Geneva Masonic Lodge to mark 170 years with open house

As the Geneva Masonic Lodge No. 139 marked its 170th year this month, members will host an open house for the public after a Geneva Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon, Friday, Oct. 25, 10 S. Second St., Geneva.

Senior Warden Jacob McConnell of St. Charles said the organization has 109 members who come from Geneva, St. Charles, Batavia, Elburn, Sugar Grove, Aurora and surrounding towns.

The open house will feature artifacts, such as the Lodge’s original 1854 Bible, he said.

“Anybody can come up and see the lodge,” McConnell said. “If somebody is interested in becoming a Mason or has questions about it, the best book on the planet was written by a high ranking Freemason of the Scottish Rite, ‘Freemasonry for Dummies.’ It’s the best book in the world.”

The book’s author is Christopher L. Hodapp.

“When you become a Mason and you walk into a lodge, if I am a billionaire and the guy next to me can barely make ends meet – when you walk through our doors, you are literally equal,” McConnell said. “We are all equal men.”

A couple of other rules are that there is no street language, no politics or religion allowed to be discussed, he said.

Masonic fraternity is believed to have come from stonemasons’ guilds during the Middle Ages, with the first Grand Lodge formed in 1717 in England, according to the Geneva Masonic Lodge’s website, genevamasoniclodge.org.

While the fraternal organization is a men-only membership, women can join the Order of the Eastern Star, McConnell said.

The Lodge hosts a dinner once a month where wives of Masons are welcome, but also the public.

“Anybody can come to dinner with us,” McConnell said. “We put it on our social media, on Facebook. It’s not private.”

The Lodge raises money for various charitable causes, recently donating $2,000 to St. Charles District 303 and planning a similar donation to Geneva District 202, McConnell said.

The Grand Master of The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Illinois and some of the Grand Officers are expected to attend the ceremonial ribbon cutting.