From the East,

Come one, come all, to the Tuesday Dec 7^th meeting preceded by chili, corn muffins and good fellowship to welcome our newest Brothers fresh from the One-Day-To-Masonry held on Nov. 20^th. The event will kick off at 6:00 p.m. and then we will follow with the lodge meeting at 7:30 p.m.

Please help in making this a special night to show our new Brothers the excitement of our Fraternal Bond. Also a special thanks to Brother Secretary, Randy Maluchnik, for escorting these Brothers at the One-Day, and to all whom attended the Shrine Hospital presentation on the same day. What a great time we had!

Gordon E. Bane - WM

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Property Committee Report

We plan to set a date at the Tuesday Night December meeting for looking at the Lodge’s stored furniture to decide what to keep. All committee members please bring their calendars to help in selecting the best possible date.

Doug Sell the City Administrator for Jordan and I reviewed many possible sites for a lodge. There are some industrial park locations and some commercial buildings in the downtown area that could work with some restoration. The committee will recommend that we begin working with a real estate agent.

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Secretary’s Corner

Greetings from the Secretary. It was very rewarding to attend the "One Day to Masonry" last Saturday. I urge all to attend that event in the future for a great Masonic experience. The following Brothers will be celebrating birthdays during December: 4^th Walter Brueshoff, 7^th Bill Boyle, 13^th Gordon Clough, 15^th David Willemssen, 19^th Scott Guss and Wallace Perry, 20^th Jim O’Connor, 22nd Steve Dixon, 23^rd Eugene Dodge and Jacob Janikowski, 27th Stan Dircks and Orison Hahn, 31^st Steve Sorenson.

The annual dues are coming in at a good rate. Keep the dues coming. I apologize for entering the wrong amount on some annual dues statements. Thank all for assisting me in correcting this error.

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Financial Committee Report

The financial committee meeting has been changed to Dec. 3, at 7:PM location is the same, Robert Davis SR home 310 West St. Belle Plaine. As of Dec 7th 100,000 will mature from CD investments, we plan to invest this at 6.25% for one year and receive a monthly interest check for operating capital for our lodge. A full report shall be given

Dec.7th at our regular lodge meeting.

Charles Richter – Financial Committee Chair.

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WHEN IS A MAN A MASON?

When he can look out over the rivers, the hills, and the far horizon with a profound sense of his own littleness in the vast scheme of things, and yet have faith, hope, and courage-which is the root of every virtue.
When he knows that down in his heart every man is as noble, as vile, as divine, as diabolic and as lonely as himself, and he seeks to know, to forgive, and to love his fellowman.
When he knows how to sympathize with men in their sorrows, yea, even in their sins - knowing that each man fights a hard fight against many odds.
When he has learned how to make friends and to keep them, and above all how to keep friends with himself.
When no voice of distress reaches his ears in vain, and no hand seeks his aid without response.
When he knows how to pray, how to love, and how to hope.

(Anonymous)
Dick Friend, LEO

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Publications and Committee

The Publications and Promotions Committee met on October 21^st and developed a mission statement and a budget for 1999-2000. We will also be working on our directory for the lodge and we will try to call brothers and get some information so that we can have an updated and complete directory of the members.

We are still looking for people who would want to help on our committee. The biggest thing that I see is helping to put the newsletters together for mailing and with the promotion portion of the group. Please call me at (612)707-0135 if interested in joining our committee.

Deadline for the next newsletter is on December 21. Send me any articles that you would like to add by the date above. You can mail me something to add at the following street address:

667 E Burnsville Parkway

Burnsville, MN 55337

Or at the following e-mail address:

ska@quixnet.net

The publications committee would like to ask the ladies of the Eastern Star to help us. Those that are affiliated with the lodge and received this newsletter. To pass the information from the Worthy Matron that is included in this newsletter along to those that are not affiliated with the lodge. We are currently working on receiving a list of those Eastern Star members that are not affiliated. Unfortunately, we have not completed that task in time for this newsletter, but plan on having done for the next one.

Steven D. Scheffert – Publications and Promotions Committee Chair.

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An Invitation:

We have been invited, by the Worshipful Master, Brother Ken Reed, of the Savage Lodge, Lebanon Lodge #346, to a 3rd degree on Saturday, December 4, at Mizpah in S. St. Paul starting at 8:00AM. He also would like to invite us to their installation of officers on Saturday January 8, 2000 starting at 10:00AM also at Mizpah.

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We are sad to pass along the following information. During the month of October and November, we have had three Brothers’ pass away in our lodge, Dr. Adir Muralt, Ed Bender and Wilfred Mikkelson. Twenty dollars will be donated on behalf of each brother to the Masonic Home.

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From the Eastern Star

A sincere thanks to the Masons for the invitation to submit articles for the newsletter. Our Christmas meeting will be on December 16, 1999.

All are invited for supper at 6 p.m. Please bring a toy for a child or a gift for a teenager, which will be given to United Helping Hands for distribution.

For the officers, it will be short form, and for the ladies short dress.

At 7 p.m. we will have a slide presentation of some of Alida Bican’s (Miss International Congeniality’s) activities.

Our meeting, which will start at 7:30 p.m. will hopefully be short, and under good of the order. I have a story about an "angel". Hopefully all the members of "The Order of the Eastern Star," will be able to attend.

RaVelle Smith

Worthy Matron

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Please see the enclose flier from Deb Jelinek and Kathy Westerman. Deb is the wife of our Tyler Lynden Jelinek. Please call the numbers listed in the flier if interested in helping.

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Greetings from the West again:

I would like to start by wishing every one a late Happy Thanksgiving, but an early Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

As the year 2000 is fast approaching, what will the new year bring for the future of our lodge. I sure we will have power for our meeting on January 4^th, so don’t let that stop you from coming. What will the direction of the lodge be? Where do the brothers want it to be in one month, six months one year, five years, ten years, etc…? These are some questions that the Steering Committee members are asking themselves as we try to get ready to take the lodge into the year 2000 and beyond.

I want to leave you with a question that I asked you in the last newsletter and I hope you have thought about it.

"What was your reason for becoming a Mason?"

Stay safe and have a Happy Holiday Season

Steven D. Scheffert

Senior Warden

SALVATION ARMY KETTLE CAMPAIGN IN MONTGOMERY

November 7, 1999

We are planning to have a Salvation Army Kettle in front of Fred’s Grocery Store from December 11-24. We would like your organization to commit to spending some time ringing the bell.

Ninety percent (90%) of the money raised by our Kettle will stay in LeSueur County to help families in need. Some is used for Winter Fuel Assistance, Baby Products, School Supplies, Christmas Food Baskets and family emergencies. If we raise the money here, it stays here.

We would like to have someone there weekdays from 3 – 6:30 or 7 p.m., on Saturdays (Dec, 11 and 18) from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sundays (Dec. 12 and 19), from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. It would be more fun if two people could work together; children are welcome if they are with an adult; teen agers certainly can take a shift. Deb Jelinek and Kathy Westerman will be in charge of putting the kettle out and collecting it at the end of the shift.

Please let us know RIGHT AWAY if your organization can take a day and specify the day if you have a preference.

Dec. 11 – 9a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 12 – 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Dec. 18 - 9a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 19 – 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Any day December 13 – 17 or 20 – 24 (close early on the 24^th).. from 3-7:00 (or daytime hours if you can)

Please call Deb Jelinek (507-364-8021) or Kathy Westerman (507-364-7734), give your repsonse to Pastor Rendahl, St. John Lutheran Church or drop it off at Marek Law Office. Call us if you have questions. If you don’t want to specify a date, but will work, let us know right away and we’ll assign you a time. Length of shift is up to you.

Please try to find time to take a shift..it’s a wonderful feeling to help at Christmas

Deb Jelinek and Kathy Westerman.