Ronald Burns of Suffolk, a member of Suffolk Lodge 141 of the Loyal Order of Moose, received the Pilgrim Degree of Merit, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a member of the Loyal Order of Moose. The conferral was held in the House of God at Mooseheart, Ill., on May 31.

The degree, currently held by less than one-half of one percent of the members of the fraternity throughout the United Sates, Canada, Great Britain and Bermuda, is the order’s ultimate reward for exceptional devotion to the principles and ideals of caring for children and senior members and is earned only by members who have given years of “above-the-call-of-duty” service to the Loyal Order of Moose and its principle philanthropic endeavors of Mooseheart, a city for children in need, located 40 miles west of Chicago, and Moosehaven, a retirement community for senior members, located on the banks of the St. Johns River in Orange Park, Fla.

The Pilgrim Degree ceremony, traditionally held on the same day as the commencement exercises for Mooseheart High School, is conferred only inside Mooseheart’s House of God, the magnificent multi-denominational cathedral built in 1950.

Members receiving this degree are entitled to wear a much-coveted gold blazer, which is formally presented to the honoree during a special ceremony attended by other Pilgrims, members of the higher degrees of both the Loyal Order of Moose and Women of the Moose, family, friends, community leaders and other members of the Order. Ronald Burns will receive his blazer at Suffolk Lodge 141 on Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. Also present will be leaders of the Virginia Association.

The Moose is an international organization of men and women dedicated to caring for children and seniors, bringing communities closer together and celebrating life. Jointly, these members volunteer their time and talents to assist people in need and make our communities better places to live and raise families.

The organization operates more than 1,600 Moose Centers throughout North America, Great Britain and Bermuda, providing members with wholesome family, social and sports activities. To learn more about what Moose members are doing in the communities in your area, visit www.mooseintl.org or call 630-966-2229.