Bikes for Books

At the end of this school year the Indian River Lodge gave out 6 bicycles and two runner up prize packs to the 3-5 graders at the Inland Lakes Elementary school.

We started the program after the new year and had 8 students submit entry forms. With the help of many businesses in town, we were able to buy additional bikes and saw a lot of interest from the business community. We would especially like to thank North County Insurance, DH Decorating, Citizens Bank, McDonalds, Family Dollar and The Brown Trout.

We had two stand out students that participated this year. One read 32 books in the 2 month period and the other wrote on her entry form that she already had a bike but if she won, she would like one for her brother.

The bikes were handed out at the end of the year awards day in front of all of the students and parents and we have already had interest in next years program and companies and families already promising bikes and donations.

We plan next year to run the program through out the year and expand it to the Wolverine School district as our Lodge covers their area also.

Lodge of Instruction

A great night of instruction and fellowship at the Indian River Lodge as Right Worshipful Grand Lecturer David Hutton made the trip up to hold a Lodge of Instruction. A combined effort of two districts resulted in 55 Brothers being present with a Regional Grand Lecturer, 2 District Deputy Instructor's and 3 Board of General Purpose members attending. Lodges present included Charlevoix, Petoskey, Boyne City, Pellston, Lewiston, Atlanta, Gaylord, Rogers City and Indian River.

It was good to see the Lodge filled and that many Brothers together. We had good interaction during the meeting and alot of discussion afterwards. Many compliments and thanks to RW Hutton for making the trip and hopefully sparking some renewed interest in upper Michigan.

Wardens Workshop

The Grand Lodge of Michigan is holding Wardens Workshops throughout the state. On October 24th, Indian River Karnak will be hosting a Workshop at the Masonic Activities Building.

The days agenda includes:

Light breakfast

Planning for the East

Team building for Lodge Growth

Getting done what needs to be done

Developing Lodge Leaders

Public Relations for the Local Lodge

Lunch will be provided.

This program is open to all members of the Lodge but is geared towards Wardens and Deacons as they make their way to the East. There is a $25 fee for each member attending and you need to register. You can register for this event at tinyurl.com/irwardens. Any further questions should be directed to Director Bob Conley, Grand Lodge Member Services.

Remember it is also bear, rabbit, archery deer, pheasant, quail, turkey and woodcock season. So after a day of knowledge, you can get in a couple of days in the woods.

Aiding and Assisting a Widow

At the August regular, WB Mathis brought it to our attention that the widow of Brother Graustein was in the extended care facility and her house needed some attention. Several Brothers agreed to meet the next day to help out with cutting the grass, trimming hedges, pulling weeds and cleaning up the outside of the residence. Four Brothers from our Lodge along with WM Mcginn from Onaway Lodge and several girls from the International Order of the Rainbow were there to help.

Fulfilling part of the Obligation we all took brought discussion back into the Lodge about the reasons we meet. Small duties to our Masonic family as well as to the community is a way we, as individual members and as the Lodge as a whole, can grow. Last year our current WM was dropping off our loaner electric wheelchair and found some work that needed to be done at the persons house. WM Wade had never met this person but as we have been brought up, saw a person in need of assistance and acted upon it. When she came home and saw what he had done for a person that only two of us have meet at our breakfasts, she wrote a very nice letter that was published in the local paper. A great example of getting our name back into the community.

The Circus is Coming!

Indian River Masonic Activities Center is proud to be sponsoring the Kelly Miller Circus August 17th on the back 40. This years circus will roll in on the morning of the 17th and you will be able to watch the elephants raise the Big Top at 9am. The Midway will open around 3 pm for fun and camel and elephant rides. Shows will be 4:30 and 7:30. The stick around the watch the tent go down and the whole crew to be ready to go within 90 minutes. Pre-order tickets are cheaper than the buying the day of so if you need tickets or wish to get on the work committee, contact Gene or Vic.

NZ Mason jailed over sorcery claims

A New Zealand man spent a "wretched" night in a Fiji prison cell after frightened residents and police raided his Freemasons meeting, suspecting witchcraft and sorcery.

A police spokesman said the men were arrested because police had been tipped off that a meeting was being held and there were "some strange goings-on".

You can read the entire article here:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10584756

Brother in need

The daughter of Brother John Causey (Indian River Karnak 442)lost all of her belongings in a house fire this week. Indian River Lodge will be hosting a spaghetti dinner for the family, with date to be determined this weekend. The family has a complete loss including the home. They have 4 children and could use help with clothing for them also. 3 boys aged 8,5,3 and one girl age 1. If you can help with anything they could use, please make contact with Bro. Randy Wright at 231-238-7795.

Masonic Leaders Conference

The Grand Lodge of Michigan just announced a Spring Masonic Leaders Conference. From the GL website:

A great day is planned, not only with excellent education products relating to your Masonic Lodge, but we're also planning some special surprises as well! Nationally renowned speakers and programs designed to help you become the Masonic Leader your Lodge deserves! This is a program you do not want to miss. For more information contact Robert Conley. Make your plans, grab your leadership Team and join us in Mt. Pleasant. Arrangements have been made for room specials, so bring the wife and spend a nice weekend enjoying wonderful Mt. Pleasant and the Soaring Eagle resort!



Bob Conley has done a great job at putting together programs to help the Lodges at the local level with many different training and leadership programs. His programs are sure worth it if you can find the time.

For my Father

This last several months in my life have been a rough and hard road. I tore my MCL just two days before Christmas and couldn't see my doctor until after the new year. While waiting for the new year to pass so I can get my knee taken care of my daughter started having more pains and problems.

She was diagnosed with Kawasaki's Disease 3 years ago and the doctors told us our biggest concerns would be cardiac related (increased stroke risk and artery problems). So low and behold she has been having leg pain that just keeps getting worse and worse.

The good thing is they have finally ruled out Leukemia and Bone Cancer after a long week of x-rays, MRI's and drawing blood. The bad part now is the waiting. They want to do a couple weeks of physical therapy, then off to a doctor in the next town over and then downstate to Detroit to see an Endocrinologist. During this whole time, I am still waiting for them to decide what they are going to do with my knee.

That brings me to the purpose of my post today. 5 years ago I tore my ACL in half. After my replacement/reconstruction surgery and time off work for therapy, my father lost his battle with cancer. The only blessing of all that tragedy was my ability to travel to his house and spend the last two weeks caring for him.

Today is the fifth anniversary of his journey to the Great Celestial Lodge. My father was a Mason for just over 40 years making him a Life Member at his Lodge here in Michigan. That was one of his final goals, getting to that 40 year mark. His other goal, from a Masonic stand point, was to raise all three of his sons himself. That he accomplished in each of our Lodges and I never saw him so proud for a long time before that or ever again after.

My father was an incredible man. He had 9 kids, was able to keep us all in line and made sure we never went without anything. Every year we went on vacation, all over the country by the time I graduated. He was a police officer, starting as a patrol officer and working his way up to the big seat. During his 32 + years there he also graduated the FBI Academy and the Secret Service Academy working as a local contact for them. After retiring he ran the Police Academy at the college passing on his knowledge.

Through the way he lived his life and the way he treated his fellow man, his wife, his family and his God, he was an incredible example for his children and those around him. Public service is predominate in the lives of my brothers and sisters as we followed his lead of taking care of our fellow man. This example I try to follow in my own life both in my profession and as a Mason and community member. In my professional life I became a Paramedic right out of high school and then followed with becoming a volunteer firefighter for my township thereafter. In my Masonic life I dove into learning after I was raised by my father in front of one of my brothers, a big smile as he was able to complete his wish of bringing all three of his sons to light. Becoming Master of my Lodge in just under three years and then District Deputy Instructor, I received a lot of support from my new found Brothers and quickly putting myself in a place to support them.

I have a loving wife that supports my decisions and is behind everything I do and three beautiful daughters that are incredible at anything they set their minds too. This alone makes me a blessed man, but adding to it the support through the Lodge, from e-mails and phone calls to Brothers that have drove out of the way to stop in at my house, just to see how we are doing and offer every kind of help under the sun as we work through the current concerns with my daughter. From this I see that living my life the best I can to be a just and upright person returns ten-fold.

For this I thank my Brothers, all my Brothers, as I know if I was in your Lodge you would be the ones on the phone or on my porch offering to help.

I especially thank my father for showing me this path and taking the time with each of us. He made sure that we all turned out to be good kids. I will never forget him, I miss him every day. I love you Dad.

UPDATE:

The doctors have ruled out the bone cancer and leukemia. We are still trying to figure out what is wrong, but I am more than happy that those major ones have been ruled out. Thanks to all for your thoughts, prayers and kind words.

Veteran's Day

We showed these clips last night at our Blue Lodge Meeting as a tribute to our Veteran's. After I turned off the screen and turned up the lights, there was not a dry eye in the room. As it turns out, our newest Brother, so new he received his lambskin that night, was part of the 173rd battalion.




Thanks to all our Veteran's for their service and sacrifice for this great country.








Here is the link to the website, there is an additional video there and you can order a copy of it direct from them.


http://www.hififusion.com/ecard/bigandrich/acm2007/1/

ALL DEGREE DAY

UPDATE: This all degree day has been postponed. Lack of Brothers to help with the degrees. My guess is opening weekend causing the problem. I will update when we get another date set.

Cheboygan Lodge will be hosting an all degree day on Nov 8th starting at 9 am. There are 5-6 candidates scheduled many of whom are active duty in the military. Lets try to give them a good show for their raising before they are off.

President Roosevelt

One of the websites I frequent, The art of Manliness, had this article from Brother Roosevelt. Maybe something we should share with our Brothers as something to keep in our minds as we interact with our schools through the Beacon Projects and our Boy Scouts.

In a speech, Roosevelt extolled the manly virtues that every boy and man should develop: hard work, courage, and a disposition to do good. The lack of men of character in the world today makes this speech relevant even today. As fathers or mentors, let us seek to raise up a generation of boys like the one TR describes. As men, let us seek to develop these traits ourselves.

What we have a right to expect of the American boy is that he shall turn out to be a good American man.

The boy can best become a good man by being a good boy–not a goody-goody boy, but just a plain good boy.

I do not mean that he must love only the negative virtues; I mean that he must love the positive virtues also. ‘Good,’ in the largest sense, should include whatever is fine, straightforward, clean, brave and manly.

The best boys I know–the best men I know–are good at their studies or their business, fearless and stalwart, hated and feared by all that is wicked and depraved, incapable of submitting to wrongdoing, and equally incapable of being aught but tender to the weak and helpless.

Of course the effect that a thoroughly manly, thoroughly straight and upright boy can have upon the companions of his own age, and upon those who are younger, is incalculable.

If he is not thoroughly manly, then they will not respect him, and his good qualities will count for but little; while, of course, if he is mean, cruel, or wicked, then his physical strength and force of mind merely make him so much the more objectionable a member of society.

He can not do good work if he is not strong and does not try with his whole heart and soul to count in any contest; and his strength will be a curse to himself and to every one else if he does not have a thorough command over himself and over his own evil passions, and if he does not use his strength on the side of decency, justice and fair dealing.

In short, in life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard: don’t foul and don’t shirk, but hit the line hard.

Heres the link to the webpage: http://artofmanliness.com/2008/10/19/manvotional-the-american-boy-by-theodore-roosevelt/

MASONIC RECORD

Initiated: January 2, 1901, Matinecock Lodge No. 806, Oyster Bay, New York. Brother and President Roosevelt visited the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania (in its present home, the Masonic Temple at One North Broad Street) on November 5, 1902, for the Celebration of the Sesqui-Centennial of Brother George Washington's Initiation into Freemasonry. Governor of New York, 1899-1901. Brother and President Roosevelt issued an Executive Order, dated, October 17, 1901 changing the name of the "Executive Mansion" to the "White House".

Leadership Training overview

This month the Indian River Lodge hosted John Maxwell's 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership taught by MWPGM Robert P. Conley.

This class was held over two weekends during the month and is well worth it if you have any desire now or in the future in furthering yourself and developing your Lodge or your professional career.

The class is taught via video of John Maxwell followed by group discussions on each by Bro. Conley and workbook segments to be done, some then and some for homework.

In Michigan, this class is provided as a service from the Grand Lodge with the only cost to us being the purchase of Johns book. This was a great class and well worth the time commitment.

I highly recommend speaking to your GL about programs like these. Why not invest in ourselves to better our Leaders now and create new ones for the coming years.

As part of our Masonic education during Lodge meetings, we plan on presenting one law every meeting and discussing it for those that couldn't make the classes.

Pythagorean Theory

I found this video today with a simple explanation of the darker side of the triangle.
Hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6vzK2ULRTs&eurl=http://timesonline.typepad.com/schoolgate/2008/08/darth-vader-exp.html

Upcoming events and updates

On Friday, August 22nd, we will be hosting a travel rest at the northbound rest area on I-75. We will be providing free coffee and homemade donuts to those heading up for one last weekend vacation and those attending the Mackinaw City corvette show. This will be a great opportunity for us to meet and talk with those that we usually don't get to meet through the breakfasts and MICHiPs programs.

Also times were set for our leadership training courses put on by the GL. 9 am start time on both the 16th and 30th of August. Those interested in attending need to purchase the book and let us know so we can plan right for lunch.

At least 10 petitions were handed out during the OES flea market and Summerfest, so keep studying up on your degree work as we are finishing raising our newest Brothers and hopefully will be starting on some new ones. Cheboygan Lodge also reports several new canidates for the EA are in waiting.

Short notice for end of month events.

I was just notified of an EA Degree to take place on Tuesday, June 24th. The new group of candidates (count them) FIVE of them are all shipping back out of the USCG Cutter at the end of the week. If your in the area, please attend. We just put another from the cutter through last year. Maybe they are getting the fever.

Other reminders for end of the month -

Monday, June 23, a trip to Gaylord for 2 MM's.

Thursday, June 26th, Table Lodge in Rogers City.

Monday, July 14th 3-4 EA Candidates at Indian River Lodge.

Leadership Training hits the North!

Finally we in the north and our knowledgeable PGM Bob Conley had gotten the dates set for his Masonic Leadership course written by John Maxwell. The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership will be presented on a two day course in August on the 16th and 30th. - Fine job by me, scheduling it on my anniversary, I'm sure I have only heard the beginning of this mistake. Both dates are Saturdays and will be all day classes. We will have lunch served at the Oasis for the class.
For those of those in the North, please let me know in advance if you plan on attending so we plan for lunch. Purchase of John Maxwell's book by the same title is required for the class, but I have found a local store that will give us a decent group discount and they are available at on line sites also. This class is open to all of our masonic bodies, size is only limited by the Lodge room size.

2008 Grand Lodge

The Grand Lodge session was held at the Detroit Masonic Temple over the last weekend in May. Still an incredible building. Brought back many memories of going there as child with my family to see concerts and plays. We owe our gratitude to Mr. Ilitch and Olympia entertainment for their interest in the building and their assistance at bringing it back to life.

Thursday brought me to my first Deputy District Instructor meeting. A very good program that provided lots of information for us to bring back to our Lodges. Thank you to Bro. Elwin Brown for serving as my Grand Lecturer and I wish him well as he steps aside from his post. Additional congratulations to RWB Eddie Steffne for taking the open chair.

Grand Lodge started on Friday and continued through Saturday with introductions of guests from across the world and reports from our appendent bodies. Handling of business started on Saturday and continued throughout the day.

Back home we are preparing for a FC Degree this week followed with 4 new candidates being brought to EA to follow.

MICHiPs events for the Indian River Summerfest downtown and the north rest area for MICHiPs and coffee rest stop on August 22 for the annual Mackinaw City corvette show.

Rogers City Table Lodge

Brothers,

Come one, come all.

To gather in fellowship, amongst Masons that care.

Upon the level, and by the Square.

A Table Lodge & Feast of Saint John.

June 26th Rogers City Masonic Lodge 6:00 PM

A generous & Full course Roast beef dinner $7.00

MICHiPs

We held our first child ID program on Thursday at the Mackinaw Schools. The turn out average for the state is reported at 10% of the school system. The Mackinaw school system has 100 students grades k - 12 of which we put 44 kids through the program.

We are going to be running the program throughout all the school districts in the county, during our county fair and during the annual Mackinaw Bridge walk. Hopefully we will have completed all the school districts by the end of the year as became my goal when I was Master of my Lodge. This was the primary program I chose to pursue throughout my year in the East. I am a 911 dispatcher and have found that alot of parents do not have this type of information available.

I hope that you are having this success in your Lodges also. I see nothing but good things coming from this program even if its just the public knowledge that this program exists in our neighborhood and it allows parents and law officials to respond quicker.

As an additional note: We had both Lodges in our county there to man the stations as well as our newly formed Rainbows Chapter. During the course of the afternoon we handed out information to more than a dozen interested persons that came to us to ask about our groups. Another great side effect of bringing our groups out of our buildings and showing our communities what we do.

Thank you to all the brothers and their families that take time out of their lives to help with programs like these.