Valley of Winnipeg, Scottish Rite Open Installation, May 17

On May 17, 2012, the Valley of Winnipeg, Scottish Rite held an Open Installation of their 2012/2013 Officers.
Representatives of the various Masonic Bodies attended.

The Grand Master, who is a Past TPGM of Winnipeg Lodge of Perfection, was presented and received by the Valley members.

In the East (L to R): Ill/VW Bro Jim Wood, Past Active Member; REC Gary Dunn, Grand 2nd Principal, Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of MB; MWB Chibu Uson, GM; Ill/RW Bro Roz Iwanicki, Deputy, MB and Nunavut, Scottish Rite; and Ill/W Bro Dave Logan, Installing Officer

Presenting the Brethren who will be installed as Officers of the three Bodies for 2012/2013

Installing WB Gerv Greasley as the TPGM of Winnipeg Lodge of Perfection. WB Gerv has served as Most Wise Sovereign of Bethesda Chapter of Rose Croix and Commander-in-Chief of Manitoba Sovereign Consistory. He is the first to have been installed as the Presiding Officer of all three Bodies of the Valley.

The other Officers of the Winnipeg Lodge of Perfection were also installed.









The GM (also PTPGM) presenting RWB Barry Brooker his PTPGM Certificate and Pin.








MWB Ted Jones being installed as Most Wise Sovereign of Bethesda Chapter of Rose Croix by Ill/W Bro Ken Cox

The other Officers of the Chapter were also installed.

RWB Fred Heinrichs received his Past Most Wise Sovereign Certificate and Jewel. It is a very beautiful Jewel.

Bro Eirik Bardal was installed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Manitoba Sovereign Consistory.








The other Officers of the Consistory were also installed.

The three Principal Officers of the Valley of Winnipeg Bodies, L to R: WB Gerv Greasley, TPGM; MWB Ted Jones, MWS; and Bro Eirik Bardal, CiC

RWB Sid Bloomfield received his Past Commander-in-Chief Certificate and Jewel

Service awardee

Another Service Awardee

RWB Barry Brooker was presented the Walter C McDonald Meritorious Award

SRCF Award recipient

The GM gives his remarks.
It was another excellent evening - great Ceremony and wonderful fellowship.

Millennium Lodge No 182, May 14, 2012, Monday

On May 14, 2012, Monday, Castle Island Virtual Lodge UD, of which I am a Member, had its Official Visit to its Mother Lodge, Millennium Lodge No 182 at the MMC.
Other Lodge Brethren and I accompanied our WM, MWB Dave Love, on our Lodge's 1st Official Visit.
Some of us were physically there with our WM. Others physically present were RWB Norm Pohl and RWB Fred Heinrichs.
Others joined via the internet. These were RWB Jake Mohns, RWB Bernie Gross and RWB Keith Davidson.
It was an excellent visit. We had some issues with audio feedback, which we have to resolve soon.
Overall, it was a wonderful display of the available technology.

32° Scottish Rite Conferral, Valley of Winnipeg, May 10

On May 10, Thursday, the 32° was conferred by the Manitoba Sovereign Consistory. The Degree Team performed an excellent Conferral, described by Ill Bro Roz Iwanicki, Deputy for Manitoba and Nunavut, as one of the best he has ever witnessed.
It was indeed a beautiful portrayal of the Degree of the Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret.
The new 32° Scottish Rite Freemasons received their red collar and appropriate jewel. I had the pleasure of presenting RWB Doug Webster, SGW, his red collar and jewel.
The fellowship after the Conferral was wonderful.
All in all, an excellent evening.

Kilcona Lodge No 183, May 8, 2012, Tuesday

On the evening of the day of our return to Winnipeg from our trip to the Philippines, I had my Official Visit to Kilcona Lodge No 183, with WB Chris Hauff presiding.

It was their Family & Friends Night so we had a good number of non-Masons present.

Presenting MM Certificates and Bibles to newly proven up MM's, Bro Travis Rudolph (L) and Bro Dan Steinkey (2nd from L), assisted by RWB Doug Webster, SGW (R).

The GM giving his talk.

With the youngest MM's of the Lodge,  Bro Dan Steinkey (L) and Bro Travis Rudolph (R).

Fellowship time

An excellent "welcome back" event for the GM. Great Lodge meeting and wonderful fellowship.
It's great to be back.

Trip to the Philippines, May 6 (Day 14), Tagaytay, Talisay, Taal

On May 6 (Day 14), we went to Tagaytay City.
Here is a picture of our three (3) Ladies coming down the staircase of the hotel lobby.
Being Sunday, traffic was light. In a little over an hour, we were in Tagaytay.
We ended up going down to Talisay.

We had to wear lifevests for the boatride to Taal.

We contracted two (2) boats to take us to Taal.

It was either a 15-minute horseride or a 1-hr hike to the edge of the crater of Taal Volcano. We opted not to go to the crater.

Our resort was about 15 minutes by boat from Taal.

 Lunch!

Relaxing after the lunch.

When we got back to Tagaytay City, we went to the Vista Lodge for a view of Taal Volcano.

I do not know what sort of creature that is which accosted RWB George Mann and Lady Joanne Mann.







Taal Volcano as seen from Vista Lodge in Tagaytay City. We were just there on the island about two (2) hours ago.

Sistahs!!!

Along the highway back to Manila, there were a lot of fruit stalls.

In the evening, we had dinner at Sze Chuan House on Roxas Blvd, hosted by our travel agency. It was a very sumptuous dinner but we were still full from the food we had in Tagaytay.

The chicken was very tasty.
This was our last night in Manila.
Tomorrow, we travel back to Canada.
It was an excellent trip. Lots of very wonderful memories and pictures (thanks to Lady Val Webster for sharing some of the 1K+ pictures she took).
Some of us will go back for another visit to attend the 2013 AnCom in Iloilo. Maybe we'll take 2K+ pictures then.