Yankee Doodle Days 2014

Another year is in the books for Grand Ledge Yankee Doodle Days and for us at the Masonic Lodge in Grand Ledge.  For the past few years we have been asked to provide the food at the beer tent here in town.  So as usual we set up our booth in the back of the tent to food for the hungry patrons.

A very interested bit of information is that we actually flew these pigs in.  Wait for it….so I guess you can now say pigs have flown.

Two hogs tied down in the aircraft.

This year we did something a bit different.  We decided we would try and roast a pig and that we did.  Our brother Jeff spearheaded that big task and spent most of the night cooking it.  They put it on the roaster at around 10pm on Friday and Saturday at 11am it was ready for eating.

Brother Jeff AKA the Grill master

 So during the parade we started to cut it up and prepare it for the many people that lined up to take part in eating it.  There were times when I looked over and there must have been at least 20 people in line.  A big thanks to brother Ed for keeping Jeff company and assisting him all night at the grill.

Brother Ed

Brother Kevin

Process of cutting up the pork for the sandwiches.

I don't have the numbers for this years festivities but from the way the sales were going I think overall it was a big success.  The rain held off and it wasn't overwhelmingly hot, making it pleasant to be one of the workers.  I want to again thank all of the workers that helped out this year.  A big thanks to all of the committees that worked on this for us.

I will update this when I get the numbers in.

Great Pasty Dinner

So its been a while since I have been able to post and figured I would get back at it.  Between going to military schools, work and computer issues I finally have some much needed free time to be able to get back at this.

To start off I just wanted to say thanks to all of those that helped with the pasty dinner this last Friday.  We finally broke the $1000 mark that I wanted as WM.  Not only that but we completely sold out of all the pasties we made that day for the dinner.  I believe the number was around 151 pasties were made.  We sold out of beef pasties first and we had people in line to buy and when we told them we were out of beef they left.  Then we ran out of to go boxes and had to come up with a way to send people out of there with to go orders.

We were down to six chicken pasties left and 10 minutes left in the night when a lady stopped by and bought all of them for some men working at her house putting in a septic system for her.  It was an amazing night and I can't thank everyone enough.

Our brother Kevin put together an awesome flyer that was put out at several of the local stores.  I have to believe that had something to do with the success.

Well this was short and sweet, but I just wanted to get this up and running again.  Remember if you know anyone that is looking for a hall rental to get a hold of us.  Brother Kevin is working on the website to make it more interactive.  Until the next time.

New Brothers

Three new Brothers

On Wednesday we had the the privilege to bring in three new Brothers to the lodge.  Todd came in last month but he showed up and we put him to work at the Junior Deacon for the night.  A big thanks to him, we couldn't have did it without him.  Seth and Kevin were the newest brothers to come in.  In the picture with us are Ryan, Mike and Ramone.  We are all looking forward to helping them continue on their masonic journey.

We will be having our Past Masters and Honors night this coming Wednesday.  Everyone is welcome to attend and encouraged.  We would love to see as many people there to show their respects for all the masters that have contributed to the growth and care of the lodge.  

Also dont forget our Pasty Dinner this Friday the 22nd.  We will be holding our 50/50 raffle during the dinner.

Hunters Night at the Lodge

Hanging out around the campfire.

Wednesday we had our regular meeting and the theme was hunters night due to the upcoming deer season.  Most of the brothers dressed up in their hunting garb.  We had a makeshift campfire, fully decked out with burning sterno cans.  We do what we can.

Worthy Brother Craig Mason from Grand Lodge was invited to talk about the Masonic Charity Foundations and other charity events that the Masons sponsor.  By the end of the night our lodge voted on sponsoring a sign that will be placed at next years golf outing.  It was great to hear how involved the Masons are with children's programs.  In March we will be sponsoring a bowling event at the Royal Scot Bowling lanes here in Lansing.  

After all the business was taken care of we elected the upcoming officers for 2014.  I was again elected to be the Worshipful Master again for one more year.  We have some great men that will be following me in the next couple years.  Our goal is to set them up with some of their programs that they want to see the lodge do when they get in office.  

New BGP

We did some traveling last week.  Five of us brothers, Gill, Kim, Ryan, Mike and myself went over to Grand Rapids on Wednesday for our new district meeting.  The state has changed up the districts and we landed in the "Lucky" 13 which has 14 lodges in it.

My congratulations go out to Worthy Brother Gill for being elected as the new BGP for the district.  I know you will do us proud.

After the meeting we received a outstanding tour of the lodge.  If you ever get the chance to travel to this lodge you will not be let down.

Pasty Supper

It's finally here, the day we all wait for all month...Pasty Supper.  As I write this there are brothers making fresh Pasties down in the kitchen of the lodge.

Part of the magic that happens behind the scenes. 

 The pasties are made from scratch on the day of the suppers.  About nine years ago some brothers went up north and learned how to make them from another lodge that had a successful pasty program.  Mike Beck and Steve Suchek have been the organizers and the life of the program.  Steve is away on a deployment right now and the rest of us are helping Mike keep the program alive and growing.  We start around 10 am making them and by 3pm they are done and the supper prep begins.

The supper is from 5-7 pm the third Friday of the month.  The only exception will be next month and it will be held on the 22nd of November for our raffle.    We also offer take out and frozen sales if that is what you desire.

Speaking of the raffle, if you haven't got your ticket or two yet stop by and purchase one or two.  It will be a 50/50 raffle with the prize being $10000 if we sell all 2000 tickets.  The tickets are $10 a piece so the odds are really good.If you don't know where to go, send me a message here and we will make sure you get one.  This raffle will help the lodge with its several local events that it does with the community, such as scholarships.  

We still haven't hit the $1000 night for the suppers, but we are getting really close.  Stop in for a taste of the U.P. today.  

A big thanks goes out to all the folks that make this happen.  It is a large task to accomplish the suppers and the pasty builds.  I tip my hat to all of you.  Thanks again for what you do.

Grand Ledge Lodge 179 Pasty Dinner

GRAND LEDGE, Mich. - Fall has officially arrived in Michigan which means that the weather will start to cool off, the leaves will start to change, and warm dishes sound more delicious. To get into the spirit of fall, the Grand Ledge Lodge 179 will be hosting a Pasty Dinner on Friday, October 18 from 5PM - 7PM.

The Pasty Dinner is always a delicious and enjoyable event - one you won't want to miss out on! There will be two meal options, both a large dinner and a small dinner. The large dinner costs $8.00 and includes a 1 lb pasty, coleslaw, a beverage and dessert. The smaller option costs only $6.00 and includes a 1/2 lb pasty, coleslaw, a beverage and dessert - talk about a great deal!

Since pasty's are a favorite for any Michigan resident, we'll also be selling frozen pasty's, 2 for $10. This is a great option for all the deer hunters, or perfect for those that have busy days and want something quick and easy for dinner.

While you're enjoying the great company and delicious food at the Grand Ledge Lodge 179, make sure to pick up your 50/50 tickets for $10! Only 2000 tickets will be sold which means your odds of winning are pretty good! The minimum prize will be $500 and the maximum will be $10,000 - with Christmas right around the corner, the extra cash will be a great thing to have! The drawing will be held at our Nov. 22nd Pasty Dinner, so make sure to pick up your tickets while they're still available!

If you're interested in purchasing a raffle ticket, or you would like more information about the Grand Ledge Masonic Brothers, email cgmunce@me.com. The Grand Ledge Lodge 179 is located at 200 West River Street in Grand Ledge, MI. We are proud to be part of the Grand Ledge community but work hard to assist those in need on a local and national level. To stay in touch with our lodge, visit our Facebook page or stop by our website. 

For more information on Grand Ledge Lodge 179 Rentals, visit our Facebook page.