On the evening of June 15th, members of Petworth Lodge No. 47 gathered with the Grand Master, Grand Lodge officers and other Masons from around the jurisdiction in the verdant gardens behind the Tudor Place Mansion in Georgetown to confer the Master Mason’s Degree on three candidates in a unique “Veil Lodge,” under special dispensation from the Grand Master, Richard J. Bautista.

A Veil Lodge refers to a Lodge meeting held outdoors, under the actual canopy of heaven. They are rare occurrences, as the logistics of such meetings are often complex and weather dependent.  But for the Grand Lodge’s Second School of Instruction, led by committee members RW Bros. Chip Mahaney, Adam Tager and Alan Gordon, their efforts and the weather held true.

For the officers and members of Petworth Lodge, the Second School of Instruction this year gave them the opportunity to showcase their Lodge and the excellent work they are doing for the entire jurisdiction. W Bro. Richard Gabbidon, in particular, performed extremely well in his role as Master.

The Master Mason’s Degree itself was conferred entirely by a cast of current Masters of Lodges in the jurisdiction. It was an impressive degree from both the candidate’s perspective and that of the sideliners. Not lost on those in attendance was the timing of the degree, purposely near the Feast of St. John the Baptist, or the Summer Solstice.
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Grand Lodge Schools of Instruction are traditionally held in this jurisdiction to demonstrate, teach and reinforce the ritual of the Grand Lodge of DC to its constituent members.

Last week, with a special dispensation granted by the Grand Master, Richard J. Bautista and the Grand Master of Virginia, the officers and members of Potomac Lodge No. 5, opened their Lodge in an extraordinary place (a room in Sentara RMH in Harrisonburg, VA) to honor an extraordinary man, RW Bro. Dean Clatterbuck.

RW Bro. Clatterbuck is currently recovering from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and unable to attend regular Lodge meetings at Potomac No. 5, where he is a Past Master, Past Secretary, and the Lodge's Fidelity Medal holder.  But June is a special month for Bro. Dean – it is his 60-year anniversary of membership in Potomac. So, MW Bro. Bautista and the officers of Potomac planned a special presentation to RW Bro. Clatterbuck.

They gathered in his hospital room, where under dispensation and the presence of the Grand Master, W Bro. Daniel Dolan, Master of Potomac Lodge No. 5 opened the Lodge in Due Form and resumed the Labor of that Lodge at an Special Communication to present RW Bro. Clatterbuck his 60-year award.
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Needless to say, it was quite a sight for the hospital staff, his wife Sandy, and the Masons involved to see how happy and proud Bro. Clatterbuck was in receiving his award.  It was clear to all how much the assembled Brethren loved and respected each other.

​Recently, on March 2, 2018, a fierce nor’easter rolled through the District and took down trees and traffic signs. In the north of the city, a branch of an elder tree planted next to Boundary Stone NW No. 6 fell and destroyed its protective iron fence. While the stone was unharmed, the fence needed to be replaced.
 
The Mary Desha Chapter of the D.C. DAR quickly mobilized to replace the iron gate. And on May 26, 2018, the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia was invited to help mark the rededication with a formal ribbon cutting ceremony. RW Bro. Alan Gordon, Junior Grand Warden of the District of Columbia, assisted in the ceremony and provided brief remarks on the shared history of the DAR and the Freemasons and the importance of preserving this significant part of U.S. and D.C. history.

Charles “Charlie” Soren Iversen, Past Grand Master of Masons in the District of Columbia (1990), ascended to the Celestial Lodge above January 27th, 2018, he was 97-years-old.

A near-lifelong resident of the District Metro Area and a dedicated Freemason, Most Worshipful Brother Iversen will be dearly missed by his family and innumerable friends and brothers.

Charlie was born on December 9, 1920, in Cheshire, Massachusetts. His family moved to Washington DC in 1930 where he enrolled in H.D. Cooke Elementary on 17th Street, NW. After graduating Central High School in 1940, Charlie enrolled in Princeton University, where he graduated in 1943.

Later in 1943, after marrying his high school sweetheart, Eleanor Jeannette DeSale, and enlisting in the Army, Charlie was commissioned as an Field Artillery Officer in the US Army. That same year, he joined the Military Intelligence Service and was shipped to London, England for the start of World War II. He landed on Utah Beach, Normandy with the Army’s 5th Infantry Division in June of 1944, and earned five Battle Stars for his service in the war.

After the war, he remained with Military Intelligence and was assigned as an interpreter to a War Crimes Investigation Team in Bavaria where he investigated murders committed by enemy combatants and civilians during the war.

Charlie returned to the United States in November 1945, and while in reserve, attained a Juris Doctorate and an L.L.B. from Georgetown University. He served as a Judge Advocate until 1950, when he resigned his commission and moved into private practice.

Brother Iversen was raised a Master Mason in Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15 in Georgetown, on November 29, 1948, and served as Master of that Lodge in 1969. Most Worshipful Brother Iversen was elected and installed as the 146th Grand Master of Masons in the District of Columbia in December of 1990 and served his one-year term with great honor. In 1998, he was awarded the Valentine Reintzel Medal for Meritorious Service to the Grand Lodge. And in 2001, a window at the George Washington National Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, VA was dedicated to him. He received his 50 Year membership lapel pin in 1998, 60 Year membership lapel pin in 2008 and 70 Year membership lapel pin this year.

Most Worshipful Brother Iversen was a member and leader of dozens of other Masonic organizations and bodies, including the Scottish Rite, York Rite, Shrine, Royal Order of Scotland, Tall Cedars of Lebanon, the Grotto and the Order of the Eastern Star. He was also an active member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Rotary International and several clubs in the DC area. He traveled the world as a leader in many of these organizations and touched the lives of countless men and women with his generosity, keen intelligence and sharp wit.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 72 years, Eleanor in 2015. He is survived by his daughter, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He will be forever loved and missed in the fraternity of Freemasons for his singular dedication and wise leadership. Most importantly, though, was his mentorship of countless young Masons that he encountered over his many years of service to the Craft.
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In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Charles S. Iversen's name to the Masonic Foundation of DC. http://www.dcmasonicfoundation.org/ ​

At their Annual Communication last month, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia bestowed Honorary Membership in their Grand Lodge to Most Worshipful Brother Roman Volsky, Past Grand Master of the District of Columbia. This is a great honor that has only been bestowed twice before in the history of the DC Prince Hall Grand Lodge.

​Most Worshipful Brother Volsky worked alongside his counterpart last year, Most Worshipful Brother Phillip David, DC Prince Hall Grand Master, to fund a historic joint-scholarship fund at the University of the District of Columbia.  The huge gift, $400,000, was designed specifically to support scholarships for students in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and African American students from the District of Columbia. They will also provide emergency funds for students with critical and immediate financial needs.
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They celebrated the finalization of this cooperative gift together at a joint event on the campus of the University last October, which drew nearly 400 Masons from around the district.  (Click here to see photos and learn more about the event.)

In the name of Most Worshipful Brother Charles S. Iversen, the DC Masonic Family (the Masonic Foundation, Masonic and Eastern Star Homes, and the Scottish Rite Foundation of DC) came together today and presented a check for $30,000 to H.D. Cooke Elementary School towards the purchase of new computers for their school.

Charles graduated from H.D. Cooke in 1932.  We all know that Charles went on to do fantastic things, Princeton, WWII veteran, and Georgetown Law School. Masonicly, he is not only a member of almost any Masonic body you can think of, he’s probably been the head of it at some time, as well. That includes being the Grand Master of Masons in the District of Columbia in 1990.
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It was with this in mind, that our three main Masonic foundations got together to make a gift to his first alma mater in the city. And thanks to the generosity of our foundations, the students at H.D. Cooke will soon have access to brand new computers – an absolute necessity today, the way pencils and paper were a necessity not long ago. 

​On August 21, D.C. Public Schools welcomed back almost 50,000 students across 115 different school campuses. Students arrived to find their classrooms and schools sparkling clean and ready to go thanks to the efforts of parents, teachers, administrators and community volunteers, including the D.C. Masons.

William R. Singleton-Hope-Lebanon Lodge No. 7 partnered with School Without Walls at Francis Stevens in the West End neighborhood for the fourth year in a row. The lodge allocates money from its charity budget to provide for something new for the school to help them in their academic mission. In years past this has included bulletin boards, book cases, storage cabinets and some picnic tables.
 
This year, Worshipful Master Adam Tager, working with the school, purchased a dozen picnic tables. Under the leadership of Senior Steward Graham Keithley, Masons from Singleton Lodge and several friends of the lodge constructed these tables on Saturday August 20th.  Now, two whole classes can now go out and enjoy the weather. This is also an added benefit for the community. On the weekend, the park is used by community members and now provides them a place to sit and enjoy the natural beauty of the park. During the George Washington University's Day of service in September these picnic tables will be painted in delightful colors to become an even nicer amenity to the school community.

St. John's Lodge #11 partnered with Hands on DC and the faculty and staff at Ketcham Elementary School to spruce up the landscape, clean up the real school garden, and organize a number of different parts of the school. 
 
Hands on DC is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improving the learning environment in DC public schools. Hands on DC works on community engagement with public schools and supports scholarships for local DCPS students.
 
St. John’s has already renewed their commitment to assist Hands on DC to assist with next year’s Back To School efforts.