An Open letter to the Craft from the Grand Master …

September 8, 2006

To All my Brethren,

As we are about to join in an unprecedented statewide Interfaith service commemorating our 225th Anniversary, 9/11, and our renewed sense of patriotism symbolized by the presentation of more than 30,000 American Flags to local community organizations and schools, I wish you success and congratulations for the enthusiasm so many of you have shown.

May your gathering be rewarding, your friendships abound, and your sense of rededication to the principles of our Brotherhood strengthen as you enjoy breakfast together.

I cannot thank you enough for your terrific response and action to fulfill our 225th Anniversary Committee's planning. Plans are only plans until the day they are put into action; that action is yours my Brethren.

I thank the planning committee and most of all, you my Brothers, for making it a reality. Please note what you have done attached.

Sincerely and fraternally,
Neal I. Bidnick
Grand Master
Grand Lodge F & AM State of New York

The following Lodges will be holding Interfaith Services and Breakfasts in commemoration of the 225th Anniversary of our Grand Lodge. Families and the public are invited to join us. After breakfast, flags will be presented to local civic organizations.

Saturday September 9th
Hoffman and Port Jervis Lodges
Port Jervis Lodge in Port Jervis, NY
9:00 a.m.

Naurshank Lodge
Pearl River Masonic Temple in Pearl River, NY
9:00 a.m.

Sunday September 10th
Stony Point-Wawayanda and Athelstane Lodges
American Legion Post in Sparkill, NY
9:00 a.m.

Jerusalem Temple and Hudson River Lodges
Cornwall Masonic Temple in Mountainville, NY
8:30 a.m.

Goshen and Cornerstone Lodges
Goshen Lodge in Goshen NY
8:00 a.m.

225th Anniversary Activities
Nine of our twelve Lodges are in the final planning stages for their Interfaith Services and Breakfasts. On Saturday September 9th, Hoffman and Port Jervis Lodges will present a joint program in Port Jervis and Naurashank Lodge will hold its interfaith service and breakfast in Pearl River. On Sunday September 10th, Hudson River and Jerusalem Temple Lodges will present a joint service and breakfast in Mountainville, Stony Point-Wawayanda and Athelstane will present a joint service and breakfast at the American Legion Post in Sparkill, and Goshen and Cornerstone Lodges are working together on a service and breakfast in Goshen. Wallkill Lodge has announced plans to hold a 225th Anniversary interfaith service and breakfast in October. If your Lodge is not holding a service and breakfast, we encourage you to attend one of these and join us in celebrating 225 years of fraternity and service to our communities.

The other major 225th Anniversary event that each Lodge has been asked to participate in is holding an In-Lodge Rededication program at one of its meetings in September. Please be sure to ask your officers when that will be so that you can attend. Better yet, think about a Brother that you haven't seen in Lodge for awhile and call him up, offer him a ride, help him to see the importance of rededicating ourselves to the purposes of Freemasonry. It should be a very special evening!

All of the information to run these two programs, including the actual scripts, attendance forms, bookplates, and press release templates are available for download by clicking here. We hope to see you at these programs!

---

Masters and Wardens Meeting
The Masters and Wardens will meet at Jerusalem Temple Lodge on Monday September 11th at 7:00 p.m., and we look forward to hearing reports about the 225th Anniversary Interfaith Services and Breakfasts being held around the district on September 10th. The meeting will be held prior to the School of Instruction which will convene at 8:00 p.m. The trestleboard for the School will be a brief program on Balloting, DDGM Visits, and Basic Lodge Protocol followed by a social hour with cards and refreshments. We hope to see everyone there!

---

District Apron Presentations
The new District Deputy Grand Master and Grand Director of Ceremonies, our two Assistant Grand Lecturers, and new Grand Representatives will be honored at a District Apron Presentation which will be held on Sunday October 1st at the Walden Fire House in Walden, NY. The Grand Master and many members of the elected and appointed Grand Line will be present for the festivities which includes a luncheon beginning at noon. The price is $15 per person, with children under twelve invited to attend for free.

---

Masonic Family Day at Tappan
You and your families are cordially invited to join our Grand Master and his Line on Sunday September 17th at noon as we celebrate Masonic Family Day at Tappan. Held on the awe inspiring grounds of the DeWint House at the George Washington National Historic Site, this day will have activities for the whole family to enjoy. Tour the grounds which can only be called a Masonic arboretum, visit the home used by George Washington as his headquarters several times during the Revolutionary War, and talk with costumed re enactors. Bring your kids to learn Colonial crafts and play Colonial games, and watch a puppet show. Instead of a expensive formal brunch, we'll be serving hamburgers and hotdog's at family-friendly prices. Help is needed by Brothers from the District but we're only asking for a few hours to help with set up and to man the grills. If you can help out, please contact the DDGM or come to the next ORDMA meeting if you can. We'd love to see you there!

---

Masonic Family Day at West Point
Join us again on Saturday September 30th for Masonic Family Day at West Point with all new activities at very old prices! We've kept the price of the day down to last year's price while providing even more fun for you and your families! Last year's price of $31 per person now includes not only your ticket to the football game of Army vs. Rice, but also seating under a huge tent with tables and chairs right alongside the scenic Hudson River. Family members who do not wish to attend the game can enjoy the day at this scenic location with crafts and activities for the kids for $10. Parking passes are $5 and you are urged to carpool as spots are limited. Coffee and pastries in the morning and watermelon and cold drinks throughout the day are included in the basic pricing, and a chicken barbecue with all the fixings is available for $7.50, or being your own picnic lunch to enjoy down by the river. For more information, click here.

---

Orange-Rockland Child ID Training
It is regrettable that our Community Service chairman, Wor. Wayne Flavin, was the only Brother from the District who was able to attend the training on the new Child ID system last weekend. With the new system now in place, it is imperative that every Lodge participating in the Child ID program have a team trained in the use of the new computer-based system. To facilitate this, a training session will be held on the morning of Saturday October 28th at the Cornwall Masonic Temple in Mountainville, NY at 10:00 a.m. All Lodges are encouraged to send a team to the training, and some other local service and law enforcement organizations have been invited to join us for this training.

---

Brotherhood Fund Meeting
R:.W:. Robert Stack, Chairman of the Masonic Brotherhood Fund, and members of his team will be at Hoffman Lodge in Middletown, NY on Saturday November 4th to train local Lodge and District chairmen in the procedures necessary to organize and run a successful Brotherhood Fund campaign. Coffee will be served at 9:30 a.m. and the meeting will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m., and is expected to run about two hours. It is important that every Lodge be represented by its Brotherhood Fund Chairman or another designee at this meeting.

---

2006 DDGM Visits
It's almost that time again! The District Deputy Grand Master, RW Joe Leo, and and his traveling road show will be coming soon to a Lodge near you! Are you ready? Know what to do? We'll cover all the protocol at the School of Instruction on Monday September 11th. To view the schedule, please click here.

General Montgomery Day Parade (Wallkill Lodge)	Saturday September 9th 10:00 am	contact
Hoffman-Port Jervis Joint Interfaith Service and Breakfast	Saturday September 9th	contact
Naurashank Lodge Joint Interfaith Service	Saturday September 9th	contact
Hudson River-Jerusalem Temple Joint Interfaith Service	Sunday September 10th	contact
Goshen-Cornerstone Joint Interfaith Service	Sunday September 10th	contact
Stony Point-Wawayanda - Athelstane Joint Interfaith Service	Sunday September 10th	contact
Masters and Wardens Planning Meeting (Mountainville)	Monday September 11th at 7:00 pm	contact
District School of Instruction (Mountainville)	Monday September 11th at 8:00 pm	contact
Hudson River Lodge Annual Pig Roast	Saturday September 16th 12:00 pm	info | contact
Walden Day Parade (Wallkill Lodge)	Saturday September 16th 10:00 am	contact
Masonic Family Day at Tappan	Sunday September 17th*	contact
Port Jervis Lodge Master Mason Degree	Friday September 22nd*	contact
DDGM Visit to Hudson River Lodge	Wednesday September 27, 2006*	contact
Connecticut FC Degree Exemplification (West Point Lodge)	Friday September 29th at 7:30 pm	contact
Masonic Family Day at West Point	Saturday September 30th	contact
District Leaders Apron Presentations	Sunday October 1st at 12:00 pm*	contact
Wallkill Lodge Entered Apprentice Degree	Wednesday October 4, 2006	contact
DDGM Visit to West Point Lodge	Thursday October 5, 2006*	contact
Masters and Wardens Planning Meeting (Mountainville)	Monday October 9th at 7:00 pm	contact
District School of Instruction (Mountainville)	Monday October 9th at 8:00 pm	contact
DDGM Visit to Cornerstone Lodge	Wednesday October 11, 2006*	contact
Jerusalem Temple Lodge Entered Apprentice Degree	Saturday October 14, 2006 9am	contact
DDGM Visit to Athelstane Lodge	Tuesday October 17, 2006*	contact
DDGM Visit to Warwick Lodge	Tuesday October 24, 2006*	contact
DDGM Visit to Port Jervis Lodge	Friday October 27, 2006*	contact
Child ID Training	Saturday October 28th 10:00 am	contact
Wallkill Lodge Fellowcraft Degree	Wednesday November 1, 2006	contact
DDGM Visit to Stony Point-Wawayanda Lodge	Wednesday November 1, 2006*	contact
Brotherhood Fund Training Meeting	Saturday November 4, 2006	contact
DDGM Visit to Goshen Lodge	Monday November 6, 2006*	contact
DDGM Visit to Naurashank Lodge	Friday November 10, 2006*	contact
Jerusalem Temple Lodge Fellowcraft Degree	Saturday November 11, 2006 9am	contact
Grand Master's Ball - Long Island	Saturday November 11, 2006*	info
Masters and Wardens Planning Meeting (Mountainville)	Monday November 13th at 7:00 pm	contact
District School of Instruction (Mountainville)	Monday November 13th at 8:00 pm	contact
DDGM Visit to Wallkill Lodge	Wednesday November 15, 2006*	contact
DDGM Visit to Hoffman Lodge	Tuesday November 21, 2006*	contact
Wallkill Lodge Master Mason Degree	Wednesday December 6, 2006	contact
DDGM Visit to Jerusalem Temple Lodge	Saturday December 9, 2006	contact
ORDMA Family Holiday Party	Saturday December 30, 2006	contact
ORDMA Dinner Dance	Saturday March 17th, 2007	contact
* Denotes a dinner will precede or follow the meeting or event. Please check with the contact for details.

Each Lodge has been asked to conduct an In-Lodge Rededication program in September as part of our celebration of the 225th Anniversary of Grand Lodge. A special commemorative pin will be sent to participants at these special communications by Grand Lodge. Please remember to being your Masonic bibles. The following dates have been announced. If you can't make the ceremony at your own Lodge, please try to attend another, and bring another Mason with you!

Athelstane	Tuesday 9/19		Naurashank	Friday 9/22
Cornerstone	Wednesday 9/27		Port Jervis	Friday 9/8
Goshen	Monday 9/18		Stony Point-Wawayanda	Wednesday 9/20
Hoffman	Tuesday 9/19		Wallkill	Wednesday 9/20
Hudson River	Wednesday 9/13		Warwick	?
Jerusalem Temple	Saturday 9/23		West Point	Thursday 9/7

The Orange-Rockland School of Masonic Instruction will convene on the second Monday of each month, at locations around the District. Instruction will rotate on a monthly basis between Ritual, Grand Lodge educational programs, and seminars on topics like Leadership and Communication.

Our next School will be held on Monday September 11th at Jerusalem Temple Lodge at 8:00 p.m. The work on the trestleboard will be Balloting, DDGM Visits, and Basic Lodge Protocol followed by a social hour with cards and refreshments. A brief Masters and Wardens meeting will precede the School at 7:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, please contact the DDGM. We'll see you there!

You and your family and friends are most cordially invited to participate in a series of events on Saturday, September 9, 2006 at Masonic Hall in NYC to help mark the celebration of the 225th Anniversary of the establishment of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in the State of New York.

MASONIC HALL
71 West 23rd Street – New York City

2:30 p.m. Rededication of Masonic Hall, one of the foremost Masonic buildings in the world with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque in the lobby.

At 3:00 p.m. the Grand Master will officiate at ceremonies marking the start of the 225th Anniversary Year Celebration of Grand Lodge and will present the first of more than 33,000 American Flags being distributed by Masons across the Empire State to schools and community civic organizations.

At 4:00 p.m. there will be a very special lecture and presentation on the world famous Rosslyn Chapel. Advance ticket reservations required and proceeds will benefit the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory in Utica. Tickets are priced at $23…and may be ordered at: www.ticketweb.com.

NEW: A special price of 2 for $36 has been established to encourage family and friends who are interested in learning more about this fascinating site and more previously hidden mysteries of Freemasonry.

Master Mason Degree Assistance Needed *Note Date Change*
Port Jervis Lodge requires assistance with a Master Mason Degree on Friday October 13th. Speaking and non-speaking roles in the Drama are required. The degree will begin at 8:00 p.m. with dinner preceding it at 6:30 p.m. If you can assist, please contact Wor. Joe Ryder.

Masonic Family Days are Coming
Masonic Family Day at Tappan will be held on Sunday September 17th and Masonic Family Day at West Point will be held on Saturday September 30th. Both of these events, sponsored by our Grand Lodge, will take place in the Orange-Rockland District and we are looking for volunteers to help with them. Both afford opportunities to socialize with your Brethren, and to introduce family and friends to the Craft. If you can help with either, please contact the DDGM.

Wallkill Lodge invites the Brethren of our District to join them in marching in the General Montgomery Day Parade in Montgomery, NY on September 9, 2006, and the Walden Day Parade in Walden, NY on September 16, 2006. For more information, please contact the Master, Wor. Robert Schroeder.