Washington’s Inauguration and the Bible

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As Freemasons, most of us are familiar with much or all of the story of WBro. George Washinton’s first Inaugural may be in dispute. Contemporaries who were present reported slightly different versions of the events. It is an understatement to say they were making it up as they went along. The fact is they did make it up as they went, there was no provision in the founding documents at the time on how to install the President of the United States. So how did it come to be?

Well, if we set the scene that was unfolding at the time things may get a little clearer on who could have come up with the appropriate honors and oath of office for the 1st inauguration. On April 14th George Washington was unanimously elected to be the 1st President of the United States of America. After he received the notice of his election on April 16th at his home in Mount Vernon, Washington left for New York. Accompanied by Charles Thompson, his official escort, and Col. David Humphreys, his aide, he traveled through Alexandria, Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, Princeton, New Brunswick, and Bridgetown (now Rahway, NJ).

At these and other places along his route, the artillery roared a salute of honor, and the citizens and officials presented him with marks of affection and honor so that his trip became a triumphal procession. On April 23, he crossed the bay from Bridgetown to New York City in a magnificent barge built especially for the occasion.

Lacking precedents to guide them in their preparations for the first Presidential inaugural, Congress appointed a joint committee to consider the time, place, and manner in which to administer to the President the oath of office required by the Constitution. Certain difficulties in planning and arrangements arose from the fact that Congress was meeting in New York’s former City Hall, rechristened Federal Hall, which was in the process of renovation under the direction of Pierre L’Enfant.

On April 25, Congress adopted the joint committee’s recommendation that the inaugural ceremonies be held the following Thursday, April 30, and that the oath of office be administered to the President in the Representatives’ Chamber. The final report of the committee slightly revised this plan with its recommendation that the oath be administered in the outer gallery adjoining the Senate Chamber, “to the end that the Oath of Office may be administered to the President in the most public manner and that the greatest number of people of the United States, and without distinction, may witness the solemnity.” But what exactly the Oath of Office of the President would be was not clear.

At Federal Hall, Vice President John Adams, the Senate, and the House of Representatives awaited the President’s arrival in the Senate Chamber. After being received by Congress, Washington stepped from the chamber onto the balcony, where he was followed by the Senators and Representatives.

Before the assembled crowd of spectators, Robert Livingston, Chancellor of the State of New York, administered the oath of office prescribed by the Constitution: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” After repeating this oath, Washington kissed the Bible held for him by the Chancellor, who called out, “Long live George Washington, President of the United States,” and a salvo of 13 cannons was discharged. There are some contemporary versions that stated that President Washinton also added the all too familiar “So help me God” to the end, but this is disputed or wasn’t heard by all. However, this makes perfect sense to all Brothers would have heard this or would hear this in the future.

Except for taking the oath, the law required no further inaugural ceremonies. But, upon reentering the Senate Chamber, the President read the following address:

 

Click the image for a transcript of the address

After this address, he and the members of Congress proceeded to St. Paul’s Church for divine service. A brilliant fireworks display in the evening ended the official program for this historic day.

What was not widely reported was the Bible on which WBro. Washinton took his oath of office on. When Washinton arrived at Federal Hall that day and Chancelor Livingston was preparing for administering the oath, it was discovered that there was no Bible for WBro. Washinton to place his right hand on while taking the oath. In the group present during this discussion was W:. Jacon Morton, who happened to be the Worshipful Master of St. John’s Lodge No. 1 and was tasked with obtaining the Bible from the Lodge that Chancelor Robert Livingston would hold before WBro. Washington for him to take the oath of office on.  St. John’s Lodge A.Y.M. has retained custodianship of this Altar Bible ever since.

Several Presidents have requested the Washington inaugural Bible to be used at their inauguration. The Bible has since been used for the inaugurations of Warren G. Harding in 1921, Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953, Jimmy Carter in 1977, and George H. W. Bush, whose 1989 inauguration was in the bicentennial year of Washington’s. The Bible was also intended to be used for the first inauguration of George W. Bush, but heavy rain didn’t allow it.  However, the Bible was present in the Capitol Building in the care of three Freemasons of St. John’s Lodge, in case the weather got better.

In addition to its duties, the Bible has been used in the funeral processions of Presidents Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The Bible has also been used at the cornerstone laying of the U.S. Capitol, the dedication of the Washington Monument, the centennials of the cornerstone laying of the White House, U.S. Capitol, and the Statue of Liberty, the 1964 World’s Fair as well as the launching of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington. It has also been used at cornerstone ceremonies for Masonic temples in Boston in 1867, Philadelphia in 1869.

In recent years, it has been displayed in New York at the Federal Hall National Memorial, located on the site of Washington’s inauguration, and the New York Historical Society, and in Washington, D.C. at the Smithsonian and the United States Capitol Visitor Center.

How many of us would like to have the honor of taking our obligation(s) on this particular Bible? Well, there is a chance that you can get as close to that as possible. On Monday March 3rd, 2025, you may get your chance!

Join M:.W:. Steve Adam Rubin, Grand Master of Masons at Lynbrook-Massapequa Lodge No. 822 as the George Washinton Inaugural Bible will be there and Masons present will reaffirm their commitment to Freemasonry and a raffle drawing will give someone a chance to kneel before this historic Bible at the Altar.

For more information, please see the event as it is a ticket paid event – Click Here!

Cowans, Eavesdroppers and Scammers, Oh my!

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Brothers,

Over the last few weeks, several messages have come down to the brothers about possible scams, and most recently, a cowan, eavesdropper, or worse, who has been trying to sit in meetings in other states. It’s important to keep our brothers safe from scams and our Lodges free from cowans and eavesdroppers.

Let’s start with scams. We are all pretty much aware of the infamous “Nigerian Prince, government or other” scam. However, these scammers have grown and evolved over time, and their tactics have evolved as well. We, as Masons, are usually of the type that wants to help someone in need, especially a brother Mason. The scammers know this and will use it against their targets. They will craft well-written emails and send them to a hacked e-mail list in the hope that someone will reply that seems sympathetic or at least willing to engage in dialog. This is where the social engineering part comes in.

Some things to look for.
  1. If you receive an e-mail from a Brother, even a Brother that you know personally, that requests you help them with some issue, usually financially; Trust but verify is the best way to handle this. If you know the Brother, call him to find out what the issue is and if it is legitimate.
  2. If the requester has a reason he cannot speak on the phone, be wary. Some scammers are very convincing in messages (e-mails, Instant messages, or text), but cannot talk on the phone because you will know the jig is up.
  3. If the person contacting you insists you send money, typically in an odd way, like gift cards to some other untraceable way.  This is a huge red flag.
The way to spot a scam e-mail or text:
  1. Typically, a scam e-mail or text at a glance will look normal, look closer and you will see some serious grammatical or spelling issues. Scammers do this on purpose. Most would immediately discard the message knowing that the sender is a scammer but if the receiver is willing to overlook these minor errors, they may have a better chance of convincing someone they are who they are not.
  2. Look at the actual e-mail address or sender address. It is easy to “spoof” some emails with a name displayed instead of the actual e-mail address. Once you can see the sender, the scam is exposed.
  3. Look for any cc or bcc in the e-mail. If you see the e-mail or message is to you but also to “Undisclosed Recipients”, again a huge red flag.

There are several good websites that will explain how to spot a scam message if you are unsure have someone you trust have a look at it before you hit reply. Remember scammers will always put emphasis or urgency to the message to stop you from checking on the legitimacy of the scam.

Now on the trickier subject of Cowans and Eavesdroppers:

Back in the day, Lodges has to deal with Cowans more often than you think. This was due to the support network that Masons are famous for. if you were a Brother and taking a long or difficult trip and found yourself stranded you could always contact the local Lodge and they would always help out with a place to stay, a meal maybe event help you out of a cash problem and send you on your way. This is where our dues cards came from. Its wasn’t enough just to say you were a member you needed to prove it through lawful Masonic information. The Cowans had maybe read enough exposes to know some or just enough to get over, but no dues card was a no go.

Over the years and with more and more government social services in place it was not really necessary to “get over” on the Masons for a freebie anymore so dealing with Cowans died down. This was much bigger problem in the 1st half of the 20th century in the US.

Jumping to the 21st century, the problem has slightly risen again, this time not for free “hots and a cot” but for another purpose. This time it seems most of the ones in recent years were about pretenders just wanting to get into a Lodge meeting, like those who explore forbidden buildings. The pretender’s motives may be unclear, but dangerous just the same.

These seems to be a growing group of individuals who think since they have read the books on Freemasonry or even joined a clandestine Lodge or got suckered into membership in the thousands of scam Illuminati sites, that they are members worldwide who can visit any Lodge in the world. The most recent warning comes from the Grand Lodge of Alabama who had a member who renounced his membership yet later turns up in other states and attempts to sit in a Lodge.

We have many statements in our obligations and in Masonic law that every brother should know.  Any strange man that comes to your Lodge should be examined. This could mean several things. The first and foremost is to ask for his dues card. We all received permanent dues cards a few years back. These cards have a QR code on them. A quick scan of the QR code on the card using the Amity phone app also available on Google play, will get you his current status as a Mason. Of course, this is only for US Masons and not every jurisdiction uses them, but most do, many are on the same MORI system that the GLoNY is. Travel outside the US is a discussion for another time.

We all encourage our Brothers to travel and it’s one of the best benefits of being a Brother. However just showing up at a Lodge where nobody knows who you are, well you should not be offended if you are challenged before you are allowed to join the meeting.

This is the Brothers doing their due diligence. There have been a few changes to Masonic Law in recent years with regards to opening/closing on any degree. This some have issue with and some welcomed. But has led to a bit of confusion. Once a gentleman is initialed, given the EA degree, does this give this new Brother right to travel? Once they are put in the system by the secretary, they will receive a dues card in short order or at least their GL number. My opinion on this is no, they are still to be treated like EA’s & FC’s were prior to the changes. This means they should not travel to other lodges by themselves. They need to be vouched for and escorted just like before. All Masters of Lodges should instruct their Sr. Deacons at least as such, well that’s his job after all. I have asked this question before and have gotten different answers, so please check with your DDGM if you need clarification. So, when we open a lodge and the Sr. Deacon’s, Jr. Deacon’s & Tyler’s responsibilities are given, do we pay attention?

Happy 2025 From the East

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Brethren,

The last day of 2024 has arrived. Looking forward to 2025 and all the hopefully happy days ahead. I hope all the Brothers of Riverhead Lodge and all Brothers in general have a wonderful new year.

Much has been happening at the Lodge and lots still to do. If you haven’t been to the Lodge in a while, the Lodge room as been completely renovated and it came out beautiful. There are still few more items to complete with this, but I am very happy with the results so far.

 

I am also looking forward to the first meeting of the new year, Tuesday January 7th, 2025. Before we all enjoy New Year’s Day, a few reminders of upcoming events and dates.

On Jan 8th  ,2025– V:.W:. Stu Smith is holding a AGL’s School of Instruction at Smithtown Lodge, collation 6:30 PM, Meeting begins at 7:00 PM

On Jan 17 & 18th ,2025– The 1st Annual Masonic Con will be held at the Grand Lodge of New York. The 17th is the Mariners Lodge Beefsteak festive board, and the 18th will be the Masonic Con. You can get tickets for these events on the Grand Lodge of New York Website, https://nymasons.org

On Jan 21, 2025 – Riverhead Lodge will hold its annual Summoned Communication. This Summoned Communication is a rollcall as well as reports from all committees are to be presented to the lodge and spread upon the minutes. So, this means all committees please submit your reports. If you cannot attend this summoned communication, please make sure your committee report is sent to the Secretary prior to the meeting.

On Feb 4th, 2025, we will be opening and closing and heading over to Amityville Lodge for their DDGM visit. We’ll discuss the logistics at next Tuesday’s meeting.

On Feb 18th, 2025 – This is Riverhead Lodge’s Official Visit of the DDGM & GLSO to our Lodge. There will be a short rehearsal for all officers prior to the 18th. Please know your opening/closing ritual without any books or written material. If we need to brush up on that we can do that during the DDGM rehearsal.

I am currently planning a 3rd degree either late March or early April.

Finally, for those who like to donate Blood to the NY Blood Center I have agreed to 3 more dates for them to hold Blood drives at the Lodge. These will be announced as soon as I get a bit more information.

All dates and events are posted in several locations, the Suffolk District BAND, Riverhead Lodge BAND, Riverhead Lodge website, and Suffolk District Website. If you need the addresses for any, please let me know and I’d be happy to get them to you.

Again, may you and your families all have a Happy and Healthy New Year. See you in 2025!

Fraternally,

V:.W:. Bill Arnold

Master

Riverhead Lodge #645

Battle Within Bench to be dedicated at Port Jefferson

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On behalf of R:.W:. Robert Licata, DDGM:

Brethren,

Please be advised, that the Suffolk Masonic District, will be dedicating another Battle Within Foundation Bench at the Veterans Memorial Park at 116 West Broadway, Port Jefferson, NY 11777 p December 20th, 2024, at 3:00 PM. Our Grand Master, the Most Worshipful Steven Adam Rubin has confirmed his attendance. If you are able, please consider attending.

 

Learn more here -> Home | The Battle Within

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

The post December From the South first appeared on Smithtownlodge1127.

December From the West

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Brethren,

As Christmas approaches, let us take time to enjoy the blessings we can share with one another. The holidays are a special time, and being together with family and the brotherhood makes it even more meaningful.

In the spirit of the season, let us remember those in need and those who are facing difficult times, both within our own families and the wider community. Charity is one of the core virtues of Masonry, and it is through acts of kindness and generosity that we truly embody the spirit of the holidays.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the next stated communication.

Fraternally,
Edward Matuszak
Senior Warden

The post December From the West first appeared on Smithtownlodge1127.

December From the East

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Brethren,

As the year draws to a close and the holiday season begins, I want to take a moment to reflect on all that we have accomplished together in 2024. It’s been a year of growth, learning, and brotherhood, and I am truly grateful for each of you and the dedication you bring to our Lodge.

As we approach the new year, let’s take a moment to reflect on the blessings we’ve received and the opportunities that lie ahead. I’m excited about the future of our Lodge, and I look forward to continuing to work with each of you to make 2025 another successful year of growth, service, and brotherhood.

Wishing you all a wonderful December filled with warmth, joy, and fellowship. May the holiday season bring peace and happiness to you and your families.

Fraternally,

W:. William Hanson

Worshipful Master

The post December From the East first appeared on Smithtownlodge1127.

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.

Improvements to the suffolkmasons.com website

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Brothers,

Question: is it possible to be “new” and “improved” at the same time? 

Over the last few years, I have gotten feedback from users of the suffolkmasons.com website regarding several things. The one main theme was that it was slow and cumbersome, especially with ticket purchases for events. The hosting for the district website has been updated and migrated to a more powerful server and will more room to grow and expand. I have also trimmed down the site to the essentials and cut the fat and bloat that will sometimes impact speed. While I do not have the speed test from before the changes, that would be embarrassing, I do have the speed test from recent testing.

So, we’re getting a solid B grade on speed and there is a bit more work to do to get to an A. We are also in process of upgrading with significant improvements to Hiram’s Tickets (online ticket sales). This should be ready for use by Mid December or earlier.

Some other highlights we’d mention:

  • Weekly automated announcements email (this are just the latest and greatest of posts and events coming up)
  • Quarterly District Communication email (too many complaints about the number of emails)
  • Email Archive (missed an announcement? need to see it again? now you can in the Archive)
  • Education Page (here you can sign up for District Courses like the RTE or MDC)
  • The Suffolk District Traveling gavel has its own page! Check the location and travel brothers!
  • Complete listing of Suffolk District Lodges with brief history and meeting times, etc.
  • And of course, the Events page. Check out what is happening around the District, who’s doing what and when. This calendar and the calendar on the District BAND are synchronized to keep all events in the District as widely seen as possible.
  • When arriving at the suffolkmasons.com home page, be sure and scroll down for additional information like a brief list of upcoming events, a link to the Craftsmen Online Podcast and more.

Of course we are still looking for content, so if you have a story or information you would like to share, send it to us and we’ll publish it for all to see. The point of all this is communication Brothers and a website is still one of the best ways to efficiently and effectively get the info out to all. A website requires no username or password to find information or get what you need. There is the calendar of events, informational posts, pages to find who to contact and how to contact a brother in the district. Albeit some of the info is behind a secure wall so you would have to register and be approved to access personal info like emails and phone numbers.

We would invite all brothers to have a look and see what is available, suggest improvements with feedback, comments and create content. If we share what we know with each other, we all get better and that is the point Brothers. We hope this page in combination with the Suffolk District BAND serves the District well and keeps all “in the know”. We are a relatively small but diverse group of gentlemen, and we are always there for each other.

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to get this awesome information sent to your email inbox. See the sign up to your right on this page ->