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It is the time of renewal, refreshment, and remembrance of the annual promise of a new life beyond that which existed during our long, cold Winter. That promise requires nothing on our part but enjoyment of the time, itself except for those of us who have gardens or fields that need tending, when it becomes one of the busiest times for the year. Our Fraternity is not materially different from the world we live in. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the perpetuation of Freemasonry were as easy as waiting for a certain time of the year when it would occur automatically? In recognition of the fact that this is not the case, your Grand Lodge has tried to create programs to give you the opportunity to ensure your continued interest in the Fraternity and, as a result, its continued existence. Recently, you received two copies of our new booklet, "The Values of Brotherhood." The booklet is to remind you of the promise of your Fraternity in making a good man better and to show you by the experiences of others, how Freemasonry, through all of its entities, can directly impact upon you. One copy of the booklet is to serve as a guide for you, the other is for you to give to another whom you believe would make a good member. It is an extension of our great program, "Friend to Friend," to include the concept of "Brother to Brother." Should you have a story about how the Fraternity has impacted you or your family, let us know in 150 words or less and we will try to include that story in a publication to be created during this Summer. During this Summer period, we will have two events that we ask you to support and participate in. The first is the June Quarterly Communication in State College. There will be several special events at the Quarterly, including the making of at least one Freemason at-sight. In addition, there will be entertainment on Saturday, June 16, at a venue in State College. We hope that since this event is close to the geographic center of the state, you and your family will take the time to participate. A return coupon can be found by clicking here. Print, complete, and mail it and you can reserve tickets for those activities. The second is an event of international importance for Freemasonry. On Saturday, Aug. 18, we will participate in the opening ceremonies of the 2001 Little League World Series at South Williamsport, the home of that organization. We will lay the date stone for the new stadium that the Little League has constructed in order to double the number of teams participating in the series. We will unveil the scoreboard that we are providing to the Little League as a part of our $500,000 donation to them a scoreboard that will be marked with Masonic symbols recognizing our contribution. We also will unveil a statue of Bro. Carl Stotz, who, as a Pennsylvania Freemason and builder, laid the foundation for what Little League means to youth of the world today. (Click here for a related story) We hope that you and your families will take the time to make this an outstanding day for Freemasonry. In the evening, we will have an outdoor concert at Bowman Field, the home of the Williamsport Crosscutters, a farm team of the Chicago Cubs baseball organization. Dinner also will be available at the ballpark. You will receive further information about this event later, but please reserve the time on you calendars now! To support this donation, we would remind you again of the Pennsylvania Masonic Train. The train was created as a method of supporting our Masonic Charities and also to support the Little League Project. We need your help in purchasing this most unique Masonic collectable/keepsake made by a Pennsylvania manufacturer. You will have to go far and wide to obtain any train of the character and quality such as this for the price. The collectors' markets are selling the engine alone for more than the price of the entire train. A coupon for your order is found by clicking here. Brethren, we hope that you will continue to utilize the "tools" we have provided you as we look forward to continuing to serve you and this great Fraternity of ours. See you at the ballpark! So mote it be.
Sincerely and fraternally,
Robert L. Dluge, Jr., |
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Brethren:
