FVNews 
No. 175. Thursday, March 4, 2021
Now Published on Mondays and Thursdays
• From the Communications and Marketing Volunteer Action Team

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What’s On (84 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

Thursday, March 4

• 6pm. Ivanhoe Grammarians Lodge. ‘Special’ and First Degree. At Ivalda Masonic Centre.
• 6.30pm. Kyabram Lodge. Second Degree Demonstration. At Kyabram Masonic Centre.

• TBA. Killara Lodge. Open and close, ballot, fellowship night in the South. At Greensborough Masonic Centre.
• NIL. Macedon Ranges Lodge. No meeting this month.
• NIL. Centenary Lodge of Instruction. No meeting this month.

Friday, March 5
• 7.30pm. Nagambie Lodge. Return of Warrant to Brendan Wallace, District Co-Ordinator. At Freemasons Keysborough.
Sunday, March 7
• 8.30am. Kyabram Lodge. Sunday Breakfast. Partners welcome. At Kyabram Masonic Centre.
Monday, March 8

• 7.30pm. Ivalda Lodge of Instruction. First meeting for the year. At Ivalda Masonic Centre.
• 7.30pm. Masonic Caravan Club. LINK Meeting ID: 763 8342 1746. Passcode: 4xYjAU

Tuesday, March 9

• TBA. Lord Northcote Lodge. First Degree. At Ivalda Masonic Centre.
• 7.30pm. Brighton District Lodge. At Bayside Masonic Centre.
• 7.30pm. Marnoo Lodge. 1st Degree. At Stawell Masonic Centre.
Wednesday, March 10

• TBA. Fairfield Lodge. Second Degree. At Ivalda Masonic Centre.
• 7.30pm. Phillip Island Lodge. Talk: Ken Barnes, The Role of District Mentor Officer. At Cowes Masonic Centre.
• 7.30pm. Traralgon Lodge. Initiation. At Latrobe Valley Masonic Centre, Traralgon.
Thursday, March 11
• 7pm. Union Lodge of North Gippsland. Short open and close. Attire: Casual. Dinner at Bairnsdale Club. Partners and visitors welcome.

• 7pm. Gisborne Lodge. Open and close, business meeting. At Gisborne Masonic Centre. RSVP essential for catering.

• 7.30pm. Antient York Lodge. First Degree (hopefully). At Preston Masonic Centre.
Friday, March 12
• TBA. Sunbury Lodge. Obligation of the Master-Elect. At Sunbury Masonic Centre.
• 7.30pm. Altona Lodge. 2nd Degree Ceremony. At Williamstown Masonic Centre.
Saturday, March 13
• TBA. Lodge of Commerce visit to Gippsland Lakes Lodge. Second Degree. At Lakes Entrance.
• 10am. Old Melburnians. Double First. Attire: Dark lounge suit. At Freemasons Bayside. Festive Board at Yagiz Turkish Restaurant: BOOK
• 10am and 1pm. Williamstown Lodge. Special Meetings. Two Double Initiation Ceremonies.Sunday, March 14
• TBA. Freemasons Victoria Cycling Special Interest Group. Fundraiser for Fiona Elsey Foundation at Ballarat. LINK
Monday, March 15
• 6pm. Melbourne St Clair Reunion Lodge. Installation by 2021 Team. At Freemasons Melbourne.
• 7pm. United Wimmera Royal Ark Mariner Lodge. 7pm. United Wimmera Lodge of Mark Master Masons. At Ararat Masonic Centre.

• 7.30pm. Lodge of Good Companions. 65-Year Jewel: RWor. Bro. A Ambrose. 60-Year Jewel: RWor. Bro R. Fuge. MM Certificate Bro. P. Varno At Waverley Masonic Centre.

• 7.30pm. Masonic Caravan Club. LINK Meeting ID: 763 8342 1746. Passcode: 4xYjAU
Tuesday, March 16
• TBA. Brunswick United Lodge. Ballot, First Degree (double). At Brunswick Masonic Centre.
• TBA. Combermere (English Constitution). No meeting this month, meetings to start in April.

• TBA. Elrona Lodge. First Degree. Closed Meeting. At Greensborough Masonic Centre.
• TBA. Mildura Lodge. Second Degree. 
• 10am. Dallas Brooks Daylight Lodge. Talk: Peter Russell, The A-Model Ford. At Wangaratta Masonic Centre.
• 6.30pm. Footscray St John’s Lodge. Installation by 2021 Team. At Sunshine Masonic Centre.

Wednesday, March 17
• 7.30pm. Quarterly Communication. At Freemasons Bayside. Details TBA.
Thursday, March 18
• TBA. Samaritan Lodge (Daylight). Open and close, business meeting, vote for Master Elect. At Ivalda Masonic Centre.
• TBA.Albert Victor Lodge. Open and close, business meeting. At Ivalda Masonic Centre.
• 7pm.Prospect Hill Mark Lodge. Talk: Ian Brown. Attire: Members – jacket and tie, Visitors – smart casual. LINK

Friday, March 19
• TBA. Diamond Valley Lodge. Second Degree (double). At Diamond Creek Masonic Centre.
• TBA.Army Lodge. Open and close, planning for ANZAC meeting in April. At Ivalda Masonic Centre.
• 10am.Bairnsdale Daylight Lodge. At Bairnsdale Masonic Centre.

Saturday, March 20
• 3pm. Star of the East Lodge. Installation by Gippsland Team with Richard Elkington. At Freemasons Omeo.
Monday, March 22

• 7pm. Metropolis Lodge. First Degree. At Brunswick Masonic Centre.
• 7.30pm. Masonic Caravan Club. LINK Meeting ID: 763 8342 1746. Passcode: 4xYjAU

Tuesday, March 23

• TBA. Admiral Collingwood Lodge. Second Degree. At Ivalda Masonic Centre.
• 7.15pm. Middle Park Lodge. 60-Year Jewel to John Hanby. At Freemasons Melbourne.

Wednesday, March 24

• TBA. Weston Street United Lodge. First Degree. At Brunswick Masonic Centre.

Thursday, March 25

• TBA. Revival Lodge. First Degree. At Greensborough Masonic Centre.
• 7.30pm. Creswick Havilah Lodge. Second Degree. At Creswick Masonic Centre.

Friday, March 26
• TBA. Grand Installation Rehearsal. At Freemasons Bayside.
• NIL. Lodge of Research. No meeting this month.

• NIL. Endeavour Lodge. Online. No meeting this month.
Saturday, March 27
• TBA. Grand Re-Installation. 2021 Team. At Freemasons Bayside. Details TBA.

• 2pm. Huon Daylight Lodge. Installation by 108 Team. At Freemasons Wodonga.
Sunday, March 28
• 10am. Masonic Advancement Program. First Degree. 11.30am. Second Degree.1pm. Third Degree. At Greensborough Masonic Centre.
Monday, March 29
• 7.30pm. Masonic Caravan Club. LINK Meeting ID: 763 8342 1746. Passcode: 4xYjAU

Wednesday, March 31
• 7.30pm. The Great Debate. NSW v Victoria. ‘Is a belief in a god necessary to be a good Freemason?’ DETAILS Meeting ID: 889 1705 1154

Thursday, April 1
• 7.15pm. Ivanhoe Grammarians Lodge. First Degree. Ceremony of the Vacant Chair. At Ivalda Masonic Centre.

Friday, April 2 – Good Friday
• All Day. Collections for Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.
Saturday, April 3 – Holy Saturday
• Holiday Weekend

Sunday, April 4 – Easter Sunday
• Holiday Weekend
Wednesday, April 7
• 6.30pm. Glenroy Lodge. Installation by Team with Andrew McPhee. Essendon Masonic Centre.

Thursday, April 8
• 6pm. Gordon Lodge. Installation by 2021 Team with Tony Bucca, supported by John Rodrigo. At Essendon Masonic Centre.
Saturday, April 10
• 3pm. Gippsland Lodge. Installation by 2021 Team with Richard Elkington. At Sale Masonic Centre.

• 4pm. Benambra Lodge. Installation by 108 Team with David Keame. At Tallangatta Masonic Centre.
• 4pm. Duke of Connaught Lodge. Installation by 2021 Country Team with Chris Scott. At Korumburra Masonic Centre.
• 4pm. Stewart Lodge of St Arnaud. Installation of Neville Wharton by the 2021 Country Team. At St Arnaud Masonic Centre.
• 5pm. Lodge Concordia.  Installation by 2021 Team with Felix Pintado. At Latrobe Valley Masonic Centre.
Sunday, April 11

• TBA. Earl of Dunmore Lodge. Installation of Tony Meechan by Rob McGregor. Richard Elkington at Festive Board. At Freemasons Bayside.
Monday, April 12
• 5pm. Carisbrook Lodge. Installation by 2021 Country Team with John McTaggart. At Freemasons Carisbrook.

Tuesday, April 13
• 10am. Allara Lodge. Installation by Magenta Team with Leonard Kelly. 
Thursday, April 15
• 9.30am. Sale Daylight Lodge. Installation by Gippsland Team with Chris Scott. At Sale Masonic Centre.
Friday, April 16
• TBA. South Australian Grand Installation.
Saturday, April 17

• TBA. South Australian Grand Installation.

• 4pm. Koo Wee Rup Lodge. Installation by South Gippsland Team with Paul Vassil. At Koo Wee Rup Masonic Centre.
• 4pm. Rupertswood Numurkah Lodge. Installation by North East Team with David Blake. At Shepparton Masonic Centre.
• 4pm. Zetland Lodge. By 2021 Country Team with Bob Jones. At Freemasons Kyneton.

Sunday, April 18
• TBA. South Australian Grand Installation.

Monday, April 19
• 10am. Eureka Daylight Lodge. By 2021 Country Team with John McTaggart. At Ballarat Masonic Centre.
Tuesday, April 20
• 6.30pm. Ballarat-Yarowee Lodge. Installation by 2021 Ceremonial Team. 75-Year Jewel to Bill Messer. 65-Year Jewel to Max Matters. At Ballarat Masonic Centre.
• 6.30pm. Moorabbin Lodge. Installation by 2021 Team. At Bayside Masonic Centre.
Friday, April 23
• TBA. Lodge of Research. Truncated Version.
Saturday, April 24

• 3pm. Garibaldi Lodge. Installation by 2021 Lodge with Matt Donato. At Essendon Masonic Centre.
• 4pm. Prince of Wales Lodge. Installation by 2021 Country Team. At Smythesdale Masonic Centre.

Sunday, April 25 – ANZAC Day

• Throughout Day. Dawn Service, Marches across Victoria.

Monday, April 26

• 9.30am. Derrimut Daylight Lodge. Installation by 2021 Team with Richard Elkington. At Freemasons Sunshine.

• 6.30pm. Baxter Lodge. 2021 Team with Tony Bucca. At Frankston and District Masonic Centre.

Tuesday, April 27

• 6.30pm. Mt Franklin St George Lodge. Installation by 2021 Country Team with John McTaggart. At Freemasons Daylesford.

Videos

• Freemasons Victoria Change Management. (11:32) WATCH
• Freemasons Victoria Membership VAT Video. (06:26) 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

Grand Communication on video

• Wayne Smith advises that the Grand Communication for Mark Master Masons and Royal Ark Mariners may be viewed from tonight on thisLINK. The event was held last night (Wed.)

Change Management progress

• Prof. Stephen Duns was recorded an 11-minute video to explain the progress of the Change Management Team. WATCH

Communications Successes

• Steve Simpson, his brother Richard, were successful in winning valuable publicity for the handover of the Myrtleford temple property to Scouts Victoria. The event won a photo-news story on the front-page of the Myrtleford Times, as well as prominent coverage in the Border Mail.

1889 Bequest Society

• Neil Cripps of the Freemasons Foundation Victoria that several people have already asked to become Foundation Members of the 1889 Bequest Society. More details are available at this LINK

• The Society won full-page publicity in the 35 areas covered by The Local Paper across Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula, and peri-urban areas, as well as in the Melbourne Observer. The media space was donated.

Step Up To Clean Up

• Russell Sincock of Cohuna Lodge advises: “I am looking for help this Sunday morning to help clean up the roadside from Cohuna toKoondrook. Trying to put Freemasonry on show in the community. Meet at Cohuna Lodge Hall. Sunday, March 7: 8.30 am for registration. Gloves and hi-vis vests and bags supplied. Phone: 0429 968 075.”

Masonic Mailbag

• Bruce Paroissien writes about the change of FVNews to be published twice weekly: “Sounds like a good idea to me. It was great to have it daily while we were all locked down but as life gets back towards normal we are getting busy again. You also need people to give you content so it looks like a good balance to try between content and effort to create it.”
• Andrew Timming (Bank Place Lodge) writes: “We’ve never met before, but I wanted to extend a very warm Masonic hand to you to say thanks for the excellent work you’ve done putting together this newsletter. It is an invaluable service to Freemasonry in Victoria and I take my hat off to you. Perhaps we will run into one another someday.”
• Jodi Wilson writes: “I am very pleased to hear that you are now pacing yourself; that you will be giving us consistency of publication days and continuing your excellent quality output. (That overly long sentence needs editing but I don’t have time today.)”

100,000 Newsletters Milestone

• Peter Crick speaks off his wife: “Deidre has been compiling and sending out District Newsletters since my term of District Co-Ordinator, which began in March 2001. She has not kept track of the actual edition numbers, but I know that there has been one every month (having not missed many, if any months) for 20 years. So, I estimate that for the 20 years x 12 months there have been approximately 240 issues. Over the time, the email contact numbers have slowly grown with now over 450 newsletters being send out every month, and only a few being returned due to change of address. Using today’s circulation numbers that would be over 100,000 newsletters distributed for the benefit of Brethren and families. Quite an achievement and congratulations to her.”

Did You See It?

• Paul Brennand, Chair of the Membership Volunteer Action Team,has recorded a short video. WATCH 

Note on Robbie Burns
• John Rebbechi writes: “I was surprised to read in FVNews this morning that the location of the Lodge room where Robbie Burns was initiated into St David’s Lodge is unknown. Anyone familiar with the masonic history of Robbie Burns would know that it was in the room above the hotel in Tarbolton where the young Robbie Burns had, the year before, formed a debating club that he named ‘The Bachelors Club’.  The building was handed to the National Trust of Scotland in 1938 and now operated by the National Trust as a museum known (not surprisingly) as ‘The Bachelors Club’.  I visited there in 2014 and received an informative personal tour by the guide who was also aFreemason and hence very knowledgeable on Burns’s masonic connections.”

World News

• A visually stunning 225-year-old Masonic apron, originally belonging to a member of the short-lived Belle Aire Lodge No. 14, which met in the town from 1794 to 1796, is to go on show. The Capital Gazette (Annapolis, Maryland, USA) reports that this is the first time in over two centuries that this one-of-a-kind artifact will return home to the town of Bel Air.” READ MORE

Next Issue on Monday
•  FVNews will now be published twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays. We will review this decision after Easter.

New Subscribers
• We are building FVNews to be a vital guide to Masonry in Victoria. You can have your free copy emailed to your inbox. Use the ‘Subscribe’ option at www.FVNews.com.au 

Sincere Thanks

• Amongst those who assisted with contributions (and encouragement) to this edition of FVNews have been: James Jolly, Bob Orr, Philip Mayers, Artie Blake, Ange Kenos, Bruce Paroissien, Bob Jones, Richard Smith, Andrew Timming, Geoffrey Hyde, Neil Martine, Wayne Smith, Steve Simpson, Jodi Wilson, Murray Luxford, Don Cameron, Jeff Cripps, Neil Cripps, Rodney Lavin, John Rosenberg, Silvio Mignone, Geoff Partridge, Daidre and Peter Crick, David Heazlewood, Rahim Samat, Ross Broad, John Rebbechi, Colin Peterson, Eric Williams.

We Want To Receive Your Summons
• Lodges can assist FVNews 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
• Bro. Simón Bolívar fought for South American independence from the Spanish empire and became a president of both Colombia and Peru. He was initiated as a Freemason in Cadíz, Spain and graduated to the 33rd degree of Inspector General Honorary.

Masonic Knowledge
•  “Several authors have attempted to link the Templars to the timeline of Freemasonry through the imagery of the carvings in Rosslyn Chapel inScotland, where the Templars are rumoured to have sought refuge after the dissolution of the order. In The Hiram Key, Robert Lomas andChristopher Knight describe a timeline starting in ancient Egypt, and taking in Jesus, the Templars, and Rosslyn before arriving at modernFreemasonry. These claims are challenged by Robert Cooper, the curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland’s library and museum, in his bookThe Rosslyn Hoax.” – Wikipedia

Masonic Wisdom
•  “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” – Bro. Henry Ford

The Last Word
•  There is more than one Eastbourne. Eastbourne is the name of the property development in East Melbourne on the site of the former Dallas Brooks Centre. In the UK, the Eastbourne Herald reports that Freemasons havedonated to 12 tablets (computer) to help train lifeboat crew volunteers at the Eastbourne Royal National Lifeboat Institution. READ MORE

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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DISCLAIMER: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text of FVNews belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the United Grand Lodge of Victoria (Freemasons Victoria) organisation, committee or other group or individual. Readers should take all steps necessary to ascertain that information you receive from FVNews is correct and has been verified. FVNews assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. The information contained in FVNews is provided on an “as is” basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timelinessAttachments areaPreview YouTube video Freemasons Victoria Change Management Stephen Duns Mar 3, 2021Freemasons Victoria Change Management Stephen Duns Mar 3, 2021Preview YouTube video Freemasons Victoria. Paul Brennand, Chair, Membership Volunteer Action Team. Feb 26, 2021Freemasons Victoria. Paul Brennand, Chair, Membership Volunteer Action Team. Feb 26, 2021