august 2011

Vol. 42 No. 3 AUGUST 2011

A NATION TORN –

A Fraternity United– Page 4

2 August 2011 / The Northern Light

CONTRIBUTORS

Other Contributors:Richard B.Burgess, 33°, is a member of the Valley of Boston and the Assistant to the Sovereign Grand Commander. JeffCroteau is manager of library and archives at the Van Gorden-Williams Library, located at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museumand Library.Robert A.Domingue is historian for St. Matthew’s Lodge, Andover,MA, and editor of The Philatelic Freema-son. ThomasW. Jackson, 33°,was formerly Grand Secretary for the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. He is Executive Secretaryfor the World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodges. Steven R.Pekock, 32°, is director of development for the Supreme Council,33°, AASR, NMJ, USA.

FEATURED ARTICLES

EDITOR STAFF WRITERAlan E. Foulds, 32° Jerry A. Roach Jr., 32°

GRAPHIC DESIGNER PRODUCTION ASSISTANTBeth E. McSweeney Sonja B. Faiola

MEDIA ADVISORY COMMITTEERichard V. Travis, 33°, chairman Donald G. Duquette, 33°William Fox Jr., 33° Douglas N. Kaylor, 33°Eric Ginette, 33° Donald M. Moran, 33°

SUPREME COUNCIL, 33°Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

SOVEREIGN GRAND COMMANDERJohn Wm. McNaughton, 33°

THENORTHERNLIGHT (ISSN 1088-4416) is published quarterlyin February,May, August, andNovember by the SupremeCouncil, 33°,Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, NorthernMasonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A.,as the official publication. Printed in U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid atBoston, MA, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to TheNorthern Light, POBox519, Lexington, MA 02420-0519.

Copyright © 2011 by Trustees of the Supreme Council of the AncientAccepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Ju-risdiction, U.S.A.

Mailing Address:POBox 519, Lexington,MA 02420-0519

Editorial Office:33 Marrett Road (Route 2A), Lexington, MA 02421

781-862-4410 • Fax: 781-863-1833email: [email protected]

Internet:www.ScottishRiteOnline.org

Volume 42, Number Three

In This Issue

31415

1819202122242526272829

3031

A Nation TornA Fraternity UnitedBy Aimee E. Newell, PhD

Affirming ValuesBuilding Relationships – Strengthening CommunitiesBy Wayne T. Adams, 33°

Tales From the TavernBy Jerry A. Roach Jr., 32°

Providing SunshineSince 1950Bro. Roy and GeorgetteEngler’s Life MissionBy Alan E. Foulds, 32°

8

12

4

16

Message from theSovereign Grand Commander

Children’s Dyslexia Center

Masonic Word Math

Notes from theScottish Rite Journal

Brothers on the Net

Scottish Rite Charities

The Stamp Act

Book Nook

HealthWise

Pay Your Dues Online

Views from the Past

Quotables

Today’s Family

More Than Just Books

Readers RespondMasonicMoments

Et cetera, et cetera, etc.

The magazine for Scottish Rite Masons of AmericaSM

Leigh E.Morris, 33°,works in corporatecommunications for amajor utility company. Heis a member of the Valleysof Milwaukee andSpringfield, IL.

Aimee E.Newell, PhD,is the director of collectionsat the SRMM&L, locatedat Supreme Council head-quarters in Lexington,MA.

WayneT. Adams, 33°, isa Past Grand Master inMaine and a member ofthe Scottish Rite Valley ofPortland.

Catherine C. Swansonis the archivist at the VanGorden-Williams Library,located at the Scottish RiteMasonic Museum andLibrary.

The Northern Light / August 2011 3

John Wm. McNaughton, 33º

Gen. Joseph Warren

Even we transplanted mid-westerners mustadmit that the Boston/Lexington/Concord area isstill very much a hot bed of visionary thinking aswell as a remarkable repository of 18th centuryhistory. The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts wasestablished about 40 years before the famous firstTea Party and the “shotheard round theworld” at “the rudebridge” in Concord. Itis deeply proud of itsrole in the Revolutionand more particularlyof its hero and martyr,Most Worshipful andGeneral JosephWarren, who was oneof the first to fall atthe Battle of BunkerHill. To this day theJoseph Warren medalis awarded to Brothers for exemplary service toMassachusetts Freemasonry.

Eight years ago, The Northern Light featured anarticle by its then assistant editor, Bro. Alan E.Foulds, 32°, entitled “Masons and theMonument.” Because the article recounts in somedetail the history of the Battle of Bunker Hill, theinvolvement of the Grand Lodge in the renovationand preservation of the monument, as well as thelife and tragic death of our valiant Brother,General Joseph Warren, I need not re-teach oldlessons; instead, let me relate what happened inCharlestown last April when I visited the area.

For us who are very much concerned withrefocusing the vision and affirming the mission ofthe Masonic fraternity, there is no better way tobe inspired than to visit the Charlestown

neighborhood of Boston, view Old Ironsides, andfocus on the Bunker Hill Monument from thewell-worn granite steps of the Joseph WarrenTavern. I asked Ill. Richard B. Burgess, 33°, andBro. Jerry A. Roach, 32°, to play tourist with me.While at lunch in the tavern, it happened most

unexpectedly, that we struckup a conversation with agroup of young Masonsinterested in theRevolutionary War andFreemasonry.

How coincidental it is thatwhat happened during ourextended lunch wasprobably exactly what wouldhave happened in ourColonial and Post-Colonialeras: groups of Masonsgathering in taverns tosocialize, to exchange ideas

about the fraternity, the political scene and, ofcourse, to participate in lodge meetings.

General and Most Worshipful Brother Warrenwould have been proud to see that his Masonicand Revolutionary War leadership had not been invain. The tavern named for him was even todaywitnessing new thinking.

We must encourage the questioning andevaluation of the status quo by our young tablemates. The Masonic fraternity needs to guaranteethe continual quest for enlightenment and libertyof thought; the watchwords of General Warren.

Sovereign Grand Commander


A Nation Torn –A Fraternity United

By AIMEE E. NEWELL, PhD

or a war known to have turnedbrother against brother within

families, the American Civil War wasmarked by numerous accounts of aid

and assistance between Masonic Brothers,despite the color of their uniforms. Clinging totheir prohibition on discussing politics in thelodge, Grand Lodges, as well as the SupremeCouncil of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction,tried not to publicly take sides, or to work forpolitical ends in the conflict. (Several GrandLodges however, did eventually join in withincreasingly heated rhetoric). Freemason andscholar Michael Halleran, author of the recentbook, The Better Angels of Our Nature:Freemasonry in the American Civil War, asserts thatit was “individual Masons [who] took it uponthemselves to inject their concept of brotherhoodinto the war with . . . remarkable results.” Hefound that Freemasonry was a “transcendentforce on the battlefield.” Masons themselvesformed Army lodges, came together in camp, andhelped soldiers and civilians alike, even acrossenemy lines, by providing mutual aid.

“Taken care of tenderly”Several objects in the Scottish Rite Masonic

Museum and Library’s collection, located inLexington, MA, show how the bonds ofBrotherhood superseded national loyalties on thebattlefield. On March 8, 1863, Captain WilliamM. McArthur of the 8th Regiment MaineVolunteers wrote a letter to his father, ArthurMcArthur, expressing pride in the readiness ofhis troops and relating a story recently told tohim by a fellow Freemason and Maine soldier,Chaplain Silas Strout:

“[Strout’s] wife’s brother, who was a Mason,

was a private in aVermont Reg’t and atthe battle of Bull Run(first – in 1861) wasmortally wounded andleft on the field of battleat the time his Reg’tretreated. He wassenseless but having aMasonic pin on he wasrecognized by theMasonic members of aCompany of the 6thLouisiana Vols. whichremained on the battlefield . . . He was takencare of tenderly and sentin to our lines under a flag of truce and livedabout a week after the battle.”

Some of the carte-de-visite photographicportraits of Civil War soldiers in the museum’scollection show them wearing small pins in theshape of Masonic symbols, much as described byMcArthur in his letter. For example, in hisportrait, Albion Wesley Lewis of Westfield, MA,wears a square and compasses pin on his chest(although it is hard to make out). Membershiprecords at the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts tellus that Lewis was a member of Mt. MoriahLodge in Westfield and that he received the firstthree degrees in June 1861. Several biographicalsketches fill in the details of Lewis’ life. He wentto California during the gold rush in 1849 andstayed there for four years. When he returned, hemarried Caroline H. Loomis and establishedhimself in the business of manufacturing whips.

During the Civil War, Lewis was a member ofthe 46th Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers,

Albion Wesley Lewis, 1861-65, T.P.Collins, Westfield, MA, gift ofJacques Noel Jacobsen Jr.

F


and of the 30th Company Unattached Artillery.The 46th Regiment was formed in HampdenCounty in September and October 1862. Overthe next nine months, the 46th primarily spent itstime defending the area around Newbern, NC.On its way home in June 1863, the regimentvolunteered for service with the Army of thePotomac during the battle of Gettysburg, doingpatrol and guard duty near Baltimore, MD. OnceGeneral Robert E. Lee retreated, the regimentreturned to Springfield, MA, and mustered outon July 29, 1863. Lewis served again with the30th Company Unattached, MassachusettsHeavy Artillery, which was organized inSeptember 1864 and mustered out in June 1865.After the war, he went into the clothing business,forming the partnership Loomis, Lewis andCompany.A carte-de-visite photograph of Allen Libby,

of Warren, ME, shows him in uniform, alsowearing a Masonic pin on his chest. The squareand compasses pin in this photograph is mucheasier to make out. The tax stamp on the back ofthe photo helps date it to the 1863 to 1865period. Photography’s popularity only increasedduring the Civil War, as families embraced thechance to hold onto a photo while their loved onewas away on the battlefield. Libby had hiscarte-de-visite taken by a photographer in NewOrleans, LA, suggesting that he was in that city

with his regiment andsent it home to hisfamily or hissweetheart. Libbybecame a Freemasonaround the same timethis photo was taken.He was initiated onAug. 31, 1863, into St.George Lodge No. 16,of Warren, ME, andreceived the followingtwo degrees inSeptember.In addition to

photographs of menwearing Masonic pinslike the one McArthurmentioned in his letter,the Scottish RiteMasonic Museum &

Library is fortunate to have a small collection ofthese pins. The museum has six pins in differentshapes, styles and sizes. Two of these are moreproperly termed “chevracs,” a pin or patch for asaddle blanket. Cavalrymen could use chevracs tolet the opposing side know of their Masonicmembership, hoping for assistance from BrotherMasons if injured or captured.Others are engraved not only with a Masonic

symbol, but also with the original owner’s nameand information about his military service. Oneof the two is shaped like an acorn and wasoriginally owned by G.W. Boaz of Vincennes,IN. His Masonic membership is indicated by thesquare and compasses engraved on the body ofthe acorn. Later, engraving was added to theacorn’s cap, signifying Boaz’s membership in theCivil War veterans group, the Grand Army ofthe Republic, as well as in the Brotherhood ofLocomotive Engineers.

“We have lost so much”By the end of 1862, the number of Union

soldiers killed in the war approached 100,000.Some of the soldiers’ remains did not come homeand were buried in cemeteries near thebattlefields instead. Mementoes, such as thephotos and pins described here, may have offeredfamily members some solace. Lithographers werealso publishing Civil War memorial pictures,which had blank spaces to add a soldier’s name.In the museum collection there is an example ofthese popular prints. Published in 1862 byCaldwell and Company, it bears the title, “TheSoldier’s Grave.” The print shows a widowleaning on a tombstone with her sleeping childnearby.

The soldiers knew only too well the risksinvolved with serving their country. Pins like

the ones shown here not only indicated Masonicmembership to fellow Brothers, but also served toidentify the wearer should he be killed in action.“Dog tags” were not issued to American soldiersuntil World War I. Another pin in the museum’scollection is shield-shaped with a square andcompasses symbol in the middle. It is engraved“Jos. W. Perry / 7th Co. / Hvy Arty.” Moreprecise details about Jos. Perry are still beingresearched, but he seems to have served in aregiment of heavy artillery, possibly one fromMassachusetts.

Allen Libby, 1863-65, A. Constant,New Orleans, LA, gift of JacquesNoel Jacobsen Jr.


Captain McArthur understood the necessity ofthese pins all too well. As he explained in

the letter to his father, Chaplain Strout’s story“affected me much when I heard it.” McArthurrelated that Strout told his story “withoutknowing of the event by which we have lost somuch . . . Somehow I can’t help thinking thatthis was Arthur’s company.” Publishedbiographical information about the McArthurfamily helps to fill out the story behind WilliamMcArthur’s lines to his father. William’s father,Arthur Sr., was born in Limington, ME, in 1790.He trained as a lawyer and was also a farmer, aswell as the U.S. pension agent for the state ofMaine. In 1829, he married Sarah Miltimore andthey had six children; William was their secondson, born in 1832.The “Arthur” that William mentions in the

letter was his older brother, born in 1830. ArthurJr. also became a lawyer and taught school,eventually settling in Louisiana in 1859. His timein the South led him to become a strongsupporter of the Confederate cause. According toone biographical sketch, he “readily proclaimedhimself to be a secessionist” and believed that thesouthern slaves were better off than the poorlaborers of the north. Arthur joined the 6thRegiment of the Louisiana Volunteers as acaptain in 1861 and was quickly promoted tomajor. William, meanwhile, had enlisted as acaptain in the Union Army in September 1861,so the brothers went to war on different sides ofthe conflict. William’s mention of loss in hisletter undoubtedly refers to Arthur’s death onMay 25, 1862, when he was shot and killed by asniper while pursuing Union troops retreatingthrough Winchester. William survived the warand was promoted to brigadier general before itended in 1865. When William wrote to his fatheron March 8, 1863, his men were preparing forskirmishes in Jacksonville, FL. They returned toSouth Carolina in late March and wereinstrumental in securing Fort Pulaski in April.The flag of William’s regiment, the EighthMaine, was the first U.S. flag flown over the fortwhen it was surrendered.The McArthur family was prominent in

Limington, ME, serving their town and state inpolitical positions. Not surprisingly, William, hisfather, and his brother, Arthur, were allFreemasons. William’s letter alone indicates as

much, with hisrecounting of thestory of the fellowsoldier who wascared for by theenemy because hewas wearing aMasonic pin.William wasinitiated in 1852 inLafayette LodgeNo. 43, inReadfield, ME. Heaffiliated withLimington’sAdoniram LodgeNo. 27, less than ayear later andremained an activemember of thatlodge for 50 years.

“Otherwise engage[d] inour Civil War”So, what was happening with the Scottish Rite,

Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, USA, during theCivil War? Flipping through the annualProceedings during the ten years prior to the wargives no clue to the difficult national eventstaking place. There is no mention of the conflict,or the many events that led up to the war, untilthe annual address by Puissant Lieutenant GrandCommander Killian Van Rensselaer in May1862. In his address, Van Rensselaeracknowledged that “in almost every section of thejurisdiction the active members of the Bodies ofthe Rite have felt it to be their duty to take uparms, or otherwise engage in our civil war. Manyof the symbolic and ineffable lodges have notbeen opened for work during the past year.”Throughout the war years, the NorthernJurisdiction continued to meet and pursue itsbusiness, seemingly without suffering any illeffects on account of the war – at least accordingto its official Proceedings.

Since the Supreme Council was headquarteredin Boston, far from the battlefields of the

South and the West, the fraternity was able tomaintain its regular activities. The SupremeCouncil met each year, awarding the 33° andreviewing pressing business. In 1862, Van

Masonic Chevrac, ca.1861, probablyAmerican, gift ofGeneral Parker C.Thompson.

Masonic Dime Pin, ca.1861, American, gift ofJacques Noel JacobsenJr.


Rensselaer explainedthat the NorthernJurisdiction’s “relationswith the Southern andforeign Jurisdictions areon the most friendlyfooting. Nothing hastranspired during thepast year to causeuneasiness, or in anyway to disturb theharmony and fraternalfeelings that have solong characterized ourintercourse with thesebodies.” Whileintermittent contactwas maintainedbetween the Northernand SouthernJurisdictions, the SouthernJurisdiction SupremeCouncil was not able tomeet during the war years.Reports from the Deputies in the Midwestern

states – Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio – did alludeto some difficulties during the early 1860s, as thewar came closer to their doorstep. In 1862 and1863, the Scottish Rite continued its activities inthese states, but evidently there were

interruptions fromtime to time. One1863 report at theannual meetingnoted that “owingto their officers andworking membersbeing activelyengaged in thepresent unhappycivil war of ourbeloved country,”several ScottishRite bodies “havefailed to makedetailed returns oftheir doings.”Indeed, Enoch T.Carson, Deputy forOhio and Indiana

put it bluntly, “A good portion of this year, thiscity and vicinity were in a constant state of alarmfrom threatened and real rebel raids.”

But, perhaps the most notable reason for thelack of attention directed to the Civil War by

the leaders of the Northern Masonic Jurisdictionis that they were enmeshed in their own conflict.In May 1860, Sovereign Grand CommanderEdward Asa Raymond closed the meeting of theSupreme Council without calling for a vote bythe council members. The history of this schism,including a detailed examination of the eventsand arguments, deserves further research. It hadapparently been brewing for some time. It splitthe jurisdiction apart throughout the war years.Raymond formed a competing Supreme Counciland the two continued to meet throughout the1860s, until the Union of 1867 healed theSupreme Council.

Aimee E. Newell, PhD, is director ofcollections at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum& Library in Lexington, MA. To learn moreabout the museum, or to inquire about donatingobjects to the collection, please visit our website,nationalheritagemuseum.org, or contact Dr.Newell at [email protected] or 781-457-4144.

Masonic ID Badge [forG.W. Boaz], ca. 1861,

American, gift ofJacques Noel Jacobsen

Jr.. Photograph byDavid Bohl.

Masonic ID Badge [forJos. W. Perry], ca. 1861,

American, gift ofJacques Noel JacobsenJr. Photograph by David

Bohl.

The Soldier’s Grave, 1862Henry A. Thomas and Henry C. Eno, lithographers, New York, NY.

NL


aff irmingvalues

Building Relationships – Strengthening Communities

By WAYNE T. ADAMS, 33°

\ËÅ 69 years old, and foras long as I canremember I’ve beenlistening to older

Masons pontificate about what went wrong andwhen. That’s ok. I’m happy for them, but I’mready to move on. I’ve been heartened to findamong many Masons, particularly youngerMasons, a new thinking and a different outlook,characterized first by a strong suspicion that theold Masonic status quo is broken and, second, bya desire to translate values which resonate inthem into a way of life that makes a positivedifference in the world. They share my belief thatthe versions of Masonry we inherited are largelyflattened, watered down, tamed, and notchallenging us to address the issues that confrontour lives and our times. Many astute Masonshave begun to seek a fresh understanding of whatMasonry is for, what a lodge can be and do and,most exciting, they are finding that what theymost desire is hidden right in front of their eyes.This, for me, is great news.

Looking back over more than three centuriesof Freemasonry, I have come to the conclusionthat Masonry’s growth spurts – its periods ofgreatest membership expansion – have occurredwhen two things happen at the same time: first,when Masonry speaks to the individual needs andaspirations of a large number of men in thatparticular time; Second, when Masonry speaks tothe collective needs and aspirations of society as awhole – to the civic life of the whole community– at that particular time. How does Masonryspeak? It speaks by doing three things: afffirmingvalues, building relationships and strengtheningcommunities.

Today we see younger men – products of an

ever evolving social fabric – a great many ofwhom may be comfortable with and attracted tothe personal values and civic philosophy ofMasonry. Let us examine the currentenvironment and some of the important themesof our time.

Teaching ValuesThere are two broad categories of values taughtin Masonry. There are the components of anindividual belief system: a personal philosophywhich we hope to live by and pass on. We arefamiliar with them – the tenets of our profession:Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth; the theologicalvirtues: Faith, Hope and Charity; and what wecall the cardinal virtues: Temperance, Fortitude,Prudence and Justice. The degrees and symbolsof the craft are teaching aids and reminders, notsufficient in and of themselves, but essentialcomponents of a program of Masonic formation.The word formation is appropriate because eachone of us is a work in progress - ever striving fora quality which we can never quite attain, everstruggling against the temptation to backslidewhich is always there, and ever confident thatimprovement is an aim worthy of our lifelongeffort. The first task of Masonry is to offer andpresent its personal philosophy in a format andan idiom familiar and meaningful to men in ourtime.

The second category of Masonic values weoften overlook includes the civic virtues ofequality, freedom and toleration – values whichare embedded in the lectures accompanying eachdegree. These values spring from theEnlightenment thinking of the late 17th andearly 18th centuries, the time when speculativeMasonry and the first Grand Lodge came intobeing. Those Masons were radical thinkers in


their own time. Indeed, they were thoughtsubversive by the political and ecclesiasticalestablishment of the time, especially on thecontinent. They were so subversive that they tookcover in an organization that professed to benothing more than the continuation andveneration of the work ethic of the ancient andhonorable guilds of stonemasons.

Our lectures which are part of our degrees tellus otherwise. They remind us that we are all –high and low, rich and poor – children of thesame Almighty Parent and are to aid, supportand protect each other. We are reminded in ourclosing charge that all mankind has a claim onour good offices.We reflect on these tasks – so firmly enjoined

on us – and realize that they served as thefounding principles not only of this fraternity butof our nation as well. It is important to rememberthat the United States was the first nationfounded on a set of principles.

Equality, of course, is more than just equalitybefore the law. It extends to other areas. It

means equality in access to the courts. It meansequality in the voting booth. It means equalaccess to public services. It means equal access tobasic education. We are now involved in a greatnational debate about health care. I think mostpeople agree that every American should haveaccess to the health care he or she needs.Reasonable people can differ on just how muchcare is needed and how it should be paid for, butwe’ll work through all of these things in timebecause the principle of equality is central to ourthinking as a people.Freedom means freedom from unnecessary and

arbitrary authority, and that includes authorityfrom any source: government, organized religion,unions, corporations, and whatever. Freedomrequires that there always has to be justificationfor authority.For example, there is a current debate on

electronic and video monitoring. Nationalsecurity and effective law enforcement indicatethere are legitimate uses for this new capability.But who is to do this monitoring? How long canthe data be kept? How can it be used, and whocan use it? These are important questions andhere, too, we find that freedom is always a workin progress which requires an informed andinvolved citizenry.Toleration is a civic virtue embedded in our

lectures. We are taught that Masonry unites menof every country, sect and opinion. That includespeople of different ethnicity; of different politicalviews; of different religious views, and differentways of thinking. It is basically a philosophy oflive and let live, and expecting others to do thesame. These issues are very much with us today.Today, for example, there are great questions

concerning lifestyle choices. These are not easyquestions, especially for older people. But, youknow what? We’re going to work it all out. We’regoing to find fair solutions, and the sky is notgoing to fall in.

Another daunting question concerns our largeMuslim minority, many of them American

citizens. We have to guard against doing what wedid to the Japanese-Americans during WorldWar II. We have to be mindful of our civicphilosophy of tolerating such differences. Theyhave to be supportive of a national philosophywhich tolerates differences. This will not be easyfor anyone. It will require time, patience andperseverance.Additionally, toleration is always a work in

progress, and it also requires an informed andinvolved citizenry. I mention these issues only toshow that the civic values central to Masonry arestill central to our national discourse, today andevery day. We, as Masons, have not done thework assigned to us if we simply give a man threedegrees. Our challenge is help each new Masoncome to see that both his personal values and hiscivic values are strengthened by the teachings ofFreemasonry.

Masonic values we often

overlook include the civic

virtues of equality, freedom

and toleration.


Building RelationshipsMasonry is more that a set of principles and morethan a code of conduct. It is a living fraternity.However, you don’t have to go far incontemporary America to find those whoquestion the relevance of a single sexorganization. If Masonry were only a men’sservice club, there would be no justification. ButMasonry is not a men’s service club. It is avalues-centered organization which iscross-generational, and that is its most importantcharacteristic.

We all know why. We all know that at pubertyMother Nature hits with a vengeance – boys andgirls alike. Now, I’m not going to talk about girlsor women. I’ve been around too long to think Ican do that, but I am going to talk about men –perfectly decent boys suddenly become drugaddicts – and testosterone is the most powerfuldrug known to man. The result, very often, isinappropriate and antisocial behavior oftenstaggering in its consequences. As a man, I amnot proud to acknowledge that most anti-socialbehavior, most acts of violence, and most crimesare committed by males. This aberrant behaviorcan go on for decades as we are reminded almostdaily by the acts of many prominent publicfigures.

It’s no secret that men know this is happening.We see it in ourselves and in others. So what dowe do? I’ll tell you what we do. Consciously orunconsciously we hunt for role models. Youngermen constantly look at the older men aroundthem and ask themselves, “Do I respect him? Isthat someone I want to copy? Does his model ofbehavior fit where I want to go?” The importantthing here is that young men look to other menas role models. They almost never look to womenas role models. They look to someone who isdealing with the same issues in life that they are.

Looking at it from the opposite angle, oldermen, consciously or unconsciously, often scratch

their heads and ask themselves, “Did I do itright? Would I do it the same way all overagain?” They look at younger men and wonderhow they might help those young men avoid thepitfalls they know from experience are out there.There is an intergenerational dynamic which canplay a significant role in shaping a man’s outlookand values, and a fraternal organization has aunique ability to foster this dynamic.

We are all enriched by having many differentkinds of relationships in our lives. The work ofMasonry is not just to give a man his threedegrees, and it is more that getting him to takean office in lodge. Our work continues and is notdone until we help the new Mason see that hewill be better able to rein in his passions andbecome a more responsible member of society bybuilding relationships across generational linesamong men who have undertaken the sameobligations that he has. That is the essence of avalues-centered fraternity, and building theserelationships is the second great task of Masonryin our time.

Strengthening CommunitiesThere are two questions for us today. First, doesour society sense a need - an urgent need - andaspiration to repair and strengthen our socialfabric, to strengthen our communities? And,second, is there a place in Masonry for youngmen who share those aspirations? My answer tothe first question is, “Yes”. My answer to thesecond question is, “I hope so.”

In books and in film there is a great nostalgiatoday for the country as it was in the World WarII period. We look back to America’s greatestgeneration. We think back to a nation united asit never was before, and as it never has beensince. There was a common purpose, a unitedeffort, a fierce determination to do what we hadto do as a nation to survive. And then, in thecourse of a few decades, it all changed.

Today, our political discourse degenerates

We are taught that Masonry unites men of every country, sect and opinion.

That includes people of different ethnicity; of different political views;

of different religious views, and different ways of thinking.


quickly into the polemic and the hostile –sometimes I think devious. We all know that thishabit is in urgent need of change.

Today, modern technology enables people tocommunicate constantly with those who

agree with them and to demonize constantlythose who don’t agree with them. We know thathabit is in urgent need of change.

Today, we are a very mobile society, and manyof us live in several communities in the course ofa lifetime. That is probably not going to change,and so there is an urgent need to give people aplace and a role in the community where they livewherever it may be.

Today we are a lifestyle diverse society. That isnot going to change, and there is an urgent needto give very different people an opportunity towork together for the common good.

Perhaps our greatest challenge as a society isthat we are ethnically diverse, more so than at anytime in our history. I live in Maine which is thewhitest, least ethnically diverse state in thenation, yet 50 feet from our Grand Lodge officeis a high school whose students go home tofamilies where 34 different languages are spoken,many of them Muslim families. The nativistresponse is to growl that we should send them allback where they came from, but that isn’t goingto happen. They are going to stay right here, asour own immigrant ancestors did. They are goingto live next door to our children and grand-children, and perhaps even walk down the aislewith them. That’s the way America works.

The FutureIf those are the facts, what are the aspirations ofour time? I can tell you what I think they are. Ibelieve there is a general aspiration in America –especially among young people – to temper theextremist rhetoric and to see how we can bringpeople together to build the kind of country wewant to have. Further, I believe that anymovement or organization which espouses thosegoals is going to be attractive to young people. Itfollows that if Masonry is going to attract youngmen it will have to do two things.

First, it will have to seek opportunities toarticulate its principles in action, clearly andunequivocally. Let me give you an example. Afew months ago here in Maine there was an act

of vandalism in an old Jewish cemetery. Wouldn’tit have been great if the Master of one of thelocal lodges had called the local Rabbi and said,“I’m the Master of such and such lodge ofMasons. That kind of vandalism is contrary toeverything we believe in. We’d like to send agroup over to clean up that mess.” What astatement that would have been. Do you thinkthat kind of activity would appeal to young men?You’re right it would.

The fraternity doesn’t need to get involved inpolitical issues, but Masons as individuals shouldalways be there for equality, freedom andtoleration. We should always be there for theinclusion of all people at all levels of our societyand for the affirmation of the worth of everyindividual.

Second, if Masonry wants to be again aneffective force in our society it must give its

members some added value which will enablethem to play effective roles in their communities.Young men would be quickly attracted to a valuescentered organization, an organization where theycould learn from each other, if that organizationoffered them opportunities to improve themselvesnot just in Masonry, but in the wider world.What if Masonry offered men some training inpublic speaking, in conflict resolution, in humanresource management and in leadership skills, justto name a few. Do you think that would beappealing to young men? You’re right it would.

Third, our organization at every level has tofocus on what it can do best: affirming values,building relationships and strengtheningcommunities by bringing people together. If wefind our focus is on something else, we need tostop because we are only treading water. If we aredoing those things, we need daily to ask how wecan do them better.

Our personal belief system is always a work inprogress. Our lodges are always a work inprogress. Our nation is always a work in progress.We have an opportunity to be a part of that work– affirming values, building relationships andstrengthening communities at a time when ourcountry never needed those things moreurgently.

this paper delivered at the Convocation of theMaine Masonic College in Bangor, ME, on July 16, 2010.

NL


gtÄxá yÜÉÅ à{xTAVERNBy JERRY A. ROACH, 32°

This past April, Sovereign GrandCommander John Wm. McNaughton,Ill. Richard B. Burgess, 33° and I took

lunch at the historic Warren Tavern inCharlestown, MA, in hopes of paying modesthomage to our Masonic forbearers. The WarrenTavern was the first building erected inCharlestown following its razing during the Battleof Bunker Hill. A favorite of Paul Revere andGeorge Washington, it is named for Dr. andGeneral Joseph Warren, the presiding GrandMaster of Masons in Massachusetts who gave hislife at the Battle of Bunker Hill; the man who theprime minister of Great Britain once described toKing George as “the greatest incendiary of NorthAmerica.” Most Worshipful Brother Warren’ssacrifice in defense of his principles still resonatestoday as a testimonial to the determination of thecitizens of the burgeoning American republic.Upon finding our seats, we soon discovered our

neighbors at the next table to be three youngMasons. In no time we were engaged in a candiddiscussion about many complicated issues withinMasonry with which these Brethren, though fairlynew to the craft, were already familiar. Thoughthe subjects were at times difficult to address, itwas important that we listen with open hearts andminds to the concerns of these young Brethren.Grand Commander McNaughton further felt itimperative that we revisit this forthright exchangein the pages of The Northern Light.The initial comment was that one of the

Brothers was a married father of two, who –though having leadership experience and feelinghe had much to offer his lodge – did not have thetime to commit extensive ritual to memory andattend rehearsals that often waste his time. Hewas considering resigning from the officer line ofhis lodge. He was disappointed that thememorization of ritual was the sole criterion uponwhich leadership in the lodge was judged, andlamented, “I guess I’ll never be Master.” Manyother questions followed in the wake of this initial

observation: Why should we lose potential leadersto inflexible methodology? Why are we structuredaround the cultures of either the bachelor orretiree, with nothing in the middle? Why shouldwe lose a capable Brother because of hiscommitments to work and family? Conflictingopinions need not be spelled out in these pages,but the group conclusion was that strict adherenceto only one structure may be adverse to thevariable needs of our members, and that flexibilityand options will prove to be vital to our continuedsuccess as a fraternity.Another Brother expressed his displeasure with

the officious ritualists in his district, and thatdespite rehearsals, the work was often poorlyconferred. This resulted in Brothers often beingmade to feel inadequate, and discouraged themfrom future involvement. This led to the similarconclusion that ritual proficiency cannot be thelone arbiter of a member’s worth to the fraternityand that members come first. Do we serve themembership or the institution? Our youngBrothers suggested that the latter may be closer tothe truth.


The next observation contained twointersecting ideas. One Brother stated thatrecently a member of his lodge had

endured $30,000 worth of damage to his home dueto flooding, and at the same meeting at which thiswas brought to the attention of the lodge, the lodgedonated $5,000 to a non-Masonic charity, with nomention of helping the unfortunate Brother.Additionally, the lodge’s building was badly in needof repair. The questions were asked: Are wehonoring our obligations to our fellow Masons andtheir families, and why are we donating tonon-Masons while our buildings are in disrepairand eyesores in our communities? The conclusionwas that our obligations and the upkeep of ourfacilities should come first. We cannot continue tobe a source for good in our communities if ourmembership’s needs are not met and our templesare in ruins. Masons justifiably fear seeminguncharitable, but that $5,000 may have been put tobetter use.Lastly, was the issue of time, or rather the waste,

thereof. One of our new friends joked that to betruthful is the first lesson we are taught in Masonry,yet candidates are told that age-old untruth thatmembership requires only “one night a month”.Most of us take this in stride, but it can beconfusing to a new member, and we greatly

jeopardize thatmember’s initialenthusiasm if all weoffer for his valuabletime is instruction,memorization, ritualand businessmeetings. Fewmembers aspire tothe chair or grandoffice. What do weoffer those who

don’t? How do we fit Freemasonry into theincreasingly busy lives of our members and stillmaintain our standards of excellence? For Masonicleadership there is no easy solution, but one Brother– a political philosophy major – had an interestingidea. He suggested an officer line be as a degreeteam unto itself within the lodge. Since aWorshipful Master can designate the work, he neednot be judged on his proficiency, but his leadership.Those who love the ritual could comprise a

non-progressive line, thereby insuring quality workfor the candidates. Thus, the lodge would be free tofocus its efforts toward the majority, or sidelinemembers, and not the minority, or officer line.While this is an interesting view, its employmentconstitutes a veritable “paradigm shift” in the waymembers, particularly officers and veteran leaders,approach the structure of the Masonic lodge. Justbecause we as leaders have decided to “thinkoutside the box” does not mean that we actually do.What does all of this have to do with Dr. and

Most Worshipful Joseph Warren? One word:revolution. A revolution (from the Latin revolutio,"a turn around") is a fundamental change inorganizational structure that takes place in arelatively short period of time. Aristotle describedtwo types of political revolution:1. Complete change from one form of

government to another2. Modification of an existing form of

government.

Dr. Warren gave his life to effect achange; a change required in boththinking and structure. The challenges

of change are not new yet, despite our best efforts,have not been resolved. Our young and prescientfriends say they have full faith that our leadersrecognize these challenges, and indeed think theyare valid, but cannot or will not change theirthinking. A collective change in the thinking ofleadership is difficult in the extreme. Just askBrother Warren. If the British Parliament andCrown had been willing to examine thoseparadigms needing change, the deaths of countlesscolonials would have been unnecessary, and Dr.Warren would not have been forced to cast hisprinciples on the battlefield of Bunker Hill.Similarly, we need not lose members because wecannot adapt. We do not need to change to anotherform, but modify our existing form. This we do bychanging our thinking. These young Brethren didnot join Masonry for the same reasons or under thesame circumstances as their forebearers, yet theyshare the same values. Our beautiful system ofmorality is the eternal core of our institution It isnot a paradigm. We have the ability torevolutionize ourselves. As Freemasons we knowthis to be true. We are the product of theEnlightenment. We only changed the world. NL


Children’sDyslexiaCenters, Inc.

A Scottish Rite Charity

n Friday, April 15, it was the pleasure ofthe Sovereign Grand Commander, Ill.

John Wm. McNaughton, 33°, to fly to Eau Claire,WI, to attend the many activities planned for thededication of our jurisdiction’s newest addition: theChildren’s Dyslexia Center of Upper Wisconsin.Since the establishment of the centers in 1994, themembers of the Valley of Eau Claire, led bySupreme Council Active Member for Wisconsin,Ill. Garry D. Hageness, 33°, have dedicatedcountless hours in pursuit of creating a safe, cleanand worthwhile after-school program to educate thechildren of Eau Claire and northern Wisconsin whosuffer through the difficulties of dealing withdyslexia. They have succeeded in grand fashionthrough the generous contributions of Mrs. MelbaBaehr, the Legacy of Learning Building Donorsand Ashley Furniture, which contributed over$10,000 worth of free furniture. The members andfamilies of the Valley of Eau Claire are to beapplauded for a job exceedingly well done.Saturday morning began with the second

weekend of the Spring Reunion of the Valley ofEau Claire, at which were conferred the 20°, 23°,28°, 31° and 32°. The exemplary work of themorning was organized by director of the work, Ill.Rick L. Schnabel, 33°, and performed by manytalented cast members. It was a fine start to thefestivities of which the roughly 1,100 members ofthe Valley of Eau Claire should be very proud. TheSpring Class, usually named for an honoredmember of the Valley, was this year named for the

dedication of the Children’s Dyslexia Center forUpper Wisconsin.Following the degrees the dedication of the

center was held. Presiding over the ceremony wasCommander-in-Chief of Eau Claire Consistory, Ill.J.B. Van Hollen, 33°, PGM, accompanied by 1stLieutenant Commander, Bro. Randy E. Ellifson,32°; Sovereign Grand Commander McNaughton;Most Worshipful and Ill. Joseph B. Harker, 33°,Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin;Ill. Norman L. Christensen, 33°, Deputy forWisconsin, and Ill. Garry D. Hageness, 33°, ActiveMember for Wisconsin. Also attending were Ill.Michael A. DeWolf, 33°, PGM, Active Memberfor Wisconsin, and Ill. Dale O. Babbitt, 33°, Active

GRAND OPENINGUpper Wisconsin celebrates new children’s dyslexia center

Center Director Tammy Tillotson with Ill. Garry D.Hageness, 33°, Active Member for Wisconsin.


Emeritus Member. After the dedication was performedwith proper Masonic solemnity, remarks were heard bythose involved with the project including the center’sdirector, Mrs. Tammy Tillotson. Following thededication, a lively reception was held for more than 200attendees.

The weekend’s events culminated with a banquet heldto celebrate the opening of the center and theachievements of the Valley. Many speakers lauded theinnumerable efforts of Ill. and Mrs. Garry D. Hageness,33°, and Mrs. Tammy Tillotson. Also presented at thebanquet was the Valley’s special recognition, or GreenHat Award, to Bro. David R. Jacobson, 32°, and Bro.Robert E. Darling, 32°, respectively. A touching speechwas given by Class Orator and new Sublime Prince, Bro.Dustin Larson, 32°. Additionally honored were 50- and60-year Scottish Rite members, Ill. Herman Friess, 33°,PGM, and Bro. Raymond Larson, 32°, as well as 65-yearmember, Bro. Arthur Rogers, 32°. Tammy Tillotsonspoke at the close of the evening, leaving no doubt thatthe center is in the most capable of hands.

A day with this much activity is difficult for even themost experienced Masons among us to plan. Thisobservation begs that we remember those days spent byIll. Bro. Hageness, Mrs. Tillotson and numerous others inbringing this project to fruition. The Children’s DyslexiaCenter of Upper Wisconsin will long remain as atestimony to the determination and diligence of theBrethren and families of the Valley of Eau Claire and ourgreat fraternity at large. To them, we owe our heartfeltthanks. Congratulations, Valley of Eau Claire.

Support a Child at a DyslexiaCenter Near You

Start with the first word. Add to it the letters of the second word.Then add or subtract the letters of the following words. Total theremaining letters and unscramble them to find a word associatedwith Masonry.

M A S O N I CWORD MATH

(MENACE) + (TORMENT) – (CARTON) +

(TRAINING) – (MATTER) + (STORAGE)

– (GRAINS) + (SHELL) + (INVESTIGATE)

– (STAGE) + (MUCH) – (VOICES) –

(HELIUM)

=

Clue for this puzzle appears on page 13.Answer from previous issue: GEOMETRIC

The Children’s Dyslexia Centers is a tax-ex-empt 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

It costs $5,000 to tutor one child for oneyear. Typically, children require an average oftwo years of tutoring. Your tax-exemptcontribution can be designated to support aspecific children’s dyslexia center or a dyslexiacenter where the need is greatest.

For information about making a donation,please call the development office at880000--8811 44--11443322 eexxtt .. 33 332266.. Or send a check directly,payable to:

Children’s Dyslexia Centers, Inc.

33 Marrett Road

Lexington, MA 02421

Bro. Arthur Rogers, 32°, was recognized as a 65-year member.


PPrroovviiddiinngg SSuunnsshhiinnee SSIINNCCEE 11995500BROTHER ROY AND GEORGETTE ENGLER’S LIFE MISSION

An old adage states, “If you want somethingdone right, do it yourself.”

As far as we know neither Roy nor GeorgetteEngler ever uttered those words, but that isexactly the path they followed. They saw a veryimportant need – right within their own family –and they dedicated their lives to filling it.

But, let’s start at the beginning:After high school graduation Roy Engler was

trained as a railroad telegrapher and later went towork in a telegraph office in Maumee, OH. Justdown the street, at the corner of Conant Streetand Illinois Avenue, was Cassabon’s GeneralStore. Working for her mother and father there,was Georgette Cassabon. Roy, a regularcustomer, got to know the girl and eventuallythey were married.

Life was good. Roy joined the local Masoniclodge – Northern Light Lodge, No. 40 – and atthe age of 28 became its youngest Master. Royand Georgette also started raising a family. In all,the Englers had five children. As each onereached the second grade, however, there seemedto be a problem. All of the children werediagnosed with developmental disorders. RoyEngler earned an electrician’s license and beganworking two jobs to pay the mounting bills. Thatleft Georgette alone at home much of the timeworking hard raising the children. The Cassabonshelped out by giving the young family afarmhouse and seven acres of land outside oftown. The work involved in raising the children,however, became an overwhelming task, and theEnglers sought out a place where the childrenmight be institutionalized. Their eyes wereopened to the harsh realities of such places,though, and they decided against the move.

Bro. Barney Stickles, a family friend andlongtime supporter of the Englers’ endeavors,

knew them well. In fact he says he viewed Roy“almost like a parent,” and he joined NorthernLight Lodge with him. Stickles said the Englerswere appalled at the conditions they saw at thestate institutions and had no intention of leavingtheir children in the care of such places. Instead,they opened their own home, not only to theirchildren, but to others with similar needs. Bro.Stickles said it was important that the distinctionwas made. “They were opening a home, ratherthan an institution. The children were to betreated as human beings in a family setting – notjust warehoused.” Bro. Stickles says, “Mrs. Englermade it a point to teach the staff to provideloving care – an innovation at the time.”Georgette Engler said, upon opening in 1950,that she wanted to “bring sunshine into the livesof children with developmental disabilities.”

Sunshine opened with just four children at thestart, but it quickly outgrew the Engler

farmhouse. In a year they were caring for 23infants and toddlers. Roy needed help to makeroom, and he called on his Brother Masons to

By ALAN E. FOULDS, 32°

Annual “Walk withSunshine,” held in

Toledo, OH.


pitch in. The business agent for the A.F. of L.local chapter was a member of the lodge. Hemanaged to get the union to donate labor tobuild a second floor. Dr. Harrison, also a Mason,became the primary care physician. Bro. DixieGreen, a podiatrist, stopped by periodically tocheck on any foot problems the children mighthave developed. Dr. Stout, a local dentist andPast Master, donated dental equipment.

People would often stop by, as the sign outfront proclaimed that visitors were welcome.

When people politely asked, “what can we do tohelp?” Roy always had an answer. Paul Nafzinger,author of an anniversary book on Sunshine,explains how his family became involved.“Whenever we would pass Sunshine, my fatherwould ask “I wonder what they do there?’ Once,my mother responded “Well, why don’t you juststop and find out?’” So he did. The entire familywas astounded by the high quality of care thechildren were being given. When Dora Nafzingerasked the inevitable question about helping out,Georgette Engler “gave her a whole stack ofmending, and my mom took it right home andstitched it up.” That one stack turned intomultiple loads, and Mrs. Nafzinger reached outto the ladies in her church.In that era there was little in the way of

government regulation, and the Englers insistedthat no government support was required. Atfirst, Sunshine was licensed as a tourist home.The entire Engler family was involved in theoperation. Bro. Barney Stickles came on board assecretary/treasurer. After earning his mastersdegree he headed up the evaluations and becamea charter member of the board of directors. Infact, he was the last of the original board when hestepped down. He was also made guardian of theEngler children. In less official capacities, he isstill very much a part of Sunshine today.Bro. Stickles says that the Englers were

personally involved with each child. Georgetteoften fed them on her lap. They were strongbelievers in fresh air. Every day – even in thewinter – the windows were thrown open for atime.As the center grew, so did its reputation. The

national spotlight was put on Sunshine through avery popular radio program called “WelcomeTravelers.” The NBC show originated from

Chicago with host, Tommy Bartlett. TheSunshine story was featured on the show,prompting telegrams and donations from aroundthe country.Later, Eunice Kennedy Shriver visited

Sunshine. According to Bro. Stickles, “She wasvisibly moved by the loving care she observed.”Shriver visited many institutions for people withintellectual disabilities across the country and didnot like what she saw at many of them. Shebelieved that, given the opportunity andexperience, they were capable of far more thanmany believed. She went on to found CampShriver in 1962, a summer day camp in her ownback yard. According to spokespersons at theSpecial Olympics, “The concept spread, and inJuly 1968 the first International Special OlympicGames were held.”

As the 1950s came to a close the heavyworkload was taking its toll on the Englers.

They also needed to look to the future – to a timewhen they would no longer be around – to besure that their own children, as well as all thepeople at Sunshine, were cared for.Building on the relationship that was born the

day Raymond and Dora Nafzinger stopped by,

Providing Sunshine SINCE 1950BROTHER ROY AND GEORGETTE ENGLER’S LIFE MISSION

Eunice Kennedy Shrivervisits Sunshine.

continued on page 25

18  August 2011 /  The Northern Light

N O T E S F R O M T H E

Ft. Leavenworth Scottish Rite Funds Diagnostic Clinic for Children

The Armed Forces Scottish Rite Bodies at Fort Leavenworth, KS, (Armed Forces Consistory) have donated $1,500 to fund a University of

Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) diagnostic outreach clinic for children at the post. KUMC clinics test for autism and learning difficulties as part of the University of Kansas Hospital Center for Childhood Assessment.

KUMC Hearing and Speech Clinic’s rapid diagnosis allows the children to get into therapy programs quickly. This is particularly important to transient mili-tary families. It normally takes from four to nine months to get children into the regular diagnostic clinics, and it is very important to begin autism therapy at the earliest possible age.

Bros. Buckles and Breuning Lay Down Their Working Tools Bro. Frank Woodruff Buckles,

32°, the last surviving American veteran of WWI, passed away in February. Born Feb. 1, 1901, he joined the U.S. Army in 1917 at age 16 and served as an ambulance driver in Europe. He was a member of the Valley of Wheeling, WV.

Ill. Walter Breuning, 33°, the oldest American man, passed away on April 14, 2011, at the age of 114. Born Sept. 21, 1896, he was a retired

railroad man and lived in a retire-ment home in Great Falls, MT. Every morning he would put on his suit and tie and go to the lobby and flirt with the “girls” — any lady under the age of 90. He joined the Valley of Great Falls in 1937 and received the 33° in 1958.

“We cherish their memories in our hearts and commend their spirits to God who gave them.”

A soldier with the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard,” keeps a constant vigil over the casket of Army Cpl. Frank Woodruff Buckles, 32°, as he laid in repose before his burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

DoD photo by Donna Miles.

Ill. Walter Breuning, 33°, (r.) talks with Ill. Stan Dodd, 33°, assistant director of membership services, at his 114th birthday celebration.

Walter Wilcox: “The Masons’ Boy”

In October 1878, Walter Cary Wilcox was about 4½ years old,

alone, and orphaned. His mother died from yellow fever, and his father, a New Orleans Mason, had died from injuries sustained in a steamship accident a few years earlier when Walter was five months old.

Walter sat on a train with a pack-ing ticket tied around his small neck inscribed with a message entrusting him to the care of the Brotherhood and perfect strangers while he made his way from Loui-siana via Louisville and Chicago, and then on to Oakland in order to live with his grandmother, Mrs. Hannah Cary. The Grand Lodge of California paid for his care, Nathan Spaulding, Grand Treasurer adopt-ed him, he had a career as a dentist, and joined Oakland Lodge No. 188 (now Oakland-Durant-Rockridge Lodge No. 188). His full story can be found at www.scottishrite.org.

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the virtues shared by most Masons is thriftiness.I was again reminded of this by a number of inquiries

regarding VoIP (voice over Internet protocol). Above allelse, you wanted to know if VoIP can really save youmoney.VoIP has been around for a number of years and was

first embraced by the business community to reduce longdistance phone expenses.As a consumer option, VoIP is

coming into its own. VoIP choicesinclude Ooma, Skype, Vonage,Telrite, WOW, MagicJack and BrightHouse Networks to name a few.VoIP ads promise big savings and

some dazzle you with options suchas video calling. We’ll get back tothe hype in a moment.Before you can consider the VoIP

option, you must have high-speedInternet service such as DSL orcable.When shopping for a VoIP, make

certain you do not need to have yourcomputer on to make and receivecalls. This alone can save you$10 to $25 per month,depending on your local electricityrates.Make certain the VoIP service

allows you to make “911” calls.Not all do. Ask if you can keepyour current landline number.Also check to see if the VoIP service allows you to call

any number rather than only those who have the sameVoIP service.

Finally, you will want to determine if the VoIP can beused on your mobile phone. For example, the

Ooma Mobile HD App allows users to make calls onthe Android, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch over anyWiFi or 3G system. Skype has announced users willbe able to make Skype-to-Skype and video calls withthe new Skype Mobile on Verizon 4G LTE phones.As for cost savings, there is no set answer. If you

make a lot of long distance calls, VoIP may be a goodchoice. On the other hand, if most of your calls are withinyour toll-free calling area, you may be better off with aninexpensive landline long distance service such as oneoffered by Telrite.As for cell phone addicts, you will need to do your

homework before making your decision. Depending onyour current cell phone provider and device, VoIP maynot be ready for you.Like any other purchasing decision, make certain you

fully understand all of the VoIP costs, including both theone-time and ongoing charges. Carefully review anyagreement you must sign and take the time tounderstand the terms.

While you may never have thought of it this way,thriftiness also encompasses personal identity security.Ignoring security may well prove quite costly.Oh yes, I’m certain you have a great firewall and virus

protection. Most likely, you never use the same passwordfor multiple accounts. In fact, you probably use randomalpha/numeric passwords that you change every twomonths or so.

That’s great. Now, how carefully doyou review your credit cardstatement? Maybe not carefullyenough.Of course, you need to be looking

for those obviously fraudulentcharges. But there are other chargesthat just might slip past. A retailer mayhave charged you for an extendedwarranty you didn’t want. Watch for ahotel cancellation fee even though youcancelled the reservation well aheadof the deadline. These are fewexamples of charges that frequentlyslip past consumers.To minimize the possibility of fraud,

use your credit card service’s websiteto regularly review your account.Immediately report fraudulentcharges.You also need to be aware of

skimmers. These are illicit cardreader devices placed by thieves onATMs, gas pumps and other such

devices. They gather your card information, includingPINs, allowing thieves to rack up hundreds or thousandsof dollars of charges or empty your bank account.Protect yourself by paying inside at service stations andavoiding remote location ATMs.When making online purchases, use a credit card and

only use trusted sites. When entering paymentinformation, make certain you are on a secure page(identified by “https” rather than “http”).

If you insist on using a debit card, use it like a creditcard. When doing so, you will not use your PIN andmay be covered by the card network’s protectionservices such as no liability. Check with your cardissuer for details.Finally, I continue to recommend Firefox as the general

purpose Web browser of choice. Make certain you go toPreferences, select Security and then check “Blockreported attack sites” and “Block reported webforgeries.”

drop me a line and share your experiences withstreaming services. As always, I welcome your questionsand comments: [email protected] or, if youprefer, you can write to me at PO Box 42, Virginia IL 62691.


By LEIGH E. MORRIS, 33°

Thriftiness is aVirtue

AMONG


Floods ravage communities along the Ohio andMississippi Rivers. Killer tornadoes strike Joplin,

MO, and Springfield, MA. Storms create disasterareas throughout New York state and Vermont. Whoknows what's coming next?

As hurricane season peaks, one expected by many tobe harsher than usual, our battle with Mother Naturewill continue.

As communities within our jurisdiction are stricken bydisaster, there are members who suddenly haveneeded a helping hand. These difficult circumstancesoften provide the opportunity for our BrotherMasons to rise up and demonstrate our virtue.

One of our Masonic commitments to benevolence isour Almoners Fund. Valleys and Councils ofDeliberation have reserved funds to help members inneed and their families. While the office of theSovereign Grand Commander has long had funds toprovide aid to our members, Sovereign GrandCommander John Wm. McNaughton, 33°, hasexpanded the scope of this program because itreinforces our fraternal obligation to help our own.

A portion of proceeds from last year’s blue envelopeappeal funded the creation of the Scottish RiteBenevolent Foundation Almoners Fund. Who couldhave known how necessary these funds would be in2011?

Fortunately, many of our Brothers supported the2010 blue envelope appeal and thereby providedfunds that were available for disaster relief thisspring. For example, when Sovereign GrandCommander McNaughton became aware of thepotential magnitude of the crisis along the Mississippiand Ohio Rivers, he immediately offered assistance tothe Grand Lodge of Illinois and the Valley ofSouthern Illinois. Additionally, funds were pledged toour Brothers in the Southern Jurisdiction to help inLouisiana.

While the funds we have available cannotpossibly match the needs created from the

devastation wrought by a flood, tornado or otherdisaster, getting prompt aid to members can trulymean the world to these Brothers and their families.

Consider the circumstances of one Brother who losthis home in a recent flood – all of his worldlypossessions were destroyed. When a tragedy like this

affects one of our own, the funds we can give takeon special meaning.

Consider the story Sovereign Grand CommanderMcNaughton relates about a Brother who lost hishome to flood waters:

“Can you imagine watching as your home and allyour possessions were swept away? It must be ahopeless feeling.

“When the check from the Scottish Rite AlmonersFund arrived, our Brother was so surprised andappreciative, he was nearly speechless. While hebelieved in our Masonic dedication to charity, hehadn’t imagined that this applied to him.

“This is what ‘fraternity’ means – caring about ourBrothers.”

This year, the Almoners Fund will receive 25percent of the blue envelope appeal, ensuring

that benevolence to our Brothers and their familiesremains a high priority. As described by ourSovereign Grand Commander, “Individually, we mustcare about each other; and collectively, we mustmeet the fraternal needs of our members.”

Through the Scottish Rite Almoners Fund, we arecommitted to supporting our Brothers, particularlywhen they have been faced with unexpected andcatastrophic loss. Equally, we wish to encourage andsupport the actions of our bodies and their memberswho respond to the “hailing sign.”

Truly, our philanthropy matches our Masonic values.

Masonic Dedication through Disaster


Joseph Evan Brown washonored on a stamp issuedby Grenada on June 1,1992, to recognize the 50thanniversary of the USO.Bro. Brown was a memberof Rubicon Lodge No.2337, Toledo, OH.Joe E. Brown was born

July 28, 1891, at Holgate,OH, and at the age of ninehe joined the circus as anacrobat. He was also aminor league baseball playerfor St. Paul in 1909, butturned to the stage for hiscareer. He made 75 moviesstarting with “Listen Lester”in 1918. In 1952, he hostedthe “Buick Circus Hour” ontelevision and was a USOperformer during WorldWar II. He was awarded aBronze Star. He died July 6,1973, in Brentwood, CA.

� � �

John J. Astor, bornJohann Jakob Astor on July17, 1763, in Walldorf,Palatinate, Germany, wasthe first prominent memberof the Astor family and thefirst multi-millionaire in theUnited States. He started

his career working in hisfather’s business as atraveling butcher. Heemigrated to London at theage of 16 and then to theUnited States following theRevolutionary War to builda fur-trading empire. In theearly 19th century hediversified into New Yorkcity real estate and laterbecame a famed patron ofthe arts. At the time of hisdeath in 1848, he had anestate worth at least $20million.

John J. Astor was one ofthe first members ofHolland Lodge No. 8, NewYork city and served asWorshipful Master in 1788.He was Grand Treasurer ofthe Grand Lodge of NewYork from 1798-1801. He isincluded in the design of astamp issued by TheGambia on June 10, 1986.

� � �

Sir Charles KingfordSmith is pictured on astamp issued by Australia onAug. 27, 1958, tocommemorate the 50thanniversary of hisTasmanian Sea crossing. Hewas initiated intoFreemasonry in Gascoyne

Lodge No. 62, Carmarvon,West Australia, on April 9,1925.

Born Feb. 9, 1897, hewas an early Australianaviator. In 1928, he earnedglobal fame when he madethe first trans-Pacific flightfrom the United States toAustralia. He also made thefirst non-stop crossing ofthe Australian mainland andthe first eastward Pacificcrossing from Australia tothe United States. He diedon Nov. 8, 1935, when hedisappeared during a flightover the sea off Burma.

� � �

Vincente Lopez yPlanes was born in BuenosAires, Argentina on March3, 1785, and died there onOct. 10, 1856. He studiedlaw and then served as avolunteer during the Englishinvasion of 1806-07.Settling into a politicalcareer, he was a member ofCongress. He served brieflyas a provisional president ofthe united provinces of Riode la Plata in 1827. He laterserved as minister of thetreasury, president of theSupreme Court of Justice,

and governor of theProvince of Buenos Aires.He was also a poet.Bro. Lopez was initiated inthe famed “Lautaro” Lodgeof Buenos Aires. He alsobecame a member of theLodge “Caballeros deAmerica,” also in BuenosAires. He is pictured on astamp issued by Argentinaon March 23, 1985, as partof a set to honor famouspersons.

� � �

Claire Lee Chennaultreceived his degrees in 1921at League City Lodge No.1053, League City, TX. Heis pictured on a stamp issuedby the Maldive Islands onDec. 30, 1991, as part of aset honoring World War IIleaders.Bro. Chennault was

commissioned a 1stlieutenant of infantry in1917, later transferring tothe aviation section of theSignal Corps. He retiredfrom the U.S. Army AirCorps in 1937, and becamean advisor on aeronauticalaffairs to Chiang Kai-shekand the Chinese Nationalistgovernment. In 1941, heorganized and trained thefamous “flying Tigers” – agroup of U.S. pilotsrecruited to fight for theChinese, especially indefense of the Burma Road.He returned to active dutywith the U.S. Army AirCorps, organized the 14thAir Force in 1943, andcommanded it until the endof the war. He died in NewOrleans, LA, on June 27,1958.

By ROBERT A. DOMINGUE

AHIMAN – A Review ofMasonic Culture & Tradition

editied by Shawn Eyer. Published in 2009by Plumbstone (plumbstone.com).

Anew style Masonic journal has appeared upon thescene; one that might very well fill a niche that has

been vacant in North America but is commonly found inmost foreign jurisdictions. It may also serve as asatisfying tool to those youngmen coming into the craft todayand who are seeking a deepermeaning in the philosophicalpurpose of Freemasonry.The editor, who also serves as

editor for the new Philalethespublication defines Ahimen as “ananthology dedicated to Masonicritual, symbolism, philosophy, artand research and to promulgate ascholarly approach among thosewho explore Masonic philosophy….” Ahimen, however,is not a publication by any Masonic organization. Arelatively young man himself, Eyer observes that “thedefining characteristic of 21st century Freemasons wasthat they tend to desire more, not less, from the craft”and that today’s candidate for our fraternity has grownincreasingly interested in a deeper experience of Masonicsymbolism. The purpose of this journal is to support thepositive efforts of those Grand Lodges working toaddress these issues.Volume I contains articles written by both those living

and others long deceased whose names are readilyrecognizable or probably will or should be. For examplethere are contributions made by Robert G. Davis, JosephFort Newton, Plato and Thomas Starr King as well asthe editor of the journal.Thomas D. Worrell has written a beautiful chapter on

A Spiritual Vision of the Seven Liberal Arts. David E.Stafford follows up the chapter of Plato’s The Allegory ofthe Cave, with Masonic Initiation & Plato’s Allegory of theCave, an excellent analogy of Plato’s allegory to Masonicinitiation.

Also included in this edition is a short chapter byAdam G. Kendall about Thomas Starr King, a namewith which I was unfamiliar. Following Kendall’s articleis an oration delivered by King as Grand Orator of theGrand Lodge of California in 1863 which must rank asone of the most eloquent Masonic orations ever givenand that by a Brother of only three years (and who diedat the age of 39) while achieving enough fame to have amonument on a 79-year display at the National StatuaryHall in Washington, DC.There are other chapters just as stimulating written by

other authors. Ahiman will be published subject to thematerial received and time available. It is projected at thepresent time that no more than one volume will bepublished in a calendar year. Ahimen is a beautifulproduction containing many photographs in full, richcolor, but it is the written content that will make itvaluable to those seeking more Masonic light.The editor makes the observation that, “If anything,

today’s candidate for our fraternity has grownincreasingly interested in a deeper experience of Masonicsymbolism. Now, Brethren seek a craft that is morerelevant in their lives and more challenging to theirhearts and minds.” This journal should provide an assistto those new Brothers in their search.

A Pennsylvania Masonic Handbook –The Personal Ahiman Rezon

by Robert E. Burtt. Published in 2011 by Createspace,a division of Amazon, 100 Enterprise Way,

Suite A200, Scotts Valley, CA 95066.

Iam writing a review on this small book, not because itis a great literary masterpiece, but because it is an

example of a good book reflecting a dedication toFreemasonry by Brothers who most Masonic leaders donot know exist.The author is a Pennsylvania Freemason who holds

Masters Degrees in political science and in publicadministration and has been living out of the jurisdiction


Reviewed by Thomas W. Jackson, 33°

as an employee of the U.S. Department of HomelandSecurity.He has written this book after years of lamenting that

there were no good guides in print forPennsylvania Freemasons. He decided to stopcomplaining and do something about it. Hemakes observations on Freemasonry that wouldserve as valuable insights to newly raised MasterMasons and has been sending copies to eachnew member of his lodge. He emphasized thathe did not write this work to make money butto help Brothers to understand the craft.There are some errors in what the author

has written, such as the United States beingthe only country that has Freemasonry set upon a state to state basis, that a valid dues card must bepresented to visit another lodge, that the Masonic homein Elizabethtown is only for Master Masons and theirfamilies, that Knight Templary is the only body within

Freemasonry that is strongly religious in character andaccepts only candidates who profess Christianity and thatthe Shrine requires either Scottish Rite or York Ritemembership as a prerequisite.

Several of these errors are the result ofassuming that all Grand Lodges function likethose in North America. Others are simply theresult of lack of knowledge. That being saidthese errors do not serve as a major distractionto the value of the intent of the book.Although the book is written specifically for

Pennsylvania Freemasons, it is worth reading byany Brother, not only for the general knowledgeit contains but for the stimulus it might provideto those Brothers who may feel inadequate inputting down in writing their dedication to the

craft. He makes some excellent observations and mightanswer simple questions by newly raised Brothers.


ARN – The Knight TemplarAvailable from Netflix and Amazon.com.

If you are a fan of epic films, romantic melodrama

and history of the Knights Templar, then Sweden’s

ARN – The Knight Templar may just be the movie

for you. Based on author Jan Guillou’s trilogy, ARNis a tale of the life of fictional knight templar, Arn

Magnusson. Released in 2007, the film is mostly in

Swedish (with English sub-titles), but was a joint

effort between Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland

and Germany. Among its many stars unknown to

American audiences, some will recognize Stellan

Skarsgård from films such as Angels & Demons, TheHunt for Red October and Good Will Hunting. Itssequel, ARN – The Kingdom at Road’s End, wasreleased in 2008, and the total budget for both films

combined came to a whopping $30 million. It is the

most expensive production ever in the history of

Swedish cinema.

The film follows the 12th century life of the royal

born Arn Magnusson. He is raised in a Cistercian

monastery, where, along with his studies, he is

taught to fight. Arn is eventually sent to fight the

Saracens in the Holy Land, where he even crosses

paths with Saladin himself. There is perhaps not as

much fighting as one might suspect, but the battles

are fantastic, nonetheless. The cinematography is

gorgeous and features the lavish landscapes of

Sweden, Morocco and Scotland. The personal

relationships are a bit overdone, and occasionally

the film seems to drag. It was a surprise to learn that

the movie was only two

hours and 19 minutes in

length. In seemed longer.

One will also want to

prepare for the subtitles for

the Swedish, Latin, French

and Arabic that comprise

the dialogue of the movie.

Despite its minor flaws,

ARN – The KnightTemplar will likely entertain most

Masons. I look forward to seeing the sequel, ARN –The Kingdom at Road’s End, though only the first

film is available on Netflix.

Reviewed by Jerry A. Roach Jr., 32°


Tomato juice helps bonesAt the University of Toronto's CalciumResearch Laboratory, researchers saylycopene from tomatoes has previouslybeen shown to have a protectiveeffect on bones. Their new findingsuggests that lycopene can be used asa natural complementary or alternativesupplement for the reduction of boneabsorption. It is especiallyrecommended for women who areage 50 or older.Other foods with high levels of

lycopene include pink grapefruit,watermelon and guava. Amongprepared foods, spaghetti sauce,tomato sauce and paste, and ketchupare loaded with lycopene.

Take care of yourselfPeople have lots of excuses for notthinking about health and getting inshape. Lack of time is the mostcommon excuse, says best-sellingauthor Bob Greene in his book TheLife You Want: Get Motivated, LoseWeight and Be Happy.He studied people’s schedules and

found they all had time every day thatwould be better spent being physicallyactive. He asks, "Who doesn't have30, 40 or 60 minutes a day to exerciseand take care of themselves?"Green says exercise aversion is

another cause. People avoid it becausethey don't want to experience thediscomfort of working at it. Butdiscomfort means you are exertingyourself enough to burn calories andimprove your health. Some peopleexercise while watching TV or walkingwith a friend.Once a week, it's important to make

a healthy week's menu instead of justeating whatever is in the fridge.Buy fresh fruit, vegetables, fish,

whole grain bread and crackers, plusmeat, but not too much.

The good news is that successfuldieters take a break on one or twodays of the week. Within reason, theyeat whatever they want, such as a fewslices of pizza but not the whole pie.

Sleep more, lose weightDiet and exercise are important whenyou want to lose weight, but unlessyou get a good night's rest, poundsare likely to stay where they are.

One study found that overweightadults lost 55 percent less fat whenthey got 5 1/2 hours of sleep a nightand the sleep restricted group lostmore muscle mass.David Rapoport, MD, associate

professor and director of the SleepMedicine Program at the New YorkUniversity School of Medicine, saysdoctors have long known thathormones are affected by sleep. Itwasn't until recently that appetite andthe influence of leptin and ghrelinentered the picture. Doctors foundthat both can influence our appetite.And studies show that production ofleptin and ghrelin are influenced byhow much we sleep.

Eat your vegetablesWeight Watchers, which since 1997has helped millions of dieters loseweight through its point system, haschanged its values. Previously, dieterscould eat whatever they wanted, aslong as they kept portions undercontrol.Now, company president David

Kirchhoff concludes, on WeightWatchers website, that caloriecounting has become unhelpful.Quoted in Time, he says, "When wehave a 100-calorie apple in one handand a 100-calorie pack of cookies inthe other, and we view them as beingthe same because the calories are thesame, it says everything that needs tobe said about the limitations of justusing calories in guiding food choices."The new point system favors food

that is high in protein or fiber andhigher points for foods loaded withcarbohydrates which are easilyabsorbed and turned into fat.

Joint Problems?Injecting a blood-derived liquid calledplatelet-rich plasma (PRP) into thepainful tendon tissue has shownsignificant success. The PRP is derivedfrom a sample of their own blood.In the case of painful tendons,

doctors at the Mayo Clinic have foundthat deterioration of the tendon iswhat causes pain.Usually, platelets repair injured

tendons by gathering at the site of aninjury to form a clot. The plateletsrelease growth factors and proteinsthat stimulate healing. If it doesn'thappen, injecting PRP does the samejob, only better.It is effective in treating tennis or

golfer's elbow, hamstring tendons, theknee's patellar tendon, the Achillestendon, and the plantar fascia tendonon the bottom of the foot.

“Have you ever considered attendingan anger management workshop?”

the Englers looked to the Mennonite Church, where theNafzingers were members. In 1960, operation of Sunshinewas signed over to the Mennonites, and that organizationhas maintained the philosophies and vision forged by Royand Georgette.

Under the new leadership Sunshine has grown to bemuch more, all the while keeping the original philosophyintact. This is a home and a community.

People with developmental disabilities now make

choices about their lives and become contributingmembers of their communities. The residency today goesfar beyond children. People of all ages are welcome.Individuals might live in the intermediate care facilitywith around-the-clock nursing services. They might livein one of Sunshine’s family care homes. If they wish tolive in a private home, Sunshine offers the “livingprogram,” giving them the support they need, tailored tothe individual. Adult day services focus on supportingindividuals as they strive to be independent and becomeproductive members of society. That includes paidemployment, art, gardening, and a host of other activities.

The physical plant is more diverse, including a heatedtherapy pool, a gymnasium, and a boardwalk built by

a local college fraternity.In downtown Maumee is Georgette’s Grounds and

Gifts. Named for Sunshine founder, Georgette Engler, itis a coffee shop and gift store run by members of theSunshine community. At any one time there may be asmany as 20 employees. All products are “fair trade,”meaning that the suppliers and farmers are paid a fairamount for their labor. Appropriately, the store sits aboutfour blocks from the site of Cassabon’s General Store,once owned by Georgette’s family and the place where itall began.

for more information on Sunshine, visitsunshineincnwo.com.

How to Pay YourDues Online

1. Go to www.ScottishRiteNMJ.org

2. Click on “Member’s Center” locatedon the top right corner of the page

3. Click on “Pay Your Dues Online”

4. First-time visitors must register as anew user

5.Once registered, login to pay yourdues and donate to Valley charitiesonline

NOTE: Please be sure to have yourmember number (located on your duescard) and credit card ready.

It’s That Easy!

Pay Your Scottish Rite Dues Online

A member of the Sunshine community receives trainingthrough Adult Day Services.

PROVIDING SUNSHINE continued from page 17

The Supreme Council is pleased to announce aconvenient way to pay your Scottish Rite dues online

through the Supreme Council’s secure and improvedmember website.

As a result of this new option, the process of renewingyour membership is as easy as 3-5-7. Members who

choose to take advantage of this system will not only save on postage, butthey will also drastically reduce the amount of time and effort that hastraditionally gone into reaffirming their commitment to the Scottish Rite.This process can be done in just minutes.

Members in participating Valleys can login twenty-four hours a day,seven days a week, and can return at anytime to update their email address,check on their membership status, and to donate to Scottish Rite charities.Eventually, the system will be expanded to allow members to update theircontact and other personal information with the security and efficiencythat this new system offers.

Any member wishing to continue to pay his dues and support his Valleyeither in person or through the mail can still do so.

www.ScottishRiteOnline.org

Reaffirm Your Commitment to the ScottishRite and Enjoy all the Benefits of Membershipin the Fraternity of Choice has to Offer.

NL

The Prince of Wales visited Bunker Hillon the 12th of October, at the invitationof the president of the Bunker HillMonument Association, Bro. G.Washington Warren, by whom they weresuitably received. “The party,” says theAurora, “then walked to the entrance ofthe monument and examined theinterior, looking up the cone to the top.”The president explained to the prince

the history of the original Masonicmonument, a copy of which in marble,stands in the center of the obelisk, andturning to the Duke of Newcastle, who isProvincial Grand Master of Freemasons,Mr. Warren observed, “This may perhapsbe specially interesting to your grace as itrelates to Masonry.” The prince notunderstanding what was said, desired theremark to be repeated, which being done,the prince said with a smile, “Oh, yes;the duke is a Freemason.” He thenpassed round the monument, within theenclosure, observed the English andAmerican flags at the top, and inquiredthe height of the structure. He thenmade a pleasant remark to PresidentWarren as to the object of erecting thestructure, to which the president made anappropriate reply. The prince cordiallyobserved, “It is time these old matterswere forgotten.”

His Honor Mayor Dana proposed tothe royal party to make a further visit tothe city and to visit the Navy Yard,offering to send a message to Com.Hudson that he might prepare for thereception. But the lateness of the hour,and many other matters remaining to beattended to, prevented their acceptanceof the invitation.Before the party left the premises,

President Warren stated to the Duke ofNewcastle, that he had caused threecopies of the Inauguration of the Statue ofWarren to be suitably bound, one copy ofwhich was intended for the prince, onefor Lord Lyons, and one for his grace, asmementos of the visit of the royal partyto Bunker Hill; and the duke replied thathe would be happy to receive and disposeof them as desired.This visit, though suddenly

improvised and without the opportunityto make such preparations as would havebeen gladly desired and been moregenerally participated in by our citizens,is a memorable one, and like the visit tothe tomb of Washington, will exemplifyto the country the cordial feeling ofamity which happily exists between thegovernment and people of our mothercountry and our own.

—Charles W. Moore, Freemasons’Monthly Magazine, Nov. 1, 1860


Visit of the Prince of Walesto Bunker Hill

On May 9, 1945, I had occasion to beone of a party which drove from

Boston to the testing plant and range ofJohnson Automatics, Inc., on important,essential war business.On returning, we drove by the

horseracing park at Narragansett. Thetremendous parking lot adjacent to theracetrack was completely filled with manythousands of automobiles. Even adjacent lotswere also occupied. The papers reported anenormous attendance with legalized

gambling running well into seven figures. Isanyone so credulous as to believe that there isa day at such a racetrack which does notinvolve hotel sleeping accommodations andtransportation facilities (other than local) formore than fifty people? Moreover, the horsesdo not travel the circuit from track to trackby their own power.My personal reaction is fully in accord

with a recent telegram sent by the AtlanticCity Convention Bureau, Hotel Associationand Chamber of Commerce to the members

WAR-TIME MEETINGS

Q u o t a t i o n s s e l e c t e d f r o m t h e p a s t m a y n o t

INFLUENCEof Masonry

Go into legislative halls; look aroundthe political arena; with the patriot’s

eye survey the differences which distractour common country and our state;behold the divisions which array ourpeople so bitterly against each other; andthen turn to the lodge room; cast youreye around this beautiful hall, and see thecontests of Masonry – contests as to whobest can work and best agree – and beproud of the influences of Masonic spirit.Without, is strife; within, is peace;without, the paths of individuals separate;within, they converge; without, we aretoo apt to extend to those around theweapon of warfare; within, we lean oneach other’s arms for aid and support.Well may we rejoice at the extension ofour beloved Institution; if its precepts, itsinjunctions and its obligations are laid upin our hearts, and exemplified in our

actions; if theyare bound assigns upon ourhands, and asfrontletsbetween oureyes; if they are

cherished when sitting in our houses –when walking by the way – when lyingdown and when rising up. Who canestimate their importance; who can limitthe prophecy of their happy effect?

— Giles M.Hillyer,The Ashlar,Aug. 1856

You attract to yourself reflections of thatwhich you are. If you’re friendly, theneverybody else seems to be friendly too.

– David Hawkins

Nothing limits achievement like smallthinking. Nothing expands possibilitieslike unleashed imagination.

– William Arthur Ward

We learn by example and by directexperience, because there are real limitsto the adequacy of the verbal instruction.

– Malcolm Gladwell

Always go to other people’s funerals,otherwise they won’t come to yours.

– Yogi Berra

The majority of men meet with failurebecause of their lack of persistence increating new plans to take the place ofthose that fail.

– Napoleon Hill

Do not try to be anything but what youare, and try to be that perfectly.

Francis de Sales

Adversity is another way to measure thegreatness of individuals. I never had acrisis that didn’t make me stronger.

– Lou Holtz

It’s so easy: To think about love, to talkabout love, to wish for love. But it’s notalways easy to recognize love, even whenwe hold it in our hands.

– Jaka

We either make ourselves happy ormiserable. The amount of work is thesame.

– Carlos Castaneda

If you have health, you probably will behappy, and if you have health andhappiness, you have all the wealth youneed, even if it is not all you want.

– Elbert Hubbard


QUOTABLES

If all the many words and thoughts ofour Past Grand Worthy Chiefs on

this subject were assembled andcondensed into a few words, they wouldcontain the following, “The attendanceparticipation of our membership atcouncil meetings is completelydependent on the amount ofpreparation, current interest, stimulatingqualities and brevity of the programs.”It is also necessary that advance noticeof the programs be made of the subjectamong the membership.

It would be practically impossible toset up a permanent standard for all ofour councils to follow with respect toprogramming. Since each council andarea seem to be divergently interested inthe many types of subjects that can bepresented for both education andentertainment. What may be foundsuccessful in one council may be foundof little interest to another, but if nothought whatever is made to present aworthwhile program, then the resultwill be a falling off in attendance and aneventual disinterest of the members.

It is, however, safe to assume that

modern subjects containing newpractices and theories on all scientificsubjects will receive the most amount ofinterest and attention, as they containthe greater educational values for thefuture. It is right that the membersshould expect the officers to take theinitiative in the council activities, but itis also essential that after havingprepared the various programs that theofficers can expect the interest andsupport of the members. If you find aconsistently poor attendance at thecouncil meeting, either one or theother, or both, have failed in theirduties and obligations to each other.

If the proper amount of time andattention is applied by all concerned, itis a certainty that we will haveconsistently good attendance at ourmeetings.

Have you missed a meeting or two?If you have be sure to attend the nextmeeting you may get a wonderfulsurprise.

—W.M. Sutherland, The UniversalEngineer, April 1975

– Melvin M. Johnson, 33°, Chicago Scottish Rite Magazine, June, 1945

n e c e s s a r i l y r e p r e s e n t t o d a y ’ s v i e w p o i n t .

of Congress in Washington. It points outthat “until the Government cancelled itsrestrictions on horse racing, whiledenying the right of assemblage tolegitimate public groups ... every grouphad conscientiously complied with allofficial requests for cooperation. Butwhen the Government itself decides thattransportation problems are so wellsolved that horses and jockeys and racetrack patrons can expend travel miles sofreely, we feel justified . . . to raise avigorous voice of protest . . . insisting onthe right of unrestricted assemblage,within each state ... for the purpose offurthering the war effort, and adiscussion of peace-time problems ...which are no less important than theresumption of horse racing.”

Much of this country’s success hasdeveloped through meetings of groups ofcitizens coming from scattered localitieswho, while meeting because of a

common interest, exchange viewsconcerning public affairs, promote publicwelfare and maintain public morale, notonly in meetings but equally inconferences and conversations. Suchdiscussions are essential to thepreservation of liberty. Freedom ofassembly is even more important thanfreedom of the press.

It is difficult for me to understandwhy horse racing, with its attendanttravel and expenditure of millions ingambling, can be authorized while banscontinue on religious, educational,charitable, fraternal, scientific and othereleemosynary and benevolentorganizations.

I suggest that those of you who haveviews upon this subject, whatever theyare, write immediately to your senatorsand representatives in Congress that theymay be made aware of what you thinkabout it.

ATTENDANCE


Switch a wood-burningfireplace to gasIf you like the coziness of a burningfireplace but don't like to find woodand store it, or the task of building afire, you may be among homeownerswho decide to switch to a no-fuss gasfireplace instead.The Chimney Safety Institute of

America recommends that thechimney be thoroughly cleaned beforeinstalling a gas-burning unit. With gas,creosote doesn't build up as quickly,but the chimney needs to be inspectedfor cracks.

Cybersecurity withoutpasswordsThe government is backing a systemto verify identities online. It would bea fix for one of the fundamentalchallenges of the Internet today:many, many passwords.The U.S. Commerce Department

says the new online security systemwill eliminate passwords and couldboost e-commerce. The plan wouldcall for a single sign-in each time acomputer or smartphone is turned on,using a device such as a digital token,a smartcard or a fingerprint reader.

Once logged in, users would haveaccess to any website that has signedup for the program. You are thepassword in this system.Government experts say passwords

don't provide good security, becausemost people choose charactercombinations that are easily hacked.A security standard could also cut

the size of Internet company helpdesks. According to the HomelandSecurity Department, the highest costelement of help desks is dealing withlost passwords.

Save energy dryingclothesWhen you wash a heavy load oftowels or sweatshirts, run themthrough a second spin cycle in a toploading washing machine. For frontloaders, put them through a seconddrain-and-spin cycle. You'll get morewater out of heavy loads, whichmeans they will take less time to dry.Experts for Good Housekeeping

recommend adding a second load tothe dryer as soon as the first one isfinished. It will take less energy towarm it up. Add a clean dry towel toa wet load to absorb dampness andthe load will dry faster.

More older folks goonlineEldercare Locator, a service of the U.S.Administration on Aging, has releaseda guide to help seniors do things likego online to join social networks, hookup to Skype or explore Google.

The fastest-growing group of peopleusing social networking today is adultsages 65 and older, followed by thosein the 50 to 64 age group.

Let kids sleep in onweekendsA new study of young children whodidn't get the recommended nine to10 hours of sleep each night showsthat they were more likely to beoverweight and moving towardobesity. Reported in Time, those whoslept the least were four times as likelyto be obese as kids who slept betteror slept more.The good news is that letting kids

catch up on their sleep on weekendsreduced their risk of obesity.

Watch for lumensThe government wants the nextgeneration of light bulbs to bemeasured by lumens, meaningbrightness, and to show an annualenergy cost for each.A 60-watt bulb is about 800

lumens, but you may see a lumensestimate of 750 to 1050 on a specificbrand of bulb.

Walker safetyPeople of all ages use walkers whenthey have an injury or health problem.But the Centers for Disease Controland Prevention reports that most ofthe 47,000 people treated for fallsinvolving walking aids, particularlywalkers, are older people. How to staysafe:• Clear the way. Pick up throw

rugs, cords and any other trippinghazards. Watch for your dog or cat.• Have the right size. When your

arms are relaxed at your sides, thewalker handles should line up with thebend of your wrists.• With a non-wheeled walker, lift it

and move a comfortable arm's lengthahead, then step into the middle ofthe walker. With a wheeled walker,walk in the walker, not behind it.• Wear stable walking shoes with

nonskid soles or socks with rubbergrips on the bottom.• Keep the rubber legs of a walker

clean. Replace if they show wear.


In May, I attended the 3rd International Conference onthe History of Freemasonry at the George WashingtonMasonic Memorial in Alexandria, VA. This conferencewas previously held in Scotland.I was interested to network with scholars of

Freemasonry and let them know what rich resources wehave at the Van Gorden-Williams Library and Archives.My three colleagues all presented papers on their

historical research relating to Freemasonry.Many researchers are not always aware of where to find

manuscripts, correspondence, minute books, ledgers andephemera on the history of Freemasonry and otherfraternal organizations. This was a great opportunity forpromotion of the library and archives as well to see howscholars are currently using library and archival resourcesin their research.The three-day conference featured more than 80 papers

and six keynote addresses, delivered by scholars from theUnited States, Europe, and beyond. These papers weredivided into sessions such as “Freemasonry and Religion,”“Early American Freemasonry,” “Women andFreemasonry,” and “Afro-American Freemasonry.”Some of the most intriguing papers were “The female

case: the religious dimension of the Adoption Rite” by JanSnoek, Germany, “What I am today: Benjamin Emmons’Masonic gift,” Hilary Anderson Stelling, USA, (director ofexhibitions and audience development, Scottish RiteMasonic Museum and Library), “Public Masonicprocessions in the thirteen American colonies,” JohnWade, UK, “Freemason women and modern civic life inGeorge Sand’s ‘La Comtesse de Rudolstadt’” by JamesSmith Allen, USA, and “Prince Hall Grand Masters:Unacknowledged Generals of the American Civil Rightsmovement, 1930-1968,” by Stephen Hill Sr., USA.

James Smith Allen’s analysis of George Sand’s Frenchnovel, La Comtesse de Rudolstadt (1843), was welldocumented. He traced the sources for Sand’s account ofFreemasonry in the 18th century and showed that theauthor made careful use of them in her fictional narrative.The main character, Consuelo, begins life as a pennilessdaughter of a Spanish gypsy, and is transformed into anopera star by the maestro Porpora. As part of this comingof age story, Consuelo is initiated into co-Masonry inFrance. According to Allen, this initiation and story isan accurate reflection of French intellectual and civic life inpost-Revolutionary France.

An interesting discussion followed papers delivered on“Afro-American Freemasonry.” Questions were

posed to the presenters, Jeff Croteau (manager of thelibrary and archives, Scottish Rite Masonic Museum andLibrary) and Stephen Hill concerning the participation ofblack abolitionists in predominantly white Masonic lodgesin Schenectady, NY, during the 19th century and the roleof politics in Prince Hall lodges during the 1960s andtoday.In her paper entitled, “Sparkling through Time: Paul

Revere’s Masonic Jewels,” Aimee Newell (director ofcollections, Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library),used correspondence and lodge minutes to support herhistorical inquiry. Jeff Croteau and Hilary AndersonStelling also used archival sources to support theirresearch. The Van Gorden-Williams Library andArchives has the Masonic resources to inspire many moreresearch inquiries of this type.

The Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives is locatedjust off the main lobby of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museumand Library and is open to the public 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm,Wednesday-Saturday. Reference assistance is provided inperson, by phone, or by email. You may contact us at781-457-4109 or [email protected].

More than Just Books . . .Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives at the National Heritage Museum

On the International Scene

View of the grounds from atop theGeorge Washington Masonic Memorial.


Kindness Counts

In 2007, my dear wife Shirley passed awayafter 52 years of a wonderful marriage.Shirley’s passing was the hardest thing I hadever endured. A few days later my door bellrang and, to my surprise, Past Master FredShindle and Tyler William Stecley fromCollingswood Lodge stopped by to offer theircondolences. After reading “Does it HappenHere?” (TNL, Feb. 2011) and reflecting ontheir kindness, I realized I had never thankedthem for helping me at a very low point in mylife. I now thank them both from the bottomof my heart. I’m glad to report “It doesn’talways happen here.”

William B. Hunter Jr.Valley of Southern New Jersey

Happy Birthday to You

Thank you for the special good wishes that you sent to me onmy 95th birthday. It certainly was a special card and the onlyMasonic acknowlegement that I received – other than a duesnotice.

Having previously read your page three report in the Mayissue of The Northern Light, I must also send my congratulationson your theme about individually caring for each other.

At 95, I have walking problems and very poor eyesight to seewhere I am going. I can no longer be active but I do care, andappreciate your thoughtfulness.

Nevin E. SchlichtingValley of Philadelphia

The Masonic Goat?

Your February cover story of The NorthernLight featured a Masonic Goat which appearsto be a ram, a sheep, not a goat. On receivingthe May 2011 issue, I've noticed on page 30 asingle response from a reader in Chicago, buthe did not mention the obvious that the goat isa curly-horned sheep.

John R. DavisValley of Philadelphia

Editor’s Note: The photo was of an object in theScottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library,constructed by Demoulin Brothers of Greenvile, IL,1900-25, titled “Bucking Billy Goat.”

Another View

I call your attention to the cartoon on page 28 (TNL, Feb.2011). The caption “Does the wet snow make my butt look toobig?” made by the female snowman is obviously gender basedand while some may find humor there, I do not. I perceive it tobe anything but humorous, in fact I find it offensive in nature.Now I enjoy humor as well as the next Mason, however in aMasonic magazine such as yours this cartoon was out of place,especially when it makes humor of one sex or the other.

D. Arthur BushGrand Lodge of Oregon, A.F. & A.M.

Please submit your own Masonic photos toThe Northern Light. We are accepting submissions ofall things Masonic — people, places or occurrences,to share with our readership. You may send your photo to [email protected], or mail your submission to:The Northern Light, PO Box 519, Lexington, MA 02420-0519. Include your name, address and Masonic affiliation. Photos will not be returned.

masonicmoments

While serving as GrandLodge Representative

from Connecticut to theGrand Lodge of Sao

Paulo, Brazil, Peter G.Gaulton, Valley of

Hartford, visited theseaport town of Paratyand found this monu-ment dedicated to the

Masons who are creditedwith designing the

layout of this historiccommunity, located

south of Rio de Janiero.

we welcome letters and emails from our readers in response to articlesappearing in The Northern Light and will reprint them as space permits. Lettersmust be signed, should be brief, and are subject to editing.

An historial marker in Sandusky, OH, taken byKenneth L. Doyle, Valley of Indianapolis


et cetera, et cetera,etc.Address ChangesAre you moving, and you want tomake sure you continue to receive TheNorthern Light at your new home? Thequickest and most efficient way tohave your address changed is toinform your Valley Secretary. He hasaccess to the membership databaseused for all correspondence,including the magazine. If you don’tknow the name or address of yourValley Secretary both pieces ofinformation can be found atScottishRiteOnline.org under“Organization” and then under“Locate a Valley.”

Going GreenIn the February issue of The NorthernLight we announced that themagazine is now available fordownloading to your favoriteelectronic device. This option wasmade available when we heard fromsome of our readers asking for thisconvenience. In April we received ourfirst official request to be removedfrom the hardcopy subscription list.Bro. Michael Herr from the Valley ofSpringfield, IL, made the request, notbecause he was displeased with thecontent. Rather, he said, he was“going green.” He now reads themagazine electronically and doesn’twant to waste the paper. Rest assuredthat The Northern Light will beavailable in its original paper form formany years to come, but memberscan take advantage of this new era byvisiting ScottishRiteOnline.org under“Member’s Center,” and then“Northern Light.” Not only will yoube able to sign up for the electronicversion, but you can also downloadall previous editions.

Shedding Light onSunshineThe article on the amazing story ofRoy and Georgette Engler and theirSunshine home, featured in this issue,

was the work of many individuals.First, Gary McElfresh, ExecutiveSecretary for the Valley of Toledo, putus on to the story, provided a copy ofa public television documentaryproduced on the subject, and put usin contact with many of theprincipals of the story. Bro. Byron“Barney” Stickles was invaluable withhis first-person accounts. Barney wasthere when the events unfolded, andhe still takes an active role inday-to-day life at Sunshine. CarolynMiller, communications coordinatorat Sunshine was a tremendous help,offering us a complete timeline of thehistory of the center, and she outlinedthe programs offered today. We alsothank public television station,WGTE. Its program, Making Sunshine,provided several leads to follow andoffered an overview of the Englerstory.

An Active ActiveIll. Bro. Garry Hageness, an ActiveMember for Wisconsin, wasrecognized for the great work he hasbeen doing in his community. In Mayhe received the “Bert Grover ChildAdvocacy Award,” bestowed by theWisconsin Association of SchoolDistrict Administrators. Bro. Hagenesshas been offering his services in avariety of ways. He has been activewith Big Brothers/Big Sisters. He hasofficiated youth football games, andhe spearheaded a project whichresulted in a new sports complex forthe Eleva-Strum High School. Theschool superintendent says, “He’ssuch a modest man. . . . He’s alwayscared about the kids.” According tohis local newspaper, the LeaderTelegram, “The $1,000 check hereceived with the honor was given tothe Eau Claire Dyslexia Center.” Bro.Steve Pekock, director of development

for the Supreme Council says aboutBro. Hageness, “Garry is an old-fashioned kind of guy. He sees aneed, rounds up some friends, andgets it done.”

InternationalConference on theMoveAs with the first two editions, theScottish Rite Masonic Museum andLibrary was well represented at theInternational Conference on theHistory of Freemasonry. As reportedin “More than Just Books”, (page 29)three staff members presented papers.The conference was started inEdinburgh in 2007, and is now stagedevery other year to bring many of theleading experts on the history of ourfraternity together. The secondconference was also held inEdinburgh and this year it came tothe United States, hosted by theGeorge Washington MasonicMemorial in Virginia. In 2013, it willbe held in northern England, in theManchester/Sheffield area. In 2015, itheads back to North America, asToronto plays host.

Alan E. Foulds, 32°editor

The Northern LightP.O. Box 519Lexington, MA 02420-0519

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august 2011

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