‘Oscar nights: looking at early U.S. Masonic history’

    

Looks like Oscar’ll be busy on Thursdays.

In two weeks, Bro. Oscar Alleyne will attend Quatuor Coronati 2076 in London, where he is a lodge member, to present his paper “John Batt: Mercenary, Opportunist and Hero.” From the publicity:

Quatuor Coronati Lodge 2076

Thursday, February 19 at 4 p.m.

“John Batt: Mercenary,

Opportunist and Hero”

Freemasons’ Hall, London

The paper explores the enigmatic personality of Sergeant John Batt, a member of military Lodge 441 under the Irish Constitution who is attributed with the creation of African Lodge 1. His initiation of Prince Hall and fourteen men of color enabled what is known today as Prince Hall Freemasonry. A comprehensive view of the facts surrounding John Batt and military Lodge 441 will be examined from the perspective of Batt’s actions as a mercenary, an opportunist and a “hero.” The research underlying this paper suggests that the currently accepted start date of African Lodge 1–and thus Prince Hall Freemasonry–is incorrect. Dr. Alleyne will provide evidence that will demonstrate that it was March 6, 1778, and not 1775, that was the trigger date. The paper is based on new research combined with a detailed examination of the early Prince Hall archives.

Oscar’s paper can be read in AQC 139 here. Please note that paper is in copyright.

If you were lucky, you heard Oscar present this a couple years ago at The ALR. A week later, he’ll be back at Masonic Hall to speak at the Livingston Library. From the publicity:

Chancellor Robert R. Livingston

Masonic Library

Thursday, February 26 at 6 p.m.

“Mark My Word! Building a New City”

Masonic Hall, Manhattan

A lesser-known, intriguing story of Masonic links to the establishment of the first city in the USA after the Revolutionary War for Independence. Brother Oscar Alleyne has been published in several widely distributed Masonic journals, participated as a keynote speaker in research and educational conferences on Freemasonry, and received multiple awards for his distinguished service to the Craft. He served as the Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of New York from 2018-21. He is the Senior Grand Warden for the Grand Council Allied Masonic Degrees of the United States of America and the President of the Grand Witan of the Masonic Order of Athelstan, USA. He was coroneted a 33º Scottish Rite Mason and is an Active Member of The American Lodge of Research, a member of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge 2076, UGLE. He is a Fellow and First Vice President of the Philalethes Society as well as a past President and Fellow of the Masonic Society.

No cost for the lecture only. RSVP here! ​Priority seating for Friends of the Library!

     

‘Lecture: The Work of Hilma af Klint’

    

Altarpiece No. 1 by Hilma af Klint, 1907.

The Livingston Library’s lecture series is back, resuming later this month with a discussion on fine arts by an artist. From the publicity:

The Spiritual in Art:

A Guide to the Unseen Forces

Behind Matter

The Work of Hilma af Klint

Presented by Milosz Jeziorski

Thursday, January 29 at 6 p.m.

Masonic Hall, 14th floor

The spiritual message of Hilma’s Paintings for the Temple series. What esoteric traditions inspired Hilma af Klint? And how do we understand the intersection between spirituality and art? That is the ambitious purpose of this presentation.

Milosz Jeziorski

Milosz Jeziorski, a Past Master of Compact Lodge 402, is a multidisciplinary artist and creator of the podcast Creative Codex, where he crafts sonic portraits of history’s great creative minds. He holds a Master’s in Film Scoring from NYU and won Best Original Score at VisionFest for Ontologica.

RSVP here.

There will be priority seating for Friends of the Library, a new membership program created to support the educational mission of the Livingston Masonic Library. Annual membership costs $50 and includes priority seating at lectures and access to an exclusive Friends reception before each program.

Photo ID is required to enter Masonic Hall, located at 71 West 23rd Street in Manhattan.

     

‘MLMA day in Trenton & Philly’

    

Most of the gang at the MLMA annual meeting last month at the Trenton Masonic Temple in New Jersey, home state of outgoing President Glenn Visscher, front right.

So I’d better get started recapping the great Masonic weekends I’ve enjoyed recently. I’m going to start in the middle with the annual meeting of the Masonic Library and Museum Association on Saturday, September 6, which spanned two states.

I missed the Friday night dinner, but arrived at the Hilton in Jersey on Saturday morning to find the group in great spirits and ready for a long day of work and play. There are two news items that merit sharing here.

1. The peaceful transfer of power was completed during the meeting, and the MLMA leadership for the next two years is comprised of President Dirk Hughes, of the Michigan Masonic Museum and Library; Vice President Julia Wells, of the Iowa Masonic Library & Museum; Tyler Vanice, from the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, remains as Secretary; and Eric Trosdahl, of St. Paul Lodge Number Three in Minnesota, is setting a record for longevity as our Treasurer.

2. Future annual meetings of the association are scheduled.

2026: Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library and Museum of the Grand Lodge of New York, in New York City.

2027: Masonic Library & Museum of the Grand Lodge of Washington, in Washington State.

2028: Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, in Lexington, Massachusetts.

2029: Saint Paul Lodge Number Three in Minnesota.

Our meeting last month was hosted by the Trenton Masonic Temple in Trenton, New Jersey, home of the Museum of Masonic Culture which has been curated by outgoing MLMA President Glenn Visscher and his family since, I think, the 1990s. Then we rode the Shriners’ “trolley” to the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia for a tour of the building, including its Library & Museum, all arranged by Moises Gomez. Having been to the Philly temple often and recently, I didn’t shoot many photos, so what follows is a selection from the Trenton temple, its museum, and one lodge room.

New President Dirk Hughes, at right, explains some
of the nuances of museum curating.

New Jersey’s research lodge used to meet in this room.

The West of the same room.

The first minutes of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey.

I didn’t realize a few details about the mysterious lodge
at Basking Ridge were at our fingertips.

New Jersey has a Crudeli bust too!
Sorry for the glare.

In the museum room.

It’s not a museum, in my view, without tobacciana,
although I believe this is a match safe, not a snuff box.

I love these menageries fashioned by creative brethren.

Make Masonic material culture great again!

Remember when grand lodge law books could fit
in your jacket pocket? Good times.

The Royal Arch apron of John Scott, MEGHP
of the Grand Chapter of New Jersey in 1826
and the namesake of my chapter, Scott No. 4.

While we were enjoying the Museum of Masonic Culture,
Glenn and Mark recorded a promo for their podcast,
The Rite Stuff, seen on YouTube. Click here.

     

‘Hammurabi on Long Island’

    

Encyclopedia Britannica

Stone carving showing Hammurabi

standing before a god. 

The Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library and Museum of the Grand Lodge of New York has hosted a steady schedule of lectures on diverse Masonic subjects for years in Masonic Hall, and now it expands its reach, presenting more talks around our state—and always free of charge and open to the public.

On Friday, this Satellite Live Lecture Series will launch at Smithtown Lodge 1127 on Long Island. Bro. Frank Ida, a Past Master of the lodge, will discuss “Masonic Beginnings in the Code of Hammurabi.”

The publicity says: “The Code of Hammurabi, a collection of laws and decrees created by Babylonian King Hammurabi around 1754 BC, is one of the oldest and most complete legal texts from the ancient world. While not directly related to the origins of Freemasonry, the code’s emphasis on justice, order, and social responsibility resonates with the principles of the fraternal organization.”

Doors will open at 7 p.m. at 34 River Road.

(I think they should move this a few miles south to Babylon Lodge, but no one consults me.) 

On Saturday, May 3 in Troy, a trio of speakers will go “Behind the Square and Compass: A Journey into Freemasonry.”

RW Michael LaRocco, Executive Director of the Livingston Library, will emcee the event. Your speakers will be:

■ Bro. Keith Dobbs on “Curiosity & Personal Journey”

■ VW Jason Chaplin on “From Operative Masonry to Speculative”

■ Bro. Jerad Gribben on “Symbolism and Rituals in Freemasonry”

This will be in the Troy Masonic Community Center (39 Brunswick Road) at two in the afternoon.

Again, admission is free, but it’s wise to book your seats. Click here and maybe I’ll see you there.

     

‘Lafayette at the Livingston Library’

    

If you are active at all in New York Freemasonry, you have at least heard about our celebration of the bicentenary of Bro. Lafayette’s history-making tour of the United States, a lengthy visit to all twenty-four states that was prompted by our fraternity to honor the last surviving general of the Revolutionary War. In fact, celebrations are happening around the country now, plus a book by Chris Ruli, published just this week, chronicles Lafayette’s progress from east to west, and from north to south, and back again.

Chris will be the Livingston Library’s guest lecturer, presenting his findings one night next month. From the publicity:

Chancellor Robert R. Livingston

Masonic Library

Live Lecture Series

Thursday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m.

“Lafayette & The Mystic Tie”

RSVP here

Join Chris Ruli as we examine the Marquis de Lafayette’s legacy with Freemasonry and his fraternal activities during his final American tour. 

The presentation is based on Ruli’s new book Brother Lafayette, copies of which will be available at the presentation.

Chris Ruli is a historian and researcher on early American Freemasonry and its often-overlooked relationship with politics and culture. He is an associate director of the Scottish Rite Research Society, Third Vice-President of the Philalethes Society, and a researcher at the House of the Temple in Washington, DC.

The Library will host this discussion in Masonic Hall’s Ionic Room on the sixth floor. Photo ID is required to enter the building.

     

‘Salon de la Rose + Croix returns’

    

The Salon de la Rose + Croix will return to the Livingston Library later this month for the lecture series. From the publicity:

Livingston Library

Live Lecture Series

March 27 at 7:30 p.m.

The Salon de la Rose + Croix

From Darkness to Light:

The Orphic and Rosicrucian

Path to Divine Unity

A philosophical and spiritual exploration through the Orphic mystery tradition and Rosicrucian thought, and the quest for divine unity. This lecture shares invaluable insights from ancient Greek culture and discusses hermetic and alchemical symbols, and artistic expressions that guide the soul from darkness to enlightenment and beyond.

The presenters are Tony Crisos and Ian Pedigo. 71 West 23rd Street, Manhattan. Tenth floor, French Ionic Room.

Tony Crisos

Tony Crisos is a versatile composer, guitarist, lyre player, philosopher, writer, and lecturer, holding a BA in Music Performance from Berklee College of Music and an MA in Music Education from Boston University. Deeply engaged with ancient Greek philosophy and religion, he founded the modern Salon De La Rose + Croix tradition at the Grand Lodge of New York. As a Hellenic priest in the initiatic lineage of Orpheus, he represents Spyridon Nagos’s lineage on ancient Greek tradition in the U.S. Tony has published extensively, notably revitalizing the Orphic tradition and the Pythagorean Harmony of the Spheres doctrine, and currently contributes as an independent researcher to the Interdisciplinary Society for Quantitative Research in Music and Medicine.

Ian Pedigo

Ian Pedigo has been a practicing visual artist for the past 25 years. He has a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Texas. Since that time, he has made work and exhibited at galleries and museums both nationally and internationally, with shows in nine countries. His work has been written about in the New York Times and The New Yorker, among other publications, as well as a monograph of his work published in 2011.

     

‘The Masons that Made the Tarot!’

    

This month, the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library of the Grand Lodge of New York will bring to the lectern Bro. Oliver Ash, who will present “The Masons that Made the Tarot!” From the publicity:

Tarot cards can be found everywhere in modern culture. There are hundreds of decks available all over the world, and the global tarot card market is expected to keep growing. Despite their popularity, many people are unaware of tarot history and, in particular, they are unaware of the profound influence that Freemasons have had on its creation.

Oliver Ash

Join Oliver Ash for a dive into the history of tarot cards, with special attention paid to those Masons who helped to begin one of the most intriguing modern spiritual traditions.

Oliver Ash is currently completing his Master’s Degree in Theological Studies at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester. He is constructing his thesis around tarot history, which he has been studying for five years. He received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Champlain College in Vermont.

Ash was initiated into Masonry in 2022, and is acting as junior master of ceremonies in his mother lodge. His interests include Masonic ritual and history, Western esotericism and occultism, mystical spirituality, and interfaith studies. He has worked with institutions in the past related to tarot education and stimulating interfaith dialogue.

Click here to register. Photo ID is required to enter Masonic Hall. The library is located on the fourteenth floor.

     

‘Millar returns to library lecture series’

    

The Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library of the Grand Lodge of New York will resume its lecture series this month, hosting Bro. Angel Millar for a return engagement. From the publicity:

Freemasonry, Fringe Masonry,

and Ritual Magic!

By Angel Millar

Thursday, January 25

7:30 p.m.

RSVP here.

Angel Millar

The most influential occult orders of the modern age were either founded by Freemasons or influenced by Masonic ritual, but was this due to a deep insight into the true meaning of the Craft? A subversion of its symbolism and history? A simple misunderstanding? Angel Millar explores Freemasonry and related traditions such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Ordo Templi Orientis, Wicca, Angular Magic, and Chaos Magic.

He is the author of The Three Stages of Initiatic Spirituality and Freemasonry: Foundation of the Western Esoteric Tradition, among other books. He is also the editor-in-chief of Fraternal Review and is a Fellow of the Philalethes Society.

Remember: Photo ID is required to enter Masonic Hall, which is located at 71 West 23rd Street in Manhattan. The French Ionic Room is on the tenth floor.

     

‘A Sufi Perspective of Freemasonry’

    

This month’s lecture at the Livingston Library will approach Freemasonry from an under appreciated direction: Sufism.

Sufis, according to the great F.E. Peters, one of my favorite professors in my university days, “prefer the knowledge that comes by inspiration, to the exclusion of that acquired by study. Again, they desire neither to study such learning nor to learn anything of what authors have written on the subject; to inspect neither their teachings nor their arguments. They maintain on the contrary that the ‘way’ consists in preferring spiritual combat, in getting rid of one’s faults, in breaking one’s ties and approaching God Most High through a single-minded spiritual effort. And every time those conditions are fulfilled, God for His part turns toward the heart of His servant and guarantees him an illumination by the lights of understanding.”

From the publicity:

A Sufi Perspective

of Freemasonry:

The Bektashi Order

of Dervishes

by Nazmi Mete Talimcioglu

Thursday, November 30

7:30 p.m.

Masonic Hall, Jacobean Room

RSVP here

This talk will be a high-end discussion of Sufism and, in particular, the Bektashi Order of Dervishes, its brief history and organizational structure, and the common elements of its belief system with respect to Freemasonry.

Mete Talimcioglu

R∴W∴ Mete Talimcioglu has been a Freemason since 1995, he founded Anatolia Lodge 1183 and was the first Master of the lodge. Mete was also the Assistant Grand Lecturer of his district. He served the Scottish Rite Valley of New York City, having presided over all four bodies, and received both the Meritorious Service Award and the 33°, and served as Deputy’s Representative from 2011 to 2020. Brother Talimcioglu also served in high leadership positions in Royal Arch Masonry and the Cryptic Rite.

     

‘African initiations and Kabbalistic interpretations’

    

In honor of Thomas Smith Webb Chapter of Research, the Library displayed various artifacts, including this set of Grand Chapter jewels from the nineteenth century.

I should have clocked it, but I’ll state unequivocally that The American Lodge of Research set a new speed record in Opening, Balloting, and Closing last night, having done it all between 6:15 and 6:50 p.m., or thereabouts. No trophy for ritual excellence, but it was a lot of fun.

That was all we had to do because the main event started at seven upstairs in the Livingston Library. Congratulations to all our new Corresponding Members, including RW George Filippidis, Bro. Alex Vastola from the Library, and Bro. Jussi from Finland! And to new Active Members, including Dan Kemble from Kentucky! Plus, we finally seated a team of Trustees, which you wouldn’t think would be so difficult, but it took a while. (One must be a legal resident of New York, and it seems many of the brethren live elsewhere.)

And we elected a Fellow, but I think I’m not supposed to say who yet, pending notification of next of kin.

We packed our gear back in storage, and headed to the fourteenth floor just in time for the joint ALR-TSW lectures. Representing Thomas Smith Webb Chapter of Research was Bro. Americo (of Aurora Grata-Day Star Lodge 647), who discussed “African and Afro-Diasporic Initiatory Structures and their Interaction with Masonry,” which opened our eyes to a number of things. Not only the ritual elements common to all kinds of initiatic rites, but some specific things known to Freemasons that appear in some African systems. Next up was Bro. Michael, Master of The ALR, who explained the Kabbalistic side of the three Craft degrees. When many speakers attempt to delve into this sort of topic, their enthusiasm outpaces their knowledge, but Michael nailed it. Unfortunately I had to exit before he finished, but I saw his audience was loving it.

(I’ve known Michael for years and I’ve never heard him talk so much, but let him speak on Kabbalistic content in the degrees and he’s Billy Graham!)

This event was available via Zoom, and I’m hoping it will be uploaded to the Library’s YouTube channel, and I’ll provide the link if it becomes available.

     

‘Lecture: Hidden Within the Star’

    

This month’s lecture at the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library will bring Simone-Monet Wahls to the lectern to discuss something that I would call unexpected. From the publicity:

Hidden within the Star:

Sublime Symbolism

of the Order

of the Eastern Star

By Simone-Monet Wahls

Thursday, October 26

7:30 p.m.

Masonic Hall

Jacobean Room on 8

RSVP here

Simone-Monet Wahls

Searching for deeper meaning, Simone-Monet will share links and connections she has found relating to the Order of Eastern Star.

A writer and speaker across many genres, Simone-Monet Wahls is a Past Matron of Nassau Chapter 718 and currently an Associate Matron of Alpha Chapter 1. She has been an advisor in both Masonic youth groups, DeMolay and Rainbow, since 2016. She also has been facilitator of the AMORC of the Americas Reading Room sessions from 2020 to 2023. 

     

‘Live, once again, from the Livingston Library’

    

The lecture series, live in person, at the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library is back. From the publicity:

From Gavel to Gigabyte:

Freemasonry’s Journey

Through 300 Years

of Technology

by Bro. Jason W. Short

Thursday, September 28

at 8 p.m.

Masonic Hall

Chapter Room on 12

Free & open to the public

Register here

Jason W. Short is a producer and craftsman of film and television in New York City. In 2020, he petitioned Aurora Grata-Day Star Lodge 647, where he was initiated the following year. On July 23, 2022 Jason was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason with a passion for continued study of the Craft. He is a Royal Arch Mason and a 32º Mason. He has had several guest appearances on the Craftsmen Online Podcast, and, as an avid reader, is a frequent visitor of the Livingston Library.

Masonic Hall photo

The Chapter Room.

Take note of the new start time and the meeting place. As always, photo ID is required to enter Masonic Hall.

     

‘LaRocco is library’s new leader’

    

Michael LaRocco

Michael LaRocco is the new Executive Director of the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library of the Grand Lodge of New York, the Grand Secretary announced today. From the statement:

I’m sure many of you know Bro. Michael from his appearances as a presenter in our Library Lecture Series and in his very active presence in the Metropolitan Region. Michael is a Past Master of Lynbrook-Massapequa Lodge 822, as well as the current Assistant Grand Lecturer for the Nassau District. He is a member of the Holy Royal Arch, the Cryptic Council, the Knight Templars, and the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, NMJ. He is a Past Most Wise Master of Long Island Chapter of Rose Croix, a founding member the Magus Guild of the Valley of Rockville Centre, and the Ritual Director for the Valley of Rockville Centre. He received the Meritorious Service Award from the Council of Deliberation and was elected to be coroneted a 33° Mason, to take place in August 2023.

The Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Library and Museum wants to “Bring the Library to the Brothers.” As Michael has extensive professional communications expertise and is an excellent presenter, he is well suited for leading  this role in your Lodges and Districts.

He joins the Library staff of Bro. Alex Vastola, our Director of Collection Services, and Ms. Ratirat Osiri, our Curator. Please join me in welcoming him.

Congratulations Bro. Michael! Enjoy!

(It’s a dream job for me, but what do I know about running a library?)

     

‘Bolívar’s Scottish Rite regalia’

   

Magpie file photo

The Thirty-Second Degree collar and apron owned by Simón Bolívar. I shot this photo at Fraunces Tavern Museum twenty years ago when Tom Savini curated an exhibit of Livingston Library treasures there. I had this published in The Northern Light not long after.

One week from tomorrow, the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library will host an online discussion of the Scottish Rite regalia owned by Bro. Simón Bolívar. Bro. Alexander Vastola, Director of the library, will be the presenter, explaining Bolívar’s Masonic life, and how his Thirty-Second Degree collar and apron became the property of the library.

Thursday, September 29 at 7 p.m. Click here to register.

Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), “the George Washington of South America,” was a military and political leader essential to the liberation of multiple South American nations from Spanish colonial control, including Venezuela, Colombia, and, of course, Bolivia. His Masonic lodge is unknown, but history remembers him, with Argentine José de San Martin and Cuban José Martí, also Freemasons, as heroes of their nations’ wars of independence.

Central Park Conservancy

Our city has been adorned with several Bolívar monuments since 1891. The current statue was dedicated at Bolivar Hill in 1921. President Warren Harding, made a Mason the previous year in Marion Lodge 70 in Ohio, delivered a foreign policy speech on relations among the Americas at the dedication. The statue was moved to Sixth Avenue at 59th Street, at Central Park, in 1951, after Sixth was dubbed the Avenue of the Americas. (The statues of San Martin and Martí were added there later.)

     

‘A busy 24 hours!’

    

Bro. Barry Holsten of Flying Fish Brewing.

As you know, the Twenty-Four-Inch Gauge divides a day into equal periods for three essential needs, but did you ever squeeze three Masonic meetings into twenty-four hours?

That was my weekend. (It’s an improvement over how my life looked a couple of decades ago, when, every quarter, I’d have six Masonic functions between Thursday and the following Tuesday nights. No more of that, thank you.) But last Friday, there was an urgent assembly of my Cryptic Rite council, followed by the research lodge the next morning, and my AMD council that evening. Two of the three were satisfying events, so I can’t complain.

The rough spot was the bimonthly meeting of Scott Council 1 of Royal and Select Masters. I probably should have moved my York Rite memberships to New York by now, but I guess I’m sentimental—or some kind of mental. We learned days earlier that our Grand Council expects all ten of the local councils to reorganize and become just four councils. While I don’t doubt some of the Cryptic councils in our jurisdiction are truly dysfunctional and would be wise to amalgamate with a healthier group, I don’t think that’s necessary for Scott—unless, I suppose, we’re considered the stronger party. But what seems to be happening is the Grand Council wants Scott 1, Gebal 3, and Adoniram 9 to form a new Cryptic council, working out the details among ourselves. From what I’m hearing, Gebal wants nothing to do with it, while Adoniram proffered a “draft” of a consolidation plan that in reality looks like a proposal of some permanence.

I hope Scott rejects the idea. I realize not everything is perfect in the Secret Vault, but I’m not sure things at Scott are so dire that a “suggested” consolidation costing us our identity, meeting time/place, etc. is justifiable. We’re only 162 years old!

I also was unhappy to learn how the three-man delegations from each of our councils were most inappropriately staffed with dual members. The teams from both Gebal and Adoniram included members of Scott. I objected, and I think that’s been rectified already, but it makes one skeptical of the process. Also, these delegations are heavy with Grand Council officers, another potential conflict-of-interest red flag. Even worse—to my mind, at least—is the lack of transparency on the part of Grand Council. It disseminates a thirty-page monthly newsletter, but without a heads up about this consolidation plan? Great, thanks.

Bro. Alex Vastola is at labor in Yorktown-Diamond Thistle Lodge 555 in Tarrytown, New York. 

On a far happier note, New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786 hosted its quarterly Regular Communication Saturday morning. We welcomed Bro. Alexander Vastola, Director of The Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library of the Grand Lodge of New York. He presented a concise description of the institution’s history, goals, resources, and role in Masonic education. The Livingston Library is the envy of most grand lodges in the country, as only a few have exhibited the forethought and commitment to create such a monument to learning. More than 60,000 books and 40,000 artifacts! I’m proud to see The American Lodge of Research, my “other” research lodge, has become a partner with the Library on a few initiatives.

And finally, on Saturday night, it was time for a relaxed summertime (almost) gathering of J. William Gronning Council 83 of the Allied Masonic Degrees. We kept to the dining room and enjoyed an engrossing presentation on the art and science of beer brewing from one of our own: Bro. Barry Holsten, founder and proprietor of craft beer’s Flying Fish Brewing Co. Naturally he augmented his talk with samples of four of his products. Temperance was maintained at all times and a great evening was enjoyed by all.

Now I’m “off” for the next two weeks.

     

‘Vastola to visit research lodge’

    

New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786 will meet next week for its quarterly Regular Communication and will host a very special guest.

Bro. Alex Vastola, Director of The Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library of the Grand Lodge of New York, will be among the speakers next Saturday, bringing us up to date on the institution’s programs and other essential work.

That’s June 11 at Hightstown-Apollo Lodge 41 in Hightstown. Lodge tyles (New Jersey spelling) at 9:30 a.m.

In addition, the Brother Junior Warden will present his long awaited “Salt, Wine, and Oil” (you read correctly) paper. And, somewhere along the way, there will be a recap of Masonic Con, which finally will be hosted this Saturday in New Hampshire. A group of us are making the trip.

A continental breakfast (but don’t ask me which continent) will be available beforehand, and lunch will be served after the meeting. (I think a cookout is planned.)

     

‘The Hero of Two Worlds’

    

I can’t remember where in Masonic Hall this hangs. Corinthian?

“Insurrection is the most sacred of rights and the most indispensable of duties.”

— Lafayette

On this date in 1834, Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier Marquis de La Fayette died in Paris at age 76. His remains are interred in the city at Cimetiere de Picpus—beneath soil shipped from Bunker Hill, such was the import of his role in the American War of Independence and vice versa.

That he championed the American cause, not only to smite the enemy British Empire, but to make manifest the Americans’ philosophy of individual liberty and national freedom was extremely counterintuitive for a French nobleman, if you think about his station in life. And his fighting for the Continental Army didn’t even put him in good standing when revolution, originally in the name of republicanism, was unleashed in his homeland, although it at least saved his life. In fact he lived to see various leaders and different forms of French government rise and fall, until the July Monarchy. Government troops slaughtered a crowd of civilians in April 1834. Lafayette was dead a month later. He is remembered as “The Hero of Two Worlds.”

Outside, appropriately, Colonial on 10.

Masonic historians are frustrated by the absence of a record of his initiation into the fraternity, but when he arrived in America in 1777, his Masonic membership was a given. I would say he is France’s most celebrated Freemason, at least in the eyes of American Masons. He was a Royal Arch Companion in Jerusalem Chapter 8 in New York City, as well as a Cerneau Scottish Rite 33rd Degree Mason.

(I’m assuming it’s pure coincidence, but the New York City Parks Department chose today to power wash Union Square Park’s Lafayette statue, titled “Lafayette Arriving in America,” made by Bro. Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, of Statue of Liberty fame, and dedicated in 1873.)

His famous return to the United States in 1824 consisted of a tour of all the states in the country, with Masonic celebrations along the route. The Grand Lodge of Delaware received him in 1824 and made him an Honorary Member the following year. Also in ’24, Lafayette visited the brethren in Maine and New Jersey and Maryland (another Honorary Membership there). In 1825, he was feted in South Carolina, Louisiana, Illinois, and, with another Honorary Membership, in Tennessee. Many lodges around the United States have been named in his honor.

Lafayette Lodge 27 photo

Last month Grand Master Richard Kessler led a party to a neighboring jurisdiction where its Lafayette Lodge held a ceremony to unveil a marker on The Lafayette Trail, which denotes the path of his historic tour. The New Yorkers brought with them an apron affiliated with the French hero for display that day.

Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Library photo

Click here for more on his Masonic history.