Spring is here and very welcome. With good weather in the offing, our thoughts naturally turn to travel and visitations.

Our major visitations this year will be to William L. Elkins Lodge No. 646 F & AM in Philadelphia on May 2 and to Liberty Lodge AF & AM in Beverly, Massachusetts, on the weekend of September 11. W. Bro. John Ranck is the coordinator for the visit to Elkins Lodge and W. Bro. Bob Swiger has the same assignment for the Liberty Lodge visitation. Contact them or me for additional information.

Spring also ushers in lodges to visit the George Washington Masonic National Memorial and the A-W-22 Lodge Room. Lowther Manor Lodge No. 781, F & AM of Pennsylvania will be here on April 4 and Solomon's Lodge No. 114, F & AM of Pennsylvania will be here on April 25. You are welcome to attend these lodges and I encourage you to do so. You will find it interesting to observe the ritual as performed by lodges of other jurisdictions. These visitations also provide great opportunities for fellowship.

Our schedule in April will be a busy one as usual. Rt. Wor. Bro. Odie Howell will present a Masonic education program on lodge visitations at our first stated meeting on April 9. The second stated meeting on April 23 is Charter Night. The speaker for this anniversary will be John Augustine Washington, a collateral descendant of George Washington. On this occasion we will open and have the program in the Replica Lodge Room.

Bethel No. 22 Chapter of Job's Daughters will have a meeting on Sunday, April 5, at 2 p.m. with a program to honor Masons. Installation of officers of the Alexandria-Washington Chapter of DeMolay will take place on April 18 at 5:00 p.m. in the North Room of the GWMNM. Our degree work is heating up with work in all Blue Lodge degrees in April.

Let us support all activities of the Lodge with assistance, if required, and large attendance always.

Fraternally,

Robert N. Pitner
Worshipful Master

May 14, 1787 - Constitutional Convention opened at Philadelphia with George Washington presiding. This date brought forth the birth of an idea for the formation of a Constitution. On Sept. 17, 1787, the Constitution was adopted. Out of the 39 delegates present and signing 23 were Master Masons.

Only three States ratified in 1787: Delaware, Dec. 7; Pennsylvania, Dec. 12; New Jersey, Dec. 18. Virginia was the tenth State to ratify and that was not until June 25, 1788.

Virginia was not a member of the newly established Federal Government under the Constitution at the time Alexandria Lodge 22 received its charter from the Grand Lodge of Virginia on April 28, 1788.