A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

To my Masonic brothers, I wanted to fill you in on the lack of blog activity over the past couple of weeks. I have a few on going medical problems involving vision and I wanted to let you know that I have not forgotten about the blog, but I am finding it difficult doing the work I have to do with my vision being in the state that it is in.

I would like to take this time to urge any brothers who have anything to contribute to this blog to please do so. If anybody wishes to contact me they can email me at pbgol@optonline.net.

As more information is received regarding my medical condition, I will gladly share what I can and I will make every attempt to keep this blog going. Until then I wish you all well and I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers.

Fraternally,
W.: Pat Bellotti

HOW DOES ONE BECOME A MASON?

Most men do not understand the process of getting membership in a Masonic Lodge. No one is ever invited to become a mason or to join a Masonic Lodge. Though all morally good men would be welcome in any Masonic Lodge, however, the man himself must ask a mason about becoming a member. Once he has done so, he will be given an application (petition) to complete and he has taken the first step. It is then submitted to the local lodge for processing.

The lodge will select a committee to investigate the candidate and report its findings. He must receive unanimous approval of the members.
Having passed the ballot box, the candidate then receives the first of the three degrees which make up the symbolic Lodge. The first degree is the Degree of Entered Apprentice. The second is the Degree of Fellow Craft, the third is the Degree of Master Mason. After he has completed all degrees he is then an accepted member of a great and noble fraternity.

LONG ISLANDS MASONS

SOME MASONIC POEMS

IS IT MASONRY?
By BRO. F. G. OLIVER
(From The Builder, Anamosa, Iowa, March, 1915)

Is it Masonry
To dare to take God's name in vain,
Or be careful of our speech;
From evil thoughts and words refrain,
And practice what we preach?
Is it Masonry
To boast of your fine jewels,
Or purify your heart;
To be a man and Mason
And act a Mason's part?
Is it Masonry
To fail to help your brothers,
Or your obligations fill?
To leave it for the others,
Or mean and say "I will"?

LONG ISLAND MASONS

IN WHOM DO YOU PUT YOUR TRUST?

Bro. and Rev. Schieck is a member of Penn-Morris Lodge #778, Morrisville, PA and is a Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

Forty-five years ago, which was my eighth year as a young minister in the Methodist Church, and in my fourth year as pastor of the Methodist Church in Frackville, PA, I knelt before the altar of Freemasonry. It was in Frackville Lodge No. 737, I was asked, In whom do you put your trust? Then, in repeating after the Worshipful Master, I took the oath and obligation of an Entered Apprentice Mason. The experiences that November evening, 45 years ago, have been indelibly etched in my mind. Many men were present in Frackville Lodge that evening, and I was amazed to have seen nearly every man who was a leader in the congregation where I was the pastor. Over the years this has been my continuing experience. In 25 years in parish ministry, and nearly 20 years in church administration, most of the leaders I worked with were Masonic men.

Membership in Masonry has always been a universally recognized badge of honor. Its stress has always been on character. The fun-damental Masonic teachings are love of God, loyalty to country, a high standard of personal morality, and a belief in the universal brotherhood of man. In the life of a Mason, these fundamental teachings reach out through participation and support in church and community life. Masonic men find an inner peace and contentment when they are contributing to the well-being, growth and support of the church of their choice.
I asked myself again and again, what attracted these men to Masonry? What was its appeal? Why were so many of them ardent and active members throughout their lifetimes? Also, in my parish and church administration responsibilities, I was privileged to work with Masons of varied cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds. I soon realized that the questions just posed also applied to me -as I am sure they must have been of concern to each of us during our early and most impressive Masonic years.

Certainly it was not due to solicitation. No man is ever asked to join. However, today, the literature and public relations of the outstanding Friend To Friend program, used in Pennsylvania, is encouraging a positive response for Masonry from men in many areas of life.
I believe the answer is found in Freemasonry’s lofty idealism. Its stress has always been on character. Membership in Masonry is recognized as a standard of honor, of Brotherhood, of uprightness and decency. From the Revolutionary period through the founding of this nation, and through today, fourteen Presidents of the United States of America were Masons. Innumerable Senators and Representatives, Justices of the Supreme Court, National and International military leaders, Governors and elected officials in the many states, leaders in education, industry, medicine, science, and space technology have also been members. Also, many of the persons who led their native lands into democratic forms of government in Europe, South and Central America were Freemasons.

We as today’s Masons have been climbing on the shoulders of an endless line of splendor, of men across the centuries who believed in and acknowledged the basic teachings of Freemasonry. Today, I am convinced the teachings of Masonry have not changed. While all dimensions of life are adjusting to a new age, to a changing world, to computer technology, the basic concepts of the Fatherhood of God, of Brotherhood, of honor, of uprightness and decency will never change. We have a rich heritage in Freemasonry. It is ours to grasp and follow during our lifetimes, and is incumbent upon us to pass it on to future generations.
Let us never forget, or lose sight of the truth, that Masonry begins at the Altar in the Lodge Room. Its foundation is a belief in the existence of a Supreme Being. This is the first and fundamental principle in the life of every Mason. Hear again the question, In whom do you put your trust?

King Solomon is credited by most Biblical scholars for the words in Proverbs 3:5- 6, words written a thousand years before Christ, or three thousand years ago, Trust in God with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. In all aspects of life God is to be taken into account. The thought of God is not to be limited to special seasons or sacred places. God is to be acknowledged in the home, in business, at work, and at play. In other words, God is to be thought of sufficiently to influence conduct and life. To acknowledge God requires true humility. He has made us and not we ourselves are the words from Psalm 100:3. Upon God we are dependent for life and breath and everything. Acknowledging God will help a man not to think of himself more highly than he ought to.

Yet, Masonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for Religion. Masonry is not interested, nor is it concerned in how a man may develop his religious faith. However, it stands for, teaches and practices, tolerance toward all faiths that rest upon this first and fundamental principle, belief in the existence of a Supreme Being! Men of various religious faiths come into Masonry, here in our great nation, as well as in nations in the uttermost parts of the world. They retain the religion of their choice and are strengthened in the practice of their particular beliefs by the truths and teachings of Masonry. God is known by many names, and worshipped in many ways. There is no religious bar to anyone who would become a Mason, provided he is not an atheist. So, a Hindu, a Parsee, a Buddhist, a Moslem, a Hebrew, a Christian can all agree on the inscription on our coins, In God We Trust.

Everything in Masonry has reference to God, implies God, speaks of God, and points and leads to God. Every degree, symbol, obligation, lecture, charge, finds its meaning and derives its majesty from God, the Great Architect and Master Builder of the Universe.

While Masonry is religious, it is not, even in the remotest sense, a religion. Masonry has no creed, no confession of faith, no doctrinal statement, no theology. Masonry does not assert and does not teach that one religion is as good as another. It does not say that all reli-gions are equal simply because men of all religions are Masons. It is precisely because we are not a religion, we can come together as men of faith. Masonry asks only if a man believes in God. If he were asked if he believed in Christ, or Buddha, or Allah, that would be a theological test involving a particular interpretation of God. Belief in God is faith. Belief about God is theology.
From its very beginning, Masonry has been consistent that religion and politics—are not suitable subjects for consideration within the Lodge Room. Masonry believes in principles rather than political programs. Principles unite men, political programs divide them. So we are taught to leave our opinions on religion—and politics outside the door of the Lodge Room.
While Masonry is not a religion, it is not anti-religious. We are a completely tolerant body. It is a Brotherhood whose trust is in God. Its stress has always been on character.

We are charged to maintain peace and harmony, and to uphold the chief Masonic virtue, charity or brotherly love. Membership in Masonry is recognized as a standard of honor, of Brotherhood, of uprightness and decency. We are sure that he who is true to the principles he learns in Freemasonry will be a better church member, a better businessman, because of it.
As Grand Chaplain, Brother Charles H. Lacquement of Pennsylvania points out, “Freemasonry gets its amazing vitality because its foundation is laid on the great truths from which come the great moral lessons it inculcates. Behind the two great truths, the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man, is the chief Masonic virtue, Charity or Brotherly Love. Masons are taught to practice this virtue at all times and to assimilate it into their very lives. It is this virtue that leads Masons to do their duties, to stretch forth a helping hand to a fallen brother, to hold a brother’s reputation equally with his own, to whisper good counsel in his ear, and in the most friendly manner, endeavor to bring about the best person this brother can be. In so doing the Mason is strengthening his own inner self and bring-ing about the best in himself. Masonry makes in men, strength of character, of thought, and of emotional stability.”

And so, following that most impressive and unforgettable night 45 years ago, when I first knelt before the Altar of Freemasonry, and was asked the question, In whom do you put your trust?,

I have traveled, as you have, across many peaceful and many troubled waters, and again and again my trust in God strengthened me. No person, more especially a Mason, can live for himself alone. We are guided by the great teachings of Masonry, the Fatherhood of God, the Brotherhood of Man, and the chief Masonic virtue, Charity or Brotherly Love.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

THE FIVE POINTS SYMBOLISM

By BRO. N. A. McAULAY
(From The Builder, Anamosa, Iowa, October, 1916)

Foot to foot that we may go,
Where our help we can bestow:
Pointing out the better way,
Lest our brothers go astray.
Thus our steps should always lead
To the souls that are in need.

Knee to knee, that we may share
Every brother's needs in prayer:
Giving all his wants a place,
When we seek the throne of grace.
In our thoughts from day to day
For each other we should pray.

Breast to breast, to there conceal,
What our lips must not reveal;
When a brother does confide,
We must by his will abide.
Mason's secrets to us known,
We must cherish as our own.

Hand to back, our love to show
To the brother, bending low:
Underneath a load of care,
Which we may and ought to share.
That the weak may always stand,
Let us lend a helping hand.

Cheek to cheek, or mouth to ear,
That our lips may whisper cheer,
To our brother in distress:
Whom our words can aid and bless.
Warn him if he fails to see,
Dangers that are known to thee.

Foot to foot, and knee to knee,
Breast to breast, as brothers we:
Hand to back and mouth to ear,
Then that mystic word we hear,

Which we otherwise conceal,
But on these five points reveal.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

THE MODEL MASON

By Bro. ROB. MORRIS

There's a fine old Mason in the land, he's genial, wise and true,

His list of brothers comprehends, dear brothers, me and you;

So warm his heart the snow blast fails to chill his generous blood,

And his hand is like a giant's when outstretched to man or GOD;

Reproach nor blame, nor any shame, has checked his course or dimmed his fame

All honor to his name!

This fine old Mason is but one of a large family:

In every lodge you'll find his kin, you'll find them two or three;

You'll know them when you see them, for they have their father's face,

A generous knack of speaking truth and doing good always;

Reproach nor blame, nor any shame, has checked their course or dimmed their fame -

Freemason is their name!

Ah, many an orphan smiles upon the kindred as they pass;

And many a widow's prayers confess the sympathizing grace;

The FATHER of this Brotherhood himself is joyed to see

Their works -they're numbered all in Heaven, those deeds of charity!

Reproach nor blame, nor any shame, there check their course or dim their fame -

All honor to their name!

LONG ISLAND MASSON

MEN WHO BUILD BRIDGES - NOT WALLS

INTRODUCTION

You have all seen pictures of the famous “leaning Tower of Pisa.” You know it leans precariously many degrees from the perpendicular. An American tourist, seeing the Tower for the first time, was not impressed. He grumbled, “that looks like the work of the same contractor who built my garage!”
Masons are builders! In fact, a famous Mason named Joseph Fort Newton wrote a book about our Craft called The Builders.

All Freemasons know that we trace our traditional origins to the ancient craftsmen who par-ticipated in the building of King Solomon’s Temple. Most also realize that the forerunners of modern Masonic Lodges were the medieval lodges of devout craftsmen. Few, however, may be aware that the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol was laid by Masons in 1795. Not brick masons. Free Masons! The Grand Lodge of Maryland reportedly sponsored the ceremony. And, a painting by Stanley Massey Arthurs shows the Father of our Country, George Washington, at the ceremony dressed in Masonic regalia.

Today we like to say we are no longcr “operative masons.” We are “speculative Masons”—which means we do not build physical buildings or other structures. our building task is symbolic. We build character. We build good men. We build just and honorable relationships. We build brotherhood .

DISCUSSION

1. Let us put it this way - good Masons do not build walls or fences. Our work is not to separate or divide people. Our fraternity ought never to isolate or alienate human beings from each other.

An interesting fact is that the original Americans never built fences or walls. Private ownership of land and property boundary-lines were strange notions to Native Americans. The Europeans brought that concept to these shores! The Indians never walled out other In-dian nations or European settlers from their land. They were welcoming and open. They believed in sharing.

Masons do not wall out men because of creed or physical characteristics. We have never excluded people on the basis of strict doctrinal standards. Ours is an inclusive brotherhood which welcomes Jews, Christians, Moslems, and persons of other religions. We only ask for a basic belief in God and a dedication to moral living. We welcome all men who intend to build their lives and their relationships according to the compass of virtue, the plumb line of morality, and the square of ethics.

We disagree strenuously with any church leader who says a Christian cannot be a Mason without compromising his beliefs or his allegiance to Christ - and, therefore, that Masonry should have a Christological test for membership. That was the misconception of the minister who resigned from Masonry and wrote denunciatory letters to the editor about our fraternity. That was the mistake of another minister who wrote a sermon 35 years ago at-tacking Masonry. Titled “Freemasonry and Christianity” and now being circulated, this sermon said in part:

If Masonry asks its initiates to acknowledge and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and the true God, then Masonry’s God is the true God. But if Masonry does not require its members to confess and acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and the true God, then the God of Masonry is not the true God! That reminds us of the smug, self-righteous fellow who spoke condescendingly to someone who belonged to a different denomination. He sniffed: “that’s alright. We’re both just trying to serve the Lord - you in your way and I in His! “

That spirit has no place in Masonry! Nor does the attempt to impose some kind of doctrinal “litmus-test” on members and potential members. That is building walls between people. Masons do not build walls and fences. We agree with Robert Frost when he writes, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” The poet takes exception to the man who says “good fences make good neighbors.” So do we! Like Frost, we ask:

“Why do they make good neighbors! Isn’t it where there are cows? But here there are no cows. Before I built a wall I’d ask to know what I was walling in or walling out, and to whom I was like to give offence.”

II. Masons do not build walls. We build bridges. Bridges connect. Walls divide. Bridges enhance communication. Walls obstruct communication. Bridges promote friendship. Walls cause isolation. Webster defines a bridge as:

“any structure—raised to afford convenient passage over river, railroad, ravine or any other obstacle. “

Masons build bridges of understanding. We connect people by brotherhood. We construct passageways of friendship between persons who may differ in Church or language or race. We build tolerance as a conveyance that brings human beings together. Building bridges of friendship is at the heart of Masonry. For ex-ample, an item appeared March 24, 1985 in the New York Times. Here is what it said:

“Religious pluralism has long been a hall-mark of the Masons, as is seen by the annual family dedication breakfast this morning of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York. About 2,000 members of the fraternal order and their families will gather at 8 a.m. at three sites - St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Roman Catholic) at Fifth Avenue and 50th Street;

St. Bartholomew’s Church (Episcopal), at Park Avenue and 50th Street, and the east 55th Street Conservative Synagogue (Jewish), between First and Second Avenues. After the services, the Masons will assemble and parade together to the Sheraton Centre for breakfast.”

That is what we mean by Masonry building bridges! Someone named E. Larsen has sum-med it up in a little piece which is appropriately titled “Building Bridges.”
BUILDING BRIDGES

People, like islands, need bridges - a way to cross over, speak, reach, see, over all that silent water. It is the only way. Because people aren’t people, not real people, with-out that bridge; and the only action, the only REAL action, takes place on the bridge between people. So if I wait, you wait, everyone waits; when I don’t start, you don’t start. Nobody arrives. No builders, no bridges. The meaning of the world doesn’t change; it always stays the same - same hopes, same challenges, same tragedies, same fears and victories. What does change is my involvement with it - my awareness, my understanding, my growth. And growth is only a deepening of what passes between you and me - what passes on the bridge.

CONCLUSION

What could be better than to be a builder of bridges between persons and groups? What could be a better way to be remembered when we are gone? Would we not like people to say of us

“He was a builder of bridges”?! Can you think of a more noble cause? Can you imagine anything truer to the purposes of Freemasonry? In his book, “The Builders,” Joseph Fort Newton suggests a challenge with which I would like to leave you. He tells us the mission of Masonry is “to form mankind into a great redemptive brotherhood” (pg. 267). He capsulizes the spirit of Masonry by daring us “to be friends with all men, however they may differ from us in creed, or conditions; to fill every human relationship with the spirit of friend-ship.” And, finally, with the words of an old hymn by John Oxenham:

“Join hands, then,
Brothers of the faith,
What e’er your race may be;
Who serves my Father as a son
Is surely kin to me.”

LONG ISLAND MASONS

TEN REASONS TO BECOME A MASON

1. Masonry is a place where you can confidently trust every person, entrust your family with them.

2. Masonry is a place where, within moral and civil guidelines; free thought, free speaking and the spiritual growth of man can grow into its fullest potential.

3. Masonry is a place, which provides the opportunity to meet, know, and call brother, outstanding individuals from all walks of life that, I would not otherwise have met.

4. Masonry is a place to be a part of an organization that has for its principle tenets- Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.

5. Masonry is a place that provides self-development opportunities, leadership training and experience, and to improve public speaking skills.

6. Masonry is a place you can go to give support as well as seek it.

7. Masonry is a place where moral virtues are taught and through these teachings a regular reinforcement of the moral virtues is experienced.

8. Masonry is a place to spend time with a group of brothers, who by acting as good men make me want to become a better man. Not better than others, but better than I would have otherwise been.

9. Masonry is a place to become better prepared to serve church and community.

10. Masonry is a place to meet with established members of the community and to become a part of the community.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

FREEDOM OF FAITH

In America we are proud of the fact that the Church is separate from the State, and justly so! Our freedom of faith is our most precious heritage, a thing of priceless worth. Too often we take it for granted, forgetting what it cost and to whom we are indebted for it. The right of each man to worship God in the way his heart loves best is so in keeping with the idea and spirit of Masonry, so much a part of its genius, that we need to celebrate it anew in the 150th year of our National Life. If for no other reason, because both directly and indirectly, our Craft had much to do with it becoming a part of our Constitution.

Our fathers founded our Republic upon a new basis, reversing the whole history of mankind. Before that time a country without its National Church with its Official Creed, was quite unknown. But America broke new ground, made a new adventure which must be recognized, by far, the most important since the Reformation, and even more far-reaching. Such a thing was not done without difficulty.

Even in Colonial Times, Church and State were one. In New England the ideal was theocracy, a Church which included the State. In the South, if the State included the Church, they were none the less united. Religious liberty was almost unknown, except by those who defied the law and endured the persecution to enjoy it.

Few realize that prior to the Revolution it was against the law not to go to Church. It was a crime not to Baptize a child in the established Church. It was a crime to bring a Quaker into the colony, and there was a law on the statute books - though, happily not enforce - that permitted the burning of heretics. Witches had been burned in New England; Quakers had been hung. Everybody was required to pay tithes to maintain the Church, and that regardless of their religious affiliations. Those who failed to do so were thrown into prison.
Smarting under these infringements on religious liberty, Jefferson led, and Madison followed, in the fierce struggle to separate Church and State. To Jefferson, more than to any other man, we owe our liberty of faith today. The famous law which first forbade any religious tests for public office was written by Jefferson, and its principles were embodied in the first amendment to the National Constitution. The heart of that stature, couched in noble language, is as follows:

“We, the General Assembly of Virginia, do enact that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall he be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, or shall he otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or beliefs; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by arguments, to maintain their opinions in matters of religion; and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or effect their civic capacities.”

What seems a natural and inalienable right of man to us today, was a daring demand in those days. It is a curious fact that while Jefferson did not differ widely in his religious views from Franklin, Adams and even Washington; he was singled out for the most savage attacks for his part in writing the above law, and pressing for its passage in Virginia - and later, in the Nation.

Throughout his life he was a target of bitter abuse, nor did it cease after his death. Even the casual reader of the newspapers and pamphlets of that day knows how Jefferson was lampooned for his fight for liberty of faith. He was called a “Skeptic,” an “Infidel,” an “Atheist” - names which had terrifying meanings in those days - all because he demanded that each man have the right to hold such religious faith as seemed to him right and true and good. So much our liberty of faith cost; against such odds the spirit of tolerance had to make its way.

The writings of Jefferson abound in allusions to his religious views, which he made no effort to conceal. They also show his familiarity with the Bible, in which he surpassed any leading man of his time, not excepting Franklin who was a student of it. The ethics of Jesus fascinated him. During his first term in the White house he found time to make a syllabus of the teachings of Jesus compared with the moral codes of other religions, in which he made a strong case for the superiority of the ethics of Jesus. In 1816 he wrote to his friend Thompson of what he had been doing:

“I have mad a wee little book, which I call the Philosophy of Jesus. It is paradigm of his doctrines, made by cutting the texts out of the book and arranging them on the pages of a blank book, in a certain order of time and subject. A more beautiful; and precious morsel of ethics I have never seen. It is a document in proof that I am a real Christian, that is, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus.”

Yet this was the man denounced as an “Atheist,” and held up to scorn as enemy of God and man, because he held that others had a right to disagree with him and yet enjoy the honors of citizenship. No wonder he wrote his confession of faith in the word: “I have sworn upon the Altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” Ignorance and intolerance were the two enemies which he fought all his days, without truce.

From Paris he wrote to George Wythe in 1786: “Preach, my dear sir, a crusade against ignorance, establish and improve the law for educating the people.” To that end he himself had founded the University of Virginia, in which there were no religious tests for professors or pupils. Students of theology were invited to attend and enjoy the lectures and the library. As he said:

“By bringing the sects together and mixing them with the mass of other students we shall soften their aspirates. liberalize and neutralize their prejudices and make the general religion a religion of peace, reason and sanity.”

In his own life Jefferson was brought up in a Church, and was a fairly regular attendant on its services. As an Architect he planned at least one church, and gave freely to the erection of others and to the support of public worship. A lover of the Bible, he gave freely to Bible Societies. No one ever heard him use an oath, and his magnanimity was such that he placed a marble bust of his political antagonist. Hamilton, in the hall of Monticello. Such was the man who, dying murmured with his last breath, as he sank into sleep the old, beautiful Bible Prayer: “Now Lettest Thy Servant Depart In Peace.”

While it has not been shown that Jefferson was a Mason, as was at one time thought, all Masons will honor in the Lodge, and in their hearts, the man to whom, more than to any other of the men who laid the foundation of our Republic, we are indebted for the religious freedom - that is, for the glory of a free Church in a free country. For it was as much an emancipation
for the Church as for the State, and it has been an unmixed blessing to both.

To have written the Declaration of Political Independence was a great honor, but not a few will think it an even greater honor to have led in the achievement of religious independence. It closed a long and bloody chapter of history; it marked a new era, second only to that of the advent of Christ among men.

As has been said, Masonry had much to do with it, directly and indirectly. Directly in that the leaders with whom Jefferson worked and without whom he would have failed were, most of them, Masons. And indirectly by virtue of the fact that Masonry does its greatest work, not by laws and edicts, but by its teachings and influence. If any one will read the Virginia Statue on religious liberty, and the first amendment of the Constitution, along side the article on God and Religion in the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of England in 1732, he will discover that the spirit and purpose of all three documents are the same. The Masonic Constitution, written more than fifty years earlier, was one of the ancestors of the other statements.

Thus by our history, no less than by our Constitution and genius, Masons are pledged to keep Church and State separated, and to watch vigilantly every insidious effort to unite the two. Such efforts are always afoot, disguised in all sorts of ways, but we ought to be able to detect the wolf even when it wears the white rode of a lamb. It asks for clear thinking and tireless vigil, but Masons will not fall asleep and let the work of our fathers be undone.

Just now the whole set of the old world is against the spirit and ideals of our Republic. Dictators strut to and for, declaring themselves supermen born to rule their fellows. Heretofore the loss of political liberty has always been followed by a loss of religious freedom. The two go together, as our fathers joined them; and what God hath joined man must not put asunder.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

FREEMASONRY IN SOCIETY

By: Michael W. Walker

On his initiation, the Brethren are assured that the candidate is 'living in good repute amongst his friends and neighbours.' He is therefore, or should be, a peaceable and law-abiding citizen who gets on well with others. A little later on, the candidate affirms that he comes 'with a preconceived notion of the excellence of the Order, a desire for knowledge and wishing to make himself more extensively useful amongst his fellow men.' Later again, on being charged, he is told that the foundation of Freemasonry is 'the practice of every social and moral virtue.' He is exhorted to learn how to discharge his duty to his God, his neighbour and himself, to be an exemplary citizen and that, as an individual, he should practise every domestic as well as public virtue and maintain those truly Masonic characteristics, benevolence and brotherly love.

Following his second degree, he is told that he should 'not only assent to the principles of the Craft, but steadily persevere in their practice.' Finally, following his third degree, he is told that 'his own behaviour should afford the best example for the conduct of others.'

Later still, at the peak of his Craft career, on being installed in the Chair of his Lodge, he consents to a comprehensive list of instructions as to his attitude and behaviour. All in all, the entire underlying principle is that by entering Freemasonry and by his acceptance and practice of its tenets and precepts he should become a credit to himself and an example to, and benefactor of, others.

It is expected and hoped that Freemasonry will bring about this state of affairs but that, in his daily life, a Freemason will interact with others as an individual and not in his capacity as a Freemason. Freemasonry is therefore an intellectual and philosophic exercise designed and intended to make an individual's contribution to society, and development of self, greater than they might otherwise have been had he not had the opportunity of extending his capacities and capabilities through membership of the Order.

What Does Freemasonry Provide?

Election to membership of a Lodge and initiation into that Lodge are an overt indication and confirmation of one's worth or value; and recognition of such, by the Brethren. In itself, this should increase self-esteem and hopefully generate a conscious or sub-conscious desire to prove worthy of others' confidence and trust. Subsequent promotions through the second and third degrees are symbolic of the Brethren demonstrating their satisfaction that their original choice and decision were correct and that the candidate is worthy, both innately and by virtue of his zeal, interest and proficiency in the symbolic Craft, for such promotions. These additional and consequent marks of esteem should engender in the candidate further personal satisfaction and self confidence.

The Lodge teaches many skills, often untaught, or not experienced, elsewhere. A Brother must speak in public, think on his feet, make decisions, vote on issues, and chair meetings. These are invaluable assets in all other aspects of his life and for many this may well be the only opportunity of learning, practising and perfecting these skills and techniques.

Is Freemasonry a Charity?

Freemasonry is not a Charity, but as in any fraternal setting, the need of a Brother or his dependents, will receive the sympathy and support of his Brethren, not always or necessarily, financial. Charity is a natural off-shoot of Brotherly Love and is promoted explicitly in the Masonic ethos, but it is not the 'raison d'etre' of the Order.

The Purpose of Freemasonry

The purpose of Masonry is 'self-improvement'-not in the material sense, but in the intellectual, moral and philosophic sense of developing the whole persona and psyche so as, in the beautiful and emotive language of the ritual, 'to fit ourselves to take our places, as living stones, in that great spiritual building, not made by hands, eternal in the Heavens.' Such a hypothetical whole, developed, complete person must, in his journey through life, and in his interaction with others, make a more extensive contribution to society in general, thus realizing and fulfilling his expressed wish on initiation, to become 'more extensively useful amongst his fellow-men.' Such are the lofty, lawful and laudable aspirations of the Order.
Society Today

As world changes happen faster, and in more complex and unpredictable ways, our natural needs for security, control, certainty and predictability- are being undermined. This type of environment is a breeding ground for what is now termed the 'Achilles Syndrome' where more and more people who are, in fact, high-achievers, suffer from a serious lack of selfesteem-men apparently more so than women. This is gleaned from an article on the work of Petruska Clarkson, a consultant chartered counsellor and clinical psychologist.

Dr. Donal Murray, former Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin and now Bishop of Limerick, identifies 'a hunger which is not being satisfied. People need to feel they belong; they need to feel they can be fully committed to something. The prevailing mood, in Ireland and elsewhere, is one of disillusionment and cynicism. We have come to see ourselves as living in a world of institutions and structures-we think of ourselves as belonging not to a country but to an economy; we think of our national life and resources in terms of statistics and of the machinery of Government, rather than of people and culture.'

Dr. Murray goes on to say 'it is increasingly presumed that the ideal citizen possesses no strong religious or moral beliefs, or at least has the decency not to intrude them into the public arena. Strong moral beliefs are, we are told, divisive; religious belief is, at best, embarrassing. In other words,' he continues, 'one is not meant to participate in national life with one's wholeself, with one's religious beliefs and moral convictions. These are private matters. We are in danger of trying to build a culture which regards as irrelevant the very realities which make people tick. Divisiveness results only when religion and morality are misunderstood. The individual conscience is worthy of respect because it seeks the truth, as every human being is obliged to do.'

Freemasons will hardly fail to notice these references to ethics, morality and truth the very foundation of Masonic teaching and endeavour. But these cultural jewels-without-price are coming under increasingly powerful destructive forces which are eroding the foundation and base on which they rest. Conor Cruise O'Brien-a distinguished Statesman and commentator-says that 'for as far back as we can go in history, human discourse concerning ethics has been infected, in varying degrees, with hypocrisy.' Another commentator states that the term 'business ethics' is fast becoming an oxymoron-that is a contradiction in terms; and the Bishop of Waterford felt it necessary to denounce publicly 'the Cult of Excessive Individualism.'
What is needed, in all this, is some form of mental sheet-anchor-a. sort of fixed navigational point like the pole-star which, when the clouds pass, can be seen and provides the traveller with the means to identify his exact position and thereby the knowledge to return to the true path.

Freemasonry - A Part of, or
Apart from, Society

Every individual, on occasion, is forced to be a little introspective and ask himself 'who am I and where am I? Even an organization such as the Masonic Order must also occasionally ask itself 'what are we and where are we'? What we are has, to some extent already been dealt with. We are a fraternal organization, the aims of which are brotherly love, the relief of our distressed Brethren and their dependents and the search after 'Truth' which we may express as, and expand into, public and private morality, the knowledge and fear of God and, following on from that, respect for, and love of, our neighbour. This respect includes toleration of his personal viewpoint, his religious beliefs and his political opinions. If we pursue the aims of the Order, our search should widen, yet focus our vision, while ever making us more deeply aware of, and closer to, the Great Architect of the Universe, heightening our spirituality and deepening our insight into that which we may never hope fully to understand-and something like the search after the mystic Grail as sought for, and fought for, by our possible, even probable operative forebears, the Knights Templar who followed on, in their own way, from the mythical Knights of the Grail Romances and Arthurian Legend. There is so much more to Freemasonry than the shallow depth of today's assessment and its scant inspection by today's society, obsessed as society is with material success for the individual rather than his contribution to society.

Into the Next Millennium

I have endeavoured to identify who we are, what we are and where we are-now it is time to speculate on where we go from here. We are an unfashionable group whose numbers are falling-not perhaps in the developing countries, but in the developed world we are viewed as an anachronism with an ethos which may represent an embarrassment to many of today's moral lepers. 'Whence comest thou Gehazi'? You will remember Elisha's devastating question to his servant who had run after Naaman, seeking to profit from his Master's-that is, someone else'sperformance and use of his talents.

As those who joined Freemasonry in great numbers after the Second World War, because they found it the closest alternative or substitute for the fellowship and support they found within the Forces, now pass on to their reward, there is no surge of candidates to replace them. So recruitment becomes a necessity, though the means and emphasis must be very carefully gauged.

We must try to correct the false perception of us by, in particular, the media and the Churches for they are the agencies who can and do formulate and direct public opinion; and both are highly suspicious and/or antagonistic.

What I am trying to emphasise is that as we move into the next millennium we must be steadfast in our adherence to the Aims and Principles and not attempt to obtain public acceptance through promoting or pursuing non-masonic activities which can only, in the long term, prove our undoing. We must be patient and bide our time for we will come again. I have heard it said that the pace of life and its stresses will get even more frenetic than at present and that while we may be able to cope with this intellectually, it is questionable if many can cope with it emotionally. In these circumstances with the Internet bombarding us with a Quatermass-like availability of ethical and unethical information in the privacy of our own homes, I believe that Brother Michael Yaxley, President of the Board of General Purposes of the Grand Lodge of Tasmania is quite correct when he writes 'Society does have a need for a body such as Freemasonry. I believe that this need will increase rather than decrease. In the next century the work place will not offer fellowship and camaraderie sufficient to satisfy the social instincts that people have. Many people will work at home, linked to the office by computer and telephone. Others will work in an office with complex but nevertheless inanimate equipment. The irony of the Age of Communication is that people spend, and will spend, more time by themselves.'

Conclusion

As the American writer, Henry Adams saw it, 'The Indian Summer of Life should be a little sunny and a little sad, and infinite in wealth and depth of tonejust like the season.'
I think that pretty closely describes Freemasonry today-a little sunny and infinite in wealth and depth of tone-we all can sympathise with that. A little sad too with memories of past greatness; and quieter more settled times when bogeymen were not found everywhere and Freemasonry was a recognised, accepted and fashionable part of society. Will our time come again? I think it will-not perhaps an exact replica of the past, for we cannot turn back the clock, but a slimmer, trimmer version with new
vigour and enthusiasm ready to meet the new millennium.

But remember, Brethren, as we enter and endure 'the Winter of our discontent' we must maintain our standards and our dignity. There can be no compromise with quality in any facet of our Institution. One of Ireland's greatest actors and one of its best-known characters, Michael Mac Liammoir, was once accused by a critic of being ,square. ' 'Yes' said Mac Liammoir, 'perhaps you are right, but so much better to be square than shapeless.' How appropriate for Freemasonry at this time-let us hold firm to the symbolism of the square and the compasses and let them be the means of restoring Ordo ab Chao - order out of mental and moral chaos--as we strive to readjust emotionally to the crushing pressures and stress of modem life.

Now Brethren, let me close on one final exhortation taken from the beautiful language of our ritual - 'See that you conduct yourselves, out of Lodge as in Lodge, good men and Masons'; and remember those immortal words of Polonius giving advice to his son Laertes as he departs from Denmark, on his return to France, in Shakespeare's greatest play, Hamlet 'This above all, to thine own self be true; and it must follow as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.'

Almost the entire Masonic ethos can be found in those few words-so easy to remember, so difficult to put into practice.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

WHAT IS MASONRY

"I've been a Mason six months now and I ought to know something about Masonry. But there are more secrets in the fraternity I don't know than those I have been told!" The New Brother was puzzled. The Old Tiler laid down his sword, picked up a half-smoked cigar and lit it, and settled back in his chair.

"Get it out of your system," he invited. "Is Masonry a religion," continued the New Brother, "or a system of philosophy, or a childish getting together of men who like to play politics and wear titles? I have heard it called all three. Sometimes I think it's one and sometimes the other. What do you think?"

"It isn't a childish getting together for the love of titles and honors," answered the Old Tiler. "Men would soon invent a much better organization for the satisfaction of such purposes. In fact, he has invented better ones. Men who want to play politics and be called the Grand High Cockalorum of the Exalted Central Chamber of the Secret Sanctorum can join these. If Masonry were nothing but play, it wouldn't live, and living, grow.

"Masonry isn't a religion. A religion, as I see it, is a belief in deity and a means of expressing worship. Masonry recognizes Deity, and proceeds only after asking divine guidance. But it does not specify any particular deity. You can worship any God you please and be a Mason. That is not true of any religion. If you are a Buddhist, you worship Buddha. If a Christian, Christ is your Deity. If you are a Mohammedan you are a worshipper of Allah. In Masonry you will find Christian, Jew, Mohammedan and Buddhist side by side.

"Masonry has been called a system of philosophy, but that is a confining definition. I don't think Masonry has ever been truly defined." "Or God," put in the New Brother. "Exactly. A witty Frenchman, asked if he believed in God, replied, 'Before I answer, you must tell me your definition of God. And when you tell me, I will answer you, no, because a God defined is a God limited, and a limited God is no God.' Masonry is something like that; it is brotherhood, unlimited, and when you limit it by defining it you make it something it isn't."

"Deep stuff!" commented the New Brother. "Masonry is 'deep stuff,'" answered the Old Tiler. "It's so deep no man has ever found the bottom. Perhaps that is its greatest charm; you can go as far as you like and still not see the limit. The fascination of astronomy is the limitlessness of the field. No telescope has seen the edge of the universe. The fascination of Masonry is that it has no limits. The human heart has no limit in depth and that which appeals most to the human heart cannot have a limit."

"But that makes it so hard to understand!" sighed the New Brother. "Isn't it the better for being difficult of comprehension?" asked the Old Tiler. "A few days ago I heard an eminent divine and Mason make an inspiring talk. I hear a lot of talks; nine-tenths are empty words with a pale tallow-tip gleam of a faint idea somewhere in them. So when a real talker lets the full radiance of a whole idea shine on an audience, he is something to be remembered. This speaker quoted a wonderful poem, by William Herbert Carruth. I asked him to send it to me, and he did; please note, this busy man, president of a university, and with a thousand things to do, didn't forget the request of a brother he never saw before!" The Old Tiler put his hand in his pocket and took out a much-thumbed piece of paper. "Listen you," he said, "'till I read you just one verse of it:

"'A picket frozen on duty; A mother, starved for her brood;
Socrates drinking the hemlock, and Jesus on the road;
And millions who, humble and nameless, The straight hard pathway plod;
Some call it consecration And others call it God.'"

The New Brother said nothing, held silent by the beauty of the lines.

"I am no poet," continued the Old Tiler, "and I know this isn't very fitting, but I wrote something to go with those verses, just to read to brothers like you." Shyly the Old Tiler continued:

"Many men, banded together Standing where Hiram stood;
Hand to back of the falling, Helping in brotherhood.
Wise man, doctor, lawyer, Poor man, man of the hod,
Many call it Masonry And others call it God."

"I don't think it makes much difference what we call it, do you?" asked the New Brother.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

I DIDN"T KNOW THAT (PART V).......

Bro. James Garfield, 20th U.S. President , Second to be AssassinatedSix months after he became president, Ohio's James Garfield was the second American president to be shot while in office. (The first was Abraham Lincoln.) That tragic event had been preceded by a contentious election in which Bro. Garfield had defeated Winfield Scott Hancock by a mere 10,000 votes. During the Republican convention, Bro. Garfield had actively campaigned for his political ally John Sherman. When ballot after ballot failed to nominate apresidential candidate, Bro.Garfield was named as a "dark horse" possibility and finally received the party's support for president on the 36th ballot. In his six months as president, Bro. Garfield fought corruption but encountered significant opposition from Senator Roscoe Conkling, who had taken offense to Garfield's political appointments. When Conkling resigned from the senate in protest, Bro. Garfield's position of power was reinforced, but it wasn't to last. Attorney Charles Jules Guiteau, who had also unsuccessfully sought a government appointment, shot the president at the Washington, D.C. railroad station. Despite attempts to remove the bullet, including the use of an early metal detector developed by Alexander Graham Bell, Bro. Garfield died of blood poisoning several weeks later. Bro. Garfield was initiated November 19, 1864 in Columbus Lodge 246 at Garrettsville, OH, passed the same year and raised in 1864. He ws Chaplain in 1868, and 1869. He was also a member of Pentalpha Lodge 2 at Washington, DC, of the Mark and Royal Arch, and of the Scottish Rite. He was also a Knight Templar. (The Learning Kingdom)


Bro. Thurgood Marshall,- first African-American justice on the U.S. Supreme CourtBro. Thurgood Marshall's grandfather was a former slave who fought on behalf of the Union Army during the Civil War. His mother was among the first women to graduate from Columbia Teacher's College. And Bro. Marshall himself was a pioneer, becoming the first African-American on the Supreme Court of the United States in 1967. During a lengthy legal career with the NAACP, Bro. Marshall gained significant experience arguing cases before the court on which he one day would serve. In the 32 cases where he was called upon to argue on behalf of defendants or plaintiffs, he was victorious 29 times. Perhaps the most famous of those victories was 1954's Brown vs. The Board of Education, which ultimately resulted in the forced desegregation of schools across America. While on the Supreme Court, Bro. Marshall was often at odds with conservative justices. He became known for his eloquent dissent and sharp wit. Upon his retirement in 1993, he was replaced by Clarence Thomas.

Bro. George M. Cohan inspired the movie At the age of 16, Bro. George M. Cohan published his first song, "Why Did Nellie Leave Home?" It was his first of hundreds of tunes, some of which would become standards. Bro. Cohan's song list includes popular tunes like "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "Mary's a Grand Old Name," as well as such patriotic anthems as "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Over There." Twenty-three years later, just before America's entry into World War II, Congress authorized Bro. Franklin Roosevelt to present Bro. Cohan with a gold medal. In addition to song writing, Bro. Cohan was a playwright, producer, and actor. He appeared in "Ah Wilderness" and "I'd Rather Be Right," and wrote plays including "The Little Millionaire," "Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford," and "The Merry Malones." He was immortalized in 1942 in Hollywood's "Yankee Doodle Dandy," and in 1968 in the Broadway musical "George M!" Bro. Cohan was raised in New York city's Pacific Lodge No. 233 in 1905. He was also an active Shrine Mason. (The learning Kindom)

Bro. Benjamin Franklin -- one of the America's first spies.Students of history have long respected Bro. Benjamin Franklin as ascientist, statesman, inventor, and diplomat. But, he was also one of the first Americans to actively engage in espionage for his country. During the American Revolution, Bro. Franklin went to France on behalf of the fledgling United States to court the support of the French government. Bro. Franklin appeared to be a harmless emissary of his government, but was actively engaging in propaganda efforts and paramilitary operations to further the cause of American independence. Among his most successful schemes was the creation of a false impression that American and British relations were about to take a turn for the better, prompting France to sign a military alliance with the United States. Bro. Franklin also helped plan the only American attack on the British Isles, and created false news reports thatswayed British public opinion against the war. The CIA has honored Franklin's pioneering acts of espionage: The Learning Kingdom

Bro.. Douglas Fairbanks Sr., (1883-1939) Helped Found United Artists.
In 1916 alone, Bro. Douglas Fairbanks Sr. starred in nearly a dozen successful silent movies. The talented actor, who had made his first film just a year earlier, was commanding the then-enormous salary of about $10,000 a week. Bro. Fairbanks' good looks quickly gained him a loyal following among fans that loved his swashbuckling action films. Among his most notable pictures were "The Mark of Zorro," "The Three Musketeers" (both released in 1921), "Robin Hood" (1921), and "The Thief of Bagdad"(1924). Bro. Fairbanks' career wasn't limited to playing the leading man in early motion pictures. With Charlie Chaplin, Bro. D.W. Griffith and his wife, Mary Pickford, he co-founded United Artists in 1919. Using the pseudonym Elton Thomas, he also wrote a number of scripts for films in which he starred, including "The Black Pirate," "The Iron Mask,"and "The Gaucho." In 1927, Bro. Fairbanks served as the first president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an organization he had helped found. Bro. Fairbanks was a memveof Beverly Hills Lodge 528, California. Bro. Griffith was a member of St. Cecile Lodge 568, New York City. (The Learning Kindom)

Bro. Matthew Henson, (1866-1955) Co-discoverer of the North Pole
Not honored until decades afterward. An African-American born at Charles County, MD a year after the end of the Civil War, Bro. Matthew Henson was one of the first men ever to reach the North Pole. He accomplished this feat in the company of Admiral Bro. Robert Peary, his longtime partner in exploration. Bro. Matthew Henson was orphaned as a youth. At age 12 he served as a cabin boy on the saiiing ship Kathie Hines. He met Bro.Robert E. Peary while working in a Washington, D.C. store in 1888 and was hired to be Peary's valet. He accompanied Peary on his seven subsequent Arctic expeditions. During the succesful 1908-1909 expedition to the North Pole, Bro. Henson and two of the four Eskimo guides reached their destination on April 6, 1909. Bro.Peary arrived minutes later and verifyed the location. Bro. Henson had accompanied Bro. Peary in a number of prior journeys to both Arctic and equatorial regions. An early trip to Nicaragua cemented their relationship, and the two men spent the next two decades in various attempts to chart points in the far north and reach the North Pole. Because he was black, Bro. Henson shared little of the recognition awarded Bro. Peary. Not until decades later was he honored by the Explorers Club in New York. Henson's account of the expedition, "A Negro Explorer at the North Pole" was published in 1912. In addition to the .Congressional Medal awarded all members of the North Pole Expedition, Henson also received the Gold Medal of the Geographical Society of Chicago and, at age 81, was made an honorary member of the Explorers Club in New York, NY.. After his 1955 death, he was buried in an obscure cemetery in North York, but 32 years later his grave was moved to Arlington National Cemetery, beside that of his old companion, Bro. Robert Peary. Bro. Matthew Henson was initiated on Nevember 5, 1904 in Celestial Lodge No. 3 of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of New York. (The Learning Kingdom. Chase's.)

LONG ISLAND MASONS

NOTED MASONS - JOHN PHILLIP SOUSA

Sousa was born in Washington D.C. to John António de Sousa and Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus. His parents were of Portuguese and Bavarian (German) descent. John first learned the violin beginning at age 6. He found to have absoulutly perfect pitch. When the young Sousa reached the age of 13, his father, a trombonist in the Marine Band, enlisted his son in the United States Marine Corps as an apprentice. The boy soon attempted to run away and join a circus. John served his apprenticeship for 7 years, until 1875, apparently learning to play all the wind instruments, and maintaining his skills on the violin.
Several years later, John left his apprenticeship to join a theatrical (pit) orchestra where he learned to conduct. He returned to the U.S. Marine Band as its head in 1880, and remained as its conductor until 1892. Sousa also led the marching band of Gonzaga College High School.
Sousa organized his own band in 1892. It toured widely, and in 1900, represented the United States at the Paris Exposition before touring Europe. Sousa repeatedly refused to conduct on the radio, fearing a lack of personal contact with the audience. He was finally persuaded to do so in 1929 and became a smash hit.


Marches
He wrote well over 100 marches; some of his most popular are:
"Semper Fidelis" (1888) (Official March of the United States Marine Corps)
"The Washington Post March" (1889)
"The Thunderer" (1889)
"The Liberty Bell" (1893) (credits theme for Monty Python's Flying Circus)
"Manhattan Beach March" (1893)
"King Cotton" (1892)
"The Stars and Stripes Forever" (1896) (National March of the United States)
"El Capitan" (1896)
"Hands Across the Sea" (1899)
"Fairest of the Fair" (1908)
"U.S. Field Artillery" (1917)
"The Gallant Seventh" (1922)
"The Black Horse Troop" (1924)
The marching brass bass, or sousaphone, is named after him.
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Operettas
The Queen of Hearts (1885), also known as Royalty and Roguery
The Smugglers (1882)
Desiree (1883)
El Capitan (1895)
The Bride Elect (1897), libretto by Sousa.
The Charlatan (1898), also known as The Mystical Miss, lyrics by Sousa.
Chris and the Wonderful Lamp (1899)
The Free Lance (1905)
The American Maid (1909), also known as The Glass Blowers.
These operettas which Gervase Hughes calls "notable" (1) also show a variety of French, Viennese and British influences. (In his younger days, Sousa made an orchestration of HMS Pinafore and played the first violin on the American tour of Jacques Offenbach.) The music of these operettas is light and cheerful. The Glass Blowers and Desirée have had revivals, the latter having been released on CD like El Capitan, the best known of them. El Capitan has been in production somewhere in the world ever since it was written and makes fun of false heroes. Still more outspoken against militarism is The Free Lance, the story of two kingdoms becoming united, which found its way to Germany (as "Der Feldhauptmann") by the time the Berlin Wall came down.
Marches and waltzes have been derived from many of these stage-works. Sousa also composed the music for six operettas that were either unfinished or not produced: The Devils' Deputy, Florine, The Irish Dragoon, Katherine, The Victory, and The Wolf.
In addition, Sousa wrote The Mikado march, the elegant overture of Our Flirtations, a number of musical suites, etc.
(1) Gervase Hughes,Composers of Operetta, New York, 1962
[edit]

Sousa the Freemason
One year after the 1882 Transit of Venus, Sousa was commissioned to compose a processional for the unveiling of a bronze statue of American physicist Joseph Henry, who had died in 1878. Henry, who had developed the first electric motor, was also the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
A Freemason, Sousa was fascinated by what the group considered mystical qualities in otherwise natural phenomena. According to Sten Odenwald of the NASA IMAGE Science Center[1], this played a significant role in the selection of the time and date of the performance, April 19, 1883, at 4:00 P.M. Dr. Odenwald points out that Venus and Mars, invisible to the participants, were setting in the west. At the same time, the moon, Uranus, and Virgo were rising in the east, Saturn had crossed the meridian, and Jupiter was directly overhead. According to Masonic lore, Venus was associated with the element copper, and Joseph Henry had used large quantities of copper to build his electric motors.
The "Transit of Venus March" never caught on during Sousa's lifetime. It went unplayed for more than 100 years, after Sousa's copies of the music were destroyed in a flood. As reported in The Washington Post, Library of Congress employee Loras Schissel recently found copies of the old sheet music for Venus "languishing in the library's files."[2] The piece was resurrected recently, in time for the 2004 Transit.
Sousa also composed a march, "Nobles of the Mystic Shrine", dedicated to the high degree freemasonry Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.

Other writing, skills, and interests
Sousa exhibited many talents aside from music. He wrote five novels and a full length autobiography as well as a great number of articles and letters-to-the-editor on a variety of subjects. As a trapshooter, he ranks as one of the all-time greats, and his skill as a horseman met championship criteria.
In his 1902 novel The Fifth String a young violinist makes a deal with the Devil for a magic violin with five strings. The strings can excite the emotions of Pity, Hope, Love & Joy- the 5th string is Death & can be played only once before causing the player's own death. He has a brilliant career but cannot win the love of the woman he desires. At a final concert he plays upon the death string.
In 1920 he wrote another work called The Transit of Venus, a 40,000-word prose story. It is about a group of misogynists called the Alimony Club who, as a way of temporarily escaping the society of women, embark on a sea voyage to observe the transit of Venus. The captain's niece, however, has stowed away on board and soon wins over the men. [3]
Sousa held a very low opinion of the emerging and upstart recording industry. In a submission to a congressional hearing in 1906, he argued that:
These talking machines are going to ruin the artistic development of music in this country. When I was a boy...in front of every house in the summer evenings, you would find young people together singing the songs of the day or old songs. Today you hear these infernal machines going night and day. We will not have a vocal cord left. The vocal cord will be eliminated by a process of evolution, as was the tail of man when he came from the ape.
Law professor Lawrence Lessig cited this passage to argue that in creating a system of copyrights in which control of music is in the hands of recording studios, Sousa was essentially correct.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

BROTHER FRANCIS BELLAMY

'THE PLEDGE IN BELLAMYS HANDWRITING

Who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance to our Flag?

Can you imagine a time when this was not known?

Well, truth is stranger than fiction, for up until 1939 it was not certain who had written the Pledge, and what's more, until that time no one seemed to care. Finally, in that year, after years of research a committee of the U.S. Flag Association ruled that Francis J. Bellamy had indeed written our Pledge of Allegiance.

The Reverend Francis J. Bellamy was a Mason, a member of Little Falls Lodge No. 181, Little Falls, New York. The Order of the Eastern Star erected a memorial tablet to him in 1955 in Oriskany, New York.

At the First National Flag Conference in Washington, D.C., June 14, 1923, the words "the Flag of the United States" was substituted for "my flag." The change was made on the grounds that those born in foreign countries might have in mind the flag of their native land when giving the Pledge. The Second National Flag Conference in Washington on Flag Day, 1924, added, for the sake of greater definition, the words "of America." On Flag Day, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an Act of Congress adding the words "under God." For greater meaning and proper presentation when reciting the Pledge there should be only three pauses:
1. After "America;"
2. after "stands;" and
3. after "indivisible."

Due to the fact that no author was mentioned when the Pledge appeared in 1892, few knew who actually had written it and in time its origin was completely veiled in obscurity. This is the story of how the Pledge of Allegiance came into being, and of a long-delayed tribute to its author.

James B. Upham was a man imbued with patriotic fervor. At the close of the last century he was a partner of the firm publishing the Youth's Companion, a juvenile periodical of Boston. One of his strong beliefs was that an American flag should be flown over every schoolhouse. To this end he persuaded his magazine to sponsor a plan to sell flags to schools at cost; the idea being so successful that 25,000 schools acquired flags in just one year. He also campaigned to have flags flown over public buildings--his success in this endeavor is clearly evident today.

Brother and Sir Knight James B. Upham is known as the "Father" of the move-ment to display flags in schools and in public places. We Masons, who pride ourselves on our patriotism, salute him!

He was a member of Converse Lodge, Malden, Mass.
Brother Upham had still another idea--that on Columbus Day, 1892, the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America, every public school in the land would hold a flag-raising ceremony under the most impressive circumstances, and every school child rededicate himself in love and service to his country.

Upham conceived this as a National Public School Celebration of Columbus Day.
Daniel S. Ford, the owner of the Youth's Companion and uncle of James Upham, appointed Francis Bellamy, a member of the Youth's Companion staff, the national chairman of a committee to enlist the support of educators, mayors, governors and members of Congress in this tremendous undertaking. The results of their labors surpassed their fondest dreams, for the President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, enthusiastically endorsed the plan and declared a national holiday for Columbus Day, October 21, 1892.

There was great excitement in the schools throughout the land during the months preceding the great day of celebration. Committees were busy at every school, planning the Columbus Day program down to its finest detail. It was understood by all that the climax and the most important and impressive part of the ceremony would be the raising of the Flag and the salute to it by the students. In preparing the suggested program for the Columbus Day Observance to be printed in the Youth's Companion, James Upham hesitated when he came to the salute by the students. He was not entirely satisfied with the "Balch" salute, then in common usage.

This was written in 1887 by Colonel George T. Balch, and went:

'' We give our heads and our hearts to God and our country--
One country, one language, one flag. ''

A variation of this was:

"I give my heart and my hand to my
Country:
One country, one language, one flag. ''

Upham discussed his dilemma with Francis Bellamy and asked for his help. Here is Bellamy's account of the thoughts that went through his mind as he wrote the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag--note the attention he gave to each word of the Pledge:

Mr. Upham and I spent many hours in considering the revision of this salute. Each one sug-gested that the other write a new salute. It was my thought that a vow of loyalty or allegiance to the flag should be the dominant idea. I especially stressed the word ''allegiance. '' So Mr. Upham told me to try it out on that line.

It was a warm evening in August, 1892, in my office in Boston, that I shut myself in my room alone to formulate the actual pledge. Beginning with the new word "allegiance," I first decided that pledge was a better school word than "vow" or "swear''; and that the first person singular should be used, and that ''my" flag was preferable to "the'' When those first words, "I pledge allegiance to my flag'' looked up at me from the scratch paper, the start appeared promising.

Then: should it be "country,'' "nation," or ''Republic?" "Republic'' won because it distinguished the form of government chosen by the fathers and established by the Revolution. The true reason for allegiance to the flag is the ''Republic for which it stands."

Now how should the vista be widened so as to teach the national fundamentals? I laid down my pencil and tried to pass our history in review. It took in the sayings of Washington, the arguments of Hamilton, the Webster-Hayne debate, the speeches of Seward and Lincoln, the Civil War. After many attempts, all that pictured struggle reduced itself to three words, "One Nation, indivisible. ''

To reach that compact brevity, conveying the facts of a single nationality and of an indi-visibility both of states and of common interests, was as I recall, the most arduous phase of the task, and the discarded experiments at phrasing overflowed the scrap basket.

But what of the present and future of this indivisible Nation here presented for allegiance? What were the old and fought-out issues which always will be issues to be fought for? Especially, what were the basic national doctrines bearing upon the acute questions already agitating the public mind? Here was a temptation to repeat the historic slogan of the French Revolution, imported by Jefferson, ''liberty, equality, fraternity. '' But that was rather quickly rejected as fraternity was too remote of realization, and equality was a dubious word. What doctrines, then, would everybody agree upon as the basis of Americanism? ''Liberty and Justice'' were surely basic, were uneatable, and were all that any one Nation could handle. If these were exercised ''for all'' they involved the spirit of equality and fraternity. So that final line came with a cheering rush. As a clincher, it seemed to assemble the past and to promise the future.

That, I remember, is how the sequence of ideas grew and how the words were found. I called for Mr. Upham and repeated it to him with full emphasis.

"I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indi-visible, with Liberty and Justice for all. ''

Thus was our Pledge of Allegiance born-- and it was proclaimed with great rejoicing throughout the land on October 21, 1892. In writing the Pledge Bellamy was only fulfilling one of his many assignments for the magazine, but those who knew the man himself knew also that he was fulfilling a deep desire to compose a simple dignified message of loyalty which would convey the truest and most noble sentiments of a devoted patriot toward his native land.

All Masons salute him!

LONG ISLAND MASONS

WHAT I'VE LEARNED...

I've learned that you can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. age 6

I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try to cheer someone else up. age 13

I've learned that although it's hard to admit, I'm very glad my parents are strict with me. age 15

I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice. age 24

I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great pleasures. age 25

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know it. age 41

I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater his need to cast blame. age 45

I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies. age 46

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. age 52

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die. age 53

I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. age 58

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. age 64

I've learned whenever I decide something with kindness, it's usually the right decision. age 66

I've learned that even when I have pain, I don't have to be one. age 82

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch - a hug or just a nice pat on the back. age 85

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. age 92

LONG ISLAND MASONS

LEADERSHIP IS EXPECTED AND RESPECTED

One of the most irritating and disconcerting things during any
Masonic meeting is when two or more Brethren on the sidelines get
into a sotto voce discussion. It's even worse when one of them is
hard of hearing. When this happens during degree work, it can throw
off even the best of ritualists. We've all seen--and heard--it
happen.

It is a distraction from the solemnity of the ritual. It's
discourteous to the degree team; it's robbing the candidate of the
benefit of what should be a meaningful experience; and it is
insulting to the Brethren who are trying to hear.

Unfortunately, the offending offensive Brethren don't seem to realize
that they are disturbing their colleagues. They don't realize that
they can be heard ..or, possibly they don't care.

How to overcome situations like this is a leadership problem which
faces many Masters. Should he rap the gavel and ask for quiet? Should
he have someone go over to the offending Brethren and ask them to be
quiet? Should he ask them to leave the lodge room? Or should he
ignore them?

The answers to these questions will depend on many factors. The
mantle of leadership comes in many guises. The personality of the
Master will to a large degree, dictate the manner in which he can
best cope with the situation. There are some with strong
authoritative images, who can maintain order merely by a meaningful
glance; while others must resort to persuasion, reasoning or other
methods .
We recognize that the Worshipful Master has the authority to take
strong action. His word is LAW. However, in the interest of "peace
and harmony" he will--if he is a good leader -- use only the "force"
necessary to overcome an infraction. Gentle persuasion is probably
the best tool he has. By "whispering wise words of counsel in the ear
of an erring Brother" or having it done, will usually secure the
desired results.

We heard of one Grand Master who was speaking at a lodge in his own
Jurisdiction which had a reputation of sideline chatter. Even as he
was speaking, the lodge Secretary and the lodge Treasurer became
involved in a heated, whispered argument, which proved most
distracting. In fact, it became so disconcerting that the Grand
Master lost his train of thought. Rapping the gavel, he addressed the
talkative Brothers and sternly told them that he had been invited to
speak; that he intended to speak, but that he was not going to have
any competition. Upon resuming his prepared remarks, you could have
heard a pin drop, it was so quiet. In fact, the remainder of the
evening, the lodge maintained a subdued attitude. Everything was
quite proper.

As he left the temple, he said to himself that that was probably the
last time he would be invited to that lodge. How wrong he was. He
later learned that at the next meeting of the lodge, the Secretary
apologized to the Master and to the lodge for the embarrassment they
had caused and moved that the Grand Master be elected an Honorary
Member of the lodge. The Treasurer seconded the motion, which was
unanimously carried. He is the only Past Grand Master holding
Honorary Membership in that lodge.

In recounting that story, the Grand Master, now Past Grand Master,
uses it to illustrate several valid points of leadership. (I) Leaders
MUST lead! (2) When you are in the "right," you have nothing to fear.
(3) Leadership is expected and respected. (4) Harmony must prevail .

Courtesy - common courtesy - is a trait of mankind. It is a two-way
street. It is a hallmark
of a Mason.

We frequently see Masters who try too hard to be a "good old boy."
They joke too much, and in doing so, invite a great deal of sideline
chatter. Their meetings become .so informal that the lodge is
subjected to ridicule. Their lack of leadership is counter-
productive. Instead of creating an atmosphere of dignity and decorum,
they produce a comedy of contagious errors, which reflect upon the
character of the lodge, and frequently drives the Brethren away from
the lodge in droves.

Even worse, however, is the silver-tongued Master who is a born
ritualist. His intonations,
expression and sincerity are superb when he delivers the ritual. BUT,
as soon as the lodge is closed, he becomes a loud-mouthed, foul-
mouthed, woman-chasing rogue. He completely ignores his own beautiful
rendition of the charge "to put into practice outside the lodge,
those principles which are inculcated therein." This "Frankenstein
Monster" has the leadership potential of an "off mule."

Everyone in leadership positions in any field of endeavor, either
consciously or subconsciouly, develops a style of leadership
techniques which fit their personality. What is effective for one
might be an absolute flop for another. Some of the leadership
techniques could easily be described as gimmicks.

On the night of his installation, one Master announced that he was
assigning a specific task to each of the 200 members of the lodge,
which he would like to have completed within three months. What he
had done involved a great deal of planning which is an essential in
leadership. Over a period of months, he had developed a list of
things which needed to be done around the lodge. He charged one
member to see that each task was accomplished.

No one job involved much time or effort, but it did involve everyone.
Tacking down a piece of
upholstery on the Junior Warden's station; scrubbing the lavatory;
painting the stair rail; repairing strings on aprons; cleaning the
glass on the Past Master's pictures; replacing a frayed cord on the
Secretary's desk lamp; oiling the hinges on the Preparation Room
door; replacing a tile in the kitchen floor; having the window
curtains dry cleaned; helping the Secretary address envelopes;
preparing a telephone roster; refinishing the Stewards' and Deacons'
rods; developing a roster of Widows-and the list went on and on. Each
task was matched with a member's name, one who had the time and
ability to do it.

To coordinate and supervise the execution of the assignments, the
Master assigned his officers. This, too, is an important element of
leadership.

In the following weeks, the lodge building was a hub-bub of activity,
as the members gathered to carry out their respective
responsibilities. Some came during the lunch hour, others in the
afternoon and some in the evening. Fellowship reigned as one Brother
helped the other. Wives frequently came along to help out, and often
brought along refreshments. Even after a job had been finished, many
came back to see what else was being done. A coffee-klatch developed.
Cribbage and pinochle games often started after the work was done.

The exciting thing that happened though, was the dramatic increase of
attendance at even the Stated Meetings. And, at these, the Master was
careful to exercise another trait of leadership by recognizing the
accomplishments of each member and showing appreciation. Not only did
the lodge building sparkle with its improvements, the members had
become Masons in the true sense of the word, with a genuine concern
for one another.

Just as the "spin-offs" of the Space Program have produced many
improvements in our daily lives, the "spin-offs" of this Master's
leadership have had a lasting effect upon the lodge and upon the
community. A Master is expected to show leadership. He did. And his
leadership is respected. However, his brand of leadership might not
"fit" another.

The first impression many visiting Brethren get of a lodge is their
reception by the Tiler (or, if you prefer-Tyler). How meticulous is
he in checking your dues card; having you sign the register; seeing
if you can be avouched for or if you need the "dreaded Committee;"
providing an apron or in taking up "the word" can either "turn you
on" or "turn you off." His is a thankless-yet important-job, yet it
is somehow often ignored.

One Tiler in a small town lodge was getting more than his share of
harassment from one of the members one night. Finally, after about
five minutes of constant harangue, the Tiler became fed up. Picking
up the "implement of his office," he said,, "My job is to keep off
cowans and eavesdroppers. I wish to H------it was to keep off horses-
asses." It was crude. Yet it was forceful. It accomplished its
purpose. It was a form of leadership.

Much has been said and written about Masonic Leadership. (See Short
Talk Bulletins: 1-70, Lodge Leadership; 4-52, Masonic Man- ners; 2-
41, Master; 10-39, Art of Presiding; 2-48, Parliamentary Law in
Freemasonry; 10-74, Powers of the Worshipful Master.) (See Masonic
Digests: Leadership - how to Develop It; Leadership Training; Think
Tank for Junior Wardens.) There are no hard and fast rules.
Leadership is a matter of interest for every Mason. Leadership is
common courtesy. Leadership is a two-way street. Leadership is
essential .

We show our leadership by the way we act toward others. It's as
simple as setting the example by the way we conduct ourselves on the
sidelines, or as complicated as controlling the discussions on an
emotion-packed motion.

Each of us has some leadership potential or ability. It's a trait
worth developing and practicing. Just as a pair of pants won't fit
everyone, we must tailor our leadership abilities to fit our own
personalities.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT (PART IV)....

How Were/When Were Railroad Lodges Born?

Railroad Lodges were generally found in communities that housed what was called "Section Gangs" on the railroad. These were railroad track men who were responsible for maintaining a section of railroad, and hence, usually were/are found in small communities that, were it not for the railroad, would be called farming communities. These Lodges usually met on Friday nights, since track work generally went on till dusk, and track gangs normally quit early on Friday, giving them enough time to go home, clean up, and have supper before Lodge meeting. I've been in have talked to some fine Masons who are members of "Railroad Lodges." For example, a good friend and Mason who is a member of Gordonsville, VA Lodge once invited me to stated (which I believe was on a Friday evening) with the disclaimer: "It's a Railroad Lodge." Where to look for Railroad Lodges? Find a map of all the railroads in Virginia (or elsewhere), and search for where the old depots were...Most of those towns will have been, or had a Railroad Lodge at some point. City lodges, such as Widow's Sons' #60 in Charlottesville, VA where I am SW, may might have a Railroad Lodge in the background somewhere, but are farremoved from it today. However, many small railroad communities maintain fairly fresh memories of track gangs and the Railroad Lodge. Thanks to Bro. Tim Edwards who grew up in Verona, KY...A section gang town surrounded by farms. His Father railroaded for the L&N Railroad for 30+ years, and Bro. Tim was raised in Verona Lodge, #876, Verona, KY, which was a Railroad Lodge and met on Friday evenings. His y email is: timedwards53@msn.com or fredwtj@ngic.army.mil. Tim Edwards, SW Widow's Son's #60 Charottesville, VA

NY GRAND LODGE OFFERS TOURS OF MASONIC HALL TO GENERAL PUBLIC

Coming to New York City soon? Why not enjoy an escorted tour of New York Grand Lodge and its newly renovated magnificent 1,200-seat Masonic Hall, its Museum and Library, numerous Lodge rooms and other facilities. Included is a short introduction to our New York State and USA MASONIC History. All you need do to arrange a tour is contact , Bro. Steven S. Grant, Tour Guide. What to bring with you? Your family and friends, Masons and non-Masons. You'll want to bring a Camera to take photos you can show to your Brethren back home. If you want to attend a Lodge in session, you'll need a document establishing your Masonic Affiliation, of course. And your Apron which would make a most welcome subject for our local Brothers to see (though we can provide a White Apron before your entrance into the Lodge ). Sound interesting? Need Date, time and place to be mutually acceptable. Tour Office located on the Main floor in "MASONIC HALL," 71 West 23rd Street, corner 6th Avenue, NY, NY. Steven S. Grant, Masonic Hall Tour Guide PDDGM Third MANHATTAN. Masonic District E-mail is: Telephone and FAX # (201)263-0711 (You may call me up to midnight, including Weekends.)

Bro. James Garfield, 20th U.S. President , Second to be Assassinated

Six months after he became president, Ohio's James Garfield was the second American president to be shot while in office. (The first was Abraham Lincoln.) That tragic event had been preceded by a contentious election in which Bro. Garfield had defeated Winfield Scott Hancock by a mere 10,000 votes. During the Republican convention, Bro. Garfield had actively campaigned for his political ally John Sherman. When ballot after ballot failed to nominate apresidential candidate, Bro.Garfield was named as a "dark horse" possibility and finally received the party's support for president on the 36th ballot. In his six months as president, Bro. Garfield fought corruption but encountered significant opposition from Senator Roscoe Conkling, who had taken offense to Garfield's political appointments. When Conkling resigned from the senate in protest, Bro. Garfield's position of power was reinforced, but it wasn't to last. Attorney Charles Jules Guiteau, who had also unsuccessfully sought a government appointment, shot the president at the Washington, D.C. railroad station. Despite attempts to remove the bullet, including the use of an early metal detector developed by Alexander Graham Bell, Bro. Garfield died of blood poisoning several weeks later. Bro. Garfield was initiated November 19, 1864 in Columbus Lodge 246 at Garrettsville, OH, passed the same year and raised in 1864. He ws Chaplain in 1868, and 1869. He was also a member of Pentalpha Lodge 2 at Washington, DC, of the Mark and Royal Arch, and of the Scottish Rite. He was also a Knight Templar. (The Learning Kingdom)

Bro. James Polk - America's first In 1844, many observers expected the Democratic convention to nominate former President Martin Van Buren as its candidate for chief executive. Bro. James Polk had been mentioned only as a potential nominee for vice president. However, Van Buren opposed the annexation of Texas, which lost him support in his battle with Lewis Cass, and Bro. Polk emerged as a compromise candidate when the convention became deadlocked. Ultimately, votes from delegates in the southern and western states resulted in Bro. Polk's nomination in the ninth ballot. A taciturn man, Bro. Polk nonetheless went on to defeat eloquent statesman Henry Clay of the Whig party, who also opposed territorial expansion, to become 11th President of the US. In his single term of office, Polk saw the boundary between Oregon and Canada established by treaty with Britain. He also gained a huge territory through his success in the Mexican War, in which American troops eventually occupied Mexico City until Mexico ceded California and New Mexico, and gave up all claims to Texas. Bro. Polk was iniiated, passed and raised in 1820 in Colmbia Lodge 21, Columbia, TN. He was Junior Deacon in 1820, then Senior Warden of that same Lodge. He was also a member of Mark and Royal Arch. (The Learning Kingdom; Freemasonry: A Celebration of the Craft)

Bro. Thurgood Marshall,- first African-American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court

Bro. Thurgood Marshall's grandfather was a former slave who fought on behalf of the Union Army during the Civil War. His mother was among the first women to graduate from Columbia Teacher's College. And Bro. Marshall himself was a pioneer, becoming the first African-American on the Supreme Court of the United States in 1967. During a lengthy legal career with the NAACP, Bro. Marshall gained significant experience arguing cases before the court on which he one day would serve. In the 32 cases where he was called upon to argue on behalf of defendants or plaintiffs, he was victorious 29 times. Perhaps the most famous of those victories was 1954's Brown vs. The Board of Education, which ultimately resulted in the forced desegregation of schools across America. While on the Supreme Court, Bro. Marshall was often at odds with conservative justices. He became known for his eloquent dissent and sharp wit. Upon his retirement in 1993, he was replaced by Clarence Thomas.

Bro. George M. Cohan inspired the movie

At the age of 16, Bro. George M. Cohan published his first song, "Why Did Nellie Leave Home?" It was his first of hundreds of tunes, some of which would become standards. Bro. Cohan's song list includes popular tunes like "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "Mary's a Grand Old Name," as well as such patriotic anthems as "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Over There." Twenty-three years later, just before America's entry into World War II, Congress authorized Bro. Franklin Roosevelt to present Bro. Cohan with a gold medal. In addition to song writing, Bro. Cohan was a playwright, producer, and actor. He appeared in "Ah Wilderness" and "I'd Rather Be Right," and wrote plays including "The Little Millionaire," "Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford," and "The Merry Malones." He was immortalized in 1942 in Hollywood's "Yankee Doodle Dandy," and in 1968 in the Broadway musical "George M!" Bro. Cohan was raised in New York city's Pacific Lodge No. 233 in 1905. He was also an active Shrine Mason. (The learning Kindom)

LONG ISLAND MASONS

THE GAVEL OF AUTHORITY

by: Unknown

“The common gavel is an instrument used by operative Masons to break off the corners of rough stones, the better to fit them for the builder’s use; but we as Free and Accepted Masons are taught to use for the more noble and glorious purpose of divesting our hearts and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life, thereby fitting our minds as living stones for that spiritual building, that House Not Made With Hands, eternal in the Heavens.” Mackey, distinguished authority, states that the name comes from “Gabel” because the form of the common gavel resembles that of the gable of a house.

But the student will look in the ritual in vain for any allusion to the gavel as an instrument of authority, although in some form it is primarily the badge of power and authority of the Master, and, often in another form and always in a lesser degree, of the Wardens. In various Jurisdictions throughout the United States the interested visitor will find in use in the East common gavels, stone Mason’s hammers made of both wood and metal, the ordinary mallet gavel of the legislative halls, the auctioneer’s hammer, and a setting maul in all shapes and sizes. All these various implements, in diverse forms and materials, are used as the symbol of the authority of the Master. Apparently it is not so important that he have a particular symbol; that is, that he carry a “common gavel” or a “setting maul,” but that he have always in open Lodge, in his possession, some instrument with which blows may be struck, as a symbol of his power, his authority, his right to preside and to rule.

Many studious Freemasons contend with some show of reason that inasmuch as the common gavel - the mason’s hammer with one sharp edge - is one of the working tools of a speculative Entered Apprentice while the setting maul is not classified as a working tool, the gavel, and not the maul, is more logically the Master’s symbol of authority. Certainly unless Grand Lodge has ruled otherwise there is no argument to be used against a Master presiding with common gavel, whether real, of metal, or imitation, of rose or other valuable wood. But those who find their only argument for the use of the common gavel as the symbol of a Master’s authority in the undoubted fact that it is one of the striking tools of the stone mason, as well as a working tool of the Speculative Craft, hardly go far enough into antiquity.

As a symbol of authority the hammer is as old as mythology. Thor, the Scandinavian son of Odin and Freya, possessed a miraculous and all-powerful hammer which he threw to do his will. When this was accomplished - usually it was a slaying of enemies or a destruction of something which the God did not like - his accommodating hammer straightway returned to his hands!

Thor, like Jove, also controlled thunderbolts, and from this early myth we associate lightning and thunder with the hammer. We also invert the thought to develop the idea of the authority in a hammer or gavel from its age long association with the power of lightening. The connection is world wide, and by no means confined either to Freemasonry or to Norse mythology. Thor and his hammer are at the bottom of the old “hammer rite of possession.” Thor, God of lightening, by virtue of his control of fire was also the God of the domestic hearth. In ancient days a bride, on taking possession of her new home, received a hammer thrown in her lap as a symbol of possession. When her husband purchased land, he took possession by throwing a hammer over it.

The Indian God Parasu Rama, or Rama of the Battleax, obtained land from the God of the sea by throwing his battleax over the earth, and became possessed of all that it spanned. The South Sea Islanders use a “celt” or hammer, often of huge size, before the chief’s dwelling as a symbol of authority. Mrs. H.G.M. Murray Aynsley (English Authority on mythology), says “The Hammer has its uses in Freemasonry as a symbol of authority - the auctioneer, too, used a hammer - here we see possession implied by the falling or throwing down of a hammer.
Thus, when the Master of a lodge first brings down the gavel to convene the Lodge, he by that blow says in effect, “by this act I take possession of this Lodge.”
G.W. Speth, famous writer on Freemasonry, draws attention to the curious articles drawn up by the stone masons of Torgau, in Saxony, in 1462.

And every Mason shall keep his lodge free of all strife; yea, his lodge shall be kept pure as the seat of justice. And no Mason shall bear false witness in his lodge, neither shall he defile it in any manner.

Therefore shall no Mason allow a harlot to enter his lodge, but if any one have ought to commune with her he shall depart from the place of labor so far as one may cast a gavel.
Grand Lodges are sovereign within their Jurisdictions. Whatever their ukase, it immediately becomes right within that Jurisdiction. We find anomalies in American Freemasonry as a result. Thus, most Jurisdictions demand that a Master elect “pass the chairs” or receive the Degree of Past Master in a Chapter of the Royal Arch before he may be installed. But that is not true in all Jurisdictions. Where it obtains the practice is both right and ancient. Its absence is “right” when Grand Lodge has so ruled. Since the formation of the Mother Grand Lodge in 1717, Masonic jurists have conceded the right of a Grand Lodge to make Masons “at sight” as inherent; that is the right to convene an occasional or emergent lodge, under dispensation, set it to work and disband it when its work is done. Some American Grand Lodges have ruled to the contrary. It is “right” in those Jurisdictions that a Grand Master cannot make a Mason “at sight.” In forty-three of our forty-nine Grand Jurisdictions, two of the three Great Lights are the Square and Compasses. In the remaining six, Compasses is incorrect, and “compass” is right - aye, with every lexicographer, dictionary, encyclopedia and Masonic author-ity to the contrary,. “compass” is right in these Jurisdic-tions.

Under the doctrine that whatever a Grand Lodge declares to be right, whether by actual words or by tact agreement, is the law and the practice for that particular Jurisdiction, any for of striking instrument which is customary is the correct form in that Jurisdiction. The Grand Jurisdiction which sanctions setting mauls in all three stations, uses the tool which is correct in that Jurisdiction. If the Grand Lodge sets forth that the Master shall use a “common gavel” and the Wardens setting mauls, that practice is there correct. If nothing is said to imply that the Master must use the “common gavel” as a symbol of authority, then the familiar form of mallet or hammer - by far the commonest form of a presiding officer’s instrument - may be considered as correct as any other. We are not very liberal minded in our Masonic symbolism. The Square and the Compasses on our Altars are hardly large or strong enough to play Operative parts in stone cutting and setting. The “working tools” we present to initiates are but miniatures of the real tools they symbolize. The trowel which we tell a candidate is more especially the essential tool of the Master Mason, is usually far too small to spread real cement between real stones. Certainly no gavel of wood, be its form what it may, can “break off the corners of rough stones.” So, while the beauty of the symbolism of the “common gavel” as the presiding officer’s instrument of authority is obvious, usage and custom and expedience in many lodges have metamorphosed it into a little mallet of wood, just as the tiny square upon the Altar is an expedient metamorphosis of the great metal tool of the Operative Mason.

Perhaps it is not so important that the wood of the gavel be carved to imitate some particular striking tool of the Operative Masons, as that the brethren understand the power and authority inherent in it.

Whatever form of gavel is used, the Master should always retain possession of the instrument and never have it beyond his reach. He should carry it with him when he moves about the Lodge, whether in process of conferring a degree, or when the Lodge in charge of the Junior Warden at refreshment. This, be it noted, is not only because it is his symbol of authority, but to remind him that, although his position is the highest within the gift of the brethren, he is yet but a brother among brethren. Holding the highest power in the Lodge, he exercises it by virtue of the commonest of the working tools.

All powerful, within certain limits, in the Lodge, the Master has authority to temporarily transfer his power. He may honor a visitor by presenting him with the gavel (and should always remove his hat when the gavel passes). He may place another in the Oriental Chair to confer a degree (in most Jurisdictions) at which time he hands over the gavel of authority. Because he has the right to transfer the authority, he should always be in position to exercise it; another reason for always retaining possession of his gavel! The authority by which the Master rules is not, of course, the mere physical possession of a piece of wood or iron. The Master may be a physical weakling. Some powerful two hundred-pounder may easily wrest from him the emblem of authority, but such forcible possession would not transfer the authority. The authority to use the gavel comes first from election and installation, the powers of both of which ceremonies rest on the authority of the Grand Lodge. Once installed, a Master cannot be deprived of his gavel of authority except by the Grand Lodge, or the Grand Master “ad interim” (or his deputy acting in his stead). The brethren elect to the East, but cannot “unelect” or take away the power they have once given. The gavel of authority is not transferable save by the will of its lawful possessor, except at the order of the Grand Lodge, or the Grand Master (or his deputy acting for him). In most Jurisdictions such an action by a Grand Master or Deputy, “ad interim” Grand Lodge. is reviewable by the Grand Lodge at its next succeeding regular communication.

The Master enforces the authority of which the gavel is the symbol - first and usually last and all the time - by the good will and the Masonic practices of his brethren. Few Lodges would tolerate disobedience to the gavel by any brother. Occasionally a hot-headed brother has attempted to defy its power. In such cases the Master may ask the offender to leave the room. His failure to respond lays him open to charges of un-Masonic conduct and a Masonic trial. The Master may request the Marshall or Master of ceremonies to remove the offender. Or the Master may - as sometimes has been done - us the gavel to call from labor to refreshment, during which period there will be plenty to admonish the offender of the enormity of his offense against Masonic law. good manners and good taste! The charges given a Mason at the close of all three Degrees are generally held to have the binding force of all other Masonic teachings and obligations. The brother who signs the by-laws as a Master Mason agrees by so doing to abide not only by them but by all the unwritten usages and customs of the Fraternity and all the admonishments of the charges. Those who know their ritual will recall that in the charge of the third degree it is said: “The ancient Landmarks of the Order you are carefully to preserve and never suffer them to be infringed, countenance a departure from the ancient usages and customs of the Fraternity.” Obedience to the gavel is indeed an “ancient usage and custom” of the Fraternity. Rarely is it defied - never with impunity. But to reach its fullest respect, the gavel must be wisely used. “It is fine to have a giant’s strength— It is despicable to use it like a giant!” applies here. The Master “may” do what he will in his Lodge. He may cut off discussion, rap a brother down, cause a brother to leave the room, refuse to put a motion, declare the Lodge at recess, close at his pleasure, control debate, arrange the work, refuse a bother permission to speak - all with the gavel. But the wise Master uses his great power sparingly and never arbitrarily. While the peace and harmony of the Craft are maintained, he need not use it except as the ritual or custom of presiding in the Lodge requires. If he so uses it, it will be respected, its possessor will be venerated, and its transfer to another hand will be considered by the brethren what it actually is, a great and signal honor.

No Master may pay a higher tribute to any brother than to intrust him with the gavel. He offers it to the Grand Master (or his Deputy representing him), because it is the right of those dignitaries to preside in all private Lodges. He offers it to another to preside during the conferring of a degree, or to a distinguished visitor, as a mark of the greatest respect and confidence. A gavel is not a necessity. A Master and two brethren can open and close a Lodge if they have the Great Lights and a Charter. Lesser Lights, a gavel, Warden’s columns, Aprons, and Altar are not essential. Without the Great Lights and a Charter (or dispensation) a Lodge cannot be opened, though it has every other accessory. The gavel, then, is the symbol of the authority, not the authority itself. Like all great symbols, it takes upon itself in the minds of the brethren something of the quality of the thing symbolized. As we revere the cotton in stripes and stars which became the Flag of our Country; as we revere the paper and ink which became the Great Light in Masonry, so, also, do Freemasons revere the little hammer, mallet, setting maul or common gavel which typifies and symbolizes the height of Masonic power and authority - the majesty of power, the wisdom of Light which rest in and shine forth from the Oriental Chair.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

A MASONIC PRESENCE AT WASHINGTON’S INAUGURATION

by
Phillip M. Thienel, PM
Herndon Lodge No. 264
from
VIRGINIA MASONIC HERALD
April 1989

The mention of George Washington’s name immediately calls to memory the maxim, “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”
Those firsts were not sought by Washington for his glory, but accrued to him as he pursued his country’s good in a life of public service.
In the war for independence the Continental Congress sought Washington to be the colonies’ General in Chief of the Army of the United Colonies. With the achievement of peace and independence by a treaty with Great Britain, Washington’s fellow citizens sought him to be a member of the Constitutional Convention and that convention elected him its president. The Constitution he signed is still in force today. With the ratification of the Constitution prepared under his leadership, Washington’s countrymen sought him to be their first president.

To our Grand Lodge of Virginia the highlight of the 200th Anniversary of Washington’s inauguration as President on April 30, 1789 is the number of his firsts pertinent to the Masonic Fraternity. Washington was the first of 14 Masons to be inaugurated President. He was the first, and to date only Mason serving as Master of a Lodge when inaugurated. Also of interest was the Masonic atmosphere at his inaugural ceremony - the presence of Brother Masons and the Great Light of Freemasonry, The Holy Bible, provided by a Masonic Lodge, St. Johns No. 1 of New York.

Another distinction earned by Washington: he was the first, and to date the only, President to receive a unanimous electoral college vote.
Brother Washington was initiated into the Fraternity in Fredericksburg Lodge on November 4, 1752 and raised to the degree of Master Mason on August 4, 1753. From that date to his inauguration he had a long history of public service that earned him reverence and esteem.
A token of the respect he had earned was Alexandria Lodge electing him Master of the Lodge on April 28, 1788. Grand Master Edmund Randolph, who was also serving at the time as Governor of Virginia, gave approval to the election. On December 20, 1788 the Lodge reelected Washington for a two-year period. A Lodge history speculates Washington’s role as Master was more of an honorary than ruling and governing function.

When Congress notified him on April 14, 1789 that he was the unanimous choice of the electors to be President, Washington responded, “unanimous suffrage in my favor scarcely leaves me the alternative for an option.”

As fifty-seven year old President-elect Washington set out in his carriage April 16 for his inauguration in Federal Hall in New York City he was overwhelmed at the turnout of friends and citizens, and children, who cheered him.

The ovations of people along his route, the escorts by militia honor guards and testimonial dinners at inns as he traveled for 8 days through Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, to the port at Elizabeth Town, N.J. were beyond his expectations. As the barge that ferried Washington over the water to New York City, accompanied by a flotilla of boats filled with his admirers, tied up at Wall Street a throng of people stood by to welcome him. An observer described them “like ears of corn standing in a cornfield, and as persons who seemed incapable of being satisfied with gazing at this man of the people.” The affection the people displayed for him was truly a testimony that he was first in the hearts of his countrymen.

With Washington’s arrival in the city, Congress set April 30 for the eventful day of his inauguration. Washington waited in solemn gravity for the event.
Ceremonies on that day began at sunrise with the discharge of artillery fired at old Fort George near Bowling Green. At 9 o’clock church bells rang throughout the city for half an hour followed by religious services offering prayers for the “blessing of heaven on the new government, favor and protection on the President, and success and acceptance of his administration.”

The inaugural procession formed early at the President’s house. At noon with city troops leading the way Washington’s carriage departed for Federal Hall where Congress in session awaited him. People in the crowded streets cheered. Washington alighted from his carriage on arrival and entered into the Senate Chamber where the Senate and House were assembled. Representative Elias Boudinot introduced Washington to the Assemblage. Washington bowed. Vice President John Adams then conducted Washington to his chair. Solemn silence prevailed.

Adams informed Washington that the Senate and House were ready to attend him to take the oath required by the Constitution. Washington assented. Adams escorted Washington to the balcony in front of the Senate Chamber in full view of a multitude of people on the street, leaning out the open windows and standing on roofs of adjacent buildings. It was an inspiring stage scene. Eyes were fixed on Washington’s appearance. As he came out into the open he was greeted by public exultations. The demonstration of public affection touched Washington to the quick. He placed his hand on his heart and bowed. The people understood he was overcome by their demonstration and hushed into profound silence. Washington sat down on the arm chair next to a table covered with crimson cloth. On the table on a pillow had been placed a superbly bound Bible that had been borrowed from St. John’s Lodge F. & A. M., opened to Psalm 127, “Except the Lord build the house.” (A later-years picture of the Bible showed it opened to Genesis: 13-14)

Robert L. Livingston, Grand Master of Masons of the Grand Lodge of New York, and Chancellor of the State of New York, advanced to Washington’s right and read slowly the oath required by the Constitution. Washington with his eyes closed, according to an observer, that his whole soul might be absorbed in the supplication, repeated the oath and declared, “I swear so help me God,” and then bowed. Secretary of the Senate, Samuel A. Otis, lifted the Bible off its crimson cushion and held it up to Washington to kiss.

Grand Master Livingston then stepped forward, faced the spectators, and uttered, “Long live George Washington, President of the United States of America.” A flag was raised on a pole on the cupola of the Federal Hall as a signal to the artillery at the battery to fire a salute. Bells pealed for joy. Hurrahs of the multitude on the streets rent the air. Washington again bowed to the people, and then returned to the Senate Chamber.
In a few moments Washington rose to speak.The summons of his country to serve awakened in him, he said, a distrustful scrutiny of his qualifications. He believed himself unpracticed in civil administration. Yet, he sensed a transcendent proof in the high regard of his fellow citizens to negate his doubts.

The first act of office, he declared, should be supplications to the “Almighty Being” who rules the universe that the government and functions allotted to him would be successful. He added that every step in the country’s contest for independence had been distinguished by some token of providential agency.

Because he had not sought the office of President he did not find it necessary to address any commitments. He asked to be excused from the Constitutional requirement to recommend measures to the Congress judged necessary to be acted upon. He preferred to offer a tribute due to the talents, rectitude, and patriotism of the members of Congress. On the need for any amendments to the Constitution needed for any amendments to the Constitution provided by Article V, and requested by some of the states, Washington said he would depend on Congress’ discernment. On a matter personally affecting him, he renounced compensation as President, just as he had done when appointed General in Chief of the Army.

In conclusion, he remarked, “the foundation of our national policy will be laid on the pure and immutable principles of private morality, eternal rules or order, and the destiny of the republic model of government was staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”

Upon completion of his address President Washington, Vice President Adams, members of Congress, and public figures who participated in the ceremony in Federal Hall walked to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church where the Senate Chaplain, Reverend Samuel Provoost, conducted a prayer service. After the Te Deum was sung Washington left the church and entered his carriage to return to the President’s mansion.

The public then went off to celebrate. As the evening stars began to shine bonfires were lighted and candles placed in the windows of many homes. A dense crowd of people filled the streets.

After dinner at his home the President, accompanied by his aide Colonel David Humphrey and Secretary Tobias Lear, journeyed down lower Broadway to the home of Chancellor Livingston where they watched the resplendent display of fireworks. At 10 o’clock Washington walked home, the throng of people blocked the passage of his carriage.
Brother Washington’s public and private life epitomized the teachings of our Masonic Fraternity as they pertain to the Supreme Architect of the Universe, our country, and our fellow creatures.

Throughout his life he answered his fellow citizens’ claims on his kind offices.
His public service tasks symbolized the shaping of a perfect ashlar into a military victory for our independence, the preparation of our Constitution, and the inauguration of our first presidency.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT (PART III)....

Bro. Benjamin Franklin's Quest for LearningYoung Ben Franklin would sacrifice just about anything for an opportunity to learn. Early on, he was so attracted to learning and teachings that his father believed him headed for the ministry. But since his family had no money for a college education, he ended his schooling at ten years old, apprenticing with his father as a candle maker, then to his brother James as a printer. Finding himself with little spare money for books or spare time for study, Franklin devised a plan. In his own words "I happened to meet with a book recommending a vegetable diet. I determined to [adopt] it and then proposed to my brother that if he would give me the money he paid for my board, I would board myself. He agreed, and I presently found that I could save half what he paid me. This was an additional fund for buying books. "But I had another advantage in it. My brother and the rest going from the Printing House to their meals, I remained there alone, and [eating] my light [meal] (which often was no more than a biscuit or a slice of bread, a handful of raisins or a tart...and a glass of water) had the rest of the time until their return, for study, in which I made the greater progress from that greater clearness of head and quicker apprehension which usually attend temperance in eating and drinking."(1)Benjamin Franklin understood the value of reading and learning early on. His passion for learning laid the foundation for his successful career as inventor, poet, philosopher and statesman. (1)Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998), p. 16-17.

July 5, 1810 Born - Bro. Phineas Taylor Barnum, Promotor of the bizarre and unusual. Barnum's American Museum opened in 1842, promoting unusualacts including the Feejee Mermaid, Chang and Eng (the original Siamese twins), and General (and Bro.) Tom Thumb. In 1815 he began his promotion of Jenny Lind, "The Swedish Nightingale, " and parlayed her singing talents into a major financial success. Barnum also cultivated a keen interest in politics,founding the newspaper, Herald of Freedom whose editorials resulted ion numerous lawsuits and a short term in jail for Barnum. In 1852 he declined the Democratic nomination for Governor of Connecticut, but did serve two terms in the Connecticut legislature, beginning in 1865. He was defeated in his bid for US Congress in 1866, but served as Mayor of Bridgeport, CT from 1875 to 1876. In 1871, "The Greatest Show on Earth" opened in Brooklyn, NY. Barnum then merged with his rival J.A. Bailey in 1881 to form the Barnum and Bailey circus. Bro. P.T. Barnum was born at Bethel, CT. and died at Bridgehport, CT. on April 7, 1891. Source: American Mason magazine)

DeWitt Clinton - Masonic EnigmaDe Witt Clinton was a prominent and popular American statesman, born 1769, died 1828. He was a political figure in New York State from 1797 to his death in office. He was United States Senator 1801 - 1803; resigned to become Mayor of New York City In 1817, he was elected Governor of the State which position he held until his death, except 1822 24, and in that capacity was a leader in the formation of public schools ion New York which became the model for the nation. He was made a Freemason in 1793, Grand Master in 1806, Grand Master of Knights Templar in 1814, and General Grand High Priest of Royal Arch Masons in 1816. He was responsible for the building of the Erie Canal, some times called "the Eighth Wonder of the World" and at other times "Clinton's Ditch." The Canal was a major factor in the opening of the west, and establishing New York as a leading commercial center. He was unfortunate in being prominent in the political and Ma sonic fields at the time two serious complication arose,(1) the clandestinism of Joseph Cerneau (q.v. 1807-1827 and (2) the Morgan Affair (q.v.) of 1826, although he did not live to see the most deplorable consequences of the latter. He became a member of and for several years head of the Cerneau body in New York, and the statement that he later withdrew is contradicted by the minutes of that body. Although Governor when Morgan was abducted in 1826 and subject to the popular hue and cry, he never wavered in allegiance to the Fraternity, but denounced the act as irresponsible and unauthorized action of mistaken individuals. At the height of this anti-Masonic craze he said: "I know that Freemasonry is friendly to religion, morality, liberty and good government. I shal1 never shrink under any state of excitement, or any extent of misapprehension, from hearing testimony in favor of the purity of an institution which can boast of a Washington and a Franklin and a Lafayette as distinguished members which inculcates no principles and authorizes no acts that are not in accordance with good morals, civil liberty and entire obedience to the government and the laws." His influence probably had the effect of softening the blows which afterwards became quite severe. (Source: Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia)

Bro. Henry Ford Caused Clockls to Shudder
While his brothers had a passion for playing sports, young BRO. Henry Ford had a passion for playing with machinery. According to biographers Peter Collier and David Horowitz, a neighbor was known to have said, "Every clock in the Ford home shudderedwhen it saw (Henry) coming."(1) Collier and Horowitz tell us that Henry would often spend all day walking to Detroit just to visit the hardware stores and look over watchmaking tools. And while people started calling him "queer duck," his mother called him a "born mechanic" and encouraged him in his mechanical endeavors. Bro. Henry Ford found his passion early in life. Add to that timely encouragement from his mother -- plus a lot of hard work -- and you have one of the great formulas for success. (1)Peter Collier and David Horowitz, The Fords (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1987), p. 21-22.

How Were/When Were Railroad Lodges Born?
Railroad Lodges were generally found in communities that housed what was called "Section Gangs" on the railroad. These were railroad track men who were responsible for maintaining a section of railroad, and hence, usually were/are found in small communities that, were it not for the railroad, would be called farming communities. These Lodges usually met on Friday nights, since track work generally went on till dusk, and track gangs normally quit early on Friday, giving them enough time to go home, clean up, and have supper before Lodge meeting. I've been in have talked to some fine Masons who are members of "Railroad Lodges." For example, a good friend and Mason who is a member of Gordonsville, VA Lodge once invited me to stated (which I believe was on a Friday evening) with the disclaimer: "It's a Railroad Lodge." Where to look for Railroad Lodges? Find a map of all the railroads in Virginia (or elsewhere), and search for where the old depots were...Most of those towns will have been, or had a Railroad Lodge at some point. City lodges, such as Widow's Sons' #60 in Charlottesville, VA where I am SW, may might have a Railroad Lodge in the background somewhere, but are farremoved from it today. However, many small railroad communities maintain fairly fresh memories of track gangs and the Railroad Lodge. Thanks to Bro. Tim Edwards who grew up in Verona, KY...A section gang town surrounded by farms. His Father railroaded for the L&N Railroad for 30+ years, and Bro. Tim was raised in Verona Lodge, #876, Verona, KY, which was a Railroad Lodge and met on Friday evenings.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

FREEMASONRY DEFINED

By: Jeffrey 0. Nations and Phillip G. Elam

Bro. Nations is a Past Grand Master of Missouri and Bro. Elam is a Past Master of Algabil-Freedom Lodge #636, St. Louis, Missouri. Together they authored "Freemasonry Defined" to give a clear and consise overview of the Masonic Fraternity. The picture of Freemasonry painted in this talk should be in the hearts of all Freemasons. - Editor

Freemasonry is the science by which morality is taught through the visible symbols and instructive traditions associated with the erection of King Solomon's Temple some 3,000 years ago. Like every science and permanent institution, Freemasonry is built on certain conceded principles. These include a belief in the one living and true God, a revelation of His Will, the resurrection of the body, and the immortality of the soul. When we say, "one God," we refer to the supreme and benevolent being in which a man places his ultimate trust. We are a non-denominational institution accepting men of all faiths. Freemasonry is however, supportive of every religion believing in one God. It denies to no man his particular theological or secular beliefs, but rather complements those beliefs.
Without an expressed belief in these principles, no man can ever become a Freemason. Acceptance of the Fatherhood of God is the very foundation of the Masonic Institution. From the Fatherhood of God logically flows the Brotherhood of Man.

The Masonic Fraternity stands before the world today, not merely as a marvelous monument of antiquity, but older, larger, and more widely spread than almost any other human institution, having maintained for so many centuries the essentials of its primary organization. It has long outlived the circumstances which gave it birth. The necessities which called Freemasonry into being have long ago ceased to exist. Originally a company of stonemasons and builders whose monuments of rare skill now adorn almost every part of the old world, the hand of time has brought those operative labors to a close. But the everlasting principles upon which our Beloved Ancient Craft was founded are as intact today as when they emerged from the very shadows of history.

Since its founding, dynasties have come and gone, nations have been born and buried, and countless orders and societies have been organized and passed into obscurity. Our Order has maintained its ancient organization, teaching its lessons of love, peace on earth, good will toward men, and is today a great and strong organization. It is true that our Fraternity no longer has cathedrals and monuments of stone to build, but it has even more noble work to perform than ever before.

Freemasonry is a broad system of ethics, a science of human duties, and a system of morals accepted by all religions as essential to human excellence based upon the recognition of Divine Truth, that mankind has a common origin and a common destiny; that God is the Creator and Father of all of us. Out of that relationship with Deity grows the Brotherhood of Man. Freemasonry's great purpose is to intensify that relationship. Freemasonry teaches love, faith, and duty; unites man in the strong embrace of fraternal fellowship, and induces emulation of who can best work and best agree. Freemasonry thus becomes a school wherein are taught not only the virtues, but the useful lessons of everyday life.

The Temple of King Solomon signifies to us the Temple of our bodies, that is, our Inner Spiritual Temple. The tools and implements used in the building of Solomon's Temple signify to us the cultivation of the virtues to be practiced in the erection of the inner spiritual temple of man. The traditions associated with Solomon's Temple serve as worthy examples for our imitation, and inspire in us a love of what is good and true.

Freemasonry teaches us that the most important part of life lies in the discharge of our duties toward God and our fellow man. That eminent patron of Freemasonry, St. John the Evangelist, so old that he had to be carried in the arms of his friends into an assembly of children, lifted himself up and said, "Little children, love one another." When asked, "Have you nothing else to tell us?" he replied, "I say this again and again, because if you do this, nothing more is needed." That is the foundation of Freemasonry.

Freemasonry is not a mere pastime; nor a mere amusement. It is an active, living principle. Its ritual, its symbolism, and its drama are not empty ceremonies. They serve to exemplify and impart important truths for mankind. Freemasonry adapts its theories, its ethical thought and its teachings to the practical relations of life.

There are no dogmas in Freemasonry. Its so called "secrecy" is confined to simple means of communication and methods of recognition. Its tenets are universally approved. What Freemasonry condemns no good man upholds. The essence of Freemasonry is character. A man is what he does. The Mason's life and worth is not measured by wealth, fame, or fortune, but by faithful, consistent, and unselfish service. In like manner, the measure and worth of any institution is the effect it has upon the individual and society.

What has Freemasonry given to mankind and society? It helped pave the way for freedom of speech. It has ever been the enemy of any power that suppressed free thought and the enslavement of the mind. It rejects bigotry, superstition, and persecution of all types; and the ignorance and fanaticism that invented instruments of torture and deprivation. It points out to man that free thought and free speech, and the study of the sciences, are necessary for mankind's mental and intellectual emancipation; that the study of nature brings man's soul nearer to his Creator; and that knowledge drives out ignorance and superstition. It has taught mankind that, after he has emancipated himself from the vices that tyrannize and oppress, he must learn to govern himself wisely by practicing the Cardinal Virtues of Freemasonry:

Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice.

Man is a social creature. As such, our nature compels us to seek the companionship of others. We, therefore, see our Brothers and their families, animated by the same noble purpose, meeting in the Lodge where they can feel the hearty touch of the hand, hear words of inspiration and encouragement, and enjoy the pleasure, entertainment, and fellowship of this time-honored institution. While gathered in assemblies, we confer our ceremonial degrees, provide relief to the indigent, assistance to the worthy, and administer systems of care to those who are less fortunate. Freemasonry is all of this and much, much more. Beneath and beyond all of these is the deep, permanent passion for the betterment of the Brotherhood of Man. Freemasonry, ever supportive of religion, benevolence, and morality, places before man the incentives to goodness through the contemplation of the Holy Principles of Divine Truth. The tenets of our Ancient Order are Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth-and first among them is Brotherly Love. It is the very cement which holds together the social edifice of this world. No one can measure the extent of human sympathy or brotherly love, but we know it to be one of the mightiest social forces of all time, and that without it, life would be a merciless and cruel existence. We know that when there is an unselfish love in the hearts of men, the better nature within each of us responds in kind. It is this kindly spirit of brotherhood, the gentle touch of the hand, and the sympathetic word that brings forth a harvest of good deeds, noble thoughts, and the highest aspirations of mankind. Freemasonry has ever been the patron of learning. Its votaries long ago discovered that ignorance was the cause of nearly all of the evils and dangerous environments that afflict humanity; that education dispelled this evil, set free the victims of its influence, and put a smile where terror and despair had planted sorrow. In its unending efforts to eliminate such human afflictions, Freemasonry has perhaps performed its greatest labor, in helping to break down the walls of religious hatred and intolerance that for too long divided men into opposing sects and hostile camps. The great religious ecumenical councils of today, and the religious tolerance and mutual understanding they endeavor to convey, have been the foundation and practice of Freemasonry since time immemorial. The Freemason is thus prepared through ceremonies, ritual and moral lessons to undertake his Grand Mission to teach, by precept and example, all that is beautiful and useful in this life.
After all of the great lectures on philosophy have been delivered, when the wisest statesmen shall have done their utmost to alleviate what is harsh and cruel in social conditions, and science shall have unraveled the mysteries of the universe, there will still be the necessity for a kindly smile, a helping hand, a cup of water, and a quiet word of encouragement. It is because Freemasonry has ever given the cup of water, extended a hand to one who has fallen, and spoken words of comfort and cheer, that millions of good men of every religion and culture, and from every comer of the world have knelt at its altar. It is these same men, Brothers in spirit and deed, with eyes uplifted and hearts responsive to the needs of those who are journeying through life with them, that form the Masonic Fraternity throughout the world. It is the good and true men of this Brotherhood that live with the great satisfaction which comes only from relieving suffering, dispensing happiness, and to aid the unification of mankind. The structure of Freemasonry includes many organizations which we call our "Masonic Family."

Just to name a few; Masonic organizations include (in part) the Blue Lodges, the Scottish and York Rite, and the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Ladies organizations include the Order of the Eastern Star, and the Amaranth, with membership open to men who are ' Freemasons. Youth organizations include Job's Daughters and Rainbow for Girls for young women, and the Order of DeMolay for young men.

Each of these organizations has its own unique ceremonies, and supports charitable and philanthropic causes. Every day the Masonic Family is responsible for contributing, literally, millions of dollars in charitable donations, and thousands of volunteer hours to worthwhile causes of every kind.

This, my Brethren, is Freemasonry. May it live on, through us, for countless ages, and may we be ever worthy to spread Masonic Light for the generations yet to come. To these, our principal beliefs and poetic truths, we say as our forefathers did before us:

So Mote It Be

LONG ISLAND MASONS

BUILT STRONG TO LAST FOREVER

Our Founding Fathers entrenched in this country the quality of Freemasonry, the patriotism of our Craft and the dedication of all Brethren to our nation's ideals of freedom and excellence. Freemasonry is America. The two are inseparable. Our Brethren have cemented the union of the Craft and the country through more than two and one half centuries of labor and achievement. Today no Mason works alone. He shares in and benefits from a dual heritage of Americanism and Freemasonry rooted in the earliest years of our country.

The seed bed of Masonic idealism established by those early Masonic founders of America and many hundreds of unnamed colonial Freemasons bore a rich harvest during the American Revolution. Paul Revere and John Hancock fought for liberty in word and deed. Freemasons proudly stood among the Minutemen when they fired the first shots at the Battles of Lexington and Concord. There is a monument at Bunker Hill that marks where Joseph Warren, the Grand Master of Massachusetts, sacrificed his life for freedom.

On July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, they declared American Independence and many of the firmest voices supporting this world shaking event were Masonic. Franklin, Hancock, Paine, Hewes, Hooper, Stockton, Walton, Whipple, Ellery, all put their names, their lives and their families' lives on the line when they signed the Declaration of Independence. All were Masons.

The list of Masonic patriots continues. John Paul Jones was captain of the Bon Homme Richard. Robert Morris, who received his Masonic apron from George Washington, managed the new nation's unsteady finances. Robert Livingston, the Grand Master of the State of New York, became the first American Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Benjamin Franklin, as American Ambassador to France, virtually assured our victory by winning France as our staunch ally. Samuel Nicholas, of Lodge No. 13 in Philadelphia, was appointed Captain and first commandant of what was to become the United States Marine Corps. From other countries came the Marquis de Lafayette, who served as a Major General, and Baron Von Stueben, who was Inspector General and Drill Master. All were Masons.

Since Washington, 14 verified Freemasons have served as President: James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, known as "Old Hickory," James Polk, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, James Garfield, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, the "Rough Rider," William Howard Taft, Warren Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, who was also Past Grand Master of Missouri, Lyndon B. Johnson and Gerald R. Ford.

Led by an illustrious succession of Masonic Presidents, America has been equally supported in the ranks of the military.

Tragically, the War Between the States interrupted America's first century of nationhood. Brethren of the North and South felt compelled to defend their ideals of geographical sections, and many were prominent Masons. Generals Albert Pike, Beauregard, McClellan, Lew Wallace, who authored "Ben Hur" and Admiral Farragut are a few names that come to mind from both sides. The roster of Union and Confederate Freemasons is long and illustrious, but even in the midst of war, they sustained the ideals of peace and brotherhood. For instance, often Brethren would call a Masonic Truce and halt hostilities to exchange wounded or minister to the fallen.

General John J. "Blackjack" Pershing was commander-in-chief of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War 1. Highly decorated Eddie Rickenbacker distinguished himself in the skies in the same war. Both were Masons. Likewise, our nation's high command during World War lI was largely made up of Masons. Brother and General George C. Marshall headed the U.S. Army from 1939 to 1945, and after the war was Truman's Secretary of State. He founded the famous Marshall Plan to aid European recovery as a buttress to world peace. Douglas MacArthur made history in the Philippines and elsewhere in the Southwest Pacific. Omar Bradley was a key figure in the invasion of Normandy and, later, permanent chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1949 to 1955. Jonathan M. Wainwright was the hero of Bataan and Corregidor and later, a prisoner of war in Manchuria. General James H. Doolittle, world famous aviator, personally carried America's "Crusade for Freedom" into the skies above Tokyo. Charles A. Lindbergh distinguished himself in the skies, first, in 1927 by making the first solo Transatlantic flight and then in World War II by flying combat missions as a civilian over the Pacific. Lyman Lemnitzer was Commander of the NATO forces. He and his wife organized the Masonic Children's Home in Pusan, Korea. Curtis E. LeMay was instrumental in organizing the Strategic Air Command. The most decorated hero of World War II was Audie Murphy, a Mason. At all levels, from chief of staff to private, our fraternal Brothers in every branch of the Armed Forces proved their Masonic courage under fire.

Second only to the military in the ranks of Masonic honor stand the titans of American industry, those giants of commerce and manufacturing who have used free enterprise to build this nation. Perhaps the most famous of all epic builders is Henry Ford. His creation of the Model "T" automobile revolutionized America, put our nation on wheels, and introduced mass assembly techniques to industry. Following his lead were Walter P. Chrysler and Ransom E. Olds, two other automotive giants and Masons. So was John North Willys of "Jeep" fame: The railroad industry saw Leland Stanford, who was Governor of California, then went on to be one of the "Big Four" who built the Central Pacific Railroad. Also, was George M. Pullman, the inventor and founder of the Pullman Palace Car Co. He founded the industrial town of Pullman, near Chicago, where he built his company shops.

American industry is more than invention and manufacture. It is also distribution, communication, and production. Brother James C. Penney began his first "Golden Rule" store in 1902, but in a few short years he innovated a system of mass distribution that made economical goods available to the average American. David Sarnoff, as president of the Radio Corporation of America, became the "Father of Television." We can also include Colonel Sanders of KFC fame and Dave Thomas of Wendy's in this list of Masonic industrialists. Samuel Gompers, early founder of the American Federation of Labor, true to his Masonic background, focused on the industrial worker.

Not to be outdone, Freemasons in the fields of science, medicine and exploration have made significant contributions from colonial times to the present. Thomas Cadwaladar of Philadelphia, a friend of Ben Franklin, is noted for his prevention of smallpox epidemics by using inoculation. Dr. John Gorrie developed innovative treatments for Florida's malaria victims in the I830's and 40's. The Mayo brothers who founded the Mayo Foundation for Medical Research and Education began their first clinic in their Masonic lodge building in Rochester, Minnesota.

In the field of exploration, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were both Freemasons. Polar explorer Admiral Richard E. Byrd dropped Masonic flags on both poles, Let us not forget that legendary frontiersman Davy Crockett.

Sea and space set no limits to the aspirations of modern America's Freemasons. Cyril J. Tuckerfield, Jr., Lomaye Hurley and Timothy D. Miller were the three key men in 1965 Sealabs I and Il. Challenging space were astronauts Gordon Cooper, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Don Eisley, James Irwin, Walter Schirra, Virgil "Gus" Grissom, John Glenn, James Kevin, Edgar Mitchell, Thomas Stafford and Paul Weitz. Kenneth Klienknecht was NASA's manager for the Command and Service Modules of the Apollo Spacecraft Program. All Masons.

The finale for this brief review of famous American Masons must appropriately go to the Brethren in the field of entertainment. They have lifted our hearts with their music, poems and films. What heart does not beat faster on hearing John Philip Sousa's spirited marches "Semper Fidelis" and "Stars and Stripes Forever?" What foot can resist tapping to George M. Cohan's "Over There" and "You're a Grand Old Flag?" Is there any song as noble as Irving Berlin's "God Bless America?" You can hear Masonry's inspiration in all these melodies.

Masons have also been foremost in other -fields of arts and entertainment. "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a Mason. As were the Ringling Brothers, all seven of then, Emmett Kelly, the clown and Karl Wallenda, the circus acrobat. Florenz Ziegfield was a member of the Craft. So were his top performers Eddie Cantor and Will Rogers. Cecil B. de Mille, Carl Laemmle, the Warner Brothers Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, John Wayne, Red Skeleton, Oliver Hardy, W.C. Fields, Clark Gable, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., Richard Arlen, Richard Dix, George Bancroft, Wallace Berry, Victor McLaglen, Monte Blue, Harold Lloyd, Burl Ives, Lauritz Melchior, Norm Crosby, Ernest Borgnine, and Foster Brooks are just a few entertainers of the past and present who have proudly worn the Masonic apron. Remember the next time you Pledge Allegiance to the Flag that it was written by the Rev. Francis J. Bellamy, a Freemason. And when you hear the "Lord's Prayer" sung please bear in mind that the music was written by Albert Hay Malotte, who was a composer and devoted Mason.

America today is the strongest, freest, most prosperous nation in the world. This reality was once a vision. Brave and good men, so many of them Freemasons, chose to live by their dreams. Today as Americans and Brethren, we inherit the fruits of their labors, a quality of life unsurpassed in the history of mankind. What is more important, we inherit their spiritual legacy, faith in the Almighty and a commitment to the dignity of man. Today, we are the builders. Today the bridge of American and Masonic accomplishment reaches toward a future of better, happier and wiser men. Yet only we can make it so. We are the footing, the foundation of tomorrow. As we build, so will the future generations benefit.

XAVIER A. "SAM" PITASSI is Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of California. He is 324th district inspector for the Grand Lodge of California. "Built Strong to Last Forever" was published in the December 2001 issue of the California Encompasser, the official publication of the Grand York Rite Bodies of California.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

I DIDN"T KNOW THAT (PART II).......

Once a politician in Tennessee, he died defending the Alamo in Texas.

Bro. David Crockett, 1786-1836 - Once a politician in Tennessee, he died defending the Alamo in Texas. After establishing a favorable reputation during the Creek War, Bro.Davy Crockett won great popularity in his home state of Tennessee. Known for his humor and oratory skills, citizens elected Bro. Crockett to the fledgling state legislature in 1821. Soon after, he was elevated to the U.S. Congress, and was a representative from 1827-31, and again from 1833-1835. Bro. Crockett sought re-election to Congress in 1835, but was defeated. It was then that he decided to leave his home state for Texas. There, he supported the future state's independence from Mexico, and died while defending the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. Bro. Crockett was one of several Brothers who died that day at the Alamo. (The Learning Kingdom)

To Bro. Benjamin Franklin, A Tip on Time

One day a gentleman walked into one of Bro. Ben Franklin's book stores. As one of the clerks went to assist him, the gentleman asked the clerk the price of the book he wished to purchase. The young clerk looked at the price posted on the book and said, "That book is one dollar, sir." The gentleman began to haggle with the clerk over the price. The clerk assured him that the correct price for the book was one dollar and no lower. As the man realized that his efforts to haggle with the clerk were going nowhere, he insisted on speaking with Bro. Ben Franklin directly. Bro. Franklin stopped his work, walked out to the storefront and the gentleman asked, "What is the price of this book?" Bro.Franklin answered, "One dollar and a quarter." The gentleman was confused and replied, "Your clerk just said it was a dollar." Bro. Franklin picked up the book and answered, "Yes, it was a dollar. But now you're wasting my time."(1) (1)John C. Maxwell, Timely Advice About Time (Maximum Impact Audio, 1999)

Will The Real Cornerstone Laying Stand Up?

There are several artistic presentations of what some people think the U.S. Capitol cornerstone laying ceremony looked like. No one knows for sure, since no one at that time made any picture, and the descriptions in newspapers were very sketchy. At the U.S. Capitol itself, there are at least 2 original artistic representations of this ceremony that I know of. One is a sculpture on one of the doors of the Capitol, and the other is a painting on one of the walls or ceilings. Neither of these pictures looks like the other, but both show George Washington wearing a Masonic apron and collar. At the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, there is a huge mural that also purports to show what it might have looked like when George Washington led the Capitol cornerstone laying ceremony in 1793. It, too, is different from both of the representations in the U.S. Capitol building. In the early 1990s, the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, commissioned another painting of what this ceremony might have looked like, and that painting is now hanging in the House of the Temple, the headquarters of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, in Washington, D.C. As you might guess, it shows the same ceremony, but looking completely different from all the other representations. No one knows if this representation is accurate, or if any of the others are. The common characteristics, which seem to be supported by the sketchy newspaper reports, are that George Washington presided, he wore Masonic regalia, and he was accompanied and assisted by representatives of several nearby lodges. Partly because of the lack of details about this, the cornerstone that Washington actually used has never been identified again, since 1793. Some people have spent a tremendous amount of effort to try to find it, but as of now no one has been able to find it, or to prove they know where it is. This is the source of great controversy among some people. Also, we will probably never know what the ceremony looked like, or precisely what took place in 1793 at this ceremony. It's too bad CNN and C-SPAN didn't exist then, and that no one took the time to sketch a picture or write a more detailed report of exactly what the event looked like. - Bro.Paul M. Bessel, >Exec.Secty/Masonic Leadership Center, George Washington Masonic National Memorial

Masonic Cornerstone Supports Old Cadet Chapel at West Point

The Old Cadet Chapel is the oldest public building at the United States Military Academy at West Point. According to Marie T. Capps, writing in the Friends of the West Point Library Newsletter (April, 1997), during the Academy's Centennial Celebration in 1902, plans for the expansion of the Academy included the building of a new Cadet Chapel. Cadets rebelled and argued for the preservation and relocation of the Old Chapel which, after some energized lobbying, was approved by the Secretary of War. . Original plans could not be found so under Col. John Carson, then West Point Quartermaster, the Old Chapel was carefully measured and the plans redrawn. Excavation for the cellar and foundation at the new site was completed in 1909. Every stone in the Old Chapel had been numbered so each could be returned to its original place. All the while workers searched for the obscure cornerstone. It was found finally at the very bottom of the northeast corner - a flat stone on which had been cut , November 1, 1834." The inscription was protected by a piece of sheet lead on the underside of which had been scratched: "Charles Lamb, Mason." This stone was placed at the cemetery in the front of the building below the sill on the left of the entrance. A similar stone, inscribed August 25, 1910, the date-re-erection began, took is former place on the wall beneath the sill on the north side. The Editors thank Bro. L.A. Buchalter of Hudson River Lodge 309 in Newburgh, NY, and Wallkill Lodge No. 627 in Walden, NY..for this item. Bro. Buchalter works in the Directorate of Housing & Public Works at the USMA, and has been there since 1961.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

THE LAMB SKIN

It is not ornamental, the cost is not great,

There are other things far more usefulyet truly I state,

Tho of all my possesions, there's none can compare,

With that white leather apron, which all Masons wear.

As a young lad I wondered just what it all meant,

When Dad hustled around, and so much time was spent

On shaving and dressing and looking just right,

Until Mother would say: "It's the Masons tonight."

And some winter nights she said: "What makes you go,

Way up there tonight thru the sleet and the snow,

You see the same things every month of the year.

"Then Dad would reply: "Yes, I know it, my dear."

Forty years I have seen the same things, it is true.

And though they are old, they always seem new,

For the hands that I clasp, and the friends that I greet,

Seem a little bit closer each time that we meet.

"Years later I stood at that very same door,

With good men and true who had entered before,

I knelt at the alter, and there I was taught

That virtue and honor can never be bought.

That the spotless white lambskin all Masons revere,

If worthily worn grows more precious each year,

That service to others brings blessings untold,

That man may be poor tho surrounded by gold.

I learned that true brotherhood flourishes there,

That enmities fade 'neath the compass and square,

That wealth and position are all thrust aside,

As there on the level men meet and abide.

So, honor the lambskin, may it always remain

Forever unblemished, and free from all stain,

And when we are called to the Great Father's love,

May we all take our place in that Lodge up above.

Composed byEdgar A. Guest

LONG ISLAND MASONS

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT......

How Did the “G” Symbol Originate?

While the square and compasses with the letter "G" is widely employed as the emblem of the Masonic Fraternity it is relatively new. The square and compasses alone began to be used in the early 19th century. The "G" came into the picture near the end of the century when American jewelers began adding the "G" for artistic purposes. While many Masonic symbolists have tried their hands at interpreting the emblem, the simplemeanings taught all Masons remain the best: (1) The square teaches us to square our actions by the square of virtue; (2) the compasses teach us to circumscribe our desires and keep our passions within due bounds, while (3) the "G' reminds us that as an understanding of geometry was central to operative Masons so should God be central in the lives of speculative Masons.(Source: Bro. S. Brent Morris, author, Masonic Philanthropies)

BRO. HENRY FORD -

How much credit did Bro. Henry Ford take in the creation of the automobile? According to authors Peter Collier and David Horowitz, he gave much of the credit to others... "I invented nothing new. I simply assembled into a car the discoveries of other men behind whom were centuries of work....Had I worked fifty or ten or even five years before, I would have failed. So it is with everynew thing. Progress happens when all the factors that make for it are ready, and then it is inevitable. To teach that a comparatively few men are responsible for the greatest forward steps of mankind is the worst sort of nonsense."(1)Would we have electricity without Edison? The telephone without Bell? The computer without Gates? The automobile without Ford? According to Bro. Henry Ford, the answer is "yes." (1)Peter Collier/David Horowitz, The Fords (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1987), p. 55.

Was Bro. Mozart Really Broke When He Died?

Bro. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, born at Salzburg, Austria on January 27, 1756, is thought to be the greatest musical genius of all time. But Mozart's finances were never secure. An ardent Freemason, he borrowed frequently from his Masonic Brothers despite many successful operas including The Magic Flute which reveals much of Masonic practices. He'd became ill in the Fall of 1791—some believe he had been poisoned—and died a pauper at Vienna that December 5.

Poison may have doomed Bro. Beethoven

ARGONNE, Ill. (AP) - An analysis of a lock of Bro. Ludwig van Beethoven's hair suggests lead poisoning could explain certain ailments suffered by the erratic genius, his strange behavior, his death, maybe even his deafness. The four-year analysis of the hair the levels commonly found in people today, according to researchers at the Health Research Institute in suburban Chicago, where the hair was tested. That means it is all but certain that the composer suffered from lead poisoning, also known as plumbism, the researchers said. The Health Research Institute scientists said that Bro. Beethoven's lead exposure came as an adult but that the source of the lead is unclear, though one possibility is the mineral water he swam in and drank during his stays at spas. (Associated Press)

Bro. Franz Mesmer Invents

Bro. Franz Friedrich Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) was immortalized in the name of the hypnotic technique he pioneered - Mesmerism. To become mesmerized is to become completely entranced by a sound or object to the point of hypnosis. The word was derived from the name of its discoverer, Dr. Franz Mesmer. Bro. Mesmer graduated from the University of Vienna, and became interested in the curative powers of magnets. He felt magnetic fields could be used to positively influence a force he believed present in all living creatures, which he dubbed "animal magnetism." Beginning around 1772, Bro. Mesmer tested his theory that magnets could reduce pain, apparently achieving some initial success. But after 1785, traditional physicians denounced him as a fraud. As a result, he spent the rest of his life in relative obscurity. Today, however, Bro. Mesmer's theories concerning the use of magnets in controlling pain and promoting healing have regained popularity and are being actively researched by doctors and other health professionals. Bro. Mesmer was affiliated with the French Lodge Les Philadelphs. The Learning Kingdom; Freemasonry: A Celebration of the Craft.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

WHY FREEMASONRY SURVIVES

WHY FREEMASONRY SURVIVES

Institutions do not survive through the ages by accident;
they live only through the possession and operation of everlasting
principles.

When an organization runs back beyond historic records,
and relies upon tradition for the story of its origin, its career
during a known period either justifies or falsifies the tradition.

An ancestry of virtue and good works is a liberal education.
The power of the accumulated wisdom of the past
is a resistless impelling force upon the present.

The architects, the decorators, the draftsmen, the woodcarvers,
the workers in precious metals and the Masons who were
building the famous Temple of King Solomon came from every nation
in the then-known world.

Their union of mutual help, protection, society and improvement was the marvel of
an age when all navies were pirates and all nations enemies.

Masonry, marching under the leadership of God and the banner that bears the motto,
"Love thy neighbor as thyself,"with the peasant and the prince, the mechanic and the merchant, the learned and the unlearned following in equal rank and common step, knows neither race nor nationality, neither caste nor condition, as it proudly and beneficially
moves down the centuries.

Chauncey M. Depew (1834-1928)
Financier, U. S. Senator

LONG ISLAND MASONS

BLENDING THE LEGENDARY AND HISTORICAL IN FREEMASONRY

THE NEW AGE - FEBRUARY 1951

In deciphering ancient history there is always the question as to how much is legendary and how much is historical. With an institution like Freemasonry, whose teachings reach back into thousands of years, such problems inevitably present themselves. There are indications of Masonic teaching as far back as twenty-two centuries before Christ. In one of the oldest classes of China will be found a directive that “Officers of Government apply the compasses.”

Writing in The Pentagram (1949), the Official Masonic Gazette of the District Grand Lodge of the Eastern Archipelago (comprising the Malaysian area), C. L. Edwards calls attention, in an article “Legend or History - Which?”, to the fact that in the Fifth Century B.C. a work entitled “Great Learning” says that a man should refrain from doing to others what he would not want done to himself. This the writer characterized as “acting on the square.” In a similar manner Confucius and his disciple Mencius measur ed proper conduct with the Compasses and the Square, together with the Level and the Marking Line.

The historic stones of Ancient Egypt give further proof were any needed.

Mysterious rituals practiced at Memphis are described by Plutarch. There were two groups of these orders. The lesser one allowed a large membership and the greater one restricted its membership. The lesser embraced dialogues and ceremonies, and had signs and passwords. But the greater order confined its membership to the few who proved that they were capable of receiving the secrets of science, philosophy and religion. These had to undergo trial by ordeal before they were held eligible to receive by symbols the highest wisdom to which man had up to that time attained, namely, the fine arts and the laws of nature as well as of faith.

A central theme that of the immortality of the soul runs through many of these ancient mysteries and, spiritually at least, Masonry is held by many to be the descendant of the Great Ancient Mysteries. For instance, along about 1800 B.C., the Grecian Mysteries depicted the death of Dionysius. There was a stately ritual, which led the neophyte from death to immortality. Similarly, the Druids, as far north as England, conducted candidates from bodily surcease to spiritual perpetuity. A considerable time prior to the coming of Christ the Mysteries preached the same general theme - birth, life, death, immortality.

Plato’s interpretation of the Mysteries was that they were intended to teach purity, to lessen and, if possible, cure cruelty, improve morals and manners, and to instill a strong consciousness of human responsibility. There was clearly no mystery as to what was taught. The only secrecy was as to the rites and symbols used.

The fortified isle in lake Como of northern Italy was the seat of a colony of architects known as the Comacines. They had fled from the ruin of Rome. In the Roman Empire special privileges were extended to the Colleges of Architects. They were presided over by a Master and Wardens. They used the simple tools of the builder as their emblems. The ruins of Pompeii have revealed much information about these architects who had settled on the fortified isle in Lake Como.

They are credited with having carried their knowledge of architecture to Germany, France, Spain and England. Masonic authorities have characterized them as Freemasons because they were builders of a privileged class, relieved of the duty of paying taxes, absolved from servitude and free to travel about in times of feudal bondage.

In England their descendants are credited with being responsible for many of England’s most magnificent structures of the early centuries. And one fact stands out to show the camaraderie of these architects and builders. During the reign of Henry II and many years after the arrival of St. Augustine, there were built in England over 150 cathedrals, churches and monastic buildings, and, despite the ravages of World War II, many of these magnificent buildings exist today and reveal superb symmetry and exquisite beauty, yet the name of no one individual is associated with any of these buildings. The theory is that they were built by communities or lodges of operative Masons living in the precincts of each building during the process of its erection, which must have been a long and laborious undertaking. When the operative element and speculative Masonry gradually merged, there remained a system of morality “veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”

A book setting forth a history of the Company of Masons of the City of London, published in 1375, shows that the word Freemasonry appears to have been used in England for the first time about the year 1350.

The initiatory ceremonies of our prehistoric ancestors were the true origin of Freemasonry according to some Masonic scholars. Masonry is an answer to those unexpressed yearnings for Light, which is to be found in all religious systems and prove that the spiritual basis of Masonry is as old as the human race itself. As Mr. Edwards so aptly states: “On the floor of the Lodge men of all races and creeds are able to meet on common ground and make their devotions to a Creator who is neither God, nor Buddha, n or Allah, nor Brahma, nor Jehovah, but who is yet each and all of these.”

The symbols of Masonry, old and simple and universal, still have magnetic appeal to bring men together in a bond of integrity and brotherhood and humanity.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

MASONS AT THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG

by Sheldon A. Munn

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought in the hot, sticky days of July Ist, 2nd and 3rd, 1863. Confederate General Robert E. Lee had brought his 70,000 soldiers north-ward for food and supplies; to relieve Virginia from the ravages of war; to in-fluence the powerful northern Peace Party to stop the war, and to gain Confederate recognition and support from Britain and France. Lee also was looking for an oppor-tunity to defeat the Union Army away from its base in Washington, D.C.

Twenty-seven months before the Battle of Gettysburg, the first shots of the war between the states were fired between Masons. Confederate Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard fired on Union Major Robert Anderson, defending Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. Beauregard was a Mason and Knight Templar from New Orleans, Louisiana. Anderson was a Mason from Trenton, New Jersey.

As the war began with shots fired between Masonic brothers, so did the greatest battle of the war. It was in the morning hours of July 1, 1863, when Lieutenant Marcellus Jones fired the first shot that began the Battle of Gettysburg. Jones, a carpenter and a Mason from Wheaton, Illinois, used a Sharps 52-caliber breech-loading rifle, invented and manufac-tured by Christian Sharps, a Mason from Philadelphia. The shot that Jones fired was directed at Confederate troops led by Brigadier General Henry Heth, a Mason from Rocky Mountain Lodge in the Utah Territory.

In mentioning the Rocky Mountain Lodge, you will find it interesting to know that while it surrendered its charter due to the war, over two hundred Masonic Lodges were created during the war. An even more unusual circumstance unfolds when we learn that John C. Robinson, a Union Brigadier General and immediate Past Master of the Rocky Mountain Lodge, was heavily involved in the first days fighting at Gettysburg. The desperate fighting that day also involved Confederate Major General Henry Heth. Henry Heth had been John Robinson’s Senior Warden in the Rocky Mountain Lodge.

Later that morning, Union Brigadier General Solomon Meredith, a Mason from Indiana, and Colonel Lucius Fairchild, a Mason from Wisconsin, met and held the Confederates on the bloodied fields and woods between Herr’s Ridge and the Seminary for over 8-hours. Among those attacking Meredith’s legendary Iron Brigade and Fairchild’s hard-fighting 2nd Wisconsin Intantry regiment was Con-federate Colonel James Connor, a Past Master of Landmark Lodge in Charleston, South Carolina. Colonel Henry Morrow of the 24th Michigan was with Meredith’s Iron Brigade. During the furious fighting, Mor-row was struck in the head by a Confederate bullet. Later, a Confederate surgeon, identifying himself as a Mason, decided that Morrow’s scalp wound was “too serious” for him to be marched away as a prisoner-of-war. This act of Masonic compassion probably saved Morrow’s life.

The very first regimental volley of the battle was fired by the men of the 56th Pennsylvania Volunteers, led by Colonel John W. Hofmann, a Mason from Nor-ristown, Pennsylvania. Before the first days battle ended, Hofmann’s bloodied regiment would be forced from the fields north of the Chambersburg Road by a gallant charge led by Major William Cox, commander of the 2nd North Carolina infantry. William Cox was a Mason from Raleigh, North Carolina. He was wounded eleven times during the war and would later become a Brigadier General. Cox also became a Congressman and served as the Grand Master of North Carolina for four years.

Early in the evening of the 2nd day’s battle, on the ridge north of Devil’s Den, Union Major General Winfield Hancock told Colonel Edward Cross, “Today you’ll earn your star” meaning that Cross would win his promotion to Brigadier General for his brilliant service over the past two years. Colonel Cross, a Mason from New Hampshire, had received twelve wounds during his heroic service, however his thirteenth wound would be fatal and he was killed leading his brigade against the attacking Confederates led by Brigadier General George Thomas Anderson, a Mason from Atlanta, Georgia.

According to Lieutenant General James Longstreet, Commander of the Confederate First Corps, the most gallant charge of the entire war was led by Brigadier General William Barksdale, a Mason from Jackson, Mississippi. When Longstreet ordered him forward, Barksdale was on the front-line. It was in that position, after forcing the Union lines to col-lapse and retreat, that he was shot—mortally wounded—wearing a clean white linen shirt fastened with Masonic studs.

Barksdale’s courageous charge was directed at the bloody Peach Orchard, defended in part by the men of the 2nd New Hampshire regiment (Co. B) led by Captain Thomas Hubbard, a Mason from Concord, New Hampshire. Hubbard was killed on the battlefield and was buried by Confederate Masons.

Consider the significance of this act, when soldiers in the midst of a major battle, take the time and care to bury an enemy soldier! Unusual in every sense of the word, but not so unusual when you consider that it happened between Masons.

While the entire southern end of the battlefield erupted with savage fighting at the Peach Orchard, the Wheatfield, and Devil’s Den, a hero was born on the rocky, wooded southern slope of Little Round Top. Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, formerly a language pro-fessor at Bowdoin College in Maine, was in command of the 20th Maine Infantry defending the critical Union left flank. The determined Confederates launched attack after attack against Chamberlain’s shattered line. The gallant defenders held their position heroically despite their fearful losses. Running out of ammunition, and without reinforcements, Chamberlain knew that the next Confederate attack would destroy his line and cause the loss of the Federal armies strong defensive position. It was then that Chamberlain, a man schooled in religion and language, ordered his men to fix bayonets and charge the attacking Confederates in a swinging barn-door like maneuver. His unorthodox attack shocked the Rebels, causing them to scatter in hurried retreat. Chamberlain was a Mason, a member of United Lodge in Brunswick, Maine. He would receive a Congressional Medal of Honor in recognition of his courage and heroism at Gettysburg.

While Chamberlain was gallantly defending the southern end of the Union’s fish-hook shaped line, another Mason was desperately trying to overrun the Union army on the opposite end of that line on Culp’s Hill. John Brown Gordon, a successful businessman and lawyer from Georgia, had fought with brilliance throughout the two years prior to Gettysburg. Gordon had been severely wounded nine months earlier at the Battle of Antietam (September 17, 1862). A bullet hole in his hat had saved him from drowning in his own blood as he lay unconscious on the battle field. Gordon was a man of extraordinary compassion and care—a trait taught at our fraternities holy altars.

During Gordon’s attack on the first day, which resulted in the Confederates forcing the Union Army to retreat from their position in the fields north of Gettysburg, Union Brigadier General Francis Barlow was severely wounded. A Confederate bullet paralyzed his arms and legs. When Gordon, in the midst of his attack, saw Barlow, he dismounted, gave Barlow water from his can-teen and saw that he was cared for. Another instance where a Mason’s compassion and care for his brother transcended the hostility normally found between enemies.

The Battle of Gettysburg was culminated in an attack, the likes of which the world had never seen, nor would ever see again. It was on the atternoon of July 3rd, following a two-hour cannonade of volcanic proportions, that three Confederate Generals, all Virginia Masons, led the attack that has become known as Pickett’s Charge. Correctly named Longstreet’s Assault, Major General George Pickett, Brigadier General James Kemper and Brigadier General Lewis Armistead led their 12,000 men across the mile-long rolling fields to crash against the center of the Union line near the clump of trees that became the “High Water Mark of the Confederacy.”

As the Confederate tide swept closer to the Union line, a sergeant in the 14th Virginia Infantry came upon some Union skirmishers huddled in the tall wheat, who had been cut off from their retreat. The Virginians would have been fully justified in killing the Union soldiers. They were the enemy! But the sergeant recognized a Masonic sign—the sign of distress—thrown by one of the Yankees and ordered his men to pass them by. Wasn’t it fortunate that the Virginia Sergeant, Drewry B. Easley, was a Mason—a member of South Boston Lodge, in Halitax County, Virginia.

Brigadier General Lewis Armistead was the only officer to pierce the Union line. As Armistead crossed the low stone wall that formed the front of the Union defense line, he shouted, “Give ‘em the cold steel boys!” Holding his black hat on the tip of his sword to guide his men, since all his color-bearers had been killed, he led his 150 Virginians amidst the swirling tide of blue-coats. Placing his hand on a hot, smoking Union cannon barrel, he claimed it his, in the name of the Old Dominion. Instantly he was struck by two bullets and fell, giving the sign of distress, “. . . as the son of a widow.” At the same time, Major General Winfield Scott Hancock, the general commanding the Union troops defending the line at the center of the Confederate attack saw his old friend and Masonic brother fall. Hancock, a member of Charity Lodge in Norristown, Pennsylvania, who was severely wounded at the same time, ordered his chief of staff, Captain Henry Harrison Bingham, a Mason from Philadelphia, to go to Armistead’s aid. Bingham had Arm-istead taken to the 11th Corps field hospital where he received the best medical care possible. When Armistead died, Hancock saw that his personal belongings were handled according to his wishes. The Armistead-Hancock story is most unusual, especially when you consider that they were, in fact, enemies. But it is not unusual when you consider that they were Masons.

Again we witness the power of brotherly-love, care and concern ... transcending the most severe hatred and hostility associated with battle.

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought be-tween 70,000 Confederates and 93,000 Union soldiers. Over 50,000 men became casualties in those three terrible days. The Confederate Army would retreat back into Virginia and the war would continue for another eighteen months.

The war began with shots fired between Masonic brothers. The greatest battle of that war was started with shots fired between Masonic brothers. How do you suppose the war ended?

Come with me, to that chill, damp, Easter Sunday morning on April 9, 1865, in Appomattox, Virginia, when over 112,000 well-fed and well-equipped federal soldiers surrounded the 26,765 starving, ragged Confederates—all that remained of the once invincible Army of Northern Virginia. It was a time for the Yankee’s to shout and cheer! It was a time to celebrate. It was the end of the war—the bloodiest, in American casualties, that the world had ever seen or would ever see again. 618,000 men became casualties. But, the killing years were finally over!

No one would have disputed the Yankee’s right to scream, shout and cheer. But when Confederate General John Gordon brought his battle hardened Stonewall Brigade on the field to lay down their guns and furl their tattered flags, Union General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain ordered his men to give their former enemies a full military salute. It was an honorable and heartfelt act. It was the first act to heal the wounds of a nation and that greeting was given by a Mason! It was an act that uplifted the spirits of every man present. But then what would you have expected? Remember that both Joshua Chamberlain and John Gordon were Masons, representing a brotherhood that was never divided, now dedicated to a nation indivisible.

Let us take pride from the heritage of dedication and heroism demonstrated by our gallant brothers who advanced the principles of freedom, liberty and justice. And let us share that pride with all Americans to the advancement of our fraternity and the good of America.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

WARREN G HARDING - FREEMASON

A Nation is not simply a human encampment, or a business concern. It is both of these, but much more. It is the fusing of millions of people into a vast fraternity, a great friendship, into a unity of faith, feeling, purpose and destiny. It is a collective memory and a collective hope; a thing of spirit, ideals, sentiment - a fellowship in history, service and that obligation to the future which is one of the noblest sentiments of mankind, and the most disinterested.

Of the faith, history, genius and destiny of the Republic, the President is the embodiment. He is a symbolic figure. When he is running for office he is only a man like the rest of us, chosen from among ourselves by virtue of his strength of intellect and nobility of character, as these have developed before the eyes of his fellow citizens. When he is elected he is something more. He becomes then the incarnation of the spirit and will and purpose of a great people, and we need not apologize to any sentiment of equality for regarding him with reverence.
There is, in one way of looking at him, something sacred about the President, as the instrument of the execution of the organized will of the nation.

This is not a mere fancy, but a fact of deep import which we need to ponder. The investure of the President with the power and purpose of millions of people makes him other than he is in his private capacity. What the President does before the world he does for and through us, typifying the nation as no mere ruler could typify it. He is a servant of the people, not a master. His character as revealed in his stewardship is our character, his work in no real sense our work, doing things which free people decree shall be done. He stands for the only Divine right that Republics know - the right of men to rule themselves. The accolade of the popular will changes him and makes him a High Priest of humanity in this land, where, are being wrought out the highest ideals of the race.

The President is the nation brought to a focus of personality, and we see him walking in a fiercer light than ever beat upon a throne - from humble life to the highest office a mortal may hold while wearing our morality. We have had many great Presidents, never a bad one. No one on that great roster has betrayed his people, or proved unworthy of his mighty trust. Each is known to have been moved by pure motives - doing with an honest purpose all he could for the glory of the Republic. Read the life of each President, and, in the light of all the facts and the posture of the hour, it will be seen that a better choice could not have been made than was made at the time.

In a manner not merely accidental, but providential, each of our Presidents, by virtue of his temperament, training, character and personality, has been the man to match the hour - for, to a degree not realized, the personality of the President gives and receives the tone and temper of the nation. The names and services of our Presidents are a testimony to all the world that the plain common people can be trusted, while showing what kind of men a democracy can discover and develop. Most of the great Presidents revealed their greatness after the wise ones wondered why they had been elected. What was then the future and now the past has vindicated the intuition of the nation, in an almost miraculous manner.

Into this great tradition of honor and service came President Harding, at a time of disillusion and confusion, in the wake of a gigantic War, when the world was feverish and almost fanatical with shell-shock; a quiet, gentle- hearted man of fraternal instincts and humanitarian sentiments, having wisdom of patience and the patience of love; conservative, conciliatory, seeking to plant seeds in the good soil of understanding; friendly of spirit, faithful of heart; a man of haunting sympathy and healing goodwill; a small-town man, who loved all kind of folk, at once our neighbor and our President; honored for his character, beloved for his simple, unveneered humanity, and to be remembered as a man in whom the spirit of our Republic revealed itself as a great Friendship.

Alas, just as he was striking his stride as a servant and leader of the people, God touched him and he fell asleep - plunging the nation and the world into a bereavement as unexpected as it was profound. Each of us, whether we agree with the politics of the President or not, felt a sense of personal loss, as if a near neighbor and old friend had suddenly passed away - leaving us to wonder at the fleetingness of life and the strange ways of God. He brought the people close to the Government, and the Government close to the people; he wanted to foster fellowship, understanding, brotherhood, co-operation between classes, creeds, nations, races. In short, he was a man and a President to whom Fraternity was the fundamental need, faith and hope of the nation and the world, without which chaos comes again; and in this he was a true Master Mason.

To the judgment of statesmen and the verdict of historians we must leave the final appraisal of the public acts of the President. Leaving these large matters for some ultimate estimate yet to be made, it is with the more intangible influences of character and personality that we have to do now; those things which seem imponderable, but which are more precious that any official act. Such influences are spiritual, mystical, incalculable, but they are beyond all price and make it worth our time to live.

As has been said, the President was a great fraternalist, alike by temperament and by the habit of his life. Brotherliness was native to his spirit, and he was a Mason in his heart, as all men should be, long before he was made a Mason, in the Lodge. "I like the atmosphere of Fraternity," he said in one of his last speeches; and that was no affectation, but the literal truth of the man. "I think I know the very soul of Masonry," he said in his address to the Imperial Council of the Shrine; and he rejoiced in the great place which fraternalism in general, and Masonry in particular, has in America. He saw its value, both as a bulwark against anti-social forces, and as a constructive force in behalf of social stability and advance. His estimate of Masonry was shown by the place he held in its fellowship, and the part he took in the assemblies, his Masonic affiliations being as follows: Marion Lodge No. 70, F. & A.M., Marion, Ohio; Marion Chapter No. 62, R.A.M., Marion, Ohio; Marion Commandery No. 36, K.T., Marion, Ohio; Scioto Consistory, A. & A.S.R., Columbus, Ohio; Aladdin Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S., Columbus, Ohio. Honorary Member Albert Pike Lodge No. 36, A.F. & A.M., Washington, D.C.; Columbia Chapter No. 1, R.A.M., Washington, D.C., and Almas Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S., Washington, D.C.

The President was elected to receive the Thirty-Third Degree of the Scottish Rite in 1920, but owing to the illness of Mrs. Harding, was unable to be present at the conferring of the Degree at Cleveland. It was his intention to attend the session of the Supreme Council, Northern Jurisdiction, in New York in the autumn, to receive the Degree; but in the hearts of his Brethren he had already been crowned with the highest Degree within the gift of the Fraternity, as much for his spirit and character as for his devotion to the Craft. At the time of his raising, and on various Masonic occasions, he left many expressions of his vision of Masonry, one of which, in his address to the Shrine, is as follows:

"No man ever took the oaths and subscribed to the obligations with greater watchfulness and care than I exercised in receiving the various rites of Masonry; and I say it with due deliberation and without fear of breaking faith. I have never encountered a lesson, never witnessed an example, never heard an obligation uttered which could not be openly proclaimed to the world. More, if the lessons taught were heeded, if the obligations read were assumed, if the relationships urged were adopted men would be infinitely better in their relationships.

"There is an honest, righteous and just fraternal life in America. It embraces millions of men and women, and a hundred fraternal organizations extend their influence into more than a third of our American homes, and make ours a better Republic for their influences. Fraternity is inherent in man. It is our obligation to make the most of it for human betterment . . . In the Lodge room there is molded what becomes public opinion, and contributes to the moving forces of developing civilization.

"I wish somehow we could have fraternity among nations, as it is taught in America among men. I do not mean to employ sign, grip and password; which afford an appealing mystery to our relationship, but the insistent demand for just dealing, the respect for the rights of others, and the ideals of brotherhood recited in the Golden Rule, and the righteous fellow- relationship which every man knows his God approves. Under such a reign of fraternity cruel human warfare will never come again."

Naturally, the President had a special affinity for the stately Order of the Knights Templar, in which two of the most beautiful things in the world are united - Freemasonry and Christianity. He was a Christian, holding his faith with the simplicity of a little child - wherein he was wiser than any philosophers - striving to live by its high principles, in private life and public office; and he died in its great assurance of the life immortal. Three days prior to his inauguration, at Marion, Ohio, the Order of the Temple was conferred upon him. After the conclusion of the ceremonies he addressed the assembled Templars as follows:

"Sir Knights: It seems for a moment as though Masonry must have been designed for my helpfulness at this particular time. If I have had a thought that I believed was my own, in all sincerity of a man's soul I believe that I have had the thought approaching my great responsibility in humility and faith; and I come tonight to the Temple of this splendid Knighthood and find it teaching me and empha-sizing those things I have been thinking. And so I have come to the new assurance and new confidence in the knowledge that the manhood of America which bears the stamp of Masonry is back of me.

"I thought while the Eminent Commander was speaking of the Flag, that he need not worry about the Flag. All America is consecrated to the Flag, and I promise you, though I may fail you in many ways, God knows I will not fail you in that one thing. While I love peace no less than any man on earth - While I think peace is the greatest thing to be thought of - I should have no hesitancy to draw this sword in the preservation of our national honor.

"Have you ever stopped to think that tradition seldom preserves anything not worth while? Oh, how beautiful is the story of Christ, and how you can bring it home to every man! Every man has his Gethsemane. Every man has his cross to bear, and the measure of his manhood is the way he bears it. Men are crucified every day, as was Christ; and, while they do not rise again, perhaps, in the same great way, any man who performs his service to Christ never fails to live again.

"Knighthood is no more forgotten today than when it flourished in its outward manifestation. I believe the world is everlastingly growing better. The Order of the Temple made a great impression upon me. One of the twelve chosen apostles privileged to be with the Master daily, failed, and today we do not expect one man in twelve, or indeed, one in many more than twelve to fail. We are going on to a finer and better order in the world. The World War isn't chargeable to the Christian Religion, but to the failure of those who profess it. Too often we take an obligation carelessly. Too often we do not give it the consideration which we should. "I am mindful tonight that three days hence I am to take an oath - a solemn one, one that no man can approach without solemn thought. I mean to take that obligation to defend and preserve in humility and faith; and in love of truth. I want your help. I want you to realize that the next administration of the greatest land on earth is yours, not mine; it's that of one hundred million, and I want the help of all of them."

His last address, read by his secretary almost at the hour when he passed away, was in presentation of a traveling banner, of which he was the honored bearer, from the Grand Commandery, Knights Templar of Ohio, to the Grand Commandery of California, at Hollywood, on the afternoon of August 2nd. The banner was inscribed with the text, "Not unto us, O Lord, Not unto us; but unto Thy Name be the glory;" and the President said:

"We should glorify the Holy Name, not by words, not by praise, not by display of arms, but by deeds of service in behalf of human brotherhood. Christ, the great Exemplar of our Order, repeatedly urged this truth upon his hearers. There was nothing mystical or mythical in the code of living preached by Jesus Christ. The lessons He taught were so simple and plain, so fashioned to be understood by the humblest of men, that they appealed to the reason and emo-tions of all. His words to the fishermen bore conviction to the learned men of the Roman bench. All his teachings were based upon the broad ground of fraternalism, and justice, and understanding from which flows peace, always. 'A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another.' Surely this is 'all the Law and the Gospel.'. . .With the universal observance of Christ's commandment we would have the essentials of all religions. Perhaps I will best express my thought if I say we need less of sectarianism, less of demoninationalism, less of fanatical zeal and its exactions, and more of the Christ spirit, more of the Christ practice, and a new and abiding consecration to reverence for God."

Thus passed President Harding, Friend and Brother; on his lips words of love to man and faith to God, leaving a legacy of honorable character and gracious service. All the Craft unite in the words, "Hail and Farewell, until we meet in the Great White Lodge," the while we wonder in our hearts what it must be like to be past death - to have accomplished that one amazing act which we have yet undone before us, and which awaits our adventure - to know what that awful and mysterious thing is, and that its pains and terrors are gone past forever. For, whether we be Presidents or peasants, walking in high or humble lot, these things will pass away like a dream of the night, leaving only the Eternal God and the immortal soul, and the loves and fellowships of these many days and years!

LONG ISLAND MASONS

Before Wendy's -Bro. Benjamin Franklin-?

When we hear the word "franchise" we think of twentieth-century entrepreneurs like Bro. Dave Thomas , the man who founded the Wendy's chain of restaurants. But Bro. Ben Franklin? Bro. Benjamin Franklin was way ahead of his time. In order to expand his printing business, he set up branches of his print shop in nearly every city on the Eastern seaboard. In return for setting the shops up, he then took a share of the profits. And like the modern franchises of today, he even sold the print shops the supplies they needed to run their business, like ink and paper. Franklin understood that the secret to growth is to empower others, and that the secret to wealth is to always keep a finger in the pie. Bro. Benjamin Franklin personifies the spirit and inventiveness of the modern world. His accomplishments read like an almanac of greatness: • Inventor; poet; philosopher; pamphleteer. • Distinguished member of three national academies of science. • America's first Postmaster general. • Founder of Philadelphia's first police force, lending library, and theacademy which would become the University of • Pennsylvania. • Founder of the first fire insurance company. • Delegate to the Constitutional Convention. • Drafter of the Declaration of Independence. • One of America's most effective statesman and ambassadors. But for all his achievements, and for all his wealth, the epitaph Franklin wrote for himself simply reads "Here lies the body of Ben Franklin, printer." In honoring his humble roots as printer's apprentice, Bro. Benjamin Franklin reveals a lot about what made him great.
(Source: GREAT LIFE LESSONS)

LONG ISLAND MASONS

DEMITS - STEMMING THE TIDE

(M.S.A. is indebted to M.W. Brother E. R. Minchew, PGM of Louisiana, and Director of Masonic Education for the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, for sharing his thoughts on “stemming the flow” of membership losses.)

Most Grand Jurisdictions, if not all, are concerned with the loss of members. Basically, there are three categories of membership losses that claim their attention: by demits, by non-payment of dues, and by candidates who fail to complete the degrees.

With reference to the first category—
Demits. In Louisiana, as an example, the number of demits that were granted in 1976 was 284; in 1977, the number was 64; in 1978, the total was 317. While it is true that some of the demitted Masons affiliated with other lodges, it is roughly estimated that two-thirds did not. This is a loss that is worthy of attention. Louisiana has about 47,00(‘ Masons. Other Grand Jurisdictions report comparable losses through demit.

What can be done to reduce the losses by demit? It appears that the cause for demit losses should be examined. There are at least three reasons why a Mason gets a demit and never affiliates with another Lodge:

First - He feels that he is too old to be of service to Masonry.
Second - He has lost interest in the Fraternity.
Third - He cannot attend Lodge.

There are probably other causes for a demit, but these three are certainly worthy of consideration.

The solution to the problem must rest with each lodge, particularly with the three principal officers. There is no doubt but that some members of the Lodge have been neglected.
A well-planned program by the Lodge is necessary, a program that will involve as many members as possible. Specially planned pro-grams will attract and encourage the presence of members. Homecoming, Father-and-Son Night, etc. Each Lodge meeting should include a discussion of some Masonic topic for information when no degree work is on the agenda.

There are many sources for information topics on Masonry; probably the best is the Short Talk Bulletin. (Ask M.S.A. for the catalog listing the more than 680 titles.) Most Masons are interested in learning more about the history, heritage, philosophy, famous men in Masonry, and ideals of the Fraternity. Open meetings, where the doors are opened to non-Masons, are excellent opportunities for good fellowship and for improving the image of Masonry.
In other words, A MASONIC EDUCATION PROGRAM in each Lodge is a MUST. In such meetings, a special effort should be made to acquaint all members with what the Lodge is doing and how each member is a part of the program. The Lodge program should include opportunities for the members to discuss what each wants out of his Masonic life. It is surprising how many good ideas for improving the interest and attendance of the members can be provided by the members. Too frequently they are not encouraged to let their wishes be known.

Some Lodges send out questionnaires to all members asking for the members’ desire to do a certain work in the Lodge. This method gives every member the opportunity to let his wishes be known. A follow-up use of members is the result. Other Lodges have seminars with members to get the members’ reaction to what the Lodge should do. It all boils down to what has often been said, “A working Mason is an interested Mason.”
Some Lodges use a Contact Committee to get in touch with Masons who do not regularly attend Lodge and inform them that they are missed and that they are needed. When such efforts are exerted, the members will feel a part of the Lodge, and many even become regular in attendance.

Members who are unable to attend Lodge meetings should be visited by the Contact Committee as often as possible, and by the principal officers. Telephone calls can be used by the Committee to prevent disabled Brethren from feeling a sense of neglect, and to assure the aged and infirm that they are still a part of the Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons. On special occasions, such as when honoring the members with long years of service to the Craft, the Committee should arrange transportation for the disabled.

The second category of membership losses is through suspension for non-payment of dues. Some Grand Jurisdictions report as many as five to eight hundred per year. Of the total number that are suspended, about fifty percent request reinstatement. Again, a sufficient loss to cause concern.

There are sundry reasons for failure of Masons to pay their annual dues. The primary causes might be loss of interest, living in another location, financial difficulties and a feeling of neglect.

Some Lodges have sought to solve this problem by making personal calls on the delinquent Brothers. When this is not possible, Masons in the vicinity of the domicile of the delinquent Mason are asked to make a personal contact. In some Lodges the Worshipful Master appoints a committee to visit a Brother who is suspended and persuade him to pay his dues. Other Lodges use different appeals. Financial aid is often provided for the Brother who is in financial straits.

Whatever is done when a Mason becomes delinquent is like locking the barn after the horse is stolen. Rather than treat the disease, perhaps more attention should be given to prevention.
Again, a well-planned program of Masonic Education that will touch the lives of all of the members is suggested. Several Grand Jurisdictions are making much improvement in Grand Lodge oriented and sponsored educational pro-grams that are directed toward improving attendance at Lodge meetings and having a better informed membership on Masonry. There remains much to be done. Perhaps too much money is being spent on administration and other acute needs of Masons and Masonry. There should be some kind of an annual pro-gram in every Lodge to reach as many members as possible.

The third category of membership losses, and the one in which the writer is personally interested, is in the loss of candidates who take the first degree and then drop out of Masonry. This problem has been discussed with Grand Lodge officers of several Grand Jurisdictions and there is a kindred anxiety and concern.
For instance, in Louisiana in 1976, 1187 candidates were initiated and only 874 were raised. In 1977 there were 1279 who were initiated while only 901 were raised. In 1978 the number initiated was 1139 with 886 being raised. In three years there was a total loss of 944 Master Masons. Most of these will probably not repetition for advanced degrees. There would have been a gain in membership in Louisiana if the losses due to not completing degrees could have been drastically reduced.

Why don’t candidates complete the three degrees? The writer has made a study of this problem and presents one actual case.

In one of the Louisiana Lodges there were twelve petitions for degrees that were formally approved by the Lodge. Seven of the applicants completed the degrees within the required time. The other five went no farther than the first degree. The degrees, in each instance, were well conferred. Each candidate received the same information before and after each degree. The five who did not pursue advancement in Masonry beyond the first degree were interviewed and asked “why”? Here are the answers: Two said they did not have time to learn the catechism; one said that he petitioned only because his wife wanted him to become a Mason, and that Masonry demanded too much of him; another said that he could not abide by the moral teachings of Masonry as exemplified in the first degree, especially the obligation; the last one said he couldn’t learn the work.
The results of the interviews were reported to the Master of the Lodge. He appointed a committee to visit each of the five candidates and to persuade him to continue his Masonic career. The committee was successful with only one— can you guess which one? Yes, it was the one who said he couldn’t learn the catechism. He tried, did his best, was not perfect in his recitation but was passed and finally became a Master Mason. You will be glad to know that this Brother is now one of the most used Masons in his Lodge in everything except degree work.

The reasons given by the five Entered Apprentice Masons in the example that has been cited are probably the most often found excuses for not completing the degrees. They might give a hint as to what is needed to be In Louisiana the Grand Lodge is working on a statewide program to educate the applicants for Masonry through the appointment of a committee in each Lodge to visit the petitioner after he has been accepted for the first degree. This is called the Lodge Program of Masonic Education. The appointed committee (this committee is not the investigating committee), visits the candidate and his wife (and older children if possible) to give to them the philosophy of Masonry that will inform him of the step he is about to take. After the discussion, the committee gives to the candidate a copy of SEARCH FOR MASONIC LIGHT entitled PREPARATION. (This is the first of four small books that have been prepared by the Committee on Education of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana and are available from the Service Committee of the Grand Lodge.) Preparation further enlightens the candidate on Masonry. After the first degree is conferred, the commit-tee again visits the E.A. Mason, further enlightens him on the Philosophy of the E.A. Degree and answers any questions that may be asked. This process is continued through the second and third degrees. The program reduced the losses by seventy-five in 1978. (A similar pro-gram is contained in the new M.S.A. Digest, “Tried and Proven.”)

Another suggestion for reducing the losses through failure to complete the degrees is that of “Sponsorship.” When the applicant’s petition is presented to the Lodge and favorably received, the Master appoints a well-informed Brother to act as the candidate’s sponsor. The sponsor works with the candidate throughout his degree career. The duties of the sponsor supplement the work of the Education Committee and assures the candidate that he has a friend to guide him through the three degrees, to arrange for a lecturer and assist the candidate in any way necessary. (In some Jurisdictions, this is called “the Mentor System.”)

In summary (l) Losses in Membership must be the concern of both the Grand Lodge officers and the Lodge officers; (2) The Lodge must include and involve as many Masons as possible in the annual program of the Lodge; (3) A definite program of Masonic Education on a personal basis is essential.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

CHRISTIANITY AND FREEMASONRY

To begin this paper I think that it would be appropriate to quote from the first English Book of Constitution, 1723, - in the first charge therein concerning God and religion is stated 'A Mason is obliged by his tenure to obey the moral law, and if he rightly understands that Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist, nor an irregular Libertine' and this charge was revised in 1815 to read 'let a man's religion or mode of worship be what it may, he is not excluded from the order, provided he believe in the glorious architect of heaven and earth, and practise the sacred duties of morality' and so it still stands today - the first condition of admission into, and membership of, the order is the belief in a Supreme Being. This is essential and admits no compromise. A belief in the Existence of God as the Great Architect of the Universe and the Immortality of the Soul and a life hereafter are some of the important landmarks of the Order. Masonry is a Brotherhood which seeks after truth, encourages our members to uphold one another in the highest moral principles and having strict honesty of purpose and integrity in all matters of business and community endeavours.

Throughout the years since organized masonry has existed, the Christian Churches have had a number of concerns with Freemasonry some of these concerns to be well founded and some misguided to say the least. One concern is that Masonry is frequently referred to as being a secret society - certainly we do have a tradition of privacy but in actual fact modern Freemasonry is really very open and clearly anything but a secret society, with meetings usually advertised in the local press, unlimited volumes of published Masonic material available in libraries and book stores and our members proud to make known their affiliation as Freemasons. Another concern is that Masonry is a religion and that for some members salvation is attained by good works alone ­Masonry is neither a religion nor a substitute for religion - nor a competitor with religion - though in the sphere of human conduct it may be hoped that our teachings will be complimentary to that of religion - Masonry requires a man to have a belief in God, or a Supreme Being before he can be admitted as a member, and expects him to continue to practise his religion thereafter ­Actually Freemasonry may be said to be a system of Morality - we as members are free to profess any religious faith which enables us to express a belief in the Great Architect of the Universe ­Freemasonry lacks the basic elements of a religion, we have no theological doctrine and by forbidding religious discussion at our meetings there is no opportunity for a Masonic theological doctrine to be developed.

One of the most important landmarks of our order is that which forbids us to participate as Masons in any form of religious or political discussion. The reason for this important landmark is that Freemasonry exists for the sake of and is devoted to and is dedicated for Brotherhood. This Brotherhood means that many of us men , drawn from all walks of life - with a variety of various racial and political opinions are brought together and kept together in a relationship of friendship, harmony and goodwill. There is nothing else more likely to divide and alienate men than religion and politics and for the welfare of our Brotherhood this has been and always must be one of the most important of our landmarks.

What then is it that leads men and organizations in society to attack us - From the early beginnings of our order we have continually been attacked by those outside of the order. Some of the great Christian Churches maintain an enmity towards us and many governments, particularly communist and non-democratic states, have outlawed Freemasonry and forbidden their peoples to become members. In all probability this will continue and is not likely to change - but what is the attitude of our Craft to these attacks - the attitude of the Craft is to ignore them. We do not fight back, we have done nothing to warrant or to invite such attacks and therefore it is no concern of ours. Our faith in the truth of Freemasonry is so certain and well founded that we only need to continue on as we always have in order to silence any false charges or untruths that may be made against us.

Freemasonry is not a Christian organization although many of us are professing Christians, and the God we worship is the Christian God - Salvation can only be attained by a belief in the divine revelation which exists in the form of a Sacred Volume for every religion and of course for we Christians this is the Holy Bible.
What then does Masonry and Christianity have in common? Masonry is not a religion but it is religious - it is not a church but is a worship in which men of all religions may unite - It is the friend of all, having emphasis upon those truths which underlie all religions. Masonry seeks to instill in its members a standard conduct and behaviour which will be acceptable to all creeds and hopefully that its teaching will be complimentary to that of any religion. The basic tenants of Masonry, brotherly love, relief and truth are complimentary to any man's Christian beliefs and must become a part of a Christian's search for more light in his continual search for truth - that true Spiritual Light who for a Christian is our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Many of our Christian leaders in our Churches are also dedicated Masons and find no conflict in being members of both. Our Parish Priest at home is a Past Master of his Lodge and has taken the Christian Orders in Preceptory and has found nothing to be in conflict with his Christian beliefs and Ordination Vows. His problem is time the same problem we all have - There is always a conflict with time when a person belongs to a number of different organizations.

I have been a Licensed Lay Reader in our Parish for almost as many years as I have been a Mason and I know that Masonry has been a strong support and influence in my long and gradual journey to my coming to know my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. There is only one area in which I have found some unhappiness and a feeling of unease and that is in the obligations in the three degrees, when the candidate is taking his vows on the Holy Bible. It has always given me a feeling of repugnance to swear on the Volume of the Sacred Law a completely ridiculous and impossible penalty which is not only archaic but never can be carried out. There is no reason why these penalties could not be moved to some other part of the ceremony and keep the obligation as solemn and sacred as it should be.
Are they compatible? Of course Christianity and Freemasonry are compatible and should be and are complimentary to each other in Man's continual search for truth. Freemasonry does not offer any teaching to the Christian member that he cannot find within his church - We do not recruit new members, only those who are motivated by a favourable opinion preconceived of the Institution' and sees such an opinion as being generated by the good examples of public and charitable concerns by the members.

It is essential that we as members of the order continue to carry out voluntary community activities, participate in our church and worship services, and put our faith into practice in our daily living of and try to keep a fuller relationship with our family and close friends. In this way can Masonry and Christianity continue to be compatible in each of our individual lives as Christians and as Masons.

Brethren, these are some thoughts on Christianity and Masonry, which, hopefully, you can accept in the spirit in which they have been presented - for your consideration and discussion. Masonry has always steadfastly held that freedom of thought and religious worship is there are sole right of every individual. As members of the Fraternity religion encouraged to put into daily practice the precepts of our own as well as the moral teachings of the fraternity.

J. P. Brooks - Grand Senior Warden, Grand Lodge of Saskatchewan

LONG ISLAND MASONS

I SEE YOU'VE TRAVELLED SOME

"I See You've Traveled Some"

Wherever you may chance to be--Wherever you may roam,

Far away in foreign lands; Or just at Home Sweet Home;

It always gives you pleasure, it makes your heart strings hum

Just to hear the words of cheer,"I see you've traveled some.

"When you get a brother's greeting, And he takes you by the hand,

It thrills you with a feeling that you cannot understand,

You feel that bond of brotherhood that tie that's sure to come

When you hear him say in a friendly way"I see you've traveled some.

"And if you are a stranger, In strange lands all alone

If fate has left you stranded--Dead broke and far from home,

It thrills you--makes you numb,

When he says with a grip of fellowship,

"I see you've traveled some.

"And when your final summons comes, To take a last long trip,

Adorned with Lambskins Apron White and gems of fellowship--

The Tiler at the Golden Gate, With Square and Level and Plumb

Will size up your pin and say "Walk In","I see you've traveled some."

LONG ISLAND MASONS

NOTED MASONS - FIORELLO LAGUARDIA

FIORELLO LAGUARDIA, GARIBALDI LODGE 542
NEW YORK

Fiorello Henry LaGuardia (born Fiorello Enrico LaGuardia December 11, 1882–September 20, 1947) was the Republican Mayor of New York from 1934 to 1945. He was popularly known as "the Little Flower," the translation of his Italian first name, also perhaps a reference to his short stature of just 5 feet. According to modern historians, LaGuardia is considered one of New York City's greatest mayors because of his role in leading New York during the Great Depression.

LaGuardia was born in The Bronx to an Italian lapsed-Catholic father and a Hungarian mother of Jewish origin from Trieste, and he was raised an Episcopalian. His middle name Enrico was changed to Henry (the English form of Enrico) when he was a child. He spent most of his childhood in Prescott, Arizona. The family moved to his mother's hometown of Trieste, Italy, after his father was discharged from his bandmaster position in the U.S. Army in 1898. LaGuardia served in U.S. consulates in Budapest, Trieste, and Fiume (1901–1906). Fiorello returned to the U.S. to continue his education at New York University, and during this time he worked for New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty for Children and as a translator for the U.S. Immigration Service at Ellis Island (1907–1910).
He became the Deputy Attorney General of New York in 1914. In 1916 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he developed a reputation as a fiery and devoted reformer. In Congress, LaGuardia represented then-Italian East Harlem.
LaGuardia briefly (1917-1919) served in the armed forces, commanding a unit of the United States Army Air Service on the Italian/Austrian front in World War I, rising to the rank of major.
In 1921 his wife died of tuberculosis. LaGuardia, having nursed her through the 17 month ordeal, grew depressed, and turned to alcohol, spending most of the year following her death on an alcoholic binge. He recovered and became a teetotaler.
LaGuardia ran for, and won, a seat in Congress again in 1922. Extending his record as a reformer, LaGuardia sponsored labor legislation and railed against immigration quotas. He was overwhelmingly defeated by incumbent Jimmy Walker in the 1929 mayoral election. In 1932, along with Sen. George Norris (R-NE), Rep. LaGuardia sponsored the Norris-LaGuardia Act.
LaGuardia was elected mayor of New York City on an anti-corruption "fusion" ticket during the Great Depression, which united him in an uneasy alliance with New York's Jewish population and liberal bluebloods (Wasps). These included the famed architect and New York historian Isaac Newton Phelps-Stokes whose patrician manners LaGuardia detested. Surprisingly, the two men became friends. Phelps-Stokes had personally nursed his wife during the last five years of her life, during which she was paralyzed and speechless due to a series of strokes. On learning of Phelps-Stokes's ordeal, so like his own, LaGuardia ceased all bickering and the two developed genuine affection for each other.
LaGuardia was hardly an orthodox Republican. He also ran as the nominee of the American Labor Party, a union-dominated anti-Tammany grouping that also ran FDR for President from 1936 onward. LaGuardia also supported Roosevelt.
LaGuardia was the city's first Italian-American mayor, but LaGuardia was far from being a typical Italian New Yorker. After all, he was a Republican Episcopalian who had grown up in Arizona, and had an Istrian Jewish mother and a Roman Catholic-turned-atheist Italian father. He reportedly spoke seven languages, including Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, and Yiddish.
LaGuardia is famous for, among other things, restoring the economic lifeblood of New York City during and after the Great Depression. His massive public works programs employed thousands of unemployed New Yorkers and his constant lobbying for federal government funds allowed New York to establish the foundation for its economic infrastructure. He was also well known for reading the newspaper comics on the radio during a newspaper strike, and pushing to have a commercial airport (Floyd Bennett Field, and now LaGuardia Airport) within city limits. He was also a very outspoken and early critic of Hitler and the Nazi regime. In a public address as early as 1934, LaGuardia warned, "Part of [Hitler’s] program is the complete annihilation of the Jews in Germany." In 1937, speaking before the Women’s Division of the American Jewish Congress, LaGuardia called for the creation of a special pavilion at the upcoming New York World’s Fair: "a chamber of horrors" for "that brown-shirted fanatic."
LaGuardia was the director general for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) in 1946.
LaGuardia loved music and conducting, and was famous for spontaneously conducting professional and student orchestras that he visited. He once said that the "most hopeful accomplishment" of his long administration as mayor was the creation of the High School of Music & Art in 1936, now the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts[1]. In addition to LaGuardia High School, a number of other instututions are also named for him, including LaGuardia Community College. He was also the subject of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical Fiorello!. He died in New York City of pancreatic cancer at the age of 64.
The smaller and older of New York's airports carries his name today.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

T.G.A.O.T.U.

FREEMASONRY offers no doctrine as to the nature and attributes of God. It has no theory to propound, no philosophy to promulgate, as to His relations to men and to the universe. The Craft assumes that God is a reality, a sacred and unquestioned reality, in the mind of every man who proposes himself for membership in a lodge, and it leaves to that man the prerogative of fashioning his own theological and philosophical theories. A man may believe in the Trinity or deny the same; he may believe in the deity of Jesus or not; he may hold that God created the universe out of nothing or he may prefer to think that the universe is co-existent with God; and he may, whether he be of one persuasion or another, remain a good Mason. But this does not mean that to Freemasonry God is unreal; far from it. Many of the things and persons most real to us, friendship, truth, father, mother, friend, are none the less real for not being defined, or even capable of being defined.

There is no desire herein to preach to the reader, for that is not the function of these columns, but even at the risk of so doing, there is something to be said about God which it is well for all to ponder. That something is this: Masonry does not demand that we define, or accept any definitions of Him, but it does demand that He be real in every Masonic life.

During the solemn moments of initiation the candidate, of his own free will, confesses that his faith is in God, and this confession is accepted by the Master with instant and cordial approval. He assumes his obligations as in the presence and name of God, and acknowledges his inability to fulfill the same except that God help him. His various journeys in search of light, wherein he is confronted by many dangers and conflicts, are undertaken in prayer, both by himself and the Master. If, with a free mind and a clear consciousness, the man does all this as if it were only so much meaningless show, and if he goes away from so solemn an experience to think of it all as merely an interesting piece of acting in which he himself has been a participant, the man is a hypocrite who, by such trifling with the things that are the most solemn to every soul, endangers the very integrity of his spiritual nature. If his initiation is to be real to him, then must he ever feel that it has been a genuine pact between him and his Creator. Unless the man is genuinely sincere while accepting such a rite as Masonic initiation, it is far better for his character and his happiness as a man that he never seek it at all.

By the same token God must be real to the lodge, else its very existence must become a mockery. Its center is an altar; its great light is a Book that symbolizes the revelation of the Divine Will; God is the center of the ritual as the sun is in the midst of its planets; He is the guarantor of its principles; and all its teachings are made in His name. Unless He be real the whole thing falls to pieces as a sham, and Masonry itself were better out of existence.

At the present moment a wave of new life is sweeping across American Masonry which is best compared to eras of spiritual awakening wherein new religions are born, and new epochs of culture are initiated. Never before have so many men thronged the gates of the Fraternity, or so many able men gladly volunteered to accept the burdens of management and leadership. A new dawn is upon the great Order, and mighty things are destined to be done. In all its branches Masons are working at Masonry to strengthen and to renew it, to understand, and to promulgate it. In this revival of interest, when lodges vie with each other in efforts to make Masonry become all that it can become to state and individual those leaders will be wisest and their work will be most enduring who ever remember that the cornerstone of it all, in all its senses, is T.G.A.O.T.U.

The Builder June 1921

LONG ISLAND MASONS

SOME MASONIC THOUGHTS

TEN REASONS TO BECOME A MASON

1. Masonry is a place where you can confidently trust every person, entrust your family with them.
6. Masonry is a place you can go to give support as well as seek it.
2. Masonry is a place where, within moral and civil guidelines; free thought, free speaking and the spiritual growth of man can grow into its fullest potential.
7. Masonry is a place where moral virtues are taught and through these teachings a regular reinforcement of the moral virtues is experienced.
3. Masonry is a place, which provides the opportunity to meet, know, and call brother, outstanding individuals from all walks of life that, I would not otherwise have met.
8. Masonry is a place to spend time with a group of brothers, who by acting as good men make me want to become a better man. Not better than others, but better than I would have otherwise been.
4. Masonry is a place to be a part of an organization that has for its principle tenets- Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.
9. Masonry is a place to become better prepared to serve church and community.
5. Masonry is a place that provides self-development opportunities, leadership training and experience, and to improve public speaking skills.
10. Masonry is a place to meet with established members of the community and to become a part of the community.

A MASON

A Mason is a man who professes a faith in God. As a man of faith, he uses the tools of moral and ethical truths to serve mankind.A Mason binds himself to like-minded men in a Brotherhood that transcends all religious, ethnic, social, cultural, and educational differences.In fellowship with his Brothers, a Mason finds ways in which to serve his God, his family, his fellowman, and his country.A Mason is dedicated. He recognizes his responsibility for justice, truth, charity, enlightenment, freedom and liberty, honesty and integrity in all aspects of human endeavor.A Mason is such a man.


My Masonic Membership Card

I hold in my hand a little scrap of paper 2 ½ X 3 ½ inches in size. It is on no intrinsic worth, not a bond and not a check or receipt for valuables, yet it is my most priceless possession. It is my membership in a Masonic Lodge. It tells me that I have entered into a spiritual kinship with my fellow Masons to practice charity in word and deed: to forgive and forget the faults of my brethren, to hush the tongues of scandal and innuendo, to care for the crippled, the hungry, and the sick, and to be fair and just to all mankind.

It tells me that no matter where I may travel in the world, I am welcome to visit a place where good fellowship prevails among brothers and friends. It tells me that my loved ones, my home, and my household are under the protection of every member of this great Fraternity who have sworn to protect and defend mine, as I have sworn to protect and defend theirs. It tells me that should I ever be overtaken by adversity or misfortune through no fault of my own, the hands of every Mason on the face of the earth will be stretched forth to assist me in my necessities.

And finally it tells me that when my final exit from the stage of life has been made, there will be gathered around my lifeless body friends and brothers who will recall to mind my virtues, though they be but few, and will forget my faults, though they may be many. It tells me that, and a great deal more, this little card, and makes me proud, yet humble, that I can posses this passport into a society of friends and brothers that are numbered in the millions.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

MEMORIES OF BRO.CLYDE MCCOY

by Sir Knight Joseph E. Bennett, KYCH, 33°, FPS



From the July 2004 issue of "Knight Templar Magazine" published by The Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America.



The year 1923 marked a serendipitous event in the musical community. Clarence Williams copyrighted his song, "Sugar Blues," that year, and a young trumpeter from Ashland, Kentucky, embraced Williams' song as a musical trademark and rode his distinctive trumpet interpretation to fame and fortune. He was Clyde Lee McCoy, one of the country's most enduring and universally acclaimed musical performers. In 1923 McCoy was leading his own little band in New York City, struggling to gain a foothold in the musical world. With national Prohibition in full swing, 5,000 speakeasies in the Big Apple provided a stage to obtain the essential experience. Many of those offered live music for their patrons while they sipped bootleg spirits from a coffee cup.

The story of this particular trumpeter began with his birth on December 29, 1904. Clyde McCoy was the son of a Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad detective and a member of Kentucky's Pike County clan locked in a bloody feud with the Hatfield family of West Virginia. The vendetta had dragged on for a half century; however, it soon became crystal clear that young Clyde preferred music to rifles, when he procured a trumpet. At the age of nine years, Clyde began to learn the instrument without the benefit of formal instruction. In 1912 the railroad transferred the elder McCoy to Portsmouth, Ohio, and the family moved right along with him. The nine-year-old soon mastered the trumpet and was sufficiently skilled to perform regularly at church and school affairs. Five years later Clyde was employed as a musician on the Cincinnati riverboats, plying the Mississippi River. He performed on the Island Queen and the Bernard McSwain, both side-wheelers. At 14 years he was the one of the youngest musicians on the river and an outstanding trumpet player, in spite of his youth.

Clyde McCoy had all the attributes for a successful public entertainer. He was a personable and extroverted youngster with a natural talent for pleasing musical patrons. His handsome, slender physique, curly hair, and pleasing public persona were all part of a package which included a skilled musical style guaranteed to please the public. He also acquired some formal musical education, primarily to equip himself with the ability to create his own musical arrangements. That skill was devoted to charting a distinctive musical library which was both pleasing to the musical patrons and an exciting departure from the usual dance-music fare. In 1920 while still playing on the river boats, a musical associate informed Clyde of an opening for a band at a popular resort location in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was a two week engagement.

McCoy assembled a small band and boarded a train for Knoxville with a group who had never played together as a unit. They rehearsed in the train's smoker, en route to the Whittle Springs Hotel and Spa, providing some welcome entertainment for the passengers. When they arrived in Knoxville, owner George Whittle agreed to audition Clyde's "Chicago Orchestra" and approved of their performance. So did the patrons. The two-week gig lasted for two months, and the Clyde McCoy Orchestra was officially launched as a permanent segment of the musical scene.

In the months following the Whittle Hotel engagement, Clyde and the boys slowly worked their way to New York City. They took any job available, and their young leader found enough work to pay the bills. As 1924 ended, Clyde realized that the band was stuck on a plateau in their quest to achieve musical prominence, and he began a working journey to the west coast. The band was playing in the Los Angeles area by mid-1925, as a musical attraction at the Dome Theater at Ocean Park. During that time frame, Clyde and his brother Stanley, the band's bass player, ventured to a local airfield, bent on a sight-seeing flight over the city. They were seated in the side-by-side cockpit of a World War I biplane, piloted by a tall, taciturn young aviator, who had been touted by another airman present as "the best pilot in the world."

Two years later, while playing an engagement at the Beverly Hills Country Club, Clyde read a newspaper headline which proclaimed, "Lindbergh Solos to Paris." It was the same young aviator who piloted him on the sight-seeing flight over Los Angeles. Home in Kentucky in 1926, Clyde petitioned Daylight Lodge No. 760 in Louisville. He was promptly accepted and received the E.A. Degree on January 9, 1926; the F.C. Degree on May 8, and the M.M. Degree on June 26, 1926. He became a devoted Mason and a lifetime member of his lodge.

Before long, Clyde became a member of the Valley of Memphis, Tennessee, A.A.S.R. , and joined Kosair Temple of the Shrine in Louisville, Kentucky. At his death in 1990, Clyde McCoy had been a faithful member of Daylight Lodge for 64 years, a tremendous record of longevity. McCoy had been experimenting for nearly ten years with a trumpet mute, which he used when performing "Sugar Blues" and many of the numbers in the bands library of arrangements. Clyde's "wah-wah" style had become a distinctive musical identification, and his orchestra was steadily gaining public stature. However, it was not until the band opened an engagement at the new and opulent Drake Hotel in Chicago in 1930 that Clyde McCoy burst upon the national musical scene.

The Kentucky trumpeter's impressive rendition of his "Sugar Blues" solo, backed by a well-rehearsed and musically-disciplined band performance, drew enthusiastic approval from the patrons at the Drake Hotel. The permanent radio wire at the Drake provided national broadcast exposure for the band. Proof of their growing popularity was confirmed when Clyde was signed to a recording contract with Columbia Records. His first studio session was on January 22, 1931. Naturally, the first Columbia disc was "Sugar Blues." It was an instant retail success and continued to enjoy successful sales over the years. At Clyde's retirement in 1985, total international sales of his recording, "Sugar Blues," stood in excess of fourteen million. McCoy's "Wah-Wah Mute" was so popular that he licensed the King Instrument Company to manufacture and market the device. It became a long-term source of income for the astute, young band-leader, one of an impressive list of profitable investments accumulated over the years.

The Clyde McCoy Orchestra enjoyed a long and successful run at the Drake Hotel before beginning a year-long engagement at Chicago's Terrace Gardens. Prior to returning to the Drake Hotel to begin a record breaking two-year second engagement, the band was featured in a Balaban and Katz vaudeville production. Chicago became McCoy's professional headquarters during the years 1931 through 1935. In mid-1935 Clyde signed a recording contract with Decca Records, beginning a five-year stay with Jack Katz's very successful label. By 1935 the slim young trumpeter had reached the pinnacle of his career. His success never wavered, until World War II interrupted life in America. Before the band left Chicago in 1935, McCoy was approached by three investors interested in founding a newspaper for musicians. They needed one more investor, and Clyde was selected. The name of the bi-weekly publication was "Downbeat," and it became one of the most popular trade publications in America. One of the "Downbeat" critics, avidly devoted to swing bands, criticized McCoy's music, as "corny, sweet, and gimmicky." It was blatantly unfair to the talented maestro and a tremendous embarrassment to the critic when he learned he had panned one of the owners. Clyde shrugged it off as unimportant.

Clyde and the band accelerated their recording activity when they signed with Decca Records. At this juncture, it seems appropriate to review their recording history, as well as point out some of the prominent musicians who toiled under the McCoy banner. As previously noted, the band recorded steadily for Columbia Records from January 1931 through December 1933. The national recording industry was suffering the pangs of the Great Depression in those years, which severely hampered the number of record sales. After signing with Decca, an economy label founded by Jack and David Kapp, McCoy's recording activity accelerated. In addition to conventional retail discs, he began to record regularly at the transcription studios. Those recordings were used primarily in delayed radio broadcasts. Before McCoy entered military service in World War II, he recorded frequently for Associated Transcriptions, both in Chicago and New York. The ASCAP recording ban in 1941 halted recording of all songs composed by its members.

However, when the war was over, Clyde resumed recording for LangWorth Transcriptions in New York and several prominent labels, including Mercury, Capitol, and Vocalion Records. Clyde's recorded evergreen standards plus the immensely popular "Sugar Blues" were always surefire successes. The band played a wide variety of Dixieland-flavored arrangements in a driving, swinging style. Clyde's facile trumpet solos always dominated those numbers, stamping his personal musical brilliance on every tune.His diverse musical library dispelled any notion that he was "locked in" to his famous "wah-wah" style. His surviving musical legacy confirms that. The personnel making up the 1935-1936 Clyde McCoy Orchestra represented the most stable lineup of his career. There were few changes over the years, and these mentioned are generally regarded as the creme de la creme. The trumpets were Clyde McCoy, Freddie Train, Duke Dervall, and Tony Donio; the single trombone, George Green; the reed section, George Stone, Tom Ferguson, Chet Lands, and Mick Ashley; the rhythm section, Julie Stauer, piano; Bart Rothyl, guitar; Art Dunham, bass; and Davey Gray, drums. Jimmy Dale came aboard in 1935 to assist Clyde with arrangements.

The vocal duties in the band were a minor adjunct before the Bennett sisters joined. After Clyde met the Bennett sisters (their family name was "Means") in their hometown of San Antonio, Texas, they were added as an important part of the musical company. They were Maxine, Marguerite, and Charlie Bell. A younger sister, Billie Jane, arrived in 1940, making the group a foursome. The Bennett sisters trio joined the band during an engagement at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis and immediately began taking an active role. McCoy's discography indicates that the sisters' first recording appearance may have been for Associated Transcriptions, under the pseudonym "Symphonettes" in June 1936. By January 1937 the girls were working under their own name, "The Bennett Sisters." Male vocal chores by that time were assigned to Wayne Gregg. Clyde carried a complete vaudeville act with the band when he made theater appearances. He was a fine showman himself and invariably performed an act with a miniature trumpet, along with the Bennett sisters. However, Clyde's famous trumpet was the star attraction wherever the band appeared.

One of his theater innovations was `The Battle of the Bands." When Clyde and Don Bestor both appeared at the Circle Theater in Indianapolis, Indiana, because of a scheduling mix-up, the trumpeting maestro suggested they have a "battle of the bands." The audience would determine the winner by an applause meter. It was a great hit with the enthusiastic audience, and Clyde arranged for the result to be a tie. The gimmick was so well-received that he frequently repeated the performance in future theater appearances, with the likes of Kay Kyser and Earl "Fatha" Hines. The McCoy band appeared in nearly every major venue in the country. Clyde never went on vacation, so the band worked constantly, interspersing hotel engagements with theater tours and one-night appearances between longer engagements. Among the major locations the band visited repeatedly were Elitch's Gardens in Denver, the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, the Aragon Ballroom and Hotel Stevens in Chicago, and nearly every major hotel in cities all across America.

The Chicago area, a mecca for dance bands in the pre-war years, remained one of the band's favorite locations. Their popularity never waned. Clyde's formula for success was simple. His own words explained it: "I always played what the people wanted." World War II began with the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. A few months later, the Clyde McCoy band was playing at the Peabody Skyway in Memphis, when several U.S. Navy officers were seated at a table. They asked Clyde to join them for a talk during an intermission. The recruiting officers persuaded Clyde and his entire 15piece band to enlist en masse in the U.S. Navy. That began a tour of naval duty that took Clyde and his boys to a long list of military installations and hospitals. It was a perpetual morale-building tour and represented Clyde McCoy's great contribution to the war effort on Navy pay! Their record of war bond sales was impressive. After his discharge in January 1945, Clyde rushed to San Antonio to marry Maxine Means, one of the Bennett sisters. They had been courting since the girls joined his band back in 1936. The long-awaited nuptials took place on January 20, 1945, beginning a long, happy married life which was ended only with Clyde's passing 45 years later.

Clyde reorganized his band soon after his marriage and had it ready for the road in a few weeks. It was a 15-piece group playing the old familiar tunes, which carried him to musical fame and fortune before the war interrupted normal activity. It was gratifying to learn his popularity had survived the hiatus. For the next decade McCoy worked constantly, reprising most of the scenes of earlier successes and adding new locations to their agenda, primarily Las Vegas. His wife Maxine recalled that Las Vegas or Lake Tahoe were selected for engagements when they needed a "working vacation." It was both a happy and bittersweet time for them. Although the band was completely booked, the Big Band Era was drawing rapidly to a close. Many of the major hotels and ballrooms were closing, due to their inability to afford the expense of large orchestras. In some cases hotels were discontinuing live entertainment altogether. Life style changes were mandatory for Clyde and Maxine.

The McCoys invested heavily in a night club venture in Denver, Colorado, in 1955. Clyde had dis­banded his large orchestra and planned to stay active on the musi­cal scene with a scaled-down ensem­ble, primarily at his own establish­ment. Unfortunately, the enterprise was a financial disaster. The dinner club failure represented a severe financial loss for Clyde, and he immediately resumed touring to recoup his fortunes. Working constantly with his 7­piece ensemble, he met with an enthusiastic reception at every appearance. He traveled coast to coast, playing those driving Dixieland arrangements. His bril­liant trumpet performances enjoyed undiminished acclaim from enthusi­astic audiences. Clyde was on the road again and would never stop. A number of McCoy alumni moved on to other prominent orchestras over the years, before and after WW II. Prominent among those names were pianist Lou Busch (a.k.a. Joe "Fingers" Carr), trombonist Eddie Kusby, and vocalist Rosalind Marquis all signing on with the renowned Hal Kemp organization. Another McCoy alum­nus, pianist Jack Fina, became an important member of the Freddie Martin Orchestra before organizing his own fine band.

Clyde and the lovely Maxine finally settled in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1978. A luxurious con­dominium became their musical headquarters between road trips. Clyde fulfilled appearance com­mitments, usually with a small Dixieland combo, until the mid­1980s. The quality of his performance never deteriorated, and he willingly played the numbers which his legion of fans had known for so many years and loved. Who can forget Clyde's rousing solos on num­bers like "Black and Tan Fantasy," "Streamline Strut," "Tear It Down," "Wah Wah Lament," "Twelfth Street Rag," his original theme, "A Lonely Gondolier," and Bix Beiderbecke's old favorite, "Jazz Me Blues"? The Kentucky trumpeter had enough evergreen numbers in his repertoire to play an entire evening of requests, without playing a current hit tune. Clyde was a dynamo of energy. During his days at home in Memphis, he often tutored young and promising trumpet students. His entire life was music, and he never stopped prospecting for talent. He loved to share his own knowledge and exper­tise with a deserving protégé.

Unfortunately, the long happy union never produced children for Clyde and Maxine. Possibly, that was one reason the McCoys continued traveling and performing for audiences as long as Clyde's health would permit. He played a concert in Sarasota, Florida, in 1985 at age 81, his final public appearance. The delighted audience refused to allow Clyde to leave the stage after playing his old theme, "Sugar Blues." They demand­ed an encore of the same number, and he was happy to oblige. It was a fitting farewell for the aging trum­peter; ending a professional career which spanned 68 years, from a beginning on the Cincinnati river boats in 1917, a rare achievement for any professional musician. Clyde went into retirement as his health began to fail. The early stages of Alzheimer's disease were diagnosed, and he steadily lost ground. Maxine adamantly rejected medical advice to admit her beloved Clyde to an extended care facility. She turned their home into a virtu­al private hospital and became his only caregiver.

Her beloved Clyde died in her arms in their home on June 11 , 1990, at age 86. That was the way they both wanted it to end. Private memorial services were offered on Friday, June 14, 1990, at the Memorial Park Rotunda in Memphis, where Clyde McCoy's mortal remains were entombed in the mausoleum. It was the final curtain call for one of America's musical pio­neers and an artist of great ability.

Clyde McCoy's life was a model of good citizenship, exhibited by a Freemason who knew the meaning of "square work, and square work only." He was a credit to his profes­sion and a beacon of inspiration to countless Freemasons who knew him through his music, if not in per­son. Clyde Lee McCoy exemplified a legacy of everything that is great and good in our Craft, and we rejoice in his life as we revere his memory.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

WHAT MAKES A MAN A MASON

What makes a man a Mason, O brother of mine?
It isn’t the dueguard, nor is it the sign,
It isn’t the jewel which hangs on your breast
It isn’t the apron in which you are dressed
It isn’t the step, nor the token, nor the grip,
Nor lectures that fluently flow from the lip,
Nor yet the possession of that mystic word
On five points of fellowship duly conferred.
Though these are essential, desirable, fine,
They don’t make a Mason, O brother of mine.

>That you to your sworn obligation are true --
Tis that, brother mine, makes a Mason of you.
Secure in your heart you must safeguard and trust,
With lodge and with brother be honest and just,
Assist the deserving who cry in their need,
Be chaste in your thought, in your word and your deed,
Support he who falters, with hope banish fear,
And whisper advice in an erring one’s ear.
Then will the Great Lights on your path brightly shine,
And you’ll be a Mason, O brother of mine.

Your use of life’s hours by the gauge you must try,
The gavel of vices with courage apply;
Your walk must be upright, as shown by the plumb,
On the level, to bourn whence no travelers come,
The Book of your faith be the rule and the guide,
The compass your passions shut safely inside;
The stone which the Architect placed in your care
Must pass the strict test of His unerring square.
And then you will meet with approval divine,
And you’ll be a Mason, O brother of mine.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

GEORGE WASHINGTON QUIZ

What do we really know about Bro. George—? A Quickie Quizz~

Which of the following well-known stories of Bro. George Washington are true?

A. He admitted chopping down a cherry tree.
B. He wore wooden teeth.
C. He grew up in a rich, aristocratic family.
D. His mother was proud of his accomplishments.

ANSWER. None of the above. The cherry tree story was invented by Mason Weems, Bro.Washington's first biogra-pher; his false teeth had no wood in them; he grew up relatively poor; and his mother, according to historian James Flexner, "was always complaining that he wasn't staying at home and taking care of her.

" Was Bro. Washington ever Master of his Lodge?

No. Not of The Lodge at Fredricksburgh where, after paying a membership fee of two pounds, three shillings, he was initiated on November 4,1752, "pass'd fellow Craft" on March 3, 1753, and raised as Master Mason on August 4, 1753. But when he became a charter member of Alexandria Lodge 22, Virginia, he was elected its first Master and served two terms running from April 28,1788, to December 27,1789.

While sixteen Presidents have been Masons Bro. Washington is the only one who was serving as a Master of his Lodge at the time of his inauguration as President of the United States. This took place on April 30, 1789.

Contrary to general belief, Bro. Washington was never a Grand Master, though the convention which led to the formation of the Grand Lodge of Virginia did nominate him for the job. He declined the honor. He was also named as prospective Grand Master for a General Grand Lodge which was being proposed at about the same time.

At Bro. Washington's death in 1805 Alexandria Lodge 22 renamed itself Alexandria-Washington Lodge 22, it's name to this day. Many Lodges, cities and schools are named for him.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

A DAY TO REMEMBER

Today is the fifth anniversary of one of the most saddest and infamous days in our countries history. There really is not too much to say Masonically on this date but I would like to remind my Masonic brothers to keep those lost in their hearts and prayers. - editor

I AM FREEMASONRY

An old English Masonic gem ca 1775

"I was born in antiquity, in the ancient days when men first dreamed of God. I have been tried through the ages, and found true. The crossroads of the world bears the imprint of my feet. And the cathedrals of all nations mark the skill of my hands I strive for beauty and for symmetry. In my heat is wisdom and strength and courage for those who ask. Upon my altars is the Book of Holy Writ and my prayers are to the OMNIPOTENT GOD. My sons work and pray together, without rank or discord, In the public mart, and the inner chamber, By signs and symbols I teach the lessons of life and death, And relationship of man with God and man with man. My arms are widespread to receive those of lawful age and of good report, who seek me of their own quest for perfection, So much desired and so difficult to attain. I lift up the fallen and shelter the sick, hark to the orphan's cry, The widow's tears, the pain of the old and destitute. I am not church, nor party, nor school, Yet my sons bear a full share of responsibility to God, To country, to neighbours and themselves. They are freemen. Tenacious of their liberties and alert to lurking danger. At the end I commit them, as each one undertakes the journey Beyond the vale into the glory or everlasting life I ponder the sand within the glass and think: How small is a single life in the eternal Universe. Always have I taught immortality, and even as I raise men From darkness into light, I am a way of life. I AM FREEMASONRY"

LONG ISLAND MASONS

Bro. James Hoban, The Irish-Catholic Mason Who Built - then Rebuilt - The White House

Irish-American James Hoban (1762-1831) was born in County Kilkenny, educated in Dublin, and moved to America around the time of the Revolution. Settling in South Carolina, he became a noted designer of plantation houses. But he earned eternal fame for designing the White House, America's presidential mansion. His proposed design for the structure was chosen from a number of drawings submitted by other architects, one of which was initially put in charge of its construction. When that designer was said to have been thwarting Bro. Hoban's plans, Hoban himself was made superintendent of the project. Despite a lack of funding, Bro. Hoban's efforts permitted President John Adams to occupy the building in 1800 -- just nine years after Bro. George Washington had selected the site for the presidential residence.

After the War of 1812, when the British had burned the White House, Bro. Hoban's was called upon to reconstruct it. He ordered it painted white.

On 1797 Bro. Hoban was appointed superintendent of the executive buildings to be constructed, including treasury, State and War and Navy Buildings He also designed Blodgett's Hotel at 8th and E. Streets, N.W. He married Susanna Sewell in 1789 and by her had 10 children. He was a devout Roman Catholic as well as an ardent Freemason , it is not known where he was made. His freedom of action was due to the fact that Roman Catholic Bishop Carroll, stated in a letter dated 1794, that the prohibitory Papal edicts would not be enforced in his diocese. Under Hoban's leadership, a number of Irish Catholics and Scotch Presbyterians organized Federal Lodge No. 1 in Washington, D.C. of which Bro. Hoban was first Master. That Lodge participated in the laying of the cornerstone of the Capitol by Bro. George Washington. Bro. Hoban was also High Priest of the Royal Arch Chapter in 1799. He was also a captain in the Washington Artillery Company.

When the city was incorporated in 1802, he was elected to the City Council where he remained a member until his death on December 8, 1831. His body was interred in the graveyard of St.. Patrick's Church, but because of an ordinance prohibiting burials within the city, the Catholics purchased nearby Fenwick Farms to which his remains were removed along with others. In 1863, his body was exhumed by his grandson and reburied at Mt. Olive Cemetery. (Source: Freemasonry: A Celebration Of The Craft, and Coil's Encyclopedia of Masonry)

LONG ISLAND MASONS

LAUGHTER

by Carl Claudy

"If I had it my way," began the New Brother, sitting beside the Old Tiler, "I'd make it a Masonic offense to laugh in the lodge room. We are not as serious about our Masonry as we should be."

"Someone laughed at you, or you are talking to yourself very seriously!" answered the Old Tiler.

"I am not!" cried the New Brother. "I take Masonry seriously! What we do in the lodge room has the sacredness of a religious ceremony. I can see no difference between the sacredness of the Altar of Masonry and the altar of a church, and when I go and see the beautiful windows, and hear the music and watch the choir boys come up the aisle, and hear the minister give out the solemn text- well, you know how inspiring it is. I feel the same way in lodge sometimes, during the more solemn parts of the degrees. But we have a business meeting first and sometimes someone cracks a joke and everyone laughs, and some brethren misinterpret and giggle sometimes in the degrees, and there is some ritual which isn't awe-inspiring and- and I think it should be changed!"

"Well, go ahead and change it!" cried the Old Tiler. "I don't believe that absence of solemnity is a Masonic landmark which can't be changed." "Of course it isn't, but how can I change it?"

"That's your problem!" smiled the Old Tiler. "You are the reformer, not I. But before I wasted much grey matter, I'd ask myself a few questions. You seem to like things serious, so this should come easy to you. Then I'd talk to the Chaplain. David is young, but he has common sense."

"It would do you good to go his church. You would find it as solemn and beautiful as any other during the service. But if you went to a vestry meeting you'd see David grin, and maybe someone would tell a ministerial joke. I can't imagine God being displeased about it. Seems to me if he hadn't wanted people to laugh he wouldn't have made so many brethren to laugh at!"

"Brother David would tell you that there was a time to be reverent and a time to be happy, and that a church in which people couldn't be happy wasn't much of a church. Ever go to a wedding? Ever see people grin and kiss the bride when it was over? Ever go to a church social? Ever go to the boys' club in a red-blooded church?"

"It didn't hurt the church in their eyes, did it? Then why should it disconcert you to have a lodge room treated the same way? Get it out of your head that Masonry or religion is bound up in a room, or a building. It doesn't hurt so long as we don't laugh at the wrong time! It doesn't hurt the solemnity of the Masonic degree that our lodge room is first but a business meeting hall and afterwards maybe a dining room. It is the spirit in which we do our work that counts, not the letter; it is the temple in our hearts which must be kept sacred, not the mere physical confines of brick and stone in which we meet."

"That there should be no cause for laughter during the degrees. But to say we can't laugh in a lodge room is to get the dog by the wrong tail!"

"Masonry, my son, is joyful, not mournful. It should be filled with laughter of little children, the happy smiles of contented women, the loveliness of faithful friendship, the joy of flowers and music and song. To make it too serious for smiles, too solemn for happiness, perverts it. If God made sunshine and children and flowers, don't you suppose He wanted the one to dance with the other in the third? If He made happiness and human hearts, don't you suppose He wanted the one to live in the other?"

"Masonry is an attempt to live the brotherhood of man under the Fatherhood of God. The best of all human fathers can but touch the skirts of the Being who is the All Father. But did you ever see a human father worth his salt who didn't want his children laughing and happy?"

"There is a time for work and a time for play. There is a time for degrees and a time for refreshment. There is a time for business meetings and a time for ritual. There is a time for laughter and for joy as well as a time of solemnity and reverence. The one is just as important as the other."

"I wish just once," said the New Brother, "I could start something with you which I could finish!"

"Try offering me a cigar!" suggested the Old Tiler.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

WEAR YOUR MASONIC PINS WITH PRIDE

By Brother Paul Denhoff, Bay Shore Lodge # 1043

Wm, if I may, I would like to bring up a little tidbit.
I shall refer to it as "The case of the missing lapel pin".

Years ago, the night I was raised, a Brother came up to me and presented
me with a gift.
It was a lapel pin, which he proceeded to pin onto my jacket.
It appeared, to a non-Mason, a miniature upside-down golf club with a
golf ball on either side.
It was supposed to identify me as a Mason to a fellow Brother who
happened to notice it.
To anyone else, it would appear to be that I was a golfer.

This presented me with a problem. If a golfer saw the pin, he may have
approached me and inquired what my handicap was.
As, at that time, I consider myself to be in a passable physical
condition, I would only reply with a puzzled look.
I am rather proud that I no longer see that pin which has been replaced
by the pin that most of us wear on our Dress Jacket.
We should no longer be afraid or intimidated to let the world know who we
are.

We no longer display a lapel pin, which is not an upside down golf club
at all, but in fact are two balls with a cane in the middle.

(As Masons were persecuted during the Second World War in Nazi Germany,there was another pin that Masons wore that only a Brother would recognize.)

Even today, there are ignorant sectors that would like to see our
fraternity disappear, so, do not hide the fact, show our pin on your
dress jacket anytime you go out into the world!

LONG ISLAND MASONS

WHAT FORTITUDE ACHIEVES

Submitted by Richard D. Marcus
George Washington 1776 Lodge, F&AM #337
Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin

I. Heroic Fortitude
Fortitude is a quality of courage that is best understood by contemplating those who have displayed heroic fortitude. President George Washington and the signers of the Declaration of Independence showed their willingness to risk their property and their lives for freedom. Emmanuel Leutze's painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware on the Day Before the Battle of Trenton, 26th December 1776 illustrates a leader with abundant fortitude. On that December night, General Washington's whole demeanor is a study in fortitude.

Throughout the long days at Valley Forge, Washington demonstrated a Masonic virtue that time and patience will accomplish all things. His persistence, single-mindedness, and bravery embodied heroic fortitude. Great leaders are true to their ideals. They persist even in trouble and show their courage when most needed. Our First President is a model for fortitude in action.

II. Seven Moral Principles

The EA degree introduces candidates to seven moral principles, which we group into three tenets and four Cardinal Virtues. The tenets are brotherly love, relief, and truth. These tenets are key to any organization, but especially to our fraternity. Relief is practiced through our Masonic charities as an expression of brotherly love. If we are to become better men, we seek truth and enlightenment. These tenets are supplemented with four Cardinal Virtues of temperance, fortitude, prudence, and justice.

The idea of four Cardinal Virtues comes from Plato. 'Cardinal' is derived from the Latin word cardo, which is a hinge on which a thing turns. All moral virtues hinge on these four virtues. Plato writes in The Laws, (Book I, 631): "Wisdom is the chief and leader: next follows temperance; and from the union of these two with courage springs justice." Our present-day four Cardinal Virtues map directly into Plato's quartet with wisdom (or Sophia) being associated with prudence, courage with fortitude, and the other two being kept intact.

Although all seven moral principles deserve our full consideration, let us concentrate on fortitude. Fortitude is a virtue to which we aspire. Perhaps we should assess where we currently stand in terms of having fortitude. Social scientists use questionnaires to measure beliefs, attributes, and preferences. To measure our response to the statement,"I have fortitude," they would use a seven-point Likert scale. What number from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest) do you give yourself using the following scale?

1-----------2-----------3-----------4-----------5------------6------------7
Very Strongly Disagree...............Neutral....................Very Strongly Agree

To be a better man, we would want to improve in several dimensions: fortitude is just one dimension. The image of a limited amount of fortitude is inappropriate, as we have untapped fortitude that only becomes necessary in times of great trial. Nevertheless, we may find ourselves saying we are only a "4" or a "5" on the scale of having fortitude. It should be one of our goals to achieve a greater reservoir of fortitude for when we will need it.

III. Why Fortitude and Not Other Virtues?

Fortitude is clearly an important virtue, but we may well ask why this moral principle was included in the four Cardinal Virtues and not others? There are many valuable moral principles in life. Some biblical virtues include compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, patience, righteousness, and long-suffering.

Biblical virtues are often viewed as gifts or fruits given to us. Fortitude is not listed as a gift of the Spirit; indeed fortitude does not appear in the Bible at all. On deeper introspection, it appears that some virtues are learnable and capable of being improved. As we seek to become better men, fortitude is a manly virtue that we should work to inculcate. It is not given as an inherent quality, but one that a lifetime of practice can perfect.

IV. Cardinal Virtues Symbolized

Masonry uses visual symbols to teach moral principles. The square and compasses are the most prominent Masonic visual symbol. But the four Cardinal Virtues are sometimes illustrated in human form.

Temperance ------------ Fortitude -------------- Prudence ------------ Justice

The four figures, at first glance, appear to be goddesses or Muses. But, as with most symbols, careful examination reveals hidden truths. Beginning at the far right figure, we see Justice with two key symbols. Justice holds a scale. The scale assures fairness in all actions. In the marketplace, a businessman gives fair value and a true accounting. But resting by her side is Justice's sword. Injustice should meet swift and sure punishment.

To the left of Justice is Prudence. She displays several complex symbols. Prudence wears a helmet, which crowns her as being wise. Wisdom and prudence are associated: we are also to be wise. Her helmet further is seen as a mask with eye openings. A wise person uses prudence in secrets that have been given us. At her feet is a bush, which Masons would recognize as an Acacia. Acacia reminds us of our own mortality and our being raised as Master Masons. Prudence further wraps her outer garment around her to encourage us to practice prudence with others.

On the extreme left stands Temperance. She pours a measured amount of refreshment into a cup. It may be water or wine, but her careful attention displays temperance, reserve, and moderation. Temperance provides a balance to the more dynamic virtue of fortitude.

The second figure from the right is Fortitude. On quick analysis, she seems to be rather vane as she examines herself in a golden mirror. The mirror, however, is itself a symbol. Vampires allegedly cannot see their reflection in a mirror as they have no souls. But we see ourselves in the mirror. We know who we are. We learn to reflect on ourselves: Will we have sufficient fortitude when calamity strikes? Around her waist is tied a black cinch to hold her garments together. Should Fortitude need to travel, she is prepared for action. She will not be held back to secure other garments. In her arm, Fortitude nestles a staff from which new leaves of an almond tree are budding. This recalls the Book of Numbers, Chapter 17, wherein Aaron's rod miraculously blossomed as evidence that God chose him as High Priest. As the wand of leadership, Fortitude is holding the same symbol that Kings and Queens hold as scepters and a College Marshall holds during Commencement as the college mace. Lodge officers similarly wield rods and wands as symbols of leadership.

We see that fortitude is essential for true leadership. Without fortitude, no one can succeed. Life sometimes gets difficult. There is always the temptation to give in or to give up. When we show fortitude, we learn to "stick it out" and overcome obstacles to accomplish goals.

V. The Strength of Heart and Mind

The organ most associated with fortitude is the heart. We realize, of course, that courage or fortitude must reside in the brain. Nevertheless, the heart is viewed classically as the seat of courage, determination, and fortitude. The heart beats faster when adrenaline races through the blood system. Our faces flush in the danger-flight response. But those with fortitude do not flinch. They persevere in the face of danger.
To a lesser extent, the mind is also associated with fortitude. The mind can be fickle; it wanders, prevaricates, or rationalizes lies and cowardice. A man with fortitude masters his fickle mind. He stands for truth and does not suffer his own cowardice lightly. He enter his future bravely, whatever that future holds.

A door is functional as well as symbolic. We open doors to gain entrance to dwellings or symbolically to our future. We close doors to keep some things safe or private. An EA candidate must decide by his own free will to enter the Lodge through a door. After entering, fortitude is associated with the first point of our entrance. Fortitude teaches Masons to have the strength of heart and mind to persevere in all noble endeavors.

VI. What Fortitude Achieves*

Fortitude is an earnest enthusiasm that is disciplined by reason and ennobled by sincerity. It is a dynamic quality that is essential for all great achievement. Men with fortitude reject temerity and timidity. They have courage to match their convictions. They inspire confidence, invite action, and generate progress. Temperance, prudence and justice lose much of their effectiveness without the driving force of fortitude. The greatest achievements of man are tributes to the blending of these virtues.

When we practice fortitude in little ways we will be better able to call up great fortitude when we most need it. By standing firm for truth and growing in courage, we will also be improving in fortitude. As we achieve greater fortitude, we become better men. Growth in fortitude fosters leadership roles for us in our homes and workplaces. We become leaders who embody heroic fortitude in good times and in bad. Let us demonstrate our courage and fortitude so that our actions match our convictions.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

Masonic Sites in Washington D.C.

George Washington Masonic National Memorial

101 Callahan DriveAlexandria, Virginia
703-683-2007
Open for tours every day of the year except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day
This is the tallest building in this part of the Washington DC area, rising 9 large stories above old town Alexandria. It is right next to the King Street Metro station.The Memorial contains lodge rooms, a gift shop, exhibits about George Washington and Freemasonry, a museum, a large Masonic library, and such items as George Washington's family Bible, locks of his hair, and items used during his funeral. There is also a Replica Lodge room that is furnished as a lodge room would have been during Washington's lifetime, with additional exhibits including the trowel he used when laying the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol building, and the clock that was in his bedroom when he died.
Meetings of Lodges and other Masonic groups are held in the Memorial regularly.

House of the Temple (Scottish Rite Headquarters)

1733 - 16th Street NWWashington DC
202-232-3579
Open for tours on Weekdays
The House of the Temple is an office building for the Sovereign Grand Commander and other officers and staff of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction of the United Stated (Mother Council of the World). It also has many museum rooms and a large Masonic library.Biennial meetings of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, are usually held in the House of the Temple.

United States Capitol Building

There are many Masonic references in the Capitol, but some are not too clear or easily found, such as square and compasses in some paintings. Some architectural historians, though, have written extensively about the entire Capitol being a Masonic structure, with Masonic symbolism evident in many places and ways.

Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia

5428 MacArthur Blvd NW
Washington DC 20016-2524
202-686-1811
Museum and Library open by appointment
This building is primarily an office for the Grand Master, Grand Secretary, and staff of the Grand Lodge.It does not have any lodge rooms, but some informal committee meetings are held here.

Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia (and Civil War Memorial)

1000 U Street NWWashington DC
The Prince Hall headquarters building is a large structure that includes offices for the Grand Master and other officers and staff of the Grand Lodge, plus the officers and staff of other Prince Hall Masonic groups in Washington, D.C., such as Eastern Star, Royal Arch, etc. It also contains lodge rooms, and other rooms large enough to hold Grand Lodge sessions and banquets.
Next to the Grand Lodge building is a Monument and Memorial to the African American soldiers who fought to save the Union during the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln and others said that without the assistance of these men, who were called the U.S. "Colored" Troops, the Union might have lost the Civil War. There is also a museum in part of the Grand Lodge building, next to the Civil War memorial, that contains exhibits about the Civil War and the role of African Americans in it.

D.C. Scottish Rite Building

2800 - 16th StreetWashington DC
202-232-8155
The D.C. Scottish Rite building is separate from the House of the Temple, which is the headquarters for the entire Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction. The two buildings are located just a few blocks from each other, both being on 16th Street.The D.C. Scottish Rite building contains a large auditorium, where the D.C. Grand Lodge and other bodies hold their meetings, and where the D.C. Scottish Rite confers its degrees. It is also the usual location for conferrals of the 33rd degree.This building also contains offices for the D.C. Scottish Rite officers and staff, and a lodge room where the Scottish Rite bodies meet -- every week on Tuesday at 7:30pm.

Almas Shrine

K Street NW
Washington DC
This Shrine building is located in the business area of Washington, D.C. It houses offices for the Potentate, Recorder, and other officers of Almas Shrine. It also contains an auditorium and smaller rooms where the Shrine and some of its groups hold meetings. There is also a room with a bar, and a room that is used to serve meals.

Congressional Cemetery where Brothers J. Edgar Hoover and John Philip Sousa are buried.

Externally the Women's Museum of Art still retains the Masonic symbols of its earlier owners (Grand Lodge of D.C.), it must have been a beautiful decorated structure internally.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

LABOR DAY

Labor Day is a national legal holiday that is over 100 years old. Over the years, it has evolved from a purely labor union celebration into a general "last fling of summer" festival.
It grew out of a celebration and parade in honor of the working class by the Knights of Labor in 1882 in New York. In 1884, the Knights held a large parade in New York City celebrating the working class. The parade was held on the first Monday in September. The Knights passed a resolution to hold all future parades on the same day, designated by them as Labor Day.

The Socialist Party held a similar celebration of the working class on May 1. This date eventually became known as May Day, and was celebrated by Socialists and Communists in commemoration of the working man. In the U.S., the first Monday in September was selected to reject any identification with Communism.

In the late 1880's, labor organizations began to lobby various state legislatures for recognition of Labor Day as an official state holiday. The first states to declare it a state holiday in, 1887, were Oregon, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Then in 1894, Congress passed a law recognizing Labor Day as an official national holiday.

Today, Labor Day is observed not only in the U.S. but also in Canada, and in other industrialized nations. While it is a general holiday in the United States, its roots in the working class remain clearer in European countries.

It has come to be recognized in the U.S. not only as a celebration of the working class, but even more so as the unofficial end of the summer season. In the northern half of the U.S. at least, the summer vacation season begins with Memorial Day and ends with Labor Day.

Many colleges and some secondary and elementary schools begin classes immediately after Labor Day.

State parks, swimming pools, and campgrounds are all quite busy on Labor Day, as vacationers take one last advantage of the waning hot season. September is the month that marks the beginning of autumn. And, because of that, the average daytime maximum temperatures take a plunge during the month in most of the U.S.

To all my Masonic Brothers, I wish you and your families a happy and joyous Labor Day!

LONG ISLAND MASONS

THE FLOOR CREAKS

by Gerald Leighton

The floor creaks.
He wasn't expecting this reception
But wasn't expecting anything at all
Since none was known expect for the knowing
Smiles from men he had know long
And Some not at all.

The floor creaks.
In this place with the senses retrained
And the words strange to the untuned ear
With the feet laid soft upon the floor
While being led with assurance and knowing
to a place, but where?

The floor creaks.
Is the building that old?
or does the rite need
This sound that assures that all is quite sane
To the new of the Craft in this first sense of old
and oneness with all who assemble this nite
For this purpose that's his.

The floor creaks.
It's a sound not regarded till this time and this hour
by any who tead on the board of the floor
Till the hush of the moment and the serious approach
of the labor and time and the new world retreats
To give way to the once-was.

The floor creaks.
Will be forgotten, this sound, with the lesson ahead.
And none note the loss 'cept the foot or the slipper
As words now replace the moan and the history
Steeped deep in the heart of this place
That delivers once more.

The floor creaks.
The history is clear of the sound and the entry
That this house now upheaves from the beams
Of support and the Craft takes the load and the burden
As the floor and the board and the carpet this evening
To test the heft of him.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

STONEHENGE

STONEHENGE! An ancient structure filled with mystery; the
subject of speculation and rumor studied and analyzed by
generations of men. Scientists and producers of fanciful mystique alike have found
it a challenge which thwarts the analytical minds and the
discerning eyes of man! What is this strange and little known edifice which stands
alone and aloof on the Plains of Salisbury?

To quote a statement by Russell A. Herner, author of
"Stonehenge: An Ancient Masonic Temple." :
I contend that this majestic structure is, in fact, an Ancient Masonic Temple.
This structure, or Temple as I will call it, has survived the lapse of
time, the ruthless hands of ignorance, and the devastations of war
for many centuries."

The author does not equivocate; he does not apologize; he
does, however, theorize very convincingly.
Let's look at this phenomenon on the open plains of Southwest
England. Salisbury Plain is in Wiltshire, England, about seven miles
from the town of Salisbury. On the flat plain surrounding
Stonehenge, one can see large burial mounds similar to those found
in the United States (Moundsville, West Virginia, for example).

Unanswered questions come flooding into one's mind as the
mystery of Stonehenge is viewed as it spreads over the plain.
How was it built? - What genius supplied the scientific
knowledge which made it possible? - When was it built - and by
whom? Questions unanswered now, and possibly for all time.
This was no small undertaking which our ancient craftsman took
upon themselves.

IT WAS MONUMENTAL!! Imagine what they faced! No high-tech equipment which today's builders use so routinely! No colleges teaching today's technology and sciences!
Quarries for the special stones located from 20 to 240 miles away!
No beasts of burden - only man's backs and strong limbs.
A river between the quarries and the building site!
A project of a magnitude exceeding the Sears Tower in Chicago
or the Bay Bridge in California.
For building such modern projects involved many tasks which individually were not difficult. -
Building Stonehenge involved many tasks which individually seemed insurmountable!
To the average mind today it was the impossible dream!
But there it stands for all to see: the improbable, impossible, inconceivable project.
Completed by a culture which we consider to be uneducated
and without artistic temperament.
At a point directly Northeast of the center of the Altar Stone,
there is a break in the circular embankments for an avenue,
nearly 40 feet wide which leads to the only element of Stonehenge
which is outside this circle.

The "Heelstone" is a massive stone
20 feet high with 4 feet buried in the plain.
It is planted at an incline of 27 degrees toward the center of the structure.
It is estimated to weigh over 35 tons
and is 256 feet from the center of the Altar Stone.
Just within the embankments ia a stone 3 feet thick, 7 feet
wide, and nearly 22 feet long. This is thought to be the spot
where animals were slaughtered as offerings to Deity.

More is involved in the construction of Stonehenge than meets
the casual view. It is located and constructed by an exact
scientific formula from which can be derived much scientific data
and many astrological readings. Just inside the Aubrey Holes there
are four Station Stones forming a rectangle 108 feet 8 inches wide
and 262 feet 3 inches long with its long dimension perpendicular to
the Northeast axis. At this latitude of 51 degrees 17 minutes
North Latitude, lines drawn through these four stones plot the
rising and setting positions of the sun and moon at midsummer and
midwinter. If Stonehenge were moved as little as 30 miles, this
rectangle would have to be laid out as a parallelogram without
right angled corners. At the summer solstice (about June 21) the sun rises directly
over the tip of the Heelstone; its rays passing through the Sarsen
Arch and striking the center of the Altar Stone. (That one archway
is 6 inches wider than all the rest.)

With this in mind, picture, if you will, this scene which may
- or may not - be purely imaginative. It is night. The darkness is broken only by a candle or two
-or perhaps by the dim light of a setting moon. A group of men,
marching in double file, enter the Sarsen Circle. They are dressed
in ancient costumes of leather and rough, homespun cloth. They
carry implements of the builders trades. In the center of the group, walking between the columns and guided by two of the ancients, is a young man - an initiate.
They circumambulate the Sarsen Circle, stopping at strategic
points while voices from the darkness instruct and admonish the
initiate in their midst. As dawn approaches they pass through the
open end of the Trilithons, into the Bluestone Horseshoe, and wend
their way Southeastward until the initiate and the guides stand
behind the Altar Stone, at its center, facing Northeast. The rest of the group file slowly back until they form a double line from the Altar Stone to the Sarsen Arch at the Extreme
Northeast limit of the Circle. All is quiet. The darkness dims. The initiate has time to
think on what he has been told and the things he has seen. The circles of stone about the group shut out nearly all the light as dawn grows near.
Suddenly a glow appears and a guide turns the initiate's head
with the command: "Look to the East!"
The entire area is encompassed by two earthen embankments
separated by a ditch 17 feet wide. The inner embankment rises 7
feet above the plain to reduce the possibility of cowans and
eavesdroppers. The outer mound is approximately 400 feet in
diameter. Within this circle, at a diameter of 286 feet, are 56 pits
(called "Aubrey Holes") filled with solid chalk. Several of these
have been excavated and found to contain human bones, spawning the
assumption that they are burial spots for the leaders or officers
of those who used the site. Further toward the center, with an inside diameter of 97 feet
4 inches, is the main part of the structure: a circle of 30 stones
nearly 4 feet thick, 7 feet wide, and standing 13 feet 6 inches
above ground. At a diameter of 77 feet is a circle of Bluestones, 6 feet 7
inches high in the Southwest, tapering to 2 feet 4 inches in the
Northeast.

We now approach the "Inner Sanctum" of Stonehenge. A
horseshoe formation of 5 huge stone groups called "Trilithons" with
the open end to the Northeast. These mammoth units consist of 3
stones each. Two upright members varying in height from 25 feet 6
inches in the center of the closed end of the horseshoe to 20 feet
above ground at the open end. The third stone forms a lintel
across the top and is 15 feet 5 inches long (the width of two
uprights). These stones are about 3 feet thick and 7 feet wide
and, at the top, are carved in the form of a mortise and tenon
joint to hold the lintel in place. Within this impressive group is a second horseshoe of round
Bluestones 2 feet in diameter varying in height from 9 feet 3
inches at the closed end to 6 feet 6 inches at the end open to the
Northeast. These are set at a diameter of 39 feet.
Central to all the other parts of the structure is one of the
two most important elements. It lies flat on the ground and is a
green stone with flecks of mica throughout. It measures nearly 2
feet thick, 3 feet 3 inches wide and 15 feet 9 inches long. This
is the "Altar Stone." Some mention should be made of the two color elements used in
Stonehenge's construction: the green Altar and the two Bluestone
units. Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry has this statement:
"In all the Ancient Mysteries, this idea was carried out with Green
symbolizing the birth of the world, of the moral creation or
resurrection of the initiate." Thus we have the theory that the
initiate took his obligation on the Green Altar Stone at
Stonehenge: "the creation or resurrection of a new life." The
Bluestones are thought to be indicative of the blue which is
indelibly attached to Masonry. From all ages blue has symbolized
truth, sincerity, and fidelity. Further, Masons met in outdoor
Lodges under the blue canopy of Heaven - thus, today, we meet in
"Blue Lodges." A sudden shaft of light bursts through the Sarsen Arch as the
sun rises directly over the tip of the Heelstone. It crosses the
space within the Circle - strikes the Altar Stone - and shines
directly on the face of the Initiate! LIGHT!!! The Initiate has received the LIGHT.
After further instruction he is admitted to the inner circle of these rough men
who, somehow, know many things of science and nature.

A FINAL THOUGHT Imagery??? Perhaps. - Perhaps not! We may never know; but
this is an indisputable fact: the construction of Stonehenge, like
the Great Pyramid of Giza, was done with knowledge that would be
difficult to find, even today. It is done with scientific skill
which was thought to be developed many centuries after these men
lived and died. The "How" and "Why" we may never understand, but the facts
remain. An Ancient Masonic Lodge??? Who knows? And, one may ask:
"Does it really matter?" For whatever we choose to believe about Stonehenge, it offers
material for intriguing hypothesizing and endless interesting
conversations. My Brothers - I give you the Mystery that is Stonehenge!"

LONG ISLAND MASONS

SEPTEMBER 11

To ALL Masons:
On Monday, September 11, 2006, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this fifth anniversary of our country's worst tragedy. We do this in honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds.

Action Plan: So, here's what we need you to do...

1. Forward this message to everyone you know (at least 11 people). Take a moment to think back to how you felt on 9/11 and let those sentiments guide you.

2. Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11. Honestly, Americans should fly the flag year-round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.

3. Click this link Never forget 9/11 or go to http://www.911digitalarchive.org/special/tribute.swf

Thank you for your participation. God Bless You and God Bless America
PS: I have set up a web site to raise money and help the Veterans at North Port Veterans Hospital. It is a Travel, Cruise and Vacation web site. 70% of all commissions from the sale of vacations from that site will be donated on behalf of the Suffolk Masonic District, NY to the Veterans at North Port Veterans Hospital. Please book you next Vacation at www.HelpVets.Joystar.com

Fraternally Yours.W:. Paul Davis, P.M. Meridian Lodge 691, NY Suffolk Masonic District, Community Service/Public Awareness Chairman

LONG ISLAND MASONS

MASONIC APRONS - MERIWETHER LEWIS

The Masonic apron represents the ancient stone-mason's craft, which is the allegorical model upon which rest the sumbolism and ritual of Freemasonry. The ancient craftsmen were "operative" or working stonemasons; members of the fraternity known as the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons (AF & AM) are "speculative" masons. Through speculative Masonry, wrote Thomas Smith Webb in 1797, "we learn to subdue the passions, act upon the square, keep a tongue of good report, maintain secrecy, and practice charity." Charity is "the chief of every social virtue," he continued, "and the distinguishing characteristic of our Order."1
Each initiate, upon entering the Order, receives a symbolic apron, which is to be worn during all Masonic meetings and rituals. This apron of Lewis's, made of hand-painted silk backed with linen, measuring 14½ by 16½ inches, is said to have been in a pocket of his coat when he died. It was passed down from his mother to his sister, Jane, and through her descendants to the Grand Lodge of Missouri, whence it was purchased in 1960 by Joseph Hopper, who donated it to the Montana Masonic Foundation of the Grand Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Montana, in Helena.
The meanings of some of the symbols on the apron are open to varying interpretations in different Masonic jurisdictions (states or countries) at different times. The following are those currently held by the Grand Lodge AF&AM of Montana, provided through the courtesy of Reid Gardiner, Grand Secretary.
The two pillars of the porch of Solomon's temple represent strength and stability.2 The pillar at left stands for Boaz, interpreted by some Biblical scholars as meaning "in strength"; that on the right symbolizes Jachin, or "God will establish" (1 Kn. 7.21; 2 Chr. 3.17). They represent, respectively, the Senior and Junior Wardens of the Lodge. The pillars rest on three stone steps that symbolize the three ages of man--youth, manhood, and old age--and the three corresponding degrees of the Order. The lowest represents the Entered Apprentice, who is obliged to occupy his mind industriously in the attainment of useful knowledge. The second step stands for the Fellow Craft Mason, who is charged to use his knowledge in the discharge of duty to God, to his own neighbor, and to himself. The topmost step is that of old age, when the Master Mason may "enjoy the happy reflections consequent on a well-spent life, and die in the hope of glorious immortality."
The skull-and-crossbones is an ancient symbol for death. The comparative crudness of this example, and the fact that it does not belong in the overall symmetry of the design, suggests that it might have been added after the owner's demise.


At lower center is a perfect or smooth ashlar, "a stone made ready by the workmen to be adjusted by the working tools of the fellowcraft," representing the state of perfection to be reached by "a virtuous education, our own endeavors, and by the blessing of God."3 Next clockwise is an operative mason's chisel, which represents the tools the speculative mason uses to shape himself into a better individual. Next is a maul used by operative masons to tap stones into place; as a symbol it suggests the process of integrating a speculative mason into the Lodge. Beneath the maul is the working mason's trowel, symbolically used by the speculative mason to spread the cement of brotherly love and affection. The ruler above the maul represents the 24-hour day "divided into three equal parts devoted to God, usual vocations, and rest."



At the center of the apron the Bible is open to Chapter 1, Verse 1--"In the beginning was the Word"--of the Gospel according to St. John, the patron saint of Freemasonry. Superimposed is the square that an operative mason would use for testing angles; to the speculative Mason it stands for justice. Atop the square is a compass or divider, which the former employed for measuring equal lines, the latter for restraining prejudice.
Faintly seen on each side and above the Bible are single candles in brass candlesticks, which represent the three stages of the sun and the seats of the three main officers and guides of a Lodge. At one side is the rising sun represented by the Worshipful Master, whose seat is on the east side of the Lodge; above is the mid-day sun in the south, where the Junior Warden is seated; on the west side is the setting sun, represented by the Senior Warden's chair.

The Scribe of the Door to Virtue Lodge No. 44 of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons in Albemarle County, Virginia, recorded on December 31, 1796, that Lieutenant Meriwether Lewis, on furlough from his Western Pennsylvania post in the U.S. Infantry, "was recommended as a proper person to become a member." Less than one month later, on January 28, 1797, he was elected to membership, initiated as an Entered Apprentice, and given his apron. On the following evening he was admitted to the second, or Fellowcraft degree, and without further examination, promoted "at sight"--that is, by unanimous ballot--as a Master Mason. Such meteoric progress through the first three degrees of Masonry signified confidence on the part of the most prominent men of Albemarle that the 23-year-old Lewis was similarly destined for moral, civic, and political leadership.A little more than two months later, on the second or third of April, members of the Door to Virtue Lodge conferred upon Lewis the degree of Past Master Mason. At the same meeting two other leading Virginians were elevated to the same status. They were Peter and Samuel Carr, nephews of Thomas Jefferson, whose son-in-law, Governor Randolph, was also in attendance. On October 31, 1799, Lewis was "Exalted to the sublime degree of a Royal Arch, Superexcellent Mason" at Widow's Son Lodge4 in Milton, Virginia, a few miles southeast of Charlottesville. On that occasion he was given a Royal Arch apron, which is now at the Missouri Historical Society.In 1801 Lewis, who had been promoted to the rank of captain in late 1799, became the private secretary to President Jefferson, and in July of that year received his official orders as commander of the expedition to explore the Northwest. Lewis no doubt carried his apron during his preparatory travels, as any wayfaring Mason would have. There is reason to believe, for instance, that he attended a Lodge in Pittsburgh while awaiting the completion of the keelboat from July 15 until August 31, 1803. If he carried a Masonic apron on his expedition to the Pacific, which might have been expected of a Mason of his rank undertaking such a hazardous mission, he did so in total secrecy.Two years after the Corps of Discovery's return, Lewis, then Governor of Louisiana Territory, was instrumental in establishing the first Lodge in that city, and on September 16, 1808, by authority of the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge, he was installed as Master of the Saint Louis Lodge No. 111. In September of the following year he left St. Louis on what was to be the final journey of his life, first relinquishing his Master's chair to Frederick Bates, the Secretary of the Territory and acting governor during Lewis's absences. Ironically, more than eight years earlier Bates had applied for the position of private secretary to the President, but Lewis was chosen instead.5It was at Lewis's encouragement, no doubt, that William Clark joined the new Lodge in St. Louis. In fact, Lewis may have begun prosyletizing his co-captain during the early months of the expedition. Late in January, 1804, Clark copied into his journal a definition of the five senses, from Owen's Dictionary, which was in the company's small reference library. The subject was entirely out of context with the expedition's business at that moment, but the paragraph reads like a précis of a catechism for an Entered Apprentice. Clark's certificate confirming that status, dated September 18, 1809, is at the Missouri Historical Society; his apron is at the Lodge in St. Charles, Missouri. His funeral service, on September 1, 1838, opened with the full Masonic burial rite.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

SOME MASONIC TIDBITS

FREEMASONS IN THE AIR

On his famous solo flight over the Atlantic in 1927 Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh wore the square and compasses on his jacket as a good luck emblem. He was a Mason at the time.

When Bernt Balchen, explorer and air pioneer, flew over the North Pole and the South Pole with Brother Richard E. Byrd, they dropped Masonic flags on both Poles. In the 1933-35 expedition over the South Pole, Brother Balchen also tossed his Shrine fez on the Pole.

Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr., famous astronaut, on his 22 orbit flight carried a Masonic coin in his pocket as well as a blue Masonic flag which he later presented to his mother lodge, Carbondale No. 82, Carbondale, Colorado.

On August 23, 1879, Lodge No. 239 of France held a meeting in a balloon flying over Paris, at which time a Brother was initiated.

The inventors of the first balloon were Joseph Montgolfier, Michel Montgolfier, and Jacques Etielle; all were members of the Nine Sisters Lodge in France.

Brother Eddie Rickenbacker, World War I air ace, was a devoted Mason for many years.

FREEMASONRY IN THE WHITE HOUSE

James Hoban was the architect who designed and supervised the construction of the White House. When the British destroyed this building during the War of 1812, he designed the one replacing it. James Hoban was a Mason. He was probably present when the cornerstone was laid by Maryland Lodge No. 9 of Georgetown on October 13, 1792, with Masonic ceremony. He was also a devout Roman Catholic.

During President Truman's term of office it was necessary to rebuild the White House. In 1952, while the work was in progress, Brother Truman discovered that some of the original stones contained traditional "Mason's marks". He directed that these stones be preserved and delegated the duty to Major General Harry H. Vaughan, Brother Renah F. Camalier, and the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. These stones were distributed to the Grand Lodges of the United States and to certain territories and foreign governments. On February 22, 1966, the last stone was presented to the George Washington National Masonic Memorial Association for display in the Temple on Shooter's Hill.

WHY PRESIDENT McKINLEY BECAME A MASON

When General Horatio King asked William McKinley how he happen to become a Mason he explained: "After the Battle of Opequam, I went with our surgeon of our Ohio regiment to the field where there were about 5,000 Confederate prisoners under guard. Almost as soon as we passed the guard, I noticed the doctor shook the hands with a number of Confederate prisoners. He also took from his pocket a roll of bills and distributed all he had among them. Boy-like, I looked on in wonderment; I didn't know what it all meant. On the way back from camp I asked him:
"Did you know these men or ever see them before?"
"No," replied the doctor, "I never saw them before."
"But," I persisted, "You gave them a lot of money, all you had about you. Do you ever expect to get it back?"
"Well'" said the doctor, "If they are able to pay me back, they will. But 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 Freemasonry I will take some of it for myself."

FREEMASONS BUILD FORTS

"Fort Masonic" was built on what was known as the Heights of Brooklyn, which later became Bond and Nevins Streets, Brooklyn, New York. On August 22, 1814, the Grand Lodge of New York adopted a resolution by which, on September 1, the officers of the Grand Lodge accompanied by a group of Masons from fourteen lodges, went to the place and performed one day's work. On September 17, another day's work was done to complete the work.

"Fort Hiram" was built on October 3, 1814, at Fort Point, Rhode Island, but the Grand Lodge which supervised 230 Masons at work. Thomas Smith Webb was Grand Master at the time. The purpose of the fortification was to protect the harbor of Providence, Rhode Island.

THE RUG OF APPRECIATION

As a young man Sarkis H. Nahigian fled Armenia to escape persecution and arrived in the United States in 1890. He worked hard and became a successful businessman in Chicago and a devoted Mason. In 1948 he presented a priceless Oriental rug, 46½ feet long and 29½ feet wide, to the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. In presenting the gift he said:

"I came to America believing in miracles. I say these words with gratitude, faith and pride. Gratitude -- to the generations of hard-working and God-fearing men and women who came to this new country to make a home for freedom. Faith, in that the democracy they built will never die. Pride, in that my chance has come to show my appreciation for being an American. And believe me when I say there is no finer title, no higher position than to be a citizen of the United States."

"Here we have freedom of thought, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech. One does not appreciate what these freedoms mean until one recalls what it was to be deprived of them. Now, again, in humble spirit, it gives me great pleasure to donate to our beloved George Washington Memorial Building, the largest Persian Royal Meshed carpet I have ever known. I donate this carpet in grateful appreciation of all the unlimited privileges and friendships and support I have enjoyed in this blessed United States of America, and not among the least of these is my privilege of being a Mason."

SILENT CAL AND THE CRAFT

President Calvin Coolidge had the reputation of being a person of few words. One time while attending a public function he was told by a young lady, "Mr. President, I made a bet that I can get you to say three words." To which he replied, "You lose."

Although not a Mason, he was not stingy with words when he talked about Freemasonry. While Governor of the Bay State, he addresses the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and said: "It has not been my fortune to know very much about Freemasonry, but I have had the great fortune to know many Freemasons, and I have been able in that way to judge the tree by its fruits. I know of your high ideals. I have seen that you hold your meeting in the presence of the Bible, and I know that men who observe that formality have high sentiments of citizenship, of worth, and of character. That is the strength of our Commonwealth and Nation."


A CIVIL WAR STORY
by John Hohenstein, Zerubbabel Lodge #15, Savannah, Georgia

It was a time not long after Fort Sumter and The War of Northern Aggression was well under way. The Yankees, as they are still wont to do, had promptly flocked to Hilton Head and Tybee Islands, the barrier islands on opposite sides of the mouth of the Savannah River. The Savannah Folks didn't mind much that the Yankees had stolen the good beaches, for the water was still a bit cool for Southern preferences and, besides, they knew the gnats and mosquitoes would teach the Yankees a lesson they'd never forget. So, the Southerners, as Southerners are wont to do sometimes, just waited.

They didn't have to wait very long before the Yankees on Hilton Head sent out a messenger under a white flag.

It seemed that the Yankees had among them a young fellow who had passed through the Fellow Craft Degree before shipping out. The Yanks were just sitting around slapping gnats when it occurred to one of them that, just maybe, there was a nearby lodge that could test him in the Fellow Craft Degree and raise him to that of a Master Mason.

As luck would have it, there was indeed a lodge in Savannah that would soon be having a Masters Degree.

One morning, not too many days later, a detail of Confederate Cavalry slipped across the Savannah River into South Carolina and traveled through Bluffton to the shore opposite Hilton Head Island.

From there they escorted one Fellow Craft Mason and, I believe, a number of Master Masons of the Northern Persuasion, safely through the Confederate Lines and back through about 35 miles of Confederate defenses to Savannah where the candidate and his witnesses were delivered into the lodge.

The records note that this Brother was indeed proficient in the Fellow Craft Degree and he was raised to the Degree of a Master Mason.

That night another detail of Confederate Cavalry, no doubt Brothers to a man, slipped back across the Savannah River and safely escorted their Brothers back to Hilton Head.

Anyway, I have loved this story since the first time I heard it. It clearly demonstrates that, at the darkest period in our Nation's history, when brothers were killing brothers, Brothers could still be Brothers.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

THE CABLE TOW

The Cable-Tow, we are told, is purely Masonic in its meaning and use. It is so defined in the dictionary, but not always accurately, which shows that we ought not depend upon the ordinary dictionary for the truth about Masonic terms. Masonry has its own vocabulary and uses it in its own ways. Nor can our words always be defined for the benefit of the profane.

Even in Masonic lore the word cable-tow varies in form and use. In an early pamphlet by Pritard, issued in 1730, and meant to be an exposure of Masonry, the cable-tow is a called a “Cable-Rope,” and in another edition a “Tow-Line.” The same word “Tow-Line” is used in a pamphlet called “A Defense of Masonry,” written, it is believed, by Anderson as a reply to Pritchard about the same time. In neither pamphlet is the word used in exactly the form and sense in which it is used today; and in a note Pritchard, wishing to make everything Masonic absurd, explains it as meaning “The Roof of the Mouth!” In English lodges, the Cable-Tow, like the hoodwink, is used only in the first degree, and has no symbolical meaning at all, apparently.

In American lodges it is used in all three degrees, and has almost too many meanings. Some of our American teachers - Pike among them - see no meaning in the cable-tow beyond its obvious use in leading an initiate into the lodge, and the possible use of withdrawing him from it should he be unwilling or unworthy to advance.

To some of us this non-symbolical idea and use of the cable-tow is very strange, in view of what Masonry is in general, and particularly in its ceremonies of initiation. For Masonry is a chamber of imagery. The whole Lodge is a symbol. Every object, every act is symbolical. The whole fits together into a system of symbolism by which Masonry veils, and yet reveals, the truth it seeks to teach to such as have eyes to see and are ready to receive it.

As far back as we can go in the history of initiation, we find the cable-two, or something like it, used very much as it is used in a Masonic Lodge today. No matter what the origin and form of the word as we employ it may be - whether from the Hebrew “Khabel,” or the Dutch “cabel,” both meaning a rope - the fact is the same. In India, in Egypt and in most of the ancient Mysteries, a cord or cable was used in the same way and for the same purpose.

In the meaning, so far as we can make it out, seems to have been some kind of pledge - a vow in which a man pledged his life. Even outside initiatory rites we find it employed, as, for example, in a striking scene recorded in the Bible (I Kings 20:31,32), the description of which is almost Masonic. The King of Syria, Ben-hada, had been defeated in battle by the King of Israel and his servants are making a plea for his life. They approach the King of Israel “with ropes upon their heads,” and speak of his “Brother, Ben-hadad.” Why did they wear ropes, or nouses, on their heads?

Evidently to symbolize a pledge of some sort, given in a Lodge or otherwise, between the two Kings, of which they wished to remind the King of Israel. The King of Israel asked: “Is he yet alive? He is my brother.” Then we read that the servants of the Syrian King watched to see if the King of Israel made any sign, and, catching his sign, they brought the captive King of Syria before him. Not only was the life of the King of Syria spared, but a new pledge was made between the two men.

The cable-tow, then, is the outward and visible symbol of a vow in which a man has pledged his life, or has pledged himself to save another life at the risk of his own. Its length and strength are measured by the ability of the man to fulfill his obligation and his sense of the moral sanctity of his obligation - a test, that is, both of his capacity and of his character.

If a lodge is a symbol of the world, and initiation is our birth into the world of Masonry, the cable-tow is not unlike the cord which unites a child to its mother at birth; and so it is usually interpreted. Just as the physical cord, when cut, is replaced by a tie of love and obligation between mother and child, so, in one of the most impressive moments of initiation, the cable-tow is removed, because the brother, by his oath at the Altar of Obligation, is bound by a tie stronger than any physical cable. What before was an outward physical restraint has become a inward moral constraint. That is to say, force is replaced by love - outer authority by inner obligation - and that is the secret of security and the only basis of brotherhood.

The cable-tow is the sign of the pledge of the life of a man. As in his oath he agrees to forfeit his life if his vow is violated, so, positively, he pledges his life to the service of the Craft. He agrees to go to the aid of a Brother, using all his power in his behalf, “if within the length of his cable-tow,” which means, if within the reach of his power. How strange that any one should fail to see symbolical meaning in the cable-tow. It is, indeed, the great symbol of the mystic tie which Masonry spins and weaves between men, making them Brothers and helpers one of another.

But, let us remember that a cable-tow has two ends. If it binds a Mason to the Fraternity, by the same fact it binds the Fraternity to each man in it. The one obligation needs to be emphasized as much as the other. Happily, in our day we are beginning to see the other side of the obligation - that the Fraternity is under vows to its members to guide, instruct and train them for the effective service of the Craft and of humanity. Control, obedience, direction or guidance - these are the three meanings of the cable-tow, as it is interpreted by the best insight of the Craft.

Of course, by Control we do not mean that Masonry commands us in the same sense that it uses force. Not at all. Masonry rules men as beauty rules an artist, as love rules a lover. It does not drive; it draws. It controls us, shapes us through its human touch and its moral nobility. By the same method, by the same power it wins obedience and gives guidance and direction to our lives. At the Altar we take vows to follow and obey its high principles and ideals; and Masonic vows are not empty obligations - they are vows in which a man pledges his life and his sacred honor.

The old writers define the length of a cable-tow, which they sometimes call a “cables length,” variously. Some say it is seven hundred and twenty feet, or twice the measure of a circle. Others say that the length of the cable-tow is three miles. But such figures are merely symbolical, since in one man it may be three miles and in another it may easily be three thousand miles - or to the end of the earth. For each Mason the cable-tow reaches as far as his moral principles go and his material conditions will allow. Of that distance each must be his own judge, and indeed each does pass judgment upon himself accordingly, by his own acts in aid of others.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

PEARL HARBOR - MASONIC CONNECTIONS

The disastrous attack by Japan against the United States at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, resulted in some Masonic connections.

Henry C. Clausen, later to become the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction of the U.S., was assigned in 1944 by the U.S. Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson, to conduct one of the many investigations of the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. (Lodge of the Double Headed Eagle, by William L. Fox, pages 321-322). He conducted his extensive investigation during 1944 and 1945, while he was in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the U.S. Army, a Major and then Lieutenant Colonel.

Fox said that Clausen "concluded it was absurd to assume any complicity on the part of President Roosevelt or General George C. Marshall" for the Pearl Harbor attack, but instead Clausen blamed communications problems and an unworkable system of military intelligence. (Conspiracy theorists might say that Clausen, the Freemason, found that Roosevelt and Marshall, also Freemasons, were not to blame.)

In the book At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor, by Gordon W. Prange, which is the most extensive book about the attack, the author refers to Clausen's appointment to investigate the Pearl Harbor attack saying that Stimson "had an excellent eye for a good man and could recognize efficiency when he saw it." He also says: "Clausen's judicious gaze reflected the astute lawyer which he was. Something in his eyes also revealed a touch of the mystic, a quality which led him to become a deeply committed Freemason of the thirty-third Degree." (page 668)

In Clausen's own book about his Pearl Harbor investigation, Pearl Harbor: Final Judgement, with Bruce Lee, published in 1992, shortly before his death, Clausen mentioned Freemasonry several times.

At pages 56-57 he wrote: "So I called upon Harry Truman and met him for the first time. He was cooperative, but stiffer and more formal than I had expected. . . . he didn't respond with any enthusiasm. Then I told him: "When you were the Grand Master of the Masons in Missouri, I was Grand Orator of the Masonic Grand Lodge of California." Hearing this, Truman literally jumped up from his chair, came around the desk and began shaking my hand vigorously. "You'll have my complete cooperation, Henry," he promised, and he immediately began to put his words into action."

At page 149 he wrote:
". . . MacArthur asked me some personal questions. I told him that when the war began, I had been the Grand Orator of the Masonic Grand Lodge of California, and I congratulated him, as I later did President Truman, on being made a thirty-third-degree Scottish Rite Mason.
"He kept me in his office for nearly another hour, talking about how to expand in the Far East the moral principles of Freemasonry. Every dictator in history has tried to put the Masons out of business because they believe in freedom. MacArthur was positive that Hitler had poisoned the minds of the Japanese against the Masonic Order for this very reason, and that was why even the Constitution of Japan forbade anyone from joining the order. MacArthur promised me that if and when he got to Japan, he was going to make sure that provision was eliminated from any future Constitution. He did, too.

"'Since we're talking in this fashion,' I said, 'may I tell you about the plight of some Masonic people in Manila? . . . Would there be any objection, General, to my using the military mail to send over some implements that are used to start up the Masonic Lodge, items such as rods, Bibles and so forth?' 'Absolutely not,' MacArthur said. 'I'm a Mason. My G-2, Willoughby, is a Mason. We'll make the arrangements for you.'

"Well, Willoughby went overboard. He told me to send anything I wanted. . . . MacArthur was also instrumental in getting confiscated property in Manila and Japan returned to the Masons, and the Order has had the basis to flourish in both places and inculcate the spiritual values MacArthur recommended."

Perhaps because of these comments, in Scapegoats: A Defense of Kimmel and Short at Pearl Harbor, by Edward L. Beach, the author, a retired U.S. Navy Captain, said that Clausen's book particularly faulted Admiral Kimmel and General Short for what happened at Pearl Harbor and other U.S. areas in December 1941, and layed qualified blame on President Roosevelt. (page 149)

"Significantly, he places no fault on either General Marshall or General MacArthur but took pleasure insofar as General MacArthur was concerned in the fortuitous fact that he and MacArthur were both thirty-second degree Masons. As he explains it, this fact itself exonerates MacArthur of any fault."

LONG ISLAND MASONS

WHAT DIFFERENCE IS 100 YEARS

By W:. Patrick Bellotti, P.M.

Today I would like to go off topic a bit and show you some differences between life today versus 100 years ago. My intention is to display how society differed back then and in some way connect the changes with the challenges that not only Masonry but all fraternal organizations face today. Life is definitely not the same and I feel it is Masonry's job to keep seeking the formula to retain and increase Masonic membership.

I have listed below differences in everyday life in 1905 versus todays hectic pace of 2006. Here are some amazing statistics regarding the population of the United States in 1906.

The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years old.
Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 Cents per hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist made $2,500 per year, a veterinarian $1,500 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at HOME.
Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as "substandard."
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo. Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.
Back then pharmacists said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health." ( Shocking? ) There were about 230 reported Murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !

Today as I write this blog, I sent these statistics to you and others all over the United States, possibly the world, in a matter of just Seconds !.. You can see that life was sure different and our brotherhood has work to do to retain and increase membership as so much can be done from home and news and information can be obtained by hitting a few keys on the computer. We have to show that Masonry is more, much more to men who possess the values and ideals that make Masonry what it is.

The bottom line is that Masonry is a gift unto itself and those who already know that enjoy the rewards and benefits of what Masonry can accomplish. Our goal in 2006 is to embrace those who seek more light regarding our fraternity and to make sure they get the right information and true aim of what Masonry is all about and not what they may read or hear by people who use the modern tools to spread misinformation regarding our craft.

In closing although 2B1ASK1 is our motto, once asked, it is our duty to make sure potential candidates get all information and assistance to enter the craft. In todays world, if they don't get true guidance by the Brothers, they may turn to the modern conveniences and get misinformation and erroneous direction. We, as Masons must make sure that doesn't happen.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

MASONIC REFERENCES - TELEVISION

Andy Griffith Show

Off to Hollywood. Andy goes to California to see his story, "Sheriff Without a Gun," being filmed. He mentions visiting his cousin who is the Grand Master that year. Andy Griffith, Ronny Howard, Frances Bavier, George Lindsey, Aneta Corsaut, Howard McNear. Written by Bill Idelson and Sam Bobrick Directed by Alan Rafkin. Season 6: 1965-66 Episode 166 (C).
Aunt Bee and the Lecturer Aunt Bee catches the eye of Professor Hubert St. John, a visiting lecturer. Some of the others are suspicious but Andy reassures them because, among other qualities, "the man is a mason." Written by: Michael Morris and Seaman Jacobs Directed by: Lee Phillips. Andy Griffith, Frances Bavier, Ronny Howard. Season 8: 1967-68 Episode 230 (229) (C). [Also see non-masonic fraternal references.]

Beastmaster

In an episode entitled Veil of Death an evil wizard and King Zaad meet within a cavelike structure. The wizard speaks of the first phase of Mars, and the morning star born on the solstice. Immediately after, an aged square and compasses symbol can be seen on the wall above the right shoulder of the wizard.

Carnivale

Episode 8, "Lonnigan, Texas". A carney named Phineas Boffo wears a Knights Templar ring, mentioning that it is his lodge ring. Carnival owner, Samson, carries a money clip with the same red cross emblem on a black and white quartered background. HBO. 2003/11/10. Episode 9 includes someone attempting psychometry on a key fob while above him on the stage decorations are several symbols including a skull and crossbones and the all-seeing eye. They also visit a meeting of "the Benevolent Order of Templars." On their promotional website a sidebar "Carnivale Fact" notes: "Some experts claim that the Freemasons continue the traditions and mysteries of the Knights Templar, whose Order was founded in the 11th century to protect Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land."

Columbo

"Requiem For A Falling Star." A Shriner’s ring is used to expose the murderer [01:05:55]. Peter Falk, Anne Baxter, Mel Ferrer. Season 2, Episode 5. Director: Richard Quine, written by: Jackson Gillis. January 21, 1973. [unconfirmed] * (Also see Dagger of the mind.)

The District

Episode 29: To Serve And Protect (20.10.01) Craig T. Nelson’s character, Chief Jack Mannion is seen wearing a masonic ring. (CBS) Producers: James Chory, Rob Corn, Denise Di Novi (executive), Terry George (executive), Lynn Marie Latham (executive), Craig T. Nelson (consulting) Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Lynne Thigpen, Jayne Brook, John Amos, Sean Patrick Thomas, Justin Theroux, Roger Aaron Brown, Michelle Forbes [unconfirmed]

Harvey Birdman - Attorney at Law

Episode 24, Season 3. "Bird Girl of Guantanamole" (8/14/2005) 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character, Morocco Mole, is on trial, charged with being an enemy combatant. When accused of being Muslim, another character replies, "He’s not Muslim." When asked, "Then why the fez?" the reply is, "Shriner...3rd Degree...Clown Division." Written by Erik Richter, Michael Ouweleen. Director: Richard Ferguson Hull. Voices: Maurice LaMarche, Peter MacNicol, Paget Brewster, Bill Farmer.

Hill Street Blues

Michael Conrad (16 October 1925/10/16 - 1983/11/22) played Sgt. Philip Freemason Esterhaus for the first four seasons of this award winning show. His character was a kindly man, displaying a deep caring attitude towards the men and women in the squad; represented most forcibly by the admonition which he usesd as he dispersed the officers each day to go about their duties. As they leave, suddenly he breaks their movement by shouting the words, "Hey! Let’s be careful out there." Daniel J. Travanti, Veronica Hamil. 60 min. (Police drama) Jan. 15, 1981 to May 12, 1987. *

In the Heat of the Night

Non-mason, Carrol O'Conner, as Chief Gillespie wears a masonic ring on his left hand in at least one episode. Starring Carrol O'Connor [1922/08/02 - 2001/06/21].

M*A*S*H

Mail Call Three February 6, 1978. Written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell. Directed by Charles Dubin. Radar (Gary Burghoff) tells Hawkeye (Alan Alda) that his mother’s new boyfriend "is a third degree mason" who takes her to the masonic lodge for bingo on Fridays.

Millenium

In Season two, episode 14, the Millennium Group is revealed to be masonic. In Episode 2.16, when the "Old Man" is buried the Elder opens a wooden case and takes out a navigator’s compass which he drops into the grave. *

Newsradio

Mr. James tries to win a court case on the merits, but is losing, so he says a masonic word and the judge immediately says he wins his case. [unconfirmed]

The O.C.

The Way We Were.Marissa Cooper, played by Mischa Barton, wears what appears to be a square and compasses pendant. Marissa is described as "one of the few 'nice' characters amongst the spoiled and narcissistic teen population of Newport Beach." Her father, Jimmy Cooper, played by Tate Donovan, is described as a "corporate criminal". The O.C., FOX network series, Season 2, episode 2. (29) (11/11/2004) Director, Executive Producer, Doug Liman. Directed by Michael Lange, written by Allan Heinberg. The O.C. premiered 5 August 2003.

The Rockford Files

In this warm-hearted, detective drama, actor Noah Berry, Jr. (1913/08/10 -1994/11/1), as Joseph 'Rocky' Rockford, made several references to his attending lodge meetings. A Public Arts Roy Huggins Production in association with Cherokee Productions and Universal. Created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell. September 13, 1974 - July 25, 1980 NBC (Crime Drama) 123 60 min. episodes + 9 TV movies. James Garner, Noah Beery Jr., Joe Santos, Stuart Margolin. [unconfirmed]

Rumpole of the Bailey

Martin Fisk plays Dave Anstey, who has been set up by his employer Freddie Allbright, played by Tony Caunter. Allbright, who is identified as a freemason, is later shown to be having an affair with Anstey's wife, and to have paid for a violent attack on another employee.
Dave Anstey : He'd even bought Mrs. Allbright a gift."
Horace Rumpole : "What was that?"
"It was an evening bag, very nice, very nice. For his ladies' night down at the masons." [00:06:40]
The Case of Identity. Episode 9, Season 2 (6/5/1979) Written by John Mortimer, directed by Derek Bennett. Jonathan Coy (Henry), Peggy Thorpe-Bates (Hilda Rumpole (1978-1983)), Peter Bowles (Guthrie Featherstone), Leo McKern (Horace Rumpole), Julian Curry (Claude Erskine-Brown), Richard Murdoch (Uncle Tom), Patricia Hodge (Phyllida Trant) , Tony Caunter (Freddie Allbright), Donald Eccles (Mr Justice Vosper), Stephanie Fayerman (Jennifer), Martin Fisk (Dave Anstey), Chris Gannon (Paddy O'Neil), Caroline Holdaway (Angela), Robert McBain (Joseph Truscott), Seretta Wilson (Betty Anstey)

The Simpsons

Episode 43, Season 2 (2-21) Three Men and a Comic Book, Written by Jeff Martin. Directed by Wes Archer. Original airdate: 1991/05/09. Mayor 'Diamond' Jim Quimby opens the 12th annual "Close Encounter of the Comic Book Kind" Convention by announcing: "Well, have fun and be sure to clear out by six for the Shriners." [00:03:21] Later, as Bart leaves, the Shriners can be seen arriving [00:06:43]. Production Code 7F21 *
Episode 91, Season 5 (5-10) $pringfield, Written by Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein. Directed by Wes Archer. Original airdate: 1993/12/16. In one scene germs on Smithers' face sing out "Freemasons run the country" [00:13:10] while in an earlier scene a garbled reference is made to the Pythagorean formula for right angle triangles. Production Code 1F08 *
Episode 115, Season 6 (6-12) Homer the Great. Written by John Swartzwelder. Directed by Jim Reardon. Guest Starring Patrick Stewart as the voice of Number One. Original airdate 1995/01/08. Homer joins the Stonecutters, a secret fraternity.
Grampa: "I'm an Elk, a Mason, a communist; I'm the president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance for some reason... ah here it is, the Stonecutters." [00:06:55]. Production Code 2F09.

This is your Life

Created by Ralph Edwards in the late 1940s, the show used a simple format of surprising an unsuspecting individual and informing them that "This is your life," then the subject watches their life unfold before them for the next 30 minutes. This episode featured Laurel and Hardy in the first and only time that the comedy team appeared live on television in the United States. One anecdote involves a pre-1927 movie that Oliver Hardy made in Jacksonville where his performance as a drunk was reported to his lodge who brought him up on charges, thinking he had actually been drunk. [unconfirmed]
Host, Ralph Edwards. Announcer, Bob Warren. Director: Richard Gottlieb, Axel Gruenberg. Guests: Margaret O'Connor Arata, Vivian Blaine, Lois Brooks, Bernard Delphont, Warren Doane, Frank Fouce, Oliver Hardy, Althea Miller Horne, Virginia Lucille Jones, Ida Kitaeva Lois Laurel, Stan Laurel, Leo McCarey, Roland Park, Hal Roach Jr., Ben Shipman. 30 min, USA, English, Black and White, Mono. Original Air Date: 1 December 1954.

COMMERCIALS - TACO BELL

(May, 2002) In a television advertisement created by Foote, Cone & Belding, a listing of life’s greatest mysteries ends with "... and Freemasonry."

LONG ISLAND MASONS

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON TROWEL

The cornerstone of the Capitol Building of the United Stated of America was laid with Masonic Honors on September 18, 1793. As the site was located within the Masonic jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Maryland, the ceremony was conducted under the auspices of that Grand Lodge with Rt. Wor. Joseph Clark as Grand Master pro tem. Wor. Brother and President George Washington presided over the ceremony, in which he was assisted by Rt. Wor. Brother Clark of Maryland, Wor. Brother Elisha C. Dick, Master of his home lodge, Alexandria Lodge No. 22 of Virginia, as well as Wor. Brother Valentine Reintzel, Master of Lodge No. 9 of Maryland (now Potomac Lodge No. 5 of the District of Columbia).

Both the silver Trowel and marble Gavel used by George Washington in laying the cornerstone were crafted especially for the occasion by Brother John Duffey, a silversmith of Alexandria who was a member of Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4. The trowel has a silver blade, silver shank, ivory handle and a silver cap on the end of the handle. In addition to the Trowel and Gavel, Brother Duffey crafted Masonic working tools of walnut for use in the ceremony. At the conclusion of the ceremony, President Washington presented the Gavel to the Master of Lodge No. 9 and the Trowel to the Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22.

The inscription on the trowel was engraved on the underside of the blade sometime after 1805 and reads as follows:

"This Trowell, the property of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 A.F.& A.M. was used by General George Washington September 18, 1793 to lay the corner stone of the Capitol of the United States of America at Washington, D.C."

After the Capitol Cornerstone ceremony, we find no mention of the Trowel's use until 1816, when it helped lay the cornerstone of Mechanics' Hall on Alfred Street in Alexandria.

Subsequently, the Trowel was used by Alexandria-Washington Lodge for special cornerstone ceremonies, and demand became heavier during the first half of the twentieth century.
Alexandria-Washington Lodge looks on the Washington Trowel as one of its most prized possessions. Today, it is on public display in a special case in the Alexandria-Washington Replica Lodge Room in the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.

In addition to the above, cornerstone layings in which Alexandria-Washington Lodge participated and the Washington Trowel was used have included:

Saint Paul's Church, Alexandria (1817)
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, (1847)
Washington National Monument (1848)
George Washington Equestrian Statue, Richmond (1850)
Fireman's Monument at Ivy Hill Cemetery, Alexandria (1856)
Alexandria Hospital (Old, downtown Alexandria--not Seminary Road)
George Washington Park, Alexandria (1909)
Alexandria High School (1915)
Detroit Masonic Temple
House of the Temple, Scottish Rite, Washington
Masonic Temple, Grand Lodge of D.C., Washington
(Now the Museum of Women in the Arts)
Scottish Rite Temple, Kansas City, Mo.
High School, Salina, Kansas
U.S. Supreme Court, Washington
National Cathedral, Washington
Library of Congress, Washington
Alexandria Post Office and Custom House
George Washington Masonic National Memorial (1923)
U.S. Dept. of Commerce, by President Hoover
National Education Building, Washington (1930)
U.S. Post Office Building, Washington, by President Hoover (1932)
Department of Labor Building, by Grand Lodge of D.C. (1932)
Department of Interior Building by Presidnet Roosevelt (not Masonic)(1936)
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Braddock Heights, Alexandria, Va.
George Washington High School, Alexandria
Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington (1939)
Fredericksburg Lodge # 4, Addition (1951)
Mary Washington College Fine Arts Building, Fredericksburg, (1951)
State Department Building, Washington (1957)
Mount Vernon Methodist Church (1958)
U.S. Capitol East Extension (1959)
Scottish Rite Temple, Alexandria (1959)
Elmer Timberman Lodge #54, Annandale, Virginia (1960)
James Monroe Memorial Law Library, Fredericksburg, Va. (1961)

Since the Replica Trowel was made, the Washington Trowel has been used only once in a cornerstone ceremony. This was for the 200th anniversary re-enactment of cornerstone laying of U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C. on September 18, 1993. Sponsored by the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, this event was attended by Masons from all over the United States.

As can be noted from the preceding list, the Washington Trowel was in demand for cornerstones of many important buildings. It was observed that the surface had become scratched from mortar, and in the 1960's, the Lodge, concerned about this wear and tear decided to have a Replica Trowel crafted.

Bro. George E. Olifer, an accomplished artist in precious metals and later Worsipful Master of the Lodge, was commissioned by the Lodge to replicate the Trowel as closely as possible. In each and every aspect except one, Wor. Olifer's handiwork is totally indistinguishable from the original. He marked the Replica with his own very small jewelers mark so that the replica can be identified, provided one knows where to look. His mark is in the same location on the Replica as John Duffy placed his mark on the original Trowel in 1793.

Since the late 1960's the Replica Trowel has been used whenever the Lodge is requested to lay a cornerstone or to provide the Trowel for display at a special event. The 200th anniversary re-enactment of the U.S. Capitol Cornerstone ceremony in September of 1993 was the one exception to this rule.

Some cornerstone events within the more recent past, in which the Replica Trowel has participated include:

Cornerstone of New Health Care Facility, Masonic Home at Bonnie Blink, Cockeysville, Md.,
Grand Lodge of Maryland (1981)
Re-enactment of Cornerstone Laying of Almas Shrine Temple Washington, D.C., Grand Lodge of D.C. (1986)
200th Anniversary Re-enactment of First Cornerstone of Federal District, Jones Point, Alexandria,
Virginia, Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 (1991)
200th Anniversary Re-enactment of Cornerstone Laying of White House, Washington, D.C., Grand Lodge of D.C. (1992)
Cornerstone for Reconstruction of Washington Grist Mill Perryopolis, Pa., Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, (1992)
Cornerstone of American Red Cross Chapter Building Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 (1995)
Cornerstone of Rural Electric Co-Op Association Building, Arlington, Virginia, Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 (1995)
Re-enactment of Cornerstone Laying of Alexandria Academy, Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 (1995)
Cornerstone of Charles A Brigham, Jr. Masonic Temple, Madisonville- Madiera Lodge No. 419, Symmes Township, Ohio, Grand Lodge of Ohio, (1996)
Prepared April 3, 1998 by Wor. Bro. Frank Rosser Dunaway, Jr., PM, Alexandria -Washington Lodge#22.

The Trowel is the property of Alexandria Washington Lodge #22 and is currently on display in the Replica Lodge Room of the Memorial.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

BROTHER MOZART - THE MAGIC FLUTE

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was twenty-eight years of age when, in the autumn of 1784, he joined a Masonic Lodge. As a pianist, little Wolfgang had been an infant prodigy, exhibited by his father throughout Europe, but he was now a recognized and admired composer living in Vienna. The very year of his initiation his first great opera, The Marriage of Figaro, had been produced in Paris. This was, however, before the days of copyright law and the earnings of genius were meager.

During the eighteenth century, Freemasonry in Vienna had a political as well as a benevolent side. It counted as its members many highly placed politicians and ecclesiastics whose ideal was the regeneration of humanity by moral means. It was hated by the Catholic Church and certain despotic political authorities who deemed it dangerous, both to religion and the well being of the state. The Church, however, even as today in certain Latin countries, did not consider it expedient to challenge high-placed per sons nominally its members but also of the Fraternity.

The Empress Maria Theresa had been one who was opposed to Masonry and, in 1743, had ordered a Viennese Lodge raided, forcing its Master and her husband, Francis I, to make his escape by a secret staircase. The Emperor Joseph II (1780-90) was favourably inclined to the Fraternity, although the clergy did their best to get the Lodges suppressed.

Such was the Masonic milieu when Wolfgang Mozart became a Master Mason. He must have been greatly moved and inspired by his experience. Almost immediately he composed his Freemason’s Funeral Music and his music for the opening and closing of a Lodge. He now composed his opera, Don Giovanni, and his three great symphonies - the E flat, the G minor and the C major, as well as a great number of concertos and chamber-music works.

His last great opera, The Magic Flute, opened in Vienna on the evening of September 30, 1791. Mozart conducted the first two performances, when he was overtaken by his last illness. He lingered on while the opera had an unprecedented run of more than one hundred consecutive performances. It is said that in his sick bed, watch in hand, he would follow in imagination the performance of The Magic Flute in the theatre. Then he died after its 67th performance.

The Magic Flute makes no mention of Freemasonry as such, but it has always been accepted as a Masonic opera. Musicians assert that even the music has much Craft significance, beginning in the overture with its three solemn chords in the brass.

In keeping with the fashion of the time, the plot is half-serious, half-comic, a fantasy of magic and mystery laid in a never-never land called Egypt. It depicts the ancient mysteries and presents much Craft symbolism. To the Viennese of that day, The Queen of the, Night was clearly the unfriendly Empress Maria Theresa; the good Sarasto was Ignas von Born, an eminent scientist and Masonic leader; the hero Tamino was the good Emperor Joseph and the heroine Pamina, the Austrian people themselves.

The first program credited the libretto to the actor-producer, Schikaneder, but it is now thought that it was written by Giesceke, the friend and intimate of Goethe and Schiller, who probably desired to remain anonymous for political reasons.

The opera has remained popular through the years and is included in the present repertoire of the Metropolitan Opera Company.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

I AM READY FOR MY LAST DEGREE

An old man lay sick in the Masonic State Home
His face was as white as the White Sea foam.
His eyes were dim; his hair was gray.
His back was bent with the toils of the way.
He unflatteringly spoke, and I heard him say,
I'm ready for my last degree.

I've come to the end of that level of time
That leads us all on to that Grand Lodge sublime.
From whose sacred form none ever returns.
More light in Masonry there I shall learn
By an altar where light ever more burns
I'm ready for my last degree.

With the apprentice's gauge I divided my time
And this I have found amidst life's' great turmoil:
Time for work, for worship and rest from my toil
My wages are due in corn, wine and oil-
I'm ready for my last degree.

Each day from life's quarries I've hewn out a stone,
With the gavel I've shaped them each one alone
And shipped them alone beyond that bright strand
To build me a house in that bright better land.
A spiritual house not made by hands-
I'm ready for my last degree.

I've squared each stone by the virtue square
And plumbed them all true as I shipped them there.
With the compass, I've measured the Master's Designs
And kept in the due bounds with his points and his lines.
My blueprints are folded-I've answer his signs
I'm ready for my last degree.

A few moments later the old man was dead
And I fancy I could see his soul as it fled
Upward and onward to that great door where he gave his alarm
And a voice did implore
The old man made answer with these words once more:
I'm ready for my last degree.

That night in a lodge free from strife and from storm
He took his last Degree-his last in due form
So may I live as to build day by day
A spiritual house in that land far away
So when I meet my Grand Master I can say,
I'm ready for my last degree.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

IF MASONRY ISN'T A RELIGION, WHY DOES IT USE RITUAL?"

Many of us may think of religion when we think of ritual, but ritual is used in every aspect of life. It's so much a part of us that we just don't notice it. Ritual simply means that some things are done more or less the same way each time.

Almost all school assemblies, for example, start with the principal or some other official calling for the attention of the group. Then the group is led in the Pledge of Allegiance. A school choir or the entire group may sing the school song. That's a ritual.

Almost all business meetings of every sort call the group to order, have a reading of the minutes of the last meeting, deal with old business, then with new business. That's a ritual.

Most groups use Robert's Rules of Order to conduct a meeting. That's probably the best-known book of ritual in the world.

There are social rituals which tell us how to meet people (we shake hands), how to join a conversation (we wait for a pause, and then speak), how to buy tickets to a concert (we wait in line and don't push in ahead of those who were there first). There are literally hundreds of examples, and they are all rituals.

Masonry uses a ritual because it's an effective way to teach important ideas -- the values we've talked about earlier. And it reminds us where we are, just as the ritual of a business meeting reminds people where they are and what they are supposed to be doing.

Masonry's ritual is very rich because it is so old. It has developed over centuries to contain some beautiful language and ideas expressed in symbols. But there's nothing unusual in using ritual. All of us do it every day.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

RED SKELTON ON PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

This was sent to me from W:. Paul Davis and thought it was great. If you have any noteworthy information or news, please send it to me and I will be glad to enter it here - Editor.

Red Skelton - The Pledge of Allegiance
From the Red Skelton Hour, January 14, 1969

Getting back to school, I remember a teacher that I had. Now I only went, I went through the seventh grade. I left home when I was 10 years old because I was hungry. (laughter) And .. this is true. I worked in the summer and went to school in the winter. But, I had this one teacher, he was the principal of the Harrison school, in Vincennes, Indiana. To me, this was the greatest teacher, a real sage of..of my time, anyhow.
He had such wisdom. We were all reciting the Pledge of Allegiance one day, and he walked over. This little old teacher ... Mr. Lasswell was his name. He said:

"I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester and it seems as though it is becoming monotonous to you. If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?

I - me, an individual, a committee of one.

Pledge - dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.

Allegiance - my love and my devotion.

To the Flag[of the] - our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever she waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's job.

United - that means that we have all come together.

States [of America] - individual communities that have united into 48 great states. 48 individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose, all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that's love for country.

and to the RepublicFor Which It Stands - Republic ... a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.

One Nation - One Nation ... meaning, so blessed by God.

Indivisible - incapable of being divided.

With Liberty - which is freedom, the right of power to live one's own life, without threats, fear, or some sort of retaliation.

And Justice - the principle or qualities of dealing fairly with others.

For All - For all ... which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

Learning the Work

"It seems to me," began the New Brother, offering a cigar to the Old Tiler, "that we make unnecessary demands on a candidate."

"Thanks," answered the Old Tiler. "Such as what, for instance?"

"A candidate who has received the Entered Apprentice degree must perfect himself in it before he gets his Fellowcraft. After he is a Fellowcraft he must learn that ritual before he can become a Master Mason. I can see the reason why all brethren must understand them and be able to tell about degrees, but I don't see why we must learn word for word and letter for letter. Last meeting we turned back a young fellow because he had not learned his Entered Apprentice degree. If he didn't learn it because he didn't want to he wasn't worth having, but it seems he just couldn't. Refusing him was an injustice. He's only one-third a Mason, and not likely to get any farther."

"You sure think of a lot of things Masonic to find fault with!" countered the Old Tiler. "But we would get along faster if you didn't mix your questions."

"How do you mean, mix them?"

"In one breath you want to know why Masonry requires learning degrees by heart, and don't I think it was an injustice to a certain young fellow because we wouldn't admit him to full membership when he couldn't or didn't, only you don't think it an injustice but a righteousness if he could and didn't. You agree that one of the safeguards of Masonry which keep it pure is what we call the ancient landmarks?"

"I agree."

"And you know one of the landmarks is that Masonry is secret?"

"Of course."

"If we printed the work would it be secret?"

"Certainly not. But you don't have to print it."

"No? But if we can't print it and won't learn it, how are we to give it to our sons?"

"Oh!"

The New Brother saw a great light. "We all learn the work and so know when mistakes are made and correct them in the workers, and our sons hear the same work we did and learn it and transmit it. But wouldn't it be enough if only a few men learned the work- those well qualified and with good memories? How would that do?"

"It is good Masonry and good Americanism that the majority rules. Masonry is not a despotism but a democracy. If a favored few were the custodians of the work would not the favored few soon become the rulers of Masonry, just as the favored few have always ruled the lazy, the ignorant, and the stupid?"

"If that happened we'd just put them out of office."

"And put in men who didn't know the work? Then what becomes of your landmark?"

"You are too many for me," laughed the New Brother. "I guess there is a reason why we have to learn the work. But I still think we might make an occasional exception when a man just can't memorize."

"If you read the Bible, you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. One bad egg will spoil an omelette. The man who won't learn is not fit to be a Mason, since he is not willing to tread the path all his brethren have trod. The man who can't learn the work hasn't control enough of his brain to enable him to appreciate Masonic blessings. This is no question of education. A brother of this lodge has had so little education that he barely reads and write. His grammar is fearful and his knowledge of science so full of things that are not so that it is funny when it isn't pathetic. But he is a good Mason for all that, and bright as a dollar at learning the work. It's only the stupid, the lazy, the indifferent and dull-witted, the selfish and foolish man who can't learn or won't learn Masonry. They add nothing to it; it is better they are kept out. To make an exception merely would be to leaven our lump with sour leaven."

"But, Old Tiler, many who learned it once have forgotten it now."

"Of course they have! You can't do a quadratic equation or tell me the principle cities in Greenland, or bound Poland, or do a Latin declination. You learned it and forgot it. But you had the mental training. If I told you a quadratic was worked with an adding machine, that Poland was in china, or that hocus-pocus meant Caesar's lives, you'd know I was wrong. Same way with ritual; leaning it is Masonic training, and though we often forget it we never lose it entirely, and through the whole of us it is preserved to posterity."

"Oh, all right! I learned mine, any way. Have another cigar, won't you?"

"Thanks," answered the Old Tiler. "You have learned rather well, I'll admit, that I like your cigars!"

LONG ISLAND MASONS

TAKE MY HAND; FOLLOW ME

When I was a young man, a long time ago,

The secrets of Masonry I wanted to know.

Of a Mason I asked what those secrets might be.

He replied,"First, we talk, then we will see.

"A petition he granted and ordered it filled

To be read at a meeting and a judgment be willed.

Then questions I answered about God and home;

Of habits and friends; a wife or alone.

In time I was summoned - a date to appear

Before an assembly of men gathered near.

I entered the building and looked up the stair;

Does pleasure or pain await me up there?

A hazing by paddle, taunting by joke?

My petition accepted or maybe revoked?

Introductions and handshakes welcomed me there

And lessons symbolic, an aid to prepare

For a journey in darkness, a predestined plight

To a Holy of Holies, the source of all light.

How well I remember what I heard someone say,

"To enter God's Kingdom there is but one way;

Be ye naked and blind, penniless and poor;

These you must suffer 'fore entering that door.

The journey ahead is not yours to know,

But trust in your God wherever you go.

"Then assurance from the darkness whispered tenderly,

"My Friend, be not afraid; TAKE MY HAND; FOLLOW ME."

With nervous attention a path I then trod;

A pathway in darkness to the altar of God.

With cable-tow and hoodwink, on bare bended knee,

A covenant was made there between God and me.

Charges and promises were made there that night.

Dispelling the darkness and bringing me light.

Mid lightening and thunder and Brethren on row!

Cast off the darkness! And cast off the tow!

In the company of men, a man you must be,

Moral in character, the whole world to see.

Trust in your God, promise daily anew

To be honest and upright in all things you do.

Each man is a brother in charity to share

With those suffering hunger, pain or despair.

The widow and orphan and brother in pain

Depend on your mercy their welfare to gain.

The secrets of Brethren keep only in mind.

To the ladies of Brethren be noble and kind.

Go now, my brother, your journey's begun

Your wages await you when your journey is done.

That journey I started, Oh, so long ago

And I've learned of those things I wanted to know.

I've learned of the secrets, not secret at all,

But hidden in knowledge within Masons' hall.

Childhood yields to manhood, manhood yields to age,

Ignorance yields to knowledge, knowledge yields to sage.

I've lived all my life the best that I could,

Knowing full well how a good Mason should.

I know of those times when I slipped and then fell.

What's right and what's wrong were not easy to tell.

But a trust in my God and a true brother's hand.

Helped raise me up and allowed me to stand.

I've strode down the old path, Masonically worn

By all Mason's raised for the Masons unborn.

But this tired old body, once young and so bold,

Now suffers the afflictions of having grown old.

The almond tree's flourished; the grinders are few.

The housekeepers tremble; desires fail too.

The locusts are a burden; fears are in the way.

The golden bowl is breaking, a little every day.

Mine eyes are again darkened, my sight again to fail;

I sense the Master's presence mid my family's silent wail.

I've laid aside my working tools, my day is nearly done.

For long I've played the game of life; the game's no longer fun.

Life's pathway ends before me. I see what's meant for me;

An acacia plant is growing where a beehive used to be.

The Ethereal Lodge has summoned from beyond the wailing wall

And I vowed that I must answer when summoned by a call.

Again I stand bewildered at the bottom of the stair

In nervous apprehension of what awaits me there.

Once again, and now alone, I stand without the door.

With faltering hand, I slowly knock as once I did before.

I pray again to hear those words, whispered tenderly,

"My son, be not afraid. TAKE MY HAND; FOLLOW ME.".

LONG ISLAND MASONS

IS MASONRY A RELIGION?

The answer to that question is simple. No. We do use ritual in the meetings, and because there is always an altar or table with the Volume of the Sacred Law open if a lodge is meeting, some people have confused Masonry with a religion, but it is not.

That does not mean that religion plays no part in Masonry -- it plays a very important part. A person who wants to become a Mason must have a belief in God. No atheist can ever become a Mason. Meetings open with prayer, and a Mason is taught, as one of the first lessons of Masonry, that one should pray for divine counsel and guidance before starting an important undertaking. But that does not make Masonry a "religion."

Sometimes people confuse Masonry with a religion because we call some Masonic buildings "temples." But we use the word in the same sense that Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes called the Supreme Court a "Temple of Justice" and because a Masonic lodge is a symbol of the Temple of Solomon. Neither Masonry nor the Supreme Court is a religion just because its members meet in a "temple."

In some ways, the relationship between Masonry and religion is like the relationship between the Parent-Teacher Association (the P.T.A.) and education. Members of the P.T.A. believe in the importance of education.

They support it.

They assert that no man or woman can be a complete and whole individual or live up to his or her full potential without education.

They encourage students to stay in school and parents to be involved with the education of their children.

They may give scholarships.

They encourage their members to get involved with and support their individual schools.

But there are some things P.T.A.s do not do. They don't teach. They don't tell people which school to attend. They don't try to tell people what they should study or what their major should be.

In much the same way, Masons believe in the importance of religion. Masonry encourages every Mason to be active in the religion and church of his own choice. Masonry teaches that, without religion, a man is alone and lost, and that without religion, he can never reach his full potential.

But Freemasonry does not tell a person which religion he should practice or how he should practice it. That is between the individual and God. That is the function of his house of worship, not his fraternity. And Masonry is a fraternity, not a religion.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

WHY MASONRY SO "SECRETIVE"?

It really isn't "secretive," although it sometimes has that reputation. Masons certainly don't make a secret of the fact that they are members of the fraternity. We wear rings, lapel pins and tie tacks with Masonic emblems like the Square and Compasses, the best known of Masonic signs which, logically, recalls the fraternity's roots in stonemasonry. Masonic buildings are clearly marked, and are usually listed in the phone book. Lodge activities are not secret picnics and other events are even listed in the newspapers, especially in smaller towns. Many lodges have answering machines which give the upcoming lodge activities. But there are some Masonic secrets, and they fall into two categories.

The first are the ways in which a man can identify himself as a Mason -- grips and passwords. We keep those private for obvious reasons. It is not at all unknown for unscrupulous people to try to pass themselves off as Masons in order to get assistance under false pretenses.

The second group is harder to describe, but they are the ones Masons usually mean if we talk about "Masonic secrets." They are secrets because they literally can't be talked about, can't be put into words. They are the changes that happen to a man when he really accepts responsibility for his own life and, at the same time, truly decides that his real happiness is in helping others.

It's a wonderful feeling, but it's something you simply can't explain to another person. That's why we sometimes say that Masonic secrets cannot ( rather than "may not") be told. Try telling someone exactly what you feel when you see a beautiful sunset, or when you hear music, like the national anthem, which suddenly stirs old memories, and you'll understand what we mean.

"Secret societies" became very popular in America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. There were literally hundreds of them, and most people belonged to two or three. Many of them were modeled on Masonry, and made a great point of having many "secrets." And Masonry got ranked with them. But if Masonry is a secret society, it's the worst-kept secret in town.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

Blue Lodge Masonry

Freemasonry as we know it today came into being in the early 1700’s, when the first Grand Lodge of England was formed. Masonry prior to that time was a guild or union of stoneworkers, who practiced their trade throughout England and Europe, and were responsible for the beautiful cathedrals and public buildings throughout the continent. Whole masonic families lived and died during the construction of each of those buildings, some of which took over a century to build.

The term “Freemason” arose because these builders were not bound to a single Lord, Earl, Duke, or King, but instead worked under a contract, and when finished, were free to leave the country to take on another project. As this was a very prestigious fraternity, the gentry of the time applied for membership, and were “accepted”, whence originated the “Accepted” part of our Free and Accepted Masons. As time went by, more and more speculative Masons were accepted, and the actual building of massive structures declined, till around 1717, the majority of Freemasons were as we are today, builders of men and minds, instead of impressive edifices, and the first Grand Lodge of England was formed.

This discourse is designed to give you a brief introduction to the Craft and the mainstay of Freemasonry, the “Blue Lodge”, or symbolic lodge, as it is more properly known. Every Mason belonging to any Masonic body begins in a symbolic lodge, where he receives the first three degrees in Masonry. These are known, respectively, as the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Masons Degrees. Some refer to them as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Degrees. I find those terms disagreeable, for to my knowledge, there are no rubber hoses, men in trench coats in darkened rooms or other forms of persuasion where a 3rd degree may be imposed upon one. Instead, only the most profound ritual and symbolism characterizes our degrees, designed to open the eyes and mind to a higher ideal. A person desiring admittance into our Fraternity must, of his own free will, approach a Master Mason and request a petition, which he must fill out in his own hand, and have it signed by two Masons who have known him for over a year. This oft-times is difficult, because some of us are so afraid of divulging secrets we don’t let it be known we are Masons. This is not as it should be, and gives rise to a subject for a whole evenings speech, but be that as it may, the non-Mason should have his signed petition submitted to a Lodge, where it is read at a regular meeting. A committee is formed to call on the prospect to determine his motives and acceptability. Their report is returned one month hence, when the petition is brought up for action. If the ballot by the members present is 100% in favor of the applicant, he is so informed and then informed of the time to appear for his Entered Apprentice degree. A single black ball in the ballot box is sufficient to prevent the prospect from being accepted, whence originated the term “Black Ball”.

Masonry is a closed society, not open to the general public, but rather to persons of like persuasions and ideals. While no two people are alike, they can share a common belief in the brotherhood of man and in ONE who we in Masonry refer to as the Supreme Architect of the Universe. The tenets of Masonry are Brotherhood, Relief and Truth. We espouse all men being equal, regardless of their worldly wealth or position, and attempt to relieve our fellow man’s woes and tribulations, again regardless of membership in the Fraternity. We also practice the virtue of Truth. This may be the hardest of all, because it is often easier to tell a “little white lie” than to confront one with the truth. I have been guilty, and expect to be so again, but every time I tell a “little white lie”, I think perhaps I’m not really doing that someone a favor.

Masonry is the oldest Fraternity in the world. Even though there are those who claim it is a false religion and heretic in nature, I, as a Christian, find nothing in Freemasonry contradictory with my Bible or beliefs. Some religions claim we as Freemasons worship the Devil, and require our members to make blood oaths. Neither is true. Our oaths, or obligations, as we call them, are purely symbolic in nature, to impress on the candidate the seriousness of our ceremonies and teachings. They are never to be taken literally. The only real penalties ever imposed in Masonry are those of reprimand, suspension and expulsion, depending on the severity of the offense. Masonry requires every applicant to profess a belief in Deity. No meeting of Masons can begin without the Holy Bible open on the Altar, and a prayer to the Almighty being made.

The ritual practiced by the symbolic lodge is called York Rite, and follows into the Royal Arch Chapter, thence into the Commandry. On the other side of the coin is the Scottish Rite, which opens another door of Masonry.

This has in no way intended to be an all-inclusive discourse, but merely a few words to perhaps pique your interest, and generate a few questions which we may be able to answer this evening.

In closing, Masonry is a brotherhood extending throughout the world, and never is a Mason truly alone while the Fraternity exists.

LONG ISLAND MASONS

FREEMASONRY DEFINED

Freemasonry is the science by which morality is taught through the visible symbols and instructive traditions associated with the erection of King Solomon's Temple some 3,000 years ago. Like every science and permanent institution, Freemasonry is built on certain conceded principles. These include a belief in the one living and true God, a revelation of His Will, the resurrection of the body, and the immortality of the soul. When we say, "one God," we refer to the supreme and benevolent being in which a man places his ultimate trust. We are a nondenominational institution accepting men of all faiths. Freemasonry is however, supportive of every religion believing in one God. It denies to no man his particular theological or secular beliefs, but rather complements those beliefs.

Without an expressed belief in these principles, no man can ever become a Freemason. Acceptance of the Fatherhood of God is the very foundation of the Masonic Institution. From the Fatherhood of God logically flows the Brotherhood of Man.

The Masonic Fraternity stands before the world today, not merely as a marvelous monument of antiquity, but older, larger, and more widely spread than almost any other human institution, having maintained for so many centuries the essentials of its primary organization. It has long outlived the circumstances which gave it birth. The necessities which called Freemasonry into being have long ago ceased to exist. Originally a company of stonemasons and builders whose monuments of rare skill now ad