The Message from the East for June

April 15^th was a grand night for Fraternity-Dunderberg Lodge. With over 70 Brothers from around the District present, we welcomed home the District Deputy Grand Master, our own R\W\Paul M. Rosen, after having completed his two years serving the 1^st Westchester – Putnam District.  The night was extra special as M\W\Neil I. Bidnick, Grand Master of Masons in the State of New York was present with his Grand Marshall R\W\Kurt Ott and two other Grand Lodge officers.  Both Br. Rosen and Br. Bidnick gave inspiring speeches.  I welcomed R\W\ Br. Paul M. Rosen home and presented him on behalf of the Brothers of the Lodge a framed certificate signed by all the officers and a book of fables from around the world.  I gave him a personal gift of the book Classic Wisdom for the Good Life which is a book of quotations, many of which were by fellow masons.  Following the communication a hot buffet provided by The Sunset House Restaurant was enjoyed by all.

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I am proud to announce that my granddaughter Alyssa Bucci, who will attend the University of Vermont where she will pursue an environmental science program beginning this fall, has won a Masonic Scholarship.

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Since our Installation of Officers on June 3^rd is the same evening Dunwoodie Lodge No. 863 is celebrating its 100^th anniversary, our Brothers will not be able to attend.  Accordingly I have sent a letter to them wherein I stated

The Brothers of Fraternity – Dunderberg Lodge express our deepest regrets for not being able to join with the Brothers of Dunwoodie Lodge in this momentous occasion.  We offer our heartiest congratulations to a great Lodge that has consistently been an example for the other Lodges in the 1^st Westchester – Putnam District to follow, including Fraternity – Dunderberg Lodge.  On behalf of all the Brothers of Fraternity – Dunderberg Lodge I thank the Brothers of Dunwoodie Lodge for the support they have given us over the years. 

Personally, of all the Lodges, the Brothers of Dunwoodie Lodge have provided me the most guidance and assistance of any Lodge, other than the Brothers of my own Lodge of course, thus having a significant influence on the Mason I have become.  I am very thankful of that help.

May your next 100 years be as successful as your first 100.

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June 3^rd is an open communication!

Please invite family and friends to join us for this special evening

and bring the family to the picnic on June 14!

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This is my final message from the East

as Master-elect Br. Jeffrey Wynans will be installed as the new Master of the Lodge at our June 3^rd communication.

It has been an honor to serve as Master for the past two years.  Although I did not accomplish all I had hoped for, I am pleased with what we have accomplished and the healthy state the Lodge is in.

Most notable is that 14 Brothers were raised during my tenure, the most under the leadership of any Past Master of the Lodge, and all three degrees were conducted by Degree Teams of our own Brothers.  The key word here is Team.  Our success was the result of great teamwork among many of the Brothers of the Lodge, both new and old.  Included in the new is Br. Jose Aponte who moved from Middletown to Peekskill and affiliated with our Lodge, thus giving us 15 new Brothers in the past two years.

The progress we made in the Lodge would not have been possible but for the solid support from “old timers” such as R\W\ Warren Brown, R\W\ Victor Versace, R\W\ James Martin, R\W\ Gerald Keating, W\ Vincent Furfaro, W\ Sheldon Mankes, W\ William Marrero, W\ Steven Bromberg and Br. Irwin Bass.  Most noteworthy was the support from R\W\ Murray Gudisman who despite serious medical problems that finally took him from us this past February, regularly climbed the stairs to be part of the Lodge and support me in any role I asked of him.

The wisdom and experience of the fore-mentioned Brothers has been complimented with the enthusiasm and dedication of the newer Brothers who served as an officer: Br. Jeff Wynans, Br. Glenn Tompkins Sr., Br. Matthew Weiss, Br. Victor Weil, Br. Richard Swann Jr., Br. Jay Bilotta, Br. Jose Aponte and Br. Paul Sardinha.

Add the enthusiasm of the recently raised Brothers and you have a healthy vibrant Lodge with a promising future.

Other accomplishments included the building of the Degree Teams, the adoption of a needed new set of By-Laws, hosting the June family picnic, reinstituting the July Sunday family brunch, organizing and leading a joint 225^th Anniversary of the Grand Lodge of New York Community Volunteer  Recognition Event where with the assistance of Courtlandt Lodge # 34 Master John Sciacchitano, 9 organizations were presented American flags, obtaining the financial support of our Lodge Brothers along with Courtlandt Lodge # 34 and the Elk’s Lodge to enable the refurbishing of the seating in the lodge room, and supporting several Child I.D. events.

I took great pleasure in restoring the Lodge items including both the Fraternity and the Dunderberg bibles, the working tools and the Charter.  The remounting of our Charter was fortuitous when at R\W\Paul M. Rosen’s homecoming, our Grand Master M\W\Neil I. Bidnick chose to take hold of our Charter to stress a point he was making.  It would have been very embarrassing had he seen the very poor condition I Charter was in when I became Master.

Having a Past Master of the Lodge, our Brother Paul M. Rosen, serve as the District Deputy Grand Master for the same period I served as Master of the Lodge was a special relationship few Masters are blessed with.  Though it was not easy with the busy schedules Brothers maintain, we did travel in support of our DDGM and succeeded in retiring the Traveling Gavel last year.

I wish the best to our incoming Worshipful Master Jeff Wynans, and offer he and the Lodge my continued support and dedication to continuing the development of Fraternity – Dunderberg Lodge No. 942 into one of the premier Lodges in the State of New York.

Fraternally, W\M\Raymond Reber