Judi and I attended the 113th Annual Convention and Meeting of the District Lodge Lake Michigan #8 at the Marriott in Naperville, IL on May 19-21, 2023. There were 58 delegates and officers from 14 lodges.

Friday night's Cultural program was called Drikamaling. Painting with beer and milk used as a binder for pigments on wood objects.

The presenter spent time training and studying in Sweden, learning how to do the process. Many furniture items were displayed along with smaller items like serving trays.

The Cultural room was lined with many baskets. Here is our contribution:

They said this year had the most baskets of any of the recent conventions. There was also a section for exhibits to display works with the theme of "Nordic Art." Judy made this exhibit:

There were several really good exhibits, for example one was about Carl Larson.

Saturday morning started off with the business meeting. The usual roll call to get the correct number for voting of officers. The only business items that brought a lot of discussion was whether to change the annual meeting to a biennial meeting. The vote was 29 to 27 and the resolution failed. It needed to have a two-thirds majority to make a change to the bylaws/ constitution. There followed a lot of discussion about having a Cultural program and dinner every other year and keeping the meeting in the other year. The decision is left up to the board.

It was announced that the next Grand Lodge Convention will be held in Chicago hosted by District Lodge Lake Michigan #8 in July, 2026. Other big news is that it will be shorter than all the previous Grand Lodge conventions by shortening the business meeting. With the business meeting during the week and keeping the weekend for full Cultural programs and activities. New!! Also, Tom Cleveland, a Chicago native and past Grand Master of District Lodge Lake Michigan #8, is in line to become the next Grand Master in 2026! Judi and I volunteered to work on the cultural committee for the Grand Lodge. With the Grand Lodge Convention being so close, it might be nice for some of us to volunteer to help in the planning.

The new officers for the next two years are:

Tim Ogrentz - District Master:

Katie Westlund Ponton - Vice District Master

Lois Klubens - Secretary

Linda Christenson - Treasurer

Others stayed the same.

Lynda Smith is the new Youth Director

Dave Runstrom is District Master of Ceremonies:

Glenn Carlstrand is Assistant Master of Ceremonies. (Appointed by DM)

Saturday night was a fun and delicious banquet. Many scholarships were given out to several well deserving students receiving $3500 and $2000 for Grand Lodge and $1500 for District Lodge. Way to go! There was music for dancing the rest of the night.

On Sunday morning, there was a nice memorial service. The names of Iva Lynn and Ann-Katrin Roth were read. We stood up in observance.

Next years' convention will most likely be in Chicago hosted by the executive board. No lodge volunteered to host so it will be the board. However, a new idea that was floated is that some of the lodges will be asked to help sponsor different parts of the upcoming convention.

Respectfully submitted,

Glenn and Judi Carlstrand

Delegates from Svea Lodge #253