The Trestle-Board

Broad Ripple Officer's Installation Photos

Photos from our officer's installation are now available online at:
http://www.brlodge.org/images/installation/installation2005.html

We've added a calendar

which can be viewed at http://cal.brlodge.org .

This calendar also feeds the "Upcoming Events" box to your left.

Happy Birthday, Brother!

January 13th was Junior Steward Jay Deford's 20th birthday, so we celebrated with a birthday cake. Brother Deford is the grandson of Mary Leggett and our deceased brother Cliff Leggett.

A Special Thanksgiving

The morning had an icy chill, as wisps of snow still clung to the grass. A broken bicycle lay on its side on the porch. A puzzled face peered out of the window at the stranger that climbed the steps, looking for the address. After the knock, a long silence followed, then locks clattered open and the door opened slightly. The small, tired-looking woman looked at the stranger, then at the bags he held in his hand. "Happy Thanksgiving," he said, smiling, and handing her the sacks with the styrofoam containers that held a small feast for her and her children. She blinked, and looked momentarily bewildered, then the face brightened with gratitude. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you, and God bless you!"

The Grand Architect of the Universe had indeed been hard at work that special day.

Thanksgiving Day started in the wee, predawn hours of the morning at the Prince Hall Masonic Temple at 2201 N. Central Avenue in Indianapolis. Although no longer the home of Oriental Lodge #500 F&AM, its original owner, this majestic building nevertheless continues to be filled with fellowship, fraternity and true brotherhood. Each year since 1983, the eight Lodges of the Central Districts of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Indiana have gathered to cook, serve and deliver Thanksgiving dinners to homeless, sick and shut-in members of the Indianapolis community. This year, Broad Ripple #643 was honored to join with our PHA brethren in this outstanding program. A dozen members of Broad Ripple and several of their ladies were on hand to help bring almost 450 turkey dinners with all of the traditional trimmings to needy families all over Indianapolis—almost twice as many as last year's event.

The phone started ringing at 9:00AM, and deliveries came and went all morning, to every part of town. So many brethren and OES ladies worked together on this day that they are literally too numerous to mention, but the preparation, serving and delivery of so much food was performed with friendship, fun and, most of all, cooperation in pursuit of a common goal: Freemasons working side by side to help our fellow men.

Special thanks to Wbro. Michael Ricketts, WM of Fidelity Lodge #55 for his kind invitation; to MWBro. Michael Chappell, DDGM of the Central Districts; to the members and Masters of Central #1, Trinity #18, Waterford #13, Meridian #33, Southern Cross #39, Fidelity #55, Sumner A. Furness #61, and C.R. Richardson #69, PHA for hosting and organizing this huge event; to the many members and Grand Lodge officers from both organizations who helped smooth the way for this and future cooperation; to our members Kurt Massey and Will Saylor for their work the previous Tuesday cooking turkeys and dressing as part of our donation, and one of our newest members, Wayne Pinkerton, for providing several hams; and most especially to Sister Anne Robinson, District Deputy Worthy Matron, Central District PHA, who ran the tightest kitchen this side of the Navy.

While it certainly took money to provide for so many people, it was the more important donation of time and hard work that made this day a bountiful success to folks in need. WM Lee Hargitt and the members of Broad Ripple all look forward to next year's event, and what we hope will become a long tradition.

For more photos, CLICK HERE.

Broad Ripple Hosts Feast of St John

Broad Ripple Lodge No. 643 hosted a Feast of St. John (the Evangelist) on the evening of Monday, December 27, 2004.

Twenty-two Brothers were in attendance including nine (9) from Broad Ripple, seven (7) from Brookside, three (3) from Calvin W. Prather, one (1) from Brightwood, one (1) St. Luke's, and one (1) from Lodge Vitruvian.

The three (3) Brothers representing Calvin W. Prather included Brother Dan Gowin, Chaplain Tyson Johnston, and myself.

WM Todd Ebbert brought the meeting to order. Following an invocation by Chaplain Chris Hodapp, PM, we enjoyed a dinner of beef stew and corn bread.

The lesson presented was Psalm 133.

Odes sung included "Great Source of Light and Love," "Let Masonry from Pole to Pole," and "Hail, Brother Masons, Hail!"

The Box of Fraternal Assistance was passed about the room and, as a result, $100 was raised to support the Masonic Home Foundation.

Our featured speaker was Alan Milligan, Chief Executive Officer of the Indiana Masonic Home Foundation, who spoke about the Home, and projects planned for 2005.

The Masonic Homecoming is scheduled for the fourth Sunday in August 2005.

Brother Milligan's presentation was followed by seven (7) toasts to Our Country, the Holy Saints John, the Memory of Our Departed Brethren, the Grand Master, Broad Ripple Lodge, Our Visiting Brethren, and to All Freemasons Wheresover Dispersed.

We concluded with the singing of "Auld Lang Syne," the Chaplain's Benediction, and the singing of Our National Anthem.

I expressed to WM Todd Ebbert, and to PM Lee Hargitt, our thanks to the Broad Ripple Lodge, for their generous hospitality.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16 KJV)

I remain, yours, aye!

carsonsmith@aol.com
Carson C. Smith, Senior Steward
Calvin W. Prather #717

Brother Scott Lowery passes away

[This posting was originally made by Chris Hodapp on Hiram's Forum.]

Brother Scott Lowery

It is my very sad duty to report that our friend and brother Scott Lowery has been called to the Celestial Lodge at the age of 37. His mother found him dead in his room Saturday night. Scott had been having terrible leg pains for months, and had been unable to walk without a cane, but in the last few days, he seemed to feel better and put aside the cane. She found him slumped over the computer, and does not know yet whether it was a blood clot or a heart attack.

Scott became a Freemason in 2003 and joined Broad Ripple #643. I exchanged e-mails with him before he joined, and I had the honor and pleasure of presiding over some of his degree work. The one thing Scott enjoyed was that this big, disparate group of men, who might otherwise have been kept at a perpetual distance by their religious and political beliefs, could come together every week and just enjoy each other's company.

There is a very old ceremony for a Lodge of Sorrows, from the mid-1800's. The ritual is no longer used in this form today, but I wish it was. The old words say so much about Scott:

Man judgeth not of man. He whose infinite and tender mercy passeth all comprehension, whose goodness endureth forever, has called our brother hence. Let Him judge.

In ancient Egypt no one could gain admittance to the sacred asylum of the tomb until he had passed under the most solemn judgment before a grave tribunal.

Princes and Peasants came there to be judged, escorted only by their virtues and their vices. A public accuser recounted the history of their lives, and threw the penetrating light of truth on all their actions. If it were adjudged that the dead man had led an evil life, his memory was condemned in the memory of the nation, and his body was denied the honors of the sepulcher. But Freemasonry has no such tribunal to sit in judgment upon her dead; with her, the good that her sons have done lives after them, and any evil is interred with their bones...

The good Scott has done shall indeed live after him, in the hearts of his friends and brothers. Please keep his mother Nancy in your thoughts and prayers.

The brethren of Broad Ripple Lodge will perform a Masonic funeral service for Scott this Saturday, January 15th at the Flanner & Buchanan Mortuary in Carmel at 3:00PM. We know that Founder's Day will still be going on, but if you are able, please join us in this final farewell to our friend and brother, and in discharging our duty to his mother.

Broad Ripple Starts On-Line Trestle Board

With the able assistance of Wbro. Nathan Brindle, the Lodge has started an online Trestle Board. This will be published and updated as new information is available, instead of waiting for a paper and ink version. In order to save printing and postage expenses, we will be changing to a bi-monthly format for the printed version of the Lodge newsletter. But stories will be added and updated here as they happen. So, check back often!