Academy of Masonic Knowledge

The Spring 2023 Symposium of the Academy of Masonic Knowledge will be held on Saturday, March 18, at the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia. Registration will open at 8:30 a.m., with the program beginning at 9:30 a.m. A lunch (for a requested contribution of $10) will be served at noon, and the program will be completed by 3 p.m. All Masons are welcome to attend. Dress is coat and tie.

Brother Chuck Dunning will present “Contemplating the American Masonic Renaissance.” An advocate, facilitator, trainer and consultant in contemplative practice, Chuck has more than 30 years’ experience in the professional fields of higher education and mental health, as well as in Masonry, Rosicrucianism and other currents in the Western esoteric traditions.

Chuck has authored “The Contemplative Lodge: A Manual for Masons Doing Inner Work Together” (2021), and “Contemplative Masonry: Basic Applications of Mindfulness, Meditation and Imagery for the Craft” (2016). He was also a contributing author in “The Art and Science of Initiation” (2019). He is the founding Superintendent of the Academy of Reflection and a co-founder, trainer and facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society.

Chuck is a member of Haltom City-Riverside Lodge No. 1331, Texas, and Albert Pike Lodge No. 162, Oklahoma, and an honorary member of Sophia Lodge No. 767, North Carolina. He is also a member of the Texas Lodge of Research, the Philalethes Society, the Masonic Society and the Scottish Rite Research Society.

Recently retired from serving as a Student Affairs Administrator and adjunct faculty member at Texas Christian University (TCU) and as a psychotherapist at TCU and in community agencies, hospitals and private practice, Chuck currently works part-time as a counselor and psychotherapist. He holds a master’s degree in counseling and a bachelor’s in psychology, both from the University of North Texas.

Brother John W. Bizzack, Ph.D., will speak on “Quandary in the Quarries: Rediscovering the Business of Our Masonic Lodges.” The author of 16 popular books about Freemasonry, along with dozens of essays, commentaries and other papers about the Craft, John’s other books and writings address the subjects of leadership, criminal investigation, police standards and the behavior of organizations and their administration. He speaks nationwide on a variety of issues related to Freemasonry, the criminal justice system and critical thinking.

John served two terms as Master of Lexington Lodge No. 1, Kentucky, as well as Chair of the Education Committee and the Mission Advancement Committee. He also served as a member of the Education Committee for the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. He is a Fellow and former member of the board of The Masonic Society; a member of the board of the Masonic Restoration Foundation; a founding member and Vice-Chair of The Rubicon Masonic Society; Third Vice-President of the Philalethes Society; co-editor of “The Transactions of The Rubicon Masonic Society, Volume I” and a co-producer of “The Masonic Table,” a documentary released in May 2022 about Masonic festive boards and harmony dining in Freemasonry. He is a member of the Texas Lodge of Research and American Lodge of Research and a life member of Kentucky’s William O. Ware Lodge of Research, for which he was named to the initial class of Fellows and serves as Chair of the Research Committee.

Pre-register at PaMasonicAcademy.org/meetings or through your lodge secretary. Please recognize that a cost is incurred to the program for your registration. If you pre-register and subsequently determine that you will be unable to attend, please have the Masonic courtesy to cancel your reservation by emailing amksecretary@pagrandlodge.org.

Unable to attend in person? A live stream of the symposium will be available on the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania YouTube channel, and those viewing remotely may ask questions of the presenters via the live stream chat feature, the Academy Facebook group and Reddit.

Save the date for the Fall 2023 Symposium: Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.