Masks on! Masks off! Masks on! Masks off!

by Christopher Hodapp

Regardless of what your personal opinion may be concerning news about the resurgence of COVID infections and the controversies swirling around masks, lockdowns and vaccines, one thing is certain: if you're a Grand Master, anything you say or do (or choose to NOT do) concerning these topics will result in hellfire and brimstone raining down on your head from your membership. 

No matter what you say or do, there will be a great gnashing of teeth. (And fortunately, thanks to federal COVID funding, if you find yourself toothless, teeth will be provided.)

To wit:

Last Wednesday, August 11th, the Grand Master of Arkansas, MW William R. Frizzell, issued an official edict (Edict #3) requiring the Masons in his jurisdiction to return to wearing masks and distancing at lodge meetings, and recommending they get vaccinated against the virus. Irksome? Certainly. But probably prudent if you're the guy responsible for an organization with thousands of members, of which a substantial number are senior citizens who are more at risk than the rest of the population:

The edict was circulated electronically so it could be immediately disseminated to all members. And it's pretty obvious that the members' responses were immediate, too. One can only imagine the statewide caterwaul over the return to masking that poured into the Grand Master's email inbox, and the nonstop ringing of the office phones in Little Rock.

So, on Thursday morning, Grand Master Frizzell issued Edict #4, which was a clarification of Edict #3, explaining the difference between his requirements for in-person lodge meetings, his requests, and his recommendations:

To quote the Bard, "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown," or the lap that's covered by the purple apron, in this case. It's clear that the protests of the membership became a deluge. 

GM Frizzell's Edict #5 was issued that very same afternoon, rescinding #3 and #4, signing off with just two words, "Good luck!" 

I was reminded of a famous incident at Bastogne, Belgium in December 1944 when the Germans sent an ultimatum to the commander of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, demanding the immediate surrender of his woefully outnumbered forces. His reply to the German commander was simple and to the point: 

"Nuts."

Masonic Book Club Will Publish Samuel Pritchard's 1730 'Masonry Dissected'

by Christopher Hodapp

The newly resurrected Masonic Book Club (MBC) has announced its upcoming second volume: a new edition of Samuel Pritchard's 1730 Masonic exposure, Masonry Dissected, featuring commentary by the late Harry Carr, and revised and updated by Arturo De Hoyos and S. Brent Morris. The pre-order window for Masonry Dissected will be announced in late Fall 2021 or early Winter 2022.

Pritchard's book included the first known publication of the details of the Master Mason degree, which had only been incorporated into the premiere Grand Lodge of England's ritual in 1726, just nine years after the 1717 formation of their grand lodge. 

During the years before 1726, English ritual had contained only the Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft degrees. While Pritchard's book was doubtless seen as a dastardly act and a betrayal of Masonic secrecy and honor at the time, it does provide historians a written record of the Masonic degrees as they existed in those formative years. It was also extremely popular at the time, presumably for both a curious public, and for Masons trying to learn to memorize their ritual.

From the MBC announcement: 

"When the Grand Lodge of England was formed in 1717, there were only two degrees: Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft. A “master mason” either held the contract at a job site (think “general contractor”) or was the elected presiding officer of a lodge. The first conferral of the Third or Master Mason Degree in a Masonic lodge occurred in March 1726 in Lodge Dumbarton Kilwinning No. 18. The degree apparently was conferred in May 1725 at a social club of Masons in London, the Philo Musicæ et Architecturæ Societas. There is no hint of what the ceremony may have been—not in the Old Charges, manuscript rituals, or publications. Nothing!

"Then on October 20, 1730, Samuel Prichard published Masonry Dissected with full details of the ritual for what he claimed was the Master Mason Degree. A second edition came out on October 21, and a third edition on October 31, all three published by Wilford in London. A presumably pirated edition dated “MD.CC.XXX” (1730) and printed by Thomas Nichols “without Temple Bar” (London) probably had made its appearance by the end of October 1730. Other presumably pirated versions were printed in Read’s Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer, on October 24, 1730; Northampton Mercury, in two parts on October 28, 1730, and on November 2, 1730; and the second half in The Original Mercury, York Journal: or, Weekly Courant, on November 2, 1730 (the reprint of the first half has not been located).

"Thus, there were three separate editions by Wilford for Prichard, a pirated edition by Nichols, and a newspaper version, all printed in London, plus a two-part pirated newspaper version printed in the Midlands, and another pirated newspaper version printed in the North of England, all within fourteen days. This was a popular book!

Technically, this will be Volume 43 of MBC's books published since it originally formed in 1970, but this new edition of the book isn't the first time the the MBC has offered it. The 'old' Masonic Book Club published it in 1977 with wonderful commentary by Harry Carr, Past Master and Secretary of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 in London.

"In 1977 the Masonic Book Club reprinted Masonry Dissected with a commentary by Harry Carr, Past Master and Secretary of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, London. The MBC will be reprinting this classic edition with Harry Carr’s commentary revised and updated by Ill. Arturo de Hoyos, 33°, G.C., and S. Brent Morris, 33°, G.C. This forty-third MBC volume should have its pre-publication sale in late fall 2021 or early winter 2022. All MBC members will be notified when the book is available for pre-publication purchase."

The first volume of the new MBC was the beautifully-bound The Perfect Ceremonies of Craft Masonry & The Holy Royal Arch and went out to members at the beginning of this year.

There are no dues for the new Masonic Book Club. Books are announced for pre-publication orders and payments are only collected as books are ready to be manufactured. All transactions are handled exclusively online. Without a rigid calendar driving publications, new books can come out as quickly as nine months or as late as eighteen months, as resources permit. Book prices range in the $25 vicinity for pre-publication orders, or $35 retail if you miss the pre-pub ordering window. Volumes will no longer be numbered as in the old Club, but if the hardback edition sells out the MBC will make a paperback print-on-demand edition available of the books. 

To the relief of the MBC's older original members, the new Club actually communicates with members twice a year with an electronic newsletter to keep everyone in the loop about upcoming volumes in the works and their production status. Despite his recent retirement from his longtime job of editing the AASR-SJ's Scottish Rite Journal, S. Brent Morris 33° continues to manage the MBC, and this endeavor has truly been a labor of love for him. 

More information can be found at the MBC's website HERE. If you are interested in this or subsequent volumes, you need to sign up on the website. The mission statement of the resurrected Masonic Book Club is to publish classic Masonic works with the goals to increase Masonic knowledge and to become a profit center for the House of the Temple Foundation. If you have any questions or suggestions, please address them to mbc@scottishrite.org.

Grand Master of Florida Condemns Cuban Human Rights Violations

by Christopher Hodapp

On July 19th, MW Jeffrey S. Foster, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Florida F&AM, issued a letter condemning human rights violations in Cuba, and encouraging all other grand lodges to do the same. (Click the image below to enlarge.)

This comes in the wake of two weeks of anti-government demonstrations against Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel and crackdowns by authorities.

The Grand Lodge of Florida is in amity with the Gran Logia de Cuba.

North Carolina Masonic Foundation Seeks New Development Officer

by Christopher Hodapp

The North Carolina Masonic Foundation is hiring a new chief development officer. Established in 1929, the Foundation helps fund operations at the Grand lodge of North Carolina's Masonic Home for Children at Oxford, and WhiteStone, a Masonic and Eastern Star retirement community in Greensboro. The NCMF also financially assists the Charles Edward Cathey Scholarship Fund, the Masonic Historic Preservation Fund, numerous lodge-sponsored scholarship funds, and more.

The Foundation is a 501c3, non-profit corporation and all contributions to it are tax deductible.

According to the listing:

[T]he Chief Development Officer will develop and implement a philanthropic vision with charity partners and key stakeholders that will sustain and expand the Foundation’s annual revenue of $400,000 and $87M endowment to fulfill the charitable interests of Masons across North Carolina. The Officer will build a comprehensive development program with key metrics designed to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and lead a team of three to actualize that plan.

Based in Raleigh, the job will require relocation to North Carolina (unless, of course, you already live there).

The complete listing can be seen HERE.

(H/T Carl Davis)

Arson Fire in Hempstead, New York Damages Prince Hall Lodge

by Christopher Hodapp

Nassau County police in Hempstead, New York are seeking information about a “person of interest” after an arson fire at the local Prince Hall Masonic hall on July 15th. The fire was set at the front door of Hempstead's Doric Lodge 53, causing an unspecified amount of damage.

According to a story on Patch.com, police say the call for the fire came in at 4:10 a.m. at 95 Westbury Blvd. in Hempstead. The local fire department responded quickly to the scene and got the blaze under control. One person was inside of the building when the fire broke out, but he escaped without injury.

Nassau County Fire Marshal, Arson Bomb Squad and Crime Scene Squad are currently investigating. They say a person of interest was seen in the vicinity of the lodge at the time of the fire, and they released this surveillance photo later that day. 

Authorities are asking anyone with information about this arson to call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS, or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.

Grand Lodge of Cuba Issues Statement on Protests

by Christopher Hodapp

(This story has been updated 7/25/2021)

Anti-government demonstrations have rocked Cuba all week as that nation's economy continues to collapse. Thousands of Cubans have filled the streets protesting the nation's Communist leadership over the economy, food and medicine shortages, price hikes, and the government's handling of the pandemic. 

Protests began on Sunday in the city of San Antonio de los Baños, southwest of Havana, but have quickly spread across the country. Observers say these are Cuba's worst anti-government demonstrations in decades. That's considered significant because critics against the government in Cuba usually face harsh punishment. 

On Wednesday, MW Ernesto Zamura Fernandez, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Cuba (Gran Logio de Cuba de Antiguos Libres y Aceptados Masones), issued a statement to his members concerning the civil unrest in that country. (Click the image to enlarge.) The Brother who forwarded it to me included this translation:

Declaration of the Grand Lodge of Cuba of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons 

Because of the situation in the country, we have advocated among the masons that fanaticism not prevail, that not enmity nor hate nor violence prevail among Cubans, that rights be defended firmly and in the correct manner and that they always be on the side of justice; all with the objective of preserving peace. Similarly, we have urged the Government that dialogue and tolerance are the paths to resolving any differences and to respect the rights of citizens. 

Today we watch with sadness that something that could be seen coming due to discontent and grievances among the population has materialized in protests around the country. It is not strange that the authorities and security forces would try to dissolve and contain them. But it is also the case that the excessive use of force by those empowered to keep order is concerning. Based on the facts from Masons throughout the country, we consider that [the use of excessive force] only tend to exacerbate passions more and in the long term harm the peace of the nation.  

The call for confrontations between Cubans is unacceptable. These errors should not be normalized because once implanted they end in discrimination, injustice and separation. They have taught us over three centuries that Cuba is made by all, belongs to all, and for the good of all. 

A day such as today, the 14th of July [anniversary of the Cuban revolution/coup] thrust our society devoted to Liberty, Equality and Fraternity and we remember the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Man that makes clear that all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights; it proclaims that all are equal before the Law and have, without distinction, rights to equal protection under the Lay against all discrimination; and affirms that everyone has right with perfect equality to be heard publicly. 

The Grand Lodge of Cuba and the Masons, whatever their conviction, are on the side of the Cuban people and advocate for peace, concord and social justice. We urge tolerance, the search for truth and fraternal love be the modes that prevail in all circumstances.

UPDATED JULY 25, 2021:

The Supreme Commander of the Scottish Rite in Cuba, Illus. José Ramon Viñas Alonso, issued his own letter to President Miguel Diaz-Canel, accusing the government of constantly blaming the country’s problems on the U.S. trade embargo rather than recognizing his own responsibility (click image below to enlarge). 

The following is an imperfect machine translation of his letter. I do not speak or write Spanish and I do not wish to misrepresent his precise wording. If anyone can provide a more correct translation, please forward it to me at hodapp@aol.com:

We are writing to you with the purpose of letting you know our rejection of your position and direction [as the head] of the country, for summoning, inciting and ordering a confrontation with violence towards the Cuban people, also arrests and violence against peaceful protesters and citizens who think contrary to the system that you represent. At the same time, we declare our disagreement to always justifying the crisis in which the country is plunged due to external reasons ([the U.S.] Blockade), without recognizing the responsibility and ineffectiveness of [your own] government.

88 years ago during the government of General Gerardo Machado Morales, this same Supreme Council wrote to the president [condemming] the violence against his people. [As their] worthy heirs today we do the same. This social outbreak throughout the island shows the manifest dissatisfaction in which the country lives. [T]he members of the Supreme 33rd Degree Council for the Republic of Cuba, being part of the Institution that in that time most influenced the independence and society of this country, we have the prestige and history as guarantors and thus assume our position on the side of the people from Cuba, without considering in these [words] any disrespect for [your] high investiture as president of the country, but as a sincere and necessary position.

Illus. Alonso later posted on his Facebook page that he had been summoned to a police station where three officials questioned him over the letter. In a show of the growing sense of defiance in Cuban society, he suggested that the officers should instead visit the Masons where they could all speak on an equal footing. “As I left, there was a cluster of brothers waiting for me, defying the curfew about to start – Masonic pride… thank you, thank you!”

'12 Mighty Orphans' Tells Story of Texas Masonic Home Football Team

by Christopher Hodapp

A new movie released this month tells the story of a very special group of boys during the 1930s at the Masonic Home of Texas and the dedicated men and women who helped to raise and mentor them. 12 Mighty Orphans stars Luke Wilson and Martin Sheen in a true (albeit highly fictionalized) story of the 'Mighty Mites' a football team made up of Masonic Home orphans in Fort Worth who beat all the odds and make it to the Texas state championship during the thick of the Great Depression in the 1930s. 

The Masonic Home and School of Texas in Fort Worth was opened to Masons, widows and orphans in 1889, and remained in operation until 2005. The movie is based on former Masonic Home orphan Jim Dent's book of the same name.

From Movieinsider.com:

12 MIGHTY ORPHANS tells the true story of the Mighty Mites, the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage who, during the Great Depression, went from playing without shoes—or even a football—to playing for the Texas state championships. Over the course of their winning season these underdogs and their resilient spirit became an inspiration to their city, state, and an entire nation in need of a rebound, even catching the attention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The architect of their success was Rusty Russell, a legendary high school coach who shocked his colleagues by giving up a privileged position so he could teach and coach at an orphanage. Few knew Rusty's secret: that he himself was an orphan. Recognizing that his scrawny players couldn't beat the other teams with brawn, Rusty developed innovative strategies that would come to define modern football.

After the Civil War up until the end of the last century, Masonic grand lodges all over the country constructed and operated retirement homes for their members and widows, and many of these facilities also included orphanages. Masonic orphanages weren't just reserved for children of Freemasons who had no living relatives. Often it was a case of a destitute family that couldn't afford to care for their own children, or parents who had to travel or relocate around the country in order to find work. During the Depression, lots of these Masonic homes had so many children to care for that they would establish their own schools on the campus.

12 Mighty Orphans opened in theaters on June 11th. I haven't seen it yet, so I don't know how much the story of the Masonic Home or Masonry itself gets told. Curiously, the movie trailer and official press releases only refer to an "orphanage" without mentioning the Masons. And the only visual clue in the trailer is a sunrise shot over the Masonic Home's water tower with Fort Worth in the Distance. 

Every picture like this needs a villain. The 'bad guy' of this one is the greedy manager of the Home's for-profit printing shop (described as a one-dimensional part played by the typically one-dimensional Wayne Knight) who spends the movie carping that "Every minute those kids are on the field, we're losing money!" Larger Masonic Homes with orphanages were often located out in the country and were pretty self-contained in their earlier days. They often had their own working farms on which they raised cattle and chickens for their dairy needs, and the Home kids were usually required to help with the farm work. But more than a few Masonic Homes really did have their own for-profit printing shops. Masonic grand lodges published their own magazines, printed up their own reams of rule books, annual proceedings, dues cards, lodge histories, and much more. Grand lodges were awash in their own seas of bureaucratic paperwork, so it made sense to operate an in-house print shop, with the Masonic Home boys learning the printing trade.

Reviews of 12 Mighty Orphans are encouragingly positive, which is surprising in the age of snark in which we find ourselves. While it seems to follow the usual sports movie formula of 'underdogs without a chance beating all the odds and becoming champs with the help of a grizzled coach and mentor ' (like Hoosiers did with basketball), the truth is that it's the sort of inspiring story that doesn't get told very often anymore and actually makes you feel good when you leave the theater. After more than a year of COVID isolation, there's a lot to be said for having two hours of inspiring and uplifting storytelling.

UPDATE 6/27/2021 11:50AM:

The venerable Robert Duvall has a very brief cameo in 12 Mighty Orphans, and he was on Steven Colbert's late-night talk show on Thursday. They talked about the new movie, and Colbert mentioned the story is about an orphanage. Duval emphatically corrected him, saying, "MASONIC orphanage." 

At one point Colbert asked him point-blank, "Are you a Mason?" and Duval answered "No." 

Then Colbert asked, "Do you believe in secrecy?" and Duval answered "Yes."

But I did find it a bit sad that Duvall, at the age of 90, said he really didn't know much about the Masons. Yet he was born in 1931 and was an adult at the time of U.S. Masonry's greatest popularity. 

History Channel: America's Book of Secrets

by Christopher Hodapp

So nobody tells me these things anymore. I didn't realize this was going to be aired this week until I got a flurry of "Hey, you were on TV" messages.

The History Channel (aka History®) has updated an older series entitled America's Book of Secrets with new episodes this season. Tuesday night, Season 4/Episode 3: The Freemason Factor aired and featured interviews with myself, Brothers Arturo De Hoyos, Akram Elias, Jeff Ballou, plus The Craft author John Dickie and others. We actually shot my stuff last October, but the show was delayed for several months due to the COVID shutdowns that prevented the production company from getting all the scenes they needed.

Close your mouth, stupid, before you swallow a fly.

The show airs on Tuesday nights, but it can be seen online at: https://play.history.com/shows/americas-book-of-secrets/season-4/episode-3

(Easter egg bonus for Indianapolis Masons: catch fleeting glimpses of the Scottish Rite Cathedral's stained glass of the letter G, and a glass scene of Solomon and Hiram from Calvin Prather Lodge.)

Encouraging Local Volunteerism In Your Masonic Lodge

by Christopher Hodapp

Are members of your lodge especially active in volunteering in your community? Or are you looking for ways to get your lodge involved in local volunteer programs to help your town or neighborhood? For many years, Americorps and the Points of Light global network have jointly awarded the President's Volunteer Service Awards to hundreds of individuals and organizations all over the U.S. in recognition of their dedication and service to local communities. Masons and Masonic lodges are among the different types of civic, social, religious and non-profit organizations that qualify for the award.

From the program's website:

In 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. This award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action, too.

The PVSA has continued under each administration since that time, honoring the volunteers who are using their time and talents to solve some of the toughest challenges facing our nation. Led by the AmeriCorps and managed in partnership with Points of Light, this program allows Certifying Organizations to recognize their most exceptional volunteers.

In order for a lodge to participate and make its members eligible, it must become a Certifying Organization by filling out an application and taking a short quiz to be sure you understand the program's requirements.

A Certifying Organization is an organization that has been granted authority through an application and review process to give out the PVSA to volunteers. Certifying Organizations verify and certify that a volunteer has met the requirements to receive a PVSA within a 12 month period specified by the Certifying Organization. Only Certifying Organizations can certify volunteers’ eligibility for the PVSA and order awards.

Certifying Organizations must be established and operate in the United States, its territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands), or on overseas U.S. military and state installations. Additionally, Certifying Organizations must receive or facilitate volunteer service.

The award has several different levels, depending upon how many hours in a 12-month period are provided by an individual or (Bronze, Silver, Gold and Lifetime) for "unpaid acts of volunteer service benefitting others." 

In the agreement, your lodge becomes a certifying organization that keeps careful track of how many hours are volunteered, who performed that service, and reporting them to the awards program. The lodge also agrees to cover the cost of the award package itself, which, if you go whole hog on the options, costs less than $30. The award can include the official President’s Volunteer Service Award pin, coin, or medallion; a personalized certificate of achievement; and letter signed by the President.

There is a detailed FAQ about eligibility requirements HERE.

Once the proper level of hours is reached, the lodge nominates that member for the award, and confers it when it arrives. The award is also accompanied by a congratulatory letter from the sitting President of the United States. Before anyone starts caterwauling about presidential politics, understand that every president since George W. Bush has supported this program. It is a completely non-partisan program designed to recognize and reward volunteerism, and Americorps relies on you as their certifying organization to tabulate the hours and apply for the awards.

Root around on the awards website HERE for lots more information about it. 

Also have a look at the Points Of Light Global Network website for ways to get your local lodge involved in civic volunteerism. Groups like United Way work with churches, lodges and other similar groups to pair volunteers with programs in the community.

Monday: Conversation With John Dickie, Author of 'The Craft'

by Christopher Hodapp

On Monday, May 24th, the Rubicon Masonic Society, Kentucky's William O. Ware Lodge of research, and Lexington lodge No. 1 will feature an online presentation with Mr. John Dickie, the author of the recent book, The Craft - How The Freemasons Made the Modern World. The program will begin at 7:00 p.m., EST.

I've been remiss for some time now in not mentioning the ongoing video presentations of Rubicon, the WOW LOR, and Lexington Lodge. There continues to be outstanding work and leadership coming out of Lexington, Kentucky, and they have been putting on outstanding video presentations since the COVID shutdowns began last year.

Electronic RSVP is required. For log in information, visit the RSVP page HERE.

If you haven't read Dickie's The Craft, you should if you have any interest in learning about just how important Freemasonry has been throughout its centuries of existence.

The press' reaction to The Craft has been remarkably unusual for these days. When it was published last fall, English reviewers kept their usual anti-Masonic sniping to themselves and generally praised the book as being informative, evenhanded, and "eye-opening" (in a GOOD way). The book covers a pretty wide breadth, telling the history of the Craft since the 1500s by highlighting various individual Masons (and occasional non-Masons) who influenced its development. Considering the scope of the subject matter, Dickie does a good job of placing the fraternity in the context of the wider society surrounding it in different times and places. As Masons, we often have a bad case of tunnel vision by failing to look at the larger picture of what was happening in society in any given period that had big impact on the fraternity. 

To answer the obvious question, John Dickie is not a Mason — his grandfather was, but he is not a Mason himself. He is a University College of London Professor of Italian studies, and the author of several books about the Italian Mafia, most notably, The Cosa Nostra (2005) and Blood Brotherhoods (2014). 

UPDATE MAY 25, 2021

If you missed last night's presentation, the replay can be seen HERE.

Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol' First Trailer Lands

by Christopher Hodapp

Earlier this week, NBC/Universal released the first preview for Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol (formerly known as Langdon; formerly known as Dan Brown's Langdon) airing on their Peacock streaming service later this year. Based on the 2009 novel and Da Vinci Code sequel by Brown, the Masonic-themed story was one of the most hotly anticipated books in the publishing business. More than 1 million copies of The Lost Symbol were sold world-wide on the very first day when it was eventually released in 2009. But the long delay between his blockbuster books convinced the rest of the publishing and entertainment world to try to cash in on Brown-mania during the lull. The 2004 hit movie, National Treasure, never would have seen the light of day had Brown not let the cat out of the bag that his next Big Book would be about Freemasons in Washington, D.C., but took six years to actually publish it. For that matter, most of my earliest books would never have been published, either. Certainly not by mainstream publishers.

The Lost Symbol was the third novel to feature Brown's 'symbologist' character, Robert Langdon, who was portrayed by Tom Hanks in three big-budget, theatrical movies. This pilot film was initially planned to air on the NBC broadcast network, but now the subsequent series will be a flagship show for the fledgling Peacock pay streaming service, instead.

The original story line of the novel has been shifted to occur before The DaVinci Code and Angels & Demons. Ashley Zuckerman (from Designated Survivor) portrays symbologist Robert Langdon shortly after his graduation from Harvard (and much younger than Tom Hanks' version in three previous theatrical films of Brown's novels). Langdon must solve a twisted mystery to save his university mentor, Peter Solomon (played by comedian and actor, Eddie Izzard) and prevent a mysterious nemesis from unleashing terrible destruction on Washington, D.C.

Brown's plot in The Lost Symbol revolved around many Masonic clues and landmarks in Washington, including the Scottish Rite SJ's House of the Temple headquarters. Masons everywhere enjoyed the novel and the public spotlight it brought to the fraternity, but were disappointed when Hollywood passed over it as a big-money picture to make Inferno instead. Because of certain plot points, the story as written wasn't exactly visually promising, since easily 20% of the story takes place in total darkness.

Unfortunately, there are no Masonic references or symbols onscreen in the trailer (although one sequence shows Langdon discovering a 'Chamber of Reflection' hidden deep in the basement under the U.S. Capitol building). However, I have it on good authority that Freemasonry is well represented in the film – or at least it was shot that way. We'll see how much survives the editorial process. A long production shutdown due to the pandemic last year put the crew and the whole project on ice for months. The show was largely shot in Canada, and yes, the crew actually reproduced the Capitol dome's rotunda and Statuary Hall on a soundstage. I haven't heard whether they also reproduced the Scottish Rite's House of the Temple, or of it even made it into the script. 

'Bowling Alone' Author Robert Putnam Webinar May 21st

by Christopher Hodapp

Social science researcher Robert Putnam will be featured in a free webinar on May 21, 2021 between 10:00 am and 11:30 am. The author of Bowling Alone will be discussing his latest book, The Upswing: How American Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again.

Back in 2000 when Robert Putnam first published Bowling Alone, his landmark study of the decline of social and civic engagement over the previous 50 years, Masonic leaders jumped on it like ducks on a Junebug. His study began when he noticed that bowling alleys in the 1990s were doing a booming business, yet organized bowling clubs were vanishing. More Americans were bowling by themselves than ever before, but it was no longer the group-participation activity it had been for decades before. And the more Putnam and his Harvard team poked around, they found that pattern repeated over and over: Americans were turning in on themselves and choosing solitary pursuits, while shunning in-person groups, clubs, associations and group activities. People were more disconnected from family, neighbors, friends, and — perhaps most alarming of all — from civic participation in democratic institutions and activities than at any time before.

Putnam's study laid out the sobering truth in black and blue that nearly every in-person, voluntary associative organization — from the Red Cross and the Boy Scouts, to PTAs and card-playing clubs — had diminished in participation, size and influence. People were still technically joining clubs and groups, but they were most commonly distant, non-participation organizations like the Sierra Club, the National Rifle Association, the ASPCA, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, etc. Send them your credit card payment every year and you get an ID card, a bumper sticker, maybe a magazine subscription. But none of them place any demand on your time, effort or participation. And you sure don't get to know your fellow club members, much less go out for a beer with them.

Masonic leaders, in particular, could at least comfort themselves in knowing that our straight-line decline in membership ever since 1958 wasn't peculiar only to our fraternity. At least we weren't alone. And we still aren't. We're twenty years beyond Putnam's first examination of the issue, and our declining membership numbers have stayed on their same downward trajectory that started 63 years ago.

Putnam's book became a huge bestseller, and he popularized a social science concept called social capital: the shared values, norms, trust, and sense of belonging that make social interaction possible. Social capital is what binds people together for their mutual benefit. And when we share less and less in common with our neighbors and fellow citizens, society falls apart. (I also strongly recommend Charles Murray's outstanding book, Coming Apart.)

That brings us back to the mission of Freemasonry, which is to improve society by binding together men from all walks of life with shared concepts and philosophy, while avoiding sectarian and political differences that so frequently divide people, "to spread the cement of brotherly love and affection which unites us into one sacred band or society of friends and brothers, among whom should exist no contention, except that noble contention, or rather, emulation, of who best can work and best agree."

Last year, Putnam released a 20th anniversary edition of Bowling Alone with a new, additional data-filled chapter in the end that examines what has occurred since its initial publication. His new book, The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again (2020), is a broad study of 20th century American economic, social, political, and cultural trends.

To join the May 21st webinar, see the Social Capital Research & Training website HERE. There is also a form to fill out in case you want to pose a question directly to Robert Putnam.

Six Arrested For Planning Terrorist Attacks on French Masonic Lodge and Past Grand Master

by Christopher Hodapp

The French press is reporting the Tuesday arrest of six members of what authorities are calling a "small neo-Nazi group" who were allegedly planning a violent attack on a Masonic lodge in Thionville. Thionville is located in Moselle, a department in Alsace-Lorraine in northeastern France. 

National anti-terrorism investigators have been observing the group since February. In a separate article reported yesterday, their plans also included an attack on the immediate Past Grand Master of the Grand Orient de France (2018-21), Jean-Philippe Hubsch, who is from Thionville.

From Franceinfo.fr and AFP:

Six members of a small neo-Nazi group, suspected of wanting to take violent action against a Masonic lodge, were arrested Tuesday, May 4 in the Doubs and Bas-Rhin, a judicial source confirmed on Friday to France Televisions. Three of them, two men and a woman aged 29 to 56, must be presented this Friday to a Parisian examining magistrate with a view to possible indictment for "criminal terrorist association", according to this source. The other three individuals were released.

According to BFMTV , this small group is called "Honor and Nation" and [their plans were] aimed at a Masonic lodge in Moselle. The national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office (Pnat) opened a preliminary investigation in February 2021 into the activities of this tiny ultra-right group. According to this judicial source, the [attack] was not imminent. These individuals were arrested following exchanges, and in particular because they were researching explosives. Searches have enabled the authorities to find weapons, but they could be legally detained, said the judicial source.

L'Est Republican reports:

The [current] Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of France Pierre-Marie Adam said he learned "with amazement" of this planned attack on a Masonic lodge in Moselle. In a statement, he congratulated "all the police services concerned, placed under the authority of the prefect Laurent Nuñez, national coordinator of intelligence and the fight against terrorism, for their speed and efficiency".

France Bleu posted a very brief statement from Past Grand Master Hubsch:

Jean-Philippe Hubsch has not received any threats lately, but says he is worried despite everything : "I was amazed when I learned this today, even more when I was told that I would have been the potential target. It's a semi-surprise because as a former Grand Master of the Grand Orient de France, I have been exposed throughout my tenure. But in the world we live in, with a resurgence of political or religious extremists, I am unfortunately not surprised "

According to the various reports, the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office has had the group under investigation since February. The suspects were conducting online research into explosives and weapons. Reportedly, they had been in contact with Rémy Daillet-Weidemann, who is notorious as a major French conspiracy peddler and currently lives in Malaysia, dodging an international arrest warrant. The former president of the MoDem political party in Haute-Garonne was recently ousted from his own party. Daillet-Weidemann frequently accuses Freemasonry of being a "pedo-satanic obedience." In October 2020, he gave a speech in which he said, "I will ban Masonry and all other dangerous sects that pass over the heads of citizens," and he regularly calls for the overthrow of France's government.

Video: UGLE Modernizing Freemasonry and Seeking New Members

by Christopher Hodapp

The Daily Mail posted a very positive video story on Thursday by reporter Jess King about the United Grand Lodge of England. Grand Secretary David Staples speaks about their efforts to seek new, younger members. Also featured are three young Brethren speaking about their own reasons for joining.

Masonic Sightseeing in Lafayette, Indiana with Dwight L. Smith Lodge of Research

by Christopher Hodapp

On Saturday, the Dwight L. Smith Lodge of Research spent the day exploring Masonic sites around Lafayette, Indiana: the Tippecanoe Battlefield where the Grand Lodge placed a historical marker in 1966; the beautiful Battle Ground Lodge (which has just been restored following a wintertime flood from the roof); and the one of a kind J. H. Rathbone Museum of fraternal order ephemera from the Golden Age of fraternalism.

Masonic marker memorializing the death of Kentucky Grand Master Joseph Hamilton Daveiss
and other Masons at the Tippecanoe Battlefield Park.

While at the park, we had the opportunity to tour the on-site museum. We had 27 Masons and guests in attendance, and the weather was absolutely perfect.

Next was a visit to the Masonic hall of Battle Ground Lodge 313.

WB Dave Hosler was our host for the day and gave a presentation at Battle Ground Lodge about a brother elected as Master of the lodge at age 24 who survived World War I, but tragically died in the flu pandemic of 1918 before he could be installed.

The lodge's entry features artwork by Indiana Masonic 
artist Steven McKim, originally a member of Octagon Lodge, 
which subsequently merged with Battle Ground lodge.

Our third stop for the day was at the J.H. Rathbone Museum. Located in a former Knights of Pythias meeting hall in Lafayette, the museum is one of the largest collections of costumes, regalia, artwork, medals, ephemera and rituals from literally hundreds of fraternal groups that flourished throughout the U.S. between the Civil War and the 1930s. Curator Ken Moder, members of the museum's board, and other local volunteers have been sorting and organizing in recent years, and there were several in our group who had been unaware of just how extensive the collection really is.

Joining us for the day was Heather Calloway, her husband Todd, and their son, Simon. Heather worked for many years at the Scottish Rite SJ House of the Temple in Washington DC, and she’s now teaching at IU in Bloomington in the Museum Studies department. A fascinating project is getting underway in Bloomington which will be of great interest to Masons and others interested in the subject of fraternal organizations, and Heather is spearheading it. News will be forthcoming.

My deepest thanks to WB Dave Hosler for handling the day’s arrangements and Ken Moder for opening the Museum for us. But I especially want to thank everyone who attended. The COVID pandemic and shutdowns hurled a large monkey wrench into our lodge plans over the last 14 months, and I was happy we were able to make this work out just before our Masonic year ends in mid-May. The consensus among everyone Saturday afternoon was that we should have other similar events like this in the coming years.

The Dwight L. Smith Lodge of Research operates as a lodge under dispensation at the will and pleasure of the Grand Master, so we will have new appointed officers later this month. It has been my honor and pleasure to serve as Master of our research lodge over the last two years, and I thank all of our officers and members for their support.

For more information about the lodge, including membership or affiliation, visit our website at http://dlslodgeofresearch.net

Photos: Dave Hosler, Heather Calloway, Chris Hodapp