Viewpoint

In the 1700s, the dominant craft driving society was carpentry or Masonry, making it the clear choice as a framework for moral and ethical education. Today, the dominant craft is Information Technology. What Masonic lessons are inherent in the design of databases, networks, and current technology? Prof. Chikofsky, who teaches computer engineering and IT at Northeastern University (Boston), will identify some key facets of IT and show how they embody and extend principles taught in the Masonic degrees. (Introductory talk; No prior understanding of computers or IT are needed.)

As Masons, we are encouraged to make our interactions based on a 'noble contention' of 'who best can work and best agree'. But HOW are we supposed to do that? How can we find a path to reach agreement with someone else who is reacting to the situation in a very different way? How can contention without conflict become a valuable working tool for Masons and our Lodge? Knowing how to recognize key behavior patterns on the fly, even in mid-conversation, and having a simple reference model in our working tools set, can make us so much better at reaching 'best agree'.

Not so long ago, it was really hard to have an intellectual conversation with a sabre-tooth tiger who was about to eat you. There were few options: kill or be killed. It was adaptive, from an evolutionary perspective, to cut short such debates and to cling to one way of thinking. It was the difference between life and death! But now, in an era where we are our own worst enemies, Humans still have old-model wiring, but vastly different environments where information outpaces our capacity to make sense. How do we move forward in a Masonic Way when our instincts tell us not to?

Keeping secrets safe has been a major tool in the arsenal of modern civilization. How does cryptography figure into our Masonic heritage? How can the secrets of encoding be applied to the Craft? What implications are there for the Human Race and beyond?

'Society exists only as a mental concept; in the real world there are only individuals.” This lecture will discuss the philosophies of the founding fathers of social theory including Weber, Durheim, and Marx and the intricacies of their views on religion, morality, Freemasonry, and society. We will also explore whether these theories hold true to what being a Freemason in modern society truly means! 

In the TV show Outlander the main character (Jamie Fraiser) is a Freemason. This is not shown directly until season 3, but in season 1 and 2 there are some hidden messages…Also, I have spoken with the authors agent, and the character Jamie was modeled after the author’s father, who was a Mason, and the producer is also a Mason. I talk about the hidden symbolism he put into another show. 

This presentation explores universal philosophical concepts within Freemasonry and across human civilization. 

Freemasonry has grown and adapted over the centuries – wherever our Fraternity has expanded into, it has both thrived and also took on a unique local character. This case study explores the digital world as the next great frontier, and causes us to reexamine one of our most basic definitions: What, exactly, is a Lodge?