August 2011 Issue #43
An Interview with author Robert Lomas
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Summer Fundraiser To Help TWT Brethren the first issue of TWT came out January 2006. Since then there has been 43 monthly issues of Masonic education and information. I’ve poured countless time and resources into this project out of my own pocket. I’m still using the same hardware and software as I did when I first started, which as you know becomes outdated very quickly. It is now necessary to purchase new equipment if I want to remain productive. I’ve fought off a near hard drive failure, multiple viruses and I’m working with a PC that just no longer can not handle the desk-top publishing and video editing programs I need to do to continue making this a top notch publication.
So what am I asking for? A suggested donation of $0.99 for the current issue. (Of course you can give more than a buck if you want to.)
Win an Autographed copy of Bro. Howie Damron’s CD Everyone that donates will be put into a drawing to win! (Drawing August 31, 2011)
Premium Donations Give-away’s $10.00+ All past issues of TWT on a CD mailed to you (U.S. Only). $25.00+ All past issues of TWT & over 4 Gigs of Masonic PDF’s on a DVD mailed to you (U.S. Only).
How to Donate A Paypal account is available on the TWTMAG.com website. This is the easiest and safest method.
What If you don’t want to donate? No need to send me any emails asking if it is necessary to give me anything to download the issue (past or current). This is on a voluntary basis only. www.twtmag.com 2
Welcome
THANK YOU
Welcome my brothers to the August 2011 edition of “The Working Tools Masonic Magazine.” Let me start off by saying a huge “THANK YOU”. The first month of the Summer TWT fundraiser was a great success. Literally minutes after releasing the July issue and sending out the mailing list the donations started coming in. Special thanks to Bros: Bernard Triano, Jerry Stevens, Brian Forrest, James Smith, Scott Forman, Robert Madel, Dennis Block, Thomas Pagliaro, Thomas Lamb, William Harrington, Scott Schwartzberg, Norm Sanford, Dennis Alsup, Alan Novakoff, John Woolf, William Morris, Keith Wattles, Al Statler, Ronald Miller, Michael Westfort, Everett Penn, Verdon Skipper 33, Jay Marksheid, Paul Bunn, Robert Howard And now on with the show... I’m very excited about the August issue. I had the great honor of interewing author Robert Lomas about his past works and his new book titled “The Lost Key” . It’s the 2nd intereviw with Bro. Lomas, the first was years ago when I did a podcast interview about the Kirlwall scrolls with Bro. Lomas and Bro. Heath Armbruster. (I’ll repost the link so you can find it easier). I’d love to hear your feedback. Until next time...
Cory Sigler Cory Sigler, PM Hawthorne Fortitude #200 Find me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/corysigler & facebook.com/twtmag
You might have noticed the donation appeal on the preceeding page. I know that everyone does not get TWT directly by downloading it from the website themseleves but through someone emailing them the PDF. If this is the case please consider going to www.twtmag.com and clicking on the donate button to help out if you enjoyed the magazine.
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Contents
This Month’s Issue Includes:
Pg 22 National Association Masonic Scouts
· · · · · · · · · ·
Pg 28 Bio: Dave Thomas of Wendy’s
Pg 43 Cover: An interview with Robert Lomas
Masonic Blue Pages- Pg.13 Old Tyler Talks- Pg.16 Word of the Month- Pg.18 Thomas Jefferson “By the Numbers”.- Pg.20 The Great Architects Hand- Pg.24 Hiram, Noah, and Gilgamesh - Pg. 26 Poetry by Rudyard Kipling - Pg. 30 In The News - Pg.32 “The Secret Psychology of Freemasonry: by Cliff Porter - Pg. 50 Lodge Education - 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. www.twtmag.com
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MAIL BAG
Brother Cory, I really enjoy reading TWT every month. I don’t know how you do it month after month. I was hoping you might do something on Masonic Stamps. I’ve collected them for a long time and would love to see what you can find on them. Thanks Bro. James. Maryland. Bro James, Ask and you shall receive. See Page 55 in this months issue on “First Day Covers”. Thanks for the idea! CS
Cory Glad to see you back after your break away. I have self published a book and wanted to see how I can get a review done in “The Working Tools”. I’d like to get the word out to as many brothers as possible. George, TX Bro George, There must be something in the water these days. After what seems like a long drought of books written by Masons (or on Masonry) I’ve gotten several emails from you guys asking how to get a review done. Best way is to send me an email with the details (corsig3@yahoo.com). This also goes for your websites or other things you want to bring to my attention. CS
Send all your comments and questions to Corsig3@yahoo.com
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This Month in History
August 2nd- On this date in 1861, the Grand Lodge of Colorado was formed. 4th- On this date in 1753, George Washington received his Master Mason degree in Fredericksburg Lodge in Virginia 7th- On this date in 1877, the Grand Lodge of New Mexico was formed 14th- On this date in 1826, William Morgan obtained a copyright for Illustrations of Masonry, By One of hte Fraternity Who Has Devoted Thirty Years to the Subject, a book that publicly exposed the secrets of Masonic ritual. Although many similar books had been published before, this caused great excitement, and led to the “Morgan affair� and the Antimasonic Party of the 1820s and 1830s. 16th- On this date in 1851, the Grand Lodge of Oregon was founded.
27th- On this date in 1920, Warren G. Harding (U.S. President 1921-1923) received his 3rd degree in Marion Lodge #70, Ohio.
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WEOFM.org August 2011 Lectures “The Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry”
08-13-11 So You Want to be a Freemason? , Julian Rees, PM 08-20-11 Freemasonry & the Enlightenment: Architecture,& Influences, Prof. James Stevens Curl 08-27-11 Masonic Jurisprudence, Dan Hampton, PM
http://weofm.org Tune in and watch some of the most amazing lectures on Masonry you’ll ever see.
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Research
www.Masoniclib.com
Brethren, another research portal has been brought to my attention. It shows great promise to be a place to download hard to find books and documents. Especially true for the non English speaking Masons. Happy reading!!! - Cory
A project for a shared masonic e-library This project aims at gathering, on a free sharing basis, as much as possible e-books documents or communications, free of any copyright, dealing with freemasonry, in order to make them available for free downloading to any interested people, brother or not. You will be able to browse the library by title or author for books, documents or communications, or use the search engine, for a free download. You might also upload for the community such books, documents or communications, that are free of any copyright, subject to an aposteriori check by the webmaster. Enjoy it ! Louis TREBUCHET Masoniclib checks the adequation of each document with the projevt but the sole author is commited by the content of a communication As of today 224 books 276 communications 91 documents 118 contributors have uploaded their share of the project www.twtmag.com
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Grand Lodge Spot Light
Grand Lodge F&A.M. of Alaska http://alaska-mason.org 544 E. 14th Street Anchorage, Alaska 99503 Phone: (907) 561-1477 Office Hours 10:00am - 2:00pm M-F grandlodge@alaska.com
M. W. Ronald L. Ackerman, Grand Master 2011 Our Vision: Alaska Freemasons are a respected fraternity comprised of men with high moral character who make a positive difference in their community and the lives of their fellow man Our Mission: The mission of the Grand Lodge of Alaska is to encourage and support the advancement of Freemasonry in Alaska by developing Masons who are assets in their communities
Alaska Blue Lodges Alphabetical Order by City and Lodge Name Anchorage, Alaska - Anchorage Lodge No. 17 Anchorage, Alaska - Aurora Lodge No. 15 Anchorage, Alaska - Glacier Lodge No. 10 Cordova, Alaska - Mt. McKinley Lodge No. 5 Eagle River, Alaska - Eagle River Lodge No. 13 Fairbanks, Alaska - Fairbanks Lodge No. 12 Fairbanks, Alaska - Tanana Lodge No. 3 Juneau, Alaska - Mt. Juneau-Gastineaux Lodge No. 21 Ketchikan, Alaska - Ketchikan Lodge No. 19 Kodiak, Alaska - Kodiak Lodge No. 9 North Pole, Alaska - North Pole Lodge No. 16 Palmer, Alaska - Matanuska Lodge No. 7 Petersburg, Alaska - Petersburg No. 23 Seward, Alaska - Seward Lodge No. 6 Sitka, Alaska - Mt. Verstovia Lodge No. 18 Skagway, Alaska - White Pass Lodge No. 1 Soldotna, Alaska - Kenai Lodge No. 11 Sterling, Alaska - Sterling Lodge No. 22 Valdez, Alaska - Valdez Lodge No. 4 Wasilla, Alaska - Iditarod Lodge No. 20 www.twtmag.com
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Masons Helping Masons
http://www.masons4masons.org Website created and maintained by Bro. James McKenna. In these tough economic times, with so many of us out of work it’s necessary for Masons to be helping Masons now more than ever. If you are out of work, looking to hire or want to make business connections “The Masonic Blue Pages” is for you. I’m so grateful to have a job and truth be told it’s been a while that I visited this website. I was recently reminded once again about it through Bro. Dwight Seals excellent mailing list ‘Masonic Did U Know”. I was happy to see that not only was it still around but it has grown incredibly since I last visited. James has added many new features making it a valuable source for employment and employers.
About Bro. James McKenna I told Bro. James he was going to be featured in this months issue and asked him to tell us about himself “An article about The Masonic Blue Pages would be ideal. However, the website isn’t about me, it’s about “us.” When I was raised, I thought the obligations that I accepted were simply wonderful, but, subsequently, I was at a loss when it came to a practical method of implementing them for the benefit of the Craft. How can I help others who may be in need, I wondered, if for one reason or another, they were silent about their difficulties? And then I thought, ‘why should we wait to help the widows and orphans of members of the Craft, when we could and should be helping them long before they ever become widows and orphans … when they are still wives and children.’ We have been and are currently still going through difficult economic times and many of our Brothers and their families are indeed experiencing difficulties. The Masonic Blue Pages was created as a practical way for me (and others, if they chose to participate) to fulfill the Masonic obligations that I swore to uphold. If just one Brother benefits from my efforts, then the website is doing what it was intended to do! Clearly, the success of the website is dependent upon the trust and goodwill its participating members. I simply serve as a facilitator, if you will.
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Brothers Helping Brothers
The spotlight should be on the website and not on me, however, here are my Masonic affiliations: I am a member in good standing of: Saint Paul Lodge #3, Saint Paul, MN Scottish Rite Valley of Saint Paul, Orient of Minnesota Royal Arch Masons of Minnesota, Chapter #1, Saint Paul, MN Cryptic Masons of Minnesota, Council #1, Saint Paul, MN Montezuma Lodge #1, Santa Fe, NM (life member) Scottish Rite Valley of Santa Fe, Orient of New Mexico Thank you for bringing The Masonic Blue Pages to the attention of your readers. Fraternally, James
About The Website The Mission of The Masonic Blue Pages is rather a simple one: To help fulfill the obligations that we have sworn to before God and the Brethren, among which is to spread the cement which unites us . . . “If fraternity is the body of Freemasonry, then our obligations are its soul! If the body suffers injury or diminution, the soul will continue to endure; but, should the soul suffer injury or diminution, the body, regardless of our most stringent efforts to save it, will most assuredly die!� - James McKenna Welcome, Brothers, to the Home of The Masonic Blue Pages! Are You a Mason Who Owns or Operates a Business? If so, then you are cordially invited to come and list your business or profession with us so that other members of the Craft are made aware of what you do. This is a free service offered to Masons only. Whether you are a physician, attorney, auto mechanic, handyman, accountant, real estate agent, insurance agent, artist, or the member of any profession or trade, your Brothers may want to avail themselves Continued on next page
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Brothers Helping Brothers of your services, but they have to know what you do and where you are located. That is the service that we are providing . . . Masons helping Masons! Are You a Mason Who is in Need of a Particular Service? If so, let us know and we will inform the Brothers right here on this website. We, as Masons, certainly have many skills that cover many areas! Are You a Mason Who Owns or Operates a Business and are Looking to Hire? If so, then you are cordially invited to come and list and seek employees among those Brother Masons who need employment and meet your criteria. Need I remind you what wonderfully trustworthy employees they would be? Are You a Mason In Need of Employment? If so, then you are cordially invited to come and let the Brothers know who you are, what your skills are, and how they can contact you. My Brothers, we are here for you! We have created a section that may help you find employment. Please tell us, so we can help you! Are You a Mason In Need of Help? If so, then you are encouraged to take advantage of our Help Section and request assistance from your Brothers around the country, or perhaps, (as things seem to be evolving), from Brothers around the world. There is a great deal of wisdom, knowledge, expertise, and more our Brothers have that may help you. And there is much more THE MASONIC BLUE PAGES has to offer! NO sign-up fees! NO monthly or yearly fees! NO mandatory payments of any kind! The Only Requirement: You MUST be a member in good standing of a just and lawfully constituted Blue Lodge.
“Brothers, there was a time in our past when Freemasonry paid special and particular attention to the fundamental needs of its members and, because it did, the Craft flourished well beyond the seemingly limited horizons of modern comprehension. In fact, in those days, which might accurately be referred to as Freemasonry’s Golden Age, the Craft became so internationally powerful and influential, it was rather kept elusively arcane and decidedly difficult to join. This, as one would expect, formed the seed from which sprang popular Masonic myth and legend. Clearly, at its zenith height, it was widely acknowledged and generally accepted that every man who hoped to succeed in the world was compelled by a valid notion of temporal practicality to accede to Masonic membership as early as possible.”
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Old Tyler Talks
“In Men’s Hearts”
by Carl H. Claudy
“Where is the most beautiful Masonic temple in the world?” asked the New Brother of the Old Tiler. “Wouldn’t the answer depend on one’s conception of beauty? retorted the Old Tiler. “I might think, and you another, while an architect or an artist might choose still another.” “Well, which one do you choose?” persisted the New Brother. “I don’t!” answered the Old Tiler. “The House of the Temple in Washington is impressive; Detroit has a wonderful temple; Philadelphia’s temple is massive and beautiful, the Albert Pike memorial in Little Rock is considered fine. I cannot choose.” “You think it is one of these?” “No, I am simply trying to oblige,” laughed the Old Tiler. “I know three temples which impressed me more than any of these.” “I asked because I am taking a winter vacation. I’d like to see the wonderful temples Masonry has erected. Tell me where your three are located!” “One temple that to me is great in beauty is in a town of about 2,000 people in the Middle West. The lodge room is over a country store. The floor is bare of carpet. The chairs are plain wood. The heating plant is one large stove; it is the Junior Deacons’ business to feed it during the meetings. The walls are stained, the lamps are kerosene, there is no organ or piano and the ribbons in the lodge jewels are frayed. Not very up-to-date, the members of this lodge. “But this lodge made a boy of twenty-two a Master Mason just before he went to France in the first world war. After Soissons he lay all night on the field with a shattered leg and an arm so badly mangled that later they cut it off. While he lay there he heard familiar words from the familiar burial service of a Mason; ‘this evergreen, which once marked the temporary resting place of the illustrious dead is an emblem of our faith in the immortality of the soul.’ “The wounded boy called for help. Came crawling to him was a man slightly wounded, who had said
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Old Tyler Talks the service over the remains of a comrade. At the risk of his life he hauled the wounded boy to safety. That wounded boy came back to this little country lodge to tell his brethren of what Masonry means in men’s hearts when they carry it into the battlefield. As I listened the plain board walls fell away, the deal floor became tessellated marble, the low stained ceiling became a vaulted archway and the Great Architect Himself entered the East Gate. “Another beautiful temple I only heard of. Civil engineers were building a railroad in the Andes. One of their laborers, a Mason, had fever and had to be sent home. This party of five sat out under the trees and the stars and talked on the square. Each of them gave a month’s salary to the sick laborer. He had a wife and two babies in Denver, the wife trying to live in spite of the dread disease Denver’s high altitude cures. Our ancient brethren met under the stars, where their ‘covering was no less than the clouded canopy or starry-decked heaven.’ But none of these ever held a more beautiful lodge than those five young men, filled with Masonic charity, giving each more than he could afford for a day laborer in hard luck, because he was a Mason. “My third most beautiful temple was made of many little tents. There were children in them; children large and small, and there was no distinction between them of race, creed, color. All a child had to be was poor to have two weeks in the open. Nor was this a lodge charity; it was the work of a Masonic club, and run by individual contributions. As I looked I heard the organ peal as I have never heard it in many temples of stone. “As a teacher said, ‘for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ Where three, five, seven or more Master Masons gather in the name of Masonry, there is the temple. It is right and wise that we build great temples of stone and carving; which give testimony to all the world that here men gather in brotherhood. Masonic structures play a great part and we could spare them ill. But the greatest Masonic temples are builded in men’s hearts. “If you would visit beautiful temples in your travels. seek less for mighty building and more for a house not made with hands. ‘Masonry builds her temples in the hearts of men’ and in men’s hearts shall you seek for, and find, those most beautiful.” The Old Tiler ceased and looked off into space as if he saw a vision. The New Brother looked at the Old Tiler. “I do not need to travel far to see one of the most beautiful temples,” he said.
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Word of the Month
Masonic Symbolism & Words Brought to you by Www.masonicdictionary.com This Month’s Word is
“The Three Supporting Pillars of A Lodge� By Bro. H. A. Kingsbury, Connecticut Although it is probably true that there is no Mason, be he ever so unskilled in his Art, who is so ill informed that if he were asked, "What are the symbolical Supports of your Blue Lodge?" would not be able to give the information, "The Three Pillars, Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty," it is to be feared that there is many a Mason who, when he has given the information that the Three Pillars are the Supports of his Lodge and has given those Supports their respective names, has told absolutely all he knows concerning the Three Pillars. He knows nothing of their antecedents and their history; nothing of their symbolic significance. This is decidedly not as it should be. It is, then, worth the time and effort of every Mason who would possess even the elements of a proper knowledge of his Art, and especially is it worth the time and effort of every Mason who would call himself a student of his Art, to make an investigation, if only one of the utmost brevity, of the antecedents, the history, and the symbolism, of pillars and, more particularly, of the Three Pillars. To an investigation, such as suggested, the brief review below can serve as scarcely more than a synopsis. It is no more than a start in the right direction-- merely the sketching in of some of the more important features
of a field of investigation which no Mason can afford neglecting to explore. Probably pillars have been used for commemorative, monumental and symbolistic purposes since the beginnings of civilization in the world. For example, among the Egyptians many extraordinary events, singular or noteworthy transactions, and new inventions were commemorated, and their histories preserved, by records carved upon pillars of stone. According to tradition, Osiris, that Egyptian hero and god of such peculiar and especial interest to the Mason, set up pillars in commemoration of his conquests; the pillars bore hieroglyphical inscriptions recording certain interesting facts and details relative to those conquests. This reputed example of Osiris was followed by the kings of ancient Egypt for many centuries, for those kings had, in many instances, records of their conquests, triumphs, power, and magnificance, engraved on pillars or obelisks. And, if we are to believe the Greek legends having to do with the legendary world--conquering Egyptian king Sesostris who in those legends carries the burdens and the glories of many of the deeds of Rameses II., Rameses II during his military progress through the various nations which he conquered caused pillars to be erected bearing inscriptions and emblematic devices making known to posterity cerContinued on next page
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Word of the Month tain features of, and facts relating to, his conquests. By the biblical peoples pillars were used in ways similar to those in which they were used by the Egyptians. Thus, Hiram King of Tyre, upon the forming of his grand junction between Eurichorus and Tyre, dedicated a pillar to Jupiter in commemoration of the event. Enoch erected two pillars--the Pillars of Enoch of which Masonry has its symbolic legend--the one of brass to resist water and the other of stone to resist fire upon which he inscribed information calculated to preserve his knowledge to posterity in the case of the destruction of the world. Jacob’s Pillar at Bethel was erected to commemorate his extraordinary vision; his Pillar at Galeed was raised in commemoration of his treaty with his uncle, Laban. Joshua raised a pillar at Gilgal to perpetuate the fact of the miraculous passage of the River Jordan. And Absalom erected a pillar in honor of himself.
Wisdom
religious system where it occurred as such, was the presentation, symbolically, of a triad. Therefore, a consideration of the Three Pillars of the Lodge brings before the student, for his contemplation, the curious fact that nearly every mystery practiced by the ancient peoples of the world contained its reference, and that an important reference, to a triad. In the mysteries of India the triad was Brahma, Vishnu, Siva; in the Grecian Mysteries the triad was Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto; in the Persian, Ormazad, Mithra, Mithras; in the Gothic, Woden, Friga, Thor; in the Mexican, Tloquenahuaque, Huitzilopochtli, Mictlanteuctli; and so on through the various systems practiced by the ancients. So, in carrying forward what was best in the conceptions and the teachings of the peoples of antiquity, Masonry, too, has its pillars of peculiar significance; places one in East, one in the West, and one in the South; considers each one symbolically significant as a unit, calling one Wisdom, one Strength, and one Beauty, as did the Hindus; and, finally, Masonry considers those Pillars as a group, unitary in character and in itself a symbol, indeed a symbol of the very highest type, for:--
Strength
Leaving, now, the consideration of pillars as merely individual units and turning to the consideration of grouped pillars, each group consisting of three units, one realizes at the outset that the conception of a symbolic group of three pillars is not by any means one confined exclusively to Masonry; in not a few of the ancient mysteries and religious systems some symbolic meaning was assigned to a group comprised of three pillars.
The symbolistic conception of three grouped pillars was contained in the Druidical Mysteries, indeed, in those mysteries, in some instances, the adytum, or sanctuary, was actually supported on three stones or pillars. In the mythology of India the conception of three pillars was present, the pillars being considered as located in the East, West, and South and as bearing the names Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty. In also the mysteries of India the three qualities, Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty, were treated of, being there considered as represented by three hierophants, one in the East, one in the West, and one in the South.
The Mason is informed that the Three Supporting Pillars of the Lodge are Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty “because it is necessary that there should be wisdom to contrive, strength to support, and beauty to adorn all great and important undertakings”: he cannot but gather from the lectures and the work, particularly of the First Degree, that the Lodge is the symbol of the World: therefore, when he combines these two conceptions and draws the necessarily resulting conclusion, he arrives at the same understanding of the ultimate symbolic significance of the Three Pillars as did the ancient Hindus--the Three Supporting Pillars of the Lodge are, considered as a group, the symbol of Him Whose Wisdom contrived the World, Whose Strength supports the World, Whose Beauty adorns the World-- Deity.
Beauty
- Source: The Builder October 1917
The three-pillar-group, in every ancient mystery or www.twtmag.com
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Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson - “By The Numbers” Over the years the world has seen many brilliant people - and then there was Thomas Jefferson. Here is a snapshot of his background. Brilliant does not begin to describe him.
At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.
Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life, and never stopped . . .
At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.
At 5, began studying under his cousin’s tutor. At 9, studied Latin, Greek, and French. At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.
At 40, served in Congress for two years.
At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington. At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.
At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.
At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of Republican Party.
At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
At 57, was elected the third president of the United States.
At 23, started his own law practice. At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses. At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America" and retired from his law practice. At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress. At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence. At 33, took three years to revise Virginia’s legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.
At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation’s size. At 61, was elected to a second term as President. At 65, retired to Monticello. At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine. At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president. At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence along with John Adams
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Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws and the nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most understand today. Jefferson really knew his stuff. A voice from the past to lead us into the future: John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: "This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House, with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." Jefferson's Wisdom, still valid for America today "When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe." Thomas Jefferson "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." Thomas Jefferson
right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson "To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson said in 1802: "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world." Thomas Jefferson "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." Thomas Jefferson "My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." Thomas Jefferson "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." Thomas Jefferson "The strongest reason for the people to retain the www.twtmag.com
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Special Interest Groups
National Association Masonic Scouters http://www.nams-bsa.org/
Purpose The purpose of the National Association of Masonic Scouters is to foster and develop support for the Boy Scouts of America by and among Freemasons while upholding the tenets of Freemasonry. This includes, but is not limited to, encouraging Masonic Lodges and other Masonic organizations to charter and support BSA units. NAMS will seek to provide opportunities for Masonic fellowship at Scouting events and encourage the awarding of the Daniel Carter Beard Award to deserving Masons while supporting the Scouting movement at all levels. Grand Lodge Status The National Association of Masonic Scouters is in the process of receiving recognition/endorsement from the Grand Lodges from which we draw our members. The goal for this effort is to assure those Masons who are interested in joining NAMS that
they will not find themselves at odds with their Grand Lodge rules and regulations. Some Grand Lodges (Texas, Michigan, California, etc.) have specific edicts that, left unchanged, would limit participation. In these cases we have/are/will be working to introduce the proper additions to the specific Grand Lodge edicts. In these cases we are, based on my understanding of their edicts, “recognition.” Most Grand Lodges do not have such edicts and therefore there is no automatic prohibition of a Mason joining NAMS. In these cases we are asking for a letter of endorsement from the Grand Master/Grand Lodge that 1) states that membership in NAMS is not in violation of their edicts and 2) after proper review, they have agreed that the goals of NAMS are in harmony with general Masonic principles and their members may feel free to support BSA through membership in NAMS. In these cases (such as NJ, WA, VT and AL) the best term for this support is “endorsement.” Our aim is not to cause confusion within the
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Special Interest Groups fraternity of Freemasonry, but to increase the impact of our (sizable) individual efforts to support the goals and programs of the Boy Scouts of America. How to join The first step to becoming a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters is to download the application for membership. This completed form and an attached copy of your current Masonic dues card and your BSA membership card is to be mailed to our Secretary: Carter J. Wood, NAMS Secretary 6327 Black Rock Lane Hoschton, GA 30548-8228 Also include the yearly dues of $15. Many of our members have elected to become Life Members of NAMS. The one time fee is $300 and if you make annual payments of at least $100 toward a Life Membership, you will not be charged the $15 for that year. Members who joined in 2010 and attended the National Jamboree will receive a free patch commemorating that event. Special Patches
“Support the Boy Scouts now because they are future Freemasons later� www.twtmag.com
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Brother Submitted Paper
THE GREAT ARCHITECT’S HANDS By Bro. Tom Evans
Picture a crisp spring morning outside Houston. There was zero humidity, the windows were open, birds were singing, squirrels were barking and then the neighbor cranked up his large, mufferless garden tractor. After a few minutes the engine sputtered, but did not stop. Soon moans of “help me, help me” could be heard over the obnoxious engine. Someone said jokingly, “sounds like old man Johnson turned his tractor over”. Within a half minute that statement became a real possibility. Running from the open back door, the 40ish man barked to his wife to call 911 and for his daughter to bring blankets. And through the acre of brush and yaupon he ran toward the awful sounds coming from the property next door.
ter and wife returned to a quiet morning’s work and home schooling. Imagine riding in the rolling hills of Austin County, Texas on a beautiful fall Sunday afternoon. Not having a care in the world, wearing cut-off jeans, flip flops and not even carrying the usual pocket knife. Not a cloud in the sky! Sipping on a cold beer as the wife was driving the auto of choice in Texas, a pickup. G. Harvey could not have painted the beauty or serenity of it. The radio was playing something mellow like the day had been, when a yellow Camaro passed the older couple at the top of the hill. The Camaro blew a tire when it was side by side with the truck, striking it slightly as its female driver lost control of her speeding vehicle. The driver almost gained control as she crossed back into the right hand lane, only to lose control completely. This sent the Camaro dramatically to the left, hitting a culvert, rocketing the little car and by then, its pilot, airborne. Once in the air the car did a 180 degree turn and flipped twice. (I think Wayne, Travis and Bobby would call that a double flip with a half gainer). From there it went through a barbed wire fence coming to rest on its roof.
Upon arrival he did indeed find that old man Johnson had turned his tractor over, trying to load it on a trailer. The problem was the 600 pound cast iron and sheet metal John Deere was laying on top of Johnson. The engine was still running. Johnson’s arms were trapped and his right leg was up by his head like he was doing a high kick while lying on his back. He had health problems, being a diabetic. Shock was coming on fast. Without thinking the younger man squatted down, wrapped his arms around the still running tractor and picked it up, not thinking about what he would do with it once he had it off Johnson. So he just threw it as far as he could. His daughter arrived within seconds with the blankets to wrap the old man. Within 15 minutes the rescue trucks, police, ambulance and firefighters arrived. They took over the scene. Mr. Johnson was hurried off to the hospital with two broken hips, arms, slight internal injuries, cuts, bruises and other shock related injuries. Rescuers said that in his condition, the weight of the tractor alone was enough to be fatal within minutes. Father, daugh-
Before the man could get out of his truck and cross the road, smoke was beginning to come from the Camaro’s engine compartment. By the time he got to the car and found the occupant alive, but trapped by her seat belt and the crushed roof, there was a real, for sure fire. The man had left his knife at home, but somehow got the girl’s seatbelt off. There was not 8 inches of clearance to remove her from the burning car. The girl kept screaming about “the baby”. Somehow, the man got the 120 pound girl out of the auto and then started searching for the baby, only to be told that there was no baby. The man’s wife was screaming to get away from the car for it might explode.
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Brother Submitted Paper The firefighters, sheriffs and DPS could not understand how the woman had been removed from the car without the Jaws of Life. She was taken to the hospital with some scratches and the couple went home. A half dozen times I have been called on to save lives. Saving lives is all part of the job for firefighters and doctors like my buddies Travis, Alan, Randy and Bob. For me, each and every time was an emotional experience after it concluded. Not because I felt like a hero or whatever, but because it left me with so many unanswered questions. And also because of the ever present, in your face, realization that failure was never an option. You MUST succeed. The questions are “Why me Lord?” “Why not somebody else?” “What do you expect of me?” “How many more times will you call on me?” It was a simple matter when I rescued my Dad and daughter from raging flood waters after their boat capsized. The same goes for finding Daddy when he was snow blinded and lost in the Idaho mountains. All I had to do then was what I had learned in Boy Scouts. But these two incidents described above had nothing to do with me. It was God working through me. Here’s what Paul Harvey would call “the rest of the story”. Mr. Johnson might still be out there with that tractor on him if the weather had not been so nice that we had the doors and windows open enabling us to hear his cries for help. I lifted 5-600 lbs from a dead lift and I threw it 7 feet! I had only been out of the hospital 3 weeks recovering from my second major back surgery in as many years. I have not had any ill effects even after 20 years.
ing is that as soon as I got the young lady out and safe, the fire went OUT! One afternoon on a flight from a business trip from the west coast to Houston one of the plane’s engines caught fire at 30,000 feet. The pilot put the plane in a near nose dive into Midland, Tx. We arrived safely. With no flight out, we had plenty of time to waste, so I called an old team mate of mine from Texas A&M who I hadn’t seen in 25 yrs. He had just gotten home and was on his way to see me. Well, within 10 minutes this 6’4” former Def. End comes throught door wearing a huge Masonic belt buckle. I thought: Wayne, you just caused me to become a Mason. I never thought that I could do the “work”. My dad got me a petition that next Monday. Was Dad ever glad! Somehow I had managed to save my Uncle Tom’s Masonic ring given to me on his death bed when I was 4. (I wrote about Brother Tom in TWT a couple of years ago.) So I went from a possible catastrophe to Masonry. That was on The Great Architect’s Trestle-Board I am uncomfortable telling some of these stories, in that one may think that I am bragging, but that is 180 degrees from where I’m coming. I was incapable of doing those things alone. It wasn’t only me there those days, it was The Surpreme Architect. He did not expect me to do it alone. His hand gave me strength and courage. God’s hand is always there, but as humans it sometimes takes extraordinary circumstances to realize His grip.
The second story is even more interesting. I had on cut-offs and flip flops, yet my legs did not have a single scratch from the briars where the car had landed nor from the barbed wire. The girl and I had unknowingly stood in an ant bed discussing if there was or was not a baby in the car (piloting and crash landing a Camaro had her disoriented, to say the least). Our legs were still covered with fire ants when the fire department got there, yet neither of us had a single bite. Most interestwww.twtmag.com
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Brother Submitted Paper
Hiram Abiff, Noah, and Gilgamesh. “Mythology “Repurposed” Bro. Tavit Smith
As a young college student, I was fortunate enough to spend a semester studying in Puebla, Mexico at the University Of The Americas. I lived nearby in a small village called San Andres, which sat at the base of a mountain that had been excavated to reveal a buried pyramid, the great Cholula Pyramid. This pyramid “is, in fact, the largest pyramid... ever constructed anywhere in the world.” Sitting atop of the yet unexcavated part of this temple sits a Catholic church, the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, built by Spaniards in 1594. When I asked a professor at the University why the church was built upon a pyramid, I was told that the church simply built where the people were already coming to worship – that it was an easy way to convert the indigenous population to a new and unfamiliar religion. I later learned that this is called “repurposing” a religious site. Since then, I have learned that the idea of “repurposing” is not only done with religious sites, but also with religious myths. An example of this would be the
many myths, which have been passed along from the Babylonians to the Egyptians to the Jews, and finally to the Christians. Interestingly enough, a more specific example of repurposing can be found in the stories that form the basis of one of our own Freemasonry rituals. Many brothers may be surprised to learn that the Hiram Abiff legend was not always a part of Masonic lore. Prior to 1730, our masonic brothers were taught that “the secret word” that they sought was buried with the Old Testament biblical character, Noah. According to the original story, Noah’s sons were in search of the “word” that they believed God had given to Noah that would enable him to start a new civilization after the flood. After a failed attempt by his sons to raise him from his grave, the sons chose a substitute word. The original word was never revealed, and remains lost to this day. While there are differences between the Hiram Abiff story and the story of Noah and his sons, the general outline remains the same – a great builder is in possession of a word (or words), which will allow the building to continue. However, the word(s) are lost, and mankind continues to this day to search. Let us now jump ahead to 1844 when a British researcher, named Austen Henry Layard was traveling in Northern Iraq around the town of Mosul. Excavating the ruined palaces of Nineveh, the ancient capital of Assyria, he discovered of a hoard of stone tablets inscribed with cuneiform script. At the time, it was considered to be an interesting, but minor find. These tablets remained undeciphered until 1872 when a young British museum curator named George Smith translated the writing. Reportedly, when he deciphered one particular section of the tablets, he became so excited that he tore off his clothes and began running around the laboratory. You see, the tablet he deci-
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Brother Submitted Paper phered told the story of a Babylonian who survived a great flood. The similarities between what was written on these stone tablets more than five thousand years ago, and the Old Testament flood story were remarkable. These stone tablets tell a story about a man named Gilgamesh who sets off on a journey with a friend. During the journey the friend dies ands Gilgamesh, having never known death, is filled with fear and grief, crying out… “Must I die too? Must I be as lifeless? How can I bear this sorrow that gnaws at my belly, this fear of death that drives me onward? If only I could find the one man whom the gods made immortal, I would ask him how to overcome death.” Here then, in one of the earliest written stories that civilization has yet uncovered, we hear of man’s greatest fear – the fear of death, and we hear of mans’ first search for the secret of everlasting life – immortality. Written in stone, over five thousand years ago. Could the story of Gilgamesh have been “repurposed”? Is the story of Hiram Abiff ’s assailants, and Noah’s sons search for the secret word actually a “repurposing” of Gilgamesh’s search for everlasting life? Is the search for the lost words – so that we may continue building the temple, an allegorical story of man’s search to find the one thing that will allow us to continue to build our own allegorical temples -- our lives? In all three stories the content centers on a search -- a search for the greatest of secrets. In the Hiram Abiff story, Hiram is a supervisor of builders, Noah is the builder of the ark, and Gilgamesh is the builder of a great city. Continuing with the Gilgamesh epic, we learn that Gilgamesh eventually meets with the Babylonian who survived the great flood, and asks him to intervene on his behalf and to ask the gods to grant him eternal life. The Babylonian refuses, but tells Gilgamesh where to find a magical plant that will give him everlasting life. Gilgamesh finds the plant only to later lose it to a snake that carries it off. [BTW – isn’t it interesting that in the bible in the book of Genesis a snake also keeps man
from everlasting life]? In the Gilgamesh story, we are not told what this magical plant is. Could it have been from the acacia plant? Remember that in masonic lore, the acacia plant is the symbol of everlasting life. It is the sprig of acacia that marks the grave of Hiram Abiff, and the sprig which the three searchers find when they search for Hiram. Finally, in the Noah legend, and also in the Gilgamesh story, while aboard the ark, we are told that a bird is sent out to search for signs of life. The bird returns after the seventh day with an olive branch in its beak. And although in the Noah story it is an olive branch, doesn’t it make more sense that it would be a branch of acacia? That it would represent what Noah was searching for; the “continuance of life”? In all three stories, that of Hiram Abiff, Noah, and Gilgamesh, there is a search for the ultimate secret. In all three stories, it is never found and the secret remains forever lost, and forever sought. Most importantly, in each of the three legends we are reminded that God (or in the case of Gilgamesh, gods) hold the ultimate answer. In the end, we find ourselves frail, and painfully human, forever seeking solace from the ultimate question of life: death. Are the legends similar enough in traits to merit our consideration that both the story of Noah and Hiram Abiff were “repurposed” from one of mans’ earliest recorded stories? – The story of Gilgamesh? I believe that they are. But most importantly, let us forever know that those things that concern every man in this room are simply part of the human condition. Perhaps it is only in a room like this, where we can each turn to the man sitting next to us and know that our concerns, our difficulties, and our struggles – whether now, or 5,000 years ago – are what make us human, and what make us brothers. Respectfully submitted, Bro. Tavit Smith www.twtmag.com
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Biography
Biography: Bro. Dave Thomas Biography Dave Thomas was born on July 2, 1932 in Atlantic City, New Jersey to a young unmarried woman he never knew. He was adopted at 6 weeks by Rex and Auleva Thomas and as an adult would become a well-known advocate for adoption, founding the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. After his adoptive mother's death when he was 5, his father moved around the country seeking work. Dave spent time in Michigan with his grandmother Minnie Sinclair whom he credited with teaching him the importance of service and treating others well and with respect, lessons that helped him in his future business life. At 12 he got his first job at The Regas, a restaurant in Knoxville, Tennessee, then lost it in a dispute with his boss. However, there was a large autographed poster-photo of Thomas just inside the entrance of The Regas until the business closed down in 2009. He vowed never to lose another job. Moving with his father, by 15 he was working in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the Hobby House Restaurant owned by the Clauss family. When his father prepared to move again, Dave decided to stay in Fort Wayne, dropping out of high school to work full time at the restaurant. Thomas, who considered ending his schooling the greatest mistake of his life, did not graduate from high school until 1993 when he obtained a GED.
Wendy’s Thomas opened his first Wendy’s in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969. (This original restaurant would remain operational until March 2, 2007, when it was closed due to lagging sales.) Thomas named the restaurant after his eight-year-old daughter Melinda Lou, whose nickname was Wendy, stemming from the child’s inability to say her own name at a young age. According to Bio TV, Dave claims himself that people nicknamed his daughter “Wenda. Not Wendy but Wenda.’I’m going to call it Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers’.” In 1982, Thomas resigned from his day-to-day operations at Wendy’s. However, by 1985, several company business decisions, including an awkward new breakfast menu and loss in brand awareness due to fizzled marketing efforts caused the company’s new president to urge Thomas back into a more acContinued on next page www.twtmag.com
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Biography tive role with Wendy’s. Thomas began to visit franchises and espouse his hardworking, so-called “mop-bucket attitude.” In 1989, he took on a significant role as the TV spokesman in a series of commercials for the brand. Thomas was not a natural actor, and initially, his performances were criticized as stiff and ineffective by advertising critics. By 1990, after efforts by Wendy’s agency, Backer Spielvolgel Bates, to get humor into the campaign, a decision was made to portray Thomas in a more self-deprecating and folksy manner, which proved much more popular with test audiences.Consumer brand awareness of Wendy’s eventually regained levels it had not achieved since octogenarian Clara Peller’s wildly popular “Where’s the beef?” campaign of 1984. With his natural selfeffacing style and his relaxed manner, Thomas quickly became a household name. A company survey during the 1990s, a decade during which Thomas starred in every Wendy’s commercial that aired, found that 90% of Americans knew who Thomas was. After more than 800 commercials, it was clear that Thomas played a major role in Wendy’s status as the country’s third most popular burger restaurant. Dave Thomas became an education advocate and founded the Dave Thomas Education Center in Coconut Creek, Florida, which offers GED classes to young adults.
Death Thomas died at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a decade-long battle with liver cancer. He was buried in Union Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio. At the time of his death, there were more than 6,000 Wendy’s restaurants operating in North America.
Freemasonry Initiated: April 13, 1959 Passed: April 20, 1959 Raised: May 25, 1959 Sol. D. Bayless Lodge No 359, Fort Wayne, Indiana It is said that Dave Thomas made the Wendy’s hamburgers the unusal SQUARE shape instead of the common circular patty as a tribute to his Masonic background. He was quoted to say “Wendy’s does not cut corners” and we know neither do Masons.
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Masonic Poetry
“Banquet Night” by J. Rudyard Kipling
“Once in so often,” King Solomon said, Watching his quarrymen drill the stone, “We will club our garlic and wine and bread And banquet together beneath my throne. And all the Brethren shall come to that mess As Fellow Craftsmen – no more and no less.
“God gave the Hyssop and Cedar their place – Also the Bramble, the Fig and the Thorn – But that is no reason to black a man’s face Because he is not what he hasn’t been born. And, as touching the Temple, I hold and Profess We are Fellow Craftsmen – no more no less.”
“Send a swift shallop to Hiram of Tyre, Felling and floating our beautiful trees, Say that the brethren and I desire Talk with our Brethren who use the seas. And we shall be happy to meet them at mess As Fellow Craftsmen – no more and no less.
So it was ordered and so it was done, And the hewers of wood and the Masons of Mark With foc’sle hands of the Sidon run And Navy Lords from the Royal Ark, Came and sat down and were merry at mess As Fellow Craftsmen – no more and no less.
“Carry this message to Hiram Abif – Excellent Master of forge and mine: I and the Brethren would like it if He and the Brethren will come to dine (Garments from Bozrah or morning-dress) As Fellow Craftsmen – no more and no less.
The Quarries are hotter than Hiram’s forge, No one is safe from the dog-whips’ reach. It’s mostly snowing up Lebanon gorge, And it’s always blowing off Joppa beach; But once in so often, the messenger brings Solomon’s mandate: “Forget these things! Brother to Beggars and Fellow to Kings, Companion of Princes – forget these things! Fellow Craftsman, forget these things!”
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Masonic Poetry
“The Palace�
by J. Rudyard Kipling When I was a King and a Mason, a Master Proven and skilled, I cleared me ground for a Palace, such as a King should build. I decreed and dug down to my levels; presently, under the silt, I came on the wreck of a Palace, such as a King had built.
When I was a King and a Mason, in the open noon of my pride, They sent me a Word from the Darkness; they whispered and called me aside. They said, "The end is forbidden." They said, "Thy use is fulfilled. Thy Palace shall stand as that other's, the spoil of a King who shall build."
There was no worth in the fashion; there was no wit in the plan; Hither and thither, aimless, the ruined footings ran. Masonry, brute, mishandled, but carven on every stone, "After me cometh a Builder; tell him I, too, have known."
I called my men from my trenches, my quarries, my wharves, and my sheers; All I had wrought I abandoned to the faith of the faithless years. Only I cut on the timber; only I carved on the stone: "After me cometh a Builder; tell him I, too, have known."
Swift to my use in my trenches, where my well-planned groundworks grew, I tumbled his quoins and his ashlars, and cut and rest them anew. Lime I milled of his marbles; burned it, slaked it, and spread; Taking and leaving at pleasure the gifts of the humble dead. Yet I despised not nor gloried, yet, as we wrenched them apart, I read in the razed foundation the heart of that Builder's heart. As he has risen and pleaded, so did I understand The form of the dream he had followed in the face of the thing he had planned. www.twtmag.com
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Brother In TheSubmitted News
TWTMAG
TWT
“Whatever happened to the Knights Templar?�
Martin Hickes http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2011/jun/27/whatever-happened-to-the-knights-templar der who were in the right place at the right time to capitalise on the need to safeguard the transportation of money safely across the burgeoning continent. Historical legend has it that they were dissolved swiftly on no other day than Friday 13 October, 1307, whether out of retribution or political malice, the true cause is still uncertain. But what happened to their once powerful order which, at its peak, had a key influence within every major royal house and capital in Europe, with many significant sites in Jerusalem?
Few societies of yore have the historical resonance of the Knights Templar. The subject of countless novels, fiction, documentaries and myths, the Poor Knights of the Temple of King Solomon, as they are properly called, once held sway in medieval Europe - and Yorkshire. Often the target of much speculation for conspiracy theorists, to some, in the popular imagination at least, they were the shadowy secret bankers who held the kings and noblemen of Europe in their power. To others, they were a noble, warrior religious or-
While major religious and secular orders from the past have persisted, how can it be that the order which once inspired awe among many has seemingly vanished? Yorkshire the heartland Yorkshire, aside from London, was the heartland of Templar influence in England, supplying both men and money to the cause, based on its strong agricultural and woollen economy. So important were the Templars' holdings in the county that a 'chief preceptor' or ' master' was appointed for Yorkshire from early times. The Yorkshire estates of the Templars consisted of the preceptories of Copmanthorpe (with the Castle
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In The News
Mills of York), Faxfleet, Foulbridge, Penhill, Ribston, Temple Cowton, Temple Hirst, Temple Newsam, Westerdale, and Whitley, and the manors of Alverthorpe and Etton. At one time in Yorkshire, the Templars were able to luxuriate in the unrivalled position of being exempt from taxes, and many of their workers and tenants also enjoyed this privilege. Dozens of houses and pubs across Yorkshire still bear the Templar cross – a sign to many that the building was a Templar holding – though many unscrupulous landowners also displayed the sign in the hope of dodging tax. But just as the Order was reaching the peak of its powers in Yorkshire and in Europe, it was rapidly dissolved, and many of the Templar buildings were left to ruin. Knights Templar origins The Knights Templar trace their origin back to shortly after the First Crusade. Around 1119, a French nobleman from the Champagne region, Hugues de Payens, collected eight of his knight relatives to protect pilgrims on their journey to visit the Holy Land. They approached King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, who allowed them to set up headquarters on the southeastern side of the Temple Mount. Since the Temple Mount was the reputed site of the biblical King Solomon's Temple, they took the name "The Poor Knights of the Temple of King Solomon", which later became abbreviated to "Knights Templar". But in 1129, after they were officially sanctioned by the Catholic Church at the Council of Troyes, their influence grew. Their fundraising campaigns asked for donations of money, land, or noble-born sons to
join the order, with the implication that donations would help both defend Jerusalem, and to ensure the charitable giver of a place in heaven. The order's efforts were helped substantially by the patronage of Bernard of Clairvaux, the leading churchman of the time, and a nephew of one of the original nine knights. At its outset, the order had been subject to strong criticism, especially of the concept that religious men could also carry swords. Responding to critics In response to these critics, the influential Bernard of Clairvaux, wrote a multi-page treatise entitled De Laude Novae Militiae ("In Praise of the New Knighthood"), in which he championed their mission and defended the idea of a military religious order by appealing to the long-held Christian theory of a 'just war', which legitimised "taking up the sword" to defend the innocent and the Church from violent attack. By so doing, Bernard effectively endorsed the Templars, who became the first "warrior monks" of the Western world. He wrote: "[A Templar Knight] is truly a fearless knight, and secure on every side, for his soul is protected by the armour of faith, just as his body is protected by the armour of steel. He is thus doubly-armed, and need fear neither demons nor men." Donations to the Order were considerable. The King of Aragon, in the Iberian Peninsula, left large tracts of land to the order upon his death in the 1130 and new members to the Order were also required to swear vows of poverty, and hand over all of their goods to the monastic brotherhood. In 1139, even more power was conferred upon the Order by Pope Innocent II, who issued the papal bull,
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In The News
Omne Datum Optimum. It stated that the Knights Templar could pass freely through lands, owed no taxes, and were subject to no-one's authority except that of the Pope. The Order grew rapidly throughout Western Europe, with chapters appearing in France, England, and Scotland, and then spreading to Spain and Portugal. Elite fighting force The Templars were becoming the elite fighting force of their day, highly trained, well-equipped and highly motivated; one of the tenets of their religious order was that they were forbidden from retreating in battle. They fought alongside King Louis VII of France, and King Richard I of England and were a key force in defeating Saladin in Jersulem. But not all Knights Templar were warriors By 1150, the Order's original mission of guarding pilgrims had changed into a mission of guarding their valuables through an innovative way of issuing letters of credit, an early precursor of modern banking. Pilgrims would visit a Templar house in their home country, depositing their deeds and valuables. The Templars would then give them a letter which would describe their holdings. While traveling, the pilgrims could present the letter to other Templars along the way, to "withdraw" funds from their account. This kept the pilgrims safe since they were not carrying valuables, and further increased the power of the Templars. Involvement in banking The Knights' involvement in banking grew over time
into a new basis for money, as Templars became increasingly involved in banking activities. The Templars' political connections and awareness of the essentially urban and commercial nature of the Holy Land naturally led the Order to a position of significant power. They owned large tracts of land, both in Europe and the Middle East, built churches and castles, bought farms and vineyards, were involved in manufacturing and import/export, had their own fleet of ships, and for a time even owned the entire island of Cyprus. Their success attracted the concern of many other orders, with the two most powerful rivals being the Knights Hospitaller and the Teutonic Knights. But the long-famed military acumen of the Templars began to stumble in the 1180s. When the Muslims re-took Jerusalem, it shook the foundation of the Templars, whose entire reason for being had been to support the efforts in the Holy Land. They attempted to drum up more support among European nobility to return to battle, but the French withdrew their own support of the war. Without the support of other countries, even the remarkable leadership of King Richard the LionHearted could not prevail. The Templars suffered loss after loss. Additional crusades led by Louis IX of France and Edward I of England were unsuccessful. With each new loss, Europe had less interest in pursuing the losing battles of the Crusades. The Templars continued to lose more and more land, and after the Siege of Acre in 1291, they were forced to relocate their headquarters to the island of Cyprus. Deeply in debt King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Order, took advantage of the situation. In 1307, many of the Order's members in France were arrested, tor-
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In The News
tured into giving false confessions, and then burned at the stake. Under pressure from King Philip, Pope Clement V disbanded the Order in 1312. The abrupt disappearance of a major part of the European infrastructure gave rise to speculation and legends, which have kept the "Templar" name alive into the modern day. But what happened to their kind – and does their order still exist? When Philip IV, King of France suppressed the order in 1307, King Edward II of England at first refused to believe the accusations. But after the intercession of Pope Clement V, Edward II ordered the seizure of members of the order in England on January 8, 1308. Only handfuls of Templars were duly arrested however. Most of the Templars acknowledged their belief that the Order's Master could give absolution was heretical, and were then reconciled with the church. Papal Bull In 1312, under further pressure from King Philip IV of France, Pope Clement V officially disbanded the Order at the Council of Vienne. In 1314, the remaining Templar leaders in France were executed, some by being burned at the stake. Clement issued a Papal Bull which granted the lands of the Templars to the Knights Hospitaller. Most Templars in England were never arrested, and the persecution of their leaders was brief. The order was dissolved due to damaged reputation, but given the pope and church's judgement of the order as free from guilt, all members in England were free to find themselves a new place in society. Templar lands and assets were given to the Order of the Hospital of Saint John, a sister military order— though the English crown held onto some assets until 1338. The largest portion of former Templars joined the Hospitallers, while other remaining members joined the Cistercian order, or lived on pension as lay mem-
bers of society. The loss of the Holy Land as a base for war against the heathen had removed the primary reason for Templar existence, and the dissolved order now faded into history, in England as well as the rest of Europe. No clandestine secret-keeping, hiding, or underground organizations were necessary, though stories from later centuries often make use of the idea of a continuing, secret Templar presence. Town founded by knights Baldock in Hertfordshire was a town founded by the Knights Templar and between 1199 and 1254 it was their English headquarters. Modern tradition has it that after the persecution began, the Templars were forced to meet in caves, tunnels and cellars in Hertfordshire and elsewhere in southeast England. Several modern organizations claim links with the medieval Templars. Some, such as the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (SMOTJ), also known as the "Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani" (OSMTH), have attained United Nations NGO (NonGovernmental Organization) status. However, there is often public confusion about the gap in time between the 14th century dismantling of the medieval Templars, and the 19th century rise of more contemporary organizations. The major non-Masonic, non-Catholic affiliated, ecumenical Templar organisation is the Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani. Tracing its ancestry back to 1804, the group stresses that "it reclaims the spirit of, but does not assert any direct descent from the ancient Order". Full members are Christians, but non-Christians are welcomed as "friends and supporters".
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Its branch in England and Wales, the Grand Priory of Knights Templar, has about 140 members. Many place names in England which use the word Temple have historic links with the Templars. Temple Church still stands on the site of the old Preceptory in London, and effigies of Crusading Templars can still be seen there today. In Yorkshire, Temple Newsam was one of the key Templar holdings. All these estates, with the exception of Faxfleet, Temple Hirst, and Temple Newsam, passed to the Hospitallers. In 1308 Sir John Crepping, Sheriff of Yorkshire, received the king's writ to arrest the Templars within the county and sequester all their property. Twenty-five Templars were placed in custody in York Castle and examined on the charge or heresy, idolatry, and other crimes, brought against the order by Pope Clement V and Philip IV of France. After a long-drawn-out trial, in which the evidence adduced against the knights was too flimsy to secure the desired conviction, a compromise was arrived at by which the brethren, without admitting their guilt, acknowledged that their order was strongly suspected of heresy and other charges from which they could not clear themselves. They then received absolution and were distributed amongst the various monasteries, many joining the Cistercians.
concocted and the confessions obtained by torture. But Templar innocence has been given no protection against modern sensationalism, for the raw material offered by the order's spectacular demise is too tempting to ignore. Among the first to exploit it were the 18th-century Freemasons. "The Freemasons adopted the legend of the murder of Hiram, king of Tyre, who was employed to build Solomon's Temple and was murdered because he would not reveal Masonic secrets. According to the Freemasons' version of history, the Templars were abolished because, as occupants of Solomon's Temple, they held key knowledge that could potentially discredit both church and state. "As myth has it, on that March evening in 1314, unique knowledge was supposedly handed down to the care of future generations, making the Templars and their mystery a particularly fertile resource for novelists and popular historians. Sir Walter Scott, whose eye for a gripping story made his books best sellers in their time, created the template for fiction and drama that many have since followed." Talk of the lost treasure of the Templars still abounds in England, but stories of secret caches in caves across the land have largely been discredited. As for the legend, the occasional glimpsed cross on the wall on in a place name are now all that, seemingly, remain of the once mighty order which for years held much of Europe in sway. But who knows?
Suppression of the order Next year the suppression of the order was decreed by the pope, and a large portion or their estates was made over to the order of the Knights Hospitallers. At the time of its seizure in 1308 the preceptory of Newsam was one of the most wealthy in the county. Prof Malcolm Barber, from the University of Reading, has written widely on the Templars, sifting truth from myth. He says: "Few historians today doubt that the charges were www.twtmag.com
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InInThe TheNews News “Freemasons saving faith by encouraging diversity� Geoff Strong http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucksherts-14014922 A MUSLIM, a Jew and an Orthodox Greek walk into a Masonic Lodge. Does it sound like the start of a joke? It's not - it is said to be the start of a trend. Just as the once powerful, esoteric society of Freemasonry seemed to be on its deathbed, with Victorian numbers down from 120,000 in 1970 to just 13,000 in 2009, it has received an injection of new blood - some of it from previously unexpected sources. In the past two years, decades of decline have stopped, with the organisation claiming its biggest growth in numbers coming from men aged under 35. They seem to be coming from a diverse range of backgrounds and religious beliefs. In addition to the traditional Protestants and the three mentioned above, they have also attracted Buddhists, Hindus and Roman Catholics - the latter once banned from membership by papal decree. One of the youngest new members is Ramsey El-Atm, a 20-year-old business management student from a Lebanese Muslim background. When he was inducted, he took the pledge on his family's Koran. He comes from Mooroolbark but is a member of a lodge at Greensborough not far from La Trobe University, where he is in the third year of his degree. ''I have had an interest in Freemasonry since year 10, when my English teacher talked about it. I made inquiries about it and became a member just before my 19th birthday. I am now a third-degree master. ''There is nothing about being a Freemason that conflicts with my Islamic faith. Most of the other members of my lodge are Christian but, being a Mason, you only have to
believe in a supreme being. It doesn't matter which one. David Bloom, who is Jewish, has been a member for 10 years, following a tradition set by his father and grandfather. An IT project manager, he is the past master of his Gardenvale lodge. ''It is a friendly organisation and you get to meet people from all walks of life, irrespective of their religion.'' Fotios Spiridonos is a state government transport planner, a member for 17 years and an Orthodox Greek. ''When I first joined, my parents were stunned. But now there are many Greek members. You get out of it what you put in.'' Freemasonry is a controversial society, sometimes described as ''secretive'', which has obscure roots among the stonemasons of mediaeval Europe but first appeared in its present symbolic form in 1717 in London. It uses the metaphors of operative stonemasons' tools and implements against the allegorical backdrops to convey what has been described by both Masons and critics as ''a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols''. These days, in an age of global information and chatter, the organisation has found it needs to be less secretive. Grand master for Victoria is Vaughan Werner, former assistant commissioner for crime of the Victoria Police. He's quite happy to show the lodge symbol to a visitor. Above the Master's chair in the main lodge of the Dallas Brooks Centre in East Melbourne is a large symbolic eye. ''This is the all-seeing eye of the divine being. It is particular of the lodge of the grand master to remind him that despite his power, God is always watching.'' www.twtmag.com
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“Work begins to preserve historic carvings at Royston Cave� Conservationists in Hertfordshire are working to preserve historic underground carvings. Dating from the 14th Century, the wall carvings at Royston Cave feature a range of religious symbols. Since its discovery in the 18th Century, the cave has experienced a marked deterioration in the detail of its carvings. Experts believe the damage is being caused by worms feeding on nutrients in the chalk walls. Extensive carvings The cavern is man-made and in the shape of a beehive, with a small aperture at the top for ventilation. It features an extensive range of wall carvings representing the crucifixion, the holy family and several saints, among them St Katherine, St Laurence and St Christopher. Local historians have said the wall carvings suggest the Grade I-listed site may have been used by the Knights Templar.
The team are now removing the worms' habitat - soil and debris - from the cave floor and injecting the walls with chemicals to strengthen them. Mr Curteis said a cautious approach was being adopted by everyone involved in the project. "The restoration work is very complicated, there's nothing like this anywhere in the country, so every piece of research we're having to do is from scratch. "We can't have a second chance, if we get it wrong it will damage the cave, so we need to make sure that everything we do is stable and will work in the long term," he said. The cave will be closed from 4 July until 15 July while the work is carried out. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucksherts-14014922
The military order of the Roman Catholic Church was suppressed by papal edict almost 700 years ago. Cautious approach Tobit Curteis, the conservation team leader, said two types of culprit worms had been identified - the 20mmlong purple eisenia foetida and the 8mm-long transparent dendrodrilus rubidus. "We think the worms have leeched into the chalk over the last 200 years when water has been washed in from flooding," he said.
Chalk carvings found in the cave are believed to show knights being burnt at the stake
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In The News
“National Heritage Museum explores meaning behind Masonic regalia� Lexington —
Rather than ignore the public image of outlandish costumes ornamented by secret symbols, the exhibit explains the origins and significance of now familiar Masonic emblems such as the "All-seeing eye" and the "square and compass" that harkens back to the fraternity's origins.
Centuries before Jimmy Choo shoes and Louis Vuitton luggage, Freemasons were the fashionistas of their times, wearing bejeweled sashes and aprons adorned with esoteric symbols dating back to King Solomon's Mines. From George Washington to Buffalo Bill and Harpo Marx, members of Masonic fraternities have used specialized regalia, symbolic clothing and character costumes to express traditions passed down from the 16th century.
Organizer Aimee E. Newell said, "One of my main interests was to show how Masonic regalia fit into the context of its times." "Masonic regalia always bore a strong relationship with the larger community's fashions," she said.
An informative and well-researched exhibit, "Inspired by Fashion: American Masonic Regalia" exposes some of the mysteries, misunderstandings and funny hats associated with the nation's oldest fraternal organization. Visitors to the National Heritage Museum in Lexington will see centuries-old regalia, fezes and masks, historic photos and documents, military-style uniforms and even a Masonic Hawaiian shirt and dress fashioned from "pull tabs." Entering the gallery, some might be surprised to see a bright red devil costume with horns that was worn in an initiation ceremony.
When Colonials wore powdered wigs and frock coats, she pointed out examples of Masonic regalia that appears ostentatious by contemporary standards. During and after the Civil War, Masons adopted some features of military uniforms such as epaulets and plumed hats. In the era of Snoop Dogg and Eminem, it remains to be seen whether Masons will start wearing drooping trousers and their caps sideways. The museum's director of collections, Newell has organized the show into four broad themes that reflect how Freemasonry's core beliefs inspired its regalia and costumes: contemporary fashion; the military; Orien-
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In The News
talism; and the theater. Understanding Freemasonry
Newell said she hopes "Inspired by Fashion" helps non-Masons sort through the misunderstandings about Freemasonry and better understand its history and moral origins.
The exhibit removes some of the veil of mystery and misunderstanding that have surrounded Freemasonry. Yet for non-Masons, the large number of fraternal organizations and differences and similarities among them remains confusing.
"I hope people go away with a basic understanding of what Freemasonry is," she said.
The National Heritage Museum was founded and is supported by the 32nd degree Scottish Rite Freemasons. Newell, who is not a member, described Freemasonry as a fraternal organization for men that promotes ethics by using symbols and rituals based on "practices, tools and traditions" of British stonemason guilds from the 16th and 17th centuries.
- Lexington Minuteman http://www.wickedlocal. com/lexington/archive/x1223066092/National-Heritage-Museum-explores-meaning-behind-Masonicregalia#ixzz1RqURBKqi
Read more: National Heritage Museum explores meaning behind Masonic regalia - Lexington, MA
Though its exact origins, possibly in Scotland, remain a matter of conjecture, the first Grand Lodge in England was established in 1717. British Freemasons traveled to the New World, establishing lodges by the 1720s. At the time of the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, an estimated 5,000 Masons lived in the American colonies including Washington, Benjamin Franklin and John Hancock and many others who would become influential leaders. One section addresses the question, "What if women designed Masonic regalia?" It features gowns designed and worn by women of the Order of the Eastern Star, an auxiliary group composed of Masons' wives, relatives and descendants. Combining ritual and fashion, they have incorporated the Eastern Star's primary symbol, an inverted five-point star representing the Star of Bethlehem, into their designs. While some may wonder whether fraternal organizations remain relevant in the 21st century, one photo depicts American soldiers serving in Iraq who have established a lodge amid spartan conditions. www.twtmag.com
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“Freemasons are honored for exemplary work” By Greg Waxberg
One of the oldest Masonic lodges in New Jersey, Atlas Pythagoras Lodge 10 F. & A.M. of Westfield, was the only lodge in New Jersey to win the 2010 Mark Twain Award. This national award is presented by the Masonic Service Association of North America to lodges that demonstrate exemplary work in promoting Masonic awareness in the community and within the fraternity. Freemasons are the oldest and largest fraternity in the world, with six million members around the world, two-anda-half million in the United States, and 25,000 in New Jersey. “We help make good men better,” said Mohamad Yatim, Worshipful Master 2010 of the Atlas Pythagoras Lodge. Masons are men at least 21 years old who have good moral character and believe in a Supreme Being. “It’s not a religion, and it’s not a substitute religion,” Yatim said. These men are dedicated to improving themselves and their communities, while simultaneously developing their interpersonal, leadership, organizational, and public speaking skills. “Everybody wants to help in the community, but it’s a lot easier when you do it with like-minded people who share the same interests,” Yatim said. Community and charity work play a major role in Masonic activities. For example, each year, the Atlas Pythagoras Lodge of Westfield gives about $40,000 to charity, such as the Masonic Learning Center for Dyslexic Children, local First Aid Squads, and the Girl Scouts. That lodge also collects over 200 pints of blood annually for blood banks and is one of the state’s leading lodges for the amount collected. The members also participate in the Special Olympics, Walk for Dyslexic Children, and Arc Walk of Union, among many other activities. Masonic lodges are recognizable by the ancient Freemason symbols of the Square and Compasses. These symbols were used in the 1500s and 1600s by operative Freemasons who built churches and temples, but are now used spiritually by speculative Freemasons who “build” themselves and their communities. “The Square is a reminder to square your actions with the community and all of mankind. The Compasses represent knowing your limits—your strengths and weaknesses,” Yatim said. Many common expressions, like getting something “squared away,” are based in Freemasonry. There are 120 lodges in the state, all with different names, numbers, and activities. For example, Atlas Pythagoras Lodge No. 10 F. & A.M. is named for the ancient Greek god Atlas and the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, and the number refers to the order in which the lodge was chartered by The Grand Lodge of New Jersey. “F. & A.M.” stands for “Free and Accepted Masons.” Free refers to members who join of their own free will, while Accepted refers to the speculative Freemasons who joined in the Middle Ages. Other lodges in central New Jersey include AzureMasada Lodge No. 22 (Cranford), Loyalty Lodge No. 33 (Union), Jerusalem Lodge No. 26 (Plainfield), Union Lodge No. 19 (North Brunswick), Princeton Lodge No. 38 (Princeton), Continued on next page
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Sons of Liberty Lodge No. 301; Secaucus Hudson Lodge No. 72; and Blue Stone Mystic Tie Lodge No. 35 (Secaucus), Theodore Roosevelt Lodge No. 219 (Carteret), Mt. Zion Lodge No. 135 (Metuchen), and Lafayette Lodge No. 27 (Rahway). Sources of lodges’ names include the Bible, the names of towns in which the lodges are located, and famous Masons (such as Mozart, Lafayette, and Theodore Roosevelt). Freemasons meet twice each month, and activities include welcoming new members, raising members through the ranks, listening to guest speakers, and discussing events in which to participate. Regardless of their different names, numbers and activities, all Masonic lodges share the same vision and report to the Grand Lodge of New Jersey in Trenton. Anyone interested in joining the Freemasons must contact a Mason to initiate the joining process. Membership is based on character, having the right reasons for wanting to join, and being able to live by the standards of Freemasonry. “You will never be denied membership on the grounds that someone doesn’t like you,” Yatim said. Brother Michael Rothman discovered that the fraternity represents and exemplifies ideas that are central to his life. “A critical part of that is a central tenet in Masonry about living by and exampling ‘the golden rule.’ While the history of the Freemasons is something I find fascinating, my decision to join and be active in the fraternity was much more about working with men who collectively wanted to impact positively the community—and community means more than just one’s immediate locale,” he said.
Pictured here are members of Pythagoras Lodge No. 10 F. & A.M. of Westfield, Front row, left to right: Steve Zamouzakis, Mohamad Chenawi, Thurman C. Pace Jr., Richard Flanagan, Mohamad A. Yatim, Moises I. Gomez, John A. Braun, Fred Boas,and Tony N. Rebelo. Back row, left to right, are Clarence Brunner, George Karustis,. Pedro Laracuente,. Michael Rothman, Phillip Nolf,. Joseph Santiago and Bro. Javier Munoz. / Photo courtesy
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110718/NJNEWS/307180044/One-of-NJ-s-oldest-Masonic-lodges-honored-for-exemplary-work
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Cover- Robert Lomas
An Interview with Bro. Robert Lomas
http://www.robertlomas.com/
One of the greatest benefits I’ve received from publishing “The Working Tools” is the honor of meeting some of the today’s most well known authors of Masonic books. As an avid reader of all things relating to Freemasons, I of course have read many of Robert Lomas’ books. The first being “The Hiram Key” which had me hooked right away. Fast forward a couple of years later when imagine my surprise I was actually interviewing him live on a podcast I did about a project he was working on. More on that in a bit. I reach out to Bro. Lomas once again and asked if he would be willing to talk to me about his past books and his newest book called “The Lost Key”. Graciously he accepted. Before getting into the interview let’s first find out about the author and look at his past body of work.
Biography Robert Lomas gained a first class honours degree in electrical engineering before being awarded a PhD for his research into solid state physics and crystalline structures. He later worked on electronic weapon systems and has always had a keen interest in observational astronomy and the history of science. Whilst working at Huddersfield Polytechnic, in 1985, he published his first book. It was a textbook on statistical forecasting, a subject he maintains a professional interest in and still teaches to undergraduates at Bradford University School of Management.
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Cover- Robert Lomas In 1996 he teamed up with Chris Knight to write The Hiram Key. The success of this book encouraged Robert to develop his popular writing and he went on to co-author three further books in the Hiram Key series. The Hiram Key series website can be found at www.knight-lomas.com. During this period, of co-authoring, Robert continued to write on his own. He published a well-received biography of the scientist Nikola Tesla, (a subject he regularly lectures about to branches of the Institute of Electrical Engineers and at Science Festivals). Robert is also a popular speaker at astronomy societies where he talks about archeoastronomy, the theory of horizon declinometers and Alexander Thom’s work on the megalithic yard (including a popular practical demonstration of how to create one). He also gives talks about the physics of cometary impact and tsunamis (which he researched in depth whilst writing Uriel’s Machine). He also wrote a study of the politics of Stuart Freemasonry and its influence on the formation of the Royal Society, with the consequent development of modern experimental science. This also has been well received. Robert is frequently asked to speak in Masonic Lodges on the role of Brother Sir Robert Moray in bringing together scientists from both sides of the Civil War to help rebuild Charles II’s navy. His expertise in computing was put to good use in creating a database of old Masonic material, whilst researching The Invisible College. As a result of that work he made the complete text of Preston’s Illustrations of Masonry available on the Inernet. Encouraged by the success of this venture he put the case to his University that it should allow him to create an electronic repository of the Masonic material held in the special collections. The Web of Hiram was the result. It is an ongoing project, as with each book he writes, Robert deposits the source material on the website, so that his readers can see the original sources for themselves. Robert has had a long standing interest in the psychological effect of Masonic ritual on its participants and a few years ago joined The Lodge of Living Stones, in Leeds, which continues the work of W. L. Wilmshurst. His study of Wilmshurst’s writings, combined with his own scientific studies of the emotional impact of neolithic symbols and his interest in the electrical effects on different states of consciousness encouraged him to questions how Freemasonry worked its ritual magic. The result of these thoughts is Turning the Hiram Key. Robert currently lectures in Information Systems at Bradford University School of Management and is a leading exponent of internet-based distance learning and assessment. He teaches Statistics to undergraduates and is a tutor and facilitator on the MBA in Engineering Management. (http://turningthehiramkey.robertlomas.com/?t=t&s=bio)
The Controversy Robert Lomas’ volume of books are very respectable to say the least, you can not argue that he has an audience reading and buying them. Four are co-written with Christopher Knight and have been well received by critics and Freemasons alike. It should be noted that some people are not fans of the series of work and consider the research to be “Fanciful” or “Fiction”. I’ll go on record saying that I enjoy reading his books and believe he puts in an extraordinary amount of time and research into writing them. With that said, I found this paragraph while looking into Brother Lomas’ biography that touches upon of the controversy. “Lomas’s theories about the origins of Freemasonry have caused controversy among Masonic historians. The romantic nature of his writings are reminiscent of other famous masonic authors such as the late J. S. Ward and Arthur Edward Waite. The Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon is particularly critical of Lomas’s work, as is Quatuor Coronati Lodge (The lodge of research attached to the United Grand Lodge of England), dubbing it “pseudo-hisContinued on next page
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Cover- Robert Lomas tory” and even “fiction”. On the other hand, many Masons find Lomas’s work interesting and worthy of further study. For example, the Grand Lodge of Queensland, Australia asked him to write a history of Freemasonry for its Masonic Training Module.
The Books ** Written with Bro. Christoper Knight ** “The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasons and the Discovery of the Secret Scrolls of Jesus”.Century, London (1996). Synopsis: There have been many exposes of Freemasonry. They began in 1730 when Samuel Pritchard wrote Freemasonry Dissected. In 1952 Walton Hannah published Darkness Visible. Then in 1984 Steven Knight wrote The Brotherhood. All in all there have been over sixty accounts of Masonic ritual but they all have one thing in common. They were written with the intent of exposing an imaginary evil at the heart of Masonry. This is the first time in the 275 year history of exposing Freemasonry that a convinced Freemason has replied. In this new book Robert explains why he thinks it is a good thing to be ‘Made a Mason’. Robert has a long history in writing about Freemasonry. As well as co-authoring four best-selling books with Chris Knight he has also written a well received study of the influence of Masonic principles on modern science (The Invisible College). In this book he explains exactly how Freemasonry works as a science of spiritual self-improvement. He draws on his knowledge of ritual, his training as a scientist and much unpublished Masonic material about the philosophical underpinning of the movement. Freemasonry has inherited a system of ancient knowledge, told in allegories and taught by symbols. This book lets you experience the mystery of that ritual and see it through the eyes of the author. It looks at how myth, symbolism and newly discovered functions of the brain, combine to create different world views. Finally it melds the science and the emotion into a vehicle to free the spirit to soar to new heights of attainment. The well kept secret of Freemasonry is that it is a tolerant path of spiritual improvement. And that it is totally free of the superstition, political overtones and dogma which surround most religions. Robert believes there is no need to look to alien spiritual paths? Freemasonry is a western spiritual tradition whose time has come. His new book explains how it works. “The Second Messiah: Templars, The Turin Shroud and the Great Secret of Freemasonry”, April 1997 Synopsis: The epic story behind the shroud begins with the crucifixion of Jesus when, as the authors show, his hidden teachings were driven underground. Following the destruction of the Jerusalem Church and the slaughter of the Jewish nation in 70AD, a few surviving priests from the smouldering city of Jerusalem headed to Europe to await the moment of return prophesied in teh Gospel of St John. Precisely one thousand years later their bloodline descendants re-entered the holy city to claim their ancient heritage and form a new order of priests of the Temple - the Knights Templar. There they recovered the lost teachings hidden below the tumbled ruins and devised elaborate Tarot cards with cryptic meanings to protect their secret cult. Continued on next page
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Cover- Robert Lomas But their secret could not be contained for ever and in 1307 they were arrested. Their last leader was crucified in a bizarre parody of the crucifixion of Jesus, and the image of his suffering slowly materialised on the cloth that had once swathed him. As the Black Death devastated Europe the Church reached the lowest point of its existence, and the desire for a new saviour, prophesied since ancient times, gripped the minds of people. The guardians of this great secret tried hard to hide it from the world and even their own members. But they failed to destroy the evidence... hidden in abandoned rituals of Freemasonry. “Uriel’s Machine: The Ancient Origins of Science.Century” (June 10,1999). Synopsis: Science began in Western Europe over 5000 years ago. Uriel’s Machine reveals that important megalithic sites of the British Isles, nearly 1000 years older than the Great Pyramid in Egypt, were painstakingly engineered to measure the long term movements of the planet Venus and provide the people who built them with a time-keeping system accurate to a few seconds over a forty year period. Uriel’s Machine shows how a prehistoric unit of measurement (the Megalithic Yard), accurate to a fraction of a millimetre, is derived from observational astronomy and explains how it can be duplicated by anybody who wishes to repeat the simple experiments, described in the book. What if written evidence in the Dead Sea Scrolls records megalithic history in Western Europe and provides the plans for a machine that could rebuild civilisation following a global catastrophe? Putting together the latest findings of leading geologists with their own sensational discoveries, they show how a civilisation merged and was able to build an international network of sophisticated astronomical observatories which provided accurate calendars, could measure the diameter of the planet and accurately predict comet impact years in advance. They reveal that this is the true purpose of the great megalithic sites in Western Europe built long before the Egyptian pyramids. Further they show that the Book of Enoch, long a part of ancient tradition of Freemasonry but then rediscovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls, contains precise details on the building of a machine for the reconstruction of a shattered world. “The Book Of Hiram: Freemasonry, Venus and the Secret Key to the Life of Jesus”. Element Books Ltd. (January 25, 2004) Synopsis: This book was published thirteen years after we joined forces to research the origins and meaning of the weird rituals used by Freemasons. For the first five years we had no intention of sharing our findings with anyone – inside or outside of Freemasonry. But because what we found appeared to be of great importance and we decided to write a book about our voyage of discovery and, much to our surprise, The Hiram Key became an immediate best seller that went on to be translated into well over thirty languages. The Book of Hiram is our fourth book together, but it is the direct sequel to The Hiram Key in that we have reContinued on next page
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Cover- Robert Lomas turned to our first question: What is Freemasonry really about? This book completes The Hiram Key - Quartilogy. We already knew that Freemasonry is a major untapped source of information about our past that is in grave danger of being lost for ever. To lose the information buried within Freemasonry, before it is properly understood, would be throwing away one of the true treasures of the western world. But we were not prepared for what we found. Our story begins with the first astronomer stonemason priests from the Neolithic period and traces a tradition that spans more than five millennia. The investigation uncovers important information that sheds a new light on the life and actions of Jesus Christ which has a direct bearing on the rituals still used by Freemasons. And we bring forward what we believe is major new evidence to further demonstrate the deep connection between the medieval Scottish building known as ‘Rosslyn’ and modern Freemasonry. Over the years of our investigations we have gathered together hundreds of discarded Masonic rituals which tell an ancient story when they are rearranged into chronological order. We have called this reconstructed document The Masonic Testament and it is reproduced in the second section of The Book of Hiram. The Masonic Testament corresponds very closely to the Bible but it contains many more details that are not recorded in the Old or New Testaments.
**Writen solo” “Turning the Templar Key: The Secret Legacy of the Knights Templar and the Origins of Freemasonry”. Fair Winds Press(October 25, 2007). Synopsis: There have been many exposes of Freemasonry. They began in 1730 when Samuel Pritchard wrote Freemasonry Dissected. In 1952 Walton Hannah published Darkness Visible. Then in 1984 Steven Knight wrote The Brotherhood. All in all there have been over sixty accounts of Masonic ritual but they all have one thing in common. They were written with the intent of exposing an imaginary evil at the heart of Masonry. This is the first time in the 275 year history of exposing Freemasonry that a convinced Freemason has replied. In this new book Robert explains why he thinks it is a good thing to be ‘Made a Mason’. Robert has a long history in writing about Freemasonry. As well as co-authoring four best-selling books with Chris Knight he has also written a well received study of the influence of Masonic principles on modern science (The Invisible College). In this book he explains exactly how Freemasonry works as a science of spiritual self-improvement. He draws on his knowledge of ritual, his training as a scientist and much unpublished Masonic material about the philosophical underpinning of the movement. Freemasonry has inherited a system of ancient knowledge, told in allegories and taught by symbols. This book lets you experience the mystery of that ritual and see it through the eyes of the author. It looks at how myth, symbolism and newly discovered functions of the brain, combine to create different world views. Finally it melds the science and the emotion into a vehicle to free the spirit to soar to new heights of attainment. Continued on next page
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Cover- Robert Lomas The well kept secret of Freemasonry is that it is a tolerant path of spiritual improvement. And that it is totally free of the superstition, political overtones and dogma which surround most religions. Robert believes there is no need to look to alien spiritual paths? Freemasonry is a western spiritual tradition whose time has come. His new book explains how it works. “Turning the Solomon Key: George Washington,the Bright Morning Star and the Secrets of Masonic Astrology”.Fair Winds Press (September 1, 2006) Synopsis: Turning the Solomon Key is an exhilarating quest to discover the Masonic influences which George Washington brought to bear on the layout of Washington D.C. In this second book of his Key trilogy, Robert Lomas has used Masonic rituals and Washington’s own diaries to uncover the symbolic reasoning behind the positioning of the White House and the Capitol, and in the process he disposes of many anti-Masonic urban myths. This exciting, and authoritative, detective story then investigates the sources of creative behavior, to reveal a hitherto unsuspected Secret Science of Masonic Astrology which underpinned Washington’s actions. The builders of Washington DC knew a great secret about the human condition. In Turning the Solomon Key, scientist and Masonic expert Robert Lomas explains exactly what it was. Turning the Solomon Key, at its heart, explains why high-achieving individuals share certain astrological characteristics, and why the Freemasons who founded our nation planned Washington, D.C., the way they did. Turning the Solomon Keyis an exhilarating quest to discover the Masonic influences which George Washington brought to bear on the layout of the Federal City. Using Masonic rituals and Washington’s own diaries Lomas uncovers the symbolic reasoning behind the sitting of the White House and the Capitol, and in the process disposes of many anti-Masonic urban myths. This exciting and authoritative detective story also investigates the sources of creative behavior, to reveal an until now unsuspected secret science of Masonic astrology which underpinned Washington’s actions. The rising of the Bright Morning Star, so celebrated in Masonic ritual, does have a measurable effect on creativity and achievement in a society. Combining the work of statisticians, economists, and anthropologists, Lomas reveals startling insights about the mechanisms which reinforce Masonic astrology. Lomas shows how Washington was a prime candidate to become a high achiever and was sensitized by patterns of ionospheric pulses which helped shape his growing brain. The theory says he would have been inspired to new creative heights when the Bright Morning Star appeared in the dawn sky without knowing why. Washington’s Masonic knowledge of the ritual of the Key of Solomon explained this spiritual uplift and Lomas shows how he set out to share this source of inspiration with his newly founded country. “The Secrets of Freemasonry: A Suppressed Tradition Revealed.” Constable and Robinson (May 4, 2006). Synopsis: Many people are curious about the existence of secret societies which claim to hold arcane religious or esoteric knowledge and pass it down through the generations via selected adepts. Classic Masonic writers including William Preston, Robert Gould, JSM Ward, AE Waite Continued on next page
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Cover- Robert Lomas and WL Wilmshurst have written about secret traditions connected to the Temple of Sion. Each has different ideas about how mystical knowledge came into Freemasonry. Some say that the Charter of Larmenius reveals an underground line of Knight Templar Grand Masters who survived down to the nineteenth century. All agree there is a Secret Lodge or House of Adepts who continue to teach ‘true’ knowledge of the ancient mysteries and that The Craft transmits beliefs linked to the Earls of Rosslyn, the Knights Templar, and Lodge Mother Kilwinning. Masonic expert Robert Lomas has collected together this thread of belief from old Masonic writers and rewritten it in modern English to make the ideas accessible to modern readers. “Freemasonry and the Birth of Modern Science” .Fair Winds Press (March 2003). Synopsis: In 1660, within a few months of the restoration of Charles II, a group of twelve men, including Robert Boyle and Christopher Wren, met in London to set up a society to study the mechanisms of nature. At a time when superstition and magic governed reason, the repressive dogma of Christian belief silenced many, and were post-war loyalties ruined careers, these men forbade the discussion of religion and politics at their meetings. The Royal Society was born and with it modern, experimental science. This situation seems unlikely enough, but the fact that the founder members came from both sides of a brutal Civil War makes its origins all the more astonishing. Freemasonry and the Birth of Modern Science is a fascinating study of the turbulent political, economic and religious background to the formation of the Royal Society - an era of war against the Dutch, the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London. In particular, it reveals the hidden motives of one man, Sir Robert Moray, the key driving force behind the society, even though he was not a scientist. Building on his detailed experience of another organization and the principles on which it was based, Moray was able to structure and gain finance for the Royal Society. This other organization, the ‘Invisible College’ as Boyle called it, is known today by the name of Freemasonry. Freemasonry and the Birth of Modern Science will make you reassess many of the key events of this period and will show how Freemasonry, supported by Charles II, was the guiding force behind the birth of modern science, under the cover of the Royal Society.
The Interview 1) Your body of work is so extensive. It ranges from so many different topics, how do you come up with an idea for your next book? I tend to write about the things that interest me rather than to any sort of set agenda. I work in a University, where I teach IT Systems, Research Methods and Statistics. It’s an extremely stimulating environment which keeps me in contact with a whole range of interesting people. I teach over the whole spectrum from first-years, fresh out of school, to professional managers, studying part-time for MBA or DBA degrees, as well as mixing with a wide range of faculty representing a range of disciplines. I also do quite a look of lecturing in Masonic lodges, I always end my lectures with question and answer sessions. From the conversations I have and the questions I encounter I get ideas for books. If you look at my last three books in order you can see what inspired each. The first, published in January 2011, was a text book on dissertation writing, based in the course I developed for my part-time Continued on next page
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Cover- Robert Lomas MBA students and is called Mastering Your Business Dissertation (Routledge 2011). The next, published in June 2011, was the book which prompted this interview. It is an overview of what I have learned about Freemasonry over the last forty years and deals with all the issues I have had understanding The Craft, how it relates to my professional life as an academic scientist, and how it has changed my life for the better. This book is called The Lost Key, (Coronett, 2011) and the final book which I am currently completing, with a view to publishing either in the Fall or early next year, is an encyclopedia of Masonic Symbols with guidance on how to use them to gain knowledge and understanding. It is an illustrated book, and is called The Secret Power of Masonic Symbols, and I am working on the final layouts at the moment. This is my first venture into an illustrated book and has proved interesting as I have had to work with illustrators and layout designers for the first time. So to answer the question. I am a professional academic and I write for my own amusement. I have been extremely fortunate that publishers and readers have been interested in the things which interest me and so have turned me into a best-selling author. But I don’t write to anybody’s agenda except to satisfy my own curiosity and to respond to questions and ideas which I am exposed to during my daily life. I really am lucky that I am able to indulge my interest in science and my interest in Freemasonry with so many people seeming to enjoy the results of my musings and buying the books I write. 2) How do you go about researching your books? How much time is involved, travel ..etc All my books all start with a question which puzzles me. The question which drove The Hiram Key, was What is Freemasonry really about and where did it come from? The question which started off The Invisible College, was, Why did Bro. Sir Robert Moray put so much effort into creating The Royal Society, and so create the beginning of modern science? The question which began Mastering Your Business Dissertation, was, How can I pass on my research and writing skills to the next generation in a way which will inspire and excite them? The question which set me off writing The Lost Key, was, Why are the basic Truths I learned as a scientist so closely related to the deeper spiritual teachings of The Craft, as I came to know them through becoming part of an esoteric lodge? Some books involve a lot of library research (such as The Invisible College) whilst others involve visiting sites (such as Uriel’s Machine, which involved a lot of field research at megalithic sites) yet others may involve experiment work (The Second Messiah, mentioned later involved considerable testing of various hypotheses). Other books involved presenting, explaining and testing the reception of traditional material to other people who might be interested in it. (For example Mastering Your Business Dissertation and The Secret Science of Masonic Initiation are both based on a series of lectures delivered to live audiences either in university lecture theatres or in lodges). The Lost Key is perhaps the most personal book I have written because in it I set out to investigate what had made me become a physicist and why, as a Phd scientist, I got such inspiration from the teachings of the Craft. That took me into many interesting speculations about the nature of Truth and how the search for Truth has effected society over the last few hundred years. There is no common pattern to the time or the nature of the research. The Secret Science of Masonic Imitation took Continued on next page
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Cover- Robert Lomas about three years to research, reading the work of W L Wilmshurst, and the testing as live lectures delivered to lodges all over the North of England, The Lost Key took about eighteen months of deep introspection, library research and discussion with Mark Booth who edited it. (Mark is my favourite editor, he edited The Hiram Key series and always pushes me to write at the extreme edge of my ability, and to improve my communication skills). Mastering Your Business Dissertation took about six months to write but was based on thirty years of lecturing and dissertation supervision experience. I suppose the best answer I can give is that the research needed is defined by the nature and extent of the question I want to answer for myself. I suppose at heart I am driven by curiosity and follow where-ever the muse leads me. If your readers are interested in my methods of research, then I have started writing a blog about research techniques for my students, and will extend it over the next twelve months. It’s an open blog so if any of my Brethren wish to comment then I will read their contributions with interest. http://blogs.brad.ac.uk/management/experts/tags/dr-robert-lomas/
3) Of all your books which one is your favorite and why? The book I’ve just finished is usually my favourite, until I get gripped by a new question, then I will have a new temporary favourite. So currently my favourite is The Lost Key, as I am still fascinated by the areas of my mind it took me to, but looking back at my previous books I have two long term favourites, which I go back and re-read for my own amusement. One is Masonic, the other scientific. The Masonic book is The Invisible College, as I really got to know and understand Bro. Robert Moray, by piecing together his story and by looking at his achievements. Sir Robert remains my Masonic hero and inspiration and I go back to refresh my memory of him quite often. The other book is the story of a scientific hero of mine, Nikola Tesla. I wrote a well-reviewed biography of him over ten years ago but it had drifted out of print in the UK, and was never published in the US. It’s called The Man Who Invented the Twentieth Century, and fortunately QCS eBooks have just produced a new Kindle edition of it. This have given me a chance to update by extending the plate section. Tesla was a wonderful scientist and a hopeless business man and I often use him as an example of how not to run a business when I am lecturing to engineers who are studying for an MBA. I’m delighted that it is now available again as I have had lots of emails asking why it was no longer available. 4) I read that your writings came about because there was a lack of “response” from UGLE to the Anti-Masonic groups. What was the final straw that made you put pen to paper? I think what really drove me to start to campaign about Freemasonry was the publicity generated by the books by Steven Knight and Martin Short, which were driven by the idea that Freemasonry was an evil and dangerous force that had to be suppressed. The climate those books created suggested that Freemasons were so untrustworthy that they would have to be forced by legislation to reveal, and renounce, their membership before they could be trusted to hold public office. This attitude reminded me of the attitude of Nazi Germany towards Jews, Gypsies and Freemasons. They were pushing the public attitude towards state suppression of an honourable and useful fraternity, and, in my opinion, the UGLE was not making any sort of case in favour of Freemasonry. My experience of The Craft was that is had been a major force for scientific advancement, democracy and charity. I had spent many years researchContinued on next page
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Cover- Robert Lomas ing its historical and mythical origins and when I met Chris Knight we decided to write a positive book about Freemasonry. As you can read in The Lost Key, this led to a major confrontation with the then leaders of Freemasonry. This confrontation eventually forced a more open attitude onto Freemasonry in England which has totally revised the general climate. I suspect that without the change of attitude brought about by The Hiram Key series of books, then more recent novels such as Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, which celebrates Freemasonry and its objectives, would never had been written. 5) You have had some controversy follow you in a couple of your books. What caused you more problems with your readers, your views on the origin on freemasonry or your theory’s on early Christianity? I had some bad experiences with holders of fanatical religious views as a child, as I relate in The Lost Key, but as an adult I have developed a much happier relationship with Christianity. I now accept it as a series of useful spiritual metaphors to help me understand the mystery of consciousness. As I child I was taught it was an historical religion based on actual events taking place a particular times in specific places. Since training as a scientist I have moved towards accepting it as a series of symbolical explanations of the universal mysteries of Truth. I find I can enjoy and benefit from its rituals and stories on a spiritual level, without needing to worry if these events really happened. Freemasonry, Science and Christianity all share visions of the Truth of the human condition, without any of them having a monopoly. I try to draw useful inspiration from all three traditions. As to the feedback I receive from readers. I find my liberal and tolerant views on religion, whilst not taking the message too literally, cause few problems for my readers, whatever their religious positions, but my views on the origins of Freemasonry incite stronger responses. I believe I have established a strong case that Freemasonry began in Aberdeen, soon after the breakup of the St Clair Estates by the Scottish Crown, and that it is based on a deep understanding of the power of symbols and an understanding of how they can help understand reality. (See my book Turning the Templar Key, Fair Winds Press, 2009). This view is broadly accepted by my Scottish Brethren but initially met with great hostility from UGLE, a matter I describe in The Lost Key. As the weight of evidence has built up over the years I have found that I meet far less hostility to the broad thrust of my arguments, although I still have interesting discussions on points of detail. As a scientist I am always prepared to adjust my view to accommodate new facts so I enjoy sensible debate. 6) Did you get more negative feedback from Freemasons or from the religious sector? I have had more negative feedback from Senior English Freemasons than from the religious establishment. For example The Lost Key has received a positive review in The Catholic Herald. It hasn’t been reviewed yet by English Freemasonry and probably will be viewed in a negative light if it is. 7) Were you surprised by the controversy? When The Hiram Key was published I was extremely surprised by the personal hostility of certain officers of UGLE. This is a story I tell more fully in The Lost Key. But I was also extremely heartened by the positive response the book got elsewhere in the Masonic world. Despite the hostility of a small group, I remain a committed Freemason and believe it is an Order with preserving and passing on to the next generation. The Craft is far bigger than a few dis-
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Cover- Robert Lomas gruntled and hostile individuals. 8A) In the “Second Messiah” you and Christopher Knight suggest that the Shroud of Turin is actually an image of Jacques de Molay. How did you come to that theory?, What was the strongest piece of evidence? The hypothesis about the origins of the shroud of Turin is, I believe, the best one around to explain how it was created. The theory is based on three pillars. The documented history of the shroud, and the circumstances of its discovery in medieval France, a scientific explanation for its accidental creation which fits within the time-frame of its documented history, and experimental evidence that shows how certain peculiarities of the image can be explained within the proposed hypothesis. In response to queries about the experimental background to the book I have published much more detail about the experiments at http://www.robertlomas.com/Shroud/shroud.html 8B) You were quoted as saying “Our findings were controversial, but they were warmly received by many biblical, Templar and Masonic scholars, as well as several Catholic priests.” Do you think it was hard for the scholars to admit to agree with your findings when it caused such a firestorm? I have always received a warm and courteous response from fellow academics, who tend to look at my evidence and arguments, rather than react on an emotional level. It has generally been certain small groups of Freemasons, who are not used to academic argument or challenges to their perceived role as “rulers” in the Craft, that have been the most hostile and vocal in their opposition. I have noticed that as I have continued to consolidate my evidence over a series of books I am meeting with less opposition and engaging in more constructive discussion, which can only be good for Freemasonry.
9) I asked you what you wanted us to take away from your newest book coming out September 1, 2011 titled “The Lost Key”. You said: “I think the most important message is that by studying the power of symbols Freemasonry has enabled scientists to access fundamental knowledge about the world and that its teachings fit in well with what I have learned as a scientist. The book is really the story of how my education as a scientist and my education as a freemason have come together to help me understand myself and the world I live in.” Can you please elaborate on how science plays a role in your research of Freemasonry. In The Lost Key I relate how I became a physicist and the role that mathematics played in my eduction. (I am dyslexic and have always found mathematics easier to understand than spelling!) As I learned more about Freemasonry, particularly the more esoteric teaching concerning the mystery of the Centre, the more similarities I saw between the Craft and the ideas which drive Quantum Physics, in particular the the idea of an enduring Platonic reality of symbols which exists outside of time and space, but which we can learn to access.
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Cover- Robert Lomas
I was also fascinated by the fact that the main breakthroughs in the analytical sciences (algebra and calculus) were all inspired by Masonic ideas about symbols. (something I explain in The Lost Key) I was struck by the fact that mystical religion, esoteric Freemasonry and quantum physics are all studying the same mystery, which is the real nature of reality. In The Lost Key I have tried to bring together what I know about science, religion and Freemasonry and explain how it has helped shape me. Hopefully I also offer some help and guidance to my brethren who are searching for the same things. Freemasonry is about Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, and The Lost Key is the story of my search for Truth. 10) What are your future plans, what is next on the horizon for you? I am working on an illustrated Encyclopedia of Masonic Symbols, which should be finished later this year or early next, but I have also been impressed by how Dan Brown has changed for the better, the attitude of so many people towards Masonry and I have been talking with master story teller Matt Lynn about co-operating on either a thriller or a mystery story dealing with issues which could help the wider public understand the real benevolent and beneficent nature of Freemasonry. We’ve been tossing ideas about and enjoying the process, so watch this space!
The Podcast On March 9, 2008 I did the 2nd of my live call in podcast shows. This one featured Robert Lomas and Brother Heath Armbruster. The topic on hand was a DVD about The Kirkwall Scrolls that was produced by the two brothers. (Find out about the DVD here http://www.robertlomas.com/webcasts/index.html) Tom Accuosto who helped co-host the podcast wrote up this nice piece that was on his blog: “Few modern Masonic authors can generate the kind interest that follows Dr. Robert Lomas. Beginning with “The Hiram Key” and followed up by another half dozen books on the history and symbolism of the Craft, Dr. Lomas has offered up some interesting - and controversial - theories and ideas about the evolution of symbology and the meaning of the symbolic language underlying Masonic rituals and ceremonies. On Sunday, March 9th, he called us from his home in England and joined Bro. Heath Armbruster of Saskatchewan, Canada for the second The Working Tools podcast. Masonic Media Mogul Cory Sigler (of The Working Tools magazine and social networking site), Justin Budreau (Masonic web designer) and I had a fascinating two hour conversation with Dr. Lomas on topics ranging from the Kirkwall Scroll, to Masonic symbols, to the evolution of symbolism, to Sir Robert Moray, to the inconveniences of tele-presentations. Chris Hodapp joined us partway into the program, asking his usual insightful questions. The Talkshoe format worked flawlessly, allowing five or six of us to talk to each other by telephone from various countries and time zones. We were joined by about a hundred real-time listeners, a dozen or so of whom registered in order to use the IM feature. Many of them had excellent comments and questions, some of which were addressed by Dr. Lomas himself.”
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Phoenixmasonry.org Online Museum
First Day Cover’s A first day of issue cover is a postage stamp on a cover, postal card or stamped envelope franked on the first day the issue is authorized for use within the country or territory of the stamp-issuing authority.
This First Day Cover commemorates the DeMolay membership of Brother Walt Disney. It was sponsored by the Masonic Stamp Club of NY and cancelled in Marceline, Missouri on September 11, 1968. It is listed in the Scott Catalog #1355 - 499,505 were produced.
This Boy Scout of America FDC commemorates Brother Daniel Carter Beard their founder. It was issued and cancelled on February 8, 1960 and is listed in the Scott Catalog as #1145 1,419,955 were produced. Daniel Carter "Uncle Dan" Beard (June 21, 1850 – June 11, 1941) was an American illustrator, author, youth leader, and social reformer who founded the Sons of Daniel Boone in 1905, which Beard later merged with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).
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Phoenixmasonry.org Online Museum The Presidents
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Masonic Authors “The Secret Psychology of Freemasonry: Alchemy, Gnosis, and the Science of the Craft “ By Brother Cliff Porter Brother Cliff has been around the E-Mason world for a very long time. I’ve enjoyed his discussions in the message boards and his articles in various magazines and Masonic websites. I was thrilled to find out he just published a new book. Please take a long and consider supporting this fine brother. CS Description Masonic ritual contains a veiled secret which points toward a hidden psychological current, inherent in the Western Mystical Tradition. This scarcely perceivable sentient science has manifested throughout the ages within the ancient Gnostic schools, the writings of the great Hermetic philosophers, and the noble art of Freemasonry. These institutions have operated as a means of perpetuating a method of personal typology and perception, which is essential to human interaction. The intrinsic numerological correspondences of Craft ritual contain the keys to perfecting this powerful system of communication and the Self. This seminal work provides a practical framework, through which the student can master his own typology, understand the elements of perception, and utilize vital communication techniques which can unlock the very mysteries of human existence. By employing techniques as diverse as Jungian psychoanalysis, Masonic geometry, and alchemical parable, Porter has formulated a unique and timely tome that is certain to revolutionize the perceptions of contemporary Masonic culture and the means by which we articulate ideas. We can detect deception, influence others, effect positive change, and synthesize a unique cognitive vernacular, specifically crafted to convey the most profound Masonic truths. About the Author Brother Cliff Porter is a founding member and Past Master of Enlightenment Lodge 198 in Colorado where he works as a homicide detective. Brother Porter is also recognized nationally for his work in teaching and presenting on the areas of subconscious communications as it relates to personal interactions and communications. He has worked cases gaining international attention, been featured by the Biography Channel, and has lectured Internationally for the United States government and military, state and local law enforcement, private corporations, churches, and spiritual centers. He has had published a number of writings and is the author of the books The Secret Psychology of Freemasonry: Alchemy, Gnosis and the Science of the Craft, Masonic Baptism: A Postmodern Ritual for an Ancient Craft, and 10 Easy Steps to Being a Heretic. Where to buy it $19.80 220 pages Published by Starr Publishing (June 2011) http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Psychology-Freemasonry-Alchemy-Science/dp/0615497705/ref=sr_1_1?s=books& ie=UTF8&qid=1311204113&sr=1-1 www.twtmag.com
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Lodge Education
UNDERSTANDING OUR MEMBERSHIP PROBLEMS by Abraham Benjamin
rectly with membership. YOU CAN’T RAISE THE DUES! The dues structure of Freemasonry at the turn of the 20th century created a prestige for the organization. The common man could not afford to become a Mason. Freemasonry had an image of limited membership. With this image men, sought out to join. But Masonic Lodges adopted the policy of a static dues structure. By employing this method of never raising dues, obtaining membership became easy and many “common” men started joining. Membership in Masonic Lodges reached its all time high in 1958 with over 4.2 Million members in the United States. During the last 30 plus years Freemasonry has been experiencing a 3% drop in membership per year. Until recently this constant decrease in overall membership has been ignored by the Grand Lodges. In response TO membership decrease the Masonic Renewal Committee of North America was created by the Northern and Southern Jurisdiction Supreme Councils of the Scottish Rites along with several Grand Lodges and other Masonic bodies. Part of their charge was to examine our membership problems and help Freemasonry get “back on track”. It is important for us, as Masons, to understand what has been happening to our membership during these past 30 years. We must also understand what has been changing in our society. The social prestige of Freemasonry has been lost during the past 30 years. Before the 20th century there were no automobiles, radios, television sets, or movie theaters. Men enjoy and need to have fraternal relations with other men. During the years before the automobile men found that the only place to fulfill these needs was by joining a fraternal organization. Freemasonry offered a prestige over other fraternal groups. Let’s look at some Masonic falsehoods that deal di-
The Lodges have built their financial strength on a steady flow of new members. Grand Lodges over the years have refused to raise initiation rates on the fear that new applicants might be discouraged. Lodges are also afraid to raise their dues. They fear that they will lose members. Freemasonry now costs less per year than a newspaper subscription costs per month in a major U.S. city. Currently Freemasonry is not bringing in the new applicants as was enjoyed in the past. Lodges have used the money brought in from new applicants to finance their operating budgets. Today Lodges are discovering that they must break into their permanent funds to supplement their yearly operating expenses. Lodges are starting to do less for their membership. Members were accustomed to having free dinners and social activities. Now that Lodges have to charge for the dinners and social activities, the membership does not attend as they used to. The members are not interested anymore in the activities of the Lodge when they have to pay for them. Why not raise the dues and start providing activities that the members want? Let’s take a Lodge of 1000 members paying $35 per year in dues. This equates to a $35,000 operating budget for the Lodge. Of this money $30,000 is required for Masonic Center dues, Grand Lodge dues and cost of doing business (notices,
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Lodge Education postage etc). Let’s raise the dues to $100 per year. What a radical idea! We will probably lose half our membership. Ok. 500 members at $100 per year equated to $50,000 per year, a gain of $15,000. The expenses of the Lodge should drop 40% to $18,000 per year. With 1000 members at $35 per year we had $5,000 per year to spend on our membership. With dues at $100 per year and 500 members we have $32,000 per year to spend on our membership. Obviously if we raise our dues in this hypothetical Lodge we will have more resources to meet our members needs and expectations. So why not raise the dues! OUR MEMBERSHIP WILL HIT A “LOW” AND THEN START TO RISE AGAIN Masonic membership is not cyclic. Our gains in the 1940’s and 1950’s is not part of a cycle. From 1870 to 1958, except for the Depression, Masonry has seen increases in membership. The curve has been a steady 4%, or so, gain in each year, while other fraternal organizations have seen drops in membership. For example, the Odd Fellows have experienced a 90% drop in membership during this century. For the past 125 years, Freemasonry has experienced growth in members in 74 of those years. It was during the past 30+ year (1958 to 1993) period that the Fraternity had to deal with decreasing membership, shrinking budgets and the public dissatisfaction with all Fraternal organizations. MASONRY ALWAYS FLOURISHES DURING TIMES OF WAR Luckily this is an incorrect statement. If it were true we would have to rebuild the Soviet Union and start World War III. It is true that Masonic membership increased after World War II, at a dramatic rate. But Masonic membership increased at a constant pace before, during and after the Civil War, the Spanish American War, World War I, and the Korean War. During the Vietnam War Masonic membership decreased at a steady pace. War time has no effect on Masonic membership. IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE DEPRESSION FREEMASONRY WOULD HAVE CONTINUALLY GROWN, EVEN TODAY
Actually, Masonic membership started to decrease in 1928, two years before the Depression started. In some states of the United States, Masonic Membership started to decrease in 1925. WE CAN SAVE FREEMASONRY BY DOING THE SAME OLD THING THE SAME OLD WAY, THAT’S WHAT OUR MEMBERS WANT Our own membership does not like what we do. The Masonic Renewal survey of 1988-89 indicates that 90% of Freemasons in the United States do not believe that Freemasonry should be changed. What is important to understand is that 85% of those 90% have not attended a Lodge meeting or social activity in the past 3 years. Only 15% of Freemasons are active in their Lodges. Most Lodges actually experience about 10% of their membership at their stated meetings. Since 90% do not want change and 10% come to stated meetings, only 1% of the Lodge membership wants change and still attends the meetings of the Lodge. It is that 1% that feel that Freemasonry must be changed to attract new members. Older members generally sit on the sidelines knowing that change must occur. Unfortunately, when change is proposed they will be the first to resist it. The laws and regulations of the Fraternity were established over 200 years ago. We cannot expect men of the 21st century to live under such antiquated laws. It is important that Freemasonry maintain its landmarks and foundations. These traditions are important to keep. It is the laws that Grand Lodges have made and their numerous restrictions that must be reviewed. We must change our laws and regulations to meet the needs and expectations of the 21st century man. When a non-Mason notices that his Masonic neighbor does not attend his Blue Lodge or the Lodge’s activities, it leaves him with a negative view of Freemasonry. How can you ask a friend to become a Mason when you personally do not attend Lodge? In addition, if 85% of newly raised Masons do not attend Lodge after 6 months of being raised, we must examine what we do. The message is clear! The Lodge does not meet the needs and expecta-
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Lodge Education tions of new members. They join Lodge and the find out that Freemasonry was not what they thought it was. Unfortunately, some believe that showing some video tapes and printing some fancy brochures will cure our problems. It is important that we get out into the public and show non-Masons what Freemasonry is about. But the first step is to fix our Lodges! We must do what our video tapes and brochures say we do. We must get into our communities and make a difference. We must develop a real charity and support it. We must create the fraternal environment that we prize and that we say we have. Only then can we go out and show our videos and give out our brochures. POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE TODAY As the United States became an urbanized country the need for pomp and circumstance decreased. In the 19th and early 20th century when the United States was rural with some large cities, formality was very popular. After the 1950’s with the invention of the suburbs and urbanization, formality decreased. In the Masonic Lodges we still like to wear tuxedos and suits. The black tie event is not popular today. Men would like to take off the tie and coat when they go to Lodge. Even in churches men are removing the ties and coats. The need for formal clothing has become somewhat limited to high school proms and weddings. Why does Freemasonry insist on forcing its members to wear clothing that they do no normally wear? Think about it. Would your membership come to more meetings if they could dress informally? Men who wear coats and ties at work all day want to remove these clothes and be relaxed. Wearing the tie and coat makes the professional feel that he is still at work. The factory worker has to put on the tie and coat to come to Lodge. This man does not see the need to look like his manager. Therefore, he resists this situation. Let’s change the need for formal clothing in our Ma-
sonic Lodges! Some states have begun to make this change. The “stuffy” look of the Lodge must go. Do the Grand Lodges own formal wear shops or have stock in them? Let’s change to the needs of the 21st century man. WE DON’T NEED TO GIVE MEMBERS A BENEFIT FROM MEMBERSHIP Fraternal organizations in the United States hit an all time high of 800+ organizations with 30 million members by the year 1900 (US population at that time was 60 million). Why did these organization do so well? The answer lies in the fact that the organizations gave a benefit to their members. For example, the Odd Fellows gave life and medical insurance to all members. After the turn of the 20th century, trade unions started to grow. These unions were able to get benefits for workers. Unfortunately, for fraternal organizations, the benefits that were given by companies caused the fraternal benefits to have little or no value to the working man. Odd Fellow membership has dropped by 90% over this century. The need to join organization like the Odd Fellows and give them money for benefits obtained through work does not make sense to the average man. The Odd Fellows have not changed to meet this change in needs. Freemasonry increased until 1958 because it fulfilled the need for fraternity and the feeling of Brotherhood. Freemasonry has no benefits beyond Brotherhood (well no advertised benefit). After 1958, men have found fraternity elsewhere. With the lose of prestige of the Fraternity, professional men have turned to the Country Clubs to find the fraternal relations they want. Freemasonry must give a benefit to membership beyond Brotherhood and Fraternity. To those who say no to this statement consider this: Why has membership been dropping since 1958? Why are 85% of our members happier in front of their TVs then coming to Lodge? Why won’t your sons and grandsons join? Why are there more sons and grandsons of Masons than there are Masons?
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Lodge Education GIVE EXCELLENT RITUAL AND MASONIC EDUCATION AND THE MEMBERS WILL COME BACK TO LODGE AND WILL BRING IN NEW MEMBERS It is true that if a man must endure ritual he wants it done right and well. Badly done ritual discourages everyone. The problem with Lodge today is that ritual has encompassed 90+% of the Lodge. By ritual I include the business of the Lodge. The reason for this is that we repeat the business over and over. It is always the same (with some very minor aberrations). If you look at your Lodge minutes from 50 years ago, they will read similarly to your minutes of today. We have been doing the same thing over and over for over 200 years! If men like ritual so much then why do we get such poor attendance at extra meetings. It is at the extra meetings that the degrees of Freemasonry are confirmed. The average attendance at extra meetings is 2 to 3 percent. This percent is static from the beginning of our last growth spurt, starting in 1939, through 1992. There is no difference in extra meeting attendance, period. The conclusion is that after you have seen the degree done once, most men don’t want or need to see it again. Masonic Education is generally pushed down the candidates’ throat. We tell the candidate that in order to get to the third degree that he must learn all kinds of information about Freemasonry. It is like being forced to go to Sunday School (when you were a child). If you force a man to learn Freemasonry this way he will resist it, learn to hate it, and avoid it at all costs. If you push Masonic Education incorrectly into the Lodges you will destroy your already poor attendance. No one wants to be lectured to.
WE CANNOT CHANGE By now you should see that whether or not this is true, we must change. By the year 2010 there will be less than 800,000 Masons in the United States. As we lose membership we lose our financial base. If this trend continues our Lodges, Grand Lodges and Masonic homes will be lost. Who will pay to keep the buildings going if there are no Masons? Unfortunately, with today’s costs, if we lose buildings and monuments they will not be recovered. We must change now. The imperative is clear. The question you should now have is: How do I initiated change? The Lodge must find the leadership that will correct the falsehoods that have been described here and initiate a Masonic renewal effort. The bottom line is that it is up to you. Only you can cause your Lodge to change to meet the challenges of the next century. It is time to realize our follies of the past and work toward insuring that Freemasonry survives for our children and grandchildren. References: “A Radical in the East”, S. Brent Morris, Iowa Lodge of Research #2, 1993 “Masonic Renewal Task Force Report 1988-1989”, MSA 1990 “Masonic Membership Kit”, Masonic Renewal Committee of NA, 1992
Why can’t we make Masonic Education a lifetime experience. Do not cram all of the teachings of Freemasonry into the 4 or so months it takes to get the three degrees. Make learning fun to do. Create opportunities to teach Masonic Education is a fun setting. Let’s work to make our members want to learn more. It worked when you were going to school, it will work here.
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Lodge Education
“GUIDELINES FOR INVESTIGATING COMMITTEES� Those who are charged with the duty of investigating the character and other qualifications of applicants for the privileges of Masonry hold positions of distinction and trust. Of all the committees appointed by the Worshipful Master, none is more important to the preservation of this great Fraternal Order Way of Life than this committee, whose duty is to determine the fitness of a candidate prior to balloting on his petition. They are, of necessity, the inspectors to examine the material wherewith to add wisdom, strength, and beauty to the Universal Masonic Temple. Carelessness, indifference or negligence in the discharge of this responsible duty are of the nature of misdemeanors. Every member in the Lodge is part of the Investigating Committee, especially the voucher of the petitioner. The member who vouches for a profane should be certain of his fitness for membership. Also, it is the duty of every Master Mason who is aware of something which would cause a profane to be unfit for membership, to inform a brother of that Lodge or the Investigating Committee, so these things can be Verified or clarified. For it is the responsibility of every member to exercise scrupulous care in guarding the door of Masonry from gaining access and introducing Godless ideology. It is our duty as Masons, to jealously examine a profane Is fitness for membership, for on this examination rests the honor, glory, and reputation of our institution. Every member and the Investigating Committee is urged to constantly bear in mind that membership in the craft is much too priceless to be shared without due consideration. So think and act for the good of Masonry at all times.
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1. When visiting a candidate at his home, the committee should first determine the family's attitude toward his desire to join the Masonic Order. If there is serious opposition to him joining which cannot be overcome by the committee and there is every likelihood that his membership in the Lodge would cause internal family problems, the petition should be returned or rejected. 2. Ascertain whether the petitioner's home surroundings are such as to permit him financially to continue his membership without depriving his family of the essentials of life. While a man's financial circumstances or his educational background ought not bar him from participating in Masonic privileges or render him unwelcome in the Craft, his standard of living may be so different from those of the other members as to make her uncomfortable in their presence. 3. The applicant should be given the understanding that his character is subjected to the closest scrutiny, and that friendship, personal consideration, or favoritism, must not control or bias Masonic action. He is informed that he must pass the scrutiny of the investigation and the ordeal of the ballot, as all have done who has gone this way before him. If there be a doubt in regard to his fitness to become a Mason, let the lodge have the benefit of the doubt. Remember that the dignity, honor, and reputation of the institution are in your hands. 4. The committee should determine how long the petitioner has been acquainted with his proposer. If the acquaintanceship has been but a brief one, it is all the more reason why the committee should make a thorough search of the petitioner's background. References should be carefully checked, as well as business affiliations. This of course should be handled in a discreet manner, especially if questionswww.twtmag.com
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Lodge Education are directed to non-Masons who may not be favorably disposed towards the Institution. 5. Ascertain the petitioner's motive for wanting to become a Mason and what is his conception of the Fraternity. Of course, one who is new to the Order may not be expected to offer a consider opinion, but he should have at least some idea of the type organization he is expecting to join. 6. Is the petitioner charitable by nature? Does he contribute to needy causes as his finances permit? Also, is he charitable in thought and actions towards his fellowmen? Is he bigoted or prejudiced? All these questions, discreetly put, will help bring out the true character of the man. 7. Is he prompt in meeting his financial obligations and honorable in his business dealing with others? Can he afford to become a Mason? The answers to the first two questions can be obtained by investigating his references, both business and personal. As to whether he can afford to become a Mason, this can be determined by pointing out that no man should join the Masonic Order, if he must deprive his family of the necessities of life. Naturally, no Lodge wishes to cause hardship for others, nor handicap itself by adding to its rolls members who are apt to become financial liabilities.
11. The Worshipful Master should be kept honestly and fully informed. A complete report of the investigation committee should be presented at the regular lodge meeting. 12. A fearless discharge of this duty may, for a time, subject the committee to the frowns of the rejected and his friends, but faithfulness and courage will, in the end, command the plaudits of every lover of the Fraternity. 13. Don't overlook any references, the last one may be the one needed. Reports on the petitioner should be obtained from courts, police department, credit bureaus, and other places necessary. 14. The investigation should be so conducted that, even if rejected, the applicant gains a higher respect for the Fraternity.
8. Does the petitioner realize that membership in a Lodge calls for payment of dues and these are to be met promptly? Along with this question, the committee might also ascertain what, if any, provisions he has made for his family, money wise etc. should something happen to him. 9. Does his occupation permit him to attend meetings regularly? 10. Does the petitioner believe in a Supreme Being? Do es he attend a church? Masonry does not require a man to adhere to any particular creed or religion, he must believe in God and in the immortality of the soul. www.twtmag.com
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Finally...
That’s what I call devotion to the Craft.
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I hope you enjoy reading “ The Working Tools” and find enlightenment in each and every new issue. Please spread the word about us to all your Lodge Brothers and let them know how to find TWT on the web. TWTMAG.COM www.twtmag.com
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