Michael Bruce Manning was born February 17, 1940 in the small coal mining and farming community of Taylorville, Illinois. Mike’s father and both of his grandfathers were coal miners and members of the local Masonic Lodge. Mike’s mother was a homemaker and very involved in Eastern Star. Mike’s early years were spent camping, hiking and hunting and he was a member of the local Boy Scout Troop. He attended Taylorville High School where he played varsity football and was a letterman each of his 4 years of high school. He was also on the varsity wrestling team.
Mike graduated in 1958 and joined the United States Marine Corps. After completing boot camp, Advanced Infantry Training, Basic Recon School and then Force Recon Training at Camp Pendleton, CA, he returned home to propose to his high school sweetheart, Maggie. Mike’s first tour of duty in Viet Nam was in 1960 as a Force Recon Sniper. After his return to the US he and Maggie were stationed in Millington TN where Mike attended Aircraft Mechanics School. After completing training in Tennessee, Mike was transferred to the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point, NC, where he and Maggie lived until 1962. Mike re-enlisted and was re-assigned to the helicopter base in Santa Ana CA. A second tour in Viet Nam followed in 1965-66, where he flew over 300 combat missions as a Crew Chief/Door-Gunner. After being discharged in 1966, Mike worked for the Santa Ana Police Dept. in Orange County, California, and then accepted a lucrative position in the commercial finance industry. For the next ten years Mike was promoted through the ranks with Westinghouse Credit and ITT Commercial Finance, ultimately heading up one of the largest wholesale finance divisions of ITT, budgeting and controlling tens of millions of dollars. After realizing that white collar work was not as rewarding as police work, Mike returned to the profession he truly missed. He completed his career in 2002, having served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, retiring in 2002 after twenty years as a Detective with the Arizona Department of Public Safety. During his time with the Arizona DPS, Mike’s most challenging cases involved investigations into organized crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs, satanic cult crimes and homicides. Mike was initiated into Mound Lodge #122, Taylorville IL in 1962, completing his degrees the next year by courtesy of Silver Cord Lodge #505 in Santa Ana CA. He retained his membership in Mound Lodge until 1973, when he joined Tucson Lodge #4. In 1999, he transferred to Flagstaff #7, then became a dual member of Williams-Grand Canyon in 2000, serving as Master of #38 in 2002. While in Flagstaff he chaired Bikes for Books with the Flagstaff School District, Police Officer of the Year and Firefighter of the Year Awards programs, which included not only Flagstaff and NAU Police and Fire, but surrounding Fire Districts as well. He also took those programs to Williams-Grand Canyon Lodge during his time there. Mike served the Grand Lodge as a Lodge Program Coordinator (the predecessor of today’s DDGM), as a member of Jurisprudence Committee for two years, then as Grand Sword Bearer in 2004. Also in 2004, he transferred his membership to Central Arizona #14 and was their Mason of the Year in 2006. Mike was a District Deputy Grand Lecturer in 2005 and 2006, then Grand Lecturer for 3 years (2007-2009). At Grand Lodge in 2010, he was named Arizona Mason of the Year and was also appointed Junior Grand Steward by GM James Rowan. In 2012, Mike re-affiliated with Mound Lodge in Illinois. He was also a member of the Arizona Military Degree Team, Tucson Scottish Rite, Prescott York Rite Bodies, El Zaribah Shrine and Marion McDaniel #56 in Tucson, Arizona. He was elected to serve as Grand Master of Free and Accepted Masons of Arizona for the Masonic year of 2014/2015.
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Arizona Masonry Boyd Wayne Robertson Most Worshipful Grand Master
Bryon Patrick Howe Worshipful Grand Editor
Arizona Masonry is an official publication of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons or Arizona. Unless otherwise noted, articles in this publication express only the private opinion or assertions of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Grand Lodge. The jurisdiction speaks only through the Grand Master and the Grand Lodge Trustees when attested to as official in writing by the Grand Secretary. The Editorial staff invites the contributions in the form of informative articles, reports, news and other timely information (Of about 350 to 800 words in length) that is broadly related to general Masonry. When possible, photographs or graphics that support the submission are appreciated. Pieces submitted become the property of the Grand Lodge, F. & A.M. of Arizona. No compensation is permitted for any article, photograph, or other submitted for publication. Permission to reprint articles is automatically granted to recognized Masonic publication with proper credit given.
MWGM Boyd Robertson
RWDGM Randy Jagar
RWSGW Jim H Baker
RWJGW George Rusk
WSGD Michael Dale
WJGD Leigh Creighton
WSGS Roger Biede III
Please direct all articles and correspondence to: Bryon P. Howe 14247 North 25th Avenue Phoenix Arizona 85023 Azgl.editor@gmail.com For submissions for the next issue of Arizona Masonry or The Copper Post please contact Azgl.editor@gmail.com
WJGS Eric DuPree
Front Cover Image Courtesy of: George S. Mather, PM Grand Secretary Grand Lodge F&AM of Arizona
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Brothers, first and foremost I would like to thank all of you for allowing me to serve you during this past year. The year has certainly been a challenge, but also an extreme honor. I want to thank all of you for following the requirements that I set for the Craft back in June due to this pandemic. I certainly pray that it will all be over soon. Even with these challenges Masonry survived within Arizona and hopefully helped us all become closer as Brothers. I truly believe that we have shown the world that we are still alive, well, and relevant.
I think this was a good concept for a theme, but it did not work out that way. You all did so much more over this past year than this small idea that I had come up with. Not only did you help and take care of your families during this pandemic, you made sure that all of your Brothers were OK and made sure that they had everything they needed in this time of trial. We were all forced to learn how to use technoloMy theme for this year, Brothers Being Brothers, certainly did not turn out the way I had gy in new ways to continue to communicate and formulated it in my mind. My goal was to get all to a small degree share time with each other. If you had told me a year ago that we all, from senArizona Masons back involved in Masonry one ior members to the most junior members, would small step at a time. Visiting Brothers in their be able to embrace the technological advances homes, bringing Brothers back to Lodge that we had not seen in a while, and getting everyone in- that we have used I would have said you were nuts. We helped each other learn how to do this terested in participating in Masonry instead of and we are all better off because of it. There is sitting at home and watching TV. Taking care of Brothers that might need assistance but were too really no excuse now for not being able to keep in touch with our Brothers. Which is great, but we embarrassed or proud to ask for help. After all, beyond making Masons and improving ourselves need to be with each other in person, not on a that should be one of our main goals. Charity to a computer screen. That is my greatest hope as we move forward, that we all get back to work in the Brother or his family is certainly one of the lesLodge as soon as possible. Hopefully no one besons that we all learned in our degrees. came so used to staying at home that they would
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rather do that than participate in our Lodges and with our Brothers. Maybe as we slowly start to move back to normal you will use my original theme concept to bring your Brothers back to Lodge that are struggling with doing so.
As we prepare to move forward into a new Masonic year I hope that you will all strive to participate within the Lodge in any way that you possibly can. Wouldn’t it be great if we could overcome that 10% rule and move towards 100% participation by all Brothers within our Lodges? Imagine what we could accomplish if we strive towards that goal and make
everyone welcome as they cross the threshold to the Lodge. I believe that if we give a Brother a challenge and he accepts that challenge we can improve Masonry in Arizona in unbelievable ways. So what is your challenge going to be for the upcoming year?
Fraternally,
Boyd Robertson Grand Master 2020-2021
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Brethren, I bring you warm Fraternal greetings from the Grand North East.
Edvard Munch created a dramatically The Masonic symbolism of a sunset is usually tied different interpretato the closing of a day or the peaceful conclusion tion of sunset in his painting The Scream. of a well-spent life. Poets refer to sunsets as This painting vividly beautifully colored transitions, between life and our eternal slumber. Painters have also been his- depicted the fear of torically fond of the golden hour of dusk. Claude what the darkness beyond may hold in Monet was particularly obsessed with the explostore for us. ration of how shadows formed and changed as the sun shifted throughout the day. Dreams of The 2020-2021 Masonic year has held challenges sunset are likewise interpreted as the unconfor our beloved Craft. As I write this message, we scious mind contemplating an ending of some approach the sunset of the year…the Annual sort. It could be a bad situation the conscious Communication. A time when we assemble to mind is unhappy with that your subconscious is review the actions and results of the Masonic looking forward to the end of…or a harmonious year. Yet, the 2021 Annual Communication holds period in life that the subconscious mind is fear- continued uncertainty and much labor still to be ing the end of. completed. We have a great list of legislative I have often applied the cycle of a day to the cycle changes to be considered. May all of us be preof our Masonic year. In the beginning of the year pared to labor in harmony and complete the nec(the sunrise), our energy should be renewed…our essary work.
plans designed. By the end of the year (the sunset), we should have completed our tasks…our labors at an end. However, just as all painters do not interpret the sunset as a peaceful transition to evening, so do not all Masonic years follow this ideal cycle of a day. Claude Monet’s younger contemporary,
I look forward to sitting in Lodge again with all of you very soon!
Randy Jager Deputy Grand Master 2020-2021
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Brethren, One of our dearly departed brothers, WB John Holland would address the candidate after each degree under "Good of the Order" and emphasize to him and the Lodge that the candidate has taken another step in a life long journey in Freemasonry. When did we start or take that first step in our masonic journey? Was it when we petitioned the Lodge or received the Entered Apprentice degree? Maybe it started much earlier in life when our minds and bodies were developing and we were totally dependent on our parents or a caregiver to nurture and provide the necessities to sustain life. Possibly your journey may have started at a very early age when your thoughts and actions displayed kindness and compassion toward a fellow human being or another of God's living creatures. One of the questions in the Entered Apprentice candidate examination is "Where were you first prepared to be made a Mason"? The answer you were taught to give is "In my Heart". I sincerely hope that as a Mason we have contemplated the truth that lies within that answer.
Love and affection toward our fellow creatures. Another very necessary trait we should practice that allows us to better receive instruction on our Masonic Journey is honesty. We must be honest in all things with ourselves and others. This quote that I believe is attributed to WB George Washington reinforces my belief that honesty is the best policy. "I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest Man." Our Masonic Journey started with a good heart and it is the goodness of heart that we display that will determine how honorable our lives have been spent when our hearts stop beating and we lay down our working tools for a final time. I would like to end this article with one of George Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation, number 110: "Labour to keep alive in you Breast that Little Spark of Celestial fire Called Conscience."
During the presentation and explanation of the working tools of an Entered Apprentice, the Worshipful Master informs the candidate that the common gavel is used to divest our hearts and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life. I believe the clearing of our bad habits, immoral With Brotherly Love, thoughts and behavior, excessive desires and unnecessary extravagance from our hearts and consciences better prepares us to receive the necessary instrucSenior Grand Warden 2020-2021 tions from the Great Architect of the Universe to pursue our labors. This is the labor of Brotherly
Jim H Baker
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Education for Growth
them to return to learn something new. Start I am an advocate of education. I spend as much an education program of my free time as I can reading, Googling (if that is if you do not already a word), researching, trying to know more about have one. Contact the something. I consider myself a lifelong student. By Grand Lodge Educathe way, twenty years ago if I said I was going to tion Committee if you need guidance. I heard Google someone, HR would want to have a talk somewhere that “an with me. Now it is synonymous with searching on the internet. And here is where I warn you that in- educated Mason is a dedicated Mason”. So, formation you may find on the internet always let’s get started! needs to be verified. Still, it is a great source of information. Another great source to further your education is The George Roskruge & S. Barry Casey Memorial Library and Museum. It has Arizona’s Fraternally, finest collection of Masonic books. I understand the library is in the process of digitizing books in its collection as well as the Grand Lodge of Arizona AnJunior Grand Warden 2020-2021 nual Communication’s proceedings. How exciting is that!
George Rusk
So, what do you do with all the information you References have gathered? You share it of course! I believe one of the major draws of men to Freemasonry is their The George Roskruge & S. Barry Casey Library & Museum | Preserving and sharing the rich history of Arizona Freemadesire to know more, always seeking further light. sonry (azmasoniclibrary.org) And now that your lodge has become more efficient at its stated meetings and has extra time, you can educate your members with a short talk, a book review, a “did you know”, a symbol explanation, or describe a part of the ritual or Constitution and Statutes. There are a multitude of 5- to 15-minute educational talks that a lodge can give. Dedicate each meeting to a symbol. Give your members something to take home, contemplate, work on. Interest
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Congratulations on becoming a Master Mason, a member of the oldest and largest fraternal order in the world and an organization revered for centuries. The future of Freemasonry depends upon men like you, men interested in applying and sharing the tenets of the Craft.
The obligations, which you took upon the altar, bind us all to a moral and contractual relationship with the Lodge, As a Mason, you have become familiar with the whereby you will perform certain duFraternity, its ritual, symbolism and teachings. You ties and the Lodge have learned about the organization of the Lodge and at least some of the many acts of charity and ser- will provide certain rights and privileges. One of the greatest privileges of vice performed by Masons. membership is knowing that wherever you travel in You already know that Freemasonry is special to your Masonic journeys, whether in this country or its members and all those affected by its teachings abroad, you will find Brothers who are ready to exand charities. This Fraternity is special because it tend their hands in friendship and fellowship. teaches the principles of personal responsibility and Maintaining friendships, respect and harmony righteousness, by having each Brother understand and feel its works of relief and charity. It encourages within the Lodge requires every one of us to be each member to put these lessons into practice in his watchful of ours thoughts, words and deeds. It requires living within established rules of protocol, and daily life. with temperance towards others. All Masons should Among the first lessons learned by you and every practice the rules of proper Masonic protocol, that other Mason is the importance of the tenets of the formal code of Lodge etiquette that encompasses Craft: Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. These Ma- standards for the conduct of Lodge business with sonic principles may be as old as man himself and dignity and decorum, thereby promoting harmony they are universally accepted, as are the Fraternity’s and respect within the Lodge. Rules of protocol repancient Landmarks which are the unalterable bound- resent standards for officer and member attire within aries of the Craft. the Lodge, the proper wearing of aprons and jewels, For you and every Brother, the Masonic journey how officers and members are addressed during begins in a Lodge located near home or work. You meetings, and how the Master is recognized when discussed Freemasonry with a friend who is a mem- entering and leaving the Lodge. ber of the Lodge and asked him to recommend you for membership. It is here that you took your degrees, first became active in the Masonic family of organizations and truly learned “what it means to be a Mason”.
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Harmony within the Lodge also results from Freemasonry being a positive organization in which relationships between men are strengthened by their common beliefs, and where their differing views are tolerated. Each Brother is entitled to his own beliefs, and he may follow his own convictions as dictated by his conscience. However, to promote harmony within the Lodge, meetings should be free of discussions unrelated to Lodge business, particularly where strong differences of opinion might exist, such as about religious dogma, politics and business ventures.
phasizes three fundamental ideas; that God exists, that men are to exercise their faculties and work as God’s instruments, and that the work of men is to be performed in accordance with the principles of morality and justice.
The world of Masonry is a new and different experience for the newly initiated. If you were like most new Masons entering a Lodge for the first time, you probably listened to the words spoken by the officers, you began to understand some of the symbolism conveyed during the degrees and you became familiar with the work of the Lodge. Not readily apparent, however, was the fundamental religious and philosophical concept contained in the degrees, that there exists a Supreme Being who created this world and to whom all mankind is the instrument and servant.
You can gain admission to a Lodge for the first time in two ways. Someone who has sat with you in Lodge can vouch for you, or you will need to “work your way into a Lodge.” Don’t hesitate to visit a Lodge when traveling on business, vacation, or in retirement. It provides an enjoyable opportunity to associate with men known to share common values and interests, thereby building many new friendships.
Every one of you should understand that the successful completion of the Temple depends not only on each individual’s efforts but also on the united cooperation and harmony of the Craft. The Masonic lessons portrayed in the building of the Temple represent more than the construction of a grand edifice. The Temple that is being built is the Temple of As each of you has come to experience, the Ma- character. sonic degrees present serious and solemn lessons You should experience the benefits of traveling important to a Mason’s quality of life and his service to other Lodges in Arizona and other Masonic juristo family, church, community and country. It is vital- dictions and become aware of the opportunities for ly important that degree work is conducted with a fellowship, charity, education and leadership, therehigh level of proficiency and decorum and candiby improving yourself, your families and communidates are properly prepared for the Masonic degrees ties. Each organization provides opportunities for its about which they are in darkness. The proper prepa- members to experience brotherhood, wherever your ration of candidates for the Masonic degrees is the journeys may take you in the United States and duty of every Mason. abroad.
Masonry is not concerned with either the particular attributes of this Supreme Being or the manner and form in which He should be worshipped. It em-
Fraternally,
Michael Dale Senior Grand Deacon 2020-2021
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The Scarecrow in the film The Wizard of Oz makes a specific reference to the 47th problem of Euclid. Upon receiving his diploma from the Wizard, he immediately exhibits his "knowledge" by reciting a mangled and incorrect version of the Pythagorean Theorem: "The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side. Oh, joy! Oh, rapture! I've got a brain!" The correct statement is “The area of the square whose side is the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares on the other two sides.” But we, as free and accepted Masons know better. The problem is a symbol of geometry; of exact science and is the basis on which the superstructure of Freemasonry is erected. That is because geometry is the foundation of architecture and the root of mathematics. Translated into our daily lives we use our brains, and thus receive joy and rapture, by building our house, our temple, our lives, in accordance with the precepts of Freemasonry, the moral code that guides us. We use the symbols explained in the degrees to guide our work and become better
men. The opening of the long time soap opera Days of Our Lives has MacDonald Carey saying “like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.” This long running TV show has followed the trials and tribulations of a set of families in fictional Salem, Illinois for decades. So what does the hourglass symbolize to the Mason? According to the Arizona Monitor it is the emblem of human life, showing how swiftly the sands run and how rapidly our lives are drawing to a close. We observe how the grains of sand slip by so subtly as do the days of our lives. A young lady of my acquaintance just the other day was reflecting on how at 35 years old she was only 15 years past college age and an equal 15 years approaching 50 years old, which she considered as old. She wondered how that happened so fast. We as Masons should be able to more fully understand the three stages of life: infancy, manhood and old age, realize how quickly they each pass, and maintain a belief and hope that the record of our life is as pure and spotless as our apron.
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The Masonic pot of incense is intimately associated with prayer, but its symbolic significance is not a Masonic invention. Psalms 141-2 reads: “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” According to the Arizona Monitor the pot of incense “is an emblem of a pure heart… and so should our hearts continually glow with gratitude to the great and beneficent Author of our existence for the manifold blessings and comforts we enjoy.” The third degree lecture does not explain any of the eight classes of emblems but refers the candidate to the Monitor because it has been adopted by the fraternity as a textbook. As some lodges in Arizona were originally chartered by California Grand Lodge, the original ritual included explanations – as does California ritual to this day. The sweet smell of incense can be for a Mason similar to the sweet smell of newly mown grass or of a campfire – a reminder that we live in a world created for us by the Great Architect of the Universe and to whom we owe our thanks and prayers. Fraternally,
Leigh Creighton Junior Grand Deacon 2020-2021
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Brothers being Brothers
This is what brings men of all levels to A number of years ago while reading some papers the doors of Freefrom Ralph Waldo Emerson, I came across some masonry. Keeping notes suggesting that he launched his career giving lec- with the Emerson tures at the Boston Masonic Temple in 1835. At the theme, he once time I did not dig deeper to see if he was actually a wrote; “If a man can Mason. I found it interesting though, that if you look write a better book through some of Emerson's letters, correspondence, or preach a better lectures and other writing; and the philosophical work sermon or make a done by prominent Freemasons in Massachusetts, better mousetrap there seems to be an emergence of transcendentalist than his neighbor, even if he builds his house in the philosophy and Masonic ideas emerging during that woods, the world will make a beaten path to his period between 1830 and 1865 in the area. All by door.” Sounds a bit like knocking on the doors of random chance or is there something deeper? Freemasonry to me. We are writing that better book, we are making the better mousetrap, we are making While I surely do not want to suggest that Emerson better men through our Fraternity. brainwashed the Boston intellectuals and Freemasons As we approach the annual Communication and or told them what to write. But, how much can other the end of the year of MW Robertson’s Brothers bepeople’s thoughts and behaviors influence another ing Brothers, I hope that each and every one of us person? How do the people with whom you surround took the time to think about what that really meant yourself with affect one’s self or ego? Many studies over the course of the year. That we are striving to be have suggested that groups of friends may subconbetter men and by our example, encouraging others to sciously pick up one another’s behaviors and be better also. thoughts. They can use similar phrases when they speak and may even influence each other’s personal choices. Fraternally, It could follow then that If you have high expectations for yourself and you surround yourself with people who also have high expectations for themselves, you can hope that leads to personal success and achievement. Is this not what Masonry is all about? Not by mimicking other Masons or being imposed upon by their beliefs, but by sharing the drive to be better men.
Roger Biede III Senior Grand Steward 2020-2021
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Brethren, Our Masonicon event this year showed me As this masonic year comes to a close, it is important everything I need to for us to take time to reflect on what has occurred know about Arizona over the past year. There have been many challenges masonry. We haven't and obstacles for people across the world and inslowed down one bit deed in the world of freemasonry. despite having some restrictions placed upon us. Brothers A big part of what we do as masons is having our from all over packed monthly stated meeting. Although some of us may in thirsty for knowledge and ready for new challengcomplain about the minutes or bills being read in es. lodge, it is an opportunity to meet in person with our brothers. The meal before lodge, the fellowship after lodge, the grip from one brother to another, and the I want to thank all the masons in Arizona for staying bear hugs are all things we have missed out on. the course and their continued dedication to the craft. I look forward to seeing you all and Grand Communication. Let's look forward to another great We have had to learn to adapt to a new way of doing year for Masonry in Arizona business. A virtual Grand Communication and Zoom meeting became our new normal, our ritual became lost in the shuffle of the pandemic that could have crippled us. Under the guidance of our Grand Master we were able to pivot and adjust to new guidelines and come out of the other side with some success.
Fraternally, Eric DuPree Junior Grand Steward 2020-2021
As things begin to open back up slowly, let's get out of the habits that may have formed over the last year. We need to get back to being in the presence of our brothers and not depend on zoom as a way to meet. I have recently attended lodges and have seen good energy as we meet on the level and face to face.
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C/O Bryon P. Howe 14247 North 25 Avenue Phoenix Arizona 85023 th