The Jefferson Masons will host a dedication ceremony at its new location at 120 North Wilson Avenue tomorrow at 5pm.

Officers of the Grand Lodge of Iowa in Cedar Rapids will conduct about a 30 minute ceremony involving rituals like consecration with corn, wine and oil which dates back several centuries.  Secretary Doug Tucker explains why Morning Star Masonic Lodge No. 159 had to move from their long-time location above the Sierra Theatre.

“Big reason is there is an elevator in the back of that building (Sierra Theatre) that goes up to our second floor.  That elevator is getting old, it’s requiring a lot of maintenance and it gets expensive to up keep and in the winter time, there gets to be an accumulation of ice outside the door.  Those are the two reasons, I guess, that we really looked into a ground floor building.”

The Morning Star Masons help out about 8-10 organizations every year in Jefferson and Greene County.  Tucker states that they also give out college scholarships to graduating seniors.  On average, the Masons give about $10,000 every year to various groups.  Tucker says they are always looking for males (at least 18 years old) to join the 150 year organization.

The Temple Dedication ceremony will be at 120 North Wilson Avenue on tomorrow at 5pm and the public is invited to attend.