Newsletter from the Grand Secretary
Hollis G. Dixon, Grand Secretary
April 2006
Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award: For several years now, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania has offered a National Recognition Award for Masons that have been recommended because of their outstanding service to the Boy Scouts of America. The Grand Lodge of Maine elected to participate in this program when it was first offered to all jurisdictions. We have Brochures available that describe the program and give directions for nominating a Mason. The Brochure itself serves as an application. Recently, the cost of the presentation kit was increased from $ 20.00 to $ 35.00. The kit contains a certificate endorsed by our Grand Master, a Boy Scouts of America – approved neck medallion and a knot patch to be worn with a Scout uniform. If you plan to recommend a Mason for this award, you must, along with the application form, submit a written statement detailing his qualifications for receiving the award. Be sure to include a check in the amount of $ 35.00 made out to the Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of Pennsylvania.
We have received several applications without the required fee for the presentation kit. This causes a time delay because we have to write to the lodge for the fee. If you wish to download an application from the Internet, please go to: www.pagrandlodge.org/pyf.
By-law Revisions: A number of lodges have submitted By-law Revisions for approval by the Grand Master. Several of these lodges have included a fee, which they intend to charge for an application for membership by affiliation. You should be aware that the second paragraph of Section 131 prohibits the charging of a fee with an application for affiliation. [Cons. page 1-45]
Secretaries Workshops: To date, we have held seven Workshops for Lodge Secretaries across the state. We plan to continue holding them until we have covered all areas of the state. As I have said before, this Grand Lodge owes a debt of gratitude to Brother Thomas Heath for the hundreds of hours he has spent designing and implementing our new Membership Database Program, as well as his devotion and commitment in putting on these workshops. Likewise, we are appreciative of the assistance provided to Brother Heath by his father, R. W. Alan Heath. Secretaries that attend will be authorized to access the Grand Lodge Server and the database for their lodge for the purpose of entering data and printing reports, labels, etc. This ability will save you a great deal of time and will benefit the staff at Grand Lodge as well.
If you have not yet attended one of these workshops you should make an effort to do so. We will notify all lodges in the District where the school is to be held as well as the adjoining districts. Several Secretaries have attended more than one workshop and they have indicated that they have benefited by doing so. Tom has improved the program as a result of the input he has received from those Secretaries that have attended.
Fraternally,
Hollis G. Dixon
Grand Secretary
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