Ten Important Ritualistic Sectional Meetings Listed
The re w ill be te n Sec tiona l Meet in g of th e Sc hool s of Instruction a c ross th e Juris dic tion in 1995.
Marc h 4 Pitts burg h , Oakl a nd
Marc h 11 N ew C as tle
March 18 Green s burg
Marc h 25 Harri s burg
75 -YEAR AWARD
At a S ta ted M ee ting of Lucius H. Scott L odge No. 352, held on June 7, 1994 , Brother G eorge Dewey Middleton was honored for 75 yea rs of M asonic Servi ce. Bro Garrison P Kn ox was also h onored , but was unable to allend. Pi ctu r ed left to right: B ros. J oh n Ta ylo r ; Warre n F. Schueler , Sr., M.W.P.G M. and Grand Secretary of Delaware; Georg e D. Middleton; De a n Smith, P.D.D.G M. of the 36th Mas onic Di strict; Lynwood J. D ixon, D.D.G.M. of the 36th M ason ic District ; and Byron /. R oyer, W orshipfu l Ma ste r ofLucius H Scott Lodge No 352
Three Receive Franklin Awards
Benjamin Fr a nklin Awards were p re se nted by R.W. Grand Master George H H ohens hildt to three Brethren for their "Ou t standi ng Serv i ce to the Fratern it y".
The pr es t ig i ous awards were pr ese nted during t h e Dec e mber Q u art er ly Communicat on to: Bro. Edward H. Fowl e r , Jr. , R.W. Past Grand Master; Bro. Robert 0. Ralston, Sovere i gn Grand Commander of the Supreme Co un cil for the North e rn Masonic Jurisdiction of the Ancie.nt Accepted Scott i s h Right; an d Bro. Burton E Rave ll ette, Jr., Imp e rial Pot ent at e of the Sh rin e of North Amer ca.
The Award is r ep r ese nted by a throat medallion that s a go l d -mini at ur e bust of Benjamin Franklin s u s pended on a purp e ribbon. For B r os. Ralston and Ravell ette, Certificates of Honorary Membership in the Grand Lodge o f Pennsylvania acco mpanied the Benjamin Frank in Award.
THE GRAND LODGE F & A. M. OF PENNS YLVAN IA Ma sonic Homes
Deve lopm e nt & Publi c Re lat io ns
One Maso ni c Dr i ve Elizabeth town , PA 17022-2 199 Second C ass POSTAGE P A ID Lancaster, PA 17604-9998 and Ad ditio nal Offices ftnflltnllltnltlfllllttltltlll d ntltlnl tid d d PAGANOMARK A6 820
MARK A. PAGANO
7 GLENDORE DR HUMN EL STOWN PA
1 7036 - ·9522
Apri l! Johns to w n
A pril 8 All e nto w n
A pril 22 Phil adelp h ia
A pril29 Cleatfield
May 13 Brookville
May 20 William s port
It is espec iall y important in thi s e ra of increased P et iti o ns that Lodge Offi ce rs att e nd t h e res pe c t i v e Sect ion a l M ee tin gs t o b e full y p r e pare d to p e r fo rm th e n ecessar y Wo r k profic ie ntly. All Master Ma so n s a r e we lc om e to atte nd o ne o r m ore of the interestin g Rituali s tic sess io n s
Friend to Friend Turns the Tide with an Increase in New Members of 38% in 1994!
R .W Grand Mast er Personally Leads the Attack on Me mbership Losses!
With a promise that "no agenda w ill t a ke a hi g her priority in my adm ini st r ation than to tu rn t h e t id e o f thirty-three consecut iv e yea rs of devastating l os ses in membership," R.W . Grand Master George H. Hoh enshi ldt perso n ally l ed the attack on the greatest threat t o Fr eemaso n ry!
Ar med with hi s Friend to Friend Membership Deve l opment Pr ogram, an id e a has become a movement! In 1994. Initi ations for M em be r s h ip in Penn sy lv a nia increas ed by 38% compared to 1993! Congratu l ations to every Fr eema son who has become "A Builder of the Craft!"
Even w ith the remarkab l e achievements of Friend to
T HE P E NNSYLVAN IA FREEMASON
VOL XLII FEBRUARY 1995 NO I
Publ ic ation No USPS 426-140 Issued Quarterl y W int er ss u e of 1995 at th e Masoni c H o m es, E izabeth own Pe nnsyl van ia and T he Righ Wors hipful Grand Lodge of h e Most A n cien t and 1-lono ra ble Frater n i t y of Free a n d A c cepted Ma sons of Pe nn sy l va nia and Maso ni c Jurisdic ti o n Thereunto belonging.
GRAND LODGE O F FIC ERS
Bro George H. Ho he n s hil dt R .W. Grand Ma s ter
Bro Edwa d 0. Wei sser, R.W. Deputy Grmu Ma ster
Bro J ames L. Erne tt e, R W. Se nio r Grand Warde n
Bro Robert L Dl uge, J r., R. W. Junior Grand Warden
Bro Marv in G. Speic her, R.W. Grand Treasure r
Bro. Thomas W. J ac kson , li.W. Graud Sec rctlll)'
EDITORIAL BOARD
Bro. W lliam J Prazeni ca-Editor
Bro Fred D. Ri ssi nger- Associate Editor
Bro. John H. P att Jr.- Associate Editor
Bro. Blaine F. Fab ian -Editoria l Pro duction Coordina tor
(All arlidt•s all(/ photograp ll.t become the tJroperty of tllr Grand Lmlge.)
Distributio n OjJice-----Maili ng Address _ M ASONIC HOMES
O n e Masonic D ., Elizabe tht own PA 17022 -2199
Publish ed By: R.W. Grand L odge of PA
O ne Masonic Dr. El zabetht own PA 17022 -2199 Postmaster Send address ch anges to above. Second C lass Pos tag e Paid at Lan ca s e r, PA
FRIEND TO FR I END PROGRESS CONTI NUES -In every R egio n
across the Stat e, Initiations thro ug h th e end of 1 994 were more than for 1993 In f ive of the seven R egions, In itiation s in 1994 exceeded those of th e 198 8-92 fi ve-ye ar average
rece i ved durin g the fir st yea r , total Memb e r s hip l osses st ill exceeded ga in s Nothing c ould better und e r sco r e the need for th e Friend to Friend program than when even a 38% in crease in Initiations is not e nough to turn the t de on n et M em bers hip.
Ac co r ding to Grand Master H ohensh il d t , "We are rig ht on track a nd poi se d t o turn th e t de in net M e mbership n 1995." He ha s c h a ll enged each Pennsy l vania Fr eemaso n to b eco me "A Build e r of the Craft" by r ec o mme nd i ng at east one qua lified fr i e nd for Membership duri n g 1995 " Th e Fr ee m aso n s of Pennsy van i a tru y h a ve an opport unity to
Turn. th e Tide con tin ued on pa ge 15
NUM BER ONE - Th e first Friend to Friend Out standing A c hievement Award for a first-line Petition -signer for twelve or more I nitiates was p rese nted to Bro P et er Szp ak of R eading Lodg e No. 549 b y R. W. Grand M aster George H. Ho henshildt. L ookin g o n is B ro Ray W Gotschall W M. of the Lodge.
First Pendant
Medallion Presented
T h e fir st Go ld Pendant Outstand in g A c hi eveme nt Award for h aving been the first - lin e Petition - s gner for twe lve or more Initi ates as a r es ult of his Friend to Friend contacts, wa s presented to Bro. Peter Szpak, Se n io r Master of Ce r emo nies and a Friend to Fr iend Task Force Member of Reading Lodge No. 549 , by R. W. Grand M aster Geo r ge H. Hohenshildt dur in g a Special Visitat ion at t h e Nove mber Stated Meeting of the Lodge. At th e t im e the award wa s
The Grand M aster Speaks •••
Brethren:
Friend to Friend - Youth - Educa tion
Friend to Friend - Propo sed: Tha t there be 5,000 new Initiates in 1995.
Youth - Proposed: That every L o dge visit a DeMolay , Rainbow or Job s Daughte r s Meeting every month.
Education - Proposed : That ev ery Ma son know who we are, what we belie v e and what we do.
Friend to Friend in 1995: A new year, a new opportunity to renew old friendships and, most especially, t o make new ones. A new opportunity to preserve and enhance the world' s oldest, largest, and greatest Fraternity A new opportunity to pres e rve an d enhance the Masonic way of life, truly a quality way of life.
Let each of us , in our N ew Year 's Resolutions, add one very special Reso lution to our list:
" I will use the Friend to F riend broch ure at l east o n ce a mon th in 1 995. "
Mo st of u s mak e N ew Year's Re so lutio ns, but few of u s keep a ll of them very long. I ask you to please keep thi s your spec ial Resolution all year
We have set a goal of 5, 000 new Initiates in 1995 It has been twenty-two year s ( 1973) s ince we last achieved that goal , and we need every Member' s help to do it aga in . Please u se your Friend to Friend brochure.
We also have set two oth e r goa ls I be li eve imp e rative for 1995 viz : Youth and Education
We Masons must recogni ze the n ee d s and goal s o f our yout h and we must do all withi n our power t o respo nd to those need s and goals. I a m directin g eve ry Lod ge to se nd a ca rload of men to a DeMolay , Rainbow or Job' s Daughte rs M eeting every m o nth, to ea rn who those young people are and what they do, and a lso, th at th ey may learn who we are and what we do.
We Ma s on s a l so mu st r eco gni ze that most of the publi c, and many of our own Members, actua ll y do not know wh at Freemasonry is and is not, and we must do all within ou r power to correct that l ack of knowledge and understanding I am di r ect in g our Education and Public Relations Comm itt ees, while h av in g done a great job in the r ece nt p ast, to r e double th eir effo rts for th e imme d i ate f uture.
Friend to Friend - Youth - Education!
Fratern a lly,
George H. Hoh enshildt R.W
OVER THE NET
E ightee n percent of PA Lodges (88 Lodges) sho wed net
Me mbers hip increases at
Th ey are:
Lodges with ne t inc reases between I a nd 2 percent are: Nos. 570, 625, 618 , 6 19, 27 6 , 35 1. 398.376 , 473.277.354 , 3 15.364 , 537 554.572 , 164 . 370. 330 , 555,5 50,737 .694. 344. 65 1, 790. 37 1 576.421 , 8 10 and 454.
L odges wi th net in creases up to I pe r ce nt a re: os. 222. 342. 7 14 , 73 1. 282. 59 8, 459 , 504, 663, 43 1, 467 , 4 14, 649.682,5 17 3 1I 539.588 , 6 14.350. 562 300.549 , 594 287 , 245, 197 , 551. 334.677, 406,237,74 1,789. 138. 665 586. a nd 502.
(* Reports fro m a few Lodges meeti ng d uring the last days o f the year may no t be included .)
Medallion continued f rom page 1
presented, Bro. Szpak had signed Petitions for 17 Initiates. He said they resulted from some two dozen friendly contacts. The new Masons are the interested friends who returned Friend to Friend brochures and wanted to know more about Freemasonry. "I realized from my own experiences that my friends were just like I had be e n before I became a Mason," he said. "They didn't know that they had to ask."
Bro. Szpak, who has been diligent in his Masonic labors since he was Made a Mason in April 1993, believes in the value of the Friend to Friend Program and recogni zes th e potential for its effectiveness among hi s fri ends He said h e i s fortun a te that , because of hi s profe ss ion , h e h as h ad the opportunity to make many good and worthy friends. "Talking Friend to Friend to my friends was so natural, " h e s aid.
He is the Military Pe r s onnel Clerk for Battery B in Reading , 213th Air Def e ns e Artillery o f th e Pennsylvania Army N a tional Guard. H e pl ans to retir e n ex t August after tw enty years of se r v ice.
1I r
H e s marri ed with thr ee daughters and thr ee grandchildren.
In the F a mily of Freema son ry, h e is a M ember of the Scottish Rite , se rving as a Tyler in the Valley of Rea ding, and a Shriner in R aja h Temple where he i s a Member of th e Leg ion of Honor
T h e pr es t i g iou s Gold Pe nd a nt th at
was presented by Grand Master Hohenshildt is the ultimate recognition in a series of awards and is to be worn at all Masonic activities. Recognition is awarded to first -line signers of Petitions. Signers of one Petition receive a Bronze Award presented by the Chairman of the Task Force; two Petitions a Silver Award presented by the Worshipful Master; and for three Petitions , a Gold Award presented by the District Deputy Grand Master. The Grand Master also awarded Bro. Szpak a very attractive, specially designed gold Square and Compasses mantle - or deskpiece to be displayed at home or in the office as a constant recognition of his Fraternal achievement.
Recog nizing th e achievem ent and awa rding th e Golden Pendant and Emblem s a s ignifi ca nt Fr ate rn a l event. Accompanying Grand Master Hohenshildt for the Spec a l Vi s itati o n to Reading Lodg e No. 549 wer e: Bros. Edward 0 . Weisser, R.W. D ep uty Grand Master; Robert L. Dluge, Jr., R.W Junior Grand Warden; Marv in G. Sp e i cher, R. W. Grand Trea su rer; Rev. William H S ege l , Grand Chapl a in; Donald E Cas se ll, Se ni o r Grand Deacon; La rry G. Newhard, Grand Steward; Donald L. Albert, Gr a nd Mar s h a ll; L ee N. Whitak e r, Gr a nd Sword Bearer; D ean E. Vaughn, Creator of Friend to Friend; Fr ed D. Rissinger, Director of Development a nd P.R., Administrative Service s ; a nd Thomas C. Librandi a nd Blain e F. F ab i a n , Aid es t o
the Grand Master. Bro. Vaughn, P.M., Cumberland Star Lodge No. 197 , Carlisle, addressed the Brethren. He e mphasized the impact every Mason has by exemplifying and communicating the Principles, Values and Fraternalism of Freemasonry . He congratulated Bro. Szpak as " Number One" in earning the Outstanding Achievement Award. Then he pointed out that there are other significations for the " Number One":
• Ours is the Number One Fraternity and we need to assure that it always will be Number One.
• Every Brother has at least one worthy friend whom he would enjoy having in Lodge - if only the friend would ask. Each Brother is in Lodge because he asked a friend to recommend him.
• If eac h Pe nnsyl va ni a Freemason had ju s t one inquiring friend return a Friend to Friend brochure, th e r e could be 160,000 new Masons.
Bro. Hohenshildt enthusiastically add r esse d th e Br ethren , highlighting th e Friend to Friend Program , then presented the Grand Master's Medallion to Worshipful Ma st er Ray W. Gotschall , Ill , for Reading Lodg e N o. 549.
STATEMENT OF
Magnificent New Syria Mosque Dedicated
Shriners in the Pittsburgh area enjoyed a grand and glorious weeke nd of ceremony, celebration and fello wship w hen the ne w Syria Mosque was dedicated October 21 , 22 and 23, 1994 . R. W. Grand Master George H. Hohenshildt shared in the Sunday activities, addressing more than a th ousa nd people who attended the Dedication Ceremony .
Shrine's Imperial Potentate , Bro. Burt o n E. Ravellette, Jr. , from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, attended the entire three days of events and addressed both the Saturday night Banquet and the Sunday Dedicat ion program.
R.W. Past Grand Master Hir am P. Ball, Past Potentate of Syria Temple , served as the Master of Ceremonies for both the elegant Banquet Saturday night and a Dedication Ceremony Sunday where he presented an impressive list of Fraternal dignitaries. AT THE SYR IA DEDICATIO N are (left to r ight) : B ro. G eo r ge H H ohenshildt, R W Grand Mast e r; Bro. Burton E. Ra vellette , Jr. , I mpe ria P o tentate; B ro. Frank Zoltani, P otentate of Syria p T emple; B ro. Howard D. Matthews , a nephew and Persona l A ide to Potentate Zoltani; and, Bro. Daniel Zoltani, a broth er and P ersonal Aide to P ot enta te Zoltani
Masonic Drug & Alcohol Foundation
MORE THAN 750 S HRI NER S AND LAD I ES filled the magnificen t ballroom of the new Syr ia M osque for the Saturday nig ht Dedi ca tion Banquet
Fe stivities at the new Mosque, l oca ted outside the city, in Harmar Town s hip , Allegheny County, began Friday even in g w h e n at lea st 700 S hrin e r s a nd their Lad es toured th e building.
Saturday even ing , mor e than 750 Nobles and their Ladi es in formal evening att ir e, attended the Banquet in the Grand Ballroom , tastefully decorated with floral ar r a ng ements in tall, tran slu cent vases A champag ne toast by Sy ria 's illustrious Potentate, Bro . Frank Zoltani, preceded the s umptuous dinner. Foll owing the dinner there was a spectacular firework s display and dancing to an out st a nding big band.
On Sunday, the Syria Br ass Band, Chante rs and Highlanders, presented an hour-long concert before th e Dedication Pr og r am. Unit Member s in th eir co l orful uniforms conducted tours of the n ew building. Refresh-ments were se r ved and for the youngsters- as well as for the yo ung at he art- there were rides on two came ls brought to Syria from Indiana for thi s event
D.A.R.E. Trains Police Officers at Masonic Conference Center to Work With Elementary Students
Thirty-three law enforcement officers went to school for two weeks at the Masonic Conference Center in October. It was the first session there in which police officers were trained to instruct elementary school children in skills to resist drugs and peer pressure.
D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a prevention program in which trained police officers provide accurate information about alcohol and drugs, teach young st ud ent s d ec i sion - m a king s kills and how to res i st peer pressure, and give them alternative s to drug u se. Th e 80- hour program, co ndu cted by the D .A.R .E. Training Center of the Pennsylvania Comm i ss ion on Crime a nd Delinquency , was made possible by the Masonic Foundation 's and the M aso nic Homes' providing the facilities, supp li es, hou s ing and meals.
Thi s cont ribution by th e Foundation i s th e same as that provided for the Department of Education Student Assistance Program.
13 Organizations Benefit From Freedom Walk/Run
Thirteen community organizations involved with drug abuse prevention and intervention in Philadelphia shared $17,000 net proceeds of the '94 Freedom Walk/ Run.
For the second year , The Pennsylvania Masonic Foundation provided the organizational effort, administration and up-front funding to conduct the successful charitable event for community - wide benefit.
D
(lef ), P
Phil a d elphia Civ i c
.!.
c
, i s sh o wn r ecei ving one of the ch ecks from Bro
, Director of th e F ounda tion
Grand Lodge Offic ers (fro nt): R W.G.T. M arv i n G. Speicher, R.W.S.G W. J ames L. Ernette, R.W.G M George H H ohenshild t , R .W.D .G .M Edwa rd 0. Weisser and R.W.G .S Thomas W. Ja ckson are show n with Law Enforcement Offi cers in he traini ng (Middle row , left t o rig ht): Ronni e Spru ill, Allento wn; .lejji ey Mart z, Carroll Twp.; M ichael Gle n n, Have1jord Twp. ; Mi chae l Rosen b erry, Chambersburg; Da vid L ane, Cast le S hann on ; Ken ton W hitebrea d, W Don egal Twp .; an d Daren Helsel , Chambersbu rg (Se cond row): Michae l Ph enneger, M anor T wp.; T odd Roa ch, Allegheny Twp ; Vincent Butkie w ics, B lakely; D en n is Sm i th, Upper Mt. Bethel; Todd Calta garone, S t . Mary's; Gino Fedullo, Ha zleton; Philip Hoh, S t . Mary's; Wendy Brantley Allen ow n ; and Scott Ch ristman, M onroe County Sher(ff ( Ba ck row): S c ott Vio la , Valley Twp. ; Mi chael Ga rgan , Lower Gwynedd Twp. ; K ur t Emerich, Pi ne Grove; R obert L engle, South Lebanon Twp.; Micha el Mo yle, Mifflin County ; Eric Gill , Dan vill e; Jo sep h Good y, Canoy Twp.; J ohn Trimble , Blairsville; Mi cha el Croll, D elawar e Water Gap Na t' I. Park Serv ice; and Floyd H eltebridle, W est Man ch es ter Twp Mi s sin g .fi'om picture are: Clair Hin k le, J r. , Palm y ra; Mart111 R Leva n , Cleona ; C lair R. Martin, Jr ., El izabe th town ; J effrey Snyder Mijjlin County ; Mark Sto n ebra ke r , H ighspire; Grego ry S. Wahl , Mt. Jo y; an d W i lliam G W e av e r New Cumberland.
Recognized for Charity
B ro. Anthony .! Garvey (right) , D irector of the P enn sylvania Mas onic F oundation fo r the Prev e nt ion of D rug a nd Alcoho l Abuse Amon g Chi ld ren, a nd Br o . R ola n d K. L ee (l eft), M. W. G ra nd M aster of Freemas on s , Prin ce Ha ll Affiliate , were h ono r ed by th e C ity of P hiladelp h ia for outstanding work in "effectual programs and ser vi ces in drug and alcohol p revention ."
WELCOM E TO THE NEW SYR IA MO SQUE: At the en trance to the new building are some
r ia's Di van (left to right): Bro s Allen P Foukes, Chief Rabbcm ; W emer F. B etz, Ass istant Rabban; Jame s
Frye , Oriental Guide ; and,
Allison,
R.W. Grand Ma s ter Ge orge H. H ohenshildt and R .W. D eputy Grand Ma ste r Edward 0. Weisser (in left photo ) and R.W. Senior Grand Wa rden James L. Emette (right photo), President of the Foundation, dine wit h law enfo r cement officers at the Masonic Confe r ence Cente r.
G lenn
evitt
resident of the North east
Asso
iation
Anthony
Garvey
Masonic Homes
On e M aso ni c Dr ive E lizabethtow n P ennsy lva nia 170 22 -2 199 :MI-l: (7 17) 367 -11 2 1
Masonic Homes' ·Outreach Program
The Masonic Homes' Outreach Program was created out of a need to offer services to people who are not accommodated by any area of service at Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown, or are awaiting availability of a service. Because of our aging population, and because of the fine care prov id ed by the dedicated employees of Masonic H omes, more and more want to take advantage of the serv i ces here. The purpose of the Outreach Program is to provide some of that same security and comfort to people who, for whatever reasons, w ill not experience lif e at Masonic Homes.
Security means many different t hings to different people. It may be money, she lt er, or insurance. I t co uld mean medical care, or it may mean knowing there is a way to visit your oved one at the rehabilitation center. To some, security is simply having information about how to proceed. To others , it ' s having someone make the ca ll s and sift through eve s of bureaucracy. With all the programs and services avai lab e, it's easy to become confused and not know in which direction to turn for help.
Our very first referral was in that situation. An elder y coup e, in their 80's and l iving in their own home, had been strugg ling financially for some time. Medical bi ll s had cut into their savings. Wheelchairbound, they had excessive medical and pharmaceutical bil l s. In their time of need they turned to Masonic Homes for help. And even though they wan t ed to remain in their home, as independent as possib l e, they needed some financia l help. Masonic Homes was able to provide, through Home Assistance, the financial help they needed to meet their m o nthly e xpen s es .
There were a so other sources of assistance available to them that were not being utilized. Social Security Supplemental Incom e, H ea lth y H orizons, the PACE Program, L ow Income Energy Assistance, Property Tax Rebate Programs, and Medical Assistance all provided benefits that helped meet expenses and provide security. Although these programs were available, there was a lack of awareness of them.
The Masonic Homes' Outreach Program made the necessary calls to the Area Agency on Aging, the Department of Public Welfare, and Social Security. These agencies were ab e to help this couple directly, and they were gratefu l to Masonic H omes for the financial assistance provided through Home Assistance whi l e it was needed. Home Assistance provided Masonic Homes with an opportunity to help until other sources of assistance were i dentified by the Outreach Program.
Sometimes the Masonic Homes' Outreach Program can provide financial help through Home Assistance.
A s you have just seen, financial help may be availab e from other agencies. For examp le, the situation of a widow in Flo rida: her husband had passed away the previous year, leaving her in their home with a significant tax debt. Not knowing what to do, and overcome with fear, she ignored the debt for over a year until the next year's tax bi ll came due. She started to receive threats of a sheriff's sa e and became even more frightened. A Masonic friend, familiar with her s ituation, contacted the Masonic H omes' Outreach Program and asked if we might ook at her situation. One phone ca ll to the l oca Area Agency on Aging put us in touch with a legal aid office. Within two hour s a payment plan for the current tax bill and an abatement for th e previous b ill had b e en arranged. Fe a r a nd unc e rt ainty had kept that
woman from acting. H oweve r , security and comfort were restored to her when she finally sett led that debt in a way that worked into her budget. Her gratitude was graciously expressed.
The Masonic Homes' Outreach Program serves Pennsylvania Freemasons, their families, and their friends. Sometimes, in utilizing the resources of the Masonic community, we even go beyond those bounda ri es .
A young family in New Jersey, with absolutely no ties to Freemasonry, was recently referred to the Outreach Program. Self-employed, hard-working and resourceful, the hu sband obtained health insurance by vo lunteering at a l oca fire department. This provided him with a reduced rate for himse lf, his wife, and their three young daughters. The youngest ch il d had an orthopedic prob l em which required very expensive treatment. When the insurance provider discovered the s i tuation, the monthly premium was raised 80% retroactively. An annua deductible of $2500 for each family member a l so was imposed, which they were required to pay before obta inin g medical treatment. They cou ld no longer afford coverage.
After being notified of the situation, the Outreach Program arranged for the fam il y to obta i n services at the Shriner's Hospital in Philadelphia. Within two weeks of the referral the child was seen and examined. A follow-up cal from the thankfu l mother l et Outreach know that treatment had begun and the prognosis wa s good.
O u treach has h elped in many other ways. We helped a family locate a Scottish Rite sponsored speech therapy clinic in Colorado and we helped a l ocal woman find needed psychiatric hospitalization. We've assisted in ocating funding sourc es for h ea ring aid s and w e' v e provided
inf ormat ion about reverse mortgages to senior citizens.
These are examp l es of s itu atio ns presented to the Outreach Program. Fortunately for those people, their problems were re so ved quickly, and w ith positive r esu lts. It doesn't a l ways wo rk out that way. More often than not, s ituation s take time to resolve. T e lephone ca ll s and letters to service providers and other government agenc ies are frequently needed to make progress. Communication w ith family members, all conce rned with our progress, requires time. Informati on must be gathered and distributed.
There are times when serv ices s imply are not available. The Outreach Program has received ca ll s from some fami li es requesting information about adu lt day care, a rapidly in creasing need. But, unfortunately, communities and government have not yet provided that type of service for th e ir senior cit i zens. Private ly operated profit and not-for-profit adult day care centers are more common, but they are stil l difficult to find. That's not easily explained to a family who needs to find a safe and product ve daytime environment for a l oved one. But w ith the network of service providers, government agencies, and ger atric care professiona ls we ve bui lt , the Masonic Homes' Outreach Program wi ll work to find an answer that helps.
For us to be ab le to fulfill our mission of service, it's ve r y important to remember that the Outreach Program does not ex i st in a vacuum. We have a great dea of help from the peop le around us. The Program relies on a group of Pennsylvania Freemasons who serve their Masonic community as Admissions Counselors. They do much of the tedious work that helps Outreach serve. They me et with peop le, gather histories and financial statements, and ex pl ain our mi ss ion. Th ey work
Masonic Homes
c osely with the Admissions Department. They make periodic home visits to follow up, and their work is greatly appreciated.
Just as we need the volunteer work that the Admissions Counselors provide, we need your assistance! The Masonic H omes' Outreach Program Survey, which was inserted in the November 1994 issue of The Pennsylvania Freemason, wi ll provide us with much needed information. We need your surveys returned. We need to know how we can best se r ve the Masonic community. Just as we w ill use all of the resources available in the commun ity to make life better for those in need, we ask you to use this opportunity to provide direction to Masonic Homes' Outreach Program. In our service to you, w e ask for a response from you.
For more information please cal
Construction Update Rental Apartments
Plans for the Independent Living a partment project cont inue with construction underway in the Brown Home. Currently, prospective residents are selecting their desired apartments in anticipation of occupying their new homes by August 1995. There also are plans for the development of dining facilities in the Eisenlohr Building, as well as additional recreational space, in order to meet the needs of our growing population. This expansion continues as part of a Comprehensive Service Plan adopted by the Committee on Masonic H omes, designed to meet the changing needs of the current and future residents.
INDEPENDENT LIVING PRIORITY LIST
Ple as e s end me infonnation on how to apply for an app lication for the Priority Lis t. (Please print)
0 Rental Fee P lan
Effe ctive M ar c h 1, 1995 , the ag e for applicant s to be e li g ibl e for admi s sion to Independ e nt Li v ing at th e Ma s onic Hom es w ill c han ge from 62 to 65 y ea r s of a ge
All individual s 62 years of age or old e r w ho se name is on a priorit y li s t for Ind e p e nd e nt Living prior to March 1, 1995 will r e main e li g ibl e for admi ss ion prior to th e ir 65th birtliday
0 Entrance F ee Plan Nam e : Address: City , State, Zip: Telephone
The Grand Secretary's Desk ••••
My Brethren:
Following the last Freemason issue, I recei ve d a communication from m y good friend , Broth e r Stewart M. L. Pollard , former E xec uti ve Secretary o f the Masoni c Se rvi ce Association. In it he stated, "Really think yo u should expand on the seco nd paragr a ph. "
The second paragraph read:
" R eg r e tfully , m a ny M e mb e rs of our Craft w ill not only le ave no Fratern a l impa ct, but w ill not even lea ve evidence of their pre se nce. Yet, we all ha ve the capability of doing so. If we each influenced only o ne man in a way that ca u se d him to see th e greatness of o ur Frat e rnity, that influ e n ce co uld c h ange his life an d thus be passed on through genera ti o n s yet unborn. "
I gave thought to Bro. Poll a rd 's suggestio n and am devoting this co lumn to an expa n s i o n on th at p aragrap h. The imp act of this thought is monumental in it s effect, if app li ed. Monum e nta n ot o nly in t h e influ ence o n the man, but a lso on t h e Cr aft.
The G r and Lodge of Pen n sy l van a c urr ent l y h as app ro x im a t e l y 160 ,000 M embe r s. If eac h influ e nced just one m a n in a way that cause d him to see the greatn ess of the C r aft a n d b eco m e a Fr eemaso n , our Membership wou ld be 320,000 by this time ne xt year, a nd , if each of these nf lu enced ju s t one man, o ur M e mbership wou ld be 480 , 000. Expand th at co n cept to the approx im ate ly 2.3 million Members in the United States. We wo uld in c rease o ur Membership to 4 6 million arid then to 6.9 million, a nd o nw a rd. The r es ultant
influence upon this man y good men wo uld ha ve to imp act our continuously evolv ing society.
I r ea li ze d that the pra c ti ca lity of this co nc e pt stretches into the rea lm of th e improbabl e, and yet each of us ha s be e n influ e nced by someone to be come w hat we are. I also reali ze that Fr ee masonry means different thin gs to differe nt Members and that it is not as important in the li ves of so m e as it is in t he li ves of others. It must be assumed, how ever, th at it has to be imp ortan t in some way for a Member simply to pay hi s dues ann u a ll y to retain hi s Membership. If th e r e s a va lu e of that Membership to him , it must be of va lu e t o o th e r qualified friends of his.
My Br e thr e n , Fr ee m aso nr y has done so much to influ e n ce o u r li ves, and , eve n if it h as don e ess on a personal basis for some of the members than it h as for ot h e r s, its impact o n t h e developme nt of modern c iv il soc i ety on a wor l dwide bas i s provides stimulus e n o u g h to l et the wor ld know our philosophy, o ur principles a n d our pract ces . Eac h of u s i s a li v ing examp l e of th e Cr aft. Who we are and what we do is what tho se n ot part o f us see and respond to. I reca ll r ead in g of a n o ld m a n be ing honored fo r having been a M aso n f o r seve nty years. When ca ll ed upon, he said he se t his s ig ht s to beco m e a Mason w h en, as a sma ll boy , h e obse r ved w ithin the commun ity a g r o up of men w ith o utstanding c haracte r and r e putation, and he l earned th ey we r e Freemasons I wonde r how many sma ll boys a r e l ooking at us and
setting th e ir s ight s to become Freemason s because of w hat we represent to them.
We ca nnot afford to les se n our potential to contribute to c i vi li zation our esso n s which perhaps laid the found at ions for the concep t of social eq uality. Freemasonry emphasizes the importan ce of toleration probably to a greater degree than any o rgani za tion co nc e i ve d by man. Th e pra ct i ce of toleration co uld today go a long , long way in solving th e major problems of the world. In th e la st i ssue, I wrote of the va lu e of the Friend to Friend program in providing a mechanism throu g h w hi c h we ca n d st ribut e to those o u ts id e o ur Cra ft kn ow l edge of w ho we are and w h at we do. In l ook ing back o n my lif e, I mu s t ack n ow l e dge that anyt hin g I have ac hi eved I did so w ith th e h e l p of ot h e rs, alt h o u g h I did n ot r ea li ze it at th e time. Now the time has come to r e pay. I tru st th a t m y lif e h as se r ved to influ e n ce others to become part of u s. I wo uld h ope that a ll o f us f ee l the same way. Whatever Fraterna imp act we m ay l eave up o n the Craft cou ld v e ry we ll co ntinue to im pact the ongoing evo luti on of c v il soc i et y. A ll we n eed do is influence one man, or serve as a n example for a sma ll boy.
A Dream Becomes Reality: Compact Storage Installed
More than ten years ago, Bro John H Platt , Jr., th e n As s istant Librarian and Curator, having worked in the Archives located in the sub-basement, reali ze d th at our Grand Lodge Libr a ry and Mus e um was rapidl y running out of storage space for its ever-growing collections. He suggested the possibility of co mpa ct storage f o r the more histori ca l part of the co ll ection s. Ju st what is compact storage? Imagine a large room containing long steel bookcases or storage shelves. If one has, for ex ampl e, three ranks of freestanding shelves (accessib le from b o th sides) and two others aga in st the walls (therefore each accessible from only one side) th e n one also must ha ve four aisles. That wastes space. With compact storage one n eeds only one aisle! Pre sto , at lea st double th e room for storage ! The freestanding s hel ves move on tra c ks laid in concrete fl oor in g; t hu s the position of one, tw o, or all three of the ranks in our examp l e may be c h a n ged. Thi s movement s con trolled manually o r electrically. In th e case of our Archives, th e hu ge r a nks, one stationary a nd twelve movable, a r e co ntr o ll ed e ect ro nica ll y, with a b atte ry-pac k backup in case the power sho uld fail.
Each r a nk h as a se n sor panel a long th e bottom of eac h s id e t o s top t h e r ank i f t h ere i s any obstruction. There is no c h ance of squashing the libr ar ian!
Before th e compact st orage co uld be installed, however, th e Archives h ad to be c l eaned out. Ev e ry possible and imp oss ible nook a nd c r an ny in the low e r level of the Masonic Templ e was commandeered for t empo r ary s t orage, a nd a c r ew h e lp ed Assistant Libr a ri an a nd Cur ator
G l enys Waldman and As s i sta nt C u ra t or Bro. J oh n Minott move eve r ything o ut of the way.
Of co ur se, as w it h any major hous ec ean ing project , int e re st in g thing s were found or r ed i scovered Among th em was the beautiful model o f th e mosque known as the Do m e o f th e Rock, pictured h ere. Th e sto ry goes lik e this. Bro El wood D. Edg in o f Malvern, a M e mber of Th omso n Lodge No. 340, had worked in
Ma sonic T e m ple. One North B road Street Ph
Sa udi Arabia and Libya for M o bil Oil Pipeline. In 1965 , on hi s way home to the United States, he v i sited the Holy Land, and especially Jeru sa lem. Ther e, this mother-of-p ear l -o n - wood model caught Bro. Edgin 's eye, and he immediately purchased it J h e Dome of th e Ro ck e nshrin es the spot in Jeru sa lem where the Prophet Mohammed last stood on earth, and from which h e is belie ve d to have asce nded into Hea ve n. The bas e of th e model is 18.5 inche s square; the box itself (t he dome would lift up if we had a key to unl ock it ) stand s just over a foot tall. Lik e the original, it has eig ht gates, eight sides, a nd four portals On the mod e l, an Arabic ins c ription from the Holy Our'an (Koran) swee p s around tho se e ight sides:
"I n the Name of Allah , Most Gra ci ous , Most Mer c(ful. When comes the help of Allah , and victory, And thou dos t see th e people enter A llah's religion in crowds, Celebrate t he praises of th y L ord, and pray for hi s forg i veness, For H e is oft-returning , in grace and m ercy."
(S urah 11 0, AI Na s r) Broth e r Edgin, in a r ece nt telephone co nve r sat i o n, sa id th at h e had h ad a part of th e base eng r aved w ith his n a m e, th e n a me a nd number of hi s L odge a nd the date 1965 He then got the generous ide a to donate it to th e th en Grand L o d ge Mu se um , so that eve ry o n e might enjoy it. After the l a t e Past Gra nd Master, Br o William A. Carpen t er, who was then Libr a ri a n and Cur at o r , accepted th e model, it was put away, and " r es t ed" in the Archives until it was " r ed scove r e d " during ou r precompact - sto r age- in sta ll at i o n " hou sec ea nin g" in September of 1994.