by Christopher HodappEngland’s two female grand lodges ( the Order of Women Freemasons and the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons ) have released their own response to the London Metropolitan Police’s new requirement forcing their officers to declare their Masonic membership - past or...

   by Christopher HodappHere we go again. London’s Metropolitan Police (MET) have officially decided to force all police officers to declare their Masonic membership - whether past or present - in spite of ongoing protests from the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE). We’ve seen this program before...

   by Christopher HodappUPDATE: This story has been updated to correct an error concerning the history of the MW Stringer GL of Mississippi. Deepest apologies for sloppiness on my part. CHThe Grand Lodge of Mississippi F&AM has a resolution to be voted upon at their next annual communication...

   by Christopher HodappIn a previous life, Alice and I co-wrote Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies (which is woefully out of date by 15 years, at least, yet still a hot seller in Turkey, if you can believe it). Every once in a while it pops back up in our daily doings...

   by Christopher HodappMany thanks to the brethren of Calvin W. Prather Lodge 717 in Indianapolis for their warm hospitality Thursday night. I was asked to make a presentation about the Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana and I rolled out a new PowerPoint show for the first time. My apologies for...

   Google)by Christopher HodappWith so many stories of Masons losing their century-old, architectural and historically significant temple buildings all over the country, it’s gratifying to be able to report actually keeping one. The Prince Hall Masons of Washington D.C. have prevailed in...

   By Christopher HodappDespite what many regular readers might think, I really hate reporting on internal Grand Lodge fights. I REALLY don’t like doing it. And I notoriously wind up getting the story in bits and pieces which makes if difficult to be factual and unbiased. With that...

   by Christopher HodappThe MW Grand Lodge of AF&AM of West Virginia has extended recognition to the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Tennessee. Yes, that’s correct. Tennessee, not West Virginia.My understanding is that they had originally reached out to the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of West...

   Photo: Fox Newsby Christopher Hodapp - (Revised 10 30 2025, 2:00AM)The bronze statue of Scottish Rite sage Albert Pike has been restored by the National Parks Service and put back in place in Judiciary Square in Washington, D.C. after being defaced and toppled during George Floyd-related...

   by Christopher HodappTwo suspected arsonists were arrested after an historic Australian Masonic temple was severely damaged by fire early Wednesday in New South Wales. The temple was home to Northern Rivers Lodge 77. According to several reports, the 1920’s-era brick lodge building itself...

   by Christopher HodappNote: I spotted this story back in April on the 450.fm website (La loge La Flandre à Bruges Louvre set ports au public ). Unfortunately, I neglected to post it then. So forgive the tardiness. Thanks to Brother MD for the photo of the lodge room itself.Founded in 1881, La...

   Masonic halls contain unique spaces, and we all have countless opportunities to host community activities and be welcoming to our neighbors. In many cases, lodges in smaller towns may have better opportunities to be seen by their surrounding communities than their big city counterparts by virtue of...

   Photo: Mason Lodge 678 in Mason, Ohioby Christopher HodappA Masonic temple in a Cincinnati, Ohio suburb escaped what might have been a serious arson fire last month when an incendiary device that was thrown through a window failed to ignite. But police and federal authorities are taking the...

   Image: Sean Starrby Christopher L. HodappUPDATE: THIS STORY WAS UPDATED 10 2 2025 WITH A NEW COMPOSITE IMAGE PROVIDED BY THE ARTIST.When the Grand Lodge of Texas built their magnificent art deco Egyptian-revival grand lodge building in Waco in the 1940s, a mural was designed originally to be...

   by Christopher L. HodappGreat Britain’s Council For Freemasonry has responded to yesterday’s idiotic editorial in The Spectator, There’s something vulgar about Freemasons by Irish ’journalist’ Melanie McDonagh.It reads, in part:As Freemasons, we have become accustomed to...

   by Christopher L. HodappTHIS STORY HAS BEEN REVISED TO SHOW THAT THE METROPOLITAN POLICE, AND NOT THE POLICE FEDERATION, IS RECOMMENDING THE MASONIC MEMBERSHIP DISCLOSURE POLICY. MY APOLOGIES FOR THE MIXUP.As a kid, I always hated reruns. Turns out that I still don’t like them as an adult.London’s...

   by Christopher HodappUPDATE 9 29 2025 AT 8:00PM: SALE IS OVER WITH AND THE KINDLE IS BACK UP TO IT’S NORMAL 17.99 PRICE.I just received a last-minute message from my editor at Wiley that Amazon is offering a flash sale RIGHT NOW on the Kindle version of Freemasons For Dummies for an...

   Ben Kohlman, self-portrait Facebookby Christopher HodappThe convicted arsonist who set fire to three Masonic halls in Vancouver, Canada back in 2021 is in trouble with the law again, and he still blaming The Illuminati for his troubles.On March 8, 2021, Benjamin Orion Carlson Kohlman went on...

   by Christopher HodappThe following message was circulated to Indiana Freemasons today on the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9 11 2001, and in the wake of the assassination of TurningPointUSA speaker Charlie Kirk at a university campus in Utah. Upon news of the death, social media...

   by Christopher HodappA bold vision to try and save historic Masonic temples has tragically failed, apparently. Or at least struck a sizeable reef. News sources in Cleveland, Ohio reported last week that TempleLive, the company operating the Cleveland Masonic Temple and several other landmark...

   by Christopher HodappUPDATE: A previous version of this story mistakenly announced the wrong month The conference is NEXT WEEKEND, September 19-20.What is the modern day purpose of Masonic lodges of research, in an age of podcasts, YouTubes, e-books, video streaming on demand, and the onslaught of...

   by Christopher HodappIf you ever wanted to own your own impressive Masonic hall, head for upstate New York. It’s not every day a nearly-110-year-old, castle-like Masonic Temple with bowling lanes, a ballroom, an organ, and movie-ready tech hits the market for under half-a-million smackers.The...

   by Christopher HodappUPDATED: Texas Past Grand Master Reese L. Harrison has passed to the Celestial Lodge Above. A post on the Grand Lodge of Texas Facebook page from Grand Master Reader this afternoon says he actually passed on August 29th, and was laid to rest at a private ceremony today,...

   Photo: Yeng Abinales for Daily Tribuneby Christopher HodappA Catholic priest on the island of Leyte in the Philippines has been temporarily suspended from performing his duties after blessing a Masonic marker at a dedication ceremony in August.Rev. Fr. Libby Da os has been suspended from performing...

   by Christopher HodappRegistration is already up and running for next February’s Masonic Week at the Crystal City Double Tree by Hilton in Arlington, Virginia. Mark your Masonic calendar for February 4th through 8th. Held continuously around the Washington DC area ever since 1938, Masonic Week ...