We Build!
As my term as Grand Master concludes, I look back with immense pride for OUR shared Masonic year. Together, we have built something truly special in Wisconsin Freemasonry, guided by our timeless principles of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, and propelled by your unwavering commitment to our craft.
Your generous support of the Grand Master’s Appeal toward the WI Masonic Foundation Acts of Kindness helped focus our charitable efforts across the state. From the deployment of Fire Suppression Tools & AEDs —saving lives and property nearly every month—to sharing over 500 volunteer service hours all over the state, we have continued to show Freemasonry’s positive impact & relevance.
The Wisconsin Masonic Journal, under W. Brother Richard Rygh’s dedicated editorship, remains our lifeline, especially for brothers unable to attend lodge, while wimasons.org has extended our reach, sharing our values with a broader audience. Together, these platforms have not only documented our growth but also inspired action, embracing the whole family of Freemasonry—Shrine, Scottish Rite, York Rite, Eastern Star, DeMolay, Jobs Daughters, Grotto, and more. Our digital presence helped us to share our story and put our best foot forward to a curious public. Through our cooperative efforts, we have shown that we are all in this together, and we will rise together.
This year, we saw continued positive trends in membership growth as testament to our strategic efforts and degree work across the state. We highlighted our values in new videos, marketing campaigns, physical media and mentorship initiatives. Our online presence helped support growth and amplified these successes, sharing stories & inspiring other good men to seek the light of Freemasonry. Thanks to our education team, our brothers found a wide array of new educational programs. Symposiums, educational email campaigns, speaker contests, a newly published book & MasoniCon, there was no shortage of opportunities to stay engaged and pursue Masonic knowledge. We expanded their impact with the addition of our district education officers to help build awareness of all the fraternity has to offer and to better measure our efforts.
The team also emphasized operational efficiencies and modernization in the back office. Our office staff have put in countless hours on e-petitions, electronic dues cards, lodge financial reports, and scanning thousands of pages of our history in preparation to move into a new space on our beautiful Three Pillars campus. Be sure to extend our appreciation when you see the team at Annual Communication!
As I prepare to pass the gavel, I am confident in our progressive line and the shared strategic vision of our incoming leaders. Your WI leadership team’s primary focus is to support and serve our Wisconsin lodges. Our programs have well-positioned WI as a leader nationally, addressing real issues with modern solutions and mitigating risks. Wisconsin Freemasonry is thriving!
It has been an absolute honor to serve this craft over the past year. We’ve had fun, made amazing memories, and I want to thank my family—especially my lady Laura—for their infinite patience and support during this journey. To my brothers, thank you for your sacrifices and commitment to the craft. Masons build, that’s what we do best. Let’s get out there and continue to build this wonderful fraternity together!
