July newsletter
July, 2026
1 Fellowship/Practice
2 Rainbow Board
8 Fellowship/Practice
12 DeMolay
13 Rainbow
15 Fellowship/Practice
16 STATED
20 DeMolay
21 EA degree (Shumate)
22 Fellowship/Practice
27 Rainbow
28 FC degree (Gibson)
29 Fellowship/Practice
30 OES
Other items of interest:
Each Tuesday, 11am, Roux Creole Café in Gallatin, District 12 Luncheon
Each Friday, 11am, VFW Post 88 in Donelson, Scottish Rite Lunch Club
Each Saturday, 8am, Pucketts in Hendersonville, Shrine Club Breakfast
The worshipful master’s corner:
Greetings Bretheren,
As we reflect on the lessons of Freemasonry and the importance of preserving our traditions, I am reminded that our nation is also celebrating an important milestone this month. America marks its 250th birthday, giving us an opportunity to reflect on our country's history and the values upon which it was founded.
As America celebrates 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we have additional reason to be proud. Nine of the 56 signers were Freemasons. These men helped establish a nation founded on liberty and self-government, values that closely align with the teachings of our fraternity.
We should be proud to call ourselves Masons and remember the many contributions our fraternity has made throughout our nation's history. Freemasonry encourages men to seek truth, help others, and become better men while serving their communities.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the brethren who were able to join and/or participate in our recent Fellow Craft Degree. It was conducted with excellence, and that success was a direct result of the hard work, dedication, and preparation of those involved. Your commitment to learning and practicing the ritual was clearly evident throughout the evening. For many candidates, the lessons and experiences of their degrees become memories they carry for the rest of their lives. When we take the time to learn our parts and present the work with precision and excellence, we honor both the candidate and the traditions of our fraternity. The outstanding degree work displayed by our brethren was a true reflection of the pride we take in our lodge and reflected great credit upon Hendersonville Lodge #359. So, THANK YOU!
As we move forward through the remainder of the year, I encourage each of you to continue doing good works, supporting your fellow brethren, and representing our lodge in a manner that brings honor to the Craft. Thank you for all you do for our lodge and for Freemasonry.
Fraternally,
Kevin Herring
From the Secretary’s Desk:
Brethren!
Looking at the outside of our building, things are sort of a mess with all of the continued construction. When you come inside, however, the recent repairs and upgrades (including the secretary’s office, thanks to the Brothers Gerock!) show care and commitment and a place where we can all be proud. If you’ll think back to the “16 questions”, there’s a section where we refer to what’s most important are internal and not the external qualifications for a Masonic journey. As we study and practice our rituals, we all work to get all of the wording perfect, but more importantly, are we thinking about what all of the symbolism and lectures mean and how they can (and should) impact our lives? Remember that every action that others see reflects our character and also shows non-Masons who we are.
Joining our fraternity and living out our degrees is not something where we can take the attitude “I don’t care what others think about what I say or do.” What you say and do tells the world what a Freemason is more than the hat, ring, tattoo, or car emblem. Always remember what those symbols represent and what a Mason should be; it may mean holding back and “circumscribing our passion” a bit!
We say that the values in our degrees are for our lifelong study and PRACTICE, and that practice comes as we interact with others each and every day.
Our forefathers lived these values and practiced them and thought that they were important enough that they used them to craft our nation and our system of living. Amidst all of the 250th celebration, may we all stop and reflect on what these are and why they matter.
Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
Fraternally,
Jeff Phillips, PM/Secretary
BROTHERS! REMEMBER TO RETURN YOUR PANCAKE BREAKFAST TICKET MONEY (even AFTER the event)