From the East: Greetings, Brethren!

It is with honor and pleasure that I am writing to you in a third article as the Worshipful Master of Wilmette Park Lodge No. 931. As a brief introduction for those who do not yet know us, Wilmette Park Lodge No. 931 meets at 7:30pm on the first and third Thursday of each month in Wilmette, a Northern Chicagoland area community located between Evanston and Kenilworth along the western shore of Lake Michigan. Wilmette Park Lodge No. 931 meets on the 3rd floor in the Wilmette Masonic Temple located at 1010 Central Ave., Wilmette, IL 60091, where there is elevator access as well as generous parking both in our off-street parking and also along Central Ave and the surrounding streets. Meals are available on Stated Meeting nights, the first Thursday of the month, at the Wilmette Masonic Temple. Meals on Special Meeting nights, the third Thursday of the month, are frequently eaten together at area restaurants in time to make the 7:30pm opening gavel at the Wilmette Masonic Temple.

The month of March has been a unique time for Wilmette Park Lodge. We ended up holding three Special Meetings, making in all a total of four Wilmette Park Lodge meetings in the month of March. The first Special Meeting was mentioned in our article in the April issue of Temple Topics. The regularly scheduled Special Meeting was the third Special Meeting and centered on an Education Moment that focused upon the preceding second Special Meeting. The time separating the second and third Special Meetings was 24 hours.

The second Special Meeting was convened to welcome a new brother as soon as possible and on a night that better coincided with the schedule of his Intender and longtime friend. Once again, the Officers and brethren of Wilmette Park Lodge, along with the skilled assistance of Brother Joe Levy, put on an excellent 1st Degree ceremony! The experience of having put on a second 1st Degree ceremony within the time span of one month has shown a level of dedication by the Officers and brethren at Wilmette Park Lodge that is remarkable and refreshing! It was certainly pleasant to welcome our newly admitted brother to his first Stated Meeting in April!

The third Special Meeting in March, which was held 24 hours after having initiated our new Brother, was a treat! It was very enjoyable to deconstruct the 1st Degree ceremony as we have come to appreciate it. The patterns and the symbolism in the ritual and floor work continue to be sources of insight to me. It was truly a treat to be able to share my thoughts with my fellow Wilmette Park Lodge brethren. The really fun part in deconstructing the 1st Degree was that it was not a monologue, but it was a dialogue between well informed Brethren who all have demonstrated proficient knowledge in their several roles in the 1st Degree.

The third Special Meeting in March, with the meal that we shared at lodge, also allowed Wilmette Park Lodge to make progress in the work of the lodge. Having that fourth meeting in March maintained the regularly scheduled Special Meeting night. This provided an opportunity to meet with our returning and prospective members, an opportunity that was well taken. The third Special Meeting in March also provided an opportunity to enjoy the good work that continues to be characteristic of the Wilmette Park Lodge line of Officers. And it was fun!

In addition to the Stated and Special Meetings, complete with the eagerly anticipated progress of our candidates and our further education, we will take a moment in May to remember a broken link in our fraternal chain. The life of Brother Ronald J. Schimian, a member of A.O. Fay Lodge and a distinguished member of the Winnetka community, will be celebrated on May 18 at 11am at the Renaissance Hotel located at 933 Skokie Blvd. in Northbrook, IL. The Officers and brethren of Wilmette Park Lodge are honored to answer the call to serve important roles as we join with our brethren from A.O. Fay Lodge in the Masonic Funeral Service for Brother Schimian to pay our respects as Masons to a departed Brother and support his family and friends.

In addition to the Masonic Funeral Service in May, the continued preparation for the Organ Recital in the late Spring, the visits to other lodges, and the preparations for the Open House Past Masters Day, we have added a social outing! In the afternoon of Sunday, June 16, starting at 2pm we will enjoy a view of Lake Michigan from the north shore of Illinois at the Maple Lane beach and beach house in the Winnetka Park District. Our picnic on June 16 will take place regardless of rain or sun, but we’re pulling strongly for the latter! The fully accessible beach house is a great space for those who are not interested in the sand getting between their toes, or the wind tussling their hair, or the wisps of smoke from our grill tickling their palates. With an unobstructed view of the beach, the Maple Lane pier and Lake Michigan, those of us in the beach house will also not have to worry about drying off from the gently crashing Lake Michigan waves. We expect that those who insist on not staying indoors will occasionally have to wipe Lake Michigan off of their sunglasses. We also expect that, for our significant others and parents and children as well as ourselves, it promises to be a great Father’s Day event! As the brethren of Wilmette Park Lodge work and play hard together to improve and support ourselves and our community, though, we will always have room for another Brother to join us as at least a guest!

To learn what the brethren of Wilmette Park Lodge have been up to and to see what is coming up next for Wilmette Park Lodge, please visit us on the web at http://www.mastermason.com/wilmettepark/, on Facebook by searching for “Wilmette Park Lodge 931”, in our articles in the Wilmette Patch, and in our subsequent Temple Topics articles.

The Officers and brethren of Wilmette Park Lodge No. 931 look forward to seeing you in lodge!


Fraternally,
Gary Wayne Hardesty II, P.M.
Worshipful Master – Wilmette Park Lodge No. 931

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April 2013 Trestleboard

March 2013 Trestleboard