National 'Brethren In Unity 9/11 Memorial' in Indianapolis Friday

by Christopher Hodapp

On Friday, September 11th, the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral will be the site of an extraordinary 9/11 Memorial service. All four of the Supreme Commanders of the Scottish Rite Supreme Councils of the United States will join together on the same stage with our city's first responders, veterans, and Freemasons to present a special donation to the Tunnel To Towers Foundation as part of the Scottish Rite Brethren in Unity 2026 Campaign.

To donate to this campaign, visit the website HERE: https://dogood.t2t.org/campaign/scottish-rite-freemasonry-brethren-in-unity-2026/c782074

DONATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ACCEPTED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH

Doors to the Cathedral will open at 8:00AM Friday and the program will begin at 8:45AM:

• Doors Open - Guests Arrive 
• Tunnel to Towers Video 
• Processional of Sovereign Grand Commanders 
• Welcome by Dr. Eugene Anderson 
• Pledge of Allegiance by Rear Admiral William G. Sizemore II, USN (Ret.) 
• National Anthem by Randolph Seipel 

• Fireman's Bell Ringing - Troy Clements 
• Invocation by Dr. Kenneth Allen 
• Remarks on Scottish Rite Unity and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation Remarks — Brigadier General Jon M. Taylor, Alabama Air National Guard 
• III. Walter F. Wheeler, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, USA 
• III. Melvin J. Bazemore, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, United Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, Prince Hall Affiliation, USA 
• III. Corey D. Hawkins, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, United Supreme Council, Southern Masonic Jurisdiction, Prince Hall Affiliation, USA 
• Ill. James D. Cole, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, Supreme Council, Southern Masonic Jurisdiction, USA 
• Presentation of Check to Troy Clements and Team 
• Closing Remarks -Lt. Phil Burton, Court Operations & Security-Judicial Enforcement Division, Marion County Sheriff's Office 
• Closing Benediction - Chaplain (MAJ Kelly Mathis, FTS Chaplain 219th EN BDE-Traditional 
• Recessional of the Sovereign Grand Commanders

If you are intending to attend in person, veterans, active service persons and responders are asked to dress in uniform, if possible, and Masons are requested to dress in suits and ties. There is free parking at the Cathedral.

New York Mayor Eric Adams Made a Prince Hall Mason

by Christopher Hodapp

On Tuesday last week, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge F&AM of New York conferred the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason degrees upon New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a special ceremony. Also raised at this event was the city's Police Commissioner, Edward Caban, and Chief of Police, Jeffrey Maddrey.

(LtoR)Grand Master Gregory Roberson Smith, Jr,
Mayor Eric Adams, Commissioner Edward Caban,
Chief Jeffery Maddrey.

The historic event was held at Gracie Mansion, the city's official mayoral residence, and MW Grand Master Gregory Roberson Smith, Jr. presided. He was accompanied by the Grand Lodge officers, including RW Kevin Wardally, Grand Senior Deacon (who is a Board Member of The Masonic Society). 

This type of special ceremony that confers the degrees in a single day is sometimes known as making a Mason "at sight" and is a prerogative of grand masters in many jurisdictions (dating back to a privilege granted to GMs in Rev. James Anderson's Constitutions in 1723). It usually permits GMs to waive any waiting and proficiency period between degrees so that they can all be conferred in a single day. In the majority of grand lodges where this is permitted, it does NOT accelerate or alter the actual degree rituals themselves, nor is it some kind of separate truncated ceremony.

In addition to the Craft lodge degrees for the Mayor and the Commissioner, Sovereign Grand Inspector General Deputy (SGIG), Illus. Rev. Hermon J. Simpson, 33° of the Prince Hall Scottish Rite NMJ, took the opportunity to elevate three esteemed brethren – New York Police Department Borough Commander Ruel Stephenson, New York and Yonkers Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon), and Citywide Public Housing Liaison to the Mayor Tony Hebert –  to the 32° degree of the Scottish Rite, Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret.

The event was made public in a press release issued by the Grand Lodge. (Click image to enlarge.) Photos were shared by Grand Master Smith on his Facebook page.

Michael Poll To Speak To Louisiana's New Goose & Gridiron Lodge 1717 Festive Board Saturday 7/30/22

by Christopher Hodapp

Last year while everybody (including myself) was distracted by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana's recognition and establishment of amity with the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Maryland, but not Louisiana's (for very good reasons), most of us missed another interesting development in that unique Masonic jurisdiction. 

The GL of Louisiana issued a charter for their own Goose & Gridiron Lodge 1717, named for the London alehouse and the lodge that met there in the churchyard of St. Paul's Cathedral when the premiere Grand Lodge of England was famously formed in June 1717.

Back in October of 2018, I posted a story announcing Ohio's chartering of Goose & Gridiron Lodge 1717. That interesting 'observant-styled' lodge was established with the unique (for the United States) mission of studying and working English Emulation Craft degree rituals. Back in 2001 when we were establishing Lodge Vitruvian 767 in Indiana, getting dispensation from our Grand Lodge to work the English Emulation Craft rituals had been an elusive dream for us for many years until we finally dropped the subject out of frustration. Despite their widespread use throughout the United Kingdom and the rest of world's UGLE lodges, they are rarely seen in this country.

But Louisiana's new lodge won't be following the lead of the Ohio brethren. Their Goose & Gridiron Lodge 1717 joins ten other lodges within the Grand Lodge of Louisiana that currently are permitted to work the Scottish Rite Craft degree rituals descended from the earliest French lodges that predated statehood. These are often mistakenly referred to by American Masons as Louisiana's 'Red Lodge degrees' (as opposed to our usual 'Blue Lodges').

In addition to Louisiana, these Scottish Rite Craft degrees are also worked upon occasion in certain lodges in California, Hawaii, New York and the District of Columbia. But Louisiana's are by far the best known in the U.S.

According to Mike Poll, editor of the Journal of the Masonic Society, Louisiana's Goose & Gridiron 1717 is the first lodge  to be chartered by Louisiana's Grand Lodge in a century permitted to work these rituals.

Speaking of Michael, he will be delivering a Zoom presentation to the lodge's festive board tomorrow evening, Saturday, July 30th at 7:30PM (central). From their Facebook page:

Master Masons are invited to come learn more about Louisiana's peculiar Masonic history and the Scottish Rite Ritual and Degrees unique to our state, most specifically the New Orleans area.
Visiting Master Masons will be presented with education regarding the Scottish Rite esoteric work in lodge, with an open presentation to follow at the Festive Board.

 At 7:30PM, W∴B∴ Michael Poll, P∴M∴, Masonic Historian and Publisher, will present "The Other Scottish Rite Degrees: A little of what we know and don't know about the Louisiana Scottish Rite Craft Lodges" to those assembled as well as online viewers via Zoom at this link bit.ly/GG1717_SRTALK

NOTE: This will be a public talk and nothing will be discussed that is the reserved for a properly tilled lodge.
There will be a catered meal for $15 a plate for those who would like to eat during the Festive Board. If you plan to attend in person please RSVP at this link: bit.ly/GG1717_RSVP1

Goose & Gridiron No. 1717 is the only lodge in Louisiana outside of the 16th Masonic District working in this ritual, and the only Traditional Observance lodge in the US designated as a "Scottish Rite Craft Lodge." 

Visiting Brethren, please note: G&G No. 1717 has a dress code of a dark colored suit for business meeting attendees. Non-Master Masons may attend the festive board presentation.

Tickets available HERE.