My Brothers,

Memorial Day 2006 is close at hand and it is fitting and proper that we pause to remember those who have laid down their lives in service to our country, and those who unselfishly served, whom we proudly call veterans. From the War of the Revolution and the War of 1812 to our bloody Civil War, in WWI and WWII, from Korea and Vietnam to the Gulf War and Afghanistan and Iraq, the dedication and heroism of the men and women of our citizen armies have inspired us all. And we must remember those gallant men and women who wear the uniform of our nation’s Armed Forces and are stationed in defense of our country around the world. On Memorial Day and every day we Masons honor and salute them for all they do to protect our liberty and freedoms. Bless them all!

Masonry and the military have been indelibly linked throughout the history of our great republic. The Boston Tea Party, the ride of Brother Paul Revere, the Minutemen at Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, the ragtag citizen soldier who froze at Valley Forge: the spirit that fought on through great trial and adversity to win victory and our independence is engrained in us and is part of our national and Masonic heritage. Our Brother George Washington led that march to victory.

It did not take a Gettysburg to remind Masons that we are our brother’s keeper. It did not take a Pearl Harbor or 9/11 to teach us how precious our freedoms are. Brotherhood and patriotism and tolerance are synonymous with Masonry. Brother Masons have led the way from writing the Declaration of Independence to the creation of our Constitution, from Bunker Hill to Gettysburg, from the day of infamy to the return to the Philippines, from the first missions to space to the first steps on the moon.

Today, while Masons serve in the battle zones Masons at home give their time and resources to aid and comfort the men and women in our military. We visit and minister to the sick and wounded in Veterans Hospitals. We give our time and very personal resources to donate blood. Masons remember and assist the families of the men and women who serve.

Service, my Brethren, is part of our heritage; and we are committed to helping wherever and whenever the need should arise. We are vigilant to protect and defend our sacred freedoms. When called we stand and fight against tyranny and terror, clothed in armor or clothed in lambskins. Carry this message to your Lodges, to your homes, to your friends and associates. As Masons we are committed: our nation under God shall endure.

Memorial Day is a very solemn yet a very real and proud moment for our nation and our Craft in New York. As Masons we have a role in a world dedicated to peace and the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God--the very fundamental tenets of Freemasonry.

So mote it be!

Fraternally,

Neal I. Bidnick
Grand Master

New Installation Booklets Have Arrived
The new Installation of Officers ritual book has been sent to every Lodge. If you have not yet installed your new officers, this is the book you should use. There are some minor changes, so please be sure to use the right book. Please remember that this Installation is considered standard work, and the Installation of Officers should contain no deviation, additions, or improvisations. This book has been sent to your Lodges for free. Additional copies are available from the Grand Lodge Registry Department for $5.00.

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An Invitation to the Masters of Lodges
The Masters of the Orange-Rockland District and their Ladies are cordially invited to meet our Grand Master and members of the Grand Line on Saturday August 12th at noon. This will be a free barbecue with Masters of several surrounding Districts also in attendance. The location will be announced shortly, but please mark your calendars now. We hope that all of the Masters of our District will make every effort to attend.

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The DaVinci Code Released!
The film The DaVinci Code, based on Dan Brown's best selling book, was released this week. Based on the press it has received, along with additional coverage from the Discovery Channel, CNN, and National Geographic, Freemasonry has once more returned to the spotlight. Is YOUR Lodge prepared for the inquiries that are sure to follow? Do YOU know what you will say when someone asks you about the Craft? Don't wait until you're put on the spot, consider your response now! Prepare information packets about the Fraternity, our charities, and history. Volunteer to stuff some envelopes for your Lodge and take advantage of the publicity that is sure to follow.

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Elections Completed
All Lodges in our District should have completed their election of officers for the 2006-2007 term by this time. Secretaries are reminded that the sealed original Election return should have been sent to Grand Lodge by now with a sealed copy sent to the DDGM. Lodges are also reminded of the important opportunity that public installations afford us to show friends and family what the Craft is all about. Have you considered a press release to your local newspaper? If you require assistance with this, please contact the DDGM and he will have a member of the District Communications Committee contact you.

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ORDMA Meeting Rescheduled
The Orange-Rockland District Masonic Association (ORDMA) will hold its annual election of officers for the 2006-2007 term on Tuesday May 30th at 7:30 p.m. at West Point Lodge. Please note that this is from change of its regular meeting night. Dinner will be provided beforehand at 6:30 p.m. We encourage all Brothers to come out and support this important benevolent and charitable association. Remember, the first year's membership is free for all newly Raised Master Masons!

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Grand Lodge Report
You can download the Summary Letter from the Grand Secretary about the 225th Annual Communication of Grand Lodge by clicking here. Download the attached PDF file (Adobe Acrobat Document) and open it using Adobe Reader 6.0( or newer). Free Adobe Reader Software can be downloaded from the following Web Site:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html

Hudson River Lodge Dinner and a Movie	Saturday May 27th at 6:00 pm*	contact
Memorial Day Parade (Wallkill Lodge)	Saturday May 29th at 10:00 am	contact
Memorial Day Parade (Goshen Lodge)	Saturday May 29th at 10:00 am	contact
ORDMA Meeting (West Point) - DATE CHANGE	Tuesday May 30th at 7:30 pm*	contact
West Point Lodge Tiled Installation of Officers	Thursday June 1st at 7:30 pm	contact
Hudson River Lodge Open Installation of Officers	Sunday June 4th at 3:00 pm	contact
Stony Point-Wawayanda Tiled Installation of Officers*	Wednesday June 7th at 7:30 pm*	contact
Jerusalem Temple Lodge Installation of Officers	Thursday June 8th at 7:30 pm*	contact
Hudson River Lodge Groundbreaking Ceremony & Picnic	Saturday June 10th at 12:00 pm*	contact
Hoffman Lodge Installation of Officers	Saturday June 10th at 6:00 pm*	contact
Warwick Lodge Lobster Bake	Sunday June 11th at 1:00 pm	info | contact
Masters and Wardens Planning Meeting (Mountainville)	Monday June 12th at 7:00 pm	contact
District School of Instruction (Mountainville)	Monday June 12th at 8:00 pm	contact
Warwick Lodge Tiled Installation of Officers	Tuesday June 13th at 7:30 pm*	contact
Hudson River/Stony Point-Wawayanda MM Degree	Wednesday June 21 at 7:30 pm*	contact
Saint Johns Day Weekend (Utica)	Weekend June 24th-25th	contact
ORDMA Meeting (Location TBA)	Monday June 26th at 7:30 pm	contact
Jerusalem Temple Lodge Coffee House	Saturday July 15th at 7:30 pm*	contact
Wallkill Lodge Chicken Barbecue	Saturday August 5th 1:00 pm	info | contact
General Montgomery Day Parade (Wallkill Lodge)	Saturday September 9th 10:00 am	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
Connecticut MM 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
* Denotes a dinner will precede or follow the meeting or event. Please check with the contact for details.

Wallkill Lodge invites the Brethren of our District to join them in marching in the Memorial Day Parade in Walden on Monday May 29th, 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-Elect, Bro. Robert Schroeder.

Goshen Lodge will also be marching in the Goshen Memorial Day Parade on Monday May 29th. For more information on the Goshen parade, please contact the Master, Wor. Lou Barbone.

We'd love to see as many Brothers from the District support these two Lodges in their efforts to show folks that Freemasonry is active in their communities! Keep an eye on future editions for updates on times, maybe we can march in both. Road trip anyone?

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.

The Orange-Rockland School of Masonic Instruction has returned! The School will convene on the second Tuesday 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 June 12th at Jerusalem Temple Lodge at 8:00 p.m. In consideration of all our new officers, a program on Opening, Closing, and Balloting will be presented by our Assistant Grand Lecturers. 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!

Enjoy this Masonic cryptogram. Each number represents a letter. The result is a well-known Masonic phrase. Enjoy!

		O						D				A			H					P				F
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26

__	__		__	__	__	__	__	__	__		__	__	__		__	__	__	__	__	__	__	__
1	3		3	24	8	18	15	22	18		1	16	18		13	21	21	15	3	13	20	16
					__	__		__	__	__	__	__	__		__	__	__
					3	25		20	3	10	13	5	8		13	5	9
					__	__	__	__	__	__	__	__	__	__	__	__	__
					18	13	22	18	8	9	15	3	21	21	18	15	8

Last week's puzzle: But charity extends beyond the grave