*NEW* Lodge in Arlington, Texas

Brethren,

Dangit!! I wish I had thought of telling you all sooner but we are chartering a new-ish Lodge in Arlington, TX! If you'd like to be a Charter Member then you'll need to hustle and go here to get your application: www.sweethomelodge.org/

I believe that the cut-off for a Charter Membership is on July 1, 2013. The Lodge will be set to labor on August 16th. Charter fee is set at $100 and all information on where to send, etc. is on the application (I have also attached to this post).

When I say new-ish Lodge the deal is this. Sweet Home Lodge was originally chartered back in 1883 and was disbanded (not sure of the correct term) in 1921. We have 'recycled' the name and number 576. Elegantly, this Lodge will be located within the walls of the Texas Masonic Retirement Center... also a very Sweet Home for some great Brethren, their wives and widows.

If you get a chance please go to our Facebook page and 'Like' us: www.facebook.com/SweetHomeLodge

Thank you for allowing me to post this and for your time. I just think it's really a cool thing to be a Charter Member of a Lodge... they don't open new lodges too often...

How much will dues be? Rw bob waters was suppose to email me some info but I guess he got busy. I should probably go have lunch with him and remind him.:thumbup:

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In addition to dues/endowment costs, how many times per year will the lodge meet? Monthly? Quarterly?

I think this would be a great way to raise awareness for the Texas Masonic Retirement Home - make a "pilgrimage" there a few times a year.

Another question - about the TMRC. I see that in order to move into the facility a person must be "capable of independent life".

What happens to the residents when they are no longer capable of independent life?

From what I recall, the requirement is for moving in. If your health degrades while there, they move you to the on site nursing unit unless it's beyond them to care for you.

From the TMRC site: "What happens if my health becomes an issue?
TMRC is committed to providing for you for your entire life. For some people, more complex services may be needed as they grow older. When someone needs more care, TMRC provides a sparkling clean skilled nursing facility. Quarterly meetings with families and residents keep the communication lines open. Social services are available to assist with a wide variety of needs. In most cases, there is no reason to move to an entirely different location, it’s just a re-location down the hall with the same familiar friends and staff."

http://www.txmrc.org/faq.aspx
http://www.txmrc.org/skilled_nursing_unit.aspx

Thanks for the replies Brethren! The dues are looking to be $25 + per capita (currently set at $25) for a total of $50 annually. They are going to be inexpensive as they have no bills to pay and such.

The plan is to be a regular working Lodge meeting monthly - most likely on Saturday afternoon/evening. They already have at least 2 EA candidates to open the Lodge with!

As far as 'independent' life... from what I have heard if the person/people can get into the building under their own power then they are in... they have continuity of care there so they can take you through the latter phases of life.

Some of the guys from my chapter/council live at the TMRC. Maybe ill try to come out that way sometime!


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Do try to come out! I've not seen the Lodge room as it's still under construction/renovation and is completely blocked-off from the TMRC world... I guess they don't need many dozen extra supervisors... :w00t:

It's interesting that Texas allows numbers to be recycled. Many jurisdictions do not. Recently Illinois chartered lodge number 5. That number had been reserved early on but the lodge operating under dispensation expecting to be number 5 failed and never got a charter. Fun loophole based on a historical event. The rule for Illinois is numbers don't get reused and that isn't the same as numbers getting assigned sequentially.

There are obviously rules to the 'recycling' of Lodge numbers/names... while I don't have the whole list of items one of them is that there cannot be any living members of the Lodge in question. Since our Lodge is coming up on ~90+ years of being inactive the odds are fairly good that there are no surviving members of the original (they would have to be 110-ish at the youngest).

I may be a little off on the dates/numbers/info but you get the gist of things...

Double tap... sorry folks.... nothin' to see here.................:45: :51: