2016 Masonic Society Conference: "Freemasonry on the Frontier" 10/7-9

The 2016 conference of The Masonic Society will take place this year October 7-9, at Morgan Hill Masonic Lodge in Morgan Hill, California (just twenty minutes from the San Jose International Airport). The theme of the conference will be “FREEMASONRY ON THE FRONTIER,” the role of Masonry in the westward expansion of the US and Canada.

The conference will begin Friday evening with an informal dinner and end with lunch on Sunday. A tour of the Winchester Mystery House—possibly haunted and with Masonic connections—will be offered Sunday at 2.

More information is available at the Conference website HERE.

Scheduled Speakers:

Samuel Langhorn Clemens: Brother Samuel Clemens was made a Mason in 1861, at Polar Star Lodge 79, St. Louis, MO. His many literary works (often published under the pen name Mark Twain) include “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” (set less than 135 miles from the site of this conference) and Roughing It, an account of Clemens’s life and travel on the Western frontier. Clemens’s 'appearance' is made possible by WB Jefferson H. Jordan, Jr., immediate past grand master of Masons in New Mexico and an authority on Clemens’s life and work.

Mark A. Tabbert: "George Washington and the Masonic Frontiers of the 1700's"Worshipful Brother Mark Tabbert has served as curator of the Scottish Rite National Heritage Museum, and is currently director of collections at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, VA. He is past master of Mystic Valley Lodge, Arlington, MA, and the Lodge of Nine Muses 1776, Washington DC. He is a full member of Quatour Coronati Lodge 2076, London, and a member of the Society of Blue Friars.

John Bizzack, PhD: "The Expansion of Freemasonry into the West: The Pivotal Role of Kentucky, 1788-1810"Worshipful Brother John Bizzack is a twenty-five-year veteran of the Lexington (KY) Police Department and, more recently, Commissioner of the Department of Criminal Justice Training for the Kentucky Justice Cabinet.

John Cooper, PhD: "Freemasonry and Nation-Building on the Pacific Coast: The California Experience"MWB John Cooper is a past grand secretary of the Grand Lodge of California, having served for almost eighteen years when he retired in 2008. In 2013-2014 he served as grand master of Masons in California. He holds a PhD in education from Claremont Graduate School, and before becoming grand secretary, he held various teaching and administrative posts in the public schools of California.

Prices vary, from $100 for the complete weekend's program, to $50 for the speakers' sessions without meals.  PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE VIA THE EVENTBRITE WEBSITE, HERE.

A discounted hotel rate of $139.00 per night is available at the Courtyard by Marriott Morgan Hill, 18610 Madrone Pkwy, Morgan Hill, CA 95037. Telephone: 408-782-6034 and mention The Masonic Society to get the discounted rate. (NOTE: the hotel link on the current TMS website for the Conference appears to be incorrect at this time, so telephone the hotel. I will change this here if I get updated information.)

For questions, contact the Conference coordinator at conference2016@themasonicsociety.com