Madison Lodge No 93 F & AM

10/24/2024

This past evening was the last official meeting (regular communication) of Madison Lodge No 93 F & AM.

After several years of planning and procedure, the leadership of the lodge with the Grand Lodge of New Jersey finalized a new path forward whereby the members and the assets of the lodge would be dispersed amongst the brethren of the grand jurisdiction, while the group of masons meeting together would dissolve, amicably.

In this modern era, right-sizing has become commonplace with fraternal organizations. While mergers and consolidations offered a way forward, it was evident early in planning that there was not one single place within or without the masonic district that would gain a quorum of consensus amongst the members.

Our story is that money alone does not make a lodge; a cohesive group working towards a unified goal. Though that the people, alone, are the most valuable asset to an organization. And without sufficient numbers of actively engaged members meeting weekly to keep and perform the ritual work of the lodge, the lodge is effectively defunct.

We well knew the limits of our financial and human resources. And by all accounts, it was not a matter of if, though when, we would reach the end of our collective cable-tow.

Know that the officers and trustees of the lodge have been above-board on all proceedings, documenting our process with excruciating detail to ensure that every step was taken with due and timely notice, and that every single opportunity for engagement on the issue was entertained over the last 5+ years.

Our intention is to formally surrender our warrant to the Grand Lodge of New Jersey at its next annual communication in November, a document that has authorized our ability to meet as Free and Accepted Masons since 1868.

If you have questions or concerns, I urge you to speak with the worshipful master or secretary. They will answer to the best of their ability. For those members who will need to find a new masonic home, we have provided resources and offered introductions to other lodges in our area who will happily entertain your petition for membership.

We are grateful for our rented premises at Congdon-Overlook Lodge #163, in Bernardsville, the past several months as we worked through this process of right-sizing. We thank the due diligence of our District Deputy. And we are grateful to the Grand Master and the members of the State of the Craft committee for understanding our plea, and being receptive to a peaceful resolution.

We thank the community of Madison, New Jersey where we called home for over 156 years, whether we had 70 or 700 members at any given time in our history.

This page will no longer be monitored and archived.

10/20/2024

06/09/2024

One of the shining beacons on a hill that freemasons support is the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, VA.

Did you know? In New Jersey $1 per year of a mason’s membership dues supports this national monument overlooking our nation’s capital. A nominal, though meaningful token of support for unity. ∴

This June, our Grand Lodge of the month is New Jersey! The NJ flag flies outside the Memorial, and a special exhibit on New Jersey Masonry is on display in our Form and Function of American Freemasonry exhibit. Learn more at our website:

https://gwmemorial.org/blogs/gl-of-the-month/grand-lodge-of-new-jersey

04/22/2024

Happy Passover to all who celebrate.

03/07/2024

There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.

There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.

“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”

This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:8-12

02/17/2024

Our Silent Auction yard sale event raised over $2000 for local charities and secured our masonic legacy by ensuring our treasures live on in lodges and homes of our brethren.

We even had one bidder from Staten Island who purchased degree material for use in the lodge next week.

A bittersweet, though successful event. ∴

We still have Cuban mahogany officers chairs available.

02/10/2024

恭喜发财
Happy Lunar New Year! 🧧

Check out our masonic family in NYC - NY Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club which will be marching in the parade.

2024 is the year of the Wood Dragon.

The Essence of the Dragon:
Individuals born under the Dragon sign, encompassing years such as 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, and the impending 2024, embody a magnetic blend of ambition, confidence, and charisma.

However, as the Wood Dragon takes center stage, these attributes expand to influence us collectively. The energy of the Wood Dragon beckons us to explore our depths, fostering curiosity, independence, and a thirst for knowledge. ∴

Madison Lodge #93 - a regular & duly-constituted lodge of Free & Accepted Masons: Grand Lodge of NJ (1868-2024).

01/31/2024

On Saturday, January 27th, 2024, freemasons from the Grand Lodges of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Connecticut gathered for a Unity Day celebration at the Grand Lodge of New York, on 23rd Street in Manhattan.

The various parts of our sacred ritual were exemplified in turn by the different state representatives. The purpose of which was to display our differences, though also our similarities, which vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, state to state, country to country.

The grand lodge room seats 1000, and it was standing room only. 233 masons from New Jersey attended. RW Berger and Bro Chase represented Madison Lodge along with a bus load of masons from the 11th Masonic District.

Following the program, there was a private tour of the Grand Lodge building, which included the Livingston Library, and a dozen different lodge rooms.

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133 ∴

01/21/2024

Sadly, we have learned of the death of Thurman Pace, a decorated veteran and extraordinarily active mason. May his soul bloom in eternal spring. ∴

He last visited Madison Lodge in 2011 where he gave a riveting, pin-drop silent oral recitation of his personal recollections of liberating the Dacau concentration camp, which housed political prisoners, freemasons, Poles, Romani, Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Catholic priests, and Communists.

01/17/2024

Famous freemason from history: Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706‬.

"… those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

This oft-quoted line, which is from a letter that Franklin is believed to have written on behalf of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, was not about privacy, though about taxing the Penn family lands to pay for frontier defense during the French and Indian War.

(American statesman, scientist, philosopher, printer, writer and inventor. 1706-1790‬)

Read the context here:

https://www.npr.org/2015/03/02/390245038/ben-franklins-famous-liberty-safety-quote-lost-its-context-in-21st-century

01/15/2024

Shared post from the brethren in Huntsville, AL on remembering MLK today.

While not a freemason, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. embodied the core tenets of our fraternity through his advocacy for civil rights, equality, promoting nonviolent resistance against racial segregation and discrimination.

As freemasons, our character is weighed by the measure of our brotherly love, relief, and truth; to our selves, our family, our community, and to each other.
∴