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Episode 32. ACT II: New and Improved · Minnesota Masonic Histories and Mysteries

• 0:36
  Welcome to the new and improved Minnesota Masonic Histories and Mysteries.
• 0:41
  I am John Schweitz.
• 0:42
  I'm the CEO of Minnesota Masonic Charities.
• 0:45
  And your new and improved co host with us here today is Hi, my name is Reid Endersby.
• 0:52
  I'm the Director of Membership Engagement for the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
• 0:56
  You're setting me up pretty big time for this improved part, my friend.
• 0:59
  Well, you, you are big time.
• 1:01
  Uh, we have had this podcast for a number of years.
• 1:05
  Admittedly, it hasn't had a great rhythm to it, but, uh, we are committed to providing Much more regular information about the work of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota and Minnesota Masonic Charities and the work that we do together and how we support each other.
• 1:21
  And this is going to be a place where we share some of that information.
• 1:26
  Looking forward to it.
• 1:27
  Absolutely.
• 1:28
  So here's where we start.
• 1:30
  One of the things that Minnesota Masonic Charities and the Grand Lodge of Minnesota have done effectively together over the last year or so has been promoting some of our events.
• 1:42
  And just want to let you know that we have a gala coming up.
• 1:47
  The gala will serve, uh, sort of as a victory celebration for our year of fundraising and the gala this year is?
• 1:55
  Saturday, September 28th at the heritage center.
• 1:59
  Dan Patch, the usual, the usual place.
• 2:01
  How should I dress for that event, Reed?
• 2:03
  Because you are kind of a closed horse.
• 2:07
  Hor, hor, okay.
• 2:08
  Well, when I said horse, yes, I would suggest for that being, it's a gala.
• 2:13
  Wear a business formal, wear a nice suit.
• 2:16
  Can I wear a tux?
• 2:17
  You can wear a tux.
• 2:18
  If you'd like.
• 2:19
  I don't get to wear my tux very often.
• 2:21
  For anyone who feels deprived of the opportunity to wear a tuxedo, that would be a tremendous opportunity to do so.
• 2:27
  But I would say, for sure, the preferred attire would be, A suit, a tie for the ladies, some, now this is quite a bit more.
• 2:38
  So not a big sequined dress like you might find at an Eastern Star event?
• 2:42
  Well, I've seen all across the spectrum.
• 2:44
  Some will do the cocktail dress, the sequins, and that's fine.
• 2:48
  Or even for our ladies, a business formal would be fine.
• 2:53
  Suggested and whatever that whatever however that resonates with with each attendee if you are interested in coming to the Gala, we will be having a sign up spot on our website here within this week But in addition to that if you have any questions, reach out to me at John dot Schwetz, S-C-H-W-I-E-T z@mnmasonic.org and re can be reached at 9 5 2 9 4 8 6 7 0 8.
• 3:23
  That's my direct line.
• 3:25
  9 5 2 9 4 8 6 7 0 8.
• 3:29
  We also have an event coming up in Duluth.
• 3:31
  If, uh, any of you are in the northern part of the state, or if you'd like to, Spend a little, uh, late summer time up in Duluth.
• 3:38
  Get away from the heat of the big city or the southern Minnesota heat.
• 3:42
  we have a dinner that benefits the Minnesota Masonic Clinic for Childhood Communication Disorders.
• 3:49
  We know it as the double M, triple C, D around here, but We have an annual dinner up there.
• 3:56
  That is going to be at the Grey Salon Ballroom, which is right on the main drag there in Duluth.
• 4:02
  A beautiful venue.
• 4:03
  we're hoping to have some, uh, some Masons there as well.
• 4:06
  on Thursday, August 15th.
• 4:09
  What a great venue, by the way.
• 4:10
  It's a beautiful venue.
• 4:11
  Oh, wow.
• 4:12
  It should be, it should be a lot of fun.
• 4:14
  But the main reason for this new and improved first podcast is to, uh, to ask for your help.
• 4:20
  You, you the listener.
• 4:21
  You the listener, not you the read.
• 4:23
  Thank you.
• 4:24
  Um, we are looking for topics to discuss on this podcast.
• 4:28
  We're looking for.
• 4:30
  Guests to interview on this podcast.
• 4:32
  We have a couple of very interesting guests coming up.
• 4:34
  You want to speak to who some of those are and when they can expect to hear from them?
• 4:38
  Most definitely.
• 4:38
  Uh, we are looking forward to hosting and interviewing Dr.
• 4:42
  Douglas Yee.
• 4:43
  He is the director at the Minnesota Masonic.
• 4:46
  Cancer Center, and he has had quite the storied career and impact on, uh, bringing together the medical side, research, and finding a cure for cancer with our efforts in fundraising and making a difference, not only in Minnesota, but in the world, to be quite honest.
• 5:06
  Excited to interview him and hear more about his career and he's going to also speak to the, uh, the importance of Masonic philanthropy as it relates to how they have been able to successfully receive grants from the National Institute of Health.
• 5:22
  Um, I have been told that, uh, they have been able to leverage our, many gifts over the years.
• 5:27
  For example, our most recent pledge of 65 million I have been told is, uh, is worth.
• 5:34
  12 to 13 times that, because The NIH grants take a real, strong look at what type of, private funding these schools and these, cancer centers are securing because if, they're getting philanthropy support, philanthropic support, it really, uh, tells them that they have made a meaningful impact in the community.
• 5:55
  So that's fun when you think about the multiplier effect of the gifting that we've done.
• 6:00
  Yes, that will be fantastic to, to chat with him in greater detail.
• 6:04
  Another guest we have on the schedule for a couple weeks ahead.
• 6:09
  Is, uh, Paul Hoddenfeld.
• 6:11
  Hoddenfield.
• 6:12
  Hoddenfield, thank you.
• 6:13
  Poor guy, his name is pronounced four different ways.
• 6:15
  I had lunch with him the other day and he said no one ever gets it right.
• 6:19
  So, we might as well be part of the group that never gets it right.
• 6:22
  There you go.
• 6:23
  And, uh, Paul is, Paul has quite a story.
• 6:25
  He is a, he's an author.
• 6:28
  And, uh, he, in fact, if you haven't already checked out his book, we will talk about this in greater detail.
• 6:33
  He put together a book called Sherman's Woodticks, and it's the adventures, ordeals, and travels of the 8th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.
• 6:45
  Now, spoiler alert, there's a huge Masonic connection to this book and to the, the people that he chronicles throughout, but in a completely unbiased, I have spoken to a couple friends that are historians and, and big time into the Civil War, and they, they have raved about the, this book.
• 7:04
  that he put together, which is, is quite impressive.
• 7:07
  I've, I have it on my stack of books to read and I have not tackled it as of yet, but Paul is also, uh, believe, can you please tell us more about what he's also doing for us at Grand Lodge and Charities and the Heritage Center?
• 7:20
  Absolutely.
• 7:21
  We have a very generous donor who has offered to underwrite history, a book that is on the history of Minnesota Masonic Charity, not Minnesota Masonic Charities, but the Masonic charity dating back to the mid 1800s.
• 7:37
  the first grand master apparently referenced the importance of philanthropy in the community.
• 7:43
  And, uh, it's going to be very instructive.
• 7:45
  I think it's, it might actually play a role.
• 7:47
  Part of his, uh, Speech might be incorporated into the title of the book excellent.
• 7:53
  I learned that yesterday, but yes, we're looking forward to having Paul Come and tell us a little bit about his background Tell us about his his book about Sherman's wood ticks and then Also talk a little bit about Masonic Charity history, it'll be really nice to have when I know this is going to be a huge project but when that finally comes together to be able to have a reference source of That truly chronicles all of the philanthropic endeavors that we have.
• 8:23
  Because I hear frequently little anecdotes, little snippets of things that are truly mind blowing.
• 8:30
  When we initially, when the idea for the Minnesota Masonic Home came about, it was a grassroots, fundraising, letter writing effort that I believe it was around 1915 and around 500, 000 ended up being raised over the course of several years before the home was built in 1920.
• 8:51
  Well, 500, 000 in that era's money is multi multi millions in today's money.
• 8:59
  The effort and the commitment and just the focus that had to have been, minus all of the technology that we get to use today, Can't wait to read about all of that.
• 9:09
  Yeah, we're going to also be talking about our civility school.
• 9:14
  Some of you are aware of the fact that we launched this new program.
• 9:18
  We've actually had our very first session of civility school and we'll be giving you an update on that.
• 9:23
  We've got some bus tours that we're planning to, uh, to tour, not just the newly renovated home here in the heritage center, but some of the Masonic facilities on the University of Minnesota campus.
• 9:37
  We used to do the bus tours a few years ago.
• 9:39
  COVID wrecked it.
• 9:41
  COVID wrecked so many things.
• 9:43
  Please refresh my memory.
• 9:44
  So the.
• 9:45
  We'll take like a coach bus.
• 9:47
  Yeah, a nice coach bus.
• 9:48
  Nice bus.
• 9:49
  We're gonna start, for example, one of the, uh, the bus tours started in Moorhead, Minnesota.
• 9:54
  Started very early.
• 9:56
  And, uh, nice coach bus making a stop, I think, in Fergus Falls.
• 10:01
  Made a stop in Alexandria.
• 10:03
  Made a stop in St.
• 10:04
  Cloud to just pick up people there.
• 10:06
  came to the Masonic home.
• 10:08
  Took a tour of the home.
• 10:10
  had lunch at the Masonic Heritage Center.
• 10:13
  Then we went and visited either the Masonic Cancer Center, the Masonic Children's Hospital, and now we have the option of visiting the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain.
• 10:21
  And then we take you home.
• 10:23
  We feed you on the way down.
• 10:25
  We feed you a lunch.
• 10:27
  And we'll have some snacks and a comfy place for you to nap on the way home.
• 10:31
  So coffee for the early portion of the coffee for the early and then some sort of downers for the way home.
• 10:37
  Is that, can we talk about downers?
• 10:39
  Is that a thing still?
• 10:40
  Well, I think at some of our age, a downer could, that's, that could be a natural decaf coffee, all good.
• 10:46
  but yeah, we're, our plan is to, uh, to have some of those tours scheduled for this fall.
• 10:50
  Nice time of the year to take a tour like that.
• 10:53
  We're gonna introduce you to some of the programming that we're gonna take place at the Ives Auditorium here at the Masonic Heritage Center.
• 11:00
  We've got all kinds of fun things happening, and this is gonna be, hopefully, a great place for you to learn about those things.
• 11:06
  And another great opportunity for our brother Masons and non Masons, friends throughout the state.
• 11:12
  And we're excited.
• 11:13
  To visits and tour and experience the Masonic Cancer Center, the Masonic Children's Hospital, the Institute for the Developing Brain and in the Heritage Center, too.
• 11:23
  There's a number of brothers and sisters.
• 11:25
  Friends, guests who have not been out here before, and this is, I'm very excited about this, the chance to bring people together to experience all of these things, see our philanthropy in action, and our, the history of our buildings, and the incredible work being done at the Masonic Home, I could go on and on.
• 11:44
  Our goal for this podcast is to post one or two, episodes a week.
• 11:49
  At least one, sometimes two, depending on what's going on, maybe even more.
• 11:53
  we plan to keep them, you know, twenty five to thirty minutes.
• 11:56
  We don't want to overwhelm you, but it's a nice commute.
• 11:59
  A great opportunity for us to hear ourselves talk.
• 12:01
  We both love the sound of our own voice.
• 12:03
  We like that.
• 12:04
  Yeah.
• 12:04
  We like to talk, but it really, you know, in all sincerity, it's a great opportunity for us to, to tell you a little bit about the exciting things that are happening both at Grand Lodge and at Minnesota Masonic Charities.
• 12:15
  And you touched on it earlier.
• 12:16
  We would really like to hear from listeners of this podcast.
• 12:20
  What would you like to hear us discuss?
• 12:22
  Who would you like us to interview?
• 12:25
  As I think John and I've talked about offline, there are so many really good podcasts out there that are Masonic in nature.
• 12:32
  They talk about perhaps some more.
• 12:34
  philosophy, esoteric aspects of things, and those all serve a great purpose.
• 12:39
  I honestly don't believe that I would be capable of holding a flame to some of those, and as a result of that, we would like to focus, for now at least, on guests Who are, uh, within the community, within the Masonic, the philanthropic efforts, getting to know our members, getting to know our brothers, our neighbors.
• 13:01
  if there's a group of foundation out there that we should showcase or talk to, or learn more about, please send us your ideas and your suggestions.
• 13:11
  And we look forward to getting this roster filled for the coming weeks and months.
• 13:16
  All right.
• 13:17
  And with that, off we go.