Bayou Fellowship Lodge No

Bayou Fellowship Lodge No. 484

(Mailing) PO Box 752 Cut Off, La. 70345

Meetings 1st and 3rd Thursdays 7:30pm, eat at 6:30pm

Practice every Monday at 7:00pm

Ignance Adams, W/M Marty Bradberry, Sec.

Second, Quarter 2002

Meetings this Month:

Enclosed is a calendar you can put on your icebox or near the regular calendar you use all the time. Since the old way really do not help our attendance, we will try this way for a while. If there is something to put on the calendar, please let me know by phone (985-693-7716) or e-mail (rdanos@mobiletel.com) or fax (985-693-8401) We also welcome all others Lodges in our District and in our State to post some event coming up. Remember we run the calendar quarterly and you must make the announcement early.

Home front news

The new meeting Hall is slowly taking shape. We wish to thank the effort of W.M. Ignance Adams and Bro. Ludger Cheramie for their hard work in supervision of the first phase of this project. The Trustees appreciate their diligence in overlooking the contractors performing their task as accurately as possible. We also want to thank Pitre Industries, especially Bro. Elmo J. Pitre, Jr. for their contribution of the outside porch area and much more to come. Are they finished yet? No, there is much more to come. Bro Elmo Jr. just recently purchased chairs for the meeting room. We found a great deal on theater seats. They are high back and very comfortable. They do need some cleaning, so if you have nothing to do come on over and clean one or twenty of the seats as needed. Help is never refuse! As we wait for more donations to finish the project, we can have all of the seats cleaned and ready for use. We also made a great deal on folding chairs, 195 for $150.00. Only thing they are yellow and could use some cleaning, another project for those who have nothing to do! We wish also to thank Bro. Donald Adams and Bro Ludger Cheramie for their work in cleaning out the back lot. This was a great task and I am sure they would appreciate some more help.

So we believe we are VERY busy in starting and finishing projects around the meeting hall. I hope that we will be reporting soon that the new hall is ready for dedication and then we go to newer things.

Is our Lodge having fun yet?

So far this year we have received and processed about twelve (12) Petitions for Degrees and five or six for Advancement. Sorry we have not been around much, but you see we are busy with all this degree work. We are also very busy in teaching those candidates and ask for more volunteers in this task. Our meetings have on the average about twenty-five members present. The FOOD has been excellent, Bro. Bobby Joe is back and feeling better. Better come early if you want to eat for when the chow line starts flowing there is rarely a go-back. Need a great buy on a meal that rates 5-stars, come to Bayou Fellowship Lodge and see for your self.

District Deputy speaks out.

Well, as I travel around our District and met officers and members from most of our Lodges and I can tell you for a fact. “Masonry is not dying out in our District ” We have three lodges, who through their generously have started and maintained schools for the kids who are inflicted with Dyslexia. MY compliments to them for the great accomplishments they have achieved. You know my Brothers the greatest thing a person can do is save a child from years of anguish and frustration. Already we see the results from the first classes that have graduated. From those classes the parents are totally convinced there is hope for their child. Just imagine how you would feel if your child is label as “Slow, hardheaded, dumb, below average” by the schools personnel and sometimes family and friends. Then a program for this learning disorder comes around and the child turns into a different person. It is that simple. Can we treat all the Kids? No! Time and money is limited, and we have to screen the applicants. Maybe if more Lodges sponsors more classes and more parents get involved then we would be able to help many more. The future is really in your hands. I was recently at a honor night at St. Charles Lodge for the parents, teacher and students of their school and to have a Mother come and thank each and every Mason personally on how much she really appreciate the efforts of our schools and the results showing on her child. This touched everyone where is counts, in their hearts. I now will promote all of our Lodges not in the program to get with it and start their own school. Can we think of any reason why-not? Is $1200.00 so hard to raise, for this is the average cost per class. I know of some Lodges that spend much more just on meals. Just think, add $1.00 to the meal kitty, average 25 members X 24 meetings =$600.00. This is already half of the amount. Now all we have to do is find a teacher who is qualified, and make room in the Lodge or find a suitable room they can use. Once set up very little upkeep, like owning a pet rock, but the rewards are priceless. Have I said enough? Sure, I may be making it sound simple, but it is only as hard as you label it.