Masonic Transparency

Photo: Dylan Brethour for Vice

An article on the Vice website today briefly visits and has a superficial chat with brethren at Freemason's Hall in London. 

From How The World's Oldest Secret Society Is Becoming More Transparent by Dylan Brethour:

We're at the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) in London's Covent Garden, the imposing stone building decorated with esoteric symbols. The Masons' reputation for mysticism has made them a beacon for conspiracy theorists, ranging from purported links with 9/11 to the Illuminati and New World Order. Now, in the lead up to their tercentenary, the Masons are trying to manage this centuries-old PR problem. The question is, what happens when the world's oldest secret society tries to open its doors? 

Part of the Masons' makeover is challenging the most persistent myths. "We actually prohibit politics and religion in what we do," Mike tells me. They're even hesitant about making public statements, "because of our history and because we would not want to seem politically motivated. You know, the conspiracy theories around, with Bilderberg and things like that." So why join if there's no opportunity to meddle in politics? It's all about the values, Mike says. The Masons make charitable donations as part of their community involvement. Right now they're in the middle of funding London's second air ambulance. "The next time you have a serious accident and the air ambulance flies down and, underneath it, you'll see a square and compasses – just think how that happens to be."

[SNIP]

Part of the problem for the Masons is that their distinctiveness is both a blessing and a curse. They're a deist non-religion marked by a disjointed mixture of conservatism and high theatre. Surely some of the attraction for any potential member is that weirdness. After all, what's the point of joining a secret society that wants to be open, transparent, and normal? But with that comes more of the same reputational hammering the Masons want to avoid. I ask Mike if there's ever the temptation to just open everything up? Almost all of their material, he tells me, is available online anyway. However, for UGLE's members, looking would spoil the surprise. Right now they're trying "to demystify it but without removing the element of fascination – that's the difficult thing." If the Masons want to celebrate their fourth centenary, they'll need to square that difficult circle.

The author points out a sad observation, "Talking to the press officer, it's clear that part of their strategy is downplaying anything too weird." 

Part of the enjoyment and enlightenment we receive as Masons, in the Blue Lodge and in all of the myriad appendant bodies we are able to join upon becoming Master Masons is the search for more knowledge, and much of that is accomplished by activities that many profanes regard as being "too weird." It is also partially the allure that draws men to join in the first place. But if we keep going to the press and hawking our charities, while saying over and over, "Nothing to see here. No wacky stuff going on, just some old boring ritual things you wouldn't really understand, along with these apron thingies. And let me mention all the money we gave to a big program last week," we are in very real danger of destroying the very image that draws men to join in the first place. 

We CAN speak to the press and the public about what we do without dismantling the allure of the fraternity, by providing the back story of our real and mythical origins - the why of what we do. Tell a reporter why you joined, what makes you come back every Tuesday night, what it has meant to you, instead of trying to deny that we are up to anything peculiar. 

Sadly, the UGLE has been doing this for years, and even though I certainly understand that they deal with far more anti-Masonic distrust culturally than we do in the US, I fear they go too far with the "openness" policy. By contrast, the French have a far worse time of it than their English Brethren do with the anti-Masonic press. Any time there's a slow news month, French magazines trot out another big, exciting headline accusing Masons of controlling their government or banking. The three major grand lodges there, as a rule, don't bother to answer such allegations publicly. In the few interviews they agree to, they are very sacrosanct. And yet, Masonry there continues to grow slowly, and not plummet the way US and English Freemasonry does. 

I think it  may be time to rethink the strategy.

Freemasonry Protested in Malaysia

A Muslim man has made the headlines in Penang, Malaysia over his protest against Freemasons there on religious grounds. He is a member of Umno Youth, an outgrowth of the United Malays National Organization, the largest political party in that country.

This likely made the news services light up because of jitters over the foiled plan to attack a U.S. Masonic center in Milwaukee in January.  But it's worth noting that Masons everywhere need to be diligent for their own well being.  

Freemasons in Malaysia are chartered under the District Grand Lodge of the Middle East under the Grand Lodge of Scotland. Also in Malaysia is the District Grand Lodge of the Eastern Archipelago under the United Grand Lodge of England.

From MalyMail Online today, "Seeing Illuminati, Umno Youth Man seeks protest against Penang Freemason meet":

Ahead of an international Freemason conference in Penang at the end of this month, an Umno Youth executive council member has called on Islamic groups and parties to rally against it. 

In a statement on his blog yesterday, Armand Azha Abu Hanifah also demanded the Penang government to explain why the International Scottish Masonic Conference was allowed to hold its meeting in the state. 

“Many who contacted me agreed to reveal this meeting and although I was advised to not meddle as their movement is considered strong and major, I hold to Islamic teachings. Guided by Quran’s 30 verses, I felt it should be stopped and cancelled,” Armand said in his blog. 

“I would like to urge and openly protest against this meet. I want Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng together with Pakatan Harapan leadership to explain why this Freemason/Illuminati meet was allowed,” he added. 

Freemasonry is a collection of diverse worldwide fraternities that started out as local groups for stonemasons, steeped in rituals and symbolisms. 

It is usually linked to the Illuminati, a conspiracy theory where secret group of masterminds allegedly control world affairs and try to establish a New World Order, although there is no evidence suggesting such a group exists. 

Some Muslims oppose Freemasonry, among others claiming that it is linked to Jews, Zionists, worship of Satan, and even linking it to Dajjal, the purported anti-Christ in Islamic tradition.

New Blue Friar Named for 2016

Word comes this morning from Masonic Week 2016 in Alexandria, Virginia, that MW Bro. Michael Halleran has been named the newest Blue Friar by Grand Abbott S. Brent Morris.

The Society of Blue Friars was formed in 1932 to recognize the excellence of Masonic authors, and their annual meeting is held each year in February during Masonic Week in the Washington D.C. area. It is perhaps the smallest and oddest of Masonic organizations, as it has no ritual and few rules. The Grand Abbott chooses the new Friar, and it is a closely guarded secret until its announcement.

Each new Friar, upon the announcement, is required to give a short paper to the audience and fellow Friars. 

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend Masonic Week for the last two years,  so I don't know the topic of Mike's paper.

Michael Halleran is the Editor of the quarterly Journal of the Masonic Society. He is the author of The Better Angels of Our Nature: Freemasonry During the Civil War. His latest book is an updating of an 1885 bestseller by Robert Macoy. Macoy's Modern Worshipful Master's Assistant, is now more readable and relevant to today's new crop of Worshipful Masters, and should be required reading for anyone assuming the Oriental Chair. It is due out this spring.

Michael is a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kansas.

Freemasonry Exhibition in Paris 4/12 - 7/24

A major exhibition on Freemasonry will be held between April 12th and July 24th in Paris, France at the Biliotheque Nationale de France (BNF) in conjunction with the Grand Orient of France's Musee de la Franc-Maçonnerie. The following description is loosely translated (thanks to my high school French and Google) from Jiri Pragman's Hiram.be le Blog Macconique:

The National Library of France, which maintains one of the largest Masonic funds in the world, dedicates a major exhibition at the French Freemasonry. In partnership with the Museum of Freemasonry, it presents more than 450 pieces, some never before shown, from the collections of the Library but also the main French persuasions or outstanding foreign loans. The origins of Freemasonry, the history of its establishment in France, its symbols and rituals, its contributions in many fields - political, religious, artistic and philosophical - finally evoking the legends attached to it constitute the course this exhibition which aims to understand, in a didactic spirit, what Freemasonry.

The exhibition first retraces the origins - sometimes mysterious - of modern Freemasonry. How, during the XVII th century in Britain, a professional brotherhood became a social meeting organization? Exceptional documents such as medieval manuscripts of the Old Charges dating from 1390 and 1425 are on loan from the British Library. The Grand Lodge of Scotland has agreed to show the famous  William Schaw Statutes of 1599, the first "architectural book" (registry records) known for a Lodge dating back to the end of the 16th century that will leave Edinburgh the first time.

Visitors can also discover the original alchemist Elias Ashmole's newspaper describing his initiation in 1645, and the earliest documents of French Freemasonry, seized by Louis XV's police in the 1730s.

The exhibition then introduces the visitor into the world of symbols and rituals of Freemasonry. What is "initiation"? How does the "symbolic method" work? What are the main rites? How is life in the Lodge? Notable pieces are again presented, such as the singular Christmas Manuscripts of 1812, a real course of mystical symbolism illustrated with hundreds of drawings and watercolors.

In France - the Enlightenment of the 18th century with the formation of the Third Republic - Freemasonry was involved in the public debate: tolerance, secularism, education, and solidarity. The lodges moved from a sincere philosophical liberalism , to republican activism and secularism. Relying in particular on a series of documents relating to the famous Lodge of the Nine Sisters, led by Benjamin Franklin and Voltaire (who was initiated in 1778), the exhibition shows how the Freemasons supported the movement that gave birth to the values ​​of 1789 and marked the history of the Republic. The manuscript of  La Marseillaise by Rouget de Lisle is set against the testimonies of his Masonic life. From Victor Schoelcher to Jules Ferry, the "founding fathers" of the Republic in France see themselves devote sequences paralleling their great achievements and their Masonic commitment.

Finally, the exhibition explores the mythology aroused by Freemasonry from its origins: black legends with fantasies of a multifaceted anti-masonry, picturesque or virulent golden legends with the staging of Freemasonry in the arts and letters, the Magic Flute by Mozart and  Corto Maltese cartoonist Hugo Pratt, through the works of Tolstoy and Kipling.

The exhibition opens and closes with an overview of current Freemasonry and videos interviews with Masons today.

Leadership and Religious Literacy in Freemasonry

Brother Paul J. Rich is a Freemason who lives in Washington, D.C. Over the years, I have read several of his Masonic research papers, and back in 2009 I was lucky enough to hear him speak in person at the International Conference on the History of Freemasonry, where he delivered a paper about the dubious history of a Masonic apron that purportedly belonged to Robert Burns.  That was a dangerous thing to do deep in the heart of Scotland - even more so because he did it in the main hall of the Grand Lodge of Scotland!

Today, he is the president of the Policy Studies Organization in Washington, D.C. Brother Rich has a fascinating history. He is very well traveled and experienced, and he is an academic gentleman and Brother for whom I have the very deepest regard.

Paul just weighed in briefly on the discussion about the recent actions against gay Freemasons in Tennessee (and Georgia). I feel that it is a comment that should be more widely shared with all modern Masons today, and not just buried in the depths of an online discussion. 

He writes:

Part of the crisis in the lodges over gay marriage is because of a change in the background of Masonic leadership, which has become less culturally literate at a time when the country is becoming more educated. An elite in grand lodges to an extent has become increasingly blue collar and lower middle class. Religions being to an extent a reflection of social class, the religious composition of some jurisdictions has changed. 

The result includes the loss of Masonic cultural literacy, which means unawareness of the importance of the jettisoning of Christianity from the Craft in the early eighteenth century (and perhaps hints of that even before in the time of Christopher Wren and the Royal Society). Anderson and his cohorts in London embraced this change, and the lodges dropped Trinitarianism, providing forums that attracted men like Benjamin Franklin because of their freedom from orthodox religion. 

Now with the increasing exit of educated members, there is a trend in some Masonic jurisdictions to move away from secularism and embrace a religiosity evidenced in the organist playing hymns and the prayers invoking an anthropomorphism rather than the Supreme Architect that the Enlightenment embraced. With that comes a Biblical literalism and its accompanying morality that should be left along with other theology outside the lodge room. The genius of Masonry was its insistence on providing a nondogmatic place of fellowship, so unusual at the time.

The separation of church and state in America has something to do with the contribution made by Masonic secularism. Andrew Jackson, Grand Master of Tennessee, found himself roundly criticized for refusing to declare a national day of prayer. He replied that he would be, 

"...transcending the limits prescribed by the Constitution for the President and without feeling that I might in some degree disturb the security which religion nowadays enjoys in this country in its complete separation from the political concerns of the General Government." -- letter to the Synod of the Reformed Church of North America, 12 June 1832, explaining the request that he proclaim a "day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer." 

He understood the importance of demarcation.

By all means people should have their views on marriage, but to impose in Freemasonry their religious beliefs on others stands against a centuries-old and successful openness that had much to do with the success of the movement.

London Masons Donating £2 Million For Air Ambulance

Freemasons in all over the world donate great sums of money each year to charity, and this past year was no exception.   English Masons in particular concentrate heavily on projects for their communities.

London area Masons from the Metropolitan Grand Lodge are past the halfway point in donating £2 million - almost US$3 million - for the funding of a new air ambulance helicopter for their city.

From the Londonmasons.org.uk website:

London Freemasons are donating £2 million pounds towards the 'Your London, Your Helicopter' campaign of London's Air Ambulance which aims to provide a second emergency medical helicopter for use by London's Air Ambulance advanced trauma team. The aim of the second helicopter is to extend daylight flying hours, thus providing an even more effective emergency service to London. 

Graham Hodgkin, CEO of London's Air Ambulance, said "We are blown away by the generosity of London Freemasons which brings us significantly closer to our aim of having a second emergency medical helicopter up and running by this summer. For many years, London Freemasons have been regular supporters of our work and we thank all those Freemasons across the Metropolitan area who will be working tirelessly to raise the two million pounds" 

The Freemasons' fund-raising campaign kicked off with the presentation of a cheque for £250,000 at Freemasons' Hall on Thursday, 5th March 2015 to Neil Jeffers, Chief Pilot of LAA, by the Metropolitan Grand Master, Russell J. Race, DL. Russell Race commented, "Freemasons both in London and all over the country have been donating to Air Ambulances for many years. We at the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London are delighted however to have an opportunity to specifically assist in the provision of this vital second helicopter for London". 

This first instalment was followed by a further £750,000, which was handed over by Sir Michael Snyder, the new Metropolitan Grand Master, on Thursday 5th November 2015. London has now reached the half-way mark in the appeal after just 8 months. 

[snip] 

As if to underline the usefulness of the new helicopter, within five minutes of the launch ceremony start, it was called away to an accident but was back in place for further photographs around 20 minutes later, with the patient rushed downstairs into the waiting Accident and Emergency department.

Milwaukee Man Indicted in Plan to Attack Masonic Center

The Milwaukee man accused of planning an attack on the Scottish Rite center in Milwaukee was indicted by a grand jury Monday. Samy Hamzeh, 23, appeared in court and pleaded not guilty. He was returned to jail, with no bail set at this time.

From the very detailed article Monday in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by John Diedrich (the local source that has done the best and most thorough reporting on this case):

Hamzeh was indicted on two counts of possessing a machine gun and one count of possessing a silencer. Each count carries up to 10 years in prison. 

U.S. Magistrate Judge David Jones set the next court date for March 29 to give Albee time to start translating the recordings, which were made between October and late January.

On Jan. 25, Hamzeh bought two fully automatic H&K MP5 machine guns and a silencer from undercover FBI agents in Kenosha and was arrested.

As U.S. deputy marshals led him out of court Tuesday, a handcuffed Hamzeh smiled at his parents who were in the courtroom. His mother, who had been weeping, blew a kiss to her son. 

In earlier interviews and on social media, Hamzeh's family said he was set up by the FBI.

A criminal complaint filed last month charging Hamzeh quotes him as saying he was plotting the attack as a way of "defending Islam" and hoped to kill at least 30 people.

"We will be marching at the front of the war," he said, according to the criminal complaint.

Hamzeh is not charged with terrorism-related counts. There are no federal laws for a case like the one being mounted against Hamzeh — a so-called lone wolf suspect who planned an attack using guns, according to former prosecutors and other legal experts who reviewed the case at the request of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Asked after Tuesday's hearing whether prosecutors had reviewed using the federal hate crime statute, Kanter said it was "a fair question" but he was unable to answer. 

Federal law experts said it was unlikely prosecutors could use the statute because the Masons are not a protected group. However, it might be applicable if Hamzeh thought he was targeting a religious group, they said.

A U.S. citizen who has lived in Milwaukee for five years, Hamzeh has no criminal record. His family said he was set up by people close to Hamzeh who were secretly recording him for the FBI. Those informants have not been identified.

In online postings, his family said he was passionate about the plight of the Palestinians but was not a religious zealot and launching such an attack would be completely out of character. Friends echoed that, saying Hamzeh smoked marijuana and hung out in bars and coffee shops, but was no radical.

For details of the alleged plot and Hamzeh's arrest, see the article from January 27th, 2016 HERE.

Gay Brothers Suspended in Tennessee

"The mission of Freemasonry is to promote a way of life that binds like minded men in a worldwide brotherhood that transcends all religious, ethnic, cultural, social and educational differences; by teaching the great principles of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth: and, by the outward expression of these, through its fellowship, its compassion and its concern, to find ways in which to serve God, family, country, neighbors and self. " - from the Grand Lodge of Tennessee's website

A situation I reported on in September of last year has been resolved. A gay Brother in Tennessee married another man, which is perfectly allowed under the law. Unfortunately, the Grand Lodge of Tennessee's code Sec. 4.2105 (27) specifically states that it is a Masonic offense to "To engage in lewd conduct. To promote or engage in homosexual activity. To cohabit immorally in a situation without the benefit of marriage." As a result, Worshipful Brother Dennis Clark, Past Master of Park Avenue Lodge No. 362 in Memphis,  and his partner and fellow Mason, Brother Mark Henderson, were brought up on Masonic charges. 

(For the original background on the story, along with a detailed public response from Brother Clark, see the post from last September HERE.)

Today, Brother Tom Accuosti on his Masonic Tao blogsite has posted a message from WBro. Clark. It seems that he and Henderson have  been suspended from the fraternity. It reads, in part:

It is impossible to describe the feeling of being rejected by the same lodge we both worked so hard to rebuild. After investing thousands of hours rebuilding Park Avenue Lodge #362 in Memphis and tens of thousands of dollars, after serving openly and happily to repair it and make the lodge a better place to be and a place to spend time for our brethren and our families, there is no way to describe the sense of rejection at the hands of my own brothers. Indeed, several of the officers were at our Blessing; they ate our food, danced to our music, enjoyed a day at our farm, and took communion with us. And now, not one of them will stand and speak for us. They are waiting until March to call a vote to remove some language from the constitution. 

In Tennessee, we say, “Everything that is vicious and cruel and oppressive it (Freemasonry) reprobates.” It doesn’t say to wait till the next Grand Lodge meeting to take a vote. Still, not one has stood up to say, “Stop! No more.” Some of these men I helped financially, many have come to my house for fellowship meals. They have come at my invitation to our Cathedral to celebrate Easter and Christmas. And now, they have vanished into nothingness. My former brothers, this is the stuff that Tennessee Freemasonry is made of. Mark and I are fallen soldiers in this war against bigotry but I am hopeful that the good brothers in Tennessee will right the ship and wrestle power away from those who would stand proudly on a decision that does nothing but stain the reputation of a Fraternity that I have loved.

The situation is a sad one for the fraternity as a whole. Clark was initially charged, not for engaging in lewd behavior, or even for actual "homosexual activity," but simply for posting a few photos of his wedding to his partner on his own personal Facebook page. 

I have repeatedly said that it is very likely that there have been gay Masons sitting in lodge quietly since the beginnings of the institution, and it is not out of the bounds of possibility that you sat with gay Masons during your degrees, wherever you may live. As Masons, we are entreated to welcome men of all faiths, beliefs and political persuasions. In fact, our laws, however they may be worded in each jurisdiction, boil down to telling us that such subjects are supposed to be none of our business.

The new Masons we all claim to want so desperately to join and save us from extinction know nothing about jurisdictional differences. We don't say, "Become a Freemason! We welcome you, unless you are gay and live in Tennessee or Georgia."  Leaders approaching the East, at the lodge or the grand lodge level, need to understand that thoroughly before they lobby for or defend exclusionary language and practices in our fraternity. The current crop of young men in whom we place so much hope care very much about issues like race, faith, and sexual orientation. We risk alienating these men, all because a few of us suffer from a narrow definition of moral law peculiar to our own personal beliefs. I hope for WBro. Clark and Bro. Henderson's sake that the next Grand Master reinstates them and supports the elimination of this wording in their law. 

It would be the Masonic thing to do. 

From Tom Accuosti's original post on this story from last September:

[L]et’s also keep in mind that while Freemasons understand (for the most part) that jurisdictions all have their own rules, the general public — you know, those people who read the Dan Brown books, and watch those History Channel specials — have no idea how the Society works. When the public starts hearing that “The Masons will kick you out if you’re gay” — and they will, of course, because these stories are already making the rounds on social media — they aren’t going to think to themselves “Oh, never mind, it’s just those guys in Georgia.” No, they will associate this with the entire fraternity in the US. Freemasonry, already fighting a reputation as an “old man’s club,” will soon be fighting a reputation as an “old dinosaur’s club.”

I do understand from one source that a resolution has been introduced to eliminate the "homosexual activity" reference from Tennessee's Code at the Grand Lodge session in March. 

--------------------------------------------------

UPDATE: WBro. Dennis Clark responded to this post in the public comments section, and provided the following explanation as to the final results of the charges and trial:

"The trial was originally scheduled in Memphis TN. Mark and I were prepared to give a vigorous defense but the trial was canceled without written notice two or three days before the trial was scheduled. (I found out by word of mouth.) Three months passed. The trial was rescheduled on January 30 at the Grand Lodge building--a distance of 240 miles and over three and a half hours away. I lodged a complaint that the trial was logistically impossible for us or for us to bring witnesses (TN 6.607), to which the Grand Master Hastings personally replied, indicating that the case was now an offense against the Grand Lodge and would be held in the Grand Lodge building. As a Deputy Sheriff and first responder, it was not possible for Mark to end his shift at midnight, drive to Nashville, have two trials, and return in time for his next shift. So we missed it. But that is insufficient to be found guilty of failing to appear. Here's why. 

The TN Constitution allows masons to make a sufficient response in writing (4.2105), which I did in August 2015 for the first trial scheduled in Memphis and again in January 2016 for the trial rescheduled and relocated to Nashville. To be clear, the official responses from the Grand Secretary Roy Etherton PGM dated 2 Feb 2016 say "Brother Clark was found guilty of the charges." It did not say guilt of failing to appear or show any new charges. As far as I can tell, we were tried and found guilty of being gay or married or both. "

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UPDATE ON FEBRUARY 10th

ATTENTION TENNESSEE BRETHREN.  Your Grand Lodge is now monitoring your Facebook posts, and even the "likes" you post on the messages that appear on your social media pages. The following message was just posted this afternoon:

"I have learned that there will be a meeting tonight (10 Feb 2016) to decide what to do about Tennessee Master Masons who have "liked", commented favorably, or have been otherwise critical of Grand Master Hasting's decision to convict. Be advised that if you are a Master Mason in Tennessee, you might want to remove comments or "likes". There are still six long weeks left till the Grand Lodge meets on March 23-24 at 100 North 7th Street in Nashville, TN. Be there and use your voice. "

The Masonic author Allen Roberts once famously made a comment that was in fact really cribbed from a quote by William Shakespeare. The Bard's original line from Measure For Measure is: 

"Man, proud man, dressed in a little brief authority, like an angry ape, play such fantastic tricks before high heaven as make the angels weep." 

Lecture in NY 2/15: World Domination

On Monday, February 15th, my friend and Brother, Mark Koltko-Rivera, will give a lecture irresistibly titled, "Freemasonry and Global Domination: Simple Steps To Ruling the World."

If that isn't click-bait for anti-Masons, I don't know what is.

This event  will be held at Wappingers Lodge No. 671, located at 150 Myers Corner Road, Wappingers Falls, New York.

It is open to all Master Masons. Dinner will be at 6:30PM, and the meeting will open at 7:30PM.

Mark is the author of Freemasonry: An Introduction, and he has been featured on the History Channel.

Lecture in Boston: Uncovering Esoteric Art

The American & New England Studies Program at Boston University is pleased to announce their second annual lecture on fraternalism supported by Boston University Lodge A. F. & A. M. and the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. 

On March 31, 2016 Joscelyn Godwin will be presenting a lecture entitled “Uncovering Esoteric Art: Masonic Murals and Ritual Paintings in New York State.” Dr. Godwin is an internationally recognized author on esotericism and secret knowledge. He is the author of Upstate Cauldron, The Theosophical Enlightenment, Music and the Occult, The Golden Thread, and many other titles. 

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 8pm in Room 522 of the Boston University College of Arts & Sciences Building at 685-725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.

Click the poster above to enlarge.

H/T Will Moore

Welsh Freemasons Deal With New Witch Hunt

The Cardiff Masonic Temple in Wales.

Our brethren in Great Britain are under fire once again. UK laws requiring Masons involved in the police and judiciary to publicly declare their Masonic membership were struck down as being discriminatory by the European Union Court of Human Rights back in 2009 (see this article from the Guardian about the UK rescinding their rules about it in the wake of the Court's decision).

Unfortunately, this issue crops up again and again in the UK, where allegations run rampant that Masonic police officers and others are somehow subverting justice because of their fraternal membership. Not that there's ever any proof.

The latest comes from South Wales. The South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Alun Michael, is arguing that it should be compulsory for all public servants - including police officers,  council officials, and politicians - to declare their membership in Freemasonry, because he alleges it is a 'secret society'. 

Michael is not new to this - he was First Secretary of the Welsh National Assembly back when the UK had these requirements nationwide, and he was a former Minister in the Home Office. He looks back on those halcyon days when he could flush out Masonic cops fondly. So, he's trying to resurrect the idea in Wales.  

Yes, even though it's illegal in the EU. 

From an article today on WalesOnline:

He said declaring membership of any society increases transparency and quells conspiracy theories. 

“If members of a club or society have to disclose, it takes away any hidden agendas,” he said. 

“If freemasons don’t disclose, you can get whisperings of wrongdoing. Declaring gets rid of all that.” 

Public bodies all have different policies on staff or members declaring their membership of the masons. 

In Westminster, MPs don’t have to disclose membership. In Cardiff Bay, AMs are expected to declare but no current member has done so. 

In local authorities, the rules are unclear, with policies varying between authorities. Just 25 councillors across Wales have stated they are members. 

Dyfed-Powys Police and Gwent Police have no requirement for staff to declare membership of the freemasons. 

But both North Wales Police and South Wales Police operate a voluntary disclosure system. 

South Wales Police told Y Byd ar Bedwar that two officers and three civilian support staff have declared membership whilst in North Wales, three sergeants and six constables have stated that they are freemasons. 

Mr Michael said: “It would be best to have one common system for local authorities, police force and health boards. Only then can we ensure everybody is being treated equally.

The article today is unclear as to whether this would be voluntary, or a requirement for continued employment.

When will the British people get over their completely irrational distrust of Freemasonry? There has never been a provable case of a police officer or judge who let a brother Mason off the hook just because of their shared membership, despite all of the witch hunts conducted on the subject over the last four decades. Lots of the taxpayers money has been spent on these pointless investigations, and nothing ever comes of the effort. 

Michael is a longtime Labour member, and is no stranger to stupid ideas. In 2010, he proposed that 14 year old children be given the right to vote, to improve turnout at elections.

According to the article, there are 13,000 Masons in Wales alone. I gently suggest that they contact Mr. Michael and let him know their feelings on the matter. His email address is: alun.michael@south-wales.pnn.police.uk  and his phone number is: 01656 869366

Brother Richard Dreyfuss And Politics

Brother Richard Dreyfuss, from William Baumbach II's photo gallery. 

Brother Richard Dreyfuss' son Harry has penned a brief but thoughtful piece about his father. It seems that Richard attended a Ted Cruz speech and he was spotted in the audience. The Twittersphere and electronic media immediately erupted over it. So, son Harry has responded with an entry that all of us should take to heart, no matter what our political persuasion may be.

From the post:

My father went to a Ted Cruz rally. My father also won an Oscar in the 70s and his name is Richard Dreyfuss. Those two things are only related because by virtue of being famous, my father’s attendance at a Cruz rally got written about by a couple of media outlets. Those write-ups were absorbed by a number of mouth-breathers, and so began The Dumb. 

Let me clarify. When asked if his being there suggested he supported Cruz, he responded, “It suggests that I’m interested in what he has to say… It’s the politics of my country, so I’m interested.”  

This seems like a pretty clear answer to me: 

I don’t necessarily endorse these views, but I’m curious about them because they are poised to have a very big effect on me and my country.

Just for the record, Brother Dreyfuss also attended rallies with Rubio, Fiorina, Carson, and Trump. 

As Freemasons, we should occasionally go back and read our own founding documents, just to remind us once in a while of the duties we are taught to shoulder, as well as the manner in which we are supposed to behave towards Brethren who have different political beliefs than our own.

From the Ancient Charges:

A Mason is a peaceable Subject to the Civil Powers, wherever he resides or works, and is never to be concern’d in Plots an Conspiracies against the Peace and Welfare of the Nation, nor to behave himself undutifully to inferior Magistrates; for as Masonry hath been always injured by War, Bloodshed, and Confusion, so ancient Kings and Princes have been much dispos’d to encourage the Craftsmen, because of their Peaceableness and Loyalty, whereby they practically answer’d the Cavils of their Adversaries, and promoted the Honour of the Fraternity, who ever flourish’d in Times of Peace. So that if a Brother should be a Rebel against the State, he is not to be countenanc’d in his Rebellion, however he may be pitied as an unhappy Man; and, if convicted of no other Crime, though the loyal Brotherhood must and ought to disown his Rebellion, and give no Umbrage or Ground of political Jealousy to the Government for the time being; they cannot expel him from the Lodge, and his Relation to it remains indefeasible.

Brother Dreyfuss was made a Mason "at sight" by the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia F&AM in 2011.  He has founded the Dreyfuss Civics Initiative, a Research Society promoting civics and enlightenment values. Its goal is, “To teach our kids how to run our country, before they are called upon to run our country…if we don’t, someone else will run our country.”

Historic Masonic Buildings in the Los Angeles Area Still Thrive

Former Hollywood Lodge No. 355, now the El Capitan Theater.

Alice and I lived in the Studio City area of the San Fernando Valley back when we were in film school, between 1978 and 1983, as part of my 5 colleges in 7 years education plan. Unfortunately, I didn't have any knowledge of Freemasonry in those days, so I didn't have the slightest idea of what to look for in Masonic architecture. That's a shame, because some of the more magnificent Masonic lodges in the Los Angeles area were still owned by the fraternity back then, before the dramatic plummet in membership we suffered in the 90s and on past the turn of the new century. Nevertheless, most of them avoided the wrecking ball and have become new venues, while the fraternity moved on to newer, less costly digs.

I came across an article from 2014 on the Curbed LA website,  7 of LA's Most Magnificent Examples of Masonic Architecture by Pauline O'Connor, that points out seven of the more notable Masonic structures in the Los Angeles area. So if you are ever in the region with some time to kill (and you'll need it - traffic hasn't improved since I lived there), go and visit these beautiful locations.  One update from the article is that the unique Masonic Temple in North Hollywood was unfortunately sold last year, but will be developed.

By the way - notably missing from the article is the  Glendale Masonic Temple (left), which is currently being remodeled for commercial use.  Visit Glendale Lodge No. 368 here.

Down the road a bit is Burbank Lodge, where I had the distinct pleasure of speaking last year.  I heartily encourage you to visit them as well. See their website here.

And much smaller and older is the original home of Los Angeles Lodge No. 42, which was chartered in 1853, and was the first lodge in LA, as well as the second oldest in Southern California. Their original building  can be seen in the historic area known as El Pueblo de Los Angeles (right). They now meet across town in the Santa Monica Masonic Center.

California Masons March in Unity

From the Grand Lodge of California website:

Equality on all levels – including social, economic, cultural, religious, and racial – is a foundational tenet of Freemasonry. That’s why on January 18, members and leaders from the Grand Lodge of California and Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California marched together in communities statewide to help celebrate the enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

California Grand Master M. David Perry marched in the Kingdom Day Parade in Los Angeles at the invitation of Most Worshipful Donald M. Ware, M.D. of Prince Hall.

“We joined together to Honor Martin Luther King, not as California Masons and Prince Hall Masons, but as Masons,” Perry says. “While his life was cut far too short, the lessons that he taught live on, and his legacy of diversity, awareness and equality, service and love still inspire us today.”

See more photos and details at the website here.

Brother Ed Mitchell, 6th Man on Moon, Dies

Brother Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the Moon, has died at the age of 85. He was a member of Artesia Lodge No. 28 in New Mexico, and one of the founders of the field of Noetic science. He died on the 45th anniversary of his Apollo 14 lunar landing, February 5, 1971.

From the CNN website:

Mitchell, Alan Shepard and Stuart Roosa were the crew of Apollo 14, which launched on January 31, 1971. Mitchell became the sixth man to walk on the lunar surface.  

He and Shepard set foot on the moon two separate times during their mission, spending more than nine hours collecting rocks, taking measurements and (in Shepard's case) hitting a pair of golf balls. Mitchell also took a famous photograph of Shepard standing next to an American flag. All told, the two spent 33 hours on the moon. 

Mitchell, who was the lunar module pilot, found the trip to be a profound experience. 

"Looking at Earth from space and seeing it was a planet in isolation ... that was an experience of ecstasy, realizing that every molecule in our bodies is a system of matter created from a star hanging in space," Mitchell told the UK Telegraph in 2014. "The experience I had was called Samadhi in the ancient Sanskrit, a feeling of overwhelming joy at seeing the Earth from that perspective."  

Fascinated and frustrated by the relationship between religion and science, he was very public about seeking links between the known and unknown.He said he had conducted ESP experiments on the mission. He was also a believer in extraterrestrial activity, and was convinced UFOs had visited Earth.  

In one interview, he told Bloomberg Business that the 1947 Roswell incident, which to some people is evidence of an extraterrestrial crash landing, was covered up. (The U.S. government has said the incident involved the crash of a high-altitude balloon.)  

"It's not just military. It's a cabal of organizations primarily for a profit motive," he told the publication.  

However, he drew the line when it came to an interview with the UK Mirror. The newspaper claimed Mitchell said UFOs had helped prevent nuclear war."None of those statements were originated by me," he told the Huffington Post. (The Mirror stood by its story.) 

Mitchell also created the Institute of Noetic Sciences to research paranormal phenomena and consciousness. In addition, he was co-founder of the Association of Space Explorers, an organization for space travelers. The astronaut was born in Hereford, Texas, in 1930. A Navy pilot, he joined NASA in 1966 as part of the agency's astronaut corps. He was well-qualified: besides having served as a test pilot and college instructor, he earned a doctorate from MIT in aeronautics and astronautics. 

Mitchell was part of the support crew for the Apollo 9 and Apollo 10 missions. A year after Apollo 14, in 1972, he left NASA to embark on his other activities.

Of the 12 men who have walked on the moon, now just seven survive: Edwin E. 'Buzz' Aldrin, Alan Bean, David Scott, John W. Young, Charles Duke, Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt. Of those twelve, only Aldrin and Mitchell were or are Freemasons.

RIP, my Brother.

The Old San Francisco Scottish Rite Building

There is a positively terrible article today on the SF Gate website about a building in San Francisco called the Regency Center. The story simply refers to the building as a "multi-purpose structure with a Freemason lodge," without delving much deeper, apart from the usual profane references to secret ceremonies. But if you have a scroll through the photos on the website of the interior details, you will see that it is, in fact, the former San Francisco Scottish Rite building, and with another very specific detail that suggests York Rite bodies met here as well.  

From the article:

But while many people have only seen the Ballroom and entrance, most of the building's reticent history is upstairs in the Lodge. "The Lodge would be reserved for rituals or for people who had been raised to higher levels," Garrett says, adding that there are some curious things they've learned about the construction of the room. 

For one, the walls were lined with velvet chairs — thrones, actually, is a more accurate descriptor — each of which was reserved for a member of the Freemasons during special ceremonies.  

"[The chairs] would be placed in a special pattern, like a sacred geometry type thing, to kind of emanate energy," Garrett says. "Like, there's power in a circle...Obviously, there was a lot of thought going into it." 

Oh boy. Spooky. 

A few more rational details are available on the MagazineUSA.com website:

The mystery and tradition of the Masons are woven into the very foundation of the Regency Building. After two years of construction, the building was finished in 1909 and is thought to be the finest example of Scottish Rite temple architecture in the United States. Scottish Rite Masonry is one of the numerous branches of the Freemasons, a secret fraternal organization hundreds of years old. The architecture, designed to emphasize secrecy, gives the impression of alluring mystery. In 1961 the Grand Ballroom Level was leased out to the Regency Theatre and movies were shown here until the end of 1998. The Masons had the building until 1997, at which time the Regency Building took over the space as an event venue. 

The street level floor, now called the Sutter Room, was a dining and drill hall and features stunning arched ceilings. The Grand Ballroom Level above, was used for public assembly and balls. With its 35 foot high ceiling, hardwood floor and large stage, the ballroom and banquet tradition continues. The Lodge, on the third level where secret meetings took place, is a classic example of Gothic architecture complimented by crimson walls, 30 hand painted backdrops dating from the 1910's and 20's and a functional 1909 pipe organ.

More photos of the building are available on the Regency Center website HERE.

After they moved out, the San Francisco Scottish Rite went on to build a bigger and better facility, which is their home today. Have a look at it here.