​Sisters and Brothers,

Happy New Year Sisters and Brothers, Steve and I pray that all our members are well and have escaped the COVID.  We will be dark during the months of  January and February.

We are thankful for the development of the vaccine for this dreaded disease and if we are able to meet in March, the meeting will be a busy one  We have a petition for a new member to vote on and we will have a practice Initiation.  If our Chapter Meetings are back to normal and we are able to have an Inspection, the petitioner will be our inspection candidate.

Continue to save your manufacture coupons.  I will have a report on the amount of money the coupons added up to and we were able to send to the Troops to use in the Commissaries. This is one of our Charities projects.  The other project will be a Bakeless Bake Sale at our May Meeting.

Remember to save the dollar bills with the letter “D” for the service dogs for disabled adults’ and continue to save “F” dollar bills for Freedom to give to the District Charities.  The dimes will be used for service dogs for disabled children.

So very important: remember to add your volunteer hours up for our report to send to Grand Chapter.  Include the number of hours spent cutting coupons.  This report will be due at our May Meeting.

Until we are able to meet in person, hopefully in March, please stay safe and well.

Charlotte Ballard, Worthy Matron
Steve Tong, Worthy Patron

​Happy Fall Sisters and Brothers: 

What a year 2020 has been!  The Pandemic has caused us to make many changes in our meetings.  After being dark during the months of January and February, we had our March meeting and then were unable to meet for the next few months.  At the present time, we are not able to sing our opening and closing ode, patriotic ode, however we have become quite good at humming .  At our September meeting, our Worthy Patron, Scott, had us whistling the patriotic ode.  Eastern Star members are very flexible and imaginative in their abilities! Saturday, October 11th, is the day we meet our Deputy at Trinity Chapter in Lima at 2:00PM. October 13th will be a regular meeting when Worthy Patron, Scott and I thank our officers for serving our Chapter this past year.  Even though we were not able to have our Inspection this year, because of  COVID, the officers exemplified the work beautifully during our only practice initiation.

October 27th will be the 127th Installation of new officers for Findlay Chapter No. 23, for the 2020-2021 year at 7:30pm.  Carole Gramm Wise, Worthy Grand Matron will be our Installing Officer. ‘America’ will be our theme.  Your Worthy Patron Elect and I have an exciting year planned for you.  We hope you will come to see what takes place.

November 10th will be a tribute to our Veterans.  Dan Tussing will present a special program. December 8th we will have a ‘carry-in’, eating at 6pm.  Meat will be provided.  Please bring a hot or cold dish to share.  Come dressed in Christmas clothing or something red. We will be dark in January and February. Please come and support your officers this year.  We need you very much.  Until then stay safe and healthy. 
  
Charlotte Ballard, Worthy Matron-elect    
Steve Tong, Worthy Patron-elect 

​Sisters and Brothers, 
 
Dear Sisters and Brothers, this has certainly been a  year of changes.  The Coronavirus pandemic has prevented our meetings and required many scheduled changes by our Most Worthy Grand Matron and our Worthy Grand Matron. One change will be the "setup" of our Chapter Room. Some officers will have to sit on the sidelines and only stand to do their speaking parts.  There can be no singing as the MWGM feels there is an increased risk of spreading virus germs even while wearing the masks.

Both the MWGM and WGM have emphasized that members should not feel obligated to attend a Star Meeting if they fear their health might be jeopardized. 
  
We did hold a very short meeting for election of 
officers and gave the Committee Reports on 
June 23rd.  Officers include:
Worthy Matron Elect, Charlotte Ballard
Worthy Patron Elect, Steve Tong
Associate Matron, Roberta Flinn
Associate Patron, Don Kinney
Secretary, Barbara Pace
Treasurer, Jean Beck
Conductress, Judy Kinney
Associate Conductress, Janet Blanchard

In order to keep all our members well and safe, the picnic that had been planned for July will not take place.

Shelbie Flegal, K9 Handler-Black Swamp Search and Rescue, Firefighter/Paramedic will be at our August meeting with K9, Darwin, Land/Water/Disaster Human Remains Detection, and K9, Atlas Live Find-Area Search dogs.  This will be a very interesting and informative program for all.

At this time Grand Chapter is still scheduled to take place in September, with many changes being adopted to maintain complete health safety through safe distancing and other helpful requirements. Your Worthy Patron, Scott, and I wish you a secure and safe summer. 
 
 
Charlotte Ballard, Worthy Matron    
Scott Nelson Barrett, Worthy Patron

​Order of the Eastern Star
Sisters and Brothers,
 
By the time Sisters and Brothers that you read this I hope spring like weather will be here and not just according to the calendar.  The year 2020 will be a year for us to remember.  The Worthy Grand Matron and Worthy Grand Patron has cancelled all Star Inspections and meetings through May 8th.  I am sure this is the first time in our history that Inspections have been cancelled.

If we are able to meet on May12th, we will not have a practice initiation.  We will wear our Chapter dress.  Please try to attend as there is a special program planned for the evening to honor veterans.

Our June meeting will feature K9 Darwin, Land/Water/Disaster Human Remains Detection and K9 Atlas, Live Find-Area Search.  Shelbie Flegal, Firefighter/Paramedic will share information about K9s and their responsibilities. July will be a summer picnic on the lawn before our meeting.

Our Officers are doing a wonderful exemplification of the work of the Order.  Please come out and support us.  Remember, we would love to initiate a candidate of your recommendation.  Need a petition?  Just give me a call.

Until we are able to meet again, please stay safe and healthy. 
 
Charlotte Ballard, Worthy Matron    
Scott Nelson Barrett, Worthy Patron

​Sisters and Brothers,

Welcome to Winter, Sisters and Brothers, the beginning of 2020 will be a new experience for us at Findlay Chapter.  We will be going dark during the months of January and February for the first time since our Chapter was formed.  This will eliminate the worries of  our members traveling in the winter weather.  Plus our snowbirds  who travel to warmer climate during the winter months will not have to miss any meetings.  We will be meeting during the months of July and August
We will start our regular meetings in March with a practice initiation.  Hopefully, the weather will be cooperative with no snow or ice.  If you know of anyone interested in becoming a member please give them a petition.  Our Ritualistic Work really is very beautiful.  When we initiate a candidate, we are giving a history of five heroines taken from the Bible.  Perhaps some of our new Masons and their wives will be interested in joining our Eastern Star Chapter.

Your Worthy Patron, Scott and I wish you a very healthy and Happy New Year. 

Charlotte Ballard, Worthy Matron
Scott Nelson Barrett, Worthy Patron

​As fall begins, so do many of the Masonic bodies.  In Findlay Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, we will start on October 22nd with an installation of a new core of officers.  But before that meeting, we will have our regular stated meeting on October 8th.  We will be honoring the Masons who are also members of Findlay Chapter by having a covered dish dinner at 6:30pm.  It will be followed by our chapter meeting at 7:30pm.

Brenda Boster Worthy Matron
Steve Tong, Worthy Patron

​Sisters and Brothers,

We hope you are having a relaxing summer.  The days are becoming warmer so summer is finally here.  Findlay Chapter is dark in July and August, but we will be honoring all those who are a past or present page or aide to a Grand Chapter appointed officer.  Come and celebrate those stories we will share on being a page or aide.  We had an election of officers for the 2019-2020 year.  So, we will have information on the upcoming installation of Officers in the next newsletter.  Grand Chapter will be on September 27th thru 29th at the Kalahari Resort.  Just a reminder, the EOP with the 2020 Grand Officers will be on October 26th at Tiffin Masonic Temple.  More details will come.

Brenda Boster Worthy Matron
Steve Tong, Worthy Patron

Sisters and Brothers,

We are into Inspection season. Our Inspection will be on April 23rd by Roberta Eckleberry, our Deputy Grand Matron. It is a special night, so come and be part of the exciting evening. In April our regular meeting will be on April 9th. We will be honoring all the past and present Deputy Grand Matrons, and also have a practice initiation. At the May 14th meeting we will be honoring all past and present Star Points. The June 11th meeting will be election of officers, and honoring 50 year members. We will also have pins presented to the new 50 year members of Findlay Chapter. Come and be a part of a very busy season. 

Brenda Boster Worthy Matron 
Steve Tong, Worthy Patron 

​Sisters and Brothers,

As we prepare for the winter months, Findlay Chapter will have many important activities to keep us busy.  We will start by having a practice initiation during the January meeting.  On January 22nd at 7:30pm, we will be celebrating our 125th Anniversary as a chapter by having a Visitation by the Worthy Grand Matron and Worthy Grand Patron.  Scott Nelson Barrett will be providing the entertainment.  This is an important date for our chapter, so we encourage all the members to attend this exciting event in our history.  We will have regular meetings in February and March.  As we honor our past, we will be honoring the past Grand Officers in the January meeting, past and current chapter officers in the February meeting, and all sideliners during the March meeting.  We will be jumping into inspection season of March through May.  So look for that date to come very soon.

Brenda Boster Worthy Matron
Steve Tong, Worthy Patron 

Sisters and Brothers,

As the Holiday season grows near, Findlay Chapter will be busy getting ready to celebrate our 125th year as a chapter in the Grand Chapter of Ohio.  At the October 9th meeting we will celebrate with a birthday party for our members.  The November 13th meeting will begin with a covered dish dinner at 6:30pm.  The meeting will follow at 7:30pm.  Our Installation will be on Tuesday, November 27th at 7:30pm with Past Grand Matron, Michelle Howell as the Installing Officer.  The December meeting will be on December 11th.  Following the meeting we will have a gift exchange.  Steve Tong and I are excited to begin another year in Findlay Chapter as Worthy Matron and Worthy Patron.  Join us in a year of celebrating our Past and looking forward to the future.

Brenda Boster - Worthy Matron
Chuck Insley - Worthy Patron