Red Wing Lodge #8 December Tradition

 

Our Masonic Christmas Pudding 

For the past sixteen years Red Wing Lodge #8 has held a traditional dinner including a Christmas Pudding at the December Stated Meeting with the focus being the Officer Installation for the ensuing year. It is a tradition that has grown over the years, but this year is a blossoming time for our Lodge. 

It was a wonderful sight to see so many older members, and the Brothers who have been raised in the past year or two taking an active role. There were many guests who had come from neighboring Lodges to share the evening with us. 

The evening kicked off with a wonderful dinner prepared by WB Jeff Seaberg. It was a pleasure to see every chair filled in the dining room. 

The Christmas Plum Pudding has been a labor of love for WB Gary Thomas. A Christmas Pudding is a very traditional dessert in England. In England the pudding is typically very small. But this year's pudding was a behemoth to all those that I have seen in the past.  Gary stated that his recipe involves three pounds of butter, three cups of sugar, and a pound or two of plums, raisins, currents and other chefs' secrets. The flames are produced by a half pint of brandy. 

It was an All-Star Installation Team this year, and a real treat for us. The Installing Officer was our very own Grand Master of Minnesota Masons Dayton Berg, Installing Chaplin Senior Grand Deacon, Chuck Burst, Installing Secretary Junior Grand Warden RW Shawn Carrick, Installing Marshal Area Deputy Clint Christianson.

It was a full slate of Officers to include Stewards! With each and every Brother looking forward to taking an active role. 

There were a dozen spectators sitting on the side lines, including the Grand Lodge Education Officer Bradley Phelps. It's great to see that we are getting back to normal after Covid. 

Dr. Jonathon Lombardo our new Worshipful Master

We are very fortunate to have Jon as a member and now our Worshipful Master. He already has to start preparing for the new petitions that are coming in, and Jon told me that he is looking forward to it. 

Masonic Christmas Pudding Canceled due to Covid-19

 Christmas Pudding

 

To me personally one of the absolute best Masonic events in Minnesota every year is the December meeting of Red Wing Lodge #8. The true focus of the evening is of course the Installation of Officers. In 2006 the lodge wanted to add alittle element of style or pizzazz to the evening.

The evening begins with the gathering of Brothers before the meeting for a hearty meal of Clam Chowder or Chili dinner with an incredibly special dessert. A proper very British Christmas Pudding. If you’re not familiar with Christmas Pudding this is something you don’t just go down to the local bakery and pick one up. This is dish that takes 20 hours to create.

Gary Thomas who is the Past Worshipful Master and a Chef by profession makes it every year for us. The Christmas Pudding recipe that he uses is one that has its roots in Medieval England. Its found in Recipe Books from 1390 A.D. It’s a recipe that is steeped in tradition and ritual. The pudding is pretty much stayed the same for 630 years.

The cooking process usually starts on the Sunday before Advent, called" Stir up Sunday" but Gary makes it during the Thanksgiving time when he has alittle more time.

The recipe has thirteen ingredients to represent Jesus and the twelve apostles. It’s filled with raisins, currents and sultanas oh and alittle suet too. The aromatic warming spices of ginger, nutmeg and cloves are a major part as well.

Each member of the family takes a poke at the mixture and makes a wish for the new year. Then they stir it in the direction of East to West honoring the Magi who traveled in that direction on the journey to the Christ Child. 

The mixture is then placed in cheese cloth and steamed for eight hours. Its then placed in a cool place and brought out in England on Christmas. Gary has a different method. He will bring the wrapped mixture out from time to time and soaks with brandy to keep it moist. He also needs to serve it on the first Monday in December.

After dinner on Lodge night. Gary will bring out the pudding pour on warm brandy. The lights in the dining room are turned off and he lights the pudding. The pudding is aglow in a beauitful blue flame. Sometimes it catches the tablecloth on fire…we have not had to call the fire department yet.

Gary makes a brandy butter and serves that on the side with a beauitful scoop of the pudding. If you have never had it before it’s a very dense, sticky, fully developed flavor with a slight boozy taste. I call it heaven on a plate.

It is a perfect dessert after an excellent hearty meal on a cold Minnesota December night. When the room is filled with a few candles, and your Masonic Brothers.

Unfortunately for us this tonight we were required to conduct our December meeting, and Installation of Officers via Zoom. We were limited to 40 minutes of time, so we were limited on the Brotherhood, and no pudding.

The bright side is that Gary Thomas has taken the Chair of Worshipful Master for 2021.Though making the Christmas pudding is Gary Labor of Love, and so is Freemasonry for him. . It’s going to be a great year for all of us. 

 

 

 

Red Wing Lodge #8 Installation of Officers and December Dinner

Worshipful Master Jake Facile and his Grand Lodge Brothers

Red Wing Lodge #8 is what I consider to be my Home Lodge. Though I do belong to others, this is where I feel the most comfortable and happiest.

The City of Red Wing is sixty miles from my home. Its a beautiful small Minnesota city that is situated on the banks of the Mississippi River. Part of the drive for me is on country roads. A drive filled with the joys of the Minnesota Country side, and filled with the hazards of winter driving.

Our lodge seems to be filled with Past Grand Masters, the sitting Most Worshipful Grand Master Eathan Seaberg, the Junior Grand Steward Shawn Carrick
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Our lodge is a small lodge, but we do all the Masonic Degrees and are  pretty good, and we take it seriously. We also are big on community involvement and Brotherly Love.

Our Lodge building was built in the 1920s and has a prominent  location in the downtown district. It was designed and built as a Masonic Lodge. We have lots of room for our activities.

Our members come from the community from all stations of life, and with different occupations. This adds to our strengths. We are all good men who want to become better.

I have been to alot of Masonic Events in my life around the world. The December Meeting at Red Wing Lodge is my favorite of all of them.

Our Worshipful Master this year is Jake Facile who is originally a California Mason. He has fit in so nicely, and learned the Minnesota work.We are proud of him. He will do us well.

Grand Master Ethan Seaberg Presides 

2019-2020 Officers and Members-Red Wing Lodge

Gary Thomas Famous Christmas Pudding Dessert

Great Meal by WB Jeff Seaberg

Masonic Christmas Pudding Tradition

Red Wing Lodge #8 for the past ten  years has a tradition of a Christmas Pudding at the December Stated Meeting and Officer Installation . Its a tradition that has certainly grown over they years, and certainly one of my favorite masonic events of the year...anywhere!

Now you just don't go down to the local bakery ( if you have one) and pick one up to take home.
Past Master Gary Thomas and Chef by occupation makes it every year for us. Gary says that its a labor of love for him, and that he loves to make it. When I asked how long it takes to make he replied about all day. "All Day I asked" Gary said "Ya about an hour and a half to cut, chop and mix all the ingredients and seven hours to steam it, oh shopping for all the stuff, ya pretty much all day."

I asked what was in it, and Gary said Raisins,Plums,two and a half pounds of butter, three cups of sugar, a little suet and some other things.There are thirteen ingredients and there is a ritual to making it. I said Gary there's a Masonic Ritual to making Christmas Pudding? Being a Past Grand Master I know the Masonic work I wondered how I missed this one? Gary replied that there is a traditional  ritual that he uses with recipe that's not masonic.

Here is a summary of the process and its symbolism:

The Christmas pudding is a custom that goes back to medieval England.

The pudding has thirteen ingredients to represent Christ and the twelve disciples.

Each family member of the household takes turns stirring the mixture. They stir in the direction of East to West honoring the Magi who traveled in that direction.

There was a prayer that was said during the stirring, but Gary couldn't remember that part.

Brandy is warmed and then placed on the pudding, and lite. For a little flavor and a very nice dramatic effect.

It is served with a dollop of  icing that Gary wont talk about. (maybe in ten more years Ill get that out of him)

Its the perfect dessert after an excellent hearty meal on a cold December night. The room is filled with Masonic Brotherhood, a few candles its the perfect night.

I should also mention that Past Master Jeff Seaberg prepares an excellent dinner.