‘Join the procession at the Mt. Vernon cornerstone ceremony’

    

Alexandria-Washington Lodge 22 will visit historic Mt. Vernon in October to dedicate a cornerstone following the extensive rehabilitation of George Washington’s Virginia mansion—and lodges and grand lodges are welcome to join the procession. From the publicity:

Freemasons are summoned from across the United States to celebrate the symbolic Cornerstone Ceremony for George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime historic Masonic event as we dedicate the cornerstone of Brother George Washington’s Mount Vernon on Monday, October 14.

To attend, buy your tickets here. After your purchase, AW22 will contact you about your lodge’s participation.

The mansion has been undergoing an extensive and necessary restoration. Washington’s membership in Craft Masonry underscored his character and demeanor and has lent credibility to the good works of our lodges for more than two centuries.

At the request of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the stalwart and dedicated stewards of Washington’s home and legacy, the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Virginia and Alexandria-Washington Lodge 22 invite Freemasons throughout the country to witness this historic event. By ensuring a sound foundation for Washington’s Mansion House, we are provided the unique opportunity to serve our Brother and support the preservation of his home and the sharing of his important story for future generations.

The Masonic Cornerstone Ceremony harkens back to the age of stonemason guilds formed to construct the cathedrals of Europe. Laying the cornerstones of buildings in Europe and North America was once an occasion for parades, orations, and general celebrations of the effort. Freemasons continue the tradition of checking the stone to ensure it is sound and symbolically consecrating it with representations of health, peace, and prosperity.

Cornerstone Ceremonies are one of the few public exhibitions provided by Freemasons and offer insight to the tenets of the historic organization.

8 a.m. - Arrive at Mount Vernon

9:00 - Marshaling of Masonic Lodges

9:30 - Grand Lodge of DC Wreath Laying Ceremony

10:30 - Procession of Lodges

11:00 - Procession of the Grand Lodge of Virginia

11:15 - Commencement of Cornerstone Ceremony

12:15 p.m. - Conclusion of Ceremony

12:30 - Lunch on the East Lawn

1:30 - Toast to Washington

2:00 - Event Concludes

Times are subject to change

Order of March

The procession will proceed in the following order:

First Virginia Regiment and Color Guard: Leading the way, they will set the tone for the procession.

Individual Grand Lodges: grand lodges will lead their jurisdiction’s delegation. States will be organized in order according to their date of admissions into the Union.

Subordinate Lodges: Each subordinate lodge will march in its assigned order, following the grand lodge of their states.

This sequence (grand lodges, followed by the subordinate lodges) will continue until all participating lodges have marched and are seated.

Grand Lodge of Virginia: The Grand Lodge will conclude the processional, then begin the ceremony.

Procession Formation: lodges and grand lodges are permitted and strongly encouraged to carry gonfalons (tall, upright banners) at the head of their contingent (flag size only). Horizontal banners are not allowed in the processional.

Prior to the event, each participating group will be assigned a number indicating their marching order. On the day of the event, look for markers with your assigned number to find your designated staging area. A volunteer will guide you to the staging point.

     

‘The Plumb of Beauty ornament’

    

I admit to not buying a holiday ornament every year (I don’t need no more Eastern Star paraphernalia!), but I definitely will snag this year’s.

Being in the South of The ALR, the Plumb is my jewel of office, and for 2022, Alexandria-Washington Lodge 22 offers the Plumb of Beauty Holiday Ornament.

Order it online or buy one in the gift shop at the Washington Memorial. The price is still twenty-five bucks. Hasn’t gone up in years.

Click here.

I don’t even have a tree. Sometimes I just wear them on a garish gold chain around my neck.

     

‘Scottish Freemasonry Symposium, Part II'

    

Before delving into the content of the presentations at the Scottish Freemasonry in America Symposium of two weeks ago, I’ll share several dozen photos from the guided tour of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial we attendees enjoyed. (I’m not procrastinating. These Magpie posts take time.)

First, the view of the Memorial from the north windows of the Magpie’s suite. Freemasonry’s origins are lost in the mists of antiquity, and the Memorial was lost in the fog.

The famous statue. Bro. Bryant Baker’s big bronze looms in Memorial Hall.

It was dedicated in 1950 by President Harry Truman.

The Alexandria Washington Lodge 22 meeting room.

This sign was posted at the lodge’s previous meeting hall from 1804 to 1944.

Tracing Board of the EA°.

For the FC°.

And for the Sublime Degree.

Where the magic happens.

In the West. Note the placement of J&B.

The desk often has negative connotations, such as being a place of frustrating inactivity, but I bet the lodge secretary doesn’t mind sitting behind this one.

(‘I really just like to be at a desk.’ — Tom Stoppard.)

‘In the midst of Solomon’s Temple there stands a G,
A Letter fair for all to read and see,
But few there be that understands
What means that Letter G.’
— Masonry Dissected

And then there is Ye Olde Lodge Meeting Room.
There is an elegance to the small furniture.

The Three Great Lights of Freemasonry.
The Square must have been a Master’s collar jewel at some time.

The Master’s Pedestal.

Speaking of desks, if your Treasurer or Secretary complains about his, just show him what his ancestors had to work with!

This is described at the Memorial as a scarf. The Museum of Freemasonry in London has something similar, which it calls a snuff handkerchief. As much as you wouldn’t imagine unclogging your honker of GAOTU only knows what into a silk piece decorated with our symbols after indulging in a pinch of snuff, it is true that Masons of old adorned all kinds of items with the images of the Craft.

Don’t sit down.

I feel like Jeremy Cross himself gave direction when this was painted.

Replica of the apron presented to George Washington, after victory at Yorktown in 1781, by two merchants in France in recognition of ‘glorious efforts in support of American liberty.’ Bears some resemblance to the Mt. Nebo Apron, n’est-ce pas?

Replica of the gavel Washington employed in the cornerstone dedication of the U.S. Capitol in 1793. The original is custody of Potomac Lodge 5 in the District of Columbia. New Jersey’s research lodge once possessed a replica too, a gift from MW David A. Chase, who set us to labor. Sadly, someone ‘borrowed’ it years ago when we met in the Trenton Temple.

Various exhibits abound inside the Memorial. Here is a fiftieth anniversary loving cup, and a gorgeous specimen too, from Kane Council 2 of Royal and Select Masters in New Jersey. Kane would have reached its 162nd anniversary next Saturday, but its charter was revoked recently. I’ll be exposing that ugliness in an upcoming edition of The Magpie Mason.

Ceramic pitcher from Liverpool, England.

I’m imagining many servings of punch. Vivat!

I love the porcelain and ceramic and glass pieces of yore.

Masonic material culture today is so chintzy and uninspiring. 

St. Paul’s Lodge 481 commissioned this pipe tobacco humidor to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in 1911. Beautiful piece, and I’m not just editorializing because of my fondness for the pipe! See photos of an identical jar here. Like the Kane Council cup, this, and a whole lot of other Masonic ceramics, were manufactured in Trenton, New Jersey.

Outstanding.

These punch bowls are found in Masonic museums up and down the East Coast,

and elsewhere, I’m sure. Made in China during the 1790s.

Good fire!

Glass flask.

Scrimshaw carving on bone or ivory was popular among sailors back in the day.

I’ll guess this is an English apron circa 1800. I forgot to take note of the identifying card that surely was next to this.

Aprons made of simple paper are used at meetings that draw large groups to accommodate all those who didn’t bring their own regalia. President Franklin Roosevelt (Holland Lodge 8) had two sons, James and Franklin, Jr., who were raised in Architect Lodge 519. This must have been a wing ding. In attendance were the Grand Master, Mayor LaGuardia, several state Supreme Court judges, and other dignitaries.

Ahiman Rezon originally was the book of constitutions of the ‘Ancients’ Grand Lodge circa 1751. In America, when home grown grand lodges began to organize in the former colonies, some of those identifying with the Ancients chose Ahiman Rezon as the title of their respective constitutions (e.g. Pennsylvania, South Carolina, maybe others). This text is the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania’s printed in 1783. What does the term mean? You’ll find different explanations in Masonic literature, such as the Hebrew for ‘to help a brother’ or something similar. I’m going with Shawn Eyer’s explanation: ‘Both Ahiman and Rezon are names from the Bible. In fact, the Biblical character Ahiman appears in the Ahiman Rezon, which lets you know immediately that all those who claim it is a mystery what Ahiman means have not bothered to read the book and don’t know their Bible.’

Sigh. Book publishing in the nineteenth century.

This beer can was left in the attic during construction of the Memorial in the 1930s.

There are other statues of Washington about the Memorial. New Yorkers ought

to recognize this one from its gilded twin inside the Hollender Room of Masonic Hall.

In the Louis A. Watres Library, they found space for Mark’s new book.

And, in closing, the ‘view’ that morning from the observation deck.

     

‘At this minute in 1799’

    

At this minute—10:20 p.m.—in 1799, Bro. George Washington died at Mt. Vernon. The attending physician, Dr. Elisha Dick, stilled the movement of the bedroom clock, its hands never to move again. Martha Washington made a gift of the piece to Alexandria-Washington Lodge 22, where it remains a poignant treasure today. Photo and info courtesy of A-W 22.

     

‘Chuck Dunning at A-W 22’

     
Historic Alexandria-Washington Lodge 22 at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Virginia will host Bro. Chuck Dunning next month. The flier says it all:

Click to enlarge.

     

‘Hammer strikes’

     
Bro. Andrew Hammer is keeping busy this fall. Andrew is the author of Observing the Craft, a book I consider to be one of the most important writings on lodge life to be published in ages. If you are the Mason who hasn’t read it yet, click here, and order your copy. My review appears here.

Anyway, here are three dates I should bring to your attention.

On Thursday, October 11, Andrew will speak at his own lodge, historic Alexandria-Washington No. 22, which meets inside the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia.

His topic will be “What Came Ye Here To Do: The Transformation of American Masonry,” in which Andrew will present “some thoughts on purpose and focus in our Masonic endeavors, and report on the exciting developments now taking place in the Craft throughout the nation.”

I’d say few are as qualified to speak on that subject today. Get there if you can, but you must make dinner reservations by e-mailing the Senior Steward at reservations(at)aw22.org now.

On Saturday, October 27, Andrew will speak at the Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge in Elizabethtown. As always, the Academy will meet in the Deike Auditorium of the Freemasons Cultural Center at the Masonic Village. Registration will open at 8:30 a.m., and the program will start at 9:30 a.m. Lunch will be served at noon, and the program will be completed by 3 p.m. Dress code for this meeting is coat and tie. All Masons are welcome to attend, but please contact Bro. Shawn Dignazio at dignazio(at)yahoo.com no later than October 21.

Andrew will be sharing the podium with Bro. Alton G. Roundtree, Past Master of Redemption Lodge No. 24 PHA in Washington, DC. He is co-author, with Bro. Paul Bessel, of Out of the Shadows: The Emergence of Prince Hall Freemasonry in America.

On Monday, November 19, Bro. Andrew will return to New Jersey, this time to speak at Nutley Lodge No. 25 in Nutley. (This will be the only one that I’ll be able to attend. Hope to see you there.)

     

‘Landmarks here and there’

  
The Second Masonic District Book Club and Discussion Group has its summertime plans lined up.

Saturday at 1 p.m., the brethren will host a barbecue to complement the already meaty discussion subject of the Ancient Landmarks of Freemasonry. This will take place at Alpine Tilden Tenakill Lodge No. 77, located at 404 Tenafly Road in Tenafly. (That’s in New Jersey, for those of you checking in from Riyadh and Dakar.) Cost per person: only $10.

Reservations are requested. Simply e-mail to 2mdbookclub (at) gmail.com

Next month, the group will partner with Fidelity Lodge No. 113 for a trip to Virginia to enjoy other landmarks.

I love photographing this place.

Thursday, August 9 – a trip to the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, and a visitation to Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22, which meets within the Memorial. There will be a special speaker in lodge that evening, and a Festive Board of course. Cost per person for dinner: $5.

Friday, August 10 – a daytrip to Washington, D.C. to visit the House of the Temple. The headquarters of the Mother Council of the World has been benefitting from renovations in recent years, with more improvements to come as the centenary of this John Russell Pope masterpiece nears.

Also on the itinerary is a stop at Mount Vernon. Known formally as George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum and Gardens, this indeed is the residence of Martha and George Washington. It has been a good friend to Freemasonry in recent years. I think it is safe to say that as a repository of Washington’s effects, Mt. Vernon was excruciatingly slow to acknowledge Freemasonry’s role in the man’s life, and vice versa, but an exhibit was installed several years ago that highlighted Washington the Freemason. More recently, the newly celebrated Mt. Nebo Lodge apron was displayed there. Even the gift shop seems to offer some interesting Masonry-related items.

Simply e-mail to 2mdbookclub (at) gmail.com to get involved.
  

‘The Art of Initiation’

     
The Rose Circle Research Foundation and Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 of Ancient Free & Accepted Masons invite you to an inquiry into The Art of Initiation. On Wednesday, February 10 at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia, both societies will co-host a daylong event of lectures, ritual exemplification, dining, and more.

Piers Vaughan of the Rose Circle
Research Foundation.

Beginning at 4 p.m. in the Memorial’s North Lodge Room, the Rose Circle’s Piers Vaughan and Oliver Kruse will speak on the ritual, spiritual, and psychological aspects of initiation. Piers of course is the world renowned lecturer, translator of rare French texts, and Past Master of St. John’s Lodge No. 1 in New York City, among other things. Oliver is an 8º Swedish Rite Mason at labor in Zur Brudertreue im Ravensberger Land in Bielefeld, which is under the Great Land Lodge of Freemasons in Germany, within the United Grand Lodges of Germany. He too is very highly regarded the world over for his lecture work and translations of rare German texts.

After which, in the Grand Masonic Hall, our sponsor, Toye, Kenning and Spencer, Ltd., will host a reception to introduce their company of distinct regalia manufacturing to Freemasonry in the United States. TKS has been the maker of jewels and regalia to Britain’s royal family for nearly 300 years. Their Masonic regalia is worn all over the world, and in 2010 they enter the U.S. market.

At 7 p.m., Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 will open its Stated Communication for the exemplification of the Entered Apprentice Degree in the Bristol ritual. The Bristol working is a unique Masonic ritual almost never seen outside England. (South Lodge Room.)

One description says:

“Bristol Masonry is unlike anything seen elsewhere in England. In the first degree alone one witnesses unusual ceremonies and hears statements which will surprise even the well-read Mason. Have you ever heard ‘the Nile, the Ganges, the Euphrates, [and the] Mississippi’ mentioned in an Entered Apprentice degree? How about ‘the immeasurable wilds of the scattered Indian tribes across the mighty Atlantic… the wandering Arabs, roaming tartars, or far distant Chinese?’ Have you ever seen the ‘circle of swords,’ the ‘cup of affliction,’ or the ‘writing test’ given to an Entered Apprentice? It is all here, and much more. As one of the most unusual rituals in the English language, Masons travel from all over the world to witness these fascinating ceremonies. Boasting what is probably the oldest Craft working in England, Bristol ritual retains aspects which are similar to the unpublished Irish workings, but also resembles Continental Masonry in some regards.”

After the degree exemplification, the brethren will retire to the Dining Room for a classic Festive Board.

Reservations for the Festive Board, featuring a catered dinner, are requested. Please write to the Senior Steward of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 at

reservations@aw22.org

to say you’re attending, so heads can be counted, and all guests can be accommodated comfortably.

There is no charge for dinner, but donations of $10 (or more) will be appreciated.

Shuttle bus service will be available to take you to and from the Alexandria Mark Hilton beginning at 3 p.m. Make sure you catch that first bus to ensure you do not miss any of the program beginning at four o’clock.

Whether you are traveling to Alexandria for Masonic Week, or if you are local to the area, there will be no Masonic event more worthy of your time on this Wednesday than this occasion.

Look for us on Facebook as The Art of Initiation, or feel free to send questions and comments to The Magpie Mason in the comments section of this blog.

Photo of altar courtesy of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22, AF&AM, Alexandria, Virginia.
     

Masonic Week 2010

Brotherens, I know it is only November, but now is a good time to make your plans for Masonic Week 2010.

For those who do not know, Masonic Week was initiated in the late 1930s in anticipation of the founding of The Masonic Society, which would come some 70 years later. How the brethren knew that is one of the truly amazing stories of Freemasonry. Buy me a Guinness at the hotel bar, and maybe I’ll tell you all about it.

I think there may be a Magpie Mason smoking lounge this year. I always book a smoking room. The generous Hilton staff thoughtfully sticks us cigar aficionados and those degenerate pet owners inside “The Annex,” a fitting name if there ever was one – county jails have annexes too – which is pretty far from the action, and requires rambling strolls through numerous corridors to get back and forth. (You’ve seen Goodfellas, so you remember that amazing master shot following Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco through The Copacabana backdoor, across the kitchen, throughout the winding hallways, up to the main floor, and out to their just delivered front row table? Well that is “from a point to a line” compared to the walkabout from our meeting rooms and banquet halls in the Hilton proper to our exile in the Annex. During one such late night adventure from the Tower to the Annex in 2008, I actually found myself inside the hotel kitchen! Had I known the words to “Pretend You Don’t See Her,” I’d have broken out in song.) Anyway, after learning my lesson from this year’s late night frozen cigarfest on Lindez’s balcony, I think I’ll have to welcome the Friars of the Briar and the Masters of the Leaf over for smokey treats. But it’ll have to wait until Saturday night because I ain’t living in an ashtray for four days!

So that’s it fellas. What can I tell ya? I expect a strong showing of New Jersey Masons this year, thanks in no small measure to the four AMD councils set to labor in the past couple of months here. Also, make yourselves available on the evening of Wednesday, the 10th of February, when the Rose Circle Research Foundation and Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 and Toye, Kenning and Spencer Ltd. will have a stunningly amazing event for you at the George Washington Masonic Memorial. Actually it’ll be more than just the evening; we’ll get started in the afternoon. Details to come! Just mark the date and make sure you’re in Alexandria.