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True Craftsman's Lodge #651 Free and Accepted Masons Fifth Manhattan District |
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In and about the lodge « From The Secretary’s Desk «
Two of our brothers Bro. William Cheung (SFC) & Bro. Wilem Wong (Capt) were recently sent to Iraq to fight for our country. Please keep them in your thoughts & prayers. We wish them both a safe & sound return to the Lodge in about a year.
Congratulations to all the newly elected & appointed Officers who were duly installed at the last meeting. We are looking forward to work with our new Master, W\Martin Richards to further improve our Lodge.
Previous Postings
The Surprised Party
On May 9th, Mrs. Millie Diaz, the wife of our Past Master W\Victor Diaz, planned a surprised party for her husband on his promotion to Master Sergeant of the US Army. The promotion was in effect on May 1, 2008. The party was attended by more than 60 people, including many brothers from our lodge, and friends & relatives of the Diaz family. It was a successful party with good food, drinks and music. The lodge also presented W\Victor with a plaque to commemorate his achievement while serving our country. Victor has been promoted 3 times in 7 years since he joined our lodge on June 2001. First to Staff Sergeant, then SGT 1st class, and now Master SGT. He is planning to report for duty sometimes in June. Again, Best of Lucks on this big move, my Brother. On a side note, I would like to thank Bro. Brandon Butcher, Bro. Rafael Morales, W\David Lee & W\Franki Chan for coming in early last Friday to help on setting up the room & other tasks.
Glad Tidings
On April 29th, there was a MAGLA (Metropolitan A. G. L. Association) ritual contest among the 14 Districts in the metropolitan area. Bro. Brandon Butcher entered the contest and came in 2nd place. From what I was told, all participants were all in high caliber. He has done proud to the Fifth Manhattan District and deserved a big round of applause.
Grand Lodge Convention 2008
I want to thank W\Victor Diaz & SW Bro. Martin Richards for representing our lodge in attending the Grand Lodge Convention on May 5th & 6th. The result of the Grand Lodge Election has pleased me very much because in the past 2 years, many negative influences have been established around this grand jurisdiction and many think it’s time for some positive changes. I was removed from my position as a Grand Lodge Committee Chairman because someone was afraid that my vote might do wrong to some people. I was flattered to learn that someone would actually think a ‘small’ guy like myself can do damage to their “Plans”. Any way, I think there may still be hope for Grand Lodge after this Election.
However, I do like to congratulate the newly elected Officers, specially the Grand Secretary & the new Deputy Grand Master, they being friends of mine for many years. By the way, our new DDGM for the 5M District is now R\W\Joe Quinones & the GSB is R\W\Nicholas Panariello. Congratulates to both Brothers.
3rd Degree Rehearsal
Brethren, we are in the planning stage to have a rehearsal for the upcoming 3rd degree. Bro. Brandon Butcher has offered his place in Brooklyn (near King’s Plaza) for the rehearsal. Our new incoming Master will come up with a plan at the next meeting. So if you want to improve your skills and deliver a better degree for the Lodge and for yourself, try to participate at the rehearsal. It seems that last month was the “car accidents month” for our brothers. W\Victor Diaz was on his way to the meeting last month, he was driving his wife’s car and it broke down on him. He was waiting for a tow truck for over 4 hours.
Bro. Brandon Butcher got into an accident and totaled his red G35. Thank God there was no injury.
Bro. Willy Morales also got into a minor car accident about 10 minutes from his house a few days before the meeting. Despite walking with a limp, he came to the meeting anyway. He had missed 2 meetings due to family emergencies and he did not want to miss any more meetings. That’s what I call dedication, my Brothers.
The mother of Bro. Christian Nunez was recently diagnosed with a serious illness. If possible, please do keep Mrs. Nunez in your prayers.
In December, Bro. James Powell had a procedure to put stems in his legs to improve blood circulations but it did not work. He scheduled for another procedure after the last meeting in January. I understand that one went well and he is waiting for a second procedure on the other leg. I am sure he will be telling us the outcome when we see him at the next meeting.
The Flu season has been bad this year. Many people have been sick these few weeks and as far as I know, that includes Bro. Rafael Morales and myself. When I visited the doctor last Thursday for the 2nd time, that office was jam-packed with patients of all ages. Glad Tidings
Congratulations are in order to Bro. Thomas Marshall & his wife Margarita on the arrival of their 4th new baby in November 2007. Bro. Marshall attended the last meeting for the first time after he was raised about a year ago. He also picked up tickets for 2 tables, same as last year. Now that he has more (personal) time, he will take a more active role in the lodge.
Welcome back Bro. Chris Medici, after a few months away to Malaga, Spain. Chris has been a commodity trader for many years and he is now planning to start something new on his own. At the last meeting he gave me a check for his Dues and a substantial contribution to the lodge. We thank you Chris for your generosity.
Bro. Stanley Fischer is a member of True Craftsman’s Lodge for 59 years. He also sends extra contributions to the lodge each year along with his life-membership Dues. He is residing in Florida & Indianapolis. He told me recently that he will try to attend our 10th Annual Party this year with his family who are still living in New York. He thought that our party sounded like a great time from the info he got throughout the years. We look forward to meeting you & your family, Bro. Stanley.
Congratulations to one of our newer brothers, Bro. Christian Nunez on his graduation last week with a Masters Degree in Social Work. Bro. Christian attended the Founders Night this past September to show support to the lodge because he was not able to attend meetings due to his school schedules on Wednesday. Hopefully, we will see him at the Party.
Wishing all the Brothers A Very Happy Lunar New Year !!
n It is the Year of the Rat, Year 4706 –
Glad Tidings
Congratulations to W\Lin-To Chan for successfully setting up his All State Insurance Agency.
Bro. Rummel Mendoza opened up his own chiropractor office in New York City. The address is 217 Centre Street, 2nd floor. Contact Number is 718-269-9433 or 212-274-8226. Dr. Rummel recently traveled to the Philippines for a 2 week vacation.
Congratulations to R\W\John P. Chang on his retirement from the U.S. Army. He was officially retired on December 22, 2007 with the range as Lt. Colonel. His retirement certificate was read at the last meeting by Bro. Martin Richards, a retired Command Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army.
After about 13 months, Bro. Claude Cleare has returned home from serving our country in Iraq. He attended the last meeting and was glad to see the Brothers of the Lodge. All the Brothers were also very happy to see him back with us again. Welcome back, Bro. Claude, and thank you.
10th Annual CHinese New Year Banquet
Reserve your seats early. Many Brothers are working to sell a table or more. I will have the tickets in hand again at the next meetings. Send the checks to W\David Lee soon. Call me if you need more Flyers. It is also posted on our Website. If you would like to help us at the party, contact your Secretary.
Master Mason Certificate
Recently, a few Brothers have asked your Secretary for their Master Mason Certificates and when this brought up at the meetings, the responses were overwhelming. As of today, 27 Brothers are willing to pay $16 to purchase their own copies from Grand Lodge. To make this event more memorable, we have decided to present these certificates to the brothers during our 10th Anniversary Banquet Party on Feb 22, 2008. Sickness & Distress
It is with sadness that I report the loss of the mother of Bro. Chris Medici, Mrs. Doroles Medici on January 2, 2008. The Lodge sends its most sincere condolences to the Medici family. Instead of flowers, you may donate to your choice of Charity in memory of Mrs. Medici. His email is arcanamed@hotmail.com.
Last week, I received an email from Bro. Chris Fawcett who indicated that he will try to attend the Party in February and have fun with all the brothers again. He also told me that his mother is near her final days. We should all keep Mrs. Fawcett on our prayers. Chris’ email is cbfhome@aol.com.
Brotherhood Fund
Enclosed with this mailing, please find an appeal envelope for the Masonic Brotherhood Fund. This is the new drive for 2007-08. You can follow the instructions on the envelope and mail the check to Bro. Willy Morales. Your donation can be made honoring a brother, or in memory of someone. We thank you in advance for your generosity.
In Memoriam
I received a letter from Alan Nussbaum on December 18th informing me that his father, W\Max Nussbaum, had passed away on May 13, 2007. W\Max had been the Treasurer for our Lodge for over 30 years until he retired in 2001. He was one of the pillars that kept our lodge alive for many years. He will be solely missed. Unfortunately & sadly, his wife Ruth also passed away a couple of months later.
W\Max Nussbaum
Born in 1923 Initiated on: 1.8.1958 Passed on: 1.22.1958 Raised on: 3.12.1958 At rest: 5.13.2007
At the December meeting, we draped the altar with a black cover for a period of 30 days in memory of Worshipful Max. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
== From your Secretary == In and About the Lodge
Our Tiler W\Donald Pisany had an operation on November 29th to put in a pace-maker to regulate his heartbeats. I spoke with him last week and he is doing fine. He will be going to Cape Cod to visit his family for a few days. He will be missing our December meeting. Please enjoy the vacation and get better soon Don.
« From your Secretary « In and About the Lodge
Last meeting was the most exceptional meeting I have ever experienced in my 16 plus years with the Lodge. We were missing so many Brothers that I thought we were not going to be able to open the Lodge. Fortunately, 16 Brothers attended the meeting and our AGL V\W\Nick Paneriello stepped in and lent us a hand for the Degree. He also got hold of Bro. Barry Scott, a Brother from Kane Lodge, who performed one of the best Middle Chamber Lectures I’ve ever seen. Two Brothers from Perfect Square Lodge were also helping as the conductors. We had a great 2nd Degree despite many missing bodies. At this meeting, four Entered Apprentices successfully passed to the Degree of Fellowcraft. Congratulations to the three Brothers from True Craftsman’s Lodge, Bro. Steven Gil, Bro. Carlos Rivera & Bro. Tony So, and one Brother from Perfect Square Lodge, Bro. Paul Whitson. Many thanks to the Brothers who helped make the Degree a success.
At this writing, I am making arrangements for Bro. Ke Xu and Bro. Pedro Lee Sanchez to take their 2nd Degree in Arcana Lodge of the 7th Manhattan District on Dec 12th. I want to thank V\W\Nick for making the initial contact for us.
10th Annual CHinese New Year Banquet
Bro. Phil Eng attended the last meeting and brought along copies of the new flyers. Nicely done as usual. A copy is enclosed with this mailing. If you should need more copies, I can send them to you. Let’s work together and make this the best party ever. If you wish to take part in any position at the party, please contact your Secretary.
Sickness & Distress
It is with sadness that I report the loss of the father of our JW, Bro. Willy Morales Jr. His father William Morales, Sr. passed away on Tuesday, December 4th. On behalf of the Lodge, we send the most sincere condolences to the Morales family. Cards can be sent to Willy's home at 938 Castle Hill Ave, Bronx, NY 10473. I spoke with Willy a couple of times while he was in Florida. He wants to thank all the Brothers for their phone calls & emails. He also thanks the Lodge for the beautiful flowers. Happy Holidays
And A Joyous New Year To All.
I finally got all the pictures taken at the Founders Night from Brother George Bosolet. I made some adjustments and converted them into one pdf file. Go to our website and check it out. We thank George’s lady Ingrid for being our photographer at the event. Looking at the pictures and seeing many of our brothers & their families gathered together and having some fine time with each other, gives you a warm feeling. Good job Martin & George for arranging the 2007 Founders Night celebration. Bro. Ka Kwe Lee also bought along his camera & shot some videos; I can’t wait to see the results.
Our SW Bro. Martin Richards suggested that we present a nice plaque to Sammy’s Shrimp Box to thank them for a lovely afternoon. R\W\John Chang wishes to pay for the cost of the plaque since he was in Florida and not able to attend the event. Thank you Brothers.
Through evidence that I witnessed from this event and other recent functions, I can say that our Lodge is not only on its road to a healthy growth, but our Brothers and families are getting closer within the TCL family. More and more ladies are getting involved and taking part of our functions as well. This is something I have been waiting for years, and slowly but surely, it is finally happening. If you haven’t been out with us for sometime, I say now is the time.
I send out emails to the brothers from time to time about our new updates, briefings and urgent messages. If you wish to receive these emails in between communications, please send me your email address.
Glad Tidings
Brother Chris Medici left for Malaga, Spain for a few months on October 18th. Before he left, he answered the prayer of your Secretary and donated a new digital camera with a 2G memory card. It is a Panasonic Lumix TZ3 with 10X optical zoom, one of the newest & better models in the market. Thank you Bro. Chris for your generosity, and please enjoy your journey in Spain.
Bro. Rummel Mendoza just opened up a new chiropractor office on November 11th. The location is on Center Street by Canal Street, NYC. He will be there every Sunday for the time being. If you need his services, he can be reached at his cell, 718-269-9433.
Bro. Martin Richards is heading to Chicago for his grandson’s military graduation next week. His grandson has joined the Navy and I heard that he is graduating with honor. Congratulations to the Richards family. 10th Annual CHinese New Year Banquet
Brothers, the 10th Banquet Party is now finally set. Due to conflict & availability, the party will be on Feb 22, 2008. We will be going to the same Restaurant as last year. Many people like the food and location. Originally, we tried to plan it on Feb 1st but only the inside smaller room was available, the 2nd choice was on Feb 15th, but it was already booked by a Community Association. So the next best date for us is the 22nd. Let’s work together and make this the best party ever for our friends & families, and for all the brothers of TCL and other lodges.
Other News
Our Master W\Lin-To Chan is traveling to Chicago for his business adventure for 3 weeks and again in December, so he will be missing the Nov & Dec meetings. Not to worry, we will have it covered.
I just took W\Franki Chan to Newark Airport this past Friday. He is going for a 2-week overseas trip to New Zealand.
Bro. Wilem Wong is being deployed to Iraq later this month for about 1 year; we wish him a safe journey. The Lodge has donated a check toward a family get-together of his unit before the deployment. Bro. Wilem is currently employed by the NYPD and is holding the rank of Captain in the US Army Reserved.
Sickness & Distress
Bro. James Wong was supposed to cover the Q&A part, but due to health problem of a family member, he will not be able to attend the meeting and probably has to postpone his Law school entrance exam. Please keep Bro. James & his family in your prayers.
Bro. Willy Morales’ father continues having health problem. Willy has been traveling to Florida twice within the last 6 months. Please keep Mr. Morales and his family in your prayers as well.
Lodge Dues
Brothers, your new Dues Cards for 2008 are here. Our dues are still $68, fairly cheap compared to some other lodges. The new statement and a return envelope is enclosed with this mailing for your convenience. 9 of the brothers will be NPD and be removed from our roster if I do not receive their back Dues (2 years) before December 15th. A “FINAL NOTICE” is marked on these statements. So please send me that check; I do not want to lose any brother for NPD if I can help it. Thank you.
Founders’ NIght 2007
The Founders’ Night that we held at the Shrimp Box in City Island was a huge success. The food was good and the location was very relaxing. Although for some of us the travel was a little long but the afternoon was enjoyed by all. We must thank the 2 brothers who helped set up the event, Bro. Martin Richards & Bro. George Bosolet. A big thank you goes to George’s lady Ingrid and Bro. Ka-Kwe Lee for taking pictures & videotaping. It was very nice having 7 years old Christian hold a small US flag for the pledge of allegiance.
31 Brothers, their ladies & friends attended the afternoon event, including 3 children. Here is the list: W\Lin-To Chan & wife Jean, W\David Lee, W\Victor Diaz & wife Emilia & 2 of their friends, Bro. Martin Richards & Rosetta, Bro. George Bosolet & Ingrid & son Christian, Bro. Rafael Morales, Bro. James Powell & 3 friends, Bro. Luis Servellon, Bro. Willy Morales with his wife Paulina and their 2 sons Justice & Dimitri, Bro. Wilem Wong & wife Virginia, Bro. Jose Carrero & wife Rosa, Bro. Brandon Butcher, Bro. Christian Nunez & girlfriend Lilly, Bro. Ka-Kwe Lee and myself. W\Franki Chan was back from a overseas trip but was not able to attend, so he donated $50 to the Lodge instead. Thank you to everyone for making the event a success.
After the dinner, we presented a PM certificate & gold pin to our immediate Past Master W\Victor Diaz. With the assistance from his wife Emilia, the Master presented Victor with a very nice looking Past Master Apron which was really a personal gift from her.
Two 5 years certificates were also presented to W\Lin-To Chan & Bro. Martin Richards to recognize their dedication to True Craftsman’s Lodge in the last 5 years.
Per their requests, a 65 year & 55 year Certificates & Pins will be mailed to Bro. Manny Horowitz & Bro. Fred Dickerman to honor their long time membership with the Lodge. They both sent their best regards to all the Brothers of the lodge. Glad Tidings
In March 2007, a commemorative oval-shaped glass plate was sent to the Lodge from Bro. Henry Heiman who currently lives in Delaware. That was a special plate made to celebrate our Lodge’s 100th Year anniversary in 1986. It belonged to his father, the late Bro. Bernard P. Heiman. I was not informed about this package until June, so I asked Bro. Rafael to pick it up from the mail room and keep it in one of the lockers. I only got to see it for the first time this Monday 10/8. It was beautifully made. I wish to thank Bro. Henry Heiman for his good thoughts. A picture will be posted on our website soon.
Brothers seeking higher education
Several of our Brothers are going back to school for higher education. We wish everyone a successful school year. Bro. Mike Ramirez has been attending classes since last year. Bro. Christian Nunez continues his Master in Social Service in Hunter College. His class schedule falls on Wednesday evening, so he will be missing our meetings until January next year. Bro. James Wong has completed his Masters in Business last year and he is now going for a Masters in Law at Baruch College. He should be able to attend lodge meetings regularly. Also Bro. Christopher Medici is heading to Spain next week for a special study for a few months. Enjoy & God Speed, Chris.
Investigation Committee
Brothers, over the past few years, your lodge has established a very sound system on investigating new candidates. We background check on each & everyone thoroughly. We interview all candidates and gather information from their sponsors. (If you are wondering… The answer is Yes, we have rejected candidates that did not meet our requirements or failed their background checks.) We have also toughened the proficiency policies.
We are always looking to introduce new members into our Lodge, but we will not sacrifice quality for quantity. We will strive to improve our Lodge’s image and maintain our high standards. We’d like to thank all the brothers for helping achieve this goal and continue sponsoring good quality new Brothers.
In Memoriam
Bro. Gerald Greenfield
Born in June 17, 1919
Initiated: 11-23-1949 Passed: 1-25-1950 Raised: 2-22-1950 Died: 5-19-2007
In September, an email was sent to me by Bob Greenfield, informing me about the passing of his father, Bro. Gerald Greenfield. Bro. Gerald was a Mason of 57 years who was called from labor on May 19, 2007. I have never met Bro. Gerald, but by handling his Dues payments & sending him anniversary certificates every 5 years, I feel like I have known him. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
At the September meeting, the lodge was raised while we draped the Altar with a black cloth for a 30 day period and a memorial prayer on the passing of Bro. Allen Robbins & Bro. Gerald Greenfield. Wishing everyone
Glad Tidings
Bro. Daryl Khan is on his second tour to Afghanistan; he should be back in the States around October 2007. Also, he and his wife Christina had their first baby girl on July 27, 2007. They named her Sara. Congratulations are in order from all the Brothers of the Lodge. They are currently residing in Cameron, North Carolina.
Brother Rueben Torres is having his radio talk show airing every Tuesday evening from 9-10 PM. It’s called “Lets Get Real With Reuben Torres". He has traveled to China for a special radio show in July this year. To listen to the program, you may go to http://www.squarebizinc.com/radioshow.htm. To participate, call (646) 462-4571.
Bro. James Powell has been released from the rehab Center on August 22nd. His heart problem turned out to be less serious than we thought. They fixed the problem without having a surgery. He wants to express his gratitude to all the brothers who have visited him or called him during the past two months while he was in the hospitals & Rehab. He is ready to resume his position as the Organist in September and greeting all the brothers of the lodge. He was able to join us at the summer BBQ on July 21st.
W\Franki Chan is traveling to Hong Kong for a family event for about 2 weeks. Enjoy and have a good trip, Franki.
Founders’ Night 2007
Date: Saturday, September 29, 2007 at 2 PM Location: Sammy’s Shrimp Box, 64 City Island Ave, C.I., Bronx Cost: $30 each (We need a minimum of 25 people for this event.) Dress Code: Dinner or business attires.
Deadline for payment is on September 24th. See enclosed Flyer for more details. In Memoriam
Bro. Allen Robbins
Born in 1927
Initiated: 4/13/1955 Passed: 4/27/1955 Raised: 5/14/1955 Died: 7/9/2007
Bro. Allen received his 50th Years Certificate & Pin 2 years ago. His wife Diana called and informed me of his passing on July 10th. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Happy Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur
(September 12-22)
To all our Jewish Brothers and their families !!
At the last meeting on May 16th, we had a very good Election & Installation, 22 brothers attended the meeting despite the stormy evening. For the very first time, W\Franki Chan & W\David Lee did an excellent job as the Installing Master & Installing Marshal. After the meeting, 15 brothers headed down to Chinatown for a relaxing dinner.
Congratulations to all the newly Elected & Appointed Officers. We are looking good, my Brothers, except the Secretary & Treasurer, all Officers moved up one chair. We also assigned 2 more chairs to the Steward.
Dress Code: We should all pay attention to the dress code when attending meetings. As W\Victor Diaz pointed out, as a prestige lodge, we must dress properly at all times, when call for formal, everyone must be in Tuxedo & White Gloves.
Some of the brothers have been busy in the past few weeks. Some Brothers attended the Mason of the Year Dinner on May 12th honoring R\W\Donald Writer & R\W\Leon Weinstein, and some attended a dinner by the “Society of the Asian Federal Officers” on May 18th in Queens. 5 special people were honored for their achievement, including our own R\W\John P. Chang. Your Secretary attended the evening along with Bro. John Chang Jr., Bro. Martin Richards & Rosetta, and Bro. Mike Ramirez. Among the 5 Honorees, US Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chow received the Person of the Year Award (see pictures on our website). A few more State officials also showed up at the dinner; including NY State Senator Marty Golden and Councilman John Woo, etc. By the way, Bro. William Cheung is the President of this group for 2007.
Then on May 19th, a very wet day, some of the Brothers went to Astoria and spent an afternoon with our birthday boy, Bro. Dr. Rummel Mendoza. Representing the Lodge were W\Lin-To Chan, Bro. Dr. Jose Carrero, Ph-D & his wife Rosa, Bro. Chris Medici, Bro. George Bosolet, W\Franki Chan and myself. We were at a restaurant called “Beer Garden”, it was an interesting place that served only beer, finger-food & hamburgers.
The 3 most Important Social Events of our Lodge
Summer Picnic --- Bro. Dr. Jose Carrero, Ph-D & his wife Rosa offered their home for our next summer picnic. Their address is 2170 2nd Avenue, between E.111th & E.112th Streets. We will work out more details at the meeting. Volunteers will be needed for this event.
Founders’ Night --- Bro. Martin Richards has been checking out restaurants in the Bronx for our next Founders’ Night, possibly on the last Saturday of September. Again, we will work on the details and set a date at the meeting.
Annual Banquet --- As for the 10th Anniversary Chinese New Year Banquet/Party, we may have a new place in Flushing, Queens. We are working on the details. New Officer Aprons & Officer Jewels
After more than a year of researching & raising fund to replace our Lodge regalia & equipment, I was finally able to complete this task before the May meeting. At the Installation, we replaced all the old Aprons with 15 brand new custom-made Officer Aprons & Jewels, one by one as we were installing our new Officers. It was indeed a very exciting installation. We also purchased a few set of Square & Compasses, the SD tool, candidate accessories, rod-tops & officer staves, new white gloves, etc.
*** Dress sharply my brothers, we will be taking pictures with the new Aprons & Jewels. Can someone bring a camera ? ***
We must thank the Brothers & Lady again for their help in making this task possible: Brothers Don Berry, Franki Chan, John Chang, Ira Finegold, MD, Stanley Fischer, MD, Tommy Lam, Walter Lilling, John Pasquale, Mike Ramirez, Martin Richards, Mrs. Pilar Lee, and also the Board of the General Welfare Fund. A nice looking plaque was made to commemorate this unique endeavor.
News about our Brothers
1. Our Master has a new email, please make the change in your address-book. 2. Got an email from Bro. Christopher Moore, Sgt. 1st Class, US Army, that he is now settled in Kingston, PA. He sends his regards to all the Brothers. 3. Bro. Mohamed Reshad has cleared his status and is now a member in good standing again with our lodge. He & his wife Alice are living in central Florida, and like to invite all the brothers to visit them when in the area. 4. Bro. Wilem Wong is currently on military training and may be deploying to Iraq in the near future. 5. Bro. Reuben Torres, one of the newest Brothers, has changed his job again. Now he no longer needs to travel to other States and can spend more time with his family and the Lodge. Membership
My brothers, right now our lodge has 3 new candidates on our trestle-board. If you have any candidates or prospects, please bring or send me the petition forms ASAP, so we can start the investigation, pronto. The next class should be in the Fall, either September or October.
In closing, I wish everyone a safe Summer; and to all the fathers, a Very Happy Father’s Day. Trestle Board
Awaiting the Sublime Degree of Master Mason
Bro. Ed Chen OFFICERS FOR 2007 / 2008
W\Lin-To Chan......................................................................... Master Bro. Martin Richards.................................................... Senior Warden Bro. William Morales, Jr. ........................................ Junior Warden W\Franki W. K. Chan.......................................................... Treasurer R\W\Tommy Lam................................................................ Secretary W\Victor M. Diaz, JR. .......................................................... Chaplain Bro. Daniel R. Saltzman............................................ Senior Deacon Bro. Brandon E. Butcher........................................... Junior Deacon Bro. Ka-Kwe Lee..................................... Senior Master of Ceremony bro. Mike A. Ramirez............................ Junior Master of Ceremony Bro. John P. Chang, Jr.......................................................... Steward Bro. James D. Wong............................................................... Steward Bro. George Bosolet............................................................. Steward Bro. James a. Roberts............................................................ Steward Bro. Rummel g. Mendoza...................................................... Steward Bro. Christopher A. Medici................................................... Marshal Bro. James H. Powell, AGO................................................... Organist W\Donald Pisany........................................................................ Tiler
W\Victor M. Diaz, JR. ............................................ Trustee (3 years) W\David M. Lee........................................................ Trustee (2 years) R\W\John P. Chang............................................... Trustee (1 year)
Masonic Brotherhood Fund Chairman................. Bro. William Morales, Jr. Investigation Committee Chairman............................. R\W\Tommy Lam Annual Banquet Committee Chairman............................. W\Lin-To Chan By-Laws Committee Chairman.................................... R\W\Tommy Lam Founders’ Night Committee...... Bro. Martin Richards, Bro. George Bosolet Picnic Committee.. Bro. Dr. Jose Carrero, Ph-D, Bro. Dr. Rummel Mendoza Dan:
On Past Master List,
Add: W:.Victor M. Diaz…………2006/07
From The Secretary
Brothers, the 9th Annual Chinese New Year Party was a huge success. Close to 260 people attended the party, this was a record. On the first year in 1999, we had only 63 people.
Many thanks to the brothers who have volunteered to help on different positions, and I do mean “volunteered”. Many of the brothers, including the newly raised brothers, were stepping up and be counted. Some took on major roles and other took smaller ones, but we all worked together for the benefit of our Lodge. What a team-work effort. This kind of brotherhood and camaraderie is exactly what we have been looking for in years and little by little, it is becoming reality. We should all feel proud of what we have accomplished. We are thankful to those Lodges that have been supporting us each year. Attendances included brothers from different Districts & Lodges. This year we even had the honor of the presence of the Grand Master, M\W\Neal Bidnick and some of his Grand Lines. We had brothers from the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, Bronx, Kings, Richmond, & Westchester District. Special thanks to George Washington Lodge with a strong showing of 34 brothers & ladies. The Brothers, families & friends of True Craftsman’s Lodge totaled up to 150 people. The 2007 Master Award was presented to Bro. Philip Eng.
In & about the Lodge
I want to thank W\Fred Kommamoff for sending me some of the old by-laws books and couple of the old pins. I appreciate that very much. W\Franki Chan again is traveling oversea and visiting his family in HK.
Past Master Caucus
Some of the Past Masters met after the last meeting and discussed the next slate of Officers for 2007-2008. We also discussed topics on financial matters & membership issues. It was a productive meeting. I will make the report at the annual meeting in May.
Sad Tidings
W\Victor Diaz lost his uncle in January. The Officers & Brothers of True Craftsman’s Lodge are extending our sincere condolences to W\Victor and his family.
Previous Postings
9th Annual Chinese New Year Party
At this meeting, we will be having discussions for the party and setting up a Committee. We are looking for many volunteers to cover various positions at the party. Those brothers who wish to help but could not attend this meeting, please contact me.
I will have more colorful flyers and tickets available for everyone. Many of our newly raised Brothers are stepping up to help sell the tickets and take part at the party. We appreciate that very much.
The Lion Dance team & the D J were contacted and will be ready for the party. I am getting many responses from brothers of the Fifth District & other Districts. Let’s make this yet another great party.
Date: February 9, 2007 (Friday)
Time: Cash bar opens at 6:30 PM (top brand liquors & wines) Lion-Dance show starts at 7:30 PM Dinner will follow immediately
Location: Golden Bridge Restaurant, 50 Bowery, Chinatown
Dress: Business or Dinner Attire
Cost: $60 each, $550 per table (seats 10 people) Checks are payable to: Franki Chan 41 Elizabeth Street, Suite 502, New York, NY 10013.
Including: A 10-course Chinese banquet style dinner A full Bar with cocktail drinks & excellent wines (Mr. Aldo Camargo, our candidate and a professional wine director, will be helping us to pick the wine selection) |