THE SURVEYOR
THE SURVEYOR
Vol. XII No. 5
George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board
September/October 2011
Summer Degrees Not All from the Heat
In the Surveyor
L-R District Lecturer Frank Mayer, 33E ; WM Otto Tesch, PM; E.A. Tim Klug; Jason Freeman, WM Milwaukee Harmony Lodge
From the East. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Chapter & Council. . . . . . . . . 2 Trustee Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Notices & Activities of Appendant Bodies. . . . . . . . . 3 Masonic Education. . . . . . . . 4-5 Lost Temples. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 At & About the Lodge. . . . . 7-8 Civil W ar: Part 2. . . . . . . . 9-10 Master’s Calendar. . . . . . . . 11 Business Directory. . . . . . . . 12 2011 Officers Directory. . . . 12
Three degrees were held during the summer months of June and July, and August. Thursday, June 30 was the Entered Apprentice degree for Tim Klug and Tuesday, July 19 was the Fellow Craft degree for Seth Swanson. Br. Jason Freeman, Worshipful Master of Milwaukee Harmony Lodge stepped in as Junior Steward for Tim Klug’s EA degree. Members of that lodge visited every lodge in District 12 last year to earn the Traveling Apron Award. Also in attendance was District Lecturer, Br. Frank Mayer. This was the fifth Entered Apprentice degree conferred at GW1776 this year byWM Otto Tesch who, although a Past Master, had never conferred a degree before. Br. Chuck Carroll, Senior Warden of GW1776 conferred the Fellowcraft degree for Br. Seth Swanson, but the highlight of the evening was the (Continued Page 8) PM Dick Marcus and FC Seth Swanson between the pillars.
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Vol. XII No. 5 George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board September/October 2011
Kenwood North Shore Chapter #90
Message from the East
Otto Tesch, Worshipful Master Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth; these are the tenets of our Order. In our first meeting in September, we will be honoring a small group of Masons whose combined time in Masonry total well over 200 years in the Craft. They originally were members of different ones of the four of the lodges which combined to become George Washington 1776 Lodge # 337. They have spent the above mentioned years supporting the Craft and we all thank them for their perseverance and love. To show our support I'd like to ask everyone who can to bring their white leathern apron from their raising to Master Mason. We all want to wish them the best, for they gave the best to us. At the end of the lodge meeting we will all reobligate ourselves in the Master Mason Degree. Our Junior Deacon will have more on this
Royal Arch Masons Congratulations to our new corps of officers for the coming Masonic year and a grateful thank you to our past officers. Our Next meeting dates: September 8, 2011 at 7:30 pm; and November 10, 2011 at 7:30 pm. Fraternally, David Haase, T.I.M. Kenwood Council #34 R&SM Meeting Date Oct 13
Trustees Trustee '11 David Haase, PM Walt Smith, PM Trustee '12 Chuck Roeder George Burgess, PM Jim Roberts, PM Trustee '13 Bob Batchelder Mark Truesdell, PM
The purpose of the Blue Lodge is to make Masons. In the upcoming months, we will be doing just that. We will have at least four candidates for FC and MM. We may have five more candidates for all the degrees. We will need your help and support for these degrees. One idea that has been floated is that we do multiple degrees on a Saturday afternoon with a meal afterwards. This will probably start in October. We will need all thje help we can get. Remember that Elections for the upcoming year will be the first meeting in November.
Mandatory Monthly Trustee Meetings for Information Call Dave Haase 414-964-4080 dave.haase.hair@gmail.com
Vol. XII No. 5 George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board September/October 2011
Dinner Club Dinner Club will not be meeting in July or August, but will resume in September. Br. Dick Paradowski is looking for suggestions of places to have the Dinner Club this Fall. If you have some ideas, please give Dick a call. All are welcome at Dinner Club including ladies, friends and family. Please RSVP by the Thursday before each Dinner Club meeting. Dick Paradowski at 262-782-8835.
Noteworthy... Coming to a parade near you. Our Senior Deacon Keith Sargeant has joined the award wining Tripoli Motor Corp Scarabs. Enjoy the wild maneuvers of these Masons, dedicating their time to bring joy to parade goers, all for the purpose of supporting the Shrine Hospitals for Children.
Henry L. Palmer Lodge Presents A Reading of
“Defense of the Ruffians”
THE SURVEYOR
T HE S URVEYOR Vol. XII No.4 ©2011 George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board A Bi-Monthly Periodical Established July, 2000 Chuck Carroll, Editor in Chief Barb Carroll, Proof Reader Contributors: David Haase, PM; Otto Tesch, PM; Richard D. Marcus, PM; Terry Johannes; Frank Nurenberger, PM Photographers: Chuck Carroll; Terry Johannes; Kristin Anthony; Barb Carroll The Surveyor is printed & mailed by Central File Inc., Br. Dan Chaudoir, President. Payment for printing is donated directly to the George Washington Masonic Fund. Silver Spring Masonic Center 517 E. Beaumont Avenue Whitefish Bay, WI 53217 Deadline for submissions for the next issue of The Surveyor: Tuesday, October 4, 2011
October 22, 2011 Dinner at 6:00 p. m. Tiled Lodge of Master Masons Opens at 7:00 RSVP John Wackman 262-424-6993
Upcoming Scottish Rite Events Upcoming Tripoli Temple Events See the Tripoli Tattler for the Shrine Summer Schedule Tripoli Tattler link: http://www.tripolishrine.com/tattler.html
Sept. 6. . . . . Scottish Rite Kickoff Dinner Sept. 23, 24, 25 .Scottish Rite Fall Reunion
For information: Keith Sargeant 414-881-7060 wisarge@yahoo.com
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Vol. XII No. 5 George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board September/October 2011
Masonic Education
The Triads of Speculative Masonry by Richard D. Marcus, PM (Revised from a talk I gave in our Lodge in January 2001, called Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty and published in MasonicWorld in March 2001 http://www.masonicworld.com/education/files/wsb.htm ) Triads are groups of three ideas or three objects. Triads appear in nature, politics, and religion. To early man, the cosmos consisted of the sun, the moon, and the stars. He called the natural elements earth, wind, and fire. He could see triads in the three-leaf clover. He knew he lived in a three-dimensional world. In politics, the US Constitution established three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. And in religion, most faiths teach fealty to God, your neighbor, and yourself. All are arranged in intriguing triangles or triads of ideas. Let us endeavor to understand some of the power in triads both historically and for us as Masons. Before we become aware of triads, we think in opposites or dual concepts. Developmental learning theorists easily prove that infants learn through simple stimulus and response events. As you touch a newborn baby's cheek, her instinctive reflex will be to turn her head in that direction. She quickly learns to identify her Mother's voice from all others. As language is acquired, knowledge can be gathered by asking, "why?" After a child asks a question she is rewarded with an answer. The pattern engages a pair of concepts or dyads. Even as we advance in learning, we make decisions using dyads by giving reasons for and against an action. A straightforward method for determining a course of action involves drawing a vertical line on paper and arranging the pro and con arguments on either side. Furthermore, Socratic teaching methods train students by asking questions. The students must provide the answer or else the teacher must supply it. Catechisms are similarly simple teaching devices for youth. The first question in the W estminster Confession asks, "W hat is the chief end of man?" The student replies, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." The question is neat; the answer is clean. This is an uncomplicated style of learning for the young. But as we grow into adulthood, we become more complex. Answers tend to include modifiers such as “on the one hand this, but on the other hand that.� Dualistic thinking is insufficient for more advanced analysis. Socratic methods tend to give way to Hegelian philosophy that was based on threes: thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. Inspired by Christian insights and grounded in his mastery of a fund of knowledge, Georg W ilhelm Friedrich H egel attempted to answer all questions--natural, human, and divine--using dialectical reasoning that swung from thesis to antithesis and back again to a richer synthesis. Two opposing forces resolve into a creature
The Three Great Lights of Masonry
wholly different, like the cross-fertilization of two different rose bushes producing a more perfect hybrid. Higher learning tended to use triads. Among the seven liberal arts and sciences are grammar and rhetoric. Grammar uses subject, verb, and object - three things. Adjectives are inflected into good, better, and best - also triads. Grammatical tenses are conjugated into run, ran, and have run. Rhetoric is similarly infused with triads. "A rhetorical comment," is a phrase meaning tangential or unnecessary words. Yet expert rhetoricians reveal much about the persuasive power of words and ideas in orderly lists. In Latin, word order doesn't matter. In English, "man bites dog," demonstrates that word order matters. W e remember the three things that abide which are faith, hope, and charity. The order matters. The Bible did not say charity, faith, and hope. W e remember from the French Revolution: equality, liberty, and fraternity - a triad. Providing citizens with equality and liberty produces the ideal of fraternity. Rhetoricians argue that the ear wants to hear the most complex at the end of the list as it finishes or completes the first two thoughts. Triads appear in many ancient systems of thought. In numerology, triads are seen as the combination of odd (1) and even (2) that sums to three. Three becomes a symbol of perfection in many ancient cultures and mystic philosophies. Threes also appear very early in geography and in geometry. W e can find any location on a plane by reference to three points. Even anthropological artifacts reflect triads. From the union of marriage comes a child. The complication of three elements is needed to provide sufficient complexity to achieve an idealized perfection. Triads are also prominently employed in Lodges and Masonic writings. W hy triads dominate over dyads or quartets of ideas may not conclusively be known, but speculative Masonry permits us ample opportunity to reflect on the reasons. Threes appear prominently in the lecture of the winding
Vol. XII No. 5 George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board September/October 2011 stairs as we are shown the first three steps. They remind Fellowcrafts of the three degrees of Masonry and the three principal officers of the W orshipful Master, Senior, and Junior W ardens. W e learn that a Lodge is not singular. A Lodge is not dual. It is plural with a minimum of three. Similarly, displaying of the three Greater Lights and the three lesser lights are central rituals for the opening and closing of the Lodge. As the furniture of the Lodge, they separately are symbols with meanings and lessons, but the fact that they are grouped into threes is not accidental. The three lesser lights are named wisdom, strength, and beauty. They are said to help make Masons better men. Naturally, we could have added other virtues to the list: patience, fortitude, or peacemaking, but the fact that there is but three draws your attention. The three Greater Lights parallel the three lesser lights. First displayed on the altar is the Holy Bible or scriptures from other religions. The Holy Bible is a collection of writings, histories, and moral teachings that provide guidance in our actions. They are sometimes known as wisdom literature; indeed, one of the books in the Apocrypha during the inter-testamental period is the Book of Wisdom. King Solomon is recalled as a wise king whose wisdom was demonstrated by the story of two women claimants for a baby. Furthermore that wisdom is symbolized atop the W orshipful Master by his hat, the crown of the ruler who is wise. The square is the second Great Light. A right angle is key to forming a strong wall or a proper column--a wall that will withstand the vicissitudes of weather and seasons. Being on the square is commended to all Master Masons. W e are charged to follow the rules and regulations of the Craft and of the country in which we live. W e see the square as a symbol of right living in our own lives as well as order in society. The Senior W arden represents strength: he is the strong supporter of the W orshipful Master. Yet it is intriguing that the symbol of strength, the square, is worn as the jewel of the W orshipful Master. The third symbol placed on the altar is the compasses. W e use a compass to draw an arc or a perfect circle. There is beauty and perfection in structures built with arches and celestial windows. Cathedrals featured rose windows over the altar, which were circular stained-glass windows beautifully adorned
Level, Square & Plumb: Worshipful Master & Wardens
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The Three Pillars
for the contemplation of the glory of God. W e are further taught a message hidden in the compasses to keep our actions within due bounds. Beauty is orderly, balanced, and under control. So too, the Junior W arden talks of the arc of the sun as it rises to Meridian height as being the beauty and glory of the day. Hence we repeat patterns of wisdom, strength, and beauty in the three officers as well as the Greater and Lesser Lights. The rhetoric of listing wisdom, strength, and beauty in this order places importance on beauty. Beauty is an odd ideal for a fraternity. Yet beauty is seen as the resolution of a life that is brimming with wisdom and strength. M en who exhibit wisdom and strength create harmony. Harmony is itself a characteristic of beauty in social settings. In the Aurora Lodge, the German word for beauty is Schรถnheit, which involves balance and symmetry, as in the beauty of a well-built structure. Perhaps we can visualize that a Lodge of filled with wise and strong men will produce better men in a manly sense of symmetry, strength, and beauty. The three degrees emphasize three stages of life. Our youth and adolescence are emphasized in our training as Entered Apprentices; our manhood and useful work are keys to the Fellowcraft degree; and contemplating our own mortality is vividly illustrated in the Hiramic story for Master Masons. The posting monitors used by all three degrees today begin with three grand principles of brotherly love, relief and truth. Meetings in Lodge are designed to reinforce these three principles as we practice fraternity, charity, and virtue - three moral guides. Triads are used by Lodges to train our minds. As we grow in understanding we grow to use more and richer triads. Intelligence, force, and harmony provide elegant synonyms uses today for wisdom, strength, and beauty. Likewise, religion, law, and morals are pillars of Masonic teaching. By religious study and contemplation we search out wisdom. By the force and rule of law, we establish a strong and orderly society. And by inculcation of personal morality, we strive for beauty in our private and public lives. The lesson for us is that the triads used in our rituals and in our lectures are purposeful and helpful to us. Let us strive for perfection by becoming better men by seeing the power of thinking with triads.
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Vol. XII No. 5 George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board September/October 2011
by Terry Johannes This is the eleventh in a series about Masonic Temples no longer being used for their original purpose. These abandoned and reclaim ed structures rem ain m em orials to our glorious past. Dedicated to this quest, the author investigates the Lost Tem ples of Wisconsin. -ed.
In 1853 a group of Masons from Watertown petitioned grand master Henry L. Palmer to form a lodge in Watertown. Tuscan Lodge #35 had been chartered in 1850 but its charter had been revoked when the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin had found that the members had scattered and no regular meeting had been held for over a year. Grand master Palmer issued a charter to Watertown Lodge #49 in June 1854. By 1862 Watertown Lodge was meeting on the third floor of the Bank Of Watertown building.
In 1903 Watertown Lodge purchased several buildings on Main Street along the Rock River and erected a new Temple in 1905. This building was destroyed by fire in 1916. The present building was built in 1917. Watertown Lodge occupied this building until 1965 when it was sold and the lodge moved to its present building. The Main Street Temple is typical of early Masonic meeting places in small towns. There is commercial space on the first floor with the lodge space on the second or third floor. When traveling through small towns watch for Square & Compasses or" Masonic Temple" along the roof line of some building on the main street. I'm sure this was a way to cover the overhead of owning the building.
Watertown Lodge #49, Watertown, Wisconsin
Today the old Watertown Temple is an unfinished renovation project. It appears that the building was being turned into apartments and commercial spaces, but now stands vacant and partially completed. However, "Masonic Temple" can still be seen along the roofline and the exterior seems to have changed little since 1917.
Vol. XII No. 5 George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board September/October 2011
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At and About the Lodge Annual Picnic Big Success With over 40 in attendance, this year’s picnic was a big success in spite of the heat! As the temperature approached the mid 90s, the picnic moved indoors where everyone had a great time chatting and eating. Entered Apprentices and Fellow Crafts mingled with Master Masons in an informal setting with family and friends. Brs. Brian Bromberek and Tyler Kristopeit worked in the grueling heat to cook corn, brats, burgers and dogs and brought them down to the dining hall for all to enjoy. Brothers of the lodge welcomed a surprise visit from Mitch Haycock, Past Master of Silver Spring Lodge along with his daughter.
Seth Swanson and his son Seth enjoy the picnic indoors.
Surveyor Editor to Teach Fall Course in Medicare
Brothers share plans and experiences at the Annual Picnic.
Senior Warden Chuck Carroll will be teaching a six-week course entitled, “Medicare in Wisconsin,’ at the North Shore School for Seniors from September 12, through October 17. The course covers the history of Medicare, as well as how it relates to Wisconsin residents. This course if for anyone on Medicare or soon to be eligible for Medicare. North Shore School for Seniors is an ecumenical school for seniors 50 years of age or older held at the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay. For information on how to enroll, call 414-964-2424.
Past Masters Club Meets Again The Past Masters Club is back and met on July 12th for the first time in over a year. Temporary officers elected were President, Frank Nurenberger, Vice President, Dick Marcus, Secretary, Dave Haase, and Treasurer, Chuck Roeder. Discussed was the purpose of the club. Two main purposes were brought forward. The first is to give strong support to the Worshipful Master and his Wardens A second major responsibility is fund raising for lodge support, 1) to obtain items that are needed but outside the budgets of the lodge or the Trustees, and 2) to support Masonic and other charities as requested. All members who are past Masters are entitled to membership in the Past Master Club, regardless of the lodge in which they served. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 5th at 7:00.
Br. Frank Nurenberger, at the 2009 installation as WM, has been elected President of the Past Masters Club.
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Vol. XII No. 5 George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board September/October 2011
Summer Degrees
(Continued from Page 1)
magnificent “Stairway Lecture” performed by Br. Dick Marcus. Brother Seth will now be working with Brs. Chuck Carroll and William (Hutch) Hutchins to prepare to post for the Fellow Craft examination. August 16 was the Master Mason Degree for Br. Wiley Gladney, Assistant Pastor at the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay. Because so many were unavailable because of Summer vacations and illness, Brothers from other lodges had to be called in to help take some parts. Thanks to Brs. Alan Soriano, Wisconsin 13 Lodge; Tom Stachoviak, Damascus Lodge; Joe Pronnet, Aurora Lodge; and Frank Mayer, District 12 Lecturer. Many lodges in District 12 seem to be busy doing degree work this summer. It is exciting to see how brothers from all over the area flock to a lodge to see to it that even in the summer months, candidates receive support from brothers in attendance.
Br. Tim Klug, WM Otto’s 5th E.A. conferred this year.
A new Master at the GW1776 Lodge. L-R Backrow: William Hutchins; Dick Marcus; Frank Mayer; Keith Sargeant; Joe Fahrenkopf; Tom Stachowiak; Al Soriano; Mitch Haycock; Tyler Kristopeit;Dave Haase; George Burgess. L-R Front Row: Chuck Carroll; Frank Nurenburg; Mark Truesdell; Wiley Gladney; Otto Tesch; Walt Smith; Chuck Roeder.
Vol. XII No. 5 George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board September/October 2011
Civil War: Brotherhood Among Soldiers Part 2
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unique chapter in Masonic and Civil W ar Military history, was Brother and Lieutenant Commander John E. Hart. There is a tradition rife that W ashington, LaFayette and Baron Stueben were all visitors to St. George's Lodge. W ashington visited Schenectady on three occasions. John Elliot Hart was made a Mason in St. George's Lodge No. 6, Schenectady, New York, during the year 1857, the degrees being conferred as follows: Entered Apprentice, July 24; Fellowcraft,
The Day that Stopped the War The ALBATROSS was bombarding St. Francisville, Louisiana, and the shells from her guns were wreaking havoc in the little town. In the village were several Confederate soldiers, home on leave, impotent and torn with regret at the destruction of their homes by the ALBATROSS' shells. Ranking the group was Captain W .W . Leake of the Confederate Army. His home was in direct line of fire between the ALBATROSS and the Courthouse, the target of the gunboat's shells. In the cellar his wife and children cowered in fear as the shells screamed overhead and burst with a roar in the square, many finding their mark in the Courthouse and in the Grace Episcopal Church that stood nearby. The Grace Episcopal Church organized in March 1827, was a wooden structure of simple Georgian design. The little church never was fully completed and fell into disrepair. In June of 1858 the cornerstone for a new church, the church which Commander Hart's shells struck, was laid by Bishop Leonidas Polk, also known as the "Fighting Bishop from Louisiana". This name was given him due to his dual role as a Bishop as well as a General in the Confederate Army. The builder of the church was a master carpenter named Charles Nevitt Gibbons. He based his plans on the simple and unadorned English country churches. The Gothic style church with its off center bell tower was completed by Easter Sunday 1860. The shells from the ALBATROSS destroyed this belfry. Though simple in design, the church had some outstanding features that survived the attack. The magnificent two-manual tracker action pipe organ built by H. & W . Pilcher in 1860 survived. It is listed as number 42 in the factory books at St. Louis and believed to be the only one of its type still in existence in the United States. The altar window and the rose window over the entrance door are of European design. The leaded glass on the side walls and their top insets are of stained glass which appear to be "painted" by some unknown method, an early American attempt at glass making. In his bunk aboard the ship, the young Captain lay in the grip of a tropic fever. His end was near. An unconfirmed story has it he committed suicide while in a delirium caused by the fever, however it might have been a reoccurrence of a previous injury. One thing we can be sure of; he died during the action at St. Francisville, Louisiana. A Schenectady native and member of St. George's Lodge No. 6 Free and Accepted Masons, whose death wrote a
USS Albatross, Federal Gunboat September 24 (taken in New York City); Master M ason, December 21. Suddenly the firing ceased and two brothers standing on the river bank saw a boat put off from the ALBATROSS manned by trim blue-clad figures, with one in its bow, brave in Navy blue and gold. The officer carried a flag of truce. Brother Hart had made it known that he desired a Masonic funeral service. Several of Hart's officers were Masons. Unable to send their Commander's body home at the time, and being loath to sink it in the river, they determined to appeal to Masons on the Confederate side for burial. They approached the village of St. Francisville, Louisiana, the home of Feliciana Lodge No. 31. The Grand Lodge of Kentucky had originally chartered this Lodge in 1817, receiving its Louisiana charter in 1828. At this time the Master of Feliciana Lodge was Samuel J. Powell, who was serving as a Captain in the Confederate Cavalry. He had been initiated in Feliciana Lodge in 1854, elected Master in 1861, and was destined to greater Masonic fame for in 1877 he was elected Grand Master of Louisiana and served two years. Apparently he was not at home during June of 1863, although one account would have it that he was. There were at the time two Masons living near the banks of the river, two brothers, named Samuel and Benjamin W hite. The first named was owner of the ferryboat, and the other owned the steamboat RED CHIEF, years before. They were not members of Feliciana Lodge but had visited it repeatedly, and retained their membership in their Mother Lodge in Indiana. To them the mission of the visitors was made known. They answered that there was a Lodge in the town; that its Master, W orshipful Brother S. J. Powell, was absent. He was serving his state in the Confederate Army. Its Senior W arden, Brother W . W .Leake, acting Master, was likewise engaged, but that he was in the vicinity. They would endeavor to reach him and refer their request to him.
10 Vol. XII No. 5 George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board September/October 2011 Brother Leake's headquarters were in the saddle, but he was found and made acquainted with the visit of these enemies and their request. He was also informed that the Lieutenant Commander and Surgeon on board the vessel were Masons and would vouch for the Masonic standing of the deceased Commander. Brother Leake replied that he was an officer in the Confederate Army. As a soldier, he considered it his duty to permit the burial of a deceased member of the Army or Navy of any government. In the present instance, even if there was war between that government and his own. Captain Leake's reply was "as a Mason it is my duty to accord Masonic burial to a Brother Mason without taking into account the nature of our relations outside Masonry. Go tell the Union officer to bring his Captain ashore. There are a few Masons in town; I shall find all I can. You two are Masons, I shall want you at the funeral service." Brother Leake's response is particularly notable. During the bombardment, he had huddled with his wife and three children, by one account, under the steps of their brick house as shells burst all around them. Presently the ship's crew brought ashore Brother Hart's body, clothed in the blue uniform of an officer in the United States Navy. The boat was met by the W hite brothers and four members of Feliciana Lodge No. 31 of St. Francisville, wearing their Masonic regalia above their Grey Confederate uniforms. The Masons from the ALBATROSS and the Confederate Masons identified themselves to be such by the usual signs and tokens. The body was borne to the white wooden home of Feliciana Lodge where the ancient Masonic funeral was conducted, Brother Leake officiating as W orshipful Master. The body was then carried to the graveyard of the Grace Episcopal Church, which is on the east side, through the Lodge plot to the place of internment. The Brothers united in Masonry, ranged themselves across a grave they had dug amid the shell holes from the dead officer's own guns, a grave that had been prepared in the Masonic plot. Here the last M asonic rite was given. The gray and blue clad Brother Masons lowered the mortal remains of the Commander of the U.S.S. ALBATROSS into the earth he wished to be his resting-place. After the graveside service, both the shore party and their Confederate counterparts exchanged salutes. The Federal Naval men returned to their ship, unharmed and unnoticed by the people of St. Francisville. Colors broke out at the masthead. They weighed anchor, turned sharp in the water, and steamed away down the Mississippi. Captain Leake survived the war, became Master of Feliciana Lodge and lived to be honored for fifty-five years of service to the Craft. Upon his death in 1912, his body was laid to rest beside the enemy he had buried as a Brother. Subsequently, the United Daughters of the Confederacy at St. Francisville took up the upkeep of the graves and persuaded the United States Government to place a simple marble headstone on the two graves, with a curt official inscription. Through the years since the grave was dug, members of the Leake family have placed flowers on the grave. It is adorned on the Memorial Days of both the North and the South, and on All Saints Day; the Yankee grave that Dixie decorates. On Sunday, January 8, 1956, the Special Committee on Burial Places of Past Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, Hippolyte Dabezies, Chairman, unveiled a new
W. W. Leake, Senior Warden, Feliciana Lodge
monument. He briefly cited the story of the burial and stated: "This monument is dedicated in loving tribute to the universality of Free Masonry." The monument covers the entire grave space of Commander Hart and the former marker has been used as a headstone. This incident that so vividly displays true Masonic Brotherhood, so powerful, it could stop a war, if only for a few brief hours, gives one cause to wonder if it could happen today. On June 16, 2007, members of the Leake and the Hart families met for the first time since the burial of Lt. Commander John E. Hart. Robert Leake, a great, great grandson of W .W . Leake, represented the Leake family. Mary Servais, the great, great granddaughter of J.E. Hart, represented the Hart family. It was a very touching moment to those present to see these families greet and meet each other after over 144 years. John Elliott Hart's name lives on not only through his family, but also with the recognition given him in St. Francisville, Louisiana, each year in June as the citizens there commemorate the day in 1863 when Hart's death stopped the Civil W ar for a day.
Editor’s Note: This story was excerpted from “The Yankee Grave That Dixie Decorates,” compiled by St. George’s Lodge Historian, Francis I. Karwowski. To see this story in its entirety, please visit: http://www.stgeorgeslodge.org/hart.htm
Vol. XII No. 5 George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board September/October 2011
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The Master’s Calendar 2011 September Highlights
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September 6, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Stated Meeting White Leathern Apron meeting -- honor 60-50-25 year members and Master Mason re-obligation. Be sure to make dinner reservations with WM Otto Tesch. September 20, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Stated meeting Be sure to make dinner reservations with WM Otto Tesch. FC/MM degree
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October 4, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Stated Meeting Be sure to make dinner reservations with WM Otto Tesch. October 5, Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. Past Masters Club October 18, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Stated Meeting Master Mason Degree Be sure to make dinner reservations with WM Otto Tesch. October 29, Saturday, 1:00 p.m. Multiple degrees Dinner afterward
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November 1, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Stated Meeting Election of 2012 Officers. Be sure to make dinner reservations with WM Otto Tesch. November 15, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Stated Meeting Be sure to make dinner reservations with WM Otto Tesch November 24, Thursday, Thanksgiving Day
12 Vol. XII No. 5 George Washington 1776 Lodge #337 F&AM Trestle Board September/October 2011 2011 Lodge Officers Worshipful Master Otto Tesch, PM. . . . . . . . . 414-445-3537...................ottomilw@yahoo.com Senior Warden Charles Carroll. . . . . . . . . . 414-336-4252... . ..................sifuchuck@aol.com Junior Warden William Cekosh. . . . . . . . . 414-704-2810..... .....williamcekosh@yahoo.com Treasurer Charles Roeder, PM. . . . . . 262-238-0162..... ........chucklroeder@gmail.com Secretary Dave Haase, PM. . . . . . . . 414-964-4080... .....dave.haase.hair@gmail.com Senior Deacon Keith Sargeant. . . . . . . . . 414-881-7060.... .................wisarge@yahoo.com Junior Deacon Tyler Kristopeit.. . . . . . . . 608-346-0066....... .................tylerjk2@uwm.edu Chaplain Horace Palmer, PM. . ....414-332-3515 ........ ................................No Email Senior Steward Joseph Fahrenkopf. . . . . . 920-296-3171......fahrenkopf.joseph@gmail.com Junior Steward William Hutchins. . . . . . . 262-309-3500...............................wch@uwm.edu Counselor Walt Smith, PM. . . . . . . 414-906-1695 .........................................No Email Tiler James Roberts, PM. . . . . 414-332-8247..............jamesruthann@yahoo.com
Business Directory C hu ck C arroll A m erican R epublic H ealth & Life Insurance Licensed A gent 2170 W est M arne A ve. G lendale, W I 53209 414-336-4252 sifuchuck@ aol.com
F ran klin G N u ern berg er A ccountant/T ax Specialist 9133 N orth 70th Street M ilw aukee, W I 53223 414-357-8141 414-581-2019 C ell B ayite@ aol.com
D an iel R . C hau d oir C entral File M arketing P resident 5277 W . B eaver C reek P arkw ay B row n D eer, W I 53223 414-365-9000 (800) 749-6245 T oll Free
R obert B atcheld er R eilly & M e D ogw alker 510 E B eaum ont A ve W hitefish B ay, W I 53217 414-916-0054 w ndw tchr@ gm ail.com
D ave H aase H aase's H air Em porium M aster B arber/Stylist 5168 N . H ollyw ood A ve. W hitefish B ay, W I 53217 A ppointm ents: 964-4080 dave.haase.hair@ gm ail.com
W alt S m ith A T ouch of M agic M agic Entertainm ent for any occasion For booking call: 414-906-1695