Plainfield Man Earns Moose International's Highest Honor

Village President Mike Collins took time out during Monday night's village board meeting to recognize a Plainfield man who recently earned the highest honor bestowed by Moose International.

Collins officially declared Oct. 13 “Thomas Kelly Day” in Plainfield, a nod to the man who helped start the first Moose Lodge in the village.

On Saturday, Kelly was presented with the Pilgrim Degree of Merit during a ceremony in Lockport.

“It’s the highest degree in Moose International,” said Collins, who attended the Oct. 13 ceremony.

Kelly is the third member of the Plainfield Moose Lodge to receive the honor, which “comes as a reward for extraordinary service to the Order,” according to the Moose International website.

And service is what it’s all about for Moose Lodge members, Kelly said.

New Moose members are given three instructions, he explained: to serve the senior citizens at Moosehaven, a community for retired Moose members in Florida; to serve the children and Mooseheart, a haven for children near Aurora; and to serve the community.

“They ask you every day to do something good for someone,” Kelly said.

To that end, Kelly used his moment in the spotlight on Monday not to talk about himself, but to highlight some upcoming Moose service projects.

He urged residents to attend the Nov. 17 Plainfield Turkey Drop at the Moose Lodge (click here for details), along with a Nov. 25 toy drive. Toys will be accepted from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25, at the lodge, 16310 S. Lincoln Highway, suite 100.

“We’d love to have you all come out,” Kelly said, urging residents to stop by, make a donation and enjoy a meal, courtesy of the Moose Lodge.