Potunk Lodge # 1071

Potunk Lodge News

Please watch this space for news about Potunk Lodge and about Masonry in the district, state, nation and the world.

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• Potunk Lodge Installation of Officers      June 3rd 2010

  This evening Potunk Lodge # 1071 installed it's new officers for the ensuing year. In attendance were DDGM R:.W:. Mark Hood and many other Brothers, family and friends. Dinner was enjoyed by all before the ceremonies of the evening commenced. R:. W:. John Findlay was installed as Master of Potunk Lodge for the 2010-2011 year. All in attendance congratulated R:. W:. John and wished him all the best. For Pictures of the Installation please click here. For a picture and the roster of officers for the 2010-2011 season, please click here.

   
• Potunk Lodge Library News               April 26th 2010                                         New Lodge Library catalog now online! The new Lodge Library has been cataloged online for the members to peruse. Please feel free to check out the titles we already have and which are available for lending. Once the shelves are installed all the titles will be placed in the lodge. You can see the catalog here: Library catalog. Check back soon for lending rules and more titles. Also there is a key: Titles marked with a green check indicate the title is in the collection and titles marked with a question mark (?) are wanted for the collection. All donations are welcome. All donated items will be marked with the donors name and date. Remember, more light in Masonry - Sit Lux et Lux Fuit!
• Fellow travelers - New iPhone App          Jan 6th 2010                                          If your and iPhone junkie and travel often then this iPhone app may be right up your alley.

  Masonic Traveler is a lodge finder application that allows traveling Masons and people interested in Freemasonry to find lodges in their almost everywhere in the USA. Fraternalsoft's website is here.

  Lodge Information*:

  • Lodge Name & Number
  • Address, City, State, Zip
  • Stated Meeting Info
  • Contact Info
  • Lodge Website & Email
  • Plus much more - Check the website for more details.
• Prepare for the Dan Brown Effect                                                  Sept. 15th, 2009                                     The latest novel from Dan Brown, author of The Di Vinci Code will be released today. Titled: The Lost Symbol.               "So who cares about a stupid novel, anyway? Well, we Freemasons had better be caring, for one. That’s where the next wave of new members will come from. And consider this: the Baby Boomers who didn’t join in their 20s and 30s are now in their retirement years. The biggest (and richest) demographic wave of retirees in history do a lot of beach reading of books like Dan Brown’s. And the Freemasonry of their fathers and grandfathers is a dim memory from their childhood. It’s hard-wired into their collective conscience. “Didn’t granddad have a Masonic ring?”   Publishers, too, certainly hope so. Three years ago, after Mr. Brown first hinted at the subject for his new thriller, Ulysses Press commissioned Mr. Hodapp to write “Solomon’s Builders,” a book about the Freemasons’ influence in Washington. The publisher has also asked Mr. Hodapp to write a book dissecting the factual background of “The Lost Symbol,” once it is released. ["Deciphering the Lost Symbol: Freemasons, Myths and Mysteries of Washington D.C." ] - Chris Hodapp, Freemasons for Dummies website.         Also see our links page for some factual information about Freemasonry on the Web.
  
• Prestonian Lecturers to present at Grand Lodge                                      Sept. 14th, 2009                                     Two past Prestonian Lecturers will be presenting in the Grand Lodge Building
  on Monday, September 14, at 7:30 pm in the Maimonides-Marshall Lodge, 10th floor Colonial Room.
   Worshipfuls Trevor Stewart and Gordon Davie will deliver lectures. Both are
  Past Prestonians; both are past masters of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, which is
  the premier lodge of Masonic research in the world. We are most fortunate
  to have these two highly-decorated Masons with us.
  Please wear your regalia and dark business suit.
  
  BACKGROUND
  
   The Prestonian Lecture is the only lecture held officially under the United Grand Lodge of England. With the exception of the years during the Second World War (1940-1946) regular appointments have been made annually from 1924 until the present day.
   William Preston (1772-1818), a Scots-born printer, was a very active freemason in London from the middle of the 18th to the beginning of the 19th centuries. With the assistance of other Brethren he developed an elaborate system of Masonic instruction by means of catechetical lectures which was practiced in association with the Lodge of Antiquity (now no. 1) of which he was Master (1774). At his death, he bequeathed to the Grand Lodge the sum of £300, the interest from which was to be held in trust to be applied to some well-informed Mason to deliver annually a Lecture on the First, Second or Third Degree of the Order of Masonry according to the system practiced in the Lodge of Antiquity during Preston's Mastership.
   With occasional intermissions, lectures on his method were accordingly delivered from 1820 until 1862, when the lectureship was allowed to lapse.
   In 1924 it was revived, with certain modifications to the originals scheme,
  to allow the lecturer (chosen annually by the Trustees) to deliver a lecture on a subject of his own selection.
  
• Masonic Gem found while digitizing photographs of Past Masters                 July 17th, 2009                                   Bro. Al Baker and Bro. Bill Arnold met at the lodge on the 17th to scan or digitize all the photos we could of the past masters and any other group photos we could. While carefully removing the frame from the photo of the officers from 1957 we discovered that a copy of the communication for the first meetings of the 1957 season was slipped into the frame between the photo and the backing. We promptly scanned it and created a pdf of the document. If you would like to see a copy of what was found click here.         Also of interest is a new photo slideshow of the Past Masters of Potunk lodge on the Past Master page.
• Address of the Most Worshipful Grand Master, Edward G. Gilbert                 June 27th, 2009                                   The address, delivered by the Right Worshipful Vincent Libone, Deputy Grand Master acting as Grand Master, to the District Deputy Grand Masters and Grand Lodge Staff Officers for the years 2008 – 2010 and Assistant Grand Lecturers in the Daniel D. Tompkins Memorial Chapel, Masonic Care Community at Utica, New York may be read in its entirety by clicking here.
• 19th Annual TSM Golf Outing on par for September 28th, 2009                           The "TSM" Golf outing assists our Lodge in supporting the Thomas Sinnickson Memorial Scholarship Fund and other charitable works of the Lodge. The day is always great and the golf is not to be missed. Sign up early to receive your secure spot for tee off. If you cannot golf or don't golf, there is still plenty that you can do to support this event. You can volunteer to help during the outing or you can sponsor part of the event or even sign up for a tee sign. Click here to download the printable flyer for the outing and send it in with the deposit to make sure you don't miss out on the fun. If you own your own business buying a tee sign or sponsoring part of the event is a great way to increase your visibility. As well if you just want to have a tee sign to express your thanks to the brethren for all the charitable works they do, that works too.
• The Polo Fellowcraft Club's Annual BBQ & Pig Roast
  May 30 2009
  The Polo Fellowcraft Club will be holding it's Annual BBQ & Pig Roast on the grounds of Potunk Lodge this August 15th. Don't wait to get your tickets as they will sell out before you know it. This is one of the biggest events of the year for Potunk Lodge. Come on down and enjoy a great picnic and BBQ, there will be fun for all. Please contact R:.W:. John Findlay for tickets or ask any Potunk Lodge member. Tickets are only $20.00 for adults and $10.00 for children. More food and "refreshments" than you can shake a stick at, and only 20 bucks..
• Potunk Lodge Dedication program from 1969 located...
  May 11 2009
  At our last stated communication W: Rick had advised the lodge that he had acquired a copy of the original Potunk Lodge Dedication program  from 1969 that was given out to all the attendees at the dedication of our current lodge building. W: Gordon Downs, of Dongan Patent Lodge, had given this rare treasure to W:. Rick at a function they attended within the district. Our thanks  go out to W:. Gordon as this booklet helps to fill in some the gaps in our website.                                                 We have perused this booklet and have gleaned some very interesting information from it for our website and are in the process of some updates that reflect this new information. We have digitized it and placed it on this web for your edification. You may access it by clicking here. Some of the text is fuzzy due to the compression of the images for placement on the web. There are plans to reproduce it in high resolution in the upcoming year.
• Congratulations to Bro. Gary Gudzick
  Apr. 29 2009
  Bro. Gary Gudzik, the Senior Deacon of Suffolk 60 Lodge, has taken 1st place in the Annual Grand Lodge MAGLA ritual competition. This makes the second time in 2 years that a Brother from the Suffolk District has won this honor. According to V:.W:. Glen Rubin, "The competition was fierce with 13 districts sending fine ritualists to compete. In the end, Bro. Gary’s perfect recitation, clarity and presentation earned him this coveted title". It is indeed an honor for the Suffolk District and a stellar achievement for Bro. Gary. The Brothers of Potunk Lodge wish to congratulate Bro. Gary for bringing this honor to himself, his lodge, the Suffolk District and to Masonry in general. Way to go Bro. Gary!
• The Annual Suffolk District Golf Outing
  Jun. 30 2009            
  The Suffolk Masonic District will hold it's Annual Golf Outing on June 30th this year. It will be held at Rock Hill Country Club in Manorville. If you would like to come out and have a get a round of golf and some  great fellowship with members and friends this event is not to be missed. The cost is only $135.00 per player and includes 18 holes and a cart. You will also get Lunch and a Beverage at registration. There will be an awards dinner at the club house after the outing. There are opportunities also available for sponsorship of the golf outing. Please see the  district trestle board for more information and contacts, or you can find it at the Suffolk Masonic District Website.
• It's That time of year again.
  Feb. 6 2009                    
• The "Traveling Gavel" in Fact & Legend
  Jan. 6 2009                              An interesting paper re-printed from an article submitted by R:.W:. Joseph T Loeb, DSA; Published in the Empire State Mason Spring 1993 issue, Vol. 41. No. 1. The paper recounts the facts behind the Traveling Gavel. Please Click here to download the paper.
• Old Town Lodge nabs traveling gavel
  Dec. 18 2008                                        Old Town Lodge No. 908 from Southampton arrived at 7:30 for fellowship and Potunk Lodge's Holiday party. When enough of their brothers had arrived they announced they would like to take the traveling gavel home to Old Town Lodge. Since all rules of the traveling gavel were observed, the brethren of Potunk happily turned over the gavel. The brethren of Potunk Lodge wish to thank the brothers of Old Town for the visit and for taking care of the gavel, if only temporarily.(To read the rules of the Official Traveling Gavel click here) All had a great time including old St. Nick who stayed around long enough to grab a cup of cheer (see photo gallery).    Click on photo for larger view
• Freemasonry in the Movies
  Brothers War
  A new movie coming out which will feature a Freemasonry theme, and it looks to be in a very good light. See this link for more on this story: Brothers War Info
• New Suffolk Masonic District Website
  If you are looking for info from around the district please head on over to the Suffolk Masonic District website. R:.W:. Bob Brovetto, Staff Officer, Mark Hood, Asst. Grand Lecturer, Glenn Rubin, District Advisor, Manuel Abad, and your Technology Committee have done a great job putting this site together and keeping it updated. Please check it out and support the District. The site can be found here or on our links page.
  
• R:.W:. Klos Night
  The event was a great success and all the brethren who helped to make this happen should be commended. Bro. Charlie did a wonderful job with the roast beef as always. Bro. Rory is always there to clean up after the brethren and keep the Lodge looking great. Of course as many of the members who knew Bro. Klos will state that they were both proud to have known him and are in some way a better person for it. This is what the brethren relayed to the guest of honor, L. Klos. If you were unable to attend the night's festivities, please click on the photo gallery page or click here and view the photos taken by V. Van Epps and posted to the gallery and set to Bro. W. A. Mozart's Fur Elise.
  

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