FVNews Daily 
SPECIAL EDITION
No. 169. Friday, February 12, 2021
• From the Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action Team

• Email: editor@FVNews.com.au or Ash@Long.com.au
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What’s On (26 listings)
UPDATED EACH EDITION

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

In-person visiting to physical lodge meetings is currently not permitted, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
It is hoped that visiting might resume from March 1, 2021.
Visiting Zoom meetings is encouraged.

Friday, February 12

• 7.30pm. Altona Lodge. At Williamstown Masonic Centre. Business Meeting, Members Only.

• 7.30pm.Lara Lodge. Presentation of First Degree Tracing Board. At Lara Masonic Centre.

• 7.30pm.Sunbury Lodge. Business Meeting. LINK Meeting ID: 830 2589 6933. Passcode: 120334
Saturday, February 13
• 2.30pm. Victoria Mark Lodge. Installation. 4.45pm. Victorian Royal Ark Mariner. Installation. 7pm. Installation Dinner. All at the Kelvin Club. RSVP: Feb. 9. https://www.trybooking.com/BOGMM

Monday, February 15

• 7.30pm. Lodge of Good Companions. By Zoom
• 7.30pm. Masonic Caravan Club. LINK Meeting ID: 763 8342 1746. Passcode: 4xYjAU

Tuesday, February 16

• 7pm-9pm. Change Management Team Workshop. By Zoom. LINK
• 7.30pm.Lowan Lodge. At the Masonic Centre.• 7.30pm. Moorabbin Lodge. 65-Year Jewel to Les Dickman. At Bayside Masonic Centre.

Thursday, February 18

• 11am. Samaritan Lodge. At Ivalda Masonic Centre, Darebin.

• 7.30pm for 8pm South. Portland Lodge. Talk: Fred Shade, The Oddfellows – Their Origin, History and Ritual’. LINK Meeting ID: 876 5588 1241

Friday, February 19
• 6.30pm. Seavic Lodge. Business Meeting. 40-Year Jewel to John Rodrigo. At J&W Restaurant, 43 Mahoneys Rd, Forest Hill. TRYBOOKING LINK

• 7pm for 7.30pm Tyle. Bairnsdale Daylight Lodge. LINK TBAMonday, February 22
• 7.30pm. Masonic Caravan Club. LINK Meeting ID: 763 8342 1746. Passcode: 4xYjAUTuesday, February 23
• 6pm. Lodge Amalthea. Historic First Meeting at Australian Club. Proclamation of Alfonso Avagliano as Worshipful Master. GM and DGM to attend. Ken Drew will receive his 65-Year Jewel, and Charles Bratton his 50-Year jewel.

• 7.30pm. Middle Park Lodge. Talk: Gareth Andrews, former VFL footballer and Director, The Life Again Foundation, on Men’s Physical and Mental Health. LINK Meeting ID: 861 3495 591. Password: 044153
Saturday, February 27
• 7.30pm. Membership Volunteer Action Team. Ian Brown, ‘Lodge Engagement’. REGISTER

Monday, March 1
• 7.30pm. Masonic Caravan Club. LINK Meeting ID: 763 8342 1746. Passcode: 4xYjAU
Tuesday, March 2
• TBA. Lodge of Commerce. Emergency Meeting. To obligate Master Elect.
Tuesday, March 2
• 7pm. Gippsland Lodge. At Sale Masonic Centre
Monday, March 8
• 7.30pm. Masonic Caravan Club. LINK Meeting ID: 763 8342 1746. Passcode: 4xYjAU
Saturday, March 13
• TBA. Lodge of Commerce visit to Gippsland Lakes Lodge. Second Degree.
Monday, March 15
• 7.30pm. Masonic Caravan Club. LINK Meeting ID: 763 8342 1746. Passcode: 4xYjAU

Wednesday, March 17
• 7.30pm. Quarterly Communication. At Freemasons Bayside. Details TBA.
Monday, March 22
• 7.30pm. Masonic Caravan Club. LINK Meeting ID: 763 8342 1746. Passcode: 4xYjAU
Saturday, March 27
• TBA. Grand Re-Installation. At Freemasons Bayside. Details TBA.
Monday, March 29
• 7.30pm. Masonic Caravan Club. LINK Meeting ID: 763 8342 1746. Passcode: 4xYjAU

Videos

• Freemasons Victoria. Grand Master’s Announcements. (06:20) WATCH
• Grand Master of Florida Installed. (19:19) WATCH

Published Information

• Freemasons Victoria. Re-Opening Lodges: The Manual. Version 2. READ
• Freemasons Victoria. COVID-19 Modifications for Lodge Ceremonies. LOG INat Freemasons Victoria website

GM Makes Announcements

• Richard Elkington, Grand Master, issued a VIDEO and statement late yesterday (Thu.) with details of the first in a series of changes within Freemasons Victoria:
• To empower Lodges to make more of their own decisions,

• To reduce the role of Grand Lodge in the day-to-day workings of each Lodge, and

• To cut unnecessary red tape.

Changes At A Glance

• REPEALING the rule that a new Mason must wait 12 months between initiation and doing their third degree.
• DELETING the rule that a Master Mason needs to wait 12 months before taking office. 

• SCRAPPING the rule that demands that a candidate must visit three different Lodges before their application proceeds. 
• REMOVING rules that require Lodges to seek dispensations to ballot for a candidate, and initiate them, on the same night.

More Changes Explained

• REMOVING the need for Lodges to seek dispensations if they want to change the date or location of their meetings.
• ALLOWING Lodges  to hold the business sections of their meetings by Zoom or other video-conferencing platforms, on a date other than the meeting night, as long as the matters are ratified by vote on the usual regular meetings.
• CONSIDERING what we wear at Lodge.
• DISCUSSING the leadership positions in Freemasons Victoria, and how the Grand Master is selected.
• TALKING about Grand Rank in today’s Freemasonry.
• INVESTIGATING whether Grand Lodge and Lodges can partner to assist financially-challenged Freemasons who have difficulty paying Capitation Fees and Dues. A moratorium or amnesty may be appropriate.

Processes Underway

• Richard Elkington explained that a number of the changes will require proper process, such as through a Quarterly Communication. He said that Garry Runge, Grand Secretary, will officially advise of the changes and dates in due course.

What FV Members Say

• Here is a sample of comments from members, quoted directly from various Facebook pages:
• “Great announcements.” – Sean Thomson
• “Great to hear some open-mindedness (is that a word?) giving our Lodges considerably more autonomy.” – Rod Rowe
• “Great work from our Grand Master showing great leadership once again.” – Emmanuel Marabeliotakis
• “I support this and for my lodge at Walhalla subject to agreement of our members would like our dresscode to be Dinner suits or a Navy Blue/Black suit and tie. All the other ideas make sense too.” – Jim Nicholas
• “Positive ideas and greater democracy. Thank you Sir.” – Ange Kenos

• “Great ideas.” – L. Rayner

Strong Member Support
• Thousands of Victorian Freemasons read about the changes through an Electronic Direct Message sent through the Grand Secretariat. Richard Elington’s video was viewed by 659 members in the first five hours after its release.

One Session Remaining
• Have your opinions about Freemasons Victoria heard at the remaining Change Management workshop to be held. All members can have their say about the re-organisation of Freemasons Victoria. • 7pm-9pm. Tuesday, February 16. By Zoom.
• Book your spot. Go to TryBooking and type ‘Freemasons Victoria‘ in the Search field.

Taught To Be Cautious
• Jeff Cripps advises that last night’s Antient York Lodge meeting was changed from an in-person event at the Preston Masonic Centre to a Zoom meeting, because of “concern over a recent outbreak and the vulnerability of many members”.

KALOF (Keep A Look Out For)
• Garry Runge, Grand Secretary, has previously reminded all in the Victorian Masonic family to please keep a look out for the latest government announcements about COVID-19 restrictions and arrangements. There is speculation that new lockdown restrictions may be introduced in Victoria as early as today (Fri.). This may affect in-person Lodge gatherings. Please check out the latest information to ensure that you comply with rules, and err on the side of caution.

World News

• “Local homelessness charity Emmaus Burnley is starting the year off with a £39,982 boost from Freemasons to help people who have been experiencing homelessness move into permanent homes,” says the Burnley Express (UK). READ MORE

Next Issue on Monday
•  Our planned publishing schedule for FVNews Daily next week sees our next issue on Monday (Feb. 15).

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 Warren Parera

Sincere Thanks

• Amongst those who assisted with contributions (and encouragement) to this edition of FVNews Daily have been: Richard Elkington, Kelly Leventis, Michael King, Garry Runge, Anthony Bucca, Craig Spendlove, Jeff Cripps, Keith Klooger, Rhys Webb, Tony McDonall, Iain Nicolson

We Want To Receive Your Summons
• Lodges can assist FVNews Daily 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
• Boswell, James – 9th Laird of Auchinleck (1740-1795) – A Scottish writer most noted for writing a biography of his friend, Samuel Johnson. Boswell was raised in Canongate Kilwinning Lodge in Edinburgh in 1759.

Masonic Knowledge
•  Bowes, William Eric ‘Bill’ (1908-1987) – Bill Bowes never looked like a cricketer. Indeed he was a cricketing odd-ball: a very poor batsman and an ‘iffy’ fielder. Yet, once he had ball in hand, on a good pitch, no world-class batsman could feel confident (especially when facing a new ball), Bowes bouncers, and deceptively swerving deliveries, claimed the best. When he wrote for Wisden, his focus was on the ‘everyday’ cricketer and a belief that club cricket, not county or Test cricket, should be seen as the core and building block for the international game.

Masonic Wisdom
•  Napoleon Hill. “The popular author of such self-help books as Think and Grow Rich has sometimes been reported as a Freemason but no evidence of this is available.Hill makes a reference in one of his lesser known books which implies that he was a Freemason: “As I excused myself and started to walk away, I glanced down at the Masonic pin that I wore on my own vest, then took another look at his Knights of Columbus pin, and wondered why a couple of trinkets such as these could dig such a deep chasm between men who knew nothing of each other.”
• “Denslow’s 10,000 Famous Freemasons, published in 1958 during the height of Hill’s popularity, failed to include his name, and no lodge or Grand Lodge records showing his membership have yet come to light.” – Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon

The Last Word
•  “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.” – Steve Jobs

INFORMATION TO KNOWFVNews 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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