Masonic Society Semi-Annual Meeting Saturday

Welcome to brethren coming to Indianapolis from out of town. Wish we could do something about the rain. And the FFA convention.

The Board is meeting Friday night, so we're unfortunately out of the socializing loop for the evening.

In addition, the competition for dinner tables will be tough downtown, as there are 55,000 Future Farmers of America in town for the week. I have made a reservation for 12 people at a very uniquely Indianapolis restaurant, the Rathskeller, at 7PM, in case you are interested. It is in the name of The Masonic Society, and it is upstairs in the "Director's Room." Jeff Kaplan is heading up the group and will meet there at 7.

Here's the website: http://www.rathskeller.com/

It is a German restaurant, but with a very wide menu, a huge beer list as you can imagine, in a wonderful old building, and located at 401 E. Michigan St. (3 minutes by car, or about a 12 minute walk from the Hilton Garden Hotel.) There is room for more than 12, if you are so inclined.

If the Board finishes early, I'll come up and at least have a largish beverage.

Here are a few other options within walking distance of the Hilton Garden Hotel.

Dunaway's Palazzo Ossigeno
Morton's Steak House
St. Elmo's Steakhouse (Very expensive, very crowded, very loud, but a city institution)
Fogo De Chao - a Brazilian steak house that is very unique
Ruth's Chris
Harry & Izzy's
PF Chang's
Buca di Beppo
Jillian's (similar to a Dave & Buster's)
MacNiven's (Scottish)

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Saturday Program

9:00 AM Call to Order ..... Colin Peterson
Co-Chairman, Indiana Second Circle Committee
Invocation

Welcome and Introductions .......................Roger S. VanGorden
President of The Masonic Society

Keynote Address .................. Charles F. Marlowe
Grand Master of Masons in Indiana

The Gentleman Mason...................... Jeffrey D. Naylor

Notes on Teaching the Craft: The Millennials’ View of American Freemasonry ..... José Díaz

Reviving a Failing Lodge ................................ Chris Hodapp

12:00 Noon Luncheon in the 2nd Floor dining room, Indiana Freemasons’ Hall

1:00 PM Tours of Indiana Freemasons’ Hall and the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral

2:00 PM Reconvene

The George Washington Masonic Memorial and
Electronic Records for Researchers............. Mark Tabbert

All Masonry is Local ................................Roger VanGorden
Working the Plan: Lodge Models and Model Lodges ........ George Haynes

The “Dan Brown Effect” .................................... Chris Hodapp

Closing Remarks ...................................Roger S. VanGorden

6:30 PM Banquet in the 2nd Floor dining room, Indiana Freemasons’ Hall

Benediction

"Hunting The Lost Symbol" Sunday 10/25

"Explore the fact in the fiction surrounding some of Washington, DC's most famous symbols, images, and legends."

So reads the description of the Discovery Channel's new program, "Hunting The Lost Symbol," this coming Sunday night, October 25th at 8PM, and again at 11PM (EST). The 2-hour show features Mark Tabbert, Brent Morris, Dr. Bob Hieronimus, Mark Koltko-Rivera, me, and Alice Von Kannon (my wife and co-author of Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies, and The Templar Code For Dummies), and many more.

DP Clay Harrison traveled to Indianapolis the day after Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol was released to interview Alice and me in Indiana Freemason Hall. (Alice is in the Knights Templar Asylum, home of Raper Commandery No. 1, and I am in the Egyptian-themed Red Cross Room, meeting place of Imhotep Council No. 434 Allied Masonic Degrees.)

I pass along my usual disclaimer: I have not seen the program, a script, or even a rough edit, so I will be as surprised as the rest of you on the 25th.

The program repeats November 1st at 4PM. And then, undoubtedly, ad infinitum.

Quoted In Code

Wow.

This is a first.

I am quoted in code. Specifically, a number substitution cryptogram.



04.22.19.19.21.11.13.05.20.22.09 15.19.11.06.12.19.13 24.19.13.13.05.20.13 05.04 13.05.06.08.11.24 11.20.18 21.05.22.11.24 23.08.22.15.16.19.13 26.11.13.19.18 05.20 13.09.21.26.05.24.08.13.21 05.04 15.12.19 15.05.05.24.13 11.20.18 24.11.20.14.16.11.14.19 05.04 15.12.19 11.20.06.08.19.20.15 26.16.08.24.18.08.20.14 15.22.11.18.19, 16.13.08.20.14 15.12.19 26.16.08.24.18.08.20.14 05.04 11 13.15.22.16.06.15.16.22.19 11.13 11 13.09.21.26.05.24 04.05.22 15.12.19 26.16.08.24.18.08.20.14 05.04 06.12.11.22.11.06.15.19.22 08.20 21.19.20. 21.11.13.05.20.13 11.22.19 05.26.24.08.14.19.18 15.05 17.22.11.06.15.08.06.19 26.22.05.15.12.19.22.24.09 24.05.23.19, 21.16.15.16.11.24 11.13.13.08.13.15.11.20.06.19, 19.07.16.11.24.08.15.09, 13.19.06.22.19.06.09, 11.20.18 15.22.16.13.15 26.19.15.25.19.19.20 19.11.06.12 05.15.12.19.22.

(Need a hint? Go here.)

This is from the upcoming book, Cracking Codes and Cryptograms For Dummies, by Denise Sutherland and Brother Mark Koltko-Rivera.

With over 300 different puzzles of varying skill levels from the simplest substitution puzzles to fiendishly difficult ciphers Cracking Codes & Cryptograms For Dummies provides an introduction to the use and function of codes and cryptograms in the world of secret societies and their connections to conspiracy theories.

The book is unique in that there are three conspiracy stories, set in the times of the American Revolutionary War, American Civil War, and the present day, which are encrypted through the book - to uncover the stories you need to crack the ciphers!

The types of puzzles include:

• Cryptograms with letter substitutions, number substitutions (A=1, B=2, etc.), and symbol substitutions (A=♦, B=☼, etc.).
• Caesar Ciphers—also called Shift Ciphers where there is a shift of number of letters in the alphabet
• Masonic Ciphers—a collection of real symbols and ciphers used by Masons for hundreds of years, including the substitution cipher exchanging letters for symbols based on a grid design (also known as the Pigpen Cipher).
• Rail Fence Ciphers—in this type of transposition cipher a message is written along a zig-zag path, across two to five lines (or rails), and then broken into sets of letters
• Caesar Box Ciphers—messages are written down the columns of a grid, and transcribed by row by row.
• Keyboard Ciphers—using cellphones and computer keyboards to create ciphers.
• Twisted Path Ciphers—the message is written into a grid, along a winding path, and then transcribed row by row.

Anagrams and Wordplay

• Anagrams—rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase.
• Cryptic Clues—learn some tricks from the world of cryptic crosswords, and solve these anagram, hidden word, and double definition clues
• Double level Ciphers—by solving one cryptogram you get a keyword, which then allows you to crack the encryption on a different kind of puzzle.

I was honored to be asked to write the foreword, but Denise and Mark have done a fantastic job creating a very fun book that will drive you crazy. Due in stores any day now.

Brotherhood of the Briar

"A pipe is the fountain of contemplation, the source of pleasure, the companion of the wise; and the man who smokes, thinks like a philosopher and acts like a Samaritan."

-Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton

For those of you who have long admired the art of the pipe, but didn't know where to start when it comes to partaking of the joys of the leaf and briar, The Art of Manliness website features a Pipe Smoking Primer, written by Jason Mills.

The 1979 Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health (Table 7, Section 13, page 17, or page 637 in pdf form) shows that, in one study (H. A. Kahn), pipe smokers of 1-4 bowls a day actually have a lower mortality rate than non-smokers. Table 8 of a second study (E.C. Hammond), shows pipe smokers who smoke more than 9 bowls a day, again, had a lower mortality rate than non-smokers.

That's because a pipe keeps us calm and free from hysterics.

"The pipe draws wisdom from the lips of the philosopher, and shuts up the mouth of the foolish; it generates a style of conversation, contemplative, thoughtful, benevolent, and unaffected..."

-William Makepeace Thackeray, from The Social Pipe

Salt Lake City Masons, Mormons In News

Brethren in Salt Lake City were discussed in a lengthy article in Friday's Salt Lake Tribune. Have a look here.

Also, Brother Mark Koltko-Rivera, himself a Mormon, discusses Brown's few references to Mormonism in The Lost Symbol in a separate article, Mormons off the hook in Brown's book.

However, one of Brown's major themes -- that human beings have the potential to be gods -- echoes Mormon teachings.

"That should resonate with Latter-day Saints," says Mark Koltko-Rivera of New York City, a Mormon high priest and Master Mason. "I know this is our doctrine that causes the most trouble with other Christian churches. But it is a central belief that we should be more open about and celebrate."

It would have made fictional sense for Brown, who visited several Utah LDS and Masonic sites in 2006, to create a Mormon character as his anti-Masonic foil. After all, antagonism between the two groups goes back a long way and often was contentious, even violent.

In the 1840s, many LDS leaders, including church founder Joseph Smith and apostles Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, became Masons and organized a Nauvoo Lodge under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Illinois. It wasn't long before nearly every male Mormon in the area had joined.

At the same time, Smith introduced LDS temple rituals that included secret handshakes, signs and symbols like the all-seeing eye, the compass and square (tools of the mason's trade) along with the sun, moon and stars that paralleled Masonry.
Soon, other Masons felt that the Mormons were dominating the fraternity. The Nauvoo Lodge was suspended in 1842. Many Mormons believed that Masons contributed to the murder of their prophet June 27, 1844. Smith reportedly began to utter the Masonic distress call, "O Lord, my God, is there no help for the widow's son?" as he fell to his death from a second-story window after being shot by a mob.

In 1859, a Masonic lodge was established by Johnston's Army at Utah's Camp Floyd, but it didn't accept Mormon candidates. At the same time, Young forbade Mormons from joining and refused to allow any Mason to hold priesthood leadership positions in the church.

It wasn't until 1984 that LDS President Spencer W. Kimball removed the prohibition against Latter-day Saints becoming Freemasons. Later that year, the Grand Lodge of Utah discontinued its own ban on Mormon membership so that, in the ensuing years, many LDS men have returned to this part of their heritage. In 2006, Glen Cook became the first Mormon to serve as the state's Grand Master.

Some people suggest that Smith copied Masonic rituals for his LDS temple, but Koltko-Rivera thinks that's too simplistic. Instead, he says, it was just the trigger for Smith's divine inquiries.

"Masonry prepared Smith for a vision of the Latter-day Saint endowment," Koltko-Rivera says. "The two ceremonies are complementary. Both are fascinating but in very, very different ways."

MSA's Dick Fletcher on Discovery News

The Masonic Service Association's Richard Fletcher on Discovery News today.

Last Call: Masonic Society Semi-Annual Meeting in Indianapolis 10/24

The Masonic Society
Semi-Annual Meeting, Indianapolis
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Starts 9 AM Eastern Time and concludes after the Banquet
Indiana Freemasons' Hall, 525 N. Illinois St., Indianapolis, Indiana

Theme and Program

"Rededicating the Craft"

Program includes:

• Charles Marlowe, Grand Master of Indiana - Keynote Address
• Chris Hodapp – discussion of the “Dan Brown Effect”
• Jeffrey Naylor – The Gentleman Mason
• Mark Tabbert – The George Washington Masonic Memorial and electronic records for researchers
• Roger VanGorden – All Masonry is Local
• Jose Diaz – Notes on teaching the Craft: The Millennials’ view of American Freemasonry
• George Haynes – Working the Plan: Lodge Models and Model Lodges
• Chris Hodapp – Reviving a failing lodge

Plus, tours of the 100-year-old Indiana Freemasons’ Hall and the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral, the largest of its kind in the world.

Event Registration: $65, includes luncheon and banquet. Both members of the Society and non-members are welcome to register and attend. Be sure to invite the brethren of your lodge! Your Lady or Other Guest may attend the conference and banquet for an additional $65 per person.

To make reservations, see the official Semi-Annual meeting webpage.

Please make reservations by October 17th! Do it right now, while you're thinking about it!

See you in Indianapolis!

Not a member of the Masonic Society yet? To join online, visit our website here.

Freemasonry and Lost Symbol Upcoming Media Watch

Tomorrow evening, Friday October 16th, Dateline: NBC will air "Secrets of The Lost Symbol," with an exclusive interview of Dan Brown, shot in the Supreme Council Room of The House of the Temple in Washington DC. I understand Brent Morris and Art DeHoyos were also interviewed for the show (I had a long, fun conversation with the producer the day Brown's book was released, as we both read it simultaneously. If ever there was a time to be a Freemason living in Washington, this last month was it). The show airs at 9PM EST.

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"Explore the fact in the fiction surrounding some of Washington, DC's most famous symbols, images, and legends." That's the description of the Discovery Channel's new program, "Hunting The Lost Symbol," which was to premiere this coming Saturday, but has been bumped back to Sunday, October 25th at 8PM and again at 11PM (EST). The 2-hour show features all of your favorite regulars, Mark Tabbert, Brent Morris, Dr. Bob Hieronimus, Koltko-Rivera, me, and Alice VonKannon (my wife and co-author of Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies, and The Templar Code For Dummies). Plus many more.

I have been in the film business for a long time, so I will simply pass along my usual disclaimer: I have not seen the program, a script, or even a rough edit, so I will be as surprised as the rest of you on the 25th.

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While visiting Annapolis last week, I was contacted to be interviewed by the Italian language Swiss TV network (they also have French and German language stations as part of their group). It just happened that it was while the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction was in session.

Here's the story.

Yes, I know, it's in Italian.

Yes, I know, they misspelled my name.

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I was standing on the steps of the House of the Temple with the Swiss TV crew. As we stood there, several Masonic brothers, literally from all over the world, poured out of the door, and we all greeted each other warmly as they headed for their cars to go to meetings. Meanwhile, Masons visiting from out of town wandered up to take pictures and tour the building. One came over to have me sign his book and say what a profound effect Masonry had on his life.

Just at that moment, a car sped by on 16th Street, horn blaring, as the driver screamed out the window, “Freaks! Racists! Masons should die!”

Just to make sure we all got the message, he went around the block and did it again.

Thanks To Annapolis Lodge No. 89

My visit to Annapolis Lodge: LtoR: Richard Harrod, JS; WBro. Bruce Lanier, WM; Chris Hodapp;

Leamsi Collazo, SS; Ellis Tinsley, Tyler. (Photo from Richard Harrod)

My belated thanks to the brethren of Annapolis Lodge No. 89 in the beautiful town of Annapolis, Maryland, for their warm welcome and incredible hospitality earlier this month. I had a fantastic time and cannot praise the brethren of this lodge enough. WBro. Bruce Lanier and his officers have much to be proud of. It was a great opportunity to be invited to speak to this lodge, and I thank everyone who came out.

Thanks also for the opportunity to spend a little time at the Annapolitan Club. It was a fun way to cap off the evening.

Brother Harrod arranged for accommodations at the wonderful Governor Calvert Inn. My only regret was that I didn't bring Alice and several more days of leisure time with me. Annapolis is a unique place. We'll be back.

Freemasonry Under the Nazis

The United States Holocaust Museum has a detailed article on its website about the treatment of Freemasons under the Nazi regime.

When the Nazis came to power, policy towards the Freemasons was equivocal. Efforts to eliminate the Freemason did not receive top priority. Those lodges that espoused tolerance and equality and had international connections or connections through their leaders to the Social Democrats or liberal democrats were subject to persecution and often pressured into “voluntary” dissolution. A few conservative German lodges that were willing to accommodate themselves to the regime were able to continue some form of existence for only a little longer. Nevertheless, the regime intended to exclude those who refused to give up their Masonic connections.

In early 1934, the chief of the Nazi Party Court System ruled that Masons who did not leave their lodges prior to January 30, 1933, could not join the Nazi party. That same month, Prussian Minister of the Interior Hermann Goering issued a decree calling upon the lodges to “voluntarily” dissolve, but requiring such voluntary actions to be submitted to him for approval. In addition, lodges and their branches in various cities throughout Germany were exposed to arbitrary violence from local SS and SA units, though this terror does not appear to have been centrally directed.

Increasing pressure in the public and professional sectors forced individuals to choose between remaining in their lodges or limiting their career opportunities. Many former lodge members holding positions in the civil service were forced or harassed into retirement. In May 1934, the Ministry of Defense banned membership in lodges to all personnel -- soldiers and civilian employees. During the summer of 1934, after Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich completed their takeover and centralization of the Gestapo, the German police forcibly closed down many Masonic lodges and branch headquarters of the Masons and confiscated their assets, including their libraries and archives.

On October 28, 1934, Reich Minister of the Interior Wilhelm Frick issued a decree defining the lodges as “hostile to the state” and hence subject to having their assets confiscated. Finally, on August 17, 1935, citing the authority of the Reichstag Fire Decree, Frick ordered all remaining lodges and branches dissolved and their assets confiscated.

Read the rest of the story here.

(Photo: A reconstruction of a Masonic lodge from the Isle of Jersey, on display in an anti-Masonic exhibition in Nuremberg. Germany, 1938.)

Masonic Pyramid?

The Lost Symbol prominently features a small, portable sculpture of a pyramid as a plot device, which Dan Brown repeatedly refers to as a "Masonic pyramid." So, just about the time I sat down to write that Freemasons generally don't have pyramids in their lodges and their symbolism, I run across Lafite's Photostream collection taken inside of the Grand Orient of France's Paris temple (that sadly suffered major fire damage last week). These shots were taken more than two years ago, and it's a shame to know these lodge rooms have been seriously damaged. But lo! and behold, there sits a pyramid on what I presume to be the treasurer's desk (No, Mssr. Lafite would not grant me permission to post the photo here).

The Grand Orient is not recognized as regular by the majority of Masonic jurisdictions in the world, but if there is a GO Mason out there who could explain the significance of this pyramid sculpture in their lodge room, I'd love to hear it. It is possible it's nothing more than an elaborate alms box.

These writing projects are NOT going to get done if this poodle is going to insist on sitting here.

Levant Preceptory on Canadian TV

(Photo by John Bridegroom)
The Knights Templar of Levant Preceptory donned our chainmaille and helmets ten days ago for a documentary crew from Halifax, Nova Scotia. We performed our public program that depicts the Friday, October 13th arrests of the French Templars in 1307, and were appropriately shot in the Tyler's Room of the very Gothic Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis. The program, being made for Canadian television, will hopefully air next year on the National Geographic Channel. A tip of the helmet goes to Brother Stephen Dafoe for putting the producers in touch with us, and to Sir Knight Jim Dillman for his tireless efforts.

Mississippi Lodge Burglarized

Four men have been arrested while in the act of burglarizing a Masonic lodge (Pride of Pascagoula Lodge No. 485) in Pascagoula, Mississippi late Thursday afternoon. Witnesses spotted two men kicking in the back door of the building.

According to a story from WPMI-TV:

Police say when they arrived, Shawn Martin, 17, and James Wright, 17, were in the front doorway. Later, police say they found Ladarius Stallworth, 17, and Tykarius Smith, 18, hiding in an upstairs bathroom. All four were taken into custody and charged with burglary. Smith was out on bond, accused in a drive-by shooting. Authorities say he fired a shotgun from a car in an apartment complex on Hospital Road. That shooting happened in May. Three people were hit, including a woman who was taken to the hospital. She was treated and released.

Not certain of the affiliation of the lodge. It does not appear to be part of the Grand Lodge of Mississippi F&AM, the M.W. Stringer Grand Lodge of Mississippi F&AM (PHA), or the M.W. Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Ancient York Masons (PHO National Compact).

Dan Brown and Why Freemasonry

Dan Brown was asked to address the Scottish Rite-SJ's annual gathering in Washington DC this past week, but because of his schedule, could not be there. You might be interested in his letter. (Click the image to enlarge).

It reads, in part:

In the past few weeks, as you might imagine, I have been repeatedly asked what attracted me to the Masons so strongly as to make it a central point of my book. My reply is always the same: “In a world where men do battle over whose definition of God is most accurate, I cannot adequately express the deep respect and admiration I feel toward an organization in which men of differing faiths are able to ‘break bread together’ in a bond of brotherhood, friendship, and camaraderie."

Please accept my humble thanks for the noble example you set for humankind. It is my sincere hope that the Masonic community recognizes The Lost Symbol for what it truly is…an earnest attempt to reverentially explore the history and beauty of Masonic Philosophy.

Yours sincerely,

Dan Brown

Masonic Secrecy

If there was one phrase I could expunge from the lips of every Mason (and especially, with all due respect, grand masters) it is "We have no secrets, except a few funny handshakes." That is not true, and it does terrible disservice to the fraternity. Yet I keep seeing it in story after story that appears in the press about the fraternity.

Somehow we've come to the conclusion that secrecy is a bad thing that makes the public suspicious. It makes reporters suspicious. It makes suspicious people more suspicious. Nevertheless, it is one of our most treasured possessions that makes us different from the Rotary, the Lions and the American Legion.

Please, brethren, STOP SAYING WE HAVE NO SECRETS. We have secrets. We have lots of them. And it really is okay to say, "I'm sorry, there are things I just cannot tell you."

Masonic secrecy is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the fraternity. Freemasonry teaches its philosophy to its members through symbolism, and secrecy is actually a symbol of honor.

Originally, the medieval stonemason guilds kept the practices and knowledge of their skilled trade as closely guarded secrets, to protect the value of their livelihood, and to ensure only qualified men were employed. Likewise, passwords and secret signs were developed so members of the guild in different parts of the country could recognize each other, even if they had never met.

These traditions have been retained by the modern Freemasons. If a person can’t be trusted to keep a simple secret like a password or a handshake, his word isn’t really trustworthy. He is not an honorable person.

There are other secrets, besides these modes of recognition. Some have to do with the specifics of Masonic rituals and ceremonies of initiation. Others are more personal, and different for each Freemason. Most of all, like all initiatic experiences in the world, the real secrets of Freemasonry are the effects its teachings and ceremonies have on the individual, and how he applies them to his life.

From The Meaning Of Masonry by W.L. Wilshurst:

"We know that even the elementary and superficial secrets of the Order must not be communicated to unqualified persons, and the reason for this injunction is not so much because those secrets have any special value, but because that silence is intended to be typical of that which applies to the greater, deeper secrets, some of which, for appropriate reasons, must not be communicated, and some of which indeed are not communicable at all, because they transcend the power of communication."

(Image: Own your own "Shhh" plaque as a reminder: from Atlas Signs and Plaques.)

Minneapolis Lodge No. 19

A decent article in yesterday's Minneapolis-St. paul Star Tribune about Minneapolis Lodge No. 19.

I covet their decor, especially the custom carpet with their "19" logo. This is an absolutely beautiful lodge. The lodge relocated two years ago to the Harrington Mansion on Park Avenue near downtown Minneapolis

Check out their website, which is beautifully done, as well.

Most impressive is their philosophy and strategic planning. From their "Lodge Life" page:

Minneapolis 19 will be moving to the Harrington Mansion (owned by Zuhrah Shrine Temple) on August 27th, 2007. This historic move signifies a major step in our revitalization efforts over the next year or so. We are heading back home to the city where it all began almost 150 years ago.

In 2008, we will be celebrating our 150th year as a blue lodge. And we will be celebrating this major milestone with some major changes in our operations and programs. These initiatives include:

The move back to Minneapolis.
Increasing our annual dues and fee structure to realistic levels.
Establishing our own perpetual membership fund.
Establishing our own 501(c)3 scholarship fund.
Purchasing life memberships for our 70+ members.
Purchasing life memberships for our new Past Masters.
Establishing credit card and bank draft services via the website.
Providing a superior website presence for our membership.
Our partnership with Zuhrah Shrine is a strategic investment by Minneapolis 19. The third floor ballroom in the Harrington Mansion will be transformed into a first class blue lodge room over the next year.

Some of the other changes for Minneapolis 19 include:

GAVEL TO GAVEL IN 30 MINUTES
There is hope for those desiring efficiently run stated communications. And there is no reason why most lodges can't accomplish this task in 30 minutes or less.

At Minneapolis 19, we only conduct tyled business within a tyled meeting. Everything else is accomplished at our monthly officer meetings.

After our meetings, we adjourn to the Harrington Mansion Library for dinner, lodge education and social time.

FIVE STAR DINING EXPERIENCE
Dinners at Minneapolis 19 are a first class experience. Meals are complimented with your choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, the choice is yours at 19.

The meals, themselves, are catered by the Zuhrah Shrine banquet facility by renowned resident Chef Michael and served in the Harrington Mansion Library after our Stated Communications around 7 PM.

For Special Communications (degree nights), meals will be served before the degree program around 6 PM.

The menu is generated a year in advance...

Bravo,, brethren.

Scottish Rite's National Heritage Museum: Anti-Masonic Exhibit

There's a brief article in the Edge section of the Boston Herald today about the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction's National Heritage Museum in Lexington, featuring Jeff Croteau. The Museum has a new exhibit opening this weekend, "Freemasonry Unmasked!: Anti-Masonic Collections in the Van Gorden-Williams Library and Archives."

Also on display is "The Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts: Celebrating 275 Years of Brotherhood," featuring more than 150 objects, photographs and documents related to Masonic history in Massachusetts.

Washington's House of the Temple, headquarters of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction, gets all of the press lately, because it has a beautiful, monumental building in D.C., and because of its role in The Lost Symbol. Don't short-sheet the AASR-NMJ (which has similar membership numbers as the Southern Jurisdiction, in spite of being in just 15 states). The museum is outstanding and well worth a visit if you are in the Boston area.

Masonic Society Semi-Annual Meeting in Indianapolis 10/24

The Masonic Society
Semi-Annual Meeting, Indianapolis
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Starts 9 AM Eastern Time and concludes after the Banquet
Indiana Freemasons' Hall, 525 N. Illinois St., Indianapolis, Indiana

Theme and Program

"Rededicating the Craft"

Program includes:

• Charles Marlowe, Grand Master of Indiana - Keynote Address
• Chris Hodapp – discussion of the “Dan Brown Effect”
• Jeffrey Naylor – The Gentleman Mason
• Mark Tabbert – The George Washington Masonic Memorial and electronic records for researchers
• Roger VanGorden – All Masonry is Local
• Jose Diaz – Notes on teaching the Craft: The Millennials’ view of American Freemasonry
• George Haynes – Working the Plan: Lodge Models and Model Lodges
• Chris Hodapp – Reviving a failing lodge

Other presentations are in the works. If you wish to make a presentation please contact Jay Hochberg as soon as possible at articles@themasonicsociety.com

Plus, tours of the 100-year-old Indiana Freemasons’ Hall and the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral, the largest of its kind in the world.

Event Registration: $65, includes luncheon and banquet. Both members of the Society and non-members are welcome to register and attend. Be sure to invite the brethren of your lodge! Your Lady or Other Guest may attend the conference and banquet for an additional $65 per person.

Hotel Accommodations: The Society has arranged for a limited number of rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown, which is about seven blocks from Indiana Freemasons' Hall. We have negotiated a rate of $109/night for Friday, October 23, 2009 and Saturday, October 24, 2009 (with checkout on Sunday, October 25, 2009). NOTE: If you plan to stay in the hotel, please reserve early as there is a large convention in Downtown Indianapolis the same weekend of our meeting. 9. We cannot guarantee any room availability at this time. There is a link to the hotel on the Semi-Annual Meeting page on our web site. Alternately, you may call the hotel directly at 317-405-5709 and use the group name "The Masonic Society" and group code "TMS".

To make reservations, see the official Semi-Annual meeting webpage.

Please make reservations as soon as possible!

See you in Indianapolis!

Not a member of the Masonic Society yet? To join online, visit our website here.

Canonbury Conference on the Origins of Freemasonry Oct. 25-26

Tickets for the 11th international conference on ‘The Origins of Freemasonry’ are now available priced £99.

The conference weekend will begin on Friday 23 October at University College London with an evening showing of a film called The Scottish Key – a recent documentary which examines various theories of masonic origin. This showing is open to conference participants only.

The conference itself will take place on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October at Canonbury Academy, 6 Canonbury Place, Islington, London N1 2NQ.

It will feature keynote addresses delivered by three internationally acclaimed scholars:

Dr Margaret Jacob, Distinguished Professor of History at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Professor Dr José Antonio Ferrer Benimeli, Founder and Director of the Centro de Estudios Históricos de la Masoneria Espanola (CEHME), Zaragoza University
Dr David Stevenson, Professor Emeritus of Scottish History at the University of St Andrews.

See full programme here.

Conference tickets cost £99 and cover access to the Friday evening film showing and drinks reception at UCL, entrance to the conference itself, and two lunchtime buffets.

Cheques should be made payable to ‘CMRC’ and sent to: The Conference Organiser, Canonbury Masonic Research Centre, Canonbury Tower, Canonbury Place, London N1 2NQ. Please ensure that you enclose your name and full contact details with your payment and also outline any special dietary requirements.

Important In view of the postal disruption caused by recent and possibly ongoing industrial action, when sending a cheque can you please send an accompanying email to conference@canonbury.ac.uk to let us know that your payment is in transit. Should you not receive confirmation of your payment within fourteen days of its posting, you should contact us on the aforementioned email or by phone on: +44 (20) 7226 6256. Please note that the CMRC does not accept credit card payment.

Registration form click here.

For any further information please contact conference@canonbury.ac.uk.

NYT Maureen Dowd's Masonophobia

On the occasion of the publishing of her 2005 book, Are Men Necessary? Blogger Fred Reed once remarked about cranky New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd. "I weary of the self-absorbed clucking of aging poultry."

I'd like to second that emotion.

I'll be honest right up front: I've never been a fan of Dowd. So it came as no cardiac-inducing shock to my system to read in her snarky review of Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol today that she seems to have a chip on her shoulder about Freemasons:

It’s not so much the barbarous machinations of the villain, another one-dimensional, self-mortifying hulk, that sends chills down your spine. Or the plot, which is an Oedipal MacGuffin.

No, the terrifying thing about “The Lost Symbol” is that Brown — who did not flinch when the Vatican both condemned the (sic) “The Da Vinci Code” and curtailed the filming of “Angels & Demons” in Rome — clearly got spooked by that other powerful, secretive ancient sect, the Masons.

His book is a desperate attempt to ingratiate himself with the Masons, rather than to interpret the bizarre Masonic rites and symbols that illuminate — as in Illuminati! — how the ultimate elite private boys’ club has conspired to shape the nation’s capital and Western civilization ever since George Washington laid the cornerstone for the Capitol building in a Masonic ritual wearing full Masonic regalia, including a darling little fringed satin apron. If the Masons are more intimidating than the Vatican, if Brown has now become part of their semiotic smoke screen, then all I can say is, God help us all.
[snip]

Of course, who can blame him? How can you not be frightened by a brotherhood that includes Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny; Buzz Aldrin; and Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s? During the five years he researched this book, did Brown begin to believe those sensational stories about how, if you expose the secrets of the Masons, they will slit your throat? Did he discover that the Masons are not merely a bunch of old guys dressed up in funny costumes enjoying a harmless night away from the wives? Could they really be, as a recent Discovery Channel documentary on the ancient order wondered, “Godless conspirators bound to a death pledge who infiltrate institutions and run the world”?

Her largish and rambling column savages Brown's writing style, and in that I suppose, the Emperor finds himself stark naked and swimming in a barrel being shot at like a fish. The success of Brown has not been predicated on his construction of lavishly embellished, award-winning prose. And certainly, any time a writer finds himself describing a bald-headed criminal genius admiring his genitals and the esoteric tattoos covering every inch of his nude body while standing in front of a mirror, he runs the hazard of drifting into the unintentionally yclept.

Brown cannot by any stretch of the imagination be considered subtle.

But where Dowd seems to have a personal irk is with the Masons. Her old men remark should come as a surprise to the waves of men in their 20s and 30s who have been joining the fraternity over the last decade and moving rapidly into leadership positions.

She finally gives a clue deep down in the column that the source of her peevishness is her own Catholic upbringing.

My dad always said in his day that the Masons were not welcoming to Catholics. The Catholic Church once considered the Masons so anti- Catholic, Catholics who joined were threatened with excommunication. Now the church hierarchy merely disapproves. (They like secret rites, blood rituals and the exclusion of women only when they do it.) But Langdon suggests to his Harvard students that the Masons are “refreshingly open-minded” and do not “discriminate in any way.” To a student protesting that Masonry sounds like a “freaky cult,” Langdon counters that it’s “a system of morality.” He notes, “The Masons are not a secret society . . . they are a society with secrets.”

Dowd has never impressed me with any ability to actually research a topic she was writing on, so this jumble of misinformation doesn't surprise me much. I was raised a Catholic myself, and since "Watchy" over at Freemasonry Watch has officially labeled me a "Catholic Freemason Apologist," I'll take up that mantle long enough to remind Dowd that the Freemasons have not had an unwelcoming attitude toward Catholic members. A man's personal religious beliefs have always been considered to be between him and his Maker, and none of the lodge's business. No Mason would have stopped Maureen's dad from petitioning a lodge. Indeed, today there are thousands of Catholic Masons in lodges all over the world, privately going about their business, without anyone making a caterwaul over it.

The Catholic Church, on the other hand, has banned Masonic membership by its members since 1738—Pope Clement XII fired the first shot, not the Masons. But while the language was softened by Vatican II, the Church still does more than disapprove today. Catholics who become Masons may not receive communion and are considered to be in a state of "grave sin." Yet, the reason for this is predicated on the incorrect accusation that Freemasonry fights against the Church, even though it certainly doesn't in Great Britain, North America, Australia, and plenty of other places around the world (the bulk of the troubles have been with the Grand Orient of France). Pope Leo XIII's "Humanum Genus" railed against the Masons and those other evildoers, the "freethinkers" who questioned the divine right of kings and the infallibility of Pontiffs and engaged in rotten things like the American revolution. It should also be recalled that the Church has had rules forbidding Catholics from joining the Rotary, the Elks, and the Lions, as well.

The Church has held a grudge for a long time over the Masons' welcoming of members of all religious faiths, incorrectly labeling such tolerance and acceptance as "syncretism," the notion that the Lodge equates all religions as equal. Quite the contrary: Masonry is silent on the subject. A man's faith is sacred to him, and the lodge is not the place for a man to evangelize or witness to his Brother. Masonry encourages each man to have a greater faith in his own religion, not less. There is no specifically "Masonic god." We simply refer to the Grand Architect of the Universe in our prayers as a non-denominational term for God which does not favor one man's religious beliefs or ecclesiastical nomenclature over another, so that a Baptist, a Jew, a Muslim and a Catholic can sit alongside each other without prejudice. I, for one, think that's a pretty damned admirable concept.

Meanwhile, her smack at the Church's "secret rites, blood rituals and the exclusion of women" sheds light on her own objections to the Vatican's rules. So perhaps she and I (along with my other Catholic brethren) sit in not dissimilar sides of the confessional when it comes to the personal interpretation and application of canon law in our daily lives.

In interviews, Brown has said he was tempted to join the Masons, calling their philosophy a “beautiful blueprint for human spirituality.” In the next opus, Langdon will probably be wearing a red Shriner’s fez with his Burberry turtleneck and Harris tweed.

Another puling swipe. The Masonic philosophy of religious and political tolerance forged in the age of Enlightenment couldn't possibly be a “beautiful blueprint for human spirituality” to Dowd. It must just be silly. (Note to Maureen: All Shriners are Masons, but all Masons are not Shriners. Not that there's anything wrong with running 23 hospitals for burned and handicapped children at no cost to their families. I guess that's just silly, too.)

In this book, Langdon helps stop the villain from releasing a video to YouTube that he has surreptitiously taped during his Masonic initiation rites. The blind folded initiate drinks blood-red wine out of a human skull and has a dagger pressed to his bare chest; he has to take part in an enactment of his own brutal murder — “there were simulated blows to his head, including one with a Mason’s stone maul” — and hear a biblical reference to human sacrifice, “the submission of Abraham to the Supreme Being by proffering Isaac, his firstborn son.” These are meant partly as warnings about what can befall anyone who leaks the order’s secrets — warnings Dan Brown clearly took to heart.

“Langdon could already tell that the video was an unfair piece of propaganda,” Brown writes, adding that the symbologist thought to himself, “the truth will be twisted . . . as it always is with the Masons.” Brown skitters away from giving us the book we expected: one that might have clued us in on which present-day politicians are still Masons and what mumbo jumbo they’re up to.

Dowd once asserted that, "Men are simply not biologically suited to hold higher office." ("Fashioning Deadly Fiascos," NYT, Nov 5, 2005), so I guess the idea that men outnumber women in the halls of government just burns her biscuits. But what's worse is that we mean old Masons who don't let wimmin join our lodges might secretly be in control of the whole turkey shoot.

So, having first sneered at 3 million Freemasons as doddering old men in costumes and darling aprons, she winds up propounding the notion that Masons are really scary practitioners of "mumbo jumbo," and that Dan Brown, the writer of fiction, let the world down by not exposing all of the real-life Masonic politicians who are doing sinister stuff behind closed doors.

So which are we, Maureen—harmless and creepy, or pervasive and all-powerful?

Speaking at Annapolis Lodge No. 89 on Monday 10/5/09

I will have the honor of speaking at Annapolis Lodge No. 89 in Annapolis, Maryland this coming Monday evening, October 5th.

Annapolis Lodge No. 89 has been active in the Annapolis community for 161 years. The Lodge was chartered on May 9, 1848. The Annapolis Lodge Temple is located at 162 Conduit Street in historic downtown Annapolis.

Dinner starts at 6:30PM and is by reservation only. The meeting will begin at 7:30PM. For reservations, contact the lodge here.

All New Jersey Lodges Hosting Open House October 3rd

Cory Sigler passes along this information today (click the image to enlarge).

All New Jersey Lodges are opening their doors on Saturday October 3rd from 11am-3pm for an event being called "Square & Compass Day".

We are inviting all members of the community to come in and ask us any question, see the Lodgeroom, regalia, jewels..etc.

Knowing that "The Lost Symbol" with have an impact on many people we wanted to be sure that the community can get answers directly from a Freemason

The attached ad was put in today's newspaper and lists all of the 2nd, 3rd and 5th district lodges however as I mentioned above ALL lodges throughout New Jersey will be open.

Politico: In search of the Hill's Freemasons

Politico's Eamon Javers goes to Capitol Hill in search In search of Freemasons in the halls of government.

Read it here.

The reporter turned to an even more eminent figure, Senate Historian Don Ritchie. But Ritchie said there’s no list of Masons in Congress. Politicians have long been drawn to the group, he says, because of its grass-roots political organizing power.

Yep, that's us. Out there organizing political movements.

Sheesh.

Nevertheless, some interesting comments from several Senators and Congressmen who are brethren.

D.C. Masons to Host Nation's Capital Masonic Day of Prayer

Washington, DC (MMD Newswire) September 28, 2009 -- Freemasons (or Masons), their families and friends, from the national capital region, the country, and the world will gather in Washington, DC on October 3, 2009 for a service of prayer and thanksgiving. The Nation's Capital Masonic Day of Prayer will take place at 12:00 noon on Saturday, October 3, 2009, at the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 3401 Nebraska Avenue, Washington DC. Refreshments will follow the service. The event is being jointly organized and hosted by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia, Inc.
The event will take place some two weeks following the publication of Dan Brown's much heralded new book, "The Lost Symbol", which has a plot focusing on Freemasonry and Washington, DC.

The Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia is the governing body of Free and Accepted Masons in Washington, DC. Freemasonry has been a major part of community life in the United States for over two hundred and fifty (250) years. Freemasonry is America's largest and oldest fraternity and is predicated on the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God. Freemasons seek to promote friendship, morality and brotherly love in all their activities. They are bound together by a philosophy of moral standards, mutual understanding, and brotherhood in which all men are on a level and equal.

Contact: Walter Hoenes
Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia
voice: (202) 686-1811
fax: (202) 686-2759
email: grandlodge@dcgrandlodge.org
website: http://www.dcgrandlodge.org

Benjamin Franklin on Masonic Secrecy

Freemasonry, I admit, has its secrets. It has secrets peculiar to itself, but of what do these principally consist? They consist of signs and tokens which serve as testimonials of character and qualifications, which are conferred after due instruction and examination.

These are of no small value. They speak a universal language and are a passport to the support and attention of the world. They cannot be lost so long as memory retains its power. Let the possessor of them be expatriated, shipwrecked or imprisoned; let him be stripped of everything he has in the world, still their credentials remain, and are available for use as circumstances require.

The good effects which they have produced are established by the incontestable facts of history. They have stayed the uplifted hand of the destroyer; they have subdued the rancor of malevolence and broken down the barriers of political animosity and sectarian alienation.

On the battlefield, in the solitudes of the uncultivated forest or in the busy haunts of the crowded city, they have made men, of the most hostile feelings and the most diversified conditions, rush to the aid of each other with special joy and satisfaction that they have been able to afford relief to a Brother Mason.

Attributed to Worshipful Brother Benjamin Franklin, 1778

(This quote does not appear in any collected writings of Franklin that I am able to find. The first reference I can find to it is in the August 6, 1859 "Freemasons Magazine and Masonic Mirror." Subsequently, it is repeated in AQC 41 and MANY other Masonic books after 1859. If you know whence this quote originated, or have an earlier source—preferably non-Masonic source— than 1859, I would like to prove these are truly the words of Franklin's, and not fiction.)

Bogus D.C. Lodge Draws Attention of Authorities

The city authorities in Washington D.C. have refused to renew a permit for a local Masonic lodge that would allow the owners to rent their temple to outside organizations, citing several recent incidents of violent crimes involving young people on the premises. The story is in today's Washington Examiner, and paints a less than flattering picture of the lodge.

There's just one problem.

It's a bogus "masonic" group that has precisely nothing to do with regular, recognized Freemasonry.

The Most Worshipful King Solomon Grand Lodge, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons Inc. refers to its D.C. location at 2245 Rhode Island Avenue as the "Holy See." Unfortunately, readers see the term "Masonic lodge" and figure it's "those Freemasons."

They have nothing to do with either the Grand Lodge of Free And Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia, or the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons, Prince Hall Affiliation, of the District of Columbia, Inc, the only two regular and widely recognized grand lodges in the District.

From "D.C. cracks down on Masonic Lodge in NE" by Ben Giles:

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty on Thursday said the city has not renewed a license that would allow a Masonic lodge in Northeast to continue renting out space to host public events, citing a recent string of violent crimes linked to youth activities held at the building.

Although Masons can still meet as an organization at the King Solomon Grand Lodge on Rhode Island Avenue and hold free events, lodge members objected to the city's action. They said officials had not properly notified them to public concerns of violence in the vicinity of the lodge.

"While the good members that run this lodge wanted to help the community and help kids, it was the license on weekends that was causing serious concerns in the community," Attorney General Peter Nickles said.

Records showed that 114 calls for a police response within 1,000 feet of the lodge were made in the past six months.

Those calls included one for a teenager being shot in the leg, and another for a teenager being severely beaten.

And the volume of calls for service in the area hurt police's ability to respond to other 5th District calls, Chief Cathy Lanier said.

Residents also began an online petition urging the city to close the lodge.

Seriously, 114 police calls within the last 6 months?

According to the Phylaxis Society's Commission on Bogus Masonic practices, "There are more African American bogus Grand Lodges in the United States than there are legitimate Grand Lodges around the world." The "Most Worshipful King Solomon Grand Lodge, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons Inc" is one of at least four such bogus grand lodges currently at work in Washington, D.C.

For an eye opener, check out the website and look up your state.

Sally Brindle and the United Way

Nathan and Sally Brindle are very special people in our lives. Alice and I have known Nathan for more than 30 years, and he is my closest friend. We even joined the Masons together. I was proud and honored a few years ago to be asked to be in his wedding, and he and Sally have proved to be truly perfect for each other. Our little corner of the world would be a grimmer place without them in our lives.

Sally Brindle is a swimming instructor at the Jewish Community Center here in Indianapolis, and she is featured in a new video segment produced by WRTV Channel 6 for the United Way. Have a look and see why we think she is remarkable.

Thanks to the Brethren of Missouri

Many thanks to the brethren of the Grand Lodge of Missouri, and especially the Missouri Lodge of Research for their great hospitality earlier this week. I had the honor of addressing 200 brethren at the MLOR breakfast Tuesday morning on the subject of the future of the fraternity and the effects The Lost Symbol is already having just one week after its publication.

The MLOR has an enviable heritage. Its publications like William R. Denslow's 10,000 Famous Freemasons are indispensable to the Masonic world. And while there are dozens of research lodges in states across the US, very few can boast membership of more than 900.

I also had the opportunity to tour the Grand Lodge's newly opened museum in Columbia. It is truly one of the finest Masonic museums you will find anywhere. It has been beautifully and professionally presented, and is a model every Masonic group contemplating their own display should take the time to visit. Likewise, they will next turn their resources to installing a new Grand Lodge library, with the same attention to detail. The brethren responsible for the new Grand Lodge building designed for the future, with plenty of space to expand, and the library and museum spaces take up a substantial portion of the facility. Missouri Masons have much to be proud of.

My gratitude goes out to everyone who helped make this a memorable trip, especially Brother Aaron Shoemaker, who was the perfect host. Thanks also to Mike Lockwood, David Bower, RWBros Ron Miller, Dale M. Bryan, John Hess, Nicholas Cichielo, the new WM of of the MLOR Bob Berger, and especially to the now Immediate Past Grand Master, RWBro. Rocky Weaver.

Secrets of DC's Masonic Wives

Friend Heather Calloway, the Sublime Priestess of Templicular Seremnity* at the Scottish Rite House of the Temple, is quoted in the Washington Post today on the subject of being a Masonic wife.

See "Secrets of D.C.'s Masonic Wives Revealed" by Paula Dvorak.

*Appropriately magniloquent title of tumescent blandishment concocted by Eric Diamond.

New UGLE Website

The United Grand Lodge of England has completely redesigned its website, which includes links to brochures, videos, Letchworth's shop at Freemasons' Hall, a tour of their London building, their publication "Freemasonry Today," and more.

Have a look at www.ugle.org.uk