Since Jack has done this a few times, several Past Grand Masters were there to impress on him that he was to do it right this time.

Ms. Ricci will be working with the SDMC board to establish a long-term growth plan to ensure that the foundation is able to provide the necessary funding for our charitable endeavors.

South Dakota Masonic Charities is a 501(c)3, which allows us to accept charitable donations under IRS rules. Currently, SDMC oversees the following charitable programs for the Grand Lodge: Masonic Model Student Assistance Training Program, better known as Save A Child, a program that trains education professionals across the state to help students at risk; South Dakota Child Identification Program which provides the most comprehensive child protection packets with all the information necessary to assist law enforcement in cases of missing children; The Masonic Scholarship program that provides funding for students’ secondary education; and one of our newest programs, the Matching Grant program, which provides local Lodges up to $500 in matching funds for local community service programs, provided that the Lodge generates local publicity for the donation.

South Dakota Masonic Charities is also developing criteria under IRS rules that would allow local Lodges or building associations to have their own 501(c)3 fund managed by the foundation to allow for deductible donations and grant applications for the restoration and preservation of their Masonic buildings.

Grand Master Ireland stated, “We certainly are grateful to GM Domier and the Grand Lodge of North Dakota for allowing me to wear and the Masons of South Dakota the opportunity to see this extraordinary piece of history.”

Fire Chief Shawn Barrows has a plan for the new addition to the department. The generator will go on the heavy rescue truck, which has a light tower to illuminate the fire scene. The portable generator will allow for additional lights on the far side of a structure fire. Additional lighting will provide added safety for the department. The generator will also allow power for tools and other equipment.

Harold Ireland, Grand Master of Masons of South Dakota said, “Olive Branch #47 is the first Lodge in the state to apply for the Matching Grant program.” The South Dakota Masonic Charities administers the Matching Grant program which allows local Lodges to donate items to improve their communities.

Olive Branch #47 AF & AM has been a part of the Sturgis community dating back to 1883. Many times, the Masonic fraternity has contributed to local community projects. Olive Branch #47 participates with the SVFD serving the elementary school children at the annual fire safety week each fall.

The South Dakota Grand Lodge Masonic Education Commission recognizes a Lodge Education Officer (LEO) each year. LEOs are selected from names submitted by their Constituent Lodges. The nomination form must be signed by the Worshipful Master and Secretary of the Lodge. The Commission bases their selection on originality of education topics presented at meetings, mentoring, and involvement in constituent bodies. The nomination form and criteria are available for download on the SD Grand Lodge website. The LEO selected has his name engraved on the plaque and that plaque is displayed at the recipient's Lodge during that Masonic year.

The framed certificates were presented at the 145th Annual Communication, but as John was not in attendance, it was presented to him at the next Lodge meeting. Following completion of the individual plaques from the Grand Lodge, John’s plaque was presented to him at the Tin City Lodge #112 Installation of Officers held on June 29th.

This is not only a very deserving award for a well-respected Brother, but also serves as a thank you to John for a great year of service.

The Award of Merit is designed to be given to that special Mason that “toils quietly in the quarry,” not worried about recognition, just serving Freemasonry and working for the betterment of the Craft. Congratulations MWB Welker!

Other events include a parade coordinated by the American Legion Post 71. The parade will step off at 9:00 a.m. from Centennial Park in downtown Hot Springs. The route will take them up North River Street and then onto Minnekahta Avenue, with the procession arriving at the Home around 10:30 a.m. Parade entrants should pick up registration forms from the Chamber of Commerce offices at the Mueller Civic Center.

Following the Governor’s speech, there will be a meal by donation at 11:30 a.m., with food provided by VFW Post 3442, with live entertainment expected during this time as well. From 12:30 p.m. to around 2:00 p.m., State Home staff will be providing regular tours and presenting the history of the State Veterans Home. At 1:30 p.m., there will be a rededication ceremony of the original historic State Veterans Home building by the Masons of The Grand Lodge of South Dakota.

Originally intended to serve as a home for disabled veterans of the Civil War, Hot Springs was selected as the location for the Home by the Dakota Territory legislature. Members of The Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization of Civil War-era veterans, lobbied for the location. They found the naturally warm mineral springs and mild weather of the Hot Springs area to be conducive to good health.

The Home’s original construction began with the placing of the cornerstone on November 5, 1889 in a ceremony by the Grand Lodge of South Dakota and the Home opened a year later. Its first resident registered on November 25, 1890. The Home’s historic original building, known informally as “Building Two,” was made from locally quarried sandstone and is still on campus. A newly designed home was opened in 2016. It is a 144,000-square-foot stacked two story facility with living spaces broken into eight neighborhoods that provide a home-like environment to the residents.

The Home has served its mission “to honor and serve our South Dakota military veterans, their spouses, widows, or widowers now and for generations to come.”

The history of the Grand Lodge notes that nearly 1,200 people attended the dedication of the Grand Lodge building that day in 1924. Then Grand Master Edgar Brookman proclaimed in part, “This magnificent building, when finished will reflect credit upon the fraternity at large. It will mark an epoch in Masonic history of South Dakota. The growth of our Order has kept pace with the splendid material development of our young state, and the future is big with promise.” The cost of the building was $75,000.

The Grand Lodge Building and Library were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The building was sold to Architecture, Inc., in 2000.

Dozens of items were removed from a box set in the building’s cornerstone, including a Masonic Bible, several editions of the Argus Leader newspaper and a typed copy of the address given during the time capsule ceremony 95 years ago. The time capsule also included a sealed envelope with stamps and coins, proceedings of the Grand Lodge, proceedings of appendant and concordant bodies, a local phone directory and the US flag.

To earn the title, Lodge 25 completed a number of mandatory and optional requirements, such as Raising Master Masons, Ritual Proficiency, visiting other Lodges, attendance at District and Grand Lodge meetings, community involvement and public presence, etc.

Region C comprises 21 Lodges in four Districts.

The 2019-2020 Grand Lodge Appointed Officers include: John McKnight of Rapid City as Grand Chaplain, Kendig Bergstresser of Sioux Falls as Grand Orator, Tony Larsen of Mobridge as Grand Marshal, Dane Bloch of Sioux Falls as Senior Grand Deacon, LaMonte Morrow of Custer as Junior Grand Deacon, Alan Bishop of Hermosa as Senior Grand Steward, Todd Knutson of Whitewood as Junior Grand Steward, Timothy Helms of Sturgis as Grand Standard Bearer, Michael Lamb of Rapid City as Grand Pursuivant, Justin Stanek of Pierre as Grand Historian, James Frey of Avon as Grand Musician, and Brian Teller of Buffalo as Grand Tyler.

The District Masters for the ensuing Masonic year are Bradley Hazuka in District 1, Kyle Orth in District 3, Jeffrey Jung in District 4, Benjamin Johnson in District 6, Doug Bjorke in District 9, Larry Hornstra in District 10, Jack Frantz in District 12, Christopher Kaus in District 13, Matthew Miller in District 14, Mitch Kammerer in District 15, Vernon “Pete” Isaacs in District 16, and Harold Walker in District 17.

Once again I am humbled to be appointed our Civility Ambassador to the Grand Lodge of South Dakota. I started during MWB Mike Rodman’s year when the Masons were a part of a national group called The Civility Project. After some disagreements, exploitations of Masonry for profit and a need for Masons to maintain individual identity while remaining a stand-alone nonprofit organization, the Masonic Family Civility Project was formed www.masoniccivility.org.

MWB Russ Charvonia of California is the Chair. I’ve attended several online training programs and attend monthly online meetings with this group of Grand Masters from all over the world, where the discussion is always Civility. On their website is a “Tool box” we may draw from, as well as a speech scorecard to judge various presentations as they rate for staying civil. There was a first for this group with a “Call to Civility” convention at the George Washington Memorial this past spring, where several politicians were invited to test their knowledge of and learn how to be more civil in their interactions with one another. The next convention is scheduled for the spring of 2022. “How” we as a Grand Lodge choose to use these tools and to what extent is at the discretion of the Grand Master. We have presented several Civility Championship awards from across the state so far and are always open to more cases of a civil action to be recognized. My first tasking by Grand Master Harold Ireland is to define the difference between Civility and Charity. Not always so easy to differentiate, but I’ll try to help each of us learn.

Civility can be defined as “Claiming and caring for ones identity, need and beliefs without degrading someone else in the process” (from The Institute for Civility in Government) or “The action of working together productively to reach a common goal, and often with beneficent purposes” (from Masonic Family Civility Project definition accepted by Wikipedia).

Some of you may have read George Washington’s Rules of Civility, which he transcribed from an earlier publication by Francis Hawkin (1661) entitled Youth’s Behavior, or Decencie in Conversation Among Men. Or maybe you read Mark Tabberts “George Washington’s Rules for Freemasons in Life and Lodge” (2016). In this publication, Brother Mark “modernizes to today” several of the 110 Rules for Lodge Meetings and Refreshment by George Washington. Things such as not crossing your legs while in Lodge, picking your teeth at the table, speaking with a mouthful of food and keeping your forearms off the dining table are included. Or maybe you’ve read the English translated version of the original Hawkins book? If you have read any or all of them, hopefully you see, as I do, the common theme with all these rules — that being, the correct way to interact with one another verbally, physically, and emotionally, even when in disagreement.

Charity differs in that it is a gift that has a quantitative element, such as monetary, time, etc. There are many examples of Civility on the web these days, one of which I like is “Small Acts of Civility in the Workplace” to help your career at: www.bellapetite.com. No wonder we Masons are the right men to perpetuate Civility among each other and the world at Large.

We are the Masons.