'Finding Joe'

  
(With apologies to the makers of the recent film on Joseph Campbell.)

The Searchers Club held a very special meeting tonight, so special that the group required the Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library to serve as an appropriate setting. On the agenda was the unsealing of several mysterious parcels recently received from Japan, boxes containing Masonic treasures that excited our anticipation as we eagerly awaited the moment of unveiling.

Regalia, parchments, jewels, and ephemera of various kinds filled several cardboard cartons shipped to Bro. Darryl Perry in New York from his friend Diana in Japan, daughter of the late Ill. Joe Diele, a renowned Scottish Rite Mason in Japan.

Bro. Darryl & Bro. Earnest.

The medium-sized cardboard cartons were shipped by the daughter of the late Ill∴ Joe Diele, 33°, GC, a hard working Scottish Rite Mason of the Southern Jurisdiction who passed away in 2005. Not knowing what to do with so much regalia and ephemera, she sent them across the planet to her friend Bro. Darryl Perry of Joseph Warren-Gothic Lodge No. 934, who co-founded the Searchers Club with Bro. Earnest Hudson.

The group assembled included RW Tom Savini, director of the library; RW Bill Thomas, Grand Treasurer, RW Ron Steiner, public relations director; various club members; and other miscellaneous, curious Masons, like myself. None of us knew anything about our departed brother. All we had to go on was his obituary published in the May-June 2005 issue of The Scottish Rite Journal. It was up to the Mystic Tie to bring us together to share this moment of exploration and remembrance.

Please read about Bro. Diele here to get a better idea of his service to the Craft. For brevity here, I'll just let the photographs speak for themselves.

Ill. Diele received these jewels in recognition for presiding over three Scottish Rite bodies.

The jewels shown above are past presiding officer jewels. From left: Venerable Master of a Lodge of Perfection; Wise Master of a Chapter of Rose Croix; and Commander of a Council of Kadosh. Diele presided over these bodies in Tokyo. In 1973, he received the Knight Commander Court of Honour, and in 1975 the 33°. The following year he was appointed Deputy for Japan and Korea, and served until his retirement, only several months before his death. In 2001, Supreme Council bestowed on him its top honor, Grand Cross of the Court of Honour.

Ill. Bro. Diele was not a mere office-holder or title-chaser. His leadership extended into the work from which true legacies are founded. Please do read that obituary for the details, but to offer a few highlights, Diele brought the Tokyo Masonic Center to fruition. He was honored with the Takashi Komatsu Distinguished Service Medal from the Grand Lodge of Japan, and even was an Honorary Past Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Japan, and was an Honorary Marshal of the District Grand Lodge of Scotland in Hong Kong. Honors such as these are not awarded frivolously or frequently.

From left: the jewels of the Thirty-Third Degree and Knight Commander of the Court of Honour, both Scottish Rite honors, and the Joseph Warren Medal from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

RW Bro. John Chang inspects a certificate awarded to Ill. Diele.

Obviously death figures largely in Masonic thinking and practice. How many other fraternal orders have their own ritualized funeral services? "To live respected, and die regretted" is how the ideal is phrased often.

And then there are all those things we leave behind. Maybe a bookshelf of Masonic literature. Carry cases full of aprons, caps, fezzes, and other clothing. White gloves. The leather-like snap cases containing highly ornamental gold medals. Gold always is valuable, especially today. Lapel pins by the score. Plaques, certificates, souvenirs. So much more. Where does it all go after we ourselves are gone?

Into the trash, mostly, except for the gold. Maybe for sale on eBay or somewhere. Perhaps occasionally given back to the brother's lodge, which already has an abundance of such inventory.

As explained above, the daughter of the late Ill. Diele, not knowing how to properly care for these Masonic items seven years after the death of her father, shipped them all to Bro. Darryl. During our enjoyable meeting to salute the memory of our late brother, Darryl decided to return everything to Japan, not back to Diana, but to the Tokyo Masonic Center, where the Masonic memory of Ill. Joe Diele deserves to serve others today and tomorrow as an inspiration. In that way, one overcomes the sting of death and robs the grave of victory. SMIB.

Bro. Earnest Hudson, RW Tom Savini, RW John Chang, Bro. Darryl Perry, and RW Ron Steiner.

     

'Perspectives'

    

Perspectives on American Freemasonry

and Fraternalism Symposium

Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library

Lexington, Massachusetts

Saturday, April 28

From the organizers:

The symposium seeks to present the newest research on American fraternal groups from the past through the present day. By 1900, more than 250 American fraternal groups existed, numbering 6 million members. The study of their activities and influence in the United States, past and present, offers the potential for fresh interpretations of American society and culture.

Seven scholars from the United States, Britain, and Belgium will fill the day’s program.

Jeffrey Tyssens, Vrije Universiteit Brussel – The Goatee’s Revenge: A Founding Myth and a Founder’s Cult in American Fraternalism. (Nota Magpie: I don't know what "Goatee" is. This scholar has written previously about the goat in American fraternalism, so I'm not expecting a talk on facial hair.)

Yoni Appelbaum, Brandeis University – The Great Brotherhood of Toil: The Knights of Labor as a Fraternal Order.

Adam G. Kendall, Henry W. Coil Library and Museum – The Shadow of the Pope: Anti Catholicism, Freemasonry, and the Knights of Columbus in 1910s California.

Samuel Biagetti, Columbia University – A Prehistoric Lodge in Rhode Island? – Masonry and the Messianic Moment.

Alyce Graham, University of Delaware – Secrecy and Democracy: Masonic Aprons, 1750-1830.

Bradley Kime, Brigham Young University – Masonic Motifs in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Kristofer Allerfeldt, University of Exeter – The Significance of Fraternalism in Three Criminal Organizations of Late Nineteenth Century America: The Mollie Maguires, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Mafia.

All symposium attendees are invited to a public lecture by Michael Halleran, Independent Scholar, titled Gentlemen of the White Apron: Freemasonry in the American Civil War. 1 p.m. in the Maxwell Auditorium.

Registration costs $65 per person ($60 for museum members), and includes morning refreshments, lunch, and a closing reception. To register, click here and follow the instructions.

It will be great to be with Bro. Adam and Dr. Kristofer again. Both are veterans of the first symposium at Lexington two years ago, and they also lectured at ICHF last spring. I'm really looking forward to this day. I recommend it without any equivocation, mental reservation, etc.
    

'Beyond the Craft'

     

Fear not. News and photos from Masonic Week 2012 are coming, but first a word from Pennsylvania. Hey, April is shaping up to be one busy month! Bro. M., forgive me, but I don't know if I'll get to this one.

Brethren, if you're in southeast Pennsylvania or southwest Jersey or otherwise feel motivated to travel, then by all means get to this celebratory anniversary banquet to hear our Worshipful Brother speak.

'Northeast Masonic Symposium'

    
Fear not, news and photos from Masonic Week 2012 are coming. In the meantime, here is some info on a very special day planned by St. Georges Lodge No. 6, to take place Saturday, April 14 at the Desmond Hotel in Albany, New York.

As described by Worshipful Master David Donofrio:

The Northeast Masonic Symposium is a forum in the Northeast corner of the United States for brothers to expand their knowledge about Masonic history, and be inspired for their own labors. This event brings lecturers from across the country, and brings together brothers from all over the region. The symposium is structured to allow attendees to select the topics that interest them. The agenda offers a full day of lectures, food, and social opportunities.

It's a bit out of my usual weekend orbit, but I think I'm going to go.
    

'George Washington Masonic Stamp Club'

  
The 2012 annual meeting of the George Washington Masonic Stamp Club, with the conferral of the Master of Philately ceremony to make new members, will take place Sunday, February 26 at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia.

The agenda for the day:

Noon – An optional ($5) tour of the upper floors and tower will begin.

1:30 – Review of Covers/social hour in North Lodge Room.

2:00 – The annual meeting, with Master of Philately.

4:45 – Regroup at Joe Theismann’s Restaurant at the bottom of the hill.

5:30 – The 55th Anniversary Dinner (“no host,” with ladies and guests welcome).

Dinner Speaker: Bro. Rudy Krutar on “Look Both Ways.”

Those desiring to receive the Master of Philately should reserve in advance by contacting Secretary John R. Allen at gwmsc1956(at)gmail.com

The club’s next meeting will take place Saturday, September 1 at the Baltimore Philatelic Exhibition. Click here for more information.

Membership proposals are balloted upon at each meeting. Each requires a completed application, including payment of the $20 Life Membership fee, and evidence of current membership in a recognized Blue Lodge.
    

'Coming attractions'

  
The Magpie is attracted to bright, shiny things, so there you go.

Upcoming events in and near New Jersey

Friday, February 17 at the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of New York: historical program in commemoration of the bicentennial of Prince Hall Masonry in the State of New York. 454 West 155th Street in New York City. Open to the public.

Sunday, February 19 at DeWint House in Tappan, New York: Bro. Mark Tabbert, Director of Collections at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia to deliver the keynote speech at this Grand Lodge of New York celebration of George Washington's birthday.

Wednesday, February 22 at Sons of Liberty Lodge in Secaucus: Bro. Mohamad Yatim, Past Master of Atlas-Pythagoras Lodge, will speak on "Freemasonry and the Mystic Schools of the East."

Thursday, March 1 at the Scottish Rite Valley of Rockville Centre
28 Lincoln Ave., Rockville Centre, NY

"Pillars of the Porch: The Duality of the Masonic Experience"
By Ill. Steven Stefanakos, 33°
and
"The Frontispiece of the 1611 King James Bible from a Masonic Perspective" by SP Oscar Alleyne

8 p.m. Open to Master Masons.

RSVP to valleyofrvc(at)gmail.com

Saturday, March 10 at Advance Masonic Temple in Long Island City, New York: Quest XXXII. (See post below.)

Thursday, March 15: Independent Royal Arch Lodge No. 2's annual Wendell K. Walker Lecture delivered by W. Bro. David Lindez, titled "That Which Wendell K. Walker Held Most Dear." 7 p.m. in the Empire Room, 12th floor, of Masonic Hall. 71 West 23rd Street in Manhattan. Open to Apprentices and Fellows. Attire: business suit.

Collation to follow at Aleo restaurant, 7 W. 20th Street. Fixed price menu at $60 per person. Reservations no later than 5 p.m. on March 9 are required. Contact Bro. Charles Henry George at charlesgeorge252(at)earthlink.net

Friday, March 16 at Atlas-Pythagoras Lodge in Westfield: Bro. Andrew Hammer, Past Master of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 in Virginia, will speak on "Observing the Craft," the thesis of his book of the same name.

Saturday, March 17 at NJ Lodge of Masonic Research and Education, being hosted by Palestine Lodge in Princeton. Papers to be presented. 10 a.m.

Monday, March 19 at Fidelity Lodge in Ridgewood: Book Club and Discussion Group to review Laudable Pursuit by the Knights of the North. 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, March 22 at Peninsula Lodge in Bayonne: Bro. Andrew Hammer, Past Master of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 in Virginia, will speak on "Observing the Craft," the thesis of his book of the same name.

Thursday, March 22 at Alpine Tilden Tenakill Lodge in Tenafly: Bro. Mohamad Yatim, Past Master of Atlas-Pythagoras Lodge, will speak on "The Chamber of Reflection - V.I.T.R.I.O.L."

Saturday, March 24 at the Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge at Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania: program TBA.

Thursday, March 29 at The American Lodge of Research, at Masonic Hall in New York City: Bro. Conor Moran on "Freemasonry and the Holocaust." 8 p.m.

Thursday, April 12 at Peninsula Lodge in Bayonne: Bro. Mohamad Yatim, Past Master of Atlas-Pythagoras Lodge, will speak on "The Myths Behind Who Killed Hiram Abiff."

Saturday, April 14, hosted by St. George's Lodge (GLNY) at the Desmond Hotel in Albany, New York: symposium featuring four accomplished Masonic educators.

Thursday, April 19 at Mountain View Lodge in Haledon: lecture on "The Emblem of a Pure Heart: The Pot of Incense as a Masonic Symbol."

Thursday, April 26 at the Scottish Rite Valley of Central Jersey: the Magpie Mason to address the Past Most Wise Masters Dinner.

April 27-29 at three locations: New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to perform a program of Mozart's Masonic funeral music, and similarly themed pieces by other composers.

Saturday, April 28 at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library at Lexington, Massachusetts: 2012 Symposium on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism.

Monday, April 30 at noon at Federal Hall, New York City: the annual re-enactment of the first presidential inauguration of Bro. George Washington on this, the 223rd anniversary of that historic moment. Naturally, the George Washington Inaugural Bible will be on hand.

Monday, April 30, hosted by Shiloh Lodge (GL of Pennsylvania) at the William Penn Inn in Gwynedd: the fifth annual Bernard H. Dupee Memorial Lecture, presented by RW James W. Daniel, Past Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England.

Saturday, May 5 at a restaurant to be announced: The American Lodge of Research's dinner-lecture, hosting W. Bro. Adam Kendall of the Henry Wilson Coil Masonic Library and Museum in San Francisco.

Saturday, May 19 at the Valley of Central Jersey in Bordentown: Scottish Rite Symposium featuring Ill. Robert G. Davis of Oklahoma; Ill. Christopher Hodapp of Indianapolis; and Ill. Brent Morris of Washington. $50 per person. More info TBA.

'Bonjour et bienvenue!'

  
Au moins une centaine de lecteurs visitent Le Magpie Mason chaque jour, mais mercredi était spécial S'il vous plaît pardonnez mon français maladroit, mais je tiens à dire bonjour et bienvenue à tous les francophones qui ont visité hier. Référé par ce site plus d'une centaine francs-maçons en France, Belgique, Québec, et d'autres endroits visités Le Magpie. Merci et s'il vous plaît retour.

To translate this free publicity:

The Magpie Mason has gossiped on the web since September 2008. In 2009 and 2010 it produced a hundred articles, but that rate was cut in half in 2011. Early in 2012, it promised to be more active while reducing journalistic coverage of events.

Gossip! My translation probably is weak, but I'm confident of that word. "Blabbed" is another fair usage! Hmmmph!

I'll see some of you in Virginia this weekend. My intention to do less reporting notwithstanding, I'll provide news and photos of Masonic Week for your enjoyment.

Bon week-end!
    

'Quest 32: Renaissance'

    
I received an e-mail several weeks ago from a distressed brother from here in New Jersey who worried about the "state of the Craft," as it were. Having read various blogs that trumpet the awful news of assorted corruptions and abuses of power by the Grand Ones in "this" or "that" state, he genuinely was dismayed over the prospects that faced a Master Mason like himself.

Now advice is the last thing people like me should try to dispense, but since he asked, I did my best. I wrote back to remind him that primarily the purpose of Freemasonry concerns the enlightenment and improvement of oneself, so whatever disgraces happen to be smeared all over the web should not distract him at all (unless they're occurring in his own lodge), and that furthermore, we happen to be enjoying a golden age in Masonry now. I think our minds are trained to look for golden ages only in the past. Too often we are so thoroughly occupied by our daily needs and routines that we fail to recognize the "big picture" around us.

When I was initiated in 1997, this fraternity was flat on its back, wheezing, coughing, and almost trying to pull the sheet over its own head. I mean just trying to find someone to engage in an intelligent conversation about Freemasonry was nearly impossible. Today, there are more opportunities for the thinking Mason to find like-minded brethren and to share in labors of Masonic relevance than at any time since, I'd say, 1930, when there were quality magazines with national distribution; there were new research lodges; there were new research societies; the AMD was revived in its present form shortly thereafter. Things were moving, and would have improved further if not for the Great Depression.

Today, the thinking Mason has all that, and even more at his disposal, thanks to the marvels of modern communications. (As an aside, let me relate one experience in the discussion forum of the Masonic Library and Museum Association from Monday. A visiting professor at the history department of UCLA contacted the Henry Wilson Coil Masonic Library and Museum in San Francisco, seeking an article on Freemasonry in Mexico published in the October 1858 issue of Masonic Review magazine. Sixteen minutes(!) later, the archivist at the Grand Lodge of Louisiana's library and museum said she had the magazine, knew the professor, and would make contact shortly. Research was aided not in months, weeks, or days, but in minutes.)

I'm way off topic here. All I wanted to do was tell you about QUEST XXXII. Here's the info:

     

'Dupee Memorial Lecture'

     

On the 130th anniversary of Shiloh Lodge's constitution comes word of its latest Bernard H. Dupee Memorial Lecture. (The annual tradition is named for the father of Matthew Dupee.) See you there.
    

‘Ted’s testimonial’

    

On Saturday, March 24, the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of New York will host a testimonial dinner honoring one of its own, M.E. Ted Harrison, General Grand High Priest of the General Grand Chapter.

Any and all inquiries should be directed to Ted Jacobsen, chairman of the event, who can be reached at: thjnycusa(at)aol.com

The announcement:

The Grand Chapter of New York is delighted to announce the date of the Testimonial Dinner honoring M.E. Edmund D. “Ted” Harrison to be March 24. The event will take place at the Ramada Plaza Hotel at Newark International Airport, at 160A Frontage Road (Exit off Routes 1 and 9) in Newark, New Jersey.

Everyone is invited to join the General Grand High Priest and his officers and worldwide guests who will be in attendance. Ladies are invited also. Dress is tuxedo (or dark suit).

Social hour will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and entertainment at 7:30. A hospitality suite will be provided by the Chapters of the State of New York in rooms 1 and 2 on the main floor, and they will be open before and after dinner.

The cost of the dinner is $95 per person. Special diet meals are available upon request. Click here for the reservation form, and the contact information.

Reserve hotel rooms directly with the Ramada at (973) 589-1000. Rooms are priced at $79 or $89, and include two breakfasts. The hotel will provide free parking, and there will be valet service. The Ramada Plaza offers free shuttle service from Newark Airport for those flying in, and for those coming to the airport by train or bus.

  

‘Mozart’s birthday’

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


Mozart at right.

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

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

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

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

'Boyer bicentennial'

  
It has been more than four years since I first heard W. Bro. David Bailey tease us about a bicentennial celebration of Prince Hall Masonry in New York, and obviously 2012 is here, so that 200th anniversary is upon us. Thanks to Bro. Diego for sending the info along.

Boyer Lodge No. 1 was the first Prince Hall lodge chartered in New York. That took place February 16, 1812, and there are several commemorative events scheduled for that bicentennial weekend next month, as you can see in the graphic above. There's no way I'm going to miss the Friday night historical forum.

To support these events, either with your presence or otherwise, click here and look for the PayPal buttons.
  

'Mark Tabbert at DeWint House'

  
News from the Grand Lodge of New York public relations folks:

The Grand Lodge Committee for the George Washington Masonic Historic Site at Tappan, cordially and fraternally invites you and your guests to join us for a celebration of the birthday of our cherished Brother and First President of the United States of America, George Washington, to be held Sunday, February 19. The activities for this observance will begin with our traditional brunch at Old '76 House at 11:30 a.m.

After our meal, the celebration will continue with a program at 2 p.m. on the grounds of historic DeWint House, which served as Washington's Headquarters four times during the Revolution, and is maintained by the Trustees of Grand Lodge as a museum and National Historic Site dedicated to preserving the memory of our distinguished Brother. Our guest speaker will be Brother Mark Allen Tabbert, noted author, curator, and historian, who is Director of Collections and Displays at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia.

Come visit our historic site, explore our museum and artifacts, and tour the oldest remaining Dutch Colonial stone house in Rockland County, dating to 1700. Light refreshments will be served.

Luncheon reservations must be paid in advance. $25 per person.

Old '76 House is located at 110 Main Street in Tappan, a very short walking distance of DeWint House.

Contact me for the reservations info by leaving a note in the comments section below. Include your e-mail address, and I will reply to you privately. Your comment will not be published. If you have not visited DeWint House yet, this is a great opportunity. To view some Magpie photos, click here. DeWint House and the events hosted there are without doubt among the top reasons why the Grand Lodge of New York is the center of the Masonic universe in the tri-state area.
 

'Deadline'

  
Today is the deadline to lock in the group rate on your hotel reservations for Masonic Week 2012. In addition, next Tuesday is the deadline for reserving for the various banquets and other meals, and there are two events in particular you should attend.

The Masonic Society's Annual Feast and Forum is set for Friday, February 10 at 6 p.m. at the Alexandria Mark Hilton in Alexandria, Virginia. Our keynote speaker will be Mr. Brett McKay, who is half the married team behind the Art of Manliness, the online men's magazine that recommends the internal (values and virtues) rather than the external (the usual narcissism in men's magazines) to men today.

Brett and his wife Kate started the website in 2008, making it a source of wit and wisdom for those seeking the views and customs that "turn boys into men of substance and character." In fact, look at this recent post, and see if you recognize a Masonic message.

The Art of Manliness has grown to nearly 3 million visitors a month, more than 4 million page-views a month, and more than 100,000 daily subscribers. In addition, its online social network unites nearly 18,000 members discussing 4,000 forum topics - "a community of men and women who have a passion for reviving the lost art of manliness." And then there are the McKays' books "The Art of Manliness: Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man" and the new "Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom and Advice on Living the 7 Manly Virtues."

Trevor Stewart

And when you're there, be sure to visit The Masonic Society's hospitality suite for "libations, sensations that stagger the mind."

And earlier that day, make sure you attend the luncheon to be hosted by the Order of Knight Masons at noon because Trevor Stewart will be our guest speaker. I don't know what his topic will be, but he is one of the best in the business, and you will not be disappointed. (And frankly, twenty bucks for lunch in that hotel is a steal.)

You'll have a great time, I hereby promise and vow, but you have to book your reservations first.
  

'Burns Night'

     

Robert Burns upon composing a poem to his love, Mary.

It is the 253rd birthday of Robert Burns, Poet Laureate of Canongate Kilwinning Lodge. Hope you had a great time at your Burns Suppers!

He is depicted here, sitting on a tree stump, along Literary Walk on the east side of Central Park. The massive bronze was created by Sir John Steell in 1880, and it was a gift to the city from New Yorkers proud of their Scottish heritage. (As you can tell from the leaves on the trees, this is not a recent photo. I shot this last August.)

Did you know the House of the Temple is home to the second largest collection of Burns literature in the world? I shot this photo three years ago. It shows only about a quarter of the entire collection.

Part of the Robert Burns collection at the House of the Temple
in Washington, DC.

According to Supreme Council:

During his lifetime, Bro. William R. Smith, 32°, former Director of the National Botanical Gardens in Washington, D.C., assembled one of the most complete collections of published works by and about Scottish poet Robert Burns. Recognized as one of the finest of all Burns collections, second only to the Burns Collection in Glasgow, Scotland, it was cataloged by Mr. William Thomson of the Public Library of Edinburgh, Scotland. The industrialist Andrew Carnegie, trustee of Mr. Smith’s estate, decided that because Robert Burns had been an ardent Freemason, it would be appropriate to place the Burns collection in the library of the Supreme Council, with the condition that it be housed in a special room available to the public and community of scholars.

One of my favorite grocers in Manhattan is Myers of Keswick on Hudson Street. I discovered this during my university days, thanks to an article in one of our literary publications, and I've been hooked since. Anyway, if you ever need a reliable source of genuine haggis, this is your place.
     

'Thank you Abington Chapter'

    
I think it went well Tuesday night. Makia told me attendance was higher than usual. Even Yasser was there! I got a taste of Pennsylvania Royal Arch ritual, which is a bit different from what I'm used to. Then we went out for drinks and a bite to eat. What more could you want?

For a topic, I went with Kabbalah's interpretations of several of the Royal Arch Degree's borrowings from the Book of Exodus, namely the Breastplate of the High Priest, the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark's Cherubim, the Burning Bush, and "the great, mysterious, and sacred name of Deity."

I don't like public speaking. I dread it, and I'm not that good at it despite all the practice I get. And it is especially daunting to break in a brand new lecture. I'll have to smooth this one out, but to give you an idea of the material, here are a few excerpts.

Of the Ark of the Covenant, the Book of Exodus explains the dimensions and other specs for its construction, including: "Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it." This, says the literature of the Zohar, can serve to remind us that we, ourselves, must be of that same essence, both inside and out. That is, our inner selves must be of the same substance we display on our exteriors. More than not behaving one way while secretly feeling differently, the point is to purify our hearts and refine our minds so that our outwardly behavior is determined by that spark of divinity that resides in us all. To be truly "good as gold."

In Exodus Chapter 3, we learn of the identity God chose to reveal to Moses: "I am that I am" (sometimes presented as "I am who I am"). In Judaism, there are seventy-two names of God, and different situations in life require us to know these different names for God, so that in prayer or other labors, we have the correct context for connecting to Him. Perhaps like dialing the correct phone number, but in a spiritual method. For example, in light of what happened to the Israelites after exiting Egypt, the names for Judgment (Gvurah) and Mercy (Chesed) come to mind. Judgment bears the connotation of negativity, but the Zohar informs us that there can be no negativity emanating from the GAOTU, that there only can be the most specific wisdom and understanding of how to treat each person precisely as that person needs at that time. One could say "tough love" is a modern representation of this concept in that to the receiver, it may appear to be the worst of all options, but it actually can be exactly what the person needs.

Exodus 3:13 - Moses said to God, "When I come to the Israelites and say to them 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" And God said to Moses, "Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh." (Variously translated as I Am That I Am, or I Am Who I Am, or I Will Be What I Will Be.) In "I am that I am," we have the very awkward use of the first person as though it is the third person. So, what is God's name? I Am.

I'll spare you the "Who's on First?" jokes, and relate the Zohar commentary, which essentially wants us again to fan that divine spark within each of us, and achieve a communion with deity. In my own crude understanding, if we say the name of God is "I Am" -- that first person usage -- then we want to gain and display supernal qualities autonomously. And, returning to that juxtaposition of Judgment and Mercy, saying "I am" when wondering why God allows bad things to happen directs our attention to our own choices in life, our own management of our capacity for good and our propensity for bad.

Hopefully this renders a clear idea of where my lecture headed Tuesday evening. I make no claim of expertise in these matters. In fact, during the Q&A, I was asked if this kind of material is known to Freemasons generally, or if it is something I connected to Royal Arch ritual myself. I assured the Excellent Scribe that I achieved nothing unprecedented here, but that material such as this, especially Kabbalah, has a particular claim upon the curiosity of Freemasons who seek further Light. I hope the Companions were sufficiently impressed as to start their own searches, in their own good time.
    

'Coming to Atlas-Pythagoras'

    
Coming later this winter to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Union County are two events worth your time.

Bro. Andrew also will appear at Peninsula Lodge on the evening of Thursday, March 22. Peninsula is located at 888 Avenue C (at 40th Street) in Bayonne.

A-P 10 has much more on the agenda for the year, such as RW Bro. Thomas K. Sturgeon, Past Grand Master of Pennsylvania.

Check The Magpie Mason for updates.

     

'Mohamadmania'

Bro. Mohamad Yatim is on tour. Catch him at any of these New Jersey dates:

Tuesday, January 24 at Olive Branch Lodge No. 16 in Freehold.

Topic: Freemasonry and the Mystic Schools of the East.


Wednesday, February 22 at Sons of Liberty Lodge No. 301 in Secaucus.

Topic: Freemasonry and the Mystic Schools of the East.

Thursday, March 22 at Alpine-Tilden-Tenafly Lodge No. 77 in Tenafly.

Topic: The Chamber of Reflection - V.I.T.R.I.O.L.


Thursday, April 12 at Peninsula Lodge No. 99 in Bayonne.

Topic: The Myths Behind Who Killed Hiram Abiff.

OPENING ACT: Foghat!
  

‘The Pot of Incense’

    

More Magpie speaking engagements to announce, both in New Jersey:

Tuesday, February 7 at Loyalty Lodge No. 33 in Union; and Thursday, March 1 at Mountain View Lodge No. 154.

The topic for both is the very same paper I presented to The American Lodge of Research in 2010, namely “The Emblem of a Pure Heart: The Pot of Incense as a Masonic Symbol (An Aromatic Editorial).”

Pot of Incense as painted
on a wall inside the lodge
room of Adoniram No. 80.

Part speculative interpretation, part research paper, and part opinion essay, this presentation states the case for making the burning of incense an essential part of your Masonic experience. To say the very least, in initiation, incense delivers a powerful sense of transition to the aspirant; in open lodge tiled, incense affords the brethren a shared sensory stimulus that complements the individual employments of the other physical senses in building the energy inherent in the lodge opening.

There’s a lot more to it than that, so please come to either of these meetings to learn more.

    

'Andrew Hammer to speak'

     

I'm sorry to say I cannot attend. At that very hour I'll be speaking at Abington Chapter No. 245 in Pennsylvania. But that doesn't mean you can't be there! You must reserve your seat in advance though. The Livingston Library's seating area is small, with maybe 50 or so chairs, and events like this are always standing room only.

Bro. Andrew's remarks will cover the thesis of his terrific book Observing the Craft. Not to be confused with Traditional Observance or Strict Observance, this book is an eloquent but potently advanced reminder to us all about what is required for excellence in the Masonic lodge experience. I cannot recommend this book to you strongly enough.

The Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library is located in Masonic Hall, at 71 West 23rd Street in Manhattan, and is one of the main reasons why the Grand Lodge of New York is the center of the Masonic universe in the tri-state area.

Get to this lecture, but RSVP first.
  

'The Magpie Mason 2.0'

     
Happy New Year!

Among my New Year's Resolutions is to renew The Magpie Mason and to post more frequently than in the year past. The focus will shift, as I expect to share messages worth your contemplation, while toning down the journalistic coverage of events. (I think I have done a disservice to some of the Masons I have inadvertently made famous on these pages. My goal has been only to extol the good people, places, and happenings in Freemasonry that I enjoy in my travels, but I failed to "expect the unexpected" in some respects, which is inexcusable for this former newspaper editor. I should have known better.)

© The New Yorker

This is part of a more broad renewal of myself. I retired from most of my Masonic labors in 2011 while I struggled to get a handle on other things in life. That struggle continues, but I now realize that cutting myself off from the people and activities that provide much needed pleasure and balance does not make any sense, and it certainly did not help me manage my problems in life anyway.

I owe massive apologies to good friends and brethren in The Masonic Society, The American Lodge of Research, and elsewhere, and I need to get back to work and make up for lost time.

Funny. I really didn't mean to say that. One cannot make up lost time. If there is ONE lesson of the Craft lodge, it is you cannot make up for lost time. I'll make up lost effort instead.

So I'm working on changes and improvements. Hope you are too. I'm throwing myself headlong back into Masonic activity, with five or six speaking engagements between January 10 and February 16, hopefully spreading messages of Light.

By the close of 2012, I hope to find a home in a new Craft lodge. My mother lodge here in New Jersey is a great lodge. I can recommend it without hesitation, mental reservation, etc., for many, many valid, vital reasons, but it lacks specifically what I am looking for in Freemasonry. Next January 1, I hope to tell you about my new lodge.

Time to make things happen! Even if the bloody Mayans were right about their calendar.

Cheers! Happy New Year!
     

'Installation'

     

A very late night at The American Lodge of Research, but most of the officers were installed safely, with a few by proxy. Our new Worshipful Master is Gil Ferrer, of Shakespeare Lodge and Kosciuszko Lodge. I'm Senior Deacon.

The Master's inaugural paper concerned the origins and evolution of Freemasonry in India. Inspired by Gil's travels there, this paper tells of the first lodges in India, and the first initiations of Indian men into the Craft, which opened my eyes to a few things. Also the various religious beliefs took some time to define. A very informative presentation. Look for it in the next book of transactions.

    

'It's all in the balance'

     

There are huge plans afoot in New Jersey Scottish Rite Masonry that will reverberate throughout the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction in 2012, and these plans all concern teaching Scottish Rite Masons what it means to be Scottish Rite Masons. (The event advertised in the graphic above is not one of them. It's only a hint of what's to come. A far more substantial, but still inconclusive, clue is found here.)

Sounds simple, right? Like it might be the primary reason and most frequent activity of the fraternity? Nah, didn't work out that way. Teaching Scottish Rite Masons what it means to be Scottish Rite Masons actually is a pursuit that has to be pitched, lobbied for, protected, and seen to fruition flawlessly, so that a follow-up effort even can be worthy of discussion. It's a sad state of affairs for what used to be called the College of Freemasonry, but after so many decades of the Shrinerization of Freemasonry, this is where we are. For now.

This Stated Meeting of New Jersey Consistory will be the first meeting convened since our initiation of about twenty brethren in November. In fact, it is inspired by one of those new 32° Masons. He exited the auditorium after the completion of the Camp Scene explanation, and asked Bro. Mohamad a question about the numerology of the Camp. The two then approached me at the secretary's table, where I was stamping passports and handing out membership packets, and put the question to me. I was mortified. Engrossed in the humdrum of stamping this passport, stuffing that envelope, and otherwise administrating the minutiae, I couldn't answer a simple question on the spot.

And so, the inspiration of this event on January 10.

It will be a tiled lecture for 32° Masons only, but not just for New Jersey Consistory brethren. In fact, the guest list includes several Scottish Rite Masons from Pennsylvania already.

The bad news is the lecturer will be me. If you can withstand that, please join us for a philosophical exploration of the allegorical story of Constans, which some have not even seen yet, and a more temporal definition of the Camp Scene, which at the very least will answer that brother's question.
 

'PHA research lodge to meet'

  
New Jersey Prince Hall's Lodge of Research and Education No. 2006 will meet next week.

The info, as it appears here, is:

Stated Communication

Thursday, December 29

at 8 p.m.

Hiram Lodge No. 5

143 Warwick Road

in Lawnside

Attire: Masonic Dress

Any Master Mason recognized by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of New Jersey may attend. For more information, call Worshipful Master Eubert G. Brown at (609) 332-0959.

Usually, I don't catch these announcements until after the meeting date, but I tried to be vigilant this time. Unfortunately it is too far a commute for me, but I've alerted the brethren at LORE 1786, many of whom reside not too far away, so hopefully some will visit.
  

'A study in symbols'

  
The M.E. High Priest and I have this personal thing. When he is installed in the East of a Masonic society, he invites me to lecture at his first meeting. We did that in 2009 at Fairless Hills Lodge, and again in 2011 at Kensington-Kadosh Commandery, and we'll give it another go next month at Abington Royal Arch Chapter.

Hanukkah having begun only a short while ago -- best wishes for a happy one, to all who celebrate -- I thought it a good time to announce this event. (Disclaimer: I am not an expert on the subject of Kabbalah or other aspects of Jewish mysticism, therefore I have defined the limits of this talk very narrowly. Yet there still is a lot to discuss.)

Within the realm of Kabbalistic learning, there is a vast body of literature named Zohar, which I'll describe essentially as esoteric commentary on the Pentateuch and other Jewish Scripture. When I say "vast," I refer, for example, to my own copy, 23 large hardcover volumes, which resembles a set of encyclopedias. It is far much more than commentaries, but if I try to explain that, I'll only sound ignorant and a little crazy.

From this library, I'll share with the Companions the esoteric contexts of a number of aspects of ancient Jewish spirituality which appear to have relevance to Royal Arch Masonry. The High Priest and the Ark, to name only two obvious examples. Believe me, it will be a learning experience for myself as much as anyone else.

As you can see in the graphic above, this will take place Tuesday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jenkintown Masonic Temple in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. This is a wonderfully situated Masonic space, nestled amid a very charming downtown area. There's just something very "Simpkins' Store" about it, if you know what I mean.

I'll wind up missing a pretty big event at my Scottish Rite Valley that night. Sorry about that, but I committed to this years ago.

As you also can see in the graphic above, there is an illustrated text in the background. Here is a better view:

The two pages shown are not from the Zohar, but are from, of all places, the first Calvinist vernacular Bible printed in Poland. This holy text was printed in 1563 under the auspices of Prince Mikolaj Ridziwil (1525-65), one of the great religious reformers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and a defender of Lithuanian sovereignty. The illustrations are woodcuts. They were to help the Christian reader understand Jewish ritual of the Temple period. At left is the Altar of Burnt Offerings; at right of course is the High Priest in full ceremonial vestments.

In addition to the obvious good fit, I chose to use this image for the graphic because this very copy of this Bible once was owned by a certain son of England's King George III. Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773-1843) is the very same man who, as the first Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, solidified the union of the Moderns and Ancients beginning in 1813, and served as ex-officio Grand First Principal of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, holding both offices for the last 30 years of his life.

He should be remembered fondly by Masons everywhere for his open-mindedness regarding religion and Masonry. As MQ Magazine puts it: "His liberal attitude towards religion (he was in favour of Catholic Emancipation and had many Jewish friends), influenced the creation of a more inclusive, less obviously Christian Grand Lodge." His influence permitted men like me to become Freemasons at a time in England when non-Christians enjoyed no civil rights.

Happy Hanukkah!

'ALR to meet next week'

    
From the Secretary's Desk:

The 352nd Stated Communication of The American Lodge of Research will be held in the French Ionic Room of Masonic Hall, 71 West 23rd Street, City of New York, on Tuesday Evening, December 27th, 2011 at Eight O’Clock, for the Presentation of Annual Reports, Adoption of the 2012 Budget, Unaffiliation of Members in Arrears, Proposed By-Law Changes, the regular business of the Lodge, the Public Installation of Officers for 2012 and the Public Inaugural Address:


The Beginnings of Indian Freemasonry
by W. Gilbert Ferrer, Incoming Master


The Master and Wardens summon your presence and invite other Master Masons to accompany you. At Six O’Clock, following the usual custom of the Lodge, members and their guests may dine together at their own expense at the Outback Steakhouse, across 23rd Street from Masonic Hall.

W. Bro. Ferrer is a Past Master of Shakespeare Lodge No. 750.

The proposed amendment to our by-laws concerns the meeting schedule, specifically changing one meeting from St. John Evangelist Day (December 27) to St. John Baptist Day (June 24) to avoid holidays and the inclemency of the winter season.