Freemasonry for Dummies
GL of Arizona Masonic Education Academy Sept. 10-12th, 2010
Thu, 09/09/2010 - 14:59The Grand Lodge of Arizona's Masonic Education Academy will be this weekend, Friday, September 10th through Sunday, September 12th at the Little America Hotel, 2515 E. Butler Ave, Flagstaff, AZ.
Friday
• Mixer 6-9PM
Saturday
Presentations 8AM-5:15PM
• "Initiation, in World History and in the EA Degree" — Brother Ron Watkins
• "Freemasonry as an Instrument of Initiation" — WBro. W. Kirk McNulty
• "The Rough Ashlar and the Perfect Ashlar" — MWBro. Rex Hutchens
• "Gods, Heroes and Freemasonry" — Bro. Loren Gallegly
• "The Ornaments of the Lodge; Mosaic Pavement, Indented Tessel; and the Blazing Star" — WBo. Shawn Eyer
• "Lessons from the First Degree Tracing Board" — WBro. W. Kirk McNulty
• Dinner 6PM
Sunday
Presentations 9AM-12:40PM
• "An Entered Apprentice’s Journey" — WBro. Bill Branch and Bro. Manual Ramirez
• "In Whom Do You Put Your Trust?" — MWBro. Rex Hutchens
The enrollment fee for the 2010 Academy is $155 unless you are not staying at the hotel then add $45; for ladies at dinner, add $45. After August 28, 2010, $165 enrollment, for ladies and others at dinner $60.
See the Academy notice here.
THE ENROLLMENT DEADLINE HAS PASSED. Contact the Grand Lodge of Arizona F&AM directly at 1-888-214-1122.
If rooms are needed, contact the hotel at (800) 352-4386.
Speaking Today 9/9 in Columbus, IN
Thu, 09/09/2010 - 00:55I'll have the pleasure of speaking today at the High Twelve Club of Columbus, Indiana. They meet for lunch in the private room at the Sirloin Stockade, 3114 North National Road, in Columbus, IN.
Lunch begins at 11AM, and I will start yakking at noon.
Ladies are invited, too. If you are in the area, come out. Their High Twelve Club is quite active and is always well attended.
High Twelve is an international association of local clubs made up of Master Masons who meet informally for lunch. The group was founded in 1921 by E. C. Wolcott. To find out more, or to find the contact in your state to see if there is a club that meets near you, see their website at www.high12.org
Masonic Author Kirk MacNulty in Kansas City, MO 10/16
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 23:04W. Kirk MacNulty 33°, author of "Freemasonry: Symbols, Secrets, Significance", "Freemasonry: A Journey Through Ritual and Symbol," and "The Way of the Craftsmen," will be speaking at the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City on Saturday, October 16th.
His talk will be about Masonic symbolism, and is open to all Freemasons.
The lecture will begin at 6:30pm , and attendees are invited to gather at a local restaurant afterwards.
The Kansas City Scottish Rite is located at 1330 East Linwood Blvd Kansas City, MO.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Please RSVP to Mike Lockwood 816-516-1262
Prestonian Lecturer John Wade in Indianapolis This Saturday 9/11
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 01:05A last minute reminder to brethren in Indiana and surrounding states.
Brother John Wade, the Prestonian Lecturer for 2009 from England, will present his lecture, "‘Go and do thou likewise': English Masonic Processions from the 18th to the 20th Centuries"
this Saturday, September 11, 2010 at the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral.
Reception at 6PM, Lecture at 7PM, dinner to follow.
To register for dinner and the lecture, see the Grand Lodge website at:
http://indianafreemasons.com/news-a-events/prestonian-lecture.html
$60 Lecture & Dinner, $25 Lecture Only or $35 Dinner Only
The Lecturer
Brother Dr. John Stephen Wade was born in Edinburgh in 1947, but moved to Leeds when his father was appointed lecturer at the university there. He was educated at High Storrs Grammar School Sheffield and the University of Durham where he read Classics. Following a 20 year career as a Classics teacher in Sheffield, during which time he wrote a thesis on Philip of Macedon for his MA dissertation, he transferred his Classics teaching to Further Education and then on to Higher Education at the University of Sheffield, where he finished his full-time career as Teaching Fellow in Latin and Greek. Having taken an early retirement in 2005, Bro. Wade continues to teach Latin to postgraduate students at the University, to assist in the Centre for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternity in the Humanities Research Institute, and has just successfully completed his doctoral thesis on the Latin writings of the Tudor martyrologist, John Foxe.
Bro. Wade was initiated into Fellowship Lodge No. 4069 in 1981 and exalted into Fellowship Royal Arch Chapter No. 4069 in 1985. He was installed as the Master of Fellowship Lodge in 1991 and was the founding Master of Amadeus Lodge No. 9359 in 1994. He is a Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in both Yorkshire West Riding and Derbyshire, and a Past Provincial Grand Sojourner in the Royal Arch, as well as a Past Sovereign in the Rose Croix. In the Mark degree Bro. Wade has just been appointed acting Provincial Grand Registrar for the Mark Province of Derbyshire. A Past Sovereign in the Red Cross of Constantine, he is currently a Divisional Steward, as well as being an active member of a number of other orders. From 2003-2005 he was President of the Sheffield Masonic Study Circle. Having been elected a full member of Quatuor Coronati Lodge in 2005, he was appointed Secretary of the Lodge in November 2008
Brother Wade also manages to find time to be a member of lodges in Scotland, Ireland, Italy and the United States and to be the musical director of the Sheffield and District Masonic Choir which he founded in 1991.
Dinner
Cost Options: $60 Lecture & Dinner, $25 Lecture Only or $35 Dinner Only (electronic option includes $3 processing fee)
Dinner Menu: Hors D’Oeuvre - Imported Cheese wedges with Grapes and Strawberries garnished with Dried Fruits, Marcona Almonds and Imported Crackers
Salad - Caesar Salad with fresh grated Parmesan Cheese
Entree - Boneless Breast of Chicken with Corn and Basil Relish, Herbed Mashed Potatoes,
Fresh Green Beans Amandine with Basil, Thomas’ Homemade Rolls with Butter
Dessert - Assortment of Seasonal Cheesecakes
His Lecture
‘Go and do thou likewise': English Masonic Processions from the 18th to the 20th Centuries.
(The Prestonian Lecture for 2009)
In this paper Brother John Wade looks at Masonic processions, which were a regular occurrence in many parts of England from the first quarter of the eighteenth century to the immediate pre-second world war period in the late 1930s. Very few have occurred in the last seventy-five years. He asks why we have retreated from public space during the last seventy-five years, and whether, perhaps, we have got nervous about the public perception of masons, or whether we are embarrassed about ourselves. The paper surveys public processions of masons over two centuries and examines the association of civic, ecclesiastical and Masonic bodies in public ceremonies of foundation stone laying, the dedication of completed buildings and other occasions for public thanksgiving. Bro. Wade suggests that as we move further into the twenty-first century, we need to be protagonistic about our civility and civil identity. For the man in the street we should be demonstrating that we have a civil association with the community, and that we are not a secret society or private members' club. Bro. Wade suggest that we explore the possibility for a return of some of these public activities. He considers that as far as our public image is concerned, we have lost that civil association that we have had for hundreds of years. Our forefathers among the leaders of both the civic and ecclesiastical authorities appreciated the symbolic importance of the presence of the masons on these major occasions for the community.
The History
The Prestonian Lectureship
William Preston (1742-1818), a very active Freemason at the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries, developed an elaborate system of Masonic instruction, by means of catechetical lectures, which was practiced in association with the Lodge of Antiquity of which he was, at one time, Master.
At his death, he bequeathed to Grand Lodge the sum of £300, the interest from which was to be applied to some well informed Mason to deliver annually a Lecture on the First, Second or Third Degree of the Order of Masonry, according to the system practiced in the Lodge of Antiquity during Preston's Mastership.
With occasional intermissions, lectures on his method were accordingly delivered from 1820 until 1862, when the Lectureship was allowed to lapse. In 1924 it was revived, with certain modifications of the original scheme: the lecturer delivering a paper on a Masonic subject of his own selection.
The Prestonian Lecture is the only lecture held under the authority of the United Grand Lodge of England and, with the exception of the years 1940-46, regular appointments have been made annually since 1924 to the present day.
The Man
William Preston
By Trevor Stewart
William Preston was born in Edinburgh where his father was an attorney. He was well educated there. He came to London in 1760 and worked for one of the King's Printers. He was initiated into Freemasonry in 1763 in a newly constituted Antients' lodge, No. 111.
In the following year its members accepted a warrant (or charter) from the Moderns' Grand Lodge as Caledonian Lodge No. 325, which still exists at No. 134.
Preston was Master of several London lodges and in 1774 he visited the famous old Lodge of Antiquity, now No. 2, and he was immediately elected a joining member and also their Master! He also held an appointment as Deputy Secretary to the Moderns' Grand Lodge and as such he compiled an appendix to the Book of Constitutions in the 1776 edition.
Unfortunately, partly as a result of personal disputes, Preston and several others members of the Lodge of Antiquity fell foul of the Moderns' Grand Lodge when they appeared in public in 1777 wearing their Masonic regalia while returning from a church service. A complaint against them was investigated and in 1778 Preston was expelled after he claimed that the Lodge of Antiquity, since it was a ‘Time Immemorial' lodge that pre-dated the Grand Lodge, was not subject to the rule of the Grand Lodge.
On withdrawing this claim he was reinstated, but the majority of the members of the lodge expelled three members whereupon they were all expelled by the Grand Lodge. An ‘authority' was obtained from a rival Grand Lodge of York to establish yet another Grand Lodge, to be known as the Grand Lodge of England South of the River Trent. After a while Preston became Deputy Grand Master of that new Masonic body. It was never very active and ceased to exist in 1789. After that, all of the members of the old Antiquity Lodge who had been disqualified by the Moderns' Grand Lodge were admitted back into the fold and into the Lodge of Antiquity.
In 1772 Preston had published his book Illustrations of Masonry and it became enormously famous for 100 years, running through no less than seventeen editions. He also wrote his famous catechetical lectures of the three Craft Degrees and, with help from teams of fellow enthusiasts, he delivered them to lodges. He formed the Grand Chapter of Harodim to promote these texts.
He was buried in St Paul's Cathedral and one of his legacies instituted the Prestonian Lectures.
Coming from out of town?
Overnight Accomodations: Omni Severin Hotel, 40 West Jackson Place, Indianapolis, IN 46225. Call 1-800-THE-OMNI using the password Prestonian Lecture for the special rate of $99.
Airlift Lodge No. 838 in Wiesbaden
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 00:38Brother Clarence "Clay" Anderson on the MasonicLight Yahoo list frequently posts articles he has translated from the European press. Below is a story that appeared in Germany yesterday on the Wiesbadener Tagblatt website about an interesting lodge at work in Germany: Luftbruecke Lodge No. 838 ("Airlift Lodge") in Wiesbaden.
The "Secret" Legacy of the Airlift
September 4, 2010
by Marcel Pauly
Wiesbaden Masonic Lodge has New Officers / Public Ceremony on Sunday
Goethe was one, so was Mozart. Even the first U.S. President, George Washington, was a Freemason. Up to today, the mystical gentlemen pull the strings behind closed doors and direct world events. Or do they?
Thanks to novelists such as Dan Brown, the wildest conspiracy theories have sprung up around the Masonic lodges. Matthias Hartmann has already heard it all, and can laugh about it. He is an honorary member of the English speaking "Luftbruecke [Airlift] Lodge No. 838" in Wiesbaden. "Of course, in reality Freemasonry has nothing conspiratorial. It is a worldwide ethical fraternity of men. Although one must add that there are now a number of lodges of women."
As for the Freemasons, they work on themselves and on becoming better human beings, said Hartmann. "We strive for ideals such as tolerance, freedom and humanity. People come together from different social and cultural backgrounds, to exchange experiences with each other and to discuss the greater and smaller problems in the world. There are also special rituals, in which existential questions of life and death should be experienced. Freemasonry is for us an emotional space," says Hartmann.
All this is done according to established rules in the lodge's Freemason Temple, which is usually not open to the public. The secrecy of the organization has certainly contributed to its air of mystery -- even in Wiesbaden.
The local Luftbruecke Lodge was founded in 1957 by American Freemasons, who participated as pilots and soldiers of the U.S. Air Force during the Berlin Airlift (1948/49). Today the lodge includes more than 200 members worldwide, of whom 30 live in Wiesbaden and meet regularly. Among them there are no longer just Americans and Germans, but also Turks, Frenchmen, British, and many other nationalities. "The more mixed a lodge is, the closer we can come to our ideals," says Hartmann.
Any adult can apply for membership in a Masonic lodge. He will begin as an "Apprentice," in time become a "Fellow," and finally be raised to a "Master." The terms originate, not coincidentally, from the working craftsmen: the tradition of the Freemasons dates back to the stonemasons of the 15th and 16th century, who organized themselves into brotherhoods.
Depending on their status, the Freemasons are allowed to participate in various rituals. For example, while the rituals of the first degree are open to the Apprentices, the rituals of the third degree are reserved for
Masters. "It's like in school. One does not send a first grader to be taught in a fourth grade class, because he lacks the skills for it. Once a Mason has met certain conditions, he can attain a higher degree," explained
Hartmann.
The "Master in the Chair" is what the Masons call the chairman of their group. He is elected once a year by the Wiesbaden Luftbruecke Lodge, as happened last Wednesday. The future head of the Lodge will be the Australian Douglas Gardner. On Sunday, September 5, he is being installed into his office with a ceremony. Following the Anglo-Saxon Masonic tradition, Airlift Lodge is opening its Temple to the public.
(Translated by Brother Clay Anderson.)
Luftbruecke Lodge is chartered by the American Canadian Grand Lodge AF&AM, which is a part of the United Grand Lodges of Germany. The ACGL and the UGLofG have a fascinating history. Read more here.
Pennsylvania's German-language Lodge: Hermann-Humboldt Lodge No. 125
Sun, 09/05/2010 - 22:18
The variety of Freemasonry never ceases to amaze me. I was contacted this evening by W:.B:. Pierre Hans Rausch, the Master of Pennsylvania's Hermann-Humboldt Lodge No. 125. It is one of a rare number of foreign language lodges in the US, performing its rituals in German.
From the lodge history on their website:
It was at first intended that Concordia Lodge, which was constituted in 1795, should be a German Lodge, but being unable to get the necessary authority to conduct the deliberations in German, it became an English speaking Lodge .It took fifteen years of striving before the Right Worshipful Grand Lodge recognized the benefit of granting a charter to a Lodge permitting the use of the German language in its proceedings.
On December 12, 1810 a petition was drawn up by ten members of Concordia Lodge, No. 67, asking permission to withdraw and present a petition to the Grand Lodge in the endeavor to procure a charter to hold a Lodge in the German tongue. Their petition was granted by Concordia Lodge on December 14, 1810. . . The contitution of Hermanns Lodge NO. 125 and the installation of its officers took place at Grand Lodge on Friday ,January 25, 1811.
[snip]
From 1873 until 2004 the Lodge held its meetings in the Masonic Temple at One North Broad Street In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of its members ,Brother Anthony Bournonville, in 1852 was unanimously elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania- the first ethnic German to occupy this prestigious office!
Hermann, now Hermann-Humboldt Lodge ( merged in 2002 ) has always cherished and honored the sacred heritage of its founders: furtherance of Masonic principles; preservation of the German language in ritualistic work; active Interest in all German endeavors and undertakings and fraternal benevolence! The proceedings continue to be conducted in German and the German language along with English is still spoken at all of its festivities and meetings. It can be justly said that Hermann-Humboldt Lodge ranks among the most important German institutions of this country and earnestly endeavors to carry out the fundamental principles of Freemasonry and make them universally beneficial!
The lodge will celebrate its 200th anniversary on February 12th, 2011 at the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
-----------------------------
UPDATE
Bro. Brian Fegely from Philadelphia passed along the message that Hermann Lodge and Humboldt Lodge were merged from two Philadelphia city lodges which worked Pennsylvania ritual in the German language. He also says there is a lodge near Reading that uses Pennsylvania Dutch, a variant of Swabian dialect.
Thanks Brian.
Heirloom Editions of Rare Pike Works from Restoration Books
Sun, 09/05/2010 - 20:04Restoration Books is a Utah company that specializes in the delicate art of book binding, as well as the restoration of rare books and documents. Owner Michael Atha has developed a reputation for beautiful work. In addition to restoration of existing works, the company occasionally publishes small, limited editions in what is truly heirloom quality binding.
At the Masonic Restoration Foundation gathering in Colorado Springs last week, two special editions were released by Restoration Books: Albert Pike's examination of the symbolism of the three lodge degrees, Esoterika; and a matching edition of Pike's The Book of the Words Sephir H'Debarim.
Prior to 2005, Esoterika was known to only a handful of scholars at the Scottish Rite's House of the Temple. Pike had only two hand-written manuscripts bound of the work, and few ever saw it. Pike explores "The Compasses and the Square," "The Weapons and Blows of the Assassins," "The Three Grips," "The Substitute for the Masters Word," "The 47th Problem of Euclid," "The Truth," "Is the Cable-tow a Symbol?," "Corner Stones," "The Ladder of Jacob," "Tubal Cain," "Shibboleth," and "Solomon and Hiram." But much of the book is made up of voluminous explanatory notes by the Scottish Rite SJ's Grand Archivist, Arturo De Hoyos, along with illustrations, an article on Pike's personal faith, and even four early Masonic ritual exposures. It was published in 2005 as the bonus book of the Scottish Rite Research Society, and a less expensive edition is available from the House of the Temple shop.
The Book of the Words Sephir H'Debarim was originally published by Pike in 1878 with a limited edition of just 100 copies. In 1999 the Scottish Rite Research Society reprinted it with additional material and an introduction by Bro. De Hoyos.
Restoration Books' leather editions of Esoterika and The Book of the Words recreate the original binding that Albert Pike commissioned for the single manuscript copy of Esoterika housed at the Supreme Council's Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite archives. Each one is beautifully bound in deep blue morocco goatskin, with hand-marbled endpapers, hand-tooled gold detailing, gold top edge gilt and a silk ribbon marker. Each book is limited to just 100 copies, and are individually numbered. These are truly very special volumes.
The books also include an ornate book plate, reproduced from an 1866 original Supreme Council plate, and personalized for the purchaser.
The books are hand numbered, and Arturo De Hoyos has signed each copy, along with official embossed foil stamps of both the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite, 33° and the Scottish Rite Research Society. Certainly less expensive versions of these books exist elsewhere, but these are truly collectible items. The price is $375 per book, or $750 per set. See the Restoration Books site for details here.
And if you are a library or a rare book collector, you can't do better than Restoration Books for repairing, restoring and preserving your most precious editions.
H/T to Jay Hochberg
Indiana Statewide Masonic Open House on October 30th, 2010
Sat, 09/04/2010 - 02:04
The Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Indiana F&AM, M:.W:. Kenneth E. Willis, Jr. has given the membership committee the task of planning a state-wide Masonic awareness open house, and they want to build on the fine work Dan Barenie S.G.D. and others did last year. The date for this year's event will be Saturday, October 30, 2010.
This year the program can be held any time during the day of October 30, 2010 for a minimum of four hours and in any appropriate manner that the local lodges think is best. (Please no Halloween costumes!) Remember this is an awareness program for potential brothers to learn more about Freemasonry—not just for the taking of petitions. This is open to the public at large and we want to encourage family members to attend. It might be a good idea to have toys or coloring book on hand for smaller children. Other Masonic organizations may be invited, but remember the focus is on the Symbolic Lodge.
Remember:
Lodge must be in good repair and appealing to the public.
Lodge must have adequate parking and, if not on site, near by with a signage or a brother to direct visitors.
Lodge must be accessible (this would not necessary be to all floors of the lodge).
Even with banners or other signage, a Brother should be outside the lodge to welcome and direct those attending.
As was the case last year, having several lodges in a county or part of the county pooled with a host lodge may be the most effective manner to host the event. In other areas, some lodges might be in a more convenient or larger community which would serve well as a host site.
For downloadable artwork, banners, signs, forms, ads and more, Indiana Masons can visit the Open House webpage within the Grand Lodge site. You will need your Indiana Masonic membership number from your dues card to log in, and you will be required to set up a login account, if you haven't already done so.
Brethren, be aware that Dan Brown's novel The Lost Symbol will be released in paperback on October 19th, with at least 4 million copies. The hardback has already sold more than 6 million copies in the US, and is the number one best selling paperback in England at this time. If you haven't read it yet, please do, as the public will undoubtedly ask questions. The novel is a 509 page love letter to the fraternity, and you need to know what the public's preconceived notions are at your open house.
For more information about the novel and its Masonic content, see the website set up by the Masonic Society, the Masonic Service Association and the George Washington Masonic Memorial at www.freemasonlostsymbol.com
Thank You
Fri, 09/03/2010 - 01:06This is scarcely newsworthy, and undoubtedly crosses the line into self-congratulation, and perhaps mawkish aggrandizement, but on August 30, 2010, I discovered to my astonishment that I had been elected to receive the 33rd and Last Degree by the Illustrious brethren of the Supreme Council of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. The ceremony will take place next August in Chicago, and I will stand beside several other Indiana brethren, including Linville Coner, Don Dean, Jon Elrod, Richard Hess Jr., Kent Hizer, Tim Hopewell, Doug Green, Brian McNaughton, Jerry Minto, Jim Ross, Eric Seidensticker, Terry Webb, and Charles Wood, Jr.
I was overwhelmed by the bewildering number of phone calls, emails, Facebook messages, and even snail mail letters that began pouring in, from literally all over the world. That’s when I felt it incumbent upon me to publicly express my thanks to everyone for their kind messages. It was not an honor I ever dreamed of receiving, and I am profoundly grateful to those who nominated me and voted in my favor.
I continue to believe the assembled brethren of the Supreme Council voting in Philadelphia earlier this week took leave of their good senses.
As much as anything, I’m in awe of the company I’ll be keeping. I had a brief flashback of the movie Witness for the Prosecution. When his client is being arrested, Charles Laughten gets to deliver this great line in that trademark Captain Bligh voice: “There’s no shame in being arrested. Historically, you’re in excellent company. Kings, prime ministers, archbishops, even barristers have stood in the dock.” I suppose so. But it does give a person justifiable pause to see the roster of the other men who’ve been awarded the 33°, and to contemplate, as with so much else in this fraternity, the scary notion of standing on the shoulders of its true giants.
My good friend Mark Tabbert recently described me as “an amateur scholar,” and boy, did he hit it on the head—although it does bring to mind a dapper and rich 19th century, pith-helmeted British gentleman, with pick and microscope in one hand and a pipe in the other, as he seeks to prove that Darwin was right and his vicar wrong. But in truth I’ve always loved the fraternity from ground level, especially in my own home lodge. In the last improbable and exciting dozen years, give or take a few months, my copious free time has been spent doing what I love most of all: studying the history, ritual, customs and ephemera of Freemasonry, while traveling the countryside and the world, meeting brothers wherever I have the good fortune to go. It has never paled. It never will.
And so, to all of you who have taught me the meaning of brotherhood in a thousand different ways, you have my deepest gratitude and respect for all you have seen fit to give to me. It is a debt I cannot ever hope to repay.
G. Washington Lodge #143 in Pennsylvania Raising $1 Million
Fri, 09/03/2010 - 00:30The brethren of George Washington Lodge No. 143 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania are seeking donations to assist in preserving their historic lodge building. Their Temple was built in 1823 and is the oldest standing purpose-built Masonic building in the state. In 1976 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Steel beams supporting the roof have recently been replaced, but sprinkler systems, exterior wall stabilization, interior remodeling, and much more need to be done. Their goal is $1 million.
From a story in today's Chambersburg Public Opinion:
Members of the lodge maintain that the building and those adjacent to it were intentionally spared by Confederates during the burning of Chambersburg in 1864.
"That is the story and we have no reason to believe it's not true. We do believe it was spared because it was a Masonic building," [Past Master and Trustee Larry] Miller said.
He and his fellow Freemasons hope the community will have an interest in keeping the building in good condition. Anyone interested in donating can visit the lodge's website, www.gw143.org.
GW #143 has received tax exempt status for the purposes of preserving their Temple, so any donation made to their building fund is fully tax deductible.
Back in May 2007, I had the good fortune to visit Lodge Waverley No. 597 in Edinburgh, Scotland, while I was in town for the first International Conference on the History of Freemasonry. There were many foreign visitors in the city that week, and it just so happened that the brethren of Pennsylvania's George Washington Lodge No. 143 also visited the lodge that particular evening. In addition to seeing Scottish ritual, the Pennsylvania brethren exemplified their Master Mason ritual, as well, and an outstanding evening was had by all.
Art de Hoyos in Colorado Springs, October 6th
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 22:39The Grand Lodge of Colorado with the Orient of Colorado and Southern Colorado Consistory of the Scottish Rite are bringing Illustrious Brother Arturo De Hoyos, 33, Grand Cross to Colorado Springs, CO on October 6th, 2010. All Master Masons are welcome.
Art is a Past Master of McAllen Lodge No. 1110, AF&AM of Texas, and is the Grand Archivist and Grand Historian for the Supreme Council, 33°, Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Southern Jurisdiction in Washington, D.C. He is respected the world over as an an authority on the history, rituals, and symbolism of Freemasonry. Sometimes jokingly referred to as the "Grand Archivist of the Universe," he is the author, editor, and translator of numerous books and articles. He has an encyclopedic memory, reads many languages, and has been responsible for the rediscovery and illumination of numerous works about the Scottish Rite, including Pike's Esoterika, David Bernard's Light on Masonry, and the incredible Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide.
Dinner will begin at 6:30PM, and Art's presentation at 7:30.
The Southern Colorado Consistory is located at 1150 Panorama Drive, Colorado Springs. Please RSVP to 719-471-7966
"Enlightenment Strikes"
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 22:20
The gift giving holidays will be upon us sooner than you think, so to get a head start on your wish list, the Scottish Rite Journal's September/October 2010 issue will help. Jim Tresnor's usual book review column in this issue features lists by "some of the most respected and best qualified Masonic Librarians" of up to five books as their top picks for general Masonic study, and another five books for deeper study. I'm gratified to see that Freemasons For Dummies made several of them, along with S. Brent Morris' Complete Idiot's Guide to Freemasonry.
The lists were compiled by:
• Bro. Thomas M. Savini, Director of the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library of the Grand Lodge of New York
• Bro. Mark A. Tabbert, Director of Collections at the Library of the George Washington Masonic Memorial
• M.W. Richard E. Fletcher, Executive Secretary, Masonic Service Association of North America
• Bro. Bill Krueger, Librarian of the Library of the Grand Lodge of Iowa
• Ms. Larissa Watkins, Assistant Librarian at the House of the Temple Library in Washington, D.C.
Have a look at their excellent suggestions here.
Grand Orient de France Officially Co-Masonic
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 18:38Word has come from France today that the Grand Orient of France (GOF), that country's largest Masonic obedience with approximately 50,000 members, has officially voted at its annual assembly to accept female members and become a co-Masonic organization. In April, the GO's then Grand Master Pierre Lambicchi told L'Express Magazine, "We are not statutorily a mixed obedience." That has now officially changed. Lambicchi was succeeded at this meeting by the new Grand Master, Guy Arcizet.
Two years ago, six women were initiated into Grand Orient lodges largely as a test of the rules. In addition, an existing Mason within the Grand Orient underwent transsexual surgery and became a female. "Olivia Chaumont" was recognized as a sister within the Grand Orient in January 2010. This was considered a drastic innovation at that time, and previously the GO directed brothers who became women to existing mixed or feminine Masonic orders.
France has several such organizations, and 17% of that country's Masons are female. They do not have the Order of the Eastern Star in France, while female Masons have existed there since at least the 1780s, and possibly as early as the 1740s.
On April 8, 2010, the GO's Supreme Court of Masonic Justice decided that their lodges were free to initiate women without violating the General Regulations of the obedience. Nevertheless, 56% of the assembled members voted at their 2009 convention last September to remain a male-only institution. Female Masons have been allowed to visit GO lodges since 1974. Apparently, the majority opinion has changed this year.
This now leaves the Grande Loge de France (GLdF) and the Grande Loge Nationale Française (GLNF) as the largest male only Masonic obediences in that country. The GLNF in particular has been steadily increasing in popularity, but both will undoubtedly now see defectors from the GOF over the new policy. And the feminine grand lodges in France will undoubtedly see this as an encroachment on their staked out territory by the largest obedience in the country.
The Grand Orient de France does not require a belief in a Supreme Being, nor are lodges required to have a Volume of Sacred Law on its altars. The GO frequently issues public policy opinions, attacks perceived public influence by organized religious groups (especially the Catholic church), and often meets as an official group with French government officials. They recently joined with the equally irregular Grand Orient of Belgium and female Masonic groups to open an office in Brussels to influence government policies of the European Union. Their activities are completely in opposition to mainstream Freemasonry's longstanding rules and practices.
The GLNF is the French grand lodge that is considered regular and recognized by the overwhelming number of mainstream Anglo/US derived grand lodges around the world.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE
Here are a few more items I found today:
The Grand Orient de France met this year in Vichy to commemorate the 70th anniversary of its dissolution in that city by the government of Marshal Philippe Petain during World War II.
The decision to admit female Masons in the GOF is up to each individual lodge's choice, which is a common theme in the GOF. This also applies to the choice of whether to include an open VSL in a lodge.
There are at least ten Masonic allegiances of varying importance in France. The GOF has just under 50,000 members. The GLNF has about 38,000 members, and the Grand Lodge of France (GLF), has 28,000. Le Droit Humain (DH) is a Co-Masonic obedience which claims 15,000 members, and the Grande Loge Feminine de France (GLFF), represents some 14,000 women. It should be noted by all of us in the US that every one of these grand lodges in France have steadily increased their membership over the last six years, which is the last time I checked these figures.
Daniel Coxe: The Freemason Who Invented the United States
Sun, 08/29/2010 - 17:49
In 1722, an Englishman named Col. Daniel Coxe wrote a book with the unwieldy title, A Description of the English Province of Carolana, by the Spaniards Call’d Florida, and by the French, La Louisiane, and also of the Great and Famous River Meschacebe, or Missisipi [sic]. His father, Dr. Daniel Coxe II, physician to both King Charles II and Queen Anne, and a member of the Royal Society, had been given the largest royal land grant to an individual in America. It included everything between the 31st and 36th north latitudes, west all the way to the Pacific – almost one-eighth of the total landmass of the United States and Canada, comprising parts of what are now Virginia, Georgia, both Carolinas, Florida, Louisiana, and everything on both sides of the Mississippi as far north as Kentucky. It is an unfortunate geopolitical law of survival that land is only yours if you can keep it. For almost a hundred years Coxe and his descendents tried without much success to interest their English countrymen in colonizing the region. The family finally gave up in 1769 and returned it to the king in exchange for a nice, manageable farm in New York. Most Americans have never heard of Daniel Coxe, the onetime owner of the ground that about 95 million of us now water, mow and rake leaves off of every year—much less his book. That’s a shame, because Daniel Coxe—a Freemason—invented the United States.
In A Description of the English Province of Carolana, Coxe described the terrain, flora and fauna of this massive landscape, as told to him by traders, trappers and other ambitious travelers. It was essentially a lengthy brochure to interest potential colonists in the Carolana project. As lavish and romantic descriptions of far-flung, exotic lands go, it’s a masterpiece. Spain and France both had territorial claims to much of the same area, and in the preface to his book, Coxe admits that defending it against foreign claim jumpers would be a challenge, especially if it had no settlers. At one point, he recommends that everything west of the Mississippi be given to the Spanish and everything east of the river should be English land. Any French in the area, it was suggested, should just go home.
One of his greatest frustrations was that the other existing English colonies, stretching along the eastern coastline of America, were a fractious bunch. One thing was certain: if the Spanish or the French decided to flex their colonial muscles, it was a near total certainty that the individual English colonies would have no interest whatsoever in banding together to help defend the all but vacant land from foreign power, or even hostile Indian tribes. Isolated and stubborn, each of the various colonies had its own government, customs and attitudes. They were New York Dutch, Delaware Swedes, New Jersey Scots, Pennsylvania Quakers, Massachusetts Puritans and merchants and Virginia planters descended from fleeing English Cavaliers. Every colony had its own identity. Their neighbors were largely strangers and not to be entirely trusted. What Coxe proposed was the first plan for a Union of the Colonies, with an assembly made up of delegates from every colony, and a national executive who would unite the states for their mutual benefit and protection – an arrangement strikingly similar to the administrative system of Freemasonry’s grand lodges.
Daniel Coxe himself was a Mason, a member of Lodge No. 8 at the Devil’s Tavern at Temple Bar in London. In 1730, while he was back visiting in London, he was named Provincial Grand Master for New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and in 1731, just before his return to America, he was toasted as the Provincial Grand Master of North America.
In 1754, in response to troubles in the West, the English recommended a union and federation of the colonies in defense against the French. Freemason Benjamin Franklin, a representative from Pennsylvania to the Albany Congress, proposed a Plan of Union remarkably similar to Coxe’s. What makes the proposals of Brothers Coxe and Franklin interesting is that their plans were essentially the same system used by Provincial Grand Lodges to govern Masonic lodges in their jurisdictions. Franklin would later say that his Albany plan was not adopted because it gave the colonies too much democracy, which worried both the King (who didn’t entirely trust his subjects) and the colonies (who didn’t entirely trust their neighbors). His proposal would ultimately be voted down by the colonies, who had no desire to work together, much less be watched over by a chief executive “President-General.” But Franklin’s plan would be resurrected again and used as the framework for the Articles of Confederation that governed the states between the revolution and the adoption of the U.S. Constitution.
The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania recognizes Daniel Coxe as the first Grand Master for Pennsylvania, but William Allen as the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. The Grand Lodge of New Jersey confers a medal of honor named after Coxe.
Coxe's lodge in London met at the Devil's Tavern at number 1/2 Fleet Street, just steps from the Templar Church. The pub is gone today, although it is commemorated by an historical marker—it existed as early as 1563, and its signed depicted St. Dunstan pulling the Devil by the nose with a set of tongs. Coxe and his brother Masons picked the favorite haunt of Samuel Pepys and Dr. Samuel Johnson. The tavern was also home to the Apollo Club, a literary dining club that counted Dr. Johnson, William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Jonathan Swift, Oliver Goldsmith, and countless others as members. Their welcoming plaque and list of rules are preserved in the vaults of the bank that now sits on the spot today.
For an outstanding paper about Coxe, see Colonel Daniel Coxe, Father of NJ Freemasonry by Matthew Korang, published for the New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research & Education No. 1786.
Speaking at Beacon Lodge #3 in St. Louis, MO 9/18
Sun, 08/29/2010 - 01:34
On Saturday, September 18th, I will be speaking at a luncheon at Beacon Lodge #3 in Hazlewood, Missouri. Hazlewood is on the northwest side of St. Louis.
Lunch will be at 12 noon and is open to family, friends and anyone interested in Freemasonry. The lodge is requesting $10 for lunch. If you wish to attend, please RSVP at (314) 521-7511 (the lodge phone), or contact Worshipful Master Curtis Perkins.
Beacon Lodge has a long, proud heritage in the St. Louis area, and was chartered in 1849. Looking forward to being there!
Freemasons For Dummies: Customized Books from Wiley Publishing
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 23:44I am passing along information from my publisher that Masons might find of interest.
As I travel the country speaking at lodges and Grand Lodges, Dan Brown’s novel, The Lost Symbol, is having a positive effect on Masonic membership growth. Brown’s book is a 509-page love letter to the fraternity, and many Americans are learning about Freemasonry for the first time because of it. The hardback version of the book sold 1 million copies in the first day, and 2.5 million in the first week. So far, it has sold 6.5 million in the U.S. alone. Bear in mind that paperbacks sell better than hardbacks. The paperback release of The Lost Symbol will be on October 19th, 2010, with an initial release of 4 million copies. It will undoubtedly be accompanied by History, Discovery and National Geographic Channel reruns of Masonic documentaries and tie-in programs. October would be an outstanding time for your lodges and Grand Lodge to hold open houses or other public events.
For the past five years, Freemasons For Dummies has been the best-selling guide to the Masonic fraternity in the world. Wiley Publishing now has a unique program that may be of interest to your Grand Lodge. They are able to print special versions of the book, free of extra charges, featuring a customized cover, along with custom information on the inside covers. A special version of Freemasons For Dummies with your Grand Lodge information in it would make a perfect promotion.
What this means is that your Grand Lodge or research lodge can have its own special edition of the book for your members. The seal or other artwork specific to your Grand Lodge could be featured on the outside, and a message from the Grand Master, Grand Lodge Education Committee, Lodge of Research or other official group could be printed on the inside covers. The book is a popular one for non-Masons, and your members could be encouraged to pass it to friends or family who might have an interest in the fraternity—the cover could include the Grand Lodge contact information, internet address, phone numbers, etc. It is also popular as a gift given by many lodges to new Masons. The inside cover might include a custom plate in which to inscribe the members’ name and lodge, and degree dates. Both Wiley and I are willing to work with you on design, artwork and content.
There is one caveat: No changes can be made to the text of the book itself, so if there is something in the book that is not correct for your jurisdiction, it can’t be changed. Only the inside and outside covers can be altered.
The retail price of Freemasons For Dummies is $19.99, but you can save between 50%-75% off the cover price, depending on the quantity. The minimum order for a custom version is 500 books, at 50% off, with additional price breaks at 1,000, 2,500 and 5,000 copies.
In addition, Wiley offers an Internet alternative that can be done more economically. A shorter, downloadable version of the book has been created, called Freemason Symbols and Ceremonies For Dummies, and is available on Amazon.com for the Kindle electronic book reader, smartphone, or computer. A customized version of the e-book could be made available for your Grand Lodge—again, with custom cover art and a message from you on page 1, and it can be linked from your Grand Lodge website. In this case, for $2 per download, Wiley would handle the fulfillment of the electronic order, collect the name, address and email of the person, and provide it as a new member lead back to you.
If you have any interest in these ideas, please do not hesitate to contact me directly, or Lisa Coleman, director of New Market and Brand Development for Wiley Publishing in Indianapolis at 317-572-3205, or at lcoleman@wiley.com
Catching Up on Masonic News
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 00:12I had a terrific time in Sioux Falls, SD last weekend at the Midwest Conference of Grand Lodges. Thanks to Grand Master Dean Behrens and his wife Donna, for their warm hospitality. And thanks to all of the brethren who attended. I managed to make it home without the fuel pump failure that hit me on the way out.
Here is a wrap-up of stories on the web that I missed while I was gone.
Dunes Lodge #741 in Portage, Indiana Celebrates 50th Anniversary
Indiana brethren at Dunes Lodge #741 in Portage celebrated the 50th anniversary of their charter on July 31st, and received a nice writeup in the local paper.
See Solemn ceremony marks Masonic lodge's 50th anniversary
Masonic Theatre Backdrops in Winona, Minnesota
The city of Winona, Minnesota took ownership of the town's Masonic lodge in 1979, which contains a set of almost a hundred (presumably Scottish Rite) theater backdrops. Winona Daily News editor Darrell Ehrlick had an editorial on Monday making a passionate plea for the city to find a way to restore the aging backdrops.
From Masonic Temple backdrops worth saving
It doesn't sound bad to say that a rare piece of art more than 100 years old needs about $15,000 worth of restoration.
Heck, it almost sounds reasonable.
Unless, of course, you have about 100 rare, old pieces of art, all in need of restoration.
But that's the case with the Winona's city-owned Masonic Temple backdrops.
The turn-of-the-20th-century backdrops have been a part of the Temple for presumably nearly as long as the building itself. They came with the building when the city bought the property in 1979. But 100 years of literal wear and tear have taken their toll. And now the full restoration of the backdrops will take almost $1.5 million. We'd argue this is art worth saving.
There are almost 100 unique backdrops that have been saved through indifference. That's right, because no one needed the space that badly and no one felt a push for modern backdrops, they remained. And they survived. But continued indifference may mean we continue to lose the backdrops as they deteriorate.
Now is the time to make sure we can keep and showcase these delightful pieces of art.
Winona is, after all, a community that values art. We have two universities with art programs. We are the home of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum as well as the Winona Arts Center.
We are a community that cares about art. So let's turn our focus to these.
The city shouldn't have to go this one alone.
Newberry Lodge in Newberry, Indiana Shows Outdoor Movie
Two weeks ago, members of Newberry Lodge No. 166 and Eastern Star Chapter No. 198 in Greene County, Indiana resurrected a very old tradition in the little town of Newberry. From the 1930s up into the 50s, free outdoor movies were projected onto the side of the downtown lodge building. The lodge first showed an outdoor movie in 1933, and they continued until 1952.
A "Little Rascals" feature was screened, and folks came with their blankets and lawn chairs to see it.
From Outdoor movie night to bring back memories of yesteryear in Newberry:
Wooden benches were constructed adjacent to the Masonic Lodge building for patrons to sit and watch the movie that was projected onto the side of the exterior wall.
Vehicles would also pull in diagonally to provide view of the movie.
"I went to the movies there as a child in the 1930s and 1940s. The town was just full of people. The cars would pull in where they could face it (the screen)," she said with a giggle. "Of course, I wasn't about to sit on those bleachers. I had to walk up and down the street with the kids with ice cream. There really was always a big crowd. They showed a lot of westerns. I remember seeing Gene Autry and Hopalong Cassidy, Tom Mix and probably Roy Rogers."
Wesner said she's planning to attend on Friday night.
"It think it will be fun," she added.
Newberry resident Dexter "Shorty" York remembers the movie nights of yesteryear very well.
"The seats would all be full and people would sit on the ground. They would sit outside of their cars on the front bumpers," York recalled. "We had a lot of grocery stores and businesses in Newberry then and people would be shopping and buying their groceries. There was never a movie theater in town. This was a free movie. The merchants paid for it (the movie).
"They would sometimes have a double feature. They would have a western and then some of the others. The streets would be full of people shopping. It (the movie) drew a big crowd."
Another Newberry resident, Farol Keller, said, "The movie used to be every Friday night a long time ago. The town was completely filled ... I remember the first cartoon I saw there was Mickey Mouse."
Keller, who said she'll also be in the crowd for this Friday night's movie, added, "It's hard to imagine the town of Newberry with the streets full of people."
Florida Lodge Looking for a Home
The brethren of Cornerstone Lodge in Port St. Lucie, Florida are looking for a permanent home.
From Masonic lodge aims to be cornerstone of the community:
Their altar and other ceremonial regalia are kept in a rented shed behind a Port St. Lucie church.
One night this week, lodge steward David Cartis and other members of the Cornerstone Masonic Lodge were busy pulling the altar out of the shed to set up for a special meeting when they found everything covered in ants.
“That really sums up our predicament,” Cartis said.
Their predicament is that ever since it was founded in 1984, the lodge has never had a permanent home.
For the first 17 years of its existence, the lodge rented space from a Port St. Lucie Methodist church until a new pastor decided he anted no outsdie groups using church property. These days the lodge rents space from First Congregational Church of Port St. Lucie.
It’s not as if members haven’t tried to build their own lodge. You could call Cornerstone a casualty both of the 2004 hurricanes and the subsequent busted property market.
Lodge members bought an undeveloped lot on Dyer Road in hopes of putting a permanent building on it. First there were serious setbacks with providing utilities to the site. The city of Port St. Lucie wanted $400,000 to hook them up. Then the 2004 storms destroyed the metal building intended for the site before it could even be moved to Dyer Road.
As the price of property soared during the boom, the lodge decided to cash in. It accepted an offer of $900,000 from an Orlando megachurch to build a sanctuary there.
Not long after that, the bottom dropped out of the market. The Orlando church pulled out of the deal, and the lodge was left holding land it couldn’t afford to develop.
Yet building problems aside, the 90-plus members have soldiered on. Even with no permanent home, they’ve been recruiting new members and continued to donate to charitable causes within the community.
Texas Lodge Looking For Furniture
Tue, 08/24/2010 - 23:55Brother Fred Milliken who writes on the FreemasonInformation.com site has posted a message looking for lodge furniture. His Dallas, Texas lodge, Pride of Mt. Pisgah Lodge #135, PHA, is moving into a new building, and needs to aquire an altar, East, West and South stations and chairs, the three lesser lights, chairs and/or benches for the rest of the officers and the sidelines members and rods for the deacons and stewards.
From his message:
My thoughts turned to an article I wrote not too long ago where Paul Dean Lodge AF & AM of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts merged with Paul Revere Lodge, sold its building and donated all its furniture to the Lodges of Bangor, Maine who were rebuilding after a fire completely destroyed all that they had. A delegation from Paul Dean participated in the rededication ceremony of Bangor’s new quarters and was lauded before the entire group. What a great story!
http://www.freemasoninformation.com/2010/05/masonic-organ-donor-2/
Could there be another Lodge somewhere in the U.S.A. who is also turning in its charter or merging and has furniture that they no longer have a use for? Or as a Brother and friend of mine suggested:
What about commissioning some of it from currently skilled people, some might even be retired and do it as a labor of love for cost. What an opportunity ! ” This Worhipful Master’s Chair designed, carved and assembled by ________________ for the benefit of the lodge and the good of the Craft. AL 6010 “
So if you are reading this and can be of help please get in contact. It looks like the Lodge building will be raised at the beginning of the New Year and by spring we should have the inside completed. The Master says we are probably going to be able to beat that schedule and have it completed earlier.
Pride of Mt. Pisgah Lodge No. 135 is chartered by the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas F&AM.
Details of Masonic Society Semi-Annual Meeting in New Orleans 9/24-25
Sun, 08/22/2010 - 23:04
Click image to enlarge.
Time is running out! Join us for the Masonic Society's 2010 semi-annual meeting in New Orleans Sept. 24th and 25th, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, right in the heart of the French Quarter! The cutoff for reservations at the hotel is this Friday, August 27th, so act now! (There is a Saints game in town that same weekend, so you need to reserve by the 27th, or lose the great rate).
The Masonic Society is the fastest growing research society dedicated to Freemasonry in the world. See more at our website.
Because we have had a number of members desire to arrive early on Thursday the 23rd (taking advantage of even better rates), we may have the LA 2nd Circle put on a yet to be developed program or get together for the early arrivers, or everyone may just want to explore the French Quarter (our hotel is right on Bourbon Street!).
There will be a dedicated Masonic Society hospitality and media room near the lecture rooms where everyone can meet, enjoy good conversations and do some Masonic shopping. Mark Tabbert and I will be there with books, along with Mike Poll's Cornerstone Books, which is the most prolific Masonic publisher in the U.S. Michael Caine Seay, the U.S. representative of the Toye, Kenning, & Spencer, the world's oldest Masonic regalia manufacturer, will be there, as well. This will be a great opportunity to pick up some of the most beautiful Masonic regalia and jewels around.
I will be speaking at the semiannual, along with Mark Tabbert, Randy Williams, Michael Caine Seay, and Louisiana's own Marc Conrad (lecture schedule will be posted soon).
On Saturday Morning (Sept. 25th) at 10 am, we will move to the lodge hall of Etoile Polaire Lodge No. 1. Etoile Polaire will call a special meeting to host the Louisiana Lodge of Research's fall meeting. As part of the LLR's meeting, Bro. Michael Carpenter, Ph.D. will present a lecture on Scottish Rite discoveries. Lodge Etoile Polaire #1 will also demonstrate the EA degree using the Scottish Rite ritual, rarely seen in the U.S. outside of just 10 Louisiana lodges from the French period. This will be a tiled event by Etoile Polaire.
If this is not enough in the way of events, the New Orleans Valley of the Scottish Rite will be be having a fall reunion and it would be a perfect time for the members of the AASR to see the New Orleans Valley at work. The New Orleans Consistory is the oldest Scottish Rite Valley in existence today, and has a history and reputation as rich and varied as New Orleans itself.
To cap off the festivities, the Masonic Society banquet will hosted by the Royal Sonesta at 7 PM on Saturday the 25th. Coat and tie please. If you have ever eaten at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, you know what a true taste treat it is, not to mention one of the most elegant experiences around.
The banquet menu will be:
Soup: Chicken & Andouille Gumbo
Salad: Romaine Lettuce with Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese, Garlic Croutons & Creamy Caesar Dressing
Entrée (Your choice of)
1. Garlic Citrus Chicken
Chicken Breast Dressed in Garlic Cream & Citrus Salsa Fresca with Grilled Asparagus & Almond Rice Pilaf
2. Seared Pork tenderloin Served with Gratin Potatoes, Vegetable Ratatouille & Caraway Sauce
Dessert: Royal Sonesta Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce or White Chocolate
The banquet cost (which also covers the cost of all events) is $65.00. You can pay this (and send in your meal selection) by going to the semiannual meeting website here. The deadline for the banquet registration is September 18th. When you make your banquet reservation, please select the entrée you wish. We are sending e-mails to everyone who has already made reservations, if we don't hear from you, we will list you as the chicken entrée.
Ladies are invited to all non-tiled events. Masons who are not members of the Masonic Society are encouraged to be invited to all events - including the discounted hotel rooms. Please spread the word to any and all who may wish to attend. We hear that several non-TMS, offsite events are also being organized such as a river boat cruse and French Quarter tours. It will be a fantastic time. See you in new Orleans!
Judge: Indianapolis' Murat Shrine Can't Block Theatre Renaming
Sat, 08/21/2010 - 02:13According to a story on the Indiana Business Jiurnal website, the attempt by the Murat Shrine Temple Association in Indianapolis to block promoter LiveNation from renaming the Murat Theatre has failed.
Marion County Superior Court Judge John Hanley has dismissed a naming-rights lawsuit brought by The Murat Temple Association against California-based event promoter Live Nation and Evansville-based Old National Bank.
The Murat Temple Association is a Shriners affiliate that owns the Murat Centre, which on March 16 was renamed the “Old National Centre” in a three-year naming-rights deal between the bank and Live Nation. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Murat Temple Association, which hired Live Nation to manage the facility, sought to block the name change in a lawsuit filed March 26. Live Nation filed a legal request to dismiss the suit in mid-April.
The association's suit alleged that Live Nation's lease does not include rights to rename the building, and that the name change “caused Shriners to be held in lesser light by the general public, who erroneously believe Shriners were responsible for the name change, and from whom money is raised to support ... Shriners Hospital for Children.”
Judge Hanley disagreed.
I'm no attorney. I'm not even a non-attorney spokesman. I'm just a lowly member of Murat Shrine. But I suspect that, if the lease with LiveNation granted them the right to erect new signage, while remaining silent on LiveNation's right to rename the part of the building they now control, then Murat has no case. If it wasn't prohibited in the agreement, it's allowed. Hence, case dismissed. Live and learn, brethren.
Earlier entries about this story:
• Indianapolis Murat Theatre to become Old National Center. Yuck.
• Indianapolis' Murat Shriners May Halt Theater Name Change
• Sides Square Off In Murat Shrine Theatre Name Battle
• Indianapolis Shriners sue Live Nation, Old National over Murat renaming
