I apologize for the tardiness of this issue. As you know, I have been working to organize Masonic Family Day at West Point which was held yesterday and was an awesome success. We had gorgeous weather, cheered a winning Army football team, dined on an awesome chicken barbecue, and spent the day with Brothers from all over the state. The only thing missing was you. Yes, it you are reading this, there's a 1888 out of 1900 chance that I'm speaking to you. It's hard to explain to the Grand Master that only five Lodges out of twelve in the host district were represented and we only count as five because of dual memberships so we can count some Brothers twice. I was embarassed and disappointed and I'll leave it at that.
As you can see, our calendar has exploded again and I know we have more events of interest coming up that aren't added yet. Put on your travelling shoes and let's get out to see each other. It's been a long weekend. Play nice with each other, polish your ritual, and we'll see you next week!
DISTRICT NEWS
New NY NetNews Now Avaiable
The September 2007 issue of the New York electronic newsletter NETNEWS has been published and is once again available for your information and reading pleasure. NETNEWS can be accessed via the Home Page link on the Grand Lodge website: www.nymasons.org
or by simply clicking here:
As always, your comments and suggestions, as well as inquiries and contributions, are encouraged. You can contact the NETNEWS Editor, Brother Steven Koch, at this E-mail address: nynetnews@gmail.com.
We would appreciate you telling all of your Masonic Brothers who have E-mail of the timely, pertinent information from our various Grand Lodge Committees available to them each month via NETNEWS and our Grand Lodge website. Feel free to cut and paste any and all information contained in NEWTNEWS. It is designed to allow for this purpose and to assist in supplying timely, accurate information for Lodge and District publications via our Masonic News Network.
Remember, in our acronym: CCER=M , the first "C" stands for "Communications!
DDGM and Staff Officer Applications
Applications for the positions of DDGM and Staff Officer (2008-2010) have been sent to the Masters and Secretaries of Lodges. If your Lodge did not receive these, please contact the Grand Secretary's Office at Grand Lodge, I do not have copies. If you have any interest in serving in one of these positions, you MUST get your application in to the DDGM by October 1st. Applicants are expected to meet with the Masters and Wardens on Monday October 8th and with the Selection Committee on Tuesday October 23rd. If you have any questions, please contact the DDGM.
Masters and Wardens Meeting
The Masters and Wardens will meet at Jerusalem Temple Lodge on Monday
October 8th at 7:30 p.m. It is important that all of our Masters and Wardens attend. Please remember that these meetings and
this newsletter are the primary coordination and communication venues
in this District and each Lodge is responsible for the information
disseminated therein . If your Lodge is not represented, the officers
are still responsible for obtaining the information from other Lodges
in attendance. Thus attendance is expected of Masters and Wardens
but everyone is welcome to attend and we hope to see other elected
and appointed officers there!
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.
Upcoming Programs
Athelstane Lodge will be holding a large Child ID program on Saturday,
November 18th in New City. For
more information, please contact the
Master.
ORDMA NEWS
Next ORDMA Meeting
The next meeting of the Orange-Rockland District Masonic Association
(ORDMA) will be held on Monday September 24th at Jerusalem Temple Lodge. 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!
2007-2008 Calendars ORDMA is collecting dates for next year's District Pocket Calendar, which will be available in early Fall 2007. 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 submit events for inclusion in the calendar, please contact any of ORDMA's officers.
* Denotes a dinner will precede or
follow the meeting or event. Please check with the contact for
details.
2007-2008 DDGM Visits
Athelstane Lodge No. 839
Tuesday October 16th, 2007
Cornerstone Lodge No. 711
Wednesday December 12th, 2007
Goshen Lodge No. 365
To Be Rescheduled
Hoffman Lodge No. 412
Tuesday November 20th, 2007
Hudson River Lodge No. 309
Wednesday November 14th, 2007
Jerusalem Temple Lodge No. 721
Saturday January 12th, 2009
Naurashank Lodge No. 589
Friday October 12th, 2007
Port Jervis Lodge No. 328
Friday September 14th
Stony Point-Wawayanda Lodge No. 313
Wednesday September 19th, 2007
Wallkill Lodge No. 627
Wednesday December 19th, 2007
Warwick Lodge No. 544
To Be Rescheduled
West Point Lodge No. 877
Thursday October 4th, 2007
SCHOOL OF INSTRUCTION
The Orange-Rockland District School of Instruction is on a hiatus for the summer. We did not re-open in August to review the Opening and Closing because no Lodges volunteered to host us. HINT. Who's up for September? If you have any questions, please contact the DDGM.
SICKNESS AND DISTRESS
W:. Otto Janke, long time Secretary of Hudson River Lodge, is back in the ICU at St. Lukes Hospital in Newburgh, in serious condition. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
THE EIGHT SCHOOLS OF MASONRY
At least eight distinct streams of Masonic thought have emerged since 1717
(and possibly more), each "school" of thought on the nature of Freemasonry
having its own particular advocates. Here is an adaptation of H. L. Haywood's
summary of Masonic Schools of thought, The Great Teaching of Masonry, pages
155-163:
1) The "Scientific" School, whose chief advocate, William Preston,
formulated much of the modern ritual of the Craft, and whose chief objective was the
employment of Masonry towards the study of the arts and sciences.
2) The "Rational" School, whose chief advocate, Karl Friedrich Krause,
believed that Masonry should work with both the Church and Government towards the
perfection of the human condition through the promotion of a life governed by
Reason.
3) The "Christian" School, whose chief advocate, the Reverend George Oliver,
believed that Freemasonry should exist to reconcile Christianity and
Philosophy, and who strongly rejected excess intellectualism and attached high value
to intuition, faith and tradition.
4) The "Philosophical" School, whose chief advocate, Albert Pike, saw
Freemasonry as an exercise in comparative religion and philosophy in the pursuit of
wisdom and enlightenment, by means of the study of Masonic symbolism and the
conduct of Masonic ritual.
5) The "Historical" School, whose chief advocate, Robert Freke Gould, saw
Freemasonry as a school of wisdom that only reveals itself to Masons who expend
the time and effort to study the history of the Craft and its symbols.
6) The "Esoteric" School, whose chief advocate, Arthur Edward Waite, viewed
Freemasonry as a form of mystical teaching, whose objectives are
Enlightenment and the perfection of the self through the study of arcane knowledge and
the practice of occult rites.
7) The "Romantic" School, with whom no one individual is associated as a
chief advocate, but whose name seems a condescending label ascribed by the
"Authentic" School (see below) to those Masons who believe in the Templar origins
of Freemasonry, or other historically dubious facts about the Craft.
8) The "Authentic" School, with whom no one individual is associated as a
chief advocate, but which seems to primarily view Freemasonry as an exercise in
scholarship and philanthropy, and has been specifically dismissive of the
"Romantic" and "Esoteric" Schools of Masonic philosophy.
Copyright 2006-2007 Orange-Rockland District,
GLNY F&AM. All rights reserved.
Next ORDMA Meeting