From the East
Brethren,
I am humbled and honored to serve in the East as your Master for 2022.
Our Lodge is in a great place, not only is it financially sound, has multiple candidates and brothers going through the degrees, but also recently added 86 brothers to its rolls, giving us a total of 276 brothers in good standing. Last month, Temple Lodge 676 came home to Phalanx Lodge. In 1946, Temple Lodge was founded by local masons, including many from Phalanx Lodge, and has been going strong for 75 years in Charlotte. The Grand Lodge recently approved Temple Lodge consolidating with Phalanx Lodge. Temple Lodge is a group of passionate brothers and a great addition to Phalanx Lodge so please join me in welcoming them to our family.
During my tenure as Master, I have 5 primary goals.
(1) Temple Lodge Integration – Like Phalanx Lodge did in the past with the Joppa and Meridian Lodge mergers, the goal is to make the Temple Lodge integration seem like the brethren were always part of Phalanx Lodge by all of us engaging in fellowship, and including them in, among other things, degree work, committees, and chairs.
(2) Phalanx Lodge Home – To work on our Lodge’s next home.
(3) Phalanx Lodge Ambassadors – To actively interact through assigned Phalanx Lodge ambassadors with appendant Masonic bodies and charitable groups. This shall include the Masonic Home for Children, Whitestone, Scottish Rite, York Rite, Oasis Shrine, Daughters of the Nile, Eastern Star and DeMolay. Ambassadors shall regularly report to the Lodge on any of their respective group’s events or concerns and engage and recommend how our Lodge can support them. If there are any other Masonic groups or organizations you would like to add, let us know.
(4) Investing in Our Lodge! Our Lodge currently has 4 recently raised brothers, 2 Entered Apprentices, and one man who will soon undergo the Entered Apprentice degree. These men are the future of our Lodge. Therefore, it is imperative that these brothers (and future brothers) are properly coached and mentored by all of us. Also, to the extent permitted, they should witness good degree work to learn the same, are included in Lodge committees and other roles, and witness (and even participate in) Masonic education. Moreover, all of us should be listening for those that may be interested in Freemasonry and, should you see fit, introduce them to me or WB Mike Hamrick, Secretary.
(5) 225th Year Anniversary Event – December 2022 marks our Lodge’s 225th year anniversary, the oldest Lodge in Charlotte and the second oldest in the entire western half of the State! Based on the interest of the brethren and scheduling, I hope to schedule an event next Fall which may include brother lodge members, spouses and family, appendant body leadership, and Grand Lodge officers to celebrate this historic accomplishment of our Lodge.
For those that know me, I encourage feedback, open dialogue, opinion, and even respectful criticism. Please do not hesitate to do so as the success of our Lodge takes the input of all of us. Come to Lodge and experience the great things that are happening. We meet on the second Tuesday of the month for dinner and fellowship at 6:30pm and Lodge at 7:30pm. If you need a ride, feel free to reach out to WB Mike Hamrick, and we will endeavor to arrange transportation. We also meet on the first floor of the York Rite Masonic Center at 1229 North Sharon Amity Road which makes it easier for any brethren who have difficulty with stairs.
Fraternally,
Nick Voelker – Master
From The West
Greetings from The West!
A Masonic Lodge is an oblong square; in length between East and West; and in breadth between North and South. In military analogy, the Senior Warden is the second-in-command of the Lodge. Symbolically, he is the Masters’ opposite. Whereas the Master represents the spiritual, the Senior Warden is the personification of the soul, and is associated with the psychic aspect of humankind, which, if it has no association with the greater light of the spirit, has no light of its own. Just as the moon depends on the sun for the light that it transmits to the earth, so is the Senior Warden positioned in the West, depends on his authority coming from the Master in the East, and which he passes on to the others in the Lodge. As the elected Senior Warden for the year 2022, I am going to need everyone’s assistance in finding my light in 2022.
I also want to welcome the members of Temple Lodge No. 676 who merged with Phalanx Lodge in 2021. I want to thank the Brothers of Temple Lodge and ask for your continued support in making our Lodge the best in the West!
Fraternally,
Paul Parker, SW
From the Secretary
Brothers,
I am looking forward to seeing those who are planning to attend next week’s Stated Communication. Please note that we will continue to follow the guidelines established by the Grand Master’s Order regarding completion of the health questionnaire, and having PPE available.
To our Temple legacy Brothers, I want to welcome you. I understand that this is likely a time of mixed feelings and emotions for many, but hope that you will find here the brotherly love and friendship that perhaps drew you to the fraternity in the first place. I do expect that you will find a great desire to have the legacy of Temple Lodge preserved as best we can, and welcome any suggestions you may have to that end.
As of this printing/publication date, we have received verbal approval from the Grand Master for the consolidation of the lodges, but have yet to receive the formal written approval. I want to thank WB Eric Cable for providing me a lot of Temple member information that I do not currently have access to. Needless to say, there are a number of administrative adjustments that will need to take place in the coming days in order to facilitate things like dues notices, but those will be sent as soon as that data merge is completed.
For Phalanx legacy members, please contact me if you haven’t received your dues notice for some reason. They were mailed and emailed in November. The dues amount for regular members is $106.00 and for 50 year members, the amount due is $80.00. Please consider our masonic charities as well.
Mike Hamrick, PM
Secretary