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R:.W:. Joseph R. Leo
District Deputy
Grand Master
e-mail
R:.W:. David L. Blasch
Grand Director
of Ceremonies
e-mail
V:.W:. John W. Cola
Assistant Grand
Lecturer
e-mail
V:.W:. Scott A. Klein
Assistant Grand
Lecturer
Lodges of the
Orange-Rockland
District
Athelstane
No. 839
Pearl River
web
site
Cornerstone
No. 711
Monroe
web
site
Goshen
No. 365
Goshen
contact
Hoffman
No. 412
Middletown
web
site
Hudson River
No. 309
Newburgh
web
site
Jerusalem Temple
No. 721
Mountainville
web
site
Naurashank
No. 589
Pearl River
contact
Port Jervis
No. 328
Port Jervis
contact
Stony Point-Wawayanda
No. 313
Sparkill
contact
Wallkill
No. 627
Walden
web
site
Warwick
No. 544
Warwick
contact
West Point
No. 877
Highland Falls
contact
|
So what do you want to do next year? Have you given it some thought? Are you happy with what did, or didn't, happen in your Lodge this year? Has your Senior Warden communicated to you his thoughts for his term in the East? Is 'Same Old, Same Old' going to be enough to keep your interest in your Lodge? If you haven't spoken to him yet, now is the time. If you re reading this, you obviously care about Masonry. Take the extra step and ask your Senior Warden what the plans are for next year, what the District and Grand Lodge have planned, and what he has planned. If he can't tell you, then he hasn't been attending Masters and Wardens and/or ORDMA meetings and your Lodge is not ready for what lies on the trestleboards of our Craft. More importantly, if he hasn't called or sought you out, how will you remain active in Freemasonry? Think about it before you cast your vote.
But Joe! We're volunteers! Um, nope, not quite. When
you stand for election as an officer of the Lodge, you take on new duties
and obligations. As a Master or Warden, it's time to come up with a
plan and work it, there's no room for apologies and excuses. If you
don't have time to do the job, don't run. If you don't intend to fulfill
all of the office's responsibilities, which include representing
your Lodge around the District, then don't accept the nomination. You're
not 'just holding a chair' and you're not doing anyone any
favors. If you're not sure what the duties of your office, of any Blue
Lodge office are, then contact our Grand Director of Ceremonies, R:.W:.
Dave Blasch and enroll for the Road to the East course being offered
in April. There's a lot of work ahead of us next year. If your Lodge
doesn't have a team ready to roll up their sleeves and work, or you
can't find enough dedicated Brothers to stand for election with every
intention of completing that work to the best of their abilities, please
contact me and I will put you in touch with the Lodge Renewal or, if
necessary, the Charters committee. A year in the East is not something
to 'get through' and collect an apron, finishing it should be like sliding
into home, out of breath and sweating from the effort, and elated at
the run.
We've got a lot going on in the District and there are Lodges that need assistance with Degree work (please see below). We have also had some additions and reschedulings on the calendar, so please check it over carefully. I'd also like to see all of our Lodges represented at the Child ID training in Walden on Saturday, especially since the District owns its own system and Grand Lodge just bought thirty more for the state. The only thing holding your Lodge back from doing its own programs is training for your Brothers, so let's rectify that. See you on Saturday!
OK, you knew it was coming. One last plug for the ORDMA dinner Dance, which will be held at Anthony's Pier Nine in Newburgh, NY next Saturday, March 17th. A limited number of tickets are still available at $55 per person, and we'd like to see at least one table from every Lodge filled as we welcome our Grand Master and honor Wor. Bob Radulski, ORDMA's first President. The gala black tie evening will feature a full cocktail hour, beer, wine, and soda included (but a cash bar for everything else), a delicious dinner, short speeches, and dancing to live music throughout the evening. Please do not contact me about tickets, send your requests directly to Wor. Bob Morlang or Wor. Bruce Klein. I hope to see you there!
Well, that's it for this edition. I'm sorry if I sounded a little harsh at the opening but we've seen what attitudes like "We're just lucky we could find someone to cover the chair" can do to our Lodges. If we expect nothing from people, we can count on getting just that. With all of our new programs, we are attracting more and more men to our Craft. ALmost all of our Lodges are doing Degree work right now. It's essential that we educate our new Brothers properly and without rushing so that they will be ready to step up and take our places in a few years, and do away with our current requirement of recycling officers. As my good friend Wayne Flavin has said many times, "Once our new Brothers have had a few years to learn how the Lodge works, I want to spend the rest of my days on the sidelines at a permanent sign of fidelity." I'm a little more ambitious, once my term is over, I want to hide behind the organ. Nope, I don't play it yet, but I'm working on the 'Baby Elephant Walk' and 'Alfred Hitchcock Theme' in preparation for the day. See you next week!
DISTRICT NEWS
Child ID Training
Two Child ID training sessions for the Orange-Rockland District will
be held at Wallkill Lodge in Walden on Saturday March 10th. The first session will be held at 10:00 a.m. and the afternoon session will begin at 1:00 p.m. Please remember that every Lodge is expected to
conduct at least one organized Community Involvement program each year, and Child ID is our flagship program. Several Lodges have programs planned over the next few months including a very large effort at the old Letchworth Village Complex in Stony Point, NY on Saturday, April 7th, 2007 during the Little League Opening Day. Equipment will not be provided unless you have members trained in the use of the new system. Officers, please plan to have members at one of these sessions. All interested Masons and Eastern Star members are encouraged to attend. Coffee, tea, juice and baked goods will served. For more information, please contact Marie Sager.
Road to the East
Road to the East, the Lodge officers training course, will be offered on Saturday April 14th and Saturday April 28th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Jerusalem Temple Lodge in Mountainville. This course is a 'must have' for anyone planning to serve as a Master or Warden next year but is also highly recommended for Deacons as well. The course has been completely re-vamped, and if you took it ten years ago, it's worth another visit. Breakfast with the Brothers of JTL will be available at 8:00 a.m. Please note that you must commit to attend both sessions, and will require copies of the new 24" Gauge Masonic Resource Guide, Book of Constitutions, Book of Etiquette, and a ritual book. Your Lodge should be able to provide these to you. For more information, including any additional fees for the course, please contact our Grand Director of Ceremonies, R:.W:. Dave Blasch.
Masters and Wardens Meeting
The Masters and Wardens will meet at Hoffman Lodge on Monday
March 12th at 7:00 p.m. Please note this is a special
meeting location. The meeting will be held prior to the School of
Instruction which will convene at 8:00 p.m. and will be a rehearsal for our
Grand Lecturer's Convention, which will be held on Tuesday April 10th. We hope
to see everyone there!
Blood Drive Cancelled
The Blood Drive at Port Jervis Lodge scheduled for February 24, 2007
has been cancelled. We will let you know when it may be rescheduled.
Library Dinner Dance
The Chancellor Robert R Livingston Library of Grand Lodge will hold its annual Dinner Dance, honoring
Past Grand Master Bruce Widger, will be held on Sunday, March 25th at Leonard's of Great Neck beginning at noon.
There will be an open bar, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing with the proceeds benefiting the Library. Tickets
are $80 per person. More information is available in the NY NETNEWS.
Grand Lecturer's Convention
Don't forget our own Grand Lecturer's Convention which will be held
on Tuesday April 10th at Hoffman Lodge in Middletown. We expect all
of our Lodges to attend with their complete line of officers and as
many Brothers as you can bring! Please... make plans, not excuses!
2007-2008 Individual Development Course (iDC)
Registration for next year’s Individual Development Course
will be available soon. This course provides skills useful in every
aspect of our lives and helps to develop us in our roles at work,
our homes, our communities, and our Craft. The course focuses on personal
skills such as time management, goal setting, and self-discipline;
interpersonal skills such as public speaking, e-mail and written materials,
dealing with difficult people, running effective meetings, and the
group process; and other important skills such as problem and data
analysis, brainstorming, surveys, and project management. These are
skills that apply to all areas of our lives and next year’s
course, scheduled to begin in September and run one Saturday a month
for six months, will be open to spouses as well as Masons. We hope
to see many of you take advantage of this important and very valuable
opportunity. For more information, please contact the DDGM.
Orange-Rockland Central Chapter, Order of DeMolay
DeMolay is a Masonic youth program for boys ages 12-21, which teaches
leadership within a fun, moral framework in line with our own principles
and tenets. The local Chapter, which meets at Wallkill Lodge in Walden,
is in desperate need of advisors, Brothers willing to give up a few
hours a month to mentor and work with these inspiring young men. There’s
no commitment required to obtain information, give us a call and see
what it’s all about. For more information, please contact R:.W:.
Hank Stoveland.
ORDMA NEWS
 ORDMA Dinner Dance
Mark your calendars! The annual ORDMA Dinner Dance will be held on
Saturday March 17th at Anthony's Pier Nine in New Windsor. The evening,
which will feature a full cocktail hour, dinner, live music, and dancing
is only $55 per person. We are supplementing the price with journal
ads to make it easier for people to attend, and hope you will encourage
your Lodge and local businesses to support ORDMA's charitable projects
by purchasing an ad. For more information on tickets or ads, please
contact Wor. Bob Morlang or Bro.
John Gebbia.
Download the ORDMA
Dinner Dance Ad Form
ORDMA Calendars Now Available!
When we said 'mark your calendars' just now, did you have to stop
to remember where yours is? Well, look no further, the 2006-2007 ORDMA
Calendars are here! These handy pocket calendars contain all of our
District's Lodge and Concordant Bodies meetings, important events,
Lodge and District officers, and directions to our Lodges. The calendars
cost $5 each and the proceeds go to support our District's community
service and charitable efforts, including our new District child ID
system. To obtain a calendar, contact any of ORDMA's officers. They
make great stocking stuffers for your Brothers!
DATES TO REMEMBER
| Port Jervis Lodge Entered Apprentice Degree |
Friday March 9th, 2007 |
contact |
| Jerusalem Temple Lodge Entered Apprentice Degree *Cancelled* |
Saturday March 10th, 2007 |
contact |
| Masters and Wardens Planning Meeting (Mountainville) |
Monday March 12th at 7:00 pm |
contact |
| District School of Instruction (Mountainville) |
Monday March 12th at 8:00 pm |
contact |
| ORDMA Dinner Dance |
Saturday March 17th, 2007 |
contact |
| Hoffman Lodge Entered Apprentice Degree (No. 2!) |
Tuesday March 20th, 2007 |
contact |
| Jerusalem Temple Lodge Entered Apprentice Degree *Rescheduled* |
Saturday March 24th, 2007 |
contact |
| Livingston Library Dinner Dance |
Sunday March 25th, 2007 |
contact |
| Wallkill Lodge Master Mason Degree |
Wednesday April 4th, 2007 |
contact |
| Grand Lecturer's Convention |
Tuesday April 10th, 2007 |
contact |
| Cornerstone Lodge Master Mason Degree |
Wednesday April 11th, 2007 |
contact |
| Jerusalem Temple Lodge Fellowcraft Degree |
Saturday April 14, 2007 |
contact |
| Hoffman Lodge 150th Rededication |
Saturday April 21st, 2007 |
contact |
| Cornerstone Lodge Master Mason Degree (#2!) |
Wednesday April 25th, 2007 |
contact |
| Jerusalem Temple Lodge Master Mason Degree |
Saturday May 24th, 2007 |
contact |
| Cornerstone Lodge Rededication |
Saturday October 14th, 2007 |
contact |
| * Denotes a dinner will precede or
follow the meeting or event. Please check with the contact for
details. |
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 March 12th at Jerusalem Temple
Lodge at 8:00 p.m. The trestleboard for the School will be the Entered
Apprentice Degree. 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!
Answers to Last Week's Middle Chamber Quiz
Here are the answers to last week's trivia questions about our Middle Chamber Lecture.
1. The five orders of ancient classic architecture, as presented in the Middle Chamber Lecture, are almost a word for word translation of the works of what famous author?
Vitruvius
2. The original significance of the numbers three, five, and seven is based on the theory of harmonics originally attributed to what Greek philosopher?
Pythagoras
3. The seven liberal arts and sciences as discussed in the lecture are traditionally broken into groups of three and four, based on educational principles dating back to Greek and Rome. What are these two groups called?
The Trivium (Grammar, rhetoric, and logic) and the Quadrivium
(Arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music)
4. The Ephraimites were incensed with Jephthah at not having been allowed to fight in a war with whom?
The Ammonites
5. Robert Preston selected the elements of this introduction to a 'proper liberal education' based on the curriculum of what university?
Oxford University
SICKNESS AND DISTRESS
It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Bro. John Von Ohlsen, a 52 year member of Athelstane Lodge and a retired Ramapo Town police captain. He has been living out of state in Virginia for the last few years and passed away on February 25th. A Masonic Funeral Service was held on Thursday March 9th in Suffern, NY. Our District extends its deepest condolences to the family and Brethren of Athelstane Lodge.
HELP WANTED
Entered Apprentice Degree Assistance Needed
Port Jervis Lodge requires assistance with an Entered Apprentice Degree on Friday March 9th. Assistance is needed with the historical lecture and charge. The degree will begin at 7:30 p.m. with dinner preceding it at 6:30 p.m. If you can assist, please contact the Secretary.
Entered Apprentice Degree Assistance Needed
Hoffman Lodge requires assistance with an Entered Apprentice Degrees
on Tuesday March 20th. Assistance is needed with the historical lecture,
charge, Lecture of Reasons, stewards, and conductors. The degree will
begin at 7:30 p.m. with dinner preceding it at 6:30 p.m. If you can
assist, please contact the Secretary.
Restoration Help Wanted
Cornerstone Lodge would like to announce to the District that the
restoration of McGarrah's Stagecoach Tavern is underway. We are looking
for volunteers to assist in the historic preservation of our building
which houses the oldest surviving Masonic lodge room in New York State
and the third oldest in the nation. Freemasons who donate two weekends
of labor or a cash donation of the equivalent to the project will
have their names permanently inscribed on a commemorative stone as
contributors. The official dedication of our Museum and Historic site
will be October 14, 2007 when the M:.W:. Neal I Bidnick, Grand Master
of Masons, will perform the opening ceremonies. This will be a few
days shy of the 190th Anniversary of the first Masonic meeting in
the building. We expect many visitors from the local historic community
to attend. Brothers, please mark this date on your calendars. There
will be much food and celebration.
Copyright 2006-2007 Orange-Rockland District,
GLNY F&AM. All rights reserved. |
