1. law, govt and politics
2. armed forces
3. army

March 2015
The Small Town Texas Masons EE-magazine
`The Small Town Texas Mason's E-Magazine is not affiliated with any state Grand Lodge or
individual Blue Lodge.
It was created to enlighten, educate and entertain Masons and non-Masons alike and as
title suggests, it does try to feature a small town Texas Masonic Lodge and a story of Texas
Masonic history in each issue.
You may have noticed, the magazine is slowly changing, starting with new covers. I have
almost exhausted the Small town Texas Masonic Lodge histories and pictures that are available
on the internet and the monthly feature stories will become more toward Texas Masonic history
and hero's stories.
Page#
Story
3. Twenty Minutes Beside The San Jacinto River Changed North America Tex
5. It All Started With A Swastika And A School Project
8. Surviving the Big Ones Tex
10. The Powerful Myth of Hiram Abiff
11. Masons’ Marks get a Revival
13. The Masonic Oak Picnic and Pilgrimage Tex
14. The Evolution of the Cornerstone Ceremony
17. Color Symbolism In Freemasonry
20. The Death Of A Freemason
25. The Profound Pontifications Of John Deacon Tex
28. Grand Master’s Gala Tex
29. Masonic Trivia: Amusements and Curiosities
31. Mrs. Elizabeth St Leger, Freemason
33. Hidden Lessons From Ritual Work
34a. The Shriner
34b. Seven Blunders of the Masonic World
36. The Distinguishing Badge Of A Mason
38. A Sinister Cult?
Copyright Info. No Copyright - Free To Use — A very sincere effort was made to avoid
using any copyrighted material, without permission or giving credit to the author, in the
creation of this web site. If you discover something that is yours, without giving you due
credit, please let me know and it will be corrected or removed.
This month’s cover like was found by Googling “Small Texas Towns” - Name Unknown.
Page 2
Twenty Minutes Beside The San Jacinto
River Changed
Changed North America
On the morning of April 21, 1836, General Antonio Lopez de
Santa Anna, the President and Dictator of Mexico and his proud army
were camped on the high ground beside the intersection of the San
Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou.
General Santa Anna and his army were still swollen with pride
after their great victory at the Alamo, where on April 11, 1836, with
1,600 troops they defeated and then massacred every one of the 183
defenders at the Alamo.
Santa Anna discovered that Sam Houston had retreated to the
Harrisburg area and he decided to take possession of the coast and
seaports, as a step in his plan to round up the revolutionists.
Crossing the Brazos on April 14 at Fort Bend (now called the city
of Richmond), the Mexican general took the road to Harrisburg, taking with him about 700 men
and one twelve-pounder cannon.
Urrea was at Matagorda with 1200 men: Gaona was somewhere between Bastrop and San
Felipe, with 725; Sesma, at Fort Bend, with about 1,000, and Vicente Filisola between San Felipe
and Fort Bend, with nearly 1800 men.
Santa Anna arrived at Harrisburg on the 15th. There he
learned that the Burnet government had gone down Buffalo
Bayou to New Washington (now Morgan's Point), about 18 miles
southeast. After burning Harrisburg, Santa Anna and his troops
pursued them.
On the 19th when he arrived at New Washington he learned
that the new Texas government had already fled to Galveston.
Santa Anna then set out for Anahuac via Lynchburg. He caught
up with Houston’s army on April 19 near Lynch's Ferry.
Believing Houston to be cornered, Santa Anna established
positions on the high ground overlooking a marsh about three
fourths of a mile from the Texas camp and threw up breastworks
of trunks, baggage, packsaddles, and other equipment. Santa
Anna decided to rest his army for a couple of days and attack the
Texans army on April 22. He had received roughly 500
reinforcements under General Martín Perfecto de Cos that
morning, bringing his total strength up to roughly 1,400 men.
Both Sam Houston and Santa Anna had been forced to cross
the bridge over the rain swollen Vince's Bayou which they would also have to cross to return.
Houston ordered his scout, Erastus (Deaf) Smith to destroy the bridge and prevent further enemy
reinforcements. The move would also prevent the retreat of either the Texans or the Mexicans
towards Harrisburg.
It was about 3:30 in the afternoon, siesta time and the Mexican army was taking a well
8General Santa Anna was in his tent, distracted by the yellow rose of Texas while his Page 3
troops were taking their afternoon siesta. General Santa Anna with his 725 troops had been
reinforced that morning by General Cos and his 540 troops and he felt over confident enough to
made a crucial mistake. During his army's afternoon siesta, he failed to post sentries or
skirmishers around his camp.
The Texan army began moving
quickly and silently across the high
grassy plain toward the Mexican
army’s camp. Then, when they were
only a few dozen yards away, they
charged, shouting "Remember the
Alamo!" and "Remember Goliad!,"
only stopping a few yards from the
Mexicans to open fire. The Texans
achieved complete surprise. It was a
bold attack in broad daylight but its
success can be attributed in good part
to Santa Anna's failure to post guards during the army's siesta. Santa Anna's army primarily
consisted of professional soldiers, but they were trained to fight in ranks, exchanging volleys with
their opponents. The Mexicans were ill-prepared and unarmed at the time of the sudden attack.
Most were asleep with their soldaderas (i.e., wives and female soldiers), some were out gathering
wood, and the cavalrymen were riding
bareback fetching water. General Manuel Fernández Castrillón desperately tried to mount an
organized resistance, but was soon shot down and killed. His panicked troops fled, and Santa
Anna's defensive line quickly collapsed. The battle lasted eighteen minutes.
According to Houston's official report, the casualties were 630 Mexicans killed and 730 taken
prisoner. Against this, only nine of the 910 Texans were killed or mortally wounded and thirty
were wounded less seriously. Houston's ankle was shattered by a rifle ball. The Texans captured
a large supply of muskets, pistols, sabers, mules, horses, provisions, clothing, tents, and $12,000
in silver.
During the battle, General
Santa Anna disappeared and a
search party consisting of James A.
Sylvester, Washington H. Secrest,
Sion R. Bostick, and a Mr. Cole
was sent out the next morning.
However, Santa Anna shed his
ornate uniform to elude discovery.
It was not until he was saluted as
"El Presidente" that suspicion was
narrowed.
Unfortunately for Santa Anna,
it was well known that he wore silk
underwear. So, when it was
Santa Anna Surrenders To Sam Houston
discovered that this same person
who had been saluted was also wearing silk underwear, the Texans knew they had
captured General Santa Anna.
Page 4
General Houston spared Santa Anna's life and many historians believe that it was because
both men were Freemasons, but Houston claimed it was because it would be much better for
Texas to negotiate an end to the overall hostilities and force the withdrawal from Texas of Santa
Anna and his remaining columns.
Compiled from Wikipedia, Texas State Library and Archives Commission and Handbook of
Texas On-Line, by John “Corky” Daut, P.M. Waller Masonic Lodge #808, Contributing Editor
to the Grand Lodge of Texas History Committee.
It All Started With A Swastika And A School Project
From The Rural Lodge newsletter
When his seven-year-old daughter drew a swastika as a symbol of her family history, Giles
Milton was shocked. He knew it was time to ask his German father-in-law about his part in the
war and life under Hitler
I had always wondered what, exactly, my
German father-inlaw did during the war. I had
never dared ask because he is a deeply private
person. And he had certainly never volunteered
any information. Even my wife, Alexandra,
knew very little.
"He never talks about it," she said. "It was a
bad time of his life."
"And?"
"And that's it."
All we could gather was that he had been conscripted into the army in 1942 and almost died
on the Eastern Front. It was not until my seven-year-old daughter, Madeleine, was set a school
project that I discovered a great deal more about his extraordinary wartime odyssey.
Madeleine's project was to design a heraldic shield that represented the most important
elements in her family background. Aware that one set of grandparents was German, she proudly
decorated her shield with the only German symbol she knew: a giant swastika. My wife was
horrified and swiftly suggested she change it. But this left Madeleine perplexed. She was proud
of her German roots and wanted to celebrate the fact in her heraldic shield. She knew nothing of
the swastika's evil associations. To her innocent eyes, it meant nothing bad.
We knew it would be only a matter of time before Madeleine and
“The regime announced her sisters would discover
that all masons who had
the horrors of the Third Reich. They would also soon discover all
not immediately quit
the stereotypes that people held about Germany. Would they therefore
their
lodges
were
forbidden from ever choose to distance themselves from their German roots? To do so
joining the Nazi party – would be sad, for the story of their grandfather, Wolfram Aïchele,
a
stricture
that turned out to be one that overturned all the cliches.
The swastika incident led me to ask Wolfram – now 87 and a
Wolfram's
father
exploited fully. He used distinguished artist – all the questions I had never dared to put to him.
it as an excuse for never His family, he told me, had been against Hitler from the outset. His
becoming
a
party father, Erwin, was a bohemian animal artist who kept a large
member”
menagerie in the garden. He was also a freemason, who
counted many intellectual Jews among his clients and friends.
Page 5
Wolfram's mother, Marie Charlotte, was equally idiosyncratic: highly cultivated, she was
deeply involved in the Rudolf Steiner movement, with its emphasis on the freedom of individual
thought. The family lived in a rambling villa just outside the town of Pforzheim, in southern
Germany. One of Wolfram's earliest memories is of spying on the maid as she took her bath. Her
naked body was not the only attraction. She always bathed with her pet snake coiled around her
neck.
The family's interests and eccentricities were to put them on the wrong side of the Third
Reich. The momentous political transformation of Germany had its first direct effect on the family
within weeks of Hitler becoming chancellor in January 1933. Erwin's freemasonry lodge was
closed and banned.
Wolfram Aichele on leave in February 1944, aged 19 “The regime announced that all masons
who had not immediately quit their lodges were forbiddenfrom ever joining the Nazi party – a
stricture that Wolfram's father exploited fully. He used it as an excuse for never becoming a party
member”
The regime announced that all masons who had not immediately quit their lodges were
forbidden from ever joining the Nazi party – a stricture that Wolfram's father exploited fully. He
used it as an excuse for never becoming a party member, though he was a state employee of the
local art school. This immediately rendered him suspect in the eyes of the regime.
There were soon many disquieting changes to daily life. Goebbels declared that the new
government "no longer intends to leave people to their own devices". The regime banned the
traditional Schwabish greeting "Grüss Gott" or "God be with you". Henceforth, Wolfram's parents
were obliged to say "Heil Hitler". Street names were also changed. The principal thoroughfare in
Pforzheim was named after Hitler, as were several schools.
The new regime began to impinge on home life as well. A huge public burning of "dirt and
shame" books in Pforzheim was followed by an intrusive visit to the villa by the Gestapo. They
had heard that Wolfram's mother possessed banned books. Fortunately, she had hidden them all
under the dining room floorboards.
The young Wolfram had inherited his father's artistic genes. He developed a passion for
medieval art and spent his weekends visiting local churches in order to draw the Gothic
altarpieces. Now these visits were brought to an abrupt end by the obligations of the Hitler Youth
– marching, drilling and endless military exercises. Wolfram complained to his father, who asked
a doctor friend to write a note excusing his son on grounds of ill health. For the next three years,
Wolfram avoided attending the Hitler Youth – a very unusual case.
As Hitler consolidated his grip on power, Wolfram's parents saw their beloved Germany
steadily overtaken by forces of darkness. They continued to invite free-thinking friends to their
hilltop home. But Wolfram's mother was now under Gestapo surveillance, making life
increasingly intolerable.
Moreover, many of the family's wealthier Jewish friends had left Germany while they still
could. Those who didn't leavewere deported to a concentration camp in 1940. The biggest impact
on family life came in 1942 when 17-year-old Wolfram was conscripted into the Reich Labour
Service, the first step into the military. He learned that he was to be sent to Russia. His mother
was distraught, though she attempted to put a brave face on it. "In this day and age," she wrote,
"you have to take things as they come. Everyone has to remain strong … in this fight between
good spirits and bad."
After eight weeks of training, Wolfram boarded a train for the Crimea. It was during
this journey through the occupied east that he got his first inkling of crimes being Page 6
committed in Germany's name. His first shock came when the train drew into the Belorussian
frontier town of BrestLitovsk. Scores of Jewish women, all wearing yellow stars, were cleaning
dirt from between the tracks. They were in a pitiful condition – their famished frames a visible
testimony to long months of hunger. Another group of Jews were engaged in a desperate brawl
over empty food tins thrown out of the train by German soldiers.
They were wiping the insides of the tins with their fingers in the hope of finding some
nourishment. In the town itself, Wolfram witnessed a German guard smashing a Soviet prisonerof-war around the head with a spade – his first direct experience of the brutality taking place in
the occupied lands. Little did he know that these prisoners-of-war were actually among the more
fortunate. Most of the 950,000 Soviet soldiers taken prisoner were starved to death or imprisoned
without shelter in the cruel months of midwinter.
Wolfram contracted diphtheria soon after arriving in Crimea and fell critically ill. The doctors
informed his parents that hewas going to die. For many months, he hovered between life and
death. When he finally awoke from his coma, he learned that his comrades had all been killed at
Stalingrad.
Once he had recuperated, he was sent to Normandy where German coastal defenses were
being strengthened in preparation for the anticipated Allied invasion. He had been trained as a
communications expert – a dangerous job, for the Morse code men were often in the front line of
battle.
D-day arrived, on 6 June 1944, and Wolfram
was sent northward towards Utah beach. His group
had no maps and inadvertently strayed into the
American beachhead. Surrounded and trapped,
they were sitting ducks when the Americans
launched a massive aerial attack. Allied planes
screamed in from the sea, spilling hundreds of
shells on to the troops below. As shrapnel filled the
air, Wolfram flung himself into a ditch. The blitz of
fire came to a temporary halt and he briefly lifted
his head as the planes traced a circle in the sky. He
was appalled by the scene of destruction around
him. The ground was on fire, strewn with the dead
and the dying A young student artist, with a powerful visual memory, he found himself gazing on
a canvas that would remain with him for ever. His comrades lay wounded and bleeding, their
bodies punctured by bullets.
Wolfram eventually surrendered to the Americans and spent the next two years as a prisonerof-war, first in England and then in America. It was there, in Oklahoma, where he and his
comrades first learned of the horrors of the Holocaust.
When he finally returned to Germany, he found that the town of his childhood had been
reduced to rubble. On 23 February 1945, the RAF had launched one of its most devastating
firestorm raids on the town. In less than 20 minutes, 17,000 Pforzheimers lost their lives,
including many friends of the family. "Whole families have died," wrote Wolfram's mother.
"There are children without parents and parents without children. . . Frau Müller and Frau Kropt
have died; her daughter at the fish shop has died. So many people have died."
Yet Wolfram's immediate family had been extraordinarily lucky. Wolfram, his
brother and sister had all survived the war. So, too, had his parents. Though they had Page 7
been viewed as suspect by the regime – and were under Gestapo surveillance – they came through
unscathed. The 12 years of the Third Reich were nevertheless dangerous: for Wolfram, 66 years
later, the memories remain raw. "The images of war are imprinted in my head," he says. "They
will never leave."
Now he has conjured them to life for a new generation – one that stands at a far remove from
the horrors of war. And my children – with their half-German roots – can take quiet pride in the
fact that their family was among the few who kept their integrity and dignity during the dark years
of the Third Reich. Madeleine, now 15, and her sister Heloise, 13, have both chosen to learn
German at school. Aurelia, 9, also wants to learn the language. And we often return to Wolfram's
childhood home – still owned by the family – for summer holidays.
Of course, my daughters still laugh at John Cleese pretending to be German in Fawlty Towers.
They are still amused by his "Don't mention the war" sketch. But they also know that behind the
humour, there was profound human suffering and misery. And they know that their grandfather
experienced his share of it.
Wolfram: The Boy Who Went to War is published by Sceptre, £20, on 11 February. To order
a copy for £15.99, with free UK p&p, go to guardian.co.uk/bookshop or call 0330 333 6846
UK: It all started with a swastika and a school project
Pforzheim, Schwabia
Surviving The Big Ones
By John “Corky” Daut
The big ones for me were that 16 year period between the Great Depression and World War
II. Being born in 1928, I grew up during the hard times between the stock market crash of 1929
and the end of World War II in 1945.
There was a lot of promotion last fall for people, especially old people to get a flu shot. I
would guess that a lot of people don’t realize how dangerous the flu could be or how dangerous
it has been in the past.
Nellie and I ran across an old “Hempstead News” newspaper dated November 1, 1918 in
some of the stuff my mother had saved. There were 2 articles in that paper that immediately
caught my eye. The first was a story about the death of Harry Lee Milam who was my
grandfather.
The family always believed Harry Lee’s devotion to his work at the Pine Island/Prairie View
post office was what caused his death. He, along with many people in the winter of 1918 - 1919,
became a victim of the influenza epidemic. Just as he begin to recover from a bad cold, an early
cold wet norther swept through Waller County. That evening at train time he began to worry
about the mail pickup. In those days the mail sack was hung on a pole beside the railroad tracks
and a steel hook was extended from the mail car to catch the mailbag as the train rushed by. It
was a wonderful system, except that sometime the train rocked at the wrong moment and the hook
only knocked the mail sack off the pole and a considerable way down the tracks.
One of Harry Lee's responsibilities was hanging the mail sack on the pole. He was
worrying whether the mail sack had been hung correctly by his replacement, as he got out of bed
and stood in the open front door waiting for the train to pass, so that he would be sure the mail
sack was picked up. The door was on the north side of the house and that short exposure
to the cold north wind was enough to cause him to relapse and go into the pneumonia Page 8
that killed him. (Of course we know now that it had to have been personal contact with someone
who was infected.)
The second article was about Tommy Gardner who was the first soldier from Hempstead to
die in W.W. I.. Tommy and Harry Lee were both victims of the 1918 “Spanish Flu Epidemic”.
In fact allmost every family in the United States lost a family member during that epidemic
including a lot from Waller County.
600,000 Americans died that fall. That’s more then had died in all of the wars in the United
States up to that time. People who would be walking around in perfect health in the morning
would be dead that night. They didn’t know where it came from or even why it ended. In fact,
at that time they were still looking for a bacterium as the cause of the flu instead of a virus. At
it’s peak, the death rate was so high, that caskets couldn’t be built fast enough to keep up with the
number of people who were dying.
It started in the early morning of March 11, 1918 when soldiers at Ft. Riley Kansas begin
coming down with an unknown sickness and 48 of the men died. The viruses traveled with some
of the soldiers who were transferring from that base to other bases and some who were going
overseas.
In September of that year, 3 civilians dropped dead in the street in Quincy, Mass. and it was
back in the United States. By October 70,000 soldiers in Europe were sick. Back home the
disease spread until it covered the entire country. Finally, late in November it played itself out
and disappeared.
I hope we all realize now why the “Bird Flu” was taken so seriously in the Orient recently
when they burned millions of chickens.
Even the children had the flu on their minds in 1918 as is shown by the little rhyme they
jumped rope to.
I have a little bird
It’s name is Enza
I opened the window
and In-flu-enza
The following advertisement came from that same “Hempstead News.” It gives a hint as to
the seriousness of the threat.
W. C. MUNN COMPANY
HOUSTON
AN INVITATION
W. C. MUNN COMPANY of Houston, Texas, extends to the Good people of Hempstead and
vicinity a most cordial invitation to visit the city of Houston and their big store, which is the most
sanitary, best ventilated Store in Texas with entrance on four streets, where you will find 50,000
square feet of floor space filled bright new merchandise. It is a most delightful place to spend a
whole day, taking lunch and Saturday evening dinner in their delightful Café and Tea Room,
Health conditions of Houston are good,
“The Flu Lid is Off”—COME By W. C. MUNN, President
As you may have caught from the wording of the advertisement, this was toward the
end of the terrible flue epidemic of 1918 and businessmen had been suffering from a lack
of customers.
Mr. Munn was trying to assure the people of Waller County that it was safe to shop
Page 9
in Houston, at Munn’s Store of course.
The Powerful Myth of Hiram Abiff
Author Bro Roger Marjoribanks – England
Brethren, let us consider for a moment the legend of Hiram Abiff as told in our 3rd Degree
ceremony, remembering that what we have is not the Hiram of Biblical history but a powerfully
mythical figure designed to illustrate dramatically an important Masonic lesson - the supreme
importance of fidelity. Hiram, although faced with the imminent prospect of death, replies firmly that
“he would rather suffer death than betray the sacred trust reposed in him.” He is duly murdered,
having clothed the well-known saying “death before dishonour” in flesh and blood. Whether the story
was a revival in the 1720s of an old dramatic tale of our ancient operative brethren or invented out
of whole cloth cannot now be determined for certain; but the lesson imparted is both dramatic and
clear - that secrecy and fidelity to one’s brethren are supreme Masonic virtues. Thus the instructions
contained in the Charge to the Initiate are reinforced.
There is a further mystery in this story: if, as Hiram is made to say, the secret of a Master Mason
is known to “but three in the world” - King Solomon, King Hiram and himself - how can his death
cause Solomon to say later that as a result “the secrets of a Master Mason were lost”; surely there
were still two people who knew them? This just might be an oversight by the story-teller; the only
satisfactory answer I have come across is that it was not so much the secrets themselves that were
lost but any legitimate method of communicating them, which required the co-operation of the three
Masters, rather as such communication in our chapters requires. Just as a triangle is a perfectly rigid
figure when complete, but swings uselessly when one is removed, so it is envisaged is the case with
the secrets of a Master Mason.
Finally, brethren, a new-made Master Mason may well ask why he is being fobbed off with mere
“substituted secrets,” when it is well known that the three degrees of the Craft form a complete whole.
This section is quite deliberately introduced, and is clearly integral to the ceremony. Some may say
that exaltation to the Holy Royal Arch is required for completion, but a fairly recent ruling destroys
that comforting illusion. Otherwise, differing explanations have been given, notably by Rev.
N.B.Barker-Cryer and Julian Rees1. I should not presume to choose between various choices, though
my personal preference is for Rees’s suggestion that the genuine secrets of a Master Mason are to be
found within the Mason’s heart as he progresses in Masonic spirituality.
Whatever our interpretation of the problems raised by the story of Hiram, there can surely be no
doubt that the new-made Master Mason has a right for his mentors within the lodge to confront these
difficulties - very genuine ones for an intelligent brother - with him, in the hope that for him the light
may shine in the darkness. course.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my lunch, grabbed the dog, and
slipped quietly into the garage.
I started the truck, clicked the garage door opener and started to back out to hook up the boat.
I backed into a torrential downpour and the wind was blowing 50 mph. So, I pulled back into
the garage, turned on the truck radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad all day.
I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed. I cuddled up to my
wife's back, now with a different anticipation, and whispered, 'The weather out there is terrible.'
My loving wife of 10 years replied, 'Can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in
that?'
And then the fight started . . .
Page 10
Masons’ Marks Get A Revival
From The Cross Keys Monthly Newsletter of Lodge Houstoun St. Johnstone of Scotland
It's the flat-pack furniture
problem that almost all of us have
faced. You open the box, trawl
through its contents, lay everything
out, then cross-reference the
instructions. You look at them every
which way since they appear to be in
Sanskrit, then have a go, and feel like
you've done a decent job. Only then,
disaster strikes. You turn around and
see an extra three pieces of your flatpacked furniture kit lying innocently
behind you. Will the bed collapse in
the night?
But a remedy could be in sight. New research into the work patterns of medieval masons by
academics at the University of Warwick could spell an end to the leaflet-grappling, componentfinding problem of furniture assembly. So build-your-own cupboard and bed designers, l isten up.
The idea is centred around a system called masons' marks, a series of sophisticated symbols
that, for the past 4,000 years, have been used by designers and builders to inscribe patterns on
stones to enable instructions to be transferred with ease. Originally, they helped illiterate masons
to carry out their orders and know which materials fitted in where. But now Dr Jenny Alexander,
of Warwick's history of art department, believes modern manufacturers could use the marks as a
cheap and efficient way to help us put together self-assembly furniture at home.
"If companies that make flat-pack furniture used a system similar to masons' assembly marks
to show which pieces went together, it could remove the need for the complex and often
impenetrable instruction booklets they currently issue," she explains. Doing so would resurrect a
system popular for centuries. Indeed, the inspiration for Alexander's research came when she was
studying for a doctorate at Lincoln Cathedral, which was built in 1072 but destroyed by an
earthquake soon after, and later rebuilt. The cathedral, Alexander says, "had so many of the marks
all over it that I decided to see if I could use them in some way, as part of a study of the
construction of the building".
She discovered that the simple designs and ciphers were cut into several faces of the dressed
stone, and learned that as well as being used to transmit instructions between de-signers or master
masons and their workforce, the marks were also used to help assemble pieces that had been
carved elsewhere and then transported to the building site – just as we do with self-assembly
furniture. Alexander also discovered that medieval stonemasons used to have their own marks for
when they were working on part of a specific project, which would then be used as a kind of
"clocking in" system to ensure they were paid for their part of the work.
"The marks had an agreed meaning within the building trade, and are understood in the same
way as mathematical symbols," she explains. "So, for example, when the sign '+' means one thing
in math, another thing on a road sign, and a third thing in a religious context, as a Page 11
masons' mark it has a fourth meaning – indicating where in the overall design the piece fits –
which has nothing to do with the other three meanings."
Even nowadays, there's no need to travel too far to find masons' marks. They are visible on
old buildings all over the world, from the stone buildings found in Pompeii to the Capitol building
in Washington, and on kerb stones in Newcastle upon Tyne. "They can also be found on most
medieval cathedrals and plenty of Elizabethan houses," Alexander adds, before going on to say
that her research into the marks' existence stemmed from her interest in understanding how the
great buildings in the past were designed and built "before the advent of modern technologies".
She explains: "It's clear that you could set a medieval mason to work building a modern
cathedral and he would be able to work alongside his modern counterpart, but there's no longer
an equivalent to the master mason, the person who designed and oversaw the engineering of the
building – the job has now fragmented into a lot of specialisations." Alexander's current research
includes an examination of the period during the 16th and 17th centuries when the architect – as
we understand the job today – began to emerge, and the master mason disappeared.
"By looking at the organisation of this workforce and their use of
non-literate communication systems in comparison to the medieval
ones like masons' marks, we can get a sense of how long the medieval
traditions lasted," she explains. "The great houses of the Elizabethans
and Jacobeans can now be understood more fully by this sort of
buildings archaeology, and the people who actually built these
structures emerge from the shadows at last."
Some modern stone masons still use marks, but they are no longer
made on to visible surfaces. Alexander does, however, have one exception: "I once met a mason in the cathedral at Trondheim, in Nor-way,
who had a masons' mark as a tattoo," she says. But if you're hoping the
marks will make a comeback in furniture flat-pack, you'll have to cross
your fingers that one of the firms' bosses is reading this. "There are a
few bookcases in my house with shelves the wrong way around, but I
haven't contacted the manufacturer," says Alexander. "I'm just an
academic, trying to understand the great buildings of the past."
Taken from The Guardian newspaper (2010)
Cross Keys February 2015
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My name is Bob White and I was sitting in the waiting room for my first appointment with a
new dentist. I noticed his DDS diploma, which bore his full name. Then I remembered a tall,
dark-haired guy with the same name had been in my high school class some 50-odd years ago.
Could he be the same guy that I had a known, way back then?
Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought. This balding, gray-haired
man with the deeply lined face was way too old to have been my classmate.
After he examined my teeth, I asked him if he had attended Yarmouth High School.
“Yes. yes, I did. I'm a dolphin,” he gleamed with pride.
'When did you graduate?' I asked.
He answered, 'in 1957. . . why do you ask?'
“You were in my class!” I exclaimed.
He looked at me closely, than that ugly, old, bald, wrinkled, gray-haired, decrepit
Page 12
son-of-a-b asked me, "What did you teach?”
Please Notice The Day Of This Celebration
Has Been Changed to A Saturday
Brother, I, too, own a television set, but that does not keep me at home on
lodge night.
I have never yet had one of the chracters on television come off the screen and
shake my hand.
They have never offered me the warm friendship that my lodge brothers do.
They have never handed me a cup of coffee or a doughnut. Not Ever!
Page 13
The Evolution of the Cornerstone Ceremony
By S Brent Morris (From the Rural Lodge Newsletter)
Dr Morris is a member and Past Master of Potmos Lodge #70, Ellicott City MD and a Fellow
of the Philalethes Society. He is the author of Masonic Philanthropies.
Excerpted from Cornerstones of Freedom; A Masonic Tradition, by Bro S Brent Morris and
published by the Supreme Council, 33ø, S. J. in October 1993.
The First Recorded Masonic Ceremony
The Masonic cornerstone ceremony, like most complex customs, has evolved over years of
use. It is easy for the romantic to imagine King Solomon using our current rituals to lay the
cornerstone of the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, but such was not the case. The Masonic
cornerstone ceremony first appeared in the middle
1700s and in less than a century had finished evolving, except for minor grammatical
changes. The procedure,
at least as used in America, can be traced fairly well through its entire evolution, though
Grand Lodges differ on
the exact details of their cornerstone ceremonies.
“The earliest record of a formal and official Masonic ceremony is that of the laying of the
Foundation Stone of the New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh by the Earl of Cromarty, Grand
Master of Scottish Masons, on 2 August 1738.”
The description of the event was written sixty-six years later in 1804 by Alexander Lawrie
in his History of free Masonry. Lawrie describes a simple, almost primitive ceremony.
“When the company came to the ground, the Grand Master, and his brethren of the free and
accepted Masons, surrounded the plan of the foundation hand in hand: and the Grand MasterMason. along with the press [representatives] of the Managers of the Royal Infirmary, having
come to the east corner of the foundation where the stone was to be laid, placed the same in its
bed; and after the Right Honorable the Lord Provost had laid a medal under it each in their turns
gave three strokes upon the stone with an iron mallet, which was succeeded by three clarions of
the trumpet, three huzzas, and three claps of the hands.”’
James Anderson reported a similarly simple ceremony on 19 March 1721, in his 1723 The
Constitutions of the Free-Masons, though the Grand Lodge of England apparently was not
involved.
“The Bishop of Salisbury went in an orderly Procession , duly attended, and having levell’d
the first Stone, gave it two or three Knocks with a Mallet, upon which the Trumpets sounded, and
a vast Multitude made loud Acclamations of Joy; when his Lordship laid upon the Stone a Purse
of 100 Guineas, as a Present from his Majesty for the use of the Craftsmen.”
The Contributions Of Preston And Webb
What the two accounts above show is that there was little form to the procedure. The only
point in common to the two “ceremonies were the symbolic striking of the Stone with a mallet.
In just a few decades, though, the ritual evolved into something more recognizable to the modern
form. In 1772 William Preston published illustrations of Masonry, which presented an official
version of the lectures, forms, and ceremonies of the Lodge. Preston based his book on the
Page 14
practices in Lodges across England. Twenty-five years later in 1797 Thomas Smith Webb
published The Freemason’s Monitor, his version of Preston adopted for American Masonry.
The cornerstone ceremonies of Preston in 1772 and those of Webb in 1797 are quite simple,
though evolved beyond the descriptions of Lawrie and Anderson. Preston limited attendance to
the Grand Lodge while Webb welcomed members of private Lodges. Webb’s ritual shows the
introduction of corn, wine, and oil, the tests of trueness of the stone, and the now almost universal
approbation from the Grand Master that the stone is “well formed, true, and trusty.”
Both Preston and Webb follow the generosity of King George toward the workmen and have
a voluntary collection taken for the workers; virtually all subsequent rituals require a similar
collection. This generosity may be based on the description in Ezra 3:7 of the preparations for the
second temple in Jerusalem. “So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food,
drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa,
according to the grant which they had from Cyrus King of Persia.”
THE US CAPITOL CEREMONIES IN 1793 The cornerstone of the US Capitol
was laid in 1793, between the publication of the first edition of Preston in 1772 in
London and the first edition of Webb in 1797 in Albany. Preston’s Ilustrations of
Masonry was certainly available to the Masons who planned the Capitol cornerstone
laying.
More familiar to the planners would have been John K Read’s New; Ahiman
Rezon published in Richmond in 1791, two years before the Capitol event. Read’s
book was published for the guidance of Virginia Lodges and dedicated to “George
Washington, Esq. President of the United States of America,” but there were no
instructions for cornerstone layings.
There is circumstantial evidence that the procedures used by George Washington
were more like those of Webb than Preston. The newspaper account of the day
specifically mentions that corn, wine, and oil were placed on the cornerstone after it
was set in place. Also, Alexandria-Washington
Lodge #22 have a wooden triangle and T-square
from the 1793 ceremonies, which must have been
used to symbolically try the stone.
Later Developments
19 September 1793 Masonic Cornerstone
Laying at the Capitol
Succeeding generations of Masonic lecturers
and writers have tried their hands at producing the
“perfect” textbook
for teaching Masonic ritual. Each new monitor
The trowel that Bro Washington
showed the “improvements” of its author-perhaps
used, is now t AlexandriaWashington Lodge 22,
expanded explanations, or improved grammar, or
Washington’s blue lodge.
clarified directions. Sometimes the books would
reflect the peculiar development of
Masonic ritual in some particular part of the country. The cornerstone Page 15
ceremony, however, has remained relatively consistent from author to author and
from region to region. The few changes made were usually logical expansions of
earlier ceremonies; there have been no
radical departures. Webb’s anointing with
corn. wine. and oil together with his
benediction for the stone, which begins
“May the all bounteous Author of
Nature...,” have been universally adopted
by his American successors.
A brief summary of changes in the
cornerstone ceremony from some of the
more popular Masonic monitors will give a
sense of the evolution.
In 1819 Jeremy Ladd Cross published
The True Masonic Chart of Hieroglyphic 19 September 1793 Masonic Cornerstone
Monitor, which was essentially Webb’s
Laying at the Capitol
book with the addition of original
engravings, the first such illustrations; it had no changes from webb.
Samual Cole’s 1862 Freemason’s Library does not differ materially from Webb
or Cross, but Cole is one of the only writers to omit the collection for the workers.
The Baltimore Convention of 1843 was the biggest attempt to produce a uniform
American Masonic ritual, and the effort failed. Charles W Moore produced The
Masonic Trestleboard in 1843 following the convention’s ritual.
His only significant change to the cornerstone ceremony was the
recommendation of hymns to be sung. The rituals of the Baltimore convention were
not universally accepted, which led John Dove to produce The Virginia Textbook in
1846, supposedly correcting the errors found in Moore. Dove and Moore agreed on
the essentials of the cornerstone ceremony, though they did recommend different
hymns.
The Modern Ceremony
Albert G Mackey was one of the most productive and successful Masonic writers
of the nineteenth century (though his theories of Masonic origins are entirely
discounted by serious historians today). Mackey’s 1862 Manual of the Lodge made
three important additions to the ceremony, which essentially brings the evolution to
modern practices. First, there are brief speaking parts for the Deputy Grand Master,
Senior Grand Warden, and Junior Grand Warden, respectively explaining and
presenting to the Grand Master the corn, wine, and oil. Second, Mackey has the now
common address to the crowd wherein the Grand Master announces, “Be it known
unto you that we be lawful Masons, true and faithful to the laws of our country..” It
Page 16
is not known why Mackey thought it necessary to introduce this defense of Masonry.
Finally, Mackey has the stone lowered into place by three distinct motions.
Daniel Sickels was another prolific Masonic author and a contemporary of
Mackey He edited The Freemason’s Monitor in 1864 and wrote The General Ahiman
Rezon and Freemason’s Guide in 1866. His cornerstone ceremony represents about
the greatest elaboration of Preston’s simple procedure from 1772.
Rather than the Grand Master, Sickels has three principal subordinate grand
officers, the Deputy Grand Master, Senior Grand Warden, and Junior Grand Warden,
try the stone with their jewels of offices, the square, level, and plumb respectively.
The Grand Master still declares the stone “well formed, true, and trusty.” The corn,
wine, and oil are not just presented by the three grand officers but are spread by them
with a more elaborate explanation of the symbolism. Sickels follows Mackey with
the Grand Master’s defensive address on Masonry.
Color Symbolism in Freemasonry
Editor’s Note: I received the “Sunday Masonic Paper” from Brother Wayne Anderson this
morning Feb.1, 2015. Almost made me feel bad basking in a 76 degree F. day in south Texas,”
Greetings my Brethren on a bright yet cold Sunday Morning - bright sunshine today but temps 20C or -2F so a crisp winter day outside.”
Bro. Leon Zeldis, Editor of “The Israel Freemason”
Color is a fundamental element of masonic symbolism. It appears in the descriptions of
aprons, sashes and other items of regalia, in the furnishings and wall-hangings of the lodge room
or each degree or ceremony, in the robes worn in certain degrees, and in many other masonic
accoutrements. The colors specified in each case appear to have no rational justification. As A.E.
Waite wrote: "There is no recognized scheme or science of colors in Masonry. Here and there in
our rituals we find an 'explanation' for the use of a certain color, but this usually turns out to be
merely a peg on which to hang a homiletic lecture about it, having little if any connection with
the origins of its use."
This paper seeks to find some rationale behind the selection of colors as masonic symbols,
restricting our examination to the Craft degrees, and those of the Ancient and Accepted (Scottish)
Rite, with occasional reference to the Royal Arch.
It was early recognized that colors have a strong influence on the mind and therefore can be
employed for certain moral or aesthetic ends, through symbolical, allegorical and mystical
allusions. Newton wrote of 'the sensual and moral effects of color,' where sensual must be
understood as 'transmitted by the senses.' Goethe, too, wrote extensively on color (over 2,000
pages! ).
Masonic Blue
Blue, then, is the Craft color par excellence, used in aprons, collars, and elsewhere. Let us
quote Bro. Chetwode Crawley. "The ordinary prosaic enquirer will see in the selection of blue as
the distinctive color of Freemasonry only the natural sequence of the legend of King
Solomon's Temple. For the Jews had been divinely commanded to wear...a 'riband of Page 17
blue' (Numbers 15:38).' A modern translation of that verse in Numbers is: 'You are to take tassels
on the comers of your garments with a blue cord on each tassel.' The biblical text, then, refers to
blue cords to be incorporated in the tassels worn by pious Jews, while Bro. Chetwode Crawley is
speaking of blue ribbons which somehow became the embellishments of aprons, sashes and
collars.
Another suggested source of the color mentioned by Bro. Chetwode Crawley could be its
association with St. Mary, mother of Jesus, 'so prominent a figure in the pre-Reformation
invocations of the Old Charges, drawing in her train the red ensign of St. George of Cappadocia,
her steward and our Patron Saint.'
Blue and red, the heraldic azure and gules are sometimes associated with the chevron of the
Arms of the Masons' Company.
a) White
White, the original color of the masonic apron, was always considered an emblem of purity
and innocence, exemplified in images such as the white lily or fallen snow.
Plato asserts that white is par excellence the color of the gods. In the Bible, Daniel sees God
as a very old man, dressed in robes white as snow (Daniel 7:9). In the New Testament Jesus is
transfigured on Mount Tabor before Peter, James and John, when his clothes became 'dazzling
white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them' (Mark 9:3). Officiating priests of many
religions wore and still wear white garments. In ancient Jerusalem both the priests and the Levites
who performed the Temple rites assumed white clothing.
Among Romans, the unblemished character of a person aspiring to public office was indicated
by a toga whitened with chalk. This is the origin of the word 'candidate,' from candidatus 'dressed
in white.' Verdicts at trials were decided by small stones (calculi) thrown into an urn: white to
absolve, black to condemn.
White signifies beginnings, virtualities, the white page facing the writer, 'the space where the
possible may become reality.' White is therefore understandably the color of initiation. It is a
symbol of perfection, as represented by the swan in the legend of Lohengrin. In this aspect it is
related to light or sky blue, which in Hebrew is tchelet and may be connected semantically with
tichla (perfection, completeness) and tachlit (completeness, purpose). (See also the obser-vations
on the symbolism of blue.) Among the Celts the sacred colors of white, blue and green were
understood to stand for light, truth and hope. Druids were robed in white.
White is also connected with the idea of death and resurrection. Shrouds are white; spirits are
represented as wearing white veils. White, rather than black, is sometimes the colour of mourning,
among the ancient kings of France, for instance, and in Japan. White, finally, can signify joy.
Leukos (Greek) means both white and cheerful; as does candidus in Latin. The Romans marked
festive days with lime and unlucky days with charcoal.
b) Blue
Blue is the color of the canopy of heaven: azure, cerulean or sky blue. 'Universally, it denotes
immortality, eternity, chastity, fidelity; pale blue, in particular, represents prudence and goodness.'
In the Royal Arch, the Third Principal is told that it is an emblem of beneficence and charity.
In biblical times, blue was closely related to purple. Generations of scholars have puzzled
over the correct meaning of tchelet (light blue) and argaman (purple), usually mentioned together,
without reaching satisfactory conclusions. Only recently has the problem been finally solved in
the course of far-reaching research into the dyestuffs and dyeing methods used by the ancient
Phoenicians and Hebrews. Both colors, it turns out, were produced with dyeing
materials extracted from murex, a shellfish abundant on the coast of Lebanon. The Page 18
tchelet was obtained from a short-variety (murex trunculus); the argaman came from two kinds:
the single-spined murex brandaris and, to a lesser extent, the Red-mouth (thais haemastoma).
Some historians have concluded that, in the Middle Ages in Europe, blue was low in popular
esteem. The favorite color was then red because the dyers could achieve strong shades of it which
brought to mind the prestigious purple of the ancient world. Towards the end of that period, blue
gradually became recognized as a princely color, the 'Royal Blue' which dis-placed red at court,
red then being used by the lower classes and so regarded as vulgar. Blue and gold (or yellow)
then became the colors of choice for shields, banners and livery.
It may not be by chance, therefore, that the Master was said to be clothed in 'yellow jacket
and blue breeches,' in the famous metaphor first used in an exposure, 'The Mystery of FreeMasonry,' which appeared in The Daily Journal in 1730. The traditional explanations of the phrase
relate it to the compasses, the arms of gold, gilt or brass and the points of steel or iron.
(Steel can certainly appear blue; iron cannot!)
Blue was used royally in France noticeably as the background to the fleur-de-lys. It became
associated with terms of prestige such as blue blood, cordon bleu (originally the sash of the Order
of the Holy Spirit), blue riband (of the Atlantic) and blue chip.
c) Purple
Purple is a symbol of imperial royalty and rich-ness but can also relate to penitence and the
solemnity of Lent and Advent in the seasons of the Christian church.
Although described (in the Royal Arch, for instance) as 'an emblem of union, being composed of blue and crimson,' I believe this to be a somewhat contrived explanation. But an
interesting fact, which appears to have escaped most writers on this subject, is that in the Cabbala,
the Hebrew word for purple, argaman, is a mnemonic, representing the initials of the names of
the five principal angels in Jewish esoterism.
d) Red
Red or crimson, the color of fire and heat, is traditionally associated with war and the
military. In Rome the paludamentum, the robe worn by generals, was red. The color of blood is
naturally connected with the idea of sacrifice, struggle and heroism. It also signifies charity,
devotion, abnegation--perhaps recalling the pelican that feeds its progeny with its own blood.
In Hebrew, the name of the first man, Adam, is akin to red, blood and earth. This connection
with earth may explain, perhaps, the connection of red with the passions, carnal love, the
cosmetics used by women to attract their lovers. It is the color of youth. Generally, it represents
expansive force and vitality. It is the emblem of faith and fortitude and, in the Royal Arch, of
fervency and zeal. It has also a darker side, connected with the flames of hell, the appearance of
demons, the apoplectic face of rage.
Scarlet was the distinctive color of the Order of the Golden Fleece, established in 1429 by
Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy (1419-67). Not only was the mantle scarlet, but also the robe
and a special hat—the chaperon--with hanging streamers.
e) Green
Green has been directly associated with the ideas of resurrection and immortality...The acacia
(the masonic evergreen) has been suggested as a symbol of a moral life or rebirth, and also of
immortality. To the ancient Egyptians, green was the symbol of hope.
The Grand Lodge of Scotland has adopted green as its emblematic color, and, in varying
shades, it is incorporated in the dress and furnishings of degrees and Orders beyond the Craft in
English, Irish and Scottish Freemasonry.
Page 19
f) Yellow
Yellow is rarely seen in lodge, except perhaps on the Continent. It is an ambivalent color,
representing both the best and the worst, the color of brass and honey, but also the color of sulfur
and cowardice. Yellow is the perfection of the Golden Age, the priceless quality of the Golden
Fleece and the golden apples of the Hesperides. It is also the color of the patch imposed on the
Jews as a badge of infamy. In the sixteenth century, the door of a traitor's home was painted
yellow. A 'jaundiced view' expresses hostility, but the most memorable symbolism of yellow is
that it reminds us of the sun and of gold.
g) Black
The three fundamental colors found in all civilizations, down to the Middle Ages in Europe,
are white, red and black. These, too, may be regarded as the principal colors of Freemasonry: the
white of the Craft degrees, the red of the Royal Arch and of certain of the degrees of the Ancient
and Accepted (Scottish) Rite, and the black of some of its others, and of the Knights of Malta.
The other colors of the rainbow find limited uses; they serve only to frame or line the white
lambskin upon which so many aprons are based, or for sashes and other items of regalia.
Traditionally, black is the color of darkness, death, the underworld although it was not
introduced for mourning until about the middle of the fourteenth century, such use becoming
habitual only in the sixteenth. The 'black humor' of melancholy (atara hilis) the black crow of ill
omen, the black mass, black market, 'black days': all refer to negative aspects. The Black Stone
at Mecca is believed by Muslims to have been at one time white; the sins of man caused the
transformation.
Black has also a positive aspect, that of gravity and sobriety; the Reformation in Europe
frowned upon colorful clothing. Formal dress for day and evening wear continues to be black. It
is associated with the outlaw and the banners of pirates and anarchists, but also with rebirth and
transformation.
In the French and Scottish Rites, the lodge in the third degree is decorated in black and is
strewn with white or silver tears, representing the sorrow caused by the death of Hiram Abif.
Conclusion
A review of the traditional explanations for the choice of certain colors in masonic symbolism reveals their weaknesses. In considering the use of blue in the English regalia of a Master
Mason, it has been possible to find a connection between one of the Hebrew words for that colour
and the Holy Bible.
Wayne Anderson, FCF, MPS
Alle Menschen werden Brueder
2B1 ASK1
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Preacher Henderson was bear hunting near one of the rivers in Alaska. After tramping through
the snow for hours without seeing a bear he finally lost his temper and threw his rifle down in the
snow and said, ‘Lord I wish I could see a bear.” Then+ he walked down by the river to cool off.
After a few minutes he looked back up the hill where his rifle lay in the snow and saw a huge
grizzly bear running full speed toward him. He immediately dropped to his knees raised his arms
and said, “Lord I am in bad trouble, please make this bear a Christian.”
The bear stopped instantly. After a few seconds it reared up on it back legs and raised its front
paws up toward the sky.
Then it said, “Lord, I want to thank you for this meal I am about to receive.”
Page 20
Death of a Mason
THIS DAY WAS PUBLISHED,
(Price 2ſ. Lawful Money ſingle and 1/8. the doz.)
By Thomas Leverett, Nicholas Bowes and Henry Knox in Cornhill,
REFLECTIONS ON DEATH. By WILLIAM DODD, LL. D.
Prebendary of Brecon and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty.
It is appointed once for men to die, but a deſire of extending the very laudable
Practice of giving Books at Funerals, and the great propriety of the preſent Work
for that Purpoſe, have induced the Editors to put this valuable Performance one
Third cheaper than the London Edition, although it is by no Means Inferior in
point of Elegance
Boston Gazette
Death of a Mason The hanging of Bro Dodd
The Knox mentioned in the ad at right is Bro Henry Knox, the Boston
bookseller, who later became Major-General Knox.
Dr Dodd mentioned was a prominent Mason who went astray. He forged his
employer's signature and in a cause-celebre was hanged for forgery.
The Officers and Members
of the GRAND LODGE, and
the Repreſentatives of
Lodges, are hereby
requeſted to attend a
Quarterly Communication
at Concert-Hall in Boſton, on
the evening of Monday, the
9th March, at 7 o'clock.
By order of the Moſt
Worſhipful
PAUL REVERE, G. Maſter.
DANIEL OLIVER, G.
Secretary.
Boſton, Feb. 28, 5795.
Doctor of Divinity, Prebendary of Brecon, Chaplain-in-Ordinary
Actual newspaper
to his Majesty, and Minister to the Magdalen Hospital. Executed at advertisement from 1795 Dr
Tyburn, 27th of June, 1777, for Forgery
Dodd mentioned was a
THE apprehending of such a man as Doctor Dodd, on a charge of prominent Mason who went
astray. He forged his
forgery, was a matter of surprise and conjecture among all ranks of
employer's signature and in
people. He stood high in estimation as a divine, a popular preacher and a cause-celebre was hanged
an elegant scholar.
for forgery.
He was the promoter of many public charities, and of some others
he may be said to have been the institutor. The Magdalen for reclaiming Young Women who had
swerved from the Path of Virtue, the Society for the Relief of Poor Debtors, and that of the
Humane Society for the Recovery of Persons apparently
Drowned, owed their institution to Dr. Dodd. He was
patronized by the King, and more immediately by Lord
Chesterfield; and his Church preferment’s were lucrative. It,
however, appeared that his expenses outran his income, and
for a supply of cash he committed a forgery on his late pupil,
the Earl of Chesterfield. Another singular circumstance in the
life of Dr Dodd was his publication, a few years previous to
his execution, of a sermon, e ntitled The Frequency of Capital
Punishment inconsistent with Justice, Sound Policy and
Religion.
This, he said, was intended to have been preached at the
Chapel Royal, at St James's; but omitted on account of the
absence of the Court during the author's month of waiting.
The method adopted in this forgery was remarkable. He
pretended that the noble lord had urgent occasion to borrow
four thousand pounds, but did not choose to be his own agent,
and begged that the matter might be secretly and
expeditiously conducted. The Doctor employed Page 21
one Lewis Robertson, a broker, to whom he presented a bond, not filled up or signed, that he
might find a person who would advance the requisite sum to a young nobleman who had lately
come of age. After applying to several persons who refused the business, because they were not
to be present when the bond was executed.
Excerpt from the contemporary Newgate Calendar a book
Excerpt from the contemporary
containing highly popular and lurid descriptions of crimes and
Newgate Calendar a book
criminals. London’s infamous Newgate Prison Mr Robertson,
containing highly popular
and lurid descriptions of crimes
absolutely confiding in the Doctor's honour, applied to Messrs
and criminals.
Fletcher & Peach, who agreed to lend the money. Mr Robertson
returned the bond to the Doctor, in order to its being executed; and
on the following day the Doctor produced it as executed, and
witnessed by himself.
Mr Robertson, knowing Mr Fletcher to be a particular man,
and who would consequently object to one subscribing witness
only, put his name under the Doctor's. He then went and received
the money, which he paid into the hands of Dr Dodd --- four
thousand pounds --- and produced the bond.
Lord Chesterfield was surprised, and immediately disowned
London’s infamous Newgate
it. Upon this Mr Manly went directly to Mr Fletcher to consult
Prison
what steps to take. Mr Fletcher, a Mr Innes and Mr Manly went to the Guildhall, to prefer an
information respecting the forgery against the broker and Dr Dodd.
Mr Robertson was taken into custody, while Fletcher, Innes, Manly and two of the Lord
Mayor's officers went to the house of the Doctor in Argyle Street.
They opened the business, and the Doctor was very much affected. Manly told him that if he
would return the money it would be the only means of saving him. He instantly returned six notes
of five hundred pounds each, making three thousand pounds. He drew on his banker for five
hundred pounds, the broker returned one hundred pound, the Doctor gave a second draft on his
banker for two hundred pounds and a judgment on his goods for the remaining four hundred
pounds. All this was done by the Doctor in full reliance on the honour of the parties that the bond
should be returned to him cancelled; but, notwithstanding this restitution, he was taken before the
Lord Mayor, and charged. The Doctor declared he had no intention to defraud Lord Chesterfield
or the gentleman who advanced the money.
He hoped that the satisfaction he had made in returning the money would atone for his
offence. He was pressed, he said, exceedingly for three hundred pounds to pay some bills due to
tradesmen. He too k this step as a temporary resource, and would have repaid it in half-a-year.
"My Lord Chesterfield," added he, "cannot but have some tenderness for me, as my pupil. I
love him, and he knows it.
There is nobody wishes to prosecute. I am sure my Lord Chesterfield does not want my life.
I hope he will show clemency to me. Mercy should triumph over justice."
Clemency, however, was denied; and the Doctor was committed to the compter, in preparation
for his trial. On the 19th of February Dr Dodd was put to the bar at the Old Bailey. When the
evidence was gone through, the Court called upon the Doctor for his defence, which was as
follows - MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY, --- Upon the evidence which has
been this day produced against me I find it very difficult to address your Lordships there is no
man in the world who has a deeper sense of the heinous nature of the crime for which
Page 22
I stand indicted than myself. But, my Lords, I humbly apprehend, though no lawyer, that the
moral turpitude and malignancy of the crime always, both in the
eye of the law and of
The Rev. Dodd wrote some fifty
religion, consists in the
intention.
I
am books, poems, pamphlets, theological
informed, my Lords, works and newspaper articles—
that
the Act
of perhaps the best known being
Parliament on this head Beauties of Shakespeare—and later in
runs perpetually in this life was appointe tutor for Philip
style, with an intention Stanhope, son of Lord Chesterfield.
As the first Grand Chaplain of
to defraud. Such an intention, my Lords and gentlemen
England,
on 1 May 1775 he gave the
of the jury, I believe, has not been attempted to be proved
upon me, and the consequences that have happened, oration on the occasion of the
which have appeared before you, sufficiently prove that cornerstone laying for Grand Lodge on
a perfect and ample restitution has been made. I leave it, Great Queen Street.
Dodd was allowed to travel to his
my Lords, to you, and the gentlemen of the jury, to
consider that if an unhappy man ever deviates from the execution in a private coach,
law of right, yet if in the single first moment of accompanied by his father. An
recollection he does all that he can to make full and eyewitness, Henry Angelo, reports:
perfect amends, what, my Lords and gentlemen of the Every visage expressed sadness; it
appeared, indeed, a day of universal
jury, can God and man desire further?
I must observe to your Lordships that though I have calamity.... Thousands sobbed aloud,
met with all candour in this court, yet I have been pursued and many a woman swooned at the
sight....
[Dodd’s]
corpse-like
with excessive cruelty: I have been prosecuted after the
appearance produced an awful
most express engagements, after the most solemn
picture of human woe. Tens of
assurances, after the most delusive, soothing arguments
thousands of hats, which formed a
of Mr Manly; I have been prosecuted with a cruelty
black mass, as the coach advanced,
scarcely to be paralleled.
were taken off simultaneously.... [The
Oppressed as I am with infamy, loaded as I am with
crowd’s] silence added to the
distress, sunk under this cruel prosecution, your
awfulness of the scene.
Lordships and the gentlemen of the jury cannot think life
Once the hangman, Ned Dennis,
a matter of any value to me. No, my Lords, I solemnly had "turned him off", Dodd’s friends
protest that death of all blessings would be the most rushed his corpse to the house of a
pleasant to me after this pain.
surgeon where an unsuccessful
I have yet, my Lords, ties which call upon me, ties attempt was made to revive him. The
which render me desirous even to continue this miserable story, first published in The
existence.
Northampton Mercury for Saturday,
I have a wife, my Lords, who for twenty-seven years 18 October 1794, that he was revived
has lived an unparalleled example of conjugal attachment and escaped to France, has not been
and fidelity, and whose behaviour during this trying scene confirmed.
would draw tears of approbation, I am sure, even from
Initiated: 3 April 1775 at St. Alban’s
the most inhuman. My Lords, I have creditors, honest Lodge No. 29 - Grand Chaplain: 1 May
men, who will lose much by my death. I hope, for the 1775, 3 June 1776 - Expelled: 7 April
sake of justice towards them, some mercy will be shown 1777 - Deceased: 27 June 1777
to me. If, upon these whole, the considerations at all avail
with you, my Lords, and you gentlemen of the jury -- if, upon the most impartial survey Page 23
of matters, not the slightest intention of injury can
appear to anyone -- and I solemnly declare it was in
my power to replace it in three months -- of this I
assured Mr Robertson frequently, and had his solemn
assurances that no man should be privy to it but Mr
Fletcher and himself -- and if no injury was done to
any man upon earth, I +then hope, I trust, I fully
confide myself in the tenderness, humanity and
protection of my country.
The jury retired for about ten minutes and then
returned With a verdict that the prisoner was guilty;
but at the same time presented a petition humbly
recommending the Doctor to the Royal mercy. The
opinion of the judges was that he had been legally
convicted.
Here he sunk down overcome with mental
agony; and some time elapsed before he was
sufficiently recovered to hear the dreadful sentence
of the law, which the recorder pro nounced upon him
in the following words:-- "Dr William Dodd, you
have been convicted of the offence of publishing a
forged and counterfeit bond, knowing it to be forged
and counterfeited; and you have had the advantage
which the laws of this country afford to every man in that situation -- a fair, an impartial and an
attentive trial.
The jury, to whose justice you appealed, have found you guilty; their verdict has undergone
the consideration of the learned judges, and they found no ground to impeach the justice of that
verdict. You yourself have admitted the justice of it; and now the very painful duty that the
necessity of the law imposes upon the Court, to pronounce the sentenceof that law against you,
remains only to be performed.
You appear to entertain a very proper sense of the enormity of he offence which you have
committed; you appear, too, in a state of contrition of mind, and I doubt not have duly reflected
how far the dangerous tendency of the offence you have been guilty of is increased by the
influence of example, in being committed by a person of your character, and of the sacred function
of which you area member. These sentiments seem to be yours. I would wish to cultivate such
sentiments, but I would not wish to add to the anguish of a person in your situation by dwelling
upon it. Your application for mercy must be made elsewhere: it would be cruel in the Court to
flatter you. There is a power of dispensing mercy, where you may apply. Your own good sense
and the contrition you express will induce you to lessen the influence of the example by
publishing your hearty and sincere detestation of the offence of which you are convicted; and that
you will not attempt to palliate or extenuate, which would indeed add to the degree of the
influence of a crime of this kind being committed by a person of your character and known
abilities. I would therefore warn you against anything of that kind.
Now, having said this, I am obliged to pronounce the sentence of the law, which is, that you,
Dr William Dodd, be carried from hence to the place from whence you came; that from thence
Page 24
you are to be carried to the place of execution, when you are to be hanged by the neck until you
are dead." To this Dr Dodd replied: "Lord Jesus receive my soul."
Great exertions were now made to save Dr
Dodd: the newspapers were filled with letters and
paragraphs in his favour; individuals of all ranks
exerted themselves on his behalf; parish officers
went in mourning from house to house to procure
subscriptions to a petition to the King; and this
petition, which, with the names, filled twenty-three
sheets of parchment, was actually presented. Even
the Lord Mayor and common council went in a body
to St James's to solicit mercy for the convict.
The gallows at Tyburn
As clemency, however, had been denied to the
unfortunate Perreaus, it was deemed unadvisable to extend it to Dr Dodd. This unhappy
clergyman was attended to the place of execution, in a mourning-coach, by the Rev. Mr Willette,
ordinary of Newgate, and the Rev. Mr Dobey.
Another criminal, named John Harris, was executed at the same time. Just before the parties
were turned off the Doctor whispered to the executioner, and it was observed that the man had no
sooner driven away the cart than he ran immediately under the gibbet and took hold of the
Doctor's legs, as if to steady the body, and the unhappy man appeared to die without pain.
The Profound Pontifications of John Deacon
Editor’s Note: As most of you readers know, Brother Chris Williams’ “The Profound Pontifications of
John Deacon” stories have occupied a large amount of space in this magazine for a long time. And, now I
couldn’t imagine it not having one. Brother Chris has this knack for creating a funny, interesting story that
always carries a strong Masonic moral lesson. Brother John Deacon is the kind of Brother we should all
have… Except at lunch time of course.
I was coming back from the doctor’s office on my
way back to the shop when he called. Said he was hungry
and not in the best of moods. I figured that was a double
whammy but the newsletter was close to being sent out
and I needed whatever he had. I looked around and
pulled into the parking lot of the Barn Door, a great
steakhouse just off the loop and after giving him the
address I went on in to wait for him. It was about fifteen
minutes when he appeared at my table looking a little more serious than usual.
I asked him if he was ok and he just said, “I’m hungry, let’s eat and chat later.”
I thought about picking on him but it just didn’t seem like the right time so I waved at Jordan,
our server, and she came right over. I had already warned her about John so when he ordered a
large Fillet and a Chicken Fried Steak and a Tassos potato with each and some grilled asparagus,
she acted like it was no big deal. I ordered a much smaller steak with the Tassos potato of course.
To come here and not order one is considered a crime. This place, I knew, was one of the best
steakhouses in the whole area. And those twice baked with lots of cheese and jalapenos Tassos
potatoes were legendary in these parts.
Page 25
Actually there was nothing I had ever tried here that wasn’t outstanding. And I forgot to
mention that green garlic salad dressing that they seem to assume you want is the best. John
actually did make a kittle small talk while we waited for our food. When it came though, he
wasted no time getting digging right in. I heard him mumble between bites that he thought he
remembered that we had come here together before. I shook my head and said, “Restaurants, food
and you all seem to blend in together sometimes. I wasn’t sure we had been here before.” He
acted as if he hadn’t heard and went back to his food.
Finally he was finished and I was anxious to hear what it was that he was in a bad mood
about. Jordan had just filled our glasses and set the check down on the table which John slid
quickly over to me.
Some things never change, I thought, as I deposited my card on top of it. “So what the heck
has got you all riled up, my Brother,” I asked tentatively?
“It seems,” he said quicker than I expected, “that I am angry way too much. I have heard it
from several people including some of my
Brothers.”
“Well John, you sure are angry a lot more lately.
Maybe you need to take some anger management
classes or something. It might make you feel better.”
He gave me the patented John Deacon glare and
growled, “I don’t need no anger management
classes… I need people to stop making me angry.”
I was at a loss for words. Not that I didn’t want
to say something, but the truth is that the words to
respond to that statement haven’t been invented. Yet
his logic was hard to dispute, as convoluted as it was.
Instead of responding I decided to act like I hadn’t heard it. “So what was it that made to upset John?”
“Where do I start,” he asked shaking his head? “There was that thing that happened last week at
Lodge. A Brother who had done a particularly sad job of presenting his part in a degree came over
to me after it was over and said kind of offhandedly, “Well I didn’t get it perfect, but it doesn’t really
matter because the candidate doesn’t know it.” And then he turned and walked away. Well I am here
to tell you that it took both Wardens and our Tiler to keep me off of the Brother. I was sure steamed
at that kind of attitude Brother Chris.”
“But John” I said with a look of concern that I had to force before I broke out laughing at the
mental picture of what he had described. “It sounds like you were going to violate an obligation for
sure.”
“Naaaaw,” he growled. “I was going to keep a smile on my face the whole time.” I couldn’t hold
it then and started laughing.
He didn’t laugh with me but instead got an indignant look on his face and said, “I know it is true
that the candidate being initiated had no idea of the many mistakes the Brother had made… but for
the rest of his Masonic career every time he sees the same degree performed, he is gonna know that
his degree was poorly done… that he didn’t receive the best his Brothers could have given him. And
I know there are few perfect degrees, but there is a big difference between a few minor mistakes
made due to nervousness and a Brother or Brothers who just don’t care enough to get it right.”
“Yup my Brother I am on your side on that one,” I said. “I wouldn’t be happy with that either. Is
that all? That’s not a whole lot to be angry with.”
“Oh heck no,” he said quickly. “I am just barely getting started. I am also always a
little irritated by all the Brothers who are only along for the ride. No effort put in and Page 26
always wondering why they aren’t getting anything out. The men I am talking about didn’t become
Freemasons to become better men or to help their Brothers and mankind, they did it because they
thought they were going get what Masonry promises… and they were going to get it quick and they
were going to get it free. It had nothing to do with learning how to be a better man, but rather to show
everyone that they were better than everyone else.”
“Wow, John,” I replied starting to get in to what he was saying. “I do know a couple of those
guys.”
“I know I shouldn’t say this Brother Chris,” he continued. “But I am going to anyway… If being
a Mason is all about you yourself…then you ain’t no Mason at all as far as I am concerned.”
“But John,” I interjected. “What about all those Brothers who are just happy being there. They
have no agenda except to just be and enjoy.”
“Are you crazy,” he exclaimed, looking at me kinda weird. “Masonry has something for almost
every man. If your mind is clear and your motives pure, your future as a Mason is and always will
be secure. The truth is that within our beautiful and solemn rituals we all hear the same words… we
all travel the same path… and we all receive the same set of tools. But more and more Brothers it
seems never even open that tool box… never come to any realization or gain any understanding or
even the slightest illumination of what was given them. Have you ever heard the term, “ignorance is
bliss”? Well I am not trying to say that our Brothers are ignorant in general, but most are ignorant of
the deeper beauties and mysteries of our Fraternity. Most are totally satisfied staying in the wading
pool of the Craft and never attempt to enter the deep end of the pool. The deep end (to continue the
analogy further) where it takes more work and skill and knowledge to stay afloat. All want that
knowledge. Even the waders want that knowledge. But something keeps them from it. I guess for
some it is fear in some form. But there is no doubt that those who jump into the deep end, who
actively seek all there is to find, are rewarded many times over for their efforts, but those who wade
with pure hearts can be as good and happy Masons as any.“
“Well you have covered a lot of territory Brother John,” I said. You said you were just getting
started on your anger issues.”
Then he got a sad look and looked down and said softly, “Nawwww, it’s just that I am also mad
at myself.”
Boy, that took me by surprise. I said, “I don’t understand John.”
“It’s my passion for Masonry,” he said. “It causes me to expect more from my Brothers than I
should. It also makes me angry at myself for not being or doing more than I am. It just never seems
to be enough. Heck my wife says I talk too much and I complain too much. Heck I should be one of
the happiest Masons there is, but sometimes I am just… angry.”
I could tell he was hurting. This was not what I expected at all. I had to say something and I
didn’t want to patronize him. He had said the right words to me many times when I needed them. I
still don’t know where it came from but I said, “John, you can never ever be angry for being
passionate. We… you and I and hundreds of thousands of Brother Masons are doing something
special… something important. You need to remember that we just don’t stop and we just don’t give
up. We can’t give up on ourselves and we sure can’t give up on the Craft. There are so much bigger
things at stake out there than just us John.”
He looked up, wiped something from one eye, smiled and said, “Brother Chris, thank you for
that. That’s just what I needed.” He got up then and so did I. It was an emotional moment. No words
were needed. The feel of that special grip and our love of one another as Brothers and our love for
the Craft was all that was needed. I watched him walk out the door hoping that it wasn’t the last time
I would see him.
Page 27
Page 28
Masonic Trivia:
Trivia: Amusements
Amusements and Curiosities
Masonic Trivia From the book Masonic Trivia: Amusements and Curiosities by Peter Champion
Every Mason has read a Trestleboard snippet saying
that Freemasons disguised as Indians boarded English
merchant vessels in Boston harbor on December 6, 1773,
and threw bales of tea into the briny water.
Problem #1, Samuel Adams, who led the event, was not
a Freemason and there is no documented proof of any
specific Freemason involvement. Fear not that our Masonic
brothers sat around drinking latte grandes as their only
rebellion against the Stamp Act. Boston Harbor of 1773
was not the site of the first raid on a British vessel.
King George III had dispatched Lt. William Dudingston
as commander of the armed schooner, HMS Gaspee, with
orders to put an end to colonial smuggling.
On June 9, 1772, Dudingston was in aggressive pursuit
of the packet sloop Han nah under the command of
Thomas Lindsey. Captain Lindsey’s only hope of
outrunning the British warship and the hail of cannonballs
splashing around him was a risky pass over the edges of the
Namquid Point shallows. The Hannah safely passed the
shallows. But, the aggressive Lt. Dudingston ran the deeper
draft Gaspee aground, during an ebbing tide.
Lindsey sailed on into Providence and eventual word
reached Masonic Grand Master, Abraham Whipple, of St.
John’s Lodge #1 that the Gaspee would not be afloat until high tide at three the next morning.
That evening, Freemasons gathered in the Sabin Tavern for their usual meeting. The men replaced
the practice of Masonic ritual with melting lead for bullet molds, as they were in short supply of shot
for their muskets. The Lodge minutes for the evening reflect, “No meeting tonight, more pressing
business at hand.”
Under Whipple’s command, eight long boats with muffled oars departed from Ferrer’s Wharf and
approached the Gaspee under cover of darkness.
Dudingston was shot during the boarding, but survived. His crew was captured, and his ship set
ablaze. The Gaspee burned to her waterline before the fire reached her powder magazines. The
resulting explosion finished off what remained of her hull.
Whipple went on to become the first Commodore of the Rhode Island Navy, a precursor to the
Continental Navy, and was an instrumental Captain during the Revolutionary War, until taken as a
prisoner-of-war in 1780.
The chiseled tribute on his tombstone reads, “Sacred to the memory of Commodore Abraham
Whipple whose name, skill and courage, will ever remain the pride and boast of his country. In the
late Revolution he was the first in the seas to hurl defiance at proud Britain; gallantly leading the way
to arrest from the mistress of the ocean, her scepter, and there to wave the star spangled banner. He
also conducted to sea, the first square-rigged vessel, ever built on the Ohio, opening to commerce
resources beyond calculation.”
Page 29
Message from the East
For Blue Hill Lodge October, 2009 (From the Rural Lodge Newsletter)
Here’s a little bit of a brain teaser. I know I enjoy a good mind puzzle once in a while, so I am
fascinated by conundrums, those enigmas or logical loops that pose questions that have no correct
answers, or at least none if you think the problem through to its conclusion. We are all familiar
with that age old conundrum “If God is all – powerful and can do anything he wants, can he make
a rock that is too big for him to lift?” I find that such conundrums are built into many institutional
dogmas. Masonry is no exception.
So this particular puzzle came to me and I have been trying to find a single answer, but to no
avail. Maybe you can try your hand (or mind) at it.
We, as Masons all know that we are absolutely bound to keep the secrets of a Brother Mason,
no matter what (with the exception of two instances we should all know from our obligation, and
those left to our own discretion). We also know that we should not wrong, cheat or defraud a
Brother or a Lodge. Pretty clear and simple don't you think?
OK, so here's the conundrum (please keep in mind, this scenario is being described as
fictitious):
What happens if Bro. Jubilum comes to . . . say, Bro. Jubilo with a very dark secret? Let's say,
for example that their Lodge, Beehive Lodge, A.F. & A.M. is voting on whether to accept the
application of a potential new initiate who is also a good friend of Bro. Jubilum, we'll call him . .
. ummm . . . Jubila. Let's also say that Bro. Jubilum has some paranoid suspicion that his good
friend may be blackballed and so after the voting was completed, he tells Bro. Jubilo in confidence
that he removed all the black balls from the ballot box when no one was looking so there was no
chance of his friend, Jubila, being rejected.
Obviously, the removal of the black balls is wronging, cheating, and defrauding Beehive
Lodge as the brethren had no opportunity to fairly and impartially cast their votes. Bro. Jubilo
could tell the Master or someone about it, but it is hardly a matter of murder and, without
stretching the definition, is also not treason. Bro Jubilo would therefore be bound by his obligation
to keep and conceal that secret. But knowing about it and not doing anything also makes Bro.
Jubilo an accessory which violates his promise not to wrong, cheat or defraud a Lodge. He's never
violated his Masonic Obligations before and he doesn't want to start now.
What's a good Mason to do? What would YOU do? Have a little fun with this. And let me
know if you come up with anything interesting. This is meant to be an entertaining exercise of
the mind, but I hope it gets the moral and ethical juices flowing.
Take care Brethren.
Fraternally, Wor. John L. Ciccotelli, Master
Editor’s Note: Wow, my mind is spinning. If you think you have figured a satisfactory answer
other than Jubilo shooting himself in the head, please email it to me ([email protected])
along with the reason why and your name. I will print the answers in next month’s issue.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming Anniversary. She said, 'I want
something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3 seconds.
I bought her a scale.
Page 30
And then the fight started. . .
Mrs. Elizabeth St Leger, Freemason
In or about the year 1710, long before the foundation of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 172930, a Lodge was being held at Doneraile Court, Co. Cork - where Miss St. Leger, then a young
girl, being by accident or design, a witness, from an adjoining apartment, of some portion of the
mysterious ceremonies, took alarm, and made an attempt to withdraw, which attracted the
attention of the Tyler, and the brethren were warned of the presence of an intruder.
The Lodge, presided over by her father, Lord Doneraile, and her brother, his successor, and
Mr. Aldworth, afterwards her husband being also, it is said, present, determined to carry out the
only possible course under the circumstances, and initiate the lady, who afterwards attained
eminence in the Craft, and was a well-known figure in Masonic Ceremonies, and processions
on public occasions.
Note - On the male line failing by the death of her two brothers and nephew, Mrs. Aldworth's
second son, St. Leger Aldworth inherited, and, assuming his mothers' surname of St. Leger, was
created Lord Doneraile in 1776
The following account, derived
from a memoir of her life, published in
Cork in 1811, describes the dramatic
development which ensued . . .
"Part of the wall dividing the Lodge
Room from the library was being
removed for the purpose of making an
arch and thus connecting the two room;
some of the bricks in the dividing wall
had been removed and only loosely
replaced. While the alterations were in
progress, Viscount Doneraile and
others met in the Lodge Room for
Masonic purposes and to confer
degrees.
Doneraile Hall, the location where the incident
Ireland: Open House in Cork
took place. The ancestral home of the St Leger.
On this particular afternoon, Miss
family.
St. Leger had been reading at the library
window and, the light of the winter afternoon having failed, fell asleep. The sound of voices in
the next room restored her to consciousness and from her position behind the loosely placed
bricks of the dividing wall she easily realized that something unusual was taking place in the next
room. The light shining through the unfilled spaces in the temporary wall attracted her attention
and, prompted by a not un-natural curiosity, Miss St.
Leger appears to have removed one or more of the loose bricks, and thus was easily enabled
to watch the proceedings of the Lodge.
For some time her interest in what was transpiring was sufficiently powerful to hold her spellbound; the quietness of her mind remained undisturbed for a considerable period and it was not
until she realized the solemnity of the responsibilities undertaken by the candidate that she
understood the terrible consequences of her action. The wish to hide her secret by
making good her retreat took full possession of her thoughts, for it must be fully Page 31
understood that although she was perfectly aware that her
father's Lodge was held at the house, she had no idea on entering
the library that on that evening a meeting was about to be held
in the adjoining room. Her only means of exit was through the
Lodge Room and we can well understand what must have been
the feeling of the young girl when she realized that the only way
to escape was through the very room where the concluding part
of the Second Degree was being given. The door being at the far
end of the room, she had sufficient resolution to attempt her
escape that way. With light and trembling step, and almost
suspended breath, she glided along, unobserved by the Lodge,
laid her hand on the handle and, softly opening the door, before
her stood her father's butler, the grim and faithful Tyler, with
drawn sword in his hand, guarding the entrance. Her shriek alarmed the Lodge and the Brethren,
having a carried the young back into the library, learned what had occurred. Leaving her in charge
of some of the members, they returned to the Lodge and discussed what course, under the
circumstances, they had best pursue. The discussion was carried on for a considerable time, after
which they returned, and having acquainted Miss St. Leger with the great responsibilities she had
unwittingly taken upon herself, pointed out that only one course was open to them. The fair
culprit, with a high sense of honor, at once consented to pass through the impressive ceremonials
she had already in part witnessed." Elizabeth St. Leger was the daughter of Arthur St. Leger, 1st.
Viscount Doneraile and his wife, Elizabeth Hayes. She married Richard Aldworth at Newmarket
Court, co. Cork on 7 April 1713.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Education is the great engine of personal development.
It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that
the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers
can become the president of a great nation.
It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates
one person from another.
Nelson Mandela
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thanks to W. Brother Gary Mosmeyer of Waller #808 and Cypress Lodge #1483 AF & AMs.
My Wife always wanted a riding lawn mower.
She works all day and was always tired when she came home from work and thought that a
riding lawn mower would help her get the yard work done quicker so she would have more time
for the chores inside the house.
So, being the handy sort of guy that I am, I made her a riding lawn mower. I guess I thought
she would squeal with delight or something and give me a big hug. I even put a light on it so she
could work at night. See photo below.
To this day I have never been able to understand why some women are so hard to
please.
Page 32
P.S. I can see out of my left eye pretty good now and should be able to leave the hospital
sometime next week.
Hidden Lessons From Ritual Work
Work
Discussion in 'Featured Articles' started by My Freemasonry, Monday at 3:47 PM.
So many times we seem to look at Ritual Work as not being that important, and that it
doesn’t have to be done that well. We feel that just need to have more Masons for our
Lodges. If we fail to share the teachings properly, who do you think looses?
I would like to have you think back to that first night, it could of been a warm or cool night,
that we all share. That night we were so apprehensive, or for the sake of better words, confused
as to what was going to happen. Those first words you heard said at the Lodge door, asking
questions and wanting answers of you, and how you were treated was only the start of your
Masonic life. That life that leads most of us on a continuous journey of Masonic travel the rest of
our lives.
For some of us, who had to memorize the Degree and Obligations, we share something that
no one else can understand. This task of learning them, that we choose to do, and we did. This
struggle teaches us what we all can do with hard work and a true desire to accomplish things.
So many times I have listened to the lectures, and still I find them as interesting as the first time
I heard them. Every time I hear them, I find a new perspective that I have missed before. I fear
for those that do not choose to listen to them in this way, as they will never find the lessons that
are taught there in Masonry.
And as for those that give those grand lectures, they learn as well. They learn how it feels to
give that perfect lecture and also when they don't get it perfectly right! Most of the time just
stopping for a moment to think or to taking a breath. I think we can all learn hidden lessons here
too. How we should overlook everyone's little mistakes that we all make in life. Also to remember
sometimes the best intentions go wrong by accident.
"Value Your Word. For What Worth Hath a Liar!”
Source: Bro. Micheal Mayer
Page 33
Page 33
The Shriner
From “My Freemasonry”
I was playing with the Shriner's band, In a small town, hot parade.
We had stopped to drink a thank you, for the tunes that we had played.
A hand was placed upon my back by a women with a crutch.
As I turned I saw a pretty face, and a smile came with that touch.
She told about a tear that came, when she saw the Shriner's band
and how she remembered one Shriner, who had helped her once to stand.
I was in the Shriner's Hospital, I was frightened - I was low
When an old man in a silly red hat, showed that he loved me so.
He visited me every Sunday, for possibly two years.
He shared my pain and laughter, my joys, my thoughts, my tears.
He must be in his nineties now... Well no, perhaps he's dead.
But he came to my wedding to watch me stand, when I was wed.
I wanted to keep in contact with him for all my life
but I'm too busy being a mother, and too busy being a wife.
I just wanted to stop and thank you, for the things that he had done
to make my life more meaningful, to give my life some fun.
I watched her hobble off as I stepped from the band.
I saw her husband and her kids, and the crutch in her right hand.
I felt guilty for taking credit for the Shriner who was strong but mild.
He knew no man stands straighter then when he stoops to help a child.
I thought, some forty years from now, when a Shriner takes a bow,
will he be thanked for something, that I am doing now?
Will they say that I was noble, that my silly hat was red?
Will they say He's in his nineties now, well no, perhaps he's dead.
Author Unknown
Seven Blunders of the Masonic World
From My Freemasonry
Seven Blunders of the Masonic World
Ritual without Meaning
Fellowship without Frivolity
Quantity without Quality
Education without Philosophy
Charity without Connection
Frugality without Discretion
Leadership without Competence
Ritual Without Meaning
Too many times, we are more concerned about performing the ritual perfectly without
understanding what it means. I know many men that give great lectures, but will confide that they
don’t even know what something means. Ritual for the sake of tradition is worthless. Ritual for
the sake of enlightenment is valuable. An understanding of the ritual’s meaning is far more
important than just memorizing it.
Fellowship without Frivolity
Whenever Masons decide to hold a function for fellowship, a discussion typically ensues
about how to make the function have the smallest impact on the lodge’s coffers and the wallets
of the members. This results in paper plates, meager meals, and boring events. To spend money
wisely in order to make fellowship a grand time is wise for the lodge that wants to be successful.6
Quantity without Quality
A lodge with seven great men that believe in the Masonic ideals and actively labor to
improve themselves—and therefore the lodge—is far better off than a lodge with one hundred
men that show up to lodge just to show up to lodge.
Education without Philosophy
Many times, we think of Masonic education as being a lesson on the local lodge’s history, a
famous Mason, the history of the world wide fraternity, or how to do the ritual properly. But if
no philosophy is covered in Masonic education, then little self improvement is accomplished.
Discussing Masonic lessons in terms of philosophy, ideas, and a man’s conduct is what truly
transforms men into Masons. It is important to discuss topics that are foreign to a lodge’s
membership and it is sometimes even necessary to challenge our preconceived ideologies through
Masonic education.
Charity without Connection
Big institutional charities often require that fund raisers be conducted and large checks
written to the people that actually perform the charity. This type of charity is devoid of self
improvement because it has no real connection. If we extend our hands to our needed Brethren
and devote our own skills and time to their problems, then we are engaging in true, meaningful
charity.
Frugality without Discretion
Frugality is not a tenet of Freemasonry, a cardinal virtue, or a Landmark. It is okay for the
lodge to spend its funds on worthwhile activities that will enhance the Masonic experience of its
Brethren. Not everything should be done in the cheapest way, a habit to which we have become
accustomed.
Leadership without Competence
A man does not deserve to be Master of the lodge solely because he has spent a certain
amount of years in the lodge. We elect leaders without any regard for the skills that they possess
to function in that capacity. Only competent, qualified men should be elected to preside over the
Craft.
Source: [email protected]
Page 34
The Distinguishing Badge Of A Mason
From the “Sunday Masonic Paper” - Article by W.Bro. Rob Lund
Introduction and History
“More ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle; more honourable than the Star or
Garter; or any other order in existence, being the badge of innocence and the bond of friendship”.
So is the Apron first introduced to the new Mason, and so was it presented millennia ago to
initiates of the ancient mysteries, as a symbol of the control and restraint of the animal passions,
and freedom from the base nature of Man.
No Mason is considered “clothed” without an Apron. It is worn “to protect their garments
from spot or stain” while engaged in building the spiritual temple.
The apron, in ancient times, appears to have been an honorary badge of distinction. The
Israelites, in the investiture of priests, used a girdle. In the mysteries of Mithras in Persia, the
candidate was invested with an apron, as it was in certain Japanese rites of initiation. The same
applies to ancient Indian, Ethiopian, Egyptian, and Mayan ceremonies. Also in the Christian
church, the apron is connected with certain senior dignitaries. In Masonry, there are two things
essential to preserving the symbolism of the apron: its colour; and its material.
Colour
In all ages and countries, the colour white has been seen to be symbolic of purity. For this
reason, the jewish priesthood were always clothed in white. The priests of the Romans wore white
when they sacrificed. The Druids had different colours for each of their degrees – white being
appropriated to the highest degree, the degree of perfection, and none were admitted unless they
were cleansed of all impurities of body and mind. In early Christian rituals, white garments were
placed on the newly baptized.
Later, the colour blue is added – blue being a spiritual colour.
Material
A Mason’s apron must be made of lambskin. The lamb has always been considered an
appropriate symbol of innocence.
Geometry
The ritual says “Geometry, and Masonry, originally synonymous terms….”
Geometry is displayed in much of our Masonic symbolism, and is true of the apron, which
consists of two basic geometric shapes: a rectangle; and a triangle. One is lain over the other.
When the apron is made with the proper dimensions, some interesting geometry emerges:
• The point of the triangle is 3 units from the top, 4 units from the sides, and 5 units from
the bottom. You will recognize that 3, 4 and 5 are the dimensions of a Pythagorean triangle,
which is used to construct an angle of 90 degrees.
• If a line is drawn from the same point of the triangle to each of the bottom two corners
of the apron, the resulting triangle has the same angles as that of the great pyramid of Giza.
Symbolism
The four sides of the rectangular part of the apron bring to mind the four cardinal virtues:
prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice.
Page 36
The three sides of the triangle remind us of: the three great lights in Masonry; the three lesser
lights; the three pillars (wisdom, strength, and beauty); faith, hope, and charity; the three attributes
of the great Architect (omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence).
When the flap of the apron is worn by the entered apprentice in an upright position, as is
done in some jurisdictions, there are five sides. This reminds us of the five who make a lodge,
and the five noble orders of architecture, as stated in the ritual. It also represents the five senses.
Counting all the sides gives a total of seven, reminding us of the seven who make a lodge
perfect, and the seven liberal arts and sciences, as the ritual says. Also, according to ancient
teachings, man is a seven-fold being. Even in ancient times, the rectangle has been regarded as
the symbol for matter. So, the rectangular part of the apron represents the the lower forms of our
existence – our base physical nature.
The triangle has long been considered as the symbol representing spirit, and there is so much
behind this that one could write a whole book on this symbolism. On the apron is shown spirit
overlaying matter – spirit starting to dominate over our base nature.
The entered apprentice apron is totally white. To the Fellowcraft apron is added two blue
rosettes. These represent body and mind (mind being the main object of the Fellowcraft degree).
The Master Mason apron has three blue rosettes, which represent body, mind, and spirit
(spirit being the main object of the third degree). Blue edging encompasses the apron (blue being,
as mentioned before, a spiritual colour).
In the first two degrees, there is no metal on the apron, representing the divestment of
materialistic base metals. In the third degree, silver is introduced (silver being a representation of
the soul). There are seven silver tassels, and I need not remind you of the significance of the
number seven. The silver clasp has the form of a serpent, which is an ancient symbol representing
wisdom.
The Installed Master apron has, replacing the rosettes, three Tau crosses. The Tau
incorporates the square, level, and plumb rule into one image. They also represent the triple-tau,
the significance of which I shall not go into in this paper.
The deeper blue of the Grand Lodge officers’ aprons signifies a deeper spirituality. The gold
is an ancient representation of spirit. The corn represents growth.
Note that the apron is presented in the West, not by the Master (or divine principle) but by
the Senior Warden, representing the soul (or psyche). Try to determine the significance of this
yourself.
Conclusion
Brethren, the Apron, the distinguishing badge of a Mason, should be regarded as the most
precious symbol of Masonry – one that, when you you are about to wear it, speaks volumes about
the Craft and all that it means.
References
The Apron by Frank C. Higgins
The Meaning of Masonry by W.L Wilmhurst
Masonic Initiation by W.L Wilmhurst
Wayne Anderson, FCF, MPS
Alle Menschen werden Brueder
2B1 ASK1
Page 37
Hempstead Masonic Lodge #749 AF & AM
Main at Seventh Street - Hempstead, Texas
Pancake & Sausage Supper
All You Can Eat - Only $7.00 Per Person
Person
March 10, 2015 - 5:00 To 7:00 P.M.
++++++++++++
Waller Masonic Lodge #808 AF & AM
Main At Locust Street - Waller, Texas
Chili Supper & Silent Auction
Only $7.00 Per Person – Kids under 12 free
March 28, 2015 - 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Please bring donated items for the silent auction in time for the sale.
A Sinister Cult?
From “My Freemasonry” – Author Unknown
"If it's not a sinister cult then why call it a craft?" said my sister in law, adding; "Like witchcraft."
Many Masons have been faced with similar questions, I am sure I was not the first to meet such
ignorance with a puzzled response. I initially was shocked and displayed my uncanny debating
skills with a confused, "HUH?" Let's not cast negativity on the use of the word ignorance, it
doesn't imply disrespect, arrogance, or insult on any one but simply illustrates the very real fact
that few people understand the fraternity, what it means, and what we do, or don't do.
I took this as a positive challenge for myself, a relatively new Mason, and attempted to shed some
light on the subject for a less than well informed person.
My sister in law was fed a lot of nonsense about Masonry by other people who have been
regurgitating the same negative crud for centuries. I tried to explain to her that the simple word
"craft" is descriptive of many things, some good, some not so good. Building a model airplane,
macaroni art done by children are also a craft, practicing a line for a play is a craft, and the simple
use of that word does not alone explain anything.
She had been told by her "friends" that Masonry is evil and dark. It is a world of secrets, devil
worship, witchcraft, cartoonish stereotypes (no less) created by people claiming to be experts on
the subject, but really no more experts on Masonry than they were rocket scientists. It's all hear.
say, and scary fantasy created by people who fear what they do not understand. I suppose that's
just human nature to fear the unknown, but it is also human nature to seek knowledge and
information. To explore. To aid our fellow man and woman, lend a caring ear or hand, and (try
to) keep egos from influencing decisions. Practicing the craft of self-improvement. Without tubthumping.
I make no claim to understand it all, nor do I consider myself qualified to teach anyone all of
Masonry. I have a ton to learn and I look forward to all of life's lessons. I submit this experience
to simply share a lesson of my own.
So I explained to her simply that we do have some secrets mostly relating to ceremonies, but
certainly nothing that involves witchcraft, animal sacrifice, devil worship or the destruction of
anyone's personal religious beliefs. In fact if any man expresses or is discovered to have selfish
motives, a disbelief in God, or a desire to practice any evil, then he is not accepted into the
fraternity.
No one person, or organization is perfect and sometimes an unsavory individual does gain
entrance. We have all heard of bad people involved in an otherwise good cause, position, craft,
or fraternity and by their negative actions cause those good people, or organizations they
associated with, to carry a black eye just for being associated with them. Many have been found
guilty by association unjustly. It's a sad truth, but is very real.
I further explained that she was grossly misinformed albeit possibly by well-intentioned people,
but misinformed nonetheless.
We do charity work, scholarships, and support countless community events.
Little is ever recognized publicly and what the fraternity does is done quietly for the satisfaction
of just giving something back to the community.
We are not all business, or serious and grumpy old men. We like to have some fun as well, and
we do.
We are a diverse mix of race, religions, age, and social standing.
We are fathers, uncles, foster parents, teachers, Priests and Rabbis, carpenters, and actors. Some
are famous, some are in politics, and sadly some are even lawyers (just kidding).
We even have a sense of humor.
We are neighbors and friends. We are ordinary men that come together hopefully to do some little
bit of extraordinary good for others.
I will conclude as I did in my conversation with my sister in law.
I never killed a goat, I couldn't even draw a pentagram, I have never met a devil worshipper
anywhere, I never met a witch or warlock or whatever, and I don't know who killed JFK.
I just want to keep my mind open and learn as much as I can objectively while being hopefully
an upstanding part of the community and a better husband, father, friend and even brother in law.
That's the craft to me at least in part and there is always more to learn. Does that in anyway
suggest something sinister or dark? She answered with a simple, "Nope".
+++++++++++++++++++++
Jack was sitting on a plane when a guy took the seat beside him. The guy was an emotional
wreck, pale, hands shaking, moaning in fear.
"What's the matter?" Jack asked.
"I've been transferred to New Orleans, there's crazy people there. They've got lots of shootings,
gangs, race riots, drugs, poor public schools, and the highest crime rate."
Jack replied, "I've lived in New Orleans all my life. It's not as bad as the media says. Find a
nice home, go to work, mind your own business and enroll your kids in a nice private school. It's
as safe a place as anywhere in the world."
The guy relaxed and stopped shaking and said, "Oh, thank you. I've been worried to death.
But if you live there and say it's OK, I'll take your word for it. By the way, what do you do for a
living?"
"Me?" said Jack. "I'm a tail gunner on a Budweiser truck."
+++++++++++++++++++++
A nice, calm and respectable looking lady went into the pharmacy, walked up to the
pharmacist, looked straight into his eyes, and said, "I would like to buy some cyanide."
The pharmacist asked, "Why in the world do you need cyanide?"
The lady replied, "I need it to poison my husband."
The pharmacist's eyes got big and he exclaimed, "Lord have mercy! I can't give you cyanide
to kill your husband. That's against the law! I'll lose my license! They'll throw both of us in jail!
All kinds of bad things will happen. Absolutely not! NO you CANNOT have any cyanide!"
The lady reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of her husband in bed with the
pharmacist's wife.
The pharmacist looked at the picture and replied, "Well now, that's different. You didn't tell
me you had a prescription."