We are delighted to confirm that we will be working with the Grand Lodge of California over the next few months to produce a series of live online lectures and Q&As. The presentations will be given by members of QC (Mike, Brent, Mark and Ric), and QCCC (Hans and Ben) and are detailed below. The delivery times will, we hope, suit members in the USA, Canada, and Latin America, as well as some of those in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Rim. For those based elsewhere and in less convenient time zones, and those unable to make the specified times and dates, the lectures will be recorded and will be available online on demand the following day on the GL of California’s Masonic Speakers Series’ Archive Page. With the exception of my ‘lunch time’ lecture, all presentations are live at 7.00 pm California time (PST).
If you wish to attend these presentations, either all or some, please register by clicking on the relevant link.
5 August at 7.00 pm Pacific Standard Time (GMT+7)
Dr Hans Schwartz – Freemasonry in Revolutionary New England
To find out more and to Register, please click here
12 August at 7.00 pm Pacific Standard Time (GMT+7)
Dr Mike Kearsley – Rob Morris, The Conservators, and the failure to establish a Grand Lodge of the United States
To find out more and to Register, please click here
19 August at 7.00 pm Pacific Standard Time (GMT+7)
Dr S. Brent Morris – The Higher Degrees in the USA, 1730-1830
To find out more and to Register, p[lease click here
26 August at 7.00 pm Pacific Standard Time (GMT+7)
Ben Williams – Freemasonry in the Territory of Colorado – Masons, Miners, and the rush to Statehood
To find out more and to Register, please click here
9 September at 7.00 pm Pacific Standard Time (GMT+7)
Mark Tabbert – American Freemasonry: Three Centuries of Building Communities
To find out more and to Register, please click here
23 September at 12.00 pm Pacific Standard Time (GMT+7)
Dr Ric Berman – The Antient Grand lodge and the Foundations of American Freemasonry
To find out more and to Register, please click here
We are delighted to welcome Michael J. Ramos as our new Local Secretary for the San Francisco Bay Area. Michael lives in the Bay Area and works at the Grand Lodge of California as its Lodge Development Manager and as a Leadership Development committeeman, and will be known to many California masons.
Michael holds membership under both California and English Constitutions in Craft, Chapter, and the Progressive Orders. He is a Past Master of Crow Canyon Lodge No. 551, Primus Master of Templum Rosae Lodge No. 863, a Founder Steward of Essex Cornerstone Lodge No. 9968, a joining member of Lodge of Merit No. 8523, and is a life member of the Northern California Lodge of Research. In Chapter, Michael is a Past First Principal of Siminoff-Daylight Chapter No. 163, a joining member of Shoeburyness Chapter No. 6665, a life member of the Golden State Chapter of Research, and serves as Inspector of the 15th District for the Most Excellent Grand Chapter of California.
Additionally, Michael has been a founding member, and holds current office, within various bodies of the Progressive Orders. His research interests primarily revolve around early 18th-century English Freemasonry and the development of various ‘high degrees’ and rites throughout the British Isles and Continental Europe.
Michael can be reached at MRamos.QCCCSec@gmail.com
Welcome to Wayne Frampton, our latest Local Secretary for Portsmouth and the surrounding area. Wayne has been a member of QCCC for some four years and is based in Portsmouth on the south coast of England. He is the current Worshipful Master of The Portsmouth Lodge, 487, where he was initiated in 1991; Wayne holds Provincial Grand Rank in Craft (PPDepGrReg), and in Royal Arch, (PPGrSwdBr).
Wayne can be reached at wayneframpton@ymail.com and at 07941 866518.
Welcome to Dr Charles L. Stuppard, our Local Secretary for the Hampton Roads region of Virginia.
Charles is a graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, which he followed with a Master’s in National Security and Strategy from the US Naval War College, and a PhD in Humanities from Salve Regina. He presently serves as an executive board member of Cornell Council, among other organisations.
Charles recently retired as a Navy Captain, having commanded the lead Aegis warship USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), the first Joint US Army-Navy Base, and two special Task Groups overseas.
Charles was raised a Master Mason in Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington DC in 2009. He is active in several Masonic organisations and enjoys Masonic research as a life member of the Washington DC Scottish Rite, a founding member of L’Haitienne Lodge No. 925 in Washington DC, and through QCCC. He can be reached at CLS4QC.VA@gmail.com.
Welcome to Pierre Martin, our new Local Secretary for New Brunswick. Pierre studied at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Social Sciences, where he graduated in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree. He subsequently earned an MBA at the University of Quebec, Montreal, and took a third cycle program in business administration at the University of Sherbrooke.
Between 2011 and 2014 Pierre was Regional General Manager for the North and Eastern regions of New Brunswick for Brunswick News. He is currently a Trade Commissioner for Atlantic Canada at the Government of Quebec.
Pierre has chaired boards for several regional and national organisations and bodies, including the board of governors of the University of Quebec. He has also served as chief executive officer and a senior executive for several SMEs with international operations.
Pierre was raised a Master Mason in Loge Keith No. 23 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, in 2019, and is currently serving as an officer of the lodge.
Pierre can be reached at pierremartinmba@gmail.com
Open Lectures on Freemasonry (OpenLFM) has been developed as a series of monthly online lectures with the aim of increasing the visibility and accessibility of research into Freemasonry. The lectures are open to any one who is interested in the subject.
The first speaker was Andrew Prescott in a session chaired by Susan Mitchell Sommers. The next lecture is on 23 May and will be given by John Cooper, PGM of the Grand Lodge of California.
Forthcoming lecturers include John Belton (QC), Brendan Kyne, Adam Kendall (QC), Susan Sommers, Cécile Révauger and Fabio Venzi (QC).
Details can be found at www.openlfm.org. Past lectures will be available on SoundCloud & YouTube.
QC Lodge member Bro. Bob Cooper, PM, Curator of the Library & Museum at the Grand Lodge of Scotland and author of many articles and books on Scottish Freemasonry (https://www.robertldcooper.
The dates and times for each lecture are:
April 29, 5.00pm (British Summer Time)
– Rosslyn: the story debunked
May 2, 5.00 pm (BST)
– The Early Rituals
May 5, 5.00pm (BST)
– Freemasonry in Scotland and England, 1717-1813.
May 9, 5.00pm (BST)
– Scottish Freemasonry across the globe.
You can access the talks (on Zoom) by clicking here
The Meeting ID is 371 361 2444 and the Password is Adonai777
If you wish to participate, please login 15 minutes before the start time and please mute your microphone on entry. The number of participants is limited to 500. The talks will be recorded and made available online afterwards. The number able to view at any one time may be limited. Please note that we do not host these recordings.
Paul C. Smith is our new Local Secretary in New Hampshire, USA. Paul is the 56th Clerk of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, having served as a member of the House for two terms in the early 2000s.
He was raised in Rockingham Lodge No. 76 in 2004, serving as Master in 2008 and 2009, and is the founding Master of Phoenix Lodge No. 105, where he currently serves in office. Paul is active across several Masonic organisations and has served as the head of all three Grand York Rite bodies in NH. His primary Masonic research interests are craft symbolism and philosophy. Paul can be contacted at nhmasonpcs@gmail.com
Although we will not be holding a physical meeting of QC Lodge in London on 14 May, the lecture that we intended would be delivered that evening will instead be posted to QC’s YouTube Channel on 7 May, and discussed online by Dr Ola Wikander a week later. The discussion will be introduced and hosted by Andreas Önnerfors.
You can register for the Zoom discussion to be held at 4.00pm British Summer Time on 14 May by clicking here and completing the form. A web-link will be emailed out on 13 May to those who have registered.
If you experience any problems, please email 14MayZoom@quatuorcoronati.com.
A copy of the delivery paper can be downloaded here: Ola Wikander – Delivery Paper. Please note that this paper (and all other papers), are copyright QC/QCCC and should not be reproduced or circulated.
Questions and comments on the paper can be submitted in advance by email to editor@quatuorcoronati.com.
Our new Local Secretary for Florida, Francis Stokkel, holds a Master’s degree in architecture, construction, and structural engineering. He has worked for over 25 years as an executive engineer, designing and building custom roller-coasters.
In 1992, Francis was raised a Master Mason in Loge Alfred Zur Linde, Nr. 385, in Essen, Germany, and subsequently served as its Master. He is a member of several other Masonic bodies in Germany, as well as in the Netherlands. Now living in the United States, Francis is a member of Ashlar Lodge No. 98 in St. Augustine, Florida. He is the recipient of several Masonic awards and accolades for meritorious service, and is also a Masonic researcher, in 2017 co-founding the Renaissance Society Group for Masonic education. Francis can be reached at: tecnam2008@gmail.com.
