March 2009
Dear Brother:
Next Sunday we will
each face the Ides of March. St. Patrick's Day arrives the
following Tuesday. Two days later, the swallows will return to
These next several
weeks are filled with festivals and it is a great time to hold one of our
own — and I believe the All-Iowa Masonic Re-Obligation Night is just the
ticket! Is your lodge planning this as a solo event on March 30? Are
you working with several neighboring lodges to make this a bigger
fellowship event in you area? Will a fascinating educational
program accompany the ceremonial program? Are your cooks promising a
spectacular 'knife and fork degree' in the dining room, or will everyone be more
than pleased with lighter fare? Have you contacted ALL members,
shared the plans, and invited each and every one to be a part of this
important activity? Who is offering and providing transportation for
those Masons who would appreciate a ride?
When you
locate your original lambskin or white leather apron to wear on March 30, take
a look at the information inside the flap. What do you recall from those
three degrees recorded there for posterity? I remember clearly that my
father was the Worshipful Master for each degree, and as King Solomon, he
proudly raised me to the sublime degree of a Master Mason. I can
see my grandfather, the 'larger-than life' family patriarch and
stern but fair DL as he served as Senior Warden for each of those
degrees. I recall how protected I felt at the side of my
favorite uncle who as Senior Deacon conducted me through each of
those three ceremonies. I even have the penny he gave me as I
arrived for that Entered Apprentice degree--and know the message it
communicated. Positive memories flood over me whenever I see and touch my
apron, that badge of a Mason presented to me nearly 40 years ago by my
father. Not only do I look forward to proudly wearing mine again on
March 30, I hope you will proudly wear yours while we severally
and jointly renew our commitment to the principles of Freemasonry, and
gain additional understanding why Masonry is a Way of Life.
Fraternally,
Jack L. Butler
Grand Master of Masons in
PS. If you cannot readily locate your lambskin
or white leather apron, do not let that stop you from attending and
participating in this ceremony. Please make every effort to be
a part of this meaningful evening, not because the Grand
Master has asked, but because of the proven benefit for each Mason and
each lodge in
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March 2009
Dear Brothers,
Where does the time go? It
seems just a few short weeks ago in Des Moines I was being installed as Grand
Master of Masons in Iowa and had virtually unlimited time to accomplish great
things. But now with almost half the
Grand Lodge year gone there is still so much to do, and so little time. As I talk to newly installed Worshipful
Masters who are just beginning their lodge year, I encourage them to prepare a
lodge activity plan and calendar to assure the success of their lodge. In December and January, I enjoyed the
privilege of installing a number of Worshipful Masters and their subordinate
lodge officers—in one case, it was only the second time a Grand Master had ever
visited the lodge. Time and again, I
experienced that unmistakable
The First Annual Re-Obligation Night in
Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you who are
participating in our three-year commitment to the American Cancer Society Hope
Lodge project. Sales of Grand Master
pins (the State of
A large number of Iowa Masons have signed up at the Grand Master
website (www.iagrandmaster.org) and are receiving periodic messages from
me. In addition, our Chairman of Division & Reference Craig Hummel, has his
own blog and I asked him to share his latest posting on the Grand Master
website. Please take a few moments to
visit this site to read his opinion piece and sign up for regular
messages. Additionally I invite your
comments regarding how to improve this website, topics you would like to see
aired, and anything else you care to share.
Have you sent the Grand
Secretary your check and application for the Iowa Masonic license plate? We are getting close to the required 500 paid
applications and we need to finish up this first phase of this program as soon
as possible. Consider this Iowa Masonic
license plate your personal public relations sign for the fraternity. Your participation is requested and
appreciated.
Speaking of personal participation, there is still time to request
a re-dedication of your lodge to mark the 100th, 125th,
or 150th anniversary. And be
sure to remain alert for opportunities for a cornerstone ceremony in your
community—this is a great opportunity to ‘show off’ a little for the general
public in a positive and impressive way.
Contact the Grand Secretary for details.
I recently received a colorful post card in the mail asking me to
‘Save the Date’ and it announced the August wedding of a young couple. Consider this message as a ‘Save the Date’
alert for the Iowa Masonic Leadership Seminar June 12 – 14 in
Remember, Masonry is a Way of
Life,
Jack L Butler, Grand Master
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December 2008
Dear Brother,
I hope this message finds you well and that you and your family are enjoying a very
blessed holiday season. I want to take this opportunity to convey my best
wishes, and to keep you up to date on some happenings in Iowa Masonry so far
this Grand Lodge year.
This past October and November I had the pleasure of meeting many brothers at
the 15 Grand Master's Area Meetings held throughout the State. We covered a lot
of ground (literally and metaphorically) in a short amount of time -- far too
much to include in this message. However, more details can be found by visiting
the Grand Master's web site, located at: http://www.iagrandmaster.org.
One topic that I particularly want to mention to you today is the progress made
on our efforts to fulfill our $250,000 goal for Hope Lodge. Thanks to your
efforts, we currently stand at just over $130,000. Thank you, thank you, thank
you. Let's keep up the good work and finish the Grand Lodge year with this goal
accomplished!
I really encourage you to check out the Grand Master's web site mentioned
earlier in this message--and be sure to let me know what you like and what you
would like to see that isn't there, etc. Additionally, on the home page you
will find a form where you can sign up to receive periodic messages directly
from me, and other items of interest from time to time. Please be assured that
your email address is confidential and will not go beyond the office of Grand
Master. Here's the address again: www.iagrandmaster.org.
From our home to yours, please have a happy, safe and blessed
Fraternally,
Jack and Peanut
PS. The menu for getting around my website is on the right hand side. Toward
the bottom of the list, please click on "Public Relations" and scroll
to the bottom of the page where you will find a link to download the
application form for an Iowa Masonic License Plate. We're down to the wire on
this project and we still need applications to reach the minimum of 500. Until
we have that many, the Iowa DOT will not approve the project or print any
plates for us. It's a great way to SHOW YOUR MASONIC PRIDE!
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Grand
Master Message for December Bulletin
Here it is December already and it seems like only yesterday when I had the honor of being installed as your Grand Master. There are many items I'd like to cover in this message, but space doesn't permit this full discussion. For this reason, throughout this message I'll be referring you to other articles in this edition of the Grand Lodge Bulletin and/or directing you to my website.
During the months of October and November, I had the pleasure of meeting many Iowa Masons for the first time and also renewing old friendships at the 15 Grand Master's Area Meetings held across the state. At these meetings, we presented information about my program for this year (Masonry is a Way of Life) and I also asked the brothers present to jot down some action items, but more importantly, to follow up and complete those action items in the first few days after returning home.
We showed a brief video on leadership - Rock Solid
Leadership. In the "G" lecture, we are told that the terms Geometry
and Masonry were at one time synonymous. I maintain that today,
"Leadership" and Masonry are synonymous: Rock Solid Leadership - Rock
Solid Masonry. With this in mind, write these dates in your calendar: June
12-13-14. At that time, we will be holding leadership training at
Another significant date to write on your calendar is
March 30. This fifth Monday has been designated "Re-obligation Night"
and I am strongly urging all
We also talked about new opportunities for
Just over a year ago the Grand Lodge of Iowa pledged
$250,000 to help build and operate Hope Lodge in
The Public Relations Committee next presented information about how to get the word out after your projects or events. It has been said on more than one occasion by our younger members that if you don't have a website, you don't exist. Consequently, if your lodge doesn't have a website, you will be promoting the perception that you don't exist. A website is important not only for communicating with your members and letting other Masons and your communities know what is going on in and around your lodge, but it also leads new members to your door. Many of our new members find out about Masonry on-line and are well educated about our Fraternity before knocking on our doors. Many people virtually live on-line these days and not just the young. That is where they will be looking for your lodge, and if you're not there, you will miss out.
Don’t forget the Grand Master’s One-Day Class scheduled
for
If your lodge has a website, you can enter the contest for the Grand Design Award, to be given annually to the lodge with the best website. If you don't have a website, all you need to do is go to www.iowamasons.com; click on the "Join Now" link and for $35 per year, Brother Daniel Shaffer will build, host and maintain your site. All you have to do is provide the information.
Finally, we talked about an additional way to help out
the residents at Hope Lodge - a way that won't cost you a cent. I'm asking you
to donate books that are sitting around your house or business gathering dust
to the library at Hope Lodge. In Masonry, we often say, "Let There Be
Light," and what better way to provide light to the folks staying at Hope
Lodge than by sharing your books. We will be providing the inventory for the
library at Hope Lodge and a librarian from the
My brother, it only takes a little extra effort to
make a big difference. In this message, I've asked you to do several things and
hinted that you should do several others. None of those things are overwhelming
in nature, nor will they break the bank financially. However, they can
collectively have a huge impact on Iowa Masonry and the communities in which we
live. At the end of our meetings, we watched a short video by Simple Truths,
called 212 Degrees. When water is heated up to 211 degrees Fahrenheit, it is
simply very hot water, but heat it just one single degree more and it boils,
creating steam and steam can power a locomotive. The items I've asked you to
complete really amount to no more than that one extra degree, yet they can have
tremendous results. I'm counting on you.
Fraternally,
Jack L. Butler
Grand Master of Masons in