Program

What is the MRF Symposium?
The MRF Symposium is a meeting place for Masons who are seeking the highest form of Masonic experience they can attain within their lodges, while strictly conforming to the laws, resolutions, and edicts of their respective grand lodges. It is a gathering for those who pursue quality in the Craft to share ideas and discuss their work. The Symposium begins on Friday evening at 7:30 PM, with a Harmony in the Red Room, and concludes before noon on Sunday. As always, we have assembled an excellent program of speakers and presenters to share their light with you.

Who May Attend the Symposium?
Any Mason in good standing may register for the Symposium, provided he is a member of a Grand Lodge which is a member of, or is recognized by any one of the Grand Lodges which are members of, the Conference of Grand Masters of North America, or the United Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Lodge of Ireland, or the Grand Lodge of Scotland. Full Registration for the Symposium is $125.00.

Topics and Panels
- A Grand Master's View of Observant Masonry
- Living the History: The Process of Masonic Restoration
- Building the Depth of the Masonic Experience
- Newton's Law: The Restorative Work of Joseph Fort Newton
- Maximizing Aesthetics in the Lodge
- The Chrysalis Experience: Transforming an Existing Lodge
- Time, Patience, and Perseverance: Dealing With Challenges in the Observant Lodge
- The Way We've Always Done It

Download the full program in PDF format


MRF2023.pdf

Keynote Address:
Added Value: A Grand Master's View of Observant Masonry
David Cameron, PGM, Grand Lodge of Canada [Ontario]; MRF Board Member

David Cameron is the immediate Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario. He is a Past Master of Templum Lucis Lodge No. 747, the second observant lodge founded in Ontario. His Keynote Address on Friday evening, A Grand Master's View of Observant Masonry, will offer some thoughts on how observant lodges contribute to the Masonic experience, and how that contribution might be perceived through the lens of a grand lodge.

Opening Address:
Living the History: The Process of Masonic Restoration
Andrew Hammer, PM; President, MRF

Andrew Hammer is the Master of Alba Lodge No. 222, in Washington DC. He currently serves as Grand Historian and the Deputy Grand Lecturer of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, and is the Chair of its Committee on Work and Lectures. He is author of Observing the Craft, a Fellow of the Philalethes Society and the Masonic Society. Brother Hammer speaks to lodges throughout the world on observant Masonry, as well as philosophical aspects of the Craft. As President of the Masonic Restoration Foundation, he will give the opening address on Saturday morning.

Closing Address:
The Way We've Always Done It
Patrick Craddock, PM; Vice President, MRF

Patrick Craddock is Past Master of Conlegium Ritus Austeri Lodge No. 779, in Nashville, Tennessee, and a member of Prometheus Lodge No. 851 in San Francisco, California. He is the proprietor of The Craftsman's Apron, a manufacturer of high quality regalia for lodges throughout the United States. His Closing Address on Sunday morning, entitled The Way We've Always Done It, will offer us an entertaining and meaningful look at what has always held us back, and some ideas on what we need to do to overcome it.