Local Moose Lodge Member Receives Highest Honor

by Alyssa Harris

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Local Veteran Thomas J. Richardson—member of the Mascoutah Moose Lodge #815—has recently been awarded the Pilgrim Degree of Merit, which is the “highest honor that can be bestowed upon a member of the Loyal Order of Moose Fraternity,” according to the Moose International. Richardson is one of 113 members internationally to receive this award, and one of six in the state of Illinois.

As is written about the award on mooseintl.org, “Only lodge members who have served their lodge, advanced to the Moose Legion, and volunteered further are considered for this degree. Generally, it is attained only by devoted members who have given many years of service to and for our program. They have volunteered to cook, clean, serve as an officer, mentored others, and been fraternal leaders along the way.”

The award involves some very specific traditions regarding the ceremonial process, according to Richardson. The wives of members must submit their husbands’ resumes to awarded Pilgrims, listing all of their memberships, acts of service, awards and achievements, and so on. They then may be nominated for the Pilgrim Degree of Merit based on these virtues. Those selected first receive notice of this in December, called a “Christmas Card,” from the Chief Executive Officer of the Moose International. Beyond their wives, they may not tell a soul about it until after they have been awarded the merit. If they do, they are stricken from the list of awardees and must wait two to three years before they can attempt to be nominated again.

Clearly, Richardson managed to keep this secret. He was officially awarded the merit on June 1 in Mooseheart, Illinois at the House of God, the only place where it can be awarded. He was recognized by the Mascoutah Moose Lodge #815 with a specially made banner this past weekend, and will later attend a secondary ceremony there on November 2, called the “coat presentation ceremony.” Richardson stated that for the ceremony, he will wear his blue blazer—which he had before receiving the award—and his family members will present his new gold blazer to their leadership, who will then take off the blue one and replace it with the gold.

About the award, Richardson said, “With most Pilgrims, that is not the goal that they’re going for. They’re, we’re, all about supporting the children, the seniors and the heart of the communities that we live in and where our lodges are.

“We recognize Veterans also, I am what they called a Valued Veteran member of the Moose. The special membership card has a double ‘V’ on it for Valued Veteran, for military service. At all the conventions they recognize all the Veterans. At the annual state convention in August they always present a ‘Quilt of Valor’ to ten Veterans, because we have ten districts, so each district gets one quilt. We do a lot for Veterans as well as the community. We do fundraisers, we get involved in the community as much as we can.”

After retiring from the United States Army, Richardson settled in Mascoutah with his wife and daughter, Lea and Angelique, in 1990. He retired after twenty years with a litany of ribbons, is a lifetime member of the Disabled Veterans and the Mascoutah Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7682, where he has served as the Jr. Vice Commander for the board of officers since 2021. In 2019, Richardson received “The Quilt of Valor” at the Illinois Moose Association’s Mid-Year Conference as a very special form of gratitude for his service.

Richardson’s career in volunteerism and leadership, specifically in organizations involving Veterans or the Moose Lodge itself, is incredibly prolific, and is a testament to his qualifications, service, and values. He was one of the last three members in Illinois to receive the honor and position of “Deputy Supreme Governor” before the title was changed to “Assistant to the Chairman,” and has been a member of the Moose since 1996.