Calendar of Upcoming Events

The Prophet Monarch James Stewart has released the following calendar of upcoming events.

These are in addition to the usual Stated Meetings of the Grotto and the Ladies Auxiliary (both meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7pm for potluck dinner and then have separate business meetings at 8pm); and the Volunteers Unit (which meets on the 2nd Saturday of each month for breakfast at 8am followed immediately by their business meeting).

The Southwest Grotto Association annual meeting will be in Springdale, Arkansas from August 31 – September 3 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. This is in northwest Arkansas. Please contact the Zaman Grotto Secretary (or your Grotto’s Secretary, if you are a member of another Grotto) for details.

Other than the SWGA, all the events mentioned here take place at Zaman Grotto & all these dinner / dances are $40.00 per couple.

Saturday May 19th — Luau – Dinner at 8pm, Dance at 9pm. This is honoring all Past Monarchs and the current (national) Grand Monarch, Moe Evans, is expected to attend. Grotto members are encouraged to wear their fez. Please contact Monarch Stewart or the Grotto office to make a reservation.

Saturday June 16th – Beach Party – Outside – Dinner at 6p (SIX), Dance to follow and the Dance should be over by 10pm. Please contact the Master of Ceremonies or the Grotto office to make a reservation.

Saturday July 21st – Christmas in July – Dinner at 8pm, Dance at 9pm. Please contact the Venerable Prophet (Tim Gatewood 901-375-1091) or the Grotto office to make a reservation.

Saturday August 18th – School Sock Hop – Dinner at 8pm, Dance at 9pm. Please contact any Grotto officer or the office to make a reservation.

Further details of these events will be posted here as they become available. Please contact the Monarch (President) Jimmy Stewart for more information.

Past Masters’ Honor Dinner

Zaman Grotto is pleased to announce that we will host a dinner honoring all Past Masters of Lodges in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi on Saturday, March 10, 2012. Dinner will commence at 7pm with dancing to follow at 8pm.

We will have a live band for the music; check back here for updates on who the band will be.

Dinner will be steak, potatoes, salad and dessert.

The tickets are just $40.00 per couple and are available at the door — or call the office to make a reservation.

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Please click on the Events category (on the right side of this screen, as well as near the top) to see information on other upcoming Events at Zaman Grotto.

Zaman Volunteers Unit

The next event at Zaman Grotto will be the monthly (Stated) meeting of the Zaman Volunteers unit on Saturday, February 11.

This event will start with an 8am breakfast, followed by the meeting.

As the Volunteers have been “volunteered” to cook at the Grottoes of North America Supreme Council meeting coming up in Orlando, Florida in early July, the members of the Unit have much to discuss.

If you happen to attend the Supreme Council meeting, look for them cooking on Thursday, July 5th.

All members of Zaman Grotto are invited to attend the breakfast & meeting. Dues for this Unit are very low and you will have some great fellowship and fun in it if you participate.

First Zaman Grotto meeting for 2012

The first Stated Meeting of 2012 for Zaman Grotto is Wednesday, January 18, 2012. The meeting starts at 8pm and will be preceded by a potluck dinner with the Ladies Auxiliary at 7pm. (The Ladies meet at 8pm, too, in a different room of our building.)

Please join us for this important meeting and this wonderful chance to have fun and good fellowship with the Brothers and Prophets of Zaman Grotto.

2012 Officers Elected & Installed

Congratulations to the newly elected officers for 2012 for Zaman Grotto (MOVPER). The following Masons were elected at the Wednesday December 21, 2011, Stated Meeting. They were installed by Grand Monarch Aquinas (Moe) Evans of the Grottoes of North America, Inc., the international body under whose authority Zaman Grotto operates.

2012 Elected Officers
Monarch – James E. (Jimmy) Stewart
Chief Justice – Bob Kermick, PM
Master of Ceremonies – Gene Gitter
Treasurer – Jim Annestedt, PM
Secretary – Jim Connors, PM
Venerable Prophet – Tim Gatewood
Trustee for 3 years – Bob Casey

Prophet Monarch Stewart will appoint the remaining officers as soon as possible. They will be announced here when that news becomes available.

RIP, Joe Cassini, Past Monarch

Word came on Tuesday December 20, 2011, that Past Monarch Joe Cassini had passed away earlier that day.

There was a Masonic service Thursday night (December 22).

Please keep Wanda & the Cassini family in your prayers.

This makes two (2) Past Monarchs who have passed away recently. Both will be greatly missed.

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Here is Joe’s obituary:

JOE RONALD CASSINI, 71, of Collierville, died Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at Methodist LeBonheur Germantown Hospital.

The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m., Thursday, December 22 at Memphis Funeral Home Poplar. Masonic Memorial service will be at 6:30 p.m. Services will be 2 p.m., Friday, December 23 at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, Poplar Ave. Burial in Memphis Memory Gardens.

Mr. Cassini was a Past Master and member of Unity Masonic Lodge, Past Patron of OES, 32nd degree Scottish Rite, member of Al Chymia Shrine, member of Hillbilly Unit and past Monarch of Zaman Grotto, and retired from the Shelby County Government.

Mr. Cassini was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Mattie Cassini. He leaves his wife of 12 years, Wanda Pepper Cassini; one sister, Judi Cassini of Memphis; one brother, Eddie Cassini (Eileen) of Germantown, many wonderful stepchildren, Dick Pepper (Christy), Paula Miresties (Nick), Bruce Pepper (Kelly), and Debbie Nabors (Mike); and many cherished grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He has many loving nieces and nephews, Nedoly Miller (Carl), Chuck Miller, Coni Mobley (Greg), Cari Smith (Mark) and Kenny Cassini (Jessica).

Memorials may be made to charity of donor’s choice. Online condolences may be expressed at www.memphisfuneralhome.net Memphis Funeral Home And Memorial Gardens 5599 Poplar Ave.

Published in The Commercial Appeal on December 22, 2011, (as seen online 12-25-2011 & corrected as to capitalization).

RIP, James. C. McCarley

JC McCarley, August 2008, Memphis Masonic Temple, 4th & Court

We received word that Past Monarch James C. (JC) McCarley passed away early this morning.

JC was a pillar of the Masonic community, being Recorder of 2 York Rite bodies & of the local Amaranth chapter, a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason, and active in the Order of the Eastern Star.

If there was a Masonic body that was not touched by JC and improved by that touch, we would be surprised to hear of it.

His knowledge of Masonry and Masons as people was encyclopedic.

He was also a member of two Lodges of the Oddfellows.

He was one of those rare men whom you truly feel privileged to have known.

He will be greatly missed.

JC and Geneva McCarley - Monarch's Ball - July 2004

Here is the (woefully brief and lacking in details) obituary that appeared in the Commercial Appeal :

JAMES C. McCARLEY, 80, of Memphis, TN, died Saturday, December 3, 2011. He was retired from the U.S. Postal Service and the Air Force Reserves, a 33rd degree mason, and a member of the DeSoto Lodge, and many other Masonic organizations. Mr. McCarley is survived by his wife of 60 years, Geneva McCarley; daughter, Vickie Lynn Carter; son, James Michael McCarley (Mara); grandchildren, Joshua Setzler (Brandi), Misty Lynn Martin (Colby); and five great-grandchildren. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, December 7, at Forest Hill East Funeral Home. The service

will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, December 8, at the funeral home with interment to follow.

Prayers for Healing and Strength Requested

At the November 16, 2011, Zaman Grotto Stated Meeting, the following members & loved ones were brought to the attention of The Holy for his healing and strength:

Ted Woolfolk is still in Baptist Desoto Nursing Home. Bob Casey visited him recently & reported that he is going downhill.
JC & Geneva McCarley are doing poorly, as JC works to recover from having a pacemaker installed last month & Geneva deals with several health issues.
Charlie Gray is having heart problems.
Eugene Gitter’s wife, Renee, is very ill.
Wesley Rikard is dealing with a host of issues with help from his son David Rikard.

Please keep these men & their families in your prayers.

 

Grand Monarch to Visit Memphis

Aquinas “Moe” Evans, Grand Monarch, Grottoes of North America, Inc., will be visiting Zaman Grotto ( 7818 East Holmes Rd, Germantown, TN 38125) on Wed Dec 21, 2011, at 8pm, during its monthly Stated Meeting & will install the 2012 officers of Zaman Grotto.

Zaman is the only Grotto in west Tenn & has members from TN, AR & MS.

Please see http://scgrotto.org for info on the Grottoes of North America.

The Zaman Grotto monthly meetings are the 3rd Wed of each month normally with a potluck dinner at 7pm, meeting at 8pm. For more info, call (901) 756-4430) or see http://zamangrotto.org. For December, the potluck before the meeting is being waived; there will be refreshments after the officers are installed, to be provided by the new Prophet Monarch of Zaman Grotto.

RIP Edwin D. “Tip” Rikard

Past Monarch Tip Rikard laid down his working tools and went home to the celestial lodge above on Saturday, October 1, 2011.

He was born on January 27, 1933, and was a very active member of Zaman Grotto for a long time, including serving as Monarch in 1999.

He was survived by his wife Sherri, daughters Donna Bruchesky & Vivian Baldomero, sons Richard & Kenneth Rikard, and seven grandchildren.

Interment was on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, at Forest Hill South Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee.

PM Rikard will be greatly missed by the Grotto. Our sympathy & prayers go out to his family.

Tip and Sherri at the Monarch's Ball in 2006