One of the Great Lakes’ most prestigious maritime gatherings will return to Toledo in January 2027, when the city hosts the 137th annual Grand Lodge Convention of the International Ship Masters’ Association from Jan. 28 to 31 at the Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel, Capt. Rick Brown, president of ISMA Toledo Lodge No. 9, announced in a release published by Boatnerd News.
"This is a bona fide convention that will bring some 300 maritime professionals to Toledo putting us at the forefront of the maritime community," Capt. Brown said in the announcement published by Boatnerd News. "The convention allows us to showcase in part Toledo’s rich maritime tradition, including the National Museum of the Great Lakes."
"This is the 13th time that Toledo will host the annual Grand Lodge convention," said Capt. Paul LaMarre, director of the Port of Monroe and a board member of ISMA Toledo Lodge No. 9, in the announcement. LaMarre will be installed as ISMA Grand Lodge President in 2027, according to the release.
The International Ship Masters’ Association is a voluntary organization of dues-paying licensed professional mariners and others associated with the maritime community of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, the announcement said. Founded in 1886 as a benevolent organization, it now provides educational opportunities and gives Great Lakes masters a voice in safety and navigational rules, with 16 active lodges across the United States and Canada, according to the release.
Toledo’s own Lodge No. 9 was established on Feb. 24, 1892, with 27 founding members, and hosted its first convention in 1899 at the Boody House; its most recent Toledo convention was in 2018 at the Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel, the announcement said. A kick-off reception for the 2027 convention will be held Thursday, Jan. 28, at the National Museum of the Great Lakes, a sponsor of the convention, where delegates will caucus on maritime issues, according to the release.
The weekend includes the ISMA Grand Ball on Friday evening, an educational panel on maritime education and outreach, and an informal MASH-themed dinner on Saturday, the announcement said. "The most unanswered question we receive from parents is ‘how do I get my child involved in the maritime industry or where can they go to get educated on how to find work,’" Capt. LaMarre said in the announcement published by Boatnerd News. "We hope this event will go a long way to getting parents comfortable with directing their children to the lucrative jobs and careers the maritime community has to offer."
Festivities also include a drawing for a freighter cruise aboard the Great Lakes vessel Hon. James L. Oberstar for the 2027 season, to be held Saturday, Jan. 30, 2027, at 10 p.m. at the Renaissance hotel, the announcement said. Sponsors include the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, the Port of Monroe and the National Museum of the Great Lakes, and the Toledo lodge is seeking additional sponsors and new members, according to the release.
What happens next: the convention runs Jan. 28–31, 2027, in downtown Toledo. "Many people throughout Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan made their living on the Great Lakes," said Capt. Brown, who will serve as event chairman, in the announcement. Membership inquiries go to Jim Byrne, secretary/treasurer of ISMA Lodge No. 9, the release said.