Freemasonry for Dummies
Scottish Rite: Call For Papers Deadline 9/3
Sat, 08/17/2013 - 23:02
The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library announces a call for papers for its symposium, “Perspectives on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism,” to be held on Friday, April 11, 2014, at the Museum in Lexington, Massachusetts.
The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library is an American history museum founded and supported by Scottish Rite Freemasons in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States. As the repository of one of the largest collections of American Masonic and fraternal objects, books and manuscripts in the United States, the Museum aims to foster new research on American fraternalism and to encourage the use of its scholarly resources.
The symposium seeks to present the newest research on American fraternal groups from the past through the present day. By 1900, over 250 American fraternal groups existed, numbering six million members. The study of their activities and influence in the United States, past and present, offers the potential for new interpretations of American society and culture. Diverse perspectives on this topic are sought; proposals are invited from a broad range of research areas, including history, material and visual culture, anthropology, sociology, literary studies and criticism, gender studies, political science, African American studies, art history, economics, or any combination of disciplines. Perspectives on and interpretations of all time periods are welcome.
Possible topics include:• Comparative studies of American fraternalism and European or other international forms of fraternalism• Prince Hall Freemasonry and other African-American fraternal groups• Ethnically- and religiously-based fraternal groups• Fraternal groups for women or teens• Role of fraternal groups in social movements• The material culture of Freemasonry and fraternalism• Anti-Masonry and anti-fraternal movements, issues and groups• Fraternal symbolism and ritual• The expression of Freemasonry and fraternalism through art, music, and literature• Approaches to Freemasonry – from disciplinary, interdisciplinary, or transnational perspectives; the historiography and methodology of the study of American fraternalism
Proposals should be for 30 minute research papers; the day’s schedule will allow for audience questions and feedback.
Proposal Format: Submit an abstract of 400 words or less with a resume or c.v. that is no more than two pages. Be sure to include name, address, email, phone and affiliation.
Send proposals to: Aimee E. Newell, Ph.D., Director of Collections, Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, by email at [email protected] or by mail to 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA 02421.
Deadline for proposals to be received is September 3, 2013. For information about the Museum, see www.nationalheritagemuseum.org. For questions, contact Aimee E. Newell as above, or call 781-457-4144.
Quarry Project Deadline
Tue, 08/13/2013 - 22:33If you are registered for the Quarry Project and have yet to make your hotel reservations, the cutoff date for securing the conference rate of $139/night at the Hilton Old Town Alexandria is drawing nearer. August 27 is the final day to secure that rate. This is a great price for an extremely nice hotel that is also very close to the George Washington Masonic Memorial. Only twelve rooms remain for Thursday night, September 26.
What? You're not registered for The Quarry Project yet? There is still time.
Click here for details.
Mike Brumback PGM at Dwight L. Smith Lodge of Research 8/31
Thu, 08/01/2013 - 15:54Past Grand Master Mike Brumback will be making a presentation to the Dwight L. Smith Lodge of Research U.D., F.&A.M. of Indiana at the next scheduled meeting of that Lodge. This will be held Saturday, August 31, 2013 at 1:00pm. We will be meeting in the Truman Room on the Mezzanine level in the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis, Indiana
Judy Fletcher at MSA is Retiring
Thu, 08/01/2013 - 15:27From Brother Michael Gillard:
Brothers, Companions & Sir Knights ~ for nearly as long as I have been a member of the Masonic fraternity the "go to" person at the Masonic Service Association of North America was Judy Fletcher. Her husband Richard was, for many years, the Executive Secretary for the MSA and wife Judy was the liason person with the V.A. Medical Center Representatives, Deputy Reps. and Coordinators. Actually, Judy seemed to be the "go to" person for nearly everything associated with the MSA. I recall some twenty years ago contacting her about brochures, videos and some other materials that I wanted to see about using at my home Lodge. Judy didn't tell me "that's not my department," or "you will have to talk to ----- about that" she just took down the information I was providing and saw to it that I got what was needed. Much later I found out that it really wasn't her job to take care of such requests ~ she just took care of any Mason that called seekingassistance whether it was "her job" or not.
Well, today's mail (August 1, 2013,) brought a letter from Judy announcing that after 24 years with the MSA it was time for her to retire. Her final date with our Masonic Service Association of North America will be on Friday, August 9th. Her letter expressed her "appreciation, respect and love," to each of the VAMC Reps., Deputy Reps., and State Coordinators - and thanked US for what we do for our Veterans. To say that Judy Fletcher will be missed is truly an understatement. For many of us she was the lifeblood of the MSA program... Yes ~ she most assuredly will be missed.
If you have ever had any 'doings' with the MSA, Please let Mrs. Judith Fletcher; 8708 First Avenue, Apt. 503; Silver Spring, MD 20910 know how much she has been appreciated and how much she will be missed. God bless you Judy - you certainly have been a blessing to many of us and to the Masonic Service Association of North America.
Robert L. D. Cooper, Truman Lecturer 9/24/2013
Thu, 08/01/2013 - 14:54This year's Truman Lecturer for the Missouri Lodge of Research will be Robert L. D. Cooper, Curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland Museum and Library. His presentation will be "Scottish Freemasonry's contribution to the formation of the United States."
The lecture will be on September 24, 2013 at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia, Missouri. Tickets are $20 and include breakfast and the lecture. Master Masons, ladies and guests are welcome. Tickets are available at http://www.MOLOR.org/
Brother Cooper is currently serving as the Master of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, the oldest lodge of research in the world. He is the author or editor of more than a dozen books, most recently The Red Triangle about anti-Freemasonry.
H/T Aaron Shoemaker
Fraud Alert
Thu, 08/01/2013 - 13:46From Brother John Bridegroom:
MASONIC FRAUD ALERT: Umer Junjuajunjua and his company UHA Embroidery, have contracted with me on a project which I wired him $350. Another associate of mine did as well at the same time for $200. The items never arrived, and we have been getting the runaround for several weeks. He refuses to offer a solution, and it appears as if we were cheated.
ALL MASONS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS, AND DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS MAN OR HIS COMPANY.
The Company, UHA Embroidery, is located at P.O. Box. 971, Neka Pura, Allama Iqbal Street No. 1, Punjab, Sialkot 51310, Pakistan.
Also known as Umer Shehroze, he is associated with Maqsood Ahmed. Other name variations are also likely, BEWARE of PAKISTAN MASONIC EMBROIDERY.
Again, I URGE ALL MEMBERS OF THE CRAFT TO CEASE RELATIONS WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS.
Speaking Saturday in Burlingame, CA
Thu, 07/25/2013 - 20:01I'll be speaking Saturday night at the Burlingame, California Scottish Rite at the Masonic Center. Doors open at 6:00, I begin at 7:00. The talk is open to the public and is free of charge. Hope to see you there!
LA Scottish Rite Building Sold
Thu, 07/25/2013 - 14:52
The Scottish Rite Temple in Los Angeles has at last been sold, after being mostly closed since 1994. It will become a private museum, with most of its architectural details remaining intact.
From the LA Times:
Bluejeans moguls Maurice and Paul Marciano have bought one of Los Angeles' most notorious real estate white elephants, the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple on Wilshire Boulevard, and they have plans to turn it into a private art museum. The imposing marble-clad edifice, which has seen little use since 1994, will undergo a major renovation to house the Marcianos' contemporary art collections. It will be operated for the most part as a private property, with occasional exhibitions open to the public. There is plenty of room to work with — nearly 90,000 square feet — in the temple conceived by artist Millard Sheets, one of Southern California's best-known designers. The four-story building, which traverses a full block of Wilshire between Lucerne and Plymouth boulevards, sports white marble and travertine that Sheets personally selected in Italy. It is decorated with intricate mosaics depicting historical scenes and larger-than-life statues of important Masonic figures including George Washington. The Maurice and Paul Marciano Art Foundation bought the property from the Masons for $8 million, according to public title documents. The Marcianos are co-founders of clothierGuess Inc. "We have been looking for a home for the collection," said William F. Payne, a spokesman for the Beverly Hills foundation. "It's a legacy project for the family."
It's unclear when the museum will be finished and how much it will cost, he said, but Sheets' vision will remain. "Millard Sheets' design, we think, is something extraordinary, and it's our intent to preserve that architectural design in our reuse of the space," Payne said. Culver City firm wHY Architecture is working on the new design, he said, and the museum "should be up and running in a couple of years." Maurice Marciano rejoined the board of trustees of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art in October and was recently named one of the world's top 200 active art collectors by Artnews magazine. MOCA said Marciano has donated or promised three works for its collection: a sculpture by Sterling Ruby and paintings by Wade Guyton and Tauba Auerbach. The Marcianos' drive to renovate the old temple has been in the works for months, but the parties involved kept mum while the Marcianos worked on plans and consulted with homeowners in the prosperous Windsor Square neighborhood where the building is located. Previous owners of the nearly windowless temple, the Masons, also have a long history of keeping secrets about their centuries-old fraternity, which has included such members as Washington, Henry Ford, Mark Twain and Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt. The organization has also been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories, often suggesting that it controls world governments. The script of the 2004 adventure film "National Treasure," starring Nicolas Cage, revolved around a fictional long-running Masonic conspiracy, and part of the movie was filmed in the Wilshire Boulevard temple. However, the fraternity has been shrinking for many years. Masons leader Frank Loui, past grand master of the Grand Lodge of California, said membership in the state peaked at nearly 245,000 advanced-degree Masons in the mid-1960s. Now there are about 62,000 Masons of all levels in California. When the Wilshire Boulevard temple opened in 1961, he said, it was home to more than 10,000 Scottish Rite Masons. Members of the Scottish Rite branch hold advanced Masonry degrees, which require mastering a series of moral lessons. In its heyday, the building was the largest of several local Masonic lodges and one of the largest Masonic centers in California. With only about 1,000 Scottish Rite members left in Los Angeles now, "it was an economic decision to sell" the building, Loui said. It has been on and off the real estate market since 1994, when the Masons reluctantly closed the temple because dwindling membership made it too expensive to maintain. It was also difficult to rent out for other uses because of zoning restrictions on that stretch of Wilshire Boulevard largely surrounded by single-family residential neighborhoods. Complaints about parking, noise and trash problems related to events held by commercial groups at the temple also led to the Masons' decision to close it. For many years the block-long building was encircled with a chain-link fence. More recently the property was rented to a commercial tenant that sponsored events that neighbors found disruptive, and in 2005 the city revoked the building's certificate of occupancy, rendering it useless as a source of income to the Masons.
Speaking in Valparaiso, IN Friday 7/12
Mon, 07/08/2013 - 22:44I'll be speaking at the Allied Masonic Degrees Council No. 470 meeting in Valparaiso, Indiana this Friday, July 12th in the Temple of Porter Lodge, 113 Lincolnway. Dinner is at 6:00pm, and the meeting begins at 7:00. I'll be presenting my paper "What's All This Egyptian Stuff Doing In Freemasonry?"
Lodge Vitruvian's Robert Burns Night
Sun, 07/07/2013 - 22:05Come and join Lodge Vitruvian No. 767 for an evening of fellowship and scholarly discussion on the evening of Tuesday, July 23, 2013 AD, 6013 AL.
7:00 - 8:30 PM Stated Meeting
Lodge Vitruvian No. 767 F&AMBroad Ripple Masonic Temple
1716 Broad Ripple Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 4220-2338
Linkhttp://vitruvian.org
We open on the Entered Apprentice Degree.
8:30 - 10:30 PM Festive Board
Binkley's Kitchen and Bar5902 N. College Ave.
Indianapolis, INIndianapolis, IN 46220-2554
(317) 722-8888
Linkhttp://www.binkleyskitchenandbar.com
Keynote SpeakerBro. Mark LawsonPresident of the Scottish Society of Indianapolis
Our Newest Entered Apprentice
Subject:Scotland's Robert Burns: Ploughman Poet or Freemason Radical?
Toast to the LassiesBro. Mark Lawson
Toast to the LaddiesDonna Mae Lawson
Attendees to this meeting are also encouraged to participate by bringing their own favorite examples of Robert Burns’ poems and songs to share.
Ladies and Guests are welcome to join us for the Festive Board. The meal cost will be $30.00 per person.Dress Code for Officers and Members is Tuxedo and Gloves or Highland Dress. The Dress Code for Visiting Brethren is a Tuxedo or Dark Business Suit.
Please RSVP to Brother Steve Vedra, Junior Warden, at [email protected]
Florida To Offer Masonic Plates
Sun, 07/07/2013 - 15:15Florida joins the list of states offering Freemason license plates on October 1st. According to the Tampa Tribune online:
The Freemasonry plate is supported by the Masonic Home Endowment Fund, which plans to use the money raised for the residents of the Masonic Home of Florida in St. Petersburg, said Richard Lynn, grand secretary of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Florida.
"The extra funds that come from the plate go directly to the endowment fund, which go to the home for the residents," Lynn said.The fee will be an additional $25.
Shrine Eliminates MM Requirement In Arkansas
Mon, 07/01/2013 - 11:46NEWS FLASH: The Shrine has eliminated the Master Mason requirement for membership in Arkansas. The slippery slope has begun.
Shrine Eliminates MM Requirement on Arkansas
Mon, 07/01/2013 - 11:46NEWS FLASH: The Shrine has eliminated the Master Mason requirement for membership in Arkansas. The slippery slope has begun.
New Masonic Renewal Website
Tue, 06/25/2013 - 14:20
The new Masonic Renewal site http://www.masonicrenewal.org/ has just recently been launched. The Masonic Renewal Committee is charted by the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America.The new site has been four years in the making and is the largest collection of Masonic development programs, books, images and videos on the net. The current content is only a fraction of the information slotted to be put on.
North Hollywood Temple: Soon To Be Cultural Monument?
Wed, 06/19/2013 - 15:39
From Today's NoHoArtsDistrict.com website, the North Hollywood, California Masonic Temple is in the running for being named the city's next cultural monument.The Masonic Temple in North Hollywood is up for consideration as the city's newest cultural monument after Councilmember Paul Krekorian introduced a motion last week calling on officials to include the 64-year-old building in the city's list of Historic-Cultural Monuments.
The city's Cultural Heritage Commission will now consider the matter before sending it to the Planning and Land Use Management Committee and back to the City Council for final review.
The Masonic Temple, built in 1949 at 5122 Tujunga Ave., is "one of the few remaining examples of Exotic Revival architecture with elements of Mayan Revival and exhibits high quality of design," the Councilmember wrote in his motion, which you can see here.
"It is also a grandly scaled example of a Masonic lodge in Los Angeles, representing the prominence of the North Hollywood chapter from the immediate post-World War II era."
For some, the Masonic Temple is already a part of living history. The Museum of the San Fernando Valley includes it on its North Hollywood walking tour, which also includes stops at the Lankershim Arts Center, built in 1939, and the So. Pacific Railroad Depot, built in 1886.
If you support including the Masonic Temple on the city's registry of historic buildings, let us know by emailing [email protected].
Michael Baigent Passes Away
Wed, 06/19/2013 - 13:03According to Martin Faulks in Britain, Brother Michael Baigent, best-selling author of Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and former Freemasonry Today editor, passed away last night. He had received a liver transplant in April 2008. RIP.
Brother Baigent's books literally changed the way the world thought, and was arguably responsible for Dan Brown's success with the Da Vinci Code. His thought provoking works will be missed.
Speaking in Portland, Oregon 6/29
Tue, 06/18/2013 - 22:09Friendship Masonic Lodge No. 160 AF & AM of Oregon, in partnership with Mt. Hood Masonic Lodge No. 32 F & AM of Washington, is proud to host an evening with Chris Hodapp on June 29th, 2013 at 7:00 PM.
The talk will be held at Kenton Masonic Temple located at 8130 N. Denver Ave., Portland, OR 97217. Refreshments will be provided during the talk.
The event is open to the public. Tickets are $10.00 at the door, but due to limited seating for this event, reservations are required. To reserve your seat, please visit the lodge website here and fill out the reservation form.
Speaking At SR Valley of Danville, IL 6/23
Mon, 06/17/2013 - 21:26
Sunday June 23rd, 2013
Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, 109 W North St Danville, IL
The R.E.B.I.S Research Society will host a celebration of St. John the Baptist day. This is a open event for all non-masons and prospective candidates. The event will feature a catered dinner as well as a lecture presentation by Bro. Christopher Hodapp. This will be a fundraiser by R.E.B.I.S to raise money for the Valley Library to reestablish it as a functional Valley department.
Bro. Chris Hodapp is the author of Freemasons for Dumbies, Solomon's Builders, Founding Fathers and the Secrets of Washington D.C., former editor-in-chief of the Journal of The Masonic Society. Bro. Hodapp also developed episode outlines for the History Channel program, Brad Meltzer's Decoded, and contributed material on conspiracies and secret societies for TruTV. He has appeared on the History Channel Secrets of the Founding Fathers and the Discovery Channel Hunting The Lost Symbol.
He has written for Templar History Magazine, Masonic Magazine, The Indiana Freemason Magazine, Knight Templar Magazine, The Phylaxis Magazine, The Scottish Rite Journal and Indianapolis Monthly Magazine. Between 2005-2008, he wrote a monthly humor column for the Texas-based Living Natural First Magazine, A Pilgrim's Progress: True Tales of an Organic Greenhorn.
$15.00 a Person
3:00 pm- Dinner Starts
3:30 pm- Short Lecture on St. John the Baptist by James Frey
4:00 pm- Main Event- Bro. Chris Hodapp will present a Masonic lecture
Indians in DC
Sun, 06/16/2013 - 21:18
The Oklahoma Masonic Indian Degree Team is coming to D.C. to confer a Master Mason degree as a part of the Grand Lodge of D.C.'s Universal Brotherhood Celebration on Saturday, June 22, at 1 p.m. at the Valley of Washington Scottish Rite Temple. There is a banquet that evening at 7:30 at Almas Shrine which will feature American Indian foods and the Oklahoma brethren will be doing traditional dancing in tribal regalia as a part of the evening's entertainment.
Everyone is welcome to come to the degrees and the banquet, but reservations are needed ASAP. The auditorium only hods 400. You can get their tickets and further information about the events at www.ubc2013.org.
Royal Order of Jesters in Prostitution and Embezzlement Cases
Sat, 06/15/2013 - 12:39
The Royal Order of Jesters again finds itself embroiled in a situation involving prostitution, this time out of Flint, Michigan. One would think after the events a couple of years ago in New York they would be on the lookout for this kind of stuff, but alas, no.
From the All Michigan website, by reporter Mark Tower:
In a lawsuit filed June 11 in Genesee County Circuit Court by Nicholas Singelis II, the Clio-based Elf Khurafeh Shrine Temple, along with 11 members —commonly known as Shriners — are accused of allowing illegal sexual activities to take place during an initiation ceremony held Nov. 3, 2012, at the organization’s Circus Park facility in Vienna Township. Singelis is a former Shriner and former employee of Elf Khurafeh Shrine Temple. According to his lawsuit, Singelis was fired in March after he reported the alleged incident to leaders of both Elf Khurafeh Shrine Temple and Shriners International, the overarching arm of the more than 140-year-old fraternal organization best known for its pediatric hospitals and circuses The claim in the lawsuit is denied by several members and officers of the Elf Khurafeh Shrine Temple. A spokesperson for the Elf Khurafeh Shrine Temple declined to comment on the claims. Singelis also is a defendant in a lawsuit filed March 10 in Saginaw County Circuit Court by Elf Khurafeh Shrine Temple that alleges he was involved in embezzling money from the organization. Singelis denies the claim. Shriners International, in a statement released June 11, noted the organization is aware of both lawsuits and is investigating the claims.Singelis, in his lawsuit, says he was terminated from his job as retaliation after he threatened to tell his story to “the appropriate governmental authorities.” He also said in the lawsuit he was told by fellow members of the Elf Khurafeh Shrine Temple to “shut his mouth,” and that he felt threatened by members of the organization. He said in a letter included in the lawsuit that sources told him prostitutes were hired and had sex with members of the Elf Khurafeh Shrine Temple during a Nov. 3, 2012, event.
He said he did not directly witness any acts of prostitution by the organization or its members, but said other members, as well as non-members, told him that Circus Park, where Elf Khurafeh’s offices are located, was being used for “illegal sexual activity” during a Shriner initiation ceremony. The lawsuit states this illegal activity involved members of The Royal Order of Jesters Court No. 74 and El Hajj Tassel No. 13, two subgroups chartered by Elf Khurafeh Shrine Temple. “I have received numerous complaints regarding these acts, from Nobles and non-members stating that not only is this unlawful; it is against Shrine Law,” Singelis says he wrote in a letter to former Elf Khurafeh Potentate Alan Basner, the organization’s leader. The letter is included in Singelis’ lawsuit. Basner denies the claims made in Singelis’ lawsuit.
Other members also deny the claims.
“In my opinion, this is just his way of trying to make us look bad,” said Ronald Huston, an Elf Khurafeh member who is named in the lawsuit. “It’s ridiculous. It sounds like sour grapes to me,” added Dick Bartlett, director of the Royal Order of Jesters Court No. 74, who is not named in Singelis’ lawsuit. More Shriners respond to accusationsIn a press release issued June 11 by Clio attorney Robert L. Swartwood, general counsel to Elf Khurafeh Shrine Temple, Swartwood states that none of the members named in Singelis' lawsuit have yet been served with notice of the lawsuit. "As nobody has been served in that matter to date, Elf Khurafeh Shriners cannot comment on it or the nature of any legal matter pending before the courts at this time," Swartwood wrote.
Former Potentate and current Recorder Clarence W. Meyer Jr., who is named in Singelis’ lawsuit, declined to respond directly to the accusations, though he did say the organization intends to pursue a slander lawsuit against the former employee. Another longtime Jester, Donald P. Link — also named as a defendant in Singelis’ lawsuit — denied knowledge of the alleged prostitution at Royal Order of Jesters meetings or events. “I haven’t seen any of it,” Link said. Huston, a past director of The Royal Order of Jesters Court No. 74, said he has been a Jester for about 15 years. He referenced a 2005 FBI case, in which it was determined prostitutes were taken across the border into Canada for a Royal Order of Jesters national convention.Huston said that incident gave Jesters a bad name, and resulted in very strict policies against such behavior for members and Courts across the country.
"We've done everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen," he said. "We won't tolerate it." State Rep. Charles Smiley, D-Burton, also is named as a defendant in Singelis’ lawsuit. He said he was never a member of the Jesters Court, but was at one time a member of El Hajj. He said he has no knowledge of the alleged prostitution and said he was not present at the Nov. 3, 2012, event at Circus Park. Lawsuit against SingelisThe lawsuit filed in March 2013 by the Elf Khurafeh Shrine Temple alleges that Singelis and a former potentate of the organization, Craig Hatch together embezzled and mishandle temple funds. Singelis' alleged embezzlement, according to several current Elf Khurafeh members and leaders, was the reason his employment was terminated.
According to the lawsuit, Singelis and Hatch improperly handled hundreds of thousands of dollars in organization funds. The complaint claims Singelis used a debit card to spend thousands of dollars of Shrine funds on “products and services that appear to have no legitimate relationship to the (association’s) fraternal or charitable activities.” Swartwood, in his press release, said Elf Khurafeh has an ongoing investigation into possible missing funds. Neither Singelis nor Hatch have been charged with any criminal wrongdoing in connection with those allegations. "The nobility and leadership of Elf Khurafeh Shriners have identified some possible improprieties in our bookkeeping procedures resulting in the discovery of certain funds not being totally accounted for," he wrote. "Due to these circumstances, our leadership has directed complete auditing of all accounts and investigation of all matters pertaining to the security of these funds." Saginaw County Prosecutor John McColgan said his office is investigating the embezzlement claims, but said the case might not remain with his office. "It's so big," McColgan said. "I think we were looking at the Attorney General or even the U.S. District Attorney taking it." Singelis’ attorney in the lawsuit filed against him in Saginaw County filed a “change of venue” motion in May, arguing that Saginaw County is not the appropriate jurisdiction for the lawsuit to be argued, a fact which is disputed by the organization’s attorney. After a change of venue hearing on May 20, the matter was taken under advisement by Circuit Court Judge James T. Borchard. According to court records, 120 days have been afforded for discovery and a case evaluation is set to be scheduled after Oct. 6, 2013. Singelis said he hopes, by exposing the wrongdoing he is alleging, to right any wrong he did by promoting the organization. "I spoke for this organization for three years," he said. Huston said he hopes the one thing that doesn't get lost in the legal battles yet to come is the good done by the organization and the philanthropic actions of many of its members. "The majority of Shriners are dedicated individuals," he said. "We've got guys who have made hundreds of trips to Chicago taking kids to the hospital there."
