Contents
The President’s Corner
Alumni Association Formed
for DeMolay
Lafayette's Burial Place
Freemasonry in Virginia
DeMolay Exhibit
Dedication Attracts 800
National Sojourners
Letter to the Editor
Why St Alban
The Difference is People
Masonic Biography Volumes
Masonic Rug
Books of Interest to Masons
Jerry Marsengill, FPS Editor
2714 Park Place
Des Moines, IA 50312 (515) 244-2540
Alphonse Cerza, FPS, Life, Assoc. Editor
237 Millbridge Road
Riverside, IL 60546
John Black Vrooman, FPS, Life
P.O. Box 402 Editor Emeritus
St. Louis, MO 63166
OFFICERS
Allen E. Roberts, FPS, President
Drawer 70, 1-A South Holly Ave
Highland Springs, VA 23075 (804) 737-4498
John R. Nocas, FPS, 1st Vice President
P O. Box 2366
Inglewood, CA 90305 (213) 678-2594
Jerry Marsengill, FPS, 2nd Vice President
2714 Park Place
Des Moines, IA 50312 (515) 244-2540
S. Brent Morris FPS Executive Secretary
5088 Lake Circle West
Columbia, MD 21044 (301) 992-9431
John Mauk Hilliard, FPS Treasurer
30 - 70 48th St. Apt. 3-G
Astoria, New York 11103 (212) 274-5295
LIVING PAST PRESIDENTS
Philalethes Society
Lee E. Wells
Alphonse Cerza, FPS (Life)
Judge Robert H. Gollmar, FPS
William R. Denslow, FPS
Robert V. Osborne, FPS
Eugene S Hopp, FPS
Dwight L Smith, FPS
Robert L Dillard Jr., FPS
Bruce H. Hunt, FPS
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY EMERITUS
Carl R. Griesen, FPS
TREASURER EMERITUS
Ronald E. Heaton, FPS
CONTENTS
The President's Corner
Alumni Association Formed for DeMolay
Chapters of the Philalethes Society
Lafayette's Burial Place…... The Flag That Never Came Down
Freemasonry in Virginia - Planning a Sesquibicentennial Celebration
DeMolay Exhibit Dedication Attracts 800 visitors to George Washington Memorial National Sojourners... Who Are They?
Why St. Alban?
The Difference is People Setting Up An Organization
Masonic Biography Volumes Masonic Rug
Al Cerza Reviews Books of Interest to Masons
Through Masonic Windows
On the Cover
The cover artwork is from the Macoy Masonic Print Collection, courtesy of the Macoy Masonic Supply Co., Inc. The print collection consists of 26 different pictures on 16 permalife sheets and is available for $25.00 plus $3.50 postage. A copy of this cover alone (without overprinting) is available for $5.50 including postage. Send your orders to P.O. Box 9759, Richmond, VA 23228.
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by Allen E. Roberts FPS
We listen. We asked for feedback. We got some - not much - but some. As a result you've found a new look in this edition of our magazine.
You asked us to print the telephone numbers of the national officers of the Society. They've been printed. You also asked for a list of the Chapters, their location, and who could be contacted. You will find them, also.
You still note we're making some strides with the formation of our Chapters. Most of those formed earlier are on the serge of receiving Charters. But it's ever more encouraging to find there will be some completely new Chapters shortly. We need them. And I firmly believe Freemasonry in general needs them.
We have endeavored to make it easy to form new Chapters of The Philalethes Society. You will note the June 1984 edition of The Philalethes tells you what is required. The information will be found in Article X. Chapters. Briefly: Five Master Masons, one of whom must be a Member or Fellow of The Philalethes Society, must sign a simple request for a dispensation to form a Chapter. This request must be submitted to the Executive Secretary (or President) with the sum of $10. Non-members of the Society must submit applications for membership. That's all that's necessary to receive a dispensation from the President.
To obtain a Charter, a copy of the Chapter's bylaws, a transaction of its meetings, the names of its officers and members, and a check for $50 must be sent to the Executive Secretary by January 1. If all is in order a Charter will then be prepared and presented at the annual meeting in February.
No Chapter may be named after a living person, nor may it be named after a City.
Jerry Harmon, MPS, Chairman of our Public and Internal Relations Commission, and John Nocas, FPS, Chairman of our Commission on Chapters, have plans for making our Chapters an important part of Freemasonry. In a short time the Chapters will be receiving important information from them.
Chapters aren't bound by the rules and regulations that govern Research Lodges. They may meet formally or informally, in Masonic temples or restaurants, or even in homes. No ritual is involved, just fellowship and the sharing of Masonic research. They may meet for lunch, dinner, or at midnight, weekly, monthly, or quarterly. The choice is up to the members of the Chapter. But it must be remembered that all Master Masons come under the control of the Grand Master and/or Grand Lodge of the jurisdiction in which they reside.
I would like to see 100 Chartered Chapters scattered throughout every state and Canadian Province by February, 1986. Think of the impact this would have on our Craft in North America!
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Chapters of The Philalethes Society
CHARTERED
VIRGINIA
Oakley T. Hayden, Sec.
9304 University Blvd.
Richmond, VA 23229
WM. M. TAYLOR
R.A. Ford, Pres.
4802 De Milo Dr.
Houston, TX 77092
'WESTERN RESERVE
William F. Koeckert
14413 S. Woodland Rd.
Shaker Heights, OH 44120
CHESTER COUNTY
Robert M. Blairy Sec. 215/269-7097
364 Lincoln Ave.
Downingtown, PA 19335
SOUTHWEST
John E. Jack Kelly, Pres. 512/735-8320
822 Crestview Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78228
TENNESSEE VALLEY
Thomas Craig, Sec. 205/539-3379
1000 Lexington St., SE
Huntsville, AL 35801
NOT CHARTERED
VALLEY FORGE
Wm. J. MacCauley
134 91st St.
Sea Isle city, NJ 08243
KENTUCKY
Charles S. Guthrie, FPS, Pres.
1660 Normal Dr.
Bowling Green, KY 42101
CHICAGO
Not Active
INDIANA
Paul E. Rudbeck
21275 Cleveland Rd.
South Bend, IN 46628
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Alumni Association Formed for DeMolay
At the recently completed International Supreme Council Session in Sarasota, Florida, the Council unanimously supported a resolution for the development of an Alumni Association to celebrate the 65th Anniversary of the founding of the Order of DeMolay.
The DeMolay Alumni Association will operate in many aspects, like a college or fraternity Alumni Association banning together those illustrious sons, who previously were Active members of the Order of DeMolay. This would be in an effort to provide them information, and to generate their support for the on going development of young men through the Order of DeMolay.
The Order of DeMolay hopes to be able to identify and locate millions of Senior DeMolays to make up this association. which will be headed by an Honorary Chairman who will be one of DeMolays Illustrious sons, and is a highly recognizable personality in the United States.
If you are a Senior DeMolay, and desire to be contacted about the Alumni Association when the entire package and program is finalised, please send your name, address, city, state, zip code, home DeMolay chapter, and approximate years of initiation to the International Supreme Council of the Order of DeMolay, 1805 Grand Avenue Suite 400, Kansas City, Missouri, 64108.
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Lafayette's Burial Place .. The Flag That Never Came Down
by Thomas Rigas, MPS
The American flag has flown over the tomb of Bro. and Marquis de Lafayette every day for about 150 years.
During the Nazi occupation of France in World War II, it was the only American Flag to wave in occupied Europe.
The body of Bro. Lafayette is buried in soil that was brought from the United States of America, and rests in a tiny cemetery at Rue de Picpus 25 in Paris, France. Behind that snug little cemetery and "the flag that never came down," there is an incredible story of a woman, Lafayette's wife, Adrienne, who lovingly built the cemetery in 1800.
The tiny cemetery can veritably be described as one of the world's most unusual burial grounds. Inside the small enclosure are the graves of the 1,306 beheaded victims of the French revolution, and also that of the immortal, idealistic French poet. Andre Chenier, about whom Umberto Giordano wrote a masterpiece opera that is still done today in Europe. For more than 180 years, two or more white-robed nuns have recited prayers in the cemetery convent, which was designed by Mme. Lafayette, 24 hours around the clock, in honor of the victims of the Reign of Terror in 1794.
General Lafayette died in 1834, and at the time the state of Virginia shipped to France the earth in which he was to be buried - so that Bro. Lafayette might lie eternally under American soil.
On July 4th every year, direct descendants of Bro. Lafayette - who have had honorary American citizenship conferred on them by the U.S. Congress - proceed for official ceremonies to Lafayette's grave, for which the U.S ambassador and his staff are in attendance. The spokesman for the great French general who fought in the Revolutionary War for American Independence is Count Rene de Chambrun, the great-great great-great grandson of Bro. Lafayette
Count Chambrun has been working with a cache of Lafayette's papers in recent years. These were found hidden in the attic of his 15th-Century castle home at La Grange for nearly 100 years. So far, what comes through strongly in the Lafayette papers is his remarkable wife, who died in 1807 and is buried alongside her husband. Here is a story that has yet been told...
As the daughter of the Duke d' AyenNoaille, Adrienne was a woman of nobility and at the high point of the Reign of Terror, she saw her mother, grandmother, and one of her sisters taken to the guillotine. Though she was scheduled to be the next victim, she was saved in the nick of time by the American minister in Paris and coincidentally, by the fall of Robespierre.
On the day she was freed from the French prison, after languishing three years in a cell, she took her two little daughters to join her husband, locked up in an Austrian dungeon. Although Bro. Lafayette had been a major general in Bro. George Washington's army and had served gallantly on many a battlefield [on one of which, Yorktown, he had played a key role], he had been imprisoned by the Austrian emperor when captured by Austria's troops, which were part of a counter-revolutionary Allied army.
With great difficulty, Adrienne managed an audience with the emperor, and although he flatly refused to liberate Bro. Lafayette, he gave Adrienne permission to join her husband in his prison cell in Olmutz. Cooped up for two long years, the Lafayettes shared a miserable life of hardship in the bare dungeon, which had neither a toilet or water. The Lafayettes were released after Napoleon's victories over the Austrians.
Once back in Paris, Adrienne sought to find the hidden pit where the bodies of her family and the other guillotine victims had been buried. After she located the huge common grave, she conceived the idea of creating a memorial cemetery around the burial hole. Having built a new chapel on the site, she arranged for the walls that now enclose the Picpus Cemetery - which today may be visited by applying to the caretaker.
Adrienne died on Christmas Eve, 1807, after a remarkable self-sacrifice and devotion to her husband and family. Moments before she died, she whispered her last words to Bro. Lafayette - Je suis toute a vous!" ["I am completely yours!"] From that day on, until he died 27 years later. Bro. Lafayette wore her locket, on which he had inscribed those five words. The locket is buried with him.
The sisters of the Order of the Sacred Heart and Perpetual Adoration, who occupy the convent that Adrienne built, and who have agreed to recite the prayers around the clock, eternally, offer the same prayer, one that Adrienne reportedly wrote on her deathbed. Today, when you visit the chapel, which is a few feet away from the Lafayette grave, you will see at least two nuns kneeling in prayer, reciting the following:
"Bestow upon them, O Lord, eternal tranquillity And grant Your forgiveness unto all those who did not know how to forgive.
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DeMolay International Moves To Its Grand New Home
The International Supreme Council of the Order of DeMolay, will move its International headquarters offices to a "Grand" new home. Relocating at 1805 Grand Avenue, Suite 400, Kansas city, Missouri, 64108, after 25 years in the four story building on Armour Boulevard.
With the move, all DeMolay International operations will relocate at the new address.
The Jewelry and Supply division of DeMolay International will be offering an "800" number for the purpose of taking orders only. To reach the DeMolay Jewelry and Supply division order desk, dial 1-800-DEMOLAY (1-800-336-6529).
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Planning a Sesquibicentennial Celebration
by Patrick W. Carlton, Ph.D., MPS
In 1982. Norfolk Lodge No. 1, A.F. & A.M., Virginia's oldest lodge, celebrated its 250th Anniversary. In commemoration of this historic event? the Worshipful Masters Jordan S. Levitin, developed and successfully implemented a series of special programs which may be unprecedented in quality and creativity. In the hope that future Masters can Profit by the example set by this talented Freemason. Dr. Patrick W. Carlton, M.P.S., a professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, interviewed Wor. Bro. Levitin.
The interview began with Bro. Levitin freely admitting he had no idea, upon becoming Junior Deacon in December, 1977, that 1989 would mark the Sesquibicentennial Year of Norfolk Lodge No. 1. Here the interview begins.
Carlton: What were your reactions when you learned that you would probably be the Master during such a historic year,
Levitin: To put it mildly, I was first dumbfounded Then I realised that a great opportunity was presented if we had the courage to grasp it. I was aware that I might place myself in the position of the youth who grasped a hungry wolf by the ears and was not quite certain how to let go. I was concerned that a worthwhile and appropriate program could easily consume large amounts of time, talent, and money.
Carlton: What did you do first in preparation for this momentous year?
Levitin: First, I assembled a Planning Committee of bright and talented advisors, which included two community business leaders, an attorney an accountant, and a dental surgeon, four of whom were Past Masters of the lodge and one who was a Past Grand Master of Masons in Virginia.
At our first meeting in January, 1978, we sought the answer to the question, "What should Norfolk Lodge No. 1 be doing in its 250th year?" The Committee's response was immediate, vigorous, and vociferous. Since a 250th Anniversary is a true historical event, it was determined that we should seek to return to the foundation stones of Freemasonry and produce a year of education and self-improvement.
Carlton: Quite an imposing goal! Were you individually capable of accomplishing it?
Levitin: Although l had a substantial ritualistic background. I recognised a gap in my knowledge of the voluminous literature of the Craft. Therefore, I became immersed in Masonic writings, studying the literature, addresses, and reports of prominent Masonic thinkers in an attempt to identify and be knowledgeable of the issues of concern to Freemasons, both past and present. The Committee. by heated and wisely opinionated dialogue, identified the high priority topics which would become the basis of the 1982 lodge program.
Carlton: I assume you then had to develop a structure for presentation of the planned programs.
Levitin: Our first pledge was to create a program so rich and so compelling that Norfolk Lodge No. 1 would be the "in" place to be every Thursday evening in 1982. We were determined that light would prevail for fifty-two weeks. A format was developed whereby the first Thursday of each month would be devoted to a presentation by a speaker of established and outstanding credentials. No business would be transacted. The evening would be devoted strictly to the message of the speaker and the interaction of the brethren by discussion with a distinguished Freemason. The thought was that brilliance necessarily creates light for the audience.
Carlton: Pardon me for interrupting, but whom did you get to fill the roles of distinguished Masonic speakers?
Levitin: Most were Past Grand Masters of various jurisdictions: Most Worshipfuls Stanley Maxwell, Marvin Fowler, Seymour Levy, Jerry Rasor, Roy Stetler, Dwight McAlister, and Dwight Smith. In addition, we had Stewart M.L. Pollard, the Executive Secretary of M.S.A., an outstanding Masonic motivator. We were particularly interested in having our audience meet and talk with some of the present day Masonic roles models.
Carlton: Didn't this create unusually long and tedious meetings?
Levitin: No indeed. We were determined to handle the introduction of visiting dignitaries in an expeditious, yet dignified, manner. A procedure that usually takes forty minutes was reduced to ten minutes, visiting Grand Lodge officers and local dignitaries were not offended. After all, they were present to hear the speaker and not listen to a lot of hand clapping. We quickly got to the purpose of the meeting and allowed for interaction through discussion among speakers, members, and visitors. Following the meeting, the educational process continued in the dining room.
Carlton: With the exception of the caliber of speaker you describe, it sounds like the usual monthly "Speaker at the Stated" program.
Levitin: Not quite! The Committee also formulated the idea of the Third Thursday Program.
Carlton: What was the Third Thursday Program?
Levitin: This was one of the most gratifying parts of the year. Learned and intellectual brethren of Norfolk Lodge were selected to present scholarly papers on topics of Masonic interest. Over a period of three years, research material was gathered and given to the presenters. With additional research, which the speakers conducted on their own, the quality of the papers and the information imparted to the brethren by these erudite "locals" was most enlightening and educational.
Carlton: What subjects did they discuss?
Levitin: Nine papers were presented: "The Antiquity of the Third Degree," "The Masonic Music of Beethoven and Mozart." "The Ancient Landmarks,'' "The Masonry of Benjamin Franklin," "Early Customs and Practices in Norfolk Lodge No. 1," "Religion and Freemasonry," "The Immovable Jewels," "The Masonic Poetry of Kipling and Burns," and "The Letter 'G'."
Carlton: A most impressive array of topics, but wasn't it rather dry and boring?
Levitin: Not at all! As a matter of fact, many members considered the presentation of these scholarly papers to be the highlight of the year. The ingenuity of the speakers was extraordinary, and the discussions following the papers were interesting, intelligent, and most satisfying. Members who previously had no concept of the historical and cultural background of Freemasonry suddenly emerged as inquisitive and knowledgeable students.
Carlton: When did you conduct the necessary business of the lodge?
Levitin: The routine business including balloting, committee reports and communications. was handled on the second Thursday. At times, the intellectual spillover from the first and third Thursdays would seep into the meeting. Degree work was handled on the fourth Thursday, and if there were several candidates in the pipeline, the conferral of degrees was held on other nights of the week. At times, special programs caused an alteration of this format.
Carlton: What do you mean by special programs?
Levitin: In May, we held a Philosophical Masonic Trial of the Three Ruffians on the charge of the murder of Grand Master Hiram Abiff Presiding was a Senior Federal District Court Judge. Both the prosecution and defense teams were headed by a Judge of State Court and consisted of two other outstanding attorneys. The jury consisted of the twelve Masters of the District with the District Deputy as Foreman. Witnesses were presented and examined. Over fifty members were involved directly in the production. The Trial was the original work of two lawyer Past Masters, but the dialogue was spontaneous. The presentation moved well, lasting 1 1/2 hours as planned, and was informative and entertaining. It was humorous to the point of hilarity. Almost six hundred attended from all over the State. One of our members flew in from Florida for the evening.
Carlton: I assume that the Trial was the super special of the year.
Levitin: Perhaps, but on another occasion we received the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Israel, M.W. Jamil Shalhoub, an almost Gandhi-like man, who brought us a message of true brotherhood and a hope for peace throughout the world. Among the crowd of two hundred were the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Maryland and four of his officers, who had travelled through snow and over icy roads to join us.
Carlton: Although your program list is impressive, you have not indicated that any were historical and directly related to your 250th Anniversary.
Levitin: Coincidentally, the City of Norfolk celebrated its 300th birthday in 1982. We drafted a Resolution honoring the city on its Tricentennial and presented it to the city Council. The City responded by adopting a Resolution proclaiming a Norfolk Lodge No. 1, A.F. & A.M. Day. The event was a ceremonial exchange of documents almost like two antiquarians congratulating each other.
Carlton: Your program seemed to be heavily weighted to educational and intellectual presentations. Did you have any social activities?
Levitin: During the summer, we had a picnic for the members and their families - food, drink and activities which gave the members a chance to relax and enjoy pure social intercourse. We engaged a neighbor lodge in a softball game for the "championship of the universe," which was a real laugher. In addition, we served a Mother's Day brunch to the members, their wives, children, and grandchildren, and to the widows of deceased brethren.
Carlton: With such ferocious activity, how did you get out the word as to your program schedule?
Levitin: During the preceding year, I traveled to forty-two lodges within a fifty mile radius beating the drums for the planned program, and distributing copies of the program schedule with the lodge officers. We set up a bulletin board in the hall of the Temple, placed thereon the program schedule for the year and each month placed a resume with a 5 x 7 picture of the speakers, both first and third Thursdays, in an attempt to attract visitors from the other nine lodges and several appendant bodies that meet in the Temple. Finally, we overhauled our monthly publication, The Trestleboard, so as to attract attention and convey our message for the year. After studying publications of numerous Grand Lodges. Craft Lodges, social, fraternal, and civic organizations, we settled on an 8 1/2 x 11, four page format. At each meeting we had a photographer and pictures taken were printed in The Trestleboord as well as photographs of the speakers for the coming month. In the first issue, we included an insert which listed the times, dates, and names of the programs so that a member could put the insert in his pocket and carry it the entire year. The publication was of high quality well-edited, attractive and informative. It was sent to all Masters within a fifty mile radius. It was truly an exciting publication!
Carlton: From the description of your program, it sounds like you were trying to cover the waterfront from social activities to educational enterprises.
Levitin: We did. You see, the theme for the year was gleaned from the writings of Dwight Smith and prominently displayed in each Trestleboard, "Freemasonry: A Social, Cultural, and Intellectual Experience."
Carlton: Wasn't that a bit presumptious?
Levitin: Perhaps, but we believed the theme embodied the important and central values underlying Craft Masonry and embodied the philosophy of Freemasonry since the founding of the Premier Grand Lodge in 1717. Craft Masonry in Virginia is ancient and has been prominent in the development of our cultural and political evolution. We hoped to establish a sense of that historical continuity.
Carlton: In retrospect, are you satisfied with the reception by the membership of the year's program?
Levitin: When you work and plan for four years, and involve scholars and thinkers for whom you have great respect, and generally believe that, you have produced an outstanding set of programs, anything less than an overwhelming response and acceptance is naturally disappointing. You must remember that we are a lodge of 480 members, but there are over 10,000 members of the Craft within a fifty-mile radius. We had expected to be besieged with interested brethren. We were not! Although certain programs drew exceptionally well, we averaged slightly less than 100 at the first Thursday programs and slightly less than 40 at the third Thursday programs.
Carlton: I am amazed How do you account for that?
Levitin: My personal perception, and it is purely personal, is that the general Masonic community is uninformed, even in high places. We are often led by brothers who lack an understanding of the meaning and purposes of the Craft. The historical background and cultural heritage of Freemasonry is often an unknown quantity. We are too involved with the pure perpetuation of the Fraternity by electing and raising candidates. We lose sight of our heritage and the tenets of the Order which have distinguished us through the years. We receive candidates, make them members, and then lose them as participants through tedium, routine and lack of intellectual stimulation, in essence, we leave them on the brow of the hill.
Carlton: It is clear that you have undergone both an exciting and frustrating experience. You have experienced "the joy of victory and the agony of defeat." What lessons can be learned from your year of 1982, and what suggestions would you make to Masters-to-be?
Levitin: My first suggestion to the Master-to-be is to become an informed Freemason. Unfortunately, the recitation of Masonic ritual is the extent of the knowledge of far too many lodge officers.
The Masonic Service Association through its "Short Talk Bulletins" and various publications is an excellent place to start. Membership in the Quatuor Coronati Correspondence circle provides an opportunity for self-enrichment. Among Grand Lodge publications, I found The Indiana Freemason consistently informative. The writings of Roscoe Pound, Dwight Smith, Harry Carr, Joseph Fort Newton, A.S. Macbride, Albert Pike, Carl Claudy, Albert Mackey, Thomas Sherrard Roy, Conrad Hahn, and Stanley Maxwell are among those I would recommend, although not all are easy reading.
Secondly, the Master-to-be should plan in advance. Masters who come to the East unprepared degrade the office of Worshipful Master. It is my opinion that our program was philosophically sound; it was a presentation of extensive and informative Masonic education, history and culture. I have no regrets there. There is, of course, no sight like hindsight. By planning three years ahead, the Master has the opportunity to attract top quality scholars and speakers. Do not attempt to dictate to well informed Freemasons the topics to be addressed. Give them flexibility.
Select your planning team carefully. The chemistry must be right and there must be total rapport in the group and total commitment by the group.
Select your meeting places carefully. A hall too large is demeaning to the speaker. A hall too small is uncomfortable for the audience.
Include music in the program if possible. Our experience was that a small group of three or four musicians playing before and after the meetings in the lodge room added much to the spirit of the meetings.
Tape and transcribe programs. Their value as part of the lodge archives is immeasurable, particularly for home bound members.
Maintain your programs and publications at a level commensurate with the dignity and exalted place of the Craft throughout history.
Finally, seek to advance the social, cultural, and intellectual level of the lodge.
Carlton: Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me on this topic. I believe you have, without doubt, accomplished a great deal on behalf of Craft Masonry in this part of the country. My guess is that other Masons will want to emulate the fine example you've set. As time passes, you will certainly have the satisfaction of being able to see the influence that Norfolk Lodge No. 1 has had on the improvement of local Masonic programming. That, as Shakespeare said, "is a consummation devoutly to be wished."
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DeMolay Exhibit Dedication Attracts 800
Visitors to George Washington Memorial
On the morning of June 22, over 800 DeMolay members and guests from as far away as California gathered at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial alone with Masonic leaders, for the dedication of a new Demolay Exhibit.
Presiding at the event was DeMolay P.G.M. "Buddy" Faulkner. Grand Master of Masons in Indiana. "Many dedicated men have worked on this project for over two years," he stated.
Located in the Assembly Hall, the exhibit features a magnificent stained glass window similar to the one at DeMolay Headquarters in Kansas City; a series of full color photographs depicting DeMolay activities, and a video show describing the life of "an average DeMolay chapter."
Bro. Faulkner expressed special appreciation to Bro. Glassmire. President of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association, for the assistance given by the Memorial and to Bro. Stanley F. Maxwell past president of the Memorial and Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, N.M.J., for the support given by the Supreme Council. N.M.J. "Without that help, this exhibit would not have been possible," Bro. Faulkner stated.
The new exhibit makes it possible for visitors to the Memorial to better understand DeMolay and the important role it plays in the lives of thousands of young men.
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National Sojourners .. Who Are They?
National Sojourners, Inc., is now 66 years old and made up of about 150 Chapters throughout the United States and the Free World where American Forces are stationed. Membership is open to citizens of the United States who are Master Masons in good standing in any duly constituted Lodge of Master Masons recognised by and maintaining fraternal relations with a majority of the Regular Grand Lodges in the United States and who are serving or have served honorably as commissioned or warrant officers of the United States in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Public Health Service or National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration in peace or war, foreign or domestic, in the Regular, Volunteer, National Guard, the militia of the United States (as defined in 10. USC 311) or have served honorably as commissioned officers in any armed service of a nation allied with the United States in time of war. Persons who have performed meritorious service to National Sojourners, Inc.. Freemasonry in general, and or the Nation may be recommended for Honorary membership. For further information, please contact MAJ Joseph H. Breitenbach. 917 Hamilton Street, Carlisle, PA 17013.
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Dear Bro. Jerry:
Have just received the August issue of The Philalethes and note on page 23 reference to a Paper published by Walter F. Meier Lodge of Research No. 28: "King Solomon's temple and Hiram Abif Revisited by John Kelihar, available at 50 cents per copy and address given as Meier Lodge of Research, P.O. Box 217, Seahurst, Wash. 98091. This is in error, as all correspondence should be advertised to me at 3319 S.W. 100th St., Seattle, Wash. 99146.
Cost of these Papers are 50 cents each plus postage (which usually runs 37 cents at this present high cost of mailing.) You can understand why when this mailing leaves only 13 cents which does not cover the cost of printing the Papers. Also enclosed a Bulletin of our Activities and also a Booklet listing Papers published so far, which are now into the 5th Volume. A correction in the next issue will be appreciated.
Fraternally.
Chas. R. Crismar. Secretary
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by Wallace McLeod, MPS
There are in the world some twenty-three Masonic lodges named after or connected with St Alban. Since 1954 they have held an annual gathering. The thirtieth such meeting took place in Thornhill, near Toronto, Canada, on 8 October 1983, with representatives of eleven lodges in attendance: No. 4999, St. Albans, England; No. 7, Newark, New Jersey; No. 56, Floral Park, New York; No. 38, Guilford, Connecticut No. 6, Bristol, Rhode Island; St. Albans Lodge, Foxboro, Massachusetts; No. 677, Youngston, Ohio; No. 28, Jackson, Louisiana; No. 20, Marshall Michigan; No. 514, Thornhill, Ontario (the host lodge); and No. 106, Montreal, Quebec. The following paper is based on an address delivered on that occasion.)
LIFE OF SAINT ALBAN
Why Saint Alban? Well, the first stage in our quest is to find just who the man is. In 1485 William Caxton published a collection of the lives of the Saints, under the title of The Golden Legend. We might summarise one of the stories it includes. A certain law in force in the Roman Empire stated that no man was permitted to receive the honour of knighthood, save only at Rome, and then at the hands of the Emperor himself. And so it was that about the year 295 a deputation of young noblemen went from Britain to the capital. They included Amphibal, the son of a Welsh prince, and Alban, the son of a lord of the city of Verulamium. While they were in Rome, Amphibal was converted to Christianity, and left the brotherhood of apprentice knights. A Great day was set, and the others were all knighted by the Emperor Diocletian, after which a tournament was held, where Alban won the palm of honour. The blazon on his shield was a cross of gold against a blue background. (This is still used as part of the lodge seal of St. Alban's. No. 514.) After the tournament all the British knights returned home, except Alban, whom the Emperor kept in his service, on account of his manliness and prowess, for the term of seven years.
ln due course a rebellion broke out in Britain, and a Roman army was sent to suppress it, with Alban as chief of the knights. At this same time there was a persecution of Christians in Rome, and the people of the faith were scattered, each one to his own country. And so it befell that Amphibal, who had gone to Rome with Alban, returned home to Britain, and came to the city of Verulamium, where he found Alban as lord of the city, prince of the knights, and steward of the land, having a great multitude of servants. Amphibal was clothed as a Christian priest, and could find no lodging in the city. He recognized his former friend Alban (who did not however recognise him), and sought hospitality of him. This was granted. They fell into conversation, Amphibal told Alban of his faith, and Alban had a vision, and in short was converted to Christianity and was baptised.
After they had communed together for six weeks and more, the magistrate heard that a preacher of the new religion lay concealed at Alban's house, and he summoned them to appear before him. Amphibal had to go to South Wales, and to facilitate his escape Alban exchanged clothes with him. Amphibal departed garbed as a knight, whilst Alban, robed as a priest and wearing a cross, went to the judge. The judge cross-examined him closely, and when he learned his true identity, asked him where his teacher had gone, and directed him to renounce Christianity. This Alban declined to do. Then a great crowd of pagans came forth and tried to force him to offer sacrifice to their false gods, but he steadfastly refused. The judge cross-examined him closely and on the rack and scourged. The torturers beat him so long that their hands grew weary. He was kept in custody for six months and more, and during that whole time there was neither rain nor dew, nothing but the blazing sun, so that neither trees nor fields brought forth any fruit. The judge was afraid to sentence him to death, because he held the Emperor's commission. Finally the emperor sent one of his viceroys to Britain, with orders to kill all the Christians except for Alban; he alone had the option of abandoning his faith. If he refused, he was to be beheaded by another knight; and the priest that had converted him was to suffer the foulest death that could be imagined.
Alban was brought forth from prison, but when he refused to relapse into paganism, sentence was passed. First it was decreed that, when Amphibal was found,
he should be scourged, and after bounden to a stake all naked, and then his navel be opened and his bowels to be fastened by that one end to the stake, and he then to be driven to go round and about the stake till all his bowels were wounden out about the stake, and after to have his head smitten off...
Alban was to be simply beheaded. On the stated day, a great crowd assembled, and he was led forth to Holmhurst Hill for execution.
The people were so great a multitude that they occupied all the place... And the heat of the sun was so great that it burnt and scalded their feet as they went, and so they led him till they came to a swift running river, where they might not lightly pass for press of people, for many were shifted over the bridge into the water and were drowned, and many, because they might not go over the bridge for press, unclothed them for them to swim over the river, and some that could not swim presumed to do the same, and were wretchedly drowned... And when Saint Alban perceived this thing he bewailed and wept for the harm and death of his enemies..., and kneeled down holding his hands up to God beseeching that the water might be lessed and the flood withdrawn that the people might be with hind at his passion.
In answer to his prayer the waters withdrew. At this miracle the knight who was escorting him threw down his sword and acknowleged his error. The pagan mob seized the new convert, and pulled out all his teeth, and beat him, breaking all his bones, and left him lying on the sand. When at last they reached the place of execution, there was a great multitude, nigh dead from the heat of the sun and for thirst. Saint Alban prayed for relief for them, and at once a cool breeze sprang up and a fountain gushed from the top of the hill. Then the pagans fastened his hair to the branch of a tree, and they found a man to cut off his head. And at once the executioner's eyes fell out of his head and lay upon the ground. Then the knight who had been left for dead came crawling up the hill, and reverently loosed Alban's head from the bough. At this act of devotion he was restored to health, and took and buried the body and raised over it a fair tomb.
Many people were converted to Christianity when they saw this array of miracles They carried word to Amphibal in Wales, and he returned to suffer the martyrdom to which he too had been condemned. And the pagans, persevering in their malice, threw stones at his dead body; and when a quarrel arose among them, a certain Christian man was able to steal the body away and hide it.
And soon after their deaths the Lord showed forth another miracle, and this was that "the visages of the tormentors were disfigured, their hands, arms and other members dried up, and the judge lost his mind and was mad."
The Influence of Saint Alban
Like many lives of the saints, this is a pretty good story, full of bloodthirsty episodes, and reaching its climax in a suitable punishment for the villains, and an appropriate triumph of the faithful. It shows by example the virtue of steadfastness, and one can readily see why it became popular. Of course the full version of the story contains a certain amount of preaching, which has been curtailed in the version you have just heard. It would be inappropriate to enquire whether every detail of the life is true, because its function is to inspire people, not to recite history.
According to tradition, Alban died at some time about 303-305, being the first one in the realm to suffer death for the new faith, and he is therefore known as the protomartyr, or "first martyr," of England. The story has it that his death took place at the Roman city of Verulamium, 20 miles northwest of London. He was soon canonized as a Saint, with his festival being set on 22 June. By 429, a century and a quarter after his death, there was a church dedicated to him near his tomb; and Verulamium soon took the name of Saint Albans. In 793 King Offa is said to have founded a new church here, and a monastery. During the Middle Ages this grew into a great Benedictine Abbey, which was one of the richest in England until King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in 1536. Here too was built one of the largest Gothic churches in the world, still in use after nine centuries.
The monastery was of course a centre of literacy, and one of the necessary activities of the monks was to keep the memory of Saint Alban green. And so we know of at least five lives of the Saint that were composed by or for members of the house and disseminated to the world at large in the years between 1166 and 1439. The story was also picked up in other circles, and thereby hangeth a tale.
The Old Charges
We modern Freemasons are descended, not as we are told in our ritual from the workmen at King Solomon's Temple, but from the operative stone masons of Britain in the Middle Ages. At some time soon after 1350 these stone-masons began to congregate themselves into formal bodies that were known as Guilds or Lodges; they served some of the functions of the modern trade union. We know quite a bit about what they did, and we also know something of how they were governed-particularly the Lodges. It seems that each of them had a handwritten scroll containing the laws and regulations of the masons, and also giving a traditional history of the craft of building More than a hundred (actually 113) of these old manuscript constitutions have survived, and the strangest thing about them is that they all go back to a single, original, that was written not too long after the year 1350. (The coincidence of date is striking.) This was copied and recopied, edited and revised, dozens of times between 1350 and 1750: and it looks as if every lodge of stone-masons had to have its own copy.
These old manuscript constitutions are still reflected in modern Freemasonry today, in various ways. The oldest of them closes with the words, "Amen, Amen, So mote it be! So say we all for charity!" So evidently a little of our traditional Masonic language is derived from them. Again, if you look at the Book of Constitution of your Grand Lodge, you will find a section with a title that runs something this: "The Charges of a Free-Mason, extracted from the ancient records of Lodges beyond Sea, and of those in England, Scotland, and Ireland, for the Use of the Lodges in London: to be read at the making of New Brethren, or when the Master shall order it." Have you ever looked at them? We don't use them very much any more, but they're still worth reading. They have been reprinted in every book of constitution of modern Freemasonry ever since the first one, in 1717. And the Rev. Dr. James Anderson, the editor of that volume (the most influential book on Masonry every written) "borrowed" large parts of them from the old manuscript constitutions of the operative stone-masons.
But we said that the old texts included a traditional history. And it too is occasionally reflected in our ritual. It tells how the seven liberal arts and sciences (you know, Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic Geometry, Music, and Astronomy) were found before Noah's flood by the three brothers Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain, together with their sister. You will find the story recorded in the Book of Genesis. And then how they wrote their sciences on Two Great Pillars. And then it recounts how masonry was used at some of the great architectural programmes of Biblical times: at the Tower of Babel, and at the building of King Solomon's Temple; and how Solomon was helped by Hiram King of Tyre, and by his principal architect. And then we are told how the Art was brought to Western Europe; first it came to France, and from there it was brought to England. And in due course Prince Edwin called a great assemblage of masons in York some time about the year 930, and established the code of regulations that continued in use through the Middle Ages.
Saint Alban in the Old Charges
That is not real history. It is real propaganda, that was intended to give the masons a proper sense of their own worth by showing how the Craft went back to Biblical times, and counted even monarchs themselves among its members. But it was heard and believed by our operative brethren. Now of particular interest to us today is the story of how masonry came to England. The version which had the widest currency runs like this.
England in all this season stood void of any charge of masonry, until the time of Saint Alban. And in his time the King of England, that was a pagan, did wall the town about that is now called Saint Albans. And Saint Alban was a worthy knight, and chief steward to the King, and had the governance of the realm, and also of the making of the town walls. And he loved well masons, and cherished them much. And he made their pay right good, standing as the realm did then, for he gave them two shillings and sixpence a week, and threepence for their nuncheons. And before that time through all the land a mason took but a penny a day and his meat, until Saint Alban amended it. And gave them a charter of the King and his council for to hold a general council, and gave it the name of an assembly. And thereat he was himself, and helped to make masons, and gave them charges as you shall hear aftenpards. (Reconstructed text of the Standard Original Version.)
Now, can you see what has happened? The man who made the earliest full version of the old manuscript constitutions composed the traditional history basing himself in the first instance on the Volume of the Sacred Law, the only book ever seen by most people in those days. But he had to find somebody famous to bring Masonry to England. Who better than a notable martyr of the church, a man who had a city named after him. Surely that must have meant that he was himself a builder? Obviously the natural choice! (It may mean that our writer lived somewhere near the monastery of Saint Albans, but of that we cannot be certain.)
Lodges Named for Saint Alban
And again the fact that lodges are named after Saint Alban is interesting. He is not regarded today as one of the patron saints of Masonry. They are Saint John the Baptist, Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Barbara, and the Four Crowned Martyrs. But it looks as if someone in the early days of the premier Grand Lodge recalled that Saint Alban was a part of the traditional history, and determined that his name should be perpetuated. There is in London, England, an old lodge, founded in 1728, meeting at Freemasons’ Hall, under the name of St Alban's, No 29, but of course that will not be its original name. Lodges were originally named for the tavern in which they met, and the practice of taking permanent names did not become common until the 1760's. Thus, we know that Lodge No 29 was originally known as the Lodge that met at the Castle and Leg in Holborn. In due course it moved to St Alban's Tavern on St Alban's Street, and in 1771 it took the name St Alban's Lodge. Quite possibly it was the earliest lodge to be distinguished in this way. Others soon followed. Lodge No 176, in Birmingham, England, became known as St Alban's Lodge in 1784. St Alban's lodge, No 62, in Brooklyn, New York, was warranted in 1797.
It's interesting to learn where lodges get their titles. There are in Ontario more than forty which are named for saints. The reason for some of them can be guessed. For example, thirteen are named for St John, the traditional patron of Masons. There are seven St Andrew's lodges, and I'd bet there is a Scottish connection in most of them. Six are named for St George, and it would hardly he surprising if they all claimed a link with England. There are three St. Clair lodges, and the St Clairs (or Sinclairs) were in early days the hereditary Grand Masters of Scotland. There are in this jurisdiction two lodges carrying the name of St. Alban: one, No 200, at Mount Forest (instituted in 1868), and one, our host, No 514, near Toronto (instituted in 1913). Why were these names chosen. Was it because one of the founders came from St Albans in England? Or was there a connection with one of the English lodges of that name? Or did the name perhaps come from a church? (The cornerstone of St Alban's Church, Ottawa, was laid with Masonic honours in 1867). Or is it possible that one of your founders was aware that this saint had a place in the Masonic tradition?
Conclusion
Those of you who belong to these lodges, and to others of the same name, hold high your heads with pride. Not only do you commemorate a man who preferred to suffer death rather than betray the sacred trust reposed in him. You also bear testimony to a Masonic tradition that goes back more than 600 years. St Alban has had a demonstrable connection with the Craft since 1350, though latterly it is not much remembered. The name should constantly remind you that you are part of a continuous chain of good men thousands of them, going back through the impenetrable mists of time. The vast majority are no longer with us, for they have been summoned to the Grand Lodge Above, but they have left their deeds behind, as monuments for us to emulate. And we may perhaps imagine that though dead they still speak to us through these monuments; and maybe even (who knows?) from on high they look down with interest on the deeds of us, their successors. It is pleasant to think so anyway. It we bear that picture in mind, perhaps we may, without irreverence, apply to ourselves the words of the apostle.
Wherefore seeing we also are come passed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Run with patience, brethren, the race that is set before us. There is lots to be done. Do you make a daily advancement in Masonic knowledge? Do you support the charitable and benevolent activities of your lodge, and of your grand lodge? Do you visit your sick and shut-in members? Do you have an instructional programme in your lodge for your candidates? Is provision made for the training of your officers? Do you investigate the situation of those who come up for suspension N.P.D.? Do you tend the widows of your brethren? In short, do you show by your actions that you believe in the three Tenets or Fundamental Principles of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth? "Business?" said Marley's ghost. "Mankind was my business!" The Brotherhood of Man! Run with patience, brethren, the race that is set before us. Think about it.
Selected References
William Caxton, The Golden Legend, or Lives of the Saints, edited by F. S. Ellis (London, 1934), volume 3, pages 236-253.
J.R. Clarke, Douglas Hamer, W. McLeod, "Letters to the Editor: Saint Alban and Saint Amphibal, " AQC, volume 92 (1979), pages 218-221.
W. McCleod, "Saint Alban and Saint Amphibal in the Mediaeval Masonic Tradition: A Review Article," AQC, volume 89 (1976), pages 113-122.
W. McLeod, "Alban and Amphibal: Some Extant Lives and a Lost Life," Mediaeval Studies, volume 42 (1980), pages 407-430.
Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater, Buwler's Lives of the Saints, Complete Edition reused and supplemented (Westminster, Maryland, 1956), volume 2, pages 612-614, "St Alban, Martyr."
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WHO IS WHO IN FREEMASONRY
This book, considered a tool for Masonic researchers, is being offered to members of Research Lodges for the unbelievable price of $24 per copy postpaid. The Philalethes Society is composed of researchers, so we asked the Publisher if our members could not be considered for this reduction. The publisher readily agreed.
Beginning immediately you may obtain a copy of WHO IS WHO IN FREEMASONRY for $24.00. postpaid. It is available from Anchor Communications, Inc., P.O. Box 70 Highland Springs, VA 23075. To enjoy this savings you must state you are a member of The Philalethes Society
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Setting Up An Organisation
by Allen E. Roberts, FPS
(Part Five of a Series)
"Two years ago I was a terrible Worshipful Master," said Ed Perkins, who was about to become a District Deputy Grand Master. "I've been ashamed of myself ever since. Now I want to do something about it, but I don't know how to get started."
Ed was talking to Conrad Hahn, the late Executive Secretary of the Masonic Service Association, the Senior Warden of his Lodge, and me. It was the beginning of the film People Make the Difference.
Among other things we suggested we review the principles of management, some of which we've been talking about in this series. We can't do much organising if we don't have an understanding of Goal setting, Planning, Communicating, Staffing, and Controlling. The first three we've covered briefly.
It's important to remember that Freemasonry is in the People Business. This means we must continually take into account human nature. We have found that most of the barriers to success are found in this all-inclusive human nature. We have also found this same attribute produces what success we achieve.
All of us have prejudices that have been built in over the years. Much that we have learned has come from our environment, our associates, family and schools. The education of all of us has been shaped by factors over which we've had no control. We all look at life through restricted windows.
This is the reason I've found groups working toward the achievement of common goals more productive than individuals alone. When we remember that meanings are in people, not in words, this reasoning takes on more importance. A good example is the plumber mentioned in the previous article. You can find numerous other examples every day.
When we establish an organisational plan, these and many other factors must be taken into account. People are not the same. Every one of us is different. By utilising these differences, by putting the square pegs in the square holes, we'll build an organisation of which we can be proud.
Organising is another planning function. Perhaps this is why too many governmental agencies, businesses, associations, and not just Masonry ignore this vital tool. People don't know what their duties are. They don't know what responsibilities they have. Too often they don't even know to whom they should report. Everyone's responsibilities becomes no one's. Square pegs are being hammered into round holes. And it won't work.
Good examples are committees. Every lodge and organization has them. Most of these are chaired by a man selected by the presiding officer. Too often these chairmen and his members are reappointed year after year - even if they haven't functioned adequately during the years before. It's the easiest thing for a presiding officer to do.
Isn't it time to remove the blindfolds? Isn't it time we evaluated what we're doing and not doing? Isn't it time to eliminate committees and establish teams? Then put men of differing knowledge and temperaments on these teams to work for the benefit of our organisation?
Before we become too critical about what has, or hasn't been done in the past we should do some reevaluating. Have the duties we expect our committees to perform been outlined? Have they been given specific tasks to perform? Have they been asked to sit in on a planning session? Have they been asked to participate in setting goals? If not, let's put the blame where it belongs - with the leadership.
Let's select the best men we can find as chairmen of our teams. (If this word turns you off, use "Commissions.") Then let the chairmen select their own members. Those selected should not be "yes men," but they should be compatible. They should have differing back-grounds to make the teams well-rounded. Each member should be a potential leader. (For a description of leaders see the second part of this series.)
But teams will do us little good if we don't follow a plan for organizing the organisation. So, let's look at five major steps we must take. These are concerned with DUTlES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AUTHORITY, RELATIONSHIPS, and PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS.
We must determine what work or activities we want carried out. This must be decided by the overall organisational plans for a specific period. This will lead to assigning specific duties to a specific team or individual, or special group. Fulfilling these duties becomes the responsibility of those selected to reach the predetermined goals. Remember - these goals must be set by the participants after the overall plan has been resolved.
Participation is all important. The most successful Lodges are those where one man doesn't run the show: where the ideas of everyone are considered. With this kind of atmosphere each man takes his responsibility seriously.
Responsibility without authority leads to complete confusion. Authority must be clearly defined. People must know to whom they are to report. They must be able to answer questions positively. They must know what they can and cannot do. And there's a difference between power and authority. Though power commands will be obeyed, usually because of fear. No Masonic body can be successfully organized through fear. We must constantly remember our members don't have to do anything they don't want to do. They can readily tell the leadership where to go.
Although the Master is responsible for everything that happens in his Lodge, he will delegate as much authority as possible. No really able man is going to accept responsibility without authority. When this authority is clearly defined the relationship between the officers, teams, individuals, Grand Lodge, and the Master will be harmonious.
It has often been said that the hands of the Freemasons are tied because of Grand Lodge laws. This is not true. Naturally, there must be laws, rules and regulations to follow or there would be complete chaos. But the laws found in Freemasonry tie the hands of no right thinking man. The excuses we hear are from lazy leaders, those who use regulations as a crutch to do nothing.
Constructive leaders know that we must INNOVATE and CREATE or we are going to stagnate. We can be innovative and creative within the framework of Freemasonry. We can finally bring Masonry into the Twentieth Century without disturbing the landmarks and customs of the Craft. But it's going to take education and dedication to do it.
When we take personal requirements into account we'll look for these men who can be creative, innovative, and are potential leaders. We'll avoid those who continually say "yes" to the boss simply because he's the boss. He's the kind of fellow who will agree with the bigwig, letting him remain in left field when he should be playing second base. He'll let him stay in hot water.
No man knows the answers to everything - unless he's an egotist. Each man has his own area of expertise. It's difficult to make a writer out of an expert carpenter. A plumber won't make a good brain surgeon. Don't let friendship, or popularity, force you to put round pegs in square slots.
If we're going to organize our Lodges and Masonic bodies for success we must put Masonically educated and dedicated men on our teams. We must practice participation. We must give these men the responsibility and authority to carry out their missions. We must find potential leaders, men who aren't afraid to say "No!" when it's necessary. We must select as many teams as required to make the organization successful.
To help us do this, follow Guide 7, "The Performance Cycle," from my book Key to Freemasonry's Growth in setting up the organisation and in every planning step. Set a General Objective; determine its Purpose; set Primary Goals; develop Strategies which are subgoals; Check the Progress periodically; Review and take appropriate action. But don't overlook these other important steps in Organising: Duties, Responsibilities, Authority. Relationships, and Personal Requirements.
Management, or leadership, is as old as man. "Scientific management" came in with the beginning of the Twentieth Century. After eighty-four years isn't it time to incorporate it into Freemasonry?
(In our last article in this series we'll discuss "Controlling the Action." We'll also follow a plan of action toward achieving a goal one of our readers has selected.)
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by Alphonse Cerza, FPS (Life)
Men make Freemasonry and, therefore, the biographies of members of the Craft are of interest to all Masons. Unfortunately, the biographies published of great men who have been or are Masons seldom cover their Masonic membership, and locating information in Masonic periodicals about Masons is a very difficult task.
In September, 1928, the Builder Magazine, the Official publication of the National Research Society, announced a plan to publish a Masonic Who's Who. Each issue of the magazine mentioned the project until the issue of May, 1930. Publication of the magazine was discontinued about that time due to the Great Depression and the book was never published.
Over the years there have been published from time to time books about famous Masons. Here are a few illustrations of these books, most of which are now out-of-print:
George W. Baird, Great American Masons (1915). This book has been reproduced and is now available in Volume 4 of the Little Masonic Library, published by Macoy Masonic Publishing Co.
Dudley Wright, England's Masonic Pioneers (1925)
Dudley Wright, Masonic Who's Who (1926)
James Alexander Bell, Twenty Famous Masons (1928)
Hubert S. Banner, These Men Were Masons (1954)
H.L. Haywood, Famous Masons and Masonic Presidents (1944)
A. Cerza, Masonic Biographical Sketches. (M.S.A., 1955)
William Denslow, 10,000 Famous Freemasons. (4 vols., 1957-1960).
Reprinted in a paper back edition and now available from Macoy Masonic Publishing Co.
The most recent book published on this subject is entitled Who is Who in Freemasonry, compiled by Allen E. Roberts, F.P.S. It contains the biographical sketches of over 1,500 prominent living Masons and is a storehouse of information about individual members of the Craft, arranged in alphabetical order. Because of the high cost of printing cloth bound books, only a limited number have been printed so interested members should order their copy before the supply is exhausted. Available at $40.00 a copy) from Anchor Communications, Inc., Drawer 70, Highland Springs, VA 23075.
Our late brother Jerry R. Erikson, F.P.S., for years collected information about famous Masons and he published a number of lists of sports figures with unique titles such as Brothers of the Bat and Masonic Hoopsters. He collected information and wrote a series of articles on Freemasons in the Entertainment World which were published in many issues of the Royal Arch Mason Magazine, starting with the Fall, 1968 issue, and ending with the Fall, 1973 issue. The articles were in alphabetical order starting with John Aasen and ending with Charles Ed Dunbar. He also gathered information about Masons who had served as members of Congress but the material was never published.
There have been published a number of volumes covering the Masonic lives of famous Masons. Here are a few illustrations:
Julius F. Sachse, Benjamin Franklin as a Freemason (1906)
Allen E. Roberts, George Washington: Master Mason (1967)
W.M. Brown, George Washington: Freemason (1952)
Charles H. Callahan, George Washington, The Man and the Mason (1913)
J. Hugo Tatsch, The Facts About George Washington as a Freemason (1932)
W. M. Brown, From These Beginnings. Being a biography of Remmie Le Roy Arnold, Imperial Potentate of the Shrine in 1953-1954 (1953)
Fred W. Allsopp, Albert Pike (1928) Robert L. Duncan, Reluctant General, a life of Albert Pike (1961)
James R. Case, F.P.S., for years has been researching the lives of Masons during the early years of our country and these items have been published in various magazines. They have been excellent and it is hoped that these will be collected and published in one volume.
Several years ago Brother Thomas E. Rigas, of 2600 W. Farwell Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60645, embarked on a valuable and ambitious program of gathering information about famous Masons and many of his sketches have been published in the Transactions of the Illinois Lodge of Research and Masonic periodicals. He is interested in hearing from persons who have biographical information about Masons all over the world.
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by Herman Herst, Jr.
How would you like your wife, or perhaps your best girl, to weave you a rug with a Masonic square and compass as the central figure of the design? The cost would not be much. The pattern would cost you forty cents, and the required amount of yarn to do the job would cost another $1.10.
Perhaps I should not have made the offer, for you are almost a century late if you wanted to take advantage of it.
A beautiful catalog, picturing in full color the designs for more than a hundred small rugs was issued by E. Ross I: Co. of Toledo, OH, in 1889.
The designs encompass flowers, animals, sporting scenes and fraternal insignia, including the square and compass mentioned above.
The cost of the instrument to do the "hooking" is as modest as the cost for the pattern and yarn $1 for one made of wood, and $1.50 if made of metal.
Postage costs then were much more reasonable then than now - two cents per ounce for the first class mail. The prices quoted above included shipping costs.
The Masonic rug pictured thus would cost $2.50 for everything that would be needed to produce the rug showy in the illustration.
I ponder what it would cost today!
Brother Herst is a member of the Boca Raton (Fla.) Lodge #328, as well as a member of three Shrine temples, Amara (West Palm Beach, Fla.), Mecca (New York City) and Nile (Seattle, Wash.)
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Al Cerza Reviews Books of Interest to Masons
The year 1983 marked the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of Jeremy L. Cross, who was a Masonic ritualist and teacher of the Work associated with Thomas Smith Webb, author of the Famous Freemason's Monitor, the most famous Masonic monitor published in the United States. Jeremy L. Cross made a valuable contribution to the literature of Masonic monitors with his book "The True Masonic Chart or Hieroglyphic Monitor" which went through many editions and has been out-of-print for many years. The Cross monitor is distinctive since it contains many pictures and charts to aid memorizing the material.
When the Texas Lodge of Research was making plans to celebrate its 25th anniversary it was decided to publish a facsimile of the second edition of the Cross book, because in 1844 the Grand Lodge of Texas adopted the Cross book as the official Monitor for the state. This book has a fine Foreword explaining the background of the book, written by Dr. George H.T. French. The lodge has rendered a real service to the Craft by reprinting this book.
Available at $12.00 a copy, from the Texas Lodge of Research, c/o Wayne Poorman, P.O. Box 609, Rosenberg, Texas 77471.
Volume 95 of the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, of London, England, has been published, and it contains some outstanding papers. Here is a partial list of the contents: The Churches' Concern With Freemasonry: English Royal Arch MS. Rituals c. 1780 - c. 1830; The Government of the Craft, Freemasonry in Lancashire Prior to the Union; Some Thoughts on the Origins of Speculative Masonry; The Collapse of Freemasonry in Nazi Germany, 1933-5; The Old Charges and The Initiation of the Duke of Lorraine. There is also reproduced "Guilds Versus Lodges," by Dr. George H.T. French, the 1981 winner of the Norman B. Spencer Contest; it makes a perceptive distinction between the Guilds and the Lodges of the Middle Ages, and expresses the view that Freemasonry evolved from the Lodges and not from the Guilds.
Interested readers should communicate with the local secretary of the Lodge in your state. If you do not have his name and address communicate with A. Cerza, 237 Millbridge Road, Riverside, Ill. 60546.
The 1984 volume of The Masonic Book Club is a facsimile edition (with larger sized pages) of the Masonic Concordance of the Holy Bible, written in 1948 by Clyde C. Hunt, and long being out-of-print. It is an outstanding book that is of interest to Masonic students of the Holy Bible.
Inquiries about the book or the Club should be directed to Michael Weer, Secretary, P.O. Box 1563, Bloomington, Ill. 61701.
The Keystone is an important symbol of the Royal Arch, so it is appropriate to call a recently published book "Washington Keystone" to tell the story of the first hundred years of Royal Arch Masonry in the State of Washington. Five years before the Centennial Year a committee was appointed to plan and organise programs to commemorate that year. One of the projects was the preparation of the Centennial History. And Dr. Sidney Kase was delegated to do the work. This skillfully researched, ably written and well organized book with pictures is the result of work during the past five years by Brother Kase assisted by Brother La Velle Thresher.
The book is divided into three parts: Introductory material, history of the Grand Chapter in the State, and of each Chapter in the state and a reproduction of material of permanent interest in the past proceedings of the state such as the establishment of a Royal Arch Park, a Chapter meeting held each year for fourteen years in a stone quarry, and an excellent paper on the Ancient Landmarks.
Available at $21.50 a copy, from Ramon M. Opata. Secretary, 1126 180th S.W., Lynwood, Wash. 98036.
Volume 4 of the Chater-Cosmos Transactions has been published and contains the papers presented during the year 1982, at meetings of Paul Chater Lodge, the Masonic research lodge in the Far East, located in Hong Kong. In addition to the items of local interest the volume contains the following material of general interest: Jose Rizal's Masonic Record; Is There a Great Architect in Chinese Philosophy?; Confucius - Community as Ritual; The Prestonian Lecture of 1982, entitled The Government of the Craft: Freemasons - an Investigation; and the Tokyo Masonic Center. Brother Christopher Haffner, the able and enthusiastic Mason and author, is the chief leader of this lodge.
Available at $13.00 a copy, from the Lodge, Zetland Hall, 1 Kennedy Road, Hong Kong.
George Washington is a perennial subject for writers about great Americans. Garry Wills, able and popular teacher and writer, has written "Cincinnatus, George Washington & the Enlightment," in which he reproduces 85 pictures of paintings, statues, etc. relating to George Washington. Using these items he expounds an interesting theory that Washington's greatness stems from the fact that (like Cincinnatus, the Roman General) he did not seek greatness and power but that on three occasions he voluntarily relinquished his power and returned to Mount Vernon.
Available at $18.95 a copy, from Doubleday & Co., Inc., Garden City, N.Y. 11530.
Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942) was a prolific writer on subjects relating to mysticism, magic, and the Rosicrucians. He also wrote on Mason subjects, but unfortunately his claimed Masonic writings wove into them too much of the subjects in which he excelled. There has been published "A.E. Waite, A Bibliography," by R.A. Gilbert, available at Ten English Pounds, from the Aquarian Press, 37/38 Margaret St., London, Wl, England.
His New Masonic Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, published in 1921 but reissued in recent years, is of little value. The Iowa Masonic Library has a special collection of the works of Waite.
Dr. Wayne C. Temple, a Past Master of the Illinois Lodge of Research, has done an excellent researching of the records in his home town of Springfield, Illinois and has compiled information of great interest to students of Abraham Lincoln and Freemasonry. He has written "The Story of Abraham Lincoln's Home", which tells the story of Lincoln's home (the only one he ever owned) in Springfeld, Illinois, its builders, remodellers, occupants, and their associations, with emphasis on the Masonic features of the subject.
Available of $4.00 a copy, from the Masonic Book Club P.O. Box 1563, Bloomington, Ill. 61701.
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by Allen E. Roberts, F.P.S.
The Oregon Masonic Nests informs us that a past president of a "Goose and Gridiron Fellowship Luncheon Club" plans on forming such a club in Oregon, He states; "Membership is open to any interested Mason." I'm informed by The Reverend William H. Stemper, Jr., who founded the Goose and Gridiron in 1975, that this is NOT a Masonic society. Non-Masons are among its active and honorary members. It began as, and remains, a fellowship designed to appeal to the younger professional man. The General Council of the Goose and Gridiron wants it understood that the Society is in NO WAY connected with Freemasonry. Now that this has been said, let me also say many active Freemasons do belong and enjoy the fellowship and interesting programs. These are men truly interested in furthering the cause of the Brotherhood of Man Under the Fatherhood of God.
It's amazing how many Masonic articles travel throughout the Masonic world. The Grand Lodge Newsletter of lllinois. The California Freemason and the Maine Lodge of Research contained one of them. "A Tribute to the Lodge Secretary" was reprinted from The Ashlar of Queensland which had printed it from the Virginia Masonic Herald. It's excellent, but too long for my short space. It tells us, among other things, ''the successful and efficient Lodge Secretary must display talents and skills worthy of an experienced statesman." He must be a good listener. "He must display the talents of an author and a judge in the preparation of the minutes, and he must read them with a dignity that will offend no one. He must never take offense at anything. He must see that all committees are properly staffed." And on and on. His greatest problem is endeavoring to keep from being accused of "running the lodge."
The Masonic Shimbun, "The Voice of Masons in Japan," is published in Japanese and English. In it the Grand Master discussed Cicero's six mistakes of mankind. He elaborated on each of these using Masonic examples. The last, "Attempting to compel others to believe as we do," caused him to saw "The occupation of Japan is now history and it has been described as Brother General Douglas MacArthur's crowning achievement during his long and distinguished career, and was the most enlightened and benevolent occupation in history. An overview of the occupation will clearly indicate Masonic principles at work. Brother MacArthur, aided by Brother William B. Sebald and numerous other Masons, ensured that Japan would not be repressed for decades, but have the opportunity to become a self-sustaining nation." Freemasonry was permitted to function in Japan during the occupation. It expanded when the occupation ended and is now flourishing. One of the most beautiful and functional Masonic centers in the world is located in Tokyo. It is said MacArthur persuaded the Masons to buy the site where the center now stands.
An historical note worth remembering comes to us from The Indiana Freemason. One of the sailors on the Presidential yacht Williamsburg received the Master Mason degree in an Indiana Lodge on October 15, 1948. President Truman was there! He insisted on being received as a PGM of Missouri, not President of the United States. When he addressed the Lodge he told the overflow crowd: "I have always regarded my rank and title as a Past Grand Master of Masons as the greatest honor that has ever come to me. I value it above all others..."BUT his most significant statement was made outside the Lodge. A picture of him had been taken with two prominent Indiana politicians. They wanted the picture taken again, this time shifting "his hands so that his Masonic ring did not show." The politicians didn’t want to antagonise Democrats who might not think too highly of Masonry. When Truman asked if this was so, they said, "Yes," "Then," said the President, "to hell with it." He refused to pose again!
The New Mexico Freemason records the words of the new Grand Master, B. Ray Bonar. He has promised to work toward better leadership and in making Freemasonry more visible. He notes: "There are only two states in which Freemasonry can exist: Progressive or Regressive. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better." The new editor, Dick Corn, quotes Woodrow Wilson: "If you want to make enemies, try to change something." He adds: "How many times have you heard the trite phrase, 'We've always done it this way. Why change now?' Then we go on and stagnate." "Freemasonry, A Way of Life" is going to be published as a newspaper insert. "A Masonic Awareness Parade" was held in Albuquerque in June, Visibility in New Mexico is on the march.
The Masonic Tribune of Seattle, Washington, now in its 68th year, is edited by Harry M. Lehrbach. In his editorial of May 28 he writes: "The anti-Semitic excesses and anti-Catholic outrages (of dictators) have been and still are being reported world-wide in considerable publicity, in books, plays, TV serials and movies, but the merciless assaults on Freemasonry have not received even a tithe of the world-wide attention they so richly merit."
It is with regret that we learn Richard Harter Brown, MPS, a long-time Masonic writer in New York, has died. For 63 years he was a member of Massapequa Lodge No. 822. For years he wrote "Something Old, Something New," the most interesting column appearing in The Empire State Mason.
The Wisconsin Masonic Journal has a brief story of a Lodge that is really making Masonry visible and a good neighbor. Silver Spring No. 337 has been making contributions to its community since 1978. Gifts have included a wheel chair and blood centrifuge; equipment for the cardiopulmonary resuscitation training program; sponsorship of students. Its latest gift was a computer to the Whitefish Bay Library. It established a special fund in 1972 to administer the charitable activities of the Lodge. What an excellent plan that every Masonic Lodge in the country could follow!