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

September 17, 2004

Brethren:

The next stated communication of Ideal Lodge No. 367, will be on Wednesday, September 22, 2004.  Meetings are held at Andrew Jackson Lodge Hall, 1105 LeBeau Avenue, Arabi, LA.  Regular business at this meeting, with a large discussion for the preparations of the Open House Next Month!  Next Month we well hold an OPEN HOUSE on October 13, 2004, for a 50 Year Member, W.B. NICHOLAS KOUTROULIS, PM.  Also we will hold Past Masters Night at this same function, that way WB Koutroulis can enjoy Past Master's Night too!!  I especially hope to have the following Past Masters present: Capt Ralph McDonald, PM, Rene A. Falgout, PM, Herman Robin, PM, Zach Stanborough, PM, as these Past Masters are members that WB Nick Koutroulis recalls and he is looking forward to seeing each one of them!  Of course, I hope that the other Past Masters, George Faulkner, Wayne Lee, Rt. W. George Lupo, Rudolph Mayer, James McArthur, Ronald "Gator" Milliet, Joseph Revolta and Dale Stout, will attend and bring their families too.  OPEN MEETINGS, allows you to bring that Special Friend you have been hoping would ask you to become a Mason.  Also invite his wife and family too.  Of course, bring your family and other friends to this function.  Refreshments will follow all meetings, so come and enjoy the activities. 

Master’s Message:

  • I want to thank the eight Brothers that came out for the 18th Masonic District Lodge meeting, that Ideal Lodge hosted.  Our Lodge tied for 1st place with Lee Thomas Lodge for the Traveling Gavel Award.  This was a good showing, but we were down four Brothers who normally attend meetings.  The Master of Lee E. Thomas Lodge No. 421 was gracious enough to hand over the Traveling Gavel, as they had it last quarter and wanted us to enjoy it this quarter!  
  • Special  THANKS to the following Brothers who helped with the refreshments for the District Meeting:  W.B. George Faulkner, PM for his time in preparing the Red Gravy, Meat Balls and Spaghetti; Rt. W. George Lupo, for the excellent Banana Pudding, 10 lbs of spaghetti & soft drinks; Bro. Bobby Sonnier for supplying the French bread, butter and soft drinks; WB Rudy Mayer supplied the ice and Skip Perez for the Salad and Bunt Cake.  
  • The next meeting of the 18th District Lodge will be on Monday, November 29th, 2004, at Lee Thomas Lodge No. 421, Scottish Rite Building, 619-21 Carondelet St., New Orleans, LA.  We will eat at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will start at 7:30 p.m.  This will be election of officers for the District!  y

REPORT ON LAST MONTH’S MEETINGS

On August 25th Ideal Lodge met with 8 members and two visitors present.  Regular business was conducted and a practice of the E.A. Degree was conducted.  See the Secretary's Message for a report on Ideal Lodge's newest fund Raiser!

On September 8th Ideal Lodge had 8 members present and no visitors.  Regular business was conducted and an E. A. Degree was conferred!  Refreshments were fried chicken, red beans and soft drinks.   

HAPPY MASONIC BIRTHDAYS IN AUGUST & SEPTEMBER

RICHARD RAY DODSON - 23 Years a Mason - 08/28/1981
GEORGE MELVIN FAULKNER, PM - 10 Years a Mason - 09/19/1994
ROBERT ALLDEN BACHE, JR., - 10 Years a Mason - 09/19/1994
JAMES M. MCARTHUR, PM - 13 Years a Mason - 09/12/1991
MARTIN THOMAS DAY - 50 Years a Mason - 09/10/1954

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE FOLLOWING BROTHERS BORN IN AUGUST & SEPTEMBER

MARTIN THOMAS DAY - 08/04
KEITHFORD JOHN FORBES - 08/30
LANCE GERARD BUSH - 09/05
JAMES M. MCARTHUR, PM - 09/14
CAPT. RALPH A. MCDONALD, PM - 09/28

C O N G R A T U L A  T I O N S !!

RT. W. GEORGE JOSEPH LUPO, JR., DDGM 18th

W.B. ARMANDO "SKIP" PEREZ, DGL 18th

At the 18th Masonic District Meeting of August 31st, the above Brothers were again nominated for their respective Grand Lodge Positions for the ensuing year of 2005!!

 RELIEF:

  • Bro. Sal Tortorich, Sr. Warden, had a back & neck operation on September 8, 2004 and is at home recuperating.

  • W. Bro. McDonald's stepdaughter passed away with cancer last week.  She had an infant baby girl and the family is copping with that dilemma also!  

  • Brothers, please remember the above-mentioned Members in your prayers!

 Secretary’s Message:

Brothers, the 2005 Dues Cards are in my office.  Please remit your dues to IDEAL LODGE # 367, c/o: Armando Perez, 3620 Chalona Drive, Chalmette, LA 70043-1510.  Do not mail anything to the Lodge Hall on LeBeau Avenue.  Please send all mail to the Chalona Drive address, or I might not receive it!  Also, due to the Resolution to raise the per capita assessment, another $5, the dues are now $45.50 per year.  Please remember to add your optional 2¢ worth a day for an additional $7.30.  Please make check in the amount of $52.80.   

We still have one member that owes two (2) years and two members that still owe 2004 Dues!  Brethren, your dues are due at the first of the year, not the end of the year!  How do you expect us to operate with the same members each year holding back until after September of each year.  The Lodge has voted to suspend everyone that is only one year behind in his dues!  Therefore from this point on, you will be suspended for Non-Payment of Dues at the end of the current year!  

IDEAL LODGE FUND RAISER!

Sorry that I did not get a chance to notify the Brothers that do not normally attend the Lodge regularly but, we have a Brother who is a Hypnotherapist that offered to conduct Stop Smoking Classes & Weight Management Classes, with net proceeds going to Ideal Lodge No. 367.  We held our first class on July 13th and the second on August 10th!  The first was a GREAT Success!  The second was a failure and we went into the red, because we did not have enough people to cover the cost for the rental of the refreshment area at the Old Hickory Hall (Andrew Jackson Lodge Refreshment area).  However we are still in the black (over $200 to the good).  Our September 14th class had to be post phoned due to Hurricane Ivan and we would have really done well, (fifteen people had pre-registered), if everyone would have showed up that pre-registered!  Ideally we should do well if we have only ten (10) people at each class or better yet if we had twenty (20) people we would be doing GREAT!  

We need everyone's help to get people out, that want to Stop Smoking through Hypnosis!  Our first class was successful, in that it Stopped over half the class from Smoking!!  This really works well and we have proved it at other classes too.  If you know someone that wants to Stop Smoking, we will be glad to help and the net proceeds will go to Ideal Lodge.  The cost is $60 and it takes only two hours and the person will kick the habit!!    Click here for Testimonies!  

We are actively looking for another place to hold a Weight Management Class Through Hypnosis, somewhere in the Chalmette Area.  The Stop Smoking Class is only one night, but the Weight Management Class is four nights, a week apart, i.e. four Mondays in a row.  So we need cheap rent somewhere in the Chalmette area, so that we don't have to pass the high rental on to the participants.   

ALSO, PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS LETTER IS SENT BY E-MAIL TO THIRTEEN (13) MASONS AND THEY WILL NOT GET THE MAILED VERSION.  THIS HELPS KEEP THE COST OF THE POSTAGE DOWN AND ALSO PROVIDES THE NEWSLETTER TO THEM, TWO DAYS EARLIER!!  IF YOU HAVE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS, PLEASE PROVIDE IT TO:  "skipperez@aol.com".  THANKS!! 

COMING EVENTS:

Wednesday, October 13th - OPEN HOUSE, Fifty Year Member W.B. Nicholas Koutroulis, PM and his wife are driving his camper, from Texas to receive his Fifty Year Certificate and Lapel Pin.  He is quite excited about his visit and I hope that all who know him will attend this function.  You have enough time to make plans to attend and visit with one of our Past Masters and now a Fifty Year Member of our Lodge.  Also on this night we will honor our Past Masters too, that way, WB Koutroulis can also be honored as one of our Past Masters.  This should prove to be a nice turnout and a wonderful occasion to visit with old acquaintances. 

Monday, November 29th - Lee E. Thomas Lodge 421 will Host the 18th Masonic District Lodge Meeting.  Dinner at 6:30 p.m., Meeting at 7:30 p.m., 619 Carondelet St., New Orleans, LA.  Program Presenting Lodges: Author Retif Lodge No. 473 and Osiris-Trowel-Fidelity Lodge No. 300.  Program: Masonic Memorial Service and Election/Installation of Officers.

Please mark your calendars with the above dates!!

If any brother would like to author into this communication, or have a tidbit of information to relate, please contact me or one of the officers.  I will alert the Master of the Lodge for approval and it will be included in the next correspondence.  (

Any brother who knows of a member not attending Lodge meetings, due to no transportation, please inform one of the officers and we will attempt to have a brother from their area of the city, provide transportation to and from the meetings.

Fraternally Yours,
Armando "Skip" Perez, Sec., DGL 18th
Ideal Lodge No. 367 F. & A.M