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18TH MASONIC DISTRICT

 

Welcome to the 18th Masonic district association website. 

This site is dedicated to bringing Masonic information to every mason in the state. Especially to the masons living in the district which makes up Monroe, Muskingum and Noble counties. This site will provide current information concerning inspection schedules, Grand Master reception, lodge activities, etc. Thank you for looking and enjoy the website.  

From this site you will have information concerning individual lodge officers, district officers, pending lodge activities, etc 

 

 

200 Years of Ohio Freemasonry

Founders Dinners Share the Light

Grand Master Ronald L. Winnett has requested that each Masonic District hold a special dinner in January to honor the founders of the Grand Lodge of Ohio. January was chosen because it was on January 4, 5, 7 and 8, 1808 that the delegates met in Chillicothe to form the Grand Lodge of Ohio.

Each District has planned its own special evening, which will include an address by the Grand Master, either in person or on DVD. Information on the Founders Dinner in each District can be obtained from the Lodge secretaries. The schedule is available here.

lanternCommemorative tin lanterns have been handcrafted for each District and were presented to the District Deputies at Grand Lodge in October. The lanterns will be presented at the Founders Dinner to the oldest Lodge in each District.

It will be the task of the oldest Lodge to pass on the Lantern and symbolically the fraternal flame of Freemasonry to the next oldest Lodge in the District and so on until the lanterns have passed through all the Lodges in each District. The newest Lodge in each District will bring the lanterns to the Grand Lodge Session in 2008.

By passing the lanterns from Lodge to Lodge, each has an opportunity to participate in the Bicentennial celebration and in reenacting the spread of Freemasonry throughout Ohio.

Ohio Freemasons Celebrate 200 Years

            In January, the 114,000 Ohio Freemasons will begin to celebrate the Bicentennial of their statewide organization, the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio.  The Grand Lodge was formed on January 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th, 1808 in the Chillicothe Statehouse by delegates from the six Masonic Lodge then meeting in Ohio.

            The kickoff for the yearlong celebration will be special Founders Dinners, to be held in 25 locations across the state in the month of January.  The Grand Master of Masons in Ohio , Ronald L. Winnett, will make a personal appearance at several of these dinners, which promise to be memorable evenings for all involved.  “I’m looking forward to celebrating our rich heritage in ’08 as we work towards an even brighter future,” said Winnett.

            Several other events have been planned for the Bicentennial celebration, including a parade and reenactment of the Cornerstone Laying Ceremony at the Statehouse in Columbus on Saturday, June 21st. 

            A special memorial ceremony will take place July 4th at the grave of Rufus Putnam, Surveyor General for the Northwest Territory and first Grand Master of Ohio, at Mound Cemetery , Marietta .

            A first-ever exhibition of historic Masonic artifacts will be presented to the public as part of the October state convention in Columbus .  The exhibit will include several artifacts from around Ohio as well as several relating to founding father and Freemason, George Washington.  The St. John’s Lodge Bible, upon which Washington took his presidential oath of office, will be a very special part of the exhibit.

            The six original Ohio Lodges were spread across the state and met in Cincinnati , Chillicothe , Marietta , Warren , Worthington , and Zanesville .  They reflected the diversity of the early Ohio settlers and operated under the authority of charters issued by East Coast Grand Lodges, including Connecticut , Massachusetts , New Jersey , and Pennsylvania .  The oldest Lodge was American Union, chartered in 1776, and the youngest was Scioto Lodge, chartered in 1806.

            Today, there are over 530 Masonic Lodges in Ohio with a combined membership of 114,000.  As in their pioneer past, membership reflects the community in which the Lodges meet, uniting good men from a variety of social, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.  More information about Ohio Freemasonry and their Bicentennial celebration can be found at www.freemason.com.

 

January 26th Founders Dinner in 18th District 

The Founders Day Dinner was a huge success for the 18th Masonic District with 140 Brethren and guests in attendance. A wonderful time was had by all. Special thanks to all those who made the evening what it was. It shows that Freemasonry is alive and well in the 18th Masonic District of Ohio. On behalf of the Deputies and District Officers: Thank You!!

 

 

 

I-CARE SENIOR SERVICES:

The main mission of MASONIC SENIOR SERVICES/I-CARE is to link senior Masons, their wives and widows and Eastern Star members to services in their community that will allow them to remain healthy, safe and independent in their own homes as long as possible.

An in-home assessment is available to provide convenience, privacy and individual care in linking unmet needs with available services. Each of the I-care Coordinators has extensive knowledge of their area’s available services for seniors.

We are also concentrating on working with lodges to develop I-care committees that will organize area Masons who are willing to provide supportive services for their elderly fraternal brothers. The function of these volunteer committees is to offer care, concern and compassion to Senior Masons, their widows and Eastern Star members. This service can aid with many tasks, including grocery shopping, transportation to appointments or a friendly visit.

Individual lodges or a combination of lodges can create a committee from their membership. Masonic Senior Services is prepared to provide the training and the support necessary for the establishment of the I-care committee. Please contact the service coordinator nearest you for more information or to arrange a presentation for your lodge on Masonic Senior Services and/ or developing I-care committees.

Service Coordinators can now turn to the newly formed I-Care Committees to assist Senior Masons with services that are not available their community.

College Hill was the first active I-CARE committee operating and assisting Senior Masons, under the leadership of Master Chuck Andrews and Committee Chair Ron Henrich. It is the first lodge in Ohio to offer services to their senior members through an I-CARE Committee. College Hill members Barrie Owen, Rich Dickershield, Bob Boyington, Don Perry, Diane Andrews, Lou Williams and Dick Wendt graciously offered their support and attended the training.

The second active committee began at Mason Lodge, also in the Cincinnati area. This committee is led by Master William Spradling and Committee Chair John Cavallaro.  The committee members include Mike Mullinger, Bob Hulse, Darrin McCarthy, Francisco Cadena, Edward Wilusz, David Slusher and Tom Walker. Thanks to those individuals for their care, concern and compassion.

DeAnna Kinney is the I-CARE COORDINATOR for the 18th District. She also handles the 12th, 17th and 23rd Masonic Districts. Her telephone number is 866-557-0671. Her email address is dkinney@ohiomasonichome.org. 

The Ohio Masonic Home website is http://www.ohiomasonichome.org/index.php. Please check out the website. It has valuable information regarding the Masonic Home and all activities that they are a part of. 

 

 

Grand Lodge Blog & Podcast

The Grand Lodge of Ohio is proud to be the first Grand Lodge in the world to have a podcast.A podcast is a media file (usually an mp3) that can be played on a PC, Mac, or portable media player. Podcasts can be downloaded individually or automaticaly as they become available (subscription). The Grand Lodge podcast will be used to highlight events in Ohio Masonry.

Grand Lodge of Ohio Podcast

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New Scholarship Foundation Procedures:

For the 2007-2008 college-scholarship year, a new set of procedures will be used in awarding scholarships from the Grand Lodge of Ohio Scholarship Foundation.  At that time, the Foundation will no longer grant scholarships to a list of Ohio colleges, universities and other schools of higher education.  Here is an outline of the new procedures:

  • One scholarship will be granted in each of the Masonic Districts in the Grand Lodge of Ohio.  There are currently 25 districts, but that total could be altered if the Grand Lodge performs any redistricting.
  • Each scholarship will total $2,000 and will be paid to the institution of higher education, which the recipient is attending.
  • Recipients may be Master Masons or relatives of Master Masons.
  • The application/selection process will be as follows:
    1. Uniform application forms will be developed and used by the Districts for all applicants. 
    2. Each District will have a Scholarship Committee to review application forms and make recommendations to the Grand Lodge Scholarship Committee, to be appointed annually by the Grand Master.  The District Deputy Grand Masters in each District will select the District Scholarship Committee and oversee their work.
    3. Each Masonic District will recommend and submit between two and four names of individuals to the Grand Lodge Scholarship Committee for consideration.
    4. The deadline for submitting scholarship recommendations from each District to the Grand Lodge Scholarship Committee will be April 1 each year.
    5. The actual recipients to receive the scholarship will be selected by a Grand Lodge Scholarship Committee.
    6. If the recipient is a graduating High School senior, it is intended that a Masonic District or local Lodge representative would attend the High School graduation or awards ceremony, and personally present a certificate acknowledging the Masonic Scholarship.
  • Each scholarship recipient will be strongly encouraged to attend the Grand Master’s Reception in the District and make a few remarks.
  • A public relations effort will be conducted each year by the Grand Lodge, both within the fraternity and to the general public, related to the scholarship program.
  • The Grand Lodge Scholarship Committee, working with the Grand Master, will conduct continuing fund-raising efforts for the Scholarship Foundation.

 

 

Traveling points

A new points system for the Traveling Train Award. Here is the information:

Eligibility: 

1. A lodge must be a member of the 18th District Association, points will not be counted from any Lodge until they have paid their ANNUAL DUES. 

2.Must complete a registration card at each Inspection to get credit for points. 

3. The train will be presented to the Lodge with the most points at the end of each Inspection.

4. The train will be awarded to the Lodge with the most points at the Moody Awards.

5. In the event of a tie at the end of the Inspection schedule, the award will be given to the Lodge with the most wins.

6. The 18th District officers will be in charge of tabulating the points.

POINT SYSTEM:

Each member in attendance will count as ONE POINT.

Brothers who hold PLURAL OR HONORARY MEMBERSHIP will only count in their home lodge.

BONUS POINTS:

100 points for each ten members in attendance.

100 points for each line officer or member that learns and gives a lecture during Inspection season. Lecture may be given at Inspection or any Lodge meeting during Inspection season.

100 points to each Lodge that hosts the F.I.L.L. PROGRAM OR graduation and has in attendance at least 8 members and opens Lodge of Master Masons.

 

 

 

PLEASE KEEP OUR BRAVE SAILORS AND SOLDIERS IN OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS WHILE THEY ARE FIGHTING THE WAR ON TERROR AND KEEPING OUR COUNTRY FREE AND SAFE. THEY NEED OUR SUPPORT. GOD BLESS!!

 

 

 

Grand Lodge website:

Click on the Picture below.

 

 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO TO THE GRAND LODGE OF OHIO WEBSITE, JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE.

 

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18TH MASONIC DISTRICT COVERING MONROE, NOBLE AND MUSKINGUM COUNTIES.

03/16/2008 06:18 PM