Freemason Information > 2011 > October

Georgia Gate City Lodge Persecutor Honored By Scottish Rite

Posted on October 31, 2011September 29, 2021 by Fred Milliken | 23 Comments

James Tyroff is a Georgia Mason who was one of the members of the Grand Lodge of Georgia who preferred charges against Gate City Lodge No. 2 in 2009 for admitting a Black African-American Mason to their Lodge. The same Black African American, Victor Marshall, who was just blackballed twice by the Atlanta Scottish Rite.

Well James Tyroff has just been rewarded by The Scottish Rite with the honor of a red cap. This honor was conferred on him after Marshall & Waters had been blackballed for the second time by the Scottish Rite. Verification can be obtained here.

The red cap, emblazoned with the red and gold cross of a Knight Commander, designates that the wearer is a 32nd Degree Mason who has been invested with the “rank and decoration” of Knight Commander of the Court of Honor, usually abbreviated K.C.C.H.

If Georgia has healed Gate City Lodge No. 2 and the Grand Master has reformed Georgia’s former racist ways with his edicts why reward those who tried to keep Black African-Americans out of Lodges in Georgia? WHY IS THIS MAN BEING HONORED? It’s a slap in the face to those working for a color blind Freemasonry. It looks as if Georgia Masons are thumbing their nose at Gate City Lodge No. 2 and all those Masons in Georgia who would like to see reconciliation between Black and White Freemasonry.

Tyroff openly flouts his anti Black African-American feelings signing all his correspondence with, “Just say no to 21st century universal Masonry.” These are code words used in the South similar to other disguises of attitude like “states rights.”

Tyroff authored all the 2009 documents against Gate City Lodge No. 2 below.

Georgia SR 27th Degree Master Demits In Disgust

Posted on October 29, 2011June 6, 2015 by Fred Milliken | 22 Comments

The Master of the 27th degree immediately demitted from the Scottish Rite before the Atlanta Session had concluded causing the degree to be canceled. He cited the refusal of the Scottish Rite to admit an African American Master Mason for the second time for his reason, saying that he is taking a stand against bigotry.

Some other demits have been reported in protest to the actions of the Atlanta Scottish Rite leadership. Response to the Beehive story is pouring in from across the country. Most responders have expressed dismay that this would occur again to brothers from Gate City Lodge No. 2. It looks to many like an ongoing war or vendetta and that doesn’t sit well with the majority of American Masons.

The Beehive also has report of some internal behind the scenes pressure being applied to Atlanta. Along with the disapproval of Brethren across the nation it just might mean that public exposure and pressure will have turned back racial persecution for the second time in Georgia Freemasonry. Many older Freemasons have not quite caught up with the Information Age and the fact that actions can be known around the world in a matter of minutes. This failure has led to those in power to think that they can sneak one by everybody but their local membership. Fortunately this is no longer possible in today’s world.

The story is not done yet. More is to come and we will be right here to let you know what is going on.

Georgia Black Mainstream Mason Is Black Balled Again For The Second Time In His Masonic Journey

Posted on October 27, 2011September 29, 2021 by Fred Milliken | 107 Comments

Sometimes lightening strikes twice – to the same spot. When it does you know that either God is in control or the fix is in. In the case of Gate City Lodge #2, Atlanta, Georgia it is definitely the latter.

You might remember the articles The Beehive published in 2009 – My Brother’s Keeper, Open Racism in Georgia Freemasonry and Georgia: Not Such A Peachy Masonic State describing the machinations that the Grand Lodge of Georgia went through to try to keep out a Black African-American. His name was Victor Marshall and he was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason by Gate City Lodge #2, after which the Worshipful Master was brought up on charges – of “allowing a non-white man to join Freemasonry” – that were approved by the Grand Master.

Since no Black Man had been initiated in Georgia Freemasonry in 275 years, the charges were interpreted that “Ancient Lights” of the Grand Lodge of Georgia prohibited Black Men from becoming F & AM. The charges called for the Worshipful Master to be expelled and the Lodge to lose its Charter. Mortified by this blatantly evil and certainly illegal affront to the Lodge, and having had first-hand experience with “Masonic Justice”, David Johnston and David Llewellyn, members of Gate City Lodge No. 2 and attorneys, filed for an injunction in civil court against the Grand Lodge of Georgia.

Oooppps – The Grand Lodge never thought the public would find that out. When they did and the resulted outcry reached a clamor of disdain as the story spread throughout the nation, the plaintiffs in the case revoked their charges and the Grand Lodge of Georgia ultimately backed down deciding that was one battle they could not win.

They say by doing that one lives to fight another day. And that other day has arrived. Victor Marshall and Zeithlin Waters from Gate City Lodge #2, both Raised on the same night and having studied their catechisms together, submitted applications to the Atlanta Scottish Rite Body. Now the first thing that you have to understand about the story that will unfold here is that it is SOP to ballot on an entire class with one ballot for all. And so on November of 2010 the entire class of applications including Marshall and Waters was balloted upon. One or more black balls were cast on the first ballot. Then and only then was an individual ballot cast for each applicant one at a time. Marshall and Waters were the last two to be voted on and both were blackballed. All others were approved. No comments were made on the ballot and the two Brothers were informed that their applications were not approved and that it would be six months before they could reapply.

In March of 2011 a called Communication of the Scottish Rite Valley of Atlanta was held for the purpose of balloting on a new class. This class did not include Marshall & Waters for they were still waiting out their 6 months to reapply. As was the custom the entire class was balloted upon with one ballot. On the first ballot one or more black balls were cast. Each petition was then read individually and subsequently black balled. The whispered speculation was that Gate City Lodge members or sympathizers were striking back for the black balling of Marshall and Waters. The Personal Representative to the Grand Master rose to say how ashamed he was to be a Mason that night – thus commenting on a ballot which is actually unmasonic and a chargeable offense.

On April of 2011 at a stated meeting of the Scottish Rite Valley of Atlanta was held with business being among other things balloting on candidates once again. This vote was taken on a few new petitions as well as all of the candidates black balled in March. Again Marshall and Waters were not included. On the first ballot for the entire class one or more black balls were cast. The individual petitions were then read and balloted upon. Each petition was rejected (black balled).

The SGIG arose to speak castigating any who would use the ballot for retribution and declaring how ashamed he was of the way this process had worked out. He went on to say that whoever threw the cubes was suffering from a mental illness. He declared the ballot null and void and then took the unprecedented action of healing the ballot declaring all petitions granted. He also ordered the black balls expunged from the personal records of those who received them.

On October of 2011 a called Communication of The Scottish Rite Valley of Atlanta was held for the purpose of voting on petitions. For this called meeting a limited number of summonses had been sent out. Not everybody was called to this meeting. This was a new class of 30 with Marshall and Waters added. It had been almost a year since they had been black balled. They could not get into the spring class of 2011 as not quite six months had lapsed since they had been black balled. They had waited their 6 months and reapplied. Before the vote, the SGIG advised all called to vote their conscience. But this time around the voting would not operate in the usual manner. The entire class would not be balloted upon en masse as was the custom. Right from the start each candidate would be balloted upon individually, and Marshall and Waters were ballots number 29 and 30, the last two. In the hour and a half that ensued, twenty eight candidates were approved but the 29^th and 30^th, Marshall and Waters, were blackballed. Once again the SGIG rose to thank all who participated for voting their conscience. But he did not heal Marshall and Waters as he had done with the class of April 2011. He did not ask that the black balls be expunged from their Masonic records either.

This is where you can say the fix is in. The very actions of the leadership involved in this process leads to that conclusion. The SGIG and The Personal Representative to the Grand Master were only ashamed of any black balling when it did not involve Marshall and Waters. Comments were made by those in power after the balloting process in the 2^nd and 3^rd cases but not in the 1^st and 4^th when Marshall and Waters were being considered. The rules or the customary methods of procedure were changed at the leadership’s whim. The SGIG could heal an entire class but he couldn’t heal just two others. He could heal a whole class in one month not making them wait 6 months to be voted on again but he wouldn’t extend that privilege to Marshall and Waters. In both instances where candidates were voted on individually Marshall and Waters were always the last two to be balloted upon.

Of further note, the crowd at the ballot box swelled when Waters and Marshall’s petitions were being voted upon. Yet, during the two votes when entire classes were being cubed, there was an instance where a Grand Lodge of Georgia Officer stopped an entire line of voters from proceeding by refusing to move forward to cast his ballot. At one point, only three people, other than Scottish Rite Officers, were voting.

Georgia Mainstream Freemasons think they have won the second battle, round two. But they thought the same way in the first round before the publicity forced them to retreat. Here we are again fighting the same fight and calling upon all Masons nationwide to put pressure upon The Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction to act in a Masonic manner, put an end to such shenanigans and heal Marshall and Waters without further comment. If we did it once we can do it again. The ball is in your court, Brother.

Paranormal Activity 3 and the Masonic Nexus

Posted on October 23, 2011March 21, 2014 by Greg Stewart | 10 Comments

It’s Halloween, time for spooky movies, and the new film Paranormal Activity 3 does a terrific job in delivering the spooktacular. If you haven’t followed the series, Paranormal Activity 3 is actually the first story installment of the trilogy giving us the foundation of its Paranormal predecessors.

I won’t give away the plot (big house, bumps in the night, and Ghost Hunter esque videography) but in the climax of the movie, the audience is treated to a glimpse of perhaps why the activity is so paranormal and a tease of things to come. Its a fun film and perfect for the season and with the end of the film, I can only say that there needs to be a pre-prequel to tell the story of the apparition/demon Toby and what really is going on at Grandmas house. But it was the end of the film that I found myself pulling it into the Masonic nexus of freemason symbols.

Neared its end, there came a scene that made me chuckle and find a thread to pull with a link to Freemasonry. In the films transition from a faux cinéma vérité into a DIY shaky camera aesthetic, a la Blair Witch Project, we catch a glimpse of the why the activity is so paranormal. This is the last 15 minutes of the film that Derrick Deane of Fandango.com says “.. will ‘Mess You Up For Life'” which is right about where we find the Masonic connection.

It’s obvious that the sinister Paranormal Activity is coming from somewhere. Its not so obvious from where. Its not the benign ghosts from the Disney Haunted Mansion, or the night vision sleuthing of Syfy’s Ghost Hunters. On the wall, in the manner of the Satanic Panic films from the 80’s, is the Luciferian leverage to make it really creepy.

If you go watch the film, pay attention to the unicorn.

In the blur between the faux cinéma vérité and shakey cam we, from the vantage of the hapless cinematographer and stepfather Dennis, find ourselves looking for the missing wife and step kids amidst a flurry of things that go bump in the night. There, on the all where the cute and cuddly unicorn once rested is a modified Magical Triangle of Solomon followed by a quick camera pan to the infamous Sigil of Baphomet on the opposite wall.

While, neither of the symbols are truly freemason symbols, the Magical Triangle comes out of a tradition of King Solomon, the wise king and one third Master Architect behind the construction of the great Temple constructed in his name to house the ark of the covenant.

Christian tradition holds the wise king was benign and kingly in status, but when you read deeper into the subtext of Judaism and Islam, as Lon Milo Duquette does in his book The Key to Solomon’s Key: Is This the Lost Symbol of Masonry?, we discover a king, prophet, and wizard, on the level of the great eastern Magi. Duquette writes “…he [Solomon] could talk with animals, fly through the air on a magical carpet, and cause others to fly through the air to him.” One other thing Solomon is thought to of done was summon evil spirits. The Triangle comes out of a work called The Lesser Key of Solomon the King or Clavicula Solominis Regis, a work originally translated by MacGregor Mathers who, in occult circles, was a well known Golden Dawn mage and Masonic devotee in the rebirth of magical spiritualism.

As the symbol goes the triangle with the circle, Duquette refers to is as the Magical Triangle within which Solomon commanded evil spirits. As it was used in ritual practice, it was a place on within which the magician inscribed on the ground to hold the demons he summoned. While it looks good in the movie on a wall, the symbols when used to summon “evil spirits” it is to be made 2 feet from a Magical Circle on the ground in evocations.

The Sigil of Baphomet is a bit more abstract in the Masonic landscape. Coming out of the work of French Occultist Eliphas Lévi, the pentagram with a rams head is more a device to illustrate (represent) evil than serve as any summoning symbol. Often the illustration includes the words Samael and Lilith which are inscribed in the middle and come from the work La Clef de la magie noire, by French Occultist Stanislas de Guaita. Guaita was a student of Levi’s work and elaborated in image to Levi’s conception. The Church of Satan website says of the symbol “…oriented in the opposite direction, the pentagrammatic Star is nothing more than a symbol of iniquity, perdition, blasphemy: its two points in the air become the horns of the foul Goat threatening Heaven, and whose head is framed with the stellar pentacle, with its low ears in the side branches, and its beard in disorder in the single lower point.”

Levi’s work, in time, became important in the occult world at the rise of spiritualism in the late 1800’s along side with tarot cards, Ouija boards, astrology, and séances. Evidence of Levi’s influence can be traced into the workings of the Golden Dawn which is in and of itself an extrapolation of Masonic degree work.

So, with those two images at the end of the film, from an occultist’s point of view, it’s easy to see the film maker’s idea of connecting the Paranormal Activity to some form of magical summoning from which the terror ensues. Without a doubt, the two symbols have been absorbed by the black magic community and fallen into the material culture of all things evil, with Paranormal Activity 3 becoming the latest instance. As viewers watch the film and begin to ask themselves the meaning of the two symbols, it makes me wonder if it will incite another decade of Satanic Panic as it did in the 80’s or if the sinister black magic of the cinema will be treated as just another work of cult fiction made to titillate the timid with the evils of witchcraft and black magic shrouded in the horror things that go bump in the night.

Is it time for some national unity among Masons?

Posted on October 22, 2011January 4, 2014 by The Euphrates | 18 Comments

Recently, I attended an Entered Apprentice degree at a local lodge here in Kansas and was allowed to assist in conducting one of the candidates through the degree. It was an experience that I greatly appreciated and enjoyed. Degree work has been my favorite part of being a Freemason since I was raised to the sublime degree and I hadn’t witnessed any degrees in a couple of years.

I was thoroughly enjoying the experience when the new Brothers entered the lodge room to receive the lectures when my enthusiasm suddenly disappeared. The two Brothers were positioned in front of a television screen where they watched a video of a man giving the lectures.

I was abhorred.

I had heard rumors from different places throughout the country that some lodges had been using such methods, but I honestly regarded them as a dirty rumor. This was not the impressive and solemn degree conferral that these new Brothers deserved. So, I decided to get involved and talked to the lodge’s leadership after the degree. I explained that I knew nearly all of the lectures by memory. The only issue is that I had memorized South Dakota’s ritual. I was sure that it wouldn’t be a problem. I had seen Brothers from other states give lectures before with the appropriate level of approval. Why would this be any different?

Unfortunately, in this situation I was told that I must give the lectures straight from the Kansas ritual. Only being slightly disappointed by this, I decided to learn the lectures. However, I was not ready for how difficult it is to re-learn a lecture with a slightly different cadence and verbiage. I am still working on that little project, but my motivation has waned. I realized that I do not plan on living in Kansas for a long time and that eventually, I will have to learn some other state’s ritual. It is a lot of work just to learn a new way to convey the same information, especially since every Masonic lodge in the U.S. could receive some greatly needed assistance if a few Grand Masters would get together and have a little conversation about this subject.

In a world where people move long distances and rarely stay in one place throughout their whole life, why can we not perform another state’s ritual in our lodges? Now, some would say “We can’t have a nationalized ritual!” I am not so naive to think that this would be a simple undertaking. We wouldn’t develop a solution to that in a century. What I’m proposing is that when one grand lodge recognizes another as regular and recognized, that it also accepts that grand lodge’s ritual as being acceptable to be performed in that state. It is a simple concept (that I’m sure would meet resistance) that could make a huge difference. I have met a number of Freemasons that have moved to another jurisdiction during their Masonic career and had to give up administering a lecture solely because they were in another state. In many of those instances, the new lodge that they were attending was in need of someone new to give that same lecture!

I’m not proposing some sort of sweeping change. I’m not proposing that we teach ritual from other states in our lodges. I’m just proposing that we give the individual lodges and the individual Masons an opportunity to provide a better ritualistic experience to our new Brothers by giving a them a little bit of latitude to use Brothers from other jurisdictions to accomplish this.

I think that this little bit of national unity among Masons is a very reasonable proposal.

Phylaxis Society Honors Nelson King

Posted on October 18, 2011September 27, 2021 by Fred Milliken | 2 Comments

The Phylaxis Society just published its magazine totally dedicated to Nelson King.

It is all King, nothing but King, every page. I don’t know how the other two Societies, The Philalethes Society, of which King was a past President and editor of its publication, and The Masonic Society, of which he also was a member, are honoring Brother King. But it would surprise me if they dedicated the entire contents of one of their publications to just Nelson King.

Right about now perhaps many Mainstream Masons are scratching their heads wondering why there is this Prince Hall adulation of Brother King.

Phylaxis President John B. Williams introduces the latest issue of its publication with these words.

“Nelson King was a friend to Prince Hall Masonry when it was quite unpopular to be so.”

Renowned Prince Hall author and speaker Alton Roundtree, FPS adds:

“I placed Nelson King in the same category as Jerry Marsengill, Allen Roberts and other editors of the Philalethes Magazine who had kept the issue of Prince Hall Freemasonry up for discussion in the Magazine. Nelson seemingly went farther than others in that he took on the role of a defender of Prince Hall Freemasonry.”
“Nelson King was not popular in many quarters, especially outside of Prince Hall Freemasonry. He was subject to threats and humiliating comments. Nevertheless, wherever he stood, he stood.”

Robert N. Campbell, FPSH Phylaxis Society Council of Representatives and President of the Phylaxis Society board tells us:

“He (Nelson King) along with Phylaxis President, the Hon. Joseph A. Walkes, Jr., Ralph McNeal and myself, were among a number of us whose lives were threatened, over the internet for our work and involvement to spread the true ‘cement of B.L.R. &T.’”

The Hon. Rev. Tommy Rigmaiden, FPS, FPC (H-Life) & President Emeritus of the Phylaxis Society in a “A Tribute To My Beloved Nelson King” in the magazine highlights a couple of important events in the life of Nelson King.

He says that in March 2000 King, at that time President of the Philalethes Society, attended the Phylaxis Society’s annual session in Kansas City, Missouri where he inducted 8 African-American Prince Hall Masons into the Masonic Order of Blue Forget-Me-Nots. In the next year, 2001, King invited Phylaxis President Joseph A. Walkes to attend the annual session of the Philalethes Society during Masonic week in Washington D.C. Walkes being ill, Rigmaiden, 1^st Vice President, went in his place and enjoyed himself immensely.

On Masonic Central: Nelson King and the Philalethes Society

Another who brings us much information about Nelson King is Brother Aubrey Brown, Sr., MPS who reiterates much of what others have said.

“Perhaps for PHA Masons, his most important distinction is being virtually the last of the great Prince Hall Warriors from within the ranks of Mainstream Masonry. Following in the footsteps of his mentors such as the late Bro. Allen Roberts, Nelson fought to the end for full unilateral recognition of PHA Masonry worldwide within regular Freemasonry.”

Brown also reminds us that

King demitted from his Ontario, Canada Lodge to join the Grand Lodge of Costa Rica to protest his mother Grand Lodge’s refusal to recognize Prince Hall, which it eventually did.

A Fellow of the Philalethes Society King became its only President who was not a United States citizen. He also served as editor of the Philalethes publication and is only one of two Society members to hold both positions at the same time.

Prince Hall Masons recognized Nelson King for his achievements during his lifetime. Brown tells us that in 2000 he received the Prince Hall Civil Rights Activist Award. In 2004 he was made Honorary Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Costa Rica. In 2005 he was inducted into the Phylaxis Society’s Harry A. Williamson Hall of Fame. In 2006 he was made Honorary Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Connecticut.

Brown then to proceeds to chronicle what he considers King’s “Two Most Cherished And Successful Projects Most Never Knew About.”

THE WELCOME WALL

As webmaster of the Philalethes Society King created a visitor’s section called “The Welcome Wall.” Here any and every question about Freemasonry was answered. It became so popular that King could not keep up all by himself. So he appointed a three man Board or Committee of one American Mainstream Mason, one European Mason and one Prince Hall Mason. The PHA Mason was Brother Brown.

When King stepped down from his management positions within the Philalethes Society he sold the Freemasonry.org site to the Society and moved The Welcome Wall to Guestbook. Alas in failing health the Society that he had devoted so much time and effort to decided to stab him in the back.

Brown recounts:

“As Nelson became aware of his failing liver, The Philalethes Society contacted and informed him that they felt the name “Welcome Wall” was their intellectual property since he created it while an Officer of the Society. Considering the more important battle facing him, he decided to just close his site. The Welcome Wall died a quiet death. No acknowledgement was given to the Committee members or the Founder of the Welcome Wall when control of the name was taken. Today their version is not as popular or nearly as successful as the real Welcome Wall.”

THE MASONIC RELIEF FUND FOR CUBA

Many Freemasons are totally unaware of King’s exploits in this labor of love. It all started in 1998 when King and his wife visited Cuba. There he touched base with the Masonic community and saw firsthand what dire straits they were in. When he returned back home to Canada, he started with aspirin and vitamins. Soon he progressed to much needed bandages, drugs and medical equipment. Because of size limitations some shipments had to be sent to Costa Rica who then sent them on to Cuba.

King created an E-List for the Cuban Relief Fund and solicited donations from anybody and everybody. King’s heroic efforts became known far and wide across the island of Cuba and many letters of thanks were published on the E-List.

The work that King started lives on even after his death. And once again the Masonic community transcends the political divisions that separate good men in order to provide for the well being of those in need.

Within the magazine there are also a few of Nelson King’s more memorable speeches. The first titled “Black and White” was given at the 7^th annual Sam Houston Lecture in 2004 at Holland Lodge No. 1 AF & AM, Grand Lodge of Texas, Houston Texas, and was on the legitimacy of Prince Hall Freemasonry. King told me privately and personally that because of the large number of death threats he received that he felt it necessary to hire two body guards.

Another lecture in this issue of the Phylaxis Magazine was an address given at Wilberforce Lodge, MWPHGL, Ohio.

Nelson King’s parting shot and demonstration of his solidarity with Prince Hall was to have Prince Hall perform his funeral ceremony and so Past Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ontario, MW Joe Halstead, and his team did just that on August 20, 2011 at the Ogden funeral Home in Toronto.

Rest in peace Brother King. Well done good and faithful servant.

Part 1: Prince Hall Masonry from WEOFM on Vimeo.

When Is It Necessary To Change?

Posted on October 17, 2011December 21, 2013 by TimBryce | 2 Comments

Among the nonprofit organizations I belong to, there is one where I serve as secretary of the local branch. Like any nonprofit, there are records to be maintained, dues notices to be issued, reports to be filed with headquarters, minutes to be taken, and different mailings made to the membership. It’s not exactly rocket science. When I assumed office, I implemented a data base management system (DBMS) to track membership records and generate reports and mailing labels. I also send as much documentation as possible by e-mail in order to save money on postage and printing costs. All of this has saved us considerable time, effort, and money.

Over the last couple of years I’ve noticed our headquarters has changed the way they produce the annual dues cards and notices for the local branches. Prior to this, the dues notices were printed on a 80 column high speed printer on special carbon stock that formed an envelope and insert. All that was necessary was to burst the envelopes along the perforation marks, slap a stamp on it, and throw it in the mail. The envelope and enclosed dues notice may not have been graphically dazzling, but it worked quite well for many years. Likewise, dues cards were printed on the same high-speed printer which were also burst and separated along perforation marks. Again, the card wasn’t the most elegant from a graphical perspective, but it wasn’t bad either.

This all changed recently where the dues notices, cards, and mailing labels are now printed on special stock and are graphically impressive. The problem though is they are cumbersome to separate, fold, and insert in envelopes (which we now have to purchase separately). In other words, what was once a relatively simple task had become more labor intensive, costing more time and money to perform. The big question is, Why? What was headquarters trying to accomplish? To perhaps produce a better looking card that is stored and forgotten in a wallet? To produce a better looking dues notice for the post office? As someone who has been in the systems business for a number of years, I suspect the old approach was considerably cheaper to perform.

The scenario I describe herein happens every day not just in nonprofit organizations, but in corporations around the world. If anything is constant, it is change (Bryce’s Law). We live in a perpetual state of change where our systems change, our businesses change, our people change, and our technology changes. Change is natural and can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as government regulations, competition, economics, etc. The point is, you change when it is absolutely necessary to do so, not just because you contrarily feel like doing so. Change for the sake of change is madness. The example I describe is one where change is implemented merely to appear fashionable. There was no other reason as the old approach was working just fine, thank you. The point is, you should change only when it is cost effective to do so. This means it is necessary to demonstratively prove you offer a better solution; saving money or time, or perhaps a totally new avenue aimed at addressing specific business needs. In the case I described, I do not believe the developers did their homework and, because of this, have complicated the lives of many branch secretaries; all because someone wanted to show he was being fashionable with technology, which is perhaps the worst reason for change (yet is quite common). Always remember, there is a heavy price to pay for keeping up with the Jones’.

I can tell you authoritatively, whoever redesigned the dues notices and cards at headquarters was certainly not a systems man. Probably nothing more than a glorified programmer in sheep’s clothing.

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim’s columns, see:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

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Symposium on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism – CFP

Posted on October 8, 2011June 22, 2013 by Greg Stewart | 1 Comment

CALL FOR PAPERS – Symposium on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism, deadline December 15, 2011.

National Heritage Museum, Lexington, Massachusetts
Perspectives on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism

Saturday, April 7, 2012

The National Heritage Museum announces a call for papers for its biannual symposium, “Perspectives on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism,” to be held on Saturday, April 7, 2012, at the Museum in Lexington, Massachusetts.

The National Heritage Museum is an American history museum founded and supported by Scottish Rite Freemasons in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States. As the repository of one of the largest collections of American Masonic and fraternal objects, books and manuscripts in the United States, the Museum aims to foster new research on American fraternalism and to encourage the use of its scholarly resources.

The symposium seeks to present the newest research on American fraternal groups from the past through the present day. By 1900, over 250 American fraternal groups existed, numbering six 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. Diverse perspectives on this topic are sought; proposals are invited from a broad range of research areas, including history, material and visual culture, anthropology, sociology, literary studies and criticism, gender studies, political science, African-American studies, art history, economics, or any combination of disciplines. Perspectives on and interpretations of all time periods are welcome.

Possible topics include:

Comparative studies of American fraternalism and European or other international forms of fraternalism
Prince Hall Freemasonry and other African-American fraternal groups
Ethnically- and religiously-based fraternal groups
Fraternal groups for women or teens
Role of fraternal groups in social movements
The material culture of Freemasonry and fraternalism
Anti-Masonry and anti-fraternal movements, issues and groups
Fraternal symbolism and ritual
The expression of Freemasonry and fraternalism through art, music, and literature
Approaches to Freemasonry – from disciplinary, interdisciplinary, or transnational perspectives; the historiography and methodology of the study of American fraternalism

Proposals should be for 30 minute research papers; the day’s schedule will allow for audience questions and feedback.

Proposal Format: Submit an abstract of 400 words or less with a resume or c.v. that is no more than two pages. Be sure to include full contact information (name, address, email, phone, affiliation).

Send proposals to: Aimee E. Newell, Ph.D., Director of Collections, National Heritage Museum, by email at anewell@monh.org or by mail to 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA 02421.

Deadline for proposals to be received is December 15, 2011. For more information about the National Heritage Museum, see www.nationalheritagemuseum.org. For questions, contact Aimee E. Newell as above, or call 781-457-4144.

Masonic Holidays

Posted on October 7, 2011October 7, 2021 by Greg Stewart | 6 Comments

Collected here are notable dates to those in the history of Freemasonry and founding dates of particular aspects of the craft.

If you know of a particular date that’s not on the list, drop it in the comments, and it will be added to the roll.

Unlike national holidays or religious observance holidays, these may (or may not) be widely celebrated, but should perhaps be considered as special days of note in the Masonic calendar and days to give pause for a few moments to reflect on their significance to the wider craft.

Follow this calendar on Google Calendars.

This is a living post in that it will be open to additions in the future.

Masonic Notable Dates

January

January 4–8, 1808 – Grand Lodge of Ohio was establishedº≠
January 9, 1844 – Grand Lodge of Iowa Founded
January 12th, 1886 – Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 Consecrated in London
January 13, 1818 – Grand Lodge of Indiana established º
January 14, 1892 – The beginning of the Allied Masonic Degrees in America
January 17, 1706 – Ben Franklin born. Statesman, Diplomat, Past Grand Master
January 17, 1865 – Grand Lodge of Nevada was founded in Virginia City, Nevada
January 17, 1872 – Grand Lodge of Utah was established≠
January 23, 1910 – SCIOTS adopted their name (originally Boosters from 1905)
January 25 1759 – Robert Burns born (d. July 21 1796)º
January 26, 1866 – Grand Lodge of Montana was founded≠
January 27, 1756 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born (d.5 December 1791)º

February

February 7, 1981 – Grand Lodge of Alaska was established in Anchorage, Alaska
February 19, 1811 – Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia founded
February 22, 1732 – George Washington born, first President of the United States
February 24, 1853 – Grand Lodge of Minnesota foundedº

March

March 6, 1775 – Prince Hall, was made a Master Mason in Irish Constitution Military Lodge No. 441
March 12, 1807 – Albert Gallatin Mackey – d. June 20, 1881 – Masonic Author, notably of the Masonic Dictionary
March 17, 1856 – Grand Lodge of Kansas established, Wyandotte County, Kansasº
March 18, 1919 – Order of DeMolay founded in Kansas City, Missouri, later to become DeMolay International
March 25, 1882 – Grand Lodge of Arizona was established in Tucson

Maundy Thursday

A Feast Day that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. Maundy Thursday move between March 19th and April 22nd with the Easter holiday. Celebration is held on the Thursday before Easter.

April

April 6, 1922 – International Order of the Rainbow for Girls founded in McAlester, Oklahoma
April 8, 1790 – Grand Lodge of New Hampshire was founded≠
April 16, 1838 – Grand Lodge of Texas established in Houston, Texasº
April 17, 1787 – Grand Lodge of Maryland was founded
April 20, 1884 – Pope Leo XIII published an encyclical, Humanum Genus against Freemasonry based upon the hoax by Leo Taxil
April 21, 1821 – Grand Lodge of Missouri was founded in Columbia, Missouriº

May

May 6, 1850 – Grand Lodge of California was established in Sacramento, CA
May 11, 1865 – Grand Lodge of West Virginia was founded≠
May 17, 1921 – High Twelve founded, Sioux City, Iowa
May 20, 1989 – Grand Lodge of Hawaii founded
May 31, 1801 – Ordo ab Chao, Founding of the The Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, USA

June

June 1, 1820 – Grand Lodge of Maine was founded≠
June 6, 1806 – Grand Lodge of Delaware Established
June 11, 1821 – Grand Lodge of Alabama was established in Cahawba, Alabama°
June 13, 1889 – Grand Lodge of North Dakota was established at Mitchell, South Dakotaº
June 13, 1890 – Grotto, or the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm was founded, Hamilton, New York
June 14, 1873 – Order of the Amaranth organized in New York City, New York
June 20, 1812 – Grand Lodge of Louisiana was established

June 20/21

Saint John the Baptist Day / Summer Solstice
St. John the Baptist Day as a religious holiday is celebrated on June 24°

June 22 1867 – Walter Leslie Wilmshurst born (d. July 22 1939)*
June 23, 1868 – Grand Lodge of Idaho founded

June 24, 1717

Proto Grand Lodge, Grand Lodge of London and Westminster forms at the Goose and Gridiron alehouse in St. Paul’s Churchyard, London, England.

June 27, 1791 – Grand Lodge of Rhode Island founded≠
June* of 1826 – Grand Lodge of Michigan was established (Bessel suggests September 14, 1844)º≠

July

July 3, 1863

The meeting of Armistead and Hancock on the battle field. Union Captain, and brother, Henry H. Bingham coming to the aid of Confederate Brigadier General, and brother, Lewis Addison Armistead. Said to be “one of the greatest examples of the ideals of Freemasonry in action” leading to the dedication of the Friend to Friend Masonic Memorial statue at the Gettysburg National Cemetery.≠

July 6, 1830 – Grand Lodge of Florida Founded
July 8, 1789 – Grand Lodge of Connecticut founded.
July 21, 1875 – Grand Lodge of South Dakota was formed≠
July 24, 1783 – Simón Bolívar (d. December 17, 1830) – Venezuelan military and political leader.

Like Washington and the American founding fathers, Bolívar played a key role in Latin America’s successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire. Bolivar was initiated in 1803 in the Masonic Lodge Lautaro which operated in Cadiz, Spain and was given the 33rd degree of Inspector General Honorary in April of 1824.

July 27, 1818 – Grand Lodge of Mississippi was founded
July 30, 1733 – Grand Lodge of Massachusetts founded

August

August 2, 1861 – Grand Lodge of Colorado founded
August 5, 1813 – Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite founded
August 7, 1742 – William Preston born – d. April 1, 1818. Author of the revised Masonic Ritual
August 7, 1877 – Grand Lodge of New Mexico was founded≠

September

September 11, 1826 – the beginning of the Morgan Affair and the rise of the Anti Masonic Party – William Morgan arrested (and then abducted on September 12, 1826) in Canandaigua (city), New York
September 15, 1851 – Grand Lodge of Oregon was established (Bessel lists August 16)
September 21, 1880 – Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis consecrated
September 23, 1857 – Grand lodge of Nebraska was founded.º
September 26, 1872 – founding of the Ancient Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
September 26, 1786 – Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania was established in Philadelphia, PA.

Feast of Tishiri

15th day of the 7th month – though the date moves with the Jewish Calendar (7th Month of the Jewish calendar somewhere between September and October).

The origin of the Feast of Tishri is described in the book of Leviticus where it is said that the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying that on the fifteenth day of the month of Tishri of the Hebrew civil calendar, “ye shall have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord.” The Feast of Tishri is the Hebrew equivalent of Thanksgiving or Harvest festival.

The origins and significance of the Feast of Tishri make it the most Scottish Rite of festivals. No other occasion epitomizes the character and purpose of the Feast of Tishri more wholly than the dedication of King Solomon’s Temple. The rich legend of the Temples dedication, celebrated during the Feast of Tishri, is an essential part of the Fourteenth Degree.

By observing the Feast of Tishri, Scottish Rite Masons share the fraternal spirit and reaffirm our dedication to human concord and the brotherhood of all men. As Brothers, we resolve to build, as King Solomon did, peace for all mankind.

October

October 5, 1874 – Grand Lodge of Oklahoma was established≠
October 13, 1778 – Grand Lodge of Virginia was founded≠
October 15, 1794 – Grand Lodge of Vermont was established≠
October 16, 1800 – Grand Lodge of Kentucky established (founded 1788)º
October 18, 1911 – Corner Stone laid in the Construction of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction house of the Temple in Washington
October 20, 1920 – The Order of Job’s Daughters, founded in Omaha, Nebraska
October 23, 1894 – White Shrine of Jerusalem was incorporated
October 30, 1771 – Thomas Smith Webb, (d. July 6, 1819) author of Freemason’s Monitor or Illustrations of Masonry, the foundation text of the York Rite American system of Freemasonry and the Founding Father of the York or American Rite

November

November 6, 1876 – Order of the Eastern Star first General Grand Chapter formed in Indianapolis, Indiana.
November 21, 1838 – Grand Lodge of Arkansas Founded*
November 30, 1835 – Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka Mark Twain, – d. April 21, 1910. Author, humorist lecturer, and father of American literature.
November 30 – Saint Andrews Day – The Feast of Saint Andrew

December

December 8, 1858 – Grand Lodge of Washington was established.≠
December 9, 1787 – Grand Lodge of North Carolina was established.º
December 11, 1822 – Grand Lodge of Illinois founded.
December 15, 1782 – Grand Lodge of New York was established.º
December 15, 1874 – Grand Lodge of Wyoming was formed.
December 16, 1786 – Grand Lodge of Georgia founded.
December 18, 1786 – Grand Lodge of New Jersey≠
December 18, 1843 – Grand lodge of Wisconsin established.≠

December 21st/22nd

Saint John the Evangelist Day/Winter Solstice. Saint John the Evangelist Day as a religious holiday is celebrated on December 27.

December 25: Christmas and Freemasonry

December 27, 1813

United Grand Lodge of England established, the proto Grand Lodge, Grand Lodge of London and Westminster forms on June 24, 1717

December 27, 1783 – Grand Lodge of South Carolina was established.≠
December 27, 1813 – Grand Lodge of Tennessee was formed.
December 29, 1809 – Albert Pike, author of Morals and Dogma born, d. April 2, 1891 (aged 81)
December 31 – New Years Eve-Auld Lang Syne

Sources:
° – Wikipedia
≠ – From Paul Bessel’s Website
* – Secondary source

The 30 Greatest Conspiracy Theories Of All Time

Posted on October 1, 2011November 18, 2021 by Fred Milliken | 3 Comments

The UK Telegraph has posted an article listing the 30 Greatest Conspiracy Theories, I gather, in order of their popularity or ranking. Part 1 is here and Part 2 here. We will publish the list but for the detailed explanations that go with them you will need to visit the original Telegraph websites.

While most of these are civil, non Masonic, matters #5 is about the Illuminati which reminds us all that Freemasons are still considered by many in society as some sort of cult, perhaps a dangerous one at that. Every time I hear that Masons are going to take over the world, that they are part of a “New World Order”, I am reminded about how many people “out there” are conspiracy “nuts.”

Then there are those that say Freemasonry is a satanic cult, that it offers sacrifices of goats at its altars after which sexual orgies take place.

If you think that this is all some dreamed up fantasy that is mainly circulated by minds that are three french fries short of a Happy Meal, you might change your mind when you read through the entire list. Actually much of this “stuff” is quite mainstream (not to be confused with Mainstream Masonry).

For some educated and logical counter argument The Beehive would point you to our own Greg Stewart’s podcast of “Peering Behind The Veil.”

THE LIST:

September 11, 2001
The assassination of John F. Kennedy
A flying saucer crashed at Roswell in 1947
NASA faked the moon landings
The Illuminati and the New World Order
The Jesus Conspiracy
Diana, Princess of Wales, was murdered
Elvis Presley faked his own death
Operation Northwoods
MK-ULTRA
North American Union
Shakespeare was somebody else
The disappearance of Shergar
Paul is dead
The july7, 2005 Tube bombings
The Moscow apartment bombings
Black or unmarked helicopters
Harold Wilson was a Soviet agent
The Protocols of the elders of Zion
The Peak oil conspiracy
Pearl Harbor was allowed to happen
The Philadelphia Experiment
Pan Am Flight 103
Fluoridation
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
Plastic coffins and Concentration Camps
HARP
The Aids virus was created in a laboratory
Global Warming is a hoax
Chemtrails

One that should be on the list that didn’t make it is the Morgan Affair, perhaps because of a British tilt to this story. For a good read on this story try Stephen Dafoe’s “Morgan: The Scandal That Shook Freemasonry.” I call this one a reverse conspiracy because based on Dafoe’s research it seems that what is often thought of as being the conspiracy seems to be quite true and what is actually the cover up is the conspiracy.

The Beehive welcomes in the comments section other American conspiracies that didn’t make this list. Perhaps there are some Canadian and Australian conspiracies worth noting. As usual our erudite readers will clue us in.