For Immediate Release
Sullivan County, New York
Dated: May 12, 2003

On the front porch of the Newburgh Masonic Temple are: (rear) Manny Safer, Gary Sommers, Lou Setren, “Bucky” Laufersweiler, Charles Paty, Burton Ledina, Phil Sager, Robert Halprin, Ernie Marchino, Harold Hoyt; and (front) Victor Marinello, Tom Rue, Moish Kleinberger, Harold Hoyt, and Mark Meddaugh.

Monticello Lodge #532 raises eight new Master Masons

NEWBURGH – Members of Monticello Lodge #532, F. & A. M., were pleased to add eight new Master Masons to their ranks at an all-day ceremony held in Newburgh at the end of March, said Tom Rue who is now finishing his second year as Worshipful Master of Monticello Lodge. The ceremony in Newburgh was attended by in excess of 300 men, at a specially convened New Millenium Lodge #8 under dispensation of the Grand Lodge of New York, F. & A. M. This lodge existed for one day only, for the special purpose of raising a large number of Masons.

New members of Monticello Lodge include: Michael Hoyt of Monticello; Michael LaFountain of Bethel; Franklin “Bucky” Laufersweiler of Monticello, Judge Mark M. Meddaugh of Rock Hill; Mayor Gary Sommers, resident of Monticello; Phil Sager of Monticello, Manny Safer of Bethel, and Lou Setren of Monticello. At the one-day class, each new member was assigned a mentor, to be his guide throughout the day.

Consummating their membership in the Masonic fraternity, the eight new brothers recently signed the By-Laws of Monticello Lodge. Several of them have agreed to hold offices of responsibility in the Lodge, under the lead of recently elected Master Ernie Marchino who will be installed to that office on Monday, May 26th, 8:00 PM, at 5 Bank Street, Monticello, in a ceremony that will be open to the public.

For more information on becoming a member of the Masonic fraternity, visit the website at www.sullivanmasonicdistrict.org.

Group photo (above) of newly raised Masons in Newburgh, May 26, 2003

In the lodge rooms at Monticello, on the night they signed the new members signed the By-Laws are: (rear) Ernie Marchino, Harold Hoyt, Robert Halprin, Jens Meyer, Grover LaFountain; and (front) Tom Rue, Phil Sager, Michael Hoyt, Manny Safer, Mark Meddaugh, Michael LaFountain, and Lou Setren.