Christopher L. Hodapp's Blog, page 8

Endangered Masonic Halls: Author Will Moore To Speak in Indianapolis October 15

Photo: Indiana Landmarks

by Christopher Hodapp
On Tuesday, October 15th, Indiana Landmarks will be presenting a program, Understanding Masonic Temples , featuring guest speaker Will D. Moore, author of the 2006 book  Masonic Temples: Freemasonry, Ritual Architecture and Masculine Archetypes .

Last month, Indiana Landmarks released its annual listing of the Ten Most Endangered Buildings in Indiana — historic structures in our state on the brink of extinction that are too historically, architecturally, ...

Esotericism In Freemasonry 2024 Conference in Seattle: Sept 27-29

by Christopher Hodapp

The 4th Esotericism In Freemasonry 2024 Conference will be held the weekend of September 27-29 at Occidental Lodge in the Ballard Masonic Center in Seattle, Washington, featuring a lineup of some of the top contemporary writers and researchers in Western esotericism, comparative religion, and much more. 
An increasing number of men coming to Freemasonry are thirsting for esoteric knowledge that goes far beyond the usual Blue Lodge fare of Masonic education. Expressing interes...

San Antonio Scottish Rite Forms Partnership With City's Philharmonic Orchestra To Preserve Cathedral

Article and photos by Christopher Hodapp
On Saturday, September 7th, the San Antonio (Texas) Philharmonic Orchestra and the San Antonio Valley of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite (SJ) announced the formation of a new 501(c)3 partnership to preserve and modernize the city's beautiful downtown Scottish Rite Cathedral. Under the terms of the agreement, the two organizations will share ownership of the 100-year-old Cathedral, providing the orchestra with a magnificent (and permanent) new home, and ...

Janesville, Wisconsin Masonic Center Damaged by Multiple Gunshots

Photo: Janesville News Report

by Christopher Hodapp

Shots were fired at the Masonic Center in Janesville, Wisconsin at about 2:30 AM on the morning of Sunday August 25th. Bullets were found by police after they struck multiple windows. No injuries were reported, and no suspects have been named at this time.
Photo: WKOW-TV 27
According to the Channel 3000 website:

On Aug. 25, at 2:47 a.m., the JPD said officers were dispatched to the intersection of East Milwaukee St. and North Sumac Drive after recei...

California Masonic Symposium: 'Fringe Freemasonry and the Mysteries That Bind Us'

by Christopher Hodapp

The   California Masonic Symposium is hosted annually by the Grand Lodge of California. This year's event will be held next Wednesday, August 28th and will feature presentations on some of the most mysterious and esoteric Masonic-related rites and organizations that are often referred to as “fringe Masonry.” Many have borrowed styles, substance, symbolism, and practices from the Masonic fraternity, but while "fringe" may sound derogatory at first blush, the label isn't meant ...

Embattled Grand Master Mario Urquía Carreño of the GL of Cuba Is Forced To Resign

Mario Urquía (left) and the Grand Masonic Temple of Cuba (right)Image © Collage Facebook/Mario Urquía - CiberCuba

by Christopher Hodapp

Mario Alberto Urquía Carreño, the embattled Grand Master of the  Gran Logio de Cuba ( Grand Lodge of Cuba) , has resigned following months of controversy and scandal. His resignation was officially tendered Sunday, August 18th after a contentious confrontation with representatives from more than 100 lodges on the island.
Carreño had already been removed from his offic...

Virginia's Grand Senior Warden Matthew Szramoski Named As G. Washington Masonic Memorial's New Executive Director

by Christopher Hodapp

The George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association in Alexandria, Virginia has just announced the appointment this week of Matthew Szramoski as its new Executive Director, effective immediately. He replaces Karl V. Hopkins who was appointed following the retirement last August of longtime Executive Director George Seghers.
Brother Szramoski was most recently the Director of Development for the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdi...

Masonic Renewal Committee's Summer ENGAGE Program on Membership: August 22nd

by Christopher Hodapp

UPDATED 7/23/24, 4:25PM: An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect date of this event. It is scheduled for Thursday, August 22nd, 2024 at 8:00PM. My apologies for the error. CH
The Masonic Renewal Committee of the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America will hold its online, summer presentation, ENGAGE24 - Membership: More Than Just A Numbers Game, on Thursday, August 22nd. The program will be given by WB Reed Endersbe, Director of Membership for the G...

Kansas Masonic Con This Weekend - July 26-28

by Christopher Hodapp

There's still time to sign up and attend the Kansas Masonic Con this coming weekend, Friday - Sunday, July 26-28, 2024, at Rosedale Lodge 333 in Mission, Kansas (near Kansas City).
Speakers will include:Chad Thomas – “Freemasonry: Form vs Function” Jon Ruark – “Stoic Resilience in an Age of Uncertainty” Nicholas Laine – “The Creation of Enlighteners in Lodge” James R. Morgan III – “The Lost Empire: Black Freemasonry in the Old West” Duane Marshall – “The Journey of a Mason” ...

New Book by Chris Ruli: 'Brother Lafayette' Available for Presale

by Christopher Hodapp

It's Bastille Da today, so I think it's appropriate to post this story. Macoy Publishing has announced the pre-sale of Brother Christopher Ruli's newest book, Brother Lafayette: the Marquis de Lafayette's Masonic Travels in America 1824-25 (Macoy, 2024, $24.95) now through September 24th, when it's expected to begin shipping. 
This year marks the 200th anniversary of Major General Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette’s triumphant goodwill tour ...