A Visit to a Wisconsin Lodge
This past week, a member of our Libertyville Lodge, Bro. Patrick Sand, visited a lodge located relatively close by – Manitowoc Lodge No. 65, F&AM. Here are his impressions.
The lodge is located north of Milwaukee on the coast of Lake Michigan in the town of Manitowoc. The town itself has a very interesting history, at one time having had a bustling maritime industry, including a Navy ship yard where many of the WWII U-2 subs were built. The town hosts a ferry which crosses the Lake to the town of Ludington, Michigan, and opened just this week!
Lodge No. 65 is 163 years old, and their current lodge building was built in 1923. The pictures below show the grandeur of the building – and how proud the brethren who support the facility are of their historic legacy.
Bro. Patrick enjoyed dinner and fellowship, followed by the stated meeting on May 16th. It was a joyful evening, and mutual invitations to future meetings were extended across the ‘state lines’. It was a great experience to enjoy a Wisconsin meeting and observe and discuss the differences between Illinois and Wisconsin Craft work…and well worth the 2.5hr drive to visit. Traveling is fun, liberating, and very enlightening to meet brethren in nearby states. If you have a chance – make sure to take an opportunity to travel to Wisconsin – there is a lot more there than just cheese!
