The Philalethes

Contents
 
 

 It Seems To Me                                                                                              A Reflection on Masonic Ethics
 

 LEADERSHIP: OFTEN SOUGHT – SELDOM ATTAINED                        The Craftsman
 

 Who Were The Essenes                                                                                  Cyrus the Great
 

 The Cathedral Builders                                                                                    Is He Crazy
 

 W.M. In West Africa                                                                                       The Articles of Confederation
 

 Roger Sherman - The Signer                                                                            Books of Interest to Masons
 

 The Lodge As Primary Community                                                                  On Publishing Masonic Books
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Jerry Marsengill, F.P.S. Editor

2714 Park Place

Des Moines, Iowa 50312

Alphonse Cerza, F.P.S. Life Assoc. Editor

237 Millbridge Road

Riverside, Illinois 60546

John Black Vrooman, F.P.S., Life Editor Emeritus

P.O. Box 402

St Louis, Missouri 63166

OFFICERS

Dwight L. Smith F.P.S. President

157 Banta Street

Franklin, Indiana 46131

Robert L. Dillard Jr. F.P.S. First Vice Pres.

P.O. Box 1850

Dallas, Texas 75221

Bruce H. Hunt F.P.S. Second Vice Pres.

P.O. Box 188

Kirksville, Missouri 63501

S. Brent Morris, F.P.S. Executive Secretary

5449 Ring Dove Lane

Columbia, Maryland 21044

John Mauk Hilliard, F.P.S. Treasurer

535 West 110th Street, Aprt. PH2

New York, New York 10025

LIVING PAST PRESIDENTS

Philalethes Society

Lee E. Wells

Alphonse Cerza, F.P.S. (Life)

Dr Charles Gottshall Reigner, F.P.S.

Judge Robert H. Gollmar, F.P.S.

William R. Denslow, F.P.S.

Robert V. Osborne F.P.S.

Eugene S. Hopp F.P.S.

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY EMERITUS

Carl R. Greisen, F.P.S.

CONTENTS

It Seems To Me

D' Ya Know Something?

A Reflection On Masonic Ethics

Have You Paid Your Dues?

The Philalethes Lecture Leadership: Often Sought - Seldom Attained

The Craftsman

Who Were the Essenes?

Cyrus the Great

The Cathedral Builders

Is He Crazy, or Does He Really Act That Way On Purpose?

Our First Philalethes Member Gets Installed W.M. in West Africa

The Articles of Confederation

Roger Sherman, The Signer

Books of Interest

The Lodge As Primary Community: A Vindication

On Publishing Masonic Books

For What It's Worth

New Fellows

John Mauk Hilliard, FPS

Charles Snow Guthrie. FPS

Blue Friar

Bruce Harmon Hunt of Missouri, FPS

Certificate of Literature 1980

John Mauk Hilliard

Life Membership will be $150.00 after January 1.

If you purchase your life membership before

January 1 it will be only $100.00

----o----

It Seems To Me

by John Black Vrooman, F.P.S.

THAT there is no member of the Philalethes Society who does not have at least one special talent which he could use to help activate the work of the group. One small talent added to the ability and activity of all the other members of the Society, can make a united whole that will wield tremendous influence.

Dumas' Three Musketeers overcame difficulties by adopting the slogan; "One for all and all for one," exercising unity and purpose beyond selfish lines. The Philalethes Society is well endowed with talent, but sometimes that talent is hidden or unused. We need to up that talent and put it to work for the good of all Freemasonry. Let us look for gold in the person of each of our members, and make that gold pay good dividends. The time is now.

There is an old legend in the reaches of the Alps, that in the gloomy evening, stood a small church, resting in the shadows of the mountain. Suddenly, there appeared a small light far down the slope of the mountain; a glimmering, flickering gleam. Then appeared another light, and another, until the whole mountainside was a mass of glowworms, flickering through the gloom. By ones and by twos, each person reached the little church, and before it could be appraised, the little church was a flash of light. It was the concerted effort and dedicated devotion of each of the citizens working each with the other for a common purpose, that accomplished what one person could not do.

We need greater co-operation and unity in what we attempt to do, and we cannot fail to realize this need. Every local Chapter of the Society, every member who has an interest in our work must take part in our work. Let us not just "let George do it" but let each one of us help George do it. Let us work together and let us forget personal ambition and work for the good of Freemasonry. Freemasonry is the least understood way of life of any we have studied. It must be made realistic and must be so illustrated that even the novice can find means of a better and more comprehensive knowledge of its tenets. Albert Pike, the great Masonic student, wrote: "You have opened the book, but you have not yet learned its lesson. It is now time to advance our study of Freemasonry and bring it to personal fruition.

----o----

D’Ya Know Something?

by Allan D. Parson

Membership Chairman

The question is not an unfamiliar one. We've heard it frequently enough since childhood and the odds are insurmountable in favor of an everlasting continuance. The question is usually followed up with the questioner offering a bit of information gratis. Homo sapiens have a predilection for information - a need to know.

The need to know more about Masonry is tremendous. That is the reason why the Philalethes Society was founded: "to seek more light" and, of course, "to impart more light" to everyone who is interested. In so doing members "help raise our Fraternity to a higher plane of service."

No one can disagree with our belief that "a well informed Mason is a better Mason," and the corollary that "every Mason should belong to the Philalethes Society."

Our researchers are devoted to answering questions about the Craft - questions about its origin, its progress over two and a half centuries, about outstanding men in the government, the professions, the industries and other vocations who have been and are Masons; Masonry's purposes and activities.

When you meet a man who asks a question about the Fraternity, you – as a member of the Society - are better enabled to provide a satisfactory answer. When you meet Masons who seem to be unaware of the things you know about Masonry, stop for a moment, then ask "D'ya know something? and supply the answer, If a man you meet is not a Mason it is even more important that you arouse his interest and satisfy his curiosity including his unasked questions.

This is the formula for growth - and there never was a time when Masonry needs to reverse the trend or erosion in our ranks more than it does today. Your activity as a member of the Philalethes not only helps the Society but it helps Masonry everywhere.

D'ya know something? You CAN be a great help to the Society - perhaps a savior to the Fraternity and its future. Think about it...

Allan D Parsons - Chairman Membership

1402 West Euclid Ave.

Arlington Heights Ill. 60025

Harold P. Bull Co-Chm. Membership

519 Country Lane

Glenview Ill., 60025

 
The following letter was received by Editor Emeritus John Black Vrooman

December 10, 1980

John Black Vrooman FPS

Editor Emeritus

P.O. Box 402

St. Louis, MO 63166

My Dear Brother Vrooman:

The most rewarding present received on my past birthday a few days ago was your letter of felicitation and greetings. Such a gesture coming from you and the Philalethes Society proves to me once more the great influence Freemasonry exerts on men of good will who still battle for chivalry and fraternal relations among freemasons. My words and my English do not permit me to thank you for such thoughtfulness in a more proper manner.

Another very rewarding present on my birthday was a visit of my mother Lodge "Rosa de America No. 1" to my home in full dress to allow me once more the pleasure and honor of presiding an extraordinary meeting for the occasion. As the opening rituals developed my emotions and memories of past days of dedication to masonry fulfilled my spirit and renewed my votes for better human relations and a better world.

I only wish the Grand Architect of the Universe would permit me once again to my daily writing of correspondence with Brethren like you, but as you can imagine every day that goes by it is more difficult for me to communicate even with my closest relative, in this case my son, who helps me in following my masonic and fraternal relations all over the world.

I thank you again Brother Vrooman and let me express to you and all your family my most fervent wishes for the Holiday Season and "mucha Salud, Fuerza y Union!

Most Fraternally Yours,

Jose Oller Navarro, FPS

----o----

A Reflection on Masonic Ethics

by Bro. William Stemper, MPS

One of the broadest misconceptions among Freemasons today, especially in the United States, is that the Craft is 'just another Lodge,' albeit more sophisticated and symbolic in character. This is of course, at one level, true: not only is the Craft organized into lodges, as a matter of organisation, but as in all Masonic organization, the structure of bodies cannot be handily removed from their degree-teachings - both reflect the essential 'philosophy' of the work.

In another sense, too, Freemasons in the United States were part of the great social sweep of "lodgism" which 'hit' the United States following the Civil War. In this period, Lodges were social and economic support societies as well as vehicles for Masonic teaching. The vast number of other lodges, i.e., fraternities, date from this period, the Elks (B.P.O.E., 1866), Moose (L.O.O.M., 1888), Knights of Columbus (1882), Knights of Pythias (1864), as well as our own Grotto (M.O.V.P.E.R., 1889) and Shrine (A.A.O.N.M.S., 1870). All of these represent an impulse to make fraternalism more of a social experience, and in the process, less of a fund of moral ideas and tradition.

In retrospect, we can see that the nature of Freemasonry itself in the United States changed in this period, as it began to win, once again, the form of social respectability, if not the same quality, it had in the period before the death of Morgan (1826) and the subsequent persecution. In part, to regain acceptance after the great losses of the 1830's and 1840's, the Craft became more aligned with conservative Protestant values and insofar as it was political, with conservative partisanship.

Yet, nonetheless, three ethical strains stand out in American Freemasonry which pre-date the period of "lodgism" - not so much as historical epochs, or as common practice among the great number of men who became Masons after 1865 but as motifs which illustrate the role and value of Freemasonry as a moral or ethical tradition in addition to its organisational character.

These are Freemasonry as (1) occult tradition of ideas; (2) a catalyst for universality; and (3) a deistic social ethic. Each of these are related, especially, the latter two, and each can be identified with a specific member of the Craft in the period of transition mentioned above, the post Civil war "lodgism" era when the Fraternity adapted itself to small-town values and "Main Street" virtues. These are Albert Pike, re-founder and establisher of the Supreme Council, A.A.S.R., S.M.J., Roscoe Pound, Professor and Dean of the Harvard Law School, and Mark Twain, social critic and humorist.

Occult Tradition of Ideas. Freemasonry has often been associated with the occult, but in the "wrong" way. It has from time to time been associated with magic and popular mysticism, and no small amount of charlatanry. In this latter regard, such figures as Cagliostro and Crowley stand out. But as a moral tradition, of ideas which relate to currents of thought and perception in the mainstream of Western Thought, which are also termed, "occult," the Craft has a distinguished tradition. At its deepest level, this aspect of the occult has to do with placing man into a mythical and cosmological context, generally in such a way that there is a correspondence between man the micro-cosm, and the universe as macro-cosm. This tradition in Freemasonry also makes reference to phenomena in other world traditions and religions which while utterly nonMasonic in a formal, historical sense, are nonetheless related to the same forms of mythical and cosmological meaning within the body of Western Masonic ideas.

The "past Master" of American occult Masonry was Albert Pike (1809- 1891). Pike, a brilliant lawyer, attempted a synthesis of ancient quasi-mystical tradition with Freemasonry, seeing in his effort the recovery of what he felt to be 'primitive' Freemasonry, handed down from the Hellenistic and Egyptian periods. Although much of his work is problematical, and difficult to read; one element in it is clear. Pike felt the Masonic moral tradition to be an "interior" matter of perception and consciousness, as well as a form of institutional and organisational morality. His historicism therefore is not accurate in the sense of empirical history, but his effort is significant in terms of giving to Freemasonry a linkage to currents and traditions beyond the actual structures he knew.

(2) Catalyst for Universality. In the transition of the Craft from its more intellectual and self-consciously philosophical roots before the Morgan crisis to the period of lodgism after 1865, some important elements were 'lost'. One of these was a sense that the Fraternity had a role in society-as-Culture. One way to put this development is that in the period in and around the Revolution, Freemasonry was a major reference point and source for the imagery and ideas of the new Republic. It was neither religious nor royalist; it was an independent moral tradition which offered legitimacy to the "new order of the Ages" the Revolution was perceived to be. The pervasiveness of Masonic symbolism in Early American Folk Art and in the symbolism of the architecture of the Federal period underscore this legitimating role the Fraternity as a moral tradition played in the Revolutionary period and afterward.

But 'things changed' after Morgan, and when the Fraternity came back into flower as another lodge, 1865 and following, its role as an independent moral tradition, separate, but almost equal to the 'powers and principalities' of institutional, organised religion and a royalist state (Colonial English rule) was diminished. It had ceased its appeal to the intellectual and socio-cultural leader, and had much less of an impact upon the mind of the nation. The image of Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson (though not a member, part of a broader Masonic ethos) gave way to that of Sinclair Lewis's Babbatt, the well-meaning, but somewhat comical booster. The Fraternity ceased to be the presence in American society for a universal ethic of brotherhood and civility to the degree it once had been.

There were a few major exceptions: one of these was a Nebraska lawyer, Roscoe Pound, (born 1870). Pound's Masonic achievement was to point out regularly and consistently that Freemasonry was a catalyst in society for universality. In this sense he had a similar idea to the Founding Fathers - that Freemasonry was an independent moral tradition - not just a lodge - which in time might come to have a beneficent influence on the whole of culture and society. He puts this most directly in Lectures on Masonic Jurisprudence ( 1911-1912; cf. New York: Board of general Activities, 1941): in terms of law:

If the law of the medieval Church became for a time the law of the world and gave ideas and doctrines to the law of the state which are valuable for all time, it is not at all impossible that our universal organisation, coming much later to the work of lawmaking, may in its turn develop legal ideas of universal value and thus contribute indirectly to the furtherance of civilisation while contributing directly thereto in its ordinary work. (Ibid., 21)

That Pound went on to become the nation's foremost authority on jurisprudence - or the science of law and lawmaking - was evidence not only of the resilience of his own personality and mind, but to the essential beliefs and concepts he held with regard to Freemasonry's historic role in legal and political ideas.

(3) Deistic Social Ethic. In a related way, universality had a significant influence on individual Freemasons well beyond the time of the Enlightenment: a fact which makes a further case for Freemasonry's essential role as a vehicle for the transformation of culture and for the transmission of rationalist ideas.

Deism, as the quintessential Enlightenment philosophy, (Cf. Article I, Anderson's Constitutions of 1723; 1738) had an enormous impact upon Freemasonry's ritual and symbolism. It denied essential truth to any one religion, but claimed equality for all. God was the architect and designer of the Universe, but not its ruler. Nature had its own laws - and all men and women were equal under the Sun.

In terms of social ethics, Deism was egalitarian and some what cynical toward religious institutions and their claims to exclusive Truth. This philosophy had enormous influence upon Samuel L. Clemens, (1835-1910) who was initiated into Polar Star Lodge No. 79, in 1861, while in St. Louis, Missouri. As Mark Twain, Clemens drew heavily upon his Masonic experience in the formation of his ideas about the brotherhood of man, his criticism of oppressors and imperialists, and his basic compassion for humanity (Cf., "Deism and Freemasonry", Philip S. Foner, Mark Twain: Social Critic New York: International Publishers, 1975, pp. 164 ff.) His role as Court Jester to the nation - indeed to the world - concealed a deeper more serious side of his mind and life which was critical of injustice and satirical of pretention.

Each of these three ethical strains illuminates Freemasonry's role in the United States as moral or ethical tradition aligned with open-mindedness and progress, while still rooted in conservative Masonic tradition. Reflection upon Masonic ethics as part of the tradition of the Order serves to illustrate its richness as a moral tradition, and more importantly, its possibilities for future inquiry and development.

But, more significantly, Freemasonry cannot be reduced to ideas or intellect, just as it cannot be reduced to ritual presentation, Masonic charity, or our honors system. It is, in essence an empathetic and compassionate science of moral order that has - at its best made common cause with humanity throughout its history. Indeed, Freemasonry is essentially a method of ethical life, and not an institution at all - though it has institutional forms and expressions. It is an approach to perception, to, "the East in Due and Ancient Form", which when properly understood and practiced allows for a more accurate vision of reality and a more sensitive and compassionate feeling toward suffering humanity.

----o----

Have You Paid YOUR DUES?

----o----

About the middle of November, everyone who receives The Philalethes should have received a computer printed data sheet. This contained a listing of all of the information that we have on file about each member, plus a statement of the dues status as our records show it. Dues of $7.00 are payable as of January 1.

In the past, we have waited two years before dropping a member from our roles for non payment of dues. We intend to continue this policy, but will stop mailing The Philalethes after the June issue to anyone who has not paid. This new policy has been undertaken reluctantly because of the cost involved in sending out the magazine.

About May 1, a postcard will be sent to everyone who will stop receiving the magazine after the June issue. We hope that this will serve as a gentle reminder, and if we get payment by June 15, we can guarantee uninterrupted mailing of the magazine. If you intend to discontinue your membership, then please let us know so we can take appropriate action.

What if there is a mistake? The Executive Secretary almost cries when he thinks about it, but he's sure that there will be at least one member mistakenly told that his magazine will be discontinued. This will result from no nefarious plot against the individual, but from the fact that the Executive Secretary is all too human.

What should you do? If you get a postcard about the middle of May saying that you haven't paid your dues yet (and you have your cancelled check in hand to prove otherwise), please take pity on the Executive Secretary. Write him a letter explaining the situation, whisper (don't shout) good counsel in his ear, remind him of his errors, and aid him in a reformation. You'll get a quick response telling you how the situation is being remedied.

----o----

The Philalethes Lecture  LEADERSHIP: OFTEN SOUGHT – SELDOM ATTAINED

By Allen E. Roberts, FPS

Leadership Exactly what is it? Can it be developed? Or does it contain qualities that are inherited?

Thousands of questions similar to these have been asked many times over the years. The answers are usually cloaked in jargon few of us understand. This is unfortunate. It's unfortunate because the lack of leadership has doomed many businesses, organizations, and even governments. The lack of leadership has started every war since time began. It has caused untold suffering for man. It's the cause of much of the tumult in the world today.

The subject of leadership is so vast it would take months, even years, to discuss and develop properly. Here we can only touch upon the subject. But hopefully a point or two can be brought out that you will dwell on in the months ahead.

Why have I chosen this subject for this particular occasion? There are some beautiful, philosophical subjects I could cover. One or two might even make me popular (perhaps).

Quite frankly, I'm disturbed. I'm disturbed because, fortunately or unfortunately, I love Freemasonry. It has occupied most of my whole adult life. It has done this because I firmly believe it's the one organisation in existance that can bring about the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God throughout the world. But it can do it only under enlightened, knowledgeable, dedicated Masonic leadership. I emphasize Masonic leadership.

The Philalethes Society is composed of thinking, interested, dedicated, and reading Master Masons. For more than 25 years I've attended these meetings of the little bodies of Freemasons who come here each year. You come usually at your own expense. You are the heart and soul of the Craft. You are the men who are, or will be, leading the Order in many parts of our country, and even overseas. You are the men who should be bringing out the full potential of Freemasonry.

Over the years many of these meetings of The Philalethes Society were actually workshops. We met to impart and receive more knowledge about Freemasonry. Some of these workshops were outstanding. They left us with a burning desire to go back to our Lodges and put them to work. This met with some success - for a short time. But the fire that was kindled too often sputtered and died. The fire was put out by a leadership that couldn't tolerate success.

Last year our President decreed these annual meetings should go a step further. They have become Annual Feasts. For one, I applaud this step back to the 18th century. I'll have more to say about this later.

This year our President has added another step. There is now a Philalethes Society Lecturer on the agenda. His plan is a good one - though his choice for the first one will be questioned by many of you.

Last year a giant step was taken at the Annual Feast. There was an attempt to identify an Ideal Lodge. How desperately we need these! For over 30 years I've searched for that Ideal Lodge. I'll continue to search.

On several occasions I've thought I found one. What I found turned out to be a whisp of brilliant light - a light that glowed, only to be dimmed and shattered.

What caused the brilliance? A good, determined leader. Why was the light shattered? Because the leader died, moved to other climes, or wasn't allowed to lead any longer.

The latter has happened most often. Why? Why in the world would a good leader be suppressed? Why would he be kept from building, especially in this Society of "Builders"?

There are many answers. You know those answers. I fear a few of you have helped to destroy some of these leaders, unwittingly, or deliberately.

I don't know all the answers, so I can't develop them. No man does know all the answers. There are some who think they do. This becomes one of the biggest reasons good leaders often aren't allowed to lead. The fellow in charge knows everything about all things. He's certainly not going to let anyone appear to be better than he is. No one's going to outshine him!

There's no better way than this to keep an organisation stagnant - or kill it. In the days ahead you might supply some of the many reasons why good leaders are destroyed. Then you may help Freemasonry to grow.

Without question, leadership is what Freemasonry must have at every level. This is true for any organisation. With knowledgeable, dedicated leadership there's no limit to what can be accomplished.

But where are we going to find these leaders?

First, let's destroy the myth that the qualities of leadership are inherited. They are not. They must be developed. It takes hard work and determination to acquire these qualities. Yet, leaders can be found everywhere. But, a word of caution. Not all of them should be pushed to the top.

The "Peter Principle" is just as prevalent in Freemasonry as it is in government and industry. Lawrence F. Peters claims: "In every hierarchy each employee tends to rise to the level of his incompetence." Think on that statement for a few moments.

Except under unusual circumstances, a worker starts with a vocation. As he becomes proficient, he climbs up the latter of responsibility. The further up the ladder he goes, the less vocational work he's supposed to do; the more managerial duties he must perform. If he reaches the top, 100% of his time, thoughts, and actions must be devoted to management. This means the vocational work of previous years must be ignored.

Not many men can survive this change. An excellent salesman, an outstanding engineer, a fine lawyer doesn't necessarily mean a promotion to management is in the best interests of the man or organisation. In fact, too often it proves disastrous. There are classic examples all around us.

How does this relate to Freemasonry? What's the first thing we encounter when we're accepted into the Craft? The ritual. What's the only thing we're forced to learn about Freemasonry? The ritual. What's the one thing stressed throughout our Masonic careers? The ritual. What's the one thing we must understand if we want to become Worshipful Master? The ritual.

Sounds like a broken record, doesn't it? The needle has been stuck in this groove for centuries. In many jurisdictions, including mine, the ritualists determine who will become the leaders of the Lodges. This also determines who will become the leaders in the Grand Lodges.

Is this the way it should be? No, Sir. And it isn't lawful, either. Not if you believe in following the supreme law of Freemasonry - The Constitutions. Here's what they say in Article IV, of Masters, Wardens, Fellows and Apprentices: "All Preferment among Masons is grounded upon real Worth and personal Merit only; that so the Lords may be well served, the Brethren not put to shame, nor the Royal Craft dispis'd: Therefore no Master or Warden is chosen by Seniority, but for Merit." You be the judge of what that statement means.

A good ritualist doesn't necessarily make a good leader. Far too often this is the "Peter Principle" at work. Far too often the good ritualist is elevated to his "level of incompetency." He, and those under him, suffer, and Freemasonry is damaged. What has happened to "Merit" when this happens?

Can we blame a man who has spent countless hours in perfecting the learning of the catechisms and lectures for not wanting to give them up? Should we expect him to put aside this feeling of security? Can we expect him to devote more time to leadership, or management, as he goes through the line? Should he give up this "crutch" called "the ritual" which he has to lean on?

What's the solution? There are several. Some I can think of and there are many more you can cover.

First, the system can be changed so the qualities of leadership must be considered before a man can be elected to the line in our Lodges. It could be made mandatory for a man to thoroughly understand the many facets of Freemasonry. It isn't too much to ask a potential leader to understand the philosophy of the Order. He should be taught that symbolism and benevolence are important. At the least, he should know the laws of his Grand Lodge. He should be made to demonstrate his knowledge of these, and other Masonic subjects .

Realistically, this isn't about to happen The ritualists control Freemasonry and they aren't about to let go. Even so, we can still have excellent leadership in our Lodges, Grand Lodges, and other Masonic bodies. It may not be at the top, but it must come from there. The ritualists can remain in control, but delegate the activities of the Craft to those who understand what leadership is.

For more than 30 years I've had a sign over my desk which reads: There's no limit to what you can accomplish, if you don't care who gets the credit. It's surprising to find how often this philosophy works.

Where are we going to find these leaders we've been discussing? I'll not burden you with what to look for in a leader, or a potential leader. You can find the criteria in any good book on management. Even my book, Key To Freemasonry's Growth, covers the subject. Let me point out some things here that you may not readily find anywhere else, unless you're willing to spend a couple of thousand dollars.

All of you are familiar with Abraham H. Maslow's five steps in behavioral patterns. Briefly they begin with man's basic needs: food, clothing, shelter, money. His next step becomes the need for safety and economic security. Usually a man has met these needs before he petitions a Masonic Lodge. So the next three steps are important if we want Freemasonry to grow.

Freemasonry must meet his social and ego needs. It must endeavor to help his self-esteem and help him realize his self-fulfillment requirements. If it does, he can reach the pinnacle of Maslow's hierarchy – self-realization.

Here's another concept that follows, yet goes beyond. Maslow’s theory. It has been developed by Professor Clare W. Graves who has made a life-long study of human behavior. He believes there are at least seven levels of human behavior. Because these will take some digesting, I've prepared a summary of them for you to take with you to chew on. It's part of the $2,000 I mentioned.

Level one Graves terms autistic. Here man's energies are almost all consumed just trying to stay alive. He is aware of little more than the problems of sustenance: illness, reproduction, disputes. He thinks and often reacts as an animal. To manage him, one must use raw, naked force, and then can only expect limited production from him. There are still far, far too many existing on this level.

Level two brings a man a step higher. His brain is beginning to awaken and he's becoming aware of his existence as a person. This level is termed egocentric. This man is concerned only with "me." He quickly learns how to become a manipulator. He conceives ways to benefit "me" and "to hell with thee." He believes the victor gets the spoils and "might is right." He believes authority has the right to use any force necessary, firing, excommunication, or killing. To manage him, one must use exploitation, yet moderate it with sensitivity and reasonable compassion.

Absolutistic is the third level, and usually the first of concern to Freemasonry. At this level, Professor Graves has found, most men won't respond to independence and participation. They would rather have autocracy than democracy. They believe one is what one is born to be. Everything has been prescribed and laid down by some extra-human power. They live in a "moralistically prescribed world." Rigid rules must be established and enforced if they are to be managed successfully.

The fourth level is termed objectivistic. Here man believes in the power of self. He believes he can alter the established order through the exercise of his own will. He isn't about to fit into any prescribed organizational design. He believes that he is right. and it's his right to change anything to his own desires. All who disagree with him are wrong, and are simply submitting to rules made by the favored few. He can work with those on lower levels. but feels threatened by those on his own or higher levels. His real battle is for power, not material gain. In many respects he's no better than those on the second level, just brainier. To manage him, one must realize it's difficult, but take into account he’s more interested in power than material gain.

Sociocentric is the term for level five. Here man becomes more concerned about social than material matters. As a manager, or leader, he shows some concern for production and for people. His social needs are more important to him than work. When both the manager and producer are on this level, participative management must be the objective. This fifth level person doesn't believe that hard work is necessary to prove anything, nor is it his moral duty to do his best. He is "group-minded." This can be dangerous. He is more interested in group-decision-making than letting one man be responsible for the growth or death of an organization. He is prone to waste time by consistantly holding one meeting after another, thereby accomplishing nothing. Participation and goal-setting are necessary to manage him.

Common fears won't motivate the problemistic, or sixth level man. He doesn't fear God, boss, or social disapproval. He is confident of his own ability and capacity to survive, no matter what happens. He is end-oriented, not means-oriented. He won't be told how to do his work. He feels it's his job to get the task done, not how to do it in a particular way. He believes management should provide the tools to do the job, then he should be left alone to do the organising and get the job done. Management can work with him in setting goals, but it must not prescribe the manner in which he reaches them.

Here's where we run into problems in Freemasonry. There are many members on this level. There are also many Masonic leaders on lower levels. The lower level leaders tend to squeeze the sixth level member out. If this doesn't succeed, they will bury him. His talent is lost. His creative excellence is destroyed by this short-sighted leadership, and all because he won't conform to the "common mold." Those who follow this type of leadership are too often the mediocre ones who are willing to conform to what the leader considers orthodox. Yet, the wise manager will take advantage of this man. The leader will use participation in setting goals, then leave the man alone to reach those goals.

Intuitionistic is the term Graves uses for the seventh level person. He's a "softened version of the sixth level man." He's still end-oriented, but he doesn't fight, per se. He does insist on an atmosphere of trust and respect, and he will avoid any kind of relationship in which others try to dominate him. He must be approached through management which takes into account that he is competent and responsible. He must be supported in the things he does. He won't subordinate his desires to those of the organisation. He'll simply wait for the leadership to change, while he retires into "another world." Usually he'll continue to do a passable job. When the opportunity arrives, he'll quietly attempt to have the changes made he believes necessary. Again, the wise manager will welcome this man with open arms, accept him as he is, support him, let him use his competence and responsibility to make the "boss" look good.

Many men in Freemasonry are a mixture of one or more of these levels. Good leaders will take this into account in their evaluation.

Why have I discussed human behavior with you? Because, as I mentioned earlier, I'm disturbed. We, the rank and file Master Masons, are looking to our leaders for inspiration. We are seeking information about the Craft. We're looking for many things we aren't getting.

You and I are among a privileged few. We are Master Masons. We belong to the greatest fraternal organisation ever created. We have an opportunity to turn the world around and make all men act as brothers. We can't do it unless we have Constructive Leadership. We can't have Constructive Leadership unless this leadership understands human behavior. Without it, the Ideal Lodge will remain elusive.

Earlier I applauded this idea of an Annual Feast for The Philalethes Society. Why? In my opinion one of the Qualities the Ideal Lodge and the Ideal Leader must provide for the members is – fun.

Now, I'm not talking about Tomfoolery. I'm talking about special banquets, family affairs, Table Lodges, musicals, plays, and other cultural events for the members, and for the general public. I'm talking about getting back to the days of our forefathers who weren't afraid to laugh, to have fun. I'm referring to the days before the "do-gooders" of the middle 1800's won their battle to abolish laughter, feasting, and all types of harmless fun.

You'll also note I've mentioned setting goals and participation. If we're to have Ideal Lodges, we must have leaders who know how to set goals. Have you ever tried to accomplish anything of importance without first setting a goal? If you have, you know it's virtually impossible.

If you're asked to give a talk, you must set goals for that talk. If you plan a Lodge dinner, you'll have to set many goals or find it doomed to failure. So it goes with anything you want to accomplish. You must set goals.

Along with goals comes planning to reach them. Plans are all-important. The best way to develop plans to reach our goals is through participation. We must have the cooperation of those who will work with us. The best way to get this is through participation. The Ideal Leader knows this. He knows his goals are important only to himself. People are only committed to achieve those goals they help to set.

The Ideal Lodge must have an Ideal Leader who will use the other principles of good management. In addition to goal setting and planning, these include communicating, staffing, organising and controlling.

The Ideal Lodge can have the best goals and follow well laid plans, but these must be communicated properly or nothing will be accomplished. The right men must be placed in the proper slots, or little will be gained. The whole project must be competently organized, and controls must be determined and followed, if there is to be success.

You're as aware as I am that I've only touched upon the many attributes necessary for a Constructive Leader and an Ideal Lodge. As I mentioned earlier, it would take months to develop this important subject. And I firmly believe we should waste not another minute in developing, and growing the Masonic leaders we must have today and the many tomorrows to come.

Today I wouldn't change a word I wrote in 1969 in Key To Freemasonry's Growth. I would, however, enlarge upon what's written there. Even so, the ending would remain the same:

Among the rocks there is plenty of fertile ground and the seeds for Freemasonry's growth are abundant. All it will take is work to till the soil. Constructive Leaders can be found anywhere who are more than willing and anxious to grab a hoe. The present leadership must furnish the tools.

Good management is the key to Freemasonry's growth. May it be put to work.

So Mote It Be

On the following page is a synopsis of the principal items in this article.

1. Autistic

Man’s energy is almost consumed in the process of staying alive; his basic physical needs are all important To manage: Use raw, naked force

2. Egocentric

Man's brain is awakening after his physical needs are met; becomes concerned about "me"; becomes a manipulator

To manage: Exploit, but use sensitivity and reasonable compassion

3. Absolutistic

Man chooses autocratic rather than democratic methods; doesn't believe in participation; lives in a moralistically prescribed world

To manage: Establish and enforce rigid rules

4. Objectivistic

Believes in his own power; "knows" he can alter established power by his own will; believes he's right, others wrong

To manage: Realize it's difficult, but take into account he's out for power, not material gain

5. Sociocentric

He's concerned with social, not material matters; is concerned for people and production; his social needs are more important than work; is group-minded

To manage: Use participation and group decision-making insofar as possible

6. Problemistic

He doesn't fear God, boss, or social disapproval; he's confident he can survive no matter what happens; believes in participation and goals

To manage: Use participation and goal-setting

7. Intuitionistic

He's end, not means, oriented; insists on trust and respect; won't be dominated; won't subordinate his desires to those of the organisation

To manage: Accept him as he is; be supportive; accept the fact that he's competent and responsible

Clare W. Graves Levels of Human Behavior

Professor Graves cautions against managers on a lower level burying the creativity and talent of those on higher levels.

It is well to remember those on a higher level can make the boss look much better than he really is, if the boss will let them.

It's also good to remember: There’s no limit to what you can accomplish, if you don't care who gets the credit.

Abraham H. Maslow's theory of behavioral patterns

Here's a brief account of what is said about these behavioral patterns in Key to Freemasonry’s Growth:

"The needs for the worker in Freemasonry are different than for the worker in industry. But if the basic needs; money, food, clothing, shelter; are not adequately acquired from employment, the organisation will often suffer. . .

"Fortunately, most of those who enter Freemasonry have met their basic needs. The Fraternity must supply their social and ego needs, because if they did not have those, it is doubtful that they would be Freemasons...Freemasonry has a golden opportunity to enrich the lives of these men.

"Status is something everyone with a degree of ambition seeks...

"All men have a need to satisfy their egos. All men want an opportunity to satisfy their self-esteem and a chance for self-fulfillment. The degree will vary with the individual, but the more ambitious he is, the more his ego must be satisfied, or the organization will be the loser. Subordinates always believe they possess valuable information that will be useful to those in command. And many times they are correct! They should be given an opportunity to state their views. Their recommendations and experience, when treated with respect, will help satisfy their ego needs...

"Those few men who have a strong need for self-fulfillment are, almost without exception, creative. They are constantly visualizing new ideas. Most of the time the ideas are practical."

From Key to Freemasonry’s Growth by Allen E. Roberts Copyright 1969: Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company, Richmond, Va

----o----

The Craftsman

by Ralston James, MPS

He approaches his walk area with a dreamy look in his eve: a half-formed vision of what he expects to create. First he checks: are the needed tools at hand? the equipment in working order? the sketches of previous inspirations available? the material of fine quality on which to work?

If all is in order he grids on his apron, rolls up his sleeves and goes to work: Grasps mallet and chisel, brush or pencil as his inclination bends him, but, hush genius at work. Are we Craftsmen?

Seems to me that appreciation of a brother’s efforts humble though they may be, is the most priceless gift within our power to confer.

----o----

Who Were The Essenes  ?

by Louis C. King, MPS

This arose years ago when the question of the origins of Freemasonry was an active, debatable one. Was it Germany, France, Rome, or further East and farther back in time? Masonry's first historian, the Rev. James Anderson, kicked the door of conjecture wide open when, in his fabulous, fictitious "History of Freemasonry From the Beginnings of the World," he stated that God must have transmitted the Secrets of Masonry to the first man, Adam. With that for a starting point, any history, however nebulous, of ancient rites, secret societies or the like, furnished a rich field of exploration for men with vivid imaginations. Some certain archaeological discoveries furnished "undeniable proofs" to bolster their imaginations. Others, more religiously inclined, turned to the Bible for inspiration. Lacking anything in the Old Testament supportive of their theories they turned to the New Testament and to writers like Flavius Josephus, a Jew, who wrote, among other books, "A History of the Jews." He was a Roman citizen but he wrote in Greek. He lived in the time when Roman power had become well-entrenched in Israel. Much of what he wrote was reliable but, at times he colored some of his excursions into more remote history rather more than somewhat. His descriptions of Solomon's Temple, which he never saw and which was a rather plain and very small edifice, he described in terms more fittingly descriptive of Herod's Temple, which he may have seen.

At any rate, many of his stories found their way into Masonic rituals, especially those of the degrees beyond those of the craft, although faint touches may be discerned even there. Josephus wrote much about the religious practices of his day and from them it is easy to see that all Jews did not worship alike. The New Testament mentions two distinct sects, Pharisees and Saducees. Josephus named a third, the Essenes and also said there were numerous other, splinter sects, spinoffs of the more predominant ones.

This may come as a surprise to many, but factions seem to have been as common then as they are today among the great religions of the world. He mentioned and described a few of the smaller sects, among which were the Essenes. They were neither numerous nor important but these, some of our more imaginative writers seized upon as the progenitors or, at least, practitioners of a well developed system of Masonry. Josephus never made such claims, but then, did he need to? These writers had all they required.

As the writers would have it; the Essenes were a devoutly religious sect, rather a bit Protestant as the writers would have it. They were a monastic group who lived apart from the world, so they told us. They had three degrees of membership. The Apprentices, naturally. What else could they be called? And there was a Second degree to which they were advanced after having shown suitable proficiency. Now they were entrusted with further secrets of the Craft. Then, after more study and still further examinations, which, if they passed, entitled them to the Ultimate Secrets of the Craft. What Secrets, of what Craft? Josephus never said they had a craft. They were farmers for the most part, doing whatever was needed on their land. They were supposed to go about doing charitable works, helping the poor. Yet they cooped themselves up in their monastic cells. But no matter. They had their three degrees, used the square and compasses and practiced all the rites of Masonry.

Some of those Masonic writers accounted for the unrecorded years in the life of Jesus of Nazareth by claiming that both he and John the Baptist spent a part of their time as members of an Essene community. However, be that as it may, to no one's discredit.

Fortunately, Time took care of this group of Masonic believers as more real knowledge of our Craft's history was found. Nothing of significant value, apart from what Josephus had written, had been found Where had the Essenes lived? What were their religious practices? What work did they perform? What became of them? None of these questions were answerable, until...

Until the day in 1947, when an Arab boy, herding some goats in the Wadi Qumran, chased an animal into a cave. Afraid to enter the cave alone, he threw a stone after it. The stone shattered a pottery jar and the noise of the falling fragments frightened the boy away. Soon, however, he returned with another boy and together they entered the cave. There they found some ancient scrolls. scrolls which electrified the theological world. This is the story most widely accepted, of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. This name was adopted from the proximity of the Dead Sea, about a quarter of a mile distant. There are several caves in the vicinity.

The discovery of the scrolls for what they represented soon attracted archaeologists and they found more of them, in that and other caves. The problem of unrolling those ancient scrolls of thin, dry leather called for specialists in such work and for philologists to decipher and translate them. They were copies of the books of the Old Testament, for the most part. Although some few were extremely old, original books. There were other scrolls though, containing more secular accounts, stories of people and events of more recent times, some even of those who wrote the scrolls.

Nearby, further from the shore of the Sea, upon the banks of the wadi, were the remnants of a small town. Into these ruins the archaeologists dug, reasoning that some connection must have existed between the inhabitants and the scrolls, the town was given the name, Khirbet Qumran, from the Wadi Qumran. Khirbet means ruins as Wadi signifies a dry water course through which a stream runs in rainy seasons.

As they dug through the ruins they found signs of Roman occupation but the story of the people came from the ruins themselves. Store houses, living quarters and one large room in particular, in which tables, long, narrow and high were found, tables made for writers to stand at. To clinch that supposition, ink pots were found there, one even containing dried ink. Evidently these were the tables were the scrolls had been written.

In the southeastern portion were cisterns for water storage and a large bathing pool. The pool was cracked, probably by an earthquake. Josephus reported one in 31 B.C. and others may have occurred later. It was evident that the people practiced ritual bathing as part of their religious beliefs. All the buildings showed earthquake damage. Outside the town was a cemetery which afforded the best information as to the inhabitants. The graves yielded skeletal remains of men, women and children. None contained the jewelry and ornaments usually found in such graves, which was taken as evidence that these people scorned such things.

Now, Josephus recorded that the Essenes were not all celibates, living in monasteries. Nor were they concentrated in one community. Many, he said, were married and had families. Also, that there were many groups of these Essenes living in widely separated towns with others, Jews like themselves but not of their particular persuasion.

Josephus described the Pharisees as following the law and ancient observances in orthodox fashion. The Essenes followed all these laws and conventions even more strictly, making sacrifices at the Temple at Jerusalem with money but not with living creatures. Ritual ablutions were part of their daily routines. They were distinguished by the long, plain garments they wore. No fabrics of any sort were found in the Qumran graves but wrappings around some of the scrolls were identified by their weave and texture and by carbon dating as at about the time of the Roman ascendancy in Israel. From this, it was the consensus that all of the scrolls that were not unquestionably ancient were written at Qumran. They were probably concealed in the caves to protect them from destruction by the Romans.

All this may seem to have wandered from the original subject of this study but Qumran has given us more light on the Essenes than anything we have encountered before. In fact, from the evidence unearthed at Khirbet Qumran, the writings translated from the secular or non-Biblical scrolls, coupled with the accounts given principally by Josephus and also by Philo of Alexandria and by Pliny, men who had lived in those years and had much firsthand knowledge, all these combine to give us the best answers to "Who were the Essenes?"

Let us view the Essenes in this new light, as opposed to the stories of old Masonic writers. They were an off-shoot of the Pharisees, only more rigid in their observances. They were more orthodox than the thoroughly orthodox Pharisees. The other important sect were the Sadducees, who were the aristocracy of the Jews. Largely, they were the upper class of the nobility of Jerusalem. Restricted to the families of high priests and aristocrats, one had to be born into that exclusive sect. So, in point of comparison, the Essenes were most closely related to the Pharisees. But, as always with extremists, they were a much smaller group. One writer's estimate was about four thousand members.

Becoming an Essene was not a simple matter. An applicant was more closely investigated than any who applied to a Masonic Lodge. He was not considered until every aspect of his life was scrutinized. Many months could pass before he was called on for initiation. All our available information concerns the monastic groups. How and when they married will have to remain unanswered. Josephus, while admitting there were married men in their membership, tells us mostly about those who lived in monasteries. Qumran apparently had both.

Admission was a long series of lustrations and religious rites. Once completed, they were in for a hard life. They worked long hours, ate the simplest foods, lived apart from the professed. They were not permitted to converse nor even touch their white garbed brethren. For one whole year they lived thus before being closely examined. Their work records were gone over thoroughly and their attitudes questioned. If there was any doubt in the minds of their superiors, they were told to go. Those who passed were in for another year of this existence. There was no advancement in grade. There were no grades or degrees. At the end of the second year they underwent a still more severe examination, but if they passed this time, they were accepted into full membership, assigned a place at table and in the councils, garbed in the white robes of the elect. Now, what they studied. Josephus never recorded, but it is a safe bet it was not rituals as we might expect. They were a strict religious order and had no time for anything beyond the laws and the scriptures. Indeed, the long tables found in the scriptorium indicate that long hours were spent there transcribing the old, wornout scrolls onto new leather. What their purpose was, possibly, to replace the old books that were faded and falling apart. Old scrolls were never thrown out. They were put away in a storage designed expressly for that purpose.

Another thing might account for the scrolls in the caves, these were the final years of the old calendar and the opening of a new era. Not that they were aware of this. To them, these were years of distress in Israel. The Romans had taken over the government and had appointed puppet rulers who danced as the real rulers pulled their strings. The people revolted and were punished cruelly. It was a time when men thought of selling out and getting away. This the Romans approved as they had less to contend with. This may have been in the minds of the leaders at Qumran. They feared leaving their sacred scrolls to the merciless Romans so they hid them in the poorly accessible caves at the end of the Wadi. There they remained safely until 1947. They may have been visited at times by wandering Arabs, but they found no gold and the scrolls were of no value to them.

The Romans accomplished their purpose. The Jewish people were widely scattered but not all the hardships ever made them to desert their ancient faith in their One God, rejecting the many and more accommodating gods of Rome. The Romans had driven out the people of Qumran and made it a military outpost, being located some forty miles east southeast of Jerusalem. They remained there until 68 AD, when they destroyed and abandoned the town. Two years later, Titus ordered the destruction of Jerusalem, Herod's magnificent Temple, everything! While the Pharisees retained a certain cohesiveness, even though widely scattered, the Sadducees, being of the once ruling class and easily identifiable, were simply blotted out. The myriad splinter sects, the Essenes among them, simply vanished.

The Essenes were never numerous nor were they noticeably influential on the history of the times. Nowhere are they mentioned in the Talmud nor either Testament of the Bible. Only in the writings of Josephus, Philo and Pliny can any information be obtained and that only casually. With such information as we have, far more than the early Masonic writers had. it is difficult to conceive how they fastened upon the Essenes as progenitors and exemplars of the highest form of primitive Freemasonry. Even the rosiest of rose-tinted glasses cannot color the accounts to be found in the scrolls of Qumran sufficiently to relate Essenism to Freemasonry.

----o----

Cyrus the Great

by Richard M. Bard, MPS

We all know that the main theme of the allegory of Royal Arch Masonry is the Captivity of the Jews which lasted 70 years and their liberation and return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of Solomon which had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzer, King of Babylon.

We also know that their liberator was Cyrus, King of Persia, who issued his famous Decree.

In the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, No. 2076, Volume 84 for the Year 1971, is an excellent article entitled: "Cyrus, King of Persia," written by Bro. H.R. Dixon, P.A.G.D.C., originally for the Sussex Masters Lodge and printed in their Transactions Vol. 39 (1969-71). The beginning of the article says:

"The last verse of the 2nd Book of Chronicles reads: "Thus saith Cyrus, King of Persia, all the Kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of Heaven given me, and He hath charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judah..."

"Apart from a small transposition of words, this is the same as the 2nd verse of the 1st Chapter of the Book of Ezra, which immediately follows in the Old Testament."

Bro. Dixon asks: "who was Cyrus, King of Persia?" and "Why should a King of Persia be charged to build a House for the Lord in Jerusalem?"

In order to put the latter portions of this paper into proper perspective, it will be necessary to include some background at this point. Still referring to the above referenced article by Bro. Dixon, we find him pointing out that Persia, situated between the valley of the Euphrates and the borders of Pakistan, is the site of some of the richest oil deposits in the world. Between the two world wars it became known as Iran and this is relevant to the points we are now considering because it is a variant of the word "Aryan". Scholars generally agree that the cradle of Western Civilization was that area in the Middle East which they refer to as "The Fertile Cresent" from the Nile to the Euphrates. Very early in the history of this area we have the story of Noah and his family being saved from the great flood, in the Ark, which settled in the mountains of Armenia.

Brother Dixon now presents a most interesting bit of information. He says the descendents of Noah were, of course, the families of his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and are (in his view), a "Folk Memory", intended to represent the three basic ethnic groups then known in the Middle East, namely:

(a) The descendents of Shem, or Semitic people who spread through the Middle East, Arabia and North Africa.

(b) The descendents of Ham, or Hamitic people, negroids, who moved south into Africa.

(c) The descendents of Japheth being Aryan peoples who spread westwards along the Mediterranean and then northwards trough Italy, Spain and France and throughout Northern Europe. Some of them moved eastwards again through Central Europe and Russia round the Caspian Sea into the mountain country east of the "Fertile Cresent" and on into India. And so the people of Persia were Aryan and proud of it.

Here, almost 600 years before the Christian Era, was born Cyrus, the son of the Chief of a peaceful agricultural people paying tribute to their more aggressive cousins, the Medes, settled in the area between them and the Caspian Sea.

But for some 3000 years before this, there had been civilisations rising and falling in the "Fertile Cresent". Civilizations are meant as people who gave up their nomadic wanderings and settled in one place, building with brick and developing the Arts, Sculpture, Carvings and above all, writing. In the Nile Valley, the Egyptians, and in the area with which we are concerned, the Sumarians, and later the Akkadians at Ur, then the Assyrians at Asshur and Nineveh, and the Chaldeans again at Ur, and later Babylon.

There were constant wars between these City-States, so that at the time of Cyrus, the Babylonians had conquered the Assyrians and the surrounding people and had taken the tribe of Judah (with many others) into Captivity in Babylon. The Aryan Medes had allied themselves by inter-marriage to the Semitic Babylonians.

Thus into this hot-bed in the Middle East not much different than at the present time, we find a young man. brought up in a peaceful community who was at heart a lover of peace, but peace with liberty Cyrus’s mother had died soon after his birth so he was raised by other persons. Cyrus had been named after his grandfather and the name meant Shepherd – Kurash - in their speech. Not a tender of Sheep but a Kurash, a royal shepherd who watched over his people, guiding them toward food and guarding them from wild beasts, human raiders or demons.

It was his love of liberty which made him revolt against paying tribute to the Medes. But his country couldn't afford to allow him to stir-up a revolt, so his father, Cambyses, was encouraged by the Council of the Three Tribes to send him on a journey to satisfy his spirit of curiosity about other people and other places. Naturally, they hoped or intended that he should never return.

But he did return after several years, strengthened by his experiences, to find that during his absence his father had died and he was now Chief or King of the Persians.

With this background, let us now consider two interesting problems:

(1) Why did Cyrus attack a stronghold such as Babylon and how did he get in without great loss to his followers?

(2) Who exactly were the people he liberated and returned to Jerusalem to build the House of the Lord God?

Neither of these questions seem like very much because they are referred to in the Allegory of the Royal Arch. But let's consider them a little deeper.

The first question about Babylon. In my browsing, I stumbled upon a book called "Cyrus the Great", written by Harold Lamb and published by Pinnacle Books, Inc. in Sept. 1976. The book in hard-cover was copyrighted in 1960 and published by Doubleday and Company. It says it is a work of fiction, but the events could have happened as Harold Lamb wrote. Let's see.

Remember, here is a young guy remembered by the surrounding Kingdoms as one who previously advocated revolt against paying tribute to the Medes, now the King of the Persians. Astyages, King of the Medes had no intention of leaving this thorn in his side. So the Medes attacked him. but were beaten in their first encounter. How? Because Cyrus, through a traitor to the Medes. had found out that Astyages had hired a band to waylay and kill Cyrus while he was on his original expedition sent by his father. The traitor's son was killed instead. so he told Cyrus how he could outwit the Median Army and by strategy take the City of Ecbatana. The great Army of the Medes revolted, Astyages the Mede was captive to Cyrus the Persian, and Cyrus became King of the Medes and Persians.

This wouldn't have caused too much attention except that news travelled fast and speedily to outlying Kingdoms, as far as the Court of the Pharaohs on the Nile. Embassies came from Tyre, maker of the purple dye, and Gaza, maker of glass, to discover the strength and purpose of the intruder. They learned nothing, but Croesus, King of Lydia, the most enlightened, as well as the wealthiest monarch of the age, got scared because the Land of Midas which he ruled bordered that of the Medes, separated by the river Halys. Remember, Lydia was in the Aegen region which was known for the Delphi Oracle. Croesus thus consulted the oracle which said: "If you cross the river Halys, you will destroy a great empire." This was all he needed, so he sent an army against Cyrus, who, of course, did not meet them head-on in a battle, but again by stratagem walked into his palace at Sardis and took Croesus prisoner. Thus Croesus who misunderstood the oracle. lost his Empire.

In the meantime, the Hebrew captives in Babylon led by their Prophets started to raise their voices in the hot alleys to take vengeance against Babylon, but because they were accustomed to inveigh in this manner against their masters. they attracted little attention.

What we must keep in mind is that by the time Cyrus took Babylon, he was not a young man. He had been born in the early years of the Sixth Century before Christ. When the word came to Babylon that Cyrus had returned from his traveling in the East to his mountain fastness, it was in the Winter of the Year 540. He was hardly a young kid! He had gained a reputation obviously. While Cyrus was not a supremely able battle Commander, he had the gift of leadership. In some manner, he managed to win over most of the people he encountered making them fight for him rather than against him. The tolerance of the early Persian rule gained allies in a manner unknown to the Assyrians or Babylonians. The Persians made diplomacy their best weapon and at times used no other.

Another important fact must be kept in mind. The supreme god of Babylon was called Bel-Marduk and each year ended with his symbolic death and the New Year began as a Resurrection. The King of Babylon was Nabu-aid, the son of a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, who was a priestess of the moon-god Sin at Harran. He had gained the throne by the successful murder of the pretender who grasped it. Nabu-Naid was getting elderly and although the ruler, was also High-Priest of Marduk. There was an antagonism between the temple priests of Marduk and Nabu-Naid which had been existing for some time. The crown prince, Belshazzar, Commander of the Armed forces and ruler in all but name, was waiting for some public display of weakness on the part of his father as an excuse to poison him and ascend the throne as a second Nebuchadnezzar.

It was into this internal turmoil, that the news of Cyrus' return was received. Belshazzar intended to use the New Year festivities to accomplish this Palace revolution and to do so needed at least a token victory over a well-known enemy and thus become an important leader. Belshazzar thought that he could obtain from the untaught and headstrong Cyrus the victory he needed. But Nabu-Naid was still a crafty individual and so before the feast, Nabu-Naid had a prophecy carved upon a tablet to the effect that Cyrus would bow down before his feet and lose all his lands to the Babylonians. Then he had the tablet set-up so that all could see and read it. Thus, if Belshazzar did defeat Cyrus, it would only be as Commander of the Army and thus the victory would still belong to the King. Also, the King had not usually been around during these New Year festivities, but this year, 540, scored a second unexpected triumph by taking part as high priest of Marduk and bringing out all the dieties into the procession.

It was into this chaos, Cyrus decided to investigate Babylon. Brother Dixon says: "He (Cyrus) returned to find Belshazzar ruling in Babylon and building up an Army to move against him. He planned carefully, found a weak spot in the seemingly impregnable defenses of Babylon, moved his forces into the City without a fight, and so, again by strategem, he conquored Babylon." I prefer Harold Lamb's version. He suggests that Cyrus in the disguise of a horse dealer, entered the City which was usual during the New Year's festivities to look around, saw the tablet with the prophecy which was read to him by his also disguised servant and decided to reverse the prophecy. At this point it seems like everything is happening at once. But this is not true. Cyrus looked around at this time, but waited until the harvest season in the fall to really make his move. It was during the harvest festivities, he moved into the city.

Now for years, we had heard of the hanging gardens of Babylon. These gardens had to be watered some way. Harold Lamb suggests it was by canals or aquaducts running into the city from outside. Also Babylon was a city-state composed of other smaller city communities on hills with the Citadel of Esagila as the residence of the King.

While scouting around the ramparts of Babylon, Cyrus and his engineers inspecting the nearest canals leading from the Euphrates to the plantations, noticed an old reservoir overgrown with rushes rising from the swamp in the hollow bed. Hebrews who labored on the canals explained that the great reservoir had been made in ancient days meant to store water from the flooded river against a time of drought, but had fallen into disrepair. So Cyrus got his men to replace the Hebrew slaves, removed the stones around the reservoir and used them as a sort of dam in the Euphrates River which was already low in its bed, and had the canal to the reservoir dug out again. Naturally, as the hours passed, the river water began to flow into the great hollow place and the river began to sink in its bed which reduced the flow to the canals.

One of the procedures of the Babylonians to insure the impregnability of the city was to place wooden barrier gates across each canal and extending deep into the water like a lock. But they never planned on low water. Thus Cyrus and his soldiers merely waded through the canal gates which were swung open at night by the beggars and vagrants who were rewarded with a coin. Because the main army of Cyrus was still encamped in full view, the Babylonians assumed they were safe from a siege or frontal attack. Belshazzar even noticed the sluggish water in the moat surrounding the citadel but took no further action. Probably figured it was due to the weather since it was the fall season.

Harold Lamb in his story says the same night that Cyrus and his soldiers entered Babylon, Belshazzar decided to have one of his usual drinking orgies. That after getting drunk, decided to have the vessels of gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple of Jerusalem be brought out and used for drinking. All this was seen by the elder Jews who labored and drew rations as gardeners of the palace. It was while this was going on that a hand from behind a curtain wrote in Hebrew the famous words we hear in the ritual of the Royal Arch lecture: "Mene, Mene, Tehel, Upharsan".

It may be far-fetched, but it is as good an explanation as can be found. Lamb says none of the learned Chaldeans could translate the writings, but knew it to be Hebrew. Belshazzar then sent for a Hebrew, when after a space of time, a young Jew was brought in. Belshazzar demanded to know what the writing said and if it concerned him. The young Jewish laborer replied that it did and translated it thus:

"God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it." "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." "The Kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

You all know what the ritual says.

But, returning to our story, Belshazzar at the time as he was receiving the translation of the writing, also got a report that unknown enemies filled the courtyard. Being a soldier, Belshazzar grabbed the nearest weapon as he ran from the hall. Thus, he and his companions, half-armed, were cut-down in the courtyard.

When hearing of his son, Belshazzar's death, the King, Nabu-Naid, fled in fear in a covered chariot to the city of Ishtar, from where he was later captured. For uncounted years, the daily life of Babylon had gone on under the voice of authority. When the flight of Nabu-Naid was known, and the slaying of Belshazzar reported, the Chief ministers barred themselves in their palaces to await what would happen next. There was no one to give orders to the Commander of the garrison. In many quarters of the city, people slept through the disturbance unaware that the authority of yesterday had ceased to exist. Into this breech, Cyrus easily moved.

Thus we now know how Cyrus got into and took over Babylon without a fight and liberated the peoples. So let us finish with the second question we originally asked: "Who exactly were the people he liberated, and who returned to Jerusalem to build the House of the Lord?"

The people liberated were all captives of any land who wished to return to their native homes. When in our various degrees, mention is made of the Jewish people returning under Zerubbabel, mostly we envision them as persons like ourselves. But this is not true. Firstly, none of the money-lenders, or bankers, would have any desire to quit what was a lucrative business for a desolation as Jerusalem had become. Neither would the successful merchants give up that which they had acquired. They had learned that the hills of Judah had become bare; splendor had departed from the City of David. For more than two generations, these Jews of Babylon had built their homes and established their trades; often their children spoke no language except Babylonian. Then too, the elders - strict keepers of the Mosiac Law - remained, choosing to worship at their shrines on the Euphrates as their fathers had done.

Lamb in his version, says: "From the waters of Babylon, came the laborers, the diggers of the canals; from the lofty gardens came the gardeners; from the factories of brick and asphalt came the blackened furnace tenders; and from the sewers the scrapers of filth. These Jews of the Captivity brought their women and offspring."

He further presents this: "Those of wealth who remained gave a store of silver to the Jerusalem-bound throng, and this for the most part was made up of the laborers. When they began their march, they carried a goodly stock of stores with them on pack animals because carts were not suited to the desert march. By number they had of horses seven hundred, thirty and six; of camels four hundred, thirty and five and of mules two hundred, forty and five. Their laden asses numbered six thousand, seven hundred and twenty, by count of the inspectors at the western gate. And there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women.

Far-fetched? Not really. It is as logical as any other explanation.

And whether it is fact or fiction, is really up to you.

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The Cathedral Builders

by Clarence E. Ross, MPS

Early in his career, a Mason usually hears a brief reference to our Masonic forebears, the cathedral builders. The reference is all too brief and, unless an individual becomes interested, it is filed away in his mind and may, or may not, be alluded to at a later date. Actually, it is an important segment of Masonic history and should be given more time and attention in all Masonic instruction.

The term, 'Middle Ages', is applied to a somewhat vague period of European history, roughly from 500 to 1500, A.D. It was during this period that most of the great stone edifices, cathedrals, churches, monasteries and castles, were built. It was the heyday of the operative stonemason, and it was with those builders that much of our ritual originated. Some of it probably antedates them but, to date, no firm data to that effect has come to light.

Who were those men? A few are known by name. In 1268 Guillaume de Saint-Patu. was the king's (France) Master Mason, with power to regulate all guild operations. (1) Another, Villard de Honnecourt, c. 1250, an architect, mentions churches in Cambrai, Rheims, Chartres, and others. Whether or not he worked on any or all of those structures, we will probably never know. One of his sketchbooks has survived. (2) Of the rank and file, the masons and their apprentices, there were literally thousands. Names do appear in some existing records, but they are names only. As for numbers, a good example is the castle of Coucy, in northern France. Seven years in the building, masons marks indicate that some eight hundred different craftsmen worked there at one time or another. (3)

The journeyman mason was not bound to any overlord, but was free to travel from one construction site to another. Most took their families with them, including an apprentice who was treated as a family member. It follows, that projects that would take years to complete, were the choice of most, if such were attainable.

A stranger, applying for work, would, of necessity, have to satisfy guild leaders that he was indeed a journeyman. Identification cards being non-existent, it was probably done by certain signs, a token, and a word. In some instances he might be vouched for by someone who had worked with him at another site.

Operative masonry probably started back in the pre-history period when men first erected stone walls around their habitations as a partial protection against wild beasts and unfriendly neighbors. Some men would become adept at breaking and fitting, so a wall would be a reasonably solid barrier and not collapse as frequently as one made with loosely piled stones. Dry-stone construction was used for building fences and foundation walls for small buildings in our own country as late as the first quarter of the present century.

From humble beginnings, operative masonry moved through many millennia and many countries; Babylon, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and into Europe. Some of the work has survived into our own time. Possibly because of the enduring nature of stone, the mason has always been a prominent figure in the life-style of his time. There were others involved, of course. Carpenters, to do the woodwork; blacksmiths, to make and sharpen tools; and endless ranks of laborers to do the unskilled work. But the stonemason was of the elite.

To become a master. a boy had to serve a seven year apprenticeship. Most apprentices were undoubtedly, by modern standards, very young. In other times, a boy of twelve or thirteen years, was considered to be able to start out in life. The guilds established the fee that a journeyman could receive for accepting an apprentice, and once an agreement was reached between the boy's parent and a journeyman, the boy went to live with his sponsor. As a matter of fact, he became, virtually, a member of the family. A code of conduct for apprentices appears in The Regius Manuscript, written c.1390. (4) Parts of our present day ritual stem from the same source.

The apprentice started at the bottom of the scale and spent most of his early months cleaning tools, running errands, and keeping work areas neat. We can assume that, as in modern times, he was subjected to some good-natured hazing, such as being sent to find a left-handed chisel or the key to the quarry. People are people in all ages. During his seven years he could advance as rapidly as his natural ability permitted, probably following in the footsteps of his sponsor. There were sub-categories within the craft; finish cutters or dressers, setters, carvers, and tilers.

After serving seven years, and demonstrating suitable proficiency, the young man became a journeyman or fellow of the craft. He was free to travel. That was the goal for most. A few, with a special aptitude for advanced mathematics, might go on to become architects or engineers. And that is why our Fellowcraft Degree, is so important. It should never be considered just a steppingstone and passed over lightly. Our Master Mason Degree, is a composite. Anciently, it would have consisted of architects, engineers, and superintendants of construction.

It was a time of great religious expansion. Power rested with the church and few dared to question that power. When most people believed that there was no salvation except through the church, the ultimate weapon was excommunication. Forgiveness could be purchased, however, and sponsors of the great church edifices were not slow in taking advantage of that fact. Also, many wealthy people made large donations for no specific reason except the belief that it would shorten their journey into heaven.

The cathedrals, and larger churches, were usually the tangible result of some high churchman's dream. Erected ostensibly to the glory of God. one gathers when reading old accounts, that they were also to enhance the prestige of the sponsor. Competition was keen. Each tried to have his structure larger, higher, and more beautiful than those already built or being built.

Target dates for completion were non-existent. Financing was chaotic. When sufficient money was accumulated to make a start, a start was made. Work continued until the money ran out, and then ceased until more was available, sometimes a matter of several years. Some churches were never completed.

The monasteries were built partially by monks. There were many skilled stonemasons in the religious orders and they usually built their own structures. They were not guild masons, but many regular masons worked on those structures, too.

Castles were built by guild masons but do not merit too much attention, except in later times as antique structures. Beauty was a minor consideration. They were designed and built primarily for defense.

In several old cuts of construction sites there is a large wooden building shown, usually resting against one of the main walls of the structure. This was the stonemason's lodge. It was there for several reasons. In inclement weather, the masons could continue their work there. Meetings were held there to discuss working conditions, wages, and other things of general interest. Schools for apprentices were held there for instruction in geometry and other non-manual parts of the craft. Possibly, it was also used for social gatherings. It is believed to have been the ancestor of the Masonic Lodge of later date. (1)

The cathedral builders were not the first stonemasons but they were the first whose records have come down to us in sufficient quantity and detail to give a reasonably clear picture of their methods. Dressed stone structures have been uncovered in the Tigris/Euphrates valley, dating to the Third Millennium BC.

In Babylon, c.1700 BC, masons were controlled by law. The code of Hammarabi, states in part, "If a builder has built a house for a man and has not made his work sound, so that the house he has made falls down and causes the death of the owner of the house, that builder shall be put to death..." (5)

They worked in Egypt on tombs, temples, and pyramids. The obelisk, a form of Egyptian sculpture, was something special in the stonemason's art. Cut from solid granite ledges in a horizontal position, some measured a hundred feet in length. It is known that they were floated on rafts to a point near the building site. But how they were broken out of the ledges, loaded onto the rafts, moved to their final position, and set up vertically, is still a mystery. There are many theories but, to date, no really firm information.

In Greece and Rome, many examples of the stonemason's craft, are still in existence. The Greeks didn't use the arch. Entablatures are usually large, flat, dressed, stones. The Romans used it in most of their construction, including aquaducts and sewers.

Prior to the Middle Ages, our information is sketchy. There are some proven facts and many theories. But with the cathedral builders, we can establish a firm connection, so until additional information comes to light, we accept them as our Masonic ancestors.

Footnotes

1. The Cathedral Builders: Jean Gimpel. Trans. by Carl F. Barnes. Jr. Grove Press. Inc., NY.

2. The Sketchbook of Villard de Honnecourt. Edited by Theodore Bowie. Indiana University Press. Bloomington, IN.

3. A Distant Mirror Barbara W. Tuchman. Alfred A. Knopf, NY.

4. The Regis Manuscript, Interpreted by Brother Fredrick M. Hunter, 33d, Research Lodge of Oregon, No. 198. A.F&A.M.

5. The Greatness That Was Babylon H.W.F. Saggs. Hawthorn Books. Ins., NY

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Is He Crazy - Or Does He Really Act That Way On Purpose?

by S. Brent Morris, FPS

"Please don't shoot the pianist. He's doing his best." - Oscar Wilde

This is an informal note to all of the members of the Philalethes Society from your Executive Secretary. After the mailing of the dues notices in November, many of you have wondered if I have lost control of my faculties, or perhaps if I am conducting some sort of malicious campaign against certain of you. The answer to each of these questions is "No!" I've been trying to learn my new job, and at the same time convert our record system to a newer, more modern format. Unfortunately, mistakes have happened.

Last April we converted our membership records (including dues accounting) to a computer system. While the total number of errors has been about 5 - 10%, we have managed to make at least one of each possible type. For example, In some cases I wasn't sure how to interpret Andy's notations on a few members, and guessed wrong; We've entered names twice into the system; we've put the date of last payment in as the birthday (which gives us some 2 year old members); and sometimes we've just plain goofed. Rather than try to track down the precise culprit from among the several who helped me with the records conversions, I'm just going to say that each and every mistake was my fault (albeit innocent). This way, at least there will be a clear cut scapegoat.

When I've gotten a note from a Brother questioning my bookkeeping records, I've always assumed that he's right, and the mistake was mine. After this first time through with the system, our error rate next year should be down to 1/2 - 1%. Most of the Brothers have taken the time to whisper good counsel in my ear, though a few have shouted it.

However, not all problems have been caused on my end. There is a great frustration in having someone return their dues payment in an unmarked envelope, without their data sheet, and, in some instances, without a return address on the check. Then there are the two handwritten notes I haven't answered yet, because I cannot figure out the signatures. Finally, there are the members who get mad at me for being human, return their data sheets with no notations, and expect me to use ESP to figure out that they're threatening to resign.

One frequent question I've gotten is, why are we eliminating the annual dues card? The blunt answer is the expense. A card costs about 5 cents, the envelope is about 3 cents and the postage is 15 cents (and will probably soon rise). This means that to send back a dues card costs almost 25 cents. For each member, this is not much, but when we spread over 2,700 members, this is about $700 - enough to print two pages of the magazine. Since the Society holds no tiled meetings, since there are no benefits that accrue to a widow, and since each member's cancelled check gives adequate record of payment, the dues card really doesn't serve any purpose as an annual item. Thus it was eliminated. (Besides all of these good reasons, there's the not-so-good reason that the Executive Secretary will be saved a lot of extra paper handling.)

Now that we have this new system, what benefits can we expect? Well, for one, we now have a much better management over dues collection. In the past, we have dropped about 100 members a year for nonpayment of dues. However, this means that they received two year's or $14 benefit from us. That's an expense of $1400! We are going to stop mailing the magazine to members who, after two reminders and six months, have not paid their dues. We also can now quickly produce a membership list for any set of ZIP codes. This will aid in forming Chapters, or in regional meetings of any sort. When we decide to produce another roster, we can do it both alphabetically and by state; it would be more accurate and cheaper than one done by hand.

For your information, our fiscal year is January 1 to December 31. All dues are due on January 1 of each year. The Philalethes is mailed so that you should receive it by the 15th of February, April, June, August, October and December. If you should happen to miss a magazine some month, write immediately. Waiting to the end of the year to complain may mean that you will miss your issue. If it makes you feel better, you can write to other Officers or Past Officers about your problems with my office. However, all this will do is to delay the time before your problem is brought to my attention. (In fact, I have a perverse urge to put such indirectly routed complaints on the very bottom of my pile, and keep them there as long as I can.)

Before I close off this rather rambling note, let me add something about how I run my office. I try to treat each account as belonging to a friend of mine. When you write to me, I'm delighted, and will always respond with a card or letter. If you have a problem or I've made a mistake, I'll bend over backwards to straighten it out. By using this new computer system to remove the burden of the most numbing paper work, I have more time to add a personal touch when needed. Because of the large numbers of inquiries during dues payment time, my turnaround time for letters is slow. However, I try to treat every member as I would like to be treated. One thing that I have learned from a year of this job is that I will never, never again complain about the mistakes of a Secretary. I may not be perfect, but I mean well.

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Our First Philalethe Member Gets Installed W.M. In West Africa

by Alex Horne, FPS

Bro. Paul Mark Owooh, whom I had the pleasure of introducing to our readers in the April 1980 issue, came to be installed W.M. of Public Service Lodge No. 8587 in August of last year, in the Lodge which he founded some six years ago. He writes of his installation in very enthusiastic terms, as can well be imagined, with the congratulatory letters received from Brethren in the U.S. being read in Lodge, to the loud acclamation of those present. These letters included one from our President, Bro. Dwight L. Smith, and from the Secretary of the American Lodge of Research in New York City, of which he also is a member. The Lodge Room was surprisingly well patronised, and Bro. Owooh particularly noted the cheerful faces of the many younger Masons at the Banquet Table.

This installation of an MPS is probably a ''first'' in the history of Freemasonry in the African Continent.

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The Articles of Confederation

Article No. LI

By Ronald E. Heaton, FPS

The First Continental Congress, sitting in Philadelphia, wisely adopted this resolution before adjourning: "Saturday October 22, 1774 - Resolved, as the Opinion of this Congress that it will be necessary, that another Congress should be held on the tenth day of May next, unless the redress of grievances, which we have desired, be obtained before that time..."

By the time the Second Continental Congress had convened in Philadelphia on May 10, 1975, war had already begun in Massachusetts. Short but sharp engagement at Lexington and Concord, followed by the battle of Bunkers Hill, forced action by the Congress. Washington * was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental forces, and took active command of the Army. General Officers were appointed, and an army raised and put in the field.

Congress kept to the business at hand. The time for memorials and petitions to the King was past. Action was needed and there gradually emerged a spirit of unity among the colonials. Some no doubt remembered Patrick Henry's ringing declaration in the previous Congress: "Where are now your boundaries? The distinction between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, New Englanders are no more. I am not a

Virginzan but an American."

Canada was invited to join the colonies "in resolving to be free..." but did not reply to the invitation. Battles were fought, some victories, many defeats, debates for and against a union took place until on June 7, 1776, when Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, acting on instructions from the Virginia Convention of May 15, 1776, presented his three-part resolution to the Congress: (1) "...that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States... (2) "it is expedient forthwith to take the most effective measures for forming foreign alliances..." (3) "that a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies..."

The first part of the Resolution is well-known, and led to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 2, 1776, and official approval of the text on July 4. The other two parts are not so well known.

But Congress did act with dispatch. On June 11, the Congress authorised "a committee be appointed to prepare and digest the form of a confederation" and that another committee be appointed "to prepare a plan of treaties." (Journals of Congress, IV, 567). Thus, action was already underway on Lee's second and third resolutions when Congress made its decision on independence.

Largely through the efforts of Benjamin Franklin *, aid from France was secured and a treaty negotiated with the colonies in February, 1778, and this good news was received by Washington and his troops at Valley Forge on May 6th. Now we had become a nation, recognised by a foreign power. Secretary of State John Hay, serving in the cabinets of Presidents William McKinley * and Theodore Roosevelt *, has said of this treaty: "The act of France gave us a standard abroad which we had hitherto lacked . . . Even before 1775 we were a nation, but until our treaties with France the world regarded us as a rebellion."

Now, two parts of Lee's resolutions were accomplished. The third part, a union of the colonies, did not fare so well.

Congress had recognised from the beginning the need for an association or union between the colonies, in order to maintain the declaration. It had received and debated proposals from time to time. The Committee appointed by Congress drafted a proposed confederation which was debated and then held over until April, 1777, when it was again debated (on and off) for seven months. The Journals of Congress relate the story for Saturday, November 15, 1777: "A copy of the Confederation having been made out, and sundry small amendments made in the diction, without altering the sense, the same was agreed to, and is as follows: "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, between the States of...Article 1- The stile of this Confederacy shall be The United States of America..."

By July 9, 1778, "the ratification of the articles of confederation engrossed on a roll of parchment, being laid before Congress, were examined", and signed by delegates from eight of the colonies. Other signatures were added later, until May 5, 1779, when Delaware signed. Maryland, the last of the colonies to ratify, did so on Thursday, March 1, 1791, "by which act the Confederation of the United States of America was completed, each and every of the Thirteen United States, from New Hampshire to Georgia, having adopted and confirmed, and by their delegates in Congress, ratified the same. . . "

In the meantime, the war had gone on, fought mostly under a gentleman's agreement. During the war, each state had maintained its own sovereignty and freedom, and operated under individual state constitutions. The Articles of Confederation had no power to control commerce or raise money. The Articles did have the authority to make requisitions on the states, and the privilege of recommending to the several states the payment thereof, but could only stand by and hope the states would respond adequately. The recommendations were tardily complied with, or at times, ignored.

The war was fought, and finally won, not because of the Confederation, but in spite of it. "No war was ever won through enthusiasm alone, and as this died down and the realization of the burden increased, the reluctance of the States to face necessary conditions increased both the burden and the duration of the contest. In the end the war was won because of the character of the commander-in-chief and because of French aid. Without these it undoubtedly would have failed, and the failure would have been due to the attitude of the State governments, to their unwillingness to forget the selfish claims of the parts in the needs of the whole." (Bloom)

It was soon apparent that these Articles were not a suitable form of government for a new nation. Only two years after the Treaty of Peace had been signed in Paris, some European nations fully expected the United States to disintegrate. The Congress lacked powers to enforce its orders, which were often ignored by the States. Its inability to regulate commerce had resulted in State tariffs so prohibitive that the commerce of some States was close to ruin. When Virginia and Maryland had successfully settled their dispute over navigation and commerce on Chesapeake Bay, the Virginia Legislature proposed a convention to consider commercial regulations among all the States. A meeting of State commissioners at Annapolis in September, 1786, resulted. Only five States were represented although nine had named Commissioners to attend. But those present unanimously suggested that a meeting be held in Philadelphia on the second Monday in May (1787) "to devise such further provisions as shall appear to them necessary to render the constitution of the Federal Government adequate to the exigencies of the Union; and to report such an Act for that purpose to the United States in Congress Assembled, as when agreed to by them, and afterward confirmed by the Legislatures of every State, will effectually provide for the same..." (Formation of the Union)

Congress received the report coldly and took no action.

Virginia acted favorably, and asked the agreement of other States. Their action, and the influence of Hamilton and Madison, changed Congressional sentiment, and on February 21, 1787, it adopted a resolution (making no mention of the Annapolis Convention). This resolution called for a Convention of Delegates in Philadelphia "for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation and reporting to Congress and the several legislatures such alterations and provisions therein as shall when agreed to in Congress and confirmed by the States render the federal Constitution adequate to the exigencies of Government and the preservation of the Union."

That Convention, meeting in Philadelphia from May 14 to September 17, 1787, brought forth our present Constitution of the United States of America.

During the more than twelve years of its existence, the Second Continental Congress had carried on a war, declared its independence from Great Britain, was recognised by foreign powers, signed a peace treaty with Great Britain, and set up a new government among the nations of the world. All thirteen colonies were represented by more than 350 delegates at the several sessions of the body. Of this number, 61 have been identified as Masons, one or more from each of the thirteen colonies.

Forty eight members signed the Articles as adopted by the Congress. Of this number, nine have been identified as Masons: Thomas Adams, Virginia; Daniel Carroll, Maryland; John Dickinson, Delaware; William Ellery, Rhode Island; John Hancock, Massachusetts; Cornelius Harnett, North Carolina; Henry Laurens, South Carolina; and Daniel Roberdeau and Jonathan Bayard Smith, of Pennsylvania.

All of the Masons who served in the Second Continental Congress, including the signers of the Articles of Confederation, are:

Connecticut: Pierrepont Edwards, Oliver Ellsworth

Delaware: Gunning Bedford, Jr., John Dickinson

Georgia: John Habersham, John Houstoun. William Houstoun, Noble

Wymberly Jones, William Pierce, George Walton

Maryland: Daniell Carroll, James McHenry

Massachusetts: John Hancock, Rufus King, Robert Treat Paine

New Hampshire: Nicholas Gilman, Woodbury Langdon, Samuel Livermore, Pierse Long, John Sullivan

New Jersey: Jonathan Dayton, Richard Stockton

New York: Leonard Gansevoort, John Lansing, Jr., John Laurance, Robert R. Livingston, Zephaniah Platt, Peter W. Yates

North Carolina: Timothy Bloodworth, Robert Burton, Richard Caswell, Cornelius Harnett, Benjamin Hawkins, Joseph Hewes, William Hooper, Samuel Johnston, Allen Jones

Pennsylvania: Edward Biddle, Benjamin Franklin, Edward Hand, Charles Humphreys, Fredrick A.C. Muhlenberg, Daniel Roberdeau, Arthur St. Clair, Jonathan Bayard Smith

Rhode Island: Jonathan Arnold, William Ellery, James M. Varnum

South Carolina: Henry Laurens

Virginia: Thomas Adams, Theodorick Bland, John Brown, John Dawson, William Fleming, Samuel Hardy, James Mercer, James Monroe, Mann Page, Edmund Randolph, Peyton Randolph, George Washington

REFERENCES

Journals of Congress

The Story of the Constitution, Sol Bloom, Washington, D.D. 1937

The Formation of the Union. National Archives, Washington, D.C. 1956

Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution, Bensing J. Lossing, New York 1859

Valley Forge Yesterday and Today, Ronald E. Heaton, Norristown, Pa. 1968

Masonic Membership of the Founding Fathers, Ronald E. Heaton The Masonic Service Association, Silver Spring, Maryland 1974

The New Nation, A History of the United States During the Confederation, 1781-89 (1950) Merrill Jensen

A CONTINENTAL STEW

When the question of agreement to the proposition of composing a Congress from the several British colonies came up for discussion in a Carolina assembly an opposing view was expressed in the following facetious statement-

"What sort of a dish will you make? New England will throw in fish and onions; the Middle Colonies flax and seed and flour; Maryland Virginia will add tobacco; North Carolina pitch, tar and turpentine; South Carolina rice and indigo; and Georgia will sprinkle the whole composition with saw-dust. Such an absurd jumble will result if you attempt to form a union among such discordant materials as the thirteen British colonies.''

A shrewd country member replied "I would not choose the gentleman who made the objection for my cook, but, nevertheless I would venture to assert that if the colonies proceed judiciously in the appointment of deputies to a Continental Congress, THEY would prepare a dish fit to be presented to any crowned head in Europe!"

(Adapted from my Lossing, page 747 in Volume 11)

J R Case

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Roger Sherman - The Signer

Article No. LII

by James R. Case, FPS

One, and only one of the members of the Continental Congress, had the distinction of signing all four of the great state papers, the Articles of Confederation, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States.

Roger Sherman (1721-1793) a delegate from Connecticut, was for decades a member of the deliberative and legislative assemblies of colony, state, federation and republic. His advice was highly valued, his judgement equitable, his manner somewhat reserved, a fine representative of the "Land of Steady Habits."

Born in Newton, Massachusetts, as an apprentice shoemaker, the books he read at the cobblers bench supplemented a scanty schooling. In 1743 he joined an older brother who was a merchant in New Milford, Connecticut and by his native ability studied and qualified himself as a land surveyor. For several years he published an almanac, meanwhile reading law, and was admitted to the bar in 1754. For two years he was a judge of the county court.

Removing to New Haven in 1761, continued in business and his legal career. He was appointed Treasurer of Yale College, which later bestowed upon him the honorary degree of Master of Arts, a well deserved recognition for one not a graduate of the institution.

Sent to the first Continental Congress in 1774, he continued in legislative service until his death as a Senator from Connecticut. He was a strong advocate of independence of the colonies and union of the states. He became the first mayor of New Haven in 1784 when it was established as the first city in Connecticut. He was a self made man and one of the most highly respected Americans of his day and generation.

Some well meaning writers have stated that he was a Freemason, on the strength of an apron "worn by him", at one time on display in the Memorabilia Room at Yale. No one knows how the connection was first established or where the apron can be seen today. The relic was presented to Yale by the grandson of a sister of Sherman's second wife, who himself had married a Daggett. There is no word or gesture, or evidence of any kind from Roger Sherman himself to support the supposition that he was a Freemason.

But two of his sons were members of the fraternity. The oldest son William (1750-1802) was a Lieutenant and Paymaster in the Continental Army. He was initiated in American Union Lodge at Redding in 1779 and signed the bylaws. Another son Isaac (1753-1819) was a Lieutenant Colonel commanding Light Infantry units at Trenton, Stony Point and Yorktown among his many engagements. He was initiated in Hiram Lodge at New Haven in 1777, later affiliating with American Union. After the war he became a surveyor of western lands but died in New York city - unmarried.

Among the members of Hiram Lodge over the years, were nearly a dozen Daggetts, any one of whom could more logically be connected with the "Yale" apron than Roger Sherman, who was simply not the type to join the Masonic lodge of his day. In fact, one David Daggett was Grand Junior Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Connecticut in 1796 and elected Deputy Grand Master in 1798. The reputedly ornate Yale apron may very well have been his.

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Al Cerza Reviews Books of Interest to Masons

In 1931 there was published Early Freemasonry in Pennsylvania, by H.S. Borneman which contained a short history plus an appendix with a facsimile of the Carmick Manuscript of 1727, being one of the Old Charges together with a transcription of the manuscript in modern English. This book has been reprinted by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

Available at $4.00 for the soft cover edition and at $8.00 for the hard cover edition from the Grand Secretary, 1 North Broad St ., Philadelphia, Pa. 17022.

There has been published in Nebraska a large informational soft cover book which was partly financed with advertisements. It would be a good thing to consider and to see if you are planning a public relations project.

Available at $6.00 a copy from the Nebraska DeMolay Foundation, Inc. 11811 Westwood Lane, Omaha, Neb. 68144.

Emergence of the Mystical, by Grand Commander Henry C. Clausen, 33d, of the Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction, is the result of a thought which occurred to him as he presented a paper at an international Conference held in Paris, France. Beautifully illustrated, printed, and cloth bound this book presents the view that in recent years there is becoming a blending of the scientific and the mystical which in the years ahead will make this a better world in which to live. Taking items from history and pointing to the thoughts and achievements of many great men of science, literature, the business world, and other diverse activities the book demonstrated the oneness of all intellectual and spiritual development. In a sense, this book brings up-to-date the thinking of Albert Pike as expressed in his monumental Morals and Dogma.

Available at $5.00 a copy from the Supreme Council, 33d, 1733 Sixteenth St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009.

Many years ago there was published in England The Meaning of Masonry, by W. L. Wilmshurst. There has been reprinted a facsimile of the 1927 edition since the book has been out-of-print for many years and it enjoyed a degree of popularity when first published. It will please those of our members who associate occult, mystic, and Egyptian elements with the Craft and those who believe that Freemasonry has elements that have come down to us from the Ancient Mysteries. This new edition has an introduction written by Allan Boudreau, MPS, Librarian of the New York Grand Lodge Library.

Available at $3.98 a copy from the Outlet Book Co., One Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016.

The Little Masonic Library was first published in 1924, being a collection of interesting papers collected from various sources by the late Carl H. Claudy. One of the volumes contained a paper on Freemasonry and Mormonism, written by Samuel H. Goodwin, a Past Grand Master and for many years Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Utah. This item appeared in each edition of the Little Masonic Library until 1977, when it was substituted with a paper written by Dr. Mervin B. Hogan, MPS, who is a Mason and a Mormon, presenting a different viewpoint on the subject. Members who have editions of the Little Masonic Library issued before 1977 will be interested in knowing that the paper written by Brother Hogan has been published in facsimile in a separate cloth bound volume entitled Mormonism and Freemasonry: The Illinois Episode.

Available at $6.75 a copy from Third Century Graphics, 756 S. Main St., Salt Lake City, Utah 84101.

There has been published a comprehensive Index of the contents of the 1980 issues of the New Age Magazine, prepared by Brother Aemil Poulder, MPS, Managing Editor of the magazine, and a member of the Society of Indexers, of London, England. This index is an excellent model of indexing science and a good tool to locate material in the magazine.

Available at $2.00 a copy, from the Supreme Council, 33d, 1733 Sixteenth St., N. W., Washington, D.C. 20009.

Observing its Bicentennial anniversary the Grand Lodge of New York has published a one volume history of Freemasonry in the state. It covers the years 1781-1981.

Available at $9.50 a copy, with check payable to "Lodge Sales", and order sent to Lodge Sales Room, Masonic Hall, 71 W. 23rd St., New York, N.Y. 10010.

The Grand Lodge of Alberta, Canada celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary in 1980 and published a history of the Craft in the area covering the period from 1905 to 1980, written by Dr. W. J. Collett, a Past Grand Master of Alberta.

Available at ten dollars plus postage per copy, from the Grand Lodge of Alberta, 330-12th Ave., S. W., Calgary, Canada T2R OH2.

Lodge histories are important books and are of great interest to the members of the lodge and others in the community where the lodge works. Occasionally an outstanding lodge history is published which merits special attention. Such a history has been published commemorating the 200th anniversary of Bristol Lodge No. 25, of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1780 the lodge's ups and downs over the years are presented in a clear style, the material is well organized, and was ably researched over a period of ten years.

Available at $13.50 a copy from the lodge, 26 Middle Road, Levittown. Pa. 19056.

Brother Cyril E. Brubaker, MPS. has published volume 2 of his series of booklets entitled Such as Life. Like its predecessor it is a collection arranged in alphabetical order.

Available at $2.50 a copy, from the author, 36 2nd St., Orange, Mass 07364

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The Lodge As Primary Community

A Vindication

by S. Brent Morris, FPS

Evil to him who evil thinks.

Motto of the Order of the Garter

When I first began reading Lewis J. Birt's reply to John Mauk Hilliard's brilliant article, The Lodge as Primary Community, I was moved in two ways. First I thought, "What contemptible vilification this is." My second thought was, "How sad that one Brother should have such caustic venom for another." As I waded through the morass of rambling diatribe, quotes out of context, personal political bigotry, and ad hominem attacks I became convinced that Brother Hilliard's gentle masterpiece had been cast as a pearl before some of his readers. My efforts here do not even attempt to reach those who would malign Brother Hilliard, as they are the deaf that will not hear. Rather I wish to reinforce his thesis, support his conclusions, and clarify some of the confusion possibly caused by the calumny directed toward him.

Freemasonry has never been a stagnant organization; it has changed and adapted over the years as its membership has changed. The Craft has faced different problems, goals and decisions in 1900, 1930, 1950, and 1980. To think differently is to be intellectually dishonest or a fool. The Lodge as Primary Community begins with a delightful description of a problem facing many Lodges in 1980, that of the "missing generation." The portrayal is overstated for effect, but nonetheless accurate. With little effort we can find Lodges that have been maintained through the past few difficult years by their faithful, older craftsmen, and that now have officers and members 30 years younger than the stalwarts. This presents a curious discontinuity in the age distribution, and creates a potential for conflicts in purpose and style. With care, these energies can be channeled into productive work and exciting reinvigoration, but we must face these changes in our membership and thoughtfully choose a course of action.

Of the changes that a man faces, none is so certain as aging. Some men, as they age, learn from their errors, restrain their passions and increase their tolerance. They are cool, refreshing fountains of wisdom and sources of stability, tradition, and inspiration. Others simply get old, their interests and ideas wither, and they become embittered. The same process that produces fine mellow wine can make vinegar. Brother Hilliard indirectly observes that in some Lodges age alone is a sufficient qualification for respect and leadership, and youth an almost insurmountable barrier.

I cannot read his paragraphs on ritual without a sense of admiration. In a few sentences Brother Hilliard demonstrates a transcendent appreciation of our ritual as the sine qua non of our ancient, honorable fraternity, and yet at the same time he is acutely aware of the failings of its current usage. It is foolhardy to deny that the ideal Master is a superb ritualist, an able administrator, a dynamic leader, and a compassionate councelor. However, it is no less than tragic to make ritual the be-all and end-all of the East, to the exclusion of every other quality. This short-sightedness (seen in far too many Jurisdictions) rewards hollow parroting and forces the non-ritualist to seek recognition away from what should be his primary community: the Symbolic Lodge.

As the Secretary of his Lodge and one of its most dynamic Masters, John knows all too well the administrative and procedural problems that can face a Lodge. However, entrenched Past Masters and Secretaries who have expanded their spheres to include nearly all the affairs of the Lodge are burdens that need not be borne. Influence of this sort is not gained overnight, but comes from slow encroachment. The skill, wisdom, and experiences of Past Masters are invaluable resources of a Lodge. Yet Past Masters should not be the sole initiators and final arbitrators of Lodge actions, as this weakens the spirit and saps the strength of the Craft. An ideal Secretary is competent to handle any of the administrative affairs of a Lodge, but also knows not to undertake them as his prerogatives (even if preceeding masters have abdicated these duties). Balance produces harmony, and this is the ideal position of influence for Past Masters and Secretaries: a balance of experience, knowledge, and discretion, ready when needed.

The central theme of Brother Hilliard's article is that the Lodge should and must be the primary community of Freemasons. His concern cannot be overstated. We have appended a dizzying number of ways for the Master Mason to involve himself in our Craft. At once a source of strength and a grave weakness, this perplexing problem of divided efforts - whether in the Grand Lodge or in the Rites or in whatever other greener pastures - must be squarely faced. We must consider how to rechannel our energies back to the most basic and fundamental unit of Masonic endeavor: the Lodge of Master Masons.

John notes with understated alarm the aborted attempt of the Shrine to permit a Noble who loses his membership in a prerequisite body (for other than non-payment of dues) to retain his Shrine membership an to have a Shrine trail. In the past the Shrine has unsuccessfully tried to drop all prerequisites for membership, except that of being a Master Mason. That action, though potentially disasterous for the Rites, would have been well within the bounds of their private, internal affairs. On the other hand, their recent action constitutes an attempt to remove themselves from the category of subordinate or appendant Masonic body to a yet to be created category of coequal Masonic body.

No one should seriously think that Masonic jurisprudence is perfect. Our laws are written and administered by men, and thus subject to all of the frailities of men; however, we have a system, it offers due process, and, for all of its failings, it has endured. The Shrine's attempt to add another appellate level to our judicial system was arrogant disdain for the justice to be found in Consistories, Commanderies, Chapters and, ultimately, within the Grand Lodge itself. To argue otherwise is callow sophistery; to applaud such actions is dangerously misguided.

American Freemasonry offers its members almost limitless dimensions of membership. This rich diversity of organisations and opportunities for service has served us well in the past, especially when our numbers seemed destined to grow without bound. Now, though, during a period of generally declining numbers, when lodge membership of some sort is not the social norm for American men, our diversification may be a weakness. We should critically examine any activity - Grand Lodge or other - that in any way diverts energies from what must be our primary community: the Lodge. Brother Hilliard has addressed these matters in his poetic and insightful article, and his receipt of the Philalethes Certificate of Literature for this work is testimony to its quality. It will, I hope, become recognized as a major expression of what Masonry faces during the decade of the 80's, and as a splendid collection of the thoughts of one of our great strategists.

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On Publishing Masonic Books

by Alphonse Cerza, FPS

For many years inflation has been having its effects on the price of books. Soft cover books for some time have cost what hard cover books cost. We have been hearing in recent months that book publishers have reduced their staff of employees and decided to issue less books in the year 1981. Already many persons who normally were buying books are returning to the old habit of borrowing books from libraries and reading them rather than buying them.

Unfortunately, this practice is difficult to adopt in the case of Masonic books.

With the small market for Masonic books it will not be too long before the price of publishing books relating to the Craft may become prohibitive. Few persons will want to take the risk of publishing a Masonic book and not being able to recover the actual cost of producing them. After giving this serious situation some thought it occurred to me that we may have to return to the old-fashioned way of having books published.

Many years ago when a person had a manuscript for a book to be published there were two common ways of having them published. One was to find a rich sponsor who paid to have it printed and his reward was to have the book dedicated to him. Another method was to announce to friends and advertising in the newspaper that the manuscript was ready describing its contents and soliciting subscribers. When enough subscribers were secured the book was published and each subscriber received a copy.

The extra copies were sold to the public either by the printer, the author, or in book stores. Using this method the author and the printer were assured that the venture would at least break even.

This method is one that we ought to keep in mind if things continue getting worse in this area and thus avoid having the world of Masonic literature dry up completely.

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Resume

The 1981 Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America

For what it’s Worth

The Conference of Grand Masters of Masons of North America met at the Sheraton Twin Towers in Orlando, Florida on February 15-18, 1981. The Theme of the Conference was "Freemasonry’s Responsibility to Society" as suggested by Bro. J.B. McGuirt, G.M. of S.C. The Grand Masters on the 1981 Conference Committee are as follows:

Ray Pearson - Chairman - Tennessee

Edward A. Clarke - British Columbia

Lynn P. Blitch - Florida

Robert H. Osborne - Michigan

E. Stansil Aldridge – North Carolina

Wilson B. Haney - Oklahoma

J.B. McGuirt – South Carolina

Russell R. Selbo - Wisconsin

WilliamB. Stansbury, Jr. - PGM Maryland

The 1981 Conference Chairman was Charles T. Jackson, G.M. of Iowa and the Vice Chairman was Welland S. Horn G.M. of Vermont. The Chaplain was E. Stansil Aldridge, G.M. of North Carolina; the Welcome was given by Lynn P. Blirion , G.M. of Florida and the Response by John F. Erwin, G.M. of Oregon.

A fine Keynote Address was given by Robert H. Miller, G.M. of Indiana. William B. Scansbury, Jr. P.G.M. of Maryland was re-elected Secretary of the Conference.

The following papers were presented: Physical Qualifications for Membership by Dr. Bruce R. Widger, G.M. of New York

Statewide Concurrent Jurisdiction by Dr. J. Edward Blinn, G.M. of Missouri

Grand Representatives by John C. Schleter, G.M. of District of Columbia

Report of Commission on Information for Recognition by Eric W. Nancekiveil. P.G.M. of Canada – Province of Ontario.

Four topics were covered by Discussion Groups as follows:

The New Mason – Paper by Wilson B. Haney, G.M. of Oklahoma. Leader-Reporter, David B. Craig, Jr., G.M. of Delaware.

Leadership – Paper by LeRoy S. Axland, G.M. as Utah, Leader – Reporter, Jack D. Rennerg, G.M. of Montana.

Publicity and Public Relations – Paper by H. Duncan Lemons, G.M. of California, Leader – Reporter, Harold W. Harris, G.M. of Manitoba

Dual Membership – Paper by Samuel K. Dickinson, Jr., G.M. of Minnesota, Leader Reporter, F. Warren Starns, G.M. of Kansas.

The Host State furnished the entertainment, orchestra and an excellent speaker in the person of Bro. Mark C. Hollis, Past Grand Orator of Florida. About 850 were in attendance. During the week the Grand Masters and others in attendance were luncheon guests of Bro. Henry C. Clausen, P.G.M. of California and Sov. G.C., A.&A.S.R. Southern Jurisdiction and at the Frank Land-Demolay Breakfast as guests of Bro. F.T. H’Doubler, Jr., Imperial Potentate Shrine of North America who presented an exceptionally good Masonic film for use by all of the Grand Lodges.

As was previously decided the time and place of the 1982 Conference will be in Washington, D.C. and will be focused on the Celebration of the 250^th Birthday of George Washington. The time for 1982 will be February 21-24, 1982.

Nearly 460 rooms were occupied in Orlando and the Conference as a whole appeared to have been a success. We look forward to 1982.

William B. Stansbury, Jr.

Executive Secretary-Treasurer of Conference of Grand Masters of North America.

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Philalethes Society Committees for 1981

Fellows - Allen E. Roberts, Chairman; 110 N. Quince Ave., Highland Springs, Va. 23075.

James R. Case, Wells Apt. 302; 55 Masonic Ave., Wallingford, Conn. 06492.

G. Wilbur Bell, R.R. 2, Chandlerville, 111. 62627.

Robert V. Osborne, 3624 Gifford Rd., Franksville, Wis. 53126.

Charles K. A . McGaughney, P. O . Box 5320, Lexington, Ky. 40505.

Certificate of Literature - Estel W. Brooks, Chairman; 4755 N. 54th Ave., Phoenix, Ariz. 85031.

Carl W. Hopp, 4196 N. E. Alemeda, Portland, Ore. 97212.

Alex Horne, 100 Font Ave., San Francisco, Calif. 94132.

Dr. George H.T. French, 3515 Rychlik, Rosenberg, Texas 77471.

Dr. Charles R. Glassmire, 50 Applegate Lane, Falmouth Foreside, Me. 04105.

International Activities - Stewart M.L. Pollard, Chairman; 8120 Fenton St., Silver Spring, Md. 20910.

Wendell K. Walker, 71W. 23rd St., New York, N.Y. 10010.

Membership - Allan D. Parsons, Chairman; 1402 W. Euclid, Arlington Heights, Ill. 60005.

Harold P. Bull, 519 Country Lane, Glenview, Ill. 60025.

Finance - Robert L. Dillard, Jr., Chairman; P.O. Box 1850, Dallas, Texas 75221.

Edward R. Schmidt, 201 Early Ave., Sandston, Va. 23150.

Dr. Owen L. Shanteau, P.O. Box 628, Logansport, Ind. 46947.

Audit - Vernon E. Quay, Chairman; 118 Hunt Club Lane, Newtown Square, Pa. 19073.

Robert M. Bair, 364 Lincoln Ave., Downingtown, Pa. 19335.

Dr. Frank M. Stever, 1109 W. Main St., Norristown, Pa. 19401.

Nominating - Bruce H. Hunt, Chairman; P.O. Box 188, Kirksville, Mo. 63501.

Alphonse Cerza, 137 Millbridge Rd. Riverside, III. 60546.

Henry Emmerson, 148 Elm St., Cresskill, N.J. 07626.

Election Tabulation - William J. Netherton, Chairman; 735 Fairhill Dr., Louisville, Ky. 40207.

Morrison L. Cooke, 2538 Saratoga Dr., Louisville, Ky. 40205.

De Moville P. Jones, 2541 Ridgewood Ave., Louisville, Ky. 40217.