Grand Lodge News The Ohio Masonic Home

Summer activities are in full swing. Whether you enjoy baseball, auto racing, motorcycling, picnics, camping, or maybe a little of each, I hope you are enjoying each day. Remember to take a minute to check in on your friends and neighbors.

I receive a lot of questions about Lodge tax status. Our members are not always clear whether their Lodge is classified as a 501(c)3 or 501(c)10, or if they pay taxes or not. In simple terms, a 501(c)3 is a nonprofit charitable organization, not subject to federal tax or state sales tax. A 501(c)10 is a not-forprofit domestic fraternity, not subject to federal tax but required to pay state sales tax. Ohio Masonic Lodges fall under a 501(c)10 definition. Let me try to clarify using a recent issue with The OMH Print Shop. A Lodge purchased some name badges and paraphernalia from The OMH Print Shop and thought they were tax exempt. Luckily, the Print Shop understands their status and explained the difference. The Lodge pays the state sales tax. For more information, please review www.irs.gov/charities or contact your local tax expert. are ever in the Springfield area, stop by the office and drop off the most recent Lodge history file, along with a picture, so we can keep your Lodge up to date.

The Lodge Secretaries are busy now reviewing their Annual Report information and updating their Lodge records before the year end close on July 31. Please thank your Secretary when you see him next. They are doing a great job keeping our member and Lodge information current.

The 2023 Membership Renewal Notices are scheduled to be emailed and mailed the second week in August. Credit card payment options will be available in your Grand View membership account, or you can send your payment to your Lodge Secretary. By updating your membership status early, you are helping to save on program costs and eliminate multiple communications. Remember, yearly membership renewal dues must be remitted on or before the Annual Meeting of your Lodge every November.

Did you know that we maintain a history file in the Grand Lodge office for each Ohio Lodge? Many contain items such as a programs from recent reconsecration ceremonies, special community celebrations, a copy of your Lodge history and even pictures of the Lodge building(s) over the years. If you It’s an honor to serve the Grand Lodge of Ohio. The office staff is committed to serve you, so please call on us if we can be of any assistance.

It’s a Great Day for Freemasonry! Keith W. Newton, PGM, Grand Secretary

GRAND LODGE 2022

The Masons of the 14th Masonic District extend a cordial invitation to attend the 213th Annual Communication of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ohio.

Friday, October 28, 2022 Columbus Convention Center Downtown | Columbus, Ohio

Details can be found by visiting www.GLOHIO2022.com

At www.GLOHIO2022.com, you will find: • Your formal announcement and invitation to attend this year’s

Grand Lodge Annual Communication • How to make room reservations directly • How to obtain tickets for all events including: Thursday evening Grand Master’s Banquet Friday lunch for attendees Friday Ladies luncheon & entertainment Friday evening New Grand Master’s Celebration • All information you need about the 2022 Grand Lodge including a schedule of events, times and locations. Any questions, email gloffice@freemason.com.

4 SUMMER 2022

By Alexander P. Herbert It was an honor and a pleasure to represent the Grand Lodge of Ohio at the annual meeting of the Grand Lodge of Estonia, held in the capital city of Tallinn. The Grand Lodge of Estonia is a young jurisdiction - only 23 years old - and it meant very much to them to have representatives not just from their neighbors in the Baltics and Scandinavia, but from as far away as the United States.

On Monday, May 2nd, I visited the Grand Lodge building (the Tallinn Freemasons House) for a Royal Arch Degree conferred by the Hackney Brook Chapter. The Hackney Brook Chapter is the only chapter that works in English, and is a direct transplant from its original home in England – hence why it is unnumbered among the other Estonian chapters. However, as the Grand Chapters of Royal Arch Masons of Estonia and Ohio do not yet recognize each other, my participation was limited to meeting the companions before the degree and catching up with them again later in the evening to congratulate them on work well done.

On Tuesday, May 3rd, I visited the Hackney Brook Lodge #14 and met up with my gracious host, Brother Patrick Kobly, Director of Ceremonies. I “met” Brother Kobly during the COVID lockdowns and have "sat" with him through the Castle Island Virtual Lodge. Two candidates received their Master Mason Degrees that evening - one a member of the lodge, the other a member of the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) who has been living in Estonia for some time. That the UGLE had requested this courtesy work was seen as a tremendous honor and a sign of the esteem held in the work of the lodge. This is both the only English-speaking lodge in Estonia and the only one that works in Emulation Ritual. The Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Estonia, Most Worshipful Brother Kalle Küttis, was in attendance to observe this event. The Grand Lodge of Estonia consists of 23 working craft lodges, one lodge of research, and one lodge of instruction, for a total of 25 lodges. They have approximately 900 members. Lodges are encouraged to remain small and active. When they reach approximately 50 members, they are typically split into two. The Grand Lodge of Estonia has seen consistent membership gains, though the rate of increase was significantly limited by the pandemic. Approximately 67% of new Masons continue to be active participants in their lodge, with appendant bodies seeing above 80% participation.

The Grand Lodge of Estonia was born of the Grand Lodge of Finland in 1999, which in turn was born of the Grand Lodge of New York in 1924. Of the 23 craft lodges, 22 work in Estonian (similar to Finnish) in a Webb ritual adapted through Finland from New York.

On Saturday, May 7th, I attended the annual meeting of the Grand Lodge of Estonia. This was held at the House of the Blackheads (a medieval guild of unmarried merchants) in the heart of Tallinn's Old City district. Foreign delegates were recognized according to the age of their Grand Lodge. Thus, the Grand Lodge of Ohio (1808) enjoyed a high honor in following only the Grand East of the Netherlands and the Swedish Order of Freemasons (both founded in 1735).

The meeting itself lasted only a few hours. Most of the reporting and approvals of the Grand Lodge are conducted in business meetings for that purpose. The Grand Master of Estonia serves a two-year term and there was no balloting or installation this year.

ohio MAsons supporting veterAns And first responders

By Richard A. Dickerscheid, PGM and Lady Teri Six Purple Heart recipients met with many Ohio Freemasons and others for two days of fishing on Lake Erie. The three great tenets of a Mason are brotherly love, relief, and truth; but we know that not all live by our tenets. That is why we rely on our military and first responders to protect and defend us. This year, we were contacted by WB Virgil D. Tent, Past Master of Clifton Gaston Allen Lodge #664 in the 22nd Masonic District who brought before the Grand Lodge of Ohio Charitable Foundation a cause which fit perfectly with the ideals of the Grand Lodge Veterans & First Responders Fund. Each spring, a Wounded Warriors in Action Ohio Freemasons Lake Erie Walleye Fishing (OFMLEWF) event takes place in Huron, Ohio. It’s a weekend of walleye fishing on Lake Erie, known to be the Walleye Capital of the World. This event is in partnership with the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation (WWIA), who connects Purple Heart veterans from all over the United States and all branches of the military to provide relief from their daily struggles. There were six heroes who participated in this event at no cost to them! How are WWIA events financed? Each event group is responsible to raise funds to pay for their event experience. This fishing event costs approximately $10,000, not including the boat captains who provide their services, equipment, and boats at no charge. There are also other volunteers who provide services and food at no cost. Even the housing was provided by the generosity of Patti Nuhn, owner of the Wild Waves Hotel in Huron, Ohio. It is with deep emotion and a personal family experience she is compelled to support this endeavor. Escorted by the Ohio Widows Sons, we arrived on Friday, May 13th, for a dinner at the Vermillion VFW. After dinner, we retired to the camp for social time. On a beautiful Saturday morning, with some occasional light rain, we launched out of Vermillion and cruised to our fishing spot. The charter captains were Mark and Meme Carr of Redneck Outfitters, who is also a Past Master of Hanover Lodge #115; Michael and Dana Daugherty of Reely Livin Sportfishing; and Mathew Leben, a professional fisherman. Teri and I also took our boat and fished right next to them. Following a great day of fishing, we again returned to camp for a superb dinner of walleye and Lake Erie perch. After dinner, we all sat around a campfire on the beach and exchanged stories. Sunday morning, with beautiful blue skies, we again fished until 2pm. After returning to a dinner sponsored by Blue Lagoon Catering, we gathered to hear the veterans share their stories. Speakers were called upon and recognitions were made. Each veteran took home many pounds of fish and plenty of memories. Hearing the experiences from the veterans made us further realize that we live in a country where their sacrifices were made of love of God and country. Their wounds were of the flesh and mind, and difficult to discuss. But, when you thank them, they thank you back and say it was “their honor”. What a humbling experience. Of the six Purple Heart recipients, one was already a Freemason, and two have since followed up with their respective Grand Lodges of their interest to join our institution. What great Masons they will be! Last year, Teri and I created and promoted a new fund under the Grand Lodge of Ohio Charitable Foundation to support those who have served and continue to serve us. Thank you to the Masons of Ohio for your donations. In the future, we hope you will continue to support our Grand Lodge Veterans & First Responders Fund. Thank you to all who have served, and continue to serve, our great country!

If you’ve ever watched a dog show on television, chances are it was the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The second-longest running sporting event in U.S. history – just behind the Kentucky Derby – Westminster is the most prestigious show in the sport. One of this year’s winners, a three-year-old Norwegian Elkhound named Josie, has a unique connection to Ohio Freemasonry. She is the family dog of Brother Andy Vance, an Endowed Member of Boggs Lodge #292 in DeGraff and a plural member of Highland Lodge #38 in Hillsboro. Andy, his wife Miranda, and their nine-year-old daughter Kyra live in Bexley, near downtown Columbus.

Josie, the number four ranked Norwegian Elkhound in the country, has had a successful show career, with more than two dozen group placements to her credit since the Vance family started showing her last June. But Westminster is a different beast entirely. More than 3,000 of the top dogs in the country competed over three days at 146th annual show, held June 20-23 at the famed Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York. At a conformation dog show, a panel of judges evaluates how closely dogs conform to their breed’s official written standard. The “Best of Breed” winners from each individual breed then compete in one of seven American Kennel Club defined groups: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding. The judge evaluates each Best of Breed winner among its peers in group and then places the top four. After winning Best of Breed at Westminster, Josie was selected by highly respected Hound expert, judge Eugene Blake of Tulsa, Oklahoma, as third place in the Hound Group – defeating 325 hounds entered in this year’s competition. “Placing at that show under a man of Eugene Blake’s stature in the sport was truly an honor,” Andy says. “Winning a breed at Westminster is a lifelong dream for many dog people, so to place in the group our first time there? Unbelievable.”

Competing in canine sports is a family affair for the Vances. Miranda is the team’s primary trainer and handler in the show ring, while Andy does most of the show-day grooming. Kyra just started her journey in AKC Junior Showmanship competition, and recently won Best in Junior Showmanship at Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri. “Traveling to show our dogs has allowed us to see some wonderful parts of our country, and more importantly to meet so many wonderful people and build incredible friendships based on a shared interest,” Andy says. “It’s a wonderful bonding experience with our dogs, and we’re creating incredible memories as a family.” Josie’s biggest win to date was the Group 3 placement at Westminster, generally considered the toughest, most esteemed show in the sport. Josie also won Best of Breed at the AKC National Championship in Orlando last December!

While dogs and family–along with his career in media–keep Brother Vance busy, he counts his membership in the Masonic Fraternity as one of the most important aspects of his life. He is a Past High Priest of LaFayette Chapter #60, Royal Arch Masons; a Past Illustrious Master of Logan Council #85, Royal and Select Masons; a Past Inspector of the Second Arch, Grand Council of Royal and Select Masons of Ohio; and a Past Eminent Commander of Bellefontaine Commandery #61, Knights Templar. Brother Vance is also a member of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of Dayton, and the Aladdin Shrine. “I’ve met some of the best people in the world through Masonry, and I’m proud of my affiliation with such upstanding men,” Andy says. “I’ve had the pleasure of traveling throughout our Fraternity, and really treasure the years I spent as an officer in my local York Rite bodies.”

In addition to Masonic membership, Andy is currently Vice President of the Friends of the Bexley Public Library Board of Directors and was recently installed as President of the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Society at Ohio State University.