Connecticut is split up into 9 Masonic districts, and each district has periodic meetings, generally the last week of the month on 5 week months to avoid clashing with regular Stated Communications.  It's a time for the officers and other interested members to see what's happening in other lodges, and to get to know their counterparts in other ( Read more... )

Despite my taking a bit of a summer vacation, I did want to comment on some of the happenings in Freemasonry that I've seen or read about over the last few months.

First of all, I want to extend my very best wishes to the brothers of the new Grand Orient of the United States of America. On June 27, the GO-USA received a patent from the Grand Orient ( Read more... )

Watching an old movie the other day reminded me of a discussion I had a while back with someone who intimated that I did not take my duties - or Masonry, for that matter - seriously. Predictably, he went on to mention some of the things that he, himself would do if he were me; including, not unsurprisingly, making sure that people who didn't abide ( Read more... )

"[. . .] whereby Masonry becomes the Center of Union, and the means of conciliating true Friendship among Persons, that must have remained at a perpetual distance."

There is supposedly an old Chinese saying (are there ever any new Chinese sayings?) that runs something like: "If you save somebody's life, you are responsible for them forever." I left ( Read more... )

It was really only five years ago that I was the new guy, the young Mason attending Grand Lodge - or more correctly, the reunion and hospitality suites the night before Grand Lodge session. I'd taken the afternoon off from work and we'd spent the time prepping tons of food and drink for the wandering brothers. Several of the older, more experienced ( Read more... )

The last few weeks have been a bit of a blur because of all the family visiting, people to transport to and from airports, phone calls, and the assorted arrangements that one makes when a family member dies.

I visited my grandmother at the hospice section of the hospital where she had been checked in. She was tired, but alert; we joked about the ( Read more... )

I never got around to mentioning that back in January, I did a podcast with Cory Sigler of The Working Tools magazine and Masonic social networking site. It was one of those ideas that just sort of took root and spiraled out of control grew into something unforseen.

Cory had wondered if I would like to be a guest, and then we'd spend a half hour ( Read more... )

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Actually, it was more like 8:00 PM, but that doesn't rhyme.

What could be better than listening to me for 90 minutes? Most people who know me would say listening to other people for 90 minutes.

Cory Sigler, the Grand Master of Masonic Media has added podcasting to his ever-expanding resume of online accomplishments. Some of you may know him as " ( Read more... )

A few years ago, a friend of mine got into the habit of stopping by my house once a week to talk about his new interest in Eastern esoterica and mysticism. A devoted practitioner of several meditative disciplines, he liked to tell me about his new discoveries, insights, and practices. Since I used to practice yoga, meditation and have had the ( Read more... )