250 Years of Prince Hall Freemasonry in Boston

Photo: WGBH

by Christopher Hodapp

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED ON JUNE 25, 2025 AT 1:00PM

On Memorial Day, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts celebrated a true milestone for their unique branch of the fraternity of Freemasonry, marking the traditional 250th anniversary of the raising of Prince Hall and 14 other free black men as Masons in Boston. The Boston Memorial Day event saw a large procession to Copp's Hill burial ground, led by Grand Master Justin A. Petty, where a striking monument to WB Hall stands today.

The long-standing story goes that, back in March 1775, Hall and his brethren were initiated by an Irish military lodge of Masons in the British Army just before the American Revolution broke out.*  At the time, Boston's established lodges wouldn’t admit them. So after the war ended, Hall took matters into his own hands and got a proper charter from England in 1784 to start African Lodge No. 459. From that beginning, what became known first as 'African,' then Prince Hall, Freemasonry spread across the country, peaking nationwide in the 1960s with 310,000 members in 5,100 lodges. 

Early Prince Hall Masons pushed hard for abolition, education, and community uplift, sponsoring schools, signing petitions, providing for impoverished families, offering scholarships, and more. Arguably, they became as important and influential within their communities as the black churches, frequently cooperating on countless programs. 

Their downtown temples and grand lodge buildings often became important office hubs for black professionals like doctors, dentists and attorneys. During the 1950s and 60s, these places often were home to the headquarters of civil rights organizations. Within the rolls of Prince Hall Grand Lodges you'll find politicians, educators, entertainers, sports figures, community leaders and businessmen. 

So, for Prince Hall Freemasonry to grow, thrive and survive for 250 years as the nation's oldest black fraternal organization is a very big deal. 

Today, Prince Hall Affiliated Freemasonry shares recognition with so-called 'mainstream' grand lodges in all but four states in the U.S.: Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina and West Virginia.

WBGH in Boston has a long article about Hall and the festivities that day HERE:
In 1775, Boston’s Prince Hall broke Freemasonry’s racial barrier. His global movement marches on.

* I say "the longstanding story" for a reason. Several years ago, researcher John Hairston (a Prince Hall Mason in Washington state) published Landmarks of our Fathers: The Critical Analysis of the Start and Origin of African Lodge No. 1 in which he painstakingly looked into the existing evidence of the formation of African Lodge. What he found alters the dates of the degrees of Hall and his 14 brethren to 1778, after the Revolution was already underway, and shows that the Irish military lodge had nothing to do with the event. Former sergeant John Batt, who conferred their degrees, was a dicey character who had left the British Army and may very well have been a degree peddler who took advantage of the situation and duped the black men into thinking he had authority he didn't possess. None of that alters the ultimate legitimacy of African Lodge once it received its English charter, and certainly has no bearing on the long heritage of Prince Hall Freemasonry, but calling into question anything about their founding risks the slaughter of sacred cattle. The 1775 date was loudly defended for more than 150 years as white Masons refused to accept the Prince Hall/African Lodge story as legitimate and would use any excuse or deviation from the original story to attack them. There's probably no harm in the general acceptance of the 1775 story when it comes to legendary heritage. Nevertheless, Brother Hairston's evidence should not be ignored or discounted by serious researchers and historians.

Massachusetts Masons To Rededicate Bunker Hill Monument June 16th

Photo: National Parks Service

by Christopher Hodapp

As the 250th anniversary (the Semiquincentennial, in case you were wondering) of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution gets underway this year, Boston-area Freemasons and the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts A.F.&A.M. will take part in a rededication of the monument marking the Battle of Bunker Hill at Charlestown next Monday, June 16th.

From the Charlestown Patriot-Bridge website yesterday:

On Monday, June 16, Charlestown will become the center of national remembrance as the Bunker Hill Monument Association leads a full-day commemoration marking the 200th anniversary of the laying of the Bunker Hill Monument’s cornerstone and the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Titled “Two Centuries of Glory,” the event will blend pageantry, history, and patriotism. The day begins with a ceremonial procession at 9:30 AM from the Charlestown Navy Yard, featuring more than 500 participants — Freemasons in full regalia, veterans, military groups, civic leaders, and historical reenactors — retracing the symbolic path toward the monument.

At 10:00 AM, a traditional Masonic cornerstone-laying ritual will take place at the base of the Bunker Hill Monument, replicating the original 1825 ceremony that drew thousands and helped define the commemorative landscape of early America. Attendees will witness stirring musical tributes form 20 musicians and historical readings, including portrayals of Daniel Webster and the Marquis de Lafayette — key figures in the monument’s founding.

The celebration continues in the evening at 6:00 PM at the Old South Meeting House with “It Has Begun!” — A Grand Monumental Celebration. This culminating event will include authentic spirited toasts each followed by a lively interpretation form the Dee Orchestra and Chorus of the orginal odes and songs that 60,000 people heard in 1825. Lafayette’s 1825 tribute to freedom and liberty, read aloud once more in the very city where American independence first found its voice will be followed by the Marseillaise and the Star Spangled Banner.

Presented by the Bunker Hill Monument Association in collaboration with Boston National Historical Park, The Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, Revolutionary Spaces, the American Friends of Lafayette, and additional partners, the day promises to be a fitting tribute to two centuries of American memory and the enduring legacy of Bunker Hill.

For details about the Grand Lodge's involvement and for contact information, visit the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts event page HERE.

Unfortunately, the article doesn't explain just how much the Freemasons in the Boston area really had to do with the battle and with the erection of the monument itself two centuries ago, in 1825. Dr. Joseph Warren was the Master of St. Andrews Lodge and Provincial Grand Master under the Grand Lodge of Scotland (St. Andrews originally started out as a completely independent, un-chartered lodge of its own, but finally took enough flak over it that they obtained a charter from the GL of Scotland to give itself more legitimacy.) Warren died leading revolutionary troops against the English on Breeds Hill. After the revolution, King Solomon Lodge purchased the land in 1783 and erected a monument to Warren and the other Masons who died there with him during that desperate fight. 

To prepare for the 50th anniversary of the battle, the city of Charlestown decided that a more impressive monument needed to be constructed. In 1823, King Solomon Lodge donated their property to the newly-formed Bunker Hill Monument Association, with the provision that any future monument had to preserve 'some trace of its former existence.' 

Photo: National Parks Service

The Association did just that, and built a replica of the original Masonic monument inside the building adjacent to the present obelisk. Today, visitors can see a beautiful marble sculpture of WB Warren, and his Masonic apron is also on display there.

Photo: Sarah Oliver/flickr

When the official dedication of the cornerstone was done in 1825, it coincided with the visit of Brother Maj. General LaFayette on his nationwide tour. He symbolically laid the cornerstone, and Brother Senator Daniel Webster gave the address to the crowd. In fact, Webster was still alive in 1843 when the monument was finally completed, and he spoke again at that ceremony. At that time, the country was still in the final vestiges of its anti-Masonic period, and the Masons chose not to take an official role at the event.

LaFayette's grave in Paris (Photo: Parisology)

One final connection to Lafayette was that he took a box of soil from Bunker Hill back home to France, which he had spread over his grave in Paris upon his death. The General wanted to be buried beneath both French and American ground, and the flags of both nations have flown over his resting place ever since 1834.

Local ABC station WCVB-TV in Boston put together a great feature on the monument and the Masonic involvement HERE.

Read the story of the Monument and the Freemasons on the National Parks Service site HERE.

And to keep with the many activities and events being planned as part of the Semiquincentennial (I'll never get used to THAT one) celebrations over the next two years, visit the America 250 website.

NOTE: In case you're wondering, Massachusetts and Hawaii are the only two U.S. grand lodges that do not number their lodges. Massachusetts did it because of the confusion immediately after the Revolution caused by the formation of multiple competing grand lodge bodies in that state. (By 1784, there were two competing grand lodges, plus two completely independent upstart lodges, PLUS Prince Hall's African Lodge No. 459, which had just been issued its own charter from the Grand Lodge of England/Moderns.) 

Once they finally all settled down, buried the hatchet, and merged into one single Grand Lodge of Massachusetts (except for African Lodge), ego arguments began to fly over whose lodge was oldest, which No. 1s should really be THE No. 1, etc. King Solomon Lodge was the 9th oldest lodge in the state, but that number is not assigned to them or anyone else there.

And Hawaii doesn't number theirs because their first lodges were originally charted without numbers by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, and they've followed that practice ever since.

April 13th: Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library Celebrates Its 50th

by Christopher Hodapp

The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library in Lexington, Massachusetts is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. If you've never visited, make the effort. It's one of the top Masonic museums in the U.S.

The Museum & Library first opened as the 'Museum of Our National Heritage' in 1975 to correspond with the American Bicentennial, on the 200th anniversary of the battles at Lexington and Concord. It was envisioned by then-Sovereign Grand  Commander George A. Newbury as an institution that could unite people after the divisive social upheavals of the 1960s, to help "build a better and more noble United States of America." 

Located next to the Scottish Rite NMJ's headquarters in Lexington, the museum started out with a small collection of souvenirs, historic Masonic objects, along with Civil War drawings, American portraits, decorative arts, and quilts loaned to them by other institutions. It also included the Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives with more than 5,000 volumes and archives related to Scottish Rite Freemasonry. 

Since its beginning, the museum and library have worked to fulfill Newbury's vision of telling "the story of America" through programs, publications, exhibitions, and collections. Stories related to historic Lexington, Massachusetts, where the "shot heard 'round the world' was fired, kicking off the American Revolution, are frequently featured at the museum, to this day. But while the early museum concentrated on the patriotic telling of the American story, in recent decades the concentration has been more on presenting the history, artifacts and ephemera of Freemasonry and American fraternalism in general. No longer forced to rely on borrowed items from other museums, their own collection has become one of the best Masonic-related museums in the country.

On Sunday, April 13th there will be a rededication of the Museum, along with the opening of new exhibits and the kickoff of a year of special programming:

• "Looking Back, Moving Forward." For 50 years the museum and library has sought to fulfill Newbury’s vision “to tell a thrilling story—the story of America” through programs, publications, exhibitions, and collections. This exhibition explores how the museum and library’s collection has grown, changed, and helped tell this story over half a century.
• “Remembering the Battle of Bunker Hill.” This display memorializes the battle with a scale model of a 1794 Bunker memorial to Joseph Warren, souvenirs from the battle’s 1875 centenary, sheet music, and items related to the Bunker Hill Monument Masonic cornerstone laying ceremony in 1825.
• “Protest & Promise: The American Revolution in Lexington” will explore the events of April 19, 1775 with images, objects, and an in-depth look at this pivotal event and how it has been remembered.

The museum is located at 33 Marrett Road in Lexington, Massachusetts. Click here for more information about the museum, its April 13 events, and the exhibits.

Past Sovereign Grand Commander Glattly Responds To His Expulsion From NMJ

by Christopher Hodapp

UPDATE: SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2024, 8:00PM: Several weeks after this story first appeared here on February 15th, the AASR-NMJ Supreme Council publicly released the findings of an independent financial audit, multiple independent investigations of the allegations made against David Glattly which led to his resignation back in 2022. The results of all of these inquiries refute Glattly's version of events that he posted here at the end of December, and corroborate the accusations against him made by the internal whistleblower in the Lexington office.

Please see: 

3/8/2024: AASR-NMJ Releases Results of Investigations Over Former SGC David A. Glattly

Also, please see my apology on March 10th for taking any side whatsoever in this matter:  My Deepest Apologies: Is Red or White Wine Best with a Plate of Crow?

---

This afternoon, David Glattly, Past Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite NMJ, posted a message on his Facebook page, reacting to the news yesterday that he'd been expelled from the Scottish Rite NMJ.

It reads:

Hi All!

Last night I was informed of my expulsion as a member of the Scottish Rite NMJ. I was informed second hand from a few friends that received the email. I did not receive anything directly from Supreme Council. Imagine, 60 thousand members received my expulsion notice before me. That’s rather embarrassing. Perhaps that’s how the leadership wanted it.

I understand that this was precipitated by repercussion for my letter that was sent through the Freemasonry for Dummies blog. That letter was my truthful version of what happened behind the scenes with the two year inquisition that plagued Monica and I.

A few weeks ago, I submitted my resignation as an Active Member of the Supreme Council, as I no longer had any interest in participating with the Supreme Council. So this expulsion has really no affect on my Supreme Council status. It does however, affect my membership in my beloved home valley, where I have many friends and fond memories. This part is hurtful.

I became an Active Member of the Supreme Council 21 years ago and had the pleasure of serving as the chairman or a member of many committees and projects throughout that time. I truly enjoyed my nine years of service as the Deputy for New Jersey. As the Sovereign Grand Commander for four years, we built a very successful team that brought the NMJ to new heights. I’m very proud of this.

Scottish Rite is an excellent organization with strong values and significant core values. I encourage members to be active in your local valleys and enjoy the activities, as that is where the fun is. You may find as you rise in the ranks, the fun goes away and you may become disillusioned.

As for me, I’m fine. I hope that my path crosses paths with many friends over the coming years, both within and without the Masonic Fraternity.

Thank you all for your messages of concern and support! Cheers!

December 15-17: Masons To Celebrate Boston Tea Party's 250th Anniversary in Grand Style!

by Christopher Hodapp

(From the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Facebook page. As an old ad guy, I have to say I really like their tag line: "Same Men. Different Times." CH)

The Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts has partnered with the Massachusetts Sons of the American Revolution and the Dr. Joseph Warren Foundation to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. From December 15 through the 17th, Freemasons and their families will be joining us from across the country, and we hope you will also. 

54 Grand Jurisdictions have been invited to join us.

Friday, December 15, 2023
(Open to the public)
A Historic Tavern Tour has been created in collaboration with Revolution 250, which is an organization that the Massachusetts Historical Society created to support the commemorative events leading up to 2026. 

(Open to Freemasons, their families, and invited guests)
If visiting from another jurisdiction, attend St. John's Lodge's annual installation. St. John's Lodge was chartered in 1733 and is the oldest lodge in the Western Hemisphere. 

Saturday, December 16, 2023
(Open to the public free of charge)
We will host a world-class speaker symposium at the Grand Lodge beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. Through the generosity of our event sponsors, we can provide the events to the public at no cost.

• 8:30-9:10-Dr. Brooke Barbier "Radicalizing John Hancock: The Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party."
• 9:15-10:00-RW Walter Hunt "Freemasonry Before the Revolution"
• 10:15-11:20-Boston-Lafayette Lodge of Perfection performing "Treason to the Crown"
• 11:30-12:15-Dr. Jayne Triber "Brother Revere: How Freemasonry Shaped Paul Revere's Revolutionary Role"

12:15 -1:00 Break for Lunch

• 1:30-2:00 -Dr. William Fowler "A Fireside chat with famed author Dr. Fowler."
• 2:00-3:00 -JL Bell "How Bostonians Learned to Talk about the Destruction of the Tea."
• 3:00-4:00 -Dr. James Fichter "Tea: Consumption, Politics, and Revolution, 1773–1776."
• 4:00-5:00 -Dr. Ben Carp "Teapot in a Tempest: The Boston Tea Party of 1773."

There will be guided tours of the Grand Lodge from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on a first come, first served basis. The Grand Lodge will also have several rare artifacts on display for you to view. 

(For Freemasons and their families)
There will also be opportunities to attend a group tour of a few local historic locations. The historic sites set prices for tours.

Following the symposium, Freemasons can join a procession with the Grand Master from the Grand Lodge to the Old South Meeting House, then to the Boston Tea Party Museum. Retracing the steps of our forefathers 250 years ago. (Registration will be $10 per Brother and include a commemorative apron for the event).

Sunday, December 17, 2023 

(Open to the public)
The Grand Chaplains will lead a non-denominational ecumenical service at the Grand Lodge at 10:00 a.m.

Following the service, there will be a celebratory brunch with the Massachusetts Sons of the American Revolution. Tickets will be $50 and limited to 150 people. This will be held in the Grand Master's Banquet Hall. 

To purchase custom swag, please visit this link and order now. Purchases will not be available on the day of the event. The store opens on November 1

straightstitch.myshopify.com/collections/mason-tea-party

The event's registration link is available now at https://massfreemasonry.org/250th/

For all questions and concerns, contact the 250th Committee at 250committee@gmail.com

Massachusetts Grand Master Warns About Bogus Masonic Recruitment

by Christopher Hodapp

Back in June, MW George Hamilton, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts AF&AM, issued a warning about the recruiting activities of a lodge claiming to be part of a bogus organization calling itself 'The Grand Lodge of the USA.' 

According to the letter, this group seems to be specifically targeting Brazilian immigrants in the U.S. and charging an exorbitant fee for joining them. (Click image above to enlarge)

From the letter:

"It is reported that these representatives are contacting local members of the community and hosting coffee gatherings and meetings at hotels or restaurants. Their pitch includes an official-looking application complete with an employer identification number to a lodge that cannot be verified.

"The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts can confirm that the Grand Lodge of the USA does not exist and is encouraging you to warn anyone who may be targeted to do their due diligence and to stay clear of this association."

I realize I'm late in discovering this letter, but it's important to alert Masons and non-Masons alike when these types of moneymaking schemes pretend to be part of the authentic world-wide fraternity. If you have an interest in joining the Freemasons in the U.S., there are only two organizations in every state that can claim legitimacy, that are male-only and generally permit inver-visitation with lodges all over the world: a state "Grand Lodge of (*your state here*) F&AM (or AF&AM)", usually founded around the time your state was admitted into the Union; and the historically black "Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of (*your state here*) F&AM" – often adding PHA (for Prince Hall Affiliated) in its documentation.

If you have a serious interest in joining, seek out the websites for those two groups in your state, or visit the website BeAMason.org, which is sponsored by the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite - Northern Jurisdiction. The contact forms at that site will be forwarded to the appropriate grand lodge in your area.

For a longer explanation of bogus, illegitimate, or what we call clandestine Masonic groups, have a look at Addressing Clandestine Freemasonry: Why It's Important.

COVID: 2020 Prince Hall Conference of Grand Masters Cancelled

by Christopher Hodapp

This new is several weeks old now. Nobody tells me anything any more. I just have to pick things up off the street.

Dorian R. Glover, Past Grand
Master of the MWPHGL of New York

The annual Prince Hall Conference of Grand Masters that was to be held in Springfield, Massachusetts this year May 13-17, was officially cancelled, another collateral victim of the COVID-19 Wuhan virus shutdown. 

The notice was officially issued March 23rd by President of this year's conference, Dorian R. Glover, Past Grand Master of the MWPHGL of New York.

Click image above to enlarge.

The Atlantic Asks Massachusetts Brethren What It's Like To Join The Freemasons

Brothers Jim Gonyea, Rob Lajoie and Chris Lapierre
of Joel H. Prouty Lodge in Auburn, Massachusetts

I'm not a regular reader of The Atlantic magazine, but they've had a handful of articles in the last year or two that touch on subjects I've been researching lately - namely fraternalism, our civic society, and how Freemasonry can benefit our communities on a wider scale again. 

If you didn't catch it, last November's Atlantic article, Americans Aren’t Practicing Democracy Anymore by Yoni Applebaum is well worth reading. The author made the strong connection between the 'Golden Age of Fraternalism' and the greatest level of civic engagement in American history. Whether we all knew it or not, the Freemasons, the Knights of Pythias, the Odd Fellows, Kiwanis, the Elks, Eagles and many more were all teaching Americans how to govern our Republic. We're currently living out the downside what happens when democratic people all decide "I'm not much of a joiner." The loss of interpersonal relationships that used to solve community concerns and forged strong neighborhood bonds has been devastating across America, and the middle and lower classes of Americans are measurably more isolated, alienated, and feel more hopeless than at any time in recorded modern history. 

Well, Atlantic author Julie Beck has been contributing a weekly series called The Friendship Files that's sort of an extension of Applebaum's article - or rather, regular looks at the practical extension of some of the topics in that original article. Beck has been interviewing groups of friends about their personal relationships and what makes them work. It turns out that joining organizations like church and civic groups, gaming clubs, and Masonic lodges is just what our communities need again — and for all the very same reasons it was a good idea in the very beginning.

This week's Atlantic entry is What's it Like To Join The Freemasons, and Beck spoke with Brothers Jim Gonyea, 47; Rob Lajoie, 50; and Chris Lapierre, 46 of Joel H. Prouty Lodge in Auburn, Massachusetts. These three Brethren had known each other before joining their lodge, and decided to petition the fraternity at about the same time, back in 2007. 

You'll find the piece refreshingly free of hyperbole, condescension or baseless accusations of nonsense. Here are a few excerpts:

Beck: If it did, how did joining the Masons change your friendship?

Rob: I don’t know if [Masonry] changed it so much as it provides a weekly night out where we get to see each other. This is also true with Dungeons & Dragons. It’s a reason to go out and physically be with friends. I say physically because nowadays [friendship] seems to be getting less [physical] with everything being online.

Jim: When I first had kids, I was very focused on the family end of things, and I didn’t go out and interact with Rob as much as I had previously. I really started to withdraw and drop the friendship. It picked back up for a while when I was introduced to Chris. Then I got into computer programming, which took up a lot of time, and I have a three-hour commute, on average, every day. Between commuting and long hours at work, you don’t engage with people. You get home, you’re tired, and you don’t necessarily want to go out. Having the lodge—that shared space—and that need to physically go out, it’s strengthened things. We spend more time together than I think we otherwise would have.

Beck: How many people are in your lodge?

Jim: We have maybe 15 or 20 guys who show up on a regular basis. Our total membership roster is about 150.

Beck: How do you feel about having the lodge be a male-only space? Has that been an advantage, having that in your life?

Jim: I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this. Two things that get guys into trouble are politics and chasing women. In Masonry, we’re not allowed to talk politics, we don’t talk religion, and we’re not competing over the affections of the opposite sex. Masonry gives guys an opportunity to be around other guys without having to deal with politics or competition. One of the things that we like to teach people is that the only competition in Masonry is to see who can be the better person. There’s no machismo going on; it’s not like a locker room. It’s more adult conversations in a very open and relaxing atmosphere.

Rob: My wife knows where I’m going; she knows I’m going to be around a group of really great guys. She’s met almost all of them. She knows that the focus is not only on improving ourselves, but also on helping out others in the community. For me, it’s having a night out where she doesn’t have to worry about anything.

Beck: Is there anything that you have learned through your experience with Freemasonry that changed how you think about friendship and community?

Chris: Right after I joined, I was helping out a co-worker who was really struggling at Christmastime. I convinced another co-worker to [help], and he was like, “You know what? Ever since you became a Mason, you’re a better person.” I always thought I was a pretty good person anyway, but to hear somebody recognize the change in me—I was pleasantly surprised. You’re told, “You’re a master Mason; you need to act as such.” It changes you in that sense.

Jim: Much like Chris, I guess I do hold myself to a higher standard now. The other thing that I have found is that because we can travel to other lodges and meet new people, it’s easier to make new friends. If I meet somebody who’s a Mason, I automatically have something in common with them.

Rob: If you’re surrounding yourself with good people who have the greater community in mind, it builds on itself. If you’re surrounded by people who are always talking about how to improve things, it rubs off on you. It’s not zero-sum—rather, everyone improves.

Read the whole interview HERE.

Stories like these brethren tell are far more effective than any canned speech memorized from some grand lodge brochure. When somebody asks you "What are the Masons about, anyway?" DON'T say "It's a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols." 

They'll look at you like you've got lobsters growing out of your ears. 

Tell someone why YOU joined a lodge, why YOU come back every week, why Freemasonry is important to YOU. Because that's what they want to know - why a man he works with, or likes, or admires bothered to join this fraternity that he knows nothing about.

Masonic Con and the Power of Great Ideas

After three and a half weeks on the road, the Hodapp traveling circus finally dragged into Indianapolis late Saturday night, and I'm trying to slowly get through nearly a month of mail, emails, bills, irate HOA violation letters, and other assorted detritus and ephemera. Plus, I have that muddy trench to flatten out that I managed to dig through the yard by steering wide in the rain. After 2,500 miles without mishaps, I made the last 15 feet look like it had been attacked by a mad farmer with his Massey-Ferguson disker...

We visited Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, and a minuscule sliver of New Jersey just wide enough for six gas stations. Never again in April — way too many closed campgrounds and Old Testament levels of non-stop rainfall.

The last big Masonic event I was able to attend while in New England in April was Masonic Con 2019 at Ezekiel Bates Lodge in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Once again, close to 500 brethren and non-Masons attended this amazing event that has been a complete grassroots effort by the entire Masonic family at Ezekiel Bates Lodge. The place was packed with vendors, speakers, podcast hosts, food, and most of all, excited Freemasons and their families.

I had anticipated just going as an attendee and book huckster. However, at the last minute, presenter William Kulisansky had to cancel, and I was asked by Brother Bryan Simmons, Masonic Con's chief organizer, to step in and speak.

A link to see videos of the day's presentations can be seen on Facebook HERE. As much as I realize that video recordings of anyone's speeches immediately render them spoiled and force us all to write new ones as soon as they appear online, to have an video record of all of these terrific presentations from the day is a treasure trove of Masonic education:

• John Michael Greer - Masonry and the Secret Societies 
• Walter Hunt - Merging Grand Lodges 
• Shai Afsai - Benjamin Franklin's Virtues, Freemasonry and Judaism: the Sage, the Prince and the Rabbi 
• Chris Douglas - Tombstone Territorial Lodge No. 5 
• Ryan Flynn - The Divine Master 
• Ben Wallace - The Middle Chamber - GL of North Carolina's program to explain the Philosophical Aspects of the FC Degree 
• Dr. Craig Williams - Metaphysics of Kshatriya and the Spiritual Warrior of Contemporary Times 
• Christopher L. Hodapp - How Dare We Be Masons? 
• Nicholas Harvey and David Riley - A Better Masonic Education 

I deeply appreciated the opportunity to play my own tiny part in the day’s events. But far more important, I count myself extremely lucky to see firsthand just what true Masonic leadership, brotherhood, and love for both the fraternity and each other was able to accomplish over the last few years. 

Year one of Masonic Con demonstrated that it was an idea whose time had come. Then, over the next three years, they proved it wasn’t just once, but was reproducible year after year. For all that and more, Bryan and the brethren and family members of Ezekiel Bates Lodge have my eternal admiration.

I even got to finally meet up with famed artist, Brother Travis Simpkins
and his equally talented wife Janet.

When I first concocted attending Masonic Con about six weeks ago in conjunction with a pair of other speaking requests, I had it in my mind to pick their brains to determine what magical formula they had stumbled upon to make this event such an ongoing success. I see now what a foolish waste of time that would have been. It is clear that the biggest bit of magic was the passion that Bryan Simmons in particular brought to the concept to begin with, and the infectious nature of that passion he inspired in his fellow members at the lodge. 

Like most of us, they knew that other groups had their own conventions that were actually just plain fun to attend, that their wife or partner hadn't been bored at, and that they had left those non-Masonic events feeling just plain better than when they arrived. They saw a need that wasn't being fulfilled in their part of the Masonic world - a FREE event with education and enjoyable presentations, a suitable location, piles of Masonic merchandise, family involvement, appendant groups all pulling on the same oars, food all day and night, and plenty of opportunities for Masons to just simply chat and meet and remind ourselves what this is all supposed to be about. There’s no plan or roadmap to achieve that. But one Brother, or one small group of Brothers, who have a vision and determination and won't take no for an answer, can change their lodge, change a state, change the fraternity. 

And more, sometimes.

It starts with one. Maybe you.

Already there are, or have been, Masonic Con copycats (or more correctly homages) sprouting up across the U.S. - last year in New Mexico; Texas MasoniCon in Ft. Worth, Texas in July; in Ventura, California in August; Esotericon in Virginia in June; and more are undoubtedly coming. That's a damn good development. If their brand of excitement and shared Masonic community spreads to other jurisdictions and invigorates more legions of Masons, that's a pretty gratifying legacy.

At the Festive Board attended by over a hundred Saturday night, it was announced that the 2020 Masonic Con would be the fifth and final one, in conjunction with celebrating the 150th anniversary of Ezekiel Bates Lodge next year. Their question is what to do next - shut it down, or transform it into something different. And sometimes, even boundlessly enthusiastic brethren want to sit on the sidelines and see what others can do. Maybe that's what's happening here.

The stars of some of your favorite Masonic podcasts gathered under one roof!

Meanwhile, have a look at Brother Robert Johnson's blog entry on the Midnight Freemasons website for a recap of the weekend and his own personal thoughts about this event: A Masonic Revolution - Education and the Front Lines of a War to Save Freemasonry

Traveling: Rhode Island and Massachusetts

Many thanks to everyone who came out to the Providence, Rhode Island Scottish Rite Center on April 17th for the meeting of St. John's Lodge No. 1 in honor of the Deputy Grand Master,  RW Robert Palazzo and his final visitation through the District. I deeply appreciated the warm welcome, the great food, and the wonderful fellowship. It was great to see old, familiar faces from the last time I was here almost ten years ago, along with meeting new friends. 

LtoR: Grand Master Glen Carlson; WB Richard Gonzalez, Master of St. John's Lodge 1;
the Dummy;  Deputy GM Robert Palazzo

And of course, congratulations to MW Grand Master Glenn Carlson for his outstanding year in the Grand East.

Most of all, my deepest appreciation to Brother Richard Lynch for his very kind invitation and hospitality.

The great thing about being in this part if the country is how close by everything is. While we were staying outside of Providence in Middleborogh, Massachusetts, just south of Boston, it gave me the opportunity to drive around and spot other lodges throughout the area.

Driving out into Cape Cod we found Dewitt Clinton Lodge in Sandwich, and a pretty piece of work it is, too.

DeWitt Clinton Lodge, Sandwich, MA

In the middle of Cape Cod, I came across Fraternal Lodge in Centerville.

Fraternal Lodge in Centreville.

And swinging back up to Plymouth, home of Plymouth Rock and the first Pilgrim settlement, I found Plymouth Lodge.

Plymouth Lodge

May Flower Lodge AF&AM, Middleborogh, MA

I also stopped in at Middleborough's May Flower Lodge last week and was lucky enough to find Brother Bill Allison working there (God love and protect all lodge Secretaries). He gave me a tour of their beautiful 19th century historic home. The lodge moved into the historic 1800 Horatio Barrows house back in 1977, and they have preserved much of the house's original furnishings and feel. 

Even in 1977, Freemasons were still doing crazy things like bequeathing their houses or property to their Masonic lodges because the brethren and the lodge meant so much to them when they were alive. You don't hear much about that these days, I'm afraid. Maybe we need to start asking...

MW Glenn Carlson, Grand Master of Rhode Island provided the following background about some of the treasures of the lodge:

May Flower Lodge has had many noted visitors, but none better known than Charles S. Stratton, of St. Johns Lodge No. 3, Bridgeport, Conn., better known to the world as General Tom Thumb, husband of one of Middleboro's famous Lilliputians, Lavinia Warren Bump. 

Among the cherished possessions of the Lodge is a Masonic apron 206 years old that was presented to Bro. Charles S. Stratton in Canada in 1863. He was a frequent visitor to May Flower Lodge and first recorded as such August 16, 1864. Another cherished memento is the traveling card of our late Bro. John N. Holmes, Master of Whaling Bark Sea Fox, New Bedford, who was killed by an explosion of gun powder on the West Coast of Africa, where it was found in the possession of a native by Mr. Crapo, another whaler who knew Bro. Holmes and returned it to the Lodge.

Next week: Maine and Masonic Con