Business Cards!

If you have a business, bring in a card.  We have an old photo album that we will try to arrange them in.  In the spirit of brotherhood, Mason helping Mason, our bothers looking for your professional help can look these over.  Also a good place for brothers looking for work.  They should be a better person to consider for employment.  Must be a business owned or run by a Mason.

Welcome to the Brothers I just invited to this forum.  It is limited to Masons and their families in or around the Venango County area.  It is only a few months old and I am still learning how to use it myself.  My plan is for this to be for all Masonic Bodies in our area, rather than by some District boundaries.  Lot of bugs to work out but it seems to be working well so far.  Would appreciate any suggestions to improve it.  We still haven't created an actual web page yet.  Want to get a proper name first.

Brothers, you may not realize that you were a part of Masonic History on Saturday.  Each and everyone of you preformed in the highest Masonic form.  Though numbers are important to the higher levels of our fraternity, as it should be, brotherhood is our concern.  You have embarked on a journey of a lifetime.  It is something that I am not able to explain well.  Each of you will grow in a different way.  The "Seasoned" Masons are around to help guide you in that journey but the journey is yours to make.  "Though the journey is difficult, the farther you trace it, the easier it will become."

In the months to come, we will meet to discuss this.  We can never establish a particular night of the week to meet that will suit everyone's schedule.  We will work that out some way to reach all that want to learn.  Bare with me, this next two months will continue to be very busy and will take up much of my time.  January, I hope that will change.  I hope to begin this process in November if at all possible.

"Unofficial" reports are as follows;

Erie Consistory - 20 new Master Masons
Coudersport Consistory - 30
New Castle - 115

These numbers will change in about a week when all is tabulated.

Members joining Scottish Rite is about 200 at New Castle.  Others are unknown.  Those joining from Petrolia Lodge is 16. 

There were about 450 to 500 men in New Castle Consistory that day.

One last thing tonight.  To all newly raised Master Masons.  You and your wife (or girlfriend) are invited to our regular stated meeting this coming Tuesday evening for a free dinner that starts at 6:30 PM.  Members are $10 each.  Program after the meeting is recognition of our Veterans.  Find out and observe the meaning of the 13 folds of the flag.  So we have an idea how many dinners to prepare, please sign up on the list at the Lodge or call Denny Butler or Rich Palm.

What a day.  We now have 8 new brothers who came to New Castle, and 2 through Coudersport.  10 new members!  In addition 17 Petrolia Lodge members are now 32 degree Scottish Rite Masons.  15 through New Castle and 2 through Coudersport.

Over all, about 130 new Masons, and over 200 new Scottish Rite Masons came through New Castle today. More to come after about 12 hours sleep.

You are wearing me out reading all the great stuff that I have to delete.  It is taking me longer and longer to get through it.  Hope it lightens up after the election.

Good Stuff Guys!

Ok everybody, Get Ready, Set, ...............

The big day is only 3 days off.  We will be car pooling from the back of the Lodge, leaving at 5:15 AM.  Parking is available behind the Grace Church about a half block away.  Do not park of First St.  There are businesses open who will not appreciate us taking there customers parking places.  Remember to ware a suit and tie or jacket and tie.  Mentors, as soon as you get to New Castle Consistory, find you candidate and find Rich Palm.  I have a letter that the candidate must have to register.  I have  name tags for mentors and candidates.  If you are going to drive, use the following address in your GPS.  110 E Lincoln Ave., New Castle, PA 16101.

Best name so far seems to be Masonic Families of the Oil Region.  Comments?

Still looking for a new name before we actually create a real web site.  How is this one?

Oil Region Masonic Familes

Reminder to Petrolia Lodge Officers.  1st Degree practice will be Tuesday evening at 6 PM.  We will be conferring a 1st Degree on November 17th at 7:30 PM.  Of the 12 candidates who petitioned for the One Day Class, one is unable to make that date due to work schedule and has opted to take the degrees the traditional way.

Morrison Funeral Home Visiting Hours

The family of Mary McNellie, Brother Donald McNellie's wife and Brother Phillip McNellie's mother, will receive friends on Sunday October 23rd. from 2-4 PM and 7-9 PM.  Brothers and their wives or girl friends are encouraged to support Don and Phil.

Death in our Family

Sad to report a death in our family.  Brother Donald McNellie, our Treasurer, lost his wife Mary today.  She has suffered for many years with dementia.  Our prayers are with you brother.  

Details will follow in the next day or so.  

New Members

 For the benefit of our new members who have just recently been invited to this web site.  As you know, when you post something to your own facebook account, it will show up on this site as well.  Please continue to do so, however, know that our Masonic values forbid us to discuss politics and religious nocturne.  Government or religion in general are allowed.  You will note that I try very hard to edit our facebook page regularly.  If something you have posted disappears, that was probably me doing it.  I read them and often post the good ones to my own facebook page.  But this site should be safe for the youngest of our children to read.

Creating a Web Site

We are trying to improve this web experience and include others.  When we settle on a name, we will create a web page with all the links.  We need suggestions for a new name.  Please think it over and offer your suggestions.  Needs to be short and refer to the local area. 

1.  Venango Area Masonic Families
2. 
3. 
4.

 One Day Class

We voted on five new petitioners for the One Day Class last night at a Special Lodge meeting.  All five passed with no problems.  There will be 10 candidates going to New Castle Consistory and two going to Coudersport Consistory on October 29th.  Each one will have a mentor that went through the April One Day Class we held in April of this year.  My thanks to the new Brothers for stepping up to help.  The plan is for the car pool to leave the back parking lot of the Lodge at 5:15 AM.  That's right "AM."  We are to be in New Castle Consistory by 6:30AM.  There will be coffee and donuts.  Candidates will go to one room (to be announce) and the mentors to another for refresher.  Lunch will be served at no cost.

For those interested, Scottish Rite degrees well be conferred on new members at no cost that afternoon.  Some in the car pool will leave after lunch.  Most will be staying of the Scottish Rite Degrees.  Petitions are available at our Lodge or at the Consistory.

Anyone interested in joining the Shrine, they will be doing a degree right after the Scottish Rite Degrees that will only take about 45 minutes.

Watch our facebook page for updates or call me at 814-673-0116.  I'm still working so you will probably get the voice mail.  Leave a message, I'll return the call between runs.

Petrolia Lodge will have at least one candidate traveling the old way through the three degrees.  You will be hearing more about this as information comes together. 

This site is now posting to twitter also.  Bare with me, I've never used twitter before.  Hope someone can help me before I make a mistake.  Keep in mind that anything that does not fall into Masonic values, I will delete when I figure out how.

Trip!   Trip!  Trip!

From now till the beginning of the year, hunting seasons will occupy many of the men.  Been thinking of a trip the women can take.  One suggestion was Kraynak and Daffins.  Most everyone has made that trip at one time or another but nice to revisit.  Is there someplace else that could be added?  Another trip altogether different?  Need some suggestions that I can look into to come up with a plan.  Or should I just get out of the way.

What would you like to do?  This is all new to all of us.  Saturdays could be most all day.  Sunday's because of church and kids, is limited to leaving about 1PM to 7PM.  Help!

The official schedule is out for the One Day Class in New Castle.  You can find it on our facebook page under "Events."  We must be in the Consistory by 6:30 AM.  We will be car pooling from rear parking lot of Petrolia Lodge, leaving about 5:15 AM.  Note that there are a lot of other events taking place that day as well.  Be careful who you car pool with because of all these events.  The will come together better as we get closer to that day.  Questions - call Rich Palm.

Our Kinzua and Benezetti Trip was a success and it was a very enjoyable day with friends.  You can see many photos take by sever of the members on the facebook page.

Reminder of Tuesday evening, the October Stated Meeting at 7:30 PM.  A lot going on, voting on new petitions, reading of new petitions. 

The program for the evening is Scottish Rite.  Brother George Washington will present the program and explain the up-coming Scottish Rite "Reunion" that will take place right after the One Day Class on October 29th.  You can join Scottish Rite at no cost for the first and probably the last time ever.

This is not a ladies night event.  We will make up for that next month.