Annual Reports
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Annual Reports For the period ending December 31, 2015 Standing and Special Committees, Other Grand Lodge Units and the Chancellor Robert R Livingston Masonic Library THE GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 235th Annual Communication May 2 – 3, 2016 ©Copyright, 2016 Paul M. Rosen Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York REPORTS OF STANDING* AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES Awards * ...........................................................................................................1 Camp Turk ........................................................................................................3 Charters * .........................................................................................................4 Civility Ambassadors .......................................................................................5 Communications ..............................................................................................6 Publications * ...............................................................................................8 Community Service * ......................................................................................8 Masonic Blood and Organ Donor Program Sub-Committee .......................9 Masonic Model Student Assistance Program (MMSAP) Sub-Committee ..9 New York Masonic Safety ID (MSID) Program Sub-Committee ..............10 Compliance and Assessment ..........................................................................11 Concordant Bodies ........................................................................................11 Constitutions * ...............................................................................................12 Correspondence and Relations * ....................................................................13 Custodians of the Work * ...............................................................................14 George Washington Masonic Historic Site at Tappan ....................................18 George Washington Masonic National Memorial ..........................................19 Grand Lodge Convention ...............................................................................19 Grand Lodge Educational Assistance ............................................................20 Law Enforcement *........................................................... .............................22 Leadership and Educational Services * .........................................................23 Long-Range Planning * .................................................................................24 Masonic Benevolence * .................................................................................25 Masonic Brotherhood Fund * ........................................................................27 Masonic Care Community Ambassador Program ..........................................27 Masonic Fellowship .......................................................................................28 Masonic Hall Tours ........................................................................................30 Membership Development .............................................................................31 Military Outreach ...........................................................................................33 Necrology * ....................................................................................................37 Observant Masonry ............................................................................................ Restorations * .................................................................................................40 Ritual Renaissance .........................................................................................41 Surviving Spouse and Loved Ones ................................................................41 Technology .....................................................................................................42 Youth ..............................................................................................................43 REPORTS OF OTHER GRAND LODGE UNITS Commission of Appeals .................................................................................46 Masonic War Veterans ....................................................................................47 District Grand Lodge of Syria-Lebanon ........................................................49 American Lodge of Research.........................................................................51 Infinity Lodge of Research .............................................................................52 Justice Robert H. Jackson Lodge of Research ...............................................54 Veritas Lodge of Study and Research ............................................................55 Western New York Lodge of Research ...........................................................55 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE LIVINGSTON MASONIC LIBRARY The Chancellor Robert R Livingston Masonic Library of Grand Lodge ......56 COMMITTEE ON AWARDS To the Grand Lodge: It is the Committee on Awards which has the responsibility of implementing the Dedicated Service Award, the Fifty -Year (Plus) Award Programs and the Grand Lodge Community Service Awards, as well as recommending to the Grand Master the creation of new awards. Dedicated Service Awards The Committee met in December 2015 to consider nominations for the Dedicated Service Awards (DSA). The total statewide recommendations received were fifty-seven (57), of which a total of forty-four (44) were ratified. The average ageof membership of the recipients was sixty-four (64) years and the average years of membership was twenty-five (25). Fifty -Year (Plus) Awards Lapel Pins Certificates 50 -Year Medals 50 -Year Aprons Fifty Years 336 373 23 381 Fifty-five Years 269 286 Sixty Years 225 249 278 Sixty-five Years 153 134 Seventy Years 26 29 27 Seventy-five Years 5 5 Eighty Years ____0 ____0 ____ ____ TOTAL AWARDS 1014 1076 23 686 Our congratulations go out to all of our Brothers for their years of service to the Craft, as well as to the DSA presentations for the recipients. Grand Lodge Community Service Awards The Committee received recommendations for three (8) DeWitt Clinton Awards (for Non-Masons or Non-Masonic Organizations Only), four (4) Jacob Morton Awards (for Masons, Masonic Lodges or Districts Only), and three (3) Grand Lodge Certificate of Appreciation for Excellence in Service to the Community (for Masonic and Non-Masonic recipients) to screen for approval or rejection and to process them. DeWitt Clinton Award John G. Di Liberto March 14, 2015 Melissa Thompson March 25, 2015 Brooktondale Fire Dept., Inc. March 25, 2015 Susan Taylor Thomas April 09, 2015 Steven G. Griffin April 19, 2015 Wendy S. Berk May 14, 2015 Tammi D’Antoni May 28, 2015 Karen McCarrick November 08, 2015 Jacob Morton Awards Brother Benjamin Singer February 07, 2015 Anchor Astoria Lodge No. 729 April 28, 2015 Brother David Rothstein December 01, 2015 W∴William J. Peist, Sr. December 01, 2015 1 Grand Lodge Certificate of Appreciation for Excellence in Service to the Community W∴Adam R. Schoepflin,273NY April 28, 2015 Brother Christopher Kane, 273NY April 30, 2015 Brother William A. Carter, 1057NY April 30, 2015 My Brothers, I hope you have a chance to read the two articles which I prepared for the 24” Gauge - The Lodge Resource Handbook. The First Article is: “THE DEDICATED SERVICE AWARD” The information contained within will help you to understand the Dedicated Service Award, it’s history, forms, letters, presentation and more. It will also help you to choose the Brother in your Lodge who meets the criteria for the award. The Second Article is: “COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS” The information contained within will also help you to understand: The DeWitt Clinton Award, which is for Non-Masons or Non-Masonic Organizations Only. The Jacob Morton Award, which is for Masons, Masonic Lodges or Districts Only. The Grand Lodge Certificate of Appreciation for Excellence in Service to the Community, is to acknowledge those individuals and organizations that do not meet the highest criteria necessary for a DeWitt Clinton or Jacob Morton Award. It also contains: Award Requirements, Applications, Presentation Program Recommendations, Public Relations Materials and suggestions. My Brothers, your Lodges are looking for ways to recognize outstanding people in your community as well as Brothers. These awards will help you to accomplish this. The Committee would like to thank those Lodges who have reached out to recognize and recommend those individuals and organizations who have given excellence in Community Service on behalf of Masonry and the Grand Lodge of New York. We, the members of the Committee, would like to thank our Grand Master, M∴W∴William J. Thomas, for his support and for the opportunity to serve our Grand Lodge. The Committee would also like to thank R∴W∴Paul Rosen, Grand Secretary, R∴W∴Richard W. Bateman, GP, Assistant Grand Secretary, and their staff as well as the Lodge Services Department for their most helpful assistance in the work of this Committee. Thanks also to the Lodges that invited Committee members to speak at and to participate in their DSA programs. Respectfully submitted, GEORGE R. WACOB, Chairman GREGORY NOULAS, Vice Chairman Metropolitan Region DOUGLAS D. AIRTH Western Region THOMAS L. JENISON Mid-State Region JOSEPH T. ENTLER Metropolitan