TNL-February2007

A Window for FreemasonryVol. 38 No. 1 FEBRUARY 2007

THE

7 Billy the Patriot Mouse • 14 Making a Difference • 15 Fleet Feet •15 The College of Freemasonry • 17 The 33° • 17 In Memoriam: Ill.WilliamHarrison Boutell •25 Standing Guard •25 MasonicWordMath•27 Quick Quotes •29 The Heritage Shop •30 Hiram •30 On theLighter Side

2 THE NORTHERN LIGHT / FEBRUARY 2007

FEBRUARY 2007 Volume 38 No. 1

Features

3 Sovereign Grand Commander

18 Notes from the Scottish Rite Journal

19 Brothers on the Net

20 Scottish Rite Charities

21 The Stamp Act

22 Book Nook

24 HealthWise

26 Views from the Past

28 Today’s Family

30 Readers Respond

31 Et cetera, et cetera, etc.

Also:

4 Seeds of Liberty

by Alan E. FouldsNew exhibition at National Heritage Museum.

SUPREME COUNCIL, 33°Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite

Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

SOVEREIGN GRAND COMMANDERJohnWm. McNaughton, 33°

THE NORTHERN LIGHT (ISSN 1088-4416) is published quarterly in February, May,August, and November by the Supreme Council, 33°, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite,Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A., as the official publication. Printed in U.S.A.Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA, and at additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Northern Light, PO Box 519, Lexington,MA 02420-0519.Copyright © 2007 by Trustees of the Supreme Council of the Ancient AcceptedScottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

EDITORAlan E. Foulds, 32°

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTSSonja B. Faiola

Beth E. McSweeney

MEDIA ADVISORY COMMITTEEStephen E. Carpenter, 33°, chairman

RichardV. Travis, 33°William Fox Jr., 33°

William L. McCarrier, 33°Frank R. Preble, 33°Eric Ginette, 33°

Mailing Address:PO Box 519, Lexington, MA 02420-0519

Editorial Office:33 Marrett Road (Route 2A)

Lexington, Massachusetts 02421781-862-4410

Fax: 781-863-1833e-mail: [email protected]

Internet:www.supremecouncil.org

THEA Window for Freemasonry

Columns8

4

United American Mechanics

by Mark A. Tabbert, 33°Two fraternities, one origin.

8

10

Paul Revere the Businessman

by Aimee E. NewellPatriot interweaves Masonicand commercial life.

10

16 RememberingPresident FordA brief presidency during trying times.

FEBRUARY 2007 / THE NORTHERN LIGHT 3

“We must reexamine our effectiveness.”

— John Wm. McNaughton, 33º

Time to Tune the EngineIt is no secret that the Big Three automakers

in Detroit have been floundering in recent years.

So when Ford Motor Company CEO William

Ford Jr. sought help to stop the bleeding, he

looked outside the auto industry and turned to

Alan Mulally, executive vice president of Boeing

Aircraft, to lead an “American icon.”

During a television interview on “The

Bloomberg Report,” Mulally, the new Ford CEO,

said, “Time is of the essence. The next few years

are absolutely critical. There must be aggressive

restructuring.”

He emphasized the need to reinvest in prod-

ucts that people want. Restoring credibility will

be a high priority.

He realizes that to improve quality it will be

necessary to work with suppliers in a collabora-

tive way.

As I listened to “The Bloomberg Report,” I

began to realize how closely Mulally’s concerns

parallel those of the Masonic fraternity.

The Scottish Rite — indeed, the entire frater-

nity — has considered itself in the driver’s seat of

a limousine that has gained respect and admira-

tion in the past.

The problem is that the limo has gathered a

little rust from lack of polish and many of the

drivers haven’t bothered to lift the hood to tune

the engine. In some instances it seems as

though the limo has been hidden in the garage

gathering dust with the door closed.

As Mulally said, time is of the essence. We

need to be aggressive when examining our

structure and reinvest in a way that serves the

members’ needs.

One of our first priorities must be to restore

credibility with a world that has forgotten who

we are. At the same time, we must maintain the

fraternity’s core values.

In too many cases, we have emphasized the

need for more members in order to maintain

buildings that are no longer relevant.

But what is the most important ingredient? Is

it a physical structure or is it the emphasis on the

individual member?

The basic principles of Freemasonry exempli-

fied through the degrees are timeless. The way

in which we convey those principles to every

Mason and to the world is the strength of the

fraternity. We must reexamine our effectiveness.

If the Scottish Rite is to provide an “advanced

education” within the fraternity, it must build

upon the core curriculum of the blue lodges by

collaborating with our “suppliers.”

It is time to tune the engine.

Sovereign Grand Commander


Seeds ofLiberty

By ALAN E. FOULDS, 32°

New exhibition atNational Heritage Museum

“History doesn’t happen in the ab-stract. It is made by people, so weintend to focus on the lives and

choices of the people who shaped thestart of the American Revolution.”That is how Hilary Anderson, direc-

tor of exhibits and collections at theNa-tional Heritage Museum in Lexington,MA, sums up the institution’s newestexhibition.Titled “Sowing the Seeds of Liberty:

Lexington and the American Revolu-tion,” it is designed to tell the story ofthe beginnings of our nation’s strugglefor independence. It opens in April onPatriots Day— a holiday inMassachu-setts and Maine honoring those eventsand the people who made them hap-pen.Although every school child has

heard of the battle of Lexington andConcord — the events are well docu-mented — there are always new waysto consider the story.As the Supreme Council headquar-

ters and the museum are located juststeps from the battle scene, telling thestory of Lexington and Concord has al-ways been a high priority.For several years an exhibition called

“Lexington Alarm’d” was a staple atthe National Heritage Museum. It wastime, however, to update the presenta-tion usingmodern technology and freshperspectives.To fund the undertaking the Supreme

Council formed a committee headed upby general chairman, Ill. Forrest D.McKerley, 33°, of New Hampshire.Bro.McKerley is a staunch supporter

of Scottish Rite charities. He says he gotbehind this particular project “becauseno one else is doing it.”He feels that many schools don’t

teach a complete history of our nation’sbeginnings.Additionally he adds “Scot-tish Rite Masons donated the museumto the people of America as a bicenten-

nial gift and theMasons have continuedto lend their support because most ofthe values of the fraternity are those ofthe nation as well.”He says that many of the principal

characters of that opening chapter,“such as Paul Revere, John Hancock,and Joseph Warren were members ofthe craft.”Bro. Steve Pekock, director of devel-

opment at Supreme Council headquar-ters feels that the project has brought to-gether both theMasonic and local com-munities. Spearheading the local driveisMs. Elsa Sullivan, awomanwith deeproots in town activities, such as the Lex-ingtonHistorical Society, the LexingtonSymphony, and the Garden Club.She is also house chairman of the

Munroe Tavern, a building that played

an important role in the start of the Rev-olution and still exists today. She saysthat the National Heritage Museum isone of her favorite charities.When asked how she became in-

volved Ms. Sullivan answered, “I orig-inally had a love-hate relationshipwiththe museum.“I was in love with the estate that

once stood on the site and was nothappy when things changed. The newarchitecture didn’t seem to belong.“Upon my first visit, however, my

mind was changed forever. When Iwalked through the door, it was as if themuseum said hello to me.”This new exhibition, she says, is par-

ticularly important for the children.Echoing the sentiments of Bro. McKer-ley, she wants to “get them while they

Print by Bro. Amos Doolittle titled “The Battle of Lexington,April 19, 1775.” Courtesy of the Connecticut Historical

Society, Hartford, CT.

are young.”She says the response from the

Lexington area has been strong due inpart to a great committee.Included with her from the commu-

nity are such leaders asMary Gillespie,Chuck French, Bebe Fallick, SelectmanNorm Cohen, Dawn McKenna, JimShaw, and Laura Atwater.She also thanks theMasonic commu-

nity “for making sure that this all hap-pens.”Reiterating the theme that this is a

story of people, Hilary Anderson ex-plains that much of the focus centerson two main characters, John Parkerand Jonas Clarke. Parker, among themany hats he wore in town, was headof the local militia.He was in charge of the men on the

town common when the British regi-ment arrived from Boston. Legend hasit that his last order to his men was,“Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if theymean to have a war, let it begin here.”The other, Jonas Clarke, wasminister

of the local church.Additionally hewasa strong and well-respected voice infavor of independence from GreatBritain.The exhibition, however,makes clear

that the revolution involvedmore thanthose that stood on the Green.The whole town was involved. The

idea of revolution permeated all facetsof life. In the small town of Lexington

everyone was tied to everyone else,either by family, trade, or church; oftenby all three.The new exhibition is divided into

seven sections.

IntroductionIn that era, Anderson points out,

“everyone was a farmer.” They mayhave had other jobs, such as blacksmith,cooper, or wheelwright, but all weretied to the land, as well.Everymanwas also a citizen-soldier.

Underscoring that theme is an imagethat greets visitors as they enter the“Seeds of Liberty.”On the wall opposite the doors is a

scrim that depicts a farmer. Using light-ing techniques the farmer transformsinto a soldier and then back again.Exhibits in the first room reiterate the

multiple tasks that everyone undertook.Using the diary of Jonas Clarke alongwith tax and probate records, museumstaffers are able to describe what lifewas like in 1775.Images and artifacts relating to farm-

ing, leather work, dairy products, andother trades of the day are shown.

The Loring KitchenThe kitchen of the Loring family is

re-created to showcase family life. Thevisitor learns how Lexington familiesparticipated in the world of goods asboth producers and consumers.A gathering area for students and

families features touchable objects. �


Iron Compasses, 1700s. John Parker, captain of the Lexington militia,made his living as a farmer and a wheelwright. He used

compasses like these in his work. National Heritage Museum.

Journée de Lexington, ca. 1784.François Godefroy (1743?-1819),artist; Nicolas Ponce (1746-1831), en-graver; M. Comte d’Artois, publisher.

Within ten years, the Battle of Lexing-ton had become a symbol of righteousrebellion and freedom throughout Eu-rope. This depiction of the battle waspublished in France in about 1784, notlong before the start of the FrenchRevolution.

Van Gorden-Williams Library.


� Taxes, Trade, and TensionMoving on to the next room, viewers

learn of the roots of revolution and seehow tensionmounted in the region overseveral years and many events.Historic, and not so famous, protests

are examined, such as the Boston TeaParty and the lesser-known LexingtonTea Bonfire.Evidence of boycotts is reflected in

the recorded increase of fabric manu-facturing in town, as locals ceased tobuy imported products.Ashort movie,“Acts and Reactions” tells of the gath-ering storm between 1765-74, using im-ages and narration as seen through theeyes of Paul Revere.A central character to the story, he

seems to be everywhere as events un-fold. Known chiefly for his “midnightride” and immortalized in the poem byHenry Wadsworth Longfellow, this fa-mous patriot was also a Freemason, asilversmith, and a political cartoonist,and he maintained strong ties to Lex-ington.

Parker’s Wheelwright ShopIn addition to his historic role on Lex-

ington Green, John Parker was also alocal businessman. Primarily in thewheelwright business— themaking ofwheels — he also had a hand in themanufacture of barrels, tools, presses,and virtually anything else an 18th cen-tury consumer wanted.

Using records fromhis account book,hiswheelwright shop is re-created.Alsousing the book, trends can be deci-phered. For instance, a boycott of Britishcloth can be traced through the pur-chasing habits of Lexingtonians.

Hilary Anderson, of the museumstaff, says that they can see at one point,“Parker’s spinningwheel business goesbananas.”His sales increased from two, to 17

the following year, caused by the in-creased use of domestic cloth.Although not part of his livelihood,

the book also contains a review of com-mands given tomembers of themilitia.

Common CauseTownmeeting is the principal body of

local government that, to this day, is inuse in many New England communi-ties.In addition to day-to-day govern-

mental administration issues, actionstaken at Lexington’s town meetings inthe 1700swere used to air grievances aswell as to prepare residents for armedconflict.Instructions were sent to representa-

tives in Boston, capital of the Massa-chusetts colony, and protests werelodgedwith the royal government. Pur-chases of arms and ammunition werealso authorized in preparation for a po-tential military confrontation.Reverend Jonas Clarke is showcased.

He served as the local minister for 20years and was a highly respected voiceof authority and morality.

Silver Communion Cups, 1764. Nathaniel Hurd (1729-1777). Patriot John Hancockhad close family ties to Lexington. His uncle, Thomas Hancock, was the son of the min-ister who preceded Jonas Clarke, minister at the time of the battle. Thomas gave thesesilver beakers to the Lexington church in 1764. National Heritage Museum.

Samuel Adams and John Hancock were outspoken critics of the Britishgovernment. On the eve of April 19, 1775, Paul Revere andWilliam Dawes rodeto Lexington to warn them of their impending arrest. These engravings were

created by Paul Revere in 1774. Van Gorden-Williams Library.

When he talked, people listened. Healso had his finger on the pulse of rad-ical thought of the day, and was inagreement with most of it. Lights andsound are used to transform a sug-gested meeting house from a place oftown business to that of church affairs.

Confrontation on the CommonThe battle is represented in four seg-

ments.The visitor is first presented with the

march of the British regulars fromBoston, followed by Bro. Paul Revere’sfamous ride to warn patriots SamAdams and Bro. John Hancock in Lex-ington and also the militia captainsalong the way.The skirmish in Lexington was actu-

ally a defeat for the locals, as severalcolonists were gunned down on thetown common and the troops marchedon to Concord.At Concord, however, they met with

resistance from the local militias andwere under fire for the entire trip backto Boston.This portion of the exhibition con-

tains portraits,military equipment, and

John Hancock’s trunk. An interactivemap demonstrates the progress of thebattle over time and space.

ConclusionsThe last room displays the Battle of

Lexington as an enduring symbol of theRevolution and of America.It also highlights propaganda of the

era from various points of view includ-ing theAmerican colonies, Britain, andFrance. Finally, the question, “Whereare they now?” is answered throughepilogues of many of the chief playersin the day’s drama.The town of Lexington, as well as

many regional communities, marks theevents of April 19, 1775 annually withre-enactments,memorials, and parades.This year in Lexington the celebra-

tion’s theme—Sowing the Seeds of Lib-erty — coincides with the opening ofthe exhibition.Bro. Steve Pekock says that the mu-

seum’s new telling of the beginnings ofour nation has been a wonderful col-laboration between the fraternity andthe town.He says, “The values of Freemasons

and of the nation, coupledwith a strongsense of community spirit, are demon-strated no clearer than at the Battle ofLexington.“It is both fitting and exciting that the

enthusiasm of the community and thegenerosity of Masons are making thisproject a success.”Opening day for the National Her-

itage Museum’s newest presentation,“Seeds of Liberty,” coincides withPatriots Day on Monday, April 16.


Designed to help young childrenwho visit the mu-seum follow alongwith the exhibition isBilly the Patriot Mouse.

Billy, a cartooncharacter, lives withthe Estabrookfamily in colo-nialLexingtonandparticipatesin eventshappeningthroughout “Seedsof Liberty.”

He might be seenin the Loring kitchenstealing cheese; he might listen topolitical gossip at John Parker’swheelwright shop, drill with themilitia, or sing in church.

After the battle at Lexington, hetravels with PrinceEstabrook who,in real life, foughtwith the troops in

Massachusetts,New York, andNew Jersey.

The cutout figureis placed at child level

where it is hoped hewill spark conversationamong the youngervisitors.

Billy makes his debutinside the exhibition buthe will eventually make his

presence known on the museum’sofficial website:

nationalheritagemuseum.org,

and in 2008, in the publishedguide to ‘Seeds of Liberty.’

Teapot, 1765. The 1773 Tea Act gave the British East IndiaCompany a monopoly on tea importation to the colonies,which caused financial hardship for many Boston merchants.Protests of this act included boycotts, theBoston Tea Party, and the less famousLexington TeaBonfire in 1774.Otheractstaxedimported goodslike this Englishteapot.NationalHeritageMuseum.

MEET BILLY THE PATRIOT

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EN

UnitedAmericanMechanics Two fraternities, one origin


By MARK A. TABBERT, 33°

Onemight see a symbol depictingan arm and hammer locatedwithin the square and com-

passes and naturally assume it to beMasonic in some way. In fact it is not.Instead the symbol is the emblem of

the Junior Order UnitedAmericanMe-chanics (JrOUAM), one of the largestfraternal organizations inAmerican his-tory and one of two similarly namedorders.Although it hasMasonic connections,

it began as an offshoot of a parent or-ganization called the Order of UnitedAmerican Mechanics.The older groupwas founded in 1845

in Philadelphia. During that periodAmerica experienced its first mass Eu-ropean immigration.Overpopulation, the potato famine,

and political and religious upheavalscaused many Europeans — especiallyIrish and Germans — to immigrate toAmerica.White native-born Americans, espe-

cially Protestants, resented these immi-grants seeking work, starting busi-nesses and establishing Catholicchurches.The men who founded the original

Mechanics, four ofwhomwere Freema-sons, determined to create an organi-zation with patriotic, fraternal andbenevolent purposes.Yet, the Mechanics also actively

worked to restrict immigration and en-couraged hiring and trading with onlynative-born Americans.

They also resistedwhat they believedto be the threat of the growing CatholicChurch.Membership, therefore, was re-

stricted to white, Protestant, native-born, adult men.Despite the name, membership was

not restricted to “mechanics;” ratherthere was a preference for tradesmen,machinists, artisans, farmers and otherskilled and professional men who feltmost threatened by immigration.The Mechanics organization grew

rapidly after its founding, spreading toDelaware, New Jersey, New York andlater across the nation.

Part of its successwas attributed to itspolitical agenda, but it was also helpedby a national re-birth of fraternal ordersfollowing the anti-Masonic period ofthe 1820s and 30s.Other “nativist” organizations fol-

lowed the Mechanics, such as Sons ofAmerica, the Brotherhood of theUnion,and theOrder of the Star Spangled Ban-ner.By the beginning of the Civil War in

1861, Freemasonry had surpassed itsmembership levels of the 1820s, theOdd Fellows had over 300,000 mem-bers, while theMechanics claimed over100,000 members.In the midst of this growth, the Jun-

ior Order of the Mechanics wasfounded in 1853.MARK A. TABBERT, 33°, is the director of collections at the George Washing-

ton Masonic National Memorial and author of American Freemasons.

Chart of theOrder of United

AmericanMechanics,

1870.

Strobridgeand Company,

Cincinnati, OH.

The “Junior Order” was originallydesigned for men too young to join theOrder of United American Mechanics;in the samewayDeMolay Internationalwas founded, in part, for boys tooyoung to join Freemasonry.By 1885 it became independent from

the senior branch and established itselfas a native-bornAmerican patriotic ben-eficiary order.Although it also droppedits age restrictions, thus allowingmen ofany age to join, it retained “junior” in itstitle.Within 15 years of its independence it

counted more than 200,000 members,twice the size of its parent order.As a fraternal organization the Me-

chanics were similar to most other fra-ternities.Membersmet in local “councils” and

were chartered and supervised by stategrand councils, with a national GrandCouncil governing the order.

Besides numerous symbols borrowedfromFreemasonry, theMechanicsworeaprons and conferred three initiationdegrees, titled: the “First” or “Degree ofVirtue;” the “Second” or “Degree of Lib-erty;” and the “Third” or “Degree ofPatriotism,” that taught Christian doc-trine and American principles. Localcouncils’ three principle officers werecalled: “Councilor,” “Vice Councilor,”and “Secretary.”Along with fraternal, social and po-

litical activities, the Mechanics offeredbenevolent benefits.Membership dues entitled a payment

of $300 after death for funeral expenses.Members could also purchase life in-surance polices that paid $1000 to a ben-eficiary.The headquarters for theMechanics’

benevolent departments were locatedin the Oakland neighborhood of Pitts-burgh, PA. In the 1890s the Mechanicsopened an orphanage in Tiffin, Ohio.By 1910 it cared for over 270 children,later rising to more than 1,000.In 1929 a second home was built in

Lexington, North Carolina. Due togrowing social welfare and other char-ities, the Tiffin homewas closed in 1948and its residents moved to North Car-olina. Today the Lexington home is still

in operation and the Tiffin site is a pub-lic park.Both Mechanics organizations, like

so many other fraternal orders of theday, created auxiliaries.In 1870, the senior branch recognized

the Daughters of Liberty while the jun-ior branch formed the Daughters ofAmerica.Aswith theOrder of the East-ern Star, both men and women couldjoin.In 1886 the Loyal Legion of United

Americans was established. Similar toMasonic Knights Templar andOdd Fel-low Patriarch Militants, the Loyal Le-gion was a uniformed division that ex-ecuted elaborate drills and marched inparades.The Mechanics, like many fraternal

orders, declined rapidly after the 1920s.The Great Depression destroyed the

financial health of the order while theNew Deal replaced many of its benev-olent purposes.New leisure activities and a growing

middle-class undercut its social activi-ties, while its most ardent patriotic ac-tivities were assumed by theAmericanLegion, VFW and the Boy Scouts.AfterWorldWar II, theUnitedAmericanMe-chanics merged into the Junior Order.The newly combined order dropped

its aversion to the Catholic Church andopened its membership to any Ameri-can citizen of good character. It now fo-cuses on its life insurance, home, socialand patriotic activities.The JrOUAM continues today, with

councils primarily inWest Virginia andNorth Carolina, and headquarters inKnoxville, TN.Though diminished over time, the

Mechanics remain dedicated toAmeri-can citizenship, patriotism, publicschools and the building of character,integrity and citizenship.


Badge of theJunior Orderof UnitedAmericanMechanics,1892. Pitcher with Symbols of the Order

of United American Mechanics,1870-80. Mercer Pottery

Company, Trenton, NJ.

Photograph of members of the Order of United American Mechanics,ca. 1880. Strobridge and Company, Cincinnati, OH.

Photograph of members of the Order of United American Mechanics,ca. 1880. Strobridge and Company, Cincinnati, OH.

When was the first time youheard these lines or read thisstory?

Was your imagination enchanted bythis famous poem published by HenryWadsworth Longfellow in 1863? WhilePaul Revere (1734-1818) achieved famefor his courageous ride through thecountryside in the early morning hoursof April 19, 1775 to warn the towns-people that the BritishArmy was on themove, this was only one night of his 83-year life.

In many ways, Revere’s life repre-sents the American Dream. Born to aFrench silversmith father, he started hisprofessional life as a Boston artisan andworked his way to entrepreneurship,amassing a significant fortune andachieving the status of gentleman alongthe way.

Among Revere’s many pursuits andaccomplishments was his Masonic ca-reer, which mirrors his business activi-ties.

Initiated in 1760 and made a MasterMason in 1761, he served as Grand Mas-ter of the Grand Lodge of Massachu-setts from 1795 to 1797, during which

time he opened 23 lodges throughoutthe state, a record that would stand forover one hundred years.

The Grand Lodge of Masons in Mas-sachusetts today has a collection ofmore than 11,000 objects and papers,including a number of items associatedwith Revere.

These items help tell the story of howRevere made a living starting as an ar-tisan, engraver and silversmith, andlater expanded his business ventures.

Eventually he owned his own cop-per-rolling factory in Canton, Massa-chusetts.

By exploring these objects, we canfollow Revere’s life story and see howhis involvement in Freemasonry af-fected his business pursuits and liveli-hood.

Revere learned the silversmithingtrade from his father. He worked as acraftsman in this trade in the late 1750sand early 1760s, eventually leaving thelargest single body of work of any 18th-century American silversmith.

The Grand Lodge of Massachusettscollection includes two silver ladleswith wooden handles that have Re-vere’s mark in the bottom of the bowl.

The bowls of the ladles are fluted andscalloped with an elegant stem con-necting to their wooden handles. The la-

dles in the Grand Lodge collection arenot dated but show the influence of themid-1700s style known as “rococo,”suggesting that they are early examplesof Revere’s work.

They resemble a pair of ladles thatRevere made for Samuel Barrett. Barrettpresented his ladles to his Masoniclodge, the Lodge of Saint Andrew inBoston. They are engraved with a dateof 1762.

The ladles also represent the start ofRevere’s work for Masonic customers,both individuals and lodges.

In fact, the first recorded transactionin his earliest surviving daybook, from1761, is a Masonic medal purchased byJames Graham in January of that year.Graham was an officer in St. Andrew’slodge.


Paul ReveretheBusinessman

By AIMEE E. NEWELL

Patriot interweaves Masonicand commercial life

AMIEE E. NEWELL, is the Curator of Collections, National HeritageMuseum at Supreme Council headquarters in Lexington, MA.

Listen, my children, and you shall hearOf the midnight ride of Paul Revere…

Silver ladle with PaulRevere’s mark in thebottom, from theGrand Lodge ofMassachusettscollection.


Revere also made at least eleven setsof Masonic officer’s jewels. One set ofthese jewels is currently on loan to theNational Heritage Museum at SupremeCouncil headquarters in Lexington,MA, and includes the original receiptgiven to Simeon Pratt (1745-1805) ofWashington Lodge by Paul Revere &Son.

The receipt is dated April 20, 1796and shows that Revere charged 12pounds for “one sett of silver MasonsJewels.” Located in Roxbury, MA,Washington Lodge received its charterin 1796. Pratt served as the lodge’s char-ter Senior Warden.

Many of Revere’s customers duringthe late 1700s were Masons. Not coinci-dentally, Revere’s Masonic involvementpeaked during these same decades.

His accounts reveal a substantialamount of business for Boston Masoniclodges, as well as individual Masons.Between 1762 and 1797, there were onlyfour years when he did not hold a lodgeoffice of some kind.

Revere took a break from his silver-smithing business during the years ofthe American Revolution.

Around 1781, he returned to workand incorporated the new neoclassicalstyle into his work, with its simple linesinspired by ancient Greek and Romanculture. As noted on the receipt for thejewels described above, Revere broughthis son into the business after the Rev-olution.

Gradually, he spent less time workingmetals and more time expanding hisbusiness to incorporate other trades andventures. After about 1797, Reveremade few silver items himself, relyinginstead on his son and their various ap-prentices to do that work.

One important exception is the goldurn in the Grand Lodge of Massachu-setts collection.

Made around 1800, Revere undoubt-edly created this unusual and extraor-dinary piece himself. Following George

Washington’s death in 1799, Revere, to-gether with John Warren and JosiahBartlett, wrote a letter of condolence toMrs. Washington on behalf of the GrandLodge.

In the letter they asked for a lock ofWashington’s hair, “an invaluable relicof the Hero and the Patriot whom theirwishes would immortalize and that itbe preserved with the jewels and re-galia of the Society.”

Indeed, the urn is engraved “ThisUrn incloses a Lock of Hair of the Im-mortal Washington Presented January27, 1800, to the Massachusetts GrandLodge by His amiable Widow…“ Treas-ured by the Grand Lodge for over 200

years, the urn is still used on specialceremonial occasions.

At the same time that Revere wasbuilding his business as a silversmith,he also spent time engraving copperplates used to print a variety of docu-ments.

Between 1762 and 1784 he made atleast six engravings of notifications orsummonses used to provide meetinginformation to lodge members.

These could then be reprinted quicklyas customers asked for them. He alsoengraved Masonic certificates anddiplomas.

The Grand Lodge collection includesan example of a small diploma thatseems to have been popular with locallodges.

Evidence shows that Revere kept thisparticular version in stock and sold itfrequently.Although the diploma is notsigned by Revere, it is almost identi- �

Washington Lodgejewels created byPaul Revere arecurrently on loanto the NationalHeritage Museum.

Receipt, dated April 20, 1796,shows Revere charging 12pounds for “one sett of silverMasons jewels.”

� cal to a larger certificate that is signedand was engraved initially in 1773.

This smaller version was probablyoriginally created in the late 1770s; atleast one example in a museum collec-tion is filled in with a 1780 date.

At the lower right, the engravingreads, “Printed and sold opposite Lib-erty Stump Boston.”

Revere owned land in this locationfrom the mid-1770s. Located at the cor-ner of Essex and Newbury (now Wash-ington) Streets, the stump marked thelocation of the Liberty Tree that theBritish cut down in August 1775.

Interestingly, when Revere moved hisshop from that location, his new spotwas opposite the “Liberty Pole.”An ad-vertisement of his move is printed in aJanuary 1786 newspaper.

A diploma in the Grand Lodge col-lection is that of Joseph Walles Jr., ofWarren Lodge. It marks his initiation tothe third degree of Masonry and isdated June 25, 1785.

In addition to Masonic engravings,Revere also engraved political cartoonsand broadsides.

One of the most famous is his ren-dering of the “Boston Massacre,” an in-cident that took place in Boston onMarch 5, 1770.

The National Heritage Museum isfortunate to have one of the original col-ored engravings made by Revere in1770.

Due in part to rising tensions be-tween colonists and British soldiers, fivemen were shot that evening by Britishtroops after trading words. Revere’s en-graving is based mostly on a depictionby another engraver, Henry Pelham.

There were no copyright laws at thetime and it was common for engraversto copy one another’s work, although inthis case, Pelham was not happy thatRevere did so.

However, Revere was able to quicklyengrave his version of Pelham’s basicdesign and distribute it widely, further

demonstrating his business acumenand ability.

Revere’s feelings about this event arerevealed in the title at the top, “TheBloody Massacre perpetrated in KingStreet…“

In addition, Revere manipulatedsome of the details of the scene to castthe British in a more negative light.

Revere was not shy about using hisengraving skills to create propagandathat supported colonial independence.

Revere hoped to use this image towin over public opinion to an anti-British point of view by downplayingthe confusion of the scene and the ac-tions of the mob of colonists whotaunted the British troops.

After the Revolutionary War ended inthe early 1780s, Revere turned his at-tention in new directions, decreasinghis direct involvement in silversmithingand engraving.

He opened a hardware store in 1783.At this store he sold imported hardwareas well as a variety of other items in-cluding handkerchiefs, ivory combsand a variety of tools. He continued tohave a number of fellow Masons as cus-tomers.

Experience with the hardware busi-ness, in part, led him to start a foundryin the North End of Boston in 1787where he produced metal fittings forships and, later, cast bells for publicbuildings.

The Grand Lodge of Massachusettsowns a rather unremarkable copperspike which might easily be overlooked


Model of a copper sheetingroller with a fragment ofsheeting used at St. Stephen’sChurch in Boston’s North End.

WORKING TOGETHEROriginally reported in theNovember 2004 issue of TheNorthern Light, the collaborationbetween the Grand Lodge of Ma-sons in Massachusetts and the Na-tional Heritage Museum continues.Working together, the GLMA andNHM are making the GLMA’sremarkable collection of importantMasonic and historic artifactsavailable to interested Masons andresearchers.

For more information about thecollaboration between the GLMAand NHM or learn more about thecollection, please contact themuseum’s collections departmentat 781-861-6559.

WORKING TOGETHER

Copper spike from the frigate Constitution.


without its accompanying note (see il-lustration).

The note explains that the spike camefrom the frigate Constitution, one of thesix original frigates authorized for con-struction by the Naval Act of 1794.

Also known as “Old Ironsides,” theConstitution is the oldest commissionedship afloat in the world and still makesbrief voyages in Massachusetts Baytoday.

The ship was constructed between1794 and 1797, and Revere’s recordsshow that he charged over $3,800 tooutfit the vessel with copper fastenings.

Undoubtedly, Revere’s experiencewith working silver and gold, sellingimported hardware and running afoundry inspired him to pursue hisgreatest business venture.

In 1800, at the age of 65, Reverestarted a mill in Canton, Massachusetts,for rolling sheet copper.

Up to that point,Americans were de-pendent upon imported sheet copperfrom England.

The primary use for this material atthe time was protective plating on thebottom of ships. Copper inhibited ma-

rine growth that could damage andslow the ships.

Sheet copper was also used on theroofs of public buildings. Reverewanted to be the first successful Amer-ican producer of sheet copper; an am-bition that he did realize.

Using $25,000 of his own moneyalong with $10,000 from the U.S. gov-ernment, Revere purchased propertyon the Neponset River in Canton andstarted his enterprise.

The Grand Lodge collection includesa model of the roller machine used topress the copper into smooth sheeting.

By 1801, he was able to write toRobert Smith, secretary of the Navy, “Ihave erected my works and have rolledsheet copper which is approved of bythe best judges as being equal to thebest cold rolled copper.”

One of his first orders was for 6,000feet of copper sheathing to cover thedome of the new State House.

Soon after, Revere produced coppersheeting for the roof of St. Stephen’sChurch. St. Stephen’s, located inBoston’s North End, was designed byCharles Bullfinch in 1802.

A fragment of this sheeting is cur-rently in the Grand Lodge collection,along with four nails from the churchthat were supposedly made at Revere’sforge.

The fragment of copper sheeting hasremnants of gold paint or gold leaf onone side, a popular treatment for roofdomes at the time.

Despite decades of leadership withinthe Masonic bodies of Massachusetts,Revere significantly decreased his in-volvement after his term as Grand Mas-ter was completed in 1797.

Unfortunately, there is little evidenceto suggest why Revere stopped activelyparticipating and failed to have a Ma-sonic funeral when he died in 1818.

Most likely his intense involvementwith his copper rolling mill from 1800 to1811, requiring him to spend most ofhis time in the Canton countryside, im-peded his ability to attend meetings.

In 1811, Revere retired from activeoperation and management of his mill,giving control to his son.

At that time, after eleven years in ex-istence, the company was worth over$50,000.

While Revere’s beautiful silver bowlsand Masonic jewels are well knowntoday it is the innocuous everydayitems such as the diploma for JosephWalles Jr., the spike from the frigateConstitution, and the fragment of cop-per sheeting from St. Stephen’s Churchthat help us understand the journeyfrom artisan to gentleman that Reveremade during his life.

We are fortunate that MassachusettsMasons felt a connection with Revereand saved these relics, donating them tothe Grand Lodge’s Museum collection.

By thinking about the hands thatcrafted these materials, they allow us tolearn about Revere’s contributions toFreemasonry and American history.

If you own an object, engraving orcertificate related to Paul Revere andwould like to consider donating to theNational Heritage Museum’s collection,please email Aimee Newell [email protected] or call 781-457-4144.

A number of objects associated withPaul Revere will be part of the upcom-ing exhibition, “Sowing the Seeds ofLiberty: Lexington and the AmericanRevolution,” opening inApril of 2007 atthe National Heritage Museum in Lex-ington, MA.

This new exhibition tells the story ofhow extraordinary patriots and every-day people shaped the course of the his-tory of America.

Master Mason diploma forJosephWalles Jr. designed byPaul Revere, issued byWarrenLodge in 1785.


W hether operating a pro-gram such as the 32°Masonic Learning Cen-ters for Children, tutor-

ing at one of the facilities or donatingyour hard-earned money to assuretheir continued existence, the bestfeedback comes directly from thosewho benefit.For more than a decade the Scottish

Rite Masons of the Northern MasonicJurisdiction have made it possible formore than 50 such centers to opentheir doors to those who have learn-ing disabilities, but what are the re-sults? Included here is a sampling ofthe tremendous progress that hasbeen achieved. The correspondenceclearly spells out the importance ofthe continued support of this worth-while endeavor.The first set of letters comes from

children at the Valley of Chicago cen-ter. Each has expressed gratitude andhas briefly explained the positive out-comes of attending sessions there.One is written by a girl named Sa-vana. She says, “Before I came here,reading was hard for me. I felt sad,mad, and embarrassed. Now I am get-ting better and it is easier to read.”Clay writes, “Dear board members, Ithank you for helping me by lettingme come to the center. In school I cannow read chapter books out loud inclass.” Brian adds, “I am so gratefulthat you have funded the learningcenter. You have given me a chance toget the help I need to learn moreabout the English language. Mygrades are up since I have been in theprogram.” Adam says “I would benowhere without this program. It hashelped me tremendously. My tutor isthe best.” Maddy feels that the center“makes learning fun” while Fran, whopondered last Thanksgiving Day, veryeloquently adds, “Thank you from myturkey-loving heart.”Positive results come not just to

those in the program today, but theycan and do affect children’s learningabilities for a lifetime. ANew Jerseycenter recently received a letter fromparents commenting about their son,who attended a learning center eightyears ago. Although one of the earliestattendees, he is still benefiting from

the services received from the ScottishRite. Donald and TammyWilliams tella little of their son’s past history andhow he is doing today.“I am writing to inform you of the

wonderful progress of our sonMatthewWilliams, a former studentof The Scotch Plains, NJ Scottish RiteLearning Center. Matt attended thecenter approximately eight years agowhen we were living in Plainfield, NJ.When he arrived at the center it was awonder that he was able to make anyprogress in school at all. He was iden-tified with a clear learning disabilityand the Plainfield school system just

was not able to help. The guidancecounselor and ESE teacher referred usto the learning center.“You should see Matt now. He is a

junior at Charlotte High School inFlorida, the one that was destroyed inHurricane Charley. He attends schoolin trailers due to that hurricane and

has been able to maintain a 3.6 GPAtaking honors classes.“Since sixth grade he has consis-

tently been on the honor roll and haseven been the student of the year forgrades 7, 8 and 9. In 10th grade he wasnominated for the National Honor So-ciety.“Because of Matthew’s academic

success and athleticism, he is nowbeing recruited for football scholar-ships at Dartmouth, Princeton, Cor-nell, Tufts and Carnegie-Mellon. Tosay that your program works and issuccessful is an understatement.Please keep up the good work.”

32° Masonic Learning Centersfor Children, Inc.

Making A Difference


The running community has played an integral role insupporting the 32° Masonic Learning Centers for Children,Inc., for many years, and that presence has been on the riserecently.In the fall, six of the Walks to Help Children with

Dyslexia added 5k road races to their programs and moremay be planned for next year.The Pennsylvania Valleys of Reading, Allentown, and

Bloomsburg are in the planning stages for a relay race.The mainstay, however, has been participation in theBoston Marathon.For five years

our learning cen-ters have sent rep-resentatives to takepart in the 111-year-old springclassic, runningfrom the smalltown of Hopkin-ton, MA, over thefabled “HeartbreakHill” to the finishline at Boston.This year is no

exception. Signed up and ready to go, raising funds forthe operation of the centers, are 14 marathoners from allparts of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.Six participants are returning from last year’s edition

and one is back after a two-year hiatus.Two of the learning centers’ entrants, Thomas M.

McClintock, 32°, from Boston and Kurt A. Walborn, 32°, ofFort Wayne, IN, have participated during all previousyears of learning center involvement.

Fleet Feet

2007 Boston MarathonParticipants

Thomas B. Beattie Sr. . . . . . . . . . . . .Indianapolis, IN

John Bialiecki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wilmington, DE

Todd Fiorentino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Milwaukee, WI

Arnie Grot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Waterbury, CT

David Ingham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Reading, PA

Robert Polis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Burlington, NJ

Kurt Walborn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ft. Wayne, IN

Loren Winn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Detroit, MI

John Heycock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Harrisburg, PA

Kimberly Emigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Williamsport, PA

Shiobhain Harding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lancaster, PA

Thomas McClintock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Boston, MA

Steve Buxton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nashua, NH

Stephen Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .New Castle, PA

The

college of

Freemasonry

The Sovereign Grand Commander will be thefeatured speaker at this year’s session of theCollege of Freemasonry, hosted by the ScottishRite Valley of Rochester, NY.

The two-day event will take place at theDamascus Shrine Center in Webster, on March30-31.

Ill. John Wm. McNaughton, 33°, will delivera keynote address following a dinner on Fridayevening, which is open to Scottish Rite Masonsand their ladies.

Kicking off the program on Saturday will beDr. William Cook, a nationally recognizedMedieval scholar who is a member of theDepartment of History at the State University atGeneseo. His program will focus on cathedralbuilding.

Also addressing the group will be M.W. Neal I.Bidnick, Grand Master of Masons in the state ofNew York and author of The Masonic Compactand The Compleat Mason.

Ill. Richard H. Curtis, 33°, recently retirededitor of The Northern Light, will speculate onthe future of Freemasonry, and Ill. Richard E.Fletcher, 33°, executive secretary of theMasonic Service Association, reports on thefindings of the “About Time Task Force.”

The success of a similar event last year, titled“Masonic Education Fair,” has encouraged theofficers of the Valley of Rochester to make thisan annual event.

The Saturday event is open to all. Forfurther information and reservations, thoseinterested are urged to contact the Valleyoffice at (800) 858-2320 or email them [email protected].

RememberingPresidentFord A brief presidency during

trying times

During the darkest days of theAmerican Revolution GeorgeWashington said, “We should

never despair.“Our situation before has been un-

promising and has changed for the bet-ter, so I trust it will again.”Two centuries later another Mason,

Gerald R. Ford, assumed the duties ofpresident of the United States in tryingtimes.The nationwas consumed by scandal

and the sitting president was forced toresign. In 1974, Bro. Ford replaced himand took office.He had only been vice president for a

fewmonths, entering into that positionas the result of an earlier scandal.As hewas sworn in he proclaimed, “Our longnational nightmare is over.”Gerald Ford was born Leslie Lynch

King Jr. in Omaha, NE, in 1913. At theage of two his mother re-married andthe young boy assumed the name of hisstepfather.Growing up in Grand Rapids, MI, he

attended the University of Michiganwhere he starred on the school’s footballteam. He later earned a law degree atYale.Serving in the Navy during the Sec-

ondWorldWar, he attained the rank ofsecond lieutenant.Following the war he returned to

Michigan and opened a law practice.He entered politics and was elected tothe U.S. House of Representatives in1949 andwas later elevated to the posi-tion of minority leader.Also in 1949 Bro. Ford was initiated

into Freemasonry in Malta Lodge No.465 in Grand Rapids.Because of his governmental duties

the second and third degreeswere con-ferred by Columbia Lodge inWashing-ton, D.C.In 1957 he joined Scottish Rite in the

Valley of Grand Rapids and received

the 33° at the Annual Meeting atPhiladelphia in 1962, where he servedas the Exemplar for his class.President Ford rose to the highest of-

fice in the land through a set of ex-traordinary circumstances.In 1972 President RichardNixon and

his running mate, Spiro Agnew werereelected, but Agnew was forced to re-sign in October 1973 after a justice de-partment investigation uncovered evi-dence of corruption. Agnew pleadednolo contendere to criminal charges oftax evasion.Using a new amendment to the con-

stitution, the president was required tonominate a person to fill the vacancy.Chosen by President Nixon to be the

new vice president was Gerald Ford,minority leader in the House of Repre-sentatives and a person respected by

both parties. He was easily confirmedby both the Senate and House of Rep-resentatives.Upon his succession to the vice pres-

idency, hewas self-effacing, calling him-self “a Ford, not a Lincoln.”Just ten months later the president

was forced to resign and again Bro. Fordwas promoted.At his swearing-in ceremony Presi-

dent Ford said, “I am acutely aware thatyou have not elected me as your presi-dent by your ballots, so I ask you toconfirm me with your prayers.”He continued, “If you have not cho-

sen me by secret ballot, neither have Igained office by any secret promises. Ihave not campaigned either for thepresidency or vice presidency. I havenot subscribed to any partisan platform.I am indebted to no man and to only


President Ford at work in the Oval Office. January 27, 1976.

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one woman — my dear wife — as Ibegin this very difficult job.”Throughout his adult life Bro. Ford

was committed to Masonic principles

and was vocal in his support for thefraternity.Speaking at the unveiling of the Ger-

ald R. FordMasonicMedallion he said,

“The guidelines bywhich I strive to be-come an upright man in Masonry giveme great personal strength.“Masonic precepts can helpAmerica

retain our inspiring aspirations whileadapting to a new age.”He was the recipient of several Ma-

sonic honors. In addition to his electionas a Sovereign Grand Inspector Gen-eral, 33°, and Honorary Member of theSupreme Council of the Northern Ma-sonic Jurisdiction, hewas unanimouslyelected as an Active Member of the In-ternational Supreme Council, Order ofDeMolay and as its Honorary GrandMaster.In 1975 hewas awarded the Gourgas

Medal, “in recognition of his distin-guished service to his country and tohumanity and of the exemplification inhis life of the true tenets and teachingsof Freemasonry.”Hewas presented the award at a spe-

cial ceremony held in theCabinet Roomof The White House on February 17,1975.President Gerald R. Ford Jr. died on

December 26 at the age of 93.


Ill. Gerald R. Ford, 33°, was the third U.S.president to be elected as a Sovereign GrandInspector General and the second from theNorthern Masonic Jurisdiction. First was Warren

G. Harding. Bro. Harding was elected to receive the 33° at the AnnualMeeting held in Boston in 1921. Because of the illness of Mrs. Harding hewas unable to be present in Cleveland to receive the designation and senta letter “expressing keen disappointment.” Although the SovereignGrand Commander wished to convene a special session for him, Hardingpreferred to receive the degree at a regular Annual Meeting. He wrote, “Iam looking forward with most agreeable anticipation to being presentand receiving this crowning degree in Masonry. I hope nothing will ariseto prevent my full realization.” Bro. Harding died August 3, 1923, amonth and a half before the meeting.Bro. Harry S. Truman also received the 33°, elected by the Southern

Jurisdiction while president in October 1945, at its Biennial Meeting heldin Washington, D.C.

The 33°

In Memoriam

Ill.WilliamHarrison Boutell, 33°, anActive EmeritusMember for the state of Michigan, died after a long ill-ness on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2006.Bro. Boutell was born in Bay City, MI, on Sept. 20,

1934. He attended the Bay City public schools andearned a Bachelor ofArts degree in finance fromMichi-gan State University.He owned and operated a local conglomerate, Boutell

Enterprises, which managed his many business inter-ests, including car washes, Stanley Fuel Gas and Oil,and several commercial real estate enterprises. In ad-dition, he developed the Bay Harbor Village Condo-miniums in downtown Bay City.In 1955, he married Nancy Louise St. Denis, who

survives along with three children, Gretchen (Diana),Betsy and Timothy, and four grandchildren.He was a longtimemember of the First Presbyterian

Church in Bay City, where he was an usher for manyyears.In civic activities, he was elected county commis-

sioner from 1966-71 andwas the president ofMichiganAssociation of Counties in 1972.For his service to the community on several com-

mittees, he was honored by the Junior Chamber ofCommerce as “YoungMan of theYear” andwas the re-

cipient of a School Board of Bay City Award. An avidand devoted skier himself, he faithfully served theNa-tional Ski Patrol System for over 42 years.Bro. Boutell was raised a Master Mason in Joppa

Lodge No. 315, F.&A.M.,and was a trustee for theMa-sonic Foundation of Michigan. He completed the de-grees of the Scottish Rite in the Valley of Bay City in1960. For theValley hewas Sovereign Prince from 1976-78 and Commander-in-Chief from 1993-95. He was atrustee for the Valley of Bay City from 1968-78; vicepresident from 1978-90; and president from 1990-2000.Ill. Bro. Boutell received the 33° in 1973. He was

elected an Active Member of the Supreme Council in1999 and assumed Active Emeritus status in 2001. Hewas on the Committee on Unfinished Business, 1999-2001.Bro. Boutell also held membership in the Elf Khu-

rafeh Shrine Temple, Saginaw Valley Preceptory, theRoyal Order of Jesters and the Red Cross of Constan-tine. The Order of DeMolay honored him with the Le-gion of Honor.Ill. Brother Boutell was among the original planners

and developers for the Bay City Learning Center andwas instrumental in the initial setup and operation ofthat center.

Ill. William Harrison Boutell, 33°


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

This year marks the 40th anniver-sary for Tommy James in the music in-dustry. He has sold over 100 millionrecords, including classics such as“Crimson and Clover” and “Mony,Mony.” In a remarkable gesture of gen-

erosity, this artist donated two person-ally autographed Fender guitars to theValley of Charlotte’s RiteCare Chil-dren’s Language Center. The guitarswere raffled off to raise money for theoperation of the Center located at the

Charlotte Scottish Rite Temple. Only250 tickets were available for each gui-tar, and a total of $5,000 was raised forthe center. Tommy James & The Shon-dells have had 23 gold singles and 9gold and platinum albums. They cur-rently have a new album “Hold theFire” (www.TommyJames.com).

The Charlotte RiteCare Centerwas founded in 1988 and, like allRiteCare Childhood Language Pro-grams, is committed to helping chil-dren who are exhibiting problemswith language development or whoseacademic progress is being affectedby delays in spoken or written lan-guage. These children exhibit normalintelligence and demonstrate the po-tential to achieve. Their delays arenot caused by such other primary dis-abilities as severe as emotional prob-lems, deafness, blindness, or mentalretardation. There are no fees at theCharlotte RiteCare Center, and allservices are available to families re-gardless of race, creed, color, or hand-icapping conditions.

Eight-year old Mia Azhame McManus, a patientat the Charlotte RiteCare Center, holds one ofthe Fender guitars autographed byTommy James.

Unique Rock & Roll Gift BenefitsCharlotte’s RiteCare Center

Scottish Rite Goesa Little Country

Nashville recording artist andCountry Music Association awardwinner Brad Paisley received the 32°on Saturday, October 28, 2006, at aspecial ceremony at the House of theTemple. Bro. Paisley was in theWashington-Baltimore area as part ofhis “Time Well Wasted” concert tour.Brad and his keyboardist KendallMarcy joined the Scottish Rite underthe direction of Sovereign GrandCommander Ronald Seale, 33°.Joining Brad for this ceremony was

his father Doug Paisley, 32°, whoworks with Brad on his tours as man-ager and bus driver. SovereignGrand Commander Seale, with helpfrom Inspectors General Hoyt Sam-ples, 33°, of Tennessee, C.B. Hall, 33°,of West Virginia, and Hans Wilhelm-sen, 33°, of Maryland, presided overthe event. In addition to Paisley andMarcy joining the Scottish Rite, coun-try music legend “Little Jimmie”Dickens was honored. He is knownfor his work on the TV showHee Hawand on stage at the Grand Ole Opry.Paisley andMarcywere grateful

that the Scottish Rite workedwiththem and their busy schedules. Paisleysaid, “I am very appreciative of every-oneworkingwith us, and I will dowhatever I can to help this organiza-tion.” The Southern Jurisdiction ispleased that people as young and en-ergetic as Brad and Kendall see thebenefit of the Scottish Rite andwant tosupport our fraternity. Here’s wishingthem both great success in the future.

L. to r.: Marcy, Dickens, Brad Paisley,Seale, Doug Paisley

Website Has New FeaturesHave you visited our website lately? If not, stop what you are doing and

take a look at www.scottishrite.org. One of our new highlights is a rotating “Inthe News” feature that appears on our home page. Each time you refresh thepage, you will get one of the four or five rotating stories. After sharing the newswith the world for a few weeks, the stories will be retired and saved in our Previ-ous News Highlights section.

Does your lodge or Scottish Rite Valley have news you would like to share?We welcome submissions fromMa-sonic organizations of any type. Thebest articles are those that are keptshort and include a digital photo.Articles should be approximately200–300 words and should be sub-mitted as a Microsoft Word docu-ment or in the body of an e-mailmessage to Heather Calloway [email protected]. Wehope to hear from you soon.

Admittedly, I’ve never been bigon new year resolutions, like vow-ing to eat healthier (hey, I’ve al-ready given up everything I intendto give up) or quitting tobacco(go ahead and lecture away, but Ilike my daily La Gloria Cubana).

Besides, making resolutions inthe wake of the excesses of theChristmas season, as it is cele-brated in America, may not ex-actly yield the best possible courseof action. Guilt rather than a de-termination for improvement islikely to be the guiding light inthe crafting of resolutions.

So, with the the holidays wellbehind us, this may be a goodtime to attempt some resolutionsthat apply to the Internet, com-puters and such.

Watch what we writeAt the moment, I cannot think

of anything more maddening thanthe abuse our language takes onthe Internet.

Every day, I receive hundreds of business and per-sonal e-mails. Most are just plain sloppy. Punctuationseems to be a lost art. Ditto for the rules that apply tocapitalization. Most writers are even too lazy to usethe spell checker feature.

Yes, English is a living language and, as such, it con-stantly evolves. Nonetheless, the basic rules of gram-mar have not been repealed.

Let us all resolve to treat our language with greaterrespect. Capitalize and punctuate as required. Use adictionary not only to assure proper spelling but to usewords properly.

Don’t rely on softwareViruses are the bane of the Internet. Yes, updated

anti-viral software is essential for maintaining yoursafety on the Net.

At the same time, far too many users place toogreat a reliance on anti-viral software. Your first lineof defense is YOU. Never open attachments unlessthey are sent from a trusted source – and even that isnot a 100 percent guarantee of safety.

Let this be your resolution: when in doubt, don’topen it.

Someone is watchingUnless you are part of that group that uses Macs,

spyware is a big problem. While some spyware is be-nign, much of it is capable of causing major problems.

There are a number of spyware programs, but mychoice continues to be Spybot Search and Destroy 1.4

(www.spybot.info). Not only does itwork, but it is free.

If you prefer to spend a littlemoney, then you may want toconsider Webroot Spy Sweeper 4.5(webroot.com) for $25 plus an an-nual fee of $20.

Regardless of which programyou select, resolve to put a spy-ware program on your computer.

Back up everythingIt never ceases to amaze me

that so many people lose every-thing when their computer goessouth.

If you are not backing up yourfiles, resolve to do so in 2007.

How? Buy an external harddrive. Good external drives areavailable in the $200 to $250range, and you can probably pushthe price down with a little shop-ping. I use an Iomega and havefound it completely satisfactory.

If you don’t have an externaldrive or want to supplement it,you can burn files to a CD at verylittle cost. Flash drives (also known

as jump drives) offer another alternative and the ad-vantage of being portable. I own several.

Electronic newslettersMany lodges issue newsletters on an infrequent

basis, while others issue none. Often, the excuse is thecost of printing and mailing.

Lodges can sharply reduce newsletter costs by creat-ing an electronic version of their publication. In mostlodges, at least half the members have Internet access.

Creating an electronic newsletter is rather easy. Justsave it in a .pdf format and send it on its way. An evensimpler method is to write the newsletter and thencopy it into an e-mail, though this approach is verylimiting.

Because electronic newsletters are inexpensive, theycan be issued on a regular basis. A newsletter helpsbond members to their lodge, making them feel morea part of the organization. A newsletter helps build in-terest and strong interest helps build participation.

Resolve to convince your lodge to create an elec-tronic version of the newsletter.

Get the mostIn this new year, resolve to get the most out of your

computer and Internet experience.One way to do this is to purchase a new software

program, preferably something that is fun. For exam-ple, I recently bought my first computer game, Rail-road Tycoon 3. I hate to admit this, but that game is alot of fun.

You might try creating a slide show or photo album.Download some music. Begin researching your familytree. Learn more about our ancient craft.

Most of all, have fun.Please send your comments, questions and thoughts

to me at <[email protected]>.

Fraternal wishes to you all.


Leigh E. Morris, 33°, works in corporatecommunications for a major utilitycompany. He is a member of the Valleys ofMilwaukee and Springfield, IL.

New YearResolutions . . .

It is a joy to greet the new year, having spent theholiday season visiting people I cherish and spendingChristmas with family.

Times such as these always stir fond memories ofyears past — of events and people that have been someaningful to all of us.

I can’t help but smile when I look around the festivedinner table and remember my father when he was aleader of my Boy Scout troop or recalling my motherteaching us how to play tennis behind the local highschool.

My old bedroom has a photograph of my sistersand me taken after I graduated from high school.

Gosh, were we ever really that young?

Inevitably, when we bow our heads before dinnerand thank our Creator for the bounty of the past year,room is also made for those whose seats are empty,but who are present in our hearts.

I think immediately of my grandfather, with whom Ispent so much time and who passed on to me somany important lessons.

My wish is that you too take, at a time of yourchoosing, the opportunity to remember all the goodpeople and experiences that give your life sweetness.These are treasures of incalculable worth.

I have been given cause to muse publicly of thesememories because of a letter I recently received fromIll. Brother Tom Corson of the Valley of South Bend.I have had the pleasure of knowing Tom and his ladyDot for four years.

They are passionate supporters of the learningcenter in South Bend.

Tom has also been generous with good advice re-garding fundraising.

His most recent letter included advice and a check— specifically, a memorial gift to commemorate anold friend.

Tom suggested I remind folks how importantmemorial giving is and to suggest that this thoughtful

action really helps the charities we care about.

Tom is right. Memorial giving has a tremendousimpact on our charitable programs — most notablyour learning centers.

In 2006, there were 692 people that wereremembered through memorial gifts. In total, 1,998gifts were given in their names.

Last year, our beloved Sovereign Grand Com-mander, Ill. Walter E. Webber, 33°, left us to meet theGrand Architect. This event was one of great sadnessfor those who knew him.

The love and esteem in which he was held wasreflected in the outpouring of donations sent in hismemory as he and his lady Leslie requested.

Because of his affection for the learning centers andthe National Heritage Museum, Scottish Rite Charitiesreceived nearly $100,000 — enough to establishspecial funds that will perpetually support bothinstitutions.

In this manner, Commander Webber will continueto have an impact upon the programs that matteredso much to him, next year and for years to come.

If our charities have been important to your life orto those you’ve known, remember the value ofmemorial giving. It is a long-lasting way for people toexpress their affection.

Meet Sovereign GrandCommander McNaugton

As has been the custom, our Sovereign GrandCommander will visit Florida in March andPhoenix/Scottsdale in April.

This year marks the inaugural visit by Ill. John Wm.McNaughton, 33°, as Sovereign Grand Commander.

Luncheon events are scheduled in the followingcities:

March 5 – SarasotaMarch 6 – TampaMarch 7 – NaplesMarch 8 – Lake WorthMarch 22 – Phoenix/Scottsdale

Call 800-814-1432 x3326 if you would like moreinformation.


Promoting Knowledge and Learning

Fond Memories

Steve Pekock, 32°Director of Development

Canada Post issued a se-tenant pair of stamps in Oc-tober 2002 to honor twoevents in the history ofcommunications technol-ogy. One pictures Bro.Sandford Fleming whoinitiated the Pacific Cableproject that linked theBritish Empire. The otherpictures Guglielmo Mar-coni. Bro. Fleming was ini-tiated in St. Andrew’sLodge No. 16, G.R.C.,Toronto, Ontario, Canadain May 1854 and passed inNovember of that year.There are no furtherrecords of his participationin the lodge bylaws orminutes.Born in January 1827 in

Kirkcaldy, Scotland, Bro.Fleming was educated inthat country and moved toCanada in 1845. At the ageof 21 he developed a proto-type for an in-line rollerskate and later designedCanada’s first adhesivepostage stamp— theThree-Penny Beaver whichwas released in 1851. Hisengineering accomplish-ments were many and im-pressive: chief engineer forthe construction of theInter-colonial Railwayspanning Canada from theAtlantic to the Pacific; es-tablishment of the presentsystem of Universal Stan-

dard Time and the all-British expanded telegraphroute. He was knighted byQueen Victoria in 1897 anddied in July 1915 in Halifax,Nova Scotia.

� � �

Felicien Rops, a Belgianartist of Hungarian ances-try, was born at Namur,Belgium, 35 miles southeastof Brussels in 1833 andspent most of his childhoodthere. He began his artstudies in Brussels.After inheriting quite a

fortune, he squandered itall and was forced to makehis living with his litho-graphs and caricatures. Hebecame much sought afteras a designer and illustra-tor of books. In 1874 he re-located to Paris and livedthere until his death in1898, devoting himself to il-lustrating books.Bro. Felicien Rops was a

member of the Lodge LaBonne Amitié in Namur,Belgium; he received hisdegrees in 1862. His carica-ture is pictured on a Bel-gian stamp issued in 1974.

� � �

The latest nation toissue a postage stampto honor the MasonicFraternity is Uruguay.No stranger to theprocess, this is the sec-ond Masonic stamp is-sued by this South

American nation to honorMasonry. Shown here, itwas issued in November2006 to commemorate the150th anniversary of Ma-sonry in Uruguay.

� � �

Maria Luigi Carlo Zeno-rio Salvatore Cherubiniwas born in Florence, Italy,September 1760. He wastaught by his father whowas an orchestra memberin the Pergola Theater inFlorence. Through the gen-erosity of the Grand Dukeof Tuscany, he was able tostudy at Bologna underGuiseppi Sarti (anotherMason) for four years. Hisfirst opera success was“Armida” in 1782.He traveled to London in

1784 and settled in Paristhe next year where hetaught at the Conservatorybecoming professor andlater director. He spentmost of his life in Paris andis considered a dominantfigure in the developmentof French opera. Beethovenheld him in high esteemand Napoleon I made himChevalier of the Legion ofHonor.After

1800 hewrotemostlychurchmusic. Hedied inParis inMarch 1842.Bro. Cherubini was made

a Mason in the Lodge SaintJean de Jerusalem underthe jurisdiction of theGrand Orient of France. Heis also believed to have

been a member of theLodge Olympique forwhich he wrote a cantata“L’Alliance de la Musique àla Maconnerie” in 1786. Heis pictured on a stamp is-sued by Italy in June 1977.

� � �

Bro. Franklin DelanoRoosevelt, the thirty-sec-ond president of the UnitedStates serving from 1933 tohis death in 1945, needs nointroduction. He was bornat Hyde Park, NY, on Jan.30, 1882 and died suddenlyin Warm Springs, GA, April12, 1945. He has been pic-tured on many stamps is-sued by several countriesaround the world — in-cluding this Cook Islandsrelease of 1982 whichshows him relaxing at hisfavorite hobby.

Bro. Roosevelt receivedhis degrees in 1911 in Hol-land Lodge No. 8, NewYork, NY. Stansbury LodgeNo. 24, Washington, D.C.,made him an honorarymember Nov. 21, 1919,when he officiated at theMasonic laying of the cor-nerstone of its temple. HeattendedArchitect LodgeNo. 519, New York, NY, onFeb. 17, 1933, to raise hisson Elliot to the SublimeDegree and made an ad-dress in which he stressedthe importance of Masonicprinciples to this nationand his faith in the Ameri-canism of the ancient craft.


Robert A. Domingue is secretary forSt. Matthew’s Lodge, Andover, MA, and

editor of The Philatelic Freemason.

Grand Lodge of Delaware AncientFree and Accepted Masons —

Bicentennial 2006

by Richard W. Garland and Harold T.J. Littleton.Published in 2006 by AuthorHouse, 1663 Liberty Drive,

Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403. $27.99.

The Grand Lodge of Delaware is celebrating 200years of existence this year and as the title of the bookimplies was written in commemoration ofthat bicentennial anniversary.

It is a compre-hensive documenta-tion of this GrandLodge and shouldserve as valuable his-torical record for fu-ture generations.

The book docu-ments the structure andfunction of the GrandLodge and also coversthe appendant bodies op-erating in the jurisdiction.

It includes a listing ofGrand Masters (with pho-tographs or portraits, ifavailable, and a brief biography of some of them)who presided. Also included are the profiles of theGrand Secretaries and other officers and committees.

The meeting places of the Grand Lodge are dis-cussed along with in-state activities held in the juris-diction. In addition, those events held out of state in

which Delaware Masons or Grand Lodge officers par-ticipated are also presented.

Appendices include awards of Honor Recipients,outstanding Worshipful Masters, The DelawareFreemason, and unusual events amongst others.

For those interested in Grand Lodge histories thisbook should make an interesting addition to your li-brary and it certainly belongs in the public libraries ofDelaware.

My Dad is a Mason

by Richard Vang. Published in 2006 by Square Circle PressLLC, 137 Ketcham Rd., Voorheesville, NY 12186. $16.95.

This book is a paperback of only 32 pages filledwith many photographs and illustrations. It can beread thoroughly in one hour.It is written, however, for children and most proba-

bly for the children of Freemasons, to introduce themto the craft. In that sense, it fulfills its purpose. It iswritten at an elementary level and the photos and il-lustrations are excellent.Although I am unfamiliar with it, the book is part

of “The Masonic Family Series” and a portion of theprofits will be donated to Masonic charities. There areplanned future publications in the series.It begins with a young son asking his father “What

is a Freemason?” The text then traces the progressionof the father through his becoming a member, cover-ing the process of the asking, the balloting process,advancement through the degrees and ultimately theMaster of the lodge.It covers much of the symbolism, the origin and

purpose of the craft, appendant organizations, fa-mous Freemasons and terminology.As with many Masonic books, some of what is writ-

ten is jurisdiction-specific without giving that qualifi-cation, so some terminology will not apply to all ju-risdictions.It is a very good book for the purpose for which it is

written.

The Book of Fate

by Brad Meltzer. Published in 2006 by Warner Books, Ha-chette Book Group USA, 1271 Avenue of the Americas,

New York, NY 10020. $25.99.

Brad Meltzer is the author of five New York Timesbest-selling novels and the #1 seller, Identity Crisis.The Book of Fate is a fictional novel and should be readas such. I am not familiar with his previous works butthis book is written in a style comparable to The DaVinci Code.The dust cover displays the square and compasses

— a symbol of Freemasonry — as the letter “A” in theword Fate. References to the craft in the book how-ever are very limited.


Reviewed by Thomas W. Jackson, 33°

The novel implies that Freemasonry is involved in anefarious plot involving an assassination attempt atthe highest levels of government.The supposed Masonic emblems found in the layout

of Washington D.C., are used to convince the assassinof the Masonic tie-in to the plot.To the author’s credit, however, in his note at the

end of the book he qualifies his use of the Masonic fra-ternity in the plot and referspositively to our craft.The book contains 510

pages and was interestingenough for me to read itin three days while visit-ing a Grand Lodge. Aswith The Da Vinci Code, Ifound it to be stimulat-ing, holding my atten-tion from chapter tochapter, and causingme to read longerthan I had planned.The incorporation

of the Masonic fra-ternity is probablyindicative of the inter-est that has been generated in ourorganization in recent years by the writings ofDan Brown and the production of the movie, “Na-tional Treasure” along with the television programsconcerning Freemasonry on the History Channel, theNational Geographic Channel and “Good MorningAmerica.”The American public is becoming more exposed to

the square and compasses symbol and this is probablyone of the reasons it appears on the dust cover of thisbook.Isn’t it remarkable that non-Masons are creating a

greater interest in us that we have been able to createin ourselves with all of our effort?If you are interested in reading gripping thrillers,

you should be interested in reading The Book of Fate.

Unconquerable Faith — SurvivingCorregidor, Bataan and Japan

by Everett D. Reamer. Published in 2004 by FlypaperProductions, LLC Publishing Group, PO Box 324,

Harrison, OH 45030. $20.00.

I begin this review with an apology to the authorand to the editor, both 33° members in the NorthernMasonic Jurisdiction.They mailed a copy of this book to me in June 2005

to review when I was in the process of moving back tomy farm.Unfortunately, it was packed along with my other

books which I am just now placing on shelves. It wasduring this process that I discovered it.Reamer is also the author of Sanity Gone Amuck and

is a noted speaker concerning the subject on which hewrites.It is not a book concerning Freemasonry but rather it

is a book about the experiences of a man with acharacter that could be reflected in the tenacity of allFreemasons.It is a partial biography of a man who in 1941 mis-

represented his age and forged his father’s signatureto enlist in the Army at age 16.This small book tells of his experiences for the next

four years as a member of an anti-aircraft gun crewwhere he fought in the defense of Corregidor, waswounded and captured by the Japanese.He survived the notorious Bataan death march and

transportation on one of the infamous hell ships. Hewas imprisoned on Bataan and in Japan where he sur-vived starvation, disease and torture for three and ahalf years including solitary confinement for elevenmonths.He is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for

being forced to stand motionless during 132 hours oftorture without food, water or relief.This book is his story and one of thousands that

needs to be told, lest they should ever be forgotten.It is a remarkable story revealing the strength and

stamina of the human spirit as well as the physicalbody.It should serve not only as his story but as the story

of thousands of others like him to remind all of us ofthe sacrifices made by somany to give us the freedomthat we know today, a free-dom that permits me towrite this column and youto read it. Without him anda multitude like him thiscould not be.It should also serve as

an inspiration to stimu-late us to rise above whatare, compared to his ex-periences, issues of suchinsignificance in ourdaily lives.He provides us a clar-

ion reminder of the hell and brutal-ity inflicted by the Japanese Imperial forces onour troops during this period in history. Although it isnot a book about Freemasonry, I am pleased to recom-mend it to all Freemasons as well as to all Americansand to all freedom loving people.One hundred percent of the net proceeds from the

sales of this book are being donated to the Children'sLearning Center for Dyslexia in Cincinnati.


THOMAS W. JACKSON, 33°, was formerly Grand Secretaryfor the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. He is Executive Secretary

for the World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodgesand the book reviewer for The Northern Light.

Potassium is thesalt fighterDoctors at Johns Hopkins Medical In-stitutions say that diets rich in potas-sium not only reduce blood pressure,they blunt the rise in blood pressurethat occurs in response to sodium in-take.According to JohnAppel, professor

of medicine, epidemiology, and inter-national health at Johns Hopkins, highintakes of potassium also reduce boneloss and can prevent kidney stone re-currence in men and women.Dietary guidelines developed by

American and Canadian scientists andreleased in 2004 recommend that peo-ple get 4,700 milligrams of potassiumeach day from fruits, vegetables, andjuices.A cup of baked acorn squash has

about 900 milligrams. A banana has900. Other good sources are spinachand other dark leafy greens, can-taloupes, oranges, tomatoes, wintersquash, potatoes, beans, almonds, anddairy products.People taking medications for kid-

ney problems or high blood pressureshould be careful to follow their doc-tors' advice concerning potassium.

New drug, five benefitsIt could take up to two years toachieve approval by the Food andDrugAdministration, but when ithappens, rimonabant could be an im-portant new health maintenance tool.Developed by Sanofi-Aventis andtrade namedAcomplia, studies showthat it helps to reduce body fat, helpsto boost good cholesterol, reducestriglycerides, and may help smokersquit.Doctors at the Center for Cardiovas-

cular Disease Prevention in Houstonsay it also improves insulin sensitivity.

For smokers reluctant to quit for fearof gaining weight, the drug could beparticularly attractive. It makes posi-tive changes in how the body metabo-lizes nicotine.

Chicken eaters getfewer colon polypsResearchers across the U.S. studiedparticipants' diets to determine a rela-tionship between fat, fiber, meat in-take, and colorectal polyps. Polyps areusually benign but can become can-cerous.The study reported in the American

Journal of Gastroenterology foundthat there was no apparent associationbetween fat and total red meat intake,but the risk was higher in those whohad higher intake of processed meats.The doctors were surprised to dis-

cover that those who had the highestintake of chicken were 39 percent lesslikely to develop advanced polypsthan those who ate chicken less often.The type of meat people eat can

make a difference.

New class of diabetesdrugsAnew type of diabetes drug becomesactive only when blood sugar rises. Itdoesn't cause dangerous drops insugar levels that can occur with in-sulin or other diabetes treatments.The Food and DrugAdministration

has approved Merck's Januvia, thefirst in a new class of diabetes drugs.When blood sugar rises after a pa-

tient eats, hormones normally bringblood sugar levels down.In diabetics, however, the hormones

are inactivated by the DPP-4 enzyme.Januvia blocks the action of DPP-4.

A little exercise:Big benefitsHealth guidelines suggest 30 to 60minutes a day of exercise, but it takesa lot less than that to make a big dif-ference in your health.Various medical studies showed

these benefits for people who did justa little exercise.According to the No Sweat Exercise

Plan (AHarvard Medical SchoolBook):• One hour of gardening per week

showed a 33 percent lower death rate.• Walking just one hour each week

resulted in a 51 percent lower risk ofcoronary artery disease.• Regular, demanding house clean-

ing lowered heart attack risk by 54percent for men and 84 percent forwomen.• Exercising just 30 minutes a day

on six days per month resulted in a 43percent lower mortality rate from allcauses.A different study reported that ex-

ercise benefits reduced the risk ofdying from all causes by 20 to 30 per-cent.


“Bless you.”


In September two new additionswere made to the grounds of the Na-tional Heritage Museum in Lexington,MA.Apair of statues was erected, hon-

oring the patriots of the AmericanRevolution and dedicated to men andwomen of all eras that have served todefend the nation in times of war andnatural disaster.The first, appearing on the cover of

The Northern Light, is a representationof the minuteman, a citizen-soldier ofthe 18th century that was to be “readyat a minute’s notice” to take up armsand defend his community.Sculpted by Richard Linton and cast

in bronze by Louis De Martino ofAnza, CA, it follows in the tradition ofsimilar minuteman statues by DanielChester French, located at the OldNorth Bridge in Concord, MA, and by

Henry Hudson Kitson’s memorial toCaptain Parker on Lexington Green.The statue, cast in 2005, is a gift to

the museum from Jane Stark Maney,WilliamD.Maney, and JohnB. Threlfall.Also standing near the museum en-

trance is “Washington the Freema-son,” created in 1924 by the GormanCompany of Providence, from anoriginal work by Jean-AntoineHoudon.On loan from the Valley of Colum-

bus, it depicts George Washington inhis role as a patriot and statesman aswell as his association with Freema-sonry.When the original version of the

statue was commissioned by theVirginia General Assembly, Houdontraveled to Mount Vernon and tookmeasurements of Washington andmade plaster casts of his face andlimbs.In 1910 Virginia authorized the Gor-

man Company to make bronze repli-cas. The statue at the museum is oneof 22 made in the early 1900s.

MASONICWORD MATH

How to solve: Start with the first word. Add to it theletters of the second word. Then add or subtractthe letters of the following words. Total the remain-ing letters and unscramble them to find a wordassociated with Masonry.

(FANCY) + (ARTWORK) – (YARN) +

(FELINE) – (CAKE) + (MANIPULATE)

– (ATONE) – (LEFT) + (CAPSTONE)

– (NOISE) – (PUPIL) + (INSERT) –

(WINTER)

Clue for this puzzle appears on page 10.Answer from previous issue: DEPUTIES

=

STANDINGGUARD

George Washingtonthe Freemason

The Minuteman


A WIDE RANGESome idea as to the widely differ-ent styles of Freemasonry in theworld may be derived from the fol-lowing statement with reference tothe Grand Orient of Italy.We take it from the Report on For-eign Correspondence presented tothe Grand Lodge of New Jersey byour Illustrious Brother Robert A.Shirrefs, 33°, Deputy for New Jer-sey.“In Romania, Tripoli, Egypt,North and South America are fifty-three Master Mason Lodges of thisItalian variety. That variety consti-tutes the spice of life is an old say-ing, and the following paragraphindicates a range of constituencyunusual to say the least:“The Grand Orient has beenasked to approve the constitution oftwo women’s lodges — one at Flo-rence, the other at Turin — and willdo so after providing for the legalbasis of such organizations withinMasonry.It is expected that the Grand Ori-ent will strictly interdict the forma-tion of mixed lodges for both menand women, and the exchange ofvisits between brethren and sisters.Moreover, the women’s lodgeswill be warned to observe due dis-cretion in the admission of newmembers and will be frequently in-spected by delegates of the GrandOrient.The women will be permitted tomeet in the lodge-rooms (if no othersuitable quarters are available), butonly during the daytime. No reason

exists why these women’s lodgesshould not multiply rapidly all overItaly.“The question whether Italian So-cialists may or may not be members ofthe Masonic order was not satisfacto-rily determined by the recent referen-dum.While a majority of those voting de-clared against the dual membership,an insufficient number of the voters ofthe party were heard from.So, too, on the problem of expellingfrom the party Socialists who are Ma-sons, the majority of an insufficientnumber of voters favored this course.”

— John Lloyd Thomas, 33°,Brotherhood, NYC, July 1915

We are a great nation, because thedignity of our citizenship involvesself-discipline, integrity, justice, tol-erance, industry, sincerity, patience,perseverance, patriotism, and duty,and the more these qualities em-brace our citizenship, the more out-standing it becomes.This nation is great because thefabric of Freemasonry was inter-woven in the ideals and aspirationsof those who gave it birth. Our free-doms are a direct result of the dig-nity of citizenship of a people whobelieved in the God-given unalien-able rights of the human being.The people of this nation in itsearly days were not great in number.They did not possess a mighty estab-lishment, yet they succeeded in es-tablishing their ideal of a democraticstate, where a free people could ex-ercise their unalienable rights inmatters of government and industry.The dignity of citizenship wasmanifest, when for the first time inhistory they exercised their rights ascitizens by electing their representa-tives in government.It was an heroic achievement onthe part of our forefathers whofounded this republic, under a dem-ocratic form of government, of, for,and by the people themselves, andwith a deep sense of conviction thatsuch a government can continue justas long as the people live up to theseideals.

Working for the preservation ofthe family home by accepting theirindividual responsibilities, and byexercising responsible, dutiful citi-zenship by the majority this nationhas developed into what it is today.We still have among us heroic, pa-triotic men and women who live theideals of the founders of this nation,who carry the torches of honesty ingovernment, love of country, love ofGod, torches that light up the darkplaces of our citizenry, giving themhope and inspiration when discour-agement weakens their faith and ef-forts.In spite of all the turmoil, corrup-tion and violence, there is still agreat overpowering incentiveamong us as a patriotic people, todefend our rights as free people, anddisplay to the rest of the world ourlove of our way of life.When we consider what some ofthe nations of the world outside of afree democratic state are, and whatmiserable conditions they are livingunder, we surely must thank Godwho has been so gracious to us as anation. The dignity of citizenshipholds no enmity to any people ofany nation, but rather wishes themwell. The dignity of citizenship hasno motives other than kindness toour fellow man.

— Harry W. Ballman, ConnecticutSquare and Compasses, January 1968

“They learn quickly!”

The Dignity of Citizenship

Pleasure in the job puts perfection inthe work.

— Aristotle

Good manners will often take peoplewhere neither money nor educationwill take them.

— Fanny J. Coppin

Whenever you are asked if you can doa job, tell them “certainly I can.” Thenget busy and find out how to do it.

— Theodore Roosevelt

It is in moments of decision that yourdestiny is shaped.

— Anthony Robbins

Life is 10 percent what happens toyou and 90 percent how you respondto it.

— Lou Holtz

We can let circumstances rule us or wecan take charge and rule our livesfrom within.

— Earl Nightingale

If you want to make peace, don’t talkto your friends. Talk to your enemies.

— Moshe Dayan

If your ship doesn’t come in, swim outto it.

— Jonathan Winters

Be master of your petty annoyancesand conserve your energies for thebig, worthwhile things. It isn’t themountain ahead that wears you out,It’s the grain of sand in your shoe.

— Robert Service

I am happy and content because Ithink I am.

— Alain Rene Lesage

Nothing can be more useful to youthan the determination not to behurried.

— Henry David Thoreau

One of the best ways to persuadeothers is with your ears.

— Dean Rusk

Quick QuotesQuick Quotes


Stability seems not to belong tohuman institutions. Change marksthe pages of history, giving variety,and furnishing evidence of theprogress of the human race. Na-tions, once the masters of theworld, have long since perished.Look back one hundred years,and trace the events of Europe. Na-tions have been blotted out of exis-tence; thrones have fallen; kingsand emperors have been killed ordriven into exile; republics havesprung up; revolutions, bloodyand bloodless, have producedchanges in every condition of life.In the social, political and reli-gious world, we find little that isstable. All yield to the improve-ments of the age. Opinions, gener-ally received a hundred years ago,are now discarded.To the foregoing remarks there isone exception. Preeminent amongthe institutions of human originstands Masonry. We do not pre-tend to state its precise age, anddoubt if the wisest man can assignthe exact period of its origin. It isenough to know that Masonry, as itnow is, has existed hundreds ofyears. It is enough to know that thelapse of time, the ruthless hand ofignorance, and devastations ofwar, have failed to check its careeror divert its course.Of the fact of the immutability ofMasonry there can be no doubt.

The forms and ceremonies havevaried; the words of the ritual areof modern origin, but the essen-tials of the institution are the sametoday in every part of the globe,and today are precisely what theywere centuries ago. In the Masonicvernacular there is no variation.The American Brother who under-stands no language but his nativetongue, can, when among Brethrenin foreign lands, who comprehendnot a word of English, give evi-dence that he has been raised tothe sublime degree. Numerous in-deed are the instances in which, insudden emergencies — in themidst of danger, the mystic lan-guage has been spoken, and not invain. Could the humblest Brotherof a past generation, who has beenslumbering in the grave, rise againin bodily form and appear amongus, he could satisfy the most skep-tical member of the craft that herightfully claimed the name ofMason. All would be new andwonderful, but let him enter alodge, and at once would he recog-nize a well-known language — atonce would he feel that he was notamong a strange people, but in themidst of a band of men ever readyto welcome him with a Brother’sgreeting, and upon whom hewould not call in vain for aid.

— Allyn Weston, The Ashlar,September 1859

Wemust recognize that change isthe only constant in life.Our basic tenets will never change,but our practice of them may. Thechanges we have seen require differ-ent use of our talent and our time.Either we adapt ourselves to thesechanging times or we will no longerexist. The same holds true of ourgreat fraternity.We must change our approach toand visible exemplification of thatwhich is good. Allen Roberts, in hisbook The Craft and Its Symbols, ex-presses this thought very well. Hesays, "the principles of Freemasonryare transmitted unimpaired, but thevehicle through which they are ex-pressed changes as the years go on."

We need to continue to change ourway of imparting the teachings ofFreemasonry to those who will seekthem, and in so doing, it is withinthe limits of probability that we willfind new ways to attract worthy,well-qualified men to apply formembership in our fraternity.In order to meet the needs of theyounger men who are coming intoour craft, we need to adapt newways of reaching out and providingthe necessary programs in ourlodges to peak their interests and re-tain their membership.

— Frederick L. Sorsabal, Grand Master,GL of California Installation remarks,

Oct. 12, 2005

MASONRY — ITS STABILITY

CHANGE — The Only Constant

Latex gloves andmeatloafIf you love meat loaf but hate the feel-ing of mixing ground meat and eggswith your hands, here’s a good idea.Use cheap latex gloves. Put them on,wash your gloved hands in soap andwater, and go to work.Other benefits: Your hands won’t

feel half frozen from icy cold ingredi-ents. You won’t have greasy hands towash, and you won’t have stuff onyour rings or under your fingernails,says household advisor Heloise. Justuse the gloves and toss them whenyou’re finished.

Time to come cleanabout moldNew research shows that householdmold will rarely cause a serious ill-ness.A study of common molds found in

homes in five regions of the U.S. bythe University of Arizona shows thatmolds can worsen symptoms inasthma patients. In healthy peoplethey may cause coughing or throat ir-ritation. The symptoms are linked tomoisture, which encourages thegrowth of mold.Mold may not cause serious illness,

but it’s definitely ugly. To keep it from

forming, check your home for dampareas such as basements. Do what youcan to dry them out. In addition,building-safety experts recommendthese steps.• Wipe your feet. Get a good door

mat that loosens dirt from your shoes.• Ventilate. Open windows or run

fans in steamy bathrooms and hotkitchens.• Check the humidifiers. They add

moisture to the air and require fre-quent cleaning to prevent moldbuildup inside the units.• Pay special attention to the bath-

room. If you see mold on showerwalls, ceilings, sinks, or toilets, scrubit with a diluted bleach mixture or abathroom cleanser containing bleach.That will eliminate the problem for atime.

Be safe at home"Home safe and sound," is a comfort-ing expression, but it’s hardly true.The National Safety Council says that8 million people in the U.S. suffer dis-abling injuries in the home, with anadditional 33,200 injuries each year re-sulting in death. They provide the fol-lowing list of safety items every homeshould have.• Smoke detector. Most home fires

happen between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.• Carbon monoxide detector: Have

at least one located near the bed-rooms.• Ground fault circuit interrupter.

It is essential in bathrooms, laundryrooms, kitchens, and near swimmingpools and outdoor receptacles.• Fire extinguisher. A class ABC is

best. Mount it near an exit so anyoneusing it can escape from the house.• Emergency phone numbers. In-

clude fire, police, doctors, and poison-prevention centers.• Tagged shutoffs. Place tags on the

shutoff valves for gas, oil, water, andthe main electricity shutoff. Everyoneshould know how to shut off utilities.• Adequate lighting. Falls lead to

about 15,000 deaths each year.• Handrails. Every set of stairs, in-

side and outside, should have themon both sides of the steps.

Fire pit makes anall-year patioSummer is over. But for some patiolovers, backyard entertaining is not.Fire pits are becoming popular in

many areas of the country where peo-ple want to extend the outdoor seasoninto cooler weather. Landscape de-signers say demand has been risingfor three years.Many homeowners are willing to

invest about $1,000 in order to sitaround a wood burning or gas firewith friends and to enjoy the evening.Portable fire pits are available for

$59 to $259 at many stores.

Countertops looklike graniteThe Kitchen and Bath Associationsays laminate makers are producingcountertops that closely resemblegranite, marble, and slate that arepriced at one-fifth the cost of the realthing. Many companies offer lami-nates that resemble various types ofstone or bronze, silver, copper, andgold.

Dry out your basementIf you can keep your basement dry,you can get a lot of use out of it as aworkshop, family room, or mediaroom.NormAbrams, writing in This Old

House, says to patch a leak in the con-crete foundation, use quick-drying hy-draulic cement. Then paint the areawith a masonry waterproofer. Whenit’s dry, the place will be ready to fin-ish and turn into the use you have inmind.


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Old, Older and Oldest

I received a phone call from a gen-tleman named Frank Schondorfer, aretired high school band director. Hementioned how much he enjoyed myarticle in The Northern Light (TetequeBand Plays On – Nov. 2006) but thathe directs the Shrine Band in Wash-ington D.C., which was formed in1891. He then sent documentation tome regarding this.This, of course, puts to rest the idea

that the Teteque Band is the oldestMasonic band in the world. Frankdid acknowledge that I retained acaveat by stating that "it is believed bysome that the TTQ Band is the old-est...."

Jeffrey L. Kuntz, 32˚Valley of Williamsport

Mistaken Identity

I believe you need to make a correc-tion regarding a letter on p. 30 of theNovember issue of The Northern Lightentitled “Swedish Translation.” Thewriter of the letter is identified asSven R. Mossbert. His last name, infact, is Mossberg.Bro. Mossberg is widely known

throughout the Grand Lodge of NewYork.

Richard W. Ward, 32˚Valley of Burlington

Presidential Pardon

The November issue of The NorthernLight featured a Marshall Islandsstamp honoring President GeraldFord. He was the 38th president of theUnited States, not the 40th as written.

John R. Koehnke, 32˚Valley of Pittsburgh

editor’s note:This letter was received prior to PresidentFord’s death.


HIRAM™ By WALLY MILLER

On the Lighter Side

Cynics view of ancienthistory:• 3050 B.C.: A Sumerian inventsthe wheel. Within a week it iscopied, resulting in the firstcounterfeit product.

• 1850 B.C.: The Britons proclaimStonehedge a success. Theyhave arranged columns thatwill confuse scientists forthousands of years.

• 776 B.C.: The world’s firstknown money appears inPersia. The world’s first knowncounterfeiter appears the nextday.

• 410 B.C.: Rome ends the prac-tice of throwing debtors intoslavery, removing the largestobstacle to the development ofthe credit card.

• 214 B.C.: After a generation oflabor, the Great Wall of China iscompleted. It still doesn’t keepthe neighbor’s dog out.

• 79: Buying property in Pompeiiturns out to have been a lousyinvestment.

• 1000: Leif Eriksson discoversAmerica, but decides it’s notworth mentioning.

• 1043: Lady Godiva finds a wayto demonstrate against hightaxes that makes everyone for-get what she is demonstratingagainst.

• 1297: The world’s first stock ex-change opens, but no one hasthe foresight to buy Xerox.

We welcome letters fromour readers in responseto articles appearing inThe Northern Light andwill reprint them as spacepermits. Letters must besigned, should be brief,and are subject to editing.

Normally when a publication, or anyinstitution, undergoes only its secondleadership change in 37 years it is con-sidered a red-letter date. The retire-ment of Editor Richard Curtis is cer-tainly a time for reflection and forhonoring his many accomplishments,but my goal is to make the transitionas seamless as possible. Sure, therewill be modification. Tastes, style, andtechnology all change constantly butthey will happen at an evolutionary —not revolutionary — pace. I greatly ad-mire the magazine he produced fornearly four decades and I consider itmy challenge, not to make change forchange’s sake, but to maintain thehigh quality and standards that he hasset for many years.I am pleased to retain such great

and interesting columnists as ThomasJackson with his insights into theworld of Masonry through the printedword, Leigh Morris, who helps us con-tinue deeper into the 21st century byexpanding our computer knowledge,and Robert Domingue, providing uswith short stories of prominent andnot so prominent Freemasons whohave been honored on postagestamps. Steve Pekock, director of de-velopment continues to report on ourcharities.We also welcome back Mark Tab-

bert, of the George Washington Ma-sonic National Memorial, who hasagreed to provide The Northern Lightwith occasional historical perspectiveson our fraternity and similar organiza-tions. Aimee Newell, curator of collec-tions at the National Heritage Mu-seum, relates stories and backgroundon Masonic treasures housed at themuseum. Her debut article appearedin November and you will find hersecond piece, “Paul Revere the Busi-nessman,” in the current issue.Although new to the position, I am

not new to The Northern Light. I haveworked as assistant editor under thesuperb tutelage of Editor Curtis. Addi-tionally, I begin my new job with twomajor assets in place. The staff consistsof a pair of magazine veterans who areexpert at all the ins and outs of theirroles, and thus, make my role much

easier. In addition to their expertise,Sonja Faiola and Beth McSweeneycome from printing families. As thesaying goes, “They have ink in theirveins.”As I take the helm I look forward to

your comments and continued sup-port as we work together to produceour magazine — our window forFreemasonry and the Scottish Rite.When Richard Curtis began his edi-

torship three decades ago he did sowith little fanfare. Rather, he tookwhat was a great publication and con-tinually worked to make it greater. It ismy hope to emulate his formula forsuccess.

Six Degrees??Robert F. Lucas and his wife Regina,from the Valley of Boston, arrived atthe Sheraton Chicago for the 2006Supreme Council session and went totheir assigned room. They had justbegun unpacking when their lockeddoor was opened by another couplewho were surprised to see ‘their’ roomoccupied. The hotel had apparentlygiven the same room to both couples.Regina invited the ‘visitors’ to sit

while the front desk was informed ofthe obvious gaffe. The newcomersidentified themselves as Paul andMaureen Lucas from the Valley ofScranton, and both couples joked atthe coincidence of sharing the samelast name.The front desk suggested that it

would take a few minutes tostraighten everything out.While waiting, the two wivesbegan conversing. “We’refrom Melrose, just outsideBoston,” said Regina, “al-though Bob was born inConnecticut.” Maureenresponded, “We’re

from the Scranton area, but what a co-incidence. Several members of Paul’sfamily come from Connecticut.”Paul remembered Uncle Otto who

came to Scranton to visit many yearsago. He had a beard and a brotherHarold, a Lutheran minister.”“You’re kidding,” said Regina,

“Bob’s Dad was named Otto, and hehad a beard, and Bob had an UncleHarold who was a Lutheran Minister.”Paul mentioned his other uncles

and aunts — Alfred, Helena, Kitty,Florence — absolutely stunning Bobbecause they were all identical to thenames of his own uncles and aunts.Bob then recalled that he also had

an Uncle Walter, whereupon Paul pro-claimed that his grandfather was Wal-ter Lucas. It was then apparent to allthat Paul’s grandfather had been thebrother of Bob’s dad, and all of theLucas clan whom Paul called unclesand aunts, were in fact his father’s un-cles and aunts.It took Scottish Rite Masonry to

bring together two 33° Masons whoare cousins and had previously neverknown of each other’s existence.

The Quiet YankeeIll. Forrest D. McKerley, 33°, was re-cently awarded the Hubbard FamilyAward for Service to Philanthropy bythe UNH Foundation. Bro. McKerleyis a long-time supporter of the school,endowing two major faculty positions.David Brownell, president of thefoundation said “We feel especiallyprivileged to honor McKerley. Hisgifts have deepened and extendedopportunities for faculty and stu-dents across the university.” The

Hubbard Award is the highesthonor bestowed by the UNHFoundation. It recognizes

outstanding individu-als whose philan-thropic leadershipstrengthens NewHampshire and the

university.


ALAN E. FOULDS, 32°, editor

Meet the New Boss . . .

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

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*These rates, current as of 1/1/07, are for a single life. Rates are set by the AmericanCouncil on Gift Annuities and fixed for life at the time you contract for a Gift Annuity.

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