It is truly my honor to serve Hillcrest Lodge this year. We, the officers of the Lodge, are
very excited about the future of Hillcrest and our plans for this year. In preparing for my
year to serve the Lodge and for our installation, it occurred to me that our officers are
elected and installed in June and July – dates which surround the 4th of July. On this date,
we celebrate the birth of our nation with fanfare, barbecues, and fireworks. Unfortunately,
all too often we forget to focus on what happened on that date – a group of men risked
everything they had and signed the Declaration of Independence. I love this document – its
eloquence, its universalistic design, the concept of natural rights and laws, and that it is a
declaration, not a final statement. Why is this important to me, our Lodge, and to Masonry
in general? Masonry is a declaration; we strive to make good men better and are, as
individuals and a fraternity, an unfinished temple, which means there is work yet to be
done.
George Washington once said, “Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of
celestial fire, called conscience.” For conscience, I would insert Masonry. We are Masonry
and a Lodge. From the Worshipful Master, to the new EA, to our oldest members, we are
a Lodge. We celebrate our successes together, we band together in times of need, and
together we need to work to fan “that little spark of celestial fire” which unites us as
Masons. Ask yourself, what spark ignited your interest in Masonry? How can we rekindle
that spark, or continue to ignite the spark? These are important questions. For our Lodge
to grow, to be charitable, and to help make good men better we need each of you to get
involved. Reach out to me, to our officers, or to other men in our Lodge and let us know
how we can help you get involved and in turn you will help us continue to enrich men’s
lives.
This year we are making some minor changes which we hope will improve the consistency and clarity of our
communications and operations. Outlined below are a few highlights.
1. On our website, www.dallasfreemasonry.org, we have added an events calendar. The calendar will include all
meetings (stated, committee, and officers) plus all other events.
2. Starting in August, an agenda plus any motions will be emailed, to Hillcrest members only, the week before the Stated
Meeting. I hope this will give you a chance to reach out before the meeting to ask questions about our motions and
business.
3. We have started a new committee, Masonic Connections. The goal of this committee is to foster connections
between Hillcrest Lodge and other Masonic Lodges and organizations in the area.
I have added a few sections to our Beacon. While I believe it is important for us to look to the future, it is also important
that we keep in mind our past. To that end, I have been reading the old minutes of the Lodge. Every month, I will include
excerpts and notes from the old in minutes in “A Few More Minutes.” There is also a section dedicated to our Masonic
Connections. Here we will highlight the Lodges and events that we are planning on attending (these dates will also be
included on our calendar)
Finally, I want to reiterate that I am honored to have the opportunity to serve our Lodge, but we need your help. Please get
involved and get connected. We are the Lodge and we need you.
Fraternally,
Ken Knotts
Worshipful Master