FVNews Daily  
No. 155. Friday, December 18, 2020

• From the Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action Team

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What’s On (13 listings)
UPDATED DAILY.

Please notify us about your event. 
Please include date, time, talk details, attire, and a link.
Email: editor@FVNews.com.au

Friday, December 18

• 12 Noon. Bairnsdale Daylight Lodge. Christmas Luncheon. At Nicholson Hotel. Jim Jolly, 0427 458 833.

• 7.30pm. Seavic Lodge. Talk: Barry Minster , Grand Lodge Almoner, ‘A Life in the Media, Football, and a Grand Almoner’s reflections on the COVID-19 lockdown’. LINK Meeting ID: 838 8337 7083. Passcode: 169616

Saturday, December 19
• 1pm.Sunshine Wisdom Lodge. End of Year Late Lunch Celebration. Lunch served at 2pm. At Green Gully Soccer Club. Adults, $49; Children, Free. Booking: www.trybooking.com

• 6pm.Lowan Lodge. Christmas Party. At Rhys and Lem’s house/garden. RSVP 0410 232 996. 

Sunday, December 20

• All Day. Ivanhoe Grammarians Lodge. Sausage Sizzle. At Bunnings Mernda
• 11am. Lodge Walhalla. Working Bee.

Monday, December 21

• 7.30pm. Good Companions Lodge. Partners in the South Christmas Dinner Meeting. At Mulgrave Country Club. (No Lodge Meeting)
• 7.30pm.St Andrews In The South, Geelong Holy Royal Arch Chapter. Talk: Arthur Williams, ‘The story of the Temple in Jerusalem – from Solomon to Herod’. Meeting ID: 844 1793 3448. Passcode: 180 471
• 7.30pm. Williamstown Chapter. Talk: Ian Brown, ‘Who Were The Three Principals?’ LINK Meeting ID: 869 0109 9049. Passcode: 75

Saturday, December 26
• All Day. Union Lodge of North Gippsland. Bunnings Bairnsdale Sausage Sizzle.

Sunday, December 27
• 7.30pm. Masonic Festival of St John. Speakers: Neil Morse, John Molnar, Richard Elkington, Ari Indra. LINK Meeting ID: 858 0585 9809. Passcode: 466048

Sunday, January 3
• 8am-5pm. Ivanhoe Grammarians Lodge. Sausage Sizzle. At Bunnings Mernda
Monday, January 18
• 7.30pm. United Wimmera Mark and Royal Ark Mariner Lodges Combined Meeting (Zoom). Talk: Len Lacey, new year theme. RSVP by EMAIL by Fri., Dec. 18 to Len Baker.

Videos

• Smart Christmas Parties. Freemasons Hall (UK). (02:40) WATCH
• Ebenezer Scrooge Retires To Masonic Village. (07:10) WATCH
• From Darkness To Light. (03:01) WATCH

Masonic Governing Council meets

• Richard Elkington, Grand Master, convened the first meeting of the interim Masonic Governing Council yesterday (Thu.). The Council acts in a caretaker capacity only; no major initiatives will be undertaken. The input of Freemasons Victoria members will be sought through meetings and workshops early in the New Year, prior to governance matters being discussed on the floor of Grand Lodge.
• The membership of the Council includes the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, Grand Treasurer and Grand Registar. Other members will be involved; a Change Management Team will soon be formed. The next meeting of the Masonic Governing Council is scheduled to be held early next week. The Council will provide regular ongoing communication to members.

Recovery into 2021

• Craft Lodges across Victoria will be able to open for administrative and educational purposes from January 1, 2021, according to instructions released late last week by the Grand Secretary. Re-Opening Lodges: The Manual, prepared by the Freemasons Future Recovery Team, is available HERE. Supplementary documentation such as a Register is available HERE A Cleaning Checklist is available HERE
Arrangements for Chapter, Mark, etc
• Wayne Smith of Charmar advises that no Royal Arch Chapter or Lodge of Mark Master Masons or Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners in this jurisdiction can meet until March 1, 2021. Degree ceremonies are planned to resume from April 1, 2021, subject to further advice.
• “Notwithstanding the recent issue of the FFRT advice and Manual from the United Grand Lodge of A F & A Masons of Victoria advising the resumption of Masonic activity as from January 1, 2021, the First Grand Principal of Supreme Grand Chapter and the Grand Master of Grand Mark are anxious to see the effect of the Christmas period and consequent increased social activity before permitting a return to face to face meetings in our Lodges and Chapters.  While some will decry this as being over cautious, the health and wellbeing of our membership is the most pressing thought in the minds of our leaders.” 

Eulogy for John Chanter
• Garry Sebo, Past Grand Master, delivered a moving tribute to the late John Chanter at the UGLV Business Meeting (Part 2) presentation last night. (Thu.). A replay of the meeting can be viewed HERE

A Happier, More Fulfilled Life
• “The Freemasons of Antrim have partnered with TV star Julian Simmons to launch a daily challenge designed to inspire positive actions every day leading to a happier, more fulfilled life for the 5000 Freemasons in the Antrim area, their family, friends and neighbours.” READ MORE

World News
• “”In a back room of Sweeney Street Missionary Baptist Church, Walter Lee and John W. Howard Jr., spent Wednesday morning filling cardboard boxes with enough food to feed more than 60 local families,” reports the Messenger-Inquirer (Belfast, Northern Ireland). “Lee and Howard are members of the Mount Pisgah Lodge No. 20 (Pennsylvania, US), a predominantly Black charter of the Freemasons, that has typically cooked free Thanksgiving community meals and held an annual Easter Egg hunt with giveaways in the past.” READ MORE

The Blaze Aid Story (1)
• Gary Edwards, Chair of the Freemasons Victoria Taskforce VAT, has sent us details of the Blaze Aid story after the 2009 Black Saturday fires: “The FV Taskforce acted as a ‘trigger’ to the establishment of the Blaze-Aid organisation, formed with farmer Kevin Butler at East Kilmore in 2009. On Saturday, February 7, 2009, fires raged on Melbourne’s perimeter. This followed the FV Taskforce’s earlier bushfire recovery experience and fencing work at the Grampians in 2006. Seeing the fires that Saturday, and feeling that there must be a way that an organised group of men with past fencing experience could assist with the current crisis, Taskforce member Gary Edwards discussed his thoughts with Ian McMurtrie (then a Taskforce Executive Member and incoming Chairman). Ian in turn approached the Victorian Farmers’ Federation on Monday, February 9, offering FV Taskforce help.
• “Coincidentally, the VFF had that morning been contacted by East Kilmore sheep farmer Kevin Butler requesting help from other farmers able to secure burnt perimeter fences at his and his neighbour’s properties, so that stock would be safe from straying onto the Hume Freeway. When told that although mostly not farmers, the Taskforce members had previous fencing experience, Kevin Butler welcomed their help.
• “Promptly, on Tuesday February 10, Bernard Henry (Taskforce Executive member and representative of the then Board of Benevolence) travelled to East Kilmore to liaise with Kevin Butler, and arrange theTaskforce’s assistance. He also identified a suitable work base for them. It was agreed that a shed on Kevin’s property would be used. This shed was later extended by volunteers and became the base for ongoing Black Saturday recovery work across Central Victoria.” 

The Blaze Aid Story (2)
• Gary continues: “An FV Taskforce group commenced work at Kevin’s property the following weekend, with three trailers – a refrigerated trailer with food and drink for volunteers, a BBQ trailer, plus the Taskforce’s tool trailer and materials. Taskforce members, their families and friends joined local volunteers working on the fire recovery, including fencing around the East Kilmore district, and in other affected areas across Central Victoria to Marysville, including at Flowerdale, Hazeldene, Kinglake, Glenburn and Taggerty, over many months.
• “More volunteers were soon needed, and FV Taskforce member Graeme Weber contacted the ABC Macca’s program  Australia All Over, to share the story, and as a result, needed volunteer numbers grew substantially. Kevin has now become a regular guest on the radio program and has named the ongoing call-out of Freemasons, Grey Nomads, Backpackers, Service Groups and other volunteers ‘Blaze-Aid’.

The Blaze Aid Story (3)
• “Since 2009, FV Taskforce members have continued to undertake bushfire recovery work on an as needed basis. In 2018, an FV Taskforce group from the Bellarine-Otway District provided extensive bushfire recovery assistance in Victoria’s Western District. In January 2020, an FV Taskforce from many districts packed emergency supplies at Sale for bushfire victims, and in recent months Brethren from North-East Victoria have again worked with Blaze-Aid, as an FV Taskforce repairing fences at Corryong and Walwa.  
• “From the above beginning, Blaze-Aid has grown into an efficient, responsive, Australia-wide organisation, able to mobilise volunteers and assist with recovery work after fire and flood disasters. “Not just rebuilding fences, but rebuilding lives”.”

New Subscribers

• We are building FVNews to be a vital daily guide to Masonry in Victoria. You can have your free copy emailed to your inbox. Use the ‘Subscribe’ option at www.FVNews.com.au We welcome Jason Dawson and Jonathan Harvey.

Sincere thanks

• Amongst those who assisted with contributions to this edition of FVNews Daily have been: Gary Edwards, Craig Spendlove
 

Please Send Your Summons
• 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
•  Thomas Smith Webb (October 30, 1771 – July 6, 1819) was the author of Freemason’s Monitor or Illustrations of Masonry, a book which had a significant impact on the development of Masonic Ritual in America, and especially that of the York Rite. READ MORE

Masonic Knowledge
•  You can read Duncan’s Masonic Ritual and Monitor (1866) – all 253 pages – free, online. READ MORE

Masonic Wisdom
• The Lodge of Happiness (UK) says: “Freemasonry instils in its members a moral and ethical approach to life: it seeks to reinforce thoughtfulness for others, kindness in the community, honesty in business, courtesy in society and fairness in all things. Members are urged to regard the interests of the family as paramount but, importantly, Freemasonry also teaches and practices concern for people, care for the less fortunate and help for those in need. In short: Freemasonry Cares.” READ MORE

The Last Word
• Quest TV offers its interpretation of Freemasonry in this Codes and Conspiracies episode (07:53). WATCH

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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