March 1, 2025

My dear brothers,

The cold winter weather seems to be subsiding, and we’re starting to see some spring weather arrive.  We will Spring forward our clocks on Sunday March 9th, another sign of time passing.  Don’t forget to change the batteries in your smoke detectors at the same time so they are fresh.

Activities in various lodges across the district is starting to pick up. Degrees are being put on in lodges around the district.  The Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master will be visiting Wappingers Lodge next month.

The Masters and Wardens Association is sponsoring a bus trip to the Masonic Care Community Campus in Utica for St John’s Day.  It is an excellent chance to connect with brothers from across the state, tour the Masonic Medical Research Institute

May 10 marks the 250th Anniversary of the capture of Fort Ticonderoga from the British.  As part of the America250 program, the Grand Master is asking for lodges to schedule an event such as a festive board around that date to help commemorate the event.  

On Friday March 7, Shekomeko is sponsoring a talk on the Temple of Virtue at the New Windsor Cantonment

Letter from the Grand Master

Begin Your Journey to 32°

Journey deeper into the tenets and values of the Craft by joining 32° Scottish Rite Freemasonry™.

You share fraternal fellowship with a network of Brothers who seek to be the best version of themselves, expand their sense of purpose, and be of service to the world and our fellow man.

Building upon the lessons we learned in Blue Lodge, the Core Values and 29 degrees of the Scottish Rite mark the path to more light and unite us in our quest to become better men and better Masons.

We offer multiple ways for interested Master Masons to join our brotherhood by attending a 4° date in-person or online.

Learn more here

Rhinebeck Lodge No 432 has been busy traveling. They reclaimed the Traveling Gavel from Adonai Lodge on April 22.

Is it time for your lodge to claim it? Rhinebeck Lodge meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 7:30pm at 6472 Montgomery St in Rhinebeck, NY 12572. Your next opportunity would be February 5th or February 19th.

To claim the gavel, a lodge from the Mid-Hudson District must have 5 brothers present, including either the Master or one of the Wardens. If multiple lodges qualify, the one with the most brothers in attendance will claim the gavel. Ties are broken by the lodge that traveled the furthest. These are the only requirements to claim the gavel. The start of the Traveling Gavel

York Rite

Poughkeepsie Chapter

Royal Arch Masons

King Solomon Council

Cryptic Masons

Poughkeepsie Commandery

Knights Templar

The next meeting of Poughkeepsie Chapter is in-person meeting on Tuesday October 10, 2023, 7:00 PM. Royal Arch is the entry to both Cryptic Masons and Knights Templar. Contact David Barkstedt about joining.

Freemasonry Today - The Official publication of the United Grand Lodge of England

Slate Magazine - What if the Solution to Men's Loneliness Is . . . Freemasonry

Slate Magazine by Allegra Rosenberg

On March 26th, the Valley of The Hudson is sponsoring “Fatal Ambition - the Trial of Major Andre” and a belated celebration of George Washington’s Birthday at Wappingers Lodge. All brothers are welcome. The Valley is also sponsoring a Day of Scottish Rite Brotherhood on October 18, 2025 at the Albany Masonic Temple.

Look for the Call to the Annual Communication in May to arrive shortly.

The Traveling Gavel is currently located at Rip Van Winkle Lodge in Cairo. 

As you can see, exciting things are happening in the District. Come out and enjoy time with your brothers.

In September applications will be available for district officer positions of Assistant Grand Lecturers, Staff Officers and District Deputy Grand Master for the years 2026 to 2028. I bring this up now so that brothers can start considering applying for one of the positions if they so desire it. The Past Grand Lodge Officers look forward to working with you on this.

Please do not forget those in need. When a member of the human family applies in need, contribute as liberally as you can and his need requires.

F&S

Fraternally,

A. Harry Williams

Editor

Upcoming Events

• Mar 7 - Shekomeko - Temple of Virtue at New Windsor Catonment
• Mar 8 - 2nd Degree -Rip Van Winkle Lodge #468 - 9am.
• April 11, 2025 - GM and DGM visit Wappingers Lodge #671
• March 29, 2025 - Ulster Lodge #193 - 175th Anniversary
• May 5 & 6 - Annual Communication in NYC
• June 20 & 21 - St. John's Weekend - Utica
• October 18, 2025 - Join Scottish Rite

Feature your upcoming date by emailing at the following link - email

Masonic Medical Research Institute

Brother Harry Williams of Adonai Lodge has been trained as an Ambassador for the MMRI on the campus in Utica. If you would like a program for you lodge meeting, contract him at (845) 214-7468 or a.harry.williams@gmail.com. If you schedule it before June, you can visit MMRI for a tour during St. John's weekend.

DD Visits

• Apr 1 - Hudson Monumental Widow's Son #7
• Apr 2 - Beacon #283 & Triune-Obed #782

• TBD - Hendrick Hudson #875

Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master to visit Wappingers Lodge #671

It is with great pleasure that Wappingers Lodge #671 invites you to join us for a special evening in honor of our esteemed Grand Master, MW Steven Adam Rubin, Deputy Grand Master Robert Hogan Jr., and the Grand Line. Both the Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master are members of our district, making this event even more significant.

This memorable occasion will take place on Friday, April 11, 2025 at 6:00 pm. Location: Wappingers Lodge, Mid- Hudson District

This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from our Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master and show our appreciation for their leadership and dedication. We would love to see all brothers from our district come together to celebrate this special occasion. During the visit, we will be serving dinner.

Please find the menu below:

Main Course Options (choose one):

• Prime Rib,
• Chicken Francese,
• Fillet of Salmon

Sides: Vegetables, Rice or Mashed Potatoes with Brown Gravy

Included with Dinner: Salad, Dessert,

Coffee or Tea, Soft Drinks

Cost: $25 to cover the cost of the food. RSVP Required

To make payment as easy as possible, you can send your donation via Venmo to RW Sal Sahawneh’s account: https://venmo.com/u/Sal-Sahawneh.

Alternatively, you can send your donation via Cash App to Wappingers Lodge No. 671 using $Wappingers671. Please also email the lodge secretary at wappingers671@gmail.com to confirm your attendance. To ensure we have enough food for everyone, RSVP is a must. Kindly confirm your attendance as soon as possible and by March 28th at the very latest.

We look forward to spending this special evening together, celebrating brotherhood, and honoring our esteemed leaders.

Blood Drives

Monumental-Hudson-Widow's Son Lodge#7 hosts a bi-monthly blood drive at the lodge. The drives for 2025 are:

• April 24
• June 26
• August 28
• October 30
• December 26



Leadership Academy

Masonic Culture Class

• 1/30/25 - Mastering Masonic Rituals
• 3/1/25 - The Performer's guide to Degrees (10:30am)
• 3/31/25 - The Secret to Masonry: The Masonic Experience
• 4/29/25 - Balancing Family, Career, and Freemasonry
• 5/29/25 - The Next Generation: Train your replacement
• 7/29/25 - Becoming a mentor: Teaching the Teacher

Michigan Masonic Museum and Library Videos

The Michigan Masonic Museum and Library in Grand Rapids Michigan is producing a series of videos with Dirk and Shannon talking about items in their collection. Dirk is an old time mason and Shannon is a young staffer at the museum who asks lots of questions and Dirk shows different items, explains a little bit about them. The videos are both entertaining and educational. They are available on the Museum's Facebook page.

Michigan Masonic Museum and Library | Facebook

Masonic Podcasts

https://www.thesquaremagazine.com/mag/article/202208masonic-podcasts/