Wisconsin Masonic Calendar

Transcription

1 THE WISCONSIN Masonic Journal DECEMBER 2014 First Leadership Training session is a huge success. See page 1. Wisconsin Masonic Calendar DECEMBER Prairie du Chien Lodge No. 8, Installation of Officers, Meal at 6:30 p.m., installation to follow. 4 Shawano Lodge No. 170, Member Recognition & Awards. Dinner and presentations at 6:00 p.m East Richmond Street, Shawano. 4 Installation of Officers, Melody Lodge No. 2 and Warren Lodge No. 4, Potosi Masonic Center. 4 Lake Lodge No. 189, Honors and Awards Night, 7:00 p.m. Open to the public. Light refreshments follow the ceremony. 5-7 Zor Shrine Ceremonial, Chula Vista, Wisconsin Dells. For registration and event information, please contact the Zor Office at or or via at zortemp@chorus.net. 6 Mason-Woods Lodge No. 368, Shawano Lodge No. 170, Antigo Lodge No. 231, Manawa Lodge No. 82 and Clintonville Lodge No. 197, combined open installation of 2015 officers. 3:30 p.m. installation, 5:00 p.m. supper. Shawano Masonic Center, 2324 E. Richmond Shawano. 6 Roosevelt Lodge No. 322, Christmas Party Brunch, 10:00 a.m. N.E.W. Masonic Center, 525 North Taylor St., Green Bay. 6 Waukesha Lodge No. 37, Breakfast with Santa, 8:00 a.m.-noon, 317 South St, Waukesha. 6 Silas Shepherd Lodge No. 1843, Stated Meeting and Installation of Officers, 10:00 a.m N. 92nd St, Wauwatosa. 6 Laflin-St. James Lodge No. 247, open house. 4:00-8:00 p.m., 206 S. Main, Mukwonago. 6 Lake Lodge No. 189, Breakfast with Santa, 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.,santa will appear at 10:00 a.m. Free and open to all E. Howard Ave., Milwaukee. 6 Lafayette Lodge No. 265, Installation of Officers, 2:00 p.m.,790 N. Van Buren, Milwaukee. 6 Order of The Eastern Star North Christmas Party, 11:00 a.m., Orchard Inn, Baldwin, Wis., $25 per person, contact Brenda Gaulke Reedsburg Lodge No. 79, Installation of Officers and Awards Night, 6:00 p.m. 7 OES Grand Officer Party, Sister Susanne Felske, Grand Ruth, Tee-Away Golf Course Supper Club, Ladysmith. $18 per person, contact Bridget Miller Sunrise Lodge No Installation of Officers, 9:30 a.m., 4320 Washington Rd., Kenosha. 8 Phillips Lodge No. 225, Installation of Officers, Phillips Masonic Center, 7:00 p.m. Dinner following at Club 13. RSVP by Dec. 3 to secphillips225@gmail.com. 9 Ancient Landmark Lodge No. 210 and Barnes Lodge No. 365, joint open installation of officers, 6:00 p.m. Iron River Masonic Center, 7575 West Mill Street, Iron River. Junior Grand Warden, L. Arby Humphrey will be the installing officer. Annual Christmas Dinner and Party will follow the installation. 11 H.S. Baird Lodge No. 174, Open Installation of Officers, 5:30 p.m. dinner, 6:30 p.m. installation. 12 Installation of Officers, N.E.W. Masonic Center 6:00 p.m. Des Peres Lodge No. 85, NEW Daylite Lodge No. 360, Roosevelt Lodge No. 322 and Washington Lodge No West Allis No. 291, Installation of Officers, 7:30 p.m W. National Ave., Milwaukee. 13 Unity Lodge No. 367, Installation of Officers, 1:00 p.m., 4320 Washington Rd., Kenosha 13 Geneva Lodge No. 44, Open Installation of Officers, 2:00 p.m. 13 McKinley Lodge No. 307, Installation of Officers, 4550 N. Pilgrim Rd, Brookfield. 13 Lake Lodge No. 189, Installation of Officers, 1:00 p.m., Reception to follow E. Howard Ave., Milwaukee. 13 Freemasons Lodge No. 363 Installation of Officers, 3:00 p.m., 790 N. Van Buren Milwaukee. 13 Henry L. Palmer lodge No. 301, Installation of Officers, 6:00 p.m., 4315 N. 92nd St., Milwaukee. 13 Milwaukee Harmony Lodge No. 265, Installation of Officers, 6:00 p.m., 4315 N. 92nd St., Milwaukee. 13 Ozaukee Lodge No. 17, Family Holiday Breakfast, 8:00 a.m. Reservations required by Dec. 8. Contact Bro. Jesse Schubert at or jesse.deanne@gmail.com. 14 Joint Installation of Officers, Madison Lodge No.5, Hiram Lodge No. 50, Commonwealth Lodge No. 325 and Four Lakes Daylight Lodge No :00 p.m. Madison Masonic Center. 14 Wilmot Lodge No. 241, Installation of Officers, 4:00 pm., th Street, Wilmot. 14 Order of The Eastern Star South Christmas Party, 11:00 a.m., Alioto s Restaurant, Wauwatosa. $22 per person, contact Maria Lemieux, Combined Installation of Officers for Dodgeville Lodge No.119, Mineral Point Lodge No. 1, Linden Lodge No. 206 and Barneveld Lodge No Wisconsin Masonic Heritage Center, Dodgeville. Meal at 6:30, installation at 7: Nathan Hale Lodge No. 350, Installation of Officers, 790 N. Van Buren, 7515 W. National Ave., Milwaukee. 18 Burlington Lodge No. 28, Installation of Officers 7:30 p.m., 325 N. Kane St., Burlington 19 Waukesha Lodge No. 37, Installation of Officers, 7:00 p.m., open to Master Masons only. 20 Wauwotosa Lodge No. 276, Installation of Officers. 27 Fond du Lac Lodge No. 26, Installation of Officers, lunch in honor of St. John the Evangelist at 11:30 a.m., installation at 1:00 p.m. Fond du Lac Masonic Center, 500 W. Arndt St., Fond du Lac. 30 Henry L. Palmer Lodge No. 301, Masonic Angel Fund Night. Contact Patrick Jackson at For more information see page 22.. Continued on page 19 Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of WI Like us on Facebook Twitter

2 THE Masonic WISCONSIN Journal VOLUME XLVII, NUMBER 11 The Official Publication of the Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Wisconsin DECEMBER 2014 Leadership Training Receives Very Favorable Reviews from Brethren Grand Master William Beetcher welcomes a full house to the first Wisconsin Masonic College Leadership Training Session at the Wisconsin Heritage Center in Dodgeville. Photo by Rich Rygh Kenosha Lodge No. 47 Moves into New Home; Reconsecrated after 160 Years By Rich Rygh Kenosha Lodge No. 47 is in their new home which is located at 56th St, and Center Ave. in Kenosha, on the former American Motors property. It is a very attractive building with a view of Lake Michigan and has a streetcar passing by every 15 minutes on weekends during the winter months and daily during the rest of the year. Kenosha Lodge was Reconsecrated in their new Masonic Center on Nov. 16, by Grand Master William Beetcher and officers of the Grand Lodge. Bro. Wayne Budwick, Master welcomed everyone to the reconsecration ceremony and opened the lodge in public form with the assistance of Senior Warden Craig Wepprecht, Junior Warden Ted Perroni and Chaplain Ewald Brandes. Worthy Matron Laurie Twardy Grand Lodge of Wisconsin to host Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America By Bro. Daniel L. Slavik Past Grand Master The Grand Lodge of Wisconsin is honored and excited to be hosting the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America February 21-23, The conference will be held at the Concourse Hotel in Madison and will attract approximately 800 delegates and attendees. This is the and ladies of Kenosha Chapter No. 92, OES presented bible at the altar. The flag was presented by Past Grand Commander David Schreier and Burlington Commandery No. 50. Master Wayne Budwick spoke on what Freemasonry teaches and expects. He gave a short history of Kenosha Lodge. A former Kenosha lodge, Southport Lodge No. 7, which met on Mondays preceding the full moon, lost its charter in 1853 after it was found that it was no longer meeting as the members took off to California for the Gold Rush. Another group of Masons in Kenosha petitioned the Grand Lodge for a charter that same year and it was granted as Kenosha Lodge No. 47 in The Lodge has met regularly for the last 160 years. The new location is the seventh home of the Lodge. See Kenosha on page 11 only gathering each year of all 64 Grand Masters from each Grand Lodge in Canada, United States, and Mexico. Along with networking among jurisdictions in North America and beyond, issues that affect all Masons are discussed during the conference. As the host jurisdiction, there are several things that we must provide to make this a successful conference. First and foremost, we will need volunteers to assist in many ways, which includes help By Rich Rygh Grand Master William Beetcher as Deputy Grand Master charged the Education Committee with developing an educational program for the Brethren which would teach leadership skills to be used by Brothers in their daily lives as well as their Masonic Leadership roles. After one and a half years of planning, research and hundreds of hours of work, the Grand Lodge Education Committee created the Wisconsin Masonic College, under the direction of Co-chairmen Senior Grand Deacon Scott E. Pedley and Grand Orator Keith D. Chamberlain, PGM; and committee members Senior Grand Steward Kenneth C. Gorgen, Junior Grand Deacon Robert C. Strader, Bro. Ray Mielke, Grand Chaplain David R. Ritchie and Grand Lecturer Davey L. White Jr., PGM. The Wisconsin Masonic College is based on a three year agenda, will feature the Leadership Module in year one, the Management Module in year two and the Programming Module in year three. The presentations will then be repeated. The first session presenting the Leadership Module was held at the Wisconsin Masonic Heritage Center in Dodgeville on Nov. 15. See Leadership on page 19 Bro. Wayne Budwick, Master of Kenosha Lodge extends a welcome at the opening of the Lodge. Photo by Rich Rygh with meeting and greeting visitors at the airport, tour hosts, staff a help desk, and other miscellaneous tasks. We will need to raise funds to assist with providing hospitality within our state. Please put these dates on your calendar for 2016 and look for additional articles and ads in future issues of the Wisconsin Masonic Journal explaining more about the event and how you can help. It s a great way to have fun and meet brethren from around the world! The Grand Master s Message: By Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons in Wisconsin Brother William Beetcher Harmony Being the Strength... Well, the Holiday Season is upon us with all of its joy and excitement. The children are of course anticipating the traditional gifts and festivities of the season and the break from school, and this is how it should be as joys and innocence of childhood last for such a brief time. Their excitement is truly infectious. For families, the holiday time is often a time of reunion and happiness; it is a time of corresponding and the renewal of old friendships. It is a time of great food and refreshments that, unfortunately, only seem to come out at this time of year, which is perhaps best for our waistlines. The holidays, while they are a time of celebration and joy, should also be a time of deep inner reflection and contemplation. We must remember that the word holiday itself is a derivation of the phrase holy day. As we all know so well, Freemasonry is not and has never claimed to be a religion, but because of its very nature Freemasonry holds strongly to the universal religious concepts of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. It is these values that allow us to enjoy and reflect on the spiritual values of all the Faiths that are so intimately connected with our Craft. Using the Masonic values of tolerance and acceptance, we should learn, explore, discuss. To learn from all should be one of the preeminent goals of all Freemasons. In so doing, we come away stronger, more complete, better men. Our Fraternity is so blessed and fortunate to have Brothers from so many Faiths as members. I firmly believe our religious diversity is one of our greatest strengths. To be able to discuss with Brothers of different Faiths their theological and philosophical values in a never-ending quest for deeper understanding and knowledge and come away feeling more enlightened is an opportunity far too seldom experienced in the world and far too precious to let pass. To the Brothers who have taught me, I have learned so much from you and for this teaching and enlightenment, I most gratefully and humbly thank you. You have made me a better Freemason and a better man. My Brothers, our openness and tolerance is one of those core values that give our gentle Craft a genuine uniqueness in this world. This we see as a great strength simply because it is. We not only accept we actively embrace and encourage our religious diversity because each brings a unique spiritual understanding and knowledge that can only enhance our Fraternity. Our theologies may vary and we may worship in different ways; but regardless of our differences, the teachings of our Faiths, along with the teachings of our Fraternity combine to bring harmony, strength and unity to both Freemasonry and Society. Harmony being the strength... is far more than just a beautiful piece of prose. It is a concept that the world would do well to learn. When one considers just how diverse we truly are and how we do strive to work in harmony for the good of our Fraternity, and consequently in a larger sphere, the good of the world, those simple words carry a far stronger significance. In our own uniquely Masonic way, we truly are a cross section of the world, another concept that our Founders of our Craft intended. At this time of year, when we celebrate one of the most sacred holidays in Christianity, we should take a moment and reflect on what this means to all - Christian and non-christian alike. Our holy days are not only a time of celebration and reflection, it can and should be a time to teach and enlighten. These holy days are an opportunity for all of us to experience the sacredness and the traditions of all of our Brothers. For all, it is a chance to experience and to further our understanding, and indeed, to learn from the beliefs of others. To be able to share in celebrations with Brothers of all Faiths expresses in the strongest way one of the greatest freedoms our country has and that the world has ever seen. Brothers, consider how really unique it is to be able to live and celebrate all of the holy days of all of our Faiths in a country that encourages, protects and indeed cherishes them, for there have been few times in human history where such a precious freedom has existed. So to each of my Brothers I thank you for the specialness that you bring to our gentle Craft. My Brothers, at this joyous time of the year, may your Faith bring you closer to Deity, your Families, your Communities and to your Masonic Brotherhood. As we continue our Masonic Journey, let us continue to Learn, Subdue, Improve Fraternally, William Beetcher, Grand Master On Our Cover Grand Master William Beetcher Bro. Dale Slaasted and his wife Sharon decorate the Patriotic Tree and dress a soldier mannequin in an Air Force Uniform in preparation for the Holidays in the Mansion tours at the Racine Masonic Center. See story on page 3. Photo by Rich Rygh

3 Thoughts for the Journey By Reverend David R. Ritchie, Grand Chaplain Hiram Lodge Past Masters Night Hiram Lodge No. 50 honored their Past Masters with a dinner and program on Nov. 17. Bro. Roger Nitzsche gave a presentation on the Dyslexia Center in Madison, along with Center Director Ms. Kelly Kuenzie. From left: Bro. Roger Nitzsche; PM Richard Staley; PM Lyle Christian; Bro. Michael Roering, Master; PM Jerry Roscoe; PM and District 7 Deputy Grand Master Craig Froelich; PM Dean Johnson; PM Mark Jenks; PM Willard Sprague; and PM Theodore Erickson. Submitted by Bro. Lyle Christian, Secretary Published by the Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Wisconsin December 2014 The Wisconsin Masonic Journal, Publication Number (ISSN No ), is the authorized publication of the Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Wisconsin. It is published monthly except for the July/August issue which is combined. Periodical postage paid at Dousman, Wisconsin and additional offices. Postmasters: send address changes to The Wisconsin Masonic Journal, Sunset Drive, Dousman, WI 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 wmjeditor@wisc-freemasonry.org Phone Ext. 808 Advertising Office Phone/FAX Diane Igl, Advertising Manager diane@wisc-freemasonry.org Advertising rates upon request. Deadline for submission of advertising copy is the fifteenth of each month preceding month of scheduled publication. Directory of Grand Lodge Officers & Contacts Elected Officers Grand Master William Beetcher (244) Cell wb_2014@wisc-freemasonry.org Deputy Grand Master Franklin J. Struble (60) Res Cell fjs_2015@wisc-freemasonry.org Senior Grand Warden Donald W. Hensiak (189) Res Cell dwh_2016@wisc-freemasonry.org Junior Grand Warden L. Arby Humphrey (329) Res Cell lah_2017@wisc-freemasonry.org Grand Treasurer John A. Benedict (151) Res grandtreasurer@wisc-freemasonry.org Grand Secretary Michael A. DeWolf, PGM (267) Res Bus Ext. 807 Cell Appointed Officers Grand Chaplain David R. Ritchie (64) Res. (608) grand_chaplain@wisc-freemasonry.org Grand Lecturer Davey L. White Jr. (4) Res Cell grand_lecturer@wisc-freemasonry.org Like us on Facebook Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of WI Shriners believe in you. 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. Ta ke t h e f i rs t s t e p, v i s i t o u r we b s i t e. Senior Grand Deacon Scott E. Pedley (25) Res Cell sep_2018@wisc-freemasonry.org Junior Grand Deacon Robert C. Strader (363) Res Cell rcs_2019@wisc-freemasonry.org Senior Grand Steward Kenneth C. Gorgen (307) Res Cell (262) kcg_2020@wisc-freemasonry.org Junior Grand Steward Gary L. Stang (351) Res Cell gls_2021@wisc-freemasonry.org Grand Marshal Lester C. Paulson (112) Cell grand_marshal@wisc-freemasonry.org Grand Orator Keith D. Chamberlain (66) Res grand_orator@wisc-freemasonry.org Grand Tiler Neil S. Hanson (351) Res grand_tiler@wisc-freemasonry.org District Deputy Grand Masters District 1 George T. Eisenmann III (329) Res Cell district_deputy1@wisc-freemasonry.org District 2 Thomas W. Christiano (112) Res Cell district_deputy2@wisc-freemasonry.org District 3 John C. Tilley (366) Res district_deputy3@wisc-freemasonry.org District 4 Christian M. Hirthe (322) Res Cell district_deputy4@wisc-freemasonry.org District 5 Todd A. Wohlert (190) Cell district_deputy5@wisc-freemasonry.org District 6 A. Christopher Gans (123) Res district_deputy6@wisc-freemasonry.org District 7 Craig J. Froelich (9) Res district_deputy7@wisc-freemasonry.org District 8 Marc B. Steiber (8) Cell marc.steiber@hotmail.com District 9 Paul T. Tourville (60) Cell district_deputy9@wisc-freemasonry.org District 10 Kyle A. Grahn (38) Res district_deputy10@wisc-freemasonry.org District 11 Michael A. Gorgen (307) Cell district_deputy11@wisc-freemasonry.org District 12 Patrick D. Cholka (301) Res Cell pat.cholka@gmail.com Grand Lodge Office Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of Wisconsin Sunset Dr. Dousman, WI Fax: Grand Secretary: Michael DeWolf, PGM - Ext. 807 Membership Support: Cheryl Martin - Ext. 800 cheryl@wisc-freemasonry.org Erika Miller - Ext. 831 erika@wisc-freemasonry.org Alicia Darr - Ext. 804 alicia@wisc-freemasonry.org Wisconsin Masonic Journal Richard A. Rygh, Editor Ext. 808 wmjeditor@wisc-freemasonry.org Ad Manager Diane Igl, diane@wisc-freemasonry.org Sunset Dr., Dousman, WI My wife kids me about being solar powered. The heavy gray days of late autumn and early winter often weigh heavily on me and I wait for that Alberta Clipper to come sweeping down in January. An Alberta Clipper is a snow fall with high winds followed by crystal clear skies and bitter cold temperature. Even though the temperature is below zero you will often find me outside rabbit hunting, cutting wood, or any other thing I can think of to be out with the bright light glimmering off the new snow. As Masons darkness weighs heavily upon all of us. It is not the darkness of snow laden clouds or short winter days but the darkness that is ignorance. As Masons we understand the light of knowledge, how powerful and Rev. David Ritchie Grand Chaplain strong education can be. Where the darkness of selfishness, prejudice, and hatred threaten Masonic teaching, education, brings light. It is not coincidence that during this time of darkness we celebrate. A friend from California once remarked, The people here in Wisconsin are the most remarkable people I have ever meet. At a time of year when any sane person would stay home with a cup of coffee and a good book, you people are out celebrating from deer season through the Super Bowl. Then when it gets warm out you stop celebrating and go to work. Our faiths celebrate also. We celebrate Thanksgiving, people of all faiths, then unto Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, Solstice then our reuniting in the hope of the New Year. Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, and Solstice all have strong elements of light to them. Aside from my wife and family the greatest gifts given to me were done in the light of three burning tapers. The greatest of these is you my brothers. Men I would never have known without the light of those three burning tapers. You have become my friends, mentors, examples, and extended family. So therefore at the risk of offending: I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas. I hope it does not offend. I also wish you Deity s profound blessing on your celebrations and traditions, but I do celebrate Christmas and because of its personal importance to me I wish you a Merry Christmas. Now Christmas in America has lost much of its religious meaning. Nativity scenes are nowhere as common as Santas. So I do not wish you a Merry Christmas from a religious view point nor from the Santa gift giving side. I certainly do not wish you a Merry Christmas from the commercial side. I wish you a Merry Christmas from the Masonic side of the holiday. A true celebration of Christmas means wishing all men peace and joy. It means feeding the poor and clothing the needy. It means visiting old friends and paying a visit to shut-ins. It means time with family. It is a time to observe the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. This is a time of year when, to paraphrase Dickens in the Christmas Carol, want is most keenly felt. This is the time when the light of Mason changes from being an external light that shines upon us to being an internal light that shines from us. This is the time when we pass the hat for the less fortunate, hold gift drives and food drives and hat and mitten drives. It is the time when we visit the widow and remember missing brothers. It is a time when we as Masons wish each other joy and peace. This is what I mean when I wish you a Merry Christmas. May your light shine brightest when it is in darkness. So my brothers, Merry Christmas. Masonry, I know, is open to all men of faith and there will be some who disagree with what I have written. To them then I wish Peace and joy this December 25th and also upon any and all days Deity calls them to celebrate. Peace and Joy to all Good men my Brothers. Peace and Joy. Grand Chaplain David R. Ritchie can be reached at hickorysprings@gmail.com or New Master Mason at Wautoma Grand Master William Beetcher visited Wautoma Lodge No. 148 on Oct. 24 when Bro. Terry Sawall (center) received his Master Mason Degree. The Grand Master and Bro. Sawall have a conversation about our ancient Grand Master Hiram Abiff as Bro. John Kind, Master of the Lodge looks on. Submitted by Bro. Keith Wohlfert, Junior Deacon Include the Wisconsin Masonic Charities in your will. Contact Erika Miller erika@wisc-freemasonry.org PAGE 2 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER 2014

4 Racine Masonic Mansion Open for Christmas Tours By Rich Rygh The Racine Masonic Center and Mansion, home of Racine-Belle City Lodge No. 18, is fully decorated for Christmas in all its splendor and ready for visitors and special events throughout the holiday season. The Mansion was built in 1856 for Henry S. Durand. In 1844 Mr. Durand opened an insurance company and issued the first insurance policy in Wisconsin. He was involved in real estate and built the first railroad out of Racine. Durand died in The Mansion was then occupied by the Otis Johnson family and 1906, it was purchased by Frederick Robinson, President of the J.I. Case Company. The Masons of Racine, looking for a place to grow and continue their work, purchased the Mansion 1922 and in 1923 two lodge rooms along with dining facilities were added to the back of the Mansion. The Racine Masonic Family invites you to visit the Mansion and take a step back in time this Christmas season. Wendy Spencer admires the beautifully decorated tree in the living room of the Mansion. Photo by Rich Rygh The Mansion is open to the public on Dec and from Noon to 6:00 p.m. There is a breakfast with Santa from 8:00 a.m. until noon on Dec. 7 and a beer and wine tasting event from 7:00-9:30 p.m. on Dec. 12. The Mansion is available for private holiday parties. For information go to racinemasoniccenter.com or call Wendy at See photos on page 10 MSA Representative Bro. Tom Dowman to Retire After 10 Years of Service at King By Rich Rygh Residents of the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King enjoyed the Band Social on Nov. 9, sponsored by the Masonic Service Association and organized by MSA Representative Bro. Tom Dowman. The event featured big band music by the Neenah Ambassadors, drawings for $150 in home exchange coupons and refreshments. Grand Master William Beetcher and his Lady Pat were on hand as volunteers to help present door prizes and help with the serving of cake, ice cream and coffee. There were around 35 volunteers serving the 150 residents in attendance, all organized and recruited by Bro. Dowman, a 53 year Mason and Past Master of Oshkosh Lodge No. 27. Bro. Dowman is retiring as Representative this year after 10 years of service to the MSA. He has done an exemplary job, producing four such events each year working with eight different bands. The summer social attracts residents. Bro. Dowman will assist the new Representative. The band presented Bro. Dowman a card in appreciation for all the songs he has announced for them and dedicated a song to him Can t Help Loving that Man. State MSA Coordinator Roger Magoon, PGM, thanked all the volunteers who make these events possible. The Veterans Home at King is a 400 acre facility with 40 buildings serving 749 residents. See photos on page 13 Bro. Tom Dowman Photo by Rich Rygh NOTES FROM THE GRAND LECTURER By Brother Davey L. White Jr., PGM Brethren, As I write this article it s snowing outside and we are preparing for another Thanksgiving. It is definitely a time to reflect on all the people and things that touch our lives. Our lives are touched in so many ways throughout the year, we share moments with our friends and family and form many new friendships to build on in the upcoming years. The holidays are full of educational meanings and thoughts for us to learn from. This is the same for the events in which we participate in Masonry. We are all preparing for our election of officers, followed by our installations. These too are full of thought and education. There is a lot of planning and preparation that goes into both of these events. If we want a successful lodge we need to elect strong leaders. This entails a lot of planning on the lodge s part. We need Brothers who will make decisions for the betterment of the lodge and its members. We need Trustees who will provide a solid foundation with the investments and the upkeep of the lodge building. We need Stewards who will provide nourishment for the members. The whole exercise contains a lot of thought if we wish to be successful. The next event is the installation of the officers we select. This should be a well-planned event, as it contains the charges and responsibility of our offices. I think sometimes we take these charges too lightly. If a lodge officer follows the charges of his office the lodge will run very smoothly. They contain a lot of information and expectations that should be followed. This event has a very important lesson that is sometimes overlooked or not thought of. Preparation. From the time we arrive at the lodge for our Entered Apprentice Degree we are being asked questions and answering these questions so that we may be prepared to be made a Mason. We take obligations that tell our Brothers we are sincere in our intentions, thereby preparing us to move forward in our education in Masonry. I think you get the point. I think the same preparation should be put into preparing for our schools of instructions. I remember when I was a newly made Mason and we were preparing for our upcoming school of instruction, our Master made sure we had several practices before we went so we were prepared. I think that this should be practiced in every lodge in the state. The schools of instruction are of course provided so the Lodge members can learn, but they should still come prepared. When our Past Grand Lecturer Ernie Hiegel traveled the state putting on schools, he expected the lodges to be prepared and he would teach them the minor infractions they made. We should try to bring this type of respect and pride back to learning our ritual whether it is for a degree or a school of instruction. If we all came to lodge prepared to do our part, just think how wonderful our lodges would function. We would keep the enthusiasm of our young members and we wouldn t lose as many prospective members between degrees. In short we need to look at our books more than just the night of our stated meetings. Fraternally, Davey L. White Jr. Feedback and questions are always welcome. Contact Grand Lecturer Davey L. White Jr. at grand_lecturer@wisc-freemasonry.org or Davey L. White Jr. Grand Lecturer Masonic Ladies Challenge for Veterans Ladies, 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 challenge all Masonic Ladies and their friends to assist in sewing a lap robe (36 x48 or 40 x48), or standard sized themed pillow cases such as patriotic, sports, farming, outdoors, or how about sewing a twin bed covers (66 x 84). In addition, for those talented ladies that enjoy crocheting or knitting, the Veteran s Centers could also use hats, scarves and mittens. Are you interested in this labor of love? If so, and you have items for this challenge; please call Pat Beetcher at to arrange for your items to be picked up no later than March 31, During the Grand Master s Testimonial on May 2, 2015, the Grand Lodge Ladies will be presenting all the items made to the VA Masonic Services Representatives to give to Wisconsin Veterans. I look forward to hearing from many of you as you take up the Masonic Ladies Challenge. Let s work together to put a smile on a Veteran s face and let them know that they are not forgotten. Like us on Facebook Wisconsin Masonic Charities Lady Pat Beetcher WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER PAGE 3

5 Give a Year End Gift to Your Wisconsin Masonic Charities As the end of the year approaches, we begin to reflect upon the many blessings bestowed upon us. The end of the year also provides a great opportunity to be thankful for and to recognize the work done by your Wisconsin Masonic Charities, by making a year-end gift. The benefits of income tax deductions, capital gains savings and other financial benefits are significant advantages that provide an incentive to make a gift at the year-end. A gift can also help support the Wisconsin Masonic Foundation, Wisconsin Masonic Home or the - December And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people: For, this day, is born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will. Luke 2:10-14 From our family to yours, we wish you a blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy Fraternally, Mark Strautman Chief Executive Officer Masonic Service and Assistance Fund for years to come. There are many different ways of contributing a gift. However, two of the easiest and most direct methods to gift are donations of cash and appreciated stock or other investments. You can also make other financially advantageous gifts such as real estate, life insurance, charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, will/trust bequests and IRA/retirement accounts. For more information on how you can help make a difference by contributing a year-end gift to your Like us on Facebook Wisconsin Masonic Charities Fill Out, Clip and Mail Today 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 [ ] Wisconsin Masonic Youth Fund [ ] Designated for [ ] In honor of: [ ] In memory of: Amount Date Please acknowledge to: Name Address City State Zip Make your check payable to the benevolence you have selected above and mail to: Wisconsin Masonic Charities Sunset Drive, Dousman, WI Phone erika@wisc-freemasonry.org Wisconsin Masonic Charities, please contact Erika Miller in the Development Office at: , ext. 831, or via , at: erika@wisc-freemasonry.org Article courtesy of: archstl.org Volunteer and Make a Difference in Someone s Life Take a few hours of your time each week to be a Masonic Service Association Volunteer. A common request from the VA facilities in Wisconsin is the need for more volunteers. Make a difference in the life of a veteran. It is a very rewarding experience. Anyone wishing to volunteer at any of the facilities should contact State MSA Coordinator Roger L. Magoon at or magoonitd@prodigy.net. HARDER FUNERAL HOME DEAN K. HARDER, President West Capitol Drive Brookfield, Wisconsin (262) Grand Master s Appeal: Veterans Support Fund Support Your Wisconsin Masonic Charities Memorials and Contributions Gift Report for October 2014 Wisconsin Masonic Foundation Home Endowment Fund: In memory of Bro. Kirby Symes and Bro. Robert Dawson 33º: Charles White Medical Fund: In memory of Bro. Perry Larson: Charles White Youth Fund: William Hughey In memory of Bro. Stanley Bird: Kathleen Bird & Family Wisconsin Masonic Home General Fund: Daniel Cross Caring to Grow: Richard Hansen, William Day Now is the time to make your year end donation to the Grand Master's Appeal. Your donation will help provide funds for things such as wheel chairs, magazine subscriptions, gardening and recreational supplies, social activities, as well as funding to allow veterans, living in shelters, the opportunity to receive safety shoes so they can return to the workforce. Whether a veteran is in a VA Hospital, Veteran's Home or returning from active service, our continuing support is important, and every dollar given can help to improve the quality of life for those who sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms. Show our veterans that we sincerely appreciate their dedication, loyalty and their service to our nation. Fraternally, William Beetcher Grand Master Grand Master William Beetcher would like to say thank you to those who have contributed to his Appeal for Veteran s Support John Hein, Charles White, George Altemeier, II, Maurice Althaus, A.D. Anderson, Arnold Anderson, Richard Anderson, Dennis Apps, Daniel Audetat, Rosemary Avery, Joseph Bakovka, Dennis Baliff, Richard Bandow, Ronald Bane, Donald Barritt, Robert Batchelder, James Baumgartner, William Beinema, Sr., John Benedict, Thomas Bergman, Alton Bernander, Jeffrey Bialk, Dale Bird, Harry Blackbourn Sr., Dennis Blaeser, Edwin Blake, Samuel Boatman, Orville Boeck, Jr., Mitchell Bottomley, Charles Bowen, Judy Brist, Gerald Bristol, Thomas Brooks, Robert Brown, Thomas Bruckner, Rosemarie Bruns, Jeffrey Bryden, Roger Buckaloo, Anthony Busalacchi, Billie Bussert, Charles Buswell, Martin Callaway, Lyle Carlson, Charles Chaloupka, Ralph Chamberlain, Arnold Chambers, Geoffrey Chatterton, Chris Clark, Brent Clausius, Barbara Coghlan, Oral Congdon, Alfred Costello, Clifford Crosby, Gloria Davey, Gail Davis, Walter Devonshire, Ruth Dietz, Dodge County Lodge Marcus Doolittle Jr., Thomas Dorn, Frederick Draves III, Bill Drecktrah, James Eckstrom, John Erdmann, Harry & Marion Evans, John Fairchild, Scott Feldt, Jan Ferguson, Richard Franklin, Michael Fredericks, Leonard French, Sadie Garlow, Joseph Gasser, James George, Dellar Gilbertson, Sharon Glaunert, Brian Godfrey, Thomas Godfrey, Joseph Greco, Ethel Green, John Guetzke, Craig Guthrie, Garry Hageness, Robert Halseth, Phyllis Haney, Irv Hansen, I. Hanson, Dennis Harcey, Don Harper, Bruce Hayhoe, Catherine Hayne, James Hays, Audrey Heberer, John Hein, Ulis Hekel, Don Henderson, Roger Henke, Gordon Hewitt, Leslie Himes, Harold Hinkley, William Hochstetter, Eugene Hoem, Henry Hofmann, John Homan, Peter Horvath, Alvin Hovland, John Humont, Allan Iding, Richard Indermuehle, Barbara Isgren, Roland Jacobs, Corliss Jensen, John Jewell, Floyd Johnson, George Johnson, J. Johnson, Kenneth Johnson, Helen Johnston, Harold Jones, Roger Jones, Albert Jurgens III, Keith Kaap, Lolita Kachel, Leo Kebort, Robert Keene, Robert Kelley, Alexander Kentfield, Jerrald Kindschi, John Kleckner, John Kneiszel, Edward Knop, George Knorovsky, Orvin Knudtson, Charlotte Koeffler, Wayne Kohlin, Lucas Kotschi, Fred Kraatz, Kenneth Kuehl, Kenneth Kuhn, Jason Laramee, OtisLarson, Wolfgang Lauck, Kenneth Leeman, Delores Lein, Ralph Lemke, Allen Leverich, Robert Lijewski, Gordon Lillge, Carl Lindenlaub, William Lindstrom, William Loehrer, Kingman Loomis, James Lumsden, Michael Magnusson, Roger Magoon, John Maiwald, Conrad Majorowicz, Jason Maloney, Ernest Mattner, Frank Mayer, Thomas Mc Lenahan Jr, Donald Meetz, Melody Lodge No. 2, John Metcalf, Marvin Metzger, Harriet Miller, Irwin Miller, George Moe, James Moody, Allen Moore, Leon Moore, Lawrence Mueller, Ellsworth Munroe, Jerome Nelson, Mark Nelson, Michael Nelson, Robert Nelson, Richard Noennig, Duane Norgard, Richard Northey, Lois Nyman, George Oesterreicher, Gary Oien, Lowell Olson, Wendell Olson, Paul Orth, Alexander Owen Jr., Willard Owens, Robert Paffenroth, Eugene Panzer, John Perkins, Richard Peters, Leroy Phipps, Donald Pierce, Eric Pipkin, Robert Plummer, Joel Porst, Charles Potter, Josef Pronnet, Peter Ramboldt, Mary Lou Reilly, Jack Richardson, Kenneth Robenolt, Darrell Roblee, Mrs. Leo Roethe, Jerry Roscoe, David Ruhnke, Darlene Rygh, Earl Sager, Thomas Saharsky, Robert Saichek, Robert Salisbury, John Scharer, Walter Schlenvogt, Gary Schlosstein, Ronald Schmidt, William Schmitz, James Schricker, Darrell Schultz, Harry Schwartz, James Schweitzer, Donald Seaholm, Richard Seefeldt, Dennis Siewert, Robert Simon Jr., Vinson Simpson Jr., Gordon Skeoch, George Smith, Ira Smith, Keith Smith, Wendell Smith, Maurice Snell, Lawrence Sobyak, Sam Soffa, William Solberg, Clayton Stautz, Jerry Steffy, Eric Stein, Judson Stollberg, Richard Swan, John Swanson, James Swanton, Wilbur Talbot, G. Thurs, Thomas Turner, Paul Twardy Sr., Ralph Ullmann, Union Grove Lodge, James Urbanski, James Vander Werff, Joseph Waddell, Robert Warber, James Weber, Howard Wegenke, Russell Weiss, Stephen Wesner, Ryan Wetley, Charley White, Thomas White, Jannie Wille, Michael Wilson, Charles Winfree, Kenneth Witt, Charles Wussow, Austin Wyman, Howard Zelenski, Jonathan Ziegler, Conrad Zvara PAGE 4 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER 2014

6 Dear Friends, Christmas is a magical season a time of birth, wonder, and merriment as we enjoy time with family and friends. There is something to be said about the pure joy of a child as they anxiously await the arrival of Mr. Claus himself or the warmth and comfort we find as we create new memories with ones we hold dear. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and cherish the enchantment of the season, may we each take a moment amongst the hustle and bustle to reflect on our blessings and all we are thankful for. In reflecting on the past year, I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your support of Three Pillars Senior Living Communities and our wonderful residents and staff. While it is hard to believe yet another year is drawing to a close, we look forward to opportunities as we continue our mission-driven work into the year ahead. From our family to yours, we wish you a blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy 2015! Warmest regards, Mark Strautman Chief Executive Officer North Main Street Dousman, WI WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER PAGE 5

7 News Events from the Lodges Bro. Robinson honored for 65 years Past Grand Master Daniel L. Slavik presented Bro. Claire Robbie Robinson with his 65 years of Service Certificate on Nov. 9. Bro. Robinson was also presented with a Sixty-five Year pin on behalf of his lodge, Montello Lodge No Bro. Robinson was raised on Sept. 8, PGM Slavik was assisted by Bro. Richard Hayden, Commonwealth Lodge No All three are members of Monona United Methodist Church. The presentation was made at Bro. Robinson s home. Many family members including his wife and all four of their children joined in the celebration. Submitted by Past Grand Master Daniel L. Slavik Bro. Don Eggers is 50 year Mason Grand Master William Beetcher reads the certificate honoring Bro. Don Eggers (right) for 50 years of service in Northwestern Lodge No. 105, Prescott, as Master Dan Finley looks on. Bro. Eggers was raised on Feb. 11, He is a very active member and served the Lodge as Master in Photo by Bro. Milt Helmer Bro. Rick Swan Speaks on Rosslyn Chapel Bro. Rick Swan Bro. Rick Swan, delivered an informative talk on Rosslyn Chapel in northern Scotland to Northwestern Lodge No. 105 in October. Bro. Swan, a librarian and noted historian of Hancock Lodge 229, Ellsworth, spoke on the chapel s connection with the Knights Templar. He has visited the Chapel and is a student of Scottish history. Photo by Bro. Milt Helmer Bro. Al Berg celebrates 55 years Bro. Al Berg (center) received his 55 year membership certificate from Grand Master William Beetcher on Oct. 14 at Glenn L. Humphrey Lodge No. 364 in Dousman. Bro. Berg was raised on Sept. 28, 1959 in Victory Lodge No He served as Master of Victory Lodge in He is currently a Steward in Glenn L. Humphrey Lodge. On left is Bro. Art Pfitzinger, Master. Submitted by Bro. Duane Bunting, Secretary Bro. Radtke is 65 year Mason Bro. Richard Radtke (left), member of Jefferson County Lodge No. 9, receives his 65 year certificate from Past Master Alan Brawders. Bro. Radtke was raised on January 12, Submitted by Area Administrator Noah Schultz Attend and Support Your Lodge! Visit Our Website! We have video, lots of photos, and easy navigation. Please take some time to check it out and share with your friends! Find us at Schmidt & Bartelt FUNERAL SERVICE A Friend to the Family Wauwatosa Mequon Mukwonago Menomonee Falls Sussex Oconomowoc Shawano Lodge donates turkeys Bro. Tim Tainter, Senior Warden of Shawano Lodge No. 170, delivers 10 cases of turkeys to Flo Withers at the Safe Park food pantry in Shawano. The Shawano Masons donate turkeys each year for Thanksgiving. Flo said they depend on the Masons and other organizations to help them at this time of year. The Masons also donated turkeys to Safe Haven in Shawano, giving support to make their holiday a little better. Photo By Bro. George Tincher your submissions to wmjeditor@wisc-freemasonry.org. PAGE 6 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER 2014

8 Giving Masonry Its Voice! Developed by the Brethren of District 12 Masonry is a fraternity based on the belief that men should continually try to maintain and improve their character. Masons meet in lodges, where they enjoy the company of men that share similar beliefs and are of good solid character. Masonry is not a religion, but Masons must believe in a Supreme Being and must be dedicated to supporting their family, friends and country. When a Mason joins the lodge he participates in a series of dramas called degrees, which are acted out by the lodge members. These dramas use symbols like the square and compasses to reinforce a Mason s belief that character is important. Masons are very proud of the fact that these dramas have been portrayed in very similar form for generations, and have even included men like George Washington and Ben Franklin. Masons enjoy many social events together, including dinners and special programs. The quality of the members and the opportunity to network and associate with men of shared values makes the events especially enjoyable and valuable. Lodges offer many terrific opportunities to develop leadership skills, organizational skills and public speaking abilities. Masons develop such strong friendships and relationships with their lodge Brothers that most feel masonry has provided them with an extended family. Masonry is much more than a social club, it is truly a Way of Life and has allowed each of us to strengthen our character and integrity. We offer our support to each other and include our Brother Masons proudly in our circle of friends and family. Submitted by Senior Grand Warden Donald W. Hensiak Attend and Support Your Lodge! Sign Up for Wis. Masonic College Leadership Module The Wisconsin Masonic College is now a reality for Master Masons in our state. This dynamic and fulfilling educational opportunity is a result of many meetings of the Grand Lodge Planning Committee and the Grand Lodge Education Committee. The first year module is the Leadership Module. The second year will be the Management Module and the third year s focus will be a Planning Module. The primary focus of the WMC is for attendance by lodge Wardens and Deacons so they may receive education to prepare them for their eventual role when they ascend to be the Master of their lodge. However, these sessions are open to any Wis. Master Mason wishing to attend. The deadline for the next presentation at McKinley Masonic Center in Brookfield is Jan. 21. Make Reservations at The number of registrations is limited. An enrollment fee of $25.00 has been established. Included in each session will be course workbooks, attendance gifts, completion awards, a noon meal and refreshments during breaks. Attire for these sessions is casual. Date We Salute Our Grand Lodge Off icers! Grand Marshal Lester C. Paulson Schedule Jan. 31, 2015 McKinley Lodge No. 307-Brookfield Feb. 21, 2015 N.E.W. Daylite Lodge No. 360-Green Bay March 14, 2015 Chippewa Falls Lodge No. 176 Area Administrator omas W. Stevens Eau Claire Lodge No. 112 Eau claire Hosted by District 2 Deputy Grand Master omas W. Christiano BUSINESS CARD ADVERTISING Support the businesses that support your Wisconsin Masonic Journal! R O B E R T S O N RYA N & A S S O C I AT E S, I N C. CHARLES V. JOHNSON Sr. Vice-President of Agency Development Complete insurance for Personal, Commercial, National and International Programs Swenson Drive, Suite 175, Waukesha, WI Phone Fax Cellular Home cjohnson@robertsonryan.com Why not advertise your business or service here. Over 13,000 readers will view your card each month in this publication and many more will see it online. Contact Diane Igl diane@wisc-freemasonry.org WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER PAGE 7

9 News Events from the Lodges Bro. Eric Grebe is Mason of the Year Jefferson County Lodge Says Thank You to Veterans Jefferson County Lodge No. 9 said thank you to our military veterans and their families by hosting a free breakfast in their honor on Nov. 9 at the Jefferson Masonic Center. Grand Master William Beetcher offered to help in the kitchen and learned how to roll out biscuits for the biscuits and gravy. Bro. McManus observes 60 years Bro. Jack McManus, well known attorney, historian and long time pilot, received his 60 year certificate and pin on Nov. 5 from Bro. Scott Magnusson, Master of Oregon Lodge No Bro. McManus was raised on May 13, He lives in Alaska about seven months of the year and resides on his farm in rural Oregon the rest of the year. Photo by Rich Rygh Hartford Lodge in Christmas Parade Members of Hartford Lodge No. 120 constructed a float to enter in the Hartford Christmas Parade held on Nov. 8. Pictured with the float are Carl Hoy, Junior Deacon; James Buege, Master; Andy Brandt, Senior Warden; and Chris Weed, Junior Warden. The four Bothers walked along side the float during the parade as Fellowcraft, Bro. Andy Braden drove the tow vehicle. Bro. Braden also helped with the construction of the float. Submitted by Bro. Allen Brandt, Treasurer Wisconsin Masonic Charities erika@wisc-freemasonry.org Bro. Eric Grebe Bro. Eric Grebe was named Mason of the Year in Henry L. Palmer Lodge. This award is presented annually to a Brother Mason who epitomizes the highest standard of friendship, fellowship, service to the Craft and brotherly love. The Brother receiving this award has demonstrated a willingness to serve, not only his individual Lodge, but Masonry in general through his conduct and actions. His dedication and service to his Lodge, and the fraternity in general, should stand as an example of conduct to be emulated by his Lodge Brothers, and, as well, to the general Masonic community. This Brother stands out among his peers at almost every level in life, and thus is truly deserving of these accolades which we have chosen to bestow upon him. As a Lodge of Freemasonry, through this award, we honor our Brother, not only as a valued member of our Lodge but also as an intricate and integral part of its continued success. It goes without saying that the "Mason of the Year" award is one of the highest honors any Mason, in any Lodge, can ever receive. Congratulations Brother Eric Grebe, Junior Deacon. From all of us at Henry L. Palmer Lodge No. 301 F. & A.M. Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Zachary Roberson, Past Master, unfolds the flag during the Presentation of Colors as Master Curt Bell looks on. Photo by Area Administrator Noah Schultz Grand Master William Beetcher rolls out dough for the biscuits. Submitted Photo Past Masters Tony Bell and Senior Warden Mike Mutter mixing pancake batter. Submitted Photo Grand Lodge Calendar We now have an address dedicated to collecting events to go into the Grand Lodge Calendar. Any lodge or appendant body can send the information to calendar@wisc-freemasonry.org 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 events that are listed. To list events in the Wisconsin Masonic Journal Calendar continue to them to wmjeditor@wisc-freemasonry.org. PAGE 8 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER 2014

10 1st Annual Hiram s Harvest Festival Everyone enjoys the meal of roast beef and pork tenderloins, parmesan shrimp and chicken. Singer and song writer Will Pfrang provides entertainment. By Rich Rygh Hiram s Harvest Festival at the Port Washington Masonic Center, on Nov. 8, offered an unforgettable evening of fine food and great entertainment. The auction featured fun items, a Road America Package and a charter fishing/dinner package. Proceeds from the event, created and hosted by Bro. David Tainter will benefit the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Program. This will be an annual event, mark your calendars for the next Festival on Nov. 15, Enjoy a fun evening and support a highly visible Masonic Charity that benefits our youth. Comedian Lee Lycan entertains the crowd. Photos by Rich Rygh Bro. Dave Tainter and Marly Ariel prepare to start the auction. Marly Ariel provides music during the dinner. LJ and Bill s music is an acoustical blend of guitars and vocals. Auctioneer Charlie Pfrang takes the bids. Mark Schubert places a bid. WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER PAGE 9

11 Holidays in the Mansion Entrance to the Mansion facing Lake Michigan See story on page 3 Living room decorated and ready for the tours to begin. Jessi Loopnow prepares a wreath. Decorated mantle in ladies parlor. Photos by Rich Rygh Mike Dombrowski decorates an entrance to the Mansion. Sarah Camphouse decorating a tree in the master bedroom. Joy McClelland (left) and Wendy Spencer take a break from decorating in an upstairs bedroom. PAGE 10 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER 2014

12 Bethel #32 Hosts Bowling Party for HIKE, Supreme Guardian Council Approaching $5 Million in Donations By Olesya Keating Bethel #32, Green Bay held their 4th Annual Bowling Party for HIKE (Hearing Impaired Kids Endowment) on October 26. HIKE is the philanthropic project of Job s Daughters International. HIKE helps to provide hearing aids to kids whose families cannot afford to purchase them. The highlight of this Bowling Party was the presentation of a check to Cody Johnson from Manitowoc. Cody joined in the bowling fun with his mom, dad and brother Andrew. Cody was very excited to receive the check and show off his new hearing aids. They are the colors of Harley- Davison blue and orange and have the ability to be hooked into his teachers amplifier for improved hearing in the classroom at school. Attending the event were Job s Daughters and adults from Bethels #32, #79 and #76. The State HIKE Youth Coordinator Payton Campbell and Miss Wisconsin Job s Daughter Jessica Korducki were also present. The Masonic family was well represented by Roosevelt Lodge, Mason Woods Lodge and Beja Shrine. Junior Grand Warden, Dad L. Arby Humphrey gathered his team of Masons to bowl and the Grand Guardian Council was represented by Dad Andres, Grand Inner Guard. The goal of the Supreme Guardian Council is to raise $30,000 for HIKE this year to bring the total amount of money raised for HIKE to $5 million. This Bowling Party contributed $1000 toward that goal. Bethel #32 s next HIKE project is to collect donations for a 2013 Packer football with the signatures of the team. If you would like to contribute to this project contact Olesya Keating at Kenosha from page 1 Grand Secretary Michael A. De- Wolf, PGM, expressed the appreciation of the Grand Lodge Officers to be called upon to do a reconsecration ceremony for the Lodge. The Grand Lodge officers introduce themselves and the Grand Secretary introduced Grand Master William Beetcher and he was accorded the public Grand Honors. Grand Master William Beetcher said, It is indeed an honor and a privilege for us to be here to today. In the last couple of years I have been involved in the progress of this Lodge as they have worked to renovate this building... it is tremendous, this is one of the most beautiful lodges in this part of the state to be sure. I appreciate your efforts. Grand Secretary DeWolf presented the remarks of Grand Orator Keith D. Chamberlain, PGM, which are as follows: As your Grand Orator, I have had the opportunity to research the histories of many of Wisconsin s Lodges for special occasions such as this one today. And while many of these lodge histories proved informative as well as interesting, I must admit the events surrounding the inception of present day Kenosha Lodge No. 47 proved most fascinating. Born from the forfeiture of Southport Lodge No. 7 s charter in 1853, Kenosha Lodge was soon to become a reality for those dedicated Masons located in the Kenosha area. In his address to the Grand your Lodge news and upcoming events to wmjeditor@wisc-freemasonry.org. Job s Daughters Bethel #32 present check in the amount of $2,770 to Cody Johnson of Manitowoc to help pay for his hearing aids. Junior Grand Warden L. Arby Humphrey put together a Masonic Bowling Team to compete in the Annual Bowling Party for HIKE. Front row (from left): District 6 Deputy Grand Master A. Christopher Gans, Olesya Keating and District 4 Deputy Grand Master Christian M. Hirthe. Back row District 10 Deputy Grand Master Kyle A. Grahn, Junior Grand Warden Humphrey and District 3 Deputy Grand Master John C. Tilley. Lodge on June 14 in Janesville, Grand Master Henry L. Palmer mentions the issuance of a dispensation on January 1, 1853 to Kenosha Lodge, listing O. Foster as WM and A. G. Chatfield and E. M. Kinney as Senior Warden and Junior Warden respectively. In his initial visitation report to the Grand Lodge, RW Daniel Howell Grand Lecturer mentions Kenosha Lodge has done but little work and I have no doubt their progress is retarded by the influence of the failure of No. 7. But I think they will ultimately become a prosperous and useful Lodge. I found the officers zealous and well skilled in the work and Lectures. Those words would ring with truth in the years to follow. Five years later at the June 8th Annual Communication, WB M. L. Young, Grand Lecturer reported on the matter of the instruction of newly-made brothers stating and all such Lodges in the zeal which they manifest in promulgating the pure principles of Free Masonry will compare favorably with the best working Lodges in any other jurisdiction. Among these I may name Kenosha No. 47. Skipping through the pages of history, one finds many positive recommendations directed toward this Lodge, each paying tribute to the adherence to our rich Masonic traditions. Not just by the men who are gathered here today, but by those who went before as well as those who will follow. I leave you with a few words from MW Rev. Benjamin T. Kavanaugh s address to the craft on January 17, Interesting how they ring true even today. The Masonic Institution claims greater antiquity and more extended diffusion than with any institution the world has ever been acquainted. While there are ten thousand causes operating on the family of man to sever the bonds of friendship and brotherly love and set men and nations at variance, Masonry, like an angel of peace throws her influence around the globe and brings them on the level. While Masonry thus stands forth as venerable as time, as firm as truth, and as benevolent as mercy, let us hail it a happy welcome into Wisconsin, where it may find a vineyard in which to labor. Thank you for your time and kind attention. Master Wayne Budwick asked that the lodge be reconsecrated and the officers reinstalled in honor of this 160th year. Grand Master William Beetcher ordered the Lodge uncovered and the Officers of the Grand Lodge of the State of Wisconsin, reconsecrated the lodge and reinstalled the officers. Junior Grand Warden L. Arby Humphrey explained the reconsecration of the Lodge to Freemasonry, Virtue and Universal Benevolence. The Grand Master congratulated the officers and members of the Lodge and expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to assist in the celebration and returned the gavel to Master Wayne Budwick. The Master expressed his appreciation to the Grand Lodge for the ceremony. He also expressed the appreciation of the lodge to the building committee for the hundreds of hours of work to make this day possible. He thanked the ladies for understanding and support and extended a special thank you to immediate Past Master Tom Smith. The Lodge was closed in public form followed by a reception in the dining room. Support Your Eastern Star Charities Memorials, Honorariums and Contributions Wisconsin Eastern Star Foundation David and Lorraine Beeman, Carole E. Rule, Ozaukee Chapter #147, Triwaukee Secretary/Treasurers club, Willow River Chapter #37, Queen of Sheba Chapter #26, Vega Chapter #76, Phoenix Chapter #215, Lila B. Graser Chapter #159, Starlight Chapter #283, Golden Rule Chapter #194, LaBelle Chapter #40, Janesville Chapter # 69, Rainbow Chapter #87, Columbia Chapter #29, Oconomowoc/Hartland Chapter #13, Phoenix Chapter #215, Linden Chapter #207, Eleanor J. Schaub, Patricia Steaffens In Memory of Belle Friedman Oregon Chapter In Honor of Marcia Earl, Robin Hayes, Verna Aschauer & Distinguished Guests Jane Blackwood In Memory of Edith Plummer, Bill Smith Oregon Chapter In Memory of Loretta Chojnackiq Frederic Chapter Harold Little & In Honor of Distinguished guests Don & Maria Jensen In Honor of those attending her Grand Representative Party Marcia Earl In Memory of Doreen Grove Ruth Severson In Memory of Peggy Allen, Robert & Charlene Kastens, Allen Robert Kohn & Mary Shore, Marvin Oyen, Juanita Wood, Howard Baker, Doreen Grove Winona Olson Worthy Grand Matron Worthy Grand Patron Project Mr. & Mrs. OES, Miriam Chapter #15, Carol McAllister, Lemonweir Chapter #158, Wally and Irma Lindholm, Starlight Chapter #283, Ozaukee Chapter #147, Diane Krause, Wendell & Joan Smith, Sparta Chapter #18, Linda Knee, Mark Nelson, Electa Chapter #75, Kathy Oyen, Alpha Chapter #114, Laura Yanchenko, Ruth Miller, Faith to Believe Grand Family, Ian & Ruthann Watts In Memory of Betty Barnes Rae Canfield ESTARL Sparta Chapter #283, Mr. & Mrs. OES, Phoenix Chapter #215 Cheer Fund Sparta Chapter# 18, Sheboygan Chapter #139, Trillium Chapter #208, Mr. & Mrs. OES Cancer Fund Faith to Believe Grand Officers, Sparta Chapter # 18, Electa Chapter #75, Miriam Chapter #15, Sheboygan Chapter #139, George and Janice Winget, Lemonweir Chapter #158, Rainbow Chapter #87, Electa Chapter #75 In Memory of Peggy Allen Phoenix Chapter # 215 Heart Fund Sparta Chapter #18, Columbia Chapter #29 World of Youth & Perpetual Fund International Order of Rainbow, John & Janet Dorsey, Jean James, Linda Knee, Faith to Believe Grand Family, Stars in Harmony Grand Family, Lemonweir Chapter #158, Sparta Chapter #18, Anonymous Donor, La Belle Chapter #40, Phoenix Chapter # 215, Mr.& Mrs. Rhodes, Jim & Kristen Schoville, Pam Wise, Daniel & Diane Williamson, Martha Chapter #66, Ozaukee Chapter #147, Sparta Chapter # 18, Oconomowoc/Hartland Chapter #13, Ellsworth Chapter #116, Everett Chapter #95, Terrance Hart, Mary Lou Reilly, Mr. & Mrs. OES, Ruth Miller, Lemonweir Chapter #158, Pat West In Memory of Peggy Allen Jim & Kristen Schoville In Memory of Betty Barnes Rae Canfield Wounded Warrior Project Elise Lindeman, George & Janet Winget, D.A. Corss, Sparta Chapter #18, Wauwatosa Chapter #219, Joy Kuenzi, David & Rosie Fiscus, Eagle Chapter #218, Anonymous Donor Fisher House Project To be announced in 2015 General Grand Chapter Dyslexia Project Ladysmith Chapter #287, Mabel Chapter #181, Ozaukee Chapter #147, Frances Hauser Trust, Dodgeville Chapter #39 Fill Out, Clip and Mail Today Support Your Wisconsin Grand Chapter Charities Enclosed is my donation for: ( ) Worthy Grand Matron/ Worthy Grand Patron Projects American Diabetes Research & Masonic Medical Research Facility ( ) ESTARL Fund (A fund to help those pursuing religious training.) ( ) Support Our Military Fisher House Project ( ) Perpetual Youth Scholarship World of Youth ( ) Heart Fund ( ) Cancer Research ( ) GGC Children s Dyslexia Center, Inc. Project ( ) Wisconsin Eastern Star Foundation, Inc. (For this charity please make your check out to the WI OES Foundation and send to the address below.) ( ) In Honor of: ( ) In Memory of: Amount $ Date Please acknowledge to: Name Address City State Zip Make your check payable Wisconsin Grand Chapter OES indicating on the memo section of your check the benevolence(s) you have listed above and mail it to: Wisconsin Grand Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, Sunset Drive, Dousman, WI wioes@centurytel.net - Phone Ext. 851 WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER PAGE 11

13 Wisconsin Masonic College Leadership Training Brethren attending the Leadership Training session filled the lodge room at the Wisconsin Masonic Heritage Center in Dodgeville. Junior Grand Deacon Robert C. Strader speaks on mentoring. Bro. Brent Clausius writes down the definitions of a good and bad leader for his breakout group. See story on page 1 Co-Chairman of the Wisconsin Masonic Education Committee, Senior Grand Deacon Scott E. Pedley addresses the Brethren. At right: Senior Grand Steward Kenneth C. Gorgen explains the break out group activity. Past Grand Master Joseph B. Harker receives his Leadership Training Certificate from Grand Master William Beetcher. Preparing the presentations at right are Bro. Ray Meilke and Senior Grand Deacon Scott E. Pedley. Bro. Ed Showers presents his breakout group s definitions of the characteristics of a good and a bad leader. Photos by Rich Rygh Brothers work to define the characteristics of a good and bad leader in their break out group. Brothers from left: Jerry Reick, Brad Staley, Scott Magnusson, Matt Hughey, Mike Heitke and Rick Plouffe. Grand Chaplain David R. Ritchie explains generational differences. PAGE 12 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER 2014

14 Band Social at Veteran s Home at King MSA Representative Bro. Tom Dowman introduces the songs for the Neenah Ambassadors during the Band Social. Volunteers prepare the refreshments. From left: Audrey Reichow, Doris Esch and Bro. Emil Reichow. Grand Master William Beetcher (right) presents his Veteran s Pin to Bro. Doran Truex as MSA Coordinator Roger L. Magoon, PGM, waits to offer congratulations. Bro. Truex is a Past Master of Adams Lodge No Bro. Steve Labus holds the tray while his 5 year old granddaughter Charlotte passes out cake to the residents. Bro. Labus has two other grandchildren who have been volunteering for several years; Isabelle Labus, age 11; and Christian Labus, age 14. See story on page 3 First Lady Pat Beetcher hands an envelope to a winner in the drawing for exchange coupons. Photos by Rich Rygh Volunteer Mary Lou Reilly helps serve ice cream. She is a member of Wautoma Chapter #198 OES. MSA Coordinator Roger L. Magoon, PGM, dances to the big band music with Pat Merkes. WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER PAGE 13

15 News Events from the Lodges 13th Annual Robert Burns Table Lodge January 22 Lake Lodge No. 189 is proud to announce its 13th Annual Robert Burns Table Lodge on Thursday, January 22, at the Lake Masonic Center, 1235 E. Howard Avenue in Milwaukee. The program will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 each. Join Lake Lodge for this evening of great food and fellowship as they celebrate the legacy of Brother Robert Burns. The evening will feature ceremonial toasts and raffles. The menu will consist of a fine Roast Beast Dinner. The Scottish delicacy Haggis will be prepared by Senior Grand Warden Donald W. Hensiak. The Haggis will be served with its traditional fanfare including the Address to a Haggis written by famed Scottish Poet and Masonic Brother Robert Burns. Red and white wines will be served for celebratory toasting. Commemorative Toasting Cannons imported from England will be available for purchase. Make reservations through Eventbrite at or Send checks to Lake Masonic Center,1235 E. Howard Ave, Milwaukee, WI questions to robertburns@lake masoniccenter.org. Reservations are due Jan. 15. Unique door at Jefferson Masonic Center A point of interest at the recent Veteran s Breakfast at Jefferson County Lodge No. 9 was the unique door to the lodge room. The door was custom made by Bro. Tony and Curtis Bell. Bro. Curtis (right) is the current Master of the Lodge and Bro. Tony is a Past Master. The door is made of solid oak and weighs over 375 lbs. Both Brothers are Veterans. Submitted photo Aurora Lodge raises two Master Masons Bros. Allan Reic and Guenter Berg were recently raised to the Master Mason Degree in Aurora Lodge No. 30. Aurora Lodge is a French Rite German speaking lodge. From left: Helmut Godejohann, Erster Aufseher (Senior Warden); Bro. Allan Riec; Bro. Guentrer Berg; Adolf Meinhardt, Meister Von Stuhl (Master); Jerry Umek, Vorbereitender Bruder (prepares candidate for initiation); and Alfred Cub, Sekretaer (Secretary). Submitted by Bro. Bob Grohall River Falls Lodge Mason of the Year Banquet By Bro. Milt Helmer River Falls Lodge No. 109 held their annual Mason of the Year banquet on November 8, at the River Falls Masonic Center. Bro. Michael Wilson, Master, presented the Mason of the Year award to Bro. Blair Conklin, Senior Deacon, for his many contributions to the Lodge during Lucy Larson presented a check to the lodge for $3,000 in memory of her husband, Bro. Perry Larson, who passed recently. Bro. Rod Rommel, member of the Shriners Hospitals Board of Directors, presented a history of the Shriners in America. Bro. Rommel explained how the fez became the emblem of Shriners throughout of the world. Aaron Anderson, a junior at New Richmond High School explained the project he has completed while working to become an Eagle Scout. He designed and built the impressive sign that stands at the entrance of Halverson Park in the River Falls. The park is a joint venture of the River Falls Lions Club and River Falls Lodge and is named for Lion and Mason, the late Bro. Adolf Halverson. Bro. Blair Conklin (right) receives his Mason of the Year Award from Master Mike Wilson. Photo by Bro. Milt Helmer PAGE 14 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER 2014

16 New Home for Kenosha Lodge See story on page 1 Grand Master William Beetcher reconsecrates the lodge. From left: Senior Grand Deacon Scott E. Pedley; Junior Grand Warden L. Arby Humphrey; Grand Secretary Michael A. De- Wolf, PGM; Master of Kenosha Lodge Wayne Budwick; Senior Grand Steward Robert C. Strader; and Grand Marshal Lester C. Paulson. Kenosha Chapter #92 OES presents the bible. From left: Elisa Marshall, Worthy Matron Laurie Twardy and Mary Mock. New lodge building on 56th St. in Kenosha. Junior Grand Warden L. Arby Humphrey turns the gavel over to Grand Master William Beetcher for the reconsecration ceremony. Past Grand Commander David Schreier and Burlington Commandery No. 50 present the flag. Bro. Ewald Brandes, Chaplain, receives a Veteran s Pin from Grand Master William Beetcher. Bro. Brandes is a WWII Veteran and a very active Mason. He just recently celebrated his 99th birthday. A streetcar passes the lodge building on 56th St. Photos by Rich Rygh Father and son team District 11 Deputy Michael A. Gorgen and Senior Grand Steward Kenneth C. Gorgen uncover the Lodge. WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER PAGE 15

17 121st Session of the Wisconsin Council of Deliberation Secretary of the Valley of Eau Claire James Trowbridge addresses the membership meeting and reports on their membership committee. Ritualistic Committee Chairman Todd Wohlert runs the Ritual Meeting. Commander-In-Chief of Madison Consistory Matthew M. Hughey (left) explains the workings of the Valley of Madison Membership Committee. By Rich Rygh The 121st session of the Wisconsin Council of Deliberation was called to order on Nov. 8, at the Madison Masonic Center by Ill Michael A. DeWolf 33º, Commander-in-Chief, Deputy for Wisconsin. The morning was divided into three meetings, Ritual Meeting, MSA Selection Meeting and Membership Meeting. Ill Michael A. DeWolf 33º conducted the membership meeting beginning with the vision statement of Scottish Rite, We will strive to be a Fraternity that fulfills the obligation to take care of our members. He said, We are going to put more focus upon the Brother. You will see as we move forward, less emphasis on external charities and organizations, and more emphasis on each and every one of you. The Supreme Council is making a concerted effort and spending a great deal of money on taking care of all of us. The Deputy for Wisconsin said the greatest charity we have are each and every one of you, our own Brothers. The Supreme Council through the Scottish Rite Almoners Fund contributed over $1 million to aid Brothers in the state of Illinois after all the tornadoes and destruction in that state. He said this money went to Brothers, not just Scottish Rite Brothers, Masonic Brothers. All five Valleys in Wisconsin Ill Michael A. DeWolf 33º, Commander-in-Chief, Deputy for Wisconsin, opens the business meeting. Active Member and Deputy for Wisconsin Michael A. DeWolf and Active Members Steven E. Prewitt and Jeffrey L. Bryden listen during the membership committee meeting. were represented and reported what their membership committees are doing. Deputy for Wisconsin DeWolf stated we know where our membership comes from, we need to help lodges grow their membership so we can get these new members into Scottish Rite. He said we need to live our mission statement and be a fraternity that takes care of its members. When people see this and believe it, that is when membership will grow. There was a long discussion on what things the valleys are doing and what is working to retain and enhance membership. Ill Michael A. DeWolf 33º conducted the business meeting in the afternoon. There is a new restructuring of the Scottish Rite Degrees called the bookend concept. After receiving the 4th Degree a Brother will be a member of Scottish Rite. He must attend three more degrees containing core values to be eligible to receive the 32º after which he will be a 32º Mason. A new version of the Meritorious Service Award has been adopted and will be presented next year by S.P. Michael Kugler, MSA. Following the business meeting the Revised 32º was presented in the auditorium by the Valley of Madison. Meritorious Service Awards were presented in the evening followed by a banquet in the ballroom of the Madison Masonic Center. Photos by Rich Rygh PAGE 16 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER 2014

18 Masonic Brotherhood Council Serves Refreshments at Veteran s Day Parade The Masonic Brotherhood Council served donuts, coffee, hot chocolate, apples and apple cider along with some warm fellowship at the Veteran s Day Parade in Milwaukee on Nov. 8. Brotherhood Council Members serve the veterans. Prince Hall Grand Master Minor King II (center) helps serve refreshments. By Bro. Milt Helmer The District 2 meeting held on Oct. 29, in Menomonie, was very well attended. Members from each lodge in the District assembled to hear reports from District 2 Deputy Grand Master Thomas W. Christiano and other Grand Lodge officers. In his welcome, the District Deputy announced the dates and times for the schools of instruction and also the planned Masonic College Leadership presentations. The Leadership presentations are one day intensive courses of study to be held in four different locations around the state. The first session was in Dodgeville on Nov. 15. The will be one in Chippewa Falls on March 14, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The fee is $25 and includes lunch. Brethren can make reservations at wiscfreemasonry.org. District Deputy Grand Master Christiano also reminded the Brothers of the Grand Masters request for input on the lodge/grand lodge re-alignment proposal. He said it comes down to only one point. If the proposal is adopted, the Lodge fiscal year would run May through April, the same as the Grand Lodge. Input forms were handed out with a deadline Bros. Prince Riley (left) and Bill Shelley stock the food tables. of Jan. 10, 2015 to be returned to the Grand Master. Bro. Alton Hodges, Master of Chetek Lodge No. 277, presented his Friendship committee program. The members of the committee are appointed to a one year term in which their assignment is to keep in touch with inactive members and make them feel wanted and needed. The meeting also featured a discussion of a new Rookie of the Year award that would be presented to a Brother who has been a member for at least 2 years. To qualify, the member should have attended district functions and been active in lodge activities. The featured speaker for the evening was Deputy Grand Master Franklin J. Struble who introduced a program to honor the widows of departed Masons. In his comments, he said the women who are left behind have made an important contribution to Freemasonry and should be honored as such. In his program he would like to refer to widows, as honored ladies. The idea was to send a letter to honored ladies and inform them of a lodge member who she can call if she is in need. That Brother would be her contact with the lodge and would make sure that she receives frequent visits and communication on lodge activities. He recommended creating and presenting a Broken Column pin for Honored Ladies that could be given at a special dinner. Further, in his comments, the Deputy Grand Master noted two groups of people who need our attention. The younger Masons age 18 to 24 and members who are age 75 and over. Veterans enjoy refreshments during the parade. Submitted by Bro. Lowell Scott District 2 Focuses on Improving Involvement Wisconsin Masonic Charities Erika Miller, erika@wisc-freemasonry.org Grand Lodge Annual Report Forms A new form for the Annual Report is being issued this year. The new form will eliminate filling out some redundant information that is already in MORI. The form will be available online can be completed online, printed out, signed and mailed in to the Grand Lodge Office. The new forms will be arriving soon. Deputy Grand Master Franklin J. Struble Photo by Bro. Milt Helmer Multiple-Letter Ciphers Contact Cheryl Martin cheryl@wisc-freemasonry.org Ext. 800 WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER PAGE 17

19 Grand Master Visits William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital Judy McKee Hospital Director By Rich Rygh Tim Donovan, Chief of Community Relations at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison welcomed Grand Master William Beetcher, his Lady Pat, State MSA Coordinator Robert L. Magoon and Grand Chaplain David Ritchie and Bro. Jerry Potter to a tour of the facility on Oct. 17. The tour was arranged by Bro. Vandy Pryor, Masonic Service Association Representative. The Masonic Service Association provides a coffee service five days per week, the volunteers work at the information desk, transport patients around the hospital, transport records around the hospital as needed and help provide a chapel service on Sunday. Brethren from local lodges come in on Sunday and work as chapel escorts for the patients and provide refreshments after the church service. These services are provided to all patients, not just Masons. Donovan said the Madison VA served about 1000 veterans per day, Monday through Thursday MSA Director Roger L. Magoon, PGM, extend his appreciation to Bro. Laverne Storkson for serving as MSA Representative. and about 750 on Fridays. There are also 126 inpatient beds which are almost always at capacity. Madison handles primarily acute care patients with the average stay about four days. He said the VA facilities have been in the news recently. He said the Madison VA had some issues that they are working through, but no secret lists or anything like that. Donovan said, The issue for us was all supply and demand. Unexpectedly and unpredictably we had a real surge in patients enrolling for care here and seeking their first primary care appointment. Over the past several years that number monthly would be about 120 per month, the number of new patients. Quite suddenly, overnight, that population in January popped up to over 200, by May we were over 350. They also lost some primary care providers. These problems have now been corrected. He said they were not sure why that number grew. The Madison VA facility serves 15 counties in southwestern Wisconsin and five in Illinois. There are about 120,000 veterans living in these 20 counties they Madison VA serves 40,000 of them. This is the primary service area, however the facility does serve patients from all over the country. Hospital Director Judy McKee said they serve about 40,000 veterans per year, some coming from long distances because they do transplant surgery. Working in conjunction with UW Hospital they do heart, lung and liver transplants. Veterans come from as far away as Alaska and Puerto Rico. She said about 75% of VA Hospitals are associated with university medical centers. The Madison VA facility also does all the speciality care for the Tomah VA serving around 10,000 veterans. A recognition dinner for MSA volunteers followed the tour at the Radisson Hotel in Madison. MSA Representative Vandy Pryor welcomed the volunteers and introduced guests. Bro. Donald Knapp presented Bro. Laverne Storkson a service award for his many years of service as a volunteer and Representative. Bro. Knapp also recognized Shirley Storkson, who was unable to be present due to recent surgery, with a service award for four years of service in providing music for hymn singing and chapel services. Bro Laverne said The experience we have had at the VA Hospital in Madison is something that money Grand Master William Beetcher thanks the volunteers. cannot buy, it has been a great experience for both of us. State Coordinator Roger L. Magoon, PGM, recognized Bro. Storkson for his many years of service and thanked him for all he has done and continues to do for the MSA. He also presented certificates of appreciation to several volunteers. Bro. Donald Knapp was also recognized for his many years of service. The State Coordinator expressed the need for more volunteers. He said he knows there are many Brothers and even wives who are retired and could spend a few hours each month volunteering. It is a fun and rewarding experience and makes a profound difference in the lives of our veterans. Grand Master William Beetcher said the Madison VA was the third VA hospital he has toured this year. He said,... as always I come back so deeply impressed and so humbled by the work that is done here. He thanked Bro. Andy Pryor for arranging the tour and for taking over as MSA Representative. The Grand Master said a he looks at the volunteer list with the thousands of volunteer hours, that is truly touching. He said as a veteran, and on behalf of his fellow veterans, he thanks the volunteers so much for their service. The Grand Master said his Grand Master s Appeal this year is the Grand Master s Veteran Support Fund and runs through April He said this is a true Masonic charity and the opportu- Tim Donovan, Chief of Community Relations, shows how the mechanicals are hidden to make the rooms more aesthetically pleasing. Photos by Rich Rygh Bro. Donald Knapp (left) recognized Laverne (center) and Shirley Storkson for their outstanding service to the MSA. Due to recent surgery Shirley was unable to be present. Grand Master William Beetcher presented the Awards. nity for the Masons of Wisconsin to show their appreciation to our veterans. First Lady Pat Beetcher said she has found in her travels the last few years that the Masonic ladies are very talented, they crochet, knit, quilt and sew. She said she decided to put out a Wisconsin challenge to see how many theme pillowcases, knit hats, scarves, twin size bed covers, comforters and lap robes they can make by April 15, These items will be presented to the VA Medical Centers and Homes throughout Wisconsin. Tim Donovan said he looked at the data for MSA. It is one of the smallest volunteer organizations at the Madison VA, 2% by numbers. These 18 volunteers donated 3500 hours, 18% of the total of volunteer hours by all volunteer organizations. No other volunteer organization comes close to that. The number of hours donated by the MSA are valued by the VA at $81,000, on top of the $4500 in donations received, and $13,000 dollars generated from the coffee cart. All of this done by these 18 volunteers. The evening closed with a prayer. First Lady Pat Beetcher promotes her challenge to Wisconsin Masonic Ladies. For complete information see page 3. Support the Masonic Charity of Your Choice! Grand Master William Beetcher (left); State MSA Director Roger L. Magoon, PGM (second from right) and MSA Representative Vandy Pryor (right) present Service Awards to (from left): Jack Heady, Judy Emerson, Jerry Roscoe and Donald Komplin. Bro. Harland Emerson was also recognized. MSA Volunteers are Needed Take a few hours of your time each week to be a Masonic Service Association Volunteer. A common request from the VA facilities in Wisconsin is the need for more volunteers. Make a difference in the life of a veteran. It is a very rewarding experience. Anyone wishing to volunteer at any of the facilities should contact State MSA Coordinator Roger L. Magoon at or magoonitd@prodigy.net. PAGE 18 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER 2014

20 District 9 Meeting Includes Chili Cook Off, Masonic Education and Estate Planning District 9 Deputy Grand Master Paul T. Tourville opens the District Meeting at the Edgerton Masonic Center. Photos by Rich Rygh By Rich Rygh Fulton Lodge No. 69 hosted the District 9 Meeting on Oct. 30. The evening began with a chili cook off which was won by District 9 Deputy Grand Master Paul T. Tourville and raised $310 for the Edgerton Community Outreach Food Pantry. Junior Grand Deacon Robert C. Strader spoke on Wearing Your Symbolic Apron. He stressed the importance of living up to our Masonic teachings as we are constantly being judged by others. A Mason s conduct should stand out as an example of how to live your life. He called attention to Grand Master William Beetcher s Pin, we must Learn, Subdue and Improve. He said, Consider a re-obligation night at your lodge so all can reaffirm the oath as Masonic Brothers and take stock in their Masonic lives. Remember that every day of your life, everywhere you go, every deed you do, leaves an impression on who you are and what you personally believe in. Masons must represent themselves at all times as true and upright men, remembering that we all meet upon the level, act upon the plumb and part upon the square. District 9 Deputy Grand Master Paul T. Tourville encouraged the Brethren to attend the Leadership Training coming up in Dodgeville on Nov. 15. Attorney Bro. Adam Witt, Master of Fulton Lodge, gave a very informative and worthwhile talk on estate planning basics. He gave many tips on wills and the importance of getting professional advice so your estate will be handled according to your wishes. He reminded the Brethren to keep their life insurance beneficiaries updated. Bro. Witt said a good estate plan reduces disharmony among heirs by specifying your exact wishes. He also gave advice on avoiding pitfalls that can lead to problems should you become incapacitated. He recommended keeping a will in a fireproof box in the home rather than a lockbox at a financial institution to prevent problems of access to the lockbox when you pass away. He also said to be sure to inform your personal representative where it is. District Deputy Grand Master Tourville urged the Brethren to do an annual check on their credit report because credit reports are being used everywhere today for everything. He also urged the Brothers to read the copy of Deputy Grand Master Franklin J. Struble s talk, entitled Hammer Plant included in their packet. WBro. Tourville said you cannot change your destination overnight but you can change your direction overnight. He discussed the elevator speeches he uses on a regular basis, which are so important to inform good men on the workings of the fraternity. He said, You should have an EA degree, FC Degree and a MM degree at all times on your calendar, if you have a candidate or not. And a membership event and a community event. He said we have 16 lodges in this District, we had 14 lodges turning in the LEA forms last year with eight lodges qualifying. The lodges that did not qualify were disqualified because they did not confer all three degree. He suggested having a re-obligation Leadership continued from page 1 The Brethren filled out their evaluation forms after participating in the Leadership Training session and on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being highly dissatisfied and 10 being highly satisfied, the average score for the five categories on the form was Some of the comments received were: The program contained many areas that thoroughly explained many problems that our lodge is experiencing, Generational information is fascinating and often overlooked or taken for granted, I thought this was a great experience. Thank you, Can t wait for the next class and I have learned what I could have done to have been a better Master for my lodge This was the first of four sessions being held throughout the state, with sessions coming up in Brookfield, Green Bay and Chippewa Falls. This is a work in progress and the presenters will fine tune the presentation based on evaluation information received from those Brothers attending. Reservations are filling up fast Support the Wisconsin Masonic Soccer Foundation Contact Erika Miller erika@wisc-freemasonry.org , ext. 831 Junior Grand Deacon Robert C. Strader stresses the importance of living up to our Masonic teachings. Bro. Adam Witt educates the Brethren on estate planning. night. He said it is good for all of us to hear our obligations. Get a Grand Lodge Officer in and confer the degrees. The District Deputy Grand Master also reviewed the Ashlar Award. Many Lodges are already doing what is covered by the Award, but are not filling out the forms. He reviewed many high profile community events the lodges in the district are having and said you all know many men who would make good Masons, now is the time to ask them. District Deputy Grand Master Tourville asked that we keep Grand Orator Keith D. Chamberlain, PGM, and Zor Potentate Larry Hanson, Secretary of Albany Lodge No. 36 in our prayers as they battle cancer. Waucoma Lodge No. 90, Cooksville received the traveling trophy for the best attendance. for the next presentation at the McKinley Masonic Center in Brookfield on January 31. The class is limited to 70 Brothers. Make reservations at The deadline is Jan. 21. Address Changing? Remember to notify your lodge secretary or the Grand Lodge Office of your change of address. Contact Cheryl Martin Ext cheryl@wisc-freemasonry.org Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of Wisconsin Sunset Drive Dousman, WI Wisconsin Masonic Calendar continued from cover JANUARY Bethel #60 Job s Daughters, Installation of Officers. 7:00 p.m., refreshments to follow. Port Washington Masonic Center 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. 1:00 p.m., West Bend Masonic Center, 301 University Drive, West Bend. 3 Prairie du Chien Lodge No. 8, Installation of Officers, Meal at 6:30 p.m., installation to follow. 4 Union Grove Lodge No. 288, Installation of Officers, 1:30 p.m., th Ave., Union Grove. 10 Ozaukee Lodge No. 17, Open Installation of Officers, 3:00 p.m., dinner following. Port Washington Masonic Center. Reservations are required by Jan. 3, relgeizj@hotmail.com. 10 Southern Lakes Lodge No. 12, Installation of Officers, 3:00 p.m., 1007 S. 2nd St., Delavan. 17 State Wide Secretaries Conference. Madison Masonic Center th Annual Robert Burns Table Lodge, 6:00 p.m., Lake Masonic Center. $25 per person. Reservations due by Jan. 15. The evening will consist of the fine Roast Beast and Haggis Dinner, ceremonial toasts, raffles, and a talk by Grand Master William Beetcher. Make reservations through Eventbrite at or Send checks to Lake Masonic Center,1235 E. Howard Ave, Milwaukee, WI questions to robertburns@lakemasoniccenter.org Grand Lodge Winter Staff Meeting, Best Western Premier Waterfront 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 North Main Street, Oshkosh. 31 Ozaukee Lodge No. 17, Annual Master s Feast. Gather at 5:30 p.m., Feast at 6:00 p.m. Order tickets online at or Contact Bro. Dave Tainter at dtainter@wi.rr.com or call Wisconsin Masonic College Leadership Training, McKinley Masonic Center, 4550 N. Pilgrim Road, Brookfield. Sign-up via Eventbrite on the Grand Lodge website at Reservations are due Jan OES event - Lucky Lodge 13, 12 noon, Lake Masonic Center, Milwaukee. Meal and entertainment, $13 per person, contact Linda Knee FEBRUARY Wisconsin Masonic College Leadership Training, hosted by N.E.W. Daylite Lodge No. 360, NEW Masonic Center, 525 N. Taylor St., Green Bay. Sign-up after Sept. 15, 2014 via Eventbrite on the Grand Lodge website at 21 Grand Chapter OES, Hearts and Wines of Wisconsin, Three Pillars. Fun event to benefit our WGM/WGP Project, American Diabetes Foundation and the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory. 28 OES WI/IL Exchange, 5:00 p.m., Lake Masonic Center, Milwaukee. $17 per person, contact Linda Schreier MARCH Grand Officer Party for Grand Martha Kenda Perroni, and Grand Chaplain Denise Wuehr, 11:30 a.m., Klemmer s Banquet Center, Milwaukee. $25 per person, contact Debbie Schulze H.S. Baird Lodge No. 174, 80th Annual Steam Boat Dinner; Sturgeon Bay Masonic Center. 14 Wisconsin Masonic College Leadership Training, Chippewa Falls Masonic Center Masonic Center, 650 Bridgewater Ave. Chippewa Falls. Sign-up via Eventbrite on the Grand Lodge website at 15 Grand Officer Party for Grand Sentinel Marvin Engelke, 12 noon, American Legion Building, Blanchardville. $7 per person, contact Joslyn Gant Grand Chapter OES, St. Patrick's Day Party at Compass Point, Three Pillars Grand Chapter OES Bus trip to Roseville, Michigan for the Wisconsin/Michigan Exchange. APRIL District 11 Spring Meeting, dinner at 6:00 p.m. meeting at 7:00 p.m., hosted by Kenosha Lodge No Ladies the Valley of Madison Scottish Rite fundraiser lunch for the Children's Dyslexia Center Madison, Blackhawk Country Club, Madison. Raffle will start at 10:30 a.m., lunch at noon. Cash bar and entertainment. Cost is only $30. Contact Elaine Engelke at engelm@tds.net or MAY District 9 Meeting hosted by Bicknell Lodge No. 94, Brodhead, 8:00 a.m. coffee and donuts, 9:00 a.m. meeting Grand Chapter OES, Faith to Believe Grand Session at the Holiday Inn and Convention Center, Stevens Point. Official visit of the Most Worthy Grand Matron and Most Worthy Grand Patron of the General Grand Chapter. JUNE Annual Communication, Madison Masonic Center. NOVEMBER Hiram s Harvest Festival, benefiting the Wisconsin Masonic Foundation Youth Soccer Program, watch for details. FEBRUARY Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America. Advertise your Fundraiser in the Wisconsin Masonic Journal The Number 1 Source for Reaching the Masons of Wisconsin Contact Diane Igl diane@wisc-freemasonry.org WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER PAGE 19

21 New Master Mason Lodge recognizes Bro. Paulson Tiler Jaime Peterson, Northwestern Lodge No. 105, Prescott, presented Area Administrator H. Scott Paulson with a special "Grizzled Veteran" polo shirt at their stated communication on November 19. Bros. from left: Dan Finley, Master; H. Scott Paulson; and Jaime Peterson. Photo by Bro. Milt Helmer Linden Lodge raises three new Master Masons Bros. Darren Jones, Robert Fritsch and David Fritsch were recently raised in Linden Lodge No From left: Bros. Royce Jones (Darren s uncle), Darren Jones, Robert Fritsch, Howard Fritsch (Robert and David s father) and David Fritsch. Submitted by Area Administrator Andrew Davis Send your lodge officer installation photo to The Wisconsin Masonic Journal at: wmjeditor@wisc-freemasonry.org your submissions to wmjeditor@wisc-freemasonry.org. Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Wis. June 5-6, 2015 Two Grand Masters present Fez The 2014 Aad Shrine Potentate s Oktoberfest had a unique event where two Grand Masters, both members of Aad Shrine, Grand Master James Christensen of Minnesota and Grand Master William Beetcher of Wisconsin, had the privilege to assist Potentate Ted Pablovich in presenting Noble Claudie Washington his fez. In attendance were Junior Grand Warden L. Arby Humphrey and his Lady Cindy, Grand Master Christensen s Lady Pam and Grand Master Beetcher s Lady Pat. Piper Kerry Walsh, Aad Pipes and Drums piped in the Grand Masters and the Potentate. After a meal of Eddies World Famous Ribs, the nobles and their wives danced to music provided by the Ken Sievers Band. Photo Submitted Grand Master gives Symbols talk in River Falls Grand Master William Beetcher gave his noted "Symbols" lecture at the River Falls Lodge No. 109 on October 21. Before the lecture the Grand Master also explained the proposal to align the Grand Lodge year with the lodges fiscal year. From leftz: Michael Wilson, Master; Mike Elliott, Chaplain; Grand Master William Beetcher; Oscan Kilic, Past Master; and Bro. Ali Dalkilic. Photo by Bro. Milt Helmer WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER PAGE 20

22 Antigo Antigo Lodge No th Ave. Meet 2nd Monday, 7 p.m. Argyle Argyle Lodge No E. Milwaukee St Meet 2nd Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Baldwin Collins-Spring Valley Lodge Main St (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Dark June, July & August Baraboo Baraboo Lodge No Second Ave Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. Barneveld Barneveld Lodge No S. Jones St (Sec) Meet 2nd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Bayfield Bayfield Washburn No nd Street Meet 1st Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Beaver Dam Dodge County Lodge No DeClark St Meet 1st Thurs. & 3rd Monday, 7 p.m. Beloit Morning Star Lodge No W. Grand Ave Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. Black Earth Crescent Valley Lodge No Mills St (Sec) Meet 1st Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Black River Falls Black River Lodge No Main Street Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Bloomer Bloomer Lodge No Larson St Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Dark January & February Bristol Washburn Lodge No th Ave Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. 2nd Thurs. only Jan. & Feb. Brookfield McKinley Lodge No N. Pilgrim Rd Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Camp Douglas Camp Douglas Lodge No Main St (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Cecil Mason-Woods Lodge No. 368 N6446 Emery Ansorge Rd (Sec) 3rd Tues., 10 a.m. Dark January & February Chetek Chetek Lodge No Morrison St (Sec) Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7 p.m. Dark June, July & August Chippewa Falls Chippewa Falls Lodge No Bridgewater Ave Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. Columbus Columbus Lodge No N. Ludington St (Sec) Meet 2nd Mon., 7 p.m. Dark June-August Crandon Crandon Lodge No S. Lake Ave (Sec) Meet 2nd Tues. Apr.-June & Sept.-Dec. Meets 4th Tues. Mar.-May & July-Oct Darlington Evening Star Lodge No Wells St (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. Dodgeville Dodgeville Lodge No W. Chapel St Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Stated Communications for the Mason Traveling in Wisconsin Dousman Dousman Lodge No N. Main St Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. 3rd Tuesday only July & August Dousman Glen L. Humphrey Lodge No State Rd Meet 2nd Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. Dark in June Eagle River Eagle River Lodge No E. Division Meet 2nd Tuesday, 7 p.m. Eau Claire Eau Claire Lodge No Graham Ave (Sec.) (Master) 2nd & 4th Tues., 7:00 p.m., Dark July & Aug. Eau Claire George B. Wheeler Lodge No Graham Ave Meet 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Eau Claire Sanctuary Lodge No Graham Ave Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, dinner 6 p.m., meeting at 7 p.m. Dark July & Aug Edgerton Fulton Lodge No W. Fulton St Meets 1st Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Ellsworth Hancock Lodge No High Point Dr Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. Florence Hiram D. Fisher Lodge No N. Montgomery Lake Rd Meet 2nd Wed., 6:30 p.m. Fond du Lac Fond du Lac Lodge No W. Arndt St Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7 p.m. Dark July and August Frederic Landmark Lodge No United Way (Sec). Meet 2nd Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Friendship Quincy Lodge No Main St (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Galesville Decora Lodge No S. Main St Meets 1st & 3rd Mondays, 8 p.m. & 1st Mon. Sept. Green Bay Des Peres Lodge No N. Taylor Meet 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m. Green Bay N.E.W. Daylite Lodge No N. Taylor St Meet 2nd Thursday, 10 a.m. Green Bay Theodore Roosevelt Lodge N. Taylor St Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. Dark July & Aug., Green Bay Washington Lodge No N. Taylor St Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7 p.m. Hartford Hartford Lodge No N. Rural St Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7 p.m. Hayward Keystone Lodge No Main St (Sec) Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7 p.m. Hustisford Neosho-Mayville-Horicon No E. Anthony St., Hustisford st & 3rd Tues. 7:00 Hudson St. Croix Lodge No Locust Street Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. Iron River Ancient Landmark No West Mill St st Wed., 7 p.m., bmarriott7@gmail.com Iron River Barnes Lodge No West Mill St Meet 2nd Tues. 7:00 p.m. Dark January & February Janesville Janesville-Western Star No E. Milwaukee St Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Jefferson Jefferson County Lodge No Masonic Blvd Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:00 p.m. Kenosha Kenosha Lodge No th St Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Kenosha Sunrise Lodge No Washington Rd Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 9:30 a.m. Kenosha Unity Lodge No Washington Rd Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7 p.m. Dark 3rd Thurs., July & August La Crosse La Crosse Masonic Lodge No th Street So Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m. La Crosse Frontier-Badger Lodge No S. 8th St Meet 2nd & 4th Thurs., Dinner, 6 pm, Meeting 7 p.m. Ladysmith Mystic Tie Lodge No E. 3rd St. N (Sec) Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Lake Geneva Geneva Lodge No S. Lake Shore Dr Meet 2nd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. Linden Linden Lodge No Main St (Sec) Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 8 p.m. Lodi Lodi Valley Lodge No First St (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Dark August Lone Rock Franklin Lodge No S. Oak St (Sec) Meet 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Madison Commonwealth Lodge No Wisconsin Ave rd Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. Madison Doric Lodge No S. Stoughton Rd (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Tues., 7 p.m. Madison Four Lakes Daylite Lodge No Wisconsin Ave Meets 1st Mon. - 2nd Mon. if 1st is holiday wknd., 10 a.m. Madison Hiram Lodge No Wisconsin Ave Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:30 p.m Dark 1st Mondays, July thru Sept. Madison Madison Lodge No Wisconsin Ave Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Dark 1st Thursday July & August Manawa Manawa Lodge No N. Bridge St Meet 2nd & 4th Mon., Dinner 6 p.m. Meeting 7 p.m., Dark July & Aug. Manitowoc Manitowoc Lodge No Chicago St (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:00 p.m. Marinette Marinette Lodge No Main St Meet 1st Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Marshfield Marshfield Lodge No W. 4th St Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Mauston Northern Light Lodge No E. State St Meet 1st Thurs., 2nd Thurs. rotates, 7:00 p.m. Medford Medford Lodge No S. Seventh St Meet 2nd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Dark January & February Menomonie Menomonie Lodge No. 164 N th St Meet 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. Menomonie Nine Rivers Lodge No. 369 N th St Meet 1st Monday, 7:30 p.m. Mercer Hurley Lodge No N. Harper Meet 2nd & 4th Thurs., 7:30 p.m. Dark December thru March Merrill Virginia Falls Lodge No ½ E. Main St Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m. Dark June, July & August Merrillan Merrillan Lodge No S. Main Street (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7 p.m. Dark January, February & March Middleton Middleton-Ionic Lodge No Franklin Ave. tonionic.org 1st & 3rd Tues., 7:30 p.m. Dark 3rd Tues., July & August Milton Milton Lodge No Vernal Avenue Meets 4th Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Milwaukee Freemasons Lodge No N. Van Buren St st Wed., 5:30 p.m. Degrees 4th Wed., 5:30 p.m. Milwaukee Lake Lodge No E. Howard Ave Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7 p.m. Milwaukee Milwaukee-Harmony No N. 92nd St st & 3rd Tues. 7:30 p.m. Milwaukee Nathan Hale Lodge No N. Van Buren Meet 1st & 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m. Mineral Point Mineral Point Lodge No High St Call for meeting nights Dark 3rd Mon. July-Sept. & Oct.- Dec. Minocqua Island City Lodge No Hwy 51 South (Sec.) Meet 1st Wednesday, 10 a.m. Mondovi Buffalo River Lodge No S. Franklin (Sec) Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Monroe Smith Lodge No /2 Tenth St Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. Dark 3rd Thurs. June & July & August Mukwonago Laflin-St. James Lodge No S. Main St Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m. Neenah Appleton Lodge No E. Wisconsin Ave Meet 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Neenah/Menasha Twin Cities Lodge No E. Wisconsin Ave Meets 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7 p.m. Dark June - Aug. Open after Labor Day New Diggings Olive Branch Lodge No Cty. Rd. W Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. Dark January & February New Glarus New Glarus Lodge No th Avenue (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Dark June, July & August Neosho Neosho-Mayville-Horicon No E. Anthony St., Hustisford , 1st & 3rd Tues, 7:00 p.m. Oconomowoc Oconomowoc-Hartland Lodge N. Lake Road Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. 3rd Wednesdays, July & August Oconto Pine Lodge No Superior Ave Meet 2nd Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Dark December & January Oconto Falls Oconto Falls Lodge No N. Washington St Meet 1st Mon., Sept. 2nd Mon., 7 p.m. Omro Omro Lodge No E. Main Street Meet 2nd Monday, 7:00 p.m. Onalaska Onalaska Lodge No Main Street (Sec) Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. 2nd Thursday only, July & August Oregon Oregon Lodge No Park St (Sec) Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Oshkosh Oshkosh Lodge No Washington Ave Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Owen Owen Lodge No W. Third St (Sec.) Meets 1st Monday at 7:30 p.m. & 3rd Mon. at 11 a.m. Phillips Phillips Lodge No N. Lake Ave Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Dark June, July & August Platteville Melody Lodge No Enterprise Drive Meet 1st Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. Plymouth Cassia Lodge No Smith St Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:00 p.m. Portage Fort Winnebago Lodge No W. Conant Street Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. Dark 4th Tuesday, July & Aug. Port Washington Ozaukee Lodge No W. Grand Ave Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Potosi Warren Lodge No S. Main St (Sec) Meets 1st Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Prescott Northwestern Lodge No N. Court St (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Racine Racine-Belle City Lodge No Main St Meets 1st Tuesday, 7 p.m. Reedsburg Reedsburg Lodge No E. Main St Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Dark January & February Rhinelander Rhinelander Lodge No E. Davenport St Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. Dark January & February Rice Lake Blue Hills Lodge No W. South St Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:00 p.m. Richland Center Richland Lodge No W. Union St (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Ripon Prairie View Lodge No. 95 W14188 County Rd. KK Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m. Dark 4th Tues. Nov. & Dec. River Falls River Falls Lodge No E. Walnut St (Sec.) Meet 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. Shell Lake Shell Lake /Spooner Lodge No Doboy Drive (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m. July & August Sparta Valley Lodge No N. Court St Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 7 p.m. Dark June, July & August Star Prairie North Star Lodge No Bridge St Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:00 p.m. Dark June, July & August Stevens Point Evergreen Lodge No Dixon St Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Dark January & February Sturgeon Bay Henry S. Baird Lodge No S. 3rd Ave Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. Sun Prairie Sun Prairie Lodge No N. Bird St Meet 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Superior Acacia-Itasca Lodge No N. 21 St Meet 1st & 3rd Fridays, 7:00 p.m. Superior Superior Lodge No Belknap St Meet 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Lodge Listings are continued on page 22 PAGE 21 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER 2014

23 Freemasonry and Technology By George Fairbairn R. W. Brother Fairbairn is a Past Master and Past Secretary of Perfection Lodge #616 in St. Catharines, in the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario. He is a Past District Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Quebec. This article was published in the Fall, 2013 issue of the Ontario Mason Magazine and is reprinted with permission. --Editor There are several things that bother me about technology; or perhaps more specifically, the way that we are using it. When I studied computer programming back in 1969, my fellow students and I would visualize the impact that technology would have on our future. I remember one of my classmates saying: "By the time we're 35, we will probably only be working 15 hours per week computers will be doing most of the work for us." I spent 37 years working in the software technology field. In the first Stated Communication (continued from page 21) Tomah Tomah Lodge No E. Saratoga Street Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7 p.m. Union Grove Union Grove Lodge No th Ave Meet 3rd Saturday, 8:30 a.m. Waukesha Waukesha Lodge No South Street Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Waupaca Waupaca Lodge No ½ N. Main Street Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Dark June, July & August Waupun Waupun Lodge No S. Madison St Meets 1st Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Wausau Forest Lodge No First Street Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Dark June, July & August Wautoma Wautoma Lodge No S. Scott St (Sec.) Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:00 p.m. Wauwatosa Henry L. Palmer Lodge No N. 92nd St Fridays, 7:00 p.m. Wauwatosa Wisconsin Lodge No N. 92nd St (Sec) Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Dark June & July West Allis Wauwatosa Lodge No W. National Ave Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7 p.m. District 1 Shell Lake-Spooner No. 221 District 2 River Falls Lodge No. 109 District 3 Virginia Falls Lodge No. 226 District 4 Theodore Roosevelt No. 322 District 5 Badger Lodge No. 45 District 6 Waupaca Lodge No. 123 Traveling Gavel few years I worked about 35 hours per week (summer hours) and had time to play 9 holes of golf before dinner; in the last few years, prior to retirement, I worked hours per week, and played little or no golf. Instead of technology reducing our work hours, it has increased them there is no longer any downtime everything is moving faster. Everything and everyone is available, and is expected to be available, all of the time. I once served as Lodge Secretary to a young Master who was up-todate with the latest technology. He would demonstrate how easy and convenient it was to run MS Office applications from his Blackberry tablet for example. Although he had the latest technology, it was necessary to remind him every month for his message for the summons. It seemed like he didn't plan, but worked in a "reactive" mode if you wanted to get his attention, you needed to put yourself in his highpriority queue-then he would react. West Bend West Bend Lodge No N. University Dr Meet 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7 p.m. West Salem Salem Lodge No W. Hamilton St (Sec) Meets 4th Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. Whitefish Bay Aurora Lodge No E. Beaumont Ave Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. Whitewater St. John s Lodge No W. Main Street Meet 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Wilmot Wilmot Lodge No th St Meet 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. 2nd Tuesday only July & August Winneconne Winneconne Lodge No N. 1st Street (Sec) Meet 2nd & 4th Tues., 7 p.m. Wisconsin Dells Dells Lodge No Oak St Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Dark January & February Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin Rapids Lodge No nd Ave. So Meet 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m. Silas H. Shepherd Lodge of Research No N. Lake Rd., Oconomowoc nd Saturday March, June, Sept., Dec. Call for meeting location To list your lodge contact Diane Igl, diane@wisc-freemasonry.org District 7 Lodi Valley Lodge No. 99 District 8 Baraboo Lodge No. 34 District 9 Milton Lodge No. 161 District 10 Manitowoc Lodge No. 65 District 11 Laflin-St. James Lodge No. 247 District 12 Aurora Lodge No. 30 Please check with the Master of the lodge listed before scheduling a trip to claim the Traveling Gavel. It may already have been claimed by or delivered to another lodge. He once told me that he was away from work for 3 days and when he returned he had over 600 s. One has to question how many of these 600 s were important? And is the time spent sorting/prioritizing/filing and cleaning up these s an effective use of time? Another important question is: if we are continuously reacting to outside events, to the priorities of others, how can we ourselves be creative, let alone productive? We are in effect living our lives reacting to others. Whatever happened to planning our day? It has been my experience that organizations provide training on how to use technology, but they provide little guidance on technology etiquette. Who needs to be copied on an ? What is the cost of disturbing someone unnecessarily? By the way, if you wish to reduce the amount of you receive, there is one rule of thumb-send out fewer s. I recently viewed a short video titled Irrelevance. It was put out by AFA, the Association of Fraternity Advisors and was being viewed in Masonic circles. It stated, for example, that mimes are irrelevant, because of clowns (clowns talk, and thus are better). The video concluded that if we want the attention of the younger generation we must be relevant to them, and in order for our organization to survive we must adapt and change with the world. The younger generation has access to so much information, but less and less time to make sense of all those options. Therefore, to be relevant, we must act quickly to provide sensible answers to their questions. This video made me think: does Freemasonry need to change in order to be relevant in today's high tech, fast track world? I believe NOT-in fact I believe that we are relevant because we are different. I think that it's OK to use a responsible level of Social Media-to perhaps locate and foster new potential members, or network professionally or learn from a community of Masons. But our beliefs, our ritual and our practices are fine the way they are, and have always been. It is generally accepted that the pace of life and its stresses will get even more hectic than at present. Although people may be able to cope with this intellectually, I question if many can cope with it emotionally, with the Internet bombarding us with a mass of ethical and unethical information in the privacy of our own homes. Brother Michael Yaxley, President of the Board of General Purposes of the Grand Lodge of Tasmania, wrote: "Society does have a need for a body such as Freemasonry. I believe that this need will increase rather than decrease. In the next century the work place will not offer fellowship and camaraderie sufficient to satisfy the social instincts that people have. Many people will work at home, linked to the office by computer and telephone. Others will work in an office with complex but nevertheless inanimate equipment. The irony of the Age of Communication is that people spend, and will spend, more time by themselves." When I became a Freemason, one of my first impressions was that attending lodge was like being in a different world, and that was more than 40 years ago. When I was hectically working in the last years of my career, I would be better rested in the morning if I attended lodge the night before, even if I arrived home late. I believe that chatting in chat rooms, engaging on Facebook, or tweeting on Twitter does not provide the emotional experience that is needed, and that our lodges provide. Brethren, may our lodges remain a safe haven and be that emotional connection that the younger generation needs, and may our Brotherhood continue to be relevant until time shall be no more. Reprinted from The Short Talk Bulletin November 2014 Knights Templar Statue Bro. Scott McClelland, Master of Racine-Belle City Lodge No. 18, and member of Racine Commandery No. 7 stands next to a statue created for the Grand Commandery Conclave held in Racine in The statue, now housed inside, was on display in front of the Racine Masonic Center for many years. Photo by Rich Rygh Attend and Support Your Lodge! WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER PAGE 22

24 Shrine Club Joins Ellsworth Rod and Gun Club for Chicken Dinner St. Croix Valley Shrine Club and Ellsworth Rod and Gun Club members enjoy the chicken dinner. The Shriners of the St. Croix Valley Shrine Club joined the Ellsworth Rod and Gun Club in celebration of their final chicken dinner of the season on Saturday, Oct 25. The day included bingo and the ever popular trap shooting. Photos by Bro. Milt Helmer Support the Advertisers in your Wisconsin Masonic Journal Ellsworth Rod and Gun president Jack Hines, and Shrine Club president Larry Wiegand of Spring Valley. The Wisconsin Masonic Journal Ext. 808 or by at PAGE 23 - WISCONSIN MASONIC JOURNAL - DECEMBER 2014