Christopher L. Hodapp's Blog, page 7

Masonic Week 2025: Ric Berman Named As Newest Blue Friar, and Philalethes Names Four New Fellows

Friar No. 113 Ric Bermanby 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 Blue Friars was founded in 1932 for the express purpose of recognizing outstanding Masonic authors throughout the world. Traditionally, the Society convenes each year during Masonic Week in the Washington, D.C. vi...

Masonic and Odd Fellows Folk Art at Cincinnati's Taft Museum

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:

Mystery & Benevolence: Masonic and Odd Fellows Folk Art

Through compelling and cryptic works of art, Mystery & Benevolence brings to light the histories, symbolism, and beliefs of the Freemasons and the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows (IOOF)—two fratern...

Paris Trial Begins For 8 Accused of Plotting Masonic Lodge Attack

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:

The trial of eight people, suspected of a violent action project against a Masonic lodge between 2020 and 2021 and some of whom were linked to the conspiracy theorist Rémy Daillet, opened on Tuesday before the Paris Criminal Court.

Seven men and one woman, aged 28 to 69, are on trial for terror...

London's Freemasons Hall Forms Promotional Organization to Market Its Unique Venue

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 Street, just up the street from Covent Garden. This magnificent art deco masterpiece was completed in 1933 and has a seemingly endless number of interior rooms for the grand lodge, individual Masonic lodges, pr...

Prince Hall Grand Master of South Carolina Makes Joe Biden Freemason "At Sight"

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 recognition of his outstanding service to the United States of America."
It would seem that this extraordinary action makes Joe Biden officially the 15th American President who has received the degrees of Freemasonry, ...

California Masonic Homes Offers Aid and Assistance to Masons Affected By SoCal Wildfires

(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:

The wildfires that have spread throughout Northern and Southern California this year have been the most destructive in our state's history. They have caused billions of dollars in damage and displaced hundreds of thousands of...

The Late President Jimmy Carter & Masonic Membership

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 morning of Carter’s death, several social media posts made the erroneous claim that he had been both a Freemason and a member of the Shriners .  
Whatever your political opinions or historical estimations may have...

Former Grand Rapids Shrine Secretary Accused In $1.39 Million Embezzlement

by Christopher Hodapp

A former secretary of the Saladin Shriners in Grand Rapids, Michigan has just been charged with embezzling $1.39 million from the Saladin Temple's Children's Trust Fund. According to police reports, it seems Richard Ivan Williams has been siphoning off money from the Saladin Shriners ever since 2019 to buy real estate, line his own pockets, and (somewhat incredibly) to donate $275,000 to two of his college fraternities. 
Because that was apparently so much more important than...

No, Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral Was NOT Restored With Masonic Symbols

PHOTO: SARAH MEYSSONNIER / REUTERS
by Christopher Hodapp
The near-miraculous rebuilding of Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral after the horrific fire of 2019 culminated in its internationally celebrated reopening over the weekend, with great fanfare and well-deserved accolades from all corners of the globe. 
English language readers, have a look at the Friends of Notre Dame de Paris website for lots of photos and details of the rebuilding and restoration work. And you might consider a donation to the effo...

Grand Lodge of the State of Israel Tel-Aviv HQ Damaged By Missile Attack

by Christopher Hodapp

From the always informative Hiram.be Blog Maçonique French language website comes a report that the Grand Lodge of the State of Israel's headquarters in Tel-Aviv were damaged last month when a Hezbollah missile fired from Lebanon struck the building next door. 
Following the link in the story to the Le Myosotis du Dauphiné Savoie blogsite from November 24th:

[In mid-November], an Iranian Fajr-5 type missile sent by the terrorist organization "Hezbollah" from Lebanon, hit an a...