‘Save the White House!’

     

“We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us.”

Winston Churchill

1943

At Magpie Headquarters, Professor Pan's portrait of Winston Churchill looms above my desk, reminding me of my inadequacies in perpetuity.

And speaking of beer (see post below), there is a movement in Bladon, England to preserve, protect, and defend the White House.

That’s the local pub where Bro. Winston Churchill is said to have learned to drink—like he wouldn’t have figured it out anyway—and that had been purchased by these guys, arousing neighbors’ fears that the historic site could be closed and the land converted to another use. Bladon is a village of less than a thousand inhabitants, and this pub, dating to the 16^th century, is the center of activity there. The White House is listed for sale now, and the neighbors are attempting to raise the needed money to purchase it and operate it as a community resource. They have until March to raise half a million pounds, but it is not looking favorable.

Supporters have the options of buying shares (£50 each) and/or donating money toward the effort.

The share buy-in closing date is January 31. Click here to read the prospectus.

To donate, click here.

Courtesy Art Daily

Winston Churchill’s Masonic apron.

Bro. Churchill was initiated into Studholme Lodge 1591 (now United Studholme Alliance Lodge 1591) on May 24, 1901. He was passed to the second degree July 19, and was raised a Master Mason on March 5, 1902.

Courtesy UGLE

Bust of Sir Winston Churchill by Jacob Epstein. In 2019, the United Grand Lodge of England received the loan of this sculpture for an initial five-year period, and it can be seen inside the Tower Entrance of Freemasons’ Hall, near the ground floor cloakrooms. Between 10 and 16 casts of the bronze are believed to exist, including one given to the White House (the one in Washington, DC!) in 1965.

     

‘Craft beer for the Craft’

     
“Ah, good ol’ trustworthy beer. My love for you will never die.”

Homer J. Simpson


I will be amid the revelries of Masonic Week in Virginia that day, but there’s no reason why you can’t get to Cooperstown to enjoy this charity event. From the publicity:

Craft from the Craft

Saturday, February 8

4 to 6 p.m.

Otsego Lodge 138

77 Main Street

Cooperstown, New York

Join the members of Otsego Lodge 138 of Free and Accepted Masons in a tasting of quality craft beer (some even brewed by our members!) for a nominal, and to be determined, cost. Gross proceeds will go to Masonic charities in New York State.

Tours of the building will also be given. Celebrate our 100th year in our current building!

2020 is the 225th year of Otsego Lodge serving Cooperstown. Come learn about our history in the village, as well as information on Freemasonry as a whole.

Must be 21+ to be served.
     

‘This Scotsman walks into a lodge on St. Patrick’s Day’

     
No, not a joke! Bro. Bob Cooper will visit an area lodge March 17 to speak on the subject of the Edinburgh Register House Manuscript. From the publicity:

Robert L.D. Cooper

Deciphering the Edinburgh

Register House MS of 1696

Tuesday, March 17

Clifton, New Jersey

Hailed as the world’s oldest Masonic ritual, the Edinburgh Register House Manuscript of 1696 starts with a catechism for proving a man, who has the word, is really a mason. Among other things, the person seeking entry is expected to name his lodge as Kilwinning, which is reputed to be the oldest Lodge in the world. A Fellow Craft is further expected to know and explain a Masonic embrace called the Five Points of Fellowship.

Lessing-Passaic Lodge 67 is proud to present this world-acclaimed Masonic speaker. Bro. Cooper has been the curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland’s Museum and Library for 20 years, and is a Past Master of Quatuor Coronati Lodge 2076. Not only has he written books and articles on Masonic matters, but he also has appeared on television and radio programs around the world on the subject of Freemasonry. He has an abiding interest in all matters relating to Freemasonry prior to the Grand Lodge era, with a particular interest in manuscript rituals, including pseudo-Masonic rituals from the 17th century.

All those who RSVP will receive an advance copy of this manuscript. Reservations are required. No walk-ins can be accommodated. RSVP here. This will be a regular communication of Lessing-Passaic Lodge 67, and our program will be as follows:

Social hour at 5:30 p.m. Dinner at 6:30. Lodge Opening at 7:30, and the presentation at eight o’clock.

To accommodate the anticipated number of brethren who will likely attend, Clifton Lodge 203 has allowed us the use of their temple to hold this program. 1496 Van Houten Avenue, Clifton, New Jersey.

This meeting will be free of charge and open to all Master Masons because Lessing-Passaic Lodge would like to spread Masonic Light and knowledge to as many of the brethren as possible.

We expect this program to fill up quickly, so we suggest that you RSVP without delay, but no later than February 25.
     

‘One Mason’s Civil War story published’

     

Bro. Robert Jordan, of Sylvan Lodge 303 up in Jamestown, New York, published a book on Wednesday, Alvah: A Thread of Red, chronicling an ancestor’s travails during the Civil War. Bro. Jordan’s familial and Masonic brother Tom explains:


My brother, and our Sylvan Lodge Brother, Robert Jordan has recently published a Masonic themed book about our ancestor and Civil War veteran Alvah Jordan. Alvah provided a written account of his Civil War experiences in March 1910, after being pestered by relatives, friends, and neighbors to write it down before it was lost forever.

Alvah’s written account includes being captured at the Battle of Plymouth, North Carolina; being briefly imprisoned at Andersonville and taking part in the prisoner trials; then being transferred and subsequently escaping from various confederate prisons, including the prison at Florence, South Carolina. Alvah’s written account includes details of his and his comrade’s attempts to make their way northward to rejoin the 85th New York Infantry, and his interesting interactions with his Masonic and non-Masonic captors. My brother takes Alvah’s written account, with other historical information we’ve accumulated over the years, and uses his gift for story-telling to create a very interesting historical novel.


From the publisher:


Take a tour of duty with a man who survived the American Civil War. Based on the personal writings of Alvah Jordan, Alvah: A Thread of Red is a riveting story passed down through generations until Robert Jordan, his descendent, decided to fill in the gaps and create a page-turning biography of a man who lived a fascinating life. In many cases, the information Alvah Jordan left out of his writings speaks louder than that he included. He was a complex man born in simpler times, under the Victorian constraints based on faith and morals. A man of integrity, ingenuity, and humor, he had the innate ability to take the edge off of adversity. Follow him as he explores the importance of character, learns to use his God-given resources, learns about Freemasonry, and copes with life's trials.
     

‘Washington Lodge and the death of Hamilton’

     
The Master of historic Washington Lodge 21, which will reach its 220th anniversary on March 5, announces a fascinating historical lecture scheduled for next Thursday. From the publicity:

Courtesy New-York Historical Society

The Hamilton-Burr duel pistols.

Washington Lodge No. 21

and the Role its Members Played

in the Hamilton-Burr Duel of 1804

Thursday, January 16 at 7:45 p.m.

Presented by Historian Andrew Kozinn

and Senior Warden Ali Fateh

Masonic Hall, 10th floor

71 West 23rd Street, Manhattan

Photo ID required to enter the building

Learn the role of Freemasons in creating our political system after the Revolutionary War. Learn the reasons for the formation of Washington Lodge in 1800! Learn what caused one Washington Lodge Brother to threaten another Brother’s life! Decide for yourself which Masonic Brothers acted most appropriately to preserve the integrity of the Craft!

All Brothers and interested gentlemen are invited. Attire: business casual. Collation to follow. RSVP to Bro. Kozinn here.
     

‘Weird Fact Wednesday: Tassels’

     
I probably ought to move this feature to Tuesdays and dub it Trivia Tuesday or something like that, because, once again, here is a Weird Fact that I’m not sure is genuinely weird.

Okay, so we’ve all seen those twin tassels flanking the flaps of many aprons. To wit:

Courtesy masonicsupplyshop.com

Well, how did they get there? I’ve been told over the years by learned brethren how these ornaments bear all kinds of symbolism, such as representing the Pillars in the Porch. Personally, I favor the practical explanations of many things in Freemasonry. (I don’t know how many fluid ounces of post-meeting port have passed through my nostrils at the mention of Templar origins of Freemasonry, but I digress.)

It is sad that countless volumes of Masonic literature from earlier centuries have disappeared from sight. In some cases, largely because of dubious scholarship—which was the norm for those times, we must remember—that’s a good thing, but plenty of other cases are lamentable. In the encyclopedia department, we all have Coil’s, Mackey’s, and maybe Waite’s. And then there are dictionaries and other reference books. In the early 20th century, Edward Lovell Hawkins, of Quatuor Coronati 2076 and other accomplishments, published his A Concise Cyclopædia of Freemasonry or Handbook of Masonic Reference. (He also authored A History of Freemasonry in Oxfordshire.)

On the subject of tassels, he writes:


The silver tassels prescribed in the English Constitutions for the aprons of a Master Mason and of a Grand Steward have evolved in course of time from the two long ribbons by which the early aprons were tied on. These ribbons passed round the body and were tied under the flap, with the ends pendent in front. To give a finish to these ends, they were ornamented with a silver fringe. The ribbons would soon become creased with frequent tying, and considerable care would be necessary to get the pendent ends of equal length; so the next step was to sew the decorated ribbons to the apron, making them distinct from the actual tie, which would be concealed by the flap. Then came the strap and buckle now worn.


(The next entry in his cyclopædia is Templar, Knights!)

I’ve been asked a number of times by all kinds of Masons if the quadrangular shape of the Masonic apron and its triangular flap communicate rich symbolism—for example, with the four angles representing the Elements of our material world, and the three angles speaking to aspects of Diety. Nice try, I always say, but the modern apron was shaped by the Industrial Revolution. Prior to machines making our regalia, a Masonic apron had rounded edges and a rounded flap. Reality can fade the fun out of some things, but without it we wouldn’t know what really is exciting in symbolism.

What kind of apron do I wear? I very much would love to wear the regulation Grand Lodge of New York Past Master apron (I am a refugee from another jurisdiction where I actually served in the East of my previous lodge), but the $500+ price is prohibitive. But I am very content wearing my grandfather’s PM apron from 1976. Nevertheless, this will be the year I acquire a new apron, and I am thinking of one similar in all ways to what is shown above, but in purple instead of the blue. I’m still mulling that over.

Grand Lodge of New York Past Master apron.

     

‘An embarrassment of riches’

     

It’s true: you can have too much of a good thing. There are four (4) eminent, admirable Masons seeking election to the office of Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New York this spring.

I’m actually glad that as a Past Master I do not have a vote.

RW Bro. Oscar Alleyne, current Junior Grand Warden; RW Bro. Paul Huck, current Judge Advocate (and MEGHP of the Grand Chapter); RW Bro. David Menegon, current Senior Grand Deacon; and RW Bro. Steven Rubin, current Grand Treasurer are the declared candidates.

Holy guacamole!

I’m not one to appreciate a brother Mason because of his Masonic titles, but these four candidates are vastly accomplished. I wouldn’t want to sketch their highlights for fear of missing something important. With Oscar, for example, I don’t know where to begin. In addition to helming half of what goes on in American Freemasonry, someone told me he’s the governor of Minnesota! I will say he is my fellow Vice President of the Masonic Society.

In many grand jurisdictions around the country, a candidate wins election to the Grand South, and then proceeds without contest to the Grand East. The aspirants to the Grand East in New York, however, face competition along the way. Ergo this wild conundrum in 2020. Meanwhile, the Craft profits from having worthy and well qualified leaders. Usually.

There will be six “town hall”-style meetings where the brethren can hear from these candidates and those seeking election to other offices—two this month, three in February, and finally one in March at Masonic Hall in the city. Somehow I suspect these discussions will only make the voters’ choices more difficult.

All is can say is good luck! No matter who prevails, we all win.

     

‘Weird Fact Wednesday: Masonic Janitors’

     

Courtesy Jeopardy!/Sony Pictures Television

As seen on the broadcast of Jeopardy! last Monday. Who is Janus?!?

Like the previous installment of Weird Fact Wednesday, this one does not reach the legal definition of weird. This, I’ll say, simply sounds weird to the American ear.

An office in Freemasonry named Janitor.

When I first found mention of this in the aforementioned book from 1909 Sidelights on Freemasonry: Craft and Royal Arch, I assumed this referred to the chapter equivalent of the lodge’s tiler/tyler. And I was right, which is weird in itself, but I was right for the wrong reason. Remembering ye olden tymes, when the lodge tiler (that’s our New York spelling) would draw in chalk the lodge upon the floor of the meeting space in the tavern and then mop it away after the meeting, I pictured the chapter janitor on clean-up duty also.

But that ain’t it. In American-English usage, a janitor is a caretaker, a custodian, a maintenance worker, one who keeps a facility neat, clean, and orderly. But, as is usually the case, the British-English primary usage is literal in nature, so it requires a look at the word’s etymology to understand why their Royal Arch chapters employ janitors. Excerpted:


janitor (n.)
1580s, “an usher in a school,” later “doorkeeper” (1620s), from Latin ianitor “doorkeeper, porter,” from ianua “door, entrance, gate,” from ianus “arched passageway, arcade” (see Janus).

Keeper of a doorway—in an arched passageway. All right then.

With January here today, I think I will “see Janus.”

Janus
ancient Italic deity, to the Romans the guardian god of portals, doors, and gates; patron of beginnings and endings, c. 1500, from Latin Ianus, literally “gate, arched passageway,” perhaps from PIE root*ei- “to go” (cognates: Sanskrit yanah “path,” Old Church Slavonic jado “to travel”). He is shown as having two faces, one in front the other in back (they may represent sunrise and sunset and reflect an original role as a solar deity). His temple in Rome was closed only in times of peace. Related: Janian.

Courtesy britannica.com

Janus, beardless, on a Roman coin. Britannica says: ‘Janus, in Roman religion, the animistic spirit of doorways (januae) and archways (jani).’

In January, we certainly do look forward while still eyeing the past.

Remaining a little stubborn, I wondered if janitor is used in English Royal Arch Masonry today, so I queried the ML group, where any question can be answered quickly, accurately, and patiently. Companion Gerald, one of my co-moderators who is way out in East Anglia, replied 35 minutes later:


Indeed in English R.A., the Janitor remains at his post; swords are not apparent.

Regards,
GR
Janitor,
Essex Past First Principals Chapter

Courtesy southernregalia.com

The jewel of office of the English Royal Arch Janitor.

So that’s it for today. Happy New Year!
     

‘Landmark Freemasons teaser is posted’

     
The pilot episode of a YouTube show titled Landmark Freemasons, that will explore Elias Ashmole the Freemason, is coming, and a teaser of about a minute in length has been posted. Looks like episode one will address Ashmole’s personal Bible, owned in more recent centuries by the local lodge.




And here’s a look at the introduction:





Can’t wait to see more!
     

‘A Masonic side of the Priestly Blessing’

     
At the communication last Saturday of New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786, Bro. Howard brought up, during a miscellanea part of the meeting, what he described as a Masonic understanding of the Priestly Blessing from the Book of Numbers.

The Lord bless you

and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine on you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace.

Detail from Resurrection of Lazarus by Marc Chagall, 1910.

Chagall was a Freemason of the Grand Orient of France.

He began by describing it is a prayer that can benefit people of any faith, and not only Jews. Then he explained, how in Hebrew, it is delivered in a trio of phrases, first of three syllables, then of five syllables, and then of seven syllables.

In conclusion, he said this sentence structure is the basis for a certain aspect of the lecture of the Second Degree.

As we are into the first hours of Hanukkah, I extend my sincere wishes for a safe and happy time for all who celebrate!
     

‘A beacon within the crush and hub of NYC life’

     
The Anthroposophical Society of New York City will resume a full schedule of activities spanning the twelve Holy Nights of Christmas. Unfortunately, there seems to be no information on the individual events, but there will be something to do nightly between Tuesday the 24th and Sunday, January 5. From the publicity:


The twelve Holy Nights of Christmas are symbols for the twelve forces of the soul that live in us. On these darkest nights of the year, we are closest to the Sun’s Spirit. We are invited to contemplate and reflect on the past year, and to envision the coming year.

Anthroposophy NYC adopted Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night over the Rhône (1888) to help communicate its Holy Nights messages. (Not to be confused with his The Starry Night, 1889.)

For the Holy Nights this year, we have selected a series of contemplations inspired by indications given by Rudolf Steiner to Herbert Hahn, who met Steiner in 1919, and became a class teacher at the first Waldorf School in Stuttgart, where Steiner also asked him to give “free religious lessons” to the children.

Each evening, along with our traditional annual Holy Nights activities of candle lighting, tree adorning with roses, and Eurythmy, we will read together each short contemplation for that day and share thoughts about it. Each discussion will be facilitated by a member of Anthroposophy NYC. Our goal is to experience with others in these contemplations the deep spiritual significance of this special time in the year.

As we approach the dark night of winter and the Holy Nights, which celebrate the birth of a new Light into that darkness, we can also bring confidence and hope for a new light that is awakening in the seeming societal darkness of our times. Truly, programs and policies alone will not be the solution, but rather the conscious awakening of the light of truth and a renewed sense of brotherly and sisterly love for all humans. Of all the works offered by Rudolf Steiner, his central call is to our awakening to this spiritual light that has entered the world and to the practice of love for all of creation as we realize our full humanity.

This is the core work of Anthroposophy NYC—to offer tools for this path toward truth and love—through the work of Rudolf Steiner. Our goal is to be a beacon within the crush and hub of New York City life, where humanity expresses its struggles and triumphs most vividly in all its diversity. There are many seekers of spiritual truth in this city. We aim to be a home for their seeking.

May these very potent days of Christmas be full of meaning and inner light for your path.

All are welcome to all gatherings.


Anthroposophy NYC is located at 138 West 15th Street, between Sixth and Seventh. Make sure you visit the bookstore when you visit!
     

‘National Grotto Day 2020’

     
I know what some of you are thinking: “The Grotto?!”

Yeah, that’s right, the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm.

There should be local places where the purely convivial and even frivolous impulses in Freemasonry can be exhibited, and a Grotto offers the best venue.

After 22 years in Freemasonry, I have come to see that the Masonic family tree needs a robust pruning. There are too many groups—and most of them are relics from the 19th century—that serve little, if any, purpose today, other than to strain the capabilities of the guys who keep all these groups afloat. I don’t want to offend, so I won’t name names, but when I’m grand master of the world, there will be:

• the Craft lodge, for philosophical Freemasonry;
• the Royal Arch Chapter, for spiritual Freemasonry;
• the research lodge* or similar venue, for additional intellectual work; and
• the Grotto for the social, charitable, and funny stuff.

Courtesy Duluth Masonic Center

The Grotto for raucous dinners, cigar nights, beer/wine/liquor tastings, ladies nights, trips to see concerts/plays, etc. Let’s free the lodge from the off-topic and extracurricular, like the softball games against the Elks, and the all kinds of parties, and that stuff. As the social media meme says (I paraphrase): “George Washington didn’t join for that crap!” Well, I can dream, can’t I?

Anyway, the Empire State Grotto Association announces that National Grotto Day 2020 will be observed Saturday, March 21! I don’t know what that will entail yet, but it’s on my calendar. If you want to join the most laid back fraternity in Freemasonry, that would be a great day for it, so I’ll keep you posted when the details are made available. You’ll look good in a fez! (Well, maybe not you, but you guys generally.)


*I am mentally drafting a future edition of The Magpie Mason that will explain why there is a superior alternative to the Masonic lodge of research and education.
     

‘Congratulations to QUEST for 40 years!’

     
While my own understanding of what comprises Masonic education differs, I have to congratulate the organizers of Queens United Education Seminar Today on reaching their 40th anniversary. QUEST XL will take place next March. This flier says it all:

Click to enlarge.

     

‘New website at the MLMA’

     

It looks like some modernizing changes are afoot at the Masonic Library and Museum Association, including a new website. Click here.
      

‘All You Can Hold for 150 Bucks.’

     
They’re back in business! Historic Mariners Lodge 67 will host its legendary Beefsteak Banquet again next month after an interminable absence of, I think, a year. Don’t disappoint yourself by missing out. Tickets are on sale now.

Courtesy Mariners 67

This is not a colorized photo from the 19th century.
This is the real deal: the Mariners Beefsteak Banquet.

(The title of this edition of The Magpie Mason is borrowed from the great Joseph Mitchell’s piece in The New Yorker from 80 years ago in which he traces the history and describes the heavenly joys of the New York beefsteak dinner. Click here, but do as I did decades ago as an optimistic journalism student (ha!) and get a copy of his anthology Up in the Old Hotel, which also includes his “McSorley’s” story. “All You Can Hold for Five Bucks” and others even mention a few Freemasons. Buy yours today!)


From the publicity:

Mariners Lodge 67

Maritime Festive Board

and Beefsteak Banquet

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Masonic Hall, Grand Lodge Room

71 West 23rd Street, Manhattan

Tickets here

A Uniquely New York,

Old-School Masonic Event

Seating Begins at 6:30

Opening Gavel at 7:30

Dress is Tuxedo (preferred)

or Business Formal

All Attendees Receive

a Butcher's Apron

to Wear and Take Home

Prepaid Reservations

Are Required to Attend

Reserve and pay online here

Five Course Menu

First Course

Iced Shrimp

The Ancient Mariner’s Cured Salmon

House Pickles

Second Course

House-Smoked Brisket Pastrami with Rye Toast

Roast Pork with Rolls

Tomato-Braised Lamb Meatballs

Third Course

Memphis-Style Dry-Rubbed Pork Ribs

72-Hour Braised Beef Short Ribs

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Fourth Course

Strip Steak

Lamb Chops

Roasted Potato Wedges

Fifth Course

Assorted Dessert Platters

Beer from The Bronx Beer Hall

The Festive Board is a feature of the Masonry that extends back to our very beginnings. Operative stonemasons’ lodges would gather upon important occasions around tables laden with food and drink to celebrate in fellowship with the tangible fruits of their labor. Most common were feasts on St. John the Baptist’s Day and St. John the Evangelist’s Day, which were not coincidentally right around the time of the Summer and Winter solstices. These traditions have been part of our Craft ever since. Indeed, one of the reasons given for forming the first Grand Lodge in 1717 was to hold an annual feast.

In the days before Masons had their beautiful purpose-built Masonic temples and lodge rooms, members of the Craft often convened their lodges in taverns and restaurants. The tables were pushed back and Square and Compasses might be scratched out in the sawdust covering the floor while the brethren performed their Masonic work. Before too long the idea arose of taking advantage of what the tavern had to offer, and a practice was born whereby the brethren would take food and drink on a Masonic form and while conducting the work of the lodge.

Over time, various ritual practices of the Festive Board evolved, especially among military officers, who incorporated various elements from their formal dining traditions. These historic rituals and traditions have been resurrected in the modern day, and the Masonic Festive Board with its multiple courses of food, toasts, responses, and giving of “Masonic Fire” has become one of the most popular special events among Masons.

The Mariners Lodge Maritime Festive Board is a unique form of these table ceremonies, which invokes certain early Masonic legends and incorporates elements of historical naval practice and seafaring tradition.

About the Beefsteak Banquet

The Mariners Lodge Maritime Festive Board and Beefsteak Banquet incorporates elements from the rich New York tradition of the Beefsteak Banquet – those famous celebrations of gluttony where men gathered to eat massive amounts of aged steak, lamb chops, shrimp cocktail, pork belly and mini-burgers washed down with bottomless schooners of beer. Forks and knives are strictly prohibited, but you will be provided with a butcher’s apron and plenty of napkins!
     

‘Lecture Tuesday: Chamber of Reflection’

     

Click to enlarge.

The indefatigable RW Bro. Rafael Preza will speak Tuesday night at Pelham Lodge in the Bronx. As you can see, his topic will be the Chamber of Reflection and, while New York Freemasonry has a Chamber of Reflection as part of its initiation rite, I suspect RW Preza will discuss the European-style Chamber of Reflection. I’m sorry I won’t be able to attend, but I’m sure it’ll be a great night, so get there.