In 2022, the members of Flagstaff Lodge No. 7 planned to host their annual outdoor degree. Known for being off the beaten path, their outdoor degree was rugged, loud, and in the middle of nowhere. As ideas swirled, plans became dreams of a masonic festival and campground event, opened for one weekend where brotherhood prevails across multiple events. Collaboration and representation from multiple lodges, and even other jurisdictions.

When rain washed out the roads to the degree location, the degree was forced to be held indoors. A select group of members gathered together and vowed to never cancel the degree again; planning and infrastructure for this festival would need to rest on the hands of a planning committee and volunteers, dedicated to ensuring the event was held regardless of rain or shine.

Thus, Camp Cornerstone was inaugurated by it’s planning committee in late 2022, with “the prototype year” to be hosted in the summer of 2023. That summer, over one hundred Masons for Camp Cornerstone’s “Outdoor Degree in the Cool Pines,” a double outdoor third degree hosted by Flagstaff Lodge No. 7, as a courtesy to two candidates from Winslow Lodge No. 13 and Aztlan Lodge No. 1.

Camp Cornerstone 2024 expanded upon the original mission of Camp Cornerstone; a formal table lodge welcomed W∴B∴ Robert Johnson (of the Whence Came You? Podcast) as our keynote speaker, and welcomed an official delegation from Acacia Lodge No. 42 in Buckeye, AZ. This year also debuted our original soundtrack for the third degree, scored by W∴B∴ Justin Nelson of Flagstaff Lodge No. 7, and the introduction of King Solomon’s Saloon, a charity casino event where brethren can play their favorite saloon games and support Masonic charity efforts.

Camp Cornerstone 2025 saw programmatic changes; the introduction of the Frontier Festive Board in lieu of a table lodge, and further emphasis on outreach to foreign jurisdictions. Attendees gathered from across the United States, traveling from as far as Louisiana.

Camp Cornerstone 2026 marks a keystone event; as our nation celebrates 250 years since it’s inception, the Camp Cornerstone planning committee partnered with The Grand Lodges of Arizona, Utah, and Nevada to host The Grand Canyon Tri-State Degrees. Taking place at the Grand Canyon, this event will see masons from across the globe pay homage to the original 1916 Grand Canyon Degrees, the rededication of Flagstaff Lodge No. 7’s plaque placed at the South Rim, and the fifth official year of Camp Cornerstone events. Come see ritual from three unique jurisdictions performed at the Grand Canyon Tri-State Degrees.