‘2025 AVDA finalists announced’

    

Among the news I had neglected during the summer is Magnus Geometra’s announcement of the finalists in this year’s Arcana Veritas Distinction Awards—several of whom are confessed Magpie readers—which must account for some of their success!

In the Masonic History Book category, three authors are:

▸ Robert L.D. Cooper for The Origins and History of the Order of Free Gardeners.

▸ Marshall J. Kern for The Master’s Emblem Explained for Masons.

▸ Sami Moubayed East of the Grand Umayyad: Freemasonry in Damascus 1868-1965.

Under Masonic Philosophy and Symbolism Books, the authors are:

▸ Ronald A. Albright for Masonic Commedia: Freemasonry and the Divine Comedy.

▸ Julian Rees for Tracing Boards of the Three Degrees in Craft Freemasonry Explained (Second Edition).

▸ Travis Trinca for The Temple and the Vault.

The three writers of Masonic White Papers are: 

▸ Cameron Adamson for “It’s More Than a Game.”

▸ Marshall J. Kern for “James Agar Biography.”

▸ Matthew Arian Siami for “From Stone to Temple: The Psychological Transformation of Identity in Freemasonry.”

Please take some time to read about these scholars and their works here.

The judges are David Cameron, David Harrison, and Stuart Clelland, and you can read about them here.

The awards ceremony will be hosted inside Freemasons’ Hall in Edinburgh on Wednesday, November 26.

Lately I’ve been feeling anxious about never having written anything that could be entered for such a consideration. Sadly, I have the attention span of a puppy, so I can’t think of a worthy subject to pursue. I suppose blogging will have to do for now.

Click here to book for November 26.

     

‘Arcana Veritas is open for submissions’

    

Grand Lodge of Scotland

You have until May 31 to submit your work for consideration in the 2025 Arcana Veritas Distinction Awards. The Grand Lodge of Scotland’s exaltation of scholarship will culminate at the November 26 award ceremony at Freemasons’ Hall in Edinburgh.

Work is solicited for the three categories: Masonic History Book, Masonic Philosophy and Symbolism Book, and Masonic White Papers.

Entry rules are here. Judging methodology here. Submit your work electronically here.

The Grand Lodge willed AVDA into existence at its Annual Communication in November 2023, so don’t feel inadequate if you hadn’t heard of this previously. The first honorees, from last November, are obscure scribes David Harrison (History Book), Antony Richard Baker (Philosophy and Symbolism Book), and Stewart Clelland (White Papers).

Grand Lodge of Scotland

No, I’m not going to try for this! I’m a few deep levels south of this caliber. Brethren who didn’t win last year include Ric Berman (his Prestonian Lecture!), Christopher Earnshaw, and Julian Rees. Don’t let that deter you though. Contest judges are yet to be named, but I’m confident they’ll be noble and petrifying.

Read all about it here.