Volume 1 Issue 4

October 2009

Welcome

This month has been a really busy one for me with the

‘opening’ of the new Masonic season I have travelled far

and wide on visitations and as I start writing thisintroduction I am making the final preparations for a tripto visit with brethren in Scotland.

To top the face of a busy ‘masonic’ time I also had two

bouts of illness within a week of each other maybe I am just getting old.We are blessed again with a great number of articles this month two of which you may recognise. The first being more wonderful art from Bro.Adam Kendall and you will also note I have reprinted the article on theRaigains Masonic rifle. I was contacted by the author (who was delightedwe had included it but had a few minor corrections so please do read itagain I

’m sure you will agree once you’

ve done so it will be mostworthwhile. Sorry to say I was unable to complete the continuation of the Knights templar in Art series but it will be in the next issue but to

keep those Knight fans happy there is a brief article on ‘The RoslinTemplar’

Now time for the advert: As always I am in constant need of

contributions

to the newsletter and leave it up to you to define Art (I

wouldn’t be so pre

sumptuous). I am also very happy to let you all knowthe Masonic Art Exchange webpage

http://masonic-ae.com

continuesto grow and I am also looking for contributions to the site as well.Finally, thank you all for taking the time to support this project and amgoing to ask you to take careful consideration of the donate button onthe webpage

a donation as little as €2 each could make this project

continue to run and expand. I look forward to hearing from many of yousoon.Yours FraternallyDavid Naughton-ShiresOrmonde Lodge #201 (IC)MAE President & Founder

________________________________

The opinions expressed in this newsletter representthose of the individual authors and, unless clearlylabelled as such, do not represent the opinions orpolicies of The Masonic Art Exchange, any MasonicLodge, Grand Lodge or recognized Masonic body.

This months contents:

Cover image: ‘

S&C in chains

’

by StephenMcKim

Happy Halloween

Introduction to Volume 1 Issue 4Page 3:

‘

The Great Archetect of the Universegave us the canvas What will you paint?

’

Page 5: Freemasonry in the Popular Culture.Page 9: The Lost Symbol: A review in twoparts.Page 17: Poem to a Newly raised Brother.Page 21: Who is the Rosslyn Templar?Page 19: Adams

‘

Photographic

’

ArtPage 34: The Ragains Masonic Rifle.Page 37: Emile Norman 1918

–

2009Page 39: SamplesPage 35: Recommendations and end note.

Our story begins in 2003, when a new Ford pick-up caught the eye of Steve McKim. As he took in the flowing metal contours and thegleaming surfaces of this mechanical masterpiece, his eyes landedupon that shining blue oval,bearing the silver signature of the name of the manufacturer.At that moment, he was struck

with this thought; “Why is it

that the builder of a pick-uptruck has such a great logo,

when the World’s oldest and

most respected fraternity is

represented by third rate art?”

You have seen his work; on websites, in magazines, on coffee mugs, jackets and T-shirts, even on postage stamps. Those brightly colored,three-dimensional, computer generated Masonic graphics, featuringthe working tools of the operative and speculative Master Mason, orthe insignia of the Appendent Bodies, which appear to have beenmade out polished metal, wood, or stone, and whose mirror-likesurfaces reflect all adjoining objects. His work is uncredited and, fartoo often, it has been appropriated for commercial purposes to which

the “enterprising entrepreneur” has no rights. And just as WoodyGuthrie’s music often appears in song books as “American Folk Tune,”so is Steve McKim’s artwork passed back and forth across the World

Wide Web, without attribution, as though it merely appeared fromout of the ether. The New Testament informs us that a prophet iswithout honor in his own country and, while Steve McKim is virtuallyunknown in his home state of Indiana, he has received honorarymemberships and letters of appreciation from Lodges and GrandLodges throughout the World. As a matter of fact, Steve creditsBrothers Duncan Russell of Scotland, and Blake Gardiner of Montana,

as the parties responsible for bringing McKim’s Graphics to the

Worldwide Web. Stephen McKim was born and raised in Lafayette,Jefferson High School in 1972. He has been married to his wife Deb for32 years, and they have three (3) adult children who live in Lafayette.For the past fourteen (14) years, Steve has been an employee of Caterpillar of Lafayette, where he makes his living as an assembler of large engines.I was introduced to Steve McKim, via theInternet, through a series of e-mailexchanges initiated by Andy Jackson, in aneffort to promote our shared interest inall things Scottish, Masonic and Templar,(and not necessarily in that order). I began

signing our exchanges, “Carson the Black,”while Stephen signed his, “Stephen theArsehole.” One Saturday morning, my

phone rang and, when I answered, a deepvoice on the other end of the line, in a perfect Scottish brogue, said,

“Would this be Carson the Black?” We made arrangements to meet

face-to-face at Founders Day 2007. Following our introductions at theScottish Rite Cathedral, Steve, Wilbur Smith, Joe Korschot and I took

an “extended lunch break” at the Elbow Room, where we resolved allof the World’s problems. A few days later, I received a message fromSteve saying, “Congratulations, you’re an Honorary Member of

Octagon Lodge

No. 511.” When I asked why, he simply said, “’Causewe like you.”

Hoosier author Kurt Vonnegut once observed that Midwesternershave, by nature, a generous disposition, living, as they do, in what