MOST WORSHIPFUL PRINCE HALL GRAND LODGE FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS ~ STATE OF ILLINOIS 809 East 42nd Place (Prince Hall Way)~ Chicago, IL 60653-2900 PH: (773) 373-2725 ~ FAX: (773) 624-6031 Office of MW Bro. Dwayne A. Smith, Grand Master Most Worshipful Brother Dwayne A. Smith, #133 Grand Master, State of Illinois 7701 S. Merrill Chicago, Illinois 60617 Phone: (773) 418-4695 Email: dwayne.smith@sbcglobal.net Aubrey K. Barlow, #23 Deputy Grand Master 457 Valley View Circle Bloomington, Illinois 61705 Phone: (309) 242-7188 Email: shakey20@juno.com Roland G. Simon, #135 Grand Senior Warden 1928 East 173rd Place South Holland, Illinois 60473 Phone: (708) 418-1525 Email: sackman53@yahoo.com Steven R. Coleman, #99 Grand Junior Warden 851 Huntley Woods Drive Crete, Illinois 60417 Phone: (773) 793-6184 Email: coleman.steven@sbcglobal.net Daryl L. Andrews, #91 Grand Treasurer Email: darylandrews357@gmail.com Michael Ramey #59 Grand Secretary 809 East 42 nd Place Chicago, Il 60653 (773) 616-1314 Grandsecretary809@yahoo.com Tony D. Stafford Sr., #128 Grand Lecturer Mobile: (312) 714-8136 Email: TonyD.stafford@yahoo.com Grand Auditors s James R. Jones, #23 Leroy R. Berry, #98 Keith Roach, #116 Bill Harlan, #1 Grand Trustees s Cordale Brown, #14 John Bobby D Dillard Hewitt Douglass, #3 Jim Brown, #133 Grand CCFC Most Worshipful Brother Otis W. Cromartie Sr., #147 Past Grand Master 3007 19th Place North Chicago, Illinois 60064 April 1, 2017 God is not unjust, he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. First, giving honor to God who is the Giver of all good things: to Aubrey K. Barlow Deputy Grand Master, Roland G. Simon Grand Senior Warden, Steven R. Coleman Grand Junior Warden, Past Grand Masters, All Elected and Appointed Grand Lodge Officers, Past Masters, Worshipful Masters, Wardens and Brethren. Fraternal Greetings, I would like to thank all who accompanied the Deputy Grand Master, Grand Senior Warden, the Worthy Grand Matron and me to the 45 th Annual Midwest Regional Conference of Grand Masters and Masons and the 30 th Annual Midwest Regional Conference of Grand Chapters and Eastern Stars. We had 70 plus members that accompanied us making Illinois one of the largest delegations in attendance. The overall theme of the conference was We ve Come This Far by Faith Leaning on the Lord. I was instrumental in ensuring that the topic of violence in our neighborhoods remains an agenda item for the conference and consequently I am heading a regional committee to address this issue. My focus will be regionally, as it is here in Illinois will be on youth development, community partnerships and community service. Our Peace in the Streets campaign is off to a great start. On Thursday, March 30 th we had our 1 st Town Hall meeting where we bought together community activist, police agencies, politicians and neighborhood organizations in an effort to form an action plan in order to stem the tide of violence which is occurring on the streets of our city. Really great ideas were exchanged. The task of the Committee on Community Involvement is now for us to formulate those ideas into a plan of action. For us to be able to affect positive change it will take the participation of every Lodge. I have asked, therefore, that all Junior Wardens serve on this committee so that all Lodges will be represented, just as I have asked all Senior Wardens to serve on the Committee on Charity. The month of April will bring about a second 5 th Sunday of the year. Please find the attached list of church locations and times and plan to join us in our worship initiative. As part of our community involvement and charity initiatives we will participate in Real Men Cook on Father s Day. Any Brother who wishes to volunteer as a cook or serve on this committee please contact our Grand Junior Warden Brother Steve Coleman at 1 773 793 6184 or Worshipful Brother Antonio Terry at 1 630 885 3121. In the month of August, we will have our 1 st Annual 5K Walk, Run, Ride for the fight against prostate cancer. Participants and team members are needed, please contact Grand Senior Roland Simon at 1 708 262 1530 or Sister Michelle Stewart at 1 708 954 7087. The Statewide 2 nd Degree will take place April 8 th at the Grand East. Candidates should arrive by 8:00 am with cable tow, hoodwink and an apron.
Brothers, we are still trying to close the gap between the amount of funds generated by the Prince Hall Masonic Temple and the Money it takes for operating costs. To that end, I am asking: Support ll fundraisers held at the Grand East Participate in the Mega Raffle Bodies that meet at the Grand East host at least one (1) event at the Temple Finally, let us be mindful that if you are using a banquet hall for a repast after your meeting, it is a courtesy and available without a fee; however, you must clean up after its use, including, removal of garbage from the building. Failure to do so will result in a $50 cleanup fee. Take due notice and govern yourself accordingly. Yours in Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, Dwayne A. Smith Grand Master Dates to Remember: April 1 st Most Ancient Grand Matron s Special Effort, Double Tree, 5000 West 127 th Street, Alsip, IL, 7:00pm April 8 th, at the Grand East at 9:00am: Statewide Passing April 22 nd at the Oak Lawn Hilton, Mason of the Year, 6:00pm June 18 th at the Grand East: Real Men Cook Bingo every Thursday, Grand East, BINGO BINGO BINGO Attachments: Mega Raffle Let s Talk History Printing at the Grand East Charity Bingo Quote of the Month The best way to lose yourself is in the service to others. Mahatma Gandhi
April 2017-5 th Sunday Worship Initiative Locations 1 st District 2 nd District Friendship Baptist Church Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church 5200 W. Jackson Blvd. 570 N. Harrison Avenue Chicago, IL 60644 Kankakee, IL 60901 Rev. Dr. Reginald E. Bachus, Pastor Pastor Montel Crawford 11:00 am 10:00 am 3 rd District 4 th District Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church Refuge Temple Pentecostal Church of Christ 808 E. Bradley Avenue 5300 State Street Champaign, IL 61820 East St. Louis, IL 62203 Rev. Keith L. Thomas, Pastor Pastor Alveeda Williams 10:30 am 10:00 am
MOST WORSHIPFUL PRINCE HALL GRAND LODGE FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS ~ STATE OF ILLINOIS 809 East 42 nd Place (Prince Hall Way) ~ Chicago, IL 60653-2900 773-373-2725 ~ www.mwphglil.com ~ FAX 773-624-6031 Office of the Grand Treasurer To: Most Worshipful Brother Dwayne A. Smith, Grand Master; Aubrey K. Barlow, Deputy Grand Master; Elected and Appointed Grand Lodge Officers; Worshipful Masters, Past Masters, Wardens and Brethren April 1, 2017 Greetings, It is my sincerest hope that this communication finds everyone in the very best of health & spirits. Several have asked about the budget presentation that was presented at the 2017 Mid Year Meeting. The presentation as well as the sample worksheet may now be downloaded from the Grand Lodge website located at www.mwphglil.com. USERNAME: Lsec PASSWORD: mason809 Special congratulations to the newly elected and appointed National Officers of the Phylaxis Society from Illinois. The Phylaxis Society was selected as the premier historical society by the Conference of Grand Masters in 2015. Illinois Officers include Charles Stewart (Trustee), Tyrone Jackson (Trustee), Glenn Pickett (Director of the Scottish Rite Research Institute) and Daryl Andrews (Director of the Commission on Bogus Masonry). Please visit www.thephylaxissociety.com for more information. Touch base with any of the aforementioned directors if you are interested in joining. As the 2017-2018 Masonic Year begins on July 1, 2017, it is critical that ALL Grand Lodges Committees submit their budgets for the upcoming Masonic year to this office by April 30, 2017. We need to know the projected expenses and income for each Grand Lodge Committee. Please be advised that non-compliance to this request may either result in your committee s budget being determined by the financial officers or your committee not being funded for the 2017-2018 Masonic Year. Please forward this information to GT@mwphglil.com. You may also mail a copy to the Office of the Grand Treasurer courtesy of the Grand East. In closing, as the Chief Financial Officer of Illinois Prince Hall Masons, the financial stability of our Grand Lodge is of the utmost importance to this office. Your cooperation and timely submissions of finances towards your Grand Lodge obligations will help to ensure that we move forward with great strength and security. Please continue to support the affairs of the Grand Lodge and feel free to offer new suggestions to this office. Feel free to forward any and all correspondence to GT@mwphglil.com. Fraternally, Daryl L. Andrews, 33 o Grand Treasurer
MOST WORSHIPFUL PRINCE HALL GRAND LODGE FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS ~ STATE OF ILLINOIS 809 East 42 nd Place (Prince Hall Way) ~ Chicago, IL 60653-2900 773-373-2725 ~ www.mwphglil.com ~ FAX 773-624-6031 Office of the Grand Secretary To: Most Worshipful Brother Dwayne A. Smith, Grand Master; Aubrey K. Barlow, Deputy Grand Master; Elected and Appointed Grand Lodge Officers; Worshipful Masters, Past Masters, Wardens and Brethren April 1, 2017 Greetings, It is my sincerest hope that this communication finds everyone in the very best of health & spirits. Thank You to all who attended the workshops at Mid-Year session last weekend. I hope that the information that was presented to you was very informative and you left learning something new. Urgent: All Lodge Secretaries, I need your Lodge EIN Number right away. Email it to Grandsecretary809@yahoo.com. If there are any questions, you may call me. This Month 3 rd Quarters taxes are due after your Lodge meeting. As I stated in the Secretary workshop at Mid-Year the Grand Lodge need all Lodges to pay their taxes on time for the Grand Lodge to operate. The MWPHGL Mega Raffle has begun. Each Lodge has received 50 raffle tickets to sell. Each raffle ticket cost $10.00 and the drawing will be August 1, 2017 at our Unification Banquet. If you need tickets you may contact Worshipful Brother Robert Q. Gary, Sr. (Chairman) (773) 491-7919 or any of the Grand Trustees also. The Mason of the Year Banquet Honoring Worshipful Brother Anthony L. Atwood of Charity Lodge # 108 will be held on April 22, 2017 @ the Hilton Chicago/ Oak Lawn Hotel 9333 S. Cicero Ave., Oak Lawn, IL. Time 6:00pm Midnight. Ticket Donations are $55.00 each. Full page Ads are $50.00 and half page ads are $40.00. For tickets you may contact PM Kerry Fitch @ (312) 527-9605. For Ads you may contact PM Bruce Owens @ (312) 218-3079. The month of April have (5) Sundays this month. Listing of (5 th ) Sunday Church services are listed in this month Communication. Look to see where Church services are to be held in your District. I have been told by several members that they have not been receiving their Masonic Journals in the mail. Lodge secretaries make sure that the Masonic Journal Editor Daryl Andrews has a current mailing roster of your Lodge members. You may email it to him @ gt@mwphglil.com. Lodge Secretaries, if you need a Past Master s certificate for your Lodge Jr. Past Master, email his name and year served to my email address (Grandsecretary809@yahoo.com) Dates to Remember: April 1 st - Deputies Meeting (Masonic Temple) 9:00am April 3 rd MWPHGL Law Class (Masonic Temple) 7:30 pm April 10 th MWPHGL Ritualistic Class (Masonic Temple) 7:30 pm April 20 th MWPGHL Leadership Class (Masonic Temple) 7:30 pm April 22 nd Mason of the Year Banquet Honoring WB Anthony L. Atwood Oak Lawn Hilton, Oak lawn, IL. April 24 th MWPHGL Officers Training Class (Masonic Temple) 7:00 pm If you will like to have your Grand Lodge communication emailed to you, please send your email address to my email at Grandsecretary809@yahoo.com Happy Birthday or Anniversary to those who will be celebrating them during the month of April. Please feel free to contact me by either telephone at (773) 373-2725 (office), (773) 616-1314 (cell), or by email at Grandsecretary809@yahoo.com. In addition, you may also contact your District s Assistant Grand Secretary for any assistance.
1 st District Assistant Grand Secretary Past Master Woodrow Luckett, #94 (708) 280-8157 2 nd District Assistant Grand Secretary Past Master Antonio Terry # 15 (630) 885-3121 3 rd District Assistant Grand Secretary Past Master Kenneth L. Page, #3 (217) 816-9275 4 th District Assistant Grand Secretary Past Master James Cotton, #142 (618) 235-4825 Fraternally, Michael D. Ramey, Sr. Grand Secretary
April 2, 2017 W. Bro Timothy R. Davis Committee Chair The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Illinois "Charity In Action" Committee To the MWGM Bro. Dwayne A. Smith, All Elected & Appointed Grand Lodge Officers, Worshipful Brothers, and Worthy Brethren. I hope this God-given day found you and your family in the best of health and in good spirits. As you might be aware this Committee is either conducting or assisting in multiple charitable efforts across the Jurisdiction. Before we get started, it should be noted that without the open and kind hearts of my Brethren of this Grand Lodge and their various associations, NONE of this would be possible. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU THAT SUPPORTED OUR MARCH EFFORTS! April Charitable Events: W. Bro. David Dotson 1 st /2 nd Dist. Vice-Chair W. Bro. Marshall Coe Special Vice-Chair (Open) 3 rd Dist. Vice-Chair W. Bro. Fanoy 4 th Dist. Vice-Chair RW. Bro. Michael Ramey Secretary W. Bro. Darrin White Treasurer W. Bro Ronnie Williams Member Bro. Shannon Callahan Member Various WMs, Brothers, & Sisters Ad-Hoc Members PWGM Sandra D. Smith Advisor W. Bro. Dwain Harris Advisor Committee Easter Food Drive: Brother Timothy R. Davis & Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Illinois Charity in Action Committee, in association with the MWPHGLIL Benevolence Committee (a 50lc3 NFPE) Dear Brother Davis: We will be holding an Easter Food Drive to benefit the food pantry of St. Pascal s church. We are soliciting assistance from our supporters. Any donation that you contribute will be gratefully appreciated. This donation period will end 4/8/17. Thank you in advance for your consideration. ~Claudette Sesterhenn Chairperson Donations for Easter Charities that are UNFUNDED: Pleasant Grove Baptist & Mother Price Shelter We feed & assist the Homeless every Month. They are asking for help with the purchase of the following items: Bacon, Eggs, Biscuits, Orange Juice, Grits, Sausages, Fruit, Oatmeal, Pastries, Pancakes, & Doughnuts Toothbrushes, Lotion, Towels, Tissue, Feminine Products, Baby Wipes, Body Wash, Toothpaste, Deodorant, & Hand Sanitizer Items For Easter Food Baskets For Families In The Neighborhood Canned Goods, Potatoes, Onions, Oodles Of Noodles, Cereal, Pancake Mix, Spaghetti, Fruit, & Vegetables Please let the Committee know if you will be available to attend or make a charitable food donation. Refugee Mission Support SAMS - a 501(c)3 nonpolitical, nonreligious, medical and humanitarian nonprofit organization that has been in existence since 1998. SAMS represents over 1,600 physicians & health care professionals in the United States. There are 25 active chapters all over the US with the Midwest being the first active chapter. SAMS has built field hospitals to treat the injured & runs many other important medical relief projects including our child vaccination program, dialysis project, medical trainings, psychosocial programs, dental and primary care clinics and mobile trauma facilities that support victims. They have asked us to support their current efforts in the Middle East & Northern Africa with the coordination of medical supplies that have been donated from various medical facilities. This costs the Prince Hall Family NOTHING but Time to support! Please contact me directly if you wish to aid us in this endeavor. Fraternally submitted and in your Service, W. Bro. Timothy R. Davis Chairman & Your 2016-2017 Charity Committee ~The Good Men of Illinois Prince Hall Masonry Leading by Serving those Most in Need~