London's Canonbury Masonic Research Centre presents its 13th annual international conference in October. This year's theme is "Freemasonry and Empire."

Saturday 22 October

9:00 Registration and coffee
9:50 Official opening

10:00 Keynote lecturer: Freemasonry across Empires
Dr. Jessica Harland-Jacobs, Associate Professor, University of Florida

10:45 Morning coffee

11:15 Chair: Professor Andrew Prescott, King’s College London

Empire, the Craft, culture and the Anglophone Caribbean
Dr. Allison Ramsay, University of the West Indies, Barbados

Western ideology meets Eastern promise: an archival view of the masonic relationship between Umdat ul Umrah (future Nawab of the Carnatic) and the Prince of Wales (future King George IV), Grand Master
Susan Snell, Archivist, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, London

Freemasonry and the Indian Parsi Community: a late meeting on the level
Simon Deschamps, University of Bordeaux III

Uncharted masonic identities in British colonial amateur films, 1920 - 1940
Dr. Annamaria Motrescu, Centre of South Asian Studies, University of Cambridge

12:35 Panel discussion
13:00 Lunch

14:15 Keynote lecture: Freemasonry and slavery in the British Empire
Professor Cécile Revauger, University of Bordeaux III

15:00 Afternoon tea

15:30 Chair: Dr. Jim Daniel, University of Sheffield

Russian Freemasonry, imperial reform and utopianism in eighteenth and early nineteenth-century imperial Russia
Dr. Yuri Stoyanov, SOAS

Freemasonry in Egypt in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
Karim Wissa, Diplomat

Muslim reformers and the British Empire: the masonic affiliations of Jamal ad-din al-afghani and Mohammed Abduh
Said Chaaya, L’Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EHPE), Paris

Freemasonry in the Congo, 1908-1914. Anti-masonic discourse of the Catholic missionaries
Jimmy Koppen, Free University of Brussels

16:50 Panel discussion
17:30 Close
19:00 Dinner


Sunday 23 October

10:00 Keynote: Anglo-American masonic relations, 1840 - 1890
Dr. Jim Daniel, University of Sheffield

10:45 Morning coffee

11:15 Chair: Dr. Jessica Harland-Jacobs, Associate Professor, University of Florida

Iconography of the Imperial lodges
Mark Dennis, Curator, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, London

Setting the Empire in Stone: Richard, Earl Temple and the building of Stowe
Dr. Joan Coutu, Associate Professor, University of Waterloo

Eighteenth-century masonic halls and the British Empire
Harriet Sandvall, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, London

'An Emblem of the Unity of the Empire': Freemasonry and the Imperial Institute, South Kensington
Frank Albo, Peterhouse, University of Cambridge

12:35 Panel discussion
13:00 Lunch

14:15 Keynote lecture: Curling with Cannonballs: Fratriotism and the negotiation of identity in Europe
Professor Andrew Prescott, King’s College London

15:00 Afternoon tea

15:30 Chair: Professor Cécile Revauger, University of Bordeaux III

The ‘great masonic Empire’ of Napoleon Bonaparte and the construction of masonic identities in Europe (1800-1815)
Dr. Eric Saunier, University of Le Havre

Freemasonry and the Central Powers: the 1918 Berlin conference
Reinhard Markner, Berlin

Regimes of territoriality: overseas conflicts and inner-European relations, c.1870-1930
Dr. Joachim Berger, Institute of European History (IEG), Mainz

16:30 Panel discussion
17:00 Close

Tickets for the conference are £100. Price includes entrance to the abovementioned film showing, as well as two buffet luncheons over the conference weekend. Tickets for the Saturday evening dinner are an additional £40.00.

Cheques should be made payable to the ‘CMRC’ and sent to: Canonbury Masonic Research Centre, Canonbury Tower, Canonbury Place, London N1 2NQ. Please be sure to include your name and full contact details (including phone number and email address) with your payment and state if you have any special dietary requirements. Please also note that the CMRC does not accept credit card payment. BACS and IBAN transfer, as well as student reductions, are available on request.

For further information please contact the conference organiser Matthew Scanlan on tel: 00 44 (0)20 7226 6256 or email conference@canonbury.ac.uk

Indiana's Dwight L. Smith Lodge of Research will hold a Called Meeting on Saturday, September 24, 2011, in the dining room of the Indiana Masonic Home in Franklin, Indiana.



The paper that will be presented is: "Jo Daveiss: Frontiersman, Attorney, Soldier and Freemason." Lunch will be at noon, with the presentation to follow.



This meeting is open to all Master Masons regardless of whether or not they are members of the Lodge.



The Lodge meets four times each year, twice in Indianapolis at Indiana Freemasons' Hall in Indianapolis, and once each in the northern and southern regions of the state. Called meetings may occur throughout the year at the order of the Worshipful Master to present notable new papers. Currently, membership in the Lodge is open only to Indiana Freemasons who are members in good standing of a regular subordinate Lodge holden under charter of the Grand Lodge of Indiana, F. & A. M.



Secretary, WBro. Bill Sassman, will be happy to take your dues and sign you up if your membership has lapsed. Membership is $15 per year, due and payable on January 1 for the year in advance.



For more information, see the lodge website at www.indianalodgeofresearch.com , and be sure to sign up for the lodge Facebook page here.

The Grand Lodge of Indiana Library & Museum has made enormous progress over the summer months in its new home in Indiana Freemasons’ Hall. The painstaking job of opening literally thousands of boxes of items continues, and the volunteer workers have been rediscovering and sorting treasures into a manageable collection. The work is slow at times because of the care required not to cause further damage, and to preserve our heritage. Each carton and every single bit of wrapping paper must be examined to be certain no tiny, priceless item is missed.



The Board has enlisted the assistance of Ramona Duncan-Huse, Senior Director of Conservation and Preservation Imaging at the Indiana Historical Society. We have also hired two Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis interns to aid in organizing, archiving and preserving our most important items, as well as guiding us in making display decisions. The collection of aprons that date from the 1700s is especially in need of care to stabilize the delicate fabric and artwork they contain, as well as research into their origin. Many fragile items were damaged in the 1990s while at the Museum’s temporary home in Franklin during a catastrophic steam leak, and we are determined to protect all we can from further deterioration.





New computer equipment and Past Perfect software has been purchased to assist with the archiving process. New museum cases are being explored, and custom lighting is coming, along with some innovative electronic display equipment that will make the experience more informative, interactive and entertaining than just cases lined with endless rows of coins, medals and other artifacts.



In addition, a website will soon be available to provide information, as well as future expansion that will include an online catalogue of the library’s books and an archive of our museum collection.



In order for any museum to be useful, its collection needs to be changed regularly. Our goal will not be to display everything we have all at once, but to find themes and programs to evolve over time. It will always be a work in progress.



The Library & Museum is located on the 5th floor of Freemasons’ Hall in Indianapolis, and doors will be open during Founder’s Day in January. Regular hours will be forthcoming. If you are interested in visiting or volunteering with this important work, contact the Library Museum Board chairman Mike Brumback, PGM, at mike.brumback@att.net

The South Bend Scottish Rite Research Guild presents “Freemasonry in the Civil War” lectured by Bro. Michael Halleran, author of "The better Angels of our Nature". Meet and Greet begins at 10am (CST).



This event will be at Excelsior Lodge No. 41, 820 Jefferson Ave., La Porte, Indiana.



Lunch will be served following the lecture, followed by the exemplification of the AASR-NMJ 26th degree “The Prince of Mercy”. Cost: $10.00 per person. **Lecture and lunch are open to everyone, Degree can only be witnessed by current or petitioned Scottish Rite Masons.



Please RSVP to Tim Farster at tfarster@hotmail.com

I've been remiss in updating the WEOFM programming information for the last couple of weeks, and I've missed two especially interesting ones by two brethren I admire greatly.

The 27th video presentation from the Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry is "The Way To The Centre" by Julian Rees of England. .

The South Bend, Indiana Scottish Rite Research Guild has been arranging an outstanding lineup of Masonic lectures for its events over the last year.



WBro. Mark Tabbert will be speaking at the September 8th meeting at Griffith Lodge at 209 N. Broad St. , Griffith, Indiana. “Three Centuries of American Freemasonry: "Why did John, George, Paul, and Ben join the Craft?"



Fellowship begins at 6pm and the lecture will begin at 7pm., CENTRAL TIME (Note to the rest of Indiana on EST). Charge for the event will be $5.00 at the door. The event is open to non-Masons, and family can also attend.



Please RSVP to Tim Farster at tfarster@hotmail.com

The 24th video presentation from the Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry is now available. This week's program is "The Lausanne Congress" by William Almeida DeCarvalho of Brazil. .

The 2nd Masonic Restoration Foundation Symposium will take place next weekend, August 19-20, 2011 at the George Washington National Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, VA.



Alexandria-Washington Lodge No 22 will host the event.



The Keynote Speaker will be Julian Rees, Past Junior Grand Deacon, UGLE and Contributing Editor of Freemasonry Today.



Featured Speakers include Robert G. Davis, Shawn Eyer, Andrew Hammer, Pierre G. Normand, Cliff Porter, Paul Jacob Roberts, Mark Tabbert and Douglas Wood.



Books, Regalia and more will be available from The Craftsman's Apron, Toye USA, and the GW Memorial Gift Shop.



Registration fee is $60 and can be handled online here.



The MRF was formed in 2001 and provides education and training to individuals, lodges and Grand Lodges on ways to establish quality programs, academic excellence and social relevance in their Masonic communities.

The 23rd video presentation from the Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry is now available. This week's program is "The Catholic Church and Freemasonry" by Michel L. Brodsky, PM.

"A good Mason ought to be a good man. He ought to be three times more circumspect in his life and conversation than those who have never taken the same oath. He ought to be thrice three times more vigilant than those who never bent the knee within due Square; having bound himself by the most solemn vow. He having obtained more light, ought to impart knowledge to those who are yet blind and ignorant; and by a virtuous life do honor to the profession."

from "A Series of Letters On Freemasonry"

by A Lady of Boston (Hannah Mather Crocker), 1815

It has long been said that Hannah Mather Crocker (1752-1829), granddaughter of Puritan minister Cotton Mather of Boston, was the "Mistress" of a female Masonic lodge—St. Anne's Lodge—in Massachusetts in the 1770s. Female Masonic author Karen Kidd devotes a chapter to Hannah in her book Haunted Chambers: the Lives of Early Women Freemasons.

Karen will present a paper at the New England Historical Association's Fall 2011 conference in October. The Conference will be held at Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts, on Saturday, October 29, 2011.

1. What would you like to see MORE of in the Grand Lodge Magazine?

Ritual and symbolism education [34.48%]

How-to articles (lodge management,
building issues, membership retention) [27.59%]

Masonic history [13.79%]

Photos and notices of lodge activities [6.90%]

National and international Masonic news [6.90%]

Masonic book reviews [6.90%]

Interviews with grand officers [3.45%]
Charity news [0.00%]
Spiritual inspiration [0.00%]
Masonic Home stories [0.00%]

Interviews with grand officers [24.14%]

Photos and notices of lodge activities [20.69%]

Spiritual inspiration [17.24%]

National and international Masonic news [13.79%]
Masonic Home stories [13.79%]

Charity news [6.90%]
How-to articles (lodge management,
building issues, membership retention) [3.45%]
Ritual and symbolism education [0.00%]

Masonic history [0.00%]
Masonic book reviews [0.00%]

NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED!

Alice Von Kannon and I will be speaking back to back in New York City at the 92nd Street Y at 92nd and Lexington Ave. as part of their Sunday Symposium Series on Sunday, December 4th. The topic is "Great Secret Societies Demystified." We'll be in the Weill Art Gallery, and the program begins at 11AM.

Tickets are $35 and can be ordered online at the website here.

From the website description:

Throughout its 300-year history, the Freemasons have been some of the world’s most revered leaders. However, its detractors have reviled it since its very beginning for its secretive nature, rituals and symbols. Christopher Hodapp, author of 'Freemasons for Dummies' and 'Solomon’s Builders,' explores society’s ongoing love/hate relationship with Freemasonry and its myths and legends.

From 'Foucault’s Pendulum' and 'The Da Vinci Code' to a recent lawsuit filed against the Vatican, Templar mania is as hot as it’s ever been. Alice Von Kannon, co-author of 'The Templar Code for Dummies,' looks at the improbable birth and tragic end of the Knights Templar.

My friend and Brother, Thomas W. Jackson, Past Grand Secretary of Pennsylvania, is well traveled with a long glowing career in Freemasonry. His international travels are legendary (along with his reputation as a big game hunter). He and I have very different attitudes about Freemasonry in the United States, and we have shared the stage several times. His observations are illustrative of the broad variations in the culture of Freemasonry around the world. He makes the compelling case for higher dues, greater requirements, and that quality will attract quality: in short, that there's nothing wrong with elitism. I don't think he's wrong.

Tom spoke at the Grand Lodge of Montana's annual communication in 2009. Have a listen to his comments here. (Or read the text here)

The 22nd video presentation from the Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry is now available. This week's program is "Journeying Eastward" by Ravi S. Kudesia.

The 21st video presentation from the Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry is now available. This week's program is "A Visit with General Albert Pike" by James T. Tresner, PM.

The 20th video presentation from the Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry is now available. This week's program is "Albert Pike and the Five Civilized Tribes" by Robert G. Davis, PM.

The Dwight L. Smith Lodge of Research will meet next Saturday, July 9th, 2011, 12:00 PM at Jackson Lodge No. 146, 1818 Ewing St. (State Hwy. 11 & Redding Rd) in Seymour, IN. Lunch will be served.

WBro. Michael Gillard will present his paper "JUBILEE - 200 Years of Indiana Freemasonry".

This meeting is open to all Master Masons regardless of whether or not they are members of the Lodge. Cost of lunch will be $5.

The Lodge meets four times each year, twice in Indianapolis at Indiana Freemasons' Hall in Indianapolis, and once each in the northern and southern regions of the state. Currently, membership in the Lodge is open only to Indiana Freemasons who are members in good standing of a regular subordinate Lodge holden under charter of the Grand Lodge of Indiana, F. & A. M. Membership is $15 per year, due and payable on January 1 for the year in advance.

For more information, see the lodge website at www.indianalodgeofresearch.com , and be sure to sign up for the lodge Facebook page here.

The 19th video presentation from the Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry is now available. This week's program is "Critical Reading of Masonic Literature" by Yoshio Washizu, PGM.

The 18th video presentation from the Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry is now available. This week's program is "Why Ancients & Moderns" by Aubrey Newman, PM.

Illus. Brother S. Brent Morris will be speaking at the South Bend (Indiana) Scottish Rite Research Guild on June 18th at the Scottish Rite Cathedral (Cathedral Room), 427 N. Main St., South Bend. His topic will be “Trends Affecting American Freemasonry." Meet and Greet begins at 12:30 pm (EST). Cost is $10.00 per person, and the event is open to all.

S. Brent Morris 33° is the managing editor of the Scottish Rite Journal of the Supreme Council, 33°, S.J. A former mathematician with the federal government (he holds a PhD in Mathematics from Duke University), he has lectured at over 100 universities, and has taught mathematics, computer science, and cryptanalysis at Duke University, Johns Hopkins Universities, and the National Cryptologic School. He is currently on the graduate faculty at George Washington University. He was the first American to be elected as the Worshipful Master of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, the oldest Masonic Research Lodge in the world. Among his many books are The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Freemasonry, A Radical in the East, and Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry? co-authored with Art de Hoyos.