The Philalethes

Contents
 
 

 The President’s Corner                                                          Can Freemasonry Adapt To Change
 

 Roberts Address As Grand Master                                        The Actions Of The Executive Board
 

 A Tribute To Masonic Researchers                                        The First American Lodge in CHINA
 

 The Mystery Of The Ancients                                                Letters To The Editor
 

 WOLFIE AND HIRAM                                                       The Evolution Of French Freemasonry
 

 Through Masonic Windows
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

the philalethes The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters

Jerry Marsengill, FPS Editor

401 Masonic Temple, 1011 Locust St.

Des Moines, IA 50309 (515) 244-6011

FAX (515) 244-2540

OFFICERS

John Mauk Hilliard, FPS, President

Lehman College

Bronx, New York 10468 (212) 960-8713

Wallace E. McLeod, FPS, 1st Vice President

Victoria College University of Toronto

73 Queen's Park Crescent

Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 1K7

Forrest D. Haggard, FPS, 2nd Vice President

Overland Park Christian Church 7600 W75th St

Overland Park, KS 66204 (913) 677-4646

Allen E. Roberts, FPS, Executive Secretary

Drawer 70, 110 Quince Ave.

Highland Springs, VA 23075 (804) 737-4498

FAX 804/328-2386

Henry G. Law, FPS, Treasurer

2608 E. Riding Dr. Wilmington, DE 19808

(302) 737-9083

Harold L. Davidson, FPS, Librarian

The Philalethes Society 1903 10th St. W.

Billings, MT 59102 (406) 259-1552

LIVING PAST PRESIDENTS

Philalethes Society

William R. Denslow FPS

Robert V Osborne, FPS

Eugene S. Hopp, FPS

Dwight L. Smith, FPS

Robert L Dillard Jr., FPS

Bruce H. Hunt, FPS

Allen E. Roberts, FPS

John R. Nocas, FPS

Jerry Marsengill, FPS

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY EMERITUS

Carl R. Griesen, FPS

S. Brent Morris, FPS

CONTENTS

The President’s Corner - The Lodge at Refreshment

The Philalethes Lecture

Can Freemasonry Adapt To Change?

The Actions of the Executive Board

Roberts Address As Grand Master To The Grand Council, Allied Masonic Degrees, 1990

A Tribute To Masonic Researchers

The First American Lodge in CHINA

The Mystery Of The Ancients

Full of Sound and Fury

Wolfie and Hiram and the Distressed Widow

The Evolution of French Freemasonry

Through Masonic Windows

On the Cover

The symbolism of sunrise brings us the idea that perhaps Freemasonry is seeking a new beginning. It can only be done by building on the present system. Tom Eggleston in his Philalethes Lecture "Can Freemasonry Adapt to Change," addresses this problem and gives us some ideas for its solution.

----o----

The President’s Corner

by John Mauk Hilliard, FPS

The Lodge at Refreshment

Jerry Marsengill, FPS, my esteemed predecessor as International President of the Philalethes Society, did me the honor at our delightful Feast and Assembly in Washington last February of inviting me to preside over the traditional Masonic ceremony of the "Toasts and Good Fire." As I watched that assemblage of 200-plus Craftsmen, from all over the USA and abroad, deliver handsome and vigorous fire to the worthy subjects of splendid toasts, I marveled once again at the power of the Gentle Craft to bind and inspire "those who otherwise might have remained perpetually at a distance." Witnessing these brothers, many virtual strangers to one another, joined at festive board, breaking Masonic bread together, taking wine one with another, and happily growing in Masonic comity, I was reminded once again that the Ancient Craft often labors as well and as rewardingly at "refreshment" as it does in the dignity and formality of its open communications.

The Feast and Assembly of 1990 was a favorable reminder that many elements distinguish a healthy Lodge from one that is weak: good ritual, effective leadership, pastoral care for needy brothers and families, a strong program of Masonic education. But the one element that stands out as being perhaps the ultimate measure of whether a Lodge is really a productive and happy community of brothers is one that is frequently overlooked when observers list desirable attributes...it is the notion or concept of refreshment!

To mangle a cliche, one might say that the Lodge that "plays" together "stays" together. On the face of all things Masonic, perhaps the concept of refreshment seems less serious, less profoundly central than the issues of good ritual, effective management, relief and charity. Not so ! Quite the contrary is true, and if one studies Masonic history and tradition it is soon evident that 'refreshment' is enshrined in the structure of the Craft Lodge as an integral part of its essential transaction.

I refer of course to the station in the South, the chair of Junior Warden, for that station bears the full weight of the goveniance, and hence management, of the Craft at its leisure, to that office falls the joyous burden of "the Lodge at refreshment" which is the Junior Warden's singular, and indispensable Masonic mandate, a responsibility which falls to him by virtue of the full force of ritual, ancient practice, and Craft law.

To the Junior Warden is inseparably attached one of the most important and significant offices in the Masonic canon, that of Steward. While the office of steward is considered fairly junior in the structure of the Lodge, its function is not a casual one. It is these young officers under the direction of the Junior Warden who demonstrate their growing appreciation for and commitment to the Lodge by caring for the quality of its food and drink, the comfort of its leisure surroundings, the management of its leisure funding, and the facilitation of its programs of entertainment.

No office in the Lodge is more essential than that of Steward. While great and profound Masonic knowledge is not required to carry out its duties, a sense of graciousness and service to others is the prime requisite. This makes the office of Steward perhaps the most quintessentially Masonic of all.

Even the language used in the ritual to describe the Junior Warden's function is revelatory of the importance of refreshment: the ritual explicitly speaks of "the Lodge at refreshment" thus implying that this wonderful corporate entity does not cease to become a Lodge when the greater and lesser lights are closed, that the Lodge does not end with the final rap of the Worshipful Master's gavel, but rather that the Lodge extends beyond its formal manifestation into a realm lit softly and warmly with that glow of fellowship, that case of companionship which overflows from the comfort and blessed contentment of good friends gathered round fine food and drink. The Lodge at Refreshment is most assuredly that precious communication of kind hearts which is engendered by the breaking of bread one with another.

Any Lodge that neglects this ancient mandate to be as much a Lodge at refreshment as it is when at labor imperils its own survival, and betrays the trust of the ancient founders of the Craft. These brothers of old showed us the way. Our eighteenth century brethren held their Lodges in taverns, coffee houses, inns, and pubs. They did their Lodge business at table with the trestles laden with the remains of sumptuous dinners, then moved them aside to draw their Masonic designs and ritual signs upon the floor of the alehouse in order to instruct their new candidates.

So powerfully did this feasting motif loom among the Craft of old that the term, companion, "he who takes bread with me" in its literal meaning, became one of the highest titles and accolades to which a member of the Ancient Craft might aspire. But, somehow, that great feasting tradition was lost, particularly here in the United States. The Morgan Affair traumatized the Craft in America, and it has been suggested that the American Craft's demand for complete temperance in all the doings of a Lodge springs from its desire to maintain a "purer than thou," unsullied and unassailable public facade. Mid-to-late nineteenth century American Freemasonry became so serious and formal and so braced by rigid dignity that organizations such as the Shrine and the Grotto arose largely to provide within the Craft that ancient and traditional element or dimension of refreshment which fear of public reprobation had largely driven out of the Lodges.

And that is sad, because we can no longer afford to compartmentalize the Masonic experience in that way. The concept of ease, fun, relaxation and refreshment must be returned to the Lodge. Most well-traveled Masons have observed that those Lodges which have ample and well-organized collations, dinners, or "after-proceedings"--as the British Masons so aptly term them--are likely to be those Lodges which engender the most Masonic enthusiasm and committment among their members. On the other hand, those Lodges which have nothing more than tepid coffee and stale doughnuts after their meetings evoke a similar tepid and stale response from the diminishing ranks of their brethren.

I need not remind most experienced Freemasons that the possibilities for the Lodge at Refreshment are vast: they include collations, dinners, dances, picnics, canoe and hiking trips, excursions to notable Masonic or national shrines or buildings. Many of these events can be organized so as to include families and non-Masonic friends who might be potential candidates. The Lodge at Refreshment is limited only by the imagination of the officers and members of the Lodge.

In this respect, the strategy which has recently proven to be most successful in modern American Lodges is the Table Lodge, or After-Proceeding, or Festive Board . . . a resurrection of the ancient tradition of the Masonic Feast and Assembly. All these terms refer to the same thing--a Masonic Feast and Assembly where friendship and brotherhood are nourished and flourish anew in the atmosphere of congeniality and good will which has ever been attendant upon that very special human act of breaking bread together. I commend to every Lodge this concept. I firmly believe that the Table Proceeding, no matter what form it may take, unhindered and unfettered by shallow notions of absolute jurisdictional ritual regularity, is essential to successful and productive Masonic life; it can be seminal to the Gentle Craft's ultimate survival, regeneration, and renewal. It adds a much-needed element of grace, civility, and conviviality to the work, life, and mission of Freemasonry. The Table Lodge becomes a reinterpretation in modem terms of H.E. Haywood's famous comment about the "genius" inherent in the eighteenth century Masonic feasting tradition:

In the eighteenth century, as it had been for centuries, the feast stood close to the very heart of the Lodge, was one of the fundamental things in the Lodg...ln the eighteenth century Lodges, the feast bulked so large in the life of the Lodge that in many of them the members were seated at the table when the Lodges were opened and remained at it throughout the entire communication, even when the degrees were conferred. The result was that Masonic fellowship was good fellowship. In it, as in a warm and fruitful soil, acquaintanceship, friendship, and affection could flourish. There was no grim and silent sitting on a bench staring across at a wall.

The Table Lodge is too rich a tradition in Freemasonry ever to be frozen into a single format. Each Lodge should experiment with the various models of table proceedings--English, French, German, and American amalgams of these--and develop a format and local tradition that suits the personality and tastes of that Lodge...but the essential thing is that each Lodge should have these feasts or after-proceedings several times during the course of an average Lodge year.

Since all versions of this great Masonic social transaction are built around the practice of toasting, or "drinking the health," it is important to remember that the concept of honor stands at the heart of the Masonic feasting tradition. To drink a toast or health is more than a social grace; it is a tribute to the merit of something or someone who has enriched and enhanced our lives, and in giving such honor to men and institutions of merit, we ultimately do honor to ourselves.

To commemorate; to reflect and remember; to honor: these are the things at the heart of the Masonic toast and the Masonic feast, and these things link us to all those of our kind from the beginnings of our race, when our ancestors huddled round rude fires to share the hard-won bounty of hunt and field, and there tell the songs and stories of courage and worth, loyalty and love, of dream and vision.

At the Feast and Assembly of the Philalethes Society held in Washington each year, we traditionally close with a mid-nineteenth century Masonic poem from an unknown pen. Elements of this joyful work have found their way into the table proceedings of Lodges throughout the English-speaking Craft, and give graceful voice to the bonds that can unite a true "Lodge At Refreshment":

1. Are your glasses charged in the

West and South, the Worshipful

Master cries; They're charged in the West,

They're charged in the South,

are the Wardens' prompt replies;

Then to our final toast to-night

your glasses fairly drain

"Happy to meet--Sorry to

part--Happy to meet again

again

Oh! happy to meet again!"

Chorus: Happy to meet--Sorry

to part--Happy to meet again,

again,

Oh! happy to meet again.

2. The Masons' social brotherhood

around the festive board,

Reveal a wealth more precious

far than selfish miser's hoard

They freely share the priceless

stores that generous hearts

contain-

"Happy to meet, Sorry to part,

Happy to meet again!l"

3. We work like Mason's free and

true, and when our task is done,

A merry song and cheering glass

are not unduly won;

And only at our farewell pledge

is pleasure touched with pain-

"Happy to meet, Sorry to part,

Happy to meet again!"

4. Amidst our mirth we drink "To

all poor Masons o'er the

world"-

On every shore our flag of love

is gloriously unfurled,

We prize each brother, fair or

dark, who bears no moral

stain-

"Happy to meet, Sorry to part,

Happy to meet again!l"

5. Mason feels the noble truth

the Scottish peasant told

That rank is but the guinea's

stamp, the man himself’s the

gold

With us the rich and poor unite

and equal rights maintain

"Happy to meet, Sorry to part,

Happy to meet again!"

6. Dear brethren of the Mystic tie,

the night is waning fast-

Our duty's done--our feast is

o'er--this song must be our

last:

"Good night," "Good

night"--once more, once more

repeat the farewell strain-

"Happy to meet, Sorry to part,

Happy to meet again!"

----o----

Distinguished Service Medals

Keith Arrington, FPS

Tom Worrell, MPS

Harold L. Davidson, FPS

Stan Kuciejski, MPS

John J. Robinson

----o----

Can Freemasonry Adapt To Change  ?

by Tom Eggleston, MPS (Iowa)

As many of you know, I came to Washington this morning from Salt Lake City, Utah, where the Conferences of Grand Masters and Grand Secretaries were held. Needless to say, those Conferences are an impressive gathering of Masonic leaders.

However, and I hope I can convince you of how very strongly I feel about this--it is no more important than this group that is gathered here this evening.

This time next year--95% of those Grand Masters will be Past Grand Masters. By contrast, when this group meets in 1991, you will all--God willing--be back in your respective roles as "Lovers of Truth," which was Aristotle's definition of the name of your organization--Philalethes. You will be back in your roles as sterling Masonic authors, lecturers, and as distinguished members and fellows of the time-honored and prestigious Philalethes Society! Your membership list reads like a Who's Who of the Masonic Fraternity and I am proud and honored that you have asked me to fill this important slot in your Annual Assembly and Feast.

As the son of a College Professor, I suppose you would expect me to be comfortable with the word "Lecturer"--and I am--just as long as it isn't used in connection with my name. But each time, these past several months, when I have read in The Philalethes that Tom Eggleston is to be the guest lecturer at the 1990 Annual Feast--I have been terribly uncomfortable--I am not a lecturer. Nor am I an entertainer. I'd rather compare myself with a cross-eyed discus thrower. I don't set many records--but I keep the crowd alert. I hope you'll remember that, during the next 28 minutes, as I attempt to explore your personal attitude toward change and, hopefully, lower your R.T.C. factor (R.T.C.--those three letters stand for Resistance To Change). I also hope to be able to arouse your Masonic enthusiasm and, in order to do that, it's necessary for the speaker to be enthusiastic. And I am enthusiastic.--I'm enthusiastic about love. I'm enthusiastic about faith. And I'm enthusiastic about Freemasonry. I have definite feelings about those three things--they're very important in our world. They're important because too many people are confused about what real love and real faith are, and they're too sophisticated to show their true feelings and display any real enthusiasm about anything. On love, I plead guilty of loving my Lord, my family, my Country, and Freemasonry. On faith, I don't know what tomorrow holds, but, brothers, I know who holds tomorrow and so I approach it with confidence and thanksgiving. And I hope that 27 minutes from now, nobody in this room will doubt my enthusiasm for Freemasonry.

I want to thank you for your patience during that 3 minutes of trivia. They may not have been important to you, but they were very necessary to me.

Not only did they allow me to express my appreciation and esteem of this group--they also allowed me to settle the butterflies and get my feet on the ground--and now--I believe I'm ready to address my chosen topic--

Can Freemasonry Adapt To Change?

Shortly after speaking to this august group in 1989, your guest lecturer, Jack Kelly (Past Grand Master from Texas) delivered the keynote address for the Midwest Conference on Masonic Education in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Jack's key note subject was "What Price Survival?"

I have to agree with Jack's opening words that day--"Survival--that word has a desperate 'Grab for the life jackets sound.' "

He then went on to say--"Freemasonry's survival in the last decade of the 20th Century depends entirely on its ability and willingness to change."

Before going any further, I want to tell you that I have not come here carrying the formula of changes that will turn the lifeline of our Fraternity around. I don't have that formula. I've already told you that I want to explore your personal attitude toward change and to lower your R.T.C. factor.

I also want to spend the last several minutes of our visit telling you of several changes that have taken place in Iowa and of their effect on our lifeline. To start that exploration of your attitude, I'd like to have you try a little experiment with me. FOLD HANDSI

At one stage in the preparation of this talk--I spent some time trying to think of--the most useless thing in the world! I thought of a speed boat in the desert, a refrigerator at the North Pole, a lawn sprinkler in a rain forest, a case of champagne at a Southern Baptist wed ding, 33 gallons of kool-aid at a Shriner's picnic! All these things--trying to imagine the most useless thing in the world--and then, one day, I found it in the middle of a park in Cedar Rapids, I found the most useless thing in the world. Under the leafy branches of a shade tree--it was a sundial--a sundial in the shade--the most useless thing in the world.

Here was that sundial, failing to function at the potential and level for which it was created. And I thought how very often we're just like that--as men--as businessmen--as Masons--as leaders - Sundials in the Shade. Failing to produce at the highest possible level - because--because we can't - or won't - or are absolutely--positively opposed to change!

A few more examples of sundials in the shade--if you please--

* A Masonic leader without a sense of humor!l

* A Masonic leader that lacks courage!

* A Masonic leader that doesn't have the quality of compassion! and finally--as I mentioned a minute ago--

* A Masonic leader who is unwilling to accept and consider change!

Brethren, I feel very strongly that the membership problems that we are facing--are very directly tied to the number of Masonic sundials in the shade!

Probably the most powerful words concerning change within our Fraternity come from the Ancient Charges that are presented to each Worshipful Master upon his installation. "You admit that it is not within the power of any man or any body of men to make changes or innovations in the body of Freemasonry." We've said it and heard it so often that it's almost gospel.

Brethren, I stand before you this evening to remind you that change is the natural order of things. Organizations, businesses, and governments that realize that and, after careful study and consideration, willingly alter their courses and adapt to new conditions, will achieve success.

On the other hand, those that refuse to accept the realities of changing conditions and to take appropriate action will stagnate and eventually wither and disappear. And there is absolutely no reason to think that Masonic Lodges and Grand Lodges can escape the realities of that same law!!

Some time ago, Chief Justice Warren Burger, in addressing the American Bar Association, quoted the great Masonic writer and jurist, Dean Roscoe Pound of the Harvard Law School, as saying in 1906, "The Courts of the 20th Century cannot operate on the laws of the 19th Century." My brethren, are we so at tempting to operate our Fraternity in the last decade of the 20th Century? Now, I'm not about to say that we need to change just for sake of change itself.

What I am saying is that--We need to take a good close look at where we've been and where we're heading and, if we make that study--it must be clear that something must be done to correct that course.

And, if a need for change is indicated--we must be ready--willing--and able to accept and adjust to those changes.

The second thing that we must realize is that this Fraternity has been changing since its very inception. Had it not been for changes from within the Fraternity --very few of the brothers in this room at this minute would even be here and the reason you wouldn't be here, is that you wouldn't even be Freemasons.

I have no intentions of insulting your intelligence or taking your time in reminding you from whence we came-rather, I want to pick it up from that point and remind you that, as the demand for operative stone masons lessened and their guilds started to show a decline--our ancient operative brethren changed their admission rules and began to admit non-operative (or speculative) members from the better classes of their communities. And from that change came your right, and your right, and your right to wear that Square and Compass that tells the world you are a Freemason.

Before leaving that particular important time in our history--just try to imagine (if you possibly can)--the trauma that must have been connected with that change! My brethren, Freemasonry has continued to change and we had better admit to ourselves that more change is necessary if we are to solve our membership problems.

I don't mean to imply that quality isn't important, because it is--but membership is important too. And should it appear that change is necessary to improve both areas--perhaps we need to seriously consider some change. I've taken 12 minutes of your time and, while I have talked about "change," I still haven't even made an attempt to answer the question--"Can Freemasonry Adapt To Change?"

Brethren, had that same question been asked five short years ago, I would have, in all honesty, had to reply with a resounding--"No, I don't believe it can." But, I have been greatly encouraged with what I have seen in the last five years. (It's too bad we had to wait those five years straining to see the light we were told was at the end of the tunnel and waiting for the pendulum to swing back the other way--on its own.) But the changes I have seen in the last five years in your Jurisdiction and in mine have convinced me that--even though there are still those that will live and die with the--"We can't change that" attitude, there are more and more influential, dedicated, hard-working Masonic leaders countering with the question--"Why not?" and their voices are being heard! I am also convinced that a large majority of our subordinate Lodge leaders (and brethren, that's the group that determines the rate of change in my Jurisdiction) a large majority of them are ready--willing--and able to accept and adjust to change. They have actually changed the vision of their Lodges to the point that they are actively pursuing what could be or what must be, rather than what has been.

And brethren, because of that change of vision--Freemasonry is more relevant to the times in which we live. It's better, and it's stronger than it was when we found it...And if you don't believe that last statement--if you don't believe, with all your heart that because of your efforts, Freemasonry is more relevant and better and stronger than when you found it then perhaps you need to sit down and re-evaluate your personal relationship with Freemasonry. Perhaps too--if you don't believe those things and if you are still looking for that light at the end of the tunnel--just maybe you should at least consider lowering your R.T.C. factor and jump on the bandwagon because--as the Grand Master in my jurisdiction is saying--Freemasonry is on the move!

And as reluctant as you may be to accept the changes that are taking place Masonry is not going to stop or even slow down to wait for you. As Masonic leaders searching for changes that will be beneficial and helpful to our Craft we must be willing to stand up and allow ourselves to be counted on the "Why Not?" side. (Even though some of our very best friends are still chanting--"We can't change that." (We must feel comfortable, both in our minds and in our hearts, that the "change"

* Has been carefully planned and researched.

* That it will, in fact, make a favorable difference. And--

* That it will not harm, or hurt, or defame our great and Gentle Craft.

And finally, my brethren Regard less of what those on the "We can't change that" side are saying--We, as Masonic leaders in search of change, must not feel one ounce of guilt associated with our recommendations. Nor should we feel we are diminishing the importance of Masonry. We must feel that Masonry will be better and more important because of the change we seek. And if the change you are supporting, fails that test--Then, the change is not worthy of your support. We are not traitorous to our Landmarks. Nothing can last forever unchanged. Just as those who drafted the United States Constitution provided for amendments (and many have been added), so, also, must our Constitution be kept up-to-date so that it reflects the needs of our member and the needs of the society in which we live. Regardless of how we change, on thing will never change. We are forever a brotherhood of men bound together by an unfailing belief in a Supreme Being and evidenced by the care and friendships we develop that last over all time. Your role in this process is evident. Without your support of the vision, nothing great is possible. Because we recognize that our sons are not willing to join our Fraternity and we know it, we should also acknowledge that we, not they, must change.

We have made commitments to our community, to our chosen professions, and to our children at levels never dreamed of. We have found our days chocked full of opportunities and challenges and, consciously or unconsciously, we have agreed that only organizations that support all of these needs are worth supporting.

Masonry, we have discovered, has much more to offer than many other organizations. We have also learned that, virtually, no one knows who we are, or what we do, or has the slightest idea how to join and brethren that must change!

We know precisely that one American male in five would be interested in joining an organization that meets his specific needs. We know that one adult male in five will seek out an organization that will involve him in fraternity, community, and charity...give him opportunities to lead and include his family in the process. We also know, that any organization that does not keep these needs in mind is doomed.

Allow me to spend the remaining time that I have in telling you of some changes that have taken place in Iowa recently and of their effect on our membership profile.

"From time immemorial"--boy there's a familiar phrase--"From time immemorial"--it has been a cardinal sin a Masonic offense--a breach of our precious landmarks (if you listened to some)--to nudge, encourage, ask, suggest, entice, or invite--and, sin of all unforgivable sins--we should never(Here comes that four-letter word) we should never solicit anyone to be a Mason.

Raymond C. Ellis, the Senior Past Grand Master of New York, very succinctly said, "This tradition and custom has become encrusted with the barnacles of antiquity, in the light of the day in which we now live. It most certainly should be reconsidered--and particularly as it applies to young men." He said it loud enough and convincingly enough that brethren in the Heartland started asking, "Why not?" And in spite of those still suffering from the "You can't change that" syndrome, our law on solicitation was changed to include the following words--"there is no objection to encouraging a man who is considered to be a suitable candidate for Freemasonry. After the procedure for obtaining membership is explained, the potential candidate should be left to make his own decision and come of his own free will.

We developed a handsome, first class, four-color brochure--called it "Opening the Doors to Freemasonry" made them available to all Masonic bodies in Iowa and to all of our Lodges and last year, we changed our Petition for the Degrees, leaving out the phrase, "unbiased by friends and uninfluenced by mercenary motives." If any of you would like a copy of our new brochure or our new Petition--I have a supply here at the podium, and you may pick them up at the close of the evening's festivities.

We also took a good hard look at the amount of memory work that Iowa required of its candidates before advancing them to the next degree. Several brothers went to work and a brand new Proficiency Examination was developed for each degree. The new system was proposed to the Grand Lodge delegates in 1988 and was very narrowly defeated. It was brought back to the delegates at the 1989 Annual Communication and was adopted. Since that September 1989 Annual Communication, we have worked very hard promoting our new Proficiency System.

Our Grand Master wrote personal letters to over 900 brethren who had stalled out after receiving their Entered Apprentice Degree expressing his personal interest in this matter and advising them of the new shortened proficiency. We are excited by the number of brethren who are returning to their Lodges, completing their degrees, and becoming Master Masons.

I know, personally, of nearly a dozen young professional men, men that any Masonic Lodge in the Country would be proud to have on their membership roll, whose interest in our Gentle Craft was renewed by this new Proficiency System and they have returned to Lodge and completed their degree work (and several of them are serving in line offices). I don't want to under-estimate the importance of our beautiful Ritual. It is very necessary and I would hasten to add that not one single word or movement in our Ritual was changed in our reduction of rote memory work. A high standard of ritualistic proficiency is still of vital importance and always will be. However, excellence in the Ritual should not be regarded as the primary purpose of our brotherhood--there is more to Freemasonry than that!

In addition to scraping the barnacles off of our restrictions on solicitation, the development of our "Opening the Doors to Freemasonry" brochure and our 21st Century Petition, and reducing the amount of required rote memory work our Grand Lodge has taken several other exciting steps on the path that leads to the 21st Century.

Under the dynamic leadership of Grand Master L. Ray Chamberlin, our Grand Lodge has entered into the field of video. Now, I'm not talking about hand-held camcorder home videos. I'm talking about professionally directed and produced videos. The very first one is just being distributed and it was designed for our Lodges to use at Friendship Nights. The second video is due to be filmed next month and it tells the story of the History of the Grand Lodge of Iowa. Videos on the drawing board include those for Leadership Training and Motivation--Candidate Instruction, and still another that can be taken to the home of a prospective candidate and shared with him and his lady.

Speaking of the ladies--the lady of each newly Initiated Entered Apprentice in Iowa receives, directly from Grand Master Chamberlin, a copy of our exciting and attractive new brochure, "To The New Mason's Lady." Because, brethren--if we can't capture the interest and encouragement and support of that new Mason's wife--if we're going to smother her with comments of how secret her husband's Masonic activity is going to be--we're not going to hold his interest too long. But with her support and encouragement, there is no limit to what that man can contribute. "What are the results of all this 'hype in the Heartland?" you're asking. Well, that's the most exciting part of this whole chapter. We've just done a comparative study of 1989 degree statistics over 1988. And our 1989 Initiations were 8 1/2% greater than in 1988. And there were 12.73% more Master Masons raised in 1989 than in 1988. Not any earth-shaking turn-around--but it is an increase in Initiations and Raisings and that's something we haven't seen in our Jurisdiction for a long time.

How many of you are familiar with the Barton Gillet survey that was conducted last year? How many remember that portion of the survey that showed a greater interest, nationally, in joining among men under 45 than those 55 and older? How many of you actually believe that statement--that there is a greater interest in Masonic membership among those under 45 than those over 55?

Well, let me share one more fact that we gleaned from those 1988-89 Iowa degree statistics. Of the 544 1988 Initiates in Iowa, 422 (77%) of them were between the ages of 18 and 45. The largest number of those 422 Initiates, 102 of them, were between the ages of 31 and 35. The next largest number-99 were between the ages of 36 and 40. A few minutes ago, I invited you all to come up to the podium and pick up one of our "Opening the Doors to Freemasonry" brochures and our new 21st Century Petitions for membership and I hope many of you accept that invitation.

Please don't feel that, when you come up here, you have to tell me what a good job I've done tonight--and you don't have to tell me if I did a lousy job either. All I want you to do is to come up and say the four most important words in Masonry today--I believe in me! Because if we're going go be effective Masonic Salesmen (and there are people who raise their eyebrows when I use that phrase too--but I'm going to repeat it--If we're going to be effective Masonic Salesmen--we've got to start believing in ourselves and in our product! Will Rogers said it--"You can't start a furnace with a snowball--If you're going to be successful in business or in politics or in Family life--if you're going to be successful--you have to do three things--

You have to know what you're doin'

You have to love what you're doin'

You have to believe in what you're doin'."

That's one of Masonry's greatest needs in 1990 . Before we can ever hope to grow--we need to have Masons who believe in Freemasonry and in them selves--cause, if you don't believe in yourself--you're not going to make any one else believe in you.

Brothers, it's been the biggest thrill of my Masonic life to address you this evening and I want to thank you. You've been a fantastic audience. I'm sure each and every person in this room feels that he sees at least one area of change that would benefit our Fraternity in the coming l990s. I know I do and that change, strangely enough does not involve changing any of our rules, our traditions, or our Landmarks. It involves change in our Personal Masonic Attitudes and is best reflected by an old story about an old man, a very wise old man. And I hope you'll all remember the lesson that's taught by this story, because it's important in 1990. It's important to us as Americans and it is especially important to us as members and leaders of our Masonic Fraternity.

Once upon a time, there was a wise old man that lived up in the hills in Tennessee. And this old man had the beautiful and unusual talent of clairvoyancy and he was always able to tell any of the youngsters from his hillside community just exactly what they had in their clenched fist or even their pockets. But in every community, there is always one scallywag, one borderline delinquent, one who is always getting himself into trouble and pulling the others into trouble along with him. And there was one such person in this community. One day, he gathered his colleagues around him and he said, "Fellers, I've got an idea how we can fox that old man up on the hill. He thinks he's so smart." He said, "We're going out in the woods and we'll catch us a bird and we'll go up to the old man's cabin and we'll knock on the door and when he comes to the door, I'll hold the bird up in my fist and I'll say, 'What have I in my hand, old man?' And he'll guess right, he always does. He'll say 'It's a bird.' But then I'm going to say 'Yes, old man, but is it dead or is it alive?' And if he says 'It's dead,' I'll just open my hands up and let it fly away And if he says, 'It's alive,' I'll just crush it to death before I open my hands up."

Well, the boys went out in the woods they got their bird; they went up to the old man's cabin; they knocked on the door; the old man came to the door and the young man held the bird up in his hand, and he said, "What have I in my hand, old man?" Without any hesitation, the wise old man of the mountains said, "Why, it looks like you've got a bird there, boy." "Yes," he said, "but is it dead or is it alive?" Once again, the wise old man of the mountains, without any hesitation, replied, "It is in you hands, my son, it is as you will."

So it is in 1990, my brethren, Will things like freedom, democracy, our public schools, the churches that we attend, the businesses that we run, and this fantastic Masonic Fraternity.

We can love these things and nourish them and they'll flourish and fly like they've never flown before. Or we can starve them and we can neglect then and they'll die. It is exactly as the wise old man of the mountains said, "It is your hands."

Thank you, brethren.

----o----

Roberts Address As Grand Master
To The Grand Council, Allied Masonic Degrees, 1990

(Condensed from the original) by Allen E. Roberts, FPS

During the past several months I've lost much sleep. I expected to have another year to prepare for this office. The untimely, and sad, death of Eddie Styles changed that.

Then I've had a major decision to make. Should I do what far too many of our leaders do--nothing? Should I accept the office, the titles, the honors, and go through the year not making waves? This would keep the boat from rocking. This, also would be the popular way to preside.

This led me to discuss the question with several of you whose judgment I highly respect. The consensus was that if I did nothing it would go against what I've been advocating for over 40 years. It would make a mockery of what I've written and taught about the need for constructive leadership. So for good or ill I'm going to offer you a plan for tomorrow and the years ahead.

For 33 years it has been my privilege to meet here in the District of Columbia with many of the finest, most dedicated Freemasons in the world. I'd like to feel this could go on for another 33 years. But I'm a realist--among other things.

It was The Philalethes Society that drew me here in 1957. Through it and its workshops I was able to meet with, and communicate with, the Freemasons in the country who were making a difference. I won't list the dozens of men I admired and at whose feet I worshiped.

It was eight years before I was invited to join a Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees. In my state one Council was permitted, through the law of exclusive jurisdiction to keep other Councils from being formed. Those in control took great pride in being members of a body limited to 27 members.

At that time there were less than 50 Councils throughout the United States and Canada. The reason? The exclusive jurisdiction rule. This was well known to me as well as several others in this Grand Council. One of them was Past Sovereign Grand Master William E. Yeager, Sr., who was then Chairman of the Jurisprudence Committee.

Bill and I discussed the section of our law that was keeping the number of Councils low. We believed it should be changed. Bill asked me to write an amendment to make the change and he would fight for its adoption. I did -and he did.

From that day to this it has been easy to form a Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees. About eight years ago a move was made to change this back to the rule of exclusive jurisdiction. I was a lone opposition voice crying in the wilderness. Thankfully my voice was heard and the law wasn't changed. It's still easy to form a Council.

Why have I gone to this length to recite this case Because I want it on the record. I want you to know there are those among us who are obsessed with exclusivity. Today we have over 250 Councils, and more on the way. In my state where there was once one, there are now 28. More are being formed.

This Grand Master, you can be certain, will refuse any and all requests for exclusive jurisdiction.

Over the years this Grand Council has grown in numbers and in riches. It has done this miraculously. How long this can continue is anyone's guess. It has not kept pace with the 20th century.

There are many areas that should be addressed. I'm appointing a special Team--a Planning Team--to address these problems.

You are urged to contact the members of this Team and give them your suggestions on how to fraternally handle our present and future growth. Your input is vital to the future success of the Allied Masonic Degrees. What comes from this could become a model on which Freemasonry in general can build. Among the points that should be addressed we find that this Grand Council has accumulated substantial funds that are salted away in bank accounts. To do this we have ignored acts of Brotherhood. By this I mean we have provided our members with nothing except a couple of publications. Is this as it should be?

Your Grand Line officers are never reimbursed even for out-of-pocket expenses. The Grand Secretary receives a paltry sum for untold hours of service. The Grand Master is expected to represent this Grand Council with dignity throughout the country. Heaven forbid that he should be reimbursed for his expensesl There has never been a budget proposed .

This may have been acceptable (and this is debatable) years ago. It isn't any longer .

Shouldn't this Grand Council publish a newsletter periodically? From year to year the only input we have from this body is what little we learn during the short time we're together. Occasionally, through the pages of the excellent The Philalethes, we learn something about what has taken place or will happen.

To alleviate this I am appointing an Internal Relations Team, something we certainly need throughout the Craft. Among the items this Team will be charged to do is to keep our members informed about the Allied Masonic Degrees .

There are many items in our Constitutions that should be studied. The Planning Team will be asked go to over these documents with a magnifying glass and submit its recommendations next year . For instance: What should the quorum be to hold our annual meetings? The ridiculous three Councils as it now stands? I certainly don't want to see three Councils and a Grand Master destroy what we've accomplished.

What should the voting procedure be? There is actually none established as of now. Why? Could it be because we've been rubber stamping what the Jurisprudence Committee and the Board of General Purposes proclaims? This may not be all bad, but it isn't good, either.

Should we continue to keep our Grand Line stagnating for 10 years? Should the Grand line be shortened? Should the first office in this line be elective rather than appointive as it is now?

Should we continue to meet at this hotel? It's a question that has never been really considered.

Should this Grand Council continue to meet in February at a time that suits the whim of the Grand Masters and Grand Secretaries Conferences? This was of some importance years ago. But those other Conferences bowed to a vocal few opponents of meeting in D.C. and periodically meet elsewhere. Then the Congress fouled up the date of George Washington's birth. These two acts left the date with no historical and Masonic significance. Would it be advantageous to meet on a set week at a time of the year when the weather could be expected to be favorable?

More and more small bodies have attached themselves to our meeting date. One in particular has usurped the time of the Philalethes, the oldest organization meeting during this period. If this is to be continued should we consider lengthening the days we spend here? (The answer was "yes": it commences in 1991 .)

These, and many other questions, are begging for a constructive answer. What this team accomplishes this year, and what you do next February with its proposals, will make a difference for future generations of Freemasons. (The Grand Council officers and committees agreed to consider what this Team proposes next year. This constitutes the "unanimous consent" required.)

I can hear the opposition now. "We've done fine. We don't need to make any changes." "We've always done it that way." And some of the statements won't be quotable in polite company.

Most of these comments will come from those among us who believe computers are instruments of the devil! Unbelievable? Check me out.

Many years ago I suggested to the officers of the company for which I was the business manager that a change in accounting procedures should be made. This would tell us where we were going quarterly rather than yearly. It would, I claimed, help increase the profits. I was told the company was making money. I argued that by following my method it could increase those profits. The officers laughed.

Two months later the president told me he had a good idea and I was to implement it immediately. His "good idea" was my proposal down to the last crossed "t." Six months later the profit and loss statement showed a doubling of previous profits!

For 50 years I've kept a sign where I can see it. It reads: "There's no limit to what you can accomplish IF you don't care who gets the credit." That sign will stay until the day I go to the Great Beyond.

Can our organization be an integral force in Freemasonry? Can Freemasonry in general become a vital power in the world again? It depends.

You've heard the story many times about a young man who was going to stump a wise old man with a bird. Would it live or would it die? The old man wisely said: "As you will it, my Son. As you will it."

Will Freemasonry continue to live-or will it be destroyed? The answer was given to us by the wise old man. "As you will, my friends. As you will it."

Allen E. Roberts, FPS, was elected Grand Master of the Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees on February 24, 1990. Jerry Marsengill, FPS, was appointed to the line of Grand Officers. All of the Grand Officers except one are members of The Philalethes Society.

Roberts appointed a Planning Team to make recommendations for changes to aid the continuing growth of the Allied Masonic Degrees. Another Team will keep the members informed about what is occurring in Freemasonry and the AMD. Plans will start being made by another Team to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Allied Masonic Degrees in the United States in 1992.

The Allied Masonic Degrees is composed of Councils in almost every jurisdiction in the United States. Membership is limited to 27. These are invitational bodies composed of Royal Arch Masons. Councils may be formed by five Royal Arch Masons, at least one of whom must be a member of the Allied Masonic Degrees.

The AMD has never had a loss in membership. Actually its growth continues to be remarkable.

----o----

The Actions Of The Executive Board

The Executive Board of The Philalethes Society met at 9:00 a.m., Friday, February 23, 1990, in the Hotel Washington. All officers were present, with the President, Jerry Marsengill, presiding.

The Executive Secretary reported the membership had grown to 4,200 and the Life Membership had grown to 620. The financial condition is excellent and the reserve for Life Membership has kept pace with the growth. Funds are invested with Merrill Lynch and Signet Bank. The general fund is kept in an interest bearing account: a supplemental money market account is also bearing interest. Where some time ago it was costing the Society large sums for banking, earnings are now being recorded.

The computer service has improved greatly during the past year. It, along with more members notifying the Society of changes of addresses, has reduced postal costs considerably.

A memorial was held for our two departed Fellows, James Fairbairn Smith and Charles King Arthur McGaughey. Harold L. Davidson, the Society's Librarian, and the Reverend Thomas E. Weir, who often writes for The Philalethes, were elected Fellows. The maximum total of 40 Fellows has been maintained.

Keith Arrington, FPS, Tom Worrell, MPS, Harold L. Davidson, FPS, Stan Kuciejski, the Society's indexer, and John J. Robinson (author of Born in Blood and a non-Mason), were elected to receive The Philalethes Society Distinguished Service Medal.

Grants of $1,000 each were approved for the Iowa Masonic Library Endowment Fund, and for the compiling of unpublished dissertations throughout the world concerning Freemasonry. The continuation of the Disaster Relief Fund was approved.

The Board approved the selection of Robert C. Barnard, MPS, as the recipient of the Society's certificate of Literature for 1989.

The attendance of ladies for the Assembly-Feast-Forum was discussed at length. It was agreed ladies would not be invited for this affair, except on special occasions such as the past 60th Anniversary. It was agreed that the "Table Lodge" format will continue to be followed. Wine will continue to be served. The present "question and answer" format will be followed.

It was noted that Howard L. Woods, Grand Master of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arkansas, had accepted our invitation to be the Lecturer of the 1991 Assembly.

It was agreed that "foreign" members will continue to be subsidized in spite of increasing bank and postal charges. It was pointed out, however, that all checks must be payable on a United States bank. Excessive bank charges for foreign checks had forced the Executive Secretary to move the accounts from the Signet Bank to Central Fidelity at the end of 1989.

It was agreed that Distinguished Service Medals will only be authorized by the Executive Board; the President, however, may award one of his choosing during a calendar year. Awards of Merit may be authorized by the officers of the Board, or the officers of our Chapters. These may be obtained at $10 each from the Executive Secretary.

The hospitality room will continue to be a function on the Friday evenings of the Assembly. It will be open to our ladies – only - from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., after which men will be admitted. Western Reserve Chapter was the host this year and a large room on the mezzanine helped make the reception more comfortable.

It was agreed that as finances warranted bonus pages may be added to The Philalethes as they were for the February 1990 issue.

The invitation of Oklahoma Chapter of The Philalethes Society for September 28-29, 1990 to hold a semi-annual Assembly was accepted.

The 1991 Annual Assembly-Feast-Forum will be held in the Hotel Washington on Friday, February 22.

The Annual Assembly-Feast-Forum

The Feast was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by the President, Jerry Marsengill. The invocation was pronounced by the Reverend Forrest D. Haggard, D.D., FPS. A toast to the United States of America was presented by Lt. Gen. Herman Nickerson, Jr., FPS.

Toasts followed at various points by Wallace E. McLeod, FPS, Henry G. Law, FPS, Royal C. Scofield, FPS, Jerry Marsengill, FPS, and John Mauk Hilliard, FPS.

A resume of the Society's business (see foregoing) was presented by the Executive Secretary. Charters were presented to Finger Lakes Chapter (NY), Robbie Burns Chapter (CA), Light From the East Chapter (NC), and Southern Maryland Chapter (MD). Awards (see foregoing) were presented to those present.

Paul V. Best, Executive Secretary, and James A. Mingo of The Phylaxis Society, patterned after The Philalethes Society for members of Prince Hall Freemasonry, were present as guests of our Society. Brother Best, on behalf of his President, Joseph A. Walkes, Jr., and his Society, presented Ira S. Holder Certificates of Literature to Jerry Marsengill and Allen E. Roberts. Both are Honorary Fellows of The Phylaxis Society. Brother Best noted this was the first time two such certificates had been presented in one year. (Unbelievably, the recipients were speechless!)

Tom Eggleston, MPS, presented the Philalethes Lecture for 1990. Its title: "Can Freemasonry Adapt to Change?" It will be printed in full in The Philalethes. He received a standing ovation at its conclusion.

After "The Tyler's Toast" the Forum was held. Far-reaching questions were asked and answered. Many concerned Prince Hall Masonry, and these were fully and honestly answered by our guests from the Phylaxis Society.

The session was closed with the reminder: "Let's practice without that which we have learned within." And almost 200 enjoyed meeting in the hospitality room.

Allen E. Roberts

Executive Secretary

Blue Friar

Stewart M.L. Polland, FPS

New Fellows

Harold L. Davidson, FPS

Thomas E. Weir, FPS

Certificate Of Literature

Robert C. Barnard, MPS

----o----

A Tribute To Masonic Researchers

by Allen E. Roberts

The most important function in Freemasonry is research. The most important men are researchers.

I can hear the howls of rage from certain elements! They will claim the ritualists are the most important members. Without ritual there would be no Freemasonry. This ritual must be kept pure and unsullied. Therefore it takes long hours of work to learn to dot the i's and cross the t's in this work we must keep pure and unsullied.

So, to keep them happy I'll readily concede the importance of our Masonic ritualists. But I'll continue to insist they aren't more important than the researchers.

Long ago the ritualists gave Freemasonry a theme to work within. Much of their work was good, but more of it left much to be desired. They weren't always careful with facts. They often began a tale, but not knowing where to go with it, left it for the hearer to ponder its meaning.

Researchers have tried to take over where the ritualists left off. They have tried, and are still trying, to give the often obscure Masonic ritual some meaning. Researchers have searched for truth and they still are searching. It's a never-ending quest.

Freemasonry owes a debt of gratitude to those few organizations within the Craft that devote time to the search for truth .

And Freemasonry owes a greater debt of gratitude to the wives of our view researchers. They do the suffering while their men work long lonely hours searching for truth. These ladies miss out on many social events, movies, and other pleasures of life. And they never complain. If they did there would be no writers!

We have some Research Lodges and Research Chapters. Virginia Research Lodge No. 1777 was organized in 1950 and received its charter in 1951 . For many years it had but a handful of members, but the work they did will live forever. From this Lodge came the A. Douglas Smith Jr. Lodge of Research No. 1949. Membership in these, and all other Research Lodges in the country, are open to all Master Masons.

There is now a Chapter of Research in Virginia, and there are a few others in the United States. These accept members from Royal Arch Masons.

Each of these bodies is doing needed work for the Craft in general. But there is much, much more that must be done.

On a national scale we have the Allied Masonic Degrees. Each of its Councils is a small research group. Many of them have enriched the literature of Freemasonry. Its members must be Royal Arch Masons, and they must be invited to join.

The Grand College of Rites has been concerned with degrees and rituals of the past. These have helped us unlock some of the secrets of bygone years. Membership is open to all Master Masons.

The SRICF (Masonic Rosicrucians) has been doing research into the many facets of Freemasonry for many years. Membership is by invitation only.

Then we have The Philalethes Society, the only Research Society in the world. During its 61 years of existence it has published every point of view of every organization that depends on Freemasonry for its existence. It publishes an excellent magazine bimonthly. It's membership is open to all Master Masons of recognized Lodges. Any person may subscribe to its publication.

We must not forget the few individuals who belong to no Masonic body other than the Lodge. Some of them prefer to work alone; others have never been invited to membership in some of our exclusive invitational bodies. Many of them never will be invited to become members. In their search for truth they have stepped on too many egos.

All of these have been and are important within the body of Freemasonry. A few, too few, of their members have added to the knowledge and light Freemasons should be seeking. They perform a necessary function and add vitality to the body of the Craft.

This work, this research has been done without searching for Masonic honors, because there are too few rewards for these men. That is, with a couple of exceptions.

In 1931 the Society of Blue Friars was established. It honors one Masonic Writer, editor or author a year. It holds one meeting a year, along with the meetings of the Allied Masonic Degrees. No man can seek this honor. There are no dues or fees.

This, unfortunately, only scraped the surface of those Master Masons who should be applauded with gratitude. This consideration brought into being another fellowship.

To recognize the worth of our Masonic researchers, educators and writers The Masonic Brotherhood of the Blue Forget-Me-Not was founded in 1971. The blue forget-me-not, a little flower, was worn in the lapel of a handful of German Master Masons in defiance of Nazi terror. Hitler had abolished all Freemasonry at the beginning of his regime. Known Masons were murdered or thrown into concentration camps. Few men had the courage to stand against the one-time paper hanger and his terrorists.

Because of the courage, integrity and occasional persecution by the hierarchy of Freemasonry, of some workers in the quarries of Freemasonry, this flower was chosen as the emblem of the Brotherhood. Only those who fulfill these high ideals are chosen for membership. And no man can seek membership. There are no meetings, no dues, no fees. It's in every sense an honor for a Master Mason to be chosen.

Titles, Masonic or others, mean nothing in the selection of those to be honored by these two bodies. The collection of large fees and dues never enters the picture.

Contrast this with many of the hundreds of "exclusive" bodies that have attached themselves to the Craft.

In many of these bodies medals, awards, high degrees, and other honors are passed out. Too often high fees must be paid to obtain them. For other "honors" high titles must have been obtained. Even then high fees are often paid. And these are called awards and honors!

These are the organizations I call "Parasites on the Body of Freemasonry." They have forgotten, or never learned, the principles of Masonry.

Did their leaders, or founders, learn that "Freemasonry considers no man for his worldly wealth or honors?" Do we forget when we become Masonic leaders that we entered our Lodges penniless, that all worldly material was left behind? Did these founders understand that when the cabletow was removed from us as Entered Apprentices we became obligated to the Fraternity? Perhaps more important, but often forgotten, the leadership of the Fraternity became obligated to each of us?

Have we forgotten that each of us plucked off a shoe as a testimony of our faith in our fellowman, and humility before our God? Doesn't this mean that we must treat our fellow man fairly? That we won't march to the ballot box and keep a good Freemason out because he's not wealthy or have a high title? Researchers have learned that there are organizations that have attached themselves to the Craft with the express purpose of controlling Freemasonry. Some of them have done an excellent job in achieving their goal. Their work is continuing. How, the skeptical may ask.

The answer for control is really simple--withhold sought after honors from those who don't conform to the mores and doctrines of the bodies involved.

Ironically the bodies doing the controlling are the parasites on the body of Freemasonry. They often eat away the flesh and leave nothing of substance for the benefit of the Ancient Craft. Most of them are wealthy; the legitimate bodies struggle .

Research points to the fact that only one--one--body can legitimately be considered a part of Ancient Craft Masonry. This is the Holy Royal Arch. All others are impostors! Many of us are members of these impostors.

Remember, earlier I mentioned a few Masonic research bodies. Those I mentioned are legitimately a vital part of the Craft. They are working for the benefit of Freemasonry in general.

Let me hasten to add: Any group of men or women have the right to form any organization it pleases. It may call it any name it pleases. It can establish its own rules and regulations. It can accept or reject anyone it pleases. BUT when it attaches itself to a parent body, these rights are limited. It must follow the laws and customs of the parent.

My time has expired. I'll leave you to do the necessary research to prove me wrong. Perhaps we'll find more of the researchers we must have if Freemasonry is to once again become a viable force in the world.

But let me ask you to remember--and never forget--the first lessons you learned in Freemasonry. Its tenets are Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. Each is important, but the latter is more so.

----o----

The First American Lodge in CHINA

by Kit Haffner, FPS

Beginnings

The first evidence that we have of Freemasonry in China exists in the records of the Grand Lodge of Sweden. The third Lodge in that country, called Salomon a trois Serrures (Solomon of the Three Locks), at labor in the seaport of Gothenburg, initiated seven officers of the Swedish East India Company in 1756 and 57, and gave them a charter to meet whenever they reached a port. On the ship Prince Carl they reached Canton, nowadays more logically spelt Guangzhou, during the winter of 1759/60. There seems little doubt that they met in the 'factories' (offices and warehouses for 'factors') there, leaving behind a Masonic club when the ship returned to Sweden. The English followed with a Lodge in their factory in 1767, but both had closed by 1813.

With the opening of Hong Kong and the Treaty Ports in 1842, English Lodges were started, with two in Hong Kong and one in Shanghai by 1849 . Those were hard years, and the young Lodges were almost extinguished, but by the early 1860s things had changed and everyone, Chinese and sojourner, began to look forward to renewed prosperity and stability. But there were only the three English Lodges, and other nationalities, Americans amongst them, were working within the 'Provincial Grand Lodge of British Freemasons in China.' But the Scots, ever intolerant of English control, first started a Lodge in 1864 called Cosmopolitan No. 428 (which is still at labour in Hong Kong and of which I am a Past Master). Its chosen name was testimony to the widespread interest in the Craft amongst all nationalities. But then it was the turn of the Americans to start a Lodge on their own.

Hong Kong and Shanghai were essentially different. Hong Kong was ceded territory and formed a rather sleepy colony in the tropical south of China. The prosperous port of Shanghai was an international settlement of a much smaller land area, which abutted a smaller French settlement and the 'native city,' more of a small town on a bare mud flat in the 1840s. Justice and law were administered within the Settlement by consular courts, so that an American would have been tried under American law by his own Consul, the same for the British, the Germans, the Italians, the Dutch and so on. It can readily be imagined that the system had its anomolies, but most of the other governmental functions were exercised by a democratically elected Municipal Council which worked very well. Shanghai was blessed with a marvellous climate and a rich hinterland well served by a number of rivers, and it was immensely prosperous after 1860.

Ancient Landmark Lodge

Almost contemporaneously with the display of Scottish Masonic independence from England a petition was sent by a number of American Masons residing in Shanghai to the Grand Lodge of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for a dispensation to found a Lodge, and this was granted. Its name was to be Ancient Landmark. The first meeting was held on May 9th, 1864 in the home of Bro. H.W. Boone, with Bro. Charles Eugene Hill in the chair as first Master. The fact that eight petitions for degrees and six affiliations were considered shows that there was indeed a need for an American Lodge in Shanghai at that time.

At the meeting held on December 26th that year, a letter of hearty congratulations from the Grand Master, William Parkinson was read. This congratulated the Lodge on its initial success but urged 'extreme caution' in the selection of candidates and the necessity for very thorough instruction of new members.

Early members were indeed very enthusiastic, and Bro. L.P. Ward, the first secretary, was in later years frequently absent from Shanghai on business, and wrote in reminding members to follow the great moral teachings of the Order and to be individually examples of the moral light of Masonry. The United States was at this time in the. throes of the Civil War, and in April 1865, the Lodge demonstrated its loyalty by sending fifty pounds sterling to the 'Boston Branch of the U.S. Government' for the purpose of 'diminishing as far as possible the horrors of war.'

Constitution by Brother Dunlop

The documentation to prove the Lodge worthy of constitution was sent off to Boston, and in due course a charter was received. The Lodge was formally constituted on September 5th, 1865 as the Master was installed and Officers invested. The ceremony was carried out by a 'Wor Bro. Dunlop,' who must be presumed to be Ludovic Grant Dunlop .

This Bro. Dunlop was a Scot, born in 1832 and initiated, passed and raised in Lodge Cannongate Kilwinning No. 2, Edinburgh, all three degrees on 7 January 1857, apparently because he was about to leave for China. He made rapid progress in Shanghai Masonry, and in 1860 was Senior Warden of the senior English Lodge, the Northern Lodge of China No. 832. He was Master next year, and progressed in turn in Zion Chapter which, in accordance with English Masonic law, was attached to and bore the same number as his Lodge. Incidentally, at that time the famed Masonic historian Robert Freke Gould was Secretary of the Municipal Council of the Shanghai International Settlement, and was Master of the Northern Lodge.

Bro. Dunlop had been an active participant in the consecration of Lodge Cosmopolitan (British jurisdictions do not require a period under dispensation prior to consecration, so the Scottish Lodge was by this time a year ahead of its American sister) and in the laying by Bro. Gould of the foundation stone of a new Temple for all jurisdictions on the Bund (waterfront). It was probably for this reason that he was picked to constitute the Massachusetts Lodge, despite his lack of American Masonic experience.

A letter was read from the Grand Master of Massachusetts at the conclusion of the ceremony, appointing Bro. J.B. Eames as the first District Deputy Grand Master. RW Bro. Eames was eventually to return to the United States in 1877. Another letter was read from the Master of a new English Lodge, the Tuscan No. 1027 (still working as Shanghai Tuscan in London), saying that, "The working of this Lodge has been the subject of many remarks among the different Lodges in Shanghai and was particularly noticed and emulated by my Lodge." This is the kind of sentiment which, no matter how generous in Masonic spirit it may be, is the bane of the life of a District Grand Director of Ceremonies attempting to keep his Lodge free from 'foreign' influence in open Masonic territory! But it serves to show that the new Lodges of this era were not founded out of animosity, but from a mutual recognition of genuine patriotic pride and search for Masonic knowledge.

Bro. Dunlop was not to serve the Craft for much longer. A couple of months later, having travelled eight hundred miles south to Hong Kong, he died. His grave is still evident as No. 3226 in Hong Kong's Happy Valley cemetery. In Ancient Landmark Lodge, this called forth 'eloquent tributes to his virtues and sincere expressions of regret.' The Lodge of which he had been Master went into mourning for six months, normally only the practice on the death of a Grand Master, and voted to erect a stained glass window in the new Shanghai Anglican Cathedral in his memory. Few are the brethren who have had Lodges do this upon their early demise.

Early Activities

The Lodge participated in the Executive Committee for a new Masonic Hall and witnessed the laying of the foundation stone by the English Provincial Grand Master. The Lodge also took part in full regalia at the laying of the foundation stone for the Anglican Cathedral on the birthday of Queen Victoria in 1866.

A less happy event was the barbarous murder by 'natives' of Bro. Ballard Preston about thirty miles from Soeul, Korea, whilst there as Master of a trading schooner.

Such was the admiration of all nationalities in Shanghai for the monarch of Britian that the Lodge participated in a public procession in full regalia to mark the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign, possibly the only American Lodge in the world that did so.

The installation meeting for 1878 was attended by seventy-one Master Masons, the largest attendance at the Lodge to that date. It was also the first official visit of RW Bro. Cornelius Thorne who was the District Grand Master of Northern China under the United Grand Lodge of England (overseas Provinces became 'Districts' in 1866). The Master surrendered the gavel to Bro. Thorne and asked him to carry out the installation working. This was happily accepted, and indeed the English District installed the Master and Officers of Ancient Landmark until 1885, when Bro. Thorne retired as District Grand Master. The Master first installed by Bro. Thorne was W. Bro. D.C. Jansen, who in 1892 became the next District Deputy under Massachusetts.

The Lodge was honoured by a visit from the future Grand Master of England, RW Bro. His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught, in May 1892, again a testimony to the unity of brethren of all races and nationalities. His Highness was then a District Grand Master in India.

Because of the lack of good schools for children who were not Roman Catholics, the Masonic fraternity of Shanghai had founded a public school. This was soon taken over by the Municipality, but Masonic interest remained and its pupils were recognized by its square and compass badge on their uniforms until the school was closed by the Pacific War. At the December 1985 meeting the brethren unanimously decided to establish the 'Ancient Landmark Prize' at the Shanghai Public School, in parallel with several other Lodges.

The Lodge was said to have reached its 'highest state of perfection' during the years 1897-98 when Bro. the Revd. John Reside Hykes was in the chair. It is recorded that every officer was so well acquainted with every office that each could take over from another at a moment's notice. Equally, the candidates were so well prepared that they could take over any junior office upon becoming a Master Mason.

The Revd. J.R. Hykes, DD, had received his three degrees on October 9, 1891 in Cumberland Valley Lodge No. 315 of Shippenburg, Pennsylvania--like Bro. Dunlop, all on the same occasion. He affiliated to Ancient Landmark in 1895, served as Senior Warden in 1896 and was elected to the chair for the two following years. He was commissioned as District Deputy on the last day of 1902. He achieved equal prominence in all the American 'higher' degrees which were to be established in the Far East. Masonic records say nothing of his career within the church, except that a long oration was given at his funeral by the senior missionary of his organization in China, and that he was so favourably impressed with the institution that he later became a Mason himself.

Funerals

It seems strange that the history of a living Masonic body should be so punctuated by funerals as was that of this Lodge. It seems that the brethren of those days were determined to pay a 'last sad tribute of respect to departed merit' as an essential part of their continuing activity.

In 1884, Bro. Charles Eugene Hill the founding Master, died in Yokohama, Japan, on his way home, and again the Lodge was plunged into deep mourning. The body was conveyed back to the States and buried in Jersey City. A member reported back to Shanghai, "The day was dark and dreary; still the brethren assembled at the call of Consistory, Commandery and other Masonic bodies, and marched several hundreds strong to the cemetery some two miles and a half distant, where the remains were interred with all the grand honours of the Craft."

RW Bro. Jansen was only to serve as District Deputy for eighteen months. As he installed the new Master of Ancient Landmark in 1894, he was taken seriously ill and expired. The Lodge was hurriedly closed, only to meet two days later to inter his body in the New Cemetery of Shanghai, the ceremony being conducted by Bro. the Revd. J. Stevens, the Lodge Chaplain, assisted by RW Bro. Thorne. Three English, one Scottish and Ancient Landmark Lodges proceeded in full regalia to the cemetery and back. The English District Grand Master, RW Bro. J.I. Miller, delivered the eulogy, speaking of Bro. Jansen as 'a typical Freemason, a just and upright man,' saying that, "His labours for the good of the Settlement and its public institutions are so well and widely known, that I will not dwell here upon them. Whatever he did, he did well."

A Lodge of sorrow was held in October 1901 in memory of Bro. William McKinley, late President of the United States, who had been assassinated at Buffalo, New York.

The funeral of the next English District Grand Master shows something of the uniqueness of life in Shanghai at the turn of the century. RW Bro. Lewis Moore had arrived in the Far East in 1861 and became District Grand Master in 1896. He was the acknowledged leader of the substantial Jewish community. In 1899 he was elected 'Chief of the voluntary Shanghai Fire Brigade. No less than nine addresses were given by Lodges under Massachusetts, Scotland, the Three Globes of Berlin and English Lodges in Shanghai, as well as expressions of sympathy from Lodges elsewhere in China, the Province of Worchestershire, England, and the District Grand Lodge of Japan. The procession to the Jewish Cemetery--on a street with the delightful name of Bubbling Well Road was headed by the Town Band, whilst the coffin was conveyed on a fire truck escorted by mounted Sikh Police followed by the Fire Brigade and the rest of the Police Force. The procession of private carriages was two miles long.

The New Century: a New Spirit

Bro. Hykes was installed as District Deputy on April 21st, 1903, by W. Bro. G.A. Derby acting under commission from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Until his installation, English and Scottish Masonry had been modestly growing and European jurisdictions started new Lodges, whilst Ancient Landmark Lodge continued uninterrupted on its placid way as the solitary representative of American Masonry in China .

Suddenly things changed, and almost exactly forty years after the petition for Ancient Landmark had been forwarded to Boston, in July 1903, two new petitions were read in the Lodge and approved for submission to Boston. These were for Peiho Lodge to meet in Tientsin (named after the river on which Tientsin, now spelt Tianjin, is built) and Orient Lodge in Shanghai. Both were granted dispensations, and soon to be followed by charters and then by petitions for further Lodges. This change can without doubt be attributed to the dynamism of Bro. the Revd. J.R. Hykes.

In the hope that the story so far may have interested readers of The Philalethes, I will continue with the new expansionist phase and the development of 'higher' degrees in a later article.

Bibliography

Gratton, F.M. and Ivy, Robt. S: The History of Freemasonry in Shanghai and Northern China. Tientsin (North China Printing and Publishing) 1913.

Haffner, Christopher: The Craft in the East, Hong Kong (District Grand Lodge), 1977

Rolfe, Kenneth B: ‘The Northern Lodge of China Portraits at Zetland Hall in Chater-Cosmo Transactions, Vol. 3 for 1981. Hong Kong.

Wright, Arnold (Ed): Twentieth Century Impressions of Hong Kong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China. London (Lloyd’s Greater Britain Publishing). 1908.

----o----

The Mystery Of The Ancients

by David Cameron

The author of the following paper is not a Freemason; he is a graduate student in the Centre for Religious Studies at the University of Toronto, and submitted the paper as part of his course requirements. In it he discusses four early non-operative Masons who joined the Craft between 1641 and 1730, and attempts to understand why they joined. Mr. Cameron wishes to express his gratitude to the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library of the University of Toronto, the Library of the Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies of Victoria University, Toronto, and the Library of the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario, Hamilton, as well as to the Interlibrary Loan Service of the John P. Robarts Research Library of the University of Toronto. - W. McLeod

One of the many mysteries scattered throughout history is that of the origin of speculative Masonry. The subject has frequently received attention, and such interest is not at all unfounded. When some of the leading members of England's intelligentsia begin to participate in the initiation ceremonies of what had originally been a labouring class worker's guild, it is certainly a curious matter. One noted author on such arcane matters has commented, "Despite much research by Masonic historians we still know virtually nothing concrete about the change, thought to have taken place in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, from operative to speculative Masonry and why it occurred." (1) This paper will make some suggestion as to the intentions which may have motivated four of the most celebrated of the early speculative Masons to accept membership in the order, and attempt to demonstrate a common denominator of interest in these four men. They are, by name, William Stukeley, Elias Ashmole, Robert Moray, and the Chevalier Ramsay.

William Stukeley (1687-1765) was kind enough to explicitly state his purposes in seeking membership in the Lodge. In his autobiography of 1753 an oft-quoted notation for May, 1720 remarks that Stukeley's "curiosity led him to be initiated into the mysteries of Masonry, suspecting it to be the remains of the mysteries of the antients." (2) Stukeley had been fascinated with British antiquities almost all his life, especially the great circles at Stonehenge and Avebury, at which sites he completed field notes which would be unparalleled for the next century. (3) In time, he came to believe that these structures had been the work of the ancient Druids. Initially, Stukeley believed that the Druids received their instruction in architecture from the "Aegyptians," speculating that their teacher had been none other than the shadowy Egyptian sage Hermes "the Thrice Greatest," explaining, (4)

Fig. 1 Portrait of Stukeley, with his Druid name "Chyndonax." Courtesy Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

tis probable hermes trismegistus made his first temples of stones and obiliscs like ours before arts in the settled kingdom of Egypt rose to a considerable height and particularly that of architecture, so our druids followed still the most simple manner learnt from their master.

But Stukeley's thought took a more remarkable turn in later years. In 1729 Stukeley was ordained a Deacon by William Wake, who had assumed the position of Primate of all England four years earlier. In a letter of June 10, 1729, the Archbishop remarks to Stukeley, (5)

Never was there a time in which we wanted all the assistance we can get against the prevailing infidelity of the present wicked age; and as our adversaries are men pretending to reason superior to others, so nothing can more abate their pride, and stop their prevalence, than to see Christianity defended by those who are in all respects as eminent in naturall knowledge, and philosophical enquiries, as they can pretend to be.

As Stukeley came to believe the "Druids to be the inheritors of the true patriarchal religion, with which 'the christian, is but one and the same," (6) Stukeley's field notes from Stonehenge and Avebury could become just the apologetic material the Bishop had requested. In the preface to his monumental work Stonehenge, a Temple restor'd to the British Druids, as it was first published in 1740, Stukeley commented that his purpose was to promote "the knowledge and practice of ancient and true Religion," which worship "is no where upon earth done, in my judgement, better than in the Church of England." (7) Interestingly, Stukeley significantly altered the information from his original field notes so that the ceremonies of the Druids could be made to appear as little more than a curious alteration of the rites of Jews and Christians, a penchant which apparently becomes even more pronounced with the following publication of Abury, a Temple of the British Druids in 1743. Stukeley's fascination with the Druids as the stepchildren of "the practice of ancient and true Religion" did not diminish, but rather came to eclipse all his other work. (8)

If Stukeley indeed believed that the arts of the Druids could be traced to the ancient Egyptians and Hebrews, this conviction alone might have led him to join the Masons in the hopes of learning the "mysterys of the antients." In the "Old Charges," those histories kept by the Lodges which detailed the mythical origins of Freemasonry and were featured prominently in the ritual installation of new members, both the ancient Egyptians and patriarchs of the Old Testament figure prominently as the fathers of the Masonic arts and sciences. (9) But there were at this time even more specific connections made between the Druids and the Freemasons. In 1766, the philologist and novelist John Cleland (who was also the author of the scandalous Fanny Hill in 1750) published a tract entitled, The Way To Things by Words, and To Words by Things; Being A Sketch Of An Attempt at the Retrieval Of The Antient Celtic, Or, Primitive language of Europe. Cleland thought little of those Masons who would trace the origin of their art to the foundation of the "Temple of Jerusalem," but rather saw the precursors of the Masons to be none other than the Druids. Cleland asked his reader to consider, "Considering too, that the May (May-pole) was eminently the great sign of Druidism, as the Cross was of Christianity, is there any thing forced or far fetched in the conjecture that the adherents to Druidism should take the name of Men of the May, or May'sons?'' (10) From this followed an explanation for origin of the name of Hiram Abiff, depicted in many of the "Old Charges" as the mythical founder of Masonry; Hiram "signifies precisely the high pole, or holy bough." (11) In Cleland's mind, to demonstrate a Druidic origin to Freemasonry did much to explain the nature of the phenomenon, since on the last page of his pamphlet he remarks that it "also appears clearly the reason why the society of the May’s-ons, or adherents to the Religion of the Grove, should be more peculiarly national to Britain than to any other part of the world." (12)

Whatever his reasons for accepting membership in the Masonic Lodge, Stukeley's interest in the order diminished considerably later in his life. Many reasons for this change might be suggested, but one of the most reasonable may be the "possibility...that he did not find in Masonry the historical knowledge or 'hidden mysteries' that he had anticipated." (13) Curiously, Stukeley's conviction that the Druids had been the ancient priests of Britain, and that their temples had been the works of Stonehenge and Avebury, has been indelibly impressed upon the popular imagination concerning Druidism to this day, much to the consternation of members of the Celtic academic community. (14)

Elias Ashmole (1617-1692) is often noted as one of the earliest of the brethren admitted to the Lodge who was not by trade an operative Mason. A frequently cited entry from his journal is that for October 16, 1646, which states simply, "I was made a Free Mason at Warrington in Lancashire, with Col. Henry Mainwaring of Karincham in Cheshire." (15) The event has found a deeply chiselled niche in Masonic history; interestingly, it seems evident that an edition of the "Old Charges," is now known as Sloane MS 3848, was prepared especially for this occasion. (16)
 

Fig. 3 Portrait of Ashmole. Courtesy Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

 
It has been suggested that Ashmole's intentions for becoming a Freemason may have been essentially the same as those of Stukeley, that is, to gain access to the "mysteries of the ancients." (17) Ashmole was well steeped in the study of astrology and alchemy, (18) and like many of his contemporaries, believed that the greatest knowledge that these sciences had to offer had already been realized by the ancients, and either deliberately concealed or simply mislaid over the subsequent centuries. This belief was espoused by no less a luminary than Isaac Newton, who attempted to demonstrate that many of his own hypotheses were merely reclamations of earlier discoveries by Biblical and classical authorities: (19)

Fig 2. Ashmole’s Journal entry, marking his entry into Freemasonry

The ancient Egyptians, he believed, had taught the Copernican system; the ancients had had a knowledge of the atomic structure of matter and its moving by gravity through space...[and] Pythagoras had discovered experimentally an inverse-square relation in the vibration of strings and had extended it to weights and the distances of the planets from the sun.

Ashmole's own words in the "Prolegomena" to his 1652 alchemical compendium Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum strike a similar chord. In an address to "All Ingeniously Elaborate Students," Ashmole alluded to the past discoveries of "Experienc'd Antiquity," and commented that. (20)

Past Ages have like Rivers conveied downe to us, (upon the floate,) the more light, and Sopisticall pieces of Learning, but what were Profound and Misterious, the weight and solidity thereof, sunke to the Bottome; Whence every one who attempts to dive, cannot easily fetch them up...

Ashmole's mentor in many alchemical matters was William Backhouse, from the manor of Swallowfield; it is evident that Backhouse contributed to the Theatrum. (21) Backhouse had encouraged Ashmole to call him "Father," (22) apparently as a gesture of alchemical apprenticeship, as on June 10, 1651, Ashmole noted that "Mr. Backhouse told me I must now needes be his Son, because he had comnicated soe many Secrets to me." (23) On May 13, 1653, Backhouse believed himself to be near death, and Ashmole recorded in his journal. (24)

My father Backhouse Iying sick in Fleetestreete over against St. Dunstans Church, & not knowing whether he should live or dye, about eleven a clock, told me in Silables the true Matter of the Philosophers Stone: which he bequeathed to me as a Legacy.

The details of this exchange may never be entirely known, (25) but certainly it is apparent that these were very weighty matters to Ashmole. As the Masonic Lodges also claimed to be custodians of knowledge gleaned from the ancients, it is not at all improbable that a man with such an intense interest in the Hermetic arts would seek out what ancient wisdom such an organization might have to offer.

Sir Robert Moray (also Murray or Murrey) (1608?-1673) was one of Ashmole's associates in the Royal Society of London; on his passing Ashmole described him in his diary as "The learned & ingenious Sir Rob Murrey." (26) It would be quite the understatement to describe Moray's interests as eclectic; matters that he brought to the attention of the Royal Society during its formative years included his own invention of a hearing aid, echoes, the moons of Jupiter, the brewing of ale and beer, "a new method to heal cut nerves by sewing them together," fertilizer, and "a new use to be made of thermometers, viz., to know by their help the degrees of heat in a man's body in fevers, etc." (27) Like Ashmole, Moray may have been attracted to Freemasonry by the claim that the Lodges possessed "secrets of ancient wisdom: " (28)

when the search for the secrets of the ancients was regarded as being of as much (or more) importance in the advancement of scientific knowledge as new discoveries, men with scientific interests might well be intrigued by the Masons' hints that they possessed "Egyptian" secrets.

Whatever his motivation, the "Right Honerabell Mr Robert Moray" was admitted to the Masonic Lodge on May 20, 1641. (29)

Fig. 4 Moray’s signature with pentacle

Moray's enchantment with the ancients might be best illustrated by his use of a pentacle, which he grafted onto the last name of his signature in correspondence. Moray identified this device as a "Masonic" sign. (30) The pentacle came to serve a practical service for Moray during his brief experience with espionage for the Earl of Lauderdale in 1667, as the sign was used as an indication of a message in invisible ink. In a letter for July 1 of that year, Moray discreetly reminds the Earl of the code and indicates that a clandestine communication is forthcoming, writing, "Wher you see my Mason mark you will remember what it meanes. . . I think will play the Mason in my next." (31)

But in a letter to Alexander Bruce, the Earl of Kincardine, Moray makes use of the pentacle as an encapsulation of his own philosophy: (32)

This character or Hyeroglyphick, which I call a starre, is famous amongst the Egyptians and Grecians...The Greekes accounted it the symbol of health and tranquility of body and mind, as being composed of capitall letters that make up the word [Hygieia], and I have applied five other letters to it that are the initials of 5 words that make up the summe of Christian Religion, as well as stoick philosophy. . .

These five words Moray lists as Agapa, Gnothi, Anecho, Pisteuei, and Apecho, which words he may have intended to signify to mean, "Love," "Know" (or, "Know Thyself'), "Endure," "Trust," and "Abstain." (33) Moray had discovered the highest of principles in ancient writers, and apparently had hoped to instill these same principles in his own life. (34)

Fig. 5. Moray’s sketch for Bruce

Moray was also described as "a great patron of the Rosie-Crucians," (35) and he had extended his support to the Rosicrucian apologist Thomas Vaughan. (36) At Vaughan's death, his papers were bequeathed to Moray. (37) Similarly, Ashmole is often associated with the Rosicrucians, as a letter among his papers had been thought to be his own application to the order, (38) (though more recently it has been identified as only a copy and not a piece of correspondence composed by Ashmole himself). (39) The Rosicrucians made their first appearance by means of a series of anonymously issued pamphlets, which told of a secret fraternity founded by one Christian Rosenkreuz. The first tract to appear was published in Germany in 1614 (though manuscript copies had been available earlier), entitled Fama Fraternitatis, des Loblichen Ordens des Rosenkreutzes (The Declaration of the Worthy Order of the Rosy Cross). (40) Thomas Vaughan translated the Fama into English in 1652, under the title The Fame and Confession of the Fraternity. (41) Understandably, these works which described an invisible organization of wonder-workers aroused considerable curiosity throughout Europe.

Fig. 6. Newton’s annotation of the Fama describing Rosicrucianism as an "imposture."

The similarities between the Rosicrucians and Freemasons have often been commented upon, (42) though attempts to demonstrate that Freemasonry originated with Rosicrucianism have been less than convincing. (43) This is understandable, since it appears that many scholars now believe that there may not have been an actual organization, and the pamphlets were initially nothing more than a "literary artifice." (44) Even a contemporary such as Isaac Newton described the movement as an "imposture." (45) But the impact of the pamphlets themselves must be appreciated as possibly encouraging interest in an ancient wisdom of which the Freemasons also claimed to be the custodians. The Fama asserted that the Rosicrucian philosophy was "not a new invention," but began with Father Adam. "And wherein Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras and others did hit the mark, and wherein Enoch, Abraham, Moses, [and] Solomon did excel...[a]ll that same concurreth together." (46) Although it may have proved impossible to acquire membership among the Rosicrucians, individuals may have sought the experience of these same mysteries among the Masons. (47)

The Chevalier Ramsay (1686-1743) represents one of the most colourful personalities in Masonic history. Born in Scotland under the name Andrew Ramsay, he spent the better part of his life in Paris. His title he received by petition, in order to insure tutorial positions among prominent families, just as he "added a middle name, Michael, as an added proof of gentility." (48) In March of 1730, the Chevalier was received into the Masonic Lodge during a visit to England. (49) His reasons for joining the Lodge may also have arisen from the Masons' claim that they were the inheritors of an ancient wisdom. (50)

Fig. 7 Title-page of Ramsay’s Travels of Cyrus. Courtesy of Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

Ramsay was enchanted with the "ancient mysteries;" a fantastic novel he had first published in 1727, called the Travels of Cyrus, detailed the adventures of the Persian prince and his audiences with the great minds of history. (51) The work was something of an apologetic for Ramsay, and by his own admission in an appendix he wrote that one of his purposes had been to demonstrate "that the most celebrated Philosophers of all ages, and all countries, have had the notion of a supreme Deity." (52) Although he was criticized for a work which was perceived to be an irresponsible representation of classical scholarship, (53) the Travels sold remarkably well, passing through over thirty editions in French and English. (54)

In an address which he gave on several occasions, (the most celebrated setting being a gathering of the Grand Lodge at Paris in March, 1737) (55) Ramsay exercised a similar argument on authority by declaring that the ancient mysteries were the precursors of the Masonic rituals. He stated, (56)

Yes, gentlemen, the famous festivals of Ceres at Eleusis of which Homer speaks, also those of Minerva at Athens and of Isis in Egypt, were nothing else but Lodges of our brethren in which were celebrated our mysteries...

But Ramsay went even further, and announced, "Our Science is as ancient as the human race," and that "Noah Abraham, the Patriarchs, Moses, Solomon and Cyrus were the early Grand Masters." (57) In a history which was in part patterned after the "Old Charges," but which contained much of his own invention, Ramsay stated that after the death of Hiram, "Grand Master of Tyre," "King Solomon wrote in hieroglyphic characters, our statutes, our maxims and our mysteries." This record had been lost during the assault of the Emperor Titus, but a portion had been recovered by Crusaders serving in Jerusalem, and that consequently, "our ancient order was revived." (58)

Although his interest appeared to be more in the ritual, than antiquarian or alchemical, Ramsay does seem to represent yet another personality who would have been attracted to Freemasonry by the claim that there would be imparted solely to initiates certain mysteries descended from ancient times. Ironically, this is a position denied in contemporary Masonic literature, which presents the Masonic Lodge as purely an early modern invention. (59) But this historical model was intensely embraced several centuries ago, and is a mode of thought which may even have contributed to the formation of Freemasonry as it stands today. The emergence of speculative Masonry remains a mystery, to be sure, but perhaps there has been presented here one suggestion which has shed some light on the matter.

Footnotes

1. Christopher McIntosh, The Rosicrucians rev. ed. (Wellingborough: Crucible, 1987), p. 64. (Originally published as The Rosy Cross Unveiled [Wellingborough: Aquarian Press, 1980.]). There are other models besides the "operative-transitional-speculative theory;" a survey may be found in John Hamill The Craft: A History of English Freemasonry (Wellingborough: Crucible, 1986), pp. 15-25. The most noted proponent of the "transitional" theory was probably the Masonic authority Harry Carr, whose major writings are most accessible in Harry Carr's World of Freemasonry (London: Lewis Masonic, 1984)

2. Quoted in Michael Spurr, ''William Stukeley: Antiquarian and Freemason," Ars Quatuor Coronatorum 100 (1987): 117. Spurr cautions that this phrase is not found in Stukeley's original notes, and that the reference to the "mysterys of the antients" "may have been written with the benefit of hindsight," but admits that Stukeley's antiquarian interests were consistent throughout his life. (Ibid., pp. 117-18.)

3. Ibid., p. 114.

4. Quoted in A.L. Owen, The Famous Druids (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1962), p. 120.

5. Quoted in Stuart Piggott, William Stukeley: An Eighteenth-Century Anti-quary, rev. ad. (London: Thames and Hudson, 1985), p. 97.

6. Quoted Ibid., p. 104.

7. William Stukeley, Stonehenge, a temple restor'd to the British Druids (London: Innys, 1740), preface; Piggott, p. 105. Emphasis in original.

8. Piggott, pp. 106-7.

9. Wallace McLeod, ea., The Old Gothic Constitutions (Masonic Book Club, vol. 16 [Bloomington, 111.: Masonic Book Club, 1985]) pp. 5-7.

10. Spurr, p. 123; John Cleland, The Way To Things by Words (London: L. Davis and C. Reymers, 1766; reprint ea., Menston, England: The Scalar Press Limited [English Linguistics (1500-1800), no. 122], 1968), p. 121.

11. Ibid., p. 122.

12. Ibid., p. 123.

13. Spurr, p. 122.

14. Ibid., p. 125; Leon E. Stover and Bruce Kraig, Stonehenge: the Indo-European Heritage (Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1978), p. 8.

15. C.H. Josten, ed., Elias Ashmole (1617-1692): His Autobiographical and Historical has Correspondence, and Other Contemporary Sources Relating to his Life and Work, 5 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1966), 2:395. Manwaring was a distant relative of Ashmole's. (Ibid., 2:344n.)

16. Douglas Knoop and G.P. Jones, eds., A Handlist of Masonic Documents (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1942),

s.v., 'Sloane MS No. 3848'; Hamill, p. 30.

17. Josten, Ashmole, 1:33-4; Norman Rogers, "The Lodge of Elias Ashmole,'' Ars Quatuor Coronatorum 65 (1952): 51-52.

18. A listing of Ashmole's alchemical papers may be found in the Index to the Catalogue of Manuscripts of Elias Ashmole [Catalogi Codicum Manuscriptorum, vol. 10; pt. 2] (0xford: Clarendon Press, 1866), s.v., 'Alchemy.'

19. K.T. Happen, "The Nature of the Early Royal Society, Part 1," British Journal for the History of Science 9 (1976): 13; J.E. McGuire and P.M. Rattansi, "Newton and the 'Pipes of Pan'," Notes and Records of the Royal Society 21 (1966): 108-43. Studies concerning Isaac Newton are legion; some of the more recent are cited in Michael Hunter Establishing the New Science: The Experience of the Early Royal Society (Woodbridge, England: Boydell Press, 1989), pp. 364-65.

20. Elias Ashmole, Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum (London: N. Brooke, 1652; reprint ea., Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1968), "Prolegomena."

21. C.H. Josten, ''William Backhouse of Swallowfield," Ambix 4 (1949): 20.

22. Josten, Ashmole, 2:567.

23. Ibid., 2:574.

24. Ibid., 2:643. Ashmole's notation that the communication was delivered in "syllables" is significant. Similarly, Masons would "have" or spell their passwords out by letter, presumably for reasons of security. See Three Distinct Knocks (London: J. Srjeant, 1760), pp. 67-68, reprinted in Harry Carr, ea., Three Distinct Knocks and Jachin and Boaz [Masonic Book Club, vol. 12] (Bloomington, 111.: Masonic Book Club, 1981).

25. Josten, "Backhouse," p. 21; Ashmole, 50 preface [of which Josten is the author].

26. Josten, Ashmole, 4:1331.

27. D.C. Martin, "Sir Robert Moray, F.R.S.," Harold Hartley, ea., The Royal Society: Its Origins and Founders (London: The Royal Society, 1960), p. 247, [Reprinted from Notes and Records of the Royal Society, vol. 15.]

28. David Stevenson, "Masonry, Symbolism and Ethics in the Life of Sir Robert Moray, FRS," Proceedings of the Society of Anti-quaries of Scotland 114 (1984): 409.

29. Martin, pp. 245-46. Interestingly, Moray's biographer makes no mention of his Masonic activities, or any of his "occult" interest. Alexander Robertson, The Life of Sir Robert Moray: Soldier, Statesman and Man of Science (1608-1673) (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 192V; Stevenson, 405

30. Ibid., pp. 410-11; Martin, p. 245.

31. Quoted in Stevenson, p. 412.

32. Ibid., p. 415. Compare Martin, p. 245.

33. Stevenson, p. 416.

34. Ibid.

35. Anthony A. Wood, Athenae Oxonienses, 4 vols., rev. ed. (London: Rivington, 1813-20), 3: colt 726.

36. K.T. Hoppen, "The Nature of the Early Royal Society, Part II," British Journal for the History of Science 9 (1976): 247.

37. Stevenson, p. 410.

38. Frances A. Yates, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment (London and Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1972), pp. 194-95.

39. Michael Hunter, Alias Ashmole (1617-1692): The Founder of the Ashmolean Museum and His World (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1983), p. 10. If this is true, others since Yates have made the same error. (McIntosh, p. 68.)

40. Ibid., pp. 18-19.

41. Ibid., pp. 65-66. Vaughan published under the curious pseudonym Eugenius Philalethes.

42. Karin Johannisson, "Magic, Science, and Institutionalization in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries," in Hermeticism and the Renaissance: Intellectual History and the Occult in Early Modern Europe [Forger Institute Symposia/''Folger Books"] (Washington: Folger Shakespeare Library; London and Toronto: Associated University Presses, 1988), pp. 255-56; McIntosh, p. 64.

43. A.C.F. Jackson, "Rosicrucianism and its Effect on Craft Masonry," Ars Quatuor Coronatorum 97 (1984): 115-50.

44. A.J. Turner, review article, "The Rosicrucian Enlightenment,'' British Journal for the History of Science 6 (1972): 444.

45. Frank E. Manuel, The Religion of Isaac Newton (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1974), pp. 45-46. See also the comments in Yates, p. 200, and the response in Brian Vickers, "Frances Yates and the Writing of History," Journal of Modern History 51 (1979): 297.

46. Quoted in Yates, pp. 249-50. See also William H. Huffman, Robert Fludd and the End of the Renaissance (London and New York: Routledge, 1988), p. 140.

47. Stevenson, p. 409.

48. C.N. Batham, "Chevalier Ramsay: A New Appreciation," Ars Quatuor Coronatorum 81 (1968): 283.

49. Ibid., p. 285.

50. D.P. Walker, The Ancient Theology: Studies in Christian Platonism from the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Century (London: Duckworth, 1972), p. 239.

51. A summary may be found in-G.D. Henderson, Chevalier Ramsay (London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1952), pp. 118-21.

52. Chevalier Ramsay, The Travels of Cyrus, 7th ed. (London: Hitch, 1745), p. 275.

53. A Criticism Upon Mr. Ramsay's Travels of Cyrus (London: J. Pemberton, 1729). The subtitle of this work reads, "Wherein the Character of Cyrus is clear'd up, and the many Absurdities, Inconsistencies, Trifling Sentiments, Affected Expressions, Obscurities, Injudicious Reflections, False Quotations, and Notorious Plagiarisms of Mr. Ramsay, are Expos'd and Rectify'd." [A variant title is A Supplement to the New Cyropaedia.]

54. Henderson, p. 109

55. Batham, p. 287.

56. Quoted Ibid., pp. 300-1. This version is from a 1736 manuscript, Compare Walker, p. 248.

57. Batham, p. 302.

58. Ibid.

59. Beyond the Pillars: More Light on Freemasonry (Hamilton, Ontario: Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Canada, 1973), pp. 21 -22.

Illustrations

Fig. 1. Stukeley, Stonehenge, frontispiece. Stukeley described the name "Chyndonax" as that of an "archdruid among the Gauls." (Idem., Abury, a Temple of the British Druids (London: Innys, 1743) p. 49.) Stukeley took this name as a member of the "Society of Roman Knights", founded in 1722 as an antiquarian and social organization. See Spurr, p. 115 and Piggott, pp. 53-55.

Fig. 2. Roy A. Wells, The Rise and Development of Organized Freemasonry [Masonic Book Club, vol. 17] (London: Lewis Masonic, 1986), p.4.

Fig. 3. The Lives of Those Eminent Antiquaries Elias Ashmole, Esquire, and Mr. William Ldly (London: T. Davies, 1774), frontispiece.

Fig. 4. Stevenson, p. 410. Compare Martin, plate 28 (facing p. 245).

Fig. 5. Ibid., p. 415.

Fig. 6. Alchemy and the Occult: A Catalogue of Books and Manuscripts from the Collection of Paul and Mary Mellon given to Yale University Library, 4 vols. (New Haven: Yale University Library, 1968-77), 2:348.

Fig. 7. Chevalier Ramsay, The Travels of Cyrus (London: Hitch, 1745).

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Letters To The Editor

FULL OF SOUND AND FURRY

A column where in our gentd readers shake a Lance at ignorance, at one another, at ye olde editor and on rare occasions even succeed in hittinge ye naile on ye heade.

Dear Brother Roberts:

Reference to: The Philalethes, Vol. XLIII, Feb. 1990, No. 1, page 28, Through Masonic Windows column, last paragraph.

To my dismay you report a Masonic brother is castigating your opinions about change. Way back in the 1500s a writer named Edmund Spenser wrote, "But Times do change and move continually." A truism through the ages. If there is no change, there is no life.

I respectfully suggest that change is an ever present thing in this world. Every human changes from egg to embryo to baby, from baby to child, from child to adult, from adult to maturity and so to oblivion. Even in the final sleep of death, we change. As the Bible so eloquently puts it, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." It is the fate of mankind. It is the way nature governs our planet earth. Without change our physical world could not exist.

Putting resistance to change in its Masonic perspective, one may ask, "Is change required in Masonry?"

The answer is expressed in a recent Masonic workshop class, held in Brevard County, Florida. The instructor said, "If Masonry continues on its present path, by 2015, there will be no more Masonry, or Masons. Freemasonry must change to meet the challenge of today, or perish."

Facing the problem head on, we must consider the following in Masonry.

"Will Grand Lodges change the ritual requirements, or will the Lodges continue to decline due to ritual requirements7"

"Will Masonry seek Public Relations with the world, or will it continue to be a secret and so pass away into secrecy?"

"Will Grand Lodges recognize members of Masonry for outstanding work in administration, management, literature, Masonic research and social work, along with the recognition of ritual work and collection of higher degrees7"

"Will Grand Lodges review the real world and relate to the requirements of potential Masons or will they continue to do 'business as usual' at the Lodge hall?"

"Will the Grand Lodges of the world attempt to communicate with one another and resolve worldwide Masonic problems, or will they continue to 'hold the line' and each attempt to solve local problems with no communication between Grand Lodges of the world?"

The list could extend to many more subjects, but five examples give an idea of the challenge facing Masonry today. Masonry has no choice about change. Masons around the world face a decision. Change or perish!

The brother against change has good intentions. "What worked for yesterday, should work for today," may sound good but consider reality.

Masonry when I was a young man was a Secret Social Group. No one was permitted or encouraged to ask a friend, relative or acquaintance to consider joining Masonic ranks. My grandfather, my father, my father-in-law and other family male members had a stock reply to questions about Masonry, "Wait until you join before asking what it is." Grand Lodges did not concern themselves with recruiting new Masons. The Masonic Fraternity was a closed social group. You applied for admittance of your own free will and accord and I add, without knowledge of what you were applying to do, when you joined.

Much of the above has changed, and for the better. Do we need change today? Yes, we do.

Masonry will change, voluntarily or by the death throe of decay. However it is, it will change!

Wilbur Allaback, MPS

Dear Bro. Marsengill:

Bro. Thomas S. Morris, in his recent letter, described the desecration of the American flag as sacrilegious. Webster's New World Dictionary defines "sacrilegious" as describing the act of desecration of what is sacred. "Sacred" is defined as (l) consecrated to a god or God; (2) holy; (3) having to do with religion; (4) venerated; hallowed; or (5) inviolate. There is a religious concept that defines America as the Holy Land ordained by God and the Flag, its symbol, as a sacred object. That principle has been condemned by the majority of Christianity and all of Judaism as idolatry. As Masons, we say the Bible is the rule and guide of faith. In that case, scripture clearly states that making anything, including America, "the new Holy Land" and its symbol, the Flag, "sacred," is a lie taught by the Evil One. Bro. Morris is entitled to his opinion, but somewhere he has lost the ideals of Masonry.

However, not only is he idolatrous, but also he says: "The flag...is not merely a fabric...but the very fabric of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness! It is the fiber of our national being!...The Flag is America!' Interesting. I have sworn allegiance to the Flag and the Republic for which it stands. I have sworn allegiance three times to the Constitution and promised to defend it against all its enemies, domestic and foreign. But, I have never been told that the flag is the very fabric of Life or of Liberty or of the Pursuit of Happiness. The Constitution does not even grant these things although the Kansas Bill of Rights does. Bro. Morris believes the flag provides him with Life, a gift given solely by God. He believes Liberty flows from the Flag, but clearly the Bill of Rights and our Constitutional government grant Liberty. The Pursuit of Happiness not even God can grant, but Bro. Morris assures us that the Flag does that. His fanatic Americanism seems beyond rationality, but clearly it exceeds the opinions of our founding Masonic fathers.

I also support a Constitutional Amendment to save the Flag, but I support the solid legal reasoning of the Supreme Court as well. Congress was told that a mere law could not overcome the First Amendment. Further, Bro. Morris' new religion cannot be established by Congress. May Masonry never support false religions such as Americanism that deny the grace and gifts of the Almighty. Fraternally yours, Bro. Barry Albin, MPS Rabbi and Attorney

Dear Bro. Marsengill,

In the Feb. issue of The Philalethes bro. Allen E. Roberts reviewed a book "Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry" by John J. Robinson. I agree with his statement that it is an excellent book. It makes you think. He says that one statement in the book about Freemasons being allied with "Corsairs and Pirates" is a statement he has never heard of in Masonry. Although I only have a few years with the Craft, I've tried to read as much of it as I can, and have conversed with many well-informed brethren. Through a Mason or any Masonic writings I have never heard that phrase either. However I recently began to re-read "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas and came upon something curious. As you may recall after Edmond Dantes escaped Chateau d' If he was rescued by smugglers. I quote... "Two and a half months went by, during which Dantes became as skillful a smuggler as he was a sailor. He had become acquainted with all the smugglers along the coast and learned all the masonic signs by which these semi-pirates recognized one another."

This was written in 1844, and although I do not know if Dumas was a Mason, or perhaps disliked Masonry, I find it curious that he connected Masonic signs with "semi-pirates." I would be very interested to know if any brother knows of ritual that mentions Corsairs and Pirates, and if so I would appreciate hearing from those brothers. Fraternally,

John R. Johns 55 Center St. West Haven, CT 06516

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WOLFIE AND HIRAM

...AND THE DISTRESSED WIDOW

by Ellion A. Saron

Hiram and Marian were having their dinner. Wolfie, too, was eating dinner, when Marian asked Hiram if he would be going to his Lodge meeting that night.

Hiram answered that he expected it to be "one of those boring business meetings with all those boring, verbose reports." Marian said, "Come on...if you go to the meeting, you'll enjoy being with your friends." At that time, Wolfie jumped up and started wagging his tail. He liked the idea of attending "his" Lodge.

So into the car and off they went. When they arrived, some of the Brethren were finishing their pre-meeting dinner downstairs, while others had eaten at home and were also arriving. As Hiram went around shaking hands with his Brethren, Wolfie also went around so everyone could pet him. The Tyler gave a loud rap with the door knocker; Solomon sounded the gavel; and the Lodge began to Open.

Well, Hiram proved right on this one. The meeting was dreadfully boring! The Treasurer rose and droned on and on with his report on the Lodge's finances. Then the budget committee chairman rose and droned on and on about the Lodge's expenditures. And then a couple of members started making selfishly trivial announcements about where they went bowling or where they had gone on vacation. Wolfie was so bored that he lay down and fell asleep. That wasn't as bad as the three other Brethren who not only fell asleep but began snoring out loud. Then the Secretary stood up and said, "Worshipful Master, I'm now going to read parts of that letter I discussed with you and our Senior Past Master Ed before the meeting."

Solomon banged the gavel very loudly and admonished the Brethren to pay strict attention because this was a very important matter. The letter was from a Brother's widow. To respect her privacy, the Secretary did not mention her name, but he did read the highlights of her letter. She was asking the Lodge for help in the form of financial assistance. Her husband had been a hard-working, honest man, but had never really become wealthy. Meanwhile, her health had not been all that good and she had incurred substantial medical expenses, some of which were not covered by insurance. Also, her food, clothing and taxes on her house had become more costly, thus depleting her life savings and that of her late husband. She added that her children had moved far away and she seldom heard from them, except for Christmas and Mother's Day cards.

When the Secretary finished reading the letter, a Senior Past Master, Bill, stood up and said, "Worshipful Master, I suggest that you appoint a committee to look into this right away."

The Master said that he had already spoken to another Senior Past Master, Ed, and had asked him to serve as Chairman, since Ed and his wife Ann were at one time friendly with the widow and her late husband. He also stated that he himself would serve on the committee and asked Hiram if he would be willing to serve on that committee too. Hiram replied, "Worshipful Master, I am honored and shall be delighted to serve." Solomon thanked him as Wolfie got up and wagged his tail. The Senior Past Master told Solomon and Hiram that he would telephone the widow, set up a meeting and notify them. After business was concluded, Solomon Closed the Lodge and the Brethren returned to their homes.

A few days later, Ed, the Senior Past Master, telephoned Hiram, advising him of the time and date of the meeting he had arranged with the widow. Hiram told him that date was all right with him. When the night came, Hiram who had taken Wolfie to a number of Masonic meetings felt that, since this Work was as important as Ritual Work, he could also take Wolfie.

They drove into a nice, but not luxurious, neighborhood. None of the houses were particularly fancy, nor did they have such accoutrements as swimming pools or tennis courts, but the neighborhood consisted of mostly hardworking, clean and honest people.

On arriving at the widow's home, Hiram noticed that it could use some maintenance and repair, although it appeared to be clean and neatly kept. He and Wolfie got out of the car and rang the front door bell. The widow opened the door, and it turned out to be Helen, George's widow. Helen said that she thought Wolfie was very cute but was surprised that the Masons would bring a dog to a meeting such as this. Hiram apologized and explained that Wolfie had been to Lodge many times already. Helen then added that all she thought the Masons did at meetings was "the secret rituals." She invited Hiram and Wolfie to sit down in the kitchen where Solomon and Ed were already sitting. She offered the Masons some coffee and cookies she had baked that day. She offered Wolfie a cookie too and found she had a willing "customer." Wolfie jumped up and gave her a great big kiss.

The widow's tale was a sad one. She told the Masons what income she had, what assets she had, what she owed and to whom, what medical expenses she was facing, and then started crying. The Masons immediately reassured her that they had indeed come to help her, that it was their solemn obligation to assist distressed widows, and that she need go no further in disclosing bills, income statements and the like. Ed told Helen that he and George had been friends for many years. He said George had helped him out when he was distressed.

Wolfie jumped on Helen's lap and gave her a big kiss, and she began to hug Wolfie and pull herself together. Solomon, Ed and Hiram sat quietly, whispering to each other to estimate what Helen's needs were and what they thought the Lodge could and should do. They told her, and she said she would be very grateful.

Solomon answered that we as Masons deem it a privilege to be able to stretch forth a hand to support a falling Brother or his widow. He then pointed out that he, as Master, was authorized to issue assistance checks up to a stipulated amount. Helen said that she really didn't need all that much right away.

Solomon then said, "You know, we're all going to a big dinner-dance next week that the Lodge is sponsoring. Helen, why don't you come along as our guest?"

Helen was taken aback. Ed then suggested, "Why not take the entire sum we've just offered you and go out and buy a new dress and go to the beauty parlor." She was still taken aback and blurted out that she was afraid to go out at night.

"That's no problem at all," Hiram chimed in. "Marian and I will be delighted to give you a ride."

So Helen agreed. Ed advised her that they would make a full report to the Lodge, and if the Lodge authorized the assistance plan, they could get additional assistance for her from the Grand Lodge. She thanked the committee and they left and went to their homes.

The date of the next Stated meeting of the Lodge arrived. The Principal work on the Trestle Board was the Initiation of three young men--a teacher, an accountant, and a businessman--all successful and respected in their professions and community.

Wolfie was anxious to go to this meeting, because he, too, appreciated good Ritual Work. The Officers had worked very hard and rehearsed their Work under the watchful eye of Bill, a Senior Past-Master. The meeting was Opened by Solomon and started moving along. No one was bored this time and no one was sleeping, let alone snoring.

As Solomon was about to confer the Degree, Ed stood up and said, "Worshipful Master, with your permission T would like to raise the issue of the report our committee is rendering on assistance to the widow."

Solomon rapped the Gavel and said, "I want that report presented after we Confer the Degree while the newly Initiated Entered Apprentices are sitting in the Lodge with us." A couple of sideline Brothers shouted out, "You're right, Worshipful Master."

The Degree was Conferred beautifully. The officers were letter-perfect in their Work. The newly Initiated Entered Apprentices were then asked to sit down and observe what was about to happen, so they could see that the Lodge puts into practice what it teaches in its Ritual Work.

Solomon recognized Ed, who rose, gave the Lodge a complete picture of the widow's problems and outlined what the Lodge needed to do for her. Solomon asked if any of the Brethren had any questions.

The Senior Deacon stood up, was recognized by Solomon, and said, "Worshipful Master, I move that this report be accepted in full and that the Lodge authorize the recommended expenditures." The Junior Deacon seconded the motion. Solomon then asked for any further discussion, and hearing none, said, "All those in favor of the motion to accept the report and adopt its recommendations, signify by giving the sign of a Mason." Not only did each and every Brother's hand go up, but Wolfie stood on his hind legs to make sure his vote counted too. Solomon said "Against?" There were no objections. Solomon said, "Motion carried," and banged the Gavel, thus concluding that portion of the Lodge's business. The Lodge then Closed, the Brethren adjourned for the collation and went home.

Two weeks later, at the big dinner dance, Hiram and Marian walked in with Helen. She had indeed gone out, bought the new dress, had her hair done, and was "all gussied up." She started warming up to many people she hadn't seen since George died, and they were all very glad to see her. The younger members came over to her respectfully, introduced themselves and their wives, and chatted with her. She certainly didn't look like the fearful, distressed widow the committee had visited only two weeks before. Everyone had a good time, particularly the widow.

And so did Wolfie. He stayed home. You see, earlier that day, Marian had gone shopping at Arthur's Butcher Shop. Arthur was also a member of the Lodge who provided excellent chopped meat, at a discount price, for the hamburgers served at the collation. He asked Marian how Wolfie was doing, because he knew Wolfie from the meetings.

When Marian answered, "He's out with Hiram; where else would he be7"

Arthur threw in a few meaty bones with Marian's order. When Wolfie started looking sad as she and Hiram prepared to leave the house to pick up Helen, Marian took a great big meaty bone out of the refrigerator, popped it into the microwave for a moment, and gave it to Wolfie. Being a gourmet, Wolfie is of the considered opinion that meaty bones from Arthur's Butcher Shop are far tastier than the food served at the catering hall!

----o----

The Evolution Of French Freemasonry

by Michel L. Brodsky, MPS

W. Bro. Allen E. Roberts, FPS, in "The Search For Truth Continues" (1) mentions various events connected with the relations between the Philalethes Society and two influential and important French members of the Society, Marius Lepage and Joannis Corneloup. The former in his later years joined the Grande Loge Nationale Francaise the only regular French Grand Lodge, but Corneloup remained to his last day a fervent and active member of the Grand Orient de France. It is true that Freemasonry in France (2) has always been peculiar and the events leading to as well as the conditions and consequences of the break between the Grand Orient de France and the rest of the Grand Lodges deserves a full study, on which I am presently working. This brief paper will, I hope, only bring some more truth to the mill.

In fact the Grand Orient de France was founded in 1772 and the words "Grand Orient" then designated only the governing body or assembly of the Grande Loge de France; each private Lodge being located in a separate Orient. But as they were at that time two Grand Lodges in France very soon the words Grand Orient were used to designate the whole Grand Lodge. (3) It never had a formal Constitution and was governed on the basis of its Rules and Regulations. In 1849 for reasons which have not been fully understood a Constitution was drawn and adopted, its article "l" contained the declaration that the basis of Freemasonry was a belief in God and the immortality of the soul. This occurred in a time of political upheavals, the Monarchy had been abolished by the revolution of 1848, a short lived republic proclaimed in its stead and the country was heading towards the second napoleonic Empire. One of the reasons for drafting this Constitution may have been the creation in 1848 of a new French Grand Lodge which rejected the so-called "Higher Degrees" and was very egalitarian and republican in its aims and purposes. (4) To understand fully the events which followed one would need to refer constantly to French history of the period, this would be tedious and uninteresting but any good history of France will provide the readers with full details.

At that time international relations between Grand Lodges were determined by the fact that travelling was slow as well as mail and recognitions when happening resulted more from personal relationship than from a deliberate policy of international fraternal contacts. The basis of mutual recognition were left to the decision of the individual Grand Lodges. The United Grand Lodge of England had relations with a great many other Grand Lodges, how many we do not really know as the lists published at the time in the yearbooks (called the Freemason's Calendar) are unreliable, this publication being edited and produced by a private firm which was not under the control of the Grand Lodge. (5) Furthermore the Grand Representatives to the United Grand Lodge of England were traditionally honored with a high Past Grand Rank and this alone restrained the choice of the recognized Grand Lodge and the quality of their representatives.

The history of the Grand Orient of France during the second Empire and the dictatorship of Napoleon III (1851-1870) reflects the political history of the country. It went as far as the designation of a Grand Master by the Emperor himself and he chose a Field Marshall who had distinguished himself in repressing workers riots after his Coup in December 1851. Marshall Magnan was not even a Mason when chosen by the Emperor and obediently the Grand Orient de France initiated him in all the degrees from Entered Apprentice to 33d (6) in one day, so as to enable him to occupy the Grand Mastership as ordered by the Emperor. (7) The social composition of the French Lodges reflected often a widespread opposition to the Emperor, and though they were closely controlled and infiltrated by the secret police, many of them were republican in character. In 1865 a motion asking the abolition of the mention of God in the Constitution was tabled at the annual "Convent" the name of the Assembly of the Grand Orient. It was rejected. Then four years later the stupid Franco-German War provoked and lost by Napoleon III finished in a disaster culminating the annexation by the newly formed German Empire of the Eastern provinces of France: Alsace and Lorraine. A Republic was instituted, but with great difficulties the monarchical parties remained very strong and were supported by the very powerful and influential hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church.

The situation of Freemasonry at that time was ambiguous, it was tolerated, had no legal status, Lodges were constantly under the eye of the police, the Prefets (8) closing them if they suspected them of discussing political matters (which they often did), and as late as 1877 only a change of Government enabled the Convent to meet freely. In 1876 the proposed modifications of the Constitutions were once more introduced and were sent back to the Lodges for further study, but at the Convent of September 1877 the famous proposal IX suppressing the reference to the Deity was approved unanimously by applause without even a ballot despite the opposition of the President of the Assembly who was at that time "President du Conseil de l'Ordre" the title equivalent to that of Grand Master. It is true that the speech which carried the assembly was that of the Rev. Desmons, a protestant minister from the South of France who later pursued a Masonic and political career. His very impressive and moving oration to the assembly was based on the necessity of "an absolute liberty of conscience" and this has remained to this day the motto of the Grand Orient de France.

I cannot agree (9) that those tragic events were caused basically to "counteract the accusations of the Roman Catholic clergy." It is true that the Roman Catholic Church fought ardently against Freemasonry and the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris protested vainly to the Emperor when he had to celebrate the funerals of Marshall Magnan in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris because the coffin bore beside his military honors his full Masonic regalia. But the adoption of such a far reaching proposal was due to many causes, some of them but not all may be resumed as follows:

1. It is true that most Masons were opposed to the political activities of the Catholic Church which tried to regain its former power, in order to create a nation dominated by the Church where it would have complete control of and a monopoly of education etc..

2. A profound ignorance of the potential reaction of the other Grand Lodges, though very clear warning appeared after the 1876 Convent in the Masonic press of England.

3. A complete ignorance of the history, origin and traditions of Freemasonry in general. Freemasonry as practiced in France at the time was in the mind of the Masons purely a French institution, the only ties with other Grand Lodges and other Masons were the bonds of fraternity.

4. Very early even in the XVIIIth century a widespread belief existed in France that Freemasonry had a social duty, thus a definition of Freemasonry was a necessity, and that this definition should reflect the views of a majority of Masons or their representative democratically elected. This definition as the future would prove would be binding to all Freemasons though it was well understood in France at the time the aims thus defined would include matters which were definitely outside the traditions of Masonry. In fact it would include the defense of the Republic. And the Republic was represented by the republican political parties. Despite many declarations purporting to maintain a neutral attitude the political commitment of the Grand Orient was already implied by all those who defended the changes of 1877.

5. This theory supposes that Freemasonry can and must adjust itself to the social changes and it has a duty to modify itself not only in conformity with the accepted requirements of society such as dress etc...but also to modify its rituals in their profound meaning ignoring the esoteric tradition, to be able to accept those members of the society who would not be prepared to have a belief in the Supreme Being for instance. (10) The Grand Orient of 1877 wanted to be able to admit men who would not acknowledge such a belief, whether they be atheist or not.

6. At the time a very powerful philosophical school "positivism" founded by Auguste Comte dominated many Lodges. The basic tenet of this philosophy was that one must believe only what can be demonstrated scientifically. So if God does exist it has to be demonstrated scientifically or its belief could not be accepted. One does then understand why the positivists played a very important role in the adoption of the proposals.

7. The politization of French Freemasonry was already underway and with the adoption of the proposals the Grand Orient was ready to play an increasing role as the "think tank" of the parties of the left-center in the French republic.

The convent of the Grand Orient de France of 1877 not only represents a major turning point in Masonic history it also as shown by Bro. Roberts had a profound influence on the concept of regular Masonry. Until 1877 a regular Mason was a Mason who could present his diploma and be received as such in practically any Lodge in the world From 1878 onwards and after the United Grand Lodge of England resolution a regular Mason had to prove that his own Lodge worked according to the Antient Landmarks and had to express publicly his personal belief in the G.A.O.T.U.

And since then this concept has been extended and to be considered regular, a Mason has to be a member of a Lodge herself part of a Grand Lodge recognized as regular, in practice meaning abiding to the "Basis for Grand Lodge Recognition" as adopted by the United Grand Lodge of England.

Thus the actions of Convent of the Grand Orient de France in 1877 led to a situation where the individual Mason as honorable as he may be, in a Lodge working strictly according to the Antient Landmarks whatever they may be, will only be recognized as regular if his own Grand Lodge is also regular. Little did the French Freemasons of 1877 realize what they did.

The problem of the Philalethes as told by Bro. Roberts is not unique and a Masonic society wishing to extend further than the borders of its own Grand Lodge has to take into account the facts that even to-day the "regularity" is not a universal concept. Any Masonic traveller will witness the facts.

It is interesting to note that an attempt to cross those borders was initiated after the first world war and with the assistance of Freemasons who believed that peace could be easier to maintain in mankind if a common language was used. The Masons propagating the use of ESPERANTO as such a language started from Switzerland and the Universal League of Freemasons (U.F.L.) tried to bring together Masons without taking into account their Obedience. After some success in the early days of the fifties, the U.F.L. consists presently of Freemasons belonging to the group of irregular Grand Lodges under the leadership of the Grand Orient of France.

If there is a need to conclude, I would say that the role of the Philalethes should be extended outside the U.S.A., the English language is well understood and read in many European and Asiatic countries, but the Philalethes is unknown. The foundation of this bridge among all Masons does exist , maybe it is the time to see that it is used.

Footnotes

1. In The Philalethes Vol. XLII, October 1989, Number 5, p. 12-13.

2. Op. cit p. 13.

3. (But the name Grand Orient de France was not adopted as the official denomination until 1806.)

4. (It was eventually suppressed by the Government on request of the Grand Orient.)

5. See J. Hamill's comments ARC 100, p. 72.

6. The Grand Orient of France officially limits its authority to the three craft degrees. It is not subordinate, but has such relations with its Supreme Council called "Le Grand College Des Rites" practicing a shortened version of the Scottish Ancient and Accepted Rite that it is often difficult to draw a line between the authority of the two bodies. At the time the Chapters etc. of the Grand Counsel des Rites could and did intervene in the discussions of the Convent, of course all its members are members of the Grand Orient, but the reverse is far from true.

7. Who himself was most probably not a Mason, but most certainly a "Carbonaro," a member of a secret conspiratorial society having its origin in Italy and whose uses were inspired by the practices of Freemasonry.

8. (Equivalent to a Governor in a Department, but nominated by the Minister of the Interior and having great power of police.)

9. Op. cit. p. 13.

10. In Western Europe as from the middle of the XlXth century the "atheist" was not any more the person designated as such in Anderson's Constitutions and such a designation would not automatically classify him among the rogues or the rascals. "The atheist was an anti-social being, for whose probity there could be no guarantee" in "Society and Puritanism in pre-Revolutionary England" by Chistopher Hill Penguin Books, p. 384.

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Library Endowment Fund Announced

The lowa Masonic Library is the oldest and probably the largest Masonic library in the world. For 106 years this magnificent library has served the Craft. More students from other jurisdictions use this library than do Iowans. The library is a working library and will mail books all over the Masonic world. Keith Arrington, who retired as librarian, returned to work when he found that the library had fallen upon hard times and there were only a few funds available for it to maintain its services. Keith has now started an Iowa Masonic Library Endowment Fund. This will insure that this library will remain open and able to continue service to the Craft. If you would like to contribute, Keith can be reached at Box 279, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406.

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Through Masonic Windows
 
by Allen E. Roberts, FPS

An "Adopt a Cop" program was instituted by the Order of the Eastern Star according to The Minnesota Mason. Many Chapters conducted projects such as pancake breakfasts, beef dinners and car washes to raise funds. The funds were used to purchase personal safety protection equipment such as bullet proof vests. A retired state trooper said: "[M]ost law enforcement agencies do not have this equipment for issue to their men and women officers, and the cost can cause a financial burden on the officer and agency." Isn't this something all Freemasonry could consider?

* * *

The Masonic Square of England, as reported by Ralph Herbold, MPS, of the Southern California Research Lodge, contained an item by Cyril Batham of England. Many of us believed the blue forget-me-not was chosen during the Nazi regime as a disguise for Freemasons. Batham says this isn't true: "It was chosen as a badge of friendship by the brethren of the old Grand Lodge Zur Sonne in southern Germany, probably in the early 1920s." He does concede it was worn during the Nazi persecution. This differs from other reports and deserves some good old fashioned research.

* * *

The December issue of The Wisconsin Masonic Journal proved interesting. The cover picture showed the Grand Master. Robert E. Moore, MPS, and his wife Betty with their two dogs. He was reading a copy of The Philalethes! The Journal dares to print letters from its critics! One fellow wrote that he's quitting Masonry: there's too much "gimmee, gimmee." He didn't appreciate receiving Christmas cards, labels and so on that he hadn't ordered, and then being constantly billed for them. He didn't appreciate Masonic donations for scholarships and other "outside" activities. He felt this money should be circulated within the Craft. He asked: "Have you ever thought! giving to the membership would increase membership. Diagnostic treatment to your own, that would be an incentive, or insurance." That's the way he wrote it.

* * *

In the Arizona Masonry Grand Master Jimmie M. Johnson, MPS, asks: "If we cannot interest our present members to participate in our meetings and programs, how can we attract new members with the same level of activity on our part? The answer is simple. We cannot, we do not and we will not until such time as we are willing to pay the price." Masonry's rights, lights and benefits can only be purchased with your time and efforts." He wants Freemasons to become more visible so the world will know who they are--good men, willing to serve their fellowman.

* * *

The Minnesota Mason tells us that Grand Master Ward C. Sonsteby wants his leadership to practice PMA Positive Masonic Attitude. A poor attitude proves disastrous. "We as leaders of our lodges, with a little extra effort," he said, "can turn a so-so year into a winner. We can't sit back and wait for the next guy to do our job. We must give it our all." Well said.

* * *

Grand Master Jerry G. Tart, MPS, writing in The North Carolina Mason has some good advice for the new Masters. Among his several suggestions he says: "Successful leadership does not just happen. Effort must be put forth to obtain results." Often forgotten, or never learned, he urges them to "delegate authority and take advantage of those members who are willing to help." There's much more. And from the same paper we learn members of Harmony Lodge No. 340 painted the house of a destitute family. Freemasonry in action!

* * *

Wonderful! The cornerstone of the Holy Protection Orthodox Monastery was laid by the Grand Lodge of Nebraska. The brothers of the monastery had witnessed a Masonic cornerstone laying earlier. They were impressed and wanted their own laid Masonically. The Omaha World Herald first reported this milestone and The Masonic World clipped it. This is the type of brotherhood Freemasonry has been teaching and practicing for centuries. If only people of good will would listen...

* * *

"As I studied and wrote on the history of the Disciples (Disciples of Christ) I became intrigued by reading of several Disciples leaders and their families and their travels across the lines during the War Between the States." So wrote Lester G. McAllister. He especially discussed three of these who crossed the Confederate and Union lines repeatedly. He wondered how this could be possible "to be done safely in the midst of a raging war?" Years later he found the answer. "Each man was a member of the society of [F]reemasons...Their fraternal brothers on both sides (Union and Confederate) gave them safe conduct. The bonds of fraternal loyalty were greater than loyalty to either the Confederacy or to the Union." Further proof, and from a non-Masonic religious observer, that Freemasonry was indeed a "house undivided" when the country was torn asunder.

* * *

Writing in The Pennsylvania Freemason Thomas W. Jackson, MPS, Grand Secretary, pleads for good men to take over the thankless job of Lodge secretaries. He said he thought he was a good Master. Later he learned it was his Secretary who made him look good. His definition of a good Secretary: "He is the man who runs the Lodge and lets the Worshipful Master think he is doing it." He believes this vital link is the hope for the survival of the Fraternity. He's correct!

* * *

Dr. Antzelevitch is the Executive Director of the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory, Utica, New York. He was pleased to praise a breakthrough developed by his team in the field of hypertension. He claimed: "If not for the generosity of the Masons of New York State, this study may not have been initiated and this important achievement would not have been realized." Hypertension afflicts over 60 million Americans, the report said. If undetected it can lead to heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. It affects men more than women black Americans more than whites.

* * *

The Northern Light of the Scottish Rite, NMJ, continues to be a top-notch educational vehicle. Richard H. Curtis, FPS, constantly searches out the best articles and regular columnists he can find. His publication is an excellent supplement to The Philalethes. Subscriptions for this quarterly are S5.00 ($10 outside the U.S.) a year for nonmembers of the NMJ. Write to: PO Box 519, Lexington, MA 02173.

* * *

Asssssinine! The mayor of Oskaloosa, Iowa, threatened to go to court to override his city council's approval for Freemasons to lay the cornerstone for a new post office. "On a personal basis, I have no doubt that they are a full-blown religion and the doctrine of separating church and state should apply," he said. The city attorney disagreed: "The Masons are a fraternal, not religious organization, he said, and the mayor had no basis to block the ceremony. Rather than "cause a flap" the Grand Master withdrew from the fray. The Des Moines Register wrote the mayor "is shaking the foundation of local government by fighting a plan to have the local Masonic lodge lay the foundation for a new post office. This action raises several questions, not the least of which is by what capacity does a mayor have to block a federal project?

* * *

Congratulations to Forest D. Haggard, D.D., FPS, Second Vice President of The Philalethes Society, for attacking Freemasonry's attackers. This is nothing new. He has been doing it for years. Recently his efforts have been far-reaching. His Short Talk Bulletin on "Freemasonry Under Attack," has been widely reprinted.

* * *

Cabell F. Cobbs, MPS, in his final address to the Grand Lodge of Virginia said: "I can truly state, to all of you, that while I may not have been able to do much to dispel ignorance this year, I have certainly done away with apathy!! We have brought Masonry alive, my Brethren, and let's keep it that way." No previous Grand Master has had the majority of the delegates on his side--and he needed them! Congratulations on many counts.