Welcome to Joselito Romualdo Hencotte, our most recent Brazilian Local Secretary. Joselito is a member and PM of Lyceum Paranaensis Lodge, No. 4046 (Grand Orient of Brazil), and a country member of University Lodge, No. 7327 (UGLE); he is also active in masonic side orders. Joselito has a long-standing interest in masonic research and in addition to his membership of QCCC is a member of the Bristol Masonic Society (England), the Dormer Masonic Study Circle and the Masonic Study Society (England). He can be contacted at hencotte@gmail.com and on 55-41-99679-8590.
Eduardo Neves is our latest Local Secretary. He lives in Teresina in the State of Piauí in Brazil, where there are some sixty lodges federated to the Grande Oriente do Brasil. Eduardo can be contacted on (86) 98849-7947 and via email at neveseduardo@gmail.com.
Welcome Pablo Roar Justino Guedes, a member of José Rodovalho de Alencar Lodge n.º 2.912 under the Grand Orient of Brazil, our new Local Secretary for Paraíba. Pablo can be contacted at +55 (83) 9.9818-1441.
Marking the tercentenary of the foundation of the first Grand Lodge in London 1717, a new exhibition at the Sir John Soane Museum at 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3BP, close to Freemasons’ Hall, explores Soane’s masonic work. The Great Hall that Soane designed for Freemasons’ Hall was one of his greatest interiors. At the centre, underneath a dramatic hanging ceiling, stood Soane’s monumental ‘Ark of the Masonic Covenant’, a piece of ritual furniture built in honour of the unification of Antient and Modern Masonic Lodges in 1813. Sadly nothing of this architectural ensemble now survives. The Great Hall was lost during remodelling of the site in the 1860s and the Ark was destroyed by fire in 1883.
The centrepiece of Soane’s Ark: Buildings with Symbols is a re-creation of Soane’s Ark by Master Woodcarvers Houghtons of York. Around the Ark are displayed others works that together offer insight into Soane’s broader engagement with freemasonry. These include a watercolour by J.M. Gandy, Soane’s masonic apron and gloves, and books on freemasonry from Soane’s personal library.
To accompany the exhibition, Factum Foundation is publishing a new book edited by exhibition curator, Ferdinand Saumarez Smith. The book begins with an account by Saumarez Smith describing the process of re-creating Soane’s Ark and includes contributions from two members of Quatuor Coronati Lodge: Douglas Burford, a former Grand Superintendent of Works, and the leading architectural historian, Dr James Campbell.
The preliminary program for QC’s Conference in the US from 14-16 September 2018 has just been released. Get your copy here. Featured speakers include Paul Monod, Bob Cooper, Oscar Alleyne, Jackie Ranston, Shawn Eyer, Ric Berman, Andreas Onnerfors, Mark Wallace and a host of other international speakers. The QC booking site has opened and early-bird tickets should be purchased now.
Welcome to our three newest Local Secretaries: Rogério Bittencourt de Miranda in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Valdeir Faria in San Francisco, USA; and Robert Kliaman in Ontario, Canada.
Rogério can be contacted at rogbitt@gmail.com and by phone at +55 21 98822-9242, or on Facebook – rogbitt, and Twitter – rogbitt.
Valdeir is at vfaria@freemason.org and (415) 509 5696.
Robert’s contact details are rkliaman@cpa-ca.com and (905) 707-6886.
We wish you well!
We are delighted to announce that Paul Holmes has become a Local Secretary for Derbyshire. He is currently JW with his mother lodge, Hardwick 2373, and is active in Royal Arch and other degrees. Paul is presently researching the origins and development of Freemasonry in Derbyshire. He can be contacted at paulrholmes@msn.com and by phone at 0789 430 5971.
Welcome to Luis Cardoso, QCCC’s Local Secretary for Portugal. Luis can be contacted at lcardoso@fastmail.fm or by phone on +351 966206009 (mobile). He is a member of Colipo nr. 83 and went through the chair of the lodge in 2013. Luis is currently Vice-Grande Correio-Mor at the Grande Loja Legal de Portugal / Grande Loja Regular de Portugal and has joint responsibility for encouraging masonic educational development.
Welcome to Chris Chapman, our new Local Secretary in Atlanta, GA. Chris is an attorney and active in both Craft and York Rite. He can be contacted on 404-787-4021 (cell) or at chap1993@gmail.com.
We are absolutely delighted to announce to QCCC members that the Most Worshipful The Grand Master, His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, KG, proposes to confer on Emeritus Professor Aubrey Newman, PJGD, the chairman of the editorial committee and a past master of QC, the Grand Master’s Order of Service to Masonry. It is intended that the order will be conferred by the Most Worshipful the Pro Grand Master at the Quarterly Communication of the United Grand Lodge of England on 13 September 2017.
The Order of Service to Masonry is the highest honour the Grand Master can confer on any member of the Craft. Instituted in 1945, it is in the personal gift of the Grand Master and is an acknowledgment of exceptional services to freemasonry. The Order is limited to 12 holders and entitles them to place the letters OSM after their names, preceding any other Masonic rank that they hold.