The Voice of Freemasonry | Vol. 22 No. 1

Volume 22, Number 1

AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

A Vision Unfolds

GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF D.C.

Voice of Freemasonry Volume 22, Number 1, 2005 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Leonard Proden, Grand Master MANAGING EDITOR Mansour Hatefi, Grand Secretary

COVER CREDIT An original painting by the artist Peter Waddell entitled “A Vision Unfolds” showing George Washington, Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker with the survey of the District of Columbia on March 28, 1791. This painting is one of 20 original ones done by the same artist that will be on display at the Octagon Museum from

The Voice of Freemasonry is an official publication of

May 18–December 31, 2005.

the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons (F.A.A.M.) of the District of Columbia. Unless otherwise noted, articles appearing in this publication express only the private opinion or assertions of the

Grand Lodge Officers

writer, and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Grand Lodge. The jurisdiction speaks only through the Grand Master and the Executive Board, when attested to as official, in writing, by the Grand Secretary.

The editorial staff invites contributions in the form of informative articles, reports, news and other timely information (of about 500 to 1000 words in length) that broadly relate to Masonic law, lore, customs, history, symbolism, philosophy, responsibility of membership, etiquette, current events, and/or general public interest. When possible, photographs that illustrate these informative articles should accompany the submission. Pieces submitted should be typed, double-spaced and preferably accompanied by a computer disk in a neutral PC format or via e-mail to: grandlodge@dcgrandlodge.org

Articles are subject to editing and, when published, become the property of the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of the District of Columbia. No compensation is allowed for any articles, photographs, or other materials submitted for publication.

Permission to reprint articles will be granted upon written request to the Editor from recognized Masonic publications and others. When reprinted, articles should note: “Reprinted with permission of the Voice of Freemasonry in the Nation’s Capital, (month), (year).”

Please direct all correspondence to:

Leonard Proden...................................................................................Grand Master Albert McNair Smith.................................................................Deputy Grand Master Paul M. Bessel ........................................................................Senior Grand Warden Akram R. Elias .........................................................................Junior Grand Warden Mansour Hatefi, P.G.M. ....................................................................Grand Secretary Robert F. Drechsler, P.G.M. ..............................................................Grand Treasurer Joel R. Kahn .....................................................................................Grand Lecturer Kwame Acquaah .....................................................................Senior Grand Deacon Paul D. Gleason .......................................................................Junior Grand Deacon Jesse Villarreal........................................................................Senior Grand Steward Joseph S. Crociata .................................................................Junior Grand Steward Richard J. Bautista.............................................................................Grand Marshal David A. Balcom ...............................................................................Grand Chaplain Walter F. Simon.....................................................................Deputy Grand Chaplain Daniel D. Darko..................................................................Assistant Grand Chaplain George S. Nicol, Jr.............................................................Assistant Grand Chaplain Bilal M. Raschid .................................................................Assistant Grand Chaplain Randall A. Schoch .............................................................Assistant Grand Chaplain Lemoine V. Dickinson ................................................................Grand Sword Bearer George J. Stoklas ..........................................................................Grand Pursuivant Carl R. LeVine ..................................................................................Grand Historian Sissay Awoke .......................................................................Grand Lodge Physician Gerhard Meinzer......................................................................................Grand Tiler Unal Bener ...............................................................................Assistant Grand Tiler Robert B. Heyat, Honorary P.G.M. ....................................Grand Lodge Ambassador Douglas B. McFadden. ..........................................................Grand Standard Bearer Charbel T. Fahed ...................................................................Deputy Grand Lecturer Sheldon I. Rappeport.............................................................Deputy Grand Lecturer Paul D. Dolinsky................................................................................Grand Organist William D. Means ............................................................Grand Lodge Photographer Leonard L. Merryman......................................................Grand Lodge Photographer Norman Barshai ........................................................Chief Aide to the Grand Master Teko A. Foly.......................................................................Aide to the Grand Master Neal F. Jarvis .....................................................................Aide to the Grand Master Francis S. Nicol .................................................................Aide to the Grand Master C. Richard Weaver .............................................................Aide to the Grand Master Samuel J. Anthony ............................................................Grand Lodge School Tiler

Managing Editor: The Voice of Freemasonry

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5428 MacArthur Blvd., N.W.

Trustees

Washington, DC 20016-2524

Charles S. Iversen ............................................................................................2005 Theodore M. Kahn............................................................................................2006 Stewart W. Miner..............................................................................................2007

GRAND MASTER’S MESSAGE

About the Craft…

Greetings Brethren: I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for bestowing upon me the highest in the gift of Freemasonry — that of being elected and serving as the 151st Grand Master of this outstanding jurisdiction. As the first quarter of M.W. Brother Leonard Proden my service to our 4300 plus members has just ended, the Grand Lodge Officers and I have visited nearly all of our 35 Lodges.

I am pleased to report that we have observed interesting, spirited, meaningful and profound Lodge programs.

This class of Worshipful Masters is one of which we can be proud. They are committed and endowed with a high sense of purpose and responsibility. I have met with them and emphasized that their empowerment as Lodge leaders shapes the future of our jurisdiction and that the Grand Lodge is supportive of them to that end. To their good credit, they are meeting that challenge and establishing positive milieus throughout our jurisdiction.

A question often asked of me is — “Do you have a theme for 2005?” The answer lies in almost everything we do this year. Our focus for this year is on elevating the presence of our gentle Craft with an emphasis on community awareness. Freemasonry was once a very effective and visible force in our Nation’s Capital and its position was directly due to the outstanding character of the men who guided its destiny. The Grand Lodge Officers have instituted a comprehensive plan to attempt to not only regain the prominence and visibility we once had in our City, but to expand the horizon to the national and international level.

Three projects with goals consistent with our plan are currently in place: The Octagon Project This project features the production and exhibition of 20 original paintings by painter, Peter Waddell. It tells the story of the city’s design and emphasizes how Masonry influenced the architecture and history of our Nation’s Capitol.

The Masonic Model Student Assistance Program This program is designed to train school professionals to identify students engaged in high risk social and health behaviors and to link such students and their families to appropriate health and mental health services.

Grand Lodge Scholarship Program This worthy program provides financial assistance to deserving District of Columbia public school students pursuing post high school study at accredited colleges or universities.

These projects allow us to be perceived as a force for good in our community. However, the degree of their success will depend upon us all—the Grand Lodge, its officers and above all its members.

Thus I have but one basic request, and it is simply that we all live up to the fundamental tenets of our Fraternity— Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. If we do, I believe that in both fraternal and daily life we will succeed remarkably well. Do well unto all.

Leonard Proden Grand Master

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GRAND SECRETARY’S MESSAGE

Trust in God and do the Right Mansour Hatefi, Grand Secretary Brethren, Let me begin, as I should, by expressing my deep gratitude for the trust and confidence that you put in me. I am immensely honored to serve as your Grand Secretary, and would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your assistance and support which make my mission more exciting and my job more rewarding.

I must also add that it has been my good fortune to succeed our retiring MWB Stewart Wilson Miner, an outstanding and prominent Mason, who has served this Grand Jurisdiction with dignity, distinction and high probity for so many years, and I am delighted that he continues to serve as Grand Secretary Emeritus, and an invaluable asset for our Fraternity.

The office of the Grand Secretary, amongst other functions, has the responsibility of helping to ensure continuity and maintain harmony. As such it is incumbent on us to pursue a course of action that allows a more inclusive approach that leads to unity and concord by preserving the time honored traditions of the Craft, as well as taking long strides to realize our best laid plans for renewal and progress.

A new spirit is evolving. There is a good feeling among the Brethren that I think we need to build upon. Our Lodges, taking their cue from the Grand Master and encouraged by his policy of empowering the membership at the lodge level, as the real builders of the Craft, are generally putting a noticeable amount of effort and fraternal feeling into their work.

The office of the Grand Secretary, inspired by this momentum and in line with its duties and responsibilities, has initiated plans to strengthen administrative, logistical and technological operations to provide better and more effective service to our Constituent Lodges. Production and distribution of the Grand Lodge Directory in early March, was an early result of such efforts. Plans to upgrade systems and network, design and develop a brand new website and internet service, improve our means and methods of communication, and increase digital reporting and information flow, are also well underway.

We have the tools and we have the experience to grow and move forward. And believing strongly in the value of consultation, cooperation and collaboration, I call on each and everyone of my Brethren to offer their suggestions that can further improve the workings of the Office of the Grand Secretary and share with us their thoughts and ideas on how best to build on the quality of the Craft. I invite all to join hands and work together to better realize the potential of our unique position in the Nation’s Capital. God Bless you all and may God continue to bless America!

Grand Secretaries Conference. Mansour Hatefi is introduced to the Conference by Past Grand Secretaries and Past Conference Presidents Tom Jackson, Pennsylvania, and Stewart W. Miner, District of Columbia

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THE OCTAGON PROJECT

The Octagon Project Akram R. Elias, Chairman Octagon Committee

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n May 18, 2005, the exhibition entitled “The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Freemasonry, and the Architecture of Washington, D.C.” will open at the Octagon Museum. Scheduled to run through December 31, 2005, the exhibit will premiere twenty original paintings depicting the role that the Craft has played in the design and development of our Nation’s Capital. The exhibit will also highlight the contribution of the Craft to education, philanthropy, and architecture in America.

Included in the display will be Masonic objects of historic and symbolic significance to the Craft.

During the exhibit period the Octagon Museum will offer a series of educational lectures focusing on themes such as the “Origins of Freemasonry”, “Masonic Symbolism”, “Famous Masons;” walking tours of Washington’s important Masonic landmarks; and musical and cultural events, all open to the general public.

Exhibition in Octagon Museum:“The Light of Reason”, George Washington Masonic National Memorial, May 12, 1932.

Peter Waddell, 2005

This project offers an extraordinary opportunity for all Masons to make a difference in our community. What can you do?

Spread the Word The Grand Secretary’s Office has rack cards (designed specifically for display in public places such as libraries, places of worship, hotels, etc.) at your disposal. Ask yourself the following questions: • Is there a place for displaying these cards at my work place?

• Can I display these at my place of worship?

• Am I a member of an association, a club, or a civic group where I can put these cards on display?

• Is there a public library in my neighborhood where I can place these cards?

If you can answer yes to any or all of the above questions,

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THE OCTAGON PROJECT

Exhibition in Octagon Museum: Laying of the Cornerstone at the Washington Monument, July 4, 1842. Peter Waddell, 2005

what are you waiting for? Grab the cards from the Grand Secretary’s Office and put them out there for all to see!

Participate in Scheduled Activities This project presents your Lodge with a great opportunity to increase its visibility and therefore its service to the community. What can the Lodge do?

1. Chose a day/time to visit the exhibit as a Lodge activity and invite as many of your personal friends who may be interested in the fraternity to join you there. They will not regret it! Your Lodge may also consider sponsoring their admission.

2. Attend one or more of the lectures on Freemasonry

as another type of Lodge activity and invite as many of your friends to join you. All lectures will take place at the beautiful House of the Temple!

3. Participate in one of the walking or bus tours which are also offered as part of this project and invite your friends to join you.

Plan Your Own Special Event You may also think about approaching the organization, association, place of worship or club that you belong to and discuss with them the possibility of presenting a program on Freemasonry in conjunction with the exhibit and its related activities.We have several speakers who will be ready to heed the call.

Octagon Museum Exhibit Hours When: Open Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Mondays) Time: From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Where: 1799 New York Avenue, NW (intersection of 18th Street, E Street, and New York Avenue, N.W.; two blocks from The White House) Admission Fee: $5.00 per person; $3.00 for students and seniors The Voice of Freemasonry

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Website: www.theoctagon.org

THE OCTAGON PROJECT

Walking Tours A Washington Wonder: John Russell Pope’s House of the Temple Where: House of the Temple, 1733 16th Street When: June 4, July 9 and Sept 10 Time: 10: a.m. – Noon Fee: $7.00 AAF members and Freemasons; $10.00 nonmembers Focus: Discover in this behind-the-scenes guided tour the hidden beauty and symbolism of this magnificent structure designed after one of the seven wonders of the ancient world!

George Washington’s Other Monument!

Where: The George Washington Masonic National Memorial When: June 11, July 16 and September 17 Time: 10:00 a.m. – Noon Fee: $7.00 AAF members and Freemasons; $10.00 nonmembers Focus: Tour of an incredible monument to President George Washington, a Freemason. An appreciation of a magnificent building whose unique architecture and interior is filled with Masonic treasures.

The Artist Peter Waddell, the artist who produced the paintings for display at the Octagon Museum, was born in Hastings, New Zealand, in 1955. A member of a family of voracious readers, Waddell never allowed New Zealand’s remoteness to be an obstacle to his imagination. He began his professional life as a school teacher, but in 1986 he left that profession to devote himself full time to art. Critically acclaimed from the beginning, Waddell has had numerous solo shows in New Zealand and the United States.

His work is in public and private collections in both countries. Drawn to the art and culture of America, Peter Waddell has been a permanent resident of this country since 1995. In completing the paintings for the exhibit at the Octagon Museum, Waddell worked closely with Masons associated with the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia and the affiliated bodies of Masonry in Washington, D.C. Exhibition in Octagon Museum: “Reward in the Celestial Lodge”, Potomac Lodge by the Canal in Georgetown, 1886. Peter Waddell, 2005

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THE OCTAGON PROJECT

Bus Tour The Initiated Eye: A Symbolic Journey Where: Meet at the corner of 14th and I Streets, NW (McPherson Square Metro Station on the blue/orange lines) Date: June 18, July 23 and September 24 Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Fee: $10.00 per person (lunch is NOT included) Join tour director, Akram R. Elias, Junior Grand Warden, Grand Lodge of Free And Accepted Masons of Washington, DC on a tour highlighting the Masonic symbolism of some of the major landmarks of the Nation’s Capital. The tour includes stops at The White House, Capitol, Washington National Cathedral, and the FDR Memorial.

Gallery Talks The Initiated Eye: An Introduction Where: The Octagon, 1799 New York Avenue, NW When: Saturdays, beginning May 21, 2005 Time: 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Fee: Free with museum admission Focus: Have you ever wondered about one of the world’s most ancient and secretive societies? Join a knowledgeable Freemason to learn the history of freemasonry and train your eye to see what others cannot.

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THE OCTAGON PROJECT

May - June Lecture Series Have you wondered about one of the world’s most ancient and secretive societies? What are those mysteries that the “initiated eye” can see and that others cannot? Join us for this 5-part lecture series exploring the history, symbolism, architecture and material culture of the Freemasons.

Where: House of the Temple, 1733 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009 Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Admission Fee: Individual lecture: $7.00 AAF members/Freemasons; $10.00 nonmembers All five lectures: $28.00 AAF members/Freemasons; $40.00 nonmembers

Lecture No. 1 Unveiling the Masonic Symbolism of Washington D.C. Date: May 26, 2005 Speaker: Akram R. Elias, Junior Grand Warden, Grand Lodge of Free And Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia Focus: Why was the District of Columbia originally designed as a perfect square? What is the significance of the Washington Monument? Do you really see what you’re seeing? In this lecture, Mr. Elias will unveil the hidden symbolism that only the initiated eye can discern.

Focus: Did Freemasonry originate with the pharos of Egypt, the stone guilds of medieval Europe, or with aliens? Dr. Morris will discuss the myths and facts associated with the origins of the oldest fraternity in western civilization.

Lecture No. 4 A Secret Brotherhood: Famous Masons Date: June 16, 2005 Speaker: To Be Announced Focus: What do George Washington, Mozart, Teddy Roosevelt, and John Philip Souza, share in common?

Lecture No. 5 Lecture No. 2 The Secret and the Sublime: The Philosophy of Masonic Symbolism Date: June 2, 2005 Speaker: W. Kirk MacNulty, Past Master of The Lodge of Nine Muses No. 1776; Grand Representative of the United Grand Lodge of England Focus: What lies behind the symbols of Freemasonry? How do the tools and emblems of the fraternity relate to the concept of enlightenment and self improvement? Mr. MacNulty, a renowned authority on this topic, will take you on a journey of discovery of the “initiated eye.”

Lecture No. 3 Pharos, Knights or Druids: The Origins of Freemasonry

Heresy and Treasure: The Templar Tradition in Freemasonry Date: June 23, 2005 Speaker: Pierre G. “Pete” Normand, Jr., Board of Directors, Scottish Rite Research Society Focus: Why are there Templar Degrees in Freemasonry? Did the Knights of the Temple of King Solomon, otherwise known as the Knights Templar, found Freemasonry? Mr. Normand will discuss the connection that exists between the society of the Freemasons and the chivalric military order of the Knights Templar.

Note: A similar series of lectures will be presented in October - November 2005

Date: June 9, 2005 Speaker: S. Brent Morris, Ph.D., Managing Editor of the Scottish Rite Journal, Supreme Council, Ancient And Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, S.J. The Voice of Freemasonry

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CONFERENCE OF GRAND MASTERS IN CALGARY

Grand Lodge Participates in Conference of Grand Masters in Calgary Paul M. Bessel, Senior Grand Warden

E

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ach year since the 1920’s the Grand Masters of all the jurisdictions in the United States have gathered for an informal meeting. After a few decades the Grand Masters of Canadian Grand Lodges, plus a few others, attended, and since 1929 the Grand Secretaries have met at the same time and place as the Grand Masters.

In recent years other Grand Lodge officers have also participated. This year, in February 2005, the conferences were held in Calgary, in the Canadian Province of Alberta. The Conference Chairman was Ron Bélanger, the Grand Master of Maryland.

Grand Warden Akram R. Elias, Grand Secretary Mansour Hatefi, and Grand Tiler Gerhard Meinzer. Past Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia who were present included Stewart W. Miner, Jerold J. Samet, Robert B. Heyat, and Robert H. Starr.

Also in the District of Columbia group were Michael L. Dixon and Gary C. Cooper, Jr., Past Master and current Junior Warden of Hiram-Takoma Lodge No. 10, respectively.

Our Grand Lodge was represented by Grand Master Leonard Proden, Deputy Grand Master Albert McNair Smith, Senior Grand Warden Paul M. Bessel, Junior

The Conference of Grand Masters does not have the authority to impose any policies on any Grand Lodge.

But it is significant in that it provides a forum in which

Neighborly Grand Masters, MWB John R. Quinly, Grand Lodge of Virginia, MWB Leonard Proden of District of Columbia, and Roland G. Bélanger, Grand Lodge of Maryland

CONFERENCE OF GRAND MASTERS IN CALGARY

L to R: Colette Granstein, Akram R. Elias, JGW, RWB Nat Granstein, Assistant Grand Master Grande Loge Nationale Francaise, Stewart W. Miner, Grand Secretary Emeritus and Grand Master Leonard Proden preparing to enjoy the social.

Grand Lodge representatives may share information about evolving Masonic policies and activities. This year we learned about a new high-tech program that California is using to encourage membership solicitation by non-Masons.

Per our custom the Grand Lodge of D.C. hosted a social for the benefit of the representatives of sister Grand Lodges prior to the Grand Secretaries Banquet.

Moreover, D.C, Masons again played leading roles in the breakout sessions and in the committee meetings of the conferences. Finally, our Grand Master, in a masterful presentation of the upcoming Octagon Project, created widespread inter-jurisdictional interest in that effort.

Paul Bessel, SGW, conducting a seminar on alternative proficiencies.

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DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL

Grand Chaplain Awarded Distinguished Service Medal O

ur latest recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal of the Grand Lodge is Brother David A. Balcom, Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge for the past seven years.

Distinguished Service Medal The highest award presented to a Master Mason in the Jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia for outstanding service to this Grand Lodge over a period of years. Awarded by a vote of the Grand Lodge at its Annual Convention

David was raised in William R. Singleton Lodge 49 years ago and is currently a member of William R. Singleton-HopeLebanon lodge No. 7.

He is also a member of the Royal Arch, The Scottish Rite, in which he holds the 33° Honorary, the Royal Order of Scotland, and the Red Cross of Constantine.

Brother Balcom is a graduate of Wilson High in the District of Columbia, Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College), and of the Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., in which institution he is now an emeritus member of the Board of Governors.

David served the Virginia Conference of the Methodist Church for 40 years prior to his retirement in 1997, when he was the Senior Minister at Trinity United Methodist Church in McLean, Virginia. During his ministry he served a number of churches in Virginia as pastor and for six years he served as District

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Superintendent of the Ashland District of his church.

He and his wife, Jean, now serve as co-presidents of the Association of Retired Ministers and Spouses, a 1700-member organization of the United Methodist Church, in Virginia.

David A. Balcom, Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge

David and Jean have been married for nearly 49 years.

They are the parents of three daughters: Daean Balcom Menke, Jean-Marlene Balcom Dixon, and Kathreen Balcom Puryear. Their daughters and their husbands, in turn, have presented David and Jean with six granddaughters and one grandson.

The Distinguished Service Medal was presented to David at the Installation Communication of the Grand Lodge in December 2004 by William E. Chaney, Jr., Past Grand Master, and Chairman of the Grand Lodge Awards Committee.

VALENTINE REINTZEL MEDALS

Presentation of

Valentine Reintzel Medals T

he “Voice” takes pleasure in extending congratulations to the most recent recipients of the Valentine Reintzel Medal recipients Brothers Nat Granstein, Assistant Grand Master in the Grande Loge Nationale Francaise, Samuel T. Atkinson, and Dean S. Clatterbuck. These presentations were made in 2004 by the then Grand Master, Gordon Lee Ferguson. The exceptional worthiness of these recipients is clearly indicated by citations read at the presentations by Grand Master Ferguson

Nat Granstein In his presentation to Nat Granstein the Grand Master noted that in 1988 the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia had struck this medal to honor its first Grand Master, Most Worshipful Valentine Reintzel. At that time it was decreed that every presiding Grand Master should have, during his term in office, the privilege of presenting one of these medals to a non-D.C. Mason. Those presentations, he declared, have always been to men of distinction, to men of impeccable character, and to men who have, by their service to others, in an out of the Craft, earned the respect and admiration of mankind.

The Grand Master was pleased to continue that tradition by awarding another Valentine Reintzel Medal. For the first time ever, however, this award was being made to a Mason whose primary allegiance is to a European Grand Lodge. It was made in recognition of the status of one whose zeal for truth and justice, not only in his beloved France, but world-wide as well, is unquestioned.

Granstein, he declared was a man who adheres to rule and line, and ceaselessly labors to protect and extend the concept of regularity in the Craft.

Nat Granstein, the Grand Master stated, is a member of what we call in this country, “the greatest generation,” a generation in which men and women gave their all in an effort to return the world from darkness to light after World War II. Nat was there. He was also there for the rekindling of light in Grand Lodges that were darkened during the years of strife. And he has been there, consistently, whenever his Grand Lodge has deemed it wise, to carry the light of the Craft abroad.

The Grand Master also took note of the work that Nat has done in our Grand Secretaries Conference. As a matter of fact he has, he declared, attended more sessions of the Conference of Grand Secretaries in North America than any member, past or present, of that Conference.

As he pinned the Valentine Reintzel Medal on the lapel of Nat’s coat, the Grand Master stated that Nat Granstein was a man of vision, a man of integrity, a man of principle. “To us,” he declared, “he is a modern La Fayette, and we claim him, at least Masonically, as one of our own.” God bless you, Nat. May your contributions to Masonry, here and abroad, proclaim forever your fervor for justice and righteousness.

Samuel Thomas Atkinson Last year Grand Master Ferguson recognized Sam Atkinson as a distinguished Mason whose record of service to the Craft knows no bounds, noting his many Masonic affiliations in Virginia and in the District of Columbia, where he holds membership in Federal Lodge No. 1.

Valentine Reintzel Medal (First Grand Master in the District of Columbia) Awarded at the discretion of the Grand Master to three Master Masons, two in the District of Columbia and one in a sister jurisdiction. Awarded in recognition by the Grand Master for service to the Fraternity by the honorees for devotion, loyalty and zeal toward the Craft and their Brother Masons.

That Sam has been an active Mason is indicated, according to Grand Master Ferguson, by his record of service, noting that Sam has served as Worshipful Master of Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 219, John Blair Lodge No. 187, Archer Bailey Gay Lodge No. 275, and A. Douglas Smith Lodge of Research No. 1949. He has also recorded long terms of service as secretary of Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 219 and Archer Baily Gay Lodge No. 275.

Sam’s diligence as a Mason has earned him a number of Grand Lodge appointments in Virginia where he served as District Deputy Grand Master for District 1B in 1997 and for the Research Lodges of Virginia in 2000. In 1993-94 he also served as Deputy Grand Secretary for Grand Master Werner Morlock and as Grand Director of Ceremonies for Grand Master George Chapin in 1999. This year, in 2004, he served this Grand Lodge as a trusted special assistant to the Grand Master.

Sam was initiated into staff work at the Grand Lodge level by serving on the planning staff of Grand Master Stewart The Voice of Freemasonry

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VALENTINE REINTZEL MEDALS

W. Miner in the years leading up to the latter’s service as Grand Master in 1974. That experience led to similar appointment by a number of other aspiring officers in the Grand Lodge of Virginia, including Grand Masters William C. Vaughan, Seymour J. Levy, L. Douglas Delano, Charles E. Wallace, and Werner Herman Morlock.

The quality of his work and his devotion to duty led in due time to recognition by the Supreme Forest of the Tall Cedars of Lebanon. Outstanding performance in his local forest, Temple No. 136, in Alexandria, soon led to appointed office in the Supreme Forest, where like excellence of performance eventually led him to the coveted position of Supreme Grand Tall Cedar. Thereafter he served a number of terms as the Supreme Scribe of that body.

Sam has always been a supporter of D.C. Masonry. He was a part of the group that worked under Grand Master Miner to secure concurrent jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia and the Grand Lodge of Virginia in a significant sector of northern Virginia. Moreover he has been a tireless worker in assisting Virginia residents, residing outside the area of concurrent jurisdiction, to obtain waivers preliminary to taking the degrees in this jurisdiction.

Finally, Sam’s service this year, especially in preparing for the testimonial in honor of our Grand Secretary, has been truly outstanding. For all of this, Grand Master Ferguson declared, it was a pleasure, indeed, to award his good friend and brother, Worshipful Samuel T. Atkinson, the Valentine Reintzel Medal of this Grand Lodge.

Dean S. Clatterbuck Grand Master Ferguson was no less laudatory of the Masonic achievements of Dean S. Clatterbuck, a member of the Grand Secretary’s staff. Dean was born in the old Sibley Memorial Hospital on North Capitol Street on March 28, 1937. Following his graduation from McKinley Technical High School, he attended The George Washington University and The George Washington University School of Law, where he received his LL.B. degree in 1963.

Shortly thereafter he was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar. He is currently admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Military Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

After law school Dean accepted employment with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, beginning as a contract negotiator in the The Voice of Freemasonry

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Procurement Division and finishing his eight-and-a- halfyear tenure at Goddard as their Congressional and Labor Relations Officer. His Goddard years encompassed the end of the Mercury Program through the flight of Apollo 15. After a four-year term as the Executive Director of his law fraternity, Delta Theta Phi, he returned to government service as a civilian attorney with the United States Naval Security Group Command in Washington, where he served for 25 years. He retired from government service in 2000 with almost 34 years of service.

Worshipful Brother Clatterbuck was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in Myron M. Parker Lodge No. 27, where he served as Worshipful Master in 1970 and again in 1974, when he helped coordinate the consolidation of that Lodge into Potomac Lodge No. 5. In 1983, following the sudden death of the Lodge secretary, Brother Clatterbuck assumed the duties of that office. In that capacity he is now completing 20 years of service.

Brother Clatterbuck received his Scottish Rite degrees in the Spring Class in1960. He is also a member of William R. Singleton Chapter No. 4 and Washington-Potomac Chapter No. 8, R.A.M.; Potomac Commandery No. 3, K.T.; an honorary member of Old Dominion Chapter No. 364, National Sojourners; the Royal Order of Scotland; and St. Simeon Stylites Conclave, Red Cross of Constantine. Brother Clatterbuck is the Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Queensland, Australia, near our Grand Lodge.

Brother Clatterbuck has served on a number of Grand Lodge committees and he is presently completing his 10th year as chairman of the Grand Lodge Grievances Committee. He is also a Past Worthy Patron in the Eastern Star and he is at this time chairman of the Grand Trustees of the Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, in the District of Columbia.

In February, 2001, he joined the staff of the Grand Secretary’s Office and has since been employed there on full-time basis. In 2002, he spearheaded the revision and expansion of the Secretary’s Handbook originally written and issued by Most Worshipful Stewart W. Miner, PGM. He has also written a number of articles appearing in recent issues of The Voice of Freemasonry.

In recognition of his continued devotion, dedication and zealous support of our Grand Lodge and our members, the Grand Master declared that he took great pride in presenting the Valentine Reintzel Medal of this Grand Lodge to his good friend and brother, Worshipful Brother Dean S. Clatterbuck.

THE EXPERIENCE OF MASONRY AS A TRANSFORMATIONAL ART

The Experience of Masonry as a Transformational Art

Robert G. Davis, Past Master Guildhall Lodge No. 553, Oklahoma

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have given much thought over the past 20 years to the state of Masonry in America. To be sure, the success or failure of our organization is almost wholly based on the Symbolic Lodge, and the experience a Brother receives there. A global review of successful lodge models clearly shows us there are at least two models of success in the Masonic culture.

There are, for example, thriving lodges in America which stay focused on delivering Masonry with a well-rounded agenda. These lodges characteristically provide accurate ritual work, meaningful charitable activities, visible community services, regular family and social activities, and an adequate fraternal experience for their members.

Successful lodges do this consistently year after year.

Lodges that are increasing in membership in the United States typically do these things better than most.

But there are also lodges whose success is focused only on Masonry as a fraternal experience; one in which meaningful tools for personal improvement and spiritual development are consistently delivered to members month-in and month-out. Such lodges are centered on what we might call the “inner work,” in which the appeal is wholly fraternal and carried out in privacy, with little public visibility. In America, we think of these as “traditional practices” lodges.

Let me say that I fully support and encourage the first model of success for the overall American culture, as it is the one that gives us public presence and credibility and offers our members the opportunity to practice without the lodge what they learn in it. It is the lodge experience that the Masonic Renewal Committee of North America has claimed will be attractive to a significant number of American men.

Having said this, however, it is the second model of success that will be the focus of this paper because I am convinced that men in the 19 to 35 year-old-range are interested in organizations that are centered on education, spiritual development, and fraternity. And it is this segment of our population that will most likely determine if Masonry will survive or die as an American institution over the next few years.

I have done some serious soul-searching about our claim that the most important purpose of our Order is to take good men and make them better; in large part because we fail miserably in our effort to create and protect the setting

within which this process can occur—the sacred space of the tiled lodge. To me, meeting on the level implies that there is a place where, in fact, no invidious distinctions exist; a place where there is no basis for envy or jealousy; a place where there is no need for power or control; a place where there is no impulse for influence or manipulation; no motive for condescension and patronizing; a place wherein there is no presumption that we will duplicate there the behaviors and attitudes that may prevail outside of it.

Yet, in lodge after lodge; in Grand Lodge after Grand Lodge, we typically find that the normal characteristics of human behavior remain the same within the tiled recesses as without them. My Brethren, if the normal failings of humanity do not stay outside the lodge, then how can we claim to offer a different space within it? How do we deliver on our promise that wisdom dwells in contemplation, that the genius of the Mystic Art presides over our assemblies, and that we are practicing our operative craft only when we are gathered together in a sacred space set aside and consecrated specifically for that purpose?

To me, meeting on the level implies that there is a place where, in fact, no invidious distinctions exist; a place where there is no basis for envy or jealousy; a place where there is no need for power or control; a place where there is no impulse for influence or manipulation; no motive for condescension and patronizing; a place wherein there is no presumption that we will duplicate there the behaviors and attitudes that may prevail outside of it.

Those of us who are active in our communities and are known as Masons and those of us who work in Masonic buildings which offer daily public tours frequently get the chance to talk with many non-Masons. In those conversations we find a surprising number of young men asking questions about Masonry. Many of these men, particularly those who have done some website surfing, have already formulated an opinion about us. Thus they often come into Masonry knowing more about it than we do. They have read all the anti-Mason rhetoric that is out there. They have sifted through the good and the bad, and have independently concluded that Freemasonry is a venue for truth-seeking; a vehicle for self development; a quest for the spiritual.

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THE EXPERIENCE OF MASONRY AS A TRANSFORMATIONAL ART

It is when we decided to become a popular organization that permits anyone to be a member, rather than accepting only those who are duly and truly prepared as instructed by our rituals, that we lost the segment of the male culture that could help us the most and sustain us in every generation. It is, after all, the man who has prepared himself to accept responsibility for his own actions who is also prepared for any kind of constructive learning about himself.

Many young men are coming into our Order with expectations of discovery and personal improvement. What they too often find is an organization where old men with old ideas rule; where little happens of substance; where 90% of the members are unseen and inactive; and where behaviors practiced in lodge are remarkable only in their mediocrity and collective lack of understanding in both its organizational purpose and its relevance to the individual.

These realities have led me to become increasingly resistant to the usual lodge culture that we offer in America. I am increasingly fearful that if we do not change our vision and behaviors of what we are supposed to do in lodge, we will run the risk of having to compete with newly created forms of Freemasonry which will likely deliver an even more fragmented system of fraternity with no uniform principles, one that operates from a ritual base of no lineage and promotes practices that are different than what our Founding Fathers envisioned in our Renaissance and Enlightenment era beginnings.

In my judgment, there is an enormous threat to recognized and legitimate Freemasonry today which is being facilitated by electronic communication. The Internet, for all of its advantages of networking, has the potential of organizing an entire generation of young seekers into a form of Masonry that knows no Grand Lodge, which operates independently from any collective system of sanctioning, and which will ultimately offer an inadequate model of stability to enable it to survive longer than most other American fads.

This is not a valid or responsible approach to improvement.

We are the trustees of a timeless model of improvement for men. Our job is not to light a new torch, but to carry the torch of the old way to the next generation of men. We have a heritage and a lineage which is ours alone because we have earned our own position within it from a legitimate constitutional base.

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The point then which I want to raise with you today is this— there is nothing inherently wrong with Freemasonry. It is only because we have stopped seeing Masonry as a transformative art that we have stopped being successful as

Masons. It is only when we stopped the dialogue of sharing the meanings and interpretations of our allegories in lodge as a collective practice of lodge that we lost our understanding of Masonry. It is only when we stopped offering the right model for fraternal role modeling to our younger members, one that provides meaningful generational connections to them, that we became less attractive to the largely fatherless culture in our society.

It is only when we stopped seeing the lodge as a vehicle for facilitating the ideals and needs of men, rather than forcing men to be suppliants to the lodge, that we lost the essential motivation for joining. It is only when we stopped creating social and leadership venues that offered valuable connections between generations of men that we became irrelevant in their eyes. It is only when we stopped creating meaningful legislation in our Grand Lodges, when we stopped making the kinds of adaptations which may bring us progress, and when we replaced progressive opportunities with meaningless rules, that we became too self-serving to be interactive with the larger society.

It is when we decided to become a popular organization that permits anyone to be a member, rather than accepting only those who are duly and truly prepared as instructed by our rituals, that we lost the segment of the male culture that could help us the most and sustain us in every generation. It is, after all, the man who has prepared himself to accept responsibility for his own actions who is also prepared for any kind of constructive learning about himself.

When a candidate knocks on the door of a Masonic lodge, he is standing at the threshold of his own consciousness.

Beyond that door, he should find a Temple of Enlightenment. And everything he does therein, every symbol he encounters, every pause he takes, every process he witnesses through the degrees of Masonry from that point forward should enhance his increased awareness, his levels of consciousness, and his transformation as a more enlightened human and spiritual being.

Brother Kirk MacNulty perhaps defined this concept best in his wonderful book; The Way of the Craftsman that the craft communicates two notions—first that mankind is made in the image of God and, second, that each of us reflects the structure of the universe.

So, we have to understand that every lodge is a group of men who come together for the purpose of carrying out certain kinds of magical work. The lodge experience is defined by the space which it creates, by its patterns of symbols and ideas, by its music and lighting, by its understanding of its legends and its psychological structure.

Traditional practices lodges understand the lodge space itself, and that the work done there is done in secret; and through this discipline of secrecy, it creates for its group a “space between worlds.”

THE EXPERIENCE OF MASONRY AS A TRANSFORMATIONAL ART

The lodge, because of its consecration and structure, becomes a receptacle of mental and spiritual health. It provides the path or way of contemplation. It is a healing place because of the purification of its space; and the men working within such a place are doing inner work together. It is a place where only peace and harmony is known because each man within the group is building a temple to God and he knows that is what he is doing. Every participant knows it is his edifice of consciousness and wisdom, in which, he himself, is the building stone. We cannot smooth the rough ashlar, we cannot square this stone, we cannot make it fit in the Temple without the awareness that this is the work we are doing; that the lodge is the stage, the studio, the working floor, the trestle board for such work.

My Brethren, I can assure you that when you create such

a place, and when you bring the right men into this space, and you stay focused on the individual and his experience, your rituals will awaken magical energies both within you and within your lodge setting. Your group can literally charge with extraordinary power what is otherwise an ordinary space and transform your lodge into the transformational center that it can and should be.

Note: These remarks were excised and condensed from the text of a major address presented by the author, Robert G. Davis, in Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15 on February 9, 2005.

Edinburgh Pilgrimage I

n early February a number of D.C. Masons, holding membership in Sojourner-Kilwinning Lodge No. 1798, along with Grand Master, Leonard Proden, flew to Scotland to attend the Semi-Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. Included in the group that made the flight, in addition to the Grand Master, were Brothers Solomon Jackson, Christopher Taylor, Robert Macauley, Alwyn Taylor, Roland Timity, Eben Ojukulu Macauley, Sydney Warne, Prince Deigh, Arthur Ben-Carew, Fredie Pratt-Davies, Herbert Taylor, and Roland Beckley.

Visit to the Grand Lodge of Scotland by Master and members of Sojourner Kilwinning Lodge No. 1798

While in Edinburgh the group had the opportunity to also visit Roman Eagle Lodge No. 160 and Lodge Abbotsford No. 937, where they were able to see the members of those lodges demonstrate their work, respectively, in the first and second degrees. Both of these visitations were concluded with ceremonies centering on the festive board, where there was an abundance of good food, drink, and fellowship.

The highlight of the trip was the communication of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, where the business of the day was handled with decorum and despatch, starting with the ceremonial procession of the Grand Lodge Officers

into the Grand Lodge. Thereafter the Grand Master of Scotland welcomed the sojourners present and extended the floor to Grand Master Proden, who in his remarks stated that he was present because of them (i.e., members of Sojourner Kilwinning Lodge).ĂŽ At that time the D.C. contingent was afforded a standing ovation.

The trip was an unquestionable success in that it strengthened the bonds of affection that link the members of Sojourner-Kilwinning Lodge to all others who have an affection for and respect of Scottish Masonic traditions.

Having done so it probably was but the first in a series of like visitations in the future.

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THE FOUNDATION OF TOLERANCE IS UNDERSTANDING

The Foundation of Tolerance is

Understanding Bilal M. Raschid, PM Assistant Grand Chaplain The events of September 11, 2001, now commonly known as 9/11, shocked us as has no other event since the end of World War II. Those events subsequently generated a great deal of debate and discussion about Islam and the beliefs of the millions of Muslim people in the world. In no group has interest in this matter been keener than it has been among men united by the teachings of Freemasonry.

of the most renowned and earliest translator of the Quran, says: “It deserves to be noted that the lives of Muslims are to be sacrificed not only to stop their own

Freemasonry within the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia has become a mirror of the America which has become a “nation of nations.” The members of the Grand Lodge here represent many nationalities and almost all the religions of the world. But to assume that this diversity will, by itself, remove ignorance, as it pertains to faiths and creeds, or automatically insure toleration, would be a mistake. Understanding requires knowledge.

Hence we should never lose sight of the fact that when a man begins his journey into Masonry, he is told that by the exercise of Brotherly Love he is to regard the whole human species as one family. Compare this admonition with what God says in the Quran, the Muslim Holy Book: “Surely We have created you of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other; surely the most honorable of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is most righteous.”

The reverence with which all the great prophets who preceded Mohammed are regarded in the Holy Quran is clearly the reason that Muslims always speak of other prophets and religions with great respect. In the Quran one reads, for example, that: “We gave Moses the Book and We sent Apostles after him, one after another…We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear arguments and strengthened him with the holy spirit.” Again with respect to tolerance and understanding, the Muslim is specifically admonished to: “Let not one people laugh at another people, perchance they may be better than they.”

The earliest example of religious freedom may be seen in Chapter 22 of the Quran, wherein God says: “And had there not been Allah’s repelling some people by others, certainly there would have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques in which Allah’s name is much remembered.”

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In a footnote to this verse, Maulana Mohammed Ali, one

“O mankind! We created you from a single pair, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly the most honored of you in God’s sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-knowing, All-Aware.” Quran, 49:13

persecution by their opponents and to save their own mosques, but to save churches, synagogues, and cloisters as well—in fact, to establish perfect religious freedom. The mosques, though they are the places where the name of Allah is remembered most of all, come in for their share of protection even after the churches and the synagogues—such is the tolerant attitude of Islam to other religions.”

A wonderful example of tolerance and reverence for other faiths is provided by a historical incident which is not well known even among Muslims, and is mentioned in Art of Islam-Language and Meaning by Titus Burckhardt. When the prophet Mohammed conquered Mecca, he went to purify what is now Islam’s holiest shrine, the Kaaba. As he destroyed the idols and the paintings and frescos of gods and goddesses inside the holy shrine, he saw on the wall a representation of the Holy Virgin and Child. He placed

THE FOUNDATION OF TOLERANCE IS UNDERSTANDING

both his hands on this icon and ordered that all the others be effaced. The icon of the Virgin was preserved until destroyed by a fire decades later. It will be of interest to note that the Kaaba was built by the Prophet Abraham, and that Muslims all over the world say their prayers facing the Kaaba, five times a day.

One of the most beautiful chapters of the Holy Quran is titled “Maryam” (Mary). It contains the narration of the virgin birth of Christ. God says: “O Mary! Surely Allah has chosen you and purified you and chose you above all the women of the world.” Again in the same chapter, God says: “There are among the People of the Book [Jews and Christians] upstanding nations that recite the message of God and worship throughout the night, who believe in God, who order honor and forbid dishonor and hasten to do good works. These are the righteous.”

Professor Muqtedar Khan of Adrian College in Michigan pointed out in an article in The Washington Post that Islam was sent as a mercy to humanity, and not as an ideology of terror or hatred. To which can be added the comment of Karen Armstrong (a former Roman Catholic nun and author of many books on Islam). She points out that the very word “Islam,” which means “surrender,” is related to the Arabic “salam”, or peace. She notes further that when the Prophet Mohammed brought the inspired scripture known as the Quran to the Arabs in the early 7th century A.D., a major part of his mission was devoted precisely to bringing an end to the kind of mass slaughter we witnessed on 9/11.

References to war and fighting occur in many chapters of the Quran. It has become common practice among the critics and commentators of Islam to take them selectively and out of context, thus deliberately giving a distorted picture of Islamic teachings. The “early” verses, which belong to the Medinan period, and speak of killing and fighting, were in the context of the wars that the enemies of the Prophet Mohammed were waging against him and the new converts. It was in this context that God gave him permission to fight and defend himself and his community.

God teaches Muslims that “if they [the enemies of the Muslims] desist, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”

As stated above, Muslims were permitted only to fight in defense of their faith and to rectify injustices imposed upon them. Even then, very strict rules of combat were later prescribed by the Prophet Mohammed and his successor Caliphs, to protect non-combatants, women, children, and even plants and trees!

What, then, is the cause of the anger and hatred of the terrorists? It is partly rooted in the second most important teaching of Islam—the concept of justice in its fullest

sense. As Majid Khadduri says: “Second only to the existence of the One God, no other religious or moral principles are more emphasized in the Quran and Traditions than the principles of uprightness, equity, and temperance, partly because of their intrinsic value but mainly because of the reaction against the pre-Islamic social order which paid little or no attention to justice.”

The causes of pathological hatred, bigotry, and intolerance that lead to personality disorders which cause aggressiveness, violence, and cruelty are very complex. But those who have studied and researched the subject mention in their writings that ignorance is very much a contributory factor.

Three factors appear to exacerbate Muslim anger toward the United States. First, many Muslims believe that they live under unjust, despotic regimes supported by the American government; second, they believe that their human rights are violated in that they are unable to “stand up and speak the truth in the face of the tyrant;” and, third, they believe that their fortunes are aggravated by the treatment of the Palestinian people. Nevertheless, there is nothing in the teachings of Islam, historically or otherwise, that encourages or promotes “terror” as a means to bring about a just society.

As the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al Sheik, said in an oration on the occasion of the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca very recently: “Islam has forbidden violence in all its forms.... You must know Islam’s firm stance against all these terrible crimes which have been attributed to it.... The world must know that Islam is the religion of peace and mercy and goodness; it is the religion of justice and guidance. It is a religion that prohibits all forms of injustice and the shedding of blood without genuine reason.” In an earlier report in The Washington Post the same Grand Mufti was reported as saying in the same speech that “those who claimed to be holy warriors were an affront to the faith.”

The causes of pathological hatred, bigotry, and intolerance that lead to personality disorders which cause aggressiveness, violence, and cruelty are very complex.

But those who have studied and researched the subject mention in their writings that ignorance is very much a contributory factor. The only way to attempt to remove the deep-rooted prejudices of the human mind is through a knowledge and understanding of other peoples, their beliefs, cultures, and traditions.

As our Illustrious Brother Albert Pike says in Morals and Dogma: “Birth, place, and education give us our faith: Few believe in any religion because they have examined the evidences of its authenticity, and made up a formal

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THE FOUNDATION OF TOLERANCE IS UNDERSTANDING

judgment, upon weighing the testimony. Not one man in ten thousand knows anything about the proofs of his faith. We believe what we are taught; and those are most fanatical who know least of the evidences on which their creed is based.”

Pike further states: “Therefore it is she [Masonry which] teaches her votaries that toleration is one of the chief duties of every good Mason, a component part of that charity without which we are mere hollow images of true Masons, mere sounding brass and tinkering cymbals.”

“No man truly obeys the Masonic law who merely tolerates those whose religious opinions are opposed to his own. Merely to tolerate, to bear with an opposing opinion, is to assume it to be heretical; and assert the right to persecute, if we would; and claim on toleration of it as a merit. The Mason’s creed goes further than that—it holds that each man is absolutely sovereign as to his own

belief, and that belief is a matter absolutely foreign to all who do not entertain the same belief;—and God is the only magistrate that can rightfully decide between them.

To that great Judge, Masonry refers the matter; and opening wide its portals, it invites to enter there and live in peace and harmony, the Protestant, the Catholic, the Jew, the Moslem; every man who will lead a truly virtuous and moral life, loves his brethren, ministers to the sick and distressed, and believes in the ONE. All-Powerful, AllWise, everywhere-Present God, Architect, Creator, and Preserver of all things…”

Understanding is, after all, the foundation of tolerance!

Reprinted, edited for publication in The Voice of Freemasonry, with permission from the spring 2004 Plumbline, a quarterly newsletter of the Scottish Rite Research Society.

Portrait Unveiling Perry Allen Lester, PGM

T

he current Masonic year was initiated with a “bang”

by Harmony Lodge No. 17, which at its January Stated Communication organized a program that involved the unveiling and the hanging of the portrait of our oldest living Past Grand Master, Perry Allen Lester, in the Singleton Masonic Hall. Perry, as it was stated in the program of the evening, is one of those individuals who by his demeanor sets standards for which lesser men strive.

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Lawrence W. Hynson, PM Harmony Lodge, No. 17 remembering the good times.

He expressed pride in the officers that served with him in the lines of Harmony Lodge and the Grand Lodge, and he remembered, with reverence, his association with Carl H. Claudy, a man, he said, “who never forgot his obligation to the lodge.”

On hand were many who Perry, at one time or another, had signed on for tours through the chairs of Harmony Lodge. They all spoke of good example set for them by Perry Lester, who believed that by setting an example, he could best serve Although the program was by the Craft. And that he did, by plan, low key, it was, nevertheearning a Gold Card for Masonic less, a distinctive event, one Perry Allen Lester, PGM proficiency, by serving more than that provided a number of 30 years as secretary of the reminiscences by the host of lodge, and by his service to the Grand Lodge and the friends, family, and brethren who were present. The finger food provided was ample and the talk, by those who Rites of Freemasonry. cared to speak, was spirited, and laudatory.

Hence the hanging of his portrait in Singleton Masonic Most important, Perry thoroughly enjoyed himself, and he Hall is a fitting and long-overdue tribute to a grand appeared to relish seeing so many of his friends and Master Mason. God bless you, Perry. lodge brothers. He kibitzed with many, one-on-one,

MASONIC

F A M I LY

DAY

OF

THANKSGIVING

MASONIC FAMILY DAY OF

THANKSGIVING

Walter F. Simon, PM Deputy Grand Chaplain

Day of Thanksgiving - Grand Master Leonard Proden and Grand Lodge officers

S

unday April 3, 2005 was the day that Grand Master Leonard Proden, in conjunction with the Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, set aside as the Masonic Day of Thanksgiving. It is a day when we express our love and thanks to our Creator for all of His manifold blessings by song and prayer. We also held in our hearts and prayers the soul of Pope John Paul II, a man whose love and compassion for all mankind knew no bounds.

The Day of Thanksgiving was held at the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church in NW Washington, DC. The Grand Line, The Grand Chapter, officers and members of the Constituent Lodges, together with dignitaries and members of other Masonic Bodies, marched in and took their seats. The Call to Service was given by Walter F. Simon, Deputy Grand Chaplain.

George S. Nicol, Jr. Assistant Grand Chaplain, gave the invocation. Assistant Grand Chaplains, Rabbi Randall A. Schoch, Reverend Daniel D. Darko, and Bilal M. Raschid, PM, made brief presentations on brotherhood and thanksgiving from different religious perspectives — Jewish, Christian, and Muslim points of view, with appropriate quotations from the Old Testament, New

Testament and the Holy Quran. Our Grand Chaplain, Reverend David A. Balcom, Gave the prayer of thanksgiving and a very stirring and meaningful talk entitled “A Magnificent Life”, based on Psalm 23.

We were fortunate to have with us the boys and girls Concert Choir from the Howard D. Woodson High School, in Washington, DC, whose beautiful voices in song lifted the spirits of all in attendance. The choir was under the able direction of Carolyn Scipio Glover.

Prelude, processional, offertory and postlude music was played by our Grand Organist, Paul D. Dolinsky, who can really make the organ sing.

Greetings were given by the Worthy Grand Matron, Audra B. Rafter and the Grand Master, Leonard Proden.

Mary Jane Wolcott, the Grand Chaplain of the Order of the Eastern Star gave the benediction.

At the conclusion of the program all were treated to delicious catered refreshments in the Great Hall of the church. It was a day enjoyed by members of the Masonic Family of the District of Columbia, their friends and loved ones.

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BOB HINES LAYS DOWN HIS WORKING TOOLS

Bob Hines

Lays Down His Working Tools Ted Berry, Worshipful Master Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15

W

e are never prepared for the loss of those we love and respect. Regrettably, on March 24, 2005, Worshipful Brother Bob Hines passed away. He will be remembered by many in our Craft as a good Brother, a good Mason, and a good human being.

assuring them that notwithstanding our difficulties, Benjamin B. French Lodge would rise again. And rise again, it did. In effect, because of Bob Hines, the mystic tie that binds brethren of the past and the present remains unbroken.

Bob Hines was an active member of his lodge, the York Rite and the Scottish Rite Masonry. He served as Grand Commander, Grand Commandery of the District of Columbia, Knights Templar in 1987. Moreover, he served the Grand Lodge as the Grand Pursuivant in 1993 and as the Grand Lodge Standard Bearer in 1995.

Worshipful Brother Hines also laid the foundation for the future prosperity of the Lodge. He was responsible for attracting key brethren to affiliate with the Lodge, leading thereafter to many other affiliations, of which at least eight such affiliates ultimately served as Masters of the Lodge since his time in the East.

But Bob will be remembered most for his service to Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15. On the occasion of the Lodge’s 150th anniversary gala at the Ronald Reagan Building in February 2004, he was reminded, in the presence of his wife (Sue) and others, that the Lodge had survived to celebrate that day because of him! In his characteristic modesty, he refused the “crown” presented.

Worshipful Masters of Singleton Hope- Lebanon Lodge No. 7, Benjamin B. French Lodge No 15, Grand Lodge officers, Past Grand Masters and friends of WB Robert Hines

Yet, his contribution to the Lodge was immense. Serving as Master for two years, back-to-back, in 1993 and 1994, he led the Lodge through some of its most trying days. During this period, often without enough brethren in attendance to properly open the Lodge, he resisted entreaties to turn off the lights and return the Charter to the Grand Lodge.

It certainly took courage and fortitude to reject the easy way out, shut the doors and go home.

He was determined to stay the course, fight the good fight, finish the race honorably and as a good Master must do, thereby keeping faith with our ancestors from whom we received our inheritance and, at the same time,

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On Tuesday, March 29, 2005, in Spotsylvania, Virginia, a Masonic funeral service was performed by the members of Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 of Virginia, preceded by a Knights Templar service. Present on that occasion to pay their respects to a valued brother was a large Washington, D.C. delegation, comprised of members of Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15, Grand Lodge Officers, Past Grand Masters, and officers of the Grand Commandery of D.C.

THE AED PROGRAM

The AED Program T

he Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia is implementing an automated external defibrillator (AED) program. It plans to purchase nine AEDs and install them in our Masonic Halls, the Scottish Rite Temple, and the Almas Shrine Center. The AED selected is the LIFELINE AED Semi-Automatic Defibrillator, Model DDU-100A, manufactured by Defibtech, LLC of Guilford, Connecticut. The unit is approximately the size of a package of letter-size copy paper and weighs about four pounds. It is wall mounted in a case with an audible alarm and a visual strobe light, and can be effectively operated by a lay person with minimal training and familiarization.

The Grand Lodge Health Defibrillation is the only and Wellness Committee effective therapy for ventricuplans to present a famillar fibrillation. For each iarization program minute that passes without designed to train people CPR and defibrillation, the in the proper operation of chance of survival decreases the AED. All Lodge 7 to 10 percent. building managers and representatives of all bodies using these facilities will be given an opportunity to learn how to use the device correctly. Hopefully, the units will be in place and in an operational mode by Fall 2005. Further information on the program may be obtained from Brother Bob Haber (301) 460-6433.

Robert Haber, PM Samuel Gompers - Benjamin Franklin Lodge No. 45 The boxlike AED can analyze heart rhythms and deliver a shock to realign the natural electrical impulses that drive the heartbeat. Once the pads are placed on someone’s chest, automated defibrillators can diagnose whether or not a heart needs a shock. Some AEDs are able to “speak,” giving directions like “shock advised” or “press red button.” Some are able to measure how well CPR is being done and suggest ways to improve the process.

Virtually foolproof, AEDs have proven to be extremely effective.

The importance of this program is suggested by the fact that each year almost 1 million adult Americans die from cardiovascular arrest, making heart attacks the leading cause of death in the United States. Many of these lives could have been saved, of course, if bystanders had quickly phoned 911, began CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), and if the responder had provided defibrillation within minutes. In instances where AEDs are used to provide the first shock within 3 minutes after collapse, survival rates are as high as 74 percent. Currently only about 5 percent of all sudden cardiac arrest victims in those instances in which AED procedures were not available.

The institution of the AED program in this jurisdiction is therefore a welcome development.

The Grand Lodge & Almas Shriners present the

2005 GOLF TOURNAMENT Monday, May 23, 2005 Walden Country Golf Club 1500 Riedel Road Crofton, Maryland 11:30 A.M. Registration and Lunch 1:00 P.M. Shotgun Start (Registration required through Grand Lodge)

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CORNUCOPIA, JEWEL OF THE STEWARD

Cornucopia, Jewel of the Steward O

n this occasion I want to speak about the office of Steward in the Masonic lodge and the jewel worn by those who hold that office — the Cornucopia.

In the Masonic system of symbols, the Cornucopia is placed between the extended legs of a compass, where it represents joy, peace, and plenty, and is an expression of prosperity. It is the official jewel of the Steward and signifies that those who wear it are servitors of the Lodge.

You will notice that the Stewards in the lodge are placed at the right and left of the Junior Warden. Although it is the duty of the Junior Warden to provide entertainment and refreshment, he is merely to establish and provide the means. As the word “Steward” means servant, the stewards are, in fact, servants of the lodge. Thus, the stewards are, so to speak, the Junior Warden’s cornucopia, and as such are to provide food, drink and good cheer to the Craft during the hours of refreshment.

This leads one to think about the use of the Cornucopia by the stewards of a lodge. To that end it is appropriate to note that the word “cornucopia” is taken from two Latin words—cornu, meaning horn, and copia, meaning abundance. Hence the cornucopia is really a Horn of Plenty.

There are two stories pertaining to the origin of the Cornucopia, both with roots in ancient Greek mythology.

The first is an allusion to the old Pagan myth that Zeus was nourished during his infancy in Crete by the daughters of Melissus, with the milk of the she-goat Amalthea.

From one horn flowed nectar and from the other ambrosia. He broke off one of these horns and gave it to the nymphs responsible for nursing him with the assurance that it should furnish them with a never-ending supply of whatever they might desire. When Zeus came to be Lord of the Gods of Olympus, in gratitude he placed Amalthea forever in the Heavens as a constellation that we astrologically represent as Capricorn.

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Marcus Trelaine, Junior Steward William R. Singleton-Hope-Lebanon Lodge No. 7 The other, less common, myth regards the labors of Heracles. In the performance of his tasks, Heracles fell in love with the princess Delaneira, daughter of King Oeneus of Calydon. But to win her hand he had to fight Achelous, a river god. Changing himself into a bull to meet the challenge, Achelous lost one of his horns to Heracles when it was broken off during the struggle.

Later, Heracles presented the horn to the Hesperides, who filled it to the brim with fruit and flowers. They in turn offered the horn to the goddess of Aplenty, who adopted it as her symbol and named it Cornucopia.

Apart from the mythology of Greece, there are also images to be found in the ancient Temples of Elora, in Hindustan. One such deity is the goddess Ana Purna, whose name is compounded of Ana, signifying corn, and Purna meaning plenty. She holds a corn measure in her hand clearly making the same allusion as the Greek horn of plenty. From time immemorial the Cornucopia has been interpreted as a symbol of abundance and, as such, adopted as the jewel of the Stewards of a lodge. It is a reminder to the Stewards that it is their duty to see that the tables are properly furnished at refreshment and that every brother is suitably served.

However the Cornucopia is more than a symbol of abundance; it is also an androgynous symbol. The horn is masculine and the interior feminine, with the fruit inside symbolizing the productiveness of the female, which is further represented in the logo of the Masonic affiliation of Job’s Daughters.

Lastly, it seems appropriate to make reference to the Great Architect of the Universe. The Tropic of Capricorn delineates the southernmost limit of the swing of the sun on the path which marks the ecliptic orbit where the earth dips first its north and then its south pole toward the sun.

It is this allusion to the Heavens and our ancient Craft which represents the deepest and most mysterious connection of all between the symbol of the Stewards, the lights of the lodge, the place of darkness, and Solomon’s Temple. But that is a mystery to be revealed another time.

COMMUNITY MASONRY — THE CHIP PROGRAM

Community Masonry — The CHIP Program

Dalton West Junior Warden, Naval Lodge No. 4

CHIP

is an acronym for the Childhood Identification Program, a Masonic community project initiated by Freemasons in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. This program has now been introduced into the District of Columbia, under the sponsorship of the Grand Lodge, and in form and operation, it mirrors the program that has evolved over the past two years in Pennsylvania.

The CHIP program addresses an alarming issue — the disappearance from their homes of more than one million children each year in the United States. While many missing children are found and returned to their homes and their parent’s care, all too many are not. Providing information which can be used in finding them is the purpose of CHIP. The mission of the DC CHIP program, therefore, is: • To introduce the CHIP program in every school, public or private, in the District of Columbia; • To enlist other community organizations to join the Grand Lodge in an effort to protect all children in our jurisdiction.

In brief, CHIP provides parents a package of tools and procedures that will enable them to maintain absolute proof of identity of their children. In the unfortunate event that a child slips into the realm of the missing, parents are then better able to provide authorities with incontrovertible evidence of the missing child’s identity. Because CHIP derived information can be tied into the national Amber Alert system, it can be used to assist authorities on an intra-state, national, or even international basis.

The CHIP identity package will continue to evolve over time. DNA sampling and testing has evolved now to the point where it is highly practical to gather and to safely and reliably maintain DNA samples at the household level. Moreover, the evolving perfection of digital and media technologies now enables parents to maintain valuable information on their children at the household level. All of this can be achieved, fortunately, at a perchild cost that is relatively low.

The implementation of the CHIP program in the District of Columbia will involve the preparation of a packet of information explaining the purpose and protocols of the program. Given the approval and authorization of the parent or guardian of the child, the CHIP effort then prepares: • A Compact Disk with audio taken against a measured backdrop in which the child is animated and responding to a set of simple questions; • A computer-scanned fingerprint identity card with basic information about age, parents, address, contact information; and • A DNA sample kit which is gathered by parents at their homes A special word about the DNA sample kit is in order.

When complete it will contain a hair sample (preferably with follicle attached) and nail and saliva samples.

Instructions for sample collection and containers for sample retention are provided to the parents so that they may store them with the digital information gathered at the CHIP session. No information of any sort is maintained by CHIP sponsors.

It is anticipated that the CHIP program will at first be initiated within the District of Columbia wherever children gather, primarily schools. Other convenient gathering points, such as religious institutions, sports facilities, social clubs and so on, may also be used. The role of the Masons is to provide and facilitate the distribution of information and materials necessary to complete the task.

In order to participate, a child must bring to the CHIP session a permission slip signed by his or her parent or guardian. The cooperation of school leaders will be essential in this effort for they have the ability and the means to communicate with parents and inform them of the importance of the program and to elicit their understanding and support.

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COMMUNITY MASONRY — THE CHIP PROGRAM

of other community groups. It is not the intention of the Grand Lodge to monopolize the development of the CHIP process in this community. On the contrary, it is our purpose to motivate and involve others to join in this worthy effort.

It now seems certain that the need for the CHIP program is both immediate and continuing. Experience garnered elsewhere, for example, suggests that every three or four years, as a child develops, it may be appropriate to repeat certain parts of the CHIP procedure to account for a child’s changing looks, voice patters, mannerisms and other identifying characteristics.

Implementation of the CHIP program will require the acceptance of certain obligation by those who choose to

become involved. Among these is the purchase cost of essential cameras and the necessary stores of consumable items. Another is the work that must be done in assembling raw materials into usable “kits.” Within a short time, once the sponsor is established and able to respond to requests in a timely and regular manner, there will also be regular manpower needs.

The Masters and Wardens Association of this Grand Lodge has been asked to assist in assembling the materials into kits. Through that organization we have already identified a school in which we would like to initiate the program and are now seeking the principal’s permission at that location. Be prepared to hail the alarm at the west gate, my Brethren, for your Grand Lodge spokesman for CHIP will soon be making a visit to your Lodge.

MID-WINTER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

T

he mid-winter leadership conference of the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of the District of Columbia was convened on 12 March 2005 at the Connecticut Avenue 4-H Conference Center. This annual event is designed to assist the officers of the constituent lodges to better understand the challenges they will meet in responding to the duties of the offices to which they have been elected. Approximately 85 brethren, including the elected Grand Lodge officers, answered the call.

Attendees at this year’s conference had a unique opportunity to witness one of Masonry’s most solemn events – the Masonic Funeral Service. Circumstances made it possible for Potomac Lodge No. 5 to render last Masonic Rites at the conference for one of its members, Worshipful Edgar Milstead, holder of the Lodge Sliver Fidelity Medal and the Gold Fidelity Medal of the Grand Lodge. Worshipful Dean Clatterbuck, acting as the Master, conducted a beautiful service in the presence of Edgar’s daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. The ceremony brought tears of sorrow and appreciation to Brother Milstead’s family and afforded those in attendance an opportunity to witness a well conducted service outside of the Grand Lodge School.

The Conference was devoted to the examination of issues of particular interest to the officers of our constituent lodges. Following welcoming remarks by Leonard Proden, Grand Master, and the program chairman, Paul Gleason, the work of the day was initiated by

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Paul D. Gleason Junior Grand Deacon the Grand Treasurer, Robert F. Drechsler. Brother Drechsler discussed the importance of the Master’s role in the Lodge and outlined the necessary steps that a thinking officer must take in order to assure the success of his year in the East. Brother Roy Beyer followed by discussing the importance of a well managed investment fund to the stability of the lodge, a subject which will be repeated for lodge trustees this September at Front Royal.

Following a luncheon break Brother “Ted” Berry continued the discussion of financial responsibilities by focusing on the subject of fiduciary responsibility and the need for lodge leaders to establish budgets which truly reflect lodge income. Brother Paul M. Bessel, Senior Grand Warden, brought the substantive presentations to a close by reviewing, comprehensively, the responsibilities of those honored by selection to fill stations and places in the lodge. In a meticulous examination of what is involved in sustaining a vibrant lodge, Paul exhorted those present to appreciate fully the dimensions of their obligations and responsibilities.

Brother Albert McNair Smith, Deputy Grand Master, then closed the conference with inspirational remarks. Clearly, the work of this day was well planned, well executed, and well received, by brethren who were in every way satisfied with the wages they received.

FREEMASONRY IN ROMANIA

Freemasonry in Romania F

reemasonry was introduced into Romania in 1856 when the Star of Danube Lodge was chartered by Grand Orient of France. Soon thereafter several other lodges were chartered by Grand Lodges then prevailing in Germany, Hungary, and Italy. By 1880 the movement had become sufficiently strong to induce the Masons of France to consecrate the First National Grand Lodge of Romania.

While enjoying initial success the First National Grand Lodge experienced difficulties, not the least of which was the influence of the then Supreme Council of Romania, and by 1905 only one lodge remained in operation. The First Grand Lodge was in turn replaced by the Grand Orient of Romania, in 1926, which was destined to be suppressed by fascist forces during the course of World War II. Revived in 1944, this Grand Lodge was dissolved four years later when many Romanian Freemasons went into exile in France.

It was not until 1990, following the fall of a national government unfriendly to the Craft, that Freemasonry again made its appearance in Romania. The Romanian response was enthusiastic and during the period 1991–1993 several lodges were chartered. The Grand Orient of Italy then consecrated the National Grand Lodge of Romania on January 24, 1993. At about the same time another Romanian Grand Lodge was being constituted in Paris by an exiled group of Romanian Freemasons.

Subsequently the National Grand Lodge of Romania was deemed regular by the Recognitions Committee of the Conference of Grand Masters of North America and thereafter was quickly recognized by the Grand Lodges of the District of Columbia and the Grand Lodge National of France. Soon thereafter the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction constituted a Supreme Council in Romania under the leadership of Sovereign Grand Commander Costel Iancu.

Robert B. Heyat, PGM Grand Lodge Ambassador designated by them as the United Grand Lodge of Romania. That development impacted unfavorably on regular Freemasonry in Romania; moreover it complicated relationships between the leadership of the Grand Lodge and the Scottish Rite in Romania. Fortunately those divisive issues were quickly confronted and, under the leadership of the current Grand Master, Eugen Ovidu Chirovici, it appears that Freemasonry in Romania is once again moving forward.

In the years since the constitution of the National Grand Lodge of Romania a number of foreign Masons have made significant contributions to the establishment and strengthening of Freemasonry in Romania. Within this group are Masons like Yves Trestournel, Past Grand Secretary of the French National Grand Lodge; Virgilio Gaito, Past Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Italy; Reine Schicke, Past Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Germany; and the author of this article.

Collectively these brethren have, personally and officially, contributed to the perpetuation of regular Freemasonry in today’s Romania.

In February of this year it was the pleasure of the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia to officially congratulate the brethren of the National Grand Lodge of Romania on the attainment of the 125th anniversary of the consecration of the original Grand Lodge in their country. In his message he took note of the perseverance of Romanian Masons, despite difficulties that were seemingly overpowering at times, and on behalf of the Masons of the District of Columbia, he wished every success to them, their Masonic interests, and the fortunes of the Craft universal.

Note: The author, Robert B. Heyat, the founding Past Grand Master of the National Grand Lodge of Romania, is an honorary Grand Master, Ad-Vitam, of that Grand Lodge.

In 1996 a group of Romanian Masons left the National Grand Lodge of Romania to form a new Grand Lodge

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UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD WEEKEND

Universal Brotherhood Weekend G

rand Master Leonard Proden has announced that the celebration of Universal Brotherhood Weekend this year will occur during the period June 9 – 12, 2005.

At that time all of the lodges of this jurisdiction will have an opportunity to come together once again, in a spirit of brotherhood and fellowship, to celebrate the diversity, richness and universality of our noble Craft. Joining in the planned festivities will be the leaders of a number of sister Grand Lodges, who will, as usual, be present to attest to their belief in the universality of Freemasonry.

According to Maximilian Ullmann, chairman of the committee planning the weekend, the weekend program of events will be brought to a fitting climax with a formal banquet, at Almas Temple, where the Grand Master will present a Medal of Freedom to Congressman “Dutch” Ruppersperger as a token of appreciation for his work on behalf of “Operation Hero Miles,” an organization dedicated to the support of U.S. troops and their families.

Another highlight of the weekend will be the reception of a high ranking delegation of Freemasons from the Philippines. They are coming to show policy makers in our Nation’s Capital how Freemasons of various faiths in that troubled country are working together to promote peace and understanding. By their presence they will add a new dimension to the universal lodge meeting that is scheduled to convene on Saturday morning at the Scottish Rite Temple.

The lodge meeting will again emphasize the richness and diversity of our jurisdiction. Someone from every lodge in the District of Columbia will, at one point or another in the meeting, occupy a station or place.

Accordingly, three teams of officers are now being formed. Team alpha will open the lodge; team delta conduct the meeting; and team omega will close.

Whenever a member of one of our bilingual lodges occupies a station or place, he will speak in the language of his lodge. Finally, the meeting will be conducted on the first degree, with the opening and closing conducted in the ritual of our Grand Lodge.

Continuing a precedent established in previous “universal weekends,” it is anticipated that this year more lodges will effect special relationships with counterpart lodges in other countries. Such arrangements, through

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the medium of a “formal twinning ceremony” strengthen our Masonic ties worldwide. The “twinning ceremony” will be followed by a “table lodge.” While the “table lodge” (brethren only) is in session, the ladies will have an opportunity to dine with our Grand Master’s lady, Barbara. Most Worshipful Brother Proden invites you and the members of your lodge to actively participate in this celebration.

Questions concerning universal weekend activities should be directed to the committee chairman, Maximilian Ullman. Max may be reached by e-mail at max.ullmann@starpower.net, or by phone at (202) 457-1444 (office) or (202).415-6425 (cellular). He awaits your call!

Grand Lodge F. A. A. M. of the District of Columbia

2005 Semi-Annual Communication 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005 D.C. Scottish Rite Center 2800 16th Street, N.W. Washington, DC

APRON PRESENTATION

Apron Presentation O

n Monday, April 11, 2005, the Grand Master, the officers of the Grand Lodge, and a group of Past Grand Masters assembled in JusticeColumbia Lodge No. 3 to present Past Grand Master MWB Stewart W. Miner with an ornate apron commensurate with his rank as Grand Secretary Emeritus.

In an impressive ceremony Grand Master Proden and Grand Secretary Hatefi fondly recalled their personal relations with Brother Miner during the many years that he served as Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia.

Mansour Hatefi, PGM, Grand Secretary, presenting Stewrt W. Miner, PGM, with the ornate apron of his rank as Grand Secretary Emeritus.

Brother Miner accepted the apron proffered with obvious appreciation, and in an extemporaneous response, recalled with fondness his association with Justice-Columbia Lodge No. 3 and the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia.

He had, Brother Miner said, “answered a call,” when he agreed in 1987 to accept appointment, on an interim basis, as Grand Secretary of this Grand Lodge.

That acceptance proved to be a landmark decision, he declared, noting that in his ensuing service as Grand Secretary, he found a calling that constituted a fitting capstone to his long Masonic career.

Brother Miner concluded his remarks by stating that in the tomorrow of time, it was his intent to continue to do all that he could, whenever he could, to assist those who promote, through Masonry, the cause of universal brotherhood.

The Grand Secretary and Grand Master flank the Grand Secretary Emeritus.

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

—Confucius

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NAT GRANSTEIN, A TRUE WORLD MASON

Nat Granstein, A True World Mason A

t the time of press the “Voice” was informed of the passing of RWB Nat Granstein, Assistant Grand Master of Grande Loge Nationale Francaise, after 10 years of battle with cancer. Nat was a steadfast and resilient Mason.

Even during this hard and difficult period he never let this dreaded disease to keep him down, and his presence in the Conference of the Grand Masters of North America in Calgary, in February of this year was a testimony to his untiring efforts to serve his beloved Fraternity to the very last.

In the days and months ahead much will be said and written about his tremendous achievements in the field of human endeavor and his contributions to his country and the world at large. But we could not let this opportunity pass without expressing our sincere sentiments and deep gratitude to a man who made us all very proud to be a Mason.

Nat Granstein’s patriotic efforts in helping the Allies to win the World War II made him a national hero and earned him much appraise and respect worldwide. He

Nat Granstein 1920-2005

was the recipient of Legion d’ Honneur, the highest honor bestowed by the French government. He was instrumental in bringing back the light of Freemasonry to the lands gone dark under tyranny and despotism, in Europe and elsewhere, through his untiring labors.

Nat, a dual citizen of France and America, and a world Mason in its true sense, was a good and worthy friend of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. He was a founder of La France Lodge No. 93, a frequent participant in Masonic events in the Nation’s Capital, and the only Mason from outside the U.S.A. to receive the Valentine Reintzel Medal for service, devotion, loyalty and zeal toward the Craft and his Brother Masons. * WB Pierre Gaujard, Master of La France Lodge, in a brief e-mail message wrote: “Nat was unique

A Grand Mason honored in Normandy.

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NAT GRANSTEIN, A TRUE WORLD MASON

and totally dedicated to Freemasonry and to the French-American culture. He was with us on June 19, 2004 in Normandy, France, for the 60th anniversary of the D-Day, and was honored as a great combatant for freedom at an emotional ceremony at the American Cemetery in Colesville, Omaha Beach.” And we are told that as one of the few remaining survivors of that historic day, this time, Brother Granstein did not arrive using a parachute, but was in a wheelchair; yet he was just as proud and just as joyous as he was 60 years ago.

Nat lived with courage and conviction and left this earthly abode well respected and with much honor.

We have many fond memories of him. The echoes of his voice and thoughts will resound through our lives and will recall him to many each year. He made a lasting impression on all who had the privilege to meet and work with him. It is good to know that he will continue to be remembered here and elsewhere for a long time.

Nat Granstein’s patriotic efforts in helping the Allies to win the World War II made him a national hero and earned him much appraise and respect worldwide. He was the recipient of Legion d’ honoure, the highest honor bestowed by the French government. He was instrumental in bringing back the light of Freemasonry to the lands gone dark under tyranny and despotism, in Europe and elsewhere, through his untiring labors.

To Colette, his beloved and gracious lady, we offer our most sincere condolences and say, “please remember that your loss is shared by many.” And to Nat we say, “rest in peace good brother, you have done well!” * story on page 11

Calendar of Events May 11

Semi-Annual Communication, at the Scottish Rite Center

May 18

Public Opening of “The Initiated Eye Exhibition” at the Octogan Museum

May 23

The Grand Lodge & Almas Temple Golf Tournament— Walden Country Golf Club

June 10–12

Universal Brotherhood Weekend

June 24

Grand Master’s Testimonial and Scholarship Awards Dinner —Bolling AFB

July 1–5

Imperial Shrine Session—Baltimore

July 4

Palisades Parade and Picnic

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2005 Grand Lodge Officers Seated (L to R): David A. Balcom, Grand Chaplain; Robert F. Drechsler, Grand Treasurer; Kwame Acquaah, Senior Grand Deacon; Mansour Hatefi, Grand Secretary; Paul M. Bessel, Senior Grand Warden; Leonard Proden, Grand Master; Akram R. Elias, Junior Grand Warden; Paul D. Gleason, Junior Grand Deacon; Jesse Villarreal, Senior Grand Steward; Joseph S. Crociata, Junior Grand Steward.

First Row Standing (L to R): Walter F. Simon, Deputy Grand Chaplain; Gerhard Meinzer, Grand Tiler; Randall A. Schoch, Assistant Grand Chaplain; Joel R. Kahn, Grand Lecturer; Daniel D. Darko, Assistant Grand Chaplain; Bilal M. Raschid, Assistant Grand Chaplain; Norman Barshai, Chief Aide to the Grand Master; C. Richard Weaver, Aide to the Grand Master; Teko A. Foley, Aide to the Grand Master; Sissay Awoke, Grand Lodge Physician.

Second Row Standing (L to R): Unal Bener, Assistant Grand Tiler; George J. Stoklas, Grand Pursuivant; Leonard L. Merryman, Grand Lodge Photographer; William D. Means, Grand Lodge Photographer; Sheldon I. Rappeport, Deputy Grand Lecturer; Francis S. Nicol, Aide to the Grand Master; Lemione V. Dickinson, Grand Sword Bearer; Neal F. Jarvis, Aide to the Grand Master; Samuel J. Anthony, Grand Lodge School Tiler; Douglas B. McFadden, Grand Standard Bearer; Charbel T. Fahed, Deputy Grand Lecturer.

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