Greetings Brothers all,

Our masonic year is well under way having reached the midpoint. The new year is also here, promising to be even more exciting than the last.

The first meeting of the year was January 16 and we held an Entered Apprentice degree with eight candidates initiated. Junior Warden Bro Andrew Lovato was the Master for the evening and the event was attended by the District Deputy Grand Master R...W Michael Grenadier, the Grand Sword Bearer R...W William Kindle and the Assistant Grand Lecturer V...W... Raphael Wong. A big thank you to all the Brothers who participated in the degree and to those who attended.

The new Brothers are: Bro. Paul Alcin, Bro. John Bodur, Bro. Folorunsho Davidson, Bro. Nicholas Ferrandino, Bro. Xavier Garcia, Bro. Jacob Meranda, Bro. Manuel Patalinjug, Bro. Terrance Roys.

The upcoming February 6, Stated Communication meeting will feature a Lecture by VW Raphael Wong, Assistant Grand Lecturer.

The February 20 meeting will be a public one and has been designated as the annual Ladies and Widows Night. Reservation will be absolutely needed, and a separate announcement will follow.

The March 6th meeting will feature the Grand Lecturer’s Convention. This is in lieu of our regular meeting. All officers in the district are required by Grand Lodge to attend. I would like to encourage all White Plains
Lodge Brethren to attend the convention which will feature various announcements and lectures.

The March 20th meeting will be a Stated Communications meeting.

Saturday March 23 will be a special Master Mason’s degree meeting. Planning, preparation and rehearsals will be announced in early February.

February Birthdays will be celebrated at the Feb 20th meeting.

​S & F
W...Andy Papademetriou
Master, White Plains Lodge No. 473 F & A M

Greetings Brothers all,

The end of 2018 is here, with Hanukkah, Christmas passed, the New Year is upon us. The month of December was particularly busy for our lodge. We had our Christmas luncheon which was very well attended, the Salvation Army bell ringing in White Plains and our two Stated communications meeting.  The Dec 19th meeting included a talk by R...W... Jim Glover of John Jay Lodge who covered a variety of
topics concerning Freemasonry and it was well received by the brothers present.

Looking ahead to the first few months of the year we do have a busy schedule!
For January we have the stated communication meeting on the 16th which will be the occasion for conferring the Entered Apprentice degree on eight candidates who have been accepted for membership. Preparation and rehearsals for the degree are under way, scheduled on Saturdays January 5 and 12 from 9 am to 11 am. We have all the roles filled for the degree, but we do need commitments for eight conductors. If you can commit to be a conductor, please let the Master or the Senior or Junior Warden know.

The February 6, Stated Communication meeting will feature a Lecture by V...W... Raphael Wong, Assistant Grand Lecturer. The February 20th Meeting will be a public one and will be our annual Ladies and Widows Night. Reservation will be absolutely needed, and a separate announcement will follow.

Our lodge has been chosen by the district to be the venue for the Grand Lecturer’s Convention on March 6th. This is in lieu of our regular meeting. All officers in the district are required by Grand Lodge to attend. We believe that we will have a full lodge that evening as many brothers from the district will be attending. We need to organize ourselves accordingly for this event which will include a dinner and full bar. An organizing committee for the event will be announced under the auspices of the Grand Lecturer’s office to ensure all issues are addressed appropriately. Saturday March 23 will be a special Master Mason’s degree meeting. Planning, preparation and rehearsals will be announced in early February.

January Birthdays will be celebrated at the January 16th meeting.

S & F
W...Andy Papademetriou
Master, White Plains Lodge No. 473 F & A M

Brothers,

A cordial and fraternal invitation is extended to you and your Masonic friends to attend the listed communications of White Plains Lodge No. 473 F. & A.M., for the transaction of such business as may regularly and constitutionally be brought before it.

December 5th 7:00 PM
2077 Stated Communication Re do of Degree of Fellowcraft

December 9th 2:00 PM
WPL Holiday Luncheon
Casaletto Restaurant, Elmsford $65/person

December 15th
Salvation Army Bell Ringing
10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Stop & Shop N. White Plains
Contact R...W...James Holden to volunteer

December 19th 7:00 PM
​Lodge Communication
Lecture by R...W...James Glover

Greetings Brothers all,

On Oct 17th we hosted the District Deputy Grand Master R...W... Michael D Grenadier on his official visit to our lodge. Accompanying the DDGM were the Grand Sword Bearer R...W... William Keindl and the Assistant Grand Lecturer V...W... Raphael Wong.

The visit was well attended and informative. The importance of following and knowing the protocol for our meetings was expounded on and many examples were given with the participation of the brothers
present. We have the Fellow Craft degree scheduled for Nov 7, and preparations and rehearsals are under way. Conductors for the four candidates will be assigned at the night of the degree. Please volunteer. Preparations are also under way for the two Entered Apprentice degrees scheduled for December 5 and 19. Rehearsals will start after the completion of the FC degree in November.

Other events:

The Thanksgiving dinner is scheduled at the lodge for Wednesday Nov 21st Please contact Bro Junior Warden Andrew Lovato.

The Christmas luncheon is scheduled for Sunday Dec 9th 2:00 PM at Casaletto Ristotante Elmsford, N.Y. Family and friends are invited. The cost per person is $ 65.00 which includes hot and cold appetizers, pasts a choice of three entree’s, dessert and coffee, beer and wine. (Cash bar for mixed drinks).

Please send your RSVP check payable to White Plains Lodge and mail to Box 1842 White Plains, NY 10602.

Salvation Army bell ringing scheduled for Saturday Dec 15. Please Contact R...W...Jim Holden to sign up for your preferred hourly time slot.

The ceremony of Apron Presentations to District Officers, when V...W...Raphael Wong will be presented with his Apron as Assistant Grand Lecturer. The event will be held at the Tarrytown Masonic Temple, 54 Main street on Monday November 5. Dinner at 6:30 pm and ceremony at 8 pm.

Please reserve by email to: R...W...Michael Grenadier.

Birthdays of November will be celebrated at the Nov 21st meeting.

Bro. Bruce Bradigan 11/9/1945
Bro. Erik Tiedge 11/29/1990
Bro. Jody Mcaleer 11/9/1977
Bro. Kory Breitel 11/27/1957
Bro. Leslie Horrell 11/8/1956
Bro. Michael Giannasca 11/17/1985
Bro. Peter Genovese 11/17/1985
Bro. Sebastian Martell 11/18/1985

S & F
W...Andy Papademetriou
Master, White Plains Lodge No. 473 F & A M

Brothers all,

Our September 19th Stated Communication Meeting marked the beginning of the new Masonic Year, and I am happy to say that we hit the ground running.

Looking ahead for the next three months, we have a busy schedule, starting with the District Deputy Grand Master’s official visit to our Lodge on October 17. We have a Fellow Craft degree scheduled for Nov 7, followed by two Entered Apprentice degrees Dec 5 and Dec 19. We would like to see every brother participate in these degrees as conductors or delivering some part of the degree. Please contact Senior Warden Peter Genovese for the FC degree and our Junior Warden Andrew Lovato for the EA degree.

The Thanksgiving dinner is scheduled at the lodge for Wednesday Nov 21st and the Christmas dinner is scheduled at a restaurant (to be announced) for Dec 9th. Family and friends are invited. Please contact Junior Warden Andrew Lovato and Bro Secretary Vincent Cunzio respectively.

On Oct 20th, our esteemed R...W... Grand Organist Frank Miller will conduct a recital hosted by our lodge at the White Plains Masonic Temple. The event is open to the public. Plan to attend. Donations are encouraged; proceeds will be allocated for the upkeep of Temple building.

Our Lodge participates in the Salvation Army bell ringing, in the city of White Plains, in support of charity. This year the event will be held on Dec 22 and we would like to encourage our brothers to sign up for hourly time slots with R...W.. James Holden.

Another public event is the Apron Presentation to District 2 Officers, where our own Bro Raphael Wong will be presented with his Apron as Assistant Grand Lecturer. This is a public event with dinner at 6:30 pm and ceremony at 8 pm on Nov 5, at Tarrytown Masonic Temple, 54 Main street. Please Reserve by email to: windygardn@aol.com

Bro Ramon Viruete underwent kidney transplant surgery at Yale University Hospital in New Haven, CT, on Sept 12. He has been released from the hospital and he is recovering at home. Email: ramon.viruete92@gmail.com

Collation dinners will be free this year. This makes your RSVP crucial for our planning. We recognize that the collation dinner is a great way to socialize and be in communion with each other and we encourage all to participate. Brothers who would like to demonstrate their cooking abilities are encouraged to contact Bro Junior Warden Andrew Lovato and sign up for preparing and serving the meal in an upcoming collation. An award and recognition will be given to the chef judged to have prepared the “Best Meal” of the year.

Birthdays will also be celebrated at the meeting of the third Wednesday each month, after lodge closing. Make sure you do not miss your own birthday celebration.

S &F
W...Andy Papademetriou
Master, White Plains Lodge No. 473 F & A M

Brothers all,

I hope everyone enjoyed the summer season! It is now time to resume our Masonic labors, as we have a very busy calendar for the upcoming months.

Our first official communication will take place on September 19th at 7:00 PM. We will be taking a different approach to our collations going forward; there will be no charge! Our officers will be taking turns preparing their own special cuisine.

You absolutely must RSVP to Brother Lovato if you plan to attend the dinners; no RSVP means you may not eat!

Masonic education will be a priority during our upcoming lodge sessions, as there will be a number of informational readings and presentations.

Remember your participation is essential in keeping our lodge strong and viable, so I look forward to seeing you on September 19th Check out our lodge web page at White Plains Lodge for upcoming events!
​
W...Andy Papademetriou
Master, White Plains Lodge No. 473 F & A M

R..·. W.·. District Deputy Grand Master, R.·..W..·.s, V.·.W.·.s, W.’.s, Brethren All,

This is an exiting night for me. I dreamed of arriving at the East and now here I am.

First, I want to thank the installing team for a job well done. Without them the lodge would be without a Master! R.·.W.·. James Holden, W.·. Matt Palazola and V.·.W.·. Raphael Wong. As always, they have done an impeccable job.

Second, I want to thank you all for attending this evening, giving me and the other lodge officers your support with your presence. This is an exciting night for me. My road to the East started in Nov 2005 In Eureka California and took me to Scotland literally, joining the Antient Grand Lodge Scotland at one of its outposts in the Far East for 5 years. In 2011, upon my return to the US, I joined our beloved White Plains Lodge #473, which brings us to tonight, and my arrival to the EAST. Arriving in the East is a momentous occasion. Very soon, as a traveler, I will have to decide if this is a pit stop, or the conclusion of the upward journey.

Third, I want to thank Past Master Raphael Wong for his two years of service to our lodge. V.·.W.·. Raphael has achieved many firsts as the master of the lodge including visits to district sister lodges and has consolidated our officer line-up to mention just a few. V.·.W.·. Raphael has joined the Grand Lodge of New York district lineup starting this year as Assistant Grand Lecturer. Brother Wong, I thank you for your service to our lodge and your personal support and care in preparing me for the coming year. I want us to be the first to honor you with GRAND Honors.

This is a wonderful event full of emotions and reminiscence. Those of you who have been in the East understand the mixture of feelings and emotions present tonight. The rest of you and especially the newly minted brothers, I hope and wish that this evening becomes an inspiration for you for your own road to the East, a fulfillment of your masonic journey, and more importantly as a stepping stone to more grand adventures and roles in our brotherhood.

Tonight, is the last communication of our masonic year. The lodge will go dark for the summer until our next regular communication the third Wednesday of September. The only events scheduled is our Parking lot BBQ for June 6th at 6:30 pm, and our Summer Picnic scheduled for August 19, in one of the Marinas in Stamford CT. Hopefully the picnic will include a boat tour of the Stamford Harbor. Stay tuned as we are working out the details

Our theme for the coming year is to ensure the viability of our lodge. Our mission is to keep the lodge going to eternity and as such our objectives are to keep the lodge financially solvent, endure a healthy level of the membership by bringing in new brothers, and ensure that we have a vibrant community where our members are engaged, participate and contribute to the well-being of our community.

During the summer I will work with the wardens and deacons, the past masters and district representatives to detail out the full calendar for next year as well as detail the various initiatives and support activities for the year. I aspire to have a well thought out calendar and Trestle board ready for publication by our first communication of the year in September.

In the spirit making our meetings interesting and engaging, I would like us to introduce the 10-minute talk at each of our communications. There is a plethora of talks available for us to choose from and I will be asking one of you brothers to deliver it. The talks will have historical, philosophical, ethical and inspirational themes, and will come from many masonic sources.

In closing, I would like to challenge all of you to think of ways to make our communications meetings more interesting and better attended. Bring your ideas and suggestions to me or the wardens for consideration.

My Brothers on behalf of myself and the rest of the lodge officers, thank you for your support. I look forward with confidence and enthusiasm to a bright future for our lodge.

W.·. Andy Papademetriou
Master, White Plains Lodge No. 473 F. & A. M.