Freemasonry Franchise

When representatives of Halcyon Lodge met with officials from the Grand Lodge of Ohio, just prior to the lodge leaving the system, they were told some very interesting things. Before the meeting they were notified to bring the lodge's Charter along with them. At the meeting they were asked to read the Charter. It was then explained to them that Freemasonry is a "franchise" just like Burger King or McDonalds, and that the Charter was our franchisee agreement.

We had never thought about Freemasonry as a franchise because to us it was a fraternity dedicated to brotherly love, relief and truth, but maybe they were right? If so, we were becoming more convinced by the day that our lodge would be much better off as a franchisee of another company.

As it turned out we left the franchise Freemasonry of the Grand Lodge of Ohio and became a real Masonic lodge under the Grand Orient USA. More importantly, we're glad we did because our lodge has been more successful since leaving the Grand Lodge franchise than it had been since the 1960's.

Grand Orient USA, Victim of Cyber-Bullies

The Grand Orient USA has become the victim of noted Masonic cyber-bullies Ed King and Christopher Hodapp (author of Freemasons for Dummies). Mr. King uses his Masonic website, MasonicInfo.com, for the purpose of cyber-bullying and character assassination of other Masons and persons.

Mr. Hodapp has allowed Mr. King to use his personal blog, Freemasons for Dummies, as a pulpit from which to harass, bully and provide purposefully misleading information that leads to the character assassination of other persons.

These tactic are being used by both King and Hodapp to discredit and defame the Grand Orient USA in an attempt to destroy the organization. As of late they have begun using the same tactics against Halcyon Lodge, one of the most popular and famous lodges in the United States.

Mr King is a Freemason under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge of Maine and the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Neither Grand Lodge has taken any disciplinary action for the these illegal activities. Mr. Hodapp is a member under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Indiana. It has taken no disciplinary action against him.

Cyber-bullying is a crime, as is character assassination and other detestable forms of harassment. That Freemasons are openly enraged in this activity and their Grand Lodges allow for it to continue should cause the people of Maine, Massachusetts and Indiana to question the moral integrity of these Masonic institutions.

Liberal Freemasonry: Returning to our roots

Liberal Freemasonry is a return to the roots of the Masonic fraternity and the protection of individual liberties. The term "Liberal Freemasonry" has become a necessity to help define the original classically liberal Masonic fraternity. There is a great post about this over at the Grand Orient USA. It helped with my understanding of the classical origins of American Freemasonry.

What is Liberal Freemasonry?

Esoteric Masonic Lodge

There's a new Esoteric Masonic Lodge forming under the Grand Orient USA. It will be dedicated to the pursuit of Rosicrucian and Western Mystery Tradition studies. To me this represents a return to our Masonic roots and I'm excited to be a part of the re-birth of real Freemasonry in America.

I've found many books about the Rosicrucians and their rituals at Halcyon, and read through them. Now I will have a lodge of brothers interested in the pursuit of understanding their esoteric traditions.

Your Freemasonry Your Way: Grand Orient USA

The breath of freedom is in the air for American Freemasonry. Thank God! It's been been imprisoned for half a century by petty dictators and ego-maniacs.

Read about how you can have your Freemasonry, your way.

Reform Freemasonry by Bro. Rich Graeter

Bro. Rich Graeter has written a landmark Masonic essay Reform Freemasonry, and built a website to make it available to all Freemasons. He goes much further and into greater detail than Laudable Pursuit, providing a clear path to Masonic renewal in the 21st century.

Not surprising Bro. Graeter supports the Masonic model utilized by the Grand Orient USA and Halcyon Lodge. These Masonic organizations have been at the forefront of innovation and change for several years. Now they are working together for the benefit of all American Masons.

If you haven't read Reform Freemasonry head on over to Bro. Graeter's new website: Reform Freemasonry.

The Lost Fellow-Craft | Tracing Board

There is more to Freemasonry than most of us realize. Freemasons for Dummies is just what it claims -for dummies. After reading the essay The Lost Fellow-Craft, by Masonic historian Jeff Peace, I was left mesmerized by the profundity of our ancient and noble Order.

The Lost Fellow-Craft takes you on a journey through time and your own Masonic degrees to reveal the true Word of a Master Mason. It's the best Masonic post I've read in a long time.

The Lost Fellow-Craft at Tracing Board Freemasonry by Bro. Jeff Peace, Halcyon Lodge 498, Grand Orient USA.

Spinoza Masonic Lodge

Spinoza Masonic Lodge is a new Grand Orient USA lodge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This is a fantastic group of brothers! If you're in the area look them up and plan to visit.

For more information about Spinoza Lodge check out their website at http://www.spinozalodge.com

Freemasonry on the Move in the USA

Freemasonry never sleeps, it keeps moving forward continually refining the human spirit. I've put together a list of new and/or updated Masonic websites. All of these are worth a look.

Grand Orient USA http://www.gomasons.org

Tracing Board http://www.tracingboard.com

Freemasonry 101 http://www.freemasonry101.com

Halcyon Masonic Lodge http://www.halcyontemple.org

Patton's 3rd Army and the Liberation of Europe

There are precious few Americans left who endured the hardships required to liberate Europe from the iron grip of the Nazis. We owe it to ourselves and future generations of Americans to never forget their sacrifice in the cause of liberty and democracy.

The 3^rd Army holds a unique place in history. It was due to their valor and sacrifice that the war in Europe was brought to end more rapidly than anyone had believed possible. To give you some perspective of their impact let’s review a few facts from the official action reports.

“’Under the command of Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr., the Third Army participated in eight major operations and gave new meaning to “hard charging, hard hitting, mobile warfare.’” The Third Army’s swift and tenacious drive into and through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Austria contributed immeasurably to the destruction of the Nazi war machine of Adolph Hitler’s Germany.

“Within one month of the day when the Third US Army and XIX Tactical Air Command of the Ninth Air Force began operations together in France, the armored and infantry divisions and covering fighter-bombers of this new ground-air team had broken out of Normandy into Brittany, conquered all of that peninsula except three stubborn ports, firmly secured the line of the Loire, and swept 140 miles beyond liberated Paris to within 60 miles of the German border.”

The Third Army liberated or captured 81,522 square miles of territory. An estimated 12,000 cities, towns, and communities were liberated or captured, including 27 cities of more than 50,000 in population. Third Army captured 765,483 prisoners of war. 515,205 of the enemy surrendered during the last week of the war to make a total of 1,280,688 POW’s processed. The enemy lost an estimated 1,280,688 captured, 144,500 killed, and 386,200 wounded, adding up to 1,811,388. By comparison, the Third Army suffered 16,596 killed, 96,241 wounded, and 26,809 missing in action for a total of 139,646 casualties.

This fall the Grand Orient of the United States will be holding a special event celebrating the 3^rd Army and their rightful place in both American and European history. As a part of this there will be a round table discussion forum and a display of artifacts from the European war. This will be an opportunity for both Americans and Europeans to learn more about the 3^rd Army and America’s contribution to the liberation of Europe.