From the East: Greetings, Brethren!

As a brief introduction for those who do not yet know us, Wilmette Park Lodge No.
931 meets at 7:30pm on the first and third Thursday of each month in Wilmette, a
Northern Chicagoland area community located between Evanston and Kenilworth along
the western shore of Lake Michigan. Wilmette Park Lodge No. 931 meets on the 3rd
floor in the Wilmette Masonic Temple located at 1010 Central Ave., Wilmette, IL 60091,
where there is elevator access to the 3rd floor as well as generous parking both in our off-
street parking and also along Central Ave and the surrounding streets. Meals are
available on Stated Meeting nights, the first Thursday of the month, at the Wilmette
Masonic Temple. Meals on Special Meeting nights, the third Thursday of the month, are
frequently eaten together at area restaurants in time to make the 7:30pm opening gavel at
the Wilmette Masonic Temple.

The summer months have drawn to a close and temperatures have dropped. The kids
have started back to school. Daily traffic patterns have resumed the familiar rhythms and
levels of congestion. The grass and the trees have become less green. Yes, it’s Fall once
again.

Yet, for the officers of every lodge around the state of Illinois, it is a time of rebirth
and renewal of our Grand Lodge. By the time this article is published, our Grand Lodge
will have completed its Annual Communications event in Springfield, IL. As with any
period of renewal of our commitment to each other, it will be a celebration of
achievements, a commitment to new initiatives, collaboration in newly formed teams, and
reflection on memories formed and friends made over the past year.

The month of October also is such a time for the brethren of Wilmette Park Lodge.
On October 17, the members of Wilmette Park Lodge will hold our Annual Meeting for
the close of one Masonic year and the start of the next. As will have already been the
case with our Grand Lodge in Springfield, the members of Wilmette Park Lodge will
charge a new slate of officers with the hard work and great reward of leading us
thoughtfully and energetically into the future. There will be statistics to share, many of
which are very uplifting! There will be recognition of accomplishments by many! And
there are many memories upon which to reflect.

One of the most recent memories that the brethren of Wilmette Park Lodge have
shared is that of our Past Masters Dinner and open house event which was held on
Sunday, September 15.

The open house started in the early afternoon with visitors from our local civic
community arriving almost immediately upon our doors being opened. We enjoyed
hours of interaction between our members and a continual procession of our visitors
through our 3rd floor meeting space. Our visitors were engaging and our discussions with
them explored the history and the merits of Freemasonry in general as well as specifically
in Wilmette. This wonderful day of community interaction with our neighbors
culminated in a dinner in the early evening to honor our Past Masters. The food was
plentiful! The speeches were short! And we had the distinct pleasure to honor a great
number of our Past Masters!

Our Past Masters are a treasure to the fraternity. They have each made conscious
choices to navigate the increased schedule complexities of leading their lodge while
simultaneously meeting responsibilities in their personal and professional lives. They
have each one strived to make a positive and lasting difference in their lodge and the
fraternity. They have cultivated the talents and support and commitments of their
successors. They serve as confidants and advisors to sitting Masters. Their commitments
form an important part of the future success of each of their lodges.

As the most recent Past Master of Wilmette Park Lodge, therefore, my commitment is
the same. Passing the gavel to my successor frees my hands for other work within
Wilmette Park Lodge. There is much more to do in support of the lodge and of our new
leadership; there are candidates in waiting to mentor, there are opportunities for
supporting each other and our civic neighbors, there are insights to pursue and share.

It has been a great honor and pleasure to serve Wilmette Park Lodge as Master for
this past year! I look forward to continuing our work together as the brethren of
Wilmette Park Lodge as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder in support of our new slate of
officers and embark on our next great year!

The brethren of Wilmette Park Lodge will always have room for another Brother to
join us as at least a guest as we continue to strive together to discover new meaning
together and to each other. We certainly look forward to welcoming you!

To learn what the brethren of Wilmette Park Lodge have been up to and to see what is
coming up next for Wilmette Park Lodge, please visit us on the web at
http://www.mastermason.com/wilmettepark/, on Facebook by searching for “Wilmette
Park Lodge 931”, in our articles in the Wilmette Patch, and in our subsequent Temple
Topics articles.

The Officers and brethren of Wilmette Park Lodge No. 931 look forward to seeing
you in lodge!

Fraternally,

Gary Wayne Hardesty II, P.M.

Worshipful Master – Wilmette Park Lodge No. 931

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