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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.

LIPMA hosts Masters, Wardens & Deacons of the District

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Attending the meeting held last night, January 29th, 2025, was a pleasure at Riverhead Lodge of the Long Island Past Masters Assoc. (LIPMA). The Suffolk District Team, led by R:.W:. Robert J. Licata, DDGM, brought together the Masters, Wardens, and Deacons of the Suffolk Masonic District for a discussion about reconstituting the Masters, Wardens, and Deacons Assoc. (MWDA).

W:. Terry Maccarone and V:.W:. Jerimiah Campbell did a fantastic job in putting the presentation together and I believe all in attendance took away valuable and actionable advice and guidance.

W:. Dominick Peppaceno and W:. Kevin Geiger whipped up a delicious meal for all attending and there was very little left over.

It is the hope of the LIPMA and the District team that this organization take up the mantle and work together as a whole in the Suffolk Masonic District to improve themselves as well as improve the District. All line officers that expect to be raised to the East, work as a group and not as an island unto themselves. We can depend on each other to cooperate and assist each other in our endeavors. We can all succeed and grow together.

As the current future leaders of the Craft, you should always remember that there is a wealth of knowledge in the District that is always available to offer advice and guidance. From the District Deputy Grand Master and the District Advisor, R:.W:. Bill McCauley to the rest of the District team and Past Masters of the District and of your Lodges.

LIPMA Annual Meeting and District Investiture

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Brothers,

The Annual LIPMA meeting and Suffolk District Investiture are right around the corner. The last 3 years have certainly been challenging and sometimes a bit frustrating. But we, through the hard work and dedication of many, persevered and in some ways even flourished.

As we wind up another Masonic season and the newly elected Masters of the Suffolk Masonic District gather to be invested with the secrets of the Chair, we look forward to what new leadership will bring to the table and build up the foundations of what has come before.

The investiture schedule and details can be found on the events page here -> LIPMA Annual Meeting/District Investiture – Suffolk Masonic District (suffolkmasons.com)

Dinner tickets are on sale now.

The Masters-elect attending will be guests of the LIPMA but should RSVP your attendance to the President of the LIPMA – V:.W:. William Arnold  – billarnold@optonline.net

Please see the event page for further detail. All those not on the investing team arrival time is 3 PM Sharp (LIPMA opens their business meeting)

Members of the Investing team should arrive before 2 PM for the rehearsal.

Dinner will be 6:30 PM for all those with paid ticket.

All Masters -elect should also (either through their Lodge or individually) submit their application to join the LIPMA and their dues, this can be done here -> https://lipma.org/join-lipma/

You can pay online or print the app and mail or bring with you with a check for the dues.

Your application will be read and if accepted a lifetime membership.

Lots of Changes for 2022…a recap

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2021 and 2022 have been very unique years for all and especially Freemasonry. The pandemic had us staying home and trying to organize online video meetings and such just to keep in touch with our brothers. This also gave rise to brainstorming on how we could improve some aspects of the way we do things.

To many Brothers, nothing is more grating a sound to the ears than hearing the phrase “because that is how we always did it”. Now there is always or should always be a consideration for the past. But let’s face it, not everything that worked 20 or more years ago works today.

We often hear that everything moves slowly in Freemasonry. Well, that may be true but the last 2 or so years have seen a paradigm shift in this thinking. Over the last 2 years WMs, District, and GL officers had to “think quickly” and come up with solutions to problems that were neither anticipated nor considered frankly. This led to changes that for the most part were good for the Fraternity or maybe the jury is still out on some.

One change has focused on communications and how lodges, at least in our district, have “solved” or at least attempted to solve. How to keep all who wish “in the loop” when it comes to events and what other lodges are doing. Although it may seem that each lodge is an island unto itself, we cannot allow this to happen. Working in isolated silos works against all our interests. What works for a lodge to help them with members, finances, etc. should not be kept secret and should be shared.

The LIPMA (Long Island Past Masters Assoc.) has been attempting to help facilitate that sharing and collaboration we should be seeing. One way they are doing that is to try and have a consolidated outlet of news and information to distribute to all members of the Suffolk District or others. Some have embraced this and others have not yet. Having a consolidated events calendar is the first focus.

A one-stop-shop for all events happening at Lodges and concordant bodies in and around the Suffolk District. This includes obtaining tickets to paid events and fundraisers. Instead of waiting for tickets to be mailed to a member or lodge, they can go and pick them up anytime they like, 24/7/365. LIPMA even went the extra mile on this to assure that those that post events/fundraisers get their funds from the event quickly and electronically. Several have already taken advantage of this system and are either in progress or soon will be. You can check out events and purchase tickets anytime anywhere by going here and finding the upcoming events you would like to attend -> Suffolk District Events

Another change you may notice is communication on the District BAND. Brothers are signing on and sharing experiences and what’s happening at their lodges, requesting assistance, or just joshing with Brother online. The monthly newsletter is also back and hopefully, many brothers are receiving it and have a look at the goings-on around the District and the jurisdiction and beyond. The Grand Lodge of New York is also collaborating with CraftsmanOnline.com to bring excellent education to anyone who desires it. If you are not getting the District News Letter, you can sign up for that on suffolkmasons.com or go here -> Craftsmen Online – Suffolk Masonic District (suffolkmasons.com) and look for the blue mailbox with the S&Q and type in your email address.

It only took 22 years but it seems to me that Freemasonry is finally taking bold steps into the 21st century.

So here is the recap:

  • The suffolkmasons.com for the Suffolk Masonic District is new and improved.
  • Online ticket sales have taken off and received well by most. (don’t forget to purchase your tickets for the upcoming District Dinner at Polish Hall).
  • every day new members join the District Band. The BAND is for members only and updates the suffolkmasons.com events calendar daily. Feel free to add your Lodge events to the Suffolk District BAND so they can be published on the District Website.
  • Post articles of interest on the BAND and they may make it onto the website. Be sure and give credit for yourself and any contributors including photo credits.
  • The Suffolkmasons.com site is encrypted and secured, so feel comfortable with using it.

All of these solutions are for the brothers of the district and set up for your use. We are hoping for others to wade in and also think outside the square so to speak and find solutions that work and share these with your brothers. Everybody has ideas and we must seek that noble contention, or emulation, of who can best work and best agree.

A united front on getting information out to the District is critical. Too many times I have heard that “I didn’t hear about this” phrase. In this day in age there is no reason for that. Any member can post to the BAND and add to the calendar. Yes it’s moderated so we must remember our obligations when posting but there is no reason why brothers should be lacking information. I mean come on; we hold in our hands the aggregate sum of all human knowledge on a daily basis. if you didn’t hear about an event then chances are you didn’t want to hear about it.

If you would like more information about some of the changes or to recommend some, please get in touch. Leave a comment below reach out on BAND or send me and email, webmaster@suffolkmasons.com