‘Hudson Valley Masonicon is near’

    

Click here for tickets.

The first Saturday in June is the day, and Hoffman Lodge 412 in Middletown again is the place for the Hudson Valley Masonicon.

Ten speakers—including keynote Piers Vaughan, the outstanding Rashied Bey, and even myself as opening act (discussing “Masonic Learning: Search and Research”)—are on the bill. This will be a full day, and there are ticketing options for your preferences.

Click here. I’m going all the way: Masonicon program, cocktail hour, and festive board. I think I’ll look into a hotel room somewhere, so I can collapse with dignity for once.

Also, proceeds will benefit the Orange Rockland Sullivan District Masonic Association’s Brotherhood Fund to assist our brethren in need.

It’s the third annual Masonicon there, and it’ll be a tremendous event. Hope to see you there next Saturday.

     

‘John Paul Jones at Jersey lodge’

    

Magpie file photo

Randomly chosen photo of an apron displayed in the GWMNM. Has nothing to do with the meeting described below.

New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786 will meet Saturday, June 14 at Freemasons Hall in North Brunswick. The lodge will tyle at 9:30 a.m. All Master Masons are welcome.

We have a few business items to tackle before our presenters approach the lectern, but they will be:

● “Opening Q&A” — Bro. David Palladino will discuss his personal lodge-level education and restoration initiative, “Rebuilding Jerusalem.” If you are not familiar with what David does as Master of Jerusalem Lodge 26, this will inspire you.

● Bro. Erich Huhn, our Secretary, will review Allan E. Roberts’ Freemasonry in American History, the current choice of our Masonic Book Club.

● Bro. Thomas Thurber, of Audubon-Parkside 218, is the day’s guest speaker. His paper, titled “John Paul Jones’ Masonic Journey,” documents how Masonry assisted Bro. Jones’ naval career and opened up the world to him. Tom’s paper has been very well received in lodges throughout the state.

After closing the lodge, we will retire to a local restaurant for lunch ($22/person) and conversation, which is as enjoyable as the meeting itself. I always look forward to these Saturdays. (We just need to find a place to smoke.) Hope to see you there.

     

‘Was ist das?’

    

Other than being a sponsor of Craftsmen Online, Bricks Masons is unknown to me, but I just noticed this seller of Masonic regalia and various supplies has a bad reputation on social media. Accusations varying from copying other retailers’ product designs to selling substandard goods to being a drop shipper to not providing customer service go unanswered, so it’s hard to know who’s running the enterprise.

From its website:

At Bricks Masons we are inspired by the idea of building the lodge for the 22nd century by inspiring the younger generation. To achieve our goal, every brick must be well aligned and perfectly placed. The name embodies perfection, strength, patience, and being on the level. We are using the Internet to do the outreach, educate, inspire, and connect.

Bricks? Freemasonry allegorically teaches with ashlars. Ashlars are not bricks.

Speaking of allegedly copying someone else’s design, it was brought to light on Faceypage Monday how Bricks Masons is selling this pin:

They offer one in gold tone too.

Which reminds me of this:

The Reichstag, Nazi Germany’s parliament, 1939.

I didn’t join the conversation about it because there were too many idiots defending the look of the pin. (There are so many jadrools in this fraternity I sometimes find myself sympathizing with the anti-masons.) “Zac Alan” posed this question to one of the pin’s critics:

I don’t think Bricks Masons is pro-nazi. I think it made a poor decision in bringing this pin to market. Since it caters to the “younger generation,” it’s highly likely there’s a typical ignorance of recent world history. This eagle has nothing to do with eagles of Masonic ritual and symbol, like the Roman Eagle of the apron presentation or the A&ASR’s bicephalous bird, the Rose Croix Degree, Royal Arch’s Dan banner, et al. And it’s not just the eagle; there’s the circular appendage at the bottom. So what is this?!

I have submitted the question to Bricks Masons, and I’ll let you know if an answer is received.

     

‘Story of the Week: One’s Role in Work’

    

One of the email subscriptions available from the School of Practical Philosophy is its Story of the Week, and we received this today:

One’s Role in Work

This is a story about a traveler in the Middle Ages who happened upon a large work site in the center of a village. He had been traveling for many days, and he was eager to talk to anyone who would engage with him.

He walked up to a worker at the site and asked, “Sir, may I ask what you are doing?” The worker scowled a bit and said tersely, “I am cutting stones.”

The traveler decided he would find little conversation there, so he moved on to another worker. When he asked the same question, the worker paused for a moment and explained that he was cutting stones so he could support his family. He had a wonderful wife and two small children who depended on him to provide them with food and shelter. They chatted about the project and the village for a few minutes, and the worker turned back to his large pile of stones.

The traveler moved to a third worker and asked the same question: “Sir, may I ask what you are doing?” The worker put down his tools, stood quite tall, looked the traveler in the eye and said with a warm smile, “I am building a cathedral. It will be the tallest and most magnificent structure for miles around. Its beauty will delight people for centuries to come. The stone I am now working on will go near the front door where people will enter for shelter and kinship. I will probably not see the final product, but I know my work is part of something very important.

Author Unknown

     

‘To promote the happiness of the human race’

    

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

George Washington

Letter to Massachusetts Masons

January 1793

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

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

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

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

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

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

Page 75

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

Page 130

     

‘VIVAT: The ALR festive board’

    

UPDATE: Sorry, but we have to cancel. Maybe do it later in 2025.

If it’s spring, it must be time for The American Lodge of Research’s festive board. We’re doing it a week after next Monday—so that’ll be June 2–at Masonic Hall in the 2 East dining room.

The meal: I am not yet acquainted with the caterer, but it comes highly recommended by a lodge that I trust in matters of good eats. We will feast on roast beef & potatoes; chicken marsala & penne vodka; eggplant parmigiana; plus salads, desserts, etc.

Our keynote speaker is a Mason with a low profile but has great enthusiasm for his topic: a seminal document from the first years of the Grand Lodge of New York that was the first of its kind in post-Revolution America. This important expression of Masonic values seems to not have received the appreciation it deserves, but maybe that will change.

The ritual: None other than RW Bro. John Mauk Hilliard himself researched the history of Masonic feasts in England and France to compile the verbiage and action that went into our festive board ritual. Vivat!

This will be a great night. Our 2024-25 term is nearly done. After this June 2 celebration, The ALR will have only its Annual Meeting four weeks hence.

Seating for our festive board is limited somewhat, so book your seats now by advance payment. Just follow the directions in the graphic above.

     

‘Yes, it DO have to be Masonic’

    

I guess it’s podcast reviews week on The Magpie Mason (see previous two posts). Today I comment on one I don’t even watch.

The premise of the Old Fashion [sic] Masonic Podcast, in the words of host Brian Byrd, is: “…we talk all things Freemasons [sic] while drinking an Old Fashioned.” I have seen a few episodes; I don’t see anyone drinking an Old Fashioned, but I digress.

This episode was brought to my attention by two of my research lodge cronies, acting independently (they don’t know each other), to aggravate me for their own entertainment. If you remember the Niagara Falls guy from the various Three Stooges and Abbott and Costello sketches, then you can picture me getting squirrelly when the meaning of Masonic learning is abused. For example, Bro. X says we should have a chiropractor give a talk in lodge, and then I stomp on his foot, pull down his nose, and snip his necktie in half.

Byrd’s guest on the show last Sunday was MW Steve Almager, the recently installed Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Mexico. Masonic learning isn’t the subject of the discussion, but they approach it while agreeing on how to keep the brethren coming back to lodge during the fraternity’s overall efflux of members.

To Byrd, “Masonic Ed” either can be reading a “Short Talk,” I guess meaning a Short Talk Bulletin from the MSANA, or having a speaker visit to discuss things not pertaining to Freemasonry. That’s where the fraternity was when I was initiated in 1997: dying lodges hosting insurance brokers to talk to the guys about the pros and cons of term life policies while maybe gaining a few customers. Rotary Club stuff. Actually, I think Rotarians have higher standards.

The host and his guest here agree that investment products, tutorials in using social media, and pocket watches are good examples of educational topics to keep the brethren interested in the fraternity. “It don’t [sic] have to be Masonic,” says New Mexico’s grand master.

Gracie Films

I disagree. One can find random subjects anywhere, including online, which is why they’re random. There’s no need to put yourself through the rigors of Masonic initiation if you want to learn about financial products. You simply could attend a free local seminar where financial advisors buy you lunch and teach the basics of securities and the like while maybe gaining a few customers.

Masonic lodges should provide what Masonic brethren cannot find anywhere else: Freemasonry. I don’t think reading a Short Talk Bulletin is the best use of precious time either, so find a way to impart the meaning of Masonry. It’s never been easier than today. Tons of information is freely available online—maybe even on this blog. There are more speakers on the Masonic scene now than probably ever before (of course there are variances in quality), so leave the real estate tips to the service clubs’ business networkers.

If you need to watch this, here it is cued to the relevant second:

Byrd mentions a previous episode that was devoted to education, which he defines as “personal and business development,” but I won’t look for it.

     

‘Through Fire and Fellowship’

    

The guest on The Masonic Roundtable podcast last week was W. Bro. Jimmy Densmore, Secretary of Dalton Lodge 105 in Georgia, who authored a history of the lodge to mark both its dodransbicentennial year and the centenary of the Masonic temple it calls home.

That book, titled Through Fire and Fellowship, is the product of the kind of Masonic research I wish was more common these days, namely the digging through archives Masonic and otherwise, and records public and private.

Dalton Lodge, chartered in 1849, lost much of its early records to fires, necessitating the deep investigation into its past to match documented facts to oral history. The lodge’s first building was dedicated in 1855, but was a casualty of Gen. William T. Sherman’s “March to the Sea” that included the devastation of Atlanta in 1864 during the Civil War. A second fire, during peacetime in 1911, again deprived the brethren of their building. For a number of years, the lodge moved around the neighborhood until the current Dalton Masonic Temple was dedicated in 1925.

Dalton Lodge 105

So, the lodge’s story twice suffered the loss of minutes and all the ephemera and other items Masons collect, leaving not only gaps in its narrative, but knowledge lost in the mists of time. Until now.

“History is one of the big draws that brought me to become a Mason,” Densmore tells his interviewers. “It was really a labor of love to want to do this, and dive into that, and be the sleuth and be the historian.”

His starting point was a framed document hanging on a wall inside the temple that renders a post-1911 history, and Densmore sought to prove its accuracy. From there, he shares a very inspiring account of seeking newspaper stories, digging into University of Georgia archives, and even the Library of Congress. Although this was mostly online searching, and not QC2076-style Masonic archaeology, it nevertheless required time and commitment, and is worth hearing about.

Through Fire and Fellowship is available for sale at $25 shipped or $20 picked up in person (the lodge will meet next Monday at 7:30). Click here.

Dalton 105 has a great plan on the trestleboard for its June 23 meeting, when three generations of the Laster family will open and close the lodge. W. Bro. Speedy Laster (second generation) will preside in the East; Bro. Josh Laster (third generation) will sit in the West; and W. Jack Laster (first generation) will serve as Junior Warden. Densmore will give a talk on generational Masonry.

The Masonic Roundtable Episode 512.

This episode of TMR runs fifty-six minutes, but feel free to skip to 6:00 to get into the conversation directly. Click here. My thanks to the show, for bringing this news to light, and congratulations to Bro. Densmore.

     

‘The Masonic Shelf debut’

    

It’s rare I can catch a Masonic podcast at its launch, but I saw the debut of The Masonic Shelf last week, and I’m glad I did. Hosts Bradley Kohanke and Chris Williams chatted for forty-nine minutes about a book on their shelf they find exceptionally meaningful.

Observing the Craft by Andrew Hammer garners their sincere praise. Kohanke says it is the first book he recommends to new Masons who ask. If you don’t know this book, watch the conversation here:

The hosts quote from the text, and then they discuss how its ideas factor into their Masonic experiences.

The Masonic Shelf, unlike every other Masonic podcast I’ve seen, has a credited producer. Jason Reichenberg, or anyone else, can’t be expected to create a perfect show from the start, so I’d like to pitch a few suggestions:

📖 If you must post a disclaimer, have someone read it. The AI voiceover sounds cheap.

📖 Ditch the “fire” graphic in the intro/outro. Flames and books do not mix in a free society.

📖 That music is too dramatic. Swap it for something lighter and uptempo, like baroque strings, or jazz, or even something significant to Texas, their home state.

📖 I don’t mean to beat up Bro. Chris, but he ought to look in the camera once in a while. He should wear a shirt with a collar because the shapeless T-shirt looks like a barber cape. And the repeated sniffles and throat-clearings annoy the viewer.

(Easy for me to say! I always politely deflect invitations to appear on Masonic podcasts because I mumble and curse too much.)

The hosts said they wanted to create a podcast where books can be discussed, saying they didn’t know any such thing existed. Magpie readers know about M.A.G.I.—Masonic Authors Guild International—hosted by Bob Cooper and Mark Tabbert. We can’t have too many talk shows that intelligently review important books, so put both of these in your rotation.

My review of Observing the Craft, from almost exactly thirteen years ago, is here.

     

‘New York Freemasonry’s new tartan’

    

The winner in the Grand Lodge of New York’s tartan design competition was crafted by RW Richard Powell.

Congratulations to RW Bro. Rick Powell on fashioning the winning plaid pattern in Grand Lodge’s tartan design competition!

If I’m not mistaken, there were fifteen entries in the contest, which was announced last summer. Balloting closed March 31, and the winner was revealed last week at Grand Lodge’s Annual Communication.

Of his brilliant design, Rick, on social media, says: “The colors in the tartan consist of blue and orange, the official colors of the State of New York. The shades of blue represent the Symbolic Lodge; vertical orange lines remind us that we are upright men and Masons; the horizontal orange lines that we are all on the level; and the three white lines represent our three degrees.”

This will be added to the Scottish Register of Tartans.

Now comes the work of having the fabric made, and that fabric turned into kilts. Maybe other garments too, like ties. I think this would make a handsome flat cap. A dinner jacket!

     

‘Pennsylvania researchers next month’

    

Pennsylvania Lodge of Research will host the first meeting of its twenty-fifth anniversary year in June to hear two presentations and to vote on a slew of new members. From the publicity:

Pennsylvania Lodge of Research

Saturday, June 14 at 10 a.m.

Altoona Masonic Center

600 Jackson Avenue, Altoona

Presentations

Bro. Jerry Hamilton, a Past Master of the lodge:

“Regius Poem or Halliwell Manuscript”

Bro. Ronald E. Stuver:

“Exactly Different: Masonry in Pennsylvania and Ohio”

And about those petitions for membership: The lodge has thirteen Masons from around the state seeking membership by affiliation. Not too shabby! To pursue membership in this lodge, contact Secretary Michael Moran here.

Sorry to say I cannot visit this meeting as New Jersey’s research lodge will meet at that hour, and, frankly, Altoona is a haul. Hopefully a future Worshipful Master will steer the lodge eastward—like Easton or East Stroudsburg, if I may boldly pitch ideas. But if Altoona is feasible for you, check out your research lodge.

Pennsylvania Lodge of Research will mark its silver anniversary in December. The brethren will meet on the thirteenth at the Scottish Rite Valley of Harrisburg.

     

‘The Masonic Shelf to debut Wednesday’

    

Another Masonic podcast is about to premiere. The Masonic Shelf will debut Wednesday. From the publicity:

Join Brad Kohanke, a Freemason affiliated with both the grand lodges of Arkansas and Texas; and fellow Texas Mason Chris Williams as they crack open the hidden pages of Masonic and esoteric literature in The Masonic Shelf, a podcast for curious brothers and seekers of deeper light.

Each episode features honest, insightful, and often humorous reviews of books that have shaped Masonic thought, from timeless classics to modern explorations of symbolism, ritual, philosophy, and the Craft’s evolving role in the world.

Whether you’re a newly raised brother or a seasoned student of the mysteries, Brad and Chris bring thoughtful analyses, historical contexts, and down-to-earth Texas perspectives to help you build your own Masonic library—one book at a time.

Bro. Kohanke is the author of Light Reflections: Philosophical Thoughts and Observations of a Texas Freemason (2001) which its back cover says:

Freemasonry in the United States was arguably at its peak during the decade following the First World War. The Masonic writings of the day were eloquent, easy to read, concise, and filled with thought-provoking opinions and observations. This was the model after which Bradley E. Kohanke patterned his writings. For nearly ten years, Brother Kohanke, a Past Master, former District Deputy Grand Master, and former Grand Orator for the Grand Lodge of Texas, wrote a monthly article for his lodge’s newsletter. The essays contained within the pages of this book are based upon those articles and harken back to a time when Freemasonry inspired a passion for philosophical thought.

Also included are his Orations from the Texas Grand Lodge Historical Observances in 2019 and his Grand Oration from the Grand Annual Communication in January of 2020. As Brother Kohanke puts it: “Masonry holds no secrets or sacred knowledge that are suddenly revealed to the initiate. Rather, it provides a framework on which to build…a guide for living. It offers a way to attain that knowledge over time through learning, patience, and truth. And it does so without harming others in their search. This practice of perfecting one’s self is ancient beyond record and is the true measure of success. The attainment of balance in one’s life…achieving happiness with yourself, without interfering with the happiness of others, and proactively helping others in their search for balance in their lives…that is success. It is a noble quest, the objective of which can only truly be obtained by those who are worthy and true…to themselves and each other.”

Bro. Williams is the author of There Is No Texas Without Freemasonry. Its publicity says:

There is No Texas Without Freemasonry is the latest book from Bro. James “Chris” Williams. Brother Williams is the author of the now world-famous John Deacon book series. Readers will not be disappointed with the wealth of Masonic education contained within the pages of this book, a collection of Masonic papers written over the last twenty-five years by Bro. Williams. Most of them have been presented at various Masonic and non-Masonic gatherings.

There is No Texas Without Freemasonry is the first and most famous paper presented to date by Williams. This book is an excellent addition to any Masonic library. Each chapter is short enough to be read as an education piece in the lodge or as the focus of family education night. Enjoy each page as you laugh, cry, and, more importantly, reflect on Freemasonry. 

Both hosts have podcast experience. This should be good! May 14 at 7 p.m. The link is here.

     

‘What intends the new pope for Freemasonry?’

    

ascensionpress.com

At Vatican City, the College of Cardinals elected a papal successor about an hour ago. The Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church is named Leo XIV.

You know that already, and perhaps some of you know something about him, but I don’t, other than he’s American, from Chicago, and that the experts predicted it was thoroughly unlikely an American could be elected. What I do know is the last time the church had a Pope Leo, he issued an encyclical that blasted Freemasonry in language so forceful it echoes today. Is part of that reverberation heard in the new Bishop of Rome’s choice of name?

I leave it to you to read “Humanum Genus” by Leo, Pope, XIII from April 20, 1884.

I can’t help but sympathize somewhat with that previous Leo. Through the nineteenth century, the church’s power was clipped severely, from the Philippines to Latin America to Italy itself, as nationalist freedom fighters cast off their respective yokes. Many of the leaders of these revolutions were Freemasons: Rizal, Bolivar, Juarez, Mazzini, Garibaldi, and others.

For an understanding of the disconnect between the Roman Catholic Church and Freemasonry, I also leave it to you to read Freemasonry and Roman Catholicism by H.L. Haywood in 1943, not because he was a member of my lodge, but because his writing style clarifies complicated subjects.

I noted the College of Cardinals numbers 133, which reminds me of “How good and how pleasant it is…”

     

‘The study side of Freemasonry’

    

“Masonry has no use for a blind, stupid devotion vouchsafed her by wooden men who do not know why they serve her, but what she loves is the intelligent loyalty of thinking men who have a reason for the faith that is in them.”

Delmar Duane Darrah

Grand Master

Grand Lodge of Illinois

1912

My favorite Masonic activity anymore is just staying home and reading our history—the more obscure, the better. The news Thursday of Masonic University reopening in New York (see post below) reminded me of a favorite speech from the past. More than a century ago, the Grand Lodge of Illinois had a remarkable Grand Master. Delmar Darrah was a professor of elocution at Wesleyan, so I’m not surprised he delivered first rate oratory. (Are there professors of elocution today? I can’t imagine it.) Maybe you remember him from this previous Magpie post.

I’m a huge fan of the style of rhetoric employed so often by Masonry’s leaders during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We just don’t hear eloquence of that timbre or on that frequency any more. Maybe because there aren’t elocution professors.

MW Delmar Darrah

At the Grand Lodge of Illinois’ seventy-third Annual Communication at Chicago in October 1912, MW Darrah spoke of many things, but doted specifically on what he termed “Intellectual Masonry.” In addition to the unflinching delivery, the content of this excerpt of his speech merits revisiting 113 years later.

Intellectual Masonry.

There is no subject connected with our distinguished fraternity in which I am more deeply interested than that of the study side of Freemasonry. No similar organization on the face of the earth can boast of traditions as ancient, of usages and landmarks as universally known, of symbolism so sparkling with brightest jewels, of philosophies both ancient and modern; of a ritual in sentiment as lofty, in diction as eloquent, and so universally spoken. And yet, the institution is but little understood by even its most devoted members.

There are many of us who can recite our ritual from Alpha to Omega without the omission of a word or syllable, unconscious of the fact that behind the play of words lie concealed thoughts and meanings which invite our investigation and well repay us for our research. Too many Masons perform their duty like the religious devotee who recites his catechism in mechanical style, and arises from his knees conscious of but one fact—that of a duty performed.

The demand of the hour is not for men who can recite the ritual but for men who know what that ritual means, and who are willing to display its teachings in their daily lives and conduct. I quote from a distinguished writer: “Masonry has no use for a blind, stupid devotion vouchsafed her by wooden men who do not know why they serve her, but what she loves is the intelligent loyalty of thinking men who have a reason for the faith that is in them.”

A ritual is merely the vehicle by which we convey to the minds and hearts of men moral precepts and great truths; if it has for its object any other purpose, it is merely sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. Our ritual is an exposition surfeited with excellent maxims of right living. We in Illinois acknowledge no superiors in the matter of ritualistic perfection. In the midst of our present ecstacy of ritualism it might be well to inquire whether our oral moralizing tends to better living or is it merely a revel in fine words and agreeable rhetoric. It is one thing to talk Masonry, but to think it and act it is quite another. There is a vast difference between Masonry of the tongue and Masonry of the deed. The whole trouble with our present system is that it does not teach men to think but to remember. We will never have better Masons until we have more thinking Masons, for the thinker is he who strives to awaken from the dream of life in which the multitude pass a listless existence.

It is a fact that the burden of our lodges is today carried forward by about ten percent of the membership. The greatest problem which confronts us is how to interest the 90 percent of dues-paying non-attending members. So long as we offer them nothing but a program of degrees ground out by rule and rote we can hope for little improvement.

I am a supporter of the study side of Masonry and believe that we should exert our best endeavors toward an understanding of our history, traditions and symbolism. Believing such to be a necessary part of the education of every Mason, I arranged with the Board of Grand Examiners for the introduction of two thirty-minute talks at our schools upon the subject of history and symbolism.

While the innovation was not well received by some of our ritualistic brethren, I believe that some good was accomplished in bringing about a better understanding of the history of the fraternity, as well as stimulating many brethren toward individual Masonic study and research.

I would not for one moment advocate the abatement of the diligence exerted toward correctly teaching our ritual, nor would I abandon our present system of schools, but I would urge that means be adopted that will bring to the Masons of Illinois a better understanding of the institution of which they are members. Doubtless this can best be accomplished in the lodges themselves, by the formation of study clubs, the promotion of lectures and addresses by competent brethren, and by reading Masonic books. The subject is well worthy of serious thought and I leave it to the earnest consideration of the progressive Masons of this great state.

     

‘Masonic University to reopen’

    

The academic year without the Temple is winding down, but it’s just getting started within. MW Steven Adam Rubin announced Thursday the pending revamp of Masonic University! In a letter to the Craft, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New York writes:

I am proud to share that the Grand Lodge of New York is in the process of relaunching Masonic University—a renewed commitment to Masonic education, scholarship, and the pursuit of Light.

As part of this initiative, I have convened a dedicated committee of Brothers passionate about Masonic research to develop a Masonic Scholars Program, modeled after successful efforts in other jurisdictions and appendant bodies. This self-paced journey of learning and discovery will deepen general Masonic knowledge, culminating in the writing of a publishable scholarly paper on a topic of the Brother’s choosing.

Each participant will be guided by a personal mentor, assisting with both research and writing. The curriculum will be structured in five progressive levels, each building upon the last:

Level 1: Foundations of Academic Paper Writing

Level 2: World History of Freemasonry

Level 3: The Degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason

Level 4: Freemasonry in New York

Level 5: Scholarly Paper and Presentation

Each level will include both required and elective readings, along with written submissions and reflections. Upon completion, Brothers will earn a distinguished scholar designation, complete with a jewel and formal recognition.

This program is not just about knowledge—it is about igniting minds, deepening bonds, and cultivating a culture of thoughtful leadership. Let this be the age of the Scholar Mason—curious, enlightened, and dedicated to truth.

Let us study, let us write, and let us build something that will last because this is our time.

While more information will be disseminated during the summer months, questions should be directed here.

If I understand, Masonic University’s earlier incarnation involved the Masonic Development Course, which is good, but what is promised here sounds much more demanding. Can’t wait to enroll! (I hope they don’t ask about my SATs.)

     

‘A belated peek at a last look at a Royal Arch temple’

    

Postcard of the former home of Goodwin Chapter 36 of Royal Arch Masons in New Jersey.

Haven’t posted a Flashback Friday on The Magpie Mason in a long time, but recently something reminded me of a visit to an unusual building fifteen years ago that I never told you about. The owners of a property, once a Masonic temple, in Manasquan, New Jersey were preparing to sell. In the process, they let it be known that if Masons and their families desired one last look, the doors of 168 Main Street would be open to them for a little while on Saturday, January 9. This was 2010.

With a cornerstone-laying ceremony by the Grand Lodge on Friday, October 12, 1923, this building is unique because it was a Masonic temple without a lodge. Instead it had a Royal Arch chapter!

With commercial space downstairs, the upstairs housed an Egyptian-motif (remember, this is 1923) chapter room with all the architecture necessary for Goodwin Chapter 36 to confer the degrees of Capitular Masonry.

Those were the days. Masonic membership was exploding during the 1920s in a boom that started during World War I and continued into the economic boom times of the twenties. Lodges proliferated, real estate was acquired and developed, the appendant bodies flourished, supply companies thrived in their sales of regalia, furniture, and everything else.

(There was a Craft lodge in Manasquan. Wall 73 was located all of two-tenths of a mile up Main Street at the corner of South Street.)

Goodwin Chapter had been around a long while by the time this building went up. Goodwin was constituted October 2, 1882 during a previous golden age as the Masonic fraternity shook off the injuries of the anti-masonic scare and grew during and after the Civil War. Goodwin 36 is long gone, having amalgamated at some point with Hiram 1, together becoming Goodwin-Hiram Chapter 1 in Toms River.

I have no information on the architect, so I can’t promise you this room has any of the kind of accurate details as are found in Egyptian Hall inside the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia.

Anyway, I shot a few dozen photos during my visit that January day. The chapter room was said to have gone untouched for approximately fifty years. For some reason, everything was painted white at some point, making many of my photos look one dimensional and unimpressive. I had to tinker with some of these to elicit a little detail. Still, I’m glad I got to see this.

Not sure why I never got around to sharing all this until today.

Probably not the archaeological accuracy of Egyptian Hall in Philly.

Guessing there’s a crypt underneath.

Grand Chapter proceedings inside a Herring Hall Marvin Safe Co. safe.

I’m not familiar with this brand. I wonder if it was made
in Trenton with Clear Havana leaf.