Since MW 2008 was not our first masonic week, I'll start this blog off with last years event, a recap of Masonic Week '07.
Reed Fanning, Jenna Line, Justin Budreau, Steve Pugmire at Masonic Week '07
Last year masonic week was held at the Washington Hotel, a landmark in Washington DC. Hosting everything, from congressional banquets, to Grammy award winning stars this historic hotel has seen it all. Including for a continuous 49 years, The Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees of North America.
A little background on how we ended up at masonic week.
Meeting at Masonic week for our little group all started on an online forum called Freemason Pride.com. A masonic-based forum with 2,600 registered users, 100-200 of which are actively posting as of the writing of this article. Reed Fanning, Jenna, and Justin joined FMP in January of 2006. Steve joined later in May.
In the middle of 2006 some of the members decided a meet-up would be great idea! Trying to decide on the date however was another matter... Reed suggested to the forum that there was already a masonic meeting of sorts in the Washington DC area. Ten to fifteen members were DC area residents and said they would convene at the Hotel Washington as a formal/informal Freemasonpride.com meet and greet.
Justin offered to host two of the out-of-town members who wished to take part in the event, Reed form Salt Lake City, Utah,and Steve from Newark Delaware...
Tuesday Feb. 06, 2007 - Arrival.
The day was mostly filled with Reed flying and Justin and Steve waiting for the plane to land. Reed met Justin and Steve in person for the first time after getting off of the plane in Baltimore. We all went to Justin's house after that and just hung out and got to know each other.
Wednesday Feb. 07, 2007 - Washington D.C. Sights.
As Reed got adjusted to the time zone, we got ready for the day. We were going to the George Washington Masonic Memorial and the House of the Temple. We ended up at the GWMM about 3:00 in the afternoon and took our first tour of the Memorial. The different floors were really cool and informative. Wed took lots of pictures along the way. We started off on the George Washington Floor sponsored by the Scottish Rite Supreme Councils of both the Southern and Northern Jurisdictions. We then went to the York Rite floors. First was the Chapter floor where there ware coins from most Chapters across the USA. Then we went to the Council floor that had an audio commentary about the Egyptian style pictures on the wall, We then went to the Commandery floor which had beautiful stained glass windows. We were then conducted to the Tall Cedars of Lebanon floor on the top of the building and told a bit about it. We were then taken back down stairs and we walked around and took more pictures.
That evening we went to a lecture at the House of the Temple, hosted by Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15.
The Lecture was a three part Lecture presented by:
Dr. William G Krach, D.O., F.A.A.F.P., (Rosicrucian);
R. Wor. Fra. Piers A. Vaughn, (Masonic Rosicrucian's, Canada);
Ill. S. Brent Morris, PhD, Noted Masonic Author.
More information about this lecture can be found at the Scottish Rite page here.
The lecture was also recorded by Eric Diamond of Xoriente.com and became a podcast there and can be listened to.
The evening was a treat for all involved and Reed and Justin got their copies of Idiots Guide to Freemasons by S. Brent Morris and Freemasons for Dummies by Christopher Hodapp signed.
Thursday February 8th, 2007 - RUN!
Our day started with twenty dollar parking, a thirty pound camera bag, and bags of books from the bookstore right next to the hotel... Thursdays events at masonic week consisted mainly of invitational bodies, or universal bodies: St. Thomas of Acon, SRCIF (Masonic Rosicrucian's), and the Sovereign Order of Knights Preceptor. None of which we belonged to. What to do? Hospitality Suites.
We roamed all around the Hotel Washington, starting with the Sky room. Signups for side degrees (Order of the Bath, Ye Ancient Order of the Corks...)were held here as well as a small dealers room, publishers, and back in the back was Chris Hodapp with a pile of books to sell and sign. Poor guy, it seems we bumped into him all weekend...
Friday February 9th, 2007 - Jenna!
We arrived in DC at around 8:30 am after a morning commute from Justin's home in Southern Maryland. Shortly thereafter we received word from another FMP
member from Hagerstown that she would be visiting us for Masonic Week. As Jenna came in from the metro she and Reed played phone tag as we slowly guided her into the hotel... "your where? ok turn left, yup just keep going..." We all needed coffee. So off to the bookstore we went, to find coffee and books. Later that day, after lunch and the Society of Blue Friars meeting (Blue Friars is an invitation-only organization for Masonic authors), we toured the House of the Temple (Mother Lodge of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction) on 16th and I St.. WHAT A BUILDING! 
Later in the evening went to The Philalethes Society Feast where good food and wine was to be had. We listened to a great lecture by MW Floyd E. Bagwell who was the Grand Mater of the MW Prince Hall GL of Conn. at the time. We then met up with LeRoy Graefe, another friend from FreeMasonPride.com and Myspace. The five of us enjoyed each others company over a drink. We parted with Jenna after dinner and beverages and went to the "Snipe Degree". What an awesome degree that was. The Pacific Northwest Players, most of which were from Esoterika Lodge No. 316 and they did and excellent job. It had a good moral while still being a great time.
After the Snipe Degree, Reed and Steve did the Order of the Bath degree while Justin had a beer with Chris Hodapp in the Philalethes hospitality suite.
Saturday February 10th, 2007 - Drinks to be had!
We were lucky enough to make it to the hotel from Maryland in time for Steve and Reed to go to the Grand College of Rites of the USA meeting after we joined the day before. We all then when to the Nine Muses Council No. 13 for another great paper presentation. Reed then joined Grand Master's Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees. We then ducked around the corner to Old Ebbets Grill for a bite before heading back. While Reed was attending the Grand Council of the AMD meeting LeRoy, Justin and Steve had a drink at the cigar bar. Reed joined them after his meeting for a bit untill he had to part ways again to go to the AMD annual banquet. After the banquet we then had a few more drinks until it was time for Reed, Justin, LeRoy and Steve to go to the Cork Degree. By this time we had all imbibed a bit and that made this degree all the more special. What a fitting end to the week.
It was a great experience for Reed, Justin and Steve to attend their first AMD week. We did much saw more and more importantly made new fraternal bonds and friendships.
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