‘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.

     

‘Naval Lodge 4 at the U.S. Capitol’

     

Naval Lodge 4

Worshipful Master Peter Rogers with the brethren

of Naval Lodge 4, FAAM, at the U.S. Capitol last night.

 
As reluctant as I am to inflame the Tinfoil Hat Crowd, I want to salute Naval Lodge 4 in the District of Columbia for hosting a meeting inside the U.S. Capitol last night.

You probably are wondering how, but it takes a personal connection to arrange such a thing.

(These photos are on social media, so I’m not betraying secrets in this edition of The Magpie Mason.)

Naval Lodge 4

Naval 4 typically meets in a building on Pennsylvania Avenue, about half a mile east of Capitol Hill, so they didn’t even have to leave the neighborhood.

For this special occasion, the lodge hosted Bro. Chris Ruli, author of the new book Brother Lafayette, a chronicle of the French freedom fighter’s tour of the United States in 1824-25.

As an aside, yesterday was the 200th anniversary of Lafayette’s visit to George Washington’s grave. On Mount Vernon’s website, we read:

When Lafayette returned for his grand tour of the United States in 1824 at the invitation of President Monroe, he briefly stopped at Mount Vernon again to pay his respects. It was later recounted that Lafayette visited Washington’s tomb alone and returned to his party with tears in his eyes.

Naval Lodge 4

The brethren in the Rotunda beneath John Trumbull’s General George Washington Resigning His Commission, the 12x18 oil on canvas painted 1822-24.

Well done, brethren! Excellent.

     

‘Drink brandy like George Washington’

    

Mount Vernon

Apropos of nothing, except that I like brandies and that George Washington was a Freemason, the distillery at Mount Vernon will release a new batch of bottles next week.

Weighing in at 80 proof, George Washington’s Peach Brandy™ is heftier than the Hiram Walker sweets I somewhat remember quaffing in the woods with my idiot friends in junior high school, so it may merit the use of a snifter. Or at least its $10/ounce price tag could inspire measured consumption. Going on sale October 17 at noon. From the publicity:

Brandy Produced

in the 18th Century

By 1799, George Washington had become one of the largest whiskey producers in the United States. Today we continue the tradition of producing whiskey and other small batch distilled spirits at our historic distillery.

Washington maintained orchards on his estate and these orchards supplied the peaches needed to produce the brandy at the distillery. The ledgers indicate that small amounts of peach brandy were produced in 1798 and 1799. A portion was sold at market and the remainder was sent to the mansion for use by the Washington family.

After aging for eighteen months in used bourbon barrels at Mount Vernon, this brandy was bottled and labeled by hand. Mount Vernon staff, working with craft distiller consultants, produced this brandy using traditional eighteenth century methods. The brandy was double-distilled in copper pot stills heated by wood fires.

This special bottle of George Washington Peach Brandy™ is one of a limited number of bottles distilled at Washington’s reconstructed distillery at Mount Vernon. Buy in person at The Shops at Mount Vernon (3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, Virginia) or buy online.

Bottle size: 375 mL

Alcohol content: 40 percent

Proof: 80 proof

     

‘NOLA: Freemasonry and the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience’

    

Hurd Hatfield in The Picture of Dorian Gray, MGM, 1945.

Second in a series recapping my recent trip to New Orleans.

I fell asleep the night before with the television on and awoke June 5 to Albert Lewin’s The Picture of Dorian Gray from 1945. After breakfast at the Clover Grill (how do they make the eggs like that?!) and while hurrying to get ready for the day of museum hopping, the TV was still on. You see a certain theorem on the chalkboard. The “Non ignoravi mortalem esse” translates, according to some Google hits, to something like “I have not ignored to be mortal,” which could make for a snappy answer to Memento Mori, if you’re an Al Jaffe fan with a better command of Latin.

It was a great day. At 400 Esplanade Avenue, you get two for one: downstairs is the Old U.S. Mint; upstairs, the Jazz Museum. If you ever collected U.S. coins and gathered a Morgan dollar, maybe there is an O on its reverse. That initial means the U.S. Mint at New Orleans struck that coin, as it had in the manufacture of hundreds of millions of dollars in gold and silver coinage between 1838-61, and 1879-1909.

I’ll have to remember to share this with Civil War Lodge of Research: These scraps of fabric are believed to be remnants of the U.S. flag once flown above the U.S. Mint in New Orleans. Early in the Civil War, Commodore David Farragut sent Marines into the city to seize the Mint, for obvious reasons. Mr. William Mumford, with a few accomplices, allegedly managed to steal the flag, and Mumford reportedly wore the flag’s tatters on his jacket henceforth. U.S. Gen. Benjamin Butler had Mumford hanged in front of the Mint on June 7, 1862. An outraged Confederate President Jefferson Davis ordered Butler to be executed immediately if ever captured.

Its museum is a small space, but if you or someone you love is a numismatist, it’s worth visiting.

Upstairs is the New Orleans Jazz Museum. During my research before the trip, I thought maybe a museum devoted to jazz and located in New Orleans would be something on a Smithsonian scale, but not quite. Still a must see, but I was hoping for deeper history than what is offered. There actually was a near absence of Louis Armstrong, which the museum explained is the result of its preparing for Satchmo’s birthday—today! August 4, according to his baptismal certificate—with a special exhibit. The Mint building is the site of Satchmo Summerfest this weekend, if you’re in the neighborhood.

I really thought there might be a Masonic clue somewhere in the exhibits, given how many jazz legends were Freemasons, but I missed it if there is.

In late afternoon, after a bite and a beer at one of the ubiquitous Willie’s Chicken Shacks, I roamed the French quarter and did find something Masonic—finally, after stalking the streets for more than forty-eight hours. A jewelry store on Royal Street had these rings in its window:

Typical Masonic supply company catalog fare.

Satisfied somewhat, I took a seat on the steps of the courthouse on Royal, joining a few homeless men, and lit up an Aroma de Cuba Monarch—a fine Fuente product! Also in my research, I found smoking is prohibited just about everywhere, yet the stench of marijuana is ever-present, so I thought quality tobacco should be represented.

I’m rambling because my memory is failing. I thought this was the day I had visited the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, but that actually was June 6. Anyway, I arrived there late that morning and did find a few Masonic items, plus several mentions of famous Masons.

All Masonic historians know how Masonic halls served their neighborhoods in many ways: as schools, post offices, civic meeting spaces, polling places, and even houses of worship.

This is a facsimile of Bro. C.L. Schlom’s Masonic patent from 1902. He was at labor in South Memphis Lodge 118 in Tennessee. It remains of the rolls today, as Memphis 118, and will meet this Thursday at 7 p.m. for its August communication.

And from the Famous Masons Department:

T.R. kicks ass. Typically, when we think of him vis-à-vis Russia, it’s about ending their war with Japan, but apparently he had earlier interactions.

I’ll have to research Jonas Phillips because he was a fascinating figure in Revolutionary America. I believe the quotation above is borrowed from his petition to the Continental Congress of September 7, 1787, in which he lobbied to avoid religious requirements for Federal office holders. During the war, he would write correspondence in Yiddish, confounding the Redcoats who intercepted the letters. A few websites say he was a Freemason as of 1760. Maybe. I’ll check it out.

      

‘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.

     

‘Washington inauguration celebration’

    

And speaking of Freemasons who have been American presidents (see post below), it soon will be time again for Grand Lodge’s re-enactment of George Washington’s first inauguration as chief executive of the United States. And, man, what would you give to have him back again?! From the publicity:

Tuesday, April 30

11:45 a.m.

Federal Hall

Wall Street, Manhattan

A re-enactment of the inauguration of George Washington as the first president of the United States of America, performed by Freemasons of the State of New York. The event is held on the anniversary of the inauguration on April 30, 1789. We proclaim our heritage by honoring our Founding Fathers and the Heroes of 1776, many of whom were Free and Accepted Masons.

The sponsor of this event is the George Washington Inaugural Reenactment Committee of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York, under the chairmanship of RW Martin Kanter, RW J. Scott Nagel and RW Teodulo Henriquez. MW Richard Kessler, Grand Master of Masons in the State of New York and other elected and appointed Grand Lodge officers will attend. The Color Guard will be provided by the Masonic War Veterans, Sons of the Revolution of New York, and the Knickerbocker Greys.

We’d love to have as many Brothers as possible from your lodge join and support us on this great occasion. The ceremony lasts approximately 45 minutes. We invite all brothers, friends, and families to join us in a hospitality room for refreshments after the event. There is no charge for the event, but we do appreciate donations for refreshments onsite. RSVP here.

     

‘Washington inauguration on Sunday’

    

Have any plans for Sunday afternoon? The corrupt and deranged “president” of the United States just mumbled his plan to seek re-election, so treat yourself to a balm for the spirits by coming to Masonic Hall for a celebration of the greatest President in a family-friendly event that honors U.S. history, Manhattan history, and Masonic history all at once.

Sunday will be the 234th anniversary of George Washington’s first inauguration as President of the United States, which took place downtown on Wall Street at what we today call Federal Hall. The President-elect (not a member of any political party, by the way), placed his right hand on the altar bible (a KJV) of St. John’s Lodge, and was sworn by Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, our Grand Master. Feel free to read more about that here.

Anyway, on Sunday at noon, New York Freemasonry’s George Washington Inaugural Re-Enactment Committee will host its annual tribute to the world-changing event by, well, re-enacting it. Federal Hall is closed on Sundays, so the brethren will get together in Masonic Hall, appropriately, in the Colonial Room on 10.

MW Richard J. Kessler, Grand Master, will be there with an entourage of Grand Lodge officers. The Sons of the Revolution of New York and the Knickerbocker Greys will serve as Color Guard. Family and friends of Freemasonry are welcome, and refreshments will be served afterward. Photo ID is required to enter Masonic Hall.

Make it a family day in the city. Just wear your kevlar, keep your heads down, and run like hell. After the re-enactment, head down to Film Forum to see Bro. Harold Lloyd in his brilliant comedy Hot Water.

     

‘Publicity’s Presidents’ Day message’

     

Well, this isn’t actually a Presidents’ Day message. The following is a message from the Master of my lodge to the brethren of Publicity 1000 in our February trestleboard, but it’s Presidents’ Day and George Washington’s birthday, and I’m in Virginia enjoying the Washington Masonic Memorial centenary festivities, so I’m sharing this.

As America marks the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln this month, we Free and Accepted Masons ought to celebrate these two giants on whose shoulders we still stand, so many years after they made so much history. I don’t know if there are better exemplars of the type of mature masculinity that our gentle Craft inculcates in its brethren.

You know about Washington the Freemason, the general, the president, the “Father of our Country.” Here I just want to share a little about Washington the boy. Not the cherry tree myth, but the real story of how he adopted a code of adulthood as his own. A book published in France in the seventeenth century contained a detailed list of virtues to educate boys. It was translated into English, and it was so popular that it remained available a century later, when the teenaged Washington received it in Virginia. He took it to heart and he transcribed this list of 110 maxims into his school book. We know it today as “George Washington’s Rules of Civility.”

Some examples:

No. 39  In writing and speaking, give to every person his due title according to his degree and the custom of the place.

No. 56  Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation, for it is better to be alone than in bad company.

No. 109  Let your recreations be manful, not sinful.

Click here for a free copy from the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.

It all prescribes the dignified and moral conduct expected of a gentlemen of those days. Lincoln was born a decade after Washington’s death, and born into a far more humble environment than Washington, but he too is renowned today for the same unimpeachable manly character. Did you know he once fought a duel, with swords, intended as a fight to the death?

In 1842, he rebuked a public official in the wake of a government scandal. The public official challenged Lincoln to the duel. For weapons, Lincoln chose large cavalry broadswords instead of firearms, knowing he was much taller than his opponent and enjoyed a longer reach. Before anyone could be hurt, Lincoln used his weapon to hack off a tree branch, demonstrating his advantages over the other duelist. The two wisely agreed to a truce.

Years later, during the Civil War, Lincoln was president and his former adversary was a U.S. brigadier general who won an important battle and was wounded in the action. Lincoln nominated him for promotion to major general. Lincoln never was a Mason. Supposedly, he had an interest in the Craft, but the Anti-Masonic hysteria of the 1820s and ’30s dissuaded him. Washington, as you know, was initiated into the local lodge even before he turned twenty-one.

Examples of outstanding integrity from Washington’s and Lincoln’s lives are numerous because of their virtuous characters, and their public lives obviously reveal the inner men. As Freemasons, it is our challenge to labor in self-improvement and we would be wise to emulate these leaders by incorporating their qualities into our own lives. Our world needs masculine energy, and in the spirit of masculine self-development, I encourage each of you to take time this month to reflect on Freemasonry’s Four Cardinal Virtues for your own personal growth. And consider ways to incorporate other Masonic teachings in your improvement as a husband or father or friend or neighbor. Identify personal areas where you want to grow; create plans to achieve realistic goals; and budget time to work toward success.

Remember, true self-improvement is an ongoing process, so make sure to evaluate progress and adjust plans as needed. Let us also remember the principles of Freemasonry, such as Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, and strive to live by them daily. Freemasonry is more than a fraternity; it is a philosophy for living. Simply upholding our principles places us far ahead of other men on the path to becoming better men and citizens—to being good and true.

As always, I am honored to serve as your Worshipful Master, and am grateful for the dedication and commitment of each and every member of Publicity Lodge. I am proud to be a part of this fraternity and to be associated with such a great group of men. Thank you for your continued support and for being a part of our great brotherhood.

     

‘Monday’s parade info’

    

Bullwinkle Studios/Jay Ward Productions

The Order of March of Alexandria’s George Washington Birthday Parade has been posted—and my group is in the rear.

Looks like we’re ahead of a certain NYC lodge.

New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786, that is. That’s okay. Somehow we’re way ahead of A-W 22, so go figure. Desperately, I tried to court the organizers with a certain picture of Washington—if you catch my meaning—but to no avail. Grand Marshal is George Seghers, by the way.

This will be great. The Grand Architect is taking care of the weather: sunny and 61 degrees forecast. (For the record, I am all for climate change!) There is a new parade route this year, from what I understand.

Normally I’m not a fan of Masons in parades for some reason, but this is very different. There will be hundreds of the brethren, in our regalia, in procession, like it’s 1923 or something. The line-up includes 30 grand lodges, 33 lodges, and other Masonic groups and individuals and “Masonic overflow.” (The Bulgarian grand lodge isn’t even recognized yet. They will make their case before the grand masters conference on Sunday.)

Later in the afternoon, we’ll assemble outside the George Washington Masonic National Memorial to celebrate its centenary cornerstone re-dedication ceremony.

And, hey, if you’re going to be there the day before—on Sunday—please bring your apron to our research lodge’s meeting at 4:30 in the Memorial. Shawn Eyer will be our speaker. (What else are you doing at 4:30 on a Sunday?)

Click to enlarge.

     

‘Jersey research lodge to meet in the Washington Memorial’

    

GWMNM photo

Merry New Year! I wish you a 2023 even more positive than your own hopes for it.

Hey, if you will be in or near Alexandria, Virginia on Presidents’ Day and, especially, the day before, please feel free to join us at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. On Sunday, February 19 at 4:30, New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786 will hold an Emergent Communication in one of the lodge rooms.

The room is booked and Bro. Shawn Eyer will be our speaker, discussing William Preston (I’ll have the specifics on the topic soon).

I’m inviting the brethren of A. Douglas Smith, Jr. Lodge of Research 1949, who meet in the Memorial regularly, and George Washington Lodge of Research 1732, from not far Fredericksburg, and other researchers to enjoy the time with us. You should come too!

The next day, President’s Day, the Memorial will host the centenary celebration of its cornerstone laying ceremony. And the City of Alexandria will hold its George Washington Birthday Parade earlier that afternoon; NJLORE is signed up for that as well, so march with us. It’s a public parade with, I expect, many Masonic groups in formation. It’ll be like it’s 1780 again or something.

     

‘Reclaiming a Revolutionary Brother’s reputation’

Thursday, at last, was the long-awaited joint meeting of West Point Lodge 877 and The American Lodge of Research. The former, naturally, is a historic Masonic lodge, and the latter, of course, a lodge that studies Masonic history.

The two also have an ethereal link that occurs to me. West Point was set to labor Under Dispensation by Grand Lodge in 1909, and that was the year when the first rumblings (or at least the first I can pinpoint) of establishing a lodge of Masonic research and education were heard. It took only 113 years for the two to get together.

And it was worth the wait. We enjoyed two presentations. First, Worshipful Master Conor of The ALR did what he does best and treated us to biography-history of one of his ancestor lodge brothers. William Malcom (1745-91) was a Scots-born hero of the American Revolution who held memberships in a few lodges and was Master of St. John’s Lodge 2 (now No. 1) in New York in 1783.

In “The Misunderstood Mr. Malcom,” Conor aims to “do a solid” for the under appreciated warrior, business success, and Freemason by explaining how he came to be shunted unjustly by historians. That reasoning is two-fold, being based on a pair of letters that, interpreted outside context, could cleave Malcom from the pantheon of Revolutionary immortals despite his distinguished service among them. Conor’s paper corrects the record.

This paper will appear in our upcoming book of transactions (I’m working on it!), which will go to our members in early ’23.

W. Conor commissioned a portrait of Malcom from Bro. Travis Simpkins, who obliged with his usual excellence. The art, duly matted and framed, was presented to West Point Lodge where it hopefully will join the impressive menagerie of historical items displayed about the lodge building.

Here, I’ll just sketch the highlights of this presentation. Malcom, even setting aside his military career, was a very interesting man who accomplished much before his death at age forty-six. He emigrated to British North America, arriving in New York at eighteen. His father was a baron in the old country, so Malcom was no hungry urchin seeking any employment upon arrival. He became an importer/exporter headquartered on what we today know as Pearl Street, and he ingratiated himself into New York society quickly. This included membership in Union Lodge, where he served as Worshipful Master in 1767 (if I got that right). That is a significant date in New York Masonic history, being the year when the Rite of Perfection’s Lodge of Perfection was established at Albany. And Malcom, Conor explains, had business connections who were central to that group.

Malcom had other impressive networks. By marriage, he was related to George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. (I think it’s largely true that in early America people of a certain strata knew each other, if they weren’t actually related. It was a small place of few people.)

Malcom’s politics when Revolution erupted placed him squarely among the Patriots, but New York was not a safe place to be a Patriot. As a member of St. John’s 2, he was among neutral and Loyalist lodge brethren, and, as an importer/exporter, he surely was at some risk, especially when the British invaded and seized the city in 1776.

During the war, Malcom held high rank, spent his own money to equip his unprepared troops, organized a network of spies, and was in proximity to two officers who would proceed to ignominy: Benedict Arnold and Aaron Burr. In the former’s case, Malcom was sent to West Point to complete construction of fortifications that went neglected by Arnold, who at that time was plotting to hand over the fort to the British. I don’t think it is known whether Malcom was suspicious of Arnold, but he didn’t fail to see something there was not right. And Burr? He was Malcom’s second in command for a time, an eventuality that would factor into one of the aforementioned letters that diminish Malcom’s war service.

But back to Freemasonry: While Malcom was stationed at West Point, St. John’s Lodge 2 happened to have been nearby in Fishkill. Seventy-eight American soldiers, if I remember correctly, signed the lodge’s book of bylaws at that time. The end of the war and the formation of the Grand Lodge of New York were somewhat concurrent. While we may assign a date for the end of British military activity in New York at Evacuation Day (November 25, 1783), the organization of amorphous Freemasonry into what we today understand as a grand lodge remains hard to explain, as far as I’m concerned.

Sir John Johnson was, nominally at least, the Provincial Grand Master in New York, but his side lost the war and he skedaddled to Canada. Malcom was named to the committee that would form our Grand Lodge of New York.

Malcom remained engaged in the military after the war, being appointed to head the militia in points around New York City. He was elected to political office, a natural fit for many heroes of the Revolution, and he was welcomed into the Society of the Cincinnati in New Jersey, despite not having resided there. (He did serve in the battles at Trenton and Princeton.) As head of the militia, he commanded the military escort of George Washington to his first presidential inauguration at Wall Street in 1789. His funeral in 1791 was accompanied by military and Masonic honors.

About those two letters: A 1778 communiqué from Washington, in reply to a note from Malcom, states the commanding general was displeased at that time with Malcom and would not stop him from exiting the service if he desired to leave. Not a good look for a notable officer in wartime. The other letter is from 1814 and was sent by Malcom to the New York legislature lobbying for financial compensation for Aaron Burr. Burr, of course, had killed Hamilton in their duel a decade earlier, so, again, not a good look.

Worshipful Master Tom Horn, right, accepts the Malcom
portrait from W. Bro. Conor of The ALR.

The next presentation to the two lodges was delivered by Bro. Bob McLoughlin, who told us about “Free and Accepted Masons, Family Legacies, and the Hudson Valley.” Unfortunately, the hour was late and Bob had to zip through what appeared to be a detailed tour of the local area with many stops where Masons through history left their marks by building infrastructure, much of which remains in use.

The gist of his talk, I’ll say, was graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, a significant number of whom were initiated into our fraternity in this lodge (did I mention West Point is, figuratively speaking, a grenade’s throw from the lodge?), took their engineering knowhow around the world. Literally. From the campus of the Academy to Central Park (pre-Olmsted) to the Canal Zone and points everywhere, they brought forth order from chaos.

I’m sorry to shortchange his compelling research, but it passed by my eyes and ears quickly and, not being versed in the subject myself, it all was a blur. My notes aren’t that helpful. I think Bob said this talk can be found on Craftsmen Online, but I’m not seeing it and can’t provide the link.

This World War II era poster was added recently to the lodge’s decor by a Past Master who acquired it through an auction. By weird coincidence, the December trestleboard message from the Master of New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786 focuses directly on the Masonic War Chest and includes an image of the poster.

As always, any errors or omissions in the above are attributable to me and not to the speakers.

In lodge business, The ALR elected three to Active Membership, including Bro. Erich, who we at New Jersey’s research lodge have shanghaied into the secretary’s chair. (Or at least we will at our installation this Saturday.) (Don’t tell him.) And we had an introductory reading of several much needed bylaws amendments that will be brought to a vote at our next meeting on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in our home—the Colonial Room of Masonic Hall. See you there.

     

‘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.