‘Bling and things’

Masonic Week 2010: Toye USA

The generous and gracious underwriter of what was to be The Art of Initiation is Toye USA, the brand new subsidiary of Toye, Kenning & Spencer, Ltd., maker of jewels and regalia for the British royal family for the past 325 years.

With a sizable display staffed by Michael Seay and Charles Toye himself, the firm introduced itself to the American Masonic market. Michael can be reached at:  mike.seay@toye.com

Bro. John and Bro. Christopher check out the goods at Toye USA’s display at Masonic Week 2010 earlier this month. (More on Bro. John and his wares tomorrow.) And yes, that is a miter in the background!

I have bad news for the existing suppliers of Masonic regalia and supplies: Toye USA is going to clobber you. Simpson, Klitzner, Luther, LAFSCO, et al. have been selling inferior goods at premium prices for years, but now you have a competitor who will take your clientele away by delivering beautiful products at competitive prices. Oh, and their wares are manufactured in Britain, not China.

The photos speak for themselves:

As above: The Master Mason apron frequently seen in lodges in Britain, and increasingly in the United States, in lodges that are allowed to choose their own regalia without a uniformity mandated by their grand lodges. The brethren of John’s Lodge No. 1 in New York City wear this apron.

So below: Another such lodge is Lodge Vitruvian No. 767 in Indianapolis, Indiana, which adopted several characteristics of the European Concept movement. Note the officer collar as well. (Sorry for the shadow. Unavoidable, thanks to the nearby window.)

As above: The English Royal Arch grand rank apron. Also seen elsewhere in the English-speaking Masonic world. Please do not think that Toye provides only English regalia. They specialize in bespoke craftsmanship, and will make your regalia according to your specifications.

So below: You didn’t think I’d miss the 18° apron of Rose Croix, did you?

Two aprons – Top: Mark Master Mason. Bottom: Royal Ark Mariner.

Collars, clockwise from right: Rose Croix, Kadosh & another Rose Croix.
Below: Close-up shot of Knight Kadosh collar.

Above: A variety of Ark Mariner, Order of Secret Monitor, Royal Arch,

Rose Croix, Royal Order of Scotland and other interesting specimens.

Above and below: Assortments of breast jewels and badges.

Toye USA makes custom pieces for lodges. Above: Publicity Lodge No. 1000 in New York City commissioned these jewels and cufflinks for its members. Mounted on the card at top are lapel pins in the style worn by the Masonic Rosicrucians: a simple round pin on a protruding rosette. Red is for Independent Royal Arch Lodge No. 2, and orange is for Holland Lodge No. 8, both in the First Manhattan District of the Grand Lodge of New York.

As above: Cufflinks in the blue of Craft Masonry.

So below: The rainbow of Royal Ark Mariner.

Actually, these photos do not speak well for themselves. The lighting was impossible, due to the display tables being set next to the windows, resulting in all kinds of shadows and yellow glare. And besides, one truly must hold these objects. There is a tactile pleasure to be enjoyed. The weight of the metals, and the lustre of their colors and enameling. The thickness of fabrics, and intricacies of embroidery. The faithfulness to symbols, and creativity of designs. Really wonderful.

P.S.     I hate the word bling. Hate it.

‘National Brotherhood Week’

There used to be a society named the National Conference for Community and Justice (regional organizations remain today), which managed to advance a cause resulting in the third week of February being designated National Brotherhood Week. In retrospect, with the irony and detachment so affordable in 2010 with our precisely crafted à la carte “holidays” and postage stamps patronizing persons and causes of dubious merits and tribal identities, it’s so innocent. But irony is timeless. More than 40 years ago, the great Tom Lehrer held up this annual celebration to the cold gray light of human nature.

Take it away, Maestro:



Couldn’t let the third week of February come to a close without a salute to the ideals of National Brotherhood Week. Have a great weekend! Magpie coverage of Masonic Week 2010 will resume next week.

‘Scottish Rite, PHA style’

Tuesday night was a memorable one for Northern New Jersey Chapter of Rose Croix on the occasion of the visit of Ill. John Bettis, 33º, Grand Inspector General and 2nd Lt. Commander of the Council of Deliberation, Orient of New Jersey, A&ASR, PHA. But don’t let the lengthy titles fool you; John is one of the most down to earth men in Freemasonry.

He spoke for about 90 minutes on history, customs, usages, and other aspects of Prince Hall Scottish Rite Masonry. I wish it could have gone on a little bit longer because I wanted to ask him to describe his jurisdiction’s methods of working degrees. I think there is a lot that our PHA brethren can teach us. But what he did reveal was, I trust, enlightening to his audience. For example, the rituals and the degree structure of the Prince Hall United Supreme Council Northern Jurisdiction closely resemble those of the Mother Supreme Council. In fact, the PHA brethren are closer to the original model than we are.

And while this might be an apt time to quip about our Northern Masonic Jurisdiction’s “George Washington Degree,” and the often lamented absence of orthodoxy it represents, allow me to share Ill. Bettis’ explanation of his jurisdiction’s 20º, which he said includes a section titled “The Light of Patriotism,” with ritual that places Bro. Washington and Bro. Prince Hall together in discussion on the rights of free men of color to bear arms and fight in the Revolutionary War which, in turn, led to a historical point. In 1812, when British forces were preparing to assault Philadelphia, approximately 3,000 men of color assembled at the port to defend their city. A reporter asked if former slaves really were going to defend the nation, to which W. Bro. Richard Allen said “This land, which is made by our tears and our blood, is our mother land.”

Bettis opened some eyes with his talk of W. Allen. He is the father of the African Methodist Episcopal Church movement, as well as a founding father of Prince Hall Masonry. “In the African-American community, the two oldest institutions are the AME church and Prince Hall Masonry,” Bettis said. “Wherever an AME church was founded, a Masonic lodge went with it.”

He covered a lot in an hour and a half, more than can be repeated here. But he does want everyone to know that on May 13, the Prince Hall Conference of Grand Masters will meet in Boston, at which time the Prince Hall Monument at Cambridge Common will be dedicated, and where the original charter of African Lodge No. 459 will be temporarily removed from its home in a bank vault, and placed on display.

The Magpie News Service hopes to cover that event.

Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis

Masonic Week 2010: The Rosicrucians

The High Council Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis (Rosicrucian Society of the United States) met on Thursday.

From left: Thurman, Marcel, Rob, David, X, and Billy.

Left: Tony Clifton.

Right: David Dixon Goodwin, IX°, GC, Junior Deputy Supreme Magus.

Grand Archivist David Lindez, IX°, GC

and Sean Graystone, IX°, Third Acolyte.

Left: Thurman C. Pace, Jr., Past Supreme Magus.

Right: Aaron Shoemaker, IX°, Director of Ceremonies.

David with Supreme Magus William H. Koon II, IX°, KGC.

David D. Goodwin with X.

(Sorry for the blur. I shot this from very far away.)

Richard Van Doren, left, with Thurman C. Pace, Jr.

     

‘Appointments and disappointments’

The helpful calls and e-mails reminding the Magpie Mason to post information and photos of Masonic Week 2010 cannot go ignored forever (even though I haven’t even been home 24 hours yet and still haven’t unpacked the car!) Here is the first of maybe half a dozen posts on last week’s fun and frivolity. More to come this week and maybe next.

Masonic Week 2010

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities

In previous years, this body of water on the hotel grounds was a bubbling fountain, but last week it was a tundra after 30 inches of snow and bitter cold winds knocked the Washington, DC area off its feet.

The Magpie Mason looks forward to Masonic Week the way a kid anticipates the start of summer vacation. It’s a few precious days of catching up with old friends from across the country and around the world, with countless opportunities to make new friends. Along the way, there are meetings, banquets, hospitality suites, private huddles, lobby networking, secret rituals, public embarrassments, cocktails, venal politicians, egos (both inflated and bruised varieties), and a parade of old white guys whose drawls make Strother Martin sound like Alistair Cooke. In short, a lengthy schedule of appointments (with inevitable disappointments) crammed into four days inside a Hilton.

My coverage of last year’s Masonic Week was entirely positive, but the same will not be said of what you’re about to read. The trouble began with snow, a form of frozen precipitation not unknown to the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, yet still capable of shocking just about everyone there into paralysis. Snow doesn’t hit that area either as frequently or as forcefully as it impacts the Northeast or other regions that are only a degree or three latitudinally north of the Mid Atlantic, but its appearance is not exactly one of the Ten Plagues of Exodus either. I mean, they have snowplows, and shovels, and boots, and gloves, and previous experience with snow. So what’s so confusing? The snow falls, you clear it, and you carry on with life as though it is possible to live with some snow on the ground, because it is possible. Okay, okay, in all fairness we’re talking about record snowfalls landing only a few days apart, but why must the recovery take so long?

What I’m cranky about is the cancellation of the two events that most drew me to Alexandria in the first place, plus some other discouraging events that require cautious explanation. The first event was to have been the “The Art of Initiation” at the George Washington Masonic Memorial. I was very fortunate to have been invited to take part in the planning of this event. Actually, that dates to the summer of 2008, when the original idea was to showcase the practices of Traditional Observance lodges for the attendees of Masonic Week 2009. This was to involve brethren from New York who would give lectures, and a lodge in Washington, DC that would exemplify Emulation ritual. So what happened? The Grand Lodge of New York withdrew its recognition of the Grand Lodge of DC just in time to kill the event, an eventuality resembling an act of God for its sudden and improbable freakishness. Fast forward one year, and this time the event is killed by an actual act of God: 30 inches of snow dumped on a city that wets itself when three measly inches are forecast.

Ever have the feeling the Grand Architect is trying to tell you something?

In February 2008 we sat at this table smoking cigars in the mild weather. No chance of that this year.

There is some vague, noncommittal talk of holding “The Art of Initiation” later this year, perhaps autumn, so maybe we’ll just get some locusts. Anyway, I doubt my New York brethren will have time to visit Virginia for a one-night engagement.

The second event called on account of snow was the annual top secret meeting of The Cabal* at Gadsby’s Tavern. We would have met Thursday at 12:30 p.m., more than 24 hours after the snow stopped falling. Despite that respite from the snow, it was not possible to get the tavern open for business, a situation so foreign to me that I still cannot believe it.

And there was more aggravation. The title of this edition of The Magpie Mason conveys cheeky innuendo understood completely only by myself and two other guys, but your imagination will work. And the final blemish on The Week That Was involves a childish anti-Semitic jape spoken proudly in unmistakable clarity in a group conversation in the middle of the hotel lobby. There we stood: myself, two truly distinguished VIPs visiting from Britain, several other fine Masons we all could look up to, and this other person: an effete little fop.

We were enjoying nostalgic discussion of things British, in the context of quality goods that cannot be had today, specifically a certain style of automobile, when Mr. Fop, in a conspicuously lordly voice as he tried to impress the Englishmen with his Grey Pouponness, says “Surely you know the Jew’s Canoe – the Jaguar!” I directed my eyes to the floor. Everyone else ignored him.

Now, first of all, every third-grade bully knows the proper usage is “Jew Canoe.” There is no possessive form, or any apostrophe at all. The little moron couldn’t get that right, so maybe he’s inexperienced at this, but the next time I hear something like that out of him, I’m gonna grab his little turkey neck and give him the lesson in manners his inbred alcoholic parents should have given him 30 years ago. The little priss will read this eventually, and I’m sure he is bright enough to recognize himself. Selah.

The beautiful scenery outside the Alexandria Mark Hilton.

Oh, and did I mention the hotel bar was closed Friday and Saturday nights?

Sorry for the negativity folks, but venting is cathartic. (Perhaps alchemical?) I promise the forthcoming reportage of Masonic Week will resume in The Magpie Mason’s customary cheerful tone and optimistic outlook. The rest of Masonic Week 2010 was just fine. Or, in other words, “It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times,” but next time it snows, I stay home.


*There is no Cabal.

‘The Secret of Kells’

Magpie coverage of Masonic Week 2010 is in the works, and will be posted serially this week.

Courtesy The Blog of Kells.

A little known film from Ireland that hasn’t even been released yet in America has garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature, and I’d say every thinking Freemason should at least be aware of it. The Secret of Kells tells of Brendan, age 12, an apprentice of sorts who is initiated into the mysteries of the calligraphic art of illumination. His goal is to complete ‘The Book of Kells,’ that publishing marvel from about the eighth century, also known as the Book of Columba. The Catholic Encyclopedia says:

No words can describe the beauty and the extreme splendor of the richly colored initial letters, which are more profuse in the ‘Book of Kells’ than in any other manuscript. The only thing to which they can be compared is a bed of many colored crocuses and tulips or the very finest stained glass window, which they equal in beauty of coloring and rival in delicacy of ornament and drawing. The artist possessed a wonderful knowledge of the proportion of color and the distribution of his material – sienna, purple, lilac, red, pink, green, yellow, the colors most often used – and he managed the shading and tinting of the letters with consummate taste and skill. It is remarkable that there is no trace of the use of silver or gold on the vellum. Sometimes the colors are laid on in thick layers to give the appearance of enamel, and are here and there as bright and soft and lustrous as when put on fresh more than twelve hundred years ago. Even the best photographic and color reproductions give but a faint idea of the beauty of the original. Especially worthy of notice is the series of illuminated miniatures, including pictorial representations of the Evangelists and their symbols, the Blessed Virgin and the Divine Child, the temptation of Jesus, and Jesus seized by the Jews. These pictures reach their culminating point in what is, in some respects, the most marvelous example of workmanship that the world has ever produced, namely the full page monogram XPI which occurs in the text of the Gospel of St. Matthew. It is no wonder that it was for a long time believed that the ‘Book of Kells’ could have been written only by angels.

Not a bad review.

Regarding content, the Encyclopedia says the book is:

An Irish manuscript containing the Four Gospels, a fragment of Hebrew names, and the Eusebian canons, known also as the ‘Book of Columba,’ probably because it was written in the monastery of Iona to honor the saint. It is likely that it is to this book that the entry in the ‘Annals of Ulster’ under the year 1006 refers, recording that in that year the ‘Gospel of Columba’ was stolen. According to tradition, the book is a relic from the time of Columba (d. 597) and even the work of his hands, but, on paleographic grounds and judging by the character of the ornamentation, this tradition cannot be sustained, and the date of the composition of the book can hardly be placed earlier than the end of the seventh or beginning of the eighth century. This must be the book which the Welshman, Geraldus Cambrensis, saw at Kildare in the last quarter of the 12th century and which he describes in glowing terms. We next hear of it at the cathedral of Kells (Irish Cenannus) in Meath, a foundation of Columba’s, where it remained for a long time, or until the year 1541. In the 17th century Archbishop Ussher presented it to Trinity College, Dublin, where it is the most precious manuscript in the college library and by far the choicest relic of Irish art that has been preserved. In it is to be found every variety of design typical of Irish art at its best.

I have not seen this film, nor can I find solid information on any general or even limited release, which is amazing given the Oscar nomination. I really do look forward to seeing this though, because even a quick glance at the website reveals all kinds of esoteric and spiritual imagery and themes. The plot echoes countless hero myths. Its climax drips Manichean thinking. Visit the Image Gallery and behold the numerous depictions of familiar ritualistic elements, all beautifully stylized. There appears to be: sacred geometry (Fibonacci), a circle of union, a wizardly mentor/guide, a challenge to overcome fear and undertake a rough and rugged journey, and even a Jonah-like trial of being swallowed by a beast.

Of the film’s conclusion, the website suspensefully asks “Will Brendan succeed in his quest to illuminate the darkness and prove that enlightenment is the best fortification against barbarians?” Can you say “Rose Croix ritual?”

Disney trailer courtesy of Cartoon Saloon on Vimeo.

The name Brendan is the anglicized form of the Irish name Bréanainn, which in turn derives from the Welsh for “prince.” Saint Brendan, also known as “Brendan the Voyager,” was a sixth century Irish abbot who, legend says, crossed the Atlantic and reached North America with 17 other monks.

‘A King in New York’

     
Thirty-two years ago, the Magpie Mason was the Magpie Elementary School Student, and I was lucky to have gone on a class trip to New York City to view treasures discovered in 1922 inside the tomb of King Tutankhamun. The exhibit left a big impression in my mind, and for many years I re-read the catalogue sold by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, trying to discern what message, if any, from a 3,300-year-old pharaoh might be of value today. I still do not know the answer to that, but Freemasonry has taught me, if nothing else, to observe symbols. So the iconic image of this pharaoh’s coffin, with enigmatic crook and flail, gained a new meaning for me as a Freemason.

Left: The Canopic Coffin of Tutankhamun was one of four miniature coffins that contained the young pharaoh’s internal organs – his heart and vitals, if you will. Tutankhamun, who died at age 18, ruled during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom. Right: The 18° of the AASR is signified by a posture noticeably similar to the coffin’s design. (Watercolor of Knight Rose Croix courtesy of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction.)

Last July, it was W. Bro. Tim Hogan of Enlightenment Lodge No. 198 in Colorado who showed me the connection. In a thread in the discussion forum of The Masonic Society, he explained how a sign used in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite very closely resembles the placement of hands shown in depictions of pharaohs, like the bejeweled, golden likenesses of King Tutankhamun.

The crook and flail are explained by Dr. I.E.S. Edwards (1909-96), former keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum, who authored the catalogue Treasures of Tutankhamun (1976) that documented the Tutankhamun artifacts, the historic tour of which was organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He writes:

“Although the crook and the flail were most often represented as emblems of the god Osiris, they were also carried on some ceremonial occasions, besides the coronation, by the reigning pharaoh. Very occasionally the crook was held by viceroys of Nubia and also by viziers. A painted scene of tribute from Asia in the tomb of Tutankhamun’s viceroy of Nubia, Huy, shows the king holding both the crook and flail in his left hand and the sign for ‘life’ (ankh) in his right, while the viceroy holds a crook, but no flail, in his left hand and a single ostrich plume in his right. Only rarely is the flail shown in the hands of priests or officials and such instances are limited to scenes of royal jubilee festivals. Notwithstanding these sporadic exceptions, the crook and the flail were essentially Osirian emblems, though possibly not so in origin. Osiris is believed to have acquired them from Andjeti, the local god of a town in the Delta named Djedu, who was represented in human form with two feathers on his head and holding the crook and flail in his hands. At a very early date in Egyptian history Osiris absorbed Andjeti and adopted his insignia. Osiris, however, was regarded not only as a god, but also as a deified deceased king and consequently his insignia, particularly the crook and flail, were treated as symbols of royalty.

It is not difficult to imagine how a shepherd’s crook could have acquired the symbolical significance of rulership. Its name in Egyptian is heqat and the most common word for ‘ruler’ is heqa. Not unnaturally it has been compared with the crosier, the Christian pastoral staff. A flail (called nekhakha), however, seems out of character for a kindly and beneficent god like Osiris, and for this reason some authorities prefer to regard it as a ladanisterion, a flail-like instrument used until the present day by shepherds in the Mediterranean region and elsewhere for collecting ladanum, a gummy substance excreted from the leaves of the cistus plant. According to classical writers, it was used in the preparation of incense and unguents. This suggestion, proposed by the late Professor P.E. Newberry who helped in the clearance of Tutankhamun’s tomb, is plausible, but, as yet, there is no clear evidence that the cistus plant grew in Egypt in pharaonic times.”

For its part, the ritual motion affected during the 18° also has significance from symbolic shepherding in antiquity. It is defined in Isaiah: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom.” (40:11, King James Version).

Anyway, I point this out now because Tutankhamun’s treasures will return to New York in April for a 36-week exhibition at Discovery Times Square Exposition. I plan to visit, and I recommend it to you too. In fact, discounts on tickets are available to groups, so organize your Chapter of Rose Croix and get over there. Tickets go on sale next month. The exhibit will close January 2, 2011.

Hanging in the Hall of Scottish Rite Regalia inside the House of the Temple in Washington are 36 oil paintings by Robert H. White, 32°. Shown here is 18th Degree: Knight of Rose Croix which depicts the apron, collar, and jewel of the degree. Read about its symbology here.

     

‘The Commander and Chief’

John J. Corrigan reads the charter of Northern New Jersey Council No. 10 during his installation as Excellent Chief Thursday night at Pantagis Renaissance in Scotch Plains. From left: Installing Officer Thurman C. Pace, Jr., outgoing Excellent Chief Richard A. Hammill, and Corrigan. (Rich doesn’t usually look so menacing!)

Thursday night was the first meeting of the new year for Northern New Jersey Council No. 10 of the Order of Knight Masons. Time for the installation of officers. Our new Excellent Chief is John J. Corrigan.

This year will be a busy one for Corrigan, who also will be installed as Right Eminent Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of New Jersey in March, and who will be coroneted a 33° Scottish Rite Mason in August when Supreme Council meets in Philadelphia.

Our council also celebrated the 86th birthday of Thurman C. Pace, Jr., Past Most Excellent Great Chief of the Grand Council of Knight Masons of the United States (and our “go to guy” whenever it’s time to install the officers of these little known York Rite bodies).

Blowing out the candles - Instead of a globe-warming 86 candles on Thurman’s birthday cake, there was a “mystic nine.”

The Order of Knight Masons is an honorary body within the York Rite of Freemasonry. Membership is invitational and open only to Royal Arch Masons. Created circa 1790, it works the “Green Degrees” of Irish Freemasonry, concerning the Second Temple in Jerusalem. This council and Southern New Jersey Council No. 11, are the two Knight Masons councils in our state, both chartered in 1968.

Our next meeting will be Thursday, May 20.

‘The fruits of labor at Alpha’

     

W. Bro. David Lindez, left, receives the thanks of Alpha Lodge No. 116 from Worshipful Master Kevin and District Deputy Grand Master Fred Waldron Wednesday night. David was Master last year.

We enjoyed a nice evening at Alpha Lodge the other night with a fun, interactive program complemented by a heartfelt gesture by the lodge in salute to its junior Past Master.

The meeting began with Worshipful Master Kevin calling W. Bro. David Lindez to the East, where he was presented with an etched golden plaque commemorating his service to Alpha Lodge in 2009 – when The Magpie Mason conferred upon it the nickname “The Provincial Grand Lodge of Essex County.” If you read this blog with any regularity last year, you learned of the world renowned lecturers and other visitors who made stops at Alpha Lodge, surely testaments to W. Bro. Lindez’s qualities as a man and a Mason. Bro. Rob Morton, Senior Warden, was summoned to the East for the purpose of awarding David his Past Master’s jewel and ring.

The program for the evening was a multifaceted group presentation united under a theme one might term “The fruits of labor.” Five presenters took turns in a kind of show-and-tell format, giving talks and displaying items to make the point that working hard in Freemasonry yields benefits of health and happiness, with the possibility of acceptance into Masonry’s invitational and honorary orders to boot.

Bro. Gerard, recently returned from a trip to the Holy Land, spoke on the Tree of Life, pointing out the parallels between this timeless esoteric map of the spirit to the meaning of Masonry. Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty are not only supports of a lodge; they epitomize vigorous health of psyche, body, and spirit.

W. Bro. Franklin of Nutley Lodge No. 25, also recently passed from the Master’s chair, likewise worked wonders during his year in the East, dispensing Light to the brethren with the help of an impressive itinerary of guest lecturers and with a variety of very enjoyable activities. You may have read about these meetings on this blog also.

Left: W. Bro. Franklin displays his replica George Washington apron.

Right: Bro. Gerard explains the Tree of Life.

Franklin talked frankly about what Masonry means to him, and what he has gained from his experience as Worshipful Master. For “Show and Tell,” he gave the brethren an eyeful of the beautiful apron his lodge gave him. Not the constitutionally mandated lambskin bordered with purple grosgrain–although he got one of those too–but a wonderful reproduction of the apron presented to Bro. George Washington in 1784 by the Marquis de Lafayette.

Bro. José, also from Nutley Lodge, and a newly initiated brother of the Allied Masonic Degrees, spoke enthusiastically of the AMD. Franklin and José are among the charter members of Alexandria Council No. 478, one of the four(!) AMD councils chartered in New Jersey in 2009.

José displayed AMD regalia (aprons, breast jewels, etc.), connecting each piece to its corresponding degree, and explained these time honored degrees, sometimes with the help of W. Lindez.

Bro. José displays the miniature jewels of the AMD.

Yours truly spoke of The Masonic Society, careful to point out how membership is not invitational, and that all that is required is a curious mind desirous of further Light in Masonry. Circulating copies of all six issues published thus far of The Journal of The Masonic Society, I explained the philosophy of the publisher: to offer a top quality periodical that delivers solid scholarship, colorful current events, insightful opinion, fiction, poetry, helpful advertisements, and more – the way the excellent Masonic magazines of the early 20th century did, but this time with state-of-the-art layout and design.

The Magpie Mason does a lot of work in Freemasonry–frankly, more than is healthy–and nothing instills more pride than my association with The Masonic Society. Since introducing ourselves in 2008, membership in the Society has grown to more than 1,000. Issue No. 7 of The Journal is now arriving in our members’ mailboxes, and our on-line discussion forum is buzzing with 650 members discussing 3,300 topics. And we’re getting ready for our second annual Gathering and Banquet on February 12 in Alexandria, Virginia at Masonic Week. In addition, local events, called Second Circle meetings, are taking place all over the United States and Canada, with one in the works for Britain too! It is exhilarating to eyewitness such success.

After my spiel, several other Masonic Society members rose spontaneously to say how much they too love the magazine. José said when he receives each new issue of The Journal, he stays awake late into the night reading it from cover to cover. That was one of the more tame endorsements offered. And then, our Master of Ceremonies thoughtfully held up a stack of Masonic Society membership applications, asking “Who wants one of these?” Nearly every brother in the room stuck out a hand to get one. Thanks for that, guys.

And speaking of our intrepid Master of Ceremonies, it was none other than X who brought us all together, kept us all on topic, and thematically tied together our presentations... with calisthenics thrown in too! (The Magpie Mason is unable to share the memorable photo of the exercising, for fear of being pummeled.) Seriously though, think about that. Imagine a couple of minutes near the start of a lodge meeting devoted to some simple stretching exercises to get the blood circulating, awakening the body and mind. I’m a strong advocate of adding a moment of silence to the early minutes of a meeting for the sake of tranquility, but the perfect complement to this would be, let’s say, a “moment of motion!” Just a minute of stretching arms, legs, back, and neck to maintain alertness. (Or maybe your lodge has no one napping on the sidelines!)

X’s own talk included a show-and-tell display of the replica claymore given to him in thanks by his grateful commandery, the excellent Trinity No. 17. But more importantly he shared with us the numerous pieces of “bling” (his word). In what really could be the most important remarks of the evening, thanks to their candor and brevity, X said these beautiful aprons, medals, jewels, collars, sashes, and swords are not to be treasured for their impressive appearances or intrinsic values, but they must be seen as symbols of the intangible: the spreading of Brotherly Love, the readiness to extend Relief, the resolute upholding of Truth. It was a blunt challenge to our senses of duty and honor which, to be honest, needs to be heard much more often in this fraternity. I’m sure we all have seen instances of titles and privileges being bestowed with undue generosity, which of course devalues the fraternity itself, to say nothing of reducing its regalia to gimcrackery.

Yes, it was a great night at Alpha. As usual.


The Magpie Mason will be the guest lecturer at Alpha Lodge’s Regular Communication of Wednesday, May 26. Topic: “Death: Why I’m Looking Forward to It!”
     

‘Mozart at 254’

Mustn’t let the day end without wishing Bro. Mozart a happy 254th birthday. Also, might as well remind readers of The Magpie Mason in the New York area that Mostly Mozart is coming.

For 22 nights this summer, Lincoln Center’s annual Mostly Mozart music festival will fill the air with our timeless Brother’s immortal music.

Bro. Haydn and others will be included in the festival also.


The complete schedule has been taken down from the Lincoln Center website, but tickets will become available before too long. It had been announced that ticket holders will have the added benefit of taking in free recitals and lectures almost every night before the concerts, so make a full night of it by having dinner a little earlier. (Tragically, Café des Artistes closed last August, but of course plenty of excellent restaurants in the neighborhood remain.)

Of Mozart’s Masonic music, both the July 31 and August 1 concerts in Avery Fisher Hall will begin with the Overture to The Magic Flute, featuring Piotr Anderszewski on piano.

The August 16 performance (seating at 3 p.m.) of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment will feature his very well known Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major, K.482. The composer debuted this piece in December of 1785, reportedly at a musical academy sponsored by a Masonic lodge. Specifically it is the piece’s third movement that everyone is bound to recognize.

‘Daniel D. Tompkins remembered’

“The Best of the Rest of 2009” continues on The Magpie Mason. I’d better wrap this up before the end of the month, eh?


On Monday, November 9, the New York City Chapter of U.S. Daughters of 1812 hosted its service of commemoration and grave-marking to honor Daniel D. Tompkins (1774-1825). The U.S. Daughters’ interest in Tompkins stems from his service as Governor of New York, and Vice President of the United States, and as a crucial financier of the American war effort of 1812. This historical society had held a similar ceremony 70 years earlier, almost to the day, when it dedicated a bronze bust of Tompkins in the yard at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, where he is laid to rest.

Was Tompkins a Freemason? Not only was he a Mason, he was Grand Master of New York, and the first Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (Northern Masonic Jurisdiction).

Freemasonry became involved, if I understand it correctly, almost by accident. Bro. Isaac Moore of Mariners Lodge No. 67 in New York City happened upon Tompkins’ gravesite one day. Struck by the neglected condition of the burial place, he let the brethren know how this illustrious Mason’s final resting place could benefit from some rehabilitation. One of the Masons Isaac had spoken to was Cliff Jacobs, 33° of St. John’s Lodge No. 1 and the Valley of New York City. Ill. Cliff discovered the U.S. Daughters’ project to fix up the gravesite, and the Daughters welcomed the brethren into the endeavor.

The affair on November 9 was a very special and memorable occasion, as I hope these photos will convey.

The final resting place of Daniel D. Tompkins. Governor of New York. Vice President of the United States. Grand Master of New York. Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

The Veteran Corps of Artillery, State of New York, founded in 1790, served as the color guard for the ceremony.

Freemasonry was represented in numbers that day. That is John Mauk Hilliard at left, accepting a presentation from Anne Farley, Mary Raye Casper, and Emily Malloy of U.S. Daughters of 1812. Also present were Peter Samiec, 33°, Deputy for New York; RW Vincent Libone, Deputy Grand Master of New York; W. Kenneth Lorentzen, Master of Tompkins Lodge No. 471; and several dozen others. Malloy was chairman of U.S. Daughters’ Tompkins Commemoration Committee.

Participants and guests gather outside the church at the gravesite for prayer and the rededication.

Left: Brian G. Andersson, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Records and Information Services, presented a proclamation from Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Right: Dr. George Hill is a descendant of Daniel D. Tompkins.

The Rev. Michael Relyea of St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery reflected on the life of Daniel Tompkins, crediting him with outspoken support of Abolition, scores of years ahead of the Civil War, which Relyea attributed to the reversals of fortune Tompkins suffered at the end of his life.

Ill. John William McNaughton, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander of the AASR-NMJ, saluted his predecessor’s service to the American people and to Freemasonry.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery is located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Its yards contain the burial places of a number of early Dutch settlers of New York, most notably Petrus ‘Peter’ Stuyvesant, Captain General and Governor in Chief of Amsterdam in New Netherland (New York) and the Dutch West India Islands (1612-72).