Malta Lodge #17

Thermopolis, WY

Happenings Update June 9 & 10—Serving two breakfasts and one lunch @ the VFW State Convention.

June 17—Car show and hamburgers in State Park using Shrine trailer to serve. Proceeds being split between Shrine and MOT Club.

August 5 & 6—August Days. Tacos in the Park.

August 13, 14, 15—Grand Lodge in Gillette.

Congratulations to Sue and Clay Little's Newest Prospect. A New Masonic Year Begins

One of the greatest honors of my life has been being elected Master of the Lodge for 2000-2001.

During the coming year we hope to put into effect a program given to us by Grand Lodge officers and make it an exciting year. One of the main goals is to see growth in membership attendance by extending friendship and support to both old and new members. It would be wonderful to see the old and new ideas meet on a common ground. We have a reputation throughout the state for being the most friendly and aggressive lodge, and we hope to continue having that reputation in the future. I would appreciate your support, as it will take a great deal of it for the coming year.

(Soon to be Worshipful Master)

Tim Lippincott

The Old Year Draws to a Close

Lodge has been fairly busy this year. It's hard to believe this quarter is coming to a close.

Malta Lodge sponsored the Big Horn Master's Club this year with five lodges participating. It was changed this year from a competition to a training exercise.

We have initiated several new members with two attending a one-day class for Master Masons.

Elections of new officers was May 11. A special date to remember was May 25. Father Joe Galligan did his presentation on the Holy Land. It was a big success. His trip was sponsored by the Knights Templar. The same night we presented a 50-year pin to Hugh Voss. It was also well attended.

Instillation of new officers will be held at the end of June.

Please remember late fall and the Wedding of the Waters. Tacos in the park!

I appreciate all of the help I received from all of the members this year and wish the very best to the in-coming officers.

(Soon to be Past)

Master Dan Rowe

Malta Lodge #17

in Cyberspace

The Malta Lodge Masonic website continues to be a success. It has won six awards to date, with over 800 hits!

A new idea to create an "adopt a lodge" project has been proposed. The idea would connect US lodges with lodges over-seas. Lodges could adopt a "brother" lodge from another country and exchange mail, e-mail, ideas, regalia, books, pictures, etc.

Any suggestions are welcome. Please contact Bro. Eric at erick@trib.com or call him at home.

Tim Lippencott (present SW and soon to be WM) asked me to provide some sort if inspiring thought to the newsletter and made the mistake with the following proviso, "…it can be anything you'd like." Well, for those who know me, this can either be viewed as a great compliment … or a tragic mistake waiting to happen.

I thought long and hard about this, trying to come up with an appropriate theme. One which has some meaning as we embark on the new millennium, yet trying not to be so profound as to create more questions than just light reading. Anyway, I came across one of my favorite thoughts this past weekend. I think bit of philosophical thought is more important now than it was when President Theodore Roosevelt first penned it early last century. Titled Man in the Arena, it proposes this:

It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is ac tually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and

dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusi asms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a wort hy cause; and who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid who know neither victory nor de feat. [emphasis added]

We, as Masons, can truly appreciate the magnitude of meaning behind these words. Every one of us should consider himself a Man in the Arena because this is where the foundation of fraternity derives its

strength and character. There should be no critics within our fraternity who are standing above us pointing out errors and how we could have done things better. I am privileged to be associated with men from a special lodge who stand beside one another in the arena of life. I can look across to dust marred and sweat laden faces "on the level" with honor and brotherly love; not up with contempt or down with disdain.

I leave you with the thought that though we may err in our endeavors, no one can damn us for our efforts! Let us strive to uphold the values of our fraternity and dedicate our efforts to brotherly love, relief and charity … but most of all, charity.

Fraternally yours,

Steve Clary