Christopher L. Hodapp's Blog, page 32

New Jersey: Former Senior Grand Warden Protests Removal

by Christopher Hodapp

Tumult continues apace in the Grand Lodge of New Jersey this week. Friday's announcement that Gary J. Olsen was removed from his position as Senior Grand Warden by New Jersey Grand Master Robert V. Monacelli brought a rapid response. A tranche of documents was sent out over the weekend by several New Jersey Masons in support of Olsen, which included his response to the edict. In the interest of fairness to all parties involved, I post them below.
GM Monacelli's edict suspende...

GM of New Jersey Removes Senior Grand Warden From Office

by Christopher Hodapp

MW Robert V. Monacelli, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey (photo above), has removed Senior Grand Warden Gary J. Olsen from office. According to the edict (Edict 14) circulated to the Masons in New Jersey, now-former Senior Grand Warden Olsen has been suspended from his elected position for failure to participate in official Grand Lodge events, committees, appearances and other responsibilities that are part of a grand officer's duties.

He is not suspended or expe...

Leicestershire's Freemason Hall Open House Video

by Christopher Hodapp

The stunning Freemasons Hall in Leicestershire, England (pronounced "Lester") opened its doors to the public on November 13th for an annual open house. Built as two houses in the 19th century, the Masons purchased the properties in 1909 and combined them into the large Masonic hall that is home to many lodges. The plain white facade hides a stunning interior. The vaulted-ceilinged Holmes Lodge Room is truly breathtaking.
Holmes Lodge Room

Holmes Lodge Room
The story appeared on...

New Book: 'Freemasonry By Questions and Answers' by Kamel Oussayef

by Christopher Hodapp

Illus. Kamel Oussayef 33° has been volunteering for almost 20 years at the Scottish Rite (NMJ) Museum & Library working on a series of very special projects. The archives of the Museum contain a priceless collection of handwritten 18th and 19th century French manuscripts that have languished in the vaults for a century or more without ever having been translated into English. His previous books include: Saint Edoüard: A 1748 Masonic Scottish Lodge During the French Enlighten...

UPDATED: Illus. Michael D. Smith, Lt. Grand Commander of AASR-SJ, Passes Away

by Christopher Hodapp

UPDATE: This story has been updated on November 18, 2021 at 10:00AM with information regarding funeral services.

News came this morning that Ill. Brother Michael Duane Smith, Sr. 33°, Lt. Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite SJ, SGIG and Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of South Carolina (2017-19), passed away last night. He was 63 years old.

His accomplishments and honors, both in and outside of the fraternity, are many. ( Michael's lengthy list of achievements can be seen...

2021 World Conference of Regular Masonic Grand Lodges Opens Today in Berlin

by Christopher Hodapp

The World Conference of Regular Grand Lodges is opening today in Berlin. This four-day gathering of Masons from all over the world is being sponsored this year by the five United Grand Lodges of Germany.
The agenda includes:

Main Keynote Presentations:

Christoph Bosbach: Freemasonry needs future – future needs freemasonry?

Karl-Heinz Land: Stagnation as an accelerator – Covid-19 as a necessary creative destruction? 

Ranko Vujacic: Freemasonry and the 21st century

A. Kabèlè Camara:...

Illus. Michael D. Smith, Lt. Grand Commander of AASR-SJ, Passes Away

by Christopher Hodapp

News came this morning that Ill. Brother Michael Duane Smith, Sr. 33°, Lt. Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite SJ, SGIG and Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of South Carolina (2017-19), passed away last night. He was 63 years old.

His accomplishments and honors, both in and outside of the fraternity, are many (this bio from his time as GM is several years out of date). Over the years, I know of countless Masons all across the country who have said that Mike Smith exempli...

Masonic Temples on Staten Island, New York

Huguenot Lodge 381 Masonic Temple on Main Street in Tottenville, Staten Island
by Christopher Hodapp

The Staten Island Live website posted a pictorial survey this weekend of several current and former Masonic temples that still stand today, a century or so after most of them were first built. 
See  Masonic Temples Across Staten Island  by Jan Somma-Hammel
If you don't live in New York, Staten Island one of the five boroughs of New York City and sits on the southwestern edge of the metropolis. (Most Am...

Canadian Masonic Hall Arsonist Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

by Christopher Hodapp

A Vancouver man has been sentenced to three years in prison in British Columbia, Canada after pleading guilty to setting three arson fires in Masonic halls on March 30th this year.

According to a story today on the Alaska Highway News website, 43-year-old Benjamin Orion Carlson Kohlman claimed to hear voices in his head last spring telling him to burn down the Masonic halls because the Masons and the Illuminati were engaging in mind control of other people. Kohlman, who suffe...

Marilyn Braatz Passes Away

by Christopher Hodapp

Many Masons throughout North America know RW George O. Braatz and his wife Marilyn. Word came this week that Marilyn passed away Monday night, October 25th, at their home in Westerville, Ohio, after battling cancer for the last year. She was 76.
George served as Grand Master (1987-88), and then Grand Secretary (2000-2009), of the Grand Lodge of Ohio. And between 2011 and 2016, he served as Executive Secretary of the Masonic Service Association of North America. In that role, ...