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Focus - September 2007

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

The 2004 movie National Treasure was a box office success and is now being followed by National Treasure: Book of Secrets to be released December 21, 2007. It promises to be an action packed film involving
such scenes as treasure diving in the Dry Tortugas and looking for a city of gold under Mt. Rushmore.

Freemasonry, particularly the Scottish Rite, will play a role in the film. The trailer describes the plot of the movie as: "Treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicholas Cage) looks to discover the truth behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, by uncovering the mystery within the 18 pages missing from assassin John Wilkes Booth's diary."

There are also apparent references to an organization known as the "Knights of the Golden Circle." (See next article)

Knights of the Golden Circle

This order was apparently formed in 1861 and had links to the Confederacy. Its purpose was to influence the outcome of the Civil War. Legend has it that a vast fortune was accumulated and guarded by its members known as Sentinels. There is a book, released in 2003, titled Shadow of the Sentinel by Warren Getler and Bob Brewer, which deals with this subject.

Dan Brown's New Book

Still one of the best kept secrets is any information about the new book by Dan Brown. We understand the title, The Solomon Key, has been changed and no publication date has been released. There are rumors the book might be available in the spring of 2008. We also believe the plot will involve Washington, DC and will have a Masonic connection.

"Shoot-Em Up"

A new movie with terrible reviews. Extremely violent, it does not have a Masonic plot but does show one of the characters with a Masonic emblem on his jacket. No one knows why as far as we can find out. It simply demonstrates that Freemasonry will be used, in fiction, positively or negatively, depending on the plot needs to support the story being told.

What Some Lodges Are Doing

The 2006 Twain Award Winners were involved in a variety of creative, informative and community supportive projects. They truly reflect Masons making a difference in their communities. While we couldn't list every activity, here are just a few examples of what was accomplished:

  • La Fraternidad Lodge #387, New York, NY sponsored a trip to Washington, DC to observe and gather information on Masonic influence in the city.
  • Bremerton Lodge #117, Bremerton, WA sponsored fellowship nights within the lodge promoting fraternity and conducted training sessions for the brothers. A pleasant result was renewed interest in becoming lodge officers.
  • Frontier Lodge #48, Stillwater, OK created an outreach program, both in the Stillwater community and Oklahoma State University. Of special note was support for Lights in Stillwater a community orientation event for incoming students at OSU.
  • Waukesha Lodge #37, Waukesha, WI sponsored a fruit basket delivery to bring Christmas cheer to elderly Masons and Masonic widows.
  • North Bend Lodge #119, North Bend, NE sponsored a reading program in the lodge which hosted children's book authors, providing reading enhancement for 200 students attending.
  • Friendship Lodge, Wilmington, MA provided e-mail addresses for all members, eliminated surface mailings by sending the trestleboard and other news directly by e-mail.
  • Fort Valley Lodge #110, Fort Valley, GA sent a questionnaire to all members which helped develop lodge goals based upon the information received.
  • Epes Randolph Lodge #32, Tuscon, AZ sponsored 4 teachers for training at a "Children at Risk" seminar.
  • Madison Lodge #93, Madison, NJ sponsored an Eagle Scout Project using the lodge grounds as the location for the presentation of this award.
  • Bethel Lodge #194, Prospect, TN routinely organized community breakfast and fish fry events giving all proceeds to local charities.
  • McCormick-Mobile Lodge #40, Mobile, AL sponsored public lectures of local historical interest. Two members presented papers at the Ohio Valley History Conference hosted by East Tennessee State University.

Go to www.msana.com to click-on a video about the activities of these lodges.