Will Our Organizations Sustain? ~ A Wake-Up Call

2012 York Rite Grand Commandery – PHA

By Wor. Bro. Frederic L. Milliken

Grand Princess Captain of the Grand Guild, R. Lucille Samuel

I attended my first York Rite Grand Conclave recently. It was held in Dallas so I didn’t have to travel to all ends of Texas, a big state. Grand Sessions in Prince Hall Texas are great gatherings of celebration. Business is done but the emphasis is on camaraderie, fellowship, motivation and inspiration.

One of the things I like about Prince Hall is that it holds Grand Sessions of the men’s and women’s Bodies in the same building at the same time. Separated for most of the time they come together for meals, installation and a joint deliverance of each other’s annual allocution.  In this case it was the Grand Commandery and the Grand Guild coming together.

First up for the joint presentations of allocutions was the Grand Princess Captain of the Grand Guild, R. Lucille Samuel. Now annual allocutions, like state of the union addresses, are usually recounts of travels and accomplishments with maybe a bit of reinforcement and goals for the coming year…”I went here, I went there, we did this, we did that, our membership grew/lost, I have this new program for next year, etc.”

Grand Princess Captain of the Grand Guild, R. Lucille Samuel.

So I settled back in my chair, relaxed and lazily squinted up at Grand Princess Captain Lucille Samuel. Within minutes I sat bolt upright with a big smile of admiration. I was not going to have to listen to the usual pabulum this day. This Sister challenged her Body and all of us! And she did so boldly without the slightest hint of timidness, with the Right Eminent Grand Commander on one side of her and the Grand Master of Prince Hall Masons in Texas on her other side.

Below in her own words is what she had to say. The next day before our joint installation I approached her and told her that her message needed to be heard by others and that I can do that. So here is something that could be a wakeup call for your organization.

WILL OUR ORGANIZATIONS SUSTAIN?

A Wakeup Call

By  R. Lucille Samuel
Grand Princess Captain
Lone Star Grand Guild of Texas PHA

Grand Princess Captain of the Grand Guild, R. Lucille Samuel

As I stated last year change is coming whether we are ready or not.  There are two things that can happen, we may stand still and allow life to pass us by or we can get on Board and transform from a Yard into a Garden.  We may have to alter our attitude but it is worth the risk for our Organizations.

We have a very important question to ask ourselves.  WILL OUR ORGANIZATIONS SUSTAIN and if so for how long?  At the present time we are walking on a very unstable foundation.  The infrastructure of our organizations is slowing weakening.  In order to remain strong and present a united front we have to work as ONE.  The statement I use quite often is “If You Don’t Stand For Something You Will Fall For Anything”!   At this time we are not standing we are sitting and allowing our organizations to slowly crumble around us.  We are so busy placing blame on each other instead of taking the time to SUSTAIN our organizations.

A lot of times leaders feel that if they have the financial security then the organization will remain strong and invincible.  This is only a short term fix to a long term problem.  You may have a brand new roof on your home but what good is it if the foundation is shaky!  If you want your organization to remain strong you have to employ the membership to SUSTAIN the foundation!

So what do we need to do to SUSTAIN our organizations?  We need to create programs that appeal to the interest of our membership.  We need to attract members that have a genuine interest in our mission.  Our focus needs to be on the Community and future of our youth.

Instead of the competitive struggles of each other we need to concentrate on the issues at hand.  We are losing our membership because we have lost our focus on the main objective.  These organizations were created to assist with charity, community service, educational assistance and support of our youth and elderly.  As leaders we are here to educate and train others to prepare to replace us in the future.  The problem is we have stopped teaching because we are too busy in competition with each other.  It should not matter who gives the most donations or raises the most money in fundraisers.  You may be educated by academics but you display ignorance in people skills.  Many of our leaders spend too much time worrying about losing their positions instead of researching why our membership is dwindling.  If you are losing more members than you are recruiting there should be a RED FLAG!  Talking down to others, rude attitudes or ignoring your officers and advisors is a sign of insecurity.  The last time I checked these are Non-Profit Organizations and we pay to become members.   Remember nothing on earth is permanent.  We all have a voice and a vote.  The same way you are voted in you can be voted out!

We are all here for a common purpose.  There should be no animosity toward another leader because their organization is excelling beyond the others.  The membership should not have to endure the pettiness of their leadership.  We need to TEACH what we PREACH!

In the book of Samuel there is a story of Saul the first King of Israel.  He made David his special assistant because he admired his work.  Although Saul was anointed by God he was also possessed by an evil spirit and he defied God.  He became jealous of David and tried to kill him on numerous occasions.  He nearly killed his own son because he was caught up in being superior to others.  In the end he took his own life.

The fact is this happens amongst our members of various organizations.  We become so fixated on our titles that we forget where we came from.  We treat our members without respect and honor.  We don’t stop to think how others feel or even ask their opinions.

In our organizations today we are not motivated for the right reasons.  Our motivation comes from the desire to reach the top before we have even scraped the bottom.  Whatever happened to work your way up and on the way receiving a few bumps and bruises to remind us why we started this journey in the first place.

It is very frustrating to watch what our pioneers shed blood and tears for slowly fade away.  We need to reflect back on our traditional values and goals.  In order to SUSTAIN our organizations we need to engage in two way communication.  It seems that we are not able to TALK to each other but we can TALK about each other.  There is so much work that needs to be accomplished that there is no room for envy or back biting.  If we spent as much time working together as we spend working apart this Jurisdiction could ROCK the Universe!

“People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within!”  We have to stay focused and assist members in their thirst for knowledge.  We need to renew our commitment to the organization.

In the story of Cain and Abel jealousy consumed Cain.  In order to SUSTAIN our organizations we have to realize that this is not a contest but it is all about the mission that brought us here.  Some of us panic at the thought of someone else learning our jobs.  We are afraid to share knowledge or experience in fear of replacement.  We stress out or make up untruths about others because we want them to feel inferior or incompetent.  We coerce or persuade members to vote against each other because of our insecurities.

We are an organization based upon the Christian religion.  There is no such thing as a part time Christian.  You cannot shout on Sunday and backstab on Monday!  However it is a known fact that if you give more than is expected of you, you will get more than you expect.  Fulfillment is not what you receive but what you give.

We have to be flexible and able to adapt to change.  We cannot continue to use the same old strategies that were used to create organizations in the past.  There has to be a continuous improvement so the organization does not become complacent.  Involving the members and listening to their ideas also promotes growth.  Reward members when possible and publicize their positive achievements.   Fresh innovative ideas are needed in order to maintain our focus.  We cannot remain as the “status quo” to become what we want to be.  In order to attract and retain quality membership they have to be motivated and assured that they are crucial to our success.  Members also need to feel there is room for progression and acceleration within the ranks.

Our organization is similar to the engine of your car.  If you don’t perform the required maintenance the engine tends to not function properly and this affects the whole automobile.  Sometimes a major overhaul is needed.  No vehicle can perform effectively if the engine is not operational.  A leader cannot function without the assistance of their membership.

I challenge all leaders to forget about what we used to do and start focusing on what WE NEED TO DO!  Working against each other will never SUSTAIN our organizations.  If we don’t start now by supporting each other and working as ONE Jurisdiction there will be no future for the Masonic Family.  This is not a PROMISE this is a FACT!

Grand Princess Captain of the Grand Guild, R. Lucille Samuel

Ask yourselves have I been a blessing to someone today or shared a blessing?  ‘Don’t look at me…Look at who is in charge of me…  Remember I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
Had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.

He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
Feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us.

R. Lucille Samuel

Grand Princess Captain of the Grand Guild, R. Lucille Samuel

Grand Princess Captain
Lone Star Grand Guild of Texas PHA
Heroines of the Templars Crusade
International Grand Junior Shepherdess
International Grand Deputy of Texas
International Grand Court of Cyrene Crusaders

“BRING ONE TEACH TWO”

Please do not hesitate to contact Grand Princess Captain Samuel at rouchellion@yahoo.com and tell her what you think.

The Besmirching Of Freemasonry’s Reputation

It has long been The Beehive’s contention that what one Mason, one Lodge, one Grand Lodge does reflects on us all. If we do what is good and righteous the perception of each of us is favorable and if we do what is immoral and vulgar the perception of us is unfavorable. But what one does reflects on us all. This is why it is my business what other Freemasons do or do not do. In Mainstream Masonry the actions of West Virginia and Arkansas Grand Lodges directly reflect on the perception of the rest of Mainstream Masons wheresoever they may be dispersed.

Particularly devastating to the reputation of Freemasons can be the action of bogus, clandestine and irregular Freemasonry with the exception, in my opinion, of female and Co-Masonry. Most of these male bogus Lodges and Grand Lodges are breakaways, knock offs and even outright dishonest scams. As such many lack the discipline that the apparatus and numbers of Mainstream and Prince Hall provide their members – for the most part a system that enforces the morality and good name of the Craft.

That is why a recent story from a bogus Grand Lodge in Maryland was so important. The Baltimore Sun reports:

Raucous parties at Bolton Hill lodge draw complaints

Neighbors ask zoning board to rein in Hiram Grand lodge

 Bolton Hill community leaders pleaded with Baltimore zoning officials Tuesday to prevent a fraternal lodge from holding late-night parties, saying that the raucous gatherings are destroying the character of the neighborhood.
City Councilman William H. Cole IV, who represents the area, clutched a sheaf of fliers for Hiram Grand Lodge events that featured scantily clad women, promises of “top shelf liquor” and names such as “Love & Lust Pre-Valentine’s Day event.”

The lodge is currently zoned as a residential property, and authorities say it has violated the zoning code by renting the facility for large parties.

The lodge does not have a liquor license, and is barred from charging a cover or charging for alcohol. But police, Cole and community leaders testified that they had witnessed parties that violated those provisions.

Members of the lodge, an affiliate of the Masons, built the multi-purpose center 12 years ago with $900,000 in state bond money, according to testimony and state documents. Since the lodge is a nonprofit, it does not pay property taxes

Here is a good example of what others do is my business. This bogus Grand Lodge is located on the 1200 block of Eutaw Place in Baltimore, Maryland. The real Prince Hall Masonic Grand Lodge is located on the 1300 block of Eutaw Place. I am sure that the general public along with the reporter that wrote this story have no idea of the distinction between the two Grand Lodges. So Prince Hall Maryland is going to take a certain amount of flak for what went on at the Hiram Grand Lodge.

The lesson here is that it behooves every regular Freemason to make sure that they make the distinction between real Freemasonry and unauthorized knock offs. It would have been wise for the Prince Hall Grand Lodge to have a public awareness committee appointed by the Grand Master that could swing into action when situations like this occur. This committee could have asked the Baltimore Sun for a follow-up article explaining the Masonic differences. It could also have been there the night that the police were called in to quell this raucous disturbance to hand out pamphlets to explain the differences in the Grand Lodges, that is if Prince Hall Maryland was ready with a handout already printed for just such an occasion.

And a parting word to the wise: If you are thinking of joining Freemasonry or you are already a Freemason and are invited to visit a strange Lodge by a friend, ask to see the charter. This will not be a corporation charter from a civil state agency. This will be a charter issued by a duly recognized Mainstream or Prince Hall Grand Lodge that is so deemed to be a true and regular Lodge by a consensus of its world-wide peers.

All of us who are Freemasons or thinking of becoming such would do well to consult The Phylaxis Society’s Commission on Bogus Masonic Practices. Speaking from that Committee Brother Ezekiel Bey had this to say:

“Many Brothers are not aware of the importance of their regularity because in some cases it has not affected them in any personal way. Some view this Fraternity as something as a club, common organization or some social society. One of the biggest problems when dealing with regularity is the ignorance of many who choose not to educate themselves, especially concerning their legitimacy or their illegitimacy. Both are crucial in that if the one who is regular understands not the importance and how it affects his communities and the world abroad, he is blind of the imposters who raid his communities with the falsehood disguised as charity. On the other hand many who are irregular or even part of a clandestine body do not know the origin of his Grand Lodge/Lodge, and are hoodwinked with false pretense that he has join a respectful organization whose main objective and cause is for the upliftment of humanity, never noticing fraud or deceit. Many good Men have been sucked into these organizations by way of ignorance. “

Don’t you be one of them. Educate yourself and others around you and when and where you can let the general public know the difference between legitimate and illegitimate Freemasonry

Some Interesting Masonic Trivia

 
Taken mostly from “The Truth is Stranger than Fiction,”
By Bro. Alphonse Cerza,
Masonic Service Association,
1934.

Masonic Register from 1876

At one time, Golden Lodge #5, Stanstead, Canada occupied a lodge room, which straddled the boundary between Canada and the United States.  There were entrances on both sides of the border.

Washington Chapter #3 of Portsmouth, NH announced its meetings via the town crier, who received from 6 to 25 cents for his work.

In 1872 the Commissioner of Patents held that the Masonic emblem could not be used in a trademark or trade name for commercial purposes.

In Hammer v. State, 173 Indiana, 199 (1909), the Supreme Court ruled that it was a criminal offense to wear the emblem of any society or organization of which one is not a member. The court based its decision on the fact that the membership in such societies is the result of fitness and selection and that the wearing of such emblems by non-members is a deceit and false pretense.

In Robinson v. Yates City Lodge, 86 Illinois, 598 (1877), a court ruled that an expelled Mason was not entitled to the return of his degree fees. The court held that the plaintiff voluntarily paid the fees and the expulsion under the provisions of the rules of the organization does not constitute the rescission of a contract under which the fees were paid.

Frederick A Bartholdi, a freemason, designed the statue of Liberty which stands in NY harbor.  The Grand Lodge of NY laid the corner stone on August
5, 1885.

Bernard Pierre Mangam, Marshall of France and Senator was appointed Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France and served from 1862 to 1865. This is unusual because he was not a Mason. He was appointed by Emperor Napoleon III.

The letters of the English word GOD are the first three letters of Hebrew words for beauty, strength, and wisdom. G in Gomez, O in Oz, D in Dabar.

In 1860 in Limerick, Ireland, there as found a stone in a small chapel, dated 1517, with the following inscription: “I will serve to live with love & care, upon the level, and by the square.”

Francis Stephens, the Duke of Lorraine, received the first two Masonic degrees in 1731 in a special lodge convened at The Hague, Holland, becoming the first known royal freemason. Later he received the third degree in England. In 1735 renounced his title.

Dr. Joseph Ignace Guillotine was a member of Concorde Fraternelle Lodge of Paris and a member of the French Assembly. He obviously invented the device that bears his name and was later executed with one.

The Rev. William Dodd, first Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of England, was hanged for forgery on June 2nd, 1777.

In 1839 the Mormons left Missouri and settled in the area of Nauvoo, IL. On October 15, 1841, the IL Grand Master issued a dispensation to form a lodge at Nauvoo. On March 15th, 1842, Joseph Smith received his first degree and the others shortly after. Certain irregularities were reported – in five months the lodge initiated 256 candidates and 243 were raised. After investigation, the Grand Master revoked the dispensation, but the lodge continued to work. On April 5, 1844, the Mormon masons dedicated a Masonic Temple. IL Masons got in trouble for taking part in the ceremony. Opposition to the group and internal dissension led to the assassination of Joseph Smith and the removal of the Mormons from IL.

Operative Lodge #150 in Aberdeen, Scotland is unusual in that it is only open to operative stonemasons.

Dr. Edward Jenner, in 1789 discovered the vaccination process against smallpox. He was worshipful master of Faith and Friendship Lodge #270 in Berkeley, England at the time.

In July 1863, Confederate raiders rode into Versailles, IN, capturing the local militia and stealing the county treasury. The next day, General John Morgan (CSA), learned that his men had also made off with the jewels of the local lodge. They were returned the following day.  Morgan was from Daviess Lodge #22, Lexington, KY.

Wheelock Commandery No. 5 in Texas had all 55 of its members killed serving in the Confederate Army. The Commandery ceased to exist.

Missouri’s first Confederate Capitol was the Masonic Building in Neosho, MS. From here the legislature passed the Act of Secession.

USA General Thomas Benton, also Grand Master of Iowa, ordered Federal troops to protect Albert Pike’s home and prevent the library from being burned, when his troops took Little Rock, AR.

July 2, 1751, Ferdinand VI of Spain issued an edict against Freemasonry. Father Jose Torrubia secured a special dispensation from the Pope, joined a lodge, secured the names of its members, and proceeded to have them arrested. Hundreds were arrested, persecuted, and imprisoned.

When Mussolini gained control of Italy, Masonic lodges were declared illegal and the Grand Master was arrested, tried, and imprisoned, where he died.

Mussolini also ordered all Masonic references removed, including the emblems on the base of Garibaldi’s monument in Rome.

After the restoration of the republic, fascist emblems were removed and the Masonic emblems restored.

In Fascist Spain under Franco, it was a crime to be a freemason. Masons convicted had to serve prison terms equal in years to the number of Masonic degrees possessed. Master Mason – 3 years.

Winnedumah Lodge #287 of Bishop, CA holds its meetings at 270 feet below sea level, the lowest lodge in North America.

In 1954 Martin’s Station Lodge No. 188 of VA was opened 952 feet below the surface of Cumberland Mountain in Cudjo’s Cave, which lies between Cumberland Gap, Tenn. and Middleburo, KY. 345 Masons were present and a MM degree was conferred.

Chicago, IL has three American Legion Posts whose memberships are entirely Masonic.

All four Presidents of the Republic of Texas, David Burnett, Sam Houston, Mirabeau Lamar, and Anson Jones, were Masons.

Between 1737 and 1779 two sailing ships of interest operated off the U.S. eastern seaboard, Freemason and Master Mason.

The Freemason caught fire and sank in Marblehead Harbor, Mass in 1779.

On November 10, 1928, the Grand Lodge of California held a special communication at Culver City, to lay the corner stone of the Masonic temple. The lodge room was so crowded that the Grand Lodge officers were unable to enter. They retired to the Ladies’ powder room to open the grand lodge for the ceremony.

In 1801, Czar Alexander I of Russia banned the craft. In 1803 he rescinded the order and became a Freemason. But in 1822 he again ordered Freemasonry banned in Russia.

In May, 1843, a group of representatives from fourteen Grand Lodges met in Baltimore, MD, with the view of adopting uniform Masonic rituals. The meeting was presided over by John Dove of VA; Charles W. Moore of Mass. prepared the proposed ritual. The convention’s work was not generally accepted.

In 1799, Barton Lodge in Upper Canada accepted “good merchantable wheat” in payment of lodge dues.

Lodge St. George in Bermuda has rented an old state house since 1816 from the Governor for the sum of “one peppercorn per year.”

Abraham Jones served as Grand Master of Kentucky 1833-34 and Grand Master of Illinois, 1840-41.

Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Jimenez was grand master of the grand lodge of Venezuela in 1947.

In 1957 he became the grand master of the Grand Lodge of Japan.

In 1892, the tallest building in the world was the Masonic Temple at Randolph and State Streets, Chicago, IL.

Brother William Brockmeier (1866-1947) of St. Louis conducted 5586 Masonic funeral services.

Thomas Jacob Shryock served as Grand Master of Masons in Maryland for 32 years. He died after being elected to serve his 33^rd Term.

The largest Master’s chair is in Ophir Lodge #33 Murphys, CA. It is 15 feet long and can seat the Master, living Past Masters, and visiting dignitaries.

On June 7, 1921, Mystic Lodge #21 of Red Bank, NJ had conferred half of the MM degree on brother Lyman C. Van when the power went out. He didn’t receive the rest of the degree for several weeks, making him for a time, a “two and half degree” mason.

When the great Obelisk of Alexandria (Cleopatra’s Needle) was moved to New York in 1880, there were discovered certain emblems on the original foundation and pedestal. One is clearly a square, causing some to conclude that Masonry existed in ancient Egypt. This issue is still open to debate.

The two structures in the U.S that have elevators which move sideways, in addition to up and down are the Arch in St. Louis and the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria.

The Grand Master of Mass. commanded rebels at Bunker Hill while the Grand Master of England commanded English forces. The G.M of Mass. was killed.

On August 23, 1879, Lodge #239 of France held a meeting in a balloon flying over Paris, at which time a candidate was initiated.

On his famous solo flight across the Atlantic, Charles Lindbergh wore a square and compasses on his jacket as a good luck piece. He was a mason.

Richard E. Byrd and his pilot Bernt Balchen, both brothers, dropped Masonic flags over the north and south poles. Brother Balchen also tossed his Shrine Fez on the South Pole.

Gordon Cooper, in his Mercury capsule, carried a Masonic coin and a blue Masonic flag on his 22 orbit flight, which he later presented to his mother lodge.

Montana’s first livestock brand was the Square and Compasses and is still in use. It was registered by Poindexter & Orr of Beaverhead County, MT in 1873.

Andrew McNair, a Philadelphia Mason, rang the Liberty bell in Independence Hall of July 8, 1776 to call the people together to hear the reading of the Declaration of Independence. The bell developed a crack when it was rung for the death of Chief Justice Marshall, Past Grand Master of Virginia.

Grand Masters generally have the power to make “masons at sight,” which means the Master can do away with the formalities such as filing of petitions, waiting periods, etc. Some famous Masons who were made include: William H. Taft, General George Marshall, and General Douglas MacArthur.

In the 1800′s several grand lodges established Masonic colleges.  The most successful of which was in Hannibal, MS in 1847. Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Georgia all tried it but all were eventually closed due to lack of support.

In the spring of 1966, brother Dallas Coleman of Denison Lodge #373 of Kansas was digging a pond when he came across an overturned gravestone marked with the Square and Compasses. Research lead to a determination that it belonged to Brother Henry Craig (1832-1862) of Valley Falls Lodge #21. The brethren of the lodge reset and cleaned the monument and erected a fence around it to keep livestock away and continue to maintain it.

Lyndon Johnson took the first degree of Masonry on October 30, 1937 but never progressed any further.

Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the House took his first degree on August 7, 1922. He died in 1961 without receiving the second.

Warren G. Harding was initiated on June 28, 1901 and it took him 19 years to complete the other two.

Lodges in Mass. have no numbers.

In Penn. there are 11 lodges that have numbers but no names.

In Georgia there are two lodges with the number 1.

In Maryland, Tennessee and Penn. there is no lodge with the number 1

Masonic Place Names in the US: Anchor, IL,  Beehive, MT,  Boaz, AL,  Charity, MS,  Circle, MT,  Cowan, TN,  Emblem, WY,  Eureka, WV,  Faith, SD,  False Pass, AK,  Fidelity, IL,  Five Points, AL,  Freeborn, MN,  Grand Pass, MS,  Hiram, MA,  Hope, AK,  Jachin, AL,  Justice, IL,  Lodge, SC,  Mason, KY,  Masonic Home, KY,  Masontown, WV,  Square, MT,  Steward, IL,  Symbol, KY Temperance, MI,  Tyler, TX.

Hiram Abiff Boaz, born Dec. 18 1866 in Murray, KY. Received his degrees in 1922 before an unusually large crowd and served as Grand Chaplin (TX) in 1953.

Joseph A. Gilmore (1811-1867), former governor of N.H. was made a Mason at sight on April 28, 1863. He received Scottish Rite degrees and was awarded 33rd degree on May 7, 1863 – only 9 days later.

Between 1890 (when it became a state) and 1951, every Governor of Wyoming, except one, was a Mason. The one, Mrs. William A. Ross, was the wife of a mason and a member of Eastern Star.

Every President from Tenn. was a Mason (Jackson, Johnson, Polk)

President FDR raised two of his sons on the same night, Nov 7, 1935 – Architect Lodge #519 in NY.

In 1951, while President, Harry Truman served as Master of his lodge.

Sacramento Chapter #3, Royal Arch Masons has supplied 4 governors of CA. (J. Neeley Johnson, Lantham, Pacheo, Hiram Johnson)

William Hesketh Lever Lodge #2916, England was the only lodge named for a non-mason, the first Viscount of Leverhulme (the soap manufacturer) who was first initiated there and later formed Leverhulme Lodge #4438.

Paul Revere was a Mason, as was his cohort, Robert Newman, who hung the lantern in the Old North Church.

Angelo Soliman, was born in Africa in 1721 and brought to Europe as a slave at the age of ten. He was educated, married, and became a favorite in the royal court in Vienna. Somewhere before 1771 he became a mason. When he died 1776, the Emperor had his body stuffed and mounted in the Natural History Museum, becoming not only the first black of African birth to become a mason, but the also the first mason to be stuffed, mounted, and displayed.

John Aasen of Highland Park Lodge No. 382 in Los Angeles, CA was the largest known MM ever raised. At the time he was 8.5 feet tall and weighed 536 pounds.

Charles Stratton, a.k.a. Tom Thumb, was 24 inches high and weighed 16 pounds when raised in 1862.

Theodore Parvin was Grand Secretary for Iowa from 1844 to 1901, except for 1852- 53 when he was Grand Master.

When asked of Masonry, President William McKinley explained:  “After the battle of Opequam, I went with the surgeon of our Ohio regiment to the field where 5,000 confederate prisoners were under guard.  As soon as we passed the guard, the doctor shook hands with a number of prisoners and began passing out his roll of bills. On the way back to camp I asked him, ‘Did you know those men?’ ‘No’ ‘But you gave them a lot of money, do you expect to get it back?’ ‘If they are able to pay me back, they will. It makes no difference to me; they are brother masons in trouble and I am only doing my duty.’ I said to myself, ‘If that is Masonry, I will take some of it myself.’”

- Sent to Beehive from Carl’s List

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• Washington: The Precedent Setting Pioneer (freemasoninformation.com)

Washington: The Precedent Setting Pioneer

http://youtu.be/f26dygTfUCY

Washington was actually offered the position of President for life. He was also offered the same position in Freemasonry, namely Grand Master for life of a National Grand Lodge. he turned all such offers down and in the process set precedents that chartered the future course of not only his country but his fraternity. What other leader has had the opportunity to lay such groundwork on such a grand scale in multiple venues? You got to believe that Washington’s humbleness and his refusal to let his ego overtake the principles and virtues that he had fought for so hard is somewhat attributable to having been a Freemason and the obligation that had on his commitment to righteousness, virtue and morality.

The Third Great Light

 When we think of the Three Great Lights the first one that comes to mind is the Volume of the Sacred Law.  It is our rule and guide and in many jurisdictions it is opened to the passage that belongs to the degree the Lodge is working.

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