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Issue No. 34 December 22, 2006 |
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R:.W:. Joseph R. Leo R:.W:. David L. Blasch V:.W:. John W. Cola V:.W:. Scott A. Klein Lodges of the Athelstane Cornerstone Goshen Hoffman Hudson River Jerusalem Temple Naurashank Port Jervis Stony Point-Wawayanda Wallkill Warwick West Point Archives No.
1 5/5/06 |
My Brothers, we have suffered another week of terrible loss in our District. Last Friday, we learned of the death of R:.W:. Bob Burwick, long-time Secretary of Jerusalem Temple Lodge, and last evening Marilyn Glassey-Horstmann, wife of Wor. Claude Horstmann and mother of Bro. Matthew Horstmann passed away. We extend out most heartfelt condolences to the Burwick and Horstmann families. On a happier note, we are pleased to see that Wor. Bob Morlang, Wor. Sam Phelps, and Wor. Bob Toms are all on the mend and wish them all a speedy recovery. There were some good times this week too! Athelstane Lodge and Jerusalem Temple Lodge both held holiday gatherings and a great time was enjoyed by all. We have more good times to look forward to like the ORDMA Holiday Party coming up on Saturday December 30th (details below) and I hope that many of you will gather your families and friends and join us. In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy the week that many have off, spend some time with your families, and take some time to read a good book. Our own personal growth is a primary goal of our participation in Freemasonry. I recommend that everyone take a few minutes to read the article about Masonic Education that appears later in this issue. It's written by a brother from another jurisdiction but demonstrates that the need for embracing Masonic Education is universal in our Craft and offers ideas for some programs for the rest of the year. Many of our Lodges have Entered Apprentices and Fellowcrafts learning their proficiencies. While for manythis week is a week off from work, it's also a great time to mentor a new Brother in THE Work. Give him a call, I'm sure he'll be happy you took the time. On behalf of our Grand Master, the M:.W:. Neal I. Bidnick, and our Grand Lodge, our Grand Director of Ceremonies, R:.W:. Dave Blasch, our Assistant Grand Lecturers, V:.W:. Scott Klein and John Cola, our District Staff, and of course my wife Helen and myself, I would like to wish you all a joyous holiday season and a safe and prosperous New Year. Enjoy your holidays, celebrate safely, rejoice in the real meanings of the season, and we'll see you next week! A Holiday Greeting From our Grand Master
My Brethren, Family and friends, We greet this holiday season as a time to be with our families and friends, to find joy in the spirit of giving, and to reflect on the year just passed while anticipating the New Year about to come. It is a time filled with happiness for many of us. Perhaps this year, we can all stop for a moment and think of those who may be experiencing sadness during this season: our Brothers with families who may be struggling through difficult times; a widow spending her first holiday alone; a family with a son or daughter serving overseas. Let’s take time to remember these people in our prayers and in our plans this year, and see if our happiness can lighten their cares, even for a few moments. This, my Brothers, is what Masons do. So whether you light the candles on the Menorah, or string the lights on the Christmas tree, may these shining lights be beacons for peace in this holiday season, and may these beacons be reflected in every window in the world. On behalf of our family and your elected and appointed Grand Line, Joyce, Brian and I wish to extend to you and all you cherish our warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season. May you have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and a New Year filled with good health, happiness and especially peace on Earth. May God continue to bless you, your family and our great Fraternity. May He watch over our men and women in military service and bring them safely home, and may He continue to Bless America.
Sincerely and fraternally, DISTRICT NEWS
Athelstane Lodge Supports the Tree of Life No ORDMA Meeting This Month Masters and Wardens Meeting ORDMA NEWS
ORDMA Dinner Dance ORDMA Calendars Now Available! DATES TO REMEMBER
SCHOOL OF INSTRUCTION
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 January 8th at Jerusalem Temple Lodge at 8:00 p.m. The trestleboard for the School will be announced shortly. Please bring your Entered Apprentices and Fellowcrafts for this informative evening.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! An Editorial on Education
The Need for Masonic Education When you bring up the subject of Masonic Education in Lodge, a lot of Brothers surprisingly roll their eyes and go to sleep. Maybe its because they have heard it all before (which I doubt) or perhaps we are not being imaginative in how we present it. Nonetheless, I have found Masonic Education to be an important part of the vitality of a Lodge and I'm surprised when I find no mention of it in a Lodge aside from our usual degrees. Interestingly, I have found there a correlation between Masonic Education and the prosperity of the Lodge. All of the Lodges I have attended who have had a regular and imaginative program of Masonic Education seem to be vibrant in terms of meeting attendance, attracting visitors, increased membership, and financial stability. Those who do not have such a program are the antithesis of this. I have seen this too often to believe it is nothing more than a coincidence. Where I come from, the Senior Warden is normally responsible for managing the Lodge's Masonic Education program. This is a good idea as it helps educate the Senior Warden prior to becoming Worshipful Master. Masonic Education can take many forms: lectures, open-book examinations, research papers, videos, discussion groups/committees, etc. To my way of thinking, there should be some topic of Masonic Education at every Stated Communication. This can be supplemented by special meetings to discuss a Masonic subject. As we all know, Freemasonry is long and rich in history. It also involves the arts and sciences. One of the best presentations I have heard regarding Freemasonry was from a young Brother who spoke for a half hour on Geometry and how it applied to the fraternity. So what else should be discussed? Here is a list of ideas for you: * Masonic Etiquette - do's and don'ts in Masonic protocol. As a small example, how a Brother should be addressed when writing correspondence; decorum in the Lodge (how to address another Brother in the Lodge or saluting), etc. * Masonic History - not just our ancient history, but how Freemasonry came to our state/province or community (Lodge history). Perhaps a biographical sketch of the Lodge's founding fathers. Try reading the Lodge minutes from 50 or 100 years ago; it is interesting to see what the Lodge was thinking and doing back then. * Masonic Trivia - featuring little known facts about the fraternity or your jurisdiction. * Freemasonry in other jurisdictions - this is particularly insightful for understanding the differences in our degree work and customs. It also improves relations between jurisdictions. If possible, invite a speaker from another jurisdiction to describe the differences. For example, a few years ago we had a traveling team of Masons from the United Kingdom visit our area and exemplified their degree work; this turned out to be a "standing room only" meeting. * Allied and appendant bodies - describing the various Masonic bodies and their activities. This promotes understanding and cooperation between the Craft Lodge and the other Masonic bodies. * Officer Responsibilities - to educate the Craft as to the duties and responsibilities of Lodge officers (particularly the Master, Wardens, Secretary and Treasurer jobs). * Masonic Law - to familiarize the Craft with the laws, rules, and regulations of your jurisdiction. Reviewing Lodge bylaws is also useful. * Research papers - on how Freemasonry pertains to such things as philosophy, music, mathematics, science, astronomy, etc. * Masonic News - discuss current events in Freemasonry. In other words, use your imagination and encourage Lodge members to get involved. The more the Craft knows, the more active they will be. But keep it positive and upbeat. Dry and boring presentations will only put people to sleep. Finding an effective speaker can be a challenging task. During my year in the East, I developed a list of Masonic speakers which I frequently referenced. I made this list available to other Lodges in my district who have also capitalized on it. Most of the time, a speaker will be glad to give a presentation on a gratis basis. Nevertheless, when I was in the East I always presented a guest speaker with a small gift as a token of our appreciation and followed up with a thank you note. Such tokens are greatly appreciated by the speakers. * There is no doubt in my mind that an effective and imaginative program of Masonic Education can have nothing but a positive impact on the well-being of a Lodge. Try it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the results you get. Besides, aren't we supposed to be seeking "further light"? Always remember, "An educated Mason is a dedicated Mason." Keep the Faith! Article reprinted with permission of the author
and "The Working Tools" magazine, * Editor's Note: MUNY has a Speakers Bureau with a list of speakers available to present on a variety of subjects. For more information, visit www.e-muny.org. You will also find outlines and instructions for many of the programs that were referenced in this article in the new '24 Inch gauge Masonic resource Guide', available from Lodge Services. SICKNESS AND DISTRESS
With great sadness, we must inform you of the passing of Marilyn Glassey-Horstmann on Thursday December 21st after a brief illness. Marilyn was the beloved wife of Wor. Claude Horstmann and mother of Bro. Matthew Horstmann, both of Cornerstone Lodge. A memorial service will be held sometime next week at Goshen Lodge and a notice will be sent to the District with details when they are available. Many of us knew Marilyn and we offer our deepest condolences to Claude and Matt on this tragic loss. It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of R:.W:. Bob Burwick, Past Grand Representative of the State of Nevada near the Grand Lodge of New York and long time Secretary of Jerusalem Temple Lodge No. 721. Bob was Summoned by the Great Architect on Friday December 15th at the age of 87. A copy of his obituary can be found by clicking here. He was a pillar of the Lodge and will be sorely missed. A Masonic Service will be held for Bob last Monday andwe ask that you include him in your prayers. We've learned that Wor. Bob Toms, long time Secretary of Warwick Lodge and ORDMA, is in Saint Anthony's Hospital in Warwick. He looks well and has informed the Brothers that it's not pneumonia, but he was feeling run down and his doctor made him check into the hospital last Friday. Bob says that they have done a lot to make him feel and look much better but he still has a few tests coming up. He'd love to hear from people and he does not think he will have to remain there too much longer. We are happy to announce that Wor. Bob Morlang and Wor. Sam Phelps III are both home and on the mend. Your continued prayers are always appreciated, though, so please keep them in your thoughts over the holidays. HELP WANTED
Restoration Help Wanted Master Mason Degree Assistance Needed Master Mason Degree Assistance Needed Copyright 2006 Orange-Rockland District, GLNY F&AM. All rights reserved. |
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ORDMA Holiday Party