Oriental Lodge No. 33

N.E. District Annual Picnic

Lodge members, families and guests are welcome to come enjoy the summer fun! Games for adults and children will be provided as well as great food and beverages! This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to gather and get to spend time together outside of Lodge with families and friends.  Please come out and join us for a few hours of fun!

Please make sure to bring chairs as seating is limited.

Remember everyone should bring a bag of ice for the coolers!

A map of the location can be found here

A PDF with more detailed information can be downloaded here

Oriental Sponsoring IL CHIP Event

Oriental Lodge No. 33 will be sponsoring an IL CHIP event Saturday, August 7th from 9 am to 2 pm at Muebleria Continental & Hispanocare Health Fair located at 1425 N. Milwaukee Ave.

The Freemasons of Illinois hold and fund the entire cost of identification workshops for families all around the State of Illinois. They're sponsored by local Masonic Lodges and held at neighborhood functions or community schools. We put together everything parents need to help the authorities find their lost child. It's the most comprehensive program of its kind ...and it is FREE OF CHARGE TO PARENTS.

HERE'S WHAT THE PARENTS GET AT AN IL CHIP EVENT

Below are materials used for IL CHIP events. These materials are available for parents to preview or event hosts to reproduce for an upcoming event.

• Color Photo that records image and height and is digitized on a convenient CD that can be easily   circulated by police to the media and distributed across the State within an hour via Illinois’ Amber
• Alert Program.
• DNA Sample taken through a saliva cheek swab is the latest tool in the scientific arsenal to make positive ID’s of lost children.
• Fingerprints are the oldest form of positive identification since they are unique to every person.
• Recorded Interview captures on the same CD as the picture the appearance, speech patterns, personal characteristics, and mannerisms for easy media distribution.

Please help us get the word out to all of your friends and family that have young children.

Upcoming IL CHIP Events

Oriental Lodge will be helping and participating in several IL CHIP events this summer and fall.  We are looking for more volunteers to help out with this great service that our fraternity provides to the public at no cost.  Please check out their web page for more specific information.  Anyone who wishes to volunteer to assist contact R.W. Brother Manny Roth at (331) 462-2110 or send him an email here.  We need at least 1 volunteer for each event so please do everything that you can to attend one or more of these sessions.  If we have enough volunteers we will be able to work half shifts.

Saturday June 12^th 2010

Muebleria Continental & Hispanocare Health Fair

1921 N. Mannheim Road Melrose Park

9:00 am – 2:00 pm

Saturday July 10^th 2010

Muebleria Continental & Hispanocare Health Fair

2719 W. Cermack Ave Chicago

9:00 am – 2:00 pm

Saturday August 7^th 2010

Muebleria Continental & Hispanocare Health Fair

1425 N. Milwaukee Ave Chicago

9:00 am – 2:00 pm

Thursday August 12^th 2010

TBD

Saturday August 14^th 2010

6^th Annual Ravenswood Community Fair

4600 N. Ravenswood Chicago

9:00 am – 2:00 pm

Saturday October 2^nd 2010

Iglesia Agape Community Health Fair & Lecture

1634 N. Kedzie Ave. Chicago

9:00 am – 2:00 pm

Join us for Past Masters Night!

Oriental Lodge cordially invites you to attend our annual Past Master’s Night which will take place Tuesday May 11^th, 2010. The purpose of the evening will be to honor those members of our lodge who have served in the oriental chair.

This will be an evening of fun and fellowship. We will begin the evening at 6:30 p.m. with a delicious catered Italian dinner prepared at Past Master Domenico Mancini’s family business, Lucia’s Ristorante. Dinner for our Past Masters is, of course, complimentary. We will open lodge at 7:30 p.m. and will briefly transact the current business of the lodge. We will then recall the recent history of the lodge, introduce each of our Past Masters and hear their remarks. 

We hope you will be able to join us for this special event. It will give our current active members and officers an opportunity to meet you and to learn about the important recent history of our lodge. You also will have a chance to see how your works have prospered during the passing years. Past Masters are requested to please email our Secretary with your R.S.V.P. as soon as possible. 

ORIENTAL LODGE NO. 33, A.F. & A.M. – PAST MASTERS

Nelson O. Hanks	1933
Lawrence Welsh, III	1963
Nicholas J. Schwarz	1973
Daniel F. Healy, Jr.	1978
Donald E. Maas	1979
Daniel A. Fornelli	1983
William G. Finke	1984
Warren N. Barr, III	1985
Craig P. Colmar	1986
Ronald Wise	1987
Jack P. Muscia	1989
Michael E. McLean	1991
R. Craig Parsons	1992
I. Michael Toth	1993
Eugene Steingold	1994
John A. Bartel	1995
Ronald S. Moll	1996
Martin P. Starr	1997
Jozef F. Dabros	1998
Felipe J. Benitez	1999
Conrado Manzano	2000
Mark E. Pecen	2001
Johnathan E. Barnes	2003
Benjamin T. Liberman	2004
Ridgely Hunt	2005
Richard H. Lozins	2006
Paul A. Scheeler	2007
Eric W. Diamond	2008
R. Todd Newton	2009

 

ORIENTAL LODGE NO. 33, A.F. & A.M. – AFFILIATED PAST MASTERS

Bruce D. Hudson (739)	1972
Harry R. Brahmstadt, Jr. (865)	1978
Howard L. Graff (774)	1978
James W. Patton (1175)	1985
Richard R. Gordon (711)	1996
Domenico Mancini (1084)	1999
Benjamin Wechsler (Missouri)	1999
Milan Vydareny (865)	2004
Richard B. Taman (1058)	2005
Jonathan W. Lackland (500)	2007
Thomas D. Kleiner (1098)	2008

Downtown outing, Thursday, April 22nd

Dear Friends and Brethren,

Our April downtown outing will be at the Tilted Kilt, which is located at 17 N Wabash. Unfortunately, the beautiful weather we've had this week is not expected to continue, so I judged it wiser to start inside, and then go outside to smoke cigars later in the evening if weather permits. I will plan to be there by 6 PM, so feel free to show up at any time after that. 

Given that the Tilted Kilt is a large venue, if you do intend to show up I'd appreciate an email, so that I know to be on the lookout for you. As always, though, you're more than welcome to show up even if you have not provided advance word.

The purpose of these downtown outings, for those who don't know, is threefold.  First, to enable new candidates to meet Oriental lodge members in a casual setting, and learn about the lodge.  Second, to provide a regular event in Downtown Chicago, to keep Oriental Lodge's downtown orientation, in spite of our Jefferson Park meeting location.  Finally, third, to have a good time and promote fellowship.

Fraternally and Sincerely,

Kyle Bieneman
Membership Development Chairman

Oriental Lodge Memorial Project

In 1860, at the beginning of the Civil War, the Worshipful Master and brethren of Oriental Lodge No. 33 had the foresight to purchase graves for our fraternal dead in the newly formed Rosehill Cemetery. These graves were intended for indigent brethren who did not have the means to provide for a proper burial. Our lodge purchased the rights of internment in the entirety of Lot 16 in Section O, which is near the Ravenswood Avenue entrance and was one of the earliest sections to open.

Twenty of our brethren now rest eternally in Section O. Unfortunately, due to the financial turmoil resulting from the Great Depression, our lodge was unable to place monuments for six of these brethren who passed away between the years 1922 and 1938. Were it not for the records maintained by the lodge and by Rosehill Cemetery they would be utterly forgotten.

The marked and unmarked graves of Oriental members

Their names are:

Charles E. Ward (Died May 9th, 1922)
John R. Warren (Died March 24th, 1924)
Albert Reeves (Died February 6th, 1928)
Simon S. Walters (Died September 15th, 1929)
Jacob G. Yount (Died November 22nd, 1934)
William Weinand (Died February 14th, 1938)

Brethren, the Depression is over and the time has come to mark these graves.  I am therefore asking for your generous financial support toward fulfilling this important fraternal obligation. We are planning to hold a Memorial Observance at Rosehill Cemetery later this summer during which we will appropriately remember our brethren and unveil their monuments. It is our intention to mark all of these graves this year. This is an ambitious goal, but I really believe if we all get behind it we will achieve it.

Let us all remember the beautiful lesson we learned when we first entered the portals of Oriental Lodge No. 33: “but the greatest of these is charity, for faith may be lost in sight, hope ends in fruition, but charity extends beyond the grave to the boundless realms of eternity”. In a time of great uncertainty and trouble we as Freemasons have a glorious opportunity here to do something of lasting good. Please look for our mailer or contact our Lodge Secretary to make your donation.

Fraternally,

Patrick B. Jones, Worshipful Master

Thanks to those who came out and donated!

Thanks to all who came out and participated!

Three dozen members of lodges from the 5NE & 6NE districts turned out on March 30, 2010, to donate at the Jefferson Park Community Blood Drive coordinated through LifeSource Blood Centers and hosted at Biagio’s Restaurant, where donors also enjoyed a buffet dinner.

Participating lodges included Oriental No. 33, King Oscar No. 855, Paul Revere No. 998, Chicago No. 437, Kelvyn Park Willing No. 1075, and North West No. 271, as well as many family members and friends.

Several brethren opted to donate using the ALYX procedure, which separates much-needed platelets from the blood and returns plasma to the donor, doubling the effectiveness of the donation. In addition to those who donated at this event, 11 people donated earlier at other collection centers, with one ALYX donor. Altogether a total of 48 units were collected, helping to save the lives of up to 144 people in need of blood in the Chicagoland area.

“Illinois Masons are one of the largest groups of blood donors in the state, and the need for blood is never-ending,” said Coordinator Paul Scheeler of Oriental Lodge No. 33. “I want to thank all those brethren, their family members and friends who made this yet another successful drive, and we hope to see everyone again next year.”

 

5th and 6th Northeast District Blood Drive

Tuesday March 30^th 2010 – 4:00pm-8:00pm

Only 1 week left! 

We need you to do your part!

Blood donations may also be made at any LifeSource collection center and allocated to "Oriental Lodge."

Visit www.lifesource.org for alternate locations. 

Remember, friends and significant others count toward our total, and each successful donor is entitled to an Italian buffet dinner after donating, compliments of the lodge.

Biagio's Restaurant
4242 North Central Avenue 
Chicago, Illinois 60634

To schedule appointment contact:
Paul Scheeler
630-408-1158
scheeler33@msn.com

Did You Know?

• 60% of the population is medically eligible to give blood, yet only 5% of the national population donates blood
• If all blood donors gave 2 to 4 times a year, it would help prevent blood shortages
• 4.5 million Americans would die each year without life saving blood transfusions
• Every three seconds someone needs blood
• About three gallons of blood supports the entire nation’s blood needs for one minute

Knowing the Needs

• Car accident victims who have suffered massive blood loss can need transfusions of 50 pints or more of red blood cells
• The average bone marrow transplant requires 120 units of platelets and about 20 units of red blood cells
• Severe burn victims can need about 20 units of platelets during their treatment
• Children being treated for cancer, premature infants and children having heart surgery need blood and platelets from donors of all types
• Anemic patients need blood transfusions to increase their iron levels
• Cancer, transplant and trauma patients, and patients undergoing open-heart surgery require platelet transfusions to survive
• Some patients with complications from severe sickle cell disease, an inherited disease that affects more than 80,000 people in the United States (98% of whom are of African descent), receive blood transfusions every month - up to 4 pints at a time

5th and 6th Northeast District Blood Drive, April 29

We need you to do your part!

Oriental had the second most donors last year with 12 out of 41 and we want to exceed that this year. Remember, friends and significant others count toward our total, and each successful donor is entitled to an Italian buffet dinner after donating compliments of the lodge!  Feel free to request a take-out container if you cannot dine on-site.  Blood donations may also be made at any LifeSource collection center and allocated to "Oriental Lodge."

5NE District Masons" -- visit www.lifesource.org for locations.5th & 6th NE District Masons

Jefferson Park Community Blood Drive

4:00pm-8:30pm Wed April 29, 2009

Biagio's Restaurant

4242 N. Central Ave, Chicago

1 mile south of Jefferson Park Masonic Temple - free parking next to donation site

To schedule appointment contact Paul Scheeler 630-408-1158 or scheeler33@msn.com

Eureka Challenge Assembly Party Jan. 25th

This is our annual fundraiser where we, the brothers of Oriental Lodge assemble all the materials for the Eureka Challenge. It is a lot of folding, bursting stacking and handling paper, but it's also pizza, beer, snacks and good times.

This year's Assembly will take place on SUNDAY, JAN. 25, 2009, from 11am to 6pm at W. Bro. Todd Newton's house in Oak Park, Illinois. We need a good turnout to make the work go quickly. I've been going since we started doing the assembly and I can tell you it is a good time. If you can help, please contact W. Bro. Paul Scheeler, at 630-408-1158. Looking forward to seeing you there!