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About Hibiscus Review:

An international journal of the historical, sociological, literary, philosophical, and cultural background of Freemasonry and its intellectual and societal impact on trends in critical thought.

HIBISCUS LODGE, HIBISCUS FOUNDATION, AND THE HIBISCUS MASONIC REVIEW

Hibiscus Lodge was founded in Miami Beach, Florida in 1948. The name of the Lodge was selected because the hibiscus flower was the Florida flower most closely resembling the forget-me-not. The forget-me not was the flower worn in their lapels by Masons in Germany in the World War II period as a means of recognition and identification with the Craft subsequent to Hitler's closing of the Masonic Lodges in Germany prior to the war. By choosing this name, Hibiscus Lodge sought to identify with, as well as to memorialize, those Masons who suffered and even died under the oppressive hand of tyranny.

For more than forty years, Hibiscus Lodge was located in Miami Beach, Florida. It subsequently moved a few miles to the Coral Gables Masonic Temple. Today, Hibiscus Lodge is a very active Traditional Observance Lodge stressing brotherhood, spirituality, and education. Each new Mason is required to deliver a paper before the Brothers of the Lodge prior to advancing to his next Degree. This is frequently done at the Hibiscus Fellowship Club which was organized by the Brothers of Hibiscus Lodge for the purpose of recreating many of the features of the traditional ancient table lodge while serving as an informal venue for Masonic education. The Hibiscus Fellowship Club meetings are open to all Masons of the Degree of Entered Apprentice and above and are held several times yearly.

Hibiscus Lodge meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at the Coral Gables Masonic Temple at 41 Valencia Ave. in Coral Gables, Florida, with dinner at 6 PM and the meeting at 7:30 PM. On the 4th Tuesday of the month, there is typically either another Hibiscus Lodge meeting at the same time in the Lodge or a Fellowship Club meeting held in various locations.

The Hibiscus Lodge No.275 Charitable Foundation is a charitable organization created by the Brothers of Hibiscus Lodge. The Foundation has funded a variety of local projects including university educational grants to disabled graduating high school students through its Tendrich Scholarships, as well as grants to many organizations including local schools for the purchase of musical instruments, for food for the needy, and to Shake-a-Leg Foundation for their many programs to bring independence and pleasure of life to people with significant disabilities.

As part of its educational focus, the Hibiscus Foundation is proud to sponsor the Hibiscus Masonic Review as an international forum on Masonic history and culture. The aim of this journal is to explore the many strands of intellectual thought that have contributed to the development of Freemasonry. The Review is under the direction of the Brothers of Hibiscus Lodge and has been created as part of its intensive educational program. Its aim is to bring together the many streams of intellectual thought that form Freemasonry.

For information about the Lodge or its meetings, the Foundation, or the Hibiscus Masonic Review, please contact the Secretary by email at hibiscuslodge.com.

Book-review

I would like to congratulate Bro. Millheiser for the articles appearing in this first volume of Hibiscus Masonic Review.
This first issue contains eight remarkable research papers written by top level Masonic scholars. All the text are well annotated and contain biblography.

The articles, better to say the essays, cover some aspects of the history of Freemasonry in Europe, the Masonic symbolism of the stone and of the ceremony of Passing the Veils.

'Passing the Veils: Its Historical Development and Symbolism' is the best paper I ever read about this ceremony incorporated into the Royal Arch Degree in the United States but almost disappeared in England after the de-Christianization of the rituals in the 19° century.

This 'five stars' book is an useful tool for our daily advancement in Masonic Knowledge and it is recommended for both the new as well as the more seasoned Freemason.

Masonic Education is an important but vastly ignored aspect of Freemasonry. In many of today's lodges, the ritual has become the sole source of Masonic Education and when time is set aside to teach the brethren, it is often restricted to ten minutes after a very long business meeting.

The papers published may be read aloud in whole or in part in any Masonic Lodge, Chapter, Council, or other Masonic meeting without permission. The only condition requested is that appropriate credit be given to the source and the specific author.

I'm sure that Brethren will be more than happy to do so.

Bruno Virgilio Gazzo
editor, PS Review of FM