FVNews Daily. 
No 53. Thursday, June 25, 2020
From the Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action TeamFVNews Daily is also available at www.FVNews.com.au
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Get Well Gordon
• Ian Sterritt of Yarraville Lodge emails: “Sorry to report that Very Worshipful Brother Gordon McKenzie, Grand Chaplain, was admitted to hospital last weekend with a serious heart problem. He is still undergoing tests regarding what course of treatment specialists will use to correct the problem.”

Grand Installation Countdown: 2 days to go

• Grand Master-Elect Richard Elkington has been involved in media calls, ahead of the Quarterly Communication (2pm) and Grand Installationon Saturday (June 27). Richard recorded an interview with Gippsland radio station 3TR, and was involved in a media release to Gippsland region newspapers.
• Richard was also featured on the front-page of the Melbourne community newspaper, The Local Paper – Eastern Edition.
• Deputy Grand Master-Elect Anthony Bucca and wife Anna were featured on the front-page of the The Local Paper – Northern Edition.

GM-Elect speaks tonight
• Richard Elkington will be addressing the brethren at Geelong Lodge of Unity and Prudence at 7.30pm tonight (Thu., Jun. 25). Brethren will be logging on at 7.15pm, advises Graham Berry. LINK

Congratulations Frank
• Freemasons Victoria Commercial Manager Frank Warner was this week inducted as the new President of the Rotary Club of Chadstone-East Malvern. Guest, Richard Elkington, said it was great to see members of the Club celebrating the successes of the past year and hearing fromFrank about confidence in 2020-21. Some of Frank’s work colleagues were in attendance to support him. “If his performance with FV is any guide, he will do an outstanding job leading the Rotary Club,” Richard said.

Two separate boards?
• Peter Clark, Acting President of the Board of General Purposes, has canvassed the notion of two separate boards for Freemasons Victoria, in papers circulated for this week’s Quarterly Communication: “At the December QC, the then PBGP Bro. Stark, announced that the Boardwas commissioning a Governance Review. Unfortunately the review has not been implemented, however, with the appointment of the acting CEO, this project will form one of the KPI’s that he will address.• “The BGP has also added to the Review, by including a working party to consider the prospect of creating two separate Boards, one to deal with theCommercial/Property/Corporate business and the other dealing solely with Masonic affairs. Note: this is a consideration only. We will need to wait on the findings of the working party and the Governance Review, before any steps are taken to engage with you, on any proposed changes to our structure. Any recommendations generated by the Governance Review are expected to be tabled at the September Board meeting for its consideration.”

Board openness and transparency
• Peter Clark, Acting President of the Board of General Purposes, reports: “In an effort to demonstrate openness and transparency the Board is intending to publish on our webpage, resolutions of a masonic nature passed by the Board, so that you have a better understanding of the direction that the Board is taking. Any resolutions with a ‘commercial in confidence’ nature, or are of a private or sensitive nature will not be published. Correspondence of a general nature which has a masonic interest to the broader membership will also be uploaded onto our webpage for the benefit of all members.”

Masonic Mailbag
• Rob Body, Past Master of Lodge of Australia Felix No. 1, writes: “For comment and discussion. I have noticed in the FV News lately aspects regarding a ‘Code of Conduct’ and as a 44-year Mason there is some confusion in my mind. When we join Freemasonry we have been interviewed and/or recommended by members of the lodge we are agreeing to join. Certainly currently, prospects are often invited to parts of our meeting nights. During our travels through the first three degrees, and then maybe onward to others, certain obligations are undertaken in a serious manner.• “As a past master of two lodges I remember acknowledging the Antient Charges and regulations, three of which you have reminded us. In looking at ritual and those charges I feel completely able to conduct my life accordingly, even though I may question some aspects of Masonry in respect to modern life.• “Codes of conduct are often written into places of work etc, because people may not know how to ‘behave’ and would not have been exposed to  our situation, see the behaviour for our current pandemic. Always a researching and questioning mason.”
• The Code of Conduct for Representatives of Freemasons Victoria can be read HERE

More Mailbag
• Matt Cameron emails about how attendees to this week’s Richmond Lodge meeting found out about the session: “I thought you would be interested in results from our interactive warm-up question, and FVNews is the clear winner.”
• Thanks to Michael Glover who emailed links to past copies of The Evolutionist, newsletter of the Lodge of Evolution.

What’s On: online meetings
Go to www.masonsconnect.com

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

World News
• “The Gloucestershire Freemasons (UK) donated £2000 to support the Vintage Birdcage Cakery through their relief project. Jon Jones, charity steward for the Freemasons, heard about the efforts of the local company and decided they could help. The project ran for 13 weeks through lockdown, helping the elderly and vulnerable people of Yate and Chipping Sodbury. Jon said: “The Freemasons have been providing help and support for those in need for over 300 years. I saw what a great job Nicole had been delivering food packs to people in isolation due to the Coronavirus crisis.”

Masonic Knowledge
• You agree to pay a proper respect to the Civil Magistrate, to work diligently, live creditably and act honourably by all men.• You agree to hold in veneration the original rulers and patrons of the Order of Freemasonry and their regular successors, supreme and subordinate, according to their stations; and to submit to the awards and resolutions of your brethren in general Lodge convened, in every case consistent with the Constitutions of the Order.• You agree to avoid private piques and quarrels and to guard against intemperance and excess.
– Antient Charges and Regulations (Nos. 4-6)

Masonic Wisdom
• “A long Masonic custom has been for the Tyler (or whoever guards the outer door at a Masonic meeting) to earn a salary. Some think this is because they are missing the meeting, or providing clerical service related to counting attendance. The tradition of the Tyler’s salary is said to actually originate with the Tyler’s duty to deliver summonses to meetings. In days when the post office was not speedy enough (or didn’t exist), it was the Tyler’s job to carry a meeting summons to every member.” (Source: Masonic Trivia by Peter Champion.)

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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