A Visit to Operative Lodge - Polk City

Operative Lodge is held in Polk City, a small town just north of Des Moines. I have been to Lodge there several times and always enjoy myself. The Brothers are true exemplars of Freemasonry.
The first thing you do when you get there is to sign the Register. (If you don't, you won't get paid.) It was particularly important today as it was to be a Fellow Craft degree when the wages are paid. (of course they are paid symbolically but you never know. Better to sign in.)
Their Lodge room is just the right size. As I said I have been there many times and sometimes even for Eastern Star. In the early 1970's we used to travel a lot to go to Eastern Star meetings. So sometimes when I go to a place like Polk City I remember Mom and Doc and Rita and Mary and Ione and many of the others who used to travel with us. Mom really enjoyed Star and traveling all over to visit other Chapters and we were in this room many times. You can notice the signet in the picture below. It is the pentagon shaped piece on the left.
There were two Fellow Craft or 2nd degrees this morning and they started at 9:00 AM. It is funny that in the introduction time (Operative Lodge has everyone introduce themselves to the new Brothers after the degree. Just an around the room thing but it is nice to do.) several of the Brothers referred to "this evening." We are so used to doing our degree work in the evening that they must have thought it was evening. No big thing but just was interesting to me.

After the degree we remove our Aprons and they are stored until the next meeting.

This is Grant on the left - His mother is a Past Grand Matron of Eastern Star and I have known him for or 6 years. (He got his Third Degree in another Lodge on March 2. I went to his 2nd degree but had a conflict with the third) - One of the Brothers receiving his degree this morning was Mike who blogs at Iowa Freemasonry and I met him through his Blog and invited him to one of our Specialis Procer Festive Boards. He teaches High School Social Studies and Debate and Grant is one of his students. Grant will Graduate in May. Now they are Brothers. On the Level.
Of course after the meeting there was food. A delicious Beef stew prepared by the Master of the Lodge. There were three members of Specialis Procer at the meeting today. Our Master was planning on coming but then came down with either the flu or a really bad cold. I missed him.

This is their Lodge Building. One of the nicest around.
And as I said they have a great group of guys.

I thought you might enjoy seeing some of our flooded fields here which I drove through on the way to and from the meeting. It has been a great morning and now it is probably nap time. Have a great rest of the day today. Thanks for stopping by. Hugs j

This last is the South Skunk River just south of Ames. Stay dry.