August 2021 Stated Communication

Our August and notable Septaquintaquinquecentennial (175th) Anniversary is *just* around the corner on Saturday, October 2nd! There is very limited space, so we are offering tickets to St. John's Lodge members first, but we will be opening the tickets up to everyone as time progresses. So, if you want to secure your space, including a delicious meal, 175th memorabilia, and access to our charity auction, you'll want to submit your R.S.V.P. and payment as soon as possible. You can email us at 175@stjohnslodgedc.org and receive further instructions. I cannot stress enough that space is limited, and this is a once in a life time opportunity!

The Lodge anniversary is paramount in our planning, but as we come out of our dark-month of July, there are so many items to plan for on our trestleboard. We will be balloting on candidates, receiving petitions, passing EAs to FCs, and generally seeking fellowship wherever we can. So in addition to looking forward to seeing you on the 175th cruise, I look forward to seeing you in Lodge on August 6th. We will be using modified event policies – meaning everyone please wear a mask when in public spaces or within 6 feet of each other.

Masks are optional when seated in Lodge so long as you maintain 6 feet of separation. [Editor's note: modified per new guidance from the DC Mayor's Office] And we will not be offering meals – so Masons, feed thy selves. But in spite of these restrictions, we will be holding our first in-person stated communication this August, and we are really looking forward to some special events that evening. (Wink wink)

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestleboard available here.

June 2021 Virtual Communication

“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” -Winston Churchill, 1942

The words of our Masonic Brother Winston Churchill [initiated into Studholme Lodge (now United Studholme Alliance Lodge) No. 1591 on 24 May 1901] feel appropriate for our present condition, both as a lodge and as a nation. As we continue to see vaccination number climbing (perhaps not fast enough, but up nonetheless), we are also approaching the opportunity for us to re-open for in- person Masonic activities! But we would be fools to assume that as our nation claws out of the isolation stage of this pandemic, that we are returning to an entirely open condition.

The Lodge, and our nation, will continue to look different than we remember it. It is possible we will see face masks far more abundantly for the coming years than we ever envisioned here in the United States. We can hope that an increased attention to hygiene and hand washing will have an unintended positive impact on all our lives! Here in the Lodge, the biggest difference will be the return to in-person meetings, currently anticipated for our August Stated Communication!

But, just as Churchill predicted that the British victories in Egypt in the Autumn of 1942 were merely the beginning of a turn towards Allied victory, our return to in- person meetings will still impact our behavior. Meals, if served at all, will be “box lunch” style; independently packaged for each Brother and accordingly... more expensive. So, we will likely go to a strict R.S.V.P. for meal model, when we do restart our dinners together. Masks and distancing will still be required, limiting our ability to advance candidates through the degrees... but not canceling it.

On the subject of degrees, St. John’s Lodge No. 11 has decided that we will concentrate on the Fellow Craft Degree for the foreseeable future. This not only means that our long-waiting Entered Apprentice Brothers will advance, but that we are offering two opportunities for the EAs from other Lodges to take the next step under our Lodge. We will need volunteers to participate in this process, but the senior officers have already committed to preparing for the Second Degree by September Stated! So please be ready when we call for participants!

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestleboard available here. More info here.

May 2021 Virtual Communication

Brethren,

At our April Stated, I took the opportunity to provide a lecture on “Why the Master Wears a Hat”. (Spoiler: no one really knows, but we do it anyway!) During the course of my research and our conversation after the lecture, we learned that a subscription to the Masonic Service Association (MSA) is only $12 per year!

Why this remarkable price? Because the MSA publishes “The Short Talk Bulletin,” which was the foundation for my lecture. If anyone is interested in learning more about Masonry, there is no easier way to get started than the very easy to digest Short Talks they offer. Their website is: https://msana.com/ and, as soon as I finish writing this bulletin, I will be signing up for a subscription. And they also offer the Short Talks as a podcast!

All of this is derived from the Master’s obligation to the Lodge to provide education to the brothers. Sometimes I have arranged a lecture from qualified lecturers, while others are provided as impromptu discussions. So as you advance through your journey in Masonry, I do urge you to remember it is an educational experience for yourself and, if you’re a remotely eligible expert, perhaps for your brothers!

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestleboard available here. More info here.

April 2021 Virtual Communication

It is my distinct honor to serve as your Worshipful Master for the 175th anniversary of St. John’s Lodge No. 11. We are a part of history. As mentioned in my special anniversary message, it is our purpose to ensure that we continue to be part of our future, as much as we celebrate our past. To that end, the leadership of the Lodge has decided the best path forward, for our health and safety, is to postpone our celebration from June 26 to October 2, 2021. The weather should still be in our favor, and the calendar still honoring our anniversary! So please re-pencil in your calendar that we will be celebrating a little later in the year!

With that said, as our restrictions begin to ease and more and more of our friends and family are getting vaccinated, please do not drop your vigilance. While we may be out of the worst of the storm, we aren’t out of the impact yet. Be safe, be healthy, and please above all take care of each other!

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestleboard available here. More info here.

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.