‘A whole new Masonic ring’

    

Amity

I can’t guess who the hand model is, but I think he’s a Grand Lodge of New York officer.

No one in the Masonic world is driving technology faster than the brethren of Amity, and their latest endeavor is something I doubt any of us expected. The Signet is a ring that, partnered with a smartphone, is able to vouch for you in any lodge you’re likely to visit. From the publicity:

Form meets function with this discreet and stylish NFC-enabled ring. Never carry a dues card again; just tap your ring to your brother’s phone and show your membership status in real time. Let the Signet aid your travels. Simple and timeless, it has as much discretion as the Freemason who wears it.

Amity

It’s waterproof, has no battery, and needs no charge. Just tap it to a modern smartphone to load your profile in Amity.

Your Signet will arrive in a ritual book-style box, with a black metal passport card that can be scanned by brothers who may not understand your ring. Both will load your profile, and can be turned off in the Amity app, if you’d like the ultimate in security and privacy.

Anyone can carry a dues card, but not everyone wears a Signet.

The Signet works in more than 100 grand lodges around the world. The price is $175, which includes taxes and shipping in or from the United States.

I’ll guess this will be very popular among Masons under age forty, if I may stereotype younger men who seem to adapt to evolving technologies effortlessly. I had to google NFC, but even I can appreciate what this represents. Don’t ask me what the next gizmo will be, but that’s all the more reason Amity impresses me.

     

‘Amity publishes The Acacia Book’

     

Courtesy Amity

The brethren behind Amity, the mobile app that helps sojourning Freemasons wherever dispersed about the face of the earth find regular lodges—and helps lodges identify worthy and well qualified Masons—have published The Acacia Book.

Think of it as the successor to Pantagraph’s old school (and typically out of date) List of Lodges Masonic. They say bulk shipments to grand lodges are imminent and copies for individual sales will be made available.

“New features” are promised too. We’ll find out soon.

There’s a lot to Amity. Plenty to read: Short Talk Bulletins and more too.

     

‘Amity for Masons wherever dispersed’

     

Saturday brought the long-awaited and highly anticipated Webmasters Conference at Masonic Hall in New York City. Brothers Ken, Stephen, and Brad provided a great experience where dozens of attendees learned about the practical thinking that goes into the great responsibility of hosting a website for a Masonic lodge, or district of lodges, or other Masonic group. This was a Digital Square Club event.

Diverse matters, varying from how to create a website, to what Grand Lodge expects of those websites operated by its constituent lodges, to cyber-security, with breakout sessions on public relations and social media, were hungrily received by the audience. Grand Lodge VIPs, including the Grand Treasurer, provided insights into GLNY’s specific requirements on sometimes misunderstood aspects of media management, such as photography inside the lodge room. Having a background in media myself, I don’t benefit from the Masonic Public Relations Handbook provided there as much as I do from hearing from Bro. Ed, chairman of the Technology Committee, about the Grand Lodge’s best practices on website maintenance. Some of it is common sense (e.g. no political endorsements), but some of it is not so obvious to those, like me, who are new to New York Masonry. (The Magpie Mason is not an official New York Masonry website. I’m not sure it’s on their radar screen.)

But one particular revelation from the day stands out for me. Two Freemasons have designed an app that puts considerable information power in your pocket. Named Amity, this technology is highly secure, available free of charge, and can provide global connectivity for brethren wherever dispersed over the face of the earth and water.

From communication needs of the lodge secretary to security assistance for the tiler, Amity can add a new dimension to lodge governance while also helping sojourning Masons locate meetings of regular lodges anywhere.

Read all about it here.