Grand Lodge of New York
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The Grand Lodge of the State of New York (GLoNY) is the governing body of Freemasonry in the State of New York. The Grand Lodge is over 220 years old, having been founded December 15, 1782. GLoNY acts as the coordinating body for many functions undertaken throughout the state. Its various committees organize blood drives, Masonic Child Identification Programs (CHIP) and charitable events around New York. The GLoNY has jursidiction over approximately 60,000 Freemasons, organized in more than 800 Lodges, most of them located within New York State.[1]
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[edit] History
[edit] Colonial and federalist eras: 1730-1820
It is not known when the first Freemason set foot in the American colony of New York but the first documented presence dates from the mid 1730s, when Daniel Coxe was appointed by the Duke of Norfolk, then Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England (known to historians as the "Moderns") to act as a Provincial Grand Master for the provinces of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As no authenticated records exist of his tenure as Provincial Grand Master it seems doubtful that he exercised any authority in Masonic endeavors. From 1738 to the 1780s additional Warrants were issued by GLE (Moderns) to Francis Goelet (1738-1753), to George Harrison (1753-1771) and to Sir John Johnson (from 1771). As Johnson was a Tory during the revolution, he is believed to have taken his warrant with him when he fled to Canada, thus leaving the Moderns Lodges without a Provincial Grand Master.[2]
To make things confusing, by the 1750s, the Antient Grand Lodge of England (Known to historians as the "Ancients"), a rival Masonic Grand Lodge, had also created a Provincial Grand Lodge of New York, which subsequently chartered lodges under its own jurisdiction (additional lodges were chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland and the Grand Lodge of Ireland). The Ancients retained their charter throughout the revolution, however, and it was based upon this charter that, in 1787, an independent Grand Lodge of New York was created, with Robert R. Livingston as Grand Master (Officially, the Grand Lodge of New York was organized on December 15, 1782 under the Provincial Grand Warrant dated September 5, 1781 from the “Athol” or Antient Grand Lodge of England. The Grand Lodge declared its independence and assumed its modern title “Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York” on June 6, 1787.) Interestingly, while the "Athol" Charter descended from the "Ancients", Livingston was a member of a "Modern" Lodge. Thus these two rival Grand Lodge traditions, which in England did not unite until 1813, were merged in New York State.
[edit] GLoNY Today
On May 3rd, 2005 The GLoNY gave Dispensation to Land, Sea & Air Lodge #1 to be recognized as a fully operating Lodge in Iraq. It is believe to be the first Lodge in Iraq in thirty years.[3]
[edit] Community and Charity
GLoNY owns and operates the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory, Acacia Village and Masonic Home in Utica; the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Library and Museum in New York and Utica; the Masonic Youth Camp at Camp Turk in Woodgate; the DeWint House at Tappan and its many charitable activities of its annual Brotherhood Fund Drive. The Grand Lodge sponsors Child Identification Programs, Drug and Alcohol Awareness programs in schools, and gives thousands of dollars a day to worthy charities around the State.
[edit] External links
- The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of New York
- Empire State Mason
- The Masonic Research Laboratory of New York
- Masonic Care Community of New York
- The Chancellor Robert R Livingston Masonic Library of New York
- The DeWint House at Tappan
- Masonic New York Child ID Program
- Camp Turk
