masonic the may, 2017 messenger - wayne thomas...

MasonicMessengerFreedom • Integrity • Tolerance Faith • Hope • Charity

THE May, 2017

KADOKA –On Saturday March 25, 2017, Grand Lodge Officers joined the members of Mt. Moriah Lodge #155 and Evergreen Chapter OES for a cen-tennial ceremony and cornerstone re-dedication. The event emcee was MWB Kenny Ireland, PGM, and featured guest speaker was Ted Spencer, Director of Historic Preservation for the State of South Dakota. In 1916, the membership of Mt. Moriah Lodge, having quadrupled in eight years, started selling $25 bonds to fund the proposed $4,000 cost of a building and lots. Construction began in the summer of 1916 with members donating their labor. Excavation was done with horses, scrapers, picks and shovels. In 1917, lodge member and

area attorney, A.G. Granger agreed to furnish the Birdseye maple flooring, and cherry wood doors and moldings. When it was clear that there was still a $2,000 shortfall, Past Master and area rancher, Joseph Rooks, wrote a check for that amount. The building was dedicated on

October 29, 1917. It was called, “The largest and finest edifice of its kind in the world for the size of its member-ship and community.” Besides serving as the home for the Mt. Moriah Lodge and Evergreen Chapter OES for the past 100 years, it has also been a community center for Kadoka area activities and groups. During the Great Depression, the local Works Progress Administra-

tion office operated from the third floor. The building has undergone a nearly 10-year restoration, culminating in being designated a historic property by the State of South Dakota and being named to the National Register of His-toric Places. The centennial ceremony concluded with an outstanding lunch and great Masonic fellowship.

Mt. Moriah Lodge celebrates centennial

2 • Masonic Messenger May 2017

As your Junior Grand Warden this past year I have had the opportunity to serve as the Mem-bership Chairman for the Grand Lodge of South Dakota. Many things have been initiated to assist in building and maintaining our Masonic member-ship. Some items the Grand Lodge has provided include: Tools for Investigation Committees; The Rusty Nail Degree; Service Awards for 5, 15, 25, 35, and 45 years of service as well as 50, 60, and 70 year awards that were previously awarded; a Final Notice “Draft” document was provided to assist Lodges in showing options to members prior to losing them for NPDs; Restoration letters from the Grand Master to members suspended for non-payment of dues (NPD); new “Lodge of the Year” and “Master Builder Award” criteria were established; and “The Mason’s Lady” Pro-gram has been reenergized. We have approached membership in three areas over this past year: Recruitment – “How do we bring in new members?”, Retention – “How

can we successfully keep our members?”, and Restoration – “Can we bring back some of our Good Brothers?”. Recogni-tion of good works and communications are keys to retaining good Brothers. In the area of recruitment the Grand Lodge has stressed using the Six Steps to Initiation in the process of gaining new members and it is also part of our annual Leadership Seminar. The Lodges who have been utilizing this method are finding much success in getting to know the potential member and for him to get to know what we are about as well as what expectations are on both sides. In recent readings concerning drawing new

members to any organization it was found that we need to ensure we are joinable. I mean do we offer what attracts people? “It doesn’t matter what people do for a living – it only matters why they do it. That is what defines people and drives them to contribute.” If we want people to join our Fraternity we need to find out their “Why”, even if that means we need to ask them, “Why do you do what you do?” A good quote by Robbin Phillips in his book Brains on Fire: “It’s not about how people fit into your plan – but how you fit into their lives.” Word of mouth has always been the best approach. Use the Six Step to Initiation as a guide to get to know potential members and their families and what is important or priorities for them. This process allows the potential candidate to ask questions of us as well as we of him, to understand his expec-tations as well as he understand ours, to hold a discussion on community involvement and how he likes to contribute and how the Lodge con-tributes to the community, do we belong to other

organizations that he belongs to, and how do we help people help us. A meeting at the potential member’s home to get to know the family is very important as is breaking bread with this person where you are meeting them on their familiar ground and will lead to a more comfortable setting for them and their family for open discus-sion. All organizations need good members and there are people out in the world who would love to join us, but we must be willing to join them first and provide the “Why” for them to join our Masonic organization. Make your Lodge more joinable, be involved in your community and be the ex-ample that everyone sees as the goal to reach. Then they too will want to be a part of our great Masonic Fraternity.

Fraternally,RWB Harold D. Ireland,

Junior Grand Warden

Tidings from the desk of theGrand Treasurer-Secretary

Greetings from the South

Among the most enjoyable Masonic activi-ties I have had the pleasure of par-ticipating in are Table Lodges. Records of Table Lodges have been reported from as early as the late 17th Cen-tury. In the early days of Table Lodges the love Masons had for their Lodges was demonstrated by gifts of chairs, tables, altars, pedestals, tapestries, draperies, silver, candle sticks, oil paintings, libraries, etc. to their Lodges at those events. During the 18th Century Brothers partici-pating in the Lodge “Feast” often remained at their festive tables when the Lodge was opened and during the communication and when degrees were conferred. Following each section of the lectures, Lodge was called from Labor to Refreshment and particular toasts were given and songs often sung. Prior to the next section, Lodge was called from refresh-ment to labor and the process repeated until the end of the Degree. In South Dakota I am aware of several Table Lodges held each year. Each can be

modified somewhat to fit the occasion. We have also had Table Lodges for Commander-ies and for the Scottish Rite. Some are tiled and some include the ladies. One of the largest Table Lodges I attended was put on by Washington Lodge No. 111 in White each year. While this has not been held for some years now, it was a big affair with Masons from around the state and surrounding states. Any Grand Masters in attendance were presented with a ceremonial pipe crafted at the Pipestone National Memo-rial in Pipestone, Minnesota. As I recall, the seated Grand Master of South Dakota and at least one from a neighboring jurisdiction normally attended. If your Lodge is looking for an activity to enhance fraternal bonding and add a fun evening, I would suggest looking into hold-ing a Table Lodge. Invitations to surrounding Lodges would add to the atmosphere and enhance the experience. While there are a number of scripts for Table Lodges available, the Grand Lodge of Maine has an excellent download on its web site you might look at https://www.maine-mason.org/resources/guidelines-for-table-Lodge/ for tips.

Fraternally,Douglas C. McFarland, PGM

Grand Treasurer-Secretary

Greetings from the West Another Grand Lodge session is nearly upon us, and we as Grand Lodge officers have worked hard to make your attendance an interesting and worthwhile experience. I’d like to take a moment and briefly cover a few of the many offerings this year. Worshipful Brother Mark Menard, founder and CEO of Enable Labs (MORI and Our Lodge Page) will be present and giving multiple presentations on Thursday. He will host a session exclusively on MORI which is geared towards Lodge Secretaries and those of-ficers with access to their Lodge database. However, anyone is welcome to attend and all are encouraged to do so. Bring your compliments, complaints, and questions! His second session will cover the new Our Lodge Page (OLP) website and mobile application. Each Lodge has been provided with this service. Those Lodges who don’t assign a Brother as webmaster will have an OLP that pulls data from the MORI record and auto-populates the home page. Having a webmaster allows you to customize your page(s) and is highly encouraged. The OLP mobile app, for both Android and iOS devices, can be downloaded free from the respective app store. You will see a news feed, calendar events, have the ability to RSVP, check on membership standing, and phone/text/email a Brother of your Lodge directly from the app. OLP is the future of Masonic communications in South Dakota and as more func-tionality becomes available, its importance will only increase. I strongly encourage your attendance at the OLP presentation to learn about this fantastic tool and how it benefits every Lodge and every Mason. For anyone who misses out on the MORI or OLP sessions, Worshipful Brother Menard will be present for most of the session at or near the registration table area. We’re all Brothers, and as always, I look forward to seeing each and every one of you.

Fraternally,DaNiel Wood

Senior Grand Warden

May 2017 Masonic Messenger • 3

As I sit down to write this column for the Masonic Messen-ger, it is shocking to think that this is my last com-munication with you after four years of columns. This year serv-ing you as your Grand Master has been a whirlwind of travel, events, fellowship, philosophical discussions, new relation-ships and fun; coupled with plenty of great food. Wherever I travel and whatever the event, I am always impressed by the profound sense of love of our Fraternity at every turn. While there are many different ideas on how best to approach the future of the Craft, there is never any doubt about

the sincereness of your devotion to our future success. I feel so honored to just be a part of this great fraternity and being able to call such great people my friends. Rather than use this column to look back over the year, I choose instead to look forward to the great opportunities before us. I am so amazed and encouraged by the young men seeking admission into our fraternity today. In most cases they have studied our fraternity and know what their commitment to membership entails. They certainly know far more than I did when I joined those many years ago. I am particu-larly encouraged when so many are asking to partake in the long form proficiency, something I hope every lodge encour-ages our candidates to do. So many lodges have young new members breathing new excitement and energy into their respective lodges. These young Masons will secure our future for another generation.

The Grand Lodge of South Dakota and what is happening in Masonry here has blossomed onto a national stage. The 75th Mt. Rushmore anniversary event was just the beginning. Our jurisdiction hosting the Midwest Conference of Masonic Education in 2018, the Conference of Grand Masters of North America in 2019 and the Midwest Conference of Grand Lodges in 2020 gives us so many opportunities to showcase the vibrancy of South Dakota Masonry and our contributions to the Craft. I have just learned that South Dakota has been tasked by the 2018 Conference of Grand Masters of North America to present a breakout session that exposes other juris-dictions to our approach to our Masonic future. While this last column should be bit-tersweet, I find myself even more excited about the possibilities for our future than I did four years ago when you elected me as

your Junior Grand Warden. I have nothing but deep respect for the elected line of-ficers that will lead this Craft in the future. They are the finest quality of men that we could possibly have to continue leading the Grand Lodge of South Dakota forward and they are ready to lead. It is my personal joy that they have become such close personal friends and I am so grateful that Masonry brought us together. I wish DGM Yancey Smith all the same blessings and joy for his year that I received from all of you this past year. Thank you for allowing me to serve South Dakota Masonry; it has been such an incredible experience. It is my hope that I end my year having met the trust you gave me to serve the Craft. God bless all of you and Masonry in South Dakota.

Fraternally,Mike Rodman, GM

As I was contemplating what to write for this last Messenger before Grand Lodge, I remembered this article from the fall of 2015. Instead of talking about all the reasons you should come to Grand Lodge, or the events planned for the coming year, I thought I would resubmit this one, as I believe this is the future of Freema-sonry. For centuries, we have been the world’s premier men’s orga-nization. We have a long history of being the “go-to guys” when things needed to be done. When a school needed to be built, when the Red Cross needed a temporary shelter after a disaster, when a poor widow needed help, we were there. Even if people just needed a place to dance on Saturday night, people knew the Masons could be counted on. Being a Mason MEANT something in the community. Right after WW II, men joined Masonry in droves; everything was great and we had no worries. Perhaps because of this we started to take our Masonry for granted. Perhaps we forgot we really do take “good men and make them better”. We forgot that as Masons, we are expected to hold ourselves to a higher standard, that we should be above petty grievances and quarrels, that we should be tolerant of others and strive to be an example of civility. And we started to lose our place of prominence in the community. In the late 50s and 60s, fewer and fewer men petitioned the Fraternity. Eventually we real-ized we had to do something to stop the losses. So we lowered the Proficiency requirements, thinking the memory work was a bar to men joining. But the numbers continued to drop. We developed a “quantity over quality” mindset that has led to removing the ban on asking a man to be a Mason, running candidates through the Degrees as quickly as the Code allows and numerous one day Degree conferrals. But the numbers continue to drop. Don’t get me wrong; I am not saying we need to stop one-days or ban asking a man to join – those things certainly have a place. What I am saying is we need to get back to what Masonry is about. Get back to being a Mason meaning something. Let’s start at the beginning. Before we ever give a man a petition, we need to be abso-lutely sure he will make a good Mason. How well do we know him? Is he a lifelong friend or someone we just met at an inquirer’s night? What do the other members of the Lodge think of him? What does he think of the other Lodge members?

That’s right; bring the potential member to Lodge. He can’t sit in the open Lodge, but he can certainly come to dinner before Lodge. He can come to your Thanksgiving or George Washington dinner. Have him bring his wife and kids, and really get to know him. Does he really understand what Masonry is and what is expected of him? Make sure only the BEST men are allowed to join. Maybe we should consider removing the Petition from the website, so we control who is allowed to petition. Masonry is not for everyone, nor is everyone right for Masonry. Once the Candidate is accepted by a vote of the Lodge, the hard work begins. EVERY candidate should be assigned a Mentor. The Mentor’s job is to be a friend and advisor to the candidate, and be with him every step of the process. The Ritual work should be as close to perfect as possible. After the Degree, make sure the Candidate understands what has happened and what it means. Encourage him to learn the long form Proficiency. Once he is Raised, make sure he has a reason to return. Will this mean fewer men joining the Fraternity? Possibly, but the men who do join will more than likely be lifelong active Masons, and far less likely to be suspended in a few short years for nonpayment of dues. What about those dues? If fewer men are joining the Craft, won’t we need to raise dues to meet expenses? Possibly, but if your dues per month are less than the price of a movie ticket, what does that say about the quality of our Fraternity? You get what you pay for. Shouldn’t Freemasonry be worth more than twenty-five cents a day? Brethren, these ideas may be a radical change from how we have been doing business. Time and again, however, the newest Brothers are saying they expect Freemasonry to be a “high end” organization, where being a member does mean something, and they are willing to pay for it. They expect, as Masons, to be held to a higher standard and to be leaders in the community. BUT, their time and money is valuable and if we are not meeting their expecta-tions, they have no problem taking their time and money elsewhere. Brethren, great things are happening in Masonry, in South Dakota, and the rest of the world. Will you and your Lodge be part of it, or will you be content to continue moaning about the lack of members but doing nothing about it? Worry not about the empty seats in your Lodge, but about the empty experiences that led to them.

Fraternally,Yancey Smith, DGM/GME

Thoughts from the Deputy Grand Master

Thank you for allowing me to serve South Dakota Masonry


Russ Charvonia MWB Russ Charvonia, PGM of the Grand Lodge of California currently serves as President of the National Civility Center. The center was created from discussions at the 2014 Conference of Grand Masters of North America on how to return civility back to today’s society. The Civility Center’s mission is to be the catalyst for conversation about civility in society and to provide leadership, resources, and tools that em-power and enable individuals and organizations to be civility champions in their communities. MWB Charvonia also leads regular conference calls with Grand Jurisdiction Civility ambassadors as Masons continue to lead conver-sations on civility. He will lead the Grand Lodge Civility training session on Thursday, June 15 from 12:00-1:30 PM at our annual communication and speak during our tiled session on Friday.

Dr. David Harte Brother Harte serves as a spokesperson for the National Center for Miss-ing and Exploited Children, a partner with MasoniChiP International, the parent organization for the South Dakota Child Identification Program. This program consists of a standardized child information sheet, still photograph, short video interview, laser fingerprints, DNA swab and dental imprints called Toothprints. Toothprints is a technique developed by David Tesini, a Massachusetts children’s Dentist and incorporated into the Child Identification Program by Dr. David Harte. SDCHIP, which is a part of MasoniChiP International, has been recognized by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

as the most comprehensive child identification system available. Dr. Harte will have a South Dakota Child Identification seminar on Thurs-day, June 15 from 1:30-3:00 PM and will be the featured speaker for the joint luncheon on Friday, June 16 at noon.

Helen Merriman Helen has served as the founding director of the SD CEO since its opening in November 2009. During that time participation has grown from 425 par-ticipants to over 1,400 statewide. Additionally, she was an invited participant at the 2015 National Security Forum at Maxwell Air Force Base, AL and has served as an Honorary Commander for the Ellsworth Air Force Base 28th Contracting Squadron. She was awarded the 2013 SBA Region VIII Women’s Business Center of Excellence award. Launched in 2009 with funding from the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Women’s Business Ownership, support from Black Hills State University and local business sponsors, the South Dakota Center for Enter-prise Opportunity – SD CEO – provides comprehensive business assistance, education, counseling and training to aspiring and established entrepre-neurs and communities to foster economic development in South Dakota. Although there are 110 Women’s Business Centers nationwide who operate with the mission to “level the playing field” for women entrepreneurs, SD CEO is the only women’s business center in the state of SD. We don’t discrim-inate but we do have a special focus on women to enhance their professional development, foster economic development and advocate the development of prosperous businesses in SD. • In 2016 the SD CEO served nearly 1,500 women and men from 50 South

Continued on next page

Special guests for the 143rd Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge AF & AM of South Dakota

June 15-17, 2017 • Best Western Ramkota Hotel and Convention Center • Rapid City, SD

Russ Charvonia Dr. David Harte Helen Merriman Mark Menard


Marty Jackley The Banner Girls

From the previous pageDakota counties (primarily in the Black Hills region) providing comprehen-sive training, education and business assistance, support and counseling. • SD CEO has hosted an annual Women’s Business Conference in the Black Hills for seven years. Helen will present the ladies program on Friday, June 16 from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM.

Mark Menard Mark is the founder and CEO of Enable Labs. In 2004, the Grand Lodge of New York came to Enable Labs with an antiquated member management sys-tem running in DOS. They wanted to update to a unified web-based system for their internal users and their 600 local lodges. Enable Labs designed and implemented the Masonic Online Registry Interface (MORI). MORI manages all of the member functions for the Grand Lodge and their 600 local Lodge secretaries. Integrating all of the function-ality into a web application greatly decreased the paper work load for the Grand Lodge significantly lowering their operating expenses. MORI has since been adopted by the Grand Lodges of Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, the York Rite bodies of Massachusetts and the Order of Eastern Star of New York. MORI manages over 35% of all Masonic records in the United States. Brother Mark will host two training seminars on Thursday, June 15, the first seminar is a MORI training from 12:00 PM-1:30 PM and the second is the Our Lodge Page training from 1:30 PM-3:00 PM.

Marty Jackley South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley had been a long time partner in the South Dakota Child Identification Program before becoming a Mason in January of this year. As Attorney General, Marty has a proven record of leading an office that protects families and is committed to crime prevention. South Dakota’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force pro-actively protects children from sexual predators, while South Dakota’s Child Abduction Response Team has received national certification for its ability to respond to a missing child emergency. He has worked with the Legislature to strengthen human trafficking laws and the sex offender registry, and to

develop a prescription drug monitoring program that emphasizes preven-tion over prosecution. South Dakota’s 24/7 Alcohol Sobriety and Monitoring Program has been extended across South Dakota and the nation. The sobri-ety program has reduced the likelihood for subsequent alcohol offenses and requires the offenders to pay all of the program costs. In 2010 and 2014, Marty was overwhelmingly elected as South Dakota’s Attorney General. He has served as the President of the National Association of Attorneys General, and Chairman of the Conference of Western Attorneys General. In 2016, Marty was honored to receive the National Kelley-Wyman Outstanding Attorney General award. Marty will be the featured speaker for the Thursday, June 15 awards night banquet.

The Banner Girls Hailing from Leeds, ND, this awesome high school singing group first captured the hearts of ND Masons with their repertoire of patriotic songs when they performed at the Buffalo Soldier Monument ceremony last May at Ft. Buford, ND. They most recently performed at the George Washington National Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, VA for the annual George Wash-ington Birthday Celebration. Since North Dakota’s annual communication is again the same time as ours, ND Grand Master Roger Stout graciously asked the Banner Girls to represent the Grand Lodge of North Dakota at our annual communication by performing the George Washington National Masonic Memorial Concert for the Friday, June 16 Grand Masters Banquet. This talented group of young vocalists will also be performing at 1:00 PM in the amphitheater at Mt. Rush-more on Sunday June 18, (Father’s Day) with a tribute to George Washington, the Father of our Country.

Bring the family and plan on spending a couple of extra days in the beautiful Black Hills!

See pages 6 and 7 for the full schedule of events and registration form.


Thursday, June 15, 20177:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. Trustees Breakfast with Meeting to follow 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Registration and Credentials (Pre-function Space)9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. Jurisprudence Committee11:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. South Dakota Masonic Foundation Meeting11:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon Lunch on your own12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. Civility Project Seminar – MWB Russ Charvonia, President National Civility Center Ladies welcome to attend 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. MORI Training Seminar – Mark Menard, founder and CEO, Enable Labs1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Ladies Hospitality Room Open1:30 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. South Dakota Child Identification Seminar – Dr. David Harte, spokesman for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – Ladies welcome to attend1:30 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. Our Lodge Page Training Seminar – Mark Menard, founder and CEO, Enable Labs3:00 P.M. to 3:45 P.M. Commission on Masonic Education Life Membership Committee3:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. SD Lodge of Masonic Research6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Awards and Recognition Dinner and Social (Tickets required) Speaker – Marty Jackley, South Dakota Attorney General 9:00 P.M. to Midnight Shrine Hospitality Room

Friday, June 16, 20176:30 A.M. Past Grand Masters Breakfast (PGMs and GMs only) 6:30 A.M.-8:00 A.M. Breakfast Buffet (Tickets required) Ladies welcome7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Registration and Credentials (Pre-function Space)7:45 A.M. Dignitaries and Guests Assemble to be introduced; Attire: GL Officers – Green Coat, Tie, Jewels and Aprons; Others – Suit, tie, Jewel and Apron (as appropriate); Ladies to compliment8:00 A.M. Public Opening Introductions Presentation of Flags Welcome by Mayor Remarks by Representatives of Concordant Bodies Remarks – W.B. Jeffrey Larson, Grand Orator

Necrology Service Closing Remarks – MWGM Mike Rodman9:30 A.M. Break9:45 A.M Tyler and assistants at Grand Lodge Door(s)10:00 A.M. Formal Opening of Grand Lodge (Tiled)10:00 AM Ladies Program – Speaker-Helen Merriman, founding director of South Dakota Center for Enterprise Opportunity (SD CEO)12:00 Noon Joint Luncheon (Tickets required) Speaker – Dr. David Harte, spokesman for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 1:00 P.M. Call from Refreshment to Labor1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Ladies Hospitality Room Open2:00 P.M. Election of Grand Lodge Officers and Committee Members Presentation and Balloting on Proposals and Resolutions3:30 P.M. Call from Labor to Refreshment4:00 P.M. Installation of 2017-2018 Grand Lodge Officers6:30 P.M. Social – No Host Bar 7:00 P.M. Grand Master’s Banquet (Tickets required) Formal (Tux or black suit and tie, jewel) Ladies to compliment Entertainment – Banner Girls of Leeds, ND Presentations Benediction8:45 P.M. 2017-2018 Grand Lodge Officer Reception and Dessert9:00 P.M. to Midnight Shrine Hosted Hospitality Room

Saturday, June 17, 20176:30 A.M. SD Masonic Veteran’s Breakfast 6:30 A.M.-8:00 A.M. Breakfast Buffet (Tickets required) Ladies welcome7:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. Registration and Credentials (Pre-function Space) 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM Past Grand Master’s wives breakfast – Minerva’s Restaurant; All visiting PGM and GM wives invited8:30 A.M. Call from Refreshment to Labor12:00 Noon Closing of the 143rd Annual Communication by the 2017-2018 incoming Grand Lodge Officers

143rd Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of South Dakota


143rd AnnualCommunication of the Grand Lodge of

South DakotaApril 18, 2017

To: The Worshipful Masters of all Lodges in the Jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of South Dakota

You are hereby summoned, with your Wardens and Past Masters (whom you will please notify), to attend the One Hun-dred and Forty-Third Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of South Dakota to be opened at 10:00 AM (Mountain Daylight Time) on Friday, June 16, 2017 in the Best Western Ramkota Hotel and Convention Center, 2111 N. Lacrosse, Rapid City, South Dakota.

Worshipful Masters and Wardens unable to attend will appoint qualified Proxies to attend and vote in their stead. All members must show their current 2017 Dues Card, and if attending as a Proxy, they must present a properly signed proxy card. All Master Masons, in good standing, in a recognized Lodge, are cordially invited to attend.

The Secretary of each Lodge shall read this summons in open Lodge at the first meeting after its receipt.

Michael RodmanGrand Master


NOMINATIONSGrand Trustee

Denny Robinson Most Wor-shipful Brother Denny was born in Valparaiso, Indiana and moved to Sioux Falls with his family at an early age. He graduated from Washington Sr. High School in 1970 and graduated from Sioux Falls College in 1974. During college Denny worked as a deputy sheriff in Sioux Falls and after that spent a few years working with the South Dakota Highway Patrol as a trooper. Following his law enforcement service he was a claims examiner for a large insurance company for nearly 30 years. After retiring from the insurance industry he started a career in the real estate industry and was the managing broker for Century 21 Fischer Rounds & Associates in Mitchell until his retire-ment from that position in January 2014. Denny and his wife Elaine have two daughters and three grandchildren. He is a Past State Master Councilor of the Order of DeMolay (1970) and a recipient of the Chevalier and Legion of Honor Degrees. Denny is a Past Master of Fortitude Lodge in Salem, SD, and a life member of Resurgam Lodge #31 in Mitchell where he has served as Master. He is a 33° Scottish Rite member in the Yank-ton Valley and currently serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Scottish Rite Foundation of South Dakota, Inc. Additionally he is a member of El Riad Shrine, the Corn Palace Shrine Club, the York Rite bodies and the Order of the Eastern Star. Denny has always been very active on the local level through the years, serving as the Corn Palace Shrine

Club President and Circus Chair-man numerous times. In 1994 Denny was named “Shriner of the Year” by the Corn Palace Shrine Club and was named El Riad Shrine Noble of the Year in 1998. In 2009 he was honored by being named “Mr. Mason” by Resurgam Lodge #31. Denny’s early service in the Grand Lodge consisted of being a District Master in two different districts for six years, Chairman of the Grand Lodge Membership Committee, Grand Sr. Deacon and Grand Tyler. Denny was installed as the Grand Master of Masons for South Dakota in June 2007. It was his honor and privilege to preside over the cornerstone ceremony that rededicated the State Capitol Building in Pierre upon the occasion of its 100th anniversary in June 2008. Denny is past president of the Masonic Veterans group, and has received the Grand Lodge Outstanding Service Award. During his time in the Grand Lodge line Denny was instrumental in start-ing the SD Chip program in South Dakota. He also became active in the national child identification program, MasoniChiP International, where he currently serves on the executive board and is a past president. He has received numerous awards and recognition from the Conference of Grand Masters of North America and also the Na-tional Center for Missing and Exploited Children for his work on behalf of MasoniChiP and the NCMEC Take 25 program. Denny served the Grand Lodge as its Grand Treasurer-Secretary for over two years and currently is a member of the Organizational Review and Business Affairs Committees. He served as Chair-man of the Jurisprudence Committee and also served on the George Washing-ton National Masonic Memorial Com-mittee. MWB Robinson was appointed to replace MWB Chuck Gilson on the Trustees when Chuck resigned. Denny

has been nominated to fill the unex-pired term of MWB Chuck Gilson on the Trustees by Resurgam Lodge #31 in Mitchell.

Grand TrusteeSteven G. Barns

Worshipful Brother Steve Barns was born in Mitchell, SD, September 4, 1950. He is a lifelong resi-dent of South Dakota. WB Steve was initiated March 31, 1983, Passed April 28, 1983, and Raised May 26, 1983 in Mount Rushmore Lodge #220 in Rapid City, SD, where he is currently a member in good standing. He was elected Junior Warden in 2014, Senior Warden in 2015, and Worshipful Master in 2016. He was appointed to the position of Grand Lodge Trustee in November 2016 to fill an unexpired term on the board. Appendant body memberships include: NAJA Shrine, York Rite, and life member of the SD Lodge of Ma-sonic Research. Steve joined the South Dakota Army National Guard on May 3, 1968. Retiring on May 3, 1999. Twenty seven of those years he worked as a full time Civil Service Technician in positions of Ware-houseman, Stock Control and Accounting Specialist, Telecommu-nications, Management Auditor and Warehouse Supervisor. Steve and his wife Sherry have three sons and eight grandchildren. WB Barns was nominated and is sponsored by the Brothers of his home lodge, Mount Rushmore Lodge #220, Rapid City.

Junior Grand WardenRichard Hagler Jr.

Worshipful Brother Richard Hagler was born in Nampa, Ida-ho on April 2, 1971. He moved to Salem, Mis-souri at the age of three, where he graduated high school. After high school, Richard joined the United States Air Force as a jet engine mechanic. He was stationed at Elmen-dorf AFB near Anchorage, Alaska. In 1995, after an Honorable Discharge from the USAF, Richard moved to Portland, Oregon for one year, and then returned to Missouri. He graduated from Mis-souri State University with a B.S. in Industrial Manufacturing Management. While in college, he married his wife, Shirlene, and had two boys: Richard III, 18, and Tyler, 14. Worshipful Brother Richard received the three Degrees of Masonry in Mis-souri, being Raised as a Master Mason in August 2007. He is a member of several Masonic Bodies; Valley of Sioux Falls Scottish Rite (32° KCCH), Cryptic Ma-son of Alpha Council No. 1 C.M., Royal Arch Masons in Sioux Falls Chapter No. 2 R.A.M., Knights Templar in Cyrene Commandery No. 2 K.T., El Riad Shrine, Twin Falls, Idaho Order of Eastern Star, and Advisor for Liberty Chapter Order of De Molay. He has served as Senior Grand Deacon for the Grand Lodge of South Dakota for Most Worshipful Grand Master Mike Rodman (2016-2017), and is a member of the Organi-zational Review Committee during the same time. There have been several leadership roles Worshipful Brother Richard has taken in the Masonic Fraternity, besides



From previous pagebeing the Worshipful Master of Unity Lodge during 2015-2016. In El Riad Shrine, he created and was President of the Dive-In Unit (SCUBA diving unit), has been President and Director of the Ritualistic Unit, and is currently the Masonic Relations Chair. For the Valley of Sioux Falls Scottish Rite, he was the Fundraising Chair for two years. He has been the Chairman for Liberty De Molay Chapter since 2015.

JurisprudenceCommittee

Virgil Dale Andersen Virgil (Virg) Andersen is a native of South Dakota, born on August 29, 1943, son of Dale and Eva Guptill Andersen. Virg attended el-ementary school in Hetland, high school in Lake Preston, and graduated from Yankton College in 1965 with a BA in Biology and Chemistry. In 1963, Virg married Viola Davis of Monroe, SD, a 1963 graduate of Sa-cred Heart School of Nursing. They are parents of two daughters, Melanie Heise and Elaine Samolytz, both living in the Twin Cities with their husbands and children. They each have two children who add joy to Virg and Vi’s lives. Virg worked for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company in Rapid City, Ab-erdeen, Vermillion, and Sioux Falls, SD in sales, service and business office man-agement positions. His career migrated to AT&T marketing in 1984, and in 1993 he transferred to AT&T Network Security as an Associate Manager for Customer Education – Fraud Prevention

and Investigation. In that position he traveled nationwide, working in 46 states and Mexico in the five years prior to his retirement in 1998. Virg was raised a Master Mason in St. John’s Lodge #1, and joined Yankton Scottish Rite and Keystone Chapter #33 OES in 1965. He joined Yelduz Shrine in Aberdeen in 1967, and transferred to El Riad in Sioux Falls in 1970, where he served on the membership committee, sang with the Chanters and remains ac-tive in the El Riad Ritualistic Unit, hav-ing played numerous parts and served as its Director and President. He joined the Vermillion York Rite bodies in 1974, is a life member of Incense Lodge #2 in Ver-million and was its Worshipful Master 1976. He is a Senior Ritualist under the SDGL ritual recognition program and chairs the SDGL Board of Custodians. He is a past Associate Guardian of IOJD Bethel #38 in Sioux Falls, a life member of National Sojourners, and is an honorary member of DeMolay Legion of Honor. As a member of Minnehaha Lodge #5 in Sioux Falls, he coordinates degree conferrals and mentors new members to prepare them for ritual participation and offices. Virg was honored to be elected Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of South Dakota in 2005, and was Grand Master for the 2008-09 Grand Lodge term. Virg is active in Yankton Scottish Rite, where he has held many offices. He was coroneted 33º in 1983. He is Master of Ceremonies on the SD KCCH Investi-ture team, and has been the SGIG’s Rep-resentative to Yankton Valley and the South Dakota Orient. He has been active in membership recruiting activities in Blue Lodge, Scottish Rite and Shrine, and facilitated Yankton Valley’s success-ful off-site reunions at Pierre, Huron and Mitchell. He chairs the Yankton Valley’s Coordinating Committee, with responsibility for reunion planning and staffing. He was elected a Grand Cross of Honour recipient by the Supreme Coun-cil at its 2015 Biennial session.

A long time member of Crestwood and Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ, Virg directed the choirs, served in several positions including trustee, moderator and co-chair of the new church start building committee for Spirit of Peace UCC. He is past mem-ber and chaired the Siouxland Heritage Museums Board in Sioux Falls. He is a Trustee of Yankton College, chairs its nominating committee and represents the college on the South Dakota UCC Scholarship Committee. He enjoys fam-ily activities, hunting, fishing, music, gardening, reading, cooking, genealogy and travel with Vi. He is being nominated by Minnehaha Lodge #5.

Grand Treasurer/Secretary

Terry Knutson Worshipful Brother Terry Knutson was born in Sioux Falls, SD on March 22, 1964. He graduated from Washing-ton Senior High School and then earned an As-sociate’s Degree from National College in Rapid City. After college he returned to Sioux Falls where he has lived ever since. He has worked in the computer industry since graduating from college and is cur-rently employed as a computer techni-cian at Children’s Home Society. Terry met his wife, Julia through his sister. The two started their relationship while he was still attending college and have recently celebrated 31 years of marriage. They have one daughter, Aimee who lives in Sioux Falls with her husband, Caleb.

Terry was Initiated, Passed, and Raised in Trinity Lodge #200 in 1988. He joined the Scottish Rite and the El Riad Shriners that same year. Masonry was something that ran in the family. Several of his great aunts and uncles were active in Masonry and Eastern Star in the Dell Rapids area, his father is Past Potentate of the El Riad Shriners, his mother and wife are members of Ashrama Temple #97 Daughters of the Nile, and his sister Tammy and brother-in-law Jeff are Past Worthy Matron and Past Worthy Patron of Golden Link #14 Order of Eastern Star of Rapid City. Terry is a life member of Trinity Lodge #200, a member of the Sioux Falls Valley of the Scottish Rite, El Riad Shri-ners, the El Riad Clowns, Classie Autos, and Ritualistic Unit, and Jasper Chapter #8 of the Order of Eastern Star. He has served on the El Riad Circus Commit-tee for 27 years currently as Concessions Chairman, President (Big Clown) of the El Riad Shrine Clowns in 2002, Associ-ate Bethel Guardian of Bethel #1 of Job’s Daughters, Associate Grand Guardian of South Dakota Job’s Daughters 2005-06, SDJD Board of Trustees, Junior Deacon through Worshipful Master of Trinity Lodge serving as Master in 2013-14, and is currently serving as Venerable Mas-ter and Chairman of the Fundraising Committee for the Sioux Falls Valley of Scottish Rite. Worshipful Brother Terry is nomi-nated for Grand Treasurer-Secretary by his home Lodge, Trinity #200 as well as Unity #130 and Minnehaha #5.

NOMINATIONS


PROPOSED LEGISLATIONSeCtion 4.81:

QualifiCationS of CanDiDateS Every candidate for the Degree of Masonry must: 1. Be a man free-born. 2. Have the senses of man, especially those of hearing, seeing, and feeling. 3. Be a believer in the Grand Architect of the Universe. 4. Be of mental worth and have a record of a moral and upright life. 5. Be able to pay the fees in cash from his own funds. 6. Possess the ability to earn a livelihood. 7A. The requirements of the Landmarks, that a Petitioner must be a man of mature age, of good report, hale and sound, not deformed or dismem-bered, may be deemed to be complied with if the Petitioner is eighteen years of age when elected, of good character, physically and mentally sound and if no physical defects exist that will disable him as a candidate from conforming to and meeting with requirements of the rites and ceremonies of all the Degrees without assistance. Provided, that the pos-session of an artificial limb, or part under practical control of a candidate, which enables him to take all of the positions and steps required in any of the Degrees, shall not be considered dismemberment. Any impairment of the foregoing requirements occurring after a Candidate’s initiation shall not bar his advancement. 7B. No ruling of a Master of a Lodge can warrant any departure from the regulations of this section except that the Grand Master may grant a Dispensation to waive the physical requirements defined in subsections 2 and 7 of this section. The Lodge can vote to accept the Petition of a man lacking any of these physical requirements and, if favorable, request a Dispensation from the Grand Master. The request shall be in writing under the Seal of the Lodge and be accompanied by the Peti-tion and an account of the nature and extent of the petitioner’s disability and, if applicable, how it will be handled in the rites and ceremonies of the Degrees. If the Dispensation is granted, the Lodge can process the Petition in the usual manner and, if the petitioner is elected, confer the Degrees. 8. Have resided within the Jurisdiction of South Dakota for six months immediately preced-ing the presentation of the Petition, provided that a person in the service of the United States not qualified by residence for six months may present a petition, if the Grand Master grants a Dispensa-tion to the Lodge to receive and consider it. 9. Not having been rejected by any Lodge during the six months immediately preceding the presentation of his Petition, or as provided in Sec-tion 4.77. 10. Be able to read and write in English. 11. Not be under sentence or judgment for violation of any law of the land involving moral turpitude. 12. Every candidate for the Degrees of Masonry must submit with his Petition proof of having completed, at his own expense, an elec-tronic verification of criminal history. A copy of the results of this verification must accompany the Petition. This verification shall be completed in a

manner and form to be proscribed by the Grand Lodge. This requirement shall be in effect for all Petitions for the Three Degrees of Masonry submit-ted to the Lodge for first reading on or after August 1, 2017. The results which accompany the Petition shall be in a sealed envelope which shall be given to the investigating committee for their use. After the investigating committee has finished their duties, the verification results shall be returned to the Petitioner. Any negative result which may be found in the report SHALL NOT be an automatic bar to the Petitioner becoming a Mason, but shall serve as an additional tool for the investigating committee to determine the fitness of the Petitioner for Masonry.Rationale: At one time, Petitioners for the Mysteries of Masonry were, in fact, men who were long-time members of a community, and were well known by the recommenders. In today’s mobile, transitory society, a man may move from one community to another every couple years, and may not establish those long-term friendships which would allow him to be properly recommended. While it is un-derstood that criminal history verification is only useful if a man has been convicted of an offense, there are those times when this information would have prevented an undesirable petitioner from becoming a Mason. Additionally, there have been several highly publicized criminal cases recently that could have had a negative effect on Masonry in South Dakota. While an electronic verification of criminal history may or may not have disclosed these offenses, this verification would have shown a proactive posi-tion and due diligence on the part of the Masons of South Dakota in allowing only the best men to become Masons.Proposed by:Mike Rodman,Grand MasterYancey Smith, Deputy Grand Master/Grand Mas-ter ElectDaNiel Wood, Senior Grand WardenHarold Ireland, Junior Grand Warden

SeCtion 4.11:annual DueS

Now reads: Every chartered Lodge shall pay annually to the Grand Lodge the sum of $25 for each Master Mason reported in the annual report except those whose dues have been remitted and those who are Purchased Life Members. If any Lodge shall collect from a suspended member dues for the non-pay-ment of which he shall have been suspended, such Lodge shall pay to the Grand Lodge that portion of the dues collected that is due it and that has not previously been accounted for.Change to read: Every chartered Lodge shall pay annually to the Grand Lodge the sum of $30 effective for the Annual Report due February 15, 2018, $35 effective for the Annual Report due February 15, 2019, and $40 effective for the Annual Report due February 15, 2020, and $40 for each subsequent year after that for each Master Mason reported in the annual report except those whose dues have been remitted and those who are Purchased Life Members. If

any Lodge shall collect from a suspended member dues for the non-payment of which he shall have been suspended, such Lodge shall pay to the Grand Lodge that portion of the dues collected that is due it and that has not previously been accounted for.Rationale: It is no secret that although the decline in mem-bership has slowed in recent years, the fact remains that we have fewer members now than in the past. Couple that with the increasing cost of opera-tions the Grand Lodge. In recent years cutbacks have been made to the point where Services to the Lodges have suffered. An increase in the Per Capita paid to the Grand Lodge will allow the current services to continue and help the Grand Lodge to remain financially viable. Without increased rev-enue it is becoming much more difficult to operate the Grand Lodge as it should be and eventually we will not be able to honor our obligations. Submitted by the Finance Committee,Steve Green PM, Chairman

SeCtion 5.01:lotteRieS

Current Permitted: It shall be permissible for a Lodge to hold a lottery (raffle) under the following conditions. That all raffles comply with the South Dakota Judicial Code Section 22:25-24. See Special Dispensation form in the Appendix. Definition: The term “lottery” shall be con-strued as a “raffle”. Raffle defined: a method of raising funds for a charitable purpose by the sale of tickets or chances from which the winning ticket or tickets will be selected and the pre-determined prize or prizes awarded to the holder or holders of the winning ticket or tickets. 1. That a raffle will be for the purpose of raising funds for only approved Masonic Charities. 2. That no individual Mason will benefit or make a profit from any raffle. 3. Lodge not to lose money: if any raffle fails to raise the necessary funds to cover the expense of the raffle, the members of the Lodge shall, from personal funds, pay that portion not covered by the sale of the raffle tickets. 4. The motion to hold a raffle must be seconded and passed by a 2/3 majority of the mem-bers present. 5. The Lodge must then submit a Special Dispensation form (see Appendix) to the Grand Master for approval. 6. Prohibitions: Any form of “chance enter-prise” other than a raffle as herein defined, shall be strictly prohibited. No Lodge and/or no Mason shall give or attempt to give the aid or countenance of Masonry, in organized or individual form, to any other form of chance enterprise.Change only the following: Definition: The term “lottery” shall be con-strued as a “raffle”. Raffle defined: a method of raising funds for a charitable purpose approved by a Lodge through by the sale of tickets or chances from which the winning ticket or tickets will be selected and the pre-determined prize or prizes awarded to the holder or holders of the winning ticket or tickets. 1. That a raffle will be for the purpose of

raising funds for only approved Masonic Charities or for purposes of improving the Mason/Lodge-owned building in which a Lodge shall regularly meet.Rationale: As the Masonic Lodges in our state continue to age, the opportunity for a Lodge to raise some funds to rehabilitate and restore our structures is essential. By making this avenue available, there may be some Lodges which will be able to save and improve their respective structures. This also promotes the interaction between the Lodge and the community thus building new opportunities for both entities. The more that a city or a town “sees” its Masons, the stronger the bond within the community. When a Masonic structure needs repair and Masons work to improve it, they will also improve their image.

SeCtion 2.34:otHeR CoMMittee MeMBeRSHiP

Current Language: The Committee on Public Awareness shall consist of three members, appointed by the Grand Master, and the Brother first named shall be Chair-man. (Amended 2014)Proposed Language:Delete and label the section “RESERVED FOR FUTURE USE”RATIONALE: The section immediately following this is labeled Committee on Public Awareness and goes into more detail as to what the committee does and how it is made up. It actually contradicts this cur-rent section.Respectfully submitted by Glendon Rice, Jr., Unity Lodge #130

SeCtion 4.11:annual DueS

Current Language: Every chartered Lodge shall pay annually to the Grand Lodge the sum of $25 for each master mason reported in the annual returns except those whose dues have been remitted and those who are purchased life members. If any Lodge shall collect from a suspended member dues for the non-payment of which he shall have been suspended, such Lodge shall pay the Grand Lodge that portion of the dues collected that is due it and that has not previously been accounted for.Proposed Language: Delete all language and mark section “Reserved for future use.”RATIONALE: If the proposal for Section 2:44A is adopted, the dues for each Master Mason will have already been listed. Having all the fees listed in one section will make it easier for the Lodges and members to find things in the code.Respectfully submitted by Glendon Rice, Jr., Unity Lodge #130

SeCtion 4.83:notiCe of DelinQuenCY

Current Language: In January of each year, the Secretary shall mail to each member of the Lodge in arrears for nonpayment of dues, a notice of delinquency,



From previous pagesetting forth the amount of dues then owing by him and notifying him that at the first Stated Com-munication in the following November, the matter of his delinquency will be considered by the Lodge unless the amount of such dues shall have been paid before said Stated Communication, and that in the absence of such payment or unless said dues shall be remitted by action of the Lodge, he may be suspended for nonpayment of such dues without further notice.Proposed Language: By August of each year, the Secretary shall no-tify each member of the Lodge in arrears, a notice of delinquency, setting forth the amount of dues then owed and notifying him that at the first Stated Communication in November, the matter of his delinquency will be considered by the Lodge unless the amount of such dues shall have been paid, or other suitable arrangements agreed to, and that he may be suspended for nonpayment of such dues without further notice.RATIONALE: The January date does not allow for those Brothers that normally pay their dues with their income tax refunds the time to do so without getting harassed by the Lodge. By setting the date “By August”, it allows the Lodge to determine the date of the notice. By adding “other suitable ar-rangements agreed to” allows the Lodge to give the Brother some additional time if they don’t qualify for remittance.Respectfully submitted by Glendon Rice, Jr., Unity Lodge #130

aRtiCle X:offiCeRS-eleCtion-aPPointMent

Current Language: Section 2: At each Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge, a Deputy Grand Master-Grand Master elect, a Senior Grand Warden, a Junior Grand Warden, a Grand Treasurer-Secretary shall be elected by ballot.Proposed Language: Section 2: At each Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge, a Junior Grand Warden, and a Grand Treasurer-Secretary shall be elected by ballot. Election for Deputy Grand Master - Grand Master elect and Senior Grand Warden shall only happen if a vacancy exists. Section 3: Once elected to the position of Junior Grand Warden. the Brother shall automatically pass to the next higher office unless the Brother makes the transition to the Great Lodge on High or relocates out of the jurisdiction. Renumber the remaining sections to fit.RATIONALE: When was the last time anyone saw a contested race for Senior Grand Warden or Deputy Grand Master-Grand Master Elect? We could save time and energy by by passing these elections.Respectfully submitted by Glendon Rice, Jr., Unity Lodge #130

SeCtion 2.13:tRuSteeS - ManaGe funD

Current Language: The Trustees shall have the control and man-agement of the permanent Grand Charity Fund. The Trustees shall have the authority to invest in U.S. Government Securities such portion of

the General Fund as may from time to time be set aside from said Fund for the investment by action of the Finance Committee and with the approval of the Most Worshipful Grand Master.Proposed Language: The Trustees shall have the control and man-agement of the permanent Grand Charity Fund. The Trustees shall have the authority to invest in U.S. Government Securities and other secured investments, such portion of the General Fund as may from time to time be set aside from said Fund for the investment by action of the Finance Com-mittee and with the approval of the Most Worship-ful Grand Master.RATIONALE: There are more secured options available for in-vestment than just U.S. Government Securities and some that will give a higher return on the invest-ment. Why limit the possibilities, if the investment can be deemed safe and secured.Respectfully submitted by Glendon Rice, Jr., Unity Lodge #130

SeCtion 4.20:no SunDaY CoMMuniCationS

Current Language: No Lodge in this State shall be convened on Sunday, except for funeral purposes, or for the purpose of celebrating St. Johns Day by appropri-ate ceremonies or for Lodges conducting public ceremonies, ceremonies in public, or celebrating public events.Proposed Language: No Lodge in this State shall hold a stated meet-ing on a Saturday or Sunday.RATIONALE: In today’s world, jobs are such that some people have Saturday and/ or Sunday off and are available then to receive instruction. This change would allow the Lodges to determine what day works for them for this purpose. The restriction of doing nothing on a Sunday was a tenant to our belief that we should keep the Sabbath holy, yet we hold our Lodge meetings with the with the sacred texts of Christianity, Jewish, and Muslim faiths on our Alters. Why do we only protect the Sabbath of one, and not the others?Respectfully submitted by Glendon Rice, Jr., Unity Lodge #130

SeCtion 4.137one DaY ConfeRRal

Current Language: The conferring of the three Degrees (EA, FC, MM) within less than a seven day period requires a Special Dispensation from the Grand Master. (see Section 4.113) When the three Degrees are conferred in a one day the following minimum standards must be met.1. Each Candidate who is receiving courtesy work must be accompanied by a member of his Lodge and a letter from his Lodge, over the signature of the Worshipful Master and the Seal of the Lodge, clearly stating that the Candidate had submitted a Petition that had been received, referred to com-mittee, reported on and balloted on, all in compli-ance with Sections 4.60, 4.61, and 4.95 through 4.99 of these laws. The letter must also request courtesy work of the host Lodge.2. After the conferral of the Entered Apprentice Degree the candidate(s) will be taken into a private

room and instructed by an instructor and as many assistant instructors as the Worshipful Master ap-points. The candidate(s) will be instructed how to give the Step, Due-Guard, Sign, Grip, and Word of an Entered Apprentice. He (they) will then return to the Lodge Room and under the direction of the instructor perform this instruction as a minimum and if the Worshipful Master is satisfied his will declare him {them) proficient on the Entered Ap-prentice Degree.3. After the conferral of the Fellow Craft Degree the candidate(s) will be taken into a private room and instructed by an instructor and as many assis-tant instructors as the Worshipful Master appoints. The candidate(s) will be instructed how to give the Step, Due-Guard, Sign, Grip, and Word of a Fel-low Craft. He (they) will then return to the Lodge Room and under the direction of the instructor perform this instruction as a minimum and if the Worshipful Master is satisfied his will declare him (them) proficient on the Fellow Craft Degree.4. After the conferral of the Master Mason Degree the candidate(s) will be taken into a private room and instructed by an instructor and as many assis-tant instructors as the Worshipful Master appoints. The candidate(s) will be instructed how to give the Step, Due-Guard, Sign, Grip, and Word of a Master Mason. He (they) will then return to the Lodge Room and under the direction of the instructor perform this instruction as a minimum and if the Worshipful Master is satisfied his will declare him (them) proficient on the Master Mason Degree.5. A 3x5 Membership File Card will be com-pleted on each candidate, to include his name, the name of his Lodge, the date of the conferral of the Degrees, that a satisfactory Examination of his Pro-ficiency was completed, and the name and location of the Lodge conferring the Degrees.6. The Host Lodge will record the proceedings of the conferral, including names of the Brethren taking the various offices in each Degree, and the names and Lodge of each candidate.7. The Host Lodge, within no more than thirty days following the conferral of the Degrees, shall transmit to the Lodge of each new Master Mason the membership file card {paragraph 5 above) and a copy of the minutes of the meeting (paragraph 6, above.)Proposed Language: When the three Degrees are conferred in a one day the following minimum standards must be met.1. Each Candidate who is receiving courtesy work must be accompanied by a member of his Lodge and a letter from his Lodge, over the signature of the Worshipful Master and the Seal of the Lodge, clearly stating that the Candidate is eligible to receive the Degrees.2. After the conferral of the each Degree the candidate(s) will be taken into a private room and instructed on how to give the Step, Due-Guard, Sign, Grip, and Word of the degree. The candidate(s) will then under the direction of the Worshipful Master or his designee, perform the required items to prove proficient. Once the Worshipful Master or his designee is satisfied he will declare him (them) proficient and eligible to advance to the next Degree.3. delete

4. delete5. delete6. (renumber 3) The Lodge conferring the Degree will record the proceedings of the conferral, includ-ing names of the Brethren taking the various offices in the Degree, and the names and Lodge of each candidate.7. deleteRATIONALE: Section 1 was wordy and basically said that you had to properly approve the petition in order to allow the candidate to receive the first Degree. As rewritten it is much easier to understand. Section 2 combined the requirements of sections 2-4 and made it so that the Worshipful Master could appoint someone else to verify the prove-up. Section 5 was obsolete once MORI went into effect. There are no lodges that I am aware of that still use the index cards. Section 6 has only a small change and it makes the Lodge that is conferring the Degree responsible for the recording of the minutes. If Trinity Lodge is the “host Lodge, but Unity Lodge is conferring the FC Degree, why would Trinity be required to record the minutes? Section 7 was also obsolete with the implemen-tation of MORI.Respectfully submitted by Glendon Rice, Jr., Unity Lodge #130

SeCtion 4.79:GeneRal feeS

Current Language: The fees for the three Degrees of Masonry shall not be less than $45. In addition to the regular fees required by Constituent Lodges, each mason raised shall contribute $5 for the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.Proposed Language: The fees for the three Degrees of Masonry shall not be less than $45.RATIONALE: If the proposal for Section 2:44A is adopted, the $5 fee for the George Washington Masonic Na-tional Memorial will be covered under that section.Respectfully submitted by Glendon Rice, Jr., Unity Lodge #130

aRtiCle VCoMMuniCationS

Current Language: The Grand Lodge shall hold an Annual Com-munication on the third Friday in June, commenc-ing at 10 AM, at such place as may be selected by majority vote of the Grand Lodge at the preceding Annual Communication. In case of emergency the Grand Master may postpone the date of the Annual Communication not exceeding thirty days, in which case he shall cause notice to be given the officers, members, and Constituent Lodges at least ten days prior to the third Friday in June.Proposed Language: The Grand Lodge shall hold an Annual Communication on the third Friday in June, commencing at 10AM, at such place as may be selected by the sitting Grand Master. In case of emergency, the Grand Master may postpone the date of the Annual Communication not exceeding thirty days, in

Continued on page 13

PROPOSED LEGISLATION


AWARDSBrookings Lodge #24, Brookings, SD

Bro Rolling P. Siegfried was awarded a 50-year pin and pocket certificate. The awards were mailed to his home address in Eagle River, WI.

Battle River Lodge #92, Hermosa, SDA 50-year pin and pocket certificate were presented to WBr Lee R. Sutton on October 30, 2016. Presentation was made by MW Grand Master Mike Rodman.

Lily Lodge #62, Harold/Blunt, SDWBr C. Ray Peery, of Maricopa, AZ, received a 50-

year pin and pocket certificate on February 25, 2017. Presentation was made by Bros Ed Baney, WM, Paul Howell, PM, and Chuck Unger. The Brothers are members of Pinal Lodge #30, Casa Grande, AZ.

Arcania Lodge #97, Armour, SDSecretary Philip Blum mailed a 50-year pin and pocket certificate to Bro Hoyt D. Smith to his home address in Wheatland, MO.

Eagle Butte Lodge #172, Eagle Butte, SDA 50-year pin and pocket certificate were mailed

to WB Daniel L. Booth Jr. The items were mailed to his home address.

IF YOU THINK YOU ARE DUE TO RECEIVEA 50-, 60-, OR 70-YEAR AWARD, PLEASE

CHECK WITH THE SECRETARY OF YOUR LODGE SO HE CAN HAVE THE AWARD PREPARED BY

THE GRAND LODGE OFFICE.

DeMolay Legion of Honor RecipientsMarch 18 was DeMolay Day, and South Dakota DeMolay celebrated it by investing two worthy brothers as Legionaries of Legion of Honor of the Order of DeMolay. MWB Don Gray and Brother George Parmeter were given the highest honor in DeMolay as a recognition of their leadership in DeMolay, in the Masonic fraternity, and in their communities. Many brothers and friends came to Huron from throughout South Dakota to participate in the conferral. In the photo above left in the front row are Darrol Bjerke, Kevin Harr, Virgil Anderson, PGM, Don Gray, PGM, George Parmeter, Greg Parmeter, Lyle Rowen, PGM, and Grand Master Michael Rodman. In the back row are Robert Friedrichsen, Derek Runge, David Wheeler, Junior Grand Warden Harold Ireland, George Bauder, and Doug Friedrichsen (not pictured is Denny Robinson, PGM). In the photo above right are Diane Gray, MWB Don Gray, Dave Wheeler, Executive Officer of South Dakota DeMolay, Bro. George Parmeter, and Gayle Parmeter.

75-year medal recipientMinnesota Brother Don Fanning, 106, is congratulated by GM Mike Rodman and DGM Yancey Smith at the annual commu-nication of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota upon receiving his 75-year medal from the Grand Lodge of Manitoba in a special ceremony. Brother Fanning was raised at Flin Flon Lodge #153 in 1942, where he is still a member. He is also a member of Minneapolis Lodge #153, where he continues to serve as Tyler, a position he has held for 33 years.

WB Walt Covey receives 60 year AwardWB Walt Covey was presented his 60-year pin on Monday, April 10 during the Deadwood Valley Scottish Rite Remembrance and Renewal Dinner by RWB Yancey Smith, DGM/GME and RWB Harold Ireland, Junior Grand Warden. MWB Mike Rodman, Grand Master, presented the 60-year poem. WB Covey was raised in Oklahoma in 1957. He affiliated with Lemmon Lodge #151 in 1987 and served as the Grand Lodge Sword Bearer in 1990-1991. Walt’s wife Ruth pinned on his 60-year award.


As Chairman of the Finance Committee, I once again am approaching the subject of a per capita increase. We have proposed legislation that will be presented at the Annual Communication. This legislation was drafted as the member-ship continues to decline and our expenses continue to escalate. We are not happy with having to do this but we are spending our reserves every year and as a result we may not be able to operate adequately within the next three years. We have actually kept this need for a per capita increase at bay for several years now. If you recall when I was first appointed as Chair-man of the Finance Committee we had a per capita increase proposed but then withdrew it. This was a result of the past Grand Masters that I have had the pleasure to serve and the Grand Lodge office making diligent efforts

to hold the line on spending. Even if this is continued as such we have about three years before we burn through the reserves and then will need to look at options for operating. The Finance Committee once again has developed a budget that will be presented that holds the line on spending. The budget for the upcoming year will reflect an increase of 2.8% with a 6.1% decrease in projected revenues. As you can see we have continued to cut as many areas as possible but that process is quickly coming to an end. With this trend we eventu-ally will be unable to fully fund the budget from our revenues and reserves. I would encourage the Body of the Lodge to please review the legislation in regards to this matter and carefully consider supporting this legislation.

Steve Green, PMFinance Committee Chairman

Per capita increase proposed

New Master Masons raisedOn March 21, 2017, at the Masonic Center in Rapid City, three Lodges worked together to perform Degree work to raise four new Master Masons. Rapid City Lodge #25 had two candidates, Mount Rushmore Lodge #220 had one candidate, and Custer City Lodge #66 had one candidate. It is always good to do Degrees with a packed house on the side lines. The Degree work was superbly done and the Lectures were impressive. Grand Master Mike Rodman, Deputy Grand Master Yancey Smith, various Grand Lodge Officers, and two Past Grand Masters, Lowell Holmgren and Jack Welker, were in attendance. The meal of homemade beef stew and turkey noodle soup warmed everyone on a cold, freezing foggy night. The new MM members raised at the Masonic Center in Rapid City are: Brother Scott Marshovs from Custer City #66, Brother Dustin Willet from Mount Rushmore #220, Brother Brett Jarmen from Rapid City #25 and Brother Ethan Smith from Rapid City #25.

which case he shall cause notice to be given to the officers, members, and constituent Lodges at least ten days prior to the third Friday in June.RATIONAL: We are currently, and have been for many years in violation of this article. Since I started attending the Annual Communication back in 2007, I have never seen the members of the Grand Lodge vote on the location of the Annual Communication, with the exception of the years we in which we had some-times heated discussions about moving the location, on a permanent basis, to the city of Pierre. If we do not follow what we have written in our Constitution on this issue, where do we draw the line for other issues? Is this our governing document or just a list of things that we take out and dust off when it is convenient to what we want to push?Respectfully submitted by Glendon Rice, Jr., Unity Lodge #130

SeCtion 2.09BoaRD of CuStoDianS of tHe WoRK -

QualifiCationSCurrent Language: Each newly appointed member after the first named must pass a satisfactory examination before the Board as to his proficiency in the work and lec-tures of this Jurisdiction before receiving his Com-mission. If he fails to do so, the Board shall notify the Grand Master, who shall vacate the appointment, and make another to fill the vacancy so created.Proposed Language: Delete and mark the section RESERVED FOR FUTURE USE.RATIONALE: While I have served on the Board of Custodians of the Work for six years I can tell you that during that time we have never done an examination of a Brother so appointed.

These By-Laws are meant to govern our actions and we don’t follow them. Since we are not follow-ing it, why have it in writing as a constant reminder that we make rules that we don’t follow.Respectfully submitted by Glendon Rice, Jr., Unity Lodge #130

SeCtion 2.44a:ReVenueS

Current Language:The revenues of the Grand Lodge shall consist of the following fees:1. For dispensation to form a new Lodge, $50.2. For Charter for new Lodge, $25.3. For Charter for new Lodge, if no dispensation shall have been granted, $75.4. For each new Entered Apprentice initiated in any chartered Lodge, $5.5. and dues for each Master Mason reported in the annual returns of a Lodge, as prescribed in Section 4.11 of the By-Laws.6. Any sums realized out of the property of dis-solved Lodges.7. The income from any money or property given or devised or belonging to the Grand Lodge.8. All property whatsoever, to which the Grand Lodge is, or may become, entitled.Proposed Language: The revenues of the Grand Lodge shall consist of the following fees:1. for dispensation and Charter to form a new Lodge, $75.2. For each new Entered Apprentice initiated dur-ing the reporting year in any chartered Lodge, $10. $5 to the general fund of the Grand Lodge and $5 to assist in covering the cost of MORI.3. For any Fellow Craft passed during the report-ing year in any chartered Lodge, $10.$5 to the general fund of the Grand Lodge and $5

to the Foundation.4. For any Master Mason raised during the reporting year in any chartered Lodge, $10. $5 to the general fund of the Grand Lodge and $5 to the George Washington National Memorial.5. The per capita for each Master Mason under the Grand Lodge jurisdiction, $25. With the exception of those Brothers that have a Life Membership or have had their dues remitted by their Lodge.6. Any sums realized out of the property of dis-solved Lodges.7. The income from any money or property given or devised or belonging to the Grand Lodge.8. All property whatsoever, to which the Grand Lodge is, or may become entitled.RATIONALE: As it currently stands, the Grand Lodge is paid $10 for each new Brother that receives the Degrees

of Free Masonry. Of that $10, only $5 actually stays in State, the other $5 is donated to the George Washington National Memorial. This change would increase the fee to $10 per degree, so a total of $30. $15 of that $30 would go into the general fund to be used as the finance committee and the voting Brethren determine when passing a budget. The other $15 would be split, $5 to assist with the cost of MORI, $5 to the Masonic Foundation, and the usual $5 to the George Washington National Memorial. Additionally, under the new section 5 changed the wording from “dues” to “per capita.” When we are talking about the payment to the Grand Lodge, hardly anyone uses the term dues, even on the An-nual Return it is listed as per capita.Respectfully submitted by Glendon Rice, Jr., Unity Lodge #130

Proposed legislation/from page 11


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If you have a desire to see your Lodge become a thriving, vibrant hub of activity, where people actually want to come and spend some time; if you want to see your Lodge become a force for good in your com-munity; if you want to attract the best pos-sible candidates to your Lodge, or if you are just wondering what Lodge Leadership is all about, YOU need to attend the Grand Lodge Leadership Conference at Cedar Shores Resort on August 25 and 26. Your Grand Lodge is once again offering Leadership Training to anyone interested. We have Most Worshipful Brother Daren Kellerman, PGM of Kansas, returning to provide training on how to select the BEST men to be allowed to join, how to keep them interested and coming back (and maybe get those “older” members to return as well), to give Lodge leadership teams the tools they need to provide a quality program for their Lodge this year and to talk about rising above mediocrity and taking pride once again in what we do. Assisting MWB Kellerman will be RWB Adam Hathaway, DGM of New Mexico, who will also let you know how to tell if your Lodge will be here in 10 years. Those of you who attended last year know how great this Conference was. This year will be even better. We have tailored our trainings to be more specific and relevant to South Dakota, while providing leadership skills you can use in other areas of your life. This is an event you will not want to miss. The Leadership Conference will once again be held at Cedar Shores Resort on August 25 and 26. Registration is $40.00 and includes all training materials and lunch on Saturday. A registration form is reprinted here or can be found at mygrandlodge.org (please print and mail the form). We have reserved a block of rooms at Cedar Shores. Please call 888-697-6363 or go to www.cedarshore.com to reserve a room. We will have an informal gathering Friday night, starting about 7:00, with some fun and games. There will plenty of time to socialize and enjoy some fellowship. We will start again at 9:00 a.m. Saturday and finish up about 4:30 p.m. Please call the Grand Lodge office or any of your elected line with questions. Make your reservations now to secure your spot at this year’s conference.

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM

WITH MWB DAREN KELLERMAN, PGM KANSAS AND

RWB ADAM HATHAWAY, DGM NEW MEXICO AUGUST 25 AND 26, 2017

All events will be held at the Cedar Shore Resort and Conference Center, Oacoma, SD. For room reservations, call (605) 734-6376 or 1-888-697-6363

Name: __________________________________ Lady’s name: ________________________________

Address: ________________________________ City: _______________________ State: ________ ZIP: ____________

Daytime Phone: __________________________ email: ______________________________________________________

Lodge Name: _____________________________ Lodge No. : ______________ Title: ____________________________

Event Number Price Each Amount Leadership Conference Registration $40.00

Friday, August 25—evening meal on your own Saturday, August 26—breakfast on your own 9:00 AM (Central Time)—Conference start 12:00 noon Lunch (included) 1:00 PM—Conference resumes 4:30 PM—Conclusion

X

$40.00

=

Total:

Make checks payable to “The Grand Lodge of South Dakota” at

520 South First Avenue Sioux Falls, SD 57104-6902

Please, no later than August 12, 2017

Please call the Grand Lodge office if you need assistance with registration

(605) 332-2051

Leadership Training Conference to be held in AugustMay 2017 Masonic Messenger • 15

Grand Lodge OfficeGrand Secretary A F & A M

520 S. 1st AvenueSioux Falls, SD 57104-6902

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSHELDON, IA

PERMIT NO. 73

address Service Requested


OK Masonic Indian Degree teamto be in Mitchell on July 22, 2017 The Grand Lodge of South Dakota is pleased to announce that the Okla-homa Masonic Indian Degree Team will confer the Master Mason Degree on July 22, 2017 at the Masonic Temple in Mitchell, in full Native American regalia. The Degree will start at 11:00 a.m., with the First Section, and then break for lunch around noon. The Second and Third Section will be completed after lunch. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by a program of Native American dancing and other demonstrations put on by the Degree team. We should be finished by 9:00 p.m. at the latest. Cost for lunch is $13.00 and cost for dinner is $17.00. There is no cost to attend the Degree, or the program after dinner; only for the meals. Please RSVP for the meals NO LATER THAN JULY 8 to: Yancey Smith: 605-391-9996 or [email protected]. Please spread the word. Those who have seen the team before know what a great job they do, and what a unique experience it is. See you in July.

Fraternally,Yancey Smith, DGM/GME

Child ID event heldOn April 7, 2017, Cedar Branch Lodge #179 in Buffalo, SD, hosted a Child Identification Event for students of Harding Elementary School, Buffalo, SD, and Camp Crook, Ludlow, SD. A grand total of 55 students received identification packets. The event was a great community effort. Donors to the event are listed on the wall. Brothers assisting with the event are on the left Tom Wilson, Mark Millett, John Helms. On the right side, Brian Teller, Gordy Helms, Jack Welker, PGM. Thank you to Cedar Branch Lodge #179 and all the donors and volunteers.

masonic the may, 2017 messenger - wayne thomas...

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