FVNews Weekend Edition. 
No 15. Saturday-Sunday, May 2-3, 2020
From the Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action TeamFVNews Daily is also available at www.FVNews.com.au
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Fresh edition of Journal, out now
• Hearty congratulations to Kelly Leventis, Marketing Co-Ordinator, and Mike King, Creative Designer, of the latest edition of the Freemasons Victoria Journal. The world-class magazine has a bright new look with some of the features including:
• Interchange Outer East Greenhouse Project
• Freemasons Victoria Taskforce
• Epworth Healthcare celebrates 100 years of care”
• Freemasons Foundation: Support to farming families
• The Travelling Mason: Bro. Philip Bateman in Oregon, USA
• Guided tour of Freemasons Melbourne
• Consecration of Plaridel Lodge (works Phillipines ritual)
The magazine can be read online HERE

Grand Team meeting
• The 2020-21 Grand Team held an enjoyable Zoom meeting last night (Friday). The meeting ran for about 90 minutes.

Initiate to GM in 14 months
• Sir Dallas Brooks was Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria from 1951–1963. He was Victoria’s longest serving Grand Master, and he is the only Governor of any Australian state initiated to the craft while serving as Governor. Brooks had expressed a desire to become a Freemason while in England but he had also stated that he preferred to become initiated in Australia. He met with the Grand Master of Victoria and notified him.He was initiated in the Clarke Lodge No. 98 on February 6, 1950 and was passed and raised within two months. He became Worshipful Master of the Lodge only five months after his initiation and he was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Victoria the following year. (April 23, 1951).

FVNews numbers

• Cumulative opt-in email readership forFVNews Daily in April was 4102.There were 4496 hits at the FVNews.com.au website for the first 14 issues. The daily readership through multiple Facebook pagesis approx. 1500 daily.

Weekend Reading
• The 150 Years of Local Freemasonry in Alexandra are covered in a feature article published in The Local Paper. Read the 2000-word featureHERE

Social Media plans
• The Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action Team is considering best options for Freemasons Victoria social media, particularlyFacebook. A concern is that some members are not always at their best on social media, and lively debates might be a ‘turn-off’ for new and prospective members. There is a proposal that Administrators and Moderators act as Tylers, and be held responsible for the content of the pages. An updated Social Media Policy might also be in order
Discussion so far is that it might be better to re-organise our major Facebook pages:
• Freemasons Victoria (Group): our social media ‘shop window’, which can be viewed by the public.
• Freemasons Victoria (Page): a confusing duplication. Delete.
• Freemasons Victoria Chat: a private or secret page where verified members can respectfully debate issues, outside the public eye.What is your opinion?

Letters to the Editor

• Vuko Karov, Lodge of Evolution, likes FVNews: “Fantastic way to get updates every day, it is very valuable for me.”
• Renz Villamil, Gippsland Forest Lodge, asks: “How can i join meeting Masonic Education Network, thanks?” The link to the MEN (NSW) isHERE

Virtual Meeting at Dimboola

• John McTaggart, Dimboola Lodge, advises of Virtual Meeting (Zoom) of the Lodge at 7.30pm on their normal meeting night (Wed., May 6).  They have 23 members, 19 of whom have registered email address. LINK

What’s On: online meetings

• Saturday, May 2. 3pm. Masonic Education Network (NSW). ‘Reflections on Masonic Aprons’. LINK
• Monday, May 4. 7pm. Blue Lounge Social Club. Educational Forum: The relevance of religion in Freemasonry. Convenors: Phil McMaster andJack Aquilina. LINK
• Monday, May 4. 7.30pm. Rosebank Lodge. Guest Speaker: Ash Long. LINK to be advised
• Monday, May 4. 9.30pm. Masonic Education Network (NSW). ‘North At Night’. LINK
• Tuesday, May 5. 7pm. Richmond lodge. Weekly online meeting. EMAIL to receive an invitation
• Wednesday, May 6. 4am. Lodge, Hope of Kurrachee (Scotland). LINK
• Wednesday, May 6. 7.30pm. Dimboola Lodge. May meeting. LINK
• Thursday, May 7. 7.30pm. Freemasons Victoria Central Highlands District. Lecture: ‘Illustrated by symbols. Why study symbols?” LINK to be advised.
• Thursday, May 7. 7.30pm. Ivanhoe Grammarians Lodge. Monthly meeting. Business and social. LINK
• Saturday, May 9. 7pm. Blue Lounge Social Club. Education Forum: The Eleusinan Mysteries. 

With thanks to www.masonsconnect.com
Please advise us of online meetings, so we can publicise in FVNews.

Masonic Trivia
• Brother William Brockmeier (1866-1947) of St Louis conducted 5586 Masonic funeral services.• Thomas Jacob Shryock served as Grand Master of Masons in Maryland for 32 years. He died after being elected to serve his 33rd term.
• The largest Master’s chair is in Ophir Lodge No 33 Murphys, California. It is 15 feet long and can seat the Master, living Past Masters, and visiting dignitaries.
• On June 7, 1921, Mystic Lodge No 21 of Red Bank, New Jersey had conferred half of the MM degree on brother Lyman C. Van when the power went out. He didn’t receive the rest of the degree for several weeks, making him for a time, a “two-and-half-degree” mason.

Masonic Wisdom
• “Masonic ideas are the precious jewels of Speculative Masons; they should be kept bright and sparkling for all the brethren to see and to admire. As such, they should be the special care of Masonic leaders particularly those who teach and interpret the philosophy of Freemasonry.” – Conrad Hahn

INFORMATION TO KNOW
FVNews is published by Bro. Ash Long, Chair of the Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action Team of Freemasons Victoria. 
Phone: 0450 399 932.
Web: www.FVNews.com.au
 Email: editor@FVNews.com.au
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