Masonry’s century-long relationship with Scouting America was on full display this past spring in West Allis as a trio of lodges came together to fund and support a local Eagle Scout project.
Connor Schroeder, a scout from Troop 595 in West Allis, approached the three lodges: West Allis No. 291, Nathan Hale No. 350 and Freemasons No. 363, with a plan to build an agility practice course for the West Allis Dog Park. Connor’s plan included the building of four agility elements, an A-frame ramp, a teeter-totter, a set of weave poles and a modified tire jump, which are to be permanent fixtures in the park. The lodges each agreed to donate to the project and, with matching funds from the Grand Lodge, they were able to cover the project’s entire $1,000 price tag.
The proposal became reality in early June as over 30 volunteers donated an excess of 120 hours of time for the planning and execution of the project. The planning and carrying out of a major project, coupled with all of the documentation that goes along with it, marks the culmination of a scout’s work towards attaining the Eagle Scout rank.
Since its inception, the rank of Eagle has been a lofty goal for many scouts, however, less than 5% of all youth participating in the program actually obtain the rank. Though records are not necessarily kept within the craft, given how closely aligned the mission and visions of these groups are, it is no surprise that we find a large number of Eagle Scouts becoming Masons later in life.
Representatives from Connor’s troop, the City of West Allis, as well as the sponsoring lodges came together for a small dedication ceremony at the dog park on July 8. Attending the dedication (pictured above, from left): Jonathan Schroeder, Chris Villarreal, Master (350), Connor Schroeder, Lowein Bystrom III, Master (363), Junior Grand Steward Michael A. Burnham, Senior Warden (363) and Mike Reindl, Treasurer (363), Not Pictured: Lyle Alft – City of West Allis Forestry Dept.
Submitted by Brother Jonathan Schroeder
