Cover Credit

Voice of Freemasonry Volume 23, Number 4, 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 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 Executive Board and, 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: Managing Editor: The Voice of Freemasonry 5428 MacArthur Blvd., N.W. Washington, DC 20016-2524

HOLIDAY DRESS

Depicted on the cover of this issue of“The Voice of Freemasonry” is a section of Arlington National Cemetery as it appeared during the 2005 holiday season. Some 5,000 graves were adorned by wreaths donated by the Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine. The owner of this firm, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but also assumes responsibility for trucking them to the cemetery, where they are placed on the graves by volunteers. Worcester has been doing this, the editor is informed, since 1992.

Arlington National Cemetery, a prominent landmark in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, was established during the Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Robert E. Lee’s wife, Mary Anna Custis Lee, a descendant of Martha Washington. Veterans of all of the nation’s wars are interred in the cemetery, from the American Revolution through the military actions now taking place in Afghanistan and Iraq. The pre-Civil War dead were re-interred after 1900.

This cemetery is the resting place of many notable Americans, including President John F. Kennedy, his brother, Senator Robert Kennedy, and a host of government servants, military and civil. It is probably best known for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which stands atop a hill overlooking Washington, D.C. There an unknown from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War now rest in peace. Not far from the tomb, in an adjacent sector of the cemetery, many other unknowns, primarily from the Civil War era, are buried.

Table of Contents

Page Cover Credit....................................................................................................... 2 Grand Masters Message ..................................................................................... 3 What Manner of Men .......................................................................................... 4 Preparing for the Future ...................................................................................... 6 Fall Leadership Conference ................................................................................. 7 Grand Lodge Flagpole Dedication ...................................................................... 8 Oh, Say Can You See? ..................................................................................... 10 Appreciation Celebration ................................................................................... 12 Portrait Presentation ......................................................................................... 13 Masons Sponsor Back to School Fun Fair ......................................................... 15 Grand Master’s Class........................................................................................ 17 A Portrait of Robbie Burns ~ Man and Mason.................................................... 19 In Cherished Memory........................................................................................ 22 A New Masonic Picture Book ............................................................................ 24 The Clock of Time ............................................................................................ 26 Grand Lodge Communications Schedule........................................................... 27 An Unusual Visitation........................................................................... Back Cover

Photo Credits: The photos appearing in this issue wer provided primarily by the Grand Lodge photographers, Brothers William D. Means and Sviatoslav V. Voloshin. In addition some photos were provided by Gallagher Photography or derived from open sources on the internet.