AUGUST, 2026 BULLETIN | |
| FROM THE EAST On August 22 (at 9 AM), we expect to raise two brethren to the sublime degree of Master Mason. The Master Mason Degree has always been one of my favorites because it offers a constant reminder of our own impermanence. Meditating on death may seem grim, but it is a practice that can lead us to a much richer life. We use the common gavel to fit our minds, as living stones, for that spiritual building—not made with hands, eternal in the heavens—and part of that work takes place at this very moment. What we do while we are on this earth matters. We do not need to be bajillionaire philanthropists or great societal leaders to matter in the world. Most of us will leave our mark in much quieter ways: by being decent human beings, loyal friends, loving fathers, faithful spouses, and responsible citizens. How we live our lives becomes an example for the people around us, and that example is carried forward in ways we may never see. Every Theodore Roosevelt had countless mentors and friends whose names have largely been forgotten by time, but who helped shape the man he became. Few of us will take part in the grand events of history, but we may help form the character of someone who does. More importantly, we affect the lives of our families, our brethren, our neighbors, and everyone who learns from our example. So, as we reflect on death in the Master Mason Degree, let us do so not with an eye toward unfinished business or a desperate effort to fit everything in before we die. Instead, let that reflection return our attention to the present and remind us, as Brother Roosevelt admonished, to do what we can, with what we have, where we are. By doing so, we may better imitate the example of that celebrated artist whom all Masons are admonished to represent. Lodge Updates As for the remainder of August, our Stated Communication on August 8 will feature Brother Lee Phillip giving a presentation on John Philip Sousa, another celebrated artist who composed many of the standards still performed by marching bands today. Brother Phillip is a professional musician with the Richmond Symphony, and the meeting should be a good one. I would also like to thank everyone who came out to support Masons’ Hall—and helped with the setup—during the official presentation of HJR 63, through which the General Assembly recognized Masons’ Hall and our preservation and interpretation efforts. Delegate Fowler mentioned to me several times that he had a great time and loved the building. The delegate’s aide also noted that the ham biscuits were some of the best she had ever eaten. Kudos to our Senior Steward, Tyler Estepp, for making them. In more exciting building news, the Existing Conditions Assessment of Masons’ Hall, funded by the Roller-Bottimore Foundation and private donations, kicked off on July 29. I am writing this before that date, but I will give a brief summary at the Stated Communication of how it went. We are fortunate to have so many dedicated members of the Masons’ Hall Historic Preservation Foundation board who helped make all the pieces fall into place. As a heads-up, September will be full of great events. Matthew Maggy, P.M. | |
| FROM THE WEST Brethren, Summer is almost over; by the end of August our kids will be going back to school. I hope you can make time for a weekend trip, a swim in the river, or something similar before we hit September and it’s back to the normal family patterns of school, into fall. Time slips by; blink and it will be fall, and preparations for the upcoming Masonic year of 2027 have also begun. I’ll be reaching out to a number of brothers in the coming month; I would encourage everyone to periodically evaluate where they are in their masonic journey, and what kinds of experiences would be helpful to you. The strength of lodge is your ideas & involvement, and I would love to hear what you’re thinking. I hope you’ll consider supporting the lodge by purchasing a ticket for the Central Virginia Masonic Con in September, via our website: https://www.richmondrandolph19.com/masonicon-2026. The remainder of the speakers will be announced on that website soon. As this event is open to the general public we encourage you to invite interested friends. Brother David Allen [From the Editor: We are proud to announce that Brother Allen received his Warden's Certificate on July 18!] | |
| FROM THE TREASURER Brethren, We’ve talked a little about interpreting the value of a stock, but how does a stock have value? Unlike currency, which is an agreed upon store of value, a unit of account, and a means of conducting transactions; stock at its most basic is simply the value of a company’s output today and into the future. As we’ve discussed it’s important to invest, and stocks are a great way to invest, but not at any price! Price matters! On Friday, an investor named Jeremy Grantham was on CNBC and he was concerned about the Buffett Indicator. The Buffett Indicator is a simple tool used by Warren Buffett to evaluate the current price of all companies relative to Gross Domestic Product (or GDP), which is currently hovering around 240%. According to Grantham this is the highest that it has ever been in the history of America. By comparison, the Dot Com bust in 2000 was sitting about 200% before the market collapsed. So companies are 20% more expensive now, compared to their output, than they were right before the Dot Com crash! Does that mean that we’re about to experience a crash? Not necessarily, there are some major differences between today’s market and the Dot Com era, particularly that a lot of the growth in company valuation is because some companies are making a lot of money. But, it could be that we see a slight pullback in the market at some point in the future. Maybe the return rates of stocks slow down for a bit until the output of the companies catch up to their valuation. Some companies aren’t expensive for their output. AT&T is currently valued at seven times their earnings and Markel is valued at thirteen. That’s not expensive at all, but some companies are a bit more expensive than their output would lead you to believe, like Tesla. Tesla is valued at 344 times its earnings, which means that if you owned it outright it would take you 344 years to get your money back (absent earnings growth, of which Tesla has little). Cerebras stock is trading at 444 times its earnings, and that’s after dropping 32% in the last month! Some of these companies make almost no money but are very expensive stocks, it doesn’t mean that they won’t grow into their valuations, but as an investor, it’s important to be aware of the disconnect between the price and the production. Does that mean that AT&T will skyrocket and Tesla will plummet (not investing advice!)? Probably not, and if I knew that I would be a much wealthier man, but what it does tell us is to be cognizant of the price of the companies that we are buying. At the end of the day, stocks should be valued reasonably based on their expected economic output, and not simply as a unit of speculation. During periods of uncomfortably high valuations in stocks, we can split our money between stocks and safer investments, like high yield savings accounts and treasury bills, both are currently offering returns around 4%. For the cautious investor, it’s important to await a time with patience until certain stocks are more reasonably priced, but in the meantime it’s critical to be earning a return on our assets otherwise we are losing purchasing power to inflation (which was 4.1% as of Friday!). It’s critical to invest, but price matters! Brother Richard Meador | |
| FROM THE SECRETARY Please log into the portal and update your contact information if anything changes. If you have not yet logged into the member portal, use this link: https://va.grandview.systems/membership_registration I am excited that this year's Philosophical Society will be "back to basics" as we study from Allen Roberts book, The Craft and Its Symbols. For the August meeting, we will study the symbolism of the Master Mason Degree's 2nd Section as explained by Brother Roberts. Note! We will again be meeting in person at Worshipful Charles Berger's house for an in-person discussion. See The Trestleboard for Zoom details. Lodge dues of $344 were due by December 31, 2025 but you have until December 31, 2026 to pay them. The easiest way to pay them is on our website at www.richmondrandolph19.com/store. Donald Moro, P.M. Secretary | |
| THE TRESTLEBOARD - AUGUST, 2026 | |
| August 7, 2026, 6:30 PM First Friday Social Patrick Henry's Pub 2300 E. Broad St., Richmond, VA More Information August 22, 2026, 9:00 AM Called Communication - Work in the MM Degree Masons' Hall Breakfast Served at 8:00 AM Attire: Dark Suit with Tie More Information | August 8, 2026, 9:00 AM Stated Meeting Masons' Hall Breakfast Served at 8:00 AM Attire: Khaki Pants / Lodge Polo More Information August 23, 2026, 6:30 PM RR19 Philosophical Society Discussion The Craft and Its Symbols - Topic: MM Degree (Part 2) Emblems to Live By Live! 1103 Hill Circle, Henrico, VA More Information |
| RECENT LODGE ACTIVITY Resolution Honoring the Work of the Masons' Hall Historic Preservation Foundation | |
| CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT At the July, 11, 2026 Stated Meeting, Brother Mark Gospodnetic received a Certificate of Achievement for completing all three catechisms. He is seen here on the left receiving the certificate from Worshipful Matthew Maggy. | |
| MASONIC EDUCATION The 12 Sons of Jacob- From the Holy Bible And it came to pass, when Israel (Jacob) dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun; The sons of Rachel: Joseph, and Benjamin; And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid: Dan, and Naphtali; And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad, and Asher; these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padan-aram. | |
| HAPPY MASONIC BIRTHDAY Brother Brian Christopher Barte, 3 Years Brother Irvin Franklin Beadles, 55 Years Brother James Ronald Childs, 24 Years Worshipful Jacob Alan Crocker, 10 Years Brother David Grant Eaton, 1 Year Brother Justin Stuart Hamm, 7 Years Brother William Kenneth Lamp, 50 Years Brother Douglas Guy Mack, 25 Years Worshipful Donald Francis Moro, Jr., 16 Years Worshipful Lee Aaron Oppenheim, 18 Years Brother John Albert Sibley, Jr., 8 Years Brother Alexander Stojadinovic, 11 Years Brother Andrew David Welker, 8 Years Worshipful Eric Edward Leecy Wittig, 18 Years Total - 254 Masonic Years | |
| 2026 LODGE OFFICERS Worshipful Matthew August Maggy, Worshipful Master | |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES Rt. Worshipful Donald A. K. Cunningham, Jr. | |
| MASONIC VETERANS 60 YEARS OR BETTER Worshipful Robert Gurney Bedell (60) 50 - 60 YEARS | |
| LIVING PAST MASTERS 1971 Robert G. Bedell | |
| LEGACY MEMBERS IN PERPETUITY Barrye L. Absher, P.D.D.G.M | |
| A Legacy Membership in Perpetuity can be purchased for $8,600. This exempts the member from paying RR19 dues and contributes an amount perpetually back to the Lodge. For details, see section 5.00 of the Methodical Digest, or contact the Secretary at secretaryrr19@gmail.com. | |
| OUR GRAND MASTER "Living Our Obligations" Matthew Todd Szramoski 180th Grand Master of Masons in Virginia | |
| CONTACT INFORMATION Mailing Address: P.O. Box 23160, Richmond, VA 23223 Physical Address: 1807 E. Franklin St., Richmond, VA Lodge Website: www.richmondrandolph19.com Email: secretaryrr19@gmail.com Masons' Hall Website: www.masonshall.org Social: Facebook | |
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