Oct 12, 2009

Report from the West

Brethren,

I am proud to report to you that at the annual communication of Grand Lodge in Springfield, Horicon Lodge was presented with the 2009 Grand Master’s Award of excellence. It is the 5th consecutive year our Lodge receives this distinction in recognition of the work accomplished. It is also a good indicator of how active our Lodge really is. This accomplishment is the result of a collective effort and we should all be proud of it. We should also agree that the amount of activity produced has a lot to do with the constant dedication and leadership of a few Brothers who pushed and pulled for the requirements to be reached.
Take our widows program, for instance, revived and animated by Bro. Headon. All the things we have been doing for our widows lately were announced at Grand lodge and given as a goal to reach by all other lodges. This unprecedented recognition by the Illinois Masonic Outreach Services made our Lodge shine and we should rejoice that Horicon was also awarded the FIRST Illinois Masonic Outreach Services Award.
Also congratulations to Bro. Gross for his appointment to the Masonic Academic Bowl Committee.

Make sure you check the Grand Lodge brand new website(http://www.ilmason.org ), in particular the lists of new elected and appointed officers and committees. Our newly elected Most Worshipful Grand Master is Richard L. Swaney. We had the rare opportunity to see him installed using the very bible Bro. George Washington used during his presidential inauguration. Also on display was a sword presented by Bro. Lafayette to Kaskasia Lodge # 86 in 1824.

Eric Da Costa,
Senior Warden