12 TIME PREMIER LODGE AWARD WINNER

Fred Csaszar has been a member of Dunnellon Moose Lodge 2308 since March of 2004. After 20 years, he’s still serving The Moose.

There is one thing that has continued to stand strong throughout Fred Csaszar’s life: service to others.

In 1956, at age 17-1/2, Fred Csaszar joined the U.S. Navy where he served in the machine shop, as the ship’s photographer, ship’s printer, and as a fireman. The ship was a repair ship out of Norfolk, VA.

No matter what his life was like at the time, Csaszar found himself in leadership positions.

He was President of Worley Homes Property Owners Association; Secretary Treasurer, Vice President and President of Westchester Co. Printing Union #366; Arson Investigator for 15 years at Dutchess Co. Bureau of Fire; 1st Lieutenant, East Fishkill Arson Investigator, Fire Rescue, Trustee, and President at East Fishkill Vol. Fire Department, with 41 years of service Hopewell Hose; Eucharistic Minister at Mass and Home Bound Eucharist Minister at Saint Scholastica Catholic Church; and Eucharistic Minister at Mass and Homebound Eucharistic Minister at Our lady of Grace Catholic Church.

As a member of the Knights of Columbus #6168, he was Out Side Guard, Inside Guide, Chancellor, AFS Corporation Director, Vice President, 4th Degree night, helped chair the Tootsie Roll Drive, and worked in the kitchen on Wednesday’s Bingo.

He joined The Moose in March of 2004 and quickly stepped into leadership roles there as well.

“A friend of mine belonged to the Moose there, Csaszar said. “He knew what I did up north, and he got me to join there. The day I joined is when the Administrator who was robbing the place. “

First it was Sargent at Arms, then Prelate, Junior Governor.

He was Artie Klepp’s vice president the year Klepp was Governor before Klepp moved to Texas.

Csaszar took over and ended up serving a  two-year term as Governor of Dunnellon Moose Lodge 2308.

“They needed somebody in that position,” he said. 

The need was much more and Csaszar ended up  as both Administrator and Treasurer in addition to his position as Governor for two months after the men in those positions resigned.

He also served as LML Chairman, Moose Legion Assistant Secretary.

One of the things that Csaszar wanted to accomplish was to have Moose International classify Dunnellon Moose Lodge as a Family Center.

“The Moose is supposed to be a family organization and we never had the classification as a family lodge,” he said.

“We had games in the back room of the lodge, a play area, but never was classified as a family center. I figured we would get more people coming in with their children.”

Moose International agreed.

In 2009, Csaszar joined a second Lodge, this time at Inverness Moose Lodge 2112 where he served as Governor, Junior Governor, Junior Past Governor, and Chairman of the Membership Committee. He served as Inverness Lodge Moose Legion Assistant Secretary, and Prelate. 

He also served as Moose Legion Assistant Secretary, and a Delegate Governor for the 2017 International Convention.

“When I got to Inverness I found out that every lodge is run different,” he said noting the organization of the Inverness lodge was run differently.

Csaszar’s desire to serve went far beyond the local Lodge level.

For Cypress 202 Moose Legion, he has held positions as Moose Legion Chairman, Moose Legion Assistant Secretary, Assistant Secretary at Arms; and served on the Board of Directors as Fraternal Director., Chairman of the Grievance Committee, Assistant Sargent of Arms, and Loyalty on the Conferral Team.

“I just kept on volunteering. and never turned down a position,” he said.

His reasons were clear.

“Cypress 202, the Moose Legion, is more of a step forward to help your lodge, help the community, and to get more involved and more active.”

He noted he is currently Moose Legion of the Year Chairman and has sponsored 15 members into the Moose Legion.

Csaszar has been highly involved at the District level too.

“I was the prelate in Dunnellon and at the same time we were going to a district meeting in Ocala. Joann and myself were sitting against the wall having a cocktail (at the lodge). The District President came up to me and said, ‘Fred I got a problem, I need a Prelate.’ I thought he needed prelate just for that day so I said ‘no problem, I’ll be your prelate.’

We got to the meeting and he said, ‘I want to thank Fred for being the Prelate for the year.’”

He continued to serve the District and held offices including Prelate, Treasurer, Vice President, and Junior Past President. He was District President three different times.

“I really enjoyed getting around and getting to meet everybody,” Csaszar said. “I was trying to get people to work together, seeing all the other lodges, and how they did things.”

He also served as the Chairman of the Florida Bermuda Moose Association’s Council of Higher Degrees, now known as the Florida Moose Association’s Council of Higher Degrees, and with the Gulf to Lake Council of Higher Degree as President, Past President, and Vice President.

Csaszar has sponsored 32 members into the Moose fraternity to date, and continues to help complete work in the lodge when needed.

Throughout the 20 years he’s been a member, Csaszar has earned accolades  including Moose of the Year and Moose Legionnaire of the Year.

He was conferred with the Fellowship Degree in 2011, and the Pilgrim Degree in 2018. He is the only living Pilgrim at Dunnellon Moose Lodge 2308.

He’s participated in the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics multiple times as well as the Relay for Life American Cancer Society Committee working the Relay event, and as a Life Ambassador.

“I’ve met a hole bunch of people,” he said of  the individuals he has met throughout the Moose and the community. I’m still doing it. I’m doing it now with the Veterans.”

“We’ve always been volunteering,” he said of he and his wife Joann. “Maybe that’s whats keeping us going. We don’t sit down. We just move.going forward. Right now we’re starting to slow down and age is creeping up, but we’re going to continue doing what were doing as long as we can.

Csaszar is 85. He and his wife JoAnn, have three children, Jean, Fred Jr., Frank. 

Do Some Good Thing for Someone Every Day.