Our sister lodge is Connaught Lodge #511 located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

2006 is the 25th year since the International Lodge Visitations inception.

In 1981, the Masters of Acacia and Connaught Lodges got together and started annual visitations to each others lodges. They came up with the Traveling Square and Compasses which was passed back and forth each time a visitation was made. Sometime prior to 1998 the tradition was lost.

In 1998, WM David Frings and Wo. Bro. William Davis SR rekindled the lodge visitations between the lodges. They resurrected the Traveling Traveling Square and Compasses, and it has been going back and forth since. Dave and Bill came up with the idea of exemplifying the three degrees on each other. Members of Acacia-Itasca traveled to Thunder Bay and conferred our EA Degree on Brother Davis in the spring of 1998. The Canadians traveled to Superior for the installation of Acacia-Itasca officers that December and put Brother Frings through the Canadian EA degree.

To date, Brothers Dave Frings and Arby Humphrey have been raised to MM Canadian style. Currently, PM George Eisenmann III has his Canadian  FC degree. He will receive his Canadian MM Degree in December 2007.

From Canada, Brothers William Davis and Jean Begin have been raised to MM American style. Brother Robert Seeley currently has his American FC and will receive his American MM degree at the 2007 annual Spring Fling  in Thunder Bay.

I would strongly encourage you to attend the Acacia-Itasca Officer installations and watch the Canadians put on their degree. It is something to see!

It is always a good time in Thunder Bay and I would recommend that you attend one of their Officer Installations and the annual Spring Fling.

A heartfelt thanks goes out to Brothers Frings and Davis for having the foresight to bring our two lodges back together and finding a way to keep it going every year.

Recently, we have started an annual Bunny Hunt at brother Richard's hunting Shack. Our brothers from Canada have made the trip several times and said that it was the one of the best times they have had in the states. One note that has to be passed along, to date, the bunnies have won every year!