FVNews Daily. 
No 88. Monday, August 17, 2020
From the Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action TeamFVNews Daily is also available at www.FVNews.com.au
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UPDATED DAILY. What’s On (29 listings)
Please notify us about your event. Email: editor@FVNews.com.au
• Monday, August 17. 11am. Membership VAT Team Leads Meeting. Members.
• Monday, August 17. 7.30pm. Gippsland Lakes Lodge (Lakes Entrance). All welcome. LINK
• Monday, August 17. 7.30pm. King David Lodge. Speaker: Garry Sebo, ‘My Time as a Grand Master and a Freemason, A Retrospective’. All welcome. LINK
• Tuesday, August 18. 7pm. Earl of Dunmore Lodge.Speaker: David Gibbs (cousin of the Earl) will speak on the topic The WiderDunmore Clan. David is a director of the Freemasons Foundation. All welcome. LINK
• Tuesday, August 18. 7pm. Richmond Lodge. Paul Raye presents an interactive evening. Share about a member past or present, their role model. LINK 
• Tuesday, August 18. 7pm for 7.30pm. Admiral Collingwood Lodge. Online Social Meeting. LINK• Tuesday, August 18. 7.30pm. Membership Volunteer Action Team. Members only. 
• Tuesday, August 18. 7.30pm. St Andrews in the South. Speaker: Ben Quick, on establishing Sister Lodge relationships with like Lodges around the world. LINK
• Tuesday, August 18. 7.30pm. Hamilton Grange Lodge. First Virtual Business Meeting on Zoom. Speaker: John Patterson, Freemasons Foundation Victoria Limited Board Member. LINK
• Tuesday, August 18. 7.30pm. The Lowan Lodge. Business Meeting on Zoom. All welcome. EMAIL
• Wednesday, August 19. 10.30am. VAT Leaders’ Meeting. Members.
• Wednesday, August 19. 7.30pm. Senior Grand Officers. Zoom. Members.
• Thursday, August 20. 7pm. Prospect Hill Mark Lodge. Talk by Kent Henderson: ‘English Mark and Ark, different, but the same.’ MMM welcome. LINK
• Thursday, August 20. 7pm.(7.30pm for Visitors) Rupertswood Numurkah Lodge. Speaker: Richard Elkington on his aspirations for the craft. All welcome. LINK
• Thursday, August 20. 7.30pm. Albert Victor Lodge. All welcome.
• Thursday, August 20. 7.30pm. Geelong Lodge ofUnity and Prudence. Speaker: Myles King on his work with the Freemasons Foundation. All welcome. LINK
• Thursday, August 20. 7.30pm. Portland Lodge of Victoria. Speaker: Evelyn Hood, Past Most Worthy Grand Matron, Order of the Eastern Star Australia. LINK
• Friday, August 21. 7pm. Bairnsdale Daylight Lodge. Including congratulations to David Provan on the presentation of his 60 years Service Award. All welcome. LINK
• Friday, August 21. 7pm. Lodge of the Golden Fleece. Chris Craven, Deputy Grand Secretary (NSW and ACT), will conduct an exclusive tour of the Museum of Freemasonry in Sydney LINK
• Saturday, August 22. 7pm. Victorian Lodge of Research. Open Lectures. ‘Freemasonry in the Colony of Victoria’ by Brendan Kyne. All welcome. LINK
• Saturday, August 22. 7.20pm. Central and Western Districts. Ladies’ Lockdown Dinner Night. $25 per couple for fundraiser. BOOK
• Tuesday, August 25. 7.30pm. Middle Park Lodge. Speaker: Richard Elkington, Grand Master, ‘Learnings From COVID-19’. Dress code: Black Tie/Dinner Suit. All welcome. Zoom LINK: (Meeting ID: 847 9037 4006, Password: 624473)
• Friday, August 28. 7.30pm. Victorian Lodge of Research. Talk: Brendan Kyne, ‘Foundations Stones and Early Lodge Buildings of Melbourne’. All welcome. LINK
• Thursday, September 3. 7.30pm. Melbourne High School Lodge. 3 Guest Speakers. All welcome. EMAIL for Link
• Thursday, September 3. 7.30pm. Killara Lodge. Business meeting. Speaker: Barry Minster on Electric Cars, specifically Tesla. LINK
• Friday, September 4. 7pm. Combined Arc, Mark and Chapter Zoom Meeting. LINK
• Saturday, September 5. 10 am-12 Noon. Preparation for Master course. Limited positions. Contact: Geoff Newby. EMAIL
• Saturday, September 5. 9.30am-3pm. Secretary’s Course. By Barry Reaper and Eric Williams. Morning Session LINK and Afternoon SessionLINK
• Saturday, September 12. 10 am-12 Noon. Preparation for Master course. Limited positions. Contact: Geoff Newby. EMAIL
• Saturday, September 19. 10 am-12 Noon. Preparation for Master course. Limited positions. Contact: Geoff Newby. EMAIL

NEW. Videos
• Grand Master’s Latest Interview. WATCH
• Becoming A Mason (Part 4). Grand Lodge of Texas. WATCH
• Grand Lodge of New York. WATCH

Vale Phil O’Brien
• We are sad to advise of the passing on Thursday (Aug. 13) to the Grand Lodge Above of Wor. Bro. Gerald Phillip O’Brien of Nagambie Lodge No. 167. He was aged 89, having been born on December 31, 1920. He was father of Robert and Judith; grandfather and great-grandfather to Kimberley, Hamish, Ryan and Archie, Luke, Philippa and Jack. Father to John (dec.) and grandfather to Anna. There was a press tribute from the Hawthorn Football Club Board of Directors, management, staff, players and life members.

Vale Neil Crammer
• “Brethren, it is my sad duty again, to advise the Bro. Neil Crammer, formerly of the Watsonia Daylight Lodge, passed to the GLA on July 9.” – Tony McDonall

High figures for GM’s video
• Grand Master Richard Elkington’s latest video (13:24) scored 408 views in its first two days. The average view duration was 4 minutes 49 seconds. 38 per cent watched the entire interview. WATCH
• Lino Magnano wrote on social media: “Renewal-Rebuilding-Re-energising. Falling in love with the Craft again. Thank you GM.”

Big ticks from the GM
• Richard Elkington is visiting Lodges across Victoria by Zoom.
• Of the Lara lodge meeting, the Grand Master said: “Listening to Simon Campbell talking about Cyber Security. It is excellent and would recommend it to all brethren particularly those like me who are in the “ dinosaur” category.”
• “On Saturday night I went to Evolution where 55 attended to hear a great thought-provoking  talk from RWor. Bro. John Molnar on What is Freemasonry For. Lots of questions from the audience particularly related to the subject of defining ‘Supreme Being’ and ‘initiatory rites’.”

Care please, Brethren
• There was frustration on Friday when several of the links to Lodge meetings, as published in FVNews Daily, failed to function for visitors.FVNews Daily cuts-and-pastes the Zoom meeting links in good faith, as supplied by Brethren. We request that our much appreciated scribes double-check the links when sending their listings.

Nod to Freemasonry in book
• Actor John Wood, best known perhaps as Tom Croydon in the Blue Heelers TV program, gives a nod to Freemasonry in his new book, How I Clawed My Way To The Middle. He tells of his mother’s father, William James Lobb: “Many of the pictures are of him in Masonic gear, so he looks quite grand.” When his grandfather died: “Mum’s father, the Mason, had left behind clothes that I tried on; pranced around the living room in the black mothbally stuff, the starched white collar harder than boards. Showing off, Dad thought.”
• He also speaks of his Uncle Vic: “He was a staunch union man and Mason, I understand.”

Communications Success Stories

• RWor. Bro. Alf Green has been recognised in the Mildura newspaper, the Sunraysia Daily, with a front-page photo, accompanied by a Page 4 feature, on the medallion that he has received for his World War II service. (Thanks to Ben Quick.)

Don’t Think – Do Something
• RWor. Bro. Bob Pullin writes: “This phrase has been widely publicised as it was part of a motivational speech the late John Kennedy gave to the Hawthorn Football Club when he was Senior Coach. The same equally applies to our lodges, particularly at this time of the COVID-19Pandemic. Do we sit on our hands, think about changes we could make, or talk about changes but DO nothing?• “Rosebank Lodge has taken up this challenge and is making the bold move to trial meeting at the Geelong Masonic Centre for five months duringwinter next year. WHY? Beeac has a population of 300 people, not a huge pool to draw potential members from. The biggest majority of the members drive out from Geelong to Beeac, a 90-minute drive for some. The average age of members is in the 70s, so the time had come to DO something if the lodge is tosurvive well into the future.• “If this experiment fails, then at least we can say, we DID something to try to solve our problem. Will your lodge DO something, or just sit back and think about it, so that when the lodge is about to hand in its warrant, members can say, “If we only DID something about our situation”

Media Release for Changeover
• Robert Billing, new State President of the Blue Lounge Social Club, has sent us a media release for publication. The media release, in part, pays tribute to outgoing President Jack Aquilina: “Wor. Bro Jack has made a massive impact on Freemasons, and Freemasonry, acrossVictoria and across the globe”, said new State President, Wor. Bro Robert Billing, “and I know he will continue to. His passion for masonic knowledge runs deep, as evidenced by his membership in so many of the appendant bodies and in the deep discussions he leads on so many topics. 
• “His belief in the values of Freemasonry and the value it has in today’s society is infectious. I believe he is a member of six craft lodges now and plays a key role at each of them in moving towards both more modern practices and a revitalisation of our core tenets. We all know how knowledgeable, and eloquent, Jack is, and I am very pleased he isn’t going anywhere and will remain a key leader of the club, staying on as President of the Central District Blue Lounge and Chairman of the International Association of Blue Lounge Social Clubs. A massive part of the success of the Blue Lounge Social Club is thanks to him and we are all hugely thankful to him for his leadership and vision over the last five years.”

Grand Lodge Library and Museum
•Ian Buckingham, Grand Superintendent of Masonic Knowledge, passes on this message from Ange Kenos: “While the actual facility is currently under the identical lock down restrictions as is every Masonic building, if you are interested in preparing for a talk or a lecture or you are keen on some reading then feel free to email the Grand Lodge Librarian 24/7, 7 days a week via atkenos@hotmail.com• “Ange has established a considerable e-collection over the past five years, which he can utilise to your benefit. Just give him a title and a subject area and he will find something for your interest and the advancement of your masonic knowledge. This is a free service for all brethren in good standing.”

50-year presentation to Ian

• Geoff Newby writes: “Due to COVID, Freemasons Victoria is unable to send out awards so we developed a special certificate and Wor. Bro. Dr. Iain Nicolson, Secretary of Gippsland Lodge, presented VWor. Bro Ian Nicholls, PGIWkgs, with the certificate to commemorate his 50 years in Freemasonry  – during his medical visit.” 

World News
• “Hyderabad: Freemasons of Telangana, on Saturday, on the occasion 74th Independence Day helped 19 deserving poor and petty traders to restart their businesses.The material includes sewing machines, bicycles, bangles, stationary store material, material to start the Tiffin Center, Tea Shop and etc. were procured and gifted.” LINK

What’s On: How You Can Assist
• Lodges can assist by sending emails about every lodge meeting and event to editor@FVNews.com.au 
Please include us on your Lodge Summons mailing list.

Famous Freemasons
• Bradman, Sir Donald George ‘Don’ – (1908-2001) – With a Test average of 99.94, Don Bradman is unquestionably cricket’s greatest batsman and, arguably, the greatest cricketer ever. Indeed, Bradman was so far ahead of the competition as to render comparisons meaningless as he transcended the game he graced. In the early 1930s Anglo-Australian relations had sunk to a low ebb, not least due to English captain Douglas Jardin’s shameless introduction of ‘Bodyline’ attack in an attempt to curb Bradman’s ascendancy. 
• “By 1938, however, both countries were anxious to reinforce the imperial bond in the face of potential war. Britain feared Germany; Australiafeared Germany’s ally, Japan. Bradman was a firm believer in the British Empire; he was a Protestant, a Freemason, an imperialist and a conservative who strongly opposed what he saw as the anti-British tendency of Irish Catholics in Australian cricket. Indeed, Bradman’s bitter dispute with nationalists Bill O’Reilly, Jack Fingleton and others did him no harm in England. 
• “Britain saw the best side of Bradman. His integrity, his respect for the monarchy, and his generosity (when fellow Freemason, Len Hutton, broke his record in the final Test at The Oval in 1938) were music to British ears.  As a captain, he endorsed the values of sportsmanship – “the very essence of this great game” as he later wrote in The Art of Cricket  – which had a profound resonance with a broad swathe of the Britishpublic and, his qualities today are, more often than not, mourned.”
– Timothy Horton

Masonic Knowledge
• The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction’s Supreme Council conferred the Thirty-Third degree on Bro. Henry Ford at age 77. Ford (1863-1947) had been a Mason for 46 years, having been raised in Detroit’s Palestine Lodge No. 357 in 1894 at age 31.

Masonic Wisdom
• “We have come tardily to the tremendous task of cleaning up our environment. We should have moved with similar zeal at least a decade ago. But no purpose is served by post-mortems. With visionary zeal but the greatest realism, we must now address ourselves to the vast problems that confront us.” – Bro. Gerald 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
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