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August 2016

Trestle Board

St. John’s Lodge No. 1

Portsmouth, NH

The Master’s Message

Greetings Brethren, Brethren my message this month will be somewhat brief because we need the space for several additional items that are not included on a regular basis. I know what I am about to mention may seem a long way off, but for the remainder of my time in the East and for the incoming Master in December, this is going to be a priority item. St. John’s Sunday, which falls on June 25, 2017, will have a special meaning: that weekend marks the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Grand Lodge of England –which is generally viewed as the beginning of modern freemasonry. I have discussed this with our current officers, especially our Senior Warden, who first brought it to my attention, and we want to make the march to St. John’s Church next year on par with the St. John’s Lodge No. 1 275th Anniversary march. Right now we are planning to march from the Portsmouth Masonic Temple to St. John’s church. We are already lining up a “piping” band and will soon be sending out notices to all lodges in first district to plan joining us on June 25, 2017. I am asking you make an effort to reserve this date now, so you can march with us on this important landmark date in Masonic History. You will hear a great deal more from us as the next ten months progress, but again, for right now reserve the date and plan to join us. On September 24th of this year, there will be a rededication of the laying of the N.H. State House cornerstone which will include a Masonic cornerstone laying ceremony (as was done at the original 1816 ceremony). This is a significant event for N.H. Masons and the Grand Master has requested Masons statewide make an effort to attend. We are presently working with St. Andrews Lodge to organize a first Masonic district bus that will pick up Masons at the Portsmouth Masonic Temple and the Epping “Park & Ride”, take them to the ceremony in Concord, and return. On August 22nd, we will be holding our Joint Annual Masonic Veterans Night with St. Andrews Lodge. On August 31, we will launch our first Masonic book discussion group in the Pub Room off the auditorium. I hope you can join us to discuss the following: “If you had a friend who was interested in becoming a mason, but would first like to read a book or two about freemasonry, what would you recommend??” This could be a fun discussion –please join us. We are planning an event in September that we hope will become a new “tradition” for St. John’s Lodge: An Annual Portsmouth Blue Lodge Dinner. We plan to invite the brothers of St. Andrews Lodge and Prince Hall Triple Eight Traveler’s to join us for dinner . We would like to get a good showing for this event also. Brethren, I guess it is safe to say that the phrase “the lazy days of summer” just

doesn’t apply to us!

Fraternally Yours,

Wor. Rod MacDonald

Glen R. Gordon Secretary

glengordon@comcast.net

Roderick MacDonald Worshipful Master

RodMStJohnsNo1@comcast.net (603) 436-4071

Contact Information:

Lodge of Instruction Dates for NH Districts: September 9th: Distr ict 5 Winnipesaukee Lodge, Alton September 10th: Distr ict 8 Gorham-Sabatis Lodge, Gorham September 16th: Distr ict 3 Benevolent Lodge, Milford September 17th: Distr ict 4 Blazing Star Eureka Lodge, Concord September 23rd: Distr ict 7 Meridian Lodge, W. Franklin September 30th: Distr ict 2 Rising Sun/Ancient York Lodge, Nashua October 1st: Distr ict 6 Ossipee Valley Lodge, Ossipee October 7th: Distr ict 1 St. John’s Lodge, Portsmouth

Lodge of Instruction

Did you know… In 1872, the Commissioner of Patents held that the Masonic emblem could not be used in a trademark or trade name for commercial purposes?

mailto:RodMStJohnsNo1@comcast.net

We are hoping more members of St. John’s Lodge will be able to attend some of this year’s 1st District Visitations. Dates are as follows: August 3: St. John’s Lodge No. 1—Portsmouth September 12: St. Andrew’s Lodge - Portsmouth September 27: Tucker Lodge—Raymond October 11: Rockingham Lodge No. 1—Candia October 17: St. James Lodge—Hampton October 27 : Star In The East—Exeter Nov 1: Gideon Lodge - Kingston Nov 3: MGJS—Epping

Visitations

Answer to July Trivia— British Field Marshal Arthur Wellesely, 1st Duke of Wellington—also known as “The Iron Duke”. August Trivia: It is fairly common knowledge that 15 US

Presidents were Freemasons. But, how many

US Vice Presidents were Freemasons?

Masonic Trivia

Information:

Stated Communication and 1st District Visitation Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Dinner—Tex-Mex 6:30——($10) Lodge Opens 7:15PM

Officer dress—White tie and tails

St. John’s Masonic Association Wednesday, August 10, 2016—6:30PM

Officers Meeting—7:00PM

Special Communication—Masonic Veteran’s Night With St. Andrew’s Lodge Monday, August 22, 2016 Dinner—TBA 6:00-($10)

Lodge Opens 7:00PM Officer dress—White tie and tails

Special Communication—Fellow Craft Degree

Michael Moriarty Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Dinner—Chicken Cordon Bleu 6:00-($10) Lodge Opens 7:00PM

Officer dress—White tie and tails Note: August menu is subject to change due to Chef Phil’s schedule. Please check our website for any menu updates

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August 2016

St. John’s Lodge Historical Sketch

Submarines rely on stealth to carry out their important national defense missions. Not only are they hidden from sight in the darkness of the deep, they are also very quiet. While just about everything makes noise inside these vessels, including the crew, preventing those noises from radiating out into the ocean so that the submarine is silent is a difficult and important engineering feat. To minimize the acoustic signature of a submarine, motors, pumps, fans and any equipment with moving parts are maintained in perfect balance. In addition, vibration isolation and noise control technologies that eliminate sound/vibration transmission paths are used to attenuate whatever noise is generated. The most common method to attenuate vibration noises involves mounting machinery on isolators that alter the vibration path. There are many types of sound and vibration isolators including springs, rubber mounts, and specially tuned vibration dampers that are built right into the equipment itself. At the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, there are mechanical engineers, structural engineers and naval architects who analyze sources of radiated sound and vibration, and develop solutions to eliminate them. Our nation’s submarines are amazingly quiet thanks in part to the extraordinary talent of the Design Division at the Shipyard. Many of the advances in modern submarine technology were developed by them for USS Albacore (AGSS 569) which was launched by the Shipyard on August 1, 1953, 63 years ago this month. She was a unique research submarine that pioneered the teardrop hull form used in all submarines today. Her revolutionary design was derived from extensive hydrodynamic testing, with an emphasis on underwater speed, maneuverability and silence. Over the years, she had many new technologies installed in her, many of which emphasized sound reduction, including Aqua-Plas, a lightweight sound-damping elastic material that was applied to the ship's superstructure and tank interiors. Today, USS Albacore has been preserved and is open to the public for self-guided tours at 600 Market Street in Portsmouth. The research and development work performed by the Shipyard’s Design Division was accomplished by many talented people, including a naval architect by the name of Herb Galle. Herbert Gustave Galle was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts on February 12, 1910. He was one of four children of Paul and Annie Galle, including his brothers Carl and Paul, and his sister Irma. He attended Lawrence High School, Lynn Technical College, and the University of New Hampshire. In November 1936, he began work as a machinist in Shop 31 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and within a few months, transferred to the Structural Design Division as a naval architect. He remained in the Design Division until his retirement on July 31, 1970. During his years at the Shipyard, he supervised the design of sound isolation systems for numerous submarines including USS Albacore and several Lafayette Class ballistic missile submarines. He also provided technical instructions and drawings for the overhaul and repair of the

numerous submarines maintained by the Shipyard. It was not unusual for Herb to be dispatched to a submarine at sea to investigate noises while underway and then develop solutions to eliminate them. On December 20, 1933, at the age of 23, Herb married his sweetheart, Ms. Vera Spencer Batchelder. He liked to tell people that they selected the wedding date because it was the longest night of the year. Together, Herb and Vera had one son, Chuck. Herb and Vera were very active and generous citizens and had many friends on the Seacoast. Herb was a Scoutmaster and civil defense warden at the Atlantic Heights during World War II. For several years, he was investment director for the Family Service Association of Portsmouth and an active member of the Portsmouth Toastmasters. He was a long-time active parishioner at St. John's Episcopal Church and was a strong supporter of Theater By The Sea when it was on Ceres Street, especially while Vera was on the Board of Trustees. Herb and Vera lived at 19 Newington Road in Greenland and in later years, retired to the Rockingham Nursing Home in Brentwood. Vera passed away on April 19, 2000 and one month later on May 18, Herb followed his beloved wife of 66 years. They were both 90 years old. Vera was a wonderfully loving, joyous, cheerful, and fast-witted woman who brought happiness into the lives of all she touched; and Herb was a good man, a good husband and father, a good citizen and beloved friend of many on the Seacoast. He was also a respected and talented naval architect who’s technical and practical solutions are still helping keep the silent service quiet. If you guessed that this good man was also a member of the Masonic Fraternity, then you are absolutely correct. In fact, Brother Herbert Gustave Galle was Raised a Master Mason in St. John’s Lodge in Portsmouth on May 16, 1945, and at the time of his passing from labor to refreshment, he was a 55 year member of our Lodge.

Alan M. Robinson, PM Historian