ABQ York Rite Meeting Tonight!

Companions & Sir Knights,

The Albuquerque York Rite February Meeting (Rio Grand Chapter #4 - RAM) will be held tonight at Temple 6 - starting time of 7:00 p.m.

Dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m.

Dinner Menu:

- Steak Fingers
- Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
- Green Beans
- Salad
- Dinner Rolls
- Tea & Coffee

We hope to see you there tonight!

Presidents Day!

Did you know?

Fun Facts about Presidents Day:

- Some states, including Illinois, still observe Lincoln's birthday on February 12, in addition to Presidents Day.

- Some states only observe Presidents Day.

- Some states celebrate neither birthday.

- The state of Alabama, has gone its own way. Despite the fact that no one else celebrates Thomas Jefferson's birthday, Alabama has decided that the third President of the United States is worthy of a celebration in their state during the month of February, despite the fact that his birthday is actually in April.

Reference: http://www.life123.com/holidays/more-holidays/february-holidays/fun-facts-about-presidents-day.shtml

Valentine's Day!

Did you know?

Fun Facts About Valentine's Day:

Greeting Cards

- Approximately one billion Valentines are sent out worldwide each year according to estimates by the U.S. Greeting Card Association. That's second only to Christmas.

- Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all Valentines.

- Teachers will receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets.

Reference: http://www.sheknows.com/holidays-and-seasons/articles/807655/fun-facts-about-valentine-s-day

Groundhog Day!

Did you know?

Fun Facts about Groundhogs:

- The average groundhog is 20 inches long and normally weighs from 12 to 15 pounds. Punxsutawney Phil weighs about 20 pounds and is 22 inches long.

- A groundhog's diet consists of lots of greens, fruits, and vegetables and very little water. Most of their liquids come from dewy leaves.

- A groundhog can whistle when it is alarmed. Groundhogs also whistle in the spring when they begin courting.

- Insects do not bother groundhogs and germs pretty much leave them alone. They are resistant to the plagues that periodically wipe out large numbers of wild animals. One reason for this is their cleanliness.

- Groundhogs are one of the few animals that really hibernate. Hibernation is not just a deep sleep. It is actually a deep coma, where the body temperature drops to a few degrees above freezing, the heart barely beats, the blood scarcely flows, and breathing nearly stops.

- Young Groundhogs are usually born in mid-April or May, and by July they are able to go out on their own. The size of the litter is 4 to 9. A baby groundhog is called a kit or a cub.

- A groundhog's life span is normally 6 to 8 years. Phil receives a drink of a magical punch every summer during the annual Groundhog Picnic, which gives him 7 more years of life.

Reference: http://groundhog.org/groundhog-day/fun-facts/

ABQ York Rite Meeting Tomorrow

Companions and Sir Nights,

Don't forget about our new meeting day and time!

Tomorrow is the first meeting of the new year for the Albuquerque York Rite Bodies (Rio Grand Chapter #4 - RAM), with a new meeting time of 7:00 p.m.

Dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m. and we hope to see everyone there as we ring in 2011.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Did you know?

At the White House Rose Garden on November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday to honor King. Observed for the first time on January 20, 1986, it is called Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

This was followed by President George H. W. Bush's 1992 proclamation, that this holiday was to be observed on the third Monday of January each year, near the time of King's birthday.

On January 17, 2000, for the first time, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was officially observed in all fifty U.S. states.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

New Year's Day

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Did you know?

The early Roman calendar consisted of 10 months and 304 days, with each new year beginning at the vernal equinox; according to tradition, it was created by Romulus, the founder of Rome, in the eighth century B.C. A later king, Numa Pompilius, is credited with adding the months of Januarius and Februarius. Over the centuries, the calendar fell out of sync with the sun, and in 46 B.C. the emperor Julius Caesar decided to solve the problem by consulting with the most prominent astronomers and mathematicians of his time. He introduced the Julian calendar, which closely resembles the more modern Gregorian calendar that most countries around the world use today.

As part of his reform, Caesar instituted January 1 as the first day of the year, partly to honor the month’s namesake: Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, whose two faces allowed him to look back into the past and forward into the future. Romans celebrated by offering sacrifices to Janus, exchanging gifts with one another, decorating their homes with laurel branches and attending raucous parties.

In medieval Europe, Christian leaders temporarily replaced January 1 as the first of the year with days carrying more religious significance, such as December 25 (the anniversary of Jesus’ birth) and March 25 (the Feast of the Annunciation); Pope Gregory XIII reestablished January 1 as New Year’s Day in 1582.

Reference: http://www.history.com/topics/new-years