It’s 2022 (A.L. 6022) and we hope all have a happy and prosperous New Year! There is lots happening in the coming months and the quarries have certainly been busy the last few.
“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”
―MWBro. Benjamin Franklin
Dear Brothers,
I have been moving books from home to my office. (At home, they pile up and annoy my wife; at the office, they pile up and nobody has any say in the matter!) One of them was my copy of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. This morning, it popped open to this: Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Just be one! (10.16)
I appreciate a good discussion, of course, but there’s something to be said for simply following Nike’s advice: Just Do It!
In my line of work, I often talk with people who lament the fact they aren’t the kind of people they think they “ought” to be or the kind of people they want to be. The former is less important to me (I have limited patience for all the “What I should have done…” ), but the latter matters to me greatly. This is true especially within our Brotherhood – we exist to become better men and make the world a better place.
Without those two things, Masonry has no raison d’être – no reason to exist.
As we embark on another calendar year, let us be reminded our Brotherhood is here to help each one of
us become “all that we can be.”
Grace and peace,
Tim TenClay, Secretary
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A happy and healthy New Year to my Brothers of Jephtha Lodge! As we head into 2022, my thoughts are darkened with concern as we see COVID cases climb, and we will again be forced into limiting groups and wearing face coverings. Who knows what 2022 will hold for us? I am reminded of the foundations of this great institution
Faith, that whatever is instore for us in 2022 we have faith the Great Architect of the Universe has a plan. We may not fully understand it, but it is there, and we have our Brothers for the support we need to carry whatever load might be needed.
Hope, that the year will be a better, brighter year for us all. One filled with putting this dreaded plague behind us. That we might safely return to all our usual activities without fear.
Charity, remembering in 2022 we should make the world a little better than the one we found at the close of 2021. That we be that light that casts out the darkness of the world. That we touch someone’s life, remind our community why Masonry exists, and give reason as to why we do the things we do.
My Brothers, on top of the usual greetings of Happiness and Good Health in the New Year, I also bring you greetings of Faith, Hope and Charity to herald in the new year!
January will be a busy month in the South. The Stewards and I will be busy preparing our collation for January 10th. In addition, we have the District Deputy Grand Master’s visit on the 24th and we will be making sure we put Jephtha’s best food forward that evening. We are always looking for new Brothers to lend a hand, so if part of your New Year’s resolution is helping more around the lodge, or even learning about cooking… We can be of assistance!
Sincerely and Fraternally,
Br. William P Fenty III
Junior Warden
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My Dear Brothers,
In November, I spoke to you of Fortitude in remembrance of Veterans Day. This January’s choice is Temperance, which is the virtue of moderation while being forgiving and patient. To me, with day-to-day stress, continual testing of our patience, increased road rage, and daily life elevated with uncertainty, Temperance is the perfect virtue to demonstrate self-control. It is perfect to add to any 2022 New Year’s resolutions since it can help us maintain balance in our lives and moderate bad habits.
Years ago, after working at Ground Zero, I decided to quit smoking, replacing my smoking habit with peppermint balls. In 2021 I found out my replacement was causing my sugar to rise, so I immediately gave them up, which was easier than giving up smoking cold turkey, and to me a perfect steppingstone to do so.
Temperance doesn’t always mean abruptly stopping a bad habit but recognizing it, substituting it for something less damaging, and eventually moderating it. Temperance gives us the free will to do so. It also means keeping stability in our lives since it doesn’t involve removing all pleasures but balancing them. Temperance shouldn’t consume our lives, but help keeping everything in check.
Let’s remember our resolutions – eating less, making more money, paying off bills, being kinder or more charitable, but always remember what led us to making these resolutions. If we are worried about bills, in most cases it’s because we have a roof over our heads, paying for a child’s college or a car loan. If we resolve to lose weight, it’s because we have food on our tables. Making a resolution to be more charitable, means we recognize what we have, and understand there are those who have less, or have bad luck in life. We all will experience difficult times or situations, but we, as Masons, have each other’s Brotherly Love and guidance to elevate us to a more spiritual level.
As Senior Warden, I experience Masonic wealth traveling to other lodges, which I have done in the past, but more so now as I move toward Master. I’m meeting new bothers while becoming even closer to ones I have known for years. It was an honor to visit our Prince Hall Bothers of African 459 Lodge #63 in Brooklyn, witnessing their installation and seeing the differences in how we do rituals. Recently, I observed de Molay installations, something I had never seen before, and it was a distinct honor. I was also present at the Truth Triangle officers’ installation, another glorious night. These young men and women are our future. Gathering with my bothers at the Past Masons’ Dinner was a beautiful night. The Gala was impressive, the speeches on how Masonry has touched all our hearts was amazing, and the fact that Santa arrived was even better. Nothing sticks out in my mind more than hearing W:. Rich Harris yell in utter
excitement, “SANTA!!!” when he arrived.
I’d like to share an anecdote I recently read: “One day a very wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country for the sole purpose of showing his son how it was to be poor. They spent a few days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
After their return from the trip, the father asked his son how he liked the trip. “It was great, Dad,” the son replied. “Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked. “Oh Yeah,” said the son.
“So what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father. The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
“We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.”
“We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.” The boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, “It showed me just how poor we really are.” (Author unknown, translated from the original Chinese.)
Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don’t have. What is one person’s worthless object is another’s prized possession. It is all based on one’s outlook. Sometimes it takes the perspective of a child to remind us of what is important.
Enjoy a happy and safe new year, and always remember to treat every new day as you do on New Year’s Day, resolving to be a better person and a better you.
Sincerely and Fraternally,
Michael S. Crispino, Jr
Senior Warden
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Happy New Year my Brothers! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your friends and family.
R:. W:. Gary L. Heinmiller, Grand Historian, has officially announced Jephtha’s own W:. Ron Seifried, DSA as the Area 1 Historian for the Nassau & Suffolk Masonic Districts, which covers 26 lodges. Br. Seifried is humbled by this honor
and hopes his work with the Grand Historian, our local lodges and the other area historians in New York will be an educational experience for all New York Masons. Congratulations to Br. Seifried on this huge accomplishment.
I attended my first DeMolay installation where Tristan Schulbaum, son of Br. Brian Schulbaum, was installed Master Councilor of The Knights of Antiquity Chapter No. 33150 Order of DeMolay at Riverhead Lodge on December 5, 2021. Congratulations to the Schulbaum family on this impressive achievement!
2022 will bring more wonderful Masonic memories I cannot wait to share with you. Our second meeting of the year will be the District Deputy visit on January 24, 2022, at 7 PM. This is a very important meeting and I encourage all brothers to attend. You will meet the officers who oversee the Suffolk Masonic District and enjoy a night of Brotherly Love.
February 19, 2022, will be the Jephtha Lodge Mardi Gras event. This night is open to friends and families of Masons. It will feature New Orleans cuisine that I’m sure all will enjoy.
March 13, 2022, is the St. Patrick’s Day event at Jephtha Lodge. This event is open to all. Ticket price and time will be available soon. Please save these February and March dates.
I encourage all of you to come to Jephtha Lodge whenever you can. Travel the district and see other lodges as well. Please always follow safety guidelines and procedures while doing so. Until we meet again, health and wellness my Brothers.
Sincerely & Fraternally Yours,
W:. Jeremiah Campbell
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By W:. Ronald J. Seifried, DSA
Over a thousand visiting firemen descended on Huntington’s Main Street, joined by over 7,000 residents, on a seasonably pleasant day in September 1898. Many of the firemen would participate in the annual tournament of the Suffolk County Firemen’s Association with some traveling from as far as Montauk.
Visiting companies from Cold Spring Harbor and Northport arrived in wagons, with their engines, hook and ladder trucks and hose carriages being pulled by horses. Firemen from Hicksville arrived by train and their engines came on an entirely different mode of transportation, horse-drawn wagons. The steamer “Park City” carried the Port Jefferson Fire Department, while the Oyster Bay Fire Department arrived on the steamer “Portchester.” Dozens of other Suffolk and Nassau Fire Department’s travelled on the main line of the Long Island Railroad. When all had arrived, an impressive line of firemen formed on Nassau Avenue between the train station and Huntington village.
A bearded, bespectacled older gentleman looked across the long procession of brave men, gazing admirably at how local towns were able to organize fire departments across the rural, pre-suburbia Long Island terrain. The distinguished
gentleman was very familiar with the challenges of organizing a fire department. He was Fayette Gould, organizer of the Huntington Fire Department and their First Foreman.
He was also a local Freemason for 34 years and three-time Past Master of Jephtha Lodge No. 494. But Fire Department Foreman and Freemason are a fraction of the complete biography of Fayette Gould. Born in Huntington in March 1824, the son of Edward E. Gould, he was an especially gifted person. By his early 20’s, Gould was a local jeweler, watchmaker, and western Suffolk’s first photographer. The photo studio, Gould & Fancher, was located atop a staircase adjoining the Suffolk Hotel parlor on the southwest corner of Main Street and New York Avenue. A talented musician, Gould was the choir master of the Central Presbyterian Church in Huntington, and constructed pipe organs for many of the local churches.
In 1848, Gould started plans to create a new, unincorporated Fire Protection Company with limited resources of equipment, including ladders and leather buckets. Later known as the Father of the Fire Department, Gould expanded the organization in 1858 by securing the approval from the Town Board. His inspiration to form the Fire
Department was to avoid jury duty. After serving on a jury in Riverhead for a week, preventing him to operate his store and costing him income, Gould realized that volunteer firefighters were exempt from jury duty. Their public service was invaluable to residents, and their time would be limited to a fraction of the time serving on a jury.
His engineering skills contributed to his years as a local machinist. The holder of five U.S. Patents filed between 1858 and 1883, his creations included an improved door lock, new calipers, a steering apparatus upgrade for vessels,
improvement in rowlocks and a final patent for a speaking-tube attachment.
Proclaimed “A Huntington Genius” by the local press in 1900, Gould repurposed an item from Masonic Brother and Jephtha Past Master, Captain Hewlett J. Long. Discovered on a South Carolina battlefield near Charleston during the Civil War, Captain Long brought back pieces of a land mine and had them fitted into a clock, which kept good time for many years. After Brother Long’s death in 1899, Gould purchased the clock at the estate sale and reconstructed the clock to include the day’s date, day of the week, month, and year, each on separate dials.
Raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason of Jephtha Lodge in 1864, W:. Gould was elected to three consecutive terms in the East, between 1881 and 1883. Gould passed away at the Flushing home of his son, Edward E. Gould, in 1906 and is interred in Huntington Rural Cemetery.
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Brethren and Friends,
It is with a deeply troubled heart that we learned today that our First Lady of New York Masonry, Mrs. Joanne Kessler, has been called to the Celestial Home above. She passed from this life at 1:42 PM on Monday, December 27th.
Almighty God, Heavenly Father, grant Your consoling grace to all who mourn the passing of loved ones. Hear our prayers for those we love dearly who have gone before us into the life to come. Look kindly upon our departed family members, brothers and sisters, and especially Joanne Kessler whom we now entrust to Your eternal mercy and goodness. Welcome our beloved into Heaven where tears are no more and suffering and pain are ended, where there is great joy, abundant life and peaceful rest in Your gracious presence. Amen.
The funeral arrangements for Lady Joanne Kessler are as follows:
Calling Hours on:
Sunday, January 2, 2022 between 4:00 pm — 8:00 pm
Location:
The Lester H. Wedekindt Funeral Home
3290 Delaware Ave.
Kenmore, NY 14217
Meet at 9:15 AM on Monday, January 3, 2022 for the Funeral Service.
The Funeral Service will be held on Monday, January 3rd
in the Chapel of Saint John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church,
1085 Englewood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14223
The Internment will follow the Church service at Mt. Olivet Cemetery
4000 Elmwood Avenue, Kenmore, NY 14217
Grand Master Richard J. Kessler thanks each of you for all the love and kindness
you have given and extended to him and his family.
Cards and expressions of sympathy may be sent to our Grand Master, Most Worshipful Richard J. Kessler, and the Kessler Family at 62 Woodcrest Blvd., Buffalo, NY 14223-1317.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 12, 2022 for the Public Re-Presentation for R∴W∴ Joseph Saglimbene, Grand Treasurer & R∴W∴ Spiro Triantafilis, Deputy Grand Marshal at the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, 28 Lincoln Avenue, Rockville Centre, NY.
REQUIRED: RSVP – RW Joseph Saglimbene at 347-307-3867 or Grand Treasurer’s Email
2021 is coming to a close in a just a few weeks, the holidays will be here before we know it and our busy schedules will be strained to the breaking point. Its a yearly routine and as we all know the last 24 months has been anything but routine. Hopefully things will be rocking and rolling by February as this is the beginning of the Road to the East course, followed by the Masonic Development Course. The Road to the East (RTE) is a required course for all who seek to be installed in the east in the near future. The Masonic Development Course (MDC) is a great course for new Brothers to take to get a deeper dive into Freemasonry. Some older more seasoned Brothers are also welcome to reacquaint yourselves with the basics of Freemasonry and take the MCD as well.
If you plan to take either or both courses, you will need to contact R∴W∴ Robert Licata, GLSO. You can email him here -> GLSO
This past week the Suffolk Masonic District has elected a new Suffolk District Advisor, R:..W:. William McCauley.
It is a distinct honor to have been elected as District Advisor for the Suffolk Masonic District. It will be a pleasure to continue my fraternal service for the benefit of each of you in the District. This District is held in High Regard by Grand Lodge because of the Masonic work that is accomplished here. My role, simply put is to advise and assist the District Deputy his Team and any Brother in this District should their need require it. You can always reach out to me regarding any questions involving the Fraternity. I look forward to seeing all of you as I travel around the District with the District Deputy and his Team.
R:.W:. William E. McCauley
R:.W:. McCauley’s Masonic Resume
Master Mason in Dongan Patent Lodge No. 1134, May 1988
Past Master 1994, 2005 and 2015, Secretary 1998 to 2000, Trustee
Long Island Past Master’s Association, Past President
Suffolk Masonic District Finance Chairman
Suffolk District Membership Retention, Past Chairman
Suffolk District Masonic Education Committee
Past District Advisor for Suffolk District
Suffolk District Long Range Planning Committee, Past Chairman
Suffolk District Membership Development Committee, Past Chairman
Past District Deputy Grand Master, Suffolk, 2000 – 2002
Interim District Deputy Grand Master and District 2004
Interim District Advisor 2004
Grand Lodge – Deputy Grand Master’s Advisory Committee 2021
Grand Lodge – Individual Development Course, Site Coordinator and Instructor
Grand Lodge – Past Member of Long Range Planning for Deputy Grand Master, 2004
Grand Lodge – Lodges and Buildings Past Committee Member
Grand Lodge – Finance Committee, Member
Grand Lodge – Committee on Law Enforcement Member
Grand Lodge – Charters Committee Member
Long Island Scottish Rite Bodies, Member
Suwassett Chapter No. 195, Royal Arch Masons, Past High Priest, Past Trustee
Fourth Capitular District Royal Arch Masons, Past President
Patchogue Commandery No. 95, Knights Templar, Past Commander, Trustee
Suffolk Council No. 76, Cryptic Masons, Past Illustrious Master, Past Trustee, Treasurer
Kismet Shrine Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S., member
Medford Square Club, Past President
Deputy Grand Master’s Advisory Committee – Current Member
Several other Masonic Bodies……
Order of the Eastern Star
Old Glory Chapter No. 622, Order of the Eastern Star, Past Worthy Patron
Pyramid Chapter No. 594, Order of the Eastern Star, Worthy Patron
Metlakhatla Chapter No. 439, member
Riverside Sunrise Chapter No. 399, Patron
Order of the Eastern Star, Suffolk District, Past District Grand Lecturer, Past Grand Marshal
The Friendly Folk of Suffolk Association – Past President and current Treasurer
