Who are We Today?
Valley Stream Lodge No. 1143 is a vibrant and growing Masonic lodge serving Nassau County, Long Island and the surrounding communities. With more than 150 members, we are home to a diverse and energetic brotherhood united by shared values, strong tradition, and a genuine respect for one another.
We take pride in our ritual work and in the teamwork required to perform it with excellence. At the same time, we believe that Freemasonry thrives not only in formal meetings, but in fellowship. Our members value friendship, mentorship, and family involvement. Annual events such as our holiday celebration, public installation of officers, and summer barbecue bring together brothers, families, and members of the community in a spirit of warmth and connection.
Today, Valley Stream Lodge is active, forward-looking, and increasingly engaged in meaningful community service meeting regularly in Rockville Centre, New York. As Freemasons, we host initiatives such as our annual coat drive and diaper drive, and we continue the charitable tradition of the Guiding Light Foundation by supporting local organizations that make a real difference. Our members work hard, support one another, and enjoy each other’s company — a balance that strengthens both the lodge and the men within it.
Our History
Valley Stream Lodge No. 1143 was formed in 1953 and constituted in 1954 under the leadership of its Charter Master, RW O. Herbert Johnson, meeting in the village of Valley Stream, New York at 30 Jamaica Avenue. At the time, the building was owned by the Junior Order of United American Mechanics Valley Stream Council 41 which gave the building its unique design, and also housed the Nassau County Police’s 5th precinct on the ground floor. From its earliest days, the lodge developed a reputation for strong ritual work, dedicated membership, and active leadership within the broader Masonic community.
Over the years, members of Valley Stream Lodge have gone on to serve the Grand Lodge of New York in various leadership roles, reflecting the lodge’s longstanding commitment to excellence and service beyond its own walls. Through changing times, the lodge remained steady, supported by engaged members and strong internal leadership. Our lodge eventually purchased the building at 30 Jamaica Ave. in November 1967 and would become the longest tenured occupants of the building at 52 years before selling the building in 2005.
Throughout the late 20th century and into the 2010s, Valley Stream Lodge experienced renewed energy and growth. Experienced Past Masters worked alongside a new generation of Masons, strengthening the lodge’s foundation and building a culture that balanced tradition with forward-looking engagement.
At the same time, other lodges in the region were contributing their own rich histories to Long Island Freemasonry. Olympia Lodge No. 808, chartered in 1894, served the South Shore communities for generations, including maintaining its own Masonic building in Far Rockaway in the early 20th century.
Guiding Light Lodge No. 1151, established in the mid-1950s in Rockville Centre, became known for its strong local presence and charitable efforts, including the creation of the Guiding Light Foundation in 1965 to support hospitals, scholarships, and community institutions. Modin Lodge No. 1153, chartered in 1955 in Lynbrook, likewise contributed to the vitality of Masonry in Nassau County.
As the decades progressed, these lodges combined their efforts through a series of consolidations — first bringing Olympia and Guiding Light together in 1987, and later incorporating Modin in 1994 — forming Guiding Light–Olympia Lodge No. 808. This unified lodge carried forward the traditions, charitable work, and Masonic spirit of its predecessors for many years.
In 2025, Guiding Light–Olympia Lodge No. 808 consolidated with Valley Stream Lodge No. 1143. This milestone brought together multiple Masonic lineages under one roof, strengthening an already active and growing lodge while preserving the legacy and contributions of the brothers who came before.
Today, Valley Stream Lodge proudly carries forward this combined heritage. Rooted in its own strong foundation and enriched by the traditions of Guiding Light–Olympia and its predecessor lodges, Valley Stream Lodge No. 1143 remains committed to the principles upon which it was founded: integrity, fellowship, strong ceremonial work, and meaningful service.
We are proud of our history, energized by our present, and dedicated to building a lasting future for the generations of Masons who will follow.
