Rubicon Masonic Society's Ongoing Virtual Education Programs

by Christopher Hodapp

I've been woefully remiss in failing to promote the ongoing Masonic education video presentations posted by the fine brethren at Kentucky's Rubicon Masonic Society, in conjunction with Lexington Lodge 1 and the William O. Ware Lodge of Research. The May 22nd, 2023 program is "Operative Freemasonry: A Manual for Restoring Light and Vitality to the Fraternity" presented by Kirk White, the current Grand Junior Warden of the Grand Lodge of Vermont. To RSVP and gain access to this episode, CLICK HERE.

Rubicon hosts their virtual Masonic education programs on the 4th Monday of each month, starting promptly at 7 pm Eastern. Education is open to Masons of all degrees as well as non-Masons. Their monthly online presentations started during the COVID shutdowns and have continued ever since. They're up to 47 episodes so far, and are still going strong. 

If you've never heard of it before, the Rubicon Masonic Society is an invitation-only private group of Master Mason Freemasons located in Lexington, Kentucky. Their purpose is to establish a deeper understanding and connection with Freemasonry, its traditions and practices, and to further cement the brotherhood of its members and guests through conviviality and unity outside of the lodge. Their annual Festive Boards, held at Lexington's magnificent Spindletop Hall, have become legendary (this year's will be August 18th, as part of a special conference about the 'Classic Masonic Authors of the 20th Century' – CLICK HERE for details), and I heartily recommend attending one, or at least catching the video they shot demonstrating their special ways of running these events (see The Masonic Table on Amazon Prime).

Masks on! Masks off! Masks on! Masks off!

by Christopher Hodapp

Regardless of what your personal opinion may be concerning news about the resurgence of COVID infections and the controversies swirling around masks, lockdowns and vaccines, one thing is certain: if you're a Grand Master, anything you say or do (or choose to NOT do) concerning these topics will result in hellfire and brimstone raining down on your head from your membership. 

No matter what you say or do, there will be a great gnashing of teeth. (And fortunately, thanks to federal COVID funding, if you find yourself toothless, teeth will be provided.)

To wit:

Last Wednesday, August 11th, the Grand Master of Arkansas, MW William R. Frizzell, issued an official edict (Edict #3) requiring the Masons in his jurisdiction to return to wearing masks and distancing at lodge meetings, and recommending they get vaccinated against the virus. Irksome? Certainly. But probably prudent if you're the guy responsible for an organization with thousands of members, of which a substantial number are senior citizens who are more at risk than the rest of the population:

The edict was circulated electronically so it could be immediately disseminated to all members. And it's pretty obvious that the members' responses were immediate, too. One can only imagine the statewide caterwaul over the return to masking that poured into the Grand Master's email inbox, and the nonstop ringing of the office phones in Little Rock.

So, on Thursday morning, Grand Master Frizzell issued Edict #4, which was a clarification of Edict #3, explaining the difference between his requirements for in-person lodge meetings, his requests, and his recommendations:

To quote the Bard, "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown," or the lap that's covered by the purple apron, in this case. It's clear that the protests of the membership became a deluge. 

GM Frizzell's Edict #5 was issued that very same afternoon, rescinding #3 and #4, signing off with just two words, "Good luck!" 

I was reminded of a famous incident at Bastogne, Belgium in December 1944 when the Germans sent an ultimatum to the commander of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, demanding the immediate surrender of his woefully outnumbered forces. His reply to the German commander was simple and to the point: 

"Nuts."

GL New York's Jurisprudence Committee Weighs In

by Christopher Hodapp

The Grand Lodge of New York's Jurisprudence Committee has weighed in on the permissibility of Grand Master William Sardone's rescheduling of their annual meeting for 2021 due to statewide pandemic restrictions on large group meetings. 

Click the image above to enlarge.

Because the state of New York is permitting only small groups to assemble at this time, GM Sardone's announcement over the weekend detailed a plan to open their Annual Communication on May 3rd and officially receive all committee reports without action. The GM will then call the meeting from labor to refreshment until the state permits larger group meetings, hopefully later in the year. Whenever that occurs, the meeting will then be called up from refreshment back to labor for votes to approve reports and elect officers. Jurisprudence approves of his decision.

This is not dissimilar to the way many jurisdictions permit lodges to open a Lodge of Sorrow at the beginning of each year for the purpose of conducting funeral services for fallen Masons. A Lodge of Sorrow is opened and called to refreshment, and remains in that suspended circumstance for the entire year, instead of requiring a lodge to meet, open, go to a funeral home, conduct a service, go back to the lodge, and close. Then the minutes of that Lodge of Sorrow at the end of the year list all of the deceased brethren who passed away while it remained open.

Their committee did address the constitutionality of electronic Zoom-style technology being used for a tyled grand lodge session:

"There is much interest in implementing teleconferencing technology for our Annual Communication. The Jurisprudence Committee supports the adoption of such technology recognizing that this kind of application is a particularly useful tool. However, there is no provision in the current Constitutions permitting its use in a Tiled Grand Lodge Annual Communication. The Grand Master has charged Right Worshipful Richard J. Kessler, Deputy grand Master, to come up with proposed changes to amend the Constitutions permitting its use in emergency situations."

For lots of Masons, this is all sort of like watching sausage being made. But it comes on the heels of the situation in South Carolina over virtual meetings, as well as being an example for other grand lodges as 2021 unfolds with continuing pandemic restrictions imposed by state and local governments.

 

Virtual Meetings: Open Letter To New York GM Circulated

by Christopher Hodapp

Grand lodges all across the country – and around the world – have struggled over the last 10 months with the problem of how to hold their constitutionally-required annual meetings and grand officer elections. Because of the COVID pandemic shutdowns and the fears of spreading the virus throughout Masonry's population of older at-risk members, the tradition of normally advancing officers at annual meetings has been short circuited. Some jurisdictions have held online Zoom annual meetings (and even elections), some have reduced their in-person annual meeting to a simple quorum to transact their basic business and elections. But the majority have agreed to keep their grand officers in their places for an additional year in the hope that 2021 will be back to normal.

These are not easy decisions. Men who dedicate between five and ten years to slowly advance through their state's grand lodge officers' line set aside an enormous part of their personal lives and finances as they approach the Grand East. In a very large jurisdiction with hundreds of lodges, grand masters can spend the bulk of their year on the road visiting lodges, rededicating temples, presiding over numerous committee, foundation and trustee meetings, speaking at appendant body gatherings, along with out of state travel to national appendent body meetings, the Conference of Grand Masters, plus neighboring grand lodge meetings and events representing your state. It's common for a grand master to be on the road six and seven days a week. And very few jurisdictions pay their grand master any sort of stipend for giving up their family and business life for a year. Not every grand master is a retiree, and planning for that kind of deep commitment to the fraternity for a man who continues to work for a living is something few of us could be reasonably expected to do.

When 2020 – and now 2021 – ground our fraternity to a halt, it also yanked the foundation stones out from under the men in grand lodge lines who all had plans and hopes and goals to achieve in their year as grand master. Worse, it also threw a spanner in the works for the next men in line who were making their own future financial, domestic or retirement plans based on the serving their year in the Grand East. 

In my own jurisdiction, our sitting Grand Master was elected in May 2019 and slated to be succeeded by his Deputy Grand Master last May. When our annual communication was delayed and rescheduled twice, it was clear there could be no meeting or election for 2020. I was actually present when our GL officers calmly talked about the best way to address this once in a lifetime situation. The decision was arrived at by mutual agreement that our current GM would remain for another year until May 2021, and all officers and committees would stay in place until then. But it seems that other jurisdictions have not been as harmonious in coming to their own decisions about officer advancement.

New York Grand Master William Sardone

The Grand Lodge of New York has apparently had some internal struggles and disagreements about how to deal with this problem. New York is one of the largest jurisdictions in the country, and their grand masters are normally elected for two year terms. Last May's annual meeting was cancelled due to COVID. But a few weeks ago, Grand Master William M. Sardone announced that the May 2021 meeting (and its elections) would also be cancelled, and all officers would stay in place. Despite the fact that committees had been working on plans for a virtual, online annual meeting, GM Sardone apparently scuttled that idea.

New York Grand Treasurer Steven Adam Rubin

In response, the following open letter was briefly posted a week ago on the Grand Lodge Facebook page, written by their Grand Treasurer, Steven Adam Rubin. 

An Open Letter to our Grand Master
January 29, 2021

Dear Grand Master:

I know I speak for all of our brothers, that we are glad that you continue to recover from Covid and we pray for your continued good health. Yet, I listened with concern to your Thursday Night Zoom Meeting in which you announced that the Grand Lodge Session would not be held this May 2021 as is required by our Constitutions, foreshadowing the likelihood that we will not hold Grand Lodge for an extraordinary, two years. During the twelve years I served as one of our Grand Lodge’s two legal advisers, Proctor and Judge Advocate, I provided six (6) Grand Masters quiet counsel. Your pronouncement Thursday evening, without first seeking the input of any of your elected Officers, and seemingly disregarding the advice of your own Judge Advocate who has approved the Constitutionality of a Virtual Grand Lodge Session, has caused me to send you this Open Letter. I do so with respect for your Office and love for our Craft.

Grand Master, our Constitutions must be obeyed. Period. End of Discussion. It is a legal document that establishes guidelines that must be honored with the strictest of obedience. It is a mandate, not a suggestion. That is your duty as Grand Master. That is our duty as Master Masons. Indeed, that was your oath and obligation you swore to uphold when you placed your hands on the George Washington Bible and took your Oath of Office. The path you have started down is a dangerous one, for no one, not even a Grand Master is above the law.

Last year you unilaterally chose to “adjourn” Grand Lodge, arguing that you would employ a technique used in 1945 by a then Grand Master who was unable to hold a Grand Lodge Session because of war-time restrictions. Even though it was clear that you sought little, if any, exploration of technical options to conduct a remote, or Virtual Grand Lodge Session in May 2020, we never questioned your decision. Even when you chose not to “adjourn” Grand Lodge as you said you would, but ultimately canceled the 2020 Session, no one argued. For we recognized that these have been extraordinary times, and your brothers were not going to fault you for failing to ensure that a proper plan was implemented during the early days of the pandemic.

Yet, it was at that time, nearly one year ago that I, and others, urged you to marshal our forces, our Grand Lodge Committees and any brother with the requisite skill set who could provide clear guidance regarding the options and alternatives available to ensure that our Constitutional mandate--to hold a Grand Lodge Session-- would be met. What was done during these many months? What committees were charged with this mission? What were their findings? What were their conclusions? I certainly don’t know, and from what I have gathered, not many do. Instead, you have thrown around figures and conclusions and anecdotal evidence unsupported by documentary evidence, and ask us to disregard our Constitutions based upon hollow arguments.

Moreover, to give the impression to the Brethren that you are in constant communication with the Deputy Grand Master, for this and all matters, I seriously question, as a rumor has circulated that our Deputy Grand Master was not even informed that you were admitted to the hospital for four (4) days with Covid and pneumonia and that he only found out via the general email that was sent to all members following your release from the hospital. I don’t know if this is accurate, but if it is, it is certainly not the manner our brethren expect that our Grand Lodge operates when our Grand Master is hospitalized with such a serious condition.

Sadly, it would not surprise me if true, as you chose to keep the elected Grand Line out of your decision making process concerning the 2021 Grand Lodge Session. Indeed, when rumors began to circulate that you had disbanded the Deputy Grand Master’s IT team working on implementing plans for our May 2021 Grand Lodge Session, I thereafter sent you an email on November 10, 2020, copying our elected Grand Line Officers. In the email I urged you to include your elected Grand Line in the decision making process, so that we could assist you in this most important undertaking. Yet, you chose to ignore my email, not even offering the courtesy of a reply. So when you now ask that brothers only email you, I am sure you can understand my bemusement, and the smile that crossed my face, for that certainly did not work with my entreaty. Moreover, your suggestion that our brothers shouldn’t use social media to communicate with each other and express their views concerning your momentous decision, is most curious, as the request is coming from a Grand Master who disseminates nearly all of his messages to the Brethren via Facetime movies. Indeed, attempting to limit brothers’ First Amendment Rights and inhibit open and honest dialogue is the formula for tyranny. I am not suggesting that is what you seek, but actions do have consequences.

But I digress, for it was over two months later, following my November email--two days ago-- when you called a virtual meeting of the elected Grand Line, the day before you made your January 28, 2021 virtual announcement to the Craft. It was not input, advice, discussion or counsel you sought from the elected Grand Line Officers, but acquiescence. Grand Master, I have had conversations with your own Judge Advocate who has indicated that there is no Constitutional impediment or prohibition to a Virtual Grand Lodge Session. As the immediate Past Judge Advocate, I agree. If you are asking for Legal Authority, there you go. While you have failed to provide the names of the Past Grand Masters who you purport support your plan, in many respects it is irrelevant. For I love and respect all of our Past Grand Masters, but to suggest that they, and they alone, have the authority to determine the Constitutionality of your conduct, or permit you to follow some outdated and outmoded scheme employed some seventy-six (76) years ago, is simply not accurate--Factually, Legally and Masonically. As such, by not holding a Grand Lodge Session, either Virtually, In-Person or a combination of the two, you are violating our Constitutions. It is that simple.

Moreover, claiming that you are doing so to protect the vote of all of our members sounds rather hollow when I never once heard anyone's concern for the numerous Lodges that are disenfranchised each year because they can’t afford the travel costs to New York City. You suggested in your Zoom meeting that another reason not to have a Virtual Grand Lodge Session is because not everyone has a computer. Should any brother with a right to attend our Virtual Grand Lodge Session indicate that they do not have a computer to login, I am certain suitable accommodations would be made. The cynical suggestion that brothers would not assist their brothers, is simply not the Masonry I know and love.

To further suggest that the cost is prohibitive to permit a Virtual Grand Lodge Session flies in the face of the countless Grand Lodges and Concordant Bodies that have held Virtual Grand Sessions. Moreover, what was the Grand Lodge budget for foreign travel during your first two years? How many tens of thousand of dollars were spent? I seem to recall one first-class plane ticket to Scotland for nearly $10,000.00. Nor have I heard that Grand Lodge has waived Lodges’ per capita requirements. To suggest that the Grand Lodge of the State of New York can’t afford a Virtual Grand Lodge Session, or some hybrid, is hogwash. Indeed, as Judge Advocate, the Masonic Legal Adviser, of the Grand Chapter, Royal Arch Masons of the State of New York, I am aware of their plans for a Virtual Grand Chapter Session. With many of the same Constitutional requirements as our Grand Lodge’s, the cost I am informed, will be well below $10,000.00.

To further argue that it is not feasible to hold a Virtual Grand Lodge Session, or some hybrid option, because of technical concerns, also proves specious. Indeed, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and its Commandery, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, the Grand Lodge of Maine, the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin, the Grand Lodge of New Mexico and its York Rite Bodies, the Grand Lodge of South Dakota, the Grand Lodge of Michigan, the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, the Grand Lodge of Illinois and the Grand Lodge of Colorado, are just a small sampling of the many Grand Jurisdictions that have held either Virtual, In-Person, or hybrid Grand Sessions this past year. I am further aware that General Grand Chapter International Royal Arch Masons, General Grand Council International (Cryptic Masons), and other International Masonic Bodies have all held Virtual Sessions. In fact , I am informed that some of those bodies handled approximately 600-700 Virtual Participants, some even logging in worldwide! Were there hiccups? Probably, but those Bodies should be applauded for their efforts. Will there be technical issues at our Virtual Grand Lodge Session? Probably, but what a small price to pay to fulfill our Constitutional obligation--or at least to try!

The point is, so many Grand Lodges and Concordant Bodies from around the country, and the world, have seen fit to get it done. Found the will. Found the path forward to hold their Grand Jurisdiction’s Grand Session and fulfill their Constitutional obligations. Indeed, as I am sure you know, even the Conference of Grand Masters and Conference of Grand Secretaries are being conducted remotely this year. Yet, the Grand Lodge of the State of New York can’t? To not try, to simply cancel a Constitutionally mandated Grand Lodge Session because of some anecdotal evidence, exaggerated concern, or fear of the natural limitations in whatever option is chosen, is simply a dereliction of our duty. Indeed, how can our Grand Body operate for yet another year without passing a budget? How can you justify not attempting to find some solution that would ensure the thoughtful exercise of our membership’s rights to elect its Leadership, including the Trustees of the Masonic Hall and Home, the Masonic Medical Research Institute, the Chancellor Robert R Livingston Library and the Masonic War Veterans. Your decision, not only disenfranchises our membership, but has serious implications for the lawful governance of our Institution.
What is most troubling about your pronouncement Grand Master, is that it has been said by some, that long ago you were made aware that our Grand Lodge does have the ability to hold secure and credentialed elections for all voting members; that long ago you were made aware that our Grand Lodge does have the technology and tools to hold a 100% Virtual Grand Lodge Session using industry standard video conferencing services at a minimal cost; that long ago you were made aware that our Grand Lodge does have the ability to use Groupable to ensure that only those brothers legally permitted to attend this Virtual Session are in attendance.

Some have further suggested that you were provided multiple plans that would ensure a Constitutionally viable Virtual Grand Lodge Session while keeping Brothers socially distant and safe; and that you were further informed that a Virtual Grand Lodge Session could ensure that a proper and legal election could be held, even providing for brothers being nominated “from the floor”. In other words, conducting the business of Grand Lodge virtually and securely. Is this correct? Were you provided this information and refused to act? Did you disband the Deputy Grand Master’s IT Team? Why have we not heard from these brothers, or those you indicate “advised” you regarding the options that you now claim are not feasible? Why is it that after so many months, you have for the first time merely provided anecdotal evidence with nothing substantive or concrete to support your extraordinary position, disenfranchising an entire Grand Lodge in the process? No brother prefers a Virtual Lodge meeting or Virtual Grand Lodge Session, to in-person. That will come, God willing soon. Until then, if a Virtual Grand Lodge Session, or some hybrid, is the only realistic option available, then that is what we must do to ensure that the business of Masonry and the business of our Grand Lodge is conducted and that we are satisfying our Constitutional duty. When you suggest that our brothers would prefer to not hold our Constitutionally mandated Grand Lodge Session because of an intolerance to potential technical difficulties that may occur during a Virtual Session, you underestimate our brothers and do a disservice to their integrity.

Grand Master, some have suggested that this is nothing short of a power grab, a Grand Master unwilling to give up power. I do not suggest that this is your motivation. I would like to think that your ill conceived decision emanates from a lack of information, or proper advice, rather than some nefarious, self-indulgent, motivation. Should you wish to serve a fourth year, however, while repugnant to the Spirit of our Constitutions as we have relied upon the good will of brothers for nearly a century to voluntarily step down after two years of service, as there are no “official” term limits, you could in theory run. Not holding a Grand Lodge Session, thereby extending your term of Office beyond that which is permitted under our Constitutions and then holding a future Grand Lodge Session only when you deem acceptable, is simply not an option. I hope you will agree, we do not have Kings in Masonry, we have Brothers.

I urge you to reconsider this destructive path you have started down. I urge you to reconsider your decision, authorize a Virtual Grand Lodge Session, or some suitable and acceptable alternative, for history will be our judge.

Fraternally and Respectfully Submitted,
RW Steven Adam Rubin
Grand Treasurer
Grand Lodge of the State of New York

UPDATED: Irony At Its Most Ironic-est

by Christopher Hodapp

NOTE: This story has been updated.

Like so many other groups all over the world, the annual Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America has been forced to drop its in-person meeting this year because of the COVID pandemic. I'm sure the brethren in Seattle, Washington who had been preparing to host this event for several years are greatly disappointed. But the event will go on. 

This year's COGMMNA will be an online event. So is the concurrent Conference of Grand Secretaries.

A video conference.

Live streamed. 

Over the Internet.

I just looked at the list of officers for this year's Conference. When what to my wondering eyes did appear, but the name of the Vice-Chairman (the second in command). 

None other than South Carolina Grand Master Walter C. Disher II.

Would it be unnecessarily churlish to ask if he's not going to participate in the conference, since it violates his own edict against electronic Masonic gatherings for which a PGM was just expelled? Or might he consider expelling himself?

It's a conundrum.

South Carolina PGM Mike Smith Expelled Over Zoom Meeting

South Carolina Past Grand Master Michael D. Smith

by Christopher Hodapp

UPDATE: This article was been updated on 2/5/2021 at 6:00PM to correct information about the number of Zoom gatherings held online by Mike Smith. The original post incorrectly stated that one meeting was held. 

A story from the Grand Lodge of South Carolina has been brewing for several months under the wire, but details are starting to come to light. According to several sources, South Carolina Past Grand Master Michael D. Smith has been expelled from the fraternity following a Grand Lodge trial commission on January 30th.

PGM Smith served as Grand Master in 2017-19 (South Carolina's GMs serve two year terms.) Prior to his expulsion, he was serving as Lieutenant Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction (second in command only to the Grand Commander), as well as SGIG for the Orient of South Carolina. Mike Smith is widely admired and well-liked, not only in his home state, but throughout the wider Masonic community, and his expulsion comes as a shock to many Masons. He has been a Freemason since 1980.

PGM Smith's bio page is still available for the time being on the GL of SC website HERE. His many accomplishments and offices held are impressive.

Mike Smith's expulsion is rooted in a violation of edicts issued last year during the COVID pandemic by current Grand Master Walter C.(Cal) Disher II. On May 29, 2020, GM Disher ordered that all Masonic meetings in South Carolina to be suspended "until further notice."

"As a reminder, no Lodge Hall is to be used during this time period," the notice read.  "I have stopped several Lodge functions that Lodge members organized either through ZOOM Media, phone, or other venues. Brethren, as a reminder, it is a grave Masonic Offense, to conduct any irregular meeting or business during this time."

A written notice was sent to lodges in June reiterating his edict forbidding all Masonic meetings, in person or via electronic means. While the Grand Lodge office may be communicating with lodges and members via their private Grandview system, neither their public web page nor their Facebook account have been updated since last summer. Lodges remained completely closed until December when new guidelines were finally issued for limited in-person lodge meetings, under heavy restrictions. But South Carolina brethren are still forbidden to engage in any sort of virtual meeting of any kind as Masons, even if ritual is not involved or no lodge business is conducted.

In his role as SGIG for South Carolina, sources say, Mike Smith held a series of seven informal Zoom gatherings for the state's six Scottish Rite Valleys and four SR clubs. These were described by several participants as  'How is everybody doing?' health checks and good cheer sessions. These were not tyled meetings, or even private ones – some sources say no Masonic business was conducted, although one observer indicated that, in at least one case, the names of some new Scottish Rite petitioners were read and accepted. At least one attendee claims that Smith informed the Grand Master ahead of time that he wanted to conduct these sessions, and was acting in good faith because the Grand Master raised no objection. Nevertheless, after the event, Grand Master Disher deemed it to be a violation of his 'no electronic Masonic meeting' edict and sought charges against Smith. 

Some say that GM Disher also discussed bringing charges against close to 150 South Carolina Scottish Rite Masons who participated in the Zoom call.

In South Carolina, the Grand Junior Warden is normally charged by their Constitution to bring charges against an accused Mason, who is to be tried in his own lodge. Mike Smith has been a longtime member of Landrum Lodge 278. But a trial by the lodge was denied by GM Disher, who declared that an appointed Grand Lodge commission would instead conduct the proceedings. 

And then about three weeks ago, the Grand Master appeared at Landrum Lodge and revoked their charter.

Longtime readers here may remember the name of South Carolina Past Grand Master Jay Adam Pearson. In 2013, when he was serving as Grand Master, he suspended South Carolina's relations with the Shrine. Then in 2016, he sent me a snide letter excoriating me for publicly reporting on expulsions in the Grand Lodge of Arkansas (where he is, as he informed me, an "honorary member of their Grand Lodge"). Instead of South Carolina’s Grand Junior Warden bringing charges against Smith as their Constitution directs, PGM Pearson was named as the head of the trial commission. Two sources have reported that the trial commission also included one or more members of PGM Pearson's own family, notably, his father.

According to attendees, Smith's trial session last week was quite long – over ten hours. Witnesses were called, but because of COVID meeting restrictions, they were forced to remain outside in their cars in bitter cold weather while waiting to testify one at a time.

PGM Jay Adam Pearson

Not that there could be any sort of connection, but both Jay Adam Pearson and Mike Smith were considered as possible successors for the Grand Secretary's position at the upcoming annual communication. Now, obviously, PGM Smith is no longer eligible, and his 40 year Masonic career has been scuttled. The current Grand Secretary, Gerald L Carver, PGM, is Pearson's ex-father-in-law.

And then, lurking in the background is the ghost of Prince Hall. South Carolina is one of just seven remaining state grand lodges that does not have amity with their Prince Hall grand lodge counterpart. There was a whisper campaign that PGM Smith was a proponent of Prince Hall recognition. Of course, PGM Pearson has made his opinion known to me in the past of what he thinks of so-called "liberal, forward-thinking Masons" who advocate for Price Hall recognition.

Before PGM Pearson dashes off another multi-page letter to me explaining all of the ways I am "in error" on these events, I want to clearly state that I have not spoken or corresponded with PGM Mike Smith about this story. In his prior correspondence with me, PGM Pearson made it clear that he is a strict by-the-book Mason. He took the position back in 2016 that a grand master need not explain or even report when a Mason is expelled, except to alert the fraternity not to converse Masonically with members under such a sentence. Further, he quite rightly stated that an expulsion isn't authoritative until the assembled Grand Lodge votes to accept the GM's actions or strike them down, which is quite true. South Carolina's Grand lodge members still need to affirm or reject this. 

With that in mind, the GL of South Carolina's annual communication is scheduled for this April. But because the COVID pandemic is still continuing apace, one can't help but wonder whether that meeting will even take place. And unless the GM changes his mind about virtual meetings, there's no chance it will be conducted by video. At best, they may simply attempt to assemble no more than a quorum to conduct their business, as some other jurisdictions have done.. 

The GL of South Carolina has a reputation of attempting to hide from technology. Any Masonic lodge's website must receive written approval from the Grand Lodge, which is why there are so few of them. Lodges may not have a Facebook page or any other social media page. And all digital interaction about Freemasonry is forbidden. Perhaps that worked well for them until 2020. But with the COVID pandemic shutdowns and the ongoing shuttering of all lodges since last spring, forbidding any and all in-person AND online interaction among their brethren has made for a pretty barren fraternal experience.  I have been told that several SC lodges that have relied on fund raising events in past years have gone broke and been forced to close permanently. One idly wonders how many South Carolina Masons will reconsider their membership in the face of a jurisdiction that leaves them no avenue for fraternal socializing of any kind.

South Carolina has a past history of cuffing around appendant bodies, such as when PGM Pearson cut off the Shrine (and then advised Arkansas as to how to do the same thing). Mike Smith's informal Scottish Rite gathering was not the only appendant group to fall under the stern gaze of their Grand Master this season. Last month, the Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees announced the registration for an online Zoom meeting for AMD members. South Carolina's current Grand Secretary, Gerald L Carver, PGM fired off a demand that the AMD issue letters reiterating that South Carolina Masons were forbidden from engaging in any such online meetings of any kind, and to report their compliance and delivery of said letters to him.

About six years ago, I spoke at the Conference of Grand Masters, and I implored that august assembly of grand line officers to consider that suspension or expulsion should not be the first arrow out of their quivers, but the last. The obligations Masonic officers take as they progress over time do not ever eradicate the ones we take in our very first three degrees. We are not merely asked to "whisper good counsel in the ear of a brother, and in the most tender manner remind him of his faults, and aid in his reformation." It is one of our most fundamental duties. We are all Brothers before we are lawyers. It is noteworthy to point out that neither renowned book on Masonic jurisprudence by Albert Mackey and Roscoe Pound contains the phrase from the most commonly used Fellow Craft ritual, "In the decision of every trespass against our rules, you are to judge with candor, admonish with friendship, and reprehend with justice."

One cannot help but ask if anyone whispered in Mike Smith's ear or admonished him with friendship before seeking the ultimate penalty against him, especially in one of the most heartbreaking and challenging years in history.

Pandemic Shutdowns Convince Men of the Need for Deeper Friendships

by Christopher Hodapp

An article in the Washington Post Monday (and circulated on MSN news) puts a spotlight on the emotional effects the COVID pandemic shutdowns have had on men. And apparently one of the most damaging is that isolation from in-person, male human contact is plunging them into deeper depression.

See 'No game days. No bars. The pandemic is forcing some men to realize they need deeper friendships.' by Samantha Smith.

Men were already spiraling into greater depths of depression over the last decade, ever since the Great Recession. In 2018, the suicide rate among men was 3.7 times higher than among women, according to statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health. Even though the US government officially tabulates suicide numbers two years in arrears, countless anecdotal reports all over the country from healthcare professionals this year already confirm that the pandemic has dramatically increased these tragic deaths. 

But a Brigham Young University study found that social connections — with friends, family, neighbors or colleagues — improve a person’s odds of survival by 50 percent. Similar figures were noted by Robert Putnam in his breakthrough study Bowling Alone more than 20 years ago when he found that taking part in in-person, associative groups, clubs or regular gatherings dramatically increases life expectancy.

The article talks about online friendship discussion groups becoming more open and revealing as isolated men bare their souls to online buddies. It talks about klatches of neighbors pulling their lawn chairs out on the cul-de-sac and having heart-to-hearts with the guys next door and down the street. It talks about clots of friends exchanging text messages. But it dodges around something far more obvious with a very long track record of building emotional strength by providing a space and haven for cultivating true friendships among men who would otherwise be strangers: fraternalism like the kind you find in most Masonic lodges.

If we're doing it right, the lodge is supposed to be a sanctuary from the strife, pressures, provocations and challenges of the outside world. We do our best to attempt to eliminate from our meetings political and religious arguments - the two historically most contentious topics all throughout history that are most guaranteed to cause arguments. We stress and teach cooperation, agreement and mutual assistance. We do that to hopefully create an incubator for deep, personal friendships and lasting relationships. And we are united worldwide through the common bonds of our rituals and their teachings — it acts as a shorthand ice-breaker wherever you may be on Earth when you encounter a Masonic brother.

A constant question is repeated time after time whenever the non-Masonic, mainstream press writes about Freemasonry today: why don't you Masons admit women into your lodges? Surely your backwards, porcine, chauvinistic, misongynistic, lumpen, middle-class attitude is why Freemasonry is a throwback to Paleolithic pre-history. Freemasonry would be totally fixed if you aged Boomer dinosaurs just opened up to women. (Oh, and atheists.)

All of the dynamic of a sanctuary changes immediately when women are introduced into it — it just does, for a thousand different reasons. All of society seems to acknowledge that women need 'safe spaces,' support groups, girls' nights, hen parties, and other private settings where men may not trespass. Yet, few are willing to admit that men need them just as much, if not more. Articles like the Post's only serve to illustrate the point.

GL of DC: Junior Grand Deacon Suspended Just Two Hours Before Elections Open

by Christopher Hodapp

In the annus horribilis that is 2020, I suppose none of us should be surprised by erratic or irrational behavior from even the best of men. Between the COVID plague isolation, the anti-social media civil war skirmishes, the fraying of human interaction, and the myriad frustrations that have accompanied nearly everything we all do this year, it's probably unfair to think that Masons could rise above the fray somehow. Hell, just the toilet paper hoarding alone would be enough to drive sane men to madness.

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. 

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.

The last-second timing of Tager's suspension resulted in him becoming ineligible for advancement to the position of Senior Grand Deacon. Now it's been reported that several sitting Masters (and voting members of grand lodge) have subsequently filed charges against two other brethren who are challengers for the Deacon positions now that Tager has been shut out.

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...)

Special Promotion for 'Freemasons For Dummies' - Now Through December

by Christopher Hodapp

Over the last couple of months, I have been working with the good folks at Wiley Publishing to find a way to offer a substantial discount to lodges and grand lodges who wish to order copies of Freemasons For Dummies for their new petitioners and candidates, without being required to buy large quantities. 

For a limited time you, your lodge or your grand lodge can order multiple copies of the paperback edition of Freemasons For Dummies directly from the publisher at 30% off the $19.99 list price. This special offer will extend from now through December 31st, 2020.

Because of the COVID virus shutdowns, Masonic lodges throughout the United States have been largely forbidden from meeting in person and conferring degrees on new candidates. In many states, Masons have been prevented from conferring degrees at least until the end of the year. At the other end of the situation, thousands of interested men who have been trapped at home by the shutdowns have been contacting grand lodges directly or logging on to the www.BeAFreemason.com website expressing new interest in joining the Masonic fraternity. The result has been a growing group of potential new Masons stalled and unable to move forward until states fully reopen and lodges can once again meet together in person. 

Freemasons For Dummies is the perfect introductory book for potential new Masons. 

So here are the gory details for this deal:

To get the 30% discount, you MUST order through the Wiley.com website at: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Freemasons+For+Dummies%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781118412084

OR call their order line directly Monday thru Friday at ‭(800) 225-5945‬

Use the following private Promo Code: MAS20

There is NO minimum number of books you must order for the 30% discount. It works even for single copies (but do watch out for their postage fees).

The Wiley folks were kind enough to extend this discount all the way through the end of this year.

Be aware that this 30% discount applies only to the paperback book, not to the audio, Kindle or other electronic editions. It also doesn't apply to any foreign language editions. Also, this discount cannot be used at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or anywhere else. Only through Wiley's customer service department.

Several grand secretaries have told me they have been purchasing Kindle gift codes from Amazon in advance and sending one as a gift to men who who complete their degrees. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to secure a discount code for Kindle versions from Wiley because those have to come from Amazon. But I'm still trying to find an alternative.

If your lodge or grand lodge is looking for even more of a discount (such as for a one-day class or other large group event), they can offer the following bigger price breaks:

• 50-99 copies = 35% discount
• 100+ copies = 40% discount

Let me know if you have that kind of interest, and I'll put you in touch with the marketing office.

Wiley Can Make Customized Editions

Don't forget that Wiley has a special branding department that can work with your Grand Lodge to create a customized version of Freemasons For Dummies specific to your jurisdiction. It makes the perfect welcome gift for new members. In fact, in 2011 the Grand Lodge of New Mexico and their Lodge of Research created their own customized edition of the book that was given to all of their Entered Apprentices.

What this means is that your Grand Lodge, education committee, or research lodge can have its own special edition of the book for your members, provided you are able to order in sufficient quantities. Your official seal or other artwork specific to your Grand Lodge could be featured on the outside, and a message from the Grand Master, Grand Lodge Education Committee, Lodge of Research, or other official group could be printed on the inside covers. The book is also a popular one for non-Masons, and your members could be encouraged to pass it to friends or family who might have an interest in the fraternity—the cover could include the Grand Lodge contact information, internet address, phone numbers, etc. Of course, it's also popular as a gift given by many lodges to new Masons. The inside cover might include a custom plate in which to inscribe the members’ name and lodge, and degree dates.

Both Wiley and I are willing to work with you on design, artwork and content. There is one caveat: No changes can be made to the text of the book itself, so if there is something in the book's current text that is NOT correct or applicable for your jurisdiction, that part can’t be changed. Only the inside and outside covers can be altered.

The retail price of Freemasons For Dummies is $19.99, but you can save between 45%-50% off the cover price, depending on the quantity being printed. The minimum order for a custom version is 1,000 books ($11 per copy or 45% off), with an additional price break at 2,000 copies ($10 per copy, 50% off). So obviously it behooves you to keep any messages or information generic enough so that it doesn't become dated before you use them all.

If you have any interest in this program, please do not hesitate to contact me directly, or Molly Daugherty, director of Custom Solutions and Brand Licensing for Wiley Publishing in Indianapolis at 317-572-3465, or at Mdaugher@wiley.com

COVID: UGLE Suspends Masonic Meetings in England Again

by Christopher Hodapp

The Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England has once again ordered the suspension of all Masonic meetings throughout England in the wake of new increases in COVID cases. 

The order, which is effective today, was prompted by new government restrictions issued on Saturday. England has essentially ordered another nationwide lockdown and is forbidding nearly every kind of non-family gathering.

Royal Arch leadership in England has made a similar pronouncement concerning Chapter meetings.

UGLE Issues COVID "Rule Of Six" Meeting Restriction

by Christopher Hodapp

Most states have relaxed their COVID restrictions enough that many American grand lodges are again permitting in-person lodge meetings to one extent or another. The patchwork of state and local orders are too numerous to cite, but even restricted versions of degree work are taking place in some states, almost all requiring masks, distancing among sideliners, etc. I've seen a couple of announcements of outdoor degrees, which is another novel way to deal with the issue of social distancing.

England, however, has been another matter. English health laws have banned all gatherings up until now, forcing lodges to give up in-person meetings. However, this week the country is moving to a 'Rule of Six' about indoor assemblies.

Therefore United Grand Lodge of England's Grand Secretary, David Staples has just announced that all lodge and chapter in-person meetings are restricted to no more than six people. This is to comply with current health laws and restrictions in England at this time. He stresses that this only applies to Masonic lodges and chapters meeting within England itself. (Wales continues to outlaw all in-person gatherings, period.)

The so-called 'Rule Of Six' message in its entirety:

Brethren and Companions,

Following a meeting of the Craft Rulers and the Standing Committee of the Board of General Purposes, and in consultation with the Royal Arch Rulers and the President of the Committee of General Purposes, it has been decided to restrict English Lodge and Chapter meetings to no more than six attendees. This is in response to the new laws which come into force today, Monday 14 September.

Larger meetings in Covid-19 Secure venues are permitted by the new laws, and this decision was not taken lightly, but it was felt that it would send entirely the wrong message to our members, and to the public, if Lodge and Chapter meetings of over six people took place at this time. This position will be kept under review and further measures will be announced shortly. UGLE and SGC remain committed to following appropriate official guidance, and to be seen to do so, whilst allowing individuals, Lodges and Chapters to decide what is right for their own particular circumstances.

UGLE also now advises that face coverings are worn at all meetings, even though the law does not currently require this. For the avoidance of doubt those who are exempt under the law from wearing face coverings in shops are not expected to wear them at meetings.

The, admittedly small, good news is that if they wish, the six or fewer who attend a meeting may now dine together.

This message applies only to Provinces in England. In Wales, legislation still prevents any Masonic Meetings from taking place at this time.

Yours sincerely and fraternally,
VW Bro/E Comp David Staples
Grand Secretary/Grand Scribe E

Masons and Community: County Court Uses Masonic Hall for Jury Duty

by Christopher Hodapp

I spotted an interesting tidbit in the news today that demonstrates how a Masonic lodge can be of unique service to its surrounding community. The Masonic Center in Clinton, Iowa is being leased by the Clinton County Court as a venue for jury pool selection. According to the article on the Clinton Herald website, state and local COVID regulations about social distancing in government venues forced the court to find another, more spread out location for choosing jury pool members. The courthouse could not properly accommodate the required safe distances needed for gathering large groups of people in one space. So, the Brethren of the Clinton Masonic Center came to the rescue.

Clinton County Attorney Mike Wolf says the county will lease the space for jury selection at a cost of $400 for each week the county needs the site. The rate includes set up on Friday, storing equipment at the site over the weekend and selecting the jury on Mondays. The actual trials will be held starting Tuesdays in the County Courthouse, as usual.

The Clinton Masonic Center is the home of the Clinton Valley of the Scottish Rite Bodies, York Rite, Western Star Lodge #100, and Emulation Lodge #255. The article doesn't say, but I suspect their 'Red Room' will be the probable location because of its size and horseshoe seating.

In similar news, David Bloomquist on Facebook reports that the Scottish Rite Valley of Lincoln, Nebraska's spacious lodge room is being used for Lincoln and Lancaster County court trials.

And Joe Schumate, Jr. tells me that Denham Springs Lodge #297 in Denham Springs, Louisiana is also being used by their local court system for trials during the COVID pandemic.

The point to be made from this is that the public at large really isn't aware anymore that our buildings have these large, unusually arranged spaces that work out perfectly for trial/jury/spectator uses. It's worth reaching out to your local courts to inform them. Back in the days when we had members from every walk of life, they knew. We have to spread the word now.

Back in the day, our downtown temple's auditorium in Indianapolis was used for swearing in new immigrants. We could be doing that again.

A couple of guys have groused online that $400/day sounded too cheap. It's a token amount, sure, but it's $400 more per week than the room was making when it sat empty. Plus, it gets the local Masonic hall back in front of literally hundreds of eyeballs that otherwise knew little or nothing about us. That's more important than anything these days. We will never rebuild this fraternity as long as we are invisible and a forgotten mystery to the community around us.

Check In Regularly With Your Masonic Brothers: Suicide Rates Rising Under COVID

Photo: @chantaldgarcia via Twenty20

by Christopher Hodapp

Back in March, I wrote an article, Rising Farmer Suicides: Are These Your Brethren? It talked about the alarming increase in self-inflicted deaths among the American farmer population and why that should be important to the Masonic fraternity. Many Masonic lodges (arguably the majority in the U.S.) are in rural areas, and these incidents strike very close to home.

Now the COVID-19 enforced lockdowns have had their own damaging effects on people everywhere, not just in rural areas. Case in point: an article on May 21st reported that San Francisco Bay area hospitals had already clocked more suicide attempts in just four weeks than in all of 2019. That means that more people in their region had died by suicide at the time than from the COVID virus.

From ABC-7 in San Francisco: 'Suicides on the rise amid stay-at-home order, Bay Area medical professionals say' by Amy Hollyfield:

"Doctors at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek say they have seen more deaths by suicide during this quarantine period than deaths from the COVID-19 virus.

"The doctor in charge of a Bay Area, Calif. trauma center said the state should end its lockdown orders after an “unprecedented” spike in suicide attempts amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’ve never seen numbers like this, in such a short period of time,” Dr. Mike de Boisblanc, head of trauma at John Muir Medical Center, told local station ABC7... “I mean, we’ve seen a year’s worth of suicide attempts in the last four weeks.” He added that he thinks “it’s time” to end the state shutdown. Trauma nurse Kacey Hansen, who has worked at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for over three decades, said she had “never seen” so many attempts, most being young adults. “I have never seen so much intentional injury . . . it’s upsetting.”

"I think people have found themselves disconnected from the normal supportive networks that they have, churches and schools and book clubs, you name it," Tamura said.

Whether these suicides are rooted in economic uncertainty caused by loss of jobs, livelihoods and businesses, or media-stoked fears of viral infection, or the inability to confront their own mortality for the first time, or just plain loneliness, it's far too early to say. But what is clear is that the isolation from human contact and near total lack of social interaction is contributing greatly to the dramatic rise in self-inflicted deaths.

Even before the COVID virus came along, the Centers for Disease Control reported that between 1999 and 2016, the second leading cause of death in Americans aged 15-34 was suicide. The report at the time was authored in 2018, and their statistics ran out at 2016. There were nearly 45,000 suicides in 2016. Middle-aged adults between 45-64 had the largest rate increase, rising to 19.2 per 100,000 in 2016 from 13.2 per 100,000 in 1999. Twenty-five states saw percentage rate increases of more than 30% over the 17 years that were studied. 

The report also looked at the underlying reasons surrounding suicides and found that the effects of economic downturns like job loss, career upheavals, business failures, and financial catastrophes were major causes of the increases, especially during the Great Recession of 2008. And suicides don't just happen to people with pre-existing mental problems - more than half of suicides in 2015 in a subgroup of 27 states were among people with no known mental health condition.

This should be one more wake-up call to Masons everywhere to find ways to communicate and contact our lodge brethren more regularly. Be especially attentive if a Brother is in danger of losing (or already has lost) a child, spouse or parent over the last few months. Business failures are already going up steadily, and job losses have hit records not seen since the 1930s. During the lockdowns, families have been denied the traditional ceremonies and customs we have required for centuries to purge ourselves of the grief from death, as mortuaries are essentially shut down for even small funerals for the duration. All of these situations can have corrosive effects on people who might otherwise appear outwardly fine. Generic e-mails or Facebook posts to grieving friends and Masonic brothers aren't sufficient.

Consider another aspect of the current societal trends that affect Freemasonry today. One of the most fundamental lessons that Masonic rituals teach us is to live each day with the awareness that Death can happen at any instant. In earlier ages, death was an omni-present spectre for most of the world. Americans and Europeans have fewer children today which results in smaller and smaller families that are spread out nationwide by instant mobility. Ease of divorce, live-in relationships and single parenthood all have conspired to fray extended family connections and support networks to the thinnest level in history. Having many children was the rule in prior centuries, in part as a guard against infant mortality and premature deaths from disease, war, or accident. Extended families cared for their elderly relatives at home, not in distant retirement communities by anonymous healthcare workers. So it was not uncommon for children to lose their siblings, grandparents or parents who died under the same roof. Death was a regular visitor.

(The very term 'living room' was promoted after the turn of the last century as a substitute for 'parlor' to blunt the 'dying room' association between death and the home's parlor where funerals were often held for a family member.) 

Up until about 50 years ago, the vast majority of men seeking Masonic membership had some rooting in a religious, faith-based tradition. Most of those religions offered their adherents and congregants hope of some form of 'eternal life' once we shuffled off this mortal coil. Masonic rituals reinforced that belief in an afterlife and a hope of eternal reward for leading a virtuous life on Earth. The most common American rituals feature as part of the Entered Apprentice degree a lecture accompanying the bestowing of the new Mason's apron upon him that says, in part,

"When at last your weary feet shall have come to the end of life's toilsome journey, and from your nerveless grasp shall have dropped forever the working tools of life, may the record of your life be as pure and spotless as this fair emblem which I place in your hands. And when your soul shall stand, naked and alone, before the Great White Throne, may it be your portion to hear from Him who sitteth as the Judge Supreme, 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of thy Lord."

It's unfortunate that anti-Masonic fundamentalist Christian critics almost always point to this very passage as 'proof' that Freemasonry offers a false promise of eternal salvation based upon good works on Earth, not faith and redemption in Christ. It's one of the top reasons many Christian critics wrongly allege that Freemasonry is a false religion. That argument actually goes much farther back to a longstanding theological battle that still rages today in Christian denominational feuds between Faith vs. Acts. Interestingly, it didn't get added to American Masonic ritual throughout the country until sometime after the Civil War. And I don't even find references to it in print until Thornburgh's Monitor out of Arkansas in 1903.

But Masonry doesn't 'promise' anything of the sort. Freemasonry is concerned with improving life on Earth, for its members and the wider world around us. Masonry doesn't concern itself with the afterlife, apart from an everlasting expression of hope for one, and it has always ceded that role to each members' own religious faith tradition. 

You don't need to be suicidal yourself to call a prevention hotline. It could be someone you are worried about. You can explain what the person is going through and see what the counselor suggests to intervene, since they are an expert on suicide.

If you need help or know of someone in need, the National Suicide Hotline is there for you: 800-273-8255 or suicide and crisis hotline (855) 278-4204.