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by Christopher Hodapp Don't forget to register for the Midwest Conference on Masonic Education May 2-3, 2025 in Indianapolis. Here's the lineup for what is shaping up to be a truly terrific program. This year's conference will be held at the historic Indianapolis Masonic Temple, located at...

by Christopher Hodapp THIS STORY IS SLIGHTLY EDITED FOR CLARITY FROM ITS ORIGINAL VERSION FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2025, 12:33AM As reported here on Monday, the Order of the Eastern Star has been evicted from all Masonic buildings in the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge AF&AM of West Virginia. In...

by Christopher Hodapp I'm a total sucker for Masonic degrees performed in unusual settings, and outdoor degrees can be found all over the Masonic world. But for this old veteran of railroad museums from back in my teenaged years (I became a steam locomotive fireman and engineer at 15, before I...

by Christopher Hodapp The MasoniCon season is heating up. Join me this Saturday, April 12th at the Wisconsin MasoniCon in Eau Claire, where I'll be speaking along with Steven Harrison of the Midnight Freemasons blog and author of Freemasons–Tales from the Craft. The day will kick off at 10AM...

by Christopher Hodapp NOTE: THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED AS OF MONDAY APRIL 7, 2025 AT 6:40PM: I've had it confirmed that on March 21st, 2025, David Ray Pyle, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge AF&AM of West Virginia, issued a directive ordering all chapters of the Order of the Eastern Star to...

by Christopher Hodapp Last Saturday I was supposed to be in New York to make a presentation at the 2025 College of Freemasonry, sponsored by the Scottish Rite Valley of Rochester. The theme of the event was the 200th anniversary of the disappearance of William Morgan in nearby Batavia back...

by Christopher Hodapp The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library in Lexington, Massachusetts is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. If you've never visited, make the effort. It's one of the top Masonic museums in the U.S. The Museum & Library first opened as the 'Museum of Our...

Christopher Hodapp A couple of years ago, the Midwest Conference on Masonic Education posted a lineup of "The Three Books Every ( ) Mason Should Read," and they broke the lists down according to general subject matter – historical, ritualist, esoteric, philosophical, leadership, and so...

by Christopher Hodapp The Grand Lodge of Arizona has apparently resolved its disagreements with Arizona DeMolay. On March 6th, MW Grand Master Michael A. Dale officially rescinded Edict 2025-01, which had briefly forbidden Arizona Masons from sponsoring or participating in any activities...

by Christopher Hodapp Lodges in rural and economically depressed areas all too often have a tough time surviving these days. I received word last week that Fairfax, Oklahoma's Grayhorse Lodge No. 124 has lost its charter and closed its doors. That's sad — all lodge closures are — but lodges...

by Christopher Hodapp California's newest lodge, Sonora Lodge No. 887, in the historic Sonora Masonic Hall held its grand opening on Saturday, February 22, 2025. According to a press release about the event, membership interest has been growing statewide, and the new lodge has already welcomed...

by Christopher Hodapp In an edict issued on Monday, MW Michael Dale, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Arizona, cut off the Masonic-related youth group DeMolay International from Arizona Freemasonry. (Click the image above to enlarge) In his edict, GM Dale (photo at left) - a 27-year...

by Christopher Hodapp The assembled members of the Grand Lodge F&AM of Utah have voted to expel Gerald J. Everett, Past Grand Master, from Freemasonry. In a letter dated Monday, it was reported that Everett appealed a conviction by his lodge to the Grand Master, and Utah's Grievances &...

Friar No. 113 Ric Berman by Christopher Hodapp At quite literally the very last minute on Thursday, I flew to Washington D.C. to catch a couple of events at Masonic Week: the Consistory of the Society of Blue Friars, and the Friday night banquet for the Philalethes Society. The Society of...

by Christopher Hodapp From now until May 11th, 2025, downtown Cincinnati's Taft Museum of Art is displaying an exhibit of fraternal folk art featuring some 80 pieces from the Freemasons and the Odd Fellows. From the museum's website description: The Taft Museum is open Wednesdays...

by Christopher Hodapp If you've watched British television shows over the last 40 years or so that are set anywhere from the 1930s to modern day, I'll guarantee you've seen scenes shot in and around the United Grand Lodge of England's London headquarters, Freemasons Hall, at 60 Great Queen...

by Christopher Hodapp A trial opened this week in France against 8 defendants accused of a neo-Nazi terrorist plot to attack a Masonic lodge back in 2020-21. Translated from the French website Notretemps.com: Details of the alleged plot are not revealed in the article, but a story on the...

Photo: MWPHGL of South Carolina by Christopher Hodapp On Sunday, January 19, 2025, MW Victor C. Major, Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of South Carolina, made then-President Joe Biden a Master Mason "at sight" in a private ceremony in Washington, D.C., "in...

(Reuters) by Christopher Hodapp In the wake of the massive devastation from the Southern California wildfires over the last few weeks, the Grand Lodge of California's Masonic Homes website has posted the following message offering assistance to Freemasons and their loved ones: Note: If...

by Christopher Hodapp (Thanks to Chris Ruli, author of The White House and the Freemasons for originally posting a story about this on Facebook.) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter passed away over the weekend at the amazing age of 100. Almost immediately upon the announcement early Sunday...