Question: Is it true that a Grand Lodge of Alaska has been formed?
Answer: The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Alaska has been formed in accordance with the regular Masonic procedure. The first Grand Communication of the new Grand Lodge was held on February 7, 1981. At the Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , held in Scranton, June 3, 1981 , a Resolution was adopted extending Fraternal Recognition to the new Grand Lodge of Alaska.
Having visited Lodge Meetings m several other Jurisdictions where the Brethren have applauded at various times, I was quite surprised to learn that the practice of applauding for a Member due recognition or worthy action of the Lodge is not permitted in Pennsylvania Lodges
Answer: Applause in the Body of the Open Lodge has never been permitted in Pennsylvania. It is the responsibility of th e Distric t Deputy Grand Master and the Worshipful Master to see that proper decorum is maintained at all Lodge Meetings.
Question: Is it possible to reveal the membership statistics of the larger Grand Lodges in the United States? I understand that Freemasonry has not been attracting new Members as it once did. Is this true?
Answer: Statistics for the year 1980 indicate the five larger Grand Lodges in the United States with memberships as follows: Ohio with 233 ,254 Members; Texas with 215,182 Members; Pennsylvania with 214,345; California (Including Hawaii) with 197,874, and New York with 165,919. During 1980, the net loss in 46 Grand Lodges in the United States was 55,023. Four Grand Lodges had a net gain totaling 288. The total membership of the Grand Lodges in the United States was 3,251,528 according to statistics at the end of 1980.
Question: The question relative to the Order of Eastern Star ruling in Pennsylvania, appearing in the February1981 issue of "The Pennsylvama Freemason," was not fully answered. The question asked " ... if this ruling has ever been reviewed ."
Answer: Yes , the ruling has been reviewed from time to time. And, over a period of 60-years, thirty Right Worshipful Grand Masters have not exercised their authority to rescind the ruling.
Itinerary of Grand Lodge
Freemasonry is a fraternal organization, universal in scope, and teaching through symbols the garnered wisdom of the ages.
Officers Through December
November 2-33rd Masonic District Meeting, George Wagner Lodge, No. 639, St. Mary's.
November 4--22nd Masonic Distri ct Meeting, Kane Lodge, No. 566 , Kane.
November 7-125th Anniversary , Hawley Ldoge, No. 305, Hawley.
November 9-53rd Masonic District Meeting, Cedar Lodge, No. 800, Grove City.
November 11-31st Masonic District Meeting, Fayette Lodge, No. 228, Uniontown.
November 12-39th Masonic District Meeting, Acacia Lodge, No 355 , Blairsville.
November 13-48th Masonic District Meeting , Corinthian Lodge, No. 573, Millvale.
November 14--R. W. Grand Master attending the Fall Reuni on of Scottish Rite Bodies Valley of Allentown.
November 17-26th Masonic District Meeting, Lodge of the Craft, No. 433, New Castle.
November 18-37th Masonic District Meeting, Parian Lodge, No. 662 , Beaver Falls .
November 19 to 21-R. W. Grand Master attending the Fall Reunion of Scottish Rite Bodies, Valley of Reading.
November 21-75th Anniversary , H Stanley Goodwin Lodge , No. 648 , Bethlehem.
November 23-2nd Masonic District Meeting , Euclid Lod ge, No. 698, Harrisburg. NOTE: This District Meeting will complete the Distri ct Meetings scheduled and conduct ed in each of the seventy Masonic Districts throughout the Jurisdi ction and beginning on April 8 , 1980
December 1-Grand Lodge Committee on Finance Meeting, Philadelphia.
December 2-Quarterl y Communication of Grand Lodge , Election of Grand Lodge Officers and Grand Lod ge Committee on Masonic Homes, beginning at 10:00 o'clock, A.M., Masonic Temple , Philadelphia.
December 3-Visit to December Commu-
THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON
Distribution Office
MASONIC HOMES
Elizabethtown , Pa. 17022
(Send FORM 3579 to Above Address)
Recent Appointments of Right Worshipful Grand Master
Recen t Grand Lodge appointments mad e by Bro. Joseph E. Trate , R. W. Grand Master, include the following: Bro. Harry E. Heatherby, Fernwood Lodge, No. 543, Philadelphia, Chairman of the Trustees of the Consolidated Fund of the Grand Lodge, vice Bro. Andrew 0 Friedrich, decea sed. Bro. Heatherb y is also a member of the Grand Lodge Committee on Finance.
Bro. Robert F Morris , Danville Lodge, No 224, and a Past District Deputy Grand Master for the 35th Masonic Di strict, a member of the Grand Lod ge Committee on Masonic Temp le , Halls and Lodge Rooms, vice Bro. Phi lip B Driver, Jr., deceased.
Bro. Fred C. Craw, William B. Hackenburg Lodge , No. 703, District Chairman for the Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Culture for Masonic District " E," vice Bro. Julian Needleman, resigned.
Bro. Ralph R. Ruggles, Jr., Patmos Lodge, No. 348, Dis trict Chairman for the Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Culture for the 4th Masonic District, v ice Bro. Charles Hoover , resigned.
Bro. Chester D. Houseknecht, Dietrick Lamad e Lodge, No. 755, Dis trict Chairman for the Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Culture for the 18th Masonic District, vice Bro. H. Carlton Sweeley, deceased
nication of The Grand Holy Royal Arch Chapter of Pennsylvania, Masonic Temple, Philadelphia.
December 4--Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Homes Meeting, Masonic Hom es, Elizabethtown.
December 5-R. W. Grand Master attending 75th Anniversary of Red Lion Lodge, No. 649, Red Lion, York County.
December 27-Vesper Service in Heinz Chapel, University of Pittsburgh Campus followed by Grand Master's Dinner at Pittsbu rgh Hilton Hotel.
December 28--Annual Gra nd Commun ication of Grand Lodge, beginning at 10:00 o'clock, A.M., Gothic Hall, Masonic Temple, Pittsburgh; Installation of Grand Lodge Elected Officers at Noon.
Second Class POSTAGE
AT Elizabethtown Pennsylvania
State of Craft Message
From R. W. Grand Master
My Brethren:
It has been our very great pleasure to have visite d with you in your Lodg es through our great Commonwealth in our District Visitation Program, Lodge anniversaries, cornerstone layings , Lodge Room dedications and other meetings. You have responded overwhelmingly with your record attendance at the Quarterly Communi catio ns of your Grand Lodge. It is our firm belief that the goal that was set on December 27, 197 9, for Grand Lodge to return to and to strengthen the foundation stones of Freemasonry, the Blue Lodges, is within our grasp. Yes, our grasp, my Br ethren, yours and mi ne All of us have a part i n the plan and all of us will share the satisfaction of having worked together to attain that goal.
The District Visitation Program , for example, has been extremely successful, in our opinion, because you, th e Freemaso ns of Pennsylvania, turned out in record numbers t o exchange ideas w i th your Grand Lodge Offi cers and, thro ugh ques tio ns and answers, to seek a bett er under standing of your Grand Lodge and its actions, your Lodges and the Masonic Fraternity in genera l. Certainly we found diffe r ences of opinions on some issu es, but h onesty and candor without mali ce were the watchwords of the p r ogram
Your Grand Lodge Offi cers , at no time, avo id ed an i ssue or were evasive in t h eir responses to your questions . You, in turn , were co urteous and circumspect in your actions and always within the due bounds of good Masonic conduct.
In our sessions with yo u in all parts of the Jur isdiction, we have found a continuity of concern about the physical and financial health of yo ur Lodges. Questions about how Lodges can increase attendance and membership have been aske d during a lmost every Distri ct Visitation. Similarly, the question about how t o improve the finan ces of Lodges has also been raised. The questions are important and need to be examined.
We believe, and h ave so stated, that attendance at Lodge Meetings is directly related to the attentiveness of the Lodge to its Members. We have told
(Continued on Page 4 )
For Grand Lodge Business and Election
Quarterly Communication At Philadelphia, Dec. 2nd
The December Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge will be held at the Masoni c Temple, One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, on Wednesday morning, Decemb er 2nd, 1981.
Grand Lodge will be opened in Corinth ian Hall at 10:00 o 'cl ock, A.M. Renaissan ce Ha ll, near Corinthian Hall, will also be Tyled and will be equipped w i th closed circuit television and amplifica tion to accommodate an over-fl ow attendance, if nee ded.
A Grand Lodge Communication is open to all Master Masons. At this December Quarterly Communication , the Annual Election of Grand Lodge Officers and seven Members to serve on t he Grand Lodge · Committee on Masonic Homes will be conducted. Annual reports w ill be presented and there w ill b e action taken on various Resolutions and an Amendment to The Ahiman Rezon.
A luncheon will be serve d for the Brethren attending the Decemb er Quarterly Commun icatio n during a "Call -off Period " at Noon. Grand Lodge will Return to Labor following the luncheon and could be ready to close before 3:00 o'clock, P.M.
The occasion will be highlighted by a d inne rdanc e to be held that evening in t h e Dominio n Ballroom of {h e Franklin Plaza Hotel, 17th and Vine Streets, Philadelphia. All Masons and their ladies are invited to attend.
The dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. and entertainm ent will be provided by The Spurrlows to be followed by dancing to the music of the Joe Martin Orchestra
Ti ckets for the dinner -dance are no w available at a cost of $12 .50 per person on a first requ est basis. Reser vations will be limited to approximat ely 1 ,500 perso ns. (Continued on Page 11 )
Annual Grand Communication
Publication No. 426-140
Issued Quarterl y February-March May-June, AugustSeptember and November-December at Masonic Homes, Eli z abethtown Pennsylvania , by
The Right Worshipful Grand Lod ge of The Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternit y of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging.
Approved and Authorized To Be Printe d By The Right Worshipful Grand Master
Grand Lodge Officers
Joseph E Trate, R W. Grand Master
Samuel C. Williamson R. W. Deput y Grand Master
William A. Car penter R. W. Senior Grand Warden
Ca rl W. Stenberg, Jr. R. W. Junior Grand Warde n
Arthur R. Diamond R. W. Grand Treasurer
Thomas W Jackso n , R. W Grand Secretary
Mailing Address MASONIC TEMPLE
One Nort h Broad Street Philadelphia , Pa. 19107
Send Form 3579 to Distribution Office
Masonic Homes Elizabethtown , Pa. 17022
Second Class Postage Pa id at Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Vol. XXVIII August-September 1981 No.3
Three
More
Lodge Mergers
It has become in creasing ly evident that, for reasons of exped ienc y, it is desirable for some of our Subordinate Lodges wi thin the Juri s diction of the Grand Lodg e of Pennsy1vania to merge
Th ese m ergers have become necessary for financial reasons as we ll a s assuring a s uppl y of qualit y l e adership within the Lodge.
The follo wing mergers have been approved b y R es olutions adopte d by the Grand Lodge during 1981 , leaving a total of 582 Symbolic L odges throu gh out th e Jurisdiction:
Effectiv e April 9, 1981, Hailman Lodge , No . 321, h e ld at Monro eville, merged with Monroe v ille Lodge, N o. 786, the merged Lodge s to be now known as Hailman-Monro e ville Lodg e, No. 786.
Effective Apr il 9, 1981, Lodg e No. 4 32, held a t Philadelphia, m e r ge d with Mount HorebPhoeni x Lodge , No. 528 , al s o h e ld at Philad e lp hia. The merge d Lodg es are now to be known a s Mount H o r eb -Pho e ni x Lodge, No. 4 32.
Eff ective July 1 , 1981, D avage Lodge , No. 374, h e ld at Bellevue, Alleghen y Cou nty, m e r ge d with A v alon Lodg e, N o. 657, held at Bell ev u e, Allegheny County, the merged Lodges no w to be known as Avalon Lodge , No. 657
Policy at Masonic Homes Listed for Regulations
The following is ins erted to com- admission solely on the basis of need pl y with Title VI of the Civil Rights and does not discriminate by re ason of Act of 1964 and the Pennsylvania the ra ce, color, national origin, ancestry, Human Relation s Act: age, sex or religious creed of the appliADMISSION POLICY
MASONIC HOMES
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
The Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown , Penn syl vania are owne d and operated by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Pe nnsylvania whose exis ten ce antedate s bot h the Commonweal th of P ennsy lvani a and the United States of America . There are housed at the Masonic Homes , members, the ir wives, widows and mothe rs of deceased members of th e 585 Lod ges within th e Commonwea lth ha ving a total memb ership of 214,34 5 as of Decemb er 27 , 1980. These Lodges operate under the Jurisdi ction of the Grand Lodge.
Neith e r the Constitution of the Grand Lodge nor the By- Laws of th e Subordinate Lodge s restrict membership by r eason of race, color, nati ona l origin , ancestr y or r eligious c r e ed and there are many a mong our members who are not of th e Caucas ian race. No rec ord is kept of our members hip on a basis of rac e, co lor , national origin , ancestry or religious creed. The admission to the Maso nic Homes of Lodge members , their w i ves, widows or mo th e rs of deceased members is governed by the Co mmittee on Masoni c Homes , m embers of whi c h are e lected by the Grand Lodge. Th e Committee approves, or disa pp roves , applications for
ANOTHER FATHER-SON EVENT-Bro. John Wa gman , Past Master and Secretary of Willia m B Hackenburg Lodge , No. 703 , Phila delphia, for th e past 21 years, shown on the righ t, had the privilege and pleasure of installing his son, Bro. S. Robert Wagman, Past Ma ste r, as the Lodge Secretary to succeed him. Fath er and Son Past Master combinations is not a rarity in Hackenburg Lodge. It has happened several times in the Lodge's 61 year history. Howe ve r, this is th e fi r st time it has happened with a Fath er and Past Master and Secre tary installing a Son a nd Past Master as Lodge Secretary.
cant. Applications for admission to the Masonic Home s by members of the Lodges of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Pennsylvania, their wives, and widows or mothers of deceased members are, also, received by the Committee on Masonic Homes and approved or disapproved, on the same ba sis. The admission to the Masonic Homes of the approved applicants of the Most Worshipful Princ e Hall Grand Lodge F. & A. M of Pennsylvania is governed b y the Committee on Maso nic Homes in the same manner as is the admission of the approved applicants of the Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of Pennsylvania.
No person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, or religious creed , be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in the provision of any care or service at the Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown.
Specifically the above includes but is not limited to, the following characteri stics:
1. Inpati ent and outpati ent care will be provided on a non-di scriminatory basis; all patients will be admitted and receive care wi thout regard to ra ce, color , national origin , ancestry , age, sex, or religious creed.
2. All patient s will be a ss igned to r ooms, floors and sections without r egard to ra ce , color, national origin, ances try , age, sex, or rel igiou s c re ed.
3. Patients will not be a s ked if they are willing or desire to s hare a room with a person of another race.
4 Employees will be assigned to patient services without regard to the race, color, national origin , an cestry , age , sex, or religious creed of e ith e r the patie nt or e mployee.
5. Staff privileges will not be denied profess ionally qualified p ersonnel on the bas is of ra ce, co lor , national origin , ances tr y, age, sex, or religiou s cree d.
6. All facilities of this institution w ill be util ized without regard to race, co lor, national origin, ancestr y, age, sex, or religious c r eed
7. Transfer of patients from th e rooms assigned and/or sel ec ted will not be mad e for racial r easons ; however, any patient may r e quest to upgrade th e room as signed and /or selected at any tim e for any reason provided that the room reques ted is readil y availab le.
MASONIC HOMES
Eli zabethtown, Pennsy lvan ia
A GREAT UN DERTAKING-Several Officers and Members of Lodge No. 9 and members of Committee on Masonic Homes shown ass e mbled aroun d the new Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber at the Homes, a gift of Lodge No 9 in honor of Bro Joseph E. Trate, Right Worshipful Grand Master, en joying it s itting down.
LISTENING
Care Center at the Homes on the right, is shown explaining various details, etc., etc. to one of the many groups who visited the Homes with Lodge No. 9 on July 25th
Lodg e No.9 Presents Hyperbaric Chamber to Homes
The Officers and M e mbers of Lo d ge No. 9 , held at Tacony, Philade l p hia , w ho ha v e , for man y years, made sizab le contributions to th e Maso ni c Hom es at Elizabethtown , h a ve , once again , displayed that "Mason s Care Philosophy" with a m ost unusua l gift to the Masoni c Homes Hea lth Care Cent e r in honor of Bro Jo se ph E. Trate , Right Wors h ipfu l Gran d M a s t er.
, , As one of t he hi g hli g hts in the year- long celebra tion commemorating th e 200th A nniv ers ar y of Lodge N.o. 9, the Lodge pre se nt e d a c he c k in t h e amou nt o f $125 ,000.00 to th e Gra nd Mas t er at its Stated Meet ing on N o ve m be r 7, 1980. Th e c h e ck was desig n a t ed to cov er th e cost and insta ll a tion of a H y perb ar i c Oxyg en Ch a mb e r fo r u se in th e Ma so nic Health Care Center at the Hom es.
On Sat urday, Jul y 25, 1980 , a large d e l ega ti o n of the Offi cer s and Members of Lodge No. 9 , accompan i e d b y
their familie s and friends, visited the Masonic Homes and enjo y ed a full da y of activity, including a Special Meeting of Lodge No. 9 in th e Mas onic Temple at the Homes and follo we d b y a most inspiring and wellplanned dedication ceremony for the new H y p erbari c Oxygen Chamber, attended by severa l hundred.
The treatment possible by this rec ent in s tallation at the Homes is c onsidere d r e latively new. In 1980 t h ere were only 55 units na tionwide. The chamber i s d esigned t o treat patients with 100 % oxyge n at pressure s up to 3 atmospheres absolute. Whil e being treated a pati ent ma y watch television or list en to th e radio and is in constant communication with the technician.
It would b e impos s ibl e to lis t a ll the treatment categories but a few include: Acute carbon monoxide, blood lo ss anemia, c ya nide poisoning , depr e ssion sickness, skin grafts,
m e lene y ulc er, acute peripheral arterial insufficiency, intestinal obstruction, and stasis ulc er.
A tremendous amount of research has been exerted in th e adoption of thi s new typ e treatment. And , a great amount of research was extende d b y the Officers and Members of Lodge No 9, in arriving at just what to purchase for th e Masonic Homes as a fitting tribute to Bro. Jo s eph E. T rat e, R. W. Gra nd Ma s t e r , a l ong-time friend and n e ighbor of Lodge No. 9.
It would be w ell w orth your time to s top and see this new equipm e nt and the e x cell e nt room that was des igned and furni s h e d for its u se on y our n ex t vi s it to the M as onic Homes Health Care Center. ·
Freemasonry endeavors to unite the basic truths of faith with the tasks and duties of every-day life, seeking to make better and to imbue them with a greater faith in the Divine Creator and to create in them a love for their fellow men.
INTENTLY-Mrs. Toni Longenecker, Registered Nurse a nd trained Technician assigned to the new Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber at the Masons Health
IT HAD TO BE AMUSI N G-Bro. Joseph E. Trate, R. W Gran d Mas ter, apparen tly said som ethin g real amusing durin g the e xcellent dedicatio n ceremony for th e n e w Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber on July 25th. Several hundred a tt en ded and Bro. William D. Hunter, Worshipful Master of Lodge No 9, seate d on the far eft, e njo yed it.
QUITE AN INSTALLATION-Proudl y posing with their tr eat ment room and its sophistic ated e quipment , thanks to Lodge No.9 ofTacony , Philadelphia, is Dr. William L. Longenecker, Medical Director at the Masonic Homes, a nd his lo ve l y wife , Mrs. Toni Longe necker, a Re gistered Nurse and our firs t train e d Tec hni cian for th
mber.
Catholic Church and Freemasonry
A recent attempt by the Catholic Church to clarify its position on membership of Catholics in the Mason ic Fraternity was greatly misinterpreted by the press
What was merely a restatement of existing policy was generally viewed and presented by the media as new information that prohibited Catholics from being or becoming Masons.
Following is the complete text of an article titled "I've Been Wondering- The Catholic Ch urch and the Masons" as written by Father John Dietzen as it appeared in "The Catholic Standard and Times," Philadelphia.
The article was brought to our attention by Bishop Fred Pierce Corson, the senior Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Pennsylvania:
"Question - Several weeks ago you told u s (as you have severa l times in the past) that under certain condition s it i s possible for Catholics to belong to the Masons.
"After your column appeared, our local paper reported that the Vatican had reaffirmed its '2 00 -year-old ban against Roman Catholics joining the Masons,' and s aid that those who do so still suffer the penalty of excomm unication
"Don't you think you sho uld print a co rrect ion retracting what you sa id ? Obvious l y, it i s s till wrong for Catholics to join this organization and you shou ld s ay so clearly. " ·
"Answer - On the contrary. What I have sa id during the past few years about the possibility of Cat holi cs bel onging to the Mason s is sti ll valid.
"Since I received questions s imilar to yours from many s tates (with clippings from secu lar newspapers), perhaps some exp lanation of exactl y where th e ch urc h is on thi s matter would b e helpful. News articles reporting th e Vati c an action were at best gross l y misleading.
" Part of th e church 's code of law s tat es that anyone who joins a Mason ic sect or other sect which plots against the church or against legitimate civil authority in curs automatic excommuni ca tion fro m th e Ca th o lic Church. (Canon 2335)
"However, thi s proscription i s not n early as absolut e and universa l as it may app ear. The interpretation and application of penal laws (law s which in some way limit human freedom and apply sanct ion s) are nuanced and limited by many princip l es which fo rm part of th e c hurch 's tradition of jurisprudence.
" One s uch prin c ipl e is that any r eg ulation of, or cens u re which would forb id a c tion s otherwi se op e n
in ch urch legi s lation. This more recen t statement of the same co n gregation , dated February, 17, 1981 , referred to the 1974 s tatement a s fo ll ows:"
" In sofa r as the aforesaid l e tter refers to th e interpretation g iven to the canon in question, it must be understood as an appea l to the general principles of the interpretation of penal laws for the s olution of cases for individual persons."
to Catholics, must be interpreted in its narrowest sense. Such a regulation gen erall y applies, for example , only where th e reason for the l aw c l ea rly exists in a particular situation.
"Thus, memb ersh ip in a parti cular Masonic group is forbid den only when that organization does in fact oppose the c hurch or govern ment by ope n prejudice or persecution, undermining legit imat e civi l authority , and so on.
"A nyo ne familiar with the hi story of Europ e and America during th e past 2 00 yea r s i s aware that th e character of thi s organ i zation changes drastically from one place or time to another. Political and anti-re lig iou s activiti es so common to masonry in Europe and Latin America, with some notable excepti ons, have hardl y been evident in mo st parts of th e United States
"Strictly speaking, therefore, the prohib ition against membership in th e Masons ha s neve r bee n as absolute as most peopl e, including mo s t clergy, presume.
" In 19 74, th e Congrega tion for th e Doctrine of the Faith re- e mphasized thi s policy. Speaking exp li c itl y of membership in Ma so nic societi es a nd other societies of this kind, a l etter f ro m th e c ongregation to presidents of bishops' conferences said:"
" In considering partic ular cases, it must be kept in mind that th e penal law is sub j ec t to s tri ct interpre tati on. Accordingly, it is so und to teac h and to apply th e opinion s of au thors who hold that Canon 2335 refers only to Ca th ol i cs who e nroll in associations which trul y plot against the church."
" The declaration r eported in the r ece nt news arti c l es points out that th e 1974 st atem e nt made no changes
"The letter observes that the congregatio n did not intend for bi shops of different co untri es to make sweeping s tatements about membership in Masons, either for or against. Traditional no rms interpreting th e Law must be applied in eac h case.
" What doe s all that mean in plain talk? Unless there is an explicit s tatement to the contrary by his own bishop , a Catholic man who is certain in his own mind that a particular Masonic organ i za tion is not antiCa tholic , and that hi s membership wou ld not s upport irreligious or harmful political activi ti es, has a right to join the Masons. The wisdom of his joining i s another question , but it would not be s inful , nor would he be excom muni cated .
"Ap art from the 32 nd degree Southern Juri s diction of the Scottish Rite which often ha s been accused of actions and attitud es prejudicial to Catho li cs and th e Catholi c Church, Ma sonic o rganization s in the United States genera ll y ha ve avoid e d th e more sin i s ter c h aracteris tics of int ernational masonry.
"In fact, individual American Cat holi c bi s hops have publicly prai se d th e attitude s and good works of Ma sonic gro up s in severa l parts of the co untry. In 1976, for examp l e, Cardina l Terrence Cooke of New York told the New York Sta t e Maso n s, " Voluntary organi z ations lik e yo urs are the cornerstone of orde r in our cou ntry be ca u se yo u believe in the co mmunit y sp irit. "
" Mo s t bi shops who co mmented on th e Fe bruary, 1981, letter see n othing in it that would require a more r es tri ct ive poli cy o n Catholic m embership in the Masons.
"Beca u se of past and present conf li cts be tween the Masons and the Catholic people in many parts of the world a more genera l ban (" in eve ry case ") again s t membership remain s in effect for clergy and members of r e li gious co mmuniti es."
The goal of Freem asonry has always been th e betterment of mankind.
THRONE OFFICERS STILL TOGETHER AFTER 50 YEARS-Armstro n g Lodge, No. 239, held at Freeport in the 27th Masonic Distric t, has the distinction of h aving three Members who h ave been Past Masters for over 50 years. These three Brethren served in the "Throne Chairs" of the Lodge over 50 years ago and just recently were brought together as shown in the photo above. Reading from left to right is Bro. James W Freehling, Worshipful Master; Bro. Ralph A. Gardner who was Worshipful Master in 1928 ; Bro John L. Foster, Worshipfu l Master in 1929; Bro. Earl G. Malcolm, who was Worshipful Master in 1930 , and Bro . Hubert L. Stivason, who w as Worshipful Master of Kittanning Lodge, No. 244, in 1973 and is presently the District Deputy Grand Master of the 27th Masonic District. Bro. Gardner, age 85 , was a banker in Free port for 38 years. Bro Foster, age 83 , was a yard master for the railroad for 48 years, and Bro Malcolm was an agent for the railroad for 47 years. These three great Masons had a real enjoyab le reunion at Lodge.
An Explanation of Proficiency Program and Waiting Period
The Grand Master, in answering questions during the more than 50 District Visitations he has con du cte d to date , has noticed the Brethren still evidence some confusion over the proficien cy Decision.
The proficiency Decision was established in 1977 by then Grand Master, Bro . John L. McCain. It was designed to give new Members of the Fraternity the opportunity to learn the significance of th e Ritual within a short time after it was received.
A series of questions r e lating to each of the thr ee de gree s was deve loped as was a second series relating to the history a nd culture of th e Fraternity.
The confusion Grand Master Trate has encountered relates to the sixmonth period a newl y raised Master Mason must wait before h e ma y sign a petition to ano th er organization requiring, as a prerequisite, membership as a Master Mason in a Lodge in this Jurisdiction.
"Th e six-month rul e s hould not be considered a part of th e proficien cy program," the Grand Master cautioned, adding, "It is a distin c t, se parate item and, as such , s hould n o t be confused with the manner in which a Candidate rec e ives th e knowledge
t ermined at a glance how many persons have received th e degr ees for a given period and how man y, having received the degrees, h ave or h ave not become proficient.
Since June 1977 when the proficiency program was insta lled in Pennsylvania, statistics derived from Lodge re cords of certification s how the program to be working An average of 96 percent of th e Candidates upon whom the Entered Apprentice Mason's degree was conferred were certified proficient. Of the remaining four percent, who were not certified, two-thirds had been Entered Apprentice Masons for one or more years and one-third for le ss than one year.
Of those Candidates upon whom the Fellowcraft Mason 's Degree had been conferred, an average of 97 percent were certified proficient. Two-thirds of the remaining three percent, who were not certified, had been Fellowcraft Masons for less than one year.
he requires before advancing in the degrees."
Simply stated , a newly raised Master Mason cannot s ign or . present a p etition to another body until sixmon t h s ha ve passed s inc e the date he was made a Master Mason.
Further, he may not present a petition to another body , even though th e six-month period h as passed , if h e h as not proved profici e nt in the Master Mason's Degree.
A further circumstance that s hould prevent vio l ation of the Decision i s th e fact that a Master Mason i s denied hi s Dues Card until such time as h e proves profici ent.
The eas i est way for the apple ndant body to remain within Masonic Law i s to do its homework and make sure every Member carries both a Dues Card and a Proficiency Certificate.
The Proficiency Certificate, signed b y the Worshipful Master of the Lodge, contai n s the date the prospective candidate rec eive d the Mast er Mason Degree.
The Grand Master has prepared a Proficiency Statistica l Report Form that is b eing used by the District Deputy Grand Master s to indi cate the s tatu s of all Candidates for the degrees. U s ing th e form, it can be de-
An average of 83 percent of the Candidates receiving the Master Mason's Degree were certified proficient. Of the remaining 17 percent, who were not certified, approxim at e l y 9 percent had b een Master Masons for less than one year and 8 percent for one or more years.
The Entered Apprentice Maso n with the l ongest period of time, to date, of not be ing certified proficient received that degree in 1974: The reason given for the delay in certification is that he travels constantly and cannot return to his Lodge for instruc tion.
The Ma s ter Mason with th e l ongest period of time , to date, of not being certified proficient was Raised in 1977. The reason given for the delay in certification is that he has no des ire to learn.
The most oft-repeated reason of the Bre thren for not b eco ming certified proficient is that they are not intere ste d in l earning due to their own perception of the n eed , or to that of other Brethren who advise them that: "I didn ' t have to le arn all this proficiency work."
It is unfortunate that th ere are Brethren among us who not only don't know what Freemasonry is all about, but don't know th at th ey don't know. Is it possible that the Masonic Fraternity would b e n e fit greatly if the proficiency program i s extended to include all of its M e mb ers?
Open Territory Resolution Due For Vote at December Quarterly
Early in 1980 seventeen Lodges submitted a Resolution to the Grand Lodge to make contiguous counties in Pennsylvania open territory for petitioners. Open territor y on a contiguous county basis means that a petitioner for initiation and membership in a Pennsy l va nia Blue Lodge may present his petition to any Lodge in the county in which he resides, or in any contiguous, bordering, counties without obtaining a waiver from the Lodge nearest his place of residence.
When the Resolution was presented, Bro. Joseph E. Trate, Right Worshipful Grand Master , asked the seventeen Lodges to postpone the presentation of the Resolution until 1981. His reason for doing so was based on the knowledge that the Resolution, if presented to Grand Lodge in March 1980 , would have to be placed on the agenda of Grand Lodge business at the Quarterly Communication to be held on December 3, 1980 . He also knew that the que s tion of open territor y had been cons idered in the Grand Lodge a few times in prior years and , each time, had b een an emotional issue and disturbing to many Brethren. In those prior years ther e had been no factual eviden ce that open territory was good or bad for the Lodges, because there had been no ex perience with open t erritor y. The i ssue, eac h time that it was brou ght to the floor of Grand Lodge , was based on emotion , not facts.
The Grand Master, ha ving secured the agreement of the seventee n Lodg es to postpone the Resolution until 1981, then is s ue d a temporary Decision to provide open territory on a contiguous county basis. The Decision was to be eff ective beginning on March 4 , 1980, and ending on December 2 , 1981. Its purpose was to give th e Blue Lodges twenty months in which to experience open t erritory and to determine, fa ctua ll y, whether it was good or bad. It has been evident over th e years that some petitioners h ave been unable to peition th e Lodge of their choice b ecause the Lodg es n earest their places of residence adopted the attitude that, unless the petitioners chose the nearest Lod ges, they
would not be allowed to become a Member of any Lodge anywhere. We wonder how many good men have been kept from our ranks because they wanted to join their relatives , friends or fellow employees in a Blue Lodge and could not because of the actions of the Members of Lodges which were only physically close to them.
Some Brethren are opposed to open territory because, they say, men who live hundreds of miles from the Lodge they wish to petition will cause a problem for the Committee of Inquiry. Another reason given for opposing open territory is that one Lodge in an area has the lowest annual dues and, therefore, men will be attracted to it for that reason. Neither of these reasons make much sense. In the first instance , the petition of a man living hundreds of miles from the Lodge should raise a doubt in the minds of all good Brethren as to his motives. That doubt sho uld first be expressed to the Recommenders by the Worshipful Master and Secretary of the Lodge before the petition is accepted and read. If the Recommenders continue to have confidence in the petitioner , the members of the Committee of Inquiry must , as for all petitions, sat-
isfy themselves about the worthiness of the petitioner. There are many ways in which they can do their job, including contacts by letter or telephone with the Officers of the Lodge nearest the petitioner to obtain the knowledge that they need. Whether a petitioner liv es near, of far from, a Lodge, his Recommenders bear the responsibility for ensuring that he is worthy, and the Lodge Committee of Inquiry bears the responsibility for making a thorough investigation of that worthiness.
In the second case, it is difficult to understand how a petitioner would know, before h e petitioned, how much the annual dues were in each Lodge in his county and in contiguous counties unless he had been solicited and told about the dues as part of the solicitation. It is also difficult to understand why a man would petition a Lodge on the basis of the dues structure and not on a more enabling basis. Any Mason with factual evidence that petitioners have been drawn to Lodges because of low annual dues should present that evidence to the Grand Lodge through the District Deputy Grand Master. On De cember 2, 1981, at the Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge at Philadelphia, action w ill be taken to approve or reject the Resolution on open territory on a contiguous count y basis. Members of Grand Lodge will have the opportunity to vo te on the issue if they or the Lodge Representative, are present. The Members of the Grand Lodge are a ll of the Past Masters in good standing in the Blue Lodges working under the Juri s diction of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and the Worshipful Masters and Wardens of those Lodges durin g their service in tho se stations . Each of those Grand Lodge Members can cast his own vote if he is present at th e Quarterly Communication. Only the Lodge Representative can cast the votes for all of the Members in Grand Lodge in his Lodge who are not present.
Brethren, the Res olution is supported by the Grand Lodge Officers who cons ider it to be important to the Fraternity in Pennsylvania. Whether you agree or disagree, however, the Members of Grand Lodge and the Representatives in your Lodges should make every effort to attend the Quarterly Communication in Philadelphia on December 2, 1981, and make your voices heard.
A MOST ENTERTAINING GROUP-Those fortunate enough to have reservations for the evening of Wednesday , December 2nd, 1981, in the Dominion Ballroom of the Franklin Plaza , Philadelphia, will have both the privilege and the pleasure of bemg entertained by one of the truly exciting groups of young musicians and vocalists. One of their admirers stated: "They are the cream of the crop."
Three Brothers Now Fifty- Year Members
Word co m es from Bro. Richard W. Wood, Di strict Deputy Grand Master for the 3rd Masonic District, that three blood Brothers, all Members of Cumberland Valley Lodg e, No. 315, Shippensburg, are now the proud recipients of the Grand Lodge Fifty Year Masonic Service Emblem. Bro. Wood held a rendezvous with the three Brothers at th e bedside of Bro. Carroll F. Hockersmith, a resident of the Leader Nursing Home in Chambersburg, while Bro. James B. Hockersmith and Bro. R. Lee Hockersmith joined them. Bro.
Send(()-
Wood then presented the coveted gold emblem and wallet card to Bro. R. Lee Hockersmith, a resident of Shippensburg and a retired h eatin g contractor and rura l mail carrier. Bro. Carroll F. Hockersmith, age 86, is a retired Postmaster and P ennsylvania Game Commissioner. Bro. Jam es B. Hockersmith, age 80 , of Shippensburg, i s th e retired president of th e First Na tion al Bank and presently a director of Commonwealth National Bank. He is a Past Master of hi s Lodge.
This is quite an accomplishment for three dedicated Masons and we wish th em many more years of Masonic fellowship and service.
Office of R. W. Grand Master, Masonic Temple One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107 Lodge No. _____
Enclosed is my check for $ for reservations at $12.50 per ticket for the Grand Master's Banquet to be h e ld at 6:30p.m., December 2, 1981 in the ballroom of th e Franklin Plaza Hotel. Checks should be made pa ya bl e toR. W GRAND SECRETARY.
December Quarterly
At Philadelphia
(Con tinu ed from Page 1)
A coupon for those planning to participate appears on this page. All that is required is that you complete the form, marking it and yo ur check as indicated . If you ex pect to attend th e dinnerdan ce in a group, yo u should add that information to the coupon and mak e your payment as a single r es ponse Each table in the Dominion Ballroom will accommoda te 10 persons.
Be sure to enclose a se lf-addressed, stamped envelope with your reservation coupon.
The heart of any produ ction s how is the material selected for presentation The n ew Spurrlow Show contains a w id e range of diversified mat erial guaranteed to please even the most select ive audience.
A 40's medlay takes yo u on a nostalgic tour through the major ballrooms of th at era with s uch great tunes as "Mood Indigo ," "Begin the Beguine ," ''I' ll Never Sm ile Again" and "In the Mood. " Country mu s ic being w h at it i s today , the Spurrlows hav e included a m e dle y of the be st - so n gs , made popular by th e like s of Larry Gatlin, Kenny Rog ers and Crysta l Gayle.
Another package of music incorporated into the Spurrlow Show take into ac c ount th e hits of B&rbara Str ei sand ("Do n t Rain On M y Parade " ), Dian Warwick ("I'll Never Love This Wa y Again") and Diana Ross ("Ai n't No Mountain High Enough").
New mat erial, new chor e ography and n e w costumes a ll combine to crea te a trul y inspiring production. The Spurrlows ha ve never been more exciting.
HELP NEEDED AT MASONIC TEMPLE PHILADELPHIA
Due to retirements and other personnel changes, there is a need for Security Guards and Maintenance men to work at the Masonic Temple, Philadelphia.
NOTE: Pleas e e nclose self-addressed, s tamped envelope.
Any Brethren interested in this type of employment may call the Building Superintendent, Bro. William Vogt at 215-988-1916.
FATHER INSTALLS SON-Bro. Donald L. Allen, Past Master, Spartan Lodge, No. 372, held at Spartanburg, Pa. is shown on the left after installing his son Bro. Brian K. Allen as Worshipful Master. Spartan Lodge is now in its 115 year a nd, according to the unofficial record, Bro. Brian Allen is th e youngest Worshipful Master to be installed.
