Five members of the Rodd family, all Officers of Chartiers Lodge No. 297, Canonsburg, are shown with Bro. Eugene G. Painter, District Deputy Grand Master for the 29th Masonic District. Front row, left to right: Bro. Robert C. Rodd, Senior Deacon; Bro. Painter, and Bro. John T. Rodd Worshipful Master . Rear row left to right: Bro. John R. Rodd, Past Master and Secretary; Bro. Howard J. Orr, Past Master and Se cre tary Emeritus and cousin of Bro. John R. Rodd ; and Bro. Rober t C. Rodd II, Junior Warden. Bro. John R. Rodd is the father of the three Rodds
Membership Statistics
Number Of Deaths Decreased During 1974
The number of deaths decreased in 1974 to 5,889 - the lowes t num ber of deaths si nce 1965.
In 197 4 there were 4,860 initiated in this Juris diction , 14 5 l ess th an in 19 73.
Bro. W illiam A. Carpen ter, R. W. Grand Secretary, re ported there were 232, 139 Ma son s i n 600 Sy mboli c Lo dges in Pen n sylvan ia, as of Decemb e r 27 , 1974.
Bro Ca rpe n ter pointed out that the figures may change slightly after a comple te st udy of th e genera l return s The statistics for 1974 show:
This reflects a net decrease in membership of 2,459.
Add it ional information on m embers hi p in 1974 w ill be printed in the Proceedings.
Masonic Culture Workshops Scheduled In Four Areas To Assist Lodge Officers
The Grand Lodge Comm ittee on Masonic Culture h as divided the Juri sdiction into four areas, one more than was previously a nnounced.
Masonic Culture Seminars are being conducted in these areas to assist Lodge Officers to prepare interes ting Lodge meetings
The agenda for the Seminars covers introduction materials and services provided by the Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Culture.
A " Packet " of informative papers , pamphlets and other helpful guides i s being distributed to tho se attending the Seminars.
The four Area Chairmen, Members of the Grand L odge Committee on Masonic Culture, are responsible for the following Masonic Districts:
Area "A", Bro. Edward A. Hagel, P.D.D.G.M. , Cha irman.
Districts: 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.
he Area Chairmen w ill be responsible for coordinating the Grand Lodge Masonic Culture programs.
Bro. Shaffer Appointed New Grand Chaplain
Bro. Jay F. Shaffer, Past Master of New Bethlehem Lodge No. 522, New Bethlehem, has been appointed as a Grand Lodge Chaplain by the Grand Master
Bro. Shaffer is pastor of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Mount Pleasant, Pa
- ATTEND YOUR LODGE"How can you be a Brother to someone you don't even know?"
Grand Master Calls Craft to Labor Are Being Distributed
October has been de signa ted " Rededication to Freemasonry" Month by the Grand Master.
In making the announcement, Bro. Rochester B. Woodall, R. W. Grand Master, said:
"It is a month to reaffirm our dedication to Freemasonry as a prelude to 1976-our Nation's bicentennial year."
H e annou nced that Master Masons who atte n d the Stated Meeting of their own Lodge in October w ill be g iven a special privilege-an outs tanding opportunity.
The Worshipful Master of ever y Lod ge in this Jurisdiction will have a n adequate supply of speci ally de signed 1976 Masonic l apel emblems availabl e at the October Stated Meeting.
Those attending th eir Lodge can purchase one of these 1976 lap el e mble ms for $2 .00.
Visitors will not be permitted to obtain the emblem. They mu st a t te nd the Octobe r Stated Meeting of their "mo the r " Lodge.
There is no other way for Masons to obtain this emblem in 1975 It can onl y be obtained at October Stated Meetings.
President Ford Declared:
The Grand Master ha s anno un ced t hat no except io ns can be permitted oi1 the rul es to obtain emblems.
The emb le m shows the Liberty Bel I , and is a n tique yellow gol d plated.
The h onor to wea r the emblem in 1975 has bee n r est ricted to tho se w ho have attended the "Rededication:' mee tin g of their own Lodge.
At the meeting in October, there also (Con ti nued o n Page 2)
By
District Deputies
Recommended Masonic Lodge programs for 19 76 have b een se nt to District Deputy Grand Masters for distribution to all Lodges in this Juri sdiction.
There are eleven suggested programs , complete for presentat ion if the Worshipful Master in 1976 so de sires. They includ e :
January -Bir th of a Nation - T h e D eclaration of IndependenceFebruary - T he Struggle for Freedom, Valley Forge , Bro. George Washington
March - Our Constitution and its Masonic H e ri tage , The Men Who Planned Our Future As A Nation. April - Bro. Benjamin Fra nklin , His Contribu tion to Our Na tional and Fraternal Beginnings.
May - Law a nd Order - Magna Carta Reaffirmed in America.
June - Our Masonic PresidentsTheir Time s and Loyalties t o th e Craft a nd to th e Nation (Con tinued on Page 2)
"Masonic Precepts Can Help America"
"Masonic precepts can help Amel'ica retain our inspiring aspirations while adapting to a new age."
Thi s was part of an inspiring address d eli vered by Pres ident and Bro. Gerald Rudolph Ford at the an nu al meeting of the G eo rge Wash ington Nation al Mem ori al Association on February 17 , 1975 , in the Memo ri a l a t Alexa nd ria . Virginia
When e nterin g the Memorial's audito r ium, the Pre sident of the United S tates rece ive d a "thund er ing" appla use.
He was greeted o n the stage by Bro. Raymond C. Ellis, M W. Past Grand Ma ster of the Grand Lodge of New York , p resident of the Memorial Association, and other officers , including Bro. John K. Young, R. W. Pa s t G ra nd Ma ster of the Grand L odge of Penn syl-
va ni a, second vice presid e nt of th e Memo rial Associa tio n The Presi dent assisted in the un veiling of a Galvano medallion that w ill take i ts place in th e auditorium w ith t hose of the thir tee n other Masonic Presidents Bro. Elli s presented the Preside nt to the hu ge ga the ring of Maso nic l eader s ,
(Continu ed on Page 3)
1976 Masonic Emblem
THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON
Issued Qaarterly
February, May, August and November at Masoni< Homes, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, by The Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of The Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of f ree and Ac· cepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging.
Approved and Authorized
Philadelphia, Pa. 19107
Elinbethtown, Pa 17022
Grand Lodge Officers'
Three-Month Itinerary
Although the next three months is the us ual summer schedul e, th e Grand Lo dge Offic ers have an unu su al number of Masonic activities They include :
June 4 - Quarterl y Commun ication , Masonic Temple, Scranton.
June 14 -Grand Master, GroundBreak in g Cer emony for new Masonic Temp le, Meyers d ale Lodge No. 554, Meyersdale.
June 14- Gra nd Ma s te r , tOOth Anniversa ry , John stow n Lodge No. 538 , John stown.
June 24 - Gra nd Mas te r, Ocean City, New Jersey, Masonic Club.
June 2 7 - Grand Lodge Officers , Mee tin g, Com mi ttee on Maso ni c Homes, Elizabet htown
July 13-14- G rand Master , Deput y Grand Master, Gra nd Secre t ary, Nor theast Confere nce of G rand Ma sters, Burlin gton , Vermont.
July 25 - Grand Lodge Office r s, Meeti n g, Committee on Masonic Homes, Eli za bethtown.
August 9 - Gra nd Mast er, 1OOth Anniversary , Na nticok e Lodge No. 54 1, Luzerne County.
August 22 - Grand Lodge Officers, Mee ting , Committe e on M asonic Homes , Elizabe thtown.
September 3 - Quarte rl y Communication, Masonic Temple , Philadelphia.
September 13 - Grand Master, 125th Anniv er sary, Sharon Lodge No 250, Sharon.
Eleven Suggested
1976 Lodge Programs Have Been Provided to Lodge Officers
(Continued from Page 1)
July - Indepe nd ence Day Ceremon y -A National Birthday Party at a Table Lodge.
September - The L ocal Scene During Our National Beginnings- Researched by a local hi s torian.
October - Protecting Our Way of Life-T h e Wars We Have Waged November-Thanksgivi ng For Country a nd Fraternity.
December - In God We T ru stMasonically and Nationally.
Grand Master Calls Craft to Labor
(Continued from Page 1)
will be a m ess age from the Grand Master.
It w ill be a reminder to all Masons that Freema sonry played a v ital role in the building of our country Emblems w ill be dis tributed to Lodges by D is trict Deputy Grand Mas t ers. Thos e not sold at the St ated Meetin g mu st b e returned immedi a tely to the District Deputy.
Af t er January 1, 1976, they can be purchased by sendin g $2.25 for each emble m t o the Committee on Masonic Culture, One Nor th Broad St., Ph il adelphia , Pa 19107 and w ill be availabl e on a fir st com e ba sis.
Re membe r, only those wh o h ave attended the Stated Meeting of their Lodge in Octob er will have th e priv ilege of wearing th e emblem in 19 75 .
T h e major portion of the wo rk on these 11 recommend ed Lodge p ro grams was done b y Bros. Paul F. Hoffer and Paul G. G ilmore, both Pa s t Di strict Deputy Grand Masters.
In making these programs available, th e Grand Ma ste r agree s with the 1976 Committee that Lodges can interchange months if more con venient , and make alterations if d es ired to suit the local n eed , upon approval of the Di strict Deputy Grand Ma ster. However, h e pointed out:
"This is the first time in recent Masonic history that Grand Lodge has supplied complete programs to our Lodges "I hope that every effort is made to follow the suggestions as close as possible."
District De puties ha ve b een directed to distribute the copies to the Di s trict Chairman of Ma so ni c Culture and to the Lodges with copies fo r the Ma ster, Senior Wa rd e n , Junior Warden a nd Lodge Chairman on Ma sonic Culture An extra copy will be give n to the Senior Warden to assist in planning programs. If any of the three offic e rs or Lodge Culture Chairman have n ot recei ved their copy, they sh ou ld immed iately contact th eir Distri c t D e put y Grand Master. T h e Com mittee on Ma sonic Cu lture, with Bro. John K. Young, R. W. Past Gran d Mas ter , as Chairman , will do everything po ss ible to assist Lodges.
Dist ri c t Cu ltu re Ch airman will be work in g in clo ses liaiso n wi th the Distri c t Deputy Grand Master a nd the G ran d L od ge's Culture Committee in a n all-out effort to ha ve constru c ti ve and interes ting Lodge programs in 1976.
Patton School_ Baccalaureate and Commencement
Scheduled for June 1 at Masonic Homes
Patton Masonic Sc hool's Ba cca laureate and Comm enc eme nt Exe rci ses w ill be held Sund ay, June 1, in th e Deike Auditorium of th e Maso nic Homes at Elizab ethtown.
Baccala ureate w ill start at 10: 30 a.m. Bro W illiam G. R usch, Grand Ch aplain, will be the speaker. Commencemen t w ill start at 2 p. m. Bro. Rochester B. Woodall, R. W. Gra nd Ma s te r , w ill be the speak er.
There are eleven you ng men grad uating . E ight of th em plan to go on t o higher education; one to the Air Force and two plan to find work in the carpentry field.
M as ter Masons, f amilies a nd frie nd s are in vited to attend th e Baccalau rea te
President Ford Addresses
Washington Memorial Assn.
(Continued from Page 1) including Grand Lodge officers from Jurisdictions throughout the wo rld.
In his remarks, Bro. Ford said:
"The dedication of this medallion gives me a great personal pleasure and, of course, is an honor that I will always cherish.
" When I took my obligation as a Master Mason - incidentally with my three younger brothers - I recalled the value my own father attached to that order. But I had no idea tha t I would ever be added to the company of the Father of our Country and 12 other members of the order, who also served as Presidents of the United States.
"Masonic principles - internal, not external - and our order's v ision of duty to country and acceptance of God as Supreme Being and guiding light have sustained me during my years of government service. Today, especially, the guidelines by which I strive to become an upright man in Masonry give me great personal strength.
"Masonic precepts can help America retain our inspiring aspirations while ada pting to a new age It is apparent to me that t he Supreme Architect has set out the duties each of us h as to perform, and I have trusted in His will with the knowledge that my t rust is well-founded.
"As our Nation approaches i ts 200th anniversary, we do live in very challenging times. It was almost 200 years ago in the da r kest days of our war for independence that George Washington answered a question that is sometimes asked toda y The question is whether things are as bad as some s ay.
dent. In a letter in 1798, t o the Grand Lodge of Maryland, Washington used some words which are now especially appropriate.
"Washington t old the order t h at he 'conceived it to be the indis pensable du ty of every American to come forward in suppor t of the government of his choice and t o give all the aid in his powe r towards maintaining that independence, which we have so dea rly purchased.'
"Such involvement by every American is as essential t od ay as it was in George Washington's day.
Supreme Court Strikes Down 30-Day Provision of Wills
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania handed down a decision w hich v itall y affects Grand Lodge insofa r a s beques ts and d evises for th e Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown are conce rned.
and Comme nc ement.
T hose desiring t o obtain informati o n on Pa tton School should contact Bro. Warren M. Maurer, su pedn te ndent , at Patton Masonic School, Elizabethtown , Pa., 17022, or call (area code 7 17) 367-1536.
Quarterly Communication
In Scranton Masonic Temple
The June Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge w ill be h eld in Masonic T empl e, Scra nton , Pa ., at 7:00 p.m. Wed nesday, June 4. Bro . Roches te r B. W oodall , R. W. G ra nd Mas ter, h as inv ited a ll in te res ted Mason s to a tt e nd th e sess ion.
"George Washington answered, and I quote: 'We should never despair, Our situation befo re has been unp r omising and h as changed for the better, so I trust it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new exertions and proportion our efforts to t he exigency of the times.'
"Let us today rededicate ourselves to new efforts as Masons and as America ns Let us demonstrate our confidence in our beloved nation , a nd a future t hat will flow from the glory of the past.
"When I think of t he things right about America, I thin k of this orde r with its sense of duty to country, its esteem for brotherhood and traditional values, its spiritual high principles and its humble acceptance of God as the Supreme Being.
" T oday, we hono r our first Presiden t, who was also our first Masonic Presi -
"I express to all of you my deepest thanks for this tribute and I ask that we resolve toge t h e r to honor George Washington and America by perpetu ating t he national h eritage he engendered through t he p r inciples which guide our o rderfriendship, morality and brotherly love.
"I thank you ve r y, ve ry much ."
Bro. Burgess Appointed As District Deputy Grand Master
Bro. T homa s H. Burgess, Pas t Ma ste r of A zalea Lodge No . 6 87, Hazleton, was appointed Di s trict Depu ty Grand Ma ster of th e 45 th Mason ic D istri ct, vice Bro. Wal terS. Metzger, resigned. Bro. Burgess served Gra n d Lodge as Juni or Grand Deacon in 197 1, '72, and '73. He was appointed to the Committee on Mason ic Cul ture in 1974 and se rved as a m emb er o f th is Committee u ntil hi s appoi ntm ent as a D is tri c t Deputy.
T he W ill s Act o f 1947 had provided that a ny bequests or devi ses or a c h aritabl e purpose included in a will or codicil e xecuted within thirty d ays of the d eath of the testa tor was invalid unless all tho se individuals w h o would b en efi t b y its validity agreed that it should be valid.
This section of the Wills Act has now bee n held uncon stitutional on the gr ound s that it d e nies charitable benefi cia ri es equal pro tection of the l aws under the Fou rteenth Ame ndme nt of the United States Constitution
T h e Court , on December 5, 1974, in i ts Opinion by Jus tice Robe rts , st ated: "The s tatute strikes down the charitable gifts of one in the best of health at the t ime of the execution of his will and regardless of age if h e chances to die in an accident twenty-nine days later and it leaves un t ouched t h e charitable bequest of another, aged and suffering from a terminal disease, who survives the execution of his will by t hirty-one days. Such a combin ation of results can only be characterized as arbitrary."
Bro. Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States, with Bro. Raymond C. Ellis, president of the George Washington National Memorial Association , are shown after the unveiling of a Galvano medallion of the President
Pennsylvania Masons Helped "Build" A Nation
Bro. George Washington wearing the Lafayette Masonic Apron. Bro. Benjamin Franklin opens the Lodge, a Past Grand Master of Pennsylvania, 1734 and 1749 (Moderns). T his r are print shows marks of age.
In 177 6, Pennsylvania Masons played a vital role to "build" a new Nation.
On the eve of the Bicentennial Year - 1976 - Pennsylvania Brethren are prepared to pay tribute to these "Giants" among men.
Bro. George Washington
Bro. George Washing ton was a Pennsylvania Mason.
Follow ing the end of the American Revolution, while a ttend ing a dinner party h eld in his honor by Alexandria Lodge No. 39 on St. John the Baptis t's Day, June 24, 1784 , Bro. Washington accepted memb er ship in that Lodge.
At that time, Alexa ndria Lodge was working under a Warrant from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
Several years later, L odge No. 39 surrendered its Pennsylvania Warra nt and received a new one from the Grand Lodge o f Virginia as Alexa ndria Lod ge No. 22. On thi s Warrant, Washin gton is listed as the Worshipful Mas ter and served as such.
Bro. Benjamin Franklin
Another giant among Pennsylvania Masons was Bro. Benjamin Franklin, a Past Grand Master of Pe nn sylvania (Moderns) in 1734 and 1749 . Bro. Franklin al so was made a mem-
her of Loge des Neuf Soeurs, sometimes called the Lodg e of the Nine Sisters or Muses, in Paris in 1777, and was elected Worship fu l Master in 1779 a nd 1780.
An original blank Membership Certificate of this French Lodge is o n display in the Franklin Exhibi t in the Museum of the Grand Lodge.
T h e Province of Pennsylvania had other distinguished Masons , who played impor tant roles in the founding of this great Nation.
Bro. Thomas Procter
Bro. Thomas P r octer (or Proctor) was one of them. He was co mmi ssioned a capta in by the Committee of Safety, October 27, 1775, to raise a company of artillery.
T h e original "Pay Li st and Muster Roll" of that company, June 30-July 31, 1776, is on displa y in the Museum of the Gra nd Lodge.
Bro. Procter was a Member of Lodge No. 2, Philadelphia, and fir st Worshipf ul Mas ter of Lod ge No. 19 , a Militar y Lod ge (now Montgomery Lodge No. 19).
At the Battle of Trenton on Christmas night , 1776, h e captured a n en ti re En gli sh band (musical) . 4
Bro. Charles Young
In February, 1783, Bro. Procter and Bro. Charle s Young were sent to Alexandria, Va. by Bro. William Adcock, R. W. Grand Master, to organize a Lodge, under a Pennsylvania Warrant, to b e known as Alexandria Lodge No. 39. At the t ime, Bro. Procter was Senior Grand Warden of the Provincial Grand Lodge (Ancients).
In 1791 and 1792, he served in th e sam e capacity in the newly established Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Thi s hero of the Re vo lution was buried with military and Masonic h onors on March 16 , 1806. That h e was a valuable and efficient officer is attested by a le tter written by General Washington on April 20, 1781, acknowledging r eceipt of Procter's resignation , in w hich Washington wrote :
" . . I cannot in justice to you permit you to leave the Army without expressing my approbation of your conduct upon every occasion since you joined me in 1776, and wish you success in the line of life which you have now embraced . .."
"Yr . most obt. and hhle servt.,
"I am, sir,
"G. Washington"
2, he helped finance the Revolution.
Bro Haym Solomon
Another unsung hero of the Revolution was Bro. Haym Solomon (Salomo n) , also a member of Lodge No. 2, Philadelphia. He was born in Lissa , Poland, about 1740.
An astute banker and brok er . Bro. Solomon negot iated all Revolutionary War securities from France and Holland on hi s personal note without loss of a penny to America. When h e died in 1784 , the United States was indebted to him to th e exte nt of $300 ,000, a great sum in those days.
Upon his arrival in America, Bro. Solomon alli ed him self with th e cause of Ind epend ence by joining the So ns of Liberty , organ ized during the Stamp Act controver sy of 1765. It was a militant, patriotic force.
Arrested As Spy
Because of his activities , h e was arrested as a spy and confined in a military prison. Hi s proficiency in the French. Poli sh , Russian and Italian languages made him useful to the British as an interpre ter. It al so affo rd ed him an opportunity to assist pri soners and to persuade some He ss ian s to desert the Briti sh and join in the fight for freedom.
After hi s release from prison , Bro. Solomon resumed hi s anti-Br iti sh agitation , and again was arrested as a spy and sentenced to be hanged.
His escape was engineered by the Sons of Liberty. Bro. Solomon was a member of Mikveh Israel Congregation , estab lished in Philadelphia in 1747, in whose graveyard he is buried.
Bro. Robert Morris
Bro. Robert Morris has long been known as the "financier of the Revolution." H e was a Philadelphia busin essman , a membe r of the Continental Con -
and a signer of the Declaration of Independen ce.
It is interesting that he, lik e Bro. Solomon, suffe r ed great financial losses in rai sing money for the American cause. The two Bre thren were great fri e nd s. Bro. Morris' Masonic Membership is controversial. He was presented with a Ma so nic Apron by Bro. Washington in 1778, a nd is sa id to h ave worn it on several public Masonic occasions.
Two questions are asked:
Two Questions
Woul d Washington have presented a Ma sonic Apron to a non-Mason?
Wo uld the recipient have worn it if he was not a M ason?
During the America n Revolutidn there con tinued to be Ma sonic activity in Pennsylvania, especially in Philadelphia. Lodge No. 3 me t on the evenin g of July 4, 1776.
T h e minutes of that date , on display in the Museum of the Grand Lodge, conta in nothing unu sual. It was just ano ther meeting.
On December 5, 1776 , howeve r, the minutes sh ow "neglect of some of the Grand Officers in not having it in their power to produce Grand Certificates for many of our Worthy Brethren who are obligated to go abroad."
The certificates referred to were "tr aveling cert ificates," undoubtedly of great assis tance to man y Mason s in 5
those troubled tim es
Shortly after the British occupied Phi ladelphi a, an interesting acco u nt appears in the minutes of Lodge No. 3 for October 10 , 1777. On that date, members of Lodge No 3 m et with the Brethren of Lod ge No. 4 to consider what should be done with the jewels , books , and papers of Lodge No. 2 which had been stolen and fallen into th e hand s of the British.
Bro. William Cunningham
They h ad been turned over to Lod ge No 3 by Bro. William Cunningham, a Captain in the British Army. It was un animou sly agreed that Lodge No. 3 should hold the items until they could be re turned to Lodge No. 2.
Among the twenty item s delivered b y Bro Cunningham w ere " a Punch Ladle, handle broke off, and a few Pieces of Small lace tipp'd of the Collars of No. 2 together with a Delft punch bowl."
Earlier in 1777, the jails bein g full , Freemason's Hall on Lod ge Alley, west of Second Street, was used as a pl ace of confinement for a numbe r of peopl e susp ec ted of giving intelli gence to the British.
"The Ma son's Lodge" and its prisoners were under the comm and of Colonel and Bro. Lewis Nicola.
Articles on Bicentennial Year wi ll b e continued in future issu es of Th e Pe nns ylvania Free mason.
Bro. Haym Solomon, a pencil sketch. A member of Lodge No .
In a rare print, Bro. Haym Solomon, a member of Lodge No. 2 in Pennsylvania, is shown at the desk completing loan to help finance the Revolution. Standing to his right is Bro. Robert Morris, a Pennsylvania Mason, often referred to as the financier of the Revolution. gress,
Masons Have Years of Dedication
Another Trooper.
Bro. Donal d G. Yo ntas, attached to Milford Substatio n , i s Wo r sh ipful Maste r of Auro ra Lodge No . 523, Jermyn.
70 Years' Dedication.
Bro. Howard E. Cr aig, Past Mas ter of Mo un t Pisgah Lodge No. 443, Greencas tle, Fr ank lin Cou nty, w ill be 99 yea rs ol d in Oc tober; 70 years a Mason , and 64 yea r s a Past Master. He st ill at tends stated mee ti ngs.
Helpful Mason.
Deputy Grand Master.
Grand Master's Honors
For his lOOth b irthd ay, Bro. W illiam A. Jordan was pr esen t ed the Cer ti fica t e of Service to Freemaso nry.
Th e Cert ifica te f ro m Bro Rochester B. Woodall , R. W . Gr and Mast er, was presented t o Bro. Jo rd an on March 10, 1975 , at th e Stated Meet ing of Beta Lodge No 647, W ilkinsburg.
Br o. Joh n L. McCain , R W Dep uty Gr an d Master, r epr esenting th e Grand Maste r , made th e pr esentat ion.
Bro. Jordan, known affectiona tely as "B illy" al so received a congra tul atory letter from Presiden t and Bro . Geral d R. Ford and a large portfoli o of le tter s from friends.
Bro. Jorda n' s Masonic reco rd inclu des:
Made a Mason on April 7, 1902, in Crescent Lodge No. 576, Pittsburgh, at the age of 26.
Resigned from Lodge No. 576, to be· come a Warrant Member of Beta Lodge No. 647 , Wilkinsburg, on October 9, 1906. Served as Worshipful Master of Beta
Bro. Emilio Rodriq uez, Lodge No. 9, Philadelphi a, a Warra n t Officer wi th the 79th Army Reserve Command, at tach e d to the 224th Mili ta ry Intelli ge nce Company, Nor theast Philadelphia, distingui sh ed himself rece ntl y w h ile motoring to hi s AP St a tion in Virgini a. Noti ng a car upended in a drai n age culvert al o ng the highway near Dahlgre n Naval Stat ion, h e stopped and fou n d a severely injured yo u th . Br o . Rodriguez was able to stop serious bl eed in g before an ambu lance took h im to a h ospital. Br o Rod r iquez was comm ended by the Virginia St ate Police and the Dahlgren Rescue Unit for his effo r ts
Newspaper Honors.
Bro. James A. Gaiser, Gr and Ch apla in, Past Master of Peter W illiamson Lodge No . 323 was recen tl y th e recipien t of the fi rst Community Service Award of the Scran ton T imes
Retired Secretary.
Bro Cloyd E. Ze igler served Herndon Lodge No 70 2 as Secretary for 48 consecutive years befor e he r etir ed.
Tyler Honored. For m any years of dedicatio n "ou tside" th e Lodge Room, Bro. John S. Tucker , who serves Bangor Lodge No 565 as Tyl er , was rece ntly h onored by the Lodge. He is 85 years ol d.
Father's Pride. Lodge No 647 in 1910.
In 1916, he was appointed Dist rict Deputy Grand Master of the 3 8th Ma· sonic District , and served in that posi· tion fo r 35 years
Br o Jorda n was b orn in Bedford jus t 10 yea r s aft er the Civ il War. He said th at wh en he we nt to P ittsb ur gh in 1899 th ey h ad ho r sed raw n carr iages
F . Lawson , J r., cousin of Bro. Frank E. Lawson and Worshipful Master of the Lodge . W hen Br o. Fran k E. Lawson was Entere d 32 yea r s ago , Bro Ed ward F. Lawson , Jr ., al so conferred th e Degree a s Acting Wors h ipful Maste r . F ive o th er members of the Lawson fa mil y, assis tin g th e Worshipful Master in conferring the rece nt Degr ee, made it a "perfect eve ning" for Bro Lawson.
Special 100 Years.
Bro. Frank G . Al st o n is the Wo r shipful Mas ter of Bellev ue Lod ge No 53 0 , Bellevue. His Lodge cel ebra ted its O n e H un d r edth Anni ve r ssar y o n T uesd ay, Ap ril 10 . Fur ther, Bro. Als ton received his 50-year Masonic Serv ice Emblem fro m th e Grand Mast er. And that's no t all , th e Senior Warden of th e Lod ge, Br o. Frank A. Al s ton , is his son ; an d th e Ju nior Warden, Bro . Edwar d C . Bisl and, is his son-in-law.
Bro . I. Al an Coh en, Pas t Mas ter and Secretary of Mo unt Mo ri ah Lodge No 155 , Philadel ph ia, co nferred t he first deg ree on h is th ree son s, Bros . Harvey S ., Joel S. and Jerry L., in January . T he guide, Br o. Joseph J. Cohen , th e senior Past Master of the Lodge, is the gran dfather of the Cohen s.
For the past 75 years, he h as been a pract icin g attorn ey in P ittsbur gh H e co nti nues to k eep da ily offi ce h our s For his Maso nic leadershi p , Br o. Jorda n was cor one ted a 33° Scot ti sh Rite Mason in 1956. A Lawson Night. Bro. Fra nk E. Lawson , a Member of Wm. B. Schnider Lod ge No. 419 , Phil adelphia , for 32 ye ar s , at a recent State d Mee tin g of his Lod ge , saw his son , Bro. Frank Lawson , En tered by Bro. E dward
Bro. Edward 0 Wei sser , District Deputy, 8th Masonic D istr ict, left, and Bro. T h omas G . Shepard, Past Master, Lodge No . 400, are with Bro Edwar d T Mi tchell, center
Railroad Bell Rings. A r are b rass steam l ocomotive b ell w ill now call Brethren to order at annual banqu ets of Friendsh ip Lodge No. 400, Je nk intow n. It was p r esen ted t o th e Lo dge by Bro Edwa rd T Mitch ell , a re tired r a ilroader a nd coll ec tor of r ailroa di ana .
Bro. W ill iam A. Carpenter R W. G r and Secr etary
-ATTEND YOUR LODGE"How can you be a Brother to someone you don't even know?"
$860,229 Collected Guest and Building Fund Ended March 15
add Fund soli ci- Districts and Amounts
$860,229 68 en e ar ch 15, to taled A-$4 90 15-$2.32 39-$2 30 T h. B- 4 .2 1 16- 1 55 40 4 0 0
Is IS a n inc rease of $ 154,546.86 C- 3.57 17- 2.23 4 1- 3 1 ove r the 1973 total. D- 4.18 18- 2 :85 42= 7
Bro. Rochester B .Woodall , R. w. E- 2.02 19- 2.51 43- 1.75
Grand Mas ter, per son ally th anks the F- 4.80 20- 2.46 44- 2:0 1 approx ima te 60 ,000 Pennsylvan i a Ma- G- 5. 11 2 1- 2.09 45 - 3 00
sons who made t his total pos sibl e. H- 4. 10 22- 2.07 4 6- 2 55
T he s ta ti s tics show th at 54 ,138 Ma- 1- 2 .10 23- 2.46 47- 2:26
so ns sent donat io n envel opes t o the T- 2.22 24- 2.65 48- 2.40
Maso mc H_omes. In some in stances, Ma- 1- 3.65 25- 2.00 49- 1.98
so ns cont nb ut ed to collec tions at b an- 2- 7 .1 7 26- 2.6 0 50- 2.63
qu e ts. T he total n u mber is n o t ava il- 3- 3.50 27- 2 .76 5 1 1.51 a ble. 4- 3.53 28- 3. 0 6 52- 2 23
The sta te ave rage for 232 139 Mem- 5 - 3.33 29- 2 03 53- 2'00 he rs was $3. 70. ' 6- 3 65 30- 1.85 54- 2.04
The fo llow ing shows the aver age 7- 3.44 31- 2.64 55- 3 .61 an:ou_nt per Member , fo r each Mason ic 8- 3 22 32- 2.76 56- 2.70 contribu ted to th e G ues t a nd 9- 3.58 33- 1.83 57- 2.17
solicitation of a petitioner for membership in an organihas as a prerequisite, mem10 the Masonic Fraternity, is fo rbtd den before he ha s received the Degree .of a Master Mason, or u pon the d same mgh t. This is conside red as conuct unbecom ing a Mason."
L XX I , Par . 2, D igest of Deczswns.
Masonic Furniture Is Needed
. Lodge No . 469, Coopersburg IS UI mg. a new Mas onic Temp le and needs fu rniture 14- 2. 12 38 - 2.26
Temple Souvenir Albums Are Now Available
":he new Souvenir Album on Ma· Temple, Philadelphia, can be by send ing $ 1.25 to Com· mt ttee on Masonic Culture, Masonic Temp!e, One N Broad Street, Philadelphta, Pa., 19107. , It is 36 pages and includes 28 beautiful colored pictures. They also can be obtained by visitmg the Museum in Masonic Temple Philadelphia. '
Grand Chaplains Provided Dedicated Service to Masonry
Two di st ingu ished religious leaders both G r and Chapl a ins of the Grand Lodge , died d uring the past sever al mon ths
Bro. C. Harry Lefever, of Harrisb urg, a of Eureka Lodge No. 302, died o n Feb. 16, aft er a long tll ness . Dr· Lefeve r was a minister of the Churc h of God. H e was appoin ted as a G_rand Chapla in in 1967. Bro. Maso n Cochran , of Pit tsburgh , dted of a heart a ttack on April 2 1975 in Pe ter sbu rg, Florida, h e made h ts home in the w inter months
D r. <;och ra n , the seco nd ol dest Gra n d as to len gth of service, w as apm 19 47 · H e was a mini st er of the Umted Presbyte ri a n Ch u rch.
Dr. Coch ra n was a Memb er a nd Past Mas ter of Alleghe ny Va lley Lodge No. 552 , Emlen to n .
Bro. W illiam A Jordan, left, receives the Gra n d Master 's Cer tificate of Service from Bro. John L. McCain , R. W.
