By By ERIN VER BERKMOES / Dowagiac Daily News
It's an accomplishment to be able to celebrate the 150th anniversary of any organization. Members of the Dowagiac Masonic Peninsular Lodge No. 10, as well as Grand Lodge Officers from the state of Michigan celebrated the lodge's sesquicentennial, with a rededication of the building. on Saturday.
Throughout it's 150 years in Dowagiac the lodge, which began on Jan. 11, 1855. has continued to meet in the same downtown Dowagiac building.
Freemasonry began its transition from a craft guild of stonemasons into a fraternal organization in the late 1600s and very early 1700s. Since that time it has established itself in countries around the world.
Masonry arrived in America with the colonists and military lodges of the British Army and spread with the migration of the population and settlement of the country.
Many important individuals of this country have been members of the fraternity.
In the 1960s membership at the lodge began to decline from its previous high of 350 members. The trend of declining membership was felt at lodges across the state and had an impact on the vitality of the lodge, Bendix said.
Although the activity in the lodge was reduced in the 1980s and 1990s positive actions were still apparent, Tom Parker, current Worshipful Master of Peninsular Lodge No. 10, said.
Most Worshipful Grand Master Richard Ruhland of the Michigan Grand Lodge, led the ceremony and began with the inspection of the building using the three elements of masonry.
The three elements of masonry are the square, level and the plumb and are used to ensure the craftsman have performed their duties.
Ruhland then preformed a traditional masonic ceremony using three elements of corn, which represents the lodges nourishment; wine which represents refreshment and oil which represents the joy which comes with the completion of any important task.
I dedicate all the rooms, halls, corridors and apartments in this building to free masonry, Ruhland said.
Congratulations on your 150th anniversary and through all that time you have bee here and done great work in our community and we hope you continue.”