Master:
Samuel Wayne Lee, P.M.
(504) 277-5391
Andrew Jackson Lodge Hall
105 LeBeau Avenue
Arabi, Louisiana 70032
Secretary:
Armando "Skip" Perez, PM
(504) 279-0524

July 09, 2004

Brethren:

The next stated communications of Ideal Lodge No. 367, will be on Wednesday, May 12 & 26, 2004.  Both meetings will be regular business, with degrees to follow.  On May 12th we will conduct an F. C. Degree after the business meeting.  Then on May 26th we will have a Master Mason’s Degree following the business meeting.  As usual, we will have refreshments following all meetings.  Come and enjoy YOUR LODGE ACTIVITIES.  ☺

MASTER’S MESSAGE:

As stated above, please make every effort to attend the next two meetings.  Brethren we need all your help to confer these degrees.  It is very discouraging to see that only five or six Brothers care enough to come to the meetings each month.  We need the membership to help with the everyday business of the Lodge and also to help put on Degrees.  New Masons want to know that the Lodge that they are joining has good participation in order to make him believe that he is getting into a Lodge that will grow with him and back him up in all endeavors of the Lodge. 

Due to the two degrees this month, we WILL NOT have our usual Mother’s Day Open House.  We are planning an open house in the near future and will inform the membership as soon as plans are final.   

REPORT ON LAST MONTH’S MEETINGS

  • On April 14th Ideal Lodge had 9 members present and no visitors.  Regular business was conducted and afterward the Lodge was placed at refreshment and a practice of the Fellow Craft Degree was conducted.  All officers seemed to know their parts, however more practice is needed to confer this degree and the Master decided that the next meeting we would also have a practice of the F. C. Degree.  Refreshments afterward was plenty of pizza!!

  • On April 28th Ideal Lodge had 6 members present and no visitors.  Regular business was conducted and afterward the Lodge was placed at refreshment and a practice of the Fellow Craft Degree was conducted.  All officers seemed to know their parts better this time and the practice went well.  It seems that we should have no problems with the up coming degree on May 12th.  Refreshments afterward were fried chicken, dinner rolls, red beans and rice. 

NO MASONIC BIRTHDAYS IN APRIL!

L

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE FOLLOWING BROTHERS BORN IN APRIL

JOSEPH FRANCIS REVOLTA, P.M. - April 17
NICHOLAS G. KOUTROULIS, P.M. - April 25

HAPPY MASONIC BIRTHDAY TO THE FOLLOWING BROTHERS RAISED IN MAY!

HERMAN ROBIN, P.M. - 05/01/1955 - 49 Years a Mason
RONALD ISADORE MILLIET, S.W. - 05/12/1999 - 5 Years a Mason

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE FOLLOWING BROTHER BORN IN MAY!

ARMANDO “SKIP” PEREZ, JR., PM, Sec, DGL. - May 23

Relief:

Since we did not have a newsletter for the months of March and April, I have to announce the passing of one of our dearly beloved members, MILTON J. JACOBS, SR, P.M., who passed on March 22, 2004.  W.B. Jacobs was raised in Ideal Lodge No. 367 on July 26, 1974 and became Master of the Lodge for the year of 1983.  He was a Charter Member of Arthur M. Retif Lodge No. 473 and was currently our Chaplain for the last three years.  He was also a member of the Jerusalem Shrine and several affiliated clubs in the Shrine.  All will surely miss him and his jokes. 

W.B. Irving “Buddy” Berglass, P.M., PDDGM, PDGL also passed away on March 13, 2004.  He was raised in Sam B. Dryfuse Lodge No. 396 and became Master for the years of 1961 & 1985.  Although he was not a member of Ideal Lodge, he was always there for us any time we needed him and always for degrees.  The members of Ideal Lodge will surely miss these two Brothers for their love and support of Ideal Lodge No. 367.  May they rest in peace.  They Lived Upon The Level And Parted Upon The Square!!

SECRETARY’S MESSAGE:

For those of you who have already paid your 2004 Dues, THANKS.  ☺  Your 2003 dues card, HAS BEEN EXPIRED!  If you plan to visit another Lodge and are asked for a current dues card, you could be denied entrance.  Please remit your annual dues of $40.50, plus the optional two cents a day, which would make the payment total $47.80, making the check payable to: Ideal Lodge No. 367, mail to: 3620 Chalona Drive, Chalmette, LA 70043-1510.  Consider your dues as a light bill.  Pay before your “LIGHT IN MASONRY” is turned off!  We had to pay our Annual Per Capita to the Grand Lodge, which was over $400.  Also, our Annual Rent Payment was due on January 1st.  Since we pay our commitments in a timely manner, please pay your dues in a timely manner.  THANKS IN ADVANCE!  Two members have received their notices of non-payment of dues for two consecutive years.  If we do not receive their dues by the September Meeting, the Master stated that he will suspend both of them for non payment of dues and will notify all appendant bodies.  

Next year's dues will increase by $5 due to the new per capita levied on all members of the craft in the State of Louisiana.  This would be a good time to purchase a Perpetual Membership, thereby freezing your dues at the current price.  This will also help the Lodge since it will continue to fund the Lodge in perpetuity, and will insulate you from further increases in dues!  Prior to the end of the year, if you pay your Perpetual Membership, your one time payment would be $810.  If you paid in five annual installments your annual payments would be $182.25.  Cut off for above quoted prices is November 30, 2004.  After the first of the year, the price would be $910 a one lump payment, or $204.75 for five annual payments!!  You would save over $100 to become a Perpetual Member this year.  

Also, as stated above, there were NO Newsletters for the months of March and April.  Sorry about this, however, I have been very busy lately and have not had time to compose a newsletter.  I will try to do better. 

COMING EVENTS:

May 26th, Master Mason’s Degree at Ideal Lodge No. 367.  Brethren we need all your help to confer the degree.  It is very discouraging to see that only five or six Brothers care enough to come to the meetings each month. 

June 25th, Eighteenth District Lodge Meeting, hosted by Osiris-Trowel-Fidelity Lodge No. 300, located at 946 Jefferson Highway, Jefferson, LA.  The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m.  We would like to take the Traveling Gavel Award, as we HAVE NOT had it in several years now!  Five members of the Lodge are officers in the District, why are we having such a low turn out at the district?  Brothers in the Metairie area have no excuse, as this meeting will be in your backyard!!

June 27th, Sunday at 3:00 p.m.  Bring A Friend, their wives, you and your wife or lady.  This will be a large Bring A Friend function.  We will sign in at 3:00 p.m. and have a meal at 4:00 p.m. and eight speakers will talk on the Masonic Lodge, Order of the Eastern Star, New Orleans Scottish Rite Bodies, Royal Arch Chapters, Jerusalem Shrine, Farhad Grotto and Daughters of the Nile.  The host will be Jerusalem Shrine Center, 1940 Ormond Blvd., Destrehan, LA 70047.  Brethren, this is a GREAT time to bring the special person that you would like to see become a Mason.  Your guest will hear all about the Masonic Order, each appendant body and also their wives will know what their men are getting into and maybe they will want to join some of the women’s organization.  When the women get involved, the men also stay involved!  The Grand Master of the State of Louisiana will be there and give a brief talk.  This will count as our Bring A Friend function.  We hope to see most of the members of Ideal Lodge and the 18th District Members present. 

Fraternally Yours,
Armando "Skip" Perez, Sec., DGL 18th
Ideal Lodge No. 367 F. & A.M
          
In Loving Memory of our Troops in Iraq