Iowa's Grand Master 4/9/08

Don Mosier is our Grand Master and I am going to pay tribute to him. I am not "sucking up to him" I just really admire this man and what he is doing for Freemasonry in Iowa.

Don is not alone in what he is trying to do this year. In fact he would be the first to tell you that the Grand Master's who have gone before him contributed to his programs and ideas and the Grand Master's who will follow him will also have a similar philosophy about the direction we are taking here in Iowa. But, Don is leading us and he is leading us well.

If you want to get to know Don you can go to his Web Site and read his bio.You can also read about him on the Grand Lodge Web Site here.

What I want to pay tribute to is his willingness to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how he, as Grand Master, and his officers can be of service to the Lodges of Iowa. He does not just go around making the same old after dinner speech. Don has established a program unique to Iowa. ThroughNew Master Mason Forums he is meeting with members of the craft who have not been in Masonry for more than three years and asking them the questions which may be found here.

( Members are asked to go to the page linked above and fill out answers to the questions being asked of new members. You do not have to be a new member to do this.)

The reason for these forums was the number of suspensions for Non-payment of dues which Iowa had last November. Don decided to find out why so he and Jack Butler (Next year's Grand Master and the one I should be sucking up to) and the Grand Secretary have been meeting with these Masons. Because of those meetings Don has scheduled 19 Iowa Masonic Membership Retention Forums which will be held in April and May and has issued Summons for people to attend them.

He describes them in this way:

...we are having 19 meetings or forums across the state over the next two months to talk about this. The figures will be presented. Opinions will be asked for. Discussions will be held. And we will talk about HOW TO MENTOR NEW MASONS. The Master, Wardens, and Secretaries of each Iowa Lodge will receive a letter inviting them to these meetings. They will each be expected to attend one of them. They will also be asked to bring others from their lodges. All are welcome, Young, Old, New Mason, Seasoned Mason. Here are the dates for the meetings.

For a Grand Master to act this way is unusual. I have never seen it in all of my Masonic experience. Don has seen a problem and is acting immediately to address the problem and help correct it. I have liked and admired all of the Past Grand Masters of my Grand Lodge. They are the cream of the crop. Don is one of the best. His (and my) friend John Klaus and I discussed him and his programs via e-mail No one could have said it better than John who has given me permission to quote from his e-mail to me.

We were discussing Don's schedule and his ability to work at a full time job and still put in the schedule he does in the Grand Master's office.

I wrote:

I think he also is enjoying himself. I mean what other position can you have where you have to make trips that will keep you up until 2:30 in the morning and have the satisfaction of having helped save a Lodge. I am glad it is him in that position and I am also impressed with the things he is doing with the Grand Master's New Member Forums and the mentoring meetings. I put his dates on the All-Iowa Calendar and it is a killer schedule.

John wrote back:

Oh, ALL of that is exactly true! He is a man of almost stupefying intelligence, remarkable ideas, and nearly superhuman stamina. That became very clear when we traveled a lot during his year in the Grand South. Gosh, we talked about everything from heavy metal music to medieval philosophy--and a LOT about European and American literature. It tickles me to see him put some of the ideas that were very much on his mind in 2002-2003 into practice in 2007-2008. There's NO question he's enjoying himself.

Bear in mind, though, that he is, by at least a decade, the youngest Grand Master we've had in a long time…

Since I rarely go through a week without running into Don a time or two, I'm well aware of his schedule. In fact, it makes me tired even to think about it!

Not the least of his accomplishments is his serious involvement in regional and national Masonic affairs, and that has only reflected well on the Grand Lodge of Iowa.

So this tribute is to our Grand Grand Master. He may not know it, but I admire him for the example he is setting for all of us. He is not doing the things he is doing alone (as he would tell you) but, as I said, he is our leader and he is very worthy of the Excellence Award I now bestow upon him (Not only that he is reading War and Peace.) I would never have known him if not for my fraternity. That is enough for now. ARTYAL, Hugs, j

Now, Go fill out the questionnaire.