Fellowship Works!

St. John’s Lodge has initiated something new this year: BREAKFAST WITH THE BOYS.

Quite simply, we meet once a month at an area diner or restaurant for breakfast.  That’s it – breakfast.  No reservations required.  Totally casual – no coats, ties passwords or secret handshakes.  Just….breakfast.

We’re having wonderful success with this.  We had about 12-13 show up the first month, about 14 the second month, 10 or 11 last month…and 21 this month.  21 brethren coming out on a Saturday morning to enjoy breakfast and the fellowship of other brothers.  Imagine – that’s more than we sometimes get out to Extra meetings!

This is a wonderful new activity that was proposed earlier this year by our JMC, Gary.  I said sure, let’s go for it – see what happens.  Gary said whether it’s ten guys or just the two of us in a booth, it might be fun.  So far we’ve far exceeded our expectations and each month so far has been a good time.  Depending on the make-up of the group, the breakfast takes on a different atmosphere, but each one has been enjoyable.  See here for yourself!

That’s also the great thing of this activity  – it’s never the exact same group of brethren.  There are some of the same guys, but each time, we get a couple who were not there the month before.  If all these brethren are having a great time, they’ll likely share it with other friends and brothers, and we’ll continue to connect as brothers through fellowship.  Then perhaps through fellowship, and stronger friendships, we will find more members freeing up the time for an occasional Lodge meeting.  Or if shared with friends (not brothers), perhaps we’ll get more petitions for membership.  But if not – that’s okay too.  It’s just great to be with the brothers and share some quality time.

If you’re looking for something to do in your Lodge or organization to bring out the members and improve the “fraternal” feeling between them, I highly recommend you try something like this.

Official Visitations

As I write this now, it is summer – when most lodges take a brief hiatus.

In the first part of the year, we enjoy what are termed “Official Visitations” which includes the DDGM, along with all( or most of)the WM’s, SW’s and JW’s from each lodge in the district.  This august group visits each lodge at one time.  It’s a good time to present 50 and 25 year service emblems, enjoy good fellowship, and maybe even a joke or two…

WM's visiting St. John's Lodge

it all looks and sounds so proper and “official,” but….

Greeting the DDGM

sometimes you just have to greet the District Deputy in a Cheesehead Top Hat….

Big Ed & Li'l Ed

and then make up for it by presenting him with a 4 foot tall lawn ornament likeness of himself (strokes the ego a bit)…

Well – enough of that silliness..here – see an official visitation in action!  This is what and Official Visitation is all about, for real!  This was recorded during the Visitation to Union Lodge No. 479 in Birdsboro:

What a concept!

So what do you think?

We’ve been focusing on the social aspects and brotherhood of the Fraternity.  Spreading the word, gaining petitioners like crazy, increasing participation and attendance.  All by putting some fun and informality inside and outside of the Lodge.  We’re meeting for breakfast once a month, have organized a bowling event for friends and family, we’re planning on participating in a parade later this year to raise awareness, and as a district, we’re looking at a golf tournament and more!

However there is also a movement afoot to belittle the efforts of the RWGM to increase membership and appeal to new social sensibilities in the 21st century.  Brethren out there are considering formation of Traditional Observance Lodges – a strict focus on intiatory experience, taking a candidate much longer to proceed through his degrees.  Meeting quarterly and including a banquet-type meal each time.  Limiting membership to 50-75 members and requiring participation.  The focus on a strict adherence to hundreds of years of initiatory traditions, less focus on other fellowship opportunities and charitable community projects.

So what’s best?  Trying to appeal to young family men with busy lives who would like to join our ranks but might find it stuffy or old fashioned….or relying on an older, stricter adherence to tradition, a pricey and lengthy admission process in which the candidate would theoretically develop a greater understanding of the Fraternity and, feeling he has a vested interest, participate more regularly within a limited, truly selective membership.

I sometimes waffle as I can see some salient points in both approaches.  Trying to resurrect this organization and build for the future is not a black and white situation. 

I see the need for a better understanding by our members of what Freemasonry is supposed to be – that means better training and more effort be required on the part of new members.  I also see an advantage in having a smaller, tighter group of members who know each other and participate freely with a good level of comfort.  Other than for purposes of paying bills, what good purpose are 400+ members if no one knows who they are and who are either too intimidated, too busy or too disinterested in whether we make a left turn, or a right turn in Lodge, or any other ritualistic nuance on which we officers spend hours trying to master.  Is our effort truly worth the time, when new members see it, don’t totally understand it all and opt to find something more active and fun than a typical Lodge meeting? 

However, we also talk alot about Charity and Social responsibility in Lodge (check out the ancient charges) – we cannot abandon that.  The RWGM is right when he notes that most households are two income households, the pace of life and the fabric of the family unit is quite different than it had been even 20 years ago, let alone a century or more ago when Masonry was growing!  Many new, young candidates may not even own a suit (our latest candidate had to go out and buy one just for his degrees)- business casual is the dress code for most business people, including those in many Fortune 500 companies and we even see it in church congregations.  So outside activities, social bonding and community/social activities that do not require formal dress and have an element of fun and family involvement would be appealing. 

Perhaps a Lodge model can be created that incorporates some elements of both of these concepts – limited, exclusive membership levels - required mastery of the lessons of Freemasonry (including some memorization), even if it takes a little longer to accomplish – required participation/attendance minimums for maintaining membership – informal social activities outside the lodge which involve families – a pre-determined number of community service and charitable projects each year – relevent programs of interest which rely on technological advancements (in our lodge, we do not have an organist so we don’t even have music, and an Ipod picks up interference) such as powerpoint presentations, video and audio programs – greater reliance on electronic comunication and correspondance – greater competency in degree conferral (there may actually be members who can memorize and deliver a great degree, but haven’t the time, desire or ability to manage an organizaton, and conversely, there may be great managers and visionaries who can truly LEAD an organization, but have no desire or ability in the ritual performance realm)…so all star degree teams utilized to truly impress new candidates rather than bore them – meet in smaller venues which would not entail burdensome overhead for maintainence and upkeep and would more intimately accomodate a smaller number of members (our lodge had not always met in a “Masonic Center”…in fact at one point, the lodge met on the second floor of a burlesque house, and another Lodge I know of met on the floors above a State Store).

I’m not sure how we could constitute, organize or propose such an organization, or if enough brethren would even buy into this “blended” Lodge concept.  But those are some of my thoughts to create a more relevent, cohesive, financially viable, yet elite and ritualistically faithful Lodge.

What are your thoughts?

Catch up

Time to catch up on things….

St john’s Lodge had some interesting programs in the past couple months :

Scottish Rite night in Blue Lodge

February –  members of the Valley of Reading presented a program on the Scottish Rite.  They visited dressed in costumes from some Scottish Rite degrees – it was a very entertaining meeting from what I’ve heard (I actually missed the meeting due to my Sister-in-Law’s memorial/funeral service.  I am glad everyone had a good time, and thankful that my Scottish Rite brethren went to GREAT lengths to create a very different blue lodge program.

York Rite Night - Knights Templar!

March – Members from Reading Commandery No 9,  Knights Templar visited and presented a fine York Rite masonry degree.  They attended in full uniform and presented the flag in true Knights Templar fashion.

Glorious Orbs of St John's Lodge

April – Our meeting fell on April Fool’s day.  So jokes and pranks were on the agenda.  It was also our Official Visitation with many of the Master and Wardens of the 7th Masonic District in attendance.  We had lots of laughs, all good humored jokes including joy buzzer, squirting bow tie, remote control fart machine, garlic flavored candy and some fun presentations – to Bro Mike Huck, making him our official unofficial photographer, and the Glorious Orbs of St John’s Lodge.  It was a terriffic night by all accounts.

In between we attended other Visitations – THese visitations foster GREAT fellowship and comeraderie….

We’ve got a great group of officers with alot of zeal, who want to organize a night at the Reading Phillies, take part in a parade later in the year, and hold a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser.

My fellow Worshipful Masters are a great group of brethren to hang with.  Good natured – and good humored – a pleasure to serve with!

We are bringing FUN into the blue lodge, making more contacts via phone, web and snail mail with our members and I believe it’s beginning to pay dividends – attendance is up, interest seems to be on the increase, and we currently have 8 candidates at various stages of joining the Lodge, so membership is on the rise.

It has been alot of work to get it all going, but I think we’re on the right track for growth.

St John’s vs the Blizzard

A Winter Storm Warning posted for Berks County PA for Tuesday night into Wednesday night.  Snow accumulations for this Nor’easter expected: 6 to 12 inches, 12 to 18 inches, 14 to 20 inches…on and on the forecasters went.   This, of course following on the heels of Saturdays huge snow storm that left us with 17 inches of snow and extrememly sore back muscles.

St. John’s Lodge No. 435 holds our Extra Meetings for the purpose of conferring degrees on the second Tuesday of each month.  This month of February, our Extra meeting fell squarely in the midst of that Winter Storm Warning.  Listening to the radio Tuesday, every other business and organization were already closing for Wednesday, and all that before the first flake fell.  Watching the forecast, it seemed to me that the snow would not be starting until after 6pm, and the worst of the snow to come overnight and Wednesday, so for those reasons, I chose not to cancel our extra meeting.  Besides, we have a good hearty group of officers and a young candidate who was reportedly fired up about joining the Masons. 

So around 6p.m. a light snow began to fall.  Our meeting was scheduled for 7 p.m.  We had only an EA degree to confer so the meeting would be just a bit more than an hour from beginning to end – totally do-able: in and out by 8:15.  No sweat!

Our newly made Mason

Everyone who had committed to help with the degree was there and a couple extra members as well.  The degree work by Bro. Bryce Hart was a fine example of a first degree.  John, our candidate (who is only 19) seemed dazed by it all.  From the way he followed along with the obligation and the lecture, I think the young fellow followed everything pretty closely.  I gave him one of our Lodge business cards and told him to call me within the next week to review and learn what he had just gone through.

By 8:15p.m. the meeting was wrapped up, Our Steward Corey provided Fasnachts and Ice Cream, and most all the members hung out for a bit of fellowship after the meeting. 

The Steward samples his own handy-work.

It was a good meeting, good degree, and a good call to have held the meeting.  We have another 4-6 petitions in the works and within the next couple of months we will most likely need to hold extra-Extra Meetings to accomodate all the degrees.

A big thanks to all the officers, and members who braved the elements last night.  We battled the blizzard and prevailed. 

But I think it’s safe to say, we’re all looking forward to Spring.

A+ for AASR

Thursday, February 4 in St. John’s Lodge was Scottish Rite night.  I, however, was unable to attend as my Sister-in-Law had passed away earlier in the week and her viewing and Memorial Service was on Thursday night.  Luckily, Bro. Dave Wells, PM, Senior Warden stepped up, filled my shoes and did an admirable job holding court over this unique meeting.  Thanks Dave!

The Commander-in-Chief of Reading Consistory, Ill. Victor M. Frederick, 33°, was the guest speaker for the evening.  Along with an interesting presentation, he brought along more than a few surprises.

What a bunch of characters! Back Row (l to r), Brothers Sam Wandzilak; Vic Frederick; Bill Guiseppe; Kevin Barnhardt. Front Row (l to r), Brothers Russell Baker; Ed Stein; Herb Swisher; Chris Tecklenburg; Alan Moyer; Mike Wolfe.

Can you imagine, Bro. Benjamin Franklin, Bro. General Armisted, or one of the famed four Chaplains from WWII visiting your Lodge?  Such was the case at St. John’s.  A number of Scottish Rite brethren attended the meeting dressed in costume as they would be in certain Scottish Rite degrees.   The Brother playing the part of Benjamin Franklin was the Scottish Rite Active for Pennsylvania, Ill. Russell W. Baker, 33º.  And near the end of the presentation, one flamboyant character from the 31st degree came knocking – it was Florio, as portrayed by our own District Deputy Grand Master, Bro. Edward R. Stein. 

By all accounts the unique Scottish Rite visitation was a hit and scored an A+.  The program was certainly not something seen in your average Blue Lodge meeting, and word has it that at least one Scottish Rite Petition was requested before the evening was out.

I’d like to personally thank all the Scottish Rite brethren who made the time for this meeting and helped make it such a success.  I am sorry I could not be there to share it with you all, but as family comes first, I’m sure you understand.

Perhaps, if this sort of thing helps produce more new Scottish Rite petitioners, it would be a worthwhile program to

AASR visitors pose with acting Worshipful Master David G. Wells, PM and officers of St. John's Lodge. Looks like a good time, doesn't it?

look into for your Blue Lodge?  Our officers and members seemed to have enjoyed it!

Thanks again Brethren!

33rd Dinner & Meeting Plans

Last night my wife and I attended the Valley of Reading, AASR’s 33rd Degree Dinner and Meeting.  This is a yearly event for us.  It’s a wonderful group of people and we always have quite a nice time.  Prime Rib and Scallops were on the menu (they always are), and though it wasn’t particularly cheap, it was good eatin’!

Since I am Worshipful Master of my Blue Lodge and designated our February meeting to be Scottish Rite night, I invited the Commander-in-Chief, Ill. Bro. Victor M Frederick III, 33° to speak in lodge.  Our Stated meeting is coming up this Thursday, February 4 at 7 p.m.  He will talk about Scottish Rite and the 32nd degree Masonic Learning Center for Children, and plans to show us some video from his most recent motorcycle ride cross-country to raise funds for the Learning Centers.  I had made an offer to him for this meeting – do what you like to promote Scottish Rite – bring pamphlets, photos, characters – whatever you want to do. 

Well, he and a number of the Illustrious Brethren from the Valley put their heads together and they have organized a little visitation of their own.  I think I can say that the members and visitors of St John’s Lodge  will see something they’ve NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN BLUE LODGE.  It is highly likely that we will have visitors from colonial times, a well known Mason from the Civil War, a renowned Chaplain from WWII and other such interesting guests.  The Illustrious Brethren and the Commander-in-Chief have taken my offer and run with it.  We should have a Blue Lodge meeting this Thursday night which will be long remembered.

Plus…we will have dinner at 6 before the meeting and wives and family and friends are invited.  I’m bringing my wife and son.  While we have our Lodge meeting, Brenda Wise, the Director of the Reading 32nd Degree Masonic Learning Center will speak to our family & friends about Dyslexia and what the Learning Centers are doing about it. 

I had previously distributed the contact info to reserve a place for dinner.  Leave a comment here if you’d like to join us for dinner but don’t have that info – I’ll make the reservation for you. 

I sure hope you can be with us for Lodge, or Lodge AND dinner this Thursday, February 4 for what promises to be one of the most unique Blue Lodge meetings you’ve ever been to. 

Thanks Illustrious Brethren and Commander-in-Chief for planning and promoting the Scottish Rite!!!

The Big Visit

Suit Up Boys!

Monday Night, January 25, St. John’s Lodge hosted the Right Worshipful Grand Master, Bro. Thomas K. Sturgeon, PA Grand Lodge luminaries and all the Lodges of the 7th and 60th districts.  This was an open meeting, meaning wives, friends and family were invited.  Whew!  What a meeting.

Lodge officers getting one set of instructions for the meeting from Bro. Buzzard

As Worshipful Master of St. John’s Lodge, I had to get my orders on where to stand, when to move where, when to say what, etc.  Bro Larry Buzzard was the acting Grand Marshal and in charge of organizing and directing the dog & pony show.  He did a fine job.  Remained calm through it all, though running around like a chicken with its head cut off.  There sure are alot of details that need to be addressed in such a production: Officers, Guests, 60 and 50 Year pins & info, photos and on and on.

I think my part changed at least three times within 30 minutes before the meeting started.  First I’m to sit to the right of the Grand Master, then in the top seat and move over to the right when he comes in, on and on….the funny thing is, when the Grand Master got up the stage to my station he called an audible and told me to just sit there.  It was nice – he was about a foot and a half away from me the whole time – he stood for the entire meeting.  All those previous plans and changes were for naught (except, apparantly,to amp up my stress level).

There comes a point in the meeting when each Worshipful Master introduces his Lodge Wardens.  Then, being the host Lodge, I had to introduce ALL of our Lodge Officers.  My official GL instructions said to have their names and titles printed out in case of a brain fart.  Well okay, they didn’t specifically say “brain fart”, but that’s what they meant.    Unfortunately for me, I had my list positioned on a small pedestal next to the chair to my right which I was originally supposed to be sitting in.  Couldn’t see a single name on it!  I was two chairs away from the list and my time was running out.  So as the meeting progressed, I tried to get the Senior Deacon’s attention to get up and hand it to me, but he seemed, well – deaf.  So all the while the Grand Master and Grand Lodge officers presented 60 and 50 year service emblems in front of the stage, and while the other introductions were going on, I basically heard none of it.  I was looking at each of my officers in turn and trying to remember their name and title in proper order…including their middle initial!  It’s a challenge not to have that brain fart when you’re used to calling brothers Bob, Gary, Sam, etc…..you’re not used to: “Brother Robert E. Roadcap, Senior Master of Ceremonies, Brother Gary T. Mullen, Junior Master of Ceremonies, Brother C. Samuel Lauck, Pursuviant”  and so on.  Add in a little pressure from being under the hot stage lights, a good number of members in attendance, plus all your peers (about 18 other Worshipful Masters and their Wardens), the seemingly countless Grand Lodge Officers and other dignitaries all sitting quietly, patiently listening to you while you have to belt out those names so everyone in the auditorium can hear it, then stir in a good helping of last minute changes and no back up plan because that’s on a pedestal two chairs away, then sprinkle on top that the last one on the list, the Chaplain was actually a Past Master just filling in for our regular Chaplain, and his name being this mouthful: ”Brother Harold L. Kahn, Junior, Past Master, Chaplain”…and you’ve got a perfect recipe for a brain fart!  Proud to say I had no brain fart. 

RWGM Sturgeon with St John's Lodge Officers

Due to mentally reviewing all the names over and over, I have no recollection of anything that happened between the Grand Master’s audible and those introductions – it’s a total blank!

Another highlight of my night as WM hosting the RWGM was the fact that I was just getting over a cold/sinus infection and was being flooded with phlegm (which one would not want to loudly expectorate on stage just a foot and a half away from the RWGM while he’s speaking).  I had also brought along a pack of brand new white gloves for the officers to wear so we’d all have nice clean white gloves.  Unfortunately, we wore the gloves right out of the package, and they’re not high quality gloves, so after each something (I think the 50 & 60 year presentations – total blank, remember?) there was applause.  I noticed as I was reviewing all those officer names in my head that every time we’d applaud, the gloves would leave me in a small cloud of white lint.  It floated so peacefully around me and danced in the bright lights of the stage.  I doubt the audience could see it, but I sure could.  Well, a guy’s gotta breathe and so one time when I inhaled, I sucked in part of one of those little lint clouds.  Like magic, it went directly to the back of my throat AND STUCK.  So I not only needed to seriously hock some phlegm, but now I had a serious lint-induced cough building up.  I had no water handy.  Wouldn’t have helped anyway since it would have been with my list on the next pedestal two chairs away.  I tried to contain a huge cough spasm…I began sweating, my eyes started to water.  I felt like I was about to explode in a huge mushroom cloud of phlegm and new white glove lint.  I felt in my pants pocket and there was one lone Ricola cough drop.  I shed a glove, reached under my apron for my pocket, located the lone cough drop unwrapped it and popped it in my mouth and sucked on it like…well, you can insert your own nasty analogy.  But it worked!  No cough, no phlegm bomb, no mushroom cloud of lint.  WHEW!

RWGM's Medallion

It was a memorable evening for me. The RWGM laid out his 21st century Masonic Renaissance plan and the logic behind it.  Made sense to me.   He presented our Lodge with his medallion which commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Masonic Homes.  Plus he gave me a personal gift of the Jerry Garcia Tie he had specially designed. 

An hour and forty five minutes or so and it was all over.  The planning, coordination, practice, stress, panic, and lint were history.  For the RWGM it was on to another future visitation elsewhere, for me it was a teachable moment: Just hang loose, keep lists with you at all times, and wash new gloves before wearing them.  Whew!

Planning a Nice Visit

St John’s Lodge No. 435 will be having a Special Meeting on Monday, January 25.  The reason for the meeting?  A Visit from the Right Worshipful Grand Master.  Yep, he and his posse will be in town to hold an open meeting with the 7th and 60th Masonic Districts.  The meeting will be held in the Scottish Rite Cathedral Auditorium in West Reading at 7:30p.m.

Whew boy, alot of planning goes into one of these meetings.  Who does what, where’s everybody sit, who speaks, who doesn’t, how to set the stage and on and on…

Possible backdrop later removed - to far forward on stage. Gotta be flexible.

Tuesday night was the initial planning meeting with DDGM and Regional Instructors and other Grand Lodge related brethren there to get our signals straight and make plans.

Who, what, when, how....what?!?

Today, the stage was set up, and most all my officers were there to get a better feel of how this is going to go since we are responsible for “hosting” the meeting.  Not too involved for most, but it can be a little intimidating being in a different setting when all the hot lights are on you, so it was good to review everything together.  We’ll do fine…okay, they’ll do fine.  I’m not so sure about me.

The planning got a little confusing at times

Finally, after all that it seems the stage is set, we’re all on the same page and ready to go.  I had to call the 50 year members today who should have been contacted previously and invite them to attend to personally receive their 50 year service emblem of gold from the Grand Master.  Only 5 of them this year so no big deal for me to make the calls today.  When you get to this position and things don’t happen or someone drops the ball, you have to be prepared to pick it up and run with it.  Hope I don’t end up doing alot of picking and running this year.

Anyway, we’re ready.  Bring on the purple and let’s have a good meeting.  The best part?  It’s an open meeting.  That means bring your wife and family or maybe interested friends to see the spectacle…they could get a real good sense of what happens in Freemasonry.  One of our officers is hoping to bring his grandparents, mother and wife.  Isn’t that terrific?  And it will give me great pleasure to introduce him in this meeting and give him that recognition in front of his family.

Scottish Rite Cathedral - site for the Special meeting on January 25.

Maybe we’ll see you there?

Planning

Going into your year as Worshipful Master, you’ve got alot of learning behind you.  You’ve memorized the Ritual; you’ve hopefully familiarized yourself with the Ahiman Rezon and Digest of Decisions, and you’ve learned who’s who in Freemasonry so you can work together and forward your agenda.  Armed with all you’ve learned about Freemasonry and your Lodge, you must then lay the groundwork and plan for your year as Worshipful Master. 

I had planned the programs for the year;  the meals and refreshments are planned; gifts for Visitation and Masonic Birthdays are prepared.  One thing remained: Fundraising and Activity planning.

We have a new slate of officers this year, so I chose to wait until after our first Stated Meeting to call them together and form a committee to discuss fundraisers and activities.  The only activity that was already in the works is a Family Bowling Event in the Spring which we have opened to all the Masonic Lodges in the District.

We met Monday night to discuss and brainstorm.  There was a healthy and energized turnout, consisting of current officers and former officers, but with the exception of Senior Warden Dave Wells, PM who had a Chapter meeting this night, I invited no Past Masters.  I figured that way, there would be none of the usual “Back in my year..”  or “Can’t do that, we’ve never done it that way…” stuff that usually goes with Past Master meetings.  I wanted to create a clean slate.   The reason I chose to operate/organize this effort with primarily newer officers and members  is because in the world of Fundraising and Lodge Activities, they can and should be on-going programs, from year to year.  Since I will only be in the East for this one year, it would be essential to have buy-in from the officers, and involve them that they will know for future reference which things worked, which fell flat, and which just need to be tweaked.  They will be the builders in the future.  They all came to the table with great ideas. 

Fundraising/Activity Committee

 In attendance were Bros. Jim Smith, Bob Roadcap, Tom Rhoads, Bryce Hart, Corey Zerbe, Gary Mullen, Sam Lauck and Mike Gring.  I really appreciated all their input. 

Some ideas were huge undertakings and I deemed better brought up to Board of Governors of the 7th Masonic District as District Events such as a Block Party, or Flea Market, join efforts with National night out and so forth. Other ideas were well within our means to orchestrate.  This energized meeting lasted a good two hours, and each member had good input.  For me, it was truly a refreshing experience to finally see such enthusiasm for the Lodge.

The items decided upon to pursue in addition to the bowling event: 

• A Lodge breakfast or Dinner in conjunction with a DVD program, inviting the public and we will create personal DVD’s for each person who wanted to send a message to a family member who may be in the service or away from home over the holidays.  We will attempt to do this around Veterans Day if possible.
• We will investigate local Parades, and attempt to participate in one.  Most of us can walk a parade, and we have a couple members with hot sports cars.  The thought being we’d look more contemporary and gain some public exposure.  If deemed worthy, we’ll consider other such appearances.
• Angel Tree.  We will adopt a cause and create an Angel tree to help children and families in the area who need it for the holidays.
• A Ladies Night/Banquet this time to be held earlier in the year…October/November time frame before the holiday hustle bustle.  Possibly include entertainment.

I hope these things work.  We’ve got alot of legwork to do, and these ideas focus more on activities and public outreach than fundraising.  Plans may change as we gather all our information, so stay tuned for finalized plans. 

For now though, I believe we’re off to a great start.