FVNews Daily. 
No 60. Monday, July 6, 2020
From the Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action TeamFVNews Daily is also available at www.FVNews.com.au
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Vale Christopher De Cicester-Steuart-Smith
• We regret to advise of the passing of Christopher De Cicester-Steuart-Smith. He was a former member of Lodge Eumemmerring 846. He passed away on  June 28, 2020 after a short illness. Aged 75 years. Husband of Pam (dec)., son of Arthur and Pat (both dec). Brother of Sue, Graeme and Richard; and brother-in-law of Annette, ‘Fred’ and John. Uncle to five nieces and nephews and 11 great-nieces and great-nephews. Please refer for further details www.davidwbull.com.au

Vale Ted Nolan
• We regret to advise that Wor. Bro. Ted Nolan from No 6. Group (no longer active) passed away recently

Vale William Norman Wilkinson
• We regret to advise of the passing of RWor. Bro. William Norman Wilkinson, PJGW. 1930-2020. Initiated July 26, 1952. Brunswick Lodge No. 924. Steve Austin advises: “Please contact Brunswick United for details of Funeral as numbers are limited. EMAIL

Salute to Robert William Thornton
• Faye Thornton writes: “I have read the article about Bob Jones 50 years. My husband Robert William Thornton received his 50-year recognition late last year. He joined South Yarra Lodge in 1969, five years after he became a paraplegic.  He was the first person in a wheelchair to enter Freemasonry in Victoria. He had to be carried up the stairs to enter the Lodge room. After some years he became a Foundation member of Sandown Lodge, as it was becoming harder and harder for those who used to carry him up the stairs.• “Mind you, at the Springvale Centre he had to wait until someone came out to look for him as there were three or four stairs at the entrance. He worked through every office of the Lodge and became Master in 1978?  He later joined Berwick Lodge and was Master and Treasurer.
• “His father was a Mason, when Robert was due to come home from hospital his parents had to add a room to their house to make it suitable for the  wheelchair. Out of nowhere came a group of men who offered to do the work if the material was supplied.  All but one of these men were unknown to his Dad, but each and everyone was a Freemason. This was the reason Rob decided he wanted to join. There are other stories of the wonderful men of Freemasonry in our lives. Thank you for taking the time to read this, I just wanted to share Rob’s 50 years of Freemasonry.”

Special day for Bob Jones
• Past Grand Master Bob Jones posted this on social media early this morning (Monday): “On this day 50 years ago, Monday, July 6, 1970, I was initiated into Freemasonry as a young 18-year-old, a Lewis. I was encouraged by my father, but I realise now it was the right decision for me. He passed away not long after I joined, but I’m sure he knew Freemasonry would “put me on the right path”. Thank you Dad, I hope I have made you proud.”

Link to Athens

• Jim Karabatsos writes: “Our Grand Master Richard Elkington attended a joint Zoom meeting between Gregorios Lodge and Lodge Athina-Sofia in Athens. We had 50 people join us, including some brethren from Greece, Cyprus, the United Kingdom and China.”

COVID-19 precautions
• Royal Freemasons has decided to close its Footscray and Gregory Lodge facilities to visitors until further notice. The centre at 25 Mephan St,Footscray, provides 60 residential aged care beds. Royal Freemasons Gregory Lodge is an  assisted living facility at 2/58 Newmarket St, Flemington.• “There are no COVID-19 cases at any of our homes, this is purely a precautionary measure,” said Tanya Connor, Chief Operations Officer. 

Meet A Member
• Matt Cameron of Richmond Lodge offers some hints about ‘Meet A Member’ videos. Here are some highlights:
• “The format of a “meet a member” is not hard, it should be short and generally works as follows:• “Tell a short story about something interesting.• “Share why you joined Freemasonry and what keeps you engaged.• “Important is that a “meet a member” should not be too long, should be authentic and from the heart.Ú “Next, create an online event or opportunity to do an interview online, and then do the recording. When doing this make sure that there is a warm up and if required do a brief chat before hand.
• “Finally, once the recording is done upload to a platform like YouTube in unlisted mode and trim in the YouTube editor as required. Share the recording with the member for their approval and then only on their approval share with the public.• “Videos on YouTube can be shared on Facebook, embedded on websites and even included in an email using a link.” EXAMPLE

270 items to help mental health facility

• Graham Berry passes on David Todd’s bulletin about help provided by Freemasons, particularly those from Unity and Prudence Lodge inGeelong, towards Swanston Street Centre (mental health hospital).
• “Our first drop off was completed on Friday, June 26, Thank you to all the Unity and Prudence brethren in Geelong  and families who donated. With some late drop offs, we had about 170 items donated.• “Thank you as well to the Geelong Central Fidelity Club whose members are all Freemasons who under the co-ordination of John Fellows, were able to source new clothes and shoes from various suppliers with a value in excess of $1200.• “This contributed over 100 further items for the Swanston Street Centre. In total we had over 270 items to hand over, naturally the Centre was thrilled with this gift. If you still have items, please do not dispose of them, we will continue to collect. In the next six months we will seek to do another collection, so hold onto to any items from your Spring Cleaning.”

On Electronic Voting
• Rob Jackson writes: “First, thanks very much for your daily newsletter, I think it is very informative and I look forward to reading every day. I just wanted to comment that I think that the electronic voting process is a great initiative. As I live in Queensland, I don’t often get the opportunity to attend Grand Lodge (in Victoria) so I really appreciated the opportunity of connecting with Freemasonry in Victoria by not only watching theQuarterly Communication live but also by being able to register my vote.  
• “My experience using the voting system was seamless, the documentation was very clear and the process worked exactly as described. Since it’s not unusual for there to be teething problems introducing new systems and technology we should not be surprised that it didn’t work for everyone first time and that the process may need some refinement.”

Masonic Mailbag
• Roger Manderson writes: “Thank you for keeping us up to date in Freemasons victoria. Otherwise it would be a distant memory. Good to hear that MWor. Bro Bob Jones had his 50-year jewel presentation. What a great achievement.”
• Ken Calder writes: “Here is a reply having collated the debates and arguments together for anyone who comes late to the story so you can provide a LINK. The debate has been very interesting and I hope for many like myself very educational (by making me realise that both the issues I raised are closely linked).• “One suggestion for future votes is to have the arguments for and against documented, then forwarded to brethren prior to Quarterly Communications (or available by logging onto the website). While this does not eliminate possible discussion during the Quarterly, everyone should then have some idea of what they are voting about.I wonder how many who received the email to vote were not watching online, where the convictions and sentences were read out?” LINK

‘Thank you Breth-er-en’
• Brian Mc Dowell, Secretary of Ballarat Yarrowee Lodge and Guiding Star Lodge, writes: “The phrase “we never used to do it like that” is often bandied around but in this case ,Brethren, we always used to do it like that.• “I am speaking about the bastardisation of the word “BROTHER” referring to the corruption (linguistics), the idea that language change constitutes a degradation in pronouncement of the word “Brethren.”• “As I have sat for the last 35 years at Installations in the West as Organist and every occasion at a formal gathering I am continually hearing this beautiful word being corrupted every time I usually cringe and mutter to myself the word “Brethren.” As most charges delivered commence with the word, the Mason delivering it, to enhance or get the point across, state Breth-er-en which grates and I cringe every time.• “We have slipped into the debasement word “Breth-er-en” using three syllables instead of the original two. Replay the recent Grand Installationand quite unashamedly, predominately every Mason that spoke mispronounced the word incorrectly. Why? It is simply two syllables as has been for centuries. • “Look it up in any encyclopedia, dictionary, thesaurus and you will not find the pronouncement any other way. “Teaching old dogs new tricks” is a throw-away idiom but let’s try to think of correcting this elocution mistake when next we use the beautiful word “Brethren”.”

How to learn, understand charges
• Bob Pullin advises: Rosebank Lodge No. 348 is conducting a Zoom Meeting at 7.30pm tonight (Monday, July 6). Guest Speaker is RWor. Bro. John Berryman, PDGM, ” How to Learn and Understand a Charge“. Dress: neat casual – must be a collared shirt, No T Shirts or Headwear. LINK: 8241 528 207

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

Famous Freemasons
• Apple, Rabbi Raymond (1935 – ) – As Chief Rabbi in the Great Synagogue in Sydney (1972-2005), Raymond Apple became the leading spokesman for Judaism in Australia. Apple is the Past Deputy Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and a frequent writer on subjects Masonic, including Studies, Speeches and Sensibilities’, 2010.

Masonic Knowledge
• Jim Puohotaua, Editor of the Lodge of Australia Newsletter, includes Worshipful Master John Mason’s comment regarding thoughts of combining Craft, Mark and Chapter into an integrated Lodge combining the five Freemasonry Degrees. “I would very much appreciate views for and againstBrethren’s ideas of how such a concept would work and be in everyone’s interest to establish.”

Masonic Wisdom
• “Symbolism is the language of the Mysteries. By symbols men have ever sought to communicate to each other those thoughts which transcend the limitations of language.” – Bro. Manly Hall

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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