Shrine Past Masters at Scottish Rite Park

Last Friday night (February 29th) the Shrine Past Masters' degree team had a really special event at the Scottish Rite Park in Des Moines.

After a delicious chili dinner in the dining room, we adjourned to the penthouse to raise Bro. Daryl Dursham to the sublime degree of a Master Mason. Bro. Daryl currently works at Scottish Rite Park and actually works there. He is probably there youngest resident (I would guess in late 20s).

Daryl petitioned Operative Lodge #308 in Polk City and took his first two degrees at the lodge in Polk City. Since he works at Scottish Rite Park, the brethren of the lodge asked for a dispensation to move their charter down to S.R. Park for his third degree. The brothers thought that many of the residents who are Masons would enjoy coming to the degree. I'm sure several of these brothers have not been to lodge in a long time due to age and health reasons. We had one brother who was there who was 101 years young! It was a great turnout. I think we had about 20 Shrine Past Masters members there and overall a crowd of around 70.

M.W. Bro. Donald E. Mosier, Grand Master and R.W. Larry Shears, Jr. Grand Warden came so that made the evening even more special. M.W. Bro. Dean Johson, PGM conferred the first section and Bro. Mike Aves conferred the second section.

The lodge room was set up in the "penthouse". The view of the Des Moines skyline at night time was so beautiful. Actualy our floor in the "lodge" room was the shuffleboard court and someone had brought down a cedar chest to use for our alter.

Operative Lodge has several bagpipers in their lodge and we were even treated with bagpipe music.

The older guys really loved it. They were telling several of us afterwards, that this should be an annual event.

Bro. Mike Aves told me an interesting story last night at Bro. Davis' reception. He said he went down to Scottish Rite Park on Saturday morning to pick up the paraphenalia that he had brought down from Polk City. He was talking to our newly raised brother. Daryl told him that one of the residents (who is a 50 year + Mason) came down early on Saturday morning and gave Daryl a gift, a Masonic ring that this brother had been wearing for many, many years. Brotherly love and friendship in action! It was a great event, I'll remember it for a long time.