Who Runs the Lodge

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Freemasonry is a volunteer organization. You do not have to be born into it (for more on what it takes go here), but we do have leadership that by design changes every year generally. The leadership is voted in by the members (also called “brothers”) of the lodge. There are 3 primary elected officers (Worshipful Master, Senior Warden and Junior Warden), 5 elected trustees and a number of appointed officers. Appointed officers are made by the incoming Master of the Lodge and are members who are dedicating time to make sure the lodge is successful in its daily operations, charitable operations, events and business. In general, the 3 primary officers and 2 appointed officers each year are held responsible to run the lodge.

Worshipful Master- Bill Friedman will preside as Worshipful Master for the 2025-2026 masonic year. As Master, all events, happenings and financial business fall under his purview. Its his responsibility the lodge succeeds in its endeavors.

Senior Warden- Drew MacCallum serves as Senior Warden and tends to the “harmony of the lodge” making sure members are cohesively working together in their efforts. The Senior Warden is to fill in if at any time the Worshipful Master is absent.

Junior Warden- Franckel Enelus serves as Junior Warden. Its his role to make sure meals for collation before the meetings and events are planned, staff is scheduled and all preparations are made.

Senior Deacon- Luke Loporto serves as Senior Deacon. A key individual for understanding the rituals of the lodge and welcoming new members and visiting quests. As Senior Deacon, he is the highest appointed officer and has many hats as a leader of the brothers, understanding ritual and acts as a “right hand man” to the Worshipful Master durning meetings.

Junior Deacon- William (Bill) Meis serves as Junior Deacon. His role is to make sure the meetings are held in privacy and to meet and greet all visiting members from other lodges and confirm they are just and duly prepared for a meeting. He is to make sure the meeting rooms are set to their proper design.

Trustees- The 5 Trustees are held responsible for the physical building management and any tenants currently occupying the space. At the time of this article, Georges (formerly Industry Makers) and Cafe Ninnet are occupants of the building spaces. The trustees are voted for 3 year terms but in opposing cycles- this way, not all 5 are up for election at anytime.

Applying for Membership

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One of Masonry’s customs is not to solicit members; men must seek membership on their own through a Mason they know or a local lodge.

Jephtha Lodge Masonic membership is open to men age 18 or older who meet the qualifications and standards of character and intention, and who believe in a Supreme Being. Men of all ethnic and religious backgrounds are welcome.

A Mason who recommends you for membership will assist with completing and submitting the application. After submitting the application, you will be interviewed by members of the lodge you wish to join so they can learn more about you and you can learn more about Freemasonry. If the interview is favorable, your application is presented to the lodge for a vote. If the vote is affirmative, you receive the Entered Apprentice degree – the first degree of Freemasonry. When you advance through the next two degrees, you are a Master Mason and a full member of the fraternity.

How to Apply

If you are interested in submitting an application, and you meet the general requirements for membership (see above), you may contact Jephtha Lodge 342-344 New York Ave., Huntington, NY, 11743, 631-351-8361 .

Why Become a Mason?

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There are many personal benefits to becoming a Mason, and the rewards can be different for each person. But all Masons share a common goal: making good men better. Only individuals believed to be of the finest character are favorably considered for membership.

Tradition

For all of history, men have come together to build. Fathers taught the secrets of their trade to their sons. Families learned to work together and these builders began to erect evermore beautiful edifices. Freemasonry teaches, exactly, those time tested principles which bring men together amid who can best work and best agree. Those principles apply to building anything, from friendships to communities, private aid to Charities, or simple fun. Just as time has not changed male human nature, Freemasonry has not changed what works.

Morality

You’ll share the values of the great men who founded the United States: Men who believed in the brotherhood of man and the ideals express in the U.S. Constitution. Freemasonry is built upon the tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. Brotherly loves is the practice of the golden rule. Relief embodies charity for all mankind. Truth is honesty, fair play and adherence to cardinal virtues. Above all, men of all faiths are welcome, as long as they believe in a Supreme Being.

Self-improvement

Masons seek to improve themselves and to help others, not because they think they should, but because they want to. Because of this crucial distinction, Masons give freely of themselves and ask nothing in return. Nationally, Masons give away more than $2 million every day to relieve suffering. When you’re a Mason, the satisfaction derived from selfless service is immeasurable, for it is in helping others that one most helps himself.

Fraternity

Masons come from all walks of life: accountants, teachers, office workers, laborers — you name it. They represent all creeds and cultures, and all are welcome. You are bound to develop lasting friendships, meet new business associates, and broaden your circle of friends. No matter where your travels take you, it’s great to know there are brothers you can depend on and trust.

Fellowship

By attending Masonic Lodge meetings and learning from your fellow Masons, you’ll strengthen the bonds of fellowship as you join together with like-minded men who share ideals of both a moral and metaphysical nature. You’ll enjoy the friendship of other Masons in the community, and you’ll be welcomed as a “brother” by Masons everywhere in the world. Freemasonry also promises that should you ever be overtaken by misfortune, sickness, or adversity through no fault of your own, the hands of our great fraternity will be stretched forth to aid and assist you.

Charity

From its earliest days, charity has been the most visible Masonic activity. Freemasons have always been devoted to caring for disadvantaged children, the sick and the elderly. In fact, Masons in North America give away approximately $2 million to national and local charities each day. Masons are also actively involved in a great deal of community volunteer work.

Education

The Grand Lodge of New York has advocated the education of members since its foundation years. Its ceremonies provide instruction to all members, supplemented by various other activities such as seminars, lectures, workshops, reading and use of audiovisual materials and the Internet. Because Freemasonry is an esoteric society, certain aspects of its work are not generally disclosed to the public. Freemasonry uses an initiatory system of degrees to explore ethical and philosophical issues, and the system is less effective if the observer knows beforehand what will happen. It is described in Masonic craft ritual as “a beautiful system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”

Leadership

Freemasonry offers its members leadership opportunities at the lodge, district, and Grand Lodge level. As Freemasons progress through the craft, they discover different aspects of themselves and develop a range of skills that even they might not have known they possessed.

About the Fraternity

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About Masonry

Masonry is the world’s first and largest fraternal organization, and is based on the belief that each man has a responsibility to help make the world a better place. Through our culture of philanthropy, we make a profound difference for our brothers, our families, our communities, and our future.

The mission of the Masons of Jephtha Lodge, to foster personal growth and improve the lives of others, is carried out through Masonic principles and tradition.

Our mission is guided by the enduring and relevant principles of our fraternity:

Brotherly love. We value respect, freedom, kindness, tolerance, and our differences – religious, ethnic, cultural, social, generational, and educational – and strive for harmony in our individual lives, in our lodges, and in the global community.

Relief. We take responsibility for the well-being of our brothers, our families, and the community as a whole. We provide relief through philanthropy, community involvement, and delivery of excellent care.

Truth. We stay true to our personal code of conduct and ethics – honor, integrity, personal responsibility, and the continuous pursuit of knowledge.

About our members

With more than 60,000 members, Masonry in our state represents the entire spectrum of diversity. Masons believe in the importance of religion; men of all faiths are members of the organization.

Membership in Jephtha Lodge Masonry is growing and getting younger. The fastest growing segment of our membership is 18-30 year olds.

Masonry is a brotherhood of like-minded men who genuinely care about each other. We develop lifelong friendships with fellow Masons and their families, and are welcomed at Masonic lodges throughout the United States and the world. The satisfaction of being part of a centuries-old fraternity whose traditions and core values are relevant today, and will endure for centuries to come, is important to Jephtha Lodge Masons.

2025 LIPMA Summer Soiree

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Brothers & friends,

The 2025 LIPMA Summer Soiree

By the time you see this, the 2025 LIPMA Summer Soiree will only be 3 weeks away. In past years, the LIPMA summer dinner was a more formal affair with everyone in tuxedos or dinner jackets and ladies in long dresses and gowns. It was also held in a catering venue more used to hosting these types of formal events. In the past few years, the Executive Committee of LIPMA moved the event to its current venue, Lands End Caterer in Sayville, NY. The venue also hosts many weddings and formal affairs but also lends itself to more relaxed events. So, about 3 years ago, the committee decided to relax the dress code.

This year, the LIPMA leadership has set the theme of this year’s 2025 LIPMA Summer Soiree, as it’s now known, to honor the outgoing Masters of the Suffolk District. As it’s just as important to support the new incoming Masters, it’s equally important that we give those Masters stepping down the “at-a-boy” they deserve for a long year or more sitting in the east and running the lodge. Most times, this is a thankless job.

So here comes the sales pitch: Support your Lodge and the Worshipful Master of your Lodge, and purchase your tickets. In case you hadn’t heard, the Suffolkmasons.com website has been reset onto a professional e-commerce host and is now fast and efficient. The ticketing system is improved and smooth, and quick, whether one or 50 tickets, no additional input is required except your payment. So please consider purchasing tickets for you and your significant other, or even friends and family. The event is open to all.

As a separate plug, the District Community Tickets system “Hiram’s Tickets” is now fully revamped, debugged, and tested. Log in to Suffolkmasons.com and create your event, input your PayPal e-mail when you create an event, and the ticket and payment will go to that e-mail with every 24-hour cycle. No need to calculate anything, you get the full ticket price. Additionally, the Suffolkmasons.com will promote the event and update the SEO to ensure it is showing in any online searches and added to social media. Full disclosure: LIPMA receives a fee for this service to continue the service. Support the LIPMA and the District, and use the ticketing system. If your Lodge or organization does not have a PayPal business account, you should create one for this purpose. Please contact me if you need advice or assistance in completing this.

Get your Tickets Today!

Click here to purchase tickets – > 2025 Summer Soiree Tickets

Or, if your Lodge would opt to purchase a whole table (10 tickets), contact W:. Nick Montanino @ 631-278-8500. He will direct you where to send the check for $750 for the 2025 LIPMA Summer Soiree.

What I would not do is wait until the day of the event and just show up. If you do, you will need to pay more at the door. Not to mention that it is kind of rude.

So, what’s next, after you have bought your tickets or a table? Get on your best summer casual attire (no shorts or sandals please) and be at Lands End on July 14th at 6 PM for Attitude Adjustment hour. Have some laughs with Brothers and friends, and enjoy the evening and the delicious dinner.

Summer 2025

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Brothers,

Summer 2025 officially begins on June 20th. For one reason or another, we ‘go dark’ during July and August. I have heard the myriad of reasons why. However, when a Lodge is active and thriving, it seems to me at least, to break the momentum of the progress a Lodge is making. There have been some interesting conversations happening on the interwebs on this very subject.

When lodges ‘go dark’ over July and August, I at least can count on the many events that Lodge, and the District will hold over the summer. If you weren’t aware, there are several BBQs, possible fishing trips, The LIPMA Summer Soiree, The Bus Demolition Derby, just to name a few. Most of the planned events are family events, so time with family over the summer is not lost.

Some of the events you may see put on by lodges or the district are fundraisers for the hosting lodge or to benefit local charities, etc. So, it’s important to stay connected to your brothers during the summer months. Attend Lodge and District events as much as your cable tow allows. You could be greatly assisting a Lodge in their efforts, or at the very least be social. There is a lot to be said for just being social, especially in the last decade or so, as we watch social traditions slowly fade with the advent of social media and the internet.

Get out there, meet with your brothers, brothers you have not met yet and take part in spreading the cement of brotherly love and affection, that cement which unites us into one sacred band or society of friends and Brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, save that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who best can work and best agree.

That being said, head on over to the EVENTS page and see what’s happening around you in the District. You can also check the Suffolk District BAND, as the same events are listed there.