Volume 67 No. 04
July-August 2020
A Prophecy From the Past - pg 8
Membership
Liberty
Get your Shirts
pg 5
pg 11
pg 14
2 Seattle Scottish Rite
Scottish Rite Communicator Valley of Seattle
www.seattle-scottishrite.org
SCOTTISH RITE OFFICERS Ill. James D. Cole, 33° Sovereign Grand Commander Ill. Alvin W. Jorgensen, 33° S:.G:.I:.G:, Orient of Washington Ill. Sat Tashiro, 33° Personal Rep. of S:.G:.I:.G:. pr@seattle-scottishrite.org Daniel Southerland, 32° KCCH General Secretary Communicator Editor secretary@seattle-scottishrite.org Gene Ulrich, 32° KCCH Treasurer Ill. Tom Lamb, 33° Almoner PRESIDING OFFICERS
Fun Independence Day Facts 1. John Hancock was the only member of the Continental Congress to formally sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. 2. The Fourth of July was not declared a federal holiday until 1938. 3. The first White House Fourth of July party was held in 1804. 4. Around 150 million hot dogs are consumed on Fourth of July (wonder if this statistic includes the hot dogs consumed during the annual Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest?) 5. Back in 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed, 2.5 million new people lived in the U.S. Now 240 years later, 311 million people live. 6. The now American-celebrated song, Yankee Doodle, was originally written by officers of the British army to make fun of backwoods Americans. 7. Three United States presidents died on the Fourth of July: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe. 8. July 4th is also celebrated in the Philippines, because in 1946, the country was recognized as an independent nation.
Bob Gunther 32°KCCH Master of Kadosh, Consistory
9. In one year, $600 million is spent on fireworks alone in the U.S.
Ian Hyde 32°KCCH Commander, Council of Kadosh
10. Most of the signers of the Declaration did not formally sign until August 2, 1776.
Jeff Hardin 32° KCCH Wise Master, Chapter of Rose Croix Kirk Stensvig, 32° Venerable Master, Lodge of Perfection Seattle Scottish Rite Center 1207 N 152nd St. Seattle, WA 98133-6213 206 324-3330 voice 206 324-3332 fax
The Communicator (USPS 485-660) is published by the Valley of Seattle, A&A Scottish Rite, 1207 N 152nd St., Seattle, WA 98133-6213, for the benefit of its members, bimonthly and is mailed as a non-profit publication to all members of the Valley of Seattle and to specified other interested parties. $2.00 per member is assessed for the publication of The Communicator. Periodicals postage paid at Seattle, Washington and at additional mailing offices. The material contained within this publication is intended for the education and enjoyment of the members of the Masonic Fraternity and all material published becomes the property of Seattle Valley of Scottish Rite. Postmaster: Send address changes to — The Communicator at 1207 N 152nd St., Seattle, WA 98133-6213.
11. Though it is no treasure map as predicted by Benjamin Gates in "National Treasure," the message "Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776" is written upside down on the back of the Declaration of Independence. 12. More than 14,000 firework displays are put on across the country on Fourth of July! 13. Bristol, Rhode Island is home to the world's oldest Independence Day celebration. It dates back to 1785!
Seattle Scottish Rite 3
News from the Personal Representative
We are still in the midst of the pandemic effects of COVID-19 and the restrictions imposed upon us by the state and by the directions of the Grand Lodge, on our ability to meet as members of the Masonic fraternity. We, as many of lodges and valleys of the Scottish Rite have been scheduling and holding virtual meetings on the computer. Currently King County has been approved to be under Phase 2. It is hoped that in the near future we will be approved for Phase 3, which is required before we can be considered to hold small gatherings. The final approval must be then granted by the Grand Master. The health of our members is our primary concern. We will continue to stress the importance of the use of masks and social distancing in all our current and future activities until a vaccine is found, We held our first virtual meeting in early June where we formally approved the Class of 2020 and informed those in attendance of our situation. Our class will total 10 members and we are looking forward to have all attain the 32nd degree by the end of this year. This will be contingent on developments insofar as the pandemic is concerned. We have decided to have a brief virtual meeting each month on the 3rd Tuesday at 7 PM until we can meet in our usual manner. For the time period covered by this Communicator , July 23 and August 18 will be the dates for our virtual meeting. This will afford us the opportunity to share fellowship and a brief talk on a Scottish Rite topic. Please join us at the virtual meeting. The General Secretary will send out meeting particulars with the password on ZOOM. We hope that This Communicator finds many of the members of the Seattle Valley and their families healthy under these trying conditions. The mid-year solstice has come and gone, with visions of the warmth of summer and fall around the corner. We will continue our efforts to bring events and fellowship which will be attractive to all. Body leaders will be contacting the classes of the past three years, as soon as practical, to generate their interest and to participate in these many activities of the Seattle Valley in the coming months. We will be attempting to schedule virtual meetings the West Seattle Scottish Rite Club (WSSRC) at least once or twice this year. Please contact Brother Richard Syson at nosys@comcast.net so that he can place you on the contact list. In addition the meeting of the Eastside Scottish Rite Club (ESRC) has been focusing on the lessons of the degrees of the Scottish Rite and future meetings must also be scheduled through virtual meetings. Please contact Dean Markley, at wdeanm@gmail.com for additional information. The esoteric aspects of Masonry of the Eastside Scottish Rite Club are organized by Ill. Brother Brian Thomas. Please contact him at bjt19@comcast.net for future meetings All Scottish Rite members of the Seattle Valley receive the Communicator, but may miss the fellowship with their fellow members within the valley and find the difficult-travel-miles to-and-from our Shoreline building a major problem. Please attend these club meetings through the virtual meetings of ZOOM as they are scheduled.. Fraternally, Sat Tashiro 33° Personal Representative of the S:.G:.I:.G:.
Seattle Scottish Rite 4
Greetings All, We hope you are all doing well and staying safe in these interesting times. I as many of you have probably been doing some innovative and different way to stay involved with your brothers, family & friends. Zoom has definitely been well used as we all try to stay connected. We are seeing things open up slowly and some people getting out, so I ask that you all remember to stay safe. We are planning to start our degrees we have so long waited to get through. We will be looking to confer the 4°-14° on August 15th but will see if this is possible as time goes by as we will need to into phase 3. We will also be following all guidelines set by the state and our SGIG so we will keep you all up to date. Remember to check us out on Facebook and our website. We have a great class of brothers for this year and as we get closer to conferring their degrees we also look for the class of 2021. I know, hard to believe isn’t it? I was asked to leave the Seattle Valley membership and application in this issue as your brothers are using them for the next group. If any of you need them sent to you I am happy to send them out. We as Scottish Rite Freemasons have taken it upon ourselves to be better people. To treat our Brothers and all people with the highest of goodness in us. With these troubles times we are in we already know what needs to be done when it comes to our fellow man and that is what makes us Freemasons. As you go through your day just keep in mind the Scottish Rite mission statement: ‘It is the mission of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, SJ, to improve its members and enhance the communities in which they live by teaching and emulating the principles of Brotherly Love, Tolerance. Charity, and Truth, while actively embracing high social, moral, and spiritual values, including fellowship, compassion, and dedication to God, family, and counrty. Even though we have not been meeting or together the past several month there have been busy men making our fraternity go. A great team is the Scottish Rite Scholarship Foundation of Washington. Another year of work is coming to an end as they get ready to award the scholarships to a bunch of well deserved people. They look forward to the next year and start all over, such great dedication so my hat is off to these brothers for all they do to make sure every task is done. Thank you for all you do for our fraternity. So if you get a chance, thank these brothers for their hard work. I also wanted to remind you all of the office hours. during this time. As usual we are dark during the summer months and with the current situation I am only here a couple of days a week to do neccesary work, return calls and emails. If you need anything please let me know and I will be happy to help you in all your needs. Lets hope we all are able to return to our normal hours and events real soon.
Please all, stay safe and we hope to see you all soon.
Fraternally, Daniel Southerland, 32° KCCH General Secretary
5 Seattle Scottish Rite
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
Valley of Seattle
Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America 1207 N 152nd St. Shoreline, WA 98133 Telephone (206) 324-3330 ___________________________, 20______ Today's Date
TO THE OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF: SEATTLE LODGE OF PERFECTION
SEATTLE CHAPTER OF ROSE CROIX
SEATTLE COUNCIL OF KADOSH
SEATTLE CONSISTORY
I THE UNDERSIGNED, DO CERTIFY THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUE AND CORRECT: MY FULL NAME IS ____________________________________________________________. MY AGE IS ______ YEARS. MY DATE OF BIRTH IS ________ ________ ________. I WAS BORN AT ________________________________________. STATE OF _____. I CURRENTLY RESIDE AT _______________________________________________________________. Address, City and State I HAVE RESIDED THERE FOR ____________ YEARS. MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS _________________________________________________________________________________. MY MAILING ADDRESS IS_______________________________________________________________________________. Street address or Post Office Box City, State, & ZIP MY CURRENT TELEPHONE NUMBER IS (____)_______________________. SPOUSE NAME_______________________. Area Code MY OCCUPATION IS _____________________________. I AM EMPLOYED BY __________________________________. If retired, state previous occupation If retired, enter “Retired” I AM A MASTER MASON IN GOOD STANDING IN _________________________ LODGE NO. ___________ LOCATED AT ___________________________________ , UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE GRAND LODGE OF____________. I WAS RAISED TO THE DEGREE OF MASTER MASON ON __________________________________________________. Date you received third degree PLEASE ENTER YOUR CAP SIZE (IF KNOWN) __________. PLEASE ENTER YOUR RING SIZE (IF KNOWN) __________.
Continued on other side
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Seattle Scottish Rite 6 What motivated you to join the Scottish Rite?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please indicate your interest in the following subjects.
Scottish Rite Education
Scottish Rite Ritual
Esoteric Research & Education
Participation is Scottish Rite Degrees
Participation as an officer in one of the four bodies
Participation in Scottish Rite Committees, i.e. Finance, Building, etc.
Americanism (ROTC, JROTC)
Craft Lodge Education
Craft Lodge Ritual
Other ___________________________________________________
THE SUPREME COUNCIL REQUIRES ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOLLOWING FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES: THE INCULCATION OF PATRIOTISM, RESPECT FOR LAW AND ORDER, UNDYING LOYALTY TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. DO YOU APPROVE OF THESE PRINCIPLES? ________ YES ________ NO I HAVE NEVER PREVIOUSLY APPLIED FOR ANY OF THE SCOTTISH RITE DEGREES NOR FOR ANY MEMBERSHIP IN ANY BODY OF SCOTTISH RITE MASONS. (IF PREVIOUSLY APPLIED FOR MEMBERSHIP HERE OR ELSEWHERE, USE THE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS APPLICATION TO PROVIDE FULL DETAILS OF SAID APPLICATION, SPECIFICALLY INCLUDING THE SCOTTISH RITE BODIES TO WHICH APPLICATION WAS MADE, DATES THEREOF, AND RESULTS OF SAID APPLICATION ) I NOW RESPECTFULLY MAKE THIS APPLICATION TO RECEIVE THE DEGREES OF THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY, PROMISING ALWAYS TO BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE THIRTY-THIRD DEGREE OF THE SOUTHERN JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATED OF AMERICA. ________________________________________________________________________ (Signature)
PLEASE ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR CURRENT CRAFT LODGE DUES CARD PLEASE FILL IN ALL PROCEEDING BLANKS ================================================================================== RECOMMENDED BY: (TWO SCOTTISH RITE SPONSORS ARE NECESSARY) 1.____________________________________________________________________________________________ Printed Name Signature Address 2. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Printed Name Signature Address RECEIVED _________________________ REFERRED ____________________________ ELECTED __________________ Please include the $200.00 fee for the degrees plus $100.00 dues for the current year with your petition: Total of $300.00 *for petitioners under 31 years of age the fees are $125.00 plus $100.00 dues for the current year: Total of $225.00 The total fees for the 4°-32° degrees of the Scottish Rite include your 14° ring, 32° Scottish Rite hat, Master Craftsman book and materials, and A Bridge to Light: A study in Masonic Ritual & Philosophy.
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7 Seattle Scottish Rite
A Prophecy From the Past Written by the late Most Worshipful Brother Edward F. Carter, P.G.M. - Nebraska, and Associate Justice of The Supreme Court of Nebraska.
The citizens of the United States have great pride in their Constitution. They seem to feel that it is a perfect instrument of government which was the result of some blessing that came from on high. The great faith they have in it leads them to believe that it is a perfect and in-destructible document. Their confidence in our concept of government tends to lull them into a sense of security and to cause them to pay little heed to the evidences of danger that appear on every hand. The erosion of principle that is occurring should forewarn the eventual loss of freedom and liberty in this land of the free. The natural tendency of any government is to centralize power which usually ends in some form of dictatorship. The misuse of power by encroachment, interpretation, and usurpation is a constant threat in any constitutional government. The fact that it is done with the most loyal and patriotic intentions does not mitigate the danger. The growth of the federal government at the expense of the states in all three of the branches tends to destroy the philosophy that division of power is an adequate check against centralized and dictatorial authority. The fathers of our Constitution had two main reasons for creating the governmental structure that they did: First, they teared the excessive centralization of power and, Second, they wanted to secure the diversified control of political authority. Aristotle warned of the dangers that arise when a government of laws is corrupted by a government of men. In his politics, Aristotle praises the rule of law and says: 'therefore, he who bids the law rule may be deemed to bid God and Reason alone rule, but he who bids man rule adds an element of the beast for desire is a wild beast, and passion perverts the minds of rulers, even then they are the best of men. The law is reason unaffected by desire. The same concept was advanced by William Grayson in the Virginia Ratification Convention in 1788 when, in opposing ratification of the Constitution, he said: 'Mr. Chairman, it seems to have been a rule with the gentlemen on the other side, to argue from the excellence of human nature, in order to induce us to grant away the rights and liberties of our country. I have no doubt the same arguments were used on a variety of occasions. I suppose, Sir, that same argument was used when Cromwell was in-vested with power. The same argument was used to gain our assent to the Stamp Act. I have no doubt it has been invariably the argument in all countries when the concession of power has been in agitation. But power ought to have such checks and limitations as to prevent bad men from abusing it. It ought to be granted on a supposition that men may be bad for it may be eventually so. A reading of current newspapers and periodicals will reveal the encroachments, misinterpretations, and outright usurpations of power that are taking place within our constitutional system. Our Constitution did not come to us like manna from heaven it was a compromise resulting from argument and dispute. Like any compromise, it was not perfect. But an examination of the fragmentary records of the convention reveals that its drafters were familiar with the dangers of encroachment, misinterpretation, and usurpation. The issue was the adequacy of the language to prevent their occurrence. It is my purpose here to discuss the arguments of those opposed to the adoption of the Constitution in order that you may relate them to the things that are going on about us. In 1787 a constitutional convention was authorized to convene for the purpose of amen-ding the Articles of Confederation under which the country was then governed. Upon convening, it was determined that amendments of the Articles would not accomplish the in-tended purpose and the drafting of a complete new Constitution was agreed upon. Seventy-four delegates were elected by the states. Fiftyfive delegates were the most that ever attended. Rhode Island was never represented and was hostile to the whole idea. After almost four months of debate, the convention met on September 17, 1787, to adopt the finished pro-duct. But forty-two delegates were in attendance. The Constitution was signed by George Washington, the president of the convention, and thirty-eight other delegates. What of the three who did not sign?
8 Seattle Scottish Rite
These three, giants by every measure of patriotism and public service, were Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts and Edmund Randolph and George Mason of Virginia. Elbridge Gerry was later Governor of Massachusetts and Vice President of the United States under James Madison. His comments, recorded by Madison in his journal of the proceedings, reflected the great concern for economic stability and his faith in the free enterprise system. He wanted every protection given to property, the guarding of the public credit, and the protection against the impairment of contracts. He insisted on stronger provisions on these subjects. Gerry repeatedly objected to the authority given the government over business and commerce, and insisted that the powers of government in this area be spelled out. The 33 year old Randolph had been Washington' aide serving the revolution and at 23 had been the first attorney general of Virginia. He was Governor of Virginia at the time of the Convention and later became the first attorney general of the United States, and when Thomas Jefferson resigned the position, he became the second Secretary of State of the United States. Lawyer-like, he voiced great concern over the locations and brevity of many of the clauses of the Constitution. He greatly feared that some day much of the general wording of the Constitution would be misinterpreted and given a meaning totally different from that intended by the framers. The aristocratic George Mason was a wealthy landowner, an aristocrat, cynic, critic and intellectual. He exhibited insight far sur-passing the understanding of most of his listeners in his frequent expressions regarding the rights of the states. He complained that the confederation was being converted into a consolidated government which he asserted was subversive of every principle of the confederation. He contended the critical power was calculated to annihilate totally the state governments. He insisted that the central government would become the more powerful and would eventually destroy the states by absorbing their powers. These three men stood and resolutely refused to sign the Constitution and you will not find their names attached thereto. In the light of current events, the reasons for their refusal to sign seem more prophetic now than they did then. The Constitution provided that nine of the thirteen states must ratify before it became effective. It was known that Rhode Island would not ratify. The other eight states north of Virginia ratified rather promptly. It was also known that North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia would follow the lead of Virginia on this question. Virginia, therefore, became the pivotal state. On June 2, 1788, the Virginia Ratification Convention convened. It produced one of the greatest dramas in American political history. Among the delegates were a dozen of the greatest figures of the Revolutionary period' James Madison, George Mason, James Monroe, John Marshall, Edmund Randolph, Edmund Pendleton, George Wythe, Henry Lee, William Grayson, George Nicholas, and Patrick Henry. For three weeks of brilliant and often passionate argument they subjected the proposed new Constitution to exhausting debate. Out of the yellowing pages of the reports these figures emerge with startling clarity' the brooding, doubting Randolph the soft-spoken and scholarly Madison Mason of the golden tongue the sober Marshall and dominating the whole play, as statesman, prophet, Shakespearean actor, the eloquent figure of Patrick Henry, chief foe of the Constitution. The proponents of ratification were led by Madison and Pendleton, the opposition by Henry and Mason. Randolph reversed his previous stand and became a proponent because, as he said, it was the last opportunity to hold the thirteen states together as a union, a result that was paramount to all others in his thinking. All of the arguments made in the 1787 convention were repeated with both great intelligence and much heat. The purposes of this article will be subverted by a review of the arguments of Patrick Henry, the greatest orator of his time.
9 Seattle Scottish Rite
He argued that this was to be a union of states and that the preamble of the Constitution should read, the states and not, the people. He argued that men who wished to preserve their liberty must always be suspicious of government. Suspicion is a virtue, he said, as long as its object is the preservation of the public good and as long as it stays within pro-per bounds. All power, he foresaw, ultimately would end in the hands of the central government. Can the annals of mankind, he asked, exhibit one single example where rulers over-charged with power, willingly let go the oppressed? He ridicules the idea that the checks and balances provided would for long stay the centralization of power. He was a friend of the idea of achieving union but, he said: I am a lover of the American union the dissolution of the union most abhorrent to my mind but, sir, the first thing I have at heart is American liberty the second thing is American union. In colorful, lilting phrases, he swept the Convention fore and aft. He contended the judiciary was oppressively constructed and that the powers of the President were excessive the powers of a king. Henry and Mason foresaw taxation. The proponents saw the danger, they said, since there was every reason to believe it and said: The splendid maintenance of the President and of the members of both houses, and the salaries and fees of the swarm of officers, and dependents of the government, will cost this continent immense sums. He returned to his main point, the centralization of power. He said, too much suspicion may be corrected. If you give too much power today, you cannot retake it tomorrow or tomorrow will never come for that purpose. The strongest point of all was the criticisms of the Constitution in failing to provide the states a means of defense against encroachment, misinterpretation, and usurpation by the federal government against the reserved powers of the states. It is true that the states were left helpless without a means of defense and that they must rely upon the conscience of the federal government, and the officials who represent it, to conform itself to the provisions of the Constitution. Current situations bring this criticism to the front in bold relief. In the end, Virginia ratified. The vote was 89 to 79. A change of 6 votes would have kept Virginia, at least temporarily, out of the new union. Such a change in the vote could have stopped the infant nation in its tracks. But the proponents won. The antagonists, however, mutually left to posterity a fascinating example of shrewd prophecy, keen insight, and learned debate on the rule of government in a free society. Probably no other political convention better understood and expressed a keener knowledge of the relationship of government to the governed than this group of political giants who met in the New Academy on Shocke Hill in Richmond, Virginia, in the summer of 1788.
S e a t t l e S c o t t i s h R i t e 10
The maintenance of our constitutional system is, in the final analysis, dependent upon the will and wisdom of the people. A backward look at the powerful prophecy of those men who foresaw in 1?88 the trend of events in 1965 can furnish the energy to arouse us from our in-difference and complacency in these matters of basic importance. The lessons growing out of this early American experience can point the way to Freemasons in the inculcation of patriotism, in building respect for law and order, and in developing our undying loyalty to the Constitution of the United States as it was written and intended to mean. The warnings of the past should not be disregarded in reflecting on the gravity of our fears for the future. The importance of maintaining the states in their proper role in the government rests on many grounds. One of primary importance is that no national government, however benevolent, can be as closely in touch with those who are governed as can the local authorities in the several states. Political wisdom is not concentrated in Washington alone. It exists also in state capitals, state agencies, and among the people themselves. In many fields peculiar to the individual state, the state may experiment with varying remedies. Some experiments will fail as is to be expected, but the consequences may be confined if it succeeds it may be emulated. The Virginia Commission on Constitutional Government, the political descendants of the great men of that state who participated in the drafting and ratification of the Constitution, aptly summarized the situation in a recent document as follows: Today it is apparent to even the most casual eye that the house of our fathers has fallen into decay. The great beams that give it strength, the separation of powers within the central government, the division of responsibility between the States and the Federal authority to tend to crumble under subtle and insidious attack. The men who framed the Constitution build tight doors hung awry, and a cold wind of judicial construction sweeps along its corridors. The States themselves, falling into impotence, often seem helpless to halt the destruction. And too many Americans afflicted with the ills of an affluent society, are indifferent to the fundamental principles by which the greatness of the American Republic was achieved. The eternal principles that control the best relationship between government and the governed in a Republic are not dead. They have become obscured by the ill effects of our affluent society. Our people need to be aroused to the dangers of indifference and complacency if the inherent dangers of unrestrained government are to be avoided.
11 S e a t t l e S c o t t i s h R i t e
The Blessings of Liberty
This Short Talk Bulletin has been adapted from a speech given at the Grand Lodge of Alaska in February, 1987, by M.W. Brother George W. Baldwin, Past Grand Master, Grand Lodge of British Columbia. We thank M.W. Brother Baldwin for sharing these “cross the border” thoughts with us. This year, 1987, marks the 200th anniversary of the drafting and ratification of the United States Constitution by those thirteen former colonies, which eleven years earlier had joined in their Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. Incidentally, there were those other American Colonies in existence at that time, which chose to remain loyal, and of course, they laid the foundation from which Canada, the largest, geographically speaking, democratic nation in the world developed. I want to draw your attention to those events of 1787, and in particular, to some of the language used. The Preamble to the Constitution is a masterpiece of concise writing, and is generally believed to have been the work of Governor Morris, a delegate from Pennsylvania to the Constitutional Convention. Even though you may be well acquainted with it, let me read it to you again: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States.” I would ask you to pay particular attention to the phrase, “to secure the blessing of liberty.” I do not want to dwell at length on what those blessings are, or attempt to find a definition for them, for I think that each one of us, if so asked, would produce a different list. Perhaps Thomas Jefferson came as close as any, to a satisfactory definition, when he wrote, in the Declaration of July 4, 1776: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” But how are those rights to be “secured”? The Constitution, as originally drafted, did not spell out any particular rights, nor any rules for securing them. The first ten amendments, known ever after as “The Bill of Rights,” were not proposed until 1789, nor adopted until 1791.1 mention this, because it is of importance to us as Freemasons, that likewise there is not mention made of any duties or responsibilities, insofar as the individual citizen is concerned, either in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, or, for that matter, in the Canadian Constitution and its Charter of Rights and Freedoms. My proposition tonight is that those rights, that our freedoms, that the blessings of liberty can only be secured when the individual citizen recognizes and acts upon his or her own sense of duty and responsibility. I also venture to suggest that this is in direct accord with the principles of Freemasonry. To illustrate this, let me share with you part of our Canadian Masonic ritual, where we are told that the chief point in Freemasonry is “to endeavor to be happy ourselves, and to communicate that happiness to others.” In this sentence, the word “happiness” must be taken in the wider meaning of the 18th century and coincides with the meaning used by Jefferson. We are also taught in our Canadian ritual, that the ritual is intended to carry into active practice the four cardinal virtues: Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice, combined with the theological virtues—Faith, Hope and Charity-thereby demonstrating to the world at large that in Freemasonry there is found the true import of the three great social treasures: Fraternity, Liberty and Equality.
S e a t t l e S c o t t i s h R i t e 12
Let us turn for a moment to consider the men who sat in their hot stuffy meeting room in Philadelphia throughout that summer of 1787. The presiding officer of the Convention was Bro. George Washington. I am sure that when he considered “securing the blessings of liberty,” he had no illusions as to his responsibilities. He had amply demonstrated, over the preceding 10 or 11 years, that he was prepared to contribute his all to the cause of liberty as he saw it. Yet, he was a reasonably prosperous land-owner in Virginia, he was well connected with the aristocracy and governing class in that Commonwealth, and he could quite easily and justifiably have remained at home in Mount Vernon that summer, and let some one else do the work for a change. But such was not his nature. As a patriot and as a Freemason, he saw where his duty lay, and he took up the responsibility of seeing that the blessings of liberty were secured to his fellow countrymen, not only in Virginia, but throughout the new nation that was then being created. It is interesting to note that for a time, Washington seriously considered not attending the Convention in Philadelphia that summer long ago, for very valid political reasons, but he was ultimately persuaded to attend by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Edmund Randolph, and by his especial friend, General Henry Knox. Another Freemason who could easily have been excused from attendance at the Convention, on account of age and health, was Bro. Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania. He was then over 70 years old, within three years of his own death, and had certainly proved his loyalty to the cause of liberty, over and over again. He suffered from gout and stone, and had to come to the State House, where the Convention met, in a sedan chair which he had bought in Paris, as it was the only mode of transportation that did not jostle him painfully. Yet, he came, because he knew it was his duty to do so. And we should all remember that it was Franklin, early in the Convention, when it seemed that the rival factions from the different colonies would never reach any basis for agreement, moved that every morning the session be opened by prayer to the Most High for His guidance. Franklin’s duty lay not only to his fellow citizens, but to his Maker, and he saw that prayer to God was the first step to be taken in securing the blessings of liberty. These are just two examples. I am sure there are many more, but I use these to point up that the absence of any mention of “duty” in the Constitution was not an oversight. It just did not occur to men such as Washington and Franklin, as well as the others there present, that the rest of us needed to have it spelled out for us. When the Consitution had been drafted, it was sent to the Continental Congress, accompanied by a letter, written in the hand of Morris, but signed by Washington. In it, Morris wrote: “Individuals entering into society, must give up a share of liberty to preserve the rest. The magnitude of the sacrifice must depend as well on situation and circumstance, as on the object to be obtained. It is at all times difficult to draw with precision the line between those rights which must be surrendered, and those which may be reserved.”
So, let us now ask where we stand in 1987, and what we, each one of us, is doing to secure the blessings of liberty. Which of our rights are we prepared to surrender in order to preserve our freedom? Or, in other words, what duty will we assume and discharge, in order to secure the blessings of liberty? Let us not forget the duties which we assumed when we entered the bonds of Freemasonry, the duties which we owe to God, to our countries, and to ourselves. We discharge those duties, and so secure the blessings of liberty, when we set about to practice those cardinal and theological virtues which I mentioned earlier. We secure those blessings not only for ourselves, but for our whole nation, yours and mine, by the manner in which we act as citizens, as individuals, as children of a common Father, and as brethren one of another. I would like to leave you with a little poem that was recently printed in Ann Landers’ column in our local newspaper in Prince George. It was attributed to an 88-year old resident of the Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and is entitled “Definition of a Real Man”— One who has self-confidence but does not show it; One who can be courteous in the face of discourtesy; One who keeps his word, his temper, his friends; One who wins respect by being respectable and respectful; One who has a steady eye, a steady nerve, a steady tongue, and steady habits; One who is silent when he has nothing to say; One who is calm when he judges, and humble when he misjudges. May I suggest to each of you, that if we take that poem to heart, that if we accept and discharge our duties and responsibilities in this world, that if we live by the principles of our Masonic order, then we may join in spirit with Washington, Franklin, Morris, and those others who laboured throughout that hot Philadelphia summer 200 years ago, to secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and for our posterity.
14 S e a t t l e S c o t t i s h R i t e
Messages Happy Birthday!
Congratulations from all your Scottish Rite Brethren To our members over 90 who have reached a very important birthday!
July
Marvin Jackson 07/18/1920 Russell Rogers 07/10/1923 Harold Kusulos 07/01/1924 Amos Chapman 07/18/1925 Robert Baker 07/09/1926 Roy Sam 07/14/1927 Richard Geissler 07/17/1927 William Rangle 07/28/1927 Johan Dillan 07/03/1929 William Jones 07/12/1930 Howard Wilson 07/28/1930
August
Gerald Bryson 08/06/1921 William Broadhead 08/28/1922 Joseph Roundhill 08/01/1923 John Larson 08/02/1924 Charles Draper 08/06/1925 Eugene Snyder 08/11/1926 Raymond Colby 08/28/1927 Frank Jodszuweit 08/02/1928 Verle Bleese 08/06/1930 Frank Devlin 08/27/1930
Polo shirts are in! Get yours now $20.00
S e a t t l e S c o t t i s h R i t e 15
www.seattle-scottishrite.org
MONTH TIME EVENT Seattle Scottish Rite is dark during July & August. There are no stated meetings during these months. August 15,
10:00AM.
4°-14° Conferral
All events are tentative during the Covid 19 pandemic. Stay Tuned! Check our Facebook page and website calender for updates * All events subject to change.
Jackets $40.00 looks great
Follow us on Twitter! @SeaScottishRite
Scottish Rite of Freemasonry 1207 N 152nd St. Shoreline, WA 98133-6247
Periodicals Postage Paid USPS 485-660