June 2012
Aloha Brethren,
Time flew so swiftly . . . and we soared and glided. The first half of the year proved to be very productive. We continued to effectively deal with the challenge of running our meetings and degree work in a room three times smaller than our Masonic Temple. We can take pride of our collective achievements in the past months -- from our usual undertakings to our new initiatives. We have raised 3 Master Masons, received 2 affiliations, and initiated and passed several more who are now on their Masonic journey.
The Masonic education for members, HMC seminar for officers, and our participation in the Schofield Lodge Masonic Instruction speak of our commitment to learn more about Freemasonry beyond the ritual. I thank WM Dennis Ing for conducting these sessions.
Our support for public education was also manifested in our Adopt-A-School program at Aiea Elementary School and participation in the Read-Aloud program at Puuhale Elementary School. We continue to invest in the youth by maintaining our $10,000-Scholarship for deserving and needy college students.
Community service and involvement were evident in our agenda. Our participation in the Great Aloha Run was phenomenal with over 100 Masons passing water to over 30,000 runners and walkers. The Keiki ID event during the Filipino Fiesta at the Kapiolani Park attended by thousands of people was also a success. These activities have created opportunities for us to come face-to-face with the community as Freemasons, and have made the latter learn more about us.
Some of our brethren have decided to advance their Masonic participation by joining other Masonic bodies such as the Mystic Shrine, Scottish Rite, and York Rite. We wish them well. There is much to learn from these other bodies and they certainly enrich a Mason’s network.
We cannot be myopic and parochial. Hence, we have made efforts to cultivated interlodge relations and learn from our brethren beyond our lodge. Some of us have visited other lodges in their stated meetings and degree work. Early this year, Hawaiian Lodge officers flew to Kauai to perform a 3rd degree conferral and raised a new brother. Our Lodge also entered into a “twining” relation with LuzViMinda Lodge in the state of Washington.
We took time to show our love and appreciation for our wives and sweethearts – our extensions, who continue to understand and inspire us. We also honored the widows in our Lodge and showed them that we care for them. These we did at our Sweethearts’ Ball and Widows’ Night.
And we have not forgotten our brethren who have departed this life. We have honored them with our work on the columbarium and the Memorial Day observance.
It is an impressive list of undertakings that we have achieved together and I thank all the brethren who have contributed in every manner to make them happen. Let us keep the momentum.
Finally, I like to remind the brethren that Hawaiian Lodge will go dark on June 13 and 20 as we are awaiting the final completion and turn over of the Honolulu Masonic Temple.
May Brotherly Love prevail and every moral and social virtue cement us.
Fraternally,
Brother Raymund Liongson
Worshipful Master, Hawaiian Lodge
