On Tuesday, April 2, 1991, Detroit Lodge No. 7 celebrated its 100th
Anniversary at a special ceremony held at Mariners' Church of Detroit.

(click on pictures to enlarge)

 Left to Right:  Robert R. Green, Fr. Raymond J. Marshall, Rev. Richard W. Ingalls,

April 2, 1991 was the actual 100^th anniversary of Detroit Lodge No. 7 – 100 years to the day that the charter of Detroit Lodge No. 7 was signed.  In honor of the occasion, Detroit Lodge No. 7 assembled for a meeting in Mariners’ Church of Detroit.  Many of the members of the lodge attended in uniform. 

 

At 12:00 Noon, President Tom Leinweber gaveled an alarm on the lodge bell to announce lunch.  The luncheon was prepared by Bob Benkert, Bill Jagenow, Jr., Paul Jagenow, and Rev. Richard Ingalls.   In keeping with the occasion, Rev. Ingalls had arranged for a special cake with the following inscription:  God Bless our Centennial, Detroit Lodge No. 7  I.S.M.A., 1891 to 1991.

 

Following lunch in the Julia Anderson Room, the membership ascended to the church proper to conduct a brief memorial service, lead by lodge Co-Chaplains Rev. Richard Ingalls & Fr. Raymond Marshall. 

 

The memorial service began with the membership reciting in unison the ISMA prayer from the lodge ritual.  This was followed by the reading of Psalm 95.  Fr. Marshall then made some remarks about the lodge’s centennial.  Rev. Ingalls called upon the lodge members to make personal remarks.  Secretary Treasurer Paul Jagenow took this opportunity to read a newspaper article which appeared in the April 2, 1891 issue of the Detroit Free Press.  The article reported the organizing of  Detroit Lodge No. 7 and listed all the charter members of the lodge.  Several other lodge members rose to remark upon the significance of the ISMA to their career and the role it plays in their lives.  The members who spoke included Commodore Edward Baganz, who reported how he began his career on the lakes, Capt. Morgan Howell, who remarked how fitting it was to hold our centennial in Mariners’ Church, only a couple blocks from the site of the lodge’s original lodge rooms;  Capt. Thomas Leinweber, who commented on the changes in navigation since the lodge’s founding; Capt. Harold Brown & Nick Gorno, who both commented on the common sense of sharing experiences with fellow members in the lodge;  John Polacsek, who commented on the lodge’s help toward preserving marine history such as Dossin Museum’s Pilot House Project;  Capt. Jim O’Hara, who noted how the ISMA hand opened doors for him in England & elsewhere because of its prestige.  Finally, Steve Hammarskjold remarked that Capt. Pat Owens, Captain of the S/S Lee A. Tregurtha, was already aboard ship and had sent his greetings to the lodge.  Capt. Hammarskjold commented that it was important to remember those lodge members who had already returned to their ships & were unable to attend the memorial service.  After the conclusion of personal remarks, Rev. Ingalls invited the membership to recite Psalm 107 “They that go down to the sea in ships.”   Rev. Ingalls then gave his personal prayer on the lodge’s centennial, afterwhich he invited the members to sing a verse of the Mariners’ Hymn.  This concluded the service. 

 

Following the memorial service, the lodge membership assembled on the steps of the church sanctuary for an official lodge photograph.  Lodge President Tom Leinweber & senior member Commodore Baganz held the lodge charter, Co-Chaplains Fr. Marshall & Rev. Ingalls held the original lodge bible purchased in 1891 and several members held the lodge flag.  Following the photographs,  the members present signed their names on the flyleaf of the lodge Bible to commemorate their presence at the centennial.