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

Photo: City of Franklin Fire Dept.

by Christopher Hodapp

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

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

Credit: WTHR-13 Video

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The statement continued:

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

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

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

How You Can Help 

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

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

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

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

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

Indiana's Masonic Museum Gala Was Great Success!

by Christopher Hodapp

Our Night At the Museum Gala fundraiser in the Indianapolis Masonic Temple on Saturday night went off even better than we ever dreamed! We had a fantastic turnout- more than 160 people - touring the Temple and the Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana, and participating in our silent auction. In 27 years as a Mason, I’ve never seen so many people in the dining room before!

My heartfelt gratitude to everyone for coming out and generously supporting us. We have to pay all the bills, count all the donations, and make the final determinations, but I do know that the initial money taken in from the Gala's tickets and donations before expenses was close to $30,000! We had many startup costs that won't be needed in subsequent years, but this was an astonishing figure for a first-year attempt.

My deepest appreciation goes to Grand Master Randy Seipel for his inspiration and support. And it was an honor to have our city councilman Nick Roberts at our table as my guest. Thanks also to the brethren and their ladies from Broad Ripple Lodge 643 for their great support and such great turnout!

Alice Hodapp, Heather Steele, and especially Thea Emard Campbell did an incredible job, not just with the silent auction setup, but with the decor that brought class and elegance to the dining room it’s never had before. Our interns Lauren Frieje, Taylor Porter and Nathan Dowell were tremendous, helping to make the auction itself run so smoothly. WB Bill Sassman, the Indianapolis Masonic Temple's building superintendent, was of incredible help to us in the weeks running up to the event.WB Barry White handled much of the check in which went pretty smoothly, considering we were making it all up as we went along!

My deepest appreciation to Tom Fallis at the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral for recommending the string quartet from their orchestra, for providing the free parking, and for saying yes to anything else I asked for.

Our caterers, musicians, bartender, the rest of our committee - everyone did a fantastic job, and I owe all of you big time.

I also want to thank WISH-TV8 reporter Hernan Guttierez for interviewing Michael Brumback and I last week. (See the video HERE)

I have long believed that Masons would support efforts to support the Museum and our historic Temple if we simply asked them. For more than a quarter century, naysayers across the state have said, "Oh no, the membership outside of Indianapolis don't give a damn; they have their own buildings to worry about; they won't support this one, even if it is the headquarters of the Grand Lodge."  They said it to me time after time. But the funny thing is that they never ASKED the members if they really felt that way. It was clear Saturday night that it simply isn't so.

Thanks again to everyone. We'll see you next year!

A Night At The Masonic Museum in Indianapolis - March 7th

The Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana and the Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Masons of Indiana’s Grand Master Randolph L. Seipel cordially invite you to A Night at the Masonic Museum — a black-tie gala fundraising dinner, cocktail reception and silent auction on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the historic Indianapolis Masonic Temple, 525 N. Illinois Street, in downtown Indianapolis.

Every day, hundreds of people drive past the massive, windowless limestone building wondering at its purpose. It’s possible your father, grandfather, uncle, great-grandfather or other relative may have been a member of the Freemasons but you never knew what they were. Or they may be a complete mystery to you, calling to mind spooky images from History Channel shows.

A rare public opportunity to step inside one of Indianapolis’s most magnificent and enigmatic architectural landmarks. The evening will feature:

• Tours of the Temple’s grand spaces and behind-the-scenes Museum areas (available pre-dinner and post-dinner)
• Scavenger hunt in the Museum
• Cocktail reception
• Dinner (prime rib, with chicken or vegetarian pasta options)
• Silent auction with rare Masonic books, antique artifacts, premium items, travel packages, and unique Indiana experiences
• Program featuring Grand Master Randolph Seipel and best-selling author Christopher Hodapp (Freemasons For Dummies)

The Goal

The Temple’s prominent downtown location within the Mile Square was intended from the start to be a community resource. But decades of declining fraternal membership nationwide have led to deferred maintenance, creating urgent restoration needs. Proceeds from the March 7th gala will fund critical projects, including:

• Elevator modernization (approximately $350,000 per elevator)
• Auditorium restoration
• Air conditioning/climate-control study and upgrades for the Museum, auditorium, and other public spaces
• Major donors will be thanked on a new lobby donor wall.

This gala represents our next major step to raise funds while rekindling public awareness of the Museum and the Temple’s historic and cultural significance. 

The gala is open to the public, and we hope you’ll join us! Individual tickets are $75 per person, $140 for couples, $550 for a full table of 8 (tickets are available now via Eventbrite): https://tinyurl.com/MLMIndiana . Doors will open at 5:00PM, with cocktails at 6:00PM, and dinner at 7:00PM, followed by the program.

The Temple

The 1909 neo-classical Temple was designed by Rubush & Hunter during the City Beautiful Movement and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has served as both Indiana’s Masonic headquarters and a vibrant cultural hub for the city. At its dedication, so many people turned out that the governor couldn’t reach the stage for his planned speech. During World War II, the Masons operated a USO-style Masonic Army-Navy Service Center supporting thousands of servicemen, and in the 1950s it hosted U.S. citizenship swearing-in ceremonies, exemplifying Freemasonry’s values of religious and political tolerance, brotherly love, charity, mutual assistance, civic pride, and democratic governance.

Since 1818, at least 29 of Indiana’s 50 governors have been Masons, along with sports figures, business and civic leaders, actors, musicians, authors, scholars, and more. Locally, Hoosiers like aviator Weir Cook, Vice President Thomas Marshall of Indiana, comedian Red Skelton, Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, auto legend Harry Stutz, civic leader Bill Mays, former Mayor Bill Hudnut, shopping center developer Sidney Eskenazi, and current Senator Jim Banks have all been members of the Indiana fraternity.

In addition to the Library & Museum, Today, the Temple remains the headquarters for the Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana, the state’s oldest men’s charitable fraternal organization. Highlights of the building include: 

• An impressive grand marble staircase
• Seven ceremonial lodge meeting rooms
• A banquet hall
• The unique Egyptian-themed Red Cross lodge room
• Indiana Freemasons Hall — a 1,100 seat auditorium that hosted plays, concerts, lectures, political debates, literary figures, and early Butler University theater performances. 

The Library & Museum

The Museum preserves one of the top collections of Masonic objects and related rare books in the U.S. You’ll find Masonic artifacts from the White House and President Harry Truman, Masonic aprons from the early 1800s, and discover some of Indiana’s famous Masons. Displays dispel the many myths about the Freemasons; explain the mysterious symbols that appear in Masonic rituals; explore associated Masonic groups like Shriners, Scottish Rite, Order of the Eastern Star, and Knights Templar; and describe the unique history of Prince Hall’s formation of the first Masonic lodge for black men in America in 1776. The Museum serves as an educational resource for the public, members, and researchers, especially highlighting Freemasonry’s role in Indiana history. It is open to the public during weekly hours.

We hope you will be a part of this exciting event! For tickets, sponsorships, donations, or media inquiries, please contact us directly at the Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana.

Georgia Lodge Selling Mini Iron Pans As Fundraiser

by Christopher Hodapp

Landrum Lodge 48 in Savannah, Georgia is partnering with the appropriately-named Lodge Cast Iron company to create the first-ever Masonic cast iron mini skillets.

As a fundraiser they are offering this unique set of three miniature cast iron skillets representing the three degrees of Freemasonry: the Entered Apprentice with the square, compass, sun & moon; the Fellowcraft with the square, compass, and two pillars; and the Master Mason with the square, compass, and sprigs of acacia. The set will come in a custom printed cardboard box fit for display. Crafted in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, these naturally seasoned mini pans are the perfect size for serving individual cookies or brownies. Seasoned and ready to use.

Price is US$99.99 for the set. Orders are shipped within 2-business days​

Click here to order.

​

Masons Everywhere Want to Help Ukrainian Brethren

by Christopher Hodapp

Ukrainians woke up last week and found themselves suddenly in the middle of a full-scale invasion against one of the largest military forces in the world. People are fleeing their homes, taking up arms against the invaders, and placing their lives on the line to protect their sovereignty, their homes, and their freedom. Consequently, Masons from around the world have wished to offer their sympathy, prayers and more tangible support like money, medicine and food, especially to Masonic brethren there.

Many Masons may have done some Internet research and discovered that the Grand Lodge of Ukraine (Великої Ложі України) is widely recognized as regular and is in amity with most of the regular grand lodges around the world, including the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the National Grand Lodge of France (GNLF), and forty U.S. grand lodges. Ironically, the Grand Lodge of Russia even got around to recognizing the Grand Lodge of Ukraine four years ago, in 2018. So it's absolutely a lousy (and arguably tasteless) thing to enter something as meaningless as Masonic recognition rules into a discussion of helping fellow human beings in a war. 

Now there are a growing number of grand masters and individual Masons around the world issuing official letters of support for Ukraine and denouncing Russia for its hostile military actions. Masons everywhere are wondering how to help. Individual brethren have suggested GoFundMe campaigns to collect money in order to send to the GL of Ukraine. At the beginning of the week, even the George Washington National Masonic Memorial was bathed in blue and yellow light, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

(Photo: James Cullum from ALXNow website)

It’s frustrating to have to give a bureaucratic explanation to a question about extending aid and charity to Masons in any war-torn nation. However, our members need to remember that all communications at a grand lodge level must be conducted properly by going through our own Grand Lodge Secretaries, and not directly from our members. In fact, the Grand Secretary of the GL of Ukraine has already politely said in a form letter response being circulated online that he and their grand lodge have been overwhelmed by the volume of communications from Masons around the world, and he is unable to reply to them personally. I suspect they've been deluged with messages.

(Just so you know, there was no bank account info attached to the letter, despite him referencing it. Honestly, I suspect the Russians would love to have their bank account information, so it's just as well he didn't include it.)

The Grand Lodge of New York is asking for donations to their Brotherhood Fund, earmarked for Ukraine:

Dear Brethren and Friends,

We at the Grand Lodge of New York are trying to do our part towards answering the call of the distressed in providing a source of much needed help to those adversely affected by these unprovoked acts of violence and war against the good citizens of the Ukraine. These unprecedented assaults and aggression are especially traumatic and harrowing to the population of children and the elderly residing in both the cities and countryside of the Ukraine.

Your Grand Master, Most Worshipful Richard J. Kessler, and the Grand Lodge of New York, in a strong showing of solidarity with our fellow brethren of the Grand Lodge of the Ukraine, we look to the members of our noble Craft to demonstrate their heartfelt compassion and empathy for our fellow human beings during this their hour of darkness. Together, we will emerge from this tragic and dispirited experience united with a renewed zeal of bringing back peace, harmony and brotherhood throughout the world. The essence of True Masonic Brotherhood will be a beacon of hope for all to see and emulate.

In the name of this charitable and humanitarian effort in support of our brothers and their families in the Ukraine, we are grateful to receive your contributions, both large and small, as checks payable to the Masonic Brotherhood Fund earmarked for the Grand Lodge Emergency Relief Fund. Please mail your checks directly to the Masonic Brotherhood Fund, 71 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010-4149. Rest assured that every penny received will be distributed to those in need and absolutely no monies will be deferred to cover expenses and related costs incurred by the Grand Lodge.

CLICK HERE TO PAY ONLINE 

In anticipation of your most generous support, please accept the warmest fraternal thanks on behalf of the Grand Master, the officers and members of the Grand Lodge for your kind-spirited gift to the Grand Lodge Emergency Relief Fund. The noted humanitarian and physician, Dr. Albert Schweitzer said it best, “There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed.” In memory of the many victims who are injured, maimed or have perished during this calamity, and in cohesion with their families and fellow countrymen, we gratefully bear witness to your genuine and unselfish expression of charity.

In closing, I would like to share a short but true story that is most apropos today as it was when originally told in 1941. During the height of World War II, the Pro Grand Master of Finland, R:.W:.Brother Marcus Tollet, spoke of a little boy at a local seaport in Finland who looking at the various sailing ships noticed one flying a strange flag on its masthead, asked his father, “What flag is that?” He knew the flags of the Scandinavian countries and of all the countries that border on the Baltic, but this was a different flag; and his father replied, “It is the Freemason’s Flag – It is the Stars and Stripes of the American Flag”.

Thank you once again for your thoughtfulness and generosity for our fellow human beings during these trying times.

Fraternally,

Richard T. Schulz
Grand Secretary

Grand Lodge of F & AM Of the State of New York
Masonic Hall - 17th Floor
71 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010-4149 U.S.A.

Meanwhile, the Grand Lodge of Missouri this afternoon issued the following statement to its members:

 

The Grand Lodge office recieved an email request from the Grand Lodge of the Ukraine this morning.

The Grand Lodge of Missouri considers requests from other jurisdictions for emergency aid and assistance, however, those requests must be recognized by the Masonic Service Association (MSA), that is a part of the Confrence of Grand Masters of North America.

This request has been forwarded to the MSA for their consideration. Understandiably, with the volitity of the situation in the Ukraine, and the posability for fraud, the validity of the request has not yet been established.

THEREFORE, it is the order of the Grand Master that NO Missouri Lodges contribute any lodge funds to this, or any similar request(s), at this time.

If you or your lodge has recieved a similar request for assistance, please forward a copy of this request to the Grand Lodge of Missouri grlodge@momason.org so it may be forwarded to the MSA for their verification.

Once the request for assistance has been verified by the Masonic Service Association, another notice will be sent out through the Missouri portal, permiting donations to the MAS for donation to Ukaine.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Masonic Service Association has NOT issued a Masonic Disaster Relief notice. This is likely because the GL of Ukraine has not formally or informally requested it. (I think we can all probably understand that they are a bit preoccupied right at the moment.)

U.S. Brethren are cautioned NOT to attempt to set up their own independent fundraising plans in the name of their individual lodge or grand lodge, or even just identifying oneself as acting on behalf of other Masons – that is the prerogative of your grand lodge and the MSA. 

Further, the message from the Grand Secretary of Ukraine cites their most pressing need right now to be, not money, but a place to stay outside of the country as Ukrainian refugees continue to pour out across borders, followed by food and medicine.

This story will be updated if there are any substantive changes.

A word about recognition of the Grand Lodge of Ukraine

Masonic diplomacy and governance can be a tricky thing to understand, especially for newer Masons. Many Masons online have expressed dismay when they discover the GL of Ukraine isn't recognized by their own grand lodge. Indeed, in my own situation, the Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana is one of eleven U.S. grand lodges that does not recognize the Grand Lodge of Ukraine at this time. The reason is simple, and there’s no underlying animosity for it. The Grand Lodge of Ukraine never formally applied to us in Indiana for recognition after it was regularly constituted in September 2005. We were initially informed of their founding by their Grand Secretary at that time, but the Grand Lodge of Indiana has a longstanding waiting period at least five years following the formation of a brand new grand lodge before taking up the matter of its recognition. Waiting periods are designed to make sure a newborn GL isn't contested by others already in amity with us, as well as to let enough time lapse in case of bitterness or ego inflation, since so many spurious GLs come into being under hotheaded situations.

Further, established Masonic protocol expects that the newer grand lodge must formally request recognition of the older established one. But the GL of Ukraine never followed through with us, and we could not unilaterally extend recognition to them without their formal request to do so. It’s unfortunate, as our assembled grand lodge would have doubtless extended mutual recognition to them any time after 2010, had they asked. 

This is partially why the MSA was created in the first place. In the advent of a catastrophe, MSA acts as a single voice of North American Freemasons, instead of 51 (or 100) grand lodges and more than a million of us who all think we need to chime in on every given topic these days. If the MSA is contacted by the GL of Ukraine and its board of governors decide to act on their request for donations, those of us in the eleven GLs who don't recognize Ukraine's grand lodge are still able to contribute legitimately as Masons, and in a much greater collective capacity than any GoFundMe page you or I could ever set up.

Digital Order of the Knights Quarantine

by Christopher Hodapp

In much the same way that nature abhors a vacuum, some Masons get the twitches when forced to stay away from degree ceremonies for too long a stretch. And there's a certain breed o' Masonic cat that lives the life of the degree tourist, forever questing in search of the NEXT degree, appendant body, ritual, sooper-secret level, or remotely related pseudo-Masonic group. Otherwise known as the 'dues-card-and-a-pin-I'm-in' crowd. 

Three quarters of the most obscure Masonic organizations you've never heard of were created over the years strictly because the 33rds were letting in too much riff raff. Over the last 150 years or so, grand lodges would rear up, stamp their collective foots down, and declare lots of these distantly related (or sometimes downright troublesome) side groups as being 'non-Masonic,' but that never stopped the indefatigable Masonic tourist locked in an eternal chase to grab the next Golden Bling. Threats of suspension frighten them not when there are more degrees yet to be experienced, more vainglorious titles to be acquired, and more bilious finery in which to be draped, even if only in the secluded, momentary sanctuary of a hotel conference room one day a year. 

Masonic spouses put up with it as long as we don't criticize compulsive shoe shopping.

Well, the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine and national shutdown wouldn't be complete without its own pseudo 'non-Masonic, but sort of Masonic' order all its own. Next Wednesday, April 22nd, at 7PM EDT, the Masonic Lite podcast will conduct its very own non-Masonic, socially distant, digitally conferred non-degree — the Digital Order, Knights Quarantine!

To quote the website:

You are about to take part in a Quest. It is a Quest to fend off the darkness descending on the Land and to find the Mantle of Light and keep our friends and families close to us. You will walk in the footsteps of a young muckraker and his trusty sidekick. You will meet strange and interesting characters along your way. And in the end, you will find the light that will burn brightly and guide us to a....... blah blah blah, yada yada yada...... You get the idea.

This is pure Masonic Lite Podcast stuff, and will be performed LIVE on-line. This "Not-a-Degree", has no official connection whatsoever with Freemasonry, the Illuminati (maybe a little) or any other fraternal order. It's just for fun. No Grand body has authorized this performance, and anyone with $30 (plus the Eventbrite fees) and a sense of humor is qualified to "receive" this "Not-a-Degree".

No Masonic Order (pseudo or otherwise) would be complete without the imaginary confirmation lavished upon it by having its own regalia, and the DOKQ is no exception. In the 21st century, it wouldn't be a proper fraternal organization if John Bridegroom didn't design an appropriate medal for it. 100% of the proceeds (after they pay for the jewels and shipping) will be donated to Meals on Wheels for the relief of hardships brought on by isolation.

In appreciation of your donation you will receive a beautifully crafted Jewel of the "Order", created by John Bridegroom himself, and also an authentic looking receipt suitable for framing, so you can always remember this time you will never get back. 

For more information, check the website HERE. 

Iowa's Masonic Library & Museums' Book Restoration Project

The Grand Lodge of Iowa A.F.&A.M.'s incredible Masonic Library and Museums complex in Cedar Rapids has one of the largest Masonic collections of books and manuscripts in the world. Assistant Librarian Bill Kreuger now reports in the March 2020 issue of the Grand Lodge of Iowa Bulletin that Grand Master William R. Crawford has selected as one of his major fundraising projects the restoration and re-binding of books from their Rare Book collection. 

The first Iowa Masonic Library in Cedar Rapids in 1884

It's depressingly uncommon for a grand lodge to support their own library and museum as enthusiastically as Iowa does, and they have reason to brag. In 1884 Iowa opened the first Masonic library building anywhere in the world in Cedar Rapids. In 1952, the inadequate 19th-century library was demolished, and the current marble, Mid-Century Modern building opened on the same site in 1955. Today, the library houses over 250,000 volumes of both rare and circulating Masonic books. 

Iowa's Masonic Library and Museum is also home to several noteworthy specialized collections, including the A.E. Waite Collection of esoteric and occult science, and the Joseph A. Walkes Collection of Prince Hall Masonry. (If you're serious about researching African-American and Prince Hall-derived Freemasonry, Iowa absolutely needs to be on your itinerary. They have numerous volumes that don't exist anywhere else, including many sets of annual proceedings dating into the mid-1800s from the earliest predecessors of what we refer to as 'Prince Hall Masonry' today.)

The basis of Iowa's Library came about in the 1882 after the death of Brother Robert Franklin Bower, who was reputed to have owned one of the largest and most valuable Masonic book collections in the world at the time. Born in Philadelphia, Bower was first made a Mason in 1850 at Madison, Indiana (the Ohio River town that was the location of the founding of the Grand Lodge of Indiana in 1818). He moved to Iowa 20 years later, and he became General Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of the Royal Arch in 1880. Upon his death, the Grand Lodge of Iowa purchased his vast Masonic book collection from his estate. 

Many of the volumes in Bower's famed collection were quite rare, even for the late 19th century. The passage of 140 years has made them even rarer and more valuable than ever. And more fragile. Between environmental conditions, the original materials, decades of use by researchers, and the ravages of time itself, some of the rarest books have fallen into disrepair.

Recently conserved books include: Benjamin Franklin's American publication of Anderson's Constitutions (1734); an Ahimon Rezon (1817); and an 1840 manuscript by Mormon founder Joseph Smith. 

The books currently being restored include Anderson's Constitutions of Free-Masons (1723), and The Freemasons Monitor (1797). There are also several extremely rare, bound volumes of late-1700s Masonic magazines: Freemasons Magazine (1797-98); Sentimental and Masonic Magazine (1793-94); and American Museum or Universal Magazine (1790).

Conservation of these delicate works is not an inexpensive proposition — the estimated cost of re-binding and repairing a year's volume of the fragile, two century-old bound magazine sets is approximately $500. The restoration and re-binding work is an ongoing project being done by Brother James Twomey, a Mason and proprietor of the Book Restoration Company over in LaFarge, Wisconsin. 

Iowa's vast Masonic Library collection listing can be accessed online HERE.

To donate to Iowa's book restoration project or the Library & Museums, contact Associate Librarian Bill Kreuger at librarian@gl-iowa.org

Tractor Supply Co. Banning Gun Raffles Affects Masonic Fundraising

NOTE: THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED AT 2AM 9/20/2019 with a response from Tractor Supply Company.

Most states regard charity raffles as forms of gambling, and the U.S. has a patchwork quilt of various rules and regulations regarding their use for fund raising by churches, schools, fraternal groups and other non-profit groups. Because of Freemasonry's strong identification with the moral rectitude of is members, some grand lodges (but not all) over the years regarded raffles and gambling on par with drinking, and prohibited their lodges to engage in any of it. Such strictures were partially why the Shrine was born in the 1870s, to give Freemasons a less prudish outlet for their social activities than the lodges had become. 

Raffles have been a staple of Shriners' fundraising over the years, even though many grand lodges forbid their blue lodges to use them. My own state of Indiana is one such state, and our grand lodge only this year began permitting lodges to use raffles. In fact, we're still hammering out the final paperwork requirements and regulations to inform lodges on the nuts and bolts of running them. Raffles require all sorts of government licenses, permissions, paperwork, and tax forms, and it's not just as simple as printing up tickets, collecting piles of unreported cash, and pulling a lucky name out of a goldfish bowl.

Some of the most common items to raffled all across America by countless charities are firearms - frequently rare, historical, or otherwise collectable rifles and pistols. This is perfectly legal to do, and almost always done in conjunction with a licensed gun shop so that proper background checks are properly performed and state and federal gun laws adhered to. 

So just in time for the Grand Lodge of Indiana to approve raffles, firearms have become a politically toxic hot potato across the country. This story comes out of Texas this week, and it touches on this very topic. It seems that Tractor Supply Company, a major rural retailer of farm and sporting equipment, has made a corporate decision to ban organizations holding raffles of firearms from setting up their charity booths and selling tickets in front of their stores. The decision came from its national office, not a local manager. (See the update at the end of this story - CH)

TSC does sell guns and ammo at its stores, and is a licensed gun retailer. This makes the new policy somewhat inexplicable.

While not specifically involved in this story,
this type of rifle is not an unusual fundraising item

One of the first organizations to get the boot was the Masonic lodge in Palestine, Texas, after a single customer complained to the manager. As a result, booths raising thousands of dollars for providing scholarships to kids by multiple groups (not just the Masons) at that one single store were ordered off the property. 

From the Palestine Herald on Thursday:

Charities selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a firearm are no longer welcome in front of Tractor Supply. 

In answer to a customer complaint earlier this month, the store's corporate office banned all raffles awarding firearms as prizes. 

In the wake of several mass shootings in the past several months – two in Texas – that left dozens dead and dozens more wounded, many private businesses have restructured their firearms policies.

Most recently, Walmart, the world's largest retailer, announced they would stop carrying pistol ammunition, and certain long-barrel ammunition commonly associated with assault rifles like AK-47's and AR-15's. 

Many Americans, fed up with seemingly constant reports of mass shootings across the country, are making themselves heard by speaking to, and perhaps pressuring, retail establishments. 

Boycotts, for instance, have been an effective tool of the public for centuries.
“The Tractor Supply manager has always been super nice,” Master Mason James Ashley told the Herald-Press Friday. “I'm sure he was caught between a rock and a hard place when corporate made their ruling.” 

Jennifer Key, a 44-year-old customer service agent said the choice, ultimately, is up to Tractor Supply, not its customers. She said the free-market – whether customers choose to shop at the store – should speak for the public. 

“Frankly, I'm surprised Tractor Supply made that call [to ban firearm raffles],” she said. “But, they're a private company, and it's their call to make.”
Last year, three high school students – one each from Palestine, Westwood, and Neches High Schools – won $1,000 scholarships from Palestine's Masonic Temple, Lodge 31. 

The scholarship money came from raffle tickets sold outside storefronts like Tractor Supply. This year's prize: a Henry Golden Boy .22 caliber rifle.
“It's a trophy rifle, not a so-called assault weapon,” Ashley's father, Tom Ashley, also a Master Mason told the Herald-Press. “Still, someone called in a complaint to their headquarters, and corporate disallowed it.” 

Ashley said the lodge was hoping to increase the award to $1,500 this year. Having lost one of their ticket-selling outlets, however, might put that plan in jeopardy. 

Also on the sidewalk when the Masons were told to leave was Henry Kitchens of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Post 991. The VVA was also raffling off firearms; a .308 rifle, and a 9mm handgun. 

Kitchens, whose organization provided six $1,000 scholarships to local students last year through raffle proceeds, was also told to leave.
“I don't hold anything against Tractor Supply,” Kitchens told the Herald-Press. “They've always been good to us. It's a shame that one person's complaint can disenfranchise everyone else, however.” 

Kitchens and Ashley, who have held similar raffles for years, said they'd feel better if Tractor Supply, like Walmart, had a policy restricting all fund-raising, rather than singling out a few. 

“When Walmart said we could no longer use their storefront, they told us it was for everybody,” Ashley said. “Even the Girl Scouts can't sell cookies there anymore. I can understand that; what's fair for one should be fair for all.”

[snip]

“I personally think that if you don't like the prize for a raffle, then don't buy the ticket,” Temple, 44, told the Herald-Press. “As far as tractor supply saying you can't sell due to the prize being a gun, then I think the rule should apply to all.”

Temple, a field-service technician, said corporations should represent, and stand up for, the wants of the majority of their customers. 

“That is why our country is in the shape it's in now,” he said. “We try to please the few that are screaming loudly, but we don't listen to those who quietly like the way things are, even if they're in the majority." 

Kenneth Rollins, 62, who retired from Walmart earlier this year said, for him, the answer is simple. 

“Tractor Supply just lost a customer,” he said. 

[snip] 

Winners of either contest must pass federal background checks before prizes are awarded. In the event a winner fails the background check, another winner is chosen at random.

These types of raffles and other fundraising booths have been a staple of community life for decades. But national corporations are increasingly dictating to local stores draconian policies that frequently conflict with the values of the majority of their customer base. The globalization of instantaneous "outrages" via cell phone and overnight boycotts have all run roughshod over what used to be small town decisions by individual businesses that historically supported their local charities. The WalMart situation of banning ALL fundraising from their properties instead of dealing with the headaches stoked by the perennially indignant has robbed communities of important connections with their customers and neighbors. These corporate policies only serve to further isolate them from the very people they expect to actually spend money in their stores. That means local charitable groups like Masonic lodges are being driven farther off of the radar screens of their own neighborhoods as they fall victim to "activists" on the other side of the country.

And that can't be good.

 Read the full story HERE.

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UPDATE:

I spent Friday unsuccessfully attempting to negotiate Tractor Supply Company's website and various telephone trees at their customer service center in an attempt to get official clarification from them, or an official response other than what the local newspaper in Texas reported. Fortunately, Mackenzie Goldman, a Public Relations Specialist at TSC in Brentwood, Tennessee saw this post late Friday and reached out to me with the following message: 

"I came across your blog post regarding Tractor Supply on the Freemasons for Dummies website and wanted to reach out.

"Tractor Supply strives to be active members of the communities in which we call home, and we seek to support causes that are central to the mission and purpose of our business as a rural lifestyle retailer. We respect America’s fundamental freedoms and take individual rights very seriously. Our primary focus for fundraising is for FFA and 4-H youth programs. Other fundraising decisions are made on a local store-by-store basis taking into consideration factors unique to each situation. Tractor Supply is making donations to the local Palestine, TX chapters of the referenced organizations to support their college scholarship programs.

"Thank you for the opportunity to respond."

So it sounds as though there is wiggle room for local managers at TSC stores. 


(Please don't turn the comments to this story into inflammatory pro-gun/anti-gun diatribes. This is a hot-button issue for many people on both sides - but gun sales are still quite legal in the U.S. and will be for the foreseeable future. Please keep the discussion about how these types of bans could affect Masonic lodges who have historically held these raffle charity events.)