The Louisiana Freemason Spring 2022 by Grand Lodge of Louisiana

VOL. 48 SPRING 2022 NUMBER 1

WHAT’S INSIDE

Brief History of Cervantes Lodge No. 5 The Altar & the Master Consequences of the Quest Jean Lafitte Revealed District Lecturer Directory The Official Publication of The Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana, F & A.M.

THE LOUISIANA FREEMASON is the Official Publication of The Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana, F & A.M., digitally published quarterly and in print annually for members of Lodges in Louisiana. THE LOUISIANA FREEMASON will accept unsolicited articles, with the right to edit and use when space permits. Articles and pictures become the property of the magazine. Articles that are printed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana. Email/Address Changes should be sent to the Lodge Secretary. Committee To Supervise Publication of

THE LOUISIANA FREEMASON Steven S. A. Pence, PGM Editor

J. Gary “Gar” Pickering, Committee Chairman /Managing Editor Publication Committee Members Chad Koelling, PM Taylor Nauta, PM

Inside this issue... From the Grand Secretary

A Brief History of Cervantes No. 5 by Brother Barlow Holley, PM

The Altar and the Master by Brother Devon McKeithen

New to the Library Collection

District Grand Lecturer Directory

12-13

Consequences of the Quest by Brother Michael Poll, PM

Jean Lafitte Revealed Talk

“I Got Lot’s of Friends”

Send all email or mail for consideration for publication in The Louisiana Freemason to:

J. Gary “Gar” Pickering c/o The LOUISIANA FREEMASON 5746 Masonic Dr., Alexandria, LA 71301 Email: gar@la-mason.com

2021-2022 Grand Lodge Officers Terrell D. Fowler, Grand Master Jay B. McCallum, Deputy Grand Master Jimmie Dean Dunkin, Grand Senior Warden Larry J. Plaisance, Junior Senior Warden Charles R. Smith, Grand Treasurer Steven S.A. Pence, PGM, Grand Secretary Dennis F. Snoddy, Grand Chaplain Mitchell A. Reynolds, Grand Marshal Harry C. Northrop III, Grand Senior Deacon Joe Dan Gibbs, Grand Junior Deacon John F. Knox, Grand Sword Bearer E. Orum Young, Grand Pursuivant Wm. Keith Powell, Sr, Grand Standard Bearer Thomas L. Kussmann, Grand Tyler Kirby J. Henry, Grand Master Expert Kirby O. Vinson, Grand Hospitalier Charles R. Bertrand, Grand Inner Guard Willey G. Bell, III, Grand Photographer J. Keith Gates, Grand Organist J. Andrew Owen, Grand Musician

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Like The Louisiana Freemason on Facebook! @TheLouisianaFreemason On the cover:

Collar worn by the Master of Cervantes Lodge No. 5. Cervantes Lodge No. 5 Regalia Collection

From the Grand Secretary’s Desk

t the time of this writing our two hundred and eleventh Grand Lodge session is less than thirty (30) days away. This will be the first full session since 2019, as the pandemic affected both M: W: Brother Steen’s session and mine. If you remember, Brother Steen moved his session from April to the second weekend in May, and it was held in one day, with restricted attendance. I moved my session from the April date to the last weekend in June, and conducted under the provisions of Article IV, section 3 in our Constitution. Covid, as well as two hurricanes, had a great influence with the timing of the upcoming session. The planning of our annual sessions begin more than a year in advance. Once the location is chosen, the work begins with contracting a suitable venue. We have already begun making arrangements for the 2023 session, and it is our hope that normalcy has returned by then. As we all know, inflation hit a 39-year high of 7% in 2021. Our dollar does not purchase as much as it did a year ago. Consumer prices sapped the purchasing power of our families as the consumer price index had its largest gain since 1982. Closer to home, or should I say the Grand Lodge office, we have not been spared from inflation. The health insurance premium for the staff increased 4.7%. The Directors and Officers (D&O) liability insurance increased by $6,000.00 over the previous year. Our property and casualty insurance increased by 9.8%. All of our office supplies, as well as their respective shipping costs, have increased by 16%. Our printing service has already advised to expect costs to rise by at least 10% due to an increased cost of materials. We print most of our documents and forms in-house, but the cost of printing our Advance Reports, Directory and Annual Proceedings printing costs will see an increase. Utility cost increased during the winter months and the City of Alexandria attributes the rise to the unusually cold weather, driving greater demand. Businesses have the luxury to pass their increased operating costs along to the consumer.

However, our Fraternity does not have an option. Our income is fixed, and due to deaths and NPD suspensions declines throughout the year. Our only remedy, besides the cost cutting measures already in place, is to ask for an increase in the Grand Lodge per-capita. The increase must be approved by a 2/3 vote by the delegates at the Grand Lodge session. There are two properly filed resolutions, both of which have merit, in my opinion. One increases the per-capita by a dollar a year for ten years. Since this resolution had to lay over one year (2021) until the next session (2022), the effective date, if passed, would be 2023. The benefit of this resolution is that it provides for a $10.00 total increase in per capita with miniscule financial impact to the members, spread over ten years. The second resolution asks for a one-time increase of $5.00 in 2023, and increasing the per capita in 2024 by the Consumer Price Increase percentage (CPI) published at the end of the year for the previous year, rounded to the nearest dollar. The benefit of this resolution lies in the fact the Grand Lodge would not have to return on a regular basis to ask our delegates for a per-capita increase. Please give each of these resolutions your time and thought. If one passes, the other would probably be withdrawn. Regardless of which one you can support, your Grand Lodge needs the increase. Covid is still having a devastating impact on our daily lives, on our businesses, on our finances and of course on our Fraternity and lodges. The good news is the number of cases are declining, many state and local governments are allowing their mandates and restrictions to expire, and an increasing number of the population is being vaccinated or finding themselves with natural immunity. I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming Grand Lodge session, hopefully without masks and distancing.

Fraternally, Steve Pence Grand Secretary

The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

A BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH OF FORMATION:

Cervantes Lodge No. 5, F∴ & A ∴ M ∴ by H. Barlow Holley, P ∴ M ∴

Collar worn by the Master of Cervantes Lodge No. 5. 4

The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

n its more-than-two-hundred-year existence, the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana (“Grand Lodge”) chartered several Spanish-speaking constituent Lodges under its jurisdiction, a number of which were located in foreign countries. What follows is a brief historical sketch of the events surrounding Spanish-speaking Masonic Lodges in New Orleans, Louisiana which preceded and ultimately led to the formation of the Grand Lodge’s last surviving Spanish-speaking Lodge and, indeed, last remaining foreign language Lodge: Cervantes Lodge No. 5.

Numantina (“Numantian”) Lodge No. 27 The first Spanish-speaking, constituent Lodge established by the Grand Lodge in the State of Louisiana was Numantina Lodge No. 27 in New Orleans. Although not specifically mentioned as a Spanish-speaking Lodge in the Grand Lodge’s records, Numantina Lodge No. 27 may be presumed to have worked in Spanish due to its name and the names of the members shown in its annual returns to the Grand Lodge. Due to the inconvenience of constituting the Lodge in ample form when requested, Grand Master John H. Holland granted a special dispensation on July 6, 1826, to allow the Lodge to work without a charter, which dispensation he extended until October 14, 1826. Numantina Lodge No. 27 was ultimately constituted on September 25, 1826, with Joseph Baratino or Barbino, a merchant and later apothecary, serving as its inaugural Master. The Lodge met each month at Perseverance Hall at the corner of St. Claude (now Rampart) and Dumaine Streets. Although the Lodge held a York Rite charter, it is questionable whether its members worked a York (or American) Rite ritual, given the scarcity of translations of the Preston-Webb ritual in Spanish at the time and the prevalence of other rites and rituals worked within Craft Masonry in New Orleans. The mastership of José Antonio Roca y Santi Petri, a military émigré and one of the principal European, 33˚ Masons in New Orleans at the time, further hints that Numantina Lodge No. 27 did not use a York Rite ritual. Whatever may have been its ritual, Numantina Lodge No. 27 actively engaged in Masonic labors with a variety of different Lodges in the Crescent City. In addition to holding close Masonic The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

Cervantes Lodge No. 5’s seal as restored by Cervantes member, Bro. Mariano E. Paniello.

relations with Harmony Lodge No. 26, Numantina Lodge No. 27 had attached to it Libérale (“Liberal”) Lodge No. 3, a Lodge with a Scottish Rite charter re-constituted on October 16, 1838, which met for some time on Ursulines Street and later on Plauché Street. Like many contemporary Scottish Rite Lodges, Libérale Lodge No. 3 had Scottish Rite bodies of higher degrees annexed to it. In the case of Libérale Lodge No. 3, these were Libérale Chapter of Rose Croix No. 3 and Libérale Council of Kadosh No. 3. Although its influence continued, Libérale Lodge No. 3’s relatively brief existence ended on January 26, 1845, when it became extinct. Numantina Lodge No. 27’s extinction preceded that of Libérale Lodge No. 3; the former surrendered its charter in 1832 or 1833.

Amor Fraternal (“Fraternal Love” or “Brotherly Love”) Lodge No. 4 Several years after the demise of their own Lodge, some of the former members of Numantina Lodge No. 27 may have sought to preserve Spanish-speaking Masonry in New Orleans through the formation of another Lodge: Amor Fraternal Lodge No. 4. This second Spanish-speaking, constituent Lodge in New Orleans was granted a Scottish Rite charter dated April 1, 1839, and it met at 319 5

Dauphine Street and subsequently at Perseverance Hall. Annexed to the Lodge was Amor Fraternal Chapter of Rose Croix No. 4. Aside from these sparse facts and those surrounding the turbulence near the Lodge’s end, relatively few pieces of information in the historical record can be found regarding Amor Fraternal Lodge No. 4. By 1850, growing dissatisfaction among the Lodge’s members with Lodge administration led to several members demitting, and shortly after the Grand Lodge’s 1851 Annual Grand Communication, the Lodge’s Master left Louisiana permanently. Following the Master’s departure and the loss of members due to yellow fever and cholera epidemics which had swept New Orleans, the Lodge ceased working. Owing to the dissensions among its members, some of whom affiliated with Lodges under the Grand Lodge’s jurisdiction and some of whom affiliated with Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5 while outside the Grand Lodge’s jurisdiction, Amor Fraternal Lodge No. 4 surrendered its charter in 1851 and was stricken from the Grand Lodge’s register of constituent Lodges at the Annual Grand Communication of January 19, 1852. Nevertheless, as will be explained below, some semblance of Amor Fraternal Lodge No. 4 may have continued to exist outside the Grand Lodge’s jurisdiction after 1852.

Los Amigos del Orden (“Friends of Order”) Lodge No. 5 Sadly, like some other Lodges, the oldest predecessor Lodge of Cervantes Lodge No. 5 was born out of discord. Due to grave reasons of discontent, Ramón Viosca, a merchant of Catalan descent and Grand Senior Warden in 1842, led a number of other members in demitting from Amor Fraternal Lodge No. 4 and petitioning the Grand Lodge to constitute another Lodge, Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5, which was organized under dispensation on August 2, 1842, and chartered on September 24, 1842, thus becoming the fifth Scottish Rite Lodge chartered by the Grand Lodge since 1832. The Lodge met initially at Perseverance Hall. It was in this Lodge that the controversial and historically significant Jacques (anglicized James) Foulhouze received the first three degrees in Masonry at the hands of Antonio Costa in 1845. 6

Foulhouze would go on to serve as the Lodge’s Master in 1846 and 1847 and acted as a central character in the tumultuous events of 1850. Effective November 1, 1850, following the Grand Lodge of Mississippi’s invasion of the Grand Lodge’s territorial jurisdiction and the emergence of the York Rite Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana, Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5 returned its charter and passed under the jurisdiction of the Illustrious Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of the Ancient and Accepted Scotch Rite of Free Masonry in and for the Independent and Sovereign State of Louisiana, Valley of New Orleans (“Supreme Council”). The grounds that drove the members of Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5 to pass under the Supreme Council’s jurisdiction concerned the Grand Lodge’s alleged contradiction of the principles of the Scottish Rite and purported violation of the Concordat of 1833, by which the Grand Lodge took a tolerant, lax approach to the administration and oversight of the Scottish Rite Craft Lodges under its jurisdiction in exchange for the Supreme Council’s recognition of the Grand Lodge’s exclusive authority to constitute and charter Symbolic Lodges conferring the first three degrees of Masonry within the State of Louisiana. Since access to needed records is not presently available, not much is known to the author regarding the activity of Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5 while under the Supreme Council’s jurisdiction. Most of the members of Amor Fraternal Lodge No. 4 affiliated with Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5 while under the Supreme Council’s jurisdiction. According to Foulhouze, around 1852, Amor Fraternal Lodge No. 4 was re-constituted under the Supreme Council’s jurisdiction, and Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5 consolidated with Amor Fraternal Lodge No. 4 under the name of El Orden Fraternal, but, due to either uneasiness or dissatisfaction from the members of one or both Lodges, the new Lodge reverted to its former name of Los Amigos del Orden. Despite this attempt at reconciliation, the two Lodges never entirely overcame the differences which caused their initial division. By 1855, Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5 had on its roster thirty-six members, twenty-seven of whom were initiThe Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

ated, passed, and raised while the Lodge was under the Supreme Council’s jurisdiction. Accordingly, when the members of the Lodge applied for a charter and requested to return under the Grand Lodge’s jurisdiction, a healing (or regularization) of the members was required. On March 11, 1855, at the Hall of Étoile Polaire (“Polar Star”) Lodge No. 1, Past Grand Master John H. Holland, acting on behalf of and under instructions from Grand Master William M. Perkins, healed the members present, delivered to the Lodge its charter, and installed Basilio Car(r)illo as the Lodge’s Master. After first holding its communications at the Hall of Étoile Polaire Lodge No. 1, the Lodge had a somewhat nomadic existence, moving from a building at the corner of Love and History Streets to Perseverance Hall by 1858. In addition to members of Spanish and Latin American origin, Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5 also had a sizeable contingent of Italian members. Consequently, when several Italianspeaking Masons petitioned the Grand Lodge in 1865 to constitute a Lodge working in Italian, all but one of the nine charter members of the Lodge were former members of Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5, which recommended the issuance of both a dispensation and charter to the Brothers. This Lodge was chartered as Dante Lodge No. 174 on February 14, 1866, and today remains the daughter Lodge of Cervantes Lodge No. 5.

Top: Scottish Rite 30˚ patent (1881) presented to Worshipful Brother José Alabau y Prats. Bottom: Detail showing signatures of Albert Pike (1809-1891), Albert G. Mackey (1807-1881), and James C. Batchelor (1818-1893).

The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

Besides participation in several non-Masonic organizations, the members of Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5 appear to have been particularly active in haute grade Scottish Rite Masonry, as Los Amigos del Orden Lodge of Perfection No. 4, Los Amigos del Orden Chapter of Rose Croix No. 4, and Los Amigos del Orden Council of Kadosh No. 7 were all annexed to the Lodge.

Cervantes Lodge No. 5’s officers in the early 20th century.

Silencio (“Silence”) Lodge No. 9 Silencio Lodge No. 9 is both an historical oddity and treasure. To date, it was the only Lodge to originate under the Supreme Council’s jurisdiction that later joined the ranks of constituent Lodges under the Grand Lodge, surprisingly retaining its previous number. The Lodge’s story begins sometime around June 1858, by which time the exiled Cuban political dissident Vicente Antonio de Castro y Bermúdez and other Latin American Masons had founded Silencio Lodge No. 9 under the Supreme Council’s jurisdiction in New Orleans. Given the identities of known members, the general Latin American milieu, the private nature of Masonic communications, and the Order’s espousal of Enlightenment values, the Lodge could have served as a social network to advance political conspiracy promoting Cuban independence and other liberal Latin American causes. Masonic Lodges certainly afforded ample opportunities for reformists, for their natural veil of secrecy offered incidental chances to discuss ideas considered by 8

some at the time to be radical and dangerous. This ideological project may give new meaning to the Lodge’s name (“Silence”) and its life-or-death importance in protecting revolutionary intrigues afoot in antebellum New Orleans. It was during the time that Silencio Lodge No. 9 was under the Supreme Council’s jurisdiction that the Lodge served as a conduit for the re-introduction of Scottish Rite Masonry in Mexico. In 1859, the Supreme Council constituted the Supreme Council for the Mexican Republic with Ignacio Comonfort as its Sovereign Grand Commander, and on May 10, 1859, the Supreme Council authorized Vicente Antonio Leocadio Castro, De Castro y Bermúdez’s son, to establish Lodges in Veracruz. Eight days later, Leocadio Castro constituted Fraternidad (“Fraternity”) Lodge No. 1, from which numerous other Mexican Lodges and, indeed, Mexican Grand Lodges were spawned. Thus, many Mexican Scottish Rite Craft Lodges share a common historical lineage tracing back to Silencio Lodge No. 9. ...Continued on page 14 The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

THE ALTAR AND THE MASTER: Reflections of a New Master Mason

by Brother Devon McKeithen, Michael Dempsey No. 327

n every Masonic Lodge, there sits in the middle of it something peculiar; something that represents our most important tenants; something that is held in higher regard than any other piece of furniture the lodge is dressed with. This most sacred object is the altar. On it rest the T∴G∴L∴ of Masonry. The altar is placed and arranged in a way to draw attention and reverence to all who’s eyes fall upon it. In every Masonic Lodge, there sits in the East, a brother. One who has been elected and recognized as one who is worthy to lead. One who hopefully, is wise, caring, patient, and kind. This brother is the Worshipful Master of the lodge of which he belongs. I remember in my Entered Apprentice degree, right after I was invited to the Secretary’s desk, as we approached the invisible line between the Master and the Altar, I was stopped by my conductor. He then explained how and why we were never to walk between the Altar and the Master. I listened intently as this was explained, but to be honest, I didn’t understand. As can be expected, there was so much information in the days that followed, bombarding me all at once, that I didn’t give it much thought for a while. A few months later, I was raised to a Master Mason and began attending all the meetings that I could. This included attending our district meeting where many lodges were represented. At this point, I was still in awe and admiration for the elder members I had met and how well versed they were in Masonic esoteric work, as well as their knowledge of proper lodge etiquette. At this meeting, the Senior Deacon was ordered to conduct the Secretary west of the alter. The Senior Deacon rose and proceeded to walk to the Secretary’s desk. Normally, he would have traversed West-by-South and then East to conduct the brother to the Altar. However, this time he approached that invisible line. As he stepped closer

The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

to that line, there was an uproar of voices, respectful but loud, reminding him to not take the path he was traveling, and encouraged him to walk around. He nodded, obliged the brethren’s request, and walked around. As the moment of correction came to an end, the memory from my Entered Apprentice degree came rushing back. I spent the rest of that meeting dwelling on what had just happened. As the weeks went by, I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about that moment of the district meeting and began to contemplate the brother’s response to the Senior Deacons seemingly detrimental mistake. I tend to be a critical and logical thinker, sometimes to a fault. I asked myself, what would have happened, I mean, 9

physically happened, if the Senior Deacon had been allowed to take his intended path? To be honest, most likely, nothing at all. The walls would not have fallen; the earth would not have shook; no one would have been hurt. So then why the uproar from the brothers on the sidelines? Why were they so quick to defend this rule of proper lodge etiquette with such tenacity? I think the answer can began to be found from an excerpt from the Louisiana Masonic Monitor; “So, my brother, Masonry teaches by allegories and symbols; and it is your part to extract from them the truths that will be of service to you in the building of an upright Masonic character.” Reading this excerpt then caused me to pose another question. What does the Altar and the furniture resting on it symbolize? Let me first say, this is my humble opinion and not to be taken as Masonic teaching. It is only my attempt to extract the truth, to help me become a better man and Mason. The Holy Bible is the inestimable gift of God to man and a symbol of the eternal book of the Will of God. To quote from a Bible lecture in the monitor; “wisdom, strength, and beauty are in its pages. The tenants of our profession, brotherly love, relief, and truth are taught therein.” This book, whether or not you proclaim it as the Holy Book of your religion, is a symbol of Divine Wisdom and Truth; the source from which we should derive our moral guidance, our strength, and always hold in the highest esteem. It is my belief that no man can be truly good, or live a life of meaning, without placing his faith in, and seek guidance from, the Great Architect of the Universe. Although many religions have many names for Deity, the idea that the Divine is where one finds moral truth and true wisdom is universal throughout the various world religions. So then, this book is placed in a place of importance for all who enter the lodge room to see. It is what we should look to for guidance in our lives. The Square and Compasses are also placed on the Altar, on top of the Holy Bible. Though the Square and the Compasses both have their instruction and noble applications in Speculative Masonry, the fact that these two symbols are placed on top of the Bible does not signify that they are more important than the Bible, but that as the Bible is the foundation, these two are the building blocks. If a man can successfully derive his moral truth and guidance from God, keep his actions square, keep his passions in due bounds, then he can 10

honestly say he is living a moral and Masonic life. The Altar, upon which these great symbols rest, is more than a mere holding place for the lodge furniture. The Altar has always symbolized a place where man and God meet. In ancient Judaism, the sacrifice was placed on the Altar and offered to God for the forgiveness of sins as well as sacrifices for thanksgiving. It was the place where the high priest could offer his or the people’s thanks and repentance. It represented the place where Heaven and Earth met and man could be in communion with God. In Christianity, the Altar has become a place where the people of God kneel to pray. The place where man can talk with his Creator and ask for forgiveness, offer his thanks, to ask for guidance, or to lay all their burdens down. These are just two examples of what the altar symbolizes in religion. In Masonry, we kneel before the Altar when taking the obligations of the respective degree. We also kneel there to pray, and have chosen it to be the place on which to rest the T∴G∴L∴ of Masonry. This is no mere coincidence. It symbolizes in Masonry as well, the place where man can commune with the divine. It symbolizes a place of not only reverence but that which is Holy. It is in the center of the Lodge, because as the Earth revolves around the sun, so then the Lodge should revolve around the Great Architect of the Universe, and always seek His aid and wisdom. The Master sits in the east, the direction from which the sun rises in the morning to bring light to the Earth. So, should the Master bring light to the lodge. How could the sun bring forth light to the Earth if God did not illuminate the sun? It could not. Neither can the Master give good and wholesome instruction to the Craft if God is not the source from which he seeks to derive wisdom and morality. He should have his focus on the symbolical teachings found on that most precious alter supporting the three great lights of Masonry, so that he will be better fit to be a worthy leader and an upright man, and Mason. I still don’t believe anything physical would have happened that day of the district meeting had the brother crossed that invisible line. However, something much more severe is at stake. What’s at stake isn’t of a physical matter but of a spiri...Continued on page 20 The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

Husband, Wife both descendents of PGMs Donate to Library Collection

n November 2021, some unique new donations came into the Louisiana Masonic Library & Museum. The items were donated by husband and wife Quinton Theodore (III) and Susan Buck Mayer Hardtner. What is most interesting about this donation is that both Mr. and Mrs. Hardtner are the great-grandchildren of two Louisiana Past Grand Masters. Mr. Hardtner’s Great-Grandfather, Quintin Theodore Hardtner, the first, was the Grand Master of Louisiana in 1947. He was a member of Charles F. Buck No. 260, in Urania, Louisiana. In the donation was M∴W∴B∴ Hardtner’s Masonic Monitor, as well as copies of C.F.B. No. 260’s by-laws. (Both pictured at right) Mrs. Hardtner’s Great-Grandfather Charles F. Buck was the Grand Master of Louisiana from 1887-1892, and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 189597. He was the Sovereign Grand Inspector General 33º of Louisiana, and Grand Prior, in the Scottish Rite SJ, and a member of Germania No. 46 in New Orleans. The original photo of M∴W∴B∴ Buck, at the beginning of this article, was part of the Hardtner’s donation. From the Germania No. 46 Website: “Brother Buck was initiated in June of 1866, passed in July, and raised in September. He served as Worshipful Master for six years from 1880 to 1885, inclusive. At the same time that he held office in Germania, Brother Buck also served as Grand Junior Warden and Grand Senior Warden. Then, in 1887 he was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana, the exalted office for which he was reelected for the next five years.7 At the conclusion of his sixth term, he declined to accept the generous offer of his Brothers any further, having completed his work in the Grand Lodge. Brother Buck was so respected in Louisiana Masonry that he is the only Brother to have a Lodge named after him during his lifetime, Charles F. Buck Lodge No. 260 in Urania, Louisiana. ...Continued on page 21

The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

DISTRICT GRAND LECTURER DIRECTORY If you are not sure of your district, check your lodge’s profile on Grandview.

The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

1ST DISTRICT

11TH DISTRICT W∴B∴Donald J. Sonnier dsguns@yahoo.com 337-288-5131

2ND DISTRICT

W∴B∴ William "Bill" Frasier haunnadog66@gmail.com 318-455-1716

12TH DISTRICT W∴B∴T. "Butch" Renois joycelyn60@yahoo.com 985-696-7232

3RD DISTRICT W∴B∴ Bruce D. Osbon bosbon461@hotmail.com 318-953-0044

13TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ Sonny J. Massey mc45@cox.net 225-413-9346

4TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ M. Scott Goss mscottgoss@rocketmail.com 318-680-5184

14TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ James "Jim" Blossman, Jr. jsblossman@charter.net 985-892-6369

5TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ Gary L. Foster gdawgman1@aol.com (318) 542-2370

15TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ Ronald P. Romero ronacetrans@yahoo.com (504) 289-9306

6TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ Andrew Bing abing611@gmail.com (318) 286-3986

16TH DISTRICT W∴B∴Klaus "Joe" Kueck kkueck@bellsouth.net 504-451-3642

7TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ W. Clint Johnson clintjohnson43@yahoo.com 318-341-2760

17TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ Benjamin Bourg bbourg1989@yahoo.com (504) 210-5721

8TH DISTRICT W∴B∴David R. Miller 411dmiller@gmail.com 318-554-8116

18TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ Robert N. Russell abundance1020@gmail.com (504) 920-4122

9TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ Conrad J. Champagne cornbread2937@gmail.com 318-838-4677

19TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ C. "Ken" Dorhauer bull269@bellsouth.net 225-938-8567

10TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ Ray V. Moses rvmoses14@yahoo.com 337-377-9213

20TH DISTRICT W∴B∴ Timothy "Tim" Osmun t.osmun@yahoo.com 318-277-7418

W∴B∴ Wm. Glen Girard ggirard76@gmail.com 504-872-7002

The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

History of Cervantes continued from page 8

The Grand Lodge first took notice of Silencio Lodge No. 9 when charges of un-Masonic conduct arose from an 1858 incident in which several members of the Lodge were allowed to attend an initiation at a communication of Concorde Lodge No. 3, despite not being then recognized as regular Masons. Then, on February 12, 1860, the Lodge withdrew from the Supreme Council’s jurisdiction and petitioned to be chartered under the Grand Lodge for reasons which are not entirely known. Grand Master J. Q. A. Fellows appointed a special committee to report to the Grand Lodge on the Lodge’s petition. The committee’s amended report, which was adopted by the Grand Lodge, recommended only that the fifty-three members of Silencio Lodge No. 9 apply as individuals to be healed in regular constituent Lodges. Despite the committee’s report, Grand Master Fellows granted a dispensation for St. André (St. Andrew) Lodge No. 5 to heal De Castro y Bermúdez and nine other members of Silencio Lodge No. 9. Following their healing, these Brothers applied for a dispensation to work as Silencio Lodge No. U.D., which application was recommended by St. André Lodge No. 5 and on February 22, 1860, granted by the Grand Master and issued. Having complied with the requirements for receiving a charter, the members of the Lodge petitioned the Grand Lodge for a charter, and the Grand Lodge’s Committee on Lodges Under Dispensation submitted and moved a resolution recommending that a charter be issued to Silencio Lodge No. 9. An amendment to alter the Lodge’s number was debated at the 1861 Annual Grand Communication and failed upon a vote of the constituent Lodges. Accordingly, on February 11, 1861, the Grand Lodge voted to grant Silencio Lodge No. 9 a charter, which was issued the following day. Past Grand Master Holland, acting as the Grand Master’s Deputy, duly consecrated and constituted Silencio Lodge No. 9 and installed its officers shortly thereafter.

Cervantes Lodge No. 5 Desiring to combine their resources and members to the benefit of Masonry, on August 9, 1883, Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5 and Silencio Lodge No. 9 met at Perseverance Hall to discuss a possible consolidation. The two Lodges unanimously adopted resolutions from two committees com14

The flaming sword with gold and ivory hilt of the Master of Cervantes Lodge No. 5.

posed of members from each Lodge, petitioning the Grand Lodge for a dispensation to work until the Grand Lodge’s next Annual Grand Communication under the name of “that ornament of Spanish literature”: Cervantes. Deputy Grand Master and Acting Grand Master David R. Graham granted the dispensation to organize Cervantes Lodge No. U.D. on August 14, 1883, and the dispensation was issued on August 23, 1883. By his dispensation, the Acting Grand Master appointed the following officers, who were installed by Gabriel Seguí y Gahona, Special District Deputy Grand Master, at a special communication held on August 27, 1883, at Perseverance Hall: José Venta (Los Amigos del Orden) • Master Isidro Suárez y Fernández (Silencio) • Senior Warden Francisco Rendueles (Los Amigos del Orden) • Junior Warden Manuel Salasar (Silencio) • Secretary John B. Desangles (Los Amigos del Orden) • Treasurer Manuel Castillo (Silencio) • Orator José Fernando Caballero (Los Amigos del Orden) • Expert Francisco Bell (Los Amigos del Orden) • Master of Ceremonies Carlos Maduell (Silencio) • Inner Guard The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

Louis Beney (Not a member) • Outer Guard Felipe Luce (Not found on roster) • Hospitalier José Rosello (Silencio) • Econome (Steward)

After five months of working under dispensation, on January 28, 1884, José Venta and other members submitted to the Grand Lodge a petition on behalf of Cervantes Lodge No. U.D. for a charter. Dante Lodge No. 174, the daughter Lodge of Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5, recommended the petition for a charter. On February 13, 1884, the petition was granted, and the Grand Lodge voted to charter Cervantes Lodge No. U.D. under the name and number of Cervantes Lodge No. 5. With several Grand Lodge officers in attendance, Cervantes Lodge No. 5 was regularly dedicated, consecrated, and constituted, and her officers were duly installed on March 10, 1884, at Perseverance Hall. Evidently, the members of Cervantes Lodge No. 5 were deeply involved in all bodies of the Scottish Rite, for attached to Cervantes Lodge No. 5 were Cervantes Lodge of Perfection No. 4, Cervantes Chapter of Rose Croix No. 4, and Cervantes Council of Kadosh No. 7. While the members of Cervantes Lodge No. 5 and its predecessor Lodges participated in Masonic activities, they also engaged in a broad array of Hispanic philanthropic, civic, and cultural organizations of their day. Contemporary newspaper articles and announcements reveal that members of Los Amigos del Orden Lodge No. 5, Silencio Lodge No. 9, and, after their consolidation, Cervantes Lodge No. 5 served as officers in the Sociedad Menorquina de Beneficencia Mútua (Menorcan Mutual Benevolence Society); the Sociedad Unión Española de Beneficencia Mútua (Spanish Union Mutual Benevolence Society), which later became the Sociedad Iberia de Beneficencia Mútua (Iberia Mutual Benevolence Society); the Sociedad Cervantes de Beneficencia Mútua (Cervantes Mutual Benevolence Society); and the Centro Español y Hispano-Americano (Spanish-American Club). The prevalence of involvement in peculiarly Spanish organizations as well as the names of members and places of birth mentioned in Lodge records and public funeral announcements indicate that a substantial number, if not a majority, of the members of all three Lodges during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries were Spaniards born either on the Iberian Peninsula or in Spanish Cuba. The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

Vicente Antonio de Castro y Bermúdez (1809-1869), the first Master of Silencio Lodge No. 9 and the compiler of its rituals.

In the early twentieth century, the Lodge’s heavily Spanish membership gave way to members from a variety of other Latin American nations, and Cervantes Lodge No. 5 became a cosmopolitan hub for Masons from across the Spanishspeaking world. The historian of Louisiana Masonry Glen Lee Greene aptly summarized the Lodge’s diversity and farreaching influence in the late 1800s and early 1900s: Cervantes Lodge has served as a connecting link for Freemasonry between the Masons of the Spanish-speaking Latin countries and the Masonic organizations in the United States. Many nationals of foreign lands have received their Masonic degrees in this lodge and have returned to their countries to exemplify and to disseminate the teachings of the order. With the permission of the Grand Lodge, Cervantes Lodge as a courtesy has conferred the Masonic degrees when can15

didates of Latin-American lodges temporarily resided in New Orleans. Prominent merchants, manufacturers, physicians, dentists, lawyers, and diplomats have been members of Cervantes Lodge and its antecedent lodges….Prominent members of the Trelles family [Macrino Trelles and Ubaldo Trelles], well-known cigar manufacturers, have served as Worshipful Masters of Cervantes Lodge. A prominent member of the lodge, [Ricardo] Arturo Ramírez [Pinto], has served as Consul General of Guatemala in New Orleans and as Ambassador of Guatemala in Washington, D.C. Another member, Luis G[onzalo] Bravo, who served as Worshipful Master in 1934, was Dean of Consuls and Consul General of Nicaragua in New Orleans. Gregorio Garrett, who served as Worshipful Master in 1926, was Consul of Bolivia in New Orleans.

to all its members, and I think it highly proper that our Lodges should restrict themselves to candidates speaking the language in which the Lodge is worked, especially in this jurisdiction, where all the principal languages spoken in modern Europe are represented by separate Lodges.

Notwithstanding its international ties and prestigious membership, Cervantes Lodge No. 5’s uniqueness has met with some (albeit unsuccessful) detractors. For example, several attempts were made to prohibit the use of foreign languages, including Spanish, in Louisiana Masonic Lodges, but the Grand Lodge has historically protected and today continues to protect the distinct cultural heritage preserved by and in Cervantes Lodge No. 5. When first challenged in 1886, Cervantes Lodge No. 5’s proposed by-laws amendments, requiring the use of Spanish in the transaction of business and mandating possession of proficiency in Spanish for petitioners, were upheld by Grand Master Joseph P. Hornor against the opinion of the Committee on Masonic Law and Jurisprudence. Grand Master Hornor expressed his sound reasoning in the following terms:

Although it does not now use exclusively Spanish for the transaction of business, the Lodge continues to require the use of Spanish in the conferral of degrees and performance of other ceremonies. Accordingly, petitions of profanes seeking to receive the degrees in Masonry are restricted to men who speak, read, write, and understand the Spanish language. Nevertheless, Cervantes Lodge No. 5, in the spirit of brotherhood, welcomes petitions for affiliation from Spanish-speaking and non-Spanish-speaking Masons alike and accommodates all visiting Brothers, regardless of their native tongues. To the members of our Lodge, the words of our 1952 history ring true today: “For Masonry, there are no borders or limits in the world, nor differences among races or creeds. Its existence is Universal in all languages.”

“I cannot recognize that it is the spirit of our Institution to encourage the acquisition of the language of the country, any more than it is to encourage the acquisition of knowledge generally, and I fail to see any force in the argument used by the Committee in this case, that a Lodge which is allowed by the Grand Lodge to work in the Spanish language, should be held to inculcate in its members the acquisition of the English language, nor how the introduction of English speaking candidates into such a Lodge, would tend thereto. On the merits of the amendment, which do not seem to have been considered by the committee, I am strongly in their favor; the Lodge being permitted to work in Spanish, it is proper that all its affairs should be conducted in that language, for it is to be presumed that is the language which is most familiar to the great majority, if not 16

Why should a brother whose native tongue is English make application to a Lodge working only in the Spanish language, which he does not understand? or why should a brother whose native tongue is the Spanish or French apply to an Italian Lodge, when he has no acquaintance with that language? So admirable, indeed, does this amendment strike me as being, that I recommend such a regulation as it contemplates be made a by-law of this Grand Lodge, prohibiting our constituent Lodges from receiving a petition from a profane who does not speak the language in which the Lodge is worked, while there exists a Lodge in the same locality working in his own tongue.

So may it be for unnumbered years to come.

Author’s Note: This historical sketch is intentionally limited in topical and temporal scope. Far more could be written upon several facts and points raised by this sketch as well as upon later periods in the history of Cervantes Lodge No. 5, but such objects of research are beyond the scope of the present work. This printing omits eighty-six footnotes found in the original for the sake of brevity. For further information or to verify statements made in this article, please contact the author directly at hholley@sas.upenn.edu for a copy of this article with footnotes.

The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

The Lodge of Perfection:

CONSEQUENCES OF THE QUEST

By W∴B∴ Michael Poll, P∴M∴ • Contributing Writer

he Scottish Rite degrees of the Lodge of Perfection span the fourth to fourteenth degrees. If we boil these degrees down, they are the continuation and completion of the Scottish Rite craft ritual as well as the discovering of the word that was lost. The degrees take us through a moral pathway of lessons where we are taught that we are ultimately responsible for ourselves and our own actions. And, we learn that we must act in certain ways if we are to expect positive results. This paper is not, however, intended to focus on the actual degrees of the Lodge of Perfection or a commentary of its philosophy which can be read in many of the books on this subject. I wanted to take a bit of a different direction with this paper and focus on an aspect that is often ignored, but is an important part of the philosophy; the consequences of the quest for perfection. We are taught that Freemasonry is a moral organization which takes good men and makes them better. We must choose to join and then advance by degrees. The suggestion here is that, step by step, we grow and become better (however that is defined). This is an important aspect of all moral philosophies because while change is inevitable, positive change, or growth, is our choice. We don’t have to do anything The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

Jewel of the Perfect Elu (14º) in the Scottish Rite Lodge of Perfection

that we choose not to do. If desired, we must choose the Masonic path. If Masons, or in this case, Scottish Rite Masons, are given the proper tools, they can use them to make the conscious decision to improve themselves when they do change. In this case, we may forget that we are using the specific word perfection. What do we mean by that word? Very few humans will claim to be perfect and if they do they are normally discounted as delusional. The quest for perfection can sometimes be misunderstood. If we are thinking that we are striving to a final goal of actual perfection, then we can expect to live a very frustrating life. We will never reach such a goal. No human can expect to make perfection out of his life. The most that we can hope for is to make positive changes until our last day on Earth.

Throughout history many societies have pondered the idea of the quest for perfection. There is an old symbolic legend from the Orient which might be considered. The story is of a Buddhist monk by the name of Kobo Daishi. We learn that Kobo was an artist of great renown. His talent and the beauty of his work was known throughout the land. One day Kobo was asked by village leaders to create a dragon to be placed on the arch of a newly built temple. Kobo accepted the task. As the dragon was being carved, villagers would come to watch the master at work, marveling at the beauty coming from the large piece of stone. As the work progressed, crowds began to gather to witness the transformation of the raw stone at the hands of Kobo. As the dragon was near completion, the whole village was there watching the incredible work being done. The dragon was magnificent. No one had ever seen a more beautiful or life-like statue. When Kobo hit the very last strike on the statue, everyone knew that they were looking at perfection. It was then that something completely unexpected and terrifying happened. The dragon began to move. It was coming to life. The expressions of delight on the faces of the crowd were replaced by shock and fear. As the dragon began to move its head and wings, the villagers began to run in terror. The story tells 17

us that when the Heavens saw the dragon and realized that it was perfect, the dragon was given life. Kobo, realizing what was happening, rushed down to the base of the statue where a bucket of paint had been placed and flung it up on the dragon. As soon as the paint hit the dragon it froze and returned to stone. It was no longer perfect. And there dragon remained for some five hundred years as a stone statue on the arch of the temple. Inside this story there is a lesson offered to us. We are taught that there are consequences for perfection or, at least, the quest for perfection. And, the consequences are not always what we expect. In another Oriental story, we are told of a group of artists and musicians who called themselves “The Cult of Imperfection.” The reason why this group called themselves such a name was because in every piece of art or music created by the members of this group some flaw or imperfection was deliberately incorporated. The flaws were placed in their work was because they felt it was a display of audacity for anyone to try and create something perfect. They knew it could not be done, but to even try was an unthinkable act of ego. How dare anyone seek perfection! They knew that any such attempt could result in consequences which might be very unpleasant. So, their answer to the problem, and show of humility, was to create work with designed flaws. Now, if we look at Freemasonry, we learn in the craft degrees the importance of improving yourself. The first collection of degrees in the Scottish Rite beyond the craft lodge is known as 18

the Lodge of Perfection. But is the suggestion that we are really seeking perfection? One of the things we have to learn about all of Masonry is that we teach in symbolism. We often find that our symbolic manner of instruction presents lessons on top of lessons. We can, of course, seek only the outer levels and that’s all that we will find. But by digging deeper into the lessons we can find so very much more. I believe that the Scottish Rite presents us with a good example of the duality of Freemasonry. One suggestion is that this concept is outwardly represented by the double-headed eagle, or, as I believe it originally, the double-headed phoenix. The thought is that the double-headed eagle (or phoenix) represents the two parts of the Scottish Rite — the organization and the philosophy. The two parts operate independently of each other, but are tied together by their roles. The philosophy remains constant and unchanged. It is the actual nature of the Scottish Rite. The organization is the human participation in and application of the philosophy. Problems begin when the two heads are out of sync. If there is a change or a movement in the organization away from the philosophy then things begin to deteriorate. But is a move away from the philosophy unnatural or a preplanned and natural part of the cycle of nature? In nature we have four seasons. Some view these seasons as aspects of human life. Spring represents birth. Summer represents learning or growing. Fall represents passing on what we have learned to others and Winter repre-

sents death. But then the cycle in nature begins again with another Spring. In nature, this calls in the rebirth of trees, flowers and the beauty of the Earth. Some view this as representative of the rebirth of the human spirit following physical death. The Rosicrucians have an old thought that anything considered of value must face the test of death. The idea is that everything positive and good must reach a point where it ceases to be as it once was and begins to fall. It begins to die. But once dead, if it is of any value to humanity, it will find a way to come back just like the Phoenix or Spring. If it is of no value then it will fade away and be forgotten. There are aspects of this thought that we can look at from the Lodge of Perfection. If we look at this body as the Lodge of Growth then we must recognize that there is only so much growth that can take place. If you happen to be involved in the leadership of the Scottish Rite and you obtain every office and degree that you desire, then where do you go? If change is unavoidable and if our steady growth has a ceiling, what does this mean? If our upward growth can go no further and change is still going to take place, then the only option for us is to come back down. Is this the death of our growth? Death in the scenario of winter and the Rosicrucian idea of a particular test of death does not necessarily mean the end of something; and it does not always mean that it will happen in the blink of an eye. Death can be long and drawn out. Many hold that death begins at the moment of birth. Death can The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

also mean just another form of change. Individuals can belong to an organization and if their only goal is rank, power and authority then there will come a time when this is no longer available to them. They will fall and die as a force in the organization. Unfortunately, if there are more than a few with this same attitude, then this can result in the whole organization meeting the same fate. It is one of the reasons why an organization can pull away from the philosophy. Every Masonic body — Scottish Rite, York Rite, all rites — belong to their philosophy. The body is either in line with the philosophy (which does not change) or it is not in line. If it is not in line with the basic philosophy then it begins going down. There is thought that going down is part of the growth cycle and it’s natural. If this is the case, then it could mean that the Lodge of Perfection is designed for us to realize that we are growing to a point where we must start over again and relearn and rediscover all we have experienced. So, the concept of going down may not realistically be as devastating as we might imagine. Over the last number of years, we have heard many reports that Masonry as a whole is declining. The Scottish Rite is declining in some areas, and many are not attending meetings (and, in other areas it is growing). I firmly believe that the Scottish Rite is going through a period of realignment in its natural cycle. I am seeing more and more young Masons who are joining the Scottish Rite who are not at all interested in the gold and silver prizes or awards that may The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

A painted silk portrait of Kukai or Kobo Daishi (774-835 CE). 14th century CE. (Tokyo National Museum)

be won. They are looking for the real gold which is the teachings. And this all seems to be part of a cycle. If this is the case, then the Lodge of Perfection can hold a special place as a fundamental aspect of a continuous, never ending cycle of esoteric teachings. Teachings designed to reveal new lessons with each revisiting. The change that the Scottish Rite, and really all of Masonry, is going through now has no guarantee that it will be painless for everyone. There could be some who find this change wholly unacceptable. And, we can look at art for an example. I read something not long ago about an artist who was probably more ego than artist. He was having an art show at a respected European

art gallery. The show actually featured works by several artists, but this one artist billed himself as the main part of the show. He considered himself as the new wave of modern art. He felt that the old masters were “yesterday’s news.” He felt that his work was far superior to theirs in quality, style and meaning. The show went on for a month, but the artist did not visit the galley until it was several weeks into the event. When he arrived at the gallery, he went directly to see the display of his newest piece and was horrified at what he saw. The gallery had hung the work upside down. The reason they hung it this way was because they had no idea which way was up and which was down. Well, the artist was furious. He began yell19

ing that no one in the galley had any sense of art, they were all incompetent, etc. In truth, the galley workers were all highly experienced and skilled, but the problem was that they just could not tell the direction of his work. The argument reached such a level that the owner of the gallery told him to take his art and leave. They replaced his art with copies of works by the old masters. In a statement made by the gallery owner, he said that if art is meaningful and understood only by the artist, then of what value is it to humanity? And what of our organizations? If what we are doing in our various bodies is meaningful only to the ones who confer the degrees or run the meetings and not the general membership, then a disconnect is taking place. We must be of value to more than a few. The Scottish Rite is a venue for the personal growth of all, not a place where only some can enjoy personal satisfaction through caps, titles and offices. A meeting of the Lodge of Perfection is an opportunity to teach and learn the philosophy and nature of the Scottish Rite. Those who do not or cannot understand that phi-

losophy will need to begin their own cycle to learn or relearn what they have forgotten or never learned. It is all part of the natural cycle of change. What is known as the Lodge of Perfection might be better understood as the Lodge of Perfecting. The perfecting is the steady growth of the individual. It is building on what is already known to fine tune oneself without the unrealistic goal of actually achieving perfection. And while we may obtain the highest offices and degrees, it can mean nothing as far as our personal growth. The two are not tied together. We must always continue to personally grow. We have to objectively recognize when we are growing, and we have to recognize when we have ceased to grow. When we realize that we have ceased to grow, we must look to the teachings of the Scottish Rite to begin our own cycle of learning. We must do this without being hampered by ego or false pride. We must recognize that we are part of the whole and begin on the natural cycle with the eagerness of when we first saw the Scottish Rite degrees.

Like so many aspects of Masonry, the Lodge of Perfection has layers upon layers of moral philosophy built into it. We are either part of the problem or part of the solution. In this case, no one rides the fence. It is one of the consequences of the quest for perfection (improvement) which we embarked upon when we joined. So, next time you are at a Lodge of Perfection meeting take a little time to close your eyes and just feel what is all around you. Allow yourself to be open to the deeper teachings of the ritual and the philosophy. Explore them. If you truly feel nothing, then try to have the strength and courage to start over. There is no shame. It is part of what growing means. Don’t limit yourself to only what you must do; take the extra step. Reach out and up. It is part of what it means to be a Scottish Rite Mason.

The Altar & The Master continued from page 10

tual and moral one. Had the senior deacon been permitted to cross that line and break the line of sight from the master to the Altar, allegorically speaking, the master would have lost sight of the Altar. The Altar, which supports the three great lights in Masonry and the fundamental teachings of our beloved fraternity. I believe it to be unbeknown to the brethren on the sidelines, but that day I learned a valuable lesson from their readiness to defend the rule that the line between the Altar and the Master remain unbroken. The Master needs to be in direct line and keep his eyes on the Great Architect of the Universe if he has any hope of being a man worthy to sit in the East. This lesson learned isn’t one only for the Master of a lodge, but for every brother of the Craft throughout the world. If we hope to aspire to be good men and Mason’s, then our line of sight to the foundational teachings of our fraternity and our reliance on God to guide us in every endeavor must never be broken. 20

The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

New Library Donations continued from page 11

We are grateful that two descendants of two different Past Grand Masters thought of the Louisiana Masonic Library and Museum in donating these items to our P∴G∴M∴ Collection.

“Jean Laffite Revealed: Unraveling One of America’s Longest Running Mysteries” with Dr. Ashley Oliphant and Beth Yarbrough THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 / 2–3:15 PM Join us for the first in a new series of presentations from the Louisiana Masonic Library & Museum and the Louisiana Lodge of Research streaming live online. Released in March 2021, “Jean Laffite Revealed: Unraveling One of America’s Longest-Running Mysteries” takes a fresh look at the various myths and legends surrounding one of the last great pirates. Beginning in 1805, the book traces Laffite through his rise to power as a privateer and smuggler in the Gulf, his involvement in the Battle of New Orleans, his flight to Texas, and his eventual disappearance in the waters of the Caribbean. With stunning revelations, this book picks up the trail from there a trail that no one knew existed until now. This carefully researched work is a bona fide wild ride that will silence long-held speculation about Laffite’s ultimate fate. In support of the library we ask for a $4.99 donation to stream this presentation. Signed copies of the book will be available for pre-order through the authors.

Get Tickets @ bit.ly/LibraryTalk The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

The Louisiana Masonic Library & Museum MANY THANKS TO OUR 2021 BIG DONORS!

In addition to being an actor, Brother Buck was the city attorney for New Orleans from 1880 to 1884 and ran an unsuccessful bid for mayor. After a brilliant start as a lawyer, the call of the stage was so strong that he briefly quit the law and traveled for two years with Milton Nobles, a famous musician and comedic actor of the day. He then returned to practice law and was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1894. An embodiement of the humble citizen-leader, Brother Buck declined to run again for office after serving only one term. Brother Buck passed to his reward on January 19, 1918, and he was buried by the Grand Lodge with full Masonic honors, members of Germania attending en masse.”

New Orleans Scottish Rite Foundation $ 30,000 New Borne Lodge No. 500 $ 10,000 New Orleans High 12 $ 400 Linn Wood-Ionic Lodge No. 167 $ 200

v Visit us online at

library.la-mason.com /OfficialLouisianaMasonicLibraryMuseum 21

he Masonic Learning Center of Louisiana is currently accepting applications for new students for its Dyslexia Training Program. This program is for children in 3rd through 5th grades, in public, private, home, or virtual schools, who struggle with Dyslexia. All classes are after school, and parents are responsible for transportation to and from classes. This program is provided to the student at ZERO COST to the parent, or guardian for testing, materials, and instruction. Donations from pillars of the community such as you help make this possible! The Dyslexia Training Program is a multi-sensory program of instruction that emphasizes phonics and is taught by a teacher/facilitator to classes of limited size using a number of teaching aids including video recordings, workbooks, writing frames, linkage paper, three- dimensional letters, flash cards, wall charts, dictionaries, and other items. The primary program consists of 350 hours of classroom time which is conducted one [1] hour per day, five [5] days per week, excluding holidays. In order that the students may all be ageappropriate and comply with the elements of the disorder, we accept only those children who are in grades 4, 5, or 6; who have not yet attained the age of 13; who are free of other impeding conditions; and who have a full-scale I.Q. of at least 90 as determined by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 3rd Edition. There is also a 160-hour program for youth older than the age of 13. This

one-year program provides instruction for students in the 7th grade through 11th grade. Each class is conducted by a teacher/facilitator who is certified to teach in Louisiana. The location of each class is hosted in various physical facilities, including: Masonic Lodge buildings, churches, schools, or other specified entities. The Dyslexia Training Program was established under the Masonic Learning Center of Louisiana and works on a cooperative basis with the local Masonic Lodges and communities. There are currently class sites in cities across Louisiana. Since 1998, it has been The Masonic Learning Center of Louisiana’s mission to serve our state and local communities in guiding and addressing the dyslexia in classrooms by providing community learning centers for all children with dyslexia, regardless of parental income or location, and by furnishing special instruction to children with dyslexia who are not otherwise receiving adequate servic-

es, or who need extra help to permit them to cope successfully with their condition, giving each child the ability to further their potential for success. Currently there are Masonic Learning Centers classes in Belle Chasse, Bossier, Central, Franklin Academy in Winnsboro, Ponchatoula, Slaughter, Slidell, Shreveport, and Bains in St. Francisville. We are accepting application for new classes for the school year 2022-2023. Also, we are planning on starting new classes in some of our existing sites. Those sites are Alexandria, Bossier, Central, Delta Charter School in Ferriday, Jena, Shreveport, and Bains and the Middle School in St. Francisville. For more information, or to apply for this program, please visit www.la-mason.com/dyslexia-programinformation or send email to dyslexia@ la-mason.com.

The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

“I Have Lots of Friends” From the past to the present, a Mason can find a friend and brother where ever he may travel.

Worshipful Brother Flint Hollars (foreground), of Livingston No. 160 with Bro. Buck Taylor at Silver Dollar City.

n a trip last year to Branson, Missouri W∴B∴ Flint Hollars, of Livingston Lodge No. 160, came across an art booth at the Silver Dollar City theme park. The booth was that of actor, and Brother Mason, Buck Taylor. Brother Taylor is known for his role as “Turkey Creek” Jack Johnson in the movie Tombstone, and also had roles on Gunsmoke and is currently on the series Yellowstone. W∴B∴ Hollars presented Brother Taylor one of M∴W∴B∴ Jimmie Steen’s Grand Master pins, and he was quick to pin it to his shirt (as seen in photo). After a lengthy conversation Bro Taylor said that he frequents Louisiana often as he has home In Marrero. Bro Taylor is currently a member of Phoenix Lodge No. 275 in Weatherford, Tx. The real life “Turkey Creek” Jack Johnson (1852-1887) was an American bookkeeper, lawyer, cattle handler and lawman. He rode with Wyatt Earp as a member of the posse during the Earp Vendetta Ride. Brother Johnson was a member of Mount Moriah Lodge No. 2, F.& A.M., in Salt Lake City, though he may have joined Freemasonry earlier than that. The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022

Brother Buck Taylor, as “Turkey Creek” Jack Johnson, wearing a square and compasses pendant in the movie Tombstone.

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The Louisiana Freemason // Spring 2022