‘On tap in Tappan, Part II’

    

This second “On Tap” post concerns the Ninth Manhattan District’s 120th annual Traubenfest held at the German Masonic Park, an autumn wonderland of beer, blondes, and sausages. I had no idea this place existed until I happened to be cc’d on an e-mail advertising this event some weeks previously. Too good to be true, I figured, must be a prank. But it is for real.

As far as I can tell, the lodges in the Ninth Manhattan District own the park, and each lodge owns and operates a building where food and beverages are sold. Some of the buildings are simple structures with a kitchen and some storage space, but others somewhat resemble taverns, or German beer halls. I don’t know what events take place here, or when, but Traubenfest (Grape Festival) is a very well attended and likely highly anticipated event. I know I’m going back.

I can’t name all the lodges of the District, but it includes Allemania 740, Lessing 608, Schiller Lodge, Trinity 12, Von Mensch 765, and I’m sure others. Plus there is the German Masonic Charitable Foundation.

The photos:



An instant after this photo was shot, a huge ball of flame erupted from the grill.





Spaten appears to be the official beer of Traubenfest 2010. And it is good.


Okay, okay, the photos stink this time. Listen, I had the camera in one hand, a pint in the other, and half a pound of bratwurst in another. And it’s not like you’re paying for the content here!

On a closing note, I attended both Grand Master’s Day and Traubenfest with my next door neighbor. After bending his elbow with a few pints at the festival, he let me twist his arm and bring him to Old ’76 House, yet another historic site in Tappan. It has been a tavern in continuous service since the 17th century; was used to jail Benedict Arnold’s accomplice, Major John Andre; and was frequented by George Washington and other Founders. We left there after a few more drinks with the inspired idea to have yet another drink at yet another historic site where Washington had “refreshed” himself, so we headed home resolved to have a nightcap along the way at Bloomfield Steak and Seafood House, about 30 miles away from Tappan. It is a restaurant now, but it had been a private residence for centuries. Built in 1670, it is the location where Bro. Joseph Bloomfield signed the charter of the Township of Bloomfield (wherever did they get that name?), and where Washington and Bro. Henry Knox once dined during the Revolution. A historical pub crawl. (I wanted to stop at Fraunces en route to Bloomfield, but I had to get him home to his wife.)
   

‘On tap in Tappan, Part I’

    
This edition of The Magpie Mason is the second attempt to rectify past negligence in blogging (a Class C misdemeanor in West Virginia). There are 10 or maybe more events from 2010 that I never got around to sharing with you – lectures, ceremonies, Germanic beer fests, etc. – and before we get too far into 2011, I’ll try to catch up on last year’s happenings. No lengthy articles, but some good photos.

The Mgmt.


Seems like only yesterday. Sunday, October 3, 2010 was a twofer in New York Masonry. Two very enjoyable Masonic public events having nearly nothing in common except the great convenience of taking place only a mile apart. The annual Grand Master’s Day at the George Washington Headquarters Masonic Historic Site, and the 120th annual Traubenfest in historic, scenic Tappan, New York.

Grand Master’s Day is one of several official occasions during the year when Grand Lodge showcases one of its priceless gems: DeWint House. It is called the George Washington Headquarters Masonic Historic Site because the GLNY owns and operates this landmark, which served as the headquarters of Gen. George Washington several times during the Revolutionary War.


The vocal group Harmony on the Hudson sings “God Bless America”

The Masonic War Veterans posts the colors.


More about the history of DeWint House can be read here.


Little Leaf Linden.

On the well kept grounds of the site, a diverse variety of trees have been planted over the years, lending exotic elements to what otherwise would be “the usual” landscape of a Colonial-era property. These trees are dedicated in honor of Past Grand Masters of the jurisdiction. Two Little Leaf Linden trees were dedicated, one for MW Edward G. Gilbert, the junior Past Grand Master who could not attend the ceremony last year due to illness, and the other for MW Gary Henningsen, Past Grand Master 1993-95, whose original Norway Spruce was felled by lightning.

More photos of the grounds can be seen here.

Here are some shots of the interior of the historic house:

A Park Ranger at Monticello told me long ago that beds from this period
are so short because people back then slept in a sitting up position.

     

‘Happy Hour’

    

Fresh from the Secretary’s desk is official notice of the rescheduled Installation of Officers of The American Lodge of Research (postponed from St. John Evangelist Day due to the snow): Tuesday, January 18 at 5 p.m.

(Yes, five o’clock.)

ALR meets in the French Ionic Room at Masonic Hall, located at 71 West 23rd St. in Manhattan.

After the ceremonies, a bunch of us probably will dine at the Outback Steakhouse across the street.
    

‘Masonic Hall centenary’

    

This edition of The Magpie Mason is the first in an attempt to rectify past negligence in blogging (a Class C misdemeanor in several states). There are 10 or maybe more events from 2010 that I never got around to sharing with you – lectures, ceremonies, etc. – and before we get too far into 2011, I’ll try to catch up on last year’s happenings. No lengthy accounts, but some good photos.

The Mgmt.

In the name of Freemasonry, Virtue, and Universal Benevolence, Most Worshipful Vincent Libone, Grand Master of Masons in the State of New York, rededicated Masonic Hall December 5, 2010, in a public ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the GLNY’s current headquarters in New York City.

The ceremonial representation of the lodge.

The blade of the ceremonial trowel used
for the cornerstone-laying in 1908.

Proclamations from Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the New York City Council, and Gov. David Paterson were presented. Bro. Dick Gottfried, who represents the 75th District (Masonic Hall’s neighborhood) in the State Assembly, offered remarks as well.

Secretary Lenny Kagan and
Worshipful Master Michael Daniels
of Shakespeare Lodge No. 750.

Grand Post, of Masonic War Veterans,
presents the colors.

Grand Master Vincent Libone
inspects the ritual working tools.

MW Libone applies the ritual
elements of consecration.

The Grand Honors.

Mr. Peter Chiofolo, the gentleman responsible for keeping Masonic Hall well lighted, heated or cooled, and otherwise operational was among those saluted by the brethren. He admitted he would rather have been anywhere else but in the spotlight, but he earned a robust round of applause.

I do not know whose idea it was to add opera singers to the program as the event’s entertainment, but it was a great choice. Brilliant. W. Bro. Valentin Peytchinov, Past Master of King Solomon-Beethoven Lodge No. 232, with a soprano whose name I didn’t catch, absolutely thrilled everyone in the room. The Grand Lodge Room is enormous, taking two stories of the building itself, which is good because a smaller room would have been blown apart by their voices, and you don’t want to trash the place whose hundredth birthday you’re celebrating!

Performing a scene from Mozart’s

The Marriage of Figaro.

The duo also sang selections from The Barber of Seville by Rossini; Die Fledermaus by Johan Strauss; and Don Giovanni, also by Mozart. In addition, the young soprano sang “Hallelujah” from Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate, accompanied by the Grand Organist.

From a handbill distributed at the ceremony:

Masonic Hall, the historic landmark building on West 24th Street and Avenue of the Americas, and its connected twin structure on West 23rd Street, were constructed on this location in 1910 and 1912 respectively – the second building known as Masonic Hall to stand at this site. The buildings were designed and constructed by architect H.P. Knowles. Today marks the centennial of the West 24th Street building.

Freemasonry in New York dates back to 1757. From 1827 until 1856, the first Masonic Hall in the City of New York was located further downtown, between Duane and Pearl streets. On this site in 1875, the second Masonic Hall, a classic five-story building designed by the noted American architect Napoleon LeBrun, was built.

The present Masonic Hall is home to the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York, and houses the offices of the Grand Secretary and the Trustees of the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund. It also is the meeting place of many local Masonic lodges and affiliated organizations. Masonic Hall also is home of the renowned Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library.

The building has been restored through the years to reflect the inspired architecture and beauty of the original structure, often hailed as one of the most magnificent Masonic buildings in the world. The most recent renovation, conducted in the 1980s and ’90s, demonstrates the work of Felix Chavez.

    

‘Masonic Café?’

    

As promised on The Magpie Mason way back in 2010, yours truly will be the evening’s lecturer at the April 20 meeting of the New York Mythology Group. Our group is the New York City Chapter of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, and among its regular activities are these monthly discussions, collectively known as Mythology Café, or perhaps for this one evening, Masonic Café.


The topic, unsurprisingly, will be Freemasonry, consisting of a summary of the fraternity’s complicated history, with explanations of the spiritual aspects of Masonic ritual and symbol. Mindful of the audience demographic, the speaker will anticipate pointed curiosity of Masonic tenets, practices, and even the vast diversity of lodges in New York City.

We’ll meet at 7 p.m. at our usual haunt, Ciao Stella, located at 206 Sullivan St. in Manhattan, between Bleecker and Third streets in the Village.

Membership in the New York Mythology Group is open to all, and you should formally join us if you plan to attend this event because we need your reservations. Seating at Ciao Stella is somewhat limited – it’s a pretty small place – and it is not unusual for Mythology Café to fill the room. Since management allows us to take over the restaurant, it is expected we all contribute toward the night’s receipts, so even if you don’t want to order a full meal, at least have a drink or something. (I’ll be having a few.)

   

‘Ephemera in a cigar box’

    

As smoking customs changed so radically in the past 30 years, the venerable cigar box lost its status as the safest place for small personal items that otherwise would be jeopardized by the recidivist menace of occasional tidying. A cigar enthusiast since 1985 myself, I don’t even use cigar boxes to store stuff, but generations of smokers and non-smokers alike had their peculiar treasure chests to secret away the memories that the mind thus unaided inevitably blends into busy pastiches of reminiscence. And at some point more than 30 years ago, as shown by the ages of these items, my grandfather deposited various pieces of Masonic ephemera into this Bances box. (These cigars were “clear Havanas,” meaning they were made of Cuban tobacco, but rolled in the United States. That, and all commercial trade with Cuba, ceased in 1962.) Worshipful Brother Sidney would preside over Mt. Nebo Lodge No. 248 in 1976. The lodge and the Elizabeth Masonic Temple where it met are long gone, having been amalgamated into what now is Azure-Masada Lodge No. 22 in nearby Cranford. There were 11 lodges comprising what was the 13th Masonic District between 1967 and 1976, the period recalled by the items inside this cigar box, and all 11 are gone, absorbed into other lodges many years ago. Anyway, this cedar time capsule was excavated from my aunt’s basement last month. Being the Freemason in the family, it was given to me. Some of these items (e.g., the 32° diploma issued by the Consistory of the Valley of Newark in 1968) I knew had to be stashed away somewhere, but a few others took me entirely by surprise.

An assortment of lodge trestleboards  dominates this box. Dated from January 1968 to March 1976, there are 31 in all. Unlike the typical trestleboard seen in New Jersey today, which is a tri-fold sheet of letter-size paper, these are small (6 x 3 ½ inch) two-color, six-page booklets, seemingly tailored to fit in the shirt pocket.

Their contents are unremarkable. I had hoped for Lux ex Oriente, or even Lux ex Cathedra, but it seems Mt. Nebo was a lodge that emphasized sociability over exploring the great mysteries and philosophies of life. Makes me wonder if maybe that is partially why the lodge and its 10 neighbors are all gone. Mt. Nebo Lodge was chartered on April 24, 1924 – the same day that my original lodge was chartered as No. 249, something serendipitous that I didn’t realize at the time of my initiation 30 years after my grandfather was made a Mason.

On Wednesday, March 20, 1968, the brethren in the Level Club met at Townleys’ restaurant at 6:15 for dinner, and left an hour later to catch the Knick game at the Garden. (The visiting team was the Cincinnati Royals, yet another defunct entity.) The ’68 Knicks of course was the team of Dick Barnett, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed… the Hall of Famers who had their numbers retired. But get this: The brethren left Elizabeth, New Jersey at 7:15 p.m. for a game at Madison Square Garden. If you tried that today, you’d miss the game.

Total assets on Dec. 31, 1967: $25,631 (that’s $168,596 in today’s money). 1968 dues: $17.50, including the $1 Grand Lodge assessment. Junior Past Master Albert M. Pines was feted February 18 at Short Hills Caterers ($11.50 per person). 44th Anniversary Dinner-Dance at Richfield Regency Caterers on May 22. Met game on June 19. Picnic September 15 in Warinanco Park. The lodge’s major accomplishment of 1968 was its establishment of a blood bank. Sid served as Chaplain that year, his first full year in Masonry.

A booklet even smaller than the trestleboard was the lodge membership roster, like this one from 1962. Junior Warden Stan Glasser is still around; I chatted with him at a recent meeting of our Consistory. (New Jersey Consistory is the oldest Scottish Rite Consistory in New Jersey, chartered in 1867. It met in Newark when Stan and my grandfather joined, then was moved to Livingston in 1972, then to Lincoln Park in 1977, and this month it relocates yet again, this time to Union.)

And speaking of New Jersey Consistory, here is that aforementioned diploma issued May 18, 1968. Just as my grandfather’s first entrance into the lodge was 30 years before my own, so too was his initiation into the AASR. Thirty years almost to the day. Actually this copy of the diploma is what used to be the traveling paper, folded and protected in a wallet, used for identification when visiting other Scottish Rite bodies. The actual diploma (heavy paper, embossed seal, suitable for framing, etc.) remains unfound.

There were a few non-Masonic papers and objects inside the Bances box that stand out. The sterling silver kiddish cup is out of place. The Morgan silver dollar (1884, New Orleans) is an entirely typical, predictable item to find among personal effects in my family...

... but the handgun permit and sales receipt for a Colt .38 Special are not. The late ’60s was a violent time. Acres of Newark remain vacant today, 43 years after the riots of the summer of 1967. That was my family’s hometown, and while they had moved out before Newark began its rapid decay, they still resided and worked not too far away. The sales receipt for this revolver is dated April 4, 1968, coincidentally the day Martin Luther King was murdered, which precipitated more rioting.

But the Masonic journey of the late W. Sid begins with this letter from W. Joseph Bernstein, Secretary of Mt. Nebo Lodge No. 248. Dated January 24, 1967, it informs its happy recipient that his EA° would be Monday, February 13, and that the $200 balance of his initiation fee will be accepted that night. That $200 is in addition to whatever deposit accompanied the petition for membership. If the complete initiaton fee totaled $250, that would equal $1,644 in today’s money. Has your lodge kept up with inflation?

Perhaps more mementos will be found in the house. My grandfather smoked a brand of Havanas called Gold Label. I remain hopeful that a Past Master’s jewel has yet to be discovered in one of those boxes.