Germania Lodge No. 46 F&AM

Germania Lodge Newsletter - August 2009
Klaus J. Kueck, P.M., Secretary/Editor

TWO NEW MEMBERS - ONE DEPARTURE

It is with sadness that I report the passing of Bro. John L. Schackai Jr. Bro. Schackai is a fellow Bellsouth retiree and had a 40 year career with them. Recent health problems prevented him from coming to the lodge but he paid his dues faithfully even after becoming a 50 year member when it wasn’t required any more. Bro. Schackai was initiated 4/26/1950 passed on 6/14/1950 – raised on 9/19/1950 and died on July 20, 2009. He was a Master Mason for 58 years, 10 months and 2 days. Well done thou good and faithful servant.

Dr. Zeke Lombard is a New Orleans native and was raised in 2006. He is a young medical doctor and was living in Chicago very comfortably but the prospect of coming home to be with family and working on the ground floor of a completely new Medical system for our city compelled him and his family to move back home. He was at the Consistory with the Northern Jurisdiction at the North and South Scottish Rite conference a few years ago. He then met some Germania members and decided that this was where he belonged. After moving home he petitioned for plural membership and the rest is history.

Bro. Rob Barrios comes to us from Louisiana Lodge #102, he was raised in 2003 and lives in the city not far from Audubon Park. Bro. Rob is active in the Scottish Rite Consistory and his blue lodge.

We welcome both brothers and hope that their busy careers will allow them to attend meetings and functions frequently. We now have a roster of 113 with brothers as far away as Hawaii, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, Colorado, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana, Virginia and of course our dedicated brothers in the military. Having brothers all over could be one of the reasons there is so much interest in Scottish Rite Blue Lodge Masonry at this time. We have been invited to Washington D.C., Shreveport and the latest chitchat, Phoenix Arizona to exemplify our degrees, one degree will be for Grand Master Jeff Webb!

Message from the East

Brethren, it seems like it was only a few weeks ago that y’all elected me Master of our great Lodge! It has actually been SEVEN months!

In this short time, we have initiated five brothers, passed six brothers and raised seven brothers to the sublime degree of Master Mason! We have elected five brothers to plural membership in Germania and seem to always have petitions on which to vote. We have voted needed changes in our by-laws, had some profitable fund raisers and held our first communication recently in our beautifully renovated upstairs lodge room! Germania has been BUSY!

My PERSONAL gratitude has been expressed many times to our PM’s Andy & Melvin Mims for their devotion and craftsmanship, but they may never know just how much I appreciate their and other Germania members’ efforts for us ALL!

THANK YOU – THANK YOU, my brothers!!

I have an opportunity to attend Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats for the first time in my life! Two of my OLD Nawlins buddies will be again running their roadsters for records over 200 mph! They are both 72 years old. Unfortunately, my trip will cause me to miss our Aug 12 communication. WB Bobby Brandstetter, JW will preside in my absence. I will be back in time for our Aug 26 meeting and look forward to continued fellowship with y’all, then.

Our Germanfest is fast approaching. Please contact RWB Joe Kueck and “sign on” to help in this, our main fundraiser, Nov 7. We NEED lotsa help!

If you are reading this and have not attended a Germania meeting for awhile, Please consider this a personal invitation to come see our “new” Lodge Hall! If you are a Germania member and we have not yet met, be sure to introduce yourself to me. I want to know YOU!

Don’t hesitate to call me if I can assist you in any way. I want input from all Germania members! Germania is OUR Lodge . . . NOT mine alone.

Work, M-F, 8-4, 225-342-8425 Cell, 225-235-2463

Warm Fraternal Regards, Glenn Cupit, Master-2009

MASONIC BIRTHDAYS - August

Mike Wills 08/23/1989 - 20 yrs.

Eddie Bopp P.M. 08/27/1994 - 15 yrs.

Shaun Kaulfers 08/08/2001 - 8 yrs.

Zeke Lomard 08/08/2006 – 3 yrs

TRESTLE BOARD

* Wednesday, August 12, 7:30 p.m. regular meeting. Masonic Education and a speaker.

*Wednesday, August 26, 7:30 p.m. regular meeting, balloting and EA degree.

* Tuesday, September 8, – 16 th district meeting at Union Lodge, 7:30 p.m., 600 Daniel St. Kenner

* Thursday, November 12, 6:30 p.m. 16 th district meeting @ Albert Pike Lodge

*Saturday, November 6. 2009 – 6:30 p.m. – 1030 p.m. Germanfest

There is less than 2 months left before the Oktoberfest starts at the Deutsches Haus and that means our Germanfest (November 7) is right around the corner. We need prizes for the door and drawing so if you would like to donate something please give me a call. Last year we had a rifle, Saints tickets and art donated.

DUES

The worst part about being secretary is collecting dues, I really hate it and unfortunately it’s that time of my 15th year as secretary to do it again for those that haven’t paid yet. In September the 2010 packets come out and it starts all over again. I have three brothers on perpetual payment plan that haven’t paid yet. If I don’t get their payment soon they will have to pay regular dues for 2009 and continue with the payment plan in 2010. There are also seven brothers that haven’t paid their 2009 dues yet. That’s ten total and dues are due December 31 of the preceding year! If you need help please give me a call. We don’t want to have to go to Dante Lodge and get Guido and Luigi to collect for us (just kidding).

An email sent in by Bro. Larry Wade along with an article from the Baton Rouge Advocate

Dear RWB Kueck,

You may recall that in my remarks to Germania, on the 22 nd, I mentioned that thanks to a lot of work by WB Glenn and at no expense to the Lodge, Germania had joined with The Lodge of the Nine Muses and St. James Lodge to donate a pickup truck to an old friend of mine who otherwise would have had to close his lawn care business. I mentioned that The Advocate, the BR newspaper, had run an article on the subject.

I was surprised to learn that the brethren of Germania had not been brought up to snuff on this, already – I should have known, though, that WB Glenn does not toot his own horn.

I am attaching a photo and the article from the newspaper; note that WB Glenn DID make it a point to wear his Germania golf shirt and try to turn so that the logo would show up, but the quality of the photo wasn’t good enough to make that work as well as he would have liked. I’ll also attach a separate labeled version of the photo.

Will still smiles broadly every time I see him – he’ll never forget what The Masons of the three Lodges did for him.

Yours, L. Wade (sorry pictures not included in newsletter)

Masonic Lodges Make Truck Donation

On March 16, 2009, three Louisiana Masonic Lodges teamed up to donate a truck to Mr. Will Ballard, to help him continue his lawn-care work. The Lodge of the Nine Muses No. 9 of Baton Rouge, Germania Lodge No. 46 of New Orleans and St. James Lodge No. 47 of Baton Rouge presented the new truck to Mr. Ballard.

Making the presentation were Worshipful Master Glenn Cupit of Germania Lodge and the Lodge of the Nine Muses; Bro. Ken Streater and WM Joe Richard of St. James Lodge; Bro. Eric Lane and WM Ricks Bowles of the Lodge of the Nine Muses; and Bro. Naresh Sharma and Bro. Larry Wade, members of both Baton Rouge Lodges.

GERMANFEST

Germanfest will be held on November 7 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. It has become our biggest fund raiser and with the new upstairs, the new downstairs, insurance and over head we really need it to be successful. We grossed $6,000.00 last year and had a very nice crowd (and a very good time) thanks in part to the donations of door prizes especially those from Bro. Mike Younger, Jack Zollinger and the Deutsches Haus. Many other prizes of significant value were donated for an auction. We are in the planning stages for this year and are requesting door prizes and prizes for a drawing. Please consider supplying a prize. Last year because of the 30/30 that Bro. Younger donated we were able to sell many tickets to people that just wanted a chance to win the gun!