Here’s a great story of Freemasons stepping up to help during an emergency flu situation.  But I’m not talking about the Swine Flu.  No, I’m referring to the Spanish Flu pandemic that killed between fifty and one hundred million people worldwide — nearly a fifth of those who contracted it.

When the [...]]]>

Emporia Masonic Lodge #12

Here’s a great story of Freemasons stepping up to help during an emergency flu situation.  But I’m not talking about the Swine Flu.  No, I’m referring to the Spanish Flu pandemic that killed between fifty and one hundred million people worldwide — nearly a fifth of those who contracted it.

When the Spanish Flu hit in Emporia, Kansas in the fall of 1918, there were so many ill, that the Red Cross turned the second floor of the Emporia Masonic Lodge hall on Merchant Street (where it remains to this day) into an emergency hospital.

Of course it was great fortune that the Freemasons had built this hall and it was available, and I’m sure they were happy to turn it over as a hospital as per Masonic teachings.  But the real heroes of the story were the female Red Cross nurses who attended the ill.

Read the entire Emporia Gazette article on how the city responded to the 1918 flu pandemic here.

[Note:  The photograph of the lodge hall on the site of the 1918 era lodge hall seems to show a more modern building -- perhaps it replaced the original?  If someone has some information on that building, I'd enjoy hearing about it]

A judge in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania  has ordered that the owner of the old Masonic Lodge hall in Carbondale must present a plan to either fix or demolish the historic building ten days to present to the court a [...]]]> Well so much for the great Masonic Conspiracy.  We can scarcely preserve our old lodge halls.

A judge in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania  has ordered that the owner of the old Masonic Lodge hall in Carbondale must present a plan to either fix or demolish the historic building ten days to present to the court a plan to either fix or demolish the structure or face contempt of court and possible jail time.

It is unclear whether the building in question is still owned by the lodge or whether, like so many of our stately old lodge halls, it was sold off.

As with the problem of fire destroying many of the old halls, the loss of Masonic halls due to simple neglect or the inability on the part of lodges to keep them threatens a wonderful part of our Masonic heritage.  Maybe there should be a dialogue about how best to insure that these grand old building stay in the Fraternity.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised that, even as you read this, several threatened old lodge halls come to mind.

Here’s the original Times-Tribune story.

Well known artist Emile Norman has died at the age of ninety-five.  While not, to my knowledge, a Freemason himself, he did create the famous four story window mural for the Masonic Memorial Temple in San Francisco back in the fifties.

The method for creating the window is [...]]]>

Masonic Memorial Temple Window Mural, San Fransisco

Well known artist Emile Norman has died at the age of ninety-five.  While not, to my knowledge, a Freemason himself, he did create the famous four story window mural for the Masonic Memorial Temple in San Francisco back in the fifties.

The method for creating the window is fascinating.  The process, invented by Norman himself, is called “endo-mosaic” and involves suspending pieces of colored glass and other material between sheets of plastic to create a stained-glass type window.

Masonic Wall Sculpture

He also created the terrific raised relief sculpture that adorns an outer wall of the temple building.

Read the full LA Times obituary here.

(Masonic mural photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/andyb/ / CC BY 2.0)

Let’s keep our Brethren up North in our thoughts as they deal with this unfortunate bit of adversity.  Read the store here.

If any good can come of this, [...]]]> The Masonic Lodge building in Saskatoon, Canada, suffered extensive damage from fire yesterday and may be a complete loss.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Let’s keep our Brethren up North in our thoughts as they deal with this unfortunate bit of adversity.  Read the store here.

If any good can come of this, perhaps it’s the reminder that fire is one of the greatest threats to our lodge buildings.  In fact, catastrophic temple building fires and Freemasonry have a long history.

Ruins of Dover, NH Masonic Temple Building after 1906

Here’s the aftermath of a huge fire that destroyed the Masonic Temple in Dover, New Hampshire in 1909.  Read more about that historic fire here.

Masonic Temple Building, Charlotte, NC

In 1937 flames gutted the historic and beautiful Masonic Temple building in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Happily, however, the remaining structure was sound enough to allow reconstruction of the interior.  Here’s a history of the building.

Ruins of Geneva, Nebraska, Masonic Temple destroyed by fire in 1910

So, let’s take this opportunity to redouble our efforts with fire safety awareness.