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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.
