Knights of the North Masonic Scandal

It is now being brought to light that the Knights of the North was formed by EXPELLED Indiana Masons Christopher Hodapp and Jeffrey Naylor. The whole thing was a ploy to get sympathy while they secretly worked with Alain Bauer to try and convince the Grand Orient of France to help them start a new lodge in Indiana.

Many of you may not know that these guys were expelled a few years ago. If you're interested in more details about it, and how they entered into a cabal to defame other Masons in order to get reinstated, you can read my other post.

It's ironic that these same chumps now act so self-righteous about their oaths and obligations when just a few years ago they were plotting and scheming to get revenge on the Grand Master of Indiana that expelled them.

What about honesty? Integrity? Truth? Why not be real men and do what you believe is right? Why not openly stand up for what you believe? (Cowards!)

Instead they go and hide behind the veil of anonymity and openly attack brothers who have the courage to take action and try to bring an end to the corruption in Freemasonry.

This probably tells you all you need to know about the Knights of the North but...

Is it true that Chris Hodapp and his wife belong to the same lodge? How can that be? I thought... errr... never mind. Hodapp is above and beyond the rules that most Masons are told to abide by. He's an exception. So don't follow his lead or you will be expelled because you're not as "special" as he is.

We must work from within...

"We must work from within mainstream Freemasonry to fix it" has been the plea of men such as Chris Hodapp and Edward King, and groups like the Knights of the North, while all along the looting of Masonic funds and real estate continues from within. The latest news from New York is that another Grand officer has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. This is just one in a long and growing list of similar events throughout mainstream Freemasonry.

Just a few years ago two Master Masons under the Grand Lodge of Kentucky were expelled by the Grand Master for questioning the finances at the Kentucky Masonic Home. The Boston Herald reported that up to $1.5 million dollars had been embezzled from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Multiple Arkansas Masons have been expelled in a purge by the Grand Lodge, after questioning financial and real estate dealings. (This issue is now in court.) The Orlando Sentinel reported financial misconduct at the headquarters of the Shrine in Tampa. Then there was the seizing of a lodge and all its assets in New Jersey reported by Bro. Fred Milliken. This is just a short list of some of the events that have been made public. How much else lies hidden away? How many other Masons have been expelled for asking questions, and then just left without saying a word?

The intelligent Mason might start to ask some reasonable questions at this point. "Are those who tell us to work from within a part of a larger cover-up of corruption?"

I have first hand experience dealing with the corruption. Our lodge was almost the victim of a corrupt real estate scheme by high ranking Masons. It's a very real and damaging problem for American Freemasonry.

If we objectively look at what's taking place in the Craft we see that there are a handful of Internet Masons that rail against those brothers who come forward to report the corruption. They use character assassination and mis-information to derail any meaningful discussion of the problem. We all know who they are but do we know and understand their motives? They claim to be working in the best interest of Masonry, but how is covering up fraud, collusion, extortion, and embezzlement helping preserve Freemasonry? How does silencing the discussion when good brothers are expelled for asking questions about the finances benefit American Freemasonry?

Have we allowed all the good moral men and Masons to be expelled or declared "clandestine" by those who are at the heart of the corruption?

It seems to me that following Ed King, Chris Hodapp and the Knights of the North has only accelerated the corruption. They try to stop us from asking the hard and necessary questions, and openly attack those who do.

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"Well ain't it a shame 'bout our short little memory
We never seem to learn the lessons of history
We keep making the same mistakes - over and over and over and over again
And then we wonder why we're in the shape we're in"

- The Eagles, Long Road Out of Eden

Edward King: Master Character Assassin and Cyber-Bully

"He's SO Grand!" is a character assassination web page created by Edward King on his website Masonicinfo.com. Mr. King specilaizes in character assassination and serves the Masonic and financial interests of Chris Hodapp and S. Brent Morris. If you don't belive me - keep reading.  :-)

http://masonicinfo.com/grandgrand.htm

A PDF copy is provided as evidence.

The Knights of the North

Masonic Character Assassins

Where did the Knights of the North originate? They were formed when Christopher Hodapp and Jeffrey Naylor were all  unceremoniously expelled by edict of the Grand Master of Indiana. During the period when they were expelled they formed the anonymous "Knights of the North" as a means of revenge on the old foggies who had expelled them. They produced the paper "Laudable Pursuit" to make the group appear to have a noble cause and purpose. At the same time they were also secretly talking with Alain Bauer, Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France, about starting Grand Orient lodges here in the United States. They received copies of the French Modern Rite rituals and then began to share them with others.

At the same time, Bro. Jeff Peace, was in Georgia pointing out Masonic corruption within the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite - Southern Jurisidction. S. Brent Morris, an employee of the Southern Jurisidction, went looking for allies within the young Mason community. He found ready allies in the expelled Hodapp, Naylor, and Schmitz. In a post to the Scottish Rite discussion forums Morris, Naylor and Hodapp talk about what to do with Peace. Morris replies "Don't worry about Peace, Ed King will take of him in his typical fashion."

What could Brent Morris mean when he says "typical fashion"? It almost sounds like a mafia-like hit being called for. Today, it is clear that Morris was referring to a character assassination campaign, and Hodapp and his co-conspirators were all too eager to participate.

So here we have the core of the Knights of the North conspiring with an employee of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite - Southern Jurisidction, to engage in a smear and character assassination campaign against a regular mainstream Master Mason in Georgia. Is that the "morality" taught by mainstream Freemasonry? Would you want to associate with people engaged in this type of nefarious activity?

Freemasons for Dummies and Idiots

Chris Hodapp wasn't a Masonic scholar, and to the educated Mason he still isn't. His writing of Freemasons for Dummies was a matter of circumstance, not qualification. At the time Hodapp was running an apartment complex in Indiana, and he jumped at the opportunity to write a book.

At about the same time Brent Morris began work on Freemasons for Idiots.

Edward King Sued for Libel and Slander

During this same period Mr. King was sued for libel and slander by Gregory Perry, a Florida resident, and business competitor. Mr. King used his webiste (MasonicInfo) to attack a business competitor with same type of charcter assassination tactics he uses on Masons. This time he was brought to justice. King was forced to remove the content about Mr. Perry and settled out of court for an undiclosed sum.

The Character Assassination Campaign Commences

Working with Morris, Hodapp and others King began an all-out character assassination campaign against Bro. Jeff Peace, which eventually led to him being unceremoniously expelled like Hodapp and his friends had been. Unfortunately, Peace would be used as a tool by their cabal to create an atmosphere of fear within American Freemasonry. It was the beginning of a dark period for the Craft. Freedom of speech was censured, along with freedom of association. It was as if Joseph Stalin had risen from the grave.

The "new" Freemasonry brought about by Hodapp, King, Morris, the Knights of the North, and others was a brotherhood cemented together by fear. No longer were Freemasons free to express their opinions openly, or question what was taking place in the fraternity. Anyone who opposed the cabal would face immediate character assassination.

Every Internet Mason knows what I'm talking about. They have seen it happen to their friends, or in some cases it may have happened to them personally. It's not a fraternity anymore but a cult of fear created to serve the interests of a few angry and hate-filled men.

Halcyon Lodge

Halcyon Lodge is a young and progressive group that admired both the Knights of the North and the Masonic Restoration Foundation. We were already doing the same things as other Traditional Observance Lodges. We wanted to join forces with them until we were told the "rules". First we had to sell our souls to the devil and agree to destroy Jeff Peace. (At the time none of us had even heard of him.) Secondly, we had to take our marching orders from the Knights of the North.

We were appalled by what we had been asked to do. So we contacted Peace to get some perspective. It was then that we realized just how vicious the Knights were, and we immediately backed away from having anything to do with them. Little did we know at the time but in the near future King, Hodapp and the Knights of the North would be attacking Halcyon.

He's SO Grand

Take a good long hard look at this web page and think about its true purpose. Is it providing useful factual information, or is it just a smear campaign?

FACTS: The dates of Grand Masters service is wrong, except for Slifko. He was expelled for violating a treaty. The Grand Orient USA was founded in December of 2005 as the United Grand Lodge of America.

Peace served out the remainder of Slifko's term and then was re-elected to two full terms. Grand Orient USA elections have always been held in either April or May.

Dale Brown was elected at the normal time.

Jeff Peace didn't resign or leave the Grand Orient USA. He began working on the Constitutions for 2012 and helping to get Halcyon Charities better organized.

The Grand Orient of France holds annual elections each September for Grand Officers and the voting members of the Council of the Order. The election is open to all Master Masons, and is one of the most democratic in the modern Masonic world.

The whole page is nothing but propaganda interlaced with character assassinations of good men and Masons.

Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth

Real Freemasonry is about Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. All of these are missing from the website of Mr. King and the actions of Chris Hodapp and the Knights of the North.

At Halcyon we cherish these concepts and will forever fight to preserve them.

To learn more about the real Bro. Jeff Peace visit his personal Masonic blog: Tracing Board.

Halcyon Hogwash: Facts Revealed

The following exposes Edward King for lying and mis-information on his website Masonicinfo.com

Page Title "Halcyon Hogwash" http://www.masonicinfo.com/halcyonhogwash.htm


A PDF copy of King's page as evidence.

Ed King grinding up young Masons

King says: "The story of Halcyon Lodge in Cleveland, Ohio is one of a Pied Piper, sycophantic and egotistic followers..."

FACTS: There never was a "Pied Piper". Halcyon Lodge broke away from the Grand Lodge of Ohio because they tried to take our property. Mr. King uses Bro. Peace as a boogeyman and defames his person and character every chance he gets.


King says: "Sadly, it's also (at least to this observer and many others) a tale of lies, deceit, unrealistic expectations merged with idealism, egotism, and hope."

FACTS: The Cuyahoga County Courts found that Halcyon Lodge was truthful and honest in all their dealings with the Grand Lodge of Ohio.


King says: "It was - from our perspective, the story of big plans, some readily available cash, and a group of impetuous 20 to nearly-40 year olds who never learned the Masonic lessons of temperance and justice pitted against "a bunch of 'old fogies'" who were seen to be standing in the way of great plans and dreams."

FACTS: King uses "from our perspective" to avoid being sued for defamation and slander. Some of the brothers present when Halcyon Lodge left the Grand Lodge of Ohio were in their 50's and 60's. They voted to leave was unanimous. We learned from our parents, not Freemasonry, that it is wrong to steal what belongs to others, or to allow others to do the same.

King says: "From one angle, it was high-minded ideals battling against the atrophy and stupidity which had allowed a cherished monument to decay - but the rest of the Masonic world didn't seem to see it that way, particularly with the already tainted activities of the person who came to be their spiritual mentor."

FACTS: King again tries to introduce the boogeyman into his rant. Only one person at Halcyon Lodge actually knew Bro. Peace at the time, and a few others had met him once. He was not our spiritual leader nor did he ever say anything that caused us to leave the Grand Lodge of Ohio.


King says: "It all began with a fabrication. Halcyon Lodge BLAZED (and that's no exaggeration!) onto the Masonic Internet scene with their announcement that the founder of the then-embryonic United Grand Lodge of America would be coming to Cleveland (Ohio, USA) to present a program in which remarkable new material related to the history of Freemasonry would be revealed. Like everything else concerning that organization, its predecessors and its successors, this was soon shown to be pure hype/tripe. Reading between the lines subsequently, it would appear that the presentation was probably little more than ONE (a little-used one) of the theories conjectured over the years and presented by the speaker's darling, author Margaret C. Jacob."

FACTS: I was at the presentation, which lasted about two hours. Margaret Jacob was never mentioned. It covered the history of Freemasonry from 1680 through 1850. Margaret Jacob only deals with Enlightenment era history.

King says: "When Mr. Peace "quit Freemasonry" (one of the couple of times....), a fawning Toronto gadfly (generally ignored for his pomposity by the rest of the Masonic online world) wrote "Jeff Peace has been described as one of the brightest living masonic scholars." In truth, NO ONE who is recognized as a Masonic scholar, researcher or educator has ever made such a preposterous and exaggerated claim."

FACTS: Peace is a university educated and trained historian, and his papers have broke new ground in Masonic research, especially the early history of Freemasonry in England and the Netherlands.


Kings says: "Jeff apparently had such a good time with those at Halcyon who were in the process of fermenting revolution within the moribund lodge that his message of 'join with me' resonated and next we heard, they were about to make Jeff - who had by then been expelled by regular/recognized Freemasonry in Georgia - an Honorary Member of their lodge, asserting that the Code of the Grand Lodge of Ohio permitted such actions."

FACTS: Another character assassination attack against Bro. Peace. Ed isn't being honest when he claims "who had by then been expelled by regular/recognized Freemasonry in Georgia ". Peace was never expelled or provided with any form of due process by the Grand Lodge of Georgia. They simply said he had been "erased" in a letter they sent to him. No Masonic charges were ever filed in any lodge against Bro. Peace. This is similar to what happened to Bro. Frank Haas in West Virginia. Your Grand Lodge simply says your expelled and you are left with no recourse.


Kings says: "Questions raised by regular/recognized Freemasons (re: Halcyon leaving the GLO) online were met with various degrees of avoidance or belligerence and while many sought to fully understand things in which they were not involved and had no specific stake, the heat increased.

FACTS: Mr. King and other supposed Masons attempted the same character assassination tactics they use against Bro. Peace against Halcyon and its members. There was no attempt by them "to fully understand things," instead they claimed that we were criminals and should be arrested. Ironically, the only one that faced criminal charges was on the side of the Grand Lodge. Further, we could not discuss the details of the lawsuit because we were advised by counsel not to. This was not "obfuscation" or "avoidance" but following the advice of our legal counsel.


Kings says: "The bitterness began to grow, fueled by pseudonym-postings..."

FACTS: Looking back at many of these postings Halcyon and Bro. Peace posted under their real names, whereas Mr. King's associates used a variety of aliases to hide their identity as they took pot shots at the members of Halcyon. (Cowards!)


King says: "Breaking away from a Grand Lodge had happened hundreds of times in the past: many never realized that - and most never expected such a thing would happen with a lodge under the aegis of the staid and stable Grand Lodge of Ohio."

FACTS: Obfuscation of the facts. His statement is purposefully unclear and misleading. By introducing Prince Hall into his rant he creates a way where he can play down the importance of what Halcyon had done. "Breaking away from a Grand Lodge had happened hundreds of times" is only true in Prince Hall. When Halcyon broke away it established a legal precedent that all lodges were sovereign entities that formed an association termed "Grand Lodge," and that all were free to leave said association taking their assets with them.


King says: "The charity fund of the lodge was taken by the defectors and they began the hard work of renovating a building that was suffering from decades of neglect according to all reports."

FACTS: There wasn't a "charity fund". Halcyon Lodge created Halcyon Charities, a legal 505(c)(3) charity while still under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, and the courts found that Halcyon followed all the rules of the Grand Lodge of Ohio while doing so. The charity is registered with both the IRS and the State of Ohio.


Kings says: "The Grand Lodge surely must have thought that their 'proprietary' ownership of lodges would have caused this aberration to be quickly ended but the actual paper on which the court would decide matters was created in a time long ago and far removed from the present situation. Who would have, in 1875, thought that a group would even consider 'taking ownership' of a lodge?"

FACTS: Its hogwash alright! The Westside Masonic Temple Association wasn't created in 1875. It was first created in 1905 but didn't really take its present form until 1930. It issued shares of stock which were purchased, not only by lodges and Masonic organizations, but by the public. It was setup so that anyone who had the funds could eventually acquire all the stock. Halcyon Lodge owned all of the stock through a previous legal battle with the Grand Lodge of Ohio where it was discovered that Halcyon was owed hundreds of thousands of dollars. Halcyon defeated the Grand Lodge of Ohio in the lawsuit of 2008 with a summary judgement being handed down from the judge. The judgement is based on simple real estate law. We owned the real property and the court could not award said property to another entity that had no financial stake in said property.


King says: "Slogging through court proceedings for more than a year seemed to have left everyone at a disadvantage."

FACTS: It didn't even slow Halcyon down. We continued to renovate the building and enhance the charity as is evident today.


King says: "Living off of the history of a Masonic lodge founded in the late 1800's, the current 'owners' of this organization consistently pretend that they and their predecessors are one and the same. Simply put, they're NOT. It's a bald-faced lie to claim that they are! The original lodge was under the Grand Lodge of Ohio. This group belongs to an entirely different organization which has no connection with (not now nor ever) that Grand Lodge. While the current handful of members which remain joined when the lodge was under that jurisdiction, they severed all ties with them and even engaged in a lawsuit to separate themselves."

"That they now wrap themselves in the history of the lodge they destroyed is, at best, shameful."

"If you think this is the Masonic lodge that's been around since the 1870s, you're flat out WRONG!"

FACTS: Halcyon Lodge No. 498 was and is the same registered corporation with both the IRS and state of Ohio that it was prior to the lawsuit. Halcyon Lodge No. 498 has retained its tax and business status. Proof of this can be found in the lawsuit. The new Halcyon Lodge created by the Grand Lodge of Ohio was not recognized as having a complaint in the case, nor were they award our tax ID or business registration. The Grand Lodge of Ohio was forced to close their newly created and bogus Halcyon Lodge. Halcyon Lodge No. 498 is the exact same entity that has existed since 1875, and both legally and morally has a right to claim everything associated with said entity.


Kings says: "ASK THEM: how many of your members are currently serving and/or veterans of the Armed Forces? You'll find, we suspect, only one: the Grand Master du jour - but NONE of those in Cleveland! So what would you call this type of tripe? Pandering? Perhaps...."

FACTS: This was the most bizarre of any of Kings rants. What this has to do with Freemasonry is unclear. But, he's wrong (lying?) again. Wor. Bro. Chris Snow, US Coast Guard; Wor. Bro. Eric Chipps, US Marines; and one Korean war veteran, and another from WWII. These are just the ones I can think of without asking around.

Halcyon Lodge and Ingenuity Cleveland "Bal Ingenieux"

Halcyon Lodge and Ingenuity Cleveland

Ed King keeps telling everyone Halcyon is dead, and we don't have any business partners, and none of our members were ever in the US military. Wise-up brothers! He's lying to you. We have members that served in all branches of the armed services, and we are intimately connected to our community and local business. King claims that we won the lawsuit based on a technicality from 1875. We did not win the lawsuit against the Grand Lodge of Ohio based on a legal technicality from 1875, as he claims. The Temple company wasn't even created until 1905, and wasn't formalized until 1930. We won the case in a summary judgement based on simple real estate law. The judge told the Grand Lodge Ohio that he couldn't take property that belonged to someone else and just give it to them because they wanted it. This is a matter of public record.

Fat Eddy and Hodapp the Dummy are playing you. Both Hodapp and King do not allow for any meaningful counter argument on their websites. I've tried and my posts that contain critical information are either deleted or ignored. Their claims are nonsense meant to mislead you. Their supposed facts are based on Photoshop altered documents. It's time someone came out and set the record straight.

Look at what's happening at Halcyon and judge for yourselves. The Grand Orient USA is far from dead, it's growing more every day. The French are still our allies, and we sign more treaties with each passing month. David Tamayo and Alain Fumaz formed a little cabal to try and destroy the Grand Orient USA. They got caught and their plan failed. Stop for a moment and think about it. You will begin to see that you are being deceived by people you think you can trust. Just like Halcyon Lodge was deceived by people we thought we could trust. They had us so fooled that we almost lost our building because of blind trust. Don't make the same mistake.

I've been looking closely at Fat Eddy on Google. Did you know that the majority of his Twitter posts are about the GOUSA? On his Masonic mis-information website he has published more words defaming the GOUSA than he has anti-Masons, yet supposedly his site is "Anti-Masonry Points of View". Does is make you wonder what's really going on? Why is a supposed Mason attacking other Masons instead of defending the Craft from anti-Masons? He has something to hide. He's afraid that you will see behind the curtain, and realize the truth.

We've asked to meet with us in front of a third party arbiter (retired judge) but he refused. If he's being honest then why not bring your proof and let the arbiter decide? Another question you might ask yourselves is "If Ed only posts the 'facts' then why is no one allowed to openly question the integrity of his statements?" He's got something to hide, and more importantly he wants you to fear him. Like all bullies and liars, when caught, they skulk away refusing to produce evidence in support of their claims.

Do we really look dead to you? And, for proof from Halcyon...

Ingenuity Cleveland and Halcyon Lodge is channeling the spirits of the Kokoon Arts Club with its first annual Bal Ingenieux.  This one night only masked ball takes the audience through an amazing journey of performances and interactive installations.

From 1913 to 1946, Cleveland’s Kokoon Arts Club held an annual Bal-Masque known for pushing the limits of the day.  Built in 1931, the Halcyon Lodge was constructed by the Freemasons.  Its mix of auditoriums, ballrooms, and smaller venues makes it perfect for an event that’s part entertainment and part exploration.

Tickets start at $20. All Corporate $1,000 and Premier Level $100 are already sold out. For tickets visit http://ingenuitycleveland.com/maskedball/

Freemasonry as Paradox

If you, my brothers, want an eye-opening look into Freemasonry then you need to read this post over at Tracing Board. It will leave you thinking for a long while.

http://www.tracingboard.com/freemasonry/freemasonry-veiled-and-illustrated/

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

The Spirit of Freemasonry at Halcyon Lodge

The spirit of Freemasonry is alive and well at Halcyon Lodge this weekend with brothers arriving from all over the country to enjoy Halcyon Fest 2011. For the past three years we've had a Freemasonry festival in September but this year we decided to give it a name, and hold more fun and fraternal events than ever.

Friday night, Sept. 16, we have the Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd music and laser light show, and then on Sat., Sept. 17, we have MMA fighting. After each event the lodge will remain open for fraternal activities such as brandy and cigars until....

Beyond a tribute, Dark Side of the Moon is a testimonial to the unique music of Pink Floyd and the emotions they stir. It recreates, to a higher degree, the mystic and terrestrial sounds of the phenomenon that is Pink Floyd. Close your eyes; it’s like being there again!

If you're in town, drop by and enjoy the spirit of Freemasonry with us at Halcyon Lodge No. 498!

Life Cycles of Masonic Lodges

I’ve been studying Freemasonry and its history for over twenty-five years, and have notice a series of trends that indicate organizational life cycles, especially in the individual lodges. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the creation of new Masonic lodges continued at a rapid pace, but so did the closure of older ones.This constant state of evolutionary change seems to have come to an abrupt halt sometime around 1920. After 1920 Freemasonry entered into what I would describe as the era of mega lodges. Any lodge that has a membership exceeding 500 I consider to be a mega lodge.

During the period following 1920 there are a multitude of lodges that have over 500 members, some with membership rolls exceeding 3,000. How is it possible that 500 men, not to mention 3,000, could actively participate in the same lodge meeting? Did these men actually know one another, or were they merely going through a fraternal exercise in order to wear a Masonic ring?

European Freemasonry did not follow the trend into mega lodges. The European form of Freemasonry remained far more intimate, with most lodges having no more than fifty members. These small lodges appear very similar in make-up to the eighteenth and nineteenth century American lodges in that they appear to follow a certain life cycle.

Some lodges in both Europe and America are very old with some dating back 275 years or so. Did these lodges buck the life cycle trend or experience a different kind of life cycle? Looking at the oldest lodges they seem to have followed an internal life cycle of rise and fall over thirty-five year periods. In other words they thrived for awhile and then almost died before beginning to grow again.

At first it appeared that these trends may have followed the cycles of public interest in Freemasonry but it turned out not to be the case. Even at times when Masonic membership declined, some of these lodges were growing. Why?

I think the answer lies in human nature and how we relate to those around us. Freemasonry is a fraternity that brings people together in one place (a lodge) for a meeting. What will be discussed at that meeting, the type of food consumed, and the level of personal comfort between the members will be determined by the nature of their relationships with one another. If the members of the lodge share little in common other than Freemasonry then the lodge will be socially dysfunctional because the members never truly relate to one another. There are many possible sources of this that include, age, income, and philosophical prejudices.

Robert Putnam’s book Bowling Alone has been used countless times by the Grand Lodges to illustrate that the present decline in Freemasonry is unavoidable because it is a relational consequence of changes in society. I am of the opinion that Putnam is a victim of his own preconceptions. Society is not becoming increasingly fragmented and separated. It is evolving and unifying in new ways that were previously unknown. Putnam wrongly assumes that the decline of social institutions of the past are primary examples of fragmentation and separation, when in fact they are merely obsolete social mechanisms that have been replaced by changes in culture and the advance of technology.

The present social model utilized by American Freemasonry was developed in the 1950′s and is a monolithic cultural relic that cannot adapt itself to the rapid pace of change. This is a result of the failure of the institution to understand the dynamic life cycle of lodges, and the changes it implemented in the 1920′s to lodge organization. The mega lodge relied on the industrial manufacturing concepts of streamlining processes. The quality of production came in a far distant second to overall quality. The object was to “manufacture” as many Masons as possible in order to increase cash flow and thereby increase the services provided to members. Lodge membership from 1920 through the present is based on the idea that the Mason doesn’t want to attend meetings, but to take advantage of the relationships created through membership (i.e. insurance salesmen) and the services afforded (Masonic insurance, old age homes, etc.). While this model may indeed have been very attractive to members before the formation of Allstate, State Farm, and senior living centers, it has little to no value in the 21st century.

Many young Masons today point the finger towards the Grand Lodges and mismanagement as the source of all the present problems. In a way they’re right. The Grand Lodges are not adapting to changes in society and culture like they once did. The Grand Lodges, however, only appear to be the source of the problem when it is, in fact, yet another symptom of the disease plaguing the fraternity. It must be remembered that the Grand Lodges are a reflection of the voting members of the lodges. The true source of the problem is at the base of the institution, not the top. Unfortunately, the decisions made back in the 1920′s and 1950′s have created a self-reinforcing loop in the system. The lodges can no longer go through their natural life cycles because of the monolithic nature of the mega lodge infrastructure of the past. There is no easy way for an aging dysfunctional lodge to split apart and form new healthy social environments. This forces men of all ages and philosophical views into the same organizational unit resulting in bickering, bitterness, and the eventual resulting loss of attendance and membership.

Now it should be becoming clear that the Grand Lodges cannot adapt or change because the lodges themselves cannot experience any life cycle changes. It is the same lodges and members forever reinforcing the same ideas over and over again.

If the lodges were experiencing normal healthy life cycles, new lodges would form dynamically out of the old, and represent the ideas of the present generation of Masons. In order for this to happen under the present system it would require a complete collapse of the organization that would be followed by a reorganization by the survivors. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the organization could survive such an institutional collapse. It would certainly mean the loss of virtually all the temples, financial assets, and collective institutional memory.

The above scenario is becoming increasingly likely. In part because we have failed to recognize the true source of the problems we face as a fraternity. There is, however, hope that things can be changed before it’s too late. By understanding our problems and being able to formulate the right questions we might be able to turn things around. This would require an openness to change and a focused effort on the behalf of the leadership and decision makers.

I believe that this process must begin with a thorough understanding of the historical life cycles of lodges, and the abandonment of the mega lodge model of the 1920′s. Ultimately, the future of Freemasonry lies in the hands of its members. Only they can decide whether or not they are willing to make the changes necessary for the survival of the institution.

Bro. Jeff Peace

Halcyon Lodge No. 498

Dark Side of the Moon and Freemasonry

Halcyon Lodge of Freemasons will be hosting the Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd concert experience on Friday, September 16, 2011, beginning at 7:00 PM. This is the start of a new series of “Halcyon Rocks!” events.

Beyond a tribute, Dark Side of the Moon is a testimonial to the unique music of Pink Floyd and the emotions they stir.

Dark Side of the Moon recreates, to a higher degree, the mystic and terrestrial sounds of the phenomenon that is Pink Floyd.

We offer a pleasant distraction from the mundane. Enjoy a pleasant encounter with those sights and sounds, while Dark Side of the Moon emulates the magical and emotional experiences that Pink Floyd created for so many years.

Close your eyes; it’s like being there again.

Let Dark Side of the Moon reawaken your authentic concert experience or create a new one.

Click here for a little Pink Floyd before the show http://halcyontemple.org/a-message-to-all-of-us/

Or

To learn more visit http://www.darksidetribute.com/

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.

Saving Freemasonry: Self-Reliance

The quote below was taken from Chris Hodapp’s Blog Freemasons for Dummies. It’s an idea by a young Freemason about how to save Freemasonry. I agree with most of what he says but believe that he’s a bit too Pollyanna-ish in his view of the present Masonic system in the United States. At Halcyon Lodge we have all the things that he concludes are important to the future of the Craft, and we’ve had them for almost a decade. Yes, they work great! To keep them we had to divorce the Grand Lodge of Ohio. It was the best decision we ever made.

Perhaps the new young Freemasons should read Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay Self-Reliance? When you are self-reliant you can succeed at anything. The Founding Fathers of the United States were entirely self-reliant, and many of them were Freemasons. Freemasons need to learn how to be self-reliant again.

Another awesome essay on how to save Freemasonry is Rich Graeter’s Reform Freemasonry!

"I read a lot of blogs, articles and books on Freemasonry. I see brothers concerned with the state of Freemasonry. Some are concerned with quantity and some are concerned with quality. Both groups are only trying to do what they feel is best. On one end, you have the “mason in a day” approach and on the other end you have the Traditional Observance Lodge movement. There are also some of us, probably most of us, who like the materials we have been given by our Grand Lodges and just want our brothers to use them. Just use them. That’s all. Get rid of the short forms, only do one degree per man at a time, enforce memory work, have a list of articles from the Grand Lodge to be read at each meeting on the hidden mysteries of Freemasonry, allow the consumption of alcohol after the meeting in the lodge and that’s it. No need to start new lodges. No need to force a dress code. Freemasonry can be done in casual clothes, too, if the ritual is spot on. It is all a matter of preference, not divine law. Just make a few, simple changes to the ones we have and we will REALLY see an improvement. Put more Masonry in Masons. If this plan is adopted and enforced by the Grand Lodges, we will maintain unity and quality AND…I think we will start to see some numbers again."

"My generation wants the old school brotherhood, the fun and the fraternity. We want the brandy and cigars. We also want the esoteric stuff. We want to earn it. We want the rituals. We want the Jedi, the Hogwarts. There is no need for a new book or anything fancy. Just put what I have suggested into motion and viola, our Craft is back on track. It has to start at the top and from the grassroots."

"Young Freemasons have to do their part. Hang in there with your lodge. Don’t start a new one. Start living these reforms. Be patient and loving to your older brothers. Show some respect. They kept it alive this long when our fathers wouldn’t join. Eventually, we will outlive the naysayers and we will be Freemasonry. Just maintain quality and wait. It will be our Masonic conspiracy."

1st Annual Halcyon Fest

Halcyon Lodge

Just a quick blurb that Halcyon http://halcyontemple.org/ has been very busy over the last few months and will be over the next few. We have re-vamped our boxing program and have a new bunch of young, respectful men training upstairs now. A couple fighters are headed to Las Vegas for a big tournament. We have remodeled various rooms, stripped the kitchen floor in preparation of a new one. We are planning the first Halcyon Fest to raise money for the Charities. In September we have our first concert for our concert series and our first MMA event. October has private rentals and the Touring Belly Dancing troupe performing at the Temple. We have men wanting to petition, but are having to show patience and perseverance to even receive a petition. Especially being willing to labor for the Charity. We have a few EA's that have labored for a long time and may be in position for advancement. Much is happenning and we are staying very busy. Peace, Love and Light be with all Travelers.