The Philalethes

During the past several years there has been much agitation by Masons for a proper celebration or remembrance of our departed dead. Spasmodically in widely separated places, and in haphazard fashion, groups of Masons have met to honor their dead, but to my knowledge, no nation-wide, concerted action has ever been put into motion by which any particular time, any particular action or any sort of ceremony or tribute could be crystallized into a perpetual plan of continued honor for our dead.

First proposed and outlined by Brother Lawton E. Meyer, F.P.S., the executive secretary of The Philalethes, action was taken by a group of the St. Louis Masonic bodies, acting through the Masonic Service Bureau of the area Masonic Districts, and last year on June 14, a dignified and impressive memorial service was held. The same thing was done at a later date by some of the Masons in the State of New York, under the leadership of Brother Alfred A. Northacker, M.P.S. The idea is gaining in popularity and should be cultivated, planned and executed to the glory of the Masonic Fraternity.

St. John's Day in Harvest, celebrated as a Masonic feast on June 24th each year is a peculiarly appropriate time at which to have such a service as this. Why do not some of our leaders take this suggestion and perfect it into a living memorial for our departed?

THAR'S GOLD IN THEM HILLS, PODNER

Every state in the Union has its natural caves, mountains, panoramas and special attractions to which tourists come by the thousands every year, and yet most of the natives of the states have never taken the time or effort to travel the few miles needed to enjoy these wonders - they looked too far afield, seeking greener pastures beyond their own.

In Masonry, too, we have students and researchers - even ordinary Masonic enthusiasts, who want to do research, write articles and make Masonic investigations, hamstrung only because they do not feel able to go where they think items of Masonic interest can be found.

To these misinformed Brethren let us say emphatically - look in your own backyard; seek in your own Masonic archives, and talk to your older pioneers and settlers, and you will find a host of material that you did not even dream was there.

Masonic curiosities, historical information that has to do with Masonry, personalities, past and present - all of these are available for the Mason who will take time to look, "Seek and ye shall find, ...." Yes, thar's gold in them hills, podner - start digging.

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Irish Masonic Customs

By NORMAN C. DUTT, M.P.S.

The Grand Lodge of Ireland was founded in 1725, but, evidence proves, Freemasonry of Grand Lodge status was long at work before that date. This, however, has become the accepted date. The oldest Lodge is Cork No. 1, A.F. & A.M., located in Cork. It was placed first on the rolls of Lodges as having held a previous autonomous existence - in effect as a Grand Lodge in Munster. Lodges are known as 'subordinates by its law.

Applications for a warrant or charter must be signed by not less than three Master Masons, each having five years as such. It must also be recommended by three Lodges in the vicinity of its location-to-be. The seal of the Lodge must contain the name and number of the Lodge plus the Hand and Trowel as part of the insignia. This is rule No. 161, and one of the oldest, and in the 1926 edition of the Laws and Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of Ireland this rule was renumbered becoming the present number.

The Grand Lodge re-issues numbers of Lodges that have been erased or ceased to exist. This practice is followed in the United States of America by the Grand Lodge, A.F.&A.M., of Virginia and others.

Visiting Brethren may not see the charter or warrant, before they prove themselves. Rule No. 140 covers this, as it states, "No visiting Brother shall be permitted to be present at the opening of any Lodge unless vouched; nor shall he be entitled to admission thereto during the time of labour unless vouched or otherwise qualified to the satisfaction of the Master." As the warrant is displayed in the East there is no way possible for a sojourner to see the same until he qualifies under the rule.

All officers of the Lodge are elected, and the Tyler is not deemed an officer of the Lodge. This is from Rule No. 114, which also states that the office of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same Brother. Elections for officers must be held prior to the 30th of the year so Rule No. 117 implies. Beans are used with which to ballot, and in the case of petitioners, one (1) black bean rejects, as rule No. 127 specifically states. "Beans shall be used for all balloting."

The Master wears a square, and Past Masters wear the letter G surrounded by the square and compasses on their aprons. The Past Master's jewel is the same, only the letter G is suspended by three distinct links of chain suspended from the inferior angle of the compasses.

Candidates must be able to read and write, and it is strictly forbidden to initiate any who cannot. A candidate does not take an obligation as in the United States, but makes a declaration.

Section 2 of rule No. 138 is of interest as it states, "The first or third degree can be conferred on only one candidate at a time, and not more than three of these degrees may be conferred at any one Communication."

There are fines for certain Masonic offenses as prescribed by the regulations, fourteen in number, ranging from five pounds, five shillings, to one shilling. To charge a candidate less than the prescribed fee for initiation draws the maximum fine, and non-attendance at Grand Lodge by a lawful representative draws the minimum.

The Grand Lodge of Ireland provides for the chartering of military Lodges. These bodies are associated with a definite regiment or garrison. Such a Lodge cannot initiate any civilian in any part of the British Dominions if there is a lawfully constituted Lodge existing within ten miles of the place where the civilian resides or where the military Lodge convenes. Also, no civilian Lodge can initiate any enlisted member of the military if there is a chartered Lodge in the regiment or garrison to which the man belongs.

Freemasonry was spread a great deal due to the influence of Irish Military Warrants. Lodge Antiquity No. 1, A.F.&A.M., in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, owes its origin to a military warrant in an English regiment, having derived itself from the Lodge of Social & Military Virtues No. 227, I.C., attached to the 46th Regiment, originally chartered in 1752. This is the oldest Lodge in Australasia, founded January 6, 1820, as Australian Mother Social Lodge No. 260, A.F.&A.M., I.C. It surrendered its Irish warrant and number to become a founding member of the infant Grand Lodge of New South Wales in 1878. It retained the same name but, was given the number 0. In 1888 this Lodge became No. 1 (same name retained), on the rolls of the present United Grand Lodge A.F.& A.M. of New South Wales. When this Lodge celebrated its centennial in 1920 the name was changed to Antiquity. The Grand Lodge of Ireland has since re-issued No. 260 to a Lodge in Ballyearry, Antrim, Ireland.

England sent many of her regiments into Canada after the fall of Quebec in 1795. A few of these regiments had their Masonic Lodges; such as the 47th Regiment had Lodge No. 192; the 48th Regiment, Lodge No. 218; the 15th Regiment, Lodge No. 245; the 43rd Regiment, Lodge No. 136, and one lone artillery regiment had Lodge No. 195, all of the Irish Constitution. The oldest and the most famous being Lodge No. 227 attached to the 46th Regiment, previously mentioned, as it traveled far and wide in its service to the Crown. Antiquity Lodge No. 1, A.F.&A.M., of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, also descended from this military Lodge.

Lodge No. 227 has another tradition, entirely unsubstantiated, that through Washington's intervention the Lodge chest, lost in an engagement with the American troops, was returned to its rightful owners. This was said to have taken place in 1777, in an action in Pennsylvania. This story was the type of tales that were spread during the time of the anti-Masonic period in the United States (1826-40). for a true account of this read, Freemasonry in the Thirteen Colonies, by J. Hugo Tatsch, pages 212 to 214. Also the story as it was concocted appears in, The Facts About George Washington as a Freemason, by the same author, pages 60-61. The other tale of Masonic misinformation connected with Lodge of Social & Military Virtues is that its Masonic chest was captured by the French at the Battle of Bautzen, May 20, 1813, and that it was returned with all the military honours that could be arranged by Napoleon Bonaparte. Guard of Honour, Provost Guard, military and field music, as appropriate, and the troops drawn up in their best. The records prove that the 46th Regiment was then stationed in Sydney, New South Wales, at that time. Pierre Lavoisier in his Histoire Des Loges Armes Napoleon states, "All this is pure fantasy, and is attributed to the wiles of the anti-Masonic party of the United States of America. There is not one iota of proof to the story."

The Prince Hall Lodges owe their foundation to a military Lodge from the Grand Lodge of Ireland. Records of this Grand Lodge show that Prince Hall and others were made Freemasons in Castle William (now Fort Independence), in Boston Harbor, March 6, 1775, by Lodge No. 441 attached to the 38th Foot Regiment.

Irish Lodges conduct their business in a Lodge of Entered Apprentices. The charity lecture of the first degree, as in most countries, appears in the second. However, to hold office, or serve on a committee the member must have attained the degree of Master Mason. There is a variation in the ritual throughout the country, and the method of work differs from this country, with the exception of Pennsylvania that uses a ritual identical to that used in some parts of Ireland.

The work of the Royal Arch is different from the rest of the Capitular workings elsewhere on the globe. One of the officers of the Royal Arch Chapter is called the "Janitor" this is a carry over from the Operative days as Crossle and Lepper state in their History of Masonry in Ireland. In most of the Lodges in the United States the Junior Deacon functions the same as the Janitor. In Massachusetts Lodges there is an officer that corresponds to the Janitor and he is known as the Inside Sentinel. Candidates must be Master Masons of six months standing except in the case of military and naval Brethren, when one month is deemed sufficient. An applicant for the Orders of Chivalry in Ireland must have been a Master Mason of two years standing and have been a Royal Arch Mason for at least six months. The word "Scottish" is not used in Ireland, but the governing body is called the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree of the Ancient & Accepted Rite.

The Cryptic degrees (Council Royal & Select Masters) are not worked in Ireland. Neither are the degrees of Red Cross of Constantine, the Allied Masonic degrees, nor the Royal Order of Scotland.

There is no Shrine (A.A.O.N.M.S), no Grotto (M.O.V.P.E.R.), no Sciots (E.O.S.), no Tall Cedars of Lebanon and no Eastern Star. Masonic Clubs are few indeed, in fact very few indeed, those who operate must have permission of the Grand Master, and this must be secured every year.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Wor. Bro. Lt. Savage, Zubian Lodge No. 647, A.F.&A.M., Belfast, North Ireland

James Stewart, John H. Gault Lodge No. 665, A.F.&A.M., Belfast, North Ireland.

Arthur C. Davis, Lodge Antiquity No. 1, A.F.&A.M., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Fred E. Mason, Great Western Lodge No. 47, A.F.&A.M., Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

John Duggan, P.Z.; P.P.P.; C.D.R.; Noah. For extending the use of the Irish Royal Arch Degree Monitor.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

American Peoples Encyclopedia.

Constitutions, of the Ancient Fraternity of Free & Accepted Masons, under the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales. Containing the Charges, Regulations, Paraphernalia, Accoutrements, and Regalia.

CRAMP, K.R., (PDGM, NSWC): From Jubilee to Diamond Jubilee, history of ten years of the United Grand Lodge of Freemasonry in New South Wales.

DAVIS, HARRY E.: Prince Hall Masonry

DENSLOW, RAY V.: Freemasonry in Western Hemisphere.

DENSLOW: Freemasonry in the Eastern Hemisphere

GASSETT, HENRY: anti-Masonic works, Vols. III, V, VI, VII.

GRAND LODGE, A.F.&A.M. OF IRELAND: Laws and Constitutions.

HOLMES-DALLIMORE, A.: The Three Constitutions. (England, Ireland, Scotland.)

Irish Workings of Craft Masonry, of the Grand Lodge, A.F.&A.M., Irish Constitution.

JONES, BERNARD E.: Freemason's Guide and Compendium.

LAVOISIER, PIERRE: History des Armes Loges Napoleon.

LEPPER AND CROSSLE: History of Freemasonry in Ireland.

MACKEY, ALBERT G.: Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, The Masonic History Company, Chicago.

MASONIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: Miscellany, chapters 3, 6; 1902.

Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution, Vol. VII, p 105.

ROBERTSON, J. Ross: History of Freemasonry in Canada, Vol. II p 667.

STONE, WILLIAM L.: Letters on Anti-Masonry to John Quincy Adams.

TATSCH, J. HUGO: Facts About George Washington as a Freemason

TATSCH: Freemasonry in the Thirteen Colonies, Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company, New York, 1929.

UPTON, WILLIAM H. (PGM Wash.): Prince Hall Letter Book.

UPTON: Negro Masonry.

VOORIS, HAROLD VAN BUREN: Negro Masonry in the United States, Henry Emmerson, New York, 1945.

Rituals from the following Constitutions: Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New South Wales, and North Ireland.

Personal visits to Lodges in Ireland and Australia have helped supplement my research.

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We cannot believe that morality is a fashion, which changes from one year to another, from one place to another, or from one person to another. Masonry teaches that morality is governed by rectitude, at all times, in all places, and by all persons, whithersoever dispersed. Modern psychology has shown that all the decent things we want most are gained by a life of strict morality.

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Chat and Comment

News, achievements and items of interest about our Fellows and Members - Discussion and comment on Mutual Topics.

- Pfan Mail and Observations -

Brother E. J. Franta, M.P.S., was recently honored by being elected as one of two to the Honorary Chapter Farmer degree in the B. E. Groom chapter of Future Farmers of America. This was for service in the community, to agriculture generally, and particularly to the chapter.

This meeting and initiation took place on February 22, last when the chapter marked its fifteenth anniversary with a parents' night program and was held at the Langdon high school, Langdon, North Dakota. The meeting was reported in the March issue of The Masonic Grand Lodge Bulletin of North Dakota. Congratulations to Brother Franta.

* * *

Two areas are showing a healthy and interesting growth in activities relative to the work of the Philalethes Society. A recent letter from Brother Nathan Thompson, M.P.S., at Tulsa, enclosed two new applications for membership, together with the notation that Tulsa Chapter of the Philalethes Society has now adopted a Constitution and By-Laws, and that regular meetings of the group are being held, and plans made for study and co-ordinated work in spreading the activities of the group.

* * *

In New York, Brother Alfred A. Northacker, M.P.S., is likewise organizing a group of interested Masons, planning further expansion, and gathering data by which to study Masonry.

To these Brethren we are offering our sincere congratulations and well wishes for a successful future.

* * *

Brother Harry E.H. Grant, M.P.S., has been appointed as a member of the Committee on Masonic Education of the M.W. Grand Lodge, F.&A.M., of California. This is a well-merited honor, and having done much Masonic research and writing we anticipate that he will now be able to expand his field of usefulness. Sincere congratulations.

* * *

Brother Harry W. Bundy, M.P.S., writes commenting on the editorial, "Brainwashing Masonry," as follows: "I think your idea is correct, but I also think that a bibliography of the Crucifixion, without the absolute proof and the substantiating facts, is pretty good, don't you? Even though the book itself may be a question of being authentic. I think we have to take lots of things in nature and in the constitution of the world and its operation by the Great Architect of the Universe for having started properly, since the matter was in the hands of God originally, and not demand too much proof that He followed orthodox methods in creating the world and bringing His Son into the world for the sake of redeeming the human inhabitants."

With this we must all agree. The only logical method by which we can teach is from faith based on what we believe to be true facts. The disagreement that we made was in taking questionable, illogical or erroneous facts and using them as if they were absolutely authentic. Thank you, Brother Bundy.

* * *

Sam Harris, M.P.S., in commenting on Edwin Knudsen's article on the Washington and Havana meetings says that he only counted 499 doves or pigeons at Havana. Maybe one was flying so many different places he failed to count it. He also approves the proposed emblem of the society, though stating his preference for the old one.

* * *

Ralph S. Davis, M.P.S., commenting on the recent letter of Brother Parkin, who suggested that the editor is too "hard-boiled" in his standards for material to be printed in the magazine, says, "I like your Chat and Comment. I agree with Brother Parkin. You are tough, and I hope you always will be. Keep the sights high and make us come up." No one really wants to be tough. All we want to do is to have the very best Masonic material for our readers. We need your help in doing this - don't let us down."

* * *

In a letter to Brother Harry W. Bundy, M.P.S., which he has graciously sent to us for reading, Brother Louis LeGrange, one of our newest members, and editor of the South African Masonic Journal, Johannesburg, Transvaal, writes:

"I do not know whether I am a pessimist, but the way Masonry is flourishing (I almost said flooding) in this country, is amazing.

"As you know, we have four Constitutions and very many Lodges, yet every Constitution and every Lodge seems to grow by the month. Applicants are coming forward in such numbers that emergency meetings have to be held. If it is a healthy sign, then we have reason to be truly thankful, but Oh! I wonder whether we should not be more careful and keep Freemasonry more exclusive.

"Both the English and Scottish Constitutions are the largest outside of Great Britain and Scotland, and a number of Lodges are shortly to be consecrated."

* * *

We have also learned that the above Brother, Louis LeGrange, has been invested as Deputy Grand Marshal in the District Grand Lodge of the Transvaal and O.F.S. This is a distinct honor, and well deserved.

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IN THE QUARRY

"Freemasonry appeals to me, first, by its fellowship; and next to the home and the House of God, it is the most blessed influence in my life. Its simple and profound faith, its wise and practical philosophy - uniting the wisdom of love with the love of wisdom - illumine my mind, as its genius of fraternity warms my heart. But still more, Masonry appeals to me as an agency for the organization of moral faith, practical brotherhood, and social idealism, the worth and power of which we have not yet realized.... In a day when the brotherhood of the world is broken our ancient and noble Craft has an opportunity, the like of which it has never known before, to use its influence and power to spread that fraternal righteousness without which the future will be as dark as the past." - Joseph Fort Newton.

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Civil War Riots Charged To Masons

By R. H. GOLLMAR, M.P.S.

"A mob broke into the Lodge and destroyed the carpet, chairs, lamps, and various other furniture belonging to the Lodge. Records saved. L. Towsley, Secy."

The foregoing quotation has an all-too-familiar ring to Masonic readers during the last 15 years. We think immediately of the Nazi invasions of Norway, Denmark, Holland, and the more recent disasters to our Lodges that have slipped behind the Iron Curtain as it moved forward.

Any such assumption would be far wide of the mark. This is a quotation from the records of Ozaukee Lodge No. 17, F.&A.M., of Port Washington, Wisconsin, under date of November 10, 1862. I quote further:

"The Lodge room was entered by a mob this day and the Master's carpet was destroyed and other property injured. The records and most of the Lodge papers were saved. The immediate cause was the general feeling against the draft which was to take place this day, many believing that Masons were the cause of the draft. This day will long be remembered by many as the day of the 'Great Ozaukee County Draft Riot.' L. Towsley, Secy."

A brief flashback into United States history is essential at this point. The War between the States that had started as a Congressional picnic at Bull Run had settled down into a grim and bitter struggle. General McClellan was insatiable in his demands for fresh troops. The days of "three-month volunteers" had ended.

In June, 1862, the Union Armies were in retreat Lincoln needed 150,000 men for three years or the duration of the war. A great drive for volunteers failed. On August 4, 1862, the Secretary of War announced a draft of 300,000 men for nine months. Immediately, a stampede occurred. Thousands filed exemption claims or prepared to leave the country; 14,000 applied for passports in New York City in ten days. Aliens who had not completed their citizenship rushed to consulates for proof of their foreign citizenship.

Citizens of draft age were forbidden to leave the country; ships were searched even at sea. One hundred twenty men were removed and returned from one ship. Federal officers were alerted.

Finally a draft procedure was adopted. Drawings were provided for and a machinery set up to permit exemptions. A commissioner was appointed in each county to hear claims for exemption.

The day when conscription was to begin was set. In Wisconsin, September 15th was the day. Resistance was high throughout the nation.

McMaster's History of the People of the United States During Lincoln's Administration, says:

"When the boxes were put upon the table in the courthouse in Port Washington, Wisconsin, the crowd rushed forward, smashed them, chased the commissioner from one place of refuge to another and did so much damage to property that troops were sent to restore order."

This brings us back to Masonry. The commissioner who was chased by the mob, was Benjamin Pors, an officer of Astra Lodge at Port Washington. A few words about Brother Pors at this point.

* * *

Brother Pors was a member of Ozaukee Lodge No. 17. He was a man of fixed ideas who did not hesitate to air his views upon all subjects. His relations with his Brethren in the Lodge were strained to put it mildly. A motion by Brother Pors that the Secretary post in a conspicious place in the Lodge the names of all applicants for admission, was defeated. Our Brother was vociferous and lengthy in his protests. It is not surprising then that we learn that shortly thereafter, on March 1 1858, a petition of Brother Pors and ten others to the Grand Lodge to organize a German Lodge in Port Washington was unanimously granted and Astra Lodge was born.

The two Lodges then lived amicably together until after the riot, when Astra Lodge moved to the nearby community of Cedarburg. An ironic final note on Brother Pors. The records show that in 1867, he demitted from Astra and rejoined Ozaukee.

Now, back to the rioters. The Milwaukee Sentinel of November 13, 1862, printed the following:

"The resistance to the draft in Ozaukee County has assumed quite a serious aspect. Early on Monday morning, the day on which the draft was to take place, processions came into the village and paraded the streets with banners on which was inscribed 'No Draft'. At a predetermined signal, (the firing of two cannons) they marched to the courthouse where they found Commissioner Pors had just commenced operations. The mob immediately attacked the courthouse, the commissioner fled, a part of the mob pursuing him and assaulting him with stones, brickbats and other missiles until he took refuge in the post office. The other part continued their assault on the courthouse and destroyed the papers and other machinery connected with the draft. The commissioner, having escaped the hands of the rioters, they turned around and wrecked vengeance upon several eminent citizens, who had been counselling obedience to the law. Among those assaulted were S.A. White, the county judge; L. Towsley, the district attorney; Judge Downs, registrar of deeds, and A.M. Blair, a leading lawyer. (Note: A.M. Blair was at that time Worshipful Master of Ozaukee Lodge, S.A. White was Senior Warden, pro tem; Judge Downs was the regular Senior Warden, and L. Towsley was Secretary.)

"The rioters then commenced to destroy private property. The house of Commissioner Pors, Mr. Loomis (Senior Deacon of the Lodge) and Mr. Blair were sacked. The house of Commissioner Pors was also visited with particular vengeance. The furniture was smashed and dumped out on the street - jellies, jams and preserves were poured over the Brussels carpet, and ladies' apparel torn into shreds."

Peace and quiet finally settled down on the little village of Port Washington and its Lodges. The Lodge rooms could not be used until December 15th and the final damage report occurs in July of 1865 when the bill for repairs was allowed: a total of $53.43.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

KURT O. SCHNEIDER, SR. History of Ozaukee Lodge No. 17. F.&A.M.

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A Sincere Welcome to Our New Members

Again we take pleasure in extending a cordial and fraternal welcome to all who have joined the society since our last issue of the magazine. We bid you a hearty welcome, and hope that you will become active in our work.

Your attention is also called to the "List of Representatives," showing name and address of those who are our proxies in various parts of the world - use them as you may have need; give them your assistance, and let us work together for the benefit of Masonry.

Our new members are:

L. Franklin Perrin, 5525 South Clarendon, Detroit 4, Michigan.

J. W. Burgess, c/o A.P.E. Company, 4 Korai Street, Athens, Greece.

Henry S. C. Cummings, 33 Oak Hill Street, Newton Centre, Mass.

Joseph E. Swift Teal, 1017 Central Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois.

Sam H. Dapin, 1253 South Keeler Avenue, Chicago 23, Ill.

Albin C. Anderson, 8637 - 253rd Street, Bellerose 26, New York. John S. Benner, 112 Charlotte Street, Washington, North Carolina.

Clarence D. Phillips, 1485 S. W. Cardinell Drive, Portland 1, Oregon.

Harold E. Woodland, Box 400, Courtnay, British Columbia, Canada.

Sidney C. Heckbert, Drawer 1999, Vermilion, Alberta, Canada.

Willard A. Barney, 211 Riverview Avenue, North Arlington, New Jersey.

William Edward Burrier, 2733 Picardy Place, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Chester Ernest Lee, 6933 LaJolla Boulevard, LaJolla, California.

Dr. E. van der Vlugt, 23 a Lange Voorhout, The Hague, Holland. Edward L. Bergstrom, Pennsylvania Apartments, 116 - 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, Montana.

Ralph R. Waters, 2746 Marlborough Avenue, Redwood City, California.

Louis LeGrange, 44 Union Road, Boksburg, Transvaal, South Africa.

Fred A. Gokenbach, 226 West Ripa Street, Lemay 23, Missouri.

Tom N. Pack, "Lychgate," 95 First Avenue, Farlington, Portsmouth, England.

David W. Moss, 208 East 34th Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Harry J. Parrish, 4207 South Oswego, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Earl F. Merrymon, Box 869, Glasgow, Montana.

Joseph F. Cardell, 5828 Cardwell Avenue, Chicago 30, Illinois.

J.G. Johnson, Box 563, Choteau, Montana.

Thomas R. Anderton, 287 Long Beach Avenue, York Beach, Maine.

We also welcome the following

NEW SUBSCRIBERS:

William O. Greene, 447 Marston Court, Detroit, Michigan.

Western Springs Lodge No. 1136, A.F.&A.M., c/o Dana W. Ballard, 1219 Chestnut Street, Western Springs, Illinois.

Masonic Round Table Club of Great Falls, c/o J. J. Morris, 1003 4th Ave. North, Great Falls, Montana.

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THESE ARE YOUR REPRESENTATIVES

In the United States

Arizona - James R. Malott, Box 351, Globe.

Arkansas - Dr. Francis J. Scully, Medical Arts Bldg., Hot Springs.

California - Victor L. Jones, 226 E. Alameda Ave., Burbank.

Colorado - Edward E. Hedblom. 1770 Sherman Ave., Denver 5.

Connecticut - Robert H. Nisbet, South Kent.

Delaware - Chester R. Jones, Masonic Temple, Wilmington.

Dist. of Columbia - Carl H. Claudy, 700 - 10th St., N.W., Washington, D. C.

Georgia - William B. Schwartz, P.O. Box 1123, Atlanta.

Illinois - Ralph S. Davis, 315 Wisconsin Ave., Oak Park.

Indiana - James Scofield, 722 Conkey Street. Hammond.

Iowa - Realff Ottesen, 910 Davenport Bank Bldg., Davenport.

Kansas - Floran A. Rodgers, P.O. Box 707, Wichita 1.

Kentucky - Wvile B. Wendt 2346 Emerson Ave. Louisville.

Louisiana - Lee Harris, P. O. Box 404, Alexandria.

Maine - Thomas B. Anderton, 287 Long Beach Avenue, York Beach.

Maryland - Charles G. Reigner, 4035 Belle Ave. Baltimore.

Massachusetts - Frank H. Wilson, 27 Bevelly St. Melrose 76.

Michigan - James Fairbairn Smith, New Masonic Temple

Minnesota - William E. Pool, 207 Van Brunt St., Mankato.

Mississippi - Rev. Allen Cabaniss, University, Miss.

Missouri - Herbert A. Gast, 9743 Tesson Ferry Road, St. Louis.

Montana - Frank E. Van Demark, Cut Bank.

Nebraska - Harold H. Thom, 2315 Ogden Ave., Omaha.

Nevada - Harry H. Leavitt, Box 1, Gardenville.

New Hampshire - Nick A. Karagianis, 17 Warren St. Concord

New Jersey - Norman I. Morris, 330 Mount Prospect, Newark 4.

New Mexico - John C. Kost, Jr., Roswell.

New York - Alfred A. Northacker, 1055 New York Ave., Brooklyn 3.

North Carolina - Frederick W.E. Cullingford, 2027 Central Ave., Charlotte.

North Dakota - Edward. J. Franta. Langdon.

Ohio - G.A. McComb, 3615 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.

Oklahoma - Dr. John C. Hubbard, 1501 N.E. 11th St., Oklahoma City.

Oregon - Victor E. Vieira, P. O. Box 51, Grants Pass.

Pennsylvania - William J. Paterson, Masonic Tempe, Broad and Filbert Streets, Philadelphia

Rhode Island - Frank H. WiIson, 27 Beverly St., Beverly 76, Mass.

South Dakota - E.F. Strain, Sioux Falls.

Tennessee - Charles A. Rond, 3200 Cowden Ave., Memphis.

Texas - Ethan A. Wells, Scottish Rite Temple El Paso.

Utah - Stuart Dobbs, 812 David Eccles Bldg.,

Washington - Robelt B. Anderson, 1325 N. 167th St. Seattle

West Virginia - Edwin E. Greener, 4069 Cambronne St., Pittsburgh. Pa.

Wisconsin - Walter H. Braun, 2327 N. Holton St., Milwaukee.

Wyoming - Charles C. Lindsay. 500 W. 31st St., Cheyenne.

Other Countries

At-Large - Norman C. Dutt, 525 Nelson St. Berkeley, California.

Central Canada - Sam Harris, High Prairie Alberta.

Chile - Sergio G. Parody, Ave. B. O'Higgins, Santiago

East Canada - Charles E. Holmes, 294 St. Catherine St., W., Montreal.

England - Captain William F. Scalding, "Aylmerton," 123 The Chine, Grange Park London, N. 21, England.

French West Africa - Harry B. DePriest Boite Postale N 227, Dakar, (Senegal)

Holland - Dr. E. van der Vlugt, 23 a Lange Voorhout, The Hague.

Mexico - William M. Coddington P.O. Box 111 Edinburg, Texas.

New Zealand - Dr. Ross Hepburn, 5 Ham Road Riccarton. Christchurch, N.W. 3

Philippines - Antonio Gonzales, 140 Gunao Manila.

Scotland - Georgo Prentice, 10 Roman Drive Motherwell Road , Bellshill, Lanarkshire.

South Africa - James Stephen Dunn P.O. Box 111, Kimberley.

Sweden - Carl A. Friman, Box 5058, Gothenburg

West Canada - L. Healey, 1138 Nelson St., Vancouver 5, B.C.

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Pertinent Facts For Prospects

ITS NAME - THE PHILALETHES SOCIETY.

ITS PURPOSE - To give opportunity for Masonic Fellowship and Research. A means of Masonic Discussion.

ITS MEMBERSHIP - Fellows, Members elected for merit.

Members, All Masons who are interested in exchanging ideas and studying Masonry. Subscribers, Groups and persons interested in the activities of the Society.

HOW TO JOIN - Membership is by recommendation of a Member, the submission of an application blank, and the payment of fees and dues.

ITS COST - Joining fee (all groups) $3.00.

Annual dues:

Members $5.00 annually.

Subscribers $3.00 annually.

ITS BENEFITS - Receipt of all publications of the Society, including THE PHILALETHES Magazines, published bi-monthy.

WHOM TO CONTACT - Any Fellow or Member of the Society or Arthur H. Triggs, First Vice President, 2117 Funston Place, Oakland 2, Calif.

WHOM TO PAY - LAWTON E. MEYER, Executive Secretary P. O. Box 402, St. Louis, Missouri

FOR FURTHER HELP - See list of REPRESENTATIVES in each State and Foreign country, from whom additional information may be obtained without obligation. These are YOUR representatives - make use of them!

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Who's Who in Government

In a list compiled from Grand Secretaries, the Congressional Record, Who's Who, direct inquiry, etc., the Masonic Service Association of the United States has compiled an invaluable resume of the Masonic standing (if any), of the President, Vice President, Cabinet, Justices of the Supreme Court, Senators and Representatives of the 84th Congress, together with the Governors and Lieutenant-Governors of the several states.

It is informative, and by permission of the Masonic Service Association, we are condensing and tabulating this data, that all may know Who's Who in Government.

Neither President Dwight D. Eisenhower nor Vice President Richard M. Nixon are Masons.

Of the President's Cabinet of thirteen members, give are Masons - Secretary of Defence, Charles E. Wilson; Secretary of the Navy Robert B. Anderson; Secretary of the Interior, Douglas McKay; Secretary of Commerce, Sinclair Weeks, and Postmaster - General Arthur E. Summerfield. None of the other eight members of the President's Cabinet are Masons.

All the members of the United States Supreme Court are Masons, with the single exception of Justice Felix Frankfurter. Earl Warren, Chief Justice, is a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge, F.& A.M., of California.

Turning to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, together with the Governors and Lieutenant-Governors of the several states (if the political systems of the states have Lieutenant - Governors), we find that seven states have Governors, Lieutenant-Governors, both Senators, and one or more members of the House of Representatives, who are Masons - truly a full house. These several states are: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, South Dakota and Tennessee.

There is only one state - Delaware, in which neither of the Senators, nor Representatives, and neither the Governor nor Lieutenant-Governor are Masons.

There are twenty-one states in which both United States Senators - namely: Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, are listed as Masons. In California, Senator Thomas H. Kuchel is listed as an Entered Apprentice Mason.

Fifteen states list but one Senator who is a Mason: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Virginia. Washington and Wisconsin.

Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming list no Senator who is a Mason.

In listing members of the House of Representatives who are Masons, the report shows the following:

Three states list one Representative who is a Mason.

Seven states list two who are Masons.

Five states list three who are Masons.

Four states list four who are Masons.

Five states list five who are Masons.

Three states list six who are Masons.

Six states list seven who are Masons.

One state each, list respectively eight, nine, eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen Representatives who are Masons.

Nine states - Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming - have no representative who is a Mason.

The District of Columbia is governed by three Commissioners, one of whom, M.W. Brother Renah F. Camalier, is a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of the District of Columbia.

Looking at our list of Governors and Lieutenant-Governors we are confronted with the fact that nine states do not have in their political set-up, the office of Lieutenant-Governor namely: Arizona. Florida, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and West Virginia. With this in mind, the statistics show that eighteen states (five of which include the above-named, which do not have Lieutenant-Governors), have 100 per cent Masonic affiliation in the gubernatorial branch of the government of their states namely: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia (whose Lieutenant - Governor, Ernest Vandiver is listed as an Entered Apprentice Mason), Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia (whose Lieutenant-Governor, A.E.S. Stevens, is likewise listed as an Entered Apprentice Mason), and Wyoming.

Eleven states list the Lieutenant-Governor as a Mason, with one (Vermont), also stating that the Lieutenant-Governor is a woman.

Ten states show neither Governor nor Lieutenant-Governor listed as Masons: Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania Rhode Island, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The statistics contained in the valuable study made by the Masonic Service Association are worth preserving, and may be ordered by writing:

MASONIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION

700 Tenth Street, N.W.,

Washington 1, D. C.

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MULTIPLICITY OF DEGREES

In England, in accordance with ancient practice, only three Degrees are recognized - Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. However, on the continent the list was swelled out to the enormous category of twenty Degrees of Apprentice, twenty-three of Fellowcraft, and sixty of Master.

Although such innovations were prevalent in France and Germany and found their way secretly into England, yet they received no sanction from Masonic authorities, and the Fraternity was cautioned to beware how they introduced any of the foreign fallacies into their Lodge. In many cases, however, curiosity prevailed over expediency, and individuals received them as genuine Masonic truths, and had no little pride in their acquisition.

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Whence Came The Spiritual Wisdom of the Ages

By CHARLES P. BARRETT, M.P.S.

Was the Carpenter of Nazareth an initiate; was He a member of a Masonic Order; and what is the significance in the fact, that, "Jesus was made an High Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedek?"

Jesus was definitely identified with the Great School of the Masters and Himself became a master in the highest and most exalted concept of the word.

What is the Great School of the Masters?

The Great School of the Masters - by whatsoever name it has been known in the world - is that great central source and reservoir of knowledge (religious, philosophical, moral, physical, spiritual and psychical) which the best intelligences of all ages have intuitively sensed and definitely accepted as the great beneficent, constructive, uplifting and progressive influence in the evolution of mankind from spiritual infancy and darkness to soul maturity and illumination.

Where was Jesus in the interval between the time He disappeared at the interesting age of thirteen and returned eighteen years later as a master?

The records of the Great School contain a detailed account of His life and work as a student of the masters during that remarkable interval. To this school He went for His spiritual instruction. In it He spent the years of His special preparation. From it He went forth to preach the gospel of peace on earth and good will to men. For the cause it represents He labored and suffered and died.

It is definitely known that Albert Pike, during his great work of formulating the ritualistic ceremonials and dramatic presentations of the Scottish Rite degrees, came into a personal acquaintance and temporary fellowship with one of the inner members of the Great School of the Masters.

Besides our own Master, Jesus, who were some of the other great masters who were commissioned by the Great School to bring its message of life, light and immortality to the world?

Confucius, Zoroaster, Buddha, Moses, Christna, Eliola, and Melchizedek. These are a few of the individual masters (there are many others) who arose in the world's esteem to the dignity of "master" and left the sublime influence of their lives and teachings upon the world. They were held by the Great School worthy to speak the great message of truth to the world, as far as they had received the instruction.

The records of the Great School are the oldest at this time known to man. For thousands of years this school has influenced the civilization and work of every great nation of earth and, with unceasing labor, its members have toiled in secrecy and in obscurity for the advance of the human race from ignorance to knowledge and from darkness to Light.

A definite inquiry among the leading Masonic writers of today will disclose the interesting fact that the existence of this great source of Masonic, moral, scientific and spiritual knowledge and wisdom is almost universally acknowledged among the members of the Order of Speculative Masonry everywhere. Prior to the birth of modern Speculative Masonry in 1717, there has existed, ever and always, a central source of scientific, moral knowledge and spiritual wisdom from which have emanated that silent, intangible, all-pervasive constructive and progressive spirit and impulse which have constituted the evolutionary urge that has kept the great underlying body of humanity moving forward on an upward incline, leading onward toward morality spiritual life and psychic illumination.

What is the modern counterpart of the Great School of the Masters?

A modern movement known as the Great School of Natural science was launched by the Great Parent School of the Masters to give to the progressive intelligence of the twentieth century a definite and scientific presentation of the philosophy of individual life as taught by its members throughout all the past ages.

This modern movement is the modern message-bearer instituted by the masters as the vehicle through which they may make a gift of their instruction to the people of this scientific age.

Of all the initiates of the twentieth century, who wore the spotless badge of a Master Mason with more credit to himself and with more honor to the Fraternity? - that modern master of the law Brother John E. Richardson.

If the Master, Jesus, received His instruction from the Great School of the Masters, and, if the Chinese master, Confucius; the great Oriental masters, Christna and Buddha: the Persian prophet and master, Zoroaster; the Grecian or Egyptian master, Pythagoras, and the great master minds of Greece, such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, all received their knowledge from sources emanating from the Great School and, if this school is in existence at this time, how may one come to a knowledge thereof?

The lineal key of the Great School is revealed in Brother Richardson's masterpiece, The Great Message.

This modern movement is the open sesame to the spiritual wisdom of the ages. It has opened the door to the temple of light.

----o----

THE LIBERAL SCIENCES

In ancient Masonry the study of the several liberal sciences was strongly recommended; and their origin was attributed to Euclid. The following passage from an ancient Masonic MS. will illustrate this:

Through hye grace of Crist yn heven,

He (Euclid) commensed yn the syens seven;

Grammatica ys furste syens y-wysse

Dialectica the secunde so have y-blysse,

Rethorica the thrydde, withoute nay,

Musica ys the fowrhte, as y you say,

Actromia ys the v, by my snowte,

Arsmetica the vi, withoute dowte,

Gemetria the seventhe maketh an ende,

For he ys bothe meke and hende.

- Sandusky "Masonic Bulletin."

----o----

Waiting for a Street Car

By FRED A. GOKENBACH, M.P.S.

I saw a metal rack, on a brick pillar of the shelter, at the south end of the Broadway car line. The word "FREE" caught my eye - and looking for something for nothing, I chose from the rack, a 24-page booklet, by The Queens Work printed in 1951, entitled, "The Church Unconquerable," written by Francis Dudley.

Father Dudley proved interesting, until page 21, and here he became most interesting; under "Grim Enemies" it reads as follows:

"But for the lusts of Luther and Henry VIII and their followers it is questionable whether the tragedy of the Reformation would ever have come about, for their lusts were certainly its occasion. The first Protestants were bad Catholics - apostate traitors to the Mother who bore them.

"It would seem in these later days that Satan and his evil angels are preparing a further scheme, in spite of all their failures in the past. The steady growth of spiritism of occultism and above all, of Godless Humanitarianism, all points to an increased activity of the powers of evil.

"Why do the adherents of these movements so continually stress two words? Those words are Light and Man (with a big M). The word Light 'means the Light of Nature as opposed to the Light of Christ; Reason as opposed to Revelation. The word Man means Humanity as opposed to God.' Do these movements stand for something that is forming against the Church of God ?

* * * *

There is a carefully formed framework to be found in Freemasonry - a supreme pontiff, a hierarchy, a temple, ceremonial worship, degrees of initiation, a creed. This planned framework is an antithesis to God's plan for his Church. It is a deliberate plan of worship. It is naturalism as opposed to supernaturalism.

"Comte, the founder of humanitarianism, some ninety years ago put forward such a scheme himself. His idea, propagated by the leaders of rationalism, has now infiltrated into the minds of millions - the idea of a system in which humanity is to occupy the place that God occupies in the Catholic Church. In Freemasonry we find the framework ready for its realization. Remember Freemasonry is our deadly enemy. It is Freemasonry in Mexico, in France, and I believe, in Russia, too."

I was only waiting for a street car, but you could hardly call the Church of Father Dudley a friend of Freemasonry. Could you?

After I boarded the street car the desire to answer this tirade of half-truths gripped me. Because during the Reformation, Masonry severed its connection with Catholicism, and in 1723 it severed itself, once and for all, from any one church or sect, making itself forever free from any system of theology. It unites men in a common, eternal, religious viewpoint, in which all men can agree, each retaining his own opinion. And this seems to be a worthy demonstration of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man.

The creed of Masonry represents: 1. There is one God, the Father of all men. 2. The Holy Bible is the Great Light in Masonry, and the rule and guide for faith and practice. 3. Man is immortal. 4. Character determines destiny. 5. Love of man, next to love of God, is man's first duty. 6. Prayer, communion of man with God, is helpful. 7. Masonry teaches man to practice charity and benevolence, to protect chastity, to respect the ties of blood and friendship, to adopt the principles and revere the ordinances of religion, to assist the feeble, guide the blind, raise up the downtrodden, shelter the orphan, guard the altar, support our government, inculcate morality, promote learning, love man, love and fear God implore His mercy and hope for happiness. Does this sound godless, communistic or as a framework for humanity to replace God?

Segregation by reason of color of skin is no different than segregation by reason of color of religious viewpoint. Has the rack of the inquisition been replaced by a new rack of inquisition - the rack of free books of hate?

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Irreligious Libertine

By ALPHONSE CERZA, F.P.S., President

The Philalethes Society

The most famous Masonic book ever published is probably The Constitutions of the Free-Masons, by Dr. James Anderson, issued in 1723. This book, among other things, contains a summary of the Ancient Charges of a Freemason; the first of these Charges set forth in the book bears the title, "Concerning God and Religion," has been quoted innumerable times, and is familiar to all reading Masons. The first sentence reads as follows:

"A Mason is oblig'd, by his Tenure, to obey the moral law; and if he rightly understand the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist, nor an irreligious Libertine."

(The words "Atheist" and "Libertine" are printed in the original edition in dark, special-faced type for emphasis.)

Modern readers are inclined to read this sentence in the light of today's definition of these words. Since words change their meanings with the passage of time it is important to study their meaning as of the time they were written. We take particular notice of the term "irreligious Libertine" because these words had a special meaning in the days of our illustrious Brother, James Anderson.

Today the word "libertine" is used to describe one who is of loose moral character, or of dissolute habits, or who engages in habitual licentiousness. Such a man, of course, cannot become a Mason. Although this was true in 1723, when Anderson published his book, the word was used by him in a different sense.

The word "libertine" is derived from the Latin word liberatinus; it meant a freedman, a man who had been in bondage and was made free; sometimes the word was used to describe the son of a freedman. In the early sixteenth century certain antinomian sects that arose in Europe were called The Libertines; the term was designed to be one of derision. The word was also used to describe the liberal party in Geneva that was opposed to the strict rules of John Calvin; but the word when used by Calvin referred to the Anabaptists whose doctrines he denounced as pantheistic. As a result, the word "libertine" came to be applied generally to anyone who held free and loose opinions about religious matters.

Here are a few examples of the not too many years before 1723. In the year 1698, the following was written: "The Libertines, and Profane Spirits of the Age are apt to Reason or rather Mutiny against the Ways of God." The following appeared in a history published in 1704: "His design was to abolish all Religion . . . and establish Atheism and Libertinism leaving everybody to their Liberty of believing what they pleased."

It would appear that the word came to be applied to one who did not believe in revealed religion, to one who scoffed at religious truth, to one who denied faith, to one who doubted religious truth. It is easy to see how it was but a short step to apply the word to one who had loose morals for the loss of religious faith leads to base moral conduct.

It is worthy of note that the word "libertine" appears once in the King James Version of the Holy Bible; it is in Acts 6:9 which reads as follows: "Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen." The Revised Standard Version has recognized the current change in meaning of the word "libertine." This current edition of the Holy Book translates Acts 6:9 as follows: "Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cy-re'ni-ans, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cili'cia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen."

It is significant that the word "irreligious" was placed by Dr. Anderson before the word "liberline." It indicates that he was using the word in the restricted sense as understood by the people of his day.

The fact that the term "irreligious Libertine" was used in the paragraph of Dr. Anderson's book that referred to religion together with the consideration of the historical use of the word indicates that in 1723 the word was used as describing those who had loose thoughts on religious matters. He wished to emphasize that those who scoffed at religious truth, or doubted religious matters, were disqualified from becoming Masons.

Clearly the word was not used in the sense that it is understood today. This is further illustrated by the fact that the behavior of a Mason is treated elsewhere in Anderson's book.

----o----

A MASON

By MILFORD E. SHIELDS, M.P.S.

A Mason's hand is on the plow,

His heart is in the sky;

With honest sweat upon his brow

He prays to God on high.

A Mason labors for mankind,

He tills the common soil

Wherein the world may truly find

God's minute-men of toil.

A Mason sings the ringing song

Of truth and brotherhood;

All men can hear it loud and long,

This ringing song of good.

A Mason dreams the simple dreams

That brighten up life's way,

The dreams where light of heaven gleams

Across the night and day.

A Mason turns the human sod

With all his humble might;

A Mason points man up to God

With dignity and light.

----o----

Those who are really awake to the sights and sounds which the procession of the months offer them, find endless entertainment and instruction. Yet there are great multitudes who are present at as many as threescore and ten performances, without ever really looking at the scenery, or listening to the music, or observing the chief actors.

- Oliver Wendel Holmes.

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More Light on King Solomon

By EDWARD E. MARCUS. M.P.S.

Inherent in the concepts of Freemasonry is a profound appreciation of creative effort, embodied not merely in repeated expressions of respect for skill of the Craftsman but in the fundamental reverence accorded to the Supreme Architect. We Masons recognize good work, true work, square work whenever we encounter it. This work may be the work of the hands, as in perfecting the stones taken from the quarry, or it may be the work of the mind, in the form of the creation of designs for the trestleboard.

It is imperative that we should also recognize the creative aspects of good government, since the overseers of the work should be chosen from the most skillful of the workmen and above the overseers there must of necessity be a hierarchy of capable administrators to plan and organize the carrying-out of the intent of the Architect.

Is it not, then, a sign of mental confusion that we acknowledge and honor as one of our three most ancient Grand Masters a ruler who was not a good governor, who was in fact a squanderer of the resources of his people, who was an oppressor and an exploiter of forced labor, whose character and morals were far below the standards we set for admission into our Order, whose wisdom though proverbial was in fact a delusion arising from the pride of "a provincial people" bedazzled by his magnificence and pomp, and who not only showed less than fitting devotion to the God of his fathers but was not the recipient of the trust and affection of that Deity? For these are facts concerning Solomon, King of Israel, which are attested by the Bible itself.

Is it disloyalty to the precepts of our Order to believe these things concerning one of the three who, we are informed, knew the Master's Word and therefore had the power to dispense it to those who were worthy of receiving it? Not at all, since there can be no conflict between light in Masonry and truth, which are one and the same thing.

Is it not probable that King Solomon has been misunderstood and maligned by those who did not have sufficient light, who did not understand the august nature of his earthly mission - his character blackened and his motives distorted as have been those of many a worthy Brother Master Mason since that day? Again, not at all, for time has exonerated those who have been unjustly accused of crimes against mankind; witness the example of the martyred DeMolay.

But time has not exculpated the extravagant and despotic monarch of the Hebrews, who inherited a kingdom arduously established and extended by Saul and David, a kingdom that according to the processes of history should have spread its boundaries and influence and flourished mightily among the nations of the ancient world, but which he corrupted and left so physically and morally bankrupt that it split asunder after his death rapidly deteriorated, and relatively soon vanished from the rolls of the past.

Here was a prince who could have set a standard of such moral excellence, sober conduct, and noble and enlightened rulership that his example might have served as an inspiration for humanity to the end of time. The stage was right for it. The eyes of the Christian, Jewish, and Moslem worlds today are still riveted upon the situation in the ancient kingdom of David. There is, it almost seems, a hush among the audience as that particular scene of history commences, an expectation of glorious events about to occur, of great promise about to unfold into reality.

A race of slaves - not free men - had come out of Egypt. Carrying the chest that contained the tangible evidence of its favor with the Lord - the omer of manna, the rod of Aaron, the Book of the Law - they had established themselves as free men in the land promised to the seed of Abraham and were ready to live in peace according to His commandments, to serve Him without fear in holiness and in righteousness. Surely this people's might was invincible and its future assured! The strong, yet gentle and pious David was asleep with his fathers. What rich fruit would now blossom on the tree of his people? We almost hold our breath in anticipation, as our feeling of suspense mounts.

What rich fruit? Listen to the words of a modern Biblical scholar: "The truth is that Solomon was a spendthrift who did not pay his bills. Over a period of years, Hiram of Tyre loaned this royal four-flusher $3,750,000 on the collateral of twenty towns in Galilee. When Hiram finally called the loans he discovered that Solomon could not pay and that the collateral was worthless (I Kings: 9: 10 - 14) . . . Solomon destroyed the liberties of Israel. When the king's building operations were at their peak, in addition to the Canaanite slaves, 30,000 free men of Israel were forced from their farms and transported to Lebanon to assist in cutting timber. In the quarries near at hand were 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 hewers of stone, many of them Israelites whose fathers had been free men since time immemorial (I Kings: 5: 13- 16). Then fell the taxes with crushing force - a tenth of the grain crops and the vineyards, a tenth of the cattle; at last, bold confiscation of the best lands in the kingdom: and worse still, the seizure of a man's slaves, and then his children, and then himself (I Samuel: 8:11-18)."

Could these be acts of the man we venerate as the founder of Masonry! Behold - he was not even a believer in the true Creator; he was not a monotheist! He was a worshiper of Shemosh, god of the Moabites, and of Moloch, abomination of the Ammonites, to whom human sacrifices were offered (I Kings: 11:4-8). He was a monster with a thousand women in his harem, mostly foreign women, with strange gods whose ways he followed.

He spent thirteen years building a huge palace for himself but only seven building the Temple of which Masons are so proud (I Kings: 7:1; 6:38). The Temple was not the biggest building constructed in ancient times; it was in fact smaller than the private residence of King Solomon. By contrast, the house of that other ancient Grand Master, Hiram, King of Tyre, who supplied the craftsmen and overseers to build Solomon's splendid edifice, was of modest dimensions. Hiram of Tyre was an upright figure in the best Masonic tradition, whose brotherly love for King David led him into an undertaking with the latter's son, Solomon, that he must have regretted embarking upon.

After Solomon died, his kingdom collapsed. His legacy to his heirs was a depression that lasted for three hundred years. Spiritually, Israel never recovered from the debasing influence that its reputedly "wise" and pious sovereign had introduced into his realm. Instead of great drama, the spectacle of Solomon's rule was one of silly and sorry comedy, and after witnessing his many follies, we are compelled to mourn for what might have been.

Yet this is the man whose greatness Freemasons universally celebrate - or do we? Let us also consider a few other points, perhaps unrelated to the foregoing, but certainly significant ones about Solomon. Let us remember that the Supreme Architect did not originally intend us to have a king for a Grand Master; He was forced by the blindness of His people to change his designs for them. The Lord had warned the people of Israel what their kings were going to be like (I Samuel: 8:7-18).

Let us also recollect that David, though he was a king, was close to God; he humbled himself and hearkened to His word, received both directly and from the prophet Nathan; whereas God was so wroth with Solomon on account of his faithlessness that he raised up adversaries against him and wrested his kingdom from his sons.

Let us reflect that the generations of David came to include both Zerubbabel, reconstructor of the Temple, and One who came still later, who had in himself such power that He could restore the Temple within three days. (Luke 3:23-28). These descendants of David were not through the line of King Solomon; the stone that was head of the corner had been rejected by the Builder; a strange yet meaningful reversal of the prophecy.

Now, perhaps, we are able to better comprehend this great Masonic mystery; that Solomon knew the Word, yet he could not reveal it. It was not given unto him to disclose this piece of wisdom to Master Masons, because he was not a suitable vehicle. He had no wisdom in his heart to dispense to mankind. To be sure, the ostensible reason was the agreement between the three Grand Masters, but why should there have been need for any such agreements Was it that the Tyrian Hiram distrusted Solomon and forced him, as a condition for helping him, to agree to this means of safeguarding the treasured secret? Can we not see that this was the nature of the divine design, that from this king in whom so much promise of good went unheeded and scorned there must be taken the right to bestow this reward upon the real craftsmen? He was not worthy of it, and this was symbolical of his still greater loss - that he was not destined to be the ancestor of Him who built the second Temple and Him who gave True Light to the world. Such a man could furnish only a substitute for the right Word, as his life and reign were only substitutes for what they should have been.

Yet it was necessary, once the Architect's designs were changed, that King Solomon should have become our first Grand Master, and it is fitting and proper that we respect him as such. For in respecting him, we are yielding respect to constituted government, which is always as imperfect as the men of whom it consists, yet which is necessary to effect the carrying-out of every common enterprise of human society. Beyond this, we are symbolically recognizing the perfectability of human nature, in that we must start with a crude and often an unsuitable instrument and from it proceed to fashion better and better working tools.

The first model of any instrument is always almost unserviceable for the purposes for which it was contrived, but it encompasses the promise of the models to come. Witness the poor flying qualities of the first airplane; it remained aloft for only a few minutes. But what have we done with that plane? Have we turned away from it with contempt after heaving it among the rubbish? No, we have enshrined it in a museum, where we preserve it with reverence, for it was the forerunner of the swift and mighty vessels that traverse today's skies. Just so have we enshrined old King Solomon at the heart of Freemasonry, for he was the forerunner of the better vessels that were to follow.

He was a great king, though a very mortal man, precisely because of the promise that was not fulfilled in him. The house eternal in the heavens was erected without the work of hands. Could King Solomon have been reasonably expected to realize that his Temple was not built agreeably to the designs on the divine trestleboard, that it was only a symbol for that real House? The first Temple had to be built before it could be destroyed and thereby shown to be unworthy as a repository of the hopes of men. Solomon was its builder. We owe him his due; other monarchs have had far less exalted aims than to build a house for God.

Thus it is that Masons who support liberal forms of government who believe so consistently in human freedom that they do not admit to their ranks any whose admission is not fully of their own free will and accord, who seek the true Word and further Light, revere this ancient tyrant and enslaver of free men. Thus it is that we represent him even as an avenger and raiser of the down-fallen. He is for us the symbol of human majesty, vain, inconstant and mistaken in its objects, perverse in its ways, but a builder of things often far better than it knows. Without the King of Israel, as well as him of Tyre, our third great founder would not have had the opportunity to do his work, and only he was qualified to pass on to us the Master's Word. We honor him most by paying honor to Solomon.

----o----

Of the many forms of the cross the swastika is the most ancient. Notwithstanding the theories and speculations of scholars, its origin is really unknown. This symbol has been found in all parts of the world. It came into being before history, and it may properly be classed as prehistoric, so ancient it is. The swastika, syastika, or suastika, the first form being now generally accepted as the English spelling, is thus defined in Littre's French Dictionary: "A mystic figure used by several East Indian sects. It was equally well known to the Brahmins and Buddhists. Most of the rock inscriptions in the Buddhist caverns in the west of India are preceded or followed by the holy sign of the swastika.

----o----

Ancient Accepted Rite, 33d England and Wales

By ALFRED A. NORTHACKER, M.P.S.

The Supreme Council, 33d, Ancient and Accepted Rite for England and Wales was instituted by warrant from the Supreme Council, 33d, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America, dated October 26, rose, almost one hundred ten years ago.

Insofar as adherence to the English Constitution of the Scottish Rite is concerned, they do not compare with the Scottish Rite in the United States. For example, they limit membership of their thirty-third degree to Inspectors General of Districts in England, Wales and overseas (Australia, India, New Zealand and South Africa) with only a few additional special elections. They also limit their thirty-second degree to only two hundred fifty, including home and overseas Districts, vacancies being allotted in proportion to the numbers of Chapters in the various Districts. In the thirty-first degree, they limit their membership in the same way to six hundred.

Apart from the thirty-third, thirty-second and thirty-first degrees, which are all worked directly by their Supreme Council, they have subordinate bodies in England, Wales and overseas known as Chapters. These run their own affairs under the general supervision of the Supreme Council. The only degree which the Chapters work in full is the eighteenth degree, but in the Chapters, immediately prior to receiving the eighteenth degree, the candidate is given the fourth to the seventeenth degrees, inclusive, in short lecture form, as they work none of these degrees in full. The thirteenth degree is worked in full only by the Supreme Council, although Districts overseas are often given authority by the Supreme Council to work this degree also. Here again, the candidate before receiving the thirtieth degree, receives the nineteenth through twenty-nineth degrees, in short lecture form. This conferral taking place on the same day or night. It should be noted, however, that no member can be elected to the thirtieth degree until he has proven himself worthy by having completed one year as Sovereign of a Chapter. If I add that I do not think their adherence at home in England and Wales and overseas exceeds more than eighteen thousand in four hundred and fifty active Chapters because they restrict membership of the Ancient and Accepted Rite rather than encourage it, you will appreciate the great difference there is between the Rite in England and what we are accustomed to here in the United States.

They are, of course, one of the bodies recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England and inasmuch as they are so careful regarding membership numbers, it is very often the same Brethren who are interested in and hold offices in the various branches of English Freemasonry whether it be Craft Masonry, Royal Arch Masonry, the Royal Order of Scotland, the Temple, the Order of Constantine, or the Ancient and Accepted Rite. Nevertheless, as is the case with us in the States, they are very careful to keep each branch separate and distinct which is all the more necessary over there when in bodies such as the Royal Order of Scotland and the Ancient and Accepted Rite, they take a lot of care to select their members, and do not encourage large numbers.

The building at No. 10 Duke Street, in the St. James section of London, which houses the Supreme Council, is a modest edifice of English architecture and contains three Masonic Halls, the one in the semibasement being the main Temple with an organ-loft. The administrative offices consist of two rooms on the first floor, one of which is the Council room and the other the Grand Secretary-General's office. On the ground floor is found the library and museum which is very cramped for space, although in addition to equipment usually found in this type of room, many relics of the Rite used in yester-year can also be seen. This room or Hall, as it is known, is also used for meetings of Craft, Mark, Knight Templar groups, etc.

The Grand Secretary-General Colonel and Illustrious Brother Ernest George Dunn, D.S.O., 33d, is indeed an interesting personage and a fine and true Mason. His Masonic career dates back to 1905 when he was raised in St. George Lodge No. 549 by his father, who was District Grand Master of Bombay at that time. Brother Dunn has served as a Grand Officer of practically all branches of Freemasonry which makes it very easy for him to converse on any Masonic topic, regardless of the Rite involved.

Although I have met Brother Dunn in London on about four occasions, he made me feel as though I had known him practically all my life. I strongly urge that all overseas Brethren belonging to the Rite, when traveling in London, arrange a visit to 10 Duke Street and a few minutes conversation with this Illustrious Brother. I can assure all a hearty welcome and a real fraternal handclasp.

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In our contacts with men of the world, we know full well that the name of God is dragged into the dirt. If a Mason is a gentleman he will be decent in his words of conversation. If he is wise, he will see the reasons for improving himself in Masonry.

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Suggested Procedure for Masonic Study

By JOHN BLACK VROOMAN, F.P.S.

Masonic instruction to be effective must be simple, informal, interesting, and imparted in small doses.

Here submitted are, first, an outline of material to be covered, and second, a method of procedure for those who will handle the administration of the plan by which an adequate plan of Masonic instruction can be used to impart the fundamentals of Masonic information.

Experience has taught that the "round table" method of Masonic instruction is most effective, preferably imparted by the officers of the local Masonic group and in the building in which the Lodge meets.

Several important factors enter into such a proposed system of Masonic instruction through the round table. Personnel to instruct Masonic topics must be selected with the greatest care; subject matter to be imparted must be made available in the most interesting and compact manner possible, and in all procedure by which the administration of the plan is to be mechanized must be minutely checked for its greatest efficiency.

Generally speaking, there is no one better qualified to know who in a local Masonic Lodge, is better equipped to serve as a Masonic instructor, than are the Worshipful Master and Secretary of the Lodge. Let them then, confer and appoint the men who will be Masonic instructors - the personnel by whom Masonic information will be imparted.

Equally important is the matter of the instruction of those who have been selected as Masonic instructors. The subject matter, methods of teaching and the details of instruction within the local Lodge must be very carefully worked out before any actual instruction is given.

A School for Instructors should be held before any class is conducted, and proper teaching methods there demonstrated for their guidance.

It is as important that the right man be selected to impart Masonic information as it is that the proper subject matter be given these men to teach.

Suggestions for procedure in imparting Masonic information are given only as a guide. Personal contact, group discussion and clarification of detail are matters which must be taken up at the instructors meeting, and final action determined by the best judgment of all concerned. No set form can be used which will fit every case, and individual initiative and common sense must largely determine best plans for individual cases.

Experience has further taught that the informality of the round table method of imparting Masonic information offers ample opportunity for questions, discussion and a closer relationship between pupil and instructor.

The "panel lecture" plan, or division of the material to be covered during a given period - the separation into "cuts" or parts, is one of the finest ways of creating and maintaining interest in the work. It is by this means that the study is relieved of the one-man discourse on the topics assigned, and a wider and more varied presentation of the material assured.

The appointment of a chairman for the evening, for instance, and the addition of five or six properly qualified and enthusiastic Brethren ready to follow up his introduction of the topic, will give the hearers a greater interpretation of the material in hand than could be possible under the old-time method of a school room lecture by one person for the period assigned. Variety and change of personnel will add much to the interest of everyone participating.

The chairman should introduce the topic under discussion, summarize what is to be covered during the period assigned, and turn the assigned topics over to as many other capable Brethren as can be assigned to cover the material in hand.

Each speaker should discuss his topic briefly, and after each talk there should be a short question-and-answer session, followed by a short rest period for relaxation.

Short concise talks, full of facts properly presented by interesting speakers will result in sustained and increasing interest. These talks must be limited in length to avoid boredom. Variety, brevity and informality are the keys to any system of Masonic instruction. If these suggestions are observed, the courses will be self-sustaining.

The secret of any Masonic talk can be briefly summarized in suggesting to the teacher that he should "get up; speak up, and sit down." In so doing he will do much to make Masonic instruction attractive and fruitful.

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EDITOR'S NOTE - This material has been compiled from several studies made by Grand Lodges. It is not original, and full credit for source material is acknowledged. Iowa, Massachusetts, Indiana, and several other Grand Lodges have furnished the ideas from which this outline has been made - our thanks!

Suggested Outline

PANEL FOR PRE-FIRST DEGREE PROCEDURE

Object of Masonic instruction.

II.

Group chairman for evening.

A. Preliminary talk to candidates.

1. Relation of individual to Lodge.

2. Relation of Lodge to individual.

3. What is Freemasonry ?

a) Definition of term; discussion.

b) "On the Threshold."

c) "Preparation "

d) Solemnity of Freemasonry.

III.

Historical Survey.

A Ancient or legendary.

B. Medieval or Operative.

C. Modern or Speculative.

D. Territorial Masonry.

E. Patriotic motif.

1. Masonic patriots of America.

2. State Masonic patriots.

3. Local Masonic patriots.

4. Place of Freemasonry in daily life.

IV.

Fundamental purposes of Freemasonry.

A. Charitable

B. Benevolent

C. Religious

D. Educational

E. Secret

F. Social

- To be continued in next issue -

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Between the Book Ends

Masonic Books of Interest

SOFT TOLLS THE BELL, By J. Ray Shute, Nocalore Press, Box 24, Monroe, North Carolina.

Freemasons when reading, do not limit themselves strictly to Masonic books - often they read books with the spirit of Masonry manifested, reading between the lines, some of the philosophy of Freemasonry.

J. Ray Shute has filled, in his latest book, SOFT TOLLS THE BELL, a long-needed niche in philosophy and mysticism of spirit. The words ripple through the reader's mind like a clear brook of sparkling water.

Whimsy, facts, philosophy, swift candor and quiet serenity fill the pages of this volume, which is a good antidote for gloom and disheartenment.

NOCALORE, the transactions of the North Carolina Lodge of Research, Volumes I to XIX (1933-1949), more than three thousand printed pages. Nocalore Press, Monroe, North Carolina - the set - $60.00 postpaid.

This is the residue of several hundred sets of this valuable set of transactions - there are but twenty such sets left. Order now, while there are yet some of them available. A storehouse of Masonic and historical lore and legend.

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The Cat - The Rope and Brotherhood

By LAWTON E. MEYER, F.P.S.

How strange it is that the minds of men remember only the inconsequential, and make that the ritual and dogma of a New Belief. Strange too, it is, how they seek to torture and destroy all those who think, and thinking, make ridiculous the pettiness of ritualistic chrades.

In the East many centuries ago, a Most Wise Man, a humble philosopher, and humane, lived only to ponder upon the mysteries of God, the wonder of the Brotherhood of Man, and the awesomeness of nature. He spent his waking hours in his tiny cabin in quiet reflection.

Then, his cabin became infested with mice, who somehow, knew that this kindly old man would not or could not harm them. Eventually, their squeals and scamperings disturbed this Most Wise Man. Of course, he could not take the God-given life of any creature, but he could scare them off.

To this end he found a large and war-like cat - but that the cat could not kill the little mice, but only frighten them, he tied the cat firmly to a post, and continued his meditations undisturbed.

Eventually this Most Wise Man died, and his disciples set out to preach the gospel of brotherhood and kindness, but after a few generations, a number of offshoots of the religion of the philosopher began to make war upon other offshoots, fighting over incidentals that had no bearing on the master's teaching.

They fought over the length of the rope that fastened the cat - they denounced and slew as heretics, those who disagreed as to the color, breed and sex of the cat. For they had begun to worship the cat and its offspring, and made a ritual of the type of rope to be used, even to the most minute detail - somehow they had forgotten or lost the master's teaching of brotherhood, and remembered but the inconsequentials.

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CAN YOU HELP?

Word has come to us that Mrs. Anne Parker, whose late husband, Brother Arthur C. Parker, F.P.S., was an active worker for our society, is planning a world tour. If any of our readers are in a position to help her in any way by planning her trip or in giving her suggestions they are urged to communicate with her; just write a letter to her at Naples New York.

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MOSAIC PAVEMENT

The word Mosaic has nothing whatever to do with Moses. The Greek root from which it is derived is "mousa," a muse, suggesting something artistic. We find the root appearing in our word "museum," meaning a building in which artistic works are exhibited.

In the course of time, through the Latin, it came into the modern languages and during the Middle Ages it gradually became narrowed down to mean a pattern formed by small pieces of tile or inlay - a form of decorative work very much in vogue among the Operative Masons.

Remember that our "mosaic pavement" is so called because it consists of an inlay pattern made up of small black and white squares alternating to suggest day and night.

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NOTICE

For more than a year we have been trying to get an accurate and up-to-date list of all of the members of the society. We have attempted to re-instate and reactivate all the former members whom we could contact.

In order to complete this work, it is announced that on June 30, 1955, all former members of the society who have not paid their dues for this and the previous year, with the exception of any whose dues may have been remitted for cause, and foreign members for whom it has been impossible to make remittance because of local conditions, will be dropped from the roll of membership.

Please take notice, and govern yourself accordingly.

We hope very soon to have the first issue of The Informant on the press, which will give a brief summary of the origin, development, aims and aspirations of the society, together with a list as nearly complete as possible of all fellows, members, and subscribers. This will be interesting, and we do hope that we can include the names of as many of our former members as it may be possible to contact.

Remember the deadline - it is June 30. 1955.