Waukegan Lodge #78 AF&AM

July, 2016

THE TROWEL
News | Education | Schedule

Did you know?

QUICK
CHANGES OF
MIND
Alexander I, Czar of
Russia form 1801 to
1825, banned the
Craft in Russia in
1801.
He rescinded the
order in 1803 and
became a
Freemason, probably
for political reasons;
but in 1822 he again
banned Freemasonry
in Russia.

www.waukegan78.com

The Masters
Message
Brethren,
We had a great Independence Day
cookout/ celebration at the lodge, with
good fun, food and fellowship topped
off by a great view of the Waukegan
fireworks show over the lake! The turnout was great and we
had brothers from several lodges around the county join us. I
want to thank Waukegan Chapter #41 and Lakes Council #121
for their hard work in putting on this awesome event, and a
special thanks to WB Kirk Preston.

As you know last year we had to finally redo and update our
bylaws. In doing that, we are now charged to complete our
required duties regarding committees.Our committees are the
life blood of the lodge, each specifically designed to perform
an important function.These committees; Education,
Endowment/Charity, Events, Finance, Funeral, Investigation,
Membership, and Ritual are critical to a well-run and growing
organization.We have for too long, lived by trying to
remember how things may have been done or asking ourselves,
how do we do this? This confusion and lack of direction is
caused by the fact we have no written committee governance.
Our new bylaws state: The membership, function and
operation of each committee shall be maintained in the written
rules and regulations. We now have several committees that
need to be filled and have a committee charter to govern the
rules and activities of each. In the next few weeks your officers
will be working on this project and would like to get input
from you. So please contact me or our secretary. It is
important to follow up with and finish this important work.
Over the next few months our officers are planning to do
1

Waukegan Lodge #78 AF&AM

July, 2016

78 & 115 Unity

several lodge visits and we welcome all brothers to join us. On

Monday August 1st we plan to make a special visit to the
Hubbard grave site to do clean up.

On June 20th, 2016,

Waukegan 78 hosted Rising
Sun 115 to complete a 2nd
degree for a candidate,
Justin Scaife. Pictured
below was definitely
District Unity!

We are planning to hold pancake breakfast at the lodge in

September. Look for more details coming soon. It seems as
though the heat of summer is upon us, finally! With that, many
of us are traveling and enjoying the time with friends and
family. I wish everyone a fun and safe summer and look
forward to seeing YOU at lodge!
Fraternally,
Erik Solomon
Worshipful Master

Pay Your Dues Online

How it works: If you owe current dues only ($120), you can go
on to our website at www.waukega78.com and click members
then click the Buy Now button which will bring you to the
PayPal secure check out. You complete your purchase and make
sure to include any additional info you want. There is a small
convenience charge to use this service, we hope you understand.
If you owe less than the current dues or more, please sent the
Secretary an email at secretary@waukegan78.com and let him
will then send you an electronic invoice for the amount you owe.

Tentative Upcoming Events

August BBQ
September - Past Masters
Dinner
know you want to pay online. He

Roger R. Luther
Edward M. Buschbacher
Alfred R. Sefton
B. Russell Sarckees
Kevin R. Sheehan
Larry M. Flowers
Donald H. Geiger
Carlos E. Sallis
Stephen M. Simonian

www.waukegan78.com

65
58
45
42
37
32
32
32
28

John R. Flynn
Leonard C. Siegfried
Aaron M. Rendon
Jonathan K. Burton
Carlos Duran
Victor M. Duran
Paul L. Meirthew Jr
Justin Hill

25
25
17
8
7
7
1
1

Ma

so

nic
Bir
(
thd Rais
ay ed)
s!

Waukegan Lodge #78 AF&AM

July, 2016

In My Day We Did It This Way...

by Midnight Freemason Contributor
Steven L. Harrison, 33, FMLR
In a recent Midnight Freemasons article I mentioned the fact that the reading of the minutes may be
one of the less exciting parts of a Masonic meeting. Personally, I live for it... to be over with.
One of the bodies I belong to, in my opinion, does it right. At that meeting we always have a dinner
beforehand and the Secretary sets out copies of the minutes and any other pertinent material such as
financial statements on each table. During the time before the meeting each member has a chance to
read through the handouts. Then, during the meeting, without a reading, we vote on approval.
It doesn't always go this way. In my own Blue Lodge God bless 'em we still have the ever-present
droning... uh, I mean reading of the minutes at each meeting. To add to the frenzy of excitement this
creates we also read every single word of every petition. I remember one night in particular when we
had multiple petitions. By the end of the evening I almost had the entire document committed to
memory, and would have... had I not fallen asleep.
When I became Senior Warden I sat in the West close enough to the Junior Deacon that we could
converse during the meeting. Together we felt we could solve the problems of the world, so solving
the problems of the Lodge was a piece of cake.
Every single meeting when the reading of the minutes came up Allen (not his real name, of course)
would turn around to me and say, "When I get up there in the East, we're not going to do this." He
encouraged me to do it before he got there but I told him I just wanted to get through my year
unscathed and would leave it up to him to make the radical change.
Years passed. I went through the East only scathed a little bit but I survived. Then I moved to that
most coveted of all Masonic positions, Past Master, and waited for Allen to take the helm; and take it
he did full of the vigor of his still youthful age and the expectation of the exciting year he had
planned.
I was nearly giddy as I went to his first meeting knowing he was about to shake the Masonic world. I
sat in great anticipation as Allen opened the meeting. Then, in an instant, my hopes for a better world
came crashing down as he turned and said, "Brother Secretary, you will read the minutes..."
I nearly had an out-of-body experience as we droned through the meeting and Allen embraced the
usual pomp and circumstance more pomp than circumstance of all the meetings and Masters
that had come before him.
After the meeting I rushed up to him and asked why he had fallen into the routine he seemed to
abhor back in his Junior Deacon days.
His answer sounded a little familiar, "I just want to get through my year unscathed."
Change is difficult, my Brothers, and the penalty for attempting it may be a good sound scathing,
which many times starts with the words, "In my day, we did it this way"

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Waukegan Lodge #78 AF&AM

July, 2016

Lodge Happenings
Waukegan No. 78
July 18th - Stated Meeting & Education
July 25th - Officers Meeting & Practice
August 1st - D.J. Hubbard Internment Clean Up (meet
at the lodge 6pm. Carpool to site 5 minutes away.)
August 8th - Funeral Practice for Terry Behlings
service
August 15th -Stated Meeting & Education
August 20th - Terry Behlings Funeral Service (Black
Water Falls WI) Contact Secretary for info.
August 22nd - Practice (General)
August 29th - 5th Monday Dinner Out (details will be
emailed.)

*Just a note, the schedule is

dependent on the return of
catechisms. We will post updates
to the schedule as needed on our
website as well as weekly
announcements through our
call em all phone system and
Facebook page.

www.waukegan78.com Waukegan Lodge #78

www.1stneil.com - 1st NE
District info and calendar

www.masonicinstruction.com
- Instruction Club

www.masonicfinder.com
Listing for Masonic events
worldwide

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