Christopher L. Hodapp's Blog, page 35

Midwest Conference on Masonic Education 2021 Presentations Online

by Christopher Hodapp

The Midwest Conference on Masonic Education didn't take place last year because of the COVID pandemic shutdowns. The 2021 event last weekend was originally to be held in Illinois, but out of an abundance of caution, organizers chose to make it a virtual conference.
Consequently, several presentations this year were made via video, and those programs are now posted online. 
They include:Personalizing Freemasonry - Chad KopenskiTruth - Spencer HamaanFacilitating Dialogue: Introd...

Breaking: S. Carolina PGM Mike Smith Expulsion Overturned; Lodges Restored

by Christopher Hodapp

Messages from Day One of the annual session of the Grand Lodge A.F.M. of South Carolina are reporting that the assembled voting members have overwhelmingly overturned the January expulsion of Past Grand Master Michael D. Smith, and restored his Masonic record. 
Additionally, the two lodges that had their charters revoked by GM Disher – Union-Kilwinning Lodge No. 4 and Landrum Lodge No. 278 – have had their charters restored, with the recommendation that outstanding charges ag...

'The Plot Thickens' in the GL of South Carolina as Annual Meeting Looms

by Christopher Hodapp

Over the last week, several emails have been making the rounds out of the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of South Carolina concerning the January trial and expulsion of Past Grand Master Michael D. Smith.  As reported here in February , Smith was expelled from the fraternity by current South Carolina Grand Master Walter C. "Cal" Disher II for violating his edict forbidding Masonic meetings conducted by Internet teleconferencing software, like Zoom. The charges brought against...

Dedication of Masonic Marker April 24th: Author Dwight L. Smith

by Christopher Hodapp

Next Saturday, April 24th, 2021, Grand Master Kenneth Roy, Jr. and the officers of the Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana will dedicate a new Masonic historical marker in memory of Indiana Past Grand Master and Past Grand Secretary, Dwight L. Smith.

The dedication of the new marker will be held on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at Salem Lodge No. 21, located at 506 West Poplar Street in Salem, Indiana.


Dwight Smith was born in Pennville, Indiana in 1909, and he was a member of Salem Lodge N...

Suspected Vancouver Arsonist Faces More Charges in Masonic Hall Fires

Charred remains of the Masonic Temple in Lynn Valley in North Vancouver, B.C., Tuesday, March 30, 2021. (Photo: Jonathan Hayward / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

by Christopher Hodapp

British Columbia prosecutors have filed additional charges in connection with the burning of three metropolitan Vancouver Masonic halls last week. The principal suspect, 42-year-old Benjamin Orion Carlson Kohlman, was charged the day after his arrest with three offenses connected with a fire set at the Park Masonic Hall in nort...

Philadelphia Masonic Temple Modeled at Legoland

by Christopher Hodapp

The master builders at Legoland Discovery Center in Plymouth Meeting, PA have made a scale model of the beautiful and historic Philadelphia Masonic Temple. In the video, builder Mike Nieves says the Temple has some 16,000 pieces and took 150 hours to construct. Watch the video above, or click HERE.

Lodge Presents Charges Against South Carolina Grand Master and Officers

by Christopher Hodapp

It was almost 160 years ago to the day, on April 12, 1861, when the South Carolina militia opened fire on Fort Sumter in South Carolina and kicked off the Civil War, the bloodiest war in U.S. history. I was thinking of that today as I went through all this material.
Union-Kilwinning Lodge No. 4 is the oldest continuously operating Masonic lodge in South Carolina. Yesterday, Past Master William 'Billy' Wall, who serves as Secretary of Union-Kilwinning Lodge, sent a 10-page pac...

Vancouver: Man Charged With Arson In Connection With Fires Set At Masonic Halls

The smoke from a burning Masonic hall casts a sickening pall
over the Vancouver skyline early Tuesday morning.
Photo from the LG Bridge by  Northvan_Dan on Twitter.


by Christopher Hodapp

The Global News website is reporting this afternoon that 42-year-old Benjamin Orion Carlson Kohlman has officially been charged with three offenses connected with a fire set at the Park Masonic Hall in northeastern Vancouver yesterday. He is charged charged with arson, assault of a peace officer, and failing to st...

Three Vancouver Masonic Halls Torched By Arsonist

The second of three Vancouver Masonic halls that sustained major damage from arson fires on Tuesday. (Photo: Carol Reimer)
by Christopher Hodapp

A 42-year-old Vancouver man is in police custody tonight suspected of arson after fires were set at three different suburban Masonic halls around the city. Police have released few details about the suspect or his motive, but did say he has a "history of interactions with the police and no history of arson." The targeted lodges were Lynn Valley Lodge 122,...

'National Treasure' Movie and TV Series Both On Track

by Christopher Hodapp

For over a year now, Disney has been floating the story that they are really and truly finally at work on a sequel to the 2004 box office blockbuster, National Treasure. In fact, the first announcement came within days of reports that Sony Pictures is developing Dan Brown's Masonic-themed novel, The Lost Symbol, into a pilot film in hopes of it becoming an ongoing TV series. 
Yesterday, Disney confirmed that super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer is not only preparing a third Natio...