Illinois Freemasonry

Another piece of the picture.

Every element on this year's Annual Communication commemorative coin tells part of the story — Illinois, America, and the Craft that has connected them for generations.

Stay tuned. We'll keep revealing more of the coin as we get closer to it's release.

Important Deadline for Annual Grand Lodge Session

Brethren,

If you have not yet reserved meal tickets for you and your lady at this year's Grand Lodge Annual Communication, then time is of the essence!

The last day to order tickets is this upcoming Wednesday, September 30th!!

Meal tickets available include:

Friday Men's Luncheon & Friday Ladies' Luncheon and Program

Friday Grand Banquet and Awards Night

Saturday Ladies' Complimentary Breakfast (Ticket Required for Entry)

Use the Access Code GLAC-26 at the link below to reserve your tickets before it's too late!

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/grandlodgeofillinois/2294485

All meal ticket orders sent by postal mail must arrive at the Grand Lodge Office no later than the close of business on Wednesday, September 30th.

On-site Delegate and Officer Registration for the Grand Lodge Annual Session starts in just two short weeks on Thursday, October 8th, at 1:00 pm on the 1st floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Convention Center. Have your credential card and dues card with you on Thursday afternoon so you can skip the line Friday morning!

We look forward to seeing you at the 187th Grand Lodge of Illinois Annual Communication, Friday, October 9th, and Saturday, October 10th!

Get My Tickets – Grand Lodge Annual Communication 2026 – Crowne Plaza Hotel and Convention Center Grand Lodge Annual Communication 2026 – Crowne Plaza Hotel and Convention Center, Fri Oct 9, 2026 - Sat Oct 10, 2026 - Registration and Ticket Ordering Period Ends Tuesday, October 1, 2026.

UPDATE: Service was restored late yesterday evening, and we are fully up and running!

12.30 pm, Sept. 23rd, 2026 - Grand Lodge Office Phones:

We are currently experiencing a service outage with our phone and internet provider here at the Grand Lodge Office today.

We are utilizing a mobile backup for internet service so we can still communicate by email at this time, however, our phone service remains down.

If you are attempting to contact us, please be patient and know that we will get back to you as soon as we are able.

Thank you!

Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Illinois Office Staff

RWB James "Chip" Smith, has been a Freemason for 26 years — but his fraternal journey started long before that, at 15, in a DeMolay chapter in Indiana.

Now serving as Junior Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Illinois A. F. & A. M., Chip sat down with us to talk about the road that brought him here and what he's learned along the way. A warm and honest conversation with one of the Brothers helping lead Illinois Freemasonry into its next chapter.

Read the full conversation at the link in the comments.

Brother John Ritter of Columbia Lodge No. 474 was serving with the IL 303rd search-and-rescue unit when a driver plowed through his convoy at over 70 mph during a training mission. Doctors weren't sure he'd walk again.

At the time, Brother Ritter belonged to Macon Lodge No. 8, where Past Master Jim Soules Sr. had been his first Worshipful Master. Over the year it took Brother Ritter to walk again, PM Soules made sure his rent and utilities were paid and food was on the table.

"Jim took me in like family," Brother Ritter said.

His story is one of four we're sharing for Masonic Membership Visibility Day 2026. Read them all at the link in the comments.

Something special is coming this fall.

At Annual Communication this year, the Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. & A.M. is unveiling a limited commemorative coin — one that celebrates our own story alongside the 250th anniversary of the country we've served since 1840.

This is the first peek. Stay tuned for more.

When was the last time you sat down with a group of men who genuinely wanted to see you become better?

That's what Illinois Freemasonry offers: a lifelong brotherhood built around character, community service, and the work of becoming a better man.

If that sounds like something worth exploring, we'd like to meet you. Learn more:

How to Become a Freemason — Illinois Freemasonry Start your journey to becoming a Freemason, a part of our brotherhood, and the best version of yourself. Join Illinois Freemasonry.

Brothers — if your Lodge is planning a community service event this fall, put it on Illinois Freemasonry Connect.

The state events calendar is one of the fastest ways to reach Brothers across Illinois, coordinate with neighboring Lodges, and show the public the work we're doing in their communities.

Log in at the link in the comments and add yours today!

When Dolly Parton passed away last month, her family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to her Imagination Library, which mails a free book every month to children from birth to age five.

A group of Central Illinois Freemasons had been doing exactly that for years.

Brother Steven Heubi of Hilton Lodge #1143 AF&AM shares how fourteen Masonic bodies across Tazewell and Peoria counties raised more than $25,000 for the program — enough to keep books arriving for 7,000 Central Illinois children for roughly four years.

Dolly's legacy will live on in every child who grew up loving to read because of her. In Illinois, it lives on in part through the Brothers who chose to help carry that work forward.

Read the full story at the link in comments.

Twenty-five years ago today, nearly 3,000 lives were lost in New York, at the Pentagon, and in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

We remember them. We remember the firefighters, police officers, and everyday citizens who ran toward the danger. We remember the families who have carried the weight ever since.

Illinois Freemasonry honors them today.

Never forget.