THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF WIDOW’S SONS’ LODGE NO. 60

A. F. & A. M., CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, U.S.A.

CHARTERED DECEMBER 10TH, AD 1799, AL 5799

HIRAM’S JOURNAL

Stated Communication September 17, 2012

Widow’s Sons’ Lodge No. 60 Website Widow’s Sons’ Lodge No. 60 Facebook Page

Grand Master’s

From

Widow’s Sons’

No. 60

Leitch 1855-56

Coles 1880-81

Duke 1898-99

Wood 1915

Forbes 1959

Hodges 2009

Dear Brethren,

What a great Au-

gust Stated meet-

ing – Brother

Meriwether Lewis

paid us a visit. To

say it’s been a

while since he

visited lodge

would be an un-

derstatement. Not only did his dramatic

entrance create excitement, he even vol-

unteered to resume his old post as a stew-

ard, responsible for keeping the rum in

ample supply☺.

I want to give a big “Thank You” to RW

Bob Simpson for his portrayal of Brother

Meriwether Lewis, including arriving in

full colonial regalia. Brother Bob re-

counted Lewis’ Masonic adventures, and

provided enjoyable Masonic insights as

well. Lewis was always a hero of mine;

as a boy I enjoyed reading about his ex-

ploits. If you have a further interest in

Meriwether Lewis, I recommend

“Undaunted Courage” by Stephen

Ambrose. It’s an award-winning book

about the Lewis and Clark expedition.

I also want to congratulate our Senior

Warden, Brother Tom Hill, for earning

his Warden’s “Certificate of Qualifica-

tion”. This is a major milestone for any

brother preparing for his journey to the

“East”. Brother Tom – Thanks for the

many hours of preparation. We all appre-

ciate your efforts to support Widow’s

Sons’ Lodge No. 60.

Several announcements:

(1) The September Stated will be our fi-

nal month of “Summer Attire”. Starting

in October we’ll return to our normal

“Coat & Tie” attire.

(2) RW Andy Keller, our lodge

“Visitation” facilitator, will schedule an-

other afternoon visit this month. Please

contact him at 434-293-9973 or kel-

lad41@gmail.com if you’re interested in

attending. Our August visits were ex-

tremely rewarding.

(3) During our August Stated, RW Bill

Baskerville, Worshipful Master of King

Solomon’s Lodge No. 194 presented the

district “Traveling Gavel” to our lodge.

Please join me in a visit to Piedmont

Stella No. 50 in Stanardsville on Septem-

ber 19th to pass along the gavel. Let’s

keep “Spreading Masonic Light”.

And as always, please don’t hesitate to

contact me or our Secretary if you need

assistance:

MGriffin@TGBLaw.com, 434-981-5428

and Brother Mark Chapman,

agw123@earthlink.net, 434-971-1332.

Important Dates in 2012

October 13th, All Masonic Family Day, Masonic Home

November 6th & 7th, Grand Lodge in Richmond

November 6th, Delegate Banquet, $35.00 prepaid in advance

through the Grand Lodge Office

November 7th, Grand Master’s Ball, $25.00 prepaid in advance

through the Grand Lodge Office

September Masonic Birthdays!

Call a Brother and wish him a

Happy Masonic Birthday.

Stephen G. Brown, 9/25/1996

Bobby L. Casteen, 9/28/1953

P. Douglas Cheape, Jr., 9/6/1955

Ancel B. Davis, Jr., 9/20/1986

James F. Dickerson, 9/1/1995

Craig M. Downing, 9/1/1995

William K. Fields, 9/20/1986

L. Thomas Hill, Jr., 9/2/2008

John E. Hopkinson, 9/2/1982

Jason B. Keefer, 9/16/2010

Carlos E. B. McReddie, 9/5/1984

Philip H. Nelson, Jr., 9/27/1999

Jason A. Pattison, 9/16/2010

Michael Sheffield, 9/12/1975

David T. Simpson, 9/16/2004

Seward F. Stoneburner, 9/2/1957

Charles M. Ward, 9/20/1986

Number of words in ques-

tions and answers;

opening and closing; floor-

work and lectures: ENTERED APPRENTICE

Catechism:

Questions ................... 369

Answers..................... 1,730 2,099

Open and close ...........1,536

FloorWork....................3,038

Lecture.........................3,307 9,980

FELLOWCRAFT

Catechism:

Questions ................... 340

Answers..................... 1,382 1,722

Open and close ...........1,659

FloorWork....................2,338

S. D. Lecture ...............1,470

M.C.Lecture .................519 7,708

MASTER MASON

Catechism:

Questions ................... 355

Answers..................... 1,998 2,353

Open and close ...........2,032

Dispense and Resume .388

FloorWork....................5,665

Lecture..........................3,825 14,263

Grand Total, Words .......... 31,951

Does not include the number of

words in each of the three Charges.

Join the Committee on Work

Sessions at the GAC. November

4th, 7:00 p.m. Exemplification

of EA Degree. November 5th,

9:00 a.m. Exemplification of FC

and MM Degrees.

The WM recognized August Masonic Birthdays. Pictured L-R: Mike

Griffin; Steve Fetcho, 7 years; Kent Schlussel, 22 years; Jeff Hodges,

27 years; and Meriwether Lewis, AKA Bob Simpson, 215 years.

Brotherhood Project

Staying Connected

Brethren, connecting with Widow’s Sons’ Lodge is easier and much more immediate than ever. There

are now many ways to get timely information. Try the Lodge web page Widow’s Sons’ Lodge No. 60 Website or

the Lodge Facebook page Widow’s Sons’ Lodge No. 60 Facebook Page .

On the left side of the web page, you will find tabs to: Becoming a Mason; Hiram’s Journal where you

can read and download copies; Directions to the Lodge; Lodge Officers; Contact us; History of the Lodge; Ma-

sonic Q & A; Philanthropies; Past Grand Masters; Grand Lodge of Virginia; Virginia Masonic Herald; and

Links to other sites.

Have you moved? Has your phone number or email address changed? As always, you can notify your

Lodge Secretary, Brother Mark Chapman, E-mail .

Did you know that the Lodge offers scholarship money to members children and grandchildren? Yes it

is true. The chairman of the scholarship committee is RW Mike Hollar E-mail .

If you would like to have the Lodge send a card to a Brother in need, or to arrange a visit, please contact

RW Andy Keller E-mail .

If the Lodge does not have your current Email address, please contact the Lodge Secretary.

Let’s Stay Connected!

Wreath Laying Ceremony

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and grave of Brother

Audie Murphy August 18, 2012

Widow’s Sons’ Lodge No. 60

A.F.&A.M.

P. O. Box 6262

Charlottesville, VA 22906

Non Profit Organization

U. S. Postage Paid

Permit No. 5

Charlottesville, Virginia

Return Service Requested

1799—2012

The 213th Year of Service to the

Charlottesville Community and beyond.

“Freemasonry, a way of life”

Hiram’s Journal

Dated material

Please Process

After an absence of 215 years, Worshipful Meriwether Lewis, AKA Bob Simpson, make a return to

Charlottesville and Widow’s Sons’ Lodge. He was made a MM on Sunday, January 29, 1797.