‘2026 John Skene Masonic Conference’

   

Click to enlarge.

And speaking of the 2026 John Skene Masonic Conference (see post below), the organizers have set a time and place. The graphic above has all the information available so far, but I’m sure the conference speakers will be announced before long. See you there.

This time, the conference will have the support of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey, thanks to the kind offices of MW Omar Morris, Grand Master. That’s a big benefit. This time, the conference will be hosted on Grand Lodge’s Burlington campus, which is very near Peachfield, where Skene lived, died, and was buried. In contrast, last year we attended the usual gravesite memorial before commuting sixty miles to the conference in the Plainfield Masonic Temple. Naturally, this year’s arrangement is a lot more convenient. Plus, the Grand Lodge’s patronage may help sell tickets.

If you wonder who was John Skene, well he was a Mason in Aberdeen, Scotland who emigrated to the West Jersey colony in 1682—becoming the first Mason in the New World. Read more here.

Tickets, etc. here.

This reminds me I still haven’t written up last year’s conference. I will! I put it on my calendar for next Sunday.

     

‘New leadership in New Jersey’

    

Gill Raoul Calderon

Grand Master Omar Morris
and Junior Grand Warden Glenn Visscher.

Congratulations are in order upon the huge news pulsating right now from Atlantic City: Omar Morris is the new MW Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey, and RW Glenn Visscher has been elected and installed in the Grand South. Huzzah!

I’ve known both for a long time (Omar is from my former lodge), and I couldn’t nominate Masons more worthy for these top jobs. Personally, being a refugee from that Grand Lodge, I believe the single most important task for the voting members of that jurisdiction is to continue electing decent human beings to their highest offices. The coming four years are looking bright indeed over there.

Congratulations to all.

UPDATE: It’s been brought to my attention that I can be misunderstood in the above to have implied that RW Glenn’s rival in the election is not a decent human being. No such thought occurred to me. Both of this year’s choices for Junior Grand Warden were outstanding, and the Grand Lodge would have benefitted if RW Ron Murad had prevailed too.

     

‘Omar for President!’

    

George Filippidis photo

RW Omar Morris, as George Washington, with MW Richard J. Kessler, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New York, at yesterday’s re-enactment ceremony.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the first presidential inauguration of George Washington here in New York City in 1789, and the brethren commemorate the world-changing event with a re-enactment. You might not know this, but Washington was a Freemason (new book here), and the fraternity possesses the very KJV Bible on which he placed his hands while taking the oath of office.

Both were present yesterday inside Masonic Hall for the annual ceremony, with Bro. Omar Morris in place channeling the first president.

Omar was my lodge brother back when I was in New Jersey. He served as the Right Worshipful Grand Marshal during the previous administration there, and, if Providence is agreeable, he will be elected Junior Grand Warden in November—but first we’ll have to see how he does as president!