Being "Well and Duly Prepared" is a Masonic expression. Masons understand its significance in the Lodge Rooms, however, they may also interpret it outside the Lodge. No Mason enters even the ground floor of the Lodge unless he is "Well and Duly Pr e par e d, " but so simple is hi s dress tha t it provokes no envy. H e is dressed proper ly for the occasion, and everyone s o dressed feels perfectly at ease among his Brethren. No place here for the ric h to boast of fine raim ent and r esplendent jewels, nor for the poor to envy his more fortunate Brother or covet his w ealth. Their clothing in each case s y mbolizes l a bor a nd innocence. With hand a nd brain, each is ready to serve his fellow men; with fore bearanc e and tolerat ion, each is willing to f orgive the crude and ignorant every where. To carry the symbolism of Mas o nic invest iture still further,
THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON Di stribution Office
MASONIC HOMES
Elizabethtown, Po. 17022
( Send FORM 3579 to Above Address)
every Mason should be clothed in the habiliments of truth. His wardrobe should contain the robe of justice, with which to protect those who for any reason have been deprived of their just rights; the mantle of charity, with w hich to comfort those made destitute, many times by no cause of their own; the tunic of toleration , with which to hide the weakne ss of the wayward and h e lp them to the road of recovery; the cloak of mercy, with w hich to cover the wounded a nd suffering in mind or body with unstinted sympathy and kindne ss. These garments are all of genuine quality, measured and cut b y a Maste r Tailor. They are serviceable and in good t aste on every occ asion. They, too, may be had without money and without price, and, the man who wears them is truly "proper ly clothed," and "Well and Duly Prepared" as a Master Maso n.
Second Class POSTAGE PAID AT Elizabethtown Pennsylvania
Questions & Answers
Question: Explain the word "profane" when used Masonically?
Answer: The wo rd refers to one not initiated. It comes from "pro," without, and "fanum," a temple-one outside the t emple. It does not mean blasphemous when used Masonically. The Craft's refe rence to "a profane " or "the profane" means only the individual or group not a member or members.
Ques tion: What does "hele" mean?
Answer: Hele (pronounce) hail) is derived from the Anglo-Saxon and means cover or conceal.
Que stion: What is the origin of the expression "B lue Lodge?"
Answer: There are several theories of which wo hav e the most adherents. Some believe that Operative Masons felt that blue the color of the sky both by day and by night, was associated in their minds · with th e purity of Deity, which Masons attempt to emulate. Others refer to the change made by Speculative Masons shortly after the establishment of the original Grand Lodge of England when blue was substituted for white as the official Masonic color, presumably because it was the color of the Order of the Garter of which a number of Masonic leaders were members.
Question: I s Freemasonry a religion or has it a religion?
An swer: Freemasonry is non-s ectaria n and men of all religious faith s and beliefs can join in its rite s and cer emonies. Although it is definitely not a religion, nor does it have a reli gion, it certain ly is re ligious in c haracter and practice in that it teaches monotheism, the Bible is open on its altars whenever a L odge is in session reve rence for God is ever present in its c e remo nies, a nd le ssons of morality a re constantly add ressed to its M embers.
Question: Where can I obtain additional information concernin g Freemasonry?
Ans wer: The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania ha s q uite a s orehouse of M aso nic information in its fa m o u s Libra ry and Museum which comes under the juris di ction o f the Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Culture. A fu ll-time staff of this Library and Museum is always r eady and w illing to provide any information pos sible to relate , concerning Freemasonry. Write to Librarian and Curator, M aso n ic Temple, One N o rth Broad Street Philadelphia, Pa. 1910 7
Question: Where was the first Masonic Hall in America?
Ans we r: Freemason's Lodge built in 1755 in Phila delphia on the south side of Norri s (o r Lodge) Alley which extend s west from Second Stree and is par allel to and n o rth of Walnut Street.
Ques tion : Who was the first Mason reporting informal Masonic mee tings in America?
An swer: I n 1715 John Moore, Collector of the Port of P hiladelphia , wrote in a let ter that he had " s pent a f ew evenin gs of Masonic festivity with m y Masonic Brethren."
Editor's Note: If you have a question on Freema sonry, share it with us We will make every e ffort to answer it If per· we will include both the question and the ans wer in this Question and Answer column for oth ers to read.
Grand Master Urges Use of Special
Envelope Provided for 'Guest Fund '
Once again we are approaching the Holiday Season-days to be thankful for our blessings in life-and days to remember others.
Each year at this time it is customary for the Grand Master to urge the Brethren to remember the needs at the Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown. This year is no exception.
Every m ember of Lodges in this J u risdiction will receive a sp ec ial Gue st Fund appeal letter, along with a self-a ddressed envelope, in the September Lodge Notice.
In this s pecial appea l I point out: "This is a very important fund, a nd is one of th e major factors that make Elizabethtown a 'home' and not jus t another institution. Your continued financial ass istance is n eeded."
For t h e pas t severa l years we h ave kept records to see how many Brethren, and from which Lodges, contribute to the fund.
It may su rprise you to know tha t only 14.5 per cent of the approximately 255,000 Masons in this Jurisdiction contributed through the special e n velop es to the fund las t y ear.
It will please you to know that this sma ll percentage contributed s lightl y more than $ 250,000. This was the goa l set by the Grand Mas t er.
I expr ess a dee p appreciation to those Brethren who p articipated in the Guest Fund la st year. I also urge you to con ti nue this support.
On the other h and, I urge tho se who
hav e not participate d to pl ease mak e a s pecial effort thi s year.
Every doll a r you contribute is d eductible for incom e tax purp oses. To m a ny of you Brethren, this wo ul d be a welcome deduction when filipg t a x statements.
Seve ral weeks ago I r ece ived the following l e tter:
"A s m a ll check f or y our l ovel y home at Elizabethtown, Pa. I am an old m e mbe r of M e lit a L odge No. 2 95, long over 50 year s Will be 9 2 years young . Bes t Wi s h es."
If yo u h a v e mi s placed th e self· addressed po stage-fre e e n velope pro · vide d in the Lodge Notice for yo ur contribution to the Guest Fund , you ca n send your contribution direct to: Superintendent, Masonic Homes, E li zabethtown, Pa. 17022
The s ize of the check is immaterial. Howeve r , it is mate rial that the Brother who w rote th e a bo v e l etter is hi mself a guest in a hom e-not a M as onic hom e.
I could cite man y a dditional ins t a nces where M asons h ave made per-
NUMBER 3
sonal sac rifi ces in order to participate in the Guest Fund. Many of the co ntributors have retired and are living on pensions.
It wou ld not be po ss ible in th e short space a llocated to this article to li st the m any ways the Guest Fund is used.
For ins tance, a new ambulanc e was purchased several weeks ago. It cost approximately $10,000 and was very badly n eeded.
The fund will provide a summer vacation period for Masonic Homes children who h av e no fa milies to v is it.
The Guest Fund provides for many more costly proj e cts, includin g a comp l ete occupation a l therapy program, r eligious s erv ices, mov ing pi ctures , and specia l e ntertainment throu ghout the en tire year.
The n ame o f the Gue st Fund was fo rmerly " Chris tm as, Entertainment a nd R ecreatio n al Fund " The name w a s chan ged because it gave the imp ression t h e fund was very limit e d in its u se.
For instance, it did not s how that t h e fund pro v ides eac h Guest with $ 10.00 a month spe ndi ng money, a n a nnual requirement of $84 ,000. Bret hre n , I am s ure we a ll agr ee as to the ne ed a t th e M aso nic Hom es at E li zabeth town.
Now I per sonall y ur ge ea ch one of you to s e nd a c h eck in the e n ve lo pe provi ded in y our Septemb er L odge Notice By us in g the envelo pe method of c ontribu t in g, your Lod ge will be credited w ith yo ur gift. E ach con tri butor wi ll be pro v ided w ith a rec eipt.
I sincerely a ppr ec iate you r cont inued d e dic ation and interest.
Frate rnall y yo urs,
The Scottish Rite Cathedral, New Castle, Pa., where the Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of Pennsylvania was held on June 3, 1964.
Bro. Earl F. Herold R. W. Grand Mastet·
R. W. Gr and M aster
THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON
Issued Quarter ly February, May, August and November at Masonic Homes, Eli.z:abcthtown Pennsyl va nia, by The Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of The Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging through its
COMMITTEE ON MASONIC CULTURE-William E. Yeager P. G. M., Chairman, William E. Montgomery, Vice-Chairman, W. Frederick Warren, Blaine F. Fabian, W. Irvine Wiest and Paul C. Rodenhau ser. App r oved and Authorixed To Be Printed by
W ILLIAM A. CARPENTER, Ed itor Mailing Address:
Cornerstone Is Placed
In New Masonic Hall
Located at Paoli, Pa.
Thomson Lodge, No. 34 0, was h ost to a Specia l Communication of Grand L odge on Jun e 6t h, for the purpose of plac in g th e cornerstone of th e ir n ew Ma sonic Hall at 19 South Vall ey Ro ad, Paoli . The cornerstone was p laced by Bro. Earl F. H e rold, Righ t Wor shipful Gra n d Master, assisted by twenty-five Grand Lodge officers. After the cornerston e cer emon ies, a b a nqu et was serve d in the Lodge dinin g room f or ISO Members and g u ests, including the Worsh ipful Master s a n d Ward e n s of the other Lodges in the F ifth M ason ic D ist rict.
In the Grand M aster's a ddress to the Brethren at th e banquet h e expressed his p leasu r e in the number of Lodges throu g hout t h e Jurisdiction that are improving the image of Fre e ma so nry in their communities b y building new Templ es a nd rem odeli n g exist ing buildings and f aci lities He particularly co mplimented Thomson L odge for the way it had a ltered a f ormer churc h int o a fin e M asonic Hall w ith modern and ade qu ate faci lities fo r the pres ent and future needs H e men tioned that this had b een acco mp lished at a cost much less than a n ew bui lding containing simi l ar facilities , thereby k eeping the ir Lodge in a sound fina n cia l condition He noted a lso the substantia l incr ea se in new members in th e short time the n ew Masonic H a ll h as been occupi ed.
G roup picture
ng the Annual C hildren's
Grand Master Makes Commencement Address
At Graduation Exercises of Patton School
B r o E arl F. Herold, Rig ht Worsh ipful Grand M aster of M asons in Pennsylvania delivered the commen cem ent add re ss at the graduation exe rcises held Saturday, Jun e 6, 196 4, at the Thomas Ranken Patton Ma sonic Instituti o n for Boys, E li zabethtown, P a
Thirteen students were g r aduated a n d thei r names and t h e sponsori n g L odges are lis t e d below:
R ICHARD BENNER L o uis Wagner L odge, No. 715
R I CHARD BOOTH Steelton -Swa t ara L odge, No. 775
DoUGLAS COVER BREAM Adams Lodge, No. 3 1 9
DONALD CLEATUS BULL Red Lion Lodge, No. 649
DAVID DETWILER Lodge of the Craft, No 433
GEORGE SMIT H DUNLOP Page Lodge, No. 270
TALBERT FELI X Pulask Lod ge, No. 216
STEPHEN PAU L LEV Lodge No. 22
LEE RICHARD PARSELL Concordia Lodge , No. 67
WAYNE KENNETH REICHENBAUGH Bellefonte L odge, No. 208
THOMAS FRANKLIN RINGLER St. John's L odge, No. 435 2
From Our Grand Secretary's Office
June Quarterly Communication
The Jun e Quarterly Co m munication was moved to t h e weste rn part of the Jurisdiction and was held on June 3rd in the s pacious a nd beautifu l Scottish Rite Cathedral, on the hilltop, h igh a bove the b u s in ess section of New Castle.
A Special Communication of G r and Lodge had been held here the day b efore when Dr. F William S underm a n , a di stinguis h ed ph ysic ian and scientist, was made a Mason at Sight before an overflow attendance of 889 Brethren.
Never before had a Quarterl y Communication been held in New Cast le about 27 mil es fr o m Butle r, the home of Bro. Earl F. Herold, our R. W. Grand Master.
There is no doubt but that m a ny of the Brethren present had never a ttended a G ra n d Lodge Co m mun icatio n, nor see n a Mason made at Sight. Both meet in gs elicited many favorable comments.
A request f or f rat erna l r ecognition was received from the Grand Lodge of Peru, which was r e ferred to the Committee on Corre sp o n de nce.
Two Lodges each submitted requests for permission to receive a f ourth petition, which were on motion granted.
The Committee on By-Laws pre sent ed resolutions w hereby the proposed By-Laws sub -
Bro. Ash by B. P aul R. W. Grand Secretary mitted by 6 L odges a nd the amendments s u ggested by 25 Lodges were approved, some with mino r revisions or exceptions. The proposed amendments submitted by 2 L odges were rej ec ted.
Com mitt ee on Finance
THOMAS jOSEPH RU BY Perseverance Lodge, No 21
CHARLES DAVID TUCKER Crawford Lodge, No. 234
Dr. Thom as H Ford, Trustee, and r e tir e d Supe ri n tend ent of S ch ools in Reading, Pa., pres e nted th e following award s:
F acul t y A wa rd to D o u glas Cover Brea m; William H VanVoorhees ' Cra ft s man
A wa rd t o L ee Ri c ha rd P a r se ll ; Guild Award to Ge orge Smith Dunlop and Talber F e lix.
The Amer ic a n Legion Award was a ga n presente d by Ambrose Pl u mmer and was g ranted to George S. Dunl op. The Patton A 1u m n i A ssoc iation Award was pr esented b y D ea n C ramer t o R c h ard Benne r.
A DeMolay Award was shared by Geo r ge S mith Dunl op and Lee Ri ch ard Parsell.
National H onor Society Awards were present ed on behalf of the Trustees by Dr. D. L. Bi emesderfer, Presiden of Millersvi ll e State College , to L ee Richard Parse ll and George Smith Dunlop.
B ibles we r e presented t o each of the grad u at ing students by N. Eugene S h oemaker, Tr ustee and the diplomas were pr esented by Dr. Mahl o n H. Yoder , Trustee
Bro. Sanford M. Chilcot e, P ast Grand Master and C h airma n o f the Finance Committee, reviewed t h e rece i pts of $8 15,6 00 and expenditures of $9 05 ,9 00 for the fiscal q u a rter ending M ay 1 5th. He a ls o presented a re solu tion coveri ng the ren ewa l of cert a in underground wiring at the Ma sonic Homes at Eliza bethtown at a cost not to exceed S 18, 000 w hich was adopted.
Bro William E Yeager, Past Grand
Master and Chairman of the Committee on Masonic Culture, c omment ed on the Work shops now being h e ld thr oug hout the Jurisdiction and urge d a large attendance at a ll future meetings He also stressed the necessity t o properly train a n d inspire a ll the Lodg e Officers t o provide adequate leade r s hip ; a l so to promote Masonic ed ucation.
Guest Fund
Bro. Earl F. H erold, R. W Grand Master who is Cha irm an of the Committee on M asonic Hom es, was happy to announce that the goal of $2 50 000 f or the Guest Fund at the Hom es tha t h ad been set by Brother W. LeRoy
Are YOU Delinquent in Your Dues? :
One of the seriou s pro ble m s facing m any Lodges today is that of Memb ers who arc d e l inq u e nt in the ir due s During the pas t five years, over 6,250 Brethren have been s u spend ed for this reason
The yearly dues of th e majorit y of L odges are st ill ver y low and have bee n ra i sed IJrOport iona t e y very much than the genm·al increa se in prices
Your Lodge n eeds y ou r cont inu ed s upport Ma s onry n eed s YOU and it i s h o p e d y ou will always mai nt ai n yo m· intm·es in the hi gh idea s and }lrinciplcs of ou r Fraternit y
If YOU are no t c u r 1·ent in yo ur dues, won t yo u p l ease s en d them to your Sec r e tary NOW If y ou arc financiall y unable at this tim e, don t be emb arrassed to g i ve him the fac t s.
McKinley, while Grand Master , h ad bee n reached.
He a lso state d that an ambulan ce h a d been purch ased for the Hom es. Bro Robert E. D eyoe, R. W. D e puty Grand Master, and C h air man of the Co mmittee on Masonic Temples, Halls a nd Lodge Rooms, commented on th e c o ntinuing ac ti v ity of the Lodges in this Jurisdic tion in improving th ei r Lodge qua r ters Co-Chairmen of this Committee are loc ated in the Eastern, Central a nd Western sections of the State to assist the L odges in any problems that might a ri se in connection with t heir betterment program.
P atto n Scho ol Bro John K. Young, R. W. S e nior Grand War den and a Trustee of the Thomas Ranke n Patton Masonic Institution for Boys, prese nted a brief re port, o utlining some of the r eq uirements for admission. It is hoped this Fall 's Class w ill have a full compl ement of 60 boys
The r e por t of th e Committee o n Temple indicated expenditures of $3 1,800 for the past Quarter.
1963 Membership Statis t ics
The revised M e mbersh ip Statistics for 1963, based on the corrected General Returns are as follows:
Membership, Dec. 27, 1962 256,133
Admitted durin g 1963 823 Initi ated during 1963 5,666 6,4 89 Suspended during 1963 1,378 Resig n ed during 1963 681 Dece ase d during 1963 5,950 8,00 9 Dec r ease (net) for 1963 1,520 Membership, Dec. 27 , 19 63 254,6 13 Bro. David J. Wynne, Grand Ch a plain, gave a mo st inspiring address on "Wh at Is Right with America."
The Grand Ma ste r s in cerely thanked a ll the Brethren for the ir assistance and cooperation in making these two Co mmunica tions so success ful a nd enjoyable.
Grand L odge closed a t 9: 10 P.M.
Frate rnally,
R. W. Grand Se cretary
Grand Lodge Hosts
Order of DeMolay
Leadership Workshop
Over 150 D e M o lay "Dads" and Chapter officers of DeMolay Chapter in Pennsylvania attended a DeMolay Leadership Workshop held at the Thoma s Ranken Patton Masonic Institution for Boys, Elizabethtown, on August 21 , 22 and 23.
Long an advocate of active DeMalay Chapters and strong DeMolay leadership, Bro. Earl F Herold , Right Wors hipful Grand Master, was pleased to arrange for the use of the facilities at the Patton School with meals served at the Homes.
A full schedule of events, mostly work sessions, was highlighted with a banqu et Saturday evening at which time the Grand Master addressed the DeMolay officers and advisers.
Sunday morning, August 23 , was devoted to religious services in churches of their choice in Elizabethtown.
Communication Held At New Castle Was
Outstanding Success
The Gr a nd M aster r e por ts tha t th e June Quarterly Communication h e ld a t N ew Castle, wa s a n outstanding success and that m a ny Brethren h ad the ir fir st opportunity to a ttend a Gr a nd Lodge m e eting.
Bro. Earl F. H e rold, R. W. Gr a nd Master, said :
"I deeply appreciate the splendid cooperation Gr an d Lodge r eceived from the Brethren in the N ew Ca stle area.
"It was fur t her evidence that Masons throughout the state are inter este d in the a ffairs of Gra nd Lodge and will participa te in Grand Lodge mee tin gs w h en given the opportunity."
Grand Master Makes Physician-SCientist A Mason at Sight
Bro. E a rl F. Herold, Right Wor shipful Grand M aster, made Dr. F. William Sunderman, prominent physician and scientist of Philadelphia, a Maso n at Sight. This high honor was bestowed upon Bro . Sunderman at a Special Communication of Grand Lodge on June 2, 1964, in the Scottish Rite Cathedral , New Castl e, Pa.
Bro. Carl A. Focht, District Deputy Grand Master of the 7th Masonic Di strict, examine s the Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of P ennsylvania Trophy wo n by the R eading Chapter, Order of D eMo la y, as the outstanding Chapter at the 29th Annual Conclav e held at Lycoming Colle ge, Williamsport, Pa T he ha ppy DeMolay bo ys looking on are, left to r ight , Lyle R Neal, David G. Wertz and William R Hilbert all from the Reading Chapter.
DeMolay Has Conclave At Lycoming College
Have You Any Items For Our Grand Lodge Library and Museum?
Our Gra nd Lodge Library a nd Museum provides an idea l repository for M ason ic bo ok s, documents a nd other M asoni c a rticles.
M ost of the Maso nic a rticl es alr eady in our rar e collection h ave come from P enn sylva nia M asons and their frie nds.
If you h ave a ny M asonic a rticles or kn ow of o th ers w ho may h ave some, be assur ed th a t a ny s uch a rticles are a lways welcom ed as a n a ddition to our f am ou s coll ec ti on.
Fairless Hills Lodge, No . 776, Soon
Its New Suburban Style Masonic to Use Hall
Dreams do come true. The picture above shows Bro. Michael Oleyer, Wor shipful Master of Fairless Hills Lodge, No 776, Bristol, Pa., looking a t their nearly completed Masonic Hall which they started dreaming about some eight y ears ago. They began putting their dr ea m s into action when they formed the Fairless Hills Mas onic Hall Association and st a rted a campaign for building funds.
Th ere f ore when we build let us think that we build f orever. Let it not be fo r presen t deligh t nor for present u s e a l on e. Let it be s u c h work a s our descend a nts will thank u s fo r. An d let u s think, as we la y s t one o n stone, th at a t ime is to come w h en these s ones w ill be h e ld sac red beca use our hands have t o u ched the m, and that men will say, as they look u pon the labor and the w r o ught s ub stance of them, "See! Th is our fathers did for us."
- jOHN RUSKIN
O ver 600 D eMolay b oys and M asonic lea ders a ttend ed the 29th Annua l Conclave of the Associated Ch a pt er s, Or der of DeMolay of P en nsyl vania, held at L ycoming College, Willia m sport, June 25 through June 28 , 1964. Bro. E a rl F . H erold, Right Wor shipful Gr a nd M aster , n ot only delivered a most in spiring addr ess at the annual b a nqu et but he presented the coveted Gra nd L odge of P e nnsylva nia Trophy to the o uts t anding Chapter in t hi s year 's competition The outstanding Chapter was Reading Chapter, Orde r of D eMola y Bro. H erold was honored for hi s int erest a nd service as a n ad v isor to D e Mol ay fo r the past 40 years. Highlighted by the keen competition in th e var io u s contests, the attendance of man y M asonic leaders and the ide a l facilities provided by Lycoming College, this 29th Annu a l Conclave was the mo st spir ite d and s u ccessful of many yea r s. 4
All art icle s r eceived are immediate ly cataloged and placed in their proper category for display or reference Addr ess a ll correspondence or shipm e nts to:
Libr aria n a nd Curator
Maso nic T empl e, One North B road Street Phil adelphia, P a. 19107
Nearly 900 of th e Brethren , mos tl y from the western p art of the Dr. F. William state, along with Sunderman sev eral Grand Lodge Offi ce rs, a ttend ed this Special Communication of Grand Lodge. Bro. Sunderm a n 's numerou s contributions to medica l research a nd his m any years of medical lead ership in the fi e lds of clinical pathology and clinical science h a ve brought him int ernational recognit io n. Severa l officers a nd past officer s of Thom as R. Ranken Lodge, N o 659, Phil ade lphi a, fill e d the chairs f o r the three Degrees, the First and S econd D egrees b e ing conf erred in th e aft ernoon w ith the M aster M ason' s D egree bein g conferred in the evenin g Bro. Carl J. Au stin , W orshipful Mast er of Thomas R. P atton L odge, No. 659, conferred the Entere d Apprenti ce Mason's Degree. Bro. E ver ett J. Elliott, Jun ior W a rden of L eechburg L odge, N o. 577, L eec h b urg, confe rred the Fellow Craf t M ason s D egree and Bro. Willia m E. Yeager, Jr., Past M ast e r of Jo se ph W arren Lodge, No. 726, W a rre n, conferred the Mast er M aso n's D egree
Bad Weather Conditions No Longer Affect Tours Through Temple in Phila.
Guided tour s a r e conducted through the M aso nic Templ e, Phil adelphiar egardl ess of weathe r conditions-on weekdays at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a .m., 1 : 00 p.m., 2 : 00 p.m., and 3 : 00 p .m On S aturd ays th ere a r e tour s at 10 : 00 a.m. a nd 11 : 00 a.m. Th ese gu id ed tours are o pen to the public. The T e mple is closed on legal h o lidays and on Saturdays during July a nd Augu st.
The community of F airless Hills is o n e of the modern planned suburb a n co mmunities that h ave b een built in recent years. In th e planning f or Fairl ess Hills b y the Danherst C or poration, of w hich Bro. J o hn W. Galbreath is Pr es ident, acreage was set aside for the u se of fr atern a l organiza tions . Thi s was just w hat F airless Hills Lodge, No. 77 6, was looking for since it felt the need for better M asonic facilities · in the community. In the p ast ten years there h a d bee n thr ee new Lod ges formed a nd there had been no M asoni c Hall built in lower Bucks County in more t h a n h a lf a century.
Therefor e, in 1956, F a irless Hills Lodge, No 776, a pplie d for a plot of ground in the "fraternal" acr eage and was awarded a choice corner lot' 200' x 300' at Old s Boulevard and Qu e en Anne Drive, jus t across from the Willi am Penn Jr. High School, a most d esirabl e location After the form at ion of the Fairless Hills M asonic H a ll A ssociation, in 1962 , a n additio nal 118' x 300; was purchased for a very nominal s um Afte r an energetic fin a ncing campaign , whic h was quite successful, construction was started on a new Ma son ic Temple, u sing the pl ans a nd specifications f o r the "Suburban" model pro5
vided by the Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Temples, H a lls and Lodge Rooms. Fairless Hill s Lodge has seen the new Masonic Hall progress from a dream to a reality which will be an asset to the whole community. Completion is expected early in Septembe r. The cornerstone laying and dedication is scheduled for September 19th, a ver y fitting date since September 25th will m a rk the tenth a nniver sary of th e Constitution of the Lodge.
B r o. E ar l F Herold, Right W orshipful Grand Ma ster, is person a lly involved in t his n ew Ma sonic H a ll, s ince at th e time of its b eginn in gs h e was Chairman of the Grand L odge Comm ittee o n M asonic T emples, H a lls a nd Lod ge Rooms and therefore was a prime mover in th e early stages of the pr ep a r atio n f or it a nd its construction. H e has expressed his a nticipated pleasure in participating in the ceremonies o n Sept e mbe r 19th w hen he will dedicate to the service of our Fraternity thi s fin e M aso nic H a ll w hich he h e lped to conceive.
PLEASE PROCESS ADDRESS CHANGES SOON AS POSSIBLE
Copies of The Pe nnsylvania Freemason return e d by the Post Offices, due to incorr e ct address es, cost ten cents each.
You can h e lp s av e u s this expense by notifying your Lodge Secretory immediat e ly wh e n you change your address.
A new Masonic Hall rises for Fairless Hill Lodge, No. 776, Bristol, Pa.
The Philosophy of Freemasonry
By William E. Montgomery Vice-Chairman, Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Culture
There are, generally speaking, five principle departments of Masonic study- Ritual, His tory, Symbolism, Law, and, last but not necessarily least, Philosophy. It is indeed a study of Masonic fundamentals and as such must be assigned a place of imp ortance in any attempt to really understand this great institution which we ca ll Freemasonry. When we begin to inquire into the elements of the Philosophy of Freemasonry, it is necessary for us to select those who have been preeminent in that field. The choice is not very difficult, for unquestionably in this phase of Masonic study, head and shoulders above all the rest are the names of William Preston, Karl Christian Krause, George Oliver, Albert Pike and Roscoe Pound.
If we consider the philosophy of Masonry as a systetn of organized Masonic Knowledge, we find that it deals and has to do primaril y with three fundamenta question s: (I) What is the purpose of Freema sonry as an organization; why docs it exist and what does it hope to accomplis h?
(2) What is its relation to other instituti ons? (3) What are the basic fundamentals which Masonry uses in attaining i ts objectives?
The manner in which the five great Masonic scho la rs whom I hav e just mentioned, answered these questions, has given us five systems of Masonic philosophy. In studying these fi ve sys tems of philosophy it is necessary to know something of the man and the times, for his phi losophy to a large degree will r eflect th e influence of those two el ement s. William Preston liv ed from 1 742 to 1818. He was noted for his literary style and acted as a critic in the c ompil a tion of the works of Hume, Gibbon and others of the foremost men of letters of that day. In spite of certain difficulties w ith Gra nd L odge, he was genera ll y acknowled g ed to be the mos t prominent Mason of his time.
Until the R econciliation of 1 813, when the co mpromise lectures of Dr. Hemmin g were app roved, the original Grand Lod ge of England, the so- called Modern Gra nd L o dge had used the Preston lecture s for n early forty years Preston was the first to ns st on the minute verba l accuracy which is no w a f eature of our ritualistic w o rk.
Preston lived in a time of the s tricte s t formality. It was the socalled age of rea son when knowledge was considered a s self-suffi cient, d es igned to cure all ills and error s th e universal solvent. Hence in hi s l eclltres , Preston allentpl s to assemble and then disseminate information
To him, the Masonic order ex isted primarily to propagate and diffuse know edge.
How then would Preston answer the three quest ons which constitute the key to the true meaning of any sys tem of Masonic phi losophy? First, .for what purpose does Masonry exist? Preston would say: to disseminate knowledge, thus raising the lot of mankind. Second, what is the relation of Ma s onry to other human activities? Preston would say: The State serves humanity by preserv in g order, the Church by inclining men toward righteous living while Freema-
sonry seeks the same end by cultivating their minds Third, h ow does Masonry end e avor to achieve its p:.:rpose ? Pre ston answers that b y ectures and ceremonies in the Lodge Room.
Before condemning Preston's phi osophy too severely as being entirely insufficient for the Mason of today let us remember that in Pre ston's day the crying need of the times was popular education , for public schools did not exist and few possessed the means necessary to secure information and knowledge. Preston's mistake was the mistake of the century in which he lived. And yet, is it not quite possible that in this day and generation Masonry might with profit dissemin a te more of certain kinds of information?
Karl Chri s tian Krause, the s econd of the five gt·eat Masonic philoso phers of all time wa s born near Lcips ig in I78I. He was the founder of a school of l ega l and political philosophy, and , until the rise of the military s pirit of Germany and the consequent introduction of new ideas, the influ e nce of his doctrine s remained almost dominant
In his legal philosophy, Krause points out that the germs of legal institut io ns are t o be found in the ancient religio ns. Religion rules man by spiritual p ower, morality by t?e force of man's conscience fortified by pubhc opmion, and law by the statutes of Thus the church and the law have thetr place. But, asks Kr a u se, what of the third of these grea agencies? Here he tells us is th e realm of Free ma s onry "World-wide, respecting e v ery hone st creed but requiring a dher en ce to none, te a chin g obedience to s tates but confining itse lf to no one of them, w it h relig ion on one side and aw on the othe r, Masonry stands upon i ts solid middle g round of the unive rsa l moral sentiments of mankind, puttin g behind them t h e of tra ditions and precept and thus o rgamzmg the mighty sa nct ions o f human disa pprov a l."
How then do es Kraus e answer th e three que st ions of Ma sonic philo soph?'?
Krause a nswers that its purpose 1s to g 1ve strength o tha t univ e rsal m o ral force a nd to bring its me a ning h o me as a reality to every indi v idual pe rson. S econ d , with respect o the rel a tion of M ason ry to oth er human inst tu ti ons, Krause says that they s h o uld wo r k in harmoni o u s coo peration in orga nizing a ll segments of human activity. In this spirit he expounds the well kno wn principles concern ng the attitud e which a Ma son s hould take with r es pect to the government and the religion of hi s country. Third what are the fundamental b ases o n which Ma sonry exis s in attaining the end it s e e ks ? K rause answer s :
Since Masonry ha s to d ea l with the internal conditions of life g ov e rned by reason, its fund a mental principles as exe mplified by the working tools must be me as ureme nt and restrain t ruled b y reason.
Where Krau se 's philosophy was concerned chi efly with the rel a ti on of Masonry to the philosophy of aw and government, G eorge Oliver, a clergyman, dea s with Mason ry in its relatio n to the phil osop h y of r eligion.
Oliver was hm·n at Pepplewi ck, England, in I782 . While yet young h e acquired a high reputa t ion a s an ear6
nest stude nt of and a prolific writer upon ecclesiastical subjects. He was an enthusia st, a romanticist, and as a •·cs ult many s erious defects appear in his Masonic writings, particularly those dealing upon historical matters for he was often carried away by his warm in1agination
It has been said that the reconci liati on of knowledge with religion and the unifying of religion with all ot her human a ct ivities comprised the favorite undertaking of all romantic philosophers. It was natural, therefore that a clergyman, such as Oliver should be attracted to that t ype of thought and that so zealous and enthusias tic a churchman should convert the problem into one of relating Masonry to religion and reconciling their ideas and ideals. Oliver's theory was that Masonry, not as an organ izati on but as a system of tradition (be s ure to mark the difference) , was to be found in the earliest of Scriptural times, even before the flood. Oliver believed that God is made manifest by re ve ation and thus we know Him through Religion; also by knowledge and thus we know Him through Science; also by tradition and thus we know Him through Masonry. Oliver like wise held that Masonry was strictly a Christian institution and that the Masonic symbols taught the doctrine of the Trinity and f oretold the death and resurrection of Christ
What then are Oliver's answers to the three fundamental questions of Masonic phil osophy? First, for what does the institution exist? Oliver would answer that Religion, Maso nry and Science are each means through which we obta in a knowledge of God and His purpose Second how does Masonry seek to achieve its e nd ? Oliver answers, b y treasuring an d inte rpreting the ancient tra ditions which have be en hande d down to us from the very b eginning of human existence. Third, what a re the fundamental principle s by w hich Masonry is governed in accompli s hing its mission? Oliver wo uld reply that they are essent ially the principles of reli g ion itse lf
As Krause's philo s oph y of Ma sonry wa s one whic h dealt with its r e lation to law and governnt ent, as Preston 's in it s relation to knowled g e, so in Oliver's p hilosophy we find stressed the inter-rela t ionship of Masonry and reli g ion. Although Oliver gives u s much to think ab ou t s erious l y and s obe rl y , v et i n his variou s beliefs h e included much which is cras s abs urdity , that his nflu e nce has been greatly dimini s hed and man y of his bett er point s have b e en os t in the exub erance of hi s imaginative speculation s
We n ow ap proach a n entirely diffe rent conce ption of the fi e ld of Ma son c philosop h y. To Pres t o n Freemasonry was the embod iment of general knowled g e and it s missi on was to di sse min ate that kno w ledge. To Kra use, the importance of organized moral s is st re ssed a nd the purpose o f M asonry is to conso lidate the strength of humanity in b eh a f of th e princ iples of mor a lity. T o Oliver as we h ave jus t seen, F r eemasonry represents a means of getting nea rer to God. On the other h a nd , Pike think s of M as onr y, not in connection with educati o n, or law a nd government, o r relig i o n as did his predecessors in this field o f Masonic endeavor, but rather d oes h e consider the C raft in its relati onship to the ba sic problems of life it se lf.
Alber Pike wa s a man of the w i dest and m ost varied l earning Auth o r, lega l a uthor ity
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The Vi arra nt Mcmbe•·s of out· n e w es t L96o4dg':, C.c arf d i.;n of Grove C ity College.
C d L d e No. 800 located at Grove City, Pa.
1\'letnbers was Constituted on May 2, I J In raw or •
The Philosophy of Freemasonry
(Continued From Pre ceding Pa ge) interpreter , poet, scholar , it is that, with the exception of Krause, no mmd of equal quality nor of equal attamments has ev er been ubhzed upon questions confronting M asonry than Ptke s. He lived in an age of change in the though t men - a period w hic h saw the ri se of mate nin t he wake of t h e decay ?f dogma, though still influenc ed by the. phtlos ophtcal trends in Europe during th e etg hte e nth century.
Pike was an advocate of individual fr eedom in deternunmg th e m ean ing of Freemas onry-that e ach Mason s hould s tud y the l essons pre· in th e rituali s tic work and decide upon what his shou mean to him. In his own e al s tudies, Pike see ks that wtll harmonize the manifold mamfes tat ion s of the Absolute tha t this uniting force is Eqmhbrmm- that is the balance between diver se fac tors in human life, b e twee n a uthortt! and indiv idual action , betwe en the WI Sh lf the IJresenl and th e radi t i ons ! te pa s t, between the s piritual d t vme on one hand and the human on the o the r To Pike equilibrimn or balance IS t hat qua hty for which men of e ve ry .ag e have bMn searching the light winch we a s a· evet• seck
What, then, in this Maso ni c philosophy he answer s to our h ree fund ame nta l T o the que st ion, w hat is. the p':'rpose o. aPike answe r s that 1mmedt ate end 1s the sonry, t f II' g ht meaning the atta inmen t o f pu rs m o · · 1 th the fund a mental harmonizm g p r m c 1p e 0 e univer se. B asi ca lly however, .P1ke would answer that "the u lt im ate end 1s to ead "!s t? the Absolute-i nterpreted b y ou r. own mdtv idu al creed, if we li ke, but as fi nal unity into w h ich a ll thm gs me r ge with which in t h e end all thi ngs must. be d " Second w hat i s the relatiOn o accor · · · Pike Masonry to other h uman instltut w n s: answer s that M asonry see k s to exp lam these
other institutions o us in order that they become m ore useful and more effecti v e m serving mankind. Third , ho.w do es Masonry seek to rea ch these ends? Ptke would .say by impressing upon us the need for stu dymg the legends, the all egories, the symbols, th.e lectures w hi ch a re basic t o an und erstandmg o f F reemaso nry, with emph asis on the fact that upon e a ch of us indi v idually t he responsibility o f reachi ng a persona l mterpre tation of their me a ning.
\V c have long outg1·own the notion th·tt Masonry is to be h e ld. to one b · s to b e purpose or one o Jectt ve or hound e d b y the confi_nes of ?nc philo soph y Our symhohc teachmgs , o ur t·itualistic work , our law and pt•ocedure I nus t retnaJn IUllllUlahle and unc hanging through th e but our philosophy must he r es pons tv t; to the nee d s of the tim e p lace upon which and within whtch mflucnce i s to be exerte d. Hence '" our l\'la s o}tic philos otJhy we not only esson s and te nets for a ll .tunes, but ", specia l l esson and a s pcctal tenet fm e a c h tim e. Our dtcs and D:sagcs are not m erely a pi·oud possesston to f be u·eas u red for the ir and or t h ei r antiquit y They arc m s trum c nt s placed in oui' hand s to be u sed.
A s the principle expon e nt of a twentieth century M aso ni c philosophy, bids u s turn for g uidance t o the n e.w 1 ea lsm of p racti ca l or applied philoso phy m to find a re a ll y fruitful p rogr a m. To e ne?ide ali st "our t ask as m e mb er s of soc tety 1S o advance civilizat i on b y e xe rtmg ourselv e s consciously a nd intelli gently to tha e nd. It recogn izes the s pirit ual side of man as so m et hi ng w hi ch c iv ilization b oth p res u p pos e s .an.d d evel ops. It h as a God-a liv i?g tt I S d tl c , I t rea lizes th e s tgmfic a n ce of not ogma I c h ange s w hi ch a re co n s tantly occ u r nng t has no a b solute f o rmula but present s to every one the possibili y of deve opment, b y me a n s of wh ich we find r eal ity within ourse lv es, and by s o doi n g we ball" towa:d the co mmo n goal-th e civl h zatwn of mankmd
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The nco-idealis tic system of ph.ilosophy has a sound bas i s in the ht s tory of human institutions in general, for their objective s u s ually have b een velopm e nt- 1 refer pa r ticularly to ms titution s remotely or, closely to our own-the Jnen s h o '!'se o '· e aboi·igincs, the trtbal ti es, the clan cer emotnes of a?ttqu!l ) . I tet· to s la te cercntontes and rising a 1 · ·cties 5tale r e ligion s th e r c tgtous s o c t e specially of T hibe t and .muong the Hindu s, the olden m yst e rtes s uch a s the Egy ptian Elcusinian, and D yo n ysian the trade soc te lle; hke the Roman Collegia a n d nuddlca "'C guilds c h aritable s octet t es s u c h as R"'oman a ssociations In all. o f them , at least at th e o uts tarl prwr to the advent of any degcneratton of purpose, the r e i s found th e effort to pt·cservc and pass on s om e cle ntent of civilization
First , w hat is the obj e ctive ?f F hat do we exi st as an orgamzatwn The or w f the Masoni c nco-ideali s wou ld be a n swe r o t h t f all that our mis s ion is the same a s a o soc ial organizatio ns (soci a in its broa d es ; terms) n a mely, to carry on t h e e l e.me nts o civ iliza'ti o n upon which our c essors ha v e labored, i mprove tt, and hand down to those w h o w ill follow u s. s:con w h a t is its r e ation to our more or le ss k1?d;.ed organizatio ns? Pound answers tha t ours s a n o rganizat ion o f hum a n effort, founded ? long uni ve rs a l lines on w hich all m ay agr ee m .an att e m p t to put f o rth a con scious eff ort in p r eserving and promotmg tion. What ot her a gen c ies d o a lon g !t':' es .of c as t e cr cree d, or within p olitical o r terntonal limits hampere d b y polit ica l o r ocal d' M asonry seeks to ac hte ve b y or- preJU ICC, h ganiz in g the universal elements m t. at make f or culture and a d van.ce m.ent. how doe s Ma sonry accomphs h 1ts obJe ctive. P ou nd rep lies that Fre e ma s onry ea.ches . 1 at'on m u st be strengthened tn a ll tts c tvl tz 1 1 the va ried ph ases, e spec i a lly by re y m g princ iple o f u niv ersa lity a n d by promotm g m eve r y possible way the solidarity of huma n though t
