21st Masonic District Website Updates and Maintenance

My Masonic Brothers and visitors to the 21st Masonic District website,

In preparation for the 193rd Grand Communication being held in Orlando and the impending installation of the new Grand Master, Grand Line and the District Deputy Grand Master for the 21st Masonic District our website will be under maintenance from May 30th until June 1st, as a result the site may load slowly or may not load at all (Display a 404 error). We apologize for the inconvenience.

Our email servers are unaffected by this maintenance, however because of the changeover of the District Deputy Grand Master and his Committeemen some email address may not initially work.

If you have any further questions please email office@21stmasonicdistrict.com.

Fraternally,
Bro. Rick Schwarz, IT Administrator and Social Media Manager, 21st Masonic District

Florida Lodge of Research No. 999 Stated Communication

The Florida Lodge Research No. 999 next Stated Communication is on Monday May 30th in Salon 13 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel, 9700 International Drive in Orlando. It will start at 6:30pm or in the event that Grand Lodge runs over it will start following the conclusion of that day's Grand Lodge session.

All Master Masons in Good Standing are invited to attend. If you have any further questions please contact Florida Lodge of Research Secretary, W:. Richard Terry P:.M:. at secretary@flor999.com.

 

Wauchula Lodge No. 17 AFJROTC Awards Ceremony

My Brothers,

On Friday May 13th, Wauchula Lodge No. 17 continued its tradition of honoring cadets from the Hardees Senior High School AFJROTC (Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) program by presenting two national level awards, the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction medal/ribbon that was presented R:.H:. Gary Gordon, P:.M:. Ean Eddy and Bro. Paul Crothers (32nd Degree), the national Sojourner medal and ribbon presented by Wauchula's sitting Worship Master Danny Lackey, Past Master and current Secretary Ean Eddy and Senior Warden Bro. Paul Crothers. It was a privilege and honor to carry on a legacy this lodge first established with this school and school district in 1895, when members of our Lodge built the first ever high school in Wauchula and who’s first teachers were wives of some of these members. Since then, our involvement with this school included Superintendents, Administrators, teachers and support staff. Even today, we have one member who is a teacher at the middle school and another who is support staff at the elementary. So, in honoring the achievement of these cadets we are also honoring a commitment we made over 128 years ago. Well Done Cadets! Go Wildcats! The Freemasons of Wauchula Lodge No. 17 will always have your back.

Fraternally,
W:. Danny Lackey, Worshipful Master, Wauchula Lodge No. 17

Image courtesy of Wauchula Lodge No. 17 F. & A. M. Facebook page.

Image courtesy of Wauchula Lodge No. 17 F. & A. M. Facebook page.

Image courtesy of Wauchula Lodge No. 17 F. & A. M. Facebook page.

Image courtesy of Wauchula Lodge No. 17 F. & A. M. Facebook page.

Image courtesy of Wauchula Lodge No. 17 F. & A. M. Facebook page.

Our Masonic Brother M:.W:. Stanley Foulke

Image courtesy of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Alaska Free and Accepted Masons

Twenty-Five years ago on April 4, 1997 M:.W:. Stanley R. Foulke was officially installed as the Sixteenth Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Alaska Free and Accepted Masons.

After he and his wife moved from Alaska to the warmer climates of Central Florida, M:.W:. Foulke was appointed in 2018 by M:.W:. John E. Karroum (1950-2019) the Grand Master of Florida to serve as the second, District Deputy Grand Master of the 21st Masonic District which was constituted as a new district in 2017 following the Grand Lodge of Florida's Masonic redistricting plan which merged two neighboring Masonic Districts, 24th in Polk County and the 25th in Hardee and Highlands Counties.

Currently, M:.W:. Foulke is an active member of Lake Wales Lodge No. 242 in Lake Wales, Florida and has served for many years as the lodge's organist/musician.

Congratulations M:.W:. for reaching such an incredible milestone in your Masonic career. It is an honor to know you and to call your our Masonic Brother.

Fraternally,
Bro. Rick Schwarz, IT Administrator and Social Media Manager, 21st Masonic District.

Entered Apprentice Degree at Wauchula Lodge No. 17

Good evening my Brothers,

How do you add more meaning to an Entered Apprentice Degree than there already is? by having two historic "Firsts" to go with it, that's how. On May 9th Messrs. Ryan Thomas and Michael Watson became the fifth and sixth men we have Initiated this year. What makes this one so special is that for the first time in a rather looonng time, we were able to completely do it on our own, with our own members, without any outside assistance from other Lodges with the sole exception being that of the lecturer. Every place and station was filled by a member of our Lodge. The 1st historical "first" was three of the chairs were occupied by current Fellowcrafts (Senior and Junior Steward and the Chaplain) who are to be Raised in just a matter of days (May 21st). Fellowcraft Bro.'s David Johnson, Kelian Burtz and Bobby Calves really stepped up and stepped in to help welcome not only two new Brothers and show how Masons love one another but it helped that they have also known each other out in the world for a while. The Second "first" was when Entered Apprentice Bro. Michael Watson was Initiated. He broke a barrier that has existed for over 134 years within our Lodge. However, don't get this twisted, he wasn't Initiated for solely and only for this reason. It is just a distinction he will now have forever as being the "1st One". More will follow, I'm am sure of it. It's not the outward appearance of the man that concerns us but the inward one that we embrace and we have found him worthy and an upright and just man and we welcome him and Bro. Ryan Thomas as Brothers and will help them to grow in Masonry as their journey progresses. In the picture below, front row from left to right, is Fellowcraft Bro. Bobby Calves (Chaplain), Entered Apprentice Bro. Ryan Thomas (newest Entered Apprentice), Bob Leafgreen (Tyler), Entered Apprentice Bro. Michael Watson (newest Entered Apprentice). Fellowcraft Bro. Kelian Burtz (Junior Steward) and Fellowcraft Bro. David Johnson (Senior Steward). In the back row, from left to right, is W:.M:. Danny Lackey (Senior Deacon), Bro. Wade Sperry (2nd Conductor). R:.W:. Scott Johnson (Senior Warden), Bro. Paul Crothers (Degree Master), P:.M:. Bro. Ean Eddy (Secretary), Bro. Brett Dowden (Junior Warden) and Bro. Jacob Laughlin (Junior Deacon). The guest lecturer was R:.W:. Phil Dixon of Lake Wales Lodge No. 242 and the Charge was delivered by R:.W:. Scott Johnson. I have to say, for a young Lodge degree team, we smashed this one out of the park particularly since this was the first time doing a degree for the Fellowcrafts They did an excellent job and it looked like they had done this before. WELL DONE WAUCHULA LODGE No. 17!!! We're definitely moving in the right direction now. Given a little more time, we'll be able to do all of our own degrees including Lectures. Keep up the EXCELLENT WORK!

Fraternally,
W:. Danny Lackey, Worshipful Master Wauchula Lodge No. 17

Image courtesy of R:.W:. Phil Dixon, Lake Wales Lodge No. 242

New Officers Jewels Donated To Wauchula Lodge No. 17

On Monday night it was a pleasantly surprising evening for our Lodge in the form of new Lodge Officers jewels which were donated by a locally owed business, Robarts Funeral Home which is owned and operated by Bro. Brett Dowden and his lovely wife, Lady Summer. These beautiful collared jewels replace the basic but functional lanyard jewels that our lodge had for many years and are a very welcomed and much appreciated addition to the continuing improvement and upgrades to our lodge. In the picture below are the three principle officers representing the new collars but rest assured, all stations and places of the Lodge got new jewels. At our next regular Stated Communication, as the Worshipful Master, I am going to present this business and all of its employees with a Certificate of Appreciation for their generosity. It’s rare when a business can affect the lodge in a meaningful way because it’s usually the other way around but this is co-operation on a grand scale, between the two organizations. Thank you very much Robarts Funeral Home, It was truly humbling to accept this gift.

Fraternally,
Danny Lackey, Worshipful Master, Wauchula Lodge No. 17

Image courtesy of the Wauchula Lodge No. 17 F. & A. M. Facebook page

Master Mason Degree at Wauchula Lodge No. 17

On Saturday May 21st, Wauchula Lodge No. 17 will be conferring the Master Mason Degree on 3 to 4 of our own Fellowcraft Brethren and possibly other candidates from other lodges. Lunch will be at 12:00pm with the Degree work starting at 1:00pm and continuing until finished. All Master Masons in good standing are welcome to attend and if you would be interested in helping out to fill any open part except Degree Master or Senior Deacon please contact either Bro. Paul Crothers (email) or W:. Danny Lackey (telephone / email) of Wauchula Lodge No. 17 or the 21st Masonic District Instructor R:.H:. Jeremy Leslie (telephone / email) of Kathleen Lodge No. 338 with your preferred possition.

Other lodges are welcome to bring their candidates as well if courtesy work is desired.

Fraternally,
W:. Danny Lackey, Worshipful Master, Wauchula Lodge No. 17