April 1965
Contents
A GUEST EDITORIAL Grand Chapter OES
Washington Bible Presented To Memorial Writing For Masonic Publications
Faith, Freedom, Fellowship Recommended Masonic Reading
Funeral Service Of Joseph Webb The Esoteric Christ Transforming
A Masonic Educational Program Lodges Of Research, Their Development
What Is a Real Mason Down To Earth Activities In Masonry
Notes, Queries and Information
Closing of Masonic Club
Published bimonthly at Franklin, Indiana, by
THE PHILALETHES SOCIETY
John Black Vrooman, F.P.S., Editor
Box 402, St. Louis 66, Missouri
OFFICERS
Dr. Charles Gottshall Reigner, F.P.S., First Vice President
4035 Belle Avenue
Baltimore 15, Maryland
Robert H. Gollmar, F.P.S., First Vice President
1221 Oak Street
Baraboo, Wisconsin
William R. Denslow, F.P.S. Second Vice President
P.O. Box 529
Trenton, Missouri 64683
Carl R. Greisen, F.P.S., Executive Secretary
401 Masonic Temple
Omaha 2, Nebraska
Ronald E. Heaton, F.P.S., Treasurer
728 Haws Avenue
Morristown Pennsylvania
PUBLICATION COMMITTEE
A. L. Woody, F.P.S.
1440 Burr Oak Road
Homewood, Illinois
Edward J. Franta, F.P.S.
Langdon, North Dakota
Dr. William L. Cummings, F.P.S.
228-230 Gordon Avenue
Syracuse 4, New York
Volume XVIII, No. 2
A Comment On The Symbolism Of Penalties
BY PAUL R. STEPHENS, M.P.S. (Illinois)
Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of Illinois
IN THE DECEMBER ISSUE of the Philalethes I read the Editor's comment on the proposal which is to be considered by the Grand Lodge of England at a later Communication. I would like to take the heading used on this page and say "IT SEEMS TO ME" that such a change if made, takes from Masonry a part of our symbolism and when those who are not members are considered and their thoughts or criticism given weight, we lose something which is ours and which for years has been important to Masons. What outsiders think is of no concern to me. What concerns me is the feeling of members who consider the use of a symbolic phrase as a means of adding strength to the obligations taken by all those who enter our doors. Never have I had the slightest idea that the penalties were anything but symbolic.
The penalty of the first degree is symbolic in that it refers to a loss of freedom of speech if our actions in the world are not in accordance with giving and doing the very best for a better society in which to live. This is emphasized when the candidate is confronted at the south gate and is asked to reveal that which should be kept within his breast. The second degree penalty shows that when a man loses the feeling of his heart and his freedom of speech, then certainly life is of less value to the individual and the dictator will speak and think for all. It is given added importance when the east gate is approached. The last penalty symbolizes the loss of everything - freedom of speech - the normal feelings for the welfare of others, belief in God and in all that makes for interest in others. Surely if all is lost, the phrase "scattered to the four winds of Heaven" means the downfall of nations and mankind.
The symbolism of the penalties of our obligations should mean more today than ever before. In years gone by man has been faced with those who would take from him all that is dear and sacred and today the pressure is even greater and would deny any nation being free. Today the dictatorial powers of the world are striking at the very things all Masons hold dear and are taught symbolically through our obligations. If we take from our obligations the symbolism as suggested, then where do we stop taking away. Masonry is veiled in allegory and symbolism, why not keep it that way?
Perhaps we are faced with problems in Masonry today, but the problems are not because of our teachings in the obligations. These problems which come from the outside only tend to weaken our great Craft if we pay attention to them. If we have problems let them be solved inside Masonry, and suggested changes be carefully considered before being made. Those within Masonry are aware of all our faults, those within Masonry will correct them in due time. Those from without who know nothing of the beauties of the Gentle Craft only try to create trouble. When we consider our enemies let us feel sorry for them. They know not what they say.
Masonry has always been a bright and shining star in the clouded canopy, because clouds have always and will always be present. Let Masons and Masonry make the star even brighter by our efforts to practice in our daily lives the tenets and principles of the world's greatest fraternity and a force for the good of all mankind.
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Washington - 1965 . . .
Masonry In Action!
EMPHASIZING the practicality of Masonic activities, Masonic Week in Washington was one of the most inspiring panoramas of Craft activity that has been had in many, many years Leaders from every state of the Union, from Canada, and from many foreign countries met to talk over means of making Masonry more meaningful and aggressive. To all who were privileged to take part in the many meetings and conferences, it was a means of putting Masonry to work in a way that will redound to the credit of the Craft.
As has been the custom, the small research and study groups led off the week's activity, with the Philalethes Masonic Workshop occupying the attention of the group on Friday evening, February 19.
Prior to the Masonic Workshop however, the Executive Committee of the Philalethes met in annual session to review the activities of the past year, and make plans for 1965. A healthy increase in membership, with an announced 1,087 members as of December 31, 1964, with an additional 25 or 30 members enrolled since the first of the year. Commenting on the financial condition of the Society, Ronald E. Heaton, F.P.S., Treasurer, stated that most of the dues of the members had been paid for 1964, with a very few dropped for nonpayment, and that dues for 1965 were coming in good numbers. The financial as well as the numerical status of the Society, he stated, is excellent.
Membership activities, under the able direction of Kenneth F. Curtis, F.P.S., chairman of the Membership Committee, reported that many had been contacted, and that the interest of the Masonic world had been stimulated and awakened in the work of the Society.
Dr. Charles Gottshall Reigner, F.P.S., announced the appointment of several committees, as follows: Masonic Workshop for 1966 - Waldron C. Biggs, (Vermont), chairman; Benjamin W. Ela (Me.); Louis Sylvester (Neb.), Alvin L. Crump (Ill.), and Wylie B. Wendt (Ky.); Membership -Kenneth F. Curtis; Fellows, Harold V. B. Voorhis; Certificate of Literature, William E. Yeager, (Pa.) chairman, Alex Horne (Calif.), and Samuel K. Zipp (Ill.).
Three fine papers were read at the Masonic Workshop on Friday evening. After a hearty welcome by President Charles Gottshall Reigner, and introduction of distinguished guests, the large group listened to splendid papers by Conrad Hahn, F.P.S., on Preparing A Manuscript For Publication in A Masonic Journal, emphasizing the essential fundamentals of grammar and arrangement.
Charles S. McGinness, M.P.S. (Kans.), gave an informative paper on Masonic Publications, Trestleboards and Magazines, and the concluding paper was presented by Charles F. Adams, M.P.S., on Preparing a Paper for delivery at a meeting of Masons, Non-Masons and at Masonic Meetings Other than within the tiled Lodge. Each paper was followed by a spirited discussion period, and comments from many present added to the effectiveness of the presentation.
Following the reading of the papers, Harold V.B. Voorhis, F.P.S., Life, gave a tape recording on Masonic Books, which was most interesting, and the manuscript of which has been given the Philalethes, and will be used in this magazine at a later date.
Saturday and Sunday, February 20 and 21, were occupied with meetings of the Masonic groups under the auspices of the Allied Masonic Degrees. In the category were Grand College of Rites, Council of the Nine Muses, Knight Masons of Ireland, Societas Rosicrucians in Civitatibus Foederatis, following which the annual banquet of the Allied Masonic Degrees was enjoyed by the gathering. Following the banquet, and continuing through Saturday night and Sunday morning, were Order of the Bath, Order of Corks, a breakfast of the Knights of the York Cross of Honour, the annual meeting of the Society of Blue Friars, with Norman S. Meese, M.P.S., named as the new Blue Friar. Meese read a splendid paper, and the meeting was adjourned to allow the Grand College, Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests, to meet and transact its business. Following this meeting the small groups were adjourned to make the trip from the Washington Hotel to the Shoreham, where the annual meetings of. the national groups started the work on Monday.
Monday, February 22, Washington's birthday, was celebrated by the Masons of the world by a pilgrimage to Alexandria, attending the annual meeting of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association. Many distinguished visitors were present for the reading of the annual report of the Association by its President, after which all were thrilled at the presentation of two of the direct descendents of our First President, who came to acknowledge their generosity in presenting to the Association several Washingtonia for the Museum.
The Washington Family Bible, several valuable pictures and other material were given to the Association (see the story of these gifts in another section of this magazine ) which will be placed in the newly authorized Museum, the gift of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Northern and Southern Masonic Jurisdictions.
George E. Bushnell, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, and Luther A. Smith, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Masonic Jurisdiction, were present, and delivered checks to the Association for the establishment of the Museum. Both Scottish Rites will furnish and complete the Museum.
Tuesday and Wednesday occupied the attention of the Conference of Grand Masters of North America, and the Conference of Grand Secretaries of North America. First item on the program was the Commission on Information for Recognition of the Conference of Grand Masters, which sifted and analyzed Masonic conditions in all parts of the world, and made statements as to these conditions which could be used by Grand Lodges to better enable them to make recognition of other Grand Lodges according to the Masonic principles which govern such matters. The report was read, and will be sent to all Grand Lodges, that they may be able to use the information intelligently.
Noting the tendency among Masons to underestimate the activities of Masonry, and an inclination to say that too many things are wrong with Masonry, two Grand Masters, C. Fuller Dorr, of Michigan, and Lewis A. Stocking of Wisconsin, presented two outstanding papers on What Is Right With Freemasonry. The effect was electric, and all who heard the talks were impressed with the fact that a new emphasis has been put on our Craft.
Dr. Carl S. Winters, an outstanding speaker, was the man who brought the message of inspiration to the large group which attended the Grand Masters' Banquet in the Regency Room Tuesday evening, February 23, and his talk with special music arranged by the committee in charge of the event brought to a close a very interesting program. A feature of the meeting was that many government officials, Senators, Congressmen and others, were present to add to the dignity of the occasion.
The Grand Secretaries, meanwhile, had an interesting session, with papers and discussion on matters pertaining to the administration of Lodge affairs. Their meetings also extended into Wednesday, February 24, when officers were elected and installed.
Masonic Education came into prominence at the Conference of Grand Masters at the meeting held Wednesday, when papers on How Can We Develop A Masonic Education Program Which Will Really Reach the Membership of Our Constituent Lodges? Papers on this topic were prepared and read by Woodrow A. Downs, Grand Master of Masons in Louisiana, and by Harry A. Spencer, Grand Master of Masons in Nebraska.
Church and State, and the interrelationship which exists between those two great groups, was discussed in papers prepared by Carl S. Gilbert, Grand Master of Masons in Wyoming, and by George O. Thorne, Grand Master of Masons in New Mexico.
The unanimous recommendation of the Committee on Time and Place, made at the closing sessions of the Conference of Grand Masters was that the Conference should return to the City of Washington in 1966. The recommendation was approved overwhelmingly.
On Wednesday noon, the delegates to all of the groups were invited to luncheon at the House of the Temple, as guests of Luther A. Smith, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Masonic Jurisdiction, where a fine meal was enjoyed by all who accepted the invitation.
Meeting early on Thursday morning, February 25, the Masonic Service Association heard the report of the Executive Commission, read by William P. Sturtz, chairman. M.W. Brother Edgar L. Ott, Grand Master of Masons in Ohio, was named Chairman of the 1965 meeting. At that point, Brother Sturtz, who has served as Chairman of the Executive Commission for many years, announced his retirement from that position, and on motion of M.W. Brother George R. Sturgis, Chairman Emeritus, and with the unanimous concurrence of all present, M.W. Brother Sturtz was elected Chairman Emeritus Ad Vitam. On motion and by vote of the delegates, M. W. Brother George W. Toft was elected as Chairman of the Executive Commission. Members of the Executive Commission were elected by their several divisional groups, and reports of the Education Committee, the Hospital Visitation Committee and others were conducted with panels of distinguished brethren to discuss the many phases of each of the groups.
Memorial services for the deceased, both of the member jurisdictions and of members of the Masonic Service Association Field Force, were conducted under the able direction of the Grand Masters of Florida, District of Columbia, Delaware, Colorado, Mississippi and the Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Florida. Impressive and dignified, this service was a great addition to the meeting.
William C. Edmunds, Chief Field Agent of the Masonic Service Association, was then honored for twenty years of active service in the Association, with Worshipful Brother John D. Cunningham, retired Executive Secretary of the Association doing the honors in a splendid way. Brother Edmunds replied in heartfelt fashion to the tribute, and the meeting was closed, to conclude the meetings of the week.
As a footnote, it was a delight for the Editor to be able to attend the many meetings. A guest at the annual Winconsin Breakfast, the annual breakfast of the Imperial Council of the Shrine, and other social events, it was possible through these contacts to feel the enthusiasm and inspiration which came with meeting and mixing with Masonry throughout the world.
This is a privilege that is not only appreciated, but gives hope of better life.
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Support Eye Foundation KT
Among the first announcements made by Mrs. Josephine Harkins Browning was that during her term of office as Most Worthy Grand Matron Order of the Eastern Star, for the period of three years, 1964 to 1967, that great humanitarian charity, the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc., would be one of their major projects and thus the General Grand Chapter O.E.S. would become a Cooperating Division thereof.
The Most Worthy Grand Matron stated, "My selection of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation Project was because of my father's, Walter S. Harkins of Prestonsburg, Kentucky, great love for the Knights Templar, and from my own personal experience of facing complete blindness. I shall dedicate what influence I may have for a great measure toward a creditable financial consideration for this project."
The Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc., a tax exempt non-profit corporation, is sponsored by the Grand Encampment, Knights Templar of the United States of America, in continuous existence since 1816 and having jurisdiction over all the Knights Templar of the 50 states comprising the United States, the District of Columbia, and Commanderies in all of our possessions and seven foreign countries.
Its objectives are for research, surgical treatment and hospitalization of those who suffer from diseases or injury to the eye which if untreated might result in blindness, and for the correction of strabismus, cross eyes in children.
Admission for treatment of such persons shall be without regard to race, creed, color, age, sex or national origin. The treatment of patients for this purpose shall be free and limited to persons unable to pay, or to those who cannot receive assistance from Welfare, M.A.A., State Aid or other organizations.
(NOTE: Over 8300 applications for surgery and hospitalization have been processed at a cost of nearly Two and a Half Million Dollars ($2,500,000). In addition thereto Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) has been allocated in grants to various Medical Colleges for research into Ophthalmology.)
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Washington Bible Presented To Memorial
At the 55th annual convention of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association held in Alexandria, February 22, 1965, in the auditorium of the Washington Masonic Memorial, a large assembly of distinguished Masons from North America and abroad was thrilled by the announcement of some priceless gifts for the Washington Museum at the Memorial.
Misses Anne and Patty Washington of the District of Columbia, fifth generation desendants of Col. John Augustin Washington, the first President's brother, appeared in person to receive thanks for the gifts of valuable Washingtoniana which they have made to the Memorial Association.
The Washington family Bible aroused the greatest interest. This volume was owned by George Washington, himself. It bears his signature on the first page and contains the family record which he started with the names of his father and mother. A number of interesting pages of this volume were reproduced and exhibited to the delegates at the meeting.
One of the gifts from the Misses Washington is a valuable art treasure as well as a historical memento, the 9 1/2'' x 6 1/4" oil painting of Mrs. Jane Washington and family, the work of John Gadsby Chapman, whose famous Baptism of Pocahontas hangs in the rotunda of the National Capitol. Mrs. Jane Washington was the owner of Mt. Vernon from 1832 to 1850. Her son, Colonel John A. Washington, was the last private owner of the famous estate. In 1860 it became the property of the Mt. Vernon Ladies Association, who continue to maintain it as a national shrine.
Among other gifts to the Masonic Memorial from the Misses Washington is a silver hot plate holder, one of five places given by George Washington to his nephew, Bushrod, as a wedding present - also a desk which was used at Mt. Vernon.
Another gift was a collection of 700 books which came from the library at Mt. Vernon. Many of them were added by Washington's heirs, but one set of twenty volumes of an American encyclopedia was ordered from Philadelphia by George Washington, himself. They arrived at Mt. Vernon after his death. Among the other volumes are a dozen books of music for the harpsichord and piano, in excellent condition, which belonged to the great man's niece, Anne Washington.
"These memorabilia," said Marvin E. Fowler, Executive Secretary of the Washington Masonic Memorial Association, "will be added to the collections in our Washington museum; they will be permanently exhibited."
President of the Board of Directors, John H. Hessey of Baltimore, explained that the Museum Room in the Memorial will be completed in the next twelve months. The decorations and furnishings are a gift from the Supreme Councils, 33d, of Scottish Rite Masons of both southern and northern jurisdictions of the United States. "It will be a most impressive tribute to our Brother Mason, George Washington." he said.
Lee Malone, New York art dealer and museum consultant, former director of the Houston Art Museum, has been retained to authenticate historic items and to arrange the displays in the new museum effectively.
Mr. Hessey announced that $250,000.00 had been donated at the annual meeting for the maintenance and endowment funds of the Memorial.
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Project Laggard
A novel undertaking of the Grand Lodge of Kansas bids fair to offset losses in membership suffered from non payment of dues. We quote from a letter received from Brother Charles S. McGinness, Grand Secretary of that Grand Lodge: "A program to round up Apprentices and Fellowcrafts who are behind in completing their work is now in full swing. This project was originally started by our Grand Master in a request to all Secretaries to send in the names and addresses of all 'laggards' who had not advanced in degree work since January 1, 1960. The response brought literally hundreds of names - 98 from one Lodge."
Brother McGinness goes on to say that the magnitude of the project was soon recognized and that Grand Master Ben W. Graybill called in Most Worshipful Brother Glenn Robison and set up several meetings with District Deputy Grand Masters. He states that the program gives every promise of adding many members to the rolls.
What is true in the Jurisdiction of Kansas may be equally true in our own Jurisdiction. There are many young men who have petitioned for and received one or two degrees who are now in service or who may have been transferred by the company or firm by which they are employed and who of necessity, or through ignorance of our policies or neglect to follow through, fail to complete their work. Courtesy work can be arranged when necessary without hardship on anyone, and many of these brethren may complete their Masonic work and be added to our rolls. It certainly seems to us well worth a try.
- Masonic Light-So. Carolina
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Writing For Masonic Publications
BY CONRAD HAHN, F.P.S.
Executive Secretary, Masonic Service Association
(A paper read at Masonic Workshop, Washington, D. C., February 19, 1965)
WRITING FOR MASONIC PUBLICATIONS should be undertaken with the professional author's point of view, although in a few respects the Masonic writer's problems are different. He is not competing in a market as diverse and variegated as modern life itself. He is not concerned with making a "buck." Masonic publications operate on a shoestring, "in the red," or by the grace of Grand Lodge subsidy! A Masonic writer usually receives speculative wages only. More frequently than not he puts more money into producing his brain children then he can reasonably expect to get from selling them. Masonic writing, like virtue, is "its own reward," because it has to be!
However, the writer on Masonic subjects doesn't have to follow "Dame Fashion" and produce essays flavored for the tastes of the moment. He doesn't have to subordinate his interests to the requirements of a specialized market, like the women's magazines, or the "slicks" for men, like Esquire, with its "off-beat" stories and existentialist essays. The Masonic writer is free to stick to his major interest, Freemasonry.
Nevertheless, a Masonic writer should approach the job of writing professionally. The first requirement is to understand that writing is an act of communication, which is a well-defined street that runs from the writer to the reader. Of the two the reader is always the more important, especially if the writer hopes to communicate with more than one reader, that ogre known as the editor!
The amateur tends to regard his own interests, his own ideas, his own expressions, words and idioms as the unique contribution he is making by the act of composition. But if these produce a lack of clarity, and difficulty of understanding on the part of the reader, the writer has failed to measure up to the first standard of professional authorship. He has failed to communicate. He has failed to say something because his reader hasn't "heard him."
The writer's first problem is what to write about. Generally speaking, a Masonic writer should stick to Masonry. Even this specialized field in the wide spectrum of writing and communication is an inexhaustible source of literary materials. If a Masonic author is continually curious about Freemasonry and like a true Fellow of the Craft reads and acquires knowledge of the Fraternity in all its ramifications, he will never lack for Masonic subjects to write about.
Once the writer is satisfied that his subject is acceptable, once he is convinced that he has "something to say," he faces the necessary drudgery of doing his homework, gathering his materials: collecting facts, ideas opinions, illustrations, anecdotes, etc. No professional writer would consider writing a composition right "out of his head." That kind of essay leads to a mere expression of personal opinion and prejudice which is as unconvincing as it is dull.
Good writing, professional writing, is hard work. It results from the activities of a very curious person who is constantly asking questions and searching for answers. Who? What? Where? When? Why? or How? All good writing seeks to satisfy the curiosity of readers as expressed by those words.
Therefore, a Masonic writer must be a thorough and careful observer of what and how in Masonic ritual, of why a symbol has acquired significance, of who has performed Masonic labors, of where and why certain Masonic events occurred. He must know, and know accurately, what he is writing about.
Even Masonic essays must be based on facts to satisfy the reader. From observation of Masonic activities, from reading Masonic books, from noting other expressions of Masonic ideas, a good writer will always accumulate more details than he can actually use in a limited Masonic composition. The good writer will jot down brief notes and ideas and classify them for future reference. He is careful to make them accurate and exact, especially if they involve facts which will be used to support a conclusion.
In no other quality is Masonic writing, generally speaking, more inadequate and unprofessional than in the careless and inaccurate use of facts. Professional historians, with considerable justice, it must be admitted, laugh at much so-called Masonic history because it is carelessly written. To revere the past is an admirable trait; but to accept uncritically someone else's interpretation of the past is lazy unprofessional writing. By this time, Anderson's legendary story of Freemasonry has been generally discredited as history, even among Masons.
Freemasons, however, still write history based on wish-fulfillment, rather than on facts. One can still find statements printed in Masonic journals which claim the Rev. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, as a Brother Mason, although as long ago as 1902 the Irish Masonic student J. Chetwode Crawley, proved that it wasn't true in a very scholarly paper read to the Quatuor Coronati Research Lodge. Not long ago the famous Astronaunt, Col. John Glenn was claimed as a Mason by one Masonic publication. "Someone told us he was," was the explanation for that inaccuracy.
In spite of the scholarly care of writers like William Moseley Brown and Ronald E. Heaton in their studies of the Masonic membership of the patriots known as the "founding fathers," one still reads Masonic essays or speeches which assert that "more than fifty of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence were Freemasons."
Less than two months ago I read a Masonic paper on Brother George Washington. The author was careful not to overstate the extent of Washington's Masonic activities, but he failed to check his facts carefully and became guilty of one of the most careless historical statements I have ever read. It went like this: "Brother Washington attended the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, where he heard Patrick Henry deliver his famous 'Give me liberty, or give me death' speech." A proud Virginian may find that statement more than just ridiculous! The author continued, "But that was preceded by another significant Masonic event Paul Revere's famous ride to Lexington and Concord." This is an example of careless or inexact writing. Did the author mean that the Second Continental Congress or Patrick Henry's speech "was preceded" by Paul Revere's ride? If he meant the latter, he is of course "dead wrong." The proper chronology of those events (all in 1775) is as follows: Patrick Henry's speech was made in St. John's Church, Richmond, Virginia March 23; Paul Revere's ride took place on the night of April 18-19; the Second Continental Congress convened on May 10.
The problem is much like that of a six-year-old in his playroom, who must get ready for bed. Blocks, books, marbles, toy soldiers, cowboy suit, trucks and cars are scattered all over the floor. Since each has a definite place, the books on the shelves, the blocks in their cases, the toy soldiers in their boxes, and the marbles in the bag - the toys must be sorted and properly arranged.
The writer's notes are like the toys; he has to separate them into categories. He discovers that some of the groups of notes are really not necessary. When the little boy wanted to play "war," he used the soldiers, the trucks for military transport, and the marbles for cannonballs. The other things, like books and the cowboy suit, he rejected for this temporary amusement.
The notes also resemble the toys in another respect. Some of the soldiers wear grey; some blue. Yet they are all soldiers. Some of the marbles are blue; some red; some yellow; some green; some orange. But they're all marbles. Just so with the writer's notes and ideas.
By studying the best arrangement of the various topics, the writer becomes aware of which topics logically follow each other; and he begins to think of the connecting words and phrases which he can use to make the ideas flow smoothly from one topic to another. By so doing he achieves another valuable quality of professional writing - coherence. Only the careless writer derides those old-fashioned qualities of clear and effective composition.
Making an outline serves one other useful purpose. It can be submitted to an editor as the skeleton of a possible Masonic article. Busy editors appreciate help which lets them get to the heart of the matter quickly. However, if an outline is used for such a purpose, it is well to write out the introductory and concluding sections of the paper so that the editor to whom it is submitted can see a sample of the writer's style: his ability to write clearly, his use of words, his sentence structure, and the kind of thinking that he does.
After making an outline (which the practiced writer learns to do rather quickly) the author is ready to write the first draft of his composition. I personally like to write such a draft quickly and, if possible, completely at one sitting. This helps to control the flow of ideas and to contain them within the framework suggested by the outline. The important part is the "lead," the opening sentences or paragraphs. This must accomplish two things: arouse the reader's interest and give him a "come on" so that he wants to read more. Handbooks for professional writers describe many kinds of "leads" which good writers use. The Masonic writer will profit by getting acquainted with those techniques.
Once the "lead" is out of the way, the main body of the essay should be continuously related to it by fulfilling the promise made therein. Too much thought (by asking one's self questions) cannot be given to the opening statements. The "lead" is all important.
Generally speaking, the rough draft should be laid aside for a reasonable period, to let the author get out of the mold into which he has cast himself in the first quick writing. He has practically memorized it in the process; he has chosen and rejected words and idioms until he feels sure he can't improve his expressions. A few days later he may find himself equipped with a more critical eye. Phrases are no longer as familiar as they were; even the structure of the composition may show some illustrations and ideas "out of line."
When dissatisfactions like these arise, the author is ready to improve his first rough draft. As he makes his revisions, he is preparing his final copy. At this point he can with profit show it to some of his intimate Masonic friends; but such sharing is valuable only if the readers are willing to follow exactly the author's instruction: "Tear it apart, if necessary; tell me how to improve it." The writing of the final draft should also give lots of attention to the concluding paragraphs or section, for the ending should recapitulate the essential message of the entire composition in such a way that the reader will say, "This man knows what he's talking about. "
In writing the final draft, the author has time to give some consideration to those qualities of writing which come under the heading of "style." To seek consciously to achieve a distinctive style is usually self-defeating, because "style" is really the way an individual expresses himself naturally. The best advice to the Masonic writer who is concerned about style is that given by all professional writers: be your self. Write simply, with words and expressions that you generally use. Don't imitate someone else's style (although every writer does it unconsciously to some extent). Avoid cliches and stereotyped expressions. In Masonic writing steer clear of "journalese" and "verbal tricks of the trade." Be sincere. If you're not interested in what you write about, stop! You won't interest someone else, your reader.
The professional writer studies words and their meanings in order to select the most appropriate ones. A good writer's, dictionary is a well-thumbed volume, as is his Roget's Thesaurus, an excellent source for finding synonyms, provided the meanings of the words are exactly understood.
A good writer also knows the value of figures of speech. He may not call vivid comparisons similes and metaphors; but he uses them imaginatively to add color to his writing. Euphony is another quality which he values highly. He reads his compositions aloud to himself, to learn if they sound like himself. Such reading aloud helps him to improve the rhythmical flow of his sentences and paragraphs.
All this sounds like a lot of work? Of course it is. Good writing always is. With these "finishing touches," however, the author's brain child is now neatly and attractively dressed to make its appearance before the world.
Faith, Freedom, Fellowship
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THANK YOU
The officers of the Society are deeply appreciative of the kind letters that members write. Those letters make us feel that the hard work which goes into "The Philalethes" and into other aspects of the Society's activities is understood and appreciated.
"I enjoy 'The Philalethes' magazine," wrote Brother Calvin E. Baker of Camos, Washington. "The articles are thought-provoking. The article on the subject, 'The Man, The Church, and the Lodge,' is of deep concern to a good percentage of Master Masons. May the good work of the leadership of the Society continue."
Brother Ralph C. Flowers, Hickory North Carolina, wrote: "Receiving the February issue was a reminder to send you my check for the 1965 Dues. And what an issue it was! Every article is powerful. I hove spent the entire morning studying it. And because of what I have learned, I am greatly refreshed. Never let me miss an issue please. I am grateful that I am a member of The Philalethes Society. "
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BY DR. CHARLES G. REIGNER, F.P.S., President
THESE THREE WORDS - with their applications and implications - sum up the spirit and purpose of Freemasonry. It cannot be too often said that the essence of Freemasonry is not in its ritual, its philosophy, or its government. Its primary purpose is to teach - through symbol and allegory - those eternal principles o f truth and justice and fundamental humanity which underlie rectitude of life and conduct.
Freemasonry, as such, organizes no movements for political or economic reform. It seeks to do its work in the mind and soul of the individual Mason. Unless a man who has been made a Mason becomes a better man than he was before he was brought from darkness to light, he has failed to learn what Freemasonry seeks to teach.
The first lesson which Freemasonry everywhere teaches is Faith. From beginning to end it emphasizes faith in a Supreme Being - a profound belief in an overruling Providence. It does not ask any Mason to define that faith; it is content with a simple, honest expression of his belief in the Fact of God. It is a Fact that ought to become progressively more real, more profound in the inner life of every Mason. To the extent that a Mason does not grow in his understanding of the Fact of God, to that extent also he fails to grow in Freemasonry - no matter how much ritual he may learn, how many degrees he may acquire, or how many offices he may hold. Sometimes you hear a Mason say, thoughtlessly I am sure, "I have everything in Masonry." By that statement he usually means that he "has gone" through the York ( or American) Rite and the Scottish Rite. The real question, however, that he should ask himself, is this: "How much Freemasonry has gone through me?"
Freemasonry also teaches Masons to have faith in themselves. We all have far more capacity for good than we sometimes realize. We have the power to increase our moral stature. We can all grow in righteousness. We can expand our understanding of the basic truths of human life. Our spiritual life can be deepened. Whether or not we realize these possibilities depends wholly on ourselves.
Then, too, Freemasonry teaches a Mason to have faith in his fellow Masons. All Masons are bound together by the most sacred ties. Too often the words which express those ties are repeated in a thoughtless way. They go across the surface of the mind like water flows over a duck's back. Their deep import does not reach the heart.
If a Mason cannot have faith in a Brother Mason, then - by all that is high and holy - in whom can he believe? Masons stand in a peculiar and special relationship to one another. That relationship involves full faith and confidence. To the extent that any Mason violates the faith reposed in him by a Brother Mason, to that extent also he has failed the whole institution of Freemasonry.
Masonic tenets teach our hearts and minds
That faith in God and Brother Masons binds
Our ancient art; that noble thoughts and acts
Are more important than the outward facts.
That true success lies not in selfish gain,
That pride and bitterness will leave their stain;
That Masonry has one outstanding plan -
To live in faith the brotherhood of man.
So be the ceremonies what they may;
Through drama, legend, and symbolic way
They teach one basic truth by word and deed -
That faith in God is every Mason's creed.
The square, the level - all the working tools
Are used to teach the everlasting rules
By which to build the Temple of the Soul,
The Work that forms the true Masonic goal.
The second basic lesson which Freemasonry teaches is Freedom. Freemasonry is arrayed against tyranny and autocracy of every kind. It believes that men should be free to live and think and work - always with due regard to the freedom of other men. We need to emphasize the fact that the State exists for the people - never the people for the State. In our century we have seen that wherever tyranny for a time gains the upper hand, Freemasons are persecuted and Freemasonry is driven underground. Tyranny cannot brook the atmosphere of freedom in which Freemasonry lives and works.
Where does Freemasonry touch the largest number of lives. Where does it do its greatest good for mankind? Is it not patently in those countries where the freedom of the human spirit is acknowledged and upheld?
Freedom sometimes makes it necessary for us to hear fools, even though we do not suffer them gladly! In a free country minorities have their rights, just as has the majority. If such were not the case, the majority would become wholly tyrannical.
The third basic lesson that Freemasonry teaches is the lesson of fellowship and fraternity. The word fraternity, as we all know, comes from the Latin word Crater, which means brother. Freemasonry believes that the Brotherhood of Man is worked out through the Manhood of the Brother. Isn't it eternally true that one Mason who lives the brotherly life is worth a thousand lectures on brotherhood? Freemasonry is faith, freedom, and fellowship which must begin with each one of us in his own life. No plan, no scheme, no program for a better world is worth the paper on which it is written unless the spirit of human brotherhood lies behind the plan, the scheme, or the program. The Mason who lives the brotherly life, however obscure he may be, does more for brotherhood than a hundred orations. A profession of brotherhood, like the profession of religion in a church, has value only when it is carried out in everyday living.
Finally, Freemasonry is a fellowship which believes in the truth of immortality. We are not wholly mortal. "The Soul and the Spirit," as Albert Pike movingly wrote, "is our Very Self, is not subject to decay and dissolution, but survives the death of the body and is capable of immortality."
An old man, walking uncertainly on a city street, was met by a friend who asked, "How do you do ? How are you today?" The old man replied, "Well, the house in which I am at present residing is becoming rather dilapidated. Time and the seasons have just about destroyed it, and I think before long I shall be moving out of it. But I myself am well, quite well, thank you." Could there be a more perfect expression of the faith that we are not wholly mortal?
It is these basic Masonic principles to which The Philalethes Society is committed. Our Editor, Brother John Black Vrooman, F.P.S., Life, is sharing with you in another article some aspects of the Annual Meeting of the Society held in Washington, D.C., on Friday, February 19, 1965. It can properly be described as the most helpful, the most inspiring, the most brotherly of all our Annual Meetings through the years. Certainly it was our most largely attended Annual Meeting. As President, I extend the warm fraternal greetings of the Society to all our members wherever dispersed. I ask your interest and participation in the ongoing work of the Society, made up, as it is, of earnest Masons who seek more light and who have light to impart.
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BY ALPHONSE CERZA, F.P.S. (Life), Illinois
In the year 1963 there was published "Education and Masonry in Texas to 1846" by the Committee on Masonic Education and Service for the Grand Lodge of Texas. Just off the press is the second volume on this subject. Written by Brother James David Carter, formerly of Texas, but presently the Librarian of the House of the Temple, Washington, D.C., the book is entitled "Education and Masonry in Texas, 1846 to 1861."
This volume of 753 pages represents the highest type of research and writing by one skilled in the art of finding the pertinent facts and presenting them in a clear and interesting manner. This volume does not only tell the story of how the Craft and its members helped in establishing the educational system of public schools in Texas but is a veritable sourcebook of biographical sketches, organization of schools, legislative action taken in this field, and the active part taken by the Masons of the period. A large part of the book is devoted to a discussion of all schools operating in Texas during the period covered. An adequate bibliography and a long index make this a workable tool for scholars researching this subject.
Copies are available from Brother Harvey C. Byrd, Grand Secretary, P.O. Box 446, Waco, Texas, at $6.50 a volume.
The November, 1964 issue of the Masonic Journal
of South Africa presents a lecture delivered by Brother L. Dickman, before
Semper Vigilans Lodge No. 7362, entitled "The History Behind the V.S.L."
This article contains some interesting items about the Holy Bible and is
a very good condensed history of the various editions of the Great Light.
Our readers interested in this subject are urged to secure a copy of this
issue of this magazine.
This issue also has two other articles of interest. One is entitled "Why Freemasonry Lives" in which it is demonstrated that the exemplary conduct of each Master Mason has kept up our good reputation in the world and that our teachings have helped make this a better world in which to live. The other article is entitled "Do's and Don'ts For the Young Mason" giving some good sound advice: his duty to vote on candidates for the degree, discretion in recommending new members, upright conduct at all times, and other bits of good advice that all of us could heed with profit.
Interested readers should communicate with: Z.E. Conradie, 406 - 408 Empire Building, 52, Kruis Street, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Available from the Superintendent of Documents is
a booklet entitled "Representative Speeches of General of the Army Douglas
MacArthur." It reproduced most of his famous speeches and displays his
fundamental beliefs in a style so characteristic of our illustrious Brother.
Last month there was reviewed in this column Alex Mellor "Our Separated Brethren: The Freemasons." Since the publication of our last issue word has been received that copies of his volume can be secured with dispatch by sending 30 shillings (approximately $4.25) to the Secretary, Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 27 Great Queen Street, London, W.C. 2, England.
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Welcome to New Members
We are pleased to welcome the following new members into the Philalethes Society since the last issue of the magazine:
LEROY C. MAY, 1908 Narietta Ave., Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
HARRY B. MILLER, P.O. Box 190, Millersburg, Pa. 17061.
FORREST DELOSS HAGGARD 6805 West 78th St., Overland Park, Kansas 66204.
CLARK PAUL RENICK, 1804 Loretta Ave., Cahokia, Ill. 62206.
EARL THOMAS BROWDER, 2517 Washington Ave., St. Albans, West Virginia.
GERALD W. WEST, Jr., 1011 North Front St., Harrisburg, Pa. 17102.
THOMAS ARTHUR CRANE, 6795 Cherry Valley Ave., Middleville, Michigan 49333.
ROBERT BRUCE BRANNON, P.O. Box 28, Refugio, Texas.
BENJAMIN B. BUSBY, Jr., 113 Donna Drive, Titusville, Florida.
ROBERT L. DILLARD, Jr., 6624 Lakewood Blvd., Dallas, Texas.
KENNETH E. LORD, 2700 7th Ave. North, Great Falls, Montana.
JAMES MARIO DiFRANCESCO, 1501 Cutshaw Place, Richmond, Virginia 23226.
IRVIN ETLER, 2718 Latonia Ave., Covington, Kentucky.
JOSEPH H. EDLIN, 3500 Newburg Road, Louisville, Kentucky.
JAMES ROBERT THOMSON, R.R. 1, Missoula, Montana.
HAROLD J. FRASER, 935 Burlington Ave., Billings, Montana.
WARREN FOSTER PALMER, Jr., R. D. 2, Duncannon, Pennsylvania 17020.
JAMES EDGAR PENNINGTON, 330 N. McPherson St., LaHabra, California 90631.
JOHN ALGERNON JONES, P.O. Box 2143, Macon, Georgia 31203.
MALCOLM P. GOULD, 166 Whitmarsh Avenue, Worcester, Mass. 01606.
RICHARD K. MEYER, 5100 Prospect Road, Peoria Heights, Ill. 61614.
ALBERT LANGFORD LEE, 453 Broadway Ave., Toronto 17, Ontario, Canada.
EDWIN R. CREASEY, 63 Powow St., Amesbury, Mass.
HERBERT S. SHUEY, 212, Lafayette Ave., Piedmont 11, Calif.
JAMES B. CECIL, 4216 N. Newhall Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
EUGENE OSCAR CLAY, 3717 Floresta Way, Los Angeles, Calif. 90043.
ROY ALEXANDER LYERLY, P.O. Box 155 Banner Elk, North Carolina.
ALFRED B. HOLMES, 117 N.E. 199th Ave., Portland, Oregon 97230.
HUGO D. SPATZ, 2256 Warrensville Center Road, University Heights, Ohio 44118.
John H. GILL, 297 Vivian St., Greenfield Park, Quebec, Canada.
ROBERT EDWIN DUBOIS, 2515 Anzio Drive, Dallas, Texas.
SAMUEL A. SCHWARZ. 172 Hedgegarth Drive, Rochester, New York 14617.
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In some cities the Lodge is recognized by Masonic names. There is a Freemason Street in Norfolk, Va.; and another in Edenton, N.C.; and Freemason Avenue in San Francisco, Calif.
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YOU WILL BE INFORMED AND INSPIRED
The Society has published a limited number of "The Degrees of Masonry," by Dr. Charles G. Reigner. It is a 32-page well-printed book with flexible covers and is written in a straightforward and down-to-earth way.
To get copies for your friends or for the members of your Lodge or study group, use the order form below. John Black Vrooman, Editor The Philalethes Box 402 St. Louis, Missouri 63166
Please fill the following order.
One copy, 75c.
2 to 25 copies, 60c each.
26 to 50 copies, 50c each. (Postage is paid by the Society.)
I enclose …. in payment.
Name
Complete Mailing Address
Signed
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Funeral Service Of Joseph Webb
Harold V.B. Voorhis, F.P.S., Life, sends us a most interesting historical document relating to the funeral service and procession of Joseph Webb, Grand Master of Antient Masons in Massachusetts, which occurred 26th April, 1787, and which documentary material was given Brother Voorhis by Brother Edwin G. Sanford, 53 Raleigh Road, Belmont, Massachusetts.
We are most happy to have this information, and I am sure that our readers will learn much of colonial Masonry from it.
The Funeral Service and Procession of Most Worshipful Joseph Webb
"On Thursday morning (26 April 1787) died, JOSEPH WEBB, Esq. Grand Master of Ancient Masons for this Commonwealth. His funeral will be on Monday next, at five o'clock, p.m. from his late dwelling house in Long-Lane, when his friends and acquaintances are desired to attend." The Massachusetts Centinel, No. 12 of Vol. VII, Saturday, 28 April 1787, p. 47 (or p. 3 of this issue), col. 2.
"Massachusetts GRAND LODGE,
April 27, 1787.
The funeral of the Most Worshipful JOSEPH WEBB, Esquire, late Grand Master of Ancient Masons, will be attended in ample form, on Monday next - The Brethren are therefore requested to assemble at the Rev. Mr. Belknap's Meeting-House, precisely at half past four o'clock.
JOHN LOWELL, Dep.. Grand Master.
JOSIAH BARTLETT, Grand Warden
THOMAS EDWARDS, Grand Warden
(Same issue and page as preceding, but from col. 3.)
"The funeral of JOSEPH WEBB, Esq. late Colonel of the Boston regiment, and Grand Master of Ancient Masons was on the 30th ult. attended in Masonick order. The Corps, followed by the mourning relatives and friends, was preceded by a large and respectable number of the Brethren from the different Lodges in town, ornamented with their jewels, and arrayed in all the insignia of Masonry, attended with military musick, and several Officers of the Lodge bearing lighted tapers.
"Col. WEBB, besides the offices above mentioned, had sustained several important town - offices; all which he discharged with credit to himself, and to the approbation of his fellow citizens. He died in the 53d year of his age, sincerely regretted by all who were acquainted with his worth and abilities." (The Massachusetts Centinel, No. 15 of Vol. VII, Wednesday, 9 May 1787. p. 59 (or p. 3 of this issue), cols. 2 and 3. )
The following Saturday, 12 May 1787, there was a note that a piece signed "Timothy Twitcher, jun" "shall be duly noticed." (The Massachusetts Centinel, No. 16 of Vol. VII, Saturday, 12 May 1787, p. 63 (or p. 3 of this issue), col. 2.)
The piece signed "Timothy Twitcher, jun" appeared under the heading "Castalian Fount" in The Massachusetts Centinel, No. 17 of Vol. VII, Wednesday, 16 May 1787, p. 68 (or p. 4 of this issue), col. 1.
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"Castalian Fount
Mr. Russell,
The following verification of a letter describing a late publick Spectacle, is as near the original as possible - if you think proper, you may hand it to the Publick, through the Centinel. Yours. P.Q.
Dear Cousin,
I PROMIS'D you, when I got to this monstrous great city,
I'd write you every thing new whimsical and pretty;
And to convince you that I meant something more than profession -
I am now set down to describe a late fun'eral procession -
This was such a fine sight, as my eyes did never behold!
All FREE MASONS, deck'd with rich collars of silver and gold!
With their leather aprons on too, white as the driven snow,
Not aprons to work in - but painted to make a grand show!
And then to see how lovingly they all marched along,
Treading time (which I tho't very odd) to the tune of a song;
But AUNT NELL says, they are Papishes - for that reason she urges,
They at a dead brother's procession, play fun'ral dirges.
If they had had but a band, in lieu of a drum and fife
I should have been better pleas'd, than e'er I was in my life:
There was so much true gravlry, and sound brotherly love,
You would have sworn that Masonry came down from above.
And in the Craft there is a certain Grip, for every brother
By means of which, in the darkest night, they know one another.
And so at all publick processions, they walk hand in hand,
As much as to say, that each other's purse-strings, they command -
For in a moment, all sects, Christans, Turks, Gentiles, and Jews,
The feelings of nature, pride, malice, and prejudice lose,
Forget all distinctions, old grudges and animosities,
Setting examples of friendship, and its reciprocities,
But not to tire your patience, with any longer digression,
I will now proceed with this most noble procession -
And first then, there were four stout men who walked on before,
With dreadful drawn swords, that have doubtless kill'd thousands and more.
These were all made out of Sextons, whom the Lodges dub Tylers,
Dreadful to all those who of the Craft, are foes and revilers.
Then followed another, with the Law Code of the society,
Tho' some folks suppos'd it the Bible - a sign of their piety!
But although they trace their origin from this quite back to Adam,
Should you but suspect them of FAITH, you confoundedly mad'em!
Then presently some came, with staves, like a warden's long pole,
Some with such short ones, what they can do, I can't tell for my soul.
Some had on their aprons pretty pictures, suns, moons, and stars!
Little silver trowels in their hands, iv'ry levels and squares,
Such as our good Dutch friends send over, our children to please,
But what can men do in a lodge with such baubles as these?
You have doubtless heard, or read of a certain heathen philosopher,
Who aver'd all mankind were knaves, only with a gloss over;
And therefore the whole race, at one good stroke to satirize,
With a lighted candle, at high noon day to help his eyes,
Set out to search the city where he liv'd, for an honest man:
Well the FREE MASONS have adopted the old fellow's plan,
For here, Jew Gentile, and Christian, each in their proper station,
Held a lighted taper, to find an honest man of their nation,
But I am afraid their researches will all prove in vain,
'Till the miller chucks all into his mill, to grind o'er again!
There are many more matters that yet remain to be told,
But my time is too short, the paper is full as it can hold.
My next shall give you a fuller detail of this procession:
Interim adieu, yours affectionally, with honest profession.
TIMOTHY TWITCHER, jun."
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The Esoteric Christ Transforming
BY HAROLD HULME, M.P.S.
All strength comes from self conquest, all that you are able to keep within you, is your working force. People want to know what the Holy Spirit is; it is the opening of the mind to higher dynamics of perceptiveness - to receive the new life, having detached the imprisoned consciousness - of the worldly self, which obstructs the work of the Holy Spirit within, and, because the mind having been separated from the Spirit - it must consciously return as a working force, whose ineffable destiny is connected with our own destiny. The Holy Spirit works of recreation in the midst of us, it works best to keep our thoughts hid, it prepares the knower to teach - instead of the thinker. The knower can only work through us when we are worthy: His working within us is joy, the loss of self is joy.
We have long been prepared for the moment "to cast our burdens down" - a self surrender, even in the sensuous consciousness which many have found through religion - and those, through self conquest, have made ready their house for the Holy Guest to enter "for HE is risen" . . . You do not let the mind work with this, do not put old interpretations upon it - that is, if you have reverence, and spiritual perception of spiritual values to venerate this new vibration. If you say this has been said before, you are not touching the mystery. You are now entering the gate where all hope is abandoned, because hope is a condition of nonarrival, of NON-BEING. Now, you will have no will of your own, no anxieties - not even about serving others, because to serve is the nature of your Spiritual Being - you are becoming that. Self conscious, you have come into your Eternal City - the sorrows of the human self are ended, you are apprenticed to the MAN of Sorrows - and yet entering into the Joy of the Lord, you will go forth into the world again and go among men, you carry the light with you, and by that light you shall find everywhere you go, that HE has been there before you - in all human hearts around the world where you go.
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How Can We Develop A Masonic Educational Program ?
(A paper read at Grand Master's Conference,
Washington, D. C., February 24, 1965.)
BY HARRY A. SPENCER, M.P.S., Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Nebraska
I AGREE with M.W. B. Downs that we do have a problem and a real one, but I firmly believe that if we find the answer to the question under discussion, the problem will gradually disappear.
I think I can best answer the question by describing the format we have gradually evolved and are using this year in Nebraska. For several years we have had an active Grand Lodge Masonic Educational Committee. This committee over the years prepared several pamphlets to be given to candidates before and after the three degrees; prepared a list of, and furnished Masonic speakers; prepared lists of suggested books to start a Masonic library; and periodically called attention to Masonic articles and readings. It also prepared a pamphlet, "Looking to the East," keyed to our Code, intended for Wardens, to prepare them for their year as Master. It is a very thorough and helpful publication. In late years the committee organized a series of area educational meetings at which papers were presented for discussion. Efforts were made at all area meetings as well as by correspondence to induce each of the subordinate Lodges to appoint an educational committee, but only a very few of the larger Lodges ever saw fit to do so.
After some discussion, we amended our Grand Lodge by-laws to make mandatory on the incoming Master the appointment of an Educational Committee of at least three members. It has been a struggle, but I believe that most of our Nebraska Lodges new understand the requirement and have an Educational committee.
This year we divided our jurisdiction into 10 areas and are holding a Grand Lodge meeting in each area. The Grand Lodge Educational Committee sets up the meeting and notifies the Lodges. As Grand Master, I write a personal letter to the Master of each Lodge at least 30 days before the area meeting to which his Lodge has been assigned, and advise him that this is a regularly called meeting of the Grand Lodge for this area and request him to be present and to bring his Senior and Junior Wardens, his Secretary, and the members of his Educational Committee, particularly the chairman, as well as other officers or members who may be interested.
Experience has convinced us that prepared papers are not conducive to sustaining interest. Consequently, there are no papers of any nature read at our area meetings. We start off at 1 p.m. by dividing the group. The Grand Master meets with the Masters; the Deputy Grand Master meets with the Wardens; and the chairman of the Educational Committee and his associates meet with all others present. The educational program and what we hope to accomplish is thoroughly discussed in each group, geared to the differing responsibilities of each. These group meetings last about one hour.
The Lodge is then opened by the host Lodge, the Grand Master is received, and with the Grand Lodge officers in the chairs, a mock Lodge is conducted and points of law which are the subject of frequent questions are illustrated and explained, with the right of anyone present to ask any question suggested by procedure or otherwise at any stage of the proceedings. The response of the brethren to this phase of the meeting has been little short of surprising. At approximately 3:15, and while interest is still high, we take a coffee break of not more than 15 minutes.
After the coffee break, the officers of the host Lodge assume their stations and the Grand Lodge officers, sitting in chairs in front of the west form a panel to answer any and all questions pertaining to Masonry. To get started, there are a few planted questions involving duties of members of Educational Committees and also duties of members of Investigation Committees, as well as a few general questions of interest to the Craft. When I tell you that we have yet to cover all of the planted questions because of the volume of questions asked by the brethren, you will understand the nature of the interest being generated. We try to close the meeting at 5 or 5:15. We have dinner at 6 p.m., to which the ladies are also invited. After dinner and a very short program, the Grand Master has been giving a 20-minute informative talk on Masonry.
Returning to the Educational program, we have been stressing the fact that there should be a 10-minute Educational program at every Lodge meeting. We emphasize that brevity is important in a program of this kind, so it requires adequate preparation. As might be expected, the first question asked concerns obtaining material to sustain this type of program. For several years, we have been urging every Lodge to start a Masonic library. Each Lodge receives the "Short Talk Bulletins" published by the Masonic Service Association. We call attention to various Masonic publications, and on some occasions furnish the Lodges with copies of these publications. For instance, this fall I directed that a recent issue of the Royal Arch Magazine, which had two articles I thought particularly appropriate, be sent to each Lodge for the use of the Educational Committee. During the course of the year, the Grand Lodge committee has provided selected articles and papers to the subordinate Lodge committees. The Grand Lodge committee is always ready to provide material on specific subjects on request.
I believe our most important contribution this year is the preparation of a handbook for the Lodge committee.
Before I forget it, I observe that sending material such as the "Short Talk Bulletin" and other educational material to the Secretaries of the subordinate Lodges is a good way to bury them. As Deputy Grand Master I was amazed at the number of Wardens who had never heard of the "Short Talk Bulletin" and we had then been a member of the Masonic Service Association for four years, during all of which time the Secretaries of our Lodges had been receiving these Bulletins. It is much more work for the Grand Lodge Educational Committee, but all materials should be sent to the chairman of the Lodge Educational Committee. This serves three purposes: (1) The local Lodge has to have a committee and a chairman; (2) the Grand Lodge committee has to have the chairman's name; and (3) the material is placed in the hands of the one who is responsible for its use.
If a district educational meeting is held, all Lodges in the district must be represented at the meeting, for the program does not seep through to the absent Lodges. If a Lodge in Nebraska is not represented at the meeting to which it has been assigned, as Grand Master I give the Worshipful Master notice that the Lodge must be represented at the next meeting held in an adjoining district. If it is not represented at that meeting, it is then apparent that the Lodge is one needing the special attention of the Grand Master. This year we have a special committee of Past Grand Masters advisory to the Grand Master to work with weak Lodges. These Lodges are referred to that committee. Our program has pointed up a few problem Lodges and the advisory committee is at work with them. We believe that we will salvage a half dozen Lodges we might otherwise have lost except for our program.
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Lodges Of Research, Their Development
And Contribution To Masonic Education
(A paper read at the Midwest Conference of Masonic
Education, St. Louis, Missouri, October 24, 1964.)
BY WILLIAM R. DENSLOW, F.P.S.
WHAT HAS BEEN the contribution of the research Lodges to Masonic education?
At the outset, I would answer that the major part of our present day knowledge of Freemasonry has come from the various research groups and Lodges.
The purpose of a research Lodge is to (1) Discover, (2) Disseminate, and (3) Preserve Masonic knowledge. By delving into source records, the biography, history, ritual and symbolism of Freemasonry is discovered. By printing the results of the researchers and distributing copies on a wide basis, this information is disseminated and preserved. Our research Lodges are doing this.
The failure to keep records in early years - plus those lost through fire, mildew, damage, neglect and misplacement - has left large gaps in many facets of Masonic information. At times, Masonic writers and speakers have attempted to fill the blank spots with their own imagination, slovenly research or honest error, thereby creating a lengthy series of Masonic fantasies. Many of these erroneous statements have been repeated and reprinted time and time again until they now form part of "the record."
Here again is where research Lodges have done, and are doing, a great service to the Fraternity. During the past 50 years some of the best Masonic students, writing for research Lodges, have delved into the various phases of Masonic history and have corrected many false concepts of yesteryear.
Early Discussion Groups
In speaking of research Lodges, let us remember that they are a modern innovation. The first research Lodge, Quatuor Coronati No. 2076, of England, was not established until 1886, which is well within the memory of many of our present day members.
What happened before this? Certainly there was Masonic interest and discussion.
I agree with Brother H. L. Haywood that Freemasonry was the common meeting ground for many of the literary movements and circles during the past 250 years.
There was the literary group centering around James Boswell, Alexander Pope and Dr. Samuel Johnson. The first two were definitely Freemasons and Johnson probably was a member of the Craft. They met in taverns where they held informal discussions on any subject which might come up-including wine, women and song. From this group came the great English intellectual awakening of the century and surely the subject of Freemasonry was one of importance in the mid-1700's.
The German literary movement, which centered at Weimar around the poet-philosopher Goethe, was Masonic in character, for most of the participants, like Goethe himself, were members of the Fraternity.
The large number of authors and savants in France, centering around Voltaire, were Masons.
Here then, was the birthplace of the present day Lodges of research - brethren interested in discussing the various aspects of Freemasonry. Some of them met at the local taverns; others were banded together under the protection and support of a King, prince or local ruler, who assumed the title of "Protector of the Craft."
To the present day, there are many Masonic discussion groups throughout the world. They help form a more solid basis for Freemasonry. This is more true in Europe than in our country.
Study Clubs
The above groups were informal and were not primarily Masonic. The next step was the organization of Masonic study clubs, and in the United States, the earliest date we have is 1796, when The Masonic Research Society For The Promotion of Masonic Knowledge was formed by Brothers Ashwer Hart and Bernard S. Judah. Little is known of this group.
Next of record is a Masonic Study Club organized by Corinthian Lodge of Concord, Mass. in 1806. There are no records in print of the research done by either of these groups. The first printed results of a Masonic research group was in 1858 when 30 members of Atlantic Lodge No. 178, of Brooklyn, N.Y. formed the Latomia Society. They contributed a series of outstanding papers to their official publication, The Masonic Eclectic, which indicated much study and research.
In 1861 the Historical Society of the Grand Lodge of Connecticut was formed and they edited a publication entitled The Masonic Casket. It lasted about a year and then went out of existence.
The Masonic Collector's Association was formed in August, 1880 at Chicago. Its purpose was "mutual aid and protection" in building up Masonic libraries. They met in Washington, D.C., in 1886 and in Minneapolis in 1891, but then disappeared.
In 1898 a meeting of 13 leading Masonic students was held in New York City. They formed The Masonic Historical Society of New York. This too was short-lived. The original minute book is in possession of the Grand Lodge of New York.
Quatuor Coronati No. 2076
The premier research Lodge in the world is Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 of England, the warrant for which is dated November 28, 1884. Its first communication was held on April 7, 1886. Its membership was limited to 40 (and still is). In 1887 it instituted the Correspondence Circle, which allows any Master Mason to be a corresponding member and receive the publications titled Ars Quatuor Coronatorum. These now total 75 volumes and full sets have sold for over $1,000.
The English AQC Lodge did have a great influence in America, however. Inasmuch as it had not entered the American field, a number of Masonic students throughout the country realized the research potential on this side of the ocean, and American as well as Canadian research Lodges began to sprout.
The first officially chartered research Lodge in the United States was the North Carolina Lodge of Research No. 666. It was instituted in 1931 and flourished until 1954, when the Grand Lodge picked up its charter. During this time it published eight volumes that dealt with the history of Freemasonry in America, and particularly the southeast section. Their transactions entitled No-calore were excellent in every sense of the word and they should receive the plaudits of the Craft for their entry into the field.
The second officially chartered Lodge in the United States is only two months younger than the North Carolina. This is the American Lodge of Research of New York, chartered on April 18, 1931 and still going strong. Although its work centers mainly around New York and the New England areas, it has ranged wide into other fields. It has introduced the degree music of Brother Jean Sibelius to this country, the Masonic music of Mozart, and has given the first American presentation of the Masonic songs by Johann Naumann (1740 - 1801). It is accomplishing a monumental task in listing the names of the Freemasons who fought in the Revolutionary War.
Missouri Lodge of Research
Obviously time will not permit me to speak of all the present day Lodges of research.
The last Lodge of Research I mention is the one I have been closest to -The Missouri Lodge of Research.
Although its charter was not issued until May 1, 1941, its antecedents date back to April 5, 1927 when the distinguished Missouri Freemason, Dr. John Picard, sent out a letter to interested Freemasons to discuss the formation of the Missouri Masonic Council of Research. This council met at least yearly, usually in conjunction with the Grand Lodge communication or the York Rite body meetings, until its metamorphosis into the Lodge of research in 1941. At these meetings papers were presented by the various brethren.
There is an interesting parallel in the formation of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge of England and the Missouri Lodge of Research. The charter of the English Lodge was signed by the Grand Master, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VII. The charter of the Missouri Lodge was signed by the Grand Master, Harry S. Truman later President of the United States!
Thus far 20 regular Transactions have been printed since 1943, plus two "bonus" volumes. The third "bonus" volume is planned for this year. The volumes published by the Missouri Lodge of Research differ from any other Lodge in that each volume usually deals with a single subject. Its scope has varied more widely, publishing volumes on the history of Freemasonry in a single Missouri county to a two-volume history of Freemasonry throughout the world. At least four persons present today have contributed to it: Al Cerza with his Anti Masonry; John Vrooman whose volume on Military Lodges entitled The Sword and the Trowel (with Allen Roberts) will appear this year; myself and Wes Cook, who is now editor.
National Masonic Research Society
This ends my discussion of specific research Lodges. However, it would be unfair to conclude this paper on the value of research without mentioning two national organizations that have contributed much to our Masonic knowledge.
The National Masonic Research Society
The father of the National Masonic Research Society was George L. Schoonover of Anamosa, Iowa. He conceived the idea in 1913, although the first issue of its official publication, The Builder, did not appear until January, 1915. He laid his plan before the Grand Lodge of Iowa in 1914 and it was heartily endorsed. Schoonover's idea was that the Craft needed a high grade research organization that would be supported by the individual brethren of all Grand Lodges through annual dues. It would be of such a nature that it would receive the benedictions of all American jurisdictions. Its publication would accept no advertising and the society itself would be a non profit organization. The excellent library of the Grand Lodge of Iowa would be the well-spring for its research and its editors would be men of the highest caliber and journalistic reputation.
Conclusion
What has been the contribution of research groups to Masonic education?
Everything !
What is more, this has only happened within the last 78 years. In the United States it has happened within the last 49 years . . . and 90% of that within the past 33 years.
The research groups of America have literally "overproduced" in these few years. They have furnished our members with more information than they wish to absorb. We have raised the level of Masonic knowledge and at the same time lowered the barriers for Masonic membership. If we plant poor seed, we reap the same.
Our present problem is how to titillate, or even intoxicate, the new Freemason with a leisurely sip from the grapes of knowledge - before he begins his mad rush to the bar at Mecca!
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All Masons are not members of a Lodge, nor are all Lodge members real Masons.
A real Mason never talks about what the world owes him, the happiness he deserves, the chance he ought to have. All that he claims is the right to live and play the man.
A real Mason is dependable. His simple word is as good as his Bible oath and he does a little more than he promises. He is just as honest in the dark in his own room as he is in public.
A real Mason does not want pull, tips, favors; he wants work and honest wages. He treats his fellow men as he would have them treat him
A real Mason is loyal to his friends and guards their reputations as his own. A real Mason honors a woman, any woman. He cannot hurt a woman, physically or morally.
A real Mason minds his own business. He does not judge other people or speak unkindly to them. He always has excuses for others, never for himself. He is patient and charitable to them. To himself he is strict.
- Bulletin, Ocean Lodge No. 114, Louisiana.
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Down To Earth Activities In Masonry
REMARKS BY CHARLES S. MCGINNESS, P.G.M., M.P.S., Grand Secretary of Kan.
Before the Philalethes Society Workshop Washington, D. C.
February 19, 1965.
THESE REMARKS are based upon a three point premise:
1. Trends in decreasing Lodge membership justify serious search for programs that will arrest the trend and bring a revival of interest among members.
2. There should be closer contact between the fraternity and its members.
3. The best solution can be secured on the Lodge level - that is between the Lodge and its members.
Very little needs to be said about membership trends. Whatever maybe said, we must recognize two things. 1. It is almost universal among Grand Lodges. 2. Loss in membership is a sympton of a decline of interest.
Numerous Grand Lodges have given serious attention and study to various methods of establishing a better contact. Most popular activity seems to be in establishing regular publications. Recent additions in this field are The Texas Freemason, The Pennsylvania Freemason, The California Freemason, and The Missouri Freemason, to list only a few. Many other Grand Lodges have used publications of this type for many years and found them useful, although it is noted that trends in membership losses in those jurisdictions do not differ greatly from the general trend.
I will not discuss the commercial or semi-commercial publications in many of our Grand Lodges. Many times they have proved troublesome, although several of this type have been highly successful. The Indiana Freemason, although partially supported by advertising revenue, is an outstanding leader in this field.
Generally speaking, the recent trend has been for a wholly subsidized magazine that is sent to members of all Lodges in the jurisdiction and at either monthly, except during summer recesses, or on a quarterly basis. Most of these publications seek to combine editorial and research effort with some bits of news. Many are used to carry a message from the Grand Master. Some of these publications, such as the Pennsylvania Freemason, are examples of perfection in the graphic arts. All are mailed at considerable cost and under present postal regulations, and the mobile nature of the membership, the maintenance of mailing lists poses many problems and additional expense.
It seems to me that broadcast mailing of such publications to all members involves waste, for experience has shown that everyone is receiving much mail that is never read and is cast aside sometimes without opening The Grand Lodges of Iowa and Missouri have long followed a policy that requires a request to be put on the mailing list (at no expense to the member). This seems to them a sound policy.
I recall that The Midwest Conference on Masonic Education had a report from the Grand Lodge of Illinois evaluating a survey of the readers of their Enlightener. This was a sincere attempt to relate the effectiveness of publications and to establish reader interest. The results were surprising to most of those present and the general concensus was that only about 10 to 15% of those receiving the material were reading it. This seemed to add support to the idea that a requirement for a request to be put on the mailing list for the magazine or bulletin was essential to eliminate waste.
On the third point of my presentation here this evening, I have brought with me samples of what I consider to be the most effective means of maintaining contact with members. These are monthly letters or bulletins sent by the individual Lodge to its members.
There is no question in my mind but that this is the field in which greatest effort should be put forth. Take the sample of bulletin used by my good friend, Bro. Dom Vendetto, Secretary of Silver State Lodge No. 95 in Pueblo, Colorado. This letter is newsy, "personalized," well illustrated and it seeks to carry items that have a personal reader interest. It cannot help but tie the member a little closer to his Lodge because it carries news about men and places that the member knows. As a good newspaper friend of mine says: "It is still true that names make news." Not all Lodges can afford a publication of this kind. Silver State Lodge sends out about 1,500 of these each month. It makes for an active and a successful Lodge, but it does cost money.
An even better means of communication is personal letters from the Secretary of the Lodge. Recently I discussed this problem with my good friend William B. Wanner, Past Grand Master of Nebraska, who many years ago was Secretary of a Lodge that had a big debt and other problems. A series of personal letters (he sent me some samples of them) were highly successful in paying off the debt and putting the Lodge on a sound footing.
We have a Secretary in Kansas who sends out an annual letter - not a cold and clammy notice of dues - but a warm and personalized report of the finances of the Lodge, the names of those who have been raised during the year, those who have suffered loss of family or misfortune, reports of those who have written about their own successes - all kinds of things which have a personal interest. I was much impressed with this sort of "contact" on a local Lodge basis, and out of curiosity looked up the record of that Lodge. Suspensions run below the average.
I think that perhaps the secret of this success is the fact that the dues notices are not just "duns," but down at the bottom of the letter is a statement something like this . "Your dues for next year are $____ When you send them in, don't forget to drop us a note telling us how you are getting along."
All kinds of contacts are desirable, but because of the above experiences, I am very much inclined to believe that the closer you can get to the "personal, grassroots level" the more effective will be your attempts to turn the tide of suspensions.
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America's oldest Masonic monument was originally erected outside Springfield, Moss., to mark the Boston Rood, but is now within the city limits. Col. Wait, soldier, ranger and fighter, erected it at a spot where he once was lost in a snowstorm. He intended it as a testimony to God for saving his life and a warning to other travelers.
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Notes, Queries and Information
On Items of Masonic Research
BY JAMES R. CASE, F.P.S.
1965 - No. 2
THE NUMBER OF LETTERS CONTAINING QUESTIONS which relate to matters 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 this column, especially information concerning research currently under way. The Editor will assist the sponsor of this column which is supervised and run by Brother James R. Case, F.P.S. but ALL COMMUNICATIONS should be addressed to the Editor.
It should be noted that this page is for the EXCHANGE of information and opinion, and does not pretend to provide the final answer to any query.
173 - Masonic Streets, etc., (August, October 1964). The Grand Lodge of North Dakota has a piece of property known as Masonic Island, located in beautiful Lake Metigoshe, which has been a meeting place of Masons from the United States and Canada for over 70 years. Its use has been curtailed lately due to lack of a shelter, continual work of upkeep, and other Masonic functions nearby. No one wants to dispose of the island but there seems to be a special assessment tax to run for ten years. There being no income it is proposed to lease out three or four cabin sites for Masonic families.
177 - Essenes (October, December 1964). Clarence D. Phelps., M.P.S., Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Oregon, reports that he has a ritual of the "Modern Essenes" dated 1873. We are still waiting for some factual information on that brotherhood.
179 - South Carolina Lodge Numbers (February 1965). Edmund R. Sadowski, M.P.S. of Chicago, has the answer to the above query, quoting Julius F. Sachse's "Old Masonic Lodges of Pennsylvania." The warrant of Lodge No. 27 had been captured by the British at the Battle of Camden, but was recovered by Brother Mordecai Gist after the evacuation of Charleston, December 14, 1782, and was retained by him, until the brethren in South Carolina needed a fifth Lodge of "Antients" to form a legal Grand Lodge. With permission of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Brother Gist used the old warrant with other brethren sometime after September 28, 1786, and it was thought that Lodge No. 27 was revived for the express purpose of being the fifth Lodge in the formation of the Grand Lodge and not convened afterwards. January 1, 1787, is the only time Lodge No. 27 is known to have met, that being the date when the Grand Lodge of South Carolina was organized. There were no returns or information of any kind after that time.
180 - Form of Opening (February 1965). Dwight W. Robb, M.P.S. of Vineyard Haven, writes that in Massachusetts "Ample Form" is used only in opening or closing Grand Lodge. Constituent Lodges open and close in "Due Form" or merely "In Form" when the ceremony is abbreviated by omission of the rehearsal of duties by certain officers.
William T. Hannah, M.P.S. of Montreal, writes that in Quebec a Lodge is opened in "Due Form" when the proper formalities are observed; in "Ample Form" when opened by or in the presence of the Grand Master.
182 - Loving Cup. Alan E. Eichman, M.P.S. of Detroit, has in his possession a metal loving cup, which measures approximately 4 1/4 inches high and which has three handles. Embossed on one side are the Square and Compasses enclosing a small (either flower or radiant sun), and the words "Oriental Lodge No. 385, F.&A.M., December 2, 1909." Brother Eichman is a collector of Masonic items of this sort as well as Masonic books. He wants to know where the cup may have originated and any other information that a reader may be able to furnish.
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Cancelled by Authorities
The recent furore about the closing of the Square and Compass Masonic Club, situated on the Base of Brookley Field, Alabama, has hit all the Masonic publications, and caused quite a stir. Much has been written, but the following story in the Square and & Compass magazine, of Connecticut, gives by far the best statement we have seen, and we reproduce it for your clarification:
"Several periodicals have carried an item in recent months to the effect that the President of the United States had closed a Masonic Lodge in Alabama which was meeting on a military reservation. The following are the facts pertaining to this matter as we now have them:
"First of all there is only one Lodge in Alabama meeting on a military reservation. It is Air Force One Lodge 889, which meets in a government building at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama. It has not been closed. It is still meeting in a building on the base.
"Secondly, we hasten to add that the Square and Compass Club, an organization composed of Masons, which met on the Base at Brookley Field, Alabama, has been closed. It is not a Chartered Lodge, but an informal Masonic Club. It is true that soon after the Kennedy Administration took over, Executive Order 10925 was sent out to all military bases directing that no facilities were to be used by any groups unless they were integrated as to color.
"During the Cuban crisis many of the members of this Club were sent away in connection with the emergency. It is reported that during this particular time various pressures were brought upon the remaining members of the Club to close it up. There were veiled threats on nonpromotion or actual demotion for any who persisted in carrying on with the Club.
"At this stage in the affair the Worshipful Master of Woodlawn Fraternal Lodge (525), Birmingham, started a little war of his own. He wrote letters to the press and to government officials objecting to what was going on. Washington was stirred up. The club is again active."