‘The Art of Initiation’

     
The Rose Circle Research Foundation and Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 of Ancient Free & Accepted Masons invite you to an inquiry into The Art of Initiation. On Wednesday, February 10 at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia, both societies will co-host a daylong event of lectures, ritual exemplification, dining, and more.

Piers Vaughan of the Rose Circle
Research Foundation.

Beginning at 4 p.m. in the Memorial’s North Lodge Room, the Rose Circle’s Piers Vaughan and Oliver Kruse will speak on the ritual, spiritual, and psychological aspects of initiation. Piers of course is the world renowned lecturer, translator of rare French texts, and Past Master of St. John’s Lodge No. 1 in New York City, among other things. Oliver is an 8º Swedish Rite Mason at labor in Zur Brudertreue im Ravensberger Land in Bielefeld, which is under the Great Land Lodge of Freemasons in Germany, within the United Grand Lodges of Germany. He too is very highly regarded the world over for his lecture work and translations of rare German texts.

After which, in the Grand Masonic Hall, our sponsor, Toye, Kenning and Spencer, Ltd., will host a reception to introduce their company of distinct regalia manufacturing to Freemasonry in the United States. TKS has been the maker of jewels and regalia to Britain’s royal family for nearly 300 years. Their Masonic regalia is worn all over the world, and in 2010 they enter the U.S. market.

At 7 p.m., Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 will open its Stated Communication for the exemplification of the Entered Apprentice Degree in the Bristol ritual. The Bristol working is a unique Masonic ritual almost never seen outside England. (South Lodge Room.)

One description says:

“Bristol Masonry is unlike anything seen elsewhere in England. In the first degree alone one witnesses unusual ceremonies and hears statements which will surprise even the well-read Mason. Have you ever heard ‘the Nile, the Ganges, the Euphrates, [and the] Mississippi’ mentioned in an Entered Apprentice degree? How about ‘the immeasurable wilds of the scattered Indian tribes across the mighty Atlantic… the wandering Arabs, roaming tartars, or far distant Chinese?’ Have you ever seen the ‘circle of swords,’ the ‘cup of affliction,’ or the ‘writing test’ given to an Entered Apprentice? It is all here, and much more. As one of the most unusual rituals in the English language, Masons travel from all over the world to witness these fascinating ceremonies. Boasting what is probably the oldest Craft working in England, Bristol ritual retains aspects which are similar to the unpublished Irish workings, but also resembles Continental Masonry in some regards.”

After the degree exemplification, the brethren will retire to the Dining Room for a classic Festive Board.

Reservations for the Festive Board, featuring a catered dinner, are requested. Please write to the Senior Steward of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 at

reservations@aw22.org

to say you’re attending, so heads can be counted, and all guests can be accommodated comfortably.

There is no charge for dinner, but donations of $10 (or more) will be appreciated.

Shuttle bus service will be available to take you to and from the Alexandria Mark Hilton beginning at 3 p.m. Make sure you catch that first bus to ensure you do not miss any of the program beginning at four o’clock.

Whether you are traveling to Alexandria for Masonic Week, or if you are local to the area, there will be no Masonic event more worthy of your time on this Wednesday than this occasion.

Look for us on Facebook as The Art of Initiation, or feel free to send questions and comments to The Magpie Mason in the comments section of this blog.

Photo of altar courtesy of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22, AF&AM, Alexandria, Virginia.
     

‘Can Masonry cure insomnia?’

     
No, I don’t mean boring meetings.

Insomnia grips the Magpie Mason this time of year. Not even my midnight brandy helps anymore. (Don’t hurt either, so I ain’t giving it up.) To pass the hours leading up to my morning constitutional of steak & eggs, coffee, tobacco, I read. On one of the final nights of 2009 I chose to revisit a great book that I read upon its publication in 1992, while still a university student who knew that good writers read great writers. Ergo my limitless appreciation for Joseph Mitchell.

Mitchell (1908-96) wrote for The New Yorker from the 1930s to the ’60s. He remained on staff for decades thereafter, still on the payroll without actually producing anything, which I suspect is the unspoken goal of a lot of writers. I planned on devoting a paragraph to describing his work, but this obituary anticipates what I was going to say.

But back to the book: Up in the Old Hotel is an anthology of Mitchell’s most famous journalistic essays. In fact, it is a compilation of several of his previous books, which themselves consisted of his three dozen best written, most known feature stories. “The Old House at Home,” his 8,200-word paen to McSorley’s Old Ale House published in 1940 begins the book. I was hooked. (McSorley’s is one of my favorite places on earth. An honorary Irish-Catholic, my affinity for this establishment could be called atavistic.)

Don’t let the sepia fool ya. This photo was taken last November 9, when I had the good fortune to have lunch with a large group of Masons at this historic establishment.

So I’m up this morning reading. The story is titled “Mr. Hunter’s Grave” and, true to Mitchell’s method, it is a high def portrait of an eccentric New Yorker who is invisible amid the cityscape, yet king of his own corner. Mitchell’s New York City doesn’t really exist anymore. The highways built during the 1950s, the poverty of the ’60s, the chaos of the ’70s, the redevelopment in the ’80s, and the Giuliani Revolution in the ’90s all played their roles in eradicating nearly every semblance of what might be termed Old New York. Mother Bloomberg isn’t helping either. Being prohibited by law from smoking my Peterson inside McSorley’s is a hate crime.

But I digress.

I actually was starting to get sleepy a few hours ago, but I didn’t want to leave Mitchell just walking up Bloomingdale Road in Staten Island by himself. I read on, but what is very strange – and in fact is the reason I’m writing this – is that some supernatural instinct was telling me our Mr. Hunter is a Brother Mason. One stranger speaking to Mitchell describes him thusly:

“The man to speak to is Mr. George H. Hunter. He’s chairman of the board of trustees of the African Methodist church. I know Mr. Hunter. He’s eighty-seven years old, and he’s one of those strong, self-contained old men you don’t see much any more. He was a hard worker, and he retired only a few years ago, and he’s fairly well-to-do. He’s a widower, and he lives by himself and does his own cooking. He’s got quite a reputation as a cook. His church used to put on clambakes to raise money, and they were such good clambakes they attracted people from all over this part of Staten Island, and he always had charge of them. On some matters, such as drinking and smoking, he’s very disapproving and strict and stern, but he doesn’t feel that way about eating; he approves of eating. He’s a great Bible reader. He’s read the Bible from cover to cover, time and time again. His health is good, and his memory is unusually good. He remembers the golden age of the oyster business on the South Shore, and he remembers its decline and fall, and he can look at any old field or tumble-down house between Rossville and Tottenville and tell you who owns it now and who owned it fifty years ago, and he knows who the people were who are buried out in the Sandy Ground cemetery – how they lived and how they died, how much they left, and how their children turned out. Not that he’ll necessarily tell you what he knows, or even a small part of it....”

I suppose some neuron encoded with the memory of this story from 18 years ago might have somehow sparked in my brain the notion that Mr. Hunter is a Freemason, which is very unlikely because I had only a general curiosity about Masonry at that time. Nor is it as though this book is full of Masonic references. A 10-page exploration of what used to be called “The New York Steak Dinner” (1939) makes one quick reference to Mecca Temple. The famous piece about Joe Gould (1964) describes a chapter of the putative “Oral History” of which Mitchell reports: “Gould’s father had belonged to the Universalist Church and the Masons, and his funeral service had been conducted jointly by the pastor of the local Universalist church, and the chaplain and the Worshipful Master of the local Masonic lodge.”

I guess my hunch had a lot to do with Hunter’s characteristics, as explained above, but it was a strong bodement. I felt compelled to continue and confirm.

Et voilà.

“On another wall was a framed certificate stating that George Henry Hunter was a life member of St. John’s Lodge No. 29 of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. While I was looking at this, Mr. Hunter came into the room. ‘I’m proud of that,’ he said. ‘There’s several Negro Mason organizations, but Prince Hall is the biggest, and I’ve been a member since 1906. I joined the Masons the same year I built this house. Did you notice my floors?’ I looked down. The floor boards were wide and made of some kind of honey-colored wood, and they were waxed and polished. ‘Virgin spruce,’ he said. ‘six inches wide. Tongue and groove. Built to last. In my time, that was the idea, but in this day and time, that’s not the idea. They’ve got more things nowadays – things, things, things: kitchen stoves you could put in the parlor just to look at; refrigerators so big they’re all out of reason; cars that reach from here to Rossville – but they aren’t built to last. They’re built to wear out. And that’s the way people want it.’ ”

He is speaking in 1956!

Rest in peace, Bro. Hunter. Requiem in pacem. But now it’s time for breakfast.

Journalist Joseph Mitchell on the waterfront he loved so much.

Here is an interview of Roger Angell and David Remnick on Charlie Rose upon the death of Mitchell in 1996. There is mention of the story Mitchell wrote of Bro. Hunter.
     

‘An everyday hero from long ago’

Before getting too far into 2010, The Magpie Mason aims to report on several recent events from last year, playing catch up by bringing you “The Best of the Rest.”

Freemasonry in the United States often draws upon our country’s Colonial and Revolutionary histories for inspiration, especially here in the Northeast. We’re criticized for it, and maybe justly too, because the love of history does trump the need for esoterica when it’s time to do the work of Masonry. But the reality is, our landscape is abundant with sites associated with America’s Founding, and this matters to many of us. We live here. At the Valley of Northern New Jersey, we find ourselves geographically almost exactly between West Point and Trenton, and somewhat equidistant from Newark in the east, and Morristown to the west. Very fertile ground for history buffs, a fact that does not escape Freemasons here.

(This was on full display on October 31, when New Jersey Consistory conferred the 20°, titled “Master ad Vitam.” This degree, set inside a Masonic lodge in 1780, dramatizes Brother Washington’s investigation into Bro. Benedict Arnold’s treason at West Point. You know the historical Arnold story well. The degree was worked at the appropriately named Loyalty Lodge No. 33, which previously had been Washington Lodge No. 33, located in the Township of Union. Its surrounding neighborhood consists of streets named for practically every famous patriot hero of the American Revolution, and in fact the area had been involved in the Battle of Springfield, which was waged only about two weeks before Arnold’s treason. Loyalty Lodge was not chosen to be the location of the degree for these reasons. It just worked out that way.)

The December 1 meeting of Northern New Jersey Lodge of Perfection featured the visit of a historical figure who is both common soldier and somewhat of an immortal hero. Joseph Plumb Martin fought in the Revolution from its earliest days through the final battle in 1783. Not a general, but an enlisted man and later a sergeant in the Continental Army who was eyewitness to history, Martin traveled for many years after the war, giving lectures to citizens eager to hear “what it was really like” from one who knows firsthand. He participated in the battles of Brooklyn, White Plains, and Monmouth, among others. He was at Valley Forge, which he was quick to point out was not nearly as grueling as the winter of 1779-80 that he spent encamped at Morristown, where the snow reached eye level, and food was rarely provided. He also was at Tappan to see Major John André escorted to his execution for his role in the Arnold affair. Even this event has its Masonic connection, as Magpie readers know.

Martin’s wartime diary has been in print for generations, sometimes under the title “Yankee Doodle Boy,” and relates his first-hand accounts of a soldier’s life. He died in 1850, at age 89.

Well, let me begin at the beginning. Of course there is no necromancy in Freemasonry. Our guest lecturer was Mr. Eric Olsen, Park Ranger and historian at Jockey Hollow National Park in Morristown, who brought Martin to us for the evening. Speaking in detail about life in an army that suffered deprivation, desertion, and desperation, Martin told a lengthy story of both harrowing experiences and stretches of tedium, but also related a number of anecdotes revealing the lighter side of a soldier’s life during the Revolution. On the frightening side was the Battle of Mud Island. Located in the Delaware River between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Mud Island’s Fort Mifflin and New Jersey’s Fort Mercer were crucial strategic points for cutting off the British who occupied Philadelphia. In October of 1777, British and Hessian forces that outnumbered the Colonial troops by 3:1 attacked. They lost. Where the Americans suffered 37 killed or wounded, the British-Hessian forces lost nearly nine times that, plus an additional 60 captured, and their commanding general died of his wounds. So soon after the loss of Philadelphia, this victory was a great boost to the Continental Army’s morale.

It has been all but forgotten by history, a development Martin attributes to the absence of any famous generals.

Attired in period garb, Martin explained the manufacture of his clothing and the purpose of his equipment, going as far as demonstrating the superiority of the bayonet over a sword in close combat... against the wife of one of our Past Masters. He explained how a soldier evaded punishment for playing cards by explaining to his superior officer that a deck of cards can be read symbolically as a prayer book or other aid for spiritual observance.

The ace represents the One True God. The deuce recalls the division of the Bible into two parts: Old and New Testaments. The three denotes the Holy Trinity. Four? The four evangelists of the Gospels, &c., &c.

The Magpie Mason, always looking for a Masonic angle to historical matters and knowing how American-Union Lodge was active at Morristown and elsewhere in Martin’s travels, asked Sgt. Martin if he had the chance to join a lodge.

“Oh, no. I know nothing of your arts and mysteries,” he replied, illustrating with his hands what he thought a grip might look like. In his experience, only the officers were initiated into the fraternity, he explained, adding that he was aware of the celebration on December 27, 1779 of the Feast of St. John the Evangelist at Morristown with General Washington in attendance. Martin surprised me with his knowledge of the affair, saying that he had learned that the traveling military lodge had sent to a lodge in Newark for the necessary Masonic paraphernalia for the lodge meeting. And in fact, in the annals of New Jersey Masonic history it is recorded that St. John’s Lodge No. 1, Ancient York Masons, in Newark had sent officers regalia and other lodge items to the encampment at Morristown for the occasion.


There is a lot more “Best of the Rest” of 2009, including the rededication of the Daniel D. Tompkins gravesite in New York City, and Fairless Hills Lodge’s banquet in Pennsylvania, both from November; and other memorable events, like the famous 1760 EA Degree from way back in September! I’ll try to get to them soon.

‘2010 at the George Washington Masonic Memorial’

At the meeting on Tuesday night of Northern New Jersey Chapter of Rose Croix, John S. Ryan, 33°, a member of the Board of Directors of the George Washington Masonic Memorial, will discuss the latest news from the Memorial, which celebrates its centennial next month.

Like the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library (see below), 2010 evidently is a year to bring a few new ideas to fruition. The following is a statement from Executive Director George Seghers:

On February 22, 1910, George Washington’s 178th birthday, Masonic leaders from across the nation met in Alexandria, Virginia and formed an association for the purpose of building a great memorial to honor America’s foremost Freemason. February 22, 2010, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association, will be a day of great festivities. In honor of the occasion, the Conference of Grand Masters of North America, hosted by the Grand Lodge of Virginia, will be held in nearby Arlington. Delegates will attend the Association’s Annual Meeting and celebrate the 100th anniversary and Washington’s 278th birthday at the Memorial.

At the Annual Meeting, a new portrait of George Washington as a Freemason will be unveiled. Painted by local artist Christopher Erney, the portrait will be a new interpretation of Washington. Prints of the portrait will be available at the meeting. Complementing the portrait is a new video presenting George Washington as the inspiration for the founding of America and explores the creation of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association. Underwritten by the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma, it will be available on DVD and as a download from the Memorial’s website for Masonic education.

The Memorial’s new logo to commemorate the occasion was also designed by Erney. Since its inception, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association has used as its logo the Washington family crest with a Masonic square, compasses and “G,” with the motto “In Memoriam Perpetuam.” For a new century of service, a new logo has been created, keeping the same elements, it enhances the Association’s Masonic identity. Artist Christopher Erney began his design by enlarging the Washington family crest, making it the focus of the seal, and recreating the Masonic symbols carved into the Memorial’s cornerstone, laid in 1923. The cornerstone was laid by then president Calvin Coolidge, and every U.S. Grand Master, using the same trowel as used by Washington at the U.S. Capitol.

The new design replaces the foliage that surrounded the crest with tools, emblems and symbols of Freemasonry. On either side of the crest are pillars representing Jachin and Boaz, which are topped with terrestrial and celestial globes representing Freemasonry’s universality. Acacia vines of remembrance encircle the pillars. Complementing the globes is the sun in its glory above and the crescent moon below. Connecting the two lesser lights as the crest’s border is a cable tow. At the right, pomegranates represent abundance; on the left a sheaf of wheat represents wealth. Within the wheat are five of six working tools. The sixth, the Square of the Master, is found resting upon Washington’s crest. The new logo is now the Association’s trestleboard to labor “In Memoriam Perpetuam.”

Following the Annual Meeting, the International Order of DeMolay will rededicate the colossal bronze statue of George Washington in Memorial Hall and reaffirm the role of DeMolay young men in Freemasonry. The statue was a gift to the Memorial from the DeMolay, and 2010 marks the 60th anniversary of its unveiling by President and Past Grand Master Harry S. Truman.

On display during the celebration will be the trowel and gavel used at the 1793 Cornerstone Laying of the United States Capitol by George Washington, and the 1752 Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 Bible upon which the young Washington took his Masonic obligations.The new White House Stones Exhibit will be inaugurated at the celebration. Each stone in the exhibit is marked by one of the Scots Masons who helped build the White House in the 1790s. The stones were discovered during the restoration of the White House during the Truman presidency. Truman had the stones labeled, and one was sent to each Grand Lodge and other Masonic organizations. The exhibit reassembles nearly 50 stones, and includes minute books from Lodge No. 8 of Edinburgh recording the stonemasons’ marks, noting those who had “gone to America.” A matching minute book of Federal Lodge No. 1 will show those Scots masons forming the first lodge in 1793 on White House grounds. The exhibit is supported by the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, Valley of Washington, Orient of the District of Columbia, and by the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of the District of Columbia.

The photo above shows the White House stone given to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, which was on display in Philadelphia in 2007.

2010 is a unique celebration year for the Memorial Association. Together we are celebrating 100 years of dedication to Freemasonry’s greatest brother and honoring the countless brothers who built and sustain the Memorial. Equally important, 2010 marks a pledge of rededicated service, trusting in God that the century ahead will be filled with success and achievement. The Association shines as a bright light of Masonry as it fulfills its mission: “To inspire humanity through education to emulate and promote the virtues, character and vision of George Washington, the Man, the Mason and Father of our Country.”

‘A big year for Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library’

     
There’s a lot of good news coming out of Lexington for 2010. The museum and library on the campus of the headquarters of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite will add a few activities both on-site and off.

Before I get to those items, a change of name has been announced for this cultural center. The National Heritage Museum Library has been renamed the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library. What’s in a name? A lot, in this case. When the museum was established for our country’s bicentennial celebration in 1976, Supreme Council made it clear that the facility was not to be a Masonic museum looking inward, but was a gift to the people of the United States dedicated to the preservation of our common history. Its name was the Museum of Our National Heritage, which during the past decade was abbreviated to the National Heritage Museum. It was announced last month that the new name was chosen to reconnect the museum to Freemasonry in the public eye. “As we are all proud of our fraternity, the name-change better reflects who we are to the public, and puts the names ‘Masonic’ and ‘Scottish Rite’ in the forefront,” says the announcement from Supreme Council. Now flanking its front doors are the Square and Compasses, and the Double Headed Eagle.

I like it. I do not know if this is another aspect of the Sovereign Grand Commander’s stated preference to see the Scottish Rite reorient its focus from doing nice, expensive things for utter strangers (when we ought to be concentrating on helping our brethren in need), but this change appears to reflect that spirit, and I applaud it.

But about the new activities at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library in 2010 (and this might even be breaking news) (and I hope I don’t get in trouble for this):

The Museum and Library will hit the road, taking a program and related artifacts to the brethren around the jurisdiction. The plan is to travel into the field four times a year to Councils of Deliberation and/or Valleys. Arrangements will be made on a first come, first served basis, with the traveling to be divided as equally as possible between locations on the East Coast and in the interior.

Big Change No. 2 – and this is really exciting! 96 days and counting! – is the first of what hopefully will be biannual symposia that showcase Freemasonry in an academic light. (I mean, they’re in Lexington, Massachusetts. How many colleges and universities are there within a 30-minute drive?)

From the official announcement:

Friday, April 9

New Perspectives on American Freemasonry

This 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 new interpretations of American society and culture.

A keynote paper by Jessica Harland-Jacobs, Associate Professor of History at the University of Florida, and author of Builders of Empire: Freemasonry and British Imperialism, 1717-1927, will open the day. Titled “Worlds of Brothers,” Harland-Jacobs’ paper will survey and assess the scholarship on American fraternalism and Freemasonry. Drawing on examples from the 1700s, 1800s and 1900s, she will demonstrate that applying world history methodologies pays great dividends for our understanding of fraternalism as a historical phenomenon. Harland-Jacobs will conclude with some thoughts on how global perspectives can benefit contemporary American brotherhoods.

I received an unsolicited review copy of Harland-Jacobs’ book upon its publication in 2007, and I loved it. Its title put me off initially, because “imperialism” is an epithet in academia (and for some, maybe Freemasonry is also), but her book quickly revealed itself to be a just and true accounting of Masonic history, exhaustively researched, engagingly written, and actually laden with small facts that really grab the eyes of those who notice them. It’s not a love letter; it shows flaws and hypocrisies, but it is undeniably fair. Anyway, back to the press release:

Six scholars from the United States, Canada, and Britain will fill the day’s program:

Damien Amblard, doctoral student, the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, “French Counter-Enlightenment Intellectuals and American Anti-masonry: A Transatlantic Approach, 1789-1800” (NB: Mr. Amblard spoke at the second ICHF in Edinburgh.)

Hannah M. Lane, Assistant Professor, Mount Allison University, “Freemasonry and Identity in 19th-Century New Brunswick and Eastern Maine”

Nicholas Bell, Curator, Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, “An Ark of the New Republic”

David Bjelajac, Professor of Art History, George Washington University, “Freemasonry, Thomas Cole (1801-1848) and the Fraternal Ethos of American Art”

Ami Pflugrad-Jackisch, Assistant Professor of History, University of Michigan – Flint, “Brothers of a Vow: Secret Fraternal Orders in Antebellum Virginia”

Kristofer Allerfeldt, Exeter University, “Nationalism, Masons, Klansmen and Kansas in the 1920s”

The symposium is funded in part by the Supreme Council, 33°, NMJ-USA. Registration is $50 ($45 for museum members) and includes morning refreshments, lunch and a closing reception. To register, complete the Registration Form and fax to 781-861-9846 or mail to Claudia Roche, National Heritage Museum, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA 02421. Registration deadline is March 24, 2010. For more information, contact Claudia Roche at croche@monh.org or 781-861-6559, x 4142.

And last, but not least (because it is underway now) is the installation of artist Peter Waddell’s 21 painting exhibition titled “The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Freemasonry and the Architecture of Washington, DC.” It opened two weeks ago, and will run through January 9, 2011. That’s 2011.

Images courtesy of The Octagon Museum.

If the title sounds familiar, it’s because this exhibit premiered in Washington (it was commissioned by the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia) in 2005, and since has traveled the country. Augmenting the 21 paintings are 40 artifacts from the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum. See all the paintings and read about them here.

Magpie Mason on the road in MMX

“Merry New Year!”

The Magpie Mason’s speaking tour for 2010 is shaping up. Here are the dates for the first half of the new year. All are in New Jersey, unless noted otherwise.

Tuesday, January 19 - Northern New Jersey Council Princes of Jerusalem in Lincoln Park. Through the kind offices of SP Rajaram, I will help Scottish Rite Masons make sense of Dan Brown’s new bestseller “The Lost Symbol,” decoding the accuracies, the obvious inaccuracies, and the bizarre references.

Wednesday, January 27 - Alpha Lodge No. 116 in East Orange. Through the kind offices of W. Bro. Kevin, I will discuss The Masonic Society as part of a kind of “show and tell” program on things Masonic.

Wednesday, February 10 - George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. (Not speaking, but helping organize an amazing event that day. Details to come!)

Thursday, February 25 -  St. John’s Commandery No. 9 in Rahway. Through the kind offices of EC Franklin, I will speak on “What the Rule of Saint Benedict Means to Templars and Freemasons.”

Friday, March 5 - Atlas-Pythagoras Lodge No. 10 in Westfield. Through the kind offices of W. Bro. Mohamad, I will speak on “The Lessons of Atlas and Pythagoras.”

Monday, March 15 - Trinity Commandery No. 17 in Westfield. Through the kind offices of EC Mario, I will speak on “What the Rule of Saint Benedict Means to Templars and Freemasons.”

Wednesday, May 26 - Alpha Lodge No. 116 in East Orange. Through the kind offices of W. Bro. Kevin, I will speak on “Death: Why I’m Looking Forward to It!”

Monday, June 14 - Kensington-Kadosh Commandery No. 54 in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. Through the kind offices of EC Makia, I will speak on “What the Rule of Saint Benedict Means to Templars and Freemasons.”

Saturday, July 10 - Annual Voorhis Ingathering in Freehold. Gronning Council No. 83 of Allied Masonic Degrees again hosts the Ingathering. Papers will be presented, and the Degree of St. Lawrence the Martyr will be conferred. More info to come later this year.

DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED - Nutley Lodge No. 25 in Nutley. Through the kind offices of W. Bro. Dalton, I will speak on a topic to be announced.

In addition, on the first Thursday of each month, I will endeavor to lead a class at Peninsula Lodge No. 99 in Bayonne. This study group, dubbed The Architects, will explore Masonic ritual and symbol by reading classic and contemporary texts, and discussing what the speculations therein mean to each of us.

Wait, there’s more! I certainly will do my best to support my research lodges, AMD council, etc. Let’s see how many innocent Masons I can bore to tears before they file charges!

I especially am looking forward to:

• Masonic Week in Virginia in February;
• The National Heritage Museum symposium in April on New Perspectives on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism;
• Scottish Rite Supreme Council in Philadelphia in August;
• Masonic Library and Museum Association in Virginia in October; and
• Rose Circle conference in Manhattan in October.
• Plus, Scott Council No. 1 reaches its sesquicentennial, and Columbian Council celebrates its bicentennial this year.
• And The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Freemasonry, and the Architecture of Washington, D.C. is on exhibit at Lexington through January 2011.
• Furthermore, there is the Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge, the Joseph Campbell Foundation New York Chapter, and more!

I’m exhausted already.

2010 is going to be a wonderful year! I’ll see ya around.

‘Early French lodges in NYC’

     
The American Lodge of Research held its first meeting of the 2010 Masonic year last night. The Installation of Officers was followed by the presentation of the new Master’s inaugural paper, a probing examination of a singular subject. W. Bro. Pierre F. de Ravel d’Esclapon presented the fruits of his research into “The History of French Lodges in New York City, 1760 to 1800,” which explains the origins of four francophone lodges and the very complicated men who created them during the earliest years of New York Masonry.

The lodges were La Parfait Union (Perfect Union), Loge la Tendre Amitie Franco-Américaine (French-American Loving Friendship Lodge), L’Unité Americaine (American Unity), and L’Union Française (French Union).

The first of these was Perfect Union, chartered on November 1, 1760 by Provincial Grand Master George Harrison. That date is significant not only because it predates even Independent Royal Arch Lodge No. 2, but because it lands during the French and Indian War (or the Seven Years’ War, as it was known to its European combatants). At issue were the activities of the French nationals residing in enemy territory: the British colony of New York. When Britain declared war on France, the French commercial dealings in the Caribbean became a strategic consideration, and the merchants “worked around the embargo,” as de Ravel d’Esclapon phrased it. The matter was so serious that French merchants in New York were arrested, and some were kept in prison even after the cessation of hostilities in 1763. A significant number of these businessmen were brethren of Perfect Union, and this disruption to their lives seems to have resulted in the demise of the lodge.

Decades would pass until French lodges again would populate Freemasonry in New York City. Not a war this time, but a different bloodbath remembered as the slave revolt on Saint-Domingue. During the 1790s, French Masons fleeing this revolution on the sugar producing island colony emigrated to the United States. Seeking more than the religious freedom and economic opportunity that typically drew immigrants, these people were refugees running for their lives. The first lodge created by this wave of immigrants was Loge la Tendre Amitie Franco-Américaine (French-American Loving Friendship Lodge), which was set to labor on a six-month dispensation on December 12, 1793. In time, the Grand Lodge of New York allowed the dispensation of this French Rite lodge to expire, preferring to create a lodge named L’Unité Américaine (American Unity), which received its dispensation on Christmas Day, 1795. The lodge would go dark in 1799.

Even more useful than the details of the lodges in this paper are the personal stories of the people involved. One of the reasons for the short life of French-American Loving Friendship Lodge was the discovery that one of its founders never had been initiated, passed, and raised. To remedy this, Grand Lodge convened a meeting especially for the purpose of conferring the three degrees upon him, in French. Another Grand Lodge meeting was convened on Christmas Day 1797 to suspend a brother who had been found stealing from his business. (With the mention of how Masonic meetings had taken place on two Christmas Days, I ought to point out that Americans of this period did not make Christmas the central Christian holiday that it is today. For more, see the American Creation blog here.) Other intimate details shared in this presentation include the revelation that one brother’s wife was the most successful madam in the city. Turning to matters deadly serious, American Unity Lodge thrived at a time when a yellow fever epidemic menaced the city. An unexpected surprise was the discovery many years after the fact of Perfect Union Lodge’s warrant... in Nova Scotia, a revelation that recast New York Masonry’s early history.

The fourth French lodge in the Worshipful Master’s paper is L’Union Française. French Union No. 17 remains at labor today, having been chartered in 1861, but this seminal incarnation of the historic French lodge was set to labor on December 26, 1797, and received its charter from Grand Lodge six months later. Its rolls list brethren who were members of the two aforementioned short lived lodges. This lodge’s embryonic years extend well into the early 19th century, but as the parameters of this paper are curtailed at the year 1800, it will be understood that the French Union set to labor more than two centuries ago still is an influence on the cusp of 2010.

A look at various books of GLNY proceedings will yield much of the lodge information that the Master shares in his paper, but what makes his work true research are the data discovered during the course of his meticulous digging and compiling. There is a lot more to the story of these so-called “Refugee Lodges” in New York City. The role played by the local Huguenot church in helping these French immigrants get established was revealed thanks to searching the church archives. Records of births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths helped de Ravel d’Esclapon develop the French Masons’ identities, as well as trace their genealogies. And there is more to this than just budgeting time and showing up. These records date to the 1680s and can be very difficult to read. In addition, the spellings of names was anything but standard, with translations and spelling variations requiring intent study to discern their meanings. Members of the same family could have their surname recorded as Maxfield or Machsfeld. (But even the church’s relationship has Masonic roots, as it was a brother of Holland Lodge No. 8 who introduced the French immigrants to the local Huguenot congregations. Social and commercial contacts as well.) Other resources de Ravel d’Esclapon tapped include the New York Historical Society.

The history of French lodges in New York City is the story of refugees seeking support in a network that allied Freemasonry with the local French Huguenot church, and international commercial connections. These lodges may not have lasted long, but their effect on the city’s French community reached through generations. It is what one ought to expect of the Masonic Order.

His is a brilliant paper that I look forward to reading when it is published. Magpie readers, please note that any inaccuracies here are to be attributed to me, and not to the speaker.

W. Bro. Pierre F. de Ravel d’Esclapon, a prominent attorney and a published author, has plans for American Lodge of Research in 2010, continuing the progress of RW Bill Thomas in 2009. He seeks to establish relationships with Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 808 under the Grand Lodges of Germany, and the research lodges under the Grand Lodge Alpina of Switzerland and the Grande Loge Nationale Française. Our Master also is a Past Master of France La Clémente Amitié Cosmopolite No. 410, and is a member of Holland Lodge No. 8, both in New York City.

In other ALR news, the Magpie Mason was surprised to hear the announcement of RW Harvey Eysman of his retirement as Secretary of the lodge after 22 years at the desk. Harvey immediately instills in you the confidence that he is more than just a good Secretary, but that he is supposed to be the Secretary. As he undertakes some changes in life, he also is exiting the secretarial posts of his mother lodge, his chapter, and other Masonic bodies. He cheerfully maintained a workload that would have turned the Magpie Mason into an obese, suicidal alcoholic. (Oh, wait a minute.) His last meeting as Secretary will be the March 2010 Stated Communication. The Master will appoint a replacement at that time.

Secretary Harvey Eysman, left, presents junior Past Master Bill Thomas his Past Master Jewel at The American Lodge of Research last night.

   

Born on this date: Albert Pike

Today is the bicentennial of the birth of Albert Pike.

This man enjoyed a long, illustrious life with careers in law, the military, journalism, and of course, Freemasonry. Pike served as Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry from 1859 until his death in 1891. A more controvertible personality in Masonic history I cannot name.

His most famous (but I suspect least read, and most misunderstood) book is Morals and Dogma, an anthology of lectures explanatory of the entire corpus of degrees of the A&ASR, which themselves were penned or otherwise crafted by Pike. Some of his other writings that, frankly, I find a lot more useful include:

Magnum Opus, his first revision of the degrees of the Scottish Rite;

The Porch and the Middle Chamber: The Book of the Lodge, his interpretation of the ritual and symbols of the three Craft degrees;

Esoterika, a longer discussion of the Craft degrees, including details, some humorous, of his own experiences in Masonry; and

various Legenda and other shorter works, all intended to promote clear understanding of the many lessons imparted by Freemasonry.

Above and Below: Some of Albert Pike’s Scottish Rite regalia displayed in the Albert Pike Room at the House of the Temple in Washington, DC.

Above: Several of Pike’s pipes. Below: A miniature replica of the statue of Pike located in Judiciary Square in Washington. Pike is the only Confederate Army general depicted in statuary in the American capital.

‘... and the darkness comprehended it not’

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

John 1:1-5


The Magpie Mason wishes the brethren a joyous St. John’s Day.

Bro. Tomislav Stanich in concert

There are times when I wish I could clone myself and become the Magpie Masons. Next Monday, for instance. At 8 p.m. I’ll attend the Installation of Officers at American Lodge of Research at the Grand Lodge of New York, while wishing my ears could go downtown to St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery to hear the Piano Recital.

Bro. Tomislav Stanich, of St. John’s Lodge No. 1, AYM, will perform selections by Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin.

The amazingly historic St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery is located at 131 East 10th Street at Second Avenue. Tickets cost $20 and are available at the door, before the performance, beginning at 7 p.m.

In the meantime, I’ll content myself by checking out his CD.

‘On this date in 1767’

On this date in 1767, a Mason named Henry Andrew Francken, recently arrived in Albany, New York from Jamaica, established the first Masonic body on the North American continent associated with what would become the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite by issuing the warrant of Ineffable and Sublime Grand Lodge of Perfection. The Ineffable and Sublime Grand Lodge of Perfection was of the Rite of Perfection, that system of 25 degrees* that would be the basis for the 33-degree A&ASR established in 1801. Francken issued the patent to this Grand Lodge of Perfection, culminating several months of activity that had begun with his conferring degrees 4 through 14 upon two Masons named William Gamble and Francis von Pfister.

According to the minutes of the Grand Lodge of Perfection, the brethren received their warrant, which they called a constitution, on the 26th of December. On January 11, 1768 this Lodge of Perfection was opened by Master William Gamble, and it remained at labor, as far as we know, until December 5, 1774. An absence of records suggests it then went inactive for 45 years.

This Grand Lodge of Perfection in Albany still exists; it is one of the four Scottish Rite bodies meeting at the Valley of Albany, at 67 Corning Place.

Apropos of nothing, this is a poor photograph I shot of a Philadelphia Grand Lodge of Perfection summons dated Friday, February 15, 1889 which states the 14°, the Degree of Grand, Elect, Perfect and Sublime Mason, will be conferred upon eight candidates, and that the annual election of officers would take place. This document was on display at the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia two years ago.

Bro. Francken was in the news recently following the announcement in October of the rediscovery of a long lost manuscript of rituals, signed by Francken, found in Pakistan, where one such manuscript happened to have gone missing many years ago. This duplicate original manuscript is among only four known to exist. Read about that here.



* It seems there were degrees above 25 that were reserved for the rite’s highest officers.

‘Into the Oriental Chair, II’

Congratulations to Bro. Mohamad Yatim, the newly installed Master of Atlas-Pythagoras Lodge No. 10 in Westfield, New Jersey.

Mohamad’s installation took place Friday night in the presence of more than 150 well wishers. Masons came from all over New Jersey, plus Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and elsewhere, I’m sure. One visiting Worshipful Master stood to praise Mohamad as one of the guys who gets it, an “education Mason,” the likes of whom we need more.

Among the visiting lecturers scheduled to appear at Atlas-Pythagoras in 2010 include RW Rashied Bey, of Cornerstone Lodge No. 37 under the MWPHGL of New York; Bro. Tim Wallace-Murphy, of Lodge Robert Burns Initiated No. 1781 in Edinburgh; W. Trevor Stewart of Quatuor Coronati 2076, et al.; W. David Lindez, of historic Alpha Lodge; and the Magpie Mason of The Magpie Mason. However, Atlas-Pythagoras’ “theme” for 2010 will be “Enlightening the Temple,” so there will be thoughtful discussion of the meaning of Masonry at most, if not all, the meetings.

The lodge is blessed with a full line of enthusiastic and talented officers, and a cadre of experienced Past Masters; all are supportive of Mohamad’s plans for the year, which is a great indication that the lodge will continue on this path in 2011 and beyond.

I was going to joke that he is singing “My Way,” but it is enough to know that W. Bro. Mohamad will set the Craft to labor his way during the coming year.

‘Sacred Spaces’ at MOBIA, Part I

As mentioned last week, yesterday evening saw the first of the three-part lecture series at the Museum of Biblical Art concerning what it calls Sacred Spaces. Our speaker Thursday was Dr. Ena G. Heller, Executive Director of MOBIA, and curator of the related exhibition of artist Tobi Kahn’s work titled “Sacred Spaces for the 21st Century.”

Heller’s lecture was titled “Function, Symbol, Access: Sacred Spaces Throughout History,” which took us on a visual tour through time and space, from ancient days to medieval times to the Renaissance, and up to today, visiting synagogues, cathedrals, monastic churches, private chapels, and a meditation space designed by Kahn. “I live in a very predictable universe,” she joked, “so if I’m going to lecture on something, it’ll be the Bible.” And she indeed began with that Volume of Sacred Law, even beginning with its beginning.

It is in Genesis where we are introduced to the idea of a place where the Divine is manifest, she explained, screening a photo of one of Bro. Marc Chagall’s paintings of the passage in Chapter 28, when Jacob dreams his vision of the ladder, and upon awakening constructs our first sacred space. Excerpted:

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel....

Fast-forwarding to 13th century Europe, Heller brought us to Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, a relatively small Gothic structure built quite quickly in Paris during the late 1240s, and to the Old-New Synagogue in Prague, another Gothic-style house of God, completed in 1270. She cited both as early examples of how architecture can define the uses of space for prayer, study, and ritual. Juxtaposing the floor plans of both, she pointed out their similarities. Explaining how that evolved from pagan practices of using temples for the public sacrificial rites conducted by an elite few, Heller acknowledged how Temple-era Judaism had a similar priesthood, but that after the destruction of the last Temple of Jerusalem, the synagogue became the center of the Jewish faith, where it served as a place of assembly. With the faithful gathering to read and study Torah, Judaism became the first communal religion, she added, which brought an element of democracy to religious life. It was Philo of Alexandria who first dubbed the synagogue a sacred space, thanks to the presence of Torah, “the supreme source of holiness.”

Reinforcing her point on how architecture defines the sacred space, Heller explained that synagogues do not follow a uniform architectural plan, but are constructed to highlight the location of the Torah. “There is a general and generous space with benches for the community, and then the Torah shrine.” The Talmud’s metaphoric injunction to build a fence around the Torah would be expressed literally in some cases, such as the Old Synagogue in Krakow, the 16th century Renaissance structure with famous wrought ironwork inside and out. The significance of the Torah location gave rise to the apse, the architectural flourish designed to draw attention to the presence of deity, which Christianity would adopt and adapt for the place of its altar.

Evolution led to the advent of the chancel screen, a “highly charged symbol” that makes for two distinct spaces, “separating the sacred from the profane.” To illustrate this, Heller guided our tour to Florence for examinations of two monastic churches, one Dominican, the other Franciscan, both dating to the 13th century.

Dr. Ena G. Heller, Executive Director of the Museum of Biblical Art, explains some of the functional similarities in the architecture of synagogues and churches during her lecture Thursday night. Behind her is one of the artworks in MOBIA’s “Scripture, Image, Life: Orthodox Christianity” exhibit, which will close January 24.

The Dominican Order’s Santa Maria Novella and the Franciscans’ Basilica of Santa Croce both feature more than chancel screens; they boast very solid, bridge-like barriers that perform the function in monastic churches of ensuring the monks can worship separately from everyone else. (NB: Galileo, Machiavelli, and Michaelangelo are entombed inside Santa Croce.) In fact, this segregation is what differentiates monastic church from cathedral, the latter being intended for everyone’s use.

Ultimately the concept of sacred space divided led to what Heller suggested was an abuse, as families possessing more wealth than virtue came to acquire their own chapels on the altar side of the chancel, changing worship space from being open to everybody to being owned by the few, and sometimes for purposes other than religious. Cosimo Medici, Florence’s supremely powerful “Father of the Homeland,” would employ his family’s chapels as reception rooms for visiting dignitaries, and to host high level business meetings. He even had his likeness painted into a fresco depicting the Three Wise Men.

Turning away from the self-serving, and returning us full circle, Heller concluded her lecture (45 minutes, but too brief!) with a visit to a creation of artist Tobi Kahn, whose work comprises the “Sacred Spaces for the 21st Century” exhibit in the adjoining room. Kahn is celebrated in part for his Meditation Room, installed in 2001 on the fourth floor of the HealthCare Chaplaincy on the other side of Manhattan at East 62nd Street.

Here, Kahn’s love of abstract designs is matched with his gift for material functionality, and what is most notable – to the Magpie Mason at least – is his placement of seating. Visitors here do not sit in unison facing one direction, as in a house of worship, but sit facing one another – as in, for example, a Craft lodge. Remember, we used to have Masonic Temples, as in places for conTEMPLation.

The Magpie Mason was not allowed to photogragh inside Kahn’s exhibition at MOBIA. The photos below are courtesy of the museum. The exhibit will close on January 24.

Titled “Shalom Bat” (2008) these four chairs are painted with Kahn’s signature abstract geometric expressions.

“Ykarh II” (2008) is a matched “Havdalah” candlestick holder and spice box. Both are acrylic on wood. Kahn tells art collectors who purchase his work that they should use his creations for their intended functions.

“Mezuzot” (2008) Also acrylic on wood.

A mezuzah is a Jewish household item, mounted on doorposts. Inside is a small scroll containing the words central to Jewish life: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord Our God is one Lord.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) I suppose in this way, the mezuzah makes every room a sacred space.

▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼

A note from Dr. Heller:

In 2010 the Museum of Biblical Art will celebrate its fifth anniversary with many exciting exhibitions, educational programs, and special events planned. MOBIA offers one-of-a-kind programs that encourage interfaith dialogue and explore the many ways in which art and religion intersect.

To make the next five years and beyond even more successful, MOBIA depends on the support of its benefactors, friends, and members. Your donation will ensure the museum will continue to provide year-round cultural services, such as free summer art making workshops for neighborhood children and seniors, guided docent tours, and the unique concert series “Hearing the Sacred.”

You may send a check or money order made out to Museum of Biblical Art, or call us directly at (212) 408-1586 to learn more. You may also donate online with a credit card here.

Your gift makes a difference. Thank you for your support.

Ena Heller, Ph.D.
Executive Director

‘Almost Time for Mostly Mozart’

For 22 nights next summer, Lincoln Center’s annual Mostly Mozart music festival will fill the air with our timeless Brother’s immortal music. But keep in mind it’s “Mostly Mozart,” and not entirely Mozart; there will be performances of other composers, including Bro. Haydn, and even the premier of new work.

The complete schedule can be seen here, but take note 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 Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1 concerts in Avery Fisher Hall will begin with the Overture to The Magic Flute, featuring Piotr Anderszewski on piano.

The Sunday, 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.

Get there on time and turn off your phone.

The view of Lincoln Center from Broadway
this frigid December evening.