Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Red Wing Lodge #8 December Tradition

 
Our Masonic Christmas Pudding 

For the past sixteen years Red Wing Lodge #8 has held a traditional dinner including a Christmas Pudding at the December Stated Meeting with the focus being the Officer Installation for the ensuing year. It is a tradition that has grown over the years, but this year is a blossoming time for our Lodge. 

It was a wonderful sight to see so many older members, and the Brothers who have been raised in the past year or two taking an active role. There were many guests who had come from neighboring Lodges to share the evening with us. 

The evening kicked off with a wonderful dinner prepared by WB Jeff Seaberg. It was a pleasure to see every chair filled in the dining room. 



The Christmas Plum Pudding has been a labor of love for WB Gary Thomas. A Christmas Pudding is a very traditional dessert in England. In England the pudding is typically very small. But this year's pudding was a behemoth to all those that I have seen in the past.  Gary stated that his recipe involves three pounds of butter, three cups of sugar, and a pound or two of plums, raisins, currents and other chefs' secrets. The flames are produced by a half pint of brandy. 

It was an All-Star Installation Team this year, and a real treat for us. The Installing Officer was our very own Grand Master of Minnesota Masons Dayton Berg, Installing Chaplin Senior Grand Deacon, Chuck Burst, Installing Secretary Junior Grand Warden RW Shawn Carrick, Installing Marshal Area Deputy Clint Christianson.


It was a full slate of Officers to include Stewards! With each and every Brother looking forward to taking an active role. 

There were a dozen spectators sitting on the side lines, including the Grand Lodge Education Officer Bradley Phelps. It's great to see that we are getting back to normal after Covid. 
Dr. Jonathon Lombardo our new Worshipful Master

We are very fortunate to have Jon as a member and now our Worshipful Master. He already has to start preparing for the new petitions that are coming in, and Jon told me that he is looking forward to it.