Cortland-Madison Masonic District

Copies of the Closing Charge recently approved for use by Grand Lodge have been emailed to the Masters and Secretaries of each Lodge in the District.

Any Master Mason who wishes to have a copy is encouraged to contact the Master or Secretary of his Lodge.  Alternatively, copies may be obtained from the DDGM, GLSO, or either of the AGLs.

Greetings Brethren, This will be my final article as AGL for our District, and I want to thank everyone who has supported me over the last two years, and hopefully I have helped some of you improved on your Ritual work. I would now like to introduce my replacement, V.W. Brother Bart Chapin Master of Cautious Lodge. Bart is one of a handful of Brothers in our District that can recite the Historical Lecture for the 1^st Degree, and rumor has it he is well on his way to memorizing the Middle Chamber Lecture as well, which will place him on a level few have achieved. Together with V.W. Brother Scott Cary I am confident our District will continue to rank high in our Ritual work, as noted by our DDGM in his travels around the state.

As for Degree work…Cortland/Madison will be going strong all summer with several Lodges balloting on new Petitions right up to the end of our Masonic year. Please step up and offer to help when asked. Feel free to contact Bart at 315-750-0535 to schedule a rehearsal. See you at Investiture !! Dick Freeman

Another Grand Lodge Communication has come and gone and we are rapidly entering the season of elections, investiture, and installation ceremonies. After this flurry of activity, many of our Lodges will go dark for the summer, but that doesn’t mean that you have to go without Masonry as you enjoy our warmer months.

If you weren’t able to attend Grand Lodge, you might consider dropping in for a tour of the facilities the next time that you are in NYC for a baseball game.

Or you might consider a visit to the Masonic Campus in Utica, perhaps for St. John’s Day weekend (June 26-28). It’s a short drive and well worth the trip. Contact the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory to inquire about a tour before your visit. If you are scientifically-minded, or even just a little curious, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the world-class facilities and research being done right in our back yard.

Cutting-edge science isn’t your thing? How about a trip to Tappan to visit the DeWint House? Owned by the Grand Lodge since 1932, the DeWint House is a piece of American history with a Masonic connection – it served as a temporary headquarters for our Brother, George Washington, during the Revolutionary War.

Don’t feel like long-distance travel? How about a short trip to visit an aged Brother who hasn’t been able to make it to Lodge for a while? How about playing 18 with some of the guys from Lodge?

Maybe you’d prefer to curl up with a good book? You might consider signing up for one of the excellent reading courses offered to Master Masons in good standing by the Livingston Library.

My Brothers, our Fraternity provides many wonderful gifts and resources to its members. It is up to you to take advantage of them. I hope that all of you enjoy a safe and fun-filled summer.

We’re nearing the end of another year in the quarries. As such, it’s time to look back and inspect our work. The Fellowcraft Club has been very well attended this year. Those who have attended have made this an enjoyable and educational evening for all involved. Our final Fellowcraft Club meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 24 at 7PM in Otselic Valley Lodge. If this makes it to press before then, please feel free to join us. If not, well, we had a great time!

In our travels throughout the District this year, both Dick and I have had the opportunity to work with many Brothers toward their goals of improving their Ritual. We have been most impressed with some of our youngest Masons. These Brothers display a zeal for Masonic knowledge and improving their Ritual. Please do not let their hunger go unsatisfied. To those of you who have helped mentor these Brothers along their Masonic journey – thank you, your efforts benefit not only these Brothers, but the Craft as a whole.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to announce that the District, for the first time, has a web site. Please check us out at cortland-madison-masons.org.   If you have suggestions or discover any errors or omissions, please email them to webmaster@cortland-madison-masons.org. We have transitioned The Grapevine, the District’s long-standing email group, to a new automated system. Current subscribers will need to do nothing to continue receiving The Grapevine. Your subscription has already been transitioned to the new system. If you are not yet subscribed to The Grapevine and wish to be, please send an email with your name, email address, phone number, and Lodge(s) to webmaster@cortland-madison-masons.org. The email address to be used for submitting to The Grapevine will be sent to you upon your approval to join the group. Additionally, you may elect to receive notification of new content or posts to our web site by entering your email address into the box on the site and then clicking the appropriate button to subscribe or unsubscribe.  This is separate from The Grapevine and is not added when registering for The Grapevine, unless you specifically ask for it.

Finally, having our own domain has allowed us the opportunity to create our own District email system. Can’t remember the District Deputy’s email address? Just use ddgm@cortland-madison-masons.org. Staff Officer? Use glso@cortland-madison-masons.org. Need to suggest content for an upcoming Fellowcraft Club meeting or need help with a Degree practice? Email the AGLs at agls@cortland-madison-masons.org. These email addresses will not change as new officers fill these offices, so an email sent to any of these addresses should always find its way to the intended recipient.