Greetings Brethren,
I hope everyone had a great summer! It seems to me that they go by more and more quickly as time goes by. The annual Montgomery picnic was held at the Phalen Park pavilion on July 23 and everyone in attendance had a great time. Montgomery partnered with Macalester Lodge which made the event an even bigger success. The brothers from Macalester Lodge sponsored a bingo tournament with prizes which was well attended. SW Kendall Crosby did a great job a planning and coordinating everything and the pop corn machine from the hardware store was a tasty addition. Senior Steward Shawn Carrick did his usual wonderful job doing the food. I want to thank everyone who brought food to share it was all very delicious. I also want to thank everyone who helped in any way to help make the picnic a successful event.
Phyllis and I went on several motorcycle trips with some of brothers from the Masonic Motorcycle Club International, MMCI, Chapter 24 this summer. There were brothers from Montgomery as well brothers from several other Lodges along for the ride. Our first trip took us from the Twin Cities to South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. We covered forty four hundred miles in eleven days and visited six national parks. One of the highlights of the trip was visit to the Grand Lodge of Utah. They have a beautiful building in Salt Lake City and I would recommend it to anyone who is visiting the area. Unfortunately I missed most of the tour because I needed to have the rear tire changed on my motorcycle!! It was also wonderful to see the natural beauty that our National parks have to offer. We visited Badlands, Rocky Mountain, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone National Parks. The morning we spent in Zion National park was a truly awe inspiring experience.
The second trip was to the MMCI convention in Lead South Dakota. This was the third MMCI convention I have attended it is always a great experience to meet brothers from around the country who share a common interest in both Masonry and motorcycles. We had a chance to visit Mount Rushmore, which was my first time, as well as the Crazy Horse monument. We also had the opportunity to visit Olive Branch Lodge #47 in Sturgis for lunch. Despite the on again off again rain showers a delicious meal and some great fellowship was had by all in attendance. It was also a great chance to revisit the Black Hills. There is a lot of great motorcycle riding there.
This fall promises to be a busy time for Montgomery. We should have at least two candidates coming through the degree cycle. We also have several events planned. On September 20 General Douglas MacArthur Lodge #352 will be hosting a pancake breakfast at the Masonic Center on Plato Boulevard to benefit Heather’s House, a project started by a brother from Acacia Lodge. Senior Steward Shawn Carrick’s famous pancakes will be served and many of the brothers from Montgomery will there to help. I hope many of you can attend.
Fraternally Mark Dreyer, Master
