Master's Letter September 2024

Brothers,

Can you believe that Summer has come and gone so fast?!?!?! I hope you all had a wonderful time and enjoyed your break.

It is time to get back to work and back to lodge. September is known for a few things like back to school, National Sign up for a Library Card Month, and of course the beginning of my favorite season…Football.

Let’s try to take away a few things from what this month is known for. First is back to school, The students returning to their classes whether it’s their first day of Pre-K or they are starting a new semester of their PhD they are starting or renewing a routine and ritual. Likewise we are renewing our routine and ritual of coming to lodge and performing degrees to start new brothers on their Masonic Journey. This is a time to reflect on what we have learned in the past and check our goals for the year. This is also the time to start planning our goals for the future and settings the Lodge and ourselves up to do great things. It’s a chance to educate ourselves and learn from each other. It doesn’t matter if you are a new Mason or if you have been a Mason for 50 years, we always can learn something new or see something different in the ritual when we come to meetings and talk to each other.

National Sign Up for a Library Card Month is a great reminder to not only read about Masonic history but also read Anti-Masonic history because we should learn both sides or aspects in order to become our best self. The library is also a quiet place and we should take that as a place of introspection and meditation. Look within to guide your future and reflect on decisions and actions from the past. I highly recommend that you take the time to sign up or renew your library card from your local library because they have so much to offer other than books.

Last but certainly not least, we have the start of football season, We as a lodge are a team and we should practice our virtues and work together to overcome obstacles. More importantly we should work together to improve each other and the community around us. I feel so lucky to be apart of this lodge because it is comprised of the greatest Masons that I have ever known and we work together better than any fantasy football team I have ever drafted. Thank you all for your support not only of the lodge but of all the brothers and widows, it is truly inspiring.

I am so excited to be back at lodge with all of you and cannot wait to see you all for our first regular back on Wednesday, September 4th. Remember, these next few meeting are some of the most important of the year as they determine our plan for the future between NPDs, Budget, and Elections.

Calendar:

August 28th – Master’s Table at

September 4th – Business Meeting (Dinner at 6, Gavel at 7)

September 12th-15th – Walls of Honor in Hamburg

September 18th – Special (EA) (Dinner at 6, Gavel at 7)

September 25th – Master’s Table TBD

October 2nd – Business Meeting (Dinner at 6, Gavel at 7)

Fraternally,

Dakota Legge

Worshipful Master

Ann Arbor-Fraternity #262

Master's Letter June 2024

Brothers,

Can you believe it is already June! It is crazy how time flies and the year is almost half over.

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday the 5th - Regular Communication (Guest Speaker Joanna from the Moving Wall at dinner)

Friday the 14th - Flag Day

Wednesday the 19th - Juneteenth and Special

Saturday the 22nd - St. Johns Table Lodge (get your tickets now)

Wednesday the 26th - Master's Table

First, I would like to thank all of you for all the support I have received so far this year. It takes all of us to make this lodge run and I sure think it is a well oiled machine. 

When I think of June, I always think of June Bugs. One day they are here and then shortly after they have gone. I find this phenomenon happens in Masonry as well. What can we do to retain members? What can we do to help welcome them back? What would those members like to see done before they come back? It takes all of us to reach out and to those of you who made some of the brother to brother calls recently, I thank you. Think about the things that make you happy or excited to be at lodge and how we can expand on them and continue to improve.

I hope you all have a lot of wonderful plans for this summer and I hope to see you all real soon.

Fraternally,

Dakota Legge

Worshipful Master

Ann Arbor Fraternity #262

Master's Letter May 2024

Brothers,

I want to start by saying I am sorry for not getting this to you earlier. Between family life and work trips, I haven't felt like I have had enough time for reflections and the ability to write this properly.

That being said, May is the Month of Better Sleep and Mental Health Awareness. I want to remind you all to not only look out for each other but I also want to make sure we all take time to help ourselves and just check in with ourselves. In the wise words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it."

This is also a reminder of MWB Dick Sand's Memorial on Saturday May 4th.

Also, If you have any thoughts on the amendments for the Grand Lodge Session feel free to reach out to me via email to voice your opinion.

Calendar Highlights:

May 1st Regular

May 13th-14th Grand Lodge Session
May 15th Practice or Lodge of Instruction
May 22nd Master’s Table

May 23rd Your Worshipful Master's Birthday...The BIG 3-0!
May 29th Extra Meeting (TBD final agenda at May Regular) Please send suggestions to Donald Wilson. Only suggestion so far is a smoker cook-off brotherhood event.
June 5th Regular

See you all in a few days,

Dakota Legge

Worshipful Master

Ann Arbor-Fraternity #262

Lodge Charity in Action

On Wednesday April 3rd our Worshipful Master and Past Masters presented Peace Neighborhood Center in Ann Arbor with a check for $1,200.00 also pictured is Executive Director Bonnie Billup

Peace Neighborhood Center has piloted and maintained programs for children, families, and individuals to promote self-sufficiency and positive community involvement. We are proud to report that since 1971, we have provided critical services and opportunities to more than 18,000 people in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County. Through a wide range of comprehensive programs, Peace helps people discover options, enhance skills, and make choices that promote education, health, well-being, and fiscal independence.

Our services include: advocacy, emergency assistance, after-school programs, summer day camps, college and career preparation, individual and family counseling, and family enrichment.

They are an important part of the Ann Arbor Community and it was our joy to offer assistance

Master's Letter April 2024

Wednesday Mar 27th Master's Table at Metzger's 7pm

Wednesday Apr 3rd Regular Communication

Monday Apr 8th Solar Eclipse
Wednesday Apr 17th FC Practice
Saturday Apr 20th FC Degree at Detroit Masonic Temple
Sunday Apr 21st - Tuesday Apr 23rd MWPHGL in Kalamazoo
Wednesday Apr 24th Master’s Table at Grizzly Peak 7pm

Happy Almost April Brothers!

This Year is flying by and we have much to do!

I hope you all take time this month to go outside and make the world a better place. You can meet new people, help someone out, or simply plant a seed. There is always something we can do to try and improve and with Earth Day and Arbor Day both being in April, we should seize the opportunity to improve the world around us. We have our yearly trip down to the Detroit Masonic Temple for a Fellowcraft degree on April 20th. I am always excited to switch things up so that we don't get stuck in the same old routine. This master's Letter is shorter than usual but I want to make sure to remind you all to be nice to people and help out the planet because you could be the reason someone has a good day today. I appreciate all of you and hope to see you this month.

Fraternally,

Dakota Legge

Worshipful Master

Ann Arbor-Fraternity #262

Master's Letter March 2024

March is upon us! It is crazy how fast this year has flown by.

Calendar Highlights:

2/28 – Master’s Table at Blue Tractor

3/1 – Check Presentation at Hope Clinic 4pm. (518 Harriet St Ypsilanti, MI 48197)

3/6 – Regular Communication

3/16 – Past Master’s Roast (Buy your tickets here)

3/20 – Special Communication

3/27 – Master’s Table (TBD)

March is a very interesting month. March is war. March is a new beginning. March is luck. March is named after the Roman god of war, Mars, but I like to think of March as a fresh start. March is the month we associate with the beginning of spring. As this is a new beginning in nature, we should also look inside to see if we need a fresh start. Whether that’s a new routine, a new hobby, or a new book, we should use this opportunity to improve ourselves and shake off any of those New Year’s resolutions that we already forgot about.

March is also associated with luck. We will definitely need luck to make it through Daylight Savings time (March 10) or maybe your favorite team needs that luck for their run during March Madness. I feel the need to make some profound statement or quote about luck here… “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Panda Express Fortune Cookie.

I hope to see you all at our events this month!

Dakota Legge

Worshipful Master

Ann Abor Masons Raise over $700 for charity.

On Saturday February 10th Ann Arbor Fraternity Lodge had a booth at the Shrine Sportsman Raffle in Novi.  Worshipful Master Dakota Legge, Senior Warden Zevi Bareket, and Past Master Eric Bettner used the booth to run a raffle for the lodge’s charity efforts.  With raffle tickets and a brand-new chainsaw in hand we raised just over $700 for Hope Clinic in Ypsilanti.  Hope Clinic not only functions as a food bank, but also provides dental, physical, and mental services for people in Washtenaw County and beyond. 

Master's Letter February 2024

Brothers!

Calendar:

Jan 31st Burns Festive Board - Zal Gaz Grotto 

Feb 2nd Groundhog Day - Fingers Crossed!!! 

Feb 7th Regular Communication - Zal Gaz Grotto

Feb 10th Shrine Sportsman's Raffle - Novi Suburban Showplace (Come visit our table)

Feb 14th Valentine's Day - You've been warned!!!

Feb 21st Special Communication (EA Degree) - Zal Gaz Grotto 

Feb 28th Master's Table - Location TBD

Happy February and month of Love and Time.

February is the month of love thanks to Valentine's Day being right in the middle of the month. How you define love is up to you but whatever it is you love be sure to love unconditionally. Masonry teaches about Brotherly Love but what does it truly mean? To me, brotherly love means not only the love for my brothers but the love for humanity and compassion towards one another.

February is also the month of Time as it is the shortest month of the entire year and as you can see in the calendar it is a very busy month for us. Make sure to use the tools given to you by masonry to take control of time and use it wisely and to your advantage. Time is defined as the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole. Remember to divide your time and make use of it for those purposes you set because we only have a finite amount of time.

February is an exciting month for us and I hope to see you all at our events outside of regular meetings because the gatherings and fun we have is what makes us a fraternity, not just the business meetings about bills, communications, and By-Laws.

Fraternally,

Dakota Legge

Worshipful Master

Most Worshipful Brother Richard H. “Dick” Sands

Brothers,

It is with heavy heart that I report to you that Ann Arbor Fraternity Lodge #262’s  Most Worshipful Brother Richard H. “Dick” Sands died Monday evening at age 94.

Dick was truly a remarkable man and one of the greatest Masonic scholars any of us will ever know.  

Dick was initiated, passed and raised in Golden Rule Lodge in 1964, where he went on to become the Master of the Lodge.  He was installed as Grand Master of Masons in the State of Michigan on 1/1/1985. He was an honorary member to many lodges and received numerous awards but his greatest contribution to Michigan Masonry was writing Beyond The Northeast Corner  .

By trade Dick was a physics professor and was a Professor Emeritus from the University of Michigan where he had been the chairman of the Physics Department for many years.  Though Dick had been nominated for the Nobel Prize during his career, he was just “Dick” around the Lodge and at the Grotto where he enjoyed golfing, trap shooting and camaraderie—especially at Tom n’ Jerry parties.

Dick is survived by his wife Mary Sands, his sons our Masonic Brothers Bob Sands and Tom Sands and his two daughters Christine Sands and Karen Tinucci as well as numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. Dick was predeceased by his wife Emma, who was the (national) Supreme Mighty Chosen One of the Daughters of the Mokanna.  

The family will be requesting a Masonic funeral sometime in the spring of 2024.

Thank you WB Rich Kinsey for putting together this wonderful passage about MWB Dick Sands.

Sincerely,

Dakota Legge

Worshipful Master

Ann Arbor Fraternity #262 

Master's Letter January 2024

Happy New Year Brothers!

Calendar:

December 31st New Year's Eve

January 1st Tom & Jerry party

January 3rd Regular Communication

January 17th EA Degree practice

January 31st Burns Dinner

As the new year is upon us it's a time for reflection as well as planning. We can reflect on the past year and all the good times we had as well as what we accomplished as a lodge together. As we plan our goals for the new Year we need to not only remember where we came from but where we want to go. I encourage everyone to think about what they want to see out of the lodge this upcoming year and how each of us can help achieve our goals.

According to the Chinese Horoscope 2024, the dragon represents authority, prosperity, and good fortune. The Wood Dragon year 2024, when combined with the nourishing Wood element, will bring evolution, improvement, and abundance; it is the perfect time for rejuvenated beginnings and setting the foundation for long-term success.

Let's start the year off strong with setting the foundation (bylaw updates) so that we can focus on our long-term success or goals(more brotherhood events).

Finally, I want to thank all of you for an amazing 2023.

Fraternally,

Dakota Legge

Worshipful Master