Brethren:
Former Scottish Rite Secretary and great worker in the Craft John Modling died Friday morning. He had a stroke two weeks ago and complications included pnuemonia. The family will be receiving visitors Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 at Patterson's in Sandy Springs on Allen Road.
Patterson HM & Son Funeral Directors - maps.google.com
173 Allen Rd NE, Sandy Springs - (404) 851-9900
Family-Placed Death Notice
MODLING, John -- John Benjamin Modling, 85, of Atlanta, died June 26, 2009. He is survived by his wife, Rose Weston Modling; daughter, Catherine M. Bennett and her husband, David; granddaughter, Catherine Weston "Kaki" Bennett; brother, Douglas L. Modling; and sister, Virginia Carnes. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 3526 Piedmont Rd., NE, Building 6, Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30305. The family will receive friends Tuesday, June 30, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at H.M. Patterson and Son, Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Rd., NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328.
The funeral will be private for the family only.
Gate City II is an Atlanta Masonic Lodge. We are Free and Accepted Masons working under the jurisdiction of The Grand Lodge of Georgia. We meet at the Atlanta Masonic Center (formerly The Atlanta Masonic Temple) 1690 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Joe Brooks Resigns Plural Membership In Metro Daylight Lodge:
Joe Brooks, a Freemason for over fifty years, has resigned plural membership status in Metro Daylight Lodge. Joe is a well loved staple of Gate City II and a thirty third degree Scottish Rite Mason. Joe Brooks is a Past Master of both Metro Daylight and Gate City Lodges.
Correction Posted by Beaux.
Correction Posted by Beaux.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
David Herman Resigns as District Deputy to The Grandmaster:
"After hearing these charges read in my lodge, I thought about it for a full day, then called the Grand Master and resigned. As a District Deputy, I must be the Grand Master's representative; nothing more and nothing less. Yet, as a Freemason, I could not sit on the sideline and be a passive witness to these events. I resigned so that I might stand with my Brethren. That decision was easy - in fact, I had no choice at all if I was to live up to the teachings of all those Masonic lectures I've given and heard over the years."
Gate City II is an Atlanta Masonic Lodge. We are Free and Accepted Masons working under the jurisdiction of The Grand Lodge of Georgia. We meet at the Atlanta Masonic Center (formerly The Atlanta Masonic Temple) 1690 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
Gate City II is an Atlanta Masonic Lodge. We are Free and Accepted Masons working under the jurisdiction of The Grand Lodge of Georgia. We meet at the Atlanta Masonic Center (formerly The Atlanta Masonic Temple) 1690 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
Masonic Cookbook of Gate City II:
Here's the cookbook. Take a handful of diligent brethren, the six points below, give it three to five years and it will happen. It's nothing new, just a how to.
The purpose of this article is to share the processes and programs which took us from where we were to where we wanted to be, and how we got there. Every lodge has its own momentum, its own fit in the community, its own flavor and style. The resurgence of Gate City II started with Mike Bjelajac and myself as the main proponents. We worked diligently in every aspect of improvement.
We started by considering what we ourselves would like to see. We then moved to what would attract others to our lodge and ultimately how to keep them. Through difficulties and the naturally occurring personnel shifts of today's mobile society, the Lodge ebbed and flowed for a few years but still managed to gain and keep several key members: Doug Hrabe, Chris Wilson, Donald Hall, Nick Hayes, Bill Wallace and Edwin Demars. We established elements of all of the six points but could never really find time to fully implement the last three (we didn't even have a name for them).
We started to more clearly define what was needed around September of 2007. Everyone has day jobs and several of us had more than one role in the lodge to fulfill. We were all stretched a bit thin. I always knew that an active Craftsmen's club of PMs was the key. I ended my two year stint as master in December 2007. After resolving some difficult situations which ultimately made us closer, I knew it was time to seal the deal and finish what we started. Still, here was no real name for the points, just the clear idea that they were necessary.
With each stride in completing the six points, the change was palpable. By the time our annual retreat came around in 2008, everyone knew we were on to something. We closed the deal with the introduction of the Religion and Culture Series as well as an active blog and website which showcase the feel of the Lodge. These six points, were only named after David Herman asked Gate City II for a presentation at the DeKalb County Masonic Association. After a lot of consideration, these six points became concrete...or cement.
We are an in town Lodge operating in one of the largest and racially diverse cities in the United States. You may not agree with our approach or make up, you may not like our formality, you might think we have a Lodge ego the size of our great city, that's okay. These points are universal and common sensible and could help your lodge as well.
1. Appearance of the Brethren. Gate City already had the custom of having our officers wear tuxedos, and it was a small matter to reinforce this, and to ask the rest of the brethren to wear a coat and tie when at all possible; for many, this was already their normal lodge attire.
2. Ritual Proficiency and Execution. We decided that it wasn't enough to be "merely proficient" - we wanted to do the work with a crisp, military precision, having everyone move, face, or be still as a team. We decided to step up to this level of execution for the officers ourselves and for our sideline members - but most especially for our candidates, who come to us seeking something special, outside of and above their workaday experiences; we wanted our love of the ritual to shine through.
3. Appearance of the Lodge. Two weeks after I was elected Worshipful Master, I pulled the shag carpeting out of the South Lodge Room and installed a granite and marble tessellated floor. We turned off the fluorescent lights, turned down the incandescent lights, and began using actual candles to represent the Three Lesser Lights. We feel that this sets the tone nicely for a beautiful Masonic evening. A quick visit to http://gatecity2.org will give you a feel for the present appearance
- and, in fact, we worked out a brand new website, because that's all a great many people will ever see of our lodge, and we wanted to put our best foot forward.
4. Fellowship. One of the most important draws for a new brother is fellowship. Bonds of friendship are forged during unstructured time.
You don't get to know the fellow across from you while you are sitting in lodge; it is outside of the lodge meetings where you truly connect; it is at the planning sessions and at refreshment that men become brethren in the full realization of that bond. Gate City goes that all one further by having various social gatherings throughout the year and an annual weekend retreat, where we get to know each other between cycles of ritual practice, event planning, catechism work and pitching in to prepare and clean up the meals.
5. Education . People come into Freemasonry with a variety of expectations. Some are seeking enlightenment, or at least help along that path; most expect regular lessons on symbolism, morality, personal development and the meaning of life. They don't join for a place to have hot dogs and coffee (although that may be a welcome side effect). They come to find something that has been missing, something that is worth their time away from their families, the television, the internet and the myriad of other things that one could be doing during a lodge meeting. This year we actually combined Education, Outreach and Publicity, and bundled them up into our Religion & Culture series. With an aggressive kick off of eight programs, we are opening each one to members, families, friends, prospective members, brethren from other lodges and the public in general. These programs cover a variety of topics, including an Introduction to Hinduism and the Kashi Atlanta Ashram (65 guests attended); an Ancient Islamic Poetry reading and explanation, a recital of Hayden, Mozart and Mendelssohn (all Masons); remembrances of a Jewish survivor of Auschwitz and Russian purges; a Deacon will speak on the Catholic Church's historical and present position on Freemasonry; an overview of Shamanic practices; and more to be booked.
6. Programs: . The Atlanta Masonic Temple does not have any kitchen facility, so we had to think outside of the box if we wanted to contribute to charities in our community - no pancake breakfast or fish fry events. We have raised and donated money through bowling for Susan G. Kommen for the Cure Foundation and we have hosted GACHIP events, we've raised money for fallen police officers, but this year we will be branching out further, hosting a Jazz show in Decatur, with the proceeds going to the Doctors Without Borders charity. Additionally, our Senior Warden, Bill Wallace, will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa as a fundraiser for Doctors without Borders, and he will unfurl a Masonic flag at the summit. Other programs are the instruction of a productive website which features the flavor of your lodge and not a calendar from 2001. For our purposes, a program can merely be a specialized implementation of any of the preceding five points but also refer to presentations, communications or charitable endeavors.
Beaux Pettys
Copyright, Gate City II, 2009
Gate City II is an Atlanta Masonic Lodge. We are Free and Accepted Masons working under the jurisdiction of The Grand Lodge of Georgia. We meet at the Atlanta Masonic Center (formerly The Atlanta Masonic Temple) 1690 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
The purpose of this article is to share the processes and programs which took us from where we were to where we wanted to be, and how we got there. Every lodge has its own momentum, its own fit in the community, its own flavor and style. The resurgence of Gate City II started with Mike Bjelajac and myself as the main proponents. We worked diligently in every aspect of improvement.
We started by considering what we ourselves would like to see. We then moved to what would attract others to our lodge and ultimately how to keep them. Through difficulties and the naturally occurring personnel shifts of today's mobile society, the Lodge ebbed and flowed for a few years but still managed to gain and keep several key members: Doug Hrabe, Chris Wilson, Donald Hall, Nick Hayes, Bill Wallace and Edwin Demars. We established elements of all of the six points but could never really find time to fully implement the last three (we didn't even have a name for them).
We started to more clearly define what was needed around September of 2007. Everyone has day jobs and several of us had more than one role in the lodge to fulfill. We were all stretched a bit thin. I always knew that an active Craftsmen's club of PMs was the key. I ended my two year stint as master in December 2007. After resolving some difficult situations which ultimately made us closer, I knew it was time to seal the deal and finish what we started. Still, here was no real name for the points, just the clear idea that they were necessary.
With each stride in completing the six points, the change was palpable. By the time our annual retreat came around in 2008, everyone knew we were on to something. We closed the deal with the introduction of the Religion and Culture Series as well as an active blog and website which showcase the feel of the Lodge. These six points, were only named after David Herman asked Gate City II for a presentation at the DeKalb County Masonic Association. After a lot of consideration, these six points became concrete...or cement.
We are an in town Lodge operating in one of the largest and racially diverse cities in the United States. You may not agree with our approach or make up, you may not like our formality, you might think we have a Lodge ego the size of our great city, that's okay. These points are universal and common sensible and could help your lodge as well.
1. Appearance of the Brethren. Gate City already had the custom of having our officers wear tuxedos, and it was a small matter to reinforce this, and to ask the rest of the brethren to wear a coat and tie when at all possible; for many, this was already their normal lodge attire.
2. Ritual Proficiency and Execution. We decided that it wasn't enough to be "merely proficient" - we wanted to do the work with a crisp, military precision, having everyone move, face, or be still as a team. We decided to step up to this level of execution for the officers ourselves and for our sideline members - but most especially for our candidates, who come to us seeking something special, outside of and above their workaday experiences; we wanted our love of the ritual to shine through.
3. Appearance of the Lodge. Two weeks after I was elected Worshipful Master, I pulled the shag carpeting out of the South Lodge Room and installed a granite and marble tessellated floor. We turned off the fluorescent lights, turned down the incandescent lights, and began using actual candles to represent the Three Lesser Lights. We feel that this sets the tone nicely for a beautiful Masonic evening. A quick visit to http://gatecity2.org will give you a feel for the present appearance
- and, in fact, we worked out a brand new website, because that's all a great many people will ever see of our lodge, and we wanted to put our best foot forward.
4. Fellowship. One of the most important draws for a new brother is fellowship. Bonds of friendship are forged during unstructured time.
You don't get to know the fellow across from you while you are sitting in lodge; it is outside of the lodge meetings where you truly connect; it is at the planning sessions and at refreshment that men become brethren in the full realization of that bond. Gate City goes that all one further by having various social gatherings throughout the year and an annual weekend retreat, where we get to know each other between cycles of ritual practice, event planning, catechism work and pitching in to prepare and clean up the meals.
5. Education . People come into Freemasonry with a variety of expectations. Some are seeking enlightenment, or at least help along that path; most expect regular lessons on symbolism, morality, personal development and the meaning of life. They don't join for a place to have hot dogs and coffee (although that may be a welcome side effect). They come to find something that has been missing, something that is worth their time away from their families, the television, the internet and the myriad of other things that one could be doing during a lodge meeting. This year we actually combined Education, Outreach and Publicity, and bundled them up into our Religion & Culture series. With an aggressive kick off of eight programs, we are opening each one to members, families, friends, prospective members, brethren from other lodges and the public in general. These programs cover a variety of topics, including an Introduction to Hinduism and the Kashi Atlanta Ashram (65 guests attended); an Ancient Islamic Poetry reading and explanation, a recital of Hayden, Mozart and Mendelssohn (all Masons); remembrances of a Jewish survivor of Auschwitz and Russian purges; a Deacon will speak on the Catholic Church's historical and present position on Freemasonry; an overview of Shamanic practices; and more to be booked.
6. Programs: . The Atlanta Masonic Temple does not have any kitchen facility, so we had to think outside of the box if we wanted to contribute to charities in our community - no pancake breakfast or fish fry events. We have raised and donated money through bowling for Susan G. Kommen for the Cure Foundation and we have hosted GACHIP events, we've raised money for fallen police officers, but this year we will be branching out further, hosting a Jazz show in Decatur, with the proceeds going to the Doctors Without Borders charity. Additionally, our Senior Warden, Bill Wallace, will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa as a fundraiser for Doctors without Borders, and he will unfurl a Masonic flag at the summit. Other programs are the instruction of a productive website which features the flavor of your lodge and not a calendar from 2001. For our purposes, a program can merely be a specialized implementation of any of the preceding five points but also refer to presentations, communications or charitable endeavors.
Beaux Pettys
Copyright, Gate City II, 2009
Gate City II is an Atlanta Masonic Lodge. We are Free and Accepted Masons working under the jurisdiction of The Grand Lodge of Georgia. We meet at the Atlanta Masonic Center (formerly The Atlanta Masonic Temple) 1690 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
Gate City II donates Black and White Granite & Marble, as well as floor plaque, for Grady Bozeman Memorial at York Rite Building:
A little over two years ago, Gate City II donated White Carrara Marble and Black Zimbabwe Granite to the York Rite Building in Macon. The floor was modeled after Gate City's new floor in the South Lodge of the Masonic Temple.
Just after the project was completed, Grady Bozeman, an officer of the Grand Lodge of Georgia and Past Grand High Priest of the York Rite, was shot and killed. The idea came to install floor plaques at the four threshholds of the lobby with the one at the entrance bearing a memorial to Grady. Gate City also donated the floor plaques.
Gate City II is an Atlanta Masonic Lodge. We are Free and Accepted Masons working under the jurisdiction of The Grand Lodge of Georgia. We meet at the Atlanta Masonic Center (formerly The Atlanta Masonic Temple) 1690 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Gate City II: The Replacement of The Floor in the South Lodge Room of the Atlanta Masonic Center
Just under four years ago, Gate City II replaced the dated shag carpet in the South Lodge room of the Atlanta Masonic Center. Yes, it was shag rug...no doubt. The picture above was taken so that you could see every fiber of the thick, old stuff.
Over thirteen hundred square feet of White marble from Carrara, Italy and Black Granite from Zimbabwe was installed in the exact same tesselated pattern as the previous carpet...a much better look.
Gate City II is an Atlanta Masonic Lodge. We are Free and Accepted Masons working under the jurisdiction of The Grand Lodge of Georgia. We meet at the Atlanta Masonic Center (formerly The Atlanta Masonic Temple) 1690 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
SW BILL WALLACE READIES FOR HIS CLIMB OF MT. KILIMANJARO:
Brother William Wallace, Senior Warden of Gate City Lodge #2, is 5 weeks away from climbing to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.
Brother Wallace committed to this goal in 2008 and has spent the past year in preparation for the climb. Kilimanjaro is 19,340 feet high and the climb will take him through 5 distinct geographic temperate zones. The climb will start in a jungle/rain-forest and end at the summit where temperatures are often below 0 degrees.
The preparation for the climb has been both financial as well as physical. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro consists of 7 days on the mountain hiking for up to 8 hours per day. The final summit day may take as long at 12 hours. The route that Brother Wallace will take is called the Machame route which is the most challenging. The effort requires both strength and cardio fitness. Walking/hiking/running with a 30 lb weight vest has been a routine Brother Wallace has maintained for the past year. In addition, 150 pushups, 12 pull-ups, weight-training, and crunches are completed in the non-cardio days.
The climb is a personal goal for Brother Wallace but was also a means to draw attention to Doctors without Borders. Brother Wallace intends to summit Kilimanjaro with a Masonic flag as a salute to the international fraternity of Freemasonry.
from the summit:
from the summit:
Gate City II is an Atlanta Masonic Lodge. We are Free and Accepted Masons working under the jurisdiction of The Grand Lodge of Georgia. We meet at the Atlanta Masonic Center (formerly The Atlanta Masonic Temple) 1690 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
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