‘Second Circle plans’

  
The Masonic Society’s New Jersey Second Circle will not host a Feast of Saint Andrew next month, as we have done the past two years on November 30, to allow some slack in the cabletow so our brethren might attend the Grand Lodge of New Jersey’s Feast of Saint John the following night instead. Our Second Circle will sit tight through the end of the year, allowing the hectic holidays and Installations to pass, and will get together in early 2013. Plans TBA.

But about this Feast of Saint John: The guest speaker will be Bro. Robert L.D. Cooper, curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland’s museum, and a knowledgeable debunker of Templar myths and legends. I have no idea what he will say from the podium on the evening of Saturday, December 1, but I’ll be there to hear. I have not attended one of these dinners since Hodapp was the speaker, and that was about five years ago, so I am very happy about this. I am trying to assemble a couple of tables worth of Masonic Society brethren. Tables can be booked for either eight or ten seats, so let me know if you’re interested, even if you’re not a member of The Masonic Society yet. Leave a note in the comments section below—not for publication—with your e-mail address, and I’ll get back to you.

And about Saint Andrew’s Day itself, I just heard Bro. Cliff Porter will be guest speaker at Atlas-Pythagoras Lodge No. 10 on Friday, November 30. Apprentices and Fellows are welcome. See you there too.
  

‘The End is near’

    
Registration for the Semi-Annual Meeting of The Masonic Society in Philadelphia closes one week from Saturday.

Courtesy 20th Century Fox

There will be events throughout the day and night on Saturday, July 28 in the City of Brotherly Love, including presentations from three Masonic scholars you in New Jersey know well:

RW Ben Hoff, Past Master of New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education; RW Howard Kanowitz, one of our most prolific researchers and writers; and RW Ray Thorne, current Master of the research lodge, all will speak. They will be joined by RW Tom Savini, director of the Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library of the Grand Lodge of New York, who also will make a presentation.

The full itinerary can be read here.

Take notice of the banquet at The Union League. Not to be missed!

The Masonic Society holds its semi-annual meetings in different cities around the country, and this year’s is the closest to New Jersey yet. (Our Annual Meeting is held in Virginia every February during Masonic Week.)

The New Jersey Second Circle of The Masonic Society will meet next on (or about) Friday, November 30 for our annual Feast of Saint Andrew. Details TBA.
    

‘Mozart’s birthday’

    
Today is the 256th anniversary of the birth of Bro. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, an apt occasion to remind the brethren of The Masonic Society’s New Jersey Second Circle that I’d like to organize a trip to see the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra this April for a performance of some of the great composer’s Masonic music.


Mozart at right.

The program for three performances during the last weekend of April will be:

Mozart: Masonic Funeral Music
Berg: Violin Concerto, “To the Memory of an Angel”
Danielpour: Kaddish (world premiere)
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 3

This will be Friday, April 27 at NJPAC; Saturday the 28th at State Theatre in New Brunswick; and Sunday the 29th at Mayo PAC in Morristown.

I’m aiming for the Sunday concert because of the scheduling conflict with the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library’s second symposium on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism at Lexington, Massachusetts on Saturday.
    

‘Second Circle is ON’

     

'Oh, it is so on.'

“The dead have no existence

other than that which

the living imagine for them.”

Jean-Claude Schmitt

Ghosts in the Middle Ages:

The Living and the Dead
in Medieval Society

The New Jersey Second Circle of The Masonic Society will meet again next week for its second annual Feast of Saint Andrew.

Wednesday, November 30

7 p.m.

Bloomfield Steak and Seafood House

409 Franklin Street in Bloomfield

Cost: $41 per person.

Your message here (optional):

Professor Breandán Mac Suibhne will present The Freemasons and the Fannet Ghost: An Episode in Irish Cultural History, 1786–1822. This will be a reprise of his lecture to the International Conference on the History of Freemasonry in Virginia this May. It is part ghost story, and part political history, but it is a tale you won’t forget.

Breandán Mac Suibhne, Assistant Professor of History at Centenary College, is a historian of society and culture in Ireland. He has published on para-militarism and the construction of Irish identity in the 1780s, republican rebellion and its suppression in the 1790s, and agrarian “improvement” and social and political unrest in the 1800s.

One of the founding editors of Field Day Review, an interdisciplinary journal of Irish politics and culture past and present, he also is editor of John Gamble’s Society and Manners in Early Nineteenth-Century Ireland, and, with David Dickson, he edited Hugh Dorian’s The Outer Edge of Ulster: A Memoir of Social Life in Nineteenth-Century Donegal, the most extensive account of Ireland’s Great Famine. He is completing a monograph on northwest Ulster, c. 1786–1822.

Let’s get together for drinks at 6:30, and we’ll retire to our room at 7 p.m.

It is NOT necessary to be a member of The Masonic Society to attend. All Masons are welcome, as are our ladies, family, and friends.

If you were there last year, you noticed it’s a small space. Seating IS limited to 30. Reservations are required and, as always, must be made in advance by transmitting your payment, via PayPal. See the "button" above.

For entrées we’ll have broiled salmon, chicken marsala, and prime rib, plus red roasted potatoes, all served as buffet. Plus there will be copious appetizers, the house salad, soft drinks, and coffee & dessert. Of course the bar will be open for your individual patronage.

(And of course the famous Masonic Society gift bag awaits you at the end of the evening.)

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at that address as well, and I will get right back to you.

Swingers image courtesy Independent Pictures (II).

‘Second Circle: St. Andrew’s Day ... 2010’

    
Today is the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist, remembered fondly in Freemasonry as the anniversary of the day in 1717 when four lodges in London introduced (or revealed) Freemasonry to the world, and also formed the Premier Grand Lodge of England. But you know all that. Tonight is The Masonic Society’s New Jersey Second Circle’s celebration of St. John the Baptist Day (if you’re a Mason in or near New Jersey, you’re probably tired of hearing about it), and it occurs to me that I never even told you about our St. Andrew’s Day Feast that took place ... seven months ago! I’ll never catch up on all the past events I want to tell you about.

The following is the story that appears in the Spring issue of The New Jersey Freemason magazine:

The Masonic Society celebrates St. Andrew’s Day

The Masonic Society seized the Feast Day of Saint Andrew as an apt occasion for eating, drinking, and advancing in Masonic knowledge together. It was the first event in New Jersey for the growing education foundation, established in 2008 by several dozen Masonic educators, authors, researchers, curators, and others to serve the fraternity in North America. There are more than 70 New Jersey brethren among its 1,200 members.

Right Worshipful Ben Hoff, Grand Historian, shows the brethren how Masons centuries ago ritually gestured with their tankards and glasses at The Masonic Society’s Saint Andrew’s Day dinner November 30 at Bloomfield Steak and Seafood House.

A group of 30, coming from all over the state, and several wearing their kilts, assembled at Bloomfield Steak and Seafood House, a historic site built in 1670 that once hosted Bro. George Washington during the Revolution, for a full course dinner and an educational program supplied by two Grand Lodge officers. RW Ben Hoff, Grand Historian, spoke on the origins, evolution, and significance of toasting in Masonic ritual. What began as a means for Masons to quietly identify each other in taverns by holding their drinking vessels certain ways, became elaborate gestures that we still use today in our Table Lodges. RW Fred Waldron, District Deputy Grand Master of the Eighth Masonic District, addressed the brethren on the subject of Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland and Scottish Freemasonry, whose feast day is November 30.

“It’s not like Masons need excuses to get together for a great meal and the chance to learn about their Craft,” said W. Bro. Jay Hochberg, a Founding Fellow of The Masonic Society who organized the event. “That is instinctive. We’re already planning our next dinner for Friday, June 24, 2011 – the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist – at a site in central Jersey.”

Membership in The Masonic Society is open to Master Masons. For information, visit The Masonic Society or contact W. Hochberg at euclid47@.... The Society’s annual meeting will take place Friday, February 11 during Masonic Week in Alexandria, Virginia; and its semi-annual will be held this summer in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Those who attend New Jersey Second Circle Gatherings receive a gift bag at the end of the evening, containing mementos and other items - modest but hopefully appropriate. (You should see what I'm procuring now for the next St. Andrew’s Feast in November.) What our guests last November received were “aids for the body, mind, and soul.” What follows is the explanatory literature included in each bag:

For the Body: Apple a Day!

The Laird family has been making Applejack in New Jersey since 1780. In fact, their distillery received the very first federal liquor license.

William Laird, a County Fyfe Scotsman, emigrated from Scotland in 1698 and settled in Monmouth County. Believed to be a distiller by trade, he applied his skills to the most abundant natural resource available in this area of the New World: apples.

Applejack was a well known “cyder spirit” throughout growing America. In the 1820s, evangelist John Chapman, better known as “Johnny Appleseed,” preached to congregations along the Ohio River Valley, and distributed apple seeds to his followers. He also instructed them in the production of Applejack, hence the continued popularity of Applejack in the region.

Robert Laird served under George Washington during the Revolution, and the Laird family supplied the troops with Applejack. Records show that prior to 1760, Washington wrote the Lairds, requesting their Applejack recipe, which the Lairds gladly supplied. Entries in Washington’s diary in the 1760s show his production of the “cyder spirits.”

Please enjoy this spirit in the spirit of Scottish heritage and New Jersey history.

Calmness for the Mind!

“There’s peace in a Larrañaga;

there’s calm in a Henry Clay…

And a woman is only a woman,

but a good cigar is a smoke.”

Bro. Rudyard Kipling

The Betrothed

1886

The brand Henry Clay was created in the 1840s in Cuba. Named after the American statesman who served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in the early 19th century, it was considered one of the finest of all Havana cigars. Henry Clay (1777-1852) also is remembered as Grand Master of Kentucky. He was an unsuccessful candidate for president, including a loss to Andrew Jackson, Grand Master of Tennessee, in 1828.

This cigar was made in the Dominican Republic. Its maduro wrapper, comes from the Connecticut Valley; the filler and binder leaves make a robust blend of Piloto Cubano-grown Dominican tobaccos. It is an old-world style, and full-bodied smoke, recommended for enjoying after a hearty meal. It perhaps is best balanced with a lighter beverage, such as a lager or a mixed drink with a vodka or gin base. Or maybe Applejack!

For the Soul: ‘The Prophet’

Khalil Gibran (1887-1931) was a Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer. Born in modern-day Lebanon, he emigrated to Boston as a child. He is best known in the English-speaking world for his book The Prophet, a series of philosophical essays. First published in 1923, The Prophet never has been out of print. It is an early example of Inspirational fiction, and the book sold well initially, despite a cool critical reception. Gibran is the third best-selling poet of all time, behind only Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu.

The eponymous prophet of the story is Al-Mustafa, who has lived in the foreign city of Orphalese for 12 years. He is about to board a ship which will carry him home when he is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses many issues of life and the human condition. The story is divided into chapters, each poetically addressing an important aspect of existence.

“The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.”

It is hoped you will find his philosophy congruent with Masonic teachings, and that you will enjoy the beautiful language of Gibran’s prose. The edition of The Prophet included in your gift bag tonight was printed only three weeks ago.

And finally, a word about our venue. We’ll do it again here in November. Bloomfield Steak and Seafood House is an ideal place for Masonic meetings, not only because it returns us somewhat to our roots in the taverns, but the story of this particular building is amazing, and even involves some notable Freemasons. Here is how the Township of Bloomfield describes the site in its literature:

Back in the 1600s, they built for longevity. Take for instance the Joseph Davis House, now the Bloomfield Steak & Seafood House, at 409 Franklin Street. The house was built long before the introduction of cement and yet, “it will likely last 1,000 years,” said Ann Hardy, chairperson of the Historic District Review Board. The main walls are two feet thick at base and the cellar walls measure eight to 10 feet thick.

The Davis house is a monument to the early history of Bloomfield, the oldest of the town’s pre-Revolutionary War homes. It is listed on both the state and national historic registers, which do not dictate uses of listed properties. The home is used as a restaurant and no part of it is open for touring, but, “externally, you can still tell it is a very old house,” said Hardy. “It’s one of many houses in Bloomfield that have become different things over time.”

Built by Thomas Davis in 1670, the house was occupied by his descendants until 1903. It has been associated with many historic events:

• During the Revolution, a tunnel in the cellar ran to the foot of Orange Mountain and was used by women and children to escape the British.

• A wounded English soldier was taken in by the Davis family and nursed back to health. To show his appreciation, the soldier built the well that still remains on the property, and hewed the stone wash basin that sits next to the well.

• General George Washington and General Henry Knox stopped at the homestead for directions to Morristown and were entertained for dinner.

• In the late 1700s, when the home was occupied by Deacon Joseph Davis, worship services were regularly held in the house. Otherwise, the closest churches were in Newark or Orange. In 1796, when the First Presbyterian Church on the green was built, Deacon Davis, a founding member, provided, for the sum of eight pounds, the land on which the church still stands.

• The charter of Bloomfield was signed in the house’s “beam ceiling room” by General Joseph Bloomfield in 1796. A group of citizens meeting at the home named the town after Bloomfield, who was a New Jersey governor and Revolutionary War officer.

During the past two centuries, the Davis Homestead has been a farmhouse, hospital, church and restaurant. Only a handful of property transfers has occurred since Revolutionary War times, but what a tale the building tells from its early days!

There had been a Masonic lodge in Bloomfield for generations. Bloomfield Lodge No. 48 was chartered on November 9, 1824. It surrendered its charter exactly six years later, a victim no doubt of the Morgan scandal, but was revived in January of 1856 as No. 40. It no longer exists (it is part of the lineage of Essex Lodge No. 7), but it had been located on the corner of Broad and Liberty streets, practically right around the corner from this restaurant.

Bro. Joseph Bloomfield of Trenton Lodge No. 5, was among the founders of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey, serving as its fifth Grand Master. During the Revolution, he was a major in the Third New Jersey Regiment. After the war, he served the state as attorney general before resuming military service as a brigadier general of militia. He served as governor of New Jersey for most of the time between 1801 and 1812, but upon the outbreak of war with Britain again, he served as brigadier general in the U.S. Army.

He returned to government service after that war, representing New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Well, I’m off to North Brunswick shortly to host tonight’s Second Circle Gathering. We have two dozen guests coming, and I want to make sure I’m the first one there. Hopefully it won’t take me seven months to tell you what happened!
  

‘Second Circle’s St. John’s Day’

    
The New Jersey Second Circle of The Masonic Society will host its Saint John’s Day Feast on Friday, June 24 in North Brunswick, New Jersey.

An evening of good company, good conversation, and good food, with the added attraction of a very special guest speaker, awaits you.

In honor of St. John’s Day, we will welcome to our podium the Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University, who will tell us about a fascinating gnostic religion that dates back to antiquity, yet still survives today.

Dr. Charles Haberl’s topic is the Mandaean faith, a tiny Abrahamic religion that upholds John the Baptist as its ultimate teacher. This religion exists in and around Iraq, but is almost on the verge of extinction. What he has to say about the Baptist in particular should intrigue every Freemason, and the plight they suffer today makes Dr. Haberl’s presentation even more compelling.

Dr. Haberl also is an Assistant Professor at the Department of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literatures at Rutgers. He has served as an Undergraduate Fulbright Faculty Advisor and as a member of the Advisory Committee for Study Abroad Programs in the Middle East at Rutgers, as well as a juror and panelist for the United States Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarships for Intensive Summer Institutes. With James McGrath of Butler University, he received an NEH grant to translate the Mandaean Book of John in 2010. We are very fortunate to have him.

The Masonic Society’s St. John’s Day Feast

Friday, June 24 at 7 p.m.

Sir John’s Restaurant

230 Washington Place, North Brunswick

$50 per person. Reservations are required and can be made ONLY by sending your payment, via PayPal, to: masonicrsvp@gmail.com no later than Monday, June 20.

Great food: Unlimited hot hors d'oeuvres (served butler style), your choice of entree is Baked Stuffed Chicken or Roast Top Sirloin of Beef or Broiled Stuffed Filet of Flounder. Plus side dishes, salad, desserts with coffee etc., and unlimited soft drinks. (Cash bar only.)

NAME YOUR ENTREE when you transmit your payment.

It is NOT necessary to be a member of The Masonic Society to attend this special event. ALL Masons, their ladies, and friends are welcome to this fraternal and spiritual celebration of one of the Patrons of the Craft. Remember it was on June 24, 1717 when the Grand Lodge of England was formed, ushering in the age of modern Freemasonry as we know it.

Seating is limited, so no walk-ins can be accommodated. No reservations can be honored without advance payment via PayPal.
   

‘Second Circle a sell out’

    
The November 30 dinner-meeting of The Masonic Society’s New Jersey Second Circle is sold out. We thank all the brethren, not all of whom are Society members (yet), for reserving their seats with advance payments so promptly. (If you’ve ever tried to plan an event in New Jersey Freemasonry, you know how excruciating it can be, but this was as expedient as possible. We really are appreciative.) (I mean truly, profoundly grateful.) (No exaggeration.)

The Masonic Society is the new, independent, non-profit Masonic education foundation serving the Craft in North America. The meeting on the 30th is the first Society event in New Jersey, and thanks to the pending success of this dinner, we are looking forward to the next gathering.

The program:

Keynote – Bro. Ben Hoff, the Right Worshipful Grand Historian of Grand Lodge, and Worshipful Master of New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education No. 1786, will present a discussion of how toasting became part of Masonic ritual. An entertaining and enlightening talk. Vivat!

St. Andrew’s Day – Bro. Fred Waldron, the Right Worshipful District Deputy Grand Master, will lead our celebration of this, the Feast Day of Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland and Scottish Freemasonry. Slainte!

Dinner will be a full course meal in the customarily delectable flavors and generous portions for which our venue is well known. Bloomfield Steak and Seafood House is a historic site as well. Built in 1670, it was the home of the Davis family until a century ago. Bro. George Washington dined there during the Revolution, and Bro. Joseph Bloomfield signed the township’s charter there also. Charming and warm ambiance.

Other attractions await our guests as well, including a gift bag for each brother containing refreshments for the mind, body, and soul.

If you missed out, please mark June 24, 2011 on your calendar, when The Masonic Society will do it again, on the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist, most likely in central Jersey.
    

‘Second Circle’s first meeting’

“No one has even begun to understand comradeship who does not accept with it a certain hearty eagerness in eating, drinking, or smoking.”

G.K. Chesterson
“What’s Wrong with the World”

Save the date, and make your reservations! The Masonic Society’s New Jersey Second Circle will hold its first Gathering on Tuesday, November 30 at 7 p.m.

Bloomfield Steak & Seafood House is located at 409 Franklin St. in Bloomfield, just a minute from Exit 148 of the Garden State Parkway.

We’ll meet at 6:30 for cocktails (cash bar) before retiring to our private room to enjoy a full course dinner. An entertaining address will follow, courtesy of Bro. Ben Hoff, the Right Worshipful Grand Historian of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey and Worshipful Master of NJ Lodge of Masonic Research and Education No. 1786.

Cost per person: $40. All Master Masons are welcome! Deadline for reservations is November 24. For info on how to make your reservation, just post a note in the comments section below, and I'll get back to you.



M.W. Roger VanGorden, the first president of The Masonic Society, greets keynote speaker Yasha Beresiner at the Society’s First Circle Gathering at Masonic Week last year. In addition to the First Circle Gatherings each February in Virginia, The Masonic Society hosts Semi-Annual Meetings in different cities around the country. (Indianapolis in 2009; New Orleans in 2010; and Salt Lake City for July 2011.)


The food at Bloomfield Steak & Seafood House is outstanding, and the ambiance and history of this unique establishment make it irresistible. It is the perfect venue for us, not only because it returns us somewhat to our Masonic roots in the taverns, but the story of this particular building is amazing, and even involves some notable Freemasons.

Here is how the Township of Bloomfield describes the site in its literature:

“Back in the 1600s, they built for longevity. Take for instance the Joseph Davis House.... The Davis house is a monument to the early history of Bloomfield, the oldest of the town’s pre-Revolutionary War homes. It is listed on both the state and national historic registers. Built by Thomas Davis in 1670, the house was occupied by his descendants until 1903. It has been associated with many historic events:

“During the Revolution, a tunnel in the cellar ran to the foot of Orange Mountain and was used by women and children to escape the British.

“A wounded English soldier was taken in by the Davis family and nursed back to health. To show his appreciation, the soldier built the well that still remains on the property, and hewed the stone wash basin that sits next to the well.

“General George Washington and General Henry Knox stopped at the homestead for directions to Morristown and were entertained for dinner. (Magpie Note: Both were Masons.)

“In the late 1700s, when the home was occupied by Deacon Joseph Davis, worship services were regularly held in the house. Otherwise, the closest churches were in Newark or Orange. In 1796, when the First Presbyterian Church on the green was built, Deacon Davis, a founding member, provided, for the sum of eight pounds, the land on which the church still stands.

“The charter of Bloomfield was signed in the house’s ‘beam ceiling room’ by General [and Bro.] Joseph Bloomfield in 1796. A group of citizens meeting at the home named the town after Bloomfield, who was a New Jersey governor and Revolutionary War officer.

“During the past two centuries, the Davis Homestead has been a farmhouse, hospital, church and restaurant. Only a handful of property transfers has occurred since Revolutionary War times, but what a tale the building tells from its early days!”

All 70 members of The Masonic Society who reside in New Jersey have been invited, but this event is open to all Master Masons from lodges of both the Grand Lodge of New Jersey and the M.W. Prince Hall Grand Lodge of New Jersey, AND grand lodges in amity with them. Reservations in advance are required; don't forget to post a message in the comments section of this blog for information about that.
  

Starting another great year!

I want to tell you about the progress enjoyed by The Masonic Society, the research and education foundation created last year to serve the Craft in North America.

Since introducing ourselves last May, membership in the Society has grown to nearly 850! Issue No. 5 of The Journal will arrive in our members’ mailboxes in the next two weeks, and our on-line discussion Forum is buzzing with 541 members discussing 2,496 topics. And we’re getting ready for our Semi-Annual Meeting, to take place Oct. 24 in Indianapolis.

For the Magpie Mason, it is especially great to see so many New Jersey Freemasons (46 at last count) joining the Society. Plans are in the works for a local gathering, consisting of a great meal and a thoughtful program to advance our Masonic knowledge. (Members will receive invitations soon.)

The Journal is a quarterly magazine containing Masonic information written by authors from all over the world. Speculative papers, news stories, fiction, poetry, great photography, insightful opinion and other editorial elements reviving the golden age of Masonic publishing.

Features in the new issue include:

The Two Confessions of John Whitney: an examination of the conflicting theories as to the fate of William Morgan by Stephen Dafoe.

Brother Bloom, The Most Influential Mason Who Never Lived by Kenneth W. Davis.

Debunking Reality: Solomon's Temple and the Power of Allegory by Randy Williams.

Multiple Dimensions of Silence in Freemasonry by Shawn Eyer.

The Orders of the Secret Monitor and the Scarlet Cord By Richard L. Gan.

International Conference on the History of Freemasonry 2009 by Christopher Hodapp.

Masonic Treasures: The Washingtons of Donald De Lue by Marc Conrad.

Plus news of current events, info on terrific Masonic events this fall, and other news from around the Masonic world. It is a top quality publication that, frankly, has inspired other national Masonic periodicals to rethink their own operations.

A subscription to this magazine is only one of the benefits of membership. Members are granted access to the Society’s on-line Forum, where hundreds of Masons from around the globe interact every day, helping each other advance in their Masonic knowledge.

And of course it wouldn’t be a Masonic organization without goodies like pins and membership cards, but the Society cranks up the quality of these items, producing elegant symbols of membership that are earning accolades. In addition, each member receives an 11x14 patent, personalized and highly stylized that you'll want professionally framed. It is a very impressive document, on parchment with a hand-stamped wax seal.

But the true benefit of membership in The Masonic Society is the learning experience. Whether it’s an eye-popping topic in the magazine, or just simple conversation in the forum, there is no end to what a Mason can learn from his brethren in this organization. It’s the best 39 bucks I’ve ever spent in Masonry.

Our President is MW Roger VanGorden, Past Grand Master of Indiana. Our Editor-in-Chief is W. Bro. Chris “Freemasons for Dummies” Hodapp. And our Directors, Officers and Founders include many leaders in Masonic education, including authors, publishers, curators, lecturers and more.

Brethren, there is a lot of confusion in the Temple over Freemasonry. ‘Dan Brown this,’ ‘Templar treasure that’ and all kinds of superstitions never should distract the brethren from Truth. The Masonic Society offers one way to uphold Truth with like-minded Masons from all over the world, and have some fun doing it. I hope you’ll check us out.

Second Circle Gatherings!

“No one has even begun to understand comradeship who does not accept with it a certain hearty eagerness in eating, drinking, or smoking.”

G.K. Chesterson
“What’s Wrong with the World”

The Masonic Society is coming to you!

Building on the rapid and widespread success The Masonic Society enjoys as we begin our second year, we aim to offer hands-on, fraternal experiences to enhance our enjoyment of being members of the Society. Something to make our quarterly Journal and our on-line forum more personal.

We hosted our First Circle Gathering in Virginia during Masonic Week in February, which was an unquestioned triumph. It was the perfect mix of great food & drink, tasteful atmosphere, and cheerful conversation, with an irrepressible raconteur at the podium. To me, it was proof that Masons can meet, free of rigmarole and pomp. There are more great events in the works. To accommodate Society members who cannot travel to Virginia, we will host our inaugural Semi-Annual First Circle Gathering in Indianapolis on Saturday, Oct. 24. That Annual First Circle Gathering is now part of the Masonic Week tradition in Virginia, and this semi-annual event will take place in different locations around the country, bringing the Society to its members.


Masonic Society President Roger VanGorden and keynote speaker Yasha Beresiner at the Society’s First Circle Gathering at Masonic Week in Virginia Feb. 13.



And there’s more! (Ya followin’ me camera guy?)

To strengthen our fraternity even further, the Society wants to meet locally, and is now building working groups to plan Second Circle gatherings, hopefully at locations near you. As this edition of the Magpie Mason goes to press, we have plans being made in Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Utah. Outside the United States, there are plans for Canada, England, Ireland, and Norway.

Yours truly is quarterbacking the New Jersey event. The Society now has nearly 800 members, about 45 of whom are in New Jersey, so I am very optimistic about putting together a memorable event for the enjoyment of our members, other Masons, our wives/girlfriends, etc.

I am acquainted with most of the New Jersey Masons who are members of The Masonic Society, and I’ve contacted 11 of those who I think might be best able to assist in the planning of this event. Any TMS member who wants to get involved but has not heard from me yet should contact me, and we’ll talk. (It’s not that I neglected you; I just figured you are already overwhelmed with other responsibilities to the Craft.) Thus far, I’ve been contacted by Alexander, Daryll, Franklin, J.D., Jeff, Jose, Mark, Steve, and Val. Some great ideas for a venue have been suggested already.

What attracts me the most is the freedom. We can choose the date, the location, the menu, the speaker, the frequency of our gatherings, the everything. In essence, we want to have fun and enjoy each other’s company while expanding our Masonic knowledge, and without bearing the weight of rituals, regalia, officers, etc. You buy a ticket, you show up, you enjoy yourself, you go home; repeat as needed.

Here are photos of each of four venues we are considering thus far:

Left: A popular restaurant in Bloomfield.
Right: My nomination, located in Morristown.

Left: A great place in North Brunswick.
Right: Another fine establishment in Mt. Holly.