Habemus Papam! MW John A. Bridegroom Installed as Indiana Grand Master

by Christopher Hodapp

On Wednesday, my friend, MW John A. Bridegroom, was installed as the 175th Grand Master of the Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana. The annoying (and frequently blasphemous) practice of using Biblical quotes out of context goes back two millennia, but I'll engage in it this once.

"[T]he friend of the Bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly..." - John 3:29

If you've been a Freemason in the U.S. over the last fifteen years or so, it's entirely probable that you've met, or at least heard of, John Bridegroom. He's one of the most active, well-traveled, and widely known Masons in the country.  John's an extremely talented graphic artist and the proprietor of The Master's Craft. If you haven't encountered him in one of the many, many appendant bodies he's either led or been associated with, you might at least have seen a medal, pin, challenge coin, logo, magazine, event program or other such item that he has designed over the years. (Many years ago, he even took on the role as art director of the Journal of the Masonic Society after I got sick and was overwhelmed by doing everything myself.)

Naturally, he designed his own pin for this year:

With a couple of exceptions over the last quarter century, we've been pretty lucky in the Grand Lodge of Indiana to have been blessed with good leadership. Occasionally, it's been truly superlative. Our immediate Past Grand Master, Randy Seipel, said earlier this week that he'd visited 316 of the 346 lodges in our state over the last two years, and he held a live Facebook video update every single week during his term. He seemed to be literally everywhere this past year and set a standard that will be a tough act to follow.

GM Bridegroom's been organizing a big event for this summer: on Saturday, June 23rd, the Grand Lodge will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with with an open-air colonial festival at Compass Park on the campus of the Indiana Masonic Home in Franklin. This special Father's Day weekend event welcomes Masons, families, and friends for a day filled with history, heritage, and hands-on fun. In partnership with the Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution, guests will enjoy kid-friendly activities, period demonstrations, and lively interactions with famous colonial characters who bring America's founding era to life.

Come celebrate the historic past, while embracing family, fellowship, and looking forward. The celebration will also reveal the Grand Master's 2026 Project, marking an exciting milestone for our fraternity and our future. Come celebrate a defining moment in American history with food, fun, and festivities for all ages as we honor the past, enjoy the present, and build toward what's next!

Many thanks to PGM Seipel for all he's done for the fraternity over the year, and the very best wishes to GM Bridegroom on his new adventure. 

The Grand Lodge is dead! Long live Grand Lodge!

France: Membership of the Largest Masonic Jurisdictions

by Christopher Hodapp

For those interested, the always informative (and lively) French-language Masonic news site Hiram.be  (actually based in Belgium) has a recent article with current membership statistics from the eight largest Masonic obediences in France. (See the pie chart above.)

The original article is at: Les effectifs des obédiences françaises en 2026

I'll freely admit to a long interest in what goes on concerning Freemasonry in other countries, with a particularly soft spot in my brain for French Masonry. I've often quipped that if you lock three French Freemasons in a closet and wait for an hour, they'll bust out and angrily form at least six new grand lodges. Over the course of my 27 years in the fraternity, I've been variously told that France has at least a dozen – and likely more – very different grand lodges of any appreciable size at work, even though our US grand lodges only recognize one. They have grand lodges (or grand orients) requiring a belief in Deity, and some that welcome non-believers (often referred to as a doctrine of 'freedom of conscience'); some that are centuries old, and some younger than a decade; some for men only, women only, or both; some that were started merely because of an internal schism over personalities, over philosophical issues, or both. And there are combinations of all of these. Which is why you have to burst out in hysterical laughter whenever conspiracy mongers in France rail against 'The Freemasons™' there. There's no way to classify them in a monolithic sense, apart from, perhaps, wearing aprons in meetings.

The reason I bring it up is to show the layout of the French Masonic landscape and how it differs from what we mostly encounter in the U.S. The article concerns the eight biggest, and "most effective" grand governing bodies in that country.

Out of a total of 171,914 Masonic members nationwide, the breakdown is interesting:

• Grand Orient de France (GOdF): 54,448 (32%) [male/female; no faith required]
• Grand Loge Nationale de Française (GLNF): 33,889 (20%) [male; faith required]
• Grande Loge de France (GLDF): 30,446 (18%) [male; faith required]
• Federation Française du Droit Humain (DH): 14,500 (8%) [male/female; no faith required]
• Grande Loge de l'Alliance Masonnique Française (GL-AMF) (a recent breakaway from the GLNF): 14,495 (8%) [male; faith required]
• Grand Loge Feminine de France (GLFF): 13,027 (8%) [female/no faith required]
• Grande Loge Mixde de France (GLMF): 4,845 (3%) [male/female; no faith required]
• Traditionnelle et Symbolique Opéra Grand Loge (GLTSO): 4,600 (3%) [male/female; faith required]

In case you're keeping score, it works out that about 51% of French Masons are not required to have a belief in deity. That doesn't make all 86,000 of them atheists, it just means acknowledging a personal belief in a Supreme Being is not a requirement. Which seems curious concerning a fraternity that bases its rituals around the Old Testament story of constructing the most sacred temple on Earth which housed the revealed Word of God. But it takes all kinds to make a world. France is a very different country with a VERY different history than us mere upstarts over here. (When Chinese Premiere Zou Enlai was asked by Richard Nixon in 1972 what he thought of the French Revolution, he answered, "It's too soon to tell.")

Also, 15% of French Masons are females, which is a pretty sizable percentage for any country. By contrast, female Masonic lodges are as rare as unicorns in the U.S. That's not meant as a swipe to anyone, just a simple fact. Female and co-Masonic lodges have never gained traction in the U.S. at any point in history (likely due to the popularity of the Order of the Eastern Star between the end of the Civil War until the late 20th century).

GL of Florida Paying Lodges to Advertise

by Christopher Hodapp

Individual Grand Lodges, the Scottish Rite Northern Jurisdiction, Shriners International and other Masonic organizations have been spending money and research and efforts to craft advertising campaigns for use by lodges for many years now. But all the advertising in the world does no good if ads themselves are placed in the wrong places, getting in front of the wrong eyeballs (especially in these days of internet advertising and the lingering death of print media and broadcast TV). Even worse, advertising itself fails when there's no follow-through by the advertiser when a prospect shows up and pounds on the door.

Season 5 Episode 184 of the Old Fashion Masonic Podcast, hosted by WB Bryan Byrd, features an interview with Florida Past Master Tim French, who is part of the membership development team of the Grand Lodge of Florida. The Grand Lodge has committed a portion of their annual media and marketing budget to encouraging individual lodges to step up and make use of social media. They are reimbursing up to $600 a year to any Florida lodge that takes out advertising promoting membership on Facebook.

Here's the depressing part. They've been doing this for three years. Florida has over 300 lodges on its rolls. 

Only about 40 lodges have taken advantage of the program. 

That's about 12-14%. In three years.

Tim holds Zoom meetings with lodges to talk them through how to do this, how to place the ads effectively (because it's easy to pour cash down the bottomless well of Facebook ads and never get a result), and most important, to FOLLOW UP ON LEADS WHEN THEY CALL OR WRITE.

We've all been told time and again by interested men, "Gee, I e-mailed and telephoned the lodge to ask about joining, but no one ever got back to me." There's no excuse for this happening! As these brethren stress, treat your lodge and membership development like a business, and new leads like customers. Every single lodge needs two or three members to will commit to just responding to new member enquiries, however they come in. 

I won't rehash what Worshipful Brothers French and Byrd talk about - give the show a listen because there's much gold to be mined here. Click the video up top, or follow THIS LINK.

But I will stress something they bump up against near the end: membership and retention is the responsibility of every single man in your lodge, because you never know what comment, what behavior, what night 'the new guy' was ignored, will turn him off and make him walk away.

Years ago, I visited a lodge and walked into their installation a bit late. I came in quietly and sat down in a back seat trying not to disturb the proceedings. Instantly, two Brothers across the room hopped to their feet, came over and plopped down in the two seats on either side of me. One explained in a quiet voice, "Welcome, Brother. No one in this lodge ever sits alone."

That's mighty fine rule to follow in any lodge.

America 250 Celebration June 20 at Indiana's Compass Park

by Christopher Hodapp

Mark your calendars for this June 20th! The America250 celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is coming to Indiana!

Join the Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana for a memorable Founding Father's Day weekend celebration as we honor America's 250th anniversary with an open-air colonial festival like no other! Taking place Father's Day weekend on June 20th on the grounds of Compass Park at the Indiana Masonic Home in Franklin, Indiana, this special event welcomes Masons, families, and friends for a day filled with history, heritage, and hands-on fun. In partnership with the Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution, guests will enjoy kid-friendly activities, period demonstrations, and lively interactions with famous colonial characters who bring America's founding era to life.

Let's celebrate the historic past, while embracing family, fellowship, and looking forward. The celebration will also reveal the Grand Master 2026 Project, marking an exciting milestone for our fraternity and our future. Come celebrate a defining moment in American history with food, fun, and festivities for all ages as we honor the past, enjoy the present, and build toward what's next. There may even be a special commemorative gift for those who attend.

More details coming next week!

Dayton Masonic Center Cornerstone Ceremony and Open House This Sunday 5/17

by Christopher Hodapp

Ohio's incredible Dayton Masonic Center is celebrating its 100 year anniversary. To commemorate the event, the Grand Lodge of Ohio will be performing a Cornerstone Ceremony this coming Sunday May 17, 2026 at 2PM. 

This will be the 100th anniversary of the dedication of its cornerstone in 1926, two years before the Crash hit the nation. It was a feat our own members today couldn't manage if our lives depended on it (and I can make an argument that they DO depend on it... but that's another discussion). 

The ground was broken on July 20th, 1925, the cornerstone was laid on May 19th, 1926, and the building was opened on April 1st, 1928.

This is a free event open to the public. There's no requirement to register before the event, but doing so at the link below will allow them to plan and make preparations accordingly.

https://www.daytonmasoniccenter.org/events/centennial-cornerstone-celebration-open-house-with-culture-works

If you've never visited this magnificent place and you're anywhere near central Ohio this weekend, make the opportunity to be there, because Masons are losing these massive Temples – built during the heady days between WWI and the Great Depression – every year. The Dayton center is really the last of its kind in the state of Ohio that's still in Masonic hands. 

The Center is located at 525 W. Riverview Avenue across from the Dayton Art Institute, in the Grafton Hill neighborhood. Some details are as follows:

May 17, 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

2:00 - Reenactment of the Laying of the Cornerstone
2:30 - Welcome by MWB Johnson and Congressman Mike Turner
3:00 - Guests Welcomed into the building to explore the beautiful spaces
4:30 - Grand Finale - Schiewetz Auditorium 

Consider these sobering statistics: It was built by an association of 14 different Masonic lodges and related appendant organizations. Back in the day, Dayton Masons raised $1.5 million in just 7 seven days to finance the building's construction. It took nearly 3 years to complete, employing 450 workers and artisans (many of whom were Masons themselves) and would cost more than $40-million today. 

The Dayton Masonic Center has beautiful lodge rooms, York Rite rooms, and a lavish Scottish Rite 1,700-seat auditorium all under one roof, along with an impressive library, stunning lobbies and social rooms, a ballroom, and much more. Sitting on a commanding hillside overlooking the city and the Great Miami River, even the beautifully landscaped piece of property it sits on gives this temple a far more impressive presence than most urban Masonic buildings jammed into downtown areas have. 

It's truly worth going out of your way to see, and Sunday will be an ideal open house situation to wander the entire building and discover its many wonders for yourself. This Rooms will be open to explore with entertainment curated by Culture Works, a new event organizing partner for the Masonic Center. There will be food throughout the building, and beverages and libations will be served in various rooms. Various live performances will also take place throughout the building.

This event is just part of a $20 million campaign to continue upgrading and operating this stunning temple for the foreseeable future. Don't let it fall out of the hands of the fraternity! We lose these remaining buildings at our own peril, for we will never again even come close to competing with what came before us. As Masons flee places like this in favor of a tin shed in a soybean field, we vanish farther and farther from cultural the landscape of our communities. Yes, our forefathers should have set up foundations and long-range funding to be sure we could preserve them for future generations. But they didn't ask us to build better than they did – only to respect, repair and preserve what they already did for us. 

(H/T: Daniel Fry)

GenZ Masons in the London Standard

by Christopher Hodapp

(UPDATE 5/12/2026: The broken link to the London Standard article has been repaired. Sorry for the error.)

An article in yesterday's London Standard features a lineup of several young GenZ English Freemasons in an apparent demonstration that Masons are far from the sinister, altogether spooky, mysterious and ooky image the press has tried to cultivate around us for the last 40 years.

See: TikTok, temples and techno: Meet the new freemasons HERE

(Notice that the UK press just can't respect our fraternity enough to capitalize the word "Freemason" in their articles and headlines.)

The reporter seems stunned to discover they're really just regular blokes after all. It's at least an improvement over the usual stories they've been printing about Masons since — I dunno —  the Thatcher administration.

Congratulations to Oscar Alleyne and the GL of New York

by Christopher L. Hodapp

The 244th annual communication of the Grand Lodge of New York F&AM took place this past week and I want to congratulate all of their newly elected grand officers: Most Worshipful Robert L. Hogan Jr. - Grand Master; Right Worshipful John Haslam Sr. - Senior Grand Warden; Right Worshipful William Toth - Junior Grand Warden; Right Worshipful John Hansen - Grand Treasurer; and Right Worshipful Richard Schulz - Grand Secretary.

But I especially want to congratulate a Brother known to so many Masons all over the world: Right Worshipful E. Oscar Alleyne who has just been elected to serve as Deputy Grand Master for New York. I've known Oscar longer than I can possibly remember (we first met at a Scottish Rite event in New Jersey, as I recall, where he was part of a degree cast), and he is one of the most widely-traveled, widely-read, and widely-experienced Mason you will ever encounter. 

All the best, my friend and Brother. The Masons of New York are in excellent hands!

BTW, the jurisdiction of New York is so large that it's unreasonable to expect any grand officer to effectively visit a large number of their lodges in a single year, so they elect officers for two-year terms. These Brethren will serve from now until May 2028.

Arkansas GM Extends Olive Branch to the State's Shriners

Arkansas Grand Master Thomas Lampirez

 

byChristopher Hodapp

Ever since November 2012, the Grand Lodge of Arkansas F&AM has forbidden the Masons in its jurisdiction to be members of the Shrine. The Grand Master at that time, Robert L. Jackson, issued a letter that declared the Shrine "clandestine" in Arkansas, and all Masons in the state were immediately ordered to either quit their Shrine membership, or "self-expel" themselves from Masonry (i.e. Quit).

After fourteen years of separation, this year's Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Arkansas, MW Thomas Lampirez, has just issued an edict that restores Shriners International in that state to the status of an"affiliated organization." (Click the image below to enlarge.)

Edit No. 3 reads, in part:

"An affiliated organization, while still not fraternal, carries with it a significant increase in status and trust. An affiliated organization is more formally connected to the larger fraternal, governing body and signals that the shrine in Arkansas is no longer operating loosely on its own, but is more connected to the Masonic fraternity through its mission, values, and structure. While progress has been made, I also believe this shall be the last act of good faith given by the Grand Lodge of, Arkansas toward this shrine in Arkansas until ALL non-Mason Shriners's are Freemasons."

The situation came about in 2012 over an Arkansas Mason who held a dual membership in another state, along with belonging to an Arkansas Shrine. He was brought up on Masonic charges and expelled in Arkansas, but was not suspended by the Shrine at that time because his other state's Grand Lodge had not taken any action against him. The Shrine's position was that he was still legally a Freemason outside of Arkansas, and therefore was still entitled to remain a Shriner. MW PGM Jackson disagreed, ordered the Shrine to expel him, they refused, and so he issued his edict.

(If you don't understand about relationships between Masonic groups and why membership status affects them across the board, see the explanation below about why this is an issue in the first place.)

The result was an enormous drop in Masonic membership in Arkansas that far exceeded the comparative membership losses that any other Masonic jurisdiction has suffered in the U.S. The sheer number of expulsions in Arkansas between about 2013 and 2019 was staggering.

Jackson's order might have meant the end of the only two Shrines in Arkansas (Scimitar Shriners and Sahara Shriners). Because of the untenable situation in which they found themselves, Shriners International changed its bylaws and carved out a loophole only for Arkansas that permitted non-Masons to become Shriners there. That by-law change has been in place since 2013. 

Meanwhile, PGM Robert Jackson went on to become the Grand Secretary of Arkansas in 2016. Numerous Arkansas Masons reported that his office allegedly stopped issuing letters of good standing to fleeing Arkansas Masons who attempted to transfer their membership to jurisdictions in other states like Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and elsewhere in protest. The Grand Lodges of Oklahoma and Kansas both withdrew amity with Arkansas, partially over these issues.

Jackson was suspended in 2017 by then-GM Carl E. Nelson, along with Grand Treasurer, PGM Ronnie Hedge.

But a new wrinkle developed in 2019. The outgoing 2018-19 Grand Master Bradley Phillips issued a Grand Master's Recommendation at the 2019 Arkansas annual meeting that proposed a way to end to the needless impasse with the Shrine. It reclassified the Shrine in Arkansas from a clandestine organization to a civic one for the next three years; permitted non-Mason Arkansas Shriners to petition lodges and self-expelled Arkansas Masons to petition for reinstatement, along with all other Masons in the state who had previously been expelled by former Grand Masters or trial commissions over their Shrine memberships or activities. At the end of three years, if all members of Arkansas Shrines had become Masons in that state (or in another jurisdiction recognized by Arkansas) once again, the Shrine would be classified as a fully recognized fraternal organization under Arkansas Masonic code. All remaining Shriners in Arkansas who had NOT become Masons by the end of the three year period were to be suspended by the Shrine, and the non-Mason loophole created by this whole imbroglio by the Shrine would be ended. 

In response, Shriners International passed a resolution during its 2019 Imperial Session, again requiring that all new initiates for Shrine membership in Arkansas must be Master Masons in good standing.

But apparently, the problem of existing non-Masonic Arkansas Shriners was never sufficiently solved, and the Shrine remained classified as a civic organization with no connection to Freemasonry at all.

Fast-forward to today. Private informal meetings have been held in recent months between leaders to attempt to find a solution that would finally bring the Shrine back into Arkansas' Masonic fold while addressing the problem of these new non-Masonic Shriners. Lampirez' last sentence makes it clear, however, that this is as far as the Grand Lodge will extend the olive branch until the Shriners can figure out how to make all of the non-Masons who joined the Shrine over the last fourteen years join a Masonic Lodge. Hopefully, they haven't built a box they can't escape from, and I suspect Tampa will get involved now that this edict has been issued.

For readers who do not understand the connection between the two groups, it needs to be explained that all those guys wearing red fezzes in Shriners Hospitals ads, or marching and puttering around in little race cars in parades are all members of a local Shriners organization AS WELL AS a Freemason’s lodge. Everywhere else in the world outside of Arkansas,  Shriners International requires men to first join a local Masonic lodge and undergo the three initiation degree ceremonies before they are allowed to then petition the Shriners for membership. Further, almost all regular, recognized grand lodges have rules that say if a man is dropped from Masonic membership for any reason - voluntarily or otherwise - he must also resign from all Masonically related, appendant or concordant organizations. If he doesn’t, that group’s administration is supposed to suspend or expel him to comply with Masonic regulations (informally referred to as the "suspended in one, suspended in all" doctrine).

Unlike state-wide grand lodges we have throughout the US, Canada and Mexico, the Shriners don't have state administrations. Local Shrine clubs and Shrine centers must answer to their national leadership in Tampa, Florida, which is also responsible for the 22 children's hospitals located in North America.

Wisconsin Couple Charged in Massive Theft of Lodge Funds

by Christopher Hodapp

A shocking case of (alleged) betrayal has rocked the Masonic community in the Milwaukee area. Tyler Kristopeit, 39, former treasurer and officer of the George Washington 1776 Masonic Lodge in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin and his wife Katie, 37, both of Muskego, were charged last week in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with conspiracy to commit theft in a business setting exceeding $100,000 and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court filings and news reports, the couple is accused of siphoning somewhere between $400,000 and $600,000 from the lodge over several years, with funds allegedly diverted for luxury cars, personal expenses, debts, and other items.

As I understand it, the thefts reportedly escalated around the time the lodge sold its building. Proceeds from the sale, along with additional escrow funds intended for a new lodge hall, were wired to accounts controlled by the lodge where Tyler served as treasurer. When lodge officers requested financial records after removing him from his positions, incomplete documentation was provided, raising immediate red flags about missing investments and hundreds of thousands of dollars unaccounted for. The money was laundered through accounts linked to Katie, ultimately funding two Mercedes autos and other luxury items for the couple.

This is a stark reminder of the importance of financial oversight and transparency in any fraternal organization, including Masonic lodges. Trusted positions like treasurer carry significant responsibility, and when that trust is allegedly abused, it not only harms the lodge but can erode confidence across the broader Masonic world. Lodges everywhere rely on member volunteers acting with integrity – cases like this highlight how a single breach can impact decades of goodwill and philanthropy.

The couple has been released on $10,000 signature bonds and ordered to avoid contact with the lodge (Phew! THERE'S a big deterrent, Yer Honer!) As the criminal case proceeds, the Masonic fraternity in Wisconsin and beyond will be watching closely. For Freemasons committed to the principles of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, this story underscores that true brotherhood demands not just honor, but vigilance, accountability, and a renewed commitment to protecting the shared resources that support our shared values.

Outdoor Degrees at the Grand Canyon August 14-15, 2026

by Christopher Hodapp

Brethren, if you are anywhere near Arizona in mid-August, don't miss this amazing event! On August 14th and 15th, the Grand Lodges of Arizona, Nevada and Utah will jointly confer all three Blue Lodge degrees under the canopy of heaven at the breathtaking Grand Canyon!

From the registration site for Camp Cornerstone 2026:

Camp Cornerstone 2026 will be held at the Shrine of the Ages, a distinctive interfaith chapel and gathering space located on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Built in 1965, this unique venue has served as a place of reflection and ceremony for visitors from around the world seeking to connect with something greater amid one of nature’s most awe-inspiring landscapes.The Shrine of the Ages offers us a rare combination: a dignified indoor ceremonial space paired with immediate access to the grandeur of the canyon itself. Its architecture was purposefully designed to welcome people of all faiths and fraternal traditions, making it an ideal setting for this historic Tri-State event.

With the vast expanse of the Grand Canyon as our backdrop and the Shrine as our lodge room, we’ll experience Freemasonry as our pioneer brethren might have — surrounded by the natural world, under Western skies, at one of the Seven Natural Wonders. a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fellowship, tradition, and unforgettable memories.

Camp Cornerstone offers multiple accommodation options to fit your preference and budget, from rustic camping under the stars to comfortable South Rim lodging.

For brothers seeking the full outdoor experience, we’ve arranged camping at Tusayan-Montane Campground, located in Kaibab National Forest just south of Grand Canyon National Park. This Forest Service campground puts you close to the action while offering a true Western camping experience beneath ponderosa pines.

Schedule and Activities

Ladies Program

A special program is being planned for companions joining us at the Grand Canyon. See Ladies Program page for details

Weekend Schedule

Camp Cornerstone runs Friday through Sunday, featuring degree work at Shrine of the Ages, the Powell Point re-dedication ceremony, a Saturday night Festive Board, and a Friday evening steak dinner. View full schedule and itinerary

Friday night’s steak dinner, Saturday night’s Festive Board, breakfasts and more are detailed here: See meal details and menus

For pricing and registration visit the Camp Cornerstone 2026 website at CampCornerstone.us

Another Courtroom Delay in Texas Mason's Slaying

Photo: KRGV-TV5

by Christopher Hodapp

Julio Diaz (allegedly) shot and killed Freemason Robert Wise outside a Masonic lodge in McAllen, Texas almost three years ago. But the murder case against him has been delayed multiple times, most recently on Monday.

McAllen is a small town right on the Mexican border in the southernmost tip of Texas, just west of South Padre Island.

On the night of July 10, 2023, Brother Wise was leaving an officers’ installation ceremony at McAllen Lodge 1110 (he had just been installed as Junior Deacon) when Diaz reportedly drove into the lodge parking lot, approached him, and opened fire at close range. Witnesses inside the lodge heard gunshots and rushed outside to find Wise gravely wounded; he later died at a hospital. Authorities quickly identified Diaz as a suspect, aided in part by the video he allegedly filmed and posted online, bragging to an acquaintance about it in a text message. 

After his arrest, sources familiar with the investigation said that Diaz believed Masons are "devil worshiping Illuminatists." A Facebook commenter said Diaz had previously posted anti-Masonic comments on social media, claiming the lodge "had put a curse on him."

The lodge was previously vandalized in March of 2022, when an unknown person tagged the location with graffiti reading, “Sorcery against the Holy spirit and the human race must all be stoned to death.” It's not known if Diaz was responsible for that incident, but he also faces a separate arson charge from an incident in September 2022, when he had attempted to set the McAllen Masonic hall on fire. Interior surveillance footage recorded him at that time breaking in by smashing the glass front door, pouring gasoline on the floor, and lighting a piece of cardboard on fire. Diaz admitted setting that fire to investigators after his arrest in connection with Wise’s death. Investigators obtained and examined Diaz’s camera and found evidence that also linked him to a separate February 2023 fire at Llano Grande Masonic Lodge, located about 20 miles west of McAllen in Weslaco, Texas.

The shocking nature of the crime has made the case particularly unsettling within the fraternity. Despite the seriousness of the charges, the case has been repeatedly delayed, prompting visible frustration from the court. During a hearing Monday, presiding judge J.B. "Bobby" Flores sharply questioned why a case now more than two years old has yet to go to trial, demanding, “When do we try this thing?” The latest postponement came after the defense requested more time to review a large volume of newly disclosed evidence and to pursue medical and psychological evaluations, including questions about Diaz’s competency and a reported brain condition. Diaz has also faced scrutiny over prior incidents, including alleged arson attempts involving Masonic properties, which prosecutors may use to establish motive or pattern of behavior. Ongoing disputes over evidence and mental fitness have created a procedural logjam, leaving the court, the victim’s family, the lodge brethren, and other observers still waiting for the case to finally be resolved.

Lodge Facebook page

Robert Wise leaves behind his wife, five children, and eleven grandchildren, along with brothers, sisters, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. 

In a separate civil case, Wise's family filed a lawsuit against the lodge itself for failing to take security precautions that might have protected him, or at least discouraged Diaz. The lodge had purchased outdoor lighting and surveillance equipment months before the shooting occurred but failed to install them. Further, the suit pointed out the rise in recent years of attacks against lodges and individual Masons should have made the local lodge more vigilant and protective of its members' safety. The suit was settled out of court.

The judge in Diaz's case has scheduled his next hearing in August to give the defense more time to examine evidence and medical reports. Maybe then Brother Wise and his family will finally be able to receive the closure that's been so long postponed.

California Opens Starfleet Lodge U.D.

by Christopher Hodapp

The Grand Lodge of California has officially established Freemasonry’s first Star Trek-themed affinity lodge. Starfleet Lodge U.D. was consecrated on Sunday in the Pleasanton Masonic Hall. Grand Master Garrett S. Chan was on hand for the occasion. (Photos from Jonathan Hirshon’s Facebook page) 

Their location makes sense as Pleasanton is neighboring city of San Francisco, where, according to the canon of the Star Trek universe, is the location of Starfleet headquarters and the Earth location of the United Federation of Planets. Or will be in the 23rd century. No word yet on whether they can be numbered 1701 once they satisfy the requirements of being under dispensation.

WB Adam Hanin is the lodge’s founding Worshipful Master, WB Nicholas Hayworth, Senior Warden, WB Dinesh Chhabra, Junior Warden, and WB Gary Sparks, Senior Deacon. Yes, the Tyler is armed with a very sharp Bat'leth to repel boarders.

Dilithium crystal-powered gavel

Festive Board on Deck 5

As they say in Scotland, "The lodge is closed, and the bar is open!"
But where is the Saurian brandy?

Food replicator needs reprogramming: no green beans in sight.
And that spaghetti on a paper plate is "best served cold."

In recent years California has been encouraging the establishment of affinity lodges, made up of members with a special interest in common. As many as twenty years ago, my friend WB Jeffrey Naylor strongly advocated for affinity lodges based on shared outside interests of groups of Masons. He encouraged embracing ideas like a “Lionel Lodge” for train enthusiasts, arguing that common passions could attract quality men to Freemasonry without conflicting with its principles. 

Many jurisdictions have hundreds of lodges, creating opportunities for unique, non-cookie-cutter experiences rather than identical ones. In England, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) has long supported this approach with numerous affinity lodges for hobbies and occupations—such as fishermen, gamers, F1 racing fans, actors, musicians, and rugby players—alongside their Universities Scheme to attract students and faculty. A new science fiction and fantasy-themed lodge in the UK recently drew over 130 attendees at its consecration. One member noted that these lodges simply combine two passions, strengthening both the lodge and the fraternity, while maintaining standard ritual and meetings.

Sadly, affinity lodges have still not became widespread in the United States, which is a missed opportunity. My own jurisdiction of Indiana has seen a few special-purpose lodges over the years, including ones for handicapped candidates (Bartimaeus Lodge), a blood drive (Transylvania Lodge), historic preservation (Schofield Lodge No. 1818), and medical professionals (St. Lukes Lodge No. 761), plus historic foreign-language lodges in German back in the 19th century. There is, however, increasing interest in contemplative, philosophical, and esoteric-minded lodges. With so many possibilities within our basic framework, there is ample room to experiment while honoring Masonic landmarks and thinking creatively to attract (and retain) new members and revitalize the fraternity.

Fire at Indiana Masonic Home’s Compass Park: Construction Destroyed, But Residents Safe

Photo: City of Franklin Fire Dept.

by Christopher Hodapp

On the morning of Friday, April 10, 2026, just after 5:00 a.m., a large fire broke out at the Indiana Masonic Home at Compass Park in Franklin, Indiana. The blaze rapidly engulfed Young’s Creek II, a 39-unit apartment building under construction as part of the campus expansion. The building was unoccupied at the time and just 100 days from opening.

It's been declared a total loss, with damages estimated to exceed $20 million.

Credit: WTHR-13 Video

In an interview with WTHR-TV13, Franklin Fire Chief Joshua Snyder described it as “the largest fire I’ve seen in my 20-year career in Franklin,” and possibly the biggest in the city in decades. Approximately 60 firefighters from 11 departments across Johnson County (including Franklin, Bargersville, Edinburgh, Greenwood, and Whiteland) responded. It took about two and a half hours to bring the fire under control, with crews coming back over the weekend to battle continuing hot spots. The state fire marshal is assisting with the investigation, which could take two to three months.

Cause has not yet been determined but is not considered suspicious at this time.

Thankfully, there were no injuries to residents, staff, or emergency personnel. While the fire primarily destroyed the new construction, smoke and water damage affected the occupied building, prompting a precautionary evacuation of about 55 residents. But thankfully, the firewall separating the two buildings did its job and stopped the spread - things could have been much, much worse. Mike Spencer, CEO of Compass Park, noted that staff safely evacuated residents from the adjoining Young’s Creek Phase I building in just 17 minutes—thanks to monthly fire drills and emergency training. Three staff members were checked for smoke inhalation and released. 

Kudos to Mike and his staff, who executed a calm, quick and efficient evacuation. 

In the official statement from Compass Park, the Masonic Home expressed deep gratitude for the swift multi-agency response and the overwhelming support from the Franklin community and Brothers across the jurisdiction:

“We have received an outpouring of support from the Franklin community and Brothers from around the jurisdiction. We couldn’t be more grateful for everyone’s willingness to be helpful.”

Most of the destroyed apartments in Young's Creek II had been pre-sold. With move-in day a little more than 3 months away, more than a few of those folks anticipated the move by selling their existing homes already, or scheduling their closings. Now, 39 families have to make new arrangements pretty quickly.

The destroyed building was adjacent to occupied housing, so the immediate focus has been on caring for the displaced residents. Many are staying with family, while others are being put up in nearby hotels. Compass Park is providing transportation for meals, activities, and services. The statement emphasizes that in moments like this, the greatest challenges are often personal rather than structural. 

The statement continued:

“Our immediate priority must be to care for these Brothers, Sisters, and residents and ensure their basic needs are met… Support given now plays a vital role in restoring stability and peace of mind for residents during a period of sudden turbulence.”

Donations are being requested to help cover temporary housing, food, water, transportation, and other essential needs as circumstances evolve. This weekend coincided with the Annual Assembly of the Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of Indiana. During that event, more than $5600 was quickly collected for the relief of the displaced residents of Compass Park.

Updates on the investigation and rebuilding efforts will be shared as they become available.

How You Can Help 

Brethren are encouraged to keep the Compass Park community in their thoughts and prayers as they work through this challenge together. If you’d like to support the residents of Compass Park, donations for temporary housing, meals, and essentials can be directed through the official channels of the Indiana Masonic Home. 

The Indiana Masonic Home Foundation has coordinated with leadership at Compass Park and have agreed that during this challenging period donations for fire-related recovery should be sent directly to:

Compass Park
c/o Mike Spencer
690 State Street
Franklin, IN 46131

This ensures funds go immediately where they are needed most during this time.

They have also set up an official direct donations page via Square. CLICK HERE to donate online.

Speaking in Indiana and Wyoming This Week

by Christopher Hodapp

I will be speaking Wednesday night at Jubilee Lodge 746 in Whiteland, Indiana at the request of WB Michael Steele, Worshipful Master. Dinner begins at 6:00PM, prepared by the indefatigable Heather Steele, and the meeting will open at 7:00. Michael and Heather have been of immeasurable help to the Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana this year and I can't thank them enough for all they've done (even if Michael DID use the silliest photo of me he could find - it was a 4th of July fireworks show and I was NOT trying to look like Rex Hutchens).

Jubilee Lodge was so named because it was the first lodge chartered in 1968, the Jubilee Year of the Grand Lodge of Indiana which was celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding in 1818. 

This weekend I'll be flying to the far-flung land of the Cowboy State to speak at the Grand Master's Spring 2026 Reunion of the Grand Lodge of Wyoming in Riverton. Grand Master Greg Shiek and his education committee have assembled a great lineup of presentations. 

The event will be Saturday, April 11th at Riverton Lodge 26. Registration opens at 7:00AM, and Grand Lodge opens at 9:00AM.

• Christopher L. Hodapp, author of Freemasons for Dummies

• "Global Influence of Masonry," Nathan Clark, SGS, Casper Lodge #15 

• "Part 1: Why the Nazis Targeted the Craft," Josh Thompson, Casper Lodge #15 

• "The Morgan Affair," John Voodward, Riverton Lodg 26 and Sheridan Lodge #8 

• "Part 2: Lessons from the Masonic Response & What is Facism?" Josh Thompson,  Casper Lodge #15 

• "The Mysterious #3 for Masons,' Clifford Spoonemore, PM, Secretary, Acacia Lodge #11, Southeast Sextant Lecturer 

• "Security in the Lodge," Juel Leuis, WM Rock Springs Lodge #12 

• "Deciphering Tubal Cain," Christopher Neubauer, WM, Casper Lodge #15, East Sextant Lecturer

In case you're interested, I don't know if tickets are still available this late. Contact the Grand Lodge of Wyoming office directly, as there is no online registration available.