This summer’s Trestleboard is coming to you from the South. Wor. Clair was kind enough to let me step in and try my hand at this.

     If you are like me, you are starting to look at the calendar and plan some summertime activities, whether simply an extra day off or a trip to a special location. Yes, summer is right in front of us and I still don’t know what I am doing. It’s been that kind of year for me.

     One thing I know for sure is that, wherever I end up, I plan on having a suit with me and will have my Masonic passport in the pocket of my suitcase. One of the joys of visiting a different lodge, whether right here in Virginia or else in a completely different grand jurisdiction, is getting to see the unique characteristics that make up various lodges, as well as regional differences.

     If you do not yet have a Masonic passport, you can get one from Rt. Wor. Roger Peak, our current DDGM. If he does not have one for you, he will certainly be able to tell you where to get one. The Passport costs only $5 and it can serve as a permanent record of the various lodges you have been to. It’s a great conversation piece as well, when presenting it to the master and secretary for their signatures.Although we are slowing down for the summer, we will likely still have a couple degrees here and there and your lodge officers appreciate your attendance, as always. The degree nights, as I have said before, are possibly the most important nights in Freemasonry. In addition, they are going to be some of the most memorable nights our candidates will have in their whole lives. This is a great opportunity to show the true spirit embodied in this most noble of institutions by attending the degrees, helping out where you can and reaching out a hand to welcome our newest brethren. The hand you shake that night may someday be that of a master of Cherrydale, or possibly a future grand master.

     Finally, brethren, I encourage all of you to join the Cherrydale listserv so you can receive regular updates via email. The listserv only take a few moments to subscribe to and ensures that you stay on top of the latest events at your lodge. This listserv system will be replacing the old method of sending emails, so if you are not on, you will be missing out. Go to this web site to log in and make your account: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cherrydale42/

If you have any trouble setting up your account, Bro. Leroy Fumetti-Levine has graciously volunteered to help you get it set up. His email address is leroyfli@gmail.com. If you cannot reach Leroy, please contact me and I will do my best. As you know, I am just a writer and photographer, not a computer whiz like Leroy.

Have a great summer and I look forward to seeing you all soon.