by Christopher Hodapp
I've gotten two items sent to me in the last week that both seem quite odd. The first one comes out of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia.
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| RW Adam N. Tager |
On November 13, 2020, Grand Master Michael D. Nicholas, Sr. suspended the current Junior Grand Deacon Adam N. Tager from the fraternity, for allegedly writing or publishing a mass communication "with intent to denigrate or harm the Masonic fraternity..." I haven't seen whatever it is that he is accused of writing, but what's odd was the timing of events. The suspension was issued and circulated via e-mail at approximately 4:04 PM last Friday, just two hours before electronic voting for grand lodge officers officially opened at 6:00. (Click the image above to enlarge.)
The GL of DC's annual communication this year is being held 'virtually' because of the COVID shutdowns. Consequently, online voting has remained open since last Friday, and officially closes on Saturday.
Curiously, the suspension announcement email was accompanied by a second letter from the Grand Secretary explaining that brethren are free to contact RW Brother Tager, "so long as there is no discussion regarding the secrets of Freemasonry."
(I said I have two stories. The other is coming out of South Dakota, and I'm still trying to piece that one together...)
More explanation is perhaps needed.
ReplyDeleteIt really stretches my imagination that a man would get that far up in the organization and THEN have an "intent to harm or denigrate" the Masonic fraternity
ReplyDeleteWithout further information, that phrase could mean anything. This blog has many examples of such allegations in many Grand Lodges and appendant bodies, some with merit and some without merit. The pertinent section of the letter leads to a nearly infinite amount of wild mass guessing, and anybody with an ax to grind can either assume that the suspended Brother is in the wrong or that someone else in the Grand Lodge is mistreating him.
ReplyDeleteIt almost seems ironic that there is concern over private information not being disclosed to the public, in a fraternity that is based entirely around private information and private ritual to be shared only by Brothers. At the same time, has anybody actually asked the Grand Lodge of DC for details? In New Mexico, there was a letter distributed that listed names of Brothers expelled by the Grand Lodge of New Mexico, citing an edict that was not distributed by the Grand Lodge. I have plural membership in two Lodges, and while both Lodges had comments and concerns within the Lodges, only one asked the Grand Secretary for a copy of that edict. I read the edict after that Lodge received a copy. It immediately made sense to me why those Brothers were expelled even without knowing any further information on the matter, as the edict had to do with legal non-Masonic matters that coincidentally related to my career field.
A little reminder for our Masonic leaders moving forward in 2021:
ReplyDelete"Knowledge comes from study; wisdom from experience and reflection. Knowledge may be the possession of the criminal, the wastrel, the "irreligious libertine," and the atheist. Wisdom comes only to the wise, and the wise are ever good." By Carl H. Claudy.