An Anniversary Message

Worshipful Brothers and Brothers,

[Yesterday marked] the anniversary, to the day, of the founding of St. John's Lodge No. 11 one-hundred and seventy-five years ago.

The year was 1846, and the day was also Tuesday. The Liberty Bell would crack in three days when being rung to commemorate George Washington's birthday, and the Associated Press would be founded (in New York). The United Grand Lodge of England was only 33 years old, and the beginning of the American Civil War was still a "distant" 15 years away (April 1861). And lastly (for this message anyway) the Smithsonian Institution would be founded roughly six months later.

All of these memorials are to say that St. John's Lodge has been around through the beginnings of innumerable august events. Our Lodge is a direct connection to this legacy, and those of us who have ascended the oriental chair have worked diligently to ensure our legacy remains for future generations of Masons.

As we approach our celebration (June 26th) I hope that each of you will reflect on what St. John's Lodge has meant to you, your predecessors, and what we can do to ensure we remain accessible and strong so that our legacy may serve to inspire future Masons, and share the Great Lights of the Architect for another 175 years and beyond.

Fraternally yours,
WM Jason Lee, PM

March 2021 Virtual Communication

Brethren, we had a fabulous Stated Communication in February, and I want to once again thank W.B. Goldman for his time and presentation. I suspect he will be receiving a follow-up invitation sometime soon! The lecture (and I am told almost all of the topics offered by W.B. Goldman) dealt with the hidden and esoteric meanings of the symbols and images we are surrounded by in Masonry.

But we are not always shrouded behind confusing vails of code and allegory; sometimes the meaning is very clearly spelled out. The purpose of a Blue Lodge is to make Masons, and Masonry’s purpose is to make good men better. The message of providing relief and charity to our Brothers, and more especially their widows and orphans, is one of the cornerstones of this fraternity of ours. Well, I am here to tell you that you are also useless to the aid of anyone if your own health, mental and physical, is suffering.

During the nearly full year of our pandemic experience, we have constantly been reminded to look out for our own health; build our routine around healthy choices, get up and MOVE, drink less (or a little more), or take a

nap. This has been difficult for me personally, but I’m making progress. So I challenge you to choose one aspect of your life that you can work on improving, something simple and achievable, and work towards that

improvement. Then, help someone else. This isn’t a resolution, it’s not even a real challenge, it’s just a reminder that to get back to those fundamentals and focus on the “obvious messages” that surround us every day. And in doing so, we might be better men and Masons.

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestleboard available here. More info here.

February 2021 Virtual Communication

Happy New Year Brethren! As the times continue to change, I’m confident none of you will have difficulty remembering to date your checks correctly; not that anyone other than W.B. Treasurer uses checks anymore…

In the coming months, I hope to undertake the same enriching and engaging events we had planned for our “pause year,” but we first need to get past the vaccination stage. So, until such time as in-person events are again allowed, we will continue to hold virtual meetings. For our February Stated, W.B. Adam Goldman will be giving a new lecture on Astrology & Freemasonry; a hither-to unwitnessed lecture, for the enjoyment of the brothers of St. John’s Lodge No. 11!

As we move further into the Masonic Year, I look forward to hands-on events like … Fellowcraft and Master Mason Degrees! ... specialty lectures, and even fraternal opportunities like brunch in a real restaurant, or meeting for a broadcast sporting event! (Spoiler: it is extremely unlikely we will have a March Madness event this year.) Let’s keep our health and our wits about us and we’ll see what unfolds!

[Don’t forget our 175th anniversary on June 26th! Official invitations still forthcoming!]

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestleboard available here. More info here.

January 2021 Virtual Communication

Across all religions, geopolitical boundaries, and ethnic backgrounds, observing the passing of the longest night of the year is marked by celebration. These observations over the millennia become traditions: bringing of light into our homes, sharing of feasts with friends and family, or hauling an evergreen tree into our living rooms and watching it slowly wilt… all of these traditions have one important message at their foundation, "we made it."

Brethren, as we meet for our next Stated Communication, we will have passed all of these observational milestones, and indeed even into a new year! And in our new year, there is no more important observation than "we made it." There have been some high costs for our making it this far, and the road has not by any means ended, but we now know we CAN make it. And, just maybe, there's less road ahead than behind. For every blessing you have experienced, please be thankful, and to every brother you can provide relief, provide it. Helping each other is a cornerstone of Masonry.

Thank you all for the opportunity to serve as your Worshipful Master in the coming year. I'm looking forward to having one full year of activities…. spread over the two years of my service! So let's buckle down and get through this (together)!

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestleboard available here. More info here.

December 2020 Virtual Communication

Brethren,

[I]t is my honor to accept my continued service as Worshipful Master for your Lodge in 2021.

The past Masonic year has proven to be challenging for the events I had hoped to host! And the introduction of virtual lodge procedures had, regrettably, left my ritual practice lacking. But 2021 is a new year, and I am revisiting the mission I set out early in 2020; ritual practice, fraternity, and enrichment. To that end, our Pillar Officers have already begun regular practice sessions for opening and closing degree work. Likewise, our fraternal opportunities continue.

In addition to our virtual Stated Lodge meetings (please join us for our virtual installation of officers on Dec. 4th!), we have collectively begun incorporating “alternative” options to routines.

One example I am happy to advertise is the National Christian Choir, which is holding their socially-distant “worship-not-a-concert” service for the Christmas season on Nov. 21st in Frederick, MD. I had the opportunity to watch our own W.B. Karl Gruel at last year's performance, and it was impressive and enjoyable! While the 2020 performance will be a smaller scale option, I know it will be none the less enjoyable. Modestly priced ($2.50) tickets are available for sale (tickets are required for social distancing reasons) at nationalchristianchoir.org, and, if it fits into your schedule, I strongly suggest you and your families attend.

Likewise, if any of you have suggestions for ways we can hold safe events in the coming months, please do not hesitate to offer suggestions! 2021 represents the 175th anniversary of St. John’s charter as a Lodge in the D.C. Grand Lodge jurisdiction. So keep your calendar reserved for Saturday June 26, 2021, as we will be sail-ebrating (sorry, I couldn’t help myself) upon the Elite Private Yacht on the Potomac River! Details forthcoming.

Lastly, I want to thank all of my past and incoming officers for their service. It’s been a confusing year and we have all shown a level of flexibility that astonishes me every month. I look forward to the adventure ahead of us in the coming months!

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestleboard available here. More info here.

November 2020 Virtual Communication - Elections

Virtual Lodge Elections: The link will be emailed to you Tuesday, November 3rd, mid-morning before the meeting. Voting will be online only. Voting will be active until the Master closes the ballot during the November 6th Communication. 

When reflecting on the similarities between the forms and rituals of Freemasonry and our Federal Government, you will see many artifacts that can raise eyebrows if you're paying attention. Nothing shocking as may be accused from the depths of the internet, but subtleties like the oaths of office. 

Lost on no one however the importance of the election process is. "One man, one vote." And while Masonry isn't confused by the electoral college, we are still strongly bound to elections. And for the first time in the history of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, every single member will have the opportunity to vote, even if they are not present in the Lodge! This is a "virtual absentee ballot," if you will, and it is unprecedented. 

Fortunately, our election is far less divisive than our nation's election, but your participation is still a signal to your Lodge of the direction YOU wish it to go. 2021 marks our Septaquintaquinquecentennial (175th) anniversary and, the Grand Architect willing, a return to in-person Lodge events. So, what better way to ring in our celebration than to participate in a little history in the making! Make sure you can log into Grand View, and, if not, contact W.B. Secretary Anand Trivedi who can help sort that out! 

Sincerely and Fraternally, 
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestleboard available here. More info here.

October 2020 Virtual Communication

Serendipitous: Adjective “occurring or discovered by chance in a happy or beneficial way. A serendipitous encounter.” 

As mentioned during our September Virtual Stated Communication, the occurrences that have unfolded relevant to our Lodge, our very enriching instruction (thank you WB Bressman!), and communications with fellow Brothers in Texas, was nothing less than serendipitous. Now, I don’t mean “funny, I just mentioned Pizza and suddenly Facebook is trying to sell me a pizza oven”... that’s just creepy ever present smart devices… (Side Eyes to Alexa…) 

This has further cemented my understanding that the importance of Freemasonry isn’t exclusively the ritual, the lessons, or bylaws. It’s the connection we have with our fellow Masons. It’s the groundwork from which our relationships can grow. If you don’t know how to “A” or where you could “B”, there’s a very real chance someone in our network does. 

To that end, if you haven’t heard about the Masonic Information Platform (MIP), please take a moment to sign up (and get the Grand Master’s Pin as a special reward/incentive) by sending your email and information to Bro. Tolga Kelebek, mipmoderator@gmail.com. 

The MIP uses the Slack platform to help connect talents with needs. So, if you’re looking to get something done, or do some done-ing, take a look at the MIP! 

I truly hope to see as many of you as possible at our next Virtual Stated. First Fridays have never been easier than during the pandemic, and I hope all of you can take this opportunity to connect (or re-connect) with your brethren! 

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee 
Worshipful Master 

Full Trestle Board available here. More info here.

September 2020 Virtual Communication

As Worshipful Master, I have continued the tradition of handwriting (as best as I can manage with my monster-fingers) Masonic birthday cards for our Brethren. For those of you who have already received such a card, you can attest to this process, the rest of you will just have to wait for your month to roll around! The process has been very rewarding, helping me understand the depth of our membership and the full scope of our geographic “footprint” on the nation. The most gratifying is when I receive communication back, particularly from Brethren I have never had the opportunity to meet personally. 

Each exchange has been different. One exchange was entirely by text message, while others have been through mutually missed “phone-tag” voicemail, and the occasional “olde’ tyme” phone call! With the impact that our individual response to the pandemic has had, these interactions have really helped me see beyond the edge of my trestle board and into the membership of our lodge. Each conversation has included a strong invitation to attend our virtual meetings; an opportunity our geographically distant Brethren should have (and have to great success) been taking advantage of while we are authorized to do so. 

In spite of the ease with which a virtual meeting can be held, or perhaps because of the omnipresent nature of virtual meetings during our isolation, I am not seeing as many of you as I would hope. So this month’s message is a personal challenge to you all who have read this far: If you have not attended our virtual communications, please reach out to me and make every effort to attend our next Virtual Stated Communication (Friday, September 4th). If you have been attending (and you have my thanks) please reach out to a fellow Brother and make every effort to open a dialogue and invite them to attend. 

The length of our individual cable-tow dictates our involvement in the Lodge, and I will always defend that right for each individual. But with our current virtual meeting process it has never been less of a time commitment than it will be right now. So I ask that you reevaluate your own cable-tow and heed to and abide by this call to action. Impress me with your attendance, and I will do everything in my power to reward you with an entertaining and informative meeting! 

To this end, I am pleased to inform you all that during this communication, we will be having a presentation by Worshipful Brother Jacob M. Bressman, Past Master of La France Lodge No. 93 and a representative of the Grand Lodge's Committee on Education & Service. W.B. Bressman is active in both the York Rite and Scottish Rite, along with various invitational and honorary Masonic side orders. He focuses his Masonic research efforts on the esoteric philosophies, history, rituals, and mysticism of Freemasonry. He will be presenting his paper, originally published under the Grand Lodge of DC's Pythagoras Lodge of Research I-REAP Awards Program, titled "To Unite in One Union with Oneness: The Path to God as Taught by King Solomon," which promises a deep examination of the Kabbalah and its relationship to the building of King Solomon's Temple. If you have ever wondered how the Holy Temple is connected to the Universe and the Human Body, or what its role is within the Legends behind Masonic Mysticism, then definitely join us for this exciting presentation! 

Sincerely and Fraternally, 
Jason Lee 
Worshipful Master 

Full Trestle Board available here. More info here.

August 2020 Virtual Communication

Special Announcement: St. John's Lodge No. 11 will continue to host our monthly meetings virtually. For the foreseeable future, invitations to join the meeting will be sent via email to all Brethren for each month. 

“The greatest gift that God grants us—the ability to change the trajectory of history.” 

― Dexter Palmer, Version Control 

Our Virtual June Stated meeting was, by all measures, an historic event. While we had limited ability to truly experience the art and ceremony of the Masonic experience, we did manage to move some particularly … frustrating… updates to our bylaws. While these updates still have a long journey ahead of them as they pass through the review of the Grand Lodge, we have completed our portion of this process. 

As I have previously mentioned, Masonry does not change quickly; believing that change for change sake is wasteful, and that which is set in stone is not easily altered. And yet, as with our bylaws, change is often needed. As we have been writing our own Masonic history, we are also witness to (and many participants in) significant change in our communities and nation. 

To quote from our Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons, Michael D. Nicholas, Sr., statement on the destruction of the Albert Pike statue in our Nation’s Capital, “By looking forward instead of backward, we make progress in improving ourselves and our nation as we strive to build a more perfect Union.” Of note, we're building a more perfect Union, which means there is always time for improvement of our design. Through this process, we as Masons must remember that conflict is not the preferred path to a solution. Every perspective is valid to the individual’s position. Through questions, not questioning, we can better understand other perspectives and in doing so help to find an equally accommodating path to a solution. 

This concept of engaging in active discussion, not questioning or confronting others, has been an ongoing process for me personally. And one I hope to continue to improve. It is easy for me to mistakenly slip into “Devil’s Advocate” when I should simply be impartial. 

So Brethren, as we approach our August Virtual State communication, I challenge each of you to choose something in yourself to improve; be it your EA Catechism, our Opening and Closing ritual, or just being a better listener. 

Sincerely and Fraternally, 
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestle Board available here. More info here.

Special Announcement - June 2020 Virtual Communication

St John's Lodge No. 11 will be hosting a virtual official meeting to vote on the bylaws and conduct any other needed business. In accordance with the guidance of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, only Brethren who Register will be able to attend. 

Prior to the meeting, all active Brethren of St. John’s Lodge No.11 will receive an email from the WebEx system. This email will contain a link to register for the meeting. You MUST register for the meeting PRIOR to the meeting. Please do so no later than JUNE 4TH. If you do not register, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND. 

*If we do not have your email, or if you do not have email, please contact Brother Secretary for alternate instructions.