The Iowa Masonic Leadership
Symposium was held Saturday, June 30 at the Des Moines Scottish Rite Temple.
Speakers included Robert Davis, Christopher Hodapp, S. Brent Morris, and Thomas
Wilkerson. Over 145 Freemasons from across Iowa attended the symposium, which
was sponsored by the Masonic Charitable Educational Committee of the Grand
Lodge of Iowa and the Iowa Scottish Rite Masonic Foundation.
Brother Robert G. Davis
Jr. 33°
is the Executive Secretary of the College of the Consistory at Guthrie,
Oklahoma. He is Past President of the Masonic Restoration Foundation, a KYCH,
Past Grand Commander of the Knights Templar in Oklahoma, and author of the blog
Essays of Robert G. Davis. Brother Davis 33° spoke on “Masonic Leadership and
the New Generation in the Experience of the Lodge.” Among the goals of our
fraternity are the need to communicate moral integrity and social honor to the
younger generation. He highlighted the concepts of social honor, the mature
masculine, and mentoring life experiences in his presentation.
Brother Chris Hodapp 33° is the author of numerous
books on Freemasonry including Freemasons For Dummies, Solomon's Builders:
Freemasons, Founding Fathers and the Secrets of Washington D.C., and The Templar Code For Dummies. He
currently serves as Editor in Chief of The Journal of the Masonic Society. In only a dozen years,
Brother Hodapp 33° has become a major spokesman for the fraternity
through his books and his popular blog, Freemasons for Dummies. Soon after he
was raised a Master Mason in 1999, Brother Chris was “jabbed with an officer’s
pike” and became Master of his Lodge. His humor and wit during the presentation
reinforced the need for our Lodges to be prepared for the next Masonic boom of
potential members as a result of Dan Brown’s movie The Lost Symbol, to be
released next year.
Brother S. Brent Morris 33° G.C. is Past Master of
Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, London, elected to Society of Blue Friars in
1998, and current Managing Editor of The Scottish Rite Journal, Supreme
Council, 33°, S.J. Brother Morris 33°
spoke about six major stages in the evolution of Freemasonry in the U.S.: Grand
Lodges, the York and Scottish Rites, Androgynous Orders, Fun Groups, Youth Groups,
and Invitational Groups. His scholarly review of these stages highlighted both
key events and the leaders who shaped them. He concluded with a thought
provoking question: what’s next? What is the next evolution in American
Freemasonry?
Brother Tom Wilkerson is the chief executive officer
of the United States Naval Institute (USNI), one of the oldest professional
military associations in the United States. The USNI reports that he is a
graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and U. S. Naval Fighter Weapons School (Top
Gun), and in his last active duty assignment as Commander, Marine Forces
Reserve Wilkerson led the largest command in the Marine Corps, with more than
100,000 Marines at 200 sites around the United States. Brother Wilkerson used
his experience in the USMC to relate lessons in leadership as they apply to
Freemasonry. He reviewed the historical record of Masons who served in the
military including Washington, Lejeune, and many others. The theme of his
presentation was “service above self” and how this relates to Freemasonry.(M.A.M.)
is $80 per person. It will include 18 holes of golf (cart included), prizes, and a steak dinner following play. The event is an outing, so keep score if you want but the idea is to have fun. It is open to all. This might be a great chance to invite your non-Masonic golfing buddy along for a chance to see what we are all about. 
Campaign Update. The event will feature special presentations on the history of our flag, a tribute to patriotism, as well as a few songs to liven up the evening. 
