TNL-February2010

Vol. 41 No. 1 FEBRUARY 2010

turns

2 February 2010 / The Northern Light

CONTRIBUTORS

Other Contributors:Jeff Croteau,manager of library and archives at the Van Gorden-Williams Library. Robert A.Domingue is secretary for St.Matthew’s Lodge, Andover,MA, and editor of The Philatelic Freemason.ThomasW. Jackson, 33°,was formerly GrandSecretary for the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. He is Executive Secretary for the World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodges.Aimee E.Newell is the director of collections at the National Heritage Museum, located at Supreme Council headquarters inLexington,MA. Steven R.Pekock, 32°, is director of development for the Supreme Council, AASR, NMJ, USA.

Michael F. Lakat, 33°, isa member of the Valley ofCentral Jersey. He hasserved as Sovereign Princeand is currently Master ofCeremonies for TrentonConsistory.

Dick Phillips is anational press agent wholives in St. Clairsville,OH, and writes about18th and 19th centurypioneers and patriots.

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

FEATURED ARTICLES

EDITORAlan E. Foulds, 32°

GRAPHIC DESIGNERBeth E. McSweeney

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTSonja B. Faiola

MEDIA ADVISORY COMMITTEEWilliam L. McCarrier, 33°, chairman

Richard V.Travis, 33°William Fox Jr., 33°

Eric Ginette, 33°Donald G. Duquette, 33°

SUPREMECOUNCIL, 33°Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite

Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

SOVEREIGN GRAND COMMANDERJohn Wm. McNaughton, 33°

THE NORTHERN LIGHT (ISSN 1088-4416) is published quarterlyin 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 atBoston, MA, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Northern Light,PO Box519, Lexington, MA 02420-0519.

Copyright © 2010 by Trustees of the Supreme Council of the AncientAccepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Ju-risdiction, U.S.A.

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

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

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

Internet:www.ScottishRiteOnline.org

Volume 41, Number One

In This Issue

GinaCooke is the directorof the Peoria, Illinois,learning center.

311

1819202122242526272829

3031

Bringing the Museumto YouBy Aimee E. Newell

A Matter of GraveConcernBy Michael F. Lakat, 33°

An UnappreciatedPatriotBy Dick Phillips

178 Issues LaterBy Alan E. Foulds, 32°

8

12

4

15

Message from theSovereign Grand Commander

32° Masonic Learning Centers

Notes from theScottish Rite Journal

Brothers on the Net

Scottish Rite Charities

The Stamp Act

Book Nook

HealthWise

Word Math

Views from the Past

Quotables

Today’s Family

More Than Just Books

Readers RespondMasonicMoments

Et cetera, et cetera, etc.

The Northern Light / February 2010 3

John Wm. McNaughton, 33º

Happy Anniversary

Anniversaries are welded into our very souls or soit seems until we forget one. These days when wecommemorate milestones in our lives we have atendency to focus on what has been and not what isto come. In recent times we note that the GrandLodge of Massachusetts celebrated its 275thanniversary as the oldest Grand Lodge in America;the Supreme Council, 33°, Southern Jurisdiction,celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2001; thisjurisdiction is preparing to celebrate its own 200thanniversary in 2013 and our publication, TheNorthern Light, is just this month celebrating its 40thanniversary.

When The Northern Light was first published backin February, 1970, 40 years ago, Richard M. Nixonwas President of the United States, gasoline sold forabout 36 cents a gallon, hamburger about 99 cents apound and bread (sliced even) 16 cents a loaf.General Motors had a 60 percent market share ofnew vehicle sales in the U.S. and the Scottish Ritehad well over a million members. On April 1, 1970,the Dow Jones Industrial average stood at 792.

How drastically most things have changed 40years later except for our Masonic fraternity. All wouldbe well with some of the traditions if the influence andimportance of the fraternity at large were increasing ata rate seen in our wholesale prices, but they are not.While the general population of the United States hasdoubled since 1959, the Masonic fraternity, for someknown and some yet unknown reasons, has losttwo-thirds of its members. Some of our Masonicleaders have offered a wide range of excuses as towhy this decline has occurred. Perhaps the real issuefacing us is the value of the perceived product we areattempting to sell in the 21st century.

In Socratic fashion, let us ask ourselves a few keyquestions about ourselves as we look forward insteadof backward at the fraternity and our next importantanniversary. Where will we be as a fraternity in 40years? Where will we find our necessary Masonicleaders? Will future Masonic leaders enforce more

“senseless rules” and rely on more “mindlessbureaucracies” in a vain attempt to control thebehavior of its members? Or will those leaders onceagain be of the stature of the free thinkers like thosewho were responsible for world wide social andpolitical changes such as our own AmericanRevolution? Or will their leadership skills continue tobe measured by how well they memorize ritual? Whatwill be the message of our degrees and how will thatmessage be communicated to our members? Whowill support our Masonic charities? Will there beanother author similar to Dan Brown to say kindthings about the Masonic Fraternity? (Wait a minute,do we really need another novel or movie to tell theworld about our craft, or like the ghost of Elvis, hasthe enjoyment and inspiration of the Masonicfraternity left the building?). Will we be the fraternity ofchoice? Will there be the vision and wisdom tocontinue remodeling our Temple? Or, unlike ouroperative forefathers, will we continue to close ourdoors rather than change?

Has the Masonic fraternity attempted to packageits core values with the decorative wrapping paper ofritual and the ribbons of charities? Today we mustunwrap that package and get back to the realtreasure we all seek — the fraternal side of theMasonic fraternity.

As Scottish Rite Masons, on this specialanniversary, we reaffirm our motto, “Spes Mea in DeoEst.” We know that with a Masonic vision for ourfuture, there will be many memorable anniversariesahead for both The Northern Light and our members.

Brethren, Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote,“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in whatdirection we are moving. We must sail sometimeswith the wind and sometimes against it — but sail wemust, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”

Happy Anniversary.

Sovereign Grand Commander

ast August the Scottish Rite MasonicMuseum and Library played host tohundreds of visitors who were in Boston to

attend the 2009 Annual Meeting. Many ScottishRite members told us that they were visiting for thefirst time and expressed great pleasure at ourbeautiful building, stunning exhibitions and excitingcollections. While we are always happy to meet ourScottish Rite visitors face to face here in Lexington,we are also stepping up efforts to meet membersonline, on the phone and in print.

In 2009, members of the museum staff wrotearticles that appeared in more than seven differentperiodicals, as well as the museum’s newsletter andThe Northern Light. These articles, highlightingmuseum objects and fraternal history, alwaysintroduce the museum to those who may not befamiliar with it and offer information about how tocontact us with questions. In 2009, as in every year,we provided photographs of museum objects forseveral forthcoming books and articles. Stafftraveled near and far to present talks. Thesepresentations took place as close as Woburn, MA,and as far away as Edinburgh, Scotland. And, overthe course of the past year, curatorial and librarystaff answered more than 400 inquiries by phone,email and in person.

Despite our success with these activities, we seekto offer even more information and service to ourvisitors – near and far, on site and online. Recently,the staff unveiled several new initiatives, and madeprogress on some ongoing projects, to help raise thevisibility of our collection and to make our resourcesknown throughout the world. One of the mostfrequent questions we receive is about making moreof our object collection available over the web. And,we now have a way to do just that. For severalyears, we had about 100 collection objects accessible

on our website (www.nationalheritagemuseum.org)to give browsers a taste of the kinds of things theymight see on a visit, or to explore, learning moreabout Freemasonry or comparing them to antiquesin their own lodge or home.

With new technology we can now make manymore object records available online. Last fall, webegan by transferring the former “treasures,” alongwith some recent acquisitions, and a selection offavorites from our archives collection.

One of the new items added online is a recentacquisition — a wooden box painted with Masonicsymbols by Nathan Negus (1801-25), who was anartist’s apprentice in Boston. Nathan Negus wasborn in Petersham, MA, in 1801. At age 13, in1814, he went to Boston, first studying with artistEthan Allen Greenwood (1779-1856), and thenbecoming an apprentice to decorative painter JohnRitto Penniman (1782-1841), who was a member ofBoston’s St. John’s Lodge. Negus ended hisapprenticeship in 1820 and traveled as an itinerantpainter in the south from 1821-25. When he


By AIMEE E. NEWELLTo YouL

Bringing the Museum

Scottish Rite Masonic Museumand Library, Lexington, MA.

became ill in 1825, he traveled home to Petersham,dying there four days after his return.

The box is painted on its top, front and sides andprobably dates to the 1810s. The top shows anall-seeing eye in between a pair of columns. Thefront shows a checkered pavement flanked by a sunand a moon. The sides include a delta with a “G” inthe center and clouds with a square and compassessymbol. Though the box is not signed by Negus, thesymbols resemble those on a painted Masonic apron(now in the museum’s collection) that Negus did signin 1817. The Negus painted box was purchased forthe collection in 2008 through the support of theSpecial Projects Fund of the Supreme Council, 33º,Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Northern MasonicJurisdiction.

The new collections interface allows web visitorsto search the object records for specific names, dates,descriptive terms and more. Each record has aphotograph of the object, along with a briefdescription and basic information about its origin, ifknown. We hope that adding these records to ourwebsite will foster comparison of Masonic andfraternal objects to each other and to non-fraternalobjects, filling in our understanding of theintersections between Freemasonry and family andcommunity life in the United States. Museum staffplan to continue to add additional records as often aspossible. Future groups will include selections fromthe Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusettscollection, Masonic and fraternal aprons, prints and

photographs, and more treasures from the archives.Access to our online object database is provided

through the new Masonic history resources portal onthe museum’s website. The portal is a section of ourwebsite that is directed to all who want to learnmore about Freemasonry and fraternalism. Inaddition to the collection objects, visitors to theportal are treated to a wealth of information, whichwill only grow in the coming years. The museum’spopular brochure, “Caring for Your MasonicTreasures,” is available here, as is the recent shorthistory of the museum, originally published as TheShort Talk Bulletin for April 2009. A link to our blogmakes reading convenient, as well as making it easyfor interested web visitors to sign up to have the blogdelivered via email.

The Masonic History Resources portal alsofeatures one of the museum’s best-known

treasures — the stained glass window in the lobby.Web visitors can look at a picture of the window andclick on the various symbols to learn more aboutthem, what they are, and what they stand for.Crafted by noted stained glass artist Dr. Rudolph R.Sandon (1916-92), of Painesville, OH, the windowwas a gift to the museum in 1975 from the ScottishRite Valley of Danville, IL. The symbols on thewindow include American, Masonic and ScottishRite emblems. For example, the lamp of knowledgeis shown on top of an open Bible, which remindsMasons of the divine will of God. Symbols for theScottish Rite Lodge of Perfection, Princes of


Stained GlassWindow, 1975,Dr. Rudolph R.Sandon(1916-92),Painesville, OH.Scottish RiteMasonicMuseum andLibrary, gift ofthe Valley ofDanville, IL.Photograph byDavid Bohl.

Masonic Box,1814-20, NathanNegus (1801-25),probablyBoston, MA.Scottish RiteMasonicMuseum andLibrary, SpecialProjects Fund,SupremeCouncil, 33°,AncientAcceptedScottish Rite,NorthernMasonicJurisdiction.Photograph byDavid Bohl.

Jerusalem, Rose Croix and Consistory help introducevisitors who are non-Masons to the symbols andstories of the fraternity. And, the 13-star and 50-starAmerican flags at upper left and lower right arepaired with the alpha and the omega, the first andlast letters of the Greek alphabet. These symbolsreflect the beginning of our nation and remind us ofthe bicentennial when the museum was founded as agift to the American people.

In addition to making more of its collectionsaccessible over the Internet, the museum is excited tobe hosting its first scholarly symposium on Friday,April 9, 2010. “New Perspectives on AmericanFreemasonry and Fraternalism” will present the workof six scholars on diverse topics based on newresearch. The day will kick off with a keynoteaddress by Jessica Harland-Jacobs, associate professorof history at the University of Florida. For anyoneinterested in the history of American Freemasonryand fraternalism, or wanting to learn more abouthow the subject is being studied by scholars today,the symposium should be a fascinating day.

While there are a number of respected symposiaon Freemasonry that take place annually in Europe,American study of the topic lags behind. Themuseum is pleased to focus attention on the historyof the fraternity, which will help us all to betterunderstand the past and to be inspired for the future.

The museum is looking forward to sharing itswonderful resources with visiting scholars. Withover 16,000 objects, 60,000 books and 2,000 cubicfeet of archival manuscripts, the museum offersinnumerable treasures for the researcher which willundoubtedly lead to new discoveries.

While museum staff are working hard toimplement these new initiatives, they are alsocontinuing others started last year. First andforemost is our blog. Blogging is becoming a vitalway for many to communicate with friends andfamily and to keep current with news and hobbies.Our blog, NationalHeritageMuseum.typepad.com, isa wonderful tool.

There you can browse entries or sign up to receivethe posts via email or RSS. Once you read a

post, feel free to add a comment or a question tohelp continue the dialogue and to share knowledgeof American history, Freemasonry and fraternalism.

The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Libraryblog posts twice a week with information aboutrecent acquisitions, new exhibitions and intriguingstories from our collection. We are also able topresent information about objects in our collectionfrom different perspectives by adding blog posts overtime about the same or related objects. For example,one of our earliest posts, in June 2008, presentedinformation about a hand-drawn mark book in ourarchives collection. A record of the individual marksof the members of the King Hiram Royal ArchChapter in Greenwich, MA, the book hasillustrations representing those who received theMark Master degree in this chapter. The degree isnamed after the marks that stonemasons chiseledinto the stones of buildings to identify their work.

In May 2009, a second blog post shared therecently-discovered identity of the mark book’sartist — a young woman named Martha S.


Mark of Ezekiel Bascom, King HiramRoyal Arch Chapter Mark Book,1825-38, Martha S. Harding(1813-41), New Salem, MA. VanGorden-Williams Library& Archives, Scottish RiteMasonic Museum and Library.

Harding (1813-41). The daughter of AlpheusHarding (1780-1869), one of the members of thechapter, Martha probably drew the illustrations inthe book prior to her marriage in 1838. Lastsummer, we shared a third blog post to announce theacquisition of a mark medal originally owned byanother member of the King Hiram Royal ArchChapter. The silver medal, which belonged toEzekiel Bascom (1777-1841), has his personal markengraved on one side. This mark compares closely toBascom’s mark in the mark book.

And, last September, we extended the story onemore time by writing a post about

much-needed conservation treatment for the book.The binding had detached and the pages werecoming loose. The mark book is receivingconservation treatment; a cleaning its pages, andrepairing its binding, so that we can continue tolearn from it in the years to come.

At the museum, we collect objects that tell thestory of American Freemasonry and fraternalism,and how fraternalism relates to American history.We receive several calls and emails each month fromprospective donors who think we might have aninterest in something they’ve discovered, or that hasbeen passed down in their family. We have somebasic criteria that we use to consider these gifts. Theobject must be in good condition. We also look tostrengthen our collection by adding artifacts notalready represented; we usually try to avoid collectingduplicates or triplicates. And, we are always

interested in objects that have a story to tell — isthere special information about the person whooriginally made or owned the piece? Does theprospective donor have photographs of the originalowner using the object? Did it get used at a specialplace or time?

While we draw from our collection constantlyfor gallery exhibitions and various

publications or lectures, we also feature a selection ofrecent acquisitions in the museum lobby, which isrotated twice each year. In late September, we puttogether the most recent selection. One of the itemsfeatured is a miniature copper food mold used tocreate colorful jellies. This mold, one of three thatwere bequeathed to the museum in 2009 by HarrietG. Ward, has a star-shaped body with a familiarsquare and compasses symbol on top. Although wedon’t know who originally used this item, it seemslikely that it was used at lodge events or in the homeof a Mason.

Finally, having covered new initiatives on site inLexington, as well as in cyberspace, we are pleased toannounce a series of planned trips to four NorthernMasonic Jurisdiction states during the coming springand summer (places and dates to be announced).Museum staff will speak in person about themuseum’s collection, as well as its many excitingexhibitions, programs and services. During the 2009Annual Meeting, visitors to the museum could beheard exclaiming over the exhibitions, the library andarchives, the collection, the gift shop and otherbuilding features. “I had no idea how much is here,”was a frequent comment. We hope to hear that frommany more voices as we bring a small piece of themuseum to you.


NL

Masonic Food Mold, early 1900s, probably American.Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library, gift of the

estate of Harriet G. Ward.

Masonic Mark Medal, 1816, probably Boston, MA. Scottish Rite MasonicMuseum and Library, acquired through the generosity of the KaneLodge Foundation, Cogswell Beneficial Trust and William W. Lewis.


Those who know me well realize that oneof my non-Masonic interests is wanderingin old cemeteries. Before you get the

wrong idea, let me explain. Although I do haveHungarian blood coursing through my veins, myinterest does not run to the macabre. I am moreinterested in the art, architecture, and design ofcemeteries and gravestones and old funerarycustoms. That said, when Ill. David A. Glattly,33°, Deputy for New Jersey asked me to representthe Valley of Central Jersey on the GourgasGravesite Committee, I jumped at the chance.

Gourgas? Who is he and why should I knowanything about him?

As a Scottish Rite Mason, is that namefamiliar to you? I refer to John James JosephGourgas who is known as the “Conservator ofScottish Rite Freemasonry.” His memory isperpetuated by the Gourgas Medal — the highesthonor conferred by the Supreme Council for theNorthern Masonic Jurisdiction.

It is bestowed in recognition of “notablydistinguished service in the cause of Freemasonry,humanity or country.” Only 35 awards have beenpresented since the decoration was established in1938.

Ill. Bro. Gourgas started life in LacusLemannus (Geneva) Switzerland on Friday, May23, 1777. The sixth of seven children, he was borninto a high patrician family of French Huguenots.He was baptized John James Joseph Gourgas DuPan de Rengers on July 4, 1777. His familymoved to England during the French Revolutionand remained there until Aug. 5, 1803, when theyset sail for Boston and arrived six weeks later onSept. 17. The family eventually settled in Weston,MA.

Within a few years, Gourgas moved to NewYork city where he embarked upon a career as anaccountant and prospered as a merchant and

businessman. He married Louisa Maria Smidtsometime in 1807, and their union produced sixchildren.

His Masonic life began when he became anEntered Apprentice on May 19, 1806, at LodgeL’Union Francaise No. 14 (now No. 17) and waslisted as member No. 207 on the lodge roles. Hereceived both his Fellowcraft and Master MasonDegrees on June 9, 1806, and in 1807, he became“Custodian of the Seals and Records” for thelodge.

On May 16, 1808, he demitted from the lodge,and there is no further record of his membershipin any symbolic lodge. This situation was notuncommon at the time insofar as lodge recordswere not as meticulously maintained as they aretoday. Regardless of his status with the lodge, hewas fully recognized as an active and full-fledgedMason. In fact, in tribute to his Masonic career in1864, his mother lodge elected him to honorarymembership.

On July 26, 1806, he was initiated into the“Sovereign Grand Chapter of Rose Croix

A Matter ofGrave Concern

By MICHAEL F. LAKAT, 33°

John JamesJosephGourgas’memorial afterrestoration inJersey City,NJ.

d’H-R-D-M of Kilwinning” at New York city andbecame the Chapter’s Secretary. On Aug. 4, 1806,he was elevated by Antoine Bideaud, 33°, toSublime Prince of the Royal Secret 32°. Two dayslater Bideaud established the “Sublime GrandConsistory 30°, 31°, 32°” and Gourgas was namedits Secretary.

On Nov. 12, 1808, John Gabriel Tardyappointed Gourgas Deputy Inspector General ofthe Rite of Perfection. According to the register ofAbraham Jacobs as published in Folger’s TheAncient and Accepted Scottish Rite (1881), Gourgasalso received the degree of Select Masons of theTwenty-seven and the Dublin Royal Arch.

On May 1, 1813, Emanuel De La Motta, ofthe Supreme Council at Charleston, initiated J.J.J.Gourgas and Sampson Simson into the 33°. Then,

on Aug. 5, De La Motta, acting as the GrandCommander in a “special sitting,” initiated fourothers, and the Grand and Supreme Council ofthe Most Puissant Sovereign Grand InspectorsGeneral of the 33° of the Ancient and AcceptedScottish Rite for the Northern Masonic Districtand Jurisdiction of the United States of Americawas organized.

Daniel Decius Tompkins was chosen firstSovereign Grand Commander. Within seven

short years, Gourgas went from being raised to thesublime degree of Master Mason to beingcoroneted a 33°. On that day, he was also namedthe first Grand Secretary and served in thatposition until 1832.

On March 7, 1832, the second SovereignGrand Commander, Ill. Bro. Sampson Simson,resigned and Gourgas became the third Most

Puissant Sovereign Grand Commander— a position that he held until Sept. 4,1851.

It is likely that Simpson’s resignationwas influenced by the anti-Masonicmovement which had dampened thespirits all of Freemasonry in the UnitedStates.

It is generally recognized that theMorgan Affair and its aftermathencompassed the years 1826 through1845. The Anti-Masonic Party wasformed in upstate New York in 1828, andits growth throughout the country wasdue more to the political and socialconditions of the time than to theMorgan episode per se.

During that period Masons werepersecuted for their beliefs; they weredischarged from employment, expelledfrom churches, and denied many rightsand privileges they previously enjoyed.

It is little wonder that most Masonicactivity ceased. Thousands of Masons,under varying degrees of pressure,abandoned their membership in the craft.However, enough loyal Brethren stoodfirm to enable the fraternity to weatherthe storm.

One of these distinguished Brethrenwas Gourgas. It is difficult to overstatehis contributions to Scottish RiteFreemasonry.

While the Supreme Council wasinactive, Gourgas guarded the records


We know that during the yearswhen Bro. Gourgas served as theSecretary General and SovereignGrand Commander, the SupremeCouncil for the Northern MasonicJurisdiction was based in New Yorkcity.Why was he not entombed in a

churchyard in Manhattan? Thequest was begun by trying toestablish his place of residencewhich was discovered in an 1859index of residents of New York city,as being located in what is now thewestern part of Greenwich Village.But why was he buried in Jersey

City? This was answered bystudying the laws regulating burialsin the city of New York.The Rural Cemetery Act was a

law passed by the New YorkLegislature in 1847. It authorizedthe development of commercialburial grounds in rural New Yorkstate which led to burial of humanremains becoming a business forthe first time.In 1852, the Common Council of

New York city, then consistingsolely of Manhattan Island, passeda resolution that banned furtherburials within the city limits inresponse to public fears stemmingfrom cholera epidemics in 1832 and1849 which were believed to havecontaminated the well watersupplying the city.Maps of the period show that it

would have been a short ride fromSt. John’s Chapel to the waterfrontwhere the coffin would be loadedonto a ferry bound for Paulus Hookon the Jersey side of the HudsonRiver, and then transported a fewmiles overland to Greenville and thecemetery overlooking the bustlingharbor of New York.Thus it came to pass that Ill. Bro.

Gourgas rests alongside his familynear the graves of three Past GrandMasters, a Past Active Member ofSupreme Council and numerousother Masonic Brethren from bothNew York and New Jersey.

— Robert V. Monacelli, 33°

Why is Ill. Bro. GourgasBuried in Jersey City, NJ?


and maintained contact with others. As theAnti-Masonic Movement swept the country andnearly extinguished the fraternity, he kept the Ritegoing through this dark period. Through hisdedication and loyalty, he earned the title“Conservator of the Rite.”

Ill. Bro. Gourgas died in New York city onTuesday, Feb. 14, 1865 and was buried in NewYork Bay Cemetery (now Bay View — New YorkBay Cemetery) in Jersey City. He was buried byhis family with little or no notice or recognitionfrom his Brethren.

He rested in virtual anonymity along withseven other members of his family. The gravesitewas neglected, but was rediscovered andrededicated by the Supreme Council in 1938during the 125th anniversary year of the SupremeCouncil.

On Sunday, May 22, 1938, the SupremeCouncil held a special gathering at Gourgas’gravesite in Jersey City. A special monument wasdedicated that day. At the memorial service anddedication, 8,000 Masons and their families werein attendance as well as an escort of 500 KnightsTemplar from New Jersey and New York.Supreme Commander Dr. Melvin MaynardJohnson was in attendance as was Governor A.Harry Moore (who incidentally was also buried inthe cemetery after his death in 1952) and StateSenator Edward P. Stout.

Shortly thereafter, Sovereign GrandCommander Johnson secured approval from theSupreme Council to establish a special honorwhich became known as the Gourgas Medal.

It was first awarded in 1943 to Senator andBrother Harry S. Truman who did not receive themedal until Nov. 21, 1945, by which time he hadsucceeded to the Presidency following the death

of Franklin D. Roosevelt.The motto of the Scottish Rite is “Ordo ab

Chao” — “Order from Chaos.” During Gourgas’tenure there was no shortage of chaos — theMorgan Affair and its aftermath, the activity ofirregular members, and the spurious CerneauScottish Rite, to name a few. He held steadfastand maintained the Rite so that order couldeventually be restored.

During the 70 years since the rededication in1938, Ill. Bro. Gourgas’ gravesite and memorialagain was neglected and fell into disrepair.

It was recently rediscovered by John F.Daugherty Jr., 32°. The New Jersey Council ofDeliberation made a commitment to restore theGourgas grave site at the New York BayCemetery in Jersey City, NJ, and maintain thesite in future years. To follow through, Bro.Glattly appointed a committee of representativesfrom the three Valleys whose mission was torestore the memorial and gravesite to its formersplendor.

The committee consisted of Bro. Daugherty(chairman), Ill. Robert Monacelli, Bro. GeorgesCaceres, and me. Work began in late spring. Theproject included the removal of two large trees,the cleaning of the memorial and setting the sitewith brick paving.

A rededication ceremony was held Oct. 17,2009, with Grand Commander McNaughton andM.W. William H. Berman, Grand Master ofMasons in NJ, in attendance, along with severalother Masonic dignitaries. The day wascoordinated with a gathering location at theBayonne Masonic Lodge building. NL

During the ceremony of consecration, Grand Commander McNaughton pours oil on thegravesite memorial marking the burial place of John James Joseph Gourgas.

Ill. David A. Glattly,33°, Deputy forNew Jersey,spoke at therededication ceremony.


32° Masonic Learning Centersfor Children, Inc.

he learning centers are working harder thanever to keep our program afloat. Localfundraising efforts have been kicked into high

gear, and our corporate offices are striving to develop ourbrand and steward our resources. Boards and staff arefacing some difficult decisions at all levels. Centers haveclosed and cut back; morale can be hard to upholdsometimes.

As in any worthwhile endeavor, successes along theway propel us to the next step. Stories of fundraisingvictories keep us all hopeful and hard working, and storiesof children’s victories continue to give meaning to all ofour efforts. There has been another success story thisacademic year, and it’s important that it not go unnoticed.This is the story of our Advanced Training Program.

Our Advanced Training Program is a two-yeargraduate-level training program that some of our tutorsundergo, above and beyond the year-long Initial Leveltraining and certification. The Initial Level teaches thebasics about reading, dyslexia, and the Orton-Gillinghamapproach; the advanced level covers such higher-orderskills as reading comprehension, fluency, reading research,syntax, vocabulary, composition, assessment anddiagnosis, professional ethics, and — everyone’s favorite— the history and structure of the English writingsystem. It’s really good stuff. It sows seeds of languageexpertise in our tutors, and their students reap thebenefits.

Over the past eight years, the advanced training hastaken on several incarnations. The seminars have beenlocal and regional. It has been offered both on summerweekdays and on weekends in the fall and spring. In 2003our corporate office assumed the Advanced TrainingProgram under its clinical budget. It has since benefittedhundreds of tutors and thousands of children in all of ourlearning centers.

In recent years, as the centers have faced economicchallenges, the costs and benefits of Advanced Language

Training have come under scrutiny. The program hasbeen on the defensive: it is expensive and cumbersome.However powerfully worthwhile and however clinicallybeneficial, its rewards have come at a high cost.

Eliminating advanced training altogether is out of thequestion, of course. It is a huge contributor to the highquality and success rates of our training and tutoringprograms. Any tutor who has been involved with thetraining will verify that, and any parent whose child hasworked with an advanced tutor will sing the program’spraises. Moreover, the advanced training is a prerequisitefor center directors and other supervisors to becomeinitial trainers. The training is an integral part of both ourrequirements and our reputation.

The future and the structure of advanced trainingcontinued to look uncertain. Carin Illig, the newsupervisor of clinical affairs, had “figure out advancedtraining” in her in-box from the earliest days of her brandnew tenure. As an advanced certified tutor herself, Carinintimately understood how crucial the advanced trainingis to the clinical wellbeing of the program.

In late 2009, Carin successfully built a coalition ofadvanced language trainers and has led a round of radical,effective changes in the advanced training, bringing costsdown significantly. Instead of paying for several trainersto travel, lodge and eat on the corporate ledger, Carin

(continued on page 25)

Advancing the Cause:Maintaining High Quality Tutor Training in a Low Quality Economy

TTBy GINA COOKE

THE TRAINING IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF BOTH OUR REQUIREMENTS AND OUR REPUTATION.

PATRIOT


Just who is Arthur st. ClAir? his nAme doesnot roll off the tongues of most Americans; evenhistorians give him little notice. he was a patriot and,for a time, was the highest ranking elected official inthe fledgling nation. his forsaking of British positionand wealth and his lifelong pursuit of America’sfreedom and democracy, make it difficult tounderstand why he is one of the most unappreciatedpublic figures in our nation’s history.

Born in scotland in 1734, st. Clair’s career as anAmerican military strategist and statesman began inPennsylvania, continued through new Jersey, newYork and ohio and spans 45 years of service in themilitary, government and political life.

After Kve years as a British army lieutenant inCanada during the French and indian war, he retiredas captain in 1762, commanding Fort ligonier inPennsylvania. he settled his family on acreage in theligonier Valley. his contributions to America’sgrowth began in Bedford, PA, as a surveyor for thePenn family. in 1774, Governor Penn named st. Clairto several judicial positions for westmoreland County,including a justice in county court and thenmagistrate. his Krst brush with prominence camethrough the actions of a neighboring colony. Virginia’sgovernor, lord dunmore, sent his agents to claimFort Pitt (now Pittsburgh) and its surrounding landsfor Virginia. st. Clair had the agents tracked down,brought to his court and jailed. dunmore demandedthat Governor Penn dismiss st. Clair as magistrate,but Penn refused. st. Clair’s courage was wellreceived, and he became a most inLuential man inwestern Pennsylvania.

After nearly a decade as a Pennsylvania countrysquire and officer of the court, st. Clair becameincreasingly outspoken about the King’s excessivetaxes and brutal treatment of the colonists. in 1775,John hancock, president of the united Colonies’Continental Congress, offered him a commission ascolonel in the Continental Army. it was then that st.

Clair made a life-changing decision to take up hisadopted country’s cause for freedom. Frazer wilson,in his 1944 epic of the American Frontier, Arthur St.Clair, Rugged Ruler of the Old Northwest, says, “it isdifficult to conceive the courage required for makingthis decision, as st. Clair was friendly with KingGeorge, a cousin of General Gates and had beenclosely associated with many British officers who wereto serve conspicuously in the coming conLict.”

PoliticsPrior to GeorGe wAshinGton’s eleCtionas the Krst president of the united states in 1789,America had been governed from 1774 by 13presidents of the Continental Congress, and later, theCongress of the Confederation. From 1785-87, st.Clair served the Congress as a delegate from hishome state of Pennsylvania. in February, 1787, Arthurst. Clair was elected as its president. during histenure, Congress enacted the northwest ordinanceand the united states Constitution.

By DICK PHILLIPS

A medallionfeaturing Bro.St. Clair on thefront and NewYork’s city hallon the back.

An Unappreciated


on oct. 5, 1787, st. Clair began a 15-year career asthe Krst governor of the northwest territory.recommended by washington and approved byCongress, st. Clair took on the awesomeresponsibility of overseeing an area which wouldbecome ohio, indiana, illinois and michigan, alongwith parts of wisconsin and minnesota. he blazedthe way and set precedents for later territorialgovernors.

in July, 1788, he published the new territory’sCompact (Constitution) and commissioned threejudges. Ie Krst of eight ohio counties he wouldcreate was appropriately named for his friend,washington, and by september, he had created hisKrst territorial court headed by Judge rufus Putnam.while governor, st. Clair made his western home inmarietta, oh, and headquarters in Cincinnati, a cityhe is credited with naming after the society of theCincinnati.

Soldier and Patriotst. ClAir’s GoVernment And leGislAtiVecontributions were signiKcant, but he also had adistinguished military career, mostly as a veterangeneral officer of many battles. By the mid-1770’s, st.Clair considered himself more an American than aBritish subject. Because of his military experience,Colonel st. Clair’s Krst assignment for theContinental Army of 1775 was to raise a regiment ofsix companies to cover the retreat of the Americanarmy which was being overrun by the British nearQuebec. Iis he completed in two months.

in 1777, President hancock sent st. Clair to newYork to save Fort ticonderoga from the British.when he arrived, he found his men suffering andoutnumbered more than Kve-to-one. realizing thedanger to his reputation, he courageously ordered astrategic retreat, saving the lives of 1,000 men to Kghtanother day and was court-martialed for his trouble.st. Clair was both exonerated and commended for hiswise decision, and the Americans later took back thefort with a larger force. he served with washingtonagainst the British in the revolutionary war foranother eight years. in all, he spent an incredible totalof 14 years as an officer on the battleKeld.

Following his return from Canada, st. Clair waspromoted to Brigadier General and sent to organizethe new Jersey militia. After the Fort ticonderogaexperience in new York, he then joined washingtonat Valley Forge in december of 1776. Arthur st. Clair

also took part in washington’s crossing of thedelaware on Christmas night, 1776, before the Battleof trenton. st. Clair is credited with developing thestrategy which led to washington’s capture of bothPrinceton and trenton, nJ, from the hessians andBritish. he also provided relief to washington’ssuffering troops in the winter of 1777-78. Ie lack offood, clothing and housing at Valley Forge was so badthat retention, let alone recruiting, had become nearlyimpossible. washington appealed to st. Clair whoused his own personal wealth to solve the problems.st. Clair remained a close friend of washington for24 years and was invited to stand with him at hisinauguration as the Krst President of the unitedstates.

BrotherhoodAs with mAnY oF AmeriCA’s eArlY PAtriots Andfounding fathers, st. Clair was a Freemason, aFederalist and later, a member of the society ofCincinnati. descendents of st. Clair say that it wasBenjamin Franklin who initiated him intoFreemasonry. washington once presented st. Clairwith one of his masonic aprons as a token of esteem;it was hand-painted on silk by a lady in Baltimore. in1976, it was acquired with full documentation by thesaugatuck lodge no. 328.

when the society of Cincinnati was founded in1787, washington inducted st. Clair who was servingas President of the Continental Congress that year.initially, a vehicle for officers of the revolutionarywar to maintain contact, it soon became fraternalwith chapters in thirteen colonies. it would lead togovernment beneKts for officers with three yearsservice in the war. in time, enlisted men wereincluded as well.

For Love of CountryBeinG nAmed the First GoVernor oF Aterritory the size of the original 13 colonies was atKrst a great honor. But Congress had done st. Clairno favors. Cut off from all he knew, he was 400 milesfrom Pittsburgh and 800 miles from Philadelphia.Congress seldom funded what they ordered him todo, and he eventually went broke from all the iou’she wrote on behalf of his country.

in 1791, after several hundred of General harmar’stroops died in the defeat by the Confederation of

indian tribes of the maumee Valley, Congressdemanded quick retaliation and victory.unfortunately, for the ailing, 57 year-old Arthur st.Clair who was immersed in his third year as territorialgovernor, the inevitable failure of this ill-fatedretaliatory battle would need a scapegoat and it wouldbe him, as he would lose twice as many troops ashamar, within the same year. Iis shocked Congressto the extent that it allowed major General Anthonywayne three years to prepare an army for victory, butst. Clair would have to carry the heavy burden ofre-living this tragedy for the rest of his life.

many historians agree that st. Clair’s lifetime ofexemplary statesmanship, military leadership andbattles won should not be overshadowed by this onelost battle. st. Clair had to have known that comingout of retirement to rebuild a defeated anddemoralized army to retaliate quickly with rawrecruits was a formula for disaster. Ie order fromCongress that he cut a trail through the forest andbuild several forts along the 100 miles to battle didn’thelp.

Fort Wayne Sentinel writer, rich Battin, describedst. Clair as having been, “afflicted with gout and avery old man for the times.” st. Clair should neverhave left, trusting that the promised supplies andmunitions would catch up. Iey never did. saidBattin, “secretary Knox’s friend, the unscrupulousnew York Knancier, william duer, lost the moneyintended for st. Clair’s troops on land speculation.”it’s said st. Clair fought courageously while menaround him were dying and deserting. Afterwards,John Paul Jones wrote these words to st. Clair, “i prayyou be assured that no man has more respect for yourcharacter, talents and greatness of mind, than, deargeneral, your most obedient servant.”

Satisfaction of ServiceHis Only RewardtodAY, st. ClAir’s leVel oF liFetime serViCe tocountry might at least entitle him to retire in comfort.however as governor, saint Clair made the mistake ofrunning up personal debt to carry out the unfundedassignments of Congress. he trusted his superiors,just as he trusted those he hired to run his ligonierestate. upon his return home, he found his wealtheroded by business reverses. Congress would not votefor reimbursement of st. Clair’s 14 years of expensesas governor. his debtors won a personal court

judgment, and his land and holdings were sold atsheriff’s sale forcing him into poverty. he lived in asmall cabin until his death on Aug. 31, 1818, at age84, in Greensburg, PA. however, those who knew st.Clair during his last years said he never lost hisdignity. Fifty years later, Congress Knally voted a“substantial sum” for the st. Clair heirs.


NL

Every schoolchild knows the American Revolution began atLexington and Concord in 1775, and the Declaration ofIndependence officially separated us from Great Britain in 1776. Thewar ended in 1783, but George Washington did not becomepresident until 1789. Who did we have for a government and leadersduring those early years? Actually we had several. The First Continental Congress met before the revolution broke out

into armed conflict, not as a government, but rather as a conventionrepresenting the 13 disgruntled, but nominally loyal colonies. It met in1774.After Lexington and Concord, the congress reconvened and

continued to meet throughout the war. Once independence wasdeclared, it served as a provisional government. When victory was insight, the former colonists looked toward a more permanentframework. The Articles of Confederation, our first constitution, ofsorts, called for a Congress of the Confederation which, in turn,elected a “President of the United States in Congress Assembled.” The system was replaced by our current U.S. Constitution which

called for a strong executive branch headed up by a president. Bro.Washington was, of course, the first to serve. The following is a list ofour leaders before the Constitution:

First Continental Congress1774 Peyton Randolph1774 Henry Middleton

Subsequent Continental Congresses1775 Peyton Randolph1775-77 John Hancock1777-78 Henry Laurens1778-79 John Jay1779-81 Samuel Huntington

Congress of the Confederation1781 Samuel Huntington1781 Samuel Johnston was elected, but resigned before

serving.1781 Thomas McKean1781-82 John Hanson1782-83 Elias Boudinot1783-84 Thomas Mifflin

Daniel Carroll served as acting president for one month.1784-85 Richard Henry Lee

Samuel Holton served as acting president for a day.1785-86 John Hancock was elected but never served. David

Ramsay and Nathaniel Gorham presided in his absence.1786 Nathaniel Gorham1787 Arthur St. Clair1788 Cyrus Griffin

Presidents Before Washington


our decades, six Grand Commanders, and two editors ago The Northern Light hit the

newsstands — or, more accurately, the mailboxes ofScottish Rite Masons — for the first time. Thatinaugural issue in January 1970 featured a photo ofthe headquarters building on the cover and containedan explanation of the structure of Scottish Rite. Ill.Alphonse Cerza, 33°, a noted Scottish Rite scholarand past president of the Philalethes Society, relateda brief history of the Rite; Ill. and Rev. John G.Fleck, 33°, wrote about “Freemasonry’s SavingTension,” and a story described the brand newToledo Masonic Complex. Now in 2010, enteringour fifth decade, The Northern Light is still goingstrong.

The magazine has its roots in 1968. GrandCommander George A. Newbury, 33°, saw a need tocommunicate to the membership of the NorthernMasonic Jurisdiction. A previous publication, calledThe Newsletter, mailed only to a small portion of themembers, was edited by Ill. McIlyar H. Lichliter, 33°,and continued under Bro. Fleck. Grand CommanderNewbury was looking for something new. He wantedto include everyone in the organization and soestablished a feasibility committee to study the idea ofcreating a magazine meant for all Scottish RiteMasons in the jurisdiction. Its purpose would be tokeep the membership informed and connected andwould also serve as an educational tool. One memberappointed to the study group was Ill. George E.Burow, 33°, an Active Member of the SupremeCouncil for Illinois, and managing editor of theDanville Commercial News.

The committee recommended that a full featuremagazine be established, and a target date of January1970 was chosen for the launch of the new venture.

Next on the agenda was the choosing of an editor.An exhaustive search was conducted and a person was

chosen to fill the position. Three weeks later,however, the person had a change of heart. GrandCommander Newbury then turned to Bro. Burow andasked him to consider the position. At first he did notwant to take it. He was chairman of the committeerecommending the creation of the magazine. It wasnot his intention to create it for himself. Besides, hehad a job. Although initially reluctant, he eventuallyagreed, retired from his Danville newspaper, and tookover. One caveat, however, was that he would remainin Illinois and a full-time assistant editor would be onsite in Lexington, MA, to run the day-to-dayoperations.

Enter Dick Curtis. Throughout its history Bro.Curtis (now Ill. Richard H. Curtis, 33°) has beenmore closely associated with The Northern Light thananyone. He was approached by Ill. Stanley F.Maxwell, 33°, who, at the time, was Executive

178 Issues Later

F

By ALAN E. FOULDS, 32°

Forty years and going strong

In the spring of 1983, typesetter Luella Nordstrom gets new cutting edge technology to produce The Northern Light.

Secretary. Maxwell knew of Dick’s journalisticbackground and his interest in the fraternity. Hehad a degree in English and the equivalent of aminor in journalism. At the time he was employedby a Boston-area publishing house. The matchwas perfect. Dick had the qualifications, and heknew Bro. Maxwell from their Masonic ties, buthe says “Luck was also involved. I landed the jobby being in the right place at the right time.”

Burow and Curtis proved to be a good blend ofolder and younger; Midwesterner and NewEnglander, and an experienced journalist and aperson with fresh ideas.

The committee chose the name, but it was leftto the editorial team to formulate the newmagazine.

Bro. Burow’s job was to search for material,edit, and do some writing. Bro. Curtis supervisedlayout and design, rewriting, and dealings with theprinter. He says that he “wanted roughly an evenmix of educational, topical, and inspirationalstories.” Although the fraternity has an amazingheritage, “every story can’t be about Paul Revereand George Washington. It’s not all about thepast.” Curtis pointed out that the graphic designwas also left to him.

Together they created something quiteimportant from nothing.

As the years passed and the number of volumesmounted, Bro. Curtis assumed more and more ofthe editorial responsibilities. In 1975, GeorgeBurow and Richard Curtis became co-editors, andin 1977, Curtis received the official title for thejob he had been quietly and steadily assuming andperforming for quite a while. He became thepublication’s sole editor — a position that hewould maintain for three decades.

The office staff has always been small butefficient. For the first ten years Edith Juthe

efficiently handled secretarial duties. In 1980Luella Nordstrom took over upon Juthe’sretirement. Two years later production was movedin-house and Nordstrom became the firsttypesetter. Sonja Faiola, who is still with the staff,became secretary and managed the circulationlists. She also became instrumental in layout andcolor coordination. Bro. Curtis credits her withplaying a major role in modernizing the look andfeel of the final product.

Carolyn Rotundi came aboard in 1985,staying two years as an artist and typesetter. At herdeparture Norma Small, another name nearlysynonymous with the magazine and its history,began a dynasty that survives to this day. Her roleevolved, together with technology, to that ofgraphic designer. Her daughter, Beth McSweeney,joined her in 2000 and several months laterassumed the position. Many of our readers, whohave had reason to contact the magazine, knowMs. McSweeney, as her unofficial responsibilitiesgo beyond her job description. In many ways sheis a face of the magazine to the outside world.

In 1999, the staff grew a little larger as theposition of “assistant to the editor” was created.Robin Robinson, with a Master’s Degree inwriting and publishing, and experience as areporter with a local newspaper, took on the role.During her four-year tenure she wrote manyfeature stories.

Upon her departure the position was changedslightly to that of “assistant editor.” SteveFerrazani briefly filled the role until September2004 when I was hired into that position.

Bro. Curtis was asked if any stories he wrote or


January 1998finds more technologychanges andSonja Faiolaand NormaSmall taking abreak from putting togetherthe Februaryissue of TNL.

George E.Burow, 33°, wasthe first editor

of The NorthernLight. He retired in

1976.


NL

researched during his years at the helm stuck outmore than others. “One,” he said, “was when Itraveled with Grand Commander Robert Ralstonto Reno, NV, to present the Gourgas Medal toBro. Red Skelton.” Another appeared in the May2002 edition. He visited Shanksville, PA, andobserved the crash site of Flight 93, one of theplanes hijacked on Sept. 11. There, he talked withMasonic firefighters and others and saw, firsthand,how the rural Pennsylvania county wastransformed by visitors to the site. Curtis says thatother stories that comes to mind were aninterview with Charles Spahr, a man closelyassociated with the building of the AlaskaPipeline, and Robert L. Howsam, president of theCincinnati Reds.

Asked about any controversial stories duringthe “Curtis Era,” Dick said “most of that camefrom covers, not stories.” An early incident —more funny than controversial — came whenGeorge Burow was still in charge. The November1975 issue featured a photograph of a re-enactorplaying Daniel Boone. One 12-year-old wrote inasking if Boone really had a wristwatch like theone in the picture. In January 1979 the frontcover, called “The Disheveled Master,” depicted aman in Masonic apron checking his list of New

Year’s resolutions. The date on the top of his listsaid 1977, but was crossed out. Below that werethe years 1978 – also crossed out - and, finally,1979. At least one reader did not think it funnyand, in fact, thought it put the organization in abad light. The person wondered “what was thepostman thinking?”

One more notorious cover came in November2002. Taken from a 1908 postcard, the depictedscene was much like a Norman Rockwell painting,with a family sitting at the Thanksgiving table. Asall were bowing their heads in prayer, the youngboy had one eye on the turkey. The table cloth, asit came over the edge, turned into an Americanflag. The image certainly meant no disrespect, butletters of protest poured into the office.

Although not a story, Dick also pointed withpride to a feature called “Masonic Word Math,” apuzzle with a Masonic twist. In fact, the puzzlecontinues today, still created by Dick.

For many years the magazine has beenenhanced through the volunteer efforts of itscolumnists. One example is Allen E. Roberts, 32°,who explored “Masonic Myths.” Our regularcontributors today include Bro. Robert A.

Domingue, who writes “TheStamp Act.” Each issue Bro.Domingue highlights five to sixpostage stamps with Masonicthemes, presenting an image, aswell as the background, of thesubject.

Ill. Leigh E. Morris, 33°, keepsus up to date with the latest developments in theworld of computers and the Internet. His column“Brothers on the Net,” of course, would not haveeven been possible at the magazine’s birth.

Ill. Thomas W. Jackson, 33°, through “BookNook,” offers his opinions on many of the newestliterature on the craft. Bro. Jackson began hiscolumn in November 1990. Hetook over from Ill. Stewart M.L. Pollard, 33°, who wrote “In aNook With a Book.” Pollardfilled in ably for three years,following the death of Ill.Alphonse Cerza, 33°.

In January 2007, upon theretirement of Bro. Dick Curtis, I was named asthe third editor of The Northern Light. Whathappens from here? Well, we invite you to readthe magazine for the next 40 years to find out.

Richard H. Curtis,33°, helped launchThe Northern Lightas assistant editor.He then became the

editor and aftermany years turned

over the reins in2006.

IN A NOOK WITH A BOOK

Alphonse Cerza, 33°, the first of three book reviewers for the magazine.

18 February 2010 / The Northern Light

“House of the Temple” are the first four words of the pro-

logue of Dan Brown’s book, The Lost Symbol. The novel’s setting opens and reaches its climax in the House of the Temple, the headquarters building of the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite, S.J.

A thriller set in Washington, DC, The Lost Symbol is the third Dan Brown novel to involve the character Robert Langdon, the Harvard Uni-versity symbologist. The book has changed life as we have known it at the House of the Temple. Since the book was released on Sept. 15, 2009, tours have quadrupled, and, they con-tinue to increase.

Our tours now highlight the places Brown mentions in his book. Additional tour guides have been added to the part-time staff managing the influx of guests who visit the building. Special tours have been created by profes-sional companies throughout the city to shepherd visitors around sites found in Brown’s book, but we remain the number one Ma-sonic “must see” spot on any tour of Washington.

Since the book was published, the question asked most frequently is whether or not Brown’s descrip-tions of the building are accurate. Ms. Heather Calloway provides a

detailed examination of all references to the House of the Temple in the January-February issue of the Scottish Rite Journal. The article can be found at www.scottishrite.org.

The Secrets of Heredom

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

The Temple Room is one of several locations at the House of the Temple mentioned in Dan Brown’s latest book, The Lost Symbol.

Phot

o: J

. Alex

ande

r

Happy 113th, Brother WalterIll. Walter Breuning, 33°, is the oldest man in the world. He’s also the oldest Scottish Rite Mason in the world. Born on Sept. 21, 1896, in Melrose, MN, Bro. Walter started to work in 1913 for the Great

Northern Railroad and continued for 50 years. He became a Master Mason in 1925 and a Scottish Rite Mason in 1937. He was a founding member of Great Falls Lodge No. 118, Master of Cascade Lodge No. 34, and Secretary of the merged lodges for 25 years. He served the Valley of Great Falls as reunion director for 44 years and as Venerable Mas-ter; he was coroneted a 33°, in 1958. Walter still puts on a coat and tie every morning before going to breakfast at the Rainbow Retirement Center. He’s started making plans on how to celebrate his 114th birthday in 2010.

Scottish Rite of Virginia and Radford University: Partnering to Help ChildrenThe Scottish Rite of Virginia is a partner with Radford University helping children with speech disorders. For the past two summers, a clinical program has focused on helping children with autism spectrum disorders in response to the rapidly growing incidence of the disor-der. Parents engage in workshops and learn to partici-pate in therapy sessions with their children so they can facilitate their language development long after camp ends. Over the years the Scottish Rite has contributed

over $500,000 to Radford in support of children through its summer clinics, schol-arships, and fellowships to speech disorder students.

As we start a new year and a brand spanking newdecade, let’s take a look at a few topical items.

Considerable attention has been focused on the Bing(bing.com) versus Google (google.com) debate.Bing, of course, is the new search

engine from Microsoft. If you areexpecting me to pan Bing, you are infor a disappointment. Bing is a goodsearch tool that should provide mostusers with satisfactory results.I have found it to be especially

strong in searching for e-commerce(shopping) sites. On the other hand,Google seems to have the edgewhen it comes to historical andcorporate research.To get the best of both worlds, I

now simultaneously search Bing andGoogle by using Blackdog(blackdog.ie/google-bing) or Bing vsGoogle (bing-vs-google.com). If youwould like to add Yahoo to the mix,try Search3 (search3.com).Meanwhile, Twitter struggles

to grow while finding a way tomake a ton or two of money.It is difficult to predict

Twitter’s future, though I think itis here to stay, at least in someform. My own company, Ameren Illinois Utilities, usesTwitter quite effectively when we experience significantoutages due to storms (illinoisoutage.com). With Twitter,we can constantly update both the public and newsmedia on the challenges and progress associated withservice restoration work. A growing number of companiesare using Twitter to similar advantage.

Energy efficiency is chic. More than 1,200 computersnow are Energy Star (energystar.gov) qualified with moreto come. It is estimated that if all computers sold in theU.S. were Energy Star qualified, energy spending wouldbe cut by $2 billion a year. Even in Washington, that isreal money.The Energy Star designation is not limited to

computers by any means. An increasing number ofprinters, copiers and scanners now carry the energyefficiency designation. And while we are on the subject,you can cut your energy spending by turning computers,printers and other devices off.

Phishing – it sounds innocent, but it can be costly. Nota month passes without hearing from a reader who hasbeen victimized.Phishers are after sensitive personal information, such

as Social Security and credit card account numbers,passwords and user names. With this information, they

can place charges against charge accounts, drainchecking accounts and even steal identities.A phish begins with an email, perhaps a request that

appears to be from a bank, credit card company orretailer. It may warn you that your account has been

compromised or ask you to verify alarge charge made against youraccount. Sometimes, the messagewarns that if you fail to make animmediate payment your account willbe closed or your servicedisconnected. Some messages willwarn that you must immediatelychange your password. In all cases,you will be directed to an officiallooking website which includes arequest for personal information.Your best protection is to never

open such emails. I repeat, never.If you have a concern about the

email message, then contact thepurported sender (bank, credit card,

etc.) of the email bytelephone or in person.In addition, nearly all

browsers offer somelevel of phishingprotection. I happen tolike Mozilla’s Firefox

(mozilla.com). It is free and it works.Increasingly, Internet users are accessing their email

and the web through iPhones, BlackBerrys and othersmart phone devices. In response, the number ofwebsites aimed at mobile users is growing. These areknown as .mobi sites.These .mobi sites were created to provide mobile

device users with websites specifically formatted for thesmall mobile screens.The next big Internet news could well be Apple TV.

Apple is reported to be on the verge of offering atelevision subscription service over the Internet sometimethis year. A Wall Street Journal report said expertspredict this move “could significantly alter the televisionbusiness . . .”Of course, a bevy of skeptics immediately rushed to

throw cold water on Apple TV’s prospects. I believe manyof those same critics had also predicted iTunes would notlast and the iPhone was just a passing fancy.So, I conclude with best wishes for 2010.

As always, I welcome your questions and comments.Just fire an an email to me at <[email protected]> or, if you prefer, you can send a letter tome at PO Box 42, Virginia IL 62691.


By LEIGH E. MORRIS, 33°

Bing, Twitterand much more in 2010


little more than 230 years ago, a group offormer soldiers in the area of Pennsylvania

called “Paxtang” formed a new Masonic lodge.Originally only known by its number – twenty-one – thelodge was close to the Susquehanna River and a ferryowned by John Harris.Eventually, the Harris family mapped out a town

bearing their surname — Harrisburg. The lodgeeventually adopted a name to accompany its number —Perseverance. The Brethren could not know how aptthat name would be, for more than 230 years later wemet recently to celebrate the continued work of thisamazing lodge.In a history of Perseverance Lodge, Bro. William Egle,

a Civil War Colonel and Pennsylvania State Librarian de-scribed the important role the lodge played through theyears. He noted how many of Harrisburg’s leading menwere counted among the rolls of this lodge, includingU.S. senators, governors, and officers of each of ourwars. This lodge typified the role our Brethren haveplayed as pillars of our communities. So important wasPerseverance to this region, it was even visited by theMarquis de Lafayette and President James Buchanan.Remarkable in this brief history, written 112 years

ago, the final words were devoted to the philanthropyof Perseverance Lodge. Bro. Egle wrote, “And lastly,

charity. The question may be asked, ‘Where is yourboasted good?’ From the first year of its existencedown to the present time the generosity and benevo-lence of Perseverance Lodge has been without stint.Many a heart has been gladdened by its charity.”And this belief remains a bond passed unbroken in

Perseverance Lodge for more than two centuries. Thatis why I had the honor of attending the 230thanniversary of Lodge No. 21 — to recognize its mem-bers for making a $100,000 commitment to our Harris-burg Learning Center.Speaking with its current and past Masters, I heard

from both how much they respected the work ourlearning centers do for children with dyslexia and howcommitted they are to continue their Masonic missionof charity.Leaving them that evening into the cold night, I

couldn’t help but feel the warmth of pride in my frater-nity and respect for Brethren such as these.As William Egle concluded in his history, “Such is Free

Masonry. Venerable in its age, beneficent in its design,and practical in its charity.”

The beauty of “Perseverance”

A

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

The Children’s Learning Centers is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

It costs $5,000 to tutor one child for oneyear. Typically, children require an averageof two years of tutoring. Your tax-exemptcontribution can be designated to supporta specific children’s learning center or alearning center where the need is greatest.

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Support a Child at aLearning Center Near You


Nat “King” Cole was amember of Thomas WallerLodge No. 49, of LosAngeles, CA, being initiatedon Jan. 9, 1944. This lodgewas named for the legendaryjazz musician, “Fats”Waller,himself a Prince HallFreemason. He is picturedon a stampissued byGambia onJuly 25,1996, aspart of aset tohonor radioentertainers.

One of five siblings,Nathaniel Adams, laterknown as Nat “King” Cole,was born on March 17,1919, in Montgomery, AL.A year later the familymoved to Chicago where hisfather was a Baptist Churchpastor and Nat sang andplayed the piano there.While attending high schoolhe played piano for a bandled by his brother Eddie,and in 1921, he played in anall-black musical revue inNew York city. Heorganized his Nat KingCole Trio in 1938. Helaunched his career as asinger in 1943, appeared inseven motion pictures, andwas a guest on manytelevision shows. He died ofcancer on Feb. 25, 1967, andis buried in Forest LawnMemorial Park in Glendale,CA.

��

Gottleid Eliel Saarinenwas born Aug. 20, 1873, inRantasalmi, Finland. From1896-1905, he worked as apartner in the firmGesellius, Lindgren andSaarinen. His first majorwork with the firm, theFinnish pavilion at theWorld’s Fair of 1900,exhibited an extraordinaryconvergence of stylisticinfluences and christenedthe Finnish NationalRomanticism. He moved tothe U.S. in 1923 after hisnoted competition entry forthe Tribune Tower inChicago; although it onlyplaced second and was notbuilt in that city, it was builtlater as the 1929 GulfBuilding in Houston, TX.He first settled in Evanston,IL, and in 1924, became avisiting professor at theUniversity of Michigan. Hebecame president of theCranbrook Academy of Artin 1932 and then a professorin the University ofMichigan’s ArchitectureDepartment. He died July 1,1950 in Bloomfield Hills,MI.

Bro. Eliel Saarinen wasinitiated into Suomi LodgeNo. 1, on Jan. 17, 1923. Heis pictured on a stamp issued

by Finland on Aug. 20,1973, to commemorate thecentenary of his birth.

��Samuel LanghorneClemens, better known asMark Twain, is pictured ona stamp issued by Dominicaon April 17, 1986, as part ofa set to note Halley’s Comet.

Bro. Clemens always claimedthat as he came in withHalley’s Comet, he wouldalso exit with it — a claimwhich turned out to be true.He was initiated in PolarStar Lodge No. 79, St. Louis,MO, on May 22, 1861.

Born Nov. 30, 1835 inFlorida, MO, he movedwith his family at the age offour to Hannibal on thebanks of the MississippiRiver. He adoptedthe pseudonym ofMark Twain whileworking as anewspaper reporter.“Mark Twain”means“two fathoms deep”— the minimum depthrequired for a riverboat’s safepassage. He died on April21, 1910.

��Philip Kermode wasborn March 21, 1855, on theIsle of Man. He attendedKing William’s College andwas admitted to the ManxBar in 1878 at the age of 23.His legal labors continuedthroughout most of his lifeand he was clerk to thejustices at Ramsey until hebecame curator of the ManxMuseum. He founded theIsle of Man Natural Historyand Antiquarian Society in

1879 and died in 1932.Philip Kermode is picturedon an Isle of Man stampissued on Feb. 27, 1979, aspart of the set honoring thecentenary of the NaturalHistory and AntiquarianSociety. Bro. PhilipKermode was a member ofthe “St. Maughold Lodge”No. 1075, located inDouglas, Isle of Man.

��Reginald JosephMitchell is pictured on alabel which is an integralpart of a booklet issued byGreat Britain. On May 13,1921, he was raised to thedegree of Master Mason inJasper Lodge No. 3934, atHanley, Stoke-on-Trent. In1931 he joined the Lodge ofConcord No. 4910.

Born May 20, 1895, inNewcastle-under-Lyme, hemoved to Southampton in1917, joining the Super-marine Company whichbuilt seaplanes. By 1920, hewas chief designer.WhenVickers bought Supermarinein 1928, they insistedMitchell remain as designer.In 1931, his SB6 won theSchneider Trophy and set aworld speed record of 407miles per hour. As a resulthe was decorated a CBE[Commander of the BritishEmpire] in 1932. He diedJune 11, 1937, in Portswood,Southampton.

By ROBERT A. DOMINGUE


The Lost Symbolby Dan Brown. Published in 2009 by

Doubleday a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

No book has probably been more anticipated by thegeneral public before publication than has this book

and certainly none by the Freemasons. Masonicorganizations and Freemasons individually have been

preparing for months to issue aresponse including bothMasonic scholars andnon-scholars. And do youknow what, my Brothers; noresponse is required either insupport of or defense against,for it needs neither oursupport nor our defense.

Dan Brown is not aFreemason and thereforehas no commitment to the

Masonic fraternity. During pressinterviews, however, and in the book itself, he has beenvery positive in his appraisal of the craft and what itstands for. He reminds me of another author whodiscovered Freemasonry while researching an unrelatedsubject; John Robinson. John was a precursor to many ofthe authors writing on Freemasonry today and even asmany Masonic scholars took offense to John’s writings atthat time, so too have Masonic scholars taken offense to

Brown's writings. Nonetheless, Robinson became apositive force for the craft even as has Dan Brown.

I bought the book on the morning of its release, leftthe next day for the Grand Orient of Italy and GrandLodge of Turkey and read it while traveling. A nicequality about Dan Brown's writing is that I do not haveto force myself to read and as a result I completed itbefore my return trip.

As with his previous books, Brown weaves a tale ofintrigue which leads through a labyrinth of what isreferred to as Masonic secrets and hidden history. MasterMasons should readily recognize the goal that Langdonseeks and Scottish Rite Freemasons may recognize thetheme of “Ordo ab Chao,” order out of chaos.

He resurrects the Harvard symbologist, RobertLangdon from The Da Vinci Code as the prime subject inthis novel. A major difference between the two novels isthat Freemasonry was a bit player in The Da Vinci Codewhereas it is a prime player in The Lost Symbol. It is setin Washington, DC, and utilizes the Masonic fraternityaround which Brown weaves a fascinating tale ofintrigue.

My greatest concern prior to the release of The LostSymbol since it was to involve Freemasonry and becentered in the city of Washington, DC, was that Brownwould utilize the myths that have been perpetuated byboth Masons and non-Masons concerning the layout ofthe city using Masonic symbols thereby giving themgreater exposure. I was very pleasantly surprised that hedid not buy into any of it.

Although it is a novel, it perhaps approaches moreclosely the philosophical essence and esoterictemperament of the craft than even the majority of ourmembers will comprehend. I found it to be compellingreading and would expect it to be a stimulus to youngmen outside of the craft who are searching for more thansociety currently provides. Hopefully our leadership willgrasp this opportunity to improve the quality of the craft.

The Genesis of Freemasonryby David Harrison. Published in 2009 by Lewis Masonic,

an imprint of Ian Allen publishing Ltd, Hersham, Surrey KT

12 4RG, England. $31.95.

The title implies that this is a book written about theorigin of Freemasonry. It also involves, however, the

development of Freemasonry, specifically in England. Itfocuses on the transition from the operative to thespeculative along with the alteration of the original

Reviewed by Thomas W. Jackson, 33°


philosophy and practice of the craft with a concentrationon the development of rival Grand Lodges. It dealsconsiderably with the esoteric purpose of Freemasonry asa search for ancient knowledge. The book also provides astudy of many of the early significant leaders whocontributed to the character of the craft.

The author places much emphasis on Freemasonry’srole in the development and promotion of naturalphilosophy. This role is relevant to Freemasonry'sparticipation in the age of the Enlightenment and inproviding an environment for like-minded men to gathertogether to discuss mutual interests and nurturerelationships along with establishing business contacts.This writing reveals the significance of Freemasonrybeing an integral part of networking and establishingpatronage during the age of the Enlightenment. Thenetworking places Freemasonry as a majorparticipant along with the Royal Societyin the development of freethinking.

In this relationship Desaguliers’participation in promoting Newtonianexperimental philosophy stimulated areformation of Freemasonry. Accordingto Harrison, “Desaguliers was a leadinglight in applying Newtonianunderstanding to the world, andFreemasonry became another way ofcommunicating this understanding.”(This simple statement is perhaps arevelation of how much modern Freemasonry has lostthe intellectualism of its past.) It was through thisreformation in thinking that Masonic ritual began to“reflect the search for lost knowledge and the divinemeasurement.”

Freemasonry, according to the author, “bridged thedivide of religion, politics and education and

provided a chance for dissenters and untitled gentlemento gain an insight into accessing divine knowledge and tobe part of a society that included nobleman, members ofthe government . . . and industrial elite.” (One ofFreemasonry's greatest contributions to world society)According to Harrison, “Freemasonry was seen as asociety that could make sense of the world and providemeaning for its members from an array of diverse fields.”

The author also “expands and modifies” the work ofMargaret C. Jacob whom he implies neglected thecontributions of Jacobite and Tory Freemasons to thisnetworking. He emphasizes the contributions made bythese two segments of British society to the development

of what was to become the character of BritishFreemasonry and its contribution to civil society. Itremains significant that the lodge environment permittedfreethinking men of all political persuasions to worktogether toward a common goal by prohibiting thediscussion of politics and religion within the lodge. Healso points out that even though there are historians whotend to attribute the division in Freemasonry to politicalissues, there is no evidence to support this claim. Indeed,Masons were able to relate to and visit with the severalGrand Lodges that existed at that time. It is hiscontention that it was a feud within architecture thatdivided the ancients and moderns.

An observation that present-day Masonic leadershipmight become cognizant of is “the importance of

the ritual which was central to the history ofFreemasonry and held the true meaning of the craft” and

“was the essential feature of Freemasonry.”This book presents a good analysis of the

motivations for the creation of the Grand Lodgein 1717. It also presents a good analysis of theschisms that occurred, resulting in the creation ofdifferent Grand Lodges. It discusses the infusionof multiple disciplines into the structure ofFreemasonry including its esoteric aspects, magicalimagery, astrology, symbolism and numerology. Italso, however, points out the scientific symbolismthat is more evident in today’s Freemasonry alongwith the cult of architecture. He explores the questfor learning with its concentration on architecture as

an attractive force to artists, poets, writers and politicians“representing an intellectual pathway in the search forhidden knowledge.”

This is an easy book to recommend because of itsin-depth and probably fair analysis of what led to thedevelopment of modern-day Freemasonry. His criticismsof past Masonic writers and historians perhaps arejustified, and they did lay the foundation for his writing.I might question his impartiality when he states thatbecause more documentary evidence exists for earlyFreemasonry in Scotland than in England that it may bethe reason for “fringe writers” to place the origins ofMasonry in that part of the United Kingdom. (It wouldbe difficult to place the label of “fringe writer” on somewho make that claim) I also might question his commentthat “Thomas Jefferson was also linked to Freemasonry.”This was indeed, a very weak link. A considerableamount of good information is to be found in this book.


Lower Alzheimer's riskA project by Columbia Universityanalyzed studies of healthy seniors inNew York. Their goal was to identifynutrients and dietary patterns relatedto Alzheimer's disease risk.Those who ate more cruciferous and

green-leafy vegetables, tomatoes, nutsand fish, but less meat and high-fatdairy products had a lower risk.Omega-3, omega-6, folate and

vitamin E in the dietary pattern werefound to decrease Alzheimer's risk.Saturated fat and vitamin B12increased risk.Doctors, however, say B12 might

have raised risk because it's found inmeat, and those eating more meatmight also be getting a lot ofsaturated fat.

Apples protect brainAn apple a day may keep the doctoraway, but drinking apple juice cankeep your brain sharp as you age.Researchers at the University of

Massachusetts-Lowell say drinkingapple juice increases the production ofan essential neurotransmitter in thebrain. It permits communicationbetween nerve cells.Doctors at Tufts University say

maintaining strong communicationbetween cells is essential for thehealth of the brain as well as thebody.

Questioning benefit ofvertebra cementingThousands of people have had surgeryto repair fractured bones in the spine.Now, researchers have found nodetectable benefit when these patientswere compared with others who

didn't have it. The studies werefunded by the National Institutes ofScience.The surgery is usually performed by

a radiologist who injects bone cementdirectly into a fractured bone, aprocedure covered by Medicare.The American Association of

Radiologists disputes the finding,saying study subjects were not peoplewith serious conditions who would bemost likely to be helped by theoperation.

A little exercise helpsthe heartFor men in the Physicians HealthStudy, a little weight loss or a littleexercise significantly reduced theirheart failure risk.Their average age was 53. Losing a

few pounds and exercising just one tothree times a month made surprisingdifferences.Men who were lean but never

exercised increased heart failure risk by19 percent. If they were overweight

and never exercised, their heart failurerisk was 78 percent higher.For those who were overweight but

did exercise, the heart failure risk was49 percent higher than it was for alean man who exercised vigorously justone to three times a month.

Get your vitamin DanywayIn winter, getting your quota ofvitamin D by exposing your skin tosunlight for 15-20 minutes a day isdifficult. Studies show people havelower levels of D in cold months.A supplement could be the answer.

For those up to age 50, 200 IU isrecommended, and for those age 51to 70, 400 IU is recommended.New studies at the University of

Cambridge show that D is importantfor mental health. Vitamin D is wellknown for its role in bone health.

Dialysis treatmentThe standard dialysis treatment forkidney failure covered by Medicare isthree treatments of four hours eachper week.With this treatment, only a quarter

of patients age 18-54 are well enoughto go to work or school. Medicarecovers all patients who are on dialysis.In 2006, 20.1 percent of dialysis

patients in the United States died,twice as many as died in Japan.According to the National Institute ofDiabetes and Kidney Diseases, dialysispatients are hospitalized six times asoften as other Medicare patients.Many doctors feel patients should

receive dialysis more frequently, andany who want to take the treatmentat home should have dialysismachines.

“And I can do the procedureright here in my office.”


ADVANCING THE CAUSE (continued from page 11)

initiated a contract for online seminars. Trainers can offerseminars from their home centers, and tutors can tune inonline. Technology has also helped cut down on travelcosts for tutor observations; supervisors perform moreobservations locally, and trainers use video to observelessons and provide emailed feedback to save further ontravel costs. Trainer pay and invoicing structure have alsobeen streamlined, and the four trainers have collaboratedunder Carin’s leadership to create a workable, efficient,and clinically sound new model for Advanced LanguageTraining.

Our relationship with Aurora University in Illinoisallowed us to offer graduate credit for the course to anyparticipant, as a partly online course. We were able tolobby successfully for our new course structure to getspecial approval from the director of the university’sCollaborating Academic Partnership program.

Change is never easy, and the transitions in advancedtraining are no exception. Our tutors and trainers havestepped up the task at hand: preserving the enormousclinical benefits of advanced training, and doing soaffordably.

Besides lowering costs, the new structure of advancedtraining comes with several advantages for participants:rather than training on Saturdays and Sundays, thewebinars are offered on Saturdaysonly, so they’re slightly lessexhausting. Rather than having totravel, tutors can participate in theseminars from home or from theirlocal learning center. If a tutor has aconflict with a training date, she canwatch the recorded webinar later, ather convenience. Rather than havingseveral models of advanced trainingthroughout our 15 states, all of ourtutors receive the same high-qualityseminar content as well as localmentorship and supervision, all fromcredentialed, accomplished andexperienced trainers.

Thus far, feedback from ourcurrent advanced trainees has beenoverwhelmingly positive.

∗ ∗ ∗In preparation for this article, we

asked our center directors, advancedcertified tutors and current advancedscholars to tell us why advancedtraining mattered to them. Did itbring raises at the center or at

school? Was the university credit we offer importanttoward graduate degrees or promotions? Did theadditional certification benefit tutors, bring them moreprivate clients, or fulfill them?

Let’s not forget that the learning centers’ work isn’t justabout children. It is also about professionalism. The

learning centers have a tri-fold mission: we tutorchildren, train tutors, and support research in the field.Two out of three are about professionals, not necessarilyabout children, right? So isn’t the advanced training reallyabout our professional staffers, about developing theirskills, and building educational capacity in thecommunity?

Well, yes and no. What we learned from our survey isthat the advanced language training is part and parcel ofwhat we do for children. We received nearly 30 very briefcomments from participants — one sentence or less, byrequest. To a person, the respondents indicated that theadvanced training better equipped them to meetchildren’s needs. There are children, the tutors anddirectors explained, whom we could not adequately servewithout the skills and efforts of an advanced tutor.

The learning centers must keep working together toensure the viability of Advanced Language Training. Weplan to continue to “figure out advanced training” in theyears to come.

Our children are counting on it.

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

M A S O N I CWORD MATH

(DEFINITIONS) + (REMORSE) –

(TENDER) + (REACH) – (NOISE) +

(CORRIDORS) – (SOAR) +

(MOUNTAINS) – (TIME) – (COINS) +

(GET) – (MASTER) – (RING) + (LABOR)

– (BROIL) + (MONSTER) – (NUT)

=

Clue for this puzzle: A motto, that appears on page 10.Answer from previous issue: SYMBOLISM

NL

“ . ”


1970-2010Excerpts from

The Northern LightSelected views from the past may not necessari ly represent today’s v iewpoint .

FOREWORDby George A. Newbury, 33°

Freemasons traditionally have faced the East and the risingsun, emblematic of the attitudes of those who build. Proud ofyesterday’s achievements, the true builder ever has seen aneven greater tomorrow. However grand and imposing mayhave been the structure just completed, he has envisioned aneven greater and more imposing one that he would starttoday.

So it was with the skilled craftsmen whobuilt the great cathedrals of Europe in theMiddle Ages and who founded ourMasonic Order. So it was with those whoconceived and organized the GrandLodge of England in 1717, marking thebeginning of Symbolic Freemasonry aswe know it today. So it was with thosewho established the Scottish Rite inCharleston. S. C., in 1801 and set up our NorthernSupreme Council in 1813. True builders, they saw the pastonly as an inspiration for a more glorious future.

So it must be with us if Freemasonry is to continue tospread its beneficent influence wider and wider over theearth leading men to a realization of that Brotherhood whichalone can save humanity from the depths of depravity andeven possibly its self-destruction. As a builder we look to thepast for inspiration. but to the future the East and the risingsun-for opportunity.

It is these thoughts that have prompted your SupremeCouncil to start tbe publication of this periodical. Weenvision it as a most useful working tool in continuing thebuilding of Freemasonry. There are many ways in which itcan be of indispensable service — as a news mediumbringing you information of Masonic happenings, many of

which will hold tremendous interest for all of us — as asource of inspirational material from the pens of greatMasons of today and yesterday, much of which is notadequately circulated — as a calendar of coming events — asa means of stirring the initiative of present and future officersof Masonic bodies in developing more meaningful programsfor their members. As time goes on and we gain moreexperience, it is our hope and belief that we can make it evermore useful and attractive to you and your families.

The Editor Speaks byGeorge E.Burrow, 33°What a lift the word “new” can give us — a new year, a

new home, a new friend and Brother, a new project.We have all these things — 1970; Lexington, MA; Bro.

Richard “Dick” Curtis, 32°, and our magazine, The NorthernLight.

A great thrill comes to us as we realize that we have liftedour sights, are changing our ways, and have a hand inplanning something new.

Our Heavenly Father created man and endowed him withintellect so that he could appreciate the finer things of lifeand with ability to make articles and products that would beof benefit and service to all mankind. He gave to each of usthe qualities of love, understanding, sympathy, empathy,laughter, a sense of humor, the desire and ability to be ofservice to our fellows and Brothers.

It is with these latter thoughts uppermost in our mindthat we embark upon this project of editing The NorthernLight and pledge to each of you, our Scottish Rite Brothers,the very best of our abilities in bringing you the bestpublication possible, one in which you can take justifiablepride.

To mark the 40th anniversary ofTheNorthern Light we look back tothoughts and opinions from different eras of the magazine. This issue weexamine its birth and we peruse other offerings from its f irst decade.

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love.It is the prerogative of the brave.

— Mohandas Gandhi

On no account brood over your wrong-doing. Rolling in the muck is not the bestway of getting clean.

— Aldous Huxley

If you pursue money and affluence to theexclusion of the values in life, you havelost, not won.

— Jim Rohn

People who consider themselves victimsof circumstances, will always remainvictims unless they develop a greatervision for their lives.

— Stedman Graham

This is the time when we must firmlychoose the course we will follow, orthe relentless drift of events will make thedecision for us.

— Herbert Prochnow

Here is a test to determine whether yourmission on earth is finished: If you’realive, it isn’t.

— Richard Bach

One of the greatest discoveries peoplemake is to find they can do what theywere afraid they couldn’t do.

— Henry Ford

There are only two options regardingcommitment; you’re either in or you’reout. There’s no such thing as life inbetween.

— Pat Riley

Opportunities are like sunrises. If you waittoo long, you miss them.

— William Arthur Ward

Treat all disasters as if they weretrivialities but never treat a triviality as if itwere a disaster.

— Quentin Crisp


QUOTABLESGourgas Medal Presented to President Ford

IS ITTIMETO REST? by Stanley F.Maxwell, 33°

Not long ago, I was talking withseveral members in one of ourValleys. They were recounting theiryears of service to our fraternity. Iknow how hard these men haveworked. They have done a fine job.Finally, one of them said, “I think itis time to let someone else take over.I’d like to have a little rest.”

We all understand the feelings ofour Brother. After putting in timeand effort over the years, it seemsonly right to take it easy for awhile.

Unfortunately, that is one of theproblems with the world today. Toomany of us have come to theconclusion that other people shoulddo what needs to be done.

As human beings, we are built insuch a way that there is nostopping-point for any of us. Wefulfill our destiny by always pressingforward. When we reach the top ofone mountain, we discover there arehigher peaks to climb.

“Sad is the day for any man when

he becomes absolutely satisfied withthe life he is living; when thereceases to be a desire to dosomethinglarger, which hefeels and knowshe was meantand intendedto do.”

Thesepenetratingwords by theReverend Dr.Phillips Brooks express themeaning and message ofFreemasonry. The desire to improveoneself and to make ourcommunities better places to livecomes from our great Masonicheritage.

Being a Mason means we cannever be satisfied with where we areat the present moment. You and I, asMasons, have made a lifelongcommitment to the improvement ofourselves and the world.

President Gerald R. Ford, 33°, isthe 16th recipient of the GourgasMedal, the highest honor given bythe Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.

This medal, established in 1938,is awarded in recognitionof notably distinguishedservice in the cause ofFreemasonry, humanity,or country.

Sovereign GrandCommander George A.Newbury made thepresentation to Ill. Bro.Ford in a specialceremony at the WhiteHouse at the time of the GrandMasters Conference in February. Inattendance at the ceremony were 25Active Members of the SupremeCouncil.

“I count this as one of thegreatest honors I have ever

received,” President Ford responded.“My father, my brothers, and myselfhave always thought highly ofFreemasonry. Our induction intoMalta Lodge was the highlight of

my Dad’s life . . . I’ll treasurethis medal forever. I amhighly honored to beincluded in the groupthat numbers men likePresident Harry Truman,Gen. Mark Clark, andothers . . . I’m proud to bein this company.”

Earlier in the day,President Ford attended ameeting of the George

Washington Masonic NationalMemorial Association inAlexandria, VA, at which time abronze memorial medallionrecognizing him as the 14thMasonic President was unveiled.


Some video gamesare good formental healthThe idea began when a seriouslydepressed person found she wasrelieved by playing a video gamecalled Bejewled. She toldmanufacturer PopCap Games, and alater study showed that the gameimproved mood and heart rhythm.Further studies are in progress,

according to the Annual Review ofCybertherapy and Telemedicine.Psychologists at East CarolinaUniversity say certain games let peoplefall into a rhythm where they can playwithout effort or boredom. It isimportant for people who are stressedor depressed.

Catalogs: Stylingthe homeIt's about romancing a room. Whenretailers or manufacturers want toshow their products in the best light,their photographers enhance the roomwith flowers, fresh fruit, throws, andspots of color in accessories such aspillows and collectibles.At Ethan Allen Global, experts say

there is a big difference between a

room full of stuff and a room thatmakes life better. Paying closerattention to photos in magazines andcatalogs can help you identify a stylethat's in your comfort zone and bringgreat decorating ideas.

Skip the screen saver;let your PC sleepBecause electricity is relatively cheap,junking an older PC because it usesmore juice doesn't make economicsense.You could save up to $100 a year by

letting it sleep when it's not in use,according to SmallBiz.Screen savers waste energy. Those

pretty designs and animations takequite a bit of processing power, andthat requires electricity.When a PC is asleep, your work is in

its memory, but the hard drive hasstopped spinning. The display is dark,and the microprocessor is idle. Poweruse drops sharply.A desktop system uses about 60

watts of power fully awake, butconsumes just three watts when it'sasleep, according to the LawrenceBerkeley National Laboratory.

How much savings isyour time worth?There's a story circulating about a manwho wanted a certain size of televisionset with a flat screen and otherfeatures. Because it would beexpensive, he spent a lot of timecomparing brands and prices on theInternet.

He visited half a dozen storessearching for the right model, thenwent back again and checked thesame sets on the Internet. Finally, hefound just what he wanted for$3,000.At that point, he did two things. He

decided he didn't want to spend thatmuch, and adding up his time, hediscovered he had spent theequivalent of an entire work week onthe project. It's an extreme case, butplenty of people spend too much timeshopping. Others drive miles down theroad to save a couple of dollars ongas. Still others spend valuable timestudying the food ads and clippingcoupons that will save them 25 centsat the grocery store. But they thinklittle of spending money for anexpensive restaurant meal.Michael J. Silverstein, author of

Treasure Hunt: Inside the Mind of theNew Consumer, suggests keeping arecord of the amount of time youspend shopping.Quoted in Money magazine,

Silverstein said if you put 40 hoursinto studying a purchase that nettedyou a $200 savings, you have to askyourself if your time is worth morethan $5 an hour.

Walk-talk dangerWalking along the street while talkingon a cellphone is dangerous. Onestudy by Ohio State University showedthat 48 percent of cellphone userscrossed the street in front ofapproaching cars. The study showedthat cellphone talkers of all ages wereunable to be aware of theirsurroundings at the same time.

Life expectancy is atan all-time highU.S. life expectancy has risen to a newhigh. It now stands at nearly 78 years,according to the National Center forHealth Statistics. That's three monthshigher that it was in 2008.The increase is due to falling rates in

almost all the leading causes of death.Life expectancy in the United States

has grown nearly one and a half yearsin the past decade.The United States continues to lag

behind 30 other countries in estimatedlife span.

“I can live with you not wanting topush the envelope, but your refusal

to think outside the box . . .”


In the front of an 1859 edition of Thomas Smith Webb'sThe Freemason's Monitor in the collection of the National

Heritage Museum’s Van Gorden-Williams Library andArchives, there are some interesting ownership marks thatreveal evidence of a Union soldier who owned this bookduring the American Civil War.

The book once belonged to Hartwell L. Lattime ofNewburyport, MA. As you can see in the photo here, he haswritten "Roanoke Island, Dec 13, 1862" on the inside coverand drawn the Masonic square and compasses with a G set init, below that. On the opposite page he has written his nameand hometown.

A little research reveals that Hartwell Lattime enlisted as aprivate on Aug. 24, 1862, at the age of 22. He belonged toCompany A of the Massachusetts 8th Infantry Regiment.According to a history of this unit, Companies A and C ofthe 8th Regiment detached from the regiment and werestationed at Roanoke Island, N.C, Dec. 4, 1862 to July 12,1863.

The Battle of Roanoke Island was fought on Feb. 7-8,1862, ten months before Lattime arrived. The Union Army,after winning the battle of Roanoke Island, quickly occupiedthe island. Hartwell served with the Massachusetts 8thInfantry Regiment until Aug. 7, 1863, when he and the restof the regiment mustered out after having been ordered homeon July 26, 1863.

By looking at all of the evidence above, we can concludethat it appears that just a week after his arrival at RoanokeIsland, Lattime wrote the date, his location, his name, and hishometown in the book. But when did Lattime become aMason?

According to the records at the Grand Lodge of Masonsin Massachusetts, Lattime was raised and became a memberof St. John's Lodge in Newburyport on Nov. 6, 1862. At atime when there was usually a one-month delay betweenreceiving each of the three degrees, Lattime received all threedegrees in one day. By looking at the history of the regimentthat Lattime belonged to, we can see that he became a Masonwhile still in Massachusetts, stationed at Camp Lander inWenham, MA, just a few months after enlisting, and just acouple of weeks before the 8th Regiment boarded thesteamship Mississippi in Boston on Nov. 25, 1862, to headdown to Morehead, NC. While we don't know for sure, it'spossible that Lattime became a Freemason on a visit homewhile his company was stationed at Camp Lander where the8th Regiment was stationed from September until lateNovember, 1862.

Naturally, there is much more that could be exploredabout Lattime's time while on Roanoke Island if further

research were conducted. Seeking out possible regimentalhistories or diaries of other soldiers stationed on RoanokeIsland at the same time as Lattime would go a long way inpulling the thread that started with just a few notations that aUnion soldier wrote in the front of a book one day in 1862.

As it turns out, the history of Roanoke Island after thebattle in February becomes quite compelling. Lattime's timeon Roanoke Island overlaps with the beginning of aninteresting community that was established on the island:

"During the first few months of the Union occupation ofRoanoke Island, over 250 former slaves settled in a campclose to Union headquarters. By the end of the year [i.e.December 1862], the number had grown to 1,000. Most ofthe former slaves had escaped to the island from the NorthCarolina mainland; many were strangers to each other.Nevertheless, they set about to establish a thrivingcommunity, including their own school and several churches."

The quote above is from Patricia C. Click's website about the RoanokeIsland Freedmen's Colony (roanokefreedmenscolony.com), where you can goto find more information about this interesting period in the history ofRoanoke Island and the Civil War.

If you're looking or more information about Civil War regiments andsoldiers, a good place to start online is the National Park Service's Civil WarSoldiers & Sailors System (civilwar.nps.gov/cwss).

This article was originally published on the National Heritage Museum’sblog. Just visit nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com, where you can readmore about other fascinating objects from the National Heritage Museum’scollection.

The Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives is open to thepublic Tuesday-Friday, 10-4:30, and the first and third Saturdayof each month. Reference assistance is provided in person, byphone, or by email. You may contact us at 781-457-4109 [email protected].

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

A Union Soldier’s Masonic Book

Thomas Smith Webb. The Freemason's Monitor:or, Illustrations of Masonry. Boston: Abner W.

Pollard; Brown, Taggard & Chase; Geo. C. Rand &Avery [printer], 1859. Gift of the Lattime Family of

Newburyport, MA, and West Port, NY.


Flute Magic

I just finished reading C. DeForrest Trexler’s article on Mozart’sMagic Flute (TNL, Nov. 2009).

In 1995, I was in the final stages of completing my doctoratein choral conducting at Michigan State University and chose,for my final project, to research and write on the Masonic choralmusic of Mozart. Interestingly, I spent considerable timeresearching The Magic Flute.

Your author has made some wonderful Masonic connectionsto the piece. He dwells on the story line and makes logicalconnections to Masonry through the libretto and the drama. Itwas not only as Mr. Trexler expressed but also the musicalelements of the overture that I found fascinating. This logicallyled me to explore the musical elements of all Mozart’s Masonicworks that he composed specifically for his lodge.

Please thank Mr. Trexler for me as it has been many yearssince my completion of the degree and, because of him, I re-readmy dissertation for the first time in a long time. It brought backsome wonderful memories and scholarship that I still findintriguing.

Robert C. Oster, 32˚Valley of Grand Rapids

Repointing RevisitedI was drawn to the article “Repointing Scottish Rite Masonry(TNL, Nov. 2009). If one is to undertake such a critical task, thenthere may be several key elements to consider.

1. Goals. We can articulate those that Scottish Rite Masonryis pursuing. Do we have, as Jim Collins would say, “the rightpeople on the bus and in the right seats?”

2. Environmental scan. Peter Drucker wrote about the“Theory of the Business” in the Harvard Business Review. Hesaid that every organization has to understand the environmentin which it operates.

3. Mission. Why do we exist? Is it consistent with the scan? Ifnot, we may fail.

4. Vision. What do we aspire to become?5. Core competencies. What are we really good at?

The Scottish Rite has a lot to be proud of and clearlyaccomplishes great things. It is needed in this world, perhapsmore than ever, but how well does the public at large understandwhat we do?

Richard R. Young, 32˚Valley of Rochester

TNL in Afghanistan

I enjoy The Northern Light very much. The articles aremodern and in touch without losing the connection to ourfraternal past. I look forward to receiving it while I am deployedto Afghanistan this year. I also hope to get some pictures ofmyself and fellow Vermont Freemasons while deployed and sendthem on to you.

Matthew Reed, 32˚Valley of Montpelier

masonicmoments

Please submit your own Masonicphotos to The Northern Light. Weare accepting submissions of allthings Masonic — people, placesor occurrences, to share withour readership.You may send your photo [email protected], ormail your submission to: TheNorthern Light, PO Box 519,Lexington, MA 02420-0519.Include your name, address andMasonic affiliation. Photos willnot be returned.

One late night in Singapore,Donald J. Baumgarten, 32°,spotted a building with aplethora of Square andCompasses.“When I later returned to

snap the photo, I discoveredit was a Masonic Club wherevarious lodges meet andentertain.”


et cetera, et cetera,etc.Prince HallMonumentCambridge, MA, was the site of aMasonic recognition in September bya group formed to educate the publicabout an early Mason and civil rightsleader. Tribute was paid to PrinceHall through the dedication of amemorial to this man who began lifeas an indentured servant, was givenhis freedom a few months before theBoston Massacre, and went on tobecome an ardent abolitionist. Hallalso established African Lodge No. 1in 1776, the first Masonic lodge forblacks in America.The Friends of Prince Hall

Memorial Fund Committee held thededication ceremony on CambridgeCommon, not far from the spotGeneral and Bro. George Washingtontook command of the ContinentalArmy. According to The Boston Globethe artist who created the memorial,Ted Clausen, did not know of Hallwhen he began work on the project.The more he learned, the more heasked himself, “Why don’t I knowmore about him?”The monument features excerpts

from speeches Prince Hall deliveredto the Massachusetts legislature.

Museum HostsSymposiumThe National Heritage Museum ishosting a symposium called “NewPerspectives on AmericanFreemasonry and Fraternalism” at itslocation on the grounds of SupremeCouncil headquarters in Lexington,MA. It intends, according to museumstaffers, to seek to highlight thenewest research on American fraternalgroups from the past through to thepresent. As the 20th century began,more than 250 fraternal groupsexisted in America, boasting more

than six million members. Openingthe day is keynote speaker JessicaHarland-Jacobs, associate professor ofhistory at the University of Florida.She is also author of Builders ofEmpire: Freemasonry and BritishImperialism. Her paper assesses thescholarship on AmericanFreemasonry and fraternalism.Other speakers include Damien

Amblard, a doctoral student from theUniversity of New York; Hannah, M.Lane, assistant professor at MountAllison University; Nicholas Bell,curator of the Renwick Gallery of theSmithsonian American Art Museum;David Bjelajac, professor of art historyat George Washington University;Ami Pflugrad-Jackisch, assistantprofessor of history with theUniversity of Michigan, and KristoferAllerfeldt from Exeter University. Theregistration fee is $50 and thedeadline is March 24. For moreinformation, contact Claudia Rocheat [email protected].

GW MemorialCentennialOur Brothers at the GeorgeWashington Masonic NationalMemorial Association sent along anews release concerning theirorganization’s centennial celebration.In February 1910, on Washington’sbirthday, Masonic leaders from allover America met in Alexandria, VA,and formed the association whosepurpose was to build a memorial toour first president. The result, ofcourse, is the George WashingtonMemorial in that city.Exactly 100 years later the nation’s

Masonic leaders once again convenein the vicinity — this time in nearbyArlington — as the Conference ofGrand Masters of North America

meet. The delegates will also attendthe anniversary celebration.At the meeting a new portrait of

George Washington as a Freemasonwill be unveiled. Prints of theportrait, painted by local artist,Christopher Erney, will be available.Also taking part in the celebration

is the International Order ofDeMolay, which will re-dedicate thebronze statue of Washington inMemorial Hall. The date marks the60th anniversary of the statue’sunveiling by president and pastGrand Master, Harry S. Truman.

Canton BoundWe received word from the MasonicService Association that Ralph C.Wilson Jr., a 33° Mason from Detroit,has been inducted into the ProFootball Hall of Fame.Bro. Wilson was born in

Columbus, OH, and grew up inDetroit. A member of KilwinningLodge No. 297, in Detroit, he hasbeen a Mason for 60 years. In 1948,he received the 33° in the NorthernMasonic Jurisdiction.Bro. Wilson is a founding member

of the American Football League andowner of the Buffalo Bills. He alsoserved as league president. Theleague later became part of theNFL. A heartycongratulationsgoes to Bro.Ralph Wilson.

Alan E. Foulds, 32°editor

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

going my way?When was the last time you were at a Valley meeting?

When was the last time you sawyour Brothers and friends?

When was the last time youwere inspired?

Now is the time to getinvolved, enjoy yourself,and make a difference.

Call your local Valley for details or visit usat ScottishRiteOnline.org for meeting dates.

BrotherhoodMaking the world a better place — one man at a time.

Supreme Council, 33°Ancient Accepted Scottish RiteNorthern Masonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

ScottishRiteOnline.org

Documents

TNL-February2010