Richard Graeter

Richard A. Graeter

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Past Master and Charter Member of

Caliburn Lodge #785 F.&A.M.

Cincinnati, Ohio

  

Brother Graeter began his Masonic journey in Mariemont Lodge, #707, F&AM, where he was raised on June 21, 1996. Five years later, he led a group of 12 Master Masons to form Caliburn Lodge #785, Ohio’s first new Masonic lodge in almost a quarter of a century. He served as Worshipful Master in 2004, and currently serves as Lodge Education Officer. He is also a 33° member of the Valley of Cincinnati, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, having served as Commander-in-Chief of Ohio Consistory. 

 

Brother Graeter served three Grand Masters as the Chairman of the Grand Lodge Education and Information Committee from 2002 to 2005. During his tenure, he sought to bring the state’s education program into the 21st century by publishing newly revised resources online for the first time. On November 30, 2007, he published Reform Freemasonry? online at www.reformfreemasonry.com, where he reviews some of the causes for the fraternity’s loss of membership and enthusiasm, and explores new ideas for both lodges and grand lodges to counter these negative trends. On November 18th, 2015, he presented his essay It’s About Time for Dreams to Exceed Memories! to the Rubicon Masonic Dinner Club. Finally, his essay Freemasonry’s Peculiar System of Morality was published in the summer 2017 issue of the magazine Rocky Mountain Mason. 

 

Outside of Freemasonry, Richard is the president and CEO of the Graeter’s Ice Cream Company, which for four generations, has remained dedicated to the tradition of handcrafting artisanal ice cream in extremely small two-and-a-half gallon batches using old-fashioned French Pot freezers. Graeter’s has 55 ice cream parlors in nine cities across the Midwest. Richard lives with his wife Nancy in Cincinnati, Ohio.