Masonry
Arizona
August 2018
Inside this Issue
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From the Grand Master Welcome to 137 years
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The 60 Second Spill A Message from the Senior Grand Steward
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Masonry
Arizona
2018 Editor in Chief Craig L. Gross Grand Master
Happy Masonic New Year Message from the Deputy Grand Master
Managing Editor Roger C. Biede III 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(s) 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 in official writing by the Grand Secretary.
Ascension Lodge No. 89 Arizona’s Newest Lodge
Who Best Can Work and Best Agree A Message from the Senior Grand Deacon
Salt, Wine & Oil Matthew A. Leilich, Past Master
To advertise in Arizona Masonry please contact the Grand Editor, Roger C. Biede at editor@azmasonry.com
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 he 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. Arizona Masonry Committee Roger C. Biede III • Matthew Childress Matthew Reidmiller • Stan Martin Please direct all articles and correspondence to: Roger C. Biede III 988 E. Saddleback Pl. San Tan Valley, Ariz 85143 Editor@AzMasons.org For submissions for the next issue of Arizona Masonry or The Copper Post please contact Editor@AzMasons.org
Front cover image: Ascension Lodge No. 89, Phoenix, AZ 2
Arizona Masonry Magazine
August 2018
From the Grand Master By MWB Craig Gross, Grand Master BRETHREN, welcome to the beginning of the 137th year of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Arizona. I am honored to serve you as Grand Master and hope that the trust you have placed in me will not go unrewarded. We have much to do this year and I will be looking to all of you Craftsmen in the Quarries for help and guidance. This is a daunting task that I will not be able to complete without your help. The theme for the year is “ARIZONA MASONS STANDING TALL.” I see us as the majestic Saguaros, standing straight and tall, before the Great Creator and all Mankind, weathering the storms and the trials and tribulations of life. Our beloved fraternity is a permanent institution like the mighty saguaro. Its existence dates far back into the annals of the past; and although empires and kingdoms have been overthrown, and changes and revolutions have taken place in Governments and in society since it first had a being, Masonry still lives, having withstood the ravages of time, through prosperity and adversity, and today occupies a prominent position on the earth. It has today a living, vital existence, like the mighty saguaro, and will continue to exist as long as time shall be. It stands forth to the world as a tried and true institution. Notwithstanding the ancient origin that Masonry can boast, the permanent character that it sustains, and the moral influence of its teachings, it has in all ages been assailed by our enemies, both within and without; and many shafts of persecution have been hurled against us – with little effect. We may congratulate ourselves that most organized opposition has long since ceased; yet there are still some who bring objections within the Order through fraternal politics and misplaced ideologies, forgetting that we are all brothers. Fellow Craftsmen, are we ourselves not, to a great extent, the cause of many of these issues within our beloved Order? Here, at the beginning of our 137th year, as we engage in those duties which weigh upon us in our several stations in life, and which we as Masons are taught, “that we are on no account to neglect”, let us ask ourselves a few plain, practical questions. Do we attend August 2018
to our duties as Masons as we should? Do we live up to the principles of the Order that we profess to love and cherish? Do we act towards ourselves, our fellow men and our Creator as Masonry has taught us we should? My Brothers, be it ours to exemplify by our life and conduct, the noble principles of Masonry. Let us, in all our actions, make a constant application of those principles that others, seeing our good work, may be constrained to acknowledge the utility of Masonry, and that our influence, silent, yet ever working, may draw to the support of our Order the good and true of every land. Take loving Charity by the hand; do whatsoever it commands, and sweet peace will dwell within your faithful breasts. The widow’s tears will engrave in indelible characters the benefits of Masonry. The mother’s heaving breast the infant’s cries - the orphan’s thanks – the destitude’s relief, shall answer all objections against the Masonic institution. Learn well, my Brethren, the art of doing good, of producing peace amidst the jarring elements of our disturbed world - of producing order out of chaos, and harmony out of discord. Learn to handle well the tools of Masonry - especially the trowel, and with it spread well that cement of brotherly love and affection that produces neither discord nor envy, but instead thereof, that noble emulation of who best can work and who best agree. Then, when the dim lamp of life has expired, when we are about to close our labors in the lodge below, to join the celestial lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides, we shall feel conscious of having well performed our duties - of having done good, square work; and we shall feel happy, knowing that we are in possession of the passwords which will gain us admission into that lodge of the just,
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Happy Masonic New Year! By Greg Vasquez, Deputy Grand Master As we start this Masonic new year I have to stop and think about where we have been and where we are going this year. Over the past several years we have had Grand Masters whose themes were stated as: No Mason Left behind, Building Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, Building the Boundary of Masonic Conduct, Building Freemasonry Brother by Brother, Lodge by Lodge, and today we have Arizona Masons Standing Tall. As you read these themes you can see a common thread, that is, a love for our fraternity, a love for our brothers and a look to the future. In the end it does not matter which theme we chose to weave into our daily lives, what matters is that we choose a theme and that we act as Freemasons anywhere and everywhere. As we were charged, the eyes of the Fraternity are upon us as are the rest of the
world’s. It is up to us to convince the whole world that in becoming Masons we have become better men and by adherence to our principles others can too. I sincerely wish all of you my brethren a happy and prosperous new Masonic Year. Greg Vasquez Deputy Grand Master
Junior Grand Warden By Randy Jager, Junior Grand Warden I have so enjoyed my Lodge visitations during this Masonic Grand Lodge year! Nowhere is the Mystic Tie of our Fraternity more obvious to me than when I introduce myself and meet with Brethren for the first time. It is firmly my belief that this connection is the core of our Fraternity and we should never minimize its importance or take it for granted. Yes, I have written about this topic before, but it is worthy of repetition. Our ritual is what differentiates us from other Fraternities, but without each one of us the continued practice and performance of our ceremonies is impossible. Our thirst for additional light through further studies of our ancient craft enables us to grow intellectually, but Brotherly discussions can enable us to enhance our comprehension of these studies even further. Our day-to-day attention to our conduct enables us to become better men, but “iron sharpens iron” and without good counsel from others our efforts can only take us so far. Our charity and service to our communities and society allows us to make a difference in continued on page 5 4
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the world which has been entrusted to our care, but without all of us these tasks become overwhelming or impossible. Through our personal connection and effective communications, we can solve most all problems. If Lodge participation is struggling, what is more effective than a phone tree to reach out to the Brethren…or even better, a personal visit with a Brother to invite him back to the Lodge and talk to him about what he has been dealing with during the last few weeks. Very few things make most of us feel better than spending time among Brothers and close friends, so I ask each one of you to keep this in mind. Reach out and make someone in your Lodge realize that they make a difference to you and the Lodge. Together we can make a difference. I have met some amazing Brothers over the past year, and I look forward to seeing you all in Lodge again very soon!
Leave Your Masonic Legacy We need to build the Grand Lodge of Arizona Foundation, Inc. (GLOAF) endowment for you and I now and for future generations. Your gift will further the Masonic and other charitable purposes of our fraternity. A substantial endowment will decrease the reliance and pressure on per capita fees and annual giving. Besides an estate gift, other options include required minimum distributions from an IRA, stock, gifts that pay income to you, life insurance and more. Please consider GLOAF as part of your estate planning. For more information contact the Grand Lodge office at (602) 252-1924. August 2018
From the Grand Master cont. the true and the good, being duly and truly prepared to become associated with those true craftsmen who have gone before. Look each day to our actions. Ask yourself how they may affect others? I beg you to think always of how your actions and your words, in and out of the lodge, affect our great Fraternity and the brothers within. Our Lodge is a place of peace and harmony, a place where the better aspects of humanity exists. And while it is human nature to question, argue and differ in opinions, remember that we are all working toward building a better world and our purpose is to help one another, building the Fraternity one brother at a time. To paraphrase a great quotation: “Ask not what Freemasonry can do for you, ask what you can do for Freemasonry!” Planning for the future is a critical and necessary responsibility. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to failure. What is the condition of your lodge? What needs to be done to carry your lodge successfully into the future? Are you doomed to fail? What can we learn from the past? Every lodge needs to be critically looking at what they are doing and how they are doing it. I challenge each and every Master and Warden, as well as every Brother in the Lodge, to look to the future. Change is not the enemy, failure to consider change is. The challenge is there; ritual, officers, membership, education, social interaction, community involvement, and the list goes on. The Master Architect Program is a great place to start. The criteria contained within this program is a true meter of a lodge’s health and success. It can even be considered a roadmap to success. All you have to do is plan for it. In closing, I look forward to the many exciting opportunities that this year will present. The Grand Lodge Officers are here to help and support you, but we cannot do it alone. You are the Grand Lodge of Arizona. We will do everything we can to help you succeed. The DDGM’s and DDGL’s are some of the hardest working Brothers in the Fraternity. They are there for you to use as often as possible. They have great ideas, lots of information and endless opportunities to assist you. What we all need to do is STAND TALL!
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Arizona’s Newest Lodge By Micah Wimmer, Senior Warden Ascension Lodge No. 89 The membership roster of Ascension Lodge No. 89 F.&A.M., Arizona’s newest Lodge, is impressive for several reasons. First, conversations before a Stated Meeting between the Brethren are as varied as any social engagement, but these aren’t strangers – these are musicians, scientists, artists, lawyers, law enforcement, scholars, entrepreneurs, and service professionals who have come together to foster positive change in the Craft. Second, Ascension’s cultural, educational, and religious diversity lend to perspective-changing conversations (and a VSL-laden alter!) that keeps discourse lively. The roster is so diverse because the founding members of the Lodge sought only two base character attributes for membership: a willingness to improve one’s own character and behavior, and a tempered ego. As Founding Worshipful Master Harley Goodson has been known to say, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” Ascension only looks for members who can act as each other’s whetstones, sharpening themselves to be better men as they use their Lodge as a beacon to the Craft and community. Digging deeper into Ascension’s roster leads to the discovery that these men reside over a distance extending from Flagstaff to Tucson to regularly attend Lodge. So why did 16 men who come from different Lodges and backgrounds come together and start Ascension Lodge? If you ask Dr. Micah Wimmer, SW he would answer, “A pervasive dissatisfaction with the traditional Blue Lodge experience – how can we focus on anything the Craft has to offer when the Stated Meeting is almost designed to be mechanical and rote?” Freemasonry attracts the type of individual that is never complacent or tolerant of mediocrity. However, that’s all Brothers like Harley and Micah found when looking at Lodges to join. Both Past Masters, Harley and Micah have almost 20 years of experience with the “rubber-chicken dinners and flip flops” and have looked for the lessons that the Craft promises all who knock. While both Brothers found aspects of the Craft being done well in some Lodges, it was neglected or left out completely in others. When trying to change the Lodge experience from the East, both met resist6
ance from existing culture. Were they the only two that felt this way about their Masonic experience? No, soon they recruited 14 others with similar ideologies. Each Brother separately brought their own perspective to create a Lodge model like no other being practiced in Arizona and traveled together to gather ideas on how to refine their ideas. Years of travel, research, notes, and meetings produced a model of a Blue Lodge that incorporated Traditional Observance element. That was just the framework. The Brethren then built the concept of “Ascension” on some principles. For example, Ascension is a labor of love and nothing is done at the Lodge without 100% effort. The Brothers achieve this through incremental revisions. Every element of the Lodge experience has been designed by the membership to provide a deeper experience, separate from the profane. The moment a Brother enters Ascension Lodge he is greeted by the scent of incense specifically chosen to enhance the experience while the Lodge Organist advances the timing of the procession. The lighting has been adjusted to be pleasing to the eyes while shadows dancing along the walls entertain the idle mind before a moment of silence centers the attention of those present. The carefully attenuated atmosphere of the room combined with a streamlined business meeting is highlighted by reverent ritual work and capped off with a custom paper written by a Lodge member. Everything has been designed so that the Lodge experience is special to those in attendance every single time. Freemasonry is about more than Stated Meetings however, and the members of Ascension Lodge believe that the Lodge should be a reflection of the Brethren within it and not a pedestal for any one of them. Therefore, while each member strives to be an elite version of themselves, a Brother visiting Ascension won’t see arrogance as they shake each officer’s hand before entering the Lodge room. Ascension Lodge has big plans for the future and hopes that one day that it will be a pillar in the community while becoming a beacon to anyone in the Craft looking for something
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a little different to do on a Monday night. Ascension welcomes all Brothers (but don’t forget your Due’s Card!). Ascension Lodge meets on the 3rd Monday’s of the month (except July, December) at the Masonic Temple at 345 W. Monroe, Phoenix AZ at 6:30pm. Visitors are directed to use the North door of the Temple and follow the staircase to the second floor. Lodge begins after the Lodge’s Marshal seats the Brethren. Ascension holds a catered in-house ritual-style Agape on the first floor directly after their meeting. Due to reserved space, tickets to the Agape go on sale two weeks in advance of a meeting. Attire is dark suit or tuxedo.
Who Best Can Work and Best Agree By Jim Baker, Senior Grand Deacon Brethren,
agree.
I am very proud to have been a part of this year’s Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of Arizona. The conduct and camaraderie of our Brethren from around the State was exceptional which created an atmosphere of unity and Brotherly Love. We had a few pieces of legislation where the vote was close but the Brethren acted with civility and courtesy toward each other during the Tyled sessions.
Congratulations to MWB Craig Gross on his election and installation as MWGM of Masons in Arizona and all the elected and appointed Grand Lodge Officers, Trustees, DDGM’s, DDGL’s and Committee chairmen and members. I am confident this new roster of Men will serve the craft well this coming GL year.
We as Grand Lodge voting members moved the craft forward in a positive direction. There are many Brothers to thank for making this a great Masonic year starting with the newest Master Mason in Arizona who was honored with a seat in the East to MWGM Scott Thomas who afforded him that seat and all Brothers in between. Our obligation and duty as Masons to strive to improve ourselves and therefore better our Lodges, Grand Lodge, Communities and the World in general should be ever constant in our thoughts, prayers and actions. The more we work together the greater the accomplishments will be which will continue to bind us all together as friends and Brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, but that noble contention, or rather emulation of who best can work and best August 2018
I thank MWGM Craig for my appointment as SGD and I will give my utmost to serve the Brethren with Honesty, Integrity and Brotherly Love. I thoroughly enjoyed my Official visits last year and look forward to visiting more Lodges around the state this year. Visitation between our Lodges is one of the best tools we have to strengthen our bonds as friends and Brothers and is always time well spent. See you in Lodge! Fraternally, Jim Baker, SGD
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The 60 Second Spill By Darrell Mandrell, Senior Grand Steward Brethren, As we start the new Masonic year let me begin by saying that I am excited and eager to serve this fraternity as the Senior Grand Steward. One of my focal points has always been membership and retention and I always have my 60 second spill ready to go, and in fact I use it regularly. The first impression is often times the only one we get when talking with a friend/stranger about the Fraternity. I love telling the story of my first impression with the fraternity. I was with a co-worker and dear friend 20 plus years ago who was telling me a story of being out of state, at a small mom/pop gas station and asked if he could write a check. Being told they would not accept out of state checks, the two continued a few more moments of small talk, shook hands and out of instinct, both recognized the secret super power grip. A few challenge and answer questions later, my friend was told his check would always be welcomed there. I inquired about this special super power grip and was informed I had to be a Mason in order to receive it. Well my next question was what a Mason is, and what do they do, which was answered by my dear friend and Brother, “it’s a group of men, mostly older, who get together once a week or so and memorize a bunch of lectures and give them in front of the other members of the lodge.” Needless to say, it was many years later that I looked further into joining the
Fraternity, as that did not sound fun at all. This particular individual is now a DDGM for the Grand Lodge of Oklahoma and has improved his “60 second spill” and is responsible for bringing in many new brothers over the years for his lodge, and despite his original spill is the reason I am a Mason today. When I visited his lodge on a trip back home, I had to share this experience with the brethren who all got a good laugh.
Summer is officially here in full force, school is out for the summer, and with that many Arizona Lodges go dim for the summer, “not a fan of the word dark”. Although some lodges will not be conducting business over the summer months, many still do degree work and other activities, and with many of their members on vacations, sideliners would be appreciated. If you are not on vacation and happen to be Fame is a subjective process. One quickly associates who and wondering what to do over the sumwhat are the famous, but the famous are those whom we judged mer, please reach out to a lodge that on the degrees of accomplishment. Entertainment figures, political may be having a degree and visit. leaders, and the like, have gained their fame bathed in the light of adoration, talent, ability, exposure, and good fortune. Neglected on any definition of what constitutes the label of famous is to what degree that fame rises. In the family circle are parents, the father that works to provide sustenance, the mother providing the sustenance of nurturing. It might also be the seventh grade teacher whose inspiration still continues. Fame is mostly demonstrated by admiration, but should recognized by respect, guidance, and inspiration; a force of greatness.
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Be safe, enjoy your summer and look out for each other, and never miss an opportunity to give your 60 second spill. I look forward seeing all of you thorough out the year. Fraternally, Darrell D. Mandrell Senior Grand Steward 2018
August 2018
Junior Grand Steward By Michael Dale, Grand Steward Brethren, I bring you warm Fraternal greetings from the bottom of the Grand line! I would first like to thank MW Brother Craig Gross for his vote of confidence, by appointing me to serve the Craft as your Junior Grand Steward for the 2018-2019 Grand Lodge year. Thanks to all who gave me congratulations on my appointment and I will strive to make every effort to keep what is best for our beloved Fraternity in the forefront of all my actions. I hail from the far south western area of the state known as Yuma, AZ. I know many of you are surprised to hear the such a place exists. It is much farther from any place in Arizona to get to Yuma than it is from Yuma to any place in Arizona. I am a ritualist and believe that our ritual defines us. We must all strive to perform the ritual with absolute perfection and perfect understanding. I will take every task assigned to me for the Fraternity very seriously and strive to do what is best for the fraternity. With that said here is a little story by William R. Fischer . . . You have passed your third degree exam and now you are a Master Mason. So now what. You have several choices in front of you. 1. Become an officer. 2. Become proficient in ritual work. 3. Move on to the other degrees. 4. Join one of the many other organizations August 2018
only a Master Mason can join. 5. Or slowly fade away like so many do, never to be seen or heard from, except for dues time. There are other options but these are the most prevalent. If you do the fifth choice in this list, you will never know any more about Masonry than you know right now. You will never be any use to the fraternity nor will the organization ever be useful to you. If you stay with one or more of the top four you will learn how a group can act as a team. You will see how much more the team can accomplish than just one person alone. This does not mean that we are not individuals. Masonry teaches free thinking and this can only be accomplished through self-sufficiency. A determination to be free from all types of restraints is preferred. Free thinking will open up your thoughts, your hopes, and your aspirations. You will be able to express yourself by using your head and embrace those ideas with your heart. What all of this means is that you should: speak with your head; listen to your heart; and always, always follow your dreams. Michael Dale 2018-19 Grand Steward
It has been said many times and many ways. When things have not gone the way you need or want, move on. We have heard such advice as to forget the past, don't dwell on what went wrong, closure is important, stay strong, and move on. It is apparent that this kind of advice is about forgetting problems and just be happy, but consider that it just be the easier way out. Moving on but upward is most often a hard thing to do. Required is a strong outlook on being positive, both in feelings and actions. Being positive takes courage, a trait that may seem to have gone into hiding, so keep digging until found, and move forward. Moving forward is only the first step in moving on. Examining problems may present troubling feelings to start with, but if one has a strong sense of searching for clarity and finding it, that is what is needed to move on safely to what comes next. Moving on does not mean you left something behind. Give it meaning toward guiding the future. Arizona Masonry Magazine
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Junior Grand Deacon By George Rusk, Junior Grand Deacon The Junior Deacon is to attend to the wishes of the Senior Warden; and being seated at his right hand, is prepared to carry messages from him to the Junior Warden and elsewhere about the Lodge as he may be directed. He is near the outer door to attend to all alarms of the Tyler, report them to the Master and at his command inquire into the cause. The Junior Deacon is to see that the Lodge is duly tiled. These duties I take seriously, as I did in my lodge and will do in the Grand Lodge. I am truly honored to have been appointed as your Junior Grand Deacon. I fully understand it as a one year appointment and plan to fulfill my obligations as best I can. I am continuing to liaison with the Technology Committee this year and look forward to the Commitment to Communicate (C Squared) vision of our Grand Master. It is through communication that we can share ideas, provide feedback, understand each other and improve Freemasonry in Arizona.
out brothers who have songs or poems and verses with a Masonic reference that they would like share or put to music. I am trying to learn to play the guitar and hope to join a Masonic hoedown someday. Also, now that I have assigned lodges to visit in an official capacity, I plan to bring along, with my usual crew, a special guest to attend lodge. He, or it, is a traveling friend, properly dressed as a master mason. I hope he will be accepted and attend lodge with me and get his traveling passport signed by every lodge master and secretary in the state. The problem is, being an elderly friend, he forgot his own name. I therefore petition the brothers of Arizona to help me name my traveling friend. Send your recommendations for my traveling friend’s name and any Grand Lodge Web Site information, comments or musical interests to grusk@hotmail.com. Visit the Grand Lodge Web site www.azmasons.org Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/azmasons Sincerely and Fraternally, George Rusk, PM Oriental #20 Junior Grand Deacon Grand Lodge of F&A Masons of Arizona How many of these distinguished early Arizona Masons can you identify in this picture said to have been taken at Walnut Canyon, Arizona?
In a previous publication I shared with you how important friends and family are to me. It is not what I am but who I am. It is not what we have in our life but who we have that counts. I will now share other interests that I have and solicit your comments.
Photo courtesy of the George Roskruge & S. Barry Casey Library and Museum.
I especially enjoy the Second Degree Lecture and its references to science. One of the Seven Liberal arts and Sciences mentioned is Music. Music can be studied like Pythagoras and his students, or used for meditation, or for entertainment or for accompaniment in a play. In masonry it adds depth to our ritual. I would like to seek 10
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Salt, Wine & Oil by Matthew A. Leilich, Past Master, Gothic-Fraternal Lodge #270, Hamilton Square, NJ It is common knowledge that the ancient wages of a Fellowcraft Mason consisted of corn, wine, and oil. Many however, object to this assertion. How can corn be associated with these ancient wages when—clearly—corn was first discovered in the New World? Corn was first brought back to Europe by Christopher Columbus in the late 1400’s. Since our ritual predates the age of exploration, must not any reference to corn be some sort of mistake? The word “corn” is actually Old English, and refers to any type of granular matter. Oats, wheat, barley, rye, even spices, could all be referred to as corn. When used in its verb form “to corn” means to turn a substance into a grain, for example, “to corn gunpowder.” Our ritual therefore, is not actually referring to kernels of corn, but to some type of Old World grain. It has become a widespread practice among most Masonic jurisdictions to incorporate the use of corn, wine, and oil in the dedication ceremonies of lodges and other public buildings. The most famous of these ceremonies took place September 18, 1793 in Washington D.C., when President George Washington, dressed in full Masonic regalia, laid the cornerstone of our nation’s Capitol building. However, the combination of these three symbolic offerings can be traced back even further. The principle grains of the Old Testament were barley and wheat. The Bible contains hundreds of references to corn, wine, and oil as separate entities, and over a dozen times the three are grouped together within the same passage. (see end of article) They were seen as blessings from God, used as currency, and used as sacrificial offerings. By the Victorian Era, from which much of the language of our ritual is derived, the word “corn” was often substituted for the word “salt.” The verb “to corn” meant “to salt” or “to preserve.” Corned beef, for example, contains no actual kernels of corn, but contains a very high amount of salt. In fact, if we examine the wording of our ritual, the word “salt” could be easily substituted for the word “corn.” “The corn of sustenance” simply becomes, “the salt of sustenance.” Our bodies need salt in order to survive and the meaning still holds true. Salt was quite valuable in the ancient world. It was the primary method of preserving food, mainly meat and fish, and also August 2018
served as a good antiseptic, hence the expression, “rubbing salt into the wound.” One of the busiest ancient Roman trade routes was the famous Via Salaria, a road connecting the capital city to the eastern coast of what is now modern-day Italy. Along this route salt merchants drove their oxcarts filled with cargo while Roman soldiers marched alongside protecting their wares. The Roman army quickly adopted the practice of paying these soldiers partly with salt, or with money to buy salt. The Latin word for salt is “sal,” and the modern word “salary” derives from the Latin “salarium” or “salt money.” This is probably where we get the expression “he’s not worth his salt.” However, the earliest reference to this phrase in printed form does not appear until 1805 when Philip Beaver printed his book The African Memoranda. On the other hand, the expression “not worth his salt,” could also have been associated with the ancient Greek practice of trading salt for slaves. The word “sal,” also appears in the English word “salad.” Ancient Romans adopted the practice of salting their salads in order to balance out the natural bitterness of the greens. Other references to salt used as money can be found in Marco Polo’s writings. While traveling in China in the late 13th century he noted that images of the Grand Khan were pressed onto tiny salt cakes and used as coins. Salt was so rare in the African Empire of Mali (1235-1600 A.D) that it was quite literally worth its weight in gold! Ounces of salt were traded for ounces of gold, and to this day the salt trade is still practiced in Mali. Other ancient civilizations such as the Phoenicians also traded salt, but this article only examined a few. There is concrete historical evidence that salt was used by various ancient peoples as a form of currency. Furthermore, our ritual clearly states that a Fellowcraft Mason’s wages consisted of “corn, wine, and oil”—wages—being the key word. Assuming that the “corn” of our ritual was “salt,” the assumption that a Fellowcraft Mason was paid in salt would be both grammatically and historically correct. In all probability however, the before mentioned “corn” was probably some sort of cereal grain such as barley or wheat. It is interesting to consider though, that salt might have been part of a Fellowcraft’s wages, and even if this was not the case, it certainly adds seasoning to our Masonic understanding.
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Masonry
Arizona
Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Arizona
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988 E. Saddleback Pl San Tan Valley, AZ 85143
Memories are ethereal things. Events, people, pictorials, portrayed by the mind as if a current happening. We have heard it said that memories are like movies on a screen, even like 3D. That is only the image displayed to an unimaginable technology enhanced mind. Realistically, a memory is not a realistic experience, but let it go like that. Memories serve us to retain the long gone past, often enhancing what we remember from reality. Practically speaking, we know the memory process is also the prime means of learning, to retain what is taught, that which is presented to us formally or otherwise, and what we gain from experience. The forgetting process may be deliberate to erase consciously unfortunate events, or due to more natural causes. Nowhere is there a memory storage box that locks when full. In most cases, memories store well, ready to be called for, and cherished. David Woodland Scottsdale 43 and Oriental 20, Lodge Musician both Lodge of the Holyland 50, Israel PM 1977 & 1978, WWII vet. Sixty-six Master Mason