Mar 2    1st degree

Mar 9    Stated meeting and Eureka challenge

Mar 16  Past Master’s night and St. Patrick’s day dinner

Mar 23  Stated meeting

Mar 30  Visit to LaGrange Lodge for 3rd degree

With the promise of more degree work in April, including 3rd degrees.

Feb 2       3rd degrees (two of them) Feb 9       Stated Meeting and reception of the DDGM Feb 16      Table Lodge at Klas Restaurant (7pm) Feb 23      Stated Meeting and 2nd degrees (three of them)

About 25 brethren are signed up for the Table Lodge as of Jan 26, 2010, [...]]]> February is set to be an exciting month at Berwyn Lodge:

Feb 2       3rd degrees (two of them)
Feb 9       Stated Meeting and reception of the DDGM
Feb 16      Table Lodge at Klas Restaurant (7pm)
Feb 23      Stated Meeting and 2nd degrees (three of them)

About 25 brethren are signed up for the Table Lodge as of Jan 26, 2010, and we can take up to 25 more. Members of other lodges are welcome. $20/person gets you an excellent Bohemian meal and a unique evening of Masonic education.

We also particularly need a Tyler, who must be a Master Mason. The Tyler is outside (by the bar) for most of the
Table Lodge, but gets to give the final traditional toast. We will pay for the Tyler’s meal. (Got a Tyler!)

Berwyn Lodge will celebrate St. John’s Day by visiting Christ Lutheran Evangelical Church at 607 Harvard St, Oak Park, IL (at Harvard and East) at 10:30 am on Sunday December 27.

Our next special meeting will be Jan 5, 2010. We will practice for [...]]]> Season’s Greetings to members of Berwyn Lodge and visitors to our web site!

Berwyn Lodge will celebrate St. John’s Day by visiting Christ Lutheran Evangelical Church at 607 Harvard St, Oak Park, IL (at Harvard and East) at 10:30 am on Sunday December 27.

Our next special meeting will be Jan 5, 2010. We will practice for our upcoming third degree in February.

And Bro. Secretary has asked me to let you know that dues cards will be sent out as soon as he’s back in the U.S. after his second foot operation.

This time of the year is one in which we can all celebrate the coming of Light. I wish you all the best of the season and a very happy new year.

- Alan

This has been a busy month at Berwyn, a First Degree and a Second Degree, we are really moving along, as well as the fact that, [...]]]> Greetings All, this is you favorite Berwyn newsy, Silence Dogood again. Well October is almost over and I hope everyone has a Spoooooky Costume and ready to Trick and/or Treat.

This has been a busy month at Berwyn, a First Degree and a Second Degree, we are really moving along, as well as the fact that, the Annual Grand Lodge Meeting was this month. As I am sure you all know, the Grand Lodge Meeting is utilized to discuss new Bylaws, the current State of Masonry in Illinois, and this time around to ring in a new Grand Master.

Well, with this brief recap stated, I would like to open up for our Worshipful Master, Alan Schwartz to express an important issue which is important to many of us as a Fraternity and as individuals.

“Unfinished Work”

During the 2009 Grand Lodge meeting, reports from the outgoing and incoming Grand Master strongly suggest a concern with the amount of “unfinished work” in Illinois Lodges. This concern is also expressed in the new Grand Master’s Award of Excellence criterion, which includes a new 2-point primary requirement that a lodge have no unfinished work initiated before June 2009 and the ongoing 1-point primary requirement for maintaining an unfinished work committee to encourage brethren to progress to become Master Masons. Many of us have also heard talk about the importance of pushing candidates on to receive their third degrees, and there are a variety of programs – shortened catechisms, Blue Lightning events, etc., designed to help.

In my opinion, this approach to unfinished work is a mistake!

Philosophically, every man and Mason — even those of us who have been raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason, and completed our proficiencies — we remain a work in progress. Masonry should encourage each of us to look at ourselves as unfinished work, and to continue to strive to use our working tools to shape, sculpt, and polish our lives and actions.

Practically, some men will desire or need to take more time reflecting on a degree than others. In some Grand Lodges, in fact, there are minimum waiting periods (often ranging between 4-52 weeks) before a degree can be conferred. Lodges are not pressured to advance candidates who may not be ready to seek advancement. In Illinois, we are sending a mixed message. The catechism and the Intender Program Reflection Questions tell us that a man must make suitable proficiency to proceed. But the advancement programs mentioned above tell us that we must put men on a rapid — and arbitrary — time schedule to advance.

Why the rush? In large part, I lay the blame at the feet of our Illinois by-laws, and particularly on the innovation that a man only becomes a member of the lodge — and begins paying dues and Grand Lodge per capita — when he is raised. Historically, a “master mason” was one who had served as a Master of a Lodge, and most lodge members were Apprentices and Fellowcrafts. In the present Constitution of the United Grand Lodge of England; to take a prominent example, a man becomes a member when he is initiated, and is responsible for paying dues from that point.

We should begin the process of proposing and discussing changes to our Illinois Grand Lodge by-laws to return to this traditional and widespread definition of membership.

Many Illinois lodges already conduct business meetings on the first degree and seek to actively involve their Apprentices and Fellowcrafts in lodge programs. If Apprentices and Fellowcrafts were paying dues, there would be no financial pressure on Lodges or the Grand Lodge, to advance them more rapidly. The brothers themselves, as active members of their lodge, could seek advancement when they are truly prepared, or when they wish to qualify to serve as officers or undertake the additional responsibilities to the Craft that require the Degree of Master Mason. In the mean time, these brothers, seeking knowledge from their more senior Brethren, as well as from their own researches, would contribute to an ongoing culture of Masonic Education in their lodges. Their example could revitalize a lodge, and demonstrate to new Masons how to develop themselves as men and brothers through their own patient initiative.

Petitioners come to Masonry seeking enlightenment and self-improvement. Unfinished work is not a problem. It is, in fact, a key to Masonry.

- Alan Schwartz

Scheduled Events
On Tues Oct 20, Berwyn Lodge will visit LaGrange Lodge for a practice/instruction session. LaGrange is located at 1215 Chestnut, Western Springs, IL

On Tues Oct 27, we’ll have a regular Stated Meeting

On Tues Nov 3, we’ll hold Friends Night — bring one or more friends who you think would be interested in Masonry and qualify to be good brothers if they have the interest. There will be food, fellowship, and Masonic information. Contact: Jadly Gandour and Kenmond Eng with information about whether you’re coming and how many people are coming with you (so they can order dinner) – they would also like to know if you’re available to help out with the event.

So I believe that should sum it up for this Month. But as always I will leave you with a true and timeless bit of wisdom to reflect upon until next time. Silence Dogood signing off.
“When your only tool is a Hammer, all of your problems look like Nails.”

Yesterday some of us from Berwyn Lodge were privileged to visit Hiram Lodge of Prince [...]]]> On September 1, I and six other members of Berwyn Lodge had the pleasure of visiting a Stated Meeting of Hiram Lodge #14 PHA F&AM at the Prince Hall Masonic Temple in Chicago. Bro. Milan Gracanin, Berwyn’s Chaplain, provided this report:

Yesterday some of us from Berwyn Lodge were privileged to visit Hiram Lodge of Prince Hall Masonry. For those of you who do not know Prince Hall masonry is primarily African-American membership. The lodge we visited was very impressive. It is located in a very old stone building and is on the third floor with a view of downtown. The temple itself has a large ballroom like black and white finished floor. There is also very ornate ceiling and wall work to view.

What was the difference you may be asking between Prince Hall meetings and ours? Well for one their floorwork is very military like. It is very technical and their is a lot of stomping which I thought was very good. Also when the chaplain prays the Junior and Senior stewards form a Arch over the chaplain while they walk back and forth from the alter. They also sing after the prayer a song similar to our closing tune. Their knocking of the gavels is also very fast vs. ours. Aside from that everything seemed very similar to what we do.

The lodge was very hospitable to us. The meeting itself took over 2 hours! (Very long indeed compared to what we are used to.) However it was worth the wait, we were lucky enough to indulge on their dinner which consisted of chicken wings and potato wedges. The wings were delicious as evident by within a short time all the food was gone.

To end the night we all exchanged info and vowed to keep in touch. Hiram Lodge also presented us with gifts and Worshipful Alan a Prince Hall Masonic video. We invited the Prince Hall brothers to our first degree night coming soon. Hopefully they will be able to attend. All in all a very rewarding experience.

I am also happy to report email from our MW Grand Master Daniel C. Yandel and our RW DDGM Vyts Paukstys commending Berwyn Lodge for its program of lodge visitations and opportunities to expose our members to new vistas of Masonry.

It was a great night for a visit, and the hospitality was terrific. We weren’t [...]]]> Berwyn Lodge members had the great pleasure of visiting Argo-Summit Lodge No. 1133 for their Stated Meeting of July 21, 2009. Bros. Schwartz, Young, Hrejsa, Pott, Pockrandt, and Capps were in attendance to convey fraternal greetings from Berwyn Lodge to Argo-Summit.

It was a great night for a visit, and the hospitality was terrific. We weren’t the only ones who thought so – in addition to Berwyn members, the lodge was visited by a Brother from Oak Lawn, IL, from Carey, NC, and from Mexico (who brought delicious tamales to add to the excellent tacos served for dinner!). All were warmly welcomed, and after an efficient business meeting, adjourned to a nearby establishment for additional refreshments.

Argo-Summit Lodge has had an incredible influx of candidates, with 28 men raised last year and 16 so far this year (their Masonic year ends just after Grand Lodge). The lodge is energetic and brotherly in every sense. We look forward to hosting visitors from Argo-Summit in the future!

On Friday the 13th in March, I hosted a Masonic Fellowship Discussion at my home. It was a very nice time allowing Brethren to get to know each other a little better outside [...]]]> Another eventful month has passed and let me start by sincerely saying thank you Brethren.

On Friday the 13th in March, I hosted a Masonic Fellowship Discussion at my home. It was a very nice time allowing Brethren to get to know each other a little better outside of Lodge while partaking in Masonic Discussion concerning such topics as… Lodge Finance, Masonic Funeral Services and methods of improving contributions and outreach to the families of Brethren who have passed away, Membership Retention, Divestiture and more Ritual Discussion and interpretation, along with personal perspective and input on Masonry in general. Thank you to the Brethren who attended and contributed to the event. Those of you who missed it …I hope to see you at our next gathering.

In March, Berwyn Masonic Lodge also competed in the Eureka Challenge. With combining our Masonic Minds we were able to answer 100% of the questions correctly in 6 minutes and 26 seconds. Great Job Brethren!!

A 1st degree was conferred in March and I am proud to say that we now have a new Entered Apprentice. Congratulations Brother! Thank you, Once again to the Brethren who participated, the work was great and a strong impression was made on our new Brother.

On April 5th, with the help of Life Source and the efforts of our Charity Committee Chairman Bro. Jim Hrejza, Berwyn Lodge held a blood drive. Fellowship was enjoyed and Charity accomplished. 14 pints of blood were donated, it would’ve been nice to have more.. but nevertheless we were blessed with support that we were given and the volunteers that came out. Also, thank you to Josalyn, my little girl who put up fliers for the blood drive in the neighborhood..Thank you! Good Job! Remember Brethren your involvement is what makes Masonry successful…. please contact us to get involved in any event or just to join us in Fellowship.

Berwyn Masonic Lodge will have our Past Masters’ Night at our Lodge on Tuesday, April 28, 2009. Dinner will be served at 6pm. Any and all Brethren are welcomed. We hope to see you there.

A 3rd Degree will be conducted on Tuesday, May 5th at our lodge. Please contact Brother Secretary or Myself if you would like to volunteer for this night, any future degree work or if you are interested in joining the 3rd degree team that we are organizing.

I will complete by requesting prayers for Worshipful Brother Galo Lopez, Worshipful Brother Eddie Worazek and the Family members’ of Brethren who are ill. Our prayers are with you.

Thank you Brethren,
Hope to see you soon,

Sincerely & Fraternally,
W.Bro. David Cruz