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From the West
January Message
Brethren,
I would like to thank each and everyone who participated with the installation, the dinner was fabulous. The ladies of the lodge did a wonderful job, our heart felt thanks. Congratulations to our new Worshipful Master and his staff, I know we will do an above expected job for Collingswood Cloud Lodge. Remember Past Masters and senior members the more everyone is involved the better the degrees and the lodge will prosper. The work in progress has been seen, look at the MM degree, that was great. Remember that strength and support are the key to all institutions this includes ours, so keep our strength going strong. With that being said please come out to lodge, support our new Worshipful Master, and watch the great stuff that starts happening.
Fraternally yours,
James Boulger III, Senior Warden
December Message
Brethren, We can never learn and grow to our true potential, if life consists only of successes. Failure and error, if correctly assessed and learned from, may become a springboard to competence and maybe even greatness. A study of the lives of such men as George Washington, Horatio Nelson, James Fenimore Cooper, or Harry Truman amply illustrates this point.
This last year, perhaps, has had its share of vicissitudes for our Lodge. These have been more than balanced by our being blessed with a committed Officer Line, a class of Candidates of outstanding ability, an involved Membership, and ties to the community. Brother Boulger, Brother Perrin, and I for some time have been quietly and prayerfully working on where we would like to guide Collingswood Cloud over the next few years. For me, the answers to achieve that end mostly come from the past, and perhaps a few from positive recent experiences of other Lodges. None of these answers involves an innovation (Heaven forbid) or shortcuts. In many cases, these answers were in fact reached by general consensus by this Lodge a couple of years ago. I am no believer in theories or methods at the expense of people. All of these answers, and everything we do in Masonry, simply should be the means to an end: and that end is the education, development, and well-being of the Members of this Lodge – and of the community as a whole.
I am very grateful for your confidence and trust. In the upcoming year, I promise to serve you to the utmost of my ability.
In Fraternity,
Donald C. Elfreth
Senior Warden
November Message
Commitment, attendance, and cable tow are
concepts invariably linked in Freemasonry.
Lack of commitment on one hand, and unchecked
enthusiasm or Lodge work imposed
to early on the other hand, are, I think, two edges of
the same sword. Both edges may harm the Craft equally.
When, in the last couple of years, these concepts began to
be openly and thoroughly addressed with the post-MM
classes, our Lodge started to accrue benefits. The newly
raised Brethren appear to have a forthright understanding
of what they are able to give to the Craft, while having
been taught that they are their own best judges of the elasticity
in their cable tows. They are wholeheartedly passionate
about the Lodge and about the Craft, but realize
that it all must be weighed against health, work and family.
This is a very basic Masonic lesson, but one often not put
into practice by many of us. Not following this lesson can
foster an “all or nothing” outlook to commitment and attendance
by the members; we can hardly help make each
other better when we labor under those conditions. Combined
with the hard-won, experiential, balanced lessons we
have always taught to our degree classes, a more rational
approach to cable tow, attendance and commitment might
strike the right chord. Only time will tell for sure.
Fraternally & Sincerely
Donald Elfreth, Senior Warden
October Message
FROM THE WEST…
If any particular “theme” can be construed from the various educational talks we’ve had in Lodge so far this year, it probably
would be Speculative Masonry. I’m glad that RW Bro Foster’s talk last month prominently mentioned one of the foremost living historians of
Freemasonry and its relation to the Enlightenment era, Dr. Margaret C. Jacob, Professor of History at UCLA (and a
former professor at UPenn). Brothers who were raisedduring the last couple of years may recall that our post-
MM discussions touched on the Enlightenment and the English Civil War, and their likely or possible influences
on pre-1717 Freemasonry. Whatever your particular area of Masonic study, the factual historical basis and professionalism
of Dr. Jacob’s published works provide a necessary counterbalance to the mass of pseudo-historical Masonic
books currently on the market. I intend to recommend her books and articles to future post-MM classes.
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During this fall season, a few Brothers and I will be looking into the feasibility (if any) of our Lodge assisting, by
various means, local area public libraries and Boy Scout organizations. This will be touched upon during the October
regular communication, and then fully brought before the Craft for consideration once most of the issues are
worked out. If we decide to go forward, and should we end up going about this the right way, I anticipate that the
Brethren will have several excellent outlets to help our community - and ourselves.
Fraternally & Sincerely
Donald Elfreth, Senior Warden
June Message
When a Lodge goes “dark” during summer, I have found it to be a time for recharging our batteries, forging ahead on ritual memorization, and fixing back-logged Lodge building issues. It also clears the way for a fresh approach to conducting regular and emergent business in the Fall. During this summer, weekly EA and post-MM classes carried on full-steam, repairs were made to Lodge furniture, a blood drive was held, our Officers met for practice, and Mozart Lodge continued to settle in.
For the September business communication, RW Bro Foster will grace us with a talk summarizing 20th century Masonic authors, focusing on the life and published works of Bro Carl Claudy. In October, the director of Fort Mifflin will visit us to lecture on the famous Revolutionary War battle that occurred there; this may be followed
up in November with a weekend Lodge family trip to Fort Mifflin for on-site tours and demonstrations. Our 2012 Officer Line and many non-Line appointed positions have been settled on, hopefully with the Lodge’s blessing. I am grateful to and extremely humbled by those who wish to go forward. I don’t believe any Senior Warden could ask for better.
While our Line is important, I believe utterly that increased involvement by our non-Officer Brothers is far more critical to the longterm operative and speculative health of this Lodge. Within the next few months, if the Brethren concur, a means may be established by which we can involve ourselves in Lodge work on a more rational, practical basis, without rupturing any cabletows. To borrow a term from our Bro Bogardus, anyone who desires ought to be able take on a level of “functional responsibility” for the Lodge, which should work to the benefit of all as long as enough members contribute. More to follow soon on this important subject…
Fraternally & Sincerely
Donald Elfreth, Senior Warden
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