‘Massachusetts Masons commemoration’

    

The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts will have a big anniversary to celebrate next Monday. From the publicity:

249th Commemoration

of the Battle of Bunker Hill

Monday, June 17

Join the Grand Master and a group of state and local dignitaries to pay tribute to the selfless acts of heroism during the early days of the Revolutionary War that paved the way for our liberty from the Crown. Her Excellency, Governor Maura Healey, and Most Worshipful Brother Hamilton will be among the speakers.

1:30 p.m.—Ecumenical Service at St. Francis de Sales Church, 303 Bunker Hill Street, Charlestown.

Procession to Bunker Hill Monument.

3 p.m.—Battle of Bunker Hill Commemorative Exercises.

Dress: Dark jacket, tie, and apron (aprons will not be provided). Don’t forget your top hat (requested, not required).

If your lodge is named for Joseph Warren or otherwise has a touchable connection to the American Revolution, this would make an ideal weekday happening. Maybe top it off with a historic pub crawl? Or, at least, walk the Freedom Trail!

Yesterday was the 283rd anniversary of Warren’s birth. He was killed in action against the British at Breed’s Hill, site of the monument shown above, in Charlestown. Monday will be the 249th anniversary of the fighting. Next year will be the bicentenary of the start of the monument’s construction.

The National Park Service, with partners, has a more than week-long celebration underway already. Click here.

I cannot attend this one, but next year’s—the 250th—is on my calendar. Maybe see you there.

     

‘Freemasonry Night at Old North’

    

Saturday the 19th will be Freemasonry Night at the gloriously historic Old North Church in Boston.

A lot is going on in the Bay State, history-wise. July 30 was the 290th anniversary of Provincial Grand Master Henry Price officially introducing Freemasonry to the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Currently the Grand Lodge is establishing the position of District Historian, and providing training for those who would serve as such. The brethren are raring for the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. (God, I hope it’ll be a re-enactment!) This year is the 300th of Old North Church. At Massachusetts Freemasonry Night, the play Revolution’s Edge will be performed at the church—of “one if by land, two if by sea” fame—followed by a tour of sacred site. From the publicity:

Revolution’s Edge is a gripping historical drama set on the afternoon of April 18, 1775, hours before the signal lanterns would shine from Old North’s steeple. With war on the horizon, Old North’s Loyalist rector, the Rev. Dr. Mather Byles, Jr., is pushed to resign his post. As Byles and Cato (an African man enslaved by Byles) prepare to leave the church for the final time, they encounter Capt. John Pulling, Jr., a prominent member of the church congregation, ardent Patriot, and friend of Paul Revere. These three men share a faith, but have very different beliefs concerning the right path ahead for themselves, their families, and the colonies. Their conversation explores the intersection of faith and freedom on the edge of the American Revolution.

Pulling was a Mason at labor in Philanthropic Lodge in Marblehead. It was he who signaled to Revere by lantern.

Seating at five o’clock. Curtain at 5:20. The performance runs approximately 45 minutes. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for guests under 18. Attendance is capped at 100. Click here. The play is recommended for those 12 and up.

If you can’t make it, the play will continue its run through September 19.

     

‘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.

     

‘American Revolution, Masonic Forefathers, and Alcohol’

     
Next week, Hiram-Takoma Lodge will host the program “American Revolution, Masonic Forefathers, and Alcohol” at its meeting. From the publicity:

Thursday, October 11

Hiram-Takoma Lodge 10

115 Carroll Street NW

Washington, DC

(two blocks from

Takoma Metro Red Line)

6:30 p.m. – Dinner (all are welcome)

7:30 – Lodge (Masons only)

Open Program: “The American Revolution, Alcohol

and our Masonic Forefathers”

(ladies, friends, etc. welcome)

Worshipful Master Scott C. Jacobs will give a brief presentation on the links of the American Revolution, alcohol, and our Masonic forefathers. We will view a Discovery Channel video starring Mike Rowe which explains alcohol’s role in our nation’s roots, followed by an educational discussion of alcohol and the Masonic lodge.

Please RSVP here to ensure a proper amount of refreshment.


I hope they will have Applejack on hand!
     

‘Patriots Week almost here’

     

Magpie file photo

The Fifes & Drums of the Old Barracks march into the Trenton Masonic Temple at an appendant body event May 14, 2011.

Patriots Week, the annual celebration of U.S. history and early American culture in Trenton, New Jersey, is just two weeks away, and because a few events involve a Masonic temple, I thought I’d share the info.

Every December, during the closing week of the calendar year, a celebration of colonial life, including victory in the Revolutionary War, is held in this capital city of the state renowned as the Battlefield of the Revolution. The activities of Trenton Patriots Week (click here for the full schedule) are centered around a few places like the Old Barracks, a historical site that originated in 1758 as British military housing during the French and Indian War, and was still in service in 1776 when George Washington and the Continental Army defeated the British and Germans in the Battle of Trenton.

Situated across the street is the Trenton Masonic Temple, which several years ago became the headquarters of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey Freemasonry.

On Tuesday, December 27—St. John Evangelist Day, if you remember—a program of “Revolutionary Music” will begin at 1 p.m. From the publicity:

This lecture and musical demonstration will discuss the specific tunes performed by the New Jersey Regiments and Philadelphia Batallions of 1775-77 as well as the more entertaining side of music during wartime. Musicians John Lane, Drew Wierzybowski, and Stephen Hudak will perform. Admission: free.


And on Friday the 30th, join the party at the Colonial Ball. From 7 to 10 p.m., the Ball gives you the opportunity to dance with soldiers of the Battle of Trenton and “learn their favorite dance steps!” Advance tickets cost only $17.76 and $20 at the door.

The Trenton Masonic Temple is located at 100 Barrack Street. Parking? Uh, don’t ask me.
     

‘Flashback Friday: Marblehead memories’

     

Today’s Flashback Friday edition of The Magpie Mind takes us to Thursday, April 8, 2010, a day I spent in the car en route to the “New Perspectives on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism” symposium, which would take place the following day at Lexington, Massachusetts. But before heading to my hotel in Lexington, I chose to visit the Marblehead Museum and Historical Society, where an exhibit of Masonic artifacts owned by Philanthropic Lodge, in celebration of the lodge’s 250th anniversary, was closing that very day.

Timing is everything.

Yet again, my notes from this very enjoyable couple of hours are with That Which Was Lost, but I present here more than three dozen photographs of the exhibit and from the lodge itself, courtesy of Bro. Don Doliber, Philanthropic’s highly knowledgeable and motivated historian, who just happened to have made an unplanned visit to the museum when I arrived. (Rashied says there is no such thing as coincidence.) Don curated this collection of centuries-old artworks and other objects. It had been a long time since I’d seen a museum exhibit of Masonic artifacts, outside of a Masonic facility, this extensive and interesting. (One of these days I’ll have to scan and post the photos I shot at both New Jersey’s exhibit at Boxwood Hall in Elizabeth, and the Livingston Library’s exhibit at Fraunces Tavern Museum in Manhattan, both c. 2001.)

Sorry to say the quality of some of these photos isn’t great. I neglected to bring a macro lens to shoot small objects. Many pieces were encased under glass. The lighting in the museum was tricky, with daylight dying in the windows and ceiling lights giving glare and shadows. I had hoped to create a pictorial for The Journal of The Masonic Society, but it didn’t work out, although I did get the unusual square and compasses that you’ll see into the Masonic Treasures section of Issue 11 years ago.

Here is a brief lodge history, found on Philanthropic’s website:

Philanthropic Lodge was originally chartered as ‘The Marblehead Lodge’ in 1760 by St. John’s Lodge No.1 under the Provincial Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. As this Marblehead Lodge was constituted during the reign of King George III, it was considered an English provincial lodge and all ritual was conducted in accord with English Masonic customs. Thus the Philanthropic Lodge seal bears the initials “F&AM” referring to the “Free and Accepted Masons” traditions of England.

In those early days only 2 degrees were granted to members. Candidates were made Entered Apprentices and Fellow Craftsmen and then were voted members of the lodge. Most of the business was conducted on the 1st Degree. For the first few years, as was the English custom, only the Master was granted the 3rd Degree of Master Mason. Within 18 years the Third Degree was granted to all members.

A 1760 candidate was John Pulling, Jr. (1737-1787), a Marblehead shipmaster, who lived in Boston in 1775. Paul Revere said to John Pulling in April, 1775: “...if the British march by land or sea tonight, hang a lantern aloft in the belfry tower in the North Church Tower, one if by land and two if by sea, I on the opposite shore will be.” … and the rest is history. It is also said that Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814), later 5th Vice President of the United States in 1813, became a member of the Marblehead lodge in 1769.

Its name was changed to “Philanthropic Lodge” in 1797 during the tenure of M.W. Paul Revere, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts. The official seal designed sometime after 1798 consists of a 1-inch diameter circle, on the outside of which are the words, “Philanthropic Lodge, F. & A. M., Marblehead, Mass.” Inside the circle is a representation of the Good Samaritan pouring oil and wine into the wounds of a stranger, and above the inside edges of the circle are the words, “This Do Ye.”

The laying of the cornerstone and dedication of the Bunker Hill Monument took place on June 17, 1825 with Grand Lodge Officers and Bro. Marquis de Lafayette present. A delegation from Philanthropic Lodge also attended. Secretary Collyer wrote: “...it was contemplated that there was the largest assembly of people that ever met at one time in the United States of America.”

Philanthropic Lodge originally met at the home of Bro. (Commodore) Samuel Tucker on what is now Prospect Street, Marblehead. Since then, the Lodge has met in several places, one believed to be Tucker Street opposite the end of Mason Street. For the last 63 years we have called 62 Pleasant Street, home.

On March 21, 2006, Philanthropic lodge approved its merger with Wayfarers Lodge of Swampscott by a unanimous vote. On October 5, 2006, M.W. Jeffrey Black Hodgdon for Massachusetts conducted the merger ceremony. With that ceremony, 146 Masons from Wayfarers were enrolled in Philanthropic Lodge.

Philanthropic Lodge is the 3rd oldest Masonic Lodge in Massachusetts and the 19th oldest Masonic Lodge in the United States. It currently enjoys one of the largest memberships (546) in Massachusetts.


Enjoy this look back at a remarkable Masonic lodge’s commemoration of its 250th anniversary in 2010.

Don Doliber, historian of Philanthropic Lodge in Marblehead, Massachusetts, strikes a pose with the portrait of Elbridge Gerry, also a lodge member in the late eighteenth century. Don curated the exhibit presented by the Marblehead Museum and Historical Society in the winter and early spring of 2010.

Bro. Edward Fettyplace (1722-1805) was a charter member of the lodge in 1760.  He held various positions in local government during the Revolution, and served as First Lieutenant of the schooner Franklin in 1776. Read more about this ship below.

Captain Joseph Lemon Lee (1785-1819).

Richard Girdler, a sea captain (1761-1847) joined the lodge in 1834. Portrait painted by William Bartoll.

Don's ancestor John Doliber (1768-1829) joined the lodge in 1809. He too was a sea captain,  owner of the vessels Union, Friendship, Two Sisters, and Five Sisters. Artist unknown, but possibly painted in France.

Philip Bessom (1746-1836) joined the lodge in 1797. Soldier, sea captain, Marblehead Selectman, and Representative to the Massachusetts General Court.

Possibly the lodge's warrant. My notes are gone. Perhaps someone from Philanthropic could leave a comment below.

One sees these punch bowls in Masonic collections up and down the East Coast, and elsewhere I'm sure. This one is of Chinese manufacture, mid nineteenth century. Known as Armorial or Societal China, such pieces were commissioned by American and English consumers. Masonic symbols were sent to China for the porcelain artists to copy.

Dr. Elisha Story (1743-1805) joined Philanthropic Lodge in 1778. A participant in the Boston Tea Party, he also stole a British cannon from Boston Common. Joined the Sons of Liberty, served as a doctor to Colonel Little's Essex regiment, and fought as a volunteer at Lexington and Bunker’s Hill. He aided General Washington on his campaigns to Long Island, White Plains, and Trenton. He was a doctor for the rest of his life at the practice he settled in Marblehead. 

Dr. Story's medical kit. It is said he used this during his service in the Revolution.

Elbridge Gerry painted by William Goodwin. From the lodge’s website: 'Elbridge Gerry was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts on July 17, 1744. He studied at Harvard to be a merchant, graduating in 1762. He was elected to the Massachusetts Legislature in 1773 and was selected to attend the Provincial Congress in 1774. He was a member of the Marblehead Lodge of Masons. He signed the Declaration of Independence. He was then appointed to the Continental Congress, where he was engaged in committee work on commercial and naval concerns. He attended the Constitutional Convention in 1798 but was opposed to the new Federal Constitution, refusing to sign it. He was elected to the first two Congresses from Massachusetts and, in 1797, was one of several envoys sent to France. He was elected governor of Massachusetts in 1810 and 1811. He was much criticized for redistricting the state to the advantage of his own party (Democratic-Republican). That incident was the source of the term gerrymandering. In 1812 he was elected Vice President of the United States. He died in office, on November 23, 1814, at the age of 70.'

John Glover (1732-97) joined the lodge in 1760 as a Charter Member. An illustrious military career before and during the Revolution. Google him.

Elisha Story was Philanthropic's fourth Worshipful Master at the time of George Washington's death in 1799.  For thirty days after Washington's death, the brethren wore armbands similar to this one.

Philanthropic Lodge's Master's gavel, fashioned from wood taken from the USS Constitution.

Medallion profile of George Washington, carved as a decoration for Washington's visit to Salem and Marblehead in 1789. Attributed to Samuel MacIntyre.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge. Masonic apron from the museum's archives.

Click to enlarge.

Replica of the Masonic apron of Richard Harris, a Charter Member of the lodge, and its second Worshipful Master. The original apron is among the collection of the Scottish Rite Masonic Library and Museum in Lexington.

250th anniversary apron depicts the lodge emblem and the historic square and compasses you'll read about below.

Click to enlarge. Captain James Mugford was not a Freemason. A Marblehead hero of the Revolution, he commanded the Franklin, which captured the HMS Hope.

Samuel Russell Trevett (1751-1832). Served in the British army before the Revolution, fought against Britain in the Revolution, and fought the British again in 1812, when he was captured. He was Philanthropic's third Worshipful Master in 1781. In 1779, he was co-owner of the brig Freemason.

Shot of the museum.

Philanthropic Lodge is located at 62 Pleasant Street, just around the corner from its previous digs, appropriately on Mason Street.

A Masonic temple. Remember those?

If I understand correctly, this flag flew on the USS Constitution during its July 21, 1993 voyage, its first in 116 years.

Masonic apron made of kangaroo skin, given to Bro. Floyd Soule during his trip to Australia in 1965...so he may be properly attired there.

Past Master apron of W. Chester Damon, who presided over the lodge in 1931-32.

Best I can tell, this is an invitation to a Brother to attend the lodge's St. John's Day festivities, year unknown.

Click to enlarge. A Dudley Masonic Emblem pocket watch. Read more about that here.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge. There are so many Masonic treasures in the possession of Philanthropic Lodge, including this priceless pair of Great Lights kept at the lodge. The brethren call the set the '1776 Square & Compass.'

On May 17, 1776, the schooner Franklin, commanded by Captain James Mugford, captured the Royal Navy schooner Hope, which wound up providing essential materiel for Gen. George Washington’s forces at Cambridge. Mugford, not a Freemason, was killed in action later that year. The compass, termed a 'divider,' and the square are believed to have been the working tools of the British ship’s navigator. Bro. James Topham, a descendent of Mugford, donated the compass to Philanthropic Lodge in 1858, and then gave the square in 1862. The have been used to make Masons in Philanthropic ever since.

     

'The Magpie and the Tavern'

     

As you may have guessed from the slowdown of traffic here on The Magpie, I have stepped back from almost all of my Masonic activities this year to attend to other important things in life, but I hope to be back in 2012. In fact, I'll be back with a vengeance in January, with three speaking engagements in three states in two weeks. (I've been assured this is not illegal.)

I wasn't even going to publicize this event myself, except for a subtle clue at left you probably never noticed, a quick mention on Facebook, and the use of the touchscreen in the lobby of Masonic Hall , but I cannot rely on the museum to get the word out. The Sons of the Revolution e-mailed its newsletter to subscribers, but printed the wrong date and other errors that were minor but still annoying. Fraunces' website still lists events that have passed, and there is no mention of this one yet. And I didn't want to publicize it myself because the point of the lecture is to reach the public, not a bunch of my friends who already know what I'm going to say. Anyway, the museum's newsletter, which did get it right, can be read below, and hopefully it will be linked to its website soon.

In the ten or so years that I have been speaking on Masonic subjects, I have done so only to Masonic audiences, with one exception this April, when I discussed ritual elements, philosophy, and history at the New York City Chapter of the Joseph Campbell Foundation. I broke my own rule because I've been active there for a number of years, and I know the people there to be serious thinkers and students of mythologies, religions, and similar paths of wisdom, so I don't even consider that a general audience. It was more like speaking to a college-level class on a subject they want to know, and I anticipate the same kind of audience at Fraunces Tavern Museum.

Or I would if the museum would kindly tell its members and supporters about it.

In the meantime, here is the Magpie announcement. The major details are in the graphic above. In addition, you should know seating is limited to about 60, and it is not at all unusual for this venue to sell out. NO advance reservations are taken; tickets are sold at the door at $10 per person, so I recommend arriving no later than six o'clock. I take to the podium at 6:30.

By the title of the talk, an informed Mason would know where I'm headed, but I'm hoping this will be news to the public. Drawing from Masonic literature of the Colonial/Revolutionary period, I'll explain what it is that Freemasons mean by our "profession." In addition, I'll sketch a historical picture to clarify the role Masons played, on both sides, of the Revolutionary War, which I suspect will be surprising to those who have the popular notion that all of America's Founding Fathers were Freemasons, and they all were good guys.

Afterward, I'll be downstairs at the wonderful Porterhouse Brewing Co. drinking.

     

‘On tap in Tappan, Part I’

    
This edition of The Magpie Mason is the second attempt to rectify past negligence in blogging (a Class C misdemeanor in West Virginia). There are 10 or maybe more events from 2010 that I never got around to sharing with you – lectures, ceremonies, Germanic beer fests, etc. – and before we get too far into 2011, I’ll try to catch up on last year’s happenings. No lengthy articles, but some good photos.

The Mgmt.


Seems like only yesterday. Sunday, October 3, 2010 was a twofer in New York Masonry. Two very enjoyable Masonic public events having nearly nothing in common except the great convenience of taking place only a mile apart. The annual Grand Master’s Day at the George Washington Headquarters Masonic Historic Site, and the 120th annual Traubenfest in historic, scenic Tappan, New York.

Grand Master’s Day is one of several official occasions during the year when Grand Lodge showcases one of its priceless gems: DeWint House. It is called the George Washington Headquarters Masonic Historic Site because the GLNY owns and operates this landmark, which served as the headquarters of Gen. George Washington several times during the Revolutionary War.


The vocal group Harmony on the Hudson sings “God Bless America”

The Masonic War Veterans posts the colors.


More about the history of DeWint House can be read here.


Little Leaf Linden.

On the well kept grounds of the site, a diverse variety of trees have been planted over the years, lending exotic elements to what otherwise would be “the usual” landscape of a Colonial-era property. These trees are dedicated in honor of Past Grand Masters of the jurisdiction. Two Little Leaf Linden trees were dedicated, one for MW Edward G. Gilbert, the junior Past Grand Master who could not attend the ceremony last year due to illness, and the other for MW Gary Henningsen, Past Grand Master 1993-95, whose original Norway Spruce was felled by lightning.

More photos of the grounds can be seen here.

Here are some shots of the interior of the historic house:

A Park Ranger at Monticello told me long ago that beds from this period
are so short because people back then slept in a sitting up position.