wmj january 2015
TRANSCRIPT
THE WISCONSINMasonic Journal
JANUARY 2015Next Leadership TrainingSession is January 31.
See page 7.
Wisconsin Masonic CalendarJANUARY 20152 Bethel #60 Job’s Daughters, Installation of Officers. 7:00 p.m., re-freshments to follow. Port Washington Masonic Center.
2-10 Grand Chapter OES Cruising with the Stars, WGM/WGP Cruise to the Southern Caribbean departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
3 West Bend Lodge No. 138, Installation of 2015 Officers. 1:00p.m., West Bend Masonic Center, 301 University Drive, West Bend.
3 Prairie du Chien Lodge No. 8, Installation of Officers, Meal at 6:30p.m., installation to follow.
4 Union Grove Lodge No. 288, Installation of Officers, 1:30 p.m.,1021 - 11th Ave., Union Grove.
7 Baraboo Lodge No. 34, Installation of Officers, 7:30 p.m.
10 Ozaukee Lodge No. 17, Open Installation of Officers, 3:00 p.m.,dinner following. Port Washington Masonic Center. Reservations arerequired by Jan. 3, email [email protected].
10 Southern Lakes Lodge No. 12, Installation of Officers, 3:00 p.m.,1007 S. 2nd St., Delavan.
10 Columbus Lodge No. 75, Open Installation of Officers, Noon,wives and children are welcome, lunch following the ceremony. 318 N.Ludington St., Columbus. Contact Bro. Steven Maurer at 920-248-9685.
15 Oregon Lodge No. 151, Open Installation of Officers, dinner at6:00 p.m., installation to follow.
17 State Wide Secretaries Conference. Concourse Hotel, 8:30 a.m.
22 13th Annual Robert Burns Table Lodge, 6:00 p.m., Lake MasonicCenter. $25 per person. Reservations due by Jan. 15. The evening willconsist of the fine Roast “Beast” and Haggis Dinner, ceremonial toasts,raffles, and a talk by Grand Master William Beetcher. Make reserva-tions through Eventbrite at http:goo.gl/Z11PwU or Send checks to LakeMasonic Center,1235 E. Howard Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207. Emailquestions to [email protected].
23-25 Grand Lodge Winter Staff Meeting, Best Western Premier Wa-terfront Hotel & Convention Center, 1 North Main Street, Oshkosh.
24 Unity Luncheon with Grand Lodge Officers, 12:00 p.m.-1:30p.m.,Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center, 1 NorthMain Street, Oshkosh.
24 Independence Lodge No. 80, Installation of Officers, 6:00 p.m.,4315 N. 92nd Street, Wauwatosa.
27 Damascus Lodge No. 290, 110th Year Installation of Officers, 7:00p.m. 1235 E. Howard Ave., Milwaukee.
31 Ozaukee Lodge No. 17, Annual Master’s Feast. Gather at 5:30p.m., Feast at 6:00 p.m. Order tickets online atwww.mastersfeast.eventbrite.com or Contact Bro. Dave Tainter [email protected] or call 262-689-2848.
31 Wisconsin Masonic College Leadership Training, McKinley Ma-sonic Center, 4550 N. Pilgrim Road, Brookfield. Sign-up via Eventbriteon the Grand Lodge website at www.wisc-freemasonry.org. Reserva-tions are due Jan. 21.
31 OES event - Lucky Lodge 13, 12 noon, Lake Masonic Center, Mil-waukee. Meal and entertainment, $13 per person, contact Linda Knee414-483-0843.
FEBRUARY 201515 Masonic Brotherhood Council, Dining with Our Ladies, 5:00 p.m.The Fox and Hounds Restaurant, 1298 Friess Lake Rd., Hubertus. Formore information see page 21 or call 414-961-1133.
21 Wisconsin Masonic College Leadership Training, hosted byN.E.W. Daylite Lodge No. 360, NEW Masonic Center, 525 N. TaylorSt., Green Bay. Sign-up after Sept. 15, 2014 via Eventbrite on theGrand Lodge website at www.wisc-freemasonry.org.
21 Grand Chapter OES, Hearts and Wines of Wisconsin, Three Pil-lars. Fun event to benefit our WGM/WGP Project, American DiabetesFoundation and the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory.
28 OES WI/IL Exchange, 5:00 p.m., Lake Masonic Center, Milwau-kee. $17 per person, contact Linda Schreier 414-430-5499.
MARCH 20151 Grand Officer Party for Grand Martha Kenda Perroni, and GrandChaplain Denise Wuehr, 11:30 a.m., Klemmer’s Banquet Center, Mil-waukee. $25 per person, contact Debbie Schulze 262-377-5405.
14 H.S. Baird Lodge No. 174, 80th Annual Steam Boat Dinner; Stur-geon Bay Masonic Center.
14 Wisconsin Masonic College Leadership Training, Chippewa FallsMasonic Center Masonic Center, 650 Bridgewater Ave. ChippewaFalls. Sign-up via Eventbrite on the Grand Lodge website at www.wisc-freemasonry.org.
15 Grand Officer Party for Grand Sentinel Marvin Engelke, 12 noon,American Legion Building, Blanchardville. $7 per person, contactJoslyn Gant 608-523-4735.
17 Grand Chapter OES, St. Patrick's Day Party at Compass Point,Three Pillars.
27-29 Grand Chapter OES Bus trip to Roseville, Michigan for the Wisconsin/Michigan Exchange.
APRIL 201514 District 11 Spring Meeting, dinner at 6:00 p.m. meeting at 7:00p.m., hosted by Kenosha Lodge No. 47.
25 Ladies of the Valley of Madison Scottish Rite fundraiser lunch forthe Children's Dyslexia Center – Madison, Blackhawk Country Club,Madison. Raffle will start at 10:30 a.m., lunch at noon. Cash bar andentertainment. Cost is only $30. Contact Elaine Engelke [email protected] or 608-523-4134.
MAY 20159 District 9 Meeting hosted by Bicknell Lodge No. 94, Brodhead,8:00 a.m. coffee and donuts, 9:00 a.m. meeting.
17-22 Grand Chapter OES, Faith to Believe Grand Session at the
Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of WI
Continued on page 19
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VOLUME XLVIII, NUMBER 1 The Official Publication of the Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Wisconsin JANUARY 2015
The Grand Master’s Message:By Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons in Wisconsin
Brother William Beetcher
On Our Cover
THE WISCONSINMasonic Journal
Masters take their oath of office during the joint installation cere-mony at the Madison Masonic Center Dec. 14. From left: Bro.Joseph Fisher, Four Lakes Daylight Lodge No. 362, Bro. MikePerez, Madison Lodge No. 5 and Bro. Matt Ivens, CommonwealthLodge No. 352. See story on page 3.
Photo by Rich Rygh
The ObligationFirst, congratulations to all of our new Masters, Wardens and
Lodge officers. What a great time of the year – new officers, newideas and plans, new opportunities, excitement! Brothers, I wish allof you the greatest success for the comingyear and if there is anything your GrandLodge Team can do to assist, please do nothesitate to call. A bit of advice – enjoy youryear; it will race past far quicker than you re-alize. One day you will wake up and it will beNovember and elections.
I have had the honor to serve as Masterseveral times over the years and for me themost enjoyable and rewarding times arewhen I was conferring the Degrees. Thosewere also the nights when I felt my greatestresponsibility to the Lodge and to my Broth-ers. To bring a new Brother to Light shouldnever be taken lightly or done without consid-erable preparation ahead of time. I have al-ways been amazed by every aspect of ourDegrees - from the first simple act of a candidate asking to join ourCraft to the deeply symbolic and complex Master Mason Degree.The symbolism and teachings, and the way in which they providea complete moral and ethical compass for every Freemason fromevery walk of life can and should be a lifetime study. Together, thesum of our degrees form an almost perfect completeness. The Con-ferral guides, the Lectures instruct, the Obligations bind; and thethree, bound together, grow and develop the Mason. To this day,it is hard to comprehend how such a system of moral and ethicalinstruction could have evolved. I believe it is fair to say that the most solemn part of the Conferral
must be the Obligation. Over the years, I have heard several of ourBrothers refer to the Obligations as our “Code of Conduct”, whichI have always felt to be one of the best explanations for what theyare. Through our Obligations and the manner in which we takethem, a Brother makes those solemn promises so well known toall of us, and by doing so, binds himself to the values and traditionsthat form the soul of our Fraternity. Many times during DegreeConferrals I have observed, as I am sure we all have, Brothers qui-etly repeating the obligation with Brother at the altar - in essence,re-obligating themselves and through their quiet participation, againexpressing the personal importance and significance of the Obliga-tion. It truly is a time for reflection, contemplation and renewal.Their impact and importance cannot be overstated. Our Obligationsnot only teach, they bind us to our Lodges and Brothers and mostimportantly, to the higher Masonic moral code intended to governour conduct both within the Lodge and in the larger world. Several years ago, one of our Grand Masters called for a Lodge
Re-obligation Night. His intent was to renew those mystic ties toour Fraternity and to remind us of our obligations to our Lodgesand to each other. From time to time, we should take a moment,re-obligate and reflect on those principles that our Obligations rep-resent. Now, at the beginning of a new Masonic year, I again askall of our Lodges to once again schedule a Re-obligation Night. Atthis time of Re-Obligation, let us pause and consider what it meansto be a Mason. Let us resolve this year to incorporate into our livesnot only our “Code of Conduct, but all the lessons and teachingsof our gentle Craft and begin this new year with a renewed senseof Masonic obligation and energy, both to Ourselves, our Brothersand our Communities.As we continue our Masonic Journey, let us continue to “Learn,
Subdue, Improve…”
Fraternally,William Beetcher, Grand Master
Grand MasterWilliam Beetcher
Bro. Brian Trowbridge Installed byFather as 5th Generation Master Bro. Brian Trowbridge was in-
stalled as Master of the BuffaloRiver Lodge No. 252, in Mon-dovi, on December 8. Installing Master was his father
Past Master James Trowbridge.Brian is the 5th generation of
his family to sit in the East. Hewas preceded by his father Bro.James Trowbridge in 1987 and2011, his grandfather RobertTrowbridge in 1981, his greatgrandfather Hugh Trowbridge in1925 and 1926, and his greatgreat grand uncle William Trow-bridge in 1918. His great great grandfather was
also a Master Mason in the Lodgebut was never the Master. Buffalo River Lodge (formerly
Mondovi Lodge) was chartered in1893.Submitted by Bro. James Trowbridge
Master Brian Trowbridge (left) and his father Bro. JamesTrowbridge.
Annual Secretaries ConferenceReservations are Due January 9The 2015 Grand Lodge of Wis-
consin Secretaries Conference willbe held at the Madison Concourseand Governors Club on January17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.This year’s Conference will fea-
ture a heavy emphasis on MORIfor both new and advanced users.It will also cover: document reten-tion, financial statements, perpet-ual memberships, lodge minutes,
an insurance review, conflict man-agement and many other topics. Much more information is avail-
able when registering. All reserva-tions are due by Jan. 9. and mustbe made through Eventbrite. Alink is available on the GrandLodge website at www.wisc-freemasonry.org. Tickets for theconference are nonrefundable.The $25 registration fee covers
seminar material, beverages andlunch. Hotel rooms are available at the
Madison Concourse, there arealso many other choices in theMadison area. This conference is open to any
member of a Wisconsin Con-stituent Lodge and is targeted toLodge Secretaries, Treasurers andAssistant Secretaries.
Bro. Celand Melbinger celebrates 100 birthdayBrethren from Owen Lodge No. 317 recently honored Bro. Celand Melbinger on his 100th birthday. Bro.Melbinger was born on Nov. 26, 1914 in Thorp Wis. He is a 70 year Mason, raised on May 15, 1944.Front row (from left): Frank Olszewski, Master, Celand Melbinger and District 3 Deputy Grand Master JohnC. Tilley. Back row: Past Master Tony Ring, Leslie Craven, Senior Warden and Ralph Hlavin.
Submitted by District 3 Deputy Grand Master John C. Tilley
Register for
Leadership Training The next session is at the McKinley Masonic Center in Brookfield, on Jan. 31
Registration deadline is Jan. 21 – register at www.wisc-freemasonry.org
2015 Degree CompetitionThe entry deadline is March 7, for the 2015 Degree Compe-
tition to be held Saturday, March 28, 2015. The location will bedetermined based on the locations of the lodges entering.
Lodges will be competing in the first section of the EnteredApprentice Degree only.Any member of a lodge may participate and do any part. Cur-
rent Grand Lodge Officers and District Lecturers are excluded.Lodges will be judged by District Lecturers and Grand Lecturer
Davey L. White Jr.For more information contact the Grand Lecturer at
Published by the Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Wisconsin
January 2015The Wisconsin Masonic Journal, Publication Number 011-551 (ISSN No.10770410), is the authorized publication of the Grand Lodge, Free andAccepted Masons of Wisconsin. It is published monthly except for theJuly/August issue which is combined. Periodical postage paid at Dousman,Wisconsin 53118 and additional offices. Postmasters: send address changes toThe Wisconsin Masonic Journal, 36275 Sunset Drive, Dousman, WI 53118.
Subscription Rates:Non-members (within United States): $15.00 per year (payable in advance)
Non-members (mailed outside of the United States): $50.00 (payable in advance)Members: $8.50 per year (included in the Grand Lodge per-capita)
Editorial Production Office Richard A. Rygh, Editor
5823 Madsen Circle, Oregon, WI 53575email: [email protected]
Phone 262-965-2200 Ext. 808
Advertising Office Phone/FAX 262-965-3979Diane Igl, Advertising Manager
email: [email protected]
Advertising rates upon request. Deadline for submission ofadvertising copy is the fifteenth of each month precedingmonth of scheduled publication.
PAGE 2 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015
Directory of Grand Lodge Officers & ContactsElected Officers
Grand MasterWilliam Beetcher (244)Cell 715-566-0350
Deputy Grand MasterFranklin J. Struble (60)Res. 715-924-2142Cell 608-633-0154
Senior Grand WardenDonald W. Hensiak (189)Res. 262-682-4390Cell 414-333-0060
Junior Grand WardenL. Arby Humphrey (329)Res. 715-364-2492Cell 715-815-1032
Grand TreasurerJohn A. Benedict (151)Res. 608-835-3705
Grand SecretaryMichael A. DeWolf, PGM (267)
Res. 715-574-3151Bus. 262-965-2200 Ext. 807
Cell 715-574-3151grandsecretary
@wisc-freemasonry.org
Appointed OfficersGrand ChaplainDavid R. Ritchie (64)Res. (608) 776-2698
Grand LecturerDavey L. White Jr. (4)Res. 608-348-9352Cell 608-732-3122
Grand Lodge Office
Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of Wisconsin36275 Sunset Dr. Dousman, WI 53118262-965-2200
Fax: 262-965-4211
Grand Secretary:Michael DeWolf, PGM - Ext. 807
Membership Support:
Cheryl Martin - Ext. [email protected]
Erika Miller - Ext. [email protected]
Alicia Darr - Ext. [email protected]
Wisconsin MasonicJournal
Richard A. Rygh, Editor262-965-2200 Ext. 808
Ad Manager Diane Igl,[email protected]
262-965-397936275 Sunset Dr., Dousman, WI 53118
District 2Thomas W. Christiano (112)
Res. 715-833-0127Cell 715-828-4004
John C. Tilley (366)Res. 715-272-1295
Christian M. Hirthe (322)Res. 920-954-0168Cell 920-328-7106
Todd A. Wohlert (190)Cell 608-385-1923
A. Christopher Gans (123)Res. 715-467-2506
Craig J. Froelich (9)Res. 608-258-8814
Marc B. Steiber (8)Cell 608-306-1333
Paul T. Tourville (60)Cell 414-659-5205
Kyle A. Grahn (38)Res. 920-369-6263
Michael A. Gorgen (307)Cell 262-820-0812
Patrick D. Cholka (301)Res. 414-475-9660Cell [email protected]
Senior Grand DeaconScott E. Pedley (25)Res. 608-759-2081Cell 608-482-0424
Junior Grand DeaconRobert C. Strader (363)Res. 262-827-1606Cell 414-678-8785
Senior Grand StewardKenneth C. Gorgen (307)Res. 262-691-0859Cell (262) 501-1879
Junior Grand StewardGary L. Stang (351)Res. 715-835-7153Cell 715-864-6813
Grand MarshalLester C. Paulson (112)Cell 715-271-6616
Grand OratorKeith D. Chamberlain (66)
Res. [email protected]
Grand TilerNeil S. Hanson (351)Res. 715-834-5374
District Deputy Grand Masters
District 1George T. Eisenmann III (329)
Res. 715-394-6630Cell 612-325-6692
Thoughts for the JourneyBy Reverend David R. Ritchie, Grand Chaplain
Grand Chaplain David R. Ritchie can be reached at [email protected] or 608-776-2698.
When you become a Shriner you become part of a brotherhood of men committed to family, engaged in ongoing personal growth, and dedicated to providing care for children in need.Becoming a Shriner is easier than you think and its rewards can be far more than you expect. Take the first step, visit our website .
Shriners believe in you.
In today’s world we have little tolerance for imperfection. Fortune500 executives are let go for a single bad decision. In sports, coachesare fired after a .500 season or losing the wrong game, even with
an overall winning record. A quarterback or starpitcher has one bad game and we talk aboutbenching or even trading him. The media seemsto wait for that politician or public figure tomake a mistake and then call for his resignation. In a world where mistakes are seemingly for-
bidden we are often afraid to stick our necks outor leave our comfort zone. Yet mistakes are howwe learn. Michael Jordan is quoted as saying, “I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career.I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times,I've been trusted to take the game winning shotand missed. I've failed over and over and overagain in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
In Masonry, we do honestly take good menand make them better. We teach and we offer
opportunity. Opportunity is one of the scariest things we can face.We want to do well but we are also afraid of looking like a fool. InMasonry I have had the opportunity to put together power points,put together budgets, work on committees well outside my comfortzone and do things that at one time I thought were impossible.
Isn’t it amazing to watch the transformation of a man within ourlodges. He comes to us and we confer the degrees upon him. Aftereach degree we ask him if he would like to say a few words. He looksaround the lodge room with horror in his eyes then mumbles a fewwords of thanks as he stares at his shoes. In a year or so we put himin a chair and give him a stick, nothing to say, just stand up and sitdown. Within a few years he is leading committees and soon afterhe is leading the lodge with confidence. We gave him an opportunityhe probably didn’t have outside of lodge. Opportunity allowed himto grow, but with opportunity comes mistakes.
When I was first asked to become Grand Chaplain, I had no ideawhat I was getting myself into. I had served as a District Chaplainand therefor knew my predecessor fairly well. I was in awe of all themen I was to serve with but none more than the man I was replacing.The Reverend Doctor Ray Heilborn. Ray was a PhD who had beena minister for years, taught English at the university level, mayor ofthe town he lived in, very intelligent, great sense of humor, and gen-erally very well educated, well read, and well thought of. As a DistrictChaplain he scared the day lights out of me. I was a country ministerfrom a small lodge and relatively new to Masonry. I had no businesstrying to fill those shoes.
It soon was made known to me that I would have to write amonthly article for the “Journal”. I should have realized I was goingto need to but it just hadn’t occurred to me. So I went back and readevery one of Ray’s articles I could find. They were deep and theywere scholarly. I tried for the better part of two weeks to write anarticle “worthy” of or like Ray’s article. I couldn’t do it. So on theday of the deadline, in near panic, I called Ray. I told him I was tryingto write my article and it wasn’t coming out like his. I was lost andasked him what to do. He responded with a chuckle then a momentof thought. “ You have been given an opportunity, I have alreadyhad mine. Make the most of that opportunity. Learn as you go.”Again he chuckled and said “I will deny ever having said this, it wouldruin my reputation as a curmudgeon, but the men you will be work-ing with, the Brothers of this craft are the most forgiving people youwill ever work with. Don’t worry about the mistakes just be yourselfand enjoy the opportunity.”
He was right, there is a part of every 50 or 60 year Mason whoremembers what it was like starting out. I have had the opportunityto learn without too much fear. Every new thing I am asked to try ordo, Ray’s words come back to me. Brother Ray Heilborn was calledto the lodge eternal December 1, 2014. Being from opposite endsof the state I never had the opportunity to sit in Ray’s home lodgewith him. An opportunity lost. May God bless his memory in thehearts of the Brethren.Amen and Amen.
Rev. David RitchieGrand Chaplain
Annual Communication
of the Grand LodgeF. & A.M.of Wis.June 5-6, 2015
The Sons of HarmonyBy Bro. Mark HazelbakerThe now-concluded “Sons of
Anarchy” show had an undeniablegrip on public attention; it wasone of highest-rated cable seriesin history. Why? What was somesmerizing about a show featur-ing brutality, murder, drugs andcrime? Though views will differ,to me, it was the show’s portrayalof the deep bond among the clubmembers and their associates. Asdisreputable and criminal as theycould be to others, they strove forhonor among themselves. Theyattained what so many peopletoday hunger for – a real connec-tion to other people.
Freemasonry attracted me forthat very reason – a connection.It offered a connection to family,as many members of my father’sfamily had been Master Masons.It offered a connection to valuesthat are important to me – in-tegrity, charity, honesty and broth-erly love. And it brought metogether with men of characterand substance, who I am proud tocall brothers.
Fortunately, however, our fra-ternal connections are not for run-ning guns, selling drugs or
operating brothels. We are in thebusiness of building a better worldfor our chil-dren. We areproud to have“ladies,” not“old ladies.”Our loyalty toone anotheris strong, butnot blind. We are not
a gang. Eventhe “Widows’Sons” groupof Masonicmotorcyc leriders, whichis associatedwith the Fra-ternity, is ded-icated to thesame noble purpose of building aspiritual temple of self-improve-ment.
But we fulfill that need for con-nection, belonging and socializa-tion which is inherent inhumanity. We come together inservice of God, family and com-munity. We should not hesitate tosee ourselves as Sons of Har-mony, and reach out in that spirit.
Bro. Mark Hazelbaker
Past Master, FourLakes Daylight Lodge
2014 DeMolay Prom, “A Night in Paris” Wisconsin DeMolay’s 19th An-
nual Prom, “A Night in Paris”,was held at the Tripoli ShrineCenter in Milwaukee on Dec. 13. It was a fun filled evening with
dancing, good food and thecrowning of the 2014 King andQueen; hosted by Ryan Dunn,State Master Councilor. Burlington, Doric, Godfrey de
Bouillon, Green Bay, Kenoshaand Racine Chapters all enteredcandidates for King and Queen.Aliza Lewitzke, Doric Chapter,was crowned Queen and DeweyTennessen, Burlington Chapter,was crowned King.
See photos on page 17
Miss Wisconsin Job’s Daughter Jessica Korducki, GrandBethel Honored Queen Briquel Frahm and DeMolay JesseHubbard register for the prom with Mom Kathy Lijewski andDad Rick Itzenhuiser. Photo by Rich Rygh
Attention Secretaries:Financial Reports, Lodge
Budget and Trustee’s Reportsare due in the
Grand LodgeOffice
February 15
WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015 - PAGE 3
NOTES FROM THE GRAND LECTURERBy Brother Davey L. White Jr., PGM
Feedback and questions are always welcome. Contact Grand Lecturer Davey L. White Jr. at
[email protected] or 608-732-3122
Brethren,Here in southwestern Wisconsin we are enjoying a very mild
winter season so far. The temperatures are comfortable for thistime of the year. Much better than we experienced last year. Thisshould make for an enjoyable holiday season.
Speaking of the holiday season, it alwaysreminds me of our Masonic Fraternity and howlucky we are to be a part of the world’s oldestand largest fraternal organization. I for one amalways very thankful at this time of the year,not only for the wonderful family I have, butalso for all the friends and Brothers that I havebecause of our Fraternity. There are peoplefrom all over the world that I call my friend andBrother. These are people that if not for theMasonic Fraternity, I would never have knownthem. People like PGM’s Keith D. Chamber-lain, Michael A. DeWolf, Craig S. Campbell,John W. Wilke, Joseph B. Harker, Dennis V.Siewert and the list goes on and on. You might have noticed thatthese are all PGM’s, but just as important are the Brothers I havemet throughout the state of Wisconsin and all jurisdictions through-out the world. These are the men who provide for the future ofour Fraternity. Our PGM Joe Harker taught us throughout his yearthat we meet on the level, we are all equal and all needed to suc-ceed and lead. This is why I treasure the friendships I have made.We are a team and when we work together in a harmonious naturethere’s nothing we can’t accomplish.
The lodge members from around Wisconsin have beenvery active for many years and we always encourage your input,for without your help we wouldn’t be successful leaders. As theGrand Lecturer of course I am in charge of providing quality leaderswithin each district to help teach the ritual. I cannot say enoughabout the great job they have done with our three year plan thatwe are starting again this year. The greatest teachers and leadersof course are you the Brothers of our lodges. The pride each ofyou take in learning your respective parts is what makes this wholething work. We cannot teach, unless you come prepared and readyto learn and refine your skills.
I would like to thank the Brothers who have sent meemails concerning our ritual. I have received many emails regardingmistakes and corrections that should be in our cipher book. I wel-come the feedback and information. This tells me that there areBrothers out there who are studying the ritual and care about itand it’s execution as much as I do. Without the genuine concernand the tradition of our ritual, we will lose our identity.
I have been participating in a lot of installations lately and I al-ways listen to the charges of the offices. When the Senior and Jun-ior Deacons are installed, we inform them of the importance ofthem being prepared for performing their degree work. We tellthem that the first impression of a new Brother will be directly in-fluenced by the execution of their ritual work. When we come pre-pared the Brothers are amazed and excited, when we don’t theywonder what they are getting into. So I would like to thank all theBrothers who come prepared and make that first impression a fa-vorable one.
I would also like to announce that the Most Worshipful GrandMaster William Beecher will be having a Degree Competition thisspring. We will be sending out a flyer to every Lodge with the dateand changes in the qualifications for forming a team. We encourageyour participation.
Fraternally,Davey L. White Jr.
Davey L. White Jr.Grand Lecturer
Masonic Ladies Challenge for VeteransLadies, would you like an opportunity to say “thank you” to a veteran by
using your talents? As the Grand Master’s lady, I would like to challengeall Masonic Ladies and their friends to assist in sewing a lap robe
(36”x48” or 40”x48”), or standardsized themed pillow cases such as patriotic,sports, farming, outdoors, or how aboutsewing a twin bed covers (66” x 84”).In addition, for those talented ladies thatenjoy crocheting or knitting, the Veteran’sCenters could also use hats, scarves andmittens. Are you interested in this labor of
love? If so, and you have items for this challenge; please call Pat Beetcherat 715-566-4077 to arrange for your items to be picked up no laterthan March 31, 2015. During the Grand Master’s Testimonial on May 2,2015, the Grand Lodge Ladies will be presenting all the items made to theVA Masonic Services Representatives to give to Wisconsin Veterans. Ilook forward to hearing from many of you as you take up the MasonicLadies Challenge. Let’s work together to put a smile on a Veteran’s faceand let them know that they are not forgotten.
Lady Pat Beetcher
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Year Alignment Straw PollFor the past seven months, we have been discussing a proposal toalign the Lodge and Grand Lodge years. To determine if there issufficient support and interest to bring this to the floor at the 2015Annual Communication for debate and vote your Grand Lodgeteam is asking all of our Lodges to participate in a “Straw Poll”.This poll is NON-BINDING, and we are asking that only the threevoting delegates who will be attending the 2015 Annual Commu-nication participate. The first three votes received from each Lodgewill be tabulated; any others will be rejected. The poll must be com-pleted online and a link can be found on the Grand Lodge Websitehttp://www.wisc-freemasonry.org. The poll will be open from Jan-uary 1 to January 31. Please note: This proposal if adopted will affect only the Lodge In-stallation date, the LEA submission date and nothing else. The ma-jority of the feedback received indicated a preference for electionsto be held during the April – May timeframe and installations to bedone on or after the Annual Communication. If passed, this pro-posal would be implemented in 2017 to allow sufficient time forall the Lodge Bylaws and the Wisconsin Masonic Code to bechanged and any Appendant Body to make adjustments.
If a Resolution is presented, it will basically state:
“Resolved, the Grand Lodge of WI and its ConstituentLodges should align their years to allow for the installationof officers at or after the Annual Communication on thefirst Friday of June each year to take effecton_____________.”
Lake Lodge No. 189 is proudto announce its 13th AnnualRobert Burns Table Lodge onThursday, January 22, at the LakeMasonic Center, 1235 E. HowardAvenue in Milwaukee.The program will begin promp-
The Haggis Returns to Lake Lodge’s13th Annual Robert Burns Table Lodge
tly at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $25each.Join Lake Lodge for this even-
ing of great food and fellowship asthey celebrate the legacy ofBrother Robert Burns. Theevening will feature ceremonial
toasts and raffles.The menu will consist of a fine
Roast “Beast” Dinner. The Scot-tish delicacy Haggis will be pre-pared by Senior Grand WardenDonald W. Hensiak. The Haggiswill be served with its traditionalfanfare including the “Address toa Haggis” written by famed Scot-tish Poet and Masonic BrotherRobert Burns.Red and white wines will be
served for celebratory toasting. Commemorative Toasting Can-
nons imported from England willbe available for purchase.Make reservations through
Eventbrite at http:goo.gl/Z11PwUor send checks to Lake MasonicCenter,1235 E. Howard Ave, Mil-waukee, WI 53207. Email ques-tions to [email protected] are due Jan. 15.
Grand Master Installs Officers of Four Lodges at Madison Joint Installation
By Rich RyghFour Madison Lodges came to-
gether for a joint installation of of-ficers at the Madison MasonicCenter on Dec. 14.District 7 Deputy Grand Master
Craig J. Froelich opened thelodge with the public opening.Area Administrator Jeff Breunigdisplayed the three burning tapersand District Lecturer RichardMoen displayed the Holy Bible,Square and Compasses. GrandChaplain David R. Ritchie askedfor the blessings of Deity.District Deputy Froelich turned
the gavel over to Grand MasterWilliam Beetcher. The GrandMaster expressed his appreciationfor being asked to participate inthe installation. He introduced hisLady Pat, who he said, “Is mychauffeur, my executive secretaryand scheduler.”
The Grand Master said, “Thisis truly a special time, ladies andgentlemen, for every lodge, as thisis the beginning of a new year.” The Grand Master proceeded to
install the officers of MadisonLodge No. 5, Hiram Lodge No.50, Commonwealth Lodge No.352 and Four Lakes DaylightLodge No. 362.
District Deputy Grand MasterFroelich thanked the Grand Mas-ter for installing the officers at thisjoint installation in Madison. Hesaid, “A joint installation is some-thing we have not had in Madisonin quite some time and somethingwe hope to carry on in the future. . . the idea was reciprocated byBro. Mark Hazelbaker. Thank youall or coming.”Bro. Joseph Fisher, Master of
Four Lakes Daylight Lodge, pre-sented Bro. Hazelbaker his PastMaster’s Certificate and a gift cardfor serving as Master for twoyears. He introduced his father,Frank Fisher, a Past Master ofBaraboo Lodge No. 34 andbrother in law Sheldon Hamiltonwho is Past Master of BarabooLodge No. 34 and Middleton-Ionic Lodge No. 180. He intro-duced his Sister Alice Hamiltonwho was a former Rainbow Girl.He also introduced his wifeRegina and son Riley. His motherDonna and father, members of theOES, presented him with a Mas-ter’s gavel.Bro. Matt Ivens, Master of Com-
monwealth Lodge, thanked theBrother of his Lodge for electinghim for another term in the East.Bro. Joe Fleming presented Bro.Ivens an apron and carrying case.Bro. Mike Perez, Master of
Madison Lodge No. 5, extendedhis appreciation to the Brothers ofthe Lodge of having the faith inhim to elect him Master. He ex-plained the story behind his Mas-ters hat (see page 19). Hepresented Past Master Philip VanStyn with a set of Masonic Work-ing Tools in appreciation for hiswork as Master. Hiram Lodge No. 50 Secretary
Lyle Christian presented Bro.Michael Roering with his PastMaster’s Apron and case.Bro. Perez was presented a
gavel by his Lady Melinda Salter. Grand Master William Beetcher
thanked the Brothers who tookthe officers chairs this year, hesaid, “Everyone of you is critical tothe success of your lodge, so work
hard and have a good year, believeme it is going to go fast, we willbe here again next year beforeyou know it.” At the conclusion of this instal-
lation Grand Master WilliamBeetcher, assisted by First LadyPat, had installed 14 lodges in fivedays.
The Lodge was closed by Dis-trict 7 Deputy Grand MasterFroelich and a prayer by GrandChaplain Ritchie. Cake and re-freshments followed.
See photos on page 13
Grand Master WilliamBeetcher installing officers.
Photo by Rich Rygh
Memorials and Contributions
Gift Report for November 2014
Wisconsin Masonic FoundationGrand Master’s Appeal 2013:Francis Ives
Medical Fund:Myron Reed LodgeIn memory of Bro. Theodore “Ted” Hagberg:Charles White
Youth Fund:Francis IvesIn memory of O. Darrell Aderman, PGM and Bro. Robert SimonCarl Wussow
Wisconsin Masonic HomeCaring to Grow:Richard Hansen, Lou Metz, Jeffrey Bryden
Wisconsin Masonic Service and AssistanceSteven Bonk
Support Your Wisconsin
Masonic Charities
-
Enclosed is my donation for:[ ] Grand Master’s Appeal – GM-Veterans Support Fund[ ] Wisconsin Masonic Youth Fund[ ] Wisconsin Masonic Foundation [ ] Wisconsin Masonic Foundation Medical Fund [ ] Wisconsin Masonic Home, Inc.[ ] Wisconsin Masonic Home Endowment[ ] Wisconsin Masonic Journal Fund[ ] Wisconsin Masonic Service & Assistance Fund [ ] Wisconsin Masonic Soccer Fund[ ] Designated for______________________________________[ ] In honor of: ________________________________________[ ] In memory of: ______________________________________
Amount _____________________ Date___________________
Please acknowledge to: Name ___________________________
Address ________________________________________________
City_______________________ State________ Zip_________
PAGE 4 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015
Make your check payable to the benevolence you have selected above and mail to: Wisconsin Masonic Charities
36275 Sunset Drive, Dousman, WI 53118 Phone 262-965-2200 • email: [email protected]
Fill Out, Clip and Mail Today
Wisconsin Masonic Charities
January 2015
Another new year is upon us. As we kick off 2015, I’d first liketo wish you all the best for a happy and healthy new year. Thisyear marks our 110th anniversary and such a milestone givespause as we reflect on the past year and look ahead to new pos-sibilities.In 2014 we had great success with Friends and Family and Hal-loween Haunted Woods, our two major longstanding communityevents. In September, we kicked off the first-ever Rustic Rumbleriding event. We also rounded out our executive team with thehiring of Jane Olisar, Chief Development Officer; Rich Mapes,Chief Operating Officer; and, Natascha Bohmann, Chief Mar-keting & Communications Officer.In 2015, we will continue our traditions and expand on programslike Rustic Rumble and our planned giving program. It’s truly anexciting time at Three Pillars as we look toward the possibilitiesahead. We thank you for your continued support of our mission.Warm regards,
Fraternally,
Mark StrautmanChief Executive Officer
Volunteer andMake a Differencein Someone’s LifeTake a few hours of your
time each week to be a Ma-sonic Service AssociationVolunteer. A common request from
the VA facilities in Wisconsinis the need for more volun-teers.Make a difference in the life
of a veteran. It is a very re-warding experience.Anyone wishing to volun-
teer at any of the facilitiesshould contact State MSACoordinator Roger L. Ma-goon at 920-734-8385 [email protected].
Grand Master William Beetcher would like to say thank you to thosewho have contributed to his Appeal for Veteran’s Support.
Alpha Chapter OES, CharlesAnderson, Shirley Anderson,Wesley Bailey, Dennis Balota,Edward Barnes, Daniel Bast,Gerald Berg, Terry Blaedorn,Buffalo River Lodge, DuaneBunting, Donald Bushman, Betty M. Cahoon, WilliamCarothers, Gordon Charlton,Lyle Christian, Robert Ciske,Columbus Lodge, RonaldCook, Matthew Cuper, GaryCuskey, Anthony Dake, CarolDavies, William De Rohan,Brian Dillman, Stanley Erland-son, Jean Evans, Thomas Ewald,Arthur Flater, Eugenia Fletcher,Markus Frank, David Giese,Leonard Gilley, Harry Gougar,Kenneth Grinde, Allen Gutzel,Paul Hallingstad, John Hanson,Roger Hanson, William Henry,Dorthea Isermann, Don Jensen,Michael Katich, Howard Keeler,
Scott Kellogg, Wayne Koehler,Donald Lang, Dells Lodge,Frank Laundrie, Frederick Lavey,Joseph Lawrence, RaymondLawry, James Lecher, EugeneLund, Richard Maliborski,George Mc Gilligan, FrederickMcCormick, Brian Michelsen,Charles Miller, Jack Miller,Robert Moore, George Morren,James Nelson, Ronald Nelson,James Olson, Lawrence Olson,Bradley Ottum, Harold Patter-son, Phillip Peterson, RichardProuty, Kevin Putz, QuincyLodge, Paul Reynolds, PhillipRinghand, Frederick Robinson,Armando Rodriguez, DennisRoeder, Gregory Roelli, ManginRoeseler, RichardRygh, WilliamSchneider, Joan Sharp, BertSjostrom, Jr., Dale Slaasted,James Sommers, Gary Stang,Redgie Staskal, John Steele,
David Stewart, Kenneth Stone,Orloff Styve, Ronald Swanberg,Otto Tesch III, Ronald Tetzlaff,Wayne Tubbs, Richard VandeSande, Wayne Vaughn,Nicholas Vukich, Rodney Waite,Wautoma Lodge, La VerneWeber, Burton Wedow, CharlesWhite, David Wiese, VirginiaWilliams, RichardWinfield Sr.,Wisconsin Lodge, GeorgeWitkowski, Richard Wood, CarlWussow, Louis Zagame, JohnZei, James Zimmerman
Schmidt &Bartelt
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Leaders Lead by Example – An Example for Us AllBy Richard F. Denno
Masonic Organ & Tissue DonorAwareness Program
If we’ve heard it once, we’veheard it a thousand times, “Lead-ers lead by example.” There canbe no greater ‘example’ of thatthan in the case of Most Worship-ful Past Grand Master Robert J.Stika, who passed away recently,at the age of 70.Bob Stika’s 34 year Masonic ca-
reer was one of distinguished serv-ice to the Freemason fraternity,culminating with his service asConnecticut’s Most WorshipfulGrand Master for the 2008-2009year. It was both during his timeas Grand Master, and upon hisdeath that he demonstrated his‘measure as a man.’
In late 2008, he was ap-proached by several Brothers,who requested permission to formthe Masonic Organ & TissueDonor Awareness Program. Bobenthusiastically endorsed the pro-gram, which was introduced at theMarch 2009 Grand Lodge ses-sion. It is thanks to Bob Stika, and
all the subsequent Grand Mastersto follow, that our Masonic Organ& Tissue Donor Awareness Pro-gram continues to spread the life-saving message of organ, tissueand eye donation throughout theBrotherhood and beyond. Now, fast forward to October 6,
2014, the day Robert Stikapassed away. Thanks to the gen-erous donation of both of hiscorneas, and tissue, two patientson the waiting list for corneas nowcan enjoy all the beauty our worldhas to offer. The tissue donated byBob will be of immeasurable helpin the recovery of burn victims.
Wife, Sandy and daughter,Anne, recently mentioned Bob’sdonation with great admiration.”My father informed us of his de-cision to be an organ donor overa decade ago,” said Anne Stika.Thanks to Robert’s desire to be-come a donor, the quality of lifefor others will be greatly en-hanced. Robert Sitka was truly aleader who both, ‘Talked theTalk,’ and ‘Walked the Walk.’ Dur-ing his Masonic career, he was al-
ways considered a man of action;one who made a decision andacted upon that decision.
As we begin a new year, filledwith promise and hope; wouldn’tit be wonderful if we all followedour former leader’s example. Tolearn more aboutorgan/tissue/eye donation, visitwww.DonateLifeWisconsin.orgthen make that lifesaving decisionto register online. In fact, as partof the online registration process,you can note that your registrationis ‘in memory’ of Robert J. Stikain the “comments” section.Thanks to the electronic trackingcapability of Wisconsin’s DonorRegistry, we’ll actually be able tofind out just how many Brothersand friends of Bob registered inhis memory. You can still registerin Bob’s memory online, even ifyou registered in the past.Currently, there are over
123,000 patients on theorgan/tissue/eye donor waitinglist. Eighteen patients on that listdie each day, still waiting for thetransplant that could have savedtheir very lives. Won’t you pleasemake that same decision that BobStika did a decade ago, and makea difference in the lives of others.Remember, “Don’t take your or-
gans to heaven – Heaven knowswe need them here!”
Editors note: Bro. Robert J.Stika was born on June 29, 1944in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the eldestof five sons of A. John Stika andDoris Marie Gray Stika. Two ofBob's brothers are also MasonicBrothers.Educated in the Kenosha public
schools, Bro. Stika graduatedfrom Mary D. Bradford HighSchool in 1962. He attendedKenosha Technical Institute, re-ceiving an Associate of Arts De-gree in Business Administrationwith an emphasis on data process-ing.Bro. Stika retired from the mili-
tary and settled in southeasternConnecticut. He petitioned Som-erset Lodge No. 34, now Somer-set-St. James No. 34, in 1980.He served his lodge as Master in1984. He served the GrandLodge of Connecticut as GrandMaster in 2008-2009.
Grand Master Robert J. StikaJune 29,1944 – Oct. 6, 2014
Make your donation to theGrand Master’s Appeal.
Every dollar given can helpto improve the quality of lifefor those who sacrificed somuch to protect our freedoms.
Show our veterans that wesincerely appreciate their dedi-cation, loyalty and their serviceto our nation.See clip-out on bottom of
page to make your donation.
Don’t Forget!
WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015 - PAGE 5
800.848.5306 | 262.965.2111 | www.threepillars.org 410 North Main Street | Dousman, WI
110 Years Strong
Lifestyle. Value. Trust.
PAGE 6 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015
News Events from the Lodges
Find us at www.threepillars.org.
Visit Our Website!
Bro. Steve Schwartz, Master of Nine Rivers Lodge No. 369 recently made presentations on behalf ofthe Lodge to two lodges to help with fund raising efforts. He presented a check for $1000 to the Collins-Spring Valley Lodge No. 192 building fund. The Lodge
located in Baldwin is currently raising funds for a new facility on one level for easier access for all membersand visitors as well as increased activities and visibility.Bro. Schwartz also presented a check for $500 to Northwestern Lodge No. 105, in Prescott, to assist
in the purchase of a new furnace.Submitted by Bro. Larry Wiegand and Milt Helmer
Bro. Larry Wiegand (left), Master of Collins-Spring Valley Lodge receives a check fromBro. Steve Schwartz, Master of Nine RiversLodge.
Bro. Dan Finley (left), Master of Northwest-ern Lodge receives a check from Bro. SteveSchwartz, Master of Nine Rivers Lodge.
Nine Rivers Lodge Helps with Fundraisers
Joint Installation at Shawano Masonic CenterFour Lodges participated in a public joint installation including Clintonville, Shawano, Manawa and MasonWoods at the Shawano Masonic Center on Saturday, December 6. Installing officers were: Installing Master,Bro. David Tainter; Installing Marshal, District Deputy 4 Christian Hirthe; Installing Senior Warden, District6 Deputy Grand Master A. Christopher Gans, Installing Junior Warden, Area Administrator District 4 JasonRichardson; and Installing Chaplain, Past Master James Campbell. The ceremony was well attended byfriends and families of the officers. Mason Woods Past Master Terry Richardson and Bro. Timothy Tainter,served lunch following the ceremonies. Bro. David Tainter (right) installs, from left: his brother, Past MasterTimothy Tainter, Master of Shawano Lodge No.170; Past Master Hugo Petters, Master of Mason WoodsLodge No. 368, Bro. Paul VaLaarhoven, Master, Clintonville Lodge No. 197 and Past Master Fred Zaug,Master, Manawa No. 82. District 6 Deputy Grand Master A. Christopher Gans stands in background.
Photo by Bro. George Tincher
Keystone Lodge Bros. work togetherFive Brothers from Keystone Lodge No. 263 came to the aid of theirSecretary, Brother John Sigafus and his Lady Shirley Sigafus on Nov.1. The Brethren along with Bro. Sigafus cut, split and stacked overeight cords of wood in less than four hours. Pictured from left are: Jun-ior Deacon Paul Wharton, Senior Warden Dale Baker and Bro. LesJohnson. Not pictured is Past Master and current Senior Deacon ChrisOlson and Past Master and current Junior Warden Ryan Hoag. Therewere also plenty of family members helping out where they could andLady Shirley Sigafus put on quite a meal in appreciation of the MasonicBrothers helping out with their wood pile.
Submitted by Bro. Kevin Fischer, Master
Bro. Jensen is 60 year MasonBro. Donald A. Jensen (right) received his 60 Year Service Award fromMaster Brad Bingheim at the Lake Lodge No. 189 awards night onDec. 4 at the Lake Masonic Center in Milwaukee. Bro. Jensen wasraised on June 2, 1954 in Independence Lodge No. 80, West Allis. In-dependence Lodge merged with Lake Lodge in May of 2009.
Photo by Joshua Armstrong
Junior Warden Jeremy Fussy receives the Jewel of his Office from hisdaughter Julia at the Collins-Spring Valley Lodge No.192 installationof officers.
Submitted by Bro. Larry Wiegand, photo by Bro. Milt Helmer
Daughter presents jewel
Bus Tour to Monroe BreweryArea Administrator Jim Gaj-
dosik has planned a bus tour onJan. 17, leaving the Janesville Ma-sonic Center and traveling toMonroe.The bus will leave Janesville at
10:00 a.m. and arrive in Monroeat 11:00 a.m. for a tour of down-town Monroe and the MonroeMasonic Center.
The group will arrive at theMinhas Brewery for a tour at 1:00p.m. followed by a distillery tourat 3:30 p.m.
Depending on the size of thegroup dinner will be at Bumgart-ner’s Cheese Store and Tavern orthe Laughing Troll. Everyone will be responsible for
their own meal.There will be a 50/50 raffle to
raise money for the Milton FoodPantry.This trip is open to all Mason’s
and non-Mason’s and their signif-icant others. You must bring avalid photo ID along with you forthe trip.
The cost for the brewery tourand distillery tour is $10 each, thebus ride will be about $15 per per-son depending on how many peo-ple attend.
Deadline for signing up is Janu-ary 2, 2015.RSVP and Mail check for $35.00payable to Jim Gajdosik and mailto Jim Gajdosik, 2707 MineralPoint Ave., Janesville, WI 53548.For more information call 608-289-0989 or [email protected].
WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015 - PAGE 7
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The next Wisconsin MasonicCollege Leadership Training ses-sion will be at the McKinley Ma-sonic Center, 4550 N. PilgrimRoad, Brookfield, on Jan. 31.Deadline for reservations is Jan.
21, but this session may fill up be-fore this date.The primary focus of the Wis-
consin Masonic College is for at-tendance by lodge Wardens andDeacons so they may receive ed-ucation to prepare them for theireventual role when they ascend tobe the Master of their lodge.However, these sessions are opento any Wisconsin Master Masonwishing to attend and teach manyleadership skills that can be usedin the job place and throughoutlife.The previous session in Dodge-
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by displaying a Freemason Li-cense Plate on your vehicle. Standard Freemason plates re-
quire a one-time cost of $15,thereafter, you pay only the regu-lar registration fee.Plates can be personalized
which requires an extra $15 eachyear. Vehicles that qualify for the
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ville on Nov. 15 received veryhigh reviews from the Brethren at-tending.Make your reservation at
www.wisc-freemasonry.org. Thenumber of registrations is limited.An enrollment fee of $25.00
has been established. Included in each session will be
course workbooks, attendancegifts, completion awards, a noonmeal and refreshments duringbreaks.
Attire for these sessions is ca-sual.
Expand Your Leadership SkillsNext Session is January 31
e Masonic Service Association is in need of volunteers at ourVA Facilities in Wisconsin. It is a very rewarding experience.
Take a moment and go to www.msana.com andview MSA’s new video, "Are Ye Able?” and see
what it is all about.
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PAGE 8 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015
Email your lodge news [email protected].
News Events from the Lodges
Members of Henry S. Baird Lodge No. 174 and Order of the Eastern Star Honor Chapter #1, rangthe bells for the Salvation Army Kettles at Econo Foods in Sturgeon Bay on Dec. 13. This has becomean annual tradition. Top left: Bro. Gerald Wick rings the bell and Logan, grandson of Bro. Tony Haenand Honor Chapter Worthy Matron Mariellen Haen, packs the money into the kettle. Top right: PastMaster Ross Chapman, Worthy Patron of Honor Chapter rings a bell.
Submitted by Bro. Ed Klein
Ringing Bells is Annual Event in Sturgeon Bay
Bro. Jim “Bone” Goldsmith honoredBro. Scott Magnusson (left), Master of Oregon Lodge No. 151, presentsPast Master Jim Goldsmith with the Masonic Lodge Service Award.Bro. Goldsmith has done a tremendous job building communicationamong members of the lodge, making birthday calls, calling and sendingcards during illnesses and letting each and ever Brother know that theirlodge Brothers care about them and their families.
Photo by Rich Rygh
Washburn installs three generationsWashburn Lodge No. 145 recently installed three generations of theKrahn family as officers. From left: Past Master Clayton Krahn, Tiler;Denny Krahn, Master; and Derek Krahn, Senior Steward.
Submitted by Bro. Dennis Krahn
Lincoln Lodge No. 183 Hosts their25th Annual Visit with Santa Claus
Brothers pose with Santa and Mrs. Claus. First row (from left):Lowell Mueller, Santa Claus (Larry Wegner), Ken Heitman,Mrs. Claus (Sue Wegner) and Master Dan Stujenske. Backrow: Rick Giulani, Bill Carson, Jim Broich, Jake Hulce, Masteron Norway Lodge No 362, Norway, Michigan and Terry Tracy.
Lincoln Lodge No. 183,Menomonee Falls, held its 25thannual visit with Santa Claus onNov. 29. It was held atMenomonee Falls American Le-gion Post. In 4 hours 95 childrenvisited Santa.
Lincoln Lodge first opened itsdoors to the children ofMenomonee Falls so they couldvisit Santa on Dec. 1, 1990.There is no charge and children
receive candy, coloring books andother fun items from Santa. Theparents are given a free pictureand are able to take their own pic-tures and videos. They are askedto fill out an entry form for grandprizes. This information is then re-layed to Santa by radio. Santanow knows name, age, etc.Children of the children who sat
on Santa’s lap in the early daysare now attending.
Bro. Robert Lund is “Mason of the Year”Bro. Alton Hodges (left), Master of Chetek Lodge No. 277, presentsthe “Mason of the Year Award” to Bro. Robert Lund, Secretary.
Submitted by Bro. Alton Hodges
WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015 - PAGE 9
Jefferson County Lodge No. 9
Mason Woods Lodge No. 368
Officers of Jefferson County Lodge No. 9 were installed on Dec. 7. From left: NoahSchultz, Treasurer; Mike Murphy, Senior Deacon; Ralph Behlke, Senior Warden and In-stalling Master; Mike Mutter, Master; Tim Smillie, Junior Warden; Jeff Blackmeir, Steward;and David Medici, Secretary.
Submitted by Mitch Behlke
The officers of Mason Woods Lodge No. 368 were installed at a joint installation at theShawano Masonic Center on Dec. 6, by Bro. David Tainter. From left: District 6 DeputyGrand Master A. Christopher Gans Installing Senior Warden; Bro. James Herman, Tiler;Bro. Hugo Petters, Master; Bro. David Tainter; Bro. Peter Nygaard, Junior Warden; Dis-trict 4 Deputy Grand Master Christian M. Hirthe, Installing Marshal.
Photo by Bro. George Tincher
Clintonville Lodge No. 197
Manawa Lodge No. 82
Shawano Lodge No. 170
The officers of Clintonville Lodge No. 197 were installed at a joint installation at theShawano Masonic Center on Dec. 6, by Bro. David Tainter. From left: District 6 DeputyGrand Master A. Christopher Gans Installing Senior Warden; Bro. Joseph Urban, JuniorWarden; Bro. Mark Zachow, Senior Warden; Paul Van Laarhoven, Master; Bro. DavidTainter; and District 4 Deputy Grand Christian M. Hirthe, Installing Marshal. Back row:Bro. Kevin Palmer, Senior Deacon and Bro. Danford Jesse, Treasurer.
Photo by Bro. George Tincher
The officers of Shawano Lodge No. 170 were installed at a joint installation at theShawano Masonic Center on Dec. 6, by Bro. David Tainter. From left: District 6 DeputyGrand Master A. Christopher Gans Installing Senior Warden; Karl Simonson, Senior Dea-con; Bob Spahn, Senior Warden; Timothy Tainter, Master; Bro. David Tainter; and District4 Deputy Grand Christian Hirthe, Installing Marshal. Back row: Brandon Nygaard, JuniorWarden; Vince Grignon, Junior Steward; James Campbell, Secretary; Martin Kosowski,Tiler and Trustee.
Photo by Bro. George Tincher
The officers of Manawa Lodge No. 82 were installed at a joint installation at the ShawanoMasonic Center on Dec. 6, by Bro. David Tainter. From left: District 6 Deputy GrandMaster A. Christopher Gans Installing Senior Warden; Chris Mollica, Secretary; TomSquires, Treasurer; Fred Zaug, Master; David Tainter; and District 4 Deputy Grand Chris-tian Hirthe, Installing Marshal.
Photo by Bro. George Tincher
Lodges Install Officers for 2015
Dousman Lodge No. 315The officers of Dousman Lodge No. 315 were installed on Dec. 7, by Past Grand MasterJoseph B. Harker. Bros. from left: Greg Dams, Junior Warden; Henry Pynakker, Coun-selor; Dave Renly Senior Deacon; Kevin Saenz, Master; John Quaden Treasurer; FrankMcKenna, Secretary; and Terry Brown, Senior Warden.
Submitted by Bro. Terry Brown
Collins-Spring Valley Lodge No. 192Officers to lead Collins-Spring Valley Lodge No. 192 were installed on Dec. 13, at theMasonic Center in Baldwin. Front row (from right): Junior Grand Steward Gary L. Stang,Installing Master; Roger Keller, Senior Warden; John Miller, Master; Jeremy Fussy, JuniorWarden; District 2 Deputy Grand Master Thomas W. Christiano; and Area AdministratorDale Brathol, Installing Chaplain. Back row: Terry Blaedorn, Treasurer; Tyler Behr Jr.,Senior Deacon; Jerry Hauschildt, Tiler; John P. Miller, Senior Steward; Stan Kolakowskilll, Junior Steward and Trustee; Ralph Thompson, Counselor; and Steve Peavey, JuniorDeacon.
Photo by Bro. Milt Helmer
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PAGE 10 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015
Lodges Install Officers for 2015
Henry S. Baird Lodge No. 174
Bayfield-Washburn Lodge No. 215
Phillips Lodge No. 225
Washburn Lodge No. 145
The Officers of Bayfield-Washburn Lodge No. 215 were installed on Dec. 2., by JuniorGrand Warden L. Arby Humphrey, Installing Master; assisted by Installing Marshal District1 Deputy Grand Master George T. Eisenmann III, Installing Marshal; and District LecturerScott Larson, Installing Chaplain. First row (from left): District 1 Deputy Grand MasterGeorge T. Eisenmann III; Frank Hosszu, Senior Steward; Dan Clark, Senior Warden; JimLacy, Master; Craig Haukaas, Junior Warden; Phil Sunde, Secretary; and Junior GrandWarden L. Arby Humphrey. Second row: Larry Gansluckner, Tiler; Jim Pecnik, SeniorDeacon; Bryan Paulsen, Treasurer; and Ross Lind, Junior Deacon. Back row: Casey Dean,Junior Steward; Jeff Hepner, Chaplain.
Submitted by Junior Grand Warden L. Arby Humphrey
Waupun Lodge No. 48Waupun Lodge No. 48 officers for 2015. Front row (from left): Dick Peters, InstallingMarshal; Eric Stein, Senior Deacon; Past Grand Master James H. Olson, Installing Master;Dylan Weber, Master; and David Travis, Chaplain. Back row: Jesse Dolgner, Junior Dea-con; Robert Taylor, Secretary/Treasurer; Darrell Schultz, Senior Warden; Mitch Rohr,Tiler; and Bill Schrank, Junior Warden pro-tem.
Submitted by Bro. Dick Peters
The 2015 officers of Henry S. Baird No. 174 were installed on Dec. 11, by District 4Deputy Grand Master Christian M. Hirthe. Front row (from left): Area Administrator JayHerbst, Installing Marshal; District 4 Deputy Grand Master Christian M. Hirthe; WilliamSchaefer, Master; Richard Rodgers, Senior Warden; Mitchell Custer, Junior Warden; andGerald Wick, Chaplain. Back row: John Sullivan, PM; Scott Davis, PM; Ross Chapman,PM; David Leistra; and Ed Allingham.
Submitted by Bro. Ed Klein
Phillips Lodge No. 225 Officers for 2015. Front row (from left): Grand Secretary MichaelA. De Wolf, PGM; James A. Cummings, Senior Deacon; Frank Dennee, Junior Warden;Grand Master William Beetcher; Lee Handschke, Master; Tony Budaj, Senior Warden;Donald C. Meetz, Junior Steward; and Glenn Seitz, Trustee. Back Row: Tom Boers, Chap-lain; John Smith, Trustee; Jim Litvinoff, pro tem for William Dayton, Junior Deacon;Ronald Koerner, Tiler; George R. Martin, Senior Steward; District 3 Deputy Grand MasterJohn C. Tilley; and David Dryer, Secretary/Treasurer. Not pictured: Trustee David Son-ntag, Trustee.
Submitted by Bro. David Dryer
Officers for 2015 were installed at Washburn Lodge No. 145 on Dec. 7. Front row (fromleft): Clayton Krahn, Tiler; Derek Krahn Senior Steward; Grand Master William Beetcher;Denny Krahn, Master; Mike Wood, Secretary; Ewald Brandes, Chaplain; and BobMatthews, Senior Warden. Back row: Bryan Collier, Treasurer; Kyle Lareese, Junior Dea-con; Sam Gascoigne, Trustee; Bob Le Febve, Counselor; and Patrick Ball, Junior War-den.
Submitted by Bro. Dennis Krahn
Island City Lodge No. 330Island City Lodge No. 330, Minocqua, held their installation of officers for 2015 onDec.13. Front row (from left): Chuck Bohmert, Junior Steward; Russ Simpson, Tiler;Richard Rhyner, Trustee; Lee Handschke, Installing Marshall; David Imlah, Junior War-den;, Richard Gee, Master; Dick Hansen, Chaplain; and Tony Budaj, Installing Master.Back row: Bill Shober, Senior Deacon; Darrell Tarnow, Secretary/Treasurer; Kevin Nisan,Junior Deacon; and Al Cummins, Installing Chaplain.
Submitted by Bro. Dave Imlah
Wilmot Lodge No. 241Officers for 2015 were installed on Dec. 14, at Wilmot Lodge No. 241. From left: DeanFryda, Senior Deacon; Verne Miller, Junior Deacon; Matt Boss, Master; Paul McKibben,Chaplain; Todd Gorsuch, Junior Warden; Bill Hahnfeldt, Secretary/Treasurer; and JoeGarbacky, Tiler.
Submitted by Bro. Bill Hanfeldt
We now have an email address dedicated to collecting events to go into the GrandLodge Calendar. Any lodge or appendant body can send the information to [email protected] and it will get added onto the system. The webpage will display the next 30 events that are listed, however, if you go to
the mobile site on your phone or tablet you will be able to scroll through all eventsthat are listed.To list events in the Wisconsin Masonic Journal Calendar continue to email them
Grand Lodge Calendar
WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015 - PAGE 11
Like us on FacebookGrand Lodge F. & A.M. of WI
Lodges Install Officers for 2015
Prairie View Lodge No. 95
Hiram Lodge No. 50
Tri-County Daylight Lodge No. 218
Madison Lodge No. 5
Four Lakes Daylight Lodge No. 362
Officers of Prairie View Lodge No. 95, Ripon, were installed on Dec. 9. From left: KevanNault-Secretary; Tim Aither, Senior Steward; Bill Boutwell, Senior Deacon; Past MasterRick Coles, Installing Marshall; Ron Triemstra, Senior Warden; Wes O’Laire, Master;Bruce Stephenson, Trustee; Meade Grim, Junior Warden; Phil Wepner, Junior Deacon;Past Master Paul Walheim, Installing Master; Wes Wassell, Chaplain; and Jim Barclay,Tiler.
Submitted by Bro. Rick Coles
The officers of Tri-County Daylight Lodge No. 218, were installed on Dec. 10 in a publicinstallation at the Masonic Center in Crivitz. Bro. Charles Fick was installed Master forthe sixth time in his 55 year Masonic career and was installed by his friend Past GrandMaster Roger L. Magoon. The lodge and attendees enjoyed a delicious lunch afterwardsserved by Bro. Fick and his wife Carol with proceeds going to the lodge scholarship fund.Front row (from left): Carl Greene, Senior Deacon; Stewart Swanson, Senior Warden;Charles Fick, Master; Past Grand Master Roger L Magoon; Dale Paust, Junior Steward;and Walter Schlenvogt, Tiler. Back row: John Moe, Installing Marshal and Counselor;Bob Burmek, Junior Warden; Bob Cook, Senior Steward; Jerry Swanson, Secretary/Trea-surer; and Dennis Gaines, Junior Deacon.
Submitted by Past Master Doug Morrison
Madison Lodge No. 5 Officers for 2015 were installed by Grand Master William Beetcherat a joint installation at the Madison Masonic Center on Dec. 14. District 7 Deputy GrandMaster Craig J. Froelich served as Installing Marshal and Grand Chaplain David Ritchieserved as Installing Chaplain. Front row (from left): Ryan Wetley, Junior Deacon; GrandMaster William Beetcher; Sardar Durrani, Senior Warden; Miguel Perez, Master; RonaldWebster, Secretary/Treasurer; and Philip Van Styn, Counselor. Back row: District 7Deputy Grand Master Craig J. Froelich; Garrit Marshall, Chaplain; and Grand ChaplainDavid R. Ritchie.
Photo by Rich Rygh
Hiram Lodge No. 50 Officers for 2015 were installed by Grand Master William Beetcherat a joint installation at the Madison Masonic Center on Dec. 14. District 7 Deputy GrandMaster Craig J. Froelich served as Installing Marshal and Grand Chaplain David Ritchieserved as Installing Chaplain. Front row (from left): Matt Hughey, Senior Deacon; AaronKeeling, Senior Warden; Grand Master William Beetcher; Christopher Boehm, JuniorWarden; Willard Sprague, Tiler; and James Mitchell, Junior Deacon. Back row: PeterThompson, Senior Steward; Jerry Roscoe, Chaplain; Lyle Christian, Secretary; District7 Deputy Grand Master Craig J. Froelich; and Grand Chaplain David R. Ritchie.
Photo by Rich Rygh
Four Lakes Daylight Lodge No. 362 Officers for 2015 were installed by Grand MasterWilliam Beetcher at a joint installation at the Madison Masonic Center on Dec. 14. District7 Deputy Grand Master Craig J. Froelich served as Installing Marshal and Grand ChaplainDavid Ritchie served as Installing Chaplain. Front row (from left): Dale Holmen, SeniorWarden; Grand Master William Beetcher; Joseph Fisher, Master; Joe Silverberg, Chaplain;Philip Salkin, Junior Steward; Sam Ferguson, Treasurer; and Mark Hazelbaker, Counselor.Back row: District 7 Deputy Grand Master Craig J. Froelich; Lyle Baez, Senior Deacon;Richard Roe, Secretary; Steve Ansorge, Junior Deacon; Randy Christianson, Junior War-den; and Grand Chaplain David R. Ritchie.
Photo by Rich Rygh
Advertise in the
Wisconsin Masonic JournalThe Number 1 Source for Reaching the Masons of Wisconsin
Contact Diane Igl262-965-3979
Email: [email protected]
Commonwealth Lodge No. 325Commonwealth Lodge No. 325 Officers for 2015 were installed by Grand Master WilliamBeetcher at a joint installation at the Madison Masonic Center on Dec. 14. District 7Deputy Grand Master Craig J. Froelich served as Installing Marshal and Grand ChaplainDavid Ritchie served as Installing Chaplain. Front row (from left): Ryan Murphy, JuniorWarden; Grand Master William Beetcher; Matt Ivens, Master; Channing Bloss, SeniorWarden; and Joe Fleming, Secretary/Treasurer. Back row: Paul Krueger, Junior Deacon;Jeff Rubish, Senior Deacon; District 7 Deputy Grand Master Craig J. Froelich; and GrandChaplain David R. Ritchie.
Photo by Rich Rygh
50 and 60 Year Pins and CertificatesAre available from the Grand Lodge Office
Contact Cheryl [email protected] call 262-965-2200 Ext. 800
PAGE 12 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015
Lodges Install Officers for 2015
Geneva Lodge No. 44
Milton Lodge No. 161Chetek Lodge No. 277
River Falls Lodge No. 109
Marshfield Lodge No. 224
Northwestern Lodge No. 105
Chetek Lodge No. 277 Installed new officers on Dec. 13 for the year 2015. Front row:(from left): Jim Meacham, Senior Warden; Alton Hodges, Installing Master; Jim Esswein,Master; and Bill Rhiger, Junior Warden. Second row: Gene Buffington, Treasurer; RobertLund, Secretary; Jim Olson, Junior Deacon; and Mike Kohnen, Junior Steward.
Submitted by Bro. Alton Hodges
At an open installation the officers of Geneva Lodge No. 44 were ensconced in their sta-tions with the help of two Grand Lodge officers: Senior Grand Steward Kenneth C. Gor-gen and District 11 Deputy Grand Master Michael A. Gorgen. Front row (from left): KeithRedell, Master; District 11 Deputy Grand Master Michael A. Gorgen, Installing Marshal;Senior Grand Steward Kenneth C. Gorgen, Installing Master; Frank Chesen, Junior War-den; Donald Redell, Treasurer. Back row: John Wozniak, Senior Warden/Chaplain; RobertL. Grohall, Senior Deacon/Trustee; Area Administrator Clint Cagle; Richard VandeSande,Secretary; and Junior Deacon Brett Krause, Junior Deacon.
Submitted by Bro. Bob Grohall
Marshfield Lodge No. 224 Officers for 2015. From left: Jim Schmidt, Senior Deacon;Mike McCaffery, Junior Warden; Dean Swett, Master; David Shedivy, Senior Warden;and Ken Olm, Secretary.
Submitted by Bro. David Shedivy, photo by Bro. Dan VanDenBerg
The officers to lead River Falls Lodge No. 109 for 2015 were installed at a special cere-mony and gift exchange at the Masonic Center in River Falls on Dec. 16. Front row (fromleft): Blair Conklin, Junior Warden; Dale Brathol, Master; and Lenny Austin, Senior War-den. Second row: Doug Hoffman, Secretary; Fred Benson, Counselor; Dave Vold, Treas-urer; Ed Swenson, Junior Deacon, District 2 Lecturer Harold Christensen, InstallingChaplain; Mike Elliott, Chaplain; Steve Schwartz, Tiler; and Past Grand Master CharlesE. White, Installing Master. Third row: Michael Wilson, Past Master and Trustee; WilliamJ.F. Beetcher, Junior Steward; Dan Toland, Senior Steward; Ralph Thompson, Past Mas-ter of Collins-Spring Valley Lodge No. 192, Installing Marshal. Grand Master WilliamBeetcher and his Lady Pat were in attendance to support their son Bro. William J.F.Beetcher who was installed as Junior Steward.
Photo by Bro. Milt Helmer
New officers to lead Northwestern Lodge No.105 were duly installed on Dec.17 at theMasonic Center Prescott. Front row (from left): Area Administrator H. Scott Paulson, In-stalling Marshal; District 2 Deputy Grand Master Thomas W. Christiano, Installing Master;and District 2 Lecturer Harold Christensen, Installing Chaplain. Second row: Matt Weber,Senior Deacon; Dan Finley, Trustee; Gary Melstrom, Junior Warden; Steve Schwartz,Master; James Shortreed, Junior Warden; Warren Brandt, Secretary; and Jake Parmeter,Junior Deacon. Third row: Dave Finley, Treasurer; Mike Elliott, Junior Steward; FrankDuring, Counselor; Dennis Donath, Senior Steward; Milt Helmer, Chaplain; and Bro.Jamie Peterson, Tiler.
Photo by Rita Brandt
Officers for 2015 of Milton Lodge No. 161 were installed on Dec. 20, following their an-nual Christmas party. District 9 Deputy Grand Master Paul T. Tourville was the InstallingMaster and was engaging as usual. Bro. Dwight Redders was the Installing Marshal andBros. Mike Nelson, Bob Barnett, and Noah Schultz assisted with the installation. Frontrow (from left): District 7 Lecturer Brian Duoss, Chaplain; Fran Prusansky, Junior Warden;Pat Garvin, Senior Warden; Leroy Huber, Master; Bill Kayser, Treasurer; Ben Carroll,Junior Steward; and Bob Barnett. Second row: Jim Blank, Junior Deacon; Mike Nelson;Al Huber, Counselor; Dwight Redders; Noah Schultz; and Bill Broeg, Tiler. Third row:District 9 Deputy Grand Master Paul T. Tourville.
Submitted by Bro. Pat Garvin
WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015 - PAGE 13
Joint Installation at Madison Masonic Center
District 7 Deputy Grand Master Craig J. Froelich (left) introduces the Senior Wardens for installation from left: Bro. Dale Holeman, Four Lakes DaylightLodge; Channing Bloss, Commonwealth Lodge; Aaron Keeling, Hiram 50; and Sardar Duranni, Madison Lodge.
Past Master Philip Van Styn examines the set of workingtools presented to him by Master Mike Perez.
Grand Master William Beetcher congratulated the Master of the Lodges after the in-stallation ceremony.
Master Joseph Fisher is presented a gavel by his parents,Donna and Frank Fisher.
District 7 Deputy Grand Master Craig J. Froelich, Installing Marshal, declares theofficers installed.
Photos by Rich Rygh
See story on page 3 andofficer photos on page 11
PAGE 14 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015
News Events from the Lodges
Bro. Roblee honored for 55 yearsBro. Darrell Roblee (right) received his 55 Year Service Award fromMaster Brad Bingheim at the Lake Lodge No. 189 awards night onDec. 4 at the Lake Masonic Center in Milwaukee. Bro. Roblee wasraised in Excelsior Lodge No. 175 on June 24, 1959 and served theLodge as Master in 2004. Excelsior Lodge merged with Lake Lodge inMay of 2009.
Photo by Joshua Armstrong
Bro. Howes honored for 50 yearsBro. Robert Koch (left), Master of Laflin-St. James Lodge No. 247 andSecretary/Treasurer Roy Hubler (right) recently presented Bro. RichardHowes his 50 Year Service Award on behalf of Flint Lodge No. 23,Flint, Michigan. Bro. Howes was raised on June 30, 1964 and is a LifeMember of Flint Lodge. He is planning to become a member of Laflin-St. James Lodge.
Photo by Bro. Gabe Winzenried
Santa arrived right on schedule at the annual Christmas Party at Wautoma Lodge No. 148, on Dec. 13. Hebrought with him a sack filled with gifts, and with his “Naughty or Nice” book in hand. Everyone of hisyoung guests had been very good this year and gratefully received a gift from Santa. It was unfortunate thatWautoma’s Junior Warden, Bill Schmitz, once again missed Santa’s visit. Each year, Bro. Bill somehowmanages to leave the room just before Santa’s big entrance. He did return shortly after Santa had left town.Maybe next year, Bro. Bill. Submitted by Bro. Keith Wohlfert
Santa visits Wautoma Lodge
HARDERFUNERALHOME
DEAN K. HARDER,President
18700 West Capitol DriveBrookfield, Wisconsin 53045
(262) 781-8350
Email yourLodge news and
upcoming events [email protected].
Washburn Lodge No. 145, Bris-tol, held their annual ThanksgivingFood Drive at Sentry Foods inPaddock Lake Nov. 8 and 9. TheFood Drive is held to benefit TheSharing Center of Westosha inTrevor, which feeds, clothes, andprovides programs to those fami-lies in need who reside West of I-94 in Kenosha County.Thanks to the generosity of area
residents, the help of SentryFoods, and the hard work ofWashburn Brethren, the Food
Washburn Lodge Food Drive Assists Westosha Sharing Center
Drive netted 2,479 pounds offood, including over 50 turkeysand 400 pounds of potatoes, aswell as almost $800 in cash dona-tions! At the end of each day, thedonations were transported in avan provided by the Sharing Cen-ter, and dropped off at the Centerfor distribution.
The Brethren wish to thankTreasurer Joe Brown for his greatwork in organizing the event, andall who donated and participatedto make it such a great success.
“I have noticed that the biggest problem with communication is the il-lusion that it has taken place!”
Bro. Jesse Schubert, Past Master Ozaukee Lodge No. 17
Masonic Quotes
WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015 - PAGE 15
You would have thought it wasD-Day all over again. It was just assobering and just as exciting —the 70th anniversary. Why notwait to have this giant celebrationon its 75th? As a docent at one ofthe many Normandy museumsdedicated to the landing told me,“We just don’t know if we wouldhave many veterans by that time.”Going back in timeFrom military parades chock-full
of 1940s vehicles and equipment,to parachute jumps, all of Nor-mandy was once again bathed inolive drab. It was at once celebra-tory and sobering. In between thetears and the chills is a deep un-dercurrent if not overriding senseof admiration, appreciation andawe: awe that something so hugecould be pulled off so well.
As Stalin grudgingly stated,“The large-scale forcing of theEnglish Channel and the masslanding of troops of allies inNorthern France have fully suc-ceeded. One must admit that thehistory of wars does not know anysuch undertaking so broad in con-ception and so grandiose in itsscale and so masterly in execu-tion.”The attackers were made up of
Brits, Canadians, Poles, French,Greeks, Belgians, Dutchmen andNorwegians, Australians and NewZealanders. But the predominantnational contributor in materiel ifnot men (83,000 British andCanadian versus 73,000 Ameri-can, with naval backup of 53,000American and 113,000 British)was the U.S. The stories
I spent seven days there andcovered the length of Normandyinto Brittany, from Honfleur toChartres, Deauville to Benerville-sur-Mer, Caen to Carentan,Bayeux to the Beaches, Argentanto Avranches and Ste. Lô to St-Malo. I also followed a friend’s fa-ther’s footsteps from OmahaBeach through the horror of thehedgerows, the terror of tank war-fare, to Mortain, Falaise, Paris, the
Hürtgen Forest, the “Bulge”towns of Malmedy, Bastogne andSt. Vith, Belgium, then Aachenand Stolberg, Germany, to theRhine’s Remagen Bridge uponwhich a shellburst injury sent himhome.
A lady who lives in St-MèreÉglise, the town where the para-trooper got caught on thechurch’s spire, brought me totears with her memories as ayoung girl and how other citizenshelped bury the American dead.She said, “That’s when we reallyconnected to America. Of coursewe were appreciative, we were ec-static; they freed us from the Ger-mans. But as we laid them down,well, that was when the relation-ship started. We brought flowersto their graves because they be-came our families, too. And wefeel it to this day.”Houses all over Normandy were
festooned with American, Britishand French flags. There werehuge flags at the top of the Cathe-dral in Bayeux (home of the fa-mous tapestry), and they evenadorned the side of the toweringLe Mont-Saint-Michel.
The people I stayed with hadcome from farming stock in thearea of Cherbourg. One of thegreat pities was to hear their sad-ness when their cows and live-stock were killed or maimedhaving stepped on Germanmines.Getting into the action
At the huge, must-see D-Daymuseum in Caen, while watchinga movie about the Utah andOmaha Beach battles, plus thePointe du Hoc cliff scaling, agroup of school kids interrupted uswith their romping, laughing andnoise making. My first reactionwas anger. How could they be sodisrespectful in such a sacredplace? But that was the reason wefought that war, so they couldromp and laugh and make noise.The realization made me want togo laugh with them.
You have heard of AmericanCivil War or Revolutionary Warreenactors, right? There were sev-eral thousand WWII re-enactorsthere. I mean it, thousands. Each
and every one of them was au-thentically dressed in soldier’s fa-tigues, right down to the correctinsignias. Did I say soldiers?Nurses were there, and otherwomen were dressed in 1940s-style French resistance clothing.Everyone was carrying weapons.And there were hundreds uponhundreds of Sherman tanks,jeeps, halftracks, tents, foxholes,machine guns and cannons.Several large camps were set up
complete with the “Bar Arizona,”a place for “troops” to enjoy adrink. If it didn’t all transport youback 70 years ago then youweren’t alive. It was stunning. Butget this, not one of those thou-sands of American re-enactorswere American; they wereFrench, Swiss, Polish, Czech, youname it. Not one had English astheir mother tongue; that stunnedme all the more. There were peo-ple looking like my countrymen,but they weren’t! All of them werepaying homage to, and holdinggreat respect for, the warriors ofour greatest generation. ManyBrits portrayed their own warriors,especially around the PegasusBridge area.Paying it forwardWe must all understand, and un-
derstand very deeply, that the soulof a people may be likened to thekeyboard of a great church organ:heavenly music may flow out of it,or the man at the keyboard maybe a demon, as was Hitler. How-ever, when society is heavily influ-enced by its civic, social andcharitable groups, democracy’sprecarious but still hopeful posi-tion is preserved, its music ametaphor for an extraordinary ca-pacity to marshal its collectivegood for the benefit of its citi-zenry. By staying engaged in civicactivities you help define the basisfor harmony among the mosaic ofcultures that make up our country,which in turn helps define the
common interests and goals ofmankind.Consistent civic participation
and civic achievement brings youto the honor of truly being calleda citizen. Joining and staying in-volved in various charitable or so-cial improvement organizationsfrom the Boys and Girls Clubs tothe Masons, from the Soropti-mists to the Odd Fellows, fromChambers to Downtown Preser-vation Societies, strengthen andperpetrate the values that underliepolitical discourse, versus focusingon political differences; whichlends a deeper meaning to ourmembership in those organiza-tions. One visit to Normandy andyou understand why we fought,and why you want to stay involvedand engaged. One visit to Nor-mandy and it becomes clear whyengagement, participation andvolunteerism is so important. AsBritish Prime Minister WinstonChurchill said about his fliers,“Never have so many owed somuch to so few.” This applied to
By Mac Alexander Macdonald
Downtown Carentan, festooned with flags of appreciation.Carentan was a focal point of American parachute and landingactivity and it lies on the doorstep of the hated hedgerows.
Photo by Mac Alexander Macdonald
Photo by Mac Alexander Macdonald
Photo by Mac Alexander Macdonald
Author Mac Macdonald poses with Brazilian re-enactors.
These French re-enactors recreated an actual picture that was taken during the war.
the landings as well.The Normandy invasion and the
subsequent push across France,Belgium, Denmark, Italy and Ger-many to aid in the liberation of Eu-rope was our finest hour, but ourfinest hours are not behind us.Tyranny lurks wherever we getcomplacent about the search forknowledge, where egos begin tohate their own funerals, where in-vestor greed versus universal goodbecomes our overriding interest,or wherever we let human rightsget trampled. It all comes down toone word: vote! Make sure everymillennial-aged person you knowgets into the habit of voting.Supreme Commander Ike Eisen-hower refers to you, too, when hesaid to the GIs, “The hopes andprayers of liberty-loving peopleeverywhere march with you.”
Editor’s note: Mac AlexanderMacdonald is a corporate trainerand author of the book “LightingYour Own Fuse – A Glossary ofMission, Vision, and Passion.” Formore info, visit lyfeco.com.
French re-enactors depicting the gendarme, the military policeof the day, a nun. The Cherbourg sign is a recreation as well.
PAGE 16 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015
Wisconsin Masonic Charities
Like us onFacebook
Advertise in the
Wisconsin Masonic JournalThe Number 1 Source for Reaching the Masons of Wisconsin
Contact Diane IglPhone 262-965-3979
e-mail: [email protected]
News Events from the Lodges
Bro. Dan Finley (right), Past Master of Northwestern Lodge No. 105,Prescott, was name “Mason of the Year” at a special Christmas partyfollowing installation of officers on Dec. 17 at Philanders in Prescott.Senior Warden Jim Shortreed made the presentation.
Photo by Milt Helmer
Bro. Finley is “Mason of the Year”
Lodge Excellence
AwardApplications must be
received by your District Deputy by February 15.
The application canbe downloaded from
www.wisc-freemasonry.org
Five Lodge Degree Exemplification
Brethren from five lodges got together on Dec. 18 at the Waucoma Lodge Masonic Center South (Bro.Dwight Redders' garage in Evansville), where many hours of degree practice are conducted annually,for a multi lodge exemplification degree night. District Lecturer Brian Duoss conducted the exemplifi-cation. Lodges in attendance were Union Lodge No. 32, Waucoma Lodge No. 90, Kegonsa LodgeNo. 73, Janesville-Western Star No. 55 and Milton Lodge No. 161. In the top photo Brethren are atwork. Bottom photo, front row (from left): District Lecturer Brian Duoss, Bill Kayser, Jerry Thompson,Jim Gajdosik, Tony Walls, Ben Carroll and Matt Halla. Second row: Bob Barnett, Brandon Elmer, PastGrand Master John W. Wilke, Dwight Redders, Leroy Huber and Ken Koberle. Back row: Al Huber,Jim Blank, Gregg Peckham and Rusty Thompson.
Submitted by Bros. Pat Garvin and Bob Barnett
“Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure.The way you think about a fact may defeat you before you ever do anything about it. You are overcome bythe fact because you think you are.” — Norman Vincent Peale, American minister and Freemason
Masonic Quotes
WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015 - PAGE 17
DeMolay Prom, “A Night in Paris”
Fun on the dance floor.
King Dewey Tennessen and Queen Aliza Lewitzke. State Master Councilor Ryan Dunnannounces the voting procedure forking and queen.Jessica Knight and Tarin Hinze enter
on the red carpet.
DeMolays having a fun time.
DeMolays Ben Ferguson, Casey Ferguson, Ryan Ferguson and Joe Bloom in serious dis-cussion.
Grand Bethel Honored Queen BriquelFrahm escorted by DeMolay JesseHubbard.
Amari Morton and Tiara Davis go through the hors d'oeuvreline.
Photos by
RichRygh
PAGE 18 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015
Stated Communicationsfor the Mason Traveling in Wisconsin
AntigoAntigo Lodge No. 231
645 7th Ave. Meet 2nd Monday, 7 p.m.
Dark July & August
ArgyleArgyle Lodge No. 178
104 E. Milwaukee St. • 608-523-4714 Meet 2nd Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Meets All Year
BaldwinCollins-Spring Valley Lodge 192790 Main St. • 715-928-0001 (Sec)Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Dark June, July & August
BarabooBaraboo Lodge No. 34
108 Second Ave. • 608-434-7720Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
BarneveldBarneveld Lodge No. 319
108 S. Jones St. • 608-445-0445 (Sec)Meet 2nd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
BayfieldBayfield Washburn No. 21527 2nd Street • 715-747-6965 Meet 1st Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Meets All Year
Beaver DamDodge County Lodge No. 721212 DeClark St • 920-210-1412Meet 1st Thurs. & 3rd Monday, 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
BeloitMorning Star Lodge No. 10229 W. Grand Ave. • 608-362-0422Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Meets All Year
Black EarthCrescent Valley Lodge No. 971020 Mills St. • 608-795-4484 (Sec)
Meet 1st Thursday, 7:00 p.m.Dark July & August
Black River FallsBlack River Lodge No. 74314 Main Street • 715-896-0329
Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.Dark July & August
BloomerBloomer Lodge No. 281
1516 Larson St. • 715-568-5152Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Dark January & February
BristolWashburn Lodge No. 145
8102 - 199th Ave.• 262-631-9616Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
2nd Thurs. only Jan. & Feb.
BrookfieldMcKinley Lodge No. 307
4550 N. Pilgrim Rd. • 262-781-9907Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
Camp DouglasCamp Douglas Lodge No. 272211 Main St. • 608-427-6542 (Sec)Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Meets All Year
CecilMason-Woods Lodge No. 368
N6446 Emery Ansorge Rd • 715-584-8187 (Sec) • 3rd Tues., 10 a.m.
Dark January & February
ChetekChetek Lodge No. 277
216 Morrison St. • 715-924-4245 (Sec) Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7 p.m.
Dark June, July & August
Chippewa Falls Chippewa Falls Lodge No. 176650 Bridgewater Ave. • 715-723-0306 Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
ColumbusColumbus Lodge No. 75
318 N. Ludington St. • 920-623-3524 (Sec) • Meet 2nd Mon., 7 p.m.
Dark June-August
CrandonCrandon Lodge No. 287
118 S. Lake Ave. • 715-616-2394 (Sec) Meet 2nd Tues. Apr.-June & Sept.-Dec. Meets 4th Tues. Mar.-May & July-Oct
DarlingtonEvening Star Lodge No. 64
433 Wells St. • 608-776-4213 (Sec)Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Meets All Year
Dodgeville Dodgeville Lodge No. 119
200 W. Chapel St. • 608-935-2751 Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Meets All Year
DousmanDousman Lodge No. 315214 N. Main St. • 414-429-5981
Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.3rd Tuesday only July & August
DousmanGlen L. Humphrey Lodge No. 364375 State Rd. 67 • 262-965-7360
Meet 2nd Tuesday, 9:30 a.m.Dark in June
Eagle RiverEagle River Lodge No. 248610 E. Division • 715-891-3116
Meet 2nd Tuesday, 7 p.m.Meets All Year
Eau ClaireEau Claire Lodge No. 112
616 Graham Ave. • 715-563-8561 (Sec.)715-835-5333 (Master) 2nd & 4th
Tues., 7:00 p.m., Dark July & Aug.
Eau ClaireGeorge B. Wheeler Lodge No. 351616 Graham Ave. • 715-832-8738Meet 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Dark July & August
Eau ClaireSanctuary Lodge No. 347
616 Graham Ave. • 715-318-1214Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, dinner 6
p.m., meeting at 7 p.m. Dark July & Aug
EdgertonFulton Lodge No. 69
312 W. Fulton St.• 608-884-4250Meets 1st Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
EllsworthHancock Lodge No. 229
400 High Point Dr. • 715-273-4339Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
FlorenceHiram D. Fisher Lodge No. 222
5143 N. Montgomery Lake Rd.. 715-696-6308 Meet 2nd Wed.,
6:30 p.m. Meets All Year
Fond du Lac Fond du Lac Lodge No. 26
500 W. Arndt St. • 920-922-5800Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7 p.m.
Dark July and August
FredericLandmark Lodge No. 244
109 United Way • 715-472-4174 (Sec).Meet 2nd Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
Friendship Quincy Lodge No. 71
210 Main St. • 608-853-1768 (Sec)Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
Dark July & August
GalesvilleDecora Lodge No. 177
231 S. Main St. • 608-539-5230Meets 1st & 3rd Mondays, 8 p.m.
Dark July & August & 1st Mon. Sept.
Green BayDes Peres Lodge No. 85
525 N. Taylor • 920-865-7637Meet 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m.
Dark July & August
Green Bay N.E.W. Daylite Lodge No. 360 525 N. Taylor St. • 920-371-8441
Meet 2nd Thursday, 10 a.m. Dark July & August
Green BayTheodore Roosevelt Lodge 322525 N. Taylor St. • 920-490-9777Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.Dark July & Aug., www.roosevelt322.com
Green BayWashington Lodge No. 21
525 N. Taylor St.• 920-499-7265Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7 p.m.
Dark July & August
HartfordHartford Lodge No. 120
147 N. Rural St. • 262-366-5464Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
HaywardKeystone Lodge No. 263
10629 Main St. • 715-634-8735 (Sec)Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7 p.m.
Dark July & August
HustisfordNeosho-Mayville-Horicon No. 108128 E. Anthony St., Hustisford
920-212-0542 • 1st & 3rd Tues. 7:00Dark July & AugustHudson
St. Croix Lodge No. 56209 Locust Street • 651-210-7697Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
Iron RiverAncient Landmark No. 210
7575 West Mill St. • 715-685-44261st Wed., 7 p.m., Meets All Year
Iron RiverBarnes Lodge No. 365
7575 West Mill St. • 715-372-5425 Meet 2nd Tues. 7:00 p.m. Dark January & February
JanesvilleJanesville-Western Star No. 552322 E. Milwaukee St. • 608-752-3098Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:30 p.m.
Meets All Year
JeffersonJefferson County Lodge No. 9617 Masonic Blvd. • 920-674-6715Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:00 p.m.
Meets All Year
KenoshaKenosha Lodge No. 47
115 56th St. • 262-287-9878Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
Kenosha Sunrise Lodge No. 359
4320 Washington Rd. • 262-694-7817Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 9:30 a.m.
Dark July & August
KenoshaUnity Lodge No. 367
4320 Washington Rd. • 262-657-5575Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7 p.m.Dark 3rd Thurs., July & August
La CrosseLa Crosse Masonic Lodge No. 190118 8th Street So. • 608-782-1616Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
La CrosseFrontier-Badger Lodge No. 45
118 S. 8th St. • 608-782-1616Meet 2nd & 4th Thurs., Dinner, 6 pm,Meeting 7 p.m. Dark July & August
LadysmithMystic Tie Lodge No. 280
705 E. 3rd St. N. • 715-532-7696 (Sec)Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
Lake GenevaGeneva Lodge No. 44
335 S. Lake Shore Dr. • 262-949-8523Meet 2nd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
LindenLinden Lodge No. 206
618 Main St. • 608-623-2143 (Sec)Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 8 p.m.
Dark July & August
LodiLodi Valley Lodge No 99
114 First St. • 608-609-1027 (Sec)Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark August
Lone RockFranklin Lodge No. 16
227 S. Oak St. • 608-583-4303 (Sec)Meet 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 8 p.m.
Meets All Year
MadisonCommonwealth Lodge No. 325301 Wisconsin Ave. • 608-271-5574
3rd Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. Meets All Year
MadisonDoric Lodge No. 356
85 S. Stoughton Rd. • 608-839-4861(Sec) • Meet 1st & 3rd Tues., 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
MadisonFour Lakes Daylite Lodge No. 362301 Wisconsin Ave. • 608-831-8947Meets 1st Mon. - 2nd Mon. if 1st is holi-day wknd., 10 a.m. Meets All Year
Madison Hiram Lodge No. 50
301 Wisconsin Ave. • 608-209-4312Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:30 p.mDark 1st Mondays, July thru Sept.
MadisonMadison Lodge No. 5
301 Wisconsin Ave. • 608-957-3068Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.Dark 1st Thursday July & August
ManawaManawa Lodge No. 82
520 N. Bridge St. • 920-596-2476Meet 2nd & 4th Mon., Dinner 6 p.m.
Meeting 7 p.m., Dark July & Aug.
ManitowocManitowoc Lodge No. 65
810 Chicago St. • 920-553-7144 (Sec)Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:00 p.m.
Meets All Year
MarinetteMarinette Lodge No. 182
1610 Main St. • 715-735-3515Meet 1st Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
MarshfieldMarshfield Lodge No. 224
402 W. 4th St. • 715-384-8646Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
MaustonNorthern Light Lodge No. 81211 E. State St. • 608-847-4134Meet 1st Thurs., 2nd Thurs. rotates,
7:00 p.m. Meets All Year
MedfordMedford Lodge No. 217
150 S. Seventh St. • 715-748-6909 Meet 2nd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark January & February
MenomonieMenomonie Lodge No. 164
N5729 - 410th St. • 715-235-2667Meet 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
MenomonieNine Rivers Lodge No. 369
N5729 - 410th St. • 715-864-6813Meet 1st Monday, 7:30 p.m.
Meets All Year
MercerHurley Lodge No. 237
5189 N. Harper • 715-904-0400Meet 2nd & 4th Thurs., 7:30 p.m.
Dark December thru March
MerrillVirginia Falls Lodge No. 226
916½ E. Main St. • 715-675-3440Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m.
Dark June, July & August
MerrillanMerrillan Lodge No. 279
105 S. Main Street • 715-333-5643 (Sec)Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7 p.m.Dark January, February & March
MiddletonMiddleton-Ionic Lodge No. 1807409 Franklin Ave. • www.middle
tonionic.org 1st & 3rd Tues., 7:30 p.m.Dark 3rd Tues., July & August
MiltonMilton Lodge No. 161
508 Vernal Avenue • 608-931-4656Meets 4th Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Meets All Year
MilwaukeeFreemasons Lodge No. 363
790 N. Van Buren St. • 414-659-52051st Wed., 5:30 p.m. Degrees 4thWed., 5:30 p.m. Meets All Year
MilwaukeeLake Lodge No. 189
1235 E. Howard Ave. • 414-744-4609Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
MilwaukeeMilwaukee-Harmony No. 2614315 N. 92nd St. • 414-961-1133
1st & 3rd Tues. 7:30 p.m. Dark July & August
MilwaukeeNathan Hale Lodge No. 350
790 N. Van Buren • 414-522-9872Meet 1st & 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
Mineral Point Mineral Point Lodge No. 1304 High St. • 608-604-7510
Call for meeting nights Dark 3rd Mon. July-Sept. & Oct.- Dec.
MinocquaIsland City Lodge No. 330
7529 Hwy 51 South • 715-277-2810(Sec.) • Meet 1st Wednesday, 10 a.m.
Meets All Year
MondoviBuffalo River Lodge No. 252
245 S. Franklin • 715-797-3261 (Sec)Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
MonroeSmith Lodge No. 31
1613-1/2 Tenth St. • 608-558-9987 Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.Dark 3rd Thurs. June & July & August
MukwonagoLaflin-St. James Lodge No. 247206 S. Main St. • 262-642-8717Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m.
Dark July & August
NeenahAppleton Lodge No. 349
241 E. Wisconsin Ave. • 920-731-7355Meet 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Dark July & August
Neenah/MenashaTwin Cities Lodge No. 61
241 E. Wisconsin Ave. • 920-722-3611Meets 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7 p.m.
Dark June - Aug. Open after Labor Day
New DiggingsOlive Branch Lodge No. 6
26750 Cty. Rd. W • 608-965-3122 Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark January & February
New GlarusNew Glarus Lodge No. 310
207 6th Avenue • 608-527-2583 (Sec)Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark June, July & August
NeoshoNeosho-Mayville-Horicon No. 108315 E. Anthony St., Hustisford • 262-818-
1374, 1st & 3rd Tues, 7:00 p.m.Dark July & August
OconomowocOconomowoc-Hartland Lodge 42307 N. Lake Road • 262-367-2390Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.
3rd Wednesdays, July & August
Oconto Pine Lodge No. 188
513 Superior Ave. • 920-835-3366Meet 2nd Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Dark December & January
Oconto Falls Oconto Falls Lodge No. 293
170 N. Washington St. • 920-373-5747Meet 1st Mon., Sept. 2nd Mon., 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
OmroOmro Lodge No. 168
160 E. Main Street • 920-685-2798Meet 2nd Monday, 7:00 p.m.
Meets All Year
OnalaskaOnalaska Lodge No. 214
330 Main Street • 608-386-8230 (Sec) Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.2nd Thursday only, July & August
OregonOregon Lodge No. 151
201 Park St. • 608-444-0074 (Sec)Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
OshkoshOshkosh Lodge No. 27
204 Washington Ave. • 920-385-1034Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
Dark July & August
OwenOwen Lodge No. 317
713 W. Third St. • 715-229-9150 (Sec.)Meets 1st Monday at 7:30 p.m. & 3rdMon. at 11 a.m. • Dark July & August
PhillipsPhillips Lodge No. 225
137 N. Lake Ave. • 715-762-4043Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark June, July & August
Platteville Melody Lodge No. 2
783 Enterprise Drive • 608-732-8625Meet 1st Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.
Meets All Year
PlymouthCassia Lodge No. 167
441 Smith St. • 920-892-6336Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:00 p.m.
Dark July & August
PortageFort Winnebago Lodge No. 33111 W. Conant Street • 608-697-2968Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 7:30 p.m.
Dark 4th Tuesday, July & Aug.
Port WashingtonOzaukee Lodge No. 17
504 W. Grand Ave. • 262-284-9978Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:30 p.m.
Meets All Year
PotosiWarren Lodge No. 4
112 S. Main St. • 608-763-2221 (Sec)Meets 1st Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Meets All Year
PrescottNorthwestern Lodge No. 105
132 N. Court St. • 715-262-5015 (Sec)Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Dark July & August
RacineRacine-Belle City Lodge No. 181012 Main St. • 262-633-6658
Meets 1st Tuesday, 7 p.m.Meets All Year
ReedsburgReedsburg Lodge No. 79
213 E. Main St. • 608-415-2325Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark January & February
RhinelanderRhinelander Lodge No. 242
23 E. Davenport St. • 715-362-3080 Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark January & February
Rice LakeBlue Hills Lodge No. 234
225 W. South St. • 715-434-7199 Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:00 p.m.
Meets All Year
Richland CenterRichland Lodge No. 66
290 W. Union St. • 608-538-3173 (Sec)Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
RiponPrairie View Lodge No. 95
W14188 County Rd. KK. • 920-291-8800Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m.
Dark 4th Tues. Nov. & Dec.
River FallsRiver Falls Lodge No. 109
122 E. Walnut St. • 715-338-8281 (Sec.)Meet 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
Shell LakeShell Lake /Spooner Lodge No. 22128 Doboy Drive • 715-468-4424 (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m.
July & August
SpartaValley Lodge No. 60
603 N. Court St. • 608-269-2616Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Dark June, July & August
Star PrairieNorth Star Lodge No. 187207 Bridge St. • 715-246-6258
Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:00 p.m.Dark June, July & August
Stevens PointEvergreen Lodge No. 93
1756 Dixon St. • 715-572-3981Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
Dark January & February
Sturgeon Bay Henry S. Baird Lodge No. 17431 S. 3rd Ave. • 920-493-3727
Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.Dark July & August
Sun PrairieSun Prairie Lodge No. 143152 N. Bird St. • 608-320-9582Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
Dark July & August
Superior Acacia-Itasca Lodge No. 3293117 N. 21 St .• 218-390-6646Meet 1st & 3rd Fridays, 7:00 p.m.
Dark July & August
Superior Superior Lodge No. 236
1503 Belknap St .• 218-391-9877 Meet 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
Lodge Listings are continued on page 19
WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015 - PAGE 19
Holiday Inn and Convention Center, Stevens Point. Official visit of the Most Wor-thy Grand Matron and Most Worthy Grand Patron of the General Grand Chapter.
JUNE 20155-6 Annual Communication, Madison Masonic Center.
NOVEMBER 201514 Hiram’s Harvest Festival, benefiting the Wisconsin Masonic FoundationYouth Soccer Program, watch for details.
continued from coverWisconsin Masonic Calendar
Promote YourLodge EventsSend information on your up-
coming lodge events to The Wis-consin Masonic Journal to beincluded in the Masonic Calendar.Send items by the 15th of the
month previous to the event. Re-member to allow time for reserva-tions if needed. Email to:[email protected] mail to Wisconsin MasonicJournal, Rich Rygh, Editor, 5823Madsen Circle, Oregon, WI53575.
AddressChanging?
Remember to notify your lodgesecretary or the Grand Lodge Officeof your change of address.
Contact Cheryl Martin
262-965-2200 Ext. 800email:
[email protected] Lodge
F. & A. M. of Wisconsin36275 Sunset DriveDousman, WI 53118
Stated Communication(continued from page 18)
TomahTomah Lodge No. 132
520 E. Saratoga Street • 608-372-5507Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7 p.m.
Dark July & August
Union GroveUnion Grove Lodge No. 288
1021 – 11th Ave. • 262-878-1494 Meet 3rd Saturday, 8:30 a.m.
Meets All Year
WaukeshaWaukesha Lodge No. 37
317 South Street • 262-542-6753Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
WaupacaWaupaca Lodge No. 123
105½ N. Main Street • 715-258-6198 Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
Dark June, July & August
WaupunWaupun Lodge No. 48
16 S. Madison St. • 920-324-3141Meets 1st Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
Wausau Forest Lodge No. 130
130 First Street • 715-845-5198Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Dark June, July & August
WautomaWautoma Lodge No. 148
203 S. Scott St. • 920-787-1614 (Sec.)Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:00 p.m.
Dark July & August
Wauwatosa Henry L. Palmer Lodge No. 301 4315 N. 92nd St. • 414-463-8390
Fridays, 7:00 p.m.Dark July & August
Wauwatosa Wisconsin Lodge No. 13
4315 N. 92nd St. • 414-463-8390 (Sec)Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark June & July
West AllisWauwatosa Lodge No. 267
7515 W. National Ave. • 262-662-9934Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7 p.m.
Dark July & August
West BendWest Bend Lodge No. 138
301 N. University Dr. • 262-338-3112Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7 p.m.
Meets All Year
West SalemSalem Lodge No. 125
101 W. Hamilton St. • 608-786-0930 (Sec)Meets 4th Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.
Dark July & August
Whitefish Bay Aurora Lodge No. 30
517 E. Beaumont Ave. • 414-964-4080 Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & August
WhitewaterSt. John’s Lodge No. 57
226 W. Main Street • 262-510-1049Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark July & AugustWilmot
Wilmot Lodge No. 24130702 113th St. • 262-812-6570
Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.2nd Tuesday only July & August
WinneconneWinneconne Lodge No. 1862 N. 1st Street • 920-582-7815 (Sec)
Meet 2nd & 4th Tues., 7 p.m.Dark July & August
Wisconsin DellsDells Lodge No. 124
815 Oak St. • 608-254-7012 Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Dark January & February
Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin Rapids Lodge No. 1282321 2nd Ave. So. • 715-421-9669
Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m.Dark July & August
Silas H. Shepherd Lodge of Research No. 1843
307 N. Lake Rd., Oconomowoc • 262-893-11062nd Saturday • March, June, Sept., Dec.
Call for meeting location
To list your lodge contactDiane Igl,
Bro. Mike Perez, Master of Madison Lodge No. 5, Explains Why He Chose the Tricorn Hat
By Bro. Mike PerezOne of the reasons I chose
Madison Lodge No. 5 as myhome was its rich history; not justthe history of the lodge itself, but
also what that history ultimatelyrepresents. The example I giveyou now is one of a myriad of il-lustrations that make me proud tobe a man, an American, a vet-eran, a Mason, and now, thanksto the brethren of my lodge, Wor-shipful Master – and is the reasonwhy I chose my Master’s Hat.As is common knowledge, my
lodge, as well as the city in whichit resides, was named after the 4thPresident of the United StatesJames Madison, also referred toas the father of the U.S. Constitu-tion. Similar to the father of theU.S. Declaration of Independ-ence, Thomas Jefferson, Madi-son’s affiliation with Freemasonryremains unknown, but the impor-tance of both documents cannotbe overstated. It is for this reasonthat, then City Planner, JamesDuane Doty selected all 39 signersof the U.S. Constitution to be im-mortalized within the street namesof downtown Madison, Wis.,which still remains the only U.S.
city to do so.Upon taking the East, I knew I
wanted to somehow convey theoverwhelming sense of pride I feltupon identifying this information –and what better way to communi-cate meaning to Masons thanthrough symbolism. So, in com-memoration and recognition ofthose men who toiled and com-promised in an effort to create“the greatest political documentever devised by man” and developthe longest lasting democracy inthe world, I have chosen to don ablack tricorn hat, similar to thoseworn by these great statesmenduring that period. It is my hopethat this symbol may find a per-manent home in Madison Lodge5, and potentially throughout theCraft, as an emblem of commit-ment, cooperation, and creativethinking, one which all Masonsmay take pride in and rally aroundin preparation for the strugglesand challenges we may face in thefuture.
Bro. Mike Perez
The Masonic Temple in Milton,built in 1916, has been nominatedto the National Register of His-toric Places. It passed the stateboard of review and will be listedon the Wisconsin State Register ofHistoric Places. It is now undergo-ing review at the national level.The building is located at 508 Ver-nal Ave.
Milton Temple Listed on State Register
Multiple-LetterCiphers
Contact Cheryl Martin
[email protected] Ext. 800
WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015 - PAGE 20
New Master MasonsNew Master Masons
Bro. David Shamsi was raised a Master Mason on Nov. 17 in Laflin-St. James Lodge No. 247 in Mukwon-ago. Front row (from left): Gabe Winzenried, Patrick Richards, Rob Koch, David Shamsi, Ken Gorgen,David Koch, Bob Brown, and John Wozniak. Second row: Bill Hahnfeldt, Rick Scanlan, Roy Hubler, DickStevens and Jeff Brenner. Back row: Bill Shelley, Joe Lewandowski, Gerry Hansen and Frank Mayer.
Submitted by Bro. Gabe Winzenried
Laflin-St. James Lodge raises new Master Mason
PGM Byrnes honored for 60 years by OESPast Grand Master James J. Byrnes receives his 60 year OES mem-bership certificate from Mariellen Haen, Worthy Matron, OES HonorChapter #1, Sturgeon Bay.
Submitted by Bro. Ed Klien
Bro. Mike Kohnen is new MM in ChetekBro. Mike Kohnen was raised a Master Mason in Chetek Lodge No. 277 Dec. 4. From left: Alton Hodges,Master; Mike Kohnen; Jim Esswein, Senior Warden; and Robert Lund, Secretary.
Submitted by Bro. Alton Hodges
Past Master’s ApronsApron $200
Apron andPortfolio Case
$275
Call the Grand Lodge Office toplace an order: 262-965-2200
Allow 2 weeks lead time
Made in USA – Queens, NY
Like us on FacebookGrand Lodge F. & A.M. of WI
The Ashlar Award Program was developed by the District DeputyGrand Masters of the Grand Lodge. It shares some of the characterof the Grand Lodge of Iowa Ashlar Award.The Ashlar Award was conceived to encourage lodges and par-
ticularly new Master Masons to properly mentor new candidatesand to more swiftly involve new Master Masons in lodge activity.By serving as a mentor, the new Master Mason will develop astronger bond with the lodge as well as with the new candidate.It is recommended that the activity of completing the Ashlar
Award Program be conducted by a three member team. The teamwill consist of an experienced Master Mason (Past Master, Coun-selor or other), a new (or relatively new) Master Mason and a newcandidate. It is intended that the new Master Mason is the actualleader and mentor and that the experienced Mason assists andserves as a resource.Earning the Ashlar Award consists of completing a flow chart of
activities designed to encourage proper completion of the Wiscon-sin Program, as well as returning the new Master Mason to lodgefor participation in lodge events and activities. It is hoped that thisprogram will help both the newest candidate and the newly raisedMaster Mason to become active participants in their lodge and tomake them feel welcome as integral members of the lodge.The “target” of the Ashlar Award is the newly raised Master
Mason. The award consists of a certificate and a “Perfect Ashlar”Pin that is earned by the new Master Mason for serving as a men-tor. The experienced Master Mason assisting on the team is alsoentitled to the award if he has not received one. The award canonly be earned once. The new candidate who is being mentoreddoes not receive the award. It is hoped that after he is raised andexamined in the MM posting that he will be part of a team thatmentors the next candidate.For more information and an Ashlar Award Application go to
the Grand Lodge website at wisc-freemasonry.org.
Ashlar AwardProgram
Rickenbacker and Sea GullsThere is a story about the fa-
mous Eddie Rickenbacker, whowould go down to the seaside reg-ularly and feed sea gulls. As he didso, he would say, "Thank you."
When questioned about thispractice, Rickenbacker explainedthat during World War II, thetransport plane he was in crashedat sea, hundreds of miles fromland. He and seven others man-aged to get into a life raft and pad-dled away. The group ran out of provisions
after eight days and they werenow starving. Rickenbacker re-clined at the back of the raft with
his cap over his face. Suddenly hefelt something land on his cap, sohe grabbed it. It was a sea gull,which he quickly killed. The meat provided a meal and
other parts of the gull became baitfor fishing. Thus the group sur-vived and made it to land.
Eddie Rickenbacker was amember of Kilwinning Lodge, No.297 in Detroit, Michigan. (From The Masonic Philatelist,
September, 2014, publication ofthe Masonic Stamp Club of NewYork, Inc. Brother Rickenbackerwas recognized on a U.S. postagestamp as an "Aviation Pioneer.”)
PAGE 21 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015
Attend and Support Your Lodge!
Standing Tall Because of MasonryJames T. (J.T.), Glisson, was
born in March of 1927, in thesmall north-central Florida town ofCross Creek. He was born withclubfoot, and at the time there wasno treatment for the condition.J.T's parents would not accept thegeneral consensus of local doctorsthat their son would never be ableto walk. J.T's father had arranged for his
child to be seen by the ShrinersHospital in St. Louis when he metW.W. Burgiss, the man responsi-ble for funding the opening of theGreenville Shriners Hospital. Thehospital wanted a child with club-foot to be the very first patient.Plans were made, and J.T, to-gether with his mother, who hadnever been further from herFlorida home than SouthernGeorgia, boarded a train forGreenville, South Carolina, unsureof what she would find once theygot there.
Glisson's mother had no ideathat she was going to be attendingthe grand opening of the brandnew Greenville Shriners Hospital,just as she was completely un-aware that her son was going tobe at the center of this event.
After the ceremony, J.T washanded over to then superintend-ent of nurses, Luella Schloeman,who later served as hospital ad-ministrator for 34 years and be-came very close to J.T During thistime, parents were unable to stayat the hospital with their children,and J.T's mother left her son, andreturned home, holding on to thebelief that he would walk one day.The Greenville Shriners Hospi-
tal became J.T's second home. Hespent about half of each year ofhis life until he was 9 years old atthe hospital, and loved every sec-ond of it. "I was just as happy atthe hospital as I was at home."Soon enough, J.T proved all hispast doctors wrong and began towalk. He is confident that withoutthe Greenville Shriners Hospital,he would have never taken his firststeps. During his time at the hospital,
J. T spent a lot of time drawing,and learned to love everythingabout art. Eventually, J.T grew up. He
served in the Army Air Corps,traveled around the world, studiedart, became a commercial illustra-tor, published two books, and be-
came a Shriner. He has said thatShriners Hospitals for Children isthe reason he can walk, the rea-son he became an artist, the rea-son most of his five childrenbecame artists and the reason hebecame a Shriner. Over the years, he has spoken
at countless fraternal conventionsand meetings, and dedicatedmuch of his life to serving the fra-ternity and its philanthropy. He isstill active with Morocco Shrinersin Jacksonville, Florida, and hasbeen named a National Ambassa-dor for Life. "There is no greater philanthropyin the world," said J.T, now 87.He currently resides in Evinston,Florida., with his wife of morethan 60 years.
From Southern California Re-search Lodge. (From an article inShriner Magazine, Summer2014, Shriners International)
Support the
Wisconsin Masonic SoccerFoundationContact Erika Miller
[email protected], ext. 831
The Masonic Service Associa-tion has been distributing disasterrelief assistance for more than 90years and this month has goneover the $10 million plateau infunds contributed.In May, MSA wired $42,500 to
the Grand Lodge of the Philip-pines and THAT action elevatedMSA above the $10 million mark.See the entire 90-year history ofthis service provided by the Ma-sonic Service Association.
The latest $42,500 brings to$185,000, the total of relief thathas been given to the Philippines,following the typhoon, whichstruck the island nation last year.That appeal has now ended andall the contributed donations havebeen sent to help our brothers inthe Philippines.
Since 1923, when MasonicService Association issued its first
appeal to help Japan, the MSAhas become the recognized andcredible Masonic group to whichall the Grand Lodges trust in for-warding disaster aid when it isneeded. This is one of MSA's keyservices.Also, remember that this is not
MSA money. The funds are do-nations from YOU – from individ-ual Masons, Lodges and GrandLodges, and not a penny of it iskept by MSA for administrativecosts. All disaster appeals are ini-tiated by a Grand Lodge, and allmoney collected is forwarded tothat Grand Lodge for local distri-bution.
The Masonic Service Associa-tion of North America is regis-tered with the Internal RevenueService as 501(c) (3) non-profit or-ganization, and all donations aretax-deductible.
MSA Surpasses $10Million in Disaster Aid
A Little Patriotic HistoryThis is a very interesting bit of
history and music.Frank Sinatra considered Kate
Smith the best singer of her time,and said that when he and a mil-lion other guys first heard her sing"God Bless America" on the radio,they all pretended to have dust intheir eyes as they wiped away atear or two.Here are the facts...The web address at the bottom
will take you to a video showingthe very first public singing of"GOD BLESS AMERICA ". Butbefore you watch it, you shouldalso know the story behind thefirst public showing of the song.
The time was 1940. Americawas still in a terrible economic de-pression. Hitler was taking overEurope and Americans wereafraid we'd have to go to war. Itwas a time of hardship and worryfor most Americans.This was the era just before TV,
when radio shows were HUGE,and American families sat aroundtheir radios in the evenings, listen-ing to their favorite entertainers,and no entertainer of that era wasbigger than Kate Smith.Kate was also patriotic. It hurt
her to see Americans so de-pressed and afraid of what thenext day would bring. She hadhope for America, and faith in herfellow Americans. She wanted todo something to cheer them up,so she went to the famous Amer-ican song-writer, Irving Berlin(who also wrote "White Christ-mas") and asked him to write asong that would make Americansfeel good again about their coun-try. When she described what shewas looking for, he said he hadjust the song for her.He went to his files and found a
song that he had written, butnever published, 22 years before
- way back in 1917. He gave it toher and she worked on it with herstudio orchestra. She and IrvingBerlin were not sure how the songwould be received by the public,but both agreed they would nottake any profits from God BlessAmerica . Any profits would go tothe Boy Scouts of America. Overthe years, the Boy Scouts have re-ceived millions of dollars in royal-ties from this song.This video starts out with Kate
Smith coming into the radio studiowith the orchestra and an audi-ence. She introduces the newsong for the very first time, andstarts singing. After the first cou-ple verses, with her voice in thebackground still singing, scenesare shown from the 1940 movie,"You're In The Army Now." At the4:20 mark of the video you see ayoung actor in the movie, sittingin an office, reading a paper; it'sRonald Reagan.To this day, God Bless America
stirs our patriotic feelings andpride in our country. Back in1940, when Kate Smith wentlooking for a song to raise thespirits of her fellow Americans, Idoubt whether she realized justhow successful the results wouldbe for her fellow Americans dur-ing those years of hardship andworry and for many generationsof Americans to follow. Now thatyou know the story of the song, Ihope you'll enjoy it and treasure iteven more.Many people don't know there's
a lead in to the song since it usu-ally starts with "God Bless Amer-ica . . ." So here's the entire songas originally sung.
www.youtube.com/embed/TnQDW-NMaRs#!(Courtesy of Masonic Service As-sociation of North America)
It could be argued that what we need, in the present state of theworld, is not just more and more scientists and technologists, butmore peopIe who’s understanding has been broadened, whoseminds have been illuminated, and sympathies deepened througheducation in the humanities and the liberal arts . . . perhaps thequality most in short supply is not technical competence but humanunderstanding, not intelligence but wisdom.A great British scholar, Sir Richard Livingstone said, “We cannot
have too much science, technology, economics, but they lose theirusefulness unless we see clearly the ends for which we intend touse them, and unless those ends are worthy of man. They deal withmeans and not with ends, and the more we have of them the morewe need to strengthen, in both education and life, those studieswhose subject is 'the knowledge of good and evil’.”
-The Freeman
Editors note: From the Wisconsin Freemason, October 1964.
Knowledge Of Good and Evil
WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - JANUARY 2015 - PAGE 22
George Washington Masonic National Memorial’s Tree ProgramBy Shawn Eyer
Director of CommunicationsGeorge Washington MasonicNational Memorial Association
The Dedicatory Tree Program,established in 2003, is one of theGeorge Washington Masonic Na-tional Memorial’s most favoredoptions for donors. By making amodest contribution, a donor mayhave a tree on the Memorial’sgrounds dedicated to an individualor organization. Each tree ismarked with a granite stone indi-cating the honoree and the donor.And every tree is maintained inperpetuity. Our tree serviceprunes the trees periodically, andunhealthy trees are treated or re-placed without additional cost tothe donor.Even before I came to work at
the Memorial, I was aware of thetree program through the promo-tional efforts of Mrs. Kathy Nagel,wife of Most Worshipful BrotherKenneth G. Nagel, California’sGrand Master in 2010 and cur-
rent member of the Memorial As-sociation’s Board of Directors. To-gether, they successfullyencouraged dozens of Californialodges and brethren to sponsortrees, raising over $50,000 andsignificantly raising awareness ofthe George Washington MasonicNational Memorial in the GoldenState.While highly effective as a way
to promote awareness of the Me-morial and its work, the tree pro-gram has many additional benefitsto note. For many years, ShutersHill—the site of the Memorial—was relatively bare. But in thedrawings that were prepared inthe 1920s by the original archi-tects of the Memorial, this majes-tic hill was depicted with a largenumber of trees. It was visualizedas a verdant garden that wouldprepare the stage for the Memo-rial itself, framing its grandiose ar-chitecture within a natural settingof impressive beauty. Due to un-expected economic pressures
such as the Great Depression andthe Second World War, the por-tion of the landscape design deal-ing with vegetation was not actedupon during the original building
era. Today, it is an opportunity forus to restore and fulfill the originalvision of those great Freemasonswho planned and designed ourMemorial.Another benefit is environmen-
tal. Trees are not only beautiful,but they produce oxygen. Morethan that, studies have shown thatthey are physically helpful becausethey remove pollutants from theair and psychologically therapeuticbecause their presence is stress-re-lieving. Masonically, we know that
beauty must adorn anything trulygreat. Our tree program fulfillsthat for the Memorial’s grounds,just as the architectural grandeurof the Memorial fulfills that for thetemple itself.For more information or to pur-
chase a dedicatory tree go towww.gwmemorial.org.
Published with permisson ofShawn Eyer, Editor of “Light”, apublication of the George Wash-ington Masonic National Memo-rial.
Traveling GavelDistrict 1
Shell Lake-Spooner No. 221 District 2
River Falls Lodge No. 109District 3
Virginia Falls Lodge No. 226District 4
Theodore Roosevelt No. 322District 5
Badger Lodge No. 45District 6
Wautoma Lodge No. 148
District 7 Fort Winnebago Lodge No. 33
District 8Baraboo Lodge No. 34
District 9Milton Lodge No. 161
District 10Manitowoc Lodge No. 65
District 11Laflin-St. James Lodge No. 247
District 12Aurora Lodge No. 30
Please check with the Master of the lodge listed before scheduling a trip toclaim the Traveling Gavel. It may already have been claimed by or deliveredto another lodge.
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Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of WI
George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia