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December From the South

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Now that Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is ahead of us, I want to thank brother Ed Matuszak for preparing such a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. We have done investigations on two petitioners and have one more to go. So, it looks like we will have three prospective candidates going through our first- degree in February. I want to remind everybody that January 8. I am hosting a school of instruction at Smithtown Lodge pertaining to the floor work associated with the degrees. If it’s OK with the master, I’d like to have two rehearsals prior to the school of instruction so we look sharp at the school of instruction and we will look that much better when we perform the actual degree. Be safe my brothers and happy holidays!

J W Stu Smith

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November 2024 : Form the South

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Hi to all of the brothers of Smithtown Lodge from the south. The Lodge is still pretty quiet and we’re ramping up for a good year. We have one perspective candidate that has been investigated and another one in the works. It looks like we will definitely have two candidates for our first degree this year. Other than that not much to report. Things are going well and moving right along. I am planning to have two rehearsals prior to the first- degree coming up so we can give the candidates the best Masonic experience that’s associated with the ritual. The cigar and bourbon night went well thanks to Steve Koferl offering his house and we had a very good turnout. Be well, my brothers and see you at the next meeting

JW Stu Smith

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October 2024 From the South

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I would like to give kudos to the Worshipful master and brothers of Smithtown Lodge on their opening and closing after we came back from the summer break. I travel to a number of larges since we came back to life and I give Smithtown not because I’m biased a 99% Grade on the way we handled the ritual opening and closing. Keep up the good work and we will shine like always. I’m looking forward to seeing two new possible brothers coming into the craft in the months to come.
J W Stu Smith

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From the South September 2024

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Hi brothers from sunny Florida! Hope all brothers had a great summer and lots of fun. Florida weather hasn’t been great. It rained like clockwork at 12 noon thereabouts so there’s no need to wear a watch. Can’t wait to get started with this year‘s program finishing up a3degree and starting the cycle again. Hopefully we will have new candidates for our first degree. From the AGL side, there are a lot of new ideas suggested by the GL to make degrees a lot easier and fill parts. When I get back, I wanna concentrate on opening and closing the Lodge and the floor work for degrees.  Stay well, my brothers and see you in September as the song goes!

Junior Warden Stu Smith

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From the South July 2024

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Hi Brothers, I would like to congratulate all the appointed and elected officers of Smithtown Lodge. As a retread Junior Warden, I ‘m planning some unique culinary delights for this year. I know, it will be a tuff act to follow trying to out cook Ed and our New Master Bill when they were Junior Wardens. But, I will give it a hell of a try. As Junior Warden and with approval of Worshipful Bill Hanson, I would like to have a few training meetings at lodge this year to go over the Marshal’s floor work for upcoming degrees. I will still be working with W:. Frank Ida carrying out our North Star duties and we both will be mentoring all new candidates applying for membership to Smithtown Lodge. As V:. W:. I will be doing a lot of traveling with in the district and any Brother(s) from our lodge are welcome to travel with me if they would care too. I will say, that I will not miss any of Smithtown’s meeting’s as part of my new A.G.L. position. My first a foremost duty is to our Blue lodge and I will the there too for fill my elected duty as your Junior Warden. During this Masonic year, I’m sill planning to visit my sister down in Florida a few times but, I will schedule my tips around Blue lodge meetings. That said, have great summer my Brothers and will see you guy’s at some of a summer events.

Fraternally,

Stu Smith J. W.

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From the South May 2024

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rethren,

From the South,

I’m honored to be a part of the rededication for the “Smithtown Lodge”. Seeing the Grand Line attending was amazing.

Its election time the year again Wow how it went so fast. Hope everyone enjoyed the past years collation menu, and will continue to contribute to the appetites of the Brothers.

Regards

Junior Warden Edward Matuszak

The post From the South May 2024 first appeared on Smithtownlodge1127.

Tri Lodge Fishing Trip!

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Bro. John Umina is coordinating a Tri-Lodge fishing trip for members of Potunk, Riverhead and Peconic Lodges. This should be a fun and exciting day on the water fishing with Brothers.

We’ll be leaving the dock at about 1 PM and returning about 4 PM. Coffee, soft drinks and lunch will be included as well as all needed tackle. if you prefer another beverage, it’s BYOB.

Please see the events link to RSVP to this event or contact Bro. John Umina. Its first come first serve for the 40 slots available.

Events for March 2024 – Potunk Lodge #1071

Potunk Lodge soon to celebrate its 100th Anniversary

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Contemporary image of Mechanics Hall in Westhampton Beach, NY

Long before this Mason was even a thought, a group of Brothers and members of Riverhead Lodge #645, who traveled the dimly lit and rutted roads between the south shore of Long Island to Riverhead to attend meetings, got together and decided to form a new Lodge closer to home. Bro. Hermon Bishop and others gathered and formed a Square Club with the intention of forming a new Lodge south of Riverhead Lodge. In 1923 these Brothers were granted a dispensation to form a new lodge in Westhampton. The new lodge took up residence in the Mechanics Hall in Westhampton and worked at getting a new charter.

In early 1926 they received the good news that they would receive a charter that year. The brothers called the new Lodge Potunk Lodge and would be numbered 1071. Over the years the Lodge prospered and grew and soon they outgrew the Mechanics Hall, as well it has some structural issue and parking for members attending Lodge was limited. So, they endeavored to build or purchase their own building. In the late 1960s they realized their dream and land was acquired and permits granted so building could begin.

The new structure w took about 8 months to build and was nearly complete by the end of 1968, The Grand Master and many Masons from NYC and surrounding Lodge came out to Westhampton to lay the cornerstone and dedicate the building as a Masonic edifice. The first meeting was held in the new building in the winter of 1969, W:. Arthur Rumph presiding.

The Lodge saw many good days as well as trying times. All the while a succession of dedicated Masons took up the mantel and did whatever needed to be done to keep the doors open and the lights on.

Today the Lodge is in better shape than ever, and the current members are proud of the history and look forward to the future of the Lodge. In 2026 Potunk Lodge will turn 100 years old, it’s charter date May 6th, 1926. We look forward to celebrating 100 years of Freemasonry in Westhampton, Good Ground (Hampton Bays), Eastport, East & Center Moriches. This milestone is once in a lifetime for most Freemasons, and it will be a sight to see.

Dedication and Cornerstone Ceremony at Potunk Lodge 1969

Look for upcoming events and news about Potunk Lodge’s 100th over the coming months. All culminating with a grand celebration in the spring of 2026!

If you would like to know more about the history of Potunk Lodge No. 1071 you can go to the About Us page.

For more information about Freemasonry in Suffolk County you can hop on over to Suffolkmasons.com and explore the rich history of Freemasonry in Suffolk, dating back to before the nation’s founding.

Want to investigate Long Island Freemasonry, Ron Seifried, wrote a wonderful history of Long Island Freemasonry that you can purchase off Amazon or see some of on the Long Island History Project. Ron is a proud Past Master of Jephtha Lodge in Huntington NY.

Finally, if you would like more history of Freemasonry in New York, there is always the Grand Lodge of New York, which governs all regular Masonic Lodge’s in the state of New York.

We look forward to celebrating 100 years of Freemasonry with our Brothers and the surrounding communities.

 

Potunk Lodge today!

From the South August 2023

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My Brothers,

As August slips past us and the summer begins to turn to fall and the temperature dips slightly each night, can only mean one thing….

It’s time for the Lodge to come together for the upcoming season. As the Jr. Warden of Potunk Lodge, it’s my duty to call the Craft from Labor to refreshment. We have several talented cooks in the Lodge and things being what they are I would ask anyone who would like to prepare a meal for the Lodge to please contact me (see my contact info below).

I can cook OK, and our WM can cook even better, but we should all share the “joy” of preparing the collation meal. I would also just make it plain now that I would hope that ALL would pitch in and help clean up after our meal. We need to leave the collation room as clean and neat as possible after each meeting.

I am sure the WM has an exciting trestle board prepared for the year and I look forward to seeing my Brothers once again at the Lodge, which has been newly renovated. The collation room is bright and clean. New pain, new floors. So yes, that means no smoking in the lodge, up or downstairs. We must be mindful that we are now only tenants in the building and use all care to maintain the owner’s property as if it were our own.

Some other new (and very welcome) additions: The Lodge is now fully into the 21st century. Yes, we have Wi-Fi throughout the Lodge. If you would like to connect to the Lodge Wi-Fi, you can get the network (SSID) and Password from the Lodge secretary if you didn’t catch it on the Potunk Lodge BAND. Remember that the Lodge Wi-Fi is for members only. There is a Potunk Lodge Guest Network that is for guests and Hall renters, etc. There will be signs with QR codes in the Collation Hall for them to connect to this guest network.

There is also a new Lodge phone number: 631-898-5241. There is no receiver in the Lodge but it’s specifically for the Lodge Secretary to conduct business with potential renters and alike.

I do hope all are looking forward to the upcoming season as I am. Our first Stated Communication is Thursday, September 7th, 2023. The bar will be open and the meal tasty and hot. So come out the first and third Thursdays and support the WM and the Lodge.

 

Sincerely and Fraternally,

Bill Arnold

Jr. Warden

Potunk Lodge #1071

Cell: 631-903-1510

email: [email protected]