Rhode Island JUNE/JULY 2016

freemason

Grand Lodge of Rhode Island Established 1791 Volume Forty Two, Issue One

Most Worshipful Brother

Stephen Thomas McGuire Our 161st Grand Master for the State of Rhode Island & Providence Plantations

RWElliott R. Greene, Grand Marshal

MWStephen T. McGuire, Grand Master

MWHerbert H. McGuire, Past Grand Master 1989

Page 2 June/July 2016 ___________________________________________________________________________

Brother Stephen T. McGuire Most Worshipful Grand Master

Greetings Brethren,

I’ve attended a good number of Grand Lodge annuals over the years and I know acceptance speeches are supposed to be short and sweet. That said, you’re only Grand Master once and you only get to address an open Grand Lodge three times. There are some things I think should be said and some things I want to say. Many Past Grand Masters have told me that the only way to do this job is to be one’s self so I’m going to present them.

First, and most importantly, I owe a debt of gratitude to many people, without whom I would not be standing here. I’m grateful to today’s installing suite for the outstanding job we all knew they

were going to do. MWRichard Sokoll and RWGary Kaufman, thank you both so much. It’s hard to believe the Grand Lodge line has come full cycle since that May day in 2008 when the two of you stood where Elliott and I stand today. Thank you,

MWDennis Pothier for such a great introduction. I’d like a

copy of that to give to Maureen for my obituary! To RWElliott Greene thanks for your friendship and support. Maureen and I are looking forward to a great year traveling with you and Lynn. I

especially want to welcome RWAndre Faria and WBrandt Evans aboard. Thank you to the members of the Grand Council, the District Deputy Grand Masters and every Brother installed today as a Grand Lodge officer in any capacity. Your com-mitment to the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island is not only appreciated, it’s vital to our future.

I mentioned Maureen a minute ago and I can’t stress enough how much she means to me and how much I love her. She has supported me throughout these travels and throughout life. Truthfully, she has done more for our fraternity than many of our brothers. For various Masonic events she has cooked meals, cut strawberries, baked, shopped, scrubbed pots, pans, floors and who knows what else. She attended virtually every semi-public installation I ever participated in. When her mom, M. Ernestine Massaro, was alive she came along with Maureen to those installations. Mo has been in every lodge room in the state with the exceptions of St. Albans, Mt. Moriah and St. Paul’s all of which she has told me we will attend this year. District Deputies, consider yourselves forewarned. Brother Frank Castellone plays “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” for me but Maureen’s eyes are truly the ones that smile. I can’t say enough about our three sons: Josh, Todd, and Jack. Maureen and I are both extremely proud of each and every one of them. Growing up they went to more ham and bean, spaghetti and meatball, turkey and roast beef dinners than you can count. They helped cook, wait tables, clean and move furniture. Josh is a brother and he is here with us

Grand Master’s Message today. He has volunteered his time and truck more times than I can count. He’s worked key jobs with the Scottish Rite Gaspee Ghost Walk and 10K by the Bay road race. He even played Santa Claus once when I was sick but his wife, Tiffany, wouldn’t stand for that now as our grandchildren: Kyle and Connor would undoubtedly recognize Daddy.

Most of you know my father is a Past Grand Master, serving the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island in 1989. He is also a 56-year member of the fraternity. I don’t know when the first time there was a Grand Master who served after his father had served as Grand Master before him but the last time was two years ago

when MWWyman Hallstrom, III served after his father,

MWWyman Hallstrom, Jr. served in 2005. I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet that will never happen 2 out of 3 years again. I’ve pointed out that the McGuire family has three generations of Freemasons here today but, while it isn’t truly generational, our family has an even bigger connection to the Craft than that. My mother’s father, Thomas Clarke was a Mason in Mt. Hope Lodge of Fall River for 65 years and his father was a member of the same lodge. So Josh is a Master Mason just like his father, grandfather, great grandfather and great, great grandfather. Before that I don’t know.

My mother and father have always been very supportive of me and my family as parents and grandparents. We have shared the additional blessings of belonging to this fraternity and all it entails. Unless he was in Florida, my dad attended every visitation and installation I had. If the installation was semi-public my mom was there too. Thanks to the Supreme Architect of the Universe that they are both here to share this day with us.

Those of you who know our family know we have, and always have had, a deep love for sailing and Narragansett Bay. Those of you who remember the Grand Lodge pin for 1989 know that it was a sailboat with “RI 89” prominently displayed on it. It was

designed by one of MWArnie Wasserman’s graphic artists and was very popular. Every once in a while I still see one on a brother’s lapel. A few years ago I asked my dad if he minded me having a sailboat on my pin and he gave me his blessing.

(continued on page 7)

Rhode Island FREEMASON

(USPS 366-750)

Published by the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island 222 Taunton Avenue, East Providence, RI 02914

Published in December, February, April, June, August and October

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:

The Grand Lodge of Rhode Island 222 Taunton Avenue, East Providence, RI 02914

Periodicals Paid in Providence, RI

________________________________________________________________ Rhode Island Freemason Page 3 On April 8th and 9th, Scottish Rite Freemasonry was a showcase of the hard work and dedication of the works of the Lodge of Perfection from many parts of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Brethren traveled from as far as Rochester, New York and most of the New England States to participate, at the invitation of Boston Lafayette Lodge of Perfection, Valley of Boston, to provide the drama of the 4th to the 14th degree. This invitation was to celebrate the 175 years of activity within the Valley of Boston. Our own Valley of Providence performed the 7th Degree; Provost and Judge, to great applause and inspiration to those in attendance. The excellent degree work displayed on those two days was nothing short of outstanding. All who attended witnessed true brotherhood, casting and direction at its finest. “Was this not another Great Day in America?”

On April 10th the Valley of Providence, under the direction of the Chapter of Rose Croix, presented the Feast of the Paschal Lamb. Every two years the Valley of Providence celebrates the lives of those brethren who have departed. The families of those deceased brothers were invited to share in the service honoring their loved ones. This solemn ceremony provided a wonderful afternoon for families to come in contact with other families and together share stories and memories. Dr. Sammy C. Vaughan was the guest speaker. A light collation ended the day.

This past weekend was true to the mission of the Scottish Rite. We were Inspired by the work at hand along with the convenience both events provided and the wonderful enjoyment

expressive of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.

Grand Lodge

Church Service

Sunday, June 26, 2016 Service at 10:15 AM

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 99 Pierce Street

East Greenwich, RI

M∴W∴Stephen T. McGuire invites all brethren and their families to join him and Grand Lodge

officers for a worship service.

A Masonic procession will assemble at the parking lot of Crestar Manufacturing located at 51 Liberty St. directly behind Centerville Bank on Main St. The meeting time for those who wish to march in the procession will be at 9:30 AM.

Grand Lodge council officers should wear tails, tuxedos for all others. Lodge officers should wear tuxedos, jewels, and aprons, all Masons should wear aprons. Concordant body officers in attendance should wear the regalia, jewels and aprons of their body. Commandery escort in uniform with chapeau and sword.

We look forward to participation from all lodges and concordant bodies.

Drama and the Celebration of Life By: M∴W∴Dennis W. Pothier, PGM

We need your help!

The Grand Lodge is looking to digitize and place in “Rolls” the complete membership

records of all RI Masons going back to 1749.

We are looking for several volunteer brothers who can give 3-5 hours per week of their time to enter

membership data from our old card file system into our “Rolls” membership program. This work is taking place at the Grand Lodge Library and is coordinated

by WMark Eddleston

Please contact Mark at rollsarchives@rimasons.org to volunteer your time or if you have questions.

Page 4 June/July 2016 ___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________ Rhode Island Freemason Page 5

Moslem Grotto is the playground of Freemasonry in Rhode Island. We value our Masonic obligations but we also have fun. We encourage our ladies to attend our meetings. They are welcome for the meeting meal and the camaraderie after the regular Grotto Meeting, which is always short. We always start our meetings nights with an “attitude-adjustment” period followed by some very fine dining, a short meeting and collation.

The slogan of a member of the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm (known simply as Grotto) is; Much Sympathy and Good Fellowship. We the members of Moslem Grotto have been expressing our sympathy this year through our charitable works. We have volunteered at the Woonsocket Autumn Fest with the CHIP program, we also donated close to 100 pairs of new socks to Chapel Street Congregational Church, UCC Sock Drive for the homeless, as well as donating over 1000 toothbrushes to the Pawtucket Backpackers, which assists families in need in the Pawtucket school system. We also support our Humanitarian Foundation which oversees a Dental Program for special needs children. This is done by the purchase of “Enchanted Lanterns” which we can wear on our Fez.

These are some of the many activities and rewards of being a Moslem Grotto member:

An open sesame for fun and a fuller life for the whole family, including enjoyment of beautiful ceremonials, installations, family picnics, pilgrimages to near and far places.

The opportunity to meet with your fellow Prophets, many of whom are professional, business, and civic leaders and to make lasting friendships.

Being a Grotto member enables you the opportunity of sharing in our great humanitarian project of Dental Care for Children with special needs.

Every Master Mason, is eligible to become a member of the Grotto and can join in the humanitarian work which the Grotto is so fervently sponsoring.

The right to wear the Grotto Fez and Grotto Pin, identifying yourself as a member of the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, also known as the Grottos of North America, the greatest fraternal order a Master Mason can join. Thousands of Prophets are proud to wear the Black Fez and Mokanna pin!

A welcome to visit any of the Grottoes throughout the United States and Canada.

Prophets have reached the zenith of attainment when they have learned to express their principles of Masonry as "doing good for others."

If you would like further information about Moslem Grotto please feel free to contact Prophet Monarch, Robert Lyle at

rlylepawt@msn.com.

Hello All,

Since the last article we have had a large variety of events here at Gaspee Chapter. We attended a Pie Day for Fidelity Chapter March 12th where the whole day was focused around pie! We had things from pie throwing to a pie walk. Our next event March 18th was a Legion of Honor Dinner Observance and election of officers. Next was the Woodridge Rainbow Assembly’s No. 10, April Fools dinner on April 2, 2016. This was fun because for dinner we had eggs, bacon, French-toast, sausage, potatoes and muffins and we were able to attend in our pajamas! Lastly, we had an Awake-A-Thon 2016 on April 16th. Throughout the night we had many things planned and everyone had fun.

Now let's get a little more serious. In my last article I stated how everyone was assigned new roles. Well, since then everyone has been studying and learning their lines. Everyone is doing really good with their ritual. This was a good thing because on April 24th we had an initiation. We initiated 11 new brothers into DeMolay. During the last few months we have had meetings and have been selling fundraising tickets. Everyone has done well on this effort. We started with 200 tickets. Now there are 40 tickets left!

We continue to grow RI DeMolay and hope you will join us at our

future meetings.

Fraternally, Allen LaMoore, Jr.

It’s been a busy few months and there are lots more coming up. Thanks to all who supported the Central District with the steak fry to help our girls attend Supreme Assembly this summer. We really appreciate it. By the time you receive this we will have had our Grand Representatives’ Day with their reports and costumes as well as Morgan announcing her Grand Family for 2016-2017. Our next event will be Grand Assembly on July 8-10 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Friday evening at 7:00 PM is our informal session with the introduction of our visiting dignitaries. Looking forward to seeing you there. Just a reminder that all Masons and their wives are able to attend all of our sessions including Saturday morning.

July 29th will find us arriving at the downtown Courtyard to begin the activities for Supreme Assembly. We are so excited and appreciative for the Grand Lodge cookout and fireworks on Saturday July 30th at the Youth Center. Thank you for doing this for all of the girls who will be attending the Supreme Sessions from around the world. Sunday morning will be our church service, memorial, and Grand Cross luncheon.

(continued on page 6)

Moselm Grotto By: Robert Lyle, Prophet Monarch

Gaspee Chapter RI DeMolay By: Allen LaMoore, Jr., Master Councilor

Rhode Island Grand Assembly International Order of Rainbow Girls By: Lynn D. Gebler, Supreme Inspector

Page 6 June/July 2016 ___________________________________________________________________________

Meet Brother Frank A. Castellone a member of St. Johns No. 1P and the Rhode Island Grand Lodge Musical Director.

Frank was also a Sergeant in the US Army, having served in Vietnam from October 1968 to October 1969. He served in the 107th Signal Company and was later assigned as a Chaplain

Assistant while in Vietnam where he was awarded the Bronze Star.

After reading about the Masonic Service Association Hospital Visitation program in the RI Freemason, Brother Frank called me to ask how he could get involved in the program, to give back not only as a Mason but also as a Veteran.

After accompanying me on a few visitations to the hospital, Frank was ready to sign up as a member of our committee. Being retired, Frank wanted to take his commitment one step further and signed up to be a volunteer driver for the VA Hospital.

Frank now drives disabled Veterans from the South County area to the VA Hospital and back home two to three times a week, he normally works from 7:00 AM until 2:00 PM but will work later if the need is there.

Frank enjoys the camaraderie with his fellow veterans and also likes to spread the word how the RI Masons support the Veterans in many ways.

This is Franks’ way of giving back as a Mason and a Veteran.

On April 23rd, Ezekiel Bates Lodge hosted MasoniCon, a day of Masonic activities and brotherhood. One of the predominant questions asked throughout the day was, "What are the Tall Cedars?".

Incorporated in 1902, the Tall Cedars of Lebanon is an appendant Masonic organization devoted to fostering friendship and fellowship among Freemasons and to all Mankind. Cedars do not wear a traditional apron during their meetings but rather don a "pyramid" upon their heads. Also, Cedars do not hold meetings in a "lodge" but meet in "forests".

Massasoit Forest No. 91 of the Tall Cedars participated in Masonicon by having a booth where interested brothers could ask questions and learn more about this mostly unknown Masonic body. At the end of the day, the Forest put on its Prologue and Royal Court degree for all those in attendance. By far the most exciting part of the day was the initiation of 17 new Cedars into the Forest! In the last year and a half, the small but growing Forest has increased its membership by over 60%.

The motto of the Tall Cedars is "Fun, Frolic and Fellowship - for a purpose!" The purpose being the raising of monies in the fight against Muscular Dystrophy. Since 1951, the Cedars have been a strong supporter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and every year raise thousands of dollars to support this cause.

Massasoit Forest No. 91 meets the first Thursday of every month (except July and August) at the Grand Lodge building in East Providence. If you are interested in learning more about the Tall Cedars, please email me at roberttgoff@gmail.com. ____________________________________________________

(continued from Page 5, Rainbow Girls)

Sunday evening is the formal banquet. Monday evening will be the opening session with dignitaries from across the world. Tuesday morning will be initiation of new members and then sessions in the afternoon where all Past Grand Worthy Advisors will be introduced and in the evening the spectacular cavalcade of flags. Sessions end on Wednesday morning with the closing session and installation of the 2016-2018 Supreme Officers. A more detailed schedule is on the gorainbow.org website under the Supreme Assembly tab in the upper right corner.

We are pleased that a number of our girls will be participating. Samantha Hopkins and Eryka Daniels will be singing with the Supreme Choir, Shelbie Cornelius will be in the skits, Heather Dunford will be carrying the Rhode Island Flag in the Cavalcade, Morgan Grace will be Page to the Supreme Outer Observer, and carry the Rhode Island Flag as part of the hostess Jurisdictions on Monday evening, and also be the Chaplain on the Grand Cross of Color Team, Amanda Grace and Andrea Barragan will be carrying International Flags on the Monday evening.

We are so excited that Supreme is here in Little Rhody and that we are part of this wonderful event. We especially thank Grand Lodge for the generous donations over the last few years and all the others who have supported us financially to help us attend these sessions at a minimal cost and for your physical presence and support.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon. _______________________________________

The Masonic Service Association of N.A. Hospital Visitation Program -- Giving Back

By: Brother, Russell A. Kawa, PM

50-Year Masonic Service Medal Presented to RI Veteran

In February, RI Masons visited the RI Veterans Home and presented a 50-year Masonic Service Medal to Brother Robert Labonte, who is a member of St. Johns Lodge No.1 Providence (He is in the tee shirt). Also joining us was Brother William Jaycox, Past Master of St. Albans Lodge No.6 (seated next to brother Robert).

Back Row L-R:

Brother William Deluca, SW - St. Johns 1P Lodge; M WRaymond E.

Hassell, Grand Master; RWKenneth Poyton, Metro DDGM;

WMichael Northup, Metro GMC; and RWGen. Rick Baccus, Grand Marshal.

What are the Tall Cedars? By: Brother, Robert Goff

Grand Tall Cedar

__________________________________________________________________________________ Rhode Island Freemason Page 7

(continued from Page 2, Grand Master’s Message)

This pin too, has been designed by a Brother; WAlan French.

WFrench is not only the Secretary and a Past Master of Harmony Lodge, he has today been installed our Grand Pursuivant. As is customary, when you leave here you’ll receive this year’s pin. When you look at it you’ll see a sailboat with “RI 2016” prominently displayed. On the hull, which is the foundation of any vessel, is the number “89” to honor and thank my father for all he has done for me. I do want to point out one thing dad: your boat is on a port tack. Mine is on starboard so I have the right of way! The next subject I want to touch on is relative to the size of this grand jurisdiction. Obviously we are very small; there aren’t many jurisdictions one could compare us to. I guess Delaware is about it. That may present us with unique problems but it also presents us with unique opportunities. I can’t prove it but I’d bet there are 50-year Masons in Texas and California who have never met a Grand Master of their state. Here, if a brother is at all active he likely knows the Grand Master of Rhode Island for every year since he’s been initiated. That’s to our advantage. My point is we’re all in this together; we’re all Rhode Island Masons. If you also happen to be a Shriner, or a Scottish Rite Mason, or a York Rite Mason and you enjoy attending that concordant body better than your Blue Lodge that’s OK. Conversely, if you belong to one or more of those bodies but prefer attending Blue Lodge there’s nothing wrong with that. Just don’t forget that we aren’t about this building or the Shrine or the Scottish Rite building or any of the beautiful Masonic Temples in this state. We are about each other. We are brothers. So make it a point to attend every- body you belong to at least a couple of times a year. Go to your Lodge to see a degree. Support your brothers. If your Lodge (or any Lodge) is having a meal for charity go, bring family & friends. Read the RI FREEMASON shortly after it arrives and circle a couple of upcoming events and attend them. Support Rainbow and DeMolay. Just before signing the Declaration of Independence, our Brother and Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin said: “We must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately”. I’d like to paraphrase that and say, “We must all succeed together lest we all fail separately”.

Most of you are aware of the fact that this year marks the 225th anniversary of the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island. That’s a significant milestone. On Monday, June 27th 1791, St. John’s Lodge of Newport and St Johns Lodge of Providence together held the first Grand Lodge meeting. There is nothing coincidental about that date. The Feast of St. John the Baptist is celebrated on June 24th and the world’s first Grand Lodge was formed on June 24th 1717. I have no doubt that 225 years ago our Brothers from the two Lodges of St John attended church together on St. John’s Sunday (June 26th) and together formed the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island the next day. What is coincidental is the fact these dates fall on the same days in 2016. So on Sunday, June 26th, 225 years to the day after our brothers attended church together we will attend church together at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Greenwich. Father Timothy Rich, the Rector at St. Luke’s told me one of his previous assignments was as Rector of St. John’s Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For approximately 200 years the brothers of St. John’s Lodge in New Hampshire have been attending St John’s Church on St. John’s Sunday. Father Tim is looking forward to our visit.

The International Order of Rainbow for Girls assembly and conference will convene in New England for the first time ever this summer. Virtually all of the girls will be staying at Hotels in Providence and, to the best of my knowledge, the majority of the sessions and other events will be held in the Dunkin Donuts Center. As a way to welcome the members of the Supreme

Assembly we will host a picnic at our Masonic Youth Center in Warwick on Saturday, July 30th. In conjunction with this, we are moving the Grand Lodge Picnic from its usual Sunday in August to Saturday, July 30th. As part of our 225th anniversary celebration, and as entertainment for our guests, there will be

fireworks shortly after dusk. RWGrand Chaplain, we’re going to need clear skies July 30th.

For many years I’ve considered our Cardinal Virtues and how to best live by the principles they represent. How the virtues could be used to make us better brothers and make our lodges stronger. Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice: four nouns. How does one best define a noun and what it should mean? The definitions within our Trestle boards are clear and concise but I wanted to relay some food for thought as part of this office. The answer to me is four adjectives. So I ask each of you to think about these adjectives at least occasionally during the coming year.

Be Proud: Be proud of your ritual and your contributions during

degree work. Be proud of your appearance so, when a candidate is brought to light, he’ll look at you and think, “That’s what a Master Mason should look like”. Be proud of your Lodge, not only it’s physical appearance but in the way it’s members obviously care for each other and enjoy being together practicing Freemasonry. Be proud to be a Mason.

Be Respectful: Be respectful of those who have gone before

you and of those who are coming after you. Those who have gone before have most likely worked hard to pass the reins of the Craft on to you in the best possible condition. If there is something you are unhappy with or disagree with discuss it in a civil, gentlemanly manner. You’ll likely learn no one was completely right and no one was completely wrong. Those who are following you will be looking to you for advice and direction. Be sure they receive that in a manner that will best serve your Lodge and its’ members. Be respectful of your candidates. Don’t just tell them they’ve joined the greatest fraternity in the world, prove it to them.

Be Inquisitive: This is a tricky one, many definitions of inquisitive equate it with being prying or nosy. By being inquisitive I mean care enough about certain things to want to know why they are the way they are. Very few things in this world are coincidental. Most customs and traditions are steeped in history and have evolved to what they are for very specific reasons. Don’t just change things because you don’t like them, or they don’t make sense to you. Find all you can about something before you change it, or before you declare that it should never be changed. Not all change is bad but just about all lack of knowledge is.

Be Enthusiastic: This is the most important adjective to me.

Obviously, I mean be enthusiastic as a Mason and in all the positions you hold whether in line or elsewhere. More importantly, be enthusiastic as a son and father, as a brother, as an employee or an employer. Always strive to be enthusiastic as a husband and a man so that when the people who know you see you walking down the street, they can’t help but think, “There

goes a Master Mason”.

Thank you all for everything!

Stephen T. McGuire Grand Master

Page 8 June/July 2016 __________________________________________________________________________

Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master, Most Worshipful Past Grand Masters, Grand Lodge Officers, Distinguished Guests, Masters, Wardens, and brethern all, Good Morning.

I cannot begin to express how honored and proud I am to be able to stand before you and deliver my closing address on what I think was another very successful year for Masonry here in this great state we live in. To say thank you seems quite inadequate for all of the support, help and participation not only from the Grand Officers, who always travel, but from all the brothers that came out wherever the Grand Marshal and I traveled, whether it was to your lodge or your district or for some special event. This has been a year that I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams. Because of you all I will never forget the beautiful memories.

To our Distinguished guests and visitors, thank you for taking time from your busy schedules to join us here today for our 225th Annual Communication.

I’m sure that we are taking good care of you and your Ladies if they are traveling with you, but if there is anything you need to make your stay with us more enjoyable please let myself or any Grand Lodge Officer know and we’ll do our best to resolve that situation. You have taken excellent care of my wife Lynn and I everywhere we traveled and are now pleased to return the favor.

NECROLOGY

My brothers, again this year, some of our friends and brothers have laid down their working tools and journeyed to the Celestial Lodge above. You will give

your attention to the RWGrand Secretary Wyman P. Hallstrom, Jr. as he reads the roll of the workmen who have been called home. This report will concentrate more on the second half of the year, from the Semi- Annual Communication until now, however I will still highlight a few things from the first part of the year. First I’m sure you will all agree when we were younger maybe even in school, time moved much slower. It seemed to take forever for summer vacation to come, but as we get older time speeds up and the years click away, however this year I thought was attached to a rocket ship. I

simply cannot believe it’s been one year since I was installed as Grand Master.

VISITATIONS and EVENTS

Keeping things new, fresh and different is a key not only to Masonry but in every aspect of life. One thing we did this year was a Table Lodge at Fort Adams in conjunction with the tall ship L’Hermione with Generals Washington and Lafayette in attendance. My thanks to

RWSteven McGuire, Deputy Grand

Master and RWDavid Lavery who were responsible for making everything work after the original date had to be changed and I became unavailable. We also had a wonderful trip to the GWMNM in October. I went to my

mother lodge, St Andrews No. 39 and asked them if I could count on their support as I wanted to do Degree work there and not just open and close. Not only did they offer support, they ran the whole trip and what a great time we had. Our Senior Warden Chris Cox put all the plans together, thanks Chris.

The visitations were very well attended this year and we really had some great programs, from renowned authors speaking not only of their books, to the Rainbow Girls presenting the Fun Degree and picking on some of Harmony Lodge officers, including the Master Al Anton and making them Honorary Rainbow Girls. All great programs!

This year it was my pleasure to appoint

RWRussell Kawa as the MSA representative and Andre Gregoire as assistant. Through their efforts not only did we continue to purchase and distribute gifts to all the residents at the Veterans Home in Bristol and at the VA Hospital, but also through Grand Lodge Charities and the Board of Managers we were able to purchase a Golf Cart and donate it to the VA Hospital. They needed it to transport patients between buildings on the Hospital grounds and the main building and to pick up patients arriving for out-patient appointments. It was delivered on a very cold morning in January to the Hospital Director, Dr. Susan MacKenzie and the Chief of the VA Voluntary services, Donna Russillo. I cannot express how appreciative and thrilled they were. Some of you may remember the February/March issue of the RI Freemason had the picture on the cover and with those tires it looked more like an ATV than a golf cart.

On January 17-24, my wife Lynn and I along with 30 other Masons and ladies cruised the Eastern Caribbean. It had been a few years since the last Grand Master’s cruise but it was well received

and I think everyone had a great time. Included in the group was a Past Grand Master of PA, Ron Angst and his lady, the Deputy Grand Master, the Grand Marshal, several Past Grand Masters, Past Grand Marshals and their ladies and even some Rainbow people. Some of the East Bay brothers may remember Larry Dennis who relocated to Florida years ago, he and his wife also joined us. It was just an all-around great group.

Rhode Island was the host for the New England Grand Officers weekend this year, which was held at the Airport Ramada Inn under the direction of

RWPeter Iacobucci. New Hampshire has been hosting this event for the last few years and asked for someone else to step up for this year and Rhode Island was glad to help. It is pretty much a social event where we get to meet some of our counterparts and spend time discussing Masonry, although we did have a short program on Fort Adams presented by brother Doc Perry which was interesting and enlightening.

The Grand Secretary, Deputy Grand Master and I attended the North East Grand Masters Conference, hosted by New Hampshire. It was well attended and very informative and continues to grow each year. There was plenty of good information at the different breakout sessions and ended with a great banquet.

February 19-23 was the North American Conference of Grand Masters, held in Madison, Wisconsin. The entire Grand Council plus the Grand Secretary with their ladies attended this one. This year

MWCarl Willi, PGM joined us having been appointed as assistant secretary and already elected to take over as Grand Secretary later today, attended in

MWHallstrom’s place. This year there were many more breakout sessions, which were loaded with in-formation and topics that covered many of the things that all Grand Lodges are facing today; membership issues, finances, insurance, taxes, not for profits and electronic social media to name a few.

This year because of the way the dates fell it was necessary for Lynn and I to go directly from the Conference in Madison to Florida for the Winter Luncheon with our snowbirds and those who have relocated to the sunny south. The luncheon is held at Sahib Shrine Temple each year through the efforts of

MWHerb McGuire and MWJoe Brearley.

(continued on page 9)

MWRaymond E. Hassell, Junior Past Grand Master

2016 Annual Communication Final Address - May, 23, 2016

__________________________________________________________________ Rhode Island Freemason Page 9

(continued from Page 8, Final Address)

Our Illustrious Potentate Glen Medeiros and Kerry were with us as well as Potentate Carroll Scribner and Sandy from Sahib Shrine. Three brothers were eligible for their 50-year Grand Lodge Service Medals; John R. Abbott Jr., Walter Jackson, and Richard Passman. Including our three new 50-year members there were a total of 11 present. Charlie Miller also received a 50th year Shrine pin and I was pleased to present two 50-year Eastern Star pins to Barbara Blake and Peg Ward, both members of Martha Washington Chapter to which the Grand Marshal and I along with our wives also belong.

YOUTH

The Grand Lodge Youth Committee has been busy this year planning all kinds of special events. On April 24th there was a State Initiation for DeMolay where 11 young men joined various Chapters with the State Master Councilor Michael Palmer presiding. I was honored to have the class named after me. The Youth Committee will be put to the test this year with Supreme Assembly International Order of the Rainbow for Girls coming to New England to be hosted here in RI. I hope that all of you will consider attending a youth meeting this year as they need our support and they just could be future members maybe even presenting some of us with 50-year medals!

Thank You

My list of thanks would be quite extensive if I were to list everyone that helped or came out to be counted this year. There are just so many great Masons I would not know where to begin so I’ll just say that I’m proud to know and be friends with each

and every one of you. God Bless you all.

Raymond E. Hassell, Grand Master

In late November 1865, seven Freemasons from Hope Valley petitioned the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island to form a new lodge. Why did they do that?

Freemasonry began in Rhode Island in the 1740s with the Grand Lodge being constituted in 1792 and has seen two major periods of growth. The first period between 1793-1826 saw 19 lodges formed and the second period between 1854 and 1878 saw another 20. The other lodges were formed outside of these highly active periods.

The anti-Masonic period spanning 30 years or so, from 1929, saw no new lodges although (with the exception of Evening Star Lodge) no lodges went dark at that time. History records that lodges continued to hold their meetings although no real work was done. By “work” we refer to the work of ritual, conferring degrees and growing the Craft. The period lasted until about 1847 but the Craft found it difficult to regain momentum until the Centennial celebration of St Johns Lodge No.1 Providence in 1857, which gave new confidence and stimulated interest to the extent that the second major period of growth in the State began at around this time.

Both periods of growth in the State can be identified with major events in history of the country. The Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 saw the birth of this nation, its continental expansion and its consolidation into a republic. The Civil War created schisms and exposed differences between states, governments and people but it also occurred at a major time of industrial growth especially here in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island was at the heart of the American Industrial Revolution and played a huge part in the Civil War, a contribution out of all proportion to its size. We furnished 25,236 fighting men to the Union armies. We provided enormous quantities of materiel to the Union war effort, with some products only being produced in Rhode Island. Across the state the diversity of industry was profound, with every town engaging in textiles, cotton, wool, and to the north, heavy machinery. Overall, the value of the state’s cotton goods rose from $20 million in 1860 to $55 million in 1865; woolen goods from $4 million to $11 million.

Output included engines, boilers, shafting, gears, and heavy castings produced hinges, nuts, bolts, screws, nails, agricultural tools, sewing machines, valves, winches, rivets, stoves, safes, files, cutlery, and springs. Precision gear-cutting machines, dividing machines, automatic screw machines, gyroscopic tops, sewing machines. Processes such as the development of a system of interchangeable parts on a large scale; 70,000 rifles, 10,400 cavalry sabers, 11-inch smoothbore Dahlgren guns and shells, and 13-inch cannons, 100,000 carbines, bayonets, horseshoes, military clothing, cavalry boots, and military saddles.

The network of railroads provided communications between the northern New England states, Boston, New York and the south, and across the State itself.

Post-war immigration increased the population. From the 1860s to the 1880s, most of the immigrants were from England, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, and Quebec. Towards the end of the 19th century we saw immigrants from South and Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean.

In the statewide context, Charity Lodge is no different from any other Masonic lodge created at the time. The return of thousands of men from the war and the influx of immigrants to a new and thriving land introduced the unknown into many communities.

The heart of Freemasonry teaches us that through defined and explainable lessons of morality and integrity, the qualities of a man may be affirmed by Masonic association, and that when a man is met as a Freemason such association transcends creed, race, religion.

So why was Charity Lodge formed.

Because of growth in the community.

Because of the need for people in communities to trust, work with, and agree with those men around them; their neighbors, their fellow workers and professions.

And because of geography and communications. From Hopkinton to Providence would have been a day-long journey. Hopkinton to Westerly and Franklin Lodge, or the nearest Lodges in CT, would have been many many hours away. Hope Valley had its own branch line from Wood River Junction and was like Westerly, a “banking town”.

So, like all lodges established in this period of Masonic and economic growth, Charity Lodge was formed in its community because that’s where men met, worked and lived. It’s not a big story but it is the story of American Freemasonry at the heart of the American community.

And so it was that on May 18, 1866, Charity Lodge UD held a

special meeting which included a visitation by WStillman White

(representing MWThomas A. Doyle, Grand Master) and

WEzra Dodge, both of Mt. Vernon Lodge, to examine the work of the Lodge prior to making a recommendation for a Charter at the Grand Lodge Annual to be held May 21st. The recommendation was made, and the Charter dispensed at that meeting.

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Why Charity Lodge? Why in 1866? By: Brother, Michael Southern, Master

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METRO DISTRICT

RWGary S. Kaufman, DDGM

Brethren,

Let me start by saying that the East Bay District rounded out the year with a district wide table lodge as the 2015-16 district charity

event. I want to thank brother Scott Jamison and WSteven Gerling for their hard work in pulling it together along with the district Masters; Bill Hedgecorth, Andrew Daigle, Andrew Benn, Bob St. Jean and Ray Blinn. Thank you to the brethren of the lodges who participated in making this table lodge a great event. The table lodge proceeds will go to the East Bay Widows and Orphans Fund.

REALLY…. REALLY….. I find it hard to believe that I have

reached the last district! It seems like yesterday that WRuss Lorenson welcomed me into the Southern District. Now I have entered the Metro District. I enter it with trepidation as I know how quickly a Masonic year goes by and I will be out of the districts forever. So, I will treasure every minute.

The officer installations come very quickly after the Grand Lodge Annual. Rising Sun Lodge was the first on the calendar in May and then St. Johns Providence in June. Mark and I have so much fun doing installations! That is surely a part of the District Deputies responsibilities I will miss. Good luck to Worshipful Kerry McNamar and the officers of Rising Sun Lodge. I also wish good luck to Worshipful Master elect, Bill DeLuca and his officers at St. Johns. This is going to be a great year in the Metro District.

Mark and I look forward to the many picnics and outings that each lodge has during the summer months. Please make sure we are informed of the dates in advance so we can plan to attend each of them.

The Metro District may be my home district, but I may not know you, please take the time to introduce yourself to me and Mark. I hope to get to all the lodges before the summer really sets in but this always seems problematic. If I do not, rest assured I will be there in September!

Good Counsel in an Erring Brothers Ear

Brethren, from time to time we find ourselves in difficult situations and disagreements with other brethren in our lodges. Sometimes it rises to a very uncomfortable level and interferes with lodge business. If this festers for a long period of time, it takes on its own persona. Divisions form in the lodge and the next thing that happens is that the brethren cannot agree on anything. This is like a cancer growing in the lodge. No one benefits from this….. certainly not the brothers…..or prospective members.

We all took an oath on the bible as Entered Apprentices, Fellow Crafts and Master Masons. Do you remember those oaths? If not, pull out your code books. Let’s try to remember what we have learned as Masons, mainly; Friendship, Morality and Brotherly Love.

In these cases, the parties need to sit down at the same table and air our grievances on both sides. There should be an independent, non-affiliated party to mediate and keep the discussion on track. There needs to be resolution or the disease will ruin the lodge forever.

Brethren, I am not speaking to one lodge, I am speaking to all lodges. We joined the Craft to be among friends and brothers. Let’s all think about what that means.

Mark and I wish you and your families a very enjoyable

summer!

EAST BAY DISTRICT RW Robert B. Ellston, DDGM

Greetings from the East-Bay,

Yes, that’s right, Keith and I will now be traveling “over the bridge to the ISLAND”! To say the least, we are looking forward to making new friendships and continuing old ones as well as receiving the coveted ‘red socks’ as we move into yet another district.

To the brethren of the Northern District, I cannot say enough about the warmth, courtesies and brotherly affection that has been shown us and our wives by the brethren of this district. My brothers, you made our experiences in this district such that it will not be forgotten and will provide us with fond memories of our travels while serving in our “Mother District”. Thank You so very much!

Regarding our travels within the Northern District, Keith and I completed our duties by overseeing the Annual Communication

of Roger Williams Lodge on May 21st. RWRobert Palazzo assisted us in this by obligating the now Worshipful Jonathan Snowman as Master. Congratulations to you Worshipful Jonathan and your line of officers, I’m sure that you will have a great year. A few weeks prior to this, on April 30th, the Northern District brethren and guests, accompanied by several brothers and guests from outside the district undertook a private guided tour of Fort Adams lead by Brother Matthew “Doc” Perry. To say the least everyone was impressed and enlightened by the information and insights put forth by brother “Doc”. Thank you for taking the time and effort to guide us and impart your knowledge and love of this important piece of Rhode Island history upon us.

The Grand Lodge Annual Communication was held on Monday, May 23rd, and Brother Steven T. McGuire was installed as the Most Worshipful Grand Master. We extend to him and his Grand

Marshall, RWElliott R. Greene our congratulations and best wishes. Most Worshipful Grand Master, I thank you for appointing me to serve as your representative in the East Bay and I assure you that I, along with Keith will do our best to uphold your confidence in our ability to serve the Craft. I would also once again take this opportunity to thank Most Worshipful Past Grand Master Raymond E. Hassell for having appointed me to serve in Northern District. Most Worshipful Hassell, it was a pleasure to

serve with you and your Grand Marshall, RWRick Baccus. Thank you both for a great year and may you both enjoy many more years in our gentle Craft.

Brethren of the East-Bay as I stated earlier, Keith and I look forward to a fantastic year in this District. If the limited time that

I’ve already spent with you while covering for RWKaufman during his recovery from his surgery and the warm reception that we received at the East-Bay Past Masters’ Meeting on May 9th are any indication, I’m sure it will be wonderful. By the time you read this, we will have held our District Organizational Meeting and will have set in place the outline of the upcoming year in the district.

We look forward to meeting and working with the Masters,

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Report from the Masonic Districts

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Wardens, and brethren of the East-Bay District and getting to know you all.

Brethren of the Northern District, again Keith and I thank you for

your warmth, hospitality and support. RWBob Palazzo and

WBrad Ripley, we leave the North in your capable hands and their warm embrace.

Brethren let us never forget those less fortunate and always do as we are able to ease their adversity and offer them comfort.

May the Supreme Architect bless and keep you, always.

Northern DISTRICT RW Robert A. Palazzo, DDGM

Thank You Brethren,

This message is about the many efforts made on behalf of our lodges and our fraternity. This year throughout our jurisdiction many concerns were raised, some with little to no merit, but to those who brought them to light. Still others raised concerns over issues that to quote a movie line, “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one”. Through it all what and how we address our issues is as equally important as the issue itself.

It seems as we accumulate years in our Craft, the oath we took as brothers seems to fade from our memories as easily as the light of day slips into dusk, for some brothers. We must take a moment to remember why we joined this brotherhood in the first place and what we each agreed to uphold. Yes, it can be difficult at times, we still need to mingle with the outside world as part of our everyday life. And yes, sometimes the rough and ready finds its way into our organization. It seems these days there’s little concern for decency or respect, it has turned into a world of entitlement. We as members of this organization must not allow this entitlement to penetrate our ranks.

The world knows little of what we are about other than what’s portrayed on television. As with most things what is shown is only a small part of the whole and usually leaves the viewer with a distorted view. Yes, there are those who try and set the record straight but it’s probably more popular to listen to the rhetoric than find the truth.

As this Masonic year comes to a close, reflect on your actions this past year, do they mirror the tenets of our institution? Was there a time when you could have taken a different action and accomplished the same thing? Don’t become so jaded as to think we’re above what has been created over time and how our fraternity has perfectly and carefully sculptured the symbolism of the Craft to fit how we must act.

Fortunately for us many of the issues raised were resolved in a proper manner and I applaud the brothers who took the time to provide good council. Continue my brothers to treat each other as we have sworn to do. Provide that good council, lend a helping hand to the less informed brother. We are different!

In closing, to all those who Brad and I have had the pleasure to meet during our time in the Central District, thank you. You have been generous, brotherly and friendly and it has been our pleasure to meet you all. Each lodge worked hard this past year and the officers made progress in making their lodge better than they received it. Please continue your hard work to improve your lodge and take time to travel to meet your brothers, it is truly the best part of our duties.

To our new Grand Master, Most Worshipful Steve McGuire, both Brad and I wish to extend our best wishes to you for a successful year and we stand ready to serve you and our grand jurisdiction

in any capacity.

Central DISTRICT RW Douglas J. Grant, DDGM

Brethren all,

Greetings from the Central District. My official time in the Southern District has come to a close and I now move into the Central District with enthusiasm and anticipation. I offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Southern District lodges for their hospitality and brotherly courtesies over the past year. My time there was an eye opening experience. I appreciate all that you have done to keep the traditions that make your district strong and hope for nothing but the best for all of you. Mike and I enjoyed traveling to the other end of the state to visit and participate with your fund-raising and other Masonic activities. You are a great group and I am impressed by your fraternal bonds.

As the summer is now upon us, we have the opportunity to recharge our Masonic batteries so that we may continue our good work when we return to labor in September. I have had the good fortune to meet a couple of the presiding Masters in the Central District as well as a Senior Warden who is already planning his installation in November. Advanced planning is important to a successful year. If this is an example of this brother’s outlook, then I am sure that he will have a very eventful and enjoyable year as Master. I look forward to working with him and all of you in the Central District in our new Masonic year.

Although most lodges in our state are in recess during the months of July and August, I encourage everyone to continue to practice out of the lodge those great lessons that are taught in it. Freemasonry is a way of life. It doesn’t take a couple of months off. These summer months are a great opportunity for us to show those in our own circles what we are about. By maintaining our posture, perhaps we can change our world in some positive way. Lead your world so that others might choose to follow and be the example that others might want to aspire to.

May the blessings of God rest upon us and all regular Masons. May brotherly love prevail and every moral and social virtue

cement us.

SOUTHERN DISTRICT RWAndré H. Faria, DDGM

I am sure that by the time you are reading this, not only is the Grand Lodge Annual behind us and our next Grand Master installed but also I have had the opportunity to thank many of you for your well wishes and support as I embark on this journey through the districts of our small but great Jurisdiction. I would

first like to thank MWStephen T. McGuire for his kindness and support in appointing me. Although it took me several months to ponder his request I humbly accepted this appointment knowing full well that there are many worthy and talented brothers in our Jurisdiction capable of traveling through the districts in this capacity. I hope to serve you all in a spirit of brotherly love and kindness and to continue to convince humanity of the goodness of our Institution.

As many of you know, I have asked worshipful brother Brandt D.

Evans to serve as my Grand Master of Ceremonies. WBrandt is a Past Master of Washington Lodge, No. 3 and a great lover of

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the Craft. I am thrilled that he has agreed to accompany me through the districts. Both of our wives, my lady Beth and Brandt's lady Mary are also looking forward to traveling with us whenever the opportunity presents itself. My own journey in

Freemasonry started almost two decades ago when MWCarl B. Willi, "planted a seed" that took several years to germinate. I'd also like to thank him for his invaluable counsel and steadfast example, as well as all of the brothers of St. John's Lodge, No. 1 (my mother lodge) of whom there are too many to mention, for their support, encouragement and brotherly love throughout the years. You guys are special!

Brandt and I have had the good fortune of being welcomed by several brothers in the Southern District. Charity Lodge, No. 23

Master, WMichael Southern and his Senior Warden Randy Joslin have been most gracious and welcoming exemplifying what it means to enjoy every satisfaction and delight that friendship in the Craft can offer. Beth and I also had the

opportunity to enjoy a meal with WEric Ross and his Senior Warden Ralph Brunson and their wives from Franklin Lodge No. 20. Meeting brothers on the level, breaking bread with them and spending time together continues to be so rewarding for us. You often hear that the greatest part of success in any endeavor is just "showing up." This clearly describes what I have seen so far in the Southern District and look forward to a great year.

Brothers, we have hit the ground running since the Grand Lodge Annual and have been present at a number of important events, and I am pleased to have seen many of you there. As the year progresses, I hope to keep you informed regarding events in the district as well as key meetings and gatherings taking place within our Jurisdiction. Please know that our proverbial "door" is always open. Brandt and I look forward to being with you as often

as we can and traveling on this journey together!

St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence By: Brother, Timothy L. Culhane, Master

It has been a busy spring at St. Johns No. 1 Providence. During our March regular communication on March 16th we were treated to a degree team of Past Grand Masters to confer the first section of the Master Mason Degree on eleven St. Johns’ candidates and a courtesy candidate from St. Paul’s Lodge. It was a spectacular night with many in attendance, and the Past

Grand Masters did a stellar job with the degree. We were joined

by MWRaymond Hassell who proceeded to close the night by calling the lodge to recess until the following Saturday. On Saturday, March 19th the Craft was called back to labor and the degree work continued with the second and third sections, and 12 new Master Masons were raised. Congratulations to the new Master Masons, the officers of St. Johns Lodge and a special thank you to the team of Past Grand Masters for their work.

At our regular communication on April 20th, we were pleased to

greet RWKenneth Poyton our DDGM, with us for his last official visitation to the Metro District. It was a great night. Attendance was huge with counted brothers at about 140, but with those that missed the count, coupled with friends and guests, estimates of total attendance were between 175 and 200

people. RWPoyton presented three 50-year service medals to Brothers; Robert Englehardt, Frank Allen and Harold Nonnenmacher. It was wonderful to have so many 50-year recipients who could attend the DDGM visitation this year!

We were pleased to host three distinguished guests to help us honor our DDGM. We were captivated by a presentation given by Mrs. Janet Wolter and Mr. Alan Butler who spoke on their research and book; America: Nation of the Goddess. To say it was fascinating would be a gross understatement. It was not just food for thought, but a full meal to feed our collective hunger for knowledge. They were joined by Janet’s husband, Brother Scott Wolter, who gave us a big tease on what he was planning to present at Masonicon the following weekend. It was truly a pleasure to host them at this important event.

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NEWS FROM AROUND THE LODGES

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The event was spectacular, and the Worshipful Master, Wardens

and brethren of St. Johns extend our best wishes to RWKen as he moves closer to ascending to the Grand East.

We are now winding down our Masonic year. In June, St. Johns will have our last regular communication before our Annual Communication. Our program will be our annual awards

presentation and general fraternal camaraderie as WTimothy L. Culhane’s term in the East draws to a close. We will hold our Annual Communication on Friday, June 24rd at 5:30 PM at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Cranston. Please come out and join us and show your support for our incoming Master and his officers.

St. Johns Lodge will be at recess during the summer months, but we hope to see you at events as we travel. Please have a safe,

fun and prosperous summer.

Washington Lodge No. 3 By: Brother, Thomas Neyhart, P.M.

At our April 12th meeting, we welcomed three new members who signed our bylaws and are enthusiastic and we look forward to their active participation going forward. We have three new candidates whom we plan on initiating as Entered Apprentices in June.

On Sunday, June 5th we will be holding our Annual Clambake with bake-master Spencer Hockley, at the Pete Sepe Pavillion located here in Warren. This is to benefit the restoration and repairs of our Masonic Temple. As part of the bake we will be raffling off many prizes. Set the date aside. We hope to see you there for this fun filled family day.

We plan on having a fun night at the Second Story Theatre in Warren, in late June or early July. Those that have attended in the past have thoroughly enjoyed the light hearted plays and

night out. Join us!

Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 4 By: Brother, Eric Majewski, Master

Good day brethren,

As we are now entering a new Masonic year with new officers in each position at Grand Lodge; I along with my officers would like to give a warm welcome to the incoming Grand Master, our own

Mt. Vernon Brother, MWStephen T. McGuire. MWSteve has been a big part of our lodge for many years, through all the

mergers and the like. For me personally, MWSteve was the very first person I spoke to, I originally emailed the Grand Lodge

from website, and MWSteve is the one who called me, invited me to the lodge, gave me a tour, answered a few questions and gave me an application in September of 2009. I had my

investigation in late October, and MWSteve invited me to be there for dinner at the December meeting. This was really my first exposure to Freemasonry as far as I was concerned. Once going through the degree work, I realized how similar my college fraternity was in terms of several aspects of ritual. Once finishing my journey to becoming a Mason I immediately jumped right in the officer line. Now being the Master of our lodge, it is sort of appropriate that Steve is Grand Master and our terms of office overlap. As great as it is to know the Grand Master, while he is in office, it’s also quite enjoyable to be Master of his mother lodge, at the same time.

We look forward to his year as Grand Master and supporting him throughout his travels for the next 12 months, as well as seeing

you all during those travels.

Friendship Lodge No. 7 By: Brother, Trevor Humphrey

Friendship Lodge will be rounding out the year with a bang, starting on June 4th with a table lodge at the South Foster Fire Station. It has been about eight years since Friendship has held a table lodge, and looking back it is truly amazing how much our

lodge has changed and grown in that time. WEric Grist has some great programs and presentations planned for the evening

and WJohn Kent has an excellent menu lined up. Our regular meeting for June would be on the 18th, however with four members of Friendship Lodge (along with others from out of state) biking in the MS150 as part of the RI Freemasons Bike Team, we will be moving the meeting to June 25th. At this meeting we will have a “step-up night” with a program on storytelling, along with our eight new Master Masons signing the bylaws. Of course no June meeting would be complete without

our Annual Steak-Fry with Pit Master WJohn Kent. If you have

not done so, please call WKent now for your reservations.

The MS150 bike ride mentioned earlier, on June 18th and 19th, has 9 Master Masons that will bike 150 miles as part of the RI Freemasons Team. This Ride has brought our team together for a great cause and we raised over $10,000 each year for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research and treatment. If you would like to make

a donation, please reach out to WChris Labutti or myself. If you wish to show your support in a different way, a support team is being assembled on June 19th to bring nourishment and

libation to us foolish riders, led by none other than WKent. In honor of all that he is doing for us we have decided to declare

June the month of WKent.

After an eventful June, Friendship will go to recess for the summer with only a family fun day on the Fourth of July, of which all are welcome. This event is a pot luck day feast complete with a parade. Please come join us and bring your friends and family. In August we will have a BBQ smoke, the date has yet to be determined. Finally, we will have our Golf Tournament on Saturday, September 10th with an 8:00 AM shotgun start. Please start getting your “foursomes” set up and your payments to

W Richard Barrows.

Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 8 By: Brother, Roger Lepire, P.M.

Line officers in every Masonic lodge work very hard to present the best meetings that they possibly can every month. Not only do they need to learn new parts in the opening and closing of the lodge, they have new ritual to remember in every new degree. I can only speak for Mt. Moriah Lodge, but I know at our lodge there are rehearsals every week to insure that they are at their best. In fact, they even rehearse during summer recess. I should also add that at our lodge the trustees also meet once a month, and they also meet during summer recess. Now you probably feel that this column is about our elected and appointed officers. Actually it is just the opposite.

Why do our officers do all this work? It’s for the brothers on the sideline. They put on interesting meetings so that the brothers on the sideline continue to come, and they do. For the twenty-five years I’ve been a member there have been several constants. The back row seat by the treasurer’s desk was always occupied

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by Brother Ed Sherman. For the last few years it has become anybody’s seat, because Ed is ill and has been unable to attend lodge

The back row seats by the secretary’s desk were filled for many years by the Royley brothers; Bill, Bob, and Walter. Bill passed away many years ago but those seats are still occupied by Bob, and Walter. On the North side in the back row you could always see Jim Bethel, Sr., Jim Comstock, and Ken Bedford. Once again Ken is no longer part of this group as he passed away several years ago.

There are many more brothers who have been coming for all those years, but these are the ones I recall sitting in virtually the same seats every meeting for that long a period. I know those I missed will forgive me because they know I have a memory problem

At a recent meeting two brothers received their 50-year service medals. One was Brother Wendell Lund and we all congratulate him for being a loyal member all these years. The second was Jim Bethel, Sr., yes this is the same Jim that has sat in the North-East all these years.

Please allow me to bring you up to date on this brother. Not only has he been a member all these years but he has been followed by his sons David, Danny, and Jim Bethel, Jr. who is a Past Master of our lodge, and is now head of our sick committee. Jim senior was our custodian for several years, and has always taken care of the portion of our property that abuts his land. He worked at Conklin Limestone for many years starting when he was barely old enough to work. He worked in many positions there and worked his way up to plant manager. Because Jim often worked two jobs at the same time some things overlap. He was a police officer in Lincoln for many years. He also worked in several other positions for the Town of Lincoln. In between these jobs he served in the Army during the Korean War being dispatched to Germany. For many years Jim served as a member of the honor guard at the Veterans Cemetery. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Jim’s wife Joyce. She has always taken care of the flowers and bushes that were in front of the lodge, trimming and watering all the time. She also takes care of the flowers in the rotary by the lodge. We also owe her our thanks for all she’s done for us.

You now probably know more about Jim than many of his friends do. Jim, you have been a solid brother of our little country lodge for all of those 50 years, and have contributed much during that period. As have all members of your family. May we see you sitting in the North East corner of the lodge for the next 50 years.

See you next issue, the good Lord willing.

Harmony Lodge No. 9 By: Brother, Robert Fish

The two great myths of Masonry are active at Harmony Lodge, the first, “It’s only one night a month”. April kicked off with an official visit by our Most Worshipful Grand Master accompanied

by a large distinguished suite. WAl Anton planned a great evening featuring the Rainbow Fun degree.

We then were off to support RWRobert A. Palazzo, DDGM

for his official visit to Daylight Lodge No. 48. RWBob has been a terrific example to the Central District and we congratulate him and thank him for his leadership. Bringing the Pickle Jar and Ripley’s “believe-it-or-not” are two examples of

blending the serious nature of the Craft with some fun as well. Many of you may not know of his telepathic abilities or mental messaging. We wish him all the best as he continues his journey through the districts.

On April 9th we held an adult game night and potluck dinner which was well attended and lots of fun. April also brought us 6 new Fellow Craft brothers as they continue their journey toward being raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. This of course meant many rehearsals for the officers while studying to learn their ritual well. A special shout-out to Brother Jason Gail who filled in as Senior Deacon doing a brilliant job with the Middle Chamber lecture on very short notice. Our prayers are with our Senior Deacon Jim Hopper as he struggles with some health issues. April wrapped up with Harmony Lodge hosting the Central Masonic Charity event, steak and chicken on the grill, all for the benefit of Rainbow Girls fundraiser for the International meeting they are hosting in Rhode Island this summer.

May proved to be equally busy with rehearsals for the Master Mason degree, a tour of Leyden Farms Vineyard, a visitation to our sick and shut-in brothers and Special Ladies, followed by the lady’s luncheon on Saturday, May 21st. That night we were off to the Pawtuxet walking tour with a visit to our original lodge home at the Pawtuxet Armory.

Wrapping up the month at the Grand Lodge Annual Banquet

celebrating MWStephen McGuire’s Installation as Grand Master. We wish him an exciting, successful, adventurous year in the East. We at Harmony also wish to congratulate

MWRaymond E. Hassel on completing a great year as Grand Master.

Looking forward to June, July and August leads me to the second great Masonic myth, “we go dark in the summer.” In addition to our regular communication, the Past Masters Steak-fry where the meeting is conducted by Past Masters leaving the current line to cook the steaks. We will likely confer the Master Mason degree, date TBA. On June 10th we will be off on a camping weekend, at Ginny B Campground.

July the time of darkness only means we’re off to the annual Golf Tournament, the annual lodge picnic, the Grand Lodge picnic and the Grand Chapter picnic.

All in all, I’m happy to report that Harmony Lodge is active, alive and well. We are looking forward to greeting our new District Deputy Grand Master and supporting Most Worshipful Stephen

McGuire as he launches his Masonic agenda.

Manchester Lodge No. 12 By: MW Kenneth N. Bruns, PGM

Some of the recent happenings at Manchester Lodge,

Last issue we reported that at the February 19th regular communication of Manchester Lodge our program featured a promotional speech given by Miss Chelsea Santos, granddaughter and great granddaughter of two noted members of Manchester Lodge, our late Brother Thomas Parrott (Past Master 1976) and Brother Thomas A. Parrott. Chelsea is a senior at the Greene School, and part of her Senior Project included a Pasta Dinner fund raiser in her effort to bring more awareness to a little known disease named Chiari Malformation, a condition from which both Chelsea and her mother suffer. Both have undergone posterior fossa decompression, a surgical procedure to relieve pressure on the brain and spinal cord.

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___________________________________________________________________ Rhode Island Freemason Page 15

(continued from Page 14, Manchester Lodge)

Chelsea held her “Chiari Awareness Project” fund raiser Pasta Dinner at Manchester Lodge on Saturday, March 5, 2016; she also created a site on GoFundMe called “Chelsea’s Chiari Challenge” https://www.gofundme.com/njm8qp98. We are proud to announce that Chelsea raised $2239.81 at her dinner. Way to go Chels!

The program for the April 22nd regular communication of Manchester Lodge was provided by the girls from East Greenwich Assembly No. 4 of the International Order of Rainbow for Girls, as they showed up in force to confer the “Fun Degree” on our Worshipful Master, Robert ‘Barbara’ Paquin and several of our officers. Observing the festivities this evening were 5 Masons who had taken their Fun Degree in years past. They were Francine Ringeling, Violet Kokolsky, Ricky Therrien, Christine Ellis, and Katy Bruns. Unfortunately, the photos of this group were lost during some confusion in the Temple.

Saturday, May 7th Manchester Lodge participated in a Traveling Regressive Dinner with Mt. Vernon Lodge, Harmony Lodge and St. Johns Lodge Providence to help bring attention to our Masonic Youth, and provide some fun for them. It was a traveling dinner because each course was held at a different lodge, regressive because we start with dessert and finish with appetizers. The dinner preceded a social time at St. Johns for the kids with games and a DJ.

On Sunday, May 15th as part of our Manchester ‘Special Ladies’ program, our Worshipful Master and his Lady, Sherry, hosted an afternoon “High Tea” social for our Ladies, friends of Manchester and their Ladies. It was a most pleasurable afternoon as we sampled different teas and enjoyed a light collation of cakes and

torts.

Charity Lodge No. 23 By: Brother, Michael Southern, Master

Charity Lodge in its sesquicentennial year has endeavored to match the spirit of engagement and growth of our forebears! At our April meeting, the official visitation of DDGM Douglas J. Grant, we recounted the summary of the approval of our Charter and a short discussion on why Charity Lodge or indeed any lodge was formed.

We will do so again on June 4th at an afternoon event that will combine three activities: First, we will host the District “welcome

to the South” BBQ for newly appointed DDGM RWAndre

Faria and his Grand Master of Ceremonies, WBrandt Evans. Second, we will acknowledge the granting of our Charter. Third, we will announce the winner of our “Lady Liberty” Quilt raffle, with which we are raising funds for the veterans at Bristol Veterans’ Home. All are welcome from the district or not, to greet Andre and Brandt. There is no charge for the BBQ, but we will accept donations.

In other news we will be using our outside lodge whenever possible this year and plan to confer the Master Mason degree in the woods toward the end of July. That will be another "first" for

our outside lodge, provided the Tiler can keep the bugs at bay!

Ionic Lodge No. 28 By: Brother, Charles Wilkinson, Master

Ionic Lodge is planning its First Annual Golf Tournament to be held at the Coventry Pines Golf Course on Harkney Hill Rd. in Coventry on June 4th 2016. 18 holes of golf with a cart, scramble format, shotgun start at 8:30 AM, prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd winners, closest to the pin, and longest drive. After golf we will return to the lodge for dinner, which will consist of grilling your own rib-eye steak, baked potato, green beans, salad, dessert, keg of beer, and golf merchandise raffle, cost is $75 per person. Those who wish to participate in the fundraiser and not play golf, the charge will be $35. Call Worshipful Master Charlie at 401-397-6071 or Junior Warden Richard Buckley at 401-465-4863 for tickets. This day should be a lot of fun and pray for the Sun.

On the June 25th, we will be conferring the Master Mason degree on three Candidates. The lodge will open at 5:00 PM for the first half, dinner will be from 6:00-7:00 PM. At 7:00 PM work will resume with the 2nd and 3rd sections. The officers have been working very hard on the degree and we hope to see visitors from inside and outside the district. Please call me or the Junior Warden to make a reservation.

One last bit of info. The parking area across from the lodge has been filled in with processed gravel. Thanks go to Fellow Craft

Tom Skurka for bringing the gravel and to RWCarl Richard and Junior Warden Randy Joslin of Charity Lodge for grading the area. You can now back in without losing the front bumper on

your vehicle. Hope to see you on June 4th and the 25th.

Also receiving their degree with the Master that evening are from L- R ; Junior Deacon, Alexander ‘Alexandria’ Tarnacki; Marshal,

WKevin ‘Kelly’ Toro; Senior Deacon, Gary ‘Gabriella’ Paul, and Treasurer, Manny ‘Madalyn’ Linhares.

Page 16 June/July 2016 ______________________________________________________________________

Lafayette Lodge No. 47

By: Brother, Robert Lyle, P.M.

The members of Lafayette Lodge have missed Most Worshipful Ken Jenks, PGM at our meetings so we decided since he is unable to visit us at the lodge that we would take a lodge meeting to him. On March 29th, 13 brothers assembled at Lafayette Lodge and gathered the Lodge Bible, the Square and Compasses and the Lafayette Apron and we headed to St. Rita’s Nursing Home.

WTed Hague made arrangements for us to have a room that we could open as a Lodge. We opened the meeting and then we

had a special speaker for the evening, which was MWKen. He told us the history of how Lafayette Lodge came into being. The hard work that the brothers did in building our lodge and also in erecting Lafayette Masonic Temple. He also talked about the

importance of DeMolay on him as a youth. MWKen has to be one of the oldest senior DeMolays in the state. We believe that he is a 80-year member based on his story. He belonged to the Woonsocket Chapter of DeMolay. His eyes also sparkled when he talked about his wife. We then closed the meeting with

MWKen Jenks doing the honors of disarranging the lights. This is one Masonic event that I will always remember.

WTed Hague has been keeping us busy each month as we meet on the first, the third, and the fourth Mondays to practice our ritual. This time also allows us to strengthen the bond between us. We also enjoy plenty of laughs as we enjoy each other’s company.

Our monthly breakfasts on the third Saturday of each month from 7:00-10:00 AM have truly evolved into a time of fellowship as well as a community activity. We have developed a strong following of local residents. Please come and join us for a hearty breakfast. Remember that old Lafayette saying, “if you leave hungry it is your own fault.”

If you have not been to the lodge and need a ride please let

WTed know and he will arrange a ride for you. If you have not

been in lodge and are unsure of what to do please let WTed

know as well. Hope to have you join us.

Daylight Lodge No. 48

By: Brother, Jason Greene, Master

Greetings Brethren,

By the time this message reaches all of you spring will be just about over and hopefully the summer months are bringing a little more warmth into all our lives. Daylight Lodge has had a very busy last couple months and June is going to be more of the

same. We will be conferring the Entered Apprentice degree on two candidates during our regular meeting on June 13th. We open the lodge at 10:00 AM and are normally done around noon time. Coffee and donuts are always available from 9:00 AM onward. It would be great to see some unfamiliar faces in the stands, so come on out and join us. We meet at the Scottish Rite Center, if you’ve never been there its one floor and a great place to see a degree! If you work at night or can’t attend lodge come and join us. If you can no longer drive, RIDE will bring you to and from the lodge with 24-hour notice, or if you’d like to ride with a brother, please give one of us a call, we’d be happy to pick you up.

On June 11th Daylight Lodge is having a, “Shooting with the Masons” event at Massasoit Gun Club. Tickets for the event are available now and can be purchased by calling our Junior Warden Bill Pennoyer at 617-276-6807. The event begins at 1:00 PM and tickets are $15 per person. We are also raffling off a .22 Caliber Ruger Match Grade Handgun. Tickets for the raffle are available pre-event and will be available the day of it. The raffle tickets are $5 each or 6 for $20. It really is a beautiful pistol!

I hope to see many of you at our events!

Collegivm Lvminosvm

By: RWRichard Lynch, Chancellor

On Tuesday, March 29th our RI Lodge of Research hosted its 2nd Annual Communication. We were most fortunate to have

MWRaymond Hassell our Grand Master install all of our

officers with the assistance of Grand Marshall, RWRick Baccus. Because our lodge does not confer degrees and is purely an educational lodge, the duties of the officers are different. Thus the installation of our officers is somewhat different from our conventional Blue Lodge.

The installation brought a change of officers from those who had founded the Collegivm 2½ years ago. Our new officers who will

serve for the next year are:

RWRichard Lynch Chancellor/Master

RWPaul Kokolsky Vice Chancellor/Senior Warden

WRussell Lorenson Pro Vice Chancellor/Junior Warden

WMarcus Channell Secretary

RWDavid Lavery Treasurer

RWPeter Iacobucci Chaplain Bro. David Wyman Marshal

WRoy Pruett Senior Deacon Bro. Jason Rainone Junior Deacon Bro. Jeffery Desmaris Senior Steward Bro. Matthew Perry Junior Steward Bro. Joshua Irizarry Tiler

We look forward to an exciting year of education at the

Collegivm. Our next meeting on June 28th will be at Charity

Lodge No. 23 in Kenyon, RI at the kind invitation of WMichael Southern, Master. All Master Mason are invited to attend. The evening presentation; “Ancient Allusions” will be given by

RWDavid Lavery, Grand Lodge Historian and Collegivm, treasurer. We will have dinner prior to the meeting at 6:00 PM. Dinner is free to all Collegivm members, non-members are

$10.00. Reservations must be made on or before June 24th by email to the Chancellor at hstrclrsch@aol.com or by telephone at 401-954-3829.

We sincerely hope you will join us at future meetings. We are the “College of Light” and would like to offer you “more light in

Freemasonry” to those who attend our meetings.

Docendo discimus….

__________________________________________________________________ Rhode Island Freemason Page 17

From the Editor Dear Brethren,

I thank everyone who submitted reports and articles for this issue. Unfortunately, we did not have space for everyone’s submissions. Where appropriate, I have saved the material for our next issue. As a reminder please submit your material for future issues before the deadline date. Space is on a first come, first serve basis. As the deadline approaches there is less and less space available and your material may not be published if received on or after the deadline date.

A few simple guidelines are in order for submissions;

Please send all articles as MS Word, Word Perfect or Text documents

Photographs or illustrations should be sent as Jpeg, Tiff or Bitmap files

Please no PDF files, they will not be accepted.

The deadline for each issue is firm and submissions are on a first come, first serve basis, the sooner your article arrives the more likely it is to be included

Please send files to hstrclrsch@aol.com as well as rifreemason@rimasons.org addresses.

Respectfully, Brother, Richard Lynch

Editor: RWRichard F. Lynch

Associate Editors: MWLeon C. Knudsen, PGM

WGerald T. Plemmons Millie T. Hallstrom Carol R. Plemmons

Editorial Advisior: MWCarl B. Willi, PGM

RWGrand Secretary

RI Freemason Deadlines

The RI Freemason is published 6 times a year based on the Masonic Calendar of the Grand Master's year, which runs from May to May.

The issues will be published as follows:

JUNE/JULY Deadline: May 1st

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER Deadline: July 1st

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER Deadline: September 1st

DECEMBER/JANUARY Deadline: November 1st

FEBRUARY/MARCH Deadline: January 1st

APRIL/MAY Deadline: March 1st

Welcome to the Craft My Brothers

The Grand Lodge and all members of the Craft extend a warm welcome to our new brothers who have been raised as

Master Masons

Duke C. Mocanu St. John's Lodge No. 1 David D. Koohy St. John's Lodge No. 1 Paul A. Roy St. John's Lodge No. 1 Matthew P. Perry St. John's Lodge No. 1 Howard T. Graham St. John's Lodge No. 1 Henry J. Cochrane, III St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence Joseph J. Bernier St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence Robert Germani, Jr. St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence Kenneth R. Marcotte St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence William A. Mott St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence Sean C. Paley St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence Joseph A. Pine St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence Collin R. Plasse St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence Michael C. Ragosta St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence Joshua M. Williams St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence Herbert I. Curtis Jr. Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 8 Joshua P. Fritsche Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 8 David J. Parenteau Manchester Lodge No. 12 Brian A. Coyne Manchester Lodge No. 12 Robert J. Tierney Franklin Lodge No. 20 Samuel B. Headley Franklin Lodge No. 20 Anthony T. Pelloni Franklin Lodge No. 20 Tom Meade Charity Lodge No. 23 Kenneth J. Winne, Jr. Charity Lodge No. 23 Philip M. Holmes Charity Lodge No. 23 William DeLeo Hope Lodge No. 25 Santino A. Marzilli Ionic Lodge No. 28 Robert J. Hamlin, Sr. Roger Williams Lodge No. 32 Jermane Cintron Roger Williams Lodge No. 32 Jonathan P. Gorman Redwood Lodge No. 35 Wilson Perez, Jr. Redwood Lodge No. 35 Thomas J. Higgins, III St. Andrews Lodge No. 39 Eric A. Almeida St. Andrews Lodge No. 39 Erik A. Holstius St. Andrews Lodge No. 39 Derek J. Emery Lafayette Lodge No. 47 Steven R. Lane Lafayette Lodge No. 47

Page 18 June/July 2016 __________________________________________________________________________

What do ancient Greek myths, medieval knights, and Roman Imperial troops have to do with Freemasonry? Quite a bit actually, but especially with Rhode Island Freemasonry. The four cardinal virtues used to illustrate the principle point of Freemasonry, and subsequently the points of entrance, have roots in ancient Greece and the end of the Roman Empire. The winding stairs of the Fellow Craft degree are largely based on the learning of the Trivium and Quadrivium, with their classical education themes. Yet there is one early and physically rooted connection that these things share in common; a little paragraph that men hear around the country upon becoming a Mason. This paragraph is not one that began with our extremely ancient ritual, like that which our colonial brethren heard, but follows after the Revolutionary War in America. This paragraph is the explanation of the Lambskin, or white leather apron.

“The Lamb Skin, or White Leather Apron, which is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason; more ancient than the Golden Fleece, or Roman Eagle; more honorable than the Star and Garter, or any other order that can be conferred upon you at this or any future period, by King, Prince, Potentate, or any other person, except he be a Mason, which it is hoped you will wear with equal pleasure to yourself and honor to the Fraternity. “[1]

The white leather apron given upon initiation has been the subject of much contemplation and written speculation over the centuries. Some have speculated that it had druidic origins or that it comes to Masons from the priests of the time of the exodus in the Bible. Another tradition has that it comes from the workmen of the Temple of

Solomon. Yet another tradition speculates that aprons and their position worn by Masons are from a tradition of Kabbalism, esoteric Judaic schools of mysticism. Masons are often presented as the special inheritors of the wearing of white aprons around the waist. You may thus find it anti-climactic to learn that many 18th century livery companies continued to wear aprons in their profession when the Premier Grand Lodge of England began. Livery companies are a type of trade or craft corporation that have existed in the United Kingdom for centuries and derive directly from middle age guilds. The London Company of Masons is a particularly relevant example as the armorial bearings of the Grand Lodge are directly derived from this organization. These companies or guilds were given ancient precedence traditionally with the Great Twelve City Livery Companies taking pride of place. The Court of Aldermen of London determined the disputed precedence of the existing companies of 1515 and the Worshipful Company of Masons was deemed 30th of the 48. Several of these guilds used hats of various styles to designate status and also aprons. The Worshipful Company of Brewers wore aprons, and the Master had a white leather apron tied around his waist. We Free & Accepted Masons have made the apron a matter of significance to our fraternity and along the way have eschewed the white leather apron for aprons of many sizes, shapes, colors, and embroidered or painted them with special symbols and decorations. This is an interesting deviation from the second

lesson taught to the initiate about the apron. The Second Section of the Entered Apprentice degree provides information on the nature of the “badge”:

“The Lamb has in all ages been deemed an emblem of innocence. He, therefore, who wears the lambskin as a badge of Masonry, is thereby continually reminded of that purity of life and conduct which is essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge, where the Supreme Architect of the universe presides.”[1]

Here the apron’s material is not cloth or cow hide, as was often the case, but that specifically of lamb. The concept of the color white equivalating to innocence and purity is woven into the ritual to add further spiritual significance to the apron. I’ll need to leave the history of color aside for the moment. The lamb is used here as an “ancient allusion” and the first paragraph given the initiate alludes to not a white fleece, but a fleece of gold. What is the Golden Fleece and why is it important to Freemasons? The fleece compared here is that sought out by the ancient Greek hero Jason. The spectacular tale of the hero’s quest is probably the oldest. For thousands of years the tale has been told of the great sea voyage, traveling to the edge of the world - the land where the sun rises, to retrieve the celebrated fleece. The tale describes how Jason must use it to regain his kingdom and the tragedy that befalls ancient heroes. The author of our paragraph is utilizing the antiquity of the tale to make the point of how ancient the white leather apron is and imply that Masonry’s origins are ancient. The same is done with the Roman eagle, the famous standard held aloft by legions of soldiers that conquered the known world. Like we refer to the apron as a badge, so too are the golden fleece and the Roman eagle often used as heraldic badges. The court of Charlemagne and subsequent Carolingian leaders used the Roman eagle as their badge to claim the heritage of their kingdom from that of ancient Rome in the middle ages. The golden fleece would much later become a badge of other courts and of the military order of the golden fleece during the Spanish renaissance. A century earlier, the development of chivalry in the 100-year war between England and France of the Middle Ages would engender the creation of the “Orders of the Star and Garter”. The Most Noble Order of the Garter was founded in the middle of the 14th century by King Edward III of England. He had various political reasons to start this exclusive military order as he fought to support his claim to the throne of France. The French monarch, John II, then founded the Order of the Star a few years later in imitation. In the fires of these long wars the culture of England continued to develop in ways that were held important even in the centuries when America was founded.

The apron that all candidates are given upon initiation in Great Britain and her colonies was accompanied by a statement, but the ones cited above were inserted into the ritual after the publication of a book on Freemasonry. This is where the connection to Rhode Island Freemasonry arrives, but this article must stop. If I have whet your appetite, please join me for a multimedia presentation about the ancient tales, the ancient orders, and the man of Rhode Island who gave them to us at the

COLLEGIVM LVMINOSVM meeting on June 28th.

[1] The Trestle-board for the use of Subordinate Lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons for the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, 39th ed., Grand Lodge, Providence, 1988

Ancient Allusions By: RWDavid Lavery, Grand Historian

________________________________________________________________ Rhode Island Freemason Page 19

(continued from Page 9, Why Charity Lodge?)

The work that WWhite inspected consisted of the following:

19 regular and special meetings

Received 13 petitions for degrees

Initiated 12

Passed 11

Raised 11

By the end of the year UD, Charity Lodge would have had raised 22 Masons over the course of 31 regular and special meetings. During the first few months the lodge had sourced and purchased all its regalia and lodge equipment.

The officers at the time were:

John F. Jenks - Worshipful Master

Jedediah D. Witter – Senior Warden

Horatio N. Burdick – Junior Warden

David L. Aldrich - Treasurer

Elisha P. Clarke - Secretary

William Whaley – Senior Deacon

Joseph G. Arnold – Junior Deacon

William Buffington – Senior Steward

Job C. Greene – Junior Steward

John L. Kenyon - Marshal

John Tefft - Tyler

Charity Lodge in its sesquicentennial year has endeavored to

match the spirit of engagement and growth of our forebears! The “Letter G” is one of those Masonic symbols that is centuries old within the craft. The purpose of this article is not to prove where the symbol originated but to show how the meaning of the “Letter G” came to be the modern meaning. There is no wrong or right answer. The reader is left to interpret his own meaning.

The commonly held belief is the “G” stands for “God” and “Geometry”. The Greek philosopher Pythagoras was the first to uphold geometry as a science, built his whole philosophy on numbers. He said “All things are in numbers” and “the world is a living arithmetic in its development – a realized geometry in its repose.”i Of a like mind was the Greek philosopher Plato. When

asked how does God spend his time, Plato responded “God is always geometrizing [sic].” “Geometry rightly treated is the knowledge of the eternal.” “Geometry must ever tend to draw the soul towards truth.” ii

Brother Hextall points out that in every one of the hundred or more copies of old charges, or old constitutions, Geometry is placed first among sciences. Operative Masonry is nothing more than applied geometry. The ancient builder had no architectural handbook, blue prints or tables of construction. The operative mason’s only secret was his knowledge of geometric processes and how to apply them. It was natural he would hold his science in high regard.iii

How did the “Letter G” come to stand for Deity is impossible to answer with any certainty because available evidence is almost non-existent. Freemason scholars believe that when Freemasonry became stagnant in the 17th century and few lodges remained, Masonry slowly converted from operative to speculative. A commonly held belief is that those new speculative Masons were well versed in the Kabbala.

The symbolic system of the Kabbala centers around the Divine Name. According to Ancient Jewish traditions, Moses was given the real name of God for the Jewish people by the Almighty at the burning bush. The Ineffable Name, or Tetragrammaton is characterized by an equilateral triangle with the Jewish Yod symbol of God in the middle. In time “Yod” would be anglicized by modern innovators to the “Letter G.” Masonic scholar Albert Mackey states that “in my opinion, the Letter G, which is used in the Fellow Craft Degree, should never have been permitted to intrude into Masonry; it presents an instance of absurd anachronism, which would never have occurred if the original Hebrew symbol had been retained. But being there now, without the possibility of removal, we have only to remember that it is in fact but the symbol of a symbol.” iv

Another issue that comes up over and over is the relationship between the Blazing Star and the Letter G. The Blazing Star appears throughout the 18th and 19th centuries and always in the center of the lodge-room. Lodge clothes and tracing boards were always meant to be looked down upon on the floor and not hung on easels like we do now. Some of the earlier English drawings have the Letter G and Blazing Star separate. Gradually over time the two symbols were incorporated into one where “G” took on the meaning of God. This newly created symbol happened towards the end of the 18th century. Prior to this date, the Letter G in English ritual stood for “glory, grandeur and geometry.” Remember, the 18th century was a time of great changes in Freemasonry. Around 1730 in England there was a change from the two-degree ritual to the three-degree ritual. To make the three-degree system, the first degree, which was based on the two pillars of King Solomon’s Temple, was basically split into two degrees. The Fellow Craft degree, which was based on the five points of fellowship, became the third degree and the Legend of Hiram Abiff was added.

As you can see, “The Letter G” has undergone many changes over the centuries. As a symbol of geometry it brings us back to the childhood of knowledge. As a symbol of Freemasonry it brings us closer to God, the Great Architect of the Universe, from the youngest Entered Apprentice, who sits in the North East corner of the lodge, to the Worshipful Master, who presides in the

East.

i Nelson, Brian R.. Western Political Thought; From Socrates to the Age of Ideology, Second Edition. (Prentice Hall, 1996) pgs. 6-7, 51-53. ii Brown, Robert. Classical Political Theories; From Plato to Marx. (MacMillan Publishing Company, New York, 1990) pgs. 54-56. iii Haywood, H.L. Symbolic Masonry 1923. http:www.sacred-texts.com iv Mackey, Albert. The Symbolism of Freemasonry; Illustrating and Explaining Its Science and Philosophy, Its Legends, Myths and Symbols 1869, Kindle Edition 2004. Chapter XXIV, The Ineffable Name.

History of the “Letter G” By: Brother, Roy Pruett, P.M.

Page 20 June/July 2016 _________________________________________________________________________

Grand Lodge of Rhode Island

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Fax: 401-435-4423

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Grand Lodge Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM