The Voice of Freemasonry | Vol. 37 No. 3

VOLUME 37 | NUMBER 3 | 2020

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF MUTUAL RECOGNITION WITH PRINCE HALL

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF WASHINGTON D.C.

THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY Volume 37, Number 3 2020 Issue EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Michael D. Nicholas, Sr. (Grand Master) Jeffrey D. Russell, PGM (Grand Secretary) MANAGING EDITOR Jason Van Dyke, PM (Director of Communications) EDITORIAL BOARD Scott Brown, PM Morgan P. Corr, PM Mark Dreisonstok, PM Shakib Firzli Andrew Hammer, PM Walter Hoenes, PM Chris Ruli Bernhard Zinkgraf DESIGN Patricia Hord Graphik Design DCGRANDLODGE.ORG 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 when attested to as official, in writing, by the Grand Secretary.

MUTUAL RECOGNITION IN D.C. 20 YEARS AND COUNTING: ONE FREEMASON’S OBSERVATIONS

pg. 16

TREASURES IN THE BASEMENT pg. 6

RITUAL AS RENEWAL: THE SCHRÖDER RITUAL AND ARMINIUS LODGE pg. 32

SHORING UP OUR FOUNDATION pg34

CONTENTS 1

Grand Master’s Message

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The Sixth Science: Music

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, doublespaced and preferably accompanied by a computer disk in a neutral PC format or via e-mail to: grandlodge@dcgrandlodge.org

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Treasures in the Basement

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Remembering Masonry is a Family

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The 2021 Grand Lodge Family Cruise

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.

16 2020 Grand Lodge Leadership Conference: Journey the Length of the Light

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, (volume), (number), (year).”

Please direct all correspondence to: Managing Editor: The Voice of Freemasonry 5428 MacArthur Blvd., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20016-2524 grandlodge@dcgrandlodge.org ii | THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY ISSUE 3, 2020

10 The Theory of Determinism and its Implication on the Fundamental Principles of Freemasonry 14 Lebanon’s Travail

18 Mutual recognition in D.C. 20 years and counting: One Freemason’s observations 26 Freemasonry, Fundraising, and the Fair 30 Grand Lodge Social Media 32 Ritual as Renewal: The Schröder Ritual and Arminius Lodge 34 Shoring up our Foundation 36 Tom Swifties and the Adverbial Writing Craft

GRAND MASTER’S MESSAGE The impact we have on society as Freemasons depends on how well we spread our noble principles. But “brotherly love” is about much more than caring for each other. It is also about striving for unity of purpose, and for the clarity that permits us to do good work. Our ritual provides us that clarity and assures us that such unity of purpose and harmony “is the strength and support of all wellregulated institutions, more especially this of ours.” But our ritual is meaningless if we cannot put it to work, and there is no lack of opportunities in front of us.

Michael D. Nicholas, Sr., Grand Master Dear Brethren, Families, and Friends,

P

lease enjoy this latest edition of our Grand Lodge magazine! We have some talented writers who have contributed great articles on everything from history to haberdashery. There is something for everyone!

I would like to stress one overriding theme for this issue. This year we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the establishment of Masonic recognition between the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington DC and our own. Prior to the pandemic interruptions, we had several things planned to recognize this important milestone. So instead of those events, we are using this issue of The Voice to highlight the anniversary. Please let it serve as a reminder of that speculative tool we use to spread brotherly love and affection —the trowel.

Further, “Unity of purpose” does not mean that we all think alike. That would be stupefyingly boring. But it does mean that we are united in the belief that each brother has the right to hold and offer his own opinions. Each brother has a voice.

We demonstrate our Masonic principles and unity of purpose when we listen to opinions that differ from our own, and yet we still respond with love and respect.

We all know that our nation is wracked with rancor and division, compounded by the COVID pandemic and the impending national election. Social justice issues and long-buried hurts are now at our doorstep.

We need to deal with this in a Masonic way.

I ask you once again to please be careful of your posts and responses on social media.

Our ritual is meaningless if we cannot put it to work.

And our Craft has not only survived but prospered. Why? I was with a group of Masons last week (properly distanced) to discuss some of these serious issues. One of the brethren remarked on the composition of the 15 or so men assembled: young, old, conservative, progressive, black, white, Hispanic, and all different religions. And this was just a small sampling of our Grand Jurisdiction. How many organizations can quickly assemble such a diverse group that is capable of a serious and respectful exchange of opinions? Not too many.

The good news is that Freemasons have the tools, the guidance, the history, and the mutual love and respect to address these issues. We will survive all of this because we believe in values that transcend today’s problems. Our challenge is to spread these values to our community.

And even when society seems to “break”, we persevere. There were Freemasons on both sides of our Revolutionary War, our Civil War, and on all sides in the World Wars of the 20th Century. And there are many stories of how Masons reached across to Brothers on the other “side” when the opportunity presented itself to be more of a human being and less of a combatant.

We will survive all of this because we believe in values that transcend today’s problems.

But here is the good news. This is not our first rodeo as Freemasons. Our Craft has survived everything from the French Revolution to the Whiskey Rebellion, the Jacobite rising in Scotland to the European Revolutions of 1848, the Morgan Affair through the American Civil War to the War on Terrorism, and countless other wars and strife throughout the world.

Gettysburg has the “Friend to Friend” monument, placed by the Brethren of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, to commemorate that moment on the Gettysburg battlefield when Union Army Captain Henry H. Bingham assisted the mortally wounded Confederate Brigadier ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 1

The Grand Master, RWB Daniel Huertas and RWB Chetin Durak stand in front of the Friend to Friend Memorial in Pennsylvania

General Lewis Addison Armistead. Both were Freemasons.

And I encourage you to read about how President and Brother William McKinley came to our Craft. Long before he became President (and subsequently assassinated), he was a Union Army officer, but raised by Confederate brethren in Winchester, Virginia.

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And after the strife ceases, Masons have an important role to play in healing and rebuilding. We can recognize the good in each other regardless of our former politics or what uniform we wore—and remain true to our principles. It seems that we need that quality right now more than any other.

We will persevere and grow. Treat this pandemic as a learning experience and nothing more than a speedbump in your progress in Freemasonry.

Read more. Love more. Let nothing drive a wedge between us as Brothers. We can discuss, disagree, and exchange opinions.

But stay focused on our three principle tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.

Please accept my love for you and your families, and I wish you good health and calm minds until we can properly greet each other again.

THE SIXTH SCIENCE: MUSIC

By Walter P. Benesch, PM LaFayette-Dupont Lodge No. 19 In the Fellowcraft Degree, a Mason is taught the importance of the seven liberal arts and sciences. Emphasis is placed on geometry with some attention on arithmetic and astronomy, but little attention on music. An exploration of the origins of Masonic adoption of the “arts and sciences,” and more importantly why considerable attention should be placed on music is the object of this article.

The likely origins of the concept of the arts and sciences is the Greek quadrivium.

These were the four areas of study Plato proposed in The Republic. The areas were Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy, and Music, in that order. The concept of the quadrivium is also found in the writings of Pythagoras and Aristotle, and later adopted by many philosophers in the Middle Ages.

In a review of these philosophers including documentation on the quadrivium, not enough attention is paid to music. In fact, music may be critical to the understanding of many of the other arts and sciences, in particular arithmetic, grammar, and rhetoric. To illustrate this idea, a look at the great minds who examined music will help us understand its importance and place in human history.

Pythagoras is associated with a legend (later proved false) where he discovered the idea of musical tuning listening to the sounds of blacksmith’s hammers, noticing both the consonance and dissonance when they were struck simultaneously. Although the story proved false, Pythagoras is still credited with establishing the concepts of dissonance and consonance, along with the ideas of harmony and ratio.

Xenocrates (4th century BCE), said: “Pythagoras discovered the intervals in music do not come into being apart from

An original score of Fantasy & Fugue in Beethovens hand

number; for they are an interrelation of quantity with quantity.” He set out to investigate under what conditions concordant intervals come about, and discordant ones, and everything wellattuned and ill-tuned.” This led to what is now known in Western music as the octave scale.

This historical evidence shows how music is related to arithmetic. Is it possibly linked to linguistic development which was a prerequisite to the development of grammar and rhetoric? If so, music would then be connected to three of the other six arts and sciences. Yet Pythagoras also considered the heavenly “music of the spheres” as part of the understanding of the workings of the universe and the movements of the planets, thus linking it to astronomy.

But Galileo and other astronomers of the Renaissance used arithmetic and geometry in the tracking of the stars and planets, as well as establishing the heliocentric theory

for our solar system. Thus, directly or indirectly, music can be related to all the other arts and sciences as seen in history.

But music itself went through its own unique stages of development.

Music in the Middle Ages began as monophonic chants. Then around 1000 AD, new types of polyphony developed and gradually expanded in rhythm, harmony, and texture until reaching an extremely complex style in the late 1300s. Unfortunately, a full assessment of Medieval music is difficult because the amount of musical source material that has survived from this era.

The Renaissance saw a revitalization of learning, commerce, exploration, scientific discovery, and spectacular artistic achievement as Renaissance artists and philosophers sought to reconcile theological practice with the new spirit of scientific inquiry. An important consequence of this new thinking was ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 3

the Protestant Reformation, which in turn had a tremendous impact on Renaissance music. While this religious rebellion was solidified in 1534 when King Henry VIII of England established his own Anglican church, in the larger process of reform, new churches gave rise to new types of sacred music, and with so much turmoil in the church scene, secular music began to rival its sacred counterpart.

This led to some of the most important revelations in composition, led by individuals such as: Josquin Desprez (Flanders, c. 1440-1521) who established a beautiful expressive sound with a constant changing of textures in his motets and

Giovanni Palestrina and Pope Julius III

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songs. Giovanni da Palestrina (Italy, c.

1524 - 1594) who worked in the Vatican and is considered a master of sacred music, who developed counter-point. Thomas Weelkes (c. 1575-1623) and Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-1585) two of England’s great composers, both advanced the various styles of music, but were also instrumental (pun intended) in the patenting and publishing of music with the help of William Byrd (see Lumen). This transformed the printed forms of musical scores from the handwritten sheets of early music, into a slightly more recognizable form.

Following the Renaissance, the Baroque era of music is probably more

recognizable to modern ears, and was followed by the Classical and Romantic eras, where we get most of what we know now as “classical music.”

But what is the value of music beyond the enjoyment from listening to it? As a former social worker with a specialty in early childhood development, I promoted the idea of having classical, particularly Bach and Mozart, be played to infants. This advice was based on research developed in the 1990’s that suggested that the regular patterns found in that music emulate the basic structure of mathematics, which are then ingrained into the developing brain.

Further cognitive research found that young test subjects performed better on spatial-temporal tasks when exposed to a Mozart sonata. Such temporal reasoning would aid in the development of mathematical capabilities later in life.

As music advanced, science took more notice of its importance. Charles Darwin wondered if our love of music might have ancient roots with other apes. He tested his idea with an orangutan in the London Zoo, but with no definitive results. In his book The Descent of Man, Darwin looked at the musical cadences in various species of animals and birds to attract females. He noted spiders can be attracted by music (Chapter IX & XIX), and wondered if this carried over into human courtship ceremonies?

He also wondered if the development of common speech was enhanced by cadences and rhythms (Chapter XIX), which may have been the basis for the development of language in our ancestors.

But modern science has carried this much further. Some remarkable studies have shown that music has a much greater positive impact on humans than realized before the turn of this century. In neonatal intensive care units, those which have music playing in the background helped the infants sleep better. This lowered stress level allowed for a 30% increase in growth, compared to the control group. The growth was seen in both the physical body AND in brain development. The music-exposed infants were released before similar infants who were not exposed (control group) to the music in the hospital wards (see Patel, 2008, 2015).

It has been seen repeatedly that small infants respond to musical rhythms and will clap and move in time with the beats of the music being heard. As they grow, a child exposed to music training beginning before the age of seven will have a greater capability to learn and retain language (see Moreno, et. al.). The rhythm of the language becomes more ingrained in the plasticity of the brain which is developing during this period.

The effects seen in these studies are reflected in my personal experience, as well. My daughter was given violin lessons before her seventh birthday and was exposed to classical music before birth. Her linguistics, math, and scientific abilities greatly exceeded those of her peers. And I strongly feel it was this strong foundation which resulted in her eventually matriculating as a physician–a profession in which she practices today.

The benefits of music can also be seen in the many other ways associated with physical and mental therapies. Hip replacement surgery is a prime example. Playing relaxing music decreased the need for anesthesia by 15% for patients going into surgery. When the patient was exposed to the relaxing music, the amount of anesthesia needed was significantly lower than patients not exposed to music. The result was an improved rate of recovery and a lower risk associated with the use of anesthesia (see Justin).

In stoke victims, those exposed to music in the third to sixth month of post stroke therapy have superior cognitive and mood measures, perhaps due to the decrease in stress. It appears music was also able to increase the sprouting of axons and dendrite branching on both sides of the brain. This is true for Alzheimer’s patients, as well, aiding in the recovery of their longterm memory. All this is based on actual studies (see Justin).

Melodic intonation therapy (MIT) has proved to be more effective than speech therapy in patients suffering from aphasia and stroke. Neural plasticity (see Herholz) is enhanced through use of music in the forms of songs. It facilitates the changing of the brain structure by increasing white matter structure in several regions. What is most remarkable about this is that patients who are unable to produce normal speech are able to express themselves through song.

When applied to those suffering with Parkinson’s disease, music with a beat helps patients with motor disorders through rhythmic auditory stimulation. Both the physical velocity and stride gate in attempts to improve mobility, particularly walking, have significant improvements when music is applied. Patients move with more fluidly with music.

Of the arts and sciences provided to the Mason in our ceremonies, music is near the last on the list and usually quickly overlooked. But presented here is that music has been considered critical to learning from ancient times. Yet few are aware of the real impact it can and does have on our development and mental health. Therefore, music should rightly serve as an important tool in our Masonic teachings and study, as it not only forms an important part of the seven liberal arts and sciences, but has proven to be a critical tool in the development and health of mankind.

REFERENCES 1. Quadrivium (education)”.

Britannica Online. 2011.

2. Patel, Anivruddh: Music and the Brain, The Great Courses, 2015.

The Teaching Company.

3. Lumen - Music Appreciation web site 4. Herholz, S. C. and R. J. Zatorre: “Music Training as a Framework for Brain Plasticity: Behavior, Function and Structure.” Neuron 76 (2012) p. 486 - 502 5. Honing, H. “Structure and Interpretation of Rhythm in Music.” The Psychology of Music, 3rd Ed. London: Academic Press/ Elsevier, 2013 6. Justin, P. N.: “From Everyday Emotions to Aesthetic Emotions: Towards a Unified Theory of Musical Emotions.” Physics of Life Reviews, 10 #3 (2013, p 235 - 266.

7. Koelsch, S.: “Brain Correlates of Music-Evoked Emotions.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience 15, #3 (2014, p. 170-180.

8. Moreno, S., C. Marques, A. Santos, M. Santos, S.L. Castro, and M. Besson: “Musical Training Influences Linguistic Abilities in 8-Year-Old Children: More Evidence for Brain Plasticity.”

Cerebral Cortex, 19, #3 (2009, p.

712 - 723.

9. Patel, A. D.: Music, Language and the Brain, NY: Oxford U. Press, 2008.

10. Vanstone, A., and L. Cuddy: “Musical Memory in Alzheimer’s Disease.” Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition 17 #1, (2009) p.

108–128.

11. Charles Darwin: The Descent of Man, on iPhone format only.

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 5

TREASURES IN THE BASEMENT

By Peter Brusoe, Worshipful Master The Eagle Lodge No. 1893

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ach year for Thanksgiving, Christmas/ Chanukkah, and Easter/Passover, the surviving spouses of William R. SingletonHope-Lebanon Lodge No. 7 are sent a gift, generally flowers. No one knew how long we have been doing this for, but it’s as much of our lodge tradition as the famous crab feast, the festive board, or our community engagement. We can now say at least back to the 1890s.

MWB Villarreal and I were going through the Singleton basement to determine what belonged to our Eastern Star Chapter, Friendship Lodge No. 17, and what belonged to other organizations. (It is usually pretty easy to identify Eastern Star, if there are women’s names in the book, chances are it’s an Eastern Star Chapter.)

We came across a book that at first we thought was Eastern Star. It contained names of women, it listed children and details such as “Christmas Card” or “Visited on” with the date. Then, we came across three other books, when we opened the second of which, we realized that these were not Eastern Star Rosters, rather they were “widow books” belonging to Lebanon Lodge No. 7.

In looking through these books, Lebanon Lodge No. 7, the precursor to today’s William R. Singleton-Hope-Lebanon Lodge No. 7, had a very robust widows and orphans care program. Each widow of a member had her own page, her birthday, the birthday of her children, and her husband’s death. Notes were made each time a brother visited the widow, or flowers sent, and eventually when she died. There were also notes about the children including needs they may have, what they are doing now, or in some cases when they passed on.

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A total of four books were recovered and will be digitized in the near future. At first glance at least one of the widows was

receiving visits, cards, and flowers as early as 1890, though we suspect when it is fully digitized it may go further back than that.

These books were lovingly maintained and regularly updated, which speaks to the care and effort that our brothers of yesteryear put into caring for our widows and orphans. It’s a good reminder that if you haven’t done so recently, reach out and see how the surviving spouses of your lodge are doing!

Among the other interesting items found in the basement – Minutes from the Eastern Star Meeting the week after the Kennedy assassination: In the minutes the chapter secretary reports that they had to have the meeting, but attendance was down because of the tragic assignation of President Kennedy last week and the chapter remembered the late president in their prayers.

A 48 Star Flag: Property of Barristers Lodge, one of the lodges incorporated into Singleton #7. The age of the flag is unknown, but at least dates back to before 1952.

and heavy cherubim were found in a box. We think they are iron and painted gold, but absolutely beautiful and date back to 1936 DeMolay Trophies: There’s a lot of debate about which was the most successful DeMolay Chapter in Nation’s Capital DeMolay. Based on the boxes and boxes of trophies we found for everything from swimming, to basketball to international membership accomplishments it was clear that it was Potomac/Tenley –Chevy Chase Chapter Checks written to MESH for The Night of Thrills: This huge annual fundraiser enjoyed the wide support of both Masonic Lodges and Eastern Star Chapters. We found several canceled checks for both.

I’m sure this is just the tip of the iceberg, too. As we continue to digitally archive these items, we will be sure to keep sharing them with you.

The Cryptic Masons use cherubim for part of their degree work. Two ornate ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 7

REMEMBERING MASONRY IS A FAMILY

By Morgan P. Corr, Senior Grand Deacon

instructions in the Master’s Installation and the Entered Apprentice Charge.

A

There is an additional tool in our arsenal, which is one of the most important and expansive commitments we make to each other – to whisper good counsel in the ear of a brother. It is too often overlooked that to do so is an act of love: to do the hard thing and let a brother and friend know they may have mis-stepped. A part of this is also to warn a brother that he may be on the path to injury or causing harm. Too often we shy away from this duty, for fear of misspeaking, hurting a brother’s feelings, or because it is a difficult conversation to have. But we should take the time to remind ourselves that we are family, that to fulfill this difficult obligation is a friendly act of love and respect.

s 2020 has progressed we’ve all been forced to take a look at various facets of our lives in order to learn how to grow and adapt to circumstances outside our control. Society has collectively adjusted to wearing face masks in public, keeping socially distant, and learning how to stay in touch with friends and family in new ways.

It has also been an opportunity to take a fresh look at what the most important things are in life and in Freemasonry, and how we can better prioritize our members’ health and wellness. I’ve witnessed firsthand the leadership of our Most Worshipful Grand Master as he’s worked with the Executive Committee (the elected Grand Line), appendant body leaders, Worshipful Masters, Masonic building associations, and just about every group he can. I’ve also observed average members stepping up to check on a brother who lives alone, help out with grocery shopping, and contribute out of their pocket to the COVID relief fund—making sure we help our most vulnerable brothers.

To me, this has been a reminder that when all is said and done Masonry is a family.

I think sometimes that gets overlooked as we go about the day-to-day of memorizing ritual lines, voting on the direction of our lodges, planning programs, or putting together events. All of these are important and are much of the “what” of Masonry, but they are not the heart of who we are.

We’re a large, complicated family.

We come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. We joined the Craft at different points in our lives. We come from different regions and countries. We espouse different religions and celebrate dozens of different types of diversity. But, it’s important not to overlook that despite all these differences, we comprise a sprawling family across this city, and for that matter, around the world.

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RWB Morgan P. Corr

Like many, I journeyed home this summer for an extended stay with my family. As I reflected on my time with them, I saw how much family is reflected in Masonry. I also come from my own large, complicated family: half-siblings, adopted siblings, relatives with disabilities, relatives of different races and religions. My own father is an immigrant from another country.

We’ve had arguments on every topic from politics to who hosts Thanksgiving dinner.

But at the end of the day, family is family.

In Masonry, Brothers will certainly have disagreements, on issues from the profound to the mundane. But 2020 is giving us a chance to reflect that the things which unite us are much more important than those that might divide us. The diversity we enjoy in our jurisdiction is a strength. We have diversity of race and religion, but also of temperament, talent, conviction, and opinion.

The Craft gives us important tools for caring for each other, in good times and bad. Many will have read in the pages of this magazine the tools for conflict avoidance, as well as resolution. Just last year the Masonic Education Committee explored these topics, with Right Worshipful Brother Daniel Huertas penning an article on the topic. Among the tools he identified are the

This obligation is mutually binding, as we also committed ourselves to be receptive to the counsel of our brothers when they think we are erring. It is difficult to be told that we are wrong, or materially erring. It takes humility to be open and accepting of criticism, however constructive.

In this unusual time of isolation and quarantine, there is a unique opportunity to be more reflective than usual. Have we reached out to brothers we think may be erring and ensure we talk TO them before we talk ABOUT them? Are we doing enough to check on our brothers in general? Have each of us been open to seek counsel, and welcome critiques?

None of us are perfect, and each of us would do better to speak kindly and directly to each other; to make sure we take that step before taking other action; and to be sure our brothers know that we have an attentive ear to hear their advice. We are all rough ashlars aiming for improvement, and only with each other’s help will we walk forward on our journey. I for one am consciously working to be better at this.

Because we’re all family.

The Corr Family

THE 2021 GRAND LODGE FAMILY CRUISE While underway, aside from the dizzying array of activities and shows already offered onboard, we will open a Lodge and perform degree work, there on the open sea!

The following rates are per person, based on doubleoccupancy: • Interior $1069 • Outside $1279 • Balcony $1389 • Deluxe/Suites $3709

C

ruises are starting back up August 1, and the Deputy Grand Master has secured incredible rates for a Masonic Family Cruise for 2021!

The nine-night Cruise aboard the Oasis of the Seas will set sail from Liberty, New Jersey on July 30th, 2021 and cruise to the Caribbean with stops in Labadee, Haiti; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten, before returning to Cape Liberty.

Pay your $500 by December 30, 2020 and get an additional $50 on board credit! All deposits are due by February 28, 2021, and final payments are due March 31, 2021. For more information and booking, please contact: BROTHER EDWARD USITA Edward’s Travel, Inc. edwardusita@icloud.com (757) 431-8624 http://www.edwardstraveltour.com

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 9

THE THEORY OF DETERMINISM AND ITS IMPLICATION ON THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF FREEMASONRY

By Bro. Bassous Cadmus Lodge No. 1002

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or some of us, the philosophical theory of Determinism and its implications on freewill and on our understanding of the Great Architect of the Universe may be uncomfortable or disturbing, because it implies a loss of control—a feeling which no one really likes. As humans, we are under the influence of our own respective sociocultural backgrounds including religious precepts. This is normal. Not only is this normal, but it actually determines our lives and influences how we see and approach life matters. However, we as Freemasons are seeking the Truth, and we have an obligation to perfect our understanding of the concepts that are fundamental to the Craft. Therefore, as free men, we must have the courage (courage is a very essential quality in our quest) to leave no stone unturned to continuously seek the Light.

Thus, if we are truly free, no fear and no taboo may hinder our drive to make ourselves better. That is one of the essential missions of Freemasonry. This includes maintaining a critical eye on the beliefs and biases that we grew up with. We will evolve toward having more confidence in what we know, with stronger beliefs, a more solid knowledge that we can, in turn, communicate and share among us and beyond.

“Determinism” is the doctrine that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will. Some philosophers have taken determinism to imply that individual human beings have no free will and cannot be held morally responsible for their actions. For this to be true, determinism must be absolute, and although there are philosophical theories of partial

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determinism, only an absolute and perfect mathematical system of an infinitely intricate chain of causes and effects unfolding in a perfectly logical succession of events truly defines determinism.

Roulette is a game of chance, only so long as we do not master all the parameters that enable us to accurately predict where the ball will settle.

We as humans can only attempt to examine a small chunk in the infinite timeline and attempt to comprehend determinism.

It takes a perfect Being omniscience to muster the full sense of determinism. This Being would necessarily encompass the universe in its absolute entirety. I suppose you know who I am talking about. But we will get back to this thought later.

I will instead begin with an example that simplifies the concept.

Here is an easy-to-grasp domino example in which an architect can devise a chain of events with a quasi-certain outcome: dominoes will make other dominoes fall, hitting a balance, causing it to pivot and spill a bottle of water, which then makes a boat sail, and so forth... this chain of events represents a predictable series of causes and effects that would unfold into an outcome that had been known in advance and are thus predetermined within a limited timeline, by a gifted, yet a small architect—a human architect, that is.

Now let us take another example where the outcome is theoretically unpredictable.

Everybody agrees that the game of roulette is a game of chance. That is to say that no one knows in advance on which of the 37 holes the ball will settle. The wheel spins, a ball is sent spinning in the opposite direction around the edge unit it loses momentum and hits the spinning wheel and its holes until it settles in one of them.

Now let us imagine a scientific tool, a powerful computer that can analyze a great

number of parameters such as the exact speed of the wheel, the angle and the force of the croupier’s wrist throwing the ball, atmospheric parameters such as pressure, humidity... do you think we can predict where the ball will settle? Absolutely!! So, what does that mean?

It means that roulette is a game of chance only so long as we do not master all the parameters that enable us to accurately predict where the ball will settle. In other words, our ignorance makes it a game of chance, whereas knowledge makes it a known outcome, or if you like, a predetermined outcome.

Now let’s transpose these examples into behavior, our behavior. We can all agree that our behavior is influenced by events and experiences that shape our choices, and thus our actions. This is an undeniable fact. Yet, what would be much more controversial and would give us a feeling of discomfort and unease would be to say that all our actions and choices are predetermined. We would feel that our freedom is compromised, our freewill is tamed.

But what if our freedom and freewill are only an illusion, just like our illusion that roulette is a game of chance? What if with infinite knowledge (that is by definition unattainable to us), we could explain all of our actions and choices, and all of our behavior throughout our lifetime? That brings us to a metaphysical question: Can we contemplate the idea that a Supreme Being that is omniscient could be the architect of the infinite complexity of all the chain of events that we will never comprehend but that we can only partially grasp? Could this partial comprehension constitute our illusion of freewill just like our illusion of a game of chance that is hardly a chance?

To see more clearly into the complexities of our existence, let’s look at a scientific theory concerning the creation of the universe that I’m sure you are all familiar with: the Big Bang Theory—a huge explosion that set off a chain of events that created the known universe and continue to unfold in space and time.

What if we can put in reverse motion that chain of events to go back to one entity that

is whole and that aggregates everything that exists, from planets to a small rock, living and non-living creatures (actually particles) that compose the universe. Could we envision that this whole entity can be the Great Architect of the Universe and that we are all a small part of it? And He knows what we are doing and what we will be doing? Yet, by the limits of our knowledge, He has left us with a sense of freedom that bestows upon us the satisfaction of making our own choices and having some control over our destiny?

After all, our cultures, our respective religions have already encouraged us to believe in fate, in the will of God: “It would have happened anyway because it was to happen.” So, in other words, many of us already believe that things happen “for a reason.” Hence, we are ready to forego some control over our destiny to fate, or to the will of God. Consequently, we already believe in determinism, albeit only partially, precisely because we as humans can comprehend all but partially the complexity of the absolute, the infinite. Knowing that, should we be uncomfortable with the idea that our freewill is and always will be an illusion.

Further, can we live with knowing that we are all intertwined together insomuch as we are each an integral part of the Great Architect of the Universe?

This, of course, would make us relinquish the portrait that we hold of God passed on to us by our cultural backgrounds. That is often the image of a wise, handsome, paternal figure that watches over us all and bestows justice in this world, sometimes in a way we do not understand. Would this image, naturally a function of our cultural bias be in contradiction with the image of the Great Architect that is brought about by determinism?

I think not. On the contrary, I believe it makes our vision of the Great Architect more complete, more comprehensive and more compatible with science. We mustn’t have to choose between science and faith: creationism vs evolution, flat earth vs round earth, etc.

Science, including meteorology, medicine, statistics, etc. have made us better at predicting the future. What can be more in-line with determinism than the advance of science, if ultimately it can lead us to the Great Architect? But that is an entirely new chapter in exploring the viability of determinism as the ultimate theory, and better left for another article.

Furthermore, there are implications on the notions of guilt and merit. We can catch a glimpse of this concept from attenuating circumstances and aggravating circumstances in a court of law.

So, should we feel unease about being deprived of true freewill? Should we resent the theory of determinism because it deprives us of what we thought was ours?

Not in my opinion. Because just as, so long as we do not master all the factors that determine where the ball will exactly fall, we can continue to play roulette and think of it as a game of chance, we can continue living our lives as if we are in control of our choices simply because only the Great Architect can achieve the omniscience that relieves us of this illusion. So we can continue living as usual with our lives, but with a better understanding of what one of our fundamental beliefs really means and how we as Freemasons (and as entities of the universe) are even more tied together than we had thought.

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 11

LEBANON’S TRAVAIL recovery. This has tipped the balance and moved Lebanon on Moody’s Investors Service Credit Score from C to CA, the same level as crisis-ravaged Venezuela.

By Joseph El-Khoury, PM Grand Liaison to the Middle East

H

ope is the motto Lebanon has adapted since Phoenician times. Throughout history, many catastrophes as well as many uplifting events brought that country to prosperity. The Cedar Tree symbolized the hope and perseverance of the land which oftentimes has been called the “The Paris or Switzerland of the Middle East.” As Masons, we recall that King Solomon’s Temple made historic use of the cedar wood from the majestic Cedar trees of Lebanon.

Sadly, Lebanon has recently experienced several grave crises at once. In the past three years, the banks and Central Bank aiming to protect the currency started providing high interest rates. This has pushed the private sector aside because debt financing became too expensive and it could then not financially support working capital and investments. This has slowed down the economy, nearly bringing it to a halt.

This has been compounded by Syrian and Palestinian refugees. Their presence added a significant economic and social

WB Joseph El-Khoury

burden on the country, making Lebanon one of the few countries in history to have managed to support a refugee population amounting to more than a quarter of its own population. At the end of 2019, the government resigned, a new government was formed, foreign debt defaulted, and inflation hit record figures. The country entered the toughest socio-political/ economic turmoil it has ever to face since the end of the civil war in 1990.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has compounded all these difficulties, giving the Lebanese people little chance for economic

A new website has been created to collect funds for our Brethren in need in Lebanon. Click the image above to visit the site. U.S.-based donations can be made through the Masonic Foundation of DC by visiting https:// bit.ly/3kzUSjS to donate.

To donate by check, please make payable to The DC Masonic Foundation and mail to: The DC Masonic Foundation 5428 MacArthur Blvd. NW Washington, DC 20016-2524 In the memo section, please write: “Beirut Relief Fund”

12 | THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY ISSUE 3, 2020

“Beirutshima” was the final tipping point. A huge explosive bast in the heart of the port district of Beirut caused 150+ deaths, left 300,000 homeless, and caused estimated damages exceeding $10 billion. Unfortunately, as the root causes are examined it is beginning to become clear that gross negligence and possibly institutional corruption are to blame for this terrible, costly accident.

However, the Lebanese spirt is unbroken, everyone went directly to the streets and from each person’s personal initiative, started helping and supporting each other to recover as much as possible from this historical tragedy. The Brethren in Lebanon were of course not shy in stepping up for this responsibility, as well.

While Lebanon is passing through its toughest time in its recent history, the Brethren of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, represented by Phoenix and Cadmus Lodges, are actively providing support by every means possible.

Personally, as a branch manager of the major bank Credit Libanais, I am exerting the utmost efforts to coordinate many transactions that have required me never to miss a day during this pandemic, and always report to work despite all safety warnings to stay home.

Whether it’s providing food boxes and basic supplies for the poor or simply supporting people finding jobs, we are there doing our duty fully and wholeheartedly in the spirit of our Masonic tenets. We will indeed continue to play our role to uplift Lebanese society through this challenging period, as we are confident that our Brethren and the Lebanese people will be able to rise again from the ashes, like the phoenix, to achieve a stronger and more prosperous Lebanon.

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 13

2020 GRAND LODGE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE JOURNEY THE LENGTH OF THE LIGHT to be not only important to our jurisdiction, but to Masonry throughout the continent.

By Alan L. Gordon, Deputy Grand Master

T

his year, the Grand Lodge Leadership Conference was held over three virtual sessions on August 18, August 25, and August 29th.

The elected line of Grand Lodge officers were assigned topics based on their specific interests and talents. The topics consisted of the following:

Initially, we thought the Conference would be a significant challenge this year due to social distancing requirements.

After cancelling the Bolger Center, which had been our Conference home for many years, we turned to an outside production company to work behind the scenes and coordinate the complex vision of moving groups of attendees to various plenary and breakout groups.

It had never been the vision for this year to have a keynote speaker. Instead, we had always intended to hold more focused breakout sessions which would engage the brethren and provide them with productive ideas to help them to lead their respective lodges in the new

1. Practicing Freemasonry in a Post COVID World 2. Dealing with Difficult Masonic Issues 3. Budgeting for Lodge Activities During Times of Crises 4. Developing a Strategic Plan for Your Lodge 5. Review of Grand Lodge Code and Bylaws RWB Alan L. Gordon

reality of COVID-19. Drawing from our experiences at the annual Conference of Grand Masters of North America, topics were selected which were considered

6. Proper Selection of Candidates for Your Lodge 7. Effective Communication 8. Education and Mentoring 9. Minding the Age Gap – Retaining Older Member while Engaging Younger Members 10. Building Consensus Within the Lodge Many of these topics were assigned 45 minutes to present and were held in concurrent breakout sessions.

On the evening of the first session, there were 84 brethren in attendance. The discussion was lively as we presented some of the challenges and limitations to re-opening our lodges in the future. There were many great ideas posted in the chat room which are now being explored for the future.

RWB Adam Tager runs his breakout session

14 | THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY ISSUE 3, 2020

We then allowed the brethren to choose the topic in which they were most interested in their breakout session. The advantage to this format is that if someone wants to move from one breakout group to another, they are free to do so. In observing the

WB Blatstein helps navigate the breakout sessions from behind the scenes

RWB Alan Gordon speaks to the brethren in his plenary session

counts among the three breakout groups, it was fairly evenly split.

The following week, we picked up where we had left off. While we had slightly fewer participants, the presentations were great. RWB Chip Mahaney, our Grand Lecturer, fielded many questions during his presentation on Grand Lodge Code. There was a clear interest to learn what we can and cannot do under out Code. Again, the breakout sessions were evenly split among the participants.

For the final session, a Saturday morning was planned. Traditionally, the heart of the leadership conference is a time for the Grand Lodge pillar officers and the Senior Grand Deacons to meet with their presumptive counterparts for the next year, and the Grand Secretary meets with the lodge secretaries. In years past, the Grand Treasurer also met with Lodge Treasurers, a practice had for some reason been discontinued recently, but was reinstated this year. These sessions were allotted an hour, and many used their full time.

During the planning of this conference, it was identified that there are at least five charitable organizations operating under the auspices of Freemasonry in the District of Columbia. Normally, the attendees would only get a presentation from the Masonic and Eastern Star Home (MESH Charities, Inc.). This year, due

WB MIchael Greenwald leads discussion during his breakout session

to the virtual format, all five were invited to make a 9 to 10-minute pre-recorded presentation on their respective charity.

The general consensus was that they were very professionally done and provided much useful and new information for a great many brethren.

Overall, while we had the potential for more, we had close to 90 brethren, including our brethren in Lebanon in attendance. While we are still learning how to properly approach virtual sessions of

this magnitude, much of the feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive. The Committee and the Grand Lodge officers did an outstanding job on research and presentation.

Hopefully, next year we can return to the Bolger Center, but failing that, we now have a viable alternative to help, aid, and assist our brethren to become leaders within in their respective lodges and within our Grand Jurisdiction.

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 15

MUTUAL RECOGNITION IN D.C. 20 YEARS AND COUNTING

MWB Willie Griffin (left) shakes hands with MWB Mansour Hatefi after the historic mutual recognition document is signed.

16 | THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY ISSUE 3, 2020

A DINNER TO REMEMBER

By Justin Rattey, Worshipful Master Hiram-Takoma Lodge No. 10

I

WB Justin Rattey

n the center of the Takoma Masonic Center’s (TMC) lodge room (as in many lodge) rooms, is a marble checkered floor. Surrounded by a sea of blue carpeting, these black and white tiles are easy to overlook, but they support the altar, upon which rest the Great Lights of Freemasonry. Those tiles also support the three Lesser Lights, and perhaps countless presenters, performers, and other guests visiting the TMC. You would be forgiven if you did not think twice about those marble tiles after visiting the lodge hall.

The checkered floor has a rich, esoteric meaning, described and explained to us through ritual. This article is not about that meaning.

It is about a dinner held in the TMC on Thursday, March 25, 1993.

That historic dinner, hosted by Most Worshipful Grand Master George R. Adams, helped pave the way for a different combination of black and white: the recognition between the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of the District of Columbia (DCGL) and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia (MWPHGLDC).

Like the tile floor of the TMC lodge room, the March 25 dinner is easy to forget. But neither should be forgotten. As the black and white marble tiles support many of the most important artifacts in Freemasonry, it was that dinner in 1993 that supported the eventual unity of black and white brothers here in the District of Columbia.

In 1993, Hiram-Takoma Lodge No. 10 was led by Worshipful Brother Todd Duerhing. WB Duerhing also worked in the Office of the Grand Secretary at the time. Answering the phones there, he was often the first point of

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 17

contact with Freemasonry and he helped bring countless men into the Fraternity.

Occasionally, callers were interested in Prince Hall, and he would provide those callers with the appropriate contact information for MWPHGLDC. WB Duerhing grew up in Waukesha, Wisconsin where, by his account, he learned that “separate is not equal.”

And after several years of answering calls from men interested in the two separate Masonic bodies, WB Duerhing wondered whether a joint program might be warranted. He believed that it was important to strengthen the relationship between the two grand lodges. So, with the permission of the Grand Master at that time, MWB George Adams, WB Duerhing invited MWB Nathaniel M. Adams, Jr., the Grand Master of MWPHGLDC, to a festive board to be hosted by Hiram-Takoma.1 Records of the March 25 festive baord are sparse. Any pictures taken that evening have unfortunately been lost.

However, we do know that the Junior Warden, Michael Dixon (now Michael Samet), served as chairman of the event. As recorded in the March 11 minutes, the meal was promised to be “homemade [p]asta.” and the Lodge introduced and sold its new toasting glasses. A subsequent publication reflects that “a capacity crowd filled the dining room for what was a historic day.” What MWB Nathanial Adams in 2017 brought that crowd—perhaps as many as fifty men—to the upstairs room was the guest speaker: MWB Nathaniel Adams, accompanied by “several of his officers and a Past Grand Master.”2 After recounting the history of Prince Hall, MWB Nathaniel Adams described some of the organization’s work in D.C., including its “…blood bank program, high school scholarships and [its] hopes to award $50,000 to deserving high school seniors.”

MWB George Adams, however, didn’t hear that speech, because did not attend the table lodge. According to WB Duerhing, that was because he “…felt it more important for the Lodge to make the connection than to make it about the two Grand Lodges.” He also wanted to avoid overshadowing MWB Nathaniel Adams and the extension of Hiram-Takoma’s fraternal hand to MWPHGLDC.

What is perhaps most remarkable about this festive board is how otherwise unremarkable it was. One would expect that such an august and important event would be worthy of far more attention than it received in 1993. But the relative lack of attention it received tells us of its total ordinariness. That those who attended saw no reason to record or memorialize the greatness of the evening’s events is evidence that they saw nothing out of the ordinary about breaking bread across racial lines.

In the words of WB Neal Jarvis, who served as Hiram-Takoma’s Senior Steward in 1993, “The generation we were raised in did not see differences in others, except on issues of personality—not race or religion.” Perhaps those men—who crowded the Takoma Masonic Center’s dining room on that historic day—understood

1 It was providential that the two Grand Masters’ surnames in 1993 were “Adams.” They would become close friends and acquire the endearing designation, “The Brothers Adams.”

2 As many as ten, as recalled by one Past Master present that evening 18 | THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY ISSUE 3, 2020

Tile at Takoma Masonic Center

The Festive Board was held in the refrectory of the Takoma Masonic Center.jpg

the interrelationship between black and white better than their non-Masonic contemporaries.

The unity initiated on March 25 has grown and flourished since 1993. Later that year, the two Grand Lodges joined together to reenact the cornerstone laying at the United States Capitol. And the continuing vitality of the relationship is evidenced most recently in the joint statement issued by MWB Michael D. Nicholas, Sr. (Grand Master of DCGL) and MWB Quincy G. Gant (Grand Master of MWPHGLDC) in response to the protests and unrest following the murder of George Floyd.

“We are united as a Sacred Brotherhood,” they write. Continuing, “…we have since outgrown those divisions and forged between us the ties of Brotherhood that unite us as Freemasons. Freemasonry

is strong and vibrant in Washington DC, and we have a role to play in the healing that our city requires.”3 But to fully understand that unity, it is important to remember how it was borne. Like the checkered marble floor, the March 25 festive board is integral to the foundation of brotherly love and affection upon which our Fraternity in D.C. today rests.

I am grateful to Neal Jarvis and Todd Duerhing for sharing their memories of the March 25 dinner, as well as to our Grand Historian, Chris Ruli for his research assistance. Thanks also to Hiram-Takoma’s Junior Deacon, Christopher Burkett, for inspiring my interest in the union between the two Grand Lodges.

3 Joint Statement of Washington, D.C. Grand Masters (June 2, 2020), https://imgur.com/SIjPRtd.

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 19

A MOMENT IN HISTORY: REMEMBERING MUTUAL RECOGNITION WITH PRINCE HALL

By Chetin Durak Senior Grand Steward

O

n September 11, 2000, Brethren, guests, and media gathered at the House of the Temple to celebrate over 200 years of American history in the nation’s capital. Federal Lodge No. 1 directed the festive occasion, holding what was for them a Special Communication with a performance by the U.S. Army Chorus, and a presentation given by the Architect of the Capitol. National treasures used by Illustrious Brother George Washington Chetin Durak were prominently displayed. Potomac Lodge No. 5 showcased the George Washington Gavel from the cornerstone laying of the US Capitol, while Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 and Alexandria Washington Lodge No. 22 under the Grand Lodge of Virginia displayed the George Washington Bible and Trowel respectively.

Of all the invitations honored and presentations offered, the highlight of the evening was a “surprise” historic achievement that manifested the values of our craft. It was on this day that the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Washington, DC (District of Columbia), MWB Mansour Hatefi, and the Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, MWB Willie Griffin, came together in an act of unity

The U.S. Army Chorus performs at the signing

20 | THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY ISSUE 3, 2020

MWB Willie H. Griffin

MWB Mansour Hatefi

and brotherhood to sign the proclamation providing for mutual recognition between our Grand Lodges.

As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of this historic occasion, we pause to reflect on the vision of our inspirational Brethren and the Masonic principles that guided their enlightenment. Over a decade of due attention to Masonic teachings, dedication to living the ideals of the Craft, and steadfast leadership resulted in the overdue mutual recognition between our Grand Lodges.

In the late 1980s, two elected Grand Lodge officers, RWB Jerold Samet and RWB George Adams, found themselves circling the beltway, enthralled in conversation around each other’s lives from

MWB Hatefi speaks from the podium with Federal Lodge No. 1 Master, WB Alfred C. Boswell, Jr. behind

Brethren on the sidelines that day

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 21

MWB George Adams knees at the altar, flanked by MWBs Griffin and Hatefi

youth to adulthood. Both Brothers, who would later become Grand Masters, seized the opportunity to develop 21 goals grounded in core Masonic principles that they aspired to accomplish before leaving the Grand East. As MWB Adams shared, their “goal wasn’t to change the world, but was to carry out the ideals of our society of Freemasons.” Among these was the mutual recognition between our Grand Lodge and Prince Hall’s. They understood that this could not be achieved without the exercise of Brotherly Love and Truth combined with the Masonic exemplification of universality within our own Grand Lodge.

They immediately went to work to ensure that Brotherly Love transcended race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, and lifestyle within our jurisdiction. As MWB Samet explained, “In order to make it a true brotherhood, we needed to make it a brotherhood for everyone, a universal brotherhood.” Our esteemed Brethren understood the importance of laboring to ensure the ground was level before laying the “foundation stone of a new beginning between these two Grand Lodges,” as MWB Adams so eloquently recalled.

Through the combined efforts of MWB Stewart Miner, MWB Jerold Samet, MWB George Adams, and WB Victor Adegbite, the color and ethnicity barriers of the past were shattered piece by piece. Our esteemed Brethren began forging the path of universal freemasonry with the introduction in 1990 of the first bilingual Lodge since Arminius Lodge No. 25’s chartering in 1876, Mehr Lode No. 90. Mehr Lodge provided an environment where Iranian-American brethren could practice the Craft in their mother 22 | THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY ISSUE 3, 2020

tongue, Farsi, and in the emulation ritual. The efforts of MWB Charles Iversen, MWB Robert Heyat, MWB Dan Frederick, and MWB Mansour Hatefi spurred diversity in our jurisdiction that had previously been unimaginable.

MWB Iversen praised MWB Hatefi saying, “He guided its affairs so successfully that other Masons approached the ensuing Grand Masters for dispensations to form more bilingual and English-speaking lodges.” Indeed, he observed that, “Our nation’s capital is the logical place for this concept to bear fruit, being the center of international activity in our country.” These efforts not only facilitated forming fraternal bonds between Brethren of different backgrounds within the jurisdiction, but also naturally strengthened ties with brethren around the world.

With the Masonic mosaic continuing to evolve along the ideals of the fraternity through the late 1980s and 1990s, the hour had arrived to recognize the fraternal bond between our Grand Lodge and Prince Hall’s. Despite pockets of resistance on both fronts, ranging from matters of differing ritual and membership retention to the unfortunate and unmasonic issue of racism, those voices were the minority by the time the Grand Lodges brought the matter to a vote. Tellingly, it was the long and measured path of progress towards broadening our consciousness, and thereby our universality, that allowed our Grand Lodges to confidently introduce this measure for a vote.

Our leadership was fortunate to work with such esteemed Prince Hall Brethren as MWB Nathaniel Adams and WB Jeffrey Ballou to

exemplify the mystic tie that binds us all into one band of brothers.

These luminaries of our Craft had the patience and perseverance to give this matter their due attention and to use the working tools of our noble art to speak with brethren across the jurisdictions to alleviate their concerns. By living the principles of Brotherly Love and Truth, and exemplifying universality, the arguments of the resisting brothers were naturally disarmed.

By the time the issue came to the floor of the Grand Lodge, its way was softened with representation of a more diverse body of men in all respects, practicing various rituals in myriad languages. Hence, mutual recognition was accomplished with our Grand Lodge under the leadership of MWB Dan Frederick, who led the Grand Lodge when it passed on May 17, 1999, and in Prince Hall’s under MWB Willie Griffin on December 9, 1999. The ensuing proclamation in 2000 was accompanied by “Suggested Guidelines for Visits Between Brethren” of the two Grand Lodges as a first step to facilitating visitation. These guidelines were readily removed in 2005, when MWB Leonard Proden and Prince Hall’s MWB Robert Wheeler signed a compact to further strengthen the fraternal bonds between our jurisdictions.

As we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of this welcome symbol of unification in the Grand Lodges of our nation’s capital, we recall MWB Hatefi’s uplifting and celebratory words from the start of the new millennium in 2000: “This is the time to look back with

pride and to look forward with confidence…We are giving reality to the Masonic ideal of universality.”

At the signing of the proclamation, “Past Grand Master Adams then knelt at the altar between the two Grand Masters who placed their respective hands on either of his shoulders while he asked the Grand Architect of the Universe to bless the union of these two Grand Lodges,” wrote MWB Hatefi. MWB Adams noted that he could feel the energy of unity at that moment.

That energy continues through today and has empowered our Grand Lodges to show a united front in the face of intolerance, in support of our community, and in the practice of Freemasonry.

As WB Jeffrey Ballou wrote to the brethren of our Grand Lodge following the ceremony of mutual recognition, “Once again we have the opportunity to show the world who we are and what we can do.” This opportunity that WB Ballou so astutely referenced is ever present. It is paramount that we as Brethren continue to reflect and act on our history and principles that we may continue to build the edifice so held together by the cement of Brotherly Love. *Special thanks to MWB Jerold Samet, MWB George Adams, and MWB Mansour Hatefi for taking the time to share our Grand Lodge’s history with me in support of this article.

ONE PRINCE HALL MASON’S VIEW

By Jeffrey P. Ballou, PM Social Lodge No. 1, MWPHGLDC and Honorary Member, Potomac Lodge No. 5

I

took a call recently from my good friend and brother Past Grand Master and curent Grand Secretary Jeff Russell. He presented me with an interesting proposition to reflect on the mutual recognition journey so far since my home jurisdiction is the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of D.C., F&AM, Prince Hall Affiliation, and I am an honorary member of Potomac Lodge No. 5 of the Grand Lodge of the D.C., WB Jeff Ballou photo courtesy Tony F.A.A.M. But before I begin, please Powell Images note: these are personal recollections and do not represent the official views of either jurisdiction that I owe allegiance, affiliate with, or mention.

AN IDEA HATCHED ON THE BACK OF A NAPKIN It’s hard to believe that 2020 marks twenty years since the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of D.C. Free and Accepted

Masons, Prince Hall Affiliation and the Grand Lodge of D.C. Free and Accepted Masons signed a mutual recognition accord at the House of the Temple.

It seems like just yesterday when there was a mix of excitement, relief, and trepidation right after the treaty signing. There was a lot of hope then that going forward, brothers from both jurisdictions would visit each other in earnest and perhaps share in degree work and inspire others to follow.

Past Grand Masters Dan Frederick, Nathaniel Adams, Jerold Samet, Willie Griffin, and George Adams, along with key officers and committee members who crafted and shepherded this historic treaty, the first in the U.S. South, had sought to foster better communication, visitation, and cooperation between the two jurisdictions to try and deal a fatal blow to racism in our fraternity.

As Past Grand Masters George Adams, Jerold Samet and the late Dan Frederick had been fond of saying, it was an idea literally hatched on the back of a napkin.

The journey from legislative passage in 1999 to treaty signing in 2000 was not a perfect one, as written in the book Out of the Shadows: The Emergence of Prince Hall Freemasonry in America (Over 225 Years of Endurance), co-written by good friends and brothers Alton Roundtree from my jurisdiction and Past Grand Senior Warden Paul Bessel from the Grand Lodge of D.C. Page 255 zeroes in on how the mutual recognition treaty really came ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 23

together, or at least it talks about what can be told. In fact, there The strongest bonds however, have happened on more local level. were many tough moments that were not detailed in the book, Brothers have observed and and even been invited to participate which actually speak to how the agreement almost fell apart. in one another’s degree work. Genuine friendships have emerged between Grand Masters.

But the good news is that And a host of Lodges, it didn’t. It was signed, including my own Social and now I will make my Lodge No. 1 (who led own attempt, from just the way visiting), have one Freemason’s point socialized and engaged of view, to tell what has in civic service with happened since the big many lodges in the ceremony.

Grand Lodge of D.C. such as Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15, GROWING PAINS Sojourner Kilwinning One of the first hurdles Lodge No. 1798, was to break the ice Federal Lodge No. 1 and on visitations. What Potomac Lodge No. 5 followed a initial season just to name a few. of diplomatic bliss was followed by the fine I’ve watched brothers print—well meaning, like Most Worshipful but cumbersome Brother Joe Crociata visitation rules. While and Past Master Chris no one wanted to Thigpen, or Worshipful be discourteous, the Brothers James Morgan consequence was and Jeff Holt respectively cause for rank and file befriend each other. I’ve frustration from brothers also seen the admiration in both jurisdictions just and humor present in trying to be friendly with the friendship between one another.

Past Grand Masters Nathaniel Adams What I have observed and his counterpart since has been a gradual George Adams, who growth in mutual affectionately referred to visitation which, one another as “cousins.’ depending on who was Or Past Grand Masters Grand Master, received Robert Wheeler and great periods of support Len Proden who showed and progress. Or, to be genuine affection for honest, on occasion, each other, as they rolled times of inaction and up their sleeves to do the even regression.

MWBs George Adams and Nathaniel Adams at the recognition signing in 2000 craft’s work.

BENEFITS OF BONDING

Some of the most memorable demonstrations of our shared brotherhood, however, emerged with powerful eulogies and deep presence for some of the key figures who helped shape and/or fight for our shared amity, such as Most Worshipful Past Grand Masters Nathaniel M. Adams, Jr. and Daniel Frederick when they laid down their working tools.

To be fair, our cooperation has manifested itself more positively than not over the years, and far beyond words on paper can describe. The two jurisdictions exchange delegations at each other’s annual sessions and other official occasions. There have been joint service-related outings and participation in universal brotherhood celebrations.

Initially only granted to the late Most Worshipful Past Grand Master Nathaniel Adams, a tweaking of the treaty was made to HIGHS AND CHALLENGES grant honorary membership to one another’s Grand Officers, and on Over the course of 20 years I have had the privilege of a front row seat, occasion became something mutually offered. witnessing and experiencing the good and the challenges of our growing 24 | THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY ISSUE 3, 2020

Dan L Frederick

Nathanial Adams

relationship. Through recognition, many of us have gained a host of incredible friends and brothers from all over the world. I’ve seen the quarterly communication of the United Grand of England, participated in Freemasonry practiced in England, the U.S. Capitol, the Bahamas, witnessed multilingual and in the U.S., multi-state rituals, met brothers in Italy, and elsewhere. And together, we have watched diplomatic triumphs and stumbles.

An ongoing challenge over the last 20 years has been that as other groups sought amity, we ensured that both Grand Lodges kept recognition to regular Masonic bodies. There were no shortage of folks who wanted to get in on the well-earned fellowship our grand jurisdictions built, but who didn’t play by the rules of regular Freemasonry. Thanks fully to the lodge principal officers, Grand Secretaries, Grand representatives and chairmen of the committees of Foreign Correspondence, though, our West gate remains secure.

We have also watched as some on both sides who fought for recognition were ridiculed, officially sidelined, and even took political hits to various degrees, because they stood up for universal brotherhood. Thankfully, the good karma is that true amity remains redemptive to all, whether you believed early on, today, or may come around tomorrow.

Lastly, the major secret to the success of the treaty has been our families, loved ones, and friends. I’ve met many spouses and significant others of brothers in both Lodges. They are the support, reality check, and real diplomacy that courses through our agreement.

SOFT POWER

Jerry Samet

George R. Adams

bonding force. One area of fraternal accord was better socialization through domestic and international governments who might otherwise not be in the same room together. A second became a powerful springboard for mutual recognition advocates in other jurisdictions, research societies, allied, appendant, concordant, and special bodies. The most prominent example to date in D.C., being the joint travel and participation in the tricentennial celebrations of the United Grand Lodge of England.

Another soft power which continues to provide currency to our treaty and others, are Masonic research societies like Philalethes, Phyllis, Scottish Rite Research, The Masonic Society, and a host of other research lodges and Phylaxis. It’s their search for truth and bonds that drew me into the recognition discussion. Their zeal to do things based on scholarship provides ‘white papers,’ and other materials that ensure policy decisions proceed on a factual basis.

THE ROAD AHEAD The U.S. overwhelmingly supports mutual recognition with Prince Hall. However, there remains a long road to go before anyone can declare complete and total détente in all areas. We haven’t crossed every barrier to full recognition.

Widespread dual and plural voting membership is one of the last big hurdles. Beyond our borders in D.C., there also remains a handful of U.S. states who still have not recognized each other.

This challenge, given the current racial reckoning afoot, perhaps will inspire brothers in those states to seize the moment and finally forge official recognition and visitation ties. More importantly, friendships to further the cause of brotherly love.

Given our location, host to the seat of U.S. government and scores of embassies, our mutual cooperation became a two-fold Masonic

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 25

FREEMASONRY, FUNDRAISING, AND THE FAIR

By B. Chris Ruli Grand Historian

A

c o m m o n perception of early Freemasonry, especially in the District of Columbia, is that the Craft relegated itself to a quiet existence—that Masons covertly met in humble meeting places, conferred degrees, and went about their personal or professional affairs, choosing to keep their affiliation discrete.

When we examine our past, however, we find that this perception fails history’s litmus test, and there is no better example than the fraternity’s attempt to build a national Masonic temple in the District at the turn of the twentieth century. Instead of fundraising amongst themselves, prominent Masons advocated for a series of grand public Masonic exhibitions, similar to the then immensely popular World’s Fairs, to raise funds and promote the fraternity’s goals.

Freemasonry experienced a dramatic influx in membership following the Civil War, which coincided with growing interest nationally in fraternities and civic-focused

26 | THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY ISSUE 3, 2020

organizations. Building a national Masonic temple was necessary, in part, because the Grand Lodge’s temple on 9th and F street became ill-equipped to handle crowded Masonic and non-Masonic events. By 1896, Columbia Commandery No. 2, Knights Templar, called for a meeting across interested groups to build a larger space. The group identified a corner lot intersecting New York Avenue, Thirteenth, and H streets, and with Grand Lodge approval, moved to purchase the space for $70,000.

Meanwhile, the group tackled their first problem: how to manage and organize a large public Masonic event. They reconvened on November 27, 1897 to organize the “Masonic Temple Association,” elect their first executive board, and lay out their strategy. “The Board” established twelve sprawling subcommittees to manage every aspect of the event, which included committees on entertainment, finance, charitable contributions, etc. They selected April 1898 as their opening night and secured the Northern Liberty Market, the District’s first conventional hall and now site of the Carnegie Library, as their venue.

News spread quickly and Masonic groups rushed to secure coveted space in the hall.

With limited space, the board invited Masonic bodies across the District to

apply to participate. This provided an opportunity to select the most lucrative proposals and help cut down on costs. It also introduced a competitive spirit to the event. The Washington daily newspaper, The Evening Star, reported: “There is already generous but spirited rivalry [among the Masonic groups] for the different privileges in which there seems to be the most money. Almas Temple of the Mystic Shrine has already put in an application for the paddles privilege. Pentalpha Lodge asks for the use of all the galleries as an ice cream parlor.”

Charitable contributions and publicity helped fuel the fair’s early success. The Donations Committee launched an enormous letter-writing campaign, which sent thousands of requests to Masonic and fraternal organizations across the United States and abroad. Weekly reports in The Evening Star and other newspapers covered the interesting donations: $1 from the oldest Mason in New Hampshire, a brick from President Grant’s Tomb in New York City, round-trip tickets to Yellowstone National park, $100 from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West company, and an autographed picture from Mexican President and Past Grand Master Porifiro Diaz. Diaz’s picture included a personalized note: “I regret

to say that I cannot accept the invitation [to attend] as my official duties prevent my being absent from my country, but I assure you of my great satisfaction at the consideration thus expressed.” In February, reporters announced the fair’s largest donation, a deed to ocean-front property in Ocean City, Maryland – lot 7 block 49.

As competition picked up, the Board fretted over shrinking space. Crews at the conventional hall erected a large stage on the north wall to host nightly concerts.

This connected to a thirty-foot walking path with three rows of booths arranged on either side. Each booth stood twentyfive feet tall and was decorated with flags, banners, and intricate designs. Engineers set up smaller booths around the perimeter and each Masonic group was free to decorate their own booth. Harmony and Pentalpha Lodges competed for the hall’s largest attractions, a series of connected booths called the Old English Village and the Swiss Chalet, respectively. Several groups joined either lodge to create complementary decorated booths. On February 28, the Board announced that they had secured the adjoining building, the former National Guard armory for overflow space.

An international theme permeated the fair as crews erected Roman temples, English cathedrals, German castles, and mosques. The Shrine acquired two booths, on either side of the hall, and built a replica of the Acropolis. Lafayette Royal Arch Chapter installed a telegraph cable that connected patrons with Masons in Hawaii and Spain for a nickel. The Communications Committee contracted with local journalists to operate their own daily newspaper of the event, which operated out of the hall and disseminated advertisements, news, and gossip.

The Board released a tentative event schedule in March. Excluding the opening ceremonies, each night featured a salute to a certain Masonic and non-Masonic organization like the Shrine, Scottish Rite, or Order of Eastern Star. Masons were also encouraged to dress up for each

night in the body’s respective regalia, which added a fun element each night. The entertainment committee partnered with musical groups, local theaters, circuses, and temperance societies to perform musical acts and educational lecturers. One night featured a program on the Veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic. President William McKinley and Vice President Garret Hobart, both Freemasons, accepted

invitations to participate in the opening festivities. Prince Albert, the Grand Master of England and future King Edward VII, extended his well wishes as official duties made it difficult for him to travel to Washington. Alexander R. Shepherd, the District’s first governor and notorious political boss, could not attend in person but provided the Board a “sizeable financial contribution” and a ceremonial brick for their new temple.

The convention hall pulsated with energy as committees, board staff, construction crew, and Masonic groups descended to make their final arrangements. “Decorators in scores were busily engaged putting deft and artistic touches to the numerous booths, and flowers, flags, bunting, emblems, and beauty-making articles, reported The Evening Star. “…and wagon after wagon rolled up and deposited their loads of useful,

beautiful, novel, and attractive things.”

Then, on April 11, President McKinley situated himself at a table in the White House’s telegraph room. Unable to attend in person, fair engineers installed a special receiver box to connect McKinley to the hall. At around 8:30 PM, McKinley switched on the receiver, which immediately illuminated hundreds of lanterns scattered across the hall. McKinley then placed a call to a phone set up on the north stage which was received

by Board president Henry Small.

“The President,” Small announced, “sends greetings to the Fraternity and wishes them every possible success.” As the president wrapped up his remarks, a 300-person chorus erupted with a rendition of “America,” as Healy’s Band and the thousands in attendance joined in the rapturous patriotic spirit.

The opening ceremonies attracted such a large crowd that it prompted the Board to halt admission thirty minutes into opening. “So tremendous was the throng... that at 8 o’clock the entrance doors to the convention hall were closed, and probably a thousand people found themselves unable to gain admission,” reported The Evening Star. “Half an hour later...the doors were opened again, but at 9:30 it became necessary to repeat the closing. This time there were probably 4,500 people in the convention hall and armory annex.”

Small received Vice President Hobart and John A. Porter, McKinley’s private secretary and Freemason, at 10:00 PM. The White House Committee joined other dignitaries already in attendance including the Secretary of Agriculture James H. Wilson, Montana Senator Lee Mantle, California Senator George C. Perkins, and the District of Columbia’s three commissioners.

Three days later, on April 14, the bill to incorporate the temple association passed both Houses of Congress and made its way onto President McKinley’s desk for his signature.

Reporters recorded the largest fair attendance on April 16, during “Eastern Star Night.” Over 14,000 guests, nearly ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 27

double the average attendance, came out to support the women’s contributions to Freemasonry. While originally scheduled to close on April 23, the Fair’s success led Small to extend festivities for three additional nights. Booths expedited the clean-up process through flash auctions to clear remaining merchandise. The US Marine Band headlined entertainment on April 25 with guest conductor Clare Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor’s performance, which included an original Masonic composition entitled the Osiris March, made history as it was the first time a woman conducted the Marine Band.

The fair closed on April 27, but considerable work lay ahead to clear the board’s accounts and tally their collections. When the final tally was made, the first fair raised $72,000 towards the building project, which later swelled to $85,000 by 1902. Confident in future fundraising efforts, the Board paid off their debt towards the lot and issued bids to design the future building.

They also immediately began working on a second fair.

Small, still acting as the Board’s president, appointed Frank H. Thomas as Director of the second fair, which allowed the Board to focus their attention on design and fundraising. Under Thomas’ stewardship, the second fair adopted a nature theme.

Engineers installed verdant boughs, tree limbs, and hundreds of electrified Japanese lanterns across the hall and annex. Mount Vernon Royal Arch Chapter built a replica of George Washington’s estate around the pastoral landscape and transformed the balcony into a drinking parlor. Harmony Lodge constructed a dancing stage in the annex, which was a sorely missed feature of the previous fair. The entertainment committee secured rights to exhibit Houdon’s famous Washington Life Mask.

As Thomas fretted over the theme, Small and the Executive Committee aligned themselves with the District’s political and professional elite. By late February, newspapers reported that around hundred members of Congress, seventeen senators and sixty members of the

The Washington Times, Tuesday, May 22, 1906

house, and one hundred local businessmen signed on to serve as honorary members.

Notable members included Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson, Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Milton E. Ailes, and the District’s three commissioners. The committee served a critical role a week leading up to opening ceremonies.

On April 8, the District’s fire inspectors notified Thomas that the Japanese lanterns arranged throughout the hall violated district code. “Thomas hurried to the Capitol, where he consulted a number of brother Masons who were members of Congress,” The Washington Times reported.

“A joint resolution was immediately offered in the House by Mr. Richardson of Tennessee1…Similar action was taken in the Senate. It is understood that the favorable action will be taken by both bodies today.” With the permits secured in record time, Thomas negotiated to have DC Fire and Police attend the fair and set up a booth for public safety. The Board also covered the cost to install special sprinklers.

The second Masonic Fair and Exposition opened on April 14, 1902. Over two thousand patrons crowded the busy north stage at 7:30 PM to witness another grand Masonic parade. As the procession entered the hall and marched up to the stage, lines broke into two columns to allow Small and George Walker, Deputy Grand Master of D.C., to walk between and ascend the stage. Walker, wielding the George Washington Gavel, provided a brief introductory oration. Several moments before his finale, a cable operator relayed a message to President Roosevelt in the White House War Room. Like his predecessor, Roosevelt switched on a receiver box from the White House turning on thousands of Japanese lanterns. Overall, about 109,000 individuals attend the second fair or an average of 6,500 attendees per night. While not as successful, the Board added a modest $50,000 into the Temple Fund.

The third Masonic Fair and Exhibition opened on April 15, 1906 with the usual pomp and flair. President Roosevelt returned for the opening ceremonies to

1 Congressman Richardson would soon leave the House of Representatives, forsaking his dream of becoming the Speaker of the House to serve the Craft as Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite.

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Masonic May festival, 1906

switch on a receiver at the White House.

He later sent over several autographed postcards and a pillow signed by the entire cabinet to raise funds. Approximately 10,000 guests attended the first evening, but Thomas was forced to temporarily close the hall’s doors an hour after the opening ceremony to prevent a fire hazard or stampede. The fair culminated with a grand ball and concert on May 2. Crews rearranged booths to create a large dance floor in the middle of the hall with sideline booths retrofitted to sell light refreshments.

Smith set up a stage in the middle of the dance hall to host Professor Healy’s orchestra. Over 2,000 couples attended the ball, which provided a fitting end to the Fraternity’s most ambitious project.

Masons gathered two months later, on June 8, 1906 to lay the cornerstone of the new Masonic Temple. The ceremony culminated nine years’ worth of planning and execution. President Roosevelt accepted an invitation to help lay the cornerstone. Clad in a Masonic apron and wielding Masonic tools first used by George Washington in 1793, Roosevelt performed his Masonic duties to the delight of spectators. “Surely there is no place,” said Roosevelt, “where there should be as fine a Masonic Temple as here in Washington, for it is in a sense a National Temple where Masons from every jurisdiction gather.”

There are several factors to the fraternity’s success in these endeavors. First, by virtue of their membership, the board was able to tap key figures in DC’s political, economic,

and social sphere. Many of whom, were members themselves. By the turn of the century, the Grand Lodge grew to around 9,000-members or about three times as large as our total membership today. This figure doesn’t take into account the role of the Eastern Star, sojourning Masons living in DC, and ancillary Masonic groups that increased total participation dramatically.

Another direct benefit of this close association was the fair’s unprecedented marketing and media coverage through local newspapers.

The second factor to success revolved around public outreach. While recruitment is prohibited, the multi-week events offered the public an opportunity to better understand the goals of the Craft, their charitable efforts, and reach across different social-economic groups. Fairs showcased scientific breakthroughs, introduced patrons to new art, and entertained guests with nightly concerts and political discourse. Fairs provided an opportunity for Masons and their guests to hob-knobb with politicians, philanthropists, and DC’s social elite.

But perhaps the most important factor towards success was the decision to organize a fair in the first place. The idea broke from traditional public exercises like Masonic processions and cornerstone laying ceremonies. Letter-writing campaigns developed a global network of donations.

A competitive environment also enabled lodges to think creatively, seek assistance across their entire membership, and

innovate. In a sense, each Masonic body transformed into their own sports team with their own fans and a “brand identity.”

The National Masonic Fair and Exhibitions were truly a unique showcase of the Fraternity’s ingenuity and spirit. It brought together the entire jurisdiction towards a singular goal. And the event provides valuable insight into what future leaders can do with fundraising projects and helps reshare our understanding of the District’s “Masonic experience.”

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 29

GRAND LODGE SOCIAL MEDIA

By Nicholas J. Sampogna, PM Fraternity Lodge No. 54 & The Colonial Lodge No. 1821

meeting dates, planned photoshoots, dreamt up live video integrations, and generally worked on finding new ways to make sure the world of Freemasonry was aware of the great work our Grand Lodge was planning to do in 2020. And then… well, you know the rest.

For the last eight years, I’ve worked for the Superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), traveling the world and helping to tell the television and real-life stories of amazing athletes, some of whom, many of you (hopefully) are familiar with. In my time with the company, WWE has amassed over 1 BILLION social media followers across all platforms, so when I was approached to help the Grand Lodge with our social accounts, I was excited to apply what I have learned with WWE to our Craft.

WB Nicholas Sampogna

I

started this year excited to take on my new Grand Lodge committee assignment. I scoured the calendar for

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Today, we are ten months into our project to enhance our social presence, and it has been an absolute pleasure assisting our Director of Communications, WB Jason Van Dyke, our Grand Secretary, MWB Jeffrey Russell, and our Most Worshipful

Grand Master, Michael D. Nicholas, Sr., as they strive to keep the Grand Lodge and its constant work connected to YOU—our members. As the calendar was supposed to be filled with events and new opportunities for prime content, COVID redirected that plan. And the Grand Lodge Social Media subcommittee found a new way forward, a new way to keep our Lodge members interested and up-to-date while stuck on a bevy of Zoom calls and

without the jewels, aprons, and collars we traditionally fuss about.

Initially, adapting our social media to meet the current conditions of our Grand Lodge was a bit of a challenge without the many events we had planned. While the Grand Lodge has had two townhall meetings, rolled out an entirely new website, and restarted virtual lodge meetings, the traditional meat and potatoes posts from those canceled events was missing. And then, our Grand Historian, Bro. Chris Ruli, messaged me one day with dozens of historical photos captioned by brief anecdotes – and voila, “what’s old is new again,” as the saying goes.

Each week, we populate our social channels with historical posts from Masonry in DC, famous DC Masons, or special objects from our Grand Lodge archives. But again, is only the beginning. We’ve used what I have learned from my day job combined with the years of professional service represented by our Grand Lodge Office, to create best practices on our “social” to help share and publicize the work that this Grand Lodge is continually doing, even through the current pandemic. A wonderful example of this is the joint letter penned by MWB

Nicholas and his Price Hall counterpart, Most Worshipful Brother Quincy G. Gant of the MWPHGLDC, which was seen by over 14,000 people on Facebook alone!

Social media, when utilized properly, can spread the unifying message of Freemasonry thousands of miles outside of our own capital city, and it is our job to make sure we populate it properly. There is no substitute for the warmness of fraternal greetings, or the experience of initiation, but I hope you’ve still felt connection to Freemasonry and our Grand Lodge, even while we’ve been away from physically being in our lodges. And be on the lookout

for more great posts in the weeks ahead.

Like I said before, we just got started.

Follow the Grand Lodge on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Search “DCGrandLodge” on all platforms and “follow” and “like” to see the newest posts, videos, and updates from the Grand Lodge. If you don’t receive the Grand Lodge’s “Weekly Digest” visit our brand new website’s Member Resources section and sign up (https://www.dcgrandlodge.org/ newsletter-sign-up.html). (You’ll need the site password, which you can get from your lodge secretary or by contacting the Office of the Grand Secretary.)

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 31

RITUAL AS RENEWAL: THE SCHRÖDER RITUAL AND ARMINIUS LODGE

By Andrew U. Hammer, PM Deputy Grand Lecturer

WB Andrew Hammer

O

ne of the blessings of our Grand Lodge is its ritual and cultural diversity, which although it might be argued arose more out of necessity than foresight, has given us a profile that is unique in the United States. It has also given us multiple ways to understand the Craft, and to educate ourselves about how Freemasonry works around the world.

Arminius Lodge No. 25 is the oldest nonEnglish language lodge in our jurisdiction, chartered in 1876 to serve the needs of German-speaking immigrants who either already were Masons, or wanted to be. At the time, German-speaking immigrants were in abundance in many of America’s cities, and such a lodge, while not exactly embraced from the start, could surely be justified as beneficial to the fraternity.

Over the years, as the children of those immigrants became native-born Americans with English as their first language, the bond of German language and culture on

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the generations to follow would naturally wane. The unfortunate political events of the 20th century did not help to strengthen them, and it could be said even placed such bonds at a higher disadvantage than those of other ethnic cultures.

In the case of Arminius Lodge, however, enough German-speaking brethren were able to sustain the vibrancy of the lodge, working the Preston-Webb ritual of our Grand Lodge in German, and conferring the degrees on worthy candidates all the way up to the present day. Brethren with enduring connections to their German families, military veterans with German brides or other associations to Germany resulting from their postings after the Second World War, made sure that Arminius had a steady flow of men who, upon their arrival in the DC metro area, could keep the lodge true to its mission as a German lodge in America.

The 21st century finds the lodge in an interesting position, as the number of German speakers in our area has decreased as it has elsewhere in America, and the number of those German speakers who might be interested in Masonry is exponentially less still. Arminius has found itself at a crossroads, and in the past two years, much discussion has taken place on how it might take a path which could, if carefully developed, not only revive the lodge, but make it a focal point of interest for brothers throughout the nation, as well as Masonic scholars.

I became a member of Arminius in 2018.

Upon joining, I made the suggestion to a few brothers that one way to enhance the German element of the lodge would be to study and even explore an exemplification of the Schröder ritual, not in German,

but in English. At the moment, the lodge opens and closes in German, and conducts its business in English. When degree work is done, it is also done in German.

This provides a great opportunity for any visiting German or German-speaking Masons to see something they might not see elsewhere (i.e. the Preston-Webb work in German), but on the other hand, it may not attract too many other visitors to the lodge if the work is only in a language they do not understand.

Adding the study of the Schröder ritual to the work of the lodge provides Arminius the chance to not only work in the German language, but to learn about German Masonry itself, as well as enhance its understanding of German Masonic culture. And, although one doesn’t usually think in such terms when talking about Masonry, it could also offer an interesting marketing point both for our Grand Lodge and the lodge itself, as being yet another place in our jurisdiction where interested brethren from here and abroad can come to learn about the universality of our brotherhood.

So what is the Schröder ritual? The story of this ritual begins in the Masonic chaos of Germany in the late 1700s. At this time, in the German states as well as throughout the rest of Europe, Freemasonry had evolved in a way that found brethren engaged in any number of side degrees and orders, both legitimate and illegitimate, depending on how one viewed their respective interests.

This was creating quite a bit of confusion in the Craft, and men who saw Masonry as a quasi-political movement were also involved in these developments. For those who desired an approach to the fraternity that was, shall we say, closer to the place whence it came, there was a feeling that they should

find a way to get back to what some felt were its roots. Enter Frederick Ludwig Schröder, whose role in German Masonry could be considered akin to that of William Preston in English-speaking Masonry.

Schröder was an actor and playwright, born in Schwerin in 1744 to a mother who was also an actress. He had a fascination with Shakespeare, and would eventually become one of the most prominent dramatists of the era. He would have the privilege of working with both Mozart and Goethe during his life. His interest in Masonry developed just at the time when the aforementioned disputes amongst German Masons were reaching a fever pitch.

a few years later; that Masonry properly consisted of the three degrees of the symbolic lodge and did not need anything else. Schröder took hold of three English exposures as his inspiration: Masonry Dissected (1730), Three Distinct Knocks (1760), and Jachin and Boaz (1762). He translated Jachin and Boaz into German and worked from there.

Initiated in Hamburg in 1774 at Loge Emanuel zum Maienblume, and raised the following year at Loge Josua zum Korallenbaum, he was an unusually eager Mason, and thirteen years later, after serving as Master of his mother lodge, he found himself at the forefront of a movement to re-establish Masonry in Germany on what he and others believed was a more sound, traditional footing. His knowledge of the English language made him the right man for the job.

This article will not touch upon the labyrinthine matter of the 1782 Convent of Wilhelmsbad and what resulted from it. Suffice it to say that regardless of how one might view the Rite of Strict Observance, the Bavarian Illuminati, or the Rectified Scottish Rite today, the fraternal factionalism of the late 1700s in Germany opened the door for Schröder and brothers who shared his views to embark on a course which would return the Craft to—what they felt was—its proper form.

After being appointed to an official reform commission in 1788, an initial report was presented by Schröder in 1789. Upon its adoption two years later, he then set about the work of drafting a restored ritual to German-speaking Masonry.

His position on the issue was the same that would be expressed by the Grand Lodge of Scotland and the UGLE (somewhat) only

Friedrich Ludwig Schröeder

What is interesting about Schröder’s work is that when one considers he sought to restore what he believed was proper English Masonry to Germany, the inclusion of certain elements in his work is most curious.

The Schröder ritual explicitly includes the ‘Chamber of Reflection’ in the beginning of the ceremonies. The method of entry into the lodge room by the brethren is formal and individualized. One variation also specifies the passing of the candidate before the lodge prior to the degree, which is well-known in French Masonry to this day, but has all but disappeared from the dominant Englishspeaking forms of the work in the intervening centuries. Here, the candidate’s resolve to become a Mason is dramatically tested.

As for the logistical aspects of the lodge itself, just as is the case with other international

lodges we know in our jurisdiction, the altar is placed closer to the East than in the centre.

Pillars are arranged on the ‘carpet’ where our altars might be. As one might expect, music is an important part of this work, and singing is indicated at certain places, just as with our own DC Preston-Webb ritual. The modern application of this work, however, features two aspects that are not familiar in America; one of which is to be determined by the will of the brethren, and the other which would not likely be accepted even in our progressive Grand Jurisdiction. The brethren in lodges who use this ritual are attired in formal wear, namely white tie, to include top hats. They also read the ritual rather than commit it to memory. The latter is quite common in Europe, but almost unthinkable in English-speaking Masonry.

Reading the work is not our custom, and memory work is so valued by English-speaking Masonry, that in the event that Arminius Lodge finds itself in a position in the future where it would request permission to confer degrees using an English translation of the Schröder ritual, it is unthinkable to this writer that the brethren would not commit it to memory.

The volume of the work is not such as to make that an unattainable goal, and neither the international nature of a lodge nor a different ritual working is a reason to excuse the memorization required of all lodges.

When writing about ritual, there is much in the way of specifics that cannot be written. But with so much information about the Craft readily available to brethren in this day and age, there is a strong interest in various forms and approaches to Freemasonry amongst new Masons. One can easily understand how a lodge with such an idiosyncratic history as Arminius might revitalize itself by exploring a ritual that could help it be an even more German lodge now than it might have been previously. Certainly, one expects it would attract a fair interest from the German-speaking Masonic world. A successful endeavor in that regard would only be another success for Masonry in the nation’s capital.

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 33

SHORING UP OUR FOUNDATION of Instruction, I was honored to lead the logistics while working with our Grand Lodge Physician to institute protocols against this novel virus that people had started to talk about. Anyone who attended will remember swapping handshakes for elbow taps, and our multiple handwashing stations placed in the pathway to the food.

By Adam N. Tager Junior Grand Deacon

W

e all know that Masons are builders.

And while most of us lie squarely on the “speculative” as opposed to “operative” side of things, we still understand that every structure, from the humblest of sheds to the most ornate temples, requires a solid foundation, because a crack in the foundation leads to trouble. Just as important though, is the understanding that a foundation cannot be forgotten once a structure is built--they must be routinely surveyed and monitored. If not, they can often become the root causes for destructive structural maladies. The same can be said of our charitable endeavors.

This year found our jurisdiction in a new circumstance. The global pandemic prevented us from safely meeting in person, which meant that we had to change how we practice Masonry. It meant that a lot of our typical jurisdictional events such as grand visitations, picnics, schools of instruction, and cultural events were cancelled or severely reduced in scope.

Left with time (and to continue the metaphor), a predisposition for building,

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On March 11, as the situation was worsening, the Grand Master instituted virtual weekly meetings of the elected grand lodge officers (executive committee) to continually assess and evaluate masonic activity, leading to Grand Master’s Decisions 2020-3 through 2020-05 that started to build our metaphorical “panic room.”

RWB Adam Tager

the Grand Lodge executive committee (made up of the elected Grand Lodge officers) got to work in the background.

We had to shore up the foundation that was built and maintained for the Craft since time immemorial, while also expanding it to accommodate new processes, or a new “structure.”

Beginning in February with the first (and unfortunately only) Grand Lodge School

It was on these calls that we envisioned and set up the Joint Masonic COVID Relief Fund, which as of the beginning of September has raised over $160,000 raised and disbursed over $90,000 in financial and material support. I’ve had the honor and privilege to serve as “Deputy COVID Czar” working with RWB Morgan Corr as “COVID Czar” to ensure that our brethren had what they needed. We also started setting up and outlining “reconstitution” procedures for how to come back to lodges safely (at the proper time).

Through the leadership of our Deputy Grand Master, RWB Alan Gordon, and his committee led by WB Perry Blatstein, we completely changed how we hosted our leadership conference. Instead of a weekend in-person, the committee worked with a company to professionally produce three manageable online sessions. I was able to use the time to finalize educational resources and roll out template masonic education syllabi and readings that are now posted in Grand View for every Brother’s use.

Our planning committee also virtually met and discussed the long-term vision for the jurisdiction, in the context of coming changes and beyond any since Grand Master. We discussed our diverse membership, integration of technology, cross-jurisdiction cooperation, and some long-term items such as additional lodge resources, strategic community service partnerships, and multi-year programs.

At the direction of the Grand Master, we drafted multiple pieces of legislation to update the code according to lessons

learned. These would allow for flexibility in voting and emergency powers for the Grand Master.

I could go on, but this article isn’t intended to be a laundry list. Instead, it is proof that our ancient landmarks are a solid foundation, and remain flexible enough to allow us to adapt to changing times and emergent needs. Foundations needed to continually watched and fixed in order for structures to remain standing. To accept the status quo this year would have been to stop all Masonic activity, which was

unacceptable. Similarly, to accept the status quo in future years and not look for ways to improve would be like pretending that time did not crumble stone, and that small cracks do not grow larger.

Our foundation is solid, yet adaptable.

What worked in past years may not work in future years. Through the ability to adapt and change, while staying true to our ancient landmarks and tenants, we will ensure that the Craft will remain vibrant and relevant for generations to come.

COVID FUND UPDATE: While most of the activity of the COVID relief fund has been for financial support, there have still been requests for physical commodities such as water and groceries.

Especially at the height of the pandemic in the spring, many of our Brethren and their families couldn’t leave their homes to enter communal areas such as grocery stores. Using the generous donations to the fund, we were able to utilize a combination of grocery delivery services such as InstaCart and Amazon, as well as some in-person deliveries, to get crucial supplies to those in need.

But the pandemic is not over. While there are more shops open and people out than in April, case numbers and deaths keep climbing. The COVID relief fund is still here to help get people what they need. This also serves as a good reminder for everyone to be prepared. September is National Preparedness Month and also the peak of hurricane season. It has never been more important for everyone to take personal responsibility to make a preparedness plan, a preparedness kit, and learn how to care for yourself and your family during a disaster.

Take a look at the resources available on ready.gov and remember that if you need it, the COVID fund is here to help.

Please remember to keep giving to the COVID Relief fund: https://donorbox.org/covid-19-masonicrelief-program

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 35

TOM SWIFTIES AND THE ADVERBIAL WRITING CRAFT

By Mark Dreisonstok, PM Arminius Lodge No. 25

I

n an era of popular series of juvenile adventure fiction—books like the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Three Investigators — Tom Swift stands out as one of the most durable, having been the hero of four different book series spanning over a century. Now Tom is back, and it gives us a moment to reflect on this youthful adventurer and the word game his creators inspired, with an intriguing segue into our gentle Craft.

The last comes first: the initial series of Tom Swift books began in 1910, and the first two of these (Tom Swift and the Motorcycle and Tom Swift and the Motorboat) have been dramatized with full cast on sound recordings by the Colonial Radio Theatre on the Air and available through their website. These and later works feature the inventor as hero, with a performance of youthful exuberance by Colin Budzyna as young Swift supported by Jerry Robbins as Tom’s father Barton Swift.

Tom Swift and His Motorcycle. Cover to 2015 Compact Disc, courtesy Colonial Radio Theater on the Air.

Mr. Robbins, the producer and star of many audio series which have aired on Sirius XM such as Perry Mason Radio Dramas, tells the Voice of Freemasonry of how he came to produce this 2015-2016 audio series, which features John Williamslike film music (composed by Jared DePasquale) and wonderful sound effects of retro-sounding machines and engines (a vintage World War I motorcycle) for Tom Swift: “I always knew of the books, and when we were looking for something to do for a younger audience, I remembered Tom Swift and thought they would make a good audio drama series.”

As for why he chose the first series of Tom Swift books of more than 100 years ago, Jerry explains: “The earliest books were more grounded, and I liked the ‘Americana’ Tom Swift and His Motorboat. Cover to 2016 Compact Disc, courtesy Colonial Radio Theater on the Air.

36 | THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY ISSUE 3, 2020

aspect of those simpler days.” For instance, when young Swift is asked in the motorcycle adventure, “Why don’t you invent an automobile or an airship?” Tom responds self-evidently, “Maybe I will someday.” There is also the Horatio Alger idea in this story of the entrepreneurship of owning machine shops, in which inventions seem as important as sales. Of course, few today would think of the motorbike as on the cusp of new technology, but 1910 was at the threshold of the American century, with many inventions which we now see as commonplace being first introduced — indeed, when “motorboats are so new that few persons will take a chance on them,” as Tom says.

A book of humorous Tom Swifties was published in 1963, which started a minor Tom Swifty craze. Indeed, Time-Life got into the act with a contest of “Time Swifties,” often with a Time Magazine theme. Here are some Swifties my father Erwin M. Dreisonstok (a member of Maryland’s Bethesda Lodge No. 204 and a frequent contributor to the District’s Arminius Bulletin in the past) submitted to Time on 10 July 1963: “I like to take TIME out on my out-oftown trips,” said Tom jauntily.

Tom Swift reemerged with new stories and a redesign as Tom Swift Jr. in books published between 1954 and 1971.

Following the adventures of the son of the original character, the adventures moved into Space Age with young Tom Swift Jr. turning his inventor skills to experimenting with aerospace, beginning with a Tom Swift and His Flying Lab, in which Tom develops a large jet-powered aircraft capable of hovering. In Tom Swift and His Rocket Ship, he would go on to develop a rocket and eventually a deepspace exploration vehicle and space station in Tom Swift and His Outpost in Space. Later, in Tom Swift and the Visitor from Planet X, he even plays host to a space alien! If you grew up with Tom Swift, it was likely through the Tom Swift Jr. Retro rocket image from Tom Swift and the Visitor from Planet X books. Indeed, our retro scifi illustration accompanying this article “I cover from the beginning till the end of stems from this series.

TIME,” I said readily.

Tom Swift has, of course, left a mark upon our language for inspiring a kind of stylized “Some kid stuck chewing gum on my witticism within the English language: the chair,” said Tom, all Wrigley. use of an adverb ingeniously reflecting the “But I don’t like pineapple juice with my sentence before, as in: “Go faster!” said bourbon,” I sobbed Dolefully.

Tom swiftly. This was a common stylistic feature of the Swift books, but goes back to Presumably at the same time, Masonicat least Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend, with themed Tom Swifties appeared in the Royal this example: “You find it very large?” said Arch Magazine’s “Did You Know?” column.

Mr. Podsnap spaciously.

One John R. Nocas of Signet Chapter No.

Rough and Smooth Ashlars

57, Royal Arch Masons, in Los Angeles, California, submitted several, such as “‘This is a rough ashlar,’ he said stonily. ‘And this is the perfect ashlar, he said smoothly.’”

Referencing Ecclesiastes 12: 6, Br. Nocas wrote: “‘The pitcher is broken at the fountain,’ he said in a shattered voice.”

Another honorable mention is: “‘We should spread the cement of brotherly love,’ he said concretely.” The following are more obscure for the general reader, highlighting Masonic ritual: “What kind of apron is that?” the candidate asked innocently.

“Our ancient brethren assembled in high hills,” he said loftily.

“There is none in the north,” he said darkly.

I thought this to be a humorous challenge and came up with several Tom Swifties of my own relating to Masonic-appendant and Masonic-sponsored bodies: “I am about to join the Council,” announced the candidate for the Secret Master Degree cryptically.

“During the next Eastern Star term, I will be given the station of the biblical heroine Ruth,” she gathered.

“I am excited to join the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls!” she gushed colorfully.

And perhaps here we should introduce a Time Swifty: “It is time to bring this article in the Voice of Freemasonry to a rapid close,” said Tom swiftly.

ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 37

THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M. of DC 5428 MacArthur Blvd., N.W. Washington, DC 20016-2524

Now in its 59th year, the Masonic Foundation of the District of Columbia is a 501(c) 3 registered nonprofit organization which operates as the charitable arm of the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M. of the District of Columbia. The Foundation’s continuing mission is to expand Masonic Philanthropy in the fields of charitable, educational, and scientific programs. This year, our Grand Master, Most Worshipful Brother Michael D. Nicholas, Sr., has selected the Foundation as his preferred beneficiary of philanthropic donations by all DC Lodges and their individual members.

In order to fulfill that mission and provide much-needed services and support in our community, the Foundation relies entirely on the voluntary gifts and endowments from District of Columbia Masons, their families, and friends. Additionally, at this time, no

NonProfit Org. US Postage PAID Permit No. 207 Dulles, VA

portion of the dues of any Masonic body go towards the Foundation.

Donations to the Foundation by Lodges and individual Brothers directly benefit the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area by being completely distributed to charitable organizations. This empowers us as D.C. Freemasons to change lives through charity, securing the Masonic legacy of giving for generations to come.

As you contemplate making a charitable gift this year, please consider making a tax-deductible gift to support the Masonic Foundation of the District of Columbia by visiting DCMasonicFoundation.org and clicking the donate button at the bottom of the page, or by sending your check payable to The Masonic Foundation of DC to

In response to the current crisis, and the impact it will have on many members’ health, livelihoods, and families, many DC Masonic organizations came together to create the Joint Masonic COVID Crisis Fund. The Fund centrally collects donations from individuals and Masonic bodies/organizations and has in place an expedited process to provide funds, goods, and services for relief to brothers, sisters, and their immediate family. READ MORE on Page 36.

If you or someone you know is in need, complete the form here: https://bit.ly/2vmIJL4 Please note this is for members of DC Masonic bodies only.

Individual donations of any size will be of great help. You can donate money by visiting this link: https://bit.ly/3dawdiZ This will allow donations through credit card, PayPal, ACH, and more. You may also mail checks made out to “MESH Charities” to 2800 16th St. NW Washington DC 20009.

5428 MacArthur Blvd., NW Washington, DC 20016.

You can also donate goods that will be helpful to those in need, or your time to help with tasks such as grocery shopping or helping with a doctor visit. Please sign up here to do so: https://forms.gle/UjCuVogSnEV3zURe8

Your partnership and generous contribution will provide direct benefits to the community we serve.

Many hands make light work, and we can all pitch in some way. Many of your brothers, sisters, and close Masonic family will need your help, and deeply appreciate it.

GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

MICHAEL D. NICHOLAS, SR., GRAND MASTER | JEFFREY D. RUSSELL, PGM, GRAND SECRETARY DCGRANDLODGE.ORG