FVNews Daily. 
No 38. Thursday, June 4, 2020
From the Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action TeamFVNews Daily is also available at www.FVNews.com.au
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Personal Opinion by Bro. Ash Long
1. COVID-19, and our return to Lodge
• I am a very junior volunteer in the Grand Lodge team. I don’t wear chains. I am a Master Mason who volunteered to chair the Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action Team.• I am happy to be a speaker at Lodges, especially by Zoom. I am partly-disabled, so Zoom allows me to get to Lodges around Victoria where I might not normally be. I am quickly learning that a few rank-and-file members expect me to be instantly answerable for every one of the organisation’s problems or challenges. As an unpaid volunteer, that’s way beyond my pay grade!

2. 19 people have died in Victoria
• In a recent question time, a Brother bluntly voiced his frustrations at not being able to immediately return to Lodge at his local Masonic Centre. He believedGrand Lodge was unnecessarily prescribing the closure of Temples, and he believed that centres – that had been closed for months – could not possibly be harbouring pandemic germs.
• Everyone is allowed to own an opinion. But the latest Department of Health fact sheet tells us there have been 1663 COVID-19 cases in Victoria. There was an increase of 10 cases in the most recent 24 hours. “To date, 19 people have died from Coronavirus in Victoria.” This is serious.

3. Best possible advice
• I am just one of the Communications guys. Our Deputy Grand Master-Elect, RWor. Bro. Anthony Bucca, is chairing the Team that will make recommendations later this month to the 
Board of General Purposes about how and when we might re-open. The Team will continue to be cautious. Our elected Board will make the final decisions. (Tony, and the Grand Secretary Garry Runge, are the official Team spokesmen, not me or anyone else.)• The Team is taking advice from a medical panel, health and safety audit experts, our insurers, as well as following Federal and State Governmentguidelines. There are lots of considerations: deep cleans, sanitising, record keeping, catering and utensils, distancing, and much more, The average age ofFreemasons is 68, so we have many members who may be immuno-compromised. Their health must surely be one of our chief priorities.

4. Let us be leaders
• My Lodge-night questioner says he believes that Victoria compared favourably with the rest of the world, and we should re-open immediately. Much of the approach to precautions was not needed, he argued. Try telling that to my wife, a frontline nurse, who every day meets with people who want shortcuts, and think that the Government guidelines do not apply to them.• I am pleased to be part of the Freemasons Victoria organisation that is exercising caution. We are all keen about getting back to Lodge. Whilst we wait for that time, there is nothing to stop Lodges having social functions at hotels, cafes or restaurants, subject to the rules. I am guessing that it will be some time before ‘social distancing’ will allow us to perform installations and degree work.
• Let’s be leaders in the community, and let’s be an example of world-best health practice. We owe it to our most susceptible Brethren to take every precaution as we work towards re-opening our buildings and our Lodges.

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Trivia Night at Lodge of Commerce
• Laurie Jacobs, Secretary of Lodge of Commerce, advises of a Trivia Night at 7.30pm on Monday (June 8), after a business meeting. “This night is forFreemasons, their families and friends, hosted by quizmaster Bro. Greg White. Settle in with a snack and your drink of choice. It’s free.” LINK

Personal Paragraph
• RWor Bro James Stapleton PSGW was born on June 17, 1913.  He will be 107 in two weeks’ time.

Correct link for video
• Peter White wrote in yesterday’s FVNews Daily (Wed.) about a mentoring video. Peter says the correct link for the video is: LINK

Surrey Freemasons donate £20,000
• “Surrey Freemasons will be donating £20,000 of grants to charities and organisations impacted by coronavirus in the county. Support from the nationalMasonic Charitable Foundation has enabled the group to donate to more local groups, with hospitals, universities and charities across Surrey all being supported.Ian Chandler, the head of Surrey Freemasons, said: “I am delighted that at this time of national crisis Surrey Freemasons continue to work within our local communities to provide charity and support to those in need, as we have done for many years. Since the beginning of March we have distributed nearly £50,000 in charitable grants to enable our local charities to continue to do their excellent work.” LINK

David was guest speaker
• RWor. Bro. David Gibbs, PSGW, a Director of Freemasons Foundation Victoria, was guest speaker at Rosebank Lodge’s Zoom meeting held this week.

Richard at Richmond
• Richmond Lodge will hear Grand Master-Elect Richard Elkington at 7pm Tuesday (June 9). EMAIL

Donation for India cyclone• “Oxfordshire Freemasons have donated £15,000 to help victims of a ‘super cyclone’ in 
India and Bangladesh,” says the Witney Gazette. “The group contributed to the grant that comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from acrossEngland and Wales.” LINK

What’s On: online meetings

Go to www.masonsconnect.com

Please advise us of online meetings, so we can publicise in FVNews.

World News
• Cornwall Live shared this present-tense report: “This is the scene outside a Masonic Lodge in Penryn after a suspicious device was found outside the premises this morning. The Royal Navy’s bomb disposal team is currently at Masonic Hall on New St. Pictures and video from the scene show the area has been cordoned off by police. Several officers appear to be standing guard at the lodge. At least one fire engine is also at the scene.” LINK

Masonic Trivia
• Reagan Lodge of Texas poses these three questions:
• When was King Solomon’s Temple Erected? It was started about 972 B.C.• Who was Hiram of Tyre? He was King of Tyre, a friend and ally of King David. At Solomon’s request he furnished assistance in the construction of the Temple.• Who was Hiram Abif? He was a talented workman, skilled in metals, wood, stone and linen. He was sent by King Hiram to help in the erection and adornment of King Solomon’s Temple.

Masonic Wisdom
• Charles C. Hunt of Iowa proposes the following definition: “Freemasonry is an organized society of men symbolically applying the principles of operative Masonry and architecture to the science and art of character building.” This especially distinguishes our fraternity from all other organizations which teach a system of morality.

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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