the trowel july 2015

Waukegan Lodge #78 AF&AM July 2015

The Masters Message Our Country has celebrated yet another birthday! The year is half over and we have been busy little bees. Much has happened in just one month! We passed three new brothers to the degree of Fellowcraft, we fixed the roof (temporarily, a full repair is forthcoming) and its time to pass out the scholarships! This is usually the time of year when many edges go dark for the summer, yet we at Waukegan remain open for business, a testament to the good work we are doing. Recently there has been a new goal of the Area Deputy Grand Master, which is to get every lodge to participate in the Grand Masters Award of Excellence. Going forward, Waukegan will need a committee to keep track of our accomplishments in relation to this. This brings up another topic, that of Lodge Committees. Bro. Tom Love has been our chairman for the endowments committee for quite some time and is looking to retire but remain somewhat active. Interested parties should see Bro. Carlos Duran (Jr. Warden), Erik Solomon (Sr. Warden) or Myself to talk about what you may be able to help with in the lodge. There are many committees which need able and willing members to make things happen e.g. Events, Widows, Lodge Improvements and many more. I would also like to remind you all that the Past Masters Dinner, Blue

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THE TROWEL News | Education | Schedule

Did you know?

Going Dark Lodges in the summertime routinely go dark for a set period of time. Within this time the lodge typically does not hold business meetings or perform degrees. It may meet for fellowship or other activities. The tradition comes from lodges who met in farming communities and needed to tend to crops in the summer and also from lodges who went dark due to the heat of the season.

!This can be a big issue when we meet in tuxedos and suits when the temperatures sore, especially here in the midwest.

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Lightning and other events are in development. If you would like to be added to the lodge email list, or be on the lodges automated call system (Calls go out on Sunday evenings to inform Bros. of lodge events.) please let Myself or the Lodge Secretary, WB. Carl Donahue know. If you have questions or concerns, as always, you can reach me via email at [email protected] or by phone at 714-615-7809.$

$ God Bless,$

~Robert Johnson - Worshipful Master $

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!The Exaltation Initiative! !Brothers, the Local Royal Arch Chapter, Chapter #41 was chartered in 1852! Active just a few years after our own Masonic lodge was formed. It's been here since the beginning and at one point, there were more members of this Chapter of Royal Arch Masons than in our lodge ! $

Many times the question is asked, "Where do I go from here?" after a Brother is "raised" The obvious answer is to wait a year. Give yourself time to understand lodge dynamics, procedure and all the rest. But after that year (if you decide to wait), do you join the Scottish Rite? The York Rite? The Shrine? Waukegan Royal Arch Chapter #41 is of course York Rite and I might add, a wonderful thing for you to consider. $

The Royal Arch is a system of degrees which add on to your Blue Lodge degrees and fill in many of the holes left in the story you have been a part of. The degrees are among the most impressive and beautiful in all of Masonry and at a time, a form of them was part of the Blue lodge, but due to the length and involvement had to be removed and made as optional. $

Historically, the York Rite has had a major influence on Masonry

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Happenings

New Fellows Are Among Us! !Over the last month, Waukegan Lodge has passed three new Brothers to the degree of Fellowcraft and we could not be more proud! We look forward to making them full fledged Master Masons soon! Degree work is happening almost every week, so come on out!

(left to right) Bros. Erik, Ben, Robert, Cory and Alex


in the United States. Amazing stories abound in stories of the Civil War as outlined in Michael Halleron's book "The Better Angels of our Nature - Freemasonry in the Civil War" of Royal Arch Masons and Knight Templars. It truly is remarkable. Even the pseudo "father of the Scottish Rite" Albert Pike was an avid and active member of the York Rite and in fact, when he rewrote the degrees of the Scottish Rite, he pulled extensively from the York Rite degrees and this is clearly evident in the Scottish Rite Ritual of the Southern Jurisdiction today. It's time you shared in the tradition $

Waukegan Royal Arch Chapter #41 has an exciting new initiative. We believe every Master Mason has a responsibility to search out more light, and to that end, Waukegan Chapter has resolved to oer the degrees in the Royal Arch to sitting and Past Masters of ALL the 1st NE District FREE. All you have to pay is the $20 petition fee, the degrees are on the Chapter. In addition they have also made it possible for the Sr. and Jr. Wardens of lodges in the 1st NE District to receive them and the chapter will pay for the petition, which means they will get the degrees for $80. This is a huge initiative to spread the "Light" of Masonry. Normal fees include the following; $20 petition, $20 per degree (4 degrees) and $40 per year dues. $

I strongly urge you to consider the York Rite and to that, Waukegan Chapter #41.$

!4th of July - A New Waukegan York Rite Tradition !About four years ago, the Waukegan York Rite bodies (Royal Arch Chapter #41 and Lake Chapter Cryptic Council) started a great tradition of hosting a great 4th of July party. Hosted front and center o the back porch of the lodge, and with a view to kill for the hot dogs, hamburgers and Fellowship are not in short supply. $

As usual the York Rite members gather early to set up and set aside space for us to sit and view the firework show. This year was no dierent. The current Thrice Illustrious Master and immediatePast master of Anchor and Ark lodge, Kirk Preston bought a new grill and broke it in. There were brothers from all over the district who came down with their families. The fireworks started at 9:30 and were not disappointing. $

The Chapter and Council look forward to another great 4th of July party next year! See you there!$

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Lodge Happenings

Waukegan #78 !July 20th -Stated Meeting !July 27th -3rd Degree Practice !August 3rd - 3rd Degree !August 10th -TBD (3rd Degree is likely) !August 17th - Stated Meeting !August 24th -TBD (Degree is likely) !August 31st. - Lodge Outing Dinner (Possible 17 North Event) !!! !!!!!

*Just a note, the above schedule is dependent on the return of catechisms. We will post updates to the schedule as needed on our website as well as weekly

announcements through our call em all phone system. !

www.waukegan78.com - Waukegan Lodge #78 !! www.1stneil.com - 1st NE District Calendar

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the trowel july 2015

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