The 2008 Annual California Masonic Symposium "Freemasonry and Women" was held on August 22nd-23rd at the Brotherhood Masonic Center in San Francisco, and according to Past Master Adam G. Kendall, the Curator of Collections, things went quite well.  The speaker line up included the likes of Dr. John L. Cooper III, Grand Secretary and noted Masonic scholar; Janet Wintermute, Master Mason of the Eastern Order of International Co-Masonry; Ill. Robert G. Davis, author of Understanding Manhood in America: Freemasonry’s Enduring Path to the Mature Masculine.  Those privileged to have been present at the Council of Nine Muses earlier this year in Alexandria, VA will no doubt recall his paper on the role of Masonry and male archetypes in the lives of young men as it brought several hundred people to their feet in standing ovation.  

In speaking to Adam Kendall, he told me that

"The crowd was pretty mellow and all seemed to enjoy themselves. It was engaging.  Bob did a great job on the subject for the keynote speech which brought forth a better honed dimension to the original theme as far as getting the attendees to contemplate Freemasonry’s place in the lives of its initiates, along with highlighting its masculine origins.  We had some members of the Grand Lodge Feminine in attendance.  I was exhausted—having slept on the floor of the meeting room the night before.  Unless I’m actually doing a presentation, me and large crowds do not mix and I tend to hang out in the background.  The crowd that attended the Friday night reception seemed to appreciate the museum and library, along with some of the new displays that went up just that week."

I can vouch for Adam's work ethic as for the last few months, every time I spoke to him after hours...he was still at work preparing for this symposium.  Our hats are off to him and the speakers that day.  It would have been ideal to make it out there to see Janet Wintermute and Bob Davis addressing the same topic from differing angles.  Adam tells me that Jay Kinney (of Gnosis Magazine fame) was also in attendance. We'll have to make sure to get out to the Coil Masonic Museum and check out some of Adam's work.  I've heard nothing but praise for the exhibits.