| |  Brethren,
As all others have done before me I would like to take this opportunity to thank my Wife Joan and my Daughter Amanda for their support and guidance through my journey the past 7 years. It has been a long and rugged journey one with many pitfalls and excitement, but when we look at the past years as Masons we are blessed to have the leaders in the lodge that we had. I have always been told not to fix that which is not broken, and I plan to stick to that motto. Brethren we do have some things that need fixing though.
This years theme is “Get er Done” and with that I would like to see more of our members involved in the lodge. We all know that it is very easy to sit on the sidelines and talk about things that you would like to see changed, or go to the WM and tell him things that need changed. Let’s try and work together and instead of talking or asking lets start doing.
It’s also time to get back involved in the Community of Mountain Park. I feel that we are going to make a difference with the GACHIP program in doing this. This is a very exciting program that will be around for sometime. In Missouri the membership in lodges has increased dramatically the past 3 years. This is what we need not only at Mountain Park but for Georgia Masonry as a whole. The Georgia Child Identification Program is a service program provided by the Masons of Georgia to address the serious problem of child identification after being reported missing or lost. Statistics indicate that a child is reported missing every 43 seconds in the United States. A comprehensive program is desperately needed in Georgia to assist parents and law enforcement agencies in the critical early moments of a child abduction or loss. We at Mountain Park are going to host one of these events and I will need everyone to participate in this exciting new program. Just think what a way to get involved in the community.
We have started to improve the “Calling Post”, and our Widows contact along with the members of Mountain Park #729. With the help of each of you and my officers we will have a correct and working directory that will be published for the members of Mountain Park.
We each have ideas, goals, and improvements that we would like to see here at our lodge, and throughout the year we are going to make some improvements. The longer we wait on these little projects the bigger they may become. Some of the projects that need some attention: Our lodge sign on the street and on the building, Gutters on the building, General Maintenance around the Lodge. These items along with other little things are what we are projecting to the public that see and pass our lodge everyday. I am hoping to have several work days at the lodge and hope that we can get some great participation.
Last but not least is the Grand Master’s theme “Demonstrate Free Masonry”. We can be no better and ambassador or a salesman to our lodge that to practice what we believe in. Wear you ring or Masonic emblems with pride, but remember we are being watched everyday. Masonry has been very special to me and I know that I am not the best ambassador or salesman for the Fraternity but I am going to make a diligent effort in 2008 to change this.
I would like to say a special Thank you to Bob Little for getting the Web page up and running and with all the new improvements’. I have asked him to have a demonstration in the near future at the lodge to show all the improvements and how easy it is to get around in the web page.
You have elected me as Worshipful Master 2008, but this is your lodge. Together we can make a difference by working together as a lodge. Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you have. Keep in touch by using the web page and check back often for important dates and events scheduled at Mountain Park #729.
WM John Heckert
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