’Secrets of the Mystic Knights of the Sojourners’

   

The Plot Against Harry opened at Film Forum on Houston Street. Play and advance to the 56-minute mark.

There is nothing at all Masonic in the plot of The Plot Against Harry, but there’s a minute and a half of funny fraternal initiation along the way.

An independent film—so independent that twenty years lapsed between its completion and its 1989 release—that recalls Cassavetes and La Nouvelle Vague, its beauty is revealed through steady deadpan absurdism (either you get it, or you don’t) and gelastic supporting characters. Which takes us to the meeting of the Mystic Knights of the Sojourners into which eponymous antihero Harry Plotnick (Martin Priest), a freshly paroled numbers-runner, is initiated, thanks to his lavish gift to the order’s pediatric hospital.

The Mystic Knights of the Sojourners initiates Harry Plotnick in Michael Roemer’s The Plot Against Harry.

Again, not Masonic, but there’s plenty to recognize and laugh at.

The Commander of the Mystic Knights (Leonard Margolin) presides over the initiation.

This is eighty-one minutes of ethnic humor, despairing misfortunes, and an O. Henry-like climax that Gene Siskel labeled “a very difficult film to describe,” and co-host Roger Ebert concurring with “I don’t know where to start with this movie.” The acting is supernal—effortless maybe—by the cast of unknowns, none of whom seemed to have achieved any progress in film or television.

Leo (Ben Lang), at left, the current husband of Harry’s ex-wife, sponsors his initiation.

The Plot Against Harry opened in revival Friday night at Film Forum, and will play through September 7. I caught it during my university days somewhere in midtown. If New Yorkers still went to the movies, that run would be extended a week, but get there when you can.

UPDATE: Extended through the 14th!

     

‘New Masonic tarot deck from Lewis’

    

Lewis Masonic has a new tarot deck with Masonic symbolism available. From the publicity:

We have a new and interesting arrival! Masonic Tarot.

By artist and researcher of Chilean origin Patricio Diaz Silva and based on his studies of Masonic symbolism, the Masonic Tarot is a summary to show the integration and interaction between these two systems of self-knowledge (Tarot and Masonic symbolism).

The structure of this deck is also based on the four elements of alchemy: earth, water, fire, and air. Seventy-eight cards, standard size (120 x 70mm). Languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, German. PDF Instruction booklet: Italian, English, French, Spanish, German.

Click here.

     

‘Wah. Wah. Wah. Waaah.’

     

Courtesy Grand Secretary Quintana who plastered this all over Facebook

2023 and there still are people in leadership who think this is the way forward.

‘Thirty years war memorial’

    

It was thirty years ago today when the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania dedicated the Friend to Friend Masonic Memorial inside the Gettysburg National Cemetery Annex—and it took me almost as long to go see it.

Civil War Lodge of Research 1865 met at Good Samaritan Lodge 336 in Gettysburg last month and, during some down time at the end of that weekend, I finally had a minute to visit it. Very easy to find, I should say. Go to Tommy’s Pizza (itself marking fifty years in 2023) at 105 Steinwehr Avenue; walk across the street to enter the Cemetery Annex; and you can see it from the sidewalk. Just walk in.

The sculptures are more impressive in person than from most photos I’ve ever seen because everyone kind of shoots the same photograph: a front-on shot from about twenty feet out, to get the entire monument in the frame. But it’s art, so it tells a story. Here, I’ll intersperse my photographs amid the history imparted on Good Samaritan’s website:

The Friend-to-Friend Masonic Memorial was originally commissioned by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and was finished and dedicated as a memorial to the Freemasons of the Union and the Confederacy in the National Cemetery Annex on August 21, 1993. This date marked the first time that a private organization had been permitted to erect a monument in a national historic park.

The dedication of the Monument was the culmination of almost a decade’s worth of work planning, obtaining approval from Congress, coordinating various resources, and the bringing together of various agencies such as the National Park Service and the National Historical Society. All of this was accomplished by various members of Good Samaritan Lodge 336.

It also carried on a tradition of Masonic involvement with the monuments here in Gettysburg. Prior to the Friend-to-Friend Monument, on July 4, 1865, only two years after the battle, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania dedicated the cornerstone to the Soldiers’ National Monument in the National Cemetery. That monument was the first of any type to be placed on the battlefield in Gettysburg.

The Friend-to-Friend Monument depicts Confederate Brigadier General Lewis A. Armistead, a Freemason, wounded after crossing the wall during the climax of Pickett’s Charge on July 3, 1863, being attended to by Union Captain Henry H. Bingham, also a Freemason. Shown on the wall surrounding this monument, are the names of the States whose soldiers fought at the Battle of Gettysburg.

The story behind the monument goes that: prior to the war, General Armistead served with Union General Winfield Hancock in the Federal Army, and considered him a “valued personal friend.” However, when the Civil War broke out, General Armistead refused to raise his sword against fellow Southerners and he joined the Confederate Army in 1861. After 27 months of fighting the war, the units the two generals commanded met on the battlefield here in Gettysburg during Pickett’s charge. Both of the Generals were injured during the fight that day, but General Armistead was left to the mercy of the Union solders as he lay injured and the Confederate forces had been pushed back.

During the lull after the charge, a staff assistant to Winfield Hancock, Capt. Bingham of the Union, was riding past General Armistead who was lying on the ground where he fell. Capt. Bingham inquired as to who the wounded Southern General was, and General Armistead himself responded. After some conversation between Capt. Bingham and General Armistead, Armistead discovered whom Capt. Bingham worked for, and that Capt. Bingham was also a Freemason. Due to this, Armistead entrusted his personal possessions, including a pocket book, a watch, his spurs, and a chain with a masonic emblem on them to Capt. Bingham. These items were asked to be given to Capt. Bingham’s superior officer, Union General Winfield Hancock, so that they could in turn be returned to General Armistead’s family.

General Armistead succumbed to his wounds shortly thereafter, dying at Gettysburg on July 5, 1863. General Hancock survived the war and finally died in 1886. Captain Bingham attained the rank of General, and later served 32 years in the United States House of Representatives. He was known as the “Father of the House.”

Naturally, everything looks different, ambiguous, from the rear.

This story epitomizes some of the most time-honored virtues of Freemasonry and highlights the unique bonds of friendship, which enabled these men to remain brothers undivided. Even as they fought in a divided nation, they faithfully supported the respective governments under which they fought while seeking to help each other in their time of need.

     

‘Judaism and the lodge’

    

In previous editions of The Magpie Mason, I have explained why photos of the Arch of Titus, such as this one employed by the Masonic Roundtable brethren for promotional use, are best not used for a discussion of Judaism. (It’s okay if the topic is the Roman destruction of Jerusalem.) And I don’t know why someone’s face is superimposed on the figure second from left. Looks like Mel Brooks to me, but I don’t get it.

On the strength of his lecture last month at Masonic Con Kansas, W. Bro. Matthew Parker, Master of Nebraska Lodge 1 in Omaha, was the guest on yesterday’s Masonic Roundtable podcast to discuss “The Jewish Essentials of Freemasonry.”

For those keen on the meaning of Masonry, this is a must-see. If nothing else, take note of his explanation of why the degrees of the lodge are not necessarily based on the Hebrew Bible, but there is so much more to grok here. Enjoy.

     

‘Hodapp in the Bronx’

    

UPDATE-September 4:

Chris Hodapp, of Freemasons for Dummies fame, to say the least, is coming to Pelham Lodge 712.

The graphic above shows all the necessary information, although I question the “lecture” part. Chris is more of a raconteur, being one of the few Masons who have seen/experienced it all. Whatever his talk might be, I recommend hearing it, if within the length of your cabletow, etc.

     

‘Craddock to present Truman Lecture’

    

When the Grand Lodge of Missouri meets next month, the local research lodge will host its customary Truman Lecture and Breakfast, and the speaker will be W. Patrick Craddock. If you are in the area and have not heard “Admit Him If Properly Clothed,” I recommend making the effort to attend. From the publicity:

Fall 2023 Truman Lecture:

Admit Him If Properly Clothed:

The Evolution

of the Masonic Apron

in America,

1740 to the Present

Tuesday, September 19

Tickets here

W. Bro. Patrick Craddock is a noted expert on Masonic aprons and regalia. He has earned a Master of Arts Degree and a Master of Philosophy in History Degree, and is a contributing author to Encyclopedia of Tennessee History. He is a past curator of exhibits at the Carter House Museum in Tennessee.

Craddock was Initiated, Passed, and Raised in O.D. Smith Lodge 33 in Mississippi, and is a Charter Member and Past Master of Conlegium Ritus Austeri 779 in Nashville. Additionally, he is the owner of The Craftsman’s Apron, manufacturer and provider of one of the highest quality Masonic regalia available today.

Bro. Craddock will address the brethren on the subject of the Masonic apron and how it has changed over the last 250 years. The presentation features many images of historic American aprons.

     

‘A lodge for real ale lovers in England’

    

Speaking of lodges under the United Grand Lodge of England (see post below), a group of Masons in Worcestershire are starting to organize a lodge for real ale enthusiasts.

I told you about Lodge of St. Peter & Harmony 600 last year, and Cervisia Lodge 10032 and Horus Lodge 3155 and the Masonic Craft Beer Society the year before. The Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire announced on its website Sunday that local brethren are seeking founding members of a Craft lodge for real ale lovers.

What is real ale? We Americans know nothing about it. The mass market diuretics here are pasteurized, homogenized, flavorless, watery frauds. The Beer Connoisseur says:

In traditional pubs in the U.K., patrons stroll up to the bar to select a beer. Along with offerings in bottles and cans, pubs will pour a range of draft lagers and ales. Most fine pubs will also showcase a row of peculiar, elongated, vertical tap handles that resemble billy clubs. These require the bartender to use a bit of muscle to pump the handle a couple of times to suction beer from the cellar up to the pint glass. These “hand-pulled” beers display colorful pump clip labels featuring eccentric names and artwork, and the unfiltered beer pours from a gooseneck spout with a soft, light CO2 sparkle. This quirky, historic English product is known as “real ale” or “cask ale.”

Fizzy draft or keg beer is filtered and pumped full of pressurized carbon dioxide gas, but real ale breweries in the U.K. usually put unfiltered, uncarbonated ale into 10.8-gallon metal casks called “firkins.” A hint of fermentable sugar and live yeast is included in the sealed firkin. Like a bottle of homebrew, the yeast consumes the residual sugar over a few days, producing a natural, subtle carbonation in the cask ale—making real ale a living product.

When the cask arrives at the pub, the cellar person places it in “stillage” position in the cool cellar. A cask in stillage is left horizontal and motionless for a couple of days, allowing the yeast to settle to the bottom and the beer to clarify. English casks are built with a “keystone” serving hole on one end and a larger opening in the center of the cask known as the “shive.” Plastic or wooden shive and keystone bungs get hammered into both openings to seal up the cask ale. Before serving, the cellar person hammers a small wooden peg or “spile” into a depression in the shive bung to monitor the level of CO2 in the ale. Lively casks are allowed to bubble and vent through the wooden spile for a few minutes or hours until the real ale achieves the perfect level of delicate carbonation.

Sounds great to me, and I don’t even drink any more. (I don’t drink any less, but I don’t drink any more!)

I notice mention above of the “keystone” apertures, so maybe a real ale chapter is in the future. Anyway, if you read the graphic above, you know as much as I about this project. To get involved email the brethren here.

     

‘Ex Libris: a lodge to anticipate the AI future’

    

While it was set to labor by the United Grand Lodge of England in 1915, and with a decidedly old fashioned name, Ex Libris Lodge 3765 in London is being retooled for the future of IT, AI, and VR. I better allow the lodge to speak for itself:

Welcome to the Ex Libris Lodge No. 3765, the meeting point of Freemasonry and the digital era. Founded in 1916, we carry a prestigious legacy as a Hall Stone Lodge. Now, as we transition into a Special Interest Research Lodge, we are venturing into novel realms of Freemasonry, exploring its potential in the context of IT and digital transformation.

If you’re a Freemason with an affinity for IT, or an IT professional with ties to Freemasonry, we invite you to join us on this revolutionary path. Our aim is to research and uncover innovative, sustainable practices that will ensure Freemasonry thrives and remains relevant in the years to come. Participation in our Lodge also grants you automatic enrollment in the Ex Libris Academy, our research hub focused on securing the future of Freemasonry.

Through collective effort, we aim to foster a global community of like-minded Freemasons, equipped with skills to design and execute rigorous research projects. Embrace the chance to influence the future of Freemasonry. Let’s embark on this journey together, pushing the boundaries of tradition and infusing Freemasonry with the dynamism of the digital age.

Registering an interest in the Ex Libris Lodge No. 3765 is a step toward joining a community of forward-thinking Freemasons. Joining membership is open to Freemasons in jurisdictions recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England. For those wishing to join Freemasonry, please complete the email form. Thank you for your interest, in what must be considered one of the most significant times in the history of Freemasonry.

Technology is the last topic on which I ought to try commenting. I really don’t know what to make of this. I believe Virtual Reality would enhance the degrees, as in a replacement for tracing boards, but I’d like the lodge to be a retreat from the craziness of the world outside. And Artificial Intelligence? I was hoping we’d give organic intelligence a go.

(And, yes, I contacted them about the typo—Engalnd—in the banner above.)

     

‘Grand Master urges caution’

    

Click to enlarge.

MW Glen A. Chaney

Glen Chaney, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Oklahoma, has released a memo to the fraternity there recommending precautions in the face of violence committed against Freemasons and Masonic real estate around the country. Excerpted:

I caution all Masons and their families to remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings. Please do not place yourself in any unsafe situations or locations and always remain cognizant of your immediate areas. Good safety practices include, but is not limited to:

• Speak with all members about safe behaviors and decisions.
• Increase and maintain all exterior lighting.
• After Masonic events, make all attempts to exit with someone else or in a group.
• Secure all lodge-doors, buildings, and structures when meeting and departing.
• Use camera surveillance, if available, with recording features.
• Post signs or other indicators announcing the use of recording equipment.
• Report issues and any suspicious actions or behaviors of unknown persons.
• Check the exterior of your lodge regularly to identify any vandalism.
• Use chaperone to and from the door for our elder members.

Take due notice thereof, and you know the rest.

     

‘Academy speakers are set in stone’

    

The Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge has its Fall Symposium plans set in stone, as it were, and the speakers will be Chris Ruli and Tyler Dow Whitaker. That’ll be Saturday, October 28 at the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown.

Chris Ruli

Ruli is a Past Grand Historian of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. He wowed us at the Masonic Society’s 2022 annual meeting in Virginia with his talk on facts and fictions in the roles Masons played in constructing the Federal City. You don’t want to miss him.

This time, he will discuss “Freemasonry’s Legacy on the American Presidency.” He is a gifted speaker, and you can believe he has mastered his subject. Chris has written a book titled The White House & the Freemasons that is to be released this month by Macoy.

Tyler Dow Whitaker

Also on the agenda is Tyler Dow Whitaker, an Indiana Freemason who will present “Operative Masonry in a Speculative World.” He also is an operative stone mason, employed in the field of cemetery monuments. In addition to his talk, Whitaker will craft a limestone piece (from the same stone as that used in the George Washington Masonic National Memorial cornerstone re-dedication in February) and will give it randomly to someone in the audience—so make sure you’re registered and in attendance!

The PAMK will post registration info on its website soon. Sounds like a great day.

I was invited to speak before the Academy a number of years ago. Sounds good to me, I said, but you should check with your grand master about it. So they checked, and the invitation had to be withdrawn. Story of my life.

     

‘Freemasonry Night at Old North’

    

Saturday the 19th will be Freemasonry Night at the gloriously historic Old North Church in Boston.

A lot is going on in the Bay State, history-wise. July 30 was the 290th anniversary of Provincial Grand Master Henry Price officially introducing Freemasonry to the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Currently the Grand Lodge is establishing the position of District Historian, and providing training for those who would serve as such. The brethren are raring for the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. (God, I hope it’ll be a re-enactment!) This year is the 300th of Old North Church. At Massachusetts Freemasonry Night, the play Revolution’s Edge will be performed at the church—of “one if by land, two if by sea” fame—followed by a tour of sacred site. From the publicity:

Revolution’s Edge is a gripping historical drama set on the afternoon of April 18, 1775, hours before the signal lanterns would shine from Old North’s steeple. With war on the horizon, Old North’s Loyalist rector, the Rev. Dr. Mather Byles, Jr., is pushed to resign his post. As Byles and Cato (an African man enslaved by Byles) prepare to leave the church for the final time, they encounter Capt. John Pulling, Jr., a prominent member of the church congregation, ardent Patriot, and friend of Paul Revere. These three men share a faith, but have very different beliefs concerning the right path ahead for themselves, their families, and the colonies. Their conversation explores the intersection of faith and freedom on the edge of the American Revolution.

Pulling was a Mason at labor in Philanthropic Lodge in Marblehead. It was he who signaled to Revere by lantern.

Seating at five o’clock. Curtain at 5:20. The performance runs approximately 45 minutes. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for guests under 18. Attendance is capped at 100. Click here. The play is recommended for those 12 and up.

If you can’t make it, the play will continue its run through September 19.

     

‘Magical history tour Saturday’

    

Mother of the World, by Nicholas Roerich, 1937.

The Rosicrucian Order will follow in the footsteps of its founders Saturday with a walking tour of historic sites central to its creation in 1913. Grand Master Julie Scott will guide the group from Greenwich Village to Harlem to visit four historic places. Don’t worry. The group will ride the subway for the long distance uptown. From the publicity:

We will begin our journey at the Church of the Village (201 W. 13th Street) in Greenwich Village at 1 p.m. Formerly known as the Church of the Open Door, it was here, in 1908, when H. Spencer Lewis had a mystical experience that inspired him to seek out the Rosicrucians. After many tests and trials, he finally met the Rosicrucians of France, in Toulouse in 1909, and agreed to re-establish the Rosicrucian Order in the United States in 1915.

Then we will walk to 80 Fifth Avenue, where, on February 8, 1915, the first meeting marking the formation of AMORC was held.

Next, we will take the subway to see Leslie Hall (260 W. 83rd Street), where eighty curious men and women participated in an informational meeting on March 3, 1915, where fifty people committed to becoming members, after which Lewis and Thor Kiimalehto published American Pronunziamento Number One, announcing the debut of AMORC’s activities.

Our final stop, by subway, will be at the Roerich Museum (319 W. 107th Street) in Harlem. We expect to arrive there at about 3:10. Nicholas Roerich, a prolific writer and painter, philosopher, and peace activist, became a member of AMORC in 1929, the year he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the first time. He was named the legate for AMORC in the Himalayas.

The Roerich Museum displays 150 of his beautiful and inspiring paintings, including the well known Mother of the World.

Everyone is welcome!

     

‘Don’t be the guy who misses this’

    

It’s almost here!

A dedicated cadre of New Jersey brethren have planned a well rounded celebration of Scottish Masonic history for Saturday the 19th. All the details are contained in the graphics. Click to enlarge.

See you there.