Front row: Brothers Lawrence Brown, Jorge Perez, SW Steven Siegel, SW Daniel Nichols, John Ziegler and Joseph Manuella
Second row: RW Abraham Finchentaubaum, RW Joseph Ruiz, WM Frank Parker, WM Rafael Figueroa Jr., Brothers Rafael Figueroa Sr., Brother Theodore Kateris
Third row: Brothers Leonard Gottlieb, Steve Lovasz, RW John Robinson DD, WB Jon Patrick, MWPGM George Greytak, RW Joseph Mandel, WB Sandy Gottsman, Joseph Ippolito.

District 2 invades 8th Manhattan Masonic District

By: WB Rafael Figueroa Jr.

The Harry S. Truman Lodge No. 1066 in NYC held a Master Mason Degree on April 21st in the American Room on the 19th floor of the Grand Lodge of NY building on 23rd St. and 6th Ave. I belong to one of the few Masonic square clubs left in NYS, the Electrical Square Club No. 420, composed of electricians from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union # 3, so I know many of the Officers and members of HST. Several of these brothers have traveled to CT in the past at my invitation so when I saw that a MM degree was being held I felt the need to pay a visit with some CT masons.

MWPGM George S. Greytak from Hiram Lodge No. 18, myself, Bro. Daniel Nichols and Bro. Rafael Figueroa Sr. from St. Peter's Lodge No. 21 all jumped into a car and braved thru Manhattan traffic to make the degree. After an almost 2 1/2 hour ride we arrived, ate dinner quickly and were admitted into their Lodge. As expected we were received with a warm welcome and open arms. MWB George was given Grand Honors and was asked to take a seat in the East along with WM Frank Parker and RW John Robinson, District Deputy Grand Master of that district.

A beautiful and slightly different version of MM degree for four Brothers was performed including the second section lecture performed almost flawlessly by their JW, Bro. Leonard Gottlieb. That is the beauty of traveling to other jurisdictions, to see the differences in the way they present their work but all in all the meaning of Freemasonry remains the same.

I invited WM Frank and the members of HST to our Lodge in the hope of keeping that fraternal bond we shared that night thru the years to come.