February 2022 Stated Communication

Greetings Brethren,

I hope this finds you in good health.

I hope all of you are doing well during this difficult time. I am deeply saddened that our stated communication in January had to be canceled. This was not an easy decision, and I thank all that provided their guidance, especially the pillar officers. That being said, it was a pleasure to have all that attended the virtual happy hour in its place – some of you missed out as the festivities went close to midnight. It was nice to see some faces that would otherwise not be able to attend due to other obligations and distance from the lodge. As we look forward to February, we are planning on conferring the Entered Apprentice Degree for some new candidates to our Lodge. I hope that many of you attend to show support. I remember whenI received this degree. There was a good crowd and everyone was excited, both brothers and candidates. I hope we can return that energy to Lodge this coming February.

At this point many of you know about my personal Discord server (Video chat room for the more seasoned members). I want to let everyone know that every Wednesday from 7:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. we meet to catch up. What we do is completely up to who shows up. Sometimes we get into deep philosophical discussions, other times we help each other become better at ritual. If you wish to attend, please let me know. There is a link to follow, and I will need to grant you permission (we can't have any eavesdroppers joining in). I encourage everyone to consider stopping by. Everyone is welcome. I hope to see you all there and in lodge in February!

Sincerely and Fraternally,
WB Stephen Motroni
Worshipful Master

January 2022 Stated Communication

Greetings Brethren,

I hope this finds you well.

A new year is upon us and with that a new line. I want to open my message by thanking those who have helped build our Lodge to where it is today – whether that is our Wardens, whom I am very thankful for, those of you who join us in Lodge when you can, and those who have left your mark building this Lodge. I thank you for making this Lodge what it is today for me to preside over for the next year.

Following that, every year I have a new year’s resolution that I have shared before, but I would like to share again. Every year I pick a topic, theme, or idea I want to learn about. This past year it was learning to be the Master (believe me, it is more than some of you think), another year it was beekeeping, and a year before that it was SQL (a computer code). This next year, I am still figuring out what it will be. I recommend it to all of you.

Pick something you don't know anything about and go learn. Take that knowledge and apply it to better yourself, your family, or your relationship with Deity. No one ever remembers what year they lost that 15lbs, or did not drink liquor for a few months, but learning something new will be with you for the rest of your life. So my one piece of personal advice I give everyone this time of year. Go educate yourself!

Sincerely and Fraternally,
WB Stephen Motroni
Worshipful Master

December 2021 Stated Communication

Brethren,

It is my honor to have served as your Worshipful Master for the past two years. While our plans did not unfold as we expected, we still managed to keep our fraternal engagement alive and even thriving over our time apart. As we focus on the time ahead, I call upon all of you to support your officers of the Lodge and help foster the environment that YOU want at St. John’s.

As I mentioned, geography will separate me from the Lodge for some time; as I will be moving to Germany for a new job sometime in 2022. But my thoughts will always be with my mother-Lodge, and I will visit as often as my cable tow’s length permits.

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestle Board available here.

November 2021 Stated Communication

What an amazing evening we got to share in celebration of our Lodge’s 175th Anniversary! But overshadowed by the cruise is the no less important voting for 2022 officers which was held the evening before. I would like to be the first to congratulate Bro. Stephen Motroni on his unanimous election to be the Worshipful Master for the upcoming Masonic year!

Over the past two years I have personally been working with the pillar officers to help improve our ritual and understanding of the Masonic processes we all observe. As I transition to my return to the JW station, I look forward to continuing these studies under our new Worshipful Master’s tutelage. I strongly suggest any of you interested in learning more about our craft make the effort to attend!

But perhaps even MORE importantly, we will be hosting actual in person pre-lodge meals at the Takoma Masonic center! Yes, starting with this November Stated we will be sharing pre-lodge fellowship in the form of a meal; so please look to the South for further information and how to RSVP for a meal!

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee
Full Trestle Board available here.

October 2021 Stated Communication

Our September Stated Communication found the lodge woefully understaffed, forcing us to open on the 3rd degree and draw-down to the 1st to allow our EA brethren to attend. I commend our officers in attendance for their flexibility, and I implore those who were unexcused; take due notice and govern yourselves accordingly.

WB Karl Gruel, Jr, P.M. receives his 50-years of service award.

Your attendance at the October Stated Communication is even more vital, as we are electing our officers for the 2022 Masonic year. The support of the Lodge is vital in this process, and we sincerely want your participation. Please make every effort to attend!

We are also looking forward to following our elections with the revelry of our 175th anniversary celebration! Many years in the making, this will be an amazing time, and I look forward to seeing many of you there!

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestleboard available here.

September 2021 Stated Communication

I became a Mason to learn how to tie a bow tie.

Now, it wasn’t exactly that simple, but to dial it down to a sound-bite, that’s what you would get.

The motivation for me was to find an organization that was dedicated to helping its members be better and have a good time doing it. And the tuxedo is an exclamation-mark of clothing; even if you’re going to the drug store in a tux, everyone will assume your next destination is somewhere exciting. But I’ve never been a fan of wearing clip-on ties. So, if I was going to wear a tux, I needed to learn how to tie a bow tie.

And once I became a Mason, I knew the tux would never be a question, because in our lodge the tuxedo is required. It is why we have always endeavored to include fraternity and fellowship in everything that we do, even in our meetings. We’re making it into something special.

But we can’t have either fraternity or fellowship if we do not have attendance.

At our August Stated, we shared in honoring Worshipful Brother Karl Gruel on fifty years as a Mason. His story of becoming a Mason, and the family that is St. John’s Lodge, was both moving and a reminder that the Lodge is what we make of it.

As we move into our September Stated, I must urge you to make every accommodation to attend. We not only want you to join us in Lodge, but we need you there to execute our business and improve our fellowship. Thus, I ask you again, please check the length of your cable tow and circumscribe your actions accordingly. I will be delivering an educational lecture on the etiquette of Freemasonry, so if you’re new (or old and rusty) I look forward to providing instruction and entertainment.

Looking forward to seeing more of you in person!

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Jason Lee
Worshipful Master

Full Trestleboard available here.

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.