the working tools masonic magazine jan 2012

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January 2012 Issue #48

The Seven Liberal Arts

Featuring original papers byBrothers:

Todd Creason 33°

Kyle Ferguson

Charles Harper

Matt Johnson

Lamoni Kitchen

John Nagy

Scott Schwartzberg

Over 50 pages of Masonic Education

Win an autographed copy of John Nagy’s ”BuildingPerpends”. See page 4

*

Get 30% off the Cornerstone Masonic Publishers bookof the Month. See page 11

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This Months Contributors

Scott SchwartzbergRaised in 2007 atUSS New Jersey No.62 in Cherry Hill, NJ,Scott is currentlyMarshall of BoyntonLodge No. 236,Boynton Beach, FL.He is one of thefounding members ofBoynton LodgeEsoteric ResearchGroup (B.L.E.R.G.),a member of the SRBodies at the Valleyof Lake Worth, andYR Bodies of Ft.Lauderdale.

Matt JohnsonMatt is a member ofPioneerLodge #82 in Peoria,Arizona.

He has taught collegehistory courses andcomes from a familyof Freemasons datingback to the 1700s.

Dr. John S. Nagyis a Master Mason andauthor of the“Building Series” ofMasonic Educationbooks. His books andhis workshops coveraspects of Masonrydesigned to BuildBetter Builders. Youcan find out moreabout him, his booksand his workshopsthrough his website at:http://www.coach.net

Todd Creason 33°Past Master of OgdenLodge No. 754 (IL)currently serves asSecretary. Member ofHomer Lodge No. 199(IL) . He is a member ofthe York Rite , CrypticCouncil , Commandery ,Knights Templar. He isa member of the ScottishRite and received the33rd degree from theNorthern Jurisdiction in2011. He's writtenseveral books, his mostpopular the FamousAmerican Freemasonsseries available online &at toddcreason.org.

Kyle James FergusonJunior Warden of KingsburyLodge No. 466, Olyphant, PA.He is a plural member of UnionLodge No. 291, F. & A.M. anda regular member ofLackawanna Chapter No. 185RAM, and the Valley ofScranton AASR NMJ, all ofScranton, PA. He is also amember of The MasonicSociety and a Level 1 MasonicScholar in the PA Academy ofMasonic Knowledge. He is anavid writer and authors the blogThe Philosophical Freemason(http://philosophicalfreemason.blogspot.com). He resides withhis wife in Dunmore, PA.

Charles M. Harper Sr.

Junior Warden KankakeeLodge No. 389. GLof Illinois,Member Of: Valley ofChicago SR, Medinah ShrinersA.A.O.N.M.S, KankakeeChapter No. 78 R.A.M,Owisco Council No. 108Cryptic Masons , IvanhoeCommandery No. 33 KnightsTemplar, Illuminati CouncilNo. 495 Allied MasonicDegrees


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The Working Tools is published monthly by Corsig Publishing & Cory Sigler, It is not affiliated with any GrandLodge. Letters or inquiries should be directed to Cory Sigler, Editor, at E-mail: [email protected] All let-ters become the property of the Working Tools. Photographs and articles should be sent to the attention of theEditor. 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.

Featured Writers

John Nagy..........................................16

Charles Harper...................................21

Todd Creason 33°..............................23

Matt Johnson.....................................28

Kyle Ferguson...................................29

Lamoni Kitchen..................................30

Scott Schwartzberg...…….43 & 49

Columns

This Month in Masonry.........................9

FreemasonQuotes.com......................10

Cornerstone Masonic Book of theMonth....................................................11

One Minute Mason..............................13

Grand Lodge Spotlight.......................14

Old Tyler Talks by Carl Claudy..........15

Book Review........................................18

Word of the Month..............................22

Featured Podcast................................27

Masons in the News............................31

Cover- The Seven Liberal Arts...........37

York Rite News & Information............42

Scottish Rite News & Information.....48

Final Words..........................................53

Click on the pagenumbers to quicklyjump to that page


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TWT CONTEST Win an autographed copy of

this book!Contest dates 1/1/12-1/31/12

Go to the Building SeriesWebsite link below and send mean email with the FOUR answers

to the following:

_____ jam-packed Sections filled

with over ____ categories and

over ____ Uncommon Masonic Oriented Aphorisms

with over ____ pages of quality information with footnotes andadditional Masonic challenges throughout the book.

http://www.coach.net/BP_review.htm

EMAIL TO: [email protected]

SUBJECT- “CONTEST”




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Observing The Craft“The Pursuit of Excellence in Masonic Labor and

Observation”

Available now on Amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com/Observing-Craft-Pursuit-Excellence-Observance/

“One of the most important books that all Freemason’shave to read immediately” - Cory Sigler

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WEL

CO

ME Hello Brethren,

Welcome to the January 2012 issue of The Working Tools Magazine.

Let me start off with wishing you and your family a happy and safe New Years.

We are starting this year off with an amazing issue filled with some of the best material everpublished in TWT. There are several original articles written specifically for us mixed inwith the most interesting articles and news I can find.

Last month we had our highest download numbers ever and that is thanks to you for theword of mouth and emailing of your brethren to tell them about the magazine.

I have big plan for TWT and its only going to get better.

Cover StoryThis month we explore The Seven Liberal Arts. It is the cornerstone of the FellowcraftDegree and the start of our Masonic maturity. The article helps explain what the differentsubjects are and how they are used Masonically. I really think you’ll enjoy and getsomething out of reading it.

Until next time...

Cory Sigler

Cory Sigler, PM Hawthorne Fortitude #200

Find me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/corysigler & facebook.com/twtmag

NEW EMAIL - [email protected]

Last Month’s Poll QuestionHow many Masonic books do you

purchase a year?

"I don't read"110 of 282 total votes (39%)

"1-2"79 of 282 total votes (28%)

"3-4"65 of 282 total votes (23%)

"5+"28 of 282 total votes (9.9%)


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Mail Bag

Send all your comments or questions to [email protected]

Thanks again for a great magazine which Ireally enjoy reading each month. Regardsfrom "Downunder"

Garry Runge (Melbourne, Australia)

Thanks Bro. Garry. It seems like TWT hasa nice following down under. I’m thrilled toknow how far reaching it has become.Cory

Bro. Cory:

Thanks for including the One Minute Mason in yourmost recent magazine. It's nice to be included insuch a well-presented publication.

S&F,

Steve

Bro. Stevethe pleasure is all mine!

S&FCory

Cory:

This is an excellent edition; you have done agreat job. You may want to start charging for asubscription so that you will be able to sustainthis high standard.

I think that the article on William Preston inparticular was excellent.

By the way, I was at the formation of the JoseMarti Council, AMD; it was great seeing itcovered by the TWT. (Dec 2011 issue)

Bob H.

Thank you Bro. Bob. It was indeed an honorto be chosen to join the AMD. I look forwardto the enlightenment. Cory

Hey Worshipful Brother Cory,

Bro Tom Pagliaro here.

I just wanted you to be aware of my correspondencelast night & this morning with Worshipful BrotherNagy and how had it not been for you and yourmagazine I would never have met him or bought hisbooks. Yet again, I thank you for all you do.

Sincerely & Fraternally yours,

Worshipful Noble & Brother Tom Pagliaro 32°

Bro Tom,

I couldn’t be happier to connect you and Bro.Nagy together. You are both two excellentBrothers.

Cory

Bro. Cory:

Just a note to let you know I enjoyed theDecember 2011 issue of TWT magazineespecially the article "The Attic" by Bro.John Nagy. I'd also like you to ask you toinclude the Phoenixmasonry MasonicMuseum and Library in your new links page.

S&F,

Dave

Bro Dave, Thank you for reminding me todo that! The link has been added and Iurge all the TWT readers to frequentlyvisit your amazing website.

S&F

Cory

mailto:[email protected]


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JanuaryJan 2nd- On this date in 1901, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt receivedhis 1st degree in Matinecock Lodge #806, Oyster Bay, New York.

Jan 7th- On this date in 1785, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart received his 2nddegree.

Jan 8th- On this date in 1844 or 1843, the Grand Lodge of Iowa was formed

Dec 12th- On this date in 1886 Quatuor Coronati Lodge #2076 wasconsecrated and constituted in London. It is considered by many to be thepremiere Masonic research lodge in the world.

Jan 13th- On this date (or January 12) in 1818, the Grand Lodge of Indianawas formed

Jan 17th- On this date 1865, the Grand Lodge of Nevada was formed & in1872 the Grand Lodge of Utah was formed.

Jan 26th-On this date in 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle received his 1st degree.On this date in 1866, the Grand Lodge of Montana was formed

This Month in Masonry


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Freemason Quotes.com

Follow them onFacebook(facebook.com/freemasonquotes)

Twitter (@FreemasonQts)

"A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read." -Mark Twain

George Washington: "To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace."

Norman Vincent Peale: "If you put off everything till you're sure of it, you'll never get anything done."

Benjamin Franklin: "Do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of."

Henry Ford: "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."

Andrew Jackson: "I've got big shoes to fill. This is my chance to do something. I have to seize themoment."

Winston Churchill: "I never worry about action, but only inaction."

Benjamin Franklin: "Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing."

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." -Winston Churchill

"We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose ofprofiting by dearly bought experience." -George Washington


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Publisher/Editor/Brother Michael Poll has agreed to showcase a specific title from his vast collection ofavailable books from the online Cornerstone Publishers website found athttp://www.cornerstonepublishers.com. Come back monthly to see what Bro. Poll has picked out for us next .

Readers of The Working Tools Masonic Magazine will get a 30% discount off the retail price of thisbook (plus reg. S&H) all January. To obtain your discount, send an e-mail to:[email protected] and mention that you saw this book in TWT and would like yourdiscount. Cornerstone will total your order and send you a PayPal invoice. NOTE: Do NOT placeyour order at the Cornerstone site. We can not generate the discount if you order from the Corner-stone website. You must send an e-mail to obtain the discount.

THIS MONTH’S SELECTION

“Our Stations and Places - Masonic Officer's Handbook”by Henry G. MeachamRevised by Michael R. PollRetail Price: $16.95ISBN 1-887560-63-7http://www.cornerstonepublishers.com/stations.html

One of the most respected Masonic officer's handbooks has been revised for the 21stcentury Freemason. The various stations of the lodge are examined and practical sugges-tions are offered to help each officer best perform his duties. This revised and updatededition has been expanded to include a new section for the various lodge committees.This is an indispensable tool for all Lodge officers.

This book is a must have for all Lodge libraries. I truly believe that every WorshipfulMaster should have a copy, if not EVERY officer of the Lodge. If it is within yourmeans, purchase a copy for yourself and everyone from the Junior Master of Ceremo-nies to the Senior Warden and everyone in between.

The following quote comes from the books forward. I think it beautifully says how this book was intended to be utilized .“Our Stations and Places is a tool. Like any tool, it is only as beneficial as it is used. If you have the desire to be ofservice to your Lodge and the willingness to apply your creative mind to the improvement of your Lodge, then wonderfulthings can happen. The sky and your imagination are the limits.”

(Continued on page 12)

Cornerstone Masonic Book of the Month

http://www.cornerstonepublishers.com/stations.html


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Years ago I wrote years a review about this title and I am still singing its praises years later. This is what I wrote

"I have to say that this book is wonderful! It details what the officer does, his role in the lodge and to his lodge. Interject-ing personal stories through out gives it a human touch that shows you how it can relate to all of us. If it was up to meevery lodge should have a collection of these books on hand for every officer to read before the installation so he is wellaware of what is expected of him in the upcoming year."

In fact, for the last two years when I presented at the NJ Freemason Leadership Conference I have made it a point to showevery officer who attended the weekend ;long presentations how to purchase this book and how beneficial it will be tothem to re-read it every year as they progress through the chairs .

Cory says “BUY THIS BOOK”

About Cornerstone Book PublishersIn 1995, Michael R. Poll created Michael Poll Publishing as a Masonic reprint book publisher. Soon after, the publishing companyevolved into a used book seller and provided a popular rare book search service. In 1997, Michael Poll Publishing launched its firstwebsite. The demand for quality used Masonic books grew and requests began coming for Masonic gift items and supplies.

In 1998, Lost Word was created to serve as both the on-line retail outlet for Michael Poll Publishing, and as a supplier of unique Ma-sonic gift items. As one of the very first on-line Masonic supply stores, Lost Word quickly rose in popularity, but always remained asmall family store.

Today, Michael Poll Publishing publishes mainly under its imprint, Cornerstone Book Publishers, and is active in the publishing ofMasonic reprints (print versions as well as e-books) and the publishing of new Masonic and esoteric books as well as contemporaryliterature and pulp fiction.

While Cornerstone Book Publishers remain a small publisher, it continues to provide quality books to its readers. Our free search ser-vice is our hallmark and we are happy to search for any hard to find book.

Cornerstone Book Publishers is owned and operated by The New York Times Bestselling writer and publisher, Michael R. Poll, a PastMaster in Etoile Polaire Lodge #1, Cervantes Lodge #5, Germania Lodge #46 (New Orleans, Louisiana) and Hiram-Takoma Lodge#10 (Washington, D.C.). He is a Masonic author and historian, a Founding Fellow and President of The Masonic Society, a Fellow ofthe Philalethes Society, a Fellow of the Maine Lodge of Research and a contributor to Heredom, the publication of the Scottish RiteResearch Society as well as many other Masonic and non-Masonic publications.

Cornerstone Book PublishersPO Box 24652New Orleans, LA [email protected]

(Continued from page 11)

TWT

Cornerstone Masonic Book of the Month


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One Minute Mason Bloghttp://oneminutemason.blogspot.com/

By Bro Steve Harrison

Featured Blog

Ivo Andric (1892–1975), Serbian novelist and shortstory writer. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1961.

Sir Edward Victor Appleton (1892–1965), Englishphysicist who studied the ionosphere andcontributed to the development of radar. NobelPrize for Physics, 1947.

Leon Bourgeois (1851–1925), French statesman,Prime Minister, President of the Council of theLeague of Nations. Nobel Peace Prize, 1920.

Giosue Carducci (1835-1907), considered the nationalpoet of modern Italy. Nobel Prize for Literature,1906.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965),British Prime Minister and author.Nobel Prize for Literature, 1953.

Elie Ducommun (1833-1906), Swissfounder of the InternationalBureau of Peace. Nobel Peace Prize,1902.

Jean Henri Dunant (1828-1910),Swiss philanthropist and founderof the Red Cross. Nobel PeacePrize, 1901.

Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955), Britishdiscoverer of penicillin. Nobel Prize for Medicine,1945.

Alfred H. Fried (1864-1921), Austrian pacifist. NobelPeace Prize, 1941.

Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins (1861–1947), Englishbiochemist who discovered essential amino acids andresearched vitamins. Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1929.

Frank B. Kellogg (1856-1937), US Secretary of State,Senator, Ambassador to England. Nobel Peace Prize,1929.

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), English writer.Nobel Prize for Literature, 1907.

Henri Lafontaine (1854-1943), Belgian Senator.Nobel Peace Prize, 1913.

George Marshall (1880-1959), General of theArmy, Secretary of State, author of the postWWII "Marshall Plan." Nobel Peace Prize, 1953.

Albert A. Michelson (1852-1931), Americanscientist who first measured the speed of light.Nobel Prize for Physics, 1907.

Carl von Ossietzky (1889-1938),German writer, pacifist and Naziopponent. Nobel Peace Prize, 1935.

Wilhelm Ostwald (1853-1932), Latvianchemist who studied catalysis,chemical equilibria and reactionvelocities. Nobel Prize for Chemistry,1909.

Salvatore Quasimodo (1901–1968),Italian author and poet. Nobel Prizefor Literature, 1959.

Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934),Spanish physician recognized for his

work on the structure of the nervous system.Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1906.

Charles Robert Richet (1850-1935) Frenchphysiologist who discovered the phenomenon ofanaphylaxis. Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1913.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) Twenty-SixthPresident of the United States. Nobel PeacePrize, 1906.

Gustav Stresemann (1878-1929) Chancellor ofGermany. Nobel Peace Prize, 1926.

In addition, John Steinbeck (1902-1968), who wasa DeMolay, but not a Freemason, received theNobel Prize for Literature in 1962.


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Grand Lodge Spotlight- Connecticut

History

Freemasonry began in Connecticut in 1750. David Wooster was the charter Master of "The Lodge at NewHaven", which later became Hiram Lodge No. 1. This lodge was formed under warrant from St. John'sProvincial Grand Lodge at Boston.

The Grand Lodge of Connecticut was founded on July 8, 1789 with Pierpont Edwards as its first Grand Master.At the founding of the Grand Lodge of Connecticut, it had 14 lodges with five more being chartered in thefollowing two years. The first lodge chartered by the Grand Lodge of Connecticut was Moriah Lodge No. 15 inBrooklyn Connecticut constituted on October 15, 1790.

In 1887, Hiram Lodge challenged the authority of the Grand Lodge of Connecticut to dictate the style of ritual itwould use.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Connecticut

On October 14, 1989, the Grand Lodge of Connecticut became the first Mainstream Grand Lodge in the UnitedStates to formally recognize and maintain the recognition of Prince Hall Freemasonry. Both Grand Lodgesallow dual-membership rights for its members.

Notable Connecticut Freemasons

Benedict Arnold - Hiram Lodge No. 1, New Haven Samuel Colt - St. John's Lodge, Hartford Pierpont Edwards - Hiram Lodge No. 1, New Haven Israel Putnam Rob Simmons - Coastal Lodge No. 57, Stonington David Wooster

http://www.ctfreemasons.net/

http://www.ctfreemasons.net/


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Old Tyler Talks

I never saw much point in thisjoke about 'sitting up with thesick,'" began the New Brother tothe Old Tiler, "but since I joinedthe lodge I do. I used to think itwas a pretty idea; that a lodgemember should sit up with asick brother seemed realbrotherhood. Now I find wedon't so I see the joke."

"Do you, now! How keen is your sense of humor?"answered the Old Tiler. "Who told you we didn't sit withour sick friends?"

"Why, no one. But if we did, I'd have heard of it,wouldn't I?"

'Depends on the length of your cars. Yesterday I tried tobuy a hat. The salesman showed me one and said it wastwenty-five dollars. I asked him where the holes were.'What holes?' he asked. I told him I meant the holes forthe ears of the jackass who would pay twenty-five dollarsfor that hat. If your cars are long enough, maybe you canhear about our sitting up with our sick friends. But Ipresume you are hard of hearing?

"In small towns a few decades ago, nurses were few.When a brother was sick we often sat with him, hand himwater or medicine, doing what we could. In modern daysthere is less need for such help. But don't think we neverdo. Last month the Master called for volunteers to stayall night in a house where an old lady was dying. Ourbrother from that house was out of town. The old ladyhad a daughter and a nurse, but daughter was afraid to bealone. We had sixteen volunteers, and every night for aweek two did their part. All they did was sit there andread, but who knows what comfort they were to thatdistracted daughter? The old lady finally died and in theday time. It looks as if what we did was wasted effort butthe old lady might have died in the night. our brethrenwere there to help if she did. The daughter knew herhusband's brethren were within call so she slept secure inthe protection Masonry threw about her.

"You say 'we don't sit up.' Don't confuse 'sitting up' withactually resting erect in a chair. No brother of Ellis orany other good lodge is reported sick but he receives acall from Master, Warden, chairman of the committee onthe sick, or some brother. It makes no difference whether

the brother is wealthy or poor, we see what we can do.Most members of the lodge are fairly prosperous citizens,able to look after themselves, but even So a sick memberis human enough to value the interest the lodge takes.Knowing that his mighty brotherhood is anxious abouthim acts as a tonic. The sick man may be too ill to admitus to his bedside, but they tell him about it, and itheartens him.

"I was one visitor and a streetcar motorman was the otheron duty last week. We visited an ill banker, president ordirector in half the companies in town. You never saw aman more pleased than Mr. Rich Man. He had us shownto his room and talked lodge and asked questions andwanted information about the fellows just as if lie was apoor man like the rest of us. He happens to be a realMason as well as a wealthy man. He wrote a letter to theMaster and said our visit had done him more good thanhis doctor, and wouldn't he please send us or some otherbrethren again.

"I called on a sick brother too ill to see me. I saw his wifeand his home and it was easy to see the brother neededhelp. He was too proud or his wife didn't know enough toask for it. So I reported and we sent our own doctor andnurse and paid some bills and generally managed untilthe brother got well. He has paid back every cent, littleby little, but he says he can never repay the kindness.

" 'Sitting up with a sick lodge member' may be a goodalibi for the poker player; I don't know. I have read it injoke papers. But I never thought it funny, because I knowhow well Masonry does care for her sick, and how muchit means to an ill man to have his brother take an interestin him. If you know any sick, tell us. If you hear of any,tell us. And if . . . say, did you ever visit a sick brother?"

"I never had the chance," defended the New Brother.

"You mean you never made the chance!" countered theOld Tiler. "Will you go to the sick committee and ask forduty, or will I report your name for that duty to theMaster? Or do you want to go on thinking it's a joke?"

"I got an earful, didn't I" responded the New Brother.

"You tell me to whom to go!"

TWT


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What determines the degrees of separationbetween the legs of the Compasses?

This question is atypical and is mostlyoffered by minds that look beyond thesurface. It’s founded in a belief that

and thatthere are reasons behind theof what is put forth. This question isalso an indicator that Candidates askingsuch a question and know there

than what appears obvious tothe unobservant.

Even though questions like this one are what Coacheslook for from Candidates, any questions like thisnaturally allude to other ones, such as, “What is itthat actually Raises Masons.” It is in the Light of thissecond question that this writing is put forth toaddress the first.

Why is understanding the basis behind such questionsimportant? The answer to this is that “sharing Lightis a huge responsibility.” As a coach, thisresponsibility rests upon your shoulders. Yourresponsibility is to make sure that the Light you sharehas a and a with otheraspects of the Craft and, more specifically, the Workthat is involved in that Craft. To respondto the first question requires that you possess a deepunderstanding of the interconnections between theactual symbol in question and all that supports thatsymbol.

What you are about to explore is steeped withconnections supporting the Light requested and thebasis behind that Light. Additionally, furtherexploration shall reveal to you some criticalinterconnections that are equally important. Let’sstart connecting the dots to create a picture for youthat brings forth focus as to what is involved.

CompassesThe original question is directed towarda Working tool called, “The Compasses.”Looking at the origin of the word“compass” shows a telltale clue behindthe intent of its naming. The wordcomes from the Vulgar Latin,“compassāre” and originally meant to“pace out.” This meaning points to thefact that the Working tool was originallyused as a measurement tool which

eventually included another function – inscription.

This background is important to know for Masons usethe Compasses in two ways. The Compasses as aWorking Tool is used to perform two primaryfunctions. The first function is that of drawing orinscribing arcs, which is evident by the wide variety ofcircles and arcs found within Masonic symbolism. Thesecond function of the Compasses, one that echoes incharacter the original meaning behind its name, is tomeasure and determine distances. Both of thesefunctions should be understood to continue toward asatisfactory response to the initial question.

To perform the first function,“inscription”, one point of theWorking Tool is placed upon asurface, usually a superficies, ata point that is the focus of thearc or the center of a circle.

The other point is placed uponthat same superficies a suitable

distance from that point. Once positioned, it ismoved about that point in a sweep to create an aptarc, usually a circle. After these actions arecompleted, the result is either an arc or an encircledpoint called a “Circumpunct.” This “sweeping”

function is performed to establish, denote/illustrateand maintain Standards and (Continued on page 17)

?

Featured Writer- John


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Boundaries.

To perform the second function, “measurement”, thelegs of the compasses are spread a known distancefrom each other, usually guided by a predeterminedlength as provided by a standardized grid, scale orguide. Once established, the distance between thetwo legs is used to measure and determine unknowndistances. This is accomplished by pacing or walkingthe compasses from one point to another, countingup the number of steps it took to accomplish this andmultiplying the known separation between the pointsby this number to determine the unknown distance.When a fractional part is involved in the last “pace”,that distance is spanned using the points. Its repre-sentation is then carried back” to a standard “known”measurement to determine the remaining distance.This “measurement” function is performed to deter-mine distances and length ratios

.

As an inscribing Working Tool, they are usually called,“A Pair of Compasses”, “Compass” or “Compasses.”As a measurement Working Tool, they are usuallycalled, “Divider Calipers”, “Dividing Compass” orsimply “Dividers.” Both functions are used in thefields of Mathematics, Drafting, Navigation, MetalCraft and many others.

The CircumpunctAn interesting connection that Masons shouldimmediately draw upon when examining theCompasses’ first function is the result it gives. Theresult of the Compasses’ application in this direction isan arc or Circumpunct. The latter Circumpunct isFreemasonry’s focus at the Blue Lodge Level. Thatvery Circumpunct is what is considered inFreemasonry to be symbolic of a man and the scopeof his actions. The Point is indicative of the man; thecircle is the Boundary in which that man should notventure beyond in thought or in deed. There is muchmore involved though than meets any superficialglance. Let’s explore this further.

The circumference of the circle represents aBoundary. It is not simple a Boundary separating aman from other men. It is far more a direct reflectionof what exists inside the man than anything else. Itis determined by a man’s values and the system ofthought that brought them about. It is shown clearlyby his outward activities.

These activities areobvious Light. There isno better way todetermine a man’s valuesand beliefs than toexamine his actions. Hisbehavior is driven bywhat he values andbelieves. These twoestablish and maintainthe Standards that he chooses to live by. From theseStandards come specific behaviors and ultimately theconsequences that follow them. These actionsbecome a visual display of the limits of operation theman has willfully chosen in his life.

This ascribed circle also displays those limits ofengagement a man chooses with others. Itdemonstrates in real time what a man accepts assuitable exchange between him and others and whathe rejects as unsuitable exchange between the same.It is also an outward expression of what a man valuesand believes about both himself and those in whichhe engages. His manner of respect, honor andappreciation are demonstrated by how he maintainsthis circumference, as are any manners that arecontrary to these.


TWT

Email Bro. John Nagy with any questions orcomments about this or any other of hisarticles. (Online browsing only)


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By B Dr. John S. Nagy. 2009, Promethean GenesisPublishing. 180 pages, paperback $18.00 atwww.coach.net.

Building Boaz is Dr. John S. Nagy’s second bookin his “Building Builders” series. Youdid not miss a review of the first book inthe series last month. I am starting thereview of this series with the secondbook on purpose. This volume dealswith the Entered Apprentice Degree.The third book focuses on the FellowCraft Degree, and the fourth book is onthe Master Mason Degree. Once I havecovered these three volumes, I willreview the first in the series, which hassections on each of the three Degrees.

When Dr. Nagy was Initiated intoour Fraternity, he felt that there wasmore to it than just learning to parrotback the catechism to demonstrate thathe was proficient. He was correct. Hehad a lot of questions about the meaning behind thewords, as did I. He asked questions, but found that theanswers gave him more questions to ask. It seems thatmerely using the required proficiency for a candidatefor each Degree to establish his understanding wasmaking men who were able to sustain the GrandLodge system of Freemasonry, but was doing little toactually do what we tend to tell people we do –namely, to take good men and make them better. Byuncovering meaning in the ritual, Nagy foundmethods to actually improve the self. This is not theLodge making the man better, but the man working tomake himself better.

Nagy decided to use the question and answerformat of the ritual catechism in this series of fourbooks to elicit the answers that he found. While ittook a little while for me to get into the rhythm ofreading this style of book, it did make sense, and Ifollowed along in the author’s footsteps.

Nagy did not use any currentlyused ritual when creating hiscatechisms, so as not to draw the ire ofany Grand Lodges, while still craftinga useful working tool for the Masoninterested in self-improvement. Heused older catechisms and rituals,which are still relevant for thispurpose.

Building Boaz is the work of theEntered Apprentice. Prior to readingthis, I thought that I had done the workby proving I memorized a portion ofritual, reciting it in open Lodge. Thisbook opened my mind… no, it blewmy mind. The work of this Degree is

not merely to gain a partial understanding of theforms of our ritual… but to actually DO THEWORK!

The Entered Apprentice is the foundationalDegree of Freemasonry. In order to build a sturdystructure, the builder must first create a strong foundation. Failure to do so will be like building ahouse of cards, which cannot stand against a wind.Failure to build an internal foundation forFreemasonry will also result in a flimsy final


BOOK REVIEW

By Scott Schwartzberg

“BUILDING BOAZ: UNCOMMON CATECHISM FOR UNCOMMONMASONIC EDUCATION, VOLUME 2.”


19www.twtmag.com

structure. The purpose of this Degree is to act uponthe brain, preparing the student to learn.

Early in the Florida catechism, the EnteredApprentice is asked why he came to our Fraternity.The answer to this question is nearly the entire pointof this Degree! As Nagy puts it, “It is to examine andrectify your Morals in the Light of all which youprofess to be Sacred. It is to assure that all that canweaken your Stone is removed while you Strengthenyour core.”

Nagy goes through the meaning behind this in aseries of twelve catechisms, which also give anexplanation for many of the symbols in the Degree.Each one of these acts as a chapter, with anintroduction before the questions and answers. Thisbook does not reveal any great secrets; it is a toolwhich can be used by the attentive Mason to removesome of the veils which obscure our work.

The first catechism, The Contented Container,deals with an exploration of our Fraternity – what it is,what it is meant to do, and how. Others, such as TheThreshing-Floor, include a study of metaphor,including why some metaphors were specificallychosen by the creators of the Craft. Nagy delves

deeply into symbolism, and while the explanationsgiven by him in this question and answer form may behis own interpretation, when taken as a whole, theyhelp form a more complete picture of theresponsibilities of a Freemason. In this book, thefocus is indeed on the work of the Entered Apprentice.

The first time I read Dr. Nagy’s series of books, Istarted with Volume 1, which seemed logical. Thatbook, however, deals mainly with the interconnectionsbetween the Degrees. When I re-read the four books,in preparation for Dr. Nagy’s “Building Builders”seminar at our Lodge, I decided to start with Volume2, Building Boaz, and focus on the EnteredApprentice first, then move on the Fellow Craft, thento Master Mason, and finally to the unified volume,and that is the order in which I will be reviewing thesebooks.

I highly recommend this book, along with theothers in this series. I have developed deeper insightinto the Degrees as a result of doing the work of theDegrees. I am not referring only to that which Dr.Nagy uncovered while doing his research, but also tothe thought processes which have been inculcated inme, helping me to do my own research.


TWT

http://www.yorkrite.org/MasonicWeek/index.html

MASONIC WEEK 2012 Feb 8, 2012 - Feb 12, 2012

BOOK REVIEW

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Do you wonder sometimesif you have yet to make theideas and principles ofFreemasonry your own? Isometimes witness the pushof others to have newmembers memorize ritual,eager to make them

contributors to degree work. But, is this the rightimpression to be given to a Man who has been aMason all of five months? He has yet to comprehendthe massive amounts of information needed just tounderstand which aspect of the many definitions ofour speculative world he might identify.

It seems sometimes that when an individual comesalong and does well with the memorization of thecatechism, that he will be good at doing ritual work.Well, one day he might. But, until he comprehendsthe ideas and concepts presented in the ritual andlectures, he can’t perform the ritual with any kind ofreal feeling that will impress upon the mind of acandidate the importance of our institution.

A Freemason is a free-thinking man. To be free-thinking, one must go beyond the ritual andpreviously stated summations of our work and definewhat it means to him personally. Our Grand Lodgeasks the question, “Who are you going to be?” Theanswer to this question is found when a Masondevelops his own Masonic identity.

A Masonic identity should develop when discussionsabout the understanding of ritual causes a Brother toreflect on his own moral and ethical beliefs and anenlightening moment promotes new thoughts of self.Basically, you think of new thoughts about pastsituations in your life and define what you could’vedone within the scope of Masonic concepts next time.If you have memorized the ritual and are still actingand thinking in the same narrow scope you did beforebeing initiated into the Fraternity, you are definitely

missing the point of the journey. You have not “freedyour mind”.

I believe this entire process of making a good manbetter starts with the intender and his candidate. Arewe meeting with the Brother every couple weeks andmaking him regurgitate words back at us? Or, are webreaking down what the material means to himindividually. Our mind set when instructing shouldalways be to produce men that can go out into theworld and represent themselves not just asFreemasons, but as a positive individual that inspiresothers to be better people. This takes time,dedication, patience and the investment of yourselfinto your new Brother.

To me, Freemasonry is not a business in which I‘m amember, it is a everyday, personal journey ofimprovement in mind and spirit. Every candidateshould put on the right path to receive this gift. Theonly way they will find it is if we help them makeFreemasonry personal to them. We are not in thebusiness of building Parrot Masons, we buildFreemasons. I pray we are encouraging our newBrothers to be the very best of themselves by givingthem time to develop into the Freemasons they aregoing to be before we put them into positions to teachothers.

Humbly submitted,

Brother Charles Harper

Kankakee Lodge #389

TWT


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WORD OF THE MONTH

Masonic Symbolism & Words Brought to you byWww.masonicdictionary.com

This Month’s Word is:

Communication, Masonic

The term communication with respect to Freemasonry is often misunderstood.Communication in this sense means a lodge meeting. Therefore the injunction that aMason is not to hold Masonic Communication with a clandestine mason simplymeans you are prohibited from sitting in the same lodge room. (See followingdefinitions for support) - Source: MasonicDictionary.com

There is some dispute as to the origin of this word but usually it is held to have comefrom communis, a Latin term for general, or universal, whence our common, commonwealth, communion, communism, communal and many similar words. Tocommunicate is to share something with others so that all may partake of it; acommunication is an act, transaction, or deliberation shared in by all present. From thisit will be seen how appropriate is our use of the word to designate those official Lodgemeetings in which all members have a part or a voice. - Source: 100 Words inMasonry

The meeting of a Lodge is so called. There is a peculiar significance in this term. To communicate,which, in the Old English form, was to common, originally meant to share in common with others.The great sacrament of the Christian Church, which denotes a participation in the mysteries of thereligion and a fellowship in the church, is called a communion, which is fundamentally the same asa communication, for be who partakes of the communion is said to communicate. Hence themeetings of Masonic Lodges are called communications, to signify that it is not simply the ordinarymeeting of a society for the transaction of business, but that such meeting is the fellowship of menengaged in a common pursuit, and governed by a common principle, and that there is therein acommunication or participation of those feelings and sentiments that constitute a true brotherhood.

The communications of Lodges are regular or stated and special or emergent. Regularcommunications are held under the provision of the by-laws, but special communications are calledby order of the Master. It is a regulation that no special communication can alter, amend, or rescindthe proceedings of a regular communication. - Source: Mackey's Encyclopedia ofFreemasonry

TWT


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Featured Writer- Bro. Todd Creason 33°

Edited specifically for The Working Tools by

Author Todd Creason.

On a beautiful summer day, a father took his eight-year-

old son to work with him. They were driving to check out a

future plumbing job. On the way back home, they drove by

a rural airport where an old bi-plane sat in a nearby field.

The father and son decided to stop and check it out. The

pilot, wearing the typical helmet and goggles, was taking

people for rides in the plane. The father asked his son if he

wanted to go up.

“You mean it?” the boy replied.

The father had wanted to fly ever since he’d seen bi-

planes fighting over the lines during World War I. His

young son shared his enthusiasm. After the father handed

the pilot a few dollars, they climbed into the back cockpit

and sat side by side in the small seat, hooking a strap

across them both. The engine revved. They bounced

down the runway until suddenly, they were in the air. The

young boy couldn’t believe how high they’d climbed.

When the plane banked, he could look straight down. As

an elderly man, he still remembers that everything on the

ground looked small, like the buildings and trees on a train

set in a store window. From that day forward, the boy was

hooked on airplanes.

Years later, as a young man, he was flying over

North Korea. He was in a steep diving run in his F9F

Panther, targeting a complex of buildings being used by

the Communist for the staging of equipment and soldiers,

when he saw off to his right the tracer bullets from a

Communist anti-aircraft emplacement streaming past him.

He made a mental note of the location. After dropping his

bomb load, he swung low over the

trees. Then instead of returning to

base, he made a turn toward the anti-

aircraft guns that had fired at him.

Flying low and fast, he drew down on

the emplacement. Firing his four twenty-millimeter

cannons, he watched as the shells ripped the enemy

emplacement apart.

He had only a brief moment of satisfaction as he pulled

up to fly over the emplacement he’d just destroyed.

Suddenly, something struck the plane. He started to roll

over and down toward the rice patty. He was unable to

climb to altitude, and it took tremendous strength to

control the badly damaged aircraft. Being so close to the

ground, his first problem was to keep from crashing; his

second was to avoid more anti-aircraft fire coming from

the hilltops.

He was able to wrestle the plane back to base. After he

landed safely, he was surprised to find one hole in the

Panther’s tail “big enough to put my head and shoulders

through,” along with another 250 smaller shrapnel holes.

That evening, he wrote a poem that, in part, went:

Then off to one side of the tail

A tracer stream did pass.

A thought ran flashing through my mind:

“They’re shooting at my ass.”

Unbelievably, the tail of the Panther was replaced.

She flew again like new—and so would he. A week later, he

was hit again during a napalm run. As he was gliding to

the target at about 8,000 feet, he felt a tremendous

explosion.(Continued on page 24)


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His plane tipped over ninety-degrees to the left.

The other pilots radioed him, telling him he’d been hit,

“something I was already keenly aware of,” he recalled. He

was able to control the plane and returned to base where

he was shocked to discover a two-foot hole in the wing

from a large anti-aircraft shell. In addition to that hole,

the ground crew counted another three hundred holes

from shrapnel, but the pilot had escaped without a scratch.

Because of his gift for attracting so much flack from anti-

aircraft fire, his squadron began calling him “Old Magnet

Ass.”

He flew sixty-three combat missions during his first

tour in Korean. He would go on to fly twenty-seven more

in an F-86 Sabre during his second tour. In the last nine

days of the Korean War, he shot down three MiG-15s.

But it was a flight years later—a flight that lasted four

hours, fifty-five minutes, and twenty-three seconds—that

made this man famous. It was a flight even more

dangerous than any mission he’d flown over Korea, a

historic flight that was not even in a plane.

On February 20, 1962, at 9:47 A.M., the roar of a

125-ton Atlas rocket broke the silence of Cape Canaveral

and signaled the launch of a mission that would

demonstrate to the world that America was still in the

space race. At a top speed of 17,545 miles per hour, one

man was rocketed into the history books. As the rocket

roared toward space, Scott Carpenter put into words from

mission control what most people were feeling as they

watched the historic moment

on televisions all over the

world: “Godspeed, John

Glenn.” Aboard the

Friendship 7, John Glenn

became the first American

astronaut to orbit the Earth.

John Herschel Glenn,

Jr., was born on July 18,

1921, in Cambridge, Ohio.

His father was a railroad conductor who became

proprietor of a plumbing and heating business. John

Glenn and his sister, Jean, grew up in New Concord, Ohio,

a small college town a few miles from the larger city of

Zanesville. As a teenager, Glenn was active in sports,

winning letters in basketball, football, and tennis at New

Concord High School. He earned high grades, served as

president of his junior class, and played the lead role in his

senior class play. After graduating in the spring of 1939,

he enrolled at Muskingum College, a Presbyterian liberal

arts college in New Concord.

Glenn played football at Muskingum College and

continued to perform well in the classroom, majoring in

chemistry. In 1941, he received his private pilot’s license to

earn course credit in physics. When the United Stated

entered World War II after the attack at Pearl Harbor,

Glenn enlisted in the United States Army Air Corp, but

when the Army did not call him up, he enlisted in the

United States Navy as an aviation cadet. He was trained at

Naval Air Station Olathe, where he made his first solo

flight in a military aircraft. While receiving advanced

training at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in 1943, he

was reassigned to the United States Marine Corp. On

March 31, 1943, he became a commissioned officer in the

U.S. Marine Corps and was promoted to first lieutenant six

months later. Lieutenant Glenn married Anna Castor in

April 1943, Later, they had two children, Carolyn and

David.

In February 1944, Glenn received orders to go to

the Pacific as part of the Marine Fighter Squadron 155.

During the next year, he flew fifty-nine missions in the

Marshall Islands campaign, attacking anti-aircraft

emplacements and making bombing runs in his F4U

Corsair. Glenn was transferred back to the States in July

1945, where he became a captain at Naval Air Station

Patuxent River, Maryland.

Glenn remained in the Marines after the war

ended, serving as a member of VMF-218. He flew patrol

missions in North Korea until his unit was relocated to

Guam.




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He became a flight instructor at Naval Air Station

Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1948, and later attended

amphibious warfare school. After he was promoted to

major, he received the assignment to Korea.

After the Korean War ended, Glenn worked as a

test pilot, serving as an armament officer. He flew high

altitude weapons tests of machine guns and cannons, but

his most remarkable accomplishment came on July 16,

1957, when he became the first pilot to complete a

supersonic transcontinental flight. He flew a Vought F8U-

1 Crusader plane from Los Angeles to Floyd Bennett Field

in New York in three hours, twenty-three minutes, and

eight seconds. One story is that as Glenn flew

over his hometown

of New Concord, Ohio,

the tremendous sonic

boom that followed his jet

shook the town. A

neighborhood child ran to

the Glenn house shouting,

“Johnny dropped a bomb!

Johnny dropped a bomb!”

The achievement not only

set a new record but also

earned Glenn his fifth

Distinguished Flying Cross. Later, he was promoted to

lieutenant colonel.

In April 1959, John Glenn received word that he

had been selected for training as one of the original group

of Mercury astronauts in the newly formed National

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In May

1959, seven astronauts began training at Langley Research

Center. In May and July 1961, Alan Shepard and Virgil

Grissom respectively became the first and second

astronauts actually launched into space. John Glenn’s

mission, however, was not only to escape Earth’s

atmosphere and return but also to orbit the Earth. On

February 20, 1962, Friendship 7 was launched into orbit

with Glenn at the controls.

The many Americans and others around the world

who watched the launch didn’t know there was a very

serious problem. NASA officials feared that the heat shield

on Friendship 7 had been damaged during the launch, but

there was nothing that could be done to inspect or repair

it. There was only hope and prayer that the damage was

not so severe as to cause Glenn to burn up during re-entry.

To the relief of NASA, John Glenn splashed down

safely. Celebrated as a national hero, he received a ticker

tape parade reminiscent of Charles A. Lindbergh’s parade

after his completion of the first transcontinental flight

thirty-five years before.

Despite Glenn’s success and celebrity, he didn’t go

into space again, although he wanted to. It has been long

believed that John F. Kennedy himself may have blocked

Glenn from flying future missions—most notably the

Gemini and Apollo missions—because the loss of a

national hero of John Glenn’s stature could have seriously

harmed the fledgling NASA space program or even ended

the manned space program altogether.

Glenn remained close friends with the Kennedy

family, but two years after his historic flight, he left the

space program and retired from the Marine Corps. After

considering a career in politics, he opted instead to accept

a corporate position as vice-president of Royal Crown Cola

International Ltd. Still interested in politics, he supported

Robert Kennedy's 1968 Presidential run. In fact, he was

with Robert Kennedy when he was assassinated.

Finally, in 1974, John Glenn entered politics. He ran in

a bitterly-fought election for Ohio senator and won. It was

the beginning of Glenn’s career as Ohio State senator that

would last twenty-four years.

Glenn made a bid to be vice president with Jimmy

Carter in 1976, but Carter selected Walter Mondale as his

running mate. Glenn ran in the 1984 Presidential election.

He polled well in the beginning, running a close second to

Walter Mondale, but because he was hesitant to use his

fame as an astronaut and an American hero, his candidacy

fizzled. The failed Presidential bid left Glenn with a

substantial campaign debt that took him years to pay off.





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In 1998, John Glenn decided to retire, declining to

run for re-election to the United States Senate. At age

seventy-seven, John Glenn deserved the rest, but he wasn’t

quite ready to be put out to pasture.

On October 29, 1998, the roar of rocket engines broke

the silence of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as the

space shuttle Discovery lifted off for a historic

mission. The seven-man crew included the first

Spanish astronaut, Pedro Duque. It also

included a seventy-seven year old payload

specialist—and recently retired senator from

Ohio—who had been, incidentally, the first

American to orbit the Earth. Thirty-six years

after his first flight aboard Friendship 7, John

Glenn returned to space for a nine-day mission

for which he’d trained hard, both physically and

mentally. Glenn was a member of the crew, as

well as one of the experiments, which tested the effects of

space flight on the aging. He was a perfect subject since

his extensive medical records from his days during the

early years of NASA provided a baseline for the testing.

Upon returning from his Discovery mission, John

Glenn received the same national attention and praise he’d

received after his historic flight aboard Friendship 7. He is

the only man to receive two ticker tape parades in his

lifetime. Even so, he remained humbled by the

experience, stating, “You know, old folks can have dreams,

too, as well as young folks, and then work toward them.

And to have a dream like this come true for me is just a

terrific experience.”

The Illustrious John Glenn 33° originally petitioned his

hometown lodge, Concord Lodge No. 688 of New Concord,

Ohio, in 1964. He was elected to receive the Degrees of

Masonry; however, his increasingly busy life made it

impossible for him to receive those degrees at the time.

Even so, he continued to desire admission in Concord

Lodge. Fourteen years later, on August 19, 1978, John

Glenn was finally able to finish what he had begun in 1964.

At the Chillicothe High School gymnasium with hundreds

of Master Masons present, John Glenn received the Master

Mason degree in a special meeting. After the Master of

Scioto Lodge No. 6 opened the lodge, he turned the

meeting over to Grand Master of Ohio, Jerry C. Rasor, who

in turn opened the Grand Lodge of Ohio who conferred the

degrees.

On April 11, 1997, Brother Glenn

received further light in Masonry in the

Valley of Cincinnati when he received the

Scottish Rite Degrees. He later received

the highest Masonic honor on September

10, 1998, when he was conferred with the

33° of Masonry. Several of his friends

from Washington, D.C., attended the

event. Senate colleagues, Brothers

Charles Grassley and Conrad Burns, were

present as was a former Ohio

congressman Brother Clarence Brown, Jr.

of the Valley of Dayton. It might be interesting to note that

there are two topics deemed inappropriate to discuss in a

lodge of Freemasons because they are topics that divide

men instead of uniting them—religion and politics. This

ideal is obviously something John Glenn very much

believes in. The three friends that joined Brother Glenn at

the conferral of his 33° were Republicans. John Glenn has

been a lifelong Democrat.

If you enjoyed this story, you’ll find this one, and

dozens more like it in Todd E. Creason’s Famous

American Freemasons: Volumes I & II. He also

published a collection of entertaining quotes from

famous Freemasons entitled A Freemason Said

That? All of Todd’s books are available from

major online booksellers like Amazon.com and

Barnes & Noble. They are also available for

download to your Nook and Kindle. Find moreinfo at

http://toddcreason.org/Book_Announcements.html


TWT




27www.twtmag.com

PODCASTS

http://www.thelifemasonic.libsyn.com

“The Life Masonic Podcast”

“A Monthly web radio show produced by The Supreme Council, 33rd Degree ofthe Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdictionthrough the support of The Master Craftsman Program.”

Find in I-Tunes for free http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-masonic/id456720178

Cory’s Opinion

The Life Masonic podcast is exactly what you would expect from a Supreme Council. Professionally sounding andcrafted. The host sounds like he has done this for a long time even though there has only been four episodes to date. Istrongly recommend subscribing to this show to get all the new updates. You definitely do not have to be part of theScottish Rite to enjoy this podcast, the information is general enough for ALL masons to learn from. KUDOS!!

Topics that have been covered are

Ep1- S. Brent Morris, 33°, Grand Cross, the Managing Editor of The Scottish Rite Journal, and all-around well-knownMasonic scholar. Brent talks about his early attempts at research and then explains how you can do it, too.

Ep2 - Dean Alban, the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction’s Director of Membership Services about what he sees interms of membership and the effect of an influx of youth on it. He also shares a story about a recent experience he’s hadwith a young Mason and how even though he is a very unique individual, the reasons he became a Mason are anythingbut.

Ep3- Cornerstones. Specifically, the cornerstone of the House of the Temple, the headquarters building of the SupremeCouncil of Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States. On October 18th, 2011, theGrand Lodge of the DC with help from the Grand Lodges of MD and VA re-enacted the Masonic cornerstone ceremonyof 1911.

Ep4 - Leadership with Ronald Seale, S.G.C. A native of Baton Rouge, LA, Ronald A. Seale has served for 7 years asthe 18th Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the SouthernJurisdiction of the United States, the mother supreme council of the World.

Podcast Description

The Life Masonic is a monthly web-radio show produced by the SupremeCouncil, 33rd Degree of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, USA. Eachmonth we pick a topic concerning Masonic education and then we present youwith stories or insights on that topic from real Masons around the country –some you’ve heard of, and others, we’re excited for you to meet for the firsttime. Our goal is that when all is said and done, you’ve heard somethinginteresting or thought provoking. And if all goes well, perhaps you’ll havelearned something useful and because of that, you’ll feel more connected to ourFraternity then you were previously.

The Host

Bro. Jason Van Dyke is afounding officer and the

immediate Past Master of TheColonial Lodge, No. 1821 inWashington DC. His motherLodge is Benjamin B. French,

No. 15.

Jason is a 32° SR Mason andhave been working for the

Supreme Council for 6 years

TWT

http://www.thelifemasonic.libsyn.com/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-masonic/id456720178


28www.twtmag.com

“Mystery is a Good Thing”

by Matt Johnson

I read a lot about Freemasonry. Where it came from, who put together the first degrees for us,where it is headed and everything in between. I think we are headed in the right direction.Little by little, we are getting our mystery back.

I have said it before on many occasions: I think our future lies with our more esotericbrothers. The brothers who make no excuse for who we are. They make no apologies. CliffPorter, Timothy Hogan, Andrew Hammer and many others are leading the way in thisdirection. Some may say they go to far. I would disagree. When I read their articles onalchemy and other mysterious topics, I am excited to be a Mason!

There are those who would say we have no secrets left. I disagree. We have plenty of secretsleft. I have recently caught glimpses of symbols and concepts in documentaries on Egyptand Africa that remind me of our craft. I have discovered a few things on my own that I haveshared with some of you regarding new clues that lend support to our roots in the KnightsTemplar or at least some sort of Templar influence.

I have also found interesting information on other subjects that lend more weight to the claims of the Old Chargesregarding our origin going back many centuries before the Knights Templar to the Egyptians and others. I have also foundclues from other brothers such as David Harrison that strongly suggest Desaguliers rewrote not only our Hiramic legend,but also truly did plan on the Royal Arch as the completion of our present system.

I have also found reasons to believe that perhaps Desaguliers had universalism in mind when he put his pen in motion. Ihave also found a striking similarity between the teachings of near death experience survivors and our fundamentalMasonic beliefs as well as those of such men as Albert Pike and even Manley Hall. There is tremendous mystery in whatwe do. Those who practice the Scottish Rite understand such things or at least have been given access to it through RexHutchens, Arturo De Hoyos and others.

To let go of this is to make Freemasonry into another fraternal organization that does not stress ritual or esotericphilosophies. No offense to these other groups, but Freemasonry is far older and far more important to the past and Iwould say, future of civilization. The work and dreams of Bacon, Franklin and Washington are far from over. WeGeneration X’ers and Millenials are the new hope of Freemasonry. By sticking to our ancient landmarks, not only will wepreserve Freemasonry, we will become truly good men made better. And asa result of that, society will be blessed. We will shrink in numbers soon asour older brethren depart for their eternal reward, but I believe our numbersare not important as is our quality.

Hold your head high and offer no explanations to the profane. Memorizeritual so that new candidates are taught well and not discouraged by alackadaisical atmosphere in the lodge. By doing so, we will not only attractmore men, we will attract a better quality of man. If the world wants to knowwhat we are about, they can look to our accomplishments…mainly all thebest parts of western civilization since 1717. It is an exciting time to be aFreemason.

FEATURED WRITER

Email Matt with any questions orcomments (online browsing only)

TWT


29www.twtmag.com

I've been engaging in a lot of different discussions overthe past few days with many people about many topics.One thing I've noticed is that, when differing opinionsclash, there is usually a comment about one or the otherbeing "Un-Masonic". This started me thinking if we look atindividual Masonic principles too narrow-mindedly, is itpossible to make them Un-Masonic?

For instance, it is our duty to maintain a level of brotherlylove with each other. Our obligations bind us to this duty.But, we all know that heated discussions happen betweenus. If a discussion becomes heated and passionate, does itmake the conduct Un-Masonic? This is usually theresponse of one of the two parties or sometimes of a thirdparty witness chiming in with, "You guys aren't being veryMasonic."

Or, same scenario, little different circumstances. Youexpress totally opposite viewpoints on an idea or anappendant body that one of your Brothers happens to bevery passionate about. The argument starts civilly andlogically but eventually one side's logic runs out. SomeBrethren, in this situation, tend to hide behind Masonicprinciples as an illogical defense since they don't have alogical argument to continue with. These Brethren areusually the ones that start quoting every line of ritual theycan think of in an attempt to make you feel Un-Masonicsimply for logically presenting your opinion.

This is a gross manipulation of Masonic Principles and isjust as Un-Masonic as the conduct the said principlesadvocate against. Masonry stands for the free expression ofopinion, as long as it is done tactfully. To use MasonicPrinciples in an attempt to squash someone's opinion istotally opposite of its intended purpose.

Here's another example:

Charity is one of the most misunderstood terms inFreemasonry. A lot of people attempt to define Masonry asa charitable organization. In these people's eyes, if a lodgeis not constantly engaged in the donation of money or otherthings to the needy, then that lodge is not doing Masonry.This is another example of a manipulation of a MasonicPrinciple to fit the need of an individual or individuals.

Some Brethren have a strong desire to donate to charity allthe time. This, in and of itself, is not a bad thing at all.Charity is a duty of a Mason after all. But as soon as we

start aligning our Masonicinstitutions strictly by the definitionof charity, we are letting our truepurpose slip away.

Through the work of Masonry in the building of anindividual, charity is simply an end result. Not a definitionof. If a man builds himself into a true Mason, he willundoubtedly be a charitable person. But he will also bemany other things as a result of the same work: intelligent,understanding, rational, logical, etc, etc.

People who want Masonry to be only a charitable order,and not philosophical or spiritual don't actually wantMasonry, they want a charitable order. The Rotarians arecharitable, they are not Masonic. This is another exampleof a narrow-minded definition of a Masonic principle to fitsomeone's specific needs, not a Masonic example to fit theneeds of the Brethren as a whole. Don't get me wrong, youcan never go wrong with being charitable, but once youforget everything else that makes Freemasonry what is,then you don't have Freemasonry anymore. You havecharity with a square and compasses sticker on it.

I can go on and on here (which I may have done already)but I think I made my point. The principles of Freemasonryare the backbone of our philosophy. As soon as we take anarrow-minded and selfish outlook on those principlesthough, they can no longer support the body just as abackbone of a human supports the body.

Be open minded. Realize Masonry is many things to manypeople and not one definition of its principles or outlook onits philosophies is correct. As soon as we becomefundamentalists, we make ourselves no better than thepeople that this Fraternity was started to stand up against.

Here is a great quote by Pope Benedict that I feel really fitswhat Masonry is:

"Be united but not closed Be humble but not fearful. Besimple but not ingenuous. Be thoughtful but notcomplicated. Enter into dialogue with all, but be

yourself."

By Bro. Kyle Ferguson http://philosophicalfreemason.blogspot.com

FEATURED WRITER

TWT


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Most people see MichaelRichards, most famously as“Cosmo Kramer,” and thinkof his classic portrait from“Seinfeld.”

Some are more fondlyreminded of StanleySpadowski, the loveable andprobably brain-damagedjanitor from Weird Al’smovie, UHF.

But others, few others, seeMichael Richards not as a

distant celebrity figure, but as a brother. Michael Richardswas made a Mason December 17, 1998, at the RivieraLodge No. 780 in Pacific Palisades, California. 40 years oldwhen he joined Freemasonry, he was inspired both incomedy and Masonry by Red Skelton. Richards, in aninterview for California Freemason in 2003, said “Youngpeople today need a handrail. For some young men,Masonry could give them that support.” Followers of popculture will remember that this article was written threeyears before Richards’ now infamous rant in an LA club inwhich he blew up and spouted racist remarks to a group ofhecklers.

Seeing as how nothing has been written about Richardsrecently, one is left to assume that he is both still aFreemason and still a comedian. Much was written about theincident when it first happened, both in the news and inMasonic circles, yet five years later, it would seem it wasn’tnearly as big a deal as was made at the time. Many calledfor his resignation from the fraternity, being quick to judgeand saying that such behavior was not properly becoming aMason in the public eye. Did he, for all intents andpurposes, and pardon my French, “lose his shit?” Yes, hedid. Did he make a proper, sincere public apology? Yes, hedid. Did he show that it’s okay to even poke fun at theincident by parodying it himself on Larry David’s show,Curb Your Enthusiasm? Yes, he did. And frankly, it’shilarious. No, seriously; I’m actually going to start watchingthis show if half the episodes are as funny as that little clip.

I started off this article with Michael Richards becausehe’s the most relatable media-Mason I know. Statisticallyspeaking, the average 20-25 year old won’t know RedSkelton, Gene Autry, Ernest Borgnine, Bud Abbot, Cecil B.

DeMille, W.C. Fields, Clark Gable, Gary Burghoff, OliverHardy, Will Rogers, Peter Sellers, Richard Pryor, or DonRickles. Why did all these men seek to join a singleorganization? If you asked the fourteen I listed here, you’dprobably get fourteen answers. Some men join becausetheir fathers or brothers or grandfathers were Masons;others joined because they were looking for a social club;At least one on this list joined because he looked up to aMason and wanted to see what the appeal was. It’sinteresting to note, I think, that while all these men wereknown Freemasons, none of them actually played a Masononscreen. Instead of taking advantage of their positions inthe public limelight, they were just as contented– as aremillions of other Freemasons throughout the world– tosimply live by example, and should anyone ask whatmakes them the way they are, quietly point them towardthe fraternity, as they themselves were probably led. As atotally unofficial, unscientific survey, I would say that halfof the Freemasons I’ve talked with who joined more than adecade ago would say “Well, there was just somethingspecial about someone Ilooked up to…”

This ineffable quality ofbeing admirable and quietlysupporting all good things isexactly what Freemasonryhas sought to support forover 300 years. Morerecently, however, there hasbeen a strong push in thevarious Grand Lodges,especially in NorthAmerica, to be more openand active in the generalpublic– 1/3 of people surveyed recently by a nationalMasonic organization couldn’t even say what a Freemasonwas or had even heard the name before. While the middlepart of the 20th Century saw men becoming Masonssimply because, it was obvious to the fraternity that in thelate 90s, that mentality simply wouldn’t hold. Membershipall over the world declined rapidly, and when the numberswere analyzed, it was discovered– shockingly, to thoseinvolved– that more men were leaving by CHOICE ratherthan death. The steps taken to try and fix this problem willbe covered in my next post.

By Bro. Lamoni Kitchen

TWT


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Masons in the News

“30 Year partnership with Freemasonscelebrated with new memorandum”

The FINANCIAL -- A new Memorandum of Understanding enabling future cooperation andsupport was signed by The University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Professor StuartMcCutcheon and the Grand Master of Freemasons New Zealand, Mr Selwyn Cooper, inAuckland on Friday 25 November.

The signing ceremony took part as part of a celebration marking the 30-year association betweenthe Freemasons and The University of Auckland. The new memorandum reflecting thesignificant and ongoing support of the Freemasons to University research. Over the past threedecades this support has been used for research into care of the aged and into mitigating thecauses and impact of brain diseases effects. The new agreement also signalled future Freemasonfunding for research in other areas and initiatives.

Professor Stuart McCutcheon spoke of the importance of both partnerships and philanthropy toensuring that The University of Auckland can continue to perform at the forefront of research andscholarship that makes an impact on the communities we serve.

To mark the thirty year linkage, a special one-off gift of $100,000 has been made to theUniversity to advance the work of Professor Charles McGhee in the field of age-related maculardegeneration, the leading cause of visual impairment in older people in developed nations. Thisdonation will support a PhD scholarship to enable the completion of a pilot study examining theeffects of treating sustained inflammation in the blood supply and the role of protein in diseaseprogression and maintenance. It is hoped that the study, which will commence in 2012, will leadto interventions to retard or prevent the process that leads to severe visual impairment.

In the same week Freemasons announced a generous donation of $248,000 to enable aFellowship at The University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research (CBR) to develop newdrugs for neurodegenerative disorders. The funding will assist translational research by enablingcollaboration between medicinal chemists led by Professor Margaret Brimble from the School ofChemical Sciences and neuropharmacologists working in the CBR Biobank.

Synthetic chemist Dr Amanda Heapy, the recipient of the Freemasons fellowship, has beencreating a unique library of 2000 bioactive natural product derivatives which will be used asnovel molecular scaffolds to design new therapeutic agents to treat neurodegenerative disorders.

http://finchannel.com/Main_News/B_Schools/98926_30_Year_partnership_with_Freemasons_celebrated_with_new_memorandum/


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Masons in the News

“European Union leaders met with leadersof Freemasonry in Europe”

Brussels, Belgium. European Union leaders met with the Grand Masters ofEurope to discuss about the European future. On 30 November 2011, the EuropeanUnion held a joint meeting with the Grand Lodges and Grand Orients of Europe tospeak about the democracy and prosperity partnership as a form of promotion ofdemocratic rights and freedoms.

Romania, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Germany andGreece were represented at the different Masonic delegations. Gustavo Raffi hasreleased an interesting proposal, current and consistent with EU's policies. Raffi has

proposed "the establishment for youth of thePantheon of the New Spring in theMediterranean".

http://masonicpressagency.blogspot.com/2011/12/european-union-leaders-met-with-leaders.html

The European Union was represented at this meeting by JoseManuel Barroso (President of the European Commission), HermanVan Rompuy (European Council President), Jerzy Buzek(President of European Parliament) and Laszlo Tokes (VicePresident of the European Parliament from Romania).


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Masons in the News

Carol Stream's Dina Rae releases new bookhttp://www.mysuburbanlife.com/otg/otg_now/x278310194/Carol-Streams-Dina-Rae-releases-new-book

Dina Rae, of Carol Stream, recently celebrated the release ofher book "The Last Degree."

"The Last Degree" is a fictional account of how the NewWorld Order plays out in modern day, according to astatement announcing the book's release. Freemason SupremeCouncil members accelerate their plans for a one worldgovernment. They believe their ‘Shining One’ will soonemerge as the figurehead of the globalized world.

Rory Schanck, the ultimate insider, tries to sabotage theSupreme Council’s progress. Once discovered, he winds upmurdered. He leaves his sister, Eileen Schanck, a stolenfortune and information concerning New World Order plans.Feeling threatened, she opts for underground living.

Chicago Detective Dan O'Leary gets too close to solving theSchanck homicide. After being set-up, he is forced to resign.Instead of living out a quiet retirement, he begins a new careeras a survivalist compound specialist. Like his clients, heprepares for a global takeover.

James Martin, an eccentric, wealthy, recovering drug-addict,is reluctantly used as God’s mouthpiece. He and his staffunite with Dan and his other clients to fight off New WorldOrder.

Editors Note- While maybe not the most glowing endorsement for joining Freemasonry, it should benoted that the book synopsis’s found on the next two pages are for works of fiction and therefore Idon’t take too much offense to the subject matter. CS


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Masons in the News

“The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco – review”Umberto Eco's picarasque novel about 19th century Jew-haters is a gift for conspiracy theorists

Peter Conrad The Observer

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/nov/27/prague-cemetery-umberto-eco/print

Imagine Dan Brown adornedwith a PhD: that's Umberto Eco,who before he took up fiction 30years ago in The Name of theRose was a semiotician and amedieval literary scholar. LikeBrown's The Da Vinci Code andThe Lost Symbol, Eco's sixthnovel, The Prague Cemetery,

snakes along an underground trail that twists through theenlightened heresies and bigoted gospels respectivelypropagated by Freemasons and Illuminati, Jesuits and Jew-baiters, before hinting at an ideological conspiracy thatunderlines the deceits of contemporary politics.

The difference is that Brown devises a puzzle and goes on tosolve it, whereas Eco's more highbrow pleasure lies in open-ended mystification. Brown wants us to believe in his cobwebof mystical coincidences and to trust his elucidation of thosecryptic codes. Eco, however, is at best whimsically sceptical, atworst deliberately misleading: for him, the purpose of a story isto tell ingenious lies rather than to arrive at a drearily rationaltruth. Brown's recurrent hero is an academic turned detective, aso-called "symbologist" from Harvard whose special skill is thereassuring decipherment of riddles, while the protagonist ofThe Prague Cemetery is a professional forger, a malcontentwho fakes documents for a living.

In this rambling, ramshackle picaresque novel, the biliousCaptain Simone Simoni slithers across Europe in the pay of onesecret service after another, claiming personal responsibility forthe calumnies that provoked most of the political crises of the19th century. He serves his apprenticeship during Italy'scampaign to liberate itself from Austrian rule. Officially hejoins the novelist Alexandre Dumas in embellishing themystique of Garibaldi; secretly he demolishes the patrioticmyth, exposing the fabled warrior as a short, bandy-leggedmediocrity. Abandoning Sicily for Paris, he stirs up troubleduring the Commune, and goes on to concoct the incriminatingdocument that causes Dreyfus to be convicted of treason. Sideexcursions link him with the Turkish conman Osman Bey andwith the Romanovs in their efforts to suppress the bomb-throwing nihilists. Simonini's customers and victims are allactual historical characters, which enables Eco to suggest thathistory is a tissue of fictions, not a tale told by an idiot but a

text slickly pieced together by self-appointed authorities whoshould never be trusted.

Simonini also dabbles in diabolism, and enjoys hoaxing thehoaxer Leo Taxil, who in 1897 staged a perverse and sexuallyflagrant Black Mass to mock Freemasonry and the Catholicchurch. His masterpiece is a Gothic fantasy about a nocturnalgathering of rabbis who come together in the cemetery in thePrague ghetto, among upended gravestones that might be thepages of a chaotic, crumbling book, to avenge the humiliationsof their race by planning a Jewish coup that will commandeerfinancial and political power. Elaborating their mad schemes,Simonini the crazed anti-Semite sketches the notorious"Protocols of the Elders of Zion", which Hitler called his"warrant for genocide".

Despite the venom, The Prague Cemetery is a literary exercise,a novel that contains a critique of its own artifice. Eco awardshimself the capitalised status of Narrator, and tries to elucidatethe maunderings of two less reliable narrators, Simonini and apriest who is his alter ego. Wittily self-conscious, Ecodiscourses on the difference between plot and story, andsupplies a diagram of their parallel development to help usthrough the labyrinth. This is a book made from a garbling ofother books, with Victor Hugo, Proust and Zola, among its mobof subsidiary characters.

For Eco, the undertaking may be playful, a study of noxiousnonsense that is illustrated with some controversially nastycaricatures of greedy Jews. But some of the million copies ofThe Prague Cemetery already sold in Europe and SouthAmerica have probably been read by fanatics and fantasistswho are eager to be duped by the conspiracy theories that Ecosceptically demolishes. The chief rabbi of Rome has expressedalarm about the violence of Simonini's hatred, and a review inthe Vatican newspaper worried about the zest with which thenovel revives injurious stereotypes. The world we live in –economically shaky, politically feeble, menaced by zealots,with a fearful populace half-elated by the prospect ofcatastrophe yet still urgently searching for scapegoats – is onlytoo similar to that described by Eco in his survey of 19th-century Europe. What may have begun as a learned game, apseudo-historical farrago in the manner of Dumas and Hugo, attimes seems dangerously and reprehensibly close to the truth.

Eco has said, a little snottily, that he wants to appeal even tothose who have the bad taste "to take Don Brown seriously".Would it bother him if these credulous readers missed hispostmodern irony and took The Prague Cemetery a little tooseriously? History is a nightmare, and Simonini's enfeveredbabbling won't help us to awaken from it.

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Masons in the News

JOHNSTOWN - St. John's Day, a day of feasting with ties toboth Roman Catholicism and Freemasonry, was a holidayunfamiliar to many before visiting Johnson Hall this weekend.

Where better to learn of a bi-yearly holiday Sir WilliamJohnson - a master mason who founded St. Patrick's Lodge inthe city - would have celebrated himself?

"This was one of the seasonal celebrations he would haveengaged in," Johnson Hall Acting Site Manager Wade Wellssaid, adding that contained with the Johnson Papers arereferences to invitations to the Albany lodge to celebrate withmason brethren.

The masons dedicate two feast days a year that coincide withthe winter and summer solstice in honor of St. John the Baptistin June and St. John the Evangelist in December.

In Freemasonry, the patron saints are celebrated for moralrather than spiritual significance, according to a brochuredistributed at Johnson Hall on Saturday. The celebration couldinclude a public procession, church service or a celebrationexclusive to members at a regular meeting place, according tothe brochure.

Wells said he's happy Johnson Hall opened for the holidayagain this year after a two-year hiatus.

"Many people say it was an annual tradition for them," Wellssaid.

For others, this year was the start of a new tradition.

Surrounded by colonial-revival style 19th century Christmasdecor, including fruits and fresh green sprays, Judy Marquette,an East Nassau, Rensselaer County, resident, said she lovesvisiting historic sites during the holiday season.

"There are so many authentic touches to it. I like the sense ofgoing back in time. It's charming and enchanting," Marquettesaid.

Gloversville resident Dorothy Holly said she hadn't been insideJohnson Hall in years.

"I thought it'd be nice to see the house decorated," she said,adding that she had never heard of St. John's Day before.

Her daughter Shannon Cubells, said the visit "gets you into theholiday spirit."

U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko visited the site Saturday and said itinspires "such a sense of tradition" and that such sites are the"foundations of community pride."

In the spirit of keeping authenticity in Johnson Hall, the statehistoric site is raising funds to wallpaper Johnson's bedroomwith a special wallpaper made in 18th-century style by AdelphiPaper Hangings in Sharon Springs.

"There were no scraps to guide us to what was exactly hung inthat room," Wells said, but the paper and style chosen werepopular in the 1760s when designers found inspiration in gothicstyle.

The wallpaper will be hand-block painted, Wells explained,meaning that each layer of design is applied to the paper -which is not one large roll but several blocks glued together -using pearwood blocks for each color application.

"It takes a great deal of work," he said, adding that 11 rolls areneeded to complete the room.

There were several other historical sites to see Saturdayincluding the Drumm House, the home of the first schoolmasterin Johnstown, the Old Fort Johnson Holiday Tea at St. Ann'sChurch and the Old Fort Johnson "Deck the Doors" atAmsterdam City Hall.

At the Drumm House, city historian Noel Levee - dressed as aNew York Independent soldier from the French and Indian War- highlighted artifacts in a new exhibit room featuring colonial,Revolutionary Way and War of 1812 artifacts at the DrummHouse that includes artifacts found on the grounds of the Battleof Johnstown during the Revolutionary War.

Johnstown Historical Society Board member Helen Martin saidthe site received many visitors who said they'd lived in the areaall their lives and never been in the Drumm House.

Amanda Whistle covers Gloversville news. She can be reachedat [email protected]

http://www.leaderherald.com/page/content.detail/id/542687.html

Celebrating St. JohnHoliday event draws revelers to Johnstown


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Masons in the News

A SCOTTISH delicacy containing the minced heart,liver and lungs of a sheep was enjoyed by more than100 freemasons on Saturday night.

The traditional Christmas with Haggis meeting ofLodge Caledonian number 14, in Ipswich, was anoccasion not to be missed.

The haggis may not sound like a meal to savour but trytelling that to Lodge Caledonian member Ted Sharp.

Onion, grain, salt and a sumptuous stock are added tothe delicacy that is traditionally cooked inside theanimal's stomach.

"I've been in the lodge for 52 years and everyChristmas we've had a haggis," the former long-serving Lodge Caledonian secretary said.

"When I started, they used to get tinned haggis fromScotland but now Margaret Bryant up in Warwickmakes it ... and it's beautiful. It is about 18 incheslong, a foot wide and six inches thick. It tastessomething like a savoury mince with a bit more bodyto it."

The Lodge Caledonian has been going since 1866,with past assistant master Colin Murray the longestserving member with 62 years under his belt.

Mr Sharp said there were originally "three lots" offreemasons in Queensland- the Scottish, English andIrish.

"They all had their own traditions until 1921 when alot of them joined what was called the Grand Lodge ofQueensland in those days.

"When they were told they had to give up their rites,the Caledonian (lodge) and some of the other strongerones told them where to go.

"We have a Scottish ritual. The story is the same butwe put it over in a different way to the others. Thesestories have been going for about 400 years."

Freemasonry, described as a fraternal organisationwith six million members, has had some outlandishtales associated with it over the years, due mainly to

the so-called 'secrets' that are kept by members. MrSharp revealed a sense of humour when asked whatfreemasons do.

'We don't ride goats ... as some people seem to think,"he joked.

"We've got an altar but we don't kill anyone. On thealtar is a religious book. In most countries it is a StJames Bible. But if someone is from another religion -whether it be Mohammedan, Jewish or Buddhist - theycan have their holy book there too. It's open to anyoneand is not a religious organisation.

"We've given millions of dollars for various thingsover the years. For example, during the Queenslandfloods, we gave a million dollars. The little athletics atGoodna got quite a few thousand dollars from us toregroup again."

The freemasons in Queensland have also beengenerous donors to leukemia sufferers in Queenslandwith donations of more than $1million on severaloccasions.

Mr Sharp said freemasonry was designed "to makegood men better."

"If you obey the golden rule in the Bible then you can'tgo wrong," hesaid.

"It is a charitableorganisation andfor hundreds ofyears, we nevertold anybodywhat we gave. Itis only in the lastfive to 10 yearsthat we havesaid what wegive toorganisations."

Colin Murray, a past assistant grandmaster at the Caledonian Lodge, hasbeen a Freemason for 62 years. The

Ipswich lodge enjoyed its annualChristmas with Haggis meeting at the

weekend.

Taste of tradition

TWT


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Cover- The Seven Liberal Arts

The Seven Liberal ArtsGrammar

Astronomy

Logic

Geometry

Arithmetic

Rhetoric

Music

By Cory Sigler

It wasn’t until college that I learned about the “Seven Liberal Arts” and yearslater again during the Fellowcraft degree. That’s where I actually started tounderstand what its true meaning was. It is prominently on display as we transformour minds from getting initiated to being passed. The seven smaller spokes in thewhole bigger wheel is what makes up the layers of education we strive to master.

Provided for you in this article is a basic understanding of what the SevenLiberal Arts are, a definition and then how it is used Masonically in the degrees orin our rituals.

Trivium and QuadriviumTrivium, Latin for “The Three Ways” is the core of the Liberal Arts. These are

what we call the “verbal arts” of Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric. They were the firstthree subjects that were taught to the Romans and Greeks as early as the 5th century.

Quadrivium, or “The Four Ways” was added during the Medieval times toinclude Mathematics, Geometry, Music and Astronomy and make up the numericalarts.

Emblematically speaking the Entered Apprentice degree can be viewed as ourinfancy years whereas the Fellowcraft degree is our maturity into early adulthood.Thus we are introduced to the five human senses and the seven liberal arts needed tomake that leap successful.

GrammarIn it’s basic definition grammar is the set of structural rules that

govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any givennatural language.

“Grammar teaches us the proper arrangement of words, according tothe idiom or dialect of any particular people; and that excellency ofpronunciation, which enables us to speak or write a language withaccuracy, agreeably to reason and correct usage.”

Masonically, we use grammar to keep a tongue of good report. In theFellow Craft lecture Grammar is explained as the key by which alonethe door can be opened to the understanding of speech. It is Grammarwhich reveals the admirable art of language, and unfold it variousconstituent parts, its names, definitions and respective offices; it



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unravels, as it were, the thread of which the web of speech is composed.

These reflections seldom occur to anyone before their acquaintance with the art; yetit is most certain, that, without a knowledge of Grammar, it is very difficult to speakwith propriety, precision and purity.

LogicIn philosophy, Logic (from the Greek λογική logikē) is the formal systematic study

of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning.

Logic teaches us to guide our reason discretionarily in the general knowledge ofthings, and directs our inquiries after truth. It consists of a regular train of argument,whence we infer, deduce, and conclude, according to certain premises laid down,admitted, or granted; and in it are employed the faculties of conceiving, judging,reasoning, and disposing; all of which are naturally led on from one gradation toanother, till the point. in question is finally determined.’

Masonically we say “Logic directs us how to form clear and distinct ideas of things, and thereby prevents usfrom being misled by their similitude or resemblance. Of all the human sciences, that concerning man iscertainly most worthy of the human mind, and the proper manner of conducting its several powers in theattainment of truth and knowledge. This science ought to be cultivated as the foundation or ground-work of ourinquires; particularly, in the pursuit of those sublime principles which claim our attention as Masons.”

RhetoricThe art of speaking or writing effectively or with persuasion.

As Freemasons, we must master the skill of Rhetoric whilepresenting our ritual to impress upon the candidate the seriousnessand eloquence found within the words. To merely speak thesewords with no heart or feeling would not only do the ritual adisservice and dishonor our forefathers but it would lessen theimportance of what makes Freemasonry so different from otherfraternal organizations.

A Fellowcraft learns that Rhetoric is the art of embellishing language with the ornaments of construction, soas to enable the speaker to persuade or affect his hearers. It supposes and requires a proper acquaintance withthe rest of the liberal arts; for the first step toward adorning a discourse is for the speaker to become thoroughlyacquainted with its subject, and hence the ancient rule that that the orator should be acquainted with all the artsand sciences. Its importance as a branch of liberal education is recommended to the Freemason in the FellowCraft's Degree. It is one of the seven liberal arts and sciences, the second in order, and is described in theancient Constitutions as "retoricke that teacheth a man to speake faire and in subtill terms."

ArithmeticArithmetic is the art of numbering, or that part of the mathematics which considers the properties of

numbers in general. We have but a very imperfect idea of things without quantity, and (Continued on page 39)


Plato


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as imperfect of quantity itself, without the help of Arithmetic. All of theworks of the Almighty are made in number, weight and measure; therefore,to understand them rightly, we ought to understand arithmetical calculations;and the greater advancement we make in the mathematical sciences, themore capable we shall be of considering such things as are the ordinaryobjects of our conceptions, and be thereby led to a more comprehensiveknowledge of our great Creator, and the works of the creation.

A number of Masonic writers have handed down a useful moral lesson:For the Freemason, the application of this science is to:

Add to your knowledge

Never subtract from the character of your neighbor

Multiple your benevolence to your fellow creatures

& Divide your means with those in need.

Arithmetic offers a structured system. In has rules, order, and operates in terms of equations. Balance andequality are principles learned in arithmetic that should remind us to act on the level.

The importance of this to Masons is learning how to train the mind to think in smaller steps, working outdetails abstractly and to figure out the meanings of something without knowing all the facts upfront.

GeometryAmong mathematical sciences, Geometry is the one which has the most especial reference to architecture,

and we can, therefore, under the name of Geometry, understand the whole art of Freemasonry. In Anderson'sbook of constitutions, Freemasonry is frequently called Geometry, and of the latter he said of the whole beingof the Order is comprehended in it. Freemasons therefore ought to make themselves intimately acquainted withGeometry. It is not absolutely necessary to be able to deduce all our actions, works, or resolutions fromGeometrical principles. — ( 1 Corinthians 3:9-17 )

By this science the architect is enabled to construct his plans, and execute hisdesigns; the general, to arrange his soldiers; the engineer, to mark out grounds forencampments; the geographer, to give us the dimensions of the world, and all thingstherein contained; to delineate the extent of seas, and specify the divisions ofempires, kingdoms and provinces. By it, also, the astronomer is enabled to make hisobservations, and to fix the duration of times and seasons, years and cycles. In fine,Geometry is the foundation of architecture, and the root of the mathematics.

Geometry concatenates geo and metric, or earth measurement, within it.Geometry discovers unmeasured areas by comparing them to areas alreadymeasured. Geometry is synonymous with self-knowledge, the understanding of thebasic substance of our being. Freemasonry places special emphasis on geometry.

The tools of geometry are plumbs, squares, and levels. They are the basic tools ofoperative Masons. We use them in speculative Masonry to teach lessons of right-behavior, rectitude, and




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truthfulness. Our conductor in the FC degree leads usmuch like the apprentice is led by a Master of his trade.

MusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and

silence. Its common elements are pitch (which governsmelody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated conceptstempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonicqualities of timbre and texture. The word derives fromGreek μουσική (mousike; "art of the Muses")

One of the seven liberal arts and sciences, whose beauties are inculcated in the Fellow Craft's Degree. Musicis recommended to the attention of Freemasons, because as the "concord of sweet sounds" elevates the generoussentiments of the soul, so should the concord of good feeling reign among the Brethren, that by the union offriendship and brotherly love the boisterous passions may be lulled and harmony exist throughout the Craft.

The Fellow Craft lecture explains Music as that elevated science which affects the passions by sound. Thereare few who have not felt its charms, and acknowledged its expressions to be intelligible to the heart. It is alanguage of delightful sensations, far more eloquent than words; it breathes to the ear the clearest intimations; ittouches and gently agitates the agreeable and sublime passions; it wraps us in melancholy, and elevates us injoy; it dissolves and inflames; it melts us in tenderness, and excites us to war. This science is truly congenial tothe nature of man; for by its powerful charms the most discordant passions may be harmonized and brought intoperfect unison; but it never sounds with such seraphic harmony as when employed in singing hymns ofgratitude to the Creator of the universe.

Music is part of us. Our heartbeat is the basic pattern, with sounds ranging from the first cry of a newbornbaby to our last gasp for breath. The sense of hearing is improved, so that we recognize ditties and rhythms andsyncopation. Clapping and singing are part of who were are as humans.

Vibrations cause sounds. Pitch is determined by the frequency of the vibrations. We learn to hear major,minor, and chromatic scales. We attempt to match the pitch of the lead singer. It takes discipline, but weachieve harmony. Many have sought to hear the sounds of the universe in radio frequency. Whole pieces ofmusic have been dedicated to the music of the spheres.

The Senior Warden is sometimes associated with this Science, asthe Warden asks for harmony in the Lodge.

AstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of

celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, nebulae, star clustersand galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphereof Earth (such as the cosmic background radiation). It is concernedwith the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion ofcelestial objects, as well as the formation and development of theuniverse.





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Astronomy is that sublime science which inspires the contemplative mind to soar aloft, and read thewisdom, strength, and beauty of the great Creator in the heavens. How nobly eloquent of the Deity is thecelestial hemisphere! – spangled with the most magnificent heralds of his infinite glory! They speak to thewhole universe; for there is no speech so barbarous, but their language is understood; nor nation so distant, buttheir voices are heard among them. The heavens proclaim the glory of God; The firmament declareth the worksof his hands. Assisted by Astronomy, we ascertain the laws which govern the heavenly bodies, and by whichtheir motions are directed; investigate the power by which they circulate in their orbs, discover their size,determine their distance, explain their various phenomena, and correct the fallacy of the senses by the light oftruth.

ConclusionAs a Fellow Craft you were charged to “study this branch of education which tends so effectually to polish

and adorn the mind.” In my earnest opinion, you can not master masonry unless you completely open yourmind to all that these subjects have to teach us. One cannot become a better man unless he has bettered his mindfirst.

You might be a "Master Mason", but you cannot master Masonry until you master the Seven Liberal Arts.Open your mind to learn all that is offered.

(1) “A Stroll Through The Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences” By Richard D. Marcus

(2) “The Craftsman and Freemason Guide”. Cornelius Moore, 1854

(3) Merriam-Webster dictionary

(4) Wikipedia

(5) “The Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences- Our Journey Begins” http://www.bluecob.com/FFTM/?page_id=209


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York Rite News & Information


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The purpose of this article is to explore twoversions of the Entered Apprentice Degree ofFreemasonry with which I am familiar, thePreston-Webb derived version which most GrandLodges in the United States work, and that of theScottish Rite, primarily worked in the Caribbeanand in continental Europe. There are many otherversions of this Degree, in other rites, thoughsince I am not as acquainted with these, I will notdiscuss them here.

I was Initiated, Passed and Raised in NewJersey. I visited several other Lodges there andwitnessed Degrees before moving to Florida. Ibecame heavily involved with my Lodge here, aswell as visiting other Lodges to observe Degrees,and I have observed Degrees when visiting mybrother (also my Brother) in Massachusetts. Thatis the extent of my Masonic traveling so far. Whileeach of these states has their own ritual, it wassimilar enough for me to feel comfortable that Iwas seeing basically the same Degrees in eachstate. There were some different words used, andvariations in the floor work, but overall not a lot ofmajor differences.

Online, I encountered someone from anotherstate who had moved to New Jersey and wascommenting on how vastly different the ritual wasfrom his home state. He asked the members ofhis new Lodge, and was told that “New Jersey isa Scottish Rite state” and accepted this,repeating it online (please read the other part ofthis article in the Scottish Rite section of themagazine for comment on that on page 49). Itis a common conception that in the United States,the symbolic Lodge is a part of York RiteMasonry, which is the reason that I asked thatthis article go under the York Rite section of themagazine.

Brothers, this is both false and true. It is falseto state that the Degrees we practice are a part ofthe York Rite, because the Degrees were in useprior to the existence of the York Rite. It is also

true, in a sense, that the York Rite system ofdegrees, especially the Capitular degrees (theChapter of Royal Arch Masons) DOES build uponthe foundation of the Degrees in the craft Lodge,especially the Mark Master and most especiallythe Royal Arch, but these degrees did come later.

Fifty of the Grand Lodges in the United Statesuse Masonic ritual in the Preston-Webb tradition.There are a handful of Lodges in Louisiana thatuse a Scottish Rite version of the SymbolicDegrees (see my article in the Scottish Ritesection for more on those), and many in Kentuckyuse the ConservatorsRitual developed byRob Morris, who wastrying to form aUnited States GrandLodge in the late1850s. Lodges in theDistrict of Columbiawork under a numberof different rituals,and in a number ofdifferent languages.The Grand Lodgethere seems to havetaken the attitude that“if it is not prohibited,then it is permitted” inallowing much leewayfor the 41 Lodges thatmeet in that 10-squaremile city. The majorexception to the Preston-Webb work is that in theGrand Lodge of Pennsylvania. The ritual there isderived from the “Antients” Grand Lodge inEngland.

What is Preston-Webb?

William Preston, born in Scotland, wasinitiated into Freemasonry around 1762 or 1763in London. He became interested in studying thehistory of the Fraternity, (Continued on page 44)

William Preston


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which intensified whenhe became Worshipful

Master of his Lodge. In 1772, he publishedthe first edition of Illustrations of Masonry. Hewrote extensively on the Degrees, revising hisbook multiple times. The lectures used in thecurrent ritual in Florida have much of the samewording used in this book.

Thomas Smith Webb was an AmericanFreemason, initiated sometime prior to 1793, wholoved the writings of Preston, but realized thatthey were too long for the style of the AmericanLodges. He published the first edition ofFreemason’s Monitor or Illustrations of Masonryin 1797. The material in this book, which has also

undergone manyeditions, retainedPreston’s prose in asignificantly shorter form.The original lecture forthe Master MasonDegree, for example, issaid to have taken half aday to deliver.

The purpose of theEntered ApprenticeDegree is to initiate aprofane person into our

ways. We open his mind to the teachings of ourFraternity, and are charged with helping him tolearn our ways and help him improve himself.

We are taught not to discuss sectarian politicsor religion in the Lodge, so as not to causedivision among the Brethren. I remember onesuggested reason for this, although I cannotremember where I first read it, but it did seem tomake sense. The English Civil War (1642-1651)was still recent during the period before the firstGrand Lodge was formed in 1717. There was(and still is, in some parts) an intense hatredamong some Protestants and Catholics, and viceversa. The same could also be said for thosewho wanted a strong monarchy as opposed tothose who wanted a stronger Parliament. Byavoiding discussion on these topics, the Lodge

would be a place of refuge, where cooler headsprevailed, and other topics could be discussedand learned.

SourcesPreston, William. Ilustrations of Masonry. TheNinth Edition: with Considerable Additions. 1796.Gale ECCO print edition.

Webb, Thomas Smith. The Freemason’s Monitor,or Illustrations of Masonry: In Two Parts. 1797.Gale ECCO print edition.

Cross, Jeremy Ladd. The True Masonic Chart: orHieroglyphic Monitor; Containing All the EmblemsExplained in the Degrees of Entered Apprentice,Fellow Craft, Master Mason, Mark Master, PastMaster, Most Excellent Master, Royal Arch, RoyalMaster and Select Master, Fourth Edition. 1826.Nabu Public Domain Reprint.

The Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient andHonorable Society of Free and Accepted Masonsfor the State of New Jersey. Ritual Cipher. 1967,reprinted 2006.

The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free andAccepted Masons of Florida. Florida MasonicCode; Containing Instruction in the EnteredApprentice Degree, the Fellow Craft Degree, andthe Master Mason Degree. First Edition 1995,correction 4 2008.

Duncan, Malcolm C. Duncan’s Masonic Ritualand Monitor. 1866.

Bessel, Paul. Web site of Masonic Information,http://bessel.org. Accessed on December 8,2011.


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Constitution of the Grand College of Rites of theUnited States of America

The Grand College of Rites is a "regular" Masonicbody, dedicated to preserving the history and rituals ofdefunct and inactive Masonic orders. (Click on "Historyof the GCR" and "Story of the Innovators" above formore information on the history of the Grand Collegeof Rites.)

Preamble

The Grand College of Rites has for its major objects:

The study of the history and ritual of all Rites,Systems and Orders of Freemasonry not under thecontrol, jurisdiction and/or stewardship or regularlyexisting and recognized Masonic bodies.

The elimination of sporadic efforts to resuscitateor perpetuate Rites, Systems and Orders ofFreemasonry in the United States, except to bringthem under control of the Grand College of Rites.

The collection and preservation of rituals ofvarious Rites, Systems and Orders of Freemasonryordinarily not available to Masonic students.

G.C.R. HISTORICAL SUMMARY

(Extracted from Collectanea Vol. 9 Part 2 (1970), pp.97–115)

SUMMARY OF MATTERS CONCERNING THEFORMATION OF THE GRAND COLLEGE OFRITES OF THE U.S.A.

In 1931, J. Raymond Shute II, of Monroe, NorthCarolina, obtained information from Harold V. B.Voorhis, of Red Bank, New Jersey, that the RightReverend Henry V. A. Parsell of New York, New York,was a surviving member of the defunct Egyptian Rite ofMemphis in the United States

Following some correspondence between BrothersShute and Parsell, and talks with a few other interestedbrethren, it was decided and agreed to revive this Riteand thus gain control of it, together with its rituals andarchives. The purpose of such action was to give a bodyto be subsequently formed—a Grand College Rites—some material to publish, namely rituals. The idea offorming of a Grand Body to print rituals of dormantMasonic bodies having been already planned byBrother Shute and a few brethren interested in such aproject.

The minutes and details of this procedure follow:

PROCEEDINGS HELD IN THE MATTER OF THEORGANIZATION OF THE SOVEREIGNSANCTUARY OF THE UNITED STATES OFAMERICA, ITS DEPENDENCIES ANDTERRITORIES OF THE EGYPTIAN MASONICRITE OF MEMPHIS.

Brother Hemy V. A. Parsell of New York, N.Y.,holding of 95th Degree, dated April 24, 1906, signed byHarvey Goodale, 96°, M.I. Sov. Grand Master General,John S. Phillips, 95°, Grand Chancellor General andEdgar F. Stewart, 95°, Grand Secretary General, actingas GRAND HIEROPHANT, 96° of the SovereignSanctuary for the United States of America, etc.,conferred the 45° on J. Raymond Shute, II, of Monroe,North Carolina, Feb. 10, 1931.

On October 2, 1931, the said Henry V. A. Parsellelevated Bro. George Winslow Plummer of New York,N.Y. to 95°.

On October 3, 1931, the said Henry V. A. Parsell issueda Dispensation to Bro. J. Raymond Shute; II, to investBrothers W. C. Crowd, Monroe, N.C.; Michael


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Saliba, Wilson, N.C.;Kennon W. Parham,

Raleigh, N.C.; and J. Edward Allen, Warrenton, N.C.,and such others as eligible, with the 18° and 45°. Thefour Brethren named in the Dispensation were soinvested in the City of Durham, N.C., on October 9,1931, the said J. Raymond Shute, II, acting as MostWise of the Chapter, 18° and Commander of theSenate, 45°, Valley of New York, Orient of New York,Sanctuary of America, etc.

A meeting was held at Washington, D.C. on October22, 1931, being called to order at 11 o’clock A.M. forthe purpose of reviving the Sovereign Sanctuary of theEgyptian Masonic Rite of Memphis. Brother H. V. A.Parsell, having called said meeting, acted as Chairman.

Brother Parsell exhibited his letters patent, and duly andsolemnly conferred the 90° of the E. M. R. of M. onBrother J. Raymond Shute; 11, and 5. Edward Alien.Brothers Shute and Allen then exhibited proxies fromBrothers M. Saliba, K. W. Parham and W. C. Crowell,all of the 45°.

Brother Parsell thereupon invested each of the abovenamed brethren with the rank arid dignity of the 95° ofthe E. M. R. of M., and the members present thenproceeded to organize a Sovereign Sanctuary, as an actof reviving the same.

Brother Henry V. A. Parsell was thereupon duly andunanimously elected Grand Hierophant. Brother J.Edward Allen was duly elected Sublime Scribe. Brother5. Raymond Shute, II, was duly elected GrandChancellor.

It was resolved that the remaining officers be appointedby the Grand Hierophant and installed later by him.

Brother K. W. Parham was appointed Committee onFinance; Brother J. Raymond Shute was appointedCommittee on Foreign Affairs; Brother George W.Plummer was appointed Committee on Ritual andBrother J. Edward Allen was appointed Committee onGeneral Purposes. The Sovereign Sanctuary thenadopted temporary by-laws to control its activities untilpermanent by-laws and activities were defined. It wasresolved that the members present shall at the nextmeeting draft a constitution and by-laws for thisSovereign Sanctuary.

The Sovereign Sanctuary was then duly closed.

(Signed) J. Edward Allen, 95°, Sublime Scribe

On November 14, 1931, the said Henry V. A. Parsell,Grand Hierophant, 96° elevated and invested BrotherHarold V. B. Voorhis of Red Bank, N.J., with 18°, 45°,90° and 95°.

On November 2, 1931, the said Henry V. A. ParsellGrand Hierophant, 96°, issued a Dispensation to J.Raymond Shute, 95°, to convoke the SovereignSanctuary in the Valley of Charlotte, North Carolina onDecember 18, 1931, and to invest Brothers Frank M.Pinnix, Luther T. Hartsell, Jr., William B. Hodge andJohn A. Anderson, all of North Carolina with the 18°,45° and 90° and to further invest them with the rankand dignity of the Degrees of the Sovereign Sanctuary,95°, together with such other brothers of the 90°elevated since the last meeting of the SovereignSanctuary.

Accordingly, on December 18, 1931, the SovereignSanctuary was opened in the City of Charlotte, NorthCarolina, when the following brethren were investedwith the 18°, 45°, 90° and 90°, to wit:

Frank M. Pinnix, Oxford, N.C.

Luther T. Hartsell, Jr., Concord, N.C.

William B. Hodge, Charlotte, N.C.

John B. Anderson, Raleigh, N.C.

J. Hugo Tatsch, New York, N.Y.

The Sovereign Sanctuary was then duly closed by Rt.Worthy Brother J. Raymond Shute, II, 95°, acting asGrand Hierophant.

On May 12, 1932, the Sovereign Sanctuary of theE.M.R. of M. was opened at 2,400-16th Street, N.W., atWashington, D.C.— 9:25 P.M.

The Grand Hierophant, Henry V. A. Parsell, 96°,presided and the following other members of theSovereign Sanctuary were present:

It was regularly moved and carried unanimously thatthe Sovereign Sanctuary surrender the Sovereignty ofits three Rites for the purpose of being absorbed by theGrand College of Rites for the United States ofAmerica about to be formed.Every Master Masonaspires to attain the summit of Ancient Craft Masonry.



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Many feel with regret that it is notpracticable for them to share in all thelight shed by the several bodies, but allwish most earnestly to receive all thelight and instruction which pertains tothe Ancient Craft-the origin andfoundation of the Institution.

In the life of every Master Mason, moreover, therecomes a time when he realizes that he has not yetattained that goal, that he Is not yet in possession ofall the rights and light of a Master Mason, as thesewere known and understood by his ancient brethren.

But he does not realize that the goal of his aspirationsis near at hand-In the Royal Arch Degree.

All Symbolic Masonry has its source in the GrandLodge of England. Section I of the Constitution of theUnited Grand Lodge of England declares that "pure,ancient Masonry consists of three Degrees and nomore, Viz., those of the Entered Apprentice, theFellow Craft, and the Master Mason including theSupreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch."

The Degree of Royal Arch Mason is founded upon thedestruction of the first and the building of the secondTemple. The ceremonies of the Degree have aninteresting and graphic historical setting, and aprofound and reverential moral significance. TheRoyal Arch Degree is the complement of the Master'sDegree, the unfolding into a second volume of thehistory of that which was lost to its final recovery.Without the Royal Arch, the Master's Degree is like asong half sung, a tale partly told, or a promiseunfulfilled.

The preparatory Degrees conferred in the Chapter arethose of Mark Master Mason, Past Master and MostExcellent Master. All are beautiful, all are interesting,all teach valuable lessons, but the Most SublimeDegree of Royal Arch Mason is more august, sublimeand important than all that precedes it. It brings tolight many essentials of the Craft contained ONLY inthis Most Sublime Degree and explains many cryptic

passages of the first three Degreesincomprehensible to the Master Mason.Without a knowledge of these the Masoniccharacter cannot be complete.

It has been said that "The Royal Archstands as the rainbow of promise in theRitual; it stands as the promise of the

resurrection; of that which was lost and that whichshall be recovered."

The value of Royal Arch Masonry will be justlyappreciated by all who are Exalted to that MostSublime Degree, particularly by those who areseeking ·to complete their Masonic education. Itreveals the full light of Ancient Craft masonry,presents it as a complete system in accordance withthe original plan and confers at last the rights and lightof a Master Mason in fact as well as in name. It trulyleads to a fuller understanding of the purposes andspirit of Freemasonry, for standing upon this toweringsummit we are able for the first time to perceive thecompleteness of the Ancient Craft and to understandhow all its forms and ceremonies, from the EnteredApprentice to the Master Mason's Degree, are thepreparation for the final goal, the Most SublimeDegree of Royal Arch Mason.

Our membership consists only of those who havebeen regularly initiated, passed and raised to theSublime Degree of Master Mason in a just and dulyconstituted Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons whoare properly vouched for, in good standing in theirrespective Lodges and in the community in whichthey reside.

We would have all such receive the light andinstruction which can be communicated only in theRoyal Arch Degree. Any Royal Arch Mason can givefull information on how to proceed to that end.


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Scottish Rite News & Information


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The purpose of this article is to explore theEntered Apprentice Degree of Freemasonry of theScottish Rite, primarily worked in the Caribbeanand in continental Europe. Earlier in this issue ofthe magazine (see page 43) , there is anexploration of the Degree as worked in most of themainstream Grand Lodges in the United States.There are many other versions of this Degree, inother rites, though since I am not as acquaintedwith these, I will not be discussing them.

I first became aware of the Craft Degrees of theScottish Rite, soon after I joined the SouthernJurisdiction, and began reading more. As anAmerican Mason, the Scottish Rite system ofdegrees in this country begins with the 4th andcontinues through the 32nd, which also holds truethroughout much of the Anglophone Masoniccommunity, at least that which is in themainstream.

I remembered that Morals and Dogma – AlbertPike’s collection of essays, thoughts, and collectedwritings of selected philosophies that heencountered in his reading – began with the 1st

degree and continued through the 32nd, although ithad not been at the forefront of my mind, it beingabout 25 years since my first encounter with thatweighty tome, and probably 5 since my last perusalof it.

While taking the Master Craftsman II class,offered by the Supreme Council (SJ), I read that“For those who have received their initial Masonicinstruction in Symbolic Lodge where the assassinsare executed in the 3rd Degree, the drama … maybe confusing. The Scottish Rite degrees differmarkedly from those of the York Rite SymbolicLodge with respect to this portion of the allegory.” 1

This, along with a discussion I had with a LodgeBrother who had recently returned from a trip to theDominican Republic, where he had observed aScottish Rite Entered Apprentice Degree attracted

my curiosity. I picked up a reprint edition of ThePorch and The Middle Chamber, and read that

“This Ritual is intended for instruction only,in the States of the Southern Jurisdiction,where there are not Lodges working in theAncient and Accepted Scottish Rite; to bestudied and understood before investiturewith the Fourth Degree.For, without it, thesystem of that Rite isincomplete, and evenlike a fabric withoutfoundation.” 2

I approached the Secretaryof my Scottish Rite Valley, andwe received permission fromthe Deputy for the State, andthe Grand Master of Masons inFlorida to exemplify theseDegrees for the education of allMaster Masons.

It was my assumption thatthe Degrees that Pike hadwritten in The Porch and The Middle Chamberwere those that were used in the Scottish Rite BlueLodges in the state of Louisiana. I was wrong. Theritual used there came from the Grand Consistoryof Louisiana, formed in 1807 3, while Pike’sversions were written after he received the degreesof the Scottish Rite in 1853.

The ritual used in Louisiana was similar to thatwhich my Lodge Brothers had used in their home country of Haiti, and when I was able to readthe Degrees which were given to Pike, which he translated, before writing his ownversion, was able to see that these were all similarto each other, and while being verydifferent from the ritual I was familiar with in myLodge, it was still recognizable, and related.

These Degrees passed down from the French,or Continental tradition of Freemasonry



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had a more esoteric feel to them than thosecurrently practiced in the states.

The candidate is received, prior to the Degreeceremony, into the Chamber of Reflection. Here,surrounded by symbols of mortality, he is to reflecton his life, and to fill out a questionnaire which willbe read by the Venerable Master to the assembledBrethren.

I also noticed that the Lodge was laid outdifferently than my Symbolic Lodge, with bothWardens being in the West (north west for theSenior Warden and south west for the JuniorWarden), much as in the Lodge of Perfection I wasfamiliar with in the Scottish Rite.

The candidate in this Degree is to undergovarious trials, based on the alchemical elements ofair, earth, fire, and water.

The candidate is also asked the reason for hisbelief in God, as well as his views on virtue andvice. This first question caused me to re-read thepage the first time that I encountered it, as in “my”Lodge, we are concerned that a Brother has abelief in God, but not in any detail about that belief.I remembered that in French Lodges (under GrandLodges, not the Grand Orient), religion and politicsare encouraged to be discussed, again, unlike whatI am familiar with from my Lodge. In reading moreabout the Scottish Rite, these topics areencouraged as topics of discussion. The ScottishRite Mason is charged with fighting for Liberty,Equality, and Fraternity, and any government orreligion opposing this is to be fought against.

Footnotes1 A Bridge to Light, p. 582 P. 143 This Consistory, which worked all 33 degrees,

was formed by Sovereign Grand Inspectors General from Kingston, Jamaica.

SourcesDe Hoyos, Art, 33°, G C . Scottish Rite Monitor andGuide, 2nd Edition – Revised and Enlarged, 2009.

Hutchens, Rex R., 33°, G C . A Bridge to Light, 3rdEdition, 2006. Washington, DC. The SupremeCouncil, 33°Pike, Albert. The Porch and the Middle Chamber:Book of the Lodge. 1872.

De Hoyos, Arturo, 33°, G C . Masonic Formulasand Rituals Transcribed by Albert Pike in 1854 and1855. 2010.

Ritual of the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft andMaster Mason Degrees for Exclusive Use of theScottish Rite Blue Lodges Working Under theJurisdiction of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge ofthe State of Louisiana. Revised 1963.

Blaisdell, W Ron. The Rituals of AmericanFreemasonry. 2001.


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Email Bro. Scott with any questions orcomments about this or any other of his

articles. (Online browsing only)


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Some Reasons why Master Masons join the Scottish Riteof Freemasonry

To every Master Mason who is desirous of more lightand a better understanding of Freemasonry, theScottish Rite appeals, Because:

· IT offers an unsurpassed field for the study ofMasonry.

· IT enlarges upon and explains and applies thesymbols of Masonry.

· IT exemplifies and makes clear the truths andallegory of the Blue Lodge.

· IT presents an unequaled opportunity for thepractical demonstration of the teachings ofFreemasonry.

· IT gives you a fellowship in its literature, with thedeepest minds and purest character of Freemasonry.

· IT allows you to participate in the glorious workof spreading the propaganda of the Fatherhood of Godand the Brotherhood of Man.

· IT gives you a greater incentive to higherthoughts and nobler deeds, because of a greaterknowledge of your responsibilities and the history ofthe institutions of the Scottish Rite.

· IT creates within you a greater love for chivalry;a greater respect for philosophy, and a never-endinglove for your mother Lodge.

· IT enjoins on every Brother the support of theAmerican Public School, non-partisan, non-sectarian,efficient, democratic; for all the children of the people;equal educational opportunities for all.

· IT inculcates patriotism, love of the flag, respectfor law and order and undying loyalty to constitutionalgovernment.

· IT carries out the sublime principles of Masonryby cooperating in every way with the Blue Lodge, bymaintaining an ever-increasing interest in Masonry.

· IT brings the Brethren from various Lodgestogether at frequent intervals whereby the spirit ofBrotherhood and Fraternity is reflected in everydayliving.

· To those who are interested in securing a broaderunderstanding of Freemasonry and desirous ofenlisting in a campaign as a militant champion of theAmerican Public School and upholding and fostering ofthe American Way of Life, the Scottish Rite is aneffective instrument for the promotion andmaintenance of these objectives.

To every Master Mason who is desirous of more light and a betterunderstanding of Freemasonry, the Scottish Rite appeals, Because:


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By Robert G. Davis, 33°, Grand Cross.

Originally published in The Scottish Rite Journal

I will never forget my first real impression of the ScottishRite. I was sitting in the third row of the beautiful auditoriumin the great temple in Guthrie as one of 100 candidates in myclass. I had longed for this day for three years. Many of theMasons in my small town were active in the Scottish Rite.They performed as one of the Valley’s degree teams and theirstories about Guthrie, the temple, and the Rite had made adeep impression on me. As I was incollege at the time, three years wouldelapse between my Master MasonDegree and my journey through theDegrees of the Rite. It was May 1971.And I was ready to begin what I alwaysknew would be the college course inFreemasonry.

One might think it presumptuous of ayoung man who had only witnessedthree Masonic degrees in the threeyears he had been a Mason (those beinghis own) to assume there was more toMasonry. But my father had only onebook in his Masonic library. And thatbook was Albert Pike’s Morals &Dogma. He had received it himself as a candidate of the Riteyears earlier. By the time I was in the 8th grade, I had readM&D in its entirety. It was a book that was important to myfather; therefore, it was important to me. Of course, I didn’tunderstand 70% of its content at the time, but I intuitively feltit was the most important book I had ever read.

So, at age 23, I was beginning a journey that I had alreadydreamed of taking for at least a decade. And, to my delight, Iwas blown away by something that was said in the very firstdegree of the Rite I saw.

In the old ritual being used in Guthrie at that time, the SeniorWarden, at the beginning of the 4° ceremony, says, “I havepassed from the square to the compasses.” Then, theVenerable Master removes the square from the candidate andsays:

Walk uprightly and turn not aside into the inviting paths oferror. You now have passed from the square to thecompasses, as the Geometrician passes from the straight linesand angles by which he measures the surface of the earth, tothe great curves and circles by which he calculates themovements of the stars. Begin now to climb the skies ofspiritual knowledge, for there are Truth and the Lost Word tobe found.

The presiding officer was, in effect, encouraging thecandidate to soar from his own earthly preoccupations towardthe higher spheres of spiritual knowledge.

I was literally transformed as a Mason at that very moment. Icould immediately envision what the future would be like forme. So moved was I by the above words that I wrote on the

first page in my own copy of M&D thefollowing: “Begin now to climb theskies of spiritual knowledge.” I had notonly made a psychological break frommy experience as a young man, but Itook on a new understanding of thejourney through the degrees of Masonry.The early degrees reminded me of thecharacteristics needed in a man to lead amoral and ethical life. But I already hadgood examples of such men in my life.The rituals of the Blue Lodge servedonly as confirmation that the respectedmen I knew in my community alsounderstood the moral tenets ofFreemasonry.

But the Scottish Rite was urging me to go deep inside myselfto that place where the real mysteries are concealed. I wasgiven the Clavis ad Mysterium, or the Key to the Mystery,and was told it was the key to self knowledge. It wouldeventually unlock for me the true nature of myself, which wasalso the true nature of Freemasonry. At once, I knew what themiddle chamber meant; that I had already made the flight ofwinding stairs which was my profane, or exoteric, life. In thejourney I was about to take, I would walk the ancient path ofconsciousness with a key that could unlock the holiest placeon earth—the divine core of my being. It was the inner way.

t is an incredible epiphany when one discovers that he mustfirst descend in order to climb the slope of the Mountain ofTruth!

One May 23, 1971, I intuitively realized I had “passed fromthe square to the compasses.” All that was left for me was toaffect a discipline in my performance of the duties required tomake the journey to the Holy of Holies. And it was essentialthat I do so.

For such a journey is the ultimate undertaking of any man’slifetime.

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Final Words

A friend once described the danger, in Masonic practice, of what he called

‘displacement activity’, that is, engaging in activities that divert us from the trueaim. Concentrating on the appearance of Masonic practice – rank, precedence,minor detail, hierarchy and structure – may cause us to lose sight of what realFreemasonry is, what Freemasonry can do, what it surely must do in each one ofus, in order to be effective. Some will say that this is too serious, that it takes the

fun out of Freemasonry, but I promise you, the rewards are immense, and theyensure that we will never again need any constructs in our lives. It can ensurethat, in amongst the wood, we will begin to see real trees, and chart our progressby the way we interpret each one of them.

We should not be fooled. We should mind the gap, stop it becoming wider, try tobridge it, to give our Craft a greater sense of its true aim, and through that to findour own path to Truth.

W. Bro. Julian Rees is a PM of Kirby Lodge No. 2818, London

Past Junior Grand Deacon, United Grand Lodge of England


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the working tools masonic magazine jan 2012

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