New York Past Grand Master Neal Bidnick has been expelled from the fraternity:
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Subject: In the matter of Neal I. Bidnick - Official Notice of Decision of the Commissioners of the Masonic Trial convened on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 is attached herewith.
To: All Grand Line Officers, Permanent Members, Elected & Appointed Grand Lodge Officers, Masters & Secretaries of NY Masonic Lodges, Concordant Bodies, and to all Grand Lodges in amity with the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York
GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
In the Matter of Charges preferred by:
RW BRO. KURT OTT
Past Grand Marshal of the Grand Lodge (2006 – 2008)
Past Districtrict Deputy Grand Master of the Ninth Manhattan District,
And a dual member of Harmony Lodge No. 199 and Schiller Lodge No. 304,
Complainant,
--- Against
MW BRO. NEAL IVAN BIDNICK
Past Grand Master (2006 – 2008) and
A plural member of Sibelius – Bredablick Lodge No. 880,
Athelstane Lodge No. 839, Justice Lodge No. 753, Berne Lodge No. 684,
And Copernicus Lodge No. 545,
Accused.
NOTICE OF DECISION:
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the decision, signed by the Commissioners appointed to hear, try and determine the Charges preferred by RW BROTHER KURT OTT, against MW BROTHER NEAL IVAN BIDNICK, was filed in the Office of the Grand Secretary, 71 West 23rd Street, New York, New York 10010, on April 24, 2012. The Commission, comprised ofFIVE (5) PAST GRAND TREASURERS determined that by competent evidence that Past Grand Master BIDNICK did MISAPPROPRIATE FUNDS and as such, did ENGAGE IN ACTS OR CONDUCT TENDING TO IMPAIR THE PURITY OF THE MASONIC INSTITUTION OR ITS USEFULNESS, OR TO CAUSE SCANDAL OR TO DEGRADE IT IN PUBLIC ESTIMATION, OR WHICH ARE CONTRARY TO ITS PRINCIPLES, OBLIGATIONS OR TEACHINGS, and as such, Past Grand Master BIDNICK was found GUILTY of the CHARGE against him, and it was thereafter decided thatPast Grand Master NEAL IVAN BIDNICK shall be punished by being EXPELLED from the rights and privileges of Masonry.
Dated: New York, New York
APRIL 25, 2012
Submitted by:
STEVEN ADAM RUBIN, Proctor
To: GRAND MASTER
Sibelius – Bredablick Lodge No. 880
Athelstane Lodge No. 839
Justice Lodge No. 753
Berne Lodge No. 684
Copernicus Lodge No. 545
Please refer to the signed Official Notice of the Decision of the Commissioners of the Masonic Trial attached herewith as a pdf file.
Distributed by order of the Grand Master.
RW Brother Gilbert Savitzky, PGT
Office of the Grand Secretary
Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of the State of New York
Masonic Hall – 17th Floor
71 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010
Tel.: (212) 741-4500
I guess the moral of this story can be: If you don't want to get expelled, don't steal from from your Brethren.
ReplyDeleteI saw the expulsion, and I saw the one year suspension for attending a parade. We get disseminated final determinations but we don't get the underlying charges that come before a determination. Does anyone know what the basis was of the charges? A little foundation would be nice.
ReplyDeleteBetter moral: If you act like a Freemason, you won't be expelled.
ReplyDeleteI concur with SW D
ReplyDeleteI would be nice to let the Craft know what PGM NIB did.
I had the pleasure of dining with him when he was GM. He struck me as a man that put Masonry first...
Keep in mind that the punished aren't always the guilty.
ReplyDeleteIf found guilty beyond reasonable doubt, this expulsion is right. Malversation of lodge funds is a no-no.
ReplyDelete...I will not cheat, wrong or defraud...
ReplyDelete.
ReplyDeleteMy Brothers, this isn’t Freemasonry, this was a hit. Regardless of any facts positive or negative, in Mr. Bidnick’s case, it was decided before it began. It is my hope and prayers that it too will be overturned on appeal by anyone who can understand basic accounting principles, but the damage will be done. MW Libone has set himself up to run unopposed and assume the role of Chief Operational Officer of our Grand Lodge.
I am wondering if the Jurisprudence Committee, comprised of the same Past Grand Masters who facilitated his violations of our Constitutions, will sign off on his actions with a blanket approval and at that point there may be nothing that can be done to revisit this travesty.
There were two previous "incidents". The first sentence was that Bidnick was not to be at any public event as a Freemsaon for some unknown offense to me. The second was concerning his appearance at a parade as a Freemason and his suspension for a year. Now this. I have not any social or Masonic intercourse with Neal in over thirty years, but I cannot go w/o questioning this situation seriously. I knew him as an upright man and Mason who dedicated his life to the Craft.
ReplyDeleteLance Rommerdahl
Secretary 2008-, Lakewood Lodge #170, AF&AM Colorado
Master 2009, Columbine Lodge #147, AF&AM Colorado
Member, Black Hawk Lodge #11, AF&AM Colorado
Secretary 1978-81, Frederik Lodge #857, F&AM New York
Master 1977, Frederik Lodge #857 F&AM, New York
Member, Sibelius-Bredablick #880 F&AM, New York
Ambassador & Mentor, Denver Consistory, A&ASR
National Sojourners
Actually, I am told that it was reported at Grand Lodge that Neil had his grand marshal write checks for flights and hotels for a grand lodge event to his wife joyce bidnick instead of grand lodge. this is the same joyce bidnick that admitted to stealing $100G from the little league she was treasurer of. It was also reported that Neil accepted cash on that same trip. None of which made it to the Grand Lodge Treasury, yet all expenses were paid on Neil's GL Credit Card. There was some comments that AMex "points" were given in lieu of the money...but they did not cover the dollars that were kept by the Bidnicks. so it was reported that they have it in black and white that the bidnicks kept the money. I guess that overturning this is like pardoning Madoff. It shows that it is OK to steal from donated dollars?
ReplyDeleteIt may be hard for some people to face reality, even when the truth is unambiguous. Both Bidnicks have a long history of conduct that, at the very least, reflects terribly on the Craft. Anyone familiar with Grand Lodge practice knows how hard it is even to get black and white charges entertained, much less proved, against any of the inner circle on the 17th Floor. The fact that the various actions that were taken against ex-Mason Bidnick actually occurred should speak volumes, even to those of faltering intellect. Or perhaps the Bidnicks are actually innocent and have left town in an indignant huff and are now living with Elvis in a trailer park outside Las Vegas?
ReplyDeletePDDGM 4th Manhattan
I read where his wife admitted to taking $100,000 from the little league when she was treasurer. Google her now and it says it was not $100,000 but she now admitted to $400,000. That is a LOT of money.
ReplyDeleteDid she spend it all on herself and not tell her husband and son? According to google this went on while her husband was Grand Master. (oh...I also read he was the treasurer of the little league then his wife (joyce) took the job)
I am guessing that most here have seen that Joyce Bidnick is now in jail for (what is reported to be) over $400,000 in unauthorized fund removal from the new city little league. said she used for son college, loans, house etc. Not sure about you. It is sad...expecially when the report came out that neal had people write masonic checks to Joyce and never deposited them in Grand Lodge treasury. I don't know about you....but if my husband was not working for 4 years or so...he may ask me how are the lights staying on in the house. Unless he knew where I was getting the money. Politics is one thing. Jail...that is pretty decisive. seems like all these money transactions are black and white. Sad.
ReplyDelete