Indiana Grand Lodge

Carl Brosius Sputh

Dr. Sputh was born June 28, 1916, in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. He died July 6, 2011 in Community North Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana. The Sputh Family sends a special thank-you to all of the health care givers and ancillary services that so lovingly took care of Dr. Sputh at the end of his life. We hold all of the Community Health Network in our hearts.

His parents were Dr. Carl Brosius Sputh Sr. and Elsa Ulrich Sputh. His father was a Professor of Physical Education and the school physician in the Lacrosse, Normal College. The Sputh family moved to Indianapolis in January 1917.

Dr. Sputh graduated from Shortridge High School, Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1933 and entered Indiana University. He received a Bachelor of Science and then entered medical school in 1941 where he received his MD. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and the Phi Chi Medical fraternity. He interned at Indianapolis City Hospital (Wishard) in 1941 and 1942 and took a Residency in Ear, Nose, and Throat.

On February 10, 1943, he married Ruth Agnes Means, a graduate nurse from City Hospital. They had five wonderful children, Dr. Fred (Ann), Captain Ted (Chris), Ed (Joan), Dennis (Penny), Sara (Rick).

On February 10, 1943, he married Ruth Agnes Means, a graduate nurse from City Hospital. They had five wonderful children, Dr. Fred (Ann), Captain Ted (Chris), Ed (Joan), Dennis (Penny), Sara (Rick).

Dr. Sputh entered practice in Ear, Nose, and Throat with his father. He became Board Certified in Otorhinolaryngology in 1946 and served as Assistant Professor of Otorhinolaryngology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. In 1949, he became associated with the late Dr. Maurice Cottle of Chicago in the study of nasal surgery. He helped Dr. Cottle teach surgery courses at many Schools of Medicine including Yale, Tulane, and USC at John Hopkins. He also taught Rhinologic Surgery at the University of Mexico, University of Odense in Denmark, University of Leyden in Holland, and the University of Bologna in Italy. Dr. Sputh served on the staffs of all of the Indianapolis Hospitals.

He limited himself to Community Hospital in 1964 where he received the Distinguished Physician Award. Medical memberships, boards and honors received by Dr. Sputh include: being a member of the Indiana, and American Medical Societies, a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, and Head and Neck Surgery, President of the Indianapolis Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Society, President of the Indiana Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, President of the American and International Rhinologic Society, and a member of the American College of Surgeons and the International College of Surgeons. He was a founding member of the American Rhinologic Society and was awarded the "Golden Head Mirror" award.

From the Quarries: Grand Lodge of Indiana Annual Communication

The Grand Lodge of Indiana held its Annual Communication on Tuesday, May 17 and Wednesday, May 18. I always look forward to attending mostly because it gives me a chance to see a lot of old friends and acquaintances that I rarely get to see and this year was no different in that regard. I do always miss a few, however, since there are several hundred attendees. This was a typical Grand Lodge with most of the business being routine committee reports. There were several pieces of legislation introduced along with several recommendations by Grand Master Ken Willis. As usual, some passed, some failed, some were withdrawn, and some were held over to next year because they are constitutional changes. There were two resolutions in particlar that drew my attention. The first was a resolution to amend the date when a brother becomes eligible for automatic remission of dues. Currently, all Indiana Freemasons have their dues remitted for life once they have been a member for fifty years. Fifty years in the fraternity is certainly a long time and the Grand Lodge of Indiana appropriately awards everyone who reaches that milestone a gold pin and certificate in honor of the occasion. Lodges typically hold a special ceremony to present the Award of Gold. Several decades ago legislation was passed that awards lifetime remission of dues to any brother who attains fifty years of membership. At the time it was passed, this was of little consequence. The average lifespan was significantly shorter and, as intended, it was quite rare that someone lived long enough to receive the Award of Gold. Fast forward to 2011 and we find a significant percentage of Freemasons are fifty-year Masons and putting a financial strain on the lodge because they pay no dues. One of my own lodges has over twenty fifty-year members out of a total of seventy. The resolution introduced would have gradually raised the years of service required to qualify for automatic remission. The resolution stressed that the Award of Gold would still be presented. Remission of dues for brethren unable to pay their dues due to financial problems or illness would have remained available to them just as is it to any brother. The only thing it proposed was that remission of dues would occur after more years of service. Not surprisingly, a couple of brethren stood up and made emotional arguments in favor of the status quo, not realizing that this is not an emotional issue, but a business decision.

World's masonic register, containing the name, number, location, and time of meeting of every masonic lodge in the world ... with the statistics of each masonic jurisdiction; also, the name ... of each subscriber ...

Transactions of the Grand Lodge of Free and accepted masons of the state of Michigan

Grand Lodge bulletin

Constitution and general laws of the Grand lodge, I. O. O. F., of Indiana, with by-laws recommended for the government of subordinates, and code of laws for conducting trials in lodges

Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Indiana