New Video From The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts

The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts always does an excellent,inspirational job on everything they do.

Happy Birthday Grand Lodge of New Hampshire

On April 8, 1790 the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire was created with the Installation of their first Grand Master John Suvillan.

Exciting News

          About XIV World Conference

The XIV World Conference of Regular Masonic Grand Lodges is a rare opportunity for Masonic leaders from all parts of the globe to exchange ideas, build relationships with fraternal families, and unite the fraternity. For California Masons it offers the privilege of representing Golden State Masonry as we welcome brothers from other jurisdictions.

Visit the Conference Website to lean about speakers, and conference details at WCRMGL.com

Friday the 13th-The Beginning of the End

Today is Friday the 13^th, probably the most feared day and date combination of the year.  This is especially true if you were Jacques Demolay or a Knights Templar in France in 1307.

Here is the story in a nutshell.  At dawn on Friday, October 13, 1307, throughout all of France, soldiers, bailiffs and officials simultaneously opened sealed orders from King Phillip IV of France ordering them to arrest all Knights Templar, take them into custody, charge them with heresy and obtain confessions using torture is needed.  They were also to confiscate all Templar properties and treasuries before the actions could be reported to Pope Clement.  Sham trials were conducted and all Templars were declared guilty of heresy. Sixty one Knights Templar, including the Grandmaster Jacque Demolay, were burned at the stake.  The remaining Templars were imprisoned where many died and some were eventually pardoned by the Pope and released.

Now for more of the story….

King Phillip was obsessed with obtaining power and money. He used all means to obtain them no matter what the cost of who stood in his way.  His ambitions knew no bounds. I other words, he was just a well dressed thug on a nice horse and like any other common criminal he possessed no ethics, conscious on any integrity.

The High Cost of War

By 1306, pressed by the cost of the ten year war with England along with regional conflicts, the French finances were in trouble and King Phillip’s credit line was stopped.  King Phillip did not have a stable system of taxation to generate new revenue so he attempted to raise funds in other ways. Several of the things he did were to expel 100,000 Jewish citizens from France, seizing all of their property and money, and he reduced the gold content of the currency by two thirds, which resulted in riots.

With the country being on the threshold of bankruptcy, King Phillip needed to devise another plan and his eyes turned to the Knights Templar.  The Knights Templar rivaled all of the European kingdoms in political influence, military strength and wealth.  The Templars reported not to any king, but only to the church.  In fact, at that time, the Paris temple was the largest bank in Europe which included much of the treasury of the French government.

King Phillip IV attempted to tax the clergy which resulted in an argument between King Phillip and the Pope about who had the power for taxation.

Pope Boniface VII responded by preparing a bill of excommunication against King Phillip (Super Petri Solo). The Pope intended to publish the bill but he was assaulted and kidnapped by French troops prior to being able to publish the bill. The Pope was rescued but did not recover from his injuries and died shortly after being rescued.

King Phillip the Fair had great influence over the election of a new Pope (Clement V). Pope Clement was from Gascony France and moved his office from Rome to France.

King Phillip had no authority to arrest the Templars, so he devised a devious plan to eliminate the Templars and seize their wealth.

Rumors and gossip had been circulating within France of strange practices and rituals practiced by the Knights Templar. King Phillip, with sinister motivation, whispered these rumors into the ear of Pope Clement V at the papal coronation.  King Phillip asked the Pope to investigate the Templars, meanwhile King Phillip secretly had his attorneys compiling evidence against the Templars.  He argued masterfully for an investigation of the Templars for repudiation of the faith and for heresy.

In addition, the King began a smear campaign defaming the order to the various royal courts of Europe.  He also had his lawyers establish a spy network to live among the Templars and collect information.

The arrest operation was a huge undertaking in many aspects.  France, at that time, was a large country of about 44,000 square miles to be covered by hundreds of the King’s men.  The Knights Templar has approximately 9000 land holdings ranging from castles to vineyards.  These holdings were occupied by approximately 15,000 Knight Templars.

On the first day of the operation it is believed that over 600 arrests were made with an emphasis on the orders command staff.  This includes the Grandmaster, the Treasurer and various Preceptors.  These individuals were isolated and immediately questioned, and subjected to torture in order to obtain confessions.  King Phillip wanted many confessions to present to the Pope in order to overwhelm the Pope and to gain his support for the operation.

Pope Clement, at King Phillip’s request, issues arrest warrants Knights Templar throughout Europe.  These Papal warrants were served very slowly and no Templars, outside of France, were found guilty (if they were even located).

In France, during the trials, may Templars recanted their confessions because they were obtained under torture or the threat of death.  In 1310, King Phillip ordered that 61 Templars be burned at the stake because they had recanted their confessions.

Pope Clement V saw the persecution doing irreparable harm to the church and granted immunity to the Templars leaders (plus other actions see bull Ad providam).  His actions were never carried out as the Pope became seriously ill.

Jacques Demolay and other Templars were sentenced to life imprisonment. When Grandmaster Demolay heard this he refused to accept the sentence.  On March 18, 1314 King Phillip seized Jacques Demolay and Geoffrey de Charmey from legal custody and had them burned at the stake on an island on the river Seine.

Jacques Demolay asked that his wrists be untied.  As the fire started his eyes gazed at the Cathedral Notre Dame and he prayed. The Grandmaster then gave the Templars curse. Within a year following Demolay’s death both Pope Clement and King Phillip IV were dead.

For and excellent read and research done from primary sources

The Templars, The Secret History Revealed by Barbara Frale Vatican Secret Archives Historian

The Past Masters Jewel

We are now introduced to the Quadrant, Sextant, and the Sun

The Quadrant  -  Shows the angle of the opened compass.  Now able to measure “due bounds” it is the Past Masters experience of being responsible to ensure that Masons under his jurisdiction made proper use of their own compass while he was Master.  Here the quadrant symbolizes the Past Master’s experience with balance.

The Sextant  -  A navigation tool used to measure altitude, symbolizes that the Past Master had to navigate the course of his Lodge.

Here the sextant symbolizes the Past Master’s qualifications and ability to advise.

The Sun -  We recognize the Past Master as a source of Masonic Light and that he has observed the sun at its meridian height, its setting, and its rising.

Here the sun represents wisdom and the Past Master’s progression up the chairs. 

From Worshipful Master Ivan Smith Cataract Lodge #2 Speech 10-14-2014

The Lost Symbol in China

Dan Brown's latest novel has sold two million copies in the United States, Britain and Canada since the book was released on September 15.

The Chinese copyright belongs to the People's Literature Publishing . They are expecting that the Chinese edition is expected to hit the shelves in early 2010.
But Chinese Internet users won't have to wait much longer. The pirates are already working hard to exploit Dan Brown's popularity to make a profit.
It is believed that the book has been "crowd-sourced" translated. The prologue and several chapters of the Chinese translation is already on the Web. It has been reported that the English version of the book has been scanned and put into a PDF format for unrestricted downloading. This is on a Web site as well.
( I was able to find Web sites that may have had the books but it was in Chinese so I was unable to verify this information).
These actions in my opinion seriously infringe on Dan Brown's copyright and damage China's reputation to protect intellectual property rights.

George Washington University Seeks to put a Masonic Lodge on Campus

A group of George Washington University Alumni with Support of the University President Emeritus Stephen Joel Trachtenberg are looking to start a Masonic Lodge on Campus.

The University of George Washington is located in Washington D.C. It was started in 1821 by Congress but the University traces its orgins to FreeMasons. There are approx. 9,700 full time students studying 87 Academic Majors. Various Masonic organizations continue to support the college in various ways.

George Washington University looks like an exciting place for Masonic Lodge. When the college newspaper publishes that the Alumni and college President follow the teaching of Freemansonry that's a powerful statement to me. Click here to read the link for yourself.

Gee Wiz ...a Masonic Lodge on a college campus if they can do it in Washington DC....why can't we? in Minneapolis, Duluth, Mankato,St. Cloud, Winona, Moorehead, St. Paul. Think about it, won't you?

The Lost Symbol to be release September 15,2009

Dan Brown's newest novel since "The Da Vinci Code" -- "The Lost Symbol" -- is expected to be released by Doubleday Publishing on September 15, 2009.

Many have waited to hear from the author about the book's plot, but little has been said. The publisher has been releasing cryptic teasers on Facebook and Twitter.

There has been much buzz and speculation among my Brothers of the Craft of the book's possible plotlines.

To help you wade through the hype and confusion, and to help you gain better insight of the new book's plot line, I have provided a link below to an excellent article published in the electronic version of the Washingtonian.com. Just click here.

Even if you're not as interested in the book as I am, you will enjoy the article about the Freemasons and the city of Washington D.C.

The photo that you see to your right is the cover that will be released in Germany. I thought it was a nice photo of the Double Headed Eagle......hmmmm.

Personally, I have no intent to purchase "The Lost Symbol". Maybe I'll pick it up at the library or when it hits the thrift stores. But then again, maybe not.

Mozarts Mysterious Death Now Revealed

Freemason-Brother Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died at just 35 years old on December 5, 1791. His death has been shrouded in mystery until today. The theories why he died included,
poisoning, exhaustion, syphillis, parasites from eating uncooked pork. Mozarts wife stated that he drank day and night during his composing may have hastened his end. While others blame Tuberculosis was the cause.

But today it is believed that his death may have begun with a simple sore throat caused by bacterial infection. He may have caught the bug while visiting a hospital.

Click on the link to get the details;http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8206785.stm

A Museum for the History of American Freemasons

The National Heritage Museum is funded by the Scottish Rite Masons of the Northern Jurisdication of the United States. The museum is dedicated to the history of American Freemasonry. This museum has one of the finest Masonic collections in th U.S.

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The National Heritage Museum is a full service faculity that has much to offer. The Collections and exhibits are mostly Masonic but many others on American History and interesting topics. It hosts a research library and has assisted in the authoring important scholary books on Freemasonry. It is probably one of the few Museums that its gift shops specializes in Masonic apparel,books and trinkets.

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The National Heritage Museum is located in Lexington Mass. the birth place of the American Revolution. As a matter of fact acouple of hundred years ago Paul Revere took his midnight ride just past the door step of the museums location. The faculity sits on 22 acres that is manicured lawns with flowering shrubs and trees.( It looks like a perfect place for a picnic)

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Mark Tabbert the Author of "American FreeMasons" told me its a place that I have to visit.

He should know he used to work there.

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Here is the link to see for yourself http://www.nationalheritagemuseum.org/

Grand Master is interviewed by Playboy

Its not often that a Grand Master is interviewed by the popular press. Here is a link to read a indepth article that appeared I was informed in the July issue of Playboy. http://www.rglserbia.org/index.php/press/11-press/15-interviewplayboy.
I was going to show the cover but ahh... ahh ...wasnt what the kids and I would be looking at while standing in line at the grocery store.
This is an very good article and its indepth. The Grand Master Vukic is very well spoken.
Enjoy the read........... beauitful photos too....oh its safe for everyone.