Brethren, As the hourglass reminds us that our time here is finite, the sands are draining quickly on our year together! The next two months gives us only three regular meetings before our Installation of the 2020 Officers! I have always looked forward to this time as a Mason here at Olive Branch as I’ve […]
Brethren, Welcome to October! I have always viewed this month as one of change, shorter days, turning leaves, colder nights and birds gathering for their southern winter vacation flight, and of course Scotchtoberfest! Change is something we Masons should be intimately aware of when we came from darkness to see the light. No doubt this […]
Brethren, Welcome back! We got a lot done over the summer: redoing the Fellowship Hall floor and repainting both the Fellowship Hall and Kitchen and a great landscape clean-up on probably the hottest possible day of the summer! I wish to offer my sincere thanks to all those who came out to help with these […]
Serv-ice “The action of helping or doing work for someone.” “Millions are involved in voluntary service” synonyms: act of assistance, good turn, favor, kindness, helping hand; assistance, help, aid, offices, ministrations “he has done us a great service” The definition of service can take many turns and have many meanings. I was honored this past […]
Brethren, First and foremost, on behalf of Olive Branch Lodge no 16, I wish to congratulate RW Gary J. Olsen on his election to Junior Grand Warden of the Most Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons for the State of New Jersey. Olive Branch Lodge will always be a home for you […]
Brothers, April… Wow! Has it gone fast for you? It has for me; perhaps a bit too quickly. I have thoroughly enjoyed being with you all so far and, well, I want to slow it down. There’s so much more we need to do together! At the closing of each regular communication, during my final […]
Brethren, Another month is behind us in our Masonic journey this year. We’ve managed so far to bring four Brothers to the craft in our first Entered Apprentice degree of the year. During the closing after the degree, I had asked the Senior Warden how should Masons meet. His response was, “on the level”. I […]
Brethren, Well, we made it through our first month and what a month it was! We’re just beginning our journey this year and I am looking forward to what we can all accomplish together. In learning my ritual this month, I kept running into the phrase ‘worthy men’ and it has stuck in my mind. […]
Brethren, It is my honor to serve you from the East this year! I am very fortunate to have such dedicated and strong men and Masons to accompany me on this journey through 2019. Many look on the New Year as a chance to improve ourselves, our situations or a new opportunity for change. Although […]