Indiana Past GM William Gallmeister Passes

Most Worshipful Brother William A. Galmeister, Past Grand Master of Masons in Indiana 1990-91, passed to the Celestial Lodge last Saturday, at the age of 86. He was a Past Master of Lessing Lodge #464 in Evansville. He was an Illustrious 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, a member of the York Rite, and Hadi Shrine. He was a member of the Red Cross of Constantine, Sojourners, Rosicrucians, York Rite College, Royal Order of Scotland, DeMolay Foundation, and Masonic Service Association, along with serving on the Indiana Masonic Home Board of Directors.

Masonic services were held on Thursday, and the funeral was yesterday. His obituary can be seen here.

His column is broken, and his brethren mourn. R.I.P.

All New England Masonic Open House October 15th, 2011

On October 15th, 2011, Masonic lodges all across New England will open their doors to the public in one massive, coordinated event. According to the Metaphysical Freemason blog, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut "will participate and open our doors, display our minutes -- some from the founding of this country-- and invite any who wish to visit into the lodge rooms and antechambers, rooms of reflection and such. Welcome all and mark upon the skein of time our intention for light."

Several years ago, the United Grand Lodge of England held a nationwide open house week, during which every lodge was encouraged to have some kind of a public event—tours, dinners, speeches, programs, fund raisers, blood drives, or any other occasion to invite the public in, to hear about Freemasonry, or to see Masons in action in some way. We have no national governing body in the US (world conspiracy mongers, take note), but such an event would be a significant kind of goal to shoot for, and something the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America or the Masonic Service Association might well consider promoting.

Grand Lodge of Indiana Library and Museum Workday Sunday 5/15

Brethren in Central Indiana, our Grand Lodge Annual Communication will open on Tuesday at the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral, and the Indiana Grand Lodge Library/Museum needs help in order to be able to give visiting brethren a glimpse of our progress.

There will be a work day in the Grand Lodge Library/Museum this Sunday, May 15 from 9:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. We are on the 5th floor of Indiana Freemasons' Hall at 525 North Illinois Street in Indianapolis. We need a good-sized contingent of brethren, at least twelve to fifteen, to help us move items and make things more presentable. All books and over 1,000 boxes have been unpacked, and the detailed work of cataloguing and sorting will be an ongoing project. But the goal this weekend is to make the room navigable so brethren can see the direction we are headed. Obviously, the more folks we have, the more we can accomplish.

Please join us if you have a couple of hours available on Sunday morning. There will be coffee and doughnuts on the second floor at 8:30. Please RSVP, either to me at hodapp@aol.com or to WB Jim Dillman.

New Video: "A Scottish Rite Tribute To The Flag"

"A Scottish Rite Tribute To The Flag," video created by the Supreme Council, 33°, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.

"I Resign"

I look at lots of Masonic online forums in the course of a week. But I saw a post today that is a lesson for every lodge, every chapter, council, commandery, orient and club. A Brother posted that he was demitting from his Cryptic Council and Templar Commandery. I won't give his name or where he's from, because he could be from anywhere in the fraternity. But what he said needs to be burned into the brain of every officer of every single Masonic organization (or any other volunteer organization, for that matter).

He was leaving after

"two years of never getting a single communication that wasn't a dues notice, never even getting a dues card for either, and having repeated requests for same ignored pushed too far. I can't look my wife in the eye and say I'm going to spend the dues monies . . .

The odd thing is that Commandery, at least, doesn't seem to care. My father's WM of our Lodge, and had occasion to talk to the secretary for Commandery. His concerns are the same as mine- he rejoined Commandery at the same time I joined, and has the same problems with no dues card, no notices, no Maltese Cross, and so on.

Upon telling the secretary he was going to demit unless something was done, the secretary did the unthinkable.

Nodded and said "Okay."

What? You don't do that. You do that too long, you cease to exist, and with a Commandery that is hard-pressed to have the 8 needed for a stated meeting, it's not as if they have the members to spare."

Indeed.

Masons Made Him Do It

Cops in Asheville, North Carolina have arrested a 70-year-old man and charged him with a series of hotel robberies. Jack Meredith Martin is suspected of stealing $100,000 worth of jewelry in April from a room at a local Holiday Inn Express, along with a string of other hotel robberies in which he allegedly used forged key cards to break into rooms.

Martin was tried and convicted of murder in the murder of one man and wounding of another in 2005, but was acquitted in a retrial and released after spending 56 months in prison. He had represented himself in the first trial, but lawyered up for the appeal.

So why did Martin claim he was originally convicted in the murder trial? You guessed correctly.

He claimed there was a "Masonic conspiracy" to convict him.

From Jury Finds Martin Not Guilty on the North Carolina Mountain Politics website:

Martin has for a long time expressed concerns about the involvement of Freemasons in his case and has said he felt there was a Masonic conspiracy to convict him. Motions in his second trial sought to keep Masons from being jurors.

When asked on Thursday if Masons were excluded from the second trial, Martin said, “I wouldn’t say that they were kept out. I think I have some good evidence that Greenway is a Mason, and a few other people still in the area. I talked about compassing, which went over the head of a lot of people. What that word means is to contrive, plot and scheme among themselves. That was going on during the first trial. At this trial there may have been some, but I didn’t see it.”

So I suspect the Freemasons also conspired to make him illegally break into hotel rooms, point guns at victims, steal cash and jewelry, and engage in second-degree kidnapping over the last year.

Grand Lodge of Iowa's Master Builder Program

As we used to say in the advertising world, "Where do good ideas come from? Somebody else!"

As in real life, not every Freemason is a self-starter. Not everybody is destined to be a great leader or to inspire others. Some folks are desperately in need of lists in order to keep on track. And sometimes we all just need a little goad in the right direction.

The Grand Lodge of Iowa AF&AM created the "Master Builder" Program, partially because some folks respond better if there is a carrot to chase or a little reward at the end of the list. Lots of Masons and lodges do these things on the list as second nature and need no trinket as a prize. But if you are looking for a way to jump start your lodge members into thinking about ways to improve themselves and their brethren, Iowa's list is an excellent place to start.

How to become a Master Builder

A Master Builder is a Brother who is actively involved with the present work of his Lodge, his involvement and Legacy will help build the future of his Lodge and Community. Every brother that successfully completes nine of the eleven steps in this blueprint will receive an award. The first 10 successful applications will be awarded a special limited edition Grand Master’s jacket.* This jacket will be emblazoned with the Masonic Square and Compass and contain the words, “Master Builder” along with your name. So how can you qualify? Keep reading. Here are the specific criteria that you need to complete to become an official “Master Builder.” **

1. Recruit at least one new member and be the top line signer on his petition for the degrees of Masonry. The prospective member must receive the Entered Apprentice degree prior to August 31, 2011 for this requirement to be met.

2. Participate and effectively handle one or more ritual parts in each of the three degrees in your lodge prior to August 31, 2011, OR assist another lodge in conferring their degree work.

3. Being a Mentor builds bonds between Brothers that last a life time. You are asked to personally provide the educational guidance for at least one new Mason (preferably the new brother who joined in step 1 above)

4. Assume responsibility to personally participate in visiting a potential member and discovering his values, wants and suitability for joining the Fraternity.

5. Assume responsibility and participate in planning at least one event for the lodge that includes widows and/or families and/or candidates for Masonry.

6. There are Brothers who have lost contact with the Lodge for a variety of reasons, who if asked can be reactivated and engaged. By extending the hand of Brotherly Fellowship we invite them to become involved. After revisiting the Lodge and becoming reacquainted with the traditions and members of the Lodge they will find it easier to return and be a participating member.

7. Participate in a Lodge event or project, or assist in a volunteer program to benefit youth. Consider working through a local school—such as being a volunteer. (An example would be going to a school to read (or listen to a student read to you) for a specified amount of time each visit for a specified duration of time (usually six to ten weeks). Other examples include: assisting with a scholarship program, coaching a youth athletic team, working with a Masonic youth organization, or providing adult leadership for groups like scouting, 4-H, FFA, YMCA.) .

8. Participate in at least one Lodge event or activity for community improvement. This may be met by establishing the communication and cooperation with another community organization on a project, and assuring that your lodge is actively involved in bringing that project to completion. (Review “Ten Steps to Lodge Renewal” for ideas.)

9. Assume responsibility to conduct or arrange an education program at a regular meeting. This may be fulfilled by you personally preparing and presenting the program or by you personally arranging for an outside presenter to provide an educational program.

10. & 11. Building personal associations with other Mason’s helps your Lodge build a support and information network with like minded individuals in your area. Making visitations and attending Masonic Events and Meeting allows you to get information and build relationships.

Regular European Grand Lodges May Abandon GLNF

Le Myosotis Ligerian blog in France is reporting that regular, recognized grand lodges from across Europe met last weekend (May 8th) in Kiev, and have decided to withdraw recognition of the Grande Loge Nationale Française. The only holdout was the United Grand Lodge of England, whose representative wanted to take a few more days to consider the situation.

". . . a number of European Grand Lodges (we were the first to inform you the Germany was on the list) had decided to withdraw their recognition of the GLNF as a regular Grand Lodge. Things are moving quickly. Top representatives of all the Grand Lodges of Europe, including the UGLE, are meeting in Kiev, Ukraine this weekend. A former Supreme Commander of one of the 3 major jurisdictions here in France has just informed me that all the Grand Lodges of Europe present at this meeting, with the exception of the UGLE, have decided to withdraw their recognition of the regularity of the GLNF. Formal notification of this decision will be made to the GLNF in the mail next week. The UGLE, “extremely disturbed at the situation in France” (we quote a most senior official of the UGLE) will decide its official position in the next few days.

All the Grand Lodges, including the UGLE, wish the possibility of continuity for the Brethren and Lodges of the GLNF. The creation of a French territorial branch of the joint European Grand Lodges to which GLNF Brethren and Lodges could join is one possible solution envisaged."

No verification of any of this yet, but if the UGLE yanks recognition, this will be huge. Already, thr Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium, the United Grand Lodges of Germany, the National Grand Lodge of Poland, the Grand Lodge of Luxembourg and the Grand Lodge ALPINA of Switzerland have officially withdrawn recognition.

These events are occurring in light of the ongoing meltdown with the GLNF leadership that centers around Grand Master François Stifani. A Paris court found that the GLNF elections last year were improper, along with financial improprieties, and the court appointed an administrator until proper elections could be held. Stifani has done a legalistic dance since January, resigning as CEO of the business side of the grand lodge, but claiming he is still GM. Meanwhile, it's only been 154 days since the Paris court ordered Stifani to call for a General Assembly (their version of a grand lodge meeting) for new elections, "without delay."

The GLNF is the grand lodge currently most recognized by regular Freemasonry around the world, including the UGLE and US grand lodges.

See also:
• Grande Loge Nationale Française Imploding: UGLE Weighs In
• France: GLNF Board of Directors Resigns
• Paris Court Appoints Attorney To Administer GLNF
• GLNF Grand Master Stifani Resigns . . . Sort Of

GM of Oregon Revises Edict Against Rectified Rite

In March, the Grand Lodge of Oregon AF&AM Grand Master Ed Bousquet issued an edict, briefly suspending recognition of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar USA, over the Rectified Rite imbroglio, but rescinded the edict a week later, in light of "improved dialogue." Grand Master Bousquet has asked for "patience and understanding as the leaders of these organizations attempt to work through the problem."

It appears the dialogue hasn't improved much, and in fact, dialogue has now been outlawed in Oregon.

On April 25th, he issued a new edict, declaring the Grand Priory of the Reformed and Rectified Rite of the United States of America irregular and clandestine. Oregon Masons are now prohibited from joining the Rectified Rite, or of having "any interaction" with any member of the Rite. According to the edict, "This means no Oregon Mason may communicate on Masonic subjects formally or informally by the imparting of thoughts, opinions or information by speech, writing or signs. Any violation of this edict will result in disciplinary action that may result in suspension or expulsion from the Fraternity."

As I am a member of the Rectified Rite, I presume that means Oregon Masons should have stopped reading several paragraphs back, and are now spontaneously bursting into flames.

Click to enlarge.


Previous stories on this subject:
• Grand Priory of the Scottish Reformed & Rectified Rite of the United States of America
• Grand Priory of the Reformed and Rectified Rite of the USA
• 2011 Report: Commission on Information for Recognition

• Another Shot Fired in the Rectified Rite USA Battle

Is a One Day "Class" Really "Masonic Education?"

Last August, it was reported that the Grand Lodge of Colorado had made a substantial commitment to educating the Craft by raising their budget for Masonic Education from $500 to almost $10,000. Brethren all across the country were heartened by that kind of substantial financial devotion to creating programs to better instruct both new and veteran Masons.

Well, apparently, it hasn't turned out that way.

Eight months later, word is coming out of Colorado that the budgeted money has been spent, not for education programs, but to fund one day mass-raisings around the state. Perhaps it's just a nomenclature problem, since they are called "One Day Classes."

I'll go out on a limb here, but I suspect that's not what the assembled brethren at their annual communication believed they were voting for last August. Meanwhile, there is apparently no money left over for any actual education programs for the year.

Atlanta's Gate City No. 2 Presents Music of the Enlightenment 5/24

As a part of its 2011 series, Atlanta, Georgia's Gate City Lodge No. 2 will present Music of the Latter Enlightenment. Mozartʼs Divertimento in D Major KV 136 and Beethoven's String Quartet No. 4 Op. 18 No. 4 will be performed live at Gate City Lodge No. 2 by the Testore Quartet on May 24th, 2011.

The Testore Quartet was founded in 2008, and has performed both nationally and internationally.

Dinner starts at 6:30PM, is $10.00 and will be BBQ Chicken breast served with cole slaw, creamed corn, house salad and cornbread, and peach cobbler. The performance will start at 7:30 PM. Family and Friends are welcome. Please RSVP to rsvp@gatecity2.org

Former Boston York Rite Secretary Charged in $1.25M Embezzlement

A former Secretary of two York Rite bodies in Boston, Massachusetts was arraigned in court on Tuesday on charges that he made off with $1.25 million from their treasuries over an 8 year period.

From the Boston Business Journal, "Suffolk DA: Boston Freemasons' treasurer embezzled $1.25M" by Galen Moore:

From 1999 until September, 2007, Vincent Paul Reed Jr. was the elected treasurer of two Masons chapters that meet at the Masons' lodge on Tremont Street in Boston's Theater District — the Boston Council of Royal Select Master Masons and the St. Paul's Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons — according to the Suffolk County district attorney's office.

Reed, of Shapleigh, Me., was arraigned today on charges he embezzled $1.25 million from the two organizations during that time, spending the money on travel, utilities, pets, collectibles and personal credit cards.

According to Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley, Reed's embezzlement scheme siphoned money from investment accounts held by the two Freemason chapters with UBS Painewebber into accounts at Bank of America, where both organizations held operating funds. Reed then allegedly spent the money illicitly via a debit card that the Masons did not know existed, and checks.

From the Boston Herald, "Freemason charged in $1M embezzlement" by Jessica Van Sack:

A spokesman for the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts released a statement thanking investigators for their hard work and saying they look forward to a “swift resolution.”

“When we discovered Mr. Reed’s actions, we immediately reported our findings to the authorities,” the statement said.

“Honor, integrity and trust are the bedrock principles of Freemasonry. We hold our members accountable for their actions and take transgressions seriously.”

The Herald reported in 2008 that Conley’s office began investigating along with Secretary of State William Galvin after a member of the lodge discovered irregularities.

In 2005, former Bay State Freemason Brad Bleidt was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for swindling millions from financial investors, including about $2 million from the Masons.

World Conference of Regular Masonic Grand Lodges May 12-14th in Columbia

The 11th World Conference of Regular Masonic Grand Lodges opens Thursday in Cartagena, Colombia. The host grand lodge is the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Colombia (Serenísima Gran Logia de Colombia). The conference will take place from May 12-14th, 2011.

WEOFM: "Freemasons & The Greek War of Independence" by Andreas C. Rizopoulos

The 15th video presentation from the Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry is now available. This week's program is "Freemasons & The Greek War of Independence" by Andreas C. Rizopoulos, PM. .

Andreas C. Rizopoulos, is a retired journalist and communications consultant. He is Full Member of Quatuor Coronati No. 2076, the Premier Lodge of Research under the United Grand Lodge of England and Fellow of the Scottish Rite Research Society. He belongs to Panathenean No. 146 Lodge in Greece (founder and Past Master) and was Founder-Steward of Internet Lodge No. 9659 in England. He also belongs to the Scottish Rite in Greece and to the Holy Royal Arch, Mark (Past Provincial Grand Standard Bearer), and Royal Ark Mariner (Provincial Royal Ark Mariner Grand Rank) in England. For the past twenty years he has been Grand Representative of two USA Grand Lodges at the Grand Lodge of Greece.

He has authored three books on Freemasonry: Philhellenes and Greek Freemasons in 1821, Greek Masonic Handbook and Freemasonry in the Ionians; plus many historical articles published in Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, Heredom, the Greek Masonic magazine Pythagoras, the Turkish Masonic magazine Mimar Sinan. He has delivered more than a hundred papers in Lodges and general Masonic meetings. He has published novels, poetry, books on literary and medical history, communication, and aviation, and has translated many books into Greek.

The Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry 2011 Lecture Series is a free presentation of Masonic education endorsed by the Grand Lodge of Indiana F&AM, beginning January 1, 2011 and running through December 31, 2011.

Memorial to Indiana Brother Thomas Taggart Endangered

Indiana Landmarks released its annual listing of the ten most endangered architectural sites in the state this past week. Some places appear year after year, some slip away, some are saved, and some are destroyed forever.

For the first time this year, the Thomas Taggart Memorial in Indianapolis made the list.

A monument to one of Indiana’s early leaders needs restoration before it deteriorates beyond repair. In its present condition, the Thomas Taggart Memorial—a limestone colonnade and fountain in Indianapolis’s Riverside Park—is hardly a fitting honor to the Irish immigrant who rose to become mayor of Indianapolis, U.S. Senator, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and owner of the French Lick Springs Hotel. The Neoclassical landmark was erected in 1931, two years after Taggart’s death.

In a bitter twist, a monument erected to honor the man who originated Indianapolis's city park system now sits neglected and crumbling in one of the parks he created.

As mayor from 1895 to 1901, Taggart created the city park system, acquiring hundreds of acres along White River, as well as land for Brookside and Highland parks, among others. He believed the citizens of the increasingly industrialized city needed green space for reflection and recreation. When he left office in 1901, Taggart bought the French Lick Springs Hotel, which he made a social and political hub of national renown.

The Taggart Memorial fountain doesn’t work, and an unsightly fence surrounds the monument to protect the public from its unsafe condition. Taggart’s Indianapolis legacy—a parks system available to all citizens of the capital city—deserves the honor of a fountain that works and a graceful, safe colonnade. Indiana Landmarks is investigating how private funds might be raised to restore his memorial.

A 2006 design study estimated the renovations would cost $1.3 million, and current estimates run as high as $2 million. Given that the Indianapolis Parks Department's current budget for the entire system is just over $3 million, the City is less than enthusiastic about fixing a limestone monument to a long-dead, long-forgotten man. The park is not in a fashionable part of the city, and the Memorial continues to fall to pieces behind a chain link fence.

Brother Tom Taggart (1856-1929) was member of Mystic Tie Lodge No. 398 in Indianapolis. He was also a Shriner, and was in the first ceremonial class of Murat Shrine in 1885 (along with fellow Noble Lew Wallace, civil war general and author of Ben Hur).

From Denslow's 10,000 Famous Freemasons:

Thomas Taggart (1856-1929) U.S. Senator from Indiana, 1916. b. Nov. 17, 1856 in County Monaghan, Ireland, and came to U.S. in 1861 with parents, who settled in Xenia, Ohio. Moved to Indianapolis in 1877, where he first was employed in a restaurant and later engaged in the restaurant and hotel business. He served three terms as mayor of Indianapolis, 1896-1901. Was president of the French Lick Hotel Co. Member of Mystic Tie Lodge No. 398, Indianapolis, Ind. d. March 6, 1929.

Like most tiny blurbs, that doesn't begin to scratch the surface of the life of Brother Thomas Taggart. He rose from Irish immigrant and manager of the railroad station lunch counter at the Indianapolis Union Depot to become Mayor of Indianapolis and the most influential Democrat in Indiana at a time when Republicans dominated the political landscape of the state. Stories abound of his kindness and generosity in his personal and professional life. And the story of the French Lick Springs Hotel under his leadership is fascinating.

WEOFM: "The Grand Orient of France" by Michel L. Brodsky

The 14th video presentation from the Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry is now available. This week's program is "The Grand Orient of France" by Michel L. Brodsky, PM. .

Michel L. Brodsky is Past Master of London's Quatuor Coronati Lodge, No. 2076 and the Prestonian Lecturer for 1994. He is 86 years old and still very active in the fraternity.

The Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry 2011 Lecture Series is a free presentation of Masonic education endorsed by the Grand Lodge of Indiana F&AM, beginning January 1, 2011 and running through December 31, 2011.

John Mauk Hilliard To Speak at PA's Shiloh Lodge May 31st

Pennsylvania's Shiloh Lodge No. 558's annual dinner on May 31st will feature John Mauk Hilliard, PM, as the 2011 Bernard H. Dupee PM Memorial Speaker.

The dinner will be held at the William Penn Inn in Gwynedd, PA.

W:.B:. Hilliard is a Past Master of Independent Royal Arch Lodge #2, in New York; a Past Most Excellent Great Chief, Grand Council of Knight Masons; a Past Most Illustrious Grand Master, Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of New York; and Past President of the Philalethes Society.

$40 per person. Click the poster above to enlarge for more information, or contact Matt Dupee at mdupee6@comcast.net

Poll Results: Do dues cover your lodge's annual expenses?

April Poll Results: Do your lodge dues (minus grand lodge assessments) cover your lodge's annual expenses?

• Yes. 115 (36%)
• No, but we have other regular income (rent, investments, etc.). 102 (32%)
• No, we regularly run in the red. 75 (23%)
• I don't know. 26 (8%)

Total Votes: 318

MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia Settles With Shriners

In 2009, the predominantly black Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of North and South Jurisdictions Inc. brought suit against the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia, stemming from what was essentially a battle over the Grand Master's and Grand Lodge's authority over the Shrine. Some 49 suspended members of Prince Hall-related organizations sued the 5,000 member Grand Lodge and the related Order of the Eastern Star for $50 million.

Now, the April 21-23, 2011 issue of the Richmond Free Press reports that the two sides in the dispute have finally settled after a court-ordered mediation. Under the terms of a March 28th agreement, the MWPHGLofV and the OES agreed to pay the Shrine $300,000, and to re-instate all suspended Masons and Star members. The money is essentially to cover the Shrine's court costs.

The MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia was founded in 1875. The national Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of North and South Jurisdictions Inc. was founded in 1893, and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. (It is not related in any way to the Tampa-based mainstream Shriners International). In 2009, the AEAONMS in Virginia had 718 members, and another 309 members of the related Daughters of Isis. Just like their mainstream Masonic counterparts, to be a member of the Shrine, one first has to be a Prince Hall Freemason.

According to the lawsuit, the trouble stemmed from an incident in 2006 at a benefit football game in Norfolk sponsored by the Shriners. Then-Grand Master Curtis S. Vaughan Jr. allegedly became upset that he was not treated with proper respect by the Shriners. As a result, the Grand Lodge exerted a claim that Shrine Chapters in Virginia were required to seek the Grand Lodge's permission to meet and hold programs in the state, and that the Shrine ignored the GL's authority. Vaughan and his successor, MW Larry D. Christian were accused by the plaintiffs of illegally suspending more than 100 Masons who refused to give up their Shrine membership. Likewise, the PHA-related Order of the Eastern Star suspended members who refused to give up their Daughters of Isis memberships.

In September 2010, newly elected Grand Master, M:.W:. Herman Eggleston Jr. made efforts to settle the case by revoking GM Christian's edict, and acknowledging the Shrine was a body independent of the Grand Lodge.

See: Lawsuit Between Virginia's Prince Hall Grand Lodge and Shrine

New Orleans Scottish Rite History & Research Symposium June 1-4, 2011

The history of Freemasonry in Louisiana is as colorful and rich as everything else about that incredible region, with influences from France, Spain, England and the Caribbean. In celebration of the bicentennial of the creation of the Grand Consistory of Louisiana, the New Orleans Scottish Rite History & Research Symposium will be held in New Orleans June 1-4, 2011. Some of the world’s leading scholars and historians will present papers on the history and development of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, as well as high grade Scottish Rite Masonry in New Orleans.

The Masonic Society is a proud sponsor of this event.

This is designed as a public event. No paper or material will be offered or presented in a public setting which should be reserved for Masons only. This conference welcomes the non-Masonic academic community and recognizes the contributions to Masonic history which have been made by non-Masonic academics.

The Symposium will be held at the The Royal Sonesta Hotel, which is conveniently located in the historic French Quarter.

Registration is $125.00 per person, including the banquet and conference events. Registration can be accomplished online, along with hotel reservations, at http://www.neworleansaasr.info

MAY 4th IS THE LAST DAY THE HOTEL DISCOUNT PRICE WILL BE AVAILABLE. If you have not yet registered with the hotel to reserve your room, you MUST do so before May 4th.

Mysterious Masonic Sword Energy

Mr. Joshua P. Warren (author of "How to Hunt Ghosts : A Practical Guide") was on Coast to Coast earlier this week. It seems he has discovered amazing properties of a Masonic sword in the lodge in Asheville, NC.


Why, it's just jaw dropping. All those ratty old swords from Ohio made by Ames and Pettibone between 1880 and 1930, pffffft. Nothing. But a Chinese Masonic sword from the last 5 years just lights up like a Festivus pole at a Japanese nuke plant.

Mr. Warren has quite the discovery on his hands there.

H/T to Steve Russo.

Scotland's Nitshill Lodge Robbed

Glasgow, Scotland's Nitshill Lodge No. 1478 is the latest Masonic lodge to be attacked, and this time by more than just vandalism. Two members of the kitchen and waitstaff were robbed Monday night before lodge opened by three men between the ages of 20-25. Each wore ski masks.

According to police reports, the thieves made off with a substantial amount of cash. The man and woman, both in their 50s, were not hurt, but were badly shaken. Unlike in the US, lodges in the UK frequently have their own bars and dining facilities, often with a paid staff.

See:

"Men steal cash from Masonic lodge"
"Nitshill Masonic hall raided by three masked men"

Nitshill Lodge in on Glasgow's south side, and from the looks of the security fence around it, they have had problems before, or at least tried to anticipate them.

(Photo from Jimmy1361's Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/7622517@N05/3092464415/)

Indianapolis' Lodge Vitruvian No. 767 Tonight: Ken Davis, "Tarot & Freemasonry"

Lodge Vitruvian No. 767, Indiana's only European Concept Lodge, will have its next meeting tonight, April 26, 2011, beginning at 7:00PM. Vitruvian meets in the Broad Ripple Masonic Temple at 1716 Broad Ripple Avenue, on the north side of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Tuxedo, Regalia and White Gloves for Members, Tuxedo or Business Attire for Visitors.

WBro. Ken Davis, Master of this Lodge in 2009, will be with us from New Mexico and will provide the evening's Masonic education on Tarot and Freemasonry.

Dr. Ken Davis is former professor and chair of English at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and president of Komei, Inc., a global training and consulting firm. His clients have included the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, the Republic of Botswana, IBM, the International Monetary Fund, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. With more than 30 years experience as a business writer, editor, and trainer, Ken has served as director at large of the Association for Business Communication and is immediate past president of the Association of Professional Communication Consultants. His most recent book is The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course in Business Writing and Communication. He lives in New Mexico with his wife and business partner, Bette Davis

Festive Board to follow the meeting at the nearby Capri Restaurant, 2602 Ruth Drive, Indianapolis, Indiana, (off Keystone Avenue between 71st and 75th Streets)

Each attendee will be responsible to the Lodge for the cost of his meal. The cost for the Festive Board is $30 per person, exclusive of alcoholic beverages, payable to the Secretary. Gratuity will be paid by the Lodge.

If you are interested in visiting, contact Secretary, WB Nathan C. Brindle at secretary@vitruvian.org

Knights Templar Easter Services on Both Coasts

The 81st Annual Easter Sunrise Service, sponsored by the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America, will be held this morning on the steps of the George Washington Masonic Memorial, Alexandria, Virginia.


The parade will form on the lane leading up the hill and will step off at 7:30AM. The Service will begin at 8:00AM, and will be conducted by Right Eminent Grand Prelate, Sir Knight William D. Hartman.

In Los Angeles, the West Coast Easter Observance will take place at 9:00AM at the Shrine Auditorium. Los Angeles Commandery No. 9 is the host Commandery, and the Knights will assemble and march in formation down the street from the USC Raddison Hotel to the Shrine Auditorium.

(Photos from the 2010 Easter celebration in Alexandria)

MM Degree Aboard USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, TX 4/30/11

On Saturday, April 30th, Oso Naval Lodge No. 1282 in Corpus Christi, Texas will confer the Master Mason degree aboard the U.S.S. Lexington CV-16. This is the first time a Masonic degree has been performed on board the aircraft carrier since she was permanently docked in 1992.

The degree will be presented in the onboard three-story tall Mega-theater, built in the original forward aircraft elevator, which has seating for 193.

Plan to arrive by 8:00AM. Lodge will open at 8:15AM, and the degree will begin at 8:30AM. Lunch will be served after the degree, and you are invited to tour the ship.

Tell the admissions office that you are with the Masons, and you will be required to present a current dues card.

The Lexington was commissioned February 17, 1943, serving the United States longer and setting more records than any other aircraft carrier in the history of naval aviation. The Japanese erroneously reported Lexington sunk on four different occasions during WWII, leading Tokyo Rose to nickname her "The Blue Ghost." Lexington was the oldest working carrier in the U.S. Navy when decommissioned in 1991.

For more information see the South Texas Masons website, or contact District Instructor Mike King at 361-946-0685, or email the lodge at osonaval@yahoo.com.

Heartless Freemasons Defoliating Neighborhood Garden

The Scottish Rite SJ's Washington, D.C. headquarters, the House of the Temple, is in the midst of a huge multi-million dollar, multi-year renovation project, to preserve and renovate the 100 year old building. For almost 20 years, the HOT has been a good neighbor to the surrounding community, and allowed area folks to use a large plot of land adjacent to the parking lot as a community garden. Flowers, herbs and vegetables have been growing in the Temple Garden since the early 1990s.

Well, no good deed goes unpunished.

With the renovation project underway, the land is now needed for supplies, parking, craftsman trailers, and the general detritus of a major construction project. Land within the District is not exactly plentiful and the existing spaces in the HOT's lot are not sufficient for the added space needed. Unfortunately for the neighbors, the garden has to give way to the rightful owners of the property. And that's not going over well with a few of the gardeners, who have taken their story to the press. Comments on the Temple Garden website make it clear that most of the gardeners understand the situation, but that doesn't make good David vs. Goliath headlines.

D.C.'s NBC affiliate interviewed the sad gardeners ("Community Garden Threatened"), and didn't even bother to include an on-camera statement by the Scottish Rite.

The Washington Post at least presented the other side by speaking with HOT attorney Barbara Golden.

From "Garden to close for Masonic temple renovation" by Larissa Roso:

Temple officials say they had no choice but to close the garden because the renovations are so urgent. The historic building is nearly a century old. Construction had began in 1911 and lasted until 1915.

“We want it to last another 100 years,” said Barbara Golden, a lawyer for the House of the Temple. “The timing, we don’t know. It could take four years, 20 years. We are not going to make a promise; we are not going to commit. At this point, we just don’t know.”

The garden, which opened in 1990, was never just a place to plant seedlings. Families held barbecues. A neighbor who’s an art teacher takes students there to paint.

“There’s a lot more to it than just growing things,” says the Temple Garden association’s president, David Rosner, who became a member in 2006, after four years on the waiting list. “This is part of people’s lives.”

Newcomers didn’t need particular skills. Plenty of members were willing to help beginners.

Annie Nash, who describes herself as a “city girl,” knew little about the growing season, light and soil composition on her first day working in the garden in 1999. Now she is taking horticulture classes offered by the Department of Agriculture.

“I usually go there in the morning or early afternoon on the weekend, thinking I’ll be there an hour or two,” Nash said in an e-mail after reflecting on the garden’s meaning to her. “Six or seven hours later, I realize that I’ve had a great day planting, weeding, or harvesting, and meetings members of the community or folks who just walk by asking about it.”

For Tom Mayes, who has had a plot at Temple Garden since 1998, the experience has brought moments of pure joy — the first goldfinches in late spring and the sunflowers still blooming in September, “brilliant against the clear blue skies.”

“The rosemary bush in my plot is the oldest thing there,” he said. “I’ve used it in hundreds of recipes, but the most frequent is the homemade focaccia. I love the smell of that plant as I brush past it. And I note that, in the meaning of plants, rosemary is for remembrance.”

Golden, the lawyer, said the House of the Temple kept the garden long after it was required to. In 2001, after a long judicial process, the D.C. Council approved the closing of an alley in the center of the property on the condition that temple keep the community garden open for at least another five years.

“Which we did,” Golden said. “And, in fact, we kept it beyond that. We wanted to be a good neighbor. We weren’t doing anything different in the building. We weren’t planning these renovations. We didn’t need it. Now we do.”

The House of the Temple sent a letter to Rosner on April 9 to inform him that the garden would close this year.

Golden said the gardeners will have time to make new arrangements. The closing date is more than seven months away: Nov. 30. Rosner and Kemp said they intend to ask the temple for a meeting to discuss the closure.

“We are going to ask them to reconsider and if there’s anything we could work out,” Rosner said. “Our primary message is going to be, thank you for what you’ve done for us. The secondary is, is there anything we can do? Are there alternatives we can explore?”

If a compromise can’t be found, the group will look for places where it can relocate and start a new garden.

Read about the "Rebuilding The Temple" project here.

Photo from the Washington Post.

A Masonic Passover

A drawing of David Mayer from the collection of the William Breman Musem

WXIA-TV11 in Atlanta has a story today about a Masonic "Passover" tale during the Civil War.

From "Atlanta and the Angel of Death" by Ben Mayer:

The Southern cause is failing. Sherman's army has spent weeks reducing Atlanta's buildings to hollows of char. And yet, a lone mercantile stands among them somehow untouched. Sherman, like the Angel of Death itself, passes over the store on his march to Savannah.

The story is one my family tells every year at Passover. The storeowner was David Mayer, my great-great-great grandfather. The story goes he hung a Masonic apron on the front porch because he knew Sherman was a Mason, too. And it worked like the lamb's blood from 3,000 years before; Sherman's armies lurched by Whitehall Street on their grim campaign.

Until this year, I knew little about David Mayer. He was relegated to the dusty lore and old family stories stored with our Passover things taken out only once a year, which is just often enough to have the stale taste of Matzoh, the bread of affliction, in our mouths.

Read the rest of the story here.

There is actually no evidence General William Tecumseh Sherman was Freemason (his father, Charles Sherman, was a Mason, according to the Lancaster, Ohio Historical Society), but there was no shortage of brethren on both sides. And it makes a nice story...

Update: My Cancer Adventure Continues

The mail yesterday brought a delightfully deranged gift from my friend, W:.B:. Andrew Hammer in Virginia. Yes, it's a plush, stuffed stomach. Biggest laugh I've had in weeks.

As I have publicly announced last month ("Yes I have cancer. You thought I was a Scorpio."), I was diagnosed with stomach cancer at the end of March, and I started chemotherapy about two weeks ago. The treatment is aggressive to keep the cancer from spreading.

I have discussed my traveling schedule with my oncologists and surgeon. In the beginning, they advised me to "keep to my usual routine." I don't think they fully comprehended that my usual routine was to take week-long driving trips, sleeping in the back of a van, hauling book boxes around, getting up at 7AM for a Masonic breakfast with lunatic early risers, while being kept out until 2AM by far more rational night owls. While they are understanding of my situation, doctors seem bizarrely more concerned with keeping me alive than they are about me swanning about the countryside. And I misunderstood the regimen schedule when this saga began- it's considerably longer than i thought. So, I have now been advised to cancel my traveling events in May and June.

Skipping over the ickier details, the plan is to kill as much of the tumor with chemo as is possible for an initial nine weeks, hack out the part of my stomach that is affected, replumb the whole mess, and follow up with another nine weeks of chemicals. That puts the surgery at approximately the end of May or beginning of June. In the meantime, I'm wearing a portable chemo pump around my neck, that's about the size of a 1970s cassette deck.

I'm not used to having my wings clipped, and this was supposed to be a very busy spring and summer. But I'm told I need to shut my squeakhole about the inconvenience, and be a little more upbeat about the "not dying" side of things.

This does NOT mean I am getting worse—quite the opposite. Everyone has been quite positive and optimistic, and most important, no one has taken Alice out in the hall and suggested a long, final Caribbean cruise, and maybe a nice party where everybody brings a funny story about Chris. But I am being sternly warned about fatigue, weight loss and other side effects, and just the simple technical challenges of traveling, versus trying to keep to the chemo treatment regimen.

The funniest part of this mess is that, after losing 90 pounds over the last year, I'm being told to eat 3,000 calories a day in anticipation of the eventual appetite loss. Criminey. I didn't eat 3,000 calories a day when I was at my most alarmingly spherical circumference.

I apologize for waiting to make these scheduling decisions until now, which puts many brethren in a bind for their events, but my health issues and answers have been changing on a daily basis, with lots of unknowns. I hope you understand. I will be happy to help any of you find a substitute, unless you want to try to reschedule in the Fall. I'll do whatever I can to attempt to assist from my end.

I remain the luckiest guy in Freemasonry, and Alice and I both appreciate the literally hundreds of emails, letters, cards, phone calls, and stuffed stomach toys that have been coming in. In spite of my grousing, early detection of this condition, along with the friendship of all of you, have been the greatest gifts for which I am truly thankful.

Masonic Book Club: "Evolutions of Freemasonry" by Delmar Darrah

The Masonic Book Club started in 1970, and reprints hard to find Masonic books in limited hardback editions for its members. In the next few weeks, they will be shipping the 2010 title, Evolutions of Freemasonry by Delmar Duane Darrah, PGM of Illinois, a collection of articles on Freemasonry written in the 1920s.

According to the Club newsletter, "Delmar Duane Darrah was a Professor of English and Public Speaking at Illinois Wesleyan University. He served Illinois as Grand Master in 1910-11, Grand Commandery's Grand Recorder in the early 1920's. He was an Active Member of the Supreme Council and Deputy for Illinois in 1932, serving as Grand Lieutenant Commander of the Supreme Council, N.M.J., A.A.S.R. He was a Masonic publisher, an author and a lecturer of wide renown. He was also a key mentor of Louis L. Williams who was one of the founders of the Masonic Book Club."

The Club lost its printer of four decades this past year, but now has a new supplier, and they are now offering on-line payments for annual dues and book sales via Paypal. Past editions are for sale, and the Club is partnered with the Illinois Lodge of Research Library, which is administering their book inventory.

Annual dues are $20 US & Canada, and $25 for members in other countries. See www.masonicbookclub.org

UPDATE: 

Please note! As of early 2016, the Masonic Book Club has gone out of business, and the Illinois Lodge of Research no longer lists the Club's old stock of titles anymore. Rumor has it that another existing, established Masonic research organization is going to resurrect the Club, possibly by 2017, and the hope is to reprint many of the older titles that are out of print and hard to find. But no details are publicly available yet.

WEOFM: "The Royal Secret in the U.S. before 1801" by Dr. S. Brent Morris

The 12th video presentation from the Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry is now available. This week's program is "The Royal Secret in the U.S. before 1801" by Dr. S. Brent Morris .

S. Brent Morris 33° is the managing editor of the Scottish Rite Journal of the Supreme Council, 33°, S.J. A former mathematician with the federal government (he holds a PhD in Mathematics from Duke University), he has lectured at over 100 universities, and has taught mathematics, computer science, and cryptanalysis at Duke University, Johns Hopkins Universities, and the National Cryptologic School. He is currently on the graduate faculty at George Washington University. He was the first American to be elected as the Worshipful Master of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, the oldest Masonic Research Lodge in the world. Among his many books are The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Freemasonry, A Radical in the East, and Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry? co-authored with Art de Hoyos.

The Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry 2011 Lecture Series is a free presentation of Masonic education endorsed by the Grand Lodge of Indiana F&AM, beginning January 1, 2011 and running through December 31, 2011.