Contents
Degrees - Rites - Orders
Remembering Hal Kemp
Origin of
the United States Constitution
Yesterday, Today,
But What About Tomorrow
Mark Twain
An Analysis of Stated Communications
General Rufus Putnam
Masonic Ritual
From England To New Hampshire
Descendant or Ancestor
Through Masonic Windows
Jerry Marsengill, FPS Editor
401 Masonic Temple, 1011 Locust St.
Des Moines, IA 50309 (515) 244-2540
OFFICERS
Jerry Marsengill, FPS, President
401 Masonic Temple, 1011 Locust St.
Des Moines, IA 50309 (515) 244-2540
John Mauk Hilliard, FPS, First Vice President
Lehman College
Bronx , New York 10468 (212) 960-8363
Wallace E. McLeod, FPS, 2nd Vice President
Victoria College University of Toronto
73 Queen’s Park Crescent
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 1K7
Allen E. Roberts, FPS, Executive Secretary
Drawer 70, 110 Quince Ave.
Highland Springs, VA 23075 (804) 737-4498
Henry G. Law, FPS, Treasure
2608 E. Riding Dr.
Wilmington, DE 19808 (302) 737-9083
Harold L. Davidson, MPS, Librarian
The Philalethes Society 1903 10th St. W.
Billings, MT 59102 (406) 259-1552
LIVING PAST PRESIDENTS
Philalethes Society
William R. Denslow Robert V. Osborne, FPS
Eugene S Hopp, FPS Dwight L Smith, FPS
Robert L Dillard Jr., FPS Bruce H. Hunt, FPS
Allen E. Roberts, FPS John R. Nocas, FPS
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY EMERITUS
Carl R. Griesen, FPS S. Brent Morris, FPS
CONTENTS
Degrees - Rites - Orders
Remembering Hal Kemp
The Unknown Origin of the United States Constitution
"Yesterday, Today, But What About Tomorrow?"
Mark Twain
An Analysis of Stated Communications of Constituent Lodges of the Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M.
General Rufus Putnam
Masonic Ritual From England to New Hampshire
Descendant or Ancestor
Through Masonic Windows
ON THE COVER
The Christmas flower 'Poinsettia' is named after Bro. Joel R. Poinsett, who first introduced the plants to the United States in 1825 while serving as first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. He was Secretary of War (1837-41) and was past master of both Recovery Lodge No. 31, Greenville, S.C. and of Solomons Lodge No. 1, Charleston, S.C.
Scientific name for the flower is Euphorbia pulcherrima. Of this genus there are some 700 to 1000 species. The bract's colors can be red, white, pink and white bicolor, or pink with red flecks. It was cultivated by the Aztecs in Mexico before Christianity came to the Western Hemisphere as a symbol of purity, because of its brilliant red color. The Indians also used the plant to make reddish purple dye from the bracts. It also had a medicinal use. The latex of the plant was used in a preparation to counteract fever.
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by Hampton Harley, MPS
A brief review of speculative Masonry prior to its spreading beyond England hopefully will assist the reader's comprehension of the maze of degrees many refer to as "side degrees," "advanced," "additional," and even "higher degrees." Four "original" Lodges united in 1717 to form the first Grand Lodge of England. In 1751, this authority was challenged resulting in two opposing Masonic bodies, i.e., "Antients" and "Moderns." The "Antients" set up a Grand Lodge under what they called the old institution. The "Moderns" adhered to the "original" Grand Lodge.
In 1813 after years of disagreement about degrees and ritual workings, the feud between the two Grand Lodges ceased resulting in the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free & Accepted Masons of England. Desirous of avoiding innovations, confusion and contradictions in the Craft, they established twenty-one Articles of Union. The second article is of particular interest because it unambiguously declared that "pure Antient Masonry consists of three degrees, and no more; viz. those of the Entered Apprentice, the Fellow Craft, and the Master Mason, including the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch."
Fred L. Pick, G. Norman Knight and Frederick Smyth contend that when Ancient Craft Freemasonry expanded beyond England..."it fell into hands not content with the plain, unvarnished story taught in its original home." The late Harold V.B. Voorhis remarked that innovations, which were actually additions, spread through Lodges in France, then Germany and in other countries to a lesser extent.
During the 1740's, degrees flared up in France with such diversity "that they [defied] classification into any clear sequence." The following examples are representative of innovations resulting in other degrees:
France
Illuminati of Avignon Rite - Antoine J. Pernetti's background is impressive. He attended the Saint Benedictine Order: was librarian to Fredric the Great and a disciple of the distinguished theologian Swedenborg. Statements imply Pernetti was a Mason, i.e., ".. .besides his Masonic labors..." Pernetti established the Academy of Illuminati (enlightened) that consisted of four degrees, one known as the True Mason. He reportedly "invented" several other Masonic degrees. His greatest work is Knight of the Sun found in the 28th degree in the Scottish Rite.
Germany
German Union of Two and Twenty - Karl F. Bahrdt was a doctor of theology and a member of the Masonic Craft. During a period when additional degrees were becoming popular throughout Germany, he collaborated with other Masons to found a secret society for outstanding Masons seeking "intellectual light." Membership was by invitation only A desirous member could acquire six degrees:
The Adolescent The Mesopolite
The Man The Diocesan
The Old Man The Superior
Fessler Rite - Ignaz A. Fessler, was a distinguished writer and Masonic reformer. He was educated in a Jesuit school, received his Holy orders in 1772 and was initiated into Masonry in 1783. His initial innovation was the "Evergreen" Order that functioned until 1793. He affiliated with Royal York Lodge and was given the monumental task of "revising and remodeling the entire ritual of the Lodge..." Fessler was instrumental in the Royal York Lodge functioning as a Grand Lodge with seven subordinate Lodges. His greatest literary accomplishment was the Rite of Fessler which included Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason degrees based on Ancient Craft Masonry and the following six "higher knowledge" degrees:
The Holy of Holies True Light
Justification The Country
Celebration Perfection
Masonic historians estimate that over 100 "side degrees"
have proliferated in countries providing a breeding ground for additional
degrees since the initial flare-ups in France and Germany. The chart below
is an example of some bodies that contain degrees, rites and orders. While
reviewing these bodies, one important fact should be remembered. Contrary
to the misconception held by many, even though these bodies develop their
own programs and activities, they are subordinate bodies of pure Ancient
Craft Masonry.
| Body | Origin | Objective | |
| Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine | 1872 | New York City | Extremely extroverted social society, humorous ritual, Crippled Children Hosp./Burn Centers |
| Ancient Egyptian Order of Sciots | 1910 | San Francisco | Unites Master Masons |
| Blue Friars, Society of | 1932 | Monroe, NC | Recognizes Masonic Authors |
| Golden Key, Order of | 1925 | Univ. of Okla | Establishment of community based on Masonic philosophy |
| Grotto (see M.O.V.P.E.R.) | |||
| High Twelve | 1921 | Sioux City, IA | Offers aid to DeMolay |
| Holy Order of Knights Beneficent of the Holy City | 1754 | Germany | Conferred Ancient Craft Degrees |
| Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm (M.O.V.P.E.R.) | 1889 | Hamilton, N.Y. | "Sympathy & Good Fellowship among its members, called Prophets," Cerebral Palsy Children: Dentistry for handicapped children |
| National Sojourners | 1900 | Philippines | Organized Military Officers (Masons) for Fellowship |
| Philalethes | 1928 | Kansas City | Literary Society |
| Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis | 1880 | U.S. Charter from Scotland | Examines/Studies Masonic Philosophy |
| Royal Order of Jesters | 1911 | Shipboad enroute to Hawaii | |
| Scots Philosophic Rite | 1740's | France | Pseudo Masonic Rite |
| Scottish Rite * | 1754 | Clermont, France | Ancient Craft Masonry and Supports Special Medical Care and Research |
| * Chapter of Rose Croix | 1782 | Europe | |
| * Consistory of the Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret | 1797 | Charleston, S.C. | |
| * Council of Prince of Jerusalem | 1788 | Charleston, S.C. | |
| * Lodge of Perfection | 1758 | France | |
| Royal Order of Scotland | 1754 | Scotland | |
| * Supreme Council | 1801 | Charleston, S.C. | |
| Tall Cedars of Lebanon | 1902 | Trenton, NJ. | Creed: "Fun, Frolic, Fellowship," Muscular Dystrophy Program |
| York Rite * | 1761 | England | Ancient Craft Masonry and Supports Medical Care and Research |
| Allied Masonic Degrees | 1884 | London | |
| * Council of Royal & Select Masters | 1819 | Connecticut | |
| * Knights Templar | 1760's | British Isles | |
| Red Cross of Constantine | 1865 | Europe | |
| * Royal Arch | 1745 | London, York, Dublin |
Perhaps Dwight L. Smith, P.G.M. Indiana describes the situation best saying:
"What can we expect when we have permitted Freemasonry to become sub-divided into a score of organizations? Look at it.
Each organization dependent upon the parent body for its existence, yet each jockeying for a position of supremacy, and each claiming to be the Pinnacle to which any Master Mason may aspire. We have spread ourselves thin, and Ancient Craft Masonry is the loser. Downgraded, the Symbolic Lodge is used only as a springboard. A short-sighted Craft we have been to create in our beloved Fraternity a condition wherein the tail can, and may wag the dog."
Whither Are We Traveling?
Bibliography
Masonic Proliferation, Harry L. Steinberg, Walter F. Meier Lodge of Research, No. 281, F. & A. M., Seattle, Washington.
Pocket History of Freemasonry, Fred L. Pick, G. Norman Knight and Frederick Smith.
Beyond The Craft, Keith B. Jackson.
Whither Are We Traveling?, Dwight L. Smith, P.G.M., Grand Lodge of Indiana.
An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Albert G. Mackey, Vol. I (A L) Vol. 11 (M Z).
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by Joseph E. Bennett, MPS
"Good evening, y'all, this is Hal Kemp." That familiar greeting, unheard for half a century, snapped me to attention recently as I listened to a tape for the first time. Over the years, I have collected as many of the records of the Hal Kemp Orchestra as possible. This happened to be a recording of the band broadcasting live from a theater in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1939. Hal was introducing his own numbers from the stage. That long-still voice brought back memories that hadn't been dusted off for many years. One that is painful is the recollection of the tragic finish of one of the most gifted musical personalities of the Big Band Era.
Many of you recall that during the afternoon of December 19, 1940, James Hal Kemp kept his own appointment with destiny. He was driving in a heavy fog near Madera, California, when a heavy truck loomed ahead in the oncoming lane. Suddenly, it crossed over to Hal's side of the road. Hal swerved right as far as possible, but it wasn't enough. With a sickening crash, the two vehicles collided. The new Lincoln Continental convertible Hal was driving absorbed the impact on the driver's side. Only he was injured. His passenger, one of the band members, was unscathed. Hal was taken to a hospital where his injuries were diagnosed as some broken ribs and a fractured leg. Typically, his first thoughts were concern for his parents.
Hal's first act was to phone his father and mother from his hospital bed and assure them his injuries were not serious, and that he would be back to work in a month or so. He was anxious that they not learn of his accident through the news media. Unknown to the doctors attending him, there were complications. A rib had punctured a lung and fluid was accumulating. His condition worsened as pneumonia developed. In those days before antibiotics, that was a grave medical emergency. On December 21, 1940, Hal Kemp was dead.
As the band played his beautiful theme, "How I'll Miss You When Summer Is Gone," I was suddenly 13 years old again, Iying in front of the old Majestic radio back home in Butler, Pennsylvania. WGM was a powerful station then, and many of the bands broadcasting from Chicago were on the air late at night. Henry Busse, Art Kassell, and Dick Jurgens, along with their orchestras, filled the airways with music. From the Blackhawk came the music of Hal Kemp and his premier orchestra with the most distinctive sound I had ever listened to. That was 1935.
The hallmark of an orchestra before World War II was its musical style. If the arrangements were successfully written, even a casual listener could identify the band. This was particularly true of the Hal Kemp Orchestra. He offered the smoothest, most sophisticated music of the 1930's, with a style that was entirely new. He was the darling of the college crowd, and the popularity was no accident. The band worked incredibly hard to perfect their music, and Hal led the way by example. He charted over half the arrangements himself, assisted by John Scott Trotter. Hal's brother, T.D. Kemp, Jr., recollects that he worked on arrangements at least two or three times each week after the band finished, continuing through the balance of the night and well into the morning, The arrangements incorporated at least two distinctive musical devices that remained part of the Kemp style for the life of the band. They were often imitated, but never used with the same amount of success the Kemp band enjoyed. One was the practice of having the trumpet section play staccato triplets, blown into tightly-muted horns. It is occasionally reported that his practice was adopted not only to accent the melody, but to provide support for popular singer Skinnay Ennis, who had difficulty sustaining a note. It worked so well that the style was retained for the life of the band, long after Ennis had departed, and it always identified Kemp music. Another innovation was to have the clarinets play very softly into large megaphones, producing the lovely tone that so effectively presented the reed section. The total effect was striking, and with dedicated work, the band vaulted into national prominence.
The story of Hal Kemp is one of success destined to happen. If ancestral lineage is a factor in producing distinguished descendants, the Kemp family had it made. Hal was born in Marion, Alabama, on March 27, 1904. He was the third child of Thomas Dupre Kemp and Lelia Ellyn Rush Kemp, who were married in 1888. The oldest of the children was Hal's sister, Marie, followed by brother T.D., Jr.. Hal was christened James Hal, after his father's brother, a prominent doctor living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Lelia Kemp was a direct descendent of Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Rush was a prominent Philadelphia doctor, and Surgeon-General of the Continental Army, under George Washington. Thomas Kemp was a native of Mississippi and a graduate civil engineer of the state university. His first position was surveying new rail lines for the Southern Railway System.
The year before Hal was born, his father left Southern Railway and moved the family to Marion, Alabama, in order to construct and operate an electric generating plant in the town. This was the town's first electric power facility. The family loved Marion, and prospered for some years. Here, young Hal received his first musical training. His sister, Marie, an accomplished pianist of professional stature, began teaching him the instrument when he was 4 years old. By the time he was 9, he was quite skilled. The young musician next turned his attention to the marching band at the Marion Military Institute. It was under the baton of Band Master Taverna, an outstanding teacher. Hal attended band rehearsals and soon became Mr. Taverna's pupil. After a year of tutoring, he became a member of the band, playing a trumpet purchased from Sears and Roebuck. His musical interest soon expanded to saxaphone and clarinet and he quickly mastered those instruments.
When Hal was 14 years old, the family moved from Marion to Charlotte, North Carolina. His father sold the electric plant to the newly-formed Alabama Power Company. They were able to offer a lower-priced service than was possible with the little plant in Marion. World War I was just starting, and Mr. Kemp went to Washington to offer his services to the Railway Administration. He was assigned to Charlotte, and took the family with him.
Hal's musical interest continued unabated in Charlotte. He organized a little orchestra at the church his family attended, and recruited John Scott Trotter as a member of the group. With Hal on the clarinet and Trotter playing the piano, the orchestra produced music that enjoyed immediate acceptance. Before long, they became the "Merrymakers" and were active beyond the confines of the church. They performed for many school and community functions, with Hal and Trotter sparking the group. Before long, it was time for college, and Hal was destined for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His parents, while enthusiastically supporting his musical endeavors, insisted that he and his brother prepare themselves for a career in business. That was not Hal's plan, however. He soon assembled an orchestra at the university, and put together the nucleus of the musical aggregation that would sweep the country off its collective feet in a few short years. John Scott Trotter entered the university the year after Hal, and became a charter member of the group, along with Horace "Saxie" Dowell, Ben Williams, and drummer Skinnay Ennis.
T.D. Kemp, Jr. received a call from Chapel Hill one spring morning, enlisting his aid in getting Hal and the boys a booking on a passenger ship to Europe during the summer. T.D. was graduated from college and working for Westinghouse in New York City as an engineer. He was soon devoting many lunch hours trying to market the band Hal had so enthusiastically pronounced an outstanding musical group. Eventually, T.D. met band leader Paul Specht who was handling bookings on some of the passenger ships between New York and Europe. After much persuasion, Specht agreed to audition the band from Chapel Hill. Hal and the boys collected the $3.00 required for passage on the overnight boat from Norfolk, Virginia to New York City, and eventually arrived at the audition hall, after a Keystone Kop ride with their instruments loaded into two taxicabs. The band ran through a few of their best numbers. Specht then handed Hal two stock arrangements and asked him to have the boys play them. This was a touchy spot, and Hal took a gamble. Knowing that some of the men could not read music, he asked for two hours to rehearse before playing the stock arrangements. Since it was lunch time, Specht agreed. Hal taught each man who could not read music his part, by rote. Two hours later, they delivered a polished performance. Specht was impressed and agreed to try to secure a booking for the band. About a week later, Hal received a call at Chapel Hill informing him that the band was booked on a Cunard liner to London the first week in June. Specht accompanied the band on the trip, and liked their music so well he booked them into the Picadilly Hotel in London for a month and sent a replacement group back to the states in their place.
During their first London engagement, the band recorded their first sides, six numbers in all, for British Columbia Records. They were assigned to return to the United States on the plush liner Berengeria. The future King Edward VIII, then the Prince of Wales, was a passenger on the ocean liner, making his first trip to America. A music enthusiast, the Prince listened to Hal and the band frequently during the trip. He requested that they play after hours for his selected guests, and took a turn at the drums, with Hal's permission. The press corps traveling with the prince spread the news, via wireless from the ship, telling of the young prince's admiration for the music of the Kemp band. When they arrived in New York, they were met by Specht with news of many bookings offered as a result of the publicity. He urged the boys to stay out of school for the fall semester and cash in on the opportunities. The boys obtained permission to skip a semester, and it seemed that the band was on its way.
Specht urged T.D. Kemp, Jr. to leave Westinghouse and take a position with him as a talent agent, at twice the salary he was then receiving. A long affection for the music and entertainment field, plus the monetary rewards, persuaded T.D. to agree. Hal and the band returned to Chapel Hill in January to resume college studies. They remained active musically throughout the balance of the winter, and through the following summer. The urge was, by then, too great to ignore. The band headed for Broadway and an engagement at the Strand Roof arranged by T.D. Kemp. The year was 1927. Hal and the band were a big hit, and soon signed a long-term contract with Brunswick Records. In 1930 the Kemp band was booked for a long engagement at London's exclusive Cafe de Paris. Their old fan, the Prince of Wales, was a frequent guest.
Hal was booked into the Blackhawk in Chicago in 1934 for a long stay. During that time, he rehearsed the band incessantly, perfecting their distinctive style until the ensemble performed with machine-like precision. They were a sensation in Chicago and throughout the country, thanks to numerous air spots on the powerful radio station WGN. Kemp music became familiar in every household in America. During the long stay at the Blackhawk, Hal was able to make many road trips, enhancing the band's reputation with personal appearances. He was able to befriend band leader Kay Kyser by obtaining a slot for him at the Blackhawk as house orchestra while the Kemp band was on the road. Kyser attended the University of North Carolina, too, and Hal insisted that Kay organize a band there after he departed.
Sometimes, there were problems within the band. Hal's book of arrangements was extremely difficult. Some of the musicians had trouble mastering them, and Hal found it necessary to tutor them individually, with an assist from John Scott Trotter. This generated an undeserved rumor that some of the band members were poor readers. T.D. states that only Ben Williams had a real problem, and Hal was extremely loyal to him as one of the original band members. One or two of the men were heavy drinkers, too. This was particularly a problem with Earl Geiger, Hal's fine lead trumpet. His high living habits had him out of the band in 1936, the same year John Scott Trotter left to become Bing Crosby's musical director. Trotter left with Hal's blessing. He had known Bing since his Paul Whiteman days as one of the Rythmn Boys. Bing was a frequent drop-in visitor to the Kemp band rehearsals, and had come to admire Trotter's fine musical ability. Bunny Berigan, the fine jazz trumpeter, was with the band for a time during its early years, but his penchant for alcohol led to his downfall, too. Hal eventually encouraged Skinnay Ennis to leave the band, and provided financial assistance after he was assured by Bob Hope that the new orchestra formed by the popular vocalist would be used on the comedian's numerous road trips, as well as on the Pepsodent Show.
Skinnay had gained national prominence as a vocalist after trying his first vocal number as a joke. He was the band drummer, an assignment he retained for his entire stay with the group. Ennis did not really have a legitimate singing voice, but his breathless, stylized vocals caught on, and became identified with the Kemp sound. His vocal partner with the Kemp Orchestra was Bob Allen, a fine, well-trained singer who shared the spotlight with Skinnay for many years.
Hal Kemp was a truly gifted musician. He preferred the clarinet, but was equally expert on the alto saxaphone. For the life of the band, he played lead, with many solos, in the reed section. His preference leaned toward classical music, and he intended to form a semiclassical orchestra. He had worked to make this financially possible for a number of years. Hal was under contract to perform as guest conductor for the famous Chicago Symphony Orchestra in June, 1941, but death prevented that engagement.
Tragedy overtook a couple of band alumni, in addition to Hal Kemp. Skinnay Ennis died years later, choking to death in a Hollywood restaurant while dating Girl singer Nan Wynn, who sang briefly with Hal in 1939, and later with Raymond Scott, contracted skin cancer on her face. She later died by her own hand after leaving the entertainment business
The same personal attributes that marked Hal Kemp as a generous and caring friend eminently qualified him to become a Freemason. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the youth of America, he was awarded the Honorary Legion of Honor from the Order of DeMolay on October 29, 1935. The DeMolay records indicate that the conferral was in New York City. T.D. Kemp insists it was in Washington, D.C., and has the pictures of the affair, in which he and his father were part of the audience. The ceremony was an impressive occasion, attended by many dignitaries who had gathered to honor the famous band leader. Receiving the honor with Hal, was his close friend and band member, Horace "Saxie" Dowell. Due to the nature of the music business in the years before World War II, and the constant traveling imposed on its members, we have been unable to uncover Kemp's Lodge affiliation. A number of friends have searched diligently, to no avail. Unfortunately, the Order of DeMolay does not have records of Masonic Lodge affiliations of the recipients of the Honorary Legion of Honor prior to 1950, although it was a prerequisite for the conferral. Therefore, Hal Kemp's Masonic Lodge is a mystery at this time, as far as the writer is concerned.
Hal was the father of three children. In 1933, he was married to Margaret Slaughter of Dallas, Texas. This union was blessed with a daughter and a son. Sally Rush Kemp was a prominent actress prior to her marriage, and Hal Kemp, Jr. is the manager of a Florida hotel, with no connection to the music business. Hal's second marriage was to Martha Stephenson, of a prominent New York family, originating from Alabama. Their only child, Helen, was a baby at the time of Hal's death. Their permanent home from 1936 until the fatal accident was a spacious estate called Denbrook Lodge, near Morristown, New Jersey. Prior to that time, Hal resided for many years in Forest Hills, Long Island. He never had much time for recreation, but he was an avid golfer, and played every time he had an opportunity. He was very good, and once won a city tournament in Columbus, Ohio, when the band was playing there. He was a faithful church attender his entire life, and totally abstained from alcohol. This trait was unquestionably a source of pride for his mother, once state president of the WCTU in North Carolina. Kemp's generosity was lengendary. A favorite tale concerns his trip to North Carolina to spend a weekend rehearsing the Johnny Long Orchestra for an important debut, just to lend a helping hand. Money meant little to Hal, except as a means to achieve a goal or to help someone. Prominent on the list of those he helped financially to form bands were Saxie Dowell, Nye Mayhew, Skinnay Ennis, and Johnny Long. He always remarked that he appreciated the help given him during his early years by so many generous people.
The Kemp group, like most other bands offering smooth dancing rythmns to the public in preference to the more strident jazz sounds, endured some unwarranted criticism. The "critics" during the Big Band Era preferred the swinging orchestras, and often made slurring references to "Mickey Mouse" or "commercial" music. Guy Lombardo, Wayne King, and numerous other famous bands received the same treatment as Hal occasionally endured. The test of time proved the critics wrong, though. The sweet, smooth sounds of Kemp and his contemporaries still survive today. They pleased the public, the ultimate judge of quality.
Hal, throughout his career, had the unique ability to create an impressive arrangement, working with only a trifling melody. Many mediocre tunes sparkled when showcased by one of his arrangements. An example of what he could do with such a number can be appreciated when you listen to the Kemp treatment of "Puddinhead Jones" or "Lamplight," two of the 450 songs recorded by the band over the years. Hal was assisted with the arranging chores by Hal Mooney after Trotter joined the Crosby team. He also used Claude Thornhill, a prominent arranger and pianist, for many years. It is also important that we mention his fine road manager, Alex Holden. He was a faithful friend who spent many years with the band, and was with him until the end.
The orchestra had completed a very successful engagement at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 18, 1940. They were scheduled to open the following Monday evening at the famous Hotel Mark Hopkins in San Francisco. Hal and Martha had planned to drive to the new location on Sunday, December 19th. Baby Helen was slightly ill, so Hal decided to drive to San Francisco without them. They were to take an airplane later. Kemp pointed the hood of the big Lincoln northward and kept his date with destiny that foggy Sunday afternoon. You know the rest. Hal was injured and died two days later. The trucker who caused the accident was declared negligent and liable.
The horrifying news was flashed to a shocked country. At 36 years of age, one of America's most gifted entertainers was gone. The remains were transported home to Charlotte, accompanied by a large company of friends and family. Many of the great personalities of the musical world, and a legion of Hal's personal friends, attended final services. To the strains of his favorite hymn, "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere," the gracious, gentle Hal Kemp was laid to rest in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Charlotte. The recording companies rushed memorial albums to countries all over the country with collections of Hal's most notable numbers. The band fulfilled all contractual commitments, directed by Bob Allen, Skinnay Ennis, and John Scott Trotter. When the last strains of those great arrangements died away, the Kemp sound was gone forever. Only the wonderful recordings remain to keep memories alive.
Almost immediately, the family was beseiged by offers to continue the band under the Hal Kemp name. All the Kemps closed ranks and adamantly refused all propositions. Hal was gone and there would never be another, thus no person could continue to produce his music. James Hal Kemp was simply unique.
Today, T.D. Kemp, Jr. still lives and is active in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a Mason, as was Thomas Dupre Kemp, along with brother Hal. He owns and operates a large talent marketing agency in Charlotte, and has for many years. Over the years, he had maintained contact with singer Bob Allen, retired and living in California. Last week, T.D. received the sad news that Allen was gone, too. None of the great band are alive today. The warm memories of that grand music will always remain. Whenever this writer hears the strains of "How I'll Miss You When Summer Is Gone," Hal Kemp will live again. He wrote the tune one summer when he met and courted a lovely young lady. He left it for all his fans who remember.
Material Source
Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer, Jr.: The Pictorial History of Jazz, Bonanza Books, New York.
George T. Simon: The Big Bands, The Macmillan Company, New York.
Leo Walker: The Big Band Almanac, Vinewood Enterprises, Inc., Hollywood, California.
Biographical annotator notes from Hindsight Records:
Brad McGuen, RCA Victor Dave Dexter, Jr., Sherman Oaks, California
Records of the Grand Lodge AF & AM of North Carolina.
Records of the Supreme Council, Order of DeMolay.
Numerous interviews, taped and written, with T.D. Kemp, Jr., in 1988 and 1989.
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The Unknown Origin of the United States Constitution
by Walter P. Benesch, MPS
The United States Constitution is a great document. We proudly celebrate the 200th anniversary of its ratification. Yet do we know all of its roots? Many of the concepts in the Constitution came from our English heritage. A judiciary separate from a representative legislature is found in England. The Magna Carta of 1215, the Petition of Rights in 1628, and the English Bill of Rights of 1689 were all known to our founding fathers. But were these the only sources of inspiration to our founding fathers?
Before our Constitution and three hundred years before Thomas Jefferson's birth, there was a Confederacy of peoples with a representative form of government created to form a union of separate states, provide for a common defense, promote the welfare of each member state. Such a government was not found in England, France, nor any country in Europe or Asia. Where was it? If you guessed Onondaga in New York State, you're right.
To the Native Americans the Ho-DeNo-Sau-Nee League was known far and wide. That's the name member nations called the government just described. It was originally composed of five tribal nations; the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk. Later the Tuscarora and the Delaware joined what we know as the Iroquois Confederacy. An understanding of the unwritten Constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy sheds light on a little acknowledged source of inspiration our founding fathers had.
According to the tribal history, the Confederacy was founded thousands of years ago by two men; the "Peacemaker," who was sent by the Great Spirit, and an Onondaga exile named A-yawen-tha, or more commonly known as Hiawatha. Most white historians say Hiawatha actually united the five waring nations some time prior to 1400. Hiawatha individually petitioned each of the 50 chiefs of these five tribes to assemble at the first Great Council on the shores of Lake Onondaga. There they planted the tree of peace - a white pine, under which they buried their weapons of war. Hiawatha proclaimed: "If any nation outside of the Five Nations shall show a desire to obey the laws of the Great Peace they may trace the roots to this source and they shall be welcomed to take shelter beneath the Tree" (Arden, 1987, p. 382).
How did five tribes have fifty chiefs? Each chief headed a clan. As clan chief he was called a "sachem." With over ten clans scattered among the Five Nations you ended up with fifty clan sachems or chiefs. The actual number depended upon the number of clans within a tribe. Some clans were more powerful and larger than others as were some tribes. The number of representative sachems reflected the power and influence of the tribes and clans more than population. Thus the distribution of representation of the tribes by their clan chiefs in the Great Council varied with the size and importance of the tribe and its clans. The founding tribe, the Onondaga, though not the largest, was given 14 seats, the Cayuga 10, the Oneida 9, the Seneca 8 and the Mohawk 9 making fifty total.
The sachems were always male. But a woman could serve as a temporary regent for a boy too young to serve as a sachem. A sachem's seat was passed on through a line of inheritance, similar to England's House of Lords. The title sachem passed through the maternal lineage clan. A man or boy would be nominated by the women of the clan. The male members confirmed the nomination (it was rarely rejected). Since the clan members could only marry outside the clan, wives were not of the same clan as their husbands. Thus the sachem seat passed through the maternal line; fathers could not pass on their seat to their sons, but rather to a younger brother or a sister's son. This prevented the rise of political families and possible family conspiracies.
Sachems of the Council controlled all the external affairs of the Confederacy. However, the Council had no voice over the internal affairs of a member Nation. This insured a form of "state's rights" long before the first state in the United States was formed. Within each Nation a tribal council dealt with the internal problems and could only act on matters which concerned the tribe.
Both the tribal and Confederacy councils were based on a similar structure. Problems raised in council were allowed full hearing with all the sachems being permitted to express their opinion. All decisions had to be unanimous to protect the diverse interests of all the tribes and clans. At the same time a particular sachem could be removed from his special function if he failed to follow the will of the council. The cornerstone of a more perfect union was formed within the councils.
Domestic tranquility was insured by the union of the five (later more) former enemies. If threatened or if at war with a neighboring tribe, such as the Huron or Erie, the Council united the Nations for the common defense and crushed their enemies. The distribution of the spoils of conquest and the free trade within the Five Nations insured a degree of welfare for each person. Such a distribution of Confederation benefits to the individual continues today (Arden, op et).
Did our founding fathers know about the Confederacy? According to Clark Wissler (1966, p. 130), Connecticut and Pennsylvania had formal discussions with the head Council sachem about the nature and structure of the League in 1744. Both colonies adopted many of the provisions of the League into their own colonial governments. In 1775 an Iroquois sachem made a speech before the Albany assembly. He described the structure of the Confederacy and the benefits derived from that structure. Some members of the assembly who heard the chief became part of the New York delegation to the signing of the Declaration of Independence less than a year later. Coincidence? Perhaps not for a decade later some of these same New Yorkers sat in the Constitution Convention which met to revise the Articles of Confederation.
In 1784 Brother Marquis de Lafayette and James Madison took a trip to upstate New York. The occasion was the preliminary ceremonies to the signing of the formal peace treaty between the United States Government and the Nations of the Iroquois (a treaty still in the Confederacy's position, see Arden, 1987). James Madison spent some hours discussing many of the details of the Confederacy with the sachems present. Only three years later Madison would be credited as the principal author of the Constitution. Lafayette noted after the ceremonies and meetings that the constitution of the Great Law of Peace presented by "those forest diplomats" was worthy of great praise (Arden, 1987). Both Lafayette and Madison were amazed how the unwritten constitution of the confederacy embodied strength through union yet ensured free expression and a representative government, with a built-in system of checks and balances.
Ben Franklin cited the Iroquois Confederacy as a fine example of the successful union of several sovereign states. Franklin's knowledge of the Confederacy greatly influenced the writing of Jean Jacques Rousseau, the great French philosopher, who keyed the phrase "noble savages" after the Iroquois. Even the English economist/political scientist John Locke knew about the Confederacy from the talks and presentations of Sachem "King Hendricks." Chief Hendricks visited England in 1710, on invitation from the Crown, to discuss the political structure of the Confederacy and to make some formal trading agreements with the English (Arden, 1987). This visit culminated with chief Hendrick being "lionized" by Queen Anne.
Unfortunately, most of the Constitution's celebrations ignored the influence the Five Nations of the Iroquois had on our founding fathers and our principles of Government. It is also interesting to note that our Native Americans formed their representative government 300 years or more before the European immigrants even dreamed of becoming an independent nation. Our celebrations seem to have a historical black hole of knowledge. A Native American group, so far ahead of traditional "Western" political thought, seems to have overwhelmed our present day historians who rather ignore than acknowledge the Iroquois contribution.
As for myself, I celebrate the 200th birthday of the Constitution's ratification, with the tempered enthusiasm and praise, humbly acknowledging the great Hiawatha. He laid many of the Constitution's foundations and principles 500 to 2000 years ago, depending on which historians we accept. No matter when Hiawatha manifested his dream of a peaceful government of united tribes, let the United States be thankful that his dream reached farther than he ever imagined. For we rightfully celebrate the 200th birthday of the ratification of our founding fathers' greatest document and Hiawatha's greatest achievement.
References
Arden, Harvey: "The Fire That Never Dies," National Geographic, Vol. 172, #3, Sept. 87, p. 370-403.
Spencer, Robert F., Jesse D. Jennings, et. al.: The Native Americans, Harper and Row, New York, 1965.
Wissler, Clark: Indians of the United States, Doubleday, 1966.
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Please Note
On October 14, 1989 the Grand Lodge of Connecticut AF&AM and The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Connecticut both voted to recognize one another as legitimate Masonic bodies and to permit intervisitation. This does not include affiliation or membership, merely recognition and intervisitation.
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Yesterday, Today, But What About Tomorrow ?
by Ronald V. Boale, MPS
There are obviously many serious problems with which we Freemasons are confronted, and they will not disappear of their own volition. The vital question with which we are all faced is, "What are we going to do about this situation?" Or more importantly, do we intend to really do something concrete about this crucial set of obstacles which are causing a giant erosion of our institution.
Whether we like to admit it or not, the world we now live in is vastly different from what it was just a few years ago, and it will continue in this direction, whether we like it or not.
The fundamental values have changed significantly, and society in general is daily bombarded with an increasing host of choices as to value judgements required for general determination as to what particular decision is to be made, and under what circumstances.
The average person is caught up in non-essential trivia, and does not want to get involved in the fundamental process of thinking. A sad state of affairs, to put it mildly. This turn of affairs is basically caused by fear. Many have become paralyzed by what they see going on in the streets, let alone in the world at large.
When you look at mankind in its entirety it is enough to scare the wits out of anybody, so the tendency is to climb into one's shell, close the eyes both physically and mentally, pull the proverbial blankets over the head and hope that most of the problems will just go away or at least not affect us personally. The terrible scourge of drugs, and wholesale mayhem in many cities, is a much more serious problem than most people realize. It is a form of mass suicide, and is literally out of control.
Hunger in this day and age is unacceptable in our society, and yet it is rampant. The water we drink, the air we breathe, and a general recognition that this Earth upon which we depend for our very existence, this satellite flying through space, our home, is today extremely vulnerable, and is dying on the vine.
We desperately need a universal means of collective recognition of the frightening situation in which we find ourselves. Specifically how all this pertains to Freemasonry is the real question. Can we stand idly by and assume that this trap into which we have fallen is none of our business?
We are told that 25% of those who take the first Degree, never return for the subsequent Degrees. They pay their money then disappear. There is a reason for everything, so let us take the question apart and see if we can find some of the answers which can be dealt with. Are there some changes which could be made which are, in their present form the underlying causes of this dilemma? If so, are they soluble without tampering with the basic intent of our Order and all that it represents?
Surely we have reached the point where the response had better be "Yes."
I know of two questionnaires which were personally sent out to one California Lodge during the past five years, and I also know the gist of the reactions of a number of the 600 members involved and that should count for something. Incidentally, out of this 600 membership, less than 10% show up at the average meeting, and that is most disquieting to say the least. These questionnaires encompassed the entire situation with respect to the general disinterest of the large number of members who had already decided not to attend Lodge, for several of the following reasons.
1. They said that they were bored with the repetition and that the degrees were invariably poorly produced from a vocal as well as interesting standpoint. This observation was presented by the majority, and did not include those who had a specific hearing problem. This vocal repetition even if thoroughly understood can be somewhat hypnotizing.
2. A considerable amount of time is required in memorizing vast passages of ritual which in itself is extremely difficult for those who are getting up in years, let alone the average person.
3. This memory work by itself is currently a specific requisite for advancement in the line. Here is one place where there is a definite roadblock. It is not the content of the work itself which is the hazard for officers seeking advancement, but rather the actual time necessary for consuming this much verbiage to memory, unless you are fortunate enough to possess a photographic mental capability far beyond the gift of the few. Then you have to take the words after you have memorized them and project them in the Lodge so that all, particularly the Candidate is mentally moved. This exercise develops self-discipline without any question. But is there something more important to the degree upon which this time could be spent ?
4. There is also the need for leadership qualities, basic business acumen and organizational skills to pull the Lodge together as a unit.
5. The myriad outside influences which tug at the brain from every conceivable angle tend to create a mental gridlock.
6. When a member has been absent from his Lodge for a period of time, an overall consuming fear that he will become embarrassed when he is examined upon returning is somewhat natural and a number of members have from time to time, found themselves in this position and for that particular reason, actual or not, made their determination not to return, based solely upon this consideration.
7. There are some who will blame the penalties for lack of attendance, but this appears to be more of an excuse than a legitimate reason.
8. Some considerable discussion in open Lodge should take place before the procedure of initiation, so that he who is about to become involved with something which hopefully will leave a distinctly positive and lasting impression upon his mind, will have a much clearer picture of what is about to take place and what it represents. In some Lodges this does take place to some extent but not to a sufficient degree.
9. At least once a month and preferably more often as time permits, a general interchange of ideas should be brought to the surface in open Lodge and examined with the idea of engendering a much greater sense of awareness as to "What Freemasonry is and what it is not."
The basic tenets of Freemasonry, if taught more fully would bring about a much safer, saner and kinder world.
The ozone layer, acid rain, air pollution and the total disintegration of human lives is bad enough, but the pain and suffering which is continuing in many parts of the world is completely beyond the realm of rationality. Bodies torn apart in local wars and no solution to remotely compensate for this mass murder. Are we just a group of lemmings with no mental decision-making process? Are we flesh and blood dolls playthings to be discarded like rubble on the trash-heap?
We do not need an atomic war to destroy the last vestige of life on this planet.
The way we are going, we will bury ourselves in our own pollution, mental as well as physical.
What group of individuals will unify and bring into focus for all the world to see, the bottomless pit into which we are falling?
It could, and should, and can be the Freemasons, before it is too late.
We cover the Free World and have the capacity to influence the entire species of man throughout this ball hurtling through space. The force behind Freemasonry is possibly and probably the only form of energy strong enough to make a difference, for one basic reason. It is motivated by that intangible yet very real factor. The Brotherhood of man under the Fatherhood of God.
We do not have to discuss politics or religion in the narrow sense of the word, but there is still time for action.
Food is plentiful for most people in our society, but while we eat, many go without, and worldwide, millions starve to death.
Crime runs rampant in our cities. Our waters are polluted. Fish and other wildlife are dying, the air we breathe is filled with noxious fumes, and very little attention is being paid to these current calamities. One day we will wake up and it may be too late to turn the tide.
If you took all the concentrated knowledge and conviction held by Freemasons of this world and put it in capsule form, instead of hiding it, it might be just enough to turn on the positive lights within the rest of mankind and be the end of the beginning, rather than the beginning of the end.
We are in an age of competition, and unless we recognize the fact and deal with this reality, it is just a question of time, which governs our lives, along with space, before we are relegated to the gradual disappearance of our beautiful and very necessary institution.
The bottom line is compete or die. Unless we can inject our institution with sufficient dynamism to counteract the pulling power of television, football, basketball, baseball, bowling and the like, we are destined to gradually lose the interest of our members.
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A "Travelling Man "
by James E. Twomey, MPS
W.D. Howells is quoted as saying the following words to Mark Twain in 1899:
You have pervaded your century almost more than any other man of letters, if not more; and it is astonishing how you keep spreading. (1)
There is a great deal of truth to this statement
even today, not only on account of Twain's continuing popularity around
the world, but because the metaphor of "spreading," when applied to his
life, largely accounts for the reason why Twain was, and still remains,
the "Lincoln of our literature." Mark Twain was not the typical arm-chair
philosopher/humorist; quite the contrary, even from a very early age, he
was forced to take personal responsibility for his life and those whom
he loved. Providentially, perhaps, Twain's growth into manhood occurred
at the same time (and in many of the same places) as our Nation was coming
of age. This, combined with the sensitive humanity with which he recorded
scenes of America in the latter half of the nineteenth century, made his
works mirrors while they were new and time capsules of days gone-bye, now.
This article will touch upon the early life of Mark Twain, his pre-Huckle
berry Finn works, and how Freemasonry affected both of these.
The Early Life of Samuel L. Clemens
We know so much about Twain's public and personal life because of the work of Albert Bigelow Paine who took notes while Twain dictated his autobiography and edited many of Twain's speeches and letters for publication. Paine also wrote Mark Twain: A Biography (1912) which was published shortIy after its subject's death. Since any public library can satisfy the reader's interest in Twain's life, we shall only consider his early character and its development.
Mark Twain is the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, but we shall follow tradition and call him by the river-boat phrase he made famous. Twain's father was a lawyer with ambitious dreams that never came true for him or his family. He drifted from rural Kentucky to Florida, MO to the Mississippi River town of Hannibal, Missouri. On the night that his luck was about to change (he was elected Justice of the Peace), John Clemens rode home in a storm which brought on a fatal fever. (2) He died when Mark was just eleven.
The young man was apprenticed to a printer about a year later, and like Benjamin Franklin before him, he learned a great deal about life and humanity through this craft. Mark Twain was a strong believer in Divine Providence - and he had good reason to be one. While learning printing "for room and board," he was walking one windy afternoon when "he overtook a flying scrap of paper which proved to be a leaf from some old history of Joan of Arc." (3) He read it and it charged him with a sense of historical interest and yearning for social justice than never left him.
Later, seeking riches like his father, he thought of going to South America to become a cocoa farmer, but like his father he was without the means of doing so Again, the wind of Providence supplied him with a piece of paper - only this time it was a $50.00 dollar bill. This allowed him to travel to Cincinnati where he worked at his trade saving up for the big trip to the equator. He boarded a steam ship named Paul Jones and before they were half-way to New Orleans, he had convinced its pilot to teach him the skill of river-boat navigation. The romance and prestige of this occupation satisfied Mark for four wonderful years of personal growth and monetary reward (much of which he sent back to his mother and older brother, Orion). Mark also took his pen name from this profession: Mark Twain means two fathoms [12 ft.] and was a call which told the pilot there was good, deep water ahead. These years also gave us his timeless work, Life on the Mississippi (1883).
The Masonic Career of Mark Twain According to Paine, (4) an interesting document was found in Twain's riverboat notebook. It reads:
How to Take Life - Take it just as though it was - as it is – an earnest, vital, and important affair. Take it as though you were born to the task of performing a merry part in it - as though the world had awaited for your coming. Take it as though it was a grand opportunity to do and achieve, to forward great and good schemes; to help and cheer a suffering, weary, it may be heartbroken, brother …. the power that elevates the few, is to be found in their industry, application, and perserverance under the promptings of a brave, determined spirit.
This passage almost reads like the E. A. Third Section lecture in microcosm, and it surely influenced Mark's young character.
Back to the river, Lincoln was sworn in as president on March 4, 1861 and six weeks later, Ft. Sumter was fired upon. Mark was a passenger on a steamer named Uncle Sam, but took the wheel when they were fired upon from Jefferson barracks. He piloted the last boat to make the trip from New Orleans to St. Louis. (5) About four weeks later. on May 22, 1861 Mark Twain stood before the sacred altar of Freemasonry in Polar Star Lodge #79 in St. Louis. He was passed to the degree of Fellow Craft on June 12, and raised to M. M. on July 10. (6) Although he would never become active in Symbolic Lodge, everything Twain devoted his attention to left its imprint upon his character; thus, we would expect to see this evident in his writings.
It is interesting to note that neither Paine nor Twain mention the Masonic Fraternity in their biographical works, letters, or speeches (so far as the author's research has been able to discern). Twain probably joined the fraternity on the advice of a fellow riverboat pilot or soldier.
Remember, passions were running high on both sides of the issue which divided this Nation at that time, and those passions were often expressed in enlistment into the armed forces. Mark Twain was no exception. He returned to Hannibal to join a local group of friends who had formed a company of confederate soldiers. After two miserable weeks of fighting hunger, sprained ankles, and bugs, Twain resigned his commission (these were given rather freely in those days). Another biographer quotes Twain as saying to General Harris that he had become "incapacitated by fatigue caused by persistent retreating." (7) He returned to St. Louis to join his brother who had been appointed secretary to Nevada Territory. They left on duly 26, 1861 by coach and began the wonderful journey which is related in Roughing It.
They arrived in Carson City on August 14; as his brother began his duties, Mark began to sight-see and observe frontier life for several months until he caught "Silver Fever" and went mining in Humbolt County, Nevada. He gave this up after one week of failures with a pick axe and returned to Carson City January 29, 1862. He is recorded as a visiting Brother in Carson City Lodge, U.D. in February and March, 1862. He left that city for mining again and tried to convince himself that there was no easy money to be had - this took three months. Finally, it seems he gave up his father's romantic visions and settled for a job with the Virginia City (Nevada) Enterprise at $25.00 per week. Thus began his writing career.
Twain worked for several papers commenting upon frontier life and character. He published his first book of short stories and sketches on May 1, 1867, and travelled to the Holy Land on a pleasure excursion. The letters he sent back from this trip were published in a newspaper and he began to have a following of readers who appreciated his wit, humor, and philosophy. Because of his travels and relative poverty, he had failed to keep up his dues, but he was reinstated into his Lodge on April 24, 1867. He left for the Holy Land on June 8 and while in the Middle East, he obtained a piece of cedar from Lebanon and had it fashioned into a gavel while he was in Egypt. He bought a Bible for his mother and dated it 9-24-67, and returned to America mid-November of that year.
He presented the gavel to his Lodge in St. Louis on April 8, 1868 with this note: "This mallet is a cedar, cut in the forest of Lebanon, whence Solomon obtained the timbers for the temple." Denslow says, "Clemens cut the handle himself from a cedar just outside the walls of Jerusalem." Twain demitted from his Lodge on October 8, 1868 and two weeks later contracted with the American Publishing Co. for his book Innocents Abroad; or The New Pilgrims Progress which came out on July 20, 1869. This is an ironic title for the reason that the author of the original Pilgrim's Progress (1678) was also a Freemason. (8)
The Masonic career of Mark Twain was probably ended with his demitting - for the reasons only he will fully know - as Denslow states that there is no evidence that he affiliated with another Lodge while he lived in Hartford, CT during the rest of his life. But, this statement may be premature because this subject still awaits exhaustive research. At any rate, it will become clear that Masonic principles and allusions appear in many of the writings of Mark Twain. Masonic Allusions in Twain's Works Twain's first widely read book was Innocents Abroad, and in it he shares his thoughts: "And down towards the south east lay a landscape that suggested to my mind a quotation (imperfectly remembered, no doubt):
"The Ephraimites, not being called upon to share in the rich spoils of the Ammonitish war, assembled a mighty host to fight against Jeptha, Judge of Israel; who, being apprised of their approach, gathered together the men of Israel and gave them battle and put them to flight. To make his victory the more secure, he stationed guards at the different fords and passages of the Jordan, with instructions to let none pass who could not say Shibboleth. The Ephraimites, being of a different tribe, could not frame to pronounce the word aright, but called it Sibboleth, which proved them enemies and cost them their lives; wherefore, forty and two thousand fell at the different fords and passages of the Jordan that day" p. 518.
The humor here, of course, is that Twain had a Bible on hand and could have quoted the passage, but he was referring to the use of the scripture in a F.C. Iecture where it is spoken from memory.
Another early reference to Masonic ideas is found in his wonderful, third book (if one does not count the 1871 Burlesque Autobiography) Roughing It which came out in Feb. 1872 and relates his adventures in Nevada, San Francisco, the Hawaiian Islands, and of his first lectures. In it we find this passage relative to the Chinese minority population on the West Coast whom Twain clearly suggests deserve tolerance from the rest of us:
They are quiet, peaceable, tractable, free from drunkeness, and they are as industrious as the day is long...As I write, news comes that in broad daylight in San Francisco, some boys have stoned an inoffensive Chinaman to death, and although a large crowd witnessed the shameful deed, no one interfered...No Californian gentleman or lady ever abuses or oppresses a Chinaman, under any circumstances... only the scum of the population do it...they and their children... and the policemen and politicians (p. 391, 397).
Here we have that hallmark of Twain - a curious combination of journalism and art used to teach tolerance and social justice for those deserving of it and harsh, biting criticism (largely edited out of the foregoing passage to avoid offense) for those deserving of it; but always, an attitude of compassion for all humanity - deserving or not - as we find in this bit of commentary:
So I learned then, once and for all, that gold in its native state is but dull ornamental stuff, and that only low-born metals excite the admiration of the ignorant with an ostentatious glitter. However, like the rest of the world, I still go on underrating men of gold and glorifying men of mica. Commonplace human nature cannot rise above that (p. 208).
Twain's next book, (9) Sketches Old and New (July 1875) contains, as the title suggests, materials published previously and some new material. Some of the pieces are quite amusing ("Raising Chickens," for example), but most "would better have been allowed to die," as Twain declared later. The one exception is "A True Story" beginning on page 202. This poignant tale relates the story of a good-humored Black woman who, when asked if she has ever known suffering recalls her days in slavery when she had her husband and children torn away from her with one joyful moment given back. The charm and realism break all "color barriers;" then as now, it is a story full of humanity and could be nothing less than true.
ln 1876, one of his most endearing and enduring works, Tom Sawyer, was published. It has the curious preface which alludes to Tom being like the "composite" form in architecture. In the F.C. degree, we are informed that the composite is "more ornamental, if not more beautiful, than the Corinthian...the Corinthian enriched with the Ionic...[it has] nothing but what is borrowed" (p. 95). (10) Twain may have been suggesting that Tom was not autobiographical per se, but that he and his adventures are borrowed from those of Twain's playmates and made more interesting for the purpose of entertainment and instruction. A further Masonic allusion to be found in Tom Sawyer is the fearful "cave" scene wherein Tom seeks light while having a cable-tow around his body. He finds light and emerges from the darkness less adolescent, more mature, than when he and Becky Thatcher entered it and frolicked.
From 1877 through 1879, Twain worked upon two projects; namely the novel Prince and the Pauper and the nonfiction account of his recent tour of Europe and the Middle East, A Tramp Abroad. His style in the latter is much more developed and focused than in his earlier "Innocents" book; moreover, his anti-Roman Catholicism is tempered a little. Some of the more interesting material found in A Tramp A broad (3-13-80) occurs when he digresses to his childhood. For instance, the story of Nicodemus Dodge stems from Twain's experiences in a Missouri printing office and teaches the reader (among other things) that Freemasonry is not a religion:
Nicodemus Examined
"Do you think you would like to learn the printing business?"
"Well, I don't re'ly k'yer a durn what I do learn, so's I git a chance fur to make my way. I'd jist as soon learn print'n 's anything."
"Can you read?"
"Yes, - middlin'. "
"Write?"
"Well, I've seed people could lay over me thar."
"Cipher?"
"Not good enough to keep store, I don't reckon, but up as fur as twelve-times-twelve I ain't no slouch. 'Tother side of that is what gits me."
"Where is your home?"
"I'm f’m old Shelby."
"What's your father's religious denomination?"
"Him? O, he's a blacksmith."
"No, no, - I don't mean his trade. What's his religious denomination?"
"O, - I didn't understand you befo'. He's a Freemason."
"No-no, you don't get my meaning yet. What I mean is, does he belong to any church?"
"Now you're talkin't Couldn't make out what you was a tryin' to git through yo' head no way. B'long to a church! Why boss he's teen' the pizenest kind of a Free-will Bab'is for forty year. They ain't no pizener ones'n' what he is. Mighty good man, pap is. Everybody says that. If they said any diffrunt they wouldn't say it whar I wuz, - not much they wouldn't."
"What is your own religion?"
"Well, boss, you've kind o' got me, thar, - and yit you hadn't got me so mighty much, nuther. I think's if a feller he'ps another feller when he's in trouble, and don't cuss, and don't do no mean things, nur notht’n he ain' no business to do, and don't spell the Savior's name with a little g, he ain't runnin' no reeks, - he's about as saift as if he b’longed to a church."
"But suppose he did spell it with a little g, - what then?"
"Well, if he done it a-purpose, I reckon he wouldn't stand no chance - he oughtn't to have no chance, anyway, I'm most rotten certain 'bout that."
"What is your name?"
"Nicodemus Dodge."
"I think maybe you'll do, Nicodemus. We'll give you a trial, anyway."
"All right."
"When would you like to begin?"
"Now."
So, within ten minutes after we had first glimpsed this nondescript he was one of us, and with his coat off and hard at it. pp. 225 -226.
After the death of the American Publishing Company's owner, Elisha Bliss, and Twain's growing dissatisfaction over profit-sharing arrangements, Mark sent his next manuscript, The Prince and the Pauper to the James R. Osgood Company. Although Twain supplied all of the production capital and paid the company 7 1/2% of the gross sales for selling it, the book did well for him. It came out in December of 1881 and is one of his most charming and instructive tales, contrasting as it does equality and sham class distinctions. Paine considers it fantasy, but it is consistent in its morality and quiet humor. In it, a king and a beggar trade places - one learns the cruelty of his own edicts and the value of mercy; the other, how externalities seem to be judged as being more important than internal qualities. Paine remarks that "only genius could create such a story." (11) The book begins with this quotation from Shakespeare:
The quality of mercy...is twice bless'd
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown.
Masonically, the tenet of "Relief' and the "points of our entrance" (or cardinal virtue) of "justice" are prevalent throughout this title. Leaving out the minor work, The Stolen White Elephant (1882), we shall turn our attention to the final book of Twain's early career which is also his most important, artistically and historically, pre-Huckleberry Finn work.
In May 1883, Twain again used the Osgood & Co.
to produce a lavishly decorated and illustrated piece entitled, Life on
the Mississippi. The book narrates Twain's recent trip up the river, but
is mingled with his recollections of his "piloting" days. This book solidified
Twain's reputation as a serious author. Thomas Hardy agreed when he asked,
"Why don't people understand that Mark Twain is not merely a great humorist?
He is a very remarkable fellow in a very different way." (12) The difference
is Twain's love of Truth and his compassion for the Human condition. Even
the illustrations have something to say about human relations, as can be
seen here (p. 259).
Waiting For A Trip
The story of the River revisited is interesting for the Masonic student as it recounts the rise of the Pilot's Association - a guild which became a powerful economic and social force with many similarities to operative Freemasonry (including lengthy examinations before two licensed pilots). Indeed, if the Civil War had not brought the craft to a standstill to be replaced by rail roads, one might speculate that a minister would have come along and would have seen the allegorical in river navigation, thereby creating speculative piloting! Chapters 14 and 15 are essential reading for this interesting piece of Americana. Also in this book, Twain pokes fun at the annual ritual of having the oldest Freemason come out and walk in the civic parade.
It is clear that Mark Twain could not be called a Masonic writer in the same way that Kipling, Doyle, or Burns could be thus labelled. However, the essential truths in Freemasonry would exist even if the Craft did not. They are elements of the one great universal Truth, and Twain was clearly and persistently reflecting and exploring those ideals in his writings. This, combined with the fact that he did go through the degrees of Freemasonry and occasionally made reference to our fraternity makes reading of his life work, worthwhile. More importantly, though, the Twain canon contains some of the most charming, witty, and thought-provoking literature written by an American. The original and early editions of his books are printed in large type and profusely illustrated; these are available from antiquarian bookdealers throughout the country and will give a reader the best possible introduction to "the Lincoln of our literature."
* * *
The author invites those persons with additional information regarding Mark Twain and his Masonic career to call him toll-free as interest in the subject may prompt an article upon Twain's later works and life. Telephone: 1-800-228-1943, or (414)657-1943.
Endnotes
1. Albert Bigelow Paine, "Mark Twain: Notes on his life and work." NY: Harper, 1928, p. 28.
2. This according to Twain's Autobiography; but Paine says that his father died before the election (Paine, Mark Twain A Biography. NY: Harper, 1935.
3. Mark Twain: Notes on his life work, p. 6
4. Mark Twain A Biography, pp. 154-155.
5. Ibid., p. 164,
6. William Denslow. 10,000 Famous Freemasons. Richmond: Macoy Pub. Co., 1957. See under Clemens, Samuel.
7. Irving Lans. English As She Is Taught (introduction). Boston: Mutual Book Co., 1900, p. 4.
8. 10,000 Famous Freemasons. See under John Bunyan.
9. If one excludes his collaborative effort, The Gilded Age (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.
10. Three letter cipher book published by the Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Masons of Wisconsin. Milwaukee, 1977.
11. Mark Twain A Biography, p. 717.
12. Ibid., p. 747.
The quotations used in this article are derived from the first editions of the titles cited. The following is a chronological listing (pre-Hucklebery Finn) *
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, and Other Sketches. (1867)
The Innocents A broad, or, The New Pilgrims' Progress. (1869)
Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography and First Romance. (1871)
Roughing It. (1872)
The Gilded Age. (1873-4)
Mark Twain's Sketches, New and Old. (1875)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. (1876)
A Tramp Abroad. (1880)
The Prince and the Pauper, A Tale for Young People of All Ages. (1882)
Life on the Mississippi. (1883)
* Merle Johnson. A Bibliography of the Work of Mark Twain. NY: Harper, 1910.
End piece
Mark Twain's humor was even targeted towards himself
as can be seen in this engraving from the title page of the scarce (Burlesque)
Autobiography and First Romance (1871).
----o----
An Analysis of Stated Communications
of Constituent Lodges of the Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M.
by Pete Martinez, MPS
In a previous paper I told of my hobby of collecting Lodge seals and described the many differences found in their design. Many of these Lodges that I visited were in the sales territory I was covering for the company I was working for at that time. I had to spend about four nights a month out of town, and I would try to schedule my stay near a Lodge that was having its stated communication. Waco was in my territory, so I would stop by the Grand Lodge of Texas once in a while, and I became familiar with some of the resources available there. I purchased a copy of the "Directory of Constituent Lodges in Texas". This book comes out around September of each year and is sent to each of the Lodges and to the district Deputy Grand Masters. The book gives information on all of the Lodges. Included is the day of their stated communication. The Lodges are listed in numerical order with an index in the back for locating the Lodge either by name or location. With the aid of a Texas Highway Department map of the state, it isn't too difficult to locate the Lodges. However, I decided that trying to juggle the book and the map while driving down the highway wasn't the best or easiest thing to do. I kept winding up on the shoulder of the road or some other driver coming from the other direction took exception to me driving on his side of the road. I'm sure some of the things the other driver was saying were very un-Masonic.
It dawned on me that a directory that listed the lodges by district would work much better and being one who will go to great lengths to make things easier, I decided to create the directory I needed. It took a month of sitting at the typewriter with the Directory of Constituent Lodges to get the list in the order and form I wanted. And with all the turning of pages back and forth it was difficult to catch mistakes or correct them. But, after putting it all on my new computer, it is easy to maintain. All I have to do now is dig through the new directory every September to find out which Lodges have merged or changed their stated meeting day and time. (Don't try to tell me Masonry doesn't change from year to years)
Under each district I list the counties, number of Lodges, Lodge number, Lodge name, location, day of stated communication and two blanks to check to indicate a visit and if I got the Lodge Seal impression.
As I was typing these twenty-three pages I wondered why some Lodges meet twice a month, why some meet by the moon and why some meet at such odd times. I decided to make a chart to show when Lodges hold their stated communication and see if there was anything to be learned from it.
As you can see from the chart, (Page 23 of my directory) Tuesday is the most popular, with 353 Lodges (or 36.8%) making that choice. Of those 114 chose the 1st and 109 chose the 2nd. With 37 that meet on the 1st and 3td and one moonlight Lodge that meets on Tuesday there could be 156 Lodges meeting on the 1st Tuesday of the month. The 2nd Tuesday could have 138 Lodges meeting.
Thursday night comes in second with 278 Lodges (or 29.0%) holding stated communication on that night.
Monday is the third most popular night with 220 Lodges (or 22.9%) having their stated communication on that day. At least those Brethren can look forward to Monday.
Saturday is the 4th most popular day with 77 Lodges (or 8.0%) holding stated communication.
Friday comes in next to last with only 20 Lodges (or 2.1%) meeting on that day. You would wonder if they have a local high school football or basketball program.
Wednesday comes in last, as one might expect. Here in the "Bible Belt" all good Masons are expected to go to Wednesday night prayer meeting. Evidently 10 Lodges (or 1.0%) don't worry about that. My Lodge won't schedule anything on Wednesday night for the prayer meeting reason, but I doubt if all of those who oppose it actually go to church.
There is only one day, other than Sunday, that you can't find a Lodge having its stated communication and that is on the 5th Wednesday.
There are 10 daylight Lodges, but not all of them list their hour of meeting. It would be nice if they would do this and save some visiting brother the time it takes to get ready and drive to Lodge just to find out he has missed the meeting.
Of course, the most confusing has to be the 28 moonlight Lodges. Since the reason for the moonlight Lodge is to meet on or before ('O) or on or after (O') the full moon so the Brethren will have the light to ride their horse home, it seems that these Lodges are holding on to a rather out-dated tradition. Unless you are a fisherman, and use a calendar with moon phases, it's hard to tell just when these Lodges are meeting. But, since these Lodges have been doing this since "time immemorial," I suppose it would be too much to ask them to join the second half of the 20th century and forget about using the moon to confuse the rest of us.
The most puzzling thing is why two Lodges meet twice a month on different days. Tarkington Prairie Lodge No. 498, at Cleveland, meets on the 1st Sat. and 2nd Thur., while Merkel Lodge No. 710 meets on the 2nd. Sat. and 4th Thur. I'm not convinced any Lodge needs to have two stated communications in one month, but I'm sure that if I were a member of one of these Lodges I would get confused and miss a stated communication once in a while.
So, there is my analysis of stated meetings in the blue Lodges of The Grand Lodge of Texas. I'm not sure that I have accomplished a thing. I may just stir up a mess, but if it benefits anyone maybe I have done some good.
I think I'll just organize a new Lodge and meet on the 5th Wednesday…
Analysis Chart of Stated Communications of the
Constituent Lodges of the Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F.
& A.M.
| DAY |
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
1/3
|
2/4
|
'0
|
0'
|
LAST
|
TOTALS
|
%
|
| MONDAY |
63
|
71
|
28
|
14
|
25
|
18
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
220
|
22.9
|
| TUESDAY |
114
|
109
|
37
|
22
|
41
|
28
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
353
|
36.8
|
| WEDNESDAY |
3
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
10
|
1.0
|
| THURSDAY |
81
|
81
|
48
|
16
|
27
|
24
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
278
|
29.0
|
| FRIDAY |
5
|
6
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
20
|
2.1
|
| SATURDAY |
22
|
14
|
11
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
17
|
6
|
1
|
77
|
8.0
|
| TOTALS |
288
|
285
|
127
|
56
|
97
|
74
|
22
|
6
|
3
|
958
|
|
| PERCENT |
30.0
|
29.7
|
13.2
|
5.8
|
10.1
|
7.7
|
2.3
|
0.6
|
0.3
|
Merkel Lodge No. 710 - 2nd Sat./4th Thur. - 1
GRAND TOTAL = 960
+ TEXAS LODGE OF RESEARCH = 961
There are six counties that have no Lodge: Borden, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Kent, King and Loving
----o----
"Discreet and farm, but not conspicuous"
by Robert C. Barnard, MPS
The above quotation describing Rufus Putnam was written by his commander-in-chief and friend, George Washington. Taken in context, Washington seemed to mean it as a compliment and not as a slur.
Biographers of Putnam's career as a soldier describe
him as brave and resourceful. Serving in the Revolutionary War with military
giants such as Washington, Arnold, Greene and Wayne, Putnam does not stand
out as a great strategist or the most eminent military engineer. He cannot
be compared as a military leader to his cousin, Israel Putnam, who was
affectionately called "Old Put" by his men in the ranks.
Nevertheless, General Rufus Putnam was a great American, worthy of remembrance by his Masonic brethren. His most outstanding service took place after the war ended.
On numerous occasions, he acted as spokesman to present grievances and aid former troops to receive their just due from Congress and the Massachusetts General Assembly. He called for a meeting in Boston to consider a settlement of veterans in the Ohio country and formed the Ohio Company to obtain land for them.
He led the first party of settlers North of the Ohio River, built the Campus Martius fortification and founded the City of Marietta, Ohio. The rest of his life was spent in serving his fellow citizens there. No wonder that history speaks of him as "the founder and father of Ohio."
Masonic annals record that Rufus Putnam became a Mason at American Union Lodge in West Point, New York, receiving all three degrees during 1779. After founding Marietta, Ohio, he served seven terms as Master of his Lodge there. In 1808, he was unanimously elected the first Grand Master of Freemasonry for the State of Ohio. Thus, he may be called the father of Ohio Masonry as well. Such a man is worthy of study.
Rufus Putnam was born at Sutton, Massachusetts on April 9, 1738. His father died when he was seven and his mother soon married an inn-keeper. Rufus was cared for by various relatives in childhood and apprenticed to a millwright at the age of sixteen. He had no formal education, but succeeded in educating himself to some degree in geography, history and mathematics.
When he was nineteen, the French and Indian War broke out and Rufus immediately enlisted, serving around Lake Champlain and getting practical training in building defensive works. The French were driven out of North America and in 1760 he returned home.
Rufus' marriage to Elizabeth Ayres in April was followed by her untimely death in November. She left an infant son who survived only a few months.
Five years later, in 1765, he married Persis Rice. During the next fifty-five years, Persis was his loving wife and companion. They had nine children. Rufus worked on his farm and as a surveyor and mill builder in these years between the wars.
When the Revolutionary War began, Rufus entered the Army as a lieutenant-colonel. He soon took charge of the defensive works around Boston.
During the winter of 1775-76, when the ground was frozen to make digging impossible, he invented movable breastworks or parapets which were used to surround the British and to harass them into evacuation of Boston. On August 5, 1776, Congress appointed him chief engineer with the rank of colonel.
Believing that an engineer corps was necessary to sustain the American Army in the field, Rufus applied to Congress for its formation, but no action was taken. He then resigned from that position and became colonel of a Massachusetts infantry regiment.
Colonel Putnam fought in several fierce engagements, especially at Stonypoint and Verplanck Point. Between battles, he rebuilt the fortifications at West Point which would become famous when Benedict Arnold plotted to turn them over to the British. By the end of the war, Congress had made him a brigadier general.
In peacetime, General Putnam gained fame as a surveyor of land in Maine that belonged to Massachusetts. During the process, Congress appointed him a surveyor of Western lands and since he was otherwise engaged, he sent his friend, General Benjamin Tupper, to take his place. When Tupper returned with a favorable report on the Ohio country, Rufus gave his full attention to founding the first colony there.
On March 1, 1786, he and Tupper issued a joint call for an organizational meeting at Boston. The Ohio Company was then formed, composed largely of Revolutionary veterans. They were granted 1,500,000 acres on the North bank of the Ohio.
After overcoming many difficulties, Putnam triumphantly led the first contingent of settlers ashore on April 7, 1788. They immediately built the Campus Martius Fort for protection and founded the town of Marietta, named in honor of Queen Marie Antoinette of France, America's ally.
Masons may be proud that one of the first buildings to be built after their homes was the first Masonic Lodge in Ohio. They also built the first court house and held the first Sunday School meeting in the future state.
As the colony prospered and the settlement of Ohio expanded, Putnam's influence was felt far beyond the city that he founded. In March of 1790, Washington appointed him a judge of the Northwest Territory. In May of 1792, he was commissioned a brigadier general in the regular army and sent to treat with hostile Indians on the Maumee. In September of that year, he made a treaty with the lower Wabash tribes. It was in 1796 that Washington appointed him Surveyor-general of the United States.
When the Ohio Constitutional Convention was held in 1802, Putnam led the new state to prohibit slavery for all time. He was liberal in his efforts to unite the citizens in all other areas of the constitution.
Strongly in favor of the educational institutions which he never had a chance to attend, he chose and surveyed the site for Ohio University in Athens. This is the oldest institution of higher learning in the states of the Northwest Territory.
There is little flat land on the campus of Ohio University;
it is located in the foothills of the mountains. Present day students sometimes
laughingly speculate whether the father of Ohio was completely sober during
the surveying job. Just walking to class every day helps to keep the undergraduates
and faculty in top physical condition!
In his declining years, General Putnam continued to be as active as possible in the affairs of the state he had in so large a measure founded. Ohio was his crowning glory. He died on May 4, 1824.
The judgment of posterity concerning Rufus Putnam concurs with the previous evaluation of George Washington. He was brave and resourceful, discreet and firm, and while he was not as "conspicuous" as a Washington, he was a true American man and Mason.
Bibliography
1. Alden, John R. "Rufus Putnam." World Book, XV, p. 807. Chicago: Field Enterprises Corporation, 1988.
2. Bricker, John, et al. Ohio. New York: Oxford University Press, 1940.
3. Denslow, William R. Ten Thousand Freemasons, 111, p. 172. St Louis: Missouri Lodge of Research, 1957.
4. Eckert, Allan W. Gateway To Empire. New York: Little, Brown & Company, 1982.
5. Hatcher, Harlan W. The Buckeye Country. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1965.
6. Havighurst, Walter. The Heartland. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1962
7. Havighurst, Walter. River To The West. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1975.
8. Malone, Dennis, ed. "Rufus Putnam." Dictionary of American Biography, XV, pp. 284-285. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1935.
9. Miller, Sandra. "Field of War." Wonderful World of Ohio Magazine. Columbus, Ohio: July, 1969.
10. Wayman, Norbury L. Life On The River. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1971.
----o----
Help - Please!
Please, please, please include your membership number (found on your mailing label) with all changes sent to the Executive Secretary.
Dues cards and notices have been sent to ail members (other than Life) If you haven't received yours, please save the Society money by remitting $15 for dues, along with your correct address and membership number.
All members have received a 1990 dues card. For several years yearly cards were not issued because of the prohibitive costs for mailing You asked for yearly cards We agreed you should have them. A plan was instituted whereby you could have them and the Society save money During the past five years this has worked satisfactorily. Only a few have claimed their dues were paid and they had a card to prove it. This card isn’t valid unless the member also has a canceled check.
Your officers can claim, without contradiction, no group of members has been more cooperative in all cases than are you of The Philalethes Society Thank you.
----o----
Masonic Ritual From England To New Hampshire
by David Crockett, MPS
You are in England in the eighteenth century. Workers in stone have been engaged in architecture for centuries. They also have been accepting candidates into their Lodges who were unskilled in the building trade. The earliest record of such an event is June 8, 1600, when John Boswell Laird is mentioned as a member of the Lodge of Edinburgh Scotland. (1)
The gradual transition of Operative Masonry to Speculative Masonry, as we know it today, is taking place. This transition is much like the change of architecture: from the Gothic magnificence of the middle ages to the functional revival of the Roman style in the 1600's. In a word it is subtle, but the process is gathering momentum.
Many Masonic scholars believe that the ritual before 1717 was the same for the Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. After 1717, the modern revival of Masonry would change all that. In short, between 1717 and 1726 the three rituals of Blue Lodge Masonry would be created. (2)
There are two thematic questions at this point: What kind of country was England at this time? What created the modern revival in 1717?
In 1717 England was experiencing the "age of reason." Sir Isaac Newton was 75 years old. Libraries were packed with new ideas. England was a virtual engine of organizing and refining their existing structure of knowledge.
At this time England owned the whole east coast of the American Colonies. France and Spain owned the rest. The population of America was 1/2 million.
Masonry had declined severely since the rebuilding of London fifty years ago. There were certainly Masons during the 1717 period who remembered the great fire of London and the plague a year later in 1666. Their faith in God was also strengthened by the fact that those two catastrophic events destroyed 13,000 homes, 84 churches, and over 68,000 lives in London alone. (3)
With these thoughts in mind, we will use in this paper as an example of the 1717 ritual in London, "The Grand Mystery of Free-Masons Discovered. Wherein are the several questions, put to them at their meetings and installations: as also the Oath, Health, Signs, and Points to know each other by. As they were found in the custody of a Free-Mason who dyed suddenly. And now published for the information of the Publick. London: Printed for T. Payne near Stationer's Hall 1724." (4)
"The Catechism," as published in the Grand Mystery has 46 questions, not including the oath, health, and signs. The first six questions and answers of this early ritual are as follows:
1. Peace be hear.
(Ans.) I hope there is.
2. What O'clock is it?
(Ans.) It is going to six or going to twelve. [alluding to operative working hours]
3. Are you very busy?
(Ans.) No.
4. Will you give or take?
(Ans.) Both or which you please.
5. How go squares?
(Ans.) Straight.
6. Are you rich or poor?
(Ans. ) Neither. (5)
Albert Mackey believed that "The Catechism" was the ritual familiar to the four London Lodges during the first few years of Speculative Masonry in the 1717 period. (6)
The first dramatic event of the 1717 period occurred in February, at the Apple-Tree Tavern, on Charles Street, Covent Garden, London England. In the often controversial 250 year-old words of James Anderson:
"They constituted themselves a Grand Lodge pro Tempore in due form, and... resolved to choose a Grand Master..." (7)
As is commonly known, the initial meeting at the Apple-Tree Tavern prepared for: an official election of a Grand Master at the newly scheduled quarterly meeting. Accordingly, on June 24, 1717, the four London Lodges met again. This time in the Church yard of St. Paul's, in the twenty-two by fifteen foot room in the Goose and GridIron Alehouse. James Anderson recorded the event as follows:
"...Before dinner, the oldest Mason in the chair, proposed a list of proper candidates; and the brethren by a majority of hands elected Mr. Anthony Sayer Gentleman, Grand Master of Masons. . ." (8)
Anthony Sayer served as Grand Master until June 24, 1718. Next George Payne was elected, and brother Payne had a new idea:
"...he desired any brethren to bring to the Grand Lodge any old writings and Records concerning Masons and Masonry in order to show the usages of ancient times...and several old copies of the Gothic Constitutions were produced and collated..."
After brother Payne finished his work on June 24, 1719, enter John T. Desaguliers. He is 34 years old and he has been giving lectures on the physical sciences in Westminister. He also gained the attention and friendship of Sir Isaac Newton. In the past 300 years only Einstein would equal the creative scientific genius of Newton.
Doctor Desaguliers, educated in law, science and philosophy, at Oxford, is the third Grand Master. He is considered one of the most learned and distinguished men of his day. He will also be called the father of Speculative Masonry.
Scholars in Masonry have done extensive research on the early manuscripts, in an attempt to better understand the early ritual. There are over 50 important manuscripts in existence. For example, the Regius Manuscript is estimated to be dated 1390 and some scholars in Masonry believe it is a copy of an earlier manuscript that dates to the time of the Masonic meeting at York England in 926. Other important manuscripts include the Harleian Manuscript No. 1942 which is estimated to be dated prior to 1650. The Sloane manuscript is another important early Masonic document.
As a brief sample of the early integrity of operative Masons, I submit the first article of the 600 year old Regius Manuscript:
The first article of this geometry: -
The master mason must be full securely
Both steadfast, trusty and true,
It shall him never then rue:
And pay thy fellows after the cost,
As victuals goeth then, well thou woste; (knowest)
And pay them truly, upon they fey, (faith)
What they deserven may; (may deserve)
And to their hire take no more,
But what that they may serve for;
And spare neither for love nor drede, (dread)
Of neither parties to take no mede; (bribe)
Of lord nor fellow, whoever he be,
Of them thou take no manner of fee;
And as a judge stand upright,
And then thou cost to both good right;
And truly do this wheresoever thou gost, (goest)
Thy worship, thy profit, it shall be most. (10)
With response to an example of the oath prior to 1717, I submit that part of the Harlein Manuscript, No. 1942. It is estimated to be dated in the 1650 period. The oath in that manuscript is as follows:
I, A.B., Doe in the presence of Almighty God, and my Fellowes, and Brethren here present, promise and declare, that I will not at any time hereafter, by any Act or circumstance whatsoever, Directly or Indirectly, publish, discover, reveale, or make knowne any of the secrets, privileges, or Counsells, of the Fraternity or Fellowship of Free Masonry, which at this time, or any time hereafter, shalbee made knowne unto mee soe helpe mee God, and the holy contents of this booke. (11)
I personally interpret the Operative Masons as a kind of moral trade union, but regardless of how one interprets the early manuscripts, I think it is fair to state that the Masonic ritual that is used today was derived from the ancient manuscripts, and that between 1717 and roughly 1806, the ritual in New Hampshire was formalized.
After Grand Master Payne requested the old records and writings, it is believed that Desaguliers was particularly zealous in research and that Masons like Payne and Anderson also contributed strongly in organizing the 1723 Constitution of Free-Masons.
Prior to writing the 1723 Constitution, one of the early developments was the creation of the Fellow Craft ritual for Speculative Masons. Evidence that this occured by 1719 or 1720 is found in the records of the Lodge of Dunblane.
On December 27, 1720, a lawyer was passed from Entered Apprentice to Fellow Craft. (12)
In London Masonry was growing in prestige. Anderson stated the following occurrence in 1719:
"Several old brothers, that had neglected the craft, visited the Lodges; some noblemen were also made brothers, and more new Lodges were constituted." (13)
An interesting story has been found by the American Lodge of Research that illustrates such an initiation:
One day an initiation was taking place with the Grand Master present. A young nobleman, or lord, was the candidate being initiated. During the initiation the candidate began to swear in the Lodge. Dr. Desaguliers was in the chair, but said nothing.
"At length noting the disapproval of the distinguished leader, the candidate said:
"I say Doctor me, don't you hear I ask your pardon for swearing.
The Doctor replied: "My lord, you have repeatedly violated the rules of the Lodge by your unmeaning oaths; and more than this, you have taken some pains to associate me personally with your profanity by your frequent appeals to the chair."
"Now my lord, I assure you, in answer to these appeals, that if God Almighty does not hear you, I will not tell him." (14)
With respect to evaluating Doctor Desaguliers as Grand Master of England, I submit: If speculative Masonry means helping men to be fair and prudent in their thoughts, words, and actions. . . Desaguliers also understood the brotherhood of temperance, fortitude, and justice.
In three more years, Desaguliers and Anderson would finish their research of the Scottish, Italian, and English Masonic manuscripts. On page seventy-three of the 1723 Constitution, they stated what they achieved:
"...all the valuable things of the old records being retained, the errors in history and chronology corrected, the false facts and improper words omitted, and the whole digested in a new and better method. " (15)
Desaguliers and Anderson made history in 1723. They published the most famous Masonic book in the world.
Because this paper is primarily based on nineteenth century Masonic scholars, on the topic of the Master Mason ritual, I have chosen Albert Mackey's seven volume, 2000 page History of Freemasonry. Brother Mackey devoted two chapters of intense scholarly research on the evolution of the Master Masons degree. He concludes with five statements to summarize the ritual. Statement number four is one sentence:
The third degree, as an accomplished fact, was not fabricated before the close of 1722, and was not made known to the Craft or worked as a degree of the new system, until the beginning of 1723. (16)
To summarize this paper's theory on the beginning of Speculative ritual: The London Lodges (i.e. the four old London Lodges that participated in the election of Anthony Sayer in June of 1717) began with the ritual used in the 1724 "Grand Mystery;" then in 1719 or 1720 the Fellow Craft ritual was developed by Desaguliers in consultation with men such as Payne, Anderson, and probably others; Last of all in 1722 or 1723 the Master Mason ritual was developed by Desaguliers and others.
I hasten to emphasize this is my best theory at this time. I welcome suggestions and corrections from members of the fraternity.
In my search for what specific ritual was used in 1717 (i.e. the one ritual used by all Masons), the only information I was able to locate was the book published by the very controversial, William L. Stone, in 1832 (during the anti-masonry period) in his Letters on Masonry and Anti-Masonry Addressed to Honorable John Quincy Adams.
I will not write any further ritual in this or any other paper, however, for those interested, the book is located at the Museum of National Heritage in Lexington, Massachusetts. The oath is written out in the appendix on Page 3.
The rather stubborn John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States, also published Letters on the Masonic Institution, 1847. Adams published the oaths for the three degrees, which he claimed were used by the fraternity in 1730. (Refer to Page 68 of the text and page 275-276 of the appendix.) I do not have any evidence at this time to believe that Stone and particularly Adams, as President of the United States, would publish an oath that was inaccurate. Particularly interesting from a New Hampshire point of view, is the fact that Adams, from Boston, would derive his information from sources that could not be refuted in the state that granted a charter to New Hampshire.
William L. Stone's claim is that the above mentioned oath:
"Was the only obligation for all three of the degrees of ancient Masonry, in the year 1730 - only 102 years ago. At that time there were but three degrees known."
The claims by Stone and Adams do not exactly fit with Mackey's and Gould's research. Mackey, for example, believed that the three rituals were formalized by 1723. However, the 7 year difference is not significant when the issue relates to one ritual for all speculative Masons during that general period. Regarding the evolution of ritual between roughly 1730 and 1772, particularly as it was believed in New Hampshire; I have chosen the Mason who complied and edited the first two volumes of Grand Lodge Proceedings (7/8/1789-6/11/1856).
Horace Chase of New Hampshire was Grand Secretary in New Hampshire from 1854 to 1870. He was Grand Master in 185 1/2. I quote from the brilliant work by Gerald D. Foss, Grand Historian of New Hampshire, Three Centuries of Freemasonry in New Hampshire:
"Chase was born in Warner, New Hampshire December 14, 1788. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1814, studied law under the well-known Matthew Harvey...He was considered a careful and conservative lawyer, made an excellent judge of probate, and was thoroughly honest...He wrote that he was a friend of another lawyer, John Harris, Grand Master of Grand Lodge for years 1817-1819, and also of Stephen Blanchard, Grand Lecturer of the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire at that time. Chase had an ambition to learn the ritual as well as his friends and apparently he succeeded...Horace Chase compiled and edited the first two volumes of Grand Lodge Proceedings...without these printed volumes it would be very difficult if not impossible to learn much about the work of the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire in its early years." (17)
With regard to ritual between 1732 and 1813, Past Grand Master Horace Chase spoke the following words in the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire in 1857:
"In the year 1732, the lectures of Anderson and Desaguliers were revised by Martin Clare, who added a brief allusion to the human senses and the theological ladder. A few years later, Thomas Dunckerly, who was considered the most intelligent Mason of his day, extended and improved the lectures, and, among other things, first gave to the theological ladder its then most important rounds (f.h.c.). These continued to be used until 1763, when Rev. William Hutchinson explained the three lights by the three great stages of Masonry: The knowledge and worship of God of nature in the purity of Eden; the service, under the Mosaic law, when divested of idolatry; and the Christian revelation. Again in 1772, these lectures were revised and improved by Preston, whose system was the standard in England until the union (between the modern and ancients) in 1813. When Doctor Hemming established the system now generally practiced in English Lodges." (18)
After the confusion of the Revolutionary War, Masonry, and more specifically the uniformity of Masonic ritual became the focus.
During this period, William Preston, in England had organized a society of Masonic scholars called the "Order of The Harodim." Preston, having the credentials of Master of the old Lodge of Antiquity (originally the Lodge which met at the Goose and GridIron Alehouse in St. Paul's church-yard), and the author of the first Masonic Monitor, called "Illustrations of Masonry," published in 1772; had taught his lectures in the "order of the Harodim" society. (19)
John Hanmer had been a member of this society, as well as a member of the old Lodge No. 1 of antiquity, over which Preston also presided. Hanmer learned the 7-8 hour Preston lectures and came to America in 1793 or 1794. Hanmer also had credentials in the form of a document from the Grand Lodge of England, stating that:
He was, "skilled in the ancient lectures and modes of work as approved and practiced in England." (20)
What occurred next was the transfer of English Masonic philosophy to American Masonic ritual. Hanmer taught the lectures to America's premier ritualist, Thomas Smith Webb." (20)
Webb is considered the inventor and founder of the Masonic system as practiced in the United States.
What Webb did was this: He immediately recognized that Preston's lectures were too long to be practical in the United States. He then condensed the lectures into 2 - 3 hours for the three degrees. Albert Mackey explained Webb's work as follows:
"The truth is, that Webb never did adopt nor promulgate the true Preston lectures. He selected out of that system those points which pleased him, omitted a great deal, and gave a meagre abridgement of the whole. And it is well that he did, for if he had adopted the whole course of lectures as arranged by Preston, we are sure that not one man in ten-thousand in this country would have committed them to memory, and the whole system would have been lost or abandoned. " (22)
New Hampshire is of course very proud of the fact that Thomas Smith Webb was initiated into Masonry at the Rising Sun Lodge in Keene, New Hampshire. William Todd was the Worshipful Master of the Lodge, and he was also the Mason who proposed Webb as a candidate. Webb was balloted for, admitted, initiated, and paid his fee of 3 Pounds, 6 Shillings; all on December 24, 1790. He was passed to Fellow Craft, raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason, and served as one of the stew arcs of the Lodge all on December 27, 1790. (23)
It is known that Webb moved to Albany, New York and that he published his famous Freemasons Monitor in that city, 1797.
From records of the Rising Sun Lodge, March 7, 1792, it is my belief that Webb left Keene in late 1791 or early 1792. The March 7, 1792 record reads as follows:
"Brother William Todd in behalf of T.S. Webb desired he might be discontinued as a member Voted to discontinue him on Book any quarteredges due from him and he is discharged the same accordingly.
Brother William Todd presented to the Members of the Rising Sun Lodge as a present from Brother Webb a Bible bound in Morocco Leather neatly gilt and lettered. Voted, to accept the same and that Brother Webb receive the Thanks of the Lodge this vote to be recorded agreeably to the bylaw." (23)
Webb, born October 13, 1771, was a young man on the move when he left Keene. It was not uncommon to be initiated before the age of 21 at that time. New Hampshire ritual was on a roll. First they formed their own Grand Lodge, 68 days after Washington became President of the United States, and next they presented Thomas Smith Webb to the American fraternity.
New Hampshire ritual created more light 16 years later. The fourth Grand Master of New Hampshire was a man by the name of Thomas Thompson. Thompson, who resided in Portsmouth, was initiated into Masonry at St. John's Lodge in that city. He also was the sixth Naval Captain to be assigned to the Continental Navy by the Continental Congress in 1776. Thompson was Captain of the 32 gun frigate, "Raleigh," built in Portsmouth New Hampshire. (24) Grand Master Thompson was a no-nonsense, tough, independent, conservative, straight talking, New Hampshire Mason.
A year before he died, Thompson created a fuss among followers of Webb with his valedictory address in 1808. Today the speech is an interesting curiosity, and is an insight into the mind of the old time Masons during the last stages of only three degrees in Masonry. Some of the milder statements made by Thompson at that time are as follows:
"About forty years ago (1768) I passed through all the degrees then known in England...but what were then termed high degrees, now sink into nothing...I am convinced that the three first and original degrees, alone are, universal Masonry, they have and forever will stand the test of time..." (25)
Aside from brother Thompson's resistance to Webb working on the Royal Arch degree since 1797, Thompson was also a progressive leader. We in New Hampshire are indebted to him for the ritual that we use today.
In order to understand Grand Master Thompson's (1801 - 1808) problems, and the ritual in New Hampshire during the end of the eighteenth century it is interesting at this point to consider the March 4, 1795 minutes of St. John's Lodge, Portsmouth, N.H:
"The reversion of St. John's Lodge from the Modern to the Ancient form being introduced by the M.W. Hall Jackson (G.M. N.H. 1790 - 1797) and some others of the Brethren, the minds of the Brethren being separately taken by the R.W. Nath. Adams (Master of St. John's 1792-1795, and later G.M.N.H.), they were unanimously in favor of the Ancient...and the Lodge for the evening closed in the Ancient form."
Having established that late eighteenth century ritual did alternate between the ancient form and the modern form at the oldest Lodge in New Hampshire (St. John's No. 1 in Portsmouth celebrates its birth as 1736). Let us now focus on Thompson's era (1801-1808), and identify how that problem was resolved. According to Thompson's Grand Secretary, Lyman Spaulding, (who participated in stabilizing New Hampshire ritual at the later 1806 meeting in Newburyport) writing in the first Masonic Journal in the United States, "The Freemason's Magazine," of 1811; Thompson was forceful in the effort to:
"exterminate the petty distinction of ancient and modern Masonry" (Ref. Pg. 181)
Spaulding continues to provide an insight into the lectures that were used at that time in New Hampshire:
"In 1805 he (Thompson) commissioned a grand deputation to visit all the subordinate Lodges in the State, to inquire into their proceedings and to exemplify the Prestonian lectures in each Lodge." (Ref. Pg. 181)
I repeat The Prestonian Lectures exemplified in New Hampshire in 1805.
It is my belief that New Hampshire's use of the "Preston Lectures" was shortlived. I have before me a 39 page, seven section, hand-written, Entered Apprentice ritual entitled "Preston's Lectures" (A copy of this undated ritual book purchased in Granville, N.Y. is forwarded to the Editor of The Philalethes. I estimate its age as 1840- 1860). At 3 minutes per page, (question and answer format) the Entered Apprentice ritual would be roughly 2 hours in length. That is the first problem with Preston's Lectures' The second problem is the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) more than likely prevented Preston's work, which was written in England in 1772, from being introduced into this country before 1783. The third problem is that John Hanmer, according to Chapman writing in the History of Freemasonry and Concordant Orders brought Preston's work to America long after the war:
Hanmer was skilled in the Ancient Lectures and Mode of work as practiced in England...came to America in 1793-1794...Clearly, Hanmer was the ritualist at the outset..." (ref. Pg. 600)
The fourth problem is that Thomas Smith Webb was the Senior Warden in the same Lodge that Hanmer was the Master: Temple Lodge No. 5, Albany New York; and Webb wrote his Masonic Monitor in 1797, (in which he stated that "Preston's distribution of lectures not being agreeable to the mode of work in America, they are differently arranged in this work.") His ritual was written in 1797, the same year that he was installed as High Priest in the Royal Arch Degree rather than Hanmer. (26)
In summary, I submit the thesis that New Hampshire Masons, of the 1800 period, found the Preston lectures to be long, impractical, and controversial. Thomas Smith Webb would correct those problems, and men like Benjamin Gleason, Henry Fowle, John Barney, and Jeremy Cross would take Webb's work and spread it throughout the United States by 1824.
Let us now return to Thomas Thompson, New Hampshire's Grand Master, (1801-1808). Thompson was born in England in 1739, and he was determined to unify Masonic ritual, even if he had to abandon Preston's marathon lectures.
In 1806 Thompson wrote to the Grand Master of Massachusetts requesting that a committee be chosen by New Hampshire and Massachusetts, to meet and confer upon historic subjects, and especially upon the subject of uniformity of work and lectures.
Thompson's idea was favorably received, the committee of George Richards (editor of Preston's "Illustrations of Masonry" in 1804/Portsmouth N.H.), Lyman Spaulding (Grand Secretary in N.H.) and John Harris (High Priest of second chapters of York Rite in New Hampshire in 1807); met with Henry Fowle (famous ritual student of Webb), Benjamin Gleason (The first Grand Lecturer in Massachusetts) and Stephen Bean (no information?) of Massachusetts. The committee met in Newburyport and the Grand Lodges of each state adopted their report. The following extract is taken from that report:
"The respective committees of Massachusetts and New Hampshire are also fully agree, perfectly decided, and positively unanimous in their opinion, that the mode of work as exemplified by Brothers Gleason, Fowle, and Bean as practiced in Massachusetts, and adopted in New Hampshire...is as correct as can (D.C.) possibly be expected under existing circumstances. . . " (27)
The modern revival in America was over. Since 1805, Benjamin Gleason had been the Grand Lecturer of Massachusetts, and he had traveled extensively to teach the Webb lectures. In New Hampshire there would be two more significant events in the ritual: The famous New Hampshire lecturer, Jeremy L. Cross, received the lectures from the Newburyport committee, shortly after being raised at St. John's Lodge in Portsmouth. Cross was a nationwide lecturer. He also published the Masonic Chart, in 1819, which was approved by all the Grand Lodges in the U.S. in 1824. (28)
The second event in New Hampshire ritual occurred on June 10, 1851 after the Morgan excitement:
"At the annual communication held on June 10, 1851, the ritual committee gave its report on a uniform system of lectures and work for the State. As a result of their extensive efforts, the Grand Lodge adopted the ritual and mode of work recommended." (29)
In conclusion to this paper there is a famous Masonic poem about an old man who builds a bridge for the new men of the world. This paper is dedicated to those bridge builders of the past who built the bridges that we use today. I realize that many modern Masonic scholars are rather caustic regarding the myths created by the pioneers of Masonic research, however, the purpose of this paper has been to understand the times and the Masons who built the bridges that we use today. With respect to those Masons, who loved Masonry no less than any of us today, I submit that we study those men for good reasons...for without understanding the Masons of the past...Masons like Desaguliers, Preston, Webb, Cross, Gleason, Chase, Hanmer, Mackey, Gould, Foss and literally hundreds of other great thinkers of the craft….we in the present, who have a lot to improve on…have nothing to build on.
I welcome, from members of the fraternity, any information that would improve my paper. For those who have information or questions on the information in this paper, please address your responses to:
David Crockett, MPS
Box 331
Stoddard, N.H. 03464
Footnotes
1. History of the Ancient Lodge at Edinburg, Mary's Chapel From The Sixteenth Century, 1873, David Murry Lyon, Pg. 56.
2. History of Freemasonry, Mackey/Singleton: 1898, Vol. 4; Pg. 938 1002
3. History of England; K. Feiling, London, 1963, Pg. 546.
4. History of Freemasonry; Mackey/Singleton, 1898, Vol. 4; Pg. 930.
5. History of Freemasonry; Mackey/Singleton, 1898, Vol. 4, Pg. 930.
6. Ibid; Pg. 937.
7. Constitutions of 1738; James Anderson, Pg. 109.
8. Constitutions of 1738; James Anderson, Pg. 110.
9. Ibid; Pg. 110.
10. Translated by Roderick H. Baxter, Quatuor Coronati Lodge Past Master. (Refer to Mackey's Encyclopedia, 1929, Pg. 434.
11. Gould's History of Free Masonry, 1936, Vol. 1, Pg. 51.
12. History of the Ancient Lodge at Edinburg, Mary's Chapel From the Sixteenth Century 1873, David Lyon, (see also Mackey's History; Vol. 4, Pg. 959.)
13. Constitution of 1738, James Anderson, Pg. 110.
14. Transactions; American Lodge of Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, Pg. 235 (May, 1949 - April, 1951 edition.)
15. 1723 Constitution; James Anderson, Pg. 73.
16. History of Freemasonry; Mackey/Singleton, 1898, Pg. 1002.
17. Three Centuries of Freemasonry in New Hampshire, Gerald D. Foss, 1972, Pg. 300-301.
18. American Freemason, J.F. Brennan, June 1859, Pg. 476.
19. The Builder, The National Masonic Research Society, 1915, Pg. 9.
20. History of Freemasonry And Concordant Orders, Stillson, 1891, Pg. 600.
21. Masonic Eclectic, John W. Simons, January 1861, Pg. 251.
22. American Freemason, J.F. Brennan, July 1859, Pg. 78.
23. (2/3) N.H. Bulletin, Feb. 1931, Pg. 2 (record of Rising Sun Lodge.)
24. Three Centuries of Freemasonry in New Hampshire, Gerald D. Foss, 1972, Pg. 193, 228, 499.
25. Masonic Eclectic, John W. Simons, N.Y., January 1861, Pg. 231.
26. Gould's History, Dudley Wright, 1936, Vol. 5, Pg. 443 Freemason's Monitor, Thomas Smith Webb, 1797, Preface.
27. The Builder, 1915, Pg. 293.
28. The Masonic Chart, Jeremy L. Cross, 1851, Pg. 353.
29. Highlights of Freemasonry in New Hampshire, Stanley Johnson, 1982, Pg. 7.
----o----
"Now Hear This..."
Last Call For The 1990
Assembly Feast Forum
The Big Day Is February 23,1990
For the 31st time in the Hotel Washington The Philalethes Society will hold a lively, give and take, Forum. This is now coupled with an Annual Assembly and Feast. The main ingredient is fellowship. Add the vital Masonic information one takes away and you have a winner.
Here's the scoop:
The event: ASSEMBLY-FEAST-FORUM of The Philalethes Society.
The place: Hotel Washington (call 800/424-9540 for hotel reservations.)
The date: February 23, 1990.
The time: 6:00 p.m. Sharp.
The Lecturer: Tom Eggleston, MPS Grand Secretary, lowa.
The Topic: "Can Freemasonry Adapt to Change?"
The investment: $24 until February 14;* $29 thereafter. **
The menu: Mixed green salad, Beef Brochette over rice, Broccoli, Cheesecake w/Strawberry sauce; rolls; coffee-tea-milk; wine or juice for the toasts.
* Checks should be sent for reservations to:
The Philalethes Society, Drawer 70 Highland Springs, VA 23075. Numbered tickets (in the form of a postcard will be mailed).
* * Tickets at $29 each will be sold in the hotel lobby until noon Hotel requirements make it mandatory to guarantee the number attending no later than 12:01 p.m on the 23rd. PLEASE take note of this. Don’t consign the President and Executive Secretary to hades if you don't!
----o----
(Taker or Giver)
by Lyman J. Cox, MPS
Once upon a time a wise man was asked how he would evaluate a people or their culture. His answer was "What do they want for their children?"
We as Freemasons call the newly made Mason brother. They are not children but they are family. What do we want for our brothers? Do we want to give them the same or more Masonic knowledge we inherited or will we give them less.
When individuals, groups, cultures, or countries become selfish and believe they don't owe anything to those who will follow they will decline or cease to exist. It has been rightly said that a culture or set of beliefs is only one generation away from extinction. Our society has acted as if bigger is better, which sometimes is true. We have acted on the belief that new is good, which in some cases is true. These have been twisted to "small is not good and old is bad." Many people have forgotten and or ignored many of the moral and spiritual reference points which have served mankind for centuries.
The ideals that early Freemasonry aspired to and taught we repeat instead of teaching. Our candidates learn by rote the ritualistic material. They aren't expected to know or are asked "What does it mean?"
Those who wrote the ritual did so with a purpose in mind. We should attempt to understand what they said and why they said it. We point with pride to those famous Masons who passed their inheritance on to us. Will we add to that or just pass it on? If every Mason would say and do "I will leave Symbolic Masonry in a better condition than I found it," Freemasonry would continue to contribute to a better community, nation and world. We should strive to be remembered more by those who follow than remember those who have gone before. Are our Lodges becoming museums instead of schools of instructions for living a better life?
Any person who has seen very many yearly calendars come and go has seen individuals, families and governing bodies misuse or squander their inheritances. Sometimes it has not been deliberate, but was based on believing that momentum would keep the wheel turning. Perpetual motion does not exist. Energy must be put into any system to keep it going.
In March 1989, a report was published which evaluated the high school students of eleven countries. Some of them couldn't make change, write a logical coherent paragraph and had difficulty reading and translating into verbal language. Of the eleven countries tested the United States was the lowest in mathematics and science. We Masons who have emphasized education thought the report was deplorable. Freemasonry in the United States is somewhat in the same position. Our candidates must pass proficiency tests and they do. However they are tested on memory and rote. Some Christian churches criticize other churches for using meaningless repetition of words and phrases that the members don't understand. Freemasonry is guilty of this. How many Master Masons understand what God said to Amos about the plumbline in his hand? From the 133 Psalm, how many Master Masons understand "the precious ointment on the head" and the "dew of Hermion?"
Many Masons believe that when they have received the Master Mason degree and keep their dues paid up, they can go on to "higher degrees." There is no higher degree than the Master Mason. The Symbolic Lodge has been weakened by the undue emphasis on other degrees. We have all heard "give him the 3rd degree as soon as possible so he can be in the spring class" and "go beyond the 3rd degree" and "you are only a 3rd degree Mason?" Some charts showing Masonic organizations show the Master Mason as the base which is true. The sides of the triangle leading to the peak of the triangle imply that the Master Mason degree is less than fullfillment for a Mason. The other degrees do offer more light, but they should not supplant basic Freemasonry.
Masonic education has been neglected. We have Directors of the Work and District Lecturers who concentrate on seeing that the ritual is done properly. It is a pleasant feeling to see and hear good ritualistic work, but it should not be the end result. Masonic education outside of the ritual should exist.
Has a Grand Lodge ever had a Director of Education whose function was to teach the basics of Freemasonry? Our candidates promise to preserve the landmarks and not reveal any of the secrets of Freemasonry. We don't tell them what the landmarks are and they can't reveal the secrets because they don't know what they are. Sadly, few if any of the brothers ever ask what the landmarks and secrets are.
To strengthen and preserve Freemasonry we must give more emphasis to the Symbolic Lodge. This will require that each individual know and understand the basic principles instead of learning by rote what is given to us. We must teach Masonry instead of repeating it.
----o----
by Allen E. Roberts, FPS
Pete Normand, who among other things, is Master of Texas Lodge of Research, is concerned about the background of anti-Masonic writers. He puts it this way: "The whole root of the problem lies in the fact that these journalists, being the sort of people they are, find it incredible that a fraternity would really believe in brotherhood, relief and truth. They brush that aside as 'eyewash' and go to work looking for the sort of corruption that would exist in the type of fraternity that they would be interested in joining. They ascribe their own lack of morals to everyone else, believing themselves to be the norm." This appears to be an accurate description of the writers of trash. And isn’t it amazing how many of these use "sources" (unnamed) to "prove" their drivel? This is as cowardly an act as mailing an anonymous (unsigned) letter.
* * *
Unity Lodge No. 198 of North Bend, Washington is contributing its facilities for weekly meetings of "Narcotics Anonymous." This is a group endeavoring to overcome drug addiction. The Lodge discussed at length the liability and problems that could be encountered, then decided to allow the group to meet rent-free. It's good to see Lodges becoming involved in their communities. Babcock Lodge No. 322 in the village of Highland Springs, VA., is another example. It has built and furnished a Masonic and community research library opened to the public. Other Lodges have established special funds to help their communities in specific ways.
* * *
The Assembly of the Church of Scotland "by an overwhelming majority which surprised observers, approved the panel on doctrine's report which said that Freemasonry did not recognize Jesus Christ and that Masons in the Kirk should reconsider their involvement." So said reporters Robert Rose and Christopher Reekie. The "panel convener" said there was a danger that some of the "tens of thousands" of Freemasons would leave the Kirk, but "we hope and pray they will stay within the Church and be loyal members." If memory serves me correctly, a large Baptist church in Maryland several years ago proclaimed that Freemasons weren't welcome as members. It became a rather small church within a couple of months
* * *
John C. Outlaw, MPS, has been made an Honorary Grand Master in New Jersey. The honorable deed was done by Grand Master William Schoene, Jr., MPS. We learned this from the newsletter of Franklin Century Lodge No. 10 of New Jersey. This excellent paper is published and edited by John M. Ellerman, MPS. It's good to find prophets aren't always without honor in their own areas. Congratulations to all concerned. (Shortly after this was written [September 12 to be exact] John joined his Supreme Grand Master.)
* * *
Congratulations also to Joe R. Manning, Jr., MPS, now serving the Order of DeMolay as its Grand Master, and Leslie E. Wheeler, MPS, serving as International President of High Twelve International. The number of Grand Masters and other "servants of Freemasonry" who are members of this Society continue to grow. The Philalethes Society is truly becoming the educational vehicle for the leadership of Freemasonry.
* * *
From The Royal Arch Mason we learn that Tom Eggleston, MPS, Grand Secretary in lowa, read an article in his newspaper at 6:30 one morning. It concerned a young girl who had lost her wheelchair. At 8:30, thanks to Tom, the young lady had a new wheelchair. As the RAM said it only takes one man!
* * *
From The Oregon Scottish Rite Freemason we learn that David O. Johnson, MPS, is the new Grand Sovereign of the "United Grand Imperial Council, Red Cross of Constantine. Excellent. Herb Richards, D.D., also tells us: "There is nothing wrong with having nothing to say, as long as you don't say it." He adds further good advice: "It was a wise public speaking teacher who taught her students: 'First, write a provocative opening, then a dynamic closing, and put them as close together as possible."' He notes that too many of today's orators have someone else write their speeches. He considers this close to plagiarism and cowardice.
* * *
Many of us Freemasons are U.S. Navy veterans. Over the years we have been ignored. Now a memorial of vast dimensions is nearing completion midway between the White House and the Capitol. For a mere $25 anyone can be a "plank owner" (we navy-types know what this is) until July 1990. Of the more than 11 million who have served in the Navy, only 155 thousand have answered the call for help. Sounds Masonically familiar, doesn't it? For information about this living, vital memorial, call 800-821-8892.
* * *
S. Brent Morris, FPS, is a member of the Advisory board of The New Age, the official organ of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction. He has also taken on the task of being its book reviewer. He had some kind things to say about the better Masonic publications, including The Philalethes. Congratulations!
* * *
More and more Grand Lodges are attempting to feed the hunger of their members for Masonic literature. Good! They are selling, or permitting to be sold, good Masonic books during their annual communications. Many of those doing this have turned this job over to their Research Lodges.
* * *
Cabell F. Cobbs, MPS, writing in the Virginia Masonic Herald as Grand Master, updates the Shrine situation. He said an agreement had been reached at the Conference of Grand Masters between them and the Imperial Divan. "It was apparent," he continued, "at the 1989 Imperial Session in Toronto that neither the Imperial Potentate or Divan had made any effort to carry out this agreement. Indeed, California's Potentates were advised in April 1989 that their fund raising efforts, in effect, need not comply with Masonic law." Cobbs noted that he had been forced to suspend several officers of a local Shrine temple for violating Masonic and state law. He issued an edict prohibiting any Virginia or sojourning Master Mason from sitting with expelled Masons.