 Grand Master 2000
Born in Iran, and educated there and in England, Most Worshipful Brother Hatefi, holds a combined Bachelors Degree in Law
and Political Science and a Master of Business Administration Degree. About 20 years ago he came to the United States in
search of a new beginning away from his native country. An alumni of London School of Economics and Political Sciences, he
pursued advanced studies in the field of freedom of information at the George Washington University. Five years ago he married
his lovely lady Farah, both of whom enjoy a high degree of popularity. The Voice of America, where they both work as
International Radio Journalists, takes advantage of their linguistic abilities by using their talents in broadcasting to foreign
countries.
A Master Mason of Iranian Masonic tradition and a Past Master of Hatef Lodge, holden to the Grand Lodge of Iran, Most
Worshipful Brother Hatefi quickly became involved in the Masonic fraternity in Washington, D.C. by affiliating with George C.
Whiting Lodge No. 22 (now merged with Potomac Lodge No. 5), where he served as Master in 1992.
Within the fraternity, our Most Worshipful Brother has set some historical records. He was a founding member and Charter Master
of Mehr Lodge No. 90 in 1991. Mehr Lodge was the first lodge to be consecrated in this Grand Jurisdiction in almost half a
century and the first bilingual lodge in 114 years to be chartered by the Grand Lodge. Mehr Lodge was
authorized by its charter to confer degrees in Farsi, the Persian language.
Mansour Hatefi was so successful in governing the Lodge that since then, the Grand Lodge has chartered three other bilingual
lodges (Spanish, French, Armenian); a lodge which confers degrees pursuant to the ritual of Scotland; three additional lodges
working in English with ritual pursuant to the District of Columbia; and a newly consecrated sojourning
Armenian-language Lodge. At present there are under dispensation three more lodges. One is bilingual (Turkish) and the other two work solely in English.
Our Most Worshipful Brother, a Royal Arch and a dedicated Scottish Rite Mason, was invested Knight Commander of the Court
of Honor in 1993 and was coronated a 33rd Degree Mason, Inspector General Honorary in 1995. He is a member of Almas
Shrine Temple, the Tall Cedars of Lebanon, and of the Knight Masons.
An accomplished ritualist, Brother Hatefi has served as an Associate Member of the Work and Lectures Committee of the Grand
Lodge for a number of years. He is also an Assistant Director of Works at the Scottish Rite of the Valley of Washington in the
Orient of the District of Columbia. At present, he is the Senior Warden of Pythagoras Lodge of Research and the Senior Warden
of Mithras Lodge of Perfection, one of the four coordinate bodies of the Scottish Rite in Washington, D.C.
With this auspicious beginning and with his dedicated service to the fraternity during his years in the Grand Lodge Line, having
been appointed Assistant Grand Chaplain and elected as Junior Grand Steward in
1992.
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