1st Degree of Masonry - August 12, 2015

1st Degree of Masonry 

A Very special 1st Degree. Not only did we welcome 4 (with a 5th finishing his Degree from Washington State) new EAs but we hosted a group from the Masonic Motorcycle Club International. This organization held its annual meeting right in our own backyard in Batavia. This is an International organization with members from all over the globe. 

Right before our Degree they held a dinner in the Sweet Home Temple and a few of the Brothers stayed after the dinner to join us for the Degree. The Lodge was near filled! Something wonderful for our Brothers to share in and it deeply impressed onto our newest members how diverse an organization we are.  We even had two Grandfathers present of one of our EAs both Masons for 50 plus years and the father of one of our new Brothers as well! 

It was a wonderful Degree and the Degree Team did and wonderful job. Bro. Benjamin Kaminski conferred the Degree very soundly. He should be commended along with the whole team. Many of which were conferring the Degree for the first time. We also hosted out First Erie Leadership Team, RW Michael Storck, RW Gary Galbrath, and VW Daniel Di Natale.  Along with two masters of Lodges, W William Koller (EGI) and W Gus Campbell (Landmarks.) 

German Table Lodge 2015 - July 22, 2015

Right Worshipful Jeffery M. Williamson - Deputy Grand Master

FOOD

Before the Open

The Working Tool of Table Lodge

Very Worshipful Di Natale Welcomes the Brothern

Brother Senior Deacon William Chapin

O.M. Lodges together - Seneca River Lodge No. 160

Worshipful Shultz, D.S.A and Right Worshipful James Kipler 

The Senior Warden has the Right Idea 

Brethren, 

The German Table Lodge, what can be said to describe such a spectacular event? Every year we seem to outdo ourselves and every year we find more people eager to celebrate with us. And why not? German Masonry in Western New York has a proud heritage and being the last surviving lodge of the three sisters it is our duty, nay our privilege, to continue celebrating said culture. 

I would like to extend my thanks to our Master, Worshipful Joshua Keim, and our Senior Warden, Brother Benjamin Kaminski, on putting together such a fantastic program. Special thanks should of course go out to Brother J.J Alfieri and his cooks from Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar, without whom our meal would not have been possible. The festive board prepared this year rivals many previous years and no one went home hungry. 

It was our our 145th Anniversary. This was a particularly special  Table Lodge  outside of that, as we welcomed the largest gathering we have ever had, with 70 Brothers and friends gathered around the table. In attendance we had Right Worshipful Jeffrey M. Williamson, Deputy Grand Master, Right Worshipful Richard Kessler, Grand Lecturer, Right Worshipful James Kintzel, Deputy Grand Marshall, Right Worshipful Christopher Hough, Junior Grand Deacon, Right Worshipful Richard M. Torrey, Liaison to the Grand Master for the Western Region, Right Worshipful Robert Drzewucki, Grand Sword Bearer, Very Worshipful Joel Burkley, AGL of Second Erie and last but not least our very own Very Worshipful Daniel J. Di Natale, AGL of First Erie. Along with many other Masters of Lodges, Worshipful Brother John Newton of our sister lodge was also in attendance. Here’s to Palmer Lodge No. 372! We also had the honor of hosting our fellow O.M. Lodge from Syracuse, Seneca River Lodge No. 160. This event was the first time both Lodges have been together since being given the honor of O.M. status at Grand Lodge this past year. 

This night was made even more special by the announcement of Worshipful Gerard E. Shultz’s Dedicated Service Award. This has been a long time coming and is well deserved. Worshipful Shultz has served and will continue to serve this Lodge and it’s Brothers faithfully for many years. 

I am thrilled to attend this event every year and can already find myself counting the days until the next GTL. I hope all enjoyed this event as well as I. And with that I have but one more question. How stands the South? 

Bro. Donald W. Monheim