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.)