‘The first Masonic medal’

     

Leftfield Pictures/History Channel

A segment from the once popular television program Pawn Stars uploaded to YouTube this week exhibits what was called “the first Masonic medal.” The token has George Washington in profile and the date 1797 on the obverse, and a collection of Craft lodge symbols on the reverse.

Leftfield Pictures/History Channel

Not knowing much about such a thing, pawn shop proprietor and star of the show Rick Harrison summoned an expert numismatist and appraiser to explain what it’s about. David Vagi, director of Numismatic Guaranty Company in Florida (he is flown to Vegas for his appearances), is renowned as an authority on coins from the ancient world, but I’m skeptical about his knowledge of things Masonic. As you know, our fraternity is a quirky society with practically endless possibilities and improbabilities in its material culture, as we’ll see here.

When Vagi termed this piece “literally the first Masonic medal; what they call Masonic pennies,” I lost faith in his evaluation. But he also said it was struck by Peter Getz, a Pennsylvania Mason who worked as a silversmith and engraver, which is corroborated by historical and numismatic sources.

And then there’s the November 1974 issue of The Pennsylvania Freemason, the periodical of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. A short article accounting for the then seven medallions known to have been commissioned by the Grand Lodge (I don’t know if there have been more from the past fifty years) says:

Click to enlarge.

Washington 1797 Medallion

The rarest medallion in the collection is the Washington medallion struck by Grand Lodge in 1797.

It was struck in recognition of the anticipated election of Bro. Washington as General Grand Master of Masons in the United States.

The proceedings of Grand Lodge, dated January 13, 1780, states:

“The Ballot was put upon the Question: Whether it be for the Benefit of Masonry and ‘a grand Master of Masons thro’out the United States’ shall now be nominated on the part of this Grand Lodge…

Sundry, respectable Brethren, being put in nomination, it was moved that the Ballot be put to them separately, and His Excellency George Washington, Esquire, General and Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the United States being first in nomination, he was balloted for accordingly as Grand Master, and Elected by the unanimous vote of the whole Lodge.”

 

This action of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania did not meet with favor by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. The office was never established.

It created the belief among Masons that such an office did exist, and that Washington occupied it. The error was further compounded by the abbreviated legend on the reverse of the medal:

“G.W.G.G.M.” – George Washington General Grand Master.

The medal is of bronze, 1 3/8 inches in diameter and 1/16 inch thick. One side of the medal has the bust of Washington in uniform and carries the legend “G. Washington, President, 1797.”

The reverse side shows emblems of Masonry surrounded by the inscription “AMOR • HONOR • JUSTITIA,” and the initials “G.W.G.G.M.”

Around the rim on both sides is a rope-like design which could symbolize the cable tow.

The medal closely resembles both in drawing and execution the Washington half dollars of 1792 engraved by Bro. Peter Getz of Lancaster, Pa., a Past Master of Lodge No. 43, F&AM of Lancaster.

Two of the three known medals are in the Grand Lodge collection.

In the end, Mr. Vagi valued this piece at $40,000, “maybe a touch more.” Mr. Harrison and the seller did not achieve a meeting of the minds.

If you’re scratching your head over “the Washington half dollars of 1792” because Washington didn’t appear on a U.S. coin until 1932 (and he would have been appalled at the suggestion his likeness should appear on the Republic’s money), don’t doubt your sanity. “Medals, tokens, and coinage proposals in this interesting series [of Washington pieces] dated from 1783 to 1795 bear the portrait of George Washington,” says the guide known informally as “Yeoman’s Red Book.” “Many of these pieces were of English origin and were made later than their dates indicate.”

Whitman Publishing, LLC

“Dies engraved by Peter Getz of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, are believed to have been made to produce a half dollar and cent as a proposal to Congress for a private contract coinage before the Philadelphia Mint became a reality,” the book also says. Now, if you have one of those, you could be looking at six figures, depending on which one and its condition.

     

‘Unity Day tickets are on sale’

    

Click to enlarge.

The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania will host Unity Day this time. Tickets went on sale last Thursday ($75 each) for the Saturday, January 25 event at the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia.

Only 600 seats are available (although I’m surprised that quaint little lodge building of theirs can accommodate that many!), so don’t wait too long to book yours. Looks like a great day.

Grand Lodges participating: Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico. Of course, Master Masons from all recognized grand lodges are welcome to attend.

Ritual work:

Entered Apprentice Degree by Garibaldi Lodge 542 of New York.

Fellow Craft Degree by the Masonic Kilties of New Jersey.

Master Mason Degree by the Colonial Degree Team of Delaware.

Open Installation of Officers and the Entered Apprentice/Fellow Craft degrees combined by the Pennsylvania brethren.

Breakfast, lunch, and a commemorative gift are included in your ticket price.

To be honest, I won’t be there. Too far. Too long (7 a.m. to 6 p.m.) a day. Too many people packed inside. I know I wouldn’t enjoy it, but those who attend these things always express their elation and praise, so let that be your guide.

Click here for tickets.

      

‘Wanted: Masonic speakers’

    

Okay Magpie readers, there is a request for assistance. The Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania seeks speakers for its monthly lecture series.

Settle down. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re looking for you. I assume they want knowledgeable and coherent Masons (rules me out), maybe with some public speaking experience. From the publicity:

We are looking for presenters for our Speaker Series.

Topics can be about Freemasonry, any of the Masonic appendant bodies, their philosophies, or anyone of prominence involved with Freemasonry.

Presentations, which also can be non-Masonic in origin, should run between 30 and 45 minutes, with time after for questions.

Volunteers should contact Mike Comfort, director of the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania, here.

     

‘1784 St. John’s Day sermon at Morristown’

    

There is a short article in the December trestleboard from New Jersey’s research lodge that makes relevant today a page of local early Masonic history. I’ll just reproduce it here:

To Fear God:

The 1784 St. John’s Day Sermon 

On St. John the Evangelist Day 1784 at Morristown, The Rev. Uzal Ogden delivered a sermon before Lodge No. 10. As best I can determine, he was not a Freemason, but with the surname Ogden, it is easy to see he had family connections to the fraternity, most probably to Moses Ogden and others at St. John’s Lodge in Newark. As for Lodge No. 10, this is the mysterious lodge in Basking Ridge chartered by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. 

From the 1781 Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania Book of Proceedings. It’s a safe bet that this Dr. Blatchley is Bro. Ebenezer Blatchley, a Past Master of Lodge No. 10 who, in 1787, retroactively signed onto the formation of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey. Little is known about the lodge, except that it was chartered in 1767 by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania (Antients) and was empowered to meet within five miles of Basking Ridge.

The reverend, an Episcopalian, was known to preach at Trinity Church in Newark and at the more famous Trinity Church in Manhattan, as well as at St. John’s Church in Elizabethtown. He graduated from Princeton University at age 18, and was ordained in 1773 at 29. He was an experienced speaker by age 40 when he preached this sermon to the local Freemasons, and he did so without notes. The reason we have it today is the lodge requested a written copy for publication, causing the reverend to put quill to paper after the fact. Historically, we readers find ourselves one year after the Revolutionary War ended and almost two years before the founding of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey.

This sermon is far too long to reproduce here, so I will summarize one of its four key ideas: “to notice what it is to ‘fear God.’”

What is it to fear God? When the candidate for the degrees of Freemasonry seeks admission to any of New Jersey’s lodges, the Worshipful Master orders that he be in “the fear of the Lord” upon entering. It must be important because it’s in all three degrees. It is more specific than belief in a higher power. What does it mean?

To fear God, Ogden said, is to love or to serve Him. He illustrates this with multiple quotations of Scripture, including two attributed to King Solomon: “It shall be well with those who fear God.” (Ecclesiastes 8:12) And “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10)

By the fear of God, he continues, “we are to understand a due observance of religion, which it may be said, consists of three particulars: knowledge, faith, and practice.”

“The first principle of religious knowledge requisite we should be acquainted with,” Ogden says, “is that there exists some Being superior to ourselves, who gave excellence to Creation, who inhabits eternity, whose knowledge is infinite, whose presence fills all space, whose power preserves and sustains all nature, and who possesses all possible perfection.”

“Can we behold the heavens above or the earth beneath,” he adds, “without acknowledging the infinite power, wisdom, and goodness displayed by some, though to us, invisible Architect?” 

Faith, Ogden’s second particular in fearing God, also is the first of the principal rounds of the ladder—Faith, Hope, and Charity—reaching to Heaven that Freemasonry discusses in its First Degree. Ogden begins: “But it is to no purpose we are informed of these things unless we believe them. ‘Without faith,’ it is said, ‘it is impossible to please God, for he that comes to Him must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.’”

“To hope for the friendship of God,” he adds, “while we disclaim His authority…would be irrational, as futile, as it would be to…behold the light if deprived of the organs of vision!”

Of the third of his particulars—practice—Rev. Ogden is all about character. “Although it is most reasonable we should offer to our Almighty Creator and divine benefactor the oblation of our hearts; and though Christianity is calculated to deliver us from infamy and woe, and to exalt us to honor and happiness, how often are its benefits rejected?” he asks. “How many are there, even of those professing to revere this dispensation of mercy, who live regardless of its precepts, and who, in their actions with men are so far from ‘doing as they would be done unto,’ that no feelings of humanity, no sense of honor, nor any fear of divine vengeance, nor any thing but present punishment can divert them from acts of dishonesty, barbarity, and flagrant impiety?” 

While there is no obvious documentation of Rev. Uzal Ogden being a Freemason, it is clear that Lodge No. 10 chose its speaker for St. John the Evangelist Day wisely. He anticipated his audience and crafted his remarks accordingly, and we are fortunate the lodge opted to have his sermon printed so posterity may enjoy it.

     

‘Art contest winners announced’

   

The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania’s “Embodying Masonic Values” art contest winners have been announced. Click here to see them and other entrants, including works that are for sale. From the publicity:

Novus Ordo Seclorum by Heather Cornelius.

Since 2018, the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania’s “Embodying Masonic Values” open art competition has provided an opportunity for the art community to explore Masonic values through art. Cash prizes are awarded to winners in five categories: Oil, Three-dimensional, Drawing and Print-making, Water-Based Medium and Digital Imagery. All artwork is also available for sale.

Best in Category: Royal Arch by Juan Sepulveda.

Best in Category

($200 awarded per piece)

Oil: “Royal Arch” by Juan Sepulveda

Drawing and Print-making: “Bee a Mason” by Margaret Thompson

Masonic Life by Valerie Lang.

Water-based medium: “Masonic Life” by Valerie Lang

Digital imagery: “Circling the Square” by Hayato Matsushita

Three-dimensional: “Novus Ordo Seclorum” by Heather Cornelius

Grand Master’s Prize: a passing moment by Jenny Chernansky.

Grand Master’s Prize

($500 awarded)

“a passing moment” by Jenny Chernansky

Best in Show

($1,000 awarded)

“Wisdom sits” by Stephen Lemak

If the artists in the Grand Exhibition choose to participate, their entered works may be offered for sale, with 80 percent of the sale value going to them and 20 percent to the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania. All pieces are subject to prior sale. Prices do not include shipping, handling and insurance. Buyers can also pick up their purchase at the Masonic Temple, One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Please contact the gift shop at 215-988-1977, Tuesday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to make a purchase and arrangements.

     

‘Masonic Unity Day in January’

    

Masonic Hall will be the venue next January when Grand Lodge will host brethren from the grand lodges of Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey for a daylong exemplification of the Craft degrees. From the publicity:

Masonic Unity Day

Saturday, January 27

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Masonic Hall

71 W. 23rd Street

Manhattan

$50 per person

The Grand Lodge of New York will host a Grand Jurisdiction Unity Day, where the Grand Lodges of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania will come together to exemplify their versions of the Craft degrees in an event open to all Master Masons.

While in general terms, the Craft rituals practiced by the various grand lodges in the United States stem from the same roots, these rituals can be significantly different, yet successfully maintain the same lessons practiced by regular and recognized grand lodges around the world. This very unique event will allow Master Masons from all jurisdictions who, for many reasons, might never travel outside their jurisdictions, and be able to come together to witness a variety of Craft degrees.

The participating grand masters will make history, and such an event will be remembered forever. It is a perfect example to prove that Freemasonry, while independently governed, is a one big family of Brothers.

Opening: Grand Lodge of New York

EA°: Grand Lodge of New Jersey

FC°: Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania

MM°: Grand Lodge of Delaware

Hiramic Drama: Team from the Grand Lodge of New York in full costume.

Open to all Master Masons. Hot breakfast buffet at 8 a.m. and gourmet catered lunch at noon will be provided. Cost is $50 per person. Tickets are available here.

This is not a one-day class. The purpose is to exemplify the degrees. If, however, a grand jurisdiction decides to confer the degree it is exemplifying on its candidates, the Grand Lodge of New York will welcome them to do so. All lectures pertaining to the actual degrees (if any) will be omitted on this day due to time restrictions.

For all other information, please contact RW Stewart C. McCloud II here.

Being a New York Mason, who used to be a “New Jersey Mason,” and who recently saw a Third Degree in Delaware, I know the three systems are very similar, but not identical. It has been eight years since I’ve witnessed any Pennsylvania work, but I know theirs is the noticeably different method. Actually is said to be anomalous in the country. I’ve been told it is like the Bristol ritual (Rite of Baldwin in UGLE), but I have no idea. (Don’t listen to anyone who says it’s based on Scottish Rite. It has nothing to do with Scottish Rite. AASR Craft degrees are similar to what Garibaldi Lodge works. See post below.)

Definitely will see you there.

     

‘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.

     

‘Embodying Masonic Values art contest’

   

Even more Pennsylvania news! It’s time for your entires in the Grand Lodge’s sixth annual Embodying Masonic Values contest, sponsored by the Masonic Library and Museum in Philadelphia. Click here to apply. From the publicity:

Criteria

All artwork entries must display a visual interpretation of some aspect of Freemasonry in Pennsylvania, whether it be philosophical, historical, scientific, social, fraternal, charitable, architectural, etc. Selected artwork will be exhibited in the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia. 

Jurors

Brother Travis Simpkins, Artist

John McDaniel, Artist

Elaine Erne, Artist/Teacher

Eligibility

Any amateur or professional artist or college art student may enter, but all will be judged as equals for competition purposes. Artists must be at least eighteen years of age. All submissions must be original; they may have been created within the past two years and may have been previously exhibited. No work previously produced on a commission will be accepted. All submissions must be available for purchase.

Categories

Oil, Three-dimensional, Drawing and Print-making, Water-Based Medium, Digital Imagery

Awards

$200 Prize per winner, per category

$500 Grand Master’s Prize

$1,000 Best in Show Prize

Entrance Fee

First entry: $25

Second and Third Entry: $10

(Limit of 3 entries per artist)

Auction

If the artists in the Grand Exhibition choose to participate, their entered works may be auctioned at the Exhibition Gala, with 80 percent of the auction value going to them and 20 percent to The Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania. The artist may set a reserve price, as well as a direct purchase price for the original work to be revealed after the auction.

Calendar

Entry deadline: Thursday, August 10, by midnight, E.D.T. Submissions must be made here.

Jury selection to be announced Friday, August 25.

Opening Reception: The Grand Exhibition Gala will be held at the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia on Friday, October 6, featuring a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception, live music, announcement of winners, and a silent auction of selected artwork.

Exhibition: The Grand Exhibition will be open to the public to view starting on Tuesday, October 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, until November 11. Masonic Temple, 1 North Broad Street, Philadelphia.

     

‘Philly Masonic Temple re-dedication’

   

GL of Pennsylvania

Are you busy on St. John’s Day? The brethren of Pennsylvania will re-dedicate the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia, the Grand Lodge’s headquarters with all the cool rooms and artwork, that day. From the scant publicity:

Join us on Saturday, June 24 at a re-dedication ceremony for the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia, celebrating its 150th anniversary this year! The event will begin at 3 p.m., with free guided tours of the building before and after. Livestream the ceremony here.

Disclaimer: I pitched the idea of attending to a trusted brother in NJLORE as an ideal way to enjoy a Masonic St. John the Baptist Day, and his answer was returned: “It’s a good thought. Problem is, it’s part of the annual Philly summer festival in Center City. Crowds be like absolute madness. Music concerts, street venders. Nearly impossible to get into the city and impossible to park anywhere. Even public transportation will be chaotic.”

So traveler beware.

A sign of the times.

     

‘Brandywine Battlefield Degree 2023’

    

Potomac Lodge 5, FAAM

George Washington wielded this gavel during the cornerstone ceremony

at the U.S. Capitol September 18, 1793.

It’s way too early to focus on an event coming in October, so please feel free to skip this edition of The Magpie Mason, but if you’re the type who plans ahead, maybe you would want to attend the Brandywine Battlefield Degree in Pennsylvania and book your seats now.

Kennett Lodge 475 and brethren from around the Fifth Masonic District will host the fourth annual degree. That will be Saturday, October 7 at 4:30 p.m. at Brandywine Battlefield Park. From the publicity:

Brother George Washington’s gavel, which was used at the cornerstone-laying ceremony of the United States Capitol, will be on display during the event. The gavel is provided courtesy of Potomac Lodge 5 in Washington, DC. Your ticket purchase entitles you to the following:

• opportunity to view and have your picture taken with the Washington gavel
• commemorative color ticket printed on thick stock
• commemorative coin with event details
• barbecue meal prepared on site with side dishes and dessert

The event begins at 4:30 with tours of the Visitor Center and Washington’s Headquarters for an additional cost of $8. Photos with Washington’s gavel will begin at five o’clock, with dinner at six. The Master Mason Degree will be conferred promptly at 7:30. There will be cigars to enjoy at an additional cost, or bring your own. The cost of the event remains at only $40 ($44.52 with fees).

This event is rain or shine and is open to Master Masons only. There will be seating provided.

Buy tickets here.

     

‘Psycho-libel to be topic at library discussion’

    

Speaking of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania (see post below), the Masonic Library and Museum in Philadelphia will host a speaker next Saturday to discuss what may be the granddaddy of conspiracy theories.

Bro. John Minott, of Lodge No. 2, will present “Freemasons and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” This lecture, beginning at 3:30, may be attended both in person and via Zoom. Click here to make arrangements. From the publicity:

The Protocols, first published in 1905* and still going strong today, purport to describe a fraudulent Jewish plot for world domination, with the Freemasons as their unwitting stooges. This talk will delve into the history of this anti-Semitic publication, and how Freemasons came to be featured in it.

John Minott

A graduate of Stanford University, John Minott, a member of Lodge No. 2 in Philadelphia, has been a tour guide of the Masonic Temple for twenty-seven years.

Minott’s name may be familiar to you, as he is a frequent speaker on subjects concerning Masonic history and various bizarre fears of Freemasonry.

* Paul Calderwood’s paper, “As We Were: Freemasonry and the Press,” in the new AQC (135), puts the date at 1903.

     

‘Masonic art contest winners'

    

Every grand lodge ought to have an arts contest, but it is the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania that does it every year. It’s October, so it must be time to announce the winners of the “Embodying Masonic Values” art competition of 2022.

The Grand Lodge has been showcasing art linked thematically by Masonic imagery since 2018. This is the fine arts, not performing arts, literature, or anything else. As always, the entries are very interesting. Some pieces’ connections to Freemasonry are stronger than others’ and, God knows, some exhibit greater skill than others, but maybe all that’s in the eye of the beholder.

The Best in Show choice is Madeline Davis’ “Renovatio Ritus, Dedication.” The porcelain vessel measures, in inches, 8x4x3.

GL of Pennsylvania

‘Renovatio Ritus, Dedication,’
by Madeline Davis.

The artists says “This is documentation of the ritual vessel Dedication in use. Renovatio Ritus is a renewal ritual, asking for Clarity, Truth, and Dedication. We find ourselves in search of answers, so we turn to religion, dogmas, and science to satiate our need to know all, yet we will never will.” It’s yours for $400.

Dennis Darkeem’s medium is photography, and his 20x20 photograph titled “Balance” is the winner of the Grand Master’s Prize.

GL of Pennsylvania

‘Balance’ by Dennis Darkeem.

This is available for $1,200.

The Best in Category for oil painting is this straightforward 18x18 “A Pair of Compasses” by P.J. Mills.

GL of Pennsylvania

‘A Pair of Compasses’ by P.J. Mills.

Available for $2,000.

You can view all the winners and other entries here, but let me close with Bro. Juan Sepulveda’s Best in Category for drawing and prints: “Unlocking Independence.”

GL of Pennsylvania

‘Unlocking Independence’ by Juan Sepulveda.

That’s ink, chalk, and charcoal on paper—I think those come up in one of the degrees!—and it can be yours for $300.

     

‘Right Worshipful bourbon’

    

Not to be outpaced by the scotches, gins, beers, and other potable products sponsored by various grand lodges and brethren here and there, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania now has a locally distilled bourbon for sale under its name. Pennsylvania Grand Master’s Blend, a “Pennsylvania Craft Straight Bourbon Whiskey,” is produced by Hidden Still Spirits in Hershey.

Yes, it is possible to purchase online ($42/bottle) and have it shipped to you. I don’t know the volume (750ml?) of the package. Hidden Still also serves as a restaurant, and its spirits can be found in stores in the state.

A poke around the web shows this idea has been in development at Hidden Still for several years. And, yes, there are Pennsylvania brethren in Hidden Still Spirits.

Is it any good? I’ll have to get back to you on that. I don’t doubt this will be found in the mix in the hospitality suites of various Masonic hotel stays.

     

‘Masonic Values art winners’

   

GL of Pennsylvania

‘First Pancake Breakfast,’ by Jon DeHart, 3-D media. 

The winners of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania’s 2021 Embodying Masonic Values Art Contest are announced.

Click here to see the honored works and additional submissions.

GL of Pennsylvania

GRAND MASTER’S PRIZE: ‘Legend of the Third Degree’ by Andrey Kovtun, drawing and print-making. Available for $4,000.

Some are still available for purchase. Alas, “First Pancake Breakfast” has been snatched up.

     

‘Philly Temple in the news again’

    

Courtesy Masonic Temple

In the archives, Mike Laskowski displays antique aprons.

The Masonic Temple in Philadelphia, headquarters of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, will be the subject of a TV feature story again.

A team from Action News on WPVI, the local ABC affiliate, has been visiting the historic treasure recently to shoot a package that will be broadcast next spring.

Courtesy Masonic Temple

Mike McKee is interviewed.

I’ll let you know when as soon as I hear.