LAST CHANCE! Voting closes today at 6p!

Improving ourselves by stepping outside our comfort zone

One of our Past Masters, Bill Loventhal is stepping outside his comfort zone and will be dancing in-front of a crowd of people. Let's help support him by voting for him at the link below! Often times, improving ourselves involves stepping outside of our routines, the further outside something we would naturally gravitate towards, even better. In working out, they call it "shocking" which has been shown to dramatically increase muscle growth. In life, it can have the same effect on things like mental awareness, personality and motivation. If you are able, please help support our brother by voting for him at the link below.

Dancing with the Sinai Stars

FABULOUS FUNDRAISER!

Saturday, March 24, 2012  at 8:00 pm

at Temple Sinai

VOTE FOR BILL HERE!

Mourning the Passing of our Sr. Deacon

Yesterday, our beloved brother and Senior Deacon Alan Cannon passed onto the eternal lodge.

Alan was such an integral part to our lodge and a key player to many of our charitable programs for children.  He is missed today, and will continue to be missed.

Services for Alan will be held this Saturday December 3rd at:

edit - the services at Gwinnett Memorial Park have been canceled.  The services will start at Peachtree Christian Church at 11a.

Graveside services - 10a

Gwinnett Memorial Park‎

925 U.S. Hwy 29

South Lawrenceville, GA 30046

(770) 962-7630

Followed by a memorial service at:

Peachtree Christian Church

1580 Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, GA

(404) 876-5535 ‎ · peachtree.org

Please continue to keep the Cannon family in your prayers.

First Person History - Benjamin Hirsch - Child Survivor of the Holocaust

Next Wed, May 4^th, Benjamin Hirsch will be the guest of Fulton Lodge No. 216 F. & A. M.

Home Is Where You Find It 

Shortly after the devastating Kristallnacht in Germany in 1938, author Benjamin Hirsch’s mother sends him and his four older siblings on a Kindertransport to Paris from Frankfurt, Germany. After almost three years of hiding in France, they escape through Spain to Portugal where they board a ship and arrive in the United States on two separate convoys, eventually settling in Atlanta, Georgia. But Hirsch’s parents and his younger siblings are not so fortunate—they perish in Auschwitz at the hands of the Nazis.

Worshipful Master Jeffrey Krieger and Fulton Lodge No. 216 invite you and your guests to join us for an evening of history and awakening to the perils of anti-Semitism.

6:15pm Dinner

7:00pm Lodge opens followed by introduction and program

In order for the lodge to plan dinner appropriately please let us know if you will join us for dinner; RSVP to secretary@fultonlodge216.com. We would appreciate a donation of eight dollars or more to help cover the cost of the meal.

Location:

Atlanta Masonic Center

1690 Peachtree Street NW

Atlanta Ga. 30309

Map

Treasures of the Oakland Cemetery

April 2011 Fulton Fellowcraft

From the East

Brethren,
We had very successful meetings last
month. Our first communication featured
an official visit from Most Worshipful
Grand Master B. Palmer Mills. He
seemed very impressed with the activities
of our lodge. He related that he is an avid
admirer of the poetry of brother Robert
Burns. The evening’s fellowship was enhanced
when he led us in singing Auld
Lang Synge. A number of district deputies
and Grand Lodge officers also attended
this meeting.
Our second meeting featured Dr. Nickie
Stipe, a lecturer and expert on religion.
She spoke about three influential women
from the Old Testament. Her comments
were enlightening and well-received.
For me, one of the most rewarding parts
of that evening was the opportunity of
welcoming several brothers who had not
been to Lodge in a number of years. Rebuilding
the lodge from within is one of
my main goals for this year. Brethren,
thank you for attending. I hope to see you
more often in the future.
Our April meetings are set to be as engaging
as those in March. On April 6, Ron
Bifaro of the Historic Oakland Foundation
will speak on “Treasures of the Oakland
Cemetery”. He will discuss the history
of some its more prominent occupants.
Our second meeting, April 20, will feature
Joy Hallinan discussing “The Rite Care
Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta”.
She will describe the work of the
Rite Care Center and the support provided
by the Masons. Please support our current
Child Welfare Fund campaign by remembering
to bring new children’s books
to this meeting. If you are unable to attend
or bring books, monetary donations
can be made. Checks can be made to Fulton
Lodge No 216 and specify that the
proceeds are the Child Welfare Fund
Book Drive. It would be really nice to
present Ms. Hallinan with a large number
of books.
PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES!!
As you know, I have been requesting photos
from our past.
I would like to enter our Lodge in the
competition for the Mark Twain Mason
Awareness Award. In order to complete
the entry we need to submit photographs
depicting past as well as recent Lodge
events. Please send pictures to the Lodge
or bring them in person. Help Fulton
Lodge attain the recognition it deserves.
As always, I look forward to seeing each
of you in Lodge.
Finally, recalling the words of Most Worshipful
Grand Master Joe Suttles:
“Let Brotherly Love Prevail!”
Jeffrey Krieger

Official Visit by Grand Master B. Palmer Mills

March 2011 Fulton Fellowcraft

From the East

I cannot believe that it is almost the end
of the first quarter.
Where has the time gone?
After a slow start in January, we began
February with Gary Deutsch discussing
“Genealogy in the Digital Age”. His talk
inspired a lot of questions and was wellreceived.
We closed out the month by
conferring an Entered Apprentice Degree.
March is also going to be an exciting
month. Most Worshipful Grand Master
B. Palmer Mills is scheduled to speak to
Fulton Lodge on March 2nd. He is a dynamic
speaker who always keeps his audiences
engaged.
On March 16th we will welcome back
Nickie Stipe, PhD. Dr. Stipe, who received
her PhD in religion from Emory
University, addressed the Lodge in 2008.
At that time she discussed the personal
struggles and triumphs of King Solomon.
This time her topic will be “Women in the
Old Testament”.
Previewing her talk, Dr Stipe wrote:
“Together we will explore some of the
lesser-known stories of women in the Tanakh.
First we will visit the woman who
had two divine visitations and her unique
response to them. Then we will turn to a
tale of life in the time of war, except that in
this story all of the decisive players are
women. Finally, we will ask some new
questions about an old tale of female trickery…
that may turn out not to involve any
tricks.”
Please plan to attend and enjoy her lecture.
This meeting is open to guests, so
please bring your spouse, friends, and
anyone else that would like to come.
The 2011 officers are working very hard
to bring enjoyment and value back to the
lodge, but we need your help. The best
programs can be planned, and fantastic
ritual work can be presented, but we are
still missing one key component: YOU.
As part of a special project I a planning, I
am still looking for any photographs you
may have from our past. All submitted
photos will be scanned and returned to
you.
Please remember this is your lodge and
we can only succeed with your help.

Jeffrey Krieger,WM

Guest Speaker Gary Deutsch “Genealogy Research in the Digital Age”

February 2011 Fulton Fellowcraft

From the East

We are all aware it takes a strong foundation
to make a structure.
However, what is a strong foundation for
a good lodge?
This is a question that has been asked by
many people for many years. I know that
I do not have the final answer, but can
only offer my take on it. I have taken the
time to observe many Masons, hoping
that I could learn how things are done, to
try and make me a better Mason, and a
better officer. What I actually received
was much more than that; it was a road
map to a strong lodge. With anything you
are trying to build— whether it is a building,
or maintaining a lodge —you must
have a strong foundation.
For Masons, a strong foundation is the
people. This means not only the new
brothers that we have in our lodge, but
also, our current brothers. It is easy to get
men to join an organization; people have
a desire to belong to something. The hard
part is to get people that are of good
moral character. Remember, Masons do
not make a man good; we take a good
man and make him better. You may be
asking what this means to you, well I am
about to tell you. While we cannot solicit
men to join our fraternity, we can promote
ourselves so people ask us about becoming
one. This means going out into the
community and volunteering as a group; it
means continuing to do our July 4th water
table for the racers, helping with GA
CHIP program, and much more.
The sky is the limit. Once we start getting
a favorable opinion of our craft, we
can start to build a stronger foundation for
the future.
Our current members are our foundation.
While it is strong, there is always room to
make it stronger. Not only can we make
our foundation stronger by bringing in
good men, we can make the foundation
stronger by getting our current members
re-involved in the craft. This will bring
back the knowledge that has left our
lodge, and it will start to pass on your extensive
knowledge to the younger brothers.
I am sure that your knowledge, experience
and friendship would be welcomed
by any brother. Come back to
lodge and bring another brother with you.
It is not only the job of the current line
officers to bring excitement into the
lodge; it is up to you as well.
Oh, if you have not figured it out, the road
map to a strong foundation is good people.
In the words of our esteemed Past Grand
Master, Joe Suttles:
“Let Brotherly Love Prevail!”

Jeffrey Krieger
Worshipful Master

Our Receptacles - The Studley Tool Chest

Found this great article about H.O. Studley, a Master Mason raised in 1871.  H.O. is a great example of a receptacle for his working tools.  I'm curious, have we paid attention to the receptacles we use to store our modern working tools?


Each of us does something different for our profession, if our "toolboxes" were dug into, what would they say about us as men?  Would others find them interesting enough for restoration?  Would they be of interest to the Smithsonian?


Thank you to PheonixMasonry.org for bringing all the research together in one place online, where you can read the full article and more.

2011 Budget Meeting

January 2011 Fulton Fellowcraft

From the East


Wow, I made it to the East. I am honored
that my Brothers trust me enough to carry
on the long and proud history of Fulton
Lodge. Fulton Lodge has had many great
Worshipful Masters over the years. If I
can achieve half of what some of them did
during their time, I will consider my year
a success. We have many fantastic meetings
planned during the year. My primary
goal for the year is to show off who we
are. Keeping that in mind, the majority
of my meetings are going to be open. After
all, we cannot show off who we are if
people cannot come in and see us. I have
lined up a diverse panel of speakers
throughout the year. Not only will we
have speakers on Masonic topics, but we
will also have speakers from Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta and Dr. Nicki
Stipis, who will be speaking about
Women in the Bible, to name a few.
I hope to have a fun year and entice brothers
back to the lodge. We are only strong
as our members. I challenge every
brother who attends lodge to bring a
brother who has not attended in a while.
Also, I challenge brothers who do not
regularly attend lodge to start coming
back. I know schedules are busy, but even
if you can only make one meeting a
month or a quarter, at least you are coming.
Who knows, maybe you will remember
why you became a Mason and become
more active again.
I remember last year we had the sad duty
to bury one of our brothers, Erwin
Schwartz. Erwin was 93 years old. Until
the final years of his life, he would attend
as many meetings as he physically could.
He was a brother who was in a wheelchair,
but loved the fraternity so much
that he came, even when he was in pain. I
am not saying that you need to compare
yourself to anyone else, but if Erwin did
not come to lodge, I would not have had
the honor of meeting him and getting to
know him, even though it was for ever so
brief of a time.
My officers and I would truly like to welcome
you back to lodge. I have heard
from brothers that they are embarrassed
because they do not remember what to do
while we open and close the lodge. I have
asked our Director of Work to help any
brother who requests it. It will only take
five to ten minutes. I personally want to
meet you and get to know you better.
In the words of our esteemed Past Grand
Master, Joe Suttles:

“Let Brotherly Love Prevail!”

Jeffrey Krieger
Worshipful Master

153rd ANNUAL COMMUNICATION And ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Thanks to the brethren and their families that helped make the November
14th GA CHIP event at the Marcus Jewish Community Center Atlanta a success.

December 2010 Fulton Fellowcraft

Past Masters' Night

From the SeniorWarden

November 2010 Fellowcraft

Brethren,
Since its inception, the Georgia Child
Identification Program (GA CHIP) has
been enthusiastically supported by Fulton
Lodge. The Lodge donated a computer
system in 2007 as part of our
150th anniversary celebration. We
sponsored one of the first events to be
held in a Lodge in 2008. In the same
year, two brothers donated a second
computer system.
Two of our brothers have been very active
in GA CHIP. WB Ross Laver is
currently the State Director. WB Frank
Vexler has served as Associate State Director
for Logistics and State Director
for Special Projects.
Fulton Lodge is sponsoring another GA
CHIP event in conjunction with the PJ
Library Story Telling Festival at the
Marcus Jewish Community Center
Atlanta (MJCCA) at Zaban Park. This
is an opportunity to demonstrate the
Lodge’s commitment to community service.
This event draws hundreds of children.
We need a large number of volunteers.
The details are as follows:
Date: Sunday, November 14, 2010
Set-up time: 9:00 AM
Event time: 10:00 AM –1:00 PM
Location: MJCCA Zaban Park
5342 Tilly Mill Road
Dunwoody, GA 30338
We need volunteers to begin setting up
at 9:00 AM. Volunteers are also
needed to help greet families, assist
with the paperwork, control the flow
through the event, and operate the
computer stations. You don’t have to
be a computer expert. Your children
and grandchildren (high school age or
older) can assist with the computer stations.
I want to thank my wife, Lara, who
has been working with the staff at
MJCCA to help coordinate this event.


Jeff Krieger
SeniorWarden

Fulton Fellowcraft March 2010

From the East

Brethren:

Our line officers worked diligently through their preparation for the conferral of the Entered Apprentice degree on February 17^th. I want to give particular thanks to our Junior Warden, Bro. Michael Hickey, who showed his willingness to go the extra mile in preparing himself for his initial opportunity to sit in the East (well done, Michael.)

Bro. Joe Ellis of Grant Park Lodge presented his “Green Dragon” or “Boston Tea Party” Lecture at our February 3^rd communication. Upcoming speakers for our March meetings are WB Wayne Glass giving his lecture on the Masonic Stations and W.B. Gary Leazer, PhD. Discussing the Biblical Origins in F & AM. Please make every effort to be in attendance for their presentations on March 3^rd and 17^th respectively.

As mentioned in our prior edition, the cost to the Lodge for publishing and mailing the Fellowcraft newsletter is $2,500 annually. I would again ask that you contact the Fellow Craft committee at fellowcraft@fultonlodge216.com to receive future publications via E-mail. Doing so is a service to our Lodge.

The Fulton Fellow Craft newsletter is now presented by a committee consisting of your Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Junior Deacon, Senior Steward and Junior Steward. WB Ross Laver and WB Randy Hazan also lend their support and guidance. I would again ask you to thank WB Laver for his service to Fulton Lodge over the past years in seeing that the Fellow Craft was published in a timely and professional manner.

We will soon begin preparing for the Fellowcraft degree to be conferred on April 21^st. Any brother who has an interest in presenting a lecture, charge or in conducting a candidate please contact Bro. Randy Hazan at your earliest convenience.

Please put April 10^th on your calendar with this reading. Fulton Lodge will be meeting at the Masonic Home in Macon, Georgia on this date for the dedication of the pavilion raised in memoriam of our dear departed WB Sheldon Little. This is a 5th District Masonic Workday. Brethren, those able, please arrive at 8am to contribute a few hours for the benefit of our Children’s Home. The dedication will follow our workday at 11:30am. Grand Master Leonard Buffington and his officers will be in attendance. MWB Al Garner will be presiding as Grand Orator at the ceremony.

Lastly, please consider Grand Master Buffington’s call to action in this edition of the Fellow Craft for the Lightyear fundraising program. Service is available nationwide to the friends, family and Freemasons of Georgia. Please remember that this cellular service is offered on the Verizon and/or Sprint networks, with billing and customer service from Lightyear. A portion of your monthly bill will be donated to the Georgia Masonic Charities Foundation Inc. in support of our GACHIP program and the Masonic Home of Georgia.

Thank you again for all that you do. I look forward to seeing you in Lodge.

Fraternally.

Dean G. Watts, Worshipful Master

To View The Complete Fellowcraft Click Here

Fulton Fellowcraft February 2010

From the East

I hope this note finds you all well and working diligently
towards making your New Year a prosperous
time.
I was pleased to see so many of our members in
attendance at the first night of the Lodge of Instruction
for the 5th District. Unfortunately Fulton Lodge’s
regular communication dates conflict with two of the
chosen nights for this annual event, which runs each
Wednesday evening through February 3rd.
Our Budget & Finance Committee met on January
13th and the budget was approved January 20th.
There are a few items of concern that I want to bring
to your attention on the 2010 budget.
For a number of reasons Fulton Lodge is carrying
over a deficit from last year’s budget into 2010. We
are therefore looking for every opportunity to reduce
cost. I would therefore present the following for your
consideration.
Annual Dues
Most of our brethren submit their dues upon receipt
of invoice. Twenty‐two (22) of our brethren did
not pay their dues through the end of 2009. This
represents a $1,650 shortfall in our current budget. I
call upon every member of Fulton Lodge who has not
paid his 2010 dues to kindly remit your payment upon
reading this notice (with my thanks). I would also like
to take this opportunity to thank all of our Past Masters,
our Emeritus members, our 50‐Year Members
and our Perpetual Members for their annual contributions
to Fulton Lodge, as we depend upon your generosity
and cannot maintain a balanced budget without
your gifts.
Cost of the Fellow Craft
It is of great concern that the annual budget for
our newsletter is $2,500, particularly considering that
100% of this cost goes towards the printing and mailing
of the publication (our Editor and others contribute
their time and talent to its production). I now call
upon each of you to send an E‐mail to
“FellowCraft@FultonLodge216.com” requesting that
you receive future editions to your personal E‐mail
account. Doing so offers a great savings to our Lodge
and is the right thing to do for our environment
(thank you again).
Our line officers are preparing for our first EA Degree
of the year at our second meeting in February. If
you have an interest in participating by offering a lecture
or serving as a conductor please contact WB
Randy Hazan.

Thank you again for all that you do. I look forward
to seeing you in Lodge.

Dean G. Watts, Worshipful Master

To View the Complete Fellowcraft Click Here

Brother Ross Laver, PM forwarded this recent article from The New York Times.  The original can be found here:  http://bit.ly/8MTXED

January 8, 2010

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

The Not-So-Secrets of the Temple

By HOLLY BRUBACH

Pittsburgh

IN the final days of a year dominated by repeated — and mostly unheeded — calls for full disclosure on the part of Wall Street banks, pharmaceutical companies, the N.F.L. and any number of other organizations, transparency arrived out of the blue from an unlikely quarter if ever there was one: the Freemasons.

Thanks go not to Dan Brown, whose latest novel, “The Lost Symbol,” focuses on the notoriously mysterious fraternal order, but to Tom Sturgeon, a career law-enforcement officer, who was installed as Right Worshipful Grand Master for Pennsylvania on Dec. 28. His ceremony, in a break with centuries-old Masonic tradition, was held at a convention center here and open to the public. “We need to make Freemasonry more contemporary,” Mr. Sturgeon told me, “to make it reflect 2010, not 1910 — or 1810.”

Nonetheless, the audience of about 1,200 people seemed to consist primarily of members and their families with a sizeable contingent of Masonic dignitaries from 13 other states and Canada. Many had come in full regalia, sporting tailcoats, purple moire or black velvet “collars,” satin aprons embroidered with esoteric symbols, white gloves, swords — all telegraphing distinctions of rank legible only to insiders.

Freemasonry in America is organized by state — there is no higher governing body — and Pennsylvania is the largest Masonic jurisdiction in the world, with a spectacular temple in Philadelphia, completed in 1873, as its headquarters. Mr. Sturgeon was sworn in reciting the same oath, or “obligation,” Benjamin Franklin recited 275 years ago when he took the same office.

If the ceremony at the convention center was any indication, it appears that not much has changed in the interim, although the torches around the altar are now electric and the musical repertoire has been updated to include “Beer Barrel Polka” and “No Man Is an Island.” Membership has been declining (currently 120,000 in Pennsylvania, down from 260,000 when Mr. Sturgeon joined in 1965) and the median age has been steadily climbing (now 68).

“Brethren, ladies and friends,” Mr. Sturgeon greeted the audience for his installation. “The 21st-century Masonic Renaissance starts today!”

The “renaissance” is Mr. Sturgeon’s agenda for reform, jump-starting a membership drive with a new strategy that permits “selective invitation,” replacing the old “To be one, ask one” policy that forbade Masons to proselytize. He also decreed a lifetime dues exemption for any Mason over 60 who brings in two new members under 30. Like other Pennsylvania grand masters before him, Mr. Sturgeon designed a necktie, to be distributed as a token of appreciation. Typically, the ties are a vehicle for the Masonic insignia; his is more in the style of Jerry Garcia, something he thinks younger guys might be more inclined to wear.

In his most radical move, Mr. Sturgeon has mandated that the ritual be published in book form. In Pennsylvania, since the order’s beginnings, each Mason has learned his obligation from another Mason, one on one. The ritual had never been written down. For the two lowest ranks of Freemasonry it lasts 30 minutes or so; for the third and highest degree it takes roughly an hour and runs to some 8,000 words. “It might take a man away from home maybe 50 nights to sit and learn it,” he said.

Though candidates will still be required to perform the ritual from memory, the printed text allows them to learn it on their own. Mr. Sturgeon assured his fellow masons that photocopying will be prohibited, that all copies will be signed out and strictly audited. Even so, this announcement met with silence, a response he had foreseen. “Many Masons will tell you that one of the great bonds of this fraternity happens when I meet with you 40 times to go over this work, and I become your mentor,” he said. “Now, that’s true. But for the greater good, we have to make a decision.”

Not a secret society but “a society with secrets” is how the protagonist of “The Lost Symbol” describes the Masons. Has that secrecy served a purpose? Is the famous Masonic bond based, at least to some extent, on shared information that nobody else knows? If that was once the case, it seems safe to say that it isn’t any longer, now that detailed accounts of the Masons’ procedures have been posted online, including YouTube videos of the secret handshake.

The drama seems to be in short supply. Any Dan Brown fans who came to the convention center in Pittsburgh expecting daggers pressed to bare chests or red wine drunk out of a skull surely left disappointed. Mr. Sturgeon says that he thought Mr. Brown made that stuff up until a friend reminded him that in one ceremony they attended for a branch of Masonry called the Scottish Rite there had indeed been a skull; he is, however, quite certain that he didn’t drink wine out of it. And if there is a pyramid with Freemasonry’s highest secrets inscribed on it, as “The Lost Symbol” purports, he has yet to hear about it.

Some Masons may regret losing the mystique — though surely not as much as the conspiracy theorists, who now have less room for speculation about the order. While it’s hard to put much store in allegations that Freemasonry is Satan worship or a plot to dominate the world when its membership has included such disparate characters as Count Basie, Daniel Boone, Winston Churchill, Paul Revere, Clark Gable, J. Edgar Hoover, Mozart, Colonel Sanders, Peter Sellers, Cy Young, Pushkin and Brad Paisley, those suspicions thrived nonetheless. The conspiracy theorists, it seems, needed the Masons’ secrecy even more than the Masons needed it themselves.

Holly Brubach is a frequent contributor to The New York Times.

2010 Officer Installation

Last night's officer installation went smoothly. Fulton Lodge was honored to have MWGM Leonard Buffington with most of the Grand Line and DDGMs there to officiate. WB Randy Hazan was presented his Brother of the Year award with Sydell Little there in honor of the late Shelton Little.

In addition to a couple guest brothers in attendance we also welcomed approximately 25 family and friends who got to enjoy a wonderful dinner of beef bourguignon and see a lodge closed Grand Master-style. If the installation was any indicator - this year promises to be exciting!

Pictures coming soon....

Fulton Fellowcraft January 2010

From the East

My Brethren,
This will be my final address from the East. I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the future of the Lodge.
The lodge’s elections went smoothly and well. I was quite pleased with the results. Brother Dean Watts will do well in the continuing growth of the Lodge. I know him to be a kind and generous brother; one that will inspire and motivate our officer line. Our whole line is filled with very good men and the addition of Brother Adam Davis will only assure a successful future for us all. I see many things for our master to do, and I now truly understand what is required to do them.
I see great growth for our lodge, and I want to ask all of us to bask in the warmth of knowing that our lodge is growing, and in my opinion, the right way.
Also, I wanted to take this opportunity to directly thank my good friends and brothers Ross Laver, Mike Kessler, and Neil Schwartz. Each of you should understand why. And to all my brethren, I love you all and pray that you be Healthy, Wealthy, and Happy.

May the Grand Architect of the Universe find favor in you and bless you always and in all ways.

Adam I Brodofsky


To View The Complete Fellowcraft Click Here

Fulton Fellowcraft December 2009

From the East

My year as master is drawing to a close. It is at times like this I tend to take a look at how far we are traveling.

This year, as a lodge, the awesome work you have performed is now more obvious than ever. You have had 7 candidates (and 1 more being investigated as we speak). You have raised five men to the sublime degree of master mason.
You have built, with your money, a pavilion that will honor W.B. Sheldon Little. You have sponsored both work days at the home and shouldered the cost of the children for the GBI chip event. You have created a new web site to endurably preserve our history. You are leading the way forward.
In traveling to Grand Lodge, I met with many men and I am proud to say that we have the best Lodge in my opinion. We have laughed, and worked together, and some of us have danced together (not with each other, but you know what I mean). Anyway, there are not enough thanks for you all, but I know our future as a lodge is a bright one indeed.
Be involved, and get involved. Your contributions of time, effort, and wisdom make FULTON LODGE no. 216 a strong and wonderful place.


Adam Brodofsky
Worshipful Master 2009


To View The Complete Fellowcraft Click Here

Fulton Fellowcraft November 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!


To View The Complete Fellowcraft Click Here

Fulton Fellowcraft October 2009 - Discussion: Appended Bodies?

From the East

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Lodge as a whole for their participation in the 105th annual convention of the 5th Masonic District. In particular, I would especially like to thank the line officers for their well performed opening. And, their commitment to food service after the meeting. We have participated in many conventions, but this one was special, in that the outgoing Master who is very
outgoing was none other than our own Frank Vexler.
Furthermore, I would also like to thank our director of work WB Randy Hazan. Without his tireless effort and guidance, such a performance would not have occurred. My brethren, Randy has
put an enormous amount of work with our new candidates (5 in total and 4 who still have coaching left to do). If you can help him (and the lodge) by doing some coaching, it would be greatly appreciated. I would also like to encourage any brother who has not been to lodge in some time to come and check us out. We miss your input, energy, and zeal for the craft.

Adam Brodofsky
Worshipful Master 2009


To View The Complete Fellowcraft Click Here

Fulton Fellowcraft September 2009 - Discussion: What is Leadership

From the East

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the hard work of our officers. We have done a tremendous amount of work and have successfully raised 5 men. I want you all to know that I am grateful for all your help. I would also like to most gratefully acknowledge the very charitable gift of $500 we received for the child welfare fund from Brother Bernard Blackwell a 50 year and 33rd degree mason. But my brethren, we still have much to do. Our newly obligated brethren need coaching. If you can help, please do.
We will be opening for the 5th Masonic District Convention on Saturday the 12th of September. As many of you know, our own WB Frank
Vexler is the Master of the 5th Masonic district. Please come and show your support for Frank. We are very, very, proud to have such a distinguished brother as part of our lodge. Also, this will be a great opportunity to relight those friendships from days gone by and ignite new ones.
We will be expanding our horizons with open speculation on leadership and training in lodge. If you have not attended lodge in some time, I encourage you to come and be part of the action. The new Fulton 216 is shining brightly and we want you to bask in its warmth. Speculate on the floor of the lodge and feel the sense of community that is so rare in this world. Some people live in neighborhoods and don’t even know their own neighbor, nor do they care to. But, in lodge, you not only know the man next to you, but you call him brother. Looking out for one another is what masons do best; it is what makes us stronger than just one man. I love you all and hope to see you soon.

Adam Brodofsky
Worshipful Master 2009

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Fulton Fellowcraft June, July & August 2009

From the East

I would like to start by thanking our entire lodge officer line for the outstanding degree work they have performed. Special thanks to WB Randy Hazan and WB Ross Laver. We have all worked very hard and can be pleased with our work to date. But, there is much work to do. We cannot fail our candidates by allowing them to fail. If you can coach, please do. I can think of no better way to get to know the wonderful men joining our lodge.
I want you, my brethren, to know that inspiration lies within us all and, that to a great extent I am inspired by you. Someday I hope to return the favor. I once again ask you to be active in your lodge and know that we extend our hand in fellowship to any brother who can find the time to spend with us. You don’t have to be a Masonic scholar to sit and fellowship. Share your time with us to ignite new friendships and rekindle old ones. Jeff Krieger, our Junior Warden has created some wonderful meals and “Breaking Bread” with a brother is indeed a kind act.
I look forward to seeing those who attend and hope to see the rest very soon.

Adam Brodofsky
Worshipful Master 2009

To View The Complete Fellowcraft Click Here