FVNews Daily. 
No 58. Thursday, July 2, 2020
From the Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action TeamFVNews Daily is also available at www.FVNews.com.au
Subscribe/Unsubscribe HERE

From Grand Master Richard Elkington
• “Thank you very much for all the good wishes extended to me in the past few days. As I suggested on Saturday, let’s put some of the recent events behind us and MOVE ON. I have no doubt that becoming Grand Master means assuming a great responsibility. It’s not about making me feel good, reveling in the ‘pageantry’.
• For me it’s about leading a fraternity that maintains its relevance in the 21st century through shaping tomorrow’s leaders; leading a fraternity which conducts its affairs in a professional manner for the benefit of members and their communities; leading a fraternity in which the members are enjoying themselves and leading a fraternity in which the members are proud to proclaim “I’m a Freemason!” • One big lesson from the Grand Installation is that over 2800 people tuned in. I’ve no doubt that parties were held to mark the occasion. Wouldn’t it be great to have a large number of our brethren and families attend every year, virtually, whilst having BBQs or parties? On the subject of virtual attendance, one of the advantages of the current situation is that I can attend meetings all over the State on the same day. I’d love to be invited to attend any meetings being held virtually. Please ask!”

Media coverage in Gippsland

• The grand installation of Richard Elkington has received press coverage in the Gippsland Times/Maffra Spectator and Latrobe Valley Express, and radio coverage (including an interview) on local station 3TR. A media release was written and sent to local newspapers and radio stations by the Freemasons Victoria Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action Team. (Thanks to Liam Cole for forwarding the clipping.)

Kiwi Masons give 10 laptops
• “A $10,000 Freemasons‘ grant has enabled the YMCA South and Mid Canterbury to bolster its information technology arsenal. The combined donation from Timaru Lodge Koranga No. 197 and the Wellington Freemasons Charity enabled the purchase of 10 new laptops of which theYMCA took possession.” LINK

Opinions on 2021 start
• There has been considerable talk on the Freemasons Victoria Chat and other social media pages about the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic in our state. Many Freemasons are voicing the opinion that we should now wait until January 1, 2021, to re-open Lodges and Masonic Centres across Victoria. The matter will be considered next week by the Board of General Purposes.

Expulsion background
• Aaron Price offers comment on circumstances surrounding last weekends’ expulsion vote: “In order to assuage Bro. Allen Jenkins’s concerns surrounding the severity of the offences allegedly committed by former Bro. Thomas Williamson – he received an immediate term of imprisonment of approximately three years for offences including trafficking a commercial quantity of cannabis. The offence of trafficking is wholly distinct from that of possession in that Williamson was engaged in the offering, sale or preparation for sale of a ‘commercial’ quantity of cannabis which is over 25kg or 100 plants. I would, perhaps, share Bro Jenkins’s concern if Williamson was caught with a small, ‘non-traffickable’ quantity of cannabis however this is not the case. The sentence imposed is within the normal range for this type of offending. I have no personal knowledge of this case however thought this information may be useful to Bro Jenkins as whilst the offences were read out by the Grand Registrar – the nature of the offences were not elaborated on.”

Lesson learned
• Tongue-in-cheek we say that FVNews is more popular when it is not published! We received an avalanche of encouraging words early this week when our business commitments forced us to miss an issue. Thanks to many including Wilson Carr, Dick Clark, Nobby Forster, Russ Griffiths,Merv Hallam,Russell Hicken, Philip Mayers, Adam Moyle, Geoff Newby, John Parsons, Colin Peterson,Aaron Price and Sean Thomson
• Stuart Hill (Traralgon Lodge No. 925) wrote: “Please keep up your great work. What you have done is brought us who read your daily news up to date with what’s happening with Freemasonry in Victoria and around the world.  Keep up your good work for us of the membership who do readyour news.”
• Duncan Campbell (Sir John Quick Lodge No. 931): “Judging by the time you transmit the  each day, you are already working 28 hours a day.Happy for you to relax and work 23½ hours. Your Newsletter is a delight.”

Masonic Mailbag
• Dennis Middendorp writes: “I agree 100 per cent with Bruce Cowie’s letter in Mailbag. In fact the 
Buddha promulgated the same sentiments in 500 BC. In very basic form the philosophy is do no harm and practice universal love and compassion.”
• Gary Power writes: “I would like to thank you for your daily notices. Living here in Lakes Entrance it has felt like I’ve been included as never before.”
• Robert Pullin writes: “Congratulations on a brilliant coverage of the Grand Installation. You have set such a high standard in the short time you have been in charge of communications. Long may it continue.”

On Electronic Voting
• George Entwistle (Gippsland Lodge No. 51) writes: “Regarding the Electronic voting. It is an excellent way to vote. However I did not get my voting form until 21 minutes after the vote had closed, therefore I was not able to cast my vote on the expulsion of a member. I do not know how to overcome the slow transmission of voting forms from Pulse.”

Bayside meeting
• Philip Barber advises: “The next regular business meeting of the Brighton District Lodge No. 37 will be online via Zoom at 7.30pm on Tuesday, July 14. The meeting is open to all and the agenda can be received by contacting the Secretary at bdl37sec@gmail.com. You will then receive the link to join the meeting 15 minutes before it starts. Michael Pepprell will report on progress at Bayside Special Developmental School. andAdam Fogarty will speak on the subject “Were Freemasons the first social network?”

Trump asks for statue to go back up
• “US President Donald Trump personally requested that a statue of a Confederate general be put back up, less than a week after cheering protesters toppled it and set it on fire in a Washington, D.C park, NBC News reports. “Trump called Interior Sec. David Bernhardt and asked the Park Service to restore a statue of Brigadier General Albert Pike, two sources told NBC News.”
• “The Pike statue, dedicated in 1901, has been a source of controversy over the years. The former Confederate general was also a longtime influential leader of the Freemasons, who revere Pike. It was built at the request of Masons, who successfully lobbied Congress to grant them land for the statue as long as Pike would be depicted in civilian, not military, clothing.”

Deja vu: Vic. lodge closed by epidemic
• John Patterson re-tells the story of the Lismore Lodge which was closed by Dr Paton in accordance with the regulations and public gatherings prohibited within 15 miles, as detailed by the Lismore Advertiser. “Not much has changed in over 100 years,” John remarks. See ATTACHMENT

What’s On: online meetings
• www.masonsconnect.com

Famous Freemasons
• Aldrin, Edwin Eugene ‘Buzz’ (1930 – ) – Buzz Aldrin is a mechanical engineer, an ex-USAF fighter pilot and an astronaut. On July 20, 1969, as the pilot of Apollo 11’s Lunar Module, he famously became only the second human to walk on the moon. At the time of his lunar landing, Aldrin was a member of Clear Lake Lodge No. 1417, Seagate, Texas and, in the wake of Aldrin’s space mission, the Grand Lodge of Texas formedTranquillity Lodge No. 2000, named after Tranquillity Base, the location of Apollo 11’s landing site.Aldrin became a member of Montclair Lodge No.144, New Jersey.

Masonic Knowledge
• “The major posts in a Lodge all have allegorical significance. For example, the Master of the Lodge symbolises King Solomon or Deity, heaven, maleness, aggressiveness, or the sun which controls life. The Junior Warden symbolises the space half-way between the sun and moon, and controls the refreshment at High Twelve and, because of his position at meridian, can better control the time for the Worshipful Master and theSenior Warden. The Junior Warden is the fulcrum or the balancer of the day. The Senior Warden symbolizes the opposite part of the Divine Triad: the Moon, Mother Earth, mother, femaleness, and passiveness, and creates the balance needed to run the lodge by representing the other half of the daily and yearly cycle: night.”
– Norman Williams Crabbe, Fundamentals of Freemasonry

Masonic Wisdom
• “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” – Bro. Henry Ford

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
FVNews is an opt-in email. If, for any reason, you would prefer not to receive our emails, simply reply to editor@FVNews.com.au or fill out the Unsubscribe form at https://fvnews.com.au/wp/subscribe/  – type OPT OUT in the subject line, and please include your email address. Or use the unsubscribe option at https://fvnews.com.au/wp/subscribe/