Contents
Personal Gripes
William Preston's Ancient
Charges
Solicitation -
Free Will and Accord:
The Leland-Locke
Odd Fellowship and
Craft Masonry
The Ever Bright Puzzle
Masonry's Legacy
Talking Books
Solicitation - A Solution
If The Salt Have Lost Its Savor
Cosmology
Let's Go Out And Sell Freemasonry
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
Personal Gripes
William Preston’s Ancient Charges
Solicitation - Free Will and Accord: Proper: Improper
The Leland - Locke Manuscript
Dues Due
Odd Fellowship and Craft Masonry
The Ever Bright Puzzle
Masonry's Legacy
Talking Books?
Solicitation - A Solution?
"If The Salt Have Lost Its Savor, Wherewith Shall It Be Salted"
"Cosmology:
A Not-So-Arcane Masonic Secret"
Into The 20th Century With Your Society!
Let's Go Out And Sell Freemasonry
Through Masonic Windows
ON THE COVER
Our cover this month shows the beautiful Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. at night. Before anyone comes up with the wrong idea, let me state again and again that Thomas Jefferson was never a member of the Masonic fraternity. We used the photograph of the Memorial to show one of the beautiful sights you can see in Washington during the meeting of the Allied Masonic Degrees.
----o----
puny and JUMBO
From the Executive Secretary
The receipt of addresses without zip codes is frustrating. It takes an enormous amount of time to look them up. In February 1967 the Editor of The Philalethes, John Black Vrooman, reminded his readers that no copies of the magazine could be mailed without a zip code. And that was four years after the postal service had asked for cooperation! Shouldn't we have learned something in 25 years?
Why do men scribble their names so secretaries and others can't decipher them? I've heard men claim a scribbled signature indicates how affluent a person is. Maybe! These men become particularly violent and abusive when they receive anything with their names misspelled. I know of secretaries, and others, who toss such scribbling into the round file immediately - and they have my applause. There is absolutely no excuse for such nonsense. Far, far too often I receive applications for membership that can't be deciphered.
Then there are those folks who never change a typewriter (or printer) ribbon. Their letters consist of broken spaces or letters that can't be deciphered.
Frequently, I'll receive requests for information with no return address on the letter. Often there's no return address on the envelope either. Our foreign Brethren are famous for this. Evidently they trust their postal service much more than Americans do.
It's disturbing to read books, articles, letters, and so on from otherwise learned men who don't know "masons" are workers in the honorable stone and brick trade. On the other hand, "Masons", or preferably, "Freemasons", are members of the oldest and greatest fraternal association in the world. This error might be excusable for the uninitiated but certainly not for a member of the Craft (not "craft").
Example: Our brethren of yesteryear worked in the mason trade and met in buildings called lodges. They were called operative masons and worked with their hands as well as their minds. At some period in the 14th century they were termed "freemasons", or in some quarters, "Free masons." Our Brethren today are Speculative Masons, who build "spiritual buildings" rather than actual edifices. Today Freemasons meet in groups and their meeting places are called Lodges. Although "Freemason" is the actual term for a member of "Freemasonry", common usage has made "Mason" (but NOT "mason") and "Masonry" (but NOT "masonry") acceptable. The capital "M" makes the difference in what we're saying. Doesn't this make sense?
Incidentally, the word is Masonry or Freemasonry, NOT Masonry.
It's possible to accept a lower case letter for "lodge"; "fraternity"; "association"; or "organization" when writing about Freemasonry, although in most cases it would be better to capitalize them to set the Fraternity apart.
Today there are no such words correctly associated with the Craft as Free Mason or Free Masonry. The two words actually mean little until they are joined.
We still have writers who don't know how to spell and at least be somewhat grammatically accurate. Our educational system for years has promoted this evil. I don't count letter-writers in this group.
Frequently we must alter our thinking, our writing, our words, but the altar at which we took our obligations remains unalterable. Yet we far too often find writers telling us we took our obligations at an altEr instead of an altAr. Around this altAr stood our Brethren, not our Brethren. The former, BrethREN, is correct; who the brethERN are is unknown.
Then there are writers who submit articles for possible publication on odd sized paper, or write in longhand. The opportunities for errors are always with us. This sort of writing increases the opportunity for mischief enormously. No would-be writer should be without access to a typewriter, or preferably, a computer printer.
Why would "writers" steal the phrases of others and use them as their own? How many names have been attached to the writings of Joseph Fort Newton and a few other Masonic authors? There's no excuse for theft and that's what plagiarism is.
How prevalent is complete incompetence? Rarely does one find a sales clerk who has been properly trained to be of service to customers. Too seldom is a caller directed to the proper problem solver. Actually, try to find a problem solver any more! Courtesy and helpfulness appear to have disappeared from our dictionaries. Isn't this far too true everywhere, including Freemasonry?
Over the centuries it appears we have learned but little in this "people business" in which Freemasonry should excel. Men are still appointed to important positions who have no knowledge about what they are supposed to do. And little or no training is available for them. "The good ole boy" network continues to run rampant.
Doesn't it disturb you to find thousands of Freemasons who have been given the titles of "Worshipful", "Right Worshipful", and "Most Worshipful" who never earn them?
How many good men haven't petitioned a Masonic Lodge because of the lies spread by anti-Masonic preachers and writers? Why do intelligent men believe the lies of the Mason-haters? Could it be because, like the proverbial ostrich, the leaders of Freemasonry choose to bury their heads in the sand and say "this, too, shall pass away?" Hitler wasn't the first, but he certainly proved a lie told often enough will be accepted as truth, especially if the truth is buried by otherwise perceptive men.
Why does Freemasonry continue to re-invent the wheel rather than improve on it? Could it be because we don't know what has been proposed, and is being proposed, even in our own jurisdictions? Is it because Conferences are constantly held but information not disseminated? Wouldn't it be wise for the Grand Lodges to organize a clearing house to coordinate the Masonic knowledge available, then distribute it to those who need to know?
Isn't it disturbing to find appendant bodies, whose lives depend on the strength of Ancient Craft Masonry, ignoring our Lodges and Grand Lodges? How long will our Grand Lodges accept this arrogance?
The list can go on, but let's chew on these few tidbits for now.
Your Servant
Allen E. Roberts
Contributions To
The History Fund
(Since October)
Virginia Chapter of
The Philalethes Society
in Honor of Allen E. Roberts
Constantin Melinte in Honor of
Dr. Egon Isler of Switzerland
The fund now stands at $872.50
----o----
William Preston's Ancient Charges
by John Salmon, MPS
I would like to address this paper to the Brethren who may not have paused to think about it, but who have excepted that our system of Freemasonry, and more especially our ritual, has always been as it is now. In this paper I will show that our system and ritual has been, and is still being, subjected to a continuing process of 'Alteration' and 'Innovation'. These of course were not done for the sake of change alone, but for the good of Freemasonry.
Most Brethren, I'm sure, are familiar with that part of our Annual 'Installation Ceremonies' where the Wor. Master-elect is told to direct his attention to the Secretary "while he reads you a summary of the Ancient Charges". The one Charge that stands out so prominently is that very familiar "Charge No. 11", which is as follows:
"Do you admit that it is not in the power of any man, or body of men, to make innovations in the body of Masonry. "
How many of our Brethren are also familiar with the fact that Charge No. 11 is, in itself, "an innovation in the body of Masonry."
To prove the above statement it will be necessary for us to journey back in time to the early 1700s.
The first Grand Lodge - the first in the world - was formed on St . John Baptist's day, 1717 in London, England. From a proposed list of Candidates, the Brn., by a majority of hands, elected Antony Sayer as their Grand Master. He, along with his Wardens, were then duly installed.
One of the four lodges present at this formation, which was then known as "The lodge that met at the Goose and Gridiron Ale House in St. Paul's Court Yard", is today known as 'The Lodge of Antiquity' No. 2, (originally No . 1) . This lodge was later to play a very important part in the origin and formulation of our 'Ancient Charges', as they are read today to the Wor. Master - elect at his Installation.
In 1720, The Grand Master Mr . George Payne drew up a "new set of Articles to be Observed" for the organization and government of the Craft. There were in total '39 Regulations', of these the '39th Regulation' (as amended in 1738) was also to play a very important part in our 'Ancient Charges' and to this day is one of the main causes of confusion and discussion within the Craft.
In 1721, the Grand Master, The Duke of Montagu, "finding fault with all the Copies of the Old Gothic Constitutions", ordered Bro. Anderson "to digest the same in a new and better method".
In 1723, Bro. Anderson presented his Book of Constitutions - which also included G.M. Payne's list of 39 Regulations - to the members of Grand Lodge for their approval. After a lengthy and heated discussion as to the contents of the B. of Cs., a motion was put on the floor.
From the "Minute Book" of the G.L. Of England, dated 24 June 1723 we find the following:-
And the question was moved, "That it is not in the power of any person or
========================================================
ILLUSTRATIONS OF MASONRY
The man, whose mind on virtue bent,
Pursues fame greatly good intent
With undiverted aim;
Serene, bebolds the angry crowd,
Nor can their clamours fierce and loud,
His stubborn honour tame.
BLACKLOCK
The SECOND EDITION,
CORRECTED AND ENLARGED
LONDON:
Printed for J. Wilkie, No. 71, St. Paul’s
Church Yard, 1775
The following charges are then read by the Grand Secretary [or acting Secretary] to the Master Elect.
I. You are to be a good man and true, and strictly to obey the moral law.
II. You are to be a peaceable subject, and cheerfully to conform to the laws of the country in which you reside.
III. You are not to be concerned in plots or conspiracies against government, but submit to the decisions of legislative power.
IV. You are to respect the civil magistrate, to work diligently, live creditably and act honourably by all men.
V. You are to obey the rulers and governors of the Society Supreme and Subordinate, in their different stations, and submit to the awards and resolutions of your brethren.
Vl. You are to avoid private piques and quarrels, and guard: against intemperance and excess:
Vll. You are to be cautious and prudent in your behavior, courteous to your brethren, and faithful to the lodge to which you belong.
Vlll. You are to respect your genuine brethren and discountenance all false pretenders;
IX. You are to promote the general good of society, cultivate the social virtues, and be always ready to give or to receive instruction;'
The Secretary then reads the following regulations.
I. The Grand Master for the time being, and all his officers are to be duly homaged, and the edicts of the Grand Lodge be strictly enforced.
ll. No alteration or innovation in the body of Masonry shall be made without the consent of the Grand Lodge first had and obtained.
III. The duties of the Grand Lodge are to be regularly attended, and the dignity of the Society supported.
IV. No stated Lodge is to be formed without leave from the Grand Master or his Deputy, or any countenance given to a mason clandestinely made in such Lodge.
V. No mason is to be made, or member admitted, in a regular Lodge, without one month’s previous notice, or due inquiry into his character.
Vl. No visitors are to be received into a Lodge, unless vouchers can be produced of their having been initiated in a regular constituted Lodge, acting under the authority of the Grand Master of England, or some other Grand Master approved by him.
Vll. No public processions of masons clothed with the badges of the Order, are to be countenanced without the special licence of the Grand Master.
These are the laws and regulations of the Society of Free and Accepted Masons.
Page of text from Exhibit A
========================================================
body of men, to make any alteration or innovation in the Body of Masonry without the consent first obtained of the Annual Grand Lodge." And the question was adopted as worded.
The purpose of this motion was to prevent any person, individual lodge, or body of men from making changes, "without the consent, first obtained, of the Annual Grand Lodge. We should also keep in mind that, what Grand Lodge first legislates, it can again legislate against. In 1738, Bro. Anderson presented the 'second edition' of his revised and updated version of the B. of Cs. There were several changes to the Regulations as printed in 1723. The motion, passed at the 1723 meeting, "It is not in the power of any person or body of men,..." was included as part of Regulation No. 39. There it was to remain, completely forgotten by the members of the Craft until 1775. (See Bro. Anderson's Book of Constitutions, 1738, Regulation No. XXXIX)
There is no evidence to show that these Regulations or Ancient Charges were part of any 'Installation Ritual' before 1775. Yet today, in our Installation Ceremonies, the Wor. Master-elect is told to direct his attention to the Secretary "while he reads you a summary of the Ancient Charges." This summary of course, includes part of the motion made at Grand Lodge in 1723.
So here we have a case of an original motion made at Grand Lodge in 1723, which was intended as, and was inserted into, the 'Regulations' as part of 'Regulation No. XXXIX'. Yet it ends up today (after both 'alteration' and 'innovation') as one of our Antient Charges. How did all this come about? To help us solve this riddle, we must now move forward to the exposures of 1730, 1760, and 1762.
In 1730, Prichard's 'Masonry Dissected' was published. There is no mention of an Installation Ritual in this publication . In 1760 'Three Distinct Knocks', followed by 'Jachin and Boaz' in 1762 were published. Both of these rituals included, in a very crude form, the ritual for the Wor. Master-elect. It consisted of an Obligation, followed by the handing over of the jewel of office and the grip and word of an Installed Master. The so-called 'Antient Charges', as read today to the Wor. Master-elect, were not part of this Installation Ritual.
In 1763, a gentleman by the name of 'William Preston', joined Lodge No. 111. He was a printer by trade, and was destined to leave his mark in Freemasonry as both an author and a ritualist. His 'Illustrations of Masonry', which was first printed in 1772, was published under the authority of the G.L . of England. There were, in all, 17 editions printed over the next 100 years. He was the author of the first 12 editions.
During the period 1767-1771, Bro. Preston was appointed by the Grand Secretary to assist in the arrangement of a new edition of the B. of C. In 1769 he was appointed Assistant or Deputy Grand Secretary. It was during this period of time, (1767-1771), that he became well acquainted with Bro. Anderson's B. of Cs. which were published in 1723 & 1738. This of course made him very familiar with the "39 Regulations" and the motion passed at Grand Lodge in 1723, "It is not in the power of any man or body of men..."
In 1774 Bro. Preston joined the 'Lodge of Antiquity No. 1', (one of the original time-immemorial lodges). In the same year he was elected Wor. Master of the lodge, having previously served as Wor. Master for other lodges. He studied the past records of the lodge, and by doing this, tried to establish a position by which the fullest prerogatives of a lodge, acting by a time immemorial constitution, could be kept intact, under its allegiance to Grand Lodge. He included at the front of his 'Illustrations' the following "Acting by Time Immemorial." This is important to keep in mind when we cover his Ancient Charges and why he later amended them.
In 1775 Bro. Preston published the second edition of his 'Illustrations of Masonry.' In this, he included, for the first time, a list of 9 Charges and 7 Regulations to be read to the Wor. Master-elect at his Installation. (See Exhibit "A"). It will be noted that 'Regulation No. 11' reads as follows:-
11. "No alteration or innovation in the body of Masonry shall be made without the consent of the Grand Lodge first had and obtained."
It will be noted that this Regulation (No .11), is very close to the original motion, passed at Grand Lodge in 1723 and inserted into Regulation No. 39 in 1738.
Also, Regulation No. VII reads as follows:-
VII. "No public procession of masons clothed with the badges of the order are to be countenanced without the special license of the Grand Master. "
In 1777, the Lodge of Antiquity attended a church parade, they then returned to the Lodge room in "jewels and clothing as representatives of the lodge". This, of course, was without the permission of the Grand Lodge. A complaint was lodged about this "public procession of Masons in their clothing." Bro. Preston tried to justify this 'procession' by pleading 'inherent rights', being
========================================================
CONSTITUTIONS
of the
Antient Fraternity
of
FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS.
PART THE SECOND.
Containing
THE CHARGES, REGULATIONS,
&c, &c.
PUBLISHED, BY
THE AUTHORITY OF THE UNITED GRAND LODGE:
BY
WILLIAM WILLIAMS, Esq.
Provincial Grand Master for the County of Dorset
London
PRlNTED BY W.P. NORRIS AND SON PRINTERS TO THE
SOCIETY, BLOMFIELD-STREET, LONDON-WALL
1827
Exhibit C
of the Mystic Art as far as your influence and ability can extend.
10. You promise to pay homage to the Grand Master for the time being, and to his officers when duly installed, and strictly to conform to every Edict of the Grand Lodge
11. You admit that it is not in the power of any Man or Body of Men to make innovations in the Body of Masonry.
12. You promise a regular attendance on the Communications and Committees of the Grand Lodge, upon receiving proper Notice thereof; and to pay attention to all the Duties of Free-Masonry upon proper and convenient occasions.
13. You admit that no new Lodge can be formed without permission of the Grand Master or his Deputy, and that no countenance ought to be given to any irregular Lodge, or to any Person initiated therein; and that no public processions of Masons clothed with the Badges of the Order can take place without the special License of the Grand Master or his Deputy
14. You admit that no Person can regularly be made a Free-Mason or admitted a Member of any Lodge without previous Notice and due inquiry into his Character; and that no Brother can be advanced to a higher Degree except in strict conformity with the Laws of the Grand Lodge.
15. You promise that no Visitor shall be received into your Lodge without due examination, and producing proper Vouchers of his having been initiated in a regular Lodge.
At the conclusion the Grand Master or Installing Officer addresses the Master-Elect, as follows:- "Do you submit to and promise to support these Charges and Regulations as Masters have done in all Ages." Upon his answering in the Affirmative the Ceremony of Installation proceeds.
Text taken from Exhibit C
=======================================================
one of the four 'time-immemorial' lodges, and because of this, had immemorial privileges.
This, of course, the Grand Lodge did not agree with, Bro. Preston was informed that all lodges, including the time immemorial lodges, must abide by the rules and regulations of Grand Lodge. Things came to a head when in 1779 Preston and his supporters were expelled by Grand Lodge. It was not until 1786 that they were reinstated.
In 1781, Preston published a further edition of his "Illustrations of Masonry". Because of his very strong belief of 'inherent rights' and 'immemorial privileges', and that he was writing an Installation ritual for the use of the members of the Lodge of Antiquity, he amended his 'Ancient Charges' in this edition by deleting the words "without the consent of the Grand Lodge first had and obtained", from Regulation No. 11. He made a further change by deleting, in its entirety, Regulation No. VII. ("No public procession of masons..."). See Exhibit "B". There the Ancient Charges were to remain until 1827.
========================================================
ILLUSTRATIONS
OF
MASONRY
The man, whose mind, on virtue bent,
Pursues fame greatly good intent
With undiverted aim;
Serene, beholds the angry crowd,
Nor can their ..... fierce and loud,
His stubborn honour some.
BLACKLOCK.
A NEW EDITION, with Additions.
LONDON
Printed for G. WILKlE, No. 71, St. Paul’s
Church-Yard.
1781
Exhibit B
========================================================
In 1827, H.R.H. The Duke of Sussex, then Grand Master, issued a warrant for the formation of a 'Lodge or Board of Installed Masters'. The only purpose of this Lodge/Board was for the formulation of a standard ceremony of Installation. It was at this time that the 9 'Charges', along with the 6 'Regulations' were combined into 15, with slight alteration
========================================================
CONSTITUTIONS
OF THE ANTIENT FRATERNITY OF
FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS
under the
UNITED GRAND LODGE
OF ENGLAND
CONTAINING THE GENERAL CHARGES
LAWS AND REGULATIONS
ETC., ETC
PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF
THE UNITED GRAND LODGE
LONDON
FREEMASONS' HALL
Great Queen Street
1984
Exhibit D
=======================================================
in the wording. Regulation No. IV and No. VII, (See Exhibit "A") were combined as No. 13. The official adoption of this Iist of 15 was promulgated by their being printed in the 1827 B. of Cs. (See Exhibit "C").
This list of 'Ancient Charges' have remained, without changes, (See Exhibit "D"), as part of the Installation Ritual from that date forward.
A comparison of Exhibit "B", Preston's Illustrations of Masonry, 1781, and Exhibit "E", The G.L. of Washington Monitor 'Ancient Charges', show them to be very close in their contents.
In 1986 a presentation was made to the 'Board of General Purposes' of the
=======================================================
G.L. of Washington Monitor
INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS
ANCIENT CEREMONIES
INST. OFFICERS: My Brother, previous to your investiture, it is necessary that you signify your assent to these Ancient Charges and Regulations which point out the duty of the Master of a Lodge.
1. You agree to be a good man and true and strictly to obey the moral law?
2. You agree to be a peaceable citizen, and cheerfully to conform to the laws of the country in which you reside?
3. You promise not to be concerned in plots and conspiracies against the government but patiently submit to the law and the constituted authorities?
4. You agree to pay a proper respect to the civil magistrates; to work diligently, live creditably and act honorably toward all men?
5. You agree to hold in veneration the original rulers and patrons of Freemasonry and their regular successors supreme and subordinate according to their stations; and to submit to the awards and resolutions of your brethren when in Lodge convened in every case consistent with the constitutions of Freemasonry?
6. You agree to avoid private piques and quarrels, and to guard against intemperance and excess?
7. You agree to be cautious in your behaviour, courteous to your brethren, and faithful to your Lodge?
8. You promise to respect genuine brethren, and to discountenance imposters and all dissenters from the original plan of Masonry?
Exhibit E
G.L. of Washington Monitor
========================================================
'United Grand Lodge of England' with respect to the 'Ancient Charges'. It was pointed out that 'Charge No. 11', was 'incomplete', and that it 'inaccurately reflected the minute of the Communication of the Grand Lodge held on 24 June, 1723. (See Exhibit "F"). Because of this presentation, Charge No. 11 has now been returned to its original meaning.
I would like to express my thanks to W. Bro. Hamill, Librarian and Curator of The United Grand Lodge of England, and a P.M. of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076; for has help and assistance in the preparation of this paper.
Exhibits
"A" Preston's Illustrations of Masonry, 1775
"B" Preston's Illustrations of Masonry, 1781
"C" United Grand Lodge of England B. of Cs., 1827
"D" United Grand Lodge of England B. of Cs., 1984
"E" Grand Lodge of Washington Monitor Ancient Charges
"F" Board of General Purpose Decision, December 10, 1986
References
Bro. James Anderson's Book of Constitutions 1723 & 1738.
Grand Lodge of British Columbia Book of Constitutions 1982.
Grand Lodge of British Columbia Forms and Ceremonies 1982.
Grand Lodge of England Minute Book 1723. Harry Carr's Freemason at Work, Harry Carr's World of Freemasonry.
Preston's Illustrations of Masonry 1775 & 1804. The Prestonian Lectures 1925-1960.
Transactions of The Quatuor Coronati Lodge of Research, Vol's 1-99.
William Preston and his Work, by Colin Dyer.
----o----
Solicitation - Free Will and Accord:
Proper:or Improper
by Harold J. Littleton, MPS
The petition which every one of us signed when we applied for admission into Freemasonry contained the phrase "uninfluenced by improper solicitation of friends." It doesn't say "uninfluenced by the solicitation of friends", but by the 'improper solicitation"; does the word 'improper" then suggest that there is a 'proper" solicitation?
In discussing solicitation the terms Free Will and Accord - Proper Solicitation - Improper Solicitation should be considered as a spectrum from white as Free will and accord to black as improper solicitation with proper solicitation as gray - many shades of gray.
How did the subject of solicitation get so much bad publicity or why was discussion on this subject relegated to small talk, almost in superstitious terms? Solicitation is nowhere mentioned in our Delaware Grand Lodge code. Furthermore, I've never heard of a Mason being reprimanded for solicitation although there have been suspicions raised about the number of petitions signed by one or two aggressive brothers.
Strict interpretation of the doctrine of "free will and accord" is fully defensible and would be in very strict agreement with Mackey who says, "This is a peculiar feature of the Masonic Institution that must commend it to the respect of every generous mind. In other associations, it is considered meritorious in a member to exert his influence in obtaining applications for admission, but it is wholly uncongenial with the spirit of our Order to persuade anyone to become a Freemason." Mackey goes on to say that this unwritten law is sometimes violated "by young and heedless Brethren." He ascribes their motives to the desire to imitate "modern fraternal orders" which resemble Masonry in nothing except some ritualistic secrets. "It is wholly in opposition to all our laws and principles to ask any man to become a Freemason...We must not seek - we must be sought."
Strict interpretation of "free will and accord" may have delayed admission of good men to our lodges and the craft may thereby have lost many years of productive output. As PGM Steeves of New Brunswick said at the Conference of Grand Masters a few years ago, "It is not reasonable to assume that any ambitious young man would request membership in a fraternity about which he knows very little, that is not visible in the community, whose achievements and accomplishments are unknown, and which he has not been invited to participate in or join. Nor is it reasonable or logical to assume that any man would or even could have a preconceived opinion of our order, favorable or otherwise. It is constantly hidden from his view."
Turning now to solicitation, let's see how Webster defines it. Solicit means (1) to make petition or to entreat, (2) to approach with a request or plea, (3) to strongly urge, (4) to entice or lure, (5) to try to obtain by asking.
With these definitions in mind, let's review how some other Grand Lodges are approaching this subject and review their activities in this area. This review is neither to judge nor to criticize but merely to report.
In 1981 in England a policy statement was developed which says "There is no objection to a neutrally worded approach being made to a man who is conceived a suitable candidate for Freemasonry. There can be no objection to his being reminded once that approach is made. The potential candidate should then be left to make his own decision without further solicitation." There are some key words in this statement, namely, "neutrally worded approach," "reminded once", and "without further solicitation."
In 1982 the Grand Master of Louisiana issued an edict as follows, "There is no objection to a neutrally worded approach being made to a man who is considered to be a suitable candidate for Freemasonry. After the procedure for obtaining membership in a Masonic Lodge is explained, the potential candidate should be left to make his own decision and come of his own free will." In 1985 the Grand Master of Ohio issued a similar edict followed in 1987 by the Grand Master of Delaware. Others have also been issued.
The Grand Lodge of Oklahoma code says that it "prohibits solicitation of membership from profanes (non-Masons). It is not the intent of (the code) to force the qualified profane to beg for permission to join our ranks. According to Webster the word solicit means to 'beg or urge with troublesome persistence.' In light of this it is certainly not a Masonic offense to, quietly and without pressure, offer him information and assistance if he is interested. If we do less than this we are denying access to the Fraternity to the majority of good men who have an interest in and a high regard for Masonry but no idea of what it takes to become a Mason. It is just as ridiculous to expect a man to beg for a petition as it is for us to beg him to join. It is a violation of Masonic law to 'beg or urge with troublesome persistence' a good man to become a Mason. It is not unlawful to offer advice and assistance. It is permissible to inform a good man, 'Do you know that you will never be requested to join Masonry?' Again the key words are "beg with troublesome persistence", and "it is not unlawful to offer advice and assistance."
In 1984 the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania embarked on an elaborate program to revitalize Masonry and to increase membership with the title, "Solomon II (R) The Rebuilding of Freemasonry." Its specific objective was "to reverse the decline in membership and rebuild the fraternity to a minimum of 250,000 members in the next four years." One of the premises of this program stated that "every Master Mason has friends, relatives, acquaintances, church members, fellow workers and others who would be valuable assets to the Masonic fraternity." In announcing this program it was said that "the task can be accomplished and the goal reached without violating any dictates of Masonic law while preserving the high standards of qualification for membership." One part of this program was the use of an educational brochure which all Pennsylvania Masons are encouraged to carry and give to acquaintances. The first paragraph of this brochure says, "you may be surprised to know that the friend who asked you to read this literature will not ask you to petition the Masonic Fraternity for membership. Contrary to popular belief membership in Freemasonry is not by invitation. Instead, if you seek membership, you must do so on your own initiative by making your wishes known to a member of the fraternity." This brochure then proceeds to give much the same information as in the Delaware publication, "Freemasonry - A Way of Life". It then concludes with this information, "Your friend is a Master Mason and is proud of the Masonic Fraternity. He is also very proud of the fine character of its members. He sincerely believes that you possess the qualities for membership in the Fraternity and that you should, at least, have the opportunity to know more about it. By taking a few minutes to read this literature, you will be better informed about Freemasonry. You will also understand that those who seek membership must do so of their own accord. Unfortunately, without this understanding, many fine individuals have not enjoyed the special rewards of membership in Freemasonry. If, after reading this material, you have any questions or desire to know more about Freemasonry, your friend will be pleased to answer your questions or to obtain the answers for you. Whether or not you should decide to inquire about membership in Freemasonry you can be certain that you have a special friend within the Masonic fraternity who thinks very highly of you. Please consider the fact that he shared this literature with you as a message of kindness from friend to friend!" This Solomon II program puts much emphasis on increasing membership numbers and recognizes first line signers of subordinate lodge petitions with recognition pins for one new member, two new members, etc. Some Masons have expressed concern that when public recognition is given to obtaining new members, the idea of proper vs. improper solicitation gets very dark gray! Several other jurisdictions, including Maryland, Maine and the District of Columbia, have approved use of variations of the Solomon II program.
The Foundation Builders Program is in use in Illinois with information similar to that used in Pennsylvania, but with a different design of pin being given for new members.
There is another program being used in many New England and some midwestern states which involves "friendship nights" or "membership nights" at which time Masons invite non-Masons to attend a dinner meeting and have presentations afterwards discussing many facets of Masonry. Visitors are not asked directly to petition the lodge, but are encouraged to ask questions. Some jurisdictions, including Indiana, have banned this type of meeting. If these meetings are for information, fine; if for solicitation, some Masons have a problem.
Not all publicity is favorably inclined toward relaxing the rules on solicitation. For example, PGM Dwight L. Smith of Indiana says, "Anyone who thinks a program of invitation could be controlled, discreet, dignified, so that only men of high caliber would be invited, is living in a fool's paradise. What reason do we have for thinking that our membership at large, representing all walks of life and all strata of society, would confine its efforts to the cream of the community."
Brother Brent Morris of Maryland made a statistical study of Freemasonry vs. the Odd Fellows - two organizations with similar objectives and organizational structures. The Odd Fellows permit solicitation; Freemasonry does not. In 1900 the Odd Fellows had 870,000 members while Freemasonry had 839,000 members. In 1915 both organizations had about 1,500,000 members, but in the early 1920's membership in the Odd Fellows started to drop and in 1986 they had only about 160,000 members while Freemasonry continued to grow to over 4 million, down today to about 3,000,000. Brother Morris cites this example to show that solicitation per se does not necessarily lead to long term membership increases.
The Grand Master of Missouri in 1983 says, "Some say that solicitation is the answer. This may be true, but it has very definitely not worked for the Odd Fellows and similar fraternal groups. Our law is very explicit on solicitation. It is a Masonic offense. My own feeling is that the best result for our Fraternity will be attained if it becomes generally known that we do not solicit, and that one must seek our portals through a friend who is a member."
Similarly the code of Iowa was amended in 1984 to read as follows, "It is unMasonic to improperly urge profanes to become members, but whether or not such action is a triable offense is a question for the lodge, depending upon the facts of each case."
Turning now to my own jurisdiction, Delaware, members are solicited in many ways, none of which has ever been challenged. For this reason, it must be assumed that they are in the gray area of proper solicitation.
First, we display proudly on our lapels the Masonic emblem, as well as on our car insignia, caps and jackets, etc. We advertise that we are Masons and are proud of it. These outward symbols are question marks for the uninitiated and can be used to encourage questions about membership. One nearby state advertises by using the square and compasses on auto license plates. Another state forbids the use of the Masonic emblem on car insignia or even on caps and the Grand Master commented in a directive to all the lodges "that this sort of thing is an ostentatious innovation that will not be countenanced in this Grand Jurisdiction."
Second, Masonic ceremonies are held with the public invited - open installations, cornerstone layings, funerals, etc. These events are not solicitation affairs, but they all offer opportunities for nonMasons to witness Masonic ceremonies and become acquainted with Freemasonry. On these occasions, talks have been given on "What Masons Can Tell Non-Masons." Most ladies nights are open to our non-Masonic friends who might be encouraged to ask questions and see the type of individuals who are Masons.
Third, Masonic buildings are frequently open to the public. Are the libraries and displays of Masonic memorabilia at 818 Market Street, in our lodges, in the museum at Lombardy Hall, at the Scottish Rite Cathedral ways of soliciting questions about the fraternity? Doesn't the historical value of some of these items arouse questions which can lead to a broader discussion of Masonry and ultimately of membership?
Fourth, isn't participation in our youth organizations a form of solicitation? Masons have a golden opportunity to create interest in Masonry in our youth so that they will be favorably inclined to participate when of a lawful age. Comments on how their organizations are related to the Masonic Fraternity can be considered a light gray form of solicitation. Comments that good ritual work in these organizations is a good preparation for later Masonic activity might be construed as a form of solicitation. Likewise, some nonMasonic fathers of DeMolay members may ask questions leading to Masonic membership.
Fifth, our educational booklets, Freemasonry - A Way Of Life and Should I Ask?, for many years have been made available throughout the state. Derogatory comments have not been expressed about the information presented in these booklets although the obvious reason for their existence is to inform and thereby indirectly to solicit members.
Sixth, one-on-one conversation is probably the most frequent method of solicitation and here the gray area can be very broad. A father may say to his son, "If you ever decide to become a Mason, I'll be proud to sign your petition." A business acquaintance or friend may be told in casual conversation that he will never be asked to become a Mason. A friend may indicate that some member of his family was an active Mason which can lead to the follow up comment, "It's a wonder you never joined." Or the individual may be asked if he is a member and if he says "no", the questioner may shake his head and turn aside with the comment, "Too bad!"
A darker shade of gray may be the classic story of a grandfather's discussion with the grandson on his 21st birthday. He said, "Son, now that you're 21, whose lodge are you going to join - your father's or mine?"
One of the most highly respected senior Masons in our state has on rare occasions been known to hand a petition to a life long friend, who he knew in his heart would be a good Mason, and was well thought of in the community with the comment, "If you ever decide to join, I'll be happy to sign your petition." Is that proper or improper solicitation?
The final kind of solicitation may be by the indirect method. Mothers may be responsible for encouraging sons to petition lodges for membership. Secretaries typing Masonic letters or trestleboards may influence non-Masons. One secretary commented that she would like to see her husband become a Mason because his grandfather had been active. Soon afterwards a copy of Freemasonry - A Way Of Life reached his hands and he petitioned a local lodge. Another indirect petition resulted from an individual's interest in the activities of one of the appendant bodies. While taking his blue lodge degrees he became so interested that he became a most proficient officer and later served on the Grand Staff. Undoubtedly there are numerous other examples of indirect solicitation which you could cite.
A clear definition of Improper Solicitation is hard to define except by implication that it is improper to push or to promise. It is improper solicitation to use a repeated, high pressure sales approach, at one time associated with carnival barkers. Asking once is permissible as defined in many Grand Lodge edicts and programs. It is improper to promise the candidate that he will receive material benefit or some special recognition if he joins. A few Masons might regard it as improper solicitation when the sponsor is materially rewarded or overly recognized for soliciting. Improper solicitation would be giving a petition to a person of casual acquaintance or of uncertain background. Candidates who are improperly solicited seldom will be of long term benefit to the craft.
Having reviewed what some jurisdictions consider proper solicitation and what to me are the ways we in Delaware solicit, it appears that Delaware is about in the middle of the proper solicitation spectrum - not being as strict as some jurisdictions and not as liberal as others. Therefore, my first conclusion is that we should continue and perhaps relax our forms of "proper" solicitation. My second conclusion is that we should not only feel free to discuss Masonry with the uninitiated but we should be knowledgeable enough to be comfortable in doing so. Knowledge brings confidence and confidence comes from individual study, from personal discussions, from attendance at workshops, from meaningful educational lodge programs, from observations made while attending other lodges and appendant bodies.
Free Will and Accord -
Proper Solicitation -
Improper Solicitation:
White - Gray - Black
Individual Masons determine their shade of gray depending on their individual background and as permitted by custom in their jurisdiction.
Bibliography
1. Clifford, Lyndon W., "What Direction Freemasonry?", California Freemason, Winter, 1984, p. 29-32.
2. Elkins, Thomas T., (G.M. of Louisiana) Letter to Constituent Lodges et. al., September 23, 1982.
3. Fleming, Paul L., "Crusade for Survival", Knight Templar, January 1986, p. 11-14.
4. Herbold, Ralph, Southern California Research Lodge, No. 496.
5. Herbold, Ralph, Southern California Research Lodge, No. 497 "How Does A Man Become A Mason?" reproduced from Masonic Light of South Carolina, September, 1985.
6. Mackey, Albert C., Jurisprudence of Freemasonry, p. 50-53.
7. Morris, Brent S., "Modern Trends Affecting American Freemasonry", Philalethes Magazine, Vol. XXXV, No. 2, April, 1982, p. 16, 17.
8. Morris, Brent S., "The Siren Song of Solicitation", Royal Arch Mason, Summer, 1983, p. 163-168.
9. Morris, Brent S., "The Public Image of Freemasonry", Royal Arch Mason Winter, 1982, p. 105-111.
10. Steeves, I. Dale, "Solicitation Proper or Improper", Conference of Grand Masters, February, 1983.
11. MSA Short Talk Bulletin "Solicitation", Vol. XLI, No. 4, April 1963 (Reproduced in The Indiana Freemason, February 1987, p. 8, 9, 14 by Conrad Hahn).
12. Northeast Conference on Masonic Education, Minutes, May 1983, p. 56-77.
13. Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania Booklet, Friend To Friend, 1984.
14. Pennsylvania Freemason
Vol. XXXI No.
1 Feb. 1984
2 May 1984
3 August 1984
4 November 1984
Vol. XXXV No. 1 Feb. 1985
15. Grand Lodge of Illinois, Foundation Builders Program Packet
16. Halldorson, G.K., "Solicitation". The Indiana Freemason January 1987, p. 10, 11.
17. Levitan, Jordan S., "In Defense of Free Will and Accord", The Indiana Freemason, April 1987, p. 4, 5, 13.
18. Anthony, Russell H., "Step by Step". Knight Templar, November 1986, p. 5, 6 14.
19. Weiner, Frank H., Letter to Editor, Knight Templar, March, 1987, p. 24. 25.
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Assembly - Feast - Forum/Last Call
The 60th Anniversary of The Philalethes Society will be celebrated during the Assembly - Feast - Forum. It will be an evening of Masonic fun and Masonic information. There will be many door prizes, mementos, and surprises. The toasts will be drunk from Anniversary "firing glasses" which the toasters will keep. Every male will receive an Anniversary lapel pin; the ladies, an Anniversary charm-neckpiece.
The Place: The Hotel Washington
The Time: 6 p.m. Sharp
The Annual Lecturer: Donald M. Robey, MPS, PGM, Virginia
The Forum: Open questions on any Masonic subject
The investment: $23 if tickets are ordered by February 10, 1989 from the Exec. Sec., PO Box 70, Highland Springs, VA 23075
Tickets will be available in the lobby of the hotel until NOON on the 17th at $26 each.
Copies of Seekers of Truth, the 60 year history of The Philalethes Society will be available at a one-time special price of $10 ($12 by mail). Master Masons who join the Society at that time will receive a copy at an extra-special price.
Don't Miss This Anniversary Party!
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MANUSCRIPT
by Wallace McLeod, FPS
(As its volume for 1989, the Masonic Book Club is thinking of reprinting a 220-year-old classic, Wellins Calcott's Candid Disquisition of the Principles and Practices of the Most Ancient and Honourable Society of Free and Accepted Masons. The following piece is offered to readers of this journal as a sneak preview of the introduction. For further information about the Masonic Book Club, write to P. O. Box 1563, Bloomington, Illinois 61701.)
Henry VI, King of England from 1422 to 1471, plays a large part in the traditional history of the Mason’s Craft, and gets several mentions in Anderson's Constitutions of 1723. Early in his reign, when he was "an Infant of about four Years old", a law was passed in his name, forbidding Masons to assemble "in Chapters and Congregations." Somewhat later in life he is said to have inspected the Charges and Laws of the Free-Masons, and to have approved them. Another story is told about him, that runs like this.
At some date around 1440 he decided to investigate the nature of Masonry. For this purpose he summoned a skilled member of the brotherhood into his presence, and proceeded to examine him. The king himself wrote down the questions and the answers. What happened to his original notes is not known, but presumably they were kept "in the Archives of some convent". Then, about 1536, when the monasteries were being dissolved, the notes were found by John Leland (1506?-1552), the "King's Antiquary" for King Henry VIII. He carefully transcribed them, and his copy eventually found its way into the Bodleian Library in Oxford (which was opened in 1603) . It languished there almost forgotten until 1696, when it was found by John Locke, the notable English philosopher (1632-1704). He copied it again, added some explanatory notes, and sent it on to Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke (1656-1733). Somehow Locke's letter, and his transcript of Leland, came into the hands of a Masonic brother who apparently lived in Germany. On his death, the papers turned up in his desk. Whoever found them published them in pamphlet-form in Frankfort, Germany, in 1748, under a German title. Word of the pamphlet filtered back to England, and in due course it was printed in a literary journal called The Gentleman’s Magazine, in the issue for September 1753. It made a tremendous hit, and was reprinted in practically all the major Masonic publications for the rest of the century; Jonathan Scott's Pocket Companion of 1754, Dermott's Ahiman Rezon of 1764 (second edition; not in the first edition, of 1756), Calcott's Candid Disquisition of 1769, Preston's Illustrations of Masonry of 1775 (second edition; I have not checked the first edition of 1772), Hutchinson's Spirit of Masonry of 1775, and Noorthouck's Constitutions of 1784. (Perhaps we should add here that The Gentleman's Magazine has another claim to fame, because from the time that it was founded in 1731 right up until 1833 it carried on its title page the Latin motto E pluribus unum, and it was the source of these words for the men who devised the seal of the United States of America.)
The king's interrogation of the Mason is written in Middle English (the stage intermediate between Old English and Modern English). The questions and answers begin like this:
Quest. What mote ytt be?
Answ. Ytt beeth the Skylle of
Nature, the understondynge
of the myghte that ys
hereynne, and its sondrye
Werckynges; sonderlyche, the
Skylle of Rectenyngs, of
Waightes and Metynges, and
the treu manere of Facon
nynge al thynges for Mannes
Use; headlye, Dwellynges, and
Buyldynges of alle Kindes,
and al odher thynges that
make Gudde to Manne.
Unless you have had a bit of experience with this kind of the language, it looks strange, and you may imagine that it is hard to understand; in the words of the great Joseph Fort Newton, "it would doubtless be unintelligible to all but antiquarians." This is an overstatement, for if you read the words aloud without paying any attention to the outlandish spelling, they will generally make sense. Still, for the convenience of readers, we may offer a modern version of the old text.
Certain questions, with their answers, about the mystery of Masonry, written by the hand of King Henry VI, and faithfully copied by me, John Leland, Antiquary, by the command of his Highness King Henry VIII.
The questions and answers are as follows:
Question 1. What may the Mystery of Masonry be?
Answer. It is the knowledge of nature, the understanding of the power that is in nature, and its various operations; in particular, the knowledge of numbers, of weights and measures, and the true manner of forming all things for man's use; especially, dwellings and buildings of all kinds, and all other things that are beneficial to man.
Question 2. Where did it begin?
Answer. It began with the first men in the East, who lived before the first man of the West; and coming West, it brought with it all comforts to the savage and comfortless.
Question 3. Who brought it West?
Answer. The Phoenicians, who being great traders, first came from the East into Phoenicia, for the convenience of trading both East and West, by the Red and Mediterranean Seas.
Queston 4. How did it come into England ?
Answer. Pythagoras, a Greek, traveled into Egypt to gain knowledge, and into Syria, and into every land where the Phoenicians had planted Masonry; and winning entrance into all lodges of Masons, he learned much, and returned, and dwelt in Southern Italy, growing and becoming a mighty scholar, and greatly renowned; and there he founded a great lodge at Croton, and made many Masons, some of whom journeyed into France, and made many Masons; and from there, in the process of time, the art passed into England.
Question 5. Do Masons reveal their arts to others?
Answer. Pythagoras, when he journeyed to learn was first initiated, and later was taught; all others would be right to do the same. Nevertheless Masons have always in every time, from time to time, communicated to mankind such of their secrets as generally might be useful; they have kept back only the ones that would be harmful if they came into evil hands, or the ones that would not be beneficial without the teachings that are joined to them in the lodge, or the ones that bind the brethren more strongly together by reason of the profit and convenience that come to the fraternity from them.
Question 6. What arts have the Masons taught mankind?
Answer. The arts of agriculture, architecture, astronomy, geometry, numbers, music, poetry, chemistry, government, and religion.
Question 7. Why are Masons teachers more than other men?
Answer. They are unique in the art of finding new arts, and this art the first Masons received from God; by this they find whatever arts they want, and the true way of teaching them. What other men find out is only by chance, and therefore but little, I dare say.
Question 8. What do the Masons conceal and hide?
Answer. They conceal the art of finding new arts, and that is for their own profit and honour; they conceal the art of keeping secrets, so that the world may conceal nothing from them. They conceal the art of working miracles, and of prophesying things to come, so that the same arts may not be used by the wicked for an evil purpose; they also conceal the art of changes, the way of gaining the faculty of Abrac, the knowledge of becoming good and perfect without the prompting of fear and hope; and the universal language of Masons.
Question 9. Will they teach me the same arts?
Answer. You shall be taught if you are worthy, and able to learn.
Question 10. Do all Masons know more than other men?
Answer. Not so. They only have right and opportunity more than other men to know, but many fall short in ability, and many more are lacking in industry, which is absolutely necessary to gain all knowledge.
Question 11. Are Masons better men than others?
Answer. Some Masons are not so virtuous as some other men; but, for the most part, they are better than they would be if they were not Masons.
Question 12. Do Masons love each other strongly, as is said?
Answer. Yes, indeed, and it could not be otherwise; for good men and true, if they know each other to be the same, always love more the better they are. Here end the questions and answers.
This document certainly does paint the Craft in a favourable light, and in fact says that it was the source of civilization. Moreover, it is connected with three notable men of the days before the first Grand Lodge. Over the years many students have worried about whether it can really go back to the time of King Henry VI, and harsh words have been written on both sides. The latest edition of Robert Freke Gould's authoritative History of Freemasonry (the third, edited by Herbert Poole, 1951) comes out strongly against it. Yet, perhaps there are still those who would like to believe that it is genuine. Now I do not, as the saying goes, want to break anyone's rice-bowl, but it seems to me that the arguments in favour of the Leland-Locke Manuscript are based on emotion and wishful thinking, and depend for their persuasiveness on abuse of the opposition, while those against it are decisive and unanswerable. Here are some of them.
(1) The text suddenly surfaces in 1753. No one can point to any of the alleged earlier versions. There is no sign of the German pamphlet, or of Locke's letter, or of Leland's manuscript in the Bodleian Library, or of the king's original transcript.
(2) Samples of the hand-writing of King Henry VI are known, and it looks as if he was hardly literate enough to have written the original text. This was pointed out in 1833 by the topographer and architectural historian James Dallaway (1763-1834).
(3) Locke's commentary (which is not quoted here) is too shallow to ascribe to the great philosopher. He would have seen how silly it was to say, for example, that Pythagoras "made every Geometrical Theorem a Secret", or that he communicated these secrets to "only such . . . as had first undergone a five Years Silence." This objection was raised by the German critic and Freemason Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729 - 1781) in a letter that he wrote in October 1778.
(4) Despite the old look of the language, the text uses words that had not yet been invented. For example, the word 'kymistrye' (chemistry) is not found in English until about the year 1600 and did not become common until the middle of the century. This fact was noted in 1920 by the lexicographer Charles Talbot Onions (1873-1965), one of the editors of the New English Dictionary, the immense ten-volume set published in Oxford in the years 1884-1928.
(5) Late in the fourteenth century Wycliffe's New Testament has Pilate say, "What is treuthe?" Chaucer can write "What is youre sweet wille?" A bit later Shakespeare writes, "What is love?" If King Henry VI wanted to know the nature of the Craft, he would have asked, in the manner of Wycliffe, Chaucer, and Shakespeare, "What is Masonry?" Why does he begin his questions with "What mote it be?" with no hint of what on earth he is asking about? Clearly his words are intended to remind us of the traditional "So mote it be", which is well known in Masonic contexts from 1390 on.
In short, we cannot escape the conclusion that the Leland-Locke Manuscript has no connection with Leland, or with Locke, and that it is a forgery, made up not too long before 1753. It took people in, because everyone knew that Masonry did have a connection with old documents. In Grand Lodge on 24 June 1721, for example, an old Masonic parchment of about the year 1410 was displayed. Our forger did a slick job, and found a ready audience, but we can see now that he drew many of his hints from Anderson's Constitutions of 1738. It talks about Henry VI, uses the words "So mote it be," notes that Masonry began in the East and came West, mentions the Phoenicians, the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and Pythagoras and his travels and his school.
There's no need to ignore the Leland-Locke Manuscript just because it is not genuine. After all, the forgery is still 235 years old, which is pretty venerable by Masonic standards, and it says some things about Masonic ideals and teachings that are still true. Just don't try to kid yourself that it is any older than 1753.
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Philalethes Named
Insurance Beneficiary
We recently learned that one of our members has made The Philalethes Society the beneficiary of his insurance policy. Two others (that we know about) have remembered the Society in their Wills. Thank you!
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Dues Due
Every dues-paying member of The Philalethes Society should have received a dues card and statement. The yearly dues remain at $15. Hundreds have sent their payment to the Treasurer. And we thank you for this.
Each year about 500 wait for a reminder which is mailed first class in late February or early March. This costs the Society time and money that could be used for the benefit of all the members. Please, if you are one of these, don't wait. Send in your dues now. And don't forget to include the notice that came with the card. It's a big help and assures accurate posting.
A third, and final notice is sent out to about 200 in April. Any who don't pay then, or inform us that they are unable to do so for whatever reason (we remit the dues of those who tell us they need help), are dropped from the roster. It isn't fair to the Life Members and those who pay their dues on time to carry those who don't. Our magazine and other services are expensive.
For the first time in four years we didn't drop those who had not paid the previous year after they received the third notice. We wanted to be fair. A computer mix up may have been responsible for a few being reported delinquent who really were not.
Those who haven't paid their dues 30 days after the final notice is sent will be dropped.
Notices have been returned for about a dozen with various notations by the postal service. We have no choice but to drop them. Almost 200 were returned noting new addresses. These cost your Society well over $200, simply because these members didn't care enough to notify us of a change of address.
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Odd Fellowship and Craft Masonry
by Allison D. Bryant, MPS
This article was originally presented to the Michigan Lodge of Research and Information No. 1, F. and A.M. as background for the Lodge's project of researching a small cemetery in Trenton, Michigan. The cemetery originally had connections with the Masonic Lodge there, and several stones have emblems of the Craft on them. A few stones also had emblems of the Odd Fellows' Lodge, and the question came up if the two orders had ever been associated. Then Worshipful Master Donald Van Kirk asked me, as a member of both organizations, to present a paper on this specific subject. The two orders have always had a fascination for me, as my paternal grandfather was a Master Mason, and my maternal grandfather an Odd Fellow. This paper was presented at the June 1987 regular communication of the Lodge.
This discussion consists of three sections: 1) a general overview of Odd Fellowship; 2) a history of the Order; and 3) its relationship to Freemasonry. The history and discussion is not exhaustive - we haven't the time or inclination to delve that deeply into this subject. But it will, hopefully, give some background into a fraternal order not well know among members of the Craft.
One interesting aspect is the amount of information available on Odd Fellowship. Outside the two books that are personal copies, and one that was loaned to me by the new Grand Patriarch of Michigan, this material is available in most libraries, found in general reference books. There is not a tradition of research and publication in Odd Fellowship; neither is there readily available libraries for loan or books specifically on the 100F for sale (Books in Print lists 144 books on Freemasonry, and one on the Odd Fellows). This has made research on this topic not unlike a scavenger hunt.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is a fraternal order of men based on the ideals of Friendship, Love and Truth. It is organized into subordinate Lodges, as well as "higher" degrees; the Encampment (1820's), Cantons of Patriarchs Militant (1884), The Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans (1902), as well as the Rebekahs (1851), Junior Lodge (Odd Fellowship's answer to DeMolay) and Theta Rho (the girl's group). Presently the Independent Order of Odd Fellows consists of 16,000 Lodges on the North American continent and 17 foreign countries.
The Emblem of the Order is three interconnected links of a chain, delineated Friendship, Love and Truth. These virtues are usually abbreviated "F.L.T." In the music and instruments display at the Henry Ford Museum is a letter from a musician. It is an ordinary letter, containing only references to music and family, until the closing: In F.L.T. Some of the other emblems associated with the order would seem familiar to a Master Mason - the coffin, the scythe and the all-seeing eye; others would seem quite foreign, such as a hand with a heart in the palm, the serpent or bow and quiver of arrows.
The Subordinate Lodge has three degrees, referred to as the First, Second and Third, or the Degrees of Friendship, Love and Truth. The three degrees, however are preceded by an "Initiatory Degree" which is the actual working degree of the Order. All business of a Lodge is conducted in the Initiatory Degree, much like business in English Craft Masonry is conducted in the Entered Apprentice Degree.
Odd Fellowship is not a religion, though many of its beliefs and teachings are based upon scripture. The candidate for the degrees is required to profess a belief in a Supreme Being, and prayer and scripture make up much of the ritual. The Sovereign Grand Lodge issued a statement in 1963 which said, in part
"While Odd Fellowship is not a religious institution, many of its principles, tenants, practices and objectives are based upon the teachings of the Holy Bible. Many of the rites and ceremonies, much of the ritual and lectures, the secret passwords, signs and countersigns, have a Biblical origin or significance. Free and extensive use of the Holy Scriptures is made in much of the secret work of the Order and in the lectures. Recognition of, and subjection to, a Supreme Being as Creator, Preserver and Benefactor of the Universe and of mankind is required of all initiates. Lodges are opened and closed with prayer, and there are special prayers at appropriate stages in the ritual and ceremonies. Reverence for God and for His name, respect and esteem for the Holy Bible, and adherence to the principles of righteousness, justice, and brotherly love in human relations are all inspired and strengthened by the associations and workings of an Odd Fellows Lodge." (1)
The name of the Order is a subject of much discussion, and not a little amusement. One of the explanations of the name is that being a group aimed at social union and mutual assistance, they were at odds with the general attitude of society in the 16th century - hence the name "Odd Fellows." Another source explains that the origin of the Order could be found in the working guilds in England (closer to the origin of Craft Masonry than the Friendly Societies) and the old English words "ad" and "wed" meaning oath and pledge, were used to identify these brethren. After awhile, the "wed" was dropped and the "ad" was transformed into odd. Hence: Ad Fellows, Pledge Fellows, Odd Fellows. (2)
The history of the Order is quite interesting, and in some ways parallels that of the Masonic institution.
Odd Fellowship began in England sometime previous to 1745, with the earliest mention being of a Lodge meeting held at the Oakley Arms, Borough of Southwark. Also, it is said that Daniel DeFoe referred to the meetings of the Odd Fellows being "a place where very pleasant and recreative evenings are spent" in an issue of the Gentleman's Magazine in that year, but his reference has proven to be somewhat elusive to those who have searched for it, and is now generally relegated to secondhand sources and folklore. (3)
At one time certain elements of the Order sought to construct an "ancient" origin for Odd Fellowship, not unlike Dr. James Anderson in his Constitutions of 1723, with his talk of Noah and Moses. In 1839 the Grand Master of the Board of Directors in England distributed what was to be the Official story:
The Order was the first established, according to his narrative, among the soldiers of the Jewish legion of the Roman Army, during the reign of Nero, about 55 A.D. Some twenty-four years later Titus Ceasar, "observing the singularity of their notions and their camaraderie" and their uncanny ability to recognize each other by signs after night, called them odd Fellows. The report further has it that Agricola, one of the generals of Titus Ceasar, made an invasion of Wales not long afterwards and various other generals made other invasions from time to time, and hence the spread of these odd Fellows. They were, the Grand Master points out, in Spain in the fifth century and in France in the twelfth century. (4)
However, the movement to give the Order antiquity quickly faded away, and its modern origin was seen as a real virtue. The Order seems to be an outgrowth of English "Friendly Societies" which were mutual associations formed for payment of monetary allowances in times of incapacity for work resulting from sickness or infirmity, with money payments on the death of a member or his wife. One of these groups, the Most Noble Order of Bucks, almost rivaled Masonry in membership and influence, but soon declined. Odd Fellowship's unique title for its presiding office, Noble Grand, comes from this group. It is supposed that such groups provided the nucleus for Odd Fellowship.
Branches of the order grew up in many English cities, but with no one Lodge admitting to the superiority of another. In 1814 many of the Lodges banded together and formed the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Manchester Unity, which quickly became the chief "Friendly Society" in Great Britain. The "landmarks" of the Manchester Unit were:
1) Weekly Benefit System;
2) Renewable Password;
3) Code of General Law;
4) Funeral Fund System;
5) The Three Original Degrees; and
6) The Old Charges, with the Past Grand's Charge. (5)
The American society known as Odd Fellows came into existence in 1819 in Baltimore, Maryland due to the efforts of one Thomas Wildey, a coachmaker who was a Past Grand of a Lodge of the Grand Lodge of England (not affiliated with the Manchester Unity and actually a group not known outside of London) before he had immigrated from England. Wildey placed an advertisement in the Baltimore American for any Odd Fellows to meet him at the Seven Stars Tavern on a specific evening. Four men responded and the five (Wildey, John Welch, John Duncan, John Cheatham and Richard Rushmore) formed a Lodge of Odd Fellows at the Seven Stars on April 26, 1819. This Lodge received a Charter from the Duke of York's Lodge of the Manchester Unity, dated January 20, 1820 and became Washington Lodge No. 1. The Charter didn't arrive, however, until October of that year, and the minutes of the Lodge record that the Charter was "accepted by the Lodge" on October 20. Lodges also sprung up in Boston (1820) and Philadelphia (1821).
Henry M. Jackson also arrived from England in 1819, with a commission from the Manchester Unity for the intended purpose of establishing the Order in the United States; the Unity did not know that a Lodge had already been established. He explained that the Lodge at the Seven Stars was not using the Correct Ritual and suggested that Wildey was not legally entitled to the office of Noble Grand because the "ancient usages" forbid a Noble Grand to succeed himself. However, Wildey had a great deal of support and Jackson became instrumental in forming a rival Lodge, styled Franklin Lodge. This Lodge applied to the Manchester Unity for a Charter, but they were denied one because Washington Lodge had been granted the power to charter lodges. Franklin Lodge then applied to Washington Lodge for a charter; Jackson having moved away, the animosity that had called for Franklin Lodge to be a "rival" was gone, and the new Lodge had no problem with submitting to the older body.
Odd Fellowship has accomplished something that Freemasonry has talked about in this country, but could never "pull off" - a "national Grand Lodge." Washington Lodge No. 1 in Baltimore served as the chartering body in the States for the first year or so, but surrendered its English charter in 1821 to the Grand Lodge of Maryland and the United States which was organized that year. This group continued until 1825 when the Grand Lodge of Maryland and the United States was dissolved and the United States Grand Lodge was born. This Grand Lodge, however, was never granted a charter as a Grand Lodge (similar to our Grand Lodge's predicament when it tried to be resuscitated in 1841) and it was also dissolved. The Sovereign Grand Lodge was then organized as a separate entity in 1831, and has served as the "National Grand Lodge" since then. The various states organized their Grand Lodges in a similar fashion to our Masonic Grand Lodges, with the Grand Lodge IOOF of the State of Michigan being organized in 1844.
The American brethren were in fraternal correspondence with the Manchester Unity until September 23, 1842, when it severed its connections, and declared its independence. According to the history of the Sovereign Grand Lodge, there were two specific causes for this: 1) that the Manchester Unity had drastically changed the ritual and 2) the Unity had chartered Lodges in the United States, an obvious violation of the Sovereign Grand Lodge's sovereignty. A committee was formed to try to iron out the problems between the two groups, but after several years of work no success was in sight. So, at the 1842 meeting, the following resolution was presented and adopted:
"That until the A.M.C. shall restore the work of the Order to its ancient form, and rescind the resolution to establish Lodges in America, all intercourse shall cease between the two bodies (Each Lodge shall be) required to refuse admission to their Lodges to all persons who claim admission by virtue of a card granted by a Lodge in connection with the Manchester Unity. (6)
Another reason, given in unofficial sources, for the split from the Manchester Unity was that the English brethren had chartered a Lodge of free Blacks in New York. Whether the split was because of the irregularity of the Manchester Unity chartering a Lodge in another Grand Lodge's jurisdiction, or because of that specific Lodge being made up of blacks (similar to the beginning of the clandestine status of Prince Hall Masonry), the split became permanent. The Black organization of Odd Fellows is the United Grand Order of Odd Fellows, with headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Grand Lodge reaffirmed the resolution of its independence in 1843, and with it reserved for itself the right to charter Lodges in Europe. The Canadian branch of the Order was independent until 1852 when it was merged with the United States Grand Lodge. The distinctive American ritual was adopted by the Sovereign Grand Lodge in 1845, and the Ritual has been revised several times since then.
Without knowing it, Wildey could not have chosen a less auspicious time to organize Washington Lodge, because the hatred of the Anti-Masonic movement was to start in less than ten years after receiving their charter. The Morgan excitement was likewise felt by the fledgling Independent Order, who became the object of many fiery sermons and ludicrous exposes. This can be explained, somewhat, because the organization had been started by a group of foreigners and the AntiMasonic crusade went hand-in-hand with a general feeling of xenophobia in the country; hence these "Odd Fellows" brought in the aspect of international treachery. But by the time of Wildey's death in 1861, the Order had more than reclaimed its lost members and had become the second largest fraternal group in the United States.
As an extension of the persecutions of the 1820's and 1830's, Odd Fellowship has, like Freemasonry, been the object of religious opposition, and long been a target of the National Christian Association, among others. Ezra A. Cook Publishing Company of Chicago has printed "Odd Fellowship Illustrated" which alternates reprinting the ritual verbatim and rambling annotations by the Rev. Jonathan Blanchard, President of Wheaton College (1860-882), comparing the degrees to the ancient mystery religions, and likening the Order to the Whore of Babylon or some satanic cult. Another expose, one of the more colorful ones, was entitled "Exposition of the Awful and Terrifying Ceremonies of the Odd Fellows", published in 1847. This "ritual" (to use the phrase very loosely) has such officers as the Recording Genii of the Root of the Necessary Evil and has disembodied ghosts moaning that they were stabbed for showing the Grip of the Order to their mother. (7) This isn't the kind of writing that would be taken seriously today, but it was accepted as genuine by many at the time. This assault has lessened in the past years only because the Order itself has become less visible.
During the Civil War, the Sovereign Grand Lodge ceremoniously left the seats of the South Grand Lodges vacant and remitted their dues, until the end of the hostilities, providing for an unbroken line of unity and concord since its inception. This also is not too distant from the actions of our own Grand Lodges maintaining fraternal correspondence during the War of the Rebellion.
Benefits were a major emphasis until about the 1920's . Much of the early regulations and rationale for belonging were in relation to monetary benefits that would be paid to brethren who had faithfully paid their dues and were in good standing. These benefits would be paid if one was ill, out of work, or had a death in the family, and were considered one of the rights of a member. At one point there was even a specific "code" that was used to clarify the standing and needs of a "sojourner" applying for benefits to a Lodge in a strange city. This code was printed on the back of dues receipts, and can still be found on the present dues cards. While it seems quaint and dated to us today, in its time it served a needed purpose for the Order. (See the Appendix to this paper.)
In 1926, the Grand Sire (Presiding Officer of the Sovereign Grand Lodge) pronounced against the benefit scheme and deplored the type of person who had been roped in because of the promise of monetary benefits (8) Many instances had been cited of funds being paid to well-off brethren who were entitled to them, with the result that others who were really in need would possibly be left destitute, after the small funds that a Lodge had were depleted. Also, with the rise of social security, insurance companies, unions, pension funds and Medicare, the small funds available from IOOF Lodges were not of sufficient size to be a real benefit and to merit the continuation of this benefit.
The IOOF has continued until the present day, but not without changes in emphasis and declines in membership. It still stands as the fifth largest fraternal organization in the United States, only behind Craft Masonry, the Loyal Order of the Moose, the Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks, and the Knights of Columbus. But its numbers are dwindling, and one author has referred to them as the "Knights of Lost Splendor . " In 1934, there were listed 1,623,000 Odd Fellows in the United States. According to the 1986 Encyclopedia of Association there are 653,664 beholden to the Sovereign Grand Lodge. (9) As with Masonry and so many other worthwhile endeavors, too much competition with television, careers, sports and all the other aspects of our busy society has taken its toll on Odd Fellowship.
Its philanthropy covers many of the same areas as Freemasonry. The Grand Lodge of Michigan maintains an Odd Fellows home at Jackson. It is active in the areas of scholarships, medical research, especially in areas of visual impairment, and youth work.
The Grand Lodge of Michigan also maintains a camp on Big Star Lake near Baldwin which runs a summer program for children from 8 through 15 years of age regardless of fraternal affiliation, as well as serving as a facility for camping by organizations and serves as the location for the annual meeting of the Junior Grand Lodge and Theta Rho Assembly.
The main focus of this paper was to investigate the relationship of Freemasonry and Odd Fellowship, and that relationship is somewhat defined by the respective histories. The two have many similarities in their histories and philosophies, but there are many specific differences, also.
Craft Masonry is descended from operative Lodges, and were chiefly concerned with providing work. Odd Fellowship has come to us from Friendly Societies, which were more involved with the benefits for those who were destitute, ill or out of work. While these aims are quite different in their philosophies, both purposes are noble and worthy of our respect and support.
Because of their respective origins, there seems to be little doubt that the Odd Fellows were not originally an offshoot of Freemasonry. That would be a fairly prestigious connection, but it never claimed or mentioned in either supportive or critical references to the Order. The only time in connection is mentioned as a denial by the Order itself, as in these words, written by Past Grand Sire John White, in 1887:
"It is sometimes said that Odd Fellowship is the offspring of Masonry, but this is in no sense true and the writer of this knows of whereof he speaks. While occasionally a similarity of expression can be traced in a few unimportant parts of the ceremonials, in the fundamentals they are essentially different. Masonry is a noble institution, but is as unlike Odd Fellowship as two institutions, organized by human beings can well be. The one is theoretical, the other practical; the one is ancient, the other modern; the government of one is autocratic, the other democratic; the one deals out charity and assists its needy members, but only to a limited extent; the other assists its members, not only from charity, but because it is their due, and this assistance is afforded in large measure.
In America, Odd Fellowship is composed of the great middle industrial classes almost exclusively; Masonry, of all grades of society, from the titled and wealthy of this and foreign lands, to the humblest laborer in our midst . "
In England, when Odd Fellowship arose, we are told that Masonry was composed almost exclusively of the titled and the proud, and not of the mechanics and the working men who organized the more modern institution. Masonry has been long in achieving its present standing. Odd Fellowship, in less than two centuries, has out-stripped it in numbers and importance, and is today the grandest fraternal organization of the world. (10)
While much of its history is very similar to ours, and many of its problems, as well as "solutions" to those problems are reflected in our own history as well as theirs they are quite definitely a separate entity, with the distinctive and different origin from Ancient Craft Masonry.
Ritual and symbolism does not hold quite the same place in the two organizations. The ritual is written out in full, and kept in the Lodge Room; the degrees are not regularly done in every Lodge (it has been many years since the degrees were conferred in my own Lodge) and much use is made of "All Degree Days", much like the York Rite holds periodically. It should not be inferred that the degree work is held in contempt, or as an unimportant part of the totality of the work of the order, but that sociability and "good works" has a higher priority in many local lodges. This is a logical extension of its philanthropy and remnant of the "benefits system."
The idea of even a "quasi-insurance" group would seem foreign to Masonic tradition, much of its emphasis of charity would not be contradictory to the major thrust of Freemasonry. Thomas Wildey's charge to "visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead, educate the orphan" falls very neatly into our tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.
Odd Fellowship has long been referred to as a "poor man's Freemasonry" or a second class Lodge, which is unfortunate. While its membership has traditionally been taken from the laboring classes rather than mercantile or the intellectsia, it has specific and unique aspects of its ritual and its philosophy.
While its origins are different, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows has similarities to Craft Masonry; nevertheless, it stands up well upon its own merits. It takes no backseat in the areas of charity and philanthropy, but compliments that framework upon which all our labor is based. This framework can best be based on what is called the Odd Fellow's Valediction:
"I AM AN ODD FELLOW!
I believe in the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man; I believe in Friendship, Love and Truth as basic guides to the ultimate destiny of all mankind.
I believe my home, my church or temple, my lodge and my community deserve my best work, my modest pride, my earnest faith and my deepest loyalty, as I perform my duty to "visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan" and as I work with others to build a better world because, in spirit and in truth, I am and must always be grateful to my Creator, faithful to my country and fraternal to my fellowmen;
I AM AN ODD FELLOW!"
Appendix
Telegraphic Cipher and Key
(Dues Receipt. circa 1914)
BENEFIT - What sick and funeral benefits do you pay?
BLACK - He is a fraud, and if he has a card or other papers from this Lodge, they are forgeries.
BOAT - He is an expelled member and has not been in good standing for ____.
CASH - Is in our City asking for financial assistance, and claims membership in your Lodge in good standing.
CAUTION - Look out for a fraud named ____
DOUBT - Identity in doubt. Wire description.
FINAL - A member of your Lodge died here.
FUNDS - Shall we aid him and draw on you to the extent of ____ ?
GREEN - Wire instruction to us at once as to the disposition of his remains.
HELP - Will your Lodge pay nurse hire, and how much per day?
HOUSE - Is in our City, holding a visiting card from your Lodge and asking of us financial assistance.
LODGE - Forward remains to this place by
PURPLE - We think best to bury him there.
REGALIA - Assist him and we will honor draft to the extent of $____
RIVER - Has your Lodge a member in good standing by the name of __ ?
ROCK - a member of our Lodge in your City needing assistance. His name and address are ____
SECRETARY - He has a fraudulent card.
WHITE - We don't know any such party and he does not belong to our Lodge.
WIDOW - Wife or child of a deceased member of your Lodge is in our City asking assistance. Shall we draw on you to the extent of $ ____
YELLOW- Is in our City and very sick. Claims membership in your Lodge. Shall we give him attendance on your
Bibliography
Beharrell, Thomas. The Brotherhood: Being a Presentation of the Principles of Odd Fellowship. Indianapolis: The Brotherhood Publishing, 1874.
Code of General Law of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (Annotated).
Coil, Henry Wilson. Freemasonry Through Six Centuries. Richmond, VA: Macoy, 1967.
Encyclopedia Americana, 1983 ed., s.v. "Odd Fellows, Independent Order of'.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 1958 ed., s.v. "Friendly Societies" .
Encyclopedia Britannica, 1958 ed., s.v. "Odd Fellows, Order of'.
Encyclopedia of Associations, Detroit: Gale Research, 1986.
Ferguson, Charles W. Fifty Million Brothers, New York: Farrer & Rienhart, 1937.
Journal of the Proceedings of the Seventy-First Annual Sessions of the Grand Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Michigan. Lansing: R. Smith, 1915.
Revised Odd Fellowship Illustrated. Chicago: Ezra A. Cook, 1951.
Redgeley, James L. History of American Odd Fellowship: The First Decade. Baltimore: The Grand Lodge, 1878.
Ritchie, Bernice. Gladwin First Settlers' Centennial. Gladwin, Ml: The Record, 1961.
Ross Theodore A. The Official and Legal History and Manual of Odd Fellowship. New York: M.W. Hansen, 1899.
World Book Encyclopedia. "Odd Fellows, Independent Order of'., Vol. 14,. Chicago: World Book, 1986.
Whalen, William J. Hand book of Secret Organizations, Milwaukee: Bruce Publishing, 1966.
Footnotes
1. Whalen, William J. Handbook of Secret Organizations (Milwaukee: Bruce, 1966), p. 124.
2. Ferguson, Charles W. Fifty Million Brothers (New York: Farrer & Rinehart, 1937), p. 220.
3. Encyclopedia Americana., s.v. "Odd Fellows, Independent Order of". (Danbury CT: Grolier, 1983), p. 632.
4. Ferguson, p. 219.
5. Ridgeley, James L. History of American Odd Fellowship: The First Decade (Baltimore: The Grand Lodge, 1878), p 345.
6. Ross, Theodore A. The Official and Legal History and Manual of Odd Fellowship (New York: M.W. Hansen, 1899), p. 57
7. Ferguson, p. 233.
8. Ferguson, p. 288.
9. Encyclopedia of Associations. (Detroit: Gale Research, 1986), p. 1275.
10. Ross, pp. 2-3.
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by Mervin B. Hogan, FPS
It seems that mankind has always enjoyed puzzles. In the earliest recorded literature, in scripture and in legend, we find riddles, enigmas and conundrums. It seems that as soon as man invented language he invented word puzzles. Mathematical puzzles, too, are as old as mathematics itself.
Gales Brandreth,
Classic Puzzles, p. vii (1)
INTRODUCTION
Puzzles are puzzles for various reasons; one reason being there are different kinds of puzzles. As examples, there are riddles and conundrums, anagrams, rebuses, cryptography palindromes, magic word puzzles, acrostics, charades, enigmas, logogriphs, crossword, dissection, synthesis or assembly, arithmetical, algebraic, geometric, higher mathematics, and on and on. (2-5)
The body shown in Fig. 1 relates to Masonry since it is the classic figure of solid geometry known as a rectangular parallelopiped, and is clearly a three-dimensional or spatial body. From the puzzler's standpoint the third dimension of space, as a general rule, complicates the given situation. For many people this is due to the individual's inherent difficulty to clearly visualize a spatial situation; especially in a two-dimensional plane.
Consider now how things stand in the situation presented by Fig. 1, and decide how imperative it is for you to do some simple calculating.
Point "A" represents a spider and point "B" a fly, on opposite walls of a room. What is the shortest path the spider must follow to reach the fly, traveling only on the walls, floor, or ceilings How far is it via that path?
The answer is not 42 feet.
While it is common understanding that puzzles have been around a very long time, it is most difficult to turn to any authentic reference or source and document the situation. Fortunately, a century ago the scholarly mathematical physicist Prof. Florian Cajori (6) published some highly pertinent facts which are most enlightening. Since his book is anything but readily available or accessible, the following rather lengthy excerpt is made available here.
The first arithmetic which enjoyed general popularity and reached an extended circulation in the colonies was the School-master's Assistant, by Thomas Dilworth. The first edition of this was published in London in 1744 or '45. There appeared a reprint of this in Philadelphia in 1769. Other American editions were brought out at Hartford in 1786, New York in 1793 and 1806, Brooklyn in 1807, New London 1797, and Albany 1824. At the beginning of the Revolution this was the most popular arithmetic, and it continued in use long after...
The whole book is nothing but a Pandora's box of disconnected rules. It appeals to memory exclusively and completely ignores the existence of reasoning powers in the mind of the learner...From it we can see what sort of arithmetics we inherited from the English. All arithmetics of that time were much alike. The criticisms upon one will therefore apply to all. We shall examine briefly the "Short Collection of Pleasant and Diverting Questions" in Dilworth. We shall meet there with a company of familiar friends. Who has not heard of the farmer, who, having a fox, a goose, and a peck of corn, and wishing to cross a river, but being able to carry but one at a time, was confounded as to how he should carry them across so that the fox should not devour the goose, nor the goose the corn? (7) Who has not heard of the perplexing problem of how three jealous husbands with their wives may cross a river in a boat holding only two, so that none of the three wives shall be found in company of one or two men, unless her husband be present? (8) Many of us, no doubt, have also been asked to place the nine digits in a quadrangular form in such a way that any three figures in a line may make just 15? (9) When these pleasing problems were first proposed to us, they came like the morning breeze with exhilarating freshness. We little suspected that these apparently new-born creatures of fancy were in reality of considerable antiquity; that they were found in an arithmetic used in this country one hundred years ago. Still greater is our surprise when we learn that at the time they were then published, some of the questions for amusement had already seen as many as one thousand birthdays.
In a MS. coming from the thirteenth century, two learned German youths propose to each other problems and puzzles. It contains the following: There were three brothers, having nine vessels of wine. The first vessel contained 1 quart, the second 2, the third 3, the fourth 4, the fifth 5, the sixth 6, the seventh 7, the eighth 8, the ninth 9. Divide the wine equally among the three brothers, without mixing the contents of the vessels.
This problem admits of more than one solution, and is closely related to the last problem quoted from Dilworth. It is of special interest, since it gives rise to a magic square (9) in which any three figures in a straight line have 15 for their sum.
The history of magic squares is a rich field for investigation. The Germans were by no means the originators of them. This honor must be given to the Brahmins in India. Later on the study of these curious problems was zealously pursued by the Arabs, who transmitted the fruits of their study to the Europeans. (10)
Had we the time, we would attempt to trace the history of some other familiar puzzles. But enough has been said to show that many of them possess great antiquity. Nevertheless, when they were first proposed to us, they betrayed no signs of old age. May they continue perpetually in their youth, and may they delight the minds of men for numberless centuries to cornet (pp. 14-18)
After this informative diversion it is time to investigate the spider's pursuit of the fly. Here the 3-dimensional trip must be carried out on the plane containing surfaces of the room. To accomplish this, the simplest approach for most people is to unfold or develop the vertical and horizontal surfaces into one plane so as to locate points A and B with the minimum distance between them. In Fig. 2 that distance follows as 40.719 feet, with the assistance of the 47th Proposition.
Experimenting with the six different surfaces, it is readily seen that there are four possible straight lines between the spider and the fly; the shortest of which is shown in Fig. 3. Here is the ever-awesome 3-4-5 Pythagorean right triangle; and the sought for distance is 40 feet.
It is essential to realize that Euclid's work was far from perfect and complete. Its ancient and continuing worthiness more than merits our esteem and respect, but it is a serious error in judgment to elevate it to the state of veneration. Throughout the centuries, geometry has been a viable progressive science, from the Egyptian mud-flats to computerized "fractal geometry of nature' presently with us. (11)
Notes and References
1. Gyles Brandreth, Classic Puzzles; Harper & Row, New York, 1986, 182pp.
2. Eugene P. Northrop, Riddles in Mathematics, A Book of Paradoxes; D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., New York, 1944, 262 pp.
3. Martin Gardner, editor, Mathematical Puzzles of Sam Loyd; Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1959; Vol. 1, 167 pp., Vol. 2, 177 pp.
4. Maurice Kraitchik, Mathematical Recreations, Second Revised Edition: W.W. Norton & Co., New York, 1942, 330 pp. Reprinted by Dover Publications, 1953.
5. Helene Hovanec, The Puzzler's Paradise, From the Garden of Eden to the Computer Age, with a Foreword by Margaret Farrar; Paddington Press Ltd., New York & London, 1978, 160 pp.
6. Florian Cajori, The Teaching and History of Mathematics in The United States, Bureau of Education Circular of Information No. 3. [Whole Number 167], 1890; Government Printing Office, Washington, 1890, 400 pp.
7. Kraitchik (4) presents this problem and its solution on pp. 214-215.
8. Kraitchik (4) gives a generalized discussion of this problem on pp. 215-221.
9. This is the 3 by 3 magic square. The top row consists of 2, 7, 6; the middle row of 9, 5, 1, and the bottom row of 4, 3. 8: consequently the left hand column consists of 2, 9, 4; the middle column of 7, 5, 3: and the right hand column of 6, 1, 8. Kraitchik (4) treats "Magic Squares of the Third Order", pp. 146-148.
10. See Kraitchik (4), Chap. 7, "Magic Squares", pp. 142-192.
11. Benoit B. Mandelbrot, The Fractal Geometry of Nature, Updated and Augmented; W.H. Freeman and Co., New York, 1983, 468 pp.
N.B. See: Edward Kasner and James R. Newman, "Pastimes of Past and Present Times", the 'Spider and Fly Problem', pp. 2433-2434; The World of Mathematics by James R. Newman, Vol. 4, Simon and Schuster. New York, 1956.
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by Charles A. Jacobi, MPS
Upon "taking the first step in Masonry" each of us expressed the desire "to learn to improve myself in Masonry." While making this most self-committing statement (May 15, 1953) the clock turned backward 20 years to March 12, 1933 as I recalled the talk with my father (the greatest Man and Mason I'll ever know) a few days prior to his passing to the Celestial Lodge. Although he made no 'death-bed wishes', he spoke at length of his concerns for my future and of his hopes that I would, someday, "see fit to 'do all he had done in Masonry." Two questions arose as I committed myself: (1-) What is Masonry? (2-) How can I improve myself in Masonry (when I really do not know what it is)? Thirty-five years later the search for fulfillment in answers to these questions continues, and a larger question arises: "What is Masonry's Legacy?"
The meanings, implications and overall mission of Masonry will be interpreted differently, yet, each becomes a better man and citizen because of Masonry's gifts to us. No one can ever "payback" his predecessors for these gifts except through "passing on" those character-building qualities inculcated in us through being a member of this great Fraternity. Each avenue of approach in this search reveals another of the many facets of this "all-encompassing science." Every facet adds to the richness of our lives and, hopefully, to the lives of those who will follow in their pursuit of answers to these questions.
Understanding the writings and teachings of both Masons and nonMasons assists in revealing the truth and simplicity of living. One of the many facets of the legacy left to us by that great man and Mason, Sovereign Grand Commander Albert Pike, is the following: "What we do for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." Albert Einstein is credited with the following: "Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose. From this standpoint of our daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: man is here for the sake of other men - above all, for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls whose fate we are connected with by a bond of sympathy."
While attending the installation of officers of one of our three Job's Daughters Bethels, my wife was asked by the grandmother of the incoming Honored Queen, "In whom are you interested?" Since we have no children, the question was quite logical. My wife responded: "We are interested in all youth." "Every effort made by Masons, each in his own way, as we strive to make a better world, is transmitted to the future of the world population. We represent that which will constitute the future. All Masons are, and must consider themselves to be, vital factors in man's eternal march toward making the ideal and the actual one and the same! (1)
The thoughts expressed in the foregoing paragraphs stimulate reflections upon an important series of events on the campus of Oregon Technical Institute (2) (Klamath Falls) in the fall of 1965 at which time a new Masonically oriented and (recently) recognized youngadult group originated.
The Order of ReDalJim
The readers may recall the wave of anti-everything for which we Masons stand movement that was sweeping the American college campuses in the '60s. The collective comments of our students at Oregon Tech was, perhaps, the final necessary stimulus to the origin of the Order of ReDalJim. It WAS and IS the firm belief of this Mason-author that the best time for the beginning of teaching Masonic principles (outside the home) is throughout the teen years and early twenties of our youth, and the best method is by example. We need more Masons entering and staying in the profession of teaching Teaching by example most certainly is needed on our college campuses!
"This Order was first conceived by members (including the author) of the Oregon Technical Institute Square & Compass Club in the fall of 1965 (at which time over 43 percent of the male faculty and staff were Masons). It was to be formed by students who were either past or present members of the I.O. of Rainbow for Girls, I.O. of DeMolay and I.O. of Job's Daughters. It was first named the 'Solomon Club'; that name was changed in December, 1965 to 'The Order of ReDalJim'. ReDalJim derives as follows: RE is Arabic for R (Rainbow); DAL is arabic for D (DeMolay); and JIM is Arabic for J (Job's Daughters). . .
"News of this new coeducational, college-student Order was carried in the Sixth Messenger; consequently, it received nation-wide publicity . . . Sixteen Charter Members were issued membership cards in January, 1966.
"A Constitution, Chapter By-Laws and Ritual were developed, approved by the School Administration and Student Body Association, and adopted by the charter members and sponsors. An emblem combining elements of the three youth Orders was developed and accepted. . .
"Bro. Jacobi accepted a position with University of Nevada, Las Vegas in August, 1967. Klamath (now OTI) Chapter of the Order of ReDalJim struggled on with most of the older members having graduated from OTI and it ceased to function at the end of 1968. Upon his retirement and return to Klamath Falls in 1979, Bro. Charlie commenced to hear of an increasing interest in the revival of the Order of ReDalJim.
"Ill . Bro. David O . Johnson, 33d, S.G.I.G. in Oregon, encouraged Bro . Jacobi in these efforts of revival, and Ill. Bro. Glendon K. Jefferies, 33d (in 1986-87 Deputy Grand Master of Masons in Oregon) also gave strong encouragement to these revival efforts. Formal action of the Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Oregon in its 137th Annual Communication, June 4-6, 1987 recognized the Order of ReDalJim as a Masonically-related Society to operate on our nation's college campuses.
"This formal action was the final hurdle in the revival. In his address following the 39th Annual Conclave of Crater Lake Lodge #211 at Crater Lake National Park last August, M. We Glendon K. Jefferies stated that the Order of ReDalJim could very well serve 'to bridge the gap' existing between our Masonic Youth Groups and Masonry and its appendant, adult bodies." (3)
The new officers and advisors amended the Constitution during the 1987-88 academic year to make eligible for membership other college students, worthy of this Order.
The Northern Light of June, 1985 carries an article by Dr. William D. Brown, 32d titled: "Is Our World Coming to its Senses?" Some conditions appear to point toward renewed hope for this return. Bro. Brown states that "Masonry finds itself on the cutting edge of this renewal..."
The knowledge that a college/university-based, coeducational, Masonically oriented and recognized Order exists should serve to stimulate growth in our three Youth Groups because continuation of the principles and concepts as learned in these Orders is now possible and probable throughout the college careers of these young people. Also, Article II, Section B. of the Constitution states: "To promote and stimulate intellectual and moral guidance, to furnish healthful social activities for college youth, and to connect the activities and principles of life with the responsibilities of Americanism and Freedom in these United States." Further, it is logical to believe that, upon graduation from college, the young men will be more inclined to seek membership in a Masonic Lodge, and the young ladies to seek membership in appendant Orders such as the Eastern Star, Amaranth and White Shrine.
Having spent more than thirty years working with our youth as a Professor in colleges and universities in Oregon and Nevada, I fully appreciate the need for and feel the satisfaction of assisting in the production of my personal interpretation of "Masonry's Legacy." Finally, it is my sincere desire that my Brothers in Masonry also see fit to aid in the growth of this exciting, new, Masonically oriented, coeducational Young Adult Order. I believe my father's hopes and concerns may be satisfied.
Footnotes
1. Author unknown
2. Now named Oregon Institute of Technology
3. Vol. 6, No. I The Oregon Scottish Rite Freemason, February, 1988
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If The Philalethes Society decides to furnish audio taped recordings of Masonic books, would you be interested in recording them?
A request has been made by several Freemasons, who have difficulty reading, for "Talking Masonic Books". The Talking Book program for the Blind is excellent. However it doesn't provide Masonic books. Such a venture must be handled by a Masonic organization.
With the approval of the President of the Society an investigation is underway to determine the best means of managing such a project. In the meantime much will depend on whether or not enough volunteers can be found to do the reading and recording.
Interested? Send your suggestions to the Executive Secretary, PO Box 70, Highland Springs, VA 23075.
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by Ronald C. Radatz, MPS
I just finished reading an article by Bro. Laurence E. Kynett relating the benefits of solicitation or recruitment of candidates. I agree that it could be a definite means of building our membership someday, but only in the future after certain other steps have been developed.
I have been in a variety of lodges and find, after much research, that there is an inherent problem within, at least, the "American Masonic Lodge." The problem has been stated on numerous occasions and deserves to be stated again. We are putting the man into Masonry and not putting Masonry into the man. Until this is done, no amount of solicitation, social events, "charity", conferences, or what have you, will build our fraternity to what it could be.
Since coming to Germany about two years ago I have learned a few things about their system that would be of great benefit to us. First, a proposed candidate attends certain functions of a lodge for approximately one year and is observed by the constituents before being considered for the degrees. Then, if he is accepted, the ritual is read to him. I am told the reasoning for this is the insurance that all candidates receive exactly the same indoctrination. (I have also found, after 8 years here, that the Germans are absolutely meticulous with explanations.) After one has received a degree he must wait approximately one year before advancement. In addition, he must write an essay on what he has previously learned. This must be done for each degree. Therefore, the prospective candidate must wait a total of three years before becoming a Master Mason. Then, after attaining all of this, his dues are at least, and in most cases more, double or triple of what our most expensive lodges require.
The surprise about all of this is that most German lodges do not have financial problems. They also do not have difficulties in attendance, retention of membership, or ritual work. Now the question arises: What is it that they do to produce these results?
The main difference between the German, or any European lodge for that matter, is that Freemasonry is not just handed out for a small fee and some memorization, which quickly evaporates. How many brethren do you know that have come into our lodges and are still active one or two years later? Why? Because they aren't given what they are looking for - and that is Freemasonry.
The majority of brothers I have become acquainted with either don't know anything about Masonry or won't tell you any of the "secrets." What I have learned I have searched for. In about three years I have acquired approximately 120 volumes and asked questions with everyone I meet. The important fact of acquiring those volumes is not the acquisition itself but the actual reading of each one as well. Without that act of perseverance there would have been no accomplishment. Freemasonry isn't and can't be, just handed out.
I have listened to Masters of lodges request some of the most ridiculous anecdotes to try, in vain, to raise the membership numbers. The fraternity's problem is not quantity but quality. Until that is raised there will be no actual progress. The "modern" Soviet Army is a perfect example. If they had the quality in their quantity the rest of the world as we know it would be Communist within a very short time.
So how do we get this quality if we can't recruit it when it is recognized? First of all there are ways of making the fraternity known without waving flags and having a marching band. By each individual actually putting Masonry into his life each day will show the profane world what we are. In all walks of life, we all are constantly asked questions that can have answers with bits of our fraternity involved. Haven't you ever gone to a sports event and talked about it for some time after? Haven't you done something that was emotionally uplifting and related it for weeks on end? Why can't we do the same thing with our Craft? The main reason is that there is very little done that is so uplifting. But let's just suppose for a minute that that had happened - last night when you went to lodge. You don't have to expose the ritual or any of the "secrets." "When I was at lodge last night" is usually enough to evoke the question "What lodge?" or "Are you a Mason?" Isn't that an excellent opportunity? If that doesn't evoke "How can I be one?" or "Why haven't you asked me to join?", then maybe they aren't interested in what you have!
But maybe you haven't gotten a chance to answer a question or carry on a conversation about that special event. Another way to approach the subject is simply by letting him know that you are a Mason and that if he has any further questions on the subject you would be happy to answer them for him. Solicitation to the point of "asking" someone to join the fraternity has been forbidden, and for good reason, down through the centuries. PGM Dwight L. Smith defined the rule in his "Why This Confusion in the Temple?" produced by the Masonic Service Association. Asking someone to join would obviously violate our obligation of "own free will and accord! "
We can never hope to achieve members by asking them. And, we can never hope to retain our Freemasonry by just giving it away as an inducement for membership. What we must do is let those around us know that we are Freemasons by the normal things we do. Let them see Freemasonry in action, as a functional part of our lives. Then, and only then, will it not be necessary for us to show our diamond rings and watch fobs as our only obvious signs that we are Masons. There will always be the guys who want friends to join the club and ask them to do so, whether authorized or not. There will always be some who slip through an examination by the skin of their teeth and drop out later. There will always be those who are not up to the intelligence standards of others. But there should always be that majority that maintains the standards of the Craft. When those standards decline it is factual that the fraternity does likewise.
We cannot ever even consider the idea of direct solicitation. It is nothing more than a positive direction in the certain destruction of our Order. We can, on the other hand, demonstrate our Masonry on a daily basis before our society and make them want what we have found. But we can't do that until we find it ourselves. That is the education of putting Freemasonry into the man and not the opposite.
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If
The Salt Have Lost Its Savor ,
Wherewith Shall It Be Salted
(Math. 5:13)
by Woodrow W. Wilcox, MPS
The Michigan County in which my Blue Lodge was located, lost six Blue Lodges, which went dark in the past few years. What happened? Probably the "old PM's" either passed on to the Lodge above or were too old to "climb the stairs."
I recently met a very old Bro. Mason, a PM and an officer at one time or other in all the York Rite Bodies, a "real Mason" of the "old school." He told me he had just taken the chair of SW in his Blue Lodge because no one else was available to fill it. He is over 80 years old.
The Lodge of which we speak was way over 100 years old. It was once a famous Lodge, a leader in establishing the Rainbow Chapter, the DeMolay Chapter, etc., all of which have now been lost.
This Lodge has a very large Temple building downtown, no parking, long stairs to climb, was considered one of the best with its large dining room seating over 200, modern kitchen, bowling alleys, ladies rooms etc. It is now in the final stages of decay. My friend, who is a member of this Lodge, says: "It will be closing soon."
I have visited this and many other Lodges all over the U.S. In some I was disappointed to see the Master and his officers reading out of the "Code Book" in order to open the Lodge. A "DDI" visited one Lodge I attended and even he didn't know the words a SW must know to open in the MM Degree.
It is now so easy to become a PM that most anyone who is a member can gain that honor without any study or learning whatever. Most don't even know what Masonry is all about.
In all cases of Lodges that closed down, of which I am acquainted, I do not know of one case where the Grand Lodge showed any concern, or gave any help to keep them open. Most of them were the small town "farmer Lodges" which are the backbone of Masonry, who paid their percapita and furnished the means for Grand Lodge to operate. They provide the basis for other Masonic Bodies to continue, including the "Shrine" which is no "Masonic" body at all.
We have always been instructed never to ask a friend to become a Mason. No wonder we are passing out. Where are the sons and grandsons of past and present members? Every member should be required to present at least two petitions from suitable persons for membership.
I have watched many candidates "run thru" the Blue Lodge Degrees, never to return to the Lodge. They had one thing in mind, to "get the Shrine." That organization has in my estimation brought more discredit on our Fraternity by their public demonstrations, than anything else including some "preachers" that harp about us on T.V. and in print .
The other evening I watched the EA Degree exemplified in full form on T.V. No present member of the Craft was in the cast. One claimed to have been PGM of N.Y. I must admit they did a much better job than the last one I saw in a Lodge I attended.
In our nation today there is a serious attack on God Himself, and upon all Christian Religion. Masonry is a "religious" Fraternity, and as such is also being attacked by the same persons and organizations. If you wish to destroy the "Christian Religion" you must also destroy Masonry.
Our country was established in a great part by men who were Masons. Men who fought and died for our country, who believed in Masonry and lived their lives accordingly.
All dictators and those who would be dictators, battle Masons and Masonry. Hitler murdered many, and closed all Masonic Lodges in Germany. So did many other leaders of church and state. Many so-called church leaders have joined the fight against Masonry. They have come up with ridiculous charges and no matter what we say or do, they will find others. They are not "Christians" and their churches do not follow the teachings of Christ.
Why do we never hear mention of the Knights of Columbus, a Lodge which requires its members to be of the Catholic Faith, or the Elks Lodge or Moose or Eagles? They all promote the sale of booze and gambling, but you hear nothing against them. You will not find these things in your Blue Lodge.
As Masons we believe in the one true God, and until we advance through the York Rite, we do not find Christ openly mentioned...but He is there, in all our work if you look for Him. Masonry respects all men of good report who believe in the one "Grand Master" of all. They will find that most of our American Brothers call Him Jesus Christ.
How long will we keep silent while our enemies make open war against us? It is time we considered forming all the Grand Lodges into one National Grand Lodge. That we introduce a "Standard Ritual" for all jurisdictions, so all Lodges visited will be the same. There is no excuse for 52 different forms of opening and exemplifying the Degrees.
It is also time we required a new member to be in good standing in his Blue Lodge for one full year, before he could advance to a so-called "higher degree."
It is also time some Lodges got rid of their present worn-out Temples and built smaller new Temples with parking, on one level, more suited to our present conditions. Also hold projects to provide money to sustain the Temple expenses.
When my Lodge "went dark" I had written to the Grand Lodge asking for help or suggestions on how to keep things going. I explained how our building was in a state of disrepair and our membership failing. I received an answer from our Grand Master, he suggested that we "raise our dues."
Many of us "old timers" see what's happening to our Lodges, but we are helpless. Will Masonry survive?...Yes, there will always be a few stout Brothers who will gather and keep the light burning. But if "the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?"
The remarks and statements made in this communication are my own. I take full responsibility, and make no apology for them. I have been a Mason for over 40 years. I have traveled much and have a great regard and concern for Masonry. I am not an author or writer, so make no claims in this regard.
In closing, let me say that Masonry need not die this way.
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Anti Masonry At Work
We have found another instance of anti-Masonry in one of the stranger places. One of my friends turned in his resume to a major company. The personnel officer, who was a friend of his told him to delete all the references to Freemasonry which he had put in under the heading of other organizations of which he was a member. He said that stating in the resume that he was a member and Past Master of the Masonic fraternity would be a detriment to him What is next?
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A Not-So-Arcane Masonic Secret"
by William H. Stemper, MPS
An important aspect of the structure of Masonic ritual is its implicit view of the universe. (1)
The "authors" of the degree sequence utilized in U.S./Canadian/Scottish (2) ritual employed a view of the whole universe which gives a specific role to "the heavens" or "starry canopy." This role is little understood today, but it is crucial to grasping the unique civilizational achievement which is Freemasonry.
Cosmology (3) is, of course, the science of ordered universe. It presumes that the nature of the universe is harmonious and comprehensible.
When Masonic ritual addresses this issue it does so within a matrix of two references: geometry and astronomy. In the first reference, the point is made that geometry - used to build sacred temples - "treats of the powers and properties of magnitudes." In the second reference, astronomy discloses that the principles of geometry utilized by a builder are nothing less than those of Deity in the creation and movement of the universe. As is said in the MCL of the FC d, " . . .how eloquent of Deity is the Celestial Hemisphere...spangled with the...heralds of...Infinite Glory". (4)
This dual matrix points to one of the most important legacies of Renaissance and Elizabethan philosophy in Masonic ritual. This is that the microcosmos; e.g., man, reflects the macrocosmos; e.g., the "heavens", and that the spiritual essence of both are one and the same. (5)
The dual matrix also discloses why the central theme of Masonic ritual and The Drama are that of the Solomonic Temple. (6) A temple - to the "authors" of the ritual - was the honing of a listening device by which man might consciously align himself with the spiritual nature of creation.
In a similar vein, Masonic ritual seeks to confront the initiate with this essential insight: that all the "Temple" he needs to align himself with the moral and spiritual force of creation is within himself.
This is why "loss" - n.b. - the loss of a physical temple, and the Loss of the Mason's Word is emphasized repeatedly in many Masonic and related degrees. Masonry is intended to be an existential or interim ethic for use when the prevailing culture; e.g., the metaphor of the Word or the Temple is gone, and the immediate environment is inhospitable to experiencing The Light.
This point - that Masonry is structured as a provisional ethic in an inhospitable world - is reinforced by three facts:
1. The European Craft in the 18th Century was the object of savage attacks by state absolutism and religious tyranny. (7)
2. The dynamic of initiation is the progress from Darkness to Light.
3. The ground-base of Masonic ethics is universality, the doctrine that men of good will of any culture can be brothers, if properly selected.
Each of these facts suggests that Masonry's view of the outside ("profane") world is one of suspicion if not downright apprehension if one views the Craft in terms of the presuppositions of the "authors" or redactors of the ritual.
The Masonic view of cosmology embodies an awareness of this danger and provides the initiate with a means to understanding its reality.
In essence, the nature of the danger is two-fold: (1) that men fear the Light either (a) because they benefit from the darkness as a tyrant benefits from oppressing the poor; (b) because change is difficult and painful.
The crucifixion of Christ, and the murder of many religious leaders in general, can be traced to a conspiracy between those who are politically threatened directly and those who react to the change most religious prophets advocate from conventional discomfort.
Secondly, Masonry realizes that equal to the danger of the Light-hating tyrant is the danger of the "Liberator" who would impose some abstract meaning upon society or history. This is the lesson of the French Revolution which went too far, too fast - and which ended successively in (a) a blood bath; e.g., the Reign of Terror; (b) a warring dictatorship; e.g., Napoleon; and (3) reactionary oppression, the Congress of Vienna (1815). The masses who embrace the crucifixion of the prophet will also - if stirred - join a throng of destructive revolutionaries.
The Masonic use of cosmology, thus, is designed to embattle tyrants and to prevent self-seeking liberators from achieving a superior moral claim upon the commonwealth. (8) It does this through a balanced view of sociopolitical order - as realized in the United States and British constitutions which is supported by a harmonious and balanced vision of the universe.
This achievement - which is both the model and the precursor for modern representative democracy - is possible because Masonry embodies the profound insight that as a man views the universe, he will also view himself and the world of which he is part: a crucial insight most rare in modern political theory.
This is one reason the Roman Catholic Church opposed Galileo's advocacy of the Sun-centered (heliocentric universe) in 1633: it challenged the political dogma that the earth - and Christ's Vicar on Earth, the Pope - were at the center of the universe.
This is also why the Prophet Samuel opposed the transition in ancient Israel to a monarch (I Samuel 8) - because it represented a cosmological change from a universe in which God (Yahweh) was at the center of the political world, toward an intermediate relationship of the people to a priest-king who stood between them and God.
The point is that cosmology effects - impacts - awareness. As we view ourselves, we will view "the skies"; and, as we view "the skies" we will view ourselves. The ancient hermetic insight is "as above, so below."
A useful way to understand this is to consider that an intellectual person tends to organize work in terms of its broader context; i.e., time alloted, the space in which to accomplish the work, tools, etc.
Thus, by setting Masonic work in a cosmological context - and to make the object of the work itself the refinement of the understanding and experience of the cosmos in a manner of direct participation of the cosmos, as well as specific moral acts, the authors or redactors of the ritual had in mind to give the human imagination its fullest sway in comprehending the ethical and material implications of universality.
A further way to comprehend this important insight is to realize that although modern people know the universe to be vast and our own solar system to be sun centered, the existential meaning of this has not "come home." We still live day to day as if the earth were the center of the universe because it is Received to be the focus of ordinary life. The intellectual, or cognitive reality that not only is not the earth nor the sun the center but that the created universe is functionally limitless - when it is fully realized - will utterly change mankind's view of itself and of all that is. This germinal and catalytic vision is at the very core of Masonry as we know it.
One of the exciting aspects about being a Freemason in this era is the penetration of space. Masonry is an acutely appropriate moral philosophy for a space age because it affirms progress; it avoids political and religious imbroglios - just as space should be free from nationalist and sectarian conflict - and because its whole moral vision is that of an ordered and harmonious cosmos in which the order of creation is reflected in the order of the principled and ordered human soul.
Footnotes
1. In addition to the expressed definitions of the Cosmos in Masonic ritual; e.g., the role of God as Architect of the Universe, Creator of the Sun, etc., the Lodge itself is deemed to be a metaphor for the created universe.
2. The English ritual also, but with important modifications.
3. By contrast, cosmology is the science or study of the origin of the universe, which would include cosmology which bears the presumption that the universe was is ordered.
4. Also cf. the reference to the spherical bodies on B and J in the MCL.
5. Cf. Tillyard, The Elizabethan Worldview.
6. The obvious response to the sometime query, why not other "Loss Myths;" e.g., Eden, Noah, etc., is the indispensable role of architecture in the Solomonic Temple.
7. Note Bene, the specific events in England which shaped the environment in which speculative Freemasonry emerged in the 17th Century; i.e., the Puritan Revolution, and the threat of Catholic hegemony under James II.
8. That is, Masonry is opposed to an apocalyptic vision of history. Cf. Norman Cohn, The Pursuit of the Millenium, Oxford University Press, 1970, passim.
* Brother Stemper is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London, England; a Fellow of the Medici Academy in Florence, Italy; and a member of the Hermetic Academy which is affiliated with the American Academy of Religion.
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Let's Go Out And Sell Freemasonry
Now if that title doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will. Freemasonry should be sold with all the expertise and all of the ability which we can bring to the sales effort.
If you keep reading after those first two sentences, you are the man I am looking for. I am not advocating that we should go out and sell Freemasonry to the general public. I certainly am not proposing that we continue the insipid newspaper advertisements which I see far too many of in my own state. I don't think that many of the brochures and the television spots supposedly informing the public of "what Freemasonry really is help us."
Not at all. What I suggest is that we sell Freemasonry to the people who really need to be sold on Freemasonry. Let's sell Freemasonry to those who have been Freemasons for some thirty or forty years and have never bothered to learn about the fraternity. In Missouri, we used to call them "button Masons." A friend of mine, who shall be nameless, as it might hurt him professionally, states: "How do you know yourself to be a Mason?" and he answers with: "By all the pot-metal pins which I wear on my lapel."
We don't really need advertising. We don't need so much press-agentry. What we need to do is sell Freemasonry to our own members. With some 3,000,000 salesmen out working for the fraternity, we could be a working organization once again. We need to sell Masonry to our members and we need to educate those members.
Before someone comes up with the brilliant statement that his particular lodge has the entire membership already sold on Freemasonry, let me ask a few questions. How many lodges, in the United States, can state that ten percent of their membership attend on a regular basis? How many members does your lodge have that haven't attended since they took the third degree? How dedicated can some person be who joins an order and never takes the slightest interest in the working of that order?
Am I proposing that all members become active in the ritualistic work of the Lodge? No, I am not. I am proposing that each and every member know enough about the fraternity that he can intelligently discuss Freemasonry with anyone who might ask him about the order. I would think that we should not only educate and inspire our membership about Freemasonry but that we should continue to communicate with our entire membership and see that this membership is kept informed about current developments within the fraternity.
A man who knows nothing about the orders to which he belongs is a man who, through ignorancy and apathy, casts a negative rather than a positive vote toward the survival of Freemasonry.
Into The 20th Century With Your Society!
Facsimile! No modern business or organization will be found without a facsimile machine anywhere in the world. This power has been used by news organizations, and a few others, for many years. Recent improvements have made it possible for mass production, thereby reducing the cost and making it possible for the smallest group to enter this time-saving field.
FAX! This is the common name - and it's what your President/Editor and your Executive Secretary now are learning to operate. If you're in a hurry, or don't trust the postal service, call them at the numbers listed on the masthead. They will activate their FAX machines and tell you what to do. If all goes well they may find dedicated FAX phone lines useful. For the present, regular lines will do the job.
Checks must still be sent the old-fashioned way! With electronic and computer banking being experimented with, this may change, but not yet.
FAX and the Twentieth Century! We're with it!
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by Allen E. Roberts, FPS
Members of The Philalethes Society, THE International Masonic Research Society, kindly note: "Please enter my subscription for 1989. I wish I had been aware of your fine magazine 10 years ago. Your magazine must be one of the secrets of Freemasonry." Robert L. Morrow of South Dakota sent this. How many more thousands of Master Masons are there who have never been exposed to the excellence of the Society? There was a time when we did keep what we were doing for Freemasonry a secret, but this isn't so any more. Let's not be selfish; let's share our Masonry.
Seekers of Truth has been well received. I want to take this means to thank the many who were extremely complimentary. Add to this those who are ordering extra copies to give to friends and shut-ins. One incoming Master, 72 years young, has presented each of his 12 officers with a copy. I want to acknowledge my debt to Dottie who floes the manual labor I should do so I can stay at the computer. And Wallace McLeod, the nit-picking Professor of Classics, proofread every word and made me look much better than I really am. Then, also, much credit must go to the Executive Secretaries, Editors, and wonderful writers of the past and present for their dedication to Freemasonry. You and the Executive Board deserve accolades for making the history available to each member. Let us pray the past 60 years are but the prologue for the first century of service to the Craft and the Grand Lodges.
The arrogance of the American Catholic Bishops is again on display. You will recall this group took it upon itself to adopt Mr. Whalen's antiMasonic diatribe and make it the "official" Catholic pronouncement. It has reached the ultimate in audacity. The Vatican had made it clear such conferences didn't have the approval of the Holy See. According to the New York Times Service of November 3, 1988: "A panel of Roman Catholic bishops in the United States has rejected in scathing terms a Vatican document that questions the authority of regional bishops' conferences." During the annual meeting of this conference the Bishops rejected the document from the Vatican. but somewhat toned down its scathing opposition. By a two-thirds vote the Bishops told the Vatican its document was flawed and must be revised It gets more ominous. According to an unrefuted "20/20" report on ABC, these same Bishops have refused to do anything to curb the Priests who have been convicted of molesting youngsters. In fact, they have authorized the payment of millions of dollars as blackmail to try to keep the situation quiet. Fortunately the actions of this hierarchy aren't sanctioned by many of their fellow Catholics .
Freemasonry, along with Rotary, Lions, and other "Zionist-affiliated" organizations are about to be liquidated. That's what the "Islamic Resistance Movement-Palestine" is going to do according to The Washington Times for November 16, 1988. This Islamic Resistance Army doesn't appreciate the "propaganda films, and educational and study groups" that have been created by Zionists. "When Islam gains control of its destiny," claims the "Army", "it will liquidate these organizations, which are anathema to humanity and Islam." Did you realize these service organizations "engage in espionage and destruction?" If you didn't your day is now successful - you've learned something new!
"The Bard was truly the author of the plays that bear his name," the AP said three British judges had ruled unanimously. A fellow named Charles Vere has been claiming one of his ancestors - the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere - did the job because William Shakespeare "lacked the knowledge of foreign travel and court life that features in his works." William has won another round! This should settle for all time (or will it?) the question about who wrote the stuff of which some of our rituals are made. And it will help strengthen the truth of some of the items condensed in Seekers of Truth, the 60 year history of the Society.
Congratulations to the Grand Lodge of North Dakota as it celebrates 100 years of Masonic service in the State.
The Northern Light informs us that a 27 minute video presentation entitled "To Form a More Perfect Union" is available for loan. It's a recording of the exhibit which shows "how the Constitution works and how it has changed to meet the needs of a growing nation." For information, write: Education Department, Museum of Our National Heritage, PO Box 519, Lexington, MA 02173, or call 617/861-6559.
This excellent periodical also gave a brief account of recommendations made by a "Committee on the General State of the Rite" which evidently covered more ground than the Rite itself. On the surface it sounds ominous, but the full report, when analyzed, may prove beneficial. We'll wait for an opportunity to study it before commenting further.
Grand Master Arthur J. Kurtz, in The Pennsylvania Freemason, urges his members to become involved in their communities. But he warns: Becoming known in the community places a yoke of responsibility upon every member of the Fraternity. We must present an image that is in keeping with our moral values. Always remember, one never gets a second chance to make a first impression." He later adds: "I would hope that every Brother would be proud to wear the Square and Compass[es], the only really recognized Masonic symbol to those outside the Craft. I hope that every Lodge would proudly display on their well-kept Lodge Building, a large Square and Compass[es] indicating that here is where Masons teach their truths and morality."
The Nebraska Mason proudly proclaims as one of its sons William F. Cody, better known as "Buffalo Bill." Cody was a member of Platte Valley Lodge No. 32. The United States Postal Service also recognized Cody by issuing a stamp with his portrait. The first day of issue was June 6, 1988 from Cody, Wyoming.