meeting, a wide variety of topics were discussed.  First were plans for Past Master night on 4 October, to include the PMs closing lodge and the presentation of a 25 year pin to WB Ernie McCasland and 50 year pins to Bro. Bob Linton, Bro. Walt Smith, and a Brother from Illinois. 

9 June: The Worshipful Master, along with VWB Norm Watts, VWB Bob Nygren, WB Steve Wandel, WB John Sutton, and WB Tom Busby attended Grand Lodge this weekend.  The experience was very enjoyable.  RWB Bruce E. Vesper was elected to the Grand South.

The full text of the resolutions can be found at the Grand Lodge website; the results were as follows:

7 June: There were 29 Robert Burns Masons at this evening's stated meeting for the votes to change the by-laws, and six guests, including WB Tom Lamb and 4 other Brothers of Edmonds #165, and WB Warren Schoeben, the soon-to-be DDGM for District 8.  The meeting lasted until nearly 10PM after beginning promptly at 7:30, and a great deal of ground was covered.  The first item was that it was announced that Bro. Rob Barnett did the full posting lecture proficiency in committee before the meeting; the Master asked that it not be held in Lodge as is the custom because there was so much business to discuss.  The date for his Third Degree has been set for 21 June at the EMC.

The Lodge read a third Edict from the Grand Master about belonging to an irregular York Rite body in the US, clarifying the other two.  It was also announced that the Grand Lodge is now accepting donations that will be sent on to the Grand Lodge of Alabama and Tennessee to aid those areas following their recent disasters.  A letter from the EMC board was read regarding changes being made at the EMC, and a letter from WB Tom Lamb expressing their enthusiasm for our potential move.

The first by-laws vote was regarding moving.  The Lodge voted 24 in favor, 2 against to move to the Edmonds Temple.  There were several speakers for and against.  The Lodge also approved the increase in the dues to $80 per year, and after an amendment from the floor also approved an increase in the initiation fee to $250, inclusive of Grand Lodge fees.  The Lodge did not vote to approve the Worshipful Master's proposed schedule for life membership fees.  It is the Master's intent to return to the issue this year, and vote again.

31 May:  Tonight about 15 Brothers of Robert Burns visited the Edmonds Temple for a tour before the vote on moving.  The tour was lead by WB Tom Lamb, WM of Edmonds #165, his SW, Bro. Paul Rand, and WB Tom Stone, until recently on the Edmonds Temple Board.  The Webmaster again asks that if you detect any flaws in the following recount of what happened please contact him.  The tour began in the parking lot; the lot has 12 spaces currently, three of which are rented out until 5PM by the dentist office nearby on weekdays.  There was some parking available on the street, as well.

There was a brief discussion of the Temple finances; currently the Temple is running at a slight deficit.  The building adjacent to the Temple, which is owned by the Temple Board, is currently vacant.  A potential tenant is currently being vetted, and may take up occupancy soon, if all goes as planned.  It has been discussed with the potential tenant that the parking area would need to be cleared out by early evening for the Lodges and other bodies to meet; the potential tenant agreed to this condition.  If for some reason the building remains vacant, the board has some other plans, including possibly declaring the Temple a community center (thus exempting it from taxes), and meeting in the smaller building.  The taxes and insurance are the two largest expenses they have currently.  Robert Burns would be expected to pay the same rent as the other tenants, currently $150 per meeting.  Thus, for our current schedule of 1 stated meeting and 1 special per month, RB243 would pay $300 per month.  Unlike our current lease, however, this would not include any special events, so for instance an installation in December, or a fundraiser, would cost an additional $150.  We would have the entire building at our disposal the night we leased it.  The temple board has discussed allowing smaller parts of the building to be leased, e.g. the small meeting room on the bottom floor, for perhaps $50 for an evening, but no decision has been made yet.  Any proposed lease would be for one year at a time; there is no current plan to raise the rent anytime soon, as they were recently evaluated and set. 

The building is not currently a Historic Landmark that requires any special consideration, and there is no plan in the near future to seek any such designation.  The building is over 100 years old, however.  No special steps have been taken for earthquake proofing the building; it did not suffer any damage by any quake in recent memory.  The roof and gutters were replaced two or three years ago.  All the levels of the building are accessible by ramp, but all of these ramps are outside, thus a trip in a wheelchair from dinner to the meeting would involve going up from the dining level by an exterior ramp, then going up another exterior ramp on the other side of the building to enter the Lodge area.  Overall, the building appeared to be in excellent shape.

The Brothers of Robert Burns were shown the "ballroom," which has wood floors and bright lighting, and can be used for special events, such as the upcoming art walk or fundraisers.  From there, upstairs the tour showed the storage area that would be available.  It is proposed we would be able to move our gear into an unfinished room that is above the Lodge room entryway.  Currently there is no floor in the proposed storage area, but it could be covered with plywood quickly for storage purposes.  Assurances were given that the Fire Marshal has approved of this potential storage.  There are two doors to this storage area; the other half of the room is currently occupied by gear from Genesis #305. 

The building is not currently air conditioned, but we were assured the heat is more than adequate.  There are microphones in the East, West, and South, as well as at the Secretary's desk.  The tour of the Lodge room area included a smaller storage area adjacent to the Lodge room in which our gear for meetings could be kept.  Also discussed was the possibility of enclosing the current coat closet and using that area for storage.  There is a Secretary's Office adjacent to the Lodge room all the bodies share.  The building is cleaned by a maintenance person.  It is expected that the Lodge would return any areas used to their condition when we arrived, and that the maintenance person would perform other cleaning, including vacuuming, dusting, and the like.  The Lodge room appeared to be excellently maintained, and was clean.  The carpet and paint, while not brand new, were well kept and looked great.  The Lodge room can hold about 90 people, with the ability to hold more with folding chairs, kept in an adjacent area.

Downstairs, the kitchen is a sub-standard commercial kitchen.  In order to make it more suitable for this use, there would need to be significant plumbing and natural gas work; the kitchen currently does not have gas available, although it is used nearby for the water heater.  The kitchen currently has an electric range and oven.  The floors in the dining area are uncovered concrete, and we were told that standing for long periods in the kitchen or dining area can be very taxing on the legs.  The dining area seemed a bit gloomy and underlit.  The dining area is approved for somewhat fewer than 200 individuals to use at a time.

While in the Lodge room, several questions were asked about the potential move.  Bro. Paul gave a brief talk about the collaboration that currently the Temple Board and the two Lodges that currently meet there are enjoying.  They are working on what they call a "Legacy Project," which would involve significant upgrades to the Temple, including mechanical upgrades and a revamping of the kitchen.  These upgrades would cost on the order of $175,000 - 250,000.  No formal plans or the like have been commissioned yet, however, so that is a rough estimate.  Part of the legacy that they intend to leave is a significant increase in the scholarships given by the bodies that meet at the Temple, increasing the amount given so the Lodges' investment in the community approximately equals the investment in the building over the same period.  The members of Edmonds present expressed enthusiasm for Robert Burns to potentially become a part owner, at a future date.  While that possibility exists, everyone present agreed that Robert Burns would rent if we were to move there, and then after that any potential cooperation on ownership would be negotiated.

24 May:  At this evening's Officer Meeting, four members of the EMC Temple Board, WB Pat Marlatt (President), Bro. Jeramie Taylor (Secretary), Bro. Dean Bonar (Treasurer) and Bro. Cal Schroeder (member).  The members of Robert Burns present, led by the Master, asked many questions of our landlords.  Your Webmaster will try here to present as neutral a version of what was asked and what answers returned.  If you have a dispute with the facts presented here, or how they are presented, please contact the webmaster.  There were approximately 15 Brothers of Robert Burns present.

First, the three new members of the Temple Board spoke briefly on their roles on the Board.  They presented that they have been on the board for a short time (since February or April, depending on the member), and that they represent an independent voice, free from the past problems of the board.  The other two members of the board, not present at our meeting, are WB Angel Corpus and Bro. Dave Martin.  WB Pat and WB Angel have been on the temple board for the longest time.  They also disclosed that Grand Lodge had been involved in some of the personnel change, and that they intend to do a better job of following their own by-laws.  Bro. Jeramie and Bro. Dean made sure to point out that the board has made an attempt of late to communicate the intentions and actions of the board to their tenants.  The board has posted letters to the tenants twice so far this year, with their intentions.  These letters are visible at bulletin boards at the EMC, including the one outside the Lodge room where Robert Burns meets.  The board stressed that they intend to improve communications greatly in the future; the website will be updated with current goings on, and will include a way to make reservations for nights that are not taken, and the newsletter and other communications will improve as well.  They expressed a desire for Robert Burns to remain one of their tenants.

For the majority of the meeting following, WB Pat spoke for the board.  The first topic raised by RB243 was the rumors of the Fire Marshal threatening to close down the building.  WB Pat said the Fire Marshal did visit the building, and pointed out a number of deficiencies, including a lack of sprinklers anywhere but in the North Lodge Room area and problems with the wiring.  This includes a lack of sprinklers in the area rented out to the tenants in the south end of the building.  He said that the board is negotiating with the Fire Marshal, and will perform these improvements on their own time, and include them with other upgrades to the building.  He also discussed that Grand Lodge will need to be involved, as the repairs will likely cost enough to draw their attention.  They were unable to provide any sort of estimate on when this code compliance work may be done, beyond that it will take "years", or of the cost.  When asked, the board did not disclose any approximation of the financial resources available to them, as far as current capital available or current operating profit, beyond saying that they have less than a million dollars available, but do have some cash on hand, and are currently making a profit.  They said they are currently exploring their "lines of credit" to raise money to do some of the work, so the webmaster assumes that they do not have sufficient financial resources on hand at the moment to do the work that is required.

The board discussed that their goal is to keep rent relatively low for their Masonic tenants.  The current rent for 2 meetings a month, plus two special meetings a year, in either the north end of the building (which has air conditioning, a quieter heating system, and a functioning commercial kitchen) or the current room Robert Burns occupies (which has none of those three things, but does have significantly more square footage), is $281 per month.  The lease held by Robert Burns expires at the end of May, and the intent of the board is to raise rent by an amount they did not disclose.  The board did say that currently the groups meeting there barely pay the taxes on the property, and that these groups use so much in utilities and other resources that the board actually saves money by having these groups leave, even taking into account the lost rent.  Briefly discussed was the expiration of the current lease on 31 May; Robert Burns will be going month-to-month in anticipation of the vote, and, if we stay, for a time afterwards, until a new lease can be signed.  If we decide to move, we will be month-to-month until our stuff is out of the building.

When asked for the priorities of the temple board as far as improvements in the South Lodge room, WB Pat listed the following items, in this order: 1) Removing the current sliding door in the entry room to the Lodge that goes to the outdoors, and replacing it with a conventional door/fire exit, and then removing the exterior door that currently is just inside the Lodge room from there.  2) Completing the kitchen work (so far the floor has been tiled, when the dining area was completed), to include a "robust residential" style kitchen.  3) Completing renovations to the dining room.  There was a fourth item, but honestly the webmaster cannot read his notes; if you attended the meeting and recall what it was, please contact him.  There was no timeline as to when these upgrades may be started or completed, they would be performed in conjunction with the Fire Marshal required upgrades.  When asked about repairs to the roof leak that drips into the station in the North, the board said they would look into that repair, and put it on their list.  Apparently someone had reported the leak, but the leak was understood to be in the North Lodge room, not in the North station of the South Lodge room, and so it was dismissed as leakage from the air conditioning system, they are now aware of where the leak in our room is.  Improvements to the room itself, including painting, replacing the carpet, the HVAC, sideline chairs, etc. were not mentioned.

The Master of Robert Burns then asked some questions regarding the possibilities for Robert Burns to buy into the building.  WB Pat expressed that the building was valued at over $3 Million, and that any purchase would be based on this figure.  He dismissed out of hand the idea of RB243 purchasing our portion of the building, condo-style, while allowing the temple board to maintain control of the exterior.  He seemed dubious of our ability to buy an equal share of the building and sit on the board as a third partner, and he is correct, assuming we would have to pay for one third of the value of the building he cited.  He said there is a possibility we could engage in some sort of long term lease of that portion of the building, but seemed extremely skeptical.

After this, the Temple Board left, and the members of Robert Burns were left to discuss the presentation.  Various aspects of what was said were discussed, but no conclusions were reached.  We also briefly discussed the vote on the increase in dues and life membership fees.  Finally, we briefly ran through the schedule of upcoming events.

23 May: This evening your Worshipful Master attended the OVDD to Everett #137, with WB Jim Hamlin and VWB Bob Nygren.  WB Greg Outman handled the Deputy quite well, and the meeting was quite a success.  As a part of the meeting, we mourned the loss of WB Phil Leung and WB Bud Bowles.  It was the final OVDD for VWB Sam Roberts, and he expressed his thanks for all the support he received from his Lodge and District.

18 May: At the OVDD to Centennial #25 this evening, the Worshipful Master and WB Jim Hamlin attended.  The meeting went quite well, and the Deputy seemed pleased.

7 May:  There were two events today, the SLOC, hosted by Centennial #25, and the Regional Meeting organized by Grand Lodge.  At the SLOC, plans for the Monroe Fair booth were discussed.  Robert Burns will man the booth on Saturday, 3 September from 10 AM to 10 PM.  At the Regional Meeting, the Grand Master presented VWB Bob Nygren with the Grand Master's Achievement Award, and Robert Burns with the Pillar of Progress for Technology.

3 May:  Before the meeting, VWB Sam Roberts conducted his annual "inspection" of the Lodge books and records, as well as some other items in the Lodge.  His verdict was that the Lodge is being very well cared for by WB John Friesen as Treasurer and WB Jim Larson as Secretary, and he specifically commended these Brothers during the meeting.  29 Brothers attended the official visit of VWB Sam Roberts to Robert Burns #243 this evening.  This included the guest of honor, as well as WB Kris McGoldrick, WM of Centennial #25, and WB Ken Thompson of Peninsular #95.  Also present were several other visitors, including WB Warren Schoeben, currently the Grand Standard Bearer, who is to become the District 8 DDGM at Grand Lodge in June.  We are grateful these Brothers could come to visit us.

In the interest of maximizing the time available to the DDGM, there was a minimum of business conducted.  That said, several important things were attended to.  WB John Friesen received his certificate officially naming him an honorary Past Master of Robert Burns #243, and received the public grand honors, in recognition of his many years of service to the Lodge.  The Master also thanked WB Jim Hamlin for organizing, and the 5 other Brothers for participating in, the SLOC rest stop.  The SLOC made over $1155 partially thanks to our efforts.

In new business, the WM introduced a possible by-laws amendment to increase dues to $80/month from $55, and the petition fees to $220 from its current $204.  This would be accompanied by a similar increase in the life membership fees.  Please contact the Worshipful Master if you have any questions.  It is his intention to send out the appropriate notification this month and vote at the June meeting on the increase.  Also, WB John Sutton introduced a by-laws amendment to move the Lodge to Edmonds.  There is some more work to be done on this, but we may vote on it at the June meeting.

At the end of the meeting, VWB Sam delivered his assessment of our Lodge as having the second highest membership in the District, with probably the highest average attendance.  He praised the current Secretary and Treasurer for their efforts, and said that although his tenure as Deputy ends soon, he will visit us often, as he feels comfortable and welcome in our Lodge.

26 April:  At this evening's officer meeting, four Brothers discussed the future of the Lodge.  This included a discussion the upcoming vote on a by-laws change to increase the Lodge dues.  At the May meeting the Master will introduce the proposed change in writing as required by the Lodge by-laws to increase the dues to $80 per year.  This will be accompanied by a significant increase in the cost of life memberships, as well. 

Also discussed was the rejection of our offer on the building on 44th Ave.  There were two other bids on the building, both higher than ours, and the owners went with the highest bid.  WB John Sutton then said he intends to introduce a change to the Lodge by-laws to move the Lodge to the Edmonds Temple.  It is the Master's intent to vote on the dues increase in June; the move vote may be in June or September, assuming it proceeds.

19 April:  Tonight we initiated Bro. Larry Mesmer.  The WM, Matt Appel, conferred the degree, with Bro. Josh Hamlin performed his role as Senior Deacon excellently, and WB Bob Wallinger delivered the lecture in his usual impeccable form.  The degree went quite well, and the Master made sure to thank the 5 pro-tem officers, all PM's, who sat in various chairs.  Welcome aboard, Bro. Larry.

16 April:  Today we made an offer on a new building in Lynnwood, at 17725 44th Ave. W.  I encourage you to check out the possible new home of our Lodge.  We offered significantly less than the $1.2M asking price, and there are two other offers, so we may not end up buying the property, but it is a possible new home for our Lodge.

15 April:  This afternoon a memorial service for WB Duane Holte was held.  The WM, VWB Norm Watts, WB Jim Larson, and WB Bob Wallinger took part in the ceremony, which was well received.  We mourn the passing of our Brother.

5 April:  At this evening's "Get your Can to Lodge Night," the Lodge collected 26 pounds of canned goods for the Lynnwood Food Bank.  We started the evening with our EA Brothers Steve Elwood and Rob Barnett doing an excellent job with the long form EA posting lecture. 

Bro. Leon Smith, recently raised to the Degree of Master Mason, signed the by-laws and paid his dues.  We then balloted to grant the petition of Mr. Larry Mesmer to join the Lodge.  This was preceded by the Master reading some passages of chapter 19 of the Grand Lodge of Washington Code, as it seemed to him there has been some confusion among the Brothers about the language used and the meaning of the chapter.

We announced the plans for WB Duane Holte's memorial, to be held on 15 April at 2PM.

The Lodge voted to donate enough money to the T. H. Little chapter of DeMolay to pay for one of their members who was having trouble raising enough money to go to their convention. 

The meeting closed with WB John Hart giving a brief presentation on the book Observing the Craft by Andrew Hammer.  He met the author at Masonic Week in Washington D. C.  The book advances many of the arguments for "traditional observance" lodges,  like Esoterika #316 and Krucible #318.

19 March:  Today the WM and WB Steve Wandel visited Skykomish #259 for their stated meeting.  The meeting was a relatively informal affair, and a good time was had by all.  VWB Sam Roberts may have been alarmed at some of the goings on, but luckily he brought his hearing protection.

15 March:  This evening we raised Bro. Leon Smith to the sublime Degree of a Master Mason.  The WM conferred the degree, and presented the lecture at the end.  WB Jim Larson and WB Ernie McCasland reprised their usual roles, with the JW assisting in raising the new MM whom he had coached.

13 March:  Today we held a rehearsal for the Third Degree to be given on 15 March to Bro. Leon Smith.

5 March:  At this meeting of the SLOC, several new and old items came up.  On 14 May a Second Degree will be held at the Masonic Memorial in Roche Harbor.  District Eight is expected to provide a JD, Tyler, SS, and the G Lecture.  It was voted that the District would have brochures and bags available at the Monroe Fair, if the price was not excessive.  The CHIPS program will be at the Festival of the River 13 & 14 August.

VWB Sam Roberts announced that he hopes to have the three candidates for JGW at the May SLOC meeting: VWB Coe Tug Morgan, VWB Jim Mendoza, and VWB Bruce Vesper.  He also reported that the District website is again operational.  He discussed the plans for the 7 May Regional Grand Lodge Meeting, now to be held at the EMC over dinner, with no banquet to follow.  Lunch will be $15.  The 21st of May will be a Masonic Family Celebration at the MRC. 

1 March:  At this evening's meeting, we had 21 Master Masons and Fellowcrafts, in addition to three Entered Apprentice Masons in attendance.  They are broken out this way because for the first time this year we opened on the Second Degree to allow Bro. Leon Smith to prove up.  He did so very well, with the assistance of the Junior Warden, and his Third Degree has been planned for 15 March.  The Senior Warden is to organize.  We then called down to the First Degree to allow our other Brothers to attend.

A petition was read from Mr. Lawrence J. Mesmer of Everett.  An investigation committee consisting of the Junior and Senior Wardens and WB Bob Nygren will meet with him before the April meeting.

The Worshipful Master announced his plans for "Get Your Can to Lodge Night," to be held at the 5th of April Stated meeting.  It is his intention that the title be taken two ways: first to have the brothers in attendance that evening bring at least one canned food item each for him to take to the Lynnwood Food Bank.  More than one is appreciated.  Secondly, he intends to contact some of the Brothers who have not been to a meeting in some time in an effort to have them come.  He asked for volunteers to contact these Brothers.  If you wish to assist, please contact the Worshipful Master.

The Lodge voted to donate to the Snohomish County Fire District #1 Bike Safety program.  They have contributed free bike helmets and locks to the children who have won bicycles in our Bikes-for-Books program for our last several presentations, and expect to continue to do so into the future.  This has saved our program significantly more than the donation, as we have not had to buy them ourselves.  We very much appreciate their generosity.  The WM also approved the purchase of new briefcases from the "Lodge/Office Supplies" budget line for the SW and JW, as their latches are broken and they are becoming unusable.

The JW announced his intention to organize a team for the Crohne's & Colitis Foundation of America walk in Seattle, which the webmaster has determined is likely on 16 July (see the CCFA NW chapter list of events here).

22 February:  At the officer meeting this evening, several issues were discussed.  In addition to the likely long form in lodge proving up by Bro. Leon Smith and Bro. Brent Wandel, other events for the 1 March meeting were discussed.  There was a brief discussion of raising dues, application fees, and life membership fees.  This will likely be voted on at the June meeting as a by-laws change.    The WM announced that the planned Habitat for Humanity event on 28 May has been cancelled because the date is already full on the H4H calendar.  That project may be done in the fall. 

The WM also announced his intention to have the nametag for new Brothers ordered when their petition is balloted on in Lodge.  This should reduce the number of Brothers who have no nametag.

15 February:  This evening we welcomed Bros. Robert Barnett and Steve Elwood into our Lodge.  Bro. Bill Ferguson did well as the conferring master, and Bro. Josh Hamlin did his usual standout job with the lecture.

13 February:  On the Senior Warden's birthday, 46 friends and Brothers of Robert Burns #243 attended a game of the Everett Silvertips.  Sadly, we were not the good luck charm they needed, they lost to the Kelowna Rockets 3-2 in overtime.

5 February:  At the SLOC meeting this morning, Robert Burns drew the 7PM to 2AM shift on 23 April for the District 8 manning of the Northbound Smokey Point rest stop.  There was also a discussion on the location of the Regional meeting, set for 7 May.  The location of the meeting and the banquet to follow are currently not finally decided.

2 February:  This evening, your humble webmaster was able to attend the initiation of JW Bill Ferguson's step-father into Centennial #25.  Bro. Bill Ferguson performed the initiation on his Dad and another Brother.  Also, Robert Burns has rid itself of the Travelling Gavel.

 1 February:  At this evening's meeting, over 50 Brothers and guests attended a talk by Very Rev. Anthony Bawyn, delivered at refreshment at our Lodge.  We had visitors from as far as Diamond Lodge #83, and notables including Past Grand Master MWB Carl Smith and our DDGM VWB Sam Roberts.  Fr. Bawyn delivered an excellent talk about the relationship between the Catholic Church and Freemasonry.  As a Canon lawyer for the Archdiocese of Seattle, he delivered a brief summary of the Papal decrees beginning in 1738 and Canons, beginning in 1917, related to Freemasonry, and discussed where the relationship formally stands today.  We very much appreciate Fr. Bawyn coming to our meeting, and thank him for his time and effort.

Also, our semi-permanent pro-tem stewards, Bro. Adam Campbell and WB John Sutton, made a great meal.  They cooked for 50, and had left-overs.  The food was great, and we thank them for their efforts.  WB Steve Wandel and Bro. Brent Wandel also lent them a hand in overcoming some difficulties with the kitchen and dining space.

After our distinguished speaker, we also conducted some business.  Unfortunately we accepted the Demit of Dan "Max" Pelletier, who leaves us in good standing, although we are sad he has chosen to leave our Lodge.  WB Jim Larson reported that as of 1 January (before Max chose to leave us) we had 115 Brothers in our Lodge.  On a happier note, we also balloted on the petitions of Mr. Robert Barnett and Steve Elwood, and they were approved by the Lodge.  Their initiation has been set for 15 February at 7PM in the EMC.  Finally in the area of membership, Bro. Robert Johnson, a member of our Lodge for several years who was important in the revival of T. H. Little DeMolay, has gotten a plural membership in West Allis Lodge #291 of Wisconsin.

The Audit Committee reported that they had completed a satisfactory audit of the Lodge's finances.

19 January:  Although your humble webmaster could not attend, he has been informed that Bro. Mark Goldberg did an excellent job initiating Bro. Brent Wandel, son of WB Steve Wandel and grandson of Bro. George Wandel, into our Lodge.

4 January:  This evening, 22 Brothers from Robert Burns #243 attended our stated meeting, as did six visitors, including the WM elect of Edmonds #165, Bro. Thomas Lamb.  Bro. Lamb finished our meeting with an excellent presentation on the life of Robert Burns the Mason.  This included some poetry reading and a great deal of information about our namesake, and we very much appreciate Bro. Thomas' bringing this light to our Lodge.

Two petitions were read in lodge, for Mr. Steven Elwood of Everett and Mr. Robert Wayne of Brier.  Investigation committees were appointed to visit these gentlemen and report back.  Also, we balloted on the petition of Mr. Brent Wandel of Everett, and the ballot was favorable.  The date for the initiation was set for 19 January.

The WM closed the Lodge of Sorrow for 2010, and opened the Lodge of Sorrow for 2011.  The Secretary subsequently read the petition of Bro. James Mason, who was initiated into Robert Burns in 1968, and passed away in December of 2010, while fashioning a Christmas gift for his wife.  The funeral is to be held at 1PM on the 5th of January.

Finally, the WM also reminded the Lodge that the 1 February meeting will be a presentation by Very Rev. Anthony Bawyn of the Archdiocese of Seattle on the relationship between the Catholic Church and Freemasonry, both current and historic.  Please RSVP to the Worhsipful Master if you intend to attend the dinner.  Also, on 13 February we will be going to the Silvertips game, with a 5:05PM face-off.  Tickets must be reserved from the Master for this event, as well, as he must purchase them at least a week before the event.

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