The Grand Lodge Of Texas is well represented at Waller Masonic Lodge this year. We have two members who are District Deputy Grand Masters. Brother “Bob” Podvin, DDGM of District 108 and Brother Gary Mosmeyer, DDGM of District 30D. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Waller Lodge had it’s 112th Birthday and Christmas party December 19th.. A good time was had by all and those not there were greatly missed.

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Two Fifty Year Awards were given at the December Meeting to Brother Frank Stevens of Houston Lodge #1189 and Brother William Rowefrom Waverly Lodge #61 in Missouri. Brother Maurice Tucker had his 50 yr. award mailed to his home. Brothers Ed Locklear and J. Fred Loofs received their 25 years awards.

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The bad weather really dealt us a bad blow this year for our 3 day Civil War Reenactment fundraiser at the Liendo Plantation. After all of the bills were paid and the profits were divided with our partner, Waller Lodge, we had only made $921.90 for each Lodge. That was only 37% of last year’s $2,576.00 profit per Lodge, so the bad weather really hurt us.

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SICKNESS AND DISTRESS
Please say a prayer for,

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Brother Wayne Schultz had a pace maker installed.in December.

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Brother Ed Locklear went to the hospital the week before Christmas with a 104.7 temp. He had an internal infection.

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Corky, Nellie and Valerie endured the Holiday season with what I’ll have to call bad colds since there were no swine around and we had to miss the Lodge Christmas Party.

It rang in good times and bad, at sunrise and sunset. And if its metal could talk, it would recall the beginnings of Fort Worth and the settlers who forged what would become the city and county seat on a bluff facing the Trinity River.

No one really knows exactly how the 16-inch bell thatwas cast in London in 1782 made its way to North Texas, but its caretaker, Fort Worth Masonic Lodge No. 148, has kept it safe and an active part of the community since the 1850s. Local historians believe that the bell, which is kept at the Masonic Temple on Henderson Street, is one of the oldest historic treasures left in Fort Worth.“It has a clean history," said Clara Ruddell, who works for the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau and is a local historian and member of the Tarrant County Hitorical Commission. "[Pioneer] JC Terrell wrote about the bell and who brought it here, and we have the bell itself. He [the bell] can’t come with a better provenance."

In early days, bells were used to alert residents of the newly formed settlements in the West. Historic documents say the bell was central to the growing community and served many purposes: It announced the stagecoach; it ushered out the old year and welcomed the new; it was the fire alarm, it called people to eat, rang for weddings, urged students to school, and tolled for deaths and funerals.

Back then, the newly formed Fort Worth had no other bell than the one that belonged to Lawrence Steel, part of the group of 10 men who organized the first Blue Lodge, which became Lodge No. 148, the first Masonic Lodge chartered in Fort Worth in 1855. They met in a room above a tavern and hotel run by Steel at the northwest corner of what was then the public square. That area is on the bluff near the 1895 Tarrant County Courthouse, at Belknap and Main streets.

Bob Holmes, curator of the Masonic Temple Library & Museum, with "Mason." The bell was cast in London in 1782 and brought here in 1855.

"Those early settlers and organizers included Julian Feild, Capt JC Terrell, Capt EM Daggett, John Peter Smith and Col Middleton Tate Johnson, according to Reminiscences of the Early Days of Fort Worth, by Terrell.

Steel kept the bell at his hotel until 1871, when it was purchased by the Lodge and its school. The bell eventually became known as the Masonic Bell, and today the fraternity affectionately refers to it as "Mason."

"The brotherhood helps keep the memory alive," said Robert P "Bob" Holmes, a master Mason and curator of the Masonic Temple Library & Museum. In keeping with its rich tradition, officials included the bell in the dedication of the Fort Worth Police and Firefighters Memorial on 5 June, said Kevin Foster, research director for the memorial. Mayor Mike Moncrief opened the ceremony by ringing the bell to announce the names of the firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty. Their names are etched on the granite structure in Trinity Park.

Foster spent hours researching histories for the memorial. His mission became clearer when he discovered how the bell was used in the death of Deputy City Marshal Columbus C Fitzgerald on 25 August 1877. He was shot and "mortally wounded" when he "tried to quell a disturbance near the Cold Springs Race Track on the city’s north side," according to historic accounts. He died the next day.

"At the time of his death, the fire bell began tolling the news. A lynch mob formed, and 12 men were made special officers to guard the jail," historic accounts indicate.

" "Knowing what I knew [about the history], it became a goal to get that bell for our dedication," said Foster, who is also historian for the Fort Worth Police Department and secretary of the Police Officers Association.

Since then, Mason has been invited to various events throughout Tarrant County and has been used at several weddings held in the cathedral at the Masonic Temple.

" Holmes said. "A couple tolled the bell three times for 'I love you,’

Mason also holds a special place in the hearts of Holmes and Ruddell. It was Ruddell’s inquiry about the bell for historic purposes that opened the door for her and Holmes to meet on 12 July 2004. The pair have been together ever since. Inquiries The Masonic Bell is available for events. For information, call Bob Holmes at 817-999-2590. "

A Book Review

Freemasonry continues to pique and hold communal interest. The interest is so high, that popular fictional thrillers were created to engage the widespread pangs of curiosity. Jeffrey Lewis author of a new book release; believes a lack of knowledge of freemasonry's origins, contributes to the Freemason mystique. Lewis states "It is time to unveil the source of the esoteric thrill, Ancient Egypt, by satisfying the hunger of the inquisitive with non-fiction. Revealing the symbols and their meaning will bring significance to the 'artifacts' viewed in 100 museums around the world, offer an alternative perspective to already written books, and the likely re-write of 'Googled' Egyptian mythology." The genuine and original Freemason Symbols are "lost" along the Banks of the River Nile, Egypt in plain sight. They are 'lost', only insofar as they are not understood in the Current Era. For 5000 years, the Symbols remain un-deciphered except to those of religious stature in Ancient Egypt. Jeffrey Lewis' soon to be released book; 'The Untold Religion of Ancient Egypt' exposes the Symbols and their meaning. The research discovers that the Symbols serve separate groups of Ancient Egyptians, very differently. Similarly, current-day translated hieroglyphics also reflect allegorical 'doublespeak' and have alternative meaning. Together, the symbols and hieroglyphics reveal a religious format, supportive of all groups within the 'Ancient Egyptian' society.

An independent Llumina review praises 'The Untold Religion of Ancient Egypt'…

"In its current form, it is a solid work of scholarship; its combination of a unique and fascinating argument with convincing evidence will make it a valuable resource for future studies.

One thing I'd particularly like to commend you on is the research involved in this manuscript; you draw on a deep well of information which was clearly meticulously sought out and studied, and readers will recognize and appreciate that tremendous effort. I was also impressed with the variety of sources—you don't simply rely on one or two reference points but a wide array of historic and modern texts. This lends an additional air of credibility and authenticity to the work as a whole".

The stunning non-fictional investigation reveals an alternative religion hitherto unknown or unrecognized throughout the world."

Suggested Retail Price: US$21.95, CAN$21.95

A Book Review

On February 22, 1910, George Washington’s 178th birthday, Masonic leaders from across the nation met in Alexandria, Virginia and formed an association for the purpose of building a great memorial to honor America’s foremost Freemason.

On February 22, 2010, the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association, will be a day of great festivities. In honor of the occasion, the Conference of Grand Masters of North America, hosted by the Grand Lodge of Virginia, will be held in nearby Arlington. Delegates will attend the Association’s Annual Meeting and celebrate the 100th Anniversary and Washington’s 278th birthday at the Memorial. At the Annual Meeting, a new portrait of George Washington as a Freemason will be unveiled. Painted by local artist, Christopher Erney, the portrait will be a new interpretation of Washington. Prints of the portrait will be available at the meeting.

Complementing the portrait is a new video. It presents George Washington as the inspiration for the founding of America and explores the founding of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association. Underwritten by the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma, it will be available on DVD and as a download from the Memorial’s website for Masonic education. The Memorial's new logo to commemorate the occasion was also designed by local artist Christopher Erney. The logo combines the Washington Family Crest with numerous Masonic symbols. Its Square and Compasses is taken from the Memorial’s 1923 cornerstone affirms the Association's motto "In Memoriam Perpetuam" as it supports Freemasonry in a new century of service.

Following the Annual Meeting, the International Order of DeMolay will rededicate the colossal bronze statue of George Washington in Memorial Hall and reaffirm the role of DeMolay young men in Freemasonry. The statue was a gift to the Memorial from the DeMolay and 2010 marks the 60th Anniversary of its unveiling by President and Past Grand Master Harry S. Truman. On display during the celebration will be the Trowel and Gavel used at the 1793 Cornerstone Laying of the United States Capitol by George Washington and the 1752 Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 Bible upon which a young Washington took upon himself his Masonic obligations.

The new White House Stones Exhibit will be inaugurated at the celebration. Each stone in the exhibit is marked by one of the Scots Masons who helped build the White House in the 1790s. The stones were discovered during the restoration of the White House by President Harry S. Truman in 1948. President Truman had the stones labeled and one was sent to each U.S. Grand Lodge and other Masonic organizations. The Exhibit reassembles nearly 50 stones.

The Exhibit also includes minute books from Lodge No. 8 of Edinburgh recording the stonemasons’ marks and noting those who have “gone to America.” A matching Minute Book of Federal Lodge No. 1 will show those Scots masons forming the first lodge in 1793 on White House grounds. The exhibit is supported by the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, Valley of Washington, Orient of the District of Columbia, and by the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of the District of Columbia.

On a bitterly cold winters morning a husband and wife were listening to the radio during breakfast. They heard the announcer say, "We are going to have 8 to 10 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the even-numbered side of the street, so the snowplows can get through."

So the good wife donned her winter clothes and dutifully braved the cold and wind and moved her car.

A week later while they are eating breakfast again, the radio announcer said, "We are expecting 10 to 12 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the odd-numbered side of the street, so the snowplows can get through."

The good wife went out and moved her car again.

The next week they are again having breakfast, when the radio announcer said, "We are expecting 12 to 14 inches of snow today. You must park..." Then the electric power went out.

The good wife was very upset, and with a worried look on her face she said, "Darling, I don't know what to do. Which side of the street do I need to park my car on so the snowplows can get through?"

After much deeper thought than he was accustomed to, the husband replied, "Why don't you just leave the car in the garage this time."