Our Grand Lodge Session, held last Monday and Tuesday, was actually... terrific! Brothers who have attended sessions in the past commented enthusiastically on the use of technology and projection screens to enhance the experience and the agenda was run most efficiently and energetically; most importantly, it all ran on time! It was exciting to have delegations from the NY Firefighters Association and the Vietnam Veterans of America and Veterans of Modern Warfare present for the announcements of our new partnerships with their organizations to promote our community involvement and service programs. Our Grand Lodge has continued to promote our Craft in the most positive light this year, not only to the world at large but to our own members, and it was inspiring to learn about our successes in Communications, Community Service, Education, and Ritual. Eleven out of our twelve Lodges were represented on Monday, including seven masters, and eight Lodges were represented on Tuesday. Congratulations on a great turn out and I hope each Lodge receives a full report from their delegates on the many exciting new initiatives and decisions that were accomplished. I will present a copy of the Grand Master's address as soon as it becomes available electronically so you can share in the excitement of this most successful year in New York Freemasonry.
This also marks the start of a new Masonic year for our District. On Monday, May 14th, the Masters and Wardens will meet to begin planning the upcoming year. It is especially important that Senior Wardens be present as we will be setting the District calendar and assigning dates for the 2007 DDGM Visits. We also need to finalize plans for the District Investiture on May 24th and obtain the dates for the balance of the Installations. Finally, we will discuss the procedures for elections and reporting. I encourage every Brother reading this to call his Master and Wardens to make sure they are attending. If you're not seeing dates for your Lodges on the calendar and your events publicized, you are most likely not being represented at these important meetings. Please consider this carefully when electing your officers for next year. No Lodge is an island, and if you wish to have assistance from other Lodges, these meetings should be part of the commitment that your elected leaders make to you.
While this week's Masters and Wardens meeting is an essential event for next year's officers, and we encourage Brothers to attend the School of Instruction, there's another event that evening that bears mention. Walden Star Chapter #560, Order of the Eastern Star, is holding a special "open to the public" meeting and patriotic program to honor Veterans on Monday, May 14th at 8:00 p.m. They have planned a very special presentation where the Flag "speaks". The program will be held at the Walden Masonic Temple and a chair lift is available for anyone unable to climb stairs. Presentations will be made by the Chapter to two local VFW Posts. In light of the exciting new partnerships with the Vietnam Veterans of America and the Veterans of Modern Warfare announced at the Grand Lodge Session, this provides a wonderful kick-off for our District and I encourage Brothers to come out for it. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation. Anyone wishing further information may contact R:.W:. Marie Sager.
At the Grand Lodge Session, the 2006-2007 elected and appointed Grand Line were all re-elected and/or reappointed. Dave, John, Scott, and I were also reappointed to our positions. As we wrap up the 2006-2007 Masonic year, I would like to once again thank our District Leadership Team, Chairmen, and my Traveling Companions for all your support and hard work this year. The bad news is, this year will be even harder, but will also be far more satisfying as we watch our plans come to fruition. Your efforts on behalf of our District are greatly appreciated, I commend you for your selfless labors, and look forward to working with all of you in the coming year. I could not ask for a better band of Brothers to labor in the quarries with!
As for our outgoing Masters, well... I'll deal with YOU on May 24th! It already hurts to know that I won't be working with most of you, but I have every confidence in your successors. For everyone else... see you next week!
DISTRICT NEWS
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 attend this meeting so that we can go over dates and plans for the coming year. The DDGM Visit schedule for next year will be set at this meeting, as
well as other important District dates. 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!
District Investiture
On Thursday, May 24th, the Orange-Rockland District will Invest its
Masters-Elect with the Secrets of the Chair in a dinner and ceremony
that will commence at 6:30 p.m. at Hoffman Lodge in Middletown. After
dinner, the Assistant Grand Lecturers, past and present, will perform
the Ceremony, one of their stated duties, while an entertaining program
is held for their wives and those of the Past Masters in attendance.
Following the Ceremony, the newly Invested Masters-Elect and Past
Masters are invited to rejoin their Ladies for a joint program to
follow. The evening is open to all Past Masters and their wives, please
contact V:.W:. John Cola to RSVP or for more details. We hope to see you there.
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!
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.
UPCOMING CHILD ID PROGRAMS
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. Robert Morlang, Jr.. 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. Robert Morlang, Jr.
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.
ORDMA NEWS
Next ORDMA Meeting
The next meeting of the Orange-Rockland District Masonic Association
(ORDMA) will be held on Monday May 28th at a location to be announced. The annual election
of officers will be held at this meeting. 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 Still 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.
* Denotes a dinner will precede or
follow the meeting or event. Please check with the contact for
details.
SCHOOL OF INSTRUCTION
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. The 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!
SICKNESS AND DISTRESS
It is with great sadness that we inform you that our Brother Arthur Sebesta passed away last week. At the request of his wife Mary and the family, and according to Arthur's wishes, a Masonic Funeral Service in addition to a military service will be held on the grounds of the US Military Academy, West Point, NY. Arthur was a retired Colonel and permission for the Masonic Funeral Service has been given by the Chaplains Office at USMA.
The service will be held on Wednesday, May 16th, at the Old Cadet Chapel. Brothers are asked to assemble by 1:15 p.m. and please remember to allow sufficient time to pass through security at the USMA. Internment will follow with full military honors at the site. We would appreciate your attendance and assistance in advising all Brother Masons, Sojourners and veterans within the area. If you require any additional information, please contact R:.W:. Ron Steiner.
PODCAST POLL
Leadership Essentials
When No Is The Way To Go from Leadership Wired
Requests come toward us from all directions, each seeking to place a demand on our time. Some requests are nagging and others enticing. Each lobbies for a spot on our schedule and pressures us for commitment. As leaders, how do we know when “no” is the way to go?
WHY WE SAY YES
Our natural inclination is to say “yes” to almost every opportunity or call for help. For this reason, our lives become overextended, stressful, and unfocused. Rather than protecting our sanity by building margin into our schedule, we drive ourselves bonkers by committing to all manner of projects and activities.
There are three underlying fears driving us to say “yes.” First and foremost, we fear offending the person who is asking for our time. We don’t want to hurt our relationship with them, and it pains us to turn them down. A second fear is lost opportunity. We don’t want to miss out. We gravitate toward the center of the action, and opportunities seduce us with their promises of newness and excitement. A third fear is damaging our reputation. We like to be known as the reliable team member who can be counted on no matter what. We shudder to think of being viewed as a shirker or slacker if we refuse to take on more work.
WHEN WE SHOULD SAY NO
To begin saying “no,” develop a filter for evaluating potential commitments and/or opportunities. Here are four suggested questions for filtering requests for your time.
1. Does the commitment fall within your realm of responsibility?
With an impulse to improve the organization, a leader may end up dabbling in a wide range of projects. Although noble in intent, some projects can be a distraction from executing top priorities. Take care of definite job responsibilities first and perform them with excellence before embarking on additional ventures.
2. Does the opportunity align with your vision?
A house divided cannot stand, and a vision divided will likewise perish. Expending time on non-essential activities will split your focus and minimize your influence. Be wary of the allure of attractive but off-course opportunities.
3. Does the commitment allow you to operate within your strength zone?
In general, avoid commitments that drag you or your team away from what you do best. Be selective about where your time is invested. You’ll earn the greatest return by sticking with your strengths.
4. Do you have the capacity to follow through on your commitment?
Put simply: be realistic. You can’t do everything, nor can you expect your team to have infinite capacity to take on additional projects. Consider creating metrics to identify the boundaries of what you or your team can reasonably expect to accomplish.
HOW WE SHOULD SAY NO
In her article, Getting to No, on Forbes.com, Hannah Clark gives advice on how to say “no.” Among her suggestions:
1. Don’t decide on the spot
Oftentimes, even as we hang up the phone, we’re berating ourselves for agreeing to a commitment we would rather not have made. Clark recommends allowing yourself time and space to make a clear decision about a commitment: “To avoid agreeing to something you'll regret, try this mantra: ‘I'll have to check my schedule. Let me get back to you later.’ That gives you time to consider the request and respond on your own terms, by phone, e-mail, or in person.”
2. Be polite, but direct
According to Clark, in saying “no,” don’t use excessive niceties when turning down the requester. Being overly kind can unintentionally invite the asker to push for a commitment rather than signaling your refusal.
Next ORDMA Meeting