Orange-Rockland Masons Online

Wow! Issue No. 25 and we haven't missed a week! There's so much great stuff happening around the Orange-Rockland District that we don't dare let up on the momentum we've gained. This last week saw a well attended District Deputy Visit at Athelstane Lodge, six Brothers Raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason at Port Jervis Lodge, a terrific Fellowcraft Degree at Stony Point-Wawayanda Lodge, and four new Brothers were initiated at the Entered Apprentice Degree at West Point Lodge. The Individual Development Course continues on Saturday, there are District Deputy Visits at Warwick Lodge on Tuesday and at Port Jervis Lodge on Friday, another Entered Apprentice Degree at West Point on Thursday, and Child ID system training at Jerusalem Temple Lodge next Saturday morning. Masonry is certainly thriving in Orange and Rockland Counties!

Even more impressive than the level activity, though, is the number of Brothers who have been out and traveling to attend these events. At the Master Mason Degree held at Port Jervis Lodge last Friday, ten Lodges from our District were represented, along with officers of our Orange-Rockland District Masonic Association. Visiting other Lodges is one of our greatest privileges as Freemasons, and we should make every effort to encourage our new Brethren to do so. It is equally important to bring our Entered Apprentices and Fellowcrafts to see the Degrees which they have just received to aid in their education and help them get a better grasp of the forms and ceremonies through which they have just passed. Visiting not only allows you to gain broader perspectives on Freemasonry but allows you to share your experiences with others... and it's fun!

Last week in this column, we shared excerpts from an article about Leadership in which officers were encouraged to give every Brother a small assignment to help reconnect them with the Lodge. This week, I'd like to suggest an even simpler approach. Look around your Lodge room, note the faces you don't see, and pick up the phone; call them and invite them to a meeting. Consider a special program or simply hold a Rusty Brother Night. Are Brothers waiting for a special invitation to come to Lodge? Yes, some are, so extend it. You don't have to be an officer to spend a moment to consider the Brothers who brought you into the Craft or came in with you and to reach out to them. If you are reading this and you haven't been to Lodge in awhile yourself, please consider this to be that invitation. You've been interested enough to read this far, why not come out to see all of the exciting things going on this year in your Lodge? You won't be sorry!

I'd like to thank those of you who have been reading this newsletter every week, and to welcome our new readers. It's been a lot of work, but the benefits are apparent, and your kind words are always appreciated. If you have suggestions or want to submit an event or article, please drop me a line at ddgm@o-rmasons.org. If you know of a brother who is not receiving the weekly reminder, please get me an e-mail address for them so I can add them to our list. As always, it's an honor and a pleasure to serve our District. Have a great week!

ORDMA Meeting
Please join us on Monday, October 23rd, for a meeting of the Orange-Rockland District Masonic Association (ORDMA) at Jerusalem Temple Lodge in Mountainville, NY. Dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will start promptly at 7:30pm. We will be discussing several items of interest to the Brothers of the District and the program for the evening is the Return of Masonic Jeopardy. If anyone would like further information, please contact Wor. Bruce Klein. We hope to see everyone Monday evening!

Child ID Training
The new Child ID program is now in place and 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 community service and law enforcement organizations have been invited to join us. Brothers are also invited to attend the regular Communication of Jerusalem Temple Loge which will precede the training at 9:00 a.m. (Breakfast at 8:00 a.m.). For more information, or to confirm your attendance, please contact Wor. Wayne Flavin.

Blood Drive
The Brothers of Athelstane Lodge ave asked us to spread the word about an upcoming Blood Drive which will be held on Friday, November 3rd from 11:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. at the Louis Kurtz Civic Center. The Center is located at 9 North Main Street at the corner of Lawrence Avenue, one block north of the railroad tracks in Spring Valley. This vital service deserves the participation of the community at large, remember, the gift of life is the most precious gift one can give. Please pass the word along to all.

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.

R:.W:. Eugene Erickson Honored
It is my pleasure announce that R:.W:. Eugene Erickson of Athelstane Lodge, Grand Representative of York Mexico near the Grand Lodge of New York, has been select Veteran of Year for Rockland County. Honors will be bestowed on him by the Rockland County Veterans Coordinating Council on Sunday, November 5, 2006 at "High Noon" at the Rockland County Courthouse, Main Street, New City, NY. A reception will follow. This is a well deserved honor for Bro. Erickson and we encourage everyone to come out in support of our distinguished Brother. For more information, please contact Bro. Bill Thorne.

Goshen Lodge Holiday Outing
Come join Goshen Lodge No. 365 for their 2006 Holiday Trip to see the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall featuring the Rockettes on Saturday November 11th. The luxury bus will leave the Goshen Plaza at 7:30 a.m. and travel to NYC for the 10:00 a.m. show. A tour of Grand Lodge will follow and a wine tasting will be presented on the trip home. The day will conclude with a prime rib dinner at Delancey's Restaurant in Goshen. Tickets are $100 per person, all inclusive, and are going fast. For more information, or to make a reservation, please contact Wor. Lou Barbone.

Masters and Wardens Meeting
The Masters and Wardens will meet at West Point Lodge on Monday November 13th at 7:00 p.m. Please note this is a change from our usual meeting location. 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 the Fellowcraft Degree. Please bring your Fellowcrafts for this informative evening. We hope to see everyone there!

Naurashank Dinner Dance
You are cordially invited to join the Brothers of Naurashank Lodge No 589 at their 20th Annual Dinner Dance which will be held on Friday November 17th at 6:30 p.m. at the Casa Mia Manor House in Blauvelt, NY. This is an evening of fun and fellowship not to be missed! The price is $50 per couple and reservations must be made by November 10th to R:.W:. Dave Cranstoun. For more information, you can reach him at (845) 623-3671. We hope to see you there!

Child ID System Fundraiser Update
We are more than half way toward meeting our goal! The Orange-Rockland District is raising funds to purchase its own Child ID system, which now consists of a laptop computer, camera, fingerprint digitizer, printer, etc. These systems cost about $2500 and while Grand Lodge now owns over a dozen units, demand is strong, and we'd like to have one in the District. We raised about $500 at the District Apron Re-Presentations, and ORDMA has already matched the four donations made by our Lodges with their donation of $500. We are still asking each Lodge on the District to consider contributing $125 toward the cost. Individual donations are also greatly appreciated with any surplus going toward the purchase of supplies. Please make out and send your checks to Jerusalem Temple Lodge with 'Child ID' in the memo field. If you have any questions, please contact W:. Wayne Flavin.

2006 DDGM Visits
The Road Show has begun!! The District Deputy Grand Master, RW Joe Leo, and his traveling road show will be coming soon to a Lodge near you! So far, the reviews have been favorable, so please plan to attend when we visit your Lodge! To view the schedule, please click here.

ORDMA Meeting at Jerusalem Temple Lodge	Monday October 21, 2006*	contact
DDGM Visit to Warwick Lodge	Tuesday October 24, 2006*	contact
West Point Lodge Entered Apprentice Degree	Thursday October 26, 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
Goshen Lodge Holiday Trip	Saturday November 11, 2006 9am	contact
Masters and Wardens Planning Meeting (West Point Lodge)	Monday November 13th at 7:00 pm	contact
District School of Instruction (West Point Lodge)	Monday November 13th at 8:00 pm	contact
DDGM Visit to Wallkill Lodge	Wednesday November 15, 2006*	contact
Naurashank Dinner Dance	Friday November 17, 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
Masters and Wardens Planning Meeting (Mountainville)	Monday December 11th at 7:00 pm	contact
District School of Instruction (Mountainville)	Monday December 11th at 8:00 pm	contact
ORDMA Family Holiday Party	Saturday December 30, 2006	contact
ORDMA Dinner Dance	Saturday March 17th, 2007	contact
Grand Lecturer's Convention	Tuesday April 10th, 2007	contact
* Denotes a dinner will precede or follow the meeting or event. Please check with the contact for details.