Th e proposed Amendments to the Ahiman Rezon which were presented to Grand Lodge in June w ill be acted upon at the D ecember Quarterly.
Article XIII, Section 39 now provides that the Grand Lodge Charity Fund be used for "chari table relief to the widows , mothers, sisters, and orphan children of worthy deceased Master Masons."
Away back in 1783, the provided that this Fund be restncted to the relief of "regular Masons who are members of a Warranted Lod ge."
In 184 7 when anoth er Fund be- .' " came available for the relief of worthy Master Masons only," the regulations of the Grand Lod ge Charity Fund were amended to limit its benefits to th e female relatives and children of deceased worthy Masons. This limitati on is still in effect
The Fund now used only for the r e li ef of Master Masons is much smalle r than the Grand L odge Charity Fund and is not large e nough to meet the reque sts for this assistance.
The proposed amendment woul d e lim inate the pr esent exclusion of Master Masons, and would permit the Grand Lodge Charity Fund to be used as required to meet the need s th at exist at any p a rticular time.
The oth er proposa l would amend Article III , Section 4 and Article XVII , Section 10 to permit the Members of our Lodges who now live in other Juri sdictions to be e l ected and serve a s Officers in our Lodg es; a lso to permit elected Officers who mov e to other Jurisdictions to continue to serve
THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON
Distributi on Office
MASONIC HOMES
Elizabethtown, Po. 17022 ! Send FORM 3579 to Above Addre ss l
A n exact rCJJI'oduction of the s tandani or banner, adopted by G rand Lmige on Decembel' 6, 1939. Mm·c f 1•e(1U en tl y known a: th e <:ran.d Mast e r 's Flag, th e spec1 fi e d s ize 1s four and one-half feet by fiv e and one-half f ee l. The adopted seal of Grand Lodge , with the omission of nam e G1·mul Lodge, i s e mblaze n e d 111 "old colorecl s ilk on government flag purpl e in color. The Latin motto I'ead,; Vii·tuc-, S il ence and Love.
If von have mislaid yom· seHaddresseu e nv e lop e for th e Guest Fund at the Masonic Hom es at Elizabethtown , make your ch e ck s pay able to all(l t o Ma sonic Hom es, Elizah e thtown. Pa. 17022.
in their res pective stations. only restriction i s that "such non-re s ide nce will not prevent the performance of the duties of his office."
Th e above proposed amendments have been thoroughly r eviewed and are believed to warrant f avora ble consid e ration.
Second Closs POSTAGE PAID AT Elizabethtown Pennsylvania
Questions & Answers
Question: Is Freemasonry a religion?
Answer: No. Freemasonry i s not a religion. Freemasons should not think of their Lodge as a Church or as a secondary Church. Least of a ll, Freemasons should not think of their Lodge as a substitute for the Church. Freemasonry is not in conflict with any religion, denomination or sect , nor is it allied t o any one of them. There are no theological tests for The Volume of the Law IS opened on the altar of a Masonic Lodge and all those who petition a Lodge for initia tion and membership must declare a belief in the existence of a Supreme Being.
Qu estion: When does a candidate for the degrees of Freemasonry become a Member of the Lodge?
Answer: Contrary to the erroneous "':'darstanding or belief of many, a C;andtdate for the degrees of Freemasonry 111 Pennsylvania becomes a Member of the Lodge at the time he receives his Entered Apprentice Mason's Degree. is not entitled to all rights and pnvtleges of the Lodge but nevertheless he is a Membt;r. M a n y Lodge S ecretaries w a iting until a candidate receiVeS hts Ma s ter Mason's Degree before placing the and address of the Member on the mai1111.g lis t for The Pennsylvania Freemason. Thi s only denies the candidate one or two i ssues to which he s entitled.
Question: What can be related about the experience of Freemasonry in Russia?
Answer: Freemasonry was introduced in Russia early in the Eighteenth Century. There was an English P r ov incial Grand Master fo r Russia in 1731 and the first Lodge is supposed t o have been established the re in 17.40. Freemasonry prospered in Russia under Catherine the Great from about 176 2 to about 1 794 and again under Alexander I from 1801 to 182 2. Count Leo Tolstoi has much o say about Freemasonry in his great s tory "War and P eace ," and de scribes a Masonic D egree. Early in th e Nineteenth Century there were several Lodges in Paris, France, conferring the Masoni c Ritual in the Russian l a nguage. Alth ough been under ban for several years 111 Russia it is the opinion of many that there a:e Brethren in Russia and that they are sttll living their Freemasonry.
Ques tion : I s it proper to v ouc h for as a Master M aso n if you have sat w tth him in a Masonic me et ing or gathering other than a Symbolic Lodge?
Answer: Decision No. 9 of the Digest of Decisions of the Grand Lodge and Grand M as ters states that "to sit with a person so mewhere else than in a regular Blue L odge i s not l awful information th at he is a M aster M ason 111 good standing. "
Grand Master Stresses
Ideals and Image Needed For Freemasonry's Future
As my term as Grand Master of Masons in Pennsylvania draws to a close, I look back on the past two years with pride and misgivings.
The pride is based on the thought that some progress has been made.
The misgivings are for the things that I would like to have accomplished, but time and circumstances would not permit.
I express a deep gratitud e to the elected and appointed Grand Lodge Officers for their two years of dedicated service to Freemasonry. It was a great pleasure to serve with th em.
I a lso thank the thou sands of dedicated Lodge Officers for their devotion a nd service to Fre emasonry. Without this dedication, the Grand M aster cou ld not h ave carried out his program.
I am sure that every Mason in this Jurisdiction did not fully agree with all my ideas. If I erred, it was an error of the mind and not the heart.
Looking to the future, I am very much concerned about the apathy and indifference that exists in some of our Lodges. Too many of us are satisfied to continue the same ideas-offer ing nothing new, following the same old pattern, a nd giving little or nothing in the way of progress.
At high noon on December 27, I will have joined the ranks of Past Grand Masters. In this position, my services wi ll always be available to my successors so long as the Great Ar chitect of the Univer se sees fit.
Wh en I was installed as Grand Master on Dec e mber 27, 1963, I urge d an a ll-out effort to Improve the image of Free mas onry.
I am very happy to report that in the past two years great strides have been made toward this goal. However, thi s is a never ending project. We must continue to build our image with humility a nd pride.
Many of our Lodges have sponsored special church programs. These have been increasing, and I pray will continue to increase in the future. Lodges attend ing divine servic es as a group bear testimony to o ur common belief and faith in God.
The DeMolay work in the Jurisdiction has been re-
ceiving Masoni c Lodge assista nce. Many DeMolay Chapters are no w meeting in M asoni c L odge Rooms. My Brethren, assist ing the DeMolay is a cheap price to pay to ass ure t he futur e of this country and F reemasonry. With a great dea l of pride, I look upon th e improvement to M ason ic meeting f aci lities as one of the highlights of my two-year term. We have made a great start,' but there r ema in many Lodges who have not responded. In the years ahead, I hope a new spark of interest will be forthcoming.
During my term, I approved L odge officers wearing tuxedoes as Masonic D ress, with the except ion of the Worshipful Master. I a m pleased to know that the vast
(Cont inued on 4 )
The above porll·ait of Bro. Ea rl F. Herold, R W . Gra nd Master, wa s painted h y Ralph Pallen Coleman, a Jenkintown artist. On Dece mbe r 27, the painting will be hung in the Grand Mas er's R ece ption Room in Masonic Templ e, Philadelphia, with the portraits of other living Past Grand Ma s ters.
THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON
Issued
Four Dedications Held, Three Cornerstones Laid
During Recent Months
In the past three months, Special Communications of Grand Lodge were held to dedicate four Mason ic Lodge Rooms a nd to lay three cornerstones.
On Septembe r 1 8, th e cornerstone was laid and the Lodge Room dedicated for the Tacony M asonic Temple , 4400 Magee Avenu e, Tacony, Philadelphia.
This is the new home of Tacony Lodge, No. 600. It marks the first construction of a M aso nic L o dge facility in Philade l phia since 1870 when Grand Lodge bui lt Maso nic Temple, One North Broad Street.
On October 30 the cornerstone was laid and the Lodg e Room dedicated at the Medi a Ma sonic Temple, Front Street, Media, Dela ware County.
On November 20, the Lodge Room at the Irwin Ma sonic Hall, Main Street, Irwin, Westmoreland County, was dedicated. This is the home of Shidle Lodge, No. 601.
The new M aso nic Hall in Irwin was formerly a movie picture theater. The Brethren completed extensive remodeling and ha ve incorporated in the building a limited a mount of commercial s pa ce
On No vember 2 7 the cornerstone was laid and the Lodge Room dedicated for the new Oxford Ma soni c Templ e , located in O xfo rd, Chest er County.
Lodges Urged to Make All -ou t Effort In Reducing Suspensions for N-P-D
The Grand Master has urged Masonic Lodges to start an all-out effort to reduce susper.:;ions for Non-Payment of Dues.
In the past ten years, more than 11 ,000 Masons have been .
Bro. Earl F. Herold, Grand Master, has directed that no Masomc Lodge m this Jurisdiction can suspend a 50-Year Member without the approval of the Grand Master.
He also urged Lodges not to suspend other !Members until .every possible effort has been made to bring the Brother back mto good standmg.
Worshipful Masters can assist Lodge Secretaries by appointing a committee to contact personally those Members who are about to be suspended. Bro.
H e rold said:
"We all have a responsibility to reduce the large loss of Members through suspensions.
"The loss is needless. If we do not correct thi s serious problem, Masonry cannot go forward."
Bro. Herold also requested District Deputy Grand Masters to take a yersonal interest in Lodge suspensiOns.
He urged the District Deputies to examine possible suspensions to be sure every effort is exhausted before suspension.
While not mu ch time remains before the night of the Annua l Election, when action on s uspensio n s w ill b e taken, a telephone call, a short personal note or a visit to these Brethren by the W orshipful Ma ster, other officers, Pa st M asters or close M aso nic friends, will undoubtedly r educ e th e number of suspensions.
In cases where lo ss of income or unus u a l financial burdens make payment of dues almost impossible, a thor ough in vestigation should be made. If fin a nces prove to be the
CORRECT ADDRESSES MOST IMPORTANT .
I t costs ten cents e ach time yo u fail t o g ve us you r change of address.
One at a time , these changes do not seem ml!ch, but multiplied by thousands they make a lar ge sum.
Y o u can save u s t h e expense by n otifying your L o dge Sec r etary immedia t e l y whe n you change your addres s Please include your Z IP Code.
By so doing you will ass ur e yourself of f uture copies of The Pennsy lv ania Free m ason.
From Our Grand Secretary's Office
The September Quarterly Communication was well attended despite an unusually hot and humid night. Bro. Earl F. Herold, R. W. Grand Master, expressed his deep appreciation for the fine attendance and now that most of the vacations were over he hoped that the Brethren would renew their Masonic activities . Upon the recommendation of the Committee on By-Laws, Grand Lodge approved the full code of By-Laws of one Lodge and the proposed amendments of nine Lodges. The amendments submitted by two Lodges were not approved ..
The report of the Committee on Finance indicated receipts of slightly over $1,242 ,000. and expenditures of $1,170,000, for the third fiscal quarter. Upon the recommendation of this Committee, Grand Lodge authorized the Committee on Masonic Homes to proceed with the following projects: ·
ARE YOUR DUES PAID?
If YOUR Dues have not been paid, please send a check NOW t o the Secretary of your Lodge. If your 1964 Du es are un· pa id, prompt payment sho uld he made to avoid any emharrassnt ent.
We hope you will always maintain your interest in Free· 1nasonry.
problem, consideration should be given for Lodge assistance. The Grand Master said :
"No Mason faced with financial burdens should be dropped from membership. This Brother needs our assistance, not our suspension."
The Grand Master also pointed out that many Members who have been suspended would welcome an oppo:tunity to be restored to good Masomc standing
If a s u spen ded Brother pays the delinquent dues within e l even months of the date of suspension, h e can be restored to membership by a t wo -thirds vote of the M e mb ers present at the stated meeting at which actio n is had on the motion to re store him Such restoration to memb ership mu st be consummated by vote of the Lod ge w ithin one Maso nic year of the date of suspension.
A su spended Memb er, who has not been r estored to memb ership within the year , must first pa y the dues owed at the bme of h1s suspension. The n he m ay be rest ored to good Maso nic standing by a majority vote of the Lodge
After being r estored to good Mas onic standing, the Member then. may present a petition for m ember sh1p to the Lodge from which he was suspended, or to a n y other Lo?ge of choice in this or any recogmzed Jun sdiction.
A unanimous ballot is necessary for his election to membership, at l east so far as Pennsylvania Lod ges are concerned.
Brother Herold commented:
"Lodge s should point out. to M.embers f ac ing suspension what lS reqUir ed to be restored to Lodge memb ership.
"If we a ll do o ur part, suspensions would n o t b e a probl e m "
1. To erect a new poultry house at a total cost not to exceed $19,500.
2. To install a buzzer and fire alarm system in the Guests' bedrooms at a cost not to exceed $27,500 . This system will provide additional safety features f or our Guests at the Homes.
Bro. Earl F. H erold, R. W. Grand Master, reminded the Brethren that he has issued his appeal for contributions to the Guest Fund and he hope s f or a generous r esponse. The number of Guests has reached an all-time high. The Committ ee on Masonic Culture is continuing its various activities and is holding Workshops throughout the Jurisdi ctio n. If any ar e a d esi res such a meeting, get in to uch with your District Chairman or a Member of the Grand Lodge Committee.
Progress continues to be made in
erecting new Masonic Temples and improving Lodge Rooms and associated quarters under the guidance of the Committee on Masonic Temples, Halls and Lodge Rooms. The cornerstone was placed and the Lodge Room dedicated in the new Tacony Masonic Temple o n September 18th.
Similar ceremonies are scheduled for October 30th for George W. Bartram Lodge. No. 298, at Media. On November 20th , the Shidle Lodge Room at Irwin , will be dedicated, while the cornerstone and Lodge Room dedication ceremonies for the new Oxford Masonic Temple will be held on November 27th.
The Trustees of th e P atton School announced the Fall Semester had opened a nd invited th e Brethren to visit the Schoo l at Elizabethtown.
The Committee on Temple reported expenditures of slightly over $40,000 for the third fiscal Quarter.
The Committee on Printing a n d
Publishing has awarded the contract for printing the 1965 Annual Proceedings.
Grand Lodge was saddened by the sudden death of two of its officers. Bro. Arthur C. Van N ort, District Deputy Grand Master of the 56th District, died on August 13th, and Bro. and Reverend A. Culmer Schultz, Grand Chaplain, succumbed on Augu st 21st. Both were dedicated and devoted Masons.
Grand Lodge closed at 8: 30 P. M.
District Deputy Grand Master Made a Royal Arch Mason at Sight
The September Quarterly Communication of the Grand Holy Royal Arch Chapter of Pennsylvania was held September 11, 1965, in the Masonic Temple in Altoona with 186 in attendance.
The three Capitular Degrees were conferred upon a class of 46. Bro. Theodore R. Bolger, District Deputy Grand Master of the 20th Masonic District, was made a Royal Arch Mason at Sight in the presence of Companion W. Irvine Wiest, M ost Excellent Grand Hi gh Priest. A number of amendments to the Constitution of Grand Chapter, having to do with balloting on candidates, district meetin gs , transfer of membership and other matters were introduced. They wi ll be voted upon at the December Quarterly Communicatio n December 2 in Philadelphi a.
The Ele ct e d and Appointed Officers of Wilmington Lodge, No 804, held at New Wilmington, Pa ., s h own with Bro. Ear l F. H e r o ld, R. W. Grand Ma
The John S. Sell Memorial Chapel s a sac red retrea for the Guests at th e Masonic Hon1es. Here th ey have the opportunity to co ntinue their worship of Almighty God und e r the l eadersh ip of many outstanding guest pastors
Grand Master Stresses Ideals and Image Needed for Freemasonry's Future
(Continued fr om Page 1 )
major ity of our Lodges h ave at least adopted the minimum requirement. There are sti ll a few Lodges th at have not complied. I hope this will be corrected in the future
N ew M aso nic Lodges in new and expanding communities are rea ll y the life-blood of Freema sonry. Five new Lodges h ave been Constituted during my term, with a si xth to be Constituted on December 11 at Kittanning.
There are many communities in Pennsylvania where the only Masonic Lodge in the area has more than 500 Members. Brethren, these communities should look to the advancement of Freema sonry a nd not selfish interests . I have advocated the formation of the second Lodge in such communities, with both Lodges working in co mplete harmony
In the next two years, the Gr a nd Lodge should have at least 10 n ew L odges. I know your new Grand Master would we lcome this opportunity.
One of our great concerns is finding capa bl e men to assume Ma sonic leadership This is not true in all our Lodges, but I know of severa l l arge
A view of the of the John S. Sell Chapel at th e Masonic Homes. The furnishings include a four-m anua l pipe organ and a ten-bell chime. The woodwork is of solid oak and the sa n c tuary ha s a sea ting capacity of 400
Lodges that ate currently faced with this problem. I am firmly convi nced that a Masonic L odge is onl y as progressive as the capabilities of its l eaders
During the past two years, I h ave been concerned with the financ es of your Grand Ledge. I have appointed progressive t rustees who are fami liar wit h inves tments and market trends. Perhaps adj u stments wi ll not show up this year, but in the future our investments will be on a sound and logical pattern.
As we lo ok forward to 1966, we must keep in mind that we are in a n area of enlightenm ent. In building our T e mple for the future, we must continue to improve the image of Freemasonry if we expect Masonry t o continue in the coming century.
We mu st retain the heritage of the past, but we a lso must adjust this heritage into our ever yday thinking.
However, most of a ll , in all our changes in the future we must keep our sights high, protect our L andmarks, and look upward in furthering our Masonic way of life.
Fraternally yours, R. W. Grand M aster
Circulating Library Provides Wealth of Masonic Information
P ennsylvania Masons are again r emind e d of the special service provided by th e Grand L odge Committee on Masoni c Culture whereby Masonic books m ay be borrowe d from the Grand Lodge Circul ating Library free of charge except for the few cents required for return postage.
Fiv e books recently added to the Circulating Library are:
SWORD a nd TROWEL--A s ory of Tr avel and Military Lodges compiled by John Black Vro o man and Allen E. Roberts.
HOUSE UNDIVIDED-The story of Freemasonry and the Civil War by Allen E. Roberts.
THE SECRET TEACHING OF ALL AGES- An encyclopedia outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Quabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy. This book gives an interpretation of the secret teachings concealed within the ritua s, allego r ies and myster es o f all ages by Manley P. H all.
A HANDBOOK FOR ROYAL ARCH MASONS-A book including some of the requisites for buildin g a fine, aggressive Chapter and lor creating en thu siasm and pride of membership in Royal A rch Masonry by Ray V. Denslow.
HISTORY OF KNIGHTS TEMPLAR OF PENNSYLVANIA-A history o f the G r and Commandery o Knights Templar of Pennsylvania 1797 to 1949 by George Ha y Kain.
A view of an area of our Di s tribution Office for The Pennsylvania Freemason, loca t ed in the McKee Cottage, Masonic Homes, Elizabethtown, Pa. Here you see Mrs. Betty J. Shank, (s tanding center, in blu e ) Manager of th e office, s u r round ed by her st aff and several of t h e Guests who assist daily in th e many tasks b etween issues an d during mailing tim e An average of 10, 000 new name and address s tencil s arc processed here betwee n issues of our qua rterl y publication. At m a iling time, copies of The Pennsylvania Freemason arc addressed at the rate of 120 a minute. Over 500 m a il sac ks are required to carry our average mailing of 253,000. In a ddition to Mrs. S h a nk, one full-tim e e mploye, one p art-tim e employe and nearly thirty Guest s work da il y to keep this genera l mailing li st curren t and accurate so that you will rece ive your copy of The Pennsylvania Freemason.
Supreme Councii , NMJ, Honors Two
Past Grand of Our Masters
Two Past Grand Masters of the Grand L odge of Pennsylvania have bee n h o n ored by the Supreme Council of Sovereign Gr a nd Inspectors General of the Thirty-third and L ast Degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry fo r the Northern Masonic Juri sdiction of the United States of America.
Bro. Richard A. Kern, Grand Maste r in 1946-47, was appointed to serve as Grand Lieutenant Commander. Bro. Scott S. Leiby, Grand Master in 19 4445, was appointed to serve as Grand Minister of State.
The appointments were m a de by Bro. George A. Newbury, form er Grand Lieutenant Com m a nder, who succeeded to the responsibilitie s of Sovereign Grand Commander a nd who wi ll serve in that capacity until the next annua l meeting in September, 1966.
Seneca Lodge, No. 805, Held at Kittanning, Pa. Is Our Newest Lodge
A ne w Masonic Lodge will be Constituted on Saturday, December 11, in Kittanning, at a Special Communication of Grand Lodge.
It wi ll be known as Seneca Lodge, No. 805 and will meet in the home of Kitta nning Lodge, No. 244, Masonic Hall, Market and McKean Streets, Kittanning.
The formation of the new Lodge is under the direction of Bro. Harry F. Smith, D istrict Deputy Grand Master for the 27th Masonic District. Lodge No. 805 will be the ninth Lodge in the 27th Masonic Di str ict and the s ixth L o dge constituted during the term of Bro. Earl F. Herold, Grand Master.
The Officers elect include:
Bro. Charles E. Gregory, Worshipful Master; Bro. Robert H. Kifer, Senior Warden; Bro. Oscar ]. Lamey, Junior Warden; Bro. P a ul A. P ainter, Trea surer; and Bro. Robert H. D oerr, Se cret ary
Looking to the East in the recentl y remod e led Lodge Room of Ambridge Lodge, No. 701, held at Ambridge, Pa. This r e mod eling wa s part of an extensive r estoration and revi s ion of the building u sed b y the Lodge Arrange ments have been lllade for the installation of air-conditioning at a later dat e.
Appeal to the Craft
By Earl F. Herold R. W. Grand Master
With the approach of the Holiday Season, I am reminded of the passage in the Holy Bible:
"And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
Last year, 18 per cent of the Masons in Pennsylvania contributed to the Guest Fund at the Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown .
However, this small percentage contributed $2 53 ,000 a total equal to $1 for every Mason in this Jurisdiction.
This year I have urged for a greater p a rticipation.
I am hoping to at least double the number of donors. ·
A Grand Mas ter hesitates to place himself in a position of soliciting or constantly talking about the great nee d at the Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown.
Designed for Giving
In an effort to assist those desiring to make bequests to the Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown, the following suggested forms are provided as a matter of conve nience. The forms are reco mmended to assure the tax free character of gifts in all states.
BEQUESTS of PERSONAL PROPERTY
DEVISE of REAL ESTATE
Two Lodges Improve Facilities With
Maior Remodeling Proiects
Man y M asonic Lodges th r o ughout
Penns y lvania h ave acce pted the Grand M ast e r's challenge to improve meeting fac ilit ies
Some Lod ges h ave erect e d new buildi ngs, while others have completed major rem odeling projects.
T wo good examp les of rem odeling old facilities are Sharon Lodge No. 598 at Shinglehouse, and Ambrid ge L odge No. 701 at Ambridge.
The Brethren in Sharon Lodg e donated money and fr ee labor to compl ete the followi n g over the past s ummer:
• Repaired a nd painted L odge building.
• Pu t o n a new roof.
• Leveled and braced floor of L odge R oom
• Purch ased a new ru g for Lodge Room.
• New W ashr oom facilities.
Funds t o d e fra y the cost of the enti re project we r e raised through d on ations of members. As of D ecember 27, 1964, Sharon Lod ge had 12 2 m e mbers.
Bro. Lo we ll S. Carpente r , District
D e puty Grand Master f or the 44th M ason ic District, highl y commende d th e work of Sharon L o d ge He said:
"Many of the Bre thren worked evenings and Saturdays to complete the work. Sha ron L odge is t o be congr at ulated on their fine achieveme nts."
Ambr idge Lodge a lso completed major re stor atio n and r evis ion of its meeting f aci l iti es. It completed the f o llowing:
• L owered the Lodge ceiling a nd ins talled re cessed light ing and ventil a ting duct s.
• Pan e l ed the L odge Roo m, Ante Ro om, Exa mining Room and Preparing R oo m with walnut siding.
• Erected a storage area f or office r s ' clothing.
Prov isio n was made to install a ircondit ion ing at a later date, if needed.
Within the past seve r a l years, the Lodge also in stalled a n ew rug in the Lodge Room and co mplet e ly remode le d the socia l room and kitchen
Bro. Robert Batto , Di strict D ep uty Grand Master for the 37t h M ason ic District, cited the Brethren of Ambrid ge L odge for their d e dic a tion. H e
sa id:
"This Lodge h as had progressive leadership and the Templ e Assoc iation deserves much credit for its concern down through the yea r s "
However, we must realize that each year our Committee on Masonic Homes is faced with the problem of maintaining an adequate standard in a n inflationa ry economy.
In the past t wel ve years the budget at th e Maso nic Homes h as soared from $7 50,000 to more than $2,000,000 annually.
It is interesting to note that twelve years ago you had 623 guests at the Masonic Homes A s of this d a te, the tot a l numb er of Guests is 780, an increase of more than 150 in twel ve years .
Monies received as contributions for the Guest Fun d a r e n ot included in the budget figures. This is nece ssary money, f ar and b eyond the budget.
I ha ve con sta ntl y sta ted tha t the Gue s t Fund mak es it possible for you to operate yo ur Ma sonic Hom es as a "h o m e" a n d not just another institution.
For example, each guest at the Homes is given $ 10 a month spendin g money.
It is not possible t o list all the expenditures from the Fu nd, but in general it pays fo r religio u s services, hearing a id s, r adios and televisions, e n tertainments, Chris tmas gifts and parties, a nd m a n y other proje cts. This year , each guest wi ll be given a n extra $ 10 as a Christmas pre se nt fr o m the M asons in P ennsylva ni a. I am deeply appreciative of the cont ributions the Br e thren h ave made to th is Fund, and I personally th ank you f or your d e dic a tion.
"I give and bequeath to The Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of 1 the Most Ancient and H onorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Mas ons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging, now located at One North B road Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvani a, the sum of D o ll ars, free and clear of all estate, transfer, succession, inheritance or other simi lar tax or charge, it b eing my express intention that said bequest be rec eived by the named legatee in full without reduction for taxes or contribution for taxes to be used and applied in and about the upkeep, maintenance and operation of the Masonic Homes owned by and under th e contro l of the said Grand Lodge."
"I give and devise unto The Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Mo st Ancient and H onorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masoni c Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging, now located at One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, free and clear of all estate, transfer, succession, inheritance or other s imil ar tax or charge, it b e ing my express intention that said de vise be received by the named devisee in full and without r ed uction for taxes or contribution for t axes, ALL THAT CERTAIN lot or piece of ground with the improvements thereon erected, described as follo w s: (here describe the r eal estate).
"I direct that the said real e s tate and the proceeds derived from the sale thereof, shall be u sed and applied in and about the upkeep, m a intenance and operation of the M asonic Homes owned by and under the control of th e said Grand Lodge."
If the gift is of the balance or the residue of the estate, the following language is recommended:
NOTE l: The Testator may, i f d es red, p rov id e that the g ift be held perpetually, and the in come used f or maintenance , by the following la n guage:
If for t h e Masonic H o mes " I direct that this gift sha ll b e a dded to and form a part of he Endowment Fund es tablishe d by said Grand L odge f o r the upkeep, mainten ance and ope r ati o n of the Masonic H o mes owned b y it and und er its contro l."
If f or the P at t on School , " I d ire ct that th s g ift shall be a dded to and f o rm a part of the fund h eld by th e Trus tee s of
the Ra nken Patton Masonic Institution for Boys the income thereof to be u sed fo r the upkeep, maintenance and operatio n of said In stitution."
NOTE 2 Although s ubsc ribing witnesses a r e no longer req uired under Pennsy l va nia L aw on a Will con tainin g a charitable g ift such w tnesses are r equired in many other States a nd , s ince a Te st ator may die domici led in a noth er State or devise real es tate s ituate d outs id e of Pen nsylvania it s recommended in all cases tha the Will be signed in the pres e n ce o f three credible witn esses w her-
"All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, real and personal, of every nature and wheresoever s ituate, I give, devise and bequeath unto The Right Worshipful Gra nd Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honora ble Fraternity of Free and A ccepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging, now located at One North Broa d Street, .Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to b e used and applied in and about the upkeep, maintenance and operation of the M asonic Homes owned by and under the control of the said Grand Lodge." eve r possi bl e, and that they subscribe t h eir n ames and add r esses to the Will in t he pre sen ce o f the Tes tator.
NOTE 3: The d eat h o f the Testator with i n thirty days after e xecuting hi s W ill may under cer ta in c ircums ances make the cha r itab le g ift void. It i s the r efor e recommended that if an o der Wi ll containing a char itab e g ift, be in e nce w hen the new W ill is e x ecuted , the o ld Will b e preserved for a per iod of thirty d ays a ft er t he executio n o f th e new Wi l.
