The following mergers of lodges were approved by vote ofthe members present at the June Quarterly Communication:
1. Stuckrath Lodge No. 430 and McKinley Lodge No. 318. The effect ive date ofthe merger is September 3 and the merged lodges w il thereafter be known as McKinley Stuckrath Lodge No. 318.
2. Stephen Gi rard Lodge No. 450 and Richard Vaux Lodge No. 384. The effective date of the merger s September 2 and the merged lodges will thereafter be known as Richard Vaux Lodge No. 384.
3. Crescent Lodge No. 493 a n d Olivet Ori ental Lodge No 385. The effect ive date of the merger is June 5 and the merged lodges wi ll thereafter be known as Olivet O ri enta l Lodge No. 385.
4. Shenandoah Lodge No. 511 and Frackville Lodge No. 737. The effect ve date of the merger is June 5 a nd the merged odges will thereafter be known as Frackville Lodge No. 737
5. Mount Jewett Lodge No. 627 and Kane Lodge No. 566 The effective date of the merger s June 5 and the merged l odges wi ll thereafter be known as Kane Lodge No. 566.
6. Patton Lodge No. 658 and Coa lport Lodge No. 574. The effecti ve date of the merger s June 5 and the merged lodges will thereafter be known as Coa lport Lodge No. 574.
The number of subordinate odges und er the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania as a result of the above m e rgers is 558. The membe r ship also approved a change i n the name of a l odge at the Jun e quarter y. The nam e of Solomon Oakland Lodge No. 231 was officially changed to So l omon-Oak and-Fraternity Lodge No. 231.
The Pennsylvania Freemason Distribut on Office
Masonic Temple
On e North Broad S treet
Phi adelphia Pa 19107 POSTMASTER:
Grand Master's Itinerary
SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER
SEPTEMBER
3 Lodge No. 376, McVeytown
4 Grand Lodge Quarterly
Commun cation, Elizabethtown
5 Lodge No. 417, Christiana
7 Lodge No. 665, 75th Ann versary, Ephrata
9 Lodge Nos. 290. 424 and 434 Greenville
10 Lodge No. 599, Ellwood City
12 Lodge No. 54 7. Youngsvi ll e
13 Lodge No. 358, Somerset
14 Dedication of Wil li am A. Carpenter Ch ape l, Patton Campus, El zabeth town
16 Lodge No. 682, Eli zabethtown
17 Lodge No. 698, Harrisburg
18 Lodge No. 410, Hatboro
1 9 Lodge No. 67, Jenkintown
20 Lodge No. 684, Dormont
2 1 Pennsylvania York Rite, College 11, Phi ade p hia
22-25 Supreme Council, D etroit
26 Lodge No 666, Hershey
27 Committee on Maso n ic Homes, Elizabethtown
28 Lodge Nos 22 632, 713, Sunbury
30 Lodge No. 378, Mount Carmel
OCTOBER
1 Lodge No. 687, Hazl eton
2 Lodge Nos. 782, 19, Ph ladelphia
4 Lodge Nos 508, 219, 287, 7 60, Pitts bu rgh
5 Lodge No. 617. Vandergr ft:
7 Lodge Nos. 354,667
Shi ck s h i nny
8 Lo dge No. 552, Emlenton
9 Lodge Nos. 591, 1 26. Ph il ade phia
10 Lodge No 406, Hamburg
11 Lodge No. 274, Philad e l phia
12 Autumn Day at the H omes, Eli zabethtown
14 Lodge No. 467 , White Haven
15 Lodge No. 433, New Cas tle
1 6 RALLY II for SOLOMON Jl ® Lehi g h University
17 Lodge No. 678, Pittsburgh
18 Lodge Nos. 250, 668, Sharon
1
9 The Philalethes Society, Lu n ch eon, West Chester
OCTOBER
19 Lodge No. 377, Kutztown
20 Layman's Sunday, West Shore Baptist Church, Camp Hill
21
Lodge No. 660, West Reading
22 Lodge No. 783, Export
23 Lodge No. 580. Austin
24
Lodge No. 414, Elysburg
25 Committee on Masonic Hom es
26 Pennsy van a Youth Foundation
26-27 Red Cross of Constantine, Buckhill Fa ll s
28 Lodge No. 370, Mifflinburg
29 Lodge No. 485, Midland
30 Lodge No. 548, Vero n a
31
Lodge No. 262. Or r stown
NOVEMBER
Law Enforcement Square Clu b, Philadelphi a
Lodge Nos. 55. 292, 506. 671, 717
Philadelphi a
Lodge No. 458, Marysville
Lodge No. 742, Johnstown
Lodge No. 385 , 380 Phi lade l ph a
Lodge No. 61, Wi lkes-Barre
Parade, Dau phin County, Har risburg Bicentennia l
Vall ey of Altoona
Lodge No. 298, Media
Lod ge No. 736, Pitts burgh
Lodge No. 565, Bangor
Lodge No. 413, Bath
Lodge No. 541, Nanticoke
Va ll ey o f Sc ranton
Lodge Nos. 449, 2, 125, 72, Philad e lphi a
Lodge No. 776, Fair ess Hill s
Lodge No. 584. Dunmore
Lodge No. 367, We s t Re ad in g
Vall ey o f Bloom sbu r g
Valley of Reading
Lodge Nos 383, 564
Coatesvill e
Lodge Nos. 603. 800
Grove City
With Guests at The Maso nic
Homes. Elizabethto wn
Lod ge No. 121 Philadel ph i a
The PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASO
Region 5 Sets Standard for SOLOMON Ir Growth
The standard for progress, for rea growth as the resu lt ofProjectSOLOMON IL is being set by the Masons in Reg on 5 the so uth ce ntra l area of Pennsylvan a.
Region 5 a 10-county area of cities and suburbs and cou ntrysid e, conta ins 57 indi vidual l odges in six different Mason c Districts. It s a microcosm and holds the promise that what is be ing done we ll there, if adopted a n d practiced elsewhere, wi ll guaran t ee the continued success of Project SOLOMON IL t h e Re building of Freemasonry in Pennsylvania.
The regional and ass stant overseers for Project SOLOMON II in Region 5 a r e work ing the plan a nd proving the p an works!
Bro. Charl es A Achey Jr., Past District D e puty Grand Master for the First Mason i c Di str ct h as as sum ed the po s iti o n of Ove rseer for Region 5 from Bro. Dean E. Vaughn, co-author of th e project who wi ll d e vote his t i m e to h e p ing the proje ct director d evelop strateg ies for 1986 a nd 1987
Bro. A c h ey h as brought a new d i mension of e nergy and innovation to the task and can boa s toflOO p e r cent c ooperation from each of the lodges in the regio n.
Every l odge n the area, from Mifflin, Juni a ta, Pe rry, Dauphin and Lebanon cou nti es to Cumberland, Franklin, Adams, York and Lancaster counties, r eports ts SOLOMON II activity qu ckly and accu r a t ely.
Continued to next page
Lehigh University Site of RALLY. II for SOLOMON Ir
Stab e r Arena, on th e ca mpu s of Lehigh Univers ity i n Bethl e hem, Lehigh County, has b ee n se ected as the s te for th e second ra lly, o n Wed n esday, O c tober 16, in ce ebration of th e s u ccess of Proj ect SOLOMON II, th e Rebu il d in g of Freema s onry in Pen nsylvan a. RA LLY II for SOLOMON II wi ll be patt e rned in part afte r th e highly s uccess ful firs t rally a ttended b y more th a n 7,000 p ersons ast October at th e Her s h ey Sportsa r e na.
Thi s t me, however, th e Grand Ma s t e r h as d eci d ed to u se th e ra lly as a fo rum in
which Freemasonry wil l answer h e r critcs. The frate rnity wi ll speak ou t a ga in st t h ose groups, part c ul a rly the c h urch es her e and in Eng and who a l most dai y mount attacks aga i nst the craft:. Freemasonry w ill with pat e nce and in good taste, butce rtain lywith h o n esty and ca ndor, set the r ecord str a ight
The officia program wi ll b eg in at 7:00 p m. w ith a proce ssiona l featuring the offi ce rs ofthe Grand Lodge, t h e blue lodges and the appendant bodies in full regali a. Those who a r e to participate in th e Co ntinued to p ag e .3
Disaster Relief Fund to Aid Tornado Victims
Th e Grand Lodge o f Pe nn sylvan i a ha s es tabli s h e d a Disa s t e r Re li e f Fund to provid e assistance to th e vi ctims of th e storms and tornado es that swept through w es t e rn and c entral Penn sylvania on Frid ay evening. May 31.
Wh e n th e wi nds di e d down and t h e t erribl e s o und s, d e s c rib e d as that o f a hi g h spe ed tra in fad e d away, hom es, farm buildings, and businesses
in A l bi o n. Kan e, Cr a n e svill e, Atlantic, Montgom e ry, and many o ther towns and v ill ages, w e re gon e
Th e R.W. Grand Ma ste r , Bro. William A. Ca rp ente r, monito r e d n ews r e ports
th ro ugh o ut the wee k e nd as h e c onsulted w t h th e District De pu ty Gra nd Maste rs in each of th e affecte d a r eas. By the following We dnesday, the day of the June Qu a rterly Communication in State Colege, h e h a d a good id ea o f how many Maso nic fa milies we r e in n ee d.
H e u sed th e communi ca ti o n as a forum to a nnounce th e c r eat o n, wi t h th e
At tim es the b e st a id plans do go
astray, and what s o fte n t a ken as an excu se s not an e xc u se a t all, but m e r e ly t h e t r uth
Des pite our care full y m a d e a nd exec u ted plans to accomm oda t e th e dinn er a n d p arking n eeds of o ur gu est s at th e Jun e Qu arte r y Communi ca tion in State Co ll ege on Jun e 5 a numbe r of p e opl e
did n o t r eceive the promis ed meal tickets
a n d p a rking passe s by m ail b e fore th e eve nt.
Th e s taff explain e d to te ephone c al -
e r s aga in and aga in th a t th e ir co upon s h ad b ee n h o nore d, thei r i cke ts had b een
m a il e d in pl e nty of tim e, a nd a ll th ey had t o do w as b e a bit p atie n t.
T h e fo llowing l e tte r was s ent to u s
o n Jun e 1 0 fiv e day s a ft e r th e Jun e
co n c urren c e of th e Co mmitte e on Fi-
n a n ce, of a Disa s t e r Reli e f Fund t o a ddre ss the nee ds of m e mb ers of th e l o d ges, t e mples and h a ll association s, a nd others, who suffe r e d losses as a r e s u l t of the storm s and t o rn a does
Th e Grand Ma ste r h as th e discre ti o n to approve loan s up t o $5,000 ove r a p eri o d offourye arsat no inte r e st, and a t s x per c e nt per a nnum there after. H e may als o extend th e amounts and term s of loa ns in cases of extre m e hardship " Th e giving of h e lp, a id and assistan ce t o w orthy, distressed b re thren s a Maso nic duty w e ca nn o t ignore," th e Gra nd Maste r said
Early r e qu e sts for oa ns w e r e processed within a week. At thi s writing. more tha n $100, 000 had b een forward e d to di s a s t e r victims.
Th e applications sho w e d total loss es ave rag ing more than $8 0, 000 per famil y Th e i r imm e diate n eed s fo r cl o thin g. fo od and shelter w e r e b e ing m e t b y age n cie s geare d to p ro vid e tha typ e o f r e li e[
Mas ons are also h elping with cleanup e fforts.
A work c r ew comprised of 35 Mas o n s fr o m l o d g es in the 24th Maso ni c Distri c t a nd nin e Mason s from th e 25th Masonic
Di s trict s p ent Jun e 8 in A lbion
One group clear e d fa ll e n trees w hil e th e o th er s p ent th e enti re d ay cl e ar i ng a farm er's 40 acre fi e ld o f th e d e bris of two h o us e s, two barns and a g arage.
Th e field crew, a ccordin g to District
De puty Grand Ma s t er Ro b e rt K. Parris h , so rted o ut all th e m e tal b e fo re burning
It Does Happen. Really!
m ee ting. by Bro. Pa u H. De ige nd e s c h , Jr , a Pa st Maste r and th e Secr e ta ry o f South a mpton Radi a nt Star Lodg e No. 8 0 6:
"T h o ught y ou r offlce w o uld g e t a chu c kl e out o f thi s m a ili ng. p o stmarke d May 24 and recei ve d b y m e ju st toda y, Ju ne 10-and that's first c as s!
" On th e r evers e s i de o th e e nvelop e yo u will s ee that i t tra ve e d to Okl ahoma
C ity, Oklahoma on Jun e 3 and to Scra nton, Pe nnsylva ni a on Jun e 7.
" Th e d i stan ce fro m th e Maso n i c T e mp l e in Philad e p hi a to m y home i n
C hurc h v ill e i s a bout 26 m i l es I just w a n te d you t o kn ow t his e n ve l ope go a
l o t of m il ea g e for 22 ce nts ." It is not ofte n th a t so m e on e takes th e tim e to write and e ffect ive ly take us
West Middlesex area-a Bro h er 's ;form er
h o m e.
the r e m a ind er o f th e d ebri s n 1 0 large fi r es.
T h e farmer s n o t a Maso n b ut b e -
ca u se m a n y non Mas on s h e lpe d to build
t h e new odge building in Alb o n (i wa s d e di cate d by t h e G ra nd Lodge se ve r a l
wee ks b e fo r e th e torn a d o), th e Masonic
work crew was h a ppy to b e ab e to re t urn
t h e favo r
Th e Alb on od ge bu ilding was no d a m aged b y th e storm
Re p o rts o f damage in va ryin g d egrees
h a ve b ee n r ece i ved fr o m th e Di s t r ct
Dep uty Grand Mas t e r s in distri ct s 1 8 , 2 2, 23, 24, 25 26, 3 3, 41 , 4 7 5 3 and 56
An y Ma son who wish es to a pply for ass sta n ce th ro u g h t h e D isas t er Re li e f
Fun d s a d vi s e d t o contac t h is District
De pu ty Gra nd Ma s ter wh o wi ll secure th e
n ecess ary f orm s.
Th e applicatio n fo rm s a r e scr ee n ed
b y a committe e tha t m a k e s a recomm e nda tion to th e Gra n d !"l ast e r Th e e n -
t r e process i s u s u a lly co mp let e d w i t hin seven w orkin g d ays.
Statue of Liberty Fund Drive Lags In Pennsylvania
The Gra n d Lo dge of Pennsylvan i a, a o n g wi th v rtu all y every other Grand Lo dge in t h e n atio n , ha s p le d ged its suppo rt to th e e ffo r t to r estore the Statue of Li berty.
G rand Master William A. Carpenter an n ounced n May of 1984 a goa l of $202,241, rep resen t ing a contribution of $1 for every Mason o n the ro lls in Pennsylvan i a as of Dece m be r 27 1983.
At t h e e n d of J uly, 1 4 months into the fund ra is ng effort tha t is to conclude o n July4, 1 986, th e da t e ofthe National Statue o f Li berty Cen te n n a celebrat on, the Masons of Pennsylva n a h ad contributed less than $ 5 0,000 . Masons played a n important part in g athering t h e fu n ds re q u red to p l ace the statue 100 yea r s ago. T h e ground swell of s upport expect ed in Pen n sy lvania for t h e c urren t res t o r a t io n p roject h as not yet mate ri a li zed .
Accord ing to t h e co mpu ter files maintain ed by t h e Gra n d Lodge in gathering t h e contr ibu t ions to d ate, a little more than $5,000 h as been donated by 346
Grand Master Issues
Two New Decisions
Co n ti nued from p receding page .3. wh eth er suc h occas i ons. are c losed or open to th e ge n e r a public. Members of t h e odges may a l so a ddress such occasi o n s, p r ov i ded ap p roval of the District D epu ty Orand Master has been obtained i n each nstance
ind vidual member s A litt e more than $40,000 has been contr i buted by 130 of t h e lodges. Six masoni cally affi li a t ed groups h ave given a b i t more t h an $1 ,500 to the campaign.
The response of ind i viduals is surprisi ngly less than one-fifth of one percent of t h e member ship. Just 23 percent of the l odges, l ess than one out of every four, h ave participated to this point
An answer to Pennsylvania s lukewarm response to the campaign cannot be found in the reaction of Freemasons e l sewhere to the call for hel p.
The Grand Lodge of California, for exam pie, was so heartened by a response of more than $500,000 to its first appeal notice that it upped its pledge to a full $1 mi ll ion. At last report, California Masons h ad already contributed more th an $800, 000
Th e national go a to restore both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Is and was initially establ ished at$230 million. I t has been indicated that an additional $30 million will be required.
Should every Mason i n the country take p a rt, h e fraternity will prov d e more than $3 million for the restoration effort
Grand Master Carpenter believes the solution to the prob em of s l ow resp o nse by Pennsylvania Masons will be fou n d in an increased effort on the part of Gra n d Lod ge and Blue Lodge officers i n ra llying the support of individual me m bers
He has ask ed the Distr ct Deputy Grand Masters to p lace the fund drive a t the t op of t he list of p riori tie s as the odges convene after the summer call off
The Grand Master has au t horized the use ofgeneral lodge funds as well as charity funds in meet i ng t h is goal.
You may send your contr bution b y ch eck or money o r der made payable t o the Statue of Liberty Fund , Gra n d Lodge of Pa. to t h e Office of the Grand Master, Masonic Tem ple, One Nort h Broad Stree t Ph iladelphia, PA 1 9 1 07
Your support s needed and appreciated.
Grand Master's Hook Readied for Sale
The book s bei n g published i n three styl es, soft-cover, ha rd- cover and a del uxe edition in leather.
The soft- cover edition i s priced at $12 95 ; the hard-cover, in buckram, a t $1 6 95; and the deluxe edition, in dark blue, Moroccan leather with gold stamp is $49 95 per copy.
o ff th e h o ok. but we r ea ll y thank Bro
D e gend esch fo r o n e a dditi o n a o b se r -
va ti o n in his l e tte r
"U p t o now I t h oug h t t h e excus e of somethin g b e in g detained i n t h e m ai was ju st a cop o u t b y th e sen d e r," h e wro t e, ad ding. "N o w I wi ll take t h a t excu se mo r e se ri o usly "
A ppa r ently at east o n e b ag of fir s t
class m ail that l e ft thi s office o n or ab o ut May 22 was som e h ow ro ute d firs t to
O kl a h o m a and was th e n forward e d to o
la t e t o b e o f any u se to t h e Masons wh o needed t h e co n te n ts for J u n e 5.
Did we r ece ve a n apo ogy o r exp lan ati on fro m the post o ffice? Seve ra l wee k s h ave n ow go n e by a n d s till n o w or d
Pe rhap s th e a p ology i s lo s t in th e m a il.
" M e m be r s o our l odges may also atte n d d nne r s, banq uets, entertainm e nts, nsta ll a ti o ns and similar occas i ons of oth er fe m a l e organizations, m e mbers hip n w hic h is based upon Maso nic affili at i on, provi ded such events a r e o p en t o th e pu blic, a nd f urther p rovided tha t no Pe nnsylva nia Mason participates in any ce rem o ny or a ny a c tivity assoc iated with a ce r e m o ny Memb e rs of o u r odg es m ay address such affa rs on ly u pon t h e specific written app r ova of the Ora nd Master in each in stance. "
Herold, 1964
Carpenter, 1985
Please note t h e change in the above decis i on h as n othin g to do with the youth gro ups, t h e Ra in bow for G i r l s or Job s Da u g h te rs
Th e r i g h ts and pr ivileges of Masons rega r d ng t h e fe m a l e youth groups are s p e ll ed out i n oth e r sections of Art cle XXXIII. particu la rl y Section 5 , which allows Masons t o ta k e part n the work, ri t u a l istic or ot h erw i se, and in the proce ed n gs o f t h e O rd er of Ra nbow fo r Girl s and t h e I nterna t ional Order ofJob s D aughters.
The Exemplar- A G uide to a Mason's Actions, a Masonic text au t hored by the R.W. Gr and Master of the Gr and Lodge o f Pennsylvania, Bro Wi lliam A. is now availab l e for advance sale th;ough the Offlce of the Grand Master in the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia.
Early orders may be placed through use of t h e attached coupon.
All last minute proof corrections had been made and t h e colo r and artwork checked at the time this report was prepared
The bulkofthe text changes had been accomplished by late June and early July, but the dotting of i's and the crossing of t's is a careful process that cannot be rushed, especially in the glossary and symbol sections of the Grand Master's work The book s expected to come off the presses i n late August
If you place you r order now, you can expect to wait four weeks fo r delive ry. -. r--, ; "' ·he Exemplar- ,..r ··..,. Guide t o Mas on s Actions ,, .
Enclosed is my ch eck or money order in the amount o f $ for __ copies o f The Exemplar- A Gu de to a Mason s Actions. Please check
0 Soft-cover ed i tion 0 Hard-cover edition $12.95 ___ $16.95 ___ 0 Deluxe leather edition $49.95 ___ Total ___ Ship to : NameAdd ess C ty Sta te Zip Te ephone
Th e above p rioe.s ind ude taxes, postage a nd handling rosts. Mail t o:
The Office of the Grand M aster
The Masonic T e mple
One North Broad Street Philadelphia, Penna. 1 9107
Rem a ins of dwe lling o wn ed by Bro Richard t: Bu c ha nan, P.M. , K edron L o dge No. :389.
Grand Lodge Hall Progress Report
T h e re nova tion of Grand Lodge Ha ll th e firs t m ajor bui l ding co n stru c t e d on th e grounds of the Masonic Homes at Elizabe thtown and pl aced in service i n Augu s t of 1913, co ntinu es o n sch ed u e.
Th e Gra nd Lodge Committee on Masonic H omes h as bee n g uiding an exte nsive program of modernization of resident a guest quarters s in ce 1979. The grand o l d l ady, th e co rn e rston e o f t h e Mason i c Hom es' complex, s th e ast to b e res t o r ed
Thi s l ast p h ase of th e proj ect estim ated to cos t $5.5 million, was b egun in January of this year and i s sch e du e d for comp e tion l ate n 1986
Whil e t h e inte ri or o f the three-story building s un dergoi n g extensive c h ange on th e secon d and third flo ors, th e first fl oor will be ma i ntained in its ori g in a l form except for th e add it o n of e l evators at each end o n the east and west and h e installation of n ew stairways a nd fire doors.
The Ho l m es burg gra nite facad e of th e build i ng will n ot be d sturbed.
As i ndicated n th e accompanying photogra ph s, the interio r dry wa ll s h ave b ee n co n stru cted over t h e m eta studding o n th e third floor A ll wiring a nd plumbing is compl eted a nd t h e sprinkl er sys tem has b een in sta ll e d
Workm e n of th e Wa rfe l Constru cti on Co. of Lancas t e r wi ll n ow app ly th e dry wa ll in the hallway and co n s truct the drop ce iling
A n e w co n c r e t e fl oor h as b ee n poure d on t h e seco nd floor and h o l es h a ve b ee n drill ed for w ri n g condu a nd p umb i n g.
Th e room layo ut h as b een drawn o n the fl oo r a nd h e m e ta s tud work is beg nning
Th e o d se we r lines i n the basement areas h ave been t o rn out a nd replace m e nt of th e e ntire sewage syst e m i s proceed i n g o n schedu e.
Resi d ential gue sts continu e to use t h e k i tchen a nd d n ing room each d ay in a ca r e fu lly d esigned p l a n that sea l s o ff h e dirt a nd n oise o f th e co n stru c tion areas.
Change in Admission Policy
The Maso nic Ho m es a t Eli za b ethtown, h avi n g co mple ted an ex e n s ive re n ovat o n p rog ra m , s p leased to a nnoun ce to th e m e mbers hip a t a rge t h a t t h e r e a r e o p e ni ngs ava il abl e for i mm ed ia t e a dm ss ons In order to fill t h eseope ni n g sas qu ckly a nd e ffici e ntly as p oss ibl e, the Grand Lodge Co mmittee on Mason c Homes h as ex panded t h e adm ss on po cy to includ e add tional classes of app li ca nts.
Th e Masonic H omes a t El i zabe thtown h as traditionally acce pte d as ts guests th e fo ll ow ng:
1 Master Masons w h o ha ve bee n m e mbers in good sta nding forl O or mor e years a n d th e r wives.
2. Wid o ws of Master Masons with n o req u irement o n t h e t m e h e was a Mason
3. Moth ers of d eceased Master Masons with no r e qu ire m e nt o n t h e t i m e h e was a Maso n.
4 Mo th e r s o f living Master Mason s, provid in g th e Maso n h as bee n a member i n good sta n d i ng for 10 or more year s
Now, the Maso ni c Hom es i s ab l e t o co n s id e r a pp li ca tion s for a d m i ssi on fro m daug h ters, s i ste rs a nd gra nd mo th ers of Mas t e r Maso n s, living or deceased , prov i d in g th e li ving Ma s t er Ma so n h as b ee n a me m ber n good sta nding for 10 o r m ore yea r s.
I t s s till n ecessary th at those w h o s uccess fu l y app ly surren de r th e r assets upon ad mi ss io n The primary co n cern of t h e Co m m ttee o n Mason c Ho m es, h owever, s to meet the needs o f th e applicants r egard ess o f fin ancial stat u s. Those meeti n g t h e above sta ndard s need o n y m ake t h ei r request known to th e Secretary of th e Pe n nsy va nia l o d ge wh e re Maso n c a ffi li at o n is h e l d. H e will secu r e for you t h e n ecessary app li ca tion form s.
Anyone r eq u r in g add t o n a l info rm ati on about th e Maso ni c Homes at Eli zab et htown i s invite d to wr ite t o the Com mitee at the Maso ni c Homes, Eli zab e t htown, PA 17022 -9985
A Special Offer For Keepers
Are you a k eeper? Do you fil e copies of Th e Pennsylvania Freemason away for futu re referen ce?
T h e May issue was h ard on keepers. I t co n tain ed no less than four co u pons perta ini ng to Grand Lodge eve n ts H ow do you cl ip coupons and still have a d ecent ssue to keep?
We want to be kind to keepers.
Several t h ousand copies ofthe last issue w ere printed just for keepers. If you would like a k eeper copy of the May iss u e yo u are invited to wr ite to the Office of the Gra nd Master at the Masonic Te mpl e, One North Broad Street Phi adelph ia, PA 19107. We' ll do almost anything to keep our keep ers h appy.
Maine Honors Pennsylvania Grand Master
T h e Grand Lodge of Maine has prese nted to t h e Gra n d Master of Pennsylva nia, Bro. William A Carpenter, the Josia h H ayden Drum mond Distingu i s h ed Service Meda l.
Na m ed for the 21 st Grand Master of Ma in e, the Jos i a h Hay d en Drummon d Award is presented a nn uall y at the d scret io n of t h e Grand Ma ster of Maine to Freemasons whose outstanding proficiency in t h e knowledge of Freemasonry and d stin guished service in the successful app icat on of that k nowledge for the adva n ce m e nt of t he welfare of the Craft s h a ll have re nde r e d them worth y of such recogn ition and h onor."
Th e prese n tat io n was made to Grand Master Carpe nte r at the 166th Annua Communicati on of th e Grand Lodge of Maine he l d at Portland on Tuesda y, May 7 by t h e Most Worshipful Grand Master, Bro. Pete r C. Sch m dt
Mason ic aw i n Ma i ne allows just one award t o Maso ns o u ts i de the juri sdiction in a ny Maso nic yea r
Ma n e s t h e th rd sta te to honor the Pe nn sylvan a Gra nd Master. He was first h o n o r ed i n 1 96 5 by the Grand Lodge of Rh ode Is a nd w h e n he was p resented t h e C h ris toph e r Cham plin Meda i n
recognition of " outstanding Masonic achievements."
In Ju ly of1984 he rece ved the highest award granted by the Grand Lodge of Connect cut, the Pierpon t Edwards Medal in bronze, because of h is continued loyal and consta nt service to Freemasonry, and because of his exemplification of its highest qualiti es in his everyday life."
The Grand Lodge ofMaine created the Josi a h Hayd e n Drummond Medal i n 1939 in honor of t hat state's most revered Mason.
Josiah Hayde n Drummond (182 71902) was th e G r and Master of Masons in Ma ne from 1 860 through 1862 whi e serving as the state s attorney general.
He was elected to the Maine house and senate during a political career that spanned more than 30 years. He was cou ns el to several railroad corporations during most of his professiona l life and d evoted much effort to secur ng egisl atio n to mprove insu r ance contracts
Josia h Hayden D rummond is perh aps most remem b ered as a Masonic scholar whose volumino us wri t ngs o n j uri sp rudence strongly i nfluenced t h e Masonic l egis ation o f many Grand Lodges n the cou ntry.
Grand Master Makes Three Masons at Sight
The Pennsy lvan ia State University was the s te of an extra commu nicat ion of the Grand Lodge of Pennsy vania on June 5 w h en three men, at the direction of the RW. Grand Master, Bro. William A Carpenter were mad e Masons at sight Brothers He nry Cooper, Robert W. Baer and Henry D. Nye b ecame the fourth , fifth and sixth Masons to b e made at sight dur ng the adm i n strat on of Grand Mast e r Carpe nter.
T h e Gra nd Master used t h e authority on y h e p ossesses to s i m i larly honor Bro. Ray m on d A. H eist last Ju ne and Brothers Donald B. Reeder and Robert J. Bruce in November.
I n t h e last 100 years 25 Grand Mast e rs h ave caused 72 men to be Masons at sight; nin e in th e past 10 years
This l atest co mmunication , held in the Mi l ton S. Eisenhowe r Auditorium on the unive rs i ty camp u s, was convened at 1:00 p.m. a nd co n cluded by 4:15 p.m. , a ll ow ng the mo re t h an 900 Masons who a ttend ed t o ea t d inn er at 5 :00 p.m. and r e turn fo r th e Jun e Quarterl y Communicat o n at 7:00p.m.
A numb e r of u n que steps were to s h orte n t h e t me requir ed to co n fer all three degrees on each can d idate.
The R. W. Grand Master, Bro. William A. Ca rpenter met in the lobby of the Milton S. Eisenhower Auditorium with the three men he honored by making them Masons at sight.
At the right is Bro Henry Cooper and to the left is Bro H enry D Nye. Bro. Robert W. Baer is confined to a wheelchair as the result of a swimming accident seve ra years ago.
All three candidates were obligated a t the same time. Some of the repet i t ion i n t h e ritual was removed, and because one ofthe ca ndidates was confined to a wheelchai r, the others served as his exemplars dur ng parts of t h e degrees Grand Master Carpenter asked those who con ferred t he degrees and those who witnessed them t o g ve hi m t he r reactions to th e c han ges Th e opin i ons exp r essed to date are being stud i ed and t he Grand Maste r expects to re p ort to t he cr aft: in genera at the September Quarterly Co mmunica tion t o be he d at the Masonic Homes in Elizabe t hto wn on Wednesda y, September 4. Brother Henry Cooper is already familia r to many Masons in Pennsy lvania as th e artist who creates the portraits o f the Grand Masters t hat are displayed in t h e Benjam i n Franklin Room at the Masonic Temple in Philade lph ia. He was first commissioned by the Grand Lodge in 1972 to p ain the portr ai t of then Grand Master Bro. W. Orvill e Kimmel. He has painted a ll t h e G ra n d Masters since that time as we ll as a po rtrait o f Bro Hiram P. Ball, who served as Grand Master i n 1 970 and 1971. and the Con tinued to page 19
Brethren, Our Number 1 Question:
IS PENNSYLVANIA MASONRY TO BE OR NOT TO BE?
My Dea r Brethre n:
Thi s i s o ne of my final arti cles t o yo u Bre thre n as yo ur Right Worshipful Grand Master. I have decided to share w ith you a numb er of facts, figures a nd co ndition s I h ave exper enced in m y informa l v is itations to more than 410 Blu e Lodge s through o ut o ur J uri sdiction du r in g th e past 18 month s To l ea rn o f th e r e furbishings of th e odge ro om s and buildin gs p r ior to th e Grand Ma s er's vi s its ha s b een a hi g hli g ht of the lo dge visitation progra m. The g e n e rous contributi ons to the various c h a ritabl e e nd eavor s, the rare, beautiful and price l ess gifts prese nte d to the Gra nd Mas t e r, and th e token s of r eme mbrance and affection se nt hom e to th e Gra nd Mast e r's wife have been abso lute y wonderful. It ha s a ll amounted to a once -in- a-lifetim e expe ri e n ce a nd this humble Mason will b e foreve r gratefu l.
My experience with Mas t er Mason s fo r nea rly 40 ye a rs t e ll s me that Mason s prefer hon esty H e n ce, a m go ing to t e ll you th e a cts as I see th e m.
This art c l e i s ca c ulated to excite mo re e ffort a nd d e dicat o n for Pe nnsylvania Masonry by th ose Bre thre n tak ing an act ve p a rt in th e Craft. It may surprise yo u but thi s p a rticular g roup re prese nts o nl y 21 p e r ce nt of our t otal.
My "Sta e of the Craft" r e port is a l so ca l culated to nudge a nd excit e m os t if not a ll, o th e r e m a inin g 79 p erce nt of
Pennsyl vania Masons to improve their attitude, their support and their understanding of what Pennsylvania Masonry is a ll about. It is, indeed, a sad comm e ntary to r e late that men will exp e nd funds to petition the Craft, qualifY for acceptan c e, r eceive the three d egrees of the Blue Lodge, and then resign. And it is more annoying to find out that this particular segment comprises more than two thirds of our total membership of re cord. What a power for good would develop within Pennsylva nia Masonry i f a greater p e rcentage of you Brethren wou ld take your Masonry se riously, would become more knowledgeable in the basics of Pennsylvania Masonry and would reflect the one and only purpose of Freemasonry-a pursuit of exce ll ence-whic h is the Ma sonic way of life!
In 1 960 our Juri s di c tion, th e third o ld est in th e Ma soni c wor ld h a d 610 Blue Lo dges with a tota l m e mb ership tha t was c ose to 258,000 Masons. During the p as 25 yea r s we h ave exper i e n ce d a conti nuous d eclin e whi c h now find s u s with a pproximately 203,000 m em bers spread throughout 558 Blue Lodges. In th e pa st year and a h a f, fiftee n of our Blu e Lodges have been forced t o m e rge with other l odges, and I am inform e d that fiv e or s ix additiona odge m e rge r s will b e s ubmitted for actio n during th e b a a nce o f th s yea r. I regret to announce that I have di sso ved two odges in rece nt months.
For years we h a d 70 Maso nic distr icts t hroughout the Jurisdiction. We are now down to 6 3 Ma so nic districts and the projected plan i s to e limina t e three mor e. A s you ca n now see, my Brethren, we are g oing in th e wrong direct o n. We h ave far too many Blue Lodges tha t ca n t even muster a corps of o ffi cer s We have Worshipful Ma ste r s who are serving the r fourth and fifth con secutive years, just to hold the l odge oge th er. We h ave Blu e Lodges that cannot e lect a odge secr e tary.
Br ethren, we have Blu e Lodges that are nearly d e fun ct for th e ack of enthus i astic l eadersh i p. We h ave Blue Lo dges that are unabl e to con fe r e ith e r of th e three d egr ees. I f, b y chance, they a p prove a p e tition er, they are b e hold en
to th e officers and members of a lodge nearby to confe r th e d egrees.
It has b ee n disturbing to earn that far too many of our Blue Lodges are not indoctrinating new members in the bas ic information about Pennsylvania Masonry This is covered very well in the num e rous printed folders, pamphlets and booklets published b y our Grand Lodg e.
In 1977, an effort was made to e nforce the proficiency program as required by our Constitution, the Ahiman Rezon. Various adjustments have been app li ed during the past eight years in a more determin ed effort to re alize the full extent of a proficiency program. Printed folders contai ning the 26 questions to be answered by the candidate during his advancement through the three Symbo lic d egr ees, wer e mad e availabl e for prese ntation t o the ca ndidate on the evening he w as e nte r e d A deluxe e mbo ssed wa ll e t ce rtifi ca t e for th e newly raised Mas t er Mason t o carry, on ce he has completed hi s profici e n cy requ irem e nts in a ll three d egrees, s a l so ava il ab l e for th e lod ges to process. Yet, as I m eet and greet newl y raised Mas t e r Masons in my trave s and vis its, it i s mo st dis turbing to learn that odges are n ot dis tributing th e fo ld e r s with th e proficie n cy question s n or are they process ing th e cove t ed wa ll et ce r ti fi ca t es One of the price l ess ega ci es of Pennsylvan a Maso nry i s our r itualisti c a nd lodge work. As one a uthor h as wr itte n : " It i s s ublim e by its s impli city and dignity." With bu t few exceptions, s uch as th e p raye rs and c h a r ges, our ritua ha s, for 254 yea r s, b ee n h a nded down by word of mouth to ea r. We have 56 School s of Ins truction serving our 63 Maso nic distr cts where the ri tual and the mechan cs of th e lodge room work are taught to l odge officers and tho se who s hould b e t eaching the new Ma so n s. There are twe l ve or more sect onal meetings of the school s of in struction co ndu cted each yea r for th e purpose of exe mplifYing and t e a c hing the proper ph raseo ogy a nd pro cedures relating to th e ritua a nd lo dge wo rk.
I h ave reason to b e li e ve that th e in s truction in the school s of in s truction a n d at t h e sectio n a l m ee tin gs is of th e
best and in conform ity to our ritual and lodge work. However, something seems to happen to our ritua l and odge work when it arrives in the lodge room. To b e frank, th e re have been times in my visits when it was rather difficult to associate Pennsylva nia ritual and lodge work with what I was observing. To observe Pennsylvan ia Masons wearing their aprons beneath their jackets, indicates something To observe Pennsylvania Masons entering the body of the open lodge and being waved by odge officers to slip to the sidelines without advancing to the altar, also tells us something. To observe Pennsylvania Masons crossing the lodge room in the body of the open lodge between the East and the altar while the officers of the lodge act as if nothing wrong is taking place, tells us something more.
appeals for charitable funds. For many, many years, l ess than 25 percent of our members have contributed to the annual appeal for our Masonic Homes. This runs clos e to the breakdown mentioned earlier, revealing that 21 percent of our membership do refle ct a concern and remain somewhat active, while 79 percent remain as just names on the membership roles of our respective Blue Lodges. I pledged $202, 241.00 in support of the restoration of the Statue of Liberty, a Masonic undertaki ng from the date it was conceived back in the 1870s. My pledge was based on every member contributing a single dollar. To date, l ess than a year from the day when " The Great Old Lady" is to be r ededicated, Pennsylvania Masons have contributed less than 25 percent of the pledge I have made.
of the basics of Pennsy lvan ia Masonry than when the Brethren are assembled in a tyled lodge room or even at th e refreshment hour that follows? A perusal of th e monthly lodge notices and even the reports of District Deputy Grand Masters show that programs at some of the stated meetings of our Blue Lodges in c lude subjects and topics s uch as : " Farm Animal Husbandry," " The Gypsy Moth," " The Future of Forestry," " Lawn care," " Are Taxes Necessary? " and, just one more "A Slide Presentation of the Ga lapago s Islands." Just what is wrong in discussing or presenting a program abou t Freemasonry?
With regret and reluctance I feel compelled to mention a few more curses that have plagued the growth and reputation of Pennsylvania Masonry.
While visiting over 400 Blue Lodges I have also observed the attitude toward our Masonic dress code. I must state that the majority of the Pennsylvania Masons are dressing in accordance with our Masonic dress code. However, it does cause one to wonder just what concept of Freemasonry a m em ber must have who will attend a stated or special meeting of a Blue Lodge wearing a sweater with open s hirt c ollar a nd no tie. Oh yes, s neakers have found the ir way into our l o dge rooms Re d on es at tha Dungare e s have also made their a ppearance. It is a s o interes ting to learn of the number of elect ed lodge secr etaries and treasure r s who have decid e d th ey a re e x empt from honoring our Masonic dress co d e.
Not lon g after my informal visitations sta rte d note d that quite a number of th e Ty e r s wer e not wearing th e sword which is part of the Tyl e r s' regalia. When qu estioned about the missing swords it a ppea rs that many o th e odges had none. They had been conveniently hidden or lo st I have been informed that ove r 120 n ew Tyle r's swords have been purch ased ove r the past eighteen months. We' r e making progress in some areas
Mention has been made of the s upport Pe nn sylvania Masons provid e for our m a ny worthwhil e c h arities . We have recently esta blis h e d the Masonic Charities Fund, Grand Lodge of Pennsylvan a. To this fund you may designate contributions to your fa vorite charity e ndorsed by our Grand Lodge. You can a so d es ign ate "O ther C hariti es" which enab es the Grand Lodge Line Office rs a nd the Grand Lodge Committee on Fina nce to app y yo u r co ntribution to a charity wher e the re i s an urgent need for add iti ona funds There still r e mains a mystery, h owever, abo ut how Pe nnsylvan a Ma sons s upport Grand Lod ge
Project SOLOMON II is now more than a year and a half old. It was scheduled for a four-year e ndeavor, 1984 through 1987. While it is accomplishing its purpose in two of the seve n regions throughout the Jurisdiction, the lack of leadership and uncooperative attitudes of lodge officers in the other five regions makes it appear that in far too many Lodges Project SOLOMON II is doomed to a sad demise The lack of cooperation a nd the negative attitude of lodge secr eta ri es in many cases is a perfect examp l e of how an expensive s urviva l kit for Pen n sylva nia Masonry can go awry Whe n the manuals, kits, and r e p o rt forms were mailed to the lodge secretaries in the spring of 1 984, m a ny lodge s seemed to reject the details req ui red to get the program in g ear. Som e s ecre taries n ever opened the cartons containing the working tool s of the program. Month ly 3 x 5 re port ca rd s to to be completed a nd mailed to the Grand Mas ter's Office indicating members h ip stati stics to be u sed in o ur compute r progress printouts and to direct n ecessary action or advice, have not been honored in far too many of our lodges. There are lodge secretari es wh o h ave never processe d o n e of the se 3 x 5 cards over the pas t 18 months. Pe rhaps someday it will be gen e r a lly accepted that the majority of th ose involved in the Craft do not have th e time for Freem ason ry.
For many years I h ave b ee n of th e opinion that a n y program, other th a n the rout in e business of the l odge, p a rti c ularly at a stated mee ting, s h ou ld feature and promote so m e phase of Freemasonry Wh y n o ? It is th e only eve ning in the month when th e Brethren assemble in the requir ed me et in g of the lodge. What b e tter time is there than at a s tated me e ting of a Blu e Lodge to sh a re Freemasonry and inform the Brethren? Wh a b e tter tim e s th e r e to s h are som e
In my mingling with the Craft th e past year and a half, several private conversations with the Brethren have brought forth personal concerns r elative to the image Freemasonry has in various places. The question and concern has been raised about the loud and loose use of profanity that seems to be the hallmark of certain Master Masons. Not only are they notorious for their foul mouths at work and in their travels outside the Lodge and even around young people, but they a re reported to so behave in ante rooms and other Masonic gatherings Al so brought t o our a ttention is th e fact tha t we have membe rs who tend to extend their drinking habits t o an excessive l evel. Not only s th e ir b e havior, at times, disgraceful to th e Craft I am inform ed that Stated Meetings have been disrupted by a member not in full control of him se l[ It was a so shocking to learn of a cand id ate to b e raised who had to be escorte d out of th e building on the eve ning scheduled for the d egree beca u se h e was in no cond ition to re ce ive it All this certainl y t e ll s u s just how far in the wrong direction we have been drifting. One more curse that has tarni s hed th e prestige and integrity of Freemasonry has be e n th e duplicity a sma ll segment of our membership seems to possess While in and aro und Masonic activity, their conduc t seems to be tol e rable. Yet, away from Masonic activi ty a nd es p ecia lly w h e re they h ave b ee n or are still emp oyed, th e ir behavior and immaturity is r e ported a s r eaching a point that s almost inhum an Some o f th e comm e nts expressed by vi ctims of the " other l ives" of the se Masonic mis fits, which includ e Brother Mas ter Ma so n s a o ng with th e profan e, are: PitifuL des picable, contemptibl e, d egrad in g and disg rac e ful. Is n't it a sa d testimon y to earn that w e have brethren who Cont inu ed t o n ext page
1Jirectfy from
Cont nued from prece ding page.
Master IS PENNSYLVANIA MASONRY TO BE OR NOT TO BE?
masquerade as members of the Craft and then bring dishonor to our fraternity by their imbecilic behavior away from their Lodge?
My Brethren, i t appears that we have not only failed miserab ly in educat in g and indoctrinating these members who fail to cope with our Masonic standards, but it is obvious that we have also failed miserably in educating and indoctrinating two o f the most vital groups in Freemasonry, those who reco mmend men for the degrees of Symbolic Masonry and those who are charged with the investigation of a petitioner for the degrees of Symbolic Masonry
Acquiring a basic knowledge of Pennsylvania Masonry was foremost with those Brethren who establ shed Freemasonry in our great Commonwea lth over 200 year s ago. Equa lly important during the formative years of Pennsylvania Masonry, was the development and maintenance of character throughout our membership. After two world wars and a depression, something has happened, Brethren. We have been drifting from our basic principles and foundations. It is that tim e, once again, when Master Masons should make Freemasonry a way of life-every day and in every way. If this doesn't happen, there could be a question as to our futur e
The final item in this "S tate of the Craft' epistle should and must be the priority concern of each a nd every Pennsylvania Mason if our fraternity i s to fulfill its rightful purpose for the gen erations to follow. That priority involves our urging Pennsy vania Masons to become more knowledgeable in the basics of Pennsylvania Masonry. Pen n syl vania Masons are notorious for the i r ignorance of basic Freemasonry. The fact that we haven't enforced our proficiency requirements until recent years could very well b e the cause for this condition. Word of Pennsylvania Masons not being able to prove themselves as Maste r Masons when attempting to visit lodges in other Juri sd ictions-and eve n in our own Jurisdiction-is certainly not a credit to Pennsylvania Masonry.
As m ention ed, our Grand Lodge publishes and makes ava il able all types of printed folders, book lets, pamphlets a n d papers on Freemasonry, but members are re luctant to request them and our Lodge Officers aren t interested e nough to see that th e ir m e mbers are supplied with the availabl e literature. Membe rs of our Grand Lodge Comm ittee on Masonic Education sched ul e and travel throughout our Jurisdiction, conducting seminars and sharing the 18
lite rature on th e basics of Freemasonry. Unfortunately, th ose who shou ld be in attendance at the seminars are co n sp i cuous by their absence.
Having a knowl e dge of basic Freemasonry is the one and only so luti on if Pennsylvania Masonry is to thrive and re main as a cha ll enge for excellence. And the on y way we can support that philosophy is to exemp li fY those precepts taught in the three sym b olic degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry. History reminds us that when nations and cu ltures of the past fail ed to learn and maintain an understanding of who and what they were, they perish ed forever. Freemasonry could very well share that fate. Wh en we launched Project SOLOMON II and l odges began circu ating our new literature which tells th e world who we are and what we stand for, it was gratifY in g to ea rn of the increases in the requests for petitions.
I t has been most disturbi n g to l earn as I have been visiting an d mingling with t h e Craft in Pennsylvania just how litt e Pennsylvania Masons know about basic Freemasonry. What in the world has happened to u s? When each of us answered the questions on the blank form of petition for the lodge and then signed it we pledged ourse ves to a " desire of knowledge ." We also sta ted that: " If the praye r of m y petition is granted, I will conform to the Ancient Usages and Customs of the Fraternity." We as Masons have a lways h ad a moral obligation to be knowledgeab l e about Freemasonry.
Ignorance is a word with unpleasant co nnotations. It is sometimes defin ed as lac k of knowl edge, but am not quite sure that I agree with that definiti o n We a ll l ack knowledge of ma ny things that fall outside of our station in life However, I would subscribe to the theory that a man is gnorant who la cks knowledge which h e is under a moral obligatio n to have. Hence, a man who h as not fulfi ll ed his moral obli gat on to possess basic knowledge of Freemasonry co ul d be classified as Masonically ignorant. We can certain y be a more productive fraternity without that identity. For many years, and even more so recently, church denominations h ave been citing us for many things that are not pl easi ng to read nor h ear. These attacks usually come from those who are having rea l probl e m s themsel ves Th e r e are devious ways of getting publicity and when you are desperate you ll try a ll of th e m.
A portion of the crit icism leveled at Free masonry can be b amed on certain
memb e rs within th e Craft:. Yes, we have m embe rs who have been lmown to boast for all ears to hear that: " Freemasonry is m y religion. " Some of our members have even been quoted as say ing: " My Lodge is my Church." Brethre n , neither of t h ese remarks is a credit to Freemasonry. They are absolute y out of order. With such erroneous comments it s not too difficult to reason w hy Freemasonry is being misunderstood, especially by those with deep religious co nvictions. This is just one more reason why it is so urgent that we become more knowledgeable about Freemasonry in Pe nnsyl va nia Then, and on y then, will more Pennsylvania Masons be ab l e t o expla in and discuss Freemasonry w ith some degree of in tell gence and authority.
T he time has arrived for Freemasons to speak out and let the world know who we are and what we stand for. What's wrong with that? What in the world do we have to hide, save our ritual with a few steps, s gns, grip s and wo rds? Yes, it s about time t hat Freemaso ns stand up to b e counted. But Brethre n , you reall y can't sound off until you know what you're talki ng about.
There seems to b e an end less list of p riorities that are occupying the concerns and tim e of Masons. Some of them are worthy. Some are not so worthy. But the top prior ty of every Pe nnsy va nia Mason for the rest of h is life should and must be to acquire and maintain a basic knowledge of Pennsylvania Masonry. Nothing e lse s more important.
n our pursui t of excellence as Freemasons, we have A Faith to Live By, A Self to Live With, and A Nu mbe r of Causes to Live For.
Wh e n a ll this i s accomplished, the n we will have the answer as to whether Pennsylvan ia Masonry is to be or not to be. It is up to you, my Brethren. Free masonry Is What Freemasons Are! Ever fraternal WILLIAM A CARPENTER R. W. Orand f\1aster
Grand Master Makes Three Masons at Sight
Continu e d from preceding page 15. present Grand Treasu rer, Bro. Arthur R. Diamond.
Bro. Cooper has pain ted more t h an 950 portraits to date. The list of promin ent men and women contains the names of leaders in business, law, m e di cine, religion and education His work in cludes 26 portraits in the National Jockeys Hall of Fame at Pim lico, opera stars Robert Merrill and Roberta Peters, and the late Golda Meir, former prim e minister of Isra el.
Painting is but one aspe ct of Bro. Cooper's ta ent Musi c has always been an important part of his life and it was his singing voice that won him the position as cantor in TempleAdath Jeshurun, making him the you nge st cantor in the count ry at the t im e.
He describes himselfas a desce ndant ofthe tribe of Levi, ofthose who mad e the music and served with the priests in the temple in Jerusalem, w ho takes great pr de in serving today as his family served 2 ,500 years ago.
Bro. Cooper was born in the Ultraine and came to Ameri ca at t he age of six. He was raised in Phi l ade lp hia and i s a graduate of Centra l High School and Gratz College.
He now resides in Baltimore, Maryland with h i s wife, Ruth. Grand Master Carpenter secured a waiver of jurisdiction from the Grand Lodge of Maryland in order to make Bro. Cooper a Mason at sight.
Bro. Robert W. Baer is ajunior student at Ed nboro University
The son of Bro. and Mrs. Gilbert M Baer of 114 Ju n i per Street Mechanicsburg, PA, he s a memberofCarlisle Chapter, Order ofDeMo ay. His fath e r is a member of Lowther Manor Lodge No 781.
He served his DeMolaycha pte r as Junior Steward, Sen ior Steward Junior D eacon, Senior Deacon and Sent nel. H e is a lso a charter member of Au vergne Priory, Order of Knighthood.
Bro. Baer has atta ined the rank of Eag e Scout and has earned bronze, silver and go d palms.
He is an honors graduate of Mechanicsb urg Senior High School wh ere he was a member of the varsity football and track teams. He sang in the school choir, p ayed in its orchestra and was a photographer for the school newspaper
Bro. Ba er was injured in a swimming accid ent and is now confined to a wheelchair.
At Edinboro Universitywhere he s majoring in psychology with a minor in education, Bro. Baer is a member of the Wild Wheelers basketball team and the Rolling Scots track team.
He won a gold meda l in shot put and a silver medal in discus in t h e Oh i o State Wheelchair Games in April.
Bro. Baer was described b y the Grand Master as a " young man of extreme talent who hopes one day to use those skills to help oth ers who suffer like inj ury. "
Bro. Mi c hael D. Nye is a sen or student at the Pennsy va nia State University maj oring in speech commun ica tion.
Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown
The son of Bro. and Mrs. Harold A Nye ofRD 1 , Box 1650, O rwigsburg, PA he s a member of Schuy k i ll Chapter, O rde r of DeMolay His father i s a member of Schuylkill Lodge No 138.
He served his DeMo lay chapter as Master Councilor, hel d t he state office as Third Preceptor, and has won a number of DeMo lay awards.
Bro. Nye is also a Boy Scout a s a membe r of Troo p 124 in Orwi g sburg and of Explorer Post 540. He too earned t he rank of Eagle Scout and has rece ved the God and Country award.
He was a patrol leader at the Nat onal Jamboree in 1977; was selected for the Youth Staff at the Natio n a Jamboree in 1981, and was named Assis tant Scoutmaster for the 1985 National Jamboree A gra dua te of Bl ue Mountain H igh School, Bro Nye was a member of the varsity football team a nd the archery team. He served on the yearbook staff and was a representative to the stude n t counci l. At Penn State, he is the treasurero f the International Cultura Interest House and is president of Delta Mu Ch , the DeMo ay fraternity on campus.
Both young men were descri bed by Grand Master Carpenter as " excellent examples of the yout h of today who will be the leaders of this fra ternity tomorrow.
T he Grand Master i ntroduced the three newly made Master Masons at t h e J,u ne Quarterly Commun cation later that evening to l oud and enth usiastic applause.
