Christopher L. Hodapp's Blog, page 49
March 29, 2020
Isolation Is A(nother) Good Reason For New Books
by Christopher Hodapp
A major bargain on expensive Masonic books doesn't happen very often, but this is a real opportunity for lodges, libraries and individual Masons seeking a massive educational resource.
As reported here several months ago, the Masonic Service Association is moving its headquarters from Maryland to Iowa. The complete six-volume set of hardbound editions of the Short Talk Bulletins starting in the 1920s is now on sale at what is almost a giveaway price. The full set of...
A major bargain on expensive Masonic books doesn't happen very often, but this is a real opportunity for lodges, libraries and individual Masons seeking a massive educational resource.
As reported here several months ago, the Masonic Service Association is moving its headquarters from Maryland to Iowa. The complete six-volume set of hardbound editions of the Short Talk Bulletins starting in the 1920s is now on sale at what is almost a giveaway price. The full set of...
March 27, 2020
Mississippi Lodge Partners With Local Developer To Save Historic Hall
A month can't go by without a story appearing about the loss of another significant Masonic hall or temple. But every once in a while, I get positive messages like this one. WB Matthew Farmer, Worshipful Master of Abert Lodge 89 in Starkville, Mississippi writes, "To all those whose historic Lodges are being sold or mismanaged, the potential is there, expand your minds and look at all opportunities..."
Our lodge has partnered with a local historic developer to completely renovate our lodge to...
March 25, 2020
Scottish Rite NMJ Presents "Unpanic the Pandemic" with Surgeon General Thursday
by Christopher Hodapp
This Thursday, March 26th, the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction will present a live-stream information session with the Surgeon General of the United States, Jerome Adams, MD, entitled, "Un-Panic the Pandemic: Our Community Partnership on the 2019 Coronavirus ."
New York's Junior Grand Warden, Worshipful Brother E. Oscar Alleyne, 33°, DrPH, MPH, has arranged this program and he will be presenting along with with the Surgeon General. Illustrious Brother Alleyne,...
This Thursday, March 26th, the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction will present a live-stream information session with the Surgeon General of the United States, Jerome Adams, MD, entitled, "Un-Panic the Pandemic: Our Community Partnership on the 2019 Coronavirus ."
New York's Junior Grand Warden, Worshipful Brother E. Oscar Alleyne, 33°, DrPH, MPH, has arranged this program and he will be presenting along with with the Surgeon General. Illustrious Brother Alleyne,...
March 24, 2020
UGLE Leads Nightly Nine O'Clock Toasts To Absent Friends
by Christopher Hodapp
"If at nine o'clock you listen
when around this festive board,
If you listen very closely,
with your hearts tuned in accord,
You'll hear, when in the West and South,
you're charged in fullest measure,
Some distant voices calling,
"Brother may we have the pleasure?"
For at nine o'clock we Toast you,
wherever you may stand,
At home, or maybe out of town,
or in some far-off land;
With cheerful hearts and distant thoughts,
we steal a moment's leisure;
To call our ancient challenge;...
March 23, 2020
New Facebook Group for Masonic Building Administrators
by Christopher Hodapp
The COVID shutdown has brought its own fresh set of issues for all building managers, but for Masonic buildings that struggle, it may affect some of us more than average buildings, depending on the ways yours is used. Many of our Masonic halls and temples are over a hundred years old, and those older buildings come with their own sets of expensive, unique and hard to solve problems.
Brother Ernesto Fernando in Cambridge, Massachusetts has just started a new...
The COVID shutdown has brought its own fresh set of issues for all building managers, but for Masonic buildings that struggle, it may affect some of us more than average buildings, depending on the ways yours is used. Many of our Masonic halls and temples are over a hundred years old, and those older buildings come with their own sets of expensive, unique and hard to solve problems.
Brother Ernesto Fernando in Cambridge, Massachusetts has just started a new...
Historic Building Maintenance Online Resource
by Christopher Hodapp
About a dozen years ago, I encountered an incredible online resource with advice for the care and feeding of historic old buildings. Building preservation and restoration is not confined to any single type of structure.
The website was actually part of the People of Scotland Churches Trust , and the Maintain Your Church section was packed with articles, online toolkits, tutorials, glossaries and more, covering everything from retrofitting stone buildings for HVAC...
About a dozen years ago, I encountered an incredible online resource with advice for the care and feeding of historic old buildings. Building preservation and restoration is not confined to any single type of structure.
The website was actually part of the People of Scotland Churches Trust , and the Maintain Your Church section was packed with articles, online toolkits, tutorials, glossaries and more, covering everything from retrofitting stone buildings for HVAC...
Manitoba's Castle Island Virtual Lodge Hosts Open Meeting 3/25
by Christopher Hodapp
Until the last few weeks, most Masons gave the idea of an online "virtual" tyled lodge meeting little more than the hairy eyeball. The notion of "social distancing" is about as far away from the philosophy and practice of Freemasonry as it's possible to get. But now that we're all being isolated to one extent or another by the Coronavirus pandemic restrictions that prevent us meeting in person, desperate times call for desperate measures.
As we used to say in advertising,...
Until the last few weeks, most Masons gave the idea of an online "virtual" tyled lodge meeting little more than the hairy eyeball. The notion of "social distancing" is about as far away from the philosophy and practice of Freemasonry as it's possible to get. But now that we're all being isolated to one extent or another by the Coronavirus pandemic restrictions that prevent us meeting in person, desperate times call for desperate measures.
As we used to say in advertising,...
Can We Quit With the Requiems for Freemasonry?
by Christopher Hodapp
Back in 2018, Lance...
As we all sit barricaded in our private COVID dens of ill health, there's no time like the present to go through the rubble on our deskstops - real or virtual - to see what's been buried over the last few years. I myself haven't seen the flat, uncovered surface of my desk since before the first Clinton administration, and the very prospect terrifies me. So instead, I'm going through some old unposted and unfinished blog entries and came across this one.
Back in 2018, Lance...
March 20, 2020
The COVID Lull: What Is Your Lodge Doing?
How is your Masonic lodge responding to the almost nationwide shutdown of group activities as the coronavirus restrictions roll along?
Here in my own jurisdiction, my Mother lodge wasted no time in organizing a "virtual refreshment" Thursday night. Brethren connected via the Jitsu.org internet platform with their webcams and smartphones because Broad Ripple Lodge wouldn't be complete without a Thursday night meetup. I'm sure countless other Masonic lodges around the world are attempting...
March 19, 2020
Brother Ted Bastien Sez "Stay Healthy"
Artist Ted Bastien (of Bugsport and Chips From The Quarry fame) sends along this message from his studio deep in the mountain forests of Canada: "Stay healthy."
Never heard about Brother Ted's Bugsport? The Scottish Rite Journal has featured selected bits from it over the years, but now that you have endless time on your hands, you can see the entire saga from the start here.
Aliens.
Maine.
Freemasons.
And all the latest flying Studebakers.
Yes, really.
