more, Maryland, where he was raised and went to school. Duringthe summer months he spent time on the farms of his grandparents and his aunt in West Virginia. He grew up during the depressionyears and experienced the hard times that era afforded. Work came early in his life in order that he assist in theupkeep ofthe home due to an injury of his dad. He has one sister, Helen, who is five years younger and still lives in Baltimore. Bill worked for the Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. in the overhead and underground electrical department prior to enlisting in the Navy in February 1943. He was in the first group of sailors sent to the Bainbridge boot camp inMaryland. He servedmostof his time on anLST with the Amphibious force in the Pacific. His ship had
The Ritual of the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M. ofthe District of Columbia was completely recorded in 1980, whenthe Grand Lodgevotedto reduce the Ritual to writing. The single copy of the "Master Ritual" has been in safe keeping and by the resolution only allows certain people to use this book. In 1990 a resolution was presented that would allow the production of a cipher of the Ritual of the Grand Lodge. A study ofthis was done by a committee appointedby Grand Mas-
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an impressive record: participation in six major invasions, during which she received credit for shooting down three Japanese twin-engine Betty bombers and for two assists; a total distance of 49,000 miles traveled; transportation of more than 3,000 troops and ten crossings of the equator. This record was not compiled without mishaps. During the invasion of the Philippines a direct bomb hit was experienced, with two near misses, which took the lives of 25 and the wounding of 80 from strafing and bomb fragments, (con tin ued on page 2)
ter Darwin Brock, and a resolution, presented and passed by the Grand Lodge in December of 1991, allowed the production of a Cipher to include all of the esoteric ritual in the three degrees ofMasonryas conferred in the District of Columbia. The Cipher book measures 4" x 6", is bound in a hardcover, and consists of 200 pages. It has the openingand closing of a Master Mason's Lodge, the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason Degrees, and all of the floor work.
New work in the Cipher includes the opening and closing of an Entered Apprentice andFellow Craft Lodge directly on that Degree. The Cipher is now availableto Master Masons for $10.00. Distribution of the Cipher is through the Lodges; you are encouraged to contact your Lodge Secretaryto getyour COPY. (Please see EDICT issued by GM William T. Jenkins concerning the use of the new Masonic Cipher boob onpage 1I.)
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William T. Jenkins (cont.)
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Bill is entitledto wear eight campaign ribbons, which include the Presidential Unit Citation from the Government of the Philippines, along with their Liberation and Independence Medal, and the AsiaPacific Medal with five battle stars. During the war he married Lois Dee Liester of Hoxie, Kansas, who was employed atthe War ProductionBoard, Chemical Division, in Washington, D.C. Upon discharge from the Navy in November 1945, his first job was with Washington Properties in the District of Columbia; a short time later, he moved to the Westinghouse Electric Corp, Elevator Division. His duties were wide and varied, not onlynationalbut also international. He participated in the installation of the deckedge elevators on our Super Aircraft Camers, the Forrestid, Ranger, and Enterprise, in Newport News, Virginia. The Enterprise is our nuclear carrier on which Westinghouse also installed the reactors. Bill also assisted with the outfitting of the Kitty Hawk built in Philadelphia. His international assignments included the inspection of equipment in Israel, South America, Puerto Rico, and Yugoslavia. Bill rounded out a long career in an assignment with the management group that supervised the installation of elevators and escalators in the public transit systems in Washington, D.C.; Miami, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Buffalo, New York; and San Francisco, California. Then, after nearly 40 years of service, he retired in 1986. He now devotes most of his time to the Masonic fraternity. Outsideof hisfamily and church, Freemasonry is his greatest interest. He was raised in Washington Centennial Lodge No. 14 on March 21, 1953 at a special meeting held in Alexandria-Washington Lodge room in the George Washington National Masonic Memorial. He served as Master in 1965 and 1977, was Treasurer for many years, and relinquished the position of Secretaq when his Lodge merged with the Daylight Lodge two years ago. He was appointed Grand Sword Bearer by
M.W.B. William C. Miskovic in 1986 and has served in every station and place in the progressive line since thattime. He is also the Grand Representative to the Grand Lodge of Maine. Bill joined the Scottish Rite in 1957, which he served as VenerableMaster of the Mithras Lodge of Perfection, A.A. S.R. in 1974. He was decoratedwith the Rank and Decoration of K.C.C.H. in 1971, and received the 33rd Degree in 1987. At present he works in the 4th and 18th Degrees. In addition he is also a member of the Royal Order of Scotland He has been a member of Almas Temple since 1958and is an ex-member of the old motor corps. At present he is a member of the Knightsof Mecca and Royal Order of Jesters. He currently servesonthe Board of Directors of the Almas Temple Club and is one of theDirectors and Assistant Secretary of the Almas Immediate Benefit Fund. Bill is also a York Rite Mason, a member of Mount Pleasant Chapter No. 13, R.A.M.; Adoniram Council No. 9, Knight Masons U.S.A.; Maryland York Rite College No. 58; and St. Simeon Stylites Conclave, Red Cross of Constantine. In 1991 he received the Legion of Honor from theNation's Capital DeMolay. Other bodies in which he holds membership include the Tall Cedars of Lebanon, the Pythagoras Lodge of Research, the Philalethes Society, and the Past Masters' Association, which he servedaspresident in 1978. He is also a member of Ruth Chapter No. 1,Order oftheEastern Star, in Washington, D.C., which he served as Worthy Patron in 1975, 1976, 1979 and 1989. Bill is a life-long Methodist and a member of the Worship, Financial and Nominations Committees at the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Highland, Maryland. He is also a charter member of the Clarksville Lions Club in Clarksville, Maryland, and of the American Legion in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Masonic St:amp Collection ,
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Saul Weiss, PM of Samuel Gompers-Benjamin Franklin Lodge No. 45 and a philatelist specializing in U.S. and Israeli stamps, has compiled a collection of about 150 U. S. Masonic related stamps which honor famous men who were members of the Masonic order. The stamps cover a diversity of events, symbols and buildings where the person or persons involved were Masons. The collection also includes 40 different Masonic cancellations.
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rand Lodge Officers Elected William T. Jenkins .........................Cirand Master J. Philip Smith.................. Deputy Grand Master William E. Chaney ............ SeniorGrand Warden Robert F. Drechsler............. Junior Grand Wac-den Stewart W. Miner, P.G.M. .......... Gfand Se~~-etasy William C. Miskovic, P.G.M. .... Grand Treasurez S w o r d Appel ............................... Ofand k t u r e r Eldon J. Brown ........."........ Senior Grand Deacon Dan L Frederick ..................Jutxior Grand Demon Mansour Hatefi .................. Seaior GrandStswrtrd Grant R. Berning ............... Junior Grand Steward Appointed . . m m Grau,, ............................ Grand Marshat Thomas E Weir. ........................ Grand Chapkirs Mike W a d i ............... Assistant Grand Chaplain W. Kenneth Lyons ....... Assistant Grand Chapjak Ralph I. Romain ......... Assistant Grand Chapfain Walter F. Simon ......... sistant Grand Chaplaift James D. Martin, 111 . . . . Grand Sword Bearer Robert W. Husemann Grand Pursuivant Carl R. LeTTine ........... ..Grand Historian G&md Meinzer ................................. Grand Tiler Harold A Blood ............. Grand Lodge Physicim Alfred E. Ashton ............. Grand Standard Bearer Robert H. Starr .........Aide to the Grand Master Anthony S. Murray ...... Aide to the Grand Master George E. Enders ............... .4=istant t i a n d Tiler To !. Du g..... iler
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Convention by Gary Leazer *
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want to thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. The past two years has forced your fraternity and me together in ways that none of us could have predicted. As I have said on many occasions, I did not seek nor did I want the assignment given to me in July 1992 to conduct the study on Freemasonry. But once given that assignment, I was committedto producing a fair and objective study. That has been my practice for the past twenty-three years in my research on religious trends and groups in the United States. Using sensationalism, conspiratorial theories, revisionist history, hearsay, and one-sided arguments have never been my practice. The study which I conducted between July 1992and January 1993was the second studyofFreemasonryordered by the Southern Baptist Convention in the past decade. James Larry Holly, a Beaumont, Texas physician who was instrumental in getting the Southern Baptist Convention to request the study in 1991, introduced a similar resolution attacking Freemasonry in 1985. The 1985 resolution was co-sponsored by Charles Burchett, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Kirbyville, Texas. Assistant department director, Dr. Richard Harmon, who was one of Southern Baptists' most brilliant youngtheologians, was given the assignment to conduct the research in 1985. Harmon met with Holly and Burchett, as well as Masons. He read books by anti-Masons and Masons, as well as letters received. After his research, Harmon concluded: (1) no one authority speaks for Freemasonry, (2) some Masonic teachings reflect strongly the moods of the eras in which they are written, (3) the Interfaith Witness Department does not recognize Freemasonry as a reli-
gion, although he stated that for some Masons, Freemasonry may have become a pseudo-religion, and (4) and finally, that Freemasonry, and other fraternal orders, do not fall within the scope of the department's assigned responsibility. I reached a similar conclusion after my study of Freemasonry during the past two years. With Harmon's conclusion in hand, the Home Mission Board trustees adopted a response to the resolution on Freemasonry, statingthat "it is theBoardYsconclusion that Freemasonry does not fall within the scope of assigned responsibility of the Home Mission Board." The messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention in 1986 approved the Home Mission Board response. A post script to this is in order. Harmon later, in a chapel address at the Home MissionBoard, criticized the methodology of the fundamentalist movement in the Southern Baptist Convention. As a result, Harmon was forced to resign and was given a six months severance package. Harmon, who was black-balled in the SBC by the current leadership, is now anEpiscopalian layman working in a paint factory in Dallas, Texas. In 1991, Larry Lewis, who became president of the Home Wssion Board in 1987, did not want the Home Mission Board to conduct another study of Freemasonry since we had conducted one in 1985. However, Lewis asked me, as director of the Interfaith Witness Department in 1991, to do some research, which I did. I gave an brief oral report to him. He specifically said he did not want a written report. Harmon's 1985 report had not been made public and Holly was crying cover-up. Lewis hoped to prevent those same charges again, hence the request for an oral report.
At the regular spring meeting of the [ome Mission Board trustees in March 992, upon Lewis' recommendation, the ustees declinedtherequest•’romtheSouthrn Baptist Convention to study the teachigs of Freemasonry and referred the issue ack to the convention for action in June 992. Several trustees disagreed with this ecision, but it passed easily. Lewis exressed hope that an ad hoc committee rouldbe appointedbytheconventionpresient to study the issue. Holly was also quoted as saying he Iso wanted anad hoc committee appointed nd expressed the hope he would be among le members of that committee. Prior to re 1992 convention Holly mailed 5,000 )pies of his 58-page booklet, The Southn Baptist Convention and Freemasonry, 1 leaders and trustees of all of the Southn Baptist Convention agencies and comlissions, state convention leaders, assoational directors of missions,every Southn Baptist pastcr in Indiana and some 500 people onhis ministry's mailing list. olly distributed other copies during the mvention which met in Indianapolis. Although a motion was made to form 1 ad hoc committee, a substitute motion, hich Holly later called "an unfriendly otion," was submitted and passed. The ~bstitutemotion threw the issue back to e Home Mission Board and ordered the ~terfaithWitness Department to conduct e study for the Home Mission Board to ake a report and recommendation to the ~nventionin 1993. The issue was back in Y lap. I was given no guidance, except that I
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could involve other individuals as needed inmy research. Almostimmediately,Holly began a campaign to have me removed as head of the study. He wrote to Lewis on August 26, 1992 that "Dr. Leazer's prejudice is overwhelming." Lewis, at that time, refused to remove me from the study. We met with Holly, Burchett, Ron Sutherland and one other anti-Mason on
September 17, 1992 to discuss their concerns about Freemasonry. Holly prepared a two-inch thick notebook for the meeting; this material became the contents of a second book attacking Freemasonry which he released in early 1993. I did not meet withLewisfromseptember 17untilDecember 8 when I gave him an update on the study. We agreed I would submit the study to him on January 22. In December 1992 and January 1993, Holly apparently became concerned that h s "little book" would be a significant part of the study since I had asked a colleague, Bill Gordon, to do a critique of it. Pierce Dodson of Lebanon, Tennessee, who had resigned as pastor of his church because of his strong anti-Masonic stand, wrote to Lewis in December expressing concern that the study would get sidetracked by Holly's "little book. I sent a memorandum to Lewis and Darrell Robinson, my immediate supervisor, on January 18, 1993, saying: The Freemasonry Report [at that time my study was called the report] is nearly complete.... I know Dr. Holly is worried that the study will make an issue of his "little book," to quote Pierce Dodson. My opinion and that of Bill Gordon, who did a
critique of his book at my request, is that Dr. Holly's book is poorly researched and full oferrors. Still, we did not make it "the issue" of the report, although I felt we had to respond to some of his more blatant errors as his book was the one used last year in the call for this study. I believe we referred to his book thirteen times out of a total of over 3 15 footnotes in the report. We certainly did not personally attack hlm as he fears. My staff and I are scholars; we do not have to resort to ad hominem attacks. I want to say that the only pressure we felt during this study was from people like Dr. Holly, Texe Marrs, Pierce Dodson and other Masonic critics. The tone of their letters was that we had better agree with them. We did not sense this kind of intimidation from Masonic writers. I am pleased with the report. I believe it is as factual and objective as is humanly possible. As an example of this intimidation, a recent president of the Southern Baptist Conventionwrote to Larry Lewis in the fall of 1992. The letter writer remindedLewis that he had not been elected president of theHomeMissionBoard by compromising men and he shouldn't compromise on the Freemasonry issue. After all, the letter writer said, there are more ofus than them. Without specifying who "us" and "them" were, it was apparent that "us" were antiMasons and "them" referred to Southern Baptist Masons. During January, I sent the study to two non-Home Mission Board readers: Jim Tresner, editor of the Oklahoma Mason, and Abner McCall, president emeritus of Baylor University in Waco, Texas. While this was an unusual decision on my part, it was not unique as I had sent copies of manuscripts on other occasions to readers in groups about which I had written. If I had misrepresented Freemasonry, I felt these two men could tell me. I retained complete editorial control of the manuscript. When Lewis learned about Tresner and McCall in February, I was forced to step down as director and take a field staff position with an appropriate salary reduction. I submitted thecompleted studyto Larry Lewis on January 22. I had a 2-hour, 20minute meeting with Lewis on January 26 to discuss my study. It was obvious he did not like much of the study. I felt Lewis wanted me to confirm his beliefs about Freemasonry. When I didn't, my objectiv-
ity and conclusions were questioned. He mentioned receiving a phone call from Holly the previous day and directed me to remove allofthequotesfromHolly's "little book" as well as the section on conspiracy theories. I felt that Lewis' cuts constituted major surgery on my study. Lewis also rewrote and put in bold print specific criticisms to make them more anti-Mason. I made the changes on January 27 as directed by Lewis. I also removedmy name from the cover and text of the study. The study was reduced from 8 1 to 66 pages. I had a second meeting with Lewis on February 2 at which time he made additional significant changes removing other statements he thought were pro-Mason. I had another 30-minute meeting with Lewis on February 5. He told me the vicepresidents thought the edited study was still too biased toward Masonry. He asked if I or one of my staff could rewrite the study; I responded that neither I nor my staff had time. They discussed having an editor from the evangelism section of the Home Mission Board rewrite the study to remove any hint of bias and to reduce the study to 25-30 pages. Finally, Lewis decided to present it as it was to the administrative committee on February 8. At the administrative committee meet-
ing on the 8th, trustee Brad Allen asked if I had critiqued Holly's little book as there were no references to the book in the study. The minutes ofthe administrative committee meeting state, "Dr. Lewis explained that inLeazer's original, that was done, but Dr. Lewis did not feel the Home Mission Board should critique individuals and that part of the study was omitted. Allen said he
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The cornerstone oftheUni.te?ddtatw Capitol, howeveri stands oat hove a l lb u i l d i n g s e r ~ i n t h e & ~ w m l d as the seat ofgmmment:for ow people. It is the W e of,Gmerica. It isthe symbol of freedom th;poughout the civilized world,
IaFreemsoq.theaxnerstoneisa n sidered to be the mssX important stone in tfxeectifice. ?l.lusitJslaidviwithgmatWty and ceremony. Tocta,y's ceremqrrg will be conbudtd by the Grand NI&m of Mwylrrsrd, the actingGrand Master of Virginia, m.61the Gaad Master of the District of Cohmbia Presenthem today are theorigiaal implementsusedby George Washingtan in 1793. The original implements include the trowel M s e dby AlexandriaWashington Lodge No, 22, the Lodge of Wrge Washington,and theGeorgeWashington gavel, which is fursLished to us by No, 5. We have F o t o Lodge ~ Be original j&els and aprons, which were worn by Federal Lodge No,1at the original mremany and, of corns%the Bible which we mentianed earlier. Torlay we shall begin our cornerstone ceremony by asking the Chaplain to invoke the blessing of Deity. The cornerstmm in our memony is a perfwt cube with eacB side perM y q m .The cube symbolASmtband the square modity. This building is therefore built symboGcaJly~nthefoundation of ~erfectfruth and per-
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Walter Joseph Stewart Secretary of the U.S. Senate Mr. Walter Joseph Stewart, Secretary of the United States Senate, was obligated and received the lectures of the first and seconddegrees ofMasonry at an OccasionalLodge, convened on September 8, I993 at Naval Lodge Hall. On September 18, the Occasional Lodge was calledfrom refreshment to labor in Caucus Room SR-325 of the Russell Senate OfJice Building by the Grand Master for the purpose of conferring the Master Mason Degree on Brother Walter Joseph Stewart, Mason-at-Sight designee. It is estimated that approximately 450 Master Masons entered the CaucusRoom for this session of the Occasional Lodge. Afer being raised to the Sublime Degree ofMasterMason by the GrandMaster, Brother Stewart made these remarks.
Walter J. "Joe" Stewart was elected and sworn in as Secretary of the Senate forthe 100th Congress on January6,1987. He previously served as Secretary t o the Majority of the Senatefrom 1979 until January 1981, andas Secretary forthe Minorityfrom January until August 1981, when he was elected Vice President of Government Affairs of Sonat, Inc. He was born in Waycross, Georgia, but grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. Brother Stewart attended George Washington University undergraduate school; received his LLB from American University, and was admitted t o the District of Columbia Bar in 1963. Brother Stewart served as chairman of the Developmental Committee of the American University Law School from 1982-1987. He was named as Distinguished Alumni at the University's 1986commencement ceremony, and Distinguished Fellow ofthe John Sherman Myers Societyof 1987. He currently serves as a member of the Dean's Advisory Council and the Development Council. As Secretary o f the Senate, Brother Stewart serves as the principal administrative and financial officer of the Senate. The Secretary of the Senate is responsible for Senate floor staff, such as the Parliamentarian, the Legislative Clerk, the Journal Clerk, the Bill Clerk and the Official Reporters of Debates. Also under his jurisdiction, are the Office of Printing Services, the Senate Historical Office, the Curator's Office, the Office of Classified National Security Information, the Senate Library, the Document Room and the Stationery Room.
Obsewatwns o f a Mason-At-S@t Brother Grand Master: I thank you and theMasons assembledhere for the very distinct and singular honor bestowed upon me. It is particularly significant considering the ceremonywhich we are all about to take part in - the reenactment of the laying of the cornerstone of this Capitol Building, which stands as a bastion of liberty throughout the world. I don't know of any incident that I will treasure as much in my lifetime as the honor that you have very kindly bestowed upon me. I am grateful that each of you have traveled to Washington to take part in the Masonic ceremonies of this day. In times like these many people don't appreciate what our institutions stand for. Our program today provides a sort of a temporary reinvigoration of all that is good and proper; a great shot of adrenaline to the spirit. The experience is particularly moving for me. Hopefully our meetinghere, coupled with the ceremony that we're going to take part in at eleven o'clock, will emphasize our respect for this building; for the stones that went into it; for the Masons who made it; for Dr. Thornton who submitted the winning plan; and for all of the various architects, up to and including Thomas B. Walter, who designed the dome of the Capitol andthetwo wings. I think that they were doing more than mere construction; by their work they got caught up in the spirit of what this building stands for and
will continue to stand for on an eternal basis. I think that the deeds of those who have labored here are comparable to the deeds of those who through the years have labored in the interests of Freemasonry. Freemasonryalso stands for good on an eternal basis. And what you impart to mankind, to your friends, and to others by what youdo, I thlnk, will serveto strengthen not only Freemasonry but mankind as a whole. Each of you has the ability to seek your own level, and you can go as high as you want to. This is one of the very few countries in the world where one can do that. I have traveled to almost every country in the world over the past ten years on an official and unofficial basis. You hear a lot of people complain about America but no one wants to leave it and everybody wants to come here. Why? Because this is aplace that everybody can approach from abroad as an immigrant, from any station in life, and have the opportunity to advance. So it is with Freemasonry, which cuts across all strata of life, regardless of wealth or social standing, to give everyone a chance to excel and to reach his own level of achievement. I thank you again for coming here to take part in the ceremonies of this day. Walter Joseph Stewart, Secretary of the Senate September 18, 1993
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Masonk Membership Gems The foliowing Brsthrrn arc due our .in=% congr~rulBons. They wcrc ins~nrmcntalin improving the membmhip of thcir rcspoctivc Lodgcs dunng thc lasl Masonic ymr whith cndcd Srrprcmbcr 30th. Thcsc Brelhrm were rhc ftrs! line S I ~ I I C ~ of Pditions for rhr: dcgrers o f Mltsonry and Rpplicalions for Afilialion which were appravcd at thc bsl)ot box, a5 r~pmdto Grand L d g r by thcir M g c S c ~ r c ~ r i c 5 . Tho= Brcfhrcn with 8 8 in placc o f a Lodge numkr indicah that !hey brought new m n i h into marc lhttn onc Lodge.
Diamond (Ten or more new m e m k f i l Todd Duehring, PM ................... .......... ... 10
Emerald (Five or more new mmbefi) Tom R. Allen ............................................. 1 Mitton E Daniel, PM ..............................5 J. Kenneth Gibala ....................................t t R o b n B. Heyat, PM .............................** C. Fred Kleinkntcht ................................ 15 Jerold J. Samet, PGM ..............................** Albert H. Saunden, PM ............................ 1 William D. Smirh ................................... 7
5apphirc K M e or more new members) Federal MQ. 1: Paul D. Bohli; Peter G. Bronson; Pwre C. Chambrin; Douglas S Colmery; George B. Colson; Gerald ColsonKistley; Todd A. Croteau; Paul D. Dolinsky; S. Franklin Edwards; Henry G. Fulghum; H. Brian George; Redmond I.R. Hart; Henry G. Hastings; Bruce 6. Johnson; Joel R. Kahn, PM; Keith A Kreger; Michael C. Lanharn; James B. Myers; Stephen E. Patrick; George H. Reader; Morton J. Roberts; Thomas 5.Russell; Henry G. Salevsky, Jr.; James R. Scott; R. Alkn Tipton; Jeffrey 5. Walter; Thomas E. Williams; Justicerolurnbia No. 3: Charkl Fahed, PM; Jamil Gabro. PM; Dow Nida; Naval No, 4: Donald K. Anderson; David B. Board: Wendell Ewen; Darron franta; David J. Graham, PM; Harry Hodges, Ir., PM; Robert Hughes, PM ; Maurice R. Minner. Jr.; Gary Thomas Scott; Potomac No. 5: Thomas N Brisbin; Dean 5. Clanerbuck, PM; Morad Eghbal; Samuel W Freed; Manhall C. Gardner. PM; P. Granr Graessle; james D. Martin Ill, PM; Wm. R. Singleton-Hope-Lebanon No. 7: David Balcom; Eldon J. Brown, PM; Enriquez Felicisimo;John Hessman; Robert Matsudaira, PM; Anastarios Vassilas; Marion K. Warner, PM; Hiram-TakornaNo. 10: Daid Eaer, PM; James Coleman; Patrick Larere, PM; Ewer+ T. McKay; St. John's No. 11: Charles L. Sherzer, PM;
Grand Visitation Schedule Ralph M. Tulley; Russell Waller. PM; Nmtlonal-Stansbury No. 12: Douglas E. Dawson**; Washington Daylight No. 14: Maurice Goldchain. PM; WtYiam T. Jenkins. GM; Paul Nhbel, PM;Dennis O'Hara; Bmjarnin B. FrenchNo. 15: George R. Adams, PGM; Paul A. Bender; Robert V. Hines, PM; Charks 5. Iversen, PGM; lvar T. Serejeski; M. Ruswll Stcqsdill, PM;Eric D Way; Dawson No. 16: Eugene L. Dixon, PM; Harmony Na. 17: Wtlliam Q. Black; John F. DeVries, Jr, PM; Perry A. Lester, PGM; Woodraw Mossburg, I r , PM; Robert E. Ray nolds; LaFayme-Dupont No. 59: Darwin A. Brock, PGM**; Arthur 8.Crown, PM; Anacostia No. 21: lo hn Carbaugh; Lemoine Dicki'nron, PM; John5. Harris, Ir., PM; Oswald tockard. PM; Raymond F. McMullen, PGM; A l b m Moritr; S h a m H. Staples; Charles C. Weaver, PM; Oziris-Pentalpha No. U: Staffofd AppeI. PM; Barry Benn, PM; John A. Cuthrell, Jr.; Dan 1. Frederick, PM; Giulio Gailo. PM; John Greenwood. PM; Lloyd C. Huff, PM; C. Brian Sthwartz, PM; Amehed M. Shek; Armfnlur Ha. 25: Gerhard Heeg. PM; Ernst Heitzel. PM; Temple-NoyesCathedral No. 3 2 Wlll~am M. Hartlen. PM; Geoffrey D. Brown; Harry I. Clarkron; Richard R. Haight; Clarence McCrary; William Milkr; A. Wallace Moore, Jr.; A l h n Pika No. 33: Martin Carlin; Harry Echols. PM; Harry tlerman; Roberto Pero; 6ilal Raschid, WM; Frank Soper. PM; Pedro Zambrana; East Gate No. 34: leonard Fleming, PM; Joppa No. 35: Dennis Kirk. PM; Theodore Roosevek No. 44: C. Vrncent Hardwick, Jr.; Samuel Gompers-BenjaminFranklin No.45: Max Beioff, PM; Arthur Fielus; Abraham Hechberg; Frank Si!nic!q; Walter Simon, PM; Roben ti. Starr, PM; David Torchinsky; Petworth No. 47; Henry Fuquay; W~lliamM. Iackson; Donald L. Richatds; Howard Sweer. PM; Samper Paratus No. 49: Andre5 Bolinaga; Donald Clifford; Stanley Felsenberg; David Maylum. PM; Nelson 0.Newcornbe, PM Mthr No, 90: Mansour Hatefi, PM; Chris Sahakian, PM; ALianza Fraternal Americana No.92: Franklm 0.Gayoso; Amalio Moreno; Carlos Ponce, WM; La France No. 93: Yves Ghiai. PM; Emile Jmaph, WM; Bijan Lak; Daniel Lefebvre; Srewart W. Miner, PGM; Sojourner Kilwinnlng No. 1798: Victor Adegbite, PM; Iuac Frazer; Nicholas J. Garbtr; Robert MaCauley; George Nicole; Merrirnan Parkinxln, WM; Ralph Romain. PM; Roland fimrry; Ieremiah Williams.
LODGE
Each and everyone of us, and members of our extended families, have a precious gift, which we can give freely and which can be of enormous help to many in need --both members of our Fraternity and in our communities. It is our BLOOD. The supplies of this lifegiving fluid become seriously low and need replenishment. The Red Cross has three "walk-in" facilities: at 11820 Parklawn Drive inRockville, MD; 28 10 Old Lee Highway in Fairfax, VA; and 1915 I (Eye) Street, NW, Washington, DC (Note: the 1915 Eye Street location WFREE parking nearby at the Colonial Parking lot on 20th St.) To schedule an appointment or get directions for
any of these locations, please CALL 1800-272-03 10. Even if you have been or expectto be turned down for donation for human use, you CAN STILL DONATE and receive credit - for RESEARCH. The Red Cross Holland Research Lab on Crabbs Branch Road inRockville, MD (30 1-738-047 1) needs blood donatedto continuetheir research. Please CALL one of these numbers and make an appointment this month. Your Lodge's BLOOD donor number, which will credit your Lodge and our Grand Lodge Blood Bank Account with your units is listed in the chart on the right. Please make a note of it.
...ano! de Red Cm55 neeA it! appreciated this thinking, but questioned the wisdom of doing it from one side of the issue. If we are going to do a scholarly study, both sides of the issue should be reported, but in akind way." A motion was made and passed to accept my study with no further changes. But, three days later I met with Lewis once again, this time for bhours, 10-minutes at which time he made still more changes in the study. Lewis said Holly had called him the previous day and talked for an hour. Holly then faxed Lewis a 3-page letter. I wondered ifHolly had been sent a copy of the study. Soon after that I was removed from all involvement in the process because of my alleged bias toward Freemasonry. The report, which was adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in Houston in June 1993, was written by someone else. You are familiar with the conclusion to the report. It has become the subject of controversy and prolonged discussion, which seems to be heating up again. I addressed the Southeastern Masonic Conferencein August 1993to explain what the Southern Baptist Convention action meant and to encourage Masons to take
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seriouslythe criticisms raised in the study. Because of this speech, I was dismissed for "gross insubordination" inOctoberbecause I violated an alleged order to have nothing more to do with Masons. I remember no such directive. There was no written order which is curious given the magnitude of the alleged order. I argued that my dismissal was for damage control. That was one of only a few things that Holly and I have agreed about. At that time Holly was quoted in Baptist Press that the Masonic issue "won't go away." A Home Mission Board trustee from Maryland, Walter Collett, wrote a letter in late January 1994 to all of the approximately 85 Home Mission Board trustees asking that the Freemasonry issue be reopened. Collett insists Holly was not behind this request to reopen the study, although Holly was calling for the same action. Collett called for the Home Mission Board to withdraw the study on Freemasonry from circulation. Even with the changes made in the study, Holly and the anti-Masons still do not like it because it does not go far enough in condemning Freemasonry. Approximately 5,000 cop-
DONOR #
Federal Justice-Columbia Naval Potomac Singleton-Hope-Lebanon Hiram-Takorna St. John's National-Stansbury Washington Daylight Benjamin B. French Dawson Harmony LaFayette-Dupont Anacostia George C. Whiting Osiris-Pentalpha Arrninius Temple-Noyes-Cathedral Albert Pike East Gate J ~ P P ~ Theodore Roosevelt S. Gompers-B. Franklin Petwo rth Sernper Paratus Mehr Alianza Fraternal Amer. LaFrance 1798 Sojourner Kilwinning UD Hayastan
004754 004755 004756 004757 004758 004759 004760 004761 004762 004763 004764 004765 004766 004768 004769 004773 004772 004777 004804 004802 004803 004806 004807 004808 004809 004810 0071 10 0071 15 0071 16 0071 17
ies of the study were printed, about 900 copies remain unsold. I feel certain the study will not be reprinted when the existing copies are sold. The administration might promise not to reprint the study as a compromise with those who want it withdrawn from circulation. Collett called for the Home Mission Board to issue a public statement of clarification that the Board does not believe that the teachings of Freemasonry are compatible with historic Christian and Baptist doctrines. Holly and others are already deleting part of the summary of the Home Mission Board report and emphasizing the first and last parts of the summary, "In light of the fact that many tenets and teachings of Freemasonry are not compatible with Christianity and Southern doctrine....Therefore, we exhort Southern Baptists to prayerfully and carefully evaluate Freemasonry in light of the Lordship of Christ, the teachings of the Scripture, and the findings of this report, as led by the Holy Spirit." Collett asked that he and others who wish to do so, be allowed to present a minority report if a majority of trustees prefer not to change the report.
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Baptist Press and Associated Baptist Press called me when this storybroke to get my comment. They also said they had learned that Holly is issuing a third book attacking Freemasonry. This book will be released sometime in March 1994. It reportedly will attack me for allowing Jim Tresner and Abner McCall to read the manuscript. Apparently, most of the book is an attack on how the Home Mission Board administration handled the whole issue, especially for not giving trustees enough time to read, debate, and change the study and report before it was adopted. On Tuesday, February 8, the 11-member administrative committee of the Home Mission Board, voted not to reopen the Freemasonry issue. The next meeting of the full board of trustees is the middle of April. Another attempt, probably in a closed meeting, could be made to reopen the issue again. If it fails, some trustee could attempt to issue a minority report attacking the study and the conclusions adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention last June. If I were to venture a guess, I would guess that Collett will not be successful in getting the Home Mission Board to reopen the issue in April. A minority report is possible as acompromise. The administration seems to be willing to compromise in the vain attempt to appease Holly and his supporters. It is very apparent that Lewis does not want to deal with the issue again, primarily for financial reasons. The study which I conducted, plus the related meetings with trustees, is said to have cost $111,000. In addition, there is the unknown amount of offering withheld by individuals disgusted with the investigation of your fraternity. I believe the issue will be brought up again at the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Orlando in June. If I were to venture a guess-perhaps hope is a better word, I believe the Southern Baptist Convention president will rule the issue out of order since we dealt with it last year. If I were to venture another guess, it would be that if the anti-Masons are not successful this year, they will try again next year and eachyear until they get theirway. They use the famous camel and tent strategy: first the nose, then the head and finally the entire body is in the tent. Last spring Holly said he considered the issue closed. But then, almost immediately he reopened the issue with a vengeance. Let's look for a moment at a worse case
scenario. If the Southern Baptist Convention takes an anti-Mason position, as Holly and others are still committed to doing, individual Southern Baptist Masons will have to make some tough decisions. Some will resign from the Lodge to retain membership in their local churches. Some will remain quiet and not draw attention to their fraternal membership. Others will move their church memberships to Southern Baptist churches which ignore the position of the convention. Some will designate their mission offerings around the SBC Cooperative Program to other mission enterprises, including the moderate mission offerings to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship because it still affirms the historic Baptist foundations of religious liberty and freedom of conscience. As a leading fundamentalist said prior to the
successfultakeover of the SouthernBaptist Convention, why should we continue to give money to aninstitution which is going to use it to buy bullets to shoot back at us? Other Masons willjoin non-SouthernBaptist churches. If the convention takes an anti-Mason position, some churches will refuse to allow Masons to be members of their churches. The Briarwood Baptist Church in Dixon, Missouri, a new Southern Baptist church, has put into its consitutionthat no Mason can be a member of the church. Some churches will refuse to allow Masons to hold leadership positions inthechurches, whether as Sunday School teachers, deacons, or pastors. This is more likely because they want your money. Southern Baptist seminaries will be pressured to include Freemasonry in their courses on
heretical religious groups. Ifthis happens, withina fewyears, everygraduate ofthe six Southern Baptist seminaries will come out of those schools having been taught that FreemasomyisanantiChristian cult. Paige Patterson, now president of Southeastern Seminary, did that when he was president of the Criswell Bible Institute in Dallas, Texas. Freemasonry was included in that school's course on religious cults. The SBC mission boards will be pressured to reject for missionary appointment any person who is a Mason. Conventionliterature will reflect an anti-Mason position. Already, the Sunday School Board refers to Freemasonry as a "quasi-religious'' organization in one of its publications. In his first little book, Holly called for the following: (1) No Mason should be allowed to serve as adeacon or other leader in any Southern Baptist church; (2) No Mason should be called as a pastor unless he publicly renounces Freemasonry and burns his apron and other Masonic paraphernalia; (3) Converts should be counseled about the incompatibilityof membership in Freemasonry and membership in a Baptist church; (4) No pastor should participate in a funeral service conducted by Masons; (5) Churches with cornerstones dedicated by Masons should hold public ceremoniesof repentanceand prayer. These points, Holly says, would be "a start." He has not wavered from his goal. My friends, I don't want to repeat what I said in the speech published in a recent issue of the Scottish Rite Journal. But I want to emphasize again the critical need for action by your fraternity. Breathing a sigh of relief that the Southern Baptist Conventiondid not condemn Freemasonry and doing nothing is dangerous and selfdestructive. In my opinion, you should act now even if the issue had never surfaced at this time. Your declining statistics suggest that action is a priority. I believe you should open up the windows and let in some fresh air. What do you need to do to reverse what has become a severe decline in membership? In the speech I encouraged Masons to put everything on the table, to examine every aspect of the fraternity, from education to the ritual. It might be that you will decide you do not or cannot change some aspect of your teachings or practices, but you should be able to defend your reasons. I know that you cannot possibly please critics like Larry Holly. Larry Lewis has tried to do so and has only succeeded in
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getting himselfin deeper and hotter water. I believe every Grand Lodge and each locallodge, ScottishRiteValley and Shrine Temple, should give serious attention to developing short term and long term strategies with specific measurable goals to reach within a specific time frame. The Masonic Renewal Committee is working on practical strategies; that committee deserves your active support. The Grand Lodge of Oklahoma has developed what it calls the Hiram I1 program which appears very promising. Hiram I1 is worthy of a long, hard look. Better education is certainly at the top of the list. It is obvious that the nonMasonic public has received a distorted understanding of your fraternity from the many anti-Masonic books and tapes in print. My research indicates that most Masons know very little about Freemasonry. Perhaps they memorized the first three degrees without understanding anything about them. Now, the degrees mean little or nothing. Outreach is essential. Find a way to reach out without violating Masonic guidelinesabout not asking someone to become a Mason, or change the guideline. Inreach is essential. Each active Mason can be given the names of 1-2 inactive Masons to cultivate a friendship and seek to reactivatethat person. The first step might not be to invite the inactive Mason to a lodge function; it might be to invite them to a backyard barbecue or to go to a sporting event. In conclusion, let me say that Masons need to avoid two extremes. One is wringing their hands in despair that nothing can be done to stop people like Larry Holly. It has been said that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Good will triumph over evil if good men rise to the occasion. The second is to rejoice thatvictory has been won. The vote at the Southern Baptist Convention last June has given you a window of opportunity. It will remain open for perhaps two or three years. Then it will close tight. Now is the best time you will ever have to examine your fraternity, make changes if necessary, and educate your membership and the public at large. If it is to be done, it is up to Masons like you. [* The attendees of the recent Conference of GrandSecretariesinNorthAmerica were privileged to hear this lecture titled "Survey of the Fraternity and its Critics" by Gary Leazer.]
11
EDICT of the GRAND MASTER
The
Masonic Cipher* is now available horn your Lodge Secretary * See GrandMasterlsEdict on Masonic Cipher
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By the power in me vested as Grand Master of Masons of the District of Columbia, I hereby issue this edict to establish definitiveparameters forthe use of the official Masonic Cipher of this Grand Lodge. The publication and distribution ofthe Masonic Cipher ofthe Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of the District of Columbia is under the supervision and control of the Grand Master, Grand Secretary, Grand Lecturer, and the Secretaries of the Constituent Lodges of this jurisdiction. Copies of the Cipher will be sold by the Grand Lodge, through the Secretaries of the Constituent Lodges, exclusively to Master Masons who are members in good standing of Lodges subordinate to the GrandLodge, F.A.A.M.,of the District of Columbia. The official Masonic Cipher of this Grand Lodge is to be used only for personal and private study by Masons who are members in good standing of the Constituent Lodges of this jurisdiction; in the Masonic schools conducted by the Grand Lecturer and members of the Committee on Work and Lectures; or in schools and rehearsals conducted by competent authority in the Constituent Lodges. Copying parts or the whole of the official Masonic Cipher of this Grand Lodge, by any means whatsoever, or the use of any key or Cipher other than that authorized, produced, and distributed by the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of the District of Columbia is prohibited. Furthermore the use of this Cipher or even the opening of it during any part of any communication of any Constituent Lodge in this jurisdiction is also prohibited. Violation of the ternls of reference hereby established to govern the use ofthe Masonic Cipher of the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of the District of Columbia shall be deemed unmasonic conduct and dealt with accordingly. William T. Jenkins, Grand Master February 15, 1994
Grand Lodge
Row 'l(L-R) Stafford Appel, Grand Lecturer; Robert F. Drechsler, Junior Grand Warden; J. Philip Smith, Deputy Grand Master; William T. Jenkins, Grand Master, William E. Chaney, Jr., bnior Grand Warden; Thomas E. Weir, Grand Chaplain; Stewart W. Miner, PGM, Grand Secretary. Row 2 (L-R) Harold Grainqer, Grand Marshal; Carl R. LeVine, Grand Historian; Grant R. Berning, ~unior Grand steward Dan L Frederick, Junior Grand Deacon; Eldon J. Brown, Senior Grand Deacon; Mansour Hatefi, Senior Grand Steward; Mike Ahmadi, Assistant Grand Chaplain; Todd C. Duehring, Grand LodgeSchoolTiler; W. KennethLyons, Jr., Assistant Grand Chaplain. Row3 (L-R) Gerhard Meinzer, Grand Tiler; Ralph I. Romain, Assistant Grand Chaplain; Robert W. Husemann, Grand Pursuivant; Alfred E. Ashton, Grand Standard Bearer; Walter F. Simon, Assistant Grand Chaplain; Harold A. Blood, Grand Lodge Physician; Robert H. Starr, Aide to the Grand Master; George E. Enders, Assistant Grand Tiler; Anthony S. Murray, Aide to the Grand Master; James D. Martin, Ill, Grand Sword Bearer.
Voice of Freemasonry Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of D.C. 5428 MacArthur Blvd., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20016 Address Correction Requested
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Grand Lodge History Available in Print The Grand Lodge has printed the continuation of the history of this Grand Lodge in a %-page book which complementsthe publication of the Sesquicentennial History authored by M.W. Brother Ray Baker Harris covering the period 1811-1961. InhisIntroductiontathis work, Grand Historian Carl R. LeVine writes "We have.attemptedto bring to light significant events in the annals of this Grand Lodge." M.W. Brother George R. Adams, says that, "Brother LeVine has effectively patterned his work on the historical contributions of predecessor GrandHistoriansinthis Grand Lodge. He has done so in an innovativemamer, correct1ychronicling those prevailing issues which have so perplexed Freemasons in this Jurisdiction over the course of the past three decades." Copies of this history are available for purchase from the Grand Lodge in two formats: the paper back edition is $10.00, and a hardback edition is $15.00.