5. The accumulative effect of these decisions revising the basic law (Ahiman Rezon, Article XXI, Section 12) have gradually created a chaotic situation, as to territorial boundaries, in the Grand Secretary's Office which can no longer be properly controlled.
6. Inquiries indicate that no problems have been encountered by those Grand Lodges having Open Territorial Jurisdiction statewide.
In giving serious consideration and study to this very important question. all of the Grand Lodge Officers recommend that favorable con s id e ration be given Open T erritory Juri sd iction between Lodges in Penn sylv a ni a for the following reasons:
1. It will eliminate the requirement to obtain a Waiver from the Lodge nea rest the residence of the petitioner.
2. It will no longer require an investigation by the Lodge nearest the re sidence of the petitioner unless requested by the Lodge receiving the petition.
3. It will prevent an unfavorable report for other than proper Masonic objection, being binding upon the Lodge petitioned.
4. It will still require the Lodge receiving the petition to have a Committee of Inquiry thoroughly investigate the petitioner and report its recommendations in accordance with present procedure.
5. It will provide all Lodges with the same basic Masonic Law and eliminate special consideration in certain areas.
6. It will expedite the processing of THE PENNSYLVANIA
applicants between the Lodge Secretaries and the Grand Secretary's Office and provide a more realistic method of control procedure.
In recommending th e adoption of the Resolu tion to amend the Ahiman Reson at the December Quarte rl y Communication, the Grand Master pointed out:
"Many Grand Lodges in the United Sta tes have Concurrent Statewide Ju r isdiction and n o objections or problems have arisen."
Quarterly Communication
The Sep tember Quarterly Communication of Grand Lod ge will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Septe mber 4, in Masonic Templ e, One North Broad Street , Philadelphia.
All Master Masons have been urged to attend.
Patton Grad of 1930 Receives 1974 Honor
Brother Charles B. Friedlein, Past Master of Stephen Girard Lodge No. 450, Philad elp hia, was recip ie nt of the Gra nd M aster's award for 1974 as th e outstanding graduate of Patton Masonic School.
Brother Rochester B. Woodall, R. W. Grand Master, presented t he award at Pa tton Commencement o n June 2
Brother Friedlein graduated from Patton in 1930. He retired in 1968 from Gulf Oil Corporation, after 34 years of servi ce
During World War II, he se rved as a Mach ini st Mate, 2nd class, in the U.S. Navy.
He was a member of the D eMola y at sixteen.
In 1940 he was Raise d in Lodge No. 450 and served as Worshipul Master in 1945.
Masonic Temple Has "Face Lifting"
Continued from P age 1 ject, it was necessary to preserve the building ."
In 195 7 the T emple was cleaned at a cost of $30,000. This was the first time in the his tory of the building that cleaning of the Temple was undertaken.
The present " beauty-treatment" work on the T e mple started six years ago, when the Grand Lodge of Pen nsyl vania began looking ahead to the 1976 celebration Pennsylvania wants its beautiful Temple refurbished by then fo r the great numbers of Brethren and visitor s who will b e coming to Philadelphi a
when the nation celebrates the 200th an niversary o f the Declaration of I ndependence.
The re novation p r oject has touched every thing from modernizing the kitchen to installing a new communications sys tem
All the staff offices have bee n remodeled and equipped with new furni shings. E very Lodge H all and room throughout the Temple can be made comfortable by a new humid ifier and air con ditioning system.
In addition to Grand Lodge , 79 Blue Lodges a nd 21 other Masonic Bodies h old their meetings in t he Temple.
This requires a continuous housekeeping operation by maintenance personnel. T hey use modern mechanical app aratus and equipment, plus a lot of old-fashioned elbow grease, to keep the immense building practically spotless.
When the 'huge, granite corne r stone for the beauti fu l edifice was laid · June 24 , 1868 , the gavel used was the one Brother Wa shington used to lay the cornerston e of th e nation's Capitol 75 years earlier.
I t to ok more than five years of skillful labor to build the T emple.
But the day finally came for it s consecrati on, the gra ndest event in the hi story of Freemasonry in Pe nn sylva ni a.
On September 26, 1873 , the Templ e was dedicated in solemn ceremonies and since tha t day has bee n serving mankind in the spirit of universal benevolence and brotherhoo d.
Temple Being Prepared for
The Masonic Temple in Philadelphia is getting a "face-lifting" opera tion that will cost $ 106,000.
The imposing 101 -year-old structure is considered one of the world's greatest Masonic buildings.
Since its dedication, this architectural jewel has attracted hundreds of thousa nds of v isitors to Phi ladelphia - the mother city of Freemasonry in America.
The "face-lifting" process includes :
• Clean exterior with sand, water or mild chemical to remove dirt and stains from all stone work and pediments above roof and down to pavement level.
• Cut out and repoint all joints around perimeter of building.
• Coat all cleaned stones with water repellent sealant that will las t a minimum of ten years.
The work is expected to be completed by the September Quarterly Communication.
Brother Glen T Renegar, Chairman of the Committee on Temple , said this will almost complete all necessary improvements t o have the T emple ready for 1976 - the Bicentenn ial year. H e added :
"Although this is a "face-lifting" proContinued on P age 8
The PENNSYLVANIA
Masonic Temple, Philadelphia, is receiving a " face lifting." It will be completed b y the September Quarterly Communication.
Gra nd Lodge el ected officers have recommended that open terri tory be approved in Penn sylva nia
I n view of this, a propo sed amendment t o the Ahiman Rez on was presented at the June Quarterly Co mmunicat ion in Pittsburgh
Bro. Rochester B Woodall, R. W. Grand Master said that every que stion has three sides - "yours, m ine an d the re al facts." H e then listed t he following:
1. A resident of a city, borough or town in which there are two or more Lodges, may apply for initiation and membership to any one of them and inquiry of the other or others is not necessary. (Ahiman Reson, Article XXI, Section 12)
2. Since 1899, twenty-two Grand Masters, representing forty-four years , have declared by decisions that sixtythree additional areas are open territory in Pennsylvania.
3. Each of the sixty-three decisions was considered, at that time , to he for the best interest of the Fraterni ty. Based on these precedents, the Grand Master could declare open territor y statewide.
4 Presently, the Grand Master is withholding decisions on five more re· quests for special considerat ion to open
Continued on Page 8
Grand Master Has Open Communication Policy
By Rochester B. Woodall R W. Grand Master
Somewhere near the top of any Jist of problems or ch allenges, the subject of " Communications' w ill appear. The word itself, is relatively easy to define, and yet, it is on e of the most co mplex and difficul t barrier s to successf ully keep open.
Every effor t possible is being made to carry on a posi tive, active program
to keep the Masons in Pennsylvania fully informed.
• A change in the format of the Pennsylvania Freemason h as been made to provide more information about the Grand Lodge, more items of personal interest, and more facts relating to the Masonic Homes.
• District Seminars for Lodge Officers are being conducted b y the Committee on Masonic Culture and Education to assist in planning, programming, and
Lodge attendance.
• District Seminars for Lodge Secretaries are being conducted by the Grand Secretary
• Seminars for District Depu ty Grand Masters are conducted by the Grand Master.
• District Deputy Grand Masters are encouraged to keep the "grass roots" pipeline open and to assist all Brethren to a better understanding of Pennsylva nia Masonry.
VOLUME XXI
"Face Lifting Operation"
THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON
Issued Quarterly
February, May,
Masons of Pennsy vania and Maso nic Jurisdiction There u nto Belonging.
Approved
Brethren Are Urged to Contribute to The 1974 Guest and Building Fund
The Grand Master has urged Pennsylva nia Masons to contribute $ 1,000,000 for the 197 4 " Gue st and Building Fund" for th e Masonic Home s at Elizabethtown.
This will mee t a $ 600 ,000 Guest Fund Budget and $400 ,000 for the recons truction proje c t of the Masoni c H eal th Care Center.
Grand Lodge has appropriated $3.500,000 toward th e proj ect that is exp e cte d to cos t approximately $ 4 ,000 ,000.
Memorials Available At Homes
The program for th e Ma sonic Health Care Center a t the Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown will require many new Gues t Rooms and Service Area s
Because of this, the Committee on Ma sonic Homes has s uggested gifts and memorial allocation s for Brethren , Lodges and Masonic Districts
Single Room
Single Room including furnishings
Double Room
Double Room including furnishings
Single Room Furnishings
Double Room Furnishings
Grand Lodge Officers
Have Busy Schedule
The schedule f o r Grand Lodge Officers for the remainder of the yea r includes:
Septe mber 4 - Quarterl y Communication , 7 p.m. , Mason ic T e mpl e Phil adelphia.
Septemb e r 14-Grand Ma ste r 12 5th Anniversary , Armstrong Lo d ge No. 239, Freeport.
September 27 - Grand L odge O ffice rs, Mee t ing, Committee on Ma sonic Hom es , Elizabethtown.
Septe mbe r 28 - Grand L odge Officer s, place corne rstone an d d ed icate new Masonic Temple f o r Hu genot Lod ge No 377, Ku tz town.
October 1 2- Grand Lo d ge Offi ce rs. dedicate new Maso nic Temple fo r Ki ngsb ur y Lodge No . 4 66 , Olyphant. O ctober 12 - D ep uty G rand Ma ster, 50 th An ni ve rsa r y, Duque sne L od ge No 731 , McKee sp or t
October 15- Junior Grand Warden 50th Anniversary , Pot tsville Lod ge No: 73 0 , Pottsvill e.
October 25 - Grand Lodge Officers Meeting, Committee on Masonic H omes
E liza b eth tow n. '
Octobe r 26 - Grand Mas te r 150th
Ann iv e rsa ry, L a fayette Lo d ge 194, Se lin sgrove . Novem b er 2 - D e puty Grand Ma ste r , 50th Annivers a r y, John Marshall Lodge No 734 , Pl easan t Hill s.
December 4- Grand Lodge Officers .
Q uar te rl y Co mmuni cat ion o f Grand Lodge, Phil a d elphi a.
$10,000 $11,500
$15,000 $17,500 $ 1,500 $ 2,500
The names of donor s and memorials will b e placed on bronze plaques, similar to those u se d in the Maso n s Care Building , and placed at door entrances.
"Improve
Attendance"
Masonic Culture Is Holding Seminars
Masonic Culture Seminars ar e being conducted by the Grand Lodge Committee on Maso ni c Culture in a n effort to stimulat e L odge act ivity a nd improve attendance.
Bro Walter L. Sykes, P.D D .G M ., Area Chairman for Area "C" cover in g th e _weste rn end of the s tate, h eld six semmars b etwee n May 23 and May 3 1.
Bro. Thomas H. Burgess, Area Chairman for Area "B" covering the no rtheas te rn section of the sta te, h eld se min ars b e twee n Ma y 31 and Jun e 21.
All the sem in ar s we r e well rece ived.
The two Area Chairmen repo rte d a renewed enthu si a sm in Maso nic education The packets containing Masonic li tera tu re di stributed to th e p art icipants a rou sed c on s ide rabl e inte re st and di scu ssion.
The Committee hop es that Bre thre n who did not attend the seminars h eld in their Distr icts w ill try to attend o ne o f the r emai ning sem inars to b e co ndu c ted in Septemb e r b y Bro. Edward A Hi.lgel. P.D.D.G.M., Chairman of Area "A" cove ring Di str ic ts A , B C , D , E. F. G, H I , J, 1, 2 , 3 , 4, 5, 6, 7 , 8, 9 , 10 , 19, 36. 40 , 42 and 60.
Info rm a ti on o n time a nd place w ill b e sent in the near fu ture to Di st ri ct-
19107 , or phone 215-567-4190.
The Masonic Culture Seminar s have d one much to explain a nd promo te the ove r-all M aso n ic Culture progr a m of Grand Lodge, including efforts t o increa se Lodge a t te nd a nce.
New Culture Manual Prepared For Candidates
The Gra nd L od ge Committee on Masonic Culture ha s developed a n ew Mason ic Culture Manual for the u se o f Lo d ge Committees on Ma so nic Culture . It is d es ign ed for ins tru c ti ng ca ndidates in areas of Freemasonry not cove re d b y the Ritualis ti c Work.
The Ma nual s upple m ents the Four Candidate Bookle ts presente d to petition er s w h e n approved and af ter each degree.
Work on the Manual wa s s tarte d in 1973, and finalized this year. Chapter On e in the Man ual discus ses the b eg innings of Freemasonry. I t is to be used for pre-initiatory in s tru c ti o n .
Chapter Two discusses the d evel opme nt of Freemasonry. It is to b e used for instructing E nte red Apprenti ce Masons .
De puty Grand Ma ste rs, Ma son ic Culture Di st ri ct Chairman a nd Lodge Ma so nic Cultttre Committee Chairmen of these Dis tricts Lodge Masonic Culture Chairmen o f ot her Di s tric ts w ish in g to a ttend one of th ese seminars sh o uld write f o r inf ormation to Co mmi t tee o n Ma so ni c Culture, Ma son ic T e mple. On e Nort h Broad Street , Phil a delphia , Pennsv lvania.
Chapter Three di scu sses the Sy mbolism of Freemasonry It is to b e u sed for in structing Fellow Craft Ma son s a nd n ew ly R aised Master Ma son s Chapter Four di scu sses Masonic Philanthropies.
Chapter Five d iscusses Freemasonr y as a "Way of Life," Grand Lod ge Lib ra r y a nd Mu se um , a nd o ther Ma son ic info rm ation
D ecember 6 - Grand Lod ge Office r s, Meet in g, Committee o n Ma son ic Homes , E li zabeth town. A . . Grand L_odge Floor Officers are shown above: left to right, front row : Bros. Wilham D. Spargo, Pittsburgh, Grand Steward; Ralph B. Rogers, Jr. Philadelphia; Grand S":ord Bearer; S Reyner, Ambler, Grand Tyler; Ellwood L. Hunsberger, PhiladelGrand Steward, and Carl L. J:?ewey, Coudersport, Grand Pursuivant. Second row, left to Bros. George N. Holmes, Pittsburgh , Grand Marshal; Harry E. Heatherby, Yeadon, Semor Grand Deacon; and Thomas R. Mulholland , Broomall , Junior Grand Deacon.
Pennsylvania Masons were ordered b y the s tate to make extensive and costly alteration s to the Philadelphia Freemason s Memorial , and other part s of the Masonic Health Care Center.
The problem was created by strict enforcement of new state and federal regulations for adult care centers.
I n the Annual Appeal that will be inserted in September Lod ge Notices. and furth er e mpha sized in a direct letter to all Maso n s, the Grand Ma ste r reports:
" In the 1973 fund drive, more than 174,000 Pennsylvania Masons didn't take time to contribute to the appeal. I will need the help of all the 235 ,623 Brethren in the state to reach this year's $1,000,000 goal.
" The last fund drive that ended on March 15, 1974, totalled $705,683.00. I am most thankful for this generous presentation. However, our need is fa r greater this year.
"We have no alternative but to make the corrections demanded by strict en· forcement of state and federal regulations.
"At present we have more than 600 of your Guests at the Homes
"This is our gre atest charity. I know I can count on each of you to respond generously to this urgent appea l."
Gifts to the Guest and Building F un d a re dedu c tible for inco me ta x purp oses.
Funeral Service Booklets Have Been Distributed
Six copies of the re vised Ma soni c Fune ral Service ha ve been sen t to a ll Masonic Lodges in thi s Juris diction. Addi tional copies can b e ob tained through th e Committee on Ma sonic Culture, Masonic T emple , One North Broad Stree t , Phil adel phi a, Pa. 19107.
IThe charge is 25 cents f or each copy.
Larger d o nations can be recognized by the allocation of special rooms, lounge s, treatmen t areas and other fa c ilities that will be incorporated in th e reconstruction process
Gifts and memorials of $ 1,000 and over will also be recorded in the Gold Book o f Grand L odge, located in the mu seum in Masonic T emple , Philadelphia.
Tho se desiring more information on Gifts and Memorials, can contact the Grand Master' s Office, Ma so nic Temple, One North Broad Street, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, 19107 or phone (Area Code 215) LOcust 7-5582
Progress Is Reported On Proiect To Reconstruct Masonic Health Center
The Building Subcommittee to the Committee on Masonic H omes h as fil ed a s tatu s report on progress be in g mad e to reconstruct the Masonic H ea lth Care Center at the Masoni c Hom es at E'rizab et htown.
In line with the Grand Maste r' s policy to k eep all Brethre n info rm e d, hi ghlights of the statu s r e port are:
• The Committee on Masonic Homes · has approved the employment of Lawrie and Green of Harrisburg as archi· tects for renovation of part of the Health Center and reconstruction of the older portion of the Center .
• The Building Committee selected Filson, Gingrich and Minnich of Ha'rris burg for the mechanical and electrical design.
• Clapp and Holmes of Harrisburg were selected by the Committee for structural engineering.
• H. B. Alexander and Sons of Harrisburg was selected as the general contractor in order to expedite renovations in the older areas of the Health Center.
• Renovation plans have been reviewed by the Building Committee and will be submitted to the state for approval.
The Build in g Co mmittee is makin g every effort to see that work compli es w ith th e 1967 code, prese ntl y in e ff ec t
in Pennsylva nia , but al so the 1973 code w hi ch i s even more s tringent.
Members of th e Building Subcommittee include Brothe r Theodore K. Warn e r, Jr., Chairman; Brother Arthur R. Dia mond, Grand Treasurer; Brother Samuel C. Williamson and Bro ther Walter J. Heim.
Three Patton Students Cited In "Who's Who"
Three Patton Masonic School students have b ee n cited in the Eighth Annual edition of Who's Who a mong Ame ri ca n Hi gh School Students.
Chosen b y a p a n el of di st inguis hed Ame ricans, the honored s tudent s we re considered on the basis of leadership in academics, ex tra-curricular activities. athle tics and sch ool service.
Only about three percent of the Juniors and Seniors attending private and public sch ools receive thi s r ecognition.
The Patton Boys receivin g the honor are:
James F. Byron, of Charleroi , n ow graduated , plans to enter York College. Mitchell Keath, of Newmanstown, will r eturn to P a tton as a Senior. Eric R Kimmel, of P enn s Park, w ill return to Patton as a Sen ior.
UWAR
BE TWEE N THE STAT ES"
Freemasonry was a dominate unitingforce in Civil ffilr
Freemasonry was no t involved in the Civil War, but Brother Masons fought heroically on both sides.
This wa r, sometimes r eferred to a s the "War Between th e States," painfully di vid ed familie s and friends, but Freemaso nry was a dominant uniting force.
The background of the struggle was not only slavery, bu t economic a nd political position s of bo th North and South. Whatev er the differences, it is agreed that the iss ues were often overemphasized by agitators , Union and Confederate, who wh ipp ed up excitement a nd a roused public emo tions.
Through such awesome time s, however , th e spark of humor , frequent ly bitter and s atiric, was a live
In the coll ecti ons of the Library of the Gra nd Lodge of Pe nnsylva nia are 3 08 Civil War envel opes coveri ng the pe riod 186 11865. They are clever Lithographic cartoon s poking wr y fun at so me idea, in cid en t , or per son involved with or in the war.
Many of the illustrations show the American fla g with fer ve nt patriot slogan s or sayin gs. Some envelop es proclaim the "Loya l States" w ith the Goddess of Liberty, holding the American fl ag, res ting aga inst the indiv idual State seal s ; oth er s mark the " R ebe l S tates" with the Devil , spear in hand, h olding the sea ls of th e sece d ed States.
A numb er of dra w ings p oke fun at Jeff Davis , wa r p rofi teers, and hi gh-spirited troops sh owi ng a rmy " r ations" as either rum or mola sses
A number of cartoons b ring to task J.B. (Jo hn Bull England) for hi s commerci al interes t in co tton a nd hence his support of the South
It is strange that there are n o e n velopes in the collec tion b ea ring the name Pennsylv ania . I t is possible that the collector ma y hav e been a Pennsylvani an and ke pt the m for his own private u se. All these e n velop es, of which thousa nd s mu st h ave been i ssued, were part of the con tinuou s campaign propaganda put out b y both sid es during the Civ il War. T h e Grand Lo dge Collection is ex clu s ive ly North ern issu e.
It is interesting, with difficult communi cation be tween Northern and Southern Lodges, that Freema sonry with its b elief in the Fatherh oo d of God , the Brotherhood of Man, and the Immorta lity of the Soul , h ad a n influe nce for goo d on both sides. There a re many recorded in stan ces wh er e Ma sonry penetrated the heavy shield of ha tr ed and brou ght forth compassion and und e rsta nding.
One stor y involves Preside nt William McKinley, then a Major wit h th e 23rd Ohio Regiment of Volu nteers assigned to protect a nd mana ge the army hospital at Winchester, Virginia Maj or McKinley was s truck by the bond s he s aw exi sting betw een some Union surgeons and Confederate priso ners When he learned the reaso n for such a Brotherly s pirit, he asked to be admitted to the Craft.
If Freemasonry could hold such power for good in time of war, Brother McKinley wa nted to belong to that fr aternity. His petition was presented to Hiram Lodge No. 2 1 in Winch es ter , Virginia. H e was initi a ted May 1, 1865 , passed May 2, and r aised M ay 3 J B. T. Reed , a Confederate Chaplain, ser ved in the Eas t.
In the book '' One Hundred a nd Fifty Years of Fr eemasonry in Chamb er sburg, Pe nn sylvania," by Brother William E. Montgo me ry, is an account of the Confederate invasion of that town in Jul y, 1864.
General Jubal A. Early iss ued orders to Generals J ohn McCaus land a nd Brad ley Johnson that unless the citizens of Chambersburg ' ca me up with $ 100,000 in gold or $5 00 ,000 in n orthe rn money to pa y for Union vanda lism in the Lynchburg , Virg ini a, ca mpai gn , the entire town was to be b urned in r e taliation.
The town was set afire, but the blo ck in which the Ma soni c Tem ple stood was not touched. A confede rate officer s of high rank , r ecogn izing th e Ma sonic Temple, posted guards to preve nt the burnin g of the T empl e and su ch nearby buildings that cou ld endange r it.
The book continues: " Although his id entity c annot b e asce rtained, George Washington Lodge can well be profoundly and everl ast ing gra teful to the Southe rn Mason w h o obeyed the dicta tes of frat e rna l se ntime nt ra ther · than the orders of his s up erior officer s ."
Geo r ge Washing to n Lodge No. 143 s till mee ts in this T emple , 74 So uth Second Str ee t , Chambersburg, whose cornerstone was la id June 24, 1823.
The year 1864 ended with the d ea th of Brother George Mifflin D allas, R W Past Grand Master of Penn sylvania a nd former Vice President of the United Sta tes . He did n ot live to see, within only a few m o nths, the e nd of the war between his countrymen.
Bitterness and hatred still split the Nation, but in M asonic circles, b oth No rth and South , every effort was made to reunite our country.
JOH N BULL making his Speech to "KING CO TTON."
Jeff's March on Was hing to n.
Rebel Ar my " Ration s."
Brethren Festival Attracts Large Attendance
Dedicated Past Masters
Brownsville Lodge No 60, Brown sville, Fayette Cou nt y, is proud if its Pas t Masters. Twenty-one o f them a ttend ed the Annual Pas t Mas te r 's N ight of th e Lo dge. The senio r representati ve was Bro. Herman D. Graham, 93 years you n g, w h o served a s W o rshipful M aster in 1 9 16 The a tten d ance was doc ume nte d by a gro up pi ctur e in Th e Brow nsville T elegraph. Bro. David J. Cagnon, the Worshipful Master, pinned an Am e ri can Bea ut y Rose on each o n e of the h o nore d Past Masters . I t was the Annu a l Str aw berry Festival of th e L odge. More than 100 Brethre n attended
Family Affair
The McMurray Lodge No. 807, Washington Co unty, w as recent ly fill e d with Longs . Bro . Walter F. Long III was th e candidate. The f a the r , Bro . Walter F Long, Jr ., was the W orshi p fu l Ma s· ter; th e gra ndfa ther, Bro. Walter F. Long, Sr. , was the guide. * * *
Scranton
Mason Honored
Bro. Robert F. Bush, membe r o f Union Lodge No. 291, Scran to n , is pres id e nt of the American E n gi n ee rin g Assoc iati o n T echnic al Confer e n ce. H e n ow li ves in Clevel a nd, Ohio, and is th e chief engineer f or the E ri e L ackawa nn a R a ilway Company.
* *
First Masonic District
Bro. James Buchanan, the 15th Pres id ent of th e U nite d States, was a memb e r and Pas t Maste r of Lodge No. 43, L a ncas ter. !n 18 24 h e was the first Di strict D ep u ty Grand Master f o r th e First Masonic Di strict that then includ ed L odges in La ncaste r , Leba no n and York Counti es.
* * *
First Oil Well
Bro. Edwin L. Dr ake, a memb e r of Oil Creek Lodge No. 303, n ow Titu sville Lodge No . 754 , drilled the Wo rld ' s fi rst oil well at Titusville on Aug u s t 27. 1859
* * Independence Hall
The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania h eld its Communication s in Ind e pende n ce H a ll , Phil a delphia, in 1800, 180 1 a nd 180 2.
No Named Lodges
Pe nnsylvani a - 12 of them a re identified only by numbers.
Average Age Increasing
The re are ap proximately 600 a dult Gue sts at the Masonic Homes at Eliza· bethtown. Their avera ge age is 84.3 yea r s. In 1927 , it wa s 75 yea r s.
Grandfather Confers Degree
Bro Mark G. Kendig, a me mber of St John's Lodge No. 435, R eadin g, will n ever forget the experience o f becoming a Master Mason. Hi s gr a nd fa t her, Bro. David H. Kendig, Jr ., 86, W or sh ipfu l Master in 1918 , conferred the third d egree. Mark 's fa ther , Bro David H. Ken· dig Ill, W orshipful Master in 1950 , conferred the E nte r ed Appren tice D egree. Bro. Martin P . Stoner, M a rk 's f atherin-l aw, ser ve d as guide in t he fir st degr ee.
Sons of Members
John F Laedlein Lodge, No. 707 , Willi a m sport, rece ntl y conferred De-
Brethren Urged To Attend Schools of Instruction
Lod ge Offi cer s a n d other interested Bre thre n are urge d to attend the t wo remaining sectional meetings this year of the Sc h ool of In struction
They w ill b e h e ld at F ranklin on Sep t. 14 and Philadelph ia on Sept. 28.
The e ight sectional meetin gs h el d so far this yea r h ad a total attendance of 1667; w ith 62 Di stricts a n d 373 Lo d ges re presented. The two larges t a tt en de d were the S ch oo l at Harrisburg with 39 1 a nd Allentown with 289
The breakdown of the attendan ce showe d 236 Worshipful Masters, 19 5 Senior Warden s, 159 Juni o r Warden s, 103 Senior Deacons and 79 Junior D eacons. Be tween 25 a nd 40 per c e nt of those prese nt were attending a sec ti onal meeting f or the fir st time.
Bro. Raymond H Grimm, Instructor of Ritualis tic W o rk , sa id tha t the schools s hould have bee n b e tt er attended b y appoin ted o ffi ce r s. H e added:
"The teams rehearsing the work are excellent and reOect the careful and accurate instruction given by the School Principals and Instructors."
The comple te sch e dule for the 1975 Sectional Meeting s w ill b e publi shed in th e n ex t is su e o f The Freemason.
11 /nvitation To Grand Master' 5 Banquet"
Masonic Leaders To Attend Dec. 27 Dinner-Dance
T h ere ar e 6 02 Sym bo lic Lodges in
grees upon five sons of Members o f the Lodge. They are: Bro. John C Shively, so n o f Bro John W. Shively, Junior Warden; Bro John A German, Jr., son of Bro. John A . German, Tyler; Bro. Stephen M Reese, son of Bro. Samuel M . Reese; Bro. Bert C. Green, son of Bro Bert M. Green; and Bro Mason S Childs, son of a d eceased Member of th e Lodge.
51 Year Member Didn't Retire
Bro Andrew B M. Speer, f o rmer Member of Verona Lodge No. 548, V ero na , and Warrant M emb e r of Penn Lodge, No 766, Penn Hills, exemplifies service to ma nkind A me dical doctor an d s till practicing, he performs much of his service at the Veterans H ospital at Leech Far m , Pittsbu rgh . In addition to the m an y hours h e devotes to the Veterans and othe rs in hi s community. h e find s time to atte nd classes at local universities to kee p a breast of the latest in the medica l profession. Bro. Speer was made a Mason in 1923.
11Taught11 the Grand Master
Bro. Raymond Sorber, P as t Master of Fernwood Lodge No. 543, recentl y honored by his Lo dge for meritori ous se rvice, h as been conferrin g d egrees for mo re than 40 years H e was Worshipful Master in 1935. H e has only mi ssed t en meetings in 48 years, each time b ecau se of illness At Stated, Special and Extra Meeting s Bro. Sorber a tte nd s in Masoni c dress. On May 4, 1944. h e rai se d Bro Rochester B Woodall , R. W. Grand Ma ster Bro. Sorber is co-cha i rman of the tOOth Anniversar y Committee of Fernwood Lodge, to be cele bra ted in 1975.
Small and Large
Spartan Lodge No. 372 , Spartansburg, Crawford County, h as the di stinctio n of b e ing the smalles t Lodge in Pennsylva ni a w ith 57 Members. Equity Lodge No. 591, Philad elphia, is th e largest Lodge, with 1,935 Me mb er s.
Busy Lodges
Th ree Lodges were very busy conferring Degrees in 1973. They are : Lafayette Lodge No 71, Phila de lphia, with 47 Candida tes; Perseverence Lodge No. 21, Harrisburg, wit h 35 and Muncy Lodge No. 299, Muncy, with 33.
Bro Willi am A. Ca rpe nter R. W. Grand Secre tary
G ·and Mas ter's Banquet, Sho w and D ance. will 1 t a ll Masons and their Ladie s on Fnda y • aga m e open o
De cember 27 · h Sh · t
It will be h eld i n the Grand of t e era on H otel, 1725 Joh n F. Kennedy Bl vd , Ph1ladelph1a.
The cost will be $1 5 .00 per person . This covers the follow ing :
• A delicious roast beef dinner
• An outstanding floor show
• Dancing to Bro. Joe Martin's 12-piece orchestra
• Free parking in the Sheraton Hotel garage , ac ro ss Kennedy Blvd. from the Hotel
The Gr a nd Master will be as R .ight f ul Grand Master of Masons Ill P ennsylvama at on Dec. 27 · ·11 tt d the Masonic leaders thr oughout the country wt a en An nual G r an d Communica t ion , as has been customary throughout the years.
They w ill also attend the Grand The banquet will climax two da ys of acttvtttes for the Mason ic Brethren.
Dress for the affair will b e t uxe do , but dark suit accep t able.
. The tickets this year will be limited to 900 in order that all those atte nding will h ave a seat tn the open areas of the ballroom. They will be reser ved on a first come basis. Don' t put t h is o ff i f yo u hope t o attend . . . 1 Jete the e nclosed lf you pl a n to par ttc 1pate, P ease co mp h k . dif k'ng it and your c ec as m question naire o rm , mar 1 t bl cated on t h e form . There are ten places to a a e.
Be sure to enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope.
. . . t the hotel overnight can rr T hose des mng tod.rematbn a 1\ ' ng (Area Code 2 15) , make reservat ion s 1rect Y ca 1 l ..-T 568-3300.
·n b h ld on Dece mber 27 in the b b . d from the Grand Ma<;- The Gra nd Master's, BhanWek:.:ned; Bivd ., Philadelphia. Further detail s e o tamed 215) LO 7-5582. Sherato n Ho tel, 1725 o n .
HOTEL ROOMS ARE AVAILABLE
Those desiring room in the Sheraton Hotel can obtam by s;nnd· in g a request to: Reservatwns 0 ICe , Sheraton Hotel, 1725 john F . Kenned y Bl vd., Philadelph ia, Pa. 19103 . Twin·bedded rooms are available from S30.00 to $38.00, for double occupancy. Single rooms are availab le from $22.00 to $29.00. Su ites are available from $55.00 to $75.00
Please indicate in your reservation re· quest that you will be attending the Grand Maste r's Banquet on Decembe r 27. Fu rther information can be obtamed from the Reservat ions Offi ce of the Hotel, (A rea Code 215) 568-3300
Send toOffice of R. W. Grand Master, Masonic Te mp le One North Broad Street , Ph iladelphia , Po. 19107 k E closed is my check for $ for reservaDtions abt n b held at 7·00 p.m. , ecem er ' for th e Grand Mast ers Banquet to e K d . Blvd Philadelphia. Ch eck s should Sherato n Grand Ballroom, 1725 J. F. , be made pa yabl e to R W. GRAND SE
Print Na me Address
e Zip City - -
NOTE: Please enclose self-addressed, st a mped envelope.