Greetings from the East

As I sit here at my desk tonight, I find it difficult to know what to say, since this will be my last official article for the newsletter as Master of MN River Valley Lodge #6.  There are many people in my life that I would like to thank and I know that I will forget someone, so please forgive me if I missed someone.

I would like to start out and thank my line of officers.  They have supported the Lodge and me the past 6 months and it was fun.  I would especially like to thank Kermit Bischoff, Gordy Bane and Don Rieck for their great help and support during the past 1½ years.  The Worthy Matron and Patron of the Shakopee OES Mike and Robin Kottwitz, who always offered to help whenever I needed it.  Jack and Joan Brietzman and the rest of the Jordan OES for there support over the past 9 years.  To the Mike Pierce, Linda Bican and the Jobs Daughters who were a lot of fun (even-though you ran on Jobbie time).  I especially need to thank some of my biggest supporters and they are my Dad, David, my wife, Kathren, and daughter, Amanda.  Words can not say how much I have appreciated their valuable input, when I asked for it or did not ask for it, Thank You. 

Over the past 1-½ years when the four lodges joined, it was (in my mind) the best thing we could have ever done.  To take four strong lodges and to make an even stronger lodge has a lot to say on how much you wanted it to happen and to continue to make it happen.  You have great leaders in all of the committees that will continue to push the lodge in a positive direction.  This lodge has been a role model for future lodges that may consider merging as we have.  We have seen some old members return to lodge, which is the greatest thing in my mind, and new members join us.  We have had many successful events like the following: Two Table Lodges, Kolacky Days, Flower Sale, Summer Picnic, Hiram Award, and the Chicken Dinner with the New Prague Knights of Columbus.  Soon the Lodge will start considering building a Lodge Hall, that will allow even more members to attend that have not been able to due to our current location.  But, do not forget that we have members that would be able to make it to our current location, that for various reasons, do not attend and we need to find a way to bring them come back to Lodge and a new Lodge Hall may not be the final solution.

The last two events that I am working on are the 3^rd degree for Paul Tuttle, which will be on January 20^th at the Masonic Home starting at 4:00 pm.  Reservations for the dinner, which is $7.00, were needed by January 3rd.  If you forgot please let me know ASAP.  I will add a few people extra, but they want an accurate count.  The other event is the Valentines dinner at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre.  The deadline for this event is January 11, 2001.  Please get your reservations in soon; I still have some tickets left.  Again, due to the Dinner Theatre, there will be no late reservations past the deadline.

I will inform the Lodge of my new address when I move and I want to invite anyone who is in the Blair, NE area to stop by to visit.

Fraternally Yours,

Steven Scheffert – Worshipful Master.

Thank you Steve for all your hard work and outstanding leadership. Good luck in your new position.  Never forget your brothers at Minnesota River Valley Lodge #6 as we will never forget you.

 District 19 News

The lodges are in full swing with lots of activities going on. The other lodges in the district have now selected and installed their new officers. The new Master of Hope Lodge in Glencoe is Greg Sylwester and Robert Hatlestad remains as secretary. I don’t yet have the new officers for LeSueur.

There will be a Second Degree school of instruction in Glencoe on Monday, February 26 at 7:00 PM. Hope Lodge will provide the Master and Senior Deacon, but we will need volunteers to fill in the other parts. Choose your part, or come as a sideliner, and mark your calendars for this district event. We can arrange to meet somewhere and car pool that evening. Remember to participate in your lodge activities and enjoy this great Brotherhood

What God Won't Ask –

author unknown

1.      God won't ask what kind of fancy car you drove.  He

will ask how many people you took to church who didn't have transportation.

2.      God won't ask the floor area of your house.

He will ask how many people you helped who didn't have a house.
3. God won't ask how many fancy clothes you had in your closet. He will ask how many of those clothes you gave away to the Salvation Army.
4. God won't ask what social class you were in.
He will ask what kind of "class" you displayed.
5. God won't ask how many material possessions you had. He will ask whether those material possessions dictated your life.
6. God won't ask what your highest salary was.
He will ask if you trampled over any people to obtain that salary.
7. God won't ask how much overtime you worked.
He will ask if you worked overtime for your family.
8. God won't ask how many promotions you received. He will ask what you did to promote others.
9. God won't ask what your job title was. He will ask did you perform your job to the best of your
ability.
10.God won't ask how many promotions you took to chase a dollar bill. He will ask how many promotions you refused to advance your family's quality of life.

Dick Friend, LEO

 PROPERTY COMMITTEE REPORT

All of the work I have done has come to a stop because everyone  involved needs a firm proposal from us before they will make any commitments.

So we will have an open meeting on Saturday, January 20^th so that everyone from the lodge as well as Eastern Stare will be able to present  their opinions  as to what we should do.  After hearing everyone, the members will vote on the maximum amount they are willing to spend for this 10 acre site.

We can’t delay this meeting if we want to get going this year.

Memorial

The roll of the workmen has been called and one Master Mason has not responded.  Brother Ted Ottinger has laid down the working tools of the Fraternity and has been summoned to the Celestial Lodge above.

Brother Ted was born September 20, 1919 initiated Jan.22, 1947, passed March 8, 1947 and  raised April 16, 1947.  In 1997 he received his 50 year award.

Masonic Memorial Service for Brother Ted will be held in the Movarian Church in Chaska at 4PM, Saturday, Jan.13, 2001.  Worshipful Brother Gordon Bane will officiate.

Master Mason Degree

On January 20, 2001 Minnesota River Valley Lodge #6 will confer the Master Mason Degree on Paul Tuttle at the Masonic Lodge in Bloomington.

The work schedule is as follows:

3:30     Meet at Masonic Home

4:00     Start the First Section

5:00     Break for a Meal

6- 6:30    Start Second Section

8:00     Have work finished

Directions

When going north on Hwy 169 get off the freeway at Old Shakopee Road, go east to Normandale, then south to Masonic Road.

When oing north on Hwy 35Wget off the freeway at 98^th St, go west on 09^th to Old Shakopee, then west to Normandale, then south to the Masonic Home.

When traveling on 494 get off at  Hwy 100.  It turns into Normandale.

Financial Report  By Charles Richter

Here’s one to stick on  the refrigerator.  Want to keep your finances on track in the year ahead?  Below are 10 rules of thumb that should serve you well:

1.      Time and a healthy saving rate will salve most investment wounds.

2.      Your two top financial priorities should be maxing out your 401(k) plan every year and paying off your credit card balance each month.  If you do those two things and nothing more, you will be in better shape than the vast majority of Americans.

3.      Your employers stock in the riskiest stock you can own.  After all, you already rely on your employer for a paycheck, and possibly your health and life insurance as well.  Why crank  up the risk level even more, by betting your portfolio’s future in the same company. 

4.      If you invest on just a couple of stocks, the odds suggest you will lag behind the market average.  How come? In any year, the market’s return is driven by a minority of stocks that post blowout gains.  Unless you diversify broadly, you probably  won’t own any of the big winners.

5.      If you will need your money back within a few months, it is foolish to own stocks. But if you won’t need your cash for another 10-20 year, it is not foolish to have them.

6.      Investors collectively cannot beat the stock market, because collectively they are the market.  In fact, after investment costs, investors - as a group- are destined to lag behind the market.

7.      If asked for a market forecast, your best bet is to express cautious optimism, because stock prices rise over time.

8.      If you hear a stock touted on television  or read about its healthy earnings in the newspaper, the news is probably already reflected in the stock’s price.

9.      A tumbling stock market may be upsetting, but it does not have to have any financial impact, unless you have to sell.  And if you have money to buy, the sell-off becomes an opportunity.

10.  Long-run inflation is a far greater threat, than short term market gyrations.