Walter Benesch has been a Mason for over to 50 years, active in both York and Scottish Rites. Walter continues to be an active member of various Masonic bodies in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. He obtained the 33o in 2019, is a holder of Order of the Purple Cross of the York Rite and is active in SCRICF College in the District of Columbia. Currently he is the Dean of the Andrea Solomon College of Philosophy in the DC Scottish Rite. He is a trustee of various other Masonic bodies. Brother Benesch is a Past President of the Maryland Masonic Research Society and holder of their Exceptional Service Award. Walter was president of the George Washington Masonic Stamp Club and has published numerous Masonic articles. Has given over 60 side presentations and additional talks. Has been a speaker for major Masonic research bodies both locally and internationally. He the holder of two of the highly regarded Distinguished Toastmaster Award from Toastmasters International. He is also the author of several books which can be found on his web page: walterpbenesch.com. With a master's degree in anthropology he has maintained interests in archeology, paleoanthropology and esoteric sciences as found around the world. His MSSS (MS in Social Services) triggered his interest in psychology, thanatology, and society. He has taken many additional non-credit undergraduate courses on a huge variety of subjects and supplements his studies with constant reading of non-fiction books and periodicals. Walter has studied Kabbalah, originally with Dr. Michael Hattwick back in the 1990's then with Kirk MacNulty. Over the past decade or more with Maggy Whitehouse. Professionally he started out as a youth worker in NYC then as a social worker in the District of Columbia, Department of Human Services. He moved as a civilian in the Pentagon on various projects in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the transferred and retired from the Department of Homeland Security as a senior program manager and program professional instructor. He has two daughters, one an emergency room MD in California, the other is a fashion designer in Australia. He is currently retired and living with the love of his life, his second wife, Charlene Gatewood in Mitchellville, Maryland.