News + Public Announcements

  Brothers from Milton Lodge No. 161 volunteered at the “Milton High School Career Day” “How to Tie a Tie” table at the request of District 9 Deputy Derek M. Henze. Bro. Pat Garvin stated, “It was a very well-run event, and the students were very interested and polite. Area Administrator Fran (Fritz) Prusansky, Junior Warden Curt Sorenson and I, along with the president of the Milton Chamber of Commerce taught many kids, mostly young ladies, how to tie neckties. Some other

Hartford Lodge No. 120 provided a dinner for the first responders of the Hartford Fire Department after their monthly meeting at the Fire and Rescue Station in Hartford. The dinner was appreciated by the first responders present. Senior Warden Jim Hunt (chair of this event) provided his special smoked pull pork as the main attraction with other brethren providing side dishes, beverages, homemade cookies and cake. The Masons thanked each first responder personally with handshakes and verbal thanks as they

The Minocqua Fire & Rescue Department received a Fire Suppression Tool from Island City Lodge No. 330 in conjunction with the Wisconsin Masonic Foundation. The portable Fire Suppression Tool (FST) is a state-of-the-art, highly effective, environmentally safe aerosol fire suppression solution gaining first responders valuable and often critical minutes and seconds.  Submitted by Bro. Dave Imlah Jr., PM

Brethren of Hartford Lodge No.120 presented a Fire Suppression Tool on April 11, to Chief of Police Scott MacFarlan to be used by the police departments first responders. Presenting the FST to Chief MacFarlan is Senior Warden James Hunt. Chief MacFarlan thanked the Brethren following the presentation. Submitted by, Bro. Allen Brandt

     Collins-Spring Valley Lodge No. 192, Baldwin, recently donated a portion of the proceeds from their car show last June to the Spring Valley Community Cancer Fund. The lodge’s donation of $832 was matched by the Wisconsin Masonic Foundation’s Masonic Acts of Kindness Matching Grant Program making for a total donation of $1,664.      The SVCCF is a non-profit organization staffed by volunteers from the Spring Valley community. It was founded in 2012 with the purpose of “Supporting our own” in the

Several years ago, the St. John’s Masonic Lodge of Whitewater/Palmyra donated “Masons Care Bears” to the police and fire departments to distribute to local children. This program was funded by lodge member, the late Brother David L. Kachel. In honor and memory of the generosity of our late Brother, the lodge is once again donating several of these bears to the Whitewater Police and Fire Departments. City of Whitewater Acting Police Chief Dan Meyer holds one of the bears donated

Dodgeville Lodge No. 119’s recent pasty sale raised and donated $1,090 to the Santa Cop Organization. The lodge has multiple students assisting with the making of pasties. The students sent the following comments:      My name is Tristan Wirkus. I am 19 years old and from Strat-ford Wis. I am currently a freshman at University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire. and pursuing a Geography major with a minor in computer science I am hoping to attain a career as a GIS Specialist and

By Reverend David O. Leistra, Grand Chaplain Greetings Brothers, Living in Wisconsin I am always glad to see March 1 show up on the calendar. I know it means that Spring is near. It was the second Sunday in March of 2020 that my church stopped having our building open for public worship and other activities. At the time we all thought that we ought to be able to reopen in time for Easter Sunday, that did not happen. Then

By Grand Orator Jerry A. Reick Greetings Brethren, This month I’m providing an article from the Ohio Grand Lodge website that gives a nice explanation of the difference between operative and speculative Masonry. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did. Operative v. Speculative Masonry: What’s the Difference? Freemasonry is a brotherhood rooted in the mission of making good men even better, guided by the core values of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. Every Mason is on

It cannot be bought. It is not for sale but is awarded to the benevolent donor who has sup-ported feeding a hungry child with a donation to the Grand Masters Appeal. There is no reward for having one; other than the self-satisfaction that you have touched the life of someone who does not know when they will be enjoying his or her next meal. The coin itself represents nothing but hope for a hungry child. It is physically small, about

By Junior Grand Warden David R. Ritchie It has been said that “Being male is a matter of birth. Being a man is a matter of age. Being a gentleman is a matter of choice.” Being a gentleman is as much a matter of choice as being uncivil is a matter of choice. The choice often centers around choosing self-centeredness or choosing empathy with others. Civilization is the idea of a group of people living and working together, within a

By Past Grand Master Craig S. Campbell James Allen Zimmerman, formerly of Shawano, Wisconsin, passed away at his home in Rogers, Arkansas on Sept. 23, 2020. He was born to Clarence and Iola (Petit) Zimmerman on Oct. 2, 1939 in Elgin Illinois. Jim was baptized and confirmed at Good Shephard Lutheran Church in Elgin, Illinois. He graduated from Elgin High School in 1957 after which he served our country from 1959-1961 in the U.S. Army Signal Corps stationed in France.

I had the pleasure to speak with a Brother from one of our lodges who shared an interesting idea they had for visiting their widows. Because of COVID-19 and not being able to have that face-to-face visit, they decided to call each widow and wish her “happy holidays”, and ask if she would be home on (date & time) so they could stop by. They said they would be knocking on her door and leaving a gift from our lodge.

The board of directors and staff of the Medical Center Foundation of Hartford are grateful for the financial support from the Hartford Lodge No. 120. Each year the Lodge contributes $1000 to the Medical Center Foundation’s Personal Emergency Response Program (formerly known as Life-Line) during the Tree of Life Celebration Campaign. The Hartford Lodge has contributed $35,241 through the years. Countless numbers of neighbors and friends remain safe and independent by the use of the Personal Emergency Response Program. The

By Bro. Ed Klein Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, Prince Hall arrived in Boston in 1765 at age seventeen, having worked in exchange for passage on a vessel bound for America. Living in colonial Medford, MA, Hall married Sara Ritchie, a slave who died soon after the marriage. At age 25, after many years of making a living as a peddler and leather worker, Hall owned land, paid taxes and was eligible to vote. He was one of the Free Blacks

by Senior Grand Warden Paul T. Tourville CS Giving Foundation Helps Push Grand Master’s Appeal to $70K What an amazing night! The 14th annual Wild Game dinner fundraising event hosted by CS Giving Foundation was a huge success. For those who do not know, the CS in CS Giving Foundation is an abbreviation for Com-pass & Square. That’s right, this charitable foundation was established several years ago specifically by Freemasons designed to raise money primarily for Wiscon-sin childhood charities. Over

by Bro. James Timm The Grand Master of Masons in Wisconsin Kenneth C. Gorgen has a special appeal this year for Masons to make donations to food pantries all over Wisconsin. In his words “Every child should have a place at the table”. This COVID-19 pandemic has affected many families throughout Wisconsin. In addition to the Grand Master’s Appeal Wisconsin Dells Lodge No. 124 would like to do their part by making a donation to our local food pantry. In

By Bro. Dave Ritchie A call came into 911, “A man was down in a field-trouble breathing.” Lafayette County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Baker, a Brother of Amicitia Lodge No. 25 in Shullsburg and an 11-year veteran in law enforcement, responded to the call. Dispatch had already started talking the man’s son through first aid and when a first responder from Argyle arrived he began chest compressions. Baker upon arriving grabbed the AED out of the squad and began hooking the

By Grand Orator Jerry A. Reick What Class of Mason do I want to be?In his 1875 essay, “Mason Who do not Read”. Albert G Mackey talks about three classes of Masons. He talks about the characteristics of each, what they perceive Masonry to be, and what they expect out of it. As you read this article, think about your reasons for joining, what you thought Masonry was, what you expect to get out of your affiliation and what class

Submitted by Bro.Don Brown, Secretary Grand Master Robert C. Strader delivered a new charter to Rock River Lodge No. 108during their stated communication on Nov. 19. Master Scott Scharnell accepted the new charter, reflecting the name change of the Lodge from Neosho-Mayville-Horicon Lodge No. 108 to Rock River Lodge No. 108. The lodge meets at the Hustisford Masonic Center. The Brethren felt that the Lodge name no longer truly represented their members. A unifying factor that the membership shared was

By Junior Grand Warden David R. Ritchie This year 2020 something special happens that only occurs every four years. The Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo this summer. This is usually a topic that fills our discussions around the water cooler as well as the headlines for months in advance. Human achievement. Nations coming together peacefully. The triumphs of the human spirit. Where is that conversation this year? Where are the headlines? Of course, this year it seems like

By Junior Grand Steward Craig J. Froelich Happy 6020!If you’re like me, you have probably noticed strange dates on cornerstones of some Masonic Buildings, a date exactly 4000 years older than the date the stone was laid. Or perhaps you’ve seen the date on a Past Master’s certificate or the Charter of your Lodge. I see it on a small stone by the parking lot of the Wisconsin Masonic Center, and on a plaque by the door every time I

Spring or signs of Spring’s return are finally upon us. The icy, dark days of harsh Winter and dormancy are behind us and we begin to head into the season of renewal, warmth, and growth. Each time I have the privilege of entering one of our lodges or attending one of your lodge events, the Masons and their families that I have the honor to meet are a true joy and fill me with the brotherly love they share. During

As winter deepens it is easy to get lost in negative thoughts. The darkness seems to deepen and the light of Spring seems to be an unobtainable dream. Masonry though offers a light to that darkness. We are Stirring Up Good throughout the state. There is a new electricity in the air surrounding Freemasonry! Maybe it is the newly installed officer corps and their enthusiasm. Maybe it is all the newly made Masons. Maybe it is all the petitions going

I have read that January is named after the Roman god, Janus, the god of “doors” and the month of January is generally recognized as the “door” to the calendar year. I’ve also read that the ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4000 years ago. It has been written that early Christians adopted the use of January 1st as the traditional occasion for thinking about one’s past mistakes and resolving

Greetings Brethren, I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to each of you I’ve had the opportunity to meet along the way for all the courtesies and respect shown to me. I also want to say thank you to every just and upright Mason who has committed their time, talent and good character to becoming the honorable gentlemen our great Fraternity has become synonymous with. My Brothers, in an effort to be transparent and informative, this article

Leadership seems to be a very popular topic these days. Amazon offers over 100,000 books on leadership. I read that new leadership books have been coming out at a rate of more than four per day and so far this year over 1,000 books have been published with the word “leadership” in the title, to say nothing about all the magazine and internet articles. I recently “Googled” leadership articles and in just under half a second l received 426 million results. As

Several years ago I traveled to Philadelphia to attend a meeting where I found myself seated next to a stranger. In the few minutes before the program started, we struck up a conversation and discovered that we had common interests. As we only had a few minutes to talk before the program started, we exchanged business cards and agreed to email each other. In the next few months, we followed up and emailed a couple of times. The following year,

Wisconsin Freemasonry has both a proud tradition and a bright future. As we move into a new year we look back with pride, and look forward with great confidence. We look back with pride, knowing that Freemasonry has been a defining presence in our Wisconsin communities for nearly two centuries; even before Wisconsin officially became a state. This year will mark the 174th anniversary of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Wisconsin, and as we celebrate our

’Tis the season! A period when we set aside the troubles and cares of the world as we take time to celebrate, reflect gratitude, and sing songs of praise and adoration to our divine creator for the gifts he has bestowed. We renew and reinforce our ties with family and friends. We come together in our houses of worship to sing and rejoice. Then we bring in the New Year, ring out the old, and with hope and excitement we

I remember as a little boy my parents took me to Sunday school, every Sunday without fail. In Sunday school we sang songs, listened to stories, and learned Bible verses. One of the very first songs I remember learning is “This Little Light of Mine ” We sang this song in Sunday school, as far back as I can remember, back when I was learning to use a big-boy potty and tie my shoes. The little light is our faith,

A few weeks ago a Brother Mason approached me. With a welcoming smile he reached out extending his hand to me and said, “Grand Master, it’s an honor to meet you.” We gripped hands but he held the grip and didn’t let go. Instead he pulled me in closer, and mouth to ear, in a lowered and serious voice added, “but I got to tell you, I don’t like this Man to Mason business”. I continued to grip his hand

This year we have followed the “adventures” of Rough Ashlar Lodge. This final installment includes many of the thoughts that we have discussed along the way. While “perfection is not of this mortal sphere” the brothers at good old Rough Ashlar have worked hard this year to build a plan for an exciting future.  This is a somewhat ambitious plan. Lodges should feel free to borrow any, or all of these ideas and make them their own!  Good luck brothers

There is a new energy this year at Rough Ashlar Lodge! We have worked hard on our calendar of events, we are building great friendships and we’re working together to spruce up the lodge. Every year we look forward to attending the Annual Communication, but this year we are taking it to the next level. Last year we really enjoyed the Break Out sessions and we are fired up to see that there are great break outs planned again. There

When soldiers return from their tour of duty they often come home to family and spouse far different from when they left.  They carry with them the emotional stress of having faced death. Sometimes they have physical scares, but often the scares run deeper. The clinical term is Post Traumatic Stress. Some personalities can adjust to life away from battle. For those who don’t, their life is filled with anger, loneliness and desperation.  In more urban areas and near large