Greetings from the West as in The Craftsman's Club.   Another year has past and now it is time for a new kid to be on the block.   Many new ideas are at hand with the New Year.   There are new names and faces for all of us to learn not to mention those who are with us in spirit.   Many of "YOU" feel you have served your time on Tuesday night when the Craftsmen Club meets; I am not one to argue!   What I will say, Please conside joining us each Tuesday as you can share lessons that have been handed down from years passed.   During the past several months I have had the privilege to meet several members who helped DeSoto to become a great lodge as it is today.   There are many others I have not met and hope to see each one soon.   It is not too early to be thinking about Grand Lodge and our District Meeting in March.   Last year our lodge received an award for having each officer present. & nbsp; This year should be no different we need to out perform other local lodges within the district.   We can do this by being present and meeting our new Grand Master who will be installed at Grand Lodge and he will be looking for YOU!   More information will be presented next month, so be encouraged to be present both on Tuesday and also at our Stated Meeting.   Your assistance is needed!

Fraternally,
Mickey Harber, Senior Warden 2004

Happy Birthday to the following members: Jack Edward Downs 01/01, Floyd Edward Spence 01/03, Salvatore Cottone 01/06, Hancle Perry Ray 01/07, William Clayton Hammers 01/10, Ronald Gant Moshier, P.M. 01/11; William Lon Singletary 01/11, Wallace Layne Adams 01/12, James Denville Howell 01/13, George Dudley Gravette 01/15, Franklin Joseph Cordes 01/17, Robert Warren DeShields, Jr. 01/17, Michael Walker Young 01/23, Gerald Raymond Logan 01/24, John Erwan Leflar 01/27, Jon Christopher Stoddard 01/27, Jewell Jackson Barber, P.M. 01/29, Michael Edgar Ryan 01/29, Harold Ray Horner 01/31, Victor Edward Rothe 01/31, Donald W. Martz, Clinton M. Davis and Dale Fredic Spann.

A belated Happy Birthday to Brother Gene Major, P.M. whose birthday was December 16th.

If it's your birthday and it is not listed here we would like to wish you a Happy Birthday also; and urge you to send us your information card completed with your current information for our new database.

We ask that you keep Brother Earl Ray, P.M. in your prayers while he is in treatment for cancer.

We extend our prayers and sympathy to Brother Dennis Pope and his wife, Pam, for the loss of Pam's mother.

Honorary member Brother J.W. Horton is in Methodist North Hospital recovering from a light stroke.   Our prayers are with him and we wish him a speedy recovery.

If you know of anyone sick, please contact our Chaplin Brother Byron Wilkinson, P.M. at 386-9914.   Brother Wilkinson has been very good about visiting our sick Brothers and their families, and reporting back to the Lodge.
 

As the new year begins let me urge you to make a resolution to come to the lodge and support the officersof the lodge this year.   Our Master has a lot of good things planned, but to accomplish his goals he needs your assistance.   We have several brothers that received their entered apprentice and fellow craft degrees and need to complete the other degrees.   We need other master masons to teach them their degree work and prepare them for the other degrees.   We lost several good ritialists this past year and we need others to step forward to take their place.

Many Brothers have paid their dues for the year of 2004 and several have not.   I thank each of you for paying your dues and ask the ones who have not mailed their dues to please do so.

The first main event for the year will be the Valentine's Dinner on Saturday, February 14th.   Please place this on your calendar and make your reservations early by contacting me at 901-837-4579.   You may leave it on my answer machine if I'm not home.   We need to know about how many will attend.