The Lodge held their annual elections this past December 14th.
Beulah Lodge is Proud to Introduce The Elected Lodge Officers for 2010!
Worshipful Master — Marty Ransford PM
Senior Warden— Jay Ransford PM
Junior Warden — Darvin Willhide
Treasurer — Jamie Belcher PM
Secretary — Larry Harms PM
Trustee (2010 - 2012) — Marty O’Neil PM
The appointed officers will be presented at the open installation of officers to be held on Saturday, January 9, 2010. The party will start with a Lodge breakfast at 9 a.m. The Lodge will Close the Lodge of Sorrow for 2009 — Have an Open Installation [Friends and Family are invited] — The Lodge of Sorrow for 2010 will be opened by the new officers.
Come and support your Lodge and be a part of the activities, not only January 9th, but come all year and be a part of your Lodge. It is only as good as you make it.
December is almost gone, man times flies! Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas this year. I have been been extremely busy these last few months of the year. Being laid off from work , I found out what most retirees find out “where does the time go — I can’t get done what is needed to do”. I’m doing the best I can to stay in the sprit of the season, and have the same issues as most of you at special days [Birthdays and Holidays] “I just can’t think of anything to get anybody”.
I and the Lodge had a very good year and I’m truly blessed to have the fine officers this past year and the support of friends. We raised a few good brothers; the fish fry was a hit again, due to the dedication of our workers behind the scenes as well as those who worked the day of the event — I didn’t hear of any problems or complaints. We made sausage a couple of times and that was really good!! I think we will make some more soon? The crowning point of my year was the raising of my youngest son a Master Mason with his older brother and my father there – we are all Master Masons together!!
A time for a change for our Lodge, Br, David Belcher is retiring as our Lodge Secretary this year after 12 years of dedicated service to our Lodge [he tried last year but because of circumstances he got to serve an extra year].
During his term as secretary and his desire to see the Lodge’s image as a leader in southwestern Indiana and at Grand Lodge, he helped our Masters and Beulah to receive its first of many “Grand Master’s Awards with High Distinction”. His desire to do his job to the best of his ability has earned Beulah Lodge consistently among the highest scores in the state year after year at Lodge of Instruction. He drew national attention to Beulah an Mt. Vernon for working with the U.S. Army and the “Military Blood Drives” [Believed to be the only non-government site in the country to do so] -- raising over $100,000 worth of need blood for our service men and women in harms way. He is “The Beulah Lodge Bugle”, which Grand Lodge repeatedly says, “It is the best lodge newsletter in the state.” I hope that him well and wish him the best in whatever he chooses to do.
I truly have enjoyed being Master again this year and wish the new Master as mach success as I have had. I will be willing to help in anyway that I can!! As you see from the front page your newly elected officers for the ensuing year, they need — we need to see new faces and old faces in the Lodge. Come on in and have some fun and fellowship with us!! We would love to have you. Thanks to all the brethren that helped me and the Lodge this year!!
I was able to arrive at the KOA in Granite City. Set up camp and drove the eight miles to Saint Louis Arch. I took a ride up to the top with a nice family, all in the same “Pod”. It was a tight fit — five seats and five of them and myself [Luckily some were children]. But I’m getting ahead of myself, I need to back up a little.
When I arrived at the arch, there was a waiting line of about an hour. Someone saw my Masonic hat and came over to me. He asked, “Are you alone?” I answered, “Yes, I sure am.” It was one of the park employees and he said, “Follow me”. He took me to the front of the line with the above mentioned family and said, “Have a good day Brother.”
I drove to the History Museum and found out that Charles Lindbergh was a Mason and talked to a volunteer worker — who was also a Brother. He let me take pictures of Lindbergh’s Masonic Trowel. Normally no photographs were permitted.
Lindbergh flew to Paris in 33 ½ hours • Slept on the way • Ran through a storm in the North Atlantic. “Here we are”, was his first greeting to the frenzied throng. It was May 21, 1927, and French pilots who had been through the Great War were crying.
I went to see the “Lewis & Clark Expo.”, just down the road from the KOA. I talked to the tour guides and sure enough, they too were Masons. They informed me that William Clark was a Mason. Of course, Thomas Jefferson, who sent them, was also a Mason.
I soon realized that I was following the same trail out West as did Lewis and Clark. The Lewis and Clark expedition of 1803-06 is among the most important explorations of unknown territory in the United States history. The almost three-year journey was
I wish to give a salute to Wendy “Mac” McNamara, a special lady living in Posey County.
Who is Wendy “Mac” McNamara? She is a former assistant principal of North High School and former supervisor of social studies. In her 14 years with the school corporation she has also served as a teacher and department chair at Bosse High School and at Harrison High School. She is an adjunct professor of world history at the University of Southern Indiana and has taught political science and social studies methods at the University of Evansville.
Most recently, she was recognized by the Indiana Council for Economic Education as the Lawrence Senesh Administrator of the Year. She has been in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and received the Bosse Teacher of the Year Award for 2001-2002 and the Indiana National Guard Nighthawk Educator Award in 2000 and 2006.
Wendy is a member of the Indiana Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development(IASCD), Association for School Administrators (ASA), Indiana Association of Secondary School Principals (IASSP), National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), Program of Excellence Committee Member and the Posey County Republican Women’s Club.
Wendy “Mac” McNamara lives in Mount Vernon area and is involved in future of the youth, the leaders of tomorrow. Because of her background in education some of her friends have donated to “The Friends of Beulah Lodge Scholarship” program in her name.
We on the Lodge Scholarship Committee wish to thank those who have given donations in Wendy’s name, and for the response of the brothers who gave a little extra when paying their dues. We are a long way from our goals of operating the scholarship fund solely from interest earned from investments [the economy the way it is today]. We would like to even increase the amount given in the future. I am not above asking that you give consideration to the future of the youth of the city that your Lodge calls home.
We were the first Lodge in our area and among the oldest if not the oldest Lodge in the state to have its own scholarship program, helping a senior from your own Lodge’s hometown — Mt. Vernon High School. The Friends of Beulah Lodge Scholarship Fund was started in 1993. For many years the scholarship check was written from a brother’s own check book. Now it is written from the fund itself. Noting that it is not written from “fund’s interest” only.
While I’m pulling on the cable-tow of my Brothers and the Friends of Beulah Lodge, we have another school related fund for your consideration. This was started February 12, 2007, and deals with children in the school system of Mt. Vernon. When the School Administer or School Nurse notifies the “Special Committee” of Beulah Lodge, [who has permission to act on the request within 48 hours, to use funds solely donated for this program] to help a needy child directly or indirectly, depending on the funds available or their contacts outside if the need is more larger than our funds on hand. This fund is “Beulah Masonic Children Fund. This year we have had several requests for help and the fund needs your help. These request have been screened by the school system and all we do is to help where it is needed.
This program has also been used as a “Clearing House”, for a lack of a better word, to help other special children programs. Meaning that if a need comes to the committee by way of a special donation to children, and the donor doesn’t want his or her name used, then that money can only be used for that defined need, and the basic Beulah Masonic Children Fund is not touched.
Brothers, I know that there are good causes that come by you year round, and you can only help so much. We need to be active in our community, and as Masons we could use your help and that of your good friends. Remember these two funds have no overhead; every dollar received is spent on the children.
Thank you for your consideration of these two Lodge programs.
Worshipful Master — Marty Ransford PM
Senior Warden — Jay Ransford PM
Junior Warden — Darvin Willhide
Treasurer — Jamie Belcher PM
Secretary — Larry Harms PM
Trustee (2010 - 2012) — Marty O’Neil PM
Hello Everyone,
The Journey Begins: Out West
I wish to give a salute to Wendy “Mac” McNamara, a special lady living in Posey County.
