The Voice of Freemasonry | Vol. 7 No. 1

m

n

AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION O F THE GRAND LODGE, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS, O F THE DISTRICX O F COLUMBIA

Volume VII

Spring 1990

Number 1

Most Worshipful Grand Master Charles S. Iversen Our Grand Master, Most Worshipful Charles S. Iversen, attended the public schools of Washington, D.C., following which he matriculated at Princeton University where he earned his A.B. Degree. H e is also a graduate of the Georgetown University Law School, where he was awarded an LL.B. degree and a Juris Doctorate.

During World War I1 Brother Iversen was commissioned in the Field Artillery of the U.S. Army, which he served in Europe during the period 1943-46. In Europe he was assigned to military intelligence service, serving primarily as a war crimes investigator.

Following his return to civilian life and the completion of his education, Brother Iversen began his career as a practicing attorney, a profession in which heremains active to this day. He is a member of the Bars of the U.S. Supreme Court, the D.C. Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia and Maryland, the Court of Appeals in Maryland, and the U.S. Tax Court.

Brother Iversen has a long list of Masoniccredits. A member of Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15, he served as Worshipful Master in 1969. His other York Rite affiliations include Mt. Vernon Royal Arch Chapter No. 3, Adoniram Council No. 2, Columbia Commandery No. 2, the Red Cross of Constantine, and the York Rite College of Maryland. Hewas Grand High Priest of theGrand Royal Arch Chapter of D.C. in 1983.

Brother Iversen has been no less active in the Scottish Rite, having served as the Wise Master of Evangelist Chapter of Rose Croix in 1979 and as Venerable Master of the Mithras Lodge of Perfection in 1985. He was a trustee of the Washington bodies from 1974-1989, and within that time frame he also served as Chairman of thescholarship Committee (1977-89) and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Scottish Rite Foundation of D.C. Heis the recipient of the KC.C.H. (1977), the 33rd Degree (1983), and in 1989 he was named Deputy of the Supreme Council in the District of Columbia.

APast Potentate of Almas Temple, Brother Iversen is active in Shrine affairs locally and at the Imperial Council level. He is the President of thesphinx Club, Inc., a member of the Royal Order of Jesters, and currently heserves as a Almas representative to the Imperial Council, where he isalso a member of the grievances and appeals committee. His other Masonicaffiliations include the National Sojourners, Inc., the Heroes of '76, the Royal Order of Scotland, the DeMolay Legion of Honor, Societas Rosecrusiana in Civitatibus Foederatis, and the Allied Masonic Degrees.

Brother Iversen is amember ofthe First Church of Christ,Scientist, of Washington, D.C. He ismarried to Eleanor Jeanette DeSale, and they are the proud parents of a daughter and the of two grandsons.

-

From the Grand Master The most important Masons in the District of Columbia are the Worshipful Masters of our Blue Lodges. It is through their leadership and dedication that the Fraternity grows.

This year we have an outstanding group of Masters, each of whom has instituted programs intended to increase Lodge membership and attendance, improve the bulletins, promote Masonic education, initiate more family involvement in social events, and foster many other activities. Each is geared to the perceived needs of the individual Lodge.

Weaskall Brethren tosupport your leaders for 1990 byattendinghdge, obtaining petitions of good men whom you would personally recommend as Masons, and enjoy theactivities ofyour Lodge. These dedicated Masters are makinga difference, but they cannot do it alone. They need your help.

Ask your Master how you can help him. If each of us does so and follows through, our Fraternity can reach its full potential.

Membership .................... Page 2 Golf Tournament ............ Page 3 Masonic Concert ............ Page 4 Blood Bank .................... Page 5 Masonic Homes .............. Page 6 New Grand Lodge Office Building .......... Page 6 Worship Service ............ Page 6 Masonic Research Breakthrough ............ Page 7 Mason of the Month ...... page 7

1990 Grand Lodge Officers

VOICE O F FREEMASONRY A STATEMENT OF PURPOSE This publication is designed to be an organ of information, instruction, and inspiration for all who hold allegiance to this Grand Jurisdiction.

Please be aware that any mistakes in this publication are there fora purpose; wepublish something for everyone and some people are always looking for errors. Comments and contributions should be directed to the attention of the editor, care of the Grand Secretary.

Voice of Freemasonry Grand Lodge Office 600 F Street, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, D.C. 20004 Front Row (Lto R): Robert F. Sutphin, Grand Treasurer; George R. Adams, Junior Grand Warden; Darwin A. Brock, Deputy Grand Master; Charles S. Iversen, Grand Master; Jerold J. Samet, Senior Grand Warden; Stewart W. Miner, Grand Secretary; Stafford Appel, Grand Lecturer.

Second Row (L to R): William T. Jenkins, Senior Grand Deacon; William E. Chaney, Jr., Senior Grand Steward; Vincent M. Mahoney, Junior Grand Steward; Eugene N. Richardson, Grand Chaplain; Lawrence J . Chisholm, Deputy Grand Lecturer; Robert B. Riley, Jr., Assistant Grand Chaplain; Edward A. Reed, Aide to the Grand Master; J. Philip Smith, Junior Grand Deacon.

Third Row (L t o R): Robert F. Drechsler, Grand Marshal; Bernard Geffen, Grand Tiler; Harold A. Blood, Grand Lodge Physician; Robert H. Younger, Aideto the Grand Master; Jules S.Tepper, Assistant Grand Chaplain; Milton Fields, Grand Historian; Robert R. Miller, Grand Pursuivant; Gerhard Meinzer, Assistant Grand Tiler. (Not Pictured: Milton E. Daniel, Grand Sword Bearer)

Editor Stewart W. Miner (393-0121) Editorial Board Hugh Y. Bernard, Jr. Milton Fields Nelson L. Fink Harold Grainger Harry Hofberg Vincent M. Mahoney Charles L. Sherzer, Jr. Grand Lodge Office Staff

Grand Lodge Officers Membership - Attendance Emphasis Following up on remarks made at his installation, the Grand Master has launched an imaginative and bold membership-attendance initiative. H e has set a goal of400 petitions for theyear,and he notes that if onlyone Brother in every 20 sponsors a candidate, that goal will be achieved. To assure success for the effort, he has assigned a quota, based on January 1990 membership levels, to each of the Constituent Lodges in the Jurisdiction.

In hisappeal theGrandMaster tellsa comical,yetsad, anecdoteabout four people named, respectively, Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. H e remarked that there was an important job to be done, and Everybodywas sure Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did. Somebodygot angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody, when actually Nobody asked Anybody.

Hence, the Grand Master specifically asks Everybody, including you, to be Somebody by bringing the petitions of qualified candidates into our Lodges. H e also asks that you be Somebody by attending your Lodgeas often as you can, thereby helping your Worshipful Master and your Brethren to create that specter of interest so essentially necessary to building from strength to strength. Thus each of us has an option --we can be what we want to be -- a Somebody or a Nobody. The choice is ours!

The Grand Master also invites those who aspire to be Somebody to join him, on March 31st at 2 9 0 P.M. in the Scottish Rite Temple, for a seminar conducted by a proven expert in membership enhancement -- Worshipful John E. Beaumont of New Orleans, Louisiana. During his termasMaster, Brother Beaumont added 100members to the rolls in his Lodge. This is a man with a message. Be sure to hear it!

Elected Charles S. Iversen ...................... Grand Master Darwin A. Brock ..........Deputy Grand Master Jerold J. Samet ............Senior Grand Warden George R. Adams ........Junior Grand Warden Stewart W. Miner, P.G.M. .... Grand Secretary Robert F. Sutphin, P.G.M ... Grand Treasurer Stafford Appel ........................ Grand Lecturer William T. Jenkins ......Senior Grand Deacon J. Philip Smith ..............Junior Grand Deacon William E. Chaney ......Senior Grand Steward Vincent M. Mahoney ..Junior Grand Steward Appointed Robert F. Drechsler ................Grand Marshal Eugene N. Richardson .......... Grand Chaplain Milton E. Daniel ............ Grand Sword Bearer Robert R. Miller ................ Grand Pursuivant Jules S. Tepper .... Assistant Grand Chaplain Robert B. Riley, Jr. ................ Assistant Grand Chaplain Milton Fields .......................... Grand Historian Bernard Geffen .............................. Grand Tiler Lawrence J. Chisholm ............ Deputy Grand Lecturer Harold k Blood ...... Grand Lodge Physician Robert H. Younger ........................ Aide to the Grand Master Edward A. Reed ............................ Aide to the Grand Master Gerhard Meinzer .......... Assistant Grand Tiler

Junior Grand Steward Vincent M. Mahoneywas elected Junior Grand Steward of the Grand Lodge at the Annual Communication in December. Brother Mahoney,a nativeof Lowell, Massachusetts, is a Past Master of Lafayette Lodge No. 19. H e was President of the 1988 Association of Worshipful Masters, and last year, he served as Grand Marshal of the Grand Lodge. Brother Mahoney also holds membership in Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 (Va) and in Lebanon Lodge No. 831 (West Germany).

Worshipful Brother Mahoney is active in both the York and Scottish Rites. H e is a member of Mt. Pleasant Chapter No. 13, Royal Arch Masons; Columbia Commandery No. 2, Knights Templar; and the Scottish Rite Bodies of Washington, D.C. In addition he is active in Almas Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S.; Capitol Forest No. 104, Tall Cedars of Lebanon; and in the Royal Order of Scotland.

Before accepting his present position as Director of Security for Booz.Allen in 1969, Brother Mahoney served 15 years as a military intelligence specialist with the U.S. Army. His tours of duty included the National Security Agency (NSA), the U.S. Army Security Agency, and the U.S. Army U.N. Command in Seoul, Korea.

He received many awards during his years of military service, including the Army Commendation Medal and the Joint Services Commendation Medal.

As Director of Security at BoozAllen, Brother Mahoney is responsible for company security in both civilian and defense related matters. It's a painstaking job that that keeps him busy from 7:30a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each evening. "My job is to keep the firm out of trouble with the U.S. Government," hesays, and he is good a t it, according to superiors who uniformly commend his performance.

Brother Mahoney's interestsoutside of Masonry, we are told, include classical music and good food. H e is helped by his wife Brooks, a retiree of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who is actively engaged in the affairs of the District of Columbia Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The parents of a daughter, Helen, they form a pleasant and energetic team whose efforts in theyears ahead are bound to benefit the cause of Freemasonry in this jurisdiction. Welcome aboard, Vince and Brooks!

5th Annual Golf Tournament Youare invited to participatein the Fifth Annual Grand Lodge Golf Tournament which will be held this year at the Crofton Country Club on Monday, April 30, 1990. The tournament will be a stag affair, open to Masons and their non-Masonic friends.

The Crofton Country Club is located off Route 3, south of Route 424. Sign-in and tee assignments will be made commencing at 8:00 AM., with a shot-gun start scheduled for 9:00 A.M. A buffet dinner, served in the private dining hall of the Crofton try Club, will follow the completion of the tournament at approximately 2:30 P.M. Individual registrations are available at $55.00 per person. This type of registration entitles the partici- . pant to 18 holes of golf and pays for green fees and cart, refreshments on the course, a golfers package, registration for a closest to the pin contest and a hole-in-onecontest, and a buffet dinner.

Additional types of registrations are also available. For $275.00, you, your lodge o r your company can sponsor a tee. Sponsorship of a tee includes registration for four golfers and a sign at the particular tee. with the name of thesponsor. Ifyou don't golf but would like to join us for dinner after the tournament, thecost for the buffet dinner only is $25.00.

Checks for the affair should be made payable to the Grand Lodge Special Activities Fund with proceeds going to the Masonic Foundation. This is a noble cause, my Brethren, a part of our Solomon I1 effort, and I urge you to support it fully. Remember, you don't have to play golf to sponsor a tee.

For more information and a registration form pleasecontact the Officeof the Grand Secretary at (202) 393-0121.

The last day for registration is April 15.

.

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Worshipful Robert G. Kirkpatrick is serving as Worshipful Master of his Lodge, Federal No. 1, for the third time. This, in itself, speaks of extraordinary dedication.

But that's only part of the story. Brother Kirkpatrick lives in North Carolina, where he is stationed with the United States Coast Guard. H e travels from that locale to the District at least twice a month for scheduled meetings of his Lodge and the Grand Lodge School of Instruction. By so doing he has established a standard by which we all may measure the length of our cabletows.

A Word on Responsibility "Without a global revolution in the sphere of human consciousness, nothingwill change for the better in the sphere of our being as humans, and the catastrophy toward which the world is headed -- be it ecological, social, demographic o r a general breakdown of civilization -- will be unavoidable. If we are n o longer threatened by world war or by the danger that the absurd mountains of accumulated nuclear weapons might blow up the world, this does not mean that we have definitely won. W e are still incapable of understanding that the only general backbone of all our actions, if they are to be moral, is responsibility. Responsibility to something higher than my family, my country, my company, my success -responsibility to the order ofbeing where all our actions are indelibly recorded and where and only where they will be properly judged."

Vaclav Havel, President of Czechoslovakia

g-+Q

@ 01 Adrift in Soace

Early this year the space ship Columbia blasted into orbit. Its goal was to locate a satellite, fued in the stratosphere six years earlier, to retrieve the same, and to bring it back to earth for analysis and service. Thecrew worked methodically, through 50 orbits, to closein on its target, to capture it intact, and to deposit it in the cargo bay for the return trip home. All in all, it was a flawless mission, crowned with success.

In this achievement there may be a lesson for those who labor in Freemasonry. Many members of the Craft now find themselves adrift in the limitless "space" of society, beyond the day-to-day influence of the Lodge that gave them birth. There they are left to weather the trials and tribulations of a taxing life.

Taking a page out of the Columbia play book, shouldn't we allocate at least some part of our Masonic resources to effect the return of these "space drifters" to our fraternal circle of Brotherhood?

Of course we should. We need to reclaim and activate those who are already members of the Craft. If wedon't or won't, our efforts to win new members will be to no avail. The bottom line, it seems, is that we simply must sell Masonry to ourselves; we must stir up what we already have. If we are not ourselves enthusiastic about the Craft, we will find it difficult to make Masonry appealing to others.

The ultimate success of our fraternitywill rest not only on our members, but also on thezeal, vigor, intensity, and fidelitywith which its teachings and philosophies, its maxims and rules are exemplified in the lives of each and every member of the Craft.

We must havea reason for our being, above and beyond themere making of Masons. Moreover, we must be a living testament of that reason.

If any organization today has justification for its existence, Freemasonry does. We area selectiveand selected group, bound together by a belief in God, in eternal life, and in the Brotherhood of Man. We exist to help each other to lead better and nobler lives and to contribute to the improvement and advancement of humanity. Furthermore, within our numbers are some of the ablest men of the world.

Our goal then, aswe seek to strengthen our membership base, is also to reach out and touch those who are and have been aimlesslyadrift in the vastness ofsocial space, separated from and largely unresponsive to the stabilizing influence of the Mother Lodge. Thus, as we work to get more men into Masonry, a cause that is obviously just and essential, let us also labor, and no less vigorously, to stir up the Craft and put more Masons to work!

Virginia Masonic License Tags Masonic licensetags for automobiles registered in Virginia are available by taking your registration card and your current Lodge dues card to a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Office.

Borrowed Philosophy Early in my life, a t age 12,I became a "printers devil" in a newspaper shop and soon became intimately familiar with a broom ...which was to become the symbol of my vocation for several years. The job description "printer's devil" was a glorified term for janitor and printer apprentice. During the ensuing years I learned the trade and eventually earned a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, yet never completely disassociated myself from the necessity to pick up a broom and use it.

In fact, I became quite good with a broom. It was my first "working tool" -- something with which Freemasons can associate -- and although 44 years have passed since my apprenticeship in a printing office, on occasion I take up the broom and put it to use. It is a grand leveler of the human ego, reminding me ofwhence I came and keeping me from feeling pretentiously important now that I am a newspaper publisher.

There is, in thesereminiscences, a message for Masons. As members of this ancient and honorable Fraternity, I often wonder if perhaps we havebecome too preoccupied with titles and lapel pins, with ornate hats and fancy aprons. I wonder if we have forgotten from whence we came, if possibly we have lost sight of those basic working tools that are exemplified in the three degrees. Does the broom still fit our grip?

- Thomas C. Warden, Grand Master Grand Lodge, A.F. & A.M., of Missouri

Jerome Barry, member of Samuel Gompers-Benjamin Franklin Lodge No. 45 and an internationally known baritone, will appear in concert at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Va. The program will present narrations and Masonic music from the Washington era to the present.

This concert is structured to give Masons an appreciation of how Masonry influenced such musical giants as Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Sibelius, and others. Tickets areavailable, at $15.00 per person, from Saul Weiss, Secretary of Samuel Gompers-Benjamin Franklin Lodge, 11525 Deborah Drive, Potomac, Maryland 20854.

As seating in the auditorium of the Masonic Memorial is limited to a maximum of 400 people, early reservations are advised. Net proceeds, according to Brother Weiss, will be donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Center of Children's Hospital.

Uncle Dan Needs You With the new year now well under way,we have to work hard to achieve our blood bank goal: 770 pints by September 30, 1990. But I am sure we can succeed, if we try. Moreover, our record suggests that we will; the Red Cross informs us that the Masonic fraternity is the largest donor of blood in the District of Columbia.

Age no longer restricts one from giving blood, and provided you are in good health, you can donate on a regular basis.

Further, if you are able to participate in the pheresis program, you will be credited Pictured (L to R): Stewart W. Miner, B. Hope Harrison, with a donation of four (4) pints at every Marvin E. Fowler, Grand Master Robert A. Statler visit. Lastly, iffor some reason your doctor advises against a personal donation, you Grand Lodge Medals Awarded can participate in our effort by urging your friends and neighbors to give in the name of your Lodge.

At the annual communication of the Grand Lodge, Most Worshipful Robert A. Thegoals set for the m t i t u e n t Lodges Statler presented Valentine Reintzel Medals to Most Worshipful Marvin E. Fowler, of this jurisdiction for 1990 areas follows: Most Worshipful B. Hope Harrison, and Most Worshipful Stewart W. Miner. Upon theunanimousvote of the brethren, Worshipful Harold Grainger was awarded the Blood Bank Distinguished Service Medal for 1989.

Lodge Number Pints Brother Fowler served as Master of LaFayette Lodge No. 19 in 1940, was Grand 1..........................8003 ............................22 Master in 1950, and has served in nearly every office in the York and Scottish Rite Bodies of the District of Columbia. At present he is the Provincial Grand Master of the Royal Order ofscotland and the Most Eminent Grand Commander ofthe Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the U.S.A. Brother Fowler also holds the Distinguished Service Award of the District of Columbia.

Brother Harrison, the current Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Maryland, served his Mother Lodge, Granite No. 177, as Worshipful Master in 1971 and 1978.

H e has also been active in both the York and Scottish Rites. A true friend of the Masons of the District of Columbia, Brother Harrison has stood ever ready to assist and support Masonic activities in this jurisdiction.

Brother Miner is a Past Master of four Lodges, including Justice-Columbia in the District of Columbia. Activein all branches of Masonry, including the Yorkand Scottish Rites, Brother Miner is a Past Grand Master and a Past Grand High Priest in Virginia, an Honorary Past Grand Master of D.C., and since 1987, he has been the Right Worshipful Grand Secretary of this Grand Lodge.

Brother Grainger is an ardent D.C.Mason, having served his Mother Lodge, King Solomon No. 31, as Master in 1965 and for the four year period from 1984 through 1987. He was Grand Sword Bearer in 1972, Grand Historian in 1981,Grand Marshal in 1982, and Grand High Priest of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of D.C. in 1987. H e was also one of the first to receive the Valentine Reintzel Medal in 1988.

Local DeMolay Makes Good Duringhis high school years, the present Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, Me1Carnahan,was activeinNation's Capital DeMolay. He was a member of Anacostia Chapter,which heserved as Master CounDan L Frederick, Chairman cilor, and he is now a chevalier. Evidently the DeMolay training he Blood Bank Committee received stood him in good stead, for he became a municipal judge in Rolla, Missouri at the early age of 26. Since then, and prior to his election as Lieutenant Governor in 1988,he completed two outstanding terms in the Missouri House of Representatives and one equally meritorious term as Treasurer of that state. Anacostia Chapter and The life you save may be your own!

Nation's Capital DeMolay are iustly proud of Me1 Carnahan.

((b]

Notes on Masonic Homes The Grand Secretary frequently receives calls pertaining to entrance into Masonic Homes, here and elsewhere. The tone and tenor of these calls suggest that many Master Masons and their families are not fully cognizant of the prerequisites that typically prevail in most Masonic Homes. Hence it seems appropriate to comment on what the Masonic Service Association terms the "Universal Conditions for Applicants to Masonic Homes."

First, a Mason (or his relatives) making application to a Masonic Home or Hospital must apply to the Home in the state in which he holds (or held) membership. There is no "reciprocity" between Masonic Homes in different states or Jurisdictions. For example, a retired Connecticut Mason living in Florida is not eligible for admission to the Florida Masonic

Home. If he has been "in good standing" for five years or more, he is eligible for admission to the Home in Wallingford, Connecticut.

Second, many Masonic Homes or Foundations require those admitted to their care to surrender all property, real or personal, insurance, and income to the institution. Bequests and legacies received after admission are similarly treated, although it is usual for the beneficiary to have a choice between surrender or withdrawal from the Home, after a pro-rata reimbursement to the Institution for the care it has already provided. In recent years some Masonic Homes have liberalized their policies on the surrender of assets.

Third, admission to Masonic Homes and Hospitals is generally available only for those in great need. Lately, however,

some Masonic Homes have begun to acceptsome "paying guests" whosesocial needs are more critical than are their financial limitations.

Fourth, the wives and the widows of Masons are admitted to all Masonic Homes and Hospitals.

Fifth, all Masonic Homes and Hospitals have investments andlor endowments, the interest of which is used for operating expenses. All Masonic Homes and Hospitals accept voluntary contributions from individuals and from Masonicrelated bodies.

Lastly, Masonic Homes which do not have hospital facilities have medical doctors on call twenty-four hours a day. Local hospitals are used for surgery and treatment where there is no hospital as part of the Masonic Home. Even with a hospital, serious surgery is often performed at local or specialized hospitals.

Grand Master's Testimonial Banquet Bethesda Naval Officers' Club May 29, 1990 Dinner Served 7:30 P.M. For Tickets and Information contact: Phone: (H) 434-5704

(B) 232-3579

Three Gates Grand Lodge Office Building Report The renovation of our property at 5428 MacArthur Boulevard is now well underway, and our agent, Worshipful Brother Robert R. Miller of W.C. and A.N. Miller Development Company, assures us that the project will be completed, onschedule, in early May. It is expected that the long-awaited move of the Grand Secretary's office will be effected soon thereafter, hopefully not later than June 1. A settling in period is planned for the summer months, following which a ceremony of dedication, probably in early autumn, is anticipated.

If you are tempted to reveal A tale to you someone has told About another, make it pass Before you speak, three gates of God. These narrow gates: First, is it true?

Then, is it needful?

In your mind give truthful answer.

And the next is last and narrowest: Is it kind?

And if to reach your lips at last It passes through these gateways three, Then you may tell the tale, Not fearing what the result may be.

-- James M. Hubbard

M. Russell Stogsdill 10111 Riggs Road Adelphi, MD 20783

Masonic Thanksgiving Service The Grand Master has designated Sunday, April 1, as a Masonic Day of Thanksgiving. On that date he plans a worship service at 3:00 p.m. in the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, situated at Nebraska and New Mexico Avenues, N.W. The Reverend Roy H. Stetler, Jr., Past Grand Master of Maryland and Honorary Past Grand of the District of Columbia, will preach. Assisting in the service will be the Grand Master, the Grand Lodge Officers, and the leaders of the appendant and coordinate Masonic bodies in the jurisdiction. The attendance of family and friends is encouraged.

Ben Franklin and His First Silver Spoon Late in life Ben Franklin tells of how poor he was just after he was married.

"We kept no idle servants, our table was plain and simple, our furniture of the cheapest. For instance, my breakfast was for a long time bread and milk (no tea), and 1 ate it out of a twopenny earthen porriger with a pewter spoon. But mark how luxury will enter families and make progress in spite of principle. Being called one morning to breakfast, I found it in a china bowl, with a silver spoon! They had been bought for me without my knowledge by my wife, and had cost her the enormous sum of three-and-twenty shillings, forwhich shehad no otherexcuse or apology to make, but she thought her husband deserved a silver spoon and china bowl as well as any of his neighbors."

This amusing reminiscence of those abstemious days had a sequel, in that silver spoons, and other tokens of prosperity were acquired through the years, until, as he tells us long after, the plate in his home was "augmented gradually to several hundred pounds in value."

-- J. Kenneth Gibala

Mason of the Month The Grand Master has announced a Mason of the Month Program to increase public awareness of the contributions that Masonry makes to the betterment of community, state, and nation.

Stories will be written and offered to the media about those selected for this honor. At year's end a Mason of the Year will be selected. The program is to be implemented by the Grand Lodge Committee on Public Relations.

Any Mason in this jurisdiction may make nominations in this program. Such nominations, including the name, address, and Lodge of both the nominee and the nominator, along with the service record of the nominee, should be forwarded to the office of the Grand Secretary, 600F Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004.

Masonic Researchers Discover Hypertension Breakthrough

A single injection of a low dose of interleukin-2 (IL-2), a natural hormone of the immune system, hasbeen found to prevent the development of high blood pressure (hypertension) in laboratory animals and, more importantly, to normalize blood pressure in animals whose pressure had risen to dangerously high levels.

These dramatic and potentially lifesaving effects of IL-2 are reported by Dr. Richard S. Tuttle andDr. Devendra P. Boppana of the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory in Utica, N.Y. in an article appearing in the January issue of "Hypertension," a journal of the American Heart Association.

The study involved use of a special breed of rodent known as the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). These are rats which are genetically predisposed to develop high blood pressure.

Scientists have been using this experimental model, that is the SHR, for essential" hypertension study for many years, while searching for medications to treat the disease. In fact, most of the hypertension drugs now on the market were so tested. According to Dr. Tuttle, 'almost all drugs that have proven to be :ffective antihypertensives in theSHR, have been found to be effective in humans as well."

Hypertension afflicts more than 60 nillion Americans and is known as the d e n t killer because it is a symptomless lisease, which if undetected, can lead o heart disease, stroke, and kidney ailure. High blood pressure affects ibout half of all individuals between he ages of55 to 64, is more prevalent in

men than in women, and is more likely to occur in black Americans than in whites.

Clinical trials to assess the effectsof IL-2 in patients with hypertension will soon be underway at the SUNY Health Sciencecenter at Syracuse. Drs. David H.P. Streeten and Gunnar Anderson, professors of medicine at the S U M facility, will direct the clinical studies.

FDA approval of the study has been granted. "If the effects of IL-2 in humans are comparable to those seen in the SHR, we will have in our possession a means to much more effectively control the most prevalent disease in the U.S.," says Tuttle.

The basicstudies leading to the discovery of IL-2's effect on hypertension were supported by the Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York, a grant from the Josephine Lawrence Hopkins Foundation, and the the Charles L. Keith Fund at the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory. Funds for the clinical studies at Syracuse, as well as further basic science studies at the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory, will also be provided by the same sources.

"If not for the generosity of the Masons of New York State, this study may not have been initiated and this important achievement would not have been realized," states Dr. Charles Antzelevitch, Executive Director and Director of Research of the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory.

(Adapted pom information appearing in the March 1990 (Vol. 15, No. 7) issue of the word) 1

It Can't Be Done!

The man who misses all the fun, is he who says "it can't be done". In solemn pride he stands aloof and greets each venture with reproof. Had he the power he'd efface the history of the human race. We'd have no radio or motor cars, no streets lit by electric stars. No telegraph o r telephone. We'd linger in the age of stone. The world would sleep if things were run by men who say "it can't be done." Be different! Do it!

-- Ernie Hazlewood

Voice of Freemasonry Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of D.C. 600 F Street, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, D.C.20004

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage P AID Permit No. 559 Washington, D.C.

Address Correction Requested

Grand Master RobertA. Statlergreets (Lto R) RobertM. Ferguson, Deputy Jurisdictional Master Councilor and Matthew W. McKay, Jurisdictional Master Councilor of Nation's Capital DeMolay atthe Annual Communication of Grand Lodge.

M.W. Richard E. Fletcher, Executive Secretary, and M.W. Thomas R. Dougherty, Director of Hospitalvisitation for the Masonic Service Association, presented 'Extra Mile Awards' to Gertrude S. Miner and Judy I. Fletcher at the Annual Banquet of the Grand Lodge. This award was made in appreciation of voluntary service rendered at the V. A. Hospital in Washington, D.C.

At the Annual Communication Grand Master Robert A. Statler announced that Singleton-Hope-Lebanon Lodge No. 7 had qualifiedforthe Grand Master's Awardand thatAnacostia Lodge No.21 and Osiris-Pentalpha Lodge No. 23 had qualified for the Grand Master's Award of Excellence. On hand to receive certificatesfrom the GM were (L to R): John S. Harris, Jr., PM of No. 21, Gary S. Davis, PM of No. 23, and Ray Nelson, current Master of No. 7.

Grand Master Robert A. Statler congratulates Worshipful lsadore Rosenthal on his election as Grand Lecturer Emeritus. Brother Rosenthalserved as Grand Lecturer in 1970-71.