June,1960
Volume XII Number 3
Contents
It Seems to Me A Forward Look For Future Members
Holiness to The Lord Chat and Comment
A Student Inquires About Masonry SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN
Freemasons and Freemasonry at Valley Forge MASONS STILL PERSECUTED
A Freemason Looks at the Dalai Lama Effective Application of Masonic Research
RECOMMENDED MASONIC READING Is Masonry A Secret Society
Notes, Queries and Information
Published bimonthly at
Franklin, Indiana
By
THE PHILALETHES SOCIETY
JOHN BLACK VROOMAN, F.P.S., Editor, P.O. Box 402, St. Louis, Mo.
DR. WILLIAM MOSELEY BROWN, President, Box 276, Elon College, North Carolina
ELBERT BEDE, First Vice President, 2316 N. E. 42nd Avenue, Portland 13, Oregon
DR. CHARLES GOTTSHALL REIGNER, Second Vice President, 4035 Belle Avenue, Baltimore 15, Maryland
CARL GREISEN, Executive Secretary, 401 Masonic Temple Omaha 2, Nebraska
RONALD HEATON, Treasurer, 728 Haws Avenue, Norristown, Pennsylvania
PUBLICATION COMMITTEE
A.L. WOODY, F.P.S., 3502 Wesley Avenue, Berwyn, Illinois
EDWARD J. FRANTA, F.P.S., Langdon, North Dakota
LAURENCE R. TAYLOR, F.P.S., c/o The Indiana Freemason, Franklin, Indiana
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by JOHN BLACK VROOMAN, F.P.S.
THAT the time has come to quit moaning about the lack of interest in Masonic meetings, and do something about it.
I am tired of hearing well-meaning Masons preach a funeral oration over the remains of the Craft, when I know that it isn't Freemasonry that is at fault, but that Freemasonry is suffering because some of our leaders are not smart enough to properly plan and execute a program that will attract and hold the interest of Masons.
If Masonic officers are either too lazy or too uninformed to plan a Masonic program that will make the membership go away with a sense of having gained something from it, we are indeed hard up for leadership.
It has been said before that to have a stop-gap program of music, "entertainment," everyday timefiller program, is but to beg the question. Our members can get the same thing without getting up from their living room chairs. Why fight traffic and sit through mediocre routine?
Masonic routine can be classed as business, ritual and creative study band enlightenment. The general run of activity, however, consists only of the first two. Study and enlightenment have little or no part in a Lodge program.
Short Talk Bulletins of the Masonic Service Association, articles in our leading Masonic publications throughout the country, inspiring talks by informed Masons, and especially good programs, planned and carried out to give information and Masonic inspiration, are means by which we can break the monotony of the reading of the minutes, payment of bills, refreshments and lights out. Certainly, this is not enough.
The crux of the matter lies in the ingenuity of Masonic leaders to create something - Masonic "quizzes," debates on Masonic topics, unusual Masonic incidents and information - that will give full Masonic value.
If the Master of the Lodge would arrange a program of things not permitted to be done in Lodge, with illustrations by action, and the explanation of the reason for such action, I feel sure that it would result in one of the best evening's entertainment possible.
TRY IT!
1960 IS ELECTION YEAR!
Every member should send his recommendation for office to:
Charles F. Adams, Chairman,
Nominating Committee,
P. O. Box 149
Aurora, Nebraska
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A Forward Look For Future Members
Developed Through Co-Operation
Between Masonic Bodies
by BEN GUSTAFSON, Grand Master, North Dakota
An address delivered at Midwest Shrine Convention
St. Paul. Minnesota, February 5, 1960
FREEMASONRY IS DEFINED by many of its devotees as a science, by some as a system of philosophy, by others as a system of morality and ethics and is frankly regarded by many as a prestige key that unlocks many doors that are otherwise closed to the nonMason. It is defined by its enemies as a religion, as being a blasphemy and definitely non Christian and sometimes as being nonanything. This paper is not going to attempt a simple definition for so complex a problem; it is going to suggest some things that Masons can do.
Freemasonry, as we know it today, has come from many sources in time, in place, in political ideology, in religion and in the mores of social and economic conduct. It has gathered unto itself something from all of these sources and in the development of the whole Craft has kept and/or revived and revised many of the forms and rites through which it has passed; it has even added to itself during the last century. The ultimate in forms and rites has been reached in the United States where over two per cent of the total population belong to the Order, and over six per cent of the population is touched by it in one way or another. Membership in the Order will need to double in the next generation to maintain the position of prestige and retain the influence which it now has. No other fraternal Order in the world is being watched as closely by the people who find reasons for not liking it, and none are more complacent about the future than the Freemasons themselves.
The curiosity, enthusiasm and in genuity of the American Pioneer led him to attempt to maintain the old forms of Masonry and to add to them, especially since he lived in a society which Freemasonry helped to shape and form. Hence Freemasonry, as we know it, has acquired a multitude of concurrent, coordinate and appendant bodies - Scottish Rite, York Rite, the Maritime degrees, the Shrine, the Eastern Star, the Grotto, the Tall Cedars of Lebanon, the White Shrine, DeMolay, Rainbow, Daughters of Job, Amaranth, Beauceant and many honorary and special service recognitions that some of us are familiar with and some that we do not recognize. All of this has grown up within a century in a complex administrative setup of Grand Lodges that now numbers at least forty-nine and is increasing. Misinformation and the lack of information is now resulting in misunderstanding and in some cases out and out friction between some of these groups.
There are some common elements in the whole picture and it is on the basis of these common elements that the various Masonic bodies will have to work together. The common bond is so simple in its Essenic philosophy that it is hard to understand. Freemasons are mature free men; they are men of good report and well recommended; they believe in a Supreme Deity; they practice the common tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth; they have no quarrel with anyone who will work for the common good of all people. Man is an individual, is of primary importance; he must be self-reliant and independent. The very nature of their obligations make Freemasons personally responsible to their political system, their religious obligations, their neighbors and their families. These duties are all emphasized in the three degrees of Blue Lodge Masonry. They are reemphasized when the Master Mason avails himself of the privilege of adding to and dressing up his Freemasonry by identifying himself with other segments of the Craft.
The various rites and orders that are available to the Master Mason and his family offer much broader fields in which to work and play; they offer opportunities of service to humanity that are unlimited and they extend the influence of the Masonic Order. The unfortunate aspects are that misrepresentation, misinformation and lack of information have often led to misunderstanding and friction. This is a strong deterrent to expansion and it is having a bad effect on the prestige and integrity of Freemasonry among the profane. This situation cannot be permitted to prevail and spread. Masons will need to work within the mutual bonds that unite them and to remember that united they will survive and fulfill their destiny while divided they will perish and be forgotten. Freemasonry can always be one generation from extinction, and the coordinate and appendant bodies of Freemasonry can only be as strong as the Blue Lodge Masonry which ties the whole bundle together. The primary effort in any cooperative program, must be to make Masonic Lodges the strongest prestige groups in the communities where they exist; when the members of these kind of Masonic Lodges avail themselves of the further privileges of service that are open to them, they will be capable and dedicated workers and have pride in their achievements.
These considerations give rise to a number of pertinent questions, not the least of which is, "What is happening to our membership?" and, "What can we do to maintain our present position and add to it?" The impacts of a changing world social and economic order, of political upheavals in the governments of peoples, of racial awakenings and the conquest of space and time are bringing problems. One thing we can be sure of - people will not change basically in what they value and believe in. There will be more of them, they will be better educated, the type of people that Masonry appeals to are going to demand more from it and nonMasons are going to expect more, while many of them will wish for less. Can those who are predicting the end for Masonry during this next generation be right? They will be, if Masons let them and encourage them through failures to work toward common goals.
Is Freemasonry faced with the making of changes to meet the times? We are living in a fifteenyear cycle as far as mechanical obsolescence is concerned; over forty per cent of the world's people today live under the Red Flag of Communism; we are riding the crest of a population explosion that was undreamed of a generation ago.
Must we abandon our time-honored credo of not openly soliciting members for our Fraternity? This has always been a source of strength and prestige with us; it has led us to our present position in numbers and public respect. It would not seem wise to modify it beyond the practice of letting desirable nonMasons know what the Order is about and how to get into it. Any changes in this ancient policy needs to be carefully planned and tested.
What about the attitudes of the various Masonic bodies toward each other? This has not been healthy in many instances - there is much talk of mysteries, of higher degrees, of licensed freedom and intemperance, and of preferred religious acceptance - there are too many things being said and done because people are prejudiced and uninformed, and they are too lazy to learn and too stubborn to change. There is no higher degree than the mutual bond which holds us together, the obligations and duties of a Master Mason; there are honorary degrees that are a reward for service rendered and there are degrees in the appendant bodies of Freemasonry that become the privileges of the Master Mason who wishes to pay for them and take the time for them, if he can be accepted by these groups. This must always be on the positive position, that the Master Mason is exercising a privilege which belongs only to him as a Master Mason, never on the basis that he must be a Master Mason so he can become eligible for something so-called higher. The tentacles of Freemasonry can be strong only so long as the tenets of Blue Lodge Freemasonry are carried over into them.
What can the Masonic bodies do to solve some of the problems attendant upon a changing social, political, economic and technical society? More is being demanded of us; more is expected of us and more must be accomplished. We must lead the way in culture, in education, in citizenship, in the work of the church; this must be done at a community, state and national level and will have to begin at home. Many Grand Lodges are calling annual or semi-annual meetings of the heads of all the appendant bodies they recognize within their Jurisdiction; some of this has even been done at the local and national level. More of it will need to be done. However, nothing points the way toward the need for a supreme Grand Lodge at the national or international levels. Some Grand Lodges are giving serious consideration to the more complete instruction of the newly made Master Mason in the nature of his obligations, and duties as a Master Mason and of the privileges that accrue to him as such. Some are going so far as to prepare for their membership pamphlets and booklets on the nature of the various rites and orders that are recognized by them. We are holding such a meeting in North Dakota for the first time this year and our Educational Committee is planning for the preparation of an "Informational Bulletin for the Master Mason and His Family." This bulletin will contain sections on Scottish Rite, York Rite, the Shrine, DeMolay, Rainbow, Eastern Star, the honorary degrees and some of the Masonic bodies not recognized in North Dakota. The fact that the geographical jurisdictions of some bodies cross state lines can become the sources of a greater cooperative effort, of a better understanding and of a much greater flexibility and strength.
The problem of membership is certainly paramount. The Masonic Fraternity wants only the "cream of the crop," people of established integrity and upright principles, men who can honestly subscribe to the things Masonry stands for. These men must of necessity all come into Masonry through one common door. That door must be well guarded if we are to get the kind of person who will avail himself of other opportunities after the door has been opened. Our strongest bonds are with those who have come through that door of their own free will and accord and who have asked that other doors be opened for them on the same basis. Honest desire and the prestige of achievement are far more important than the false prestige of glamor and tinsel acquired on a commercial basis. Members should always be made to understand that their fees and dues pay for the things that they want to identify themselves with so that they can have genuine pride in belonging to the group; these monies are needed for the achievement of goals and are not a goal in themselves. The Masonic Fraternity in all of its ramifications must be made up of strong Masons. Information concerning the Order and how to identify one's self with it should always be available to these who will make good Masons. NonMasons and their families can often be included in Masonic activities; the entire community should feel the presence of Masonic bodies and be proud to have them. Our own families can be taken into our confidence in a much broader way than has ever been done before. We can do many more things for our social groups and our churches as Masons and carefully ignore those who do not understand our purposes or our methods. Temper and prejudice get people into trouble and pride keeps them there. The matter of direct solicitation is one that will need to be discussed, tried and tested, as has been stated before. There are arguments for it, especially in the fast moving world that we are living in. There is also much to be said against it; let us move slowly before we create a drastic innovation. Certainly we know that every Freemason has two or three friends that would make good Masons if they could be interested. The manner of arousing this interest must be such that an honest desire is created.
What are some of the courses of action that present themselves for consideration? (1) An honest evaluation of each other must be made by the Masonic bodies; (2) large meetings of members must be held often - reunions, Past Masters' nights, family nights, intergroup meetings where families and friends are included, intervisitations among bodies and groups and many others; (3) public meetings are valuable public relations contacts - installations memorials, funerals, recognition dinners, civic promotions, cheritable promotions - the list can be a long one. Such meetings must be based on an honest desire for participation and must always be done in the most creditable manner; (4) inter-group meetings of officers at the administrative level must be held; meetings where policy is determined and plans of action are worked out. Such meetings could be our main hope of survival and expansion; (5) a better job of Masonic education, for the membership and the profane, must be done by Grand Lodges and the affiliated bodies. It must be honest and sincere; it must be comprehensive and it must emphasize the prestige of achievement and the pride of good work. It must be positive, we must always stand for something and never be against anything.
Freemasonry has the necessary tools, it has the necessary man power, and it has the respect and recognition that come with performance. We need fear no one and we have nothing to apologize for. We do need a strong cooperative effort to meet the challenges that are being laid down to the state, the Church the school and the home as we recognize the challenges.
There has been very little mention in this paper of the York Rite, the Scottish Rite or the Shrine, as such. The omission has been a purposeful one; to show that the problems confronting these bodies are mutual to everyone with whom Masons identify themselves; and that the solution of these problems can come through the use of common methods with common objectives. There is much to be said and more to be done. The key that could unlock the door would be the practice of a little Freemasonry by unselfishly going to work for each other. This is an expression of the thinking of one Grand Master and reflects what he has observed and heard over the years as a Grand Lodge officer.
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by W. S. WILLIAMS, M.P.S.
THE BIRTH of Royal Arch Masonry is comparable to the death of Moses, "No man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day." Historians assume the date of birth to be near the year 1740. The earliest minutes book record of the Royal Arch degree being conferred is December 22, 1753, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Hiramic legend was inserted into the ritual in 1725. In the year 1813 there was a union of Antients and Moderns including the Holy Royal Arch. The basic requirement for membership in Masonry is a belief in the existence of a Supreme Being.
In the year 1773 in Paris, France, there originated a rite known as Philalethes, meaning Friends of Truth. Today we are meeting in the name of that society seeking to know the truth, for the truth shall make us free.
The selection of the Royal Arch motto, Holiness to the Lord, must have been by inspiration, else why would the founders of our Order have bothered to select a motto. All worthwhile organizations have selected mottoes. All of our states have mottoes. Our Marine Corps has a well-known motto, I believe it is "Semper Fidelis," always faithful. I remember at this time three well-known mottoes in our history, "Remember the Alamo," "Remember the Maine," "Remember Pearl Harbor." Even our national currency has mottoes, "In God We Trust," and "E Pluribus Unum." It seems that we are so ordained that we can do our best when inspired by a word or phrase that concisely sets forth our objective. One of the finest poems I have ever read is the one written by Longfellow, Excelsior.
This poem has this foot note: Excelsior was inspired by the motto on the shield of New York State which Longfellow happened to see copied as the heading of a newspaper. The significance of the poem is well expressed by Poe at the end of his review of Longfellow's, ballads and other poems. "It depicts the earnest upward impulse of the soul - an impulse not to be subdued even in death." Longfellow himself has described his purpose fully in a letter to C.K. Tuckerman. "I have had the pleasure of receiving your note in regard to the poem Excelsior, and very willingly give you my intention in writing it. This was no more than to display, in a series of pictures, the life of a man of genius, resisting all temptations, laying aside all fears, heedless of all warnings, and pressing right on to accomplish his purpose. His motto is "Excelsior," Higher. He passes through the Alpine village, through the rough, cold paths of the world, where the peasants cannot understand him, and where the watchword is an "unknown tongue." He disregards the happiness of domestic peace and sees the glaciers - and his fate - before him. He disregards the warning of the old man's wisdom and the fascination of woman's love. He answers to all, "Higher yet." The monks of Saint Bernard are the representatives of religious forms and ceremonies, and with their oft-repeated prayer mingles the sound of his voice, telling them that there is something higher than forms and ceremonies. Filled with these aspirations, he perishes; without having reached the perfection he longed for; and the voice heard in the air is the promise of immortality and progress ever upward.
This poem is written on the back of a letter from Charles Sumner and dated September 28, 1841, half past three o'clock, morning.
Our motto, Holiness to the Lord, is worn on the mitre of the High Priest. Our ritual adjures the wearer, let the mitre with which you are crowned remind you of the dignity of the office you sustain, and its inscription impress upon your mind a sense of your dependence upon God; that perfection is not given unto men upon earth, and that holiness belongeth unto the Lord alone.
Biblical references abound with this motto. Exodus 28 :36, "And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD." Exodus 39: 30, "And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD." Zechariah 14:20, "In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD, . . ." Jeremiah 2: 3, "Isreal was holiness to the LORD, . . ." Exodus 3:5, "And he said, Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."
Isaiah 6: 1-3, "In the year that king Uzziah died (806 B.C.) I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the Temple. Above it stood the seraphims; each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."
Hebrews 12:14, "Follow peace with all mere and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: " 1 Corinthians 3:17, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land."
Holy, means set apart, dedicated, Said of things, sacred; said of persons, pious, pure.
Then as a final reward for your diligence and perseverance you will be admitted into the presence of the Great I Am, and Holiness to the Lord will be inscribed in letters of living light, as diamonds in the crown of your rejoicing.
Long may our land be bright, with freedom's holy light, protect us by Thy might, Great God our King.
The teachings of Royal Arch Masonry are spiritual. "May Holiness to the Lord be engraven upon all our thoughts, words and actions." Masonry is allegorical and not necessarily factual. It is the duty of the priest to direct man to God rather than direct God to man. The reverse of this statement is the office of the prophet. There were nearly eighty High Priests from the time of Aaron to Phannias. The High Priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year to atone for the sins of the people. He is the type of Jesus the Christ.
In Matthew 27:51 we read, "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent"; since that day in which Christ was crucified the office of priest or of High Priest has been superseded by the priesthood of the believer. "We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the heavens;" Hebrews 8:1.
It is the wish of every Royal Arch Mason that our organization continue in its substantial growth as to numbers and influence. We want to be proud of our distinction as being Royal Arch Masons. Every Grand High Priest and every High Priest to whom our members look for leadership should by precept and example exemplify the essence of our motto, Holiness to the Lord. Men should be pointed to the better way of life, to the high plateau of Christian living. Strong leadership in Royal Arch Masonry will make of this branch of Masonry the ideal which others will try to emulate. If Royal Arch Masonry will fill the obligations incumbent upon it, our membership will cry throughout the land, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of Hosts. Individuals will be turned in their tracks, homes will be come brighter, juvenile delinquency will be thwarted, crimes will be lessened and homes will be happier. States and nations will learn war no more.
We have the motto, Holiness to the Lord, to incite us to aggressive living. We have the membership, in Kentucky, sixteen thousand. Shall we be found wanting in leadership ?
Careless seems the Great Avenger
History's pages but record,
One death-grappling in the darkness,
Twixt false systems and the word:
Truth forever on the scaffold.
Wrong forever on the throne,
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And beyond the dim unknown
Standeth God, within the shadow
Keeping watch above His own.
We have but a short time to fill our place in the destiny of the world. Three score and ten years will soon pass away. What are we going to do about it, nothing - or something? Our duty and our obligation to Royal Arch Masonry is to let the world see by the lives that we live, in our contact toward others, within and without our Fraternity, that our faith is well planted on the truths inculcated in the teachings of Capitular Masonry. The future of Royal Arch Masonry is not a purposeless existance.
We rear not a Temple, like Judsh's of old
Whose portals were marble, whose vaultings were gold.
No incense is lighted, no victims are slain
No monarch kneels praying to hollow the fane.
More simple and lowly the walls that we raise
And humbler pomp of procession and praise
Where the heart is the altar, whence incense shall roll
And Messiah the king, shall pray for the soul.
The pomp of Moriah has long passed away,
And soon will our frailer erection decay,
But the souls that are builded in worship and love
Shall be Temples of God, everlasting above.
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News, achievements and items of interest about our
Fellows and Members - Discussion and comment on
Mutual Topics.
- Pfan Mail and Observations -
BROTHER YALE R. BUTLER, staff member of The Indiana Freemason, who reads much Masonic material in his work, makes the following extended comment on Lodge attendance "I believe an extension of my remarks about going back to the early Proceedings, should also include centennial booklets and histories of Lodges. I don't know what may be found in such material west of the river, but back here (in Indiana) in the copy I handle for such occasions, you will quite often see reference to 'fines' imposed on our early Indiana Brethren for not attending Lodge. This is a clear indication that attendance was a problem right from the start of many of our Lodges and not something that just developed from economic pressure on the individual member, or his turning Faway to other interests.
"The old adage 'living so close to the woods that we can't see the trees' seems to me to apply directly to the immediate condition of Masonry today. If ever there was a time in history to try men's souls it is now, and Masonry is letting its greatest opportunity slip, away, while it is too concerned with attendance and education. I am not critical of any effort to inform Master Masons, old or new, but the universality of which we boast so often, lies wasting."
FRANK H. WILSON, M.P.S. writes: "In the April 1960 issue of The Philalethes, page 32, item No. 76, Army Lodges, you may be interested to know from the history of Boston Commandery No. 2, Knights Templar, 'on October 1, 1768, several regiments of British soldiers arrived in Boston, Mass., among them the 14th Regiment (Irish) in which Army Lodge No. 58 was held; Army Lodge No. 322, presumed to be Glittering Star Lodge No. 322, attached to the 1st Battalion, the Worcestershire Regiment, formerly the 29th Regiment of Foot.
"In the second week of November 1768, the 64th Regiment (Irish) in which was held Army Lodge No. 106, also arrived. Captain William Davis, the first man to become a Knight Templar in the U. S.A., was a Past Master of Army Lodge No. 58.
"Reginald V. Harris, F.P.S. (Life), of Halifax, Nova Scotia, may have the above information, but I'm sending it along in case he has not."
ALEXANDER HORNE, M.P.S., writes: "The article by DeMoville Jones on the 'History of the Royal Arch,' in the April issue of The Philalethes whets one's appetite for more information on some matters of great interest to many students. For example, the statement is made that 'a practical ritual was in use in 1717 with three degrees and the degree of the Holy Royal Arch, without further elaboration, but since this goes contrary to the evidence that many of us have been able to accumulate so far, some specific reference to the source of this information would be extremely beneficial.
"The further statement that at the union of the rival Grand Lodges in 1813, 'it appears that they quickly closed the door on the allegory as set forth by Freemasonry, for they stated that Masonry consists of three degrees and no more' seems to be a partial quotation taken out of a fuller context. Brother Jones apparently desired to show that at the union, they decided to 'ditch' the Royal Arch, and accordingly agreed to exclude it in their Articles of Union. But as a matter of fact, Article II of the Articles of Union, actually read as follows: 'It is declared and pronounced, that pure Ancient Masonry consists of three degrees, and no more, viz, those of the Entered Apprentice, the Fellow Craft, and the Master Mason, including the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch (my italics).' W. J. Hughan's Memorials of the Masonic Union, 1874, page 22. Thus the union did not, in effect, 'close the door' on the Royal Arch, and it is difficult to understand why one part of the Article was quoted without the other. Perhaps Brother Jones can shed some light on these two troublesome points.
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Membership Committee
Planning Extensive Program
BROTHER ELBERT BEDE, F.P.S., Second Vice President of the Society, and Chairman of the Membership Committee, has been extremely active in the interest of new memberships.
Planning a long-time, extended program by which interested Freemasons may know more about the Society, and may be induced to become interested and active in our work, he has sketched a schedule of down- the-line committee work which should give every member a fine opportunity not only to participate in the work of the society to a greater degree, but also to create interest among those who might want to join us.
Zones - large areas in strategic sections of the United States and Canada - will be implemented by Zone Chairmen who have been picked because of their interest and knowledge; State Chairman, to work with the Zone Chairman to coordinate activity, and Local Chairman in large centers of population and other places of importance, will all work together.
Brother Bede emphasizes, however, that EVERY MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY has an obligation to tell his Masonic friends about our work, and to solicit his attention and membership
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The darkest day in any young man's career is that wherein the he fancies there is an easier way of getting a dollar than by squarely earning it. - Horace Greely.
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They Have Passed the Veil
HAROLD B. WATSON (Missouri)
SYDNEY C. LESLIE (Texas)
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A Student Inquires About Masonry
by RICHARD P. CERZA
More and more interest is being shown in the origins and development of Freemasonry by individuals who are not Freemasons - by students and young men who are interested in this vital subject.
The article here printed is written by a young Junior College student, Richard Cerza, son of Alphonse Cerza, F.P.S. (Life), former President of the Philalethes Society, who took as his subject, "Freemasonry in American History."
It seems proper that Masons, and especially the members of our Society, should give inspiration and help to one who shows an interest in Freemasonry, and that we should encourage him in every way possible.
It is a pleasure, therefore, to print this article written by this young man, that it may, perhaps, give him an incentive to know more of our principles and objectives.
THE PART which fraternal organizations have played in American history has been long neglected. A consideration of what Freemasonry and its members have done in American history would be a good illustration because this is one of the largest and oldest fraternal orders in the world.
Freemasonry may be defined as a men's organization, religious in character, based on the principle of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man, which does charitable work in the community and among its members, and uses the builders' tools as symbols in teaching basic moral truth. It is a voluntary association in that no one is ever invited to become a member. Though some critics of the Order claim it is a religion, most members belong to a church and many clergymen are members of the organization; therefore, it can hardly be classified as a religion. Like most associations it has some "secrets" such as passwords, grips and similar items it is by no means a "secret society" since it does not seek to hide its existence, and members readily admit membership to the group. It is necessary to consider these characteristics in order to understand the part played by the Order and its members in the events of history.
Origin of the Order
No one knows where Freemasonry originated. All that is known is that it has existed for hundreds of years and bears some resemblance to many ancient groups. Since the ritual and much of its ceremonies have been transmitted orally from generation to generation it is difficult to trace when one gets at a point where written records become meagre. There are a number of theories on the subject, however. One amusing theory is that it originated in the Garden of Eden because Adam wore a fig leaf apron. Masons wear aprons today; he was the first man, and must have been the first Mason.
The earliest things resembling Freemasonry was the Men's House. This was a place in the center of the tribe where the men met in secret and taught the boys the skills of the group; they had ceremonies resembling present-day Masons and used symbols to illustrate basic moral truths. The earliest written records of an organization resembling present-day Freemasonry was the Roman Collegia of Artificers, organized by Numa Pompilius, second King of Rome in 715 B.C. The Ancient Mysteries and the Essenes are sometimes linked with the development of Freemasonry. During the Middle Ages there were guilds and organizations of operative Masons who were engaged in working in the construction of the cathedrals that still exist throughout Europe. It apparently became the practice to admit into these guilds men who were not workmen; they were what we would today call "honorary members," but they were called "accepted Masons" to distinguish them from the workmen. The earliest reference which we have of these types of members is in the minutes of the Lodge of Edinburgh for June 8, 1600. Part of Masonic tradition is that Freemasonry started in England in the City of York and in Scotland in the City of Kilwinning. It is believed that when the projects of building the cathedrals stopped, the transition took place from the guild system to the present association for social benefits only.
Freemasonry in the Colonies
The first Freemason to come to this part of the world was John Skene. He was a Scotchman and was made a Mason in a Lodge in Scotland. He became a permanent resident of Burlington, New Jersey, in 1682. He served as deputy governor of the state from 1685 until his death in 1690. Thus the first Mason to arrive on our shores served in a public office.
In 1681 Jonathan Belcher was born in Massachusetts. While he was on a visit in England he became a Mason. He thus has the distinction of being the first native-born American to become a Mason. He served as the Governor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire between 1730 and 1741. Thus the first native-born Masons also served in a public office.
It is debatable which was the first Masonic Lodge to be formed in the Colonies since they were all formed around 1730. For example, in 1734 a Lodge was formed in Savannah, Georgia, by James Oglethorpe, usually credited with colonizing that state. At about the same time Lodges were being formed in Massachusetts and in Pennsylvania. At about this time Benjamin Franklin, who published the first Masonic book in the Colonies, became a Mason in the city of brotherly love, and took an active part in the organization. His book was a reprint of what is known as Anderson's Book of Constitutions published originally in England. That same year he was elected Grand Master of the state and he laid the cornerstone of what later was called Independence Hall.
Freemasonry and the Revolutionary War
It cannot be said that Freemasonry as an organization took part in the Revolutionary War. But many of the leaders of the period were Masons. For example, James Otis, whose voice was raised against oppression fifteen years before the Declaration of Independence was signed, and is sometimes referred to as "the Counsellor of the Revolution," was a Mason. Two friends of the colonists in England, William Pitt and Edmund Burke, were Masons. John Paul Jones, famous naval commander of the period, was made a Mason in Scotland. It may be well to note, however, that the arch traitor of the period, Benedict Arnold, was also a Mason. Nathan Hale, the patriot made famous by the words "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" was also a Mason. Military Lodges existed within the framework of the Colonial Army. There were fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence who were Masons. The following are definitely known to have been Masons: Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Joseph Hewes, William Hopper, Robert Treat Paine, Richard Stockton, George Walton, and William Whipple.
It is sometimes claimed that the "Boston Tea Party" was a Masonic function. The minutes book of St. Andrew's Lodge shows that the Lodge met that night, that there were few members present and it was necessary to adjourn the meeting. The "Indians" who took part in the affair were seen to come from the building where the Lodge met. Colonel Henry Purkett, an officer in the Colonial Army, declared that the plans for the "party" were initiated and nurtured at the Green Dragon Tavern and St. Andrew's Lodge. Samuel Adams and John Hancock were recognized as two of the "Indians" who dumped the tea into the harbor. Both of them were Masons.
When the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia thirty-five members are believed to have been Masons.
George Washington and Freemasonry
Our first President received his first degree of Masonry on November 4, 1752, in Fredericksburg Lodge, in Virginia. He was a bit short of being twenty-one years of age. The following spring he received the balance of his degrees. When a Lodge was formed in Williamsburg he was a charter member and was elected the first presiding officer of that Lodge; he served as such officer at the same time he was President of the United States.
During his lifetime he took part in many Masonic functions and affairs. A full-length book has been written on his life as a Freemason. There are many important incidents in his life that are connected with Freemasonry. For example, when he took his oath of office as President he placed his hand on the Holy Bible of St. John's Lodge of New York City; the person who administered the oath was Robert R. Livingston (who had been a member of the Continental Congress and was at the time of the oath Chancellor of New York), former Grand Master of Masons of New York. It is interesting to note that the same Bible was used when President Eisenhower took his oath of office as President.
Other Masonic Patriots and the Fermation of Our Government
During these trying days of our country we find that many of the leaders in the struggle for freedom were members of the Masonic Fraternity. Among those we find Lafayette, DeKalb, Count Pulaski, Baron Von Steuben, Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr., Edmond Randolph, and many others not already mentioned.
We have seen that thirty-three members of the Constitutional Convention were Masons and that Masons took part in the inauguration ceremonies of Washington. This was just the beginning of such participation.
The architect of the White House was James Hoban. He was a Mason. When the cornerstone for that famous building was laid on October 13, 1792, it was done with a Masonic ceremony.
One September 18, 1793, George Washington, in Masonic regalia, presided over the cornerstone laying ceremonies of the Capitol, in Washington, D.C. A painting of this event, by Clyde DeLand, is in the Library of Congress.
Presidents Who Have Been Masons
The prestige and importance of the Masonic Order may be shown by the fact that the following Presidents of the United States have clearly belonged to this organization:
George Washington, Andrew Jackson, James Monroe, James Polk, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman.
Several others (Jefferson and Madison), are believed to have been Masons, but there are no written records to substantiate the fact.
Conclusion
Fraternal organizations with the high principles they espouse and the sociability they afford the members do make for better public relations. As a consequence they make a valuable contribution to everyday living. The fact that many great men have belonged to these bodies attests to their importance. The role they have played in American history should not be overlooked. When one considers that some of these Orders are destroyed by such forms of government as Nazism, Fascism, and Communism and flourish in English-speaking countries, the conclusion may well be that they make a valuable contribution to what we cherish under the label of the "American Way of Life."
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An Interesting Old Wall Decoration
To the Addressee:
PLEASE SEE that this communication reaches someone whose special interest may assist in solving the problem stated.
In the former Fuller Tavern, erected at Berlin, Connecticut, 1769, used as a meeting place by Harmony Lodge (constituted 1791) is the Masonic wall decoration shown. A Royal Arch Chapter existed in nearby Middletown from 1783.
Who painted this decoration and exactly when it was done is not known. Those familiar with Masonic symbolism will recognize and distinguish those emblems relating to present-day Lodge, Chapter and Commandery ritual in America. There are several notable omissions.
The undersigned wishes comment particularly on the component at the right of the arch as we view it - a medal suspended from a ribbon, with an indistinct figure (St. Paul?) and the motto We Stop at Philippi What application does this picture have and to what "degree" ?
Compare this wall painting with the handworked apron shown in the Masonic Service Association Digest on "Old Masonic Art" published in 1952, the owner identified as a seafaring man from Inverness. Fraternally & hopefully submitted,
James R. Case, F.P.S.
43 Highland Ave.
Bethel, Connecticut
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by the late Walter A. Quincke, Past Pres. The Philalethes Society
An honest soul, Wren! He hated humbug of any sort and was quick to speak his thoughts. Reverence was, with him, an attitude of mind, and it went hard with a workman who was heard using obscene language while engaged under his direction. Here is the text of a notice which Wren wrote and displayed in St. Paul's during its erection.
"Whereas, among labourers, etc; that ungodly custom of swearing is too frequently heard, to the dishonour of God and contempt of authority; and to the end therefor, that such impiety may be utterly banished from the works intended for the service of God and the knowledge of religion - it is ordered that customary swearing shall be sufficient crime to dismiss any labourer that comes to the call, and the Clerk of the Works, upon sufficient proof, shall dismiss them accordingly; and if any master, working by task, shall not, upon admonition, reform this profanation among his apprentices, servants, and labourers, it shall be construed his fault; and he shall be liable to be censured by the Commissioners."
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Freemasons and Freemasonry at Valley Forge
In accordance with the policy of giving the membership of the Philalethes Society something extra in the way of a BONUS, the Executive Committee has authorized the sending, with the June issue of "The Philalethes" magazine, that delightful, interesting and factual pamphlet, "Valley Forge, Yesterday and Today," by Ronald E. Heuton, M.P.S., and Treasurer of the Society.
Valley Forge is one of this country's most sacred spots, has peculiar interest to Freemasons, and this booklet, written in the extremely interesting and factual style that is so familiar to our readers, makes us sure it will be an interesting and useful addition for the reading table of our members.
VALLEY FORGE stands preeminent among the historic shrines in America. Here the Continental Army encamped from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778.
The American Revolution was less than half over. Victories at Trenton and Princeton were nullified to a large degree by the later defeats of the Army at Brandywine and Germantown. The British Army, well-equipped and well-fed, strong in numbers, occupied Philadelphia. What to do? A Council of War decided the American Army should go into winter quarters, and Valley Forge was finally chosen as the spot. Here was high ground, which could be well fortified against attack, and just far enough from the British in Philadelphia to rule out a surprise attack.
On December 19, 1777, Washington and his tired and sick band of immortals, approximately 11,000 in number, marched into Valley Forge, to stay until June 19 of the next year.
It was not until near the end of January that sufficient huts for the shelter of the army were completed. Late in the following month Baron Von Steuben arrived in camp, and set to work to re-organize and properly drill the army. It was his work that changed this "rabble in arms" into The American Army. In the meantime, Franklin's efforts to secure aid from France were successful, and the treaty with France, recognizing the American Colonies as an independent nation, was signed on February 6, 1778. France was thus the first foreign power to recognize the new Republic.
America was born in Philadelphia in 1776, but it was at Valley Forge that the thirteen little colonies, under the leadership of General Washington, caught the vision of a great country to be, and decided that such a goal was worth fighting for. And we know the story of the army from that point on - more defeats and disappointments. Arnold's teachery, the winter at Morristown, surrender of Charleston, but a glorious and final victory at Yorktown three years later.
The book gives a brief outline of the American Revolution, describes the present park grounds, and includes a self-guided tour, pointing out the principal points of interest.
As Masons, many will ask quite naturally what connection there is between Valley Forge and Freemasonry. With Washington the leader of the Continental Army and also our most revered Masonic Brother, it is not too difficult to find a link between these two.
Many Masonic writers and historians have endeavored to find conclusive evidence of Freemasonry at Valley Forge, but thus far without success. That there were Freemasons there is not doubted. But of Freemasonry at Valley Forge, nothing that can be documented has as yet been turned up by these writers. There are many fairy tales of Masons meeting under the cherry trees at Valley Forge, and of Baron Von Steuben conferring the 32d on a signer of the Declaration of Independence there. Historic King of Prussia Hotel, built about 1768 or 1769, is traditionally mentioned as a meeting place of Masonic Army Lodges, and it is entirely possible that this is so. Sometime, at a future date someone will turn up concrete evidence of Freemasonry at Valley Forge.
The evidence of Freemasons at Valley Forge is more substantial. In the Appendix of the book mailed you is shown the general officers in service at Valley Forge, with brigadier generals and regimental commanders. There are 130 officers listed there, and of that number fifty-two have been verified as members of the Masonic Fraternity.
Included in this list is first and foremost, General Washington himself. Major generals Lafayette, Von Steuben, Sullivan; brigadier generals Maxwell, Paterson, Varnum, Woodford, Weedon, Glover, Knox, and Muhlenberg, were Masons. The Commandant of Washington's Life Guard, Major Caleb Gibbs, is included in the group. Colonels Elias Dayton, Otho H. Williams, Mordecai Gist, Jathro Sumner, and James Hogun were Masons who subsequently attained the rank of brigadier general in the Continental Army. The Masonic membership of each of these is treated more fully in the writer's digest of "The Masonic Membership of General Officers of the Continental Army," published by The Masonic Service Association early this year.
Generals Wayne, Greene, DeKalb, Stirling, Morgan, Pulaski and Smallwood are among the thirteen officers whose connection with the Fraternity is only supported by traditional information.
The remainder of the group, sixty-five officers, includes all those for which no information has yet been found. This group includes several of Washington's aides and military secretaries. Contrary to general belief, only five or six of these aides were Masons.
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MASONS STILL PERSECUTED BY COMMUNISTS
Die Bruderschoft, official magazine of the United Grand Lodges of Germany, reports (December, 1959) that several Brothers living in East Germany were arrested after they attended a meeting of the United Grand Lodges in West Berlin a year ago. It costs more than dues and assessments to be a Mason in some quarters of the world! - M.S.A. of the U.S.
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A Freemason Looks at the Dalai Lama
by HUGO V. PRUCHA, M.P.S.
THE PLACE WAS MUSSOORIE, a hill station in Northern India, 7000 feet high in the foothills of the Himalayas. The day was June 20, 1959. The occasion was the long delayed and long awaited interview of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, with the newsmen of the world.
Prior to February 1959, Mussoorie was a sleepy little resort village of interest primarily to inhabitants of Delhi, as the nearest place where those who have the time and the money, could obtain relief from the enveloping summer heat (105d to 110d) of the plains of the Ganges. However, when the Dalai Lama made his dramatic flight from Lhasa to India, in order to avoid living under the oppression of the Chinese Communists, and was granted asylum at Mussoorie by the Government of India, the village immediately assumed international importance.
The village is built largely upon the crest of the first ridge of the Himalayas. The hotels and dwellings balance upon the peaks of the mountains, or are tucked into the man-made niches in the sides of the mountains. The narrow winding roads, for the most part are carved out of rocks in the sides of the mountains.
One hundred newsmen, reporters and photographers had gathered under a large shamiana (a decorated canvas canopy) erected up on the lawn of Birla House. At one end of the shamiana was the "throne," a simple overstuffed armchair placed upon a maroon rug. In front of the chair was a table crowded with microphones, and beyond it a battery of movie cameras and tape recorders. The newsmen had come from Europe, USA, and other parts of Asia to hear the Dalai Lama answer their questions concerning the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese Communists.
The drapes at the door of Birla House parted and out stepped the slight (about 130 pounds), boyish-looking young man (24 years old), who is revered by Buddhists everywhere in the world. His jet black hair was clipped very short in crew-cut style. His spectacles were heavy. The robe he wore was the full and loosely draped woolen garment worn by the monks and lamas of Tibet. The bright saffron colored scarf around his neck contrasted with the deep maroon of his robe. The tan-style oxfords and stretch socks were probably comfortable, but incompatible in appearance with his robe. There was no evidence of his high rank and position. Without the robe, dressed in western clothes, he could have been mistaken for an American collegian.
His Holiness chuckled when the photographers swarmed around in order to get pictures of him from every angle. His smile was mischievous and brought out dimples in his cheeks. Generously he waited until the photographers were finished, and then walked slowly to the rear of the shamiana where each newsman was presented to him. In a gracious and pleasing manner, he gave each a firm handshake, and inquired about the newspaper or organization represented by each. When they asked for his autograph, his boyish laugh indicated that the idea was silly. Nevertheless, he graciously complied.
Once he assumed his "throne" and began to read the answers to the questions, which had been previously submitted to him, all traces of boyishness disappeared. He was then a man, discussing the systematic persecution of his people, the confiscation of their property, the failure of the Chinese Communists to respect the integrity of the Tibetan Government, and the forced settlement of Tibet by millions of Chinese. By public expression of such strong charges, he probably knew that the Chinese Communists would only intensify their efforts to enslave his people, and to prevent him from returning to Tibet.
The details of his answers our readers already know from the daily press. His appeal was dramatic, for without an army, without weapons, and seeking neither, he was appealing only to the conscience of the world to assist in resisting oppression.
During the reading of his answers, thoughts wandered to the circumstances surrounding the selection and enthronement of the four-year-old child who now sat before us as His Holiness, the Glorious King, the 14th Dalai Lama. In 1937, as the two-year-old son of a peasant worker he had seized the rosary of a lama, an emissary from the Potala in Lhasa who was disguised as a servant, and had divined the disguise by correctly exclaiming, "You are a lama from Sera." Later, when several rosaries were placed before him, he immediately selected the one which had belonged to his predecessor. Again, he selected from several placed before him, his predecessor's drum and walking stick. These instinctive selections by so young a child were persuasive to the emissaries from the Potala that the Bodhisatta, the spirit or incarnation of Chenrizi, the patron deity of Tibet, had returned from its wanderings through space and had inhabited the body of this young boy.
Further persuasion came from the location of his home in the Kokonor, or Blue Lake region of Tsinghai, a Mongolian province of China on the northeast border of Tibet. He lived with his parents in a peasant house with carved gables near a three-storied monastery with a golden roof. Such a scene had previously been pictured in a vision to the Regent of the Potala in Lhasa, while he was praying for guidance and peering into the depths of a sacred lake in Tibet.
On February 22, 1940, at the age of four years and eight months, amid pomp and splendor, he was installed in Lhasa as the temporal and spiritual ruler of millions of Buddhists. For ten years he ruled through a regent, but in 1950 assumed full power and authority.
Today the peasant boy from Tsinghai was meeting the sophisticated members of the world press to lay before them, and through them to all peoples of the world, the injustices which had been perpetrated upon his people. For his people he was seeking freedom, liberty, justice and tolerance - all qualities which respect and dignify the individual.
Such an appeal could well have been made by any Freemason. The Dalai Lama was then, and still is, espousing principles which have been traditions with Freemasons through many centuries. It is significant, that Freemasonry has survived the injustices of many tyrants in many lands. Through such survival, Freemasons have learned that tyrannies in Tibet cannot endure.
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Effective Application of Masonic Research
by V. M. BURROWS, M.P.S.
BROTHER H.L. HAYWOOD once called our attention to the fact that any one of us may easily enter upon Masonic research by attending Lodge in an attitude of expectancy and constantly asking ourselves one question, "What does this mean?"
Today it is made increasingly evident that we need to find an effective method by which such personal interest may be actuated. We fail to make the proper impressions upon candidates, so that members quit coming to Lodge, and many drop out entirely. But that is not because there is anything wrong with Masonry. We just do not operate so as to make the lessons sufficiently impressive.
From all quarters we hear objections to lack of attendance on Lodge meetings and lack of interest in the history, the symbolism, or the underlying philosophy of Freemasonry. The lack of interest is also being emphasized by the fact that many Masons who move to a state other than that in which they first became members, are content to live as Sojourning Masons only. In California, for example, the Grand Lodge has reported figures to show that the number of Sojourners is equal to the complete membership of the California Lodges.
Our modern Lodges are seeking an effective method of making the teachings of Masonry more effective. We need to find some way of arousing the interest of the newly made Mason in teaching himself. For no matter how conscientiously we try to impart the information, it is he, himself, who must make his own mind receptive.
We are reminded that the quality and earnestness of Lodge work should be kept up to a high standard; that the instructive tongue should be used so as to deliver the words of the Ritual in a properly effective manner; and that the coaching of candidates should be done so that suitable assistance is actually provided. All this is splendid, but the fact remains that our attempts to make the desired impression often fall by the wayside. It is made apparent that Masons may be divided into two classes. There are those who take Masonry as a matter of course, and those who contact it with the eyes of inquiry and of wonder.
Our efforts of modern Masonic Research might well be directed to the solving of the problem of increasing the percentage of those who contact Masonry with the eyes of inquiry and wonder.
Our modern Speculative Freemasonry teaches those truths which have been wrought out by the meditations of the studious and stamped as sterling by the psychological reactions which they find in every uncorrupted mind. But those teachings are symbolized, rather than stated directly by words of the modern ritual.
The mental attitude is always the pattern which the life processes weave into the character. Any man can live, but only the practical philosopher can live well. Masonry teaches the most practical philosophy if we will but heed the teachings, believe, and have faith in the virtue of right living.
A man may build a house in any way he likes, but if he expects it to stand and be his home, he must adjust his structure to the laws and forces that rule the material realm. Just so, unless we live in obedience to moral laws, our lives will fall and end in wreckage.
The value of life is not in just being alive. It is developing, growing, and enlarging the mind. It is in training the emotions, cultivating the appreciations, producing a personality and developing a soul.
Freemasonry consists of a body of men banded together to preserve the secrets, customs, and ceremonies handed down from time immemorial, and for the purposes of mutual, social and moral improvement.
Modern Masonry is a wise and well-equipped means of enriching human life as it now is and in this familiar world. As individuals, we need to learn more of the potential power of this grand system of philosophy and more of how to make effective application of its beneficent influence in our daily lives. Masonry should inspire a man to live splendidly; to become a nobler creature.
Freemasonry of today is the evolution of teachings and ideals of many men who lived and died through the ages of the past. It is a system of thought which furnishes a rational explanation of life, and has for its aim the development of character in men.
Most people have little leisure to study their minds and the problems of making the most of their minds. They are too busy making a living, to think of ways to make life better. But the candidate for Masonry is expected to be one who has crested within himself the desire to learn the better way of life, and Masonry quickly indicates that the better way of life is actuated by a better way of thinking.
But it is made evident that the Ritual does not do his thinking for the candidate, and a Lodge does not do his thinking for a Mason; each one must do his thinking for himself.
Masonry, like any other noble philosophy, can only serve as a guidepost. The will of a Freemason, himself, must carry out the plan.
We teach by symbolism. It is the function of a symbol to express a truth. Unless it can make some fact or truth or idea more intelligible, more evident, more easily comprehended it has failed of its purpose. But a symbol cannot be effective to the individual who has never done any thinking about it.
After a man has worn off the first strangeness of being a member of a Lodge and begins to learn for himself what Freemasonry is and what its history has been, there begins to grow in him a zeal and an enthusiasm for it.
Masonry seeks to improve the social order of the community and the nation by enlightening men's minds. We need to remember that the power of Masonry in the world depends upon the contributions of individual Masons. Each life has its influence on the opinions of others. Each is judged by the public, and especially by the younger generation, as to whether we are worthy of emulation.
Masonry's growth must ever come from the individuals whose patient study and sincere application of Masonry's teachings make them stronger persons.
The great need in Masonry is the spiritual awakening of more individuals. Our efforts of modern Masonic Research might well be directed to increased zeal for our Institution in the minds of our newly made Masons.
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by ALPHONSE CERZA, F.P.S. (Life), IIll.
ARTHUR R. HERRMANN, of New York, for some years has been active in the day-by-day work of the Craft. Several years ago he wrote Designs 'Upon the Trestleboard, a general wide for Lodge officers especially the Master and Wardens. Recently the Masonic History Company of Chicago published The Secretary s Book by Brother Herrmann. While this book is addressed primarily to Secretaries of Lodges it contains material of general interest, and contains many forms that can be used as guides. Chapter 12 is devoted to the subject of life membership, a much debated subject in years gone by.
Three issues of the magazine Presbyterian Life have had a series of articles on the subject of Church and State which should be of interest to Masons. The January 1, 1960, issue has an article by Janet Harbison entitled "The Wall of Separation and the Freedom to Believe," which deals with the problem as applied to education. The second installment appeared in the January 15, 1960, issue and deals with the sectarian school and the campaign to get public money. The third installment appeared in the February 1, 1960, issue and discusses the question: Is there any place for religion in public education? These basic articles are a fair presentation of the problems discussed.
We will be hearing more and more about the J. M. Dawson Studies in Church and State as the years go by. The movement was established in 1957 by Baylor University, Waco, Texas. The first item to be issued as a result of the group was "Church and State," a 150-page book dealing with three basic subjects: (1) The Biblical foundations of Church-State Relations, (2) The History of Separation of Church and State, and (3) Constitutional Law of Church and State relations. It is one of the most interesting and informative books on the subject. Dealing with the fundamental problems of the relationship of the church and the state in historical perspective no student of the subject can be without this book. The paper back edition sells for only $1.75; cloth bound for $3.00. It is available from the Baylor University Press, Waco, Texas.
The students of the subject who are actively working with the group have planned to issued a magazine twice a year. The first issue of A Journal of Church and State was issued in November 1959. Subscriptions are $1.25 a year and should be sent to The J. M. Dawson Studies in Church and State, Baylor University, Box 258, Waco, Texas.
The Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, has given much support to this effort thus indicating that Masons are vitally interested in the success of the project designed to preserve our American way of life.
A number of very good books relating to the Holy Bible have been published of late. These should be of interest to Masons because of the place that this Book occupies in the Masonic structure. First and foremost is The Bible Word Book, by Bridges and Weigle; It lists over 2600 words and phrases and shows how the changes in meaning, since the King James Version was translated, made the newest revision necessary.
A new project to be of twenty-five volumes on the Holy Book has been started by the John Knox Press; the first volume called Introduction to the Bible consists of five essays of interest. Paine's The Learned Men; King James Translators gives the biography of the men who produced the King James Version and how they did their work; it is an intriguing story.
The Short Talk Bulletin of the Masonic Service Association of the United States is most timely. It is on the subject of "Masonic Colleges." This is the first time that the subject has been treated in so comprehensive a manner. It tells the brief history of the subject, the problems confronting such a project, and should be of interest to educators and Masons alike. It clearly indicates that the editor of the association, Brother Conrad Hahn, is a skilled researcher and a brilliant sifter of the facts as well as a writer with an interesting style.
One of the best books on Masonic history published in recent years is Bernard E. Jones, Freemasons' Guide and Compendium which is now in its second edition. The book is based on the latest evidence, is easy to read, and covers the subject well.
Our late Brother Harry Leroy Haywood F.P.S. (Life), some years ago wrote a manuscript designed to be a comprehensive explanation of the history and meaning of Freemasonry. It eventually was published as the twin-volumes, because the manuscript appeared in two volumes. They are entitled The Newly Made Mason and More About Masonry. These books make excellent gifts to the new Mason. They are good "first" books to be read by one who wants more light on the subject. For the older Mason they give new sidelights about the Craft and supply some refreshing ideas both old and new.
Our readers who are interested in writing will be glad to know that there is available The Elements of Style, in a new revised edition, originally written by Professor William Strunk, Jr. The booklet discusses the rules of English usage, the basic principles of composition, and a discussion of certain words and expressions. In this revised edition there has been added a most interesting discussion of the subject of style in writing. This is a worthwhile tool for anyone who wants to improve his style.
One neglected and forgotten "old timer" of great value is Mackey's History of Freemasonry. The edition which I have in my possession consists of seven volumes, published by the Masonic History Company, in 1921, and revised by Robert I. Clegg. I believe this is the last edition published of this work. The volumes are well-written are detailed, and are authoritative. Unfortunately, the work is out of print, but second-hand sets can usually be secured at a reaand confidentally submit to the events since 1921 to date, which have been full years, are missing, the volumes are valuable as a reference tool and for relaxing reading. There are many interesting side-lights in the book. For example, volume seven, pages 2061 to 2163 cover the subject of "Symbolism in Freemasonry." This item is justified on the ground that is an historical discussion of the subject. The index is good though meagre in the listing of names; some names are arranged in alphabetical order with the first name first rather than the last name (as is customary) and leads to some confusion until one learns the listing.
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by C. Clyde Myers, M.P.S.
(Kansas)
ONE OF THE MOST frequent criticisms of Freemasonry is that it is "a secret society."
A secret society is one that is secret, keeps its existence, purposes, membership and meetings and meeting places secret.
Masonry is not such a society.
Masonry has never hidden its existence. It has never hidden its purposes. Its membership lists are no secret. Any member of a Masonic society will cheerfully admit such membership their Masonic membership to the meetings of his Lodge. Most Masons wear emblems proclaiming their Masonic membership to the world. There are parades of Masons wearing Masonic insignia. They hold picnics, sponsor circuses and otherwise proclaim their Masonic connections.
The history, aims and philosophy of Freemasonry have been printed in hundreds and thousands of books and magazines and may be bought and read by any one who wishes to buy.
One writer says, "This matter of the 'secrecy' of Freemasonry has been much overdone. The secrets of Freemasonry are few and are restricted to certain ceremonials pass words and signs." The truth is that the Craft would not be seriously discommoded nor discountenanced at all should even these be discovered. The well-being of the society is not dependent upon its so-called "secrecy."
The inference by each critics is that "secrecy" is bad. This may or may not be true. The gossip-monger keeps no secrets, but proclaims them everywhere. That is not good. It would be much better for him to keep his secrets. Your attorney, your doctor, and your priest knows many of your secrets, yet, he is not condemned if he keeps them. Each family has secrets it does not disclose. This is not rated as bad nor as immoral or a sin.
The Holy Bible seems to teach that some secrets should not be told. For instance, there are these injunctions: To go into your closet to pray (in secret). "Discover not a secret to another," (Pro. 25:9). Christ went up to the feast not openly, "but as it were in secret," (John 7:10). At one time, after the disciples had seen some unusual things, Jesus told them, "Tell the vision to no man," (Matt. 17:9).
These injunctions seem good, not because secrets are evil, but because they are some things that by their nature may be, and should be kept and done in secret.
Secrecy in itself, but only secrecy for immoral or unlawful purposes, is bad or harmful. The secrecy of Freemasonry is neither bad, harmful nor unlawful. Society would enjoin its operation if it were any of these things. Freemasonry could not have existed or prospered for all the centuries of mankind if its secrets were for immoral or unlawful purposes. More especially, it could not prosper now were this true.
It has been said that if Masonry teaches such good things, why keep it secret? One writer answers in this manner:
"Everyone knows that the privacy of the Masonic ceremonies lends dignity to them and makes them impressive. The reason for doing some things in secret has been well expressed by Thomas Carlyle as follows: 'Like other plants, virtue will not grow unless its root is hidden, buried from the eye of the sun. Let the sun shine upon it, the root withers, and no flavor will gladden thee."'
Secret ceremonies create a feeling of closer unity among its members. They feel they have something especially good in common with each other which is not shared by the profane.
One writer says:
"The principles of Masonry are well known and the work of Masonry is exposed to the world. That is very good. Therefore, the fact that Freemasonry contains some secrets is not a point that can be urged against the Craft."
Masonry is more in the nature of a private society rather than a secret one. It exists much in the order of a private family with certain secrets, associations, and practices as has the family.
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Welcome to New Members
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Notes, Queries and Information
On Items of Masonic Research
by JAMES R. CASE, F.P.S.
1960 - No. 3
THE NUMBER OF LETTERS CONTAINING QUESTIONS which relate to mutters of fact in Masonic history and biography, seem to justify their treatment in a column separate from the Editor's CHAT & COMMENT, where they have previously Appeared.
Our members and readers are invited to send in material appropriate for use in the new column, especially information concerning research currently under way. The Editor will assist the sponsor of this column, which will be supervised and run by Brother James R. Case F.P.S. but ALL COMMUNICATIONS should be addressed to the mailing address of the magazine.
85 - London Charters. (October 1959.) Williamsburg Lodge (6) of Williamsburg, Virginia, has its original charter from the Grand Lodge at London ( Moderns ) which is pictured in Past Master George Eldridge Kidd's history of Early Freemasonry in Williamsburg Virginia. This information comes to us from Edmund R. Sadowski of the Temple Library in Chicago, an indefatigable researcher for answers to the queries appearing on this page.
88 - Knights Templar. (February 1960.) The highest authority in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite points out an inaccuracy in the reference made by an anonymous contributor concerning the 18th degree, Rose Croix. There is nothing in the degree as exemplified in the Northern Jurisdiction which conflicts with the principle of universality in Masonry.
95 - Robert Morris. (February 1960.) Supplementary. Brother Sadowski raises a very pertinent question. Where is the "Robert Morris" apron at the present time?
96 - Vacant. 97 - , 98 - , For the benefit of those who may be keeping a consecutive file on these items, we call attention to the inadvertent omission of these numbers, which will not be used.
101 - Joshua Hatheway, Lodge number 869 at Rome, New York, bears the name of this Oneida pioneer. Born at Suffield, Connecticut, 1761, Yale graduate 1787, he came to Rome about 1800 and died there 1836. Can some reader give us a fill-in on his Masonic history? R.H.N., N.Y.
102 - Martha's Vineyard. King Solomon Lodge of Perfection at Holmes Hole on Martha's Vineyard and the Royal Arch King Solomon Lodge at Edgartown are subjects of research by Dwight W. Robb, Box 1137, Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, who would appreciate data concerning either or both which any interested reader may come across.
103 - 1783 Grand Chapter. Volume II, number 1, of the Transactions of the American Lodge of Research illustrates opposite page 56 a letter which mentions a Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons in New York City in 1783. Just how "grand" was it? And why did it not endure? H.K.S., N.O..
104 - Grand Chaplain's Commission. Among the papers of Abraham Jarvis, Bishop of Connecticut, which were in the Robbins Collection in the Library of the General Theological Seminary in New York in 1937, was "his appointment as Grand Chaplain of the Masonic Order in the State of Connecticut signed by the Grand Master and dated June 1, 1798." Query - Where is that document today ?
105 - William Howard Taft. Just before his inauguration as President Brother Taft was made a Mason at sight by the Grand Master of Ohio at a special ceremony in Cincinnati. Is there any record of his having later been a visitor to any tiled Lodge? H.M.N., Conn.
106 - Oliver Hazard Perry. When the monument at Put-in-Bay was dedicated it was assumed that Perry was a Mason. Has any verification of his initiation or attendance in any Masonic Lodge ever been made? C.M.L., Ohio.
107 - Thirteen Governors. It has been stated that all the governors of the thirteen original states were Freemasons. Who first made that claim and when? A.L.R., N.Y.
108 - Purple Heart. Three soldiers during the Revolutionary War were awarded this decoration by George Washington. How many of them were Freemasons? E.F.S., Vt.
109 - Signers. Did Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts sign the Declaration of Independence? He had to leave Philadelphia account of ill health and wrote his colleagues John and Samuel Adams, "Pray subscribe for me ye Declaration of Independency if ye same is to be signed as proposed. I think we ought to have the privilege, when necessarily absent, of voting and signing by proxy." Is his name an autograph signature ?
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The Story of The Declaration of Independence, Milhollen, Kaplan and Malone. Oxford University Press, 1954. This is not a Masonic book, but its factual treatment of the background and history of the Declaration of Independence, and particularly, the vast amount of information relative to the signers of this document, makes this volume one of particular interest to Masons who have an interest in this period of American history and the men who had a part in making this history. Source material that is accurate, plus interesting biographical data, make it a valuable addition to a personal library.
- JBV
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