FROM THE EAST - JUNE

I write you this month from my last month in the East. It has been a great year, and I would like to thank all of my officers for serving with me, in rebuilding the foundations of Hillcrest, as well as laying ground for potential growth. We have a lot in our future, and a lot going on this month.

First and foremost, I would like everyone to make note that Hillcrest Lodge has a new phone number! The old one will be deactivated within the next month. Please update everyone you know to this fact, as I would not want any of our brother's address books to slip through the cracks, in case they or their family ever needed it. The new number is (214) 937-9156. The service that we got this number through will save the lodge approximately $600+ in phone bills every year, and makes it much easier for the officers of the lodge to receive and review messages as a group. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience, but I am sure the lodge can find a better allocation of use for these savings.

For the stated meeting agenda this month, it is my pleasure to announce that we have Brother David Bindel from Washington Lodge in Richardson to give us a presentation. David is a Masonic Traveler, not only locally but internationally, and has collected many experiences of lodges, how they operate, what they are doing, and what practices are most often seen with lodges that are thriving, as compared to lodges that are keeping on par, or struggling with activity. David and I are both active in the Young Masons group in Dallas, and as such, we have been told to expect quite a few of the younger guys in the area to visit Hillcrest for this presentation. I hope to see you all in support of him, and also to show off the strength of Hillcrest!

We will also be voting on a change in fees for the endowment fund. It is currently set at $1000, but as most of the younger members Hillcrest Lodge has been receiving opt for this almost immediately, some of us believe we might be setting the bar too low, and undervaluing our lodge. When the average beneficiary of this option is less than 35, it seems like a thousand dollars for possibly more than 40 years of membership might be a bit under par. We are voting on the motion to change the endowment for Hillcrest lodge to $3,000. If you are thinking about getting an endowment for less, now is the time brethren!

Also assuming tradition prevails, we will be having Ben Gilley's installation into the east this month. As many of you know, Ben is a third generation Hillcrest Mason. His father Max Gilley is and has been a pillar of our lodge for years, and is currently our District’s instructor for the work. Max will be installing Ben Saturday June 25th at 10:30am at the Love Field Lodge location. Refreshments will follow. It has been truly a pleasure having Ben as my Senior Warden, and I look forward to a big and productive year with him as Master. He is a great man, and I could only hope to be as lucky as Max, in someday having a son, that I could not only call brother, but also install as Master of my lodge. I wish you the best with your year Ben.

In token of my last "From the East," I would like to thank my Junior Deacon, John Stevenson. He is in charge of publication of the Beacon, and I thank him for his patience this year, as I don't think I made his publishing deadline once this year! I would also like to thank all of you for your continued support of Hillcrest Lodge, and for your faith in me to lead it. You will never know how much this organization has meant to me in the past 5 years. I truly do appreciate it, and you all. It has been the greatest honor of my life thus far.

And with that, the sun is setting on yet another year...

Sincerely & Fraternally-

Kyle Wahlquist
Worshipful Master
Hillcrest Lodge #1318
Dallas, Texas