News
Pennsylvania Masonic News
Waymart Lodge’s Unique Placement
by Brother William J. Vargas, PM, Waymart Lodge No. 542 and Kingsbury Lodge No. 466, Olyphant Waymart Lodge No. 542 is located in the borough of Waymart, Pennsylvania, and situated in the central west section of Wayne County, the furthest northeastern county in Pennsylvania. Waymart Lodge was established in 1876. It suffered two devastating fires, which destroyed all contents of the lodge. The Warrant was replaced after the second fire and remains with the current [...]
Louisiana Disaster Relief Appeal – Hurricane Ida
As you are aware, Hurricane Ida hit the State of Louisiana as a Category 4 storm with such unprecedented power and strength that some areas of the southeast parts of the state are still unreachable. Several Masonic lodges have suffered catastrophic damage and have varying degrees of damage. They are unable to reach some of the Brethren in these areas to get exact details, due to total destruction of power infrastructures and cell tower destruction. [...]
Raffling for Repairs
On Jan. 30, 2021, during what was already a difficult year for businesses in downtown Butler, a fire affected four local businesses including Reclamation Brewing Company, a family-owned brewpub. A dozen local fire companies helped put out the blaze. As the proprietor of Don Paul Jewelers, a family-run jewelry store, Brother Don Paul, 33°, Argyle Lodge No. 540, Chicora, understood the challenges of running a business and what it would take to get these businesses [...]
Art Contest: “Embodying Masonic Values”
The Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania is sponsoring an art contest for amateur or professional artists, 18 and older, to submit original entries displaying a visual interpretation of Masonic Values pertaining to Freemasonry in Pennsylvania. Categories include oil, three-dimensional, drawing and print-making, water-based medium and digital imagery.
December Quarterly Communication, Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
On Dec. 02, 2020, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania held its first all-virtual December Quarterly Communication. Traditionally an in-person event, Philadelphia’s COVID regulations required a pivot to a virtual livestream.
Celebrating Donate Life Month with Masonic Blood+Organ Donor Program Ambassador Doug Fink
As a business owner; Past Potentate, Shrine Circus and Rodeo Chairman, LuLu Shrine; and incoming Junior Warden, Lodge No. 2, Philadelphia, Brother Doug “Finky” Fink (above, left) isn’t afraid of a little hard work. But his true calling is one of the hardest of all. “My job is to make people laugh,” he said – not referring to his ambassadorship with the Masonic Blood+Organ Donor Program, a newer addition to his workload, but his involvement [...]
Masonic Support During COVID-19
On behalf of the employees and residents of our Masonic Villages, I write to thank you and your families and friends for the overwhelming support we have received from the Grand Lodge, Blue Lodges and Pennsylvania Masons.
Freemasonry FAQs
Who Can Join? To qualify for membership, a petitioner must be male, at least 18 years of age, one who believes in the existence of a “Supreme Being,” of good moral character, motivated to join for reasons unrelated to personal gain or profit, prompted by a favorable opinion of Freemasonry, interested in learning and willing to practice the customs of the fraternity. What is the Purpose of Freemasonry? The basic purpose is to make “better [...]
Sins of Our Masonic Fathers: The lost strength of fewness in American Freemasonry
“Sins of Our Masonic Fathers: The lost strength of fewness in American Freemasonry”, by John W. Bizzack, PhD. Reviewed by Cathy Giaimo, Librarian, The Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania. “Sins of Our Masonic Fathers” by Brother John W. Bizzack is an examination of the history of American Freemasonry and its effect on membership. Brother Bizzack makes the point throughout the book that the focus on membership expansion has not benefited the men joining the [...]
Masonic Mentor and Fraternal Friend
Brother Ronald B. Carson, District Deputy Grand Master, 1st Masonic District, learned the values of the craft, and much more, from a brother who became a role model.
A Labor of Love
Brother Robert J. Slater, District Deputy Grand Master 47th Masonic District, takes you through his Masonic highlight reel and some of his proudest Masonic accomplishments.
A Breath of New Life
When Brother Mark Nolf, New Bethlehem Lodge No. 522, signed up to be an organ donor as a teenager, he never imagined that he would one day be the recipient of a life-saving organ. In the fall of 2012, he started experiencing shortness of breath. “I thought I was just getting fat and lazy,” he jokes, but it was actually something far more serious. Brother Mark was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or unexplained scarring [...]