The Society of Blue Friars (SBF) is a Masonic organization established in 1932 with the explicit purpose of recognizing Masonic authors. It is widely regarded as one of the smallest and most distinctive appendant bodies within Freemasonry.
History
The Society was founded in 1932 by J. Raymond Shute II. Its name, "The Society of Blue Friars," was chosen to convey both a sense of brotherhood ("Friar" being related to the French word for "Brother") and a connection to the monks of the Middle Ages, who were prolific authors of their time.
Structure and operations
The Society operates with minimal formalities and regulations. It has no fixed ritual or ceremonies, no dues or fees, and very few records. The core of the organization consists of three officers:
The Grand Abbot, who presides over the Society and holds office for as long as they wish or as long as they live. The Deputy Grand Abbot, designated as the successor to the Grand Abbot. The Secretary-General, responsible for administrative matters.
The Grand Abbot has the authority to appoint new Friars, and their decisions are final. Additionally, only the Grand Abbot has the power to change the Society's regulations. The term "Abbot" and "Friar" were deliberately chosen to hark back to monastic traditions of the Middle Ages when monks wrote many of the books of their time.
Annual meeting
Since 1944, the Society has held an annual meeting known as the "Consistory." This meeting takes place in Washington, D.C., each February, as part of the annual Masonic weekend sponsored by the Allied Masonic Degrees. The event is open to all Masonic Brethren.
During the annual meeting, the newly appointed Friar is officially proclaimed and is expected to present a research paper, showcasing their knowledge and expertise in Masonic subjects. In earlier years, these research papers were occasionally printed in the Miscellanea of the Allied Masonic Degrees. In recent times, they have been published in The Philalethes magazine. There are plans to potentially publish a collection of Blue Friar Lectures in the future.
Membership
The Society of Blue Friars has a unique membership policy. According to its regulations, "One new Friar shall be appointed each year," but "additional Friars may be appointed to fill vacancies caused by demise or resignation when the total membership is not over twenty." As a result, the society maintains a small and selective membership.
Prominent Masonic authors and researchers have been members of the Society of Blue Friars, including Ray V. Denslow, Harold V.B. Voorhis, Arthur E. Waite, S. Brent Morris, Rex R. Hutchens, Arturo de Hoyos, and Pierre G. "Pete" Normand, Jr.
Notable Members of the Society of Blue Friars
The Society of Blue Friars boasts an exclusive and distinguished roster of Masonic authors and researchers who have been recognized as Friars. This list provides information about some of the notable active Friars as of 2023:
1. Wallace E. McLeod (Initiated as a Friar in 1984. Location: Ontario, Canada.) 2. John M. Hamill (Initiated as a Friar in 1988. Location: England.) 3. Christopher L. Murphy (Initiated as a Friar in 1995. Location: British Columbia, Canada.) 4. Richard E. Fletcher (Initiated as a Friar in 1997. Location: Maryland, USA.) 5. S. Brent Morris (Initiated as a Friar in 1998. Location: Maryland, USA. Serves as the Grand Abbot of the Society.) 6. Rex R. Hutchens (Initiated as a Friar in 1998.Location: Arizona, USA.) 7. Robin L. Carr (Initiated as a Friar in 1998. Location: Illinois, USA.) 8. John W. Boettjer (Initiated as a Friar in 1999.Location: District of Columbia, USA.) 9. Arturo de Hoyos (son) (Initiated as a Friar in 2000. Location: Virginia, USA. Serves as the Deputy Grand Abbot of the Society.) 10. Leon Zeldis (Initiated as a Friar in 2000. Location: Israel.) 11. Robert L. Uzzel(Initiated as a Friar in 2003. Location: Texas, USA.) 12. Thomas W. Jackson(Initiated as a Friar in 2004. Location: Pennsylvania, USA.) 13. W. Kirk MacNulty (Initiated as a Friar in 2005. Location: Virginia, USA.) 14. Mark A. Tabbert(Initiated as a Friar in 2006. Location: Virginia, USA.) 15. Alain Bernheim (Initiated as a Friar in 2007. Location: Switzerland.) 16. Gary H. Leazer (Initiated as a Friar in 2008.Location: Georgia, USA.) 17. Yasha Beresiner(Initiated as a Friar in 2009. Location: England.) 18. Pierre G. Normand, Jr.(Initiated as a Friar in 2010.Location: Texas, USA.) 19. Alton G. Roundtree(Initiated as a Friar in 2011.Location: District of Columbia, USA.) 20.Christopher L. Hodapp(Initiated as a Friar in 2012. Location: Indiana, USA.)