MASTER'S MESSAGE APRIL 2012

WB Chris Gunnell

Greetings from the East!

1. I am the representative of my Lodge and of all Free and Accepted Masons. Whatever I do or say reflects directly upon myself and my fellow Freemasons everywhere and our good works.
2. I am responsible for what my Lodge and Freemasonry represent. They can be no more than what my fellow Freemasons and I make them.
3. I should not criticize what my fellow Freemasons do for Freemasonry unless I have a better suggestion and I am prepared to do it myself.
4. I must remember that the fact that I bear the name, Master Mason or Freemason, is not enough. I must continue to be worthy.
5. My fellow members and I are our Lodges and Freemasonry. Without our active support they cease to exist.
6. My Lodge does me a favor by calling upon me. I am not doing the Lodge a favor by serving. It is both an obligation and a privilege to help the Lodge and Freemasonry.
7. I should treat my fellow Freemasons with the same respect, honor, and understanding that I would like to receive from them.
8. It is not a right to be a Freemason, it is an honor. I should respect that honor by abiding by all of the precepts of my Lodge, my Grand Lodge, and Freemasonry as a whole.
9. Whatever differences my fellow Freemasons and I may have, we are all bound together by the bonds of our loyalty to The GAOTU, our families, the Lodge, and Freemasonry.
10. The willing Master Mason and his understanding family are the lifeblood of the Lodge and Freemasonry.

Principle vs. Principal

Worry, like a rocking chair will give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere. -Vance Havner

One of the tenets of Freemasonry, one of its principles, is charity. We masons pride ourselves on the fact that we are a philanthropic organization. We donate with the best of them. Warren G. Harding #260 has a very established and distinguished history of charity work. I am grateful for this and am most proud of my lodge. This pride makes it all the more difficult to write this. I am worried about our principal. I am speaking of the principal monies we use to fund the lodge. Our principles are intact, but our principal dwindles. At some point, we need to favor one over the other, just a bit, to ensure that WGH #260 can actually support all of the tenets of our craft. This balancing act can be a bit tenuous and is always laden with emotions. I have always fancied myself a realist. For those of you who know me best, you know that I cannot hide what I am thinking. I will always let you know what I am thinking, sometimes to my detriment. Right now I am thinking that we need to protect our principal. Bottom line: We have X amount of funds in the bank. We spend Y amount each year and make Z amount in interest. Y is greater than Z. This means that X is getting smaller each year. Basic financial law states that to increase X, you must either collect more or spend less, or both.

William Arthur Ward said, The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. Warren G. Harding Lodge #260 needs to adjust its sails. You will be hearing more about this very soon. Right now is a dark time in our country. The economy is wounded and isn't getting better quickly. However, the optimist in me remembers what they say, The shadow proves the sunshine. I hope that we can all work together to make the necessary sacrifices to keep our craft alive for many more generations in Poulsbo.

Our Masonic game night is gaining in popularity. We had tables with Texas Hold 'Em, Pinochle and Cribbage going in February. For March, the game night will be on the 31st. I hope to see you all there.

Fraternally,

WM Christopher Gunnell