‘Great news for researchers in Virginia’

    

The Masonic research domain is expanding under the Grand Lodge of Virginia, the jurisdiction with—I’d bet anything—the most lodges of Masonic research of any grand jurisdiction in this country. Currently, the brethren have five research lodges on the rolls, with another soon to be granted dispensation to begin its labors.

The reasoning behind having so many of these unique groups is twofold: spreading them around allows the brethren great access to education; and having a variety allows each to pursue a specific study.

If you’re not familiar, a Masonic research lodge is a combination historical society and literary society, but with a warrant from a grand lodge. Members are regular Freemasons from their respective Craft lodges, and they delve into history and write their findings for presentation to the research lodge, which hopefully publishes a book of these papers annually, or otherwise periodically.

In Virginia, those five research lodges at labor are:

George Washington Lodge of Research 1732 (at Fredericksburg Lodge 4), chartered in 2012, it focuses on Scottish Freemasonry, American Colonial Freemasonry, and Masonic military history.

Peyton Randolph Lodge of Research 1774 (at Williamsburg Lodge 6), chartered in 2007, its focus is dispersed on matters historic, philosophic, and even the practical aspects of the Craft.

Virginia Lodge of Research 1777 (at the Babcock Masonic Temple in Highland Springs), chartered in 1951, it is the eldest of Virginia’s research lodges and it looks into almost any Masonic subject.

Civil War Lodge of Research 1865 (at Babcock Temple also), chartered in 1995, its brethren concentrate on the U.S. Civil War’s intersections with Masonic history. I’m a member of this one, and I think it’s safe to say CWLR does most of its work on the road, traveling to Civil War historic sites in Virginia and beyond.

A. Douglas Smith, Jr. Lodge of Research 1949 (at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial), chartered in 1983, it is named for one of the top scholars of his day. The lodge studies the philosophical and the practical sides of Freemasonry.

And what about this sixth research lodge?

This will be named Blue Ridge Lodge of Research. You might guess from the name it will be located in western Virginia, and it in fact will meet at Hunter’s Masonic Lodge 156 in Blacksburg. Its field of study will be the history of Freemasonry in that very beautiful part of the Commonwealth. Maybe Virginia Tech has Masonic materials in its library and archives?

Six lodges of Masonic research, each doing its thing, and dispersed about the face of Virginia. It is important work they do. There has to be an outlet for the Masons who have the drive and talent to pursue facts, however obscure and elusive, and piece them into narratives that can be shared with others.

Most Masons don’t get it. Because research lodges do not confer degrees, these lodges go overlooked or even forgotten among the many moving parts of a grand jurisdiction.

RW Chandler on Facebook last week.

“We make papers, not Masons,” said RW Bro. Shelby Chandler. He was kind enough to spend more than half an hour on the phone with the Magpie Mason Friday night to explain these things. He is uniquely situated to know too, as he has been appointed District Deputy Grand Master of the Masonic Research District in Virginia, looking after the well being of all those lodges.

“We are real lodges. We open and close tiled meetings,” he added, “but because we are nerd-oriented, we are seen as a red-headed stepchild.” (He was preaching to the choir. I’m a Past Master of New Jersey’s research lodge, am Senior Warden of New York City’s, and recently joined CWLR under his jurisdiction in Virginia.) Another distinction that baffles many of the brethren is a research lodge’s lack of voting ability at Grand Lodge.

Such distinctions hardly separate research lodges from the mainstream of the fraternity, Chandler also said. Every Mason is charged with learning and sharing his knowledge, and the lodge of research is the ideal forum for that. For the brethren who prefer these activities, maybe to the exclusion of others, the place for education can unlock possibilities. “Have you reached your potential?” he asked hypothetically. “If not, maybe you’ll find it here.”

Furthermore, Chandler continued, these lodges serve myriad purposes. They often are custodians of ritual. They are the places to find experienced writers and editors. (I can tell you how H.L. Haywood, one of Freemasonry’s top educators a century ago, was lured to New York to launch our Grand Lodge’s first magazine—and he soon was made a Fellow of The American Lodge of Research.) Similarly, but maybe more importantly, research lodges provide skilled public speakers who can visit lodges and other groups to lead discussions of all kinds of subjects. And, essential today, research lodges are where we find the talent in communications technologies—video conferencing, social media, and even just plain websites—to organize Masonic thought and share it.

Virginia’s Masonic Research District was created four years ago. For management purposes, the research lodges were separated from their geographic districts and were grouped together because of their singular but shared purpose.

Not a bad idea for us larger jurisdictions!

Here in New York, we are fortunate to have four research lodges at labor. (There used to be a fifth.) I am told there is desire for another in the Hudson Valley. I’m sure there’s room for one on Long Island. The possibilities are endless. Someone tell the guys on the seventeenth floor!

     

’New York’s Lodge History Project’

    

If you maintain an absurdly active Masonic schedule, you may be invited to Sunday night Zoom meetings for discussions of special topics that either demand participants from far away or that require more time than a local meeting can afford. I’m lucky for not having too many of these, and I just signed off from an organizational meeting for an effort near to my heart.

RW Steven Rubin, our Deputy Grand Master, and RW Gary Heinmiller, our Grand Historian, launched the Lodge History Project to benefit the more than 300 lodges in the Grand Lodge of New York. Thirty-eight Masons from all over the state were present for this preliminary discussion of what we can do, should do, how to do, etc. in a shared effort to uncover, inventory, and preserve items and just tell the Masonic story.

This is going to be ginormous.

From lodge artifacts and documents to public statuary and infrastructure, there are countless things to see, to explain, to inventory, to document. This work is daunting even at its most fundamental and local level. We have lodges in this jurisdiction that are older than our country, but even a lodge that’s several decades old will have volumes of records and boxes of ephemera, plus mementos and other treasures of all kinds that say “We were here and what we’ve done mattered!”

There are some plans soon to come to fruition that I can’t wait to share with you.

There wasn’t much time for us to talk during this introductory meeting, but some of the concerns mentioned were of one lodge discovering in storage the apron worn by its first Worshipful Master circa 1766. Tompkins Lodge 471 on Staten Island has an apron worn by its historic namesake. Another lodge is vexed by a painting in its possession.

There’s a whole other Masonic world packed away in attics, closets, basements, and other storage crannies—to say nothing of what venerable elder brethren took home for safe keeping.

I think we’ll have to fly Heather Calloway out here eventually.

     

’Dubbing Joseph Warren a Tea Party Architect'

    

The brethren in Massachusetts have more commemoration of the Boston Tea Party’s 250th anniversary planned. Primarily there will be this next month, but on November 22 (easy to remember: the date both Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis died in 1963) there will be a dual graveside observance of relevant historical personages. From the publicity:

The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, Revolution 250, and the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons in Massachusetts are partnering with Forest Hills Cemetery to place commemorative markers at the graves of Boston Tea Party participant Joseph Lovering and Boston Tea Party organizer Dr. Joseph Warren.

The ceremony will take place at Forest Hills Cemetery (95 Forest Hills Avenue in Jamaica Plain) on Wednesday, November 22 at 11 a.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Joseph Warren will receive the first of three special markers, indicating him as an “Architect” of the Boston Tea Party. The ceremony will begin promptly at 11 at the grave of Joseph Lovering, and will proceed to the grave and memorial to Dr. Joseph Warren.

Guests may park along the roads inside the main entrance along Forest Hills Avenue. From there, it will be a 12-minute walk to the grave of Joseph Lovering by following Mulberry Avenue, taking a right onto Red Oak Avenue, and then a right onto White Oak Avenue. Lovering’s grave is in the section on the left. After we place the marker, we will proceed to the grave of Dr. Warren, which will be a 10-minute walk.

In the event of rain, the speaking program will be moved to Forsyth Chapel, just inside the main entrance to Forest Hills, and guests have the option to walk to place markers afterward.

Speakers:

• George Milley, President, Forest Hills Cemetery: Welcome, Opening Remarks on behalf of Forest Hills Cemetery.
• Evan O’Brien, Creative Manager, Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum: Remarks on Joseph Lovering, involvement in the Boston Tea Party, and 250th initiatives.
• George F. Hamilton, Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts: Remarks on Dr. Joseph Warren, Freemasonry in the Boston Tea Party.
• Jonathan Lane, Executive Director, Revolution 250: Remarks on Community Involvement in the Early Revolution, Revolution 250.

After the speaking program at each grave site, a ceremonial marker will be placed by a costumed interpreter at the grave of Joseph Lovering, and by Grand Master George F. Hamilton at the grave of Dr. Joseph Warren, followed by Amazing Grace, played by a Masonic Piper.

There will be time for photos, questions, and interviews following the placement of the marker and the piping at Warren’s grave. We are pleased to be joined by a descendant of Dr. Joseph Warren, his sixth great-granddaughter, Sarah Hamilton; and the Henry Knox Guard, which will present colors at both graves.

     

‘Recap of Night from this morning’

    

‘Night’ by William Hogarth tells a story of the politics between the two English Masonic systems in the 1730s.

As advertised last night, New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786 hosted RW Bro. Andrew Farleigh via Zoom this morning for a discussion of “William Hogarth: The Hidden Secrets of ‘The Night.’” Our speaker is an experienced researcher and presenter of topics Masonic, and is Provincial Grand Orator at the Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex in the UGLE. The talk was recorded, and I hope it is somehow made available to an audience wider than the fifteen or so of our members who heeded the late call.

Bro. Farleigh led us on a tour of a London street late one night where chaos, replete with an overturned carriage, flames, and other misery, abounds as two pairs of Freemasons head toward each other.

From Bro. Farleigh’s presentation.

Bro. William Hogarth’s “Night” often is mischaracterized as mocking Freemasonry, but Farleigh delves into the symbols and details that tell the actual story. At left, facing us, is Bro. Thomas de Veil, a magistrate “renowned for corruption,” and with him is Bro. Andrew Montgomery, Grand Tyler, described as being not very smart. Both were Moderns, and are seen exiting the Rummer and Grapes. Approaching them on the right, with their backs toward us, are two Antient Masons, one dwarfish and therefore ineligible for membership in the Moderns, and the other a tradesman, equally undesirable to the elites who comprised the Moderns’ lodges.

From Bro. Farleigh’s presentation.

The rest of the scene merits insightful decoding, but I leave that to you. To book Bro. Farleigh for a talk, please feel free to email him here. Enjoy.

Bro. Andrew’s current topics for discussion (but he’s always adding more).

     

‘Tomorrow: Zoom meeting on Bro. Hogarth’

    

‘This is tomorrow!’

Sorry for the short notice—not my fault!—but New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786 announced tonight how it will host a Zoom meeting at 10:30 in the morning starring a guest speaker from England. From the nick-of-time publicity:

New Jersey Lodge

of Masonic Research

and Education 1786

Presents Andrew Farleigh

on William Hogarth:

The Hidden Secrets

of “Night”

Click here

William Hogarth was a high quality English artist and Freemason from the first half of the 1700s, and his drawings and paintings of the time just before the merger of the two grand lodges really were eye-opening commentaries on the rival Masonic factions and on London life in general. 

There is a lot of history regarding the fractious nature of the divide between the Moderns and the Antients that is never publicized and rarely is discussed. We usually hear about those Masons wishing to retain the “old traditions” and those who wished to “modernize and streamline” the Order, but with little insight into why, what it really meant, and the “class snobbery” prevalent at the time.

Hogarth included much Masonic imagery into his work–mostly hidden with very clever technique. Hogarth’s work was brilliantly technical, very accomplished, and highly satirical; he did not worry about who he insulted, sometimes in brutal fashion. His particular skill was to incorporate images into his pictures, in plain view, that was unremarkable to the untrained eye, but once aware of his hidden messages and images, his works change completely.

Being a Freemason, he used his unique skills to comment not only on ordinary life in London, but also the personalities and goings-on at the Grand Lodge. No one was spared from his wit, cunning, and brilliance, and he developed a massive following and interest in his work as a result.

Meeting ID: 871 7318 8836

Passcode: 179859

     

 

‘International Conference set for next March’

    

Nothing for me to add. I’ll just get straight to the publicity:

2024 International Conference

on Freemasonry:

Rites in America

Saturday, March 30

University of California, Berkeley

Admission: $30; optional lunch $20

Register here

The twelfth International Conference on Freemasonry is returning to the campus of the University of California in Berkeley on March 30, 2024, with a focus on “Rites in America.”

This exciting and informative yearly event brings scholars and academics from a wide range of disciplines together to present new research on topics of interest to Masons. This year’s theme, “Rites in America,” examines the almost countless forms and iterations of Masonry that have sprung up on this side of the Pacific, often in the particular context of immigrant communities or other, larger social movements.

Says event organizer Susan Sommers, a professor of history at St. Vincent College, “Freemasonry is one of the oldest and most successful fraternal, initiatory societies in the Western world. Despite its reputation for secrecy, it is well known and well documented.” As different Masonic and quasi-Masonic groups formed in the Americas, they often built on Masonry’s ritual framework while adding their own features. “Why reinvent wheels when you can simply change the hubcaps?” she says. “Over the centuries, especially since around 1750, Freemasons have added, edited, and invented orders, rites, and rituals with something close to wild abandon, all the while claiming that the landmarks are immutable, and have been since Adam.”

And click here to read about the speakers and their topics.

      

‘Williamsburg Lodge plans St. John’s Day procession and church service’

    

Happy 250th anniversary to Williamsburg Lodge 6 in Virginia, which reached that amazing milestone last Monday, the sixth of November. Looking ahead to next month, the brethren have a great tradition to uphold: a proper Masonic procession to and from church for St. John the Evangelist Day (albeit a little early). From the publicity:

Williamsburg Lodge 6

Please join us for St. John’s Day, December 16, at Williamsburg Lodge.

Williamsburg Lodge 6

March through the streets of historic Colonial Williamsburg, led by fife and drums and Masons in Colonial-period attire. The procession will go to the historic Bruton Parish Church for an almost two-centuries-old St. John’s Day proclamation. The lodge will open at 2 p.m., followed by the procession at 3:45. The church service usually lasts thirty minutes, then the procession, with fife and drums, back to the lodge for refreshments.

Williamsburg Lodge 6

See our priceless Master’s Chair, a gift to the lodge from [Lord Botetourt,] the Colonial Governor of Virginia.

See Bruton Parish Church decorated for Christmas.

One of the best ways to highlight Freemasonry to large crowds of the public.

Williamsburg Lodge 6

     

‘Vatican reaffirms its ban on Freemasonry’

    

Vatican News

In a document published Monday, the Vatican reaffirms its ban on Freemasonry for Roman Catholics.

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, responding to concerns of bishops in the Republic of the Philippines, issued its recommendations as approved by Pope Francis. Nearly 80 percent of Filipinos are Roman Catholic. (I was going to write about the Philippines situation a week ago, but mistakenly figured it wasn’t a big deal.) Excerpted:

Membership in Freemasonry is very significant in the Philippines; it involves not only those who are formally enrolled in Masonic Lodges but, more generally, a large number of sympathizers and associates who are personally convinced that there is no opposition between membership in the Catholic Church and in Masonic Lodges.

Cardinal Víctor Fernández
Prefect of the Dicastery

To address this issue appropriately, it was decided that the Dicastery would respond by involving the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines itself, notifying the Conference that it would be necessary to put in place a coordinated strategy among the individual Bishops that envisions two approaches:

(a) On the doctrinal level, it should be remembered that active membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is forbidden because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry (cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, “Declaration on Masonic Associations” [1983], and the guidelines published by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines in 2003). Therefore, those who are formally and knowingly enrolled in Masonic Lodges and have embraced Masonic principles fall under the provisions in the above-mentioned Declaration. These measures also apply to any clerics enrolled in Freemasonry.

(b) On the pastoral level, the Dicastery proposes that the Philippine Bishops conduct catechesis accessible to the people and in all parishes regarding the reasons for the irreconcilability between the Catholic Faith and Freemasonry.

Finally, the Philippine Bishops are invited to consider whether they should make a public pronouncement on the matter.

     

‘Berman to return as Prestonian Lecturer’

    

Bro. Ric Berman, of Quatuor Coronati Lodge 2076 among others, will serve again as Prestonian Lecturer in the New Year.

Every year, the United Grand Lodge of England selects one scholar to travel around the jurisdiction and present his research at the invitation of lodges. Typically a charity is made beneficiary of whatever proceeds from the sales of the book of the lecture, and sometimes the lecturer travels abroad too.

Bro. Ric has come in this way and manner before; he was Prestonian Lecturer in 2016. Next year, his subject will be “The Second Grand Lodge: the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the London Irish, and Antients Freemasonry.”

Yes!

(The Marshal of my lodge called me a nerd yesterday, intending it in a most complimentary way, because I do get excited over these things.)

The book is available via Amazon already. Ten bucks!

The last time he had the job, he visited America for a short tour during which I was able to book him for a stop at New Jersey’s research lodge. Hopefully he’ll come this way again.

I’m a big fan of the Prestonian Lecture tradition, but I’m not an expert in its history so I can’t name another lecturer who has been appointed a second time. Bro. George Boys-Stones recently had two consecutive years, but that was because the pandemic ruined his intended tenure.

I wonder about the Prestonian’s future. The current honoree is an American—Bro. Akram Elias, Past Grand Master of the District of Columbia. Is English Freemasonry running short on scholars? I’m active in three research lodges and I can see hardly anyone is interested in researching and writing about Freemasonry, and going on tour to present the work. It’s a rarely considered aspect of the shrinking of the Masonic fraternity.

     

‘Art contest winners announced’

   

The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania’s “Embodying Masonic Values” art contest winners have been announced. Click here to see them and other entrants, including works that are for sale. From the publicity:

Novus Ordo Seclorum by Heather Cornelius.

Since 2018, the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania’s “Embodying Masonic Values” open art competition has provided an opportunity for the art community to explore Masonic values through art. Cash prizes are awarded to winners in five categories: Oil, Three-dimensional, Drawing and Print-making, Water-Based Medium and Digital Imagery. All artwork is also available for sale.

Best in Category: Royal Arch by Juan Sepulveda.

Best in Category

($200 awarded per piece)

Oil: “Royal Arch” by Juan Sepulveda

Drawing and Print-making: “Bee a Mason” by Margaret Thompson

Masonic Life by Valerie Lang.

Water-based medium: “Masonic Life” by Valerie Lang

Digital imagery: “Circling the Square” by Hayato Matsushita

Three-dimensional: “Novus Ordo Seclorum” by Heather Cornelius

Grand Master’s Prize: a passing moment by Jenny Chernansky.

Grand Master’s Prize

($500 awarded)

“a passing moment” by Jenny Chernansky

Best in Show

($1,000 awarded)

“Wisdom sits” by Stephen Lemak

If the artists in the Grand Exhibition choose to participate, their entered works may be offered for sale, with 80 percent of the sale value going to them and 20 percent to the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania. All pieces are subject to prior sale. Prices do not include shipping, handling and insurance. Buyers can also pick up their purchase at the Masonic Temple, One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Please contact the gift shop at 215-988-1977, Tuesday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to make a purchase and arrangements.

     

‘Better late than never: A&A Rite removes Christian requisite’

    

A&A Rite

Ending a 178-year tradition of reserving its high degrees to professed Trinitarian Christians, the Ancient & Accepted Rite for England and Wales eliminated that requirement earlier this month and announced so on Friday. (Its website doesn’t reflect the change yet.) This new rule will take effect March 1, 2024.

The Supreme Council empaneled an advisory committee comprised of a rabbi (Orthodox), a priest (Anglican), “and representatives of the Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh communities” who “are satisfied that the ritual is appropriate and theologically sound,” according to a memo circulated to members. Changes to ritual are described as minor, such as referring to “Jesus of Nazareth” instead of “Jesus Christ our Saviour.” (This is the approach in the United States.)

“The Supreme Council has been considering the matter on and off decades,” it also says, adding how all nine members of Supreme Council are in unanimity on the decision.

The history of the Rite.

I suppose most American Freemasons think only of England transmitting Masonic degrees to America, but there are instances, such as the Scottish Rite and Cryptic Rite, of American Masons sending degrees the other way across the Atlantic. For the A&A Rite history, I cannot recommend strongly enough Rose-Croix: The History of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for England and Wales by Alexander C.F. Jackson (1980).  In short, there were Scottish Rite authorities in America’s Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, led by J.J.J. Gourgas here in New York City, who received requests in 1845 for legitimate establishment of the thirty-three degrees from notable Masons in England. (One such letter, from the aptly named Robert Crucefix, was dated November 10, coincidentally enough.) The legal paperwork was settled quickly when the Americans issued that authority by the end of the year, making Crucefix a Sovereign Grand Inspector General—and they included a letter explaining how membership would be restricted to Christians. It was a discrete letter, not part of the official documents consisting of patents, statutes, rituals, etc.

If it was simple discrimination they desired to practice, I doubt that was even necessary. To be other than Christian in England at that time was to be nonexistent; Jewish people, for example, had nothing we Americans might term civil rights until 1858. But some Jewish men had been admitted to lodges in England since the 1730s, and the mid nineteenth century was a period when Freemasonry spread around the British Empire, resulting in men of a variety of other faiths—Muslims, Hindus, and more—being accepted into lodges.

In the United States, the Mother Supreme Council (Southern Jurisdiction) of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite had made the decision to end that religious divide in the nineteenth century (prompted by Albert Pike, if I’m not mistaken), and the NMJ followed in the 1940s. The English have referred to the American system as “theist” on account of our requirement plainly to believe in God. In its announcement Friday, the Supreme Council of the A&A Rite (being English, they don’t use “Scottish” in the name) says:

Click to enlarge.

“the Order’s current stance fails to reflect the Christian—and Masonic—need to be loving towards all and to treat one another with equity. To that end, the Council has come to the unanimous conclusion that the requirement to profess the Trinitarian Christian faith should no longer be a requisite of admission to this Order, which strives to be reflective of a modern, inclusive society. In the Council’s view, to remove the restriction is the Christian thing to do. There are many good people prevented from experiencing the Higher Degrees of Freemasonry, who would enjoy membership and who would be assets to our Order; there is no reason why they should not join if they wish, provided they are willing to strive to uphold the Christian ideals of faith, hope and charity exemplified by the life and teachings of Jesus, so beautifully represented in the 18°.”

The notion of religious distinction in the rite is rooted in its founding document, the fabled Grand Constitution of 1786, allegedly signed by none other than Frederick the Great, Article Five of which includes: “Each Supreme Council is to be composed of nine Inspectors General, at least Five of whom must profess the Christian religion.”

The Magpie Mason welcomes the A&A Rite for England and Wales into the twenty-first century. And I cannot help but appreciate the coincidence of its announcement coming at the moment adherents of a certain nazi ideology are swarming the streets of London, baying for the extermination of the Jewish people. Not much Freemasonry can do about that, sadly.

My thanks to Bro. David Chichinadze for the alert yesterday.

     

‘Amazing silver antique being auctioned’

    

You’ll always find interesting Masonic pieces on liveauctioneers.com, and with twenty-four hours remaining is this antique silver pendant under the gavel. The auctioneers say:

The Latin for Faith, Hope, and Charity at the top; and Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth on the bottom.

Colonial American silver Masonic medal or mark jewel for Eliakim Morse, 18th century. Exceptional highly decorated surfaces with engraved symbols from Freemasonry. Border with Latin inscriptions and mottos. Tapered oval form with spurs and pendant hole at top. 2.75in length. 0.62 ozt.

Courage and Loyalty at top; Silence, Good Behavior, and Fraternity on bottom.

Morse (1712-1803) lived in Medfield, Massachusetts and was a prominent figure in the community. His house still stands in the town today. Provenance: by descent through the Morse family.

Bidding as I type this has reached $500 and the estimated sale price is $800 to $1,200. Click here to check it out.

I am curious to know more about Bro. Morse. The commemorative book Dedication of the Medford Town Hall Sept. 10, 1872; Re-Dedication Nov. 2, 1874 gives a little hint:

One hundred and fifty-three names—all the heads of families or freeholders—appear upon your records appended to the articles of association recommended by the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, whereby the Colonies practically sever their connection with the mother country. It is to be noted also with grateful pride that, in the same voice and votes in which they assert their own rights, they maintain those of all men, and condemn slavery. They say that it appears absurd to plead for liberty and yet patronize the most cruel servitude and bondage; and yet the “poor Africans taken from all that is dear to them on their native soil, have not the least shadow of liberty remaining.”

“We wish,” they say, “to maintain constitutional liberty ourselves, and cannot endure the thought of its being withheld from the same flesh and blood for no other reason that we can conceive of but because the God of nature has been pleased to tinge their skins with a different color from our own.” Thus early did the principles of anti-slavery take root in this town.

Who were the actors in that scene? We only know by the records and by tradition. The names of Daniel Perry, William Plimpton, Moses Bullen, Eliakim Morse, Henry Adams, Nathan Plimpton, Oliver Ellice, Seth Dwight, Eleazer White, Seth Clark and Nathan Coolidge appear constantly.

     

‘New whisky from the Grand Lodge of Scotland’

    

Grand Lodge of Scotland

You’ll have to be in the United Kingdom to taste it, but the Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland offers a new expression of its Grand Master Mason’s Choice Whisky.

A single malt, like the 2015 release, this one is aged ten years, whereas that previous offering had no age statement. Like the 2015, however, the packaging seems to misstate the strength; this one says 40 percent proof, but surely they mean 80 proof (i.e., 40 percent alcohol by volume). Maybe I’m mistaken and I do not understand their jargon because I can’t see how the same error could reoccur. (Some baffling government regulation?) Anyway, from the scant publicity:

Grand Master Mason’s

Choice Whisky

£50 (inc. VAT)

Speyburn is the only distillery to draw its water from the Granty Burn, a major tributary of the River Spey. Matured in American oak ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, the resulting whisky is mellow and well balanced with hints of fresh fruit, toffee and butterscotch, and a long smooth, sweet finish.

A 10 year old single malt

70cl

40 percent proof

Important Information: This whisky is available from the Grand Lodge shop within Freemasons’ Hall (after 10 a.m. due to Scottish licensing laws). The whisky also is available for sale from our online shop within the UK only. In Scotland it is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 years, per Section 110 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

That 70 centiliters is two ounces short of the 750ml packaging we Americans see on the shelves. (And that’s a taste short of what we used to call “a fifth,” but that’s a whole other story.) Also available is a 5cl bottle, packaged in a box, at £8.50.

The Grand Lodge also would like it to be known that this product will not be for sale at this month’s Festival of St. Andrew.

     

‘Masonry and #metoo at MMRS’

    

Laurel-Wreath Lodge 149.

Maryland Masonic Research Society will meet next month for what sounds to me like a provocative discussion. From the publicity:

The Maryland Masonic Research Society invites you to a very interesting and timely presentation on Saturday, December 9: #metoo, Masculinity and Freemasonry.

Our meeting will be at the newly renovated, beautiful Patmos-Solomon’s Lodge 70 in Savage, Maryland (9140 Washington St.). Laurel-Wreath Lodge 149 in Laurel (209 Washington Blvd.). Lunch at noon, followed by the presentation.

Your donation ($20) includes lunch. Advance registration is required. Please do so by email here before noon Monday, December 4. 

#metoo, Masculinity and Freemasonry

This is a discussion on how the #metoo movement caused a re-examination of what masculinity is and what that means to a fraternal organization.

Tim Sheils, First Vice President of MMRS, joined Masonry in 2013 and served as Worshipful Master of Silver Spring Lodge 215 in 2020 and 2021, obtaining the Grand Master’s Award both times. He is a member of the Maryland Masonic Academy, and Grand Inspector for the Grand Lodge of Maryland. In 2022, he became a member of Columbia Lodge 58 in Frederick, and became First Vice President of the Maryland Masonic Research Society. He joined the Frederick/Baltimore Scottish Rite in 2023 and continues serving as Tyler of Silver Spring Lodge.

I’m curious to know where this talk goes. If you followed #metoo during its meteoric notoriety, you should have noticed that not every woman is believed, and not every woman should be believed. What does that mean to a fraternal organization? I don’t know about the others, but Freemasonry is about the pursuit of Truth, so I am hoping this conversation is open-minded about reality.

      

‘Israel: The absolute importance of Freemasonry and its teachings’

    

Grand Lodge received follow-up correspondence Wednesday from the Grand Lodge of Israel. Excerpted:

Firstly, we thank those who have kindly donated to this cause. Your solidarity and deep concern for the humanitarian situation is welcome.

We need not tell you of the absolute barbarism to the lowest levels that man can reach. The situation in Israel and the Middle East is tense. Today, more than ever, we see the absolute importance of Freemasonry and its teachings. Here, the Grand Lodge of the State of Israel, in its small way, sheds a beam of light that touches the hearts and minds of those who truly believe in harmony, peace, and tolerance. Our prayers are that this beam of light will penetrate within our people and to our neighbors!

Since our last letter, the humanitarian situation has been very difficult, with so many citizens evacuating their homes in the south and the north. The uncertainty, different schools, businesses, and offices closed. The outpouring of help and volunteerism in Israel has been beyond all expectations!

The Grand Lodge of the State of Israel has set up a separate charity fund for the Humanitarian War Effort 2023. Brethren in Israel and abroad are generously donating whatever they can. Our aim is to donate a fully equipped ambulance and/or motorcycle(s) that are the first responders to the scene of any call, where they assess the situation and notify the ambulance on the way. Both are extremely important. Unfortunately, there are never enough.

Once again, we thank you for your brotherhood and concern.

Yours, sincerely and fraternally,

Ilan Segev, Grand Master

Jose Cohen, Grand Secretary 

Click here to donate directly to the Charity Fund of the Grand Lodge of the State of Israel.

     

‘A Sufi Perspective of Freemasonry’

    

This month’s lecture at the Livingston Library will approach Freemasonry from an under appreciated direction: Sufism.

Sufis, according to the great F.E. Peters, one of my favorite professors in my university days, “prefer the knowledge that comes by inspiration, to the exclusion of that acquired by study. Again, they desire neither to study such learning nor to learn anything of what authors have written on the subject; to inspect neither their teachings nor their arguments. They maintain on the contrary that the ‘way’ consists in preferring spiritual combat, in getting rid of one’s faults, in breaking one’s ties and approaching God Most High through a single-minded spiritual effort. And every time those conditions are fulfilled, God for His part turns toward the heart of His servant and guarantees him an illumination by the lights of understanding.”

From the publicity:

A Sufi Perspective

of Freemasonry:

The Bektashi Order

of Dervishes

by Nazmi Mete Talimcioglu

Thursday, November 30

7:30 p.m.

Masonic Hall, Jacobean Room

RSVP here

This talk will be a high-end discussion of Sufism and, in particular, the Bektashi Order of Dervishes, its brief history and organizational structure, and the common elements of its belief system with respect to Freemasonry.

Mete Talimcioglu

R∴W∴ Mete Talimcioglu has been a Freemason since 1995, he founded Anatolia Lodge 1183 and was the first Master of the lodge. Mete was also the Assistant Grand Lecturer of his district. He served the Scottish Rite Valley of New York City, having presided over all four bodies, and received both the Meritorious Service Award and the 33°, and served as Deputy’s Representative from 2011 to 2020. Brother Talimcioglu also served in high leadership positions in Royal Arch Masonry and the Cryptic Rite.