The Voice of Freemasonry | Vol. 23 No. 1

Volume 23, Number 1

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

Courtesy: Pierson Photography

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

Voice of Freemasonry Volume 23, Number 1, 2006 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Albert McNair Smith, Grand Master MANAGING EDITOR Mansour Hatefi, Grand Secretary

The Voice of Freemasonry is an official publication of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons (F.A.A.M.) of

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON MASONIC NATIONAL MEMORIAL Located on Shooters Hill in Alexandria, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial commemorates Brother George Washington, a Master Mason, and his contributions to the establishment of this nation.

Tours of the Memorial are conducted daily for Freemasons, for those would like to become Freemasons, and for the public as a whole. This monument, dedicated in 1932, is visited by more than 50,000 tourists annually.

the District of Columbia. Unless otherwise noted, articles appearing in this publication express only the private opinion or assertions of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Grand Lodge. The jurisdiction speaks only through the Grand Master and

The Masons of the District of Columbia contribute liberally and voluntarily to the financial support of the Memorial — by assessment and by voluntary participation in the Memorial Association’s programs, including its window dedication and tree planting efforts.

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 inform-

Strategically positioned, the George Washington National Masonic Memorial is a signature landmark in the metropolitan area. Overlooking the city of Washington, D.C., it rises majestically to silently suggest the promise proclaimed by the precepts of American democracy.

Currently on display in the Memorial are the paintings that were prepared for the Initiated Eye Exhibit, sponsored by the Grand Lodge of D.C. and displayed previously in the historic Octagon Museum.

ative 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

Table of Contents Page Cover Credit ..........................................................................................................2 Grand Master’s Message ........................................................................................3

Articles are subject to editing and, when published,

Grand Secretary’s Message ....................................................................................4

become the property of the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of the

The Purpose of Freemasonry ..................................................................................5

District of Columbia. No compensation is allowed for any

Universal Freemasonry in Our Nation’s Capital.........................................................6

articles, photographs, or other materials submitted for

Unum As Well As Pluribus ......................................................................................8

publication.

Grand Visitations — Legacy or Liability? .................................................................9

Permission to reprint articles will be granted upon written

Crafting the Mason...............................................................................................12

request to the Editor from recognized Masonic publica-

Amadeus, the Golden Immortal.............................................................................13

tions and others. When reprinted, articles should note:

Centerfold ............................................................................................................14

“Reprinted with permission of the Voice of Freemasonry

Distinguished Masons Honored.............................................................................16

in the Nation’s Capital, (month), (year).”

Looking Back Over Time ......................................................................................19 Lodge Anniversaries — 2006 ................................................................................20

Please direct all correspondence to: Managing Editor: The Voice of Freemasonry 5428 MacArthur Blvd., N.W.

Reverse Engineering the Question: What Does it Mean to be a Mason? .................22 The Cornerstone at “Jackson City” .......................................................................24 Installation Ceremony Filmed ................................................................................25 Grand Lodge Officers ..............................................................................back cover

Washington, DC 20016-2524

Photo Credits: All photographs printed in this issue of the “Voice”, unless indicated otherwise, were provided by or arranged for by William D. Means (7).

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GRAND MASTER’S MESSAGE

Grand Master’s Message Brethren: It is an honor and a personal privilege for me, in my capacity as Grand Master, to greet you and seek your good will and support, as we join hands to meet the challenges of our times. Little did I know when I entered the Craft, only a few years ago, that I would be called upon so soon to serve in this capacity, but I am certain that with your understanding and assistance, offered to me in such abundance, that our fondest aspirations will be fulfilled.

In the years that I have been in Masonry I have been impressed by the zeal which has marked the labors of those who have preceded me in this office. Their labors, in and for the Craft, have established performance norms that I shall endeavor to emulate. It shall be my constant intention, working with my officer colleagues in the Grand Lodge, to use past accomplishments as a springboard to a fraternal future that is harmonious and fruitful.

As I begin my year as your Grand Master I want to recognize the contribution made by so many in shaping my views and concerns. The Past Grand Masters as a whole have been a constant inspiration, and I am grateful for the experiences that they all afforded me. Three of them, Frank A. Kenyon, Dan L Frederick, and Eldon J. Brown, all now deceased, are due recognition for the lasting impressions they made on my Masonic outlook.

I look with pride on the fact that Eldon Brown was a native Washingtonian, as am I. He loved this city, as do I, and on many occasions he shared with me his unbridled pride in the fact that this city, the Nation’s Capital, was planned by Masons, built by Masons, and that through the years, it has been protected and preserved by Masons.

A man’s character, however, is not shaped by Craft contacts alone, and mine, certainly, has been also formulated by friends outside the Craft. I am grateful that my family shares with me my every chore, every accomplishment, and every sorrow. My family is the foundation of my existence. My father, incidentally, although not a Mason, was Mason-like in his attitudes and practices. He took pride, as so should we, in what he did for himself and for others.

On the list of those who have made strong impressions on me as a Mason is Helen Harrison Weik, a nurse at the Veteran’s Hospital here in Washington, D.C., and Brother Thomas E. Weir, a Past Grand Chaplain of this

Grand Lodge and a Past Master of my lodge. Both of them left indelible impressions on my appreciation of the necessity for Masons to strive incessantly to provide compassionate care and love to the ill, the distressed, and the lonely.

M.W. Brother Albert McNair Smith

In the months remaining in my administration I shall strive to continue the proven programs established by my predecessors. In so doing it is my hope that we will strengthen our bonds with the community and with our brothers in the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia.

Looking ahead I solicit your support of our annual universal brotherhood celebration. This year we will climax that effort with a program to be presented in the National Museum for Women in the Arts, located in a building originally constructed by our Grand Lodge. There we will display the paintings prepared for what was known as the “Octagon Project” and present a Medal of Freedom to a deserving recipient. Plan now to participate.

I have planned a number of other activities for this Masonic Year. Prominent among those that are included in this admittedly ambitious program are efforts to spearhead the renovation of the chapel at the VA Hospital as well as our intent to sponsor a Special Olympics — DeMolay project as a part of our annual Day of Thanksgiving.

I pray for your favorable reception of the plans for the year as they sequentially appear on the Grand Lodge Trestle board. They are entirely achievable, given our determined resolve to work together, as a team and as a brotherhood. So, my brethren, join me in meeting the challenge of this hour, of this day, of this year. Let us, in 2006, set standards anew, around which Masons, yet unborn, may rally.

Sincerely and fraternally, Albert McNair Smith Grand Master

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GRAND SECRETARY’S MESSAGE

Grand Secretary’s Message Mansour Hatefi, PGM Grand Secretary My Brethren: I have long been intrigued by the tendency of people to perpetuate their traditions, customs and habits, doing things that they do largely because “they have always been done that way.” Among those who well exemplify this propensity are many of our leaders in the Masonic fraternity, men who in their zeal to conform to norm,earnestly endeavor to preserve that which may be in need of examination, and possibly, modification.

A case in point is the Grand Visitation, whose evolution is traced elsewhere in this issue of the “Voice.”

Consistently, over the past 40 years at least, Grand Masters, Grand Lodge Officers, and the brethren in our constituent lodges, generally, have been disturbed about the concentration of these visits into a busy two-month period in October and November.

This issue has been addressed occasionally, mostly by introducing slight modifications of schedule and format, but the structure and character of these code-required visitations have remained unchanged, at least until last year.

Grand Master Leonard Proden elected to make his visits to the constituent lodges once, twice, and even three times throughout the year, alone or in the company of selected Grand Lodge Officers, following which he hosted a single autumn awards ceremony, for all lodges collectively.

In this way MWB Proden adhered to the purpose of the code, while also bringing together all of the workers in the constituent lodges, along with their friends and families, for an evening set aside for the presentation of awards, entertainment, and a bountiful festive board. By doing so he made it possible for our officers, Grand and Subordinate, to give full attention to normal year-end activities.

Whether or not the pattern of visitation recently established by Grand Master Proden will prove lasting, it

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might be a good time, nevertheless, to examine the usual concentration of Masonic activity in December, a very busy month in everybody’s calendar. The Grand Lodge Annual Communication, designed to take up all business matters, was regularly held, until 1900, in November, with the Third Communication, for receiving the Grand Master’s Report and the installation of the Grand Lodge Officers, taking place on St. John’s Day in December.

The move of the annual communication from November to December was ostensibly made to accommodate a heavy October-November Grand Visitation schedule.

With the possible elimination of these time-consuming visitations in the future, it may be time for the study of the communications schedule of the Grand Lodge, including the possibility of a return of the annual communication to its previous position in the Masonic calendar.

It seems that movement of the annual communication from December to November, given the necessary code changes, might alleviate the concentration of activity and curtail the increasing costs of December festivities in which there would be only one event — that of the Installation, on the Third Communication, when the members, their families and friends, and our invited outof-town guests, might come together for the transfer of authority and responsibility from one administration to another.

Is it possible that the communications schedule of the Grand Lodge, no less than that of the traditional Grand Visitation, is now in need of examination? It may well be so. Hence I am willing to look appropriately at this and all other “what if” propositions, hopeful that in the contemplation of their impact, the best paths to the future may be discovered.

Mansour Hatefi Grand Secretary

THE PURPOSE OF FREEMASONRY

The Purpose of FREEMASONRY s there a Freemason anywhere who has not thought about his role and purpose in the fraternity? Is there a Freemason anywhere who has not concerned himself about Masonry’s position and mission, past, present, and future? Is there a Freemason anywhere who has not agonized over the influence of Freemasonry and its ideals in an increasingly secular world, wherein spiritual and material interests incessantly compete for dominance?

No, there is not. Why? Because Freemasons are obligated, individually and as a brotherhood, to confront and contain any and all issues that have the potential to complicate the wholesome inter-relationships of mankind.

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As a brotherhood we work from a complex of principles which proclaim our belief in Deity and our freedom from religious dogma, ethnic or racial prejudice, and from specific political persuasions beyond those which are unquestionably right and true. Our movement is one that is universal in scope, and millions of good and enlightened men, the world around, have entered our portals in order to bask in the warmth of fraternal enlightenment.

Within the lodge the righteous are encouraged to study, to work, and to serve, each in accord with his God-given talents, and in turn, all are enriched by acquiring friendships unlimited, moral and spiritual growth, and brotherly love.

It is generally believed that receiving the degrees of Freemasonry makes a man a “Mason”. This conception, in my mind, is but half true; far too many who have taken the degrees and regularly pay their dues are yet to become real Masons, Masons who, adhering to their obligations literally, become absorbed with the aims and objectives of the Craft and act accordingly, seeking and serving all within their preview. By so doing the sincere Mason focuses not so much on self as on others, doing good unto all in the hope that his efforts might contribute to the building of a better world.

In Masonry we proclaim our belief in the Grand Architect of Universe and look at life and our individual destinies from an eternal point of view. This conviction establishes for each of us an understanding of man’s posi-

Robert Heyat, Deputy Grand Master tion in the kingdom of the Creator and serves to encourage the belief that man’s purpose is to seek self improvement and to labor for an order of values from which the very idea of the betterment of human society derives. In the words of Albert Pike “God has ordained that life shall be a social state and we are to be members of a common civil society”.

If we lose sight of our purpose and stop caring about the conditions of our fellow man and of society at large, our Freemasonry may well be only one generation from extinction. It is therefore my prayer that we will take Masonry’s mission to heart, using our assets, human and material, to improve ourselves as we strive, from a Masonic perspective, to promote the causes of enlightenment everywhere. It is also my prayer that we will use our heritage — the achievements of the past, by men who united nations, and brought freedom, independence, culture, prosperity, progress and welfare to their societies — as directional guidelines for the present and future of the fraternity.

Let us always keep in mind the words of our beloved Washington, who when the book of Masonic Constitutions was presented to him in Boston on December 27, 1792, on the occasion of the recognition of his 40 years of service to Freemasonry, remarked: “It is not less pleasing to know that the milder virtues of the heart are highly respected by a society whose liberal principles are founded in the immutable laws of truth and justice. To enlarge the sphere of social happiness is worthy of the benevolent design of a Masonic institution, and it is most fervently to be wished, that the conduct of every member of fraternity, as well as those publications that discover the principles which actuate them, may tend to convince mankind, that the grand object of masonry is to promote the happiness of the human race”.

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UNIVERSAL FREEMASONRY IN OUR NATION’S CAPITAL

Universal Freemasonry in Our Nation’s Capital s a result of inquiries concerning the beginnings of international Freemasonry in Washington, D.C., I have been requested to write an article reciting briefly its history. Apparently I was chosen to take on this chore because I served as Grand Master of Masons in 1990, the year it started.

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Our nation’s capital is the logical place for this concept to bear fruit, being the center of international activity in our country. During the last two decades of the 20th Century the diplomatic corps, as well as foreign related organizations, agencies and commissions, both public and private, grew exponentially. Among the thousands of employees of these international bodies, many were Master Masons from foreign countries.

One of the most dedicated Masons of this large group was Robert B. Heyat, now Deputy Grand Master of our Grand Lodge. For quite some time he had explored the feasibility of forming a regular lodge in Washington for the many Iranian refugees living in this area who were Masons in Iran before the revolution. In addition to them were many who would likely petition to become Masons if a Farsi speaking lodge were created.

Most Worshipful Brother Heyat’s idea was to establish a lodge under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia that would be permitted to confer its degrees pursuant to the emulation ritual1 used in earlier days in Iran. When he discussed his idea with me, it sounded very appealing. So Most Worshipful Brother Stewart W. Miner, then Grand Secretary of our Grand Lodge, and I researched the method of creating a new lodge, no new lodge having been chartered in the District of Columbia for 44 years. After researching the records and old minutes, procedures were developed, but it was first necessary to amend a portion of the Grand Lodge constitution in order to accommodate the use of the emulation ritual in this jurisdiction.

At the May 1990 semi-annual communication of the Grand Lodge a motion to amend the constitution was made and passed. Although Arminius Lodge No. 25, a German speaking lodge, had existed continuously since The Voice of Freemasonry

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Charles S. Iversen, Past Grand Master 1876, the concept was a departure from the past practices in our jurisdiction with regard to the emulation ritual. So I explained to the delegates that I planned to issue a dispensation to the Iranian brethren to form a lodge, the first step towards a potential petition by them for a charter as a regular lodge. In order to bolster my intentions, I asked for a non-binding vote of the delegates to determine whether there was opposition to the concept of a bi-lingual lodge using a ritual foreign to our jurisdiction. There appeared to be very little opposition.

Thereupon, a dispensation was issued for the establishment of Mehr Lodge U.D., and a committee of three delegates was appointed to observe the operations of the lodge and to assist as needed. Lodge meetings were held and two degrees were conferred on candidates using the emulation ritual of Iran in the Farsi language. Late in the year, the brethren petitioned the Grand Lodge for a charter as a regular lodge.

The petition was on the agenda of the annual communication of our Grand Lodge in December 1990. After a most favorable report by the committee and a after a brief discussion, the motion to grant a charter was passed by an overwhelming vote. The charter was issued as of that date and the new lodge was consecrated in January 1991 in The Georgetown Masonic Hall by me, at the request of the then Grand Master, MWB Darwin A. Brock, and the officers were installed by MWB Robert B. Heyat.

The primary reason that a charter was granted was the outstanding leadership of Mansour Hatefi, the Master appointed for the lodge. MWB Hatefi later served in the year 2000 as Grand Master and is presently the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge. Then as charter Master of Mehr Lodge No. 90 he guided its affairs so successfully that other Masons approached the ensuing Grand Masters for dispensations to form more bi-lingual and English speaking lodges. With the help of MWB Robert B. Heyat, several Grand Masters issued their dispensations for new lodges, and all of them ultimately were granted charters as regular lodges.

UNIVERSAL FREEMASONRY IN OUR NATION’S CAPITAL

The lodges chartered starting in 1990 and over the next 15 years were: 1.

Mehr Lodge No. 90 (Farsi - Emulation Ritual) (1990)

2.

Alianza Fraternal Americana Lodge No. 92 (Spanish - Emulation Ritual) (1992)

3.

La France Lodge No. 93 (French - Emulation Ritual) (1993)

4.

Sojourner-Kilwinning Lodge No. 1798 (English Language - Scottish Constitution Ritual) (1992)

5.

Hayastan Lodge No. 94 (Armenian - Emulation Ritual) (1994)

6.

Magnolia Lodge No. 53 (English - DC Ritual) (1996)

7.

Lodge of the Nine Muses No. 1776 (English - DC Ritual) (1997)

8.

Massis Lodge No. 99 (Armenian - Emulation Ritual) (1999) (traveled to Armenia and became Massis Lodge No. 1 when the Grand Lodge of Armenia was formed by our Grand Lodge in cooperation with the Grand Lodge Nationale Française and the Grand Lodge of Russia)

9.

Nur Lodge No. 2000 (Turkish - Emulation Ritual) (2000)

10.

George C. Marshall Lodge No. 55 (English - DC Ritual) (2000) (Charter recalled in 2004)

11.

Fraternity Lodge No. 54 (English - DC Ritual) (2000)

12.

Fiat Lux Lodge No. 1717 (English Language English Constitution Ritual) (2001)

13.

Italia Lodge No. 2001 (Italian - Emulation Ritual) (2001)

14.

Azerbaijan Lodge No. 2002 (Turkish - Emulation Ritual) (2002)

15.

Cincinnatus Lodge No. 76 (English - DC Ritual) (2003)

An average of one lodge per year has been chartered starting in 1990, eight of the fifteen being bi-lingual. All are regular lodges.

The German speaking lodge, Arminius Lodge No. 25, has existed for 130 years, making the grand total of nine bilingual lodges.

As a consequence, the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia has become a microcosm in Washington, D.C. of universal Masonry in the world. This phenomenon has been eminently successful. The success has benefitted our appendant bodies of Freemasonry as well. Take, for example, the fact that of the 160 new members taken into our local Scottish Rite in 2001, one third of them were from the new fifteen lodges chartered starting in 1990.

The emulation ritual was derived from the ritual of the United Grand Lodge of England.

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Harmony My, brethren, I desire to impress upon you the great importance of harmony in all of your actions. As individuals, I am afraid we are all too prone to criticize the actions of others; too slow in adopting and acting on good suggestions, and too apt to oppose every effort, no matter how commendable, if not proposed by ourselves. Every brother seems to feel (and perhaps it is a natural feeling) that his own plan for accomplishing a particular end is better than any other that can be proposed, and, consequently, he is unwilling to yield his opinions and prejudices, even when opposed by a majority of his brethren, and thus often prevents that united action which might result in great and lasting benefit to the fraternity.

“Know Thyself” is the hardest lesson we have to learn. None of us are infallible. We can all learn from each other; and, if we would accomplish any great good, we must act in harmony. In the great Masonic field of labor, harmony in all things should be the predominant feature. Then, my brethren, I again exhort you to cultivate the spirit of harmony. Lay aside self, and act together for the best interest of our great brotherhood.

— Extracted from the address of MW E.G. Davis to the Grand Lodge of D.C. on November 13, 1878

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UNUM AS WELL AS PLURIBUS

UNUM As Well As PLURIBUS istorians and academics have named the 20th century “The American Century”. I would tend to agree since during that time frame the United States of America revealed its economic, academic, political/diplomatic and military might.

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With this overwhelming success, it is easy to forget that it all began as a great experiment seeded in the minds of a small group of visionaries, and born to proclamations such as: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (The Declaration of Independence) and; “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” (The US Constitution) Union, what a grand word! So precious, and so powerful that it was adapted to be part of the Great Seal of the United States whereon one can find inscribed the words “E PLURIBUS UNUM” which is Latin for “out of many one”. It was within the womb of this momentous ideal that the great American experiment came to life; it was unity out of diversity that generated the force behind the metamorphosis of the great American experiment to the American dream.

The 20th century became the American Century because the American dream was the dream of every citizen of this great nation. Throughout the century the diverse American social fabric shared the ideals put into words by the founding visionaries, or as Joseph J. Ellis named them, “The Founding Brothers”, and worked tirelessly towards their realization.

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Nicolas V. Papadopoulos, Worshipful Master Justice Columbia Lodge No. 3 But can America carry the torch of triumph in the 21st century?

In the dawn of this new millennium, and after a decade of extraordinary prosperity, Americans woke up to events that were a part of every day lives around the world. The awakening, moreover, was sudden, unanticipated and foreign to us here at home.

Maybe they should not have been surprised!

Globalization has been a part of our vocabulary for some time now. Much of the extraordinary prosperity we enjoyed during the 1990’s was by and large due to globalization. But let’s define this term. Webster’s Dictionary defines globalization as the process of “making something worldwide in scope”. However, Webster’s definition does not prohibit one from elaborating on the concept. Our use of the term today focuses primarily on the economic attributes of such practice. Therefore, one could further define it as the worldwide integration and flow of goods, capital, ideas and people.

Given these definitions one can easily reach the conclusion that our country is by virtue of its involvement in the process of globalization, a part and an active participant within the diverse global fabric. Such participation however tends to lower the protective walls of natural and geographic borders, leaving the participants exposed to the economic, political, cultural and social trends that flow around the whole. The events that I referred to earlier were cruel evidence of the realities of globalization and perhaps a preview of the challenges that lie ahead as the US pushes forward towards promoting democracy, free trade and economic integration to the world. But, weren’t Americans confronted with similar challenges at the time when our forefathers were trying to plant the seeds of freedom, independence and economic integration in our country? continued on page 26

GRAND VISITATIONS —LEGACY OR LIABILITY?

Grand Visitations — Legacy or Liability? ave you ever attended a Grand Visitation? If so, what did you think of it? Was the experience enjoyable? Instructive? Motivating? Inspirational? How beneficial was it — to your lodge, your brethren, and to you? If given the opportunity, would you attend again?

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Your response to these questions will undoubtedly reflect your recollection of events that occurred at the visitation that you attended. Moreover your answer will unquestionably be colored by your ongoing experiences, as a loyal Master Mason and, perhaps, as an officer, past or present, in your lodge or in the Grand Lodge.

The Grand Visitation is a procedure unique to Masonry in the District of Columbia. It was established in the third year of Grand Lodge Masonry in this jurisdiction, specifically on January 12, 1813, when the members of Grand Lodge resolved that it was the duty of the Grand Lodge officers “to visit, at least once a year, the different lodges under its jurisdiction, giving 10 days previous notice to the Master of the lodge they intend to visit.”

Eventually the substance of this resolution was integrated into the constitution of the Grand Lodge, where it now appears, in essentially identical form, as Section 22 of the Grand Lodge Code. That section of our law specifies that the “Grand Master shall make a grand visitation, attended by his officers, to the constituent lodges, at least once a year, ten days previous notice having been given to the Master of the Lodge.”

Such visitations by the Grand Master, usually with the officers of the Grand Lodge, have thus been a part of Masonry in this jurisdiction for 193 years. They did not begin immediately, however, and it was not until 1818 that the first of these visitations were actually made.

Since then every Grand Master, in adherence to the will of Grand Lodge, has struggled to schedule his visitations in a manner that commands the favorable attention of the brethren generally.

While the Code obligates the Grand Master and his officers to make Grand Visitations, it does not stipulate when, how, or in what manner the visits are to be accomplished. These are details which have been left to the

Stewart W. Miner, Grand Secretary Emeritus discretion of our Grand Masters for decision. As a result visitation schedules and substance have varied, the former, perhaps, more than the latter.

The visitation schedule was not an issue of any great consequence in the early years of the Grand Lodge when there were only a handful of lodges to visit. In 1825 the Grand Master completed his visits prior to the May 3rd Semi-Annual Communication. But as the number of lodges increased, scheduling became a more formidable issue, eventually inducing the Grand Lodge, in the year 1900, to move its annual communication to December in order to reserve October and November for Grand Visitations.

The proliferation of lodges over time raised another issue, particularly when the number of lodges increased to a total of 48. How could the Grand Master squeeze in visitations to lodges individually, within such a restricted period of time, and still attend to his other duties, Masonic and civil? He couldn’t, of course, and this naturally led to visitations in which a number of lodges, two, three, four, five, or all at once, as in 2005, were visited simultaneously.

In attempting to lessen the burden imposed by crowding the visitation schedule into a busy two-month period, several Grand Masters have attempted to break out of the October-November time frame by scheduling some visitations at other times of the year. In 1977, for example, Grand Master Brewer made his visits over the course of several months, starting in early March. Grand Master Chaney did likewise in 1996, and in 1997, Grand Master Drechsler scheduled two series of visitations, one in the Spring and another in the Fall.

In addition to confronting the issue of schedule, every Grand Master has been concerned with the structure of the Grand Visitation. Who does what and why? In 1818 Grand Master Daniel Kurtz stated that on his visits to the subordinate lodges that he examined the lodge books of proceedings, their methods of working, and that he had found the lodge records to be “fully, fairly, and correctly The Voice of Freemasonry

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GRAND VISITATIONS —LEGACY OR LIABILITY?

kept.” He noted, however, that the modes of working in the lodges “was very dissimilar,” and that there were scarcely two lodges in the jurisdiction that “worked in the same manner.”

The interest patterns, as established by Grand Master Kurtz, have prevailed, by and large, from 1818 to the present. Over the years Grand Visitations invariably have been occasions for the formal review of work in the lodge; the examination of the lodge books of record; and the submission of reports on the work of the lodge Master, Secretary, and Treasurer. As the years rolled by other items were added to the agenda, including reports of the Grand Lecturer, the presentation of awards, and, without fail, a memorial prayer.

Original Grand Visitation Band. (L to R): “Dutch” Albert, “Skinny” Morris, Ralph Eshelmann, Robert Redding, Charles Weaver, Mike Easter, Robert Drechsler, Richard Weaver.

June 1967.

It became evident early on, however, that “business” alone would not long sustain the interest of the brethren at Grand Visitations. Thus, while the purposes of the visitation by the Grand Master and his officers have remained fairly constant, Grand Lodge leaders have striven to also make these occasions interesting and enjoyable by structuring them as festive occasions, complete with entertainment, Masonic instruction, and refreshments.

Brother Donaldson introduced music by inviting the participation of the Masonic Choir Association and by the presentation of lectures delivered by brethren invited to speak on Masonic subjects into his Grand Visitations Both of these innovations were enthusiastically accepted, and the new format of the Grand Visitation was used repeatedly for many years. It is interesting to note that in his attempt to create interest, Grand Master Donaldson really instituted the first Grand Lodge non-ritualistic education effort.

Responsibility for making arrangements for the Grand Visitation has generally rested, in the past, on the leadership of the lodge or lodges being visited. When two or more lodges have been visited on the same evening, responsibilities usually have been divided and expenses shared. Under this arrangement the visited lodges provided entertainment and refreshments after the Grand Master had and his officers had sat in judgement of their Masonic efforts.

The Donaldson-type of visitation lasted until 1883, when Grand Master Chamberlain returned the visitations back to their original form. At that time he decreed that lodge programs, on the occasion of the Grand Visitation, were to be arranged by the Master of the lodge being visited.

They were, and this responsibility remained, by and large, until 2005, with Grand Masters usually bringing visitations to a close by delivering inspirational messages on Masonic issues of personal choice.

On most occasions the Grand Master and his officers have been considered the guests of the lodges being visited and treated as such. Certainly this was the pattern of operation until 1869, the first of the two terms served by Grand Master Robert B. Donaldson. Intent on making the Grand Visitation an occasion of interest to the Craft generally, and not only to the officers of the visited lodges, Donaldson assumed responsibility for planning the visitation program.

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Grand Lodge Awards Night. Masons, families, and friends gather in the Scottish Rite Temple for a ceremonial program replacing the traditional Grand Visitation.

GRAND VISITATIONS —LEGACY OR LIABILITY?

Throughout the history of the Grand Lodge all of our Grand Masters have labored to maintain interest in the Grand Visitation. One such effort of note took place in 1941, when the Grand Lodge, under the leadership of Grand Master Ara M. Daniels, hosted what was termed the “First Annual Masonic Grand Visitation Banquet” at the Willard Hotel.

On that occasion more than 600 Masons shared dinner and enjoyed Masonic addresses delivered by U.S. Senator Chan Gurney of South Dakota and U.S. Grand Lodge Awards Night. Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master present service certificates to Worshipful Masters.

It was an unusual affair, entirely devoid of the usual reports and judgements, formalities which were replaced by the presentation of awards and certificates of service, by bountiful refreshments, and by a rousing period of spine-tingling Spanish-style dancing. In contrast to the sparse attendance which had marked Grand Visitations in recent years, attendance at this one was exceptionally good.

Grand Lodge Awards Night. Spanish Dancers provided outstanding entertainment for those attending Awards Night.

Senator Harold H. Burton of Ohio, who later became an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. While it was intended that this dinner would become an annual occasion thereafter, the practice was not continued because war-time conditions thereafter made such gatherings impractical.

Was the innovative visitation of 2005 enjoyable? Yes! Was it motivating? Yes! Was it inspirational? Yes! Was it instructive? Yes! Did it set a precedent for future Grand Masters to follow? No one knows, but that question will, in the fullness of time, be answered. In the meantime we may be certain that the innovative 2005 visitation demonstrated that anything is possible, given a mite of imagination. Grand Visitations, we now know, do not have to be anachronistic!

The next significant modification of the Grand Visitation structure occurred in 1968, when for the first time a group of Almas Temple musicians, led by Brothers Eugene Albert and Elmer G. “Skinny” Morris, performed. At that time they provided marching music for the entrance and departure of the Grand Master and his suite, and at various interludes spiced up the evening by providing appropriate musical numbers. They continue to do so to this day.

In 2005 Grand Master Proden decided that it was time for a new look. While complying with the intent of the code, as he saw it, he purposely reversed the roles traditionally played by participants at these affairs. He did so by making the Grand Lodge and its officers the hosts of a gala visitation, in which the officers of the subordinate lodges and their families were received as guests.

Traditional Grand Visitation. The sole traditional Grand Visitation in 2005 was to Anacostia Lodge No. 21, where the Grand Master enjoyed the evening.

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CRAFTING THE MASON

Crafting the Mason

Making the Case for a Quality Masonic Experience Staff Report rom the time Brother L’Enfant first conceived the plan for a place called Washington, our Nation’s Capital was destined to be Freemasonry’s First City in America. While brothers from other jurisdictions may disagree, it should be noted that many of them have come to our fair city every February over the better part of a century, to share fellowship and discourse during “Masonic Week,” the invitational bodies’ annual convention at the Hotel Washington. In several years since 1997, Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15 has presented the “kickoff” event of the Week, usually in the form of a debate or panel discussion on matters of interest to the fraternity. Since 2001, this event has found a home at the National Press Club, and many Masons from around the nation have attended, with great satisfaction to themselves and benefit to the Craft.

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This year the Lodge of the Nine Muses No. 1776 cohosted the event, and its Master, WB Michael A.W. Hattwick, M.D., presided over the panel discussion with WB Dan J. Critchfield of Benjamin B. French No. 15.

More than 120 Masons and guests attended this year’s event, traveling from as far away as California to enjoy an evening of refreshment and discussion.

Ms. Shannon Schambeau, this year’s Miss District of Columbia, made a presentation on the “platform issue” of her reign, the upcoming Special Olympics, which will take place on May 24, 2006. At the Special Olympics the Masons of this jurisdiction Shannon Schambeau, will be giving thanks by Miss District of Columbia giving time to those who have disabilities. From the dais, Ms. Schambeau acknowledged the contribution of MWB Albert McNair Smith, who will be calling on all Masons to participate.

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Brother Carlos Rodriguez, a member of Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15, a professor of music at the famed Levine School of Music, and accompanist to artists of international reputation such as Maestro Placido Domingo, delighted the assembly with works of Brother

Mozart and Frederic Chopin. The audience responded with a standing ovation and cries of “Encore!” and Brother Rodriguez obliged, to thunderous applause.

This year’s panel discusCarlos Cesar Rodriguez, sion, entitled, “Crafting Pianist Extraordinary the Mason,” focused upon the initiatory experience. Three distinguished brothers addressed aspects of the initiation ceremony. WB Kirk MacNulty, founding Master of the Lodge of the Nine Muses No. 1776, began the program with a discussion of the esoteric and symbolic underpinnings of Masonic initiation, using an explanation of elements of European trestleboards Kirk MacNulty as a guide.

The Ill. Robert G. Davis, Secretary of the Scottish Rite Valley of Guthrie, Oklahoma, and author of the recent, seminal work “Understanding Manhood in America: the Search for the Mature Masculine,” then lectured Robert Davis on the significance of initiation as an important and irreplaceable milestone in the personal development of young men of the modern era.

RW Thomas W. Jackson, Past Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and Past President of the Conference of Grand Secretaries, brought the discussion to a close with a lecture on the ways that Lodges and Grand Thomas Jackson Lodges should work together to provide both a quality initiatory and subsequent educational and motivational experiences to incoming Masons.

AMADEUS, THE GOLDEN IMMORTAL

Amadeus, the Golden Immortal choose to speak of Mozart the man. The mortal man of more than great talent, and extraordinary abilities who was fired by an overwhelming inspiration of undefined nature and from an undefined source. I choose to make a contrast with the abbreviated and superficial regard given to Mozart the Masonic icon. The man who is casually spoken of in grandiose and superficial tones.

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J.W. Carter, III, Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15

It is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the enigmatic bright fire whose light elevated civilization to great heights.

Mozart’s achievements were brought about in great measure by the Masonic Brotherhood of by-gone days.

What we understand now of Mozart, is a mere shadow in a cultural de-evolution. He awaits a serious rediscovery.

Mozart, the icon, is that snippet of music played in great redundancy in thin solemnity. So often one hears, “I know Mozart,” when in fact less than a handful of his more than 600 works have been heard by most individuals. From age 5 to age 37, his works include more than 20 musicals and operas and dozens of symphonies.

Attesting to this monumental effort of a life time are Mozart’s hand written manuscripts, which, when piled one on top of another, would reach to the Baroque ceilings of the palaces in which he made music.

Mozart wrote whole compositions at the first and only sitting. Revisions were only infrequently made later.

The fresh newly made composition which appeared from his pen on sheets of music, he copied with prodigious speed, by hand, in quill pen and ink for other musicians to follow — a great effort to share the Light which had filled his mind with his contemporaries and future.

I choose to look at Wolfgang Amadeus, the evolving individual rather than the superficial icon he has become and think we know so well. I first see him as a child prodigy, one whot did not burn out at 13, as many early talented children do. I studied the shimmering vibrancy of the beautiful youth. Amadeus, a sensitive late teenager, was introduced to life’s mysteries, especially those of beautiful powerful women in the royal courts. He grew up in a “prolonged party” period that was always in contrast to the discipline and support of his loving parents, especially his father.

The royal “party circuit” became a burden to him.

Frequently he was not paid by the nobility whom he pleased so well by playing for the happiness of others while he dealt with mounting financial difficulties, mental and physical exhaustion, and the deaths of his parents and children. Is this the Mozart we know?

Amadeus was a Mason. He was certainly inspired by the symbolisms of the ancient brotherhood. His Masonic understanding was naturally integrated into his life’s work. On more than one occasion he cryptically translated Masonic information into clever musicals that could be enjoyed as entertainment at a superficial level by the public. His brethren understood and appreciated the coded underlying content, as Mozart intended. continued on page 27 The Voice of Freemasonry

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CENTERFOLD

Installation Communication. Grand Master Smith and Grand Chaplain Balcom invoke the blessings of Diety in the presence of the Grand Lodge Officers.

Installation Communication. Witnessing the installation of Grand Master Smith were (L to R) his son, Daniel, his daughter-in-law, Michelle (L), his wife, Mary, and his son, Patrick.

Annual Communication. Grand Master Robert E. Wheeler, Grand Master of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, addresses the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia.

Grand Lodge of Maryland. Waiting to be Annual Communication. Past Grand Masters Drechsler, McMullen, and The Voice of Freemasonry

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Miskovic, all members of Anacostia Lodge No. 21, were on hand to support Grand Master Proden, also of that lodge.

escorted into the Annual Communication at Bonnie Blink are the members of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, led by Grand Master Proden.

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Potomac Lodge No. 5. John W, Bainbridge, Jr., co-author of the book “American Gunfight: The Plot to Kill Harry Truman and the Shoot-Out that Stopped It,” autographs copies of his book for members and guests of the lodge.

Jewel Dinner. Traveling Jewels are ceremoniously exchanged at the annual Jewel dinner. Pictured are WB Russell receiving the Master’s jewel of Potomac Lodge No. 5 from the immediate Past Master of that lodge, WB Jerry McEntire.

Arminius Lodge No. 25. The Grand Master of the United Grand Lodges of Germany was presented a gavel crafted by Grand Tiler Gerhard Meinzer on the occasion of the Grand Lodge Annual Communication.

George Washington National Masonic Memorial. Paintings included in the “Initiated Eye” exhibit, displayed last year in the Octagon Museum, are now on display in the Memorial. Pictured at the display is the Executive Secretary of the Memorial Association, WB George Seghers, PM of the Lodge of the Nine Muses.

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DISTINGUISHED MASONS HONORED

Distinguished Masons Honored Staff Report t the annual communication on December 10, 2005, Grand Master Leonard Proden exercised his prerogative as Grand Master to award Valentine Reintzel Medals to W. Don Baugher, Paul D. Dolinsky, and Dalton A. West. In addition the Grand Lodge, on the recommendation of its Awards Committee, voted unanimously to present the Distinguished Service Medal to Victor Adegbite. The Valentine Reintzel Medals were presented at the Annual Communication and the Distinguished Service Award was presented at the Installation Communication, one week later. All recipients were accorded standing ovations by the brethren of Grand Lodge. The following citations accompanied the presentations of these medals.

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He was raised a Master Mason in March of 1963 and is a member of the York Rite, Scottish Rite and Shrine.

Additionally, he holds membership in the Red Cross of Constantine and the Order of Eastern Star. In August of 2005 Brother Baugher received the 33° of the Scottish Rite Supreme Council.

He served his lodge as Worshipful Master in 1978 and was elected to the Grand Lodge Board of General Purposes in 1979. He served that board for six years, the last as its President. Elected Junior Grand Deacon in 1988, he served as Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge F.&A.M. of Michigan in 1993-94. At the Annual Communication of that Grand Lodge in 1997 he was elected to the office of Right Worshipful Grand Secretary, a position he held until 2003, when he resigned to assume the position of Executive Director of the National Masonic Foundation for Children.

Brother Baugher has been involved with activities concerning youth and drug prevenValentine Reintzel Medalists. Flanked by the Grand Master (L) and the Deputy Grand Master (R), tion for many years. He Brothers Paul D. Dolinsky, W. Don Baugher, and Dalton A. West (L to R), 2005 recipients of Valentine was a founder and coReintzel Medals. chaired the first Board of W. DON BAUGHER Directors of SAIL (Substance Abuse Impairs Living), a Raised on a cotton farm in Southeast Missouri, Most community group dedicated to identifying and filling gaps Worshipful Brother W. Don Baugher moved to Michigan in community services dealing with at risk children. in 1956 soon after graduating from high school. He Don was elected to the Executive Board of the National attended Lake Michigan College, studying business while Masonic Foundation for Children at the Conference of working for the Whirlpool Corporation. He retired from Grand Masters in 1992 and later served four years as Whirlpool on February 29, 1996, after 39 years of service.

President. He has represented the National Masonic He was the Manager, Corporate Purchasing and Foundation for Children, in the “Prevention Through Administrative Services, at the time of his retirement.

Service Alliance” an initiative hosted by the Drug In 1958 Brother Baugher entered the U.S. Army, and for Enforcement Administration. the next two years he spent most of his time in assignment to the 58th Infantry in Germany.

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DISTINGUISHED MASONS HONORED

In Michigan he served as the State Coordinator of the Masonic Model Student Assistance Program. He is a state official for Michigan Rainbow and served on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Masonic Youth Foundation, which he helped incorporate. He also serves on the Board of the Michigan Masonic Home Charitable Foundation and the Masonic Foundation of Michigan.

In recognition of his long and faithful service to the Masonic fraternity and his outstanding efforts to combat drug usage by children, we take pleasure in presenting Most Worshipful W. Don Baugher, the Valentine Reinztel Medal for Meritorious Service.

PAUL D. DOLINSKY Paul D. Dolinsky, is the Chief and Principal Architect of the History of American Buildings Survey/Historic American Landscapes Survey of the National Park Service, one of the oldest historic preservation programs in the United States. He received his training as an architect, landscape architect and architectural historian at Penn State University, American University and The George Washington University. Through his professional career he has been responsible for documentation and restoration of hundreds of public and private historic sites across the United States and its territories. Some of these include The White House, Washington Monument, and the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials in Washington, DC; the missions of San Antonio, Texas; Mark Twain’s House in Connecticut; and EI Morro Fortifications in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

He is a Past Master and Trustee of Federal Lodge No.1, F.A.A.M. in Washington, DC, and is also a Trustee-forLife of The Buchly Charity Fund of Federal Lodge No.1.

Additionally, he is a member of Mount Pleasant Royal Arch Chapter No. 13 and The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Valley of Washington, Orient of the District of Columbia.

Through his Masonic career, Paul has been involved with numerous historic projects including the bicentennial celebration of Federal Lodge No.1. He has also been involved in architectural restorations of significant Masonic interest, including the restoration and strengthening of the Memorial Arch at Valley Forge National Park, a joint project of the National Park Service and the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. More recently, he was involved in the conceptualization, organization, historical research and production of The Initiated Eye, our

exhibition at the Octagon Museum that has helped raise national and international awareness of our great Fraternity.

For his sustained and continuing efforts to advance the interests of Freemasonry through greater awareness of our fraternity’s influence on the architecture in our country and his devotion to his Lodge and to this Grand Lodge, we take pleasure in presenting Worshipful Brother Paul D. Dolinsky the Valentine Reintzel Medal for Meritorious Service.

DALTON A. WEST A Canadian by birth, Brother Dalton A. West is a transplanted Washingtonian now living in Annapolis, Maryland, where he and his wife of 41 years try to find time in his busy schedule to enjoy their two children and four grandchildren. Worshipful Brother Dalton received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Dakota, a Master of Arts degree from Purdue University and a Ph.D. from McGill University, with degrees in history, political science and economics. As a result of his expertise in Russian military history, he was highly sought as a lecturer and teacher in the military educational community, lecturing at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey California; the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland; the Kennedy Special Warfare School, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina; and the Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle Pennsylvania, among others. He was also associated with the Georgetown University as a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and served as the Director of U.S. Global Strategy Council and National Intelligence Studies Center. In 1998, he joined the Department of Defense, Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense, as a Senior Historian, producing official histories of the Department of Defense, collecting and editing the multi-volume annual collection of the Secretary’s public statements, and other research pertinent to the affairs of the Secretary and the Department.

A third generation Mason, Dalton received his Masonic degrees in La France Lodge No. 93, and later served as Secretary of that Lodge for two years. He is also a dual member of Annapolis Lodge No. 89 and Naval Lodge No. 4 where he is currently the Worshipful Master. He also is a member of both Washington-Potomac Chapter No. 8 and Mount Pleasant Chapter No. 13, RAM, and he is a 33° Honorary in the Scottish Rite, where he is the

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DISTINGUISHED MASONS HONORED

current Senior Warden of the Mithras Lodge of Perfection.

seeking a crown for himself and by passing up the opportunity to become the Charter Master of that Lodge.

In spite of an extraordinarily busy schedule, Worshipful Brother West undertook the reorganization and revitalization of the Grand Lodge Child Identification Program (CHIP). His efforts and enthusiasm have brought new life to this program and enormous initial strides have been made in publicizing this activity as well as creating a high level of interest, both in our Constituent Lodges, the schools, and most importantly, the parents.

His self-sacrifice was once again displayed with respect to the founding of Fiat Lux Lodge No. 1717, which works under the English Emulation Ritual. He once more stepped aside to allow another brother to become the Charter Master or Primus.

In recognition of this important contribution to our community and to this Grand Lodge, we take pleasure in presenting Worshipful Brother Dalton A. West, the Valentine Reintzel Medal for Meritorious Service.

Distinguished Service Award for 2005

Did he rest then? No, he aided in the formation of two Royal Arch Chapter and one Council of Select Masters.

His work in the degrees of the Scottish Rite, in addition to his lectures as a part of the KCCH team and his service to that branch of Masonry, has been rewarded by the conferral on him of the 33° Honorary.

Brother Adegbite is an architect by profession. He is a Professor Emeritus and a retired Associate Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning of Howard University in Washington, D.C. , having served at the University for 18 years. Prior to his service at Howard, he was Chief Architect of the Ghana Government and also served as a consultant to the United Nations.

Victor A. Adegbite The recipient of this prestigious award is a member of a small band of gentle, quiet, unassuming and hard working Master Masons that we are privileged to have in our Grand Jurisdiction. He labors faithfully, diligently and with a reverence of love in the quarries of Freemasonry without counting the cost or seeking personal glory or honors.

By his character, conduct, regular deportment, and his bearing, he exemplifies, with distinction and class, all that is good, true, honorable, ennobling and edifying about our ancient craft. He is a Mason’s Mason.

As a herald and forerunner, he made an outstanding contribution towards opening the gates of D.C. Masonry thereby making it possible for so many well-qualified Master Masons to become a part of Masonry in this jurisdiction. They too now drink from the fresh sustaining oasis of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, all of which distinguishes Washington, D.C. from all other Jurisdictions.

Beginning in 1976 he worked assiduously to foster an allembracing jurisdiction which culminated in the founding of Sojourner-Kilwinning Lodge No. 1798, which was given permission to work in the ancient Scottish Ritual.

Not one to rest there, he continued his efforts, without

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Distinguished Service Awardee. The Grand Lodge unanimously chose Brother Victor A. Adegbite, member of Sojourner-Kilwinning Lodge No. 1798, to receive the Distinguished Service Medal for 2005.

With the unanimous concurrence of the Grand Lodge, we are pleased to present the Grand Lodge Distinguished Service Award for 2005 to WB Victor Adegbite.

LOOKING BACK OVER TIME

Looking Back Over Time Rev. David A. Balcom, Grand Chaplain very year a number of Masonic veterans in this jurisdiction reach the 50-year membership milestone.

One who recently achieved that cherished goal was our Grand Chaplain, the Reverend David A. Balcom, who was presented his 50-year pin by the Grand Master in his lodge, William R. Singleton-Hope-Lebanon Lodge No. 7. Responding to the congratulations that were showered upon him at that time, he made the following remarks:

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“As I reflect upon all that has happened in my life in the last 50 years I am made so keenly aware of how swiftly the sands of time have flowed through the hour glass of life since that quiet, cold, snowy, wintry January night fifty years ago when I drove from Westminster, Maryland, where I was a senior at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College), for the conferral of my Master Mason’s degree in William R. Singleton Lodge No. 30, here in Tenleytown, D.C. So very vivid are the precious memories of that time.

They are indelibly engraved upon the canvasses that hang in the recesses of the corridors of my mind.

So much more could be said of the experiences that I have had in Masonry across these years.

But, this is only a response and not the sermon that I feel coming on.

I am so deeply honored to be able to stand here with Albert McNair Smith, Grand Master, and Past Grand

Grand Master Albert McNair Smith presented a fifty-year membership pin to the Reverend Brother David A. Balcom on January 5, 2005 in William R. Singleton Hope-Lebanon Lodge No. 7. David’s wife of 50 years, Jean, was present for the ceremony.

Although we had moved from Arlington to this area of D.C. only four years before, we quickly became very much at home, as my family lived just off River Road. Jean and I had attended old Western High School in Georgetown when we both lived in Arlington and I graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, after we moved into D.C., and later from Wesley Theological Seminary on Massachusetts Avenue. As a member of this lodge I have had the honor of serving as Chaplain for seven years, as substitute organist, as a member of the lodge choir, and now as Director of Music and Organist for the last 16 years.

Fifty years later I stand west of the Altar, where we all have knelt in prayer, and near the spot where my father, Robert B. Balcom, later Master of our lodge, raised me to the sublime degree of Master Mason.

Masters: Robert B. Heyat. Deputy Grand Master; Mansour Hatefi. Grand Secretary, Stewart W. Miner Grand Secretary Emeritus; Theodore M. Kahn; and Robert H. Starr, Past Grand Masters; along with Akram R. Elias, Senior Grand Warden; Kwame Acquaah, Junior Grand Warden; William D. Means, our Worshipful Master and Grand Lodge Photographer; and Gerhard Meinzer, Grand Tiler.

It is also a real joy that this is an open lodge with our ladies and guests present so that Jean can join me here at the Altar.

To you, Grand Master, to the members of the Grand Lodge, and to all the members of William R. SingletonHope-Lebanon Lodge No. 7, I express my gratitude for this, my newest Masonic treasure.”

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LODGE ANNIVERSARIES — 2006

Lodge Anniversaries — 2006 Staff Report his year three of our constituent lodges will celebrate significant anniversaries. In order of seniority, they are: (1) National Lodge No. 12 (now NationalStansbury- Dawson No. 12); (2) Arminius Lodge No. 25; and (3) Magnolia Lodge No. 53. During the year these lodges will celebrate, respectively, 160, 130, and 10 years of Masonic service in this jurisdiction.

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National Lodge No. 12 National Lodge No. 12 was chartered by the Grand Lodge on May 7, 1846. The first Master of this lodge was General James Shields, who was at that time Commissioner of the General Land Office under President Polk.

Shields served as a Brevet Major General during the Mexican War in which he was seriously wounded. He was also Hector M. Ramirez, distinguished by his Worshipful Master, unique career in the U.S. National-Stansbury-Dawson Senate, in which body he Lodge No. 12 represented Illinois from 1849-55; Minnesota from 1958-59; and Missouri from January to March 1879.

The first roster of the lodge was issued on October 27, 1846. Included as a founding member was Benjamin B. French, who in 1847 served the first of his several terms as Grand Master of Masons of the District of Columbia.

At the time of his affiliation with National Lodge, he was assistant clerk of the House of Representatives, a position he had held since 1833.

In addition to Grand Master French, National Lodge lays claim to one other Grand Master, Isaac La Rue Johnson, who served as Grand Master in the Masonic years of

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1875-1876. During the Civil War Brother Johnson served in the Army of the Potomac as a Captain in the 153rd Infantry, following which he resumed the practice of law in the District of Columbia .

National-Stansbury-Dawson Lodge now meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at the Takoma Masonic Center.

Arminius Lodge No. 25 Arminius Lodge No. 25 was chartered on November 8, 1876, during the administration of second of National’s Grand Masters, Isaac L. Johnson. This date is significant in the history of the Grand Lodge, which at that time made a monumental decision — to permit a lodge to operate and work the degrees in a language other than English (i.e., in German).

Columbus Thompson, Worshipful Master, Arminius Lodge No. 25

Initially the Grand Master was hesitant to grant the enabling dispensation, having doubts about the propriety of establishing such a lodge and the ability of the applicants to translate the work, as practiced here, into another language. On the strength of recommendations by many Masons of stature he relented, however, and on July 10th of 1876, he permitted the German-speaking brethren to commence work.

In due course all of the Grand Master’s apprehensions were removed by brethren who satisfactorily demonstrated that they could conduct a lodge successfully and confer the degrees, in German, and in strict accordance with the ritual, requirements, and usages prevailing in this jurisdiction. By so doing they established a reassur-

LODGE ANNIVERSARIES — 2006

ing precedent for future generations in the Grand Lodge to follow.

Arminius Lodge No. 25 was officially consecrated on November 27, 1876, at which time Brothers Herman H. Gerdes, John C. Hesse, and Hugh Eicholtz were installed as the first three principal officers. While its unique character has undoubtedly limited its size and field of action, it has for 130 years served the Grand Lodge and its German-speaking members honorably and extremely well.

Arminius Lodge now meets on the second Wednesday of each month in the Takoma Masonic Center.

Magnolia Lodge No. 53 Magnolia Lodge No. 53 was officially chartered by the Grand Lodge on December 21, 1996. It was not consecrated, however, until April 17th of 1997, in a ceremony presided over by Grand Master Robert F. Drechsler, now our Grand Treasurer.

According to the Summer 1997 issue of the “Voice,” this lodge came into being as the fruit of the labors of several Masons who were members of the Kappa Alpha fraternity in college. Among those deeply involved was Maryland’s Past Grand Master, C. David Haacke, who served this lodge as its first Master. Working with him was Brother Joseph M. Van Name, as Senior Warden, and Earl Fain IV, as Junior Warden.

After his installation as Master, Brother Haacke addressed the assembled brethren and laid out the aims and objectives of the lodge. In his remarks he stated that Magnolia Lodge would be of special interest to Kappa Alpha men and would induce them to continue to Masonically develop the fraternalism, in Masonry, that had been nurtured by their Kappa Alpha experiences.

Magnolia Lodge No. 53 is unique in that it meets quarterly, with the approval of the Grand Lodge. It members, while limited in numbers, are enthusiastic, and while many members reside in locales far distant from Washington, D.C., they are nevertheless steadfast in their support of the lodge and its activities.

Finally, Magnolia Lodge is different in that it is the only lodge in the jurisdiction to meet, with Grand Lodge approval, in a non-Masonic facility. Home for this lodge is the Oddfellow’s Hall located on the George Washington University Campus at 701 24th St., N.W. The “Voice” extends congratulations to each of these lodges. It is our hope that 2006 will be a year in which their many achievements of the past will provide the basis for steady advancement into a future that is both promising and prosperous.

A Word on Fraternal Relations “In this happy and joyous season, when everything around us is calculated to open the well-springs of our affections, let us determine to cultivate a close and fraternal affection for each other, not the mere discharge of formal courtesies predicated on our Masonic relations with each other, and which are too frequently simply cold formalities, but that real and sterling affection which will unite us in the closest ties of confraternal relationship and regard. Amid all that may arise to disturb our fraternal associations, or blight our particular friendships, let us, as Masons, and as men, see to it that we “love the brethren.” I am aware that circumstances may, that they will, arise to interfere with our preferences in that respect, and that act as we may offence will come, still, when unhappily the bond of friendship has lapsed, from any cause, real or imaginary, let us as men, as brethren, avail ourselves of the first, the earliest opportunity to secure a renewal of our former friendships.”

— From the Installation Address of Joseph Sylvester McCoy, Grand Master, on December 27, 1879

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REVERSE ENGINEERING THE QUESTION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A MASON?

Reverse Engineering the Question: What Does it Mean to be a Mason? s the Master of a Masonic lodge I find myself interviewing prospective candidates and explaining to them what it means to be a Mason. This is the prime question that must be explained to all who would join our craft but I find that I cannot give a simple answer to it, certainly not one that clearly sets Masonry apart from many other organizations.

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Increasingly I find myself wanting to provide answers to two different yet highly related constituent questions, each of which relates to an important part of the whole.

Surprisingly, perhaps, these questions do not involve the usual queries about religion or secrecy in Masonry and they do not come from the concerns of the interviewee.

They originate with me and reflect what I think is important to communicate to anyone considering membership in the craft.

In retrospect, I realize that I have simply reverse engineered the questions. In other words, I am generating the questions so that the answers provide what I believe is the correct response to what the possible Mason should know about what it means to be a Mason. I find it necessary to explain what it means to be a Mason by answering the two questions – “When am I a Mason?” and “Where am I a Mason?”

When am I a Mason? Some would argue that at the moment a candidate is made an Entered Apprentice he is in fact a Mason, while others hold firm to the idea that a person is only a Mason when elevated to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. Either way, the answer to the first question could be stated simply as “I am a Mason when I am made one.” That may be true in some elementary sense, but it is not a very satisfactory answer. It is true but hardly enlightening or useful.

For one thing, while the process of interviewing and examining a candidate might lead to certain confirmations about his character and values, it is no guarantee

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Dalton West, Worshipful Master Naval Lodge No. 4 that the candidate will be fully committed to all that Masonry expects. In any case, almost certainly it will not tell you whether, or even if, the person ever can or will exhibit a fraternal spirit in the Masonic tradition. Unless one knows the candidate for a very long time prior to his petition, it is almost impossible to detect his dedication prior to receiving the degrees.

A better answer would be that a man is a Mason when in his daily life and in his social interactions he exhibits truthfulness, charity, even handedness and the other social and moral virtues that Masons are expected to practice. In other words, “behaving Masonically” is one of the gold standards when determining whether or not one is a Mason, and a judgment about a person’s willingness to live that way should be a key factor in any decision about admitting him to the fraternity.

But let us be clear and honest with ourselves about these virtues. They are not exclusively or uniquely “Masonic” ideas. In fact, they are quite the opposite because they are genuinely universal concepts and are found in most civilized societies to one degree or another. The peculiarity of Masonry is that the craft has gathered together the universal virtues from a wide range of civilizations over a long period of time and adopted them as its own and codified them into its practices.

As regards the universal social and moral virtues, if we are unique at all, it is only in the sense that we are “transcendental” in our acceptance and adaptation of these virtues, whereas most of the great civilizations and the universal religions are to one extent or another somewhat parochial, limited in time, place, and historical circumstance. In the modern period we may differ from other organizations professing similar ideas but the difference as to substance is often only a matter of degrees.

REVERSE ENGINEERING THE QUESTION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A MASON?

If we return now to where we began, in our attempt to explain to an enquiring person what Masonry is, we must answer in two ways. There is the manner in which Masons relate to their fellow man in the profane world, and there is the manner in which Masons relate to one another in the lodge setting. We can and must act “Masonically” in almost every setting, but we can only fully act “as Masons” in a duly tiled lodge setting where we come together to reaffirm, in a time-honored way, our brotherhood.

Part of the answer to the question “When am I a Mason?” resides, then, in our careful attention to all that the level, the square, the plumb and the other implements of our craft instruct us. They can be and should be exhibited toward all people, whether they be Masons or not. They can be and should be practiced everywhere and do not depend on being in or near a Masonic lodge. But we must admit that they do not sufficiently set us apart from other fraternal organizations so that we can say “this is what it means to be a Mason.”

Where am I a Mason? The question, if it is answered properly, turns out to be something quite different and it provides the answer to another important aspect of the prime question. The reason for this is because there are some things about being a Mason that can only be done within the context of a Masonic lodge meeting. To explain this let us go back to the origins of Masonry, to those many different traditions we adopted as our own and molded into what today we call Free and Accepted Masonry.

Beginning with ancient times, through the middle ages to the modern period, groups of men gathered together for various reasons to do together what they found congenial and necessary. Sometimes this involved shared religious beliefs, sometimes a dedication to a military mission, sometimes to regulate their economic activity, sometimes to liberate themselves from tyranny and often a combination of these. In a manner similar to our adoption and amalgamation of the social and moral virtues, modern Masonry borrowed from these and other fraternal tradi-

tions to create a craft based upon banding together like minded individuals in a well regulated institution. This activity goes by many names and anyone who has been in Masonry for any length of time has heard them all — craft, fraternity, brotherhood and so on. What modern Freemasonry does is to take the common, shared core value of each of these historical traditions and lodge it at the very epicenter of the craft.

By whatever name, this process is at the very center of Masonry as we know it today. It is something that almost singularly takes place in a Masonic meeting. There are many social and moral virtues and to some degree they change with the times as social mores change and adapt to changing circumstances. But the absolute irreducible core of Masonry from ancient times to the present, through its many different traditions, is the concept of brotherhood and brotherly love. This is what has endured the test of time and is this that sets us apart from many other organizations professing similar values.

If we return now to where we began, in our attempt to explain to an enquiring person what Masonry is, we must answer in two ways. There is the manner in which Masons relate to their fellow man in the profane world, and there is the manner in which Masons relate to one another in the lodge setting. We can and must act “Masonically” in almost every setting, but we can only fully act “as Masons” in a duly tiled lodge setting where we come together to reaffirm, in a time-honored way, our brotherhood.

These two traditions — moral and social virtues on the one hand, brotherhood in a lodge setting on the other — combine to create what we know as Free and Accepted Masonry. In its most ideal form it is nothing more less than a way of life. The true Mason cannot pick and choose whether or not to behave Masonically one day and then pass it up the next. Nor can he practice only the social and moral virtues without practicing brotherhood.

To do so is to be only part-Mason. Each of us has been asked, three, six, or nine times, if choosing this way of life was of our own free will and accord, and each of us answered that it was. Without that affirmation we could not have continued our journey. We have talked the talk; we must now walk the walk. It is a way of life and, regardless of how Masonically we act in the profane world, it cannot be fully practiced without attending lodge on a regular basis.

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THE CORNERSTONE AT “JACKSON CITY”

The Cornerstone at “Jackson City” he precise locations of some of the cornerstones laid

by Masons in Washington, D.C. are no longer known. Among those whose precise positions are now a mystery are those at the White House, The U.S. Capitol, and one which was laid at a location once identified as “Jackson City.”

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The records of the Grand Lodge indicate that on January 11, 1836, Grand Master William W. Billing convened the Grand Lodge, on the first degree, and to then formed a procession, according to ancient custom, to proceed to “Jackson City” for the purpose of laying a cornerstone at that development.

According to the minutes of the communication of that date, the Masons proceeded to Pennsylvania Avenue, where they were joined by the committee of arrangements for “Jackson City” and “a large concourse of citizens and strangers.”

Todd Duehring ing to ancient usages, by the Grand Master , assisted by MW Andrew Jackson, Past Grand Master of Tennessee and President of the United States. Upon conclusion of the ceremony, the Grand Lodge was closed, according to the Grand Secretary, James Lawrenson, in ample form.

Unfortunately the location of this cornerstone, or even of “Jackson City,” is no longer known. One source, Harper’s History of the Grand Lodge, indicates that the ceremony took place “across the river” (page 344). Unfortunately, however, the mentioned river (Potomac or Anacostia?) is not named.

This leaves the Masons of today to wonder where in the District of Columbia was the “Jackson City” of 1836 located? If you know, please share that information with the “Voice”.

The whole body then proceeded, according to the record, to “Jackson City,” where the cornerstone was laid, accord-

The Grand Lodge & Almas Shriners present the

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INSTALLATION CEREMONY FILMED

Installation Ceremony Filmed National Geographic television crew (Chanel 109) was present in Naval Lodge No. 4 in early January to film the installation of the Worshipful Master as well as several other Masonic practices.

Dean S. Clatterbuck

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The affair was approved by and participated in by the Grand Master and officers of the Grand Lodge. Prior to the filming some 80 members of the Craft enjoyed a bountiful festive board.

With Jesse Villarreal, Junior Grand Deacon, in the East, the events of the evening were commenced at 7:30 p.m. with prayer, offered at the altar, after which the Grand Master, Albert McNair Smith, was ceremonially escorted to the East, from which he made appropriate welcoming remarks.

Next the Deputy Grand Master, Robert B. Heyat, was also escorted to the East to make a few introductory remarks pertaining to the history of the upcoming installation ceremony.

Following these preliminaries, the Grand Secretary, Mansour Hatefi, was escorted to the East to conduct the installation ceremony as prescribed by the Grand Lodge of D.C.

It is possible that the interest of the National Geographic in the installation ceremony may have been motivated by the public attention now being given to the Craft in consequence of Dan Brown’s novel, “The Da Vinci Code.”

linking arms, they proclaimed that they were “Happy to meet; sad to part; and happy to meet again.”

Following the conclusion of the evening’s festivities, the brethren were asked to depict, once more, for the edification of the film crew, selected parts of the installation ceremony, particularly the rendering of the proclamations, the presentation of the gavel, and activities centering on and around the altar.

Assisting the Grand Secretary in his duties were Harold Grainger (14), who delivered the charge to the Master, and Christopher K. Mahaney (23), who delivered the charge to the brethren as a whole.

It is possible that the interest of the National Geographic in the installation ceremony may have been motivated by the public attention now being given to the Craft in consequence of Dan Brown’s novel, “The Da Vinci Code.”

The ceremony completed, the newly installed Worshipful Master, Dalton A. West, observed that “Before we part this evening, let us remember, my brethren, the lessons here learned; your duty is not to be better than others, but better than yourself, and further, that it is better to love than to hate.”

At any rate, the Masons of the District of Columbia may now look forward to the airing, on the National Geographic Channel, of the installation of the officers of Naval Lodge. The event depicts, truthfully, what we do. Stay tuned! And enjoy!

The ceremony of initiation was then concluded with the brethren forming a chain of union at the altar where,

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COMMUNICATIONS SCHEDULE

Unum As Well As Pluribus continued from page 8

Today’s participation of the US in global affairs, although on a larger scale and with countless complex and uncontrollable factors, puts it back into somewhat familiar territory. Such familiarity has its roots in the principles of its founding and in the ideal of “E PLURIBUS UNUM”.

Conversely, just as the scale of our country’s affairs has reached a global magnitude, so should our interpretation and practice of that ideal. It should therefore be our American dream, as protectors of our history and carriers of the principles set by the founding visionaries, to see our country engaging the diversity of the world and turning it into unity for the benefit of the world. This can only be accomplished when we as Americans understand that in this new world order we must accept both the UNUM as well as the PLURIBUS.

world and encourage understanding of American policies and engagements in the global arena. These efforts have led to worldwide acceptance of the United States as a beacon of freedom, liberty, and prosperity.

In this 21st century we as American Freemasons, with the deeper understanding of the cardinal virtues: Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice, and armed with respect towards the social treasures of Fraternity, Liberty, and Equality, should once again, just like our forefathers and founders of this great nation, engage our efforts in building an American society that accepts the diversity of the world and is tolerant of the diverse ideologies and policies of the nations that make it up.

For years, American diplomats and non-governmental organizations have exerted great efforts to educate the

Semi-Annual Communication 7:30 P.M. May 10, 2006 SCOTTISH RITE CENTER 2800 16th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009 Dress: Business Attire, jewels, and aprons

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THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY

Amadeus, the Golden Immortal continued from page 13

Mozart was from an era, which appreciated intelligence and fostered geniuses.

During Mozart’s life and the preceding century society was populated by such minds as Boticelli, Machiavelli, Bosch, Da Vinci, Raphael, Erasmus, Calvin, Michaelangelo, Titian, Tintoretto, El Greco, Vermeer, Shakespeare, Francis Bacon, Galileo, Descartes, Thomas Hobbs, Moliere, Henry Purcell, Leibnitz, Newton, Vivaldi, Voltaire, Bach, Desaguliers, Anderson, — just to mention a few, all of whom are believed to be Masons.

Mozart’s brothers in Freemasonry provided entré for obtaining new and paying commissions. When there was no income from the church or nobles, his Masonic brothers provided money and other resources on a regular basis for long periods.

The importance of the relationship between the brotherhood and the genius cannot be stressed enough. From at least the beginning of the renaissance through the period of enlightenment, Masonry partnered with the minds of artists, composers, philosophers, and thinkers to evolve a new enlightened world culture that was the basis of all modern cultural substance and vision.

Mozart was from an era which appreciated intelligence and fostered geniuses. During Mozart’s life and the pre-

ceding century society was populated by such minds as Boticelli, Machiavelli, Bosch, Da Vinci, Raphael, Erasmus, Calvin, Michaelangelo, Titian, Tintoretto, El Greco, Vermeer, Shakespeare, Francis Bacon, Galileo, Descartes, Thomas Hobbs, Moliere, Henry Purcell, Leibnitz, Newton, Vivaldi, Voltaire, Bach, Desaguliers, Anderson, — just to mention a few, all of whom are believed to be Masons.

It is clear, even from a casual study of history, that many brilliant men of his period, without the partnering of the Masons, would be unknown today. And we would never have received their vital contributions upon which the height of Western Civilization rested. As for Masonry’s critical partnering with Amadeus, we would never have heard of Mozart, and we Masons and the World would be much poorer for it.

That Mozart’s rare encounters with Divine power, 250 years ago, live on in especially inspired musical artists, is testimony to the continuation of Amadeus’ vision, and the presence of his life transcending physical death.

Mozart Amadeus does continue to live in my presence.

“Amadeus” the name translates to: “Ama” meaning “love” or “beloved;” and “Deus” meaning “God” or “of God.” Amadeus, as an expression of Divinity, like gold, does not diminish with time. Hence, for me, a Mason of the present, Amadeus is a golden immortal.

Editor: Brother J. W. Carter, III, is a member of Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15, and Naval Lodge No. 4. An artist of international renown, he recently won The Lorenzo Il Magnifico Award at the Florence Bi-Annual for Contemporary Art, and his work been exhibited at Galileo’s Observatory. He is in the process of making a series of fine art prints for his upcoming exhibition: “The Mind of Mozart.”

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GRAND LODGE OFFICERS — 2006 Front Row (L to R): David A. Balcom, Grand Chaplain; Mansour Hatefi, Grand Secretary; Akram R. Elias, Senior Grand Warden; Albert McNair Smith, Grand Master; Robert B. Heyat, Deputy Grand Master; Kwame Acquaah, Junior Grand Warden; and Robert F. Drechsler, Grand Treasurer.

Second Row (L to R): Joel R. Kahn, Grand Lecturer; Paul D. Gleason, Senior Grand Deacon; Joseph S. Crociata, Senior Grand Steward; Jesse Villarreal, Junior Grand Deacon; and Teko A. Foly, Junior Grand Steward.

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