X-Oriente

Happy Father's Day!

The greatest Father's Day present one can get is the privilege of being a Dad. Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there.

The Broken Column: Ill. Walter Ernest Webber, 33°

July 31, 1943 -- April 22, 2006

Illustrious Walter E. Webber, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A., was called to eternal refreshment in the Paradise of the Grand Architect of the Universe on Saturday afternoon, April 22, 2006, after battling illness for several months.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to:

The 32° Masonic Learning Centers for Children, Inc.
PO Box 519
Lexington, Massachusetts 02420-0519

There will be a memorial service at the National Heritage Museum on the grounds of Supreme Council Headquarters in Lexington, Massachusetts on Sunday, April 30, 2006 at 1:00 pm. Details of the arrangements will be forthcoming.

He will be deeply and sorely missed.

We have a new sponsor!!!

We are very pleased to announce that X-Oriente has a new sponsor. Carta di Amalfi—Emotions In Paper is a firm in Italy that creates the most beautiful paper with a Masonic watermark. The paper is handmade Amalfi paper, generally regarded as the finest paper in the world. (in my opinion anyway, and I have a bit of a paper fetish) with a subtle square and compasses watermark on the paper.

It is great stuff, especially for special occasions and for one's year as Worshipful Master. They sell a simple linen box of 25 sheets and envelopes or you can get beautiful wood handmade boxes with a full assortment of cards sheets and envelopes. They will also personalize your name and address if desired on the paper.

The Masonic paper isn't cheap, but it is hand made, and hand finished. As someone who has made paper before I can tell you it is a lot of labor. And clearly this is good, square work made with a lot of fraternal love.

I am told that they are preparing to launch a new Masonic paper website soon but you can order from their site. If you do, make sure for now you order on the Italian website as the English website lists the products and prices incorrectly. (If you need assistance contact them or drop me a line--they are fellow travelers and are the nicest people to deal with.)

From time to time we will promote businesses that provide Masons with exceptional products to help us practice our art. Later I'll be doing a show about Masonic artisans and how there are a group of new exceptional artists making beautiful Masonic objects for our enjoyment, and you'll hear more from these guys. If you are interested in sponsoring the show, please drop me a line.

Registration No longer required!

Now that we've moved to the blog you no longer have to be registered with typekey. You do however have to provide a valid email address (which will not be shared with anyone). We'll try to keep the site free of blog-spam without requiring registration and see how it goes.