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Grand Treasurer<br />
RW Charles Catapano,<br />
Grand Treasurer<br />
516-314-8156<br />
Ccat1211@yahoo.com<br />
Holiday message from the Grand Treasurer<br />
My, how the time does fly! It seems like only yesterday we<br />
were in Grand Lodge for the elections. I have enjoyed every<br />
minute since then. I have traveled and met some fantastic and<br />
enthusiastic Brothers. In places both near and far our beloved<br />
Craft is alive and well in the state of New York. From the representations<br />
to the guest-speaker events and just visiting a<br />
Lodge for an evening of fellowship with the Brothers, I can<br />
tell you all that you are <strong>Mason</strong>ry and you show and live it all<br />
the time.<br />
I have been contacted by several Brothers and Lodges<br />
around the state in response to my pledge to assist in their<br />
efforts to perform an audit of the Lodge. These efforts are ongoing<br />
and several audits are in process as we speak. I remain<br />
committed to assisting each Lodge that requests my help in<br />
the audit process. It is by this process that we find out how<br />
the Lodge is operating and sustaining itself. It will also show if<br />
there are areas of concern that need special attention.<br />
As I continue to educate and inform the Brothers of our<br />
great Grand Jurisdiction about our finances, I have embarked<br />
on yet another task that may prove beneficial in the long<br />
run. Have you ever seen in the newspaper the legal notices<br />
about banks and municipalities that are looking for clients<br />
or family members because there are unclaimed funds in that<br />
person’s name and they are trying to return it to them Well,<br />
my Brothers, I believe that Grand Lodge may be one of those<br />
recipients. That is why I have started negotiations with a firm<br />
that provides for asset recovery. At this point in time it is in its<br />
infancy and will develop over the next few months. A snapshot<br />
of the service they provide follows:<br />
They will research and investigate all sources related to<br />
finances and banking. Our Grand Lodge may have bequests or<br />
dormant bank accounts which may otherwise go to the state or<br />
federal government. They handle all aspects of the transaction<br />
and will act as our agent to recover all assets that may be in the<br />
world that belong to Grand Lodge.<br />
As with any service that is provided, a fee for recovering<br />
these assets is standard. That fee has not been determined yet<br />
and will be in line with the industry standard. I will have more<br />
information on this as we move forward, so look for separate<br />
notices on our several media outlets of Grand Lodge.<br />
Another topic that has been brought to my attention is how<br />
Lodges should handle the federal tax form 990-N or the 990-<br />
EZ. I have enlisted the assistance of some of our Brothers who<br />
are in the accounting field and understand this better than I. I<br />
will have more information for you in the coming months, so<br />
look for this, too, on the many different media outlets Grand<br />
Lodge utilizes.<br />
In a nut shell, the 990 forms are not actually tax forms. They<br />
need to be filed by a Lodge, a Foundation or other not-forprofit<br />
organizations. There is a tutorial on the federal website<br />
that I encourage all Treasurers, Trustees and Lodge financial<br />
coordinators to watch and learn more. I will still provide more<br />
information on the 990s but too much information can’t hurt.<br />
Finally my Brothers, I would like to wish you all a great fall<br />
season both at home and in the Lodge. Enjoy the foliage in the<br />
upstate regions and the cool crisp evenings. And as the holiday<br />
season rapidly approaches, I wish you and your families a very<br />
happy Thanksgiving and both a happy Chanukah and a merry<br />
Christmas, as well as a very happy New Year. I plan on seeing<br />
all of you in Lodge soon. s<br />
<strong>Mason</strong>ic Brotherhood Fund<br />
RW Bruce Testut,<br />
Chairman<br />
TESTUTB@aol.com<br />
masonic_brotherhood_fund@yahoo.com<br />
On behalf of the Grand Lodge Brotherhood Fund, I would<br />
like to wish everyone a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.<br />
And I would remind all Lodge chairmen: Now is the time<br />
to contact your Lodge Secretary and see if he will allow you<br />
to include your donation notice in the regular dues invoice<br />
envelope. As MW Robert Stack used to say, “Offer to help<br />
with the mailing because it is that important.”<br />
If you are able to donate, please do. If not, I understand. s<br />
THE EMPIRE STATE MASON MAGAZINE WINTER <strong>2014</strong> 9
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