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GWMSC Annual Meeting - Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018
Members' annual
chance to receive the Master of Philately for free.
2018 President’s Message
The annual meeting
of the GWMSC will be held on Sunday, February 25th in the George Washington Masonic
National Memorial beginning around 1:30 p.m.. After the cover sale and
exchange an election will occur after the conferring of the degree on all
candidates at the actual meeting starting at 2 p.m.. Our cachet chairman
should have another beautiful cover for the event, along with a printed
program. There will be an election of officers. Hopefully some
member will be willing to take over as president as your current president has
held that office long enough.
There will be a
number of very valuable collections available for sale, including one that was
turned over to your president during last summer. Though not well
organized, there are many Masonic covers and cachets along with a significant
collection of Isle of Man stamps. In addition to the original collection,
the sheet of the Isle of Man Triennial celebration sheet of the Grand Lodge of
England will be added to the original collection, which is being added to
collection. Two additional Isle of Man Triennial celebration sheets which
were obtained at the Grand Lodge of England will also be available for $30
each. There will be a number of albums up for sale many belonging to your
president that have been collected over the years. It is a time in his
life to start downsizing. There will be many items of interest for the
club members for purchase. Of course we will have the usual door prizes.
This past summer
the BALPEX meeting was to say the least strange. The program for
the meeting was “Actors in WWII.” Those with stamps were noted, as well
as the Masons. Prior to the meeting announcements were made and there
were a good number of non-Club members who showed up with interest in the topic.
NO GWMSC CLUB MEMBERS WERE PRESENT, with the exception of your
President and his beautiful wife Charlene Gatewood (thank you Charlene for your
continued support). Unless there is a significant commitment from the
membership to attend BALPEX, there may not be another meeting at BALPEX
despite the club’s long association with the exhibition. The decision
will rest with whoever is elected president for the next two year term of
office.
Considering the
poor attendance at BALPEX the post meeting dinner at Theismann’s will NOT have
an outside speaker. Your president will do a talk about his visit to
London and attendance at the Grand Lodge Triennial. In case you are not
aware, on October 31, 2017 the Grand Lodge of England celebrated its 300 anniversary.
Prince Albert Hall seats over 5,000, was the focal point of the
celebration. The “over flow” crowd, which your president was a part, sat
in the Grand Lodge watching a live telecast of the program on a projected
screen which itself was over 15 feet tall. The program was
outstanding. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience which hopefully
will be of interest to all at dinner. Remember wives and non-Club members
are welcome to attend the dinner which usually starts around 4:40 p.m. A
separate Triennial slide show has been developed should any of your Masonic
bodies wish a more formal presentation.
It is hoped many
of you within a 75 mile radius will be able to attend the Annual Meeting.
It should be fun. There will be at least one candidate for the degree and
the fellowship is always enjoyable.
Fraternally,
Walter Benesch, President, GWMSC
Home page: Http://GWMSC.tripod.com
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Addendum from the Secretary, added following the death of Brother Gerald Ford,
38th President of the United States - for your information:
Brother Gerald Ford was made a Royal Arch Mason, at site, in the Oval Office of the White
House while serving as President of the United States. Long-time GWMSC members Herman Lichty, Walter Godby, and Marvin
Fowler, three of the highest ranking Royal Arch Masons in D.C. at that time, were three of roughly 12 participants
at that ritual where only Royal Arch Masons were admitted. Brothers Lichty, Fowler and Godby long preceded
Brother Ford to that house not made with hands; all are certainly missed because of their fine examples on earth. May
we strive to exhibit in our own daily lives the fine examples these brothers set. A photo of these RAMs at this
ceremony is on display in a small room on the Royal Arch floor of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial building
in Alexandria, Virginia. Be sure to look for that photo, and several of the commemorative Gerald Ford RAM covers, on
your tour of the upper floors of the GWMNM building!
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