Founded in 1931, The American Lodge of Research is the oldest, continuous lodge of research in America.

Master’s Message

My thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of our February 19 visit to Dunwoodie Lodge 863 in New Rochelle. Worshipful Master Shawn Vargas welcomed The ALR for a joint meeting featuring some time for Masonic learning. In short, Dunwoodie’s Senior Deacon and I presented the lectures as published in Masonry Dissected, the very influential ritual exposure printed in London in 1730. Find it online and marvel at how different, yet how very familiar, this material is to today’s lodge rituals.

Looking ahead to the end of this month, on Monday the 31st, we will be back in Masonic Hall to host “A Night for the Marquis and the Count.” Bro. Chris Ruli, Past Grand Historian of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia and author of the book Brother Lafayette, will discuss Marquis de Lafayette’s farewell tour of the United States in 1824-25, particularly its many Masonic points. Bro. Erich Huhn, Junior Deacon of the lodge and Drew University Ph.D. candidate specializing in nineteenth century Freemasonry, will share what Comte Alexis de Tocqueville wrote of our fraternity in his book Democracy in America, gleaned from his tour of the nation in 1831-32.

A Lodge of Master Masons will tile at 7 p.m. inside the French Doric Room. Lodge business will follow the two presentations.

A festive board is being planned. I had been looking at Monday, June 2 to commemorate the sesquicentennial anniversary date of the dedication of the previous Masonic Hall on Twenty-Third Street, which would have included talks on the events of that historic day—the parade alone would amaze you!—but it looks like both Grand Lodge and the Livingston Library have plans to mark the same recurrence! So I’m shifting gears and will come up with something no one else possibly could think of. For example, the 186th anniversary of the launch of Clarksville Lodge 5 in Arkansas. Of course, an anniversary date is not needed to enjoy a festive board, but we are a Masonic historical society, so I like to tie the occasion to something significant in the Order’s past.

And don’t forget our Annual Meeting on Monday, June 30—elections and Installation of Officers, etc., when Bro. Yves Etienne will become our next Worshipful Master!

Plus, and I know I’ve promised this previously but, The ALR does have a Zoom account, so look for an announcement of upcoming lectures by Masonic historians from around New York and beyond. Scheduling is difficult, but these will happen.