Ohio Grotto Association
40 Public Square Willoughby, Ohio 44094-7864
Telephone: (440) 946-2334
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The Communicator
Grottos From • Ohio • Kentucky • Pennsylvania • West Virginia
Communication
Is
the Backbone of Every Organization:
We
Will Communicate to You Everything
That
Is Communicated to Us:
This Is a Promise
From the
O.G.A.
To Your
Grotto!
From the President of the
Ohio Grotto Association,
Prophets and Ladies of the Ohio Grotto Association;
Thanks to everyone who has given me
the opportunity to continue to sreve you in the OGA line as President. Congratuiations
go out to Woody Sibley Jr. PM and Lady Sherri for a great year as President
of the OGA. Congrats also to the other officers of the OGA and our new Sentinel
William (Gator) Fisher. I am looking forward to working with these Officers.
A Specisl thank you goes out to my Lady Tammy who has always been behind me and supported me through my adventure in becoming President of the OGA. Alos a Big Thanks to Tammy's Mom and Dad Jack Munro and Lady Norma for also being there and supporting me.
One of my biggest pet peeves is communication. There are several things we are trying to do to communicate among the Grottoes in the OGA and the realm. The first is that we are now on Facebook thanks to Josh Anderson, PM from O Ton Ta La Grotto for starting and maintaining this site. Also thanks to Woody Sibley, Jr., PPOGA for helping Josh maintain the contents. If any Grotto in teh OGA has something to post including events past or future add it to the Facebook. Another form of communication is the OGA Web-Sites calendar. All Grottoes in the oGA should be putting their schedule on evernts on the web-site. This is an important tool for the officers of the OGA to plan their travels. Last but not least is the Communicator. The OGA Board of Governors have approved sending the Communicator tot all Prophets in the OGA.
Another goal I have for my year is to travel to the Grottoes in the OGA that I have not been to before. I want my firsst Road Runner (Beep-Beep).
Please put the following
dates on your calendar for 2012:
February 3-5, 2012 - Zone Conference @ Khana Shaha -- Details are in the Communicator
and on the OGA Web-Site.
May 4-5, 2012 - Zone conference @ Caliph Grotto
August 15-19, 2012 - Convention @ Caliph Grotto
Hope to see everyone at the future events. Have a safe and happy holiday.
Michael and Tammy
An Article from the First Lady:
Prophets, please invite your Lady to attend the February Zone Conference. The Ladies luncheon is casual and the theme will be harts for Valentine's Day. I am asking htat the Ladies wear a shirt with harts or love on it. I hope that like always we will have a good time and good fellowship. Thank you so much for your attendance aat this event. I know that Khana Sahara Grotto will provide a wonderful meal and entertainment for this wonderful weekend.
Many thanks again,
In Grotto Love
Tamy Tomascin
Deputy President of the Ohio Grotto Association: Larry Budd
Prophets, I am here to let you know how it works;
To earn a Road Runner from the Ohio Grotto Association you need to visit all the 22 Grottoes. There are slips to be completed by you and signed by the Monarch of the visited Grotto for each event you attend. Send your slip to the Road Runner Chairman, Don Fiest, PM for recording. When all 22 Grottoes have been visited you will receive a Road Runner Pin and Certificate at a Zone Conferences or the August Convention. The second time you visit all 22 Grottoes your spouse will receive a Road Runner Pin and Certificate. A Prophet can earn as many and your spouse can receive as many Road Runner Pins as you would like.
Man Miles represent the number of miles from your home Grotto to the Grotto you may be visiting. There are slips that you fill out and have the Monarch of the Grotto you visited sign. Then turn the slips into the Man Mile representative in your Grotto so he can forward them to Jim Frederick, PM from Amrou Grotto. This program goes from July 1st of any given year to June 30th of the next year. This way the Man Mile Chairman has a chance to compile everything and have his report ready to read at the next Convention. The Grotto with the most Man Miles receives the traveling tire plaque to take home to their Grotto for one year. This past August Aut Mori Grotto finally was able to claim the Tire from Khana Shahar Grotto after they have held it for 9 years. Anyways, I have place the Roadrunner and the Man Mile address to send them to so that you may get ON THE ROAD AND RECEIVE A ROADRUNNER PIN for your Fez.
The address to send your Road Runner slips to is:
Don Fiest, PM
1185 Granville Road
Newark, Ohio 43055-2128
The address to send your Man Mile slips to is:
Jim Frederick, PM
2255 Three Towers Road
Chandersville, Ohio 43727-9753
First Vice President of the Ohio Grotto Association: David Chambers
THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
I am often asked why should I belong to The Ohio Grotto Association, and the answer is that if you like to have fun and associate with fun people then this is the place to be.
For a mere one dollar per year you get the opportunity to attend two Zone
Conferences and The OGA Convention. When you attend these events not only do
you get to mingle with some of the finest people in the realm but sometimes
you even learn a thing or two as well. And of course the ladies all get together
and have fun.
You get to see old friends and make new ones too.
The Zone Conferences and The Convention are so popular that many of The
Grand Line Officers, Past Grand Monarchs and their Ladies come to join in the
fun.
You do the things that memories are made of such as helping a stranded Past
President and his Lady, and watching another Past President dodge cars, really
just one car and I think she was really trying to run him down.
OGA Membership helps to keep your grotto informed about the many events happening around the realm and the member grottoes, such as Installations, Ceremonials, Monarchs Balls, Master Mason Nights and so much more.
Did you know that all Monarchs and Past Monarchs of member grottoes are eligible to run for the OGA Line and eventually be OGA President? Having a Past Monarch of your grotto as OGA president is a feather in the fez of your grotto and gives your grotto a chance to show your grotto to the other prophets of the realm.
Now some say their grotto cannot afford to pay one dollar per prophet to the OGA but I believe your grotto cannot afford not to belong to The Ohio Grotto Association.
So come on out to our functions and have some fun!
I look forward to seeing all of you as we travel the realm.
Second Vice President of the Ohio Grotto Association: Martin Trent
Greetings Prophets and Grotto Ladies! Thanks to everyone who
has shown such fine Grotto hospitality during my travels over the last several
months. It's really the traveling and the super friends I've made across the
Realm that keeps me coming back to Grotto. I encourage all of you to get out
and visit the functions of the other Grottoes. What fun and fellowship you will
enjoy!!!
There is information included in this newsletter for our upcoming February Zone
conference to be hosted by Khana Shahar Grotto in Springfield, Ohio. I hope
you will plan to attend and enjoy the social and educational aspects of this
conference. Yes, I said educational because there is going to be an educational
presentation on the differences of the several generations that make up our
current and target members. It may surprise you just how differently the various
generations approach life. Hopefully this will provide some valuable insights
that each and every one of us can use in improving our Grotto, attracting new
members, and keeping our current members interested and active. I especially
encourage the Chief Justice and Venerable Prophets of the Grottoes to attend
this educational session because it will be helpful in planning your year as
Monarch. We've already made a decree that we won't have a huge snow storm this
year, so plan now on attending the February Zone conference.
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to all!!!!
Marty Trent
Sargeant at Arms of the Ohio
Grotto Association: Bruce Seaburn
Question ? ? ? How do we attract new members to the Grotto?
A question we have all tried to have an answer for. But what is the best
answer. The one answer that brings men to the door to join. I don't know. If
I did Baku Grotto would have membership numbers that it did 20 years ago. I
can tell you what doesn't work.
1 - Doing nothing
2 - Talking about it and then referring to item 1
3 - The same thing we have always done because "that's the way we always
do it"
So what can we do?
The first thing we must do is accepting the fact we are OLD. Our average age
is mid-60's. We need new YOUNG members. To attract them we must look at what
we have to offer them. We need to look at their wants and needs. I had a chance
to talk to a 30 something member about his Grotto. They are attracting new young
members with their young members and are dragging the old guys along kicking
and screaming. But they are working it out. A focus on having more events that
include children and grandchildren. Entertainment that can be enjoyed by all.
And evening hours that are accommodating to more members.
Will this work? I think so. The first step is to ask your members and members
of your blue lodges. Then try something. If you don't try anything only one
thing will happen! Nothing.
Sentinel for the Ohio Grotto
Association: William Fisher (Gator)
YOU SAW
YOU ROCKED AND ROLLED ALL NIGHT LONG.
A great show by the Van Dells presented by Kishmee Grotto.
We had attendance by Grand Line Officers, Past & Present OGA Officers, Prophets plus all the other people that attended to help make this a good night for the Grottoes.
The dinner provided by the Hotel was excellent. Sorry for all who could not attend, you missed a good time.
Exposure is the best way to promote your Grottoes. Visit your Lodges. Open your Grottoes. Talk to all Mason. Tell them what good things the Grottoes do for others.
I wish to thank all who voted for me. I will do the best job that I can.
Hope all of you and your loved ones have safe and happy holidays.
You All Take Care Now
Gator
Ohio Grotto Association Chaplain: Timothy Brooks
As the newly appointed Chaplain for the O.G.A., I made a commitment to the
Officers as well as the Prophets to try to keep all informed of those in sickness
and of those that have passed on to be with the GRAND MONARCH of the UNIVERSE.
I hope that the list does not get increasingly lengthy through out my term..
but I will try to keep all informed. I would like for the Secretaries to send
me those names in sickness and those that have passed . I do not need the addresses
of them, as those that are closer to them will know it.. but we will keep all
in our thoughts and prayers
Listed below are the ones that have come
to my attention for this publishing, sorry if I missed someone . Keep them all
in your Prayers.
SICKNESS:
Richard (Slippery) Krabill Coronary
Shari Chambers (Wife of 1st Vice Pres. Dave Chambers)
Foot surgery & still having problems.
William (Bill) Wears (Wandas husband) Still doing dialysis
Candy McGuire (Wife of Larry McGuire) Motorcycle accident Was touch and go -
coming along fine.
DEATHS:
Prophet Edward Renz - Aug.12th, 2011 Aut Mori Grotto
James Hines, PM - Aug.19th, 2011 Ben Bey Grotto
Barbara Shawver - Sept. 8th, 2011 Wife of PGM Ed Shawver
Judy Cokonougher - Oct. 19th, 2011
Wife of RWB Steve Cokonougher
Carlyle (Bud) Welding, PM - Oct. 22nd, 2011 Achbar Grotto
Charles Rhine, PM - Oct. 23rd, 2011 Ali Baba Grotto
Again I ask that you keep each and everyone of these families in your prayers
and be kind and loving to one another , for you never know when YOU will need
the outstretched hand of another. Remember the meaning of the upcoming Holidays
and be safe in your travels
In Good Fellowship
Tim (Timmy ) Brooks
GOD BLESS AMERICA and OUR TROOPS
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