George B. Wheeler Lodge #351 F.&A.M.

Posted By Admin on September 26, 2012

Brethren,

I hope everyone’s hungry tonight!
Tonight we have a FC degree, but before that, starting at 6pm, we will have Fellowship Dinner.
Chili Stew is on the menu!
Bring your Appetites Brothers.
Even if you can’t stay for the degree, please come by for dinner, and possibly the Meeting before.
(This might be a good night for other Lodges to visit…hint hint)

Dinner at 6pm,
Lodge at 7pm,
FC degree shortly after.

See you all Tonight!

From the West:
Bro. Kevin D. LeQue

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Posted By Admin on September 21, 2012

Oct. 10 — Stated Communication, Degree work pending

Oct. 24 — Stated Communication, Degree work pending

Nov. 10 — Waffle Breakfast

Nov. 14 — Stated Communication, Degree work pending

Greetings, Brethren:

Several things coming up on the calendar, so I will get right to them.

Our Waffle Breakfast will be held Saturday, Nov. 10, at the Eau Claire Masonic Center. This is a change in date and site from the original plans, but I hope it will be a change for the better. We will need volunteers to help put this on, starting bright and early; if you are available to work, please contact Bros. John Kinville (kinville.socialstudies@gmail.com), Joe Nelson (jnelson196@student.cvtc.edu) or John Van Toll (jvantoll@hotmail.com).

Tickets will be available starting the second Stated Communication of September. Please pick up a couple sheets of these, and sell as many as you can; we are dedicating the proceeds to the Pool Room Project, which will allow us to more easily have fellowship in that room, rather than going down to the basement to fix coffee, serve lunch, etc.

As such, we have invited the other Lodges in the Center to participate in the breakfast; our new DeMolay chapter will also be involved. Those who would like tickets, but are unable to get to one of the October Stated Communications, can contact me at the one of the numbers below. (Brethren from the other EC Lodges can also contact me.)

Bro. Rod Schultz has recruited several area businesses to offer coupons for the back of the Waffle Breakfast tickets, and/or donate prizes for drawings. If you know of a business that would like to get some publicity by donating prizes, let me know or email Rod at rkschultz@yahoo.com.

We are also gearing up for our annual Gun Raffle, and could use more prize donors for that fundraiser. Contact Dan Marcon at dmarcon@sbcglobal.net if you have something to donate, or know someone else who will.

Also coming up is our annual coloring book sales at Oakwood Mall. We need to fill shifts starting Black Friday, Nov. 23, and continuing on Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 23. There will be a signup sheet in the anteroom of the Lodge before the Stated Communications, or you can contact Bro. Gary Stang at glstang@sbcglobal.net to volunteer. Also, the books make nice gifts for those on your shopping list; contact Gary if you’d like to buy some in advance of the regular sale.

Scott Thomson, W.M

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Posted By Admin on August 29, 2012

REUBEN’S MEMORIAL SERVICE

Hello everyone. It is an honor that Shirley, Reuben’s wife, asked me to say a few words today. I told Shirley that I would try and keep it short, so here goes. My wife Jan and I moved-in next to Shirley and Reuben in 2001 and I must say they have been great neighbors. While we met their kids before, we really just got to know them these past few weeks.
Whenever I went out to get the mail after work and disappeared, Jan knew that I had stopped by to say hi to Reuben. And as you know, there was never a short visit with Reuben. He was just so interesting, I could listen to him until I lost track of time.
One time a few years after we moved in, I mentioned to Reuben that I had a Lodge meeting that evening. To my surprise, he mentioned that he was also a Mason. Turns out we both belonged to the same Lodge, G.B. Wheeler #351. While Reuben could no longer attend Lodge meetings, he still maintained his interest and membership in our Lodge.
For our Masonic newsletter, I write articles called the Member Spot Light, which Reuben had read. I asked Reuben if I could write an article about him and after several evenings in his shed, I had a pretty good article I thought. When Reuben saw that article, he said he would prefer that I not publish it, being the not-so-public kind of guy he was. So I said it would be a great obituary, which he agreed-to. So finally, that article will be in our September newsletter, the Temple Trestle Board (afterwards I decided that this Memorial Service would take the place of that original article, as Reuben’s obituary did a great job describing his life and family). However when Shirley saw my original article, being the quiet, private person she is, she asked me to not mention her. So if you want to hear how Reuben and Shirley met, you will have to ask her. However one thing Reuben mentioned in my original article, I would like to repeat today because it was so touching and heart-felt. I wrote “Shirley is as interesting and energetic as Reuben, which is saying a lot. In fact, Reuben told me this article should be about Shirley, not him, because she is so interesting. Shirley is very supportive of Reuben’s ever-changing hobbies, which have included, at one time or another, guitar playing, hunting, metal detecting, arm-chair mountaineering, wood working, yard work, arts and crafts, computers and his old tractor. And of course there is Scooter, Reuben and Shirley’s beloved dog”.
One of my fondest memories of Reuben was when he was walking Scooter around their yard and singing to his MP3 player. You could just see his his true-self then.
Well, I know that Shirley wanted me to keep it short – that is one reason she did not want a full Masonic funeral. But I think Reuben would enjoy at least a portion of a Masonic funeral, a part that has perhaps the most meaning to me and would fit Reuben’s personality:

“The acacia, or evergreen, is a symbol of eternal life. It is with certainty that our bodies shall fail and we will, as is the fate of all men, quit this mortal world. It is with equal certainty that the spirit shall go where the grave has no dominion and death no power.
          The body of our brother we commend to his Creator (deposit evergreen).
          We commend his spirit unto God who gave it (right hand raised).
          And we will cherish his memory in our hearts (hand to heart).
And now let us unite in prayer:
Supreme Architect of the Universe, Let Brotherly Love strengthen and cement us at this time of loss. May the promise of eternal life comfort us and all who held Reuben dear. Let us go forth into the world being made better for having known Reuben. We have been given the tools to build our earthly temple, may we ever live and work so that when the final role is called we may hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.” May we go now with hope and peace in the knowledge of your love. Amen. “
By Bob Sloan

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Posted By Admin on August 23, 2012

“No news is bad news”

Sept. 12 ‹ Stated Communication, Degree work pending
Sept. 15 ‹Lodge Leadership and Planning Workshop, Chippewa Falls,
Oct. 10 ‹ Stated Communication, Degree work pending
Oct. 13 ‹ Waffle Breakfast
Oct. 24 ‹ Stated Communication, Degree work pending
Greetings, Brethren:
I hope you all had a great summer, and were able to rest and
refresh yourselves while we were Dark in July and August. We will resume
Labor Sept. 12, and likely will have plenty of work to do.
That includes, probably, a Fellowcraft Degree on our first night
back. We have several Entered Apprentices we need to Pass, and I would like
to get those cleaned up yet during my term in the East.
Also, if you currently occupy a chair, or expect to in the
future, I recommend you attend the Lodge Leadership and Planning Workshop
that will be held Sept. 15 at the Chippewa Falls Masonic Temple. This was
formerly called the Warden¹s Workshop; I attended it last year, and it is a
good experience for those who are looking to go through the Chairs.
On Sept. 12, I hope we will be distributing tickets for this
fall¹s Waffle Breakfast. The date and site for it are still unsettled, but
it appears likely it will be in early November.
Speaking of going through the Chairs, we are facing something of
a problem with our leadership positions. We congratulate Brother John
Berthold on landing a job, but unfortunately it likely will take him out of
town. With our current Senior Warden¹s work conflicts, this leaves us
effectively with only one elected officer, that being yours truly, available
for Stated Communications ‹ the constitutional minimum ‹ and a disruption in
our progression of officers. This will need to be addressed in the next two
months, before we elect officers for 2013.
In closing, I look forward to seeing you when we resume labor in
Sept. 12. We have some challenges ahead of us, and we will need all hands on
deck, or as many as can help, to deal with them.
Scott Thomson, W.M.

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Posted By Admin on June 19, 2012

Trestle Board:
June 27 — Stated Communication, Master Mason Degree
July 7 — Community Table
July ? — Special meeting, Degree work pending
August ? — Special meeting, Degree work pending
September 12 — Stated Communication, Degree work pending
September 26 — Stated Communication, Degree work pending
October 10 — Stated Communication, Degree work pending
October 13 — Waffle Breakfast
Greetings, Brethren:
This will be my last message before GBW 351 goes dark for the summer. Although we won’t be holding Stated Communications the next two months, we likely will hold several Specials, in an attempt to catch up on our backlog of Degree work and get some of our candidates Raised.
I have received a call from one Lodge Brother objecting to the practice of holding Specials while we are dark for the summer. I would certainly appreciate input from other of the Brethren who share this opinion, before I start trying to schedule July and August meetings and lining the personnel for Degree work.
Conversely, if you will be available to take a chair, or give an Address, Charge or Lecture the next two months, contact me. Absent some groundswell of opposition, or a total inability to put on Degrees, we’re going to try to get caught up.
Also coming up is the last of our work shifts at Community Table, on July 7. We fell down on our last assignment — the fault is partly mine — and we need to need a full crew for the next one. I think we need to have a conversation about our participation in this program — I was unaware when I became Master that we are expected to make a cash contribution every time we provide volunteer workers, perhaps problematic considering our fundraising situation — but that’s down the road. First we need to meet our obligations; if you will be available to join me in working Community Table that day, please contact me.
Please note that we have tentatively scheduled a Dad’s Belgian Waffle Breakfast for Oct. 13 at the Shrine building.
In closing, I hope all our Brethren have a safe and enjoyable summer. If you can’t participate in any Specials we hold, I’ll look forward to seeing you when we resume labor in September.

Scott Thomson, W.M

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Posted By Admin on April 19, 2012

 Brethren of Lodge 351:

Before our Master Mason degree on April 25, we will have dinner and fellowship at 6 pm. The meal will be handmade pizza
from the business of our newest-made Entered Apprentice, Troy Peters, of Troy’s Gas and Grub in Independence. Hope you can be there ‹ and please let
the Worshipful Master know if you can participate in the degree work that evening.

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Posted By Admin on April 12, 2012

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Posted By Admin on March 12, 2012

Greetings Brethren,

Two Communications from WM Scott Thomson,

First:
Otis Franke called concerning the request/suggestion thatGBW’s Community Table dates be switched to Saturdays.
He was able to to that, and I will include the info in my next bit in the Trestleboard.
But one of the dates is before the next edition comes out,
so Please take due notice of  The changes which are:
March 8 becomes June 9; May 24 becomes May 26,  and Oct. 24 becomes July 7

Second:
Brethren,
We don’t have a candidate ready for degree work Wednesday.
We will be reading three petitions, and voting on the one that was read at the last Communication.
See you Wednesday,
WM. Scott Thomson

Brethren of GBW #351,
Your Attendance is Earnestly Solicited and Appreciated.

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Posted By Admin on February 19, 2012

This coming Wed. Feb. 22nd @7pm we will be Doing a FC Degree.
All Officers and Line Position Brothers are to take due notice, and be ready.
IF you can not make it, please contact WM Scott, or one of the other officers and let them know.
Contact information is in the Trestle Board.

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Posted By Admin on January 19, 2012

Brethren:
Our new Masonic Year is off to a good start — which means there’s
lots to do!
Feb. 7 and 8 is the District 2 School of Instruction. The first night
is at Chippewa Falls No. 176, and our Lodge is not responsible for any
degree work. Still I hope as many Brethren from GBW No. 351 as
possible will attend; if nothing else, in case we need to help the
Brethren from Sanctuary, who have to do the EA First Section.
Our Lodge is responsible for Closing in EA on Feb. 8, so I hope that
all of our officers will be able to attend and participate. (Because
of the School of Instruction, there will be no Stated Communication
that night.) I hope all Brethren of the Lodge who are able will attend
the School; if you haven’t been to one before, you will find it a
worthwhile experience. Our District Lecturer, Harold Christensen,
makes them enjoyable and informative.
We will also be responsible for the meal to be served Feb. 8, so
we’ll need some volunteers to show up early to help prepare. Please
contact me , or Wayne Cowan.
The other items on our agenda for the year ahead include whether to
hold another Waffle Breakfast, staffing the brat stands and by-law
changes. If you can volunteer for the breakfast or the brat stands,
please let me know; we will have chairmen for those events by the time
you read this.
Also, please don’t forget the gun raffle. If you have tickets sold
and money to turn in, get them to Jerry Spies or myself, or bring them
on the evening of Feb. 8, which is when the drawing will be held. If
you have unsold tickets, please move them — this is a very good
fundraiser for the Lodge, and an opportunity to engage friends,
neighbors and co-workers in a conversation about Freemasonry, because
the proceeds go to support good works in the community.
Hope to see you in Lodge on Feb. 8, and if not then, on Feb. 22.
Scott Thomson, W.M.

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