"Sleepy Hollow" to Feature Freemason Backstory

According to Brother Robert Herd, Fox TV's new show "Sleepy Hollow" will feature Ichabod Crane as a Freemason. This will be a large part of the character's background and serve as the foundation of many of the episodes/plots.

See story.

New Foreign Versions of Our Books Coming Soon

I just received news from Wiley Publishing that Freemasons For Dummies is coming soon in Portuguese and Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies For Dummies is to be translated into Turkish. It's always fun for Alice and me to see the books in foreign languages, and they join the French, Dutch and German editions of Freemasons.

We are leaving tomorrow for a writers convention in Albany, New York, and then on to the Quarry Project in Alexandria, Virginia the following week. It's going to be a long and exhausting two weeks on the road, but should be fun.

Harold V. B. Voorhis AMD Council 9/23

Please join Harold V.B. Voorhis AMD Council No. 260 at their upcoming meeting on September 23, 2013. It will be held at The Merchants and Drovers Tavern located at 1632 St. Georges Ave., Rahway, NJ. This historical building dates back to the Revolutionary War, and was the meeting place for many famous Masons, including Washington and Lafayette. This meeting will be held in a period room furnished with period funiture under candlelight, as Masons usually did in taverns in ages past. They will start with cocktails and social hour at 6:00 PM followed by dinner at 7:30 PM. There will be a short meeting so you can enjoy the fellowship. Next door is a cemetery which holds the remains the first JGW Daniel Marsh of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey, along with two Past Grand Masters of New Jersey, and Abraham Clark, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Cost for dinner is $30.00. If you have any questions, please contact Moises Gomez at 201-615-8755.

Quarry Project Sept. 27-29

The resurgent interest in Freemasonry sparked by movies, books, cable television, the internet, and a generation of young men who recognize the value of fraternalism has created waves both within and without the Masonic community. Even the hallowed halls of academia have taken notice as colleges and universities have begun to offer classes that examine Freemasonry’s rich history, philosophy, and influence on our society. Noted academics not associated with the fraternity write and lecture on the topic. The imaginary veil that cloaked Freemasonry for centuries has been lifted and the mysteries of the order have been laid bare for all to see.


The result has been both a blessing and a curse. Misconceptions about Freemasonry still abound and are propagated via every possible means, a fair share of them from sources with otherwise sterling reputations. On the positive side, new Masonic periodicals dedicated to serious Masonic research have emerged and some of the more venerable publications have committed themselves to publishing more educational material. Rumblings are being heard from Masonic lodges of research that have been idle for years. There is, undeniably, both a need and a market for accurate and well documented information. In addition, many of our Masonic libraries and museums find themselves sorely in need of assistance with displaying, cataloging, archiving, and preserving their collections.


The Masonic Society and the Masonic Library and Museum Association have joined forces to establish The Quarry Project. Phase one of this endeavor will be the Conference on Masonic Research and Preservation to be held in the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, VA on September 27–29, 2013. The conference is open to anyone interested in Masonic research and preservation, but will be specifically targeted toward two groups: (i) members of Masonic lodges of research as well as authors, writers, and researchers, both published and aspiring, and (ii) Masonic librarians and museum curators.


The conference will draw from both the Masonic and academic communities to provide detailed instruction on Masonic research and the editing of the results. In addition, the recommendations of a committee created to establish a set of voluntary standards for future Masonic research, writing, and editing will be introduced. Professional librarians, museum curators, and experts on display and preservation will provide practical instruction and advice on maintaining and improving Masonic historical repositories. Multiple concurrent presentations will be offered on all three days. A few success stories that will enthuse and inspire you will be mixed in along the way.


The story of Freemasonry is a fascinating one that deserves to be honestly communicated on the world stage in a clear, concise, and consistent manner. It is up to those who tell that story to maintain the highest possible standards so that, as we are taught, “the honor, glory, and reputation of the institution might be firmly established and the world at large convinced of its good effects.” The Quarry Project aspires to assist in establishing and maintaining those standards.


Go the http://www.thequarryproject.com/registration/ to register today. I will be speaking Saturday night. For speakers and schedule, look here.

Letter From Battle Creek, Michigan

The following letter was sent to the editor of the local paper in Battle Creek, Michigan by Edward Winegar, Jerry Kirkbride, and Kevin Beck, the Worshipful Masters of the lodges that meet in the building, after last week's incident at the Masonic Center (see here):

On behalf of the Battle Creek Masons, I would like to apologize to our community for the negative attention that was brought to Battle Creek by people who rented a hall in our Masonic Center on August 25th. While no Masons were in attendance at the event, it was still our responsibility to ensure that our property was not being used for activities that are absolutely contrary to our Masonic values of honor, virtue and integrity and our commitment to service to our community. 

We have made the decision to stop renting our hall to outside groups until we have reviewed and updated our policies to make sure that we are performing meaningful due diligence on the activities that will be taking place there. Clearly, what we had been doing is not sufficient. Other Masonic lodges around Michigan are also taking our experience into account and reviewing their own hall rental policies as a result of this incident.

The Grand Lodge of Michigan (the Parent Corporation of all Masonic Lodges in Michigan) will also be reviewing other Masonic Centers rental policies as a result of this incident.

The Masonic Center has been the scene of hundreds if not thousands of healthy and positive celebrations of families and friends in almost a century of operation and it’s our hope that it can continue to serve the community in that role moving forward.

Our apologies to the people of Battle Creek. This will not happen again.

Sincerely,
Edward Winegar, Master of Battle Creek Lodge # 12Jerry Kirkbride, Master of Climax Prairie Lodge # 59 Kevin Beck, Master of Ira Beck Lodge # 503 

Northeastern Department & Regional Conference, Albany, NY Sept 6&7

I will be speaking in Albany, New York on Friday, September 6th at the Northeastern Department and Regional Conference, at the Holiday Inn, 205 Wolf Road in Albany. Registration is $20, and the program begins Friday at 8AM. Featured speakers include Jeffrey Williamson, Marcus Trelaine, Paul Leary, David Grindle, Curtis Banks, Stuart Card, Ron Cuthrie, Oscar Allen, Grant Held, Lou Bartrand, James E. Sullivan and Thomas Tsirimokos.

For last minute registration and info I suggest contacting Jeffrey M. Williamson, General Grand Chapter- York.rite@hotmail.com; Charles W. Wagner, General Grand Council- Wagnerkygch33@aol.com; or Thomas X. Tsirimokos, Grand Encampment- tsirimokos@comcast.net

I will have some books available.

Speaking Tonight at Englewood Lodge

I will be speaking tonight at Englewood Lodge No. 715 in Indianapolis on the subject of Traditional Observance and European Concept lodges. Dinner is at 6:30, and lodge opens at 7:30. The lodge is located at 6170 Southern Avenue in Indianapolis' southeast side.

Trouble in Battle Creek, MI

The Masonic Temple in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan was busted early Sunday moring in what authorities are calling a "drug-fueled orgy", according to several papers. The story has even hit the widely read Drudge Report online.

From the Daily Mail:

Officers were called to the prominent building in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan - which sits across a park from police headquarters - about 2.15am Sunday. They found five women dancing on stage naked. 

They also reportedly discovered a couple having sex in the lodge and several men standing around filming the action. 

WWMT-TV reports that authorities believe the Masonic Lodge, which is home of the secret society called Freemasons, has been used for such activities before and are working to shut the operation down. 

Police sources told WWMT that officers found a 'drug-fueled sex party' in the building and sent the revelers home.

The Battle Creek Freemasons refused to comment on camera for the TV station, but insisted that the orgy was not part of the secret society's rituals. They said the party was not sponsored by their group at all. 

Instead, they say, a party promoter paid $900 to rent the space for the night.
'Charlie' a Freemason spokesman, said the man renting the lodge told the Freemasons he would be hosting a dance party.  

The Freemasons said they checked on the party about 1am on Sunday and found nothing suspicious.

However, when officers arrived a little more than an hour later, they found debauchery, police sources told WWMT. 

City officials say they are considering fines and charges, both against the party promoters and the Freemasons who own the building.  

The report from WWMT does not specify whether drugs were found or seized. 

A summary of a police report printed in the Battle Creek Enquirer newspaper mentions only the naked women dancing on stage. Police said they told the women to dress and to leave the premises.