Allied Masonic Degrees

Minnesota Council # 111 Allied Masonic Degrees

This is the Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Council #111 Allied Masonic Degrees. We are located in Minneapolis Minnesota. Our group is a invitational body that is  limited to 27 members. We meet four times a year for the purpose of researching and studying what is called "Detached Degrees" That is simply Degrees that were once conferred by Craft Lodges in the United States and Great Britain that are no longer practiced.There are Seventeen Degrees that are the focus of our study and research. 

There are many benefits to this type of formation of a group. I find that people who are genuinely interested in the study of old rituals come prepared to part take in sharing their thoughts of their study and research.The discussions are very lively and all take an active role. 

I am so interested I also belong to Johnny Nelson Council #252 Allied Masonic Degrees which is located in Owatonna, Minnesota. Belonging to two Councils allows me to go to eight meetings a year. 

Tonight seventeen of our members showed up on a very snowy and windy Minnesota Winter night. We all knew that the roads were filled with ice, snow, and traffic would be slow and snarly. To us that's a cheap price to pay for an evening of great food, brotherly love, and  intellectual stimulation. 

Minnesota Newest Royal Arch Chapter-Seeking Further Light

We ventured North last night to Hibbing MN. It was a special night to attend the first meeting of Bemidji Royal Arch Chapter #70.
There will be a name change for this Chapter coming in the very near future to reflect their true mission. It will change to Iron Range Chapter #70. This is a traveling Chapter that will move throughout the year to towns and cities spread out across the far Northern section of Minnesota we call the Iron Range.
We are very proud of all of them for their motivation to Seek Further Light in Freemasonry
It was nice the weather cooperated when I arrived for it warmed up to zero degrees.

There has been a death in the Family

There has been a Death in the Family

Death Notices of a Commandery

By Tom Hendrickson-Past Grand Master Grand Lodge of Minnesota


Today, I had to assume the role of a Mortician-Funeral Director. It’s a job that I never wanted to do, as I don’t much like anything about funerals, nevertheless it is a job that had to be done.

Today’s funeral is a simple yet very sad event. There are no beautiful flower arrangements to set up. There is no organist or piano players to contact nor any special songs to be selected. No Clergy or program to worry about. No hearse or funeral coach to wash and wax. No need to make sure that the boxes of tissues are strategically placed, and no coffee to make.

The lid of the coffin had been closed and sealed ahead of my arrival. Really, all that is left for me is to do is to make a few calls, to provide comfort and council and mail out the death notice.

This death that I speak of is not the death of a human being, but instead the death of a Masonic organization, Constantine Commandery #20 of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Minnesota.

Its demise came to no great surprise as it had suffered from a long lingering illness of declining membership. The closing of Constantine Commandery is an end of an era, it had a good life, nevertheless, you mourn its loss.

Out of respect I would like to take a moment to eulogize to honor those who started Constantine Commandery and sustained it through the years.

The Commandery Story Here…………….

On October 1, 1887, Grand Commander Thomas Montgomery issued a dispensation to eleven Sir Knights who had requested to open and work a Commandery of Knights Templar at Crookston, Polk County Minnesota.

Their petition was recommended by the nearest Commandery, Palestine, #14 at Fergus Falls, one hundred and ten miles away.

Grand Commander Montgomery appointed Thomas C. Shapleigh as E.C. Sidney F. Markham as G, and Charles H. Mix as C.G.

The only concern of the Grand Commander was that he would be unable to visit due to Crookston was three hundred and fifty miles from his home in St. Paul, Minnesota.

This new Commandery in Crookston Minnesota became known as Constantine Commandery #14. In their first year they quickly grew to twenty-four Sir Knights. These men were among the pioneers to that far Northwest corner of Minnesota. They were Farmers, Craftsmen, Business Owners, and Venture Capitalists. Looking into the history books I can see that they had a willingness to endure hardship in order to explore new places or try new things. They had a shared vision of developing a community that would grow with human social and cultural development. Organization would be needed to bring industry and government. They were civic minded. They built churches, created a cemetery, established a fire department. Many went on to become Mayor and a few to become State Senators.

Here are a few who have interesting stories to be told.

Tom Morris

Was the Mayor of Crookston, businessman, Past Grand Master of Minnesota Masons 1906, Past Grand High Priest of Royal Arch Masons, and Grand Commander Knights Templar 1918.

Edmund M. Walsh

A Tinsmith by trade, a member of the City Council, Mayor of Crookston, County Auditor, Clerk of Court, and organized the first telephone company to serve the region.

Andrew D. Stephens

Engaged in Real Estate, he started his own Bank. He was so successful he went on to owning six other banks in the region with one in Minneapolis. He served two terms as Mayor and was elected to the Minnesota State Senate where he served two terms.

Charles Henry Mix

He came to Minnesota in 1852. He worked as a clerk at the Winnebago Agency at Long Prairie. In 1854 he was a Secretary to the Territorial Governor, Willis Gorman. From 1855-1861 he was a trader and Agent to the Winnebago Indians at Blue Earth Agency.

In 1862 he enlisted in Company A, First Independent Battalion Minnesota Volunteer Calvary to participate in the U.S.-Dakota War. He was stationed at Pembina and Commandant of Fort Abercrombie Dakota Territory in 1864.

He moved to Crookston and his remaining years of his career was with the railroad St. Paul-Minneapolis-Manitoba Line. He became Mayor in 1905.

Charles Mix took a very active role in the Commandery.  He was the third person to sign the petition for the formation of the new Commandery.  He was the Commander from 1890 to 1893 and again in 1903. He was the Generalissimo in 1889 and the Captain General from 1901 to 1902 and again from 1904 to 1909.  He died while in office on December 15, 1909.

His Knight Templar Sword and Scabbard have been preserved and may be viewed at the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul.

Thru the years Constantine continued to grow and was very active.  It did better than most Masonic bodies during the economic depression and during WW I.  Surprisingly, they knighted twenty new Sir Knights in 1943 during WWII.

 The last Commander was Leo Luettjohann. Leo stated that in the 1990s the Commandery was very busy. They hosted an annual Christmas Observance that was attended by the Commanderies from Thief River Falls and Fergus Falls. The Sir Knights always brought their ladies. The dinner must have been an elegant affair with the Sir Knights in uniform and the ladies in their fancy dresses and gowns.

The Sir Knights enjoyed practicing receiving the Grand Commander and Officers on their official visits.

The Commandery was very active in raising funds and sending the local Pastors on the Holy land Pilgrimage.

One of Crookston’s Commandery prized possession is on display in the Masonic Lodge. It is the Officer Jewels for the Constantine Officers made by Tom Morris. Tom was a pioneer to the area, and a Charter member of the Commandery. He became the Grand Master of Minnesota Masons in 1906, Grand High Priest of Royal Arch Masons, and Grand Commander of Knights Templar Minnesota 1918.  He started a jewelry business in Crookston. Today if you go to where his store used to be. You will find it to be an Attorney’s office. When you walk in you will see a black and white checkerboard floor with the name Morris inlaid.

Crookston is a community that is in the far Northwest corner of Minnesota that’s only 25 miles from Grand Forks North Dakota, and one hundred miles from the Canadian border. 1960 was the start of a declining era for the region. The major economy was agriculture, and most people earned their living directly or indirectly from agriculture. The young people have left the area seeking careers and well-paying job in larger communities, leaving an aging population. A telephone interview with the Publisher of the “Crookston Times” the regions daily newspaper, Don Forney, confirmed this “Ya that’s pretty much right. The Baby Boomers either went off to war or college and found good jobs and didn’t come back. There was only a few that came back to farm.”

My analogy is that a Lodge, Chapter, Commandery or any Masonic Body is like a living thing, it has a life of its own that has a life process. This is a process of inception, growth and in due time death. Masonic organizations may have different life spans so one lodge may live for 200 to 300 years while another may only last for 25 to 50 years. Generally, the Lodge or Masonic body will experience its birth, a period of growth, a period of stabilization, and then a period of declining membership that can lead to its demise. The time frame for this process is uniquely different for each case. Generally, it happens when lodge or Masonic body loses its purpose and/or loses those two or three “spark plugs” who can attract new members and generate interest that encourages the existing members to attend.

Constantine Commanderies demise was due to aging membership, members who left the town to be closer to relatives in distance cities or that members left the state. Those who did remained had health issues or a spouse who had health issues or they could not drive to the meetings any longer.  Some just lost interest due to years of inactivity.

What makes this eulogy sadder is that Constantine is not an isolated case. There are many lodges, Chapters, Councils or Commanderies that are in similar situations and are struggling to even hold a meeting.
 

Every member who stops coming to a meeting, every member who demits, every member who doesn’t pay their dues, is another precious drop of blood of the organization that is wasted. Eventually the organization is another drop closer to death. The life’s blood of any Masonic organization is its membership.

If you love your masonic organizations and value your membership the best thing you can do is to help them continue. Find a good candidate to join but then make them feel welcome and get them engaged. Help him learn and accept our ways. Every new member is a new transfusion of life into your organization.

If not, I guess you can give me a call. I can help you prepare the death notice and write the obituary. I know it’s not a job anyone wants to do, but if we do not make positive changes regarding membership, it may be something that the rest of us may have to do.

Anoka Masonic Lodge Installation of Officers 2019

2019 Installation of Officer

On December 7, 2019 Brian K. Dimatteo shared the tradition with the past 133rd men of distinction who had the privilege of being installed as Worshipful Master of Anoka Lodge. Anoka Lodge was chartered October 25th, 1859. They are celebrating 160 years of continuous service to Freemasonry with its 275 members.

Anoka Lodge is a very full and vibrant Masonic Lodge. They host a full slate of Masonic Bodies.
The full York Rite, Grotto, Zuhrah Shrine Club, Widows Sons Masonic M/C Chapter, DeMolay, Jobs Daughters, and an awarding winning Masonic Bar B Q Club called the Bones Brothers. 

My Brother and Friend

I'm not going to list Brians Masonic Resume for a couple of reasons. I don't want to bore you, and I don't think Bryan's wife knows of all those Dues Cards. I can say he is a busy guy who "holds the keys to the heart of man and interested in the welfare of each and all" Need I say more?
Brian is currently serving as the Right Eminet Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Minnesota. He brings a level of great skills and wisdom that is moving us forward as a organization.
He is also a very proud father for his daughter is Gabbi Dimatteo the Supreme Bethel Honored Queen of Jobs Daughters.He is also very busy trying to track her in her world travels. And trying to figure out when he needs to be at the airport on time.
My first trip with Brian was a car trip to Indianapolis Indiana for the Grand Encampment Triennial. It was a trip of great conversation while listening to Serius Radio listening to Broadway Show Tunes. Time that I will always cherish.
Anoka Lodge is a great Lodge with a great Leader.

Red Wing Lodge #8 Installation of Officers and December Dinner

Worshipful Master Jake Facile and his Grand Lodge Brothers

Red Wing Lodge #8 is what I consider to be my Home Lodge. Though I do belong to others, this is where I feel the most comfortable and happiest.

The City of Red Wing is sixty miles from my home. Its a beautiful small Minnesota city that is situated on the banks of the Mississippi River. Part of the drive for me is on country roads. A drive filled with the joys of the Minnesota Country side, and filled with the hazards of winter driving.

Our lodge seems to be filled with Past Grand Masters, the sitting Most Worshipful Grand Master Eathan Seaberg, the Junior Grand Steward Shawn Carrick
.
Our lodge is a small lodge, but we do all the Masonic Degrees and are  pretty good, and we take it seriously. We also are big on community involvement and Brotherly Love.

Our Lodge building was built in the 1920s and has a prominent  location in the downtown district. It was designed and built as a Masonic Lodge. We have lots of room for our activities.

Our members come from the community from all stations of life, and with different occupations. This adds to our strengths. We are all good men who want to become better.

I have been to alot of Masonic Events in my life around the world. The December Meeting at Red Wing Lodge is my favorite of all of them.

Our Worshipful Master this year is Jake Facile who is originally a California Mason. He has fit in so nicely, and learned the Minnesota work.We are proud of him. He will do us well.

Grand Master Ethan Seaberg Presides 

2019-2020 Officers and Members-Red Wing Lodge

Gary Thomas Famous Christmas Pudding Dessert

Great Meal by WB Jeff Seaberg

New Royal Arch Chapter in Minnesota

Iron Range Royal Arch Chapter #70

This is a photo of the newest Royal Arch Chartered in Minnesota . Iron Range #70.
How did they do that you may ask? The Leadership of the Grand Royal Arch of Minnesota, and the Companions did something very different. They" Dared to Change" and think out of the box.

Over the years the demographics of Northern Minnesota has changed greatly due to the declining  industries of iron ore mining, and timber. The Chapters, Councils and Commanderies also declined and many closed or were merged with others.

One of the Spark Plugs of this new Chapter is Phil Bodle. In his search for more Masonic Light he joined the Royal Arch Chapter, Cryptic Council and Commandery in Duluth. He drove more than 60 miles to attend meetings. Phil was in the Progressive Line of Hibbing Lodge at the time.During this time he educated the members of his lodge of the York Rite. He became Master of his Lodge and thats when things got serious.

He got the attention of the Grand High Priest David Emery and that's when the thinking caps came on. After many visits and much conversation that the idea of creating a Traveling Chapter or Regional Chapter came into development.

Iron Range Lodge #70 will service a thirty mile radius  with members in Hibbing, Eveleth and Grand Rapids Minnesota. Their Charter will move on a scheduled basis. This will allow more exposure to more Blue Lodges in the region, and more Brothers exposed to the York Rite for further light in Freemasonry. 

This story will be continued in the next few months with a interviews of everyone who made it happen. Also a follow up with Phil on how things are going and what plans he has instore.

November 23, 2019 is a Red Letter Day for the Minnesota Royal Arch!

Change has come to Minnesota York Rite

 In Minnesota we are trying different things to increase membership,and add to the quality of programming to our York Rites.

Owatonna York Rite has taken a bold step this evening. They met with Austin York Rite for a evening of Brotherly Love and talk about coordinating events. These two York Rites are about forty miles apart from each other. 

Their story is a very similar story to Masonic Bodies located far from the metropolitan areas. Owatonna, and Austin are smaller cities that are located in rural areas. Their Chapters, Councils,Commanderies have been absorbing other York Rites that were based in small rural communities who cannot sustain themselves any longer. Their area of service has been greatly expanded covering a vast area in South Central Minnesota.  

Tonight thirteen leaders met to discuss membership, coordination of Degree work, and social activities.There would of been three more Companions to join us, but they were involved in a traffic accident. The car they were in was driving on a rural county road had struck a farm tractor that was hauling two wagons filled with corn.The tractor did not have any lights displayed on this dark night. The car was totaled and one went to the hospital. 

The meeting was very successful, the conversation was lively and the daily special of Walleyed Pike was great. Ya see there are benefits to having the courage to do something new and try to make positive changes to improve Freemasonry.

I said Changes, NOT Innovation....ha

Kevin V. Jones Minnesota Mason Passed to the Celestial Lodge

Kevin V. Jones September 10, 1928-November 14, 2019

We have lost one of our Great Masons in Minnesota. Kevin came from humbled beginnings raised in a loving family. He heard the call of his Country and served in the USAF during the Korean War. He came home from the war and married his sweetheart Betty, raised a beautiful family and they were married for 68 years. He attended college and earned three degrees. Worked hard his whole life, and cared for people in his community.

Kevin found the fraternity, and found it very much compatable with his beliefs and made it a lifetime passion.  He was a 50 year Member, Past Master and Past Chaplain of Itasca Lodge #208 A.F.& A.M. of Grand Rapids, MN. Kevin was a Past Grand High Priest of Royal Arch Masons of Minnesota 1990-1991, Past Grand Illustrious Master of the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of Minnesota 2004, York Rite Sovereign College-Order of the Purple Cross 1977, Duluth Commandery#18 Knights Templar, Worthy Patron of the Mesaba Chapter #211 Order of the Eastern Star of Hibbing Minnesota, and the AAD Shrine of Duluth MN, and the North Star Shrine Club of Grand Rapids.

Kevin had a passion for re-building and re-finishing old furniture and antiques. It seemed that there wasn't anything that Kevin couldn't fix. One day a couple had heard about Kevin's cracker jack ability and arrived at his home and stood on his drive way with three boxes of wooden parts. Kevin asked what it was? The couple responded that it was supposed to be a Spinning Wheel that had been in their family for a very long time, but no one knew what it looked like. Kevin accepted it as a challenge. He went to the library and conducted his research.Some time latter  the couple returned, and saw their resurrected spinning wheel and joyously took it home.

Kevin's favorite masonic activity was making and selling cotton candy with the North Shore Shrine Club at the Itasca County Fair." Where he would come home sticky and full of smiles".

Kevin was determined and driven in everything he did during his life. Especially in the way he cared for people, and touched our lives.

Alas My Brother

                                                                     

Grand High Priest 1990-91

Grand Illus. Master 2004

Brotherly Love Came in the Form of an Umbrella

We in Minnesota Freemasonry have been talking about our Civility Project lately which I think is important.  I want to move this discussion up a notch and talk about one of our tenets of Brotherly Love and maybe get you thinking of what you can do.

  This Autumn on a Sunday afternoon I was walking in downtown Edinburgh Scotland and it was raining very hard.  The sidewalks were bustling with Shoppers carrying bags and families with kids.  You could pick me out of the crowd easily enough for I was the guy under the big American golf umbrella. The street traffic there was heavy with double decker buses, delivery trucks and cars. For survival the pedestrians cross at the intersections with the traffic lights. (unlike back home)
While waiting for the light to change I noticed a woman standing near me in the pouring rain carrying two heavy bags filled with groceries. I moved a foot closer to her and extended my arm to cover her with my umbrella. she set down her two bags and wiped the rain from her face and looked at me, smiled and said thank you.
A block latter at another pedestrian crossing I stood next to a woman who had her adult son by the hand waiting for the light to change. I performed my simple task again. The women’s son looked up at me and in his own special way said thank you.
Just by extending my arm and causing the rain to cease for just a few moments provided a human touch of warmth in the cold autumn rain.
I was walking back to my hotel from the Grand Lodge of Scotland when this all took place. I was a long way from my home and my Lodge in Minnesota. But that doesn't matter does it? For the world is my Lodge. As Freemasons we are to practice our principal tenets of: Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth in our daily lives. These words said in Lodge must become our actions.

A simple act of kindness can create a moment of connection with another human in a way that we cannot always understand. That act of kindness signals that someone cares about them and their plight or situation.  For a moment their world has changed for the better. Even more significant, you, as the Good Samaritan, may experience a sense of happiness or pride knowing that you may have made a meaningful impact in someone’s life that day.  This may result in more acts of kindness, as kindness can be contagious.

We humans have become so self-absorbed and connected to our cell phones there are days we don’t connect to the world around us.  You may need to look up from your small screen, to see and connect to the world around you to observe that someone may need a helping hand or a kind word.  Then you need to act, however small that may be.  

An act of kindness takes a small effort on our part, yet it pays a huge dividend in our lives and in the lives of the people we touch.  I hope you will consider what simple things that you can do in your daily life to bring relief or kindhearted act or words of encouragement to our fellow man.

“How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time”

Morgan Freeman

Report from the 2019 North Central Grand York Rite Conference

North Central Grand York Rite Conference 2019

Steve Tiner-General Grand Chapter

     The 2019 North Central Grand Conference was held October 22, 2019 at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This is the annual meeting of the Leadership of the Grand Royal Arch, Grand Cryptic Council, and Grand Commandery for the states that make up the North Central Conference which is Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The approximately 200 attendees travel from a good-sized geographical area.  The conference is an opportunity for the leadership to gather and attend a daylong meeting within their respectful groups. It’s a day that is filled with information on new programs, workshops, and learning opportunities along with an exchange of information. Of course, there is always time to renew old acquaintances, make new ones, and tell tall tales.

 Many years ago, the Grand Rites saw a need to assist the State Chapters, Councils and Commanderies and developed the Grand York Rite Leadership-Emerging Leaders Program. This course is usually held at the regional conferences held across the U.S. and it has been an annual event for many years at the North Central Conference. As the Leadership meets in their day long meetings the Leadership Course is held down the hall. Here is a little more information about the course.

This training recognizes the need to prepare a core group of leaders for the York Rite, and the Masonic family. The leaders of each Grand Body nominate members of their organization who shows signs of leadership or who they feels would have their existing skills enriched by this training.  The entire training program is provided free of charge to the participant. The program is designed to integrate solid leadership skills with a special emphasis on Masonic teaching, this program promotes classroom interaction and participation. The training consists of three courses. The first explores general leadership concepts, The second course builds upon the concepts gained from the first year, and the third year emphasizes development of communication skills. These courses are offered each year at our Area Conference. Once each of the three courses are completed the successful graduates receive a token indicating that they have satisfactorily completed the program.

I have had many opportunities to talk with those Companions and Sir Knights who have attended and they all have very positive comments and glowing reports about the program.

I have always loved to attend conferences for work or Freemasonry. It’s great to be in a room that is filled with likeminded people who share the love of vocation or the Craft. Being in this magnetized atmosphere reenergizes my enthusiasm. This year being the Grand Recorder for the Grand Commandery of Minnesota I attended the Grand Encampment Knights Templar Conference. I found it to be a very interesting, helpful and stimulating program. Grand Master Jeff Nelson runs a great meeting. I must admit that I did sneak out to go over to the Royal Arch to hear Steve Tiner the General Grand King of the General Grand Chapter. Steve is a wonderful speaker and I enjoyed listening to his message. I also had the opportunity to hear the author Worshipful Brother Russell Herner talk about his book “Cathedrals Built by Masons”. You will hear much more about his book for I am preparing an article that should be posted soon.

For me the most touching or heartfelt moments of any masonic conference is hearing from our fraternities’ charities. It is uplifting to see the work of the researchers and physicians who are working hard towards finding new cures and procedures to help our ailing fellow man. This year we were fortunate to have two very committed and dedicated doctors from two very different fields discuss their cutting-edge work.

Dr. Michael P Murphy from the Cryptic Masons Medical Research Foundation and Professor of Vascular Biology Research at the University of Indiana attended. He presented the Seneca Trials Research, and the use of stem cells to prevent amputations. He also shared his experience on his tour of duty in Iraq in the U.S. Army as a Vascular Surgeon on battle injuries.

Knight Templar Eye Foundation Speaker Bela Anand Apte PhD Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland, Ohio spoke on the “Impact on Pediatric Vision Research”. Dr. Apte also presented material on Retinopathy of Premature Babies, and updates on her current research projects. She also gave a very interesting presentation on the vast number of blindness cases that can be prevented.

My hat is off to all those who have spent many hours in arranging a central location and taking care of all the details in putting together such a fine conference. My thanks for all the speakers who traveled across the country who came to share their important message. My gratitude for all the Masonic Leaders for their dedication and vision to move us in a positive direction.

Minnesota York Rite and the Word" Change"

Minnehaha York Rite and the word “Change”

Tom Hendrickson-PGM

Change is a word that brings discomfort, irritation, torment and pain to some Masons. To other Masons, change is a word that brings to mind freshness, new fashioned notions, the unusual or the out of the ordinary comes to mind.

We at Ark Royal Arch Chapter, Omega Council, and Minneapolis Mounted Commandery (otherwise known as the Minnehaha York Rite) are embarking on making a major change in the way that we meet and in the activities that we do.

We will no longer hold twelve monthly standard business meetings with full ritualist openings and closing. No longer will there be twelve monthly readings of bills and who hasn’t paid their dues.

Our formal meetings will be held four times a year with all the usual Masonic traditions. The other eight months we will be meeting, but that time spent will be doing things. We currently are in the process of deciding what those activities will be. Some ideas that have been mentioned so far are: visiting other York Rite Bodies in the state such as Owatonna or St. Peter and having dinner at one of their local known eateries. Another idea is visiting the Masonic Home and bringing refreshments and as well as fellowship with some of our Brothers. Other ideas are playing Bocce Ball, horseback riding or even throwing axes at a local establishment. Of course, we will always have engaging opportunities to learn more about Freemasonry.

I have been told that sometimes Masonic Meetings have the same feeling as being trapped in a high school detention hall. However, you want to describe it, a bad meeting is a waste of time. Time is our greatest gift, so why waste it.

We held a Waffle breakfast last month and that embarked us on this new way of thinking. We had not held a fund raiser for a very long time and this was a new to us. It was a lot of work but we had a lot of fun doing it.

You may wish to watch the Calendar to see what we are up and if you are so inclined, you may want to join us. Your Minnehaha York Rite is a path to further enlightenment but also a path to worthwhile activities and perhaps having some fun in the process. 

Since writing this story there has been a additional development:

The York Rite of Owatonna, Minnesota (which is pictured above) has also been making changes in the way that they meet, and are currently undergoing changes in  their activities very similar to Minnehaha York Rite. 

Veterans Day 2019

     On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free.

Dan Lipinski

Minnesota Cryptic Council 150 Anniversary

     The Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of Minnesota celebrated its 150th Anniversary on August 25th at the Minnesota Masonic Home.
     It was an intimate affair of 90 York Rite Masons from across the state, who enjoyed good food, and great Companionship.
     

New North Central Past Commanders Associations Jewel

Here is the new Commandery North Central Department Past Commanders Association Jewel. Minnesota Past Grand Commander R. James Luchinger designed them, and gained all the needed approvals, and did all the work.

They should be getting out to the states in the North Central Department in the next few months.