3/16: Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge Spring Symposium

Twice a year, the Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge meets in Elizabethtown, PA, usually presenting two outstanding speakers at each meeting. The Academy meetings are open to any Mason who wishes to attend. 

On Saturday, March 16th, the Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge will host its Spring 2019 Symposium in the Deike Auditorium of the Freemasons Cultural Center on the campus of the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, PA.

The speakers for this event are:

Very Worshipful Brother Allan Casalou, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of California. 

His topic presentation will be: Freemasonry Through Three Centuries: How do the first three centuries of Masonry inform the modern Mason on the current and future state of the fraternity?

Allan will explore how Freemasonry evolved from its beginning in the 17th century to our modern lodge structure in the 20thcentury. Masonic lodges had humble beginnings often meeting in vacant rooms above local taverns. Later, Masons built Masonic halls in the center of town and then, in some cases, they built huge cathedrals that became icons of architecture. How did this evolution of meeting places impact the culture and structure of the lodge? Was anything important lost along the way? Can we learn from this history?

Mr. John Goldsmith, Curator of the DeMoulin Museum.  John is the founder and volunteer curator of the DeMoulin Museum in Greenville, IL. Dedicated to the founders and employees of DeMoulin Bros. & Co. and the unique products created by their factory, the museum opened in March 2010 and has attracted over 8,000 visitors from around the world. DeMoulin began as a manufacturer of fraternal lodge regalia, paraphernalia, and initiation devices and today is the nation’s leading maker of marching band uniforms. It’s been highly rated by the travel website Roadside America and frequently shows up on lists of the nation’s most unusual museums. He is the author of the 2004 book Three Frenchmen & A Goat: The DeMoulin Bros. Story and has contributed to two other books about DeMoulin lodge initiations.

His presentation will be: Makers of Lodge Paraphernalia: The DeMoulin Bros. Story

In late 19th century America, fraternal involvement was an integral part of the fabric of society. It is only natural that an industry grew up around the fraternal movement, supplying organizations like the Freemasons, and their appendant bodies, with regalia, jewelry, and furniture. One of the most famous of these companies was the DeMoulin Brothers, located in Illinois. Today, the DeMoulin company still produces uniforms and products for marching bands. But, a century ago, it was on the best known regalia houses in the United States. In this presentation, John Goldsmith, Curator of the DeMoulin Museum, will recount the history of the DeMoulin Company, the products that made them famous, and how the company impacted Freemasonry in the United States.

A couple of years back, they began live-streaming these events so that Masons from around their state (and around the world) could participate. Additionally, those viewing the live stream may ask questions of the presenters via the live stream chat feature, the Academy Facebook group, and Reddit.

On the day of an Academy symposium, a live stream video will appear on the Grand Lodge YouTube channel, linked below.

Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania F.&A.M. YouTube Channel

Registration opens at 8:30AM. The event will begin at 9:30 AM EST and will run until about 3 PM EST (with plenty of breaks along the way.) A lunch (requested contribution of $10) will be served at noon and the program will be completed by 3:00 p.m. All Masons are welcome to attend. Dress is coat and tie.

PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE HERE.

(By the way, if you've never visited the Elizabethtown Masonic Village, be sure to take the time to do so. It is one of the most magnificent Masonic retirement communities you will find anywhere, and the facilities are outstanding.)