Zal Gaz Grotto No. 34 | M.O.V.P.E.R.

Prophets,

Summer is quickly coming to an end and everyone is getting ready for school this fall. Hope you all had an excellent summer.  The ladies of Zal Gaz  Grotto did a wonderful job with the Grott-O-lympics.   There were about 25 to 30 people attending the festivities, raising $244 for the humanitarian fund.  Thank you very much ladies from all of us.  We are still in the need of customers and help for the all Friday dinners and Sunday breakfasts, as well as other functions.  We’d like to have you volunteer so we don’t have to beg for help from those who come to relax at their club.  Speaking of relaxing at the club, we’d like for more of you to do it, or come for breakfast or dinner.  Help your club by being a customer or a worker.  We’re trying to make the club inviting.   A couple of years ago the membership suggested that we get a Wii system and we did.  Then the membership suggested we get other entertainment and we’ve got live music many nights now.  So what’s your excuse now?   The Board is struggling to understand why we do not get the participation that the club needs to survive.

We will be having fundraisers at the Heidelberg Charity Gaming Room and need volunteers on:

September 20, 21, and 22 

October 18, 19, and 20 

We will need two people per shift.  Shifts are 5 - 9:30 PM and 9:30 PM - 2 AM.  Please come to the Grotto or call and find a date and time that fits your schedule.   Remember each hour worked is a point earned for your enchanted lantern.  All help is very much appreciated.

Please take advantage of what your Grotto has to offer.  The Ladies of Zal Gaz worked incredibly hard and announced their fundraiser more than two months in advance (A BIG THANK YOU). We are looking for more officer candidates for next year.  If you would like to nominate someone, including yourself, come to the nominating and elections meeting in one of these months November, October, September.

Wishing everyone the very best.

 Your Monarch.

Jim Richardson

Upcoming events from our Trestleboard:

September 5 Spaghetti Dinner  6pm -7:30pm

September 12 Grotto Regular Meeting & House and Board  ~  6pm -7pm

September 14 Friday Dinner  6pm -7:30pm

September 16 Sunday Breakfast  9am - Noon

September 28 Friday Dinner  6pm -7:30pm

Prophets,

Summer is here and we’re all enjoying the outside. I, as your Monarch, was invited to Ann Arbor’s  Council meeting and given a plaque by Ann Arbor’s Historic Commission in recognition of our 100 years in the city of Ann Arbor. It is now hanging in the hallway at the Grotto. 

We are still finding it difficult to get sufficient help to put on the Sunday breakfast and the Friday fries. We all hope that everyone recognizes the importance of having these meals. They are to help us pay our taxes, gas, electric, insurance, maintenance, and all other expenses for running a business.  We have come up with a new point system to give you even more of an incentive to volunteer. It works like this.   Any volunteer (member or not) who works at the Grotto ( for example, volunteering for bartending, Friday fries, Sunday breakfast, picking up outside, helping to finish the basement, etc.) will get one point for every hour worked.  Once you have received a total of 50 points, an enchanted lantern will be bought in your honor.

The ladies of Zal Gaz Grotto are putting on the Grotto Olympics on July 28 from 4 -8 PM.  It will be fun for all with games and food.  Bring your family and friends to enjoy the activities.

Our volunteer bartender program is ongoing. This is a great opportunity for any Prophet to learn more about his club. This is for off nights when we are not so busy. The calendar is on the kitchen door, so take a look and see if there is a spot that will fit your timetable.  This is a great help for your Grotto.  You are also welcome to invite your friends and family to keep you company while you bartend.

Please note that we have a new time for our Sunday breakfast.  Beginning July 22 it goes from 9 AM till noon.

July trestle board:

• July 6 Friday Fry 6 PM to 7:30 PM
• July 15 Sunday breakfast 9 AM to noon
• July 27 Friday Fry 6 PM to 7:30 PM
• July 28 GrottOlympics sponsored by the ladies of Zal Gaz Grotto

Yours in Good Fellowship,

Jim Richardson, Monarch 

Prophets,

We have had a good year. The music that we’re hosting every Monday and Tuesday is helping us sustain the rest of the club.

I would like to thank the GBU for planting all of the beautiful flowers, cleaning up around the flower beds, and trimming the bushes and trees around the property. It looks gorgeous.

I would, also, like to thank those who’ve helped with the charity gaming. It is still the most profitable fundraiser that we put on. It would be very helpful if we could get even more participation.

Our volunteer bartender program is off to a good start using volunteers on the off nights when we are not so busy. The schedule is on the kitchen door. Take a look to see if there is a spot that you can put your name on. This would be a great help for your Grotto. You are also encouraged to invite your friends and family to keep you company while you tend bar. The hours are from 4 PM to closing, generally 7 or 8 PM, later if you would prefer to stay longer. (just a reminder, we do have the Wii game unit with many games to choose from). Your assistance will help relieve the regular bartender, now that we are open seven days a week for most of this year. Please stop in and say hi and keep in touch. Help us make this a very family-friendly club. I hope everyone has an awesome summer.

I would like to thank those who’ve helped with the meals so far this year, but, are always looking for more help at OUR events, after all this is our means to keep OUR (YOUR) club solvent. Friday Fries require kitchen help; a few people to take orders, serve and bus, a plater, a fryer, a griller, a dishwasher, and someone to man the order window.

Sunday Breakfasts require early morning or day before set-up, a bacon and sausage fryer, a potato fryer, an egg scrambler, a waffle maker, a pancake and French toast fryer, a few bussers, and a few new people to clean up at the end. If you don’t value these events enough to volunteer for them occasionally, we won’t be able to continue to have them. These are just some of the types of help we always need. I know there are many more things that need to be done, too manyto list. Please remember many hands make for light enjoyable work.

Coming July 28th - The Grotto Olympics!! Join the Prophets and the Ladies for a day of fun. There will be games for children and adults! Come check out what the Grotto is all about. More details to come in the July Newsletter, or contact the Grotto. Open to all members of the Masonic community and their guests. Any questions should be directed to Amanda Rothman via e-mail at arothman24@hotmail.com [Amanda is the President of the Ladies’ Auxiliary]. If you need to speak with her directly, you may call the Grotto to get her number.

Brothers, Prophets and Friends,

We have a few new bottled craft beers in stock at the Grotto Club! Come down, grab a beverage and join us in good fellowship!

• Motor City Ghettoblaster
• Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
• Bells Two-Hearted Ale

We look forward to seeing you here at the Grotto.

Phil Ogilvie’s Rhythm Kings are a real 1920’s and 30’s style dance orchestra playing the original arrangements of the famous bands of the Jazz Age. Hearing the Rhythm Kings is like being transported to another time and place.

Composed of Michigan’s finest musicians, the Rhythm Kings are one of few bands in the country that can truly claim to be the tops in their class. They have a devoted following of music lovers and dancers who lining up at the Grotto Club to hear and enjoy this wonderful music presented in the Rhythm King’s unique fashion.

UPCOMING SHOWS - Sundays 5-8pm, Admission $7, $5 students
March 18 - IMAGINATION, recognizing the birthdays of two jazz greats, Bix Beiderbecke and Miff Mole, and of the very original songwriter Peter DeRose
March 25 - The Rhythm Kings’ annual “Salute to Industrial Solvents”
April 8 - SAX APPEAL- featuring the music of Fud Livingston
April 15 - KEEP A SONG IN YOUR SOUL - featuring the music of Alex Hill and, in honor of tax day, BROTHER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?
April 22 - AIN’TCHA GOT MUSIC? - recognizing Rube Bloom’s birthday with his TRUCKIN’ and other tunes about dancing and music
April 29 - BLACK AND TAN FANTASY - music of Duke Ellington

Brothers and Prophets,

Stop by your club and enjoy the abundant spirit of camaraderie.

The monthly functions are:
1st Wednesday – Spaghetti Supper
3rd Sunday – Breakfast Buffet
2nd & 4th Fridays – Frys

All are open to the public.

All functions, of course, need your help for our success. We always can use more help for the events that we put on for the betterment of the club, so sign up when you can.


The Ladies of Zal Gaz Auxiliary are having an Easter Party, Sunday, March 25th from 1-3 pm at the Grotto. Open to all Masonic families, children, and grandchildren. There will be cookie decorating, goodie bags, an egg hunt and a visit from the Easter bunny. There is a sign up sheet at the Grotto or email them at ladies-info@zalgaz.org if you can make it by March 14th.
 

House and Board Meeting, 6:30 pm, followed by the monthly meeting at 7:30.

Poker Night sign up sheets are at the Grotto for March 1, 2 and 3. Please help if you can. Some of the Prophets currently signed up have already worked more than their share.

Do you know a Prophet who is injured or ill? Give him a call it’ll give you both a boost.

Any Prophet willing to serve on the long form ceremonial, especially those with previous experience, please contact the committee chair, Bob Blackburn at 734 913-8599.

Yours in Good Fellowship,
Jim Richardson, Monarch

Brothers and Prophets,

All functions, of course, need your help for our success. Please be a part of our success.

We need help for the Poker fund raiser. Nights that we need help on are posted at the Grotto, please help by stopping in or giving the Grotto a call to sign up.

Dates are: Feb. 16th, 17th, 18th and also March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The times slots are 5:00pm to 9:30pm and then 9:30pm to 2:00am.

Thank for your help.

In good Fellowship,

James Richardson
Monarch

An Easter Party!  Open to all Grotto and Masonic Lodges members, families, and their children and grandchildren, etc. Kids of all ages! There will be coloring, cookie decorating, an egg hunt, and a visit from the Easter Bunny. Wow!

An event sponsored by the Ladies of Zal Gaz

Prophets and Brothers,

Greetings from your Grotto! What a great time to be a member of our Grotto!

We have registered for our poker nights and will need all hands to help!  Dates are: February 16th, 17th, 18th and March 1st, 2nd and 3rd. This was a terrific fundraiser last year and will be as good or better this year.

If you haven’t signed up for a breakfast or a Friday fry  in a while, please come down and do so, we do have a good time.

We are still having Jazz every Tuesday at 5:30 pm and Big band every Monday , come prepared to listen to some great music and bring your appetite as we do serve food!

I would like to give an extra big thank you to Mike Yuskowatz, P.G.M. and all the Past Monarchs that helped install 2012 officers thank you! 

If you are not a member, come by or call an officer and find out what the Grotto is about! Please check out our web site.

With heavy heart we will all miss Past Monarch Donald Gardner.

St. Marys Lodge #4 well be having a pancake supper the first Friday of each month from now to end of the year, please come and help St. Marys Lodge make it successful.  

In good fellowship,

James Richardson
Monarch