Aviation, Freemasonry, Tech nerdery, random musings and anything else that interests me.
The Grand Lodge of Iran, established in 1969 in Tehran, existed in the country prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979. At its height, it counted 43 Lodges and at least 1,035 members. Since the Revolution, Freemasonry has been banned in Iran; a “Grand Lodge of Iran in Exile” was created to provide a home…
Of the 254 counties in Texas, 102 are named for Freemasons. Among them are Stephen F. Austin, Robert Emmett, Bledsoe Baylor, James Bowie, David Crockett, George M. Dallas, Rev. John B. Denton, Jack Hayes, Sam Houston, Anson Jones, Mirabeau B. Lamar, James Madison, Pat Neff, James K. Polk, Sam Ross, Adolphus Sterne, Edward H. Tarrant,…
Shown here is an innocuous visitors slip from Masonic Lodge No. 43 in Lancaster, PA. But, look closer. You’ll see that it dates from the fall of 1917 and the signer is Bro. William Howard Taft. By the time that Taft visited Lodge 43, he had already served as President of the United States. At…
Here are some things you (probably) didn’t know Scotland’s best-selling whisky, with sales of 9-litre cases topping 18m last year, has a long and illustrious history. Synonymous with Scotch, the brand is known all around the world. Here are a few things you might not know about Johnnie Walker Whisky. 1) John [Johnnie] Walker began…
Lodge Alley was a street in Philadelphia that ran from the west block of 2nd Street, between Chestnut and Walnut Streets, connecting to Smith’s Alley. As you might have guessed, Lodge Alley was so named because the first Masonic Lodge building in Philadelphia stood at the corner of 2nd St. and Lodge Alley. Today, this…
Today in Masonic History Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. passed away in 1932. Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. was an American Broadway producer.Ziegfeld was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 21st, 1867. He began his career in entertainment when his father, who ran the Chicago Musical College, opened a nightclub. The nightclub was less than successful despite Ziegfeld’s father’s…
A little Masonic humor to end the week… Two experienced Master Masons were enjoying a flight in a hot air balloon when suddenly a thick cloud formed between them and the ground. Being without instruments, after half an hour they realized that they were well and truly lost. A short time later there came across…
On this month of May in 1843, fifteen Grand Lodges sent representatives to a convention in Baltimore, Maryland to discuss the possibility of forming a national Grand Lodge and unifying the Masonic ritual of the American Grand Lodges. At this time, the Morgan Affair had taken its toll on membership and the outlook for Freemasonry…
Elected officers for Richmond-Soloman’s Lodge No. 3 in Philadelphia for 2018 installed tonight, from left to right: Bro. Harry Ritz, Senior Warden, myself, Worshipful Master and Bro. Grigor Lakuriqi, Junior Warden.