150th Anniversary rededication
On Saturday April 21st, our Grand Master and the Grand Line will visit Hoffman Lodge No. 412 in Middletown to rededicate the Lodge in celebration of its 150th Anniversary. The rededication, Masonic observances, and luncheon will begin at 10:00 a.m. and a full schedule of special activities for the public will begin at 3:00 p.m. Rumor has it that the Master plans dancing into the evening, so please set this day in a prominent place on your calendars! For more information, please contact the Master.

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Walk Around Rockland Lake
United Hospice of Rockland is one of the community outreach organizations supported by Athelstane Masonic Lodge. On April 22nd, Hospice will again sponsor a Walk Around Rockland Lake, an annual event in which the Brothers of Athelstane Lodge and their families participate every year. brothers and their families from around the District are encouraged to join the brothers of Athelstane Lodge this year. It is an easy 3 mile walk around the lake,which is flat and has some benches for those that would like to take a respite to admire the landscape,and wild life -- swans, mallards, geese and aquatic life. The whole three (3) mile walk will take approximately two hours, depending on your style of walking. There will be some light snacks and drinks, and of course, abundant fresh air, sunshine, and lots of smiles. The health benefits are only out-weighed by the friendship and good time, not to mention the good work we are doing for Hospice. Please e-mail Bro. Richie Schwartz and let him know how many people are in your group so that he can let Hospice know the number and sizes of t-shirts needed. Please contact Bro. Schwartz for more details.

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JTL Table Lodge
Jerusalem Temple Lodge will hold a Table Lodge on Saturday April 28th to honor several of our most devoted Brothers, past and present. This special evening will begin with an attitude adjustment at 6:00 p.m. and a full dinner and traditional Table Lodge program will begin at 7:00 p.m. The subscription for the evening is $25 and includes a souvenir firing glass. For more information, please contact Wor. Wayne Flavin. Please join us for a great time!

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Masters and Wardens Meeting
The Masters and Wardens will meet at Jerusalem Temple Lodge on Monday May 14th at 7:00 p.m. It is important that all Masters and Senior Wardens be present at this meeting so that we can go over dates and plans for the coming year. The meeting will be held prior to the School of Instruction which will convene at 8:00 p.m. and will cover Degree Planning and Rehearsals. Everyone is welcome to attend both parts of the evening and we hope to see you all there!

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Renegades Baseball Night
Jerusalem Temple Lodge will sponsor another outing to see the Hudson Valley Renegades play on Saturday July 28th. This year's outing will be special because it is being sponsored in conjunction with several veteran's organizations, and we will be arranging to have a group of disabled veterans from the Castle Point VA Hospital join us. The evening is $25 and includes admission to the game and all the hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs and chicken sandwiches you can eat along with soft drinks and the usual fixings. For more information, click here. We hope you can join us!

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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.

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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.

Child ID System
The District Child ID System is available to Lodges who have two Brothers trained in its use. These Brothers may sign out the system by contacting Wor. Wayne Flavin. Please allow a month in advance to reserve the system and allow the District Committee to order the necessary supplies for your program. Please remember that all unused materials must be returned with the system, there is to be no stockpiling of supplies for future programs.

Thank You ORDMA!
We would like to thank the Orange-Rockland District Masonic Association for their generous donation of $500 toward a second Child ID system. We still have a ways to go, anyone wishing to make a donation should contact Wor. Wayne Flavin.

Upcoming Programs
West Point Lodge will be holding a large Child ID program on Wednesday, July 4th in Highland Falls. Assistance is requested. For more information, please contact the Secretary.

Next ORDMA Meeting
The next meeting of the Orange-Rockland District Masonic Association (ORDMA) will be held on Monday April 30th at Port Jervis Lodge. Please note this is a change from the original meeting date. A light supper will be served at 6:30 p.m. followed by the meeting and program at 7:30 p.m. All Brothers of the District are invited and encouraged to attend!

ORDMA Calendars Now Available!
The 2006-2007 ORDMA Calendars are still available! 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.

Athelstane Lodge No. 839	Tuesday June 5th, 2007	7:30 p.m.
Cornerstone Lodge No. 711	No date Submitted
Goshen Lodge No. 365	No date Submitted
Hoffman Lodge No. 412	No date Submitted
Hudson River Lodge No. 309	Saturday June 2nd, 2007	12:00 p.m.
Jerusalem Temple Lodge No. 721	Thursday June 21st, 2007	7:30 p.m.
Naurashank Lodge No. 589	Friday June 8th, 2007	7:30 p.m.
Port Jervis Lodge No. 328	Saturday May 26th, 2007	2:00 p.m.
Stony Point-Wawayanda Lodge No. 313	Wednesday June 6th, 2007	7:30 p.m.
Wallkill Lodge No. 627	Saturday June 2nd, 2007	4:00 p.m.
Warwick Lodge No. 544	Tuesday June 12th, 2007	7:30 p.m.
West Point Lodge No. 877	No date Submitted

Hoffman Lodge 150th Rededication	Saturday April 21st, 2007	contact
Cornerstone Lodge Master Mason Degree (#2!)	Wednesday April 25th, 2007	contact
Port Jervis Lodge Fellowcraft Degree	Friday April 27th, 2007	contact
Naurashank Lodge Fellowcraft Degree	Friday April 27th, 2007	contact
Road to the East: Session Two	Saturday April 28th, 2007	contact
Jerusalem Temple Lodge Table Lodge	Saturday April 28th, 2007	contact
Athelstane Lodge Master Mason Degree	Tuesday May 1st, 2007	contact
Grand Lodge Session - NYC	Monday May 7th, 2007	contact
Grand Lodge Session - NYC	Tuesday May 8th, 2007	contact
Jerusalem Temple Lodge Fellowcraft Degree	Saturday May 12th, 2007	contact
Masters and Wardens Meeting 7:00 p.m.	Monday May 14th, 2007	contact
School of Instruction 8:00 p.m.	Monday May 14th, 2007	contact
Warwick Lodge Fellowcraft Degree	Tuesday May 22nd, 2007	contact
Orange-Rockland District Investiture Ceremony	Thursday May 24th, 2007	contact
Hudson River Installation of Officers (at JTL)	Saturday June 2nd, 2007	contact
Wallkill Lodge Installation of Officers	Saturday June 2nd, 2007	contact
Athelstane Lodge Installation of Officers	Tuesday June 5th, 2007	contact
Stony Point-Wawayanda Installation of Officers	Wednesday June 6th, 2007	contact
Naurashank Lodge Installation of Officers	Friday June 8th, 2007	contact
Warwick Lodge Annual Lobster Bake	Sunday June 10th, 2007	contact
Masters and Wardens Meeting 7:00 p.m.	Monday June 11th, 2007	contact
School of Instruction 8:00 p.m.	Monday Monday June 11th, 2007	contact
Warwick Lodge Installation of Officers	Tuesday June 12th, 2007	contact
Jerusalem Temple Lodge Installation of Officers	Thursday June 21st, 2007	contact
St. Johns Day Weekend - Utica, NY	Saturday June 23rd, 2007	contact
Jerusalem Temple Lodge Child Chicken Barbecue	Saturday June 30th, 2007	contact
West Point Lodge Child ID Program	Wednesday July 4th, 2007	contact
Jerusalem Temple Lodge Renegades Baseball Night	Saturday July 28th, 2007	info
Wallkill Lodge Annual Chicken Barbecue	Saturday August 4th, 2007	contact
Hudson River Lodge Annual Pig Roast	Saturday September 8th, 2007	contact
Masonic Family Day at Tappan	Sunday September 16th, 2007	contact
Masonic Family Day at West Point	Saturday September 29th, 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.

Our next School will be held on Monday May 14th at Jerusalem Temple Lodge at 8:00 p.m. The trestleboard for the School will be Degree Planning. 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!

Should Masonic Lodges Own Their Own Buildings?
By Robert E. Davies, Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of Ontario
Speech given at Grand Secretary's Conference, February 2002

The task assigned to me today is to address the pros and cons of Masonic ownership of real estate, at both the craft and Grand Lodge level. In order to provoke the maximum dialog in the time assigned it is my intent to merely set the table for discussion by laying out a few bits and bites for you to pick up what you wish to expound upon.

Here we go! At the time of the formation of the Mother Grand Lodge, Masons gathered mainly in quarters located in taverns. Here they no doubt enjoyed reasonable accommodation at minimum expense. Masonry flourished and expanded rapidly. Why?

A century later Masons were concerned about their fellow man and began to erect Masonic homes and engaged in multi-faceted acts of charity. Masonry flourished even more. Why?

During the past century the emphasis seemed to shift to the erection of buildings on a grand scale where lodges could meet and their Grand Lodges could set up their administrative headquarters. Midway through the century, Masonry began its numerical decline. Why?

At the start of this current century we find many lodges struggling to fund ownership of their own building and even Grand Lodges are struggling to retain their own structures. Why?

What has gone wrong? Do we allow our buildings to fall into disrepair and hence exhibit a negative influence of the Fraternity in the community? Are our membership losses related to time devoted to the wrong concerns?
Do we still have time to teach and practice Freemasonry the way our forefathers did, or are we too busy trying to hang on to our expensive real estate?

Have we lost the social aspect of Freemasonry enjoyed so long ago when Masons met in taverns? Is it time to take a serious look at the ever escalating cost in time and dollars, to meet once or twice a month in our own buildings? Is it time to divest ourselves of what, in many cases, may be an albatross about the lodges' neck, in order to get on with the job of practicing Freemasonry in all its vicissitudes, cultivating harmony and extending our charitable endeavors?

Brethren, the table is set. Please pick up the bits and bites laid out for discussion!

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.