‘To promote the happiness of the human race’

    

“To enlarge the sphere of social happiness is worthy the benevolent design of a Masonic Institution; and it is most fervently to be wished, that the conduct of every member of the fraternity, as well as those publications that discover the principles which actuate them, may tend to convince mankind that the grand object of Masonry is to promote the happiness of the human race.”

George Washington

Letter to Massachusetts Masons

January 1793

In its promotion of its upcoming symposium in Ontario, the Masonic Restoration Foundation is releasing hints of what the speakers will present from the lectern. MW Bro. Philip Durell, of the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon, is going to talk about happiness.

Seeing that graphic above on social media really struck me hard. I can’t remember the last time I associated Freemasonry with happiness, I’m sorry and embarrassed to admit. Obviously I am missing something central to it all. For the most part, my experiences in the fraternity for many years have been characterized by negative states of mind, such as fear and anxiety, caused by worrying about the future. The shrinking membership and resulting financial woes and inevitable reconstitution of the fraternity, for which no one seems to be preparing, produce an overbearing dread that only worsens when we exit the temple to mix again with the increasingly unrecognizable and violent world.

Happiness? My God, I can’t wait to hear what the Past Grand Master has to tell us.

It’s not that I do not enjoy Freemasonry; I do, and I am grateful to be a small part of it. If it made me unhappy, I’d have been gone long ago—and I had reasons to be very unhappy years ago, but logically found the positive (Masonic Light) outweighed the negative (certain Masonic people).

Bro. George Oliver, the famous nineteenth century Masonic author, had something to say about happiness, being a clergyman and all. One of his books, The Symbol of Glory: Shewing the Object and End of Freemasonry, from 1850, is an anthology of lectures. Here are several excerpts:

We have a rule, which, if universally observed, would produce more peace and happiness in the world, than, I am afraid, is to be found amongst mankind at present. It is a golden maxim, applicable to all times and occasions, and cannot possibly fail in its operation. It was delivered by the Divinity, taught in the Gospel, recognized in Freemasonry, and is equally beneficial to all orders and descriptions of men. These are the words: Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you, do ye also unto them.

Page 75

In a Mason’s lodge, however, every thing which the candidate sees before his eyes possesses a symbolical meaning to recommend the practice of virtue in order to produce the glory of God, peace on earth, and good will towards men; a result which is considered acceptable to TGAOTU, because it cannot fail to prove a source of happiness to his creatures and lead to an abundant reward in the mansions of the blessed.

Page 130

     

‘Observant Masonry in New York, Part I’

    

Grand Lodge is readying for its Annual Communication, to open Monday, May 5 and close the next day here in Manhattan. Naturally, part of the preparation includes the publication of reports, financials, and other documents; these will be included in the Book of Proceedings later this year, but are being circulated now. The report of the Observant Masonry Committee, submitted by Chairman Bradley Hubbard, Past Master of Alcyone 695, notes major changes of purpose for the group that deserve congratulations.

First, it was explained how the three-man committee is newly restaffed. Previously, the committee was comprised of Chairman Piers Vaughan with Richard Powell and Daniel DiNatale. Today it’s Chairman Hubbard with Stephan Carter and Briggs Houston—both also of Alcyone Lodge—with the three previous committeemen now serving as advisors.

There are four lodges at labor under our Grand Lodge (of 427 lodges) that have been certified as Observant: Queensbury 121, Alcyone, Harmonie 699, and Ecclesia 1189. (It’s worth mentioning how no certified Observant lodges are found in New York City! I’m not sure what to make of that.) Chairman Hubbard writes:

“With only four out of over 400 lodges certified as Observant, it became clear that this committee in its previous format was servicing less than 1 percent of New York lodges in any practical manner. Our objective was to redefine the scope of work beyond a mere certifying body, and expand it to provide resources that would be relevant to 100 percent of the lodges in the jurisdiction. The true purpose of the Observant Masonry movement and this committee is to ensure the survival and prosperity of the Craft by disseminating resources which can be implemented by any lodge to revitalize and revolutionize its Masonic practice. Whether that lodge seeks the path of Masonic Observance or picks and chooses which aspects work for their lodge culture is their choice, but in either circumstance the committee is there to assist.”

It’s time to reminisce a little. There is no connection between the Grand Lodge of New York and the Masonic Restoration Foundation. I hereby promise and swear I don’t know the reason for that, but I once was told that about a decade ago, the Grand Lodge made it known it wouldn’t want its lodges aligned with the MRF. New York lodges then listed on the MRF’s website soon were delisted.

This reminds me of that essential cabal meeting* at Gadsby’s in February 2008 when the discussion of what then was called Traditional Observance Masonry included the caution “You can’t serve two masters,” meaning a lodge looking to include T.O. ideas into its practices had better understand that fealty to its grand lodge should dwarf any appreciation of the MRF.

Back to the present. W. Bro. Hubbard goes on to say the GLNY’s Observant certification guidelines were redefined “to create a flexible, but comprehensive standalone document that described not only the objectives of the initiative, but provided a practical template for lodges to implement.”

If I understand correctly, this is in the form of a book, Guidelines for Practice and Certification, a copy of which I now am seeking to obtain. Got it. Click here. Hubbard continues:

“Another aspect of the new Guidelines was to revise the mission statement of the GLNY Observant Masonry initiative to reflect the mandate of expanded relevance mentioned previously in this report. Part of that included redefining the controversial OM designation–the only of its kind in existence–from a perceived title of exclusivity to one of service. Lodges choosing to pursue and bear the OM designation henceforth must commit to bettering the Craft at large by serving as an exemplar and ambassador of the program, offering themselves as a practical regional resource to other lodges that wish to implement Observant practices.”

For more on this forward thinking project, visit the Observant Masonry page on Grand Lodge’s website here.

Bravo to the committee! Huzzah!

Really strange there aren’t OM certified lodges in the city.

*There is no cabal.

     

‘MRF registration is open!’

    

Registration for the Masonic Restoration Foundation’s Fourteenth Annual Symposium opened this afternoon. The brethren will gather in Hamilton, Ontario the weekend of August 15. Click here. From the publicity:

The Masonic Restoration Foundation Symposium is the largest gathering of Masons in North America who are expressly committed to observing the highest standards of excellence in the Craft. This year, for only the second time, we are returning to Canada, to one of its most majestic Masonic locations: the Hamilton Scottish Rite Temple in Ontario. The Symposium will take place from August 15-17 and will be hosted by Templum Lucis Lodge 747.

As usual, the event will begin with a Harmony [Festive Board] on Friday evening, conducted by the MRF Board, and featuring comments from our Keynote Speaker, WB Ric Berman, Past Master of Quatuor Coronati Lodge 2076 in London, England.

Along with our usual line-up of interesting speakers, brothers will have the opportunity to witness a Fellow Craft Degree conferred by Heredom Lodge 749 on Saturday afternoon.

Registration for the Symposium costs $125 USD/$175 CAD, or $75 USD/$100 CAD for the Saturday session only.

We are hoping this Symposium will be an opportunity for an exchange of different perspectives and methods of Masonic practice in North America, and one that will especially bring in brothers from across Canada. All the information you need to participate is found here. We look forward to seeing you at the Symposium!

Featured Speakers & Panelists

Ric Berman, Past Master, Quatuor Coronati Lodge 2076, England; Past Grand Sword Bearer, UGLE.

Ed Burridge, Past Master, Templum Phoenix Lodge 57, Fredericton, NB; Past Deputy Grand Master, Grand Lodge of New Brunswick.

David Cameron, Past Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Canada [Ontario]; Secretary, Templum Lucis Lodge 747, Stratford, ON; Secretary, MRF.

Donald Carducci, Master, Victory Through Harmony Lodge 94, Montreal, QC.

Jean-Frédéric Dicaire, Past Master, Victory Through Harmony 94, Montreal, QC.

Philip Durell, Past Grand Master, Grand Lodge of British Columbia and the Yukon; Board Member, MRF.

Dan Graham, Master, Templum Lucis 747, Stratford, ON; Past Grand Director of Ceremonies, Grand Lodge of Canada [Ontario]. 

Andrew Hammer, Past Master, Alba Lodge 222, Washington, DC; PJGD (Hon.) & Deputy Grand Lecturer, Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia; President, MRF.

Chad Lacek, Secretary, Illumination Lodge 5, Chicago, IL; Grand Lodge Education Committee, Grand Lodge of Illinois.

Keynote Address

Origins, Allegory,

and the Enlightenment:

From the Horn Tavern

to Solomon’s Temple

Ric Berman

Ric Berman is a renowned Masonic historian and author of numerous books on the history and development of Freemasonry, and is a past Prestonian Lecturer. His Keynote Address on Friday evening will speak to the idea of the origin of Speculative Masonry, and why the trigradal system is the essence of the art. 

Opening Address

Why Do We Bother?

Andrew Hammer

Andrew Hammer serves as Deputy Grand Lecturer of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, and is the Chair of its Committee on Work and Lectures. He is author of Observing the Craft, a Fellow of the Philalethes Society and the Masonic Society.

Brother Hammer speaks to lodges throughout the world on observant Masonry, as well as philosophical aspects of the Craft. As President of the Masonic Restoration Foundation, he will give the opening address on Saturday morning. 

Closing Address

Kipling, Burns, and Observant Masonry

David Cameron

A long time advocate of observant Masonry, Brother Cameron was instrumental in supporting the effort of brethren to build observant lodges in Ontario whilst Grand Master. His closing address will deal not only with the thread that ties our weekend together, but also ties our work today with those who came before us.

     

‘Ontario to host MRF in August’

    

It’s official: The Masonic Restoration Foundation is headed to Ontario this summer, according to the announcement that came the other night via social media. This fourteenth annual symposium is scheduled for August 15-17 inside Masonic Centre on Queen Street South in Hamilton.

No details yet on speakers and other attractions, but the link to book your hotel rooms, right across the street—and at a nice rate, if I may say so—is up. Click here and I will see you there.

Always wanted to visit Ontario. Have to find time for the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Tim Horton is said to have been made a Mason in Kroy Lodge 676 in Ontario in 1962.

     

     

‘Best Practices in College Station’

    

To whet your appetites before the Masonic Restoration Foundation Symposium this weekend, budget about an hour and a half to watch this new episode of the Masonic Improvement podcast. Pete Normand, a past president of the MRF, converses with co-hosts Justin Jones and Dennis Yates on the topic of the best practices set to labor in St. Alban’s Lodge 1455 in College Station, Texas.

Normand helped establish this lodge in 1992 with the specific goal of curating a certain Masonic experience, one far away from what was typical in that area at that time. An antidote to the deleterious mix of tedious meetings, non-Masonic activities, uninspired food, and lackadaisical attire that are the hallmarks of lodges that have given up.

Pete does about 99 percent of the talking in this interview, but it’s all instructive to the attentive ear. Listen to him recount how he explored Freemasonry for years before even learning how to petition for the degrees. How he recognized the lodge experience he inherited was not optimal. How he discovered the components of what some today call an “Observant lodge,” and the smart way to incorporate them into lodge culture.

Some of these ideas later became Grand Lodge law.

To Pete, it’s just common sense “best practices,” and he communicates it in recollections of how St. Alban’s accomplished it. The best kind of lesson.

Find Masonic Improvement on YouTube and your favorite podcast platforms. Feel free to skip the first sixty seconds to spare yourself the grating theme song, and enjoy the conversation.

     

‘MRF returns to Philadelphia’

    

The Masonic Restoration Foundation will return to the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia August 23-25 for its thirteenth symposium, President Andrew Hammer just announced.

A program of fifteen speakers is planned. If I’m not mistaken, in a first for the MRF, almost half of the presenters are either current or past elected grand lodge officers, which I take to mean the mission of the Foundation has taken root in a good number of grand jurisdictions. If Observant lodges themselves are not proliferating, then at least the inspirations behind them are resonating, which is what matters to me. It is not necessary for a lodge to see itself as an Observant lodge—and in some environments it is inadvisable—so long as the characteristics of Observant Masonry are evident in the lodge’s culture. What are those traits?

“Simply put, Observant Masonry means observing the intent of the founders of Speculative Masonry. That intent was not to build a mere social club or service organisation,” Hammer writes in this essay. “While the Craft—like any other human organization—always has been burdened by men in its ranks who subverted the purposes of the fraternity to a more mundane or profane enterprise, that was never the intent of the institution. That intent was to build an institution that calls men to their highest level of social being, in a state of dignity and decorum, which could serve as a place for serious, mindful discourse on the lessons and meaning of life, and search for the better development of oneself. That intent means building a space where such an experience can be created, and carrying ourselves in a manner that is consistent with our highest ideals and noblest behaviors.”

If you are unfamiliar with the Observant concept, click here to find several links to useful readings.

The format of the MRF symposium remains unchanged.

On Friday, August 23, a Harmony will be hosted inside the Masonic Temple’s Grand Ballroom. Attire: black tie. Keynote: “The Fortitude of Hiram” by MW Brad Billings, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Texas.

Saturday, August 24 will see the program of speakers, including names you know well and some you will want to get to know. The presentations:

Fraternal Greetings

and Opening Address

Masters of Ceremonies

Rt. Wor. Bro. P. J. Roup

Senior Grand Warden

Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania

Rt. Wor. Bro. Andrew Hammer

President, MRF

Master, Alba Lodge 222,

Washington, DC

Building Rectitude With Relevance:

The Next Generation of Masonry

Rt. Wor. Bro. Andrew Hammer

Walled Gardens, Chesterton Fences,

and Living Lodges

Wor. Bro. Erastus Z. Allen, PM,

Lodge Ad Lucem 812, Pennsylvania

Treasurer, MRF

Cutting Stones:

The New Observant Lodge

Bro. Anthony Augay,

Senior Warden

Robert Burns Lodge 59, Nevada

Most Wor. Bro. Louis Castle, PGM

Robert Burns Lodge 59

The MacBride EA Degree

Lodge Alba 222

Victory Through Harmony:

Transforming an Existing Lodge

Wor. Bro. Donald Carducci, Master,

Victory Through Harmony 94, Quebec

Rt. Wor. Bro. Jean-Frederic Dicaire

Victory Through Harmony Lodge 94

The Way We’ve Always Done It

Wor. Bro. Patrick Craddock, PM,

Prometheus Lodge 851, California

Vice-President, MRF

Are We Not Men?

Rt. Wor. Bro. Oscar Alleyne,

Past Junior Grand Warden,

Grand Lodge of New York

Time, Patience, and Perseverance:

Dealing with Challenges

in the Observant Lodge

Wor. Bro. Dan Kemble, PM,

Lexington Lodge 1, Kentucky

Rt. Wor. Bro. Dana Scofield, PM,

Fibonacci Lodge 112, Vermont

Rt. Wor. Bro. Robert McLeod, PM,

Templum Phoenix Lodge 57

New Brunswick

Most. Wor. Bro. David Cameron

Grand Lodge of Canada

in the Province of Ontario

Moderator: Bro. Andrew Hammer

A Prince Hall Perspective

on Observant Masonry

Rt. Wor. Bro. Kevin Wardally,

Grand Senior Warden,

MW Prince Hall GL of New York

Closing Address

A New Design Upon the Trestleboard

Rt. Wor. Bro. P. J. Roup

Closing Discussion with Speakers

Moderator: Bro. Andrew Hammer

Will the Magpie Mason be in attendance? I’m afraid only for the Friday banquet. D’oh! I am already committed to speak at the John Skene Masonic Conference across the river in Jersey on Saturday. As I’m sure all of you know too well, there are only so many Saturdays. But you should go.

Click here for registration. Click here for the hotel.

     

‘MRF in Tucson next month’

    

The sugar skull is a key
symbol of Tucson.

The Masonic Restoration Foundation will meet in Tucson, Arizona for its twelfth symposium next month, and registration is open now. (It usually is done in August, but I’ll guess Arizona is no place to be in August.)

I have attended a few of these, and I cannot urge you strongly enough to go. You will cherish the experience as one of your greatest Masonic memories. That’s Friday, March 31 through Sunday, April 2.

The talent awaiting you at the lectern in the Scottish Rite cathedral is unprecedented. Joining the familiar faces (Hammer, Craddock, Bizzack, Allen, et al.) will be new speakers voicing their views and experiences in the Observant Masonry movement. The keynote will be MW David Cameron, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario (where there are three Observant lodges). Click here to be amazed at the roster of diverse presenters on the schedule.

UPDATE: From the Faceypage, February 24.

The weekend offers more. The Harmony on Friday night will leave your face flushed from the pleasure of true Masonic feast and fellowship.

Tickets are available for the complete event, and for the individual days. This is a blazing highlight on the Masonic calendar in America.

     

‘MRF. Detroit. April.’

    

It’s okay if I say it this time: The Masonic Restoration Foundation will host its eleventh symposium at the Detroit Masonic Temple April 1-3. Registration here will open Friday, January 14.

     

‘MRF postpones Detroit’

     
This evening, the Masonic Restoration Foundation announced it has postponed its Eleventh Annual Symposium, saying:


We have no alternative but to postpone the MRF Symposium for this year, until we can do what we do, in the way we are all accustomed to doing it.

When we are able to resume, we will pick up right from where we left off, and there is no better way to restart our collective soul than to continue with our plan to hold the event at the Detroit Masonic Temple. That’s why we’re calling this a postponement, and not a cancellation. We have faith in Detroit, and we appreciate the faith those good brethren have had in us.


If you’ve ever attended an MRF event, you know it is something special that cannot be on Zoom, and you understand why, so sit tight, and they will make it worth your while before long.
     

‘MRF in Detroit this August’

     

This time it’s safe for me to say it—got into some trouble the last time—so make plans to travel to Detroit in August to enjoy the 11th annual Masonic Restoration Foundation symposium at The Masonic.

The MRF will release registration information and all that stuff soon. I guess after Corona-mania subsides.
     

‘MRF Symposium plans announced’

     

I see the MRF website is up. Click here to start planning your trip.

The Masonic Restoration Foundation’s Ninth Annual Symposium will be held in Santa Fe, New Mexico August 10 through 12. The host lodges will be Montezuma 1 and Cerrillos 19, which is the Observant lodge in the jurisdiction.

     

‘MRF is headed to Santa Fe’

     

The Masonic Restoration Foundation’s Ninth Annual Symposium will be held in Santa Fe, New Mexico August 10 through 12. The host lodges will be Montezuma 1 and Cerrillos 19, which is the Observant lodge in the jurisdiction.

More info to come in a few days.

     

‘Andrew Hammer to visit Inspiratus’

     
Andrew Hammer, president of the Masonic Restoration Foundation, will return to New Jersey next month to visit the area’s Observant lodge, Inspiratus 357, in Lyndhurst. The flier has all the info:

Click to enlarge.

     

‘Register now for the 2017 MRF Symposium’

     

Registration for the Eighth Annual Masonic Restoration Foundation Symposium, to be hosted August 18-20 in Vancouver, is open now.

MRF President Andrew Hammer says (with links added by me):

Our host Lodge will be Duke of Connaught Lodge No. 64, and the venue is the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and the Yukon, AF&AM. As usual, the event will begin with a Harmony (Festive Board) held in the Dining Hall on Friday evening, conducted by the host lodge, and featuring comments from our keynote speaker, M.W. Brother Philip Durell, PGM. Along with our usual line-up of interesting speakers, brothers will have the opportunity to see a Master Mason degree using the Canadian Working.

Registration for the Symposium is $125.00 USD, and $75.00 USD for the Saturday session only. Brothers who wish to attend only the Friday night Harmony will pay $50 USD.

We are hoping that this will be an opportunity for an exchange of different perspectives and methods of Masonic practice in Canada and the United States. All the information you need to participate is found here on this website. We look forward to seeing you at the Symposium!


I am happy to see that most of the speakers this year are new to MRF symposia. Their topics are:

• The Chief Point of Freemasonry
• The Flower of Life: An Examination of Masonic Geometry
• Restoring the Masonic Ethos of Our Founders
• Observant Masonry in Canada
• The Art of Memory in Masonic Ritual
• The Question of Intention in the Three Degrees
• The Importance of Initiation: Rites of Passage
• Dining in the Observant Lodge
• Time, Patience, and Perseverance: Challenges in an Observant Lodge
• The Future of Freemasonry

Click here to find their bios.

Click here for the program in PDF.

Click here for hotel information.

Click here for registration.

One of these days, for a Flashback Friday post, I’ll have to finally remember to write about the 2015 symposium in Philadelphia.
     

‘Book your MRF reservations now’

     
I won’t be able to make it this year, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t attend the Masonic Restoration Foundation’s symposium this August in North Carolina. A letter from MRF President Andrew Hammer yesterday advises against procrastination in registering for the weekend of events, and I share it here in the hope of nudging some of those who need to learn about the Observant model of Masonic lodge off the fence. I had the pleasure of attending the previous two symposia (even presenting a talk last year in Philadelphia), and I highly recommend the experience if you are committed to, or even just curious about, the Observant movement, which I believe advances the most beneficial suite of lodge practices today.

Now, I just have to persuade the MRF to come to New York City.

Anyway, here is Andrew’s note to those who attended last summer:


Brethren,

That time of year is here again. The Masonic Restoration Foundation will be having its Seventh Annual Symposium in Asheville, North Carolina from August 19-21, and I wanted to send out a special message reminding you to register early if you would like to attend. Please take note of the following points:

REGISTRATION LIMIT
This year the registration is capped at 200, with a limit of 137 on the Harmony/Festive Board on Friday night.

Full registration is proceeding at twice the speed of last year, so early registration is the best way to guarantee your place at the event.

The Harmony on Friday night is now halfway booked, three months out from the event.

BOOK YOUR ROOMS NOW
Asheville, North Carolina is one of the prime tourist destinations in the South. We have secured a block of rooms at the Sheraton nearest the Temple. Don’t procrastinate in making your arrangements.

To find out everything you need to know about the Seventh Annual MRF Symposium, go here.

Fraternally,

Andrew Hammer
President, Masonic Restoration Foundation
     

‘MRF 2016 Symposium’

     

I am in Philadelphia now, enjoying the Masonic Restoration Foundation’s Sixth Annual Symposium, where it was announced just now that next year’s event will be hosted in Asheville, North Carolina, August 19-21.

Both the grand master and the deputy grand master of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina are in attendance, displaying a level of commitment to the cause of the MRF that I do not believe I’ve ever seen from top ranking officials from anywhere. The two lodges that will share hosting duties next year are Sophia Lodge No. 767 in Salisbury, the jurisdiction’s first Observant lodge; and Veritas Lodge U.D. in Asheville, which I suppose will be the second such lodge in the Tar Heel State. And I must mention how MRF President Andrew Hammer is Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina as well.

Oh! And the MRF will meet in Vancouver, B.C. in 2017!

Full Magpie coverage of this weekend’s wonderful activities to come in a few days.
     

‘MRF Symposium 2015’

     
The Masonic Restoration Foundation’s Sixth Annual Symposium in Philadelphia is only a month away, but the deadline to register is July 31.

I am happy to report most of the presenters this year are brethren of The Masonic Society. Yours truly will be among them, and I hardly can contain my excitement to be working with these Freemasons.

All the copy that follows is taken directly from the MRF’s website, but here are the essential links:

Symposium registration here. Hotel accommodations here. Full program here.

Click to enlarge.

The Masonic Restoration Foundation Symposium is the largest gathering of Masons in the United States who are expressly committed to observing the highest standards of excellence in the Craft. This year we are honored and privileged to be holding this great event at what is arguably the most beautiful Masonic temple on the continent: the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

The Symposium will take place from August 21-23, with meetings conducted in Corinthian, Ionic, and Norman Halls. The event will begin with an authentic English-styled Festive Board held in the Grand Banquet Hall on Friday evening, conducted by the brethren of Fiat Lux Lodge No. 1717, an English Emulation Lodge chartered under the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, and featuring comments from our Keynote Speaker, Robert Herd. Along with our usual lineup of interesting speakers, brothers will have the opportunity to see an Entered Apprentice degree using the unique Pennsylvania ritual, conferred by Fritz Lodge No. 308, the host lodge for the Symposium. Registration for the Symposium is $110.00.

This event is not to be missed, and we have secured excellent rates for accommodation at the Courtyard directly across from the Temple. All the information you need to participate is found here on this web site. We look forward to seeing you at the Symposium!

Brian Skoff
Master, Fritz Lodge No. 308
Organizer, MRF Symposium 2015

What is the MRF Symposium?

The MRF Symposium is a meeting place for Masons who are seeking the highest form of Masonic experience they can attain within their lodges, while strictly conforming to the laws, resolutions, and edicts of their respective grand lodges. It is a gathering for those who pursue quality in the Craft to share ideas and discuss their work. The Symposium begins on Friday evening at 7 PM, with a Festive Board in the Grand Banquet Hall, and concludes at noon on Sunday. We are fortunate to have an excellent program of speakers and presenters this year.

Who May Attend the Symposium?

Any Mason in good standing may register for the Symposium, provided he is a member of a Grand Lodge which is a member of, or is recognized by any of the Grand Lodges which are members of, the Conference of Grand Masters of North America. Registration for the Symposium is $110.00.

Topics and Panels

• Freemasonry’s “Near Death” Experience
• Constituting a New Observant Lodge
• Restoring an Existing Lodge
• The Initiatory Experience and Human Nature
• Incorporating the Fine Arts into the Lodge
• The Role of the Masonic Restoration Foundation
• Restoration Through the Centuries
• Come to Your Senses
• Admit Him if Properly Clothed
• Can We Transform a Brotherhood of Change?

Oscar Alleyne will give the Symposium's
Closing Address on Sunday morning.

Andrew Hammer, President of the Masonic Restoration

Foundation, will present the Opening Address.

Robert Herd will deliver the keynote address
at the Festive Board on Friday evening.

Dress Code for the Symposium: The Festive Board Friday evening will be formal (tuxedo is preferred, but black suit and black tie will be acceptable).

Saturday all attendees are required to wear dark suit and tie. No jeans or sneakers are permitted in the Temple.

Sunday will be business casual.

Note on Parking: A 20 percent discount will be provided only at the parking garage located at 1201 Filbert St, Philadelphia (if you exit the 13th Street side of the garage, the rear of the hotel is across 13th Street).