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From the East December-February 2024-25

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Brothers,

2024 is coming to a close in less than 30 days. Hard to believe the Masonic season is almost half over. Lots of activity within Riverhead Lodge lately and just about all of it good. We have been busy up in the Lodge room with full renovations of the Lodge. If you haven’t seen it yet, well you should come out to a meeting and have a look, it’s spectacular. With that a huge thank you goes out to all the Brothers involved in getting this done. Bro. Ezra Fife did a wonderful job on the ceiling and W:. Charlie Monte getting the lights and sound done. There are many others to thank and still more work to do. The outer room will also be done eventually as well.  We are also looking at getting a plan together for the kitchen. Mainly to have better organization and storage in the kitchen.

We’ll be conferring the Fellowcraft degree tonight, Tuesday, December 3rd on 3 Entered Apprentices, dinner will be 6-7:30 PM.

December 17th will be a Table Lodge downstairs; members may dress casually and wear those coveted “ugly Christmas sweaters” for the meeting.

Saturday, December 21st will be the Tri-Lodge Christmas/Holiday party. It’s Riverhead Lodge’s turn at bat for this party and we have secured a visit from Santa to deliver toys for the boys and girls that attend. this will be from 10-2 PM so a holiday brunch menu will be offered.

The official Visit of the District Deputy Grand Master, R:.W:. Robert Licata to Riverhead Lodge #645, will occur on Tuesday, February 18th, 2025.

I am planning on running the Master Mason degree sometime late March or early April so please keep a lookout for that announcement.

Finally, my brothers I would like to thank all the members of Riverhead and Peconic Lodge’s for all the help and work that has been done in and about the Lodge in the last few months. It is a great pleasure to work with you all.

September-December 2024 from the East

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Brothers,

I hope all had a pleasant break. We’ve had our first meeting of the season in the collation room; however, the Lodge room facelift is just about complete. We’re diving in headfirst this year and will be going full steam until June. Our first meeting was a bit different in that we did it Festive board style. It was interesting to say the least. Br. JW Dominick cooked up a nice meal and we ate and had our meeting. Bro. SW Pete gave the Masonic Education on the history of Riverhead Lodge. If you would like to recap this or missed the meeting, you can find all that info here -> History of Riverhead Lodge.

As many now know the Tri-Lodge Pig Roast is next up on the agenda. if you haven’t gotten your tickets or rsvp’d already, please go to 2024 Tri-Lodge Pig Roast to purchase advanced tickets for $35/ea. or RSVP to pay at the door $40. It’s shaping up to be a great afternoon. If you would be interested in helping to get everything setup and tear down, we’ll be gathering at ~8 AM to start and the party end at 6 Pm so anyone who can stay after to help clean up would be appreciated.

Our Tuesday, Sept. 17th Stated Communication will feature a guest speaker, R:.W:. Mike LaRocca, Director of the Robert Livingston Library at Grand Lodge will be giving us a great lecture with some special artifacts to present. Don’t miss this one! Collation will begin at 6 Pm and the Lodge will open at 7:30 PM. Attire for the evening will be business.

Any who have taken the Master’s Chair or has been elected and served in the East of a Masonic Lodge will confirm that a Master’s trestleboard is ever changing and evolving sometimes on the fly. I had planned for a degree in October, but I will need to switch things around a bit. It seems we’ll be doing a 2nd degree in November instead, please look for announcement and rehearsals for that degree. This will merge some new brothers into one class for the 2nd degree.

In its place for October we’ll be hosting another guest speaker, W:. Ron Seifried, Past Master, Author and speaker on October 15th.  As for October 1st communication, as of this writing, I am planning a fun event, Masonic Jeopardy (aka are you smarter than an EA edition). This will be open to all Brothers as it will be 1st degree safe.

November look to be just as energetic with our first meeting falling on sever remarkable dates. First, it’s election day so if you plan on voting in the general election, this is the day. It’s also my oldest daughter’s birthday so this Nov. 5th will be a step-up night. All officers will advance up one chair and do the work (preferably with no books), I’ll know trust me.

Between Tuesday Nov. 5th and the 19th, I’ll be scheduling a rehearsal for the 2nd degree. Please speak up and volunteer to take a role in the degree so I don’t have to voluntold anyone.

December will be our Tri-Lodge Christmas Brunch as we have done the last few years. The date of this event is TBD and will be put on the BAND and Riverhead Lodge calendar. Our 2nd meeting on Dec. 17th, I am planning on a Lodge Holiday gathering that our spouses or significant others can come and have dinner with us. The officers and will hold very abbreviated meeting to satisfy our charter and GL rules, then rejoin those downstairs.

 

Successful 1st Degree

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Brothers,

I am pleased to say we did a pretty well done 1st degree last night and I am very happy with all that participated from the start and at the last minute fill in.

Our new Brother, Bro. John Umina was initiated last night and a big congratulations to him.

Several members of our own and sister lodge filled in (some 10 minutes prior to start) to make the degree work and they did and awesome job. Challenges are meant to be overcome.

To add to it all, we discovered lake Potunk beginning to form in the collation room towards the end of the degree and W:. Dan jumped in and grabbed the shop vac and suctioned up all the flood waters while most of us were in tuxes and too pretty to assist. So big thank you to W:. Dan for stepping up with the vac and stepping in for the Q &As last minute.

Bro. Keith talked the apron presentation and did well for the first time out of the gate. Great work!

At our next communication we’ll present the Lecture of Reasons (whys and wherefores) for the benefit of our new EA. I will ask for 2 brothers to volunteer to learn and recite this at the May 6th Communication. If you would like to volunteer, please contact me asap.

Finally our Lodge elections are next month and there is a lot to do between now and then. After elections in May and Installations in June, we’ll have one more meeting before going dark for the summer. The Lodge really needs all members to step up and step in where needed to get through these difficult times. We’ll be looking to start doing fundraisers very soon so let’s get some ideas on the table and start planning as best we can.

Fraternally,

V:.W:. Bill Arnold

Master

Potunk Lodge #1071

The Light at the end of a tunnel

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Brothers,

Its been a lot of work and sometimes actually fun to have another round in the east. However the end of another Masonic season is almost upon us. June will be here before we know it. As my time as Master comes to a close and a new Master is elected and installed in my place, it is all of our duty to make sure that the Lodge is left better than we left it.

There has been a lot to discuss as of late in our Lodge and many changes both in our Lodge and out of it. I wanted to thank all the officers of Potunk Lodge that took the time and energy to keep things going and help keep the Lodge clean and open despite nobody using it between meetings. We must not slack off now as the end of season will see more changes and the Lodge being rented for occasions and parties again soon.

Our upcoming Lodge elections, just over a month away at the time of this writing. There is a lot to contemplate and the new Master elect will have quite a bit to do. We must support and assist whomever occupies the East with all our fervency and zeal.

June will have us installing the Master Elect and his Officers, most likely in a tiled installation, not by choice but by mandate. Then hopefully we’ll have our strawberry night on the last meeting in June and with luck maybe we can have our families join us to enjoy the festivities.

So please do not give up just yet brothers, there is light at the end of the tunnel and a new beginning or journey for some.

I hope all are healthy, wealthy and wise and I see more and more brothers come out to Lodge to enjoy fellowship and human contact or interaction at least in the coming months.

 

Fraternally,

V:.W:. Bill Arnold

Worshipful Master

Potunk Lodge #1071

From the East for March 2021

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Brothers,

Well the year keeps marching on and weather changes have really added to the isolation and current state of hibernation. At least that’s he feeling I am getting. I hope you are all not getting too comfortable being away from the Lodge lately.

In the Grand Master’s message as of January 29th, all meeting restrictions are withdrawn with the following exceptions.

  • NY State guidelines on gatherings indoors still as of this writing limited to 50.
  • Masks still must be worn indoors and social distancing observed
  • Degrees are still under the COVID modified rules.

So in light of the lessening of restrictions, our next Stated Communication on March 4th 2021 will be in person and attire will be business. We’ll be meeting upstairs for this one and there is very good reason for this. In just a few short weeks really, the Lodge will be holding elections and hopefully investiture and Installations. Our Jr. Officers really need to be back in the Lodge and practicing their ritual so they can take the reins and keep the Lodge running into the future.

I hope to bring as many back into Lodge as possible, since 50 at a meeting is unheard of, I’ll gamble that we do not come near that number, although it would be really cool to see it. Freemasonry will endure and so will Potunk Lodge and we need officers to know the work and be able to take the lead.

I have high hopes that by April we’ll be able to begin planning some fundraisers to try and get back to assuring the financial future of the Lodge as well.

I truly hope all are healthy and doing well and can come out and be with your Brothers in a Lodge setting and enjoy human to human interaction and enjoy true Brotherhood.

From the East Jan-Feb 2021

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Brothers,

As all have been keenly aware of the ongoing situation with COVID and meetings at Lodges, I am concerned about the ongoing damage to the Craft that virtualized meetings are doing. That being said, we are Masons and we are obligated to follow the rules, edicts and laws of the Grand Lodge. That’s all I will say about that.

There are a few things going on at our Lodge that we should all know about. Mainly that although we so far have been able to keep things going regarding the building and bills etc., this situation will soon turn critical.

I discussed in the last 2 meetings (1 virtual one in person) the fact that LIPMA has setup a grant program to assist with some of the losses in revenue due to the above situation Lodges are having. I have asked the Secretary, to review the info/application packet and begin pulling together the required documentation so that we may submit an application for the Grant this month.

I am still optimistic that by March/April we’ll begin to see the light at the end of this very long tunnel and begin to operate normally again.

Going forward I will resist any virtual Lodge Communications (unless new directives from the Grand Master are released). So I will be opening the Lodge as normal starting with the first meeting in February.

I hope all are staying healthy and safe this days and as in previous posts, wanted to thank all who have been busy at the Lodge all these long months getting things done that have been needed for some time, painting, tiling and fixing.

I look forward to seeing many of you soon at the Lodge and back to the quarries doing what we do.

We have a few candidates in waiting for sometime now and we need to look to get these potential Brothers initiated and educated.

Fraternally,

V:.W:. Bill Arnold

Master

Potunk Lodge #1071

Going forward in 2021

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Brothers,

Many of you have been getting updates from the web, Facebook etc. on the state of the pandemic and the restrictions we are currently under. You can go on over to suffolkmasons.com and the latest video message from MW Sardone is on the home page.

By the way I am of the belief that the image in this post is more and more a reality in this era than ever before.

There are only effectively 5 months left of my time in the east and although it has been challenging to try and gather and meet as Brothers we have done OK.  It seems that time truly does fly.

What we will be focusing on the next few months, restrictions or not, will be to train and educate our up and coming officers and ritual and Lodge management. I would ask that all elected and appointed officers please do your very best to attend in person meetings Feb-June 2021 so we can assure you are prepared to lead the lodge into the months and years to come.

Of course we will continue to follow all directives and edicts as good and true Brothers but although “Masonry never stops” is the current mantra, “slowing to a crawl” is not what I had envisioned at all. There are still lodges doing things here and there and some charitable giving etc. but time is that we need the Brotherhood and companionship face to face (albeit with covered faces) more then ever.

So I will say if you are feeling healthy and would like to attend please join us over the coming weeks and months as we begin our work anew to prepare our Jr officers for Mastership.

From the East February 2018

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Brethren,

Masonry is one of the organizations that have existed for over 300 years. We have been successful because we maintained our culture, values and tradition, and we will progress when we are able to adjust and adapt to the social, cultural and technological developments in our society. We want to deliver a meaningful Masonic education and ethical values to our new Brothers, we want them to have
a satisfying experience in our fraternity. The new Brothers should feel welcome to our lodge that they have a faithful friend and Brother. Communication had been neglected in the past, but soon we will have a functioning website, and be able to update the developments in the lodge’s calendar of activities, e-mail, and Facebook and message center.

We have Brothers who will help do a survey to determine how we can best serve our Brothers and help encourage them to attend the meetings. A survey will be conducted to find out how or why our Brothers are missing at the meeting. It could be health issues, financial problems, job relocation, family
needs, or even some personal disagreement with our Brothers. We should focus to make a petitioner a Mason and friend when he joins. We hope the NorthStar program will retain more brothers, who will be enthusiastic to attend the meetings to see their friends and Brothers at the Lodge.

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, working together is a success.” Henry Ford (Zion Lodge no.1).

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