The Working Tools April 2011 by Cory Sigler

April 2011 Issue #40

2 videos in this months issue

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Letter FromWelcome the Editor

This issue is dedicated to RW Richard Burton who has been called to the Great Architect of the Universe on 3/7/2011. A Mason like no other. A man who dedicated his life to the Craft. Always there to lend a hand when needed, knew the ritual inside and out and was the Master of his Lodge right up into his illness. He was a member of the Masonic Fraternity for more than 60 years. He was the master of Genesis Lodge No. 88, Pompton Lakes, N.J., and past master of the Haledon Lodge. He was the district ritual instructor for the 2nd Masonic District for 18 consecutive years; president of Martin-Tegze Scholarship Fund; a member of the Ancient Scottish Rite, Bordentown, N.J. Bro Burton you will be deeply missed. Cory

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Letter FromWelcome the Editor I’ve received such great feedback during the last two months since the return of TWT. You guys have been really fantastic. It seems that the changes made to the layout (graphics, articles, video..etc) have been a welcomed addition. I’ll be trying out some more new features going forward. I would love to hear from you about what you like the most. Is there something not working or keeping your interest? Let me know. Also a special thank you to the brethren who have been sending me original articles to share with the readers. In the last issue I asked you to help support a fellow brother by purchasing his new book in the ―Builders Series‖. Well you have answered my call and I’m proud to say that many TWT readers mentioned to the author that they found out about it in this publication. Thank you brethren for going the extra step! As always, if you see something of interest send it my way and I’ll be sure to include it. Until next time...

Cory Sigler, PM

Hawthorne Fortitude #200

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

PS– You guys have been asking me how to donate to TWT. I added a shopping section on the Facebook page that makes it easy to do so.

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TWT MAG presents:

The video “Working Tools” Featuring highlights from this months magazine. Including music and video segments

Download and show in Lodge for a quick 10 minute presentation that all the brethren will enjoy!!! Find at our Facebook page and at Blip.tv http://blip.tv/file/4936985 to download.

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INTRODUCING THE NEW “TWT MAG” FAN PAGE ON FACEBOOK

Get all the issue updates and news first Show your appreciation by searching under “The Working Tools” and liking the page.

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Contents

This Month’s Issue Includes:

Pg 22 George Washington Masonic Memorial

Pg 34 Pg 49

Biography: Frank Buckles

The Shriners

This Issue:  The Working Tools of an E-Mason” - Pg.10  Claudy “Old Tyler Talks” -

Pg.12

 “When Did You Ask The Question, How Do I Become a Freemason?”- Pg.14  Masonic Podcasts - “X-Oriente” - Pg.25  Masonic Kilties of New Jersey - Pg. 33  In The News - Pg.38  A Page Out Of History

— Pg.58

The Working Tools is published monthly by Corsig Publishing & Cory Sigler, It is not affiliated with any Grand Lodge. Letters or inquiries should be directed to Cory Sigler, Editor, at E-mail: Corsig3@yahoo.com All letters become the property of the Working Tools. Photographs and articles should be sent to the attention of the Editor. Every effort will be made to return photographs but this cannot be guaranteed. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. The Editor reserves the right to edit all materials received.

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Mailbag I follow your TWT magazine . You are a Lighthouse, high and bright in the darkness. Thanks for Your Work.

Cory, it is truly great to see your magazine back up and running! Daryll Slimmer

Marcellino Pio Rusca, Italy

I'm so glad to find the newsletter back up and going. Very Enlightening information Brian Estes

This is an excellent primer on the York Rite, and I will be showing it in my Lodge for the benefit of our newer members. Highland Lodge No. 184, A.F. & A.M.

Greetings Cory, Very glad to have your Masonic site back up. My son just got his EA last week. I/we are still on Cloud Nine. Thanks for your great efforts to project Free Masonry. Wally Jones Union Lodge No. 48 Elkton, Md.

It's so great seeing things running, TWT is that one light in the darkness for knowledge and understanding for us all. Keep up the fine work.................... Lansing Ten Eyck

Email of the month “As usual your work was and still is great. Can you do a piece on the Shrine? Thanks....Noble Tom”

Bro. Noble Tom. Ask you shall receive. This month’s cover story is on the Shriner’s and all the great work the do– CS

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This Month in History

April 4th- On this date in 1778, Voltaire was initiated in "Les Neuf Soeurs" Lodge in Paris. His conductors were Benjamin Franklin and Count Gebelin 8th- On this date in 1790, the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire was constituted 18th- in 1787, the Grand Lodge of Maryland was formed, in 1850, the Grand Lodge of California was formed 20th- On this date in 1884, Pope Leo XIII issued a famous Papal Bull against Freemasonry, titled Humanum Genus 21st- In 1821 the Grand Lodge of Missouri was founded. 22nd - in 1785, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart received his 3rd degree. 24th- in 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt received his 3rd degree. 28th- On this date in 1738, Pope Clement XII issued the first Papal Bull attacking Freemasonry . Also, in 1840, the Grand Lodge of Illinois was formed.

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This Month in ―The Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry‖

April Lectures ―The Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry‖

04-02-11 The Evolution of Scandinavian Freemasonry—Dr. Andreas Onnerfors 04-09-11 Morris, PM

The Royal Secret in the U.S. before 1801— Dr. S. Brent

04-16-11 Critical Reading of Masonic Literature - Yoshio Washizu, PGM, Japan 04-23-11 The Revival of a Patriotic Order: Knights Templar in England & New York - Dr. Susan Sommers 04-30-11 The Social Evolution of American Freemasonry - Mark Tabbert, PM

http://weofm.org 9

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The Working Tools of an E-Mason

I now present you with the working tools of an Emason…. They are the mouse, the keyboard, and the modem. The mouse is to move within the desktop, the keyboard to input the data, and the modem to publish in cyber space. But as we are not online, as computer nerds, but rather as Free and Accepted EMasons, we use these tools to obtain more Masonic light and to show us the true meaning and value of EMasons. And thus we apply them….. The mouse teaches us to keep within the bounds of the screen, a square wherein which we all meet on the level. The keyboard is to show us that communicating will lead us to a better understanding of each other and the rest of mankind. The modem to teach us that even when we are alone, or in the most remote part of the globe, we may meet and gain moral sustenance and support from each other and thus gain more light, from our Ancient and Honourable Fraternity. So Mote it Be… (Author Unknown) Thanks to Steve Wittberger for sending this my way 10

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2010 Mark Twain Winners 2010 Winners The following are the winners of the 2010 Mark Twain Award: Helion Lodge #1, Huntsville, Alabama Oasis Lodge #52, Tucson, Arizona Henri Lodge #190, Tonganoxie, Kansas Bay View Lodge #196, E. Boothbay, Maine John T. Heard Lodge, Ipswich, Massachusetts Helios Lodge #273, Cambridge, Minnesota Boulder City Lodge #37, Boulder City, Nevada Benevolent Lodge #7, Milford, New Hampshire Atlas Pythagoras Lodge #10, Westfield, New Jersey Temple Lodge #6, Albuquerque, New Mexico Sandia Mountain Lodge #72, Albuquerque, New Mexico Harmonie Lodge #699, Amherst, New York Statesville Lodge #27, Statesville, North Carolina Tippecanoe Lodge #174, Tipp City, Ohio Sand Springs Lodge #475, Sand Springs, Oklahoma South McAlester Lodge #96, McAlester, Oklahoma Daylight Lodge #232, Seattle, Washington

CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE WINNERS AND ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!

About the Mark Twain Award Based on the Masonic Information Center’s (MIC) commitment to improving Masonic public awareness, MIC sponsors the Mark Twain Masonic Awareness Award to recognize lodges that have demonstrated exemplary work in constructing a positive Masonic identity within the lodge and for the local community.

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Claudy- ―Old Tyler Talks‖

“GOLD AND IRON” "Old Tiler, why are not more Masons, Masons?" asked the New Brother in the anteroom. "For the same reasons that not more friends are friends, or hot dogs, sausages, I guess," answered the Old Tiler. "You tell me the answer." "It seems mighty queer to me that we can't make more lodge members feel the inner spirit of Freemasonry," answered the New Brother. "I can't understand it." "That shows you haven't a very observing pair of eyes or a great understanding of human nature," smiled the Old Tiler. "If this were a perfect world made up of perfect men there would be no need of Freemasonry!" "Maybe not. But if you can see what I can't, and understand what is hidden from me, tell me, won't you?" "I'll try," answered the Old Tiler. "A great many years ago there was a great leader of men on earth; I don't know whether it was Guatama Buddha, or Mohammed, or Brahma. No matter what his name was, this great leader and teacher of men wandered in a sparely settled part of the back country near the sea, hungry and tired and footsore. He had asked several of the country people for aid and shelter but while they were not unkind they also were poor and offered him nothing, 12

thinking him one of themselves. "At last, however, he found a poor peasant who took him in. The peasant gave him some dry clothes, for his were wet from storm, and shared his crust of bread and his humble cottage. In the morning he gave the wanderer breakfast and a staff to help him on his way. "'What can I do to repay you?' asked the great leader of his host. "'I need no payment. I, too, have been a wanderer and you have both my sympathy and my aid for love only,' answered the peasant. "'Then the great leader told him who he was. 'And because I have power, I will reward you in any way you wish,' he said. 'Choose what you will have.' "'If it is indeed so, oh, my Lord,' answered the peasant, 'give me gold; gold, that I may buy clothes and food and women and wine; gold, that I may have power and place and prominence and happiness.' "'Gold I can give you, but it would be a poor gift,' answered the great leader. 'Who has gold without earning it eats of the tree of misery. And because you have been kind to me I will not give you such a curse. Gold you shall have, but a task you shall do to earn it. You wear an iron bracelet. On the shore of the sea, among many, is a pebble which if you touch it to iron will turn it to gold. Find it, and all iron will be your gold.' "Hardly stopping to thank his benefactor, the peasant ran to the seashore to pick up pebbles and touch them to his bracelet to see if it would turn to gold. All morning he ran, picking up pebbles, touching the iron, and then, so that he

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(Continued on page 13)

Claudy- â&#x20AC;&#x2022;Old Tyler Talksâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; (Continued from page 12)

wouldn't pick up the wrong pebble twice, he tossed the useless pebbles, which were not the magic stone, into the sea. "After a while the task became monotonous; pick up pebble, touch it to iron, throw it out in the sea- over and over again. So he amused himself with visions of what he would do when he should have won the great wealth. He planned his harem and his wine cellar, pictured the great banquets he would give, thought of the slaves he would purchase and how he would be recognized by all as a rich and powerful noble. Meanwhile, of course, he was busy picking up pebbles, touching them to his bracelet and throwing them into the sea. "The day wore on. The visions became more and more entrancing, the task more and more mechanical. And at last, just as the sun was going down, the peasant looked at his bracelet- and behold! It was ruddy yellow gold! Some one of the thousands of pebbles he had touched to the iron was the lucky one, the magic one, and because he had been thinking of something else, doing his task mechanically, he cast it into the sea." The Old Tiler stopped, thoughtfully puffing at his cigar.

we give him only perfunctory attention. We do our work mechanically. We are letter perfect in our degrees, and too often without the spirit of them. We have ritualists who can dot every I and cross every T, who have every word in place and no wrong words, but who have no knowledge of what they say. I once knew a Grand Master who didn't know what a hecatomb was, and plenty of Masons cannot tell you if the two pillars on the porch were supports for a loafing place or whether they have a spiritual meaning not at all concerned with the porches. "The reason more Masons do not deserve the title is not altogether their fault. It's our fault! We don't know enough ourselves to teach them; we don't care enough about it to teach them. A good balance in the bank, a growing membership, a free feed, 'nice' degrees- and we call ourselves a successful lodge. But we make only ten men real Masons for every hundred to whom we give the degrees, and the fault is ours, not theirs; my fault, your fault, our fault because we don't study, don't learn, don't care to learn the real secrets of Freemasonry and so cannot teach them." "There is one who teaches in this lodge," answered the New Brother, slowly, "and one who tries to learn." "Yes?" answered the Old Tiler. "Who are they?"

"That's a very nice fable," observed the New Brother.

"You, who teach, and I, who try to learn," answered the New Brother.

"Much," answered the Old Tiler. "In Masonry we are too much like the peasant. We take the pebbles of the beach, the many who apply to us, touch them to the iron of our Freemasonry and cast them out into the sea of life. Or we take the touchstone which is Freemasonry and touch it to the iron which is a man, and let him throw it away. Work the simile how you will, what we do is to neglect the newly made Mason;

"Humph," grunted the Old Tiler, but his eyes smiled, well pleased.

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Brother Submission ―When did you ask the question, “How do I become a Freemason” ? By Bro. Eric Larsen My grandfather back in the early 80’s when I was in my teens was sitting at the table telling me one of his stories from days gone by. On his right hand was a ring of gold with a square top holding a red stone. Within the red stone there was a symbol of a compass over a square with the letter G in the center. I asked while reaching for his hand, “What does this ring represent”? He instantly stopped his story and sat back in his chair. A huge smile appeared across his face and his eyes lit up like I remembered when I caught my first fish as he helped me bring it in. “This”, he said as he removed the ring from his finger. “is the symbol of a true man. In order to wear this symbol you have to be proven before the Grand Architect of the Universe to be who you say you are”. I looked at the ring studying the symbol, to me it looked like something an architect would wear. It had the tools that an architect uses in drawing buildings and calculating measurements. But the letter G threw me off. “Does the letter G stand for God”? I asked. “Not necessarily”, he replied. “It stands for more than just God. This symbol is the sign of a Freemason. Men who wear this symbol are known to be honest, true, loyal, and upright in every way of life”. “How do you become a Freemason”? I asked. With that, his smile became laughter as he said, “I have wanted to hear those words from you since your were born” ! He then explained to me what he could. Although I was only seventeen and had some time to wait until my request to become a Mason could be read in Lodge, he continued speaking with me about Freemasonry from time to time. Before I could join however he passed away. At the time my thoughts of becoming a Freemason faded away. Then one day my older brothers came to me to find out if I wanted to join the lodge with them. On

(Continued on page 15)

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Brother Submission (Continued from page 14)

February second two thousand and two, three of my older brothers and myself became Freemasons. That day I could not help but to think of my grandfather and the joy he got from hearing me ask that one question we all must ask to become Freemasons. When I realized what it meant, when I took that oath, when I heard that word, I felt I had finally found meaning in my life. Since then I have run my life and my business to the path of a Freemason. I have become the man my grandfather wanted me to be. I am respected in my community and in my industry as one that backs up what I say and prove it with my actions. When people speak with me they know they can expect truth no matter how hard it is to swallow. In the end, they respect that and we can solve problems together quicker and find the right solutions. My business partners and clients know that I am honest and try all that I can to do the best for them. My family knows as a Husband and a Dad they can count on me in any situation at any time of the day or night. They know that they come first no matter how important other things may seem to be. My son recently turned eighteen and has gone off to college. He knows that I wear a ring with the Masonic symbol. He sees it proudly displayed on my truck and on my lapel pin when we go out for a night on the town. He has been to lodge outings and knows other men that wear the symbol of a Freemason that I call brother. He was there when we were thousands of miles from home on a cruise and another man we had never met before shook my hand and talked with me like we were family. To this day John P. Walker and I are friends. My son has seen first hand what it is to be a Freemason. So when he asked me a few weeks ago, “Dad, how do I become a Freemason”. I sat back in my chair, a smile turned to laughter, and I told him what I could. My son turns nineteen in August, his petition is ready to be read at Lodge the day after his birthday, our regular meeting night. If more men were Masons our world would be a different place. Look at what we as a brotherhood have done in the past. Created a great nation, won wars, provided some of the worlds greatest leaders. It starts with that person asking the question, “How do I become a Freemason”.

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Masonic Publications Cory Approved

http://www.mastermason.com/STTM-Emag/ Brother John ―Corky‖ Daut, PM has done a great job putting together a monthly online digest of Masonic information and enlightenment. Every issue has a spotlight on Texas Masonry so you Texan brothers are sure to like it even more. Check out Bro. Corky’s page, I enjoy it and I know you will too.

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Masonic Author In continuation of last months article on ―The Builder Series‖, Brother Dr. John Nagy has submitted to TWT a new article . I think you’ll find it quite interesting. Please visit Dr Nagy’s website for more info regarding ordering of his books.

The Threshing-Floor by Br. John S. Nagy A House Built upon sand shall neither stand well nor stand long.(1) — Dr. John S. Nagy

Summary: King Solomon’s choice of location to Build his Tem-

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

ple upon has many overlaying references that have much significance to Masons. Examining its rich history reveals Strong criteria for its selection. Masons would do well to understand the connections this Temple location has for any other Building they may conceive, design and eventually Build.

Overview Far too many Masons have grown up in cultures that do not give full credence to the rich metaphors that allow for instant understanding of the Masonic symbols before them. The Threshing-floor is one such metaphor of a special location for activity that all Masons should be prepared to engage in very early in their Masonic Journey. On the Threshing-floor, the fruit of the harvest is laid out before them; further Work is put forth to separate the grain heads from the chaff that nurtured the grain to maturity. Winnowing efforts are put forth in this activity, forcing movement of the chaff away from the grain so desired. Like threshers from any era, Masons must also learn how to separate that which is important from that which is not. Without this vital skill, further improvement in Masonry, a primary goal for Masons at any stage, will not occur. Masons should learn this skill early on as Entered Apprentice Masons and apply it at all times from then on. This crucial skill though is not pointed out as a Foundation to which Masonry is Built upon. Archaic references to the Foundation are few and modern day Masons would be hard pressed to provide exact connections to the Foundation if they were limited to the Ritual references themselves. Yet, if Masons took time to examine Ritual carefully and look into the history of King Solomon’s Temple, as provided by the Volume of Sacred Law and specifically the land in which it was Built upon, they would find a rich harvest of connections. Before them would be an abundance of lessons that would profit them and those they encounter. They would have examples of human desire focused in grand style to assure actions were honorable and respecting. They would discover deeper meaning and understanding that made for better choices in life. They would also create a clarity and continuity surrounding the Work that they endeavor to undertake as Masons in Masonry. We each Build a Temple that is our own. The plans for that Temple are Masonic in origin and follow the prototype of that which was Built by King Solomon many years ago. That foundation is upon a mountain called “Moriah.” The significance of this name is important to all Masons. The significance of its history is just as important. (Continued on page 18)

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Masonic Author’s (Continued from page 17)

History The name “Moriah” occurs first in our Volume of Sacred Law in the Book of Genesis. It is attributed to a mountain range that has a rich history that Masons would do well to know and learn from. Traditionally, Moriah is the location of a specific mountain but Rabbinical tradition often attributes many significant occurrences directly to Mount Moriah particularly; many of which Masons would benefit from by knowing how they support their Masonic Work. Abraham One such occurrence was the story of a man who is credited to be the father of three monotheistic religions. The Moriah mountain range was the location to which the Friend of God(2) also known as “Abraham,” intended to sacrifice his son Isaac to his Lord.(3) As an interesting tangent to this, it is important to know what the word “sacrifice” originally meant many years ago; its meaning was “to make Holy.” It was believed at that time that gifts must be offered to that which was revered and worshiped. To do this, one must “make Holy” that gift in order for it to be acceptable. This often involved burning such offerings. This method of sacrificing is called “holocaust,” which is from a Greek root word meaning “burnt whole”; a practice which was believed to make that gift transcend into the spiritual domain. The unfortunate aspect of the word “sacrifice” today is that it has changed over the years from its original meaning. It has shifted semantically to mean “to give up” and hence “loose something;” usually for some greater good. True sacrifice though involves no loss whatsoever. It only involves a willing act of glad-full giving. In this respect, to truly sacrifice, Masons must willingly and gladly offer up to “make Holy” that which they have been blessed with, giving only their best; no greater gift in sacrifice could be made. As important as the act of sacrifice has been emphasized to us over the years, the Volume of Sacred Law tells us that sacrifice itself is not the most desirable actions to take. If fact, it tells us that “the performance of charity(4) and prudence(5) is more desirable to God than sacrifice.(6)” It also tells us that “Loving-kindness(7) I desire, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.(8)” As many Masons will admit outright, much of these sentiments are emphasized in Ritual throughout the degrees. Jacob The next event significant to Masonic Work came with travels of the next generation. It was Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, that subsequently had occasion to visit Moriah(9) and with grand significance to Masons. It was while he was upon Moriah , that he took its freestones and made a pillow to support him in his sleep. During his sleep that night, Jacob dreamt(10) of a connection between Heaven and Earth called a “Sullam.”(11) Sullam means “a graduated ramp, staircase or ladder.” It is the first and last time this word is used within the Volume of Sacred Law. In that dream, Jacob saw God’s Angels ascending and descending this connection. Upon waking from his dream, Jacobs said, “Surely Jehovah is in this place; and I knew not. This is none other than the House of God, and this is the gate to Heaven.” Jacob proceeded to rename the location “Bethal”, which means “House of God.” He also set up the first of two stone Pillars to acknowledge this belief, saying, “This stone which I have set for a Pillar shall be God’s House.” (Continued on page 19)

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Masonic Author’s (Continued from page 18)

The Ladder of Jacob’s dream is most significant to Masons and their Work, especially at the EA level. The ladder represents the connection between Heaven and Earth. There are too few Masons that know the double significance of this. The Compasses and Square are symbolic of Heaven and Earth too. The connection dreamt of by Jacob also exists between these two. Masons associate the rungs of Jacob’s Ladder with the Seven Virtues that are spoken of in the EA Lecture. The message Masons should glean from these elements is that the connection between Heaven and Earth, and hence Masonry itself, is Strengthened through the practice of these Virtues, as symbolized by the ladder’s rungs. Ornan More Masonic significance occurred years later. Mount Moriah came under ownership of a Jebusite(12) ruler named “Ornan” and whose Hittite title was “Araunah.” Ornan used the location as a threshing -floor. In modern times, threshing-floors are not what many Masons might be exposed to much less have any experience with. In fact, a random survey of Brothers may turn up only a few who understand what the act of threshing is. For many of us with a passing interest, we would look up this word and find that threshing is the act of breaking off the grain heads from the chaff that it grew upon. Further investigation would reveal that this act was followed by something called “winnowing;” a divestment of the chaff from the desired grain it was once connected to. This was sometimes done by rigorously fanning the grain and chaff but was best accomplished in a well lit open space that had lots of wind. The wind was useful in that it carried the lighter chaff away from the heavier grain by merely throwing all of it up into the air. Ornan’s Threshing floor was on the top of Mount Moriah which had both aspects of light and wind in abundance. Of course, Masons will recognize immediately the significance of the threshing-floor. It is a place where that which is important is separated from that which is unimportant; truth from falsehood; that which nurtures from that which doesn’t; the very actions that Masons must take upon themselves as they progress through their Masonic Work. Obviously the use of Light and a fair amount of directed Wind, in the form of Spiritual guidance, is very useful in this activity. This should start to occur immediately upon Entering upon the threshing-floor. Of interest to note: The entrance of the threshing-floor is called the “threshold.” Masons will recognize immediately that the threshold is symbolic of the entrance or porch to which all Masons must Pass through to bring them to Light and Spirit; abundantly found upon the Masonic threshing-floor within any existing Masonic Temple. Threshing and Winnowing are common metaphors for the exercising of judgment(13) and purification.(14) They are also vital skills that help Masons to Divest themselves from the Vices and Superfluities of life.(15) The threshing-floor also symbolizes blessings and abundance for Masons. As stated in the Volume of Sacred Law: And your contribution shall be counted to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress.(16), The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.(17) and When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted [to you] as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as produce of the winepress.(18) This scripture echoes the sentiments often heard within the halls of Masonic discourse: You get from Masonry what you put in.

(Continued on page 20)

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Masonic Author’s (Continued from page 19)

David Yet further significance for Masons came into play when King David had reign over the people of this area in and around Mount Moriah. It was this very mountain location, Ornan’s Threshing-floor, that King David noticed an angel of the Lord.(19) When King David took notice, this angel was visiting a three day plague upon the surrounding communities as punishment to King David for taking a census of the war capable men within his kingdom. God didn’t like this and hence His angel was sent. When King David first noticed God’s messenger, it was about to visit that plague upon King David’s people in Jerusalem too. The angel held off though and the prophet Gad immediately instructed King David to Build an Altar to the Lord God to give thanks. King David complied immediately without any hesitation of mind in him whatsoever. The message of King David’s actions should be a clear and firm lesson to Masons: One must take action without hesitation when the instruction is sound and communicates Good Orderly Direction. There was of course the formality of Building upon land that was not rightfully his. King David recognized this issue and made effort to purchase the threshing-floor from Ornan. Being subject to King David’s rule, Ornan offered up the land freely, along with an array of suitable sacrifices(20) for the intended Altar. King David would not hear of it however; he said to Ornan, "No, but I will buy it for the full price.”(21) His reasoning was straightforward. King David would neither take for his Lord what was someone else’s, nor offer burnt offerings which cost him nothing.(22) His actions offered some other clear and firm lessons for all Masons to learn from. One lesson was to make sure that the Foundation one Builds upon and what was to be offered to be “made Holy” was procured fairly and equitably before proceeding. Another lesson provided was to treat others fairly and rightfully even if one may reign over them. Yet another lesson that is important for Masons to note is to deal in such a way that there is never any question of ownership. Solomon Mount Moriah’s significance to Masons doesn’t stop there. It is also the location where King David’s son, King Solomon, Built a Temple and dwelling place for the Most High. The Temple was Built upon what was originally Ornan’s Threshing-floor, and surrounded King David’s Altar, the eventual resting place of the Arc of the Covenant. Masons use the Building of King Solomon’s Temple as a basis for many of the metaphors and symbols used within Masonry. One such symbol, the checkered pavement found upon the ground floor which occupies the very place where threshing once occurred, should remind Masons of the “Wheat and Chaff” that must be separated in their own lives once they are initiated into the fellowship; a skill that becomes more and more valuable as other Work is taken on in higher degrees. Candidates arriving at this threshing-floor, approach it from “the lofty towers of Babel, where language was confounded and Masonry lost.” Coming upon this threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, they find that language is restored and Masonry is found. Upon initiation, Masons come out of the profane world, filled with much darkness, ignorance and confusion, as there was at the tower of Babel, and that they approach a Masonic world, where there is Light, Understanding and Order, as at the Temple Built upon Ornan’s threshing-floor. Review Reviewing all these events should help bring things into prospective as to the overall significance of this Temple Mount location. The place where Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac; where Jacob dreamt of a Heavenly connection and acknowledged God’s presence; where King Ornan threshed to separate the important from the unimportant; where King David Built an Altar in thanks to the Lord; where King Solomon Built a Temple to House that Altar and the Lord; all occurred upon Moriah. As significant as all these events may now seem to Masonic readers, the meaning behind this specific location should bear far more significance. (Continued on page 21)

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Masonic Author’s (Continued from page 20)

For all of these events to unfold, specific aspects needed to be in place. A willingness to offer to “make Holy” blessings was one such aspect. A willingness to separate that which is important from that which is not is another. A willingness to acknowledge God’s presence and the connection between Heaven and Earth was a third and forth. A willingness to give thanks to the Lord was a fifth. A willingness to Build Sacred structures was a sixth aspect. Masons may ask themselves “what was the driving force behind all this willingness; what supported all this?” And they would not have far to look to find the answer. Moriah means “God is my Teacher.” Strict interpretation of the word conveys that it specifically means "ordained/ considered by Yahweh." Being the Foundation of so many events, it is clear that all of them were supported upon the Instruction of God. Questions to Perpend: 1. What is the significance behind both the name and the location of the Temple location? 2. What were the Three Grand Offerings and why are these offering significant to Masons? 3. What is the Hebrew name for the connection between the Square and the Compasses? 4. What important Masonic lessons were presented by King David’s purchase on Mount Moriah? 5. According to the Volume of Sacred Law, what is more desired than sacrifice? 6. What significance do the acts of threshing and winnowing have for Masons? -------------About the Article: This article is based on the Masonic writings, “The Threshing-floor” and “The Threshingfloor Catechism” written by Dr. John S. Nagy. They are found in the book “Building Boaz – Uncommon Catechism for Uncommon Masonic Education - Volume 2”, part of the “Building Series” of Masonic Education books by the same author. (http://www.coach.net/BuildingBuilders.htm) About the Author: Dr. John S. Nagy is a Master Mason, a perpetual member of Tampa Bay Lodge No. 252 in Tampa Bay Florida and also a Life Member of the Florida Lodge of Research. He is the Lodge Musician for both Lodges and occasional Masonic Education provider for both.

(1) Matthew 7:26-27 (2) Isaiah 41:8, 2 Chronicles 20:7 (3) Genesis 22:10 (4) tzedakah (5) judgment (6) Proverbs 21:3 (7) mercy (8) Hosea 6:6 (9) Although the location of this event in the Volume of Sacred Law is clearly not Moriah, Rabbinical tradition accepts this location as Moriah.

(10) Genesis 28:12 (11) Those interested in the construct of Hebrew words would do well to investigate the significance of the Hebrew letters “SLM.” (12) 1 Chronicles 21:15 (13) Daniel 2:35 (14) Matthew 3:12, Luke 3:17 (15) Hosea 13:3 (16) Numbers 18:27 (17) Joel 2:24 (18) Numbers 18:30 (19) 1 Chronicles 21:16 (20) 1 Chronicles 21:23 (21) 1 Chronicles 21:22 (22) 1 Chronicles 21:24

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Traveling http://www.gwmemorial.org

The George Washington Masonic Memorial 101 Callahan Drive Alexandria, VA 22301 Main Voice - (703) 683-2007 Fax - (703) 519-9270 Summer Hours April 1 through September 30 Open at 9:00am and close at 4:00pm Sunday Open from 12:00pm to 4:00pm The George Washington Masonic Memorial was built in the 1920s by the more than two million American Freemasons who wished to: â&#x20AC;&#x153;express in durability and beauty the undying esteem of the Freemasons of the United States for him in whose memory it shall stand throughout the coming years.â&#x20AC;? This magnificent structure is privately funded through the grateful contributions of Freemasons and others, yet remains open to the public, free of charge, seven days a week. The George Washington Masonic Memorial is more than a colossal memorial and museum. It is a tourist attraction and destination; research center and library; community center; performing arts center and concert hall; banquet and celebration site; and meeting site for local and countless visiting Masonic lodges and organizations. However, first and foremost, it is a memorial to honor and perpetuate the memory, character and virtues of the man who best exemplifies what Freemasons are and ought to be, Brother George Washington.

A Brief History of the Memorial The two Lodges most closely associated with George Washington were Fredericksburg Lodge at Fredericksburg, Virginia, his Mother Lodge and Alexandria-Washington Lodge at Alexandria, Virginia, where he was elected Charter Master under the Grand Lodge of Virginia. No precise date can be found when the Lodge at Fredericksburg was chartered. The date of its first meeting is usually ascribed to September 1, 1752, under a dispensation from the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Colony of Massachusetts. The Lodge was granted a charter on July 21, 1758 by the Grand Lodge of (Continued on page 23)

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Traveling (Continued from page 22)

Scotland. Washington was initiated an Entered Apprentice on November 4, 1752, passed to Fellowcraft on March 3, 1753 and raised to Master Mason on August 4, 1753. The Lodge at Alexandria, Virginia was first warranted by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania on February 3, 1783 as Lodge No. 39. George Washington attended a St. John the Baptist Celebration of the Lodge in June of 1784. He was later made an Honorary Member of the Lodge. On April 22, 1788, the Lodge received a Charter from the Grand Lodge of Virginia as Alexandria Lodge No. 22. The Lodge asked Washington to be its Charter Master under the Virginia Charter and he agreed. Washington was inaugurated as the First President of the United States on April 30, 1789 while holding the office of Master of Alexandria Lodge. After his death on December 14, 1799, the Lodge was renamed Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 by the Grand Lodge of Virginia. Through the generosity of Washington's family and friends, Alexandria-Washington Lodge became the repository of many artifacts of Washington and the Washington family. The Lodge rooms were inadequate for the display and storage of the memorabilia and fire in the Lodge in 1781 destroyed many of the invaluable and significant Washington artifacts. History is replete with men who, out of necessity, arise to undertake a great enterprise. For this occasion, it was Charles H. Callahan, who in 1909, while Senior Warden of Alexandria-Washington Lodge, purchased several lots on Shuters Hill, which he gave to the Lodge for the site of a fire proof Lodge Hall. Following consultation with and with the urging of the Lodge, Joseph W. Eggleston, the Grand Master of Virginia, invited every Grand Master in the United States to assemble in Alexandria-Washington Lodge on February 22, 1910 for the purpose of forming as association to plan and build a suitable Memorial to George Washington, the Mason. Representatives from 26 Grand Lodges did assemble and approved and endorsed the erection of the Memorial, and The George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association was formed. Thomas Shryock, Grand Master of Maryland, was elected the first President of the Memorial Association. Ten years after the first official meeting of the Association, the concept of a colossal building as a Memorial "lighthouse" to Washington was approved by the Grand Lodges of the United States. The site was selected because it followed the ancient tradition for the location of temples on hilltops or mountains. It was also located on land with which General Washington was familiar - it was the very spot once proposed by Thomas Jefferson as the ideal site for the nation's Capitol. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 5, 1922. Louis A. Watres, President of the Memorial Association and Past Grand Master of Pennsylvania, and Charles H. Callahan, Past Master of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22, and a future Grand Master of Virginia participated in the ceremony. Despite the great expense, the Memorial Association was determined not to borrow money. Construction only proceeded as money was collected for each stage of the project. On November 1, 1923, the Memorial's cornerstone was dedicated in a Masonic ceremony. President Calvin Coolidge, former President and Chief Justice William H. Taft and numerous other dignitaries performed the ceremony before (Continued on page 24)

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Traveling (Continued from page 23)

a crowd of thousands of Freemasons from around the nation. The onset of the Great Depression did not stop work on the Memorial. For over 10 years, Freemasons steadily and faithfully contributed to the construction of the Memorial. On May 12, 1932, the bicentennial year of George Washington's birth, the dedication of the Memorial took place with President Herbert Hoover participating. After World War II, work on the Memorial's interior began in earnest. By 1970, the George Washington Masonic Memorial was completed. In 1999, the large square and compasses were added to the front lawn, a visible sign to the Masonic nature of the Memorial. A repository of many artifacts and the history of American Freemasons, the Memorial remains a lasting monument to George Washington, the Man, the Mason and Father of our Country.

Click below to watch a short clip (Run Time 1:10 mins)

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Video is also found on the TWT MAG Facebook page

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Masonic Podcasts http://www.xoriente.com/ Since this is the first Podcast review I’ll start off by explaining what a pod cast is for the readers who aren’t aware. ―A podcast (or non-streamed webcast) is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication. The word usurped webcast in common vernacular, the word podcast is made famous from iPod due to rising popularity and the innovation of web feeds.‖ A less formal explanation of a podcast is to think of it as a radio program or a talk show that you can download to listen to on your computer or Ipod. Topics literally range on absolutely every topic you can imagine. Sometimes a host does them live and will have listeners call in others are taped and edited prior to uploading. This Months Selection X-Oriente has to be one of my favorite Podcasts to listen to on a routine basis. Host Eric Diamond is a well spoken and knowledgeable host. His topics are always current and relatable. It’s good for the Mason who has been around for a while as well as the newest of brothers. I think one of my favorite aspects is that you can tell that he speaks from the heart and cares deeply about the fraternity. Brother Eric doesn't dwell on all the scandals that sometimes plague our group but things that enlighten and educate. He also has the catchiest theme song but I digress... Here’s how Eric describes his podcast “X-Oriente (Ex Oriente) means "From the East." X-Oriente is a half-hour Podcast (MP3) dedicated to those Freemasons who are young (and young at heart). X-Oriente seeks to inform, inspire, entertain and challenge you. Each issue will be packed with news, discussion, ideas, tools and interviews with Freemasons who are making a difference. Currently up to Show # 43 which deals with ―A Discussion on Civility‖, a topic I’m sure many lodges can brush up on is an excellent addition to the vast collection of downloads. Getting to Know the Host I got in touch with Eric and asked the host a couple of questions so we could get to know him and XOriente a little better. Here’s what he had to say.. 25

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Masonic Podcasts A Q&A with Eric Diamond 1) Tell us a little about your Masonic Background I was initiated passed and raised in 1999 in Oriental Lodge No.33, Chicago’s oldest Lodge. I became a 32º SR mason in 2000 in the Valley of Chicago, became active then joined the Chapter and Council of the York Rite (but not the Commandery). In 2003 I joined Lux Ex Oriente Council No. 379 of the Allied Masonic Degrees. I have presided in all the bodies I’ve joined except in the Scottish Rite. I am also a Founding Fellow of the Masonic Society. I’ll spare you the rest of the Masonic resume, as I never found them all that impressive, but generally I am a member of those orgs that do not require a Christian statement of faith. 2) When and why did you decide to do the podcast? It’s kind of a complicated story, but I was dismayed that we spent a great deal of cognitive energy on our storied past, and very little on our (uncertain) future, especially at a time when Masonic membership is down, one-day classes are up, and churn is a huge unrecognized problem. I was also bothered that a lot of guys—good guys—left our lodge because they were looking for the study of philosophical ideas and all we did week in week out was business, and degrees. Business and degrees. Not much charity save for fundraising, and not enough intellectual content. The podcast was a way to begin to have those conversations about our present and future and about how to use the working tools we’ve been

given in our daily lives. 3) Did you have any prior experience in broadcasting? Absolutely none. I am completely self-taught. I listen to the radio a lot and listened to a lot of other podcasts to learn about how to do it well. 4) How do you come up with the topics? What kind of research do you need to do? I do topics that interest me. It might be an article or a current event, and then I try to get to the heart of the matter. It is best if I start out not know what I want to say, and discovering it along the way. For example, in a Grand Lodge dispute (pick your crisis du jour) most everyone on the blogs are either weighing in with their opinion, getting bent out of shape and ranting, manning the digital barricades calling for Masonic Revolution, etc. I say to myself…what does Masonry teach us about this? What is the learning moment for ME? Like one topic I am researching now…why is ritual important? What function does it serve? Why is memorization and catechisms a big deal? How does it really change us? When I research, I might start with Masonic sources, but there is not a lot of good scholarly Masonic research out there that is not historical in nature. So I start looking to other fields. Science, psychology, philosophy, sociology. I look at other cultures and current events. 5) Was there ever a topic you felt was too taboo or controversial to speak about, did you go ahead with it or scrape it for a new topic Yes, that does happen. I get caught up in causes like everyone, but my show is not the platform to (Continued on page 27)

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Masonic Podcasts (Continued from page 26)

air my personal petty grievances. Why? Because it is a public show and like it or not, in a way I am an ambassador for the craft (as are we all) and therefore I strive to comport myself as a gentleman. I have a LOT of opinions that would no doubt piss off a lot of people, but I would never want to put either my brothers or my Grand Lodge in a position where they would feel embarrassed. I try and stay out of GL politics unless it transcends the politics into philosophy. If there is a bigger issue (like West Virginia) I’ll talk about it. I agonized a lot over that topic, but in the end I felt that if a Mason is entitled to due process that is right that should never ever be subverted. Whether the Wheeling Reforms should or shouldn’t have been done, whether the vote was proper or improper, as far as I am concerned, is GL politics and is best left to West Virgnians. But what happened there was that a GL circumvented its own rules an summarily expelled several guys without benefit of trial, and then went on a witch-hunt for people simply for speaking their minds. That needed addressing. It scared a lot of younger guys all over America, and it damaged the Craft not just in WV, but here as well. When I read the accounts, a little bit of my Masonic soul died. This is not how we behave. This is not what George Washington would have done. Just give the guy a trial. If he is in the wrong let him make amends, if he is not leave him alone. I therefore thought it prudent to help put this in a Masonic context, to help people understand that 1) being a Grandmaster is a tough, underpaid, thankless and virtually no-win situation, and it is mainly populated by people who really love the craft. And 2) We must stick to our rules, our values our traditions, as painful or embarrassing as they may be. It is all we have, and we will be respected for throwing light on our scandals rather then trying to cover them up.

getting near controversial waters. I hope I am doing an ok job of balancing. But if you take a look at the shows and notice that a number got skipped? That is a show where I felt that the controversy outweighed the value, and I took it out to the shed and put it down. 6) What are your favorite topics to talk about? Topics about the meaning of our traditions, topics about the future of masonry and most of all, topics about how we can use Masonry to improve ourselves. I especially like the one I did recently with Jason Van Dyke on the importance of civility in the wake of the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords. It was part of our national debate and Masonry has so very much to say about the topic! 7) What kind of feedback have you gotten? I’m sure you have listeners from around the world? In the roughly 200+ emails I’ve received, I’ve only gotten a handful of complaints. One didn’t like the music. One didn’t like that I removed the music. And a few didn’t like my stand on Prince Hall recognition and West Virginia. Oh and there was one kind of crazy guy who left some comments on my blog. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive. And I love every email that fans of the show send. It means everything to me. I remember you were the second fan letter I got and was shocked that the third and forth came from Tanzania and Dubai. And then India. I never expected more than a handful of masons in the Chicago area to listen, but it is truly worldwide. 8) What has been the most gratifying part of doing the podcast? There are three things, in order of importance;

Having said all that I stress out every time I start 27

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Masonic Podcasts (Continued from page 27)

1) 42 men so far have been inspired to petition their lodge because of what they heard on my show. That is what I am most proud of and I will likely never get a hat or a ring or a pin or any show of recognition for it, but I don’t care. That is more valuable to me than any jewel or title 2) The new friends I’ve made all over the world. I love it that I have brothers wherever I go. That is such a huge and downplayed perk of Masonry. But my show give me the opportunity to meet and raise a glass with people from around the globe. 3) The letters and emails I get from around the world. 9) What is your feeling on the current state of Freemasonry today? Wow, tough question. Big question. I think we as a Fraternity are at a crossroads. We have the capability to become extremely relevant to the world, teaching values like how to get along, diplomacy, and morality across faiths, etc. Or we can slide back into a group of old men who dine together. I think what will make the difference is that we must be deliberate in our future and we must innovate, and embrace innovation. Yep, you heard me right. Don’t we have rules forbidding innovation? Well, no. We have rules about innovating in the body of Masonry. That means our core values should not change. Our ritual and degrees and our structure is just fine. But everything else has to change if we are to keep up with the world. And we shouldn’t be afraid of it. If we stay true to the landmarks, and leave alone the body and rituals of masonry, there is nothing that we can do that we cannot undo. It will take a lot of thought, and a lot of discussion and debate, and we should embrace 28

those discussions. Nobody should ever be threatened by talk. Talking about our issues strengthens us, provided we live by our working tools as we discuss. 10) What do you have planned in the near future for the podcast I have big plans, but first I gotta get out of graduate school, so I can have a bit of free time. I am working on some skunk works stuff, a Masonic mystery school, and my immediate project is to get some new voices on the show like my co-host Jason van Dyke. But there is no shortage of topics for the show, with new ones emerging every day. The main goal now is to get the show more regular and more often, find some way to monetize it (so we can do stuff like travel to cover events and other masonic topics) and get new distribution through other Masonic websites.

Download and listen to this on the go using your ipod or MP3 player. Find in I-Tunes or right on the website : http://www.xoriente.com/

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Book Review

'The Genesis of Freemasonry' To Understand American Freemasonry, It's Important to Explore Its Origins in England, Scotland Reviewed By David M. Kinchen English historian David Harrison, PhD, explores the origins of Freemasonry in a scholarly but very readable book "The Genesis of Freemasonry" (Lewis Masonic, an imprint of Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., Hersham, Surrey, England, 244 pages, $31.95, available on Amazon.com and other online booksellers). Harrison sent me a review copy of his book after reading my reviews of books on Freemasonry. He suggested that it would be useful to understand the intellectual underpinnings of Freemasonry via a scholarly book like his. As I write this review, I'm watching a program on American Freemasonry on the History Channel, which has an endless fascination with the subject, along with the Illuminati and the Knights Templar. Masonry has been described as a "society of secrets" as well as a "secret society." Historian Harrison is a lecturer

in history at the University of Liverpool, where he earned his doctorate. He reconstructs the hidden history of the movement, tracing its roots through a mixture of medieval guild societies, alchemy and necromancy. He examines the earliest known Freemasons and their obsessions with Solomon's Temple, alchemy, and prophecy, to the formation of the Grand Lodge in London in 1717, which in turn led to rebellions within the Craft throughout England. Harrison also analyzes the role of French immigrant, Dr Jean Theophilus Desaguliers, a Protestant refugee from Roman Catholic persecution, in the development of English Freemasonry, focusing on his involvement with the formation of the mysterious modern Masonic ritual. All Freemasons and more general readers will find much of interest in this fascinating exploration of the very beginnings of Freemasonry, still one of the most mysterious brotherhoods in the world, he says. Freemasonry had its origins in the guilds

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Book Review

"These were extended into three degrees by the leaders of the 'Moderns.'"

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of "operative" masons -- actual stoneworkers -- who attracted the attention of "speculative" masons, mostly gentlemen and members of mercantile and aristocratic classes in the United Kingdom. It soon became fashionable for intellectuals and scientists and architects to become masons, where, Harrison says they could leave their religious and political differences at the door to the lodge, often a tavern or pub. It afforded like-minded men of all classes in the heavily class conscious UK to get together and eat and drink -- lots of drink -- Harrison says, and discuss intellectual and philosophic and scientific ideas. Harrison discusses the differences between the "Antients" and the "Moderns" in Freemasonry -- differences which led to rebellions and schisms in the "Craft", as Masons call their system of belief. Originally, speculative Freemasonry had only three degrees, as compared to the 33 of today's "supersized" Freemasonry. Initiates of the First Degree were called "Entered Apprentices," while Second Degree masons were called "Fellow Craft." Those attaining the highest degree, the Third Degree, were called "Master Masons." Before the 1720s, there were only two degrees, Harrison says:

I was startled, to say the least, to find in Harrison's books descriptions of licentious clubs called Hell Fire Clubs, organized by prominent Freemasons, where the men dressed like monks and invited women, including local talent, dressed like nuns, engaged in orgiastic ceremonies. I queried the good doctor by e-mail and he confirmed my interpretation: "Yes, you are absolutely right, the Duke of Wharton and later, Sir Francis Dashwood (both Freemasons) used the Hell Fire Clubs as a pseudo Masonic orgy on their country estates; the mix of secrecy, ritual and sex being an attractive way to spend the time with their close circle of influential friends, very much like [Stanley] Kubrick's [1999] film 'Eyes Wide Shut'". Read Harrison's fascinating book to expand your knowledge of Freemasonry, including its attraction to men of letters like Alexander Pope, Byron, Ben Jonson and James Boswell, along with scientists like Sir Isaac Newton and architects like Sir Christopher Wren, Inigo Jones and Nicholas Stone. Publisher's web site: lewis.masonic.com

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Submission

I Have Thoughts……. By Bro. Lance Ten Eyck It’s good to dust off the computer keys and dictionary and write something different for a change. This is possible with the return of Cory’s brain child TWT and as I’ve said to him just days ago, ―welcome back you were sorely missed.‖ These last couple years have been very hard for some brothers, some out of work for one reason or another, some retired but, find that their 401s aren’t yielding what had been planned or your retirement system they’d been planning on, is requiring more.

Now this seems to me to be extremely disconcerting from a fraternity that supposedly takes care of its own. This baffles me no end because that is one reason they’ve joined this august body of men. Free from worry of being cast aside like a country club, causing social embarrassment and social humiliation.

Some are older and requiring more in the way of medical care due to creeping physical problems. These and many other possibilities are affecting some of our brothers but, they don’t want to appear hampered by anything to others. Some are even back on their dues and attendance at meetings because of first fulfilling needs of family and home. I have also noted that various brothers have been, for lack of an31

other word, shunned by both lodges and brothers.

Up until this unexpected down turn, they’d been doing what they could to do their part for the love of their fraternity. Because of this seeming attitude of the fraternity, they are having second thoughts about, when things get better for them, whether they will ever return to their lodges because of this shunning. In their minds it is the worst thing they could have ever imagined their beloved fraternity could ever do but, sadly are doing.

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Book Review (Continued from page 31)

Now, what can we do to help these brothers who have fallen on hard times or have been, for the rest of their lives, forced to live below where they’d been, for the rest of their lives. I leave this question to you, out there my brothers to answer that question. Is it for our fraternity to force them to feel even worse, that their own fraternity to be cast out, forever to walk alone? What light can be shown to them to give them back some form of self-esteem? As I just said, that is for you, out there to ask yourselves and your consciences. It was said, ―to light one little candle, then to curse the darkness.‖ So, light the one little candle of an answer rather than to let a brother walk in the loneliness of the darkness he has

been placed by life. Put out the hand of the brotherhood to raise him up to walk in the light. I hope this has not been too heavy a subject for those of you who read this but, with shrinking lodges, why must we abide helping to aid in their shrinking membership. We need to take stock of ourselves, protect our brothers and be the exemplars of society not the shadow of a double standard. I hope I’ve stirred the reader into looking within them to find an answer for these problems that face all our lodges.

I’d like to know your thoughts on this article from Bro. Lance. Does the Lodge have a responsibility in helping out the members in troubled times like this? Send me an email with your comments. CS

http://www.organicgardenstoday.com

Issue #1 Now Available 32

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Cool Masonic Groups

The Masonic Kilties of New Jersey http://masonickilties.org

The Masonic Kilties of New Jersey are a Masonic degree team which specializes in conferring the Third, or Master Mason Degree, in full Scottish Highland dress. Within the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey, we confer the Second Section only, as the host Lodge confers the First Section. Out-of-state, we are required to confer (or exemplify) the entire Degree, according to the standard ritual of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey. As many of our members are of Scottish birth and most all have some Scottish connection, the varied accents frequently put a different emphasis on the ritual! Usually the Degree Team is accompanied by at least one Piper, and frequently also by a Drummer, who not only pipe us in when we enter the Lodge, but also play during the various Perambulations during the course of the Degree. The Masonic Kilties of New Jersey are not a Lodge, nor do we all belong to any one Lodge. Our members belong to many Lodges, and come from the North, South, East and West of New Jersey, as well as Pennsylvania and New York. We have no regular meetings or rehearsals, nor do we know in advance what work will be assigned to any individual for a given Visitation. We have a Coordinator who assigns the work, and he reads those assignments to us only a few minutes before we enter the Lodge Room for the Degree. While the music of the Pipes and Drums greatly enhance the degree work, the colorful tartans of the Kilts and the high standard of the ritual work combine to impress Candidates and Side-Liners alike, and always make for a spectacular and memorable evening! To contact the Kilties please email them at http://masonickilties.org/contactus.aspx

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Masonic Biographies

Biography: Bro. Frank Buckles Oldest Surviving World War

1 veteran passes away

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Masonic Biographies

War: World War I, 1914-1920 Branch: Army Unit: 1st Fort Riley Casual Detachment Service Location: United States; England; France; Germany Rank: Corporal Place of Birth: Harrison County, MO

As found on http://frankbuckles.org/

Biography Frank Woodruff Buckles’ life spanned the awesome, horrible, fantastic, dreadful Twentieth Century. He saw and experienced much. As America’s last surviving veteran witness to the First World War, his life experiences and perspective are an artifact in our day which often lacks perspective. Frank’s story, in his own words:

The Beginning I was born on my father’s farm north of Bethany in Harrison County, Missouri, on 1 February 1901. My father retired in 1905 and bought property in the small town of Coffey, where I started school. In 1910, he bought a farm in Vernon County, near Walker, Missouri, where we enjoyed country living. In December 1916, we moved to Dewey County, Oklahoma, near Oakwood. I was 15 at the time, and I accompanied a boxcar load of draft horses and equipment to the farm. I knew that my father was planning to arrange for a man to take the horses to Oklahoma. He would be paid $20 and transportation back to Missouri. I asked my father if I could do the job, and he agreed. My parents came later by automobile. In the charming little frontier town of Oakwood, population 300, I worked at the bank, lived at the hotel, and went to high school. On 6 April 1917, the United States entered the Great War and patriotic posters appeared in the post offices.

Enlistment When summer vacation came, I was invited to the Kansas State Fair in Wichita. While there, I went to the Marine Corps recruiting office to enlist. I said that I was 18, but the understanding sergeant said that I was too young; I had to be 21. I went to Lamed, Kansas, to visit my father’s mother who was living with my aunt and uncle who owned a bank in Larned. A week later, I returned to Wichita and went to the Marine recruiting station. This time I stated that I was 21. The same sergeant gave me a physical examination, but kindly told me that I was just not heavy enough. I tried the Navy and passed the tests, but they were perhaps suspicious of my age and told me that I was flat-footed. I decided to try elsewhere, so I went to Oklahoma City. There I had no luck with either the Marines or the Navy. I then tried the Army, but was asked for a birth certificate. I told them that the public records were not made of births in Missouri at the time I was born, and my record would be in the family Bible. They accepted this and I (Continued on page 36)

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Masonic Biographies (Continued from page 35)

enlisted in the Army on 14 August 1917. Thirteen of us were accepted at the recruiting station and given rail tickets to Fort Logan, Colorado, where those who were accepted were sworn into the regular U. S. Army. My serial number was 15577. In choosing the branch of the Army in which to serve, the old sergeant advised that the Ambulance Service was the quickest way to get to France because the French were begging for ambulance services. I followed his advice and was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas, for training and trench casualty retrieval and ambulance operations.

The Great War The unit that I went overseas with was called the First Fort Riley Casual Detachment, which consisted of 102 men. The ranking officer was a sergeant. I have a photo of this unit taken at Fort Riley. We sailed from Hoboken, New Jersey, via Halifax, Nova Scotia, in December 1917, aboard the HMS Carpathia, the vessel famous for the rescue of the White Star Liner, Titanic, on 15 April 1912. Some of the officers and crew who made the rescue were aboard the Carpathia and were not averse to describing the rescue. We docked in Glasgow, Scotland, and our unit continued on to Winchester, England, to await cross-channel shipment to France. A unit of the 6th Marines was operating Camp Hospital No. 35 near Winchester. Our unit was forced to replace the Marines who were sent on to France. While in England, I drove a Ford ambulance, a motorcycle with sidecar, and a Ford car for visiting dignitaries. Others walked. After some weeks in England, I requested a meeting with the commanding officer of the area, Colonel Jones of the 6th Cavalry. I asked to be sent to France, and he explained to me that he, too, wanted to go to France but had to stay where he was ordered. I finally got an assignment to escort an officer to France who had been left behind by his original unit. In France, I had various assignments and was at several locations. After Armistice Day I was assigned to a prisonerof-war escort company to return prisoners back to Germany. After two years with the AEF (American Expeditionary Force), I returned home on the USS Pocahontas in January 1920. I was paid $143.90, including a $60 bonus.

Returning Home I went home to visit my parents, then decided to get a quick education in shorthand and typewriting at a business school in Oklahoma City. After four months of school, I got a job at the post office, working 4:00 p.m. to midnight. I was paid 60Â˘ an hour. In one month, I had enough money to take the train to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where I got a job in the freight soliciting office of the White Star Line Steamship Company. I also had a night job with the Great Northwest Telegraph Company. During the winter of 1921, I went to New York and got a job in the bond department of the prestigious Bankers Trust Company at 5th Avenue and 42nd Street. I used as my reference the Oakwood, Oklahoma, bank where I had worked at age 15. (Continued on page 37)

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Masonic Biographies (Continued from page 36)

The steamship business had more appeal for me, but first I had to have some experience at sea. I got my first sea job with the old Munson Line as assistant purser of the ship, Western World, bound for Buenos Aires. I spent several years with the Grace Line, in both cargo and passenger ships on the west coast of South America, where an intimate knowledge of the countries and language was required.

World War II In 1940, I accepted an assignment to expedite the movement of cargoes for the American President Lines in Manila. Unfortunately for me, my stay was extended by the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941. I spent three-and-a-half years in Japanese prison camps at Santo Tomas and Los Banos. We were rescued by the 11th Airborne Division on 23 February 1945.

Home Again Life in San Francisco was pleasant after World War II. On 14 September 1946, I married Audrey Mayo of Pleasanton, California. She was born on a ranch, and my people were landowners and farmers for generations, so we decided it was time to give up foreign assignments and come back to the land. We came to Gap View Farm near Charles Town, West Virginia, in January 1954, to reside in the area where my forefather, Robert Buckles, his wife, and 15 other families settled in 1732. Frank Buckles continued to work on his farm and, up until the age of 106 still drove his tractor. His wife Audrey has passed and Mr. Buckles lived with his daughter, Susannah near Charles Town, West Virginia, until his death at the age of 110.

The Freemason Buckles received the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry's Knight Commander of the Court of Honour (KCCH) on Sept. 24, 2008. The KCCH is the last honor bestowed by the Southern Jurisdiction prior to the 33째. The ceremony was hosted by Ronald Seale, 33째, Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. The keynote address was provided by James Peake, Secretary of Veteran Affairs.

2/1/1901-2/27/11 37

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The Working Tools News April 2011

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Masonic Angel Fund helps kids in needâ&#x20AC;? Randy Reed has seen the signs all too often. Students in his gym class, on the football field or basketball court can be so driven, "they run themselves into exhaustion," said Reed, the physical education teacher and coach at Milwaukee College Prep School. "They get so tired their color is gone, or their face is beet red. I don't even realize how tired they are until after we are done." It's a troubling aspect, he said, that gets even more concerning amid regular reports of children succumbing to sports-related sudden cardiac arrest. "Students could have an underlying issue with their hearts or they just overwork themselves." Now, Reed and other school personnel will have a new tool to assist them in case of an emergency: an automatic external defibrillator - a device used to give the heart a lifesaving jolt. "Having the defibrillator is a relief to me," he said. It came as part of the school's request to the Masonic Angel Fund, a little-known financial resource that allows schools and other organizations to provide immediate supplies or services to children. "Once the Angels are informed of the need, we spring into action and do what is necessary, generally within one to 24 hours," said Lee Wackman, who leads the fund, which is sponsored by the Henry L. Palmer Lodge, a group of local Free38

masons. The fund began two years ago when group members "were looking for something to do in our community," Wackman said. "It's not only a Masonic charity; we have a lot of volunteers who are non-Masons as well." Last year, the fund, which relies on charitable donations, served 3,000 children in Milwaukee County, and it knows no bounds. "If a child is noticed coming to school wearing only a Windbreaker jacket in heavy winter weather, the Angels will step up and provide a nice warm coat," Wackman said. "Or, perhaps a young girl is suffering an abscessed tooth because the family cannot afford dental care; the Angels will immediately provide dental assistance." One of its ongoing projects is to supply homeless children with personal hygiene kits that include toothpaste, a toothbrush, a bar of soap, shampoo and deodorant. "Homeless families have a lot of things to worry about - finding housing, getting food and finding medical treatment. The hygiene kits give them one less thing to do," said Cathy Klein, homeless coordinator for Milwaukee Public Schools, which received 500 kits. "We are required to provide certain services to homeless families, but we don't have the funds available to provide those extra things," she said. "When we have an organization that donates that, it allows us to provide more services to the families." Again this year, the organization will provide funding to send underprivileged kids to camp this

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(Continued on page 39)

The Working Tools News http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/117032 263.html

(Continued from page 38)

summer. "Some of our kids never experienced camping. They came back wanting to go again," said Celester Perkins, director of operations for the Greater Holy Temple Christian Academy, which sent 40 students to camp with help from the fund. "It's a great organization." There are two upcoming fundraisers sponsored by the organization, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the fund. The first event, Trivia Night, will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the Henry L. Palmer Lodge, 4315 N. 92nd St., Wauwatosa. Also, from 5 to 9 p.m. April 8, the group will host a fish fry and silent auction at the Milwaukee Elks Lodge, 5555 W. Good Hope Road.

MASONIC ANGEL FUND Mission: Provide modest assistance to children in need who do not fit the criteria for the usual social service programs. Address: 4315 N. 92nd St., Wauwatosa, WI 53223 Phone: (414) 406-6556 Faces of Hope focuses on Milwaukee-area people who need a hand and the organizations that are helping them. If you have story ideas, e-mail Felicia Thomas-Lynn at fthomas-lynn@journalsentinel.com or call (414) 224-2073.

For more information on this wonderful Masonic charity please visit: http://masonicangelfund.org/ Goal of the Masonic Angel Foundation

The Masonic Angel Fundâ&#x201E;˘ is the fastestgrowing Masonic charity anywhere. Founded in 1998 by the members of Universal Lodge A.F. & A.M. in Orleans, Massachusetts, the "MAF" has spread to 145 Lodges in 12 states since it first offered sponsorship of affiliate Masonic Angel Funds in the summer of 2000. Find out why your lodge needs a Masonic Angel Fund and discover the surprising poverty rates among the children of Massachusetts.

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The Working Tools News “Former Prairie Village, Kansas Secretary Indicted for Embezzling from Masonic Organization” A Prairie Village, Kan., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for embezzling nearly $285,000 from the York Rite Masonic Bodies. Kirk McDaniel, Jr., 74, of Prairie Village, was charged in an 18-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. McDaniel was the secretary of the York Rite Masonic Bodies in Kansas City, Mo., from June 2000 through September 2005. The fraternal organization is comprised of Oriental Commandery #35 Knights Templar, Orient Chapter #102 Royal Arch Masons, and Shekinah Council #24 Cryptic Masons. While serving as secretary, McDaniel also took over certain duties of the treasurer, including maintaining the bank accounts of each of the York Rite Masonic Bodies, writing checks, and transferring funds as needed between the accounts. Today’s indictment alleges that McDaniel stole approximately $284,675, of which he repaid the organization approximately $105,012. According to the indictment, McDaniel transferred funds from the York Rite Masonic Bodies bank account into a bank account he opened at Missouri Bank and Trust and into three investment accounts he opened at Ed40

ward Jones. The names on the bank account and the investment accounts were similar to the names of the legitimate accounts, the indictment says, but the transfers were made without the knowledge or authorization of the organization. McDaniel allegedly used the funds he transferred into those accounts for his personal benefit and the benefit of others. The fraud scheme also involved several actions taken by McDaniel to conceal his thefts, the indictment says. McDaniel is charged with 16 counts of bank fraud related to a series of financial transactions that involved checks up to $105,000 that were drawn on the York Rite Masonic Bodies bank accounts and deposited into McDonald’s unauthorized accounts. McDonald is also charged with two counts of money laundering relating to financial transactions that involved funds obtained by fraud. Phillips cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Parker Marshall. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Article link: http://www.infozine.com/news/ stories/op/storiesView/sid/46592/

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The Working Tools News “Blowin' the Lid off the Freemasons” Without being thwarted by the electro-floor..

By Eric Czuleger

http://redondobeach.patch.com/articles/blowin-the-lid-off-the-freemasons

I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get inside the Freemason building on Catalina for probably the last six months. I have never seen anyone go in or come out of said building, and rarely are the lights on. I heard that my grandfather once went inside to deliver a fridge to the Masons many years ago. I also heard that they have a floor, which can be electrified with the push of a button* in order to thwart intruders. It’s obvious to me that they were hiding something, so I decided to get my snoop on **. Unsure of how to breach the walls of the Masonic Lodge, and in fear of being electrocuted to death*** I decided to summon all of my courage, and knock on the door. Having met a Freemason only once (that I know of) and knowing only what The DaVinci Code (the movie not the book-- I just never got around to reading it) taught me, I assumed that the direct rout was the best one. I knocked and waited, while I concocted the back story, that I was a lowly journalist, looking to do a piece on old architecture in the Redondo Beach area. There was no answer. I tried the door. It was locked. Clever Masons. I spent a good fifteen minutes wandering around the building, peeking in windows, trying doors, and looking generally creepy. From what I could tell, the Ark of The Covenant was not outside of the building, and I was not assaulted by the illuminati much to my dismay. If any of my readers are Freemasons, there are only two things I want to know. 1. Do you really have an electro-floor? 2. Do you still have the fridge that my grandfather delivered? If so, what’s in it? *I have actually heard both of these things. ** Most if not all of my job description involves getting my snoop on, but then again, I would do it for free. *** Though, if I had to choose a way to die, that would be it.

http://www.thegardeningguru.com/ The horticultural help you have been looking for is here just for the asking. I am the Gardening Guru®, here to answer your most perplexing gardening questions, and to teach you how fun and enjoyable gardening can be! Brother David Daehnke 41

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The Working Tools News â&#x20AC;&#x2022;Iran protests Olympic logoâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; Tehran has officially challenged the 2012 London Olympic Games logo as racist and Zionist. http://en.rian.ru/world/20110228/162792569.html Tehran has officially challenged the 2012 London Olympic Games logo as racist and Zionist. Head of Iran's Olympic Committee Bahram Afsharzadeh said the logo was designed by a freemason organization. "We had to protest the measure. We intend to write a letter to the Asian Olympic Council to urge them to follow up on the issue," he told ISNA. Tehran believes the geometrical figures illustrating "2012" in the logo conceal the word "Zion," a term Iranian officials use to describe Israel and its government, which they do not recognize. Some Muslim nations raised objections as soon as the logo was unveiled, but their objections were rejected by British Olympic Committee and International Olympic Committee officials. Afsharzadeh said some British individuals and organizations also protested the logo. "This is the first time that this has happened in the history of the Olympics. Zionists have exercised influence in Britain, and according to our information, the summer games logo has been designed by a Zionist organization linked to freemasons," he said.

Tehran has officially challenged the 2012 London Olympic Games logo as racist and Zionist 42

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The Working Tools News “A drink with an extra twist: bizarre claims in Sydney Water legal case” no idea what relevance it has to this case,'' Justice Sackar said.

http://www.smh.com.au/ Louise Hall

THE entrepreneur who plans to bottle and market Sydney water internationally attempted yesterday to have a Supreme Court trial judge disqualified, on the grounds the judge refused to say if he was Jewish or a Freemason.

In its statement of claim, Sydney Water says Mr Harvey had no authority to deal with intellectual property belonging to it. Mr Makucha said he will continue his application to register the trademark Sydney Water with IP Australia unless restrained by the court.

Paul Makucha is being sued by Sydney Water Corporation for $293,000 it says was incorrectly paid to him and his various companies in a scheme concocted The hearing continues. by Mr Makucha and a former senior executive, Edward Harvey. Mr Makucha claims he owns the intellectual property for the marketing and selling of bottled water under the name Sydney Water because the trademark did not extend that far. He told the court intellectual property was not recognised under Jewish law and requested ''that any judge that is Jewish … not hear this case because they may be influenced by religious beliefs regarding intellectual property''. He also said the NSW Treasurer, Eric Roozendaal, one of the two shareholding ministers in Sydney Water, had used masonic code in a picture published in the Herald in January because his ''eyes were looking up - that's an imitation of Jesus - it's a masonic code''. ''I'm terrified of the Freemasons'' because ''they must conceal the crimes of their brother masons'', Mr Makucha said. Justice John Sackar refused to answer if he was Jewish or a Freemason and said he would not stand down from the case. ''No aspect of Jewish law applies in this case. I have 43

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The Working Tools News “Momentum growing for Masonic Temple project” URA collecting data about building for redevelopment ideas By Jessica Borders Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT — The city’s urban renewal authority, or Fairmont Renaissance Authority, is trying to keep the momentum going on its Masonic Temple project. The URA is working to acquire and preserve downtown Fairmont’s Masonic Temple building, a 32,500square-foot structure constructed in 1907, and create a strategic redevelopment plan. Rather than being the developer, the URA’s role in this project is to help the development along and make the property more marketable, City Planner Kathy Wyrosdick said at Tuesday’s URA meeting. The URA is sharing a $5,000 FOCUS West Virginia Brownfields grant, from the Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, with the Fairmont Community Development Partnership.

“Explore the Masonic Temple” http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20110306/NEWS02/103060386/1019/rss02

Detroit's Masonic Temple building is one of the architectural wonders of America. With more than 1,000 rooms, the majestic structure, on the fringe of downtown Detroit, stands as an artistic marvel. Few people, however, get beyond the main theater and explore any rooms (and secret passages). You can get a rare look inside the temple and explore some of its mysteries at a slideshow at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, at the Baldwin Public Library. The show will be presented by Greg Kowalski, who is co-author of the book Detroit's Masonic Temple and spent months prowling through the massive building, photographing many of the rooms and learning the symbolism that is seemingly present everywhere in the monumental structure. This talk will cover the remarkable history of the building, its treasures and how it has fit into the community.

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The Working Tools News “No Boogeymen in Henry Lodge No. 57”

bursting in patches here and there. Nothing but kind eyes and attentive ears. Men in suits and button-downs fill the room. ―Character is everything we are and everything we hope

Members emphasize a belief in a Supreme Being. to be,‖ Chrzanowski continues. He adds that character is

what we know about ourselves, and reputation is what others say about us. The significance of respect to them is palpable.

Walk into Henry Lodge No. 57. No, it’s not an underground room with giant stone walls and candlelit lanterns. No gauntlets of blood. No creepy robed men. No GregorFreemasonry can be summed up as being about the simian chanting echoing from far corners, nor any hushed plest and most wholesome of ideas in life: character, comtones being passed around over hand-covered mouths. munity and camaraderie. They convene to share experiNothing screams sinister. ences with these as their underlying themes. When they gather, it’s to support each other as friends and to help their community as neighbors. Community involvement is an integral part of freemasonry. Their contributions span the gamut of charities. To be a member, however, one must be male and have a belief in a Supreme Being. ―[It is about] proving something beyond comprehension and control," says Chrzanowski. "It’s about the necessity of accountability.‖ What you will find, rather, is an ordinary, average-sized, split-level building in the corner of a respectable neighborhood in Fairfax City. ―The saying goes that freemasonry makes good men better,‖ says Chris Chrzanowski, a Worshipful Master of the Henry Lodge No. 57 on Oak Place. Freemason members gathered to welcome guests at their monthly meeting in February. Freemasons and visitors head downstairs, into a fluorescent-lit room with row tables and plastic chairs, like any you’d find in a cafeteria. Row after row of pictures of past and present freemasons hang on the walls. Upstairs there's a big carpeted room with wood-paneled walls, cushioned seats around the entire perimeter, and a drape-covered table in the middle of the room. On the table lay three books: the Bible, the Quran, and the Torah. Around the room you hear the gurgling of conversations, voices that inflect their smiles, and eruptions of laughter 45

What isn’t important, however, is an affiliation with any religion. The process of joining involves three stages, called degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason. The highest degree possible is Master Mason, though further supplemental, non-promotional degrees can be acquired. Women also get involved. Freemasons consider the allfemale Order of the Eastern Star as the available equivalent. There are roughly 175 members of the Fairfax City lodge. They stand along with about 40,000 in Virginia. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month, the beginning portion of which is open to the public. Also local to the area is the new Patriot Lodge at George Mason University. ―True really close friends I can depend on I can find at the lodge,‖ says Chrzanowski. ―I can come and just socialize and relax.‖

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The Working Tools News 'The Mozart Conspiracy' hits thrilling, suspenseful notes “ http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/reviews/2011-03-17-mozart-conspiracy_N.htm?csp=34life# USA Today Carol Memmott

Freemasons, the secret society that has inspired numerous novelists including Dan Brown and Brad Meltzer, take center stage in The Mozart Conspiracy, an internationally acclaimed novel — author Scott Mariani lives in Wales — that's finally storming America's shores. Meet British Special Air Service officer Ben Hope. He's about to get caught up in a centuries-old conspiracy that will have him matching wits and trading gunfire with an ancient society that may have been responsible for the murder of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The "official" cause of Mozart's death was determined to be acute rheumatic fever, but modern hypotheses include the possibility he was poisoned. That theory was at the center of the play and movie Amadeus and blames a rival composer. But it's another theory — that Mozart was murdered by the Freemasons as punishment for his weaving Freemason secrets into his opera The Magic Flute— that Mariani explores. Yes, it's formulaic, taking its cues from the Bourne movies and the James Bond franchise. Hope is a stoic loner (think Matt Damon as Jason Bourne or Daniel Craig's interpretation of James Bond) who gets dragged into the novel's thriller-esque plot when he comes to the aid of a beautiful woman whose brother may have been murdered because he discovered who killed Mozart. Still, it's a rollickingly good way to pass some time in an easy chair.

Title: 'The Mozart Conspiracy' Author: Scott Mariani Publisher/price: Touchstone, 337 pp., $24.99

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The Working Tools News “Kalypso Media have released a new trailer for the upcoming adventure game The First Templar, where you fight your way through the 13th century Crusades in search of the Holy Grail.” http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/the-first-templar-begins-the-bloody-hunt-for-the-holy-grail-in-this-newtrailer/ Head back in time to the lovely and scenic 13th century, home of the Crusades (one of them), and take the role of a member of the Templar Knights in the newest adventure game offering from Kalypso Media. It is unclear whether or not you face off against a castle full of Frenchmen that taunt you mercilessly about the amount of weight a European swallow could carry as opposed to an African swallow (although obviously the African swallow is non-migratory), but in the upcoming adventure title, you will follow in the fine tradition of Indiana Jones and Monty Python and hunt the Holy Grail. Although it probably won’t be as silly, and you are likely to use an actual horse rather than coconuts. The details on the game’s story are still fairly vague. You play a member of the Templar Knights, and with the help of the noble lady Celian, the two of you attempt to uncover a conspiracy within the Templars that will put you against the Saracen, King Philip of France and the Inquisition. Because NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Sorry, couldn’t resist. As you might expect with a story featuring two characters, the game will support co-op play, both online and off. Barring that, a single player will be able to switch between characters at will. Check out the trailer below, pull up a comfy chair, and look for The First Templar on PC and Xbox 360 on April 26.

(Images courtesy of IGN.com) 47

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http://themasonicsociety.com/

ISSUE #11 Out Now

A significant group of passionate Masons have joined together to create what is now the fastest growing research society in Freemasonry. Called simply The Masonic Society, we are brothers who have a deep and abiding desire to seek knowledge, explore history, discover symbolism, debate philosophies, and in short, who are at the forefront of charting a path for the future of Freemasonry. As a student of Freemasonry, you are invited to join with us in this exciting organization. 48

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Cover – ―The Shriners ‖

The Shriners look like a fun group of guys to hang around. They have parade’s where they dress up as clowns and drive mini cars around the road but under the disguise of makeup these Masons help save the lives of children around the world for FREE. Who are they, what do they do, and what’s up with that little red hat they wear? Read on for these answers and more ….

PART I

The Official Statement

―Shriners International is a fraternity based on fun, fellowship and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth. There are approximately 340,000 members from 193 temples (chapters) in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and the Republic of Panama. Shriners International supports Shriners Hospitals for Children®, a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to age 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a familycentered environment, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay.‖

History

In 1870, there were several thousand Masons in Manhattan, many of whom lunched at the Knicker(Continued on page 50)

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Cover – ―The Shriners ‖ (Continued from page 49)

bocker Cottage at a special table on the second floor. There, the idea of a new fraternity for Masons stressing fun and fellowship was discussed. Dr. Walter M. Fleming, M.D., and William J. Florence took the idea seriously enough to act upon it. Florence, a world-renowned actor, while on tour in Marseilles, was invited to a party given by an Arabian diplomat. The entertainment was something in the nature of an elaborately staged musical comedy. At its conclusion, the guests became members of a secret society. Florence took copious notes and drawings at his initial viewing and on two other occasions, once in Algiers and once in Cairo. When he returned to New York in 1870, he showed his material to Fleming. Fleming took the ideas supplied by Florence and converted them into what would become the "Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (A.A.O.N.M.S.)". Fleming created the ritual, emblem and costumes. Florence and Fleming were initiated August 13, 1870, and initiated 11 other men on June 16, 1871. The group adopted a Middle Eastern theme and soon established Temples meeting in Mosques (though the term Temple has now generally been replaced by Shrine Auditorium or Shrine Center). The first Temple established was Mecca Temple (now known as Mecca Shriners), established at the New York City Masonic Hall on September 26, 1872. Fleming was the first Potentate. In 1875, there were only 43 Shriners in the organization. In an effort to spur membership, at the June 6, 1876 meeting of Mecca Temple, the Imperial Grand Council of the Ancient Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine for North America was created. Fleming was elected the first Imperial Potentate. After some other reworking, by 1878 there were 425 members in 13 temples in eight states, and by 1888, there were 7,210 members in 48 temples in the United States and Canada. By the Imperial Session held in Washington, D.C. in 1900, there were 55,000 members and 82 Temples. Shriners often participate in local parades, sometimes as rather elaborate units: miniature vehicles in themes (all sports cars; all miniature 18-wheeler trucks; all fire engines, and so on), an "Oriental Band" dressed in cartoonish versions of Middle Eastern dress; pipe bands, drummers, motorcycle units, Drum and Bugle Corps, and even traditional brass bands.

How The Organization Works The Temples, their Units and affiliated Shrine Clubs embody the true spirit of fraternalism, and wher(Continued on page 51)

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Cover – ―The Shriners ‖ (Continued from page 50)

ever a Shriner goes, he can be certain there are Nobles who will extend their hand in greeting and call him ―Brother.‖ To better understand how all this works, an observer can start at a local Temple. All Temples are run by an elected Divan (officers), headed by the Potentate and the Chief Rabban. A Recorder, or record keeper/ administrator, usually maintains an office at the Temple. One member is elected or appointed to the ―lowest rung‖ each January and under traditional practice moves up one ―rung‖ each year. Thus, by the time he becomes Potentate of his Temple, a Shriner usually has at least four years of experience in Temple leadership. Stated meetings of the Temple membership as a whole must be held at least four times a year. In addition, each Temple holds one or more ceremonials every year for the induction of new members. There are also many Temple, Unit, and Shrine Club social events each year. Units are smaller groups within a Temple which are organized for a specific purpose. Many of these are the uniformed Units so familiar to parade watchers: Oriental Bands, Shrine Bands, Horse and Motor Patrols, Highlander Units, Clowns, Drum Corps, Chanters, and Legions of Honor. Other Temple Units can include hospital hosts or guides, and transportation Units which work closely with their local Shriners Hospital — either with the children at the hospital or in transporting patients to and from the hospital. The Imperial Divan, the Shrine’s international governing body, consists of 13 officers plus an Imperial Chaplain. The Imperial Treasurer and the Imperial Recorder may be elected for several consecutive years; they are the only officers receiving any type of compensation. As with Temple Divans, an officer (with the exception of Treasurer and Recorder) is elected to the bottom of the Divan and, barring unforeseen circumstances, moves up one position each year. These officers, elected from among the Representatives, are usually past Temple Potentates. The Divan plus the immediate Past Imperial Potentate constitute the Board of Directors of the fraternal corporation and they, with the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, constitute the Board of Directors of the hospital corporation. The chief executive officer for the Shrine of North America is the Imperial Potentate, who is elected for one year. He visits many of the Shrine Temples and hospitals and generally supervises both fraternal and hospital policy. To help him with these tasks, the Imperial Potentate appoints committees to implement the various Shrine programs. One of the most important of these committees is the Endowments, Wills and Gifts Committee, which coordinates and supervises contributions and bequests given to Shriners Hospitals for Children. The day-to-day operations — keeping the records and accounts of the fraternity and hospitals, supervising the estates left to Shriners Hospitals and producing printed materials for the entire Shrine organization

“All Shriners are Freemasons but not all Freemasons are Shriners” (Continued on page 52)

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Cover – ―The Shriners ‖ (Continued from page 51)

— are carried out at International Headquarters in Tampa. These offices are supervised by an executive vice president of the Imperial Council, an executive vice president of Shriners Hospitals, and a legal department, which is under the supervision of a managing attorney. Most Shrine Temples sponsor fund-raising events to provide funds for Shriners Hospitals. In one calendar year there can be nearly 500 of these events, which range from the East/West Shrine Game and other football games to horse shows, hospital paper sales, and miscellaneous sports and social events. During the 1980s, Shriners Hospitals experienced the greatest expansion in their history, with major building programs, increasing numbers of patients receiving care, and expansion of services. As the new millennium approaches, all 22 Shriners Hospitals are maintaining their position at the forefront of specialized pediatric orthopaedic and burn care. The Joint Boards plan to continue updating their facilities, expanding their research programs and increasing their ability to meet the needs of thousands of children in need of expert orthopaedic and burn care. In this way, Shriners Hospitals will continue to meet a special need for children.

PART II

The Circus and the Clowns The Shrine Circus is a circus founded in the United States in 1906. It travels to roughly 120 cities per year in the United States and a separate unit travels to about 40 in Canada. The first Shrine Circus was held in Detroit, Michigan, for the Moslem Shrine Center. There is a State historical marker at the former site which proclaims its contribution to circus history. The circus was originally a one-ring affair, but by 1925 it had grown to three rings. Despite now traveling to many cities, the Detroit affair is still the largest. In 1996, it ran for 17 days with 40 performances making it not only the oldest Shrine Circus, but also the most attended. By the 1920s Shrine Circuses were being conducted throughout the country, and each year additional Shrine Centers introduced circuses to their communities. The first Shrine Circus each year is usually in Flint, Michigan, each January. The circus then travels to at least one city per week through November. The last performances are usually being held Thanksgiving week in Evansville, Indiana, and New Orleans, Louisiana. The 2005 season ended in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, rather than New Orleans, due to Hurricane Katrina. (Continued on page 53)

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The term "Shrine Circus" is usually prefaced by the name of the host Shrine in each geographic area. Over the years many circus stars have appeared in Shrine Circuses, including: Clyde Beatty, the Wallendas, Emmett Kelly, the Flying Concellos, the Hannefords and the Zacchinis.

Shrine Circus History The history of the Shrine Circus is provided by the Shriners at the local Shrines, raising over $10,000 a day for the Shrine Centers. Right after the show closes, the Circus Committee renews its search for talent, acts and stars that would be available for next years show. They work at it all year long. Several months ago, the acts were selected and the contracts were signed. This vast assemblage of talent will never appear in total again anywhere, for after the last performance is over each act will travel to its next circus engagement. Some will go north, some will go east, some will go south, and some will go west. The performers are all professionals, having been gathered together from all over North America, many of them with European Circus experience. Many youngsters who have attended past Shrine Circuses are now grown, and bringing their children and even grandchildren to laugh with the clowns, to be thrilled by the wild animals, and to marvel at the skill and dexterity of the aerial performers. The smell of tan bark and peanuts gets into their blood, and they become dyed-in-the-wool circus fans. Without them, there would be no circus. The people especially from your area, by actively supporting this annual event, have made it possible to continue the circus al these years. And each year the Shrine Center have endeavored to make the show bigger and better. Were it not for the intense dedication on the part of our Nobility and their spouses, with their willingness to contribute their services in any way requested by those in charge, this circus would not be possible. Many of them hagve served in various capacities for over a quarter of a century, and the Shrine Center is greatly indebted to them. They sell peanuts, popcorn, cotton candy, sno-cones, balloons, programs, ride tickets, novelties, and advertising. They serve on various committees. Doctors takes care of medical needs. Nobles count tickets, operate a lost and found department, receive and settle complaints, buy all the supplies, and last, but not least, they pay all the bills. On behalf of all the Shriners, our sincere appreciation to those who have patronized our Circuses for the past eighty-one plus years, and may we express the hope that you will enjoy many more in the future.

The clowns of the Circus

The clowns of the circus are the members of the shrine. Alot of the clowns paint sad faces to represent the sadness of the child who are in the Shriner's Hospital recieving care from burns and being crippled. (Continued on page 54)

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While they are in the community with a local Shriner's Hospital, they greet the children by kissing and hugging them while they are happy to see that they are included too when the circus comes to town.

The Show

The children, teens, and adults finds the circus full of thrills, humor, and ongoing excitement from the lions, tigers, bears, elephants and more by seeing their tricks. For years, people from all over travel to see the show and to see the excitement their child or children wants to see. Children will watch the leaping tigers go through the ring of fire, and see the dancing bears, and hearing the roaring lions.

PART III

The Hospital

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a network of 22 non-profit hospitals across North America. Children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay. In 1920 the Imperial Session of the Shriners was held in Portland, Oregon. It was during that session that the membership decided unanimously to pass a resolution to establish the hospital system. The first hospital in the system opened in 1922 in Shreveport, Louisiana and provided pediatric orthopaedic care. In 1962 the Shriners of North America allocated $10 million dollars to establish three hospitals that specialized in the treatment and rehabilitation of burned children. After visiting 21 university-based medical institutions, the decision was made to build their first pediatric burn hospital on the campus of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Today, the hospitals' treatment areas cover a wide range of pediatric orthopedics, including scoliosis, limb discrepancies, clubfoot, hip dysplasia, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, as well as cerebral palsy, spina bifida (myelomeningocele), and other neurological conditions that affect ambulation and movement. Three of the hospitals provide spinal cord injury rehabilitation that is developmentally appropriate for children and adolescents, with adventure and adapted sports programs, activity-based rehabilitation, aquatherapy, animalassisted therapy, and other innovative programs. Four of the hospitals (Boston, Galveston, Cincinnati, and Sacramento) provide world-famous care for children with burns, as well as treating a variety of skin conditions such as epidermolysis bullosa and toxic epidermal necrolysis. The Boston, Chicago, and Portland hospi(Continued on page 55)

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Cover – ―The Shriners ‖ (Continued from page 54)

tals also provide treatment for children with craniofacial conditions, especially facial clefts. The hospital in Sacramento is the only hospital in the Shriners' system that focuses on all three areas of treatment (burns, orthopedics, and spinal cord injuries), as well as research. The Sacramento hospital also houses its own orthotics and prosthetics lab and development facilities. All care at Shriners Hospitals is provided by interdisciplinary teams who work closely together to integrate the expertise of all the appropriate healthcare disciplines in one building. Transportation to the hospitals is often provided free of charge by Shriner-drivers across the country. Children accepted for treatment become part of the Shriners Hospital system until their 18th or, sometimes, their 21st, birthday, eligible for both inpatient and outpatient treatment for all facets of their disability. While the overwhelming emphasis of the hospitals is to provide medical care to children regardless of the family's ability to pay, the mission of the hospitals also includes research on the conditions treated and the education of medical professionals, including medical residents and fellows, nurses, physical, recreation, and occupational therapists, speech and language pathology, psychologists, social workers, and child life specialists. In 1994, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, an industry publication, released the results of the largest study of charitable and non-profit organization popularity and credibility conducted by Nye Lavalle & Associates. The study showed that the Shriners Hospitals were ranked as the 9th "most popular charity/non-profit in America" of over 100 charities researched with 40% of Americans over the age of 12 choosing "Love" and "Like A Lot" for the Shriners Hospitals. In September 2008, the Shriner's Hospital in Galveston sustained significant damage from Hurricane Ike. The hospital was closed for renovation at that time, and care for children with acute burns was provided at other Shriners Hospitals for Children. On Dec. 13, 2009, the Shriner's Hospital in Galveston reopened with a grand reopening celebration and plans to continue to be able to provide excellent care for burn patients in the area. According to its Form 990, as of 2006, the Shriners Hospitals had an endowment of $10.2 billion. By April 2009, their endowment had gone down to $5 billion due to the recession and reductions in charitable donations.

PART IV

The Emblem, the Saying and the Fez The Emblem The Crescent was adopted as the Jewel of the Order. Though any materials can be (Continued on page 56)

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Cover – ―The Shriners ‖ (Continued from page 55)

used in forming the Crescent, the most valuable are the claws of a Royal Bengal Tiger, united at their base in a gold setting. In the center is the head of a sphinx, and on the back are a pyramid, an urn and a star. The Jewel bears the motto "Robur et Furor," which means "Strength and Fury." Today, the Shrine emblem includes a scimitar from which the crescent hangs, and a five-pointed star beneath the head of the sphinx.

The Salutation Dr. Fleming and his coworkers also formulated a salutation used today by Shriners — "Es Selamu Aleikum!" — which means, "Peace be with you!" In returning the salutation, the gracious wish is "Aleikum Es Selamu," which means "With you be peace."

The Fez The red fez with a black tassel, the Shrine's official headgear, has been handed down through the ages. It derives its name from the place where it was first manufactured — the holy city of Fez, Morocco. Some historians claim it dates back to about A.D. 980, but the name of the fez, or tarboosh, does not appear in Arabic literature until around the 14th cen-tury. One of the earliest references to the headgear is in "Arabian Nights."

Sources Wikipedia http://www.angelfire.com/wi3/shrine_circus/6100.htm http://www.beashrinernow.com http://www.shrinershq.org/

Membership Info: http://www.shrinershq.org 56

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Masonic Video’s

This month’s feature film is titled “I’m a Noble of the Shrine” by Bro Howie Damron Run time– 3:30 minutes

Click Here

Click on the “Movie Screen” to start the video Video also will be posted on our Facebook fan page 57

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A page out of history

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A page out of history

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A page out of history

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Parting On The Square

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