James M Hays Lodge #331 F&AM WI

James M Hays Lodge #331 F&AM WI Freemasons making a difference everyday. We are a fraternity that does charitable works & has fun. We’re Freemasons and we’re proud.

Wherever we go, we have brothers nearby. Known as “The Hays Boys”, we make good men better. We are men of distinction and whether we’re throwing our signature events like the Crawfish Boil or a big smoked brisket-fest in a giant shed, we enjoy each other’s company. We support each other in our journey toward self improvement amongst brothers. We’re not a drinking club, we’re not a religion and we

don’t do goofy rituals. If you think you share our values of following the Golden Rule and you believe in a higher power (a prerequisite to be a mason) we’d love to meet you.

Templegram: As I write this, I am filled with gratitude for our Lodge and for the brotherhood we continue to build toget...
05/28/2026

Templegram: As I write this, I am filled with gratitude for our Lodge and for the brotherhood we continue to build together. Over the past month, Brothers have been chipping in, showing up, and getting the work done — from event preparation to degree work — and it has made a real difference.

On May 22nd, we welcomed Brother MacKenzie Corbett as an Entered Apprentice. It was a double EA Degree held in partnership with Palmer Lodge, where Travis Hogan was also initiated. It was a strong night for Masonry, and I believe it points to more opportunities for our Lodges to work together in the future.

Shed Lodge was a tremendous success. We were proud to present the Brown Deer Police Department with a jump bag containing an AED and an FST — Fire Suppression Tool. That presentation was a reminder that our Lodge is not only here for fellowship, but also to serve and support the community around us. And yes, the Lieutenant even fired off the trebuchet, which may have been the most memorable part of the afternoon.

We were also honored to hear words of encouragement from Most Worshipful Grand Master Jeff Schoenfeldt and Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master Joe Thompson. They shared updates on the current work of our Grand Lodge, as well as plans for the future, and we appreciate them taking the time to be with us.

At our May meeting, we voted on resolutions in preparation for Annual Communication in June. Several Brothers are planning to attend, and I look forward to seeing our Lodge represented there.

It is also time to start thinking about our Summer Family Picnic, which we will discuss at our June meeting. Events like this are another opportunity to bring our families together and strengthen the bonds that make this Lodge special.

Thank you to every Brother who has helped carry the work forward this month. A Lodge is only as strong as the men who show up for it, and I am proud of the way our Brothers continue to show up.

Fraternally yours,
Jim McGuigan
Worshipful Master

Hays and Palmer Lodges teamed up to do a double degree for our two new Entered Apprentices. Congratulations to Travis H...
05/24/2026

Hays and Palmer Lodges teamed up to do a double degree for our two new Entered Apprentices.
Congratulations to Travis Hogan (Palmer) and MacKenzie Corbett (Hays).

Thank you Brethren for an amazing and memorable time at Shed Lodge 2026.
05/19/2026

Thank you Brethren for an amazing and memorable time at Shed Lodge 2026.

What a great evening. Our Brothers from Wauwatosa Lodge visited us to steal the gavel. This district-wide challenge en...
05/13/2026

What a great evening. Our Brothers from Wauwatosa Lodge visited us to steal the gavel. This district-wide challenge encourages all 15 lodges in the district to travel to other lodges and capture the gavel. Sometimes it stays with its new lodge for a day, and sometimes for a month. It can be captured or it can be delivered/presented to another lodge within the district. We appreciate the company and hope we showed our Brothers from Wauwatosa Lodge a great time and learned something to boot. Come back anytime, Brothers, we appreciate the visit.

May the 4th be with you! Take a moment to read this great piece of Star Wars education...er I mean Masonic Education by ...
05/04/2026

May the 4th be with you! Take a moment to read this great piece of Star Wars education...er I mean Masonic Education by WB Matt Konradt from Lake Lodge #189

Onions are in at the Shrine and Hays Lodge donated a whole pile of them to Hunger Task Force. This helps stem the probl...
04/30/2026

Onions are in at the Shrine and Hays Lodge donated a whole pile of them to Hunger Task Force. This helps stem the problems of food insecurity in our community.

What a proud legacy we have as Masons. The late MW Al Iding often reminded us that our written tradition reaches back to...
04/27/2026

What a proud legacy we have as Masons. The late MW Al Iding often reminded us that our written tradition reaches back to the 1300s with the Regius Poem, which set forth early principles of how Masons ought to work and live.

That legacy is not just something we read about. In a very personal way, I am reminded of it by the Masonic apron and Past Master jewel of Past Grand Master Al Iding, both of which are now in my care. Brother Al was a member of our lodge, and holding those items is a powerful reminder that what we have received from those who came before us is not ours to waste. It is ours to honor, preserve, and pass on.

When I think about how we come together to put on great events like the Crawfish Boil and Shed Lodge on May 16, or how we work together to feed the hungry and assist the ailing and distressed through our support of Ronald McDonald House, I am proud of our lodge and proud of our legacy. We accomplish far more together than any of us ever could alone.

Last month was a difficult one for our lodge, as we lost three Hays boys who led remarkable lives and were also members of the Scottish Rite. Yet this month, three Hays boys, Enock Alexander, Don Kernan and Reagan Schultz Jr., joined the Scottish Rite. In that contrast, I see both the weight of our past and the promise of our future. There is something special about being a Hays boy. The values we instill, the sense of community we share, and the charitable hearts we cultivate make me proud to be the man you have chosen to lead this lodge this year as Worshipful Master.

We also have several degrees coming up, including two Fellowcraft Degrees and one Entered Apprentice Degree. We are doing incredible work, brothers, and you should be proud of it. Together, we strive to become better men, better husbands, better fathers, and better members of our community.
To continue that legacy, I ask each of you to consider bringing a friend to Shed Lodge. Every man who walks through those doors is a man who may begin a journey that makes him better and, in turn, helps make the world better. We can joke that it starts one bite of brisket at a time, and I know we are all looking forward to that, but Freemasonry offers far more than a good meal. Being a Hays boy elevates that experience even further.

I often think back to the first time I went to Jim Winston’s house and we talked about James M. Hays Lodge. I did not begin my Masonic journey as a Hays boy, but I am proud that Hays is now my primary lodge.

We have accomplished a great deal together. We have grown from seven or eight members at a meeting to averaging more than twenty-five. That kind of growth is not accidental. It is the product of men who care, men who labor, and men who believe this lodge is worth building.

And that brings me to something important.

If we want this lodge to remain strong, we must not only celebrate our legacy but also think seriously about our stewardship. We should be asking what we can do now to safeguard the future of James M. Hays Lodge five, ten, and even twenty years from now. How do we preserve the strength of this lodge? How do we ensure that future Hays boys have the resources, stability, and sense of home they will need to continue the work we have begun?

For that reason, I would like us to establish a long-term planning committee to consider the stewardship of our lodge and to help us think carefully and responsibly about the future. I hope we can begin that discussion at our next meeting.

Until then, thank you for all that you do for this lodge and for one another.

Fraternally yours,
Jim McGuigan

The "Traveling Hays Boys" did that thing that we do. Tonight 4 brothers from James M Hays ( WB Chris Niggemeier, WB Bob...
04/08/2026

The "Traveling Hays Boys" did that thing that we do. Tonight 4 brothers from James M Hays ( WB Chris Niggemeier, WB Bob Skaradzinski, Bro. Reagan Schultz, & Senior Warden Karl Cleppe) paid a visit to Milwaukee-Harmony #261 to take the district 12 traveling gavel. It was a great night with great fellowship and brotherhood all around.

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4315 N 92nd Street
Wauwatosa, WI
53222

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