‘33° congratulations’

     

Magpie file photo

Bro. Greg Knott

Congratulations to Greg Knott, who will receive the 33° of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry next August! He is at labor in the Valley of Danville in Illinois.

Bro. Greg is Second Vice President of the Masonic Society, and he wears many hats in Freemasonry, including eMasonry, where you can find him at the Midnight Freemasons blog, the Meet, Act, Part podcast, and seemingly many more places.

And check out his photography in every issue of The Journal of the Masonic Society.

That’s all the info I’ve seen on who has been elected to receive the 33° next year. Feel free to leave a comment below if you know something more.
     

‘Pennsylvania Lodge of Research’

  

Founding Members jewel.

I’m just on my way out the door to attend the Wendell K. Walker Lecture tonight, but not before I spread the news of the next meeting of Pennsylvania Lodge of Research on Saturday, June 29 at Lehigh Lodge in Macungie.

Pennsylvania Lodge of Research will meet Saturday, June 29 at Lehigh Lodge No. 326 in Macungie.

I’ve never been able to catch one of these meetings. The lodge is to meet twice each year, with additional meetings at the discretion of the Master, and I think there always is one meeting in eastern Pennsylvania, but somehow I’ve never made it there. This will be a busy weekend. The American Lodge of Research will meet the night before in Manhattan, and Bro. Piers is hosting his annual barbecue on Sunday. (If you haven’t heard, he graciously moved it from Saturday to Sunday in appreciation of all the Masonic goings on scheduled for Saturday.)

Looking forward to it all... and then to a quiet summer punctuated only by the AMD Ingathering (more to come on that ambitious project!) and maybe the MRF conference in New Hampshire too, but I’m undecided on that one.

Officers apron.

One thing at a time, as we try to explain to the youngest Entered Apprentice. Pennsylvania Lodge of Research will open at 10 a.m. that day. Lehigh Lodge is located at 2120 Route 100 in Macungie, which is not prohibitively far into the Keystone State for us New Jersey guys. It’s only about 90 miles from the headquarters of Magpie Industries, which is notably nearer than Philly, so I got that going for me.
  

‘Cliff-in-Chief’

    

This just in: Ill. Cliff Jacobs, 33° is the new Commander-in-Chief of New York City Consistory, having been installed into the symbolic chair of Frederick the Great last night.

(three “Huzzahs!” here)

Illustrious Jake, as he sometimes is known, is one of the guiding lights in the New York City Masonic renaissance of recent years, active in Craft Masonry and beyond. He received the degrees of Scottish Rite Masonry in 1990, and was coroneted a 33° Mason in 2008.

If you share his passion for fine writing instruments, follow his blog here.

Illustrious Sir, if you ever need me for anything, just let me know.

    

'The Last Degree'

  

This shot is an ECU of part of the stained glass window outside the library
at the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction's headquarters in Lexington, Massachusetts.

I regret not being in Chicago with my brethren and friends today. Right about now they, and many others, are behind closed doors, having the Thirty-Third and Last Degree of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry conferred upon them. In fact, I'd guess right at this minute the candidates are having their rings placed on their fingers.

One can find all kinds of Masonic rings for sale all over the place, but the Scottish Rite has only two rings that are part of The Work: those of the 14th and 33rd degrees. Of a different context, Albert Pike writes "...a ring was given to him as a symbol of the Divine Protection, and also as an emblem of Perfection." If there are two Masons who deserve the Divine Protection, they're Piers and Chris! God bless you both and all the brethren.

In addition, let me send Magpie congratulations to Matt Dupee of Pennsylvania, who has been elected to receive the 33rd Degree, and will be coroneted next August in Cleveland. Bravo Matt! (More names surely will be added here, as additional good news gets around.)
  
I'll close on a musical note - not Howie Damron! - but Mr. Frank Sinatra.