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May 2012 Issue #52
The Chamber of
Reflection
60 Pages of Masonic Content.
Featuring An Exclusive Article By
Best Selling Author Robert Lomas,
Plus Ten More Articles Written By
Freemasons for Freemasons.
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Binding all for $7.95 (Shipping Included).
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W
E
L
C
O
M
E
Cory Sigler, PM Hawthorne Fortitude #200
Find me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/corysigler & facebook.com/twtmag
NEW EMAIL - TWTMAG@YAHOO.COM
Hello Brethren,
Welcome to the May 2012 issue of The Working Tools
Magazine.
Last month I told you that I had an exciting
announcement that would come out after the NJ
Grand Lodge Annual Communication. Well now I
am happy to let you know that I was asked to be the
new Editor in Chief of the New Jersey Freemason
publication. Ive been working behind the scenes
since last August and my first issue behind the wheel
comes out early May.
Its a great honor to know that the success of TWT had a lot to do with
honing my craft and developing the skills that allowed me to move up to
this great honor.
Congratulations to my good friend and regular TWT contributor Matt
Johnson recently joined the York Rite. This month Matt wrote about his
journey into the Royal Arch degrees, youll find his article in the dedicated
YR section.
Keep helping me spread the light by telling your Lodge Brothers about
TWT
Until next time...
Cory Sigler
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The Working Tools is published monthly by Corsig Publishing & Cory Sigler, It is not affiliated with any Grand
Lodge. Letters or inquiries should be directed to Cory Sigler, Editor, at E-mail: TWTMAG@yahoo.com All let-
ters become the property of the Working Tools. Photographs and articles should be sent to the attention of the
Editor. Every effort will be made to return photographs but this cannot be guaranteed. Please include a self-
addressed stamped envelope. The Editor reserves the right to edit all materials received.
Click on the page
numbers to quickly
jump to that page
Appendant Bodies
York Rite. 46
Scottish Rite.. 55
Contents
This Month in Masonry8
One Minute Mason...9
Mark Twain Award..10
Masonic Ipad Apps....12
Masonic Vibes.13
Old Tyler Talks........14
Word of the Month.....15
Phoenixmasonry....16
Masons in the News..18
Featured Writers
Robert Lomas....24
John Nagy...26
Scott Schwartzberg & Mike
Gambarrotti...30
Clark Thyng...33
Paul C. Smith34
Kyle Ferguson..36
David Browning38
P.D. Newman.41
Randall A. Sidwall43
Matt Johnson47
Jacob Lucas.48 & 57
Barry Newell..50
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This Months Contributors
Scott Schwartzberg
Raised in 2007 at USS New Jersey No. 62 in Cherry Hill, NJ, Scott is currently Marshall of Boynton Lodge No. 236, Boynton
Beach, FL. He is one of the founding members of Boynton Lodge Esoteric Research Group (B.L.E.R.G.), a member of the SR Bodies
at the Valley of Lake Worth, and YR Bodies of Ft. Lauderdale.
Matt Johnson
"Matt Johnson is a
member of Pioneer
Lodge #82 in
Arizona.. Matt is also
a new member of
Arizona Chapter #1
and the Scottish Rite.
Dr. John S. Nagy
is a Master Mason and author of the Building Series of Masonic Education books. His books and his workshops cover aspects of
Masonry designed to Build Better Builders. You can find out more about him, his books and his workshops through his website at:
http://www.coach.net
David Browning
David Browning is a Master Mason and is installed as the Senior Deacon of Selma Lodge 320 in Selma, North Carolina. He is a
Certified Lecturer and is currently serving as the District Deputy Grand Lecturer for the 16th Masonic District. He resides with his
wife and three children in NC.
Kyle James Ferguson
JW of Kingsbury Lodge No. 466, Olyphant, PA. He is a plural member of Union Lodge No. 291, F. & A.M. and a regular member of
Lackawanna Chapter No. 185 RAM, and the Valley of Scranton AASR NMJ, all of Scranton, PA. He is also a member of The
Masonic Society and a Level 1 Masonic Scholar in the PA Academy of Masonic Knowledge. He is an avid writer and authors the blog
The Philosophical Freemason (http://philosophicalfreemason.blogspot.com/).
Barry Newell
Raised to Master Mason in 2006 in Oriental Lodge #60, Boise ID. WM in 2009. Served as Excellent High Priest for Boise Chapter #3,
RAM, and currently sit as Illustrious Master for Idaho Council #1, Cryptic Masons. I also sit as Generalissimo for Idaho Commandery
#1. I am also a member of the Order of the High Priesthood and the york Rite College. Member Scottish Rite since 2011.
Paul C. Smith P.M. of Rockingham Lodge No. 76 in Candia, NH the Founding Master of General Court Lodge No. 1784
(Americas only special, legislative lodge) and is the Founding and Current Master of Phoenix Lodge, U.D.; New Hampshires first
TO lodge. He is a trustee of NH MasoniCare and is currently serving as a Grand Steward. He is a member of The Masonic Society,
the Scottish Rite, York Rite, AMD, SRICF, Royal Order of Scotland, SYRCNA and Order of Knight Masons.
Jacob Lucas
is interested in the history of the Craft
and its ritual. He is an officer in his
Symbolic Lodge, as well as his
Scottish Rite Valley and York Rite
Bodies. He provides Masonic
Education at meetings.
Randall A. Sidwell.
A member of Greensboro
Lodge #175, The Scottish
Rite Indianapolis Valley,
The York Rite, The
Indiana Lodge of
Research, The Masonic
Society, and The Grand
College of Rites.
Michael Gambarrotti
Raised in August 2009 at Boynton Lodge
No. 236, Boynton Beach, FL, Mike is
currently JW of Boynton Lodge No. 236
and the District 32 Chairman for the
Florida Masonic Child ID Program.
Clark Thyng
Is a member of Rockingham Lodge #76, General Court Lodge #1784 and a charter member and Grand Lodge Representative of an
observant lodge, Phoenix Lodge (UD) #105. Just as importantly has been married to his lovely (and understanding) wife Rhonda since
1990. They have four active children and live outside of Manchester, NH.
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Mail Bag
Send all your comments or questions to TWTMAG@yahoo.com
Templar Nation
Thank you so much for the cover story (TWT
April 2012). I have talked with dozens of key
people in my circle like investors, movie
insiders and media and they are very impressed
with your publication. The Working Tools has
taught me a lot and I am impressed with how
far it has come. I have been reading it for
many years and it continues to spread.
Thank you brother.
Bro. Joseph James. Actor, producer and
Director Templar Nation and The Masonic
Map
Thank You
Hi, I have just had the opportunity to go
through your recent edition of TWT. It was
absolutely magnificent, to say the least. It was
enlightening, well written, beautifully presented
and overall exciting. Thank you for your effort
in assembling this wonderful publication. The
way it is illustrated on the screen makes it very
easy to read. God bless.
Harry Colt
Last Months Poll Question
Do you share TWT either
by email or word of mouth
with your Brothers
Yes- 94%
No- 6%
171 Responses
Contributing
Cory, I enjoy reading TWT each month. I would
like to send you an article to see if it is acceptable
to include in a future issue. What format do you
prefer I send it in? Also, how will I know if you
will decide to publish it?
Fraternally, Louis Garou
Bro. Louis, Thank you for writing to me. I prefer a
Word Doc but can work with most any type or
format (PC please). If the article is a good fit for
TWT I will let you know quickly, I will also ask if I
can edit it for length or to fix it up if need be. If
there is enough room it can make it in within the
next issue or two. If your article is selected I will
also ask for a Masonic bio and a picture to use in
the Contributors page.
Cory
Bro. Sigler,
The Working Tools has been a wonderful
resource for me since i was raised in August
of last year. Thank you for your gift, because
that's what it is!
I am developing a podcast for Master Masons
and one of my first guests will be Bro Nagy.
Naturally we will be plugging TWT often.
How would you like us to plug the Mag on
our show.
Thanks again Brother, I look forward to the
next issue of The Working Tools!
Sincerely yours, Alec
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Observing The Craft
The Pursuit of Excellence in Masonic Labor and
Observation
Available now on Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Observing-Craft-Pursuit-Excellence-
Observance/
One of the most important books that all Freemasons
have to read immediately - Cory Sigler
Advertisement
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May
On MAY 12
th
in 1931, Senator Barry Goldwater (candidate for U.S. President in
1964) received his 1st degree in Arizona Lodge #2, Phoenix AZ.
Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909[1] May 29, 1998)
was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona (19531965,
19691987) and the Republican Party's nominee for President in
the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the
first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr. Conservative".
Goldwater is the politician most often credited for sparking the
resurgence of the American conservative political movement in
the 1960s. He also had a substantial impact on the libertarian
movement.
He rejected the legacy of the New Deal and fought through the
conservative coalition to defeat the New Deal coalition. He
mobilized a large conservative constituency to win the hard-fought Republican primaries.
Goldwater's right-wing campaign platform ultimately failed to gain the support of the
electorate and he lost the 1964 presidential election to incumbent Democrat Lyndon B.
Johnson by one of the largest landslides in history, bringing down many Republican
candidates as well. The Johnson campaign and other critics painted him as a reactionary,
while supporters praised his crusades against the Soviet Union, labor unions, and the welfare
state. His defeat allowed Johnson and the Democrats in Congress to pass the Great Society
programs, but the defeat of so many older Republicans in 1964 also cleared the way for a
younger generation of American conservatives to mobilize. Goldwater was much less active
as a national leader of conservatives after 1964; his supporters mostly rallied behind Ronald
Reagan, who became governor of California in 1967 and the 40th President of the United
States in 1981.
Goldwater returned to the Senate in 1969, and specialized in defense policy, bringing to the
table his experience as a senior officer in the Air Force Reserve. His greatest accomplishment
was arguably the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986, which restructured the
higher levels of the Pentagon by increasing the power of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff to direct military action. In 1974, as an elder statesman of the party, Goldwater
successfully urged President Richard Nixon to resign when evidence of a cover-up in the
Watergate scandal became overwhelming and impeachment was imminent. By the 1980s, the
increasing influence of the Christian right on the Republican Party so conflicted with
Goldwater's libertarian views that he became a vocal opponent of the religious right on issues
such as abortion, gay rights and the role of religion in public life.
Source:Wikipedia
This Month in Masonry
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One Minute Mason Blog
http://oneminutemason.blogspot.com/
By Bro Steve Harrison
King Gustaf V
King Gustaf V (1858-1950) was the longest
reigining monarch of Sweeden in spite of taking
the throne at the relatively advanced age of 49.
He ruled the country for 42 years, living to the
age of 92, even though he was a heavy
smoker. He served as Sweden's Grand Master
and had the unique hobby of embroidery, using
his skill to make altar cloths for churches.
President For A Day
Because inauguration day fell on Sunday,
President-elect Zachary Taylor and Vice-
President-elect Millard Fillmore both
refused to take their oaths of office,
leaving the presidency vacant.
Constitutionally, succession fell to the
President of the Senate, Brother David
Rice Atchison, a member of Missouri's
Platte Lodge 56. Judge Willie Magnum
administered the oath of office and for a
single day, Sunday, March 4, 1849,
Brother David Rice Atchison was the
President of the United States.
Historians generally do not recognize the
claim that Atchison actually became
president. While it makes a unique and
interesting story, it is perhaps best to take
the lead of Masonic author William R.
Denslow, who, in his book 10,000
Famous Freemasons, categorizes
Atchison as the "Ex-officio President of
the United States for one day."
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Alabama - Rising Sun Lodge #29 Decatur
Alaska - Matanuska Lodge #7 Palmer
Arkansas - Key Lodge #7 Siloam Springs
Arizona - Oasis Lodge #52 Tucson
Illinois - St. Joseph Lodge #970 St. Joseph
Michigan - Byron Lodge #80 Byron
Minnesota - Red Wing Lodge #8 Red Wing
Nevada - St. John Lodge #18 Pioche
New Hampshire - Benevolent Lodge #7 Milford
New Mexico - Chapman Lodge #2 Las Vegas
Ohio - North Bend Lodge #346 Cleves
Ohio - Oxford Lodge #67 Oxford
Pennsylvania - Manoquesy Lodge #413 Bath
South Carolina - Mariner Lodge #2 Charleston
Utah - Damascus Lodge #10 Provo
Virginia - Herndon Lodge #264 Herndon
Virginia - Fredericksburg Lodge #4 Fredericksburg
Washington - Daylight Lodge #232 Seattle
The Mark Twain Award
Winners 2012
Brother by Brother, Lodge by Lodge
WHO: Regular lodges throughout North
America are invited to participate in a
competition that evaluates initiatives and
activities that create a positive Masonic
identity in the community.
WHAT: The Mark Twain Masonic
Awareness Awards are presented annually to
the lodges that demonstrate exceptional
commitment to Freemasonry's philosophy of
self-improvement and enlightenment.
(Continued on page 11)
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WHY: Awards are made to the participating lodges that, in the evaluation of
the MIC Task Force, have successfully addressed the challenges of
improving Masonic Awareness within both the lodge and the community and
that the brothers have done so with exemplary skill, creativity, and
resourcefulness.
WHEN: The MIC announces the winners of the Mark Twain Award once a
year at the Grand Masters Conference.
(Continued from page 10)
Letter from the Executive Secretary
Dear Mark Twain Award Participants,
This year -- 2012 -- is the seventh year of competition for the Mark Twain Award program.
Over those years, a total of 107 Lodges have earned the designation as a Mark Twain Award recipient, in
recognition that their entries have been selected by an panel of outstanding communicators from the
Masonic Information Center (MIC).
The goal of the award program is to encourage and recognize Lodges for their excellence in Masonic
Awareness both among their own members and in their communities .
Our award doesn't necessarily mean these are the best Lodges on our continent, but based on the
submission of materials, they have been judged to be the most worthy of the award during each
particular year. We know there are many outstanding Lodges that never enter the competition. We also
are aware that some outstanding Lodges with great programs, who do enter the award program, do not
win because the judging panel is unable to observe their excellence through their submitted material.
In an effort to help improve the entries of Lodges, the MIC will add material to this web page in the
months ahead, showing examples of the types of information that winners have submitted. Keep coming
back to our web page, to check on that new material.
Best wishes to all who enter the Mark Twain Award competition in 2012.
Fraternally,
George O. Braatz, PGM
Executive Secretary
http://www.msana.com/twainaward/index.html
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Price- $5.99
http://itunes.apple.com/gr/app/freemasonry-complete-
guide/id512291541?mt=8
Description and Features as found on the Itunes
Store
Description
Explore the most complete iPad application about
Freemasonry
The contents of the application are based on authoritative
international bibliography from prestigious authors.
Features
LEARN EVERYTHING ABOUT FREEMASONRY WITH
AN AMAZING BOOK LAYOUT
Corys Review
Design- Beautiful graphics through out. Rich colors and detail make it a delight to look at.
Price- At $5.99 it is a bit steep for a reference App. You can find an Ebook for the same cost, I would
have preferred to see it around $2.99.
Subject Matter- (Complete layout below). This is where the App shines. The creator has put thought
and consideration into what material to include. The information is enough to give you what you are
looking for, if you are using it for reference. If your nee something robust for a research paper Im
afraid this wont cut it.
Very cool- The Tour of the Lodge is a 3D layout showing you views from many angles with
descriptions of what you see in the Lodge room. The Map guide is a Google Map with built in
markers for Grand Lodges, Museums and Libraries. A great travel companion.
Not cool- The Map guide should have also included all Lodges not just Grand Lodges. That would
have justified the price being a little high.
Overall- A very good start for version 1 with some areas that can be approved on. For a very new
Mason or a non Mason family member this can be helpful. For an experienced Mason this would
prove to basic.
Grade: B- Would recommend purchase based on amount of material provided with hopes of
updates.
Freemasonry Complete Guide for Ipad
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About Masonic Vibes.
To be a mason is be on the level and act by the square. Here at Masonic Vibes we are trying to bring all the
Freemasons around the world, on the level-online as well. Our continuous Endeavor is to spread the vibe of
freemasonry and morality it teaches.
Find them on Facebook. With over 11,000 Likes and deservingly so. These brothers from New Delhi, India offer
the most awe inspiring pictures and notes with nothing but positive uplifting messages. I go there daily to see what
they post and leave a better man for it.
10 GUIDES FOR FREEMASONS
By Masonic Vibes
1. I am the representative of my Lodge and of all Free and Accepted Masons. Whatever I do or say reflects
directly upon myself and my fellow Freemasons everywhere and our good works.
2. I am responsible for what my Lodge and Freemasonry represent. They can be no more than what my fellow
Freemasons and I make them.
3. I should not criticize what my fellow Freemasons do for Freemasonry unless I have a better suggestion and I
am prepared to do it myself.
4. I must remember that the fact that I bear the name, Master Mason or Freemason, is not enough. I must
continue to be worthy.
5. My fellow members and I are our Lodges and Freemasonry. Without our active support they cease to exist.
6. My Lodge does me a favor by calling upon me. I am not doing the Lodge a favor by serving. It is both an
obligation and a privilege to help the Lodge and Freemasonry.
7. I should treat my fellow Freemasons with the same respect, honor, and understanding that I would like to
receive from them.
8. It is not a right to be a Freemason, it is an honor. I should respect that honor by abiding by all of the precepts
of my Lodge, my Grand Lodge, and Freemasonry as a whole.
9. Whatever differences my fellow Freemasons and I may have, we are all bound together by the bonds of our
loyalty to The GAOTU, our families, the Lodge, and Freemasonry.
10. The willing Master Mason and his understanding family are the lifeblood of the Lodge and Freemasonry.
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"If I had it my way," began the New
Brother, sitting beside the Old Tiler, "I'd make it a
Masonic offense to laugh in the lodge room. We are not
as serious about our Masonry as we should be."
"Someone laughed at you, or you are talking to yourself
very seriously!" answered the Old Tiler.
"I am not!" cried the New Brother. "I take Masonry
seriously! What we do in the lodge room has the
sacredness of a religious ceremony. I can see no
difference between the sacredness of the Altar of
Masonry and the altar of a church, and when I go and see
the beautiful windows, and hear the music and watch the
choir boys come up the aisle, and hear the minister give
out the solemn text- well, you know how inspiring it is. I
feel the same way in lodge sometimes, during the more
solemn parts of the degrees. But we have a business
meeting first and sometimes someone cracks a joke and
everyone laughs, and some brethren misinterpret and
giggle sometimes in the degrees, and there is some ritual
which isn't awe-inspiring and- and I think it should be
changed!"
"Well, go ahead and change it!" cried the Old Tiler. "I
don't believe that absence of solemnity is a Masonic
landmark which can't be changed."
"Of course it isn't, but how can I change it?"
"That's your problem!" smiled the Old Tiler. "You are
the reformer, not I. But before I wasted much grey
matter, I'd ask myself a few questions. You seem to like
things serious, so this should come easy to you. Then I'd
talk to the Chaplain. David is young, but he has common
sense.
"It would do you good to go his church. You would find
it as solemn and beautiful as any other during the
service. But if you went to a vestry meeting you'd see
David grin, and maybe someone would tell a ministerial
joke. I can't imagine God being displeased about it.
Seems to me if he hadn't wanted people to laugh he
wouldn't have made so many brethren to laugh at!
"Brother David would tell you that there was a time to be
reverent and a time to be happy, and that a church in
which people couldn't be happy wasn't much of a church.
Ever go to a wedding? Ever see people grin and kiss the
bride when it was over? Ever go to a
church social? Ever go to the boys' club in a red-blooded
church?"
It didn't hurt the church in their eyes, did it? Then why
should it disconcert you to have a lodge room treated the
same way? Get it out of your head that Masonry or religion
is bound up in a room, or a building. It doesn't hurt so long
as we don't laugh at the wrong time! It doesn't hurt the
solemnity of the Masonic degree that our lodge room is first
but a business meeting hall and afterwards maybe a dining
room. It is the spirit in which we do our work that counts,
not the letter; it is the temple in our hearts which must be
kept sacred, not the mere physical confines of brick and
stone in which we meet.
That there should be no cause for laughter during the
degrees. But to say we can't laugh in a lodge room is to get
the dog by the wrong tail!
"Masonry, my son, is joyful, not mournful. It should be
filled with laughter of little children, the happy smiles of
contented women, the loveliness of faithful friendship, the
joy of flowers and music and song. To make it too serious
for smiles, too solemn for happiness, perverts it. If God
made sunshine and children and flowers, don't you suppose
He wanted the one to dance with the other in the third? If He
made happiness and human hearts, don't you suppose He
wanted the one to live in the other?
"Masonry is an attempt to live the brotherhood of man under
the Fatherhood of God. The best of all human fathers can but
touch the skirts of the Being who is the All Father. But did
you ever see a human father worth his salt who didn't want
his children laughing and happy?
"There is a time for work and a time for play. There is a time
for degrees and a time for refreshment. There
is a time for business meetings and a
time for ritual. There is a time for
laughter and for joy as well as a
time of solemnity and
reverence. The one is just as
important as the other."
"I wish just once," said the
New Brother, "I could start
something with you which I
could finish!"
"Try offering me a cigar!"
suggested the Old Tiler.
Old Tyler Talks By Carl Claudy
LAUGHTER
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The earliest Masonic magazine was
published at Leipzig in 1738 and
named Der Freimaurer.
The second, in 1742, was Der
bedachtiae Freimaurer, at Hamburg,
and then the Aufmerksamn
Freimaurer, 1743, at Gorlitz,
according to Brother Woodford
(Renning's Cyclopedia).
In 1783 the Freimaurerzeitung
appeared at Berlin, having only a
short existence of six numbers.
The Journal fur Freimaurer, which
appeared in 1784 at Vienna, had a
longer life of some three years.
In England, the first work of this
kind was The Freemasons
Magazine or General and
Complete Library, begun in 1793,
and continued until 1798.
In Ireland, in 1792, the Sentimental
and Masonic Magazine appeared and
ran to seven volumes (1792-5).
In France the Miroir de laverite seems
to have been issued 1800-2, followed
by Nermes in 1808.
In England the Freemason's Quarterly
Review commenced in 1834 and was
continued until 1849, followed by the
Freemasons Quarterly Magazine in
1853, which lived until 1858.
In 1873 a new Masonic Magazine was
issued, but it had not a very long
existence.
Of American Masonic magazines the
earliest is the Freemasons Magazine
and General Miscellany, published at
Philadelphia in 1811.
An old and constant
periodical devoted to
Freemasonry was the
Freemasonry's Monthly
Magazine, published by
Charles W. Moore, at
Boston. It was
established in the year
1842.
- Source: Mackey's Encyclopedia of
Freemasonry
Masonic Symbolism & Words Brought to you by
Www.masonicdictionary.com
This Months Entry is:
The Earliest Masonic Magazine
T
W
T
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Order of Demolay
Here is an early Demolay Patent (Membership
Certificate) dated October 22, 1928 and signed by
Demolay Founder Frank Land (signed above
issued to) that belonged to a young Demolay by
the name of Marion H. Black (who signed his
name in the upper left hand margin) and was a
member of Hutchinson Chapter in Hutchinson
Kansas. Their Demolay Chapter was sponsored
by the Wichita Consistory No. 2 Ancient
Accepted Scottish Rite.
This beautiful glass plate has the DEMOLAY
emblem in the center. It is trimmed with a
gold line 3/16" from the outside edge. The
glass has a texture to it and appears to be a
nice smoke color. It is nicely detailed and it
reads DEMOLAY in the banner below the
emblem. It measures 7 1/2 inches in diameter.
Continued on next page
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http://www.phoenixmasonry.org
In the early 1930's DeMolay founder Frank S. Land had been thinking of an honor
he could bestow on DeMolays and Senior DeMolays for outstanding service to the
Order. He wanted to honor them now, instead of waiting for them to be nominated for the Legion of Honor
in years to come. He also wanted to honor Senior DeMolays who had been working with chapters even
though they were not Masons, but had performed outstanding service to the Order. In those days,
DeMolay was recognized by only about 50% of the Grand Lodges, consequently many Senior DeMolays
were active in chapters due to the lack of Masonic support. In November of 1936, "DAD" Land, assisted by
Harold Bergstresser and John McKibben, proceeded to write a Ritual for the conferral of the Chevalier
Degree. This became a reality in March, 1937 and "DAD" Land began to nominate DeMolays and Senior
DeMolays for this distinguished honor. Mother Chapter, of course, had the first investiture and it was held
June 2, 1937 at the Little Theater in the Municipal Auditorium. Forty-one active DeMolays or Senior
DeMolays of Mother Chapter were invested with the Degree on that date. John S. McKibben, Jr. was
recognized as the first Chevalier, and the rest of the nominees were numbered accordingly. Today, the rolls
of the Chevalier Degree number approximately 27,000, many of whom are organized into Chevalier Courts.
These Courts are encouraged to be active in their support of DeMolay and its ideals.
This lovely Demolay Cross of Honor is
presented to those who give a lifetime of
support to the Order of Demolay. It is gold
filled and enameled in red, white and blue. It is
beautifully studded with seed pearls and rubies
around the emblem. It measures 1 3/4 by 1 3/4
inches square and is worn around the neck.
Please visit my friends at
Phoenixmasonry.org. They are great
Brothers with an amazing website.
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A grave ceremony for constable
slain 100 years ago
It was the type of story one might expect in the movies -
only in this case it involved the very real slaying of a
Penticton police officer.
Now 100 years later, members of the Masonic Lodge
gathered at Penticton's historic Fairview Cemetery on
Sunday to remember one of their own, Const. Geoffrey
Aston of the B.C. Provincial Police.
Led by a piper and honour guard of present and former
RCMP officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel,
the Freemasons paid their formal respects to Aston. He had
been an active member of the Masonic Lodge in Greenwood
before he moved to Penticton nine months prior to his death.
The service attracted about 75 people, as Masonic Lodge
members from Penticton and Greenwood dropped small
evergreen twigs on the grave to symbolize the immortality
of one's soul.
Among the dignitaries was the Freemasons' provincial
Grand Master Bill Cave of Quesnel. Cave said, even though
a century has past since Aston's death, it's never too late to
honor him.
"I think it's important that we take every opportunity to
remember, not just a fallen brother, but a brother who was in
the service of our police force," he said.
"There are many people - the RCMP who were here today,
the armed forces - who make sacrifices for us all the time
that we take for granted. This is an opportunity to recognize
them."
Randy Manuel, former Penticton Museum curator and a
Freemason, recalled afterwards the unique circumstances
surrounding Aston's death. The story has been well
documented by the Okanagan Historical Society.
Two men, who robbed a store in Kelowna's Okanagan
Mission area on March 16, 1912, over the next two days had
made their way down to Penticton. The suspects, Walter
Boyd and Frank Wilson, were spotted at the B.C. Hotel on
Front Street. Police were contacted and Aston arrested the
pair on the night of March 18.
The next morning, the
police officer took the two
men in handcuffs and leg
shackles aboard the SS
Okanagan sternwheeler to
escort them to Kelowna. He
removed their handcuffs,
but kept the leg shackles
attached to a berth inside
one of the ship's cabins.
"He failed to find a single-
shot .22 pistol that was
hidden in the high boot of
Boyd," Manuel said.
"Somewhere between
Summerland and Peachland
they made good their
escape by getting the gun, shooting Aston, then got the keys
to the shackles and got off at Peachland."
However, the ship's purser spotted them running along the
dock. Knowing that no passengers were expected to
disembark at Peachland, he went up to Aston's cabin and
found the police officer shot in the head.
Although the Okanagan steamed as fast as it could to
Kelowna, Aston died of his wounds nine days later on
March 28.
Meanwhile, Boyd and Wilson had fled to Wilson's Landing,
located on the west side of Okanagan Lake north of
Kelowna.
"There, the fellows were caught by two ranchers and taken
back to Kelowna where they were put in jail and eventually
taken to Kamloops where they were tried and hung by the
neck until dead."
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Freemason, Poet had part in Civil War
Every place has stories and events that shaped the
culture and fabric of a communitys history. The
Oldham County History Center collects artifacts and
oral histories to identify the special places and events
that make our community unique.
In celebrating the Sesquicentennial Events of the
Civil War, this two-part column includes a special
article on 19th Century freemason and poet laureate
Rob Morris about his involvement in the Civil War.
This
article, written by Morris great-grandson Dr. R.S.
Fitch, was recently submitted to the history center
archives and collection on Rob Morris.
Rob Morris and the Civil War Part One
It was Memorial Day 2010 and miniature American
flags fluttered at the headstones of those who had
served their country and subsequently were buried
at the Valley of Rest in La Grange.
One such flag had been inserted into the ground at
the base of the 37-foot obelisk, which identified it as
the resting place of Dr. Rob Morris, Grand Master of
Masons and Founder of the Order of the Eastern
Star.
The fact of Morris having served in uniform was
virtually unknown, but then there was this consistent
appearance of a five- or six-year hiatus in biographical
sketches of him from 1860-1866. This break in
continuity and the presence of the flag led to the
assumption that he had served during the Civil War.
It was no secret that Rob Morris love for his country
and for his fellow man and his opposition to slavery
precluded any affinity for the cause of the
Confederacy.
In October 1860, Morris attended the Grand Lodge of
Illinois in Springfield. This being just prior to the
presidential elections, he and several other Masons
invited Abraham Lincoln to meet with them
informally.
Lincoln complimented the group regarding a recently
published article that addressed their position vis-a-vis
Southern political trends at the time. Although not a
Mason himself, Lincoln expressed his great respect for
the fraternity.
On Sept. 18, 1861, Kentuckys neutrality was violated
by Southern troops from Tennessee. Soon thereafter,
Morris, having been appointed a Masonic Lecturer to
Indiana, was on fraternal business in Crown Point in
November.
On Nov. 7 during his absence from La Grange, his
home The Three Cedars was torched by Confederate
guerillas. These semi-autonomous military units were
bent upon harassment of pro-Union households
in the region. Fortunately, a detachment of Union
soldiers was bivouacked nearby, and they were able to
salvage some of Morris Masonic literature.
In consequence of recent territorial conquests in
Kentucky by the Confederate forces, Morris concurred
with the majority of residents in Northern Kentucky in
fearing that Kentucky in its entirety would soon fall
to the South. Therefore, he withdrew his membership
from Fortitude Lodge in La Grange, at which he was
then Worshipful Master, and prepared to relocate his
family to New York.
In the spring of 1862, Generals Edmond Kirby-Smith
and Leonidas Polk (a former Episcopal bishop)
attacked farther north and occupied additional territory.
In July 1862, Morris was called into military service
by Gov. Beriah Magoffin to perform the duties of
Provost marshal for Oldham and adjacent counties, his
orders being the neutralization of guerilla activities in
the region.
Reluctant as he was to engage in armed conflict, he
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accepted the
appointment in defense
of the Unions best interests and to ensure the
tranquility of his own neighborhood. He was at a
decided disadvantage in that he had neither military
training nor combat experience. Yet he did not run
off to Canada or pursue a pacifists role. His country
asked him for his services, and he gave his best.
The month following, he was commissioned a
colonel in the Union Army with orders to organize a
regiment of Home Guards in order to defend New
Castle (12 miles east of La Grange), the duration of
service being 90 days.
It is uncertain whether Morris recruited a full
regiment within Oldham County, but in his
endeavors, he was more successful in La Grange,
Westport, and Eminence than in the communities in
the western area of Oldham County where Southern
sympathy prevailed.
The details concerning the battle of New Castle are
not lacking in verification, but a problem exists
because of two equally valid accounts.
Although Kirby-Smiths forces, for the most part,
remained south of the Kentucky River, it appears that
on Sept. 21, 1862, Morris confronted not Kirby-
Smith, but an advance detachment seeking new
recruits for the South commanded by Capt. George
M. Jessee: Company A of the Kentucky Confederate
Volunteers, half of whom had enlisted from Henry
and Owen counties. Jessee himself was a native of
Henry County.
In the first account, Morris invaded new Castle and
set up a cannon on the courthouse square, awaiting
the arrival of Jessees forces.
When the Confederates appeared, Morris and some of
his Home Guard troops recognized a number of
Jessees men as fellow Masons. Initially a few shots
were fired, whereupon Morris, placing himself
between the cannoneers and the Southerners, shouted
Dont fire, men! They are our brothers, and the
Home Guard withdrew.
The other version has it that Morris and essees
troops met a mile north of New Castle upon the
latters return from Bedford in Trimble County after a
recruiting drive.
Morris might have united his troops with a
detachment from Henry County under the leadership
of one Provost Marshal George Dickens. In the
ensuing battle, the Dickens troops were captured.
Again, Morris negotiated a withdrawal.
Personal recollections have been documented that
there was possibly another skirmish in and around the
courthouse, but the accounts indicate there was great
carnage sustained by both Northern and Southern
forces. However, neither the identity of the
combatants nor their commanders was revealed in
these personal interviews.
Magazines and newspapers all have stories they run
in one form or another, year in, year out. The
details may differ, but the stories are largely the
same everywhere, striking universal chords of sex,
health, and money. A few of these perennials,
however, dont travel. They drill deep into one
countrys psyche while everyone else scratches
their head and says, Huh?
In France, the story that keeps coming back is
about Freemasons. Its everywhere. Most big
French magazines run at least one big Freemason
cover a year. Books dissect the state within a
state, to borrow from a recent title. Blogs abound.
France has several of these marronniers
chestnuts, says Alain Bauer, former grand master
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France:Where
Freemasons Are Still
Feared
Masons in the News
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of Frances Grand Orient lodge and president
Nicolas Sarkozys Masonic liaison. Theres real
estate prices and theres how to cure headaches,
and then theres Freemasons. The ultimate French
magazine story is a Freemason with a headache
whos moving. We dont like these stories, but at
the same time, we love them, because they make us
feel like were still important.
Huh? Yes, Freemasons: the old fraternal order
known in the U.S. for the Masonic lodges that dot
American cities, musty reminders of an era when
Masonry stirred the American melting pot. Or for
the arcane Masonic symbols engraved on every
dollar bill. Or on a sillier note, for the Shriners in
their red fezzes. (The Shriners were founded in the
1870s to add a little levity to regular Freemasonry.
Mission accomplished.)
In France, though, theres nothing funny about
Freemasons. The way the French see it, Masons
are a fifth column at the heart of French society, a
cabal of powerful politicians, businessmen, and
intellectuals with a hidden agenda that is difficult
to pin down because its, well, hidden. Nobody
knows quite what the Masons are up to, but
everybody suspects theyre up to something.
FreemasonsHow they manipulate the
candidates, ran the cover line on the Jan. 10, 2012
issue of LExpress, one of Frances three big
newsweeklies. After several readings, the how
and the manipulate parts remain unclear, and
even Francois Koch, its author,
admits that the headline is
completely exaggerated. Le
Point, the second big
newsweekly, followed in its Jan.
26 issue with Freemasonsthe
infiltrators. The third weekly
news magazine, Le Nouvel
Observateur, got ahead of the
game this election cycle: They
ran their Masons-and-politics
cover last August.
The subject never fails to
generate interest, says Koch.
Its the mystery of it that attracts
attention. Kochs cover story
sold 80,000 copies on the
newsstand, almost 10 percent more than LExpresss
average of 73,000 copies. We always get at least
average sales, and sometimes sales that are really big.
Its always a gamble worth taking. Two years ago,
Koch, who normally covers criminal justice,
launched a blog devoted to Masonic matters.
To understand how French Masons ended up under
the national magnifying glass requires a brief side
trip through history. Nobody knows precisely where
the Freemasons came from, but experts mostly agree
their origins lie in the medieval English guilds that
laid the stones of the great cathedrals. Modern
Masonry dates to the founding of the first Grand
Lodge in London in 1717, and todays United Grand
Lodge of England is still a kind of Masonic
mothership.
Those first English Masons laid down the loose
precepts that govern most Masonic practice. Masons
meet regularly to improve themselves morally and
spiritually, and to practice brotherly love and mutual
assistance. Theyre enjoined to believe in a supreme
being and to stay out of politics. And no women are
allowed. Solidarity is reinforced by an elaborate web
of shared mumbo jumbosigns, symbols, secret
handshakes, and code words that are either sexy,
absurd, or sinister, depending on whos looking at
them.
Masonry fanned out from England just when the
Enlightenment was making the world safe for such
Mason-friendly values as anti-clericalism and
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scientific enquiry. The worlds best and brightest
joined in a stampede. Voltaire, John Locke, and
Goethe all signed up. In the New World, Benjamin
Franklin became Americas favorite Mason.
The early Masons made enemies on all sides. The
church branded them anti-Christians, the
established political order branded them
revolutionaries, and a lot of other people just found
them elitist and creepy. This might have been
expected. Any international brotherhood with
secret handshakes and symbolic jewelry is begging
to put its name on a conspiracy theory. The
Masons have provoked many, right up to the
Nazis, to decimate Masonry on the European
continent.
In the U.S., those prejudices coalesced in 1825. A
turncoat Mason from New York named Morgan
disappeared after threatening to expose his
brethren and their rituals. The Masons said they
paid him $500 and escorted him to the Canadian
border, but he was never heard from again.
The Morgan Affair sparked an anti-Mason furor
that lasted 25 years, during which 100 anti-Mason
newspapers were published and some lodges were
looted. The Anti-Masonic Party even ran a
candidate for president in 1831the first third-
party movement in U.S. history. Masonic
membership dropped from 100,000 to fewer than
40,000. Over time, American Masonry managed to
rebuild itself, but it came back as a less secret, less
scrappy institution. Today, Americas 1 million
Masons are as likely to meet one another at a
Masonic barbecue as a Masonic temple. Masons in
other countries followed a similar path.
Not the French. In many ways, French Masonry
has struck out on its own, ignoring the basic
precepts of its Anglo-Saxon brethren and
positioning itself as a counterweight to the deeply
conservative Catholic and monarchist strains of
French society. Freemasonry has always had a
political role in France, says Pierre Mollier,
director of archives at the Grand Orient de France,
the countrys largest and most important lodge.
We would never tell people who to vote for, but
were a moral authority.
From 1880 to 1905, the Grand Orient battled the
Catholic Church for the soul of France, and still
considers the Third Republic its stepchild. The
Republican party took its support from the
Freemasonsa third of the deputies were Masons,
says Mollier. All of the Third Republics
progressive legislation comes from here, he says,
pointing around him at the Grand Orients
headquarters on the Rue Cadet. The current
presidential candidates all knocked on our door this
year. For an English or an American Freemason,
thats just horrible!
Adding insult to injury, in 1880 the Grand Orient
removed all references to the divinity. Freemasons
everywhere steer clear of organized religion, and they
never talk about God. But they insist on a belief in
what Masonic jargon calls the Grand Architect of the
Universe, however each member may define it.
Phooey, said the French. Thats just religion through
the back door.
All this has helped make Frances 160,000 Masons
pariahs in the modern Masonic world. The United
Grand Lodge of England doesnt recognize two of
the three big French lodges, the Grand Orient and the
Grande Loge de France. It recently suspended
recognition of the third big lodge, the Grande Loge
Nationale Franaise, but mostly because internal
bickering is tearing it apart from within.
The French take a rather fluid attitude towards what
we do, says John Hamill, director of special projects
for the United Grand Lodge of England. Responds
Pierre Millier of the Grand Orient: Do Protestants
care if theyre recognized by the Pope? We just turn
the other cheek.
Jean-Claude Zambelli is a French government
employee who has lived in the U.S. for 30 years. He
first joined an American Masonic lodge in San
Francisco. In 1996 he helped re-found the George
Washington Union, a lodge patterned after and
recognized by the Grand Orient. It is very French.
God: no. Women members: yes.
When we explain this to American Masons, they
sometimes recoil physically, says Zambelli. Its
just not the same Masonry. They do more charitable
work, like the big Shriner hospital in San Francisco.
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We do a lot more work on ourselves. Were not a
social club. Were here to progress spiritually.
Otherwise, what good is all this? The Americans
are proud to be Masons and show you their Mason
rings. We find that shocking.
The French do indeed play their membership cards
closer to the vest than other Masons. The
heightened intrigue does much to keep them on
magazine covers. It also convinces people that the
Masons must have something to hide.
Occasionally, they do. Their shadowy networks,
no-questions-asked eagerness to help brother
Masons, and code of silence has made the lodges a
breeding ground for shady business dealingwhat
the French call affairisme. Membership in French
lodges has quadrupled in the past 40 yearsan
astonishing increase. Recent growth has been
fueled by unseemly recruitment drives, principally
by the discredited Grande Loge Nationale
Franaise as it battled the Grand Orient for
influence. French Masonry was a chicken coop
with a sign reading: Welcome, foxes.
We have a hard time defending ourselves against
the affairistes, says Jean-Claude Zambelli. Its
very difficult to show bad faith toward a brother
Mason. That has helped various mafia outfits hide
behind Masonic networks.
Sophie Coignard covers the Mason beat at Le Point
magazine and wrote the book A State Within A
State. Most of the Masons I know are hyper-
honest, says Coignard. But its also fair to say
that in most of the big financial-political scandals
of the past 20 years, youll find Freemasons.
Coignard ticks off the Elf-Aquitaine African
bribery scandal, the Paris housing projects scandal
in the 1990s, and now the Carlton affairan
ongoing investigation of a prostitution ring in Lille.
Theyre mostly all Masons, says Coignard of the
Carltons ringleaders (Dominique Strauss-Kahn,
also embroiled in the Carlton affair, is not a
Mason.)
The solution, says journalist and author Eric
Giacometti, is for French Masons to come out of
the closet. It would help them clean house, and it
would take the fun out of trying to peek through the
closet keyhole. Giacometti isnt a Mason, but his
fictional creation, detective Christian Marcas, is, and
hes proud to say so. Marcas has appeared in seven
detective novels with combined sales of a million
copies since 2005. That makes Giacometti and co-
author Jacques Ravenne the third-best-selling
mystery writers in France.
We decided to go straight against everything you
read in the media when we chose to make Marcas a
Freemason, says Giacometti. Thats the success of
the series. Francois Koch of LExpress says were
just giving the Freemasons free advertising, but we
dont care. I would tell the Freemasons, Be proud of
who you arethere were some extraordinary
Freemasons. Nobody knows that story!
Meanwhile, the French presses continue to churn.
Sophie Coignard says shes sniffing around another
financial scandal with Masons at its heart. When it
comes to the Masons, says Coignard, Im never at a
loss for inspiration.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-04-
19/france-where-freemasons-are-still-feared
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Written exclusively for
TWT
When you first knocked on the
door of the lodge and asked to be
admitted you were asked a
question. "Who comes there?"
That is the first of many and
varied ritual questions which you
meet as you progress through the system of The Craft.
You were not expected to answer that first question for
yourself. The Tyler spoke on your behalf, but once
inside the lodge you were encouraged to answer for
yourself.
The first question "Are you free by birth and of the
full age of 21?", should have been easy to answer in
the affirmative as our modern society does not
sanction the keeping of slaves and Freemasonry
affirms that all its members are equal. But then the
probing went deeper. You were asked. "In all times of
danger and difficulties, in whom do you put your
trust?" You were prompted to answer "In God." In this
way you were questioned to see if you believed that
some form of organising principle ruled the universe.
And it is perfectly acceptable, for the physicists
among us, to trust in a God who has a gambling
problem in sub-atomic dealings, provided you can
accept that on a cosmic scale there is purpose to be
studied. As Newton said when describing the role of
Great Architect in Principia Mathematica.
The most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and
comets, could only proceed from the counsel and
dominion of an intelligent and powerful being. And
if the fixed stars are the centers of like systems,
these, being formed by the like wise counsel, must
be all subjects to the dominion of one; especially
since the light of the fixed stars is of the same
nature with the light of the sun, and from every
system light passes into all the other systems; and
lest the systems of fixed stars should, by their
gravity, fall on each other, he hath placed those
systems at immense distances from one another.
This being governs all things, not as the soul of the
world, but as Lord over all; and on account of his
dominion he is wont to be called the Lord God or
Universal Ruler, for God is a relative word, and has
a respect to servants; and Deity is the dominion of
God not over his own body, as those imagine who
fancy God to be the soul of the world, but over
servants. The Supreme Being is eternal, infinite,
absolutely perfect, omnipotent and omniscient. ...
We know him only by his most wise and excellent
contrivances of things and final causes.
Newton had been inspired as young man by the
questioning attitude of John Wallis, a Freemason who
helped found the Royal Society, along with Bro
Robert Moray. But Bro Wallis also developed an
advanced method of using symbols to pose and
answer questions that we now call algebra. Since the
time of Plato, over two thousand years ago, Masons
and builders have believed that there is a source of
pure symbols existing in a spiritual realm of
perfection. Plato taught that with careful training an
individual could be shown how to communicate with
this realm and discover the true nature of these
symbols. He developed this thought into a theory of
ideas and it is a way of thinking which is deeply
embedded in the Masonic system of self-
improvement. Freemasonry practices a basic method
of teaching which poses questions, both spoken and
implied, that are intended to help Masons to know
themselves and so gain access to the realm of perfect
forms.
As an undergraduate at Cambridge University,
Newton kept a diary. It reveals that Bro. John Wallis,
through his book Algebra, shared this Masonic way of
thinking by questioning, with the young Isaac
Newton. The book inspired Newton to raise the sort of
queries that we Freemasons need to ask ourselves - if
we are to progress up the winding stairway of Masonic
knowledge.
Let me take, for example, one of the liberal arts we are
encouraged to study in our second degree and ask
questions about astronomy. Let us reflect on the
movements of the Sun and the Moon which Newton
was inspired to question. As Masons we are told these
heavenly bodies form part of the lesser lights of
Freemasonry. They are (Continued on page 25)
The Importance of a Questioning Attitude in
Freemasonry
by Rober Lomas
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symbolized by lights burning in the South, the West,
and the East, figuratively to represent the Sun, the
Moon, and the Master of the Lodge; the Sun to rule the
day, the Moon to govern the night and the Master to
rule and direct his Lodge.
When we think about the movement of the Moon, our
natural inclination is to ask "What keeps it moving
across the sky?" But this question is born of the limited
nature of the life we lead on the surface of the Earth. A
rolling stone will eventually stop rolling and come to
rest. By observing this we develop a natural, but
mistaken, acceptance that inanimate matter left to itself
will come to rest. So what keeps the Moon moving
through the night sky? Kepler suggested it was pushed
along by angels, but Newton asked a different question.
He realized that it was friction which caused objects to
slow down and come to rest. He also suggested that in
the perfect realms of heaven there is no friction, and so
the Moon continues to move, just as the International
Space Station does, without the need for angels to push
it along its orbit.
But there is more to the matter of movement. Newton
also noticed that if he allowed a bucket of water to spin
on the end of a rope the water rose up the sides of the
bucket. He extended this idea to notice what happens
when a boy swings a conker on the end of a string. It
flies outward and traces out a circle. The led him to ask
"What makes the water rise up the sides of the rotating
bucket?" and "What makes the conker pull away from
the boy's hand as he spins it round?" His answer was
that whenever an object moves in a circle its velocity
changes and any change in velocity, known as an
acceleration, produces a force.
Think about pouring a cup of tea in your dining room.
It is a fairly simple operation as your dining room is not
normally moving. Now think about pouring a cup of tea
in a aircraft flying in straight and level flight at a few
hundred miles per hour. The task of pouring the tea is
just as simple. But now consider what happens if you
are in the restaurant car of a train and whilst you are
pouring your tea the train brakes hard. You will find the
task of hitting the cup with the stream of hot liquid far
more difficult. From this we realize that it is changes of
velocity which produce forces of movement.
If we return to the question of the movement of the
Moon the cause of its movement is a puzzle. If we look
in its direction of travel there is nothing to make it
move, hence Kepler's suggestion it is being pushed by
invisible angels. But once we realize that the Moon is
moving in a circle and remember the direction taken up
by the string when the boy swings the conker round his
head, then we realize that the force which holds the
Moon in place is always directed towards the Earth.
If we extend this idea to ask "What makes the Earth
rotate about the Sun on its own axis?" As long as we
think something is needed to keep the Earth in motion
we look in the direction of the Earth's travel to find the
cause, and find a different stellar direction for each
season. But if we rotate our view through an angle of
ninety degrees (or the fourth part of circle) to the
direction of movement we see that the line of
gravitational force always points towards the glory of
the Sun at the center.
By changing our question from "What causes the
velocity of the Earth? to "What causes the acceleration
of the Earth?" we move our focus from the apparently
random movements of the sky to see the importance of
the Truth at the center.
So it is with our Masonic progress. Whilst we move
around the offices of the lodge we keep our attention
fixed only on the direction of preferment. As an
Entered Apprentice we look to becoming a Fellow
Craft. As Inner Guard we look towards becoming
Junior Deacon, as Junior Warden we look to becoming
Senior Warden, as Senior Warden we look towards
becoming Master. This can become a habit, even when
the purposes of progression through the offices had
been completed. It can distract us from the real purpose
of Freemasonry. By focusing on continual movement
through higher and higher offices, we forget that we are
only moving around the perimeter of the lodge.
The Truth lies at the center. Just as the Sun, at the
center of the Solar System, tugs at the Earth as it moves
through the cold of empty space, holding it in such a
position that it can sustain human life, so the Center
tugs at our souls as we move around the perimeter of
the lodge, following the empty rewards of higher office,
until we realize that the light of Truth can only to be
found by allowing the influence of the Center to bring
our whole being into balance and harmony.
So ask not what Freemasonry can do for you? Instead
ask what you can do to help your brethren recognize
the true purpose of our Craft, and bring intellect and
love into perfect balance by turning towards the
Center?
Find more about Robert and his books at
http://www.robertlomas.com/
(Continued from page 24)
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Part 1-6 of this series was
first published in the Living
Stones Magazine.
(Part 5 Raising Ashlars)
What actually Raises Ashlars?
The commonly held view of most
Freemasons is that Brothers Raise
Brothers. Tucked tenaciously within
this view are elaborately supportive
Rituals where these Raisings occur.
Brothers experiencing these Rituals
believe that, once so experienced, they
have been Raised and by this Rite, have
earned the Title, Rights, Lights and
Benefits of a Master.
Theres another view of Raising though that few Brothers
know. This view is steeped in a deep understanding of
what Masonry is intended to do for Brothers who practice
it. They know that Ritual points toward this intention at
least twice within the first two Degrees. They know too
that Ritual expresses the importance of Raising, but not in
the manner that other Brothers have come to know. Those
uncommon Brothers, who understand this intent, practice
this wholly different type of Raising and reap its eternal
benefits.
What is behind this other Raising?
You probably know the answer to this already. If you
have invested any time whatsoever in listening to the first
and second Degree Rituals, you may see that it has already
been clearly spelled out for you. You are not alone in this.
Many other Brothers have heard what you have heard and
have seen what you have seen. If pressured, all of you
would reveal exactly what truly Raises men, according to
what Ritual espouses.
Nevertheless, knowing this will not change the reality of
how most Brothers are Raised or what they would share
about Raising when asked. The problem is not that
Brothers dont know how this Raising occurs. The
problem is that most Brothers who hear what it takes have
not been held to account for following through on what
they have been told they need to do. This lack of
accountability has been a major stumbling stone for those
professing a desire to be truly Raised. This is also one of
the reasons why some Brothers are covered in the Rubbish
of mediocrity.
This lack of accountability is not the fault of those who
shared this information with every Brother who proceeds
through the Degrees. Masonry requires a higher Degree of
pro-activity from Brothers than does Freemasonry in such
matters. Pro-activity by its very nature requires an internal
motivation likened to a man with unquenchable thirst for a
waterfall or with a hunger satisfied only by acres of wheat
sheaves. Sadly, such motivation is not commonly found
within the ranks of Brothers. Few men desire to do the
Work required to Raise themselves above the din of every
day dealings.
Why must Raising involve such Work?
Those who originally shaped and revealed Freemasonry
knew something about mankind. They realized early on
that being provided Light by others isnt the same as
seeking and finding Light through ones own efforts.
They knew provisions unearned dont exercise mental
muscles necessary for self-sufficiency.
They also knew that provisions earned develop specific
skills and thinking vital to future
earnings and well-being. Developing any type of
dependency equates to future bondage. It also creates
liabilities for those fostering such
dependencies. Foster enough
dependency upon those providing
Light and those who depend upon
the sources of this Light will rarely
seek it elsewhere. These dependant
hoards will also devastate temples
rather than contribute in nurturing
ways for they have not developed a
nurturing spirit to do otherwise.
(Continued on page 27)
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This is the danger of work
that fosters dependence. It is
why so much of Masonry is self-directed it must be! It is
also the reason why only the bear minimum is expected for
progression within Freemasonry. Men not inclined to do
what truly needs to be done will do only what is necessary,
and that with only tremendous coaxing. They are slaves to
those who do their thinking for them, though they may
indignantly argue against this label. This is why Masonry
insists through its manner that it is the responsibility of
each Brother to find for himself the motivation to progress
and in his own way. Such internal motivation is the only
driver that brings this other type of Raising into fruition.
What is this other Raising?
It is an Internal not external Transformation. More
specifically, unlike entitlement oriented external
Raisings where a title, rights and privileges are bestowed
upon someone, true internally oriented Raisings
Transform the very being of the men who actively pursue
it.
How does it do this?
Well, in truth, it really doesnt do anything. It is men
who must do it to and for themselves. Thats the
distinction between external Raising and Internal Raising.
While External Raising is something that is done to men
by other men, Internal Raising is an activity that each man
does to and for himself. He does this by remapping the
gray matter between his ears. The initial Preparation for
this remapping is done through the Work specified in the
first Degree. This Work unburdens those who complete
this activity. It Prepares the way for the activity that truly
Raises those who engage in it.
How does Work unburden a man?
Some Work burdens men. Other Work unburdens them.
Clearing away Trumpery allows easier access and Travel
from one area to another. Reducing excessive weight and
excessive activities further reduces unnecessary
maintenance and resource use. Building ones muscles
eases future efforts. In the case of first Degree Work,
divesting specific things and investing specific others
brings about the resources necessary for future
improvements while clearing the way for those very same
improvements. It prepares those so inclined for what is
to follow.
What is that Work?
Once the initial Work of the first Degree is completed, the
Work of the second Degree, the Internal Raising, comes
into play. By actively engaging in specific Internal
Raising activities, men Transform themselves. That
activity is best described as Learning how to Learn.
Many men think that they have already done this in their
lives. Chances are they have only learned what they were
told to learn. The Learning activity that the second Degree
invites men to engage in is different from the learning that
they might have had in their past. It may even appear to
some to be the same learning, but it is something far
grander. In some respects,
Learning how to Learn is
indeed learning but it is a
type of learning that teaches
a man how to truly Learn.
How is learning different
from Learning how to
Learn?
Learning that focuses upon
Learning how to Learn prepares men to Learn
differently. More specifically, it trains them to Learn on
their own and in a way that best Prepares them for future
Learning, independent of others. Men who Learn
independently foster future Learners not dependent upon
others for their Learning.
Conversely, men who continually return to others for their
learning foster dependence upon teachers who provide
such Light. In case you have not surmised from your
personal experience of Freemasonry, creating an
environment where pro-active men foster their own
Learning is toward what the second Degree Ritual points.
Ritual tells men what must be Learned. Once this is
communicated, it is then up to them to go forth and Learn.
No further instruction on this will or should be provided.
This is as it should be for providing further instruction
does no justice to what truly must be Learned and
cultivated by those desiring more.
Yes, you might be saying to yourself that all this all reads
like convoluted Trumpery. Learning is Learning! It cant
be said any simpler. And, you are right, if viewed from
the prospective of someone who has yet Learned how to
Learn. From this view, it is not clear what is being subtly
communicated. Heres the understated distinction. Some
learning occurs when it is externally driven. Some
learning occurs when it is internally driven.
(Continued on page 28)
(Continued from page 26)
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Learning how to Learn is based
upon Internal drivers that
continually Ask, Seek and Knock
for more. The Learner drives it
independently. Externally driven
learning is what others provide to
learners and it has a high
probability of fostering dependence, rather than
independence. And, yes, within reason, there is room
for both. The points that should be gleaned are that you
are responsible for your Learning and Learning how to
Learn is what Ritual directs you toward. You will also be
the one who is held to account for this type of Learning, by
your future dealings.
In this respect, Ritual also provides an excellent
Threshing-floor to Separates those Brothers who do the
Work that is required to Raise Masons from those Brothers
who do the work that Raises Freemasons. The former reap
eternal benefits that the latter never reap.
What are those eternal benefits?
The eternal benefits reaped by those who Raise
themselves are many. This article though will only overtly
put forth one. Brothers who Raise themselves obtain a
much clearer and deeper understanding of their chosen
Faith. This occurs because their Work creates Internal
Transformation that rewires their brains to be more
receptive to the writings and related symbols in which
most Faiths are rendered. The Work improves pattern
recognition, increases awareness of subtleties and
heightens the ability to make vital connections. Where
some see no discernable pattern, those so trained recognize
them immediately. Where some see no doors, those
trained to detect and open them already have their keys.
Where some are stop by gaps and chasms, those so trained
to cross them find easy passage and in ways that might
appear to be magical.
An untrained person might think that the metaphors just
shared reflect physical realities. Trained souls know that
these are the challenges that are met by those who Travel
within their Faiths literature and rendered symbols.
Faiths present subtle patterns undetectable to those who
see nothing but shadows. They have many doors requiring
keys that can only be turned by transforming ones view.
They contain multitudes of solid connections that appear
as disconnected Rubbish to those unable to bridge the gaps
intended to block the untrained. To the untrained, their
Faiths maps appear as illegible scratches upon a dimly lit
cave wall. They give no clear understanding of Faiths
terrain to the illiterate who attempt to use them.
If you dont believe such Work is necessary, you might
want to Perpend the reasons behind such training. You
may look to history for grist for your mental mill. During
the
middle ages, scholastic training was required by anyone
who desired to participate in higher learning. That higher
learning was mostly focused upon
Philosophical and Theological based issues. Scholars knew
what was required to support such focus. Do you think
they knew something about Learning how to Learn that
you too need to know for you to obtain what you desire
most?
What does anything here have to do with the flanking on
the Circumpunct?
Its interesting to see how many Masons understand that
the flanking on the Circumpunct reflect a mans Internal
Work efforts and successes. All of these efforts are
educationally based. As these writings have continuously
conveyed, this flanking is the separated legs of the
Compasses. If you have done the Work too, you also
recognize that they represent the supports, called
stingers or stiles, that you find holding both the Rungs
of Jacobs Ladder and the last Seven Steps required to
Raise a man.
For those who have Learned how to Learn, it might be
noticed there was nothing shared herein that required
learning. Much like Ritual, this writing merely reveals
theres Work for you to do, if you are so inclined.
(Continued from page 27)
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Imagine
understanding,
explaining and
using Ritual better
than you ever
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This Masonic Education Series shares
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You cannot find a better overview of the Veiled Work of Masons. This Uncommon
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It assists Masons toward better understanding the Masonic Work that Freemasonry
alludes to through its collective writings, Rituals, Lectures and Catechisms.
Each book reveals:
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Specific Masonic Work, Its Basis and Supporting Background
Key Themes that Explain Blue Lodge Symbolism, Gestures and Words
Transformations and Results That Masons Can Expect (Who Do the Work!)
These books assist Ment ors, Coaches, St udy Gr oups, Lect ur ers, I nst ruct ors,
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Multitudes of Masonic Questions/ Answers/ Aphorisms
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These mat eri als are f or Masons who want more!
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For more information and purchase, go to http:/ / www.coach.net/ BuildingBuilders.htm
THE BUILDERS
SERIES
30
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As Masons, one of the
things that we are called
upon to do is to investigate
those who wish to join our
Fraternity. In many
Jurisdictions, including my
own, we are prohibited from
soliciting potential members
to join our ranks. They must
apply of their own free will
and accord. According to
the Grand Lodge of
Floridas Guidelines for
Investigating Committees,
there is no more important
committee than this one,
whose duty it is to
determine the fitness of a
candidate prior to balloting
on his petition.
After a petition has been submitted, the petitioner
meets with a Petitions Committee to ensure that he
has submitted all the required information and to see
if he qualifies. The Petition Committee will
recommend his petition to the Worshipful Master of
the Lodge. He will, in turn, ask the Secretary to read
the petition, and ask for acceptance from the
Brethren, and to allow the petition to take its usual
course. The Lodge does have the right not to accept
the petition. The Worshipful Master will appoint an
Investigations Committee of three or more Brethren.
The Lodge will ballot on the petition after one month
has passed, and after the Investigation Committee
has submitted their findings. Every member of the
Lodge is considered to be a part of the Investigating
Committee, especially the voucher of the petitioner.
If a Brother signs a petition for the three
Symbolic Degrees, he should be certain of the
fitness of the petitioner. If any Master Mason is
aware of something that would render the petitioner
unfit to join our Society, it is his duty to inform a
Brother of that Lodge, or the Investigating
Committee assigned to that petitioner.
This committee, composed of three Brothers, will
schedule an appointment to meet with the petitioner,
at his residence, and with his wife or significant other
present. The Brothers have access to the petition
filled out by the petitioner, as well as the results of a
background
investigation, to
try to uncover any
criminal past.
This meeting
serves several
purposes. First,
the investigating
Brothers explain what
Freemasonry is, and perhaps most
importantly, what it is NOT. There
have been many misconceptions
about our Order in popular culture,
although this is far from a new
idea. In the early 1700s, fliers
proclaiming the evils of
Freemasonry would be posted in
the streets of London. If we accept
as a Candidate, and then a Brother, someone who
is seeking to access hidden powers, which will
enable him to become part of the global cabal, then
we are doing both him and ourselves a disservice.
We invest a lot of time and effort to bring someone
from a Profane to the level of Master Mason. This
time and effort is wasted if that man should never
have become a Mason in the first place. If we bring
in someone who is searching for a religion to
believe in, he will not find it within the Lodge.
The Investigations Committee must make a
thorough search of the petitioners background,
using the background check provided, and
contacting all references listed on the petition.
We are not trying to sell our Lodge to the man at
this time. He has already indicated that he is
interested in joining, by submitting a petition. As a
committee member, we are there to investigate him.
We need to get to know this man whom we are
inviting into our Lodge and into our lives.
During this meeting, we want to find out why the
man was interested in becoming a Mason. This is
the most important part of this committees duty.
Perhaps his father (or grandfather) was a member,
and he wants to follow in those footsteps. Perhaps it
is due to what hes been reading, or seeing in films.
This is why we want to ensure that we do not give
the man false information about the Fraternity. If he
is only seeking the
(Continued on page 31)
Featured Writer- Scott Schwartzberg
Guarding
The
West
Gate
Part One:
Investigations
31
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social aspects, perhaps ours is not the organization
for him.
We also inform both the petitioner and his wife
about the time commitment that hell be taking on. It
is reasonable to expect the newly obligated Brother
to spend several hours a week at the Lodge
practicing his proficiency, and learning more about
the Craft, as well as additional hours spent in
practice alone. To transform the rough ashlar of the
Neophyte into the perfect ashlar of the Master
Mason require a lot of time and conscious effort. If it
is likely that membership in the Lodge would cause
internal family problems, the petition should be
returned or rejected.
Through questioning, it should be ascertained
whether the man is charitable, both in thought and in
deed. Is he prejudiced or bigoted? The Investigating
Committee is seeking the true character of the man.
The committee should ensure that joining the
Lodge will not cause financial hardship on the family.
We do not wish to cause hardship for others, nor to
become handicapped ourselves, by taking on our
rolls a member who is likely to become a financial
liability.
What is the occupation of the petitioner? If it is
such that he is unable to attend meetings on a
regular basis, now may not be the proper time for
him to join us.
We need to ascertain whether the petitioner
believes in a Supreme Being. Does he attend church
regularly? We do not ask questions about the
specifics of the petitioners beliefs, but he must
believe in Deity, and the immortality of the soul.
At this time, it is also appropriate to inform the
man and his lady about the family-oriented side of
Masonry. What programs does the Lodge offer
where wives and children are welcomed? Does the
Lodge offer a youth program, whether it is DeMolay,
Rainbow Girls, Boy Scouts, or another organization?
Let the man know what benefits he can truly
expect to receive as a result of becoming a Master
Mason. Through the process of self-examination, he
can transform his life, becoming a better man,
husband, father, etc.
A wise Mason once told me that it was important
to consider the character of a man applying for the
three Degrees. As a member of the Investigations
Committee, think to yourself Is this a man I would
feel comfortable being the Master of my Lodge?
Becoming the Treasurer of the Lodge? Would I
invite this man into my house? If the answers to
these questions are in the negative, why would you
consider approving him for membership?
As Masons, we believe that we take a good
man and make him better. This implies that in order
to become a Mason, one must first be a good man.
The corollary to this is not true not every good
man must become a Mason. We are interesting in
quality, not quantity.
The conduct of the Investigating Committee must
be such that, even if rejected, the applicant has a
higher respect for the Fraternity than he held
before.
The following information
relates to the petition process in
regards to every Lodge
blanketed under the Grand
Lodge of Florida.
All Masons, from the
youngest Entered Apprentice, to
the Grand Master of Masons of
Florida, have experienced a similar journey on the
road to (Continued on page 32)
(Continued from page 30)
Guarding
The
West
Gate
Part Two:
Petitions
Featured Writer
Michael Gambarrotti
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Freemasonry. Some have started their
journey because of a story they have heard from a
friend or acquaintance. Others seek out the
Fraternity because of a family history of Masonry.
Whether it is want or tradition, the journey begins
when one simple question is asked, How do I
become a Mason?
Having asked the question, a difficult decision
has to be made. Which Lodge will you call home?
Traditionally, members would attend the Lodge
closest to their home rather than travel. However,
today, due to increased availability and modes of
transportation, it is not uncommon to see members
travel 20+ miles to attend their Lodge or to visit a
Lodge. It is not the location of a Lodge, but the
members who make you feel that you belong.
After deciding on a particular Lodge and
meeting with the Lodge Secretary, the challenging
road ahead is explained, as well as the level of
commitment needed to attain your goal. It is in this
first meeting that a potential candidate for the three
Degrees gets a glimpse of what is required from
those who seek a place in our Fraternity. This is
also the first step for the Lodge in helping weed out
those who only pursue Freemasonry in the hopes of
personal or professional advancement. If the
potential candidates motives and desires are found
to be just and upright, he will be provided a petition
and told to return on the next stated communication
to meet with the Petition Committee.
During the interview process with the
petitioner, a number of basic informational questions
are asked and answered. A cursory review of the
petition is discussed and if all Brothers on the
committee are satisfied, the petition is presented to
the Lodge where it will be voted on. While this is a
traditional process, the Petition Committee must
protect our West gate, for it is our duty to protect the
Fraternity.
Once the petition has been accepted and
presented to the Lodge, it cannot be withdrawn, but
must be acted upon, and if rejected, cannot again be
presented within six months. The process of
determining the petitioners true intentions has been
the accepted procedure for some time, with more
negative outcomes than positive. Unfortunately,
sometimes this limited process does not give the
Petition Committee the proper time needed to really
become familiar with the individual who wishes to join
our time honored Fraternity. Given this information,
it is essential to the Fraternitys future that additional
time is allotted to this important process in order for
the committee to be able to properly make the
determination as to why a person wishes to become
a Mason, or what they may be capable of
contributing to the Lodge and to the Craft.
The practice of being a Mason Mill by
accepting those who come knocking just to keep
our membership alive, is in reality, driving
membership down. However, if we carefully choose
those we accept into our halls, not only will the
Lodge live on, but the Fraternity will be that much
stronger.
Taking this information to the next level,
some Lodges have already altered their petition
process. Several Lodges require a petitioner to
attend their fellowship dinners prior to Lodge
meetings for a minimum of six months before they
are given a petition. Others require them to attend
for a year. Even though the time duration is
different they have one similarity. The Brothers that
attend these fellowship dinners, more especially the
officers of the Lodge, are not to sit with the same
petitioner in consecutive dinners. This furthermore
forces the Brethren to really get to know the
petitioner and also aids in helping the petitioner
grow comfortable with the Lodge that he is
interested in petitioning. More importantly it serves
as a test towards his true aspirations of becoming a
Mason, as well as his character.
All too often we see candidates go through
the three Degrees and vanish. It has been said that
there are two types of men that become Masons,
those who want to be part of the Fraternity and
those who want the privileges of the Fraternity. If
a Lodge makes these necessary requirements
official and the petitioner adheres to these
requirements, then you will know his true level of
commitment, his true character and his true desire.
The way in which the petitioner conducts himself
during the trial period, also gives the brethren the
opportunity to be a fundamental part of the Petition
Committee, not officially of course, but as the
additional eyes and ears to the committee members
themselves.
The petition process, while necessary, has
the ability to be revised per the by-laws of each
Lodge and will make the job of the Investigation
Committee that much easier. The petition process
is so vital to our Fraternity, that it is all our
responsibilities to leave it better than when we
found it.
(Continued from page 31)
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Seeing parallels to Masonic conduct
in other areas
The Martial Arts and the Masonic Arts
My Bro thers, If you are looking for a highly researched, well
documented and historically significant paper you are in the
wrong place. I see my work here, at this time, as observing
how Freemasonry and its ideals are reflected in the world
around me. As a newly raised Master Mason, (I just
celebrated my 4
th
birthday), I cannot begin to discuss the
tenants of our order in detail nearly as well many of my
Brethren. I often sit in rapt attention as they speak, wondering
how many years it will take me and how many books Ill
have to read to be able to have an intelligent conversation
regarding the Craft with these seasoned, Past Master,
bejeweled men who labored in the quarry as I was living a
profane life.
However, perhaps my lack of Masonic education allows me
to see things more simply and plainly. There can be beauty in
simplicity. You only need to look at the craftsmanship of a
Shaker chair or box to illustrate my point. This extensive
disclaimer brings me to my current observation.
Whenever possible I take my 11 year old son to his Tae
Kwon Do class. He enjoys it a great deal and I enjoy seeing
him do things that he enjoys. The lessons are three or four
times a week and last about 45 minutes. He has recently
advanced in rank, earning his camouflage belt. He takes great
pride in his belt and it is one of the few pieces of clothing he
owns that he hangs up and puts away without me asking.
At the last class, I choose to try to understand the proceedings
instead of merely watching my son. Within moments of using
my new perspective the parallels between the Martial Arts
and the Masonic Arts were glaringly obvious. As they
students enter, each passes by a mirror. They stop, carefully
checking their gi, (the correct uniform for their meeting) to be
sure that it is straight and proper; much the same way that we
check our suits and ties as we prepare to enter the lodge. Each
student then checks their belt, the badge of their rank,
approaches the practice area, carefully bowing from the waist
as they step upon the practice mat. Brothers, this is clearly
similar to us as we put on our aprons. The positioning of the
aprons cloth indicating our degree in the lodge and our
officers putting on their jewels to indicate their rank and
position in the lodge.
Next all students stand to attention, addressing the leader as
Sir, (perhaps Worshipful Master is too hard for the younger
students to say?), they then recite a brief saying, from
memory, indicating that they will respect their leaders, their
parents and each other. They promise to do their best every
day, inside and out of the practice room. Regardless of age,
experience and rank, each must participate, all on the level of
their common practice mat. It is not a far stretch to see that
the recitation is ritual for these students. Not unlike our own,
pledging respect to leadership and discipline.
Next comes the most amazing part; the section of practice
that first caught my eye as being reminiscent of the Craft.
Each student works on what is referred to as forms. Forms
are defined as a series of highly disciplined and exact
movements that are a response to an attack. The student will
practice these forms over and over again until they are
perfected. Senior students help educate the younger students
all under the watchful eye of the leader. Each person in the
room working toward the common goal of executing the
forms fluidly and flawlessly. The forms are developed from
ancient techniques and patterns of movement handed down
for centuries. There is no mistaking that these forms are their
floor work and a continuation of their ritual. When done
correctly, you can observe the serenity of the student as they
complete their forms, each striving to do their best. On this
particular evening I had the opportunity to observe an 8
th
degree black belt practice his forms. His mental state was
meditative, calm, relaxed, (as I hope that my ritual will be
someday). And just like watching a flawless Middle Chamber
Lecture, it is a joy and thrill to watch a student complete a
flawless set of forms.
As practice ends, the same opening ritual is recited as a
closing ritual, yet another similarity, with additional courtesy
be extended to the senior student, not unlike we do to Grand
Lodge Officers as we close lodge. All show final respect to
the leader and class is closed.
Brothers, Freemasonry has a claim to being the oldest
fraternity in the history of the world, however whether you
trace the Fraternity to 906 AD or the building of King
Solomons temple, it would appear that our friends who
practice the Martial Arts can claim long history of self-
discipline, exacting execution and other Masonic like
practices.
As I move through my life outside of the lodge I will try to do
so with my eyes more open to Masonic teachings that may
not originate from the Fraternity, but seem to practice and
follow the Masonic Arts..
T
W
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FEATURED WRITER
Masonic Meditation by H. Clark Thyng
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The human heart is an organ that we as human beings cannot function
without; it circulates blood throughout our body which is essential to every piece
of the puzzle we call life.
The heart is made up of four chambers; the two upper chambers are called atria and the two lower
called ventricles. Medical professionals often refer to the heart as right heart and left heart,
probably due to the fact that there is a muscle, called the septum, separating the two halves and the two
sides of the heart each have a distinct purpose (the two chambers making the lower and upper halves
respectively).
The right side of the heart collects the blood that has been used by the body (it is called deoxygenated
blood) and pumps it to the lungs. Once that blood has been oxygenated by the lungs, it is collected
by the left side of the heart and pumped to the rest of the body.
The human heart then, for purposes of this discussion, will be categorized as making up two sides,
or two chambers. Further, both sides of the heart provide essential functions to keep the
human body going, and this is important for our discussion.
In our Fellow Craft degree, we arrive at the outer chamber of King Solomons temple and
must gain admission; we pass through the inner chamber and gain admission where
we finally arrive at the middle chamber or Holy of Holies to offer up our
adoration to God. This chamber, according to scripture, houses those laws
which have withstood thousands of years of trials and tribulations.
The Ark of the Covenant may be a real, substantive vessel that
contained the Word of God as given to Moses, or it may
just have been a vessel that symbolized the faith of
our ancient Jewish brethren at the time- I do
not doubt its existence, or its
importance to Masonic ritual.
Further, I do not doubt the
existence of King
Solomons
(Continued on page 35)
The Fellowcraft &
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temple; I believe that it
existed and that its original design was to honor
He who is the Lord.
But I believe that the ritual of the temple chambers
in the Fellow Craft degree have more to do with our
own bodies than they are meant to in history.
Our Grand Master (in New Hampshire, Paul M.
Leary) has noted that Freemasonry is about
introspection, that is to say, Freemasonry has often
been described as making good men better, but this
is not to be achieved by we (as in THE fraternity)
making individual brothers better, but brothers using
the teachings of Freemasonry to inspect how they
can be better citizens, husbands, fathers, sons,
brothers, employees and the like.
This introspection is the correlation to the middle
chamber and the human heart as well, even at the
physical level.
When humans began to understand the workings of
the heart during the birth of modern science, the
time of renaissance to enlightenment, our society
was beginning to take shape. We then began to
think about the structures in Masonry in a free way,
rather than the operative way, and this led to our
current philosophical bent on society. I believe it
was then that our ritualists, who by now understood
things such as the way the human heart works, used
their interpretation of physiology and blended it
with their form of philosophy to arrive at our
degrees.
Thus it appears to me that the outer chamber is the
right heart, where the blood comes from the body to
be cleansed through the lung, and only after gaining
admission is it welcomed to the left heart, the
middle chamber or Holy of Holies, where it is
passed on to the body to keep it alive.
The heart performs the functions necessary for life;
it is the gift of God to mankind to sustain him
through regular use. This I believe is the
importance of mans physiology to the ritual of the
Fellow Craft. The middle chamber is where we
fellows of the craft come to worship, it is a sacred
place where we come to learn; does this not refer to
our hearts as well?
Do we not look to our hearts to find truth, which is
to say, when we seek God, do we not seek Him from
within? We are travelling upon that level of time, to
that place not made by human hands; isnt it that we
seek Him in those travels and that when we come to
Him at the end of our lives, we are taught to lay
whatever is in our hearts to Him for judgment?
I am imperfect; Solomon, who built the massive
temple to our God was imperfect, indeed his
kingdom was torn apart because he diverged from
God, but the Ark containing our Laws was not
destroyed despite the destruction of Solomons
temple, and mankind has known God for lo these
thousands of years, so our hearts have been uplifted
to Him by we mortal men since.
The human heart is a real thing; perhaps the temple
of Solomon was not, perhaps the middle chamber is
a fallacy and there was no Ark-but perhaps when we
arrive at the outer chamber of our hearts and seek
admittance we are there seeking to know God better,
and when at last we are admitted to the Holy of
Holies we have found Him, finding our spiritual
temples completed, secure in the knowledge we
found Him as just and upright Masons. This is what
I believe the chambers in the Fellow Craft Degree
represent; the human heart, and arriving at
perfection before the Lord.
(Continued from page 34)
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Featured Writer- Bro. Kyle Ferguson
Check out Kyles blog at
http://philosophicalfreemason.blogspot.com/
Anti -Masons love to hate Masons. I think
this goes without saying. They love to hate us
so much that they will look in every nook and
cranny of every Masonic book for some quote
they can take out of context, manipulate,
speculate, and do whatever or say whatever
they can about it then claim it as "proof" that
we taking over the world, that we are really
lizard people from another planet, or that we
have computer chips implanted in every
midget so at the flick of a switch we can have a
short person riot the likes of which the world
have never seen! (Just for clarification, the
first two examples are actual accusations
against us. The last one I made up for comedic
relief.)
One of the most popular theories leveled
against us is that we worship Satan. This
entire theory revolves around one quote that
was taken out of context and sorely
manipulated from Albert Pike's Morals and
Dogma of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite.
Here is the quote out of context, as used by
the Anti-Masons:
"LUCIFER, the light-bearer! Strange and
mysterious name to give to the Spirit of
Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is
it he who bears the Light, and with it's
splendors intolerable blinds feeble, for
traditions are full of sensual and selfish
Souls? Doubt it not!"
So totally Satanic! Run for the hills! We're
worshipping Satan and don't even know it!
WAIT! Maybe the refs better look at the
replay screen here. Let's go under the vinyl
hood and look at the surrounding text:
The Apocalypse is, to those who receive
the nineteenth Degree, the Apothesis of that
sublime faith which aspires to God alone, and
despises all the pomps and works of Lucifer.
LUCIFER, the light-bearer!
Strange and mysterious name to give to
the Spirit of Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of
the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and
with it's splendors intolerable blinds feeble, for
traditions are full of sensual and selfish Souls?
Doubt it not!"
Phew! Apparently we're not worshipping
Satan. Thankfully we tossed the challenge flag
on that play before we punted the ball away.
What a difference those
other words make!
Right off the bat Pike
says that, as Masons
(more specifically
nineteenth degree
Masons, but since the
Anti-Masons use this
quote to describe all of
Freemasonry, I will
respond in the same
fashion) we despise all
pomps and works of
Lucifer. It's funny the (Continued on page 37)
Albert Pikes Lucifer
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Anti's don't include that part of the quote when
they cite it as proof of Satan worship.
Pike is trying to make a few points here:
Number 1: Don't judge a book by it's cover.
There is always more than
meets the eye. Never be
content with the surface
explanations of things. There
is always a deeper, underlying
meaning.
Number 2: Light cannot exist
without the presence of
darkness so, in a weird way,
Satan may actually be a bearer
of light for he provides the
darkness, without which,
illumination would be
impossible.
Number 3: The only souls in which Lucifer can
become a ruling force are ones that are feeble
and selfish. He is telling us to doubt not that
Lucifer exists in the hearts of the feeble and
selfish, who are too ignorant to know any
better.
In my opinion, number 3 is of the most
importance because it actually encompasses
numbers 1 & 2. Lucifer is actually the people of
the world who allow themselves to be controlled
by their egos. They are selfish, arrogant, and
ignorant of the presence of the Divine within
themselves. They do exist and are a serious
detriment to betterment of humanity. Doubt it
not! But if not for the existence of these people,
it would be impossible for us to see the light.
They are the black squares on the checkered
pavement of humankind and it behooves us to
despise their ways.
Pike wrote many works (Esoterika, for example)
that were not intended for the eyes of the
uninitiated. These were for true travelers on the
road to the Divine, not Masons in name only.
Pike was following his own advice when he
restricted the dissemination of these texts by
hiding them from the eyes of the Lucifers of the
world. These people were not prepared for what
they contained and would never be able to make
any valuable use of their information.
Selfishness was the ruling force of these people
and because of their inability to see the error of
their ways, a book on using
symbolism as a roadmap to the
special center would be useless.
Pike includes Masons in this group
for he considers any Mason who is
merely a dues card carrying
member to be in the same boat as
someone who has not even been
initiated at all.
Pike's quote in Morals and Dogma
admonishes us to not waste our
time attempting to provide light
for those who do not wish to
receive it. And, even though they
choose to remain in darkness, it is
because of them that our light shines so
obviously and so brightly. Because of this,
Lucifer, applying it's Latin root of light bearer,
is quite true. Regardless of how these people
attempt to put out our light, by doing so, they
only make it stronger. In this sense, I find it
quite funny that the Anti-Masons use this quote
to defile Freemasonry because the quote is
actually telling us that, by them doing so, they
only assist us in bearing light. Thanks, Anti-
Masons, for helping us shine our light brighter
in this world of selfishness and darkness! We
couldn't do it without you!
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Featured Writer- Bro. David Browning
Freemasonry, a beautiful system of morality,
veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols is one
of the most well-known and used quotes of our
Fraternity. It is through our ritual that this beautiful
system of morality is imparted to our candidates and
allegories and symbols play an important role in how
these moral lessons are conveyed. Ensuring that these
fundamental moral lessons are conveyed consistently
and that each candidate has the opportunity to learn
these moral lessons is the goal of our ritual. It should
also be the lofty goal of every brother to ensure that
we only practice good Masonic ritual.
There has been a lot written about Masonic
ritual during the history of our Fraternity and yet it is
still one of most intriguing subjects to the uninitiated.
Our ritual is meant to be symbolic in every aspect with
the overall goal to imprint upon the mind wise and
serious truths. It is during the conferring of the three
symbolic degrees that we learn moral lessons about
how we should endeavor to live our lives. In many
cases these lessons are nothing new, as an immoral man
would find it difficult, if not impossible, to make it into
our Fraternity. In my humble opinion, it is not the
content of these lessons, but rather the manner that they
are conveyed to the candidate in such a short period of
time, that makes them so powerful and potentially life
changing to all who enter our Fraternity. This is one
of the reasons why it is so imperative that our rituals
be carried out with dignity and respect and performed
as correctly as humanly possible.
We have all seen good degree work, and
unfortunately, in many cases, we have also seen degree
work which is not so good. There is no such thing as
a perfect degree. With that said, I feel that every lodge
and brother of our Fraternity has a personal
responsibility to ensure that every degree that they
participate in is the best that it can be. When observing
a degree you can always tell those lodges and brethren
who have studied and rehearsed their part(s) as opposed
to those who go through the motions
and put on, at best, a mediocre degree. We should all
do our diligence to ensure that we are never part of a
degree that is not the best that we are capable of putting
on.
In addition to the actual degree, there is a
lecture which accompanies each degree. This lecture,
when given as it has been passed down through the
ages, serves to reinforce and teach new lessons that are
essential for the candidate to learn as he advances his
knowledge in Masonry. The catechism is also a
reinforcement of the candidates understanding of what
he has been through and his opportunity to show that
he is willing to labor in quarry to advance in his
Masonic career. The coach and the brother being
coached each have a responsibility to ensure that this
is learned as correctly as possible before returning it
in open lodge.
The Entered Apprentice degree is a candidates
first impression of our Fraternity and we should strive
to make that impression the best that it can be. We
only get one chance to make a good first impression.
That impression, if positive, should serve to encourage
the new brother to learn his catechism and seek more
light in Masonry. That impression, if negative, may
cost us a candidate who otherwise may have made us
a good Mason. With the ever increasing challenges
that we face in attracting new members and
maintaining our membership levels we cannot afford
is for a new candidate to be so unimpressed with the
experience of being initiated that he goes home after
Initiation and never darkens the door of the lodge again.
I know that this is the worst case scenario; however, it
is something that we can all play a part in preventing
by ensuring that the degree work that we put on is done
to the best of our ability.
(Continued on page 39)
The Importance of Good Masonic Ritual
By Bro. David Browning, DDGL NC 16
th
Masonic District
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Featured Writer- Bro. David Browning
Passing a brother to the degree of Fellow Craft
presents another opportunity for us to show the new
brother that he is important to us by working hard and
ensuring that this degree is also a good one. During this
degree the brother is more likely to absorb more of what
is occurring during the ritual than he did during his
Initiation as he will hopefully be less nervous than he
was during the preceding degree and has now realized
that these rituals are not meant to embarrass or offend,
but rather, to teach and impart the moral lessons and
knowledge that will allow him to serve our Fraternity
with honor throughout the rest of his life. Once again,
we hope that the brother will go home following his
Advancement with the same eagerness that he had on
the night of Initiation and will learn and return his
catechism to seek further light in Masonry.
Raising a brother to the Sublime degree of
Master Mason is our final opportunity to ensure that we
are putting on a good degree and ensure that the brother
learns those final lessons of morality that our symbolic
degrees are designed to impart. Unfortunately, there are
often many parts of this degree which go unrehearsed
until the night of the degree. We can only hope that this
does not present major problems during the degree. Our
hope should be that the newly raised Master Mason
continues his Masonic learning and will also have a
strong desire to assist with future degree work hopefully
become a line officer and one day rule and govern over
the lodge for a period of time.
All of our degrees, more especially the Master
Mason degree, are meant to be solemn occasions and
thus should be performed with the dignity and respect
that are due to both the candidate and the honor of our
Fraternity. We all should do our part to ensure that our
degree work can never be compared to a hazing which
is often the case of some fraternal organizations.
One last ritual which is often overlooked in
discussions of our ritual is the conferring of Masonic
Rites. The funeral service and the conferring of Masonic
Rites is our last opportunity to pay respect to a fallen
brother. In many cases it is also one of the first
impressions that many who are unfamiliar with our
Fraternity will have. We owe it to the fallen brother, his
family, friends, and loved ones to ensure that we
perform this ceremony with the dignity and respect that
is earned through a life of devoted service to the
Fraternity. In addition, this ceremony is often the
catalyst that causes an uninitiated to seek the light of
our Fraternity.
I hope that you have found this information
valuable and that it helps to underscore the importance
of ensuring that we only perform good Masonic ritual.
I would hate for any of us to ever become aware that a
candidate has decided not to return because we did not
take our ritual seriously. The rituals of our Fraternity
have so much to offer and I sincerely hope that you will
join me in ensuring that we give our Masonic ritual the
proper level of importance so that we give our
candidates and our brethren the best possible experience
and impression of our beloved Fraternity.
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A significant group of passionate Masons have joined together to create what is now the fastest
growing research society in Freemasonry. Called simply The Masonic Society, we are brothers
who have a deep and abiding desire to seek knowledge, explore history, discover symbolism,
debate philosophies, and in short, who are at the forefront of charting a path for the future of
Freemasonry.
As a student of Freemasonry, you are invited to join with us in this exciting organization.
Membership in The Masonic Society is $39 per year ($49 outside of the U.S. & Canada). Benefits
include:
Commemorative pin, patent of membership, and dues card.
The quarterly Journal of The Masonic Society presents articles that enlighten our past, and
explore solutions to the challenges facing Freemasonry today and tomorrow. Each Journal
features articles by the best-known authors in Freemasonry, as well as the brethren from the
lodges in your neighborhood.
Members-only access to the Masonic Society online Internet forum.
Annual First Circle gatherings Each year, The Masonic Society is an active participant in
the Allied Masonic Degrees "Masonic Week," held in February in Alexandria, Virginia, which
includes our annual First Circle gathering.
Second Circles - Masonic Society members are automatically members of state-wide or
regional groups called Second Circles. These groups organize more localized seminars, speeches,
dinners and other gathering, and members are encouraged to meet and work with brethren in
their areas.
Programs are negotiated with publishers and other businesses for members-only discounts
on books, clothing, jewelry, regalia, and other items.
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THE BEEHIVE
REVISITED
Bro. P.D. Newman, 32
Valley of Corinth, Orient of MS
(Part One published in TWT Feb 2012)
The [larva] of a bee is
scarcely worthy to be
called a life, but after it is
transmuted by death, it
appears in a more
excellent and glorious
condition
The beehive, like the honey which it houses, is a
fecund symbol, both rich and enduring. In my
previous treatment of this subject, I provided a
decidedly limited overview of the symbol of the
beehive and its cognates, bees and honey, as they
were understood in the mythologies and folklores
of various cultures. In the present treatment, I will
be exploring the possible significance of the
symbol as it most readily relates to the actual
arcana of Freemasonry, i.e., as an emblem of
resurrection and of the immortality of the soul. For
this we need but make a return to the remnants of
ancient Greece and the neighboring shores of the
Mediterranean where, according to scholars, the
symbol of the bee and its correlating hive were
popular objects of worship and veneration, serving
as the symbolic bridge between this world and that
of the hereafter.
If the reader will recall, in The Beehive: A
Migration of Myth I touched upon Ovids account
of the youthful shepherd Aristaeus and the tragic
loss and miraculous, resurrection-like restoration
of his cherished beehives. However, in Virgils
version of the same story, we learn that the initial
misfortune which was visited upon Aristaeus was
not simply a random act of fate, but was actually
orchestrated by the hero-poet Orpheus. But, before
we get to that, it will be helpful to first explain a
little bit about the colorful figure of Orpheus and,
by extension, some of what it is that his
corresponding Mysteries entailed.
According to Greek myth, Orpheus was the
son of Calliope, the muse of epic poetry, and
Apollo, the god of music. As the offspring of these
two deities, Orpheus was destined for a fame and
charisma that could charm even the
Lord of tHades. Indeed, for this is
precisely what he did when, armed
only with his voice and his lyre, he
descended into the Underworld for the
purpose of persuading the god Pluto,
Lord of Hades, to consent to the return
of Orpheus deceased wife Eurydice to
the realm of the living. And it is here that we come
back to our unfortunate beekeeper Aristaeus, whose
romantic advances Eurydice was fleeing when she ran
upon the fatal serpent, the sting of which was to
prematurely end her life and land her in the
subterranean Hades. It was in retribution for this fact
that Orpheus destroyed Aristaeus beloved hives.
Ill. Bro. Albert G. Mackey once said that the
intention of the ceremonies of initiation into [the
Mysteries] was, by a scenic representation of death,
and subsequent restoration to life, to impress the great
truths of the resurrection of the dead and the
immortality of the soul. It was with the above
narrative of Eurydices death and subsequent
resurrection that the Orphic priests indoctrinated the
participants in their Mysteries regarding the truth of
the souls immortality, and the possibility of its
resurrection into the realm of the living. Both
Aristaeus and Orpheus, the latter for only a short
time, were in the end reunited with that of which they
had previously mourned the loss. In Orpheus case, it
was his beloved wife Eurydice who was restored to
life, and in that of Aristaeus, his cherished beehives.
According to Apollodorus, Orpheus was also said
to have been responsible for creating the Dionysian
Mysteries. As a type of what Sir J.G. Frazer called the
dying god, i.e., a deity whose tragic death is followed
by his miraculous resurrection, Dionysus, with his
corresponding Mysteries, also taught the truth of the
immortality of the soul. Like his father Zeus, as an
infant Dionysus is said to have been tended by the
Meliai, a sisterhood of bee-like nymphs associated
with the ash tree, who fed him on a diet solely of
honey, instead of milk. A god of wine and
resurrection, Dionysus was frequently depicted as a
swarm of honey bees. Greek scholar Kroly Kernyi
postulated that the association between bees and
resurrection in the figure of Dionysus stemmed most
likely from the ancient sacramental use of mead, an
alcoholic honey drink that was fermented in great
subterranean vats, whose use as an entheogen
preceded the discovery of the intoxicating potential of
the Dionysian vine.
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Similarly,
Dionysus brother and
more civilized counterpart Apollo who, if the
reader will recall, was also the father of talented
Orpheus, too was frequently associated with the
hive. For it is said that Apollos prophetic ability was
the gift of the Thiai who, like the Meliai of Zeus and
Dionysus, were a bee-like sisterhood of goddess-
nymphs. Additionally, in his manifestation as the
solar Phoebus, Apollo could also be considered a
dying and resurrecting god, although his myth does
not specifically hymn him as such. On the other
hand, according to the Greek epic poet Nonnus of
Panopolis, Apollo was responsible for the
resurrection of his close companion Hyacinth, whom
Apollo fatally wounded, though an accident. So,
although Apollo himself was not known to have
been venerated as a dying god, he bears connotations
to the motif of resurrection nonetheless. Further
associations between Apollo and the hive could be
found at Apollos famous Oracle at Delphi, where
the curious Omphalos or Navel Stone, a beehive-
shaped stone covered with a representation of
knotted net-work which is suggestive of stylized
bees, was housed. Leicester Holland associated the
Omphalos with the Temple at Delphis ability to
prophecy, proposing that it served to channel the
intoxicating, chthonic vapors from the very
Underworld itself which would impel the Oracle to
ejaculate the strange utterances for which she was so
famous. Tended to by a wholly masculine
priesthood, the prophetic Oracle at Delphi was
regarded as Queen Bee in her hive of otherwise
all-male workers an arrangement that hearkened
back to a time when the people which inhabited what
would come to be known as Greece were still one of
matrilineality and goddess worship which brings us
to our final discussion regarding the relationship of
the beehive to the motif of resurrection.
Carl A.P. Ruck, the professor of Classics at
Boston University, and Daniel Staples, Ph.D.
observed in their The World of Classical Myth that at
what was once Mycenae in present day Greece can
still be seen standing, for the most part intact, the
well-preserved remains of the famous Lion Gate, an
arching gateway topped with a detailed carving of
two lions flanking a single pillar, the same of which
serves as the citys sole entrance. A short distance
from this Lion Gate, we are told, can be found the
so-called Grave Circle. According to the authors:
Beyond the [Lion] Gate to
the right lies the Grave
Circle, a cemetery within the
city, where the dead were
buried at the bottom of deep
shaftswhere the corpses
were laid temporarily to rest
in state, until they rotted, on
a bier in grand subterranean
vaulted chambers within the
characteristic domed shape
of a beehive, theTholos
Tombs. Thesetombs
imply a belief in the
regenerative transition
through death, since they
were reused over and over
again for
successive burials
What Prof. Ruck & Dr. Staples rightly observe is
that the ceremonial removal of the deceased from the
womb-like, beehive structure following the bodys
decomposition would naturally lend itself, if that in
fact was not already the idea intended, to the notion
of a deathly transmutation as well as a seemingly
miraculous resurrection, when it was discovered by
the survivors of the deceased that the remains had
mysteriously disappeared from the tomb, perhaps
unbeknownst to any but the priests who had tended
to them. And even in tombs which are seemingly in
no way associated with this manner of bee worship,
there are still commonly found during archaeological
excavations small, golden amulets depicting the bee-
like Thiai sisterhood, whose task it is thus believed
was to transport the souls of the dead to the next life,
implying a direct connection within the minds of the
ancient Greeks between the symbol of the beehive
and their belief in the immortality of the soul.
In closing, I would like to share with the reader a
quote from English cleric and scholar Samuel
Purchas, who noted so perfectly the complex
relationship between the beehive, deathly
transmutation, and the miracle of resurrection when
he wrote:
The [larva of the bee] lies
dead and entombed in the
cell wherein it was bred; but
wait with patience a score of
days, and you shall see it
revive, and appeares a farre
more noble creature than it
was before. What is this, but
an emblem of the
resurrection?
For footnotes & references visit:
http://tupelomason.blogspot.com
(Continued from page 41)
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The Chamber of
Reflection
By: Randall A. Sidwell
The Chamber of Reflection: It has been addressed in
many books and is still utilized in Lodges around the
world. There are several variations regarding its
content. My intent is to share my feelings, with this
interpretive article, for the benefit of The Craft.
There are slight variations as to the contents in a
Chamber of Reflection. For this writing I will be
using Brother Christopher L. Hodapp's book
Deciphering The Lost Symbol for my basis as to The
Chamber's content.
On the table before him in the chamber are a lit
candle, a skull and crossed tibiae (leg bones), an
hourglass, bread and water, small bowls of sulfur and
salt, a pen, and a piece of paper. In some chambers
there is also an image of a rooster, and the word
vitriol appears.
1
What is there to interpret? What meaning may it hold
now? How may this writing benefit The Craft? I
believe there is a great deal of application that can be
made.
Originally The Chamber of Reflection was found in
The French and Scottish Rites. It was a small room
adjacent to the Lodge room. The candidate was to
contemplate what he was about to embark upon. He
was to examine his motives as to why he was joining
the fraternity. It was a quite place to meditate before
his initiation.
Johann Christian Gaedicke was the author of several
Masonic works. He was initiated into Freemasonry in
1804. He commented on The Chamber of Reflection
by saying:
It is only in solitude that we can deeply reflect upon
our present or future undertakings, and blackness,
darkness, or solitariness, is ever a symbol of death. A
man who has undertaken a thing after mature
reflection seldom turns back.
2
I want us to reflect on our future and present
undertakings as related to Masonry. In a day where
many men seem to have become comfortable with
their labor in Masonry, may they be encouraged to
build up their Masonic journey. May there be a
multitude of men who will strengthen that which
remains within their own Lodge.
The Skull and Crossbones
The skull and crossbones has long been a
representation of death. An existing reminder that
each of face this ultimate ending. We must ever be
mindful that we are only here on this earth for a
season. When we are raised as a Master Mason this
begins our individual Masonic travel. It could be said
that after this wonderful event we now have a dash.
The dash represents a period of time. On any grave
marker there is the year one is born and the year they
passed away. In between the two years there is a dash.
It emblematically represents the period of time they
were blessed with. The skull and crossbones reminds
us of our own personal dash. The time after we are
raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason until
we go to The Lodge eternal; is our own personal
dash, our own period of time. What will we do with
our dash? How will we (Continued on page 44)
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attempt to better ourselves
and what will be our lasting work as we develop our
rough ashlar? Life is short, fleeting quickly by us.
Consider how we will spend our time. For we are
taught there comes a period where time shall be no
more.
A Lit Candle
Our lives are to be a shining light,
to illuminate the world around us.
As a child during a thunderstorm
we would often lose our
electricity. My mother would rush
around scrambling for a candle
and a book of matches. Why (silly
question)? To light up the room.
In a total black room one candle will shed a great deal
of light. She then would place it in the center of the
room to maximize the effectiveness of the candle. It
was not lit to sit on the floor or in a corner of an
unused room. It was lit for use, enlightenment if you
will. That is what we are to do as members in this
great fraternity! We should let our Masonic Light
shine. It should shine with brotherly love. It should be
a radiant glow of our charity. The light should be a
light-house of Masonic education. Logic also gives
way to the evidence that the more candles that are lit
the more light that can be shed on any subject. The
more our brotherhood lets their light shine the brighter
the way of life will glow. Brethren, shine your
Masonic Light.
The Hourglass
Time is one thing that none of us seem to have
enough of. The hourglass is a symbol of the surety
that time continually passes. Time slips away day by
day and year by year. We are taught in our Entered
Apprentice degree to make the best use of our time.
That which is squandered can never be regained.
Different from other instruments of keeping time, the
hour glass displays both the past, present, and the
future simultaneously. We can
contemplate both what we have
done thus far, and being reminded
that we do not have forever. The
hour glass teaches us that the sands
of time will be no more for each of
us. We should ever strive to manage
our time wisely. We must ever bare
in mind that we have eight hours in
which we are to labor, eight hours
for the service of our fellow man and eight for the rest
and refreshing of our body and mind.
Bread and Water
This topic shall be rather brief. Brother Hodapp
references in his book cited earlier that bread and
water are symbols of simplicity. In other words
remember the basics. Do not become so entangled
with extra curricular affairs that you forget the basics
of life. We have a obligation to our family, faith,
country and fellow man. We must ever be mindful of
our personal responsibilities. What ever my beset us
from these duties should be laid aside. Never forget
simplicity, never forget the basics.
Sulfur
Sulfur is a necessity in several aspects of life. In some
forms it it used in vitamins. Forms of sulfur are found
in our hair and skin. In other varieties it is found in
fertilizers we use for producing many fruits and
vegetables. In yet another form in is even used in
wine making. Aside from all of these uses one thing
holds true it is very odorous. As one would be in a
Chamber in Reflection the sense of smell would be
greatly heightened. Emblematically reminding us of
the horrible vapors of trials and tribulations we face in
our life. But we must ever be mindful that trials do
come to pass. Just as the odor of
sulfur dissipates over time our
tribulations too come to an end.
Remember to make all things a
learning experience.
Salt
Salt is a preservative. In our
labors and life we should strive to set forth values and
attributes that are true, wholesome and good. May our
human activity be well preserved even after we are
gone. Salt is also used for seasoning. May we ever
season our speech and conduct with charity and
brotherly love to all in whom we come in contact with
in our life. May we ever touch lives in a positive way.
Pen and Paper
Traditionally in a Chamber of Reflection a pen and
paper is used to compose one's last will and testament.
I would offer the meaning of leaving a lasting and
positive legacy. Character, wisdom, chivalry, and love
are tremendous virtues to
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leave behind. These type of fingerprints on our
fellowman's life are the greatest gifts we could ever
bequeath.
VITRIOL
Again, I reference Brother Hodapp concerning
VITRIOL . He says:
It is an alchemical term, and is in fact an acronym.
V.I.T.R.I.O.L stands for a Latin phrase, Visita Interior
Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem,
which means Visit the interior of the Earth, and by
rectifying, you shall find the hidden stone. In
Masonry we would look to our inner self. We would
use our working tools to
continually shape our rough
ashlar. We should always
strive for betterment in our
life. We hope to turn our
rough ashlar into a smooth
ashlar by our endeavors and
the blessings of God.
The Rooster
In closing we have the
rooster. The early morning
crowing of the rooster in the
proclamation of a new day. A
fitting reminder that if granted
by God, tomorrow is the gift
of a new day. If we have
neglected our labors in life the
is no better time to start than
today! It does not matter
where one begins in life, but it
certainly matters where and
how we finish. Purpose in
your heart and mind
immediately to get to work
and Brethren know your labor
is not in vain.
In closing, I see great meaning in The Chamber of
Reflection. We can quietly meditate upon the
individual meanings of its content. But, we must
remember not only to ponder them we must also
regularly implement them. In this study, I recognized
the importance of why this was used for so many
years in our Lodges. There may indeed be room for it
to be implemented into The Craft on a more broad
basis once again.
End notes
Reference #1 & 3Deciphering The Lost Symbol
Freemasons, Myths and the Mysteries of Washington,
D.C. By: Christopher L. Hodapp
Text Copyright 2010 Christopher L. Hodapp
Published by: ULYSSES PRESS 2010 pages 72-73
Reference #2--An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and
its Kindred Sciences: The Whole Range of Arts,
Science and Literature as
Connected with the Institution
By: Albert G. Mackey, M.D.
L.H. Everts & Co. Publishing
Copyright 1889 page 156
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York Rite - Featured Writer
Joining the Royal Arch
By Matt Johnson
On March 24, 2012, the York Rite brothers of Arizona
put on a festival to confer the 4 degrees of the Chapter:
Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master and the
Royal Arch. I took part in this festival and I have to say it
was very enjoyable. It answered a lot of questions I had
about the Moderns and Ancients. It also taught powerful
lessons I will take with me back to the lodge. Several
brothers who were present at my three degrees were also
there and I found that to be very moving.
I understand why Royal Arch Masons believe it
completes the Master Mason degree. Such has been the
conclusion of the United Grand Lodge of England since
1813. I have
done a
tremendous
amount of
research on
the subject
and have
spoken
about it in previous articles. I still contend wholeheartedly
that the third degree is truly the highest. However, if you
read some of the earliest exposures of Freemasonry and
then take the Chapter degrees, it is clear some of what
used to be part of the three degrees is now in the Royal
Arch degree. To find out, you will simply have to
experience it for yourself. It is probably the most
inexpensive appendant body around and is worth far more
than what they charge.
To be honest, there is nothing in the Chapter degrees
as far as life lessons or philosophy that you can't learn in
the Lodge. However, those lessons are mightily reinforced
by the Chapter degrees. The Mark Master degree actually
made me work harder the Monday after. The Past Master
degree made me step up my game with my lodge duties.
The Most Excellent Master and the Royal Arch degrees
answered some lingering questions I had about Masonic
traditional history and also provided some just downright
cool things ala "National Treasure" that I really, REALLY
liked.
I can see why the UGLE decided to make it a firm
resolution that pure Freemasonry ends with the Royal
Arch. There are so many, MANY degrees and bodies for a
Master Mason to join. It could never end and suck away
lots of time and treasure. To make a firm statement that all
the lessons of Freemasonry stop here is helpful to Masons.
There is more than enough to study in the Lodge and
Chapter. That being said, I have a new appreciation for all
the appendant bodies now that I am a member of one.
There is great teaching and
reinforcement of the Lodge
lessons in the Scottish Rite, the
Knights Templar provide lessons
in chivalry and the Shrine helps
many, many people. Also, as I
study the origins of Freemasonry at a deeper level, there is
a place for the idea of Knights Templar in Freemasonry.
We may have come from them. Or if we did not, they are
an excellent example of suffering honorably for
Freemasonry as John Coustos and many others have. The
Shriners have become more Masonic in my eyes lately.
There is much
evidence as to
the Rosicrucian
origins or
influence on
early
speculative
Freemasonry
and Christian Rosenkruetz did study in Fez according to
legend. Shriners to me get the lessons of brotherly love
and relief and perhaps there is even some truth to their
ways. Perhaps Christian Rosenkruetz wore a fez. The
point of all this is to say...drum roll...I was wrong in some
of what I wrote in previous articles. ALL of the appendant
bodies are important. Each Mason must decide which one
they want to choose or if they want to choose one. I am
definitely a strong proponent of the Chapter degrees now.
Seeing is believing and I am sure the same is true of all
the other degrees. Someday when I have more time and
treasure, I may join them all.
But not for a while. I love my lodge, I love writing for
Masons and sharing fellowship with them online and I
now have my chapter as a Royal Arch Mason. I get why
Masons call the third degree the highest degree. I also get
why they believe the Royal Arch is the highest degree.
Ultimately, the highest degree in Freemasonry is that of a
Past Master. A real Past Master, not a virtual one. It
shows that a man has truly labored hard to build his
Brothers and his lodge. That has to be the highest calling
in Freemasonry. By the way, I have currently come across
a treasure trove of free books and degree rituals of all
kinds. I also have been piecing together a timeline of
events regarding early speculative Masonry. I am going to
be studying that for a long time and as I learn more, I will
share it with my readers and any Brother who would like
to visit my lodge or chat online. Peace!
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This month, I will begin discussing the Degrees of the
York Rite, as conferred in the United States, in my
Jurisdiction. Where I have been able to locate
information which differs in other Jurisdictions, I will
provide those details. Any errors are mine alone. Please
let me know if you find an error in the information that I
have provided.
In the United States, the first group of Degrees in the
York Rite is in the Chapter of Royal Arch Masons. The
first Degree earned in this body is that of Mark Master,
which is seen as a continuation of the Fellow Craft
Degree. In other countries, there may be different bodies
conferring this Degree on Candidates.
For Masons in Lodges under the
United Grand Lodge of England, The
Grand Lodge of Mark Master
Masons of England and Wales and
its Districts and Lodges Overseas,
controls both this Degree and also the
Royal Ark Mariner degree; conferred
in Royal Ark Mariner Lodges, which
operate under a separate warrant.
For Masons in Scotland and under
the Scottish Constitution, as this
Degree is seen as the conclusion of
the Fellow Craft, it can be conferred
in a Craft Lodge. It can also be
conferred in a Holy Royal Arch
Chapter, as it is a prerequisite before a man can be
Exalted to the Holy Royal Arch.
For Masons in Lodges under the Irish Constitution,
Mark Lodges and Royal Arch Chapters share the same
warrant. A man must have this Degree conferred on him
by a Mark Lodge before he is eligible to become a Royal
Arch Mason.
In Australia, depending on the Jurisdiction, the Degree
may be received in a Royal Arch Chapter, or in a Mark
Master Lodge.
I do realize that I am using the incorrect terminology to
describe most of these situations, as the Lodges under
the English, Scottish, and Irish Constitutions generally
refer to the Craft Lodge only. I am referring to Masons
from these Craft Lodges, who move on to higher
Degrees. This Degree is usually worked in a separate
Mark Lodge, except where discussed above.
The Mark Master candidate works in the quarries as a
Fellow Craft. The ritual explains how operative Masons
left their personal Mark on each stone worked, created
with a mallet and chisel. During this Degree, the Mark
Master will create his own Mark, which is recorded by
the Chapter in the Book of Marks.
It has been claimed that this is one of the oldest of all
Degrees. The ritual of this Degree builds on that of the
Fellow Craft, and to some, adds additional information
that was missing in that Degree. In Duncans Masonic
Ritual, we are informed that
historically, this Degree is of the
utmost importance. Due to the
influence of this Degree, each
operative Mason, at the building
of King Solomons Temple, was
able to make his good
workmanship known. As each
workman put his mark on his
own work, a faulty craftsman
would not receive wages not due
him, and those who crafted
suitable work would not suffer
monetarily for sub-standard
work.
The elected officers for a Royal
Arch Chapter are High Priest, King, Scribe, Secretary
and Treasurer. The appointed officers are Captain of the
Host, Principal Sojourner, Royal Arch Captain, Master
of the 3
rd
Veil, Master of the 2
nd
Veil, Master of the 1
st
Veil, Chaplain, and Sentinel. These titles will be
discussed in more detail in the article on the Royal Arch
Degree.
In this Degree and the others in the Chapter subsequent
to being exalted to the Royal Arch, the High Priest is the
Right Worshipful Master (the same title given in
Scotland or in Lodges operating under the Scottish
Constitution). The King is the Senior Warden, and the
Scribe is the Junior Warden. In these Degrees, these
three principal elected officers sit as they do in the Craft
Lodge, in the East, West, and South, as do the Secretary
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York Rite News & Information Featured Writer Bro. Jacob Lucas
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and Treasurer, whose titles do not change.
The titles and duties of appointed officers will also
change. The Captain of the Host, for this Degree, is
the Marshal, the Principal Sojourner is the Senior
Deacon, the Royal Arch Captain is the Junior
Deacon, and the Sentinel is the Tiler. These officers
take the same stations as those officers in the Craft
Lodge, in some jurisdictions, though not others. The
Marshal is located in the West, just North of the
Senior Warden.
The Masters of the Veils for the Royal Arch Chapter
become the Overseers in this Degree. The Master of
the 1
st
Veil is the Junior Overseer, the Master of the
2
nd
Veil is the Senior Overseer, and the Master of the
3
rd
Veil is the Master Overseer in this Degree. The
duty of these officers is to inspect the quality of the
craftsmanship of the workers, and if satisfactory, pass
it along.
The Candidate for this Degree will carry a Keystone,
to support an arch, while the Senior Deacon and other
conductor carry squared stones. These squared stones
pass the inspection of the Overseers, while the
Keystone, beautifully wrought, is not permitted to
pass, as it is not square work. This stone is thus
rejected. The builders then gather to receive wages
from the Senior Warden.
It is specified in the 1952 Indiana work, that the
Keystone symbolizes the spiritual part of man, and
must be held and treated reverently by all, except the
Master Overseer. His existence is purely on the
material plane.
It is after this, that the Candidate is prepared for the
ceremony of the Degree. Having been Initiated,
Passed, and Raised, he is now seeking light by being
advanced to the honorary Degree of Mark Master
Mason. Through the ceremonies of this Degree, the
Candidate is informed that the stone which the
builders rejected is become the head of the corner.
1
It becomes apparent that the Keystone is vital to
complete an Arch planned by G. M. H. A. before his
assassination. The stone is described to the Overseers,
who recognize it as the one they have rejected, and
search is made to recover this necessary piece,
without which, the Temple cannot be completed.
The Keystone is found, and displayed to the Craft. On
one side of the stone, the letters H.T.W.S.S.T.K.S. are
found in a circle. The letters are read, depending on
the Jurisdiction, as Hiram the Widows Son, Sent to
King Solomon or Hiram, Tyrian, Widows Son,
Sendeth to King Solomon.
The Working Tools of a Mark Master are the Chisel
and Mallet. The Chisel is used by operative Masons
to cut, carve, mark and engrave their work, but
Masonically, it morally demonstrates the advantage
of discipline and education. The Mallet is used by
operative Masons to knock off excrescences and
smooth surfaces, but Masonically, it morally teaches
to correct irregularities and to reduce man to a proper
level, so that by quiet deportment he may, in the
school of discipline, learn to be content.
2
These tools also allow the Mark Master to create his
own Mark, with Mallet and Chisel to put upon his
own penny, and to be recorded in his Chapter.
Footnotes
1)Psalm 118:22, also referenced in Matthew 21:42, Mark
12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, 1 Peter 2:7, and also
referencing Ephesians 2:20.
2) From Duncans Masonic Ritual and Monitor. Similar
explanations were given in other variations of the
ritual.
(Continued from page 48)
Sources
Blaisdell, Ron, P.M., The Rituals of American Freemasonry, June 16,
2001,
http://www.themasonictrowel.com/ebooks/fm_freemasonry/Blaisdell_-
_The_Rituals_of_American_Freemasonry.pdf accessed on February 20,
2012.
Blaisdell, Ron. Personal communication.
Cryer, Neville Barker., The Royal Arch Journey.
DeHoyos,Art,33,G C . Scottish Rite Monitor and Guide, 3
rd
Edition Revised and Enlarged, 2011. Washington, DC. The Supreme
Council, 33
Denslow, Ray V., A Handbook for Royal Arch Masons.
Degrees, http://yorkrite.com/degrees/ accessed on February 21, 2012.
Degree Ritual, General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons
International. 1996.
Duncan, Malcolm C., Duncans Masonic Ritual and Monitor. 1866.
Ritual for Degree of a Mark Master Mason. Indiana. 1952.
Ritual for Mark Master Mason. Iowa. 2003.
Spiedel, Frederick G., The York Rite of Freemasonry: A History and
Handbook. Presented by Hugh DePayens Commandery No. 30, K.T.
and associated York Rite Bodies in Erie County, NY. 1978.
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York Rite News & Information - Featured Writer- Bro. Barry Newell
http://travelingtemplar.blogspot.com/
This post has been a long time coming. I was
going to have one large post, but I've decided
to separate this into a series. The Royal Arch
degree is an amazing one with a great amount
of symbolism and esoteric meaning. I truly
believe that all Master Masons should go
through at least the Royal Arch as it completes
the story of the 3 - Master Mason.
First let's discuss the High Priest, which in the
American Royal Arch is the title of the
presiding officer.
Symbols of the High Priest
And these are the garments which they
shall make; a breastplate,
and an ephod, and a robe,
and a broidered coat, a
mitre, and a girdle: and
they shall make holy
garments for Aaron thy
brother, and his sons, that
he may minister unto me
in the priest's office.
Exodus 28:4
Breast Plate
And Aaron shall bear
the names of the children of Israel in the
breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when
he goeth in unto the holy place, for a
memorial before the LORD continually.
Exodus 28:29
The Breastplate laid upon a
triple triangle is a well-known
symbol of the Order of High
Priesthood and/or for Past
High Priests. As one can see
from the two verses, the
description of the high priest
and his garments are in the
28th Chapter of Exodus.
The Breastplate is placed upon the ephod, or
holy apron-like garment. The square
breastplate was inlaid with 12 precious stones,
each representing the 12 Tribes of Israel, which
were divided into four rows of three stones.
This breastplate was also said to hold within it
the two sacred divination stones, the Urim
(representing light and excellence) and the
Thummim (representing perfection and
completion).
The First Row consisted of the following
stones:
Sardius: a brownish-red or blood red stone,
sometimes referred to as carnelian.
Topaz: A yellow or yellow-green,
translucent stone.
Carbuncle: A reddish stone that is said to
look like burning coal.
The Second Row consisted of the following
stones:
Emerald: It may not have necessarily been
an emerald as the
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stone was referred to just as a green stone.
Sapphire: A saturated shade of blue, but
may not have been an actual sapphire as it
was unlikely they were well known or used
in the ancient times.
Diamond: most likely a white or clear stone
as the art of cutting diamonds had not been
attained in that day.
The Third Row consisted of the following
stones:
Ligure: A yellowish (sometimes pale)
mineral.
Agate: Commonly used in Egypt and
Assyria as talismans, they were said to be
sky blue.
Amethyst: A purple stone which was
thought to stop you from getting intoxicated
and its name literally means "not
intoxicating".
The Fourth Row consisted of the following
stones:
Beryl: A stone said to be the color of the sea
(blue-green).
Onyx: An opaque, banded stone.
Jasper: A red stone often thought to be a
ruby.
High Priest's Miter
On the High Priest's head is the white fine
linen turban or mitre/miter. Round the base of
the turban is the crown of gold, with the
inscription "Holiness to the Lord". The shape
and look of the mitre may change and in
today's world we see an evolved style of the
mitre in the headdress of the Pope of the
Roman Catholic Church.
TheHebrewwordmitznefet()hasbeen
translated as "mitre" (KJV) or "headdress". It
was most likely a "turban", as the word comes
from the root "to wrap".
Crowns, mitres, headdresses, hats, and so on
have traditionally been symbols of authority or
sovereignty. Head coverings can also be seen
as symbols of victory such as we see with the
wreath or garland. For Christians the crown
(and those who wear it) is said to remind us of
the Crown of Thorns Christ wore as well as
Christ being the King of Kings.
Symbolically we can see through its circular
shape it denotes perfection, which Heaven is
seen as, and eternal life, and while wearing it
we unite the spiritual world with this material
world where the sovereign can receive divine
inspiration to justly rule.
Triple Tau
The Triple Tau is
one of the most
prominent symbols
of Royal Arch
Masonry and has
been given many
different
interpretations throughout its use in the world.
It is literally three (3) Tau's linked in the center
joined at their base.
The 'tau' is the 19th letter of the Greek
alphabet, but it is not the letter "T" in the
English language.
Some of the symbolic interpretations of this
symbol I will cite from the Grand Lodge of
British Columbia-Yukon:
This mystical character can be signified in a
few different ways. First, the names Hiram of
Tyre and Hiram Abif appear in the Phoenican
language with the same letters H and T
as they do in English. Therefore, the Triple Tau
takes on the interpretation of the initial letters
in Hiram Abifs name.
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Second, it signifies also T. H., Templum
Hierosolym, the Temple of Jerusalem, and
when used as the Royal Arch symbol, some
jurisdictions teach that the wearer
acknowledges himself a servant of God.
As a Christian I see a great deal of symbolism
in this. The use of 3 Tau's pertains to the Holy
Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The 3
sides of the equilateral triangle represents the 3
great attributes of God:omniscience,
omnipresence, and omnipotence. The circle is
not always used or seen, but, to me, it is
significance as it represents eternity and the
immortality of God and the soul of man.
The tau in ancient times was regarded as a
symbol of life. It was also used as a symbol
for those acquitted of a crime or honorably
returning home from battle. We also see use of
it in the Bible wherein it is written in the Book
of Ezekiel:
And the LORD said unto him, Go through
the midst of the city, through the
midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark
upon the foreheads of the men that
sigh and that cry for all the
abominations that be done in the
midst thereof
Ezekiel 9:4
Stay tuned for Part 2 which I hope to
cover the Banners, the Arch itself,
and the Keystone. I will also discuss
some of the lessons and duties
taught in each of the degrees.
References
1. High Priest Breastplate. (n.d.).
Retrieved from Phoenix Masonry:
http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/mason
icmuseum/high_priest_brestplate.htm
2. Meij, H. (n.d.). The Breastplate of the
Highpriest. Retrieved from The Golden
State Chapter of Research of the Holy
Royal Arch:
http://www.goldenstatechapter.org/pdf/The%20Bre
astplate%20of%20the%20High%20Priest.pdf
3. Mitre. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitre
4. Priestly Breastplace. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Wikipedia:
http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priestly_breastpl
ate
5. Priestly Turban. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priestly_turban
6. Tarot Symbolism: The Crown. (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://tarotreadingpsychic.com/tarot-
symbolism-the-crown/
7. The Triple Tau. (n.d.). Retrieved from Grand
Lodge of British Columbia & Yukon:
http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/symbolism/triple_tau.h
tml
8. The Holy Bible, King James Version
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Royal Arch Freemasonry is an important part of
the overall Fraternity of Masonry. It is a
sovereign body, but at the same time, an integral
part of the fabric of what the general public see as
Freemasonry. Its history is synonymous with the
rise of Freemasonry in England during the 16th
and 17th centuries, which rose from the practices
of the operative masons when building the great
monuments throughout England and Europe.
The " traditional Masonic history" which takes as
it's allegorical basis, the Biblical accounts of the
building of King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem,
is extended in the Royal Arch by using the
Biblical history of the destruction of the temple
and the enslavement of the Hebrews. Their
release and the rebuilding of the Second Temple
over the subsequent centuries, is the Royal Arch
basis for colorful " parables" to convey it's
principals and the tenets to those masons who
joined its ranks.
The first Craft Lodge the North Australia Lodge
formed in Queensland was constituted in
Brisbane on 13th July 1859 under the English
Constitution when Queensland was part of the
colony of New South Wales. Queensland was
not formed until five months later on the 12th of
December of that year. The first Royal Arch
Chapter, the Prince of Wales was formed on the
21st February 1865, again under English
constitution. The second Chapter to be
constituted was Brisbane Queensland but this
time under the Scottish Grand Chapter. An
other early Chapter in Brisbane, was the St.
Patrick Chapter in 1867, but this time it was
under the Irish Constitution.
From this time on, Royal Arch Freemasonry
flourished as did Freemasonry with the expansion
of Queensland. There were several moves in the
Fraternity to form a Queensland Grand Lodge as
the other States had already done by
amalgamating all the Lodges in their States,
holding Charters from the three Grand Bodies of
England, Scotland and Ireland. It was not until
1921, some 20 years after the last of the other
States, Western Australia , had done so.
Moves were already afoot in the Royal Arch to
follow suit but opposition from some eminent
Companions in both the Scottish and English
Grand Bodies in Queensland delayed the
Constitution of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch
Chapter of Queensland until 29th January 1930.
At the time of the amalgamation there were 94
Chapters in existence spread across the whole of
Queensland from the Border out to Charleville
and up North to Townsville and Cairns.
Currently there are some 105 Chapters
throughout Queensland and Papua New Guinea.
The Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of
Queensland controls within it's jurisdiction the
degrees of,
Mark Master Mason
Worshipful Mark Master
Excellent Master Mason
Royal Arch
Third Principal
Second Principal
First Principal
Royal Ark Mariner
Worshipful Commander Noah
Most Excellent Master
Royal Master
Select Master
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The History of the Supreme Grand
Royal Arch Chapter of Queensland
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York Rite News & Information
Super Excellent Master
Thrice Illustrious Master
Knight of the Sword
Knight of the East
Knight of the East and West
Most Excellent Chief
These 18 degrees are all fully performed
ceremonies and contain beautiful ritual and
traditional histories to connect the whole story.
Notwithstanding the importance of the Royal Arch Degrees, membership of the Royal Arch is a
prerequisite to being accepted into many other important Orders.
The Masonic and Military order of the Red Cross of Constantine and the Order of the Holy Sepulcher
and St. John the Evangelist
The United, Religious and Military Orders of the Temple and the Order of St John of Jerusalem,
Palestine, Rhodes and Malta
The Allied Masonic Degrees
Knight Templar Priests
Knight of the York Cross of Honor
The Worshipful Society of Freemasons (Operatives)
The members of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter are all wholehearted supporters of the great
principles of Freemasonry, by being active in their Craft Lodges as well as in the community life in the
various towns and cities where they live and promoting, in a most prominent way, charity work for the
aged, Widows and Orphans, and Underprivileged of our communities where ever they may be.
http://www.royalarch.org.au/2011-07-12-04-54-13/history
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The Supreme Council launched a new e-zine to help keep the Brethren
apprised of current events and other useful news in the Northern Masonic
Jurisdiction.
Scroll to the bottom of the website (http://scottishritenmj.org/) to sign up
for e-mail delivery.
The Northern Valley has done a great
job communicating with the members
on events and news through
technology like Facebook, podcasts,
The Northern Light and now using
quick email blasts to offer timely
information instead of having to wait
for the printed version.
I applaud the Scottish Rite Northern
Masonic Jurisdiction for embracing
new technology and reaching its
members through the tools that we are
using.
FROM THE FIRST RITE NOW
Today the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite announces the launching of a new publication -
or, rather, an E-zine - to keep our members informed of the goings-on of our fraternity. As we approach the
two-century mark we need the ability to connect with our Brethren with ever increasing timeliness.
The Northern Light will remain as the premier communications vehicle jurisdiction-wide, and our excellent
Valley publications will continue to serve the membership on a local level, but Rite Now gives us the
opportunity - and gives you, the member - the ability to reach out more often and much more quickly to our
Brothers to keep them informed of events and news. We will feature stories that are much shorter than those
you might see in a traditional magazine or newsletter. The articles will also tend to be more immediate. For
example, we will list the upcoming Degree Dates for the month in case you plan on visiting a nearby Valley.
We might announce a fundraising event that will be happening within the month. We may also lead you to
stories appearing on our website: ScottishRiteNMJ.org.
In short, we plan to give you news that you can use right now. Welcome to Rite Now.
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The following series of articles will explore the 4
th
through the 32
nd
Degrees of the Scottish Rite in the
United States, with a look at the history of each
Degree, and how they are worked today, in both the
Southern Jurisdiction and Northern Masonic
Jurisdiction. Where I am able to access information
for the Rite in other countries, I will have that
information worked into each article where
appropriate.
In many countries, the Scottish Rite is a complete rite
of 33 Degrees. In the United States, and in countries
working Freemasonry under the English Constitution,
Irish Constitution, and Scottish Constitution, this rite
covers the 4
th
through the 32
nd
Degrees. In these
countries, the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite
works with the Grand Lodges, and assumes no right
to work the first three symbolic Degrees. In most of
the Anglophone Masonic world, the 4
th
Degree is the
first exposure one gets to the Scottish Rite. In the
United States, rituals of the mid-19
th
century in both
jurisdictions suggested that Candidates for the
Degrees become familiar with the three symbolic
Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.
For more information on the Scottish Rite symbolic
Degrees, please see my articles in the January
(Entered Apprentice), February (Fellow Craft), and
March (Master Mason) issues.
In the United States today, candidates for the Scottish
Rite receive the Degrees at a Reunion. This term is
used, because it is a time for the Brethren of the
Valley to return together, to share Brotherhood, and
to educate the new members. Reunions may be once
or twice a year, and the time frame may vary. Some
Valleys offer a one-day Reunion, many take place
over the course of a weekend, and some will take
place over two weekends. One Valley, the Valley of
Minneapolis, MN, does have a one-day Reunion, but
also offers a 13 week program that does present all 29
Degrees, twice a year. The short amount of time in a
Reunion does not permit all of the Degrees to be
experienced by a Candidate, so both the Northern
Masonic Jurisdiction and the Southern Jurisdiction
have Mandatory Degrees that MUST be participated
in before a Brother is considered to have earned the
32, and in each Jurisdiction, both the 4 and 32
must be conferred.
The Southern Jurisdiction consists of four bodies: the
Lodge of Perfection, 4 to 14; the Chapter of Rose
Croix, 15 to 18; the Council of Kadosh, 19 to 30;
and the Consistory of Masters of the Royal Secret,
31 and 32. The Degrees a Candidate must receive to
become a Master of the Royal Secret at the 4, 14,
18, 30, and 32. These are the initial Degree of the
Scottish Rite, and the terminal Degrees of each
body.
The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction also consists of
four bodies: the Lodge of Perfection, 4 to 14; the
Council of Princes of Jerusalem, 15 and 16; the
Chapter of Rose Croix, 17 and 18; and the
Consistory of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret,
19 to 32. The Degrees a Candidate must receive to
become a Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret at the
4 and 32 and any other three Degrees between these
two, known as the bookend system.
In the Southern Jurisdiction, the 4 is called Secret
Master, and follows the Symbolic Degrees of Scottish
Rite Masonry. This is why Albert Pike strongly
encouraged the use of those Degrees for educational
purposes before a Candidate began his Scottish Rite
journey. The Secret Master Degree takes place in a
place representing the Temple, in mourning, over the
death of G.M.H.A.. This, the first of the Degrees of
the Lodge of Perfection, lays the foundation for the
succeeding Degrees. The Candidate is introduced to
the Kabbalah
1,
which he must have at least some
familiarity with, or a complete understanding of
Freemasonry is impossible.
In the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, the 4 is called
Master Traveler. This Degree does not follow the
Degrees of the Symbolic Lodge, but serves instead as
a ritualistic preview to the Scottish Rite. The
Exemplar meets his guide through the Scottish Rite,
followed by scenes in which he encounters a selection
of characters and dialogue passages from various
rituals of the upcoming Degrees. There are four
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scenes, representing each of the four bodies, and in
each, the Candidate encounters some of the
characters, philosophy, and dramatic situations he
will experience on his journey.
In the Francken manuscript of 1783, a Lodge of
Secret Masters is convened, as there is a vacancy in
the ranks of those who guard the unfinished Sanctum
Sanctorum. In this version of the Degree, which was
given to Francken by Stephen Morin, there are no
penalties for the violation of the Obligation, and the
Candidate (called a Neophyte) is not hoodwinked. In
order to advance to this Degree, the Candidate should
be a Past Master of the Symbolic Lodge. The
Obligation does contain a vow of secrecy, and a
pledge of obedience to the Supreme heads of all
Masonry. The initiate is crowned, with laurel and
olive leaves, and is given the apron of this Degree,
and a key, explained as emblems of fidelity,
innocence, and discretion. The sign is the Sign of
Silence.
The rituals of Frederick Dalcho are important to both
the Southern Jurisdiction and the Northern Masonic
Jurisdiction. He was a member of the first Supreme
Council, 33, at Charleston, South Carolina. His
manuscripts were used in that original jurisdiction,
later to become known as the Southern Jurisdiction,
as well as in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Ill.
Giles F. Yates, 33, was a member of both Supreme
Councils, first the Southern Jurisdiction, and later the
Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, where he became
Sovereign Grand Commander, and was in possession
of the Dalcho rituals.
In this version of the ritual, the Candidate must be
examined in the ante-chamber, by the Master of
Ceremonies, in both the secrets of the Symbolic
Degrees and in those of the Chair. He is introduced as
a Past-Master who wishes to be initiated into the
Sublime Grand Lodge of Perfect Masons. Nine names
of God, given to Moses on Mt. Sinai are given to the
Neophyte, along with their explanations. Together,
they are said to compose 888 letters and 72 names,
which can be found in the Kabbalah and the Angels
Alphabet,
2
along with the Ineffable
3
name. The new
Secret Master is told that he will have these mysteries
explained to him in the Degree of Perfection
4
. The
Hebraic Characters signifying these names are located
around a golden Delta, and are called awful
characters, meaning characters that are to inspire
awe, rather than the modern meaning of the term.
In the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, Enoch Carson,
working from a ritual of Killian Van Rensselaer,
revised the ritual in 1853. In this version, there was a
long opening ceremony, in which the duties of each
officer were given, as they are in the Symbolic
Lodge, but also included the presentation of the jewel
each office. This rewritten ritual also introduced the
penalty of having my lips sealed in everlasting
silence in the Obligation. The Neophyte was also
veiled, having his eyes covered.
The ritual given to Albert Pike by Albert Mackey,
then Secretary of the Supreme Council for the
Southern Jurisdiction, after his initiation into the Rite,
in 1853, is similar to those previously mentioned. In
this version, the presiding officer, representing
K S ,isstyledMostPuissant(MostPotent),and
the Warden, styled Inspector, represents Adoniram,
who oversaw the completion of the construction of
the Temple, and, in something I found in this version
of the ritual, but not the other older ritual I studied,
whom Masonic Tradition informs us was the Father-
inLawofG M H A .Alsointhisversion,
when describing the Hebraic Characters, we are
informed that they represent a thing above the
common knowledge of mankind, which I dare not
pronounce, although it is permitted to do so within
the Lodge.
Pikes first revision of the 4
th
through the 32
nd
Degrees, his untitled edition of 100 copies, was
completed in 1857, and called the Magnum Opus by
Mackey. This ritual was never used by the Southern
Jurisdiction, but was the basis for much of the ritual
still used today. In the Secret Master Degree, the
Master,representingK S ,isstyledThrice
Puissant, and there is still only a single Warden
(Inspector) in the West. Pike continued to revise the
rituals between 1861 and 1883.
The Candidate is examined in the work of the first
three Degrees, to ensure that he is entitled to receive
this Degree, and asked if the Masters Lodge to which
he belongs is satisfied with his conduct and behavior.
It is noted that this is the last time it is necessary to
examine a candidate in any work other than that of
the degree immediately preceding that for which he
wishes to advance. We are informed that the three
sides of the Triangle, jewel of the Master, represent
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Scottish Rite News & Information - Featured Writer- Jacob Lucas
the three Divine Attributes much spoken of by
Masons: Wisdom, which conceived, Power, which
created, and Harmony [often incorrectly styled
Beauty], which regulates and preserves, the
Universe.
In the chapter on Secret Master in Morals and Dogma,
Pike informs us that Masonry and the symbols used in
the Degrees come from a time where the purpose of
using symbols was not to reveal, but to conceal. By
having begun the Masonic journey, a man is now upon
the path towards the summit of the mountain of Truth.
Whether or not he reaches the pinnacle is dependent
upon his own actions. I find myself agreeing with Pike
that the true Mason is one who seeks knowledge, the
most genuine and real of human treasures.
Charles T. McClenachan wrote the rituals used in the
Northern Masonic Jurisdiction in the period shortly
after the Civil War, though his work was already being
revised by 1871. The influence of Pikes ritual revision
in felt in this version of the Degree, where the Master,
stillrepresentingK S ,istitledThricePotent.
McClenachan describes the aprons used in the
Ineffable degrees in both jurisdictions, with those of
his Northern Jurisdiction being triangular, while those
in the Southern Jurisdiction are square. He informs us
that
[i]n the Ineffable degrees, every
lesson taught is connected directly or
indirectly with this or a future
world. The whole system tends to
promote the glory of God and the good
of mankind. In the symbolic degrees,
these things are taught generally; in
the Ineffable and Sublime degrees, in
detail.
In the Southern Jurisdiction Secret Master Degree in
use in 1955, the Degree takes place within the Holy of
Holies of the First Temple at Jerusalem. The Lodge
represents a meeting of the seven Princes of Israel,
immediatelyafterthedeathofG M H A ,and
before his murderers were discovered. The Venerable
MasterrepresentsK S andtheSeniorWarden,the
sole Warden, in the West, represents Adoniram. The
Aspirant for this Degree is conducted around the
Lodge while passages from the Bible are read,
reminders of his relationship with Deity. The Aspirant
is informed that Masonry is Duty, and that the broad
highway of Duty leads to Truth and Light.
In the current Secret Master Degree, the Candidate is
still informed that Duty is its own reward, the one great
law of Masonry. The Venerable Master (not said to be
representing any personage) sits in the East, and two
Wardens sit in the West corners. During the obligation,
the Candidate vows allegiance to the Supreme Council.
The passing from the Square (earthly) to the
Compasses (spiritual) is explained.
In the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, the ritual was
revised in 2004, becoming known as Master Traveler,
in response to shortened or one-day reunions, allowing
Candidates to experience fewer Degree
exemplifications. Some Grand Lodge Jurisdictions
were advancing Candidates from Profane to the 32
nd
Degree in the same day. The purpose of the revised
ritual was to give an introduction to the total Scottish
Rite experience as the Candidate crossed the threshold.
He is to identify with the exemplar, who passes
through four scenes each representing one of the four
Bodies of the Rite encountering some of the
characters, philosophy, and dramatic situations
presented through the other Degrees.
In the current Master Traveler Degree of the Northern
Masonic Jurisdiction, Candidate encounters some of
the characters, philosophy, and dramatic situations that
will be experienced during the Scottish Rite journey.
He will come across moral challenges and dilemmas,
but these are left unresolved at this time, until each
specific Degree is witnessed.
A prologue opens this Degree, welcoming the
Candidates and explaining the Reunions. As the first
scene opens, the Candidates are to identify with
Brother Hiram, who will be conducted through this
Degree by Guides
5
.
The second scene is concerned with the Lodge of
Perfection (the 4 through the 14). The scene
represents an Old Testament setting, with characters
from the 8 (King David and Solomon) and the 12
(Joseph and Sepa). It is explained that the Lodge of
Perfection illustrates Old Testament truths, which can
be used to guide each of us toward our own moral
perfection.
The third scene depicts the 16, from the Council of
Princes of Jerusalem, in the (Continued on page 60)
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Persian court of King Darius. The Guide reinforces to
the Candidates that it is the truth of the world of a man
and Mason that is what really counts, not his outward
appearance.
The fourth scene reveals the Chapter of Rose Croix,
the 18. Here, the Candidate is reassured that although
Masonry is not a religion, in the Scottish Rite, we do
strive to be religious. The dignity of God is within us.
The final scene of this opening Degree is set during the
31, representing a Consistory of Sublime Princes of
the Royal Secret. If more than one Guide was used, the
original is now acting as conductor. This scene is
composed of several modules, each representing one
of the 14 Degrees from the Consistory. The 20 and
31 modules are mandatory, along with at least two
modules from the 22, 23, 24, 26, and 27.
Many of these scenes and cast members representing
this final body of the Rite are distinctly set in America,
rather than in the ancient past, showing the
timelessness of the lessons to be learned.
I was also able to access rituals for Italian and Dutch
versions of this Degree. In both of these Supreme
Councils, the name of the Degree translates to Secret
Master. The ritual in Italy as well as the Dutch ritual,
in versions from both the 19
th
and 21
st
centuries, is
close to that still used in the Southern Jurisdiction.
Duty, Secrecy, and Silence are all Virtues to be
practiced. This Degree sets the foundation for the
Lodge of Perfection, the Ineffable Degrees, where the
Aspirant truly will be guided towards improving
himself in Masonry.
Footnotes
1. Also spelled Kabala,Cabala or, Qabala. The term comes
from the Hebrew word meaning receiving, a method of
explaining the relationship between Deity and His creation.
Traditionally, when spelled with a K, it refers to the
Jewish traditions, with a C, to Christian teachings, and
with a Q, to Hermetic studies. In these articles, I will use
the term Kabbalah throughout.
2. Probably referring to the Enochian language of John
Dee, supposedly the language used to create the universe in
ten utterances.
3. Meaning too sacred to be uttered.
4. The 14
th
Degree
5. In the Master Traveler Degree, there can be between one
and three Guides. If two or three are used, the first Guide
will also conduct the Candidate in Scene Four
Sources
DeHoyos,Arturo,33,G C . Scottish Rite Monitor and
Guide, 3rd Edition Revised and Enlarged, 2011.
Washington, DC. The Supreme Council, 33
DeHoyos,Arturo,33,G C . Masonic Formulas and
Rituals Transcribed by Albert Pike in 1854 and 1855. 2010.
Washington, DC. Scottish Rite Research Society
Hutchens,RexR.,33,G C . A Bridge to Light, 3rd
Edition, 2006. Washington, DC. The Supreme Council, 33
Francken, Henry A., Francken Manuscript, 1783.
McClenachan, Charles T., 33, The Book of the Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, 1867.
Partridge, Irving E., Jr., 33, The Rituals of The Supreme
Council, 33, AASR for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction,
United States of America, 1976. Supreme Council, 33,
AASR, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.
Pike, Albert, 33, Magnum Opus or The Great Work, 1857.
Pike, Albert, 33, Morals and Dogma, 1871.
Schwartzberg, Scott, 32, The Scottish Rite: Southern and
Northern Jurisdictions, 2011, unpublished. Forwarded to
me by W. Bro. Cory Sigler, and used by permission of the
author.
Trexler, C. DeForest, 33, The Degree Rituals of The
Supreme Council, 33, AASR for the Northern Masonic
Jurisdiction, United States of America, 2008. Supreme
Council, 33, AASR, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.
Rituals of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Northern
Masonic Jurisdiction, USA. 4 - 32, August 2011. Supreme
Council, 33, AASR, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.
Ordo ab Chao: The Original and Complete Rituals, 4
th
-33
rd
Degrees of the first Supreme Council, 33
rd
Degree at
Charleston, South Carolina, 1995. Transcribed from newly
discovered manuscript rituals in a private collection.
Claimed to be transcribed from rituals belonging to Giles F.
Yates, 33, member of both the Supreme Councils for the
Southern Jurisdiction and the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.
Rituale per la Loggia di Perfezione dei Maestri Segreti (IV
Grado)
Rituaal voor de Graad van Geheim Meester
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By JEFFREY CROTEAU
Who was Prince Hall and why did he start his own
Masonic organization?
A leading citizen in Bostons eighteenth-century
black community, Prince Hall (1738-1807) was an
abolitionist who petitioned the Massachusetts
legislature to end slavery and a Methodist who
campaigned for schools to educate the African-
American children of Boston. Hall was a leather
dresser by trade who, in 1777, supplied drumheads to
the Regiment of Artillery. Drawn to Freemasonrys
values and
opportunities, Hall, a
former slave, tried to
join Bostons Masonic
lodges in the early
1770s, but was denied
membership.
African-American mens
participation in
Freemasonry is generally
traced back to the March
6, 1775 initiation of Prince
Hall and fourteen other
black men in Lodge No. 441, a British military lodge
attached to the 38th Regiment of Foot. A year later, the
military lodge that had initiated Hall was leaving
Boston, but before they left, the lodge granted Prince
Hall and his Brethren authority to meet as a lodge, bury
their dead, and march in processions for St. Johns Day.
However, they were not given authority to confer
degrees or perform any other work. With this
authority granted to them, Prince Hall and his Brethren
organized as African Lodge No. 1, on July 3, 1775, with
Hall as Master.
In order to become a fully functioning lodge that could
confer degrees, African Lodge No. 1, needed to be
chartered. Unable to obtain a charter from a Grand
Lodge in the United States, they appealed to the Grand
Lodge of England and were granted a charter on Sept.
29, 1784, as African Lodge No. 459. It wasnt until later
that those lodges and Grand Lodges that descended
from African Lodge No. 459, chose to give their
fraternity Halls name to distinguish it from the
predominantly white mainstream lodges that
generally excluded blacks throughout the 19th and part
of the 20th century.
Researching Prince Halls
Biography
Mythology and inaccuracy have
dogged historians interested in
learning more about Prince Hall.
Finding reliable biographical
information is challenging. This
is mostly complicated by the fact
that William Grimshaw's 1903
book Official History of
Freemasonry Among the Colored People in North
America contains a number of factual errors (and some
material that appears to have been purely invented), but
was used as a definitive source for many years,
spreading the inaccuracies about Halls life much
further beyond Grimshaws book. The Phylaxis Society,
an international organization of Prince Hall
Freemasons dedicated to studying the life of Prince Hall
and researching the history of (Continued on page 62)
Prince Hall- Masonry and the Man
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Prince Hall Freemasonry, has done an excellent
job researching and reporting the facts of Prince
Hall's life, while at the same time refuting the many
errors found in Grimshaw's book. Their ongoing
research into Prince Hall's biography is called the
Grimshaw Offensive and is published both on their
website and in their magazine, The Phylaxis.
Because so few historical records related to Halls
life exist, putting together his biography remains
challenging. Further complicating this is the
popularity of his name; during Halls lifetime, at
least six men named Prince Hall lived in
Massachusetts, with three of them in the Boston
area. In addition to Grimshaws earlier fabrications,
other researchers have sometimes incorrectly
attributed biographical details to the Masonic Prince
Hall based on records that referred to the other
Prince Halls living during the same period.
Bro. Hall was born in 1738. He was an enslaved
person, the servant of William Hall, who eventually
freed him in 1770, writing he is no longer to be
reckoned a slave, but has always been accounted as
a freeman by us. As early as 1777, Hall and other
members of his lodge demonstrated their anti-
slavery position when a petition against slavery,
signed by Prince Hall and seven other black men,
was sent to the Massachusetts General Court
(legislature). This was followed by another petition
against slave trade and kidnapping that was
delivered to the Massachusetts legislature in 1788,
signed by Hall.
In 1797, Hall organized two more lodges African
Lodge No. 459, in Philadelphia, and Hiram Lodge
No. 3, in Providence, RI, both of which worked
under the Boston charter. Halls own lodge, African
Lodge No. 459, in Boston, saw membership grow
modestly over the 23 years that Hall served as
Master. This is partially because Hall and his
Brethren were fairly selective in who they admitted.
One researcher has remarked that compared to all
of black Boston, the African Lodge accommodated
a significant share of comparatively affluent
African-Americans. The exclusivity of
membership in African Lodge No. 459, mirrors that
of other Masonic lodges in colonial America which
drew primarily from the socially elite.
Hall died on Dec. 4, 1807, and is buried in Copps
Hill Burying Ground, one of the sites on Bostons
Freedom Trail.
Who Are Prince Hall Masons?
In most, but not all, states in the United States, they
are officially recognized as your Brothers. Ten
mainstream Grand Lodges still do not recognize their
Prince Hall counterparts: Louisiana, Arkansas,
Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee (Editors
Note - As of 2011 the Grand Lodge of Kentucky
now recognizes their PHA Counterpart .CS), South
Carolina, Florida, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The
organizational structure of Prince Hall Freemasonry
mirrors that of its predominantly white counterparts,
and includes the Scottish Rite, York Rite, Order of
Eastern Star, Shriners, and most other appendant
groups. Although white men are welcome to join
Prince Hall lodges (and some do), the membership of
these historically black lodges is almost entirely
comprised of African-American men drawn to the
fraternitys rich history, which is as old as the United
States itself.
Is Prince Hall Masonry different from your own local
lodge? As Alton G. Roundtree and Paul M. Bessel
write in their book Out of the Shadows: The
Emergence of Prince Hall Freemasonry in America:
Over 225 years of Endurance, Prince Hall
Freemasonry is not a special type of Freemasonry. It
uses the same Masonic suppliers, has similar rituals,
adheres to the same philosophy, acknowledges the
same landmarks, and performs the same Masonic
work. In short, Prince Hall Freemasonry descends
from the same source the Grand Lodge of England
as most American lodges, and a visitor from a
mainstream lodge would not find a Prince Hall lodge
much different from his own.
The Question of Recognition
Throughout most of its history, Prince Hall
Freemasonry was considered clandestine or irregular
by its mainstream equivalents in the United States. It
is interesting to recall, as Roundtree and Bessel do in
Out of the Shadows, that
"From 1784 to 1813, African Lodge No. 459, was not
a Prince Hall Lodge. It was a regular lodge that had
not been accepted by predominantly white American
Lodges. Since they came
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from the same source [i.e. Grand Lodge of England]
and had the same authorization, African Lodge, No.
459, did not seek recognition from other American
Grand Lodges since there was no need to. However,
African Lodge might have been seeking social
acceptance. There is no indication that African Lodge
considered itself to be anything other than a regular
lodge until its Declaration of Independence in 1827."
To many Masons, both Prince Hall and mainstream,
perhaps the thorniest and most emotional issue
surrounding Prince Hall Freemasonry is that of
recognition. As recently as 1988, no mainstream
Grand Lodges recognized their Prince Hall
counterparts, until the Grand Lodge of Connecticut
voted to recognize its Prince Hall counterpart in
October 1989. Today, 41 out of 51 of mainstream
U.S. Grand Lodges have adopted resolutions stating
that Prince Hall Masonry is regular. (Editors Note-
Now 42 out of 51 Grand Lodges recognize. CS)
Further complicating this situation is the fact that
some Prince Hall Grand Lodges feel that there should
never have been any question of their legitimacy and
do not feel that they need a stamp of approval from
mainstream Grand Lodges. Despite these challenges,
mutual recognition has been achieved throughout
most of the United States.
Earlier Attempts at Recognition William H.
Upton
During the 19th century, some mainstream Masons
called for the recognition of Prince Hall bodies. One
of the most interesting cases involved the Grand
Lodge of Washington (State).
In 1898, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of
Washington, William H. Upton, urged his Grand
Lodge to recognize Prince Hall lodges, defined as
those that could trace their origins to African Lodge
No. 459. Upton did considerable research before
reaching his decision. His report, A Critical
Examination of Objections to the Legitimacy of the
Masonry Existing Among the Negroes of America
was first published as a 137-page appendix to the 1898
Grand Lodge of Washington Proceedings. The Grand
Lodge of Washington, under Uptons leadership,
passed four resolutions, one of them stating, in part:
This Grand Lodge deems it to the best interest of
Masonry to declare that if regular Masons of African
descent desire to establish, within the State of
Washington, Lodges confined wholly or chiefly to
brethren of their race, and shall establish such Lodges
strictly in accordance with the Landmarks of Masonry,
and in accordance with Masonic Law as heretofore
interpreted by Masonic tribunals of their own race, and
if such Lodges shall in due time see fit in like manner to
erect a Grand Lodge for the better administration of
their affairs, this Grand Lodge having more regard for
the good of Masonry than for any mere technicality, will
not regard the establishment of Lodges or Grand Lodge
as an invasion of its jurisdiction, but as evincing a
disposition to conform to its own ideas as to the best
interests of the Craft under peculiar circumstances; and
will ever extend to our colored brethren its sincere
sympathy in every effort to promote the welfare of the
Craft or inculcate the pure principles of our Art.
Despite Uptons attempts to put brotherhood above
technicalities, (Upton was likely alluding to the
argument against Prince Hall recognition which claims
that exclusive territorial jurisdiction prohibits two
Grand Lodges within a state), his progressive stance
came at great cost. The reaction of the other Grand
Lodges in the United States was swift and clear: all of
them severed fraternal relations with the Grand Lodge
of Washington. Finding this situation untenable, the
Grand Lodge of Washington rescinded its invitation and
implicit recognition of Prince Hall lodges.
Upton continued to make the case for the legitimacy of
Prince Hall Freemasonry until the end of his life and
asked that no monument, beyond a simple headstone, be
placed on his grave until such a time as the Grand
Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington, or
some other Masonic Grand Lodge now recognized by it,
shall unite with some organization of those Masons
commonly known as Negro Masons. In 1990, nearly a
century after Uptons attempts, the Grand Lodge of
Washington voted to recognize their Prince Hall
counterparts. Nearly 400 Masons, both black and white,
marched together to Uptons grave to dedicate a
monument decorated with Masonic symbols.
Prince Hall Scottish Rite Freemasonry in the
Northern Masonic Jurisdiction
In 1944, Sovereign Grand Commander Melvin M.
Johnson, 33, and five other Scottish Rite luminaries
met with Sumner A. Furniss, M.D., Sovereign Grand
Commander of the United Supreme Council, 33,
Northern Jurisdiction (Continued on page 64)
(Continued from page 62)
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(Prince Hall Affiliation) and four members of his
Supreme Council in New York City. Johnson
described their meeting as an adventure in mutual
understanding for the common good. The two
Supreme Councils issued a joint statement that
declared, among other things, that the exigencies of
the racial situation in this country are chiefly
responsible for the organic separation of white and
colored Masons and that Masonic bodies which are
legally descended from African Lodge No. 459 . . .
have a legitimate Masonic tradition. The statement
concluded, however, that these informal and
unofficial expressions are made in full appreciation of
the difficulties of the problems necessarily involved
as well as with full recognition that the final
responsibility rests upon the Grand Lodges of
Symbolic Freemasonry.
Two years later, in 1946, Commander Johnson was
part of a committee of Past Grand Masters of the
Grand Lodge of Massachusetts appointed to
investigate the subject of Negro Freemasonry.
Echoing William Upton and perhaps drawing on
Johnsons training as a lawyer, the committee bluntly
concluded that
Other super-technical claims of the irregularity of
Prince Hall Freemasonry have been made, none of
which is sufficiently important from a legalistic
viewpoint to require comment. The real opposition to
Negro Freemasonry is rather social than legal.
Their report was accepted and the recommendations
were unanimously voted by the Grand Lodge. This
step forward was short lived. In 1949, the Grand
Lodge of Massachusetts rescinded the approved
report, citing disharmony in American Freemasonry
as a result of their report.
Despite these official decisions, the Supreme Council,
33, N.M.J. and the United Supreme Council, 33, N.J.
(P.H.A.) remained on friendly terms. Masonic historian
Arturo de Hoyos has noted that in the mid-to-late 1940s
a relationship was established [i.e. between the two
Supreme Councils] which resulted in a cooperative
revision of the Prince Hall rituals from the 4 to 32.
These ritual revisions to Prince Hall Scottish Rite rituals
were done with the full cooperation of the Supreme
Council, 33, N.M.J.
In January 1995, then-Sovereign Grand Commander
Robert O. Ralston and then-Sovereign Grand
Commander Samuel Brogdon Jr. of the United Supreme
Council, 33, N.J. met at the Scottish Rite Masonic
Museum & Library and agreed in principle to present a
resolution recognizing the legitimacy of the two
Supreme Councils. Official mutual recognition followed
later that year, with each Supreme Council agreeing that
it would retain its sovereignty and remain autonomous
within its respective jurisdiction. Since 1996, the
Sovereign Grand Commanders of these two Supreme
Councils have attended each others annual meetings as
distinguished guests.
Prince Hall Memorial on Cambridge Common
Today, Prince Hall is honored in Cambridge, MA, as a
Freemason, a civil rights leader, and a Founding
Father. On May 15, 2010, Freemasons from as far
away as Florida and Michigan gathered on historic
Cambridge Common to attend the unveiling of the
Prince Hall Memorial. The memorial stands only a few
feet away from a monument honoring another important
American Freemason George Washington. The
Cambridge City Council established a Prince Hall
Memorial Committee in September 2005. Over the next
five years an artist was selected and funds were raised to
have the memorial erected.
In a September 2005 resolution, the Cambridge City
Council stated that Prince Hall is primarily known as
the first Black man made a Mason in America and also
cited that Hall had established a school organized by
black citizens for black children; and petitioned to end
slavery and the slave trade. For these and other efforts,
the City Council unanimously voted to honor Prince
Hall and his contribution to the city of Cambridge, MA,
and the country by erecting a memorial.
(Continued from page 63)
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Final Words
Thanks to FraternalTies - Find them on Facebook
Dedication to the Craft one spot of ink at a time.
Final
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