My Brothers,
I hope this newsletter finds you and your family members in good health. I must admit that I was very nervous going into the East towards the end of last year, but am happy to say that I’ve found a second wind of motivation through the actions of the active members of our Lodge. We were experiencing dark times and there was much confusion amongst the Craft regarding the status of our Lodge building. I am happy to say that due to the tenacity of our Brethren, not only is our building still in our possession, but it is the buzzing beehive of Masonic activity that it once was. We currently have 4 Lodges as well as the Commandery meeting at our building!
In our last newsletter, we shared with you the different fundraisers that we were rolling out to improve our financial situation and find ways to be able to stay in our beloved and historic building. Today we are proud to report that our cruise fundraiser was a success and that website construction and consultation along with Masonic portraits are continuing to bring in revenue.
Recent events also resulted in us moving our stated communications to once a month (on the 2nd Wednesday of every month) to accommodate the two Spanish Lodges now meeting here at HOL 391.
Thank you to the Brothers of Perseverancia Lodge No. 413 and Nuevos Horizontes Lodge No. 415. Not only do they call our Masonic Center home, but they are also instrumental in helping us with projects around the lodge, including replacing all of the light bulbs throughout the lodge room. We are also currently having Village Lodge No. 315 meet at our building while their building is under renovation, and someone renting our parking lot to park 6 school buses!
All of this additional income has allowed our lodge to re-energize and once again focus our efforts on giving the building the TLC it deserves as well as the growth of our membership, and developing programming to enlighten our Brethren and sustain our zest for Freemasonry.
In the past few months, we've initiated six new Entered Apprentices. Brother Antoine David Johnson (pictured below in a grey suit, front & center) and Brother Lazarus Jason Miles (also pictured below, wearing a peach-colored shirt), were initiated during an EA Degree at Oleeta West Dade.
Brothers Liber Cuervo (pictured below in the front row, third from the left) and Brother Dayron Blanco (also pictured below on the front row, third from the right), were initiated during an EA Degree hosted at Royal Palm Lodge No. 100, in Homestead, FL.
And finally, we would like to welcome Brothers George Otero (pictured on the left) and Brother Juan Pablo Bosque (pictured on the right) who were most recently initiated HOL.
Our newest EA's came to us by way of monthly open houses we have been hosting.
In February, several Lodges from throughout the 27th Masonic District joined forces to highlight Americanism with an event at HOL 391. It was an event that brought brothers and their families together for good food and fellowship.
At our installation of 2022 officers, I addressed the craft and informed them that the year 2022 would be a call to action for all Hialeah Masons. Together, we accomplished saving the building, and now we are tasked with securing the future of our home for many generations of Masons to come. My Brothers now is the time to return to your Lodge. We are only as strong as our active membership. As mentioned above, we are hosting open houses on the first Wednesday of every month, where we welcome men from the community who are interested in learning more about Freemasonry. The second Wednesday of the month is our Stated Communication, and the third Wednesday is reserved for Degrees, Degree practices, and catechism instruction. We are well on our way to raising 7 men to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason by the end of this year. We are also focusing heavily on Masonic Education, welcoming research presentations from all newly initiated Entered Apprentices.
We would love to welcome back all of our brothers that we haven’t seen over the past couple of years. I’m sure you’ll be proud of the progress we have made. If you are unable to attend, consider supporting the Lodge by donating to our building fund. This will assist us in continuing to renovate our beloved building. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made using the following link (https://www.hol391.com/members) and hit the donate button towards the bottom of the page.
You can also visit our website at www.hol391.com and follow us on Instagram at @hialeah_masons or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hol391/and let us know how you're doing.
I am very excited for what the rest of this year will bring to our Lodge. We look forward to continuing to build, helping our Brothers become better men, and serving our community as only Masons know how. Will you join us in our call to action?
Fraternally,
W∴ Ruben A. Ovalle 32°
Worshipful Master
Hialeah-Opa-Locka Lodge No. 391
305-984-5479
UPCOMING EVENTS
-"Esoterics 101" Masonic Education Presentation
by W:. Robert Johnson of The Masonic Roundtable | Wednesday, June 22, at 7:30 p.m.
-Lodge Social Night at World of Beer | Wednesday, June 29, at 7:00 p.m.
Please look for additional updates on both our Facebook or Instagram pages.
CHARITY CORNER
-Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates as to when charity-related activities will continue.