Professional Documents
Culture Documents
3
AUGUST 2016
MASONS
AND THE
MASON JAR
– page 16
Volume 47, Number Three
IN THIS ISSUE
The magazine for Scottish Rite Masons of AmericaSM Message from the
3 Sovereign Grand Commander
Fingertips! 19
Brothers on the Net
Leigh E. Morris, 33°
Our Digital Collections Initiative
By Aimee E. Newell, PhD Scottish Rite
20 Benevolent Foundation
Stamp Act
21 Robert A. Domingue
22 Book Nook
24
8 Brothers Helping Brothers HealthWise
28 Today’s Family
10 Almoner’s Credo:
By Shane Dufresne, 32°
Members First 29
30
More Than Just Books
Masonic Moments
12 AFreemasonry
Farrago of 31 Et cetera, et cetera, etc.
16 Masons and
the Mason Jar
D I R E C T O RY
EDITOR
Alan E. Foulds, 33°
MEDIA ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Contributors
Richard V. Travis, 33°, chairman
Eric Ginette, 33°
Donald M. Moran, 33°
Donald G. Duquette, 33°
Douglas N. Kaylor, 33°
Alan R. Heath, 33° Donald R. Heldman, 33°
The Beacon
at Your Fingertips!
I
Our Digital Collections Initiative
Online exhibitions
States, gift of Jacques
Noel Jacobsen Jr.
continued on page 25 Ô
The Northern Light / August 2016 7
GIVING Brothers Helping Brothers
his lodge that the fire took everything. His only “I am overwhelmed by the generous gift from
remaining possessions were his truck and what the Grand Almoner’s Fund,” said Sam. “I cannot
little gear that was not on the vessel. Yet, even in express how much it means to me and my dad.
the face of this tragedy, Sam continues to give – The support from the Scottish Rite and the
volunteering, as he often does – at a community Brotherhood has been amazing. Your gift lifts
meals program run out of his lodge.” some of the burden off my family and will help
me with what I love most – fishing and caring for
With help from the Scottish Rite’s my dad.
Grand Almoner’s Fund, the Grand Lodge of
Massachusetts, the John T. Heard Lodge, and “This past year has been extremely hard on
members of the community, Sam is getting back us, and I would like you to know that I will
on his feet. He has replaced the “Dawn Breaker” not forget your kindness. I believe in ‘paying it
with a 35-foot Novi he named “Gerty,” in honor forward,’ and you can be assured I will. Thank you
of his mother. The Masonic square and compasses again. Your generosity makes me tear up and get
entwined with her name is Sam’s way of paying short of breath every time I think of it.”
public tribute to the help he received from the
Masonic fraternity. After some maintenance and
repairs to the new boat, Sam will soon be fishing
again.
By Linda Patch
I
n January of 2016, I was contacted by Most To say that I had a lot of work ahead of me is
Worshipful Charles Yohe asking if I would meet putting it mildly. As far it is believed, there are no other
with him. In October 2014, Bro. Yohe was elected Grand Jurisdictions in the United States with a Grand
to be installed as Grand Master at the Grand Lodge Almoner. So I had nothing to work from locally.
of Connecticut Annual Communication in April I was provided a copy of the Grand Almoner of
2015. Bro. Yohe had previously served as Grand England manual. It is very in-depth and detailed as
Master in 1996. I did not know what to expect as the Almoner position has been in place in England
the Connecticut Jurisdiction had just come out of a continuously for close to 300 years. It provided some
tumultuous year and a half. When I arrived to meet good pointers, but it was obvious to me that this would
with Bro. Yohe, I was introduced to Bro. Richard have to be a grassroots project. I began travelling to
McDonnell, who was also in attendance. numerous lodges and blue lodge council meetings to
Grand Master Yohe explained that due to see how or if they handled dealing with Brothers and
the difficult year our Grand Jurisdiction had just widows in need. Some lodges were good at it, some
undergone, he had a lot of work to do. He had several were okay and surprisingly, some lodges had little or
ideas, and one of them was to appoint a Brother to the nothing in place to handle this.
Grand Line as the Grand Almoner. He asked me if I
would be interested. I had to be honest and tell him I
had no idea what an Almoner is or what one does.
This is when Bro. McDonnell chimed in. Bro.
I t was apparent that as a whole we needed to do
more. After all, each and every one of us knelt at an
altar, placed our hands on sacred writings and swore in
McDonnell is from Great Britain. He explained that front of our Brothers that we would take care of our
an Almoner is the Brother who looks out for the well- Brothers, widows and orphans in their time of need.
being of the Brothers and widows. He explained the
numerous ways as to how this can be achieved. I was installed as the Grand Almoner in April 2015
and Most Worshipful Gail Smith, the Grand Master
In England every lodge is required to have an of 2016, who also served in 1989, asked me to continue
Almoner. Bro. McDonnell even kidded with Bro. on, so I was installed again in April 2016.
Yohe that the Grand Almoner is more important than
the Grand Master. To say I experienced a wide range During the 14 months I have been in this office I
of emotions is an understatement. Most of all, I was have traveled and talked about the position. A lot of
especially honored that Bro. Yohe had the confidence Brothers were unsure as to what exactly an Almoner
in me to undertake this important job. does. So I proceeded to explain the numerous ways to
do this.
Some research by Past Grand Master Roger Read
found that at the establishment of the Grand Lodge Some Brothers simply thought it was providing
of Connecticut in May 1789, a Grand Almoner was money to Brothers in financial difficulties. That can be
actually in place. Somewhere in the 1800’s the position a part of it. But if we are proactive, some of that can
was eliminated. The records are scarce as to why, but be eliminated. There are numerous other ways to help,
the commonly accepted story is that it has to do though. Sometimes Brothers or widows need other
with the Morgan Affair. During the anti-Masonic things done. Maybe a lawn needs to be cut; they need a
movement, many lodges and Grand Jurisdictions ride to a doctor’s office, or they need help cleaning out
operated on bare bones. the garage or moving.
The list is endless in ways to help, but we need It has included helping a Brother with ALS travel
to be proactive. We should have an open line of across the country to visit his family for the last
communication with our Brothers and widows. This time before he passed away, helping a family with
can be done with newsletters, phone calls, birthday and burying costs for a Brother who passed away from a
Christmas cards. car accident, and a few Brothers who were in severe
financial distress because of life threatening medical
situations.
•
•
PORTLAND
EAU CLAIRE
• • SEACOAST
MADISON
• • • NASHUA
• •
ROCHESTER WORCESTER
• GREATER BOSTON
PROVIDENCE
FREEPORT
•
CHICAGO DETROIT
•
WATERBURY
• • •
• • • •
CLEVELAND NEW CASTLE BLOOMSBURG
SOUTH BEND TENAFLY
READING ALLENTOWN
• • • • • • •• SCOTCH PLAINS
• • •
COLUMBUS
•
CANTON PITTSBURGH HARRISBURG PHILADELPHIA HASBROUCK HEIGHTS
•
DANVILLE NORTHFIELD
LANCASTER
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BURLINGTON
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DAYTON
CAMBRIDGE
SPRINGFIELD INDIANAPOLIS
CINCINNATI •• NORWOOD
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SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
SPICE UP Your Next lucky to have these masks be- embraced death with open
cause they show us how peo- arms and no regrets. While
Scottish Rite Event ple truly looked at the end of he did not receive the near-
Chef Larry’s (aka Bro. Larry von Weigel, their lives. While painters and sculptors anonymous burial he wanted, his face
32°) featured catering recipe in the July- of the time tended to idealize people physically reminds us of his most fa-
August Scottish Rite Journal is Spicy Jerk
by sanitizing their natural flaws, death mous quote, “What we do for our-
Chicken and Panna Cotta with berries.
Find them at www.scottishrite.org. masks truly encapsulated person’s facial selves, dies with us. What we do for
features for all time. others, remains, and is immortal.”
To be flip or to be smart,
that is the question Leigh E. Morris, 33°
Social Media
I n addition to our website with the online collections and
exhibitions available there, we are also active on a number
of social media sites:
• Like us on Facebook. We post regular updates about A mong the many digitized documents that will be
accessible via the Digital Collections website is the
certificate of appreciation shown here. Drawn by Charles
museum exhibitions, programs, collections and staff
activities. Edmund Sickels, 33°, in 1869, the document was created
• Subscribe to our blog at nationalheritage museum. for Nathaniel Shurtleff, 33°, and presented to him by the
typepad.com/library_and_archives. We offer weekly posts Northern Masonic Jurisdiction’s Supreme Council after its
about fascinating objects in our collection. Annual Meeting in 1869. At that time, Shurtleff was Mayor
• Watch videos set at the museum on our YouTube of Boston and an Active Member of the Supreme Council.
channel. The document, completely drawn by hand, expresses
• Visit our Flickr page to see curated selections of objects the Council’s “high appreciation of the most cordial and
from the collection – comment on, like and share your fraternal welcome extended” to them by Shurtleff during the
favorites. Supreme Council’s Annual Meeting held in Boston, June
• Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/masonmuseum. 16-19, 1869.
• Join us on historypin.org where we are mapping our We hope that you will make a virtual visit soon. We
photo collection. Explore our photographs by place and are pleased to be able to make our fascinating collection
time and share your own stories about the people and accessible to a much larger audience. A picture is worth
places in our photos. a thousand words, and our artifacts and documents
offer perspective, context and the chance to learn something
new.
Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives
“Old Tyler, why are not more Masons, Masons?” On the shore of the sea, among many, is a pebble which if
asked the New Brother in the anteroom. you touch it to iron will turn it to gold. Find it, and all iron
“For the same reasons that not more friends are friends, will be your gold.’
or hot dogs, sausages, I guess,” answered the Old Tyler. “All morning he ran, picking up pebbles, touching the
“You tell me the answer.” iron, and then, so that he wouldn’t pick up the wrong
“It seems mighty queer to me that we can’t make more pebble twice, he tossed the useless pebbles, which were not
lodge members feel the inner spirit of Freemasonry,” the magic stone, into the sea.
answered the New Brother. “I can’t understand it.” “After a while the task became monotonous; so he
“That shows you haven’t a very observing pair of eyes amused himself with visions of what he would do when he
or a great understanding of human nature,’’ smiled the Old should have won the great wealth. Meanwhile, of course, he
Tyler. “If this was a perfect world made up of perfect men was busy picking up pebbles, touching them to his bracelet
there would be no need of Freemasonry!” and throwing them into the sea.
“Maybe not. But if you can see what I can’t, and under “The day wore on. The visions became more and more
stand what is hidden from me, tell me, won’t you?” entrancing, the task more and more mechanical. And at
“I’ll try,” answered the Old Tyler. “A great many years last, just as the sun was going down, the peasant looked at
ago there was a great leader of men on earth. This great his bracelet – and it was ruddy yellow gold. Some one of
leader and teacher of men wandered in a sparsely settled the thousands of pebbles he had touched to the iron was
part of the back country, hungry and tired and footsore. He the lucky one, the magic one, and because he had been
had asked several of the country people for aid and shelter thinking of something else, doing his task mechanically, he
but while they were not unkind they also were poor and had cast it into the sea.”
offered him nothing, thinking him one of themselves. The Old Tyler stopped, thoughtfully puffing at his cigar.
“At last, however, he found a poor peasant who took him “That’s a very nice fable,” observed the New Brother.
in. The peasant gave him some dry clothes, for his were wet “But what has it to do with the matter under discussion?”
from storm, and shared his crust of bread and his humble “Much,” answered the Old Tyler. “In Masonry we are too
cottage. In the morning he gave the wanderer breakfast and much like the peasant. We take the pebbles of the beach,
a staff to help him on his way. the many who apply to us, touch them to the iron of our
“ ‘What can I do to repay you?’ asked the great leader of Freemasonry and cast them out into the sea of life. Or we
his host. take the touchstone which is Freemasonry and touch it to
“I need no payment. I, too, have been a wanderer and the iron which is a man, and let him throw it away. Work
you have both my sympathy and my aid for love only,’ the simile how you will, what we do is to neglect the newly
answered the peasant. made Mason; we give him only perfunctory attention. We
“Then the great leader told him who he was. ‘And do our work mechanically. We are letter perfect in our
because I have power, I will reward you in any way you degrees, and too often without the spirit of them. We have
wish,’ he said. ‘Choose what you will have.’ ritualists who can dot every I and cross ever T, who have
“‘If it is indeed so, oh, my Lord,’ answered the peasant, every word in place and no wrong words, but who do not
‘give me gold; gold, that I may buy clothes and food and impart the knowledge of what they say.
women and wine; gold, that I may have power and place “The reason more Masons do not deserve the title is not
and prominence and happiness.’ altogether their fault. It’s our fault! We don’t know enough
“‘Gold I can give you, but it would be a poor gift,’ ourselves to teach them; we don’t care enough about it to
answered the great leader. ‘Who has gold without earning it teach them. We make only ten men real Masons for every
eats of the tree of misery. And because you have been kind hundred to whom we give the degrees, and the fault is ours.
to me I will not give you such a curse. Gold you shall have,
– Carl H. Claudy, The Oregon Freemason, January 1983
but a task you shall do to earn it. You wear an iron bracelet.
it means that you have sixty years ahead of you, which adds up to 21,912 Success is not final and failure is not
glorious tomorrows. If you have forty years ahead, it adds up to 14,608 fatal. It is the courage to continue that
tomorrows; if you are sixty, you’ve got 7,304 wonderful tomorrows out counts.
there ahead of you. If you are seventy years old, you have 3,650 tomor – Winston Churchill
rows. No matter how old, tomorrow is yours. Make the most of it. Live it
as if it was your last, and every day of your life will be exciting. Stay hungry and humble.
– Norman Vincent Peale, Knight Templar, January 1972 – Darren Huston
On Wednesday, June 17, In fact, Dr. Joseph Warren stands at the head of a long line
1857, the Bunker Hill Memorial of the Warren family of doctors. His brother John Warren
Association unveiled a statue of was the principal founder of Harvard Medical School, and,
Joseph Warren, who died at the in turn, John Warren’s son - John Collins Warren - was
Battle of Bunker Hill exactly 82 a leading figure in establishing Massachusetts General
years earlier. To commemorate Hospital and was the first to perform surgery using
the occasion, the Bunker Hill ether. The Warren that we are concerned with here - J.
Memorial Association printed Mason Warren - was a leading surgeon and, while at
Celebrations by the Bunker Massachusetts General Hospital, performed pioneering
Hill Monument Association, of work in plastic surgery. J. Mason Warren performed the
the Anniversary of the Battle of first rhinoplasty procedure in America in 1837. But this line
Bunker Hill, in 1850 and 1857. of doctors didn’t end there - J. Mason Warren’s son, J.
Our copy of these proceedings Collins Warren also went on to become a doctor.
F
is particularly special because it was a presentation copy reemasonry, naturally, played a large role in the
given to Dr. J. Mason Warren, who was Joseph Warren’s celebrations surrounding the unveiling of the Warren
grand-nephew, and served on the Bunker Hill Memorial statue on June 17, 1857. General Joseph Warren was
Association’s board of directors. a Mason himself, having been raised in the Lodge of St.
Joseph Warren is often remembered for his pivotal role in Andrew and was Grand Master of the Massachusetts
two aspects of the American Revolution: as the man who Provincial Grand Lodge from 1769 until his death in 1775.
sent Paul Revere and William Dawes on their midnight rides It was Massachusetts Freemasons who gave Joseph
on the night before the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Warren a proper and honorable burial a year after the
and as a General who died at the Battle of Bunker Hill. By Battle of Bunker Hill. Warren had been buried on the
profession, however, Joseph Warren was a doctor, and this battlefield and his remains were dug up a year later; he
played no small role in his life, or in the lives of many others was identified by the dental work Paul Revere had done
in the Warren on him. Masons also played a large role in the ceremony
family. surrounding the laying of the cornerstone of the Bunker
Hill Memorial. The proceedings of the 1857 unveiling of
the statue of Warren enumerate the many dignitaries who
processed to Breed’s Hill. It was stated that “the Masonic
display was large and brilliant; the grand lodges of Rhode
Celebrations Island, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, twenty-
by the Bunker
Hill Monument
four subordinate lodges, and members of two or three
Association, of the encampments taking part in the procession.” Visitors to
Anniversary of the Bunker Hill today can still see the statue of Joseph Warren,
Battle of Bunker Hill,
in 1850 and 1857.
originally dedicated in 1857.
[Boston: Bunker
Hill Monument This article appeared in a slightly different form on the
Association, 1858].
Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library’s blog. Find more
Gift of Wilber
Devens Raymond. at http://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com. The Van
Gorden-Williams Library & Archives is located just off the
main lobby of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library
and is open to the public 10-4, Wednesday-Saturday.
Reference assistance is provided in person, by phone, or
by e-mail. You may contact us at 781-457-4109 or
library@srmml.org.
This may not seem to be as unusual to others as it was to me, but, last fall, while conducting
a close friend on a walking tour of Yarmouth, ME, I spotted a familiar emblem, done in what
I considered to be a very unfamiliar style.
This emblem was found on a gravestone in the cemetery next to the “Old Meetinghouse on
the Hill,” and I thought I would share it with readers of The Northern Light.
Of course, I’m very well-acquainted with the combination of these working tools, but I’ve
never seen them depicted with such realism. I thought it was very unusual, and it also
raised the question: Was this Brother actually a Fellowcraft when he passed on?
Robert C. Hazelton, 32°, Valley of Portland
My grandson attends Arcanum School in Arcanum, OH. This is a new K-12 school built in the last five years. While visiting for a school
program, we were going in the main entrance and my daughter pointed out the inlaid Masonic stone for the local lodge. I thought this
was unusual in today’s world and in a public school and thought it was very much an honor for the local lodge.
I saw this billboard when driving through a McDonald’s parking lot just off I-75 in Ohio between Dayton and Cincinnati. It definitely
caught my eye, and I have shared the photo with a number of Masons.
Chuck Clampitt O. Newton, 32°, Valley of Fort Wayne
Nationwide
Scottish Rite Day
ScottishRiteNMJ.org