Haines City Lodge No. 219 Yard Sale

On Saturday July 8th from 8:00am to approximately 2:00pm, Haines City Lodge No. 219 will be holding a yard sale selling furniture, kitchenware, chairs, tables and other brick-a-brac. Please note items of a Masonic nature will be made available to Masonic lodges and Masonic Brethren only, all other items will be for sale to the general public. For further information or questions please contact W:. John Zimmerman, Worshipful Master of Haines City Lodge No. 219 at 1-863-207-0950.

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

Travelers No. 338 and Winter Haven No. 186 Important Message

Brethren,

As a reminder Travelers Lodge No. 338 will be dark on July 1st and Winter Haven Lodge No. 186 will be dark on July 3rd due to the Independence Day holiday. Please stay safe during the holiday.

Fraternally,
Bro. Rick Schwarz, IT Administrator and Social Media Manager, Master Masons Association of the 21st Masonic District

Grand Master's Official Visit to the 21st Masonic District

Brethen,

Please find attached the invitation to M:.W:. Glen B. Bishop, Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Florida official visit to the 21st Masonic District.

To RSVP use the link below (This event is open to Florida Master Masons and their families only.)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/district-21-grand-masters-official-visit-tickets-664606484887

If you have any questions or concerns please call me at 863-443-0710.

Fraternally,
R.W:. Thomas Simpson, District Deputy Grand Master, 21st Masonic District.

Update to the Leesburg Lodge No. 58 Fire

Brethren,

Investigators in Lake County have announced the arrest of 22 year old Luke Scott Pratt of Leesburg of starting the fire that destroyed Leesburg Lodge No. 58 in the 15th Masonic District. Police say that he was turned in by his mother after making threats to her, Pratt faces arson and burglary charges.

 Report on the Leesburg Masonic Lodge fire and arrest courtesy of WKMG-TV Channel 6 in Orlando.

Further Information About Assistance To Leesburg Lodge No. 58

Brethren,

M:.W:. Glen B. Bishop our Grand Master has posted information regarding how you can provide assistance to the Brothers at Leesburg Lodge No. 58 which as I am sure you are already aware burned down sometime between June 14th and June 15th. If you have any further questions please contact either Wendy John or Maegan Dover at Grand Lodge at 1-904-354-2339.

Alas, My Brother

Brethren, we're sadden to report to you that Bro. Mike Woodley a member of Lake Wales Lodge No. 242 has passed. Please keep Bro. Mike's family in your prayers.

Grand Master Important Message About The Fire At Leesburg Lodge No. 58

Brethren,

Please find attached a letter from the Grand Master, M:.W:. Glen Bishop regarding the fire that occured at Leesburg Lodge No. 58 in the 15th Masonic District approximately 24 hours ago. Please do not contact Leesburg Lodge at this time they need time to deal with the situation. R:.W:. Thomas Simpson our District Deputy Grand Master is currently forumlating a plan for the lodges in the 21st Masonic District to provide assistance and worthy relief to the Brethren of Leesburg Lodge No. 58.

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

Open Book of Instruction

Brethren,

The following is the schedule for Open Book School of Instruction for 2023. If you have any questions please free to contact me at jleslie@elipsisec.com.

Fraternally,
R:.H:. Jeremy Leslie, District Instructor, 21st Masonic District

Lakeland Lodge No. 91, June 28th, August 23rd and October 25 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.
Sebring Lodge No. 249, July 15th and November 18th from 9:00am to 12:00pm.

Winter Haven Lodge No. 186 No Stated Communication on July 3rd

Brethren,

Due to the Fourth of July holiday and that it is prime vacation time for a lot our Brothers, we are going to be dark on July 3rd. Please enjoy the holiday with your family.

Fraternally,
Bro. Tom Wilson, Secretary Winter Haven Lodge No. 186

An Eventful Tuesday Night At Kathleen Lodge No. 338

The Brothers of Kathleen Lodge No. 338 and the 21st Masonic District warmly welcomed Bro. Grady Judd, a fellow Freemason and a 51 year veteran of the Polk County Sheriff's Office of which 19 of those years he has served as the Sheriff. Residents of Polk County know Bro. Grady is a no-nonsense Sheriff, during press conferences and public speeches he will not mince his words, especially when it involves missing persons, illegal narcotics, prostitution or even heinous crimes against children, at his podium he'll show you pictures of the criminals, tell you their names and the crimes they committed.

Bro. Grady's father, the late Grady Judd, Sr. was also a Freemason with the younger Grady proudly following in his dad's footsteps as a member of the craft.

Sheriff and Bro. Grady Judd, Jr. and Bro. Grady Judd, Sr.
Photo courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of R:.W:. Thomas Simpson, District Deputy Grand Master of the 21st Masonic District

Photo courtesy of Bro. Justin Butler Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of Bro. Justin Butler Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of Bro. Justin Butler Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of Bro. Justin Butler Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of Bro. Justin Butler Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of Bro. Justin Butler Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of Bro. Justin Butler Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of Bro. Steven Silvers Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of R:.W:. Don Cowart, Deputy Grand Master of Florida

Photo courtesy of R:.W:. Anthony Pickren, P:.D:.D:.G:.M:. Facebook page

Photo courtesy of R:.W:. Greg Fisher Facebook page.

Important Message From M:.W:. Glen B. Bishop, Grand Master

Precautionary Health Safety Practices

Brethren,

As a result of an increasing number of respiratory-like illnesses being reported following our Annual Grand Communication, I am asking that we re-institute some of the proven health safety precautions previously enacted. Those precautions and practices are as follows:

• If you are not feeling well, please refrain from attending functions with large numbers of people (Masonic or otherwise). By simply staying at home and allowing your illness to "run its course," you are allowing yourself time to heal and not possibly transmitting something to another Brother or family member.

• Practice safe social distancing, when possible and practical;

• Masks are encouraged, but not mandated. We all have seen the reports and stories about mask efficiency, both pro and con, and I am a firm believer in wearing a high-quality mask to either keep myself safe from others and/or keeping others safe from me;

• For all Particular Lodges, upcoming Grand Master Official Visits and any other related activities - I am asking that you provide and encourage the use of hand sanitizers. It is another proven practice that yields results; and

• If you are experiencing any type of illness or feel symptoms that gives you cause for concern, please seek advice and treatment from your healthcare provider, immediately.

Your health and safety are of critical importance and these health precautions are in our best interest. We believe that by instituting these simple measures now, we can avoid any other more drastic measures, in the future. Please act and govern yourselves accordingly.

Now more than ever we must be Stronger Together.

Fraternally,

M:.W:. Glen B. Bishop, Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Florida

Highlands Shrine Club... Masons Got Talent Night

The Highlands Shine Club will be holding a Masons Got Talent Night (See flyer below) This is open to the 21st Masonic District, Contact President Kenneth "Bear" Barefield to register your talent.

District Deputy Grand Master 1st Unofficial Visit to Winter Haven Lodge No. 186

The first unofficial visit from our new District Deputy Grand Master, Thompson Simpson will be held on June 5th. Dinner at 6:30pm and the Stated Communication at 7:30pm. Let's have a great turn out and make R:.W: Simpson feel welcomed when he visits our lodge.

                                     Address and Map for Winter Haven Lodge No. 186

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.

 

Announcement From Wauchula Lodge No. 17

Brethren of Wauchula Lodge No. 17 and the 21st Masonic District we are thrilled to announce that our bylaws dispensation has been received and our dispensation and approved, starting from the first Thursday in June our Stated Communications will be held on the First and Third Thursdays of each month. This change opens up incredible opportunities for all our members, by moving our Stated Communications we are enabling you to explore and visit other lodges, fostering a stronger connection within the Masonic community. We believe that engaging with other Masonic bodies will enhance our Masonic journey and will contribute to the personal growth of the Brothers within the Masonic fraternity.

We encourage each and every one of you to take advantage of this new schedule and seize the change to visit other lodges, learn from their experiences and forge lasting bonds. The Masonic fraternity is vast, and this change allows us to explore its rich traditions and diverse lessons. Mark your calendars and join us on the first Thursday in June as we embark on this exciting new chapter. Let us embrace this change with enthusiasm and eagerly anticipate the opportunities it will bring.

If you have any questions or require further questions for require further information please feel free to contact an officer at Wauchula Lodge or leave a comment below. Together let's make the most of this wonderful opportunity which will deepen our Masonic involvement.

Fraternally,
W:. Paul Crothers, Worshipful Master, Wauchula Lodge No. 17

The 21st Masonic District of Florida F. & A. M.

On behalf of M:.W:. Glen B. Bishop, Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Florida, R:.W:. Thomas Simpson, District Deputy Grand Master and W:. Charles Welborn Jr., President of the Master Mason Association greetings, salutations and welcome to the official website for the Master Masons Association and the lodges of the 21st Masonic District Florida.

You'll notice that there are some significant changes to our website, first as of June 1st there is one post shown (this one) that's because I decided that starting with ever new Masonic year our website should start off fresh and new (Mmm... love that new website smell!) with all of the previous year's posts and media placed in an offline archive, this is being done not only to save on server space but to also comply with the various licensing agreements we have with third party vendors for the use of their media. Therefore, we are unable to grant permission for the use of the posts and media from our site.

Next, the Privacy Policy (click here), Terms of Use (click here) and Search Engine and Site Archive Policy (click here) for our website have been updated as of June 1, 2023. Please click on the blue underlined links above to see these policies. Previous versions of these policies are now deprecated.

Finally, we've updated the information pages for the 21st Masonic District lodges, the Master Mason Association and all of the appendant bodies. These links are on the right hand side of the website.

As always, if you are a Brother who needs assistance or are a man who is interested in learning more about Freemasonry in Florida and the 21st Masonic District, I'll be glad to provide as much assistance that I can. Email me at office@21masonicdistrict.com and I'll respond back as soon as possible.

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