Trestleboard | star-in-the-east-59

NOVEMBER 2026 trestleboard

Star in the East Lodge #59

Exeter, New Hampshire

Wor. Dwane Staples, Master

TRESTLEBOARD

Stated Meeting of Star in the East Lodge #59, F. & A. M.

Thursday November 12, 2026 at 7:00 P.M. (Dinner at 6 P.M. and Collation after meeting)

- To conduct all business that may regularly come before the Lodge open on FC Degree

- Program: SW Mike Frost with the Question from October in the Trestleboard

Thursday November 12: Stated Communication Supper 6:00pm, Lodge opens 7:pm

!! Sunday November 15: Breakfast at Star in the East. 9:AM!!

Thursday November 19: Fellowship Night 6:30pm!!

Saturday November 21: Grand Lodge Session opens at 9:30am

Thursday November 26: Thanksgiving Enjoy the Holiday with Family and Friends

Saturday December 5: Exeter Christmas Parade and Lodge Bake Sale 3:00-6:00pm

Sunday December 13: Lodge Holiday Gathering 11am to 2pm Members, Families and Special Ladies invited. We will be doing a brunch starting at 11am

============================================================================== FROM THE EAST

Greetings Brethren!

I hope that you have had a chance to enjoy the great Fall weather we have been having along with the nice foliage colors in our entire New England region and especially in the Seacoast area.

I want to thank all of the officers who have done two excellent FC degrees over the last two months. One for our newest FC, Jacob Maurier and one for our inspection in which Brother Maurier was our courtesy candidate. If you missed these please congratulate the officers when you see them. Especially congratulate Brother John Mosley for doing a fantastic job on the FC Middle Chamber lecture. Thank you and congratulations Brother Mosley.

This month’s program will be led by our SW Brother Mike Frost and will be talking about the question he asked in the October Trestleboard “If you could travel back in time and witness one moment in Masonic history, what would you choose and what would you hope to discover?”

We also have our monthly breakfast and these have been very well attended so please if you are able come and join us on Sunday November 15. Please bring something to cook is all we ask and thank you to our Marshal Brother Mike Daley Jr and his family for doing the cooking.

Please don’t forget our fellowship night on Thursday November 19. This is a great time to come and talk about anything you would like to talk about.

I have gone into December with a couple of dates to put out early. December 5, 2026 our Sr. Deacon is organizing a fund-raising bake sale to be held in conjunction with the Exeter Christmas Parade. There is information further in this Trestleboard if you are interested.

We are trying something new this year and moving the Holiday Gathering to Sunday December 13. We will be starting at 11am with a brunch and going to 2 pm with our annual give aways and mingling. We will have organ music and caroling. We are trying this to give the special ladies and other Brethren a chance to come out during the day and enjoy this event.

We did send out a text-em-all about trying to get a group price on oil and propane for the Brethren of the Lodge. We had enough response to get a group together. We sent another one out to ask how much of each you used and what town you lived in and we did not get any responses from the text. If you could let me know that would be great, it may be too late for this year but would like to see if we can get this in action for next year.

Finally, I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and can enjoy time with your family and friends. Please have a safe holiday if you are traveling to see family and friends over Thanksgiving.

I look forward to seeing those who can make it to a Lodge meeting and join us in good Fellowship.

Fraternally,

Dwane Staples, WM (DDSL@comcast.net) 603.682.5205

Final Thought:

“The secret of making progress is to get started.” - Walt Disney

Special Notes:

- There is no warmth more comforting than surrounding yourself with good people who care.

- Star in the East is committed to being a Lodge that practices inclusion. Please, Brethren, if you would like to present a program, take part in Ritual, serve on a committee, or help with our dinners, we’d love to hear from you.

- Remember, our Lodge room is a sanctuary, free from the worries and tribulations of the outside world, where we all meet on the Level.

- You are someone’s impression of the Fraternity. Please dress appropriately for our meetings.

Greetings From the West

Good day, Brethren.

October was certainly a busy and enjoyable month of Masonic fellowship. We were certainly exposed to a very interesting lecture on one of the Seven Liberal Arts and Science - Astronomy, by Brother Cantelmo. These lectures have been very informative, and I will look forward to the series continuing.

We have certainly enjoyed some impressive Degree work. Brother Maurier was afforded an excellent Fellowcraft Degree. Then, with his great duty to the craft, went thru the Degree again as a courtesy candidate. Our work was done with care and attention to detail…very well done!

RW Cole and I have been traveling around the district this month, sharing great Masonic fellowship. We earned a great deal from each of the Lodges we visited.

I would like to thank our Junior Warden and his wife, for their continued love and support offered through their excellent meals. Star in The East truly cares about feeding the body, as well as the mind!

As we come into a month of thanksgiving, can we ever be mindful of “all” of our Brethren.

"I Am My Brother's Keeper" is not just a phrase; it's a cornerstone of our fraternity and a guiding principle in our lives as Freemasons. The obligations we take on are rooted in genuine care for one another, extending support, guidance, and a steady hand through life's challenges.

Let us reflect on how we can better uphold this duty every day, strengthening the invisible bonds that connect us. When we support a Brother, we strengthen our overall mission of personal development and community service.

Fraternally,

Michael Frost, S.W.

FROM THE SOUTH

We are looking forward to our November Stated Meeting with Dinner starting at 6PM.

The menu for Novemberr Stated:

MAIN COURSE:

Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the fixins!

DESSERT:

Chef’s surprise

COLLATION:

Assorted Cookies and Pastries

NOTE: RESERVATIONS ARE AN ABSOLUTE MUST FOR THIS MEAL.

The cost of this meal will be $15
If you will be joining us for dinner, you are requested to REPLY directly back to the Text-Em All that will go out the Friday before our stated.
Please, if you are reading this, and do not get our Text-Em all, please call, e-mail or send a text with who your info and I will add you in: Joe Elliott, Junior Warden
- cell: (603) 702-3480 or e-mail: joe@atlanticautotruck.com

. “Active Candidates & “Special Ladies” are not charged for the meals

Fraternally,

Joe Elliott, JW

From Our Sr. Deacon

Once again this year, we’ll be holding a bake sale as fundraiser for the Lodge. This year’s bake sale will be held on Saturday, December 5th from 3:00pm until 6:30pm during the Exeter Holiday Parade, on the steps outside the Lodge.

We’re still looking for bakers to donate goods! You can also drop items off at the Lodge that Saturday morning from 10:30am until 12:30pm.

Last year’s BIG sellers were cookies, both drop and bar cookies, because people watching the parade could have cookies for a snack. Please be aware that bigger items like muffins and cakes didn’t sell last year.

Send an email to Cary Einhaus (ceinhaus@exeter.edu) with what you plan to bring for the bake sale, or if you have any questions.

Please note: New Hampshire state law requires that each package of cookies includes the ingredients and potential allergens. Please send Cary the recipe you’ve used to bake, so he can create the label with ingredients/allergens in advance.

Happy baking!

Cary Einhaus, SD

SUNDAY IS FUNDAY!!

Just a reminder – our next breakfast will be November 15th, at 9:00 am and go until we run out of food or conversation. Bring your family and friends for breakfast. There is no charge. All we ask is that you bring some food item to contribute to the meal. If you could please let the Junior Warden or me know if you’re attending it would be appreciated.

– Wor. Mike Daley, Jr.

FROM THE HISTORIAN

I have been asked several times by Brethren - both members and visitors - if Star in the East Lodge always met on the second Thursday of the month. My response has always been no, but I could not be much more specific than that. I always knew I had the specific answer someplace, but could not remember where. Being continuously frustrated was frustrating, so I decided my office clutter was such that I had three options: live with it, throw it all out, or downsize. (Jim Ryan and I have something in common - being given Masonic “stuff”.)

In the process of downsizing (the logical choice), I found I have copies of what are probably the original and next two revisions of the Lodge by-laws from 1857, 1875 and 1895. They were in a box with a collection of myriad other small booklets on various and sundry Masonic topics. I had the answer to both meeting nights and the Annual Communication:

From 1857 to 1875, Lodge was held “on the Wednesday of each week on which the moon fulls.” The Annual Communication was on the regular lodge night in April.
From 1875 to 1895, Lodge was held “ on the Thursday of each week in which the moon fulls.” The Annual Communication was held on the first stated communication of the year.
The 1895 by-laws permitted the Lodge to omit meetings in July and August by vote of the Lodge, but the Lodge was still a moon lodge.

Moon lodges generally allowed for better light traveling home from Lodge meetings. There were probably a significant number of Moon Lodges in the early days of Masonry, but I do not have anything that gives me that information. There are several well-written books with Lodge histories, but none that I have in my library include that information. There are/were still two moon lodges in New Hampshire in the recent past - Evening Star in Colebrook and King Solomon’s in Elkins. With all the recent Lodge mergers, I’ve lost track.

My apologies for my Trestleboard absence the past few months, but it has been a complex period in the Cole family, and I found myself pulled in many directions. I want to thank our Worshipful Master and Senior Warden for helping me maintain a semblance of normalcy, balance and functionality.

Richard F. Cole, Jr., PDDGM, Historian

FROM THE NORTH

Greetings Brethren,

I’d like to recognize the outstanding work that was done for our inspection of the Fellowcraft Degree. I truly think our DDGL was impressed with the effort put forth by our Lodge and his remarks seem to have confirmed my feelings. I certainly enjoyed filling in as Marshall and Musician, and I promise no more Ozzie Osborne as the first interlude! OOPS!

Thanksgiving is approaching and I wish each and every one of you a peaceful and joyous Thanksgiving celebration with your loved ones.

I look forward to seeing you on the 12th!

Fraternally,

David Dominianni, P.M.