From the East: May 2025

It's already starting to heat up here at Bailey, as a busy summer approaches for us. See "Upcoming Events" below to see what will happen.

Masonic Education this month covered two different topics, one at our business meeting, and one at the Square and Compass meeting.

 

• Since we had just finished with the Grand Lodge annual communication last month, Masonic Education at Bailey discussed the functions of a Grand Lodge and its functions making it an indispensable part of Freemasonry:

  • Governance and Regulation

    • Chartering Lodges (granting subordinate lodges authorization to work, as well as enabling new lodges to be formed.)

    • Maintaining Standards (ensuring adherence to Masonic law, ritual, customs, and the ancient landmarks.)

    • Disciplinary Authority (investigating and adjudicating charges of misconduct against individual Masons or lodges, as well as functioning as a court of appeal from trials held in subordinate lodges and trial commissions)

  • Custodianship of Ritual and Tradition

    • Ritual Uniformity (preserving and standardizing ritual used by subordinate lodges)

    • Symbolic Interpretation (upholding and interpreting symbolism and allegory foundational to Masonic teachings)

  • Leadership and Administration

    • Grand Lodge Officers and Committees (electing and appointing officers to administer the craft at the grand jurisdiction level)

    • Annual Communications (holding annual meetings to hear committee reports, adopt or reject proposed changes in legislation, and elect Grand Lodge officers)

    • Legislation (enacting and/or changing the Constitution and Code according to the needs of the craft)

  • Education and Outreach

    • Masonic Education (promoting Masonic knowledge, history, philosophy, and values)

    • Public Relations (representing the craft to the general public and other Masonic jurisdictions)

    • Charitable Endeavors (supporting and overseeing philanthropic activities and Masonic charities)

  • Recognition and Relations

    • Mutual Recognition (establishing fraternal relations with other Grand Lodges, determining which are to be considered "regular")

    • Jurisdictional Integrity (ensuring only one recognized Grand Lodge per territory, except by mutual recognition or treaty)

    • Governance over Appendant Bodies (ensuring that appendant bodies within the grand jurisdiction operate in compliance with Masonic law)
       

• Masonic Education at the Square and Compass meeting discussed an address by MW Laurence Healey, who was a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of British Columbia in 1952-3. He delivered a paper which reminded the brethren that lodges are not intended to be service clubs, unlike the many service clubs that were coming into vogue in the postwar period. He did not seek to disparage the work these clubs did; in fact, we are reminded that Masons are to be charitable. However, Masonry is involved in improving society in a different way; namely, by improving man from the inside out. While charity and community service are worthy pursuits, they are not meant to be the primary functions of a Masonic lodge.

 

Prayer Requests

• Please continue to pray for Bro. Billy Wayne Bishop's family and brethren as we mourn his passing.
   

Grand Lodge Appointments

• Our own RWB Jay Frazier, Past Master of Bailey Lodge and Past District Deputy Grand Master of the 18th Masonic District, as well as our current Lodge Secretary, has been appointed to serve on the Masonic Education Committee (MEC), representing the 18th District.

• WB Allen Campbell, Past Master and Honorary Member of Bailey Lodge and current Worshipful Master at Cooper Lodge, has been appointed to serve on the Masonic Service Association (MSA) Committee, representing the 11th, 17th, and 18th Districts.

• RWB Bryan Campbell, Past Master of Tyger and Ebenezer Lodges, as well as Honorary Member of Bailey Lodge, has been appointed to serve as the District Deputy Grand Master for the 18th Masonic District until 2027. 
   

Please congratulate these brothers when you see them. Thank them for all the work they have put into Masonry in our district, and all the work they will continue to do going forward.
 

Previous Events

May Business Meeting

Bailey Lodge has elected to not hold a business meeting (or "go dark") in July. Our July business meeting would fall on July 3 and we anticipate that we will be busy with our fireworks sale on that date. (See "Upcoming Events" below.)

 

Bailey also voted to participate in a program being coordinated by Wade Hampton 404 to buy a truckload of propane for families in Western NC still being affected by Hurricane Helene.

 

We also elected Mr. Jeffrey Austin to receive his Entered Apprentice degree. His degree is scheduled for May 29.
 

Upcoming Events

Entered Apprentice Degree

On May 29, Bro. Jon Marshbanks, with the assistance of the brethren of Bailey Lodge, will confer the Entered Apprentice Degree. We will have a meal at 6:30 and work will begin at 7:30.

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Bailey Lodge Work Day

On May 31, Bailey Lodge will have a work day. We'll start at around 9:00 AM and work until we're done. We'll be sprucing up the lodge for the car show the following Saturday.

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Lecturer's Class

On June 4, (the first Wednesday of the month) I will be holding a Lecturer's Class at Bailey Lodge. We begin at 7:30. Eat before you come. We go over the Entered Apprentice degree lecture. WB Billy DeYoung (from Taylors 345) and Bro. John Bickel (from Cooper 282) are attending regularly. Bring a red book (if you have access to one) and an Ahiman Rezon.

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June Business Meeting

Our Business Meeting for June is on June 5.. The meal is at 6:30, and the meeting begins at 7:30.

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4th Annual Bailey Lodge Car Show

The 4th Annual Bailey Lodge Car Show is scheduled for June 7th, from 10 AM to 2 PM.  Bro. Kameron Laue is the chairman of the Car Show Committee this year, and he is assisted by Bro. Ron Herring, as well as the other members of the Car Show Committee.This is a judged show for pre-1995 vehicles. To show your car, the fee is $25. Trophies will be awarded for the top 20 cars, best in show and a Worshipful Master's pick. We'll have hamburgers and hot dogs. Bring the whole family! We had roughly 60 cars last year and it was a great day.

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18th District Square and Compass Club

On June 11, the 18th District Square and Compass Club will be meeting at Tyger 190.The meal is at 6:30 and the meeting starts at 7:30. This is a great opportunity to meet with brothers from other lodges in the district, coordinate district activities, and to enjoy some fellowship. It's my honor to serve as Vice-President of the Club this year. If you're a Master Mason and a member of a lodge in the 18th District, you're automatically a member!
 

Fireworks Sale

In the week prior to July 4, we will be holding our first ever fireworks sale with TNT Fireworks, at Bailey Lodge. Because of the anticipated traffic at our lodge building during that time, we voted to forego our business meeting (or "go dark") in July.
 

3rd Annual County Line Meeting

The County Line Meeting is a joint project between the AFM Club of Spartanburg County (covering the 19th, 20th, and 21st districts) and the 18th District Square and Compass Club. Bailey Lodge was the host lodge for the inaugural meeting in 2023, and we will be pleased to host the meeting again this year. A Master Mason's degree is conferred at this meeting, which is set for July 25 this year. We will eat at 6:00 and work will begin at 7:30.

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Toy and Food Drives

Thank you to all who donated to our toy and food drives in 2024. We have been able to contribute toys to the Greenville County LEO toy drive last year, and we will be contributing to the Greer city toy drive this year as well. We have also been able to contribute food to local food banks as well as to victims of Hurricane Helene in western NC. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

These drives are ongoing throughout the year. We need non-perishable food and unwrapped toys for ages 3 to 12. Collection boxes are inside the lodge building.

Special thanks to Bro. Brian McGraw, our Senior Warden, for organizing these drives for our lodge.

 

See you at Lodge!

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Fraternally,
Dan Jordan
Worshipful Master