Brethren

It’s hard to believe it’s September already. We have an active Fall ahead of us, with activities ongoing, and several coming up soon.

We are half-way through our Raffle to raise money for the Scholarship Fund.

So far, out of 200+ members, 11 have agreed to sell raffle tickets. We could use some more help and support. September 13-14 we have an opportunity to sell tickets and a gun show in Decatur TX. This is a great opportunity to help raise money for the Lamar Award fund. We can potentially raise $20,000.

I was recently talking to a former university president, who said that it’s not unusual for a student in engineering or the sciences to spend $750 or more per semester on books alone, most of which have little or no resale value. So you can see how important it is for us to bolster our scholarship nest egg.

We have just completed adding new gutters to the building, along with some minor roof repairs, that have been needed for some time. This will hopefully help stop the water infiltration problems we have been exposed to.

We are almost ready to begin the budgeted interior renovations. PM Erv Stiles has been instrumental in facilitating this, and we are currently studying the various costs to determine priorities. By this time next month, we should have more to report.

The next three months will feature some guest speakers on stated meeting night, either in an open meeting immediately before, or during our stated communication. October will feature

In October, Laurie Garvie, President and Executive Director of the Richardson Symphony Orchestra, will join us for a discussion about the RSO.

In November, Brother Larry FitzPatrick, past Grand Orator, will join us, and in December, we are planning a special appearance by local representatives of the Salvation Army.

Remember to check our website for calendar updates!

Finally, we have a Fellow Craft degree scheduled for Tuesday, September 16th, so please plan to attend and show your support as we pass this Brother.

Fraternally,
Brian McGauley, WM