PHL-FE98.HTM

This file is copyright (c) 1998 The Philalethes Society and all rights including any redistribution rights are reserved by the copyright holder. Permission to quote from, redistribute or to otherwise use these materials must be obtained from the copyright holder directly by contacting The Philalethes, Nelson King, FPS, Editor, 2 Knockbolt Crescent, Agincourt Ontario Canada, M1S 2P6. Tel: 416-293-8071 Fax: 416-293-8634 or nking@freemasonry.org or nking@onramp.ca

Contents

2 The President's Corner

by Royal C. Scofield, FPS

2 To The Church

by Alan Terry

4 From the Editor's Desk

by Nelson King, FPS

4 As I See It From Here

by K. W. Aldridge

6 Paramuthians In Congress:

Five Masons Who Made A Difference

by Ivan M. Tribe, MPS

9 This Is What Masonry Is All About?

by Pete Martinez, MPS

10 Knights Templar and the Crusades - Part ll

by William E Parker, MPS

15 Houdini- Master of Illusion

by William E. Parker, MPS

19 No Due Guard! He Can't Be A Mason. . .Can He??

by Nelson King, FPS

21 Through Masonic Windows

by Kenneth D. Roberts, MPS

ON THE COVER

This months cover is a reproduction of a mural that is located behind the Master's chair in Algabil-Freedom Lodge 636 A.F. & A.M. in St. Louis, Missouri. Brother Langeneckert, a Mason and professional artist, painted this illustration of Freemasonry over a three month period for the brethren of this lodge.

Our thanks to Brother Phil Elam who sent us the photo and information explaining this tribute to the Fraternity.

The Philalethes, February 1998

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The President's Corner

by Royal C. Scofield, FPS

With the 1998 Annual Meeting my two-year term as President comes to an end. It has been a great honor to serve as the leader of our International Society. Working with the Officers has been a real pleasure and our visits to several Chapters, two in Canada, added much to these two years.

The Semi-Annual meetings held in Minneapolis and San Diego were both outstanding. Our Annual gathering in 1997 was one of distinction. Many hours of work went into each of these and we thank those who made them possible. Each of these meetings has added praiseworthy information to our history.

This year saw the loss of our Executive Secretary, Allen E. Roberts, who did so much over the years for our Society. It was a great loss and we do miss him.

We extend our thanks to the Officers and two Past Presidents, Rev. Forrest Haggard and Prof. Wallace McLeod for their help during the transition period. Our thanks also to Brother Kenneth Roberts who came on board to keep the daily work of the Society flowing smoothly.

Again this year the speaker for our Annual Feast will be a prominent Master Mason in the person of R. W. Brother Thomas W. Jackson, the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. He is a renowned speaker who will bring us new thoughts and ideas about our fraternity. His talk is entitled, "What Are We Trying To Save?" We are sure it will be a thought- provoking speech. Try to be with us for this years Feast.

We look forward to the presentation of four new Chapter Charters. One for Allen E. Roberts Chapter in Boston, one for Habonim Chapter in San Fran- cisco, one for Benjamin Franklin Chapter in Philadelphia and one for Arizona Chapter No.1 in Arizona. We welcome each of them to our growing list of Chapters for the benefit of the members of our Society.

Active Chapters are the jewels in our crown of success. We are always in need of active Chapters, so why not create a new one in your are. They increase close friendships, are interesting and are fun. Our thanks to those Chapters that have kept us informed of their activities.

Be an active participant in the Philalethes Society and help it to increase interest in Freemasonry. Alert your Masonic friends to our Bimonthly, advertising free, Masonic magazine, the Philalethes. There they can always find interesting Masonic information. Information that can help any Master Mason to have a better under- standing of our Craft.

Remember, the future or Freemasonry rests on our Masonic brethren knowing and understanding the organization to which they belong.

We will continue to be of service to the Society and to our new President, Brother Robert G. Davis.

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TO THE CHURCH

by Alan Terry

As you are deciding, Whether to allow, Masons in your church today, Please please tell me how.

How it is, can you explain, That we should cause you so much pain, Don't you know each Mason Free, Must first of all believer be.

Some members of the clergy, Are not too sure it seems, But our belief's undaunted, Untouched by earthly schemes.

To become a Mason, You've got to have a plan, To believe in Him above, And be a real good man.

We've never taught religion, Believing each man may, Within his heart, to Him impart, Each in his own way.

Discussion of religion, Is something we don't do, For if you've faith you're welcome here, Which faith is up to you.

We've tried to love our brothers, The way you said we should, Looked after one an other, And tried to do some good.

We can not understand you, In what you are about, That you should think it's up to you, To turn believers out.

A Mason is no different, Than any other man, You know that he believes like you, So let there be no ban.

Let's all join together, To give our lives to Him, If from you we must sever, It would be such a sin.

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From the Editor's Desk

I have just returned from a short visit to Cuba and I am pleased to report that Freemasonry is alive and well there. It appears that Freemasons in Cuba are well respected within their community. A quick check of Lodge listings finds that there are well over 300 Lodges working in Cuba today. It is interesting to note that Cuban Lodges have no numbers. Below you will find pictures. The large grave site with the broken column is the Familia Bravo Correoso. The other is the site for Logia Pruden- cia. The large plaque celebrates 100 years of Scottish Rite Masonry in San- tiago de Cuba. All pictures were taken in Santiago de Cuba.

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The E-M@son site on the Internet now gets on average 1000 visitors a day. Of which only 64 percent are from the USA. The Philalethes Site at http://freemasonry.org/psoc still averages 100 visitors a day.

FINALLY- our CD-ROM is in production. Titled "50 YEARS OF the philalethes" and is available for only $100.00 US postage paid. To order send a check or money order to Kenneth Roberts, PO BOX 70,1 10 Quince Ave- nue, Highland Springs, VA, USA, 23075.

Our thanks to George L. Helmer, MPS who spent 3 years of his spare time scanning the 50 years of back issues and to Harley Silver, MPS for his technical support in producing our CD.

From "MASONIC TRIVIA AND FACTS"

by Allen E. Roberts, FPS

"Time Immemorial" is used frequently in Freemasonry; what does it mean?

Other explanations are given, but briefly "Time Immemorial" can be termed as ancient, something having existed from a time one cannot remember.

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As I See It From Here

by K W. Aldridge

Whenever we have the opportunity to stand awe-inspired before a great structure that has graced some venue since time immemorial, we often forget that the material used to construct the structure in the first place was often considered rubble or stumbling blocks by the contemporaries of the period. Such a structure is Melrose Abbey in Scotland-one of the most celebrated handiworks of the early masons in Scotland. What visiting Freemasons find so captivating is the prominence of masonic markings left by the operative masons to show their pride in the structure and their part in building it. These workers were able to bring rude material from its place of discovery to the building site there to be transformed from the rough and irregular to the smooth and regular. So proud were they of their efforts that they left behind their personal identifying marks tooled into the material for future generations to view and appreciate the magnificence of the work.

Check the Material. The analogy of rude material and a postulant to the fraternity of Freemasons is one most Masons have come to know as the very foundation of the institution. There has always been an availability of rude material and it is the responsibility of the craftsman to ensure that the rude material is not flawed so that it fails either in the reshaping process or later when it becomes an integral part of the structure. Failure during the reshaping process is time consuming and a waste of valuable resources, while failure of an integral part of the structure has the potential to cause a collapse of the entire structure. Once the rude material is brought to the building site very judicious selection must be made to ensure sufficient quality, upon which to build and upon which the integrity of the structure will depend.

Times are a changing. From a perusal of Grand Lodge Proceedings of various jurisdictions there is a disturbing thread that appears to weave its way through many of them. There is a higher incidence of Masonic trials than that which may be considered normal for an institution professing to be so selective in accepting petitions. In many cases the type of activity which give rise to the trial is such that the integrity of the Masonic structure may be at stake. Murder, rape, child molestation, armed robbery, wife beating, fraud and forgery are no longer uncommon charges giving rise to Masonic trials. What has happened to our selection procedures? Have we lowered our standards or have we been looking elsewhere when we should have been scrutinizing and examining the rude material brought to our building site?

Who is checking the checker? There is no question that organizationally, we have not lowered our standards. The same may not be said for standards adopted by certain jurisdictions at the Grand Lodge level. How can we not expect some unsuitable material to find its way into our structure when we have situations where 400 or more candidates are initiated at the same time, as happened recently, and on instructions from a Grand Lodge? Who but the Almighty could possibly determine the quality in such a large quantity of rude material? Why would we even want to consider dumping unselected material into our structure-unless we are preoccupied with the moment and not the future? The reasons, and there are doubtless many reasons offered, must be due to an over-reaction to diminishing membership. The fact is that 400 petitioners do not ipso facto enhance Lodge membership. In fact, petitioning any Grand Lodge does not of itself make a petitioner a member. The right of membership must be done by the suffrages of a Lodge. It is the Lodge and the Lodge alone which will decide who will or will not be a member. There must never be external constraint on a Lodge to accept or reject individuals to Lodge membership. Anything less removes Freemasonry from a fraternity to simply another organization dictated and directed by an autocratic hierarchy. No Grand Lodge officer of any rank has the right to dictate to a Lodge who shall or shall not be a member of that Lodge, except in the case of a member currently under suspension from a regular Lodge. In such a case Grand Lodge has a right and a responsibility to ensure that the suspended member is not accepted into another Lodge until such time as the offending member is restored by the will of the Lodge from which he was suspended.

The structure is shaky but not ready to crumble. I become disturbed from time to time when I see the eroding of quality in leadership at the level of a Grand Lodge. Yet, I am well aware that a Grand Lodge can only reflect the quality of its constituent Lodges. If there is poor quality in the Lodge, poor quality at Grand Lodge level cannot be avoided. It is inescapable-quality in Lodges cannot be improved without proper scrutiny of the rude material brought to our Lodge doors. We need make no apology to anyone who would offer himself for membership. The accepted candidate will prize his membership more highly if he is aware that all his Lodge brothers have passed the quality test as he has done. An accepted candidate will have a low regard for his membership if he has not been investigated to reveal serious flaws he knows he possesses. He will assume all his Lodge brothers have equally serious character flaws. Improper screening of rude material is a serious affront to all well meaning Masons who find themselves devoting their labour to building Freemasonry. When in the course of a Mason's career he is called upon to investigate and report on the character of a potential member, he should accept this as one of the most important acts he may ever be called upon to perform for Freemasonry. He may have the future of a great builder or an unsavory ruffian on his hands. He may be furthering Freemasonry or providing opportunity for discrediting it. It may be so easy to just sign the necessary forms and vouch that the prospective candidate is well suited for Freemasonry. It may not be so easy at some future time if the investigator should find himself sitting as a witness in a Masonic trial where great discredit has been brought to a Lodge and Freemasonry from a candidate he did not investigate properly or thoroughly. He would be equal to being the perpetrator of the crime because he had the first opportunity to prevent any Masonic connection.

Guard Well the portals to Freemasonry by ensuring the inspection of rude material is performed correctly. There are no parallels between Melrose Abby and Melrose Place!

Editor's Note

This article was written by the late M.W. Bro. K.W. Aldridge before his retirement as Grand Secretary and was published in The Journal of the Grand Lodge of Quebec in its June 1996 issue.

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Paramuthians in congress:

Five Masons Who Made a Difference, 1837-1925

by Ivan M. Tribe, MPS

Residents of Southeastern Ohio have been either treated or subjected-depending on your individual viewpoint--to three hard fought contests for the area's seat in Congress in recent elections. After the relatively sedate races in the seventies and eighties, these contests have seemed rather bitter and partisan. In the broad context of history, such electoral sparring is not all that atypical, as past elections have been filled with hotly contested quests for public office. The only thing really different in the nineties is the increased size of the district and the extension of the war of words to radio and television advertising.

The following narrative looks back to an earlier era; an eighty-eight year span in which residents of Athens, Ohio held the local seat in Congress for forty of those years. Even more remarkable is the fact that for thirty-six of those years or roughly forty percent of that time, the Congressman was a member of Paramuthia Lodge, No. 25. Of six Athenians who occupied the seat, four were members of that body. In addition a fifth member of Paramuthia moved to Columbus and served a term in Congress. The two non-Masons, John Welch and Eliakim H. Moore, served but a single term each. While both of these men made their mark on the city's history, the five Masons made an even greater impact upon the development of Athens.

The first Paramuthian and also the first Athens resident to sit in the hallowed halls of Congress was Calvary Morris. He was born in Kanawha County, [West] Virginia on January 15, 1798. After marrying the daughter of pioneer Athens physician Leonard Jewett in 1818, Morris settled in Athens and rented five acres of land for a corn crop. A friendship with Brother Jacob Lindley (also spelled Lindly), the first President of Ohio University, was said to have started Morris on a brief but rewarding career as a teacher in the local school despite having a limited education himself.

In 1823, Athens County voters chose Morris as their Sheriff and gave him a second term two years later. Meanwhile, he joined Paramuthia Lodge having first been listed on the annual report dated December 27, 1822 [no reports exist for the two prior years]. At that date he was already serving as Junior Warden, and in 1825 became the lodge's seventh Worshipful Master. In 1827, Calvary Morris stood for the Ohio General Assembly and was again elected. In 1829, Morris moved up to the Ohio Senate where he spent the next six years. During this time, Morris also went into business as co-owner of a "salt works" in Dover Township. In 1835, he returned to the Ohio House and scored his greatest achievement when he secured passage of the bill to construct the Hocking Canal.

On the strength of this accomplishment, the electorate sent Morris to Congress on the Whig ticket where he served for three terms extending from March 1837 to March 1843. This coincided with the presidency of Martin VanBuren and the first half of the illfated William Henry Harrison-John Tyler administration. Morris decided not to seek a fourth term in 1842 and returned to Athens where he entered the wool growing business. He had been a trustee of Ohio University since 1825 and it was his misfortune to be serving as Chairman of the Board during part of the difficult period between 1843 and 1848 when the fledgling col lege was without a president and was temporarily closed. Perhaps for that reason, he decided to leave Athens in 1847 and resigned from the Board as well. He spent some years in mercantile pursuits in Cincinnati, but about 1853 his business failed and he returned to Athens. In 1854, he ran for Probate Judge to replace Nelson VanVorhes who had resigned without actually serving (no law degree was required in those days).Judge Morris remained in charge of the Probate Court until his death on October 13, 1871. In all, he had given some forty years of public service to his constituents in one position or another. In 1904, a local historian wrote of Brother Morris that he "filled full his measure of usefulness and honor." Although largely forgotten today, his name is perpetuated in that Athens thoroughfare known as Morris Avenue.

The second Paramuthian in Congress Nelson Holmes VanVorhes, was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania on January 23, 1822. He moved to Athens County with his family at the age of ten, settling in Alexander Township where his father-Abraham J. VanVorhes-founded the hamlet of Hebardville. Some years later, Abraham who had admiited to Paramuthia Lodge on demit in 1844, would serve as master of Hebbardsville Lodge No. 156 when it was under dispensation. In the meantime the family relocated to Athens taking over the newspaper known as The Western Spedator. Young Nelson and his brother worked as apprentice printers until their father was elected to the legislature, after which they took charge of the paper. Nelson subsequently renamed the paper TheAthens Messenger, the name it still retains. Nel son also joined Paramuthia Lodge, being raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on December 26,1846.

Young Nelson VanVorhes was first elected to the Ohio House in 1850, for the first of six terms, not consecutive. In 1853, he sought the office of secretary of state on the Whig ticket, but suffered a sound defeat. Joining the new Republican party and returning to the House, he did much better and was also chosen Speaker for the session of 1856-1858. In the latter year, he ran for Congress, but again lost. In 1860, he served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln for president. All this time, he retained the editorship of the Messenger, but relinquished it in 1861.

When the Civil War broke out, VanVorhes enlisted as a private. Chosen to be regimental Quarter Master in the 18th 0. V. I., he was promoted to lieutenant and then captain. When the 92nd 0. V. I. was organized, he was promoted to colonel and served as its commanding officer from September 7, 1862 until March 22,1863 when ill health led to his resignation from the service. During this time, he took an African-American youth from Albany named Milton Holland with him as a servant. Later, when this young man himself was permitted to enlist, he distinguished himself by becoming one of the first blacks to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

When VanVorhes came back to Athens, he entered the hardware business, but in 1868, he returned to the General Assembly, serving again as Speaker of the House. By this time, Athens had flourishing York Rite bodies and Nel son VanVorhes was active in Athens Commandery No. 15, serving as Commander in 1874-75. In November 1874, he was elected to Congress and was re-elected to a second term in 1876. This coincided with the final two years of Grant's administration and the first two years of the Hayes Presidency. He sought a third term in 1878, but lost the race to Adoniram J. Warner of Marietta. Returning to Athens in 1879, VanVorhes found himself in declining health and passed away on December 4, 1882 at the age of sixty. He also had a street named after him.

Before the star of Nelson VanVorhes had set, that of Charles Henry Grosvenor had begun to rise. A native of Pomfret, Connecticut, Grosvenor was born on September 20,1833. The family moved to Ohio in 1838, where young Charles grew up, taught school in Athens County, studied law, joined a Masonic Lodge-probably Amesville No. 278-and passed his bar examinations in 1857. Moving into the town of Athens, Grosvenor applied for admission to Paramuthia Lodge in February 1858, and was admitted on June 22, 1858.

Continuing his law practice until the War of the Rebellion began, Grosvenor helped organize and enlisted in the 18 O.V.I. onJuly 30,1861. He served in this regiment until his discharge on October 9,1865. Initially elected a Major and second in Command of the regiment to Colonel Timothy Stanley, Grosvenor was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on March 16,1863, and to full Colonel on April 8,1865. He had already been breveted a Brigadier General on March 13,1865, and in charge of the regiment from November 9, 1864, when Stanley retired. Having been in such major battles as Stone's River, Chickamauga, and Nashville as part of the Army of the Cumberland, Grosvenor returned to Athens a full fledged war hero with his reputation made. He did not seek public office, however, until 1873, when he was elected to the Ohio House as a successor to VanVorhes who was preparing to run for Congress. Like his predecessor, Grosvenor served as Speaker of the House in his second term. As a York Rite Mason, Grosvenor spent two years as Eminent Commander of Athens Commandery No. 15, succeeding Joseph M. Goodspeed who in turn followed VanVorhes as Commander. In 1880, Grosvenor was appointed by Governor (and Brother) Charles Foster to the Board of Trustees of the Soldiers and Sailors Orphan's Home in Xenia., where he sened for a total of eight years.

In 1884, voters sent Charles Grosvenor to Congress for the first of three consecutive terms. Congressional terms were not necessarily career jobs in the nineteenth century and when the General sought a fourth term in 1890, the district Republican Convention, expressing a collective belief that the seat should be passed around amongst area counties nominated General (and Brother) William Enochs of Ironton for the seat. Enochs won election in what proved an otherwise disastrous year for the Republican Party. In 1892, redistricting placed Grosvenor and Enochs in different districts and both returned to Congress (Enochs soon died). In his second sojourn in Washington, D.C., the Athens general served seven more terms before losing out in 1906 to another Republican and Brother Albert Douglas of Chilicothe. In his second Congressional tour of duty Grosvenor became a major power figure on the national scene, particularly after the election of his close friend Brother William McKinley to the Presidency. Renowned as an orator and debater, when Congress was not in session Grosvenor and a leading Democrat Brother Champ Clark often went on the lecture circuit where they would engage in passionate and partisan debates on the leading issues of the day while also traveling and dining together as personal friends. In his last year in Congress, "Old Figgers" as he was known secured passage of a bill to build a new post office in his home town.

Defeated for renomination in his quest for an eleventh term in 1906, Grosvenor retired from Congress, but not from politics. In 1908, he assisted Brother William Howard Taft in his successful quest for the White House. Two years later, he gave one of his last major speeches in Athens on June 24, 1910, when he gave a public address on "Masonry" at the dedication of the new Masonic Temple at the corner of Union and College Streets. That same year President Taft named the seventy-seven year old gentleman Chairman of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga Battlefield Commission for the National Park Service. The old soldier held this largely honorary position until his death at age eighty-four on October 30, 1917. The man known as "the Sage of Athens" had a Knight Templar funeral service. Like Morris and VanVorhes who had preceded him, this long time Mason had a city street named for him. In addition a railroad crossing station outside of town bore his name Grosvenor as did a rural post office in the county that existed for several years.

Slightly more than a year after Grosvenor's passing, still another Paramuthian went to Congress. Israel Moore Foster was born in Athens on January 12, 1873, the grandson of Athens pioneer Hull Foster. Graduating from Ohio University in 1895, "Izzy" went on to attend the Harvard Law School for two years, coming back to Athens for a year and then completing law school at Ohio State University. During his year back in Athens, Foster petitioned Paramuthia Lodge and received all three degrees in February, each several days apart, being raised on February 23, 1897.

Later that year, Foster who was a dedicated sports fan, umpired a baseball game in the nearby mining town of Nelsonville that resulted in a near brush with death. In a spirited contest between the Nelsonville Grays and the Athens Stars, Foster declared the game forfeited to Athens and soon faced a crowd of angry home team fans. According to the Athens Journal edited by Brothers Curtis V. Harris, "a howling gang" pursued the hapless umpire and chased him into the Dew House. Foster managed to escape by slipping out a back door before the enraged mob surrounded the hotel. It has not been recorded whether or not the newly raised brother gave the distress signal! An apocryphal story also contends that Foster was once selected to referee a football game between Ohio University and Marietta College after the Ohio University partisans called him "Foster of Harvard" and implied that he was truly neutral. Foster "blew his cover" when he excitedly exclaimed "our ball," when the players got up following Ohio's recovery of a fumble.

With law degree in hand and bar examinations passed, Foster opened his law practice in 1898. Two years later, he joined the Ohio University Board of Trustees where he served for some twenty-four years. In 1902, the county electorate chose the young barrister as their Prosecuting Attorney, a position he held for eight years. When Robert Switzer of Gallia County retired from Congress in 1918, Foster entered the race and was elected for the first of three terms. During his time in Washington, the GOP solon became known as the champion of a constitutional amendment banning child labor. Although his amendment failed to get the two-thirds majority needed to get it through Congress, his cause ultimately triumphed as most states enacted legislation banning this undesirable practice that still thrived mostly in the South. Foster also sponsored bills authorizing two new federal reformatories, one for men in Ohio and one for women in West Virginia.

Israel Foster's political demise provides a supreme example of the ironic. In 1924, his primary opposition consisted of State Senator Thomas A. Jenkins of Ironton. Jenkins based his campiagn on the premise that Foster as a three-termer had been in office too long. "Two terms are enough for any man," thundered the young Ironton attorney, himself a former prosecutor. Brother Tom Jenkins won the Republican primary and went on to serve seventeen terms in Congress, setting a new record for the region (Clarence Miller would later have thirteen), surpassing the previous highs of eleven and ten, held by Samuel Vinton and the aforementioned Charles Gros venor, respectively.

Israel Foster's career of national serv ice did not end with his defeat in the 1924 primary. Less than a month after his term ended, on April 1,1925, President Calvin Coolidge appointed him Commissioner in the Court of Claims. The former Athens attorney remained in this position seventeen years to the day retiring on April 1, 1942. During his years on the Federal bench, Judge Foster presided over 680 cases. Foster who had continued to receive light in Masonry by joining the York Rite bodies in Athens during his years as Prosecutor became a fifty year Mason in 1947 and continued to pay his Chapter, Council and Commandery dues until his death which took place on June 10, 1950 in Washington, D.C. where he lived in retirement. In addition to his Masonry, Foster was a dedicated Phi Delt and often entertained Ohio U. members of that fraternity when they visited the national capitol.

A fifth person who had been a member of Paramuthia Lodge, Emmett Tompkins, served a single term in Congress representing Franklin County. A native of Morgan County where he was born on September 1,1853, Tompkins came to Athens to live with kinfolk after his parents died in 1862, and 1864, respectively. He attended Ohio University, studied law with Charles Grosvenor, and became village Solicitor in 1876, a post he held for two years before being elected Mayor of Athens. After a year as Mayor, the young lawyer moved into the Prosecutor's office where he served for two terms and then went to the Ohio House for two more terms. On February 26, 1878, Tomkins was raised as a Master Mason in Paramuthia Lodge. After his second term in the legislature expired, Tompkins who had evidently taken a liking to the capital city, moved his law practice to Columbus in 1890. That October, 28, he demitted from Paramuthia and subsequently affiliated with one of the many Columbus lodges. In 1900, voters in the 12th Congressional District sent the Franklin County Republican to Congress where he served a single term and chose not to run again in 1902. Returning to his lucrative law practice, Tompkins died on December 18, 1917, and his remains were cremated.

Looking back, the thirty-eight years that these men and Masons spent in Congress looks like an enviable record of achievement. All compiled honorable records in Congress and in the other positions of public trust that they held. Yet in their day, they were probably involved in controversies that aroused passions and differences of opinion as much as do the political figures of the 1990s. Whatever their individual strengths and weaknesses they collectively served their constituents for more than a century in public office and their lodges as members for a minimum of 210 years.

While Masons are not quite as promient in public life in the 1990s as they have been in past decades, many remain present on the national scene. Every Presidential cabinet has had at least one Mason in it, and the current one is Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman of Kansas. A minimum of ten Masons sit in the United States Senate ranging from majority leader Trent Lott of Mississippi to Robert Byrd of West Virghnia. The Ohio delegation in the 104 Congress included Senator John Glenn, and Representatives Paul Gillmor, David Hob- son, the recently defeated Frank Cremeans, and Prince Hall Mason Louis Stokes. Looking back, however, to that eighty-eight year span between 1837 individual lodge in Ohio-and perhaps the entire U.S.A.- whose members played such a key role in the United States Congress as did these men from Paramuthia.

Bibliography

Daniel, Robert L. Athens: The Village Years. Athens: Ohio University Press, 1997.

Smith, J. Clayton. Paramuthia. Two Centuries of Freemasonry in Athens, Ohio.Athens: Paramuthia Lodge, 1997.

Schlup, Leonard, "The Sage of Athens: Charles H. Grosvenor," Ohio History 105 (1996), pp. 145-156.

History of Hocking Valley. Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Co., 1883. Bio raphical Dictionaty of theAmaican

Congress, 1774 1989.Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1989.

The Athens Homecoming Reunion, June 14 and 15, 1904. New York: The Winthrop Press, 1904.

Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion, Vol. II, VII.

It Happened in Athens County [news clippings compiled by Mildred Bleigh].

Athens Messenger, October 30, 31, 1917; June 11, 1950.

Athens Journal, September 22, 1897.

"Foster of Harvard" anecdote related by Kirby Stanforth, Athens, Ohio, February 25,1997.

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This Is What Masonry Is All About???

by Pete Martinez, MPS

l'm confused

Some would say I stay confused and maybe they are right. See what you think.

I recently received my monthly packet from the Southern California Research Lodge. Among the various publications was a copy of The Virginia Masonic Herald dated July 1989. In it is an article about a mother and her two daughters, all members of the Order of the Eastern Star, who have given blood to help keep their son and Brother alive. He is suffering from leukemia. The father, who is a Mason, has been provided with Masonic blood drive pins to be presented to the ladies at the next meeting of the Eastern Star. It is a touching story and at the end of the article the author states "This is what Masonry is all about."

One night at the conclusion of a Master Mason Degree, the candidate was presented a Masonic ring his father had worn. There were not many dry eyes in the darkened lodge room. After the lodge was closed and as everyone gathered around the refreshment table I overheard someone comment on the presentation, "This is what Masonry is all about."

Last Christmas one of the lodges in the district collected canned food and clothing and distributed the goods to needy families in the district. The District Deputy Grand Master praised the lodge and said, "This is what Masonry is all about."

At a special event, an annual outdoor Master Mason Degree, we were all sitting around enjoying some fellowship and delicious bar-b-q when someone made the comment, "This is what Masonry is all about."

The District Deputy Grand Master was hospitalized and all the lodges and many of his friends sent cards and some visited him both in the hospital and later at home. During a meeting of the lodge one of the Brothers reported on what had been done and stated, "This is what Masonry is all about."

The installation of officers was just over and the new Worshipful Master was thanking the members of the installation team who had come a great distance to install their friend. He was mentioning their good work and their devotion to Masonry when he added, "This is what Masonry is all about."

An elderly Mason, who can no longer drive at night, is picked up each lodge night and transported to the meetings by one of the Deacons. The Deacon is honored by the Worshipful Master as he tells everyone, "This is what Masonry is all about."

I have been a Mason for twenty-seven years and I can't begin to tell you how many times I have heard someone say "This is what Masonry is all about"

Is it any wonder I may be confused? What seems to be one Brother's con- cept of what Masonry is all about is shot down the next time another Brother makes the same statement.Just about the time I think I know what Masonry is all about someone tells me something else is. Now I don't mean to criticize the sentiment behind each one of these Brethren when they make their statement, each one is sincere and each case does qualify. But there is no one action or deed reflecting what Masonry is "all about."

Each one is a part, just as there are many parts in a jigsaw puzzle making up the whole. I have come to the conclusion there is something missing in the statement all these Brethren are making and it is just two words. Those two words are "part of" and should be inserted in the statement so it says, "This is 'part of' what Masonry is all about." If you agree with me, fine; if you don't, that's fine too. But if you ever catch me saying. "This is what Masonry is all about," give me a swift kick and I will add those two words to make my statement a little more arcuate; "This is 'part of' what Masonry is all about!" Now we still have not defined "what Masonry is all about." Many things may qualify, but here is a list of eight guide lines for you consideration.

1. Masonry is love for God.

2. Masonry is love for one another.

3. Masonry is fairness and honesty.

4. Masonry is character and courtesy.

5. Masonry is love of freedom, love

of country.

6. Masonry is kindness, sharing, caring and helping.

7. Masonry seeks only to make good men better.

8. Masonry is a way of life.

The next time something wonderful or nice happens in your lodge or to one or more of the members of your lodge, check to see if it is covered by one of these eight guidelines. If it is, you can truthfully say, "This is part of what Masonry is all about!!!"

Log on to the World Wide Web for Masonic Information and discussion http://freemasonry.org

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Knights Templar and the Crusades, Part II

by William E. Parker, MPS

The history of the Crusades and the Templars is inexorably intertwined one with the other. And, since the Templars were invariably a part of a larger military body, it is often difficult to separate their actions from those of the overall effort. In brief, the Holy Land actions were a series of both victories and defeats. For example, in June of 1119, Saracen forces destroyed over 6,000 Crusaders at the Battle of Aleppo, while in 1152 the Templars and Hospitalers were instrumental in helping to defeat a Saracen Army threatening Jerusalem inflicting perhaps 5,000 or more casualties upon the Muslims. One could almost describe the Crusades as a tennis match, the ball first in one court and then the other but with more bloody consequences.

If the First Crusade had proven a success, the following ones met with varying levels of both successes and failures. Odessa fell to the Muslim forces in December 1144 and Europe reacted with another venture into the Holy Land. For the Second Crusade, led by Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany, the less said the better, the Christians suffering a disastrous defeat at the siege of Damascus in July 1148 leaving thousands of soldiers dead and dying.

Although the Templars received criticism for some of their actions, Louis himself wrote that they distinguished themselves greatly during the Crusade exercising leadership to win several battles and only they kept the Crusade from total disintegration. Interestingly, it was in 1147 that Eugenius granted the Templars the right to wear the red cross on their white mantles, on the left breast and shoulder, the white of purity and the red of martyrdom.

War is a deadly and difficult task, the objective being to both win battles and yet conserve your own resources (men), strategies not always compatible. The Military Orders and the nobility were sometimes criticized for ill-advised actions or even collusion with the enemy, the Templars in particular criticized for their actions at Damascus and Ascalon. It has been said that "politics breeds strange bedfellows" and, due to political exigencies of the moment, this was nowhere more true than during the Crusades where treaties between the Crusaders and Muslims were often made and often broken.

Whether historical reports citing disparaging actions of the Military Orders are totally accurate or somewhat exaggerated, no one can say for certain since jealous and envious writers may well have colored or twisted historical events in their recounting. This would be particularly true for the Templars whose fierce arrogance bred many enemies, particularly among the Clergy, including the chronicler William of Tyre. But, we know there were military reverses and if unsound decisions were sometimes made, we can only guess at the reasoning. There were few hard and fast rules, often no easy black and white solutions facing the Crusaders, only the expediencies of the moment. What is certain is that those in positions of leadership, such as the Templars, are always subject to criticism, the price of that leadership.

Internal Saracen power struggles were as frequent as dissensions among the Crusaders, a united front on either side often more a dream than a reality. Not the least of the Saracen's problems was the fact of divided religious movements, the Shiites and the Sunnites. Then, too, the Muslim world was not a single unified group but was composed of Egyptians, Turks, Kurds, Syrians, Armenians, Arabs, non Arabs, and even Christians, all with their age-old animosities. Indeed, the Machiavellian politics throughout the long history of the Crusades were so unbelievably complex that military successes in both camps were often achieved in spite of and not because of such politics.

If the conquest of Jerusalem and other areas was achieved against the backdrop of disharmony among the Crusaders, once achieved that disharmony grew like a malignancy to enormous proportions, slowly eating away at what had been accomplished. Had there been a united, well-executed long-term Christian policy, history might have been different. As it was, whether Kings, Emperors, Princes, Dukes or others, each had his own political agenda and each brought his own complement of troops with its own loyalties. And, there would be independent knights and soldiers more or less attached to one major Crusader camp or another. To these would be added the Templars and later the Hospitalers, the major Military Orders of the Crusades, the Teutonic Knights participating to a lesser degree. (See Philalethes Aug. 1991).

While this often made for large numbers of fighting men, it also made it difficult to use these troops effectively due to lack of centralized control and organization, diverse political agendas, and the cosmopolitan makeup of such troops. Then, too, once a Crusader's perception of his view to fight in the Holy Land had been achieved, or perhaps even through dissatisfaction with events, a return home to Europe soon followed thus leading to constantly shifting troop complements. The Military Orders, conversely, always had elements in the Holy Land. Thus, as time passed, their long experience would prove invaluable and out of proportion to their actual numbers.

The success of the Templars had prompted another Order to emulate them, the Hospitalers. Founded in Jerusalem in 1048, the Hospitalers had long remained a body essentially dedicated to providing medical assistance for pilgrims. But, seeing the Templars' success, the Hospitalers reorganized in imitation, soon achieving their own success. Unfortunately, however, throughout the historical involvement of the two Orders, they were bitter rivals, often in political and military opposition with such rivalry sometimes leading both to illadvised military actions and even bloody confrontations.

Frederick Barbarossa was crowned Emperor of the Germans in 1152 and a feud again surfaced over "two" Popes, mirroring the 1130 crisis, Frederick favoring one Octavian while the Templars' candidate was Alexander. Alexander was victorious and, undoubtedly in token of gratitude, in 1162 reissued Innocent II's 1139 Bull, thus once again reiterating the Templars' extraordinary privileges. They did not, how- ever, win Frederick's gratitude and it is small wonder such incidents fomented envy and jealousy of the Order through the years.

In Battle, a troop of Templars, both they and their huge war mounts armored, were a formidable force indeed similar to a modern tank unit. Charging into enemy ranks, their weapons swinging, both enacted a heavy toll and served to unnerve the opposing forces. If downed on the field, however, a knight's movements were limited, his advantage lost, and he fell more easily prey to spear or dagger thrusts. Whatever the circumstances of battle, Templars invariably fought to the death for their Rule permitted no ransom if intelligent, and captured.

In 1174, a charismatic individual named Saladin emerged as the new leader of the Saracens, one able to mold the diverse Muslim entities into a coherent unity. Born Yusef ibn Ayyub, he chose to be known as Salah-ad-din (Rectifier of the Faith), westernized by the Franks as Saladin. Of all the Saracen leaders, he was one of the most competent, certainly the best known to posterity. An intelligent general, both charitable and merciless as the need arose, like the Crusaders he suffered defeats as well as victories, often retreated when faced with superior odds, and signed treaties with the Christians when politically expedient. But, his great passion, like that of other Saracen leaders, was to rid the Holy Land of the Crusaders.

Many of the Europeans had established personal fiefs and kingdoms in the conquered territories, the Holy Land eventually resembling something of a mini jigsaw puzzle of rulers and loyalties, of several self-governing states and city states erected essentially along European feudal lines. Unfortunately, they also carried the viruses of political jealousy, competition, deceit, and treachery, continually conniving one against the other for power, a poor recipe for either conquest or rule.

Saladin, with an astute blend of political and military skills and under the banner of Jihad, Holy War, began to slowly recapture the areas dominated by the Europeans. In truth, it would be difficult to now call these settlers totally European, for many had been born and bred in this new land they called "Outremer," French for "Land Beyond the Sea," Europe only a far away name. For Saladin and others, however, they were still considered invaders, a plague to be expunged.

If the Templars and Baldwin IV had achieved victory over the Saracens at Montgisard in 1137, conversely at theJuly 1187 Battle of Hattin, Saladin crushed the Crusader Army, the dismembered bodies of perhaps 10,000 Christians left amid the carnage of the battlefield, hundreds of Templars among the luckless victims. Of some 200 members of the Order unfortunate enough to survive the battle and be taken prisoner, it is reported they were summarily beheaded afterwards. The cities of Acre, Nabus, Jaffa, Toron, Sidon, Beirut and Ascalon would also soon fall and in early October Jerusalem itself fell.

Sensing the utter futility of further resistance, the army destroyed at Hattin, Jerusalem capitulated peacefully. Saladin ransomed 7,000 prisoners, released another 1,200 and several thousand who could not pay ransom demands were kept as prisoners, ransoming back and forth seemingly quite prevalent during the Crusades. But, in a spirit either of humanity or perhaps calculated political largess, there was no savage retribution on the captured Christians, a stunning measure of the discipline Saladin held over his soldiers.

Under the impetus of Gregory VIII in 1187 calling for a new expedition, the Third Crusade began in July 1190 with Richard of England, Philip of France, and Frederick Barbarossa. Ironically, England's greatest medieval hero, the Lion Heart (Coeur de Lion), was raised in the French Court of his Mother, Eleanor of Acquitaine and, although succeeding to England's throne in 1189 on the death of his Father Henry II, was essentially a Frenchman who didn't even speak English. Frederick left the active ranks of the Crusade at an early stage however, drowning ingloriously in a river crossing, leaving the Crusade with two "heads," the mutually suspicious Richard and Philip. Since England controlled several provinces in what is modern France, the suspicion was perhaps understandable.

As usual, there were both victories and defeats. It was during the 1190-91 siege of Acre that the Order of the Teutonic Knights took form, patterning their clerical and knightly activities on those of the Templars. With the city of Jerusalem almost within grasp, however, the Lion Heart unexpectedly changed his strategy and withdrew his forces. His reasons will perhaps remain obscure, but it's likely he was a realist and saw no reasonable Christian future there even if he took the city. The cost would be great and the Muslim forces would almost certainly counterattack and likely retake the city, thereby prolonging hostilities and raising casualty counts.

The opposing armies were both near exhaustion after a year of combat and even if the city were taken many of the troops would likely return to Europe, their vows fulfilled, thereby reducing needed defensive forces. There were several more skirmishes, including a 5 August 1192 engagement at Jaffa where Richard exhibited astute military skills and with the Templars' aid successfully defeated superior Saracen forces. Both the Templars and Hospitalers then counseled against further strife, however, and in early September a five-year truce was signed with Saladin.

Richard, whose name is synonymous with the Third Crusade, had nonetheless regained a portion of previously lost lands, peace reigned and Christians could again visit Jerusalem in safety. The Templars, for their part, had supported Richard and thus regained much prestige and honor which had suffered in recent years. Richard's esteem for the Order was shown by the fact that he disguised himself as a Templar when attempting to make his way back to England, although recognized and taken prisoner by the Austrians. But, the peace would prove only temporary. Saladin died in 1193 and Richard 6 years later. Saladin's empire, which his forceful personality had shaped, began to disintegrate like that of many another leader of outstanding ability when no longer personally in charge.

In 1198, Innocent III became Pope and, in support of the Templars, reconfirmed Omme Datum Optium several times during his reign. The Order's independence often created enemies and, threatened with excommunication by the Bishop of Tiberias over a financial dispute, Innocent himself rose to their defense, taking punitive action against the Bishop and forever forbidding any other Cleric to take action against "His" Order, again underscoring the Templars' unique status.

With the Papacy once again seeking to expand the Roman Church's influence, in 1198 Innocent instigated yet another Crusade, the Fourth, which remains one of the great tragedies and blunders of Christian history. In brief, the Venetians, who wanted to retain profitable trade areas with the Egyptians, had little enthusiasm for another war. Thus, using revenge as a motive, gold as an incentive, glory to be gained and future aid to the Crusaders, they being deeply in debt to the Venetians for ships and supplies, the Christian forces were cunningly channeled elsewhere than Jerusalem, particularly Byzantium. In truth, due to previous animosities, it is likely much of the Crusading army needed little incentive for the venture.

As a result, in 1202 the Christian city of Zara fell to the Crusaders' swords, and in 1204 Constantinople followed becoming a scene of bloody slaughter, pillage, rape, wanton destruction, raging fires, and unbelievable atrocities by Christian against Christian. If Rome thereby gained influence over the city for a period, it would only be temporary. It was also a turning point in history for, after the disaster, Byzantium would never again consider unity with the Roman Church and Innocent's dreams of a consolidated Christendom under Rome's aegis were shattered.

With frustration and rage at the disparaging turn of events, Innocent turned to the Languedoc area, today Southern France, and repression of the Cathares. Rome had long been concerned about the Cathares but, like the Crusades, wanted a provocation to initiate action. On Jan. 14,1208, the Papal Legate Pierre de Castilnau was murdered and, while apparently by non-Cathar anti-clerical elements, the incident nonetheless provided Rome the necessary excuse.

Although a Christian movement, Catharism was significantly different from the Roman Church's beliefs and was seen as a strong and growing competitor to what was widely seen as the Church's excesses and corrupt practices. Brooking no competition, however, the Pope ordered the movement's destruction and sent Templars to aid other forces in the repression. By some accounts, the Order was reportedly inclined to a passive neutrality, having some sympathy for the Cathars and acted essentially as "bystanders" to the ongoing slaughter. While such restraint for the Pope's "army" of battle-hardened knights strains the imagination, if there is any degree of truth to the story this was hardly a morally enviable position.

Citing but one example in the horrendous repression, known as the Albigensian Crusade 1209-1229, on July 22, 1209, the Southern town of Beziers was captured. In reply to disposition of the mixed Cathar-Catholic population, the Papal Legate is reported to have replied: "Kill them all; God will know his own" and between 10,000-20,000 died. The quotation may possibly be apocryphal, but the thousands slaughtered in the repression were very real.

Other cities such as Perpignan, Narbonne, Carcassonne and Toulouse also fell leaving a bloody trail as the repressive Crusade, Inquisition, and persecution swept through the Languedoc region for years to come, systematically destroying a flourishing and sophisticated culture with a broad religious tolerance quite unlike that of the intolerance in areas where the Roman Church held sway. Ironically, the Templars' part in the suppression of the "heretics" could perhaps be seen as a portent of their own future destruction almost a century later.

There have been many misconceptions about Templar castles. They were, of course, great builders, reportedly erecting some 9,000 structures during their 200-year reign, ranging from reasonably modest edifices only large enough to oversee local farms and pastures, to gigantic marvels of engineering and construction. In the Palestine area, warlike fortresses were obviously the rule and in the Iberian area where the Order was involved in fighting the Moors, strong castles were likewise necessary. There were other areas, such as Paris, where particularly strong "donjons," or towers, were required to store treasures.

In areas away from the fighting, however, large fortress type structures were not the general rule. There, construction was more utilitarian in nature, such as granges, churches, small preceptories, etc., designed to further whatever specific purpose was involved. Raising financing for the Holy Land effort was the avowed purpose so why waste funds unnecessarily on large castles which would be both an economic and political liability. Whatever the building's size or shape, however, there would invariably be a chapel for prayer, for the Templars were, of course, also monks.

Protecting both pilgrims, Frankish forces and settlers in the Holy Land was a difficult task what with long lines of communication and both brigands and enemy forces a constant threat. So, the Crusaders resorted to a proven method, one used by the Ancient Romans who constructed forts at strategic points along their trade routes. The Templars and Hospitallers did essentially likewise. Later, the French Foreign Legion in North Africa and the U.S. Cavalry in the American West would use similar methods.

Of their many fortresses, Castle Pilgrim in Athlit, just South of Haifa is likely the strongest Templar structure ever built. Erected in 1218, it juts out about one-third of a mile into the Mediterranean, thus providing supply ships ready access and a safe harbor. Able to reportedly accommodate 4,000 people, its great towers and immense walls enclosed pastures, fish ponds, salt mines, fresh water springs, orchards, vegetable gardens, a shipyard, and virtually everything needed to be self-sustaining. Practically a city unto itself, it withstood all assaults until August 14, 1291, when the Order voluntarily withdrew, sensing further occupation useless as the Christians were inexorably being pushed out of the Holy Land.

Only a few Crusader castles remain, most having been destroyed or falling into disrepair, only silent ruins testifying to their past greatness. Perhaps only the Hospitalers Krak des Chevaliers, with its great fortifications, and still largely standing, can be seen as comparable to Pilgrim. Both camps systemically razed fortresses to preclude their use by opposing forces, Krak's only reason for survival being that, after capture, the Saracen forces decided to utilize it as a principal base.

While the Templars were, of course, active in Palestine, there were also less publicized military actions in the Iberian Peninsula as well as the previously noted Albigensian Crusade. Supporting these efforts were Brother Members in Europe and England responsible for supplying all the implements of war, food, and financial aid without which those who were fighting could not have existed. Most of these other members of the Order were not warriors, but followed day-to-day occupations necessary to run the estates, their days essentially composed of work and prayer.

There were also those known as "Affiliate Members" benefitting from many of the Templars' privileges. Although expected to generally follow Templar precepts, they remained essentially outside of the Order proper, continuing lives somewhat freer from the Order's more strict rules, and consisted of both men and women who had contributed monies and property to the Order. Today, we may not fully understand the rationale behind becoming an Affiliate, but in the harsh life of the Middle Ages, association with the Templars brought a number of privileges greatly beneficial to the recipient.

After the Crusaders' initial successes, Christian victories were far fewer than desired, the Military Orders' reputations eventually seriously damaged, and succeeding Crusades only prolonged a bitter pill. The 1221 and 1250 defeats at Mansura crushed Crusader forces, the 1244 defeat at the Battle of Gaza devastated the Templars and Hospitalers, "Saint Louis," then King of France, died of plague on the shores of the Holy Land and his 1270 Crusade crumbled, and thousands of Christians perished at the siege and capture of Acre May 18, 1291 by the Saracens. That proved the final insult and as Christians were expelled from the Holy Land the belief that God would ensure ultimate victory became tarnished, a shattering experience for their faith.

Templar influence was disproportionate when considering the low number of Brethren vis-a-vis the general population or nobility. For example, at the time of their disestablishment one author cites perhaps 135 plus Templars in all England, of which only 6 were Knights and ll were Priests, but the Order controlled thousands of properties through- out the country. The numbers varied but the story was similar in all areas where Templars were active. If individually they possessed nothing, the Order itself had become wealthy and powerful beyond measure, able to virtually stand as an equal to Emperors and Kings. At the apex of their power, the Templars controlled vast properties in France, England, Scotland, Flanders, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Germany, Hungary and the Holy Land, clearly a force to be reckoned with.

By the end of the 13th century, it was finally accepted, at least by most, that Outremer was irrevocably lost. Thousands of Templars had died in the Holy Land, reliable accounts citing a figure of some 20,000. Yet, Jacques DeMolay, last Master of the Temple, apparently wanted to undertake still another Crusade, for which Papal and Royal support was needed. But, Europe of the 14th century was different from that of the 12th. Feudalism and Medievalism were fading, nationalism was rising, and the Crusades had lost their luster.

Indeed, to the Nobility and Papacy alike the Crusades had simply become a pawn to be used in political maneuvering and empire building, religious causes only a secondary thought. And, succeeding Popes, battling European rulers fiercely for temporal supremacy, largely abandoned the Crusades temporarily until any action would prove too little too late. If the Papacy achieved a temporary victory, the long term would see its power effectively diminished as the masses' unquestioned beliefs in the Church became tempered with reason, with the Reformation looming on the horizon.

An era had passed and the "Iron King" now ruled France, but a nation deeply in debt with monies borrowed from the Templars and the Jews to finance French wars. Philip le Bel was less interested in a kingdom 3,000 miles away than one at home. Never one to waste unnecessary effort on dreams, Philip was a realist and set in motion events to both free France from any pretended Papal rule, with whom he was at odds, and which would also free him from any debts.

His long-range plans apparently called for his entrance into the Templars and then to merge the Order with the Hospitalers with himself as Grand Master. These plans failed as the Order seemingly rejected both the King and his merger idea, perhaps having few illusions as to his true character. The Order's proceedings being secret, as always, the rationale behind their thinking may never be known for certain.

Philip had to thus realign his thinking and the Templars had to go having no place in his new priorities. He first, however, set about destroying theJews, thus eliminating that particular debt. Amazingly, apparently knowing Philip's nature and having witnessed the fate of the Jews, the Templars still virtually "walked into Philip's den," and thereby their downfall.

The Templars were notorious for conducting their affairs with the utmost secrecy, particularly anything happening within the confines of their Chapters. In time, this practice would prove a prime factor in their demise. Secrecy, however innocent, breeds suspicion and there were those all too ready to portray the Order in a vicious light, pointing to their secrecy as something sinister and even Satanic.

In the final analysis, whether saints or sinners, men are just that, men, and it is not surprising that in the brutal and unforgiving world of medieval politics and wars there would be those whose virtues were not always of saints but simply mortals. There were the just and unjust, the competent and incompetent, the noble and venal, and the corrupt and honest, with Templars represented in all categories. It has been said that: "If the Templars sometimes fell short of their professed ideals, it should be noted how often they came close to such ideals, perhaps more than any other Order or group holding steadfast to their original purpose."

The Order's legacy is far ranging, also extending to the Hospitalers and Teutonic Knights who patterned much of their own organizations on that of the Templars. Their renown is etched on the pages of history but not because of their numbers or victories. Never a major factor in numbers of troops, it was rather their reputation, dedication, and leadership qualities which set them apart, an example for others to follow. And, with due consideration to their overbearing pride and arrogance, as a body the Templars nonetheless left ideals to be emulated.

The Philalethes, February 1998

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Houdini - Master of Illusion Part I

by William E. Parker, MPS

As the famed magician was shackled and then lowered upside down into the water filled Chinese Torture Cell, gazing through the glass front illusion at the immersed man, the audience sat transfixed knowing that unless escape was possible within precious minutes certain death by drowning would result. The container was then locked and tightly banded, curtains drawn around it, the orchestra played a plaintive melody and an assistant bearing a fire ax stood ready to smash the cell open and release the master illusionist if need be his very name conjures up visions of magical miracles, thrilling escapes, death defying stunts and a mysterious persona capable of the Impossible. Impossible might well be the perfect word to describe Houdini.

Whether it was chains, cuffs, sealed containers, bank vaults, jails, packing cases or countless other restraints, he stood at the pinnacle of escape artists, literally the "King of Escapes." While he died three quarters of a century ago, other than two or three world-class entertainers made famous by television, the average person still thinks of Houdini when asked to name a famous magician.

What aura of greatness, mystique, and depth of charisma encompassed this man, rising from humble beginnings to the rarified pinnacle of glory, to have left such an indelible imprint on the pages of history. Certainly his early years gave little indication he would emerge a legend, a status achieved by few. In truth, there were two Houdinis: the performer as the world saw him, and Eric Weis the man and Freemason, a personality obscured from view by the public persona.

Born Ehrich Weiss in Budapest on March 24, 1874, he claimed April 6th of that year in Appleton, Wisconsin, the date his Mother had claimed. Although she and several children did not arrive in the U.S. from Europe until July 1878, Eric already four years old, she possibly picked the U.S. location and date to guarantee Erich and Theo's American citizenship. If the date and location have been the subject of confusion, recent research clearly indicates the Budapest origin. His Father, Samuel Weiss, had wanted to be a lawyer but eventually turned to teaching religion. His Father's first wife having died giving birth to a son Herman in 1863, Samuel then married a Cecilia Steiner on May 27,1864. A son Nathan was born in 1868, William in 1870, Ehrich in 1874, Theodore in 1876, Leopold in 1879 and Gladys in 1891. Circum- stances surrounding the family's departure for America remain cloudy, although anti-Semitism undoubtedly played a major role. If a popular legend concerns an alleged duel between Samuel Weiss and a Hungarian nobleman with the subsequent need to flee, the duel is perhaps apocryphal since it seems highly unlikely a member of the Hungarian aristocracy would condescend to duel with an obscure Rabbi. The question has even been raised by some as to whether Weiss was actually ordained a Rabbi or simply assumed the title through years of study, but this is of minor import to our story.

Harry Houdini was a complex personality, a romantic ever willing to embellish his rather mundane and plain beginnings. Throughout his life, there are clear instances where he invented and/or "embroidered" events to enhance both his personal and professional image. The romantic duel tale, for example, points out his incessant need to "color" events, in this instance his family history, that there might be an aura of mystery and glamour involved.

With Hungarian friends in Appleton, Samuel had accepted a Rabbi's position there. Unfortunately, old-world conservative, somewhat quarrelsome, professing unorthodox interpretations of Talmudic law, unable to adapt to more liberal American ideas and with a poor command of English, he didn't adjust well to Appleton and the family relocated to Milwaukee hoping for better things. Better things rarely materialized, however, for whether it was Appleton, Milwaukee or later in New York, Samuel's quirks plagued the family fortunes until the day he passed away, October 5,1892.

With the large family always in need of money, Eric took a variety of jobs such as selling newspapers and shining shoes to help out. With virtually no formal education, he left home at age 12 for Texas "to make his fortune" but never made it to the Lone Star State. Holding odd jobs for a year or two as he traveled, both Eric and his family eventually relocated to New York, the city which would from 1888 on finally be called home, Eric continuing his cycle of odd jobs and particularly employment in a tie factory. It appears a co-worker in the tie shop and amateur magician, Jack Hayman, first introduced young Eric to many of magic's mysteries.

In Milwaukee, young Eric had been visibly impressed by Dr. Lynn, a touring magician, and later at age 17, he was literally captivated by the memoirs of the great French magician Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, memoirs Houdini later came to believe were laden with much fiction. Still, at this point, with such influences it's perhaps not surprising he was drawn to what he believed to be the glamorous world of entertainment and magic where he might find fame and fortune.

He was so impressed by Houdin's life in particular that when a stage name became necessary, at the suggestion of his friend Hayman, he simply added an "i" to Houdin becoming Houdini. Some say his American friends called him Harry, a phonetic adaption of "Ehrie", his Mother's pet name for him, while others say he took Harry from Harry Keller, then a well known magician. In any event, he thence forth became Harry Houdini and his earlier youthful magic persona, "Eric The Great", vanished forever.

Houdini and his brother Theo, who later became a famous magician in his own right under the name of Hardeen, had begun a magic act playing lodge banquets, grubby beer halls, dime museums, and any other bookings they could obtain but the early years were a struggle. In the famous Coney Island, N. Y. amusement park, for example, they worked for coins thrown into a hat and in Chicago during the 1892 world Columbia Exposition, Harry gave 20 shows daily at a sideshow for $12 a week doing sleight of hand and other small tricks, although by 1893 he had added a handcuff act. During these years, performing alongside sword swallowers, fire eaters, contortionists and other carnival acts, he gained a world of information and experience in show business.

Their parents had been less than enthusiastic in seeing their sons depart from "traditional" Jewish trades, but the boys were in good company. Citing but a few, Al Jolson, Irving Berlin, Louis B. Meyer, Adolph Zukor, the Warner Brothers, the Shuberts, George Gershwin and Fanny Brice were all active in show business in one form or another.

As a adult, Houdini was somewhat shorter than about 5'4", with blue eyes, dark curly hair and of a rather careless appearance, yet his face seemed to project a burning handsome intensity. Immensely strong both in mind and body through exercise and a balanced living, he developed his physical state to an amazing degree of fitness with literally muscles of steel and a determination of mind to match. He had early on become a member of an athletic club's track team as well as developing into an excellent swimmer, trying out at one point for the American Olympic Team. During this period, he developed an extended underwater breath control technique which, together with his superb physical condition, would prove so essential in later years as an escape artist.

Different versions surround Houdini's meeting of and marriage to Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner, or "Bess", and separating fact from fiction, like much of Houdini's life, is a difficult task. One version has Bess half of a "show biz" performing duo called the Floral Sisters, the act catching Harry's attention, while another story has Harry and a more demure Bess meeting at a magic performance she was attending with her Mother. And if the two versions cite different circumstances, what is certain is that the Houdinis always celebrated June 22nd, 1894, as their anniversary.

A match between rigidly Catholic and Jewish families might seem improbable, but it proved both successful and enduring for the Houdinis. To appease both sides, however, Jewish and Catholic ceremonies were also performed in addition to the original civil ceremony. If Houdini's Mother immediately accepted Bess, it wasn't until 1905, with Bess seriously ill, that her Mother finally accepted the match and a reconciliation was effected.

This is not to say that, as in most unions, there weren't occasional quarrels. There was also the famous Houdini habit of leaving their quarters after a quarrel, walking around the block, opening the door and throwing his hat into the room. This would be repeated until the hat wasn't thrown back out and Houdini then entered, Bess by then calmed down. While he was the most loving of husbands, given his fiery temperament and impulsive actions, it would appear that throughout the marriage Bess was constrained to exercise considerable restraint and forbearance.

After the marriage, Bess replaced Theo in the act becoming the principal assistant. Success was still a fleeting entity, however, and the Houdinis continued working traditional areas such as sideshows, beer halls, circuses, etc., often working ten to twenty shows daily. Always looking for new fields to conquer, sometimes unsuccessfully, one venture included a half interest in a traveling burlesque troupe, "The American Gaiety Girls," an exercise which ended in bankruptcy after several months.

At one point, in Nova Scotia in 1896, with no funds left for a room, they were forced to sleep in a hallway. Working their way back to Boston by performing on a ship, Houdini fell ill with sea-sickness, a malady which would plague him all his life, and Bess had a meal only because of the generosity of the ship's passengers.

On another occasion, in St. Louis, their prop trunk being held by the railroad for overdue payment, using jokes from old magazines they worked as a comic duo and were eventually able to redeem their trunk and continue magic engagements. Houdini would often visit gambling houses, buy used cards at bargain prices, and his wife would make up card tricks for sale to customers, a tedious but reasonably profitable sideline. In brief, their existence continued precariously for years and at age 24 Houdini considered leaving show business.

It was in 1895, looking for something different from other entertainers, that he thought of a challenge to local police stations on his ability to escape from their handcuffs and jail cells. By 1898/99, primarily as a result of these successful escapes, his reputation began to spread, better bookings followed and after years of struggle things finally began looking up, particularly after being booked by Martin Beck, an important Impresario who ran a large vaudeville circuit. Big-time vaudeville was then undoubtedly the most popular form of entertainment, the fledgling motion picture industry not yet the phenomenon it would eventually become. Acts played at least a week, usually appearing twice a day, and at salaries far beyond what Harry and his wife had previously commanded. It was Beck who counseled Harry to concentrate his act on escapes, a momentous career move as it turned out. For the Houdinis, it was their "breakthrough" and an end to dime museums, one-night stands, and burlesque days.

Houdini made much of his "secrets", as do most magicians. Magical secrets are, after all, their stock in trade, their means of livelihood. Like other performers, he emphasized the magical aspects for psychological reasons, a means of obtaining an "edge" over his public and a means to create awe and wonder. In truth, when illusions are "exposed", the enchantment often disappears and he went to great lengths to ensure secrecy of his methods. In the words of Sherlock Holmes: "If I told you how I did longer seem so remarkable."

Houdini spent years learning the mechanics of locks and handcuffs until he was undoubtedly one of the world's experts in the field. Unquestionably a master of opening secure devices of all types, he possessed a skill the likes which has not been seen since and likely never will again. With a brilliant mind for his chosen field, he also had the ability to almost instantly determine the type of lock being proffered during public challenges, where members of the audience brought cuffs and chains to test his escape skills, and thus the proper opening method. If such challenges were endless in number and infinite in variety, it is also of note that, unknown to the audience, in order to ensure adequate challenges he sometimes had paid assistants come up on stage carrying cuffs he was familiar with.

An early stage illusion, and a brilliant success, was the Substitution Trunk, or "Metamorphosis." Earlier versions had been presented since 1865, but Houdini made it into a veritable "show stopper." In brief, a person handcuffed inside a sealed bag, then put into a chained and locked chest mysteriously and virtually instantaneously changes places with someone outside the chest. The effect has proven so mesmerizing it remains a magic staple and one of the most popular items in the repertoire of modern stage magicians. Bess's small stature made her tremendously effective in this illusion and Houdini continued to feature the effect throughout his career, even after devising the diabolical milk can water cabinet illusions.

While not attempting to denigrate his unquestioned and unique skills, his "secrets" consisted not just in long arduous training but also in hidden keys, picks and "gaffed boxes" to coin an expression of the trade. A master of secreting needed picks, even when performing in private situations after being stripped naked and thoroughly searched, he had an uncanny ability to still hide his little "assistants."

In some cases, picks could be hidden in his shoes, in clothing, in chairs or other areas where he was bound and in others they could be surreptitiously passed to him. Often performing behind a screen, Bess or an offstage assistant always stood ready to secretly slip a needed pick or universal key in the unlikely event unexpected problems arose. Such assistance was needed only occasionally, but little was left to chance.

Nor am I divulging any secrets since virtually all of Houdini's methods and techniques have long since seen publication. Not all performers are equal, however. One can read books on magic, computers, or any other subject, yet not be able to properly implement their contents. Houdini, conversely, had an amazing ability and brought a charisma and personal persona of sheer magnetism to his presentations, mesmerizing audiences until they "believed" in his miracles, a rare talent indeed.

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean different things." "The question is", said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master that's all." In rather a like manner, Houdini indicated it was not what he actually did but what his audiences thought he did. The art of successful illusion, like Humpty's words, lies in the performer's ability to create a desired image in the audience's mind, an art of which Houdini was indeed a "master."

But why specialization in locks? Spending his teen-age years on the tough streets of NewYork, he became acquainted with petty thieves, safe crackers, con men, and criminals of all types. Listening to their exploits and methods, and then devoting endless hours to study and practice, he not only became well versed in card work but his interest particularly seemed centered on locks and their secrets. In that his reputation ultimately rests on escapes, rather than magic per se, his early "street education" was to prove fortuitous indeed. Later, as he became a professional entertainer, he realized he needed something different to compete with the plethora of magicians then working and doing escapes offered that difference, a chance to narrow the field of competition.

Escapes in and of themselves, however, were not enough for there were others who also did escapes. Houdini would be different and better through the elements of showmanship created to enthrall audiences. He had an undefinable aura and charisma which totally captivated an audience. He was not just doing an act, but seemed to be actually living a phase of his life - a phase which allowed no defect, no failure, and the audience felt it.

Further, there was also the publicity he created to enhance his image. He developed not only into a performer of unsurpassed ability, he could almost be said to be the creator of the modern "hard sell" so extravagant were his methods and claims. The great showman Barnum touted his circus acts - Houdini touted himself. It's possible no greater exponent of self-exploitation and advertising has ever lived. If"Chutzpah" were a marketable commodity, Houdini would have been worth billions! The French conjurer Robert-Houdin wrote: "A magician is not a juggler. He is an actor playing a role - the role of a sorcerer." Houdini played the role to magnificent perfection.

So baffling were his methods considered, some even attributed his legendary escapes to occult or supernatural powers. The "Metamorphosis" illusion, for example, drew such attention for it was argued how else could the dramatic and instantaneous exchange of two people occur, a less sophisticated public perhaps then in existence. No less a respected individual than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle believed Houdini had the power to dematerialize himself in one place and reappear in another.

While a modest success was being achieved and bookings increasingly followed, it was not yet total success in Houdini's mind. Thus, in 1900 he and Bess sailed for England where other American magicians had done well, a gesture of immense confidence since he had no firm English bookings. His recurrent sea-sickness meant much of the trip was spent sick in his bunk, but he recovered quickly afterwards.

London was not initially a "pearl" in his oyster, however, but through perseverance, a bit of luck, an escape from Scotland Yard's cuffs, and a trial appearance at London's famed Alhambra Theater, he was able to secure an English contract. In time and with helpful publicity, the London act caught fire, successful engagements followed in France, Holland, Germany and Russia and he and Bess would spend the next five years enjoying their European success.

As his fame grew, in these and subsequent appearances, he would break all existing attendance records in city after city becoming the most outstanding, sought after, and highest paid vaudeville entertainer on the Continent and British Isles. His ego was of monstrous proportions, however, suffering few imitators. He had "arrived" and believed he was the best. Perhaps his family's financial hardships had instilled a fierce determination to succeed, to be "somebody", to prove to the world there was only one Houdini and all others merely inferior copies.

Fiercely jealous of any contemporaries who also performed escapes, and indeed competitors of any kind, through the years he devoted much time and effort "fighting" against those who either "attacked" his act or who he felt debased the escape art through the use of trick or "gaffed" items, quietly failing to mention his own use of similar hidden methods. Needless to say, he garnered tremendous publicity in the process.

The single exception was his brother, Theo, who performed an escape act essentially duplicating that of his famous sibling. Performing as Hardeen, and ostensibly in competition with Houdini, it was possible for the two brothers to thereby often eliminate rivals and keep the better bookings for themselves. While Houdini loved his brother, there was nonetheless friction between the two, a situation seemingly tolerated by Houdini as long as he felt his brother recognized him as the one and only "Escape King." If Houdini's success spawned many imitators, none possessed his unique charisma or equaled his dynamic showmanship, unquestionably a major part of his success. Critics indicated that, while duplicating the Houdini act, even Hardeen could not capture the "Master's" special magic.

An early admirer of Houdin, Houdini later believed Houdin had not been truthful in his memoirs and while attacking what he called Houdin's "supreme egotism," Houdini himself undoubtedly equaled, indeed surpassed, that "supreme egotism." While performers in general are endowed with large egos, necessary to compete and succeed in the demanding and sometimes brutal world of show business, Houdini's was outsized even by such standards!

If antipathy towards his peers was clearly manifest, to those who represented no threat his actions were quite different. He was amazingly generous and thoughtful of retired or destitute magicians or their families, carrying his largess to such measures he often paid their rental fees or otherwise extended significant aid. He would also give benefit performances at charity hospitals and orphanages. While he and Bess never had children, he would constantly visit orphanages performing for children whenever possible or have them visit him backstage.

(This article will be continued in the April issue.)

The Philalethes, February 1998

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NO Due Guard! He Can't be a Mason, CAN HE???

By Nelson King

I am a Master Mason. Try me and prove me.

No, I don't have a Due Guard. What's a Due Guard? I have a dues card!

I don't know what you mean by Blue Lodge. I belong to a Craft Lodge.

You say my signs in all the Degrees seem strange to you. Your signs are just as confusing to me.

Landmarks? No, my Grand Lodge does not have any Landmarks ancient or other wise. Working Tools? Yes we have Working Tools.

What are they? In the First Degree they are the 24 Inch Gauge, the Common Gavel and the Chisel. In the Second Degree they are the Square, the Level and the Plumb Rule. In the Third Degree they are the Skirret, the Pencil and the Compasses.

What is a Skirret? Well a Skirret is an implement which acts on a center pin from which a line is drawn out to mark the ground much like a chalk line

No there is not a Trowel to be seen anywhere in my Lodge.

Yes we have Volume of the Sacred Law.

What passage is it opened at? Well in the First Degree it is opened at Ruth IV verse 7. Why? Because it tells of Boaz and being slipshod. In the Second Degree the Volume of the Sacred Law is opened at Judges XII verse 6, because it tells us of the password in the Second Degree and of the forty and two thousand that were slain. In the Third Degree the Volume of the Sacred Law is opened at Ecclesiastes XII, you know the passage "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." No, I have never heard of the Volume of the Sacred Law being opened at Psalms 133.

Jewels? Yes we have Jewels. We have Moveable and Immoveable Jewels.

What are they? My Moveable Jewels are the Square, the Level and the Plumb Rule, and my Immoveable Jewels are the Rough and Perfect Ashlars and the Tracing Board. Yes! I am sure. The Moveable Jewels are moveable because they are worn by the Master and his Wardens and are transferrable to their successors at Installation. The Immoveable Jewels are immoveable because they lie open in the Lodge in all Degrees for the Brethren to moralize on. I understand they used be to your Moveable and Immovable Jewels, that is until the Baltimore Convention of 1843. And we also have a Tracing Board which is for the Worshipful Master to lay lines on and draw designs on.

No, I have never heard of a Trestle Board.

Who wears the Hat in my Lodge? No one of course. The only head coverings allowed are those worn for religious proposes, such as a Yarmulka. Yes that is right my Master does not wear a hat. Why? Because our Lodges have been consecrated with Wine, Corn, Oil and prayers to the Almighty, consecrated to the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God, and you do not cover up your head or consecrated ground, unless it is a part of your religion, it is like being in Church.

Yes, in my Lodge I can walk in front of the Master, between him and the Altar which, by the way, is in the center of the room, always moving from left to right, turning at right angles at each corner. It is called Squaring the Lodge and dates back to the time when what we now know as floor cloths were drawn on the floor with chalk. You Squared the Lodge so that you would not erase the chalk marks.

Yes, we have pillars in my Lodge. No they do not have celestial and terrestrial globes. They are adorned with chapiters, and these chapiters or bowls are enriched with net-work, lily-work and pomegranates. Network from the connection of its meshes, denotes unity, lily-work from its whiteness denotes purity and pomegranates from the exuberance of their seeds denote plenty.

Yes we have the Letter G. No it is not suspended in the East. The letter G, denoting GOD, is suspended in the center of the Lodge Room. Why? Because it says so in a part of the closing ceremony in the Second Degree. You know, where the Worshipful Master says.

Worshipful Master:"Bro. Junior Warden, in this character what have you discovered?"

Junior Warden:"A sacred symbol, Worshipful Sir."

Worshipful Master:"Bro. Senior Warden, where is it situated?"

Senior Warden:"In the center of the building, Worshipful Sir."

Worshipful Master:"Bro. Junior Warden, to whom does it allude?"

Junior Warden:"To God, The Grand Geometrician of The Universe, Worshipful Sir."

No, we don't have Stated Meetings. Yes, we conduct Lodge business. It is done during our Regular Meeting. No as I said we don't have Stated Meetings, we only have Regular and Emergent Meetings. What's an Emergent Meeting? An Emergent Meeting is any meeting called by the Worshipful Master that is not a Regular Meeting. No, we don't do our Lodge Business in the Third Degree. We do all the Lodge Work in the Entered Apprentice Degree the only reason to go to the Fellowcraft or Master Mason Degree is to confer those degrees. Lodge is always Opened in the First Degree and is always closed in the First Degree. If you have just raised a Candidate to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason, you must close in the Third Degree, then the Second Degree and finally in the First Degree.

Our Entered Apprentices are expected to take part in all voting, serve on committees, learn and perform ritual work in the Degree that they have, and are considered full Masons even entitled to Masonic Funerals. And yes you also used to do all your Lodge work in the First Degree. Again this change was due to the Baltimore Convention in 1843.

No. I have never heard of a Middle Chamber, but we have one ceremony. It is not a Degree. It is only opened after the Third Degree and only on Installation Night. It is called the Board of Installed Masters, where only Installed Masters and Past Masters are permitted, with the exception of the Master Elect. Here, the Master Elect takes a further Obligation as regards the Secrets of the Master's chair. Here he receives the Grip and Word of an Installed Master and the sign and salutation of a Master of Arts and Sciences. He is then Installed in the Chair of King Solomon. The Board is then closed. All Master Masons are invited back to the Lodge Room. The new Master is then presented to the Master Masons, and the Master is given an explanation of the Working Tools of the Third Degree. The Lodge is then Closed in the Third Degree and all Fellowcraft are invited back to the Lodge Room, where they are presented to the new Master, and he is given an explanation of the Working tools of the Second Degree. The Lodge is then closed in the Second Degree and all Masons are invited back into the Lodge Room. Once again all are presented and the working tools explained. Then all other Officers are invested as Officers of the Lodge. The Worshipful Master is the only one who is installed.

Can I give you the Master Mason's word? Yes I can, but it is really two words and can be only given on The Five Points of Fellowship and in a whisper. Yes in a whisper not a in low breathe and yes it is two words.

Am I a Master Mason? Try me and prove me.

I am a part of a world wide group of Masons whose ritual is called Emulation Ritual. In The Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario our Ritual is called "The Work" and it is an Emulation Type Ritual.

Emulation is one of the oldest post Union workings. It may well be the oldest, but in view of rival claims and in the absence of complete proof, this question cannot be answered with certainty. There are two points about Emulation that seem to put it into a class of its own:

(a) As a Lodge of Instruction, it goes back to 1823, with continuous existence since then.

(b) It is today the best organized of all the "named" rituals, having had a governing body to 'protect' it throughout its history, and in that respect, I believe it far outstrips all other "named" forms.

Bro. C. F. W. Dyer, in his, Emulation-- A Ritual To Remember, which is the standard history of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement, published in connection with its sesquicentennial in 1973, shows that the founders experienced difficulties in its formation, because Lodges of Instruction at that time had to be sponsored by a Lodge. The Emulation founders had decided that their Lodge of Instruction was to be for Master Masons only (as it is today), and the Lodges which were invited to act as sponsors were not ready to accept that restriction. Eventually, the Emulation Lodge of Instruction was sponsored, on 27 November 1823, by the Lodge of Hope, then No. 7, whose Master Joseph Dennis, was one of Emulation's original members.

Is Emulation the original or oldest form now worked in England? It is certainly one of the oldest, but it would be impossible to say whether it is the "original." As Bro. Dyer explains:

No official record has ever been found of the Lodge of Reconciliation Ritual that was approved by the Grand Lodge.

Emulation is probably as near to the forms then prescribed as any of the workings surviving from that period. Its principal virtue is that it has enjoyed a proper continuity of control of its forms ever since its foundation.

In England in 1813 the two rival Grand Lodges, the Ancients and the Moderns amalgamated after sixty years of savage hostility, and formed the United Grand Lodge of England. After the Union, which is post-Union, the ritual was totally revised to make it acceptable to both parties. That is when many of the distinctive portions of the pre-Union ritual were jettisoned. That is when the two adopted substitute words came into use; one belonged to the Ancients and one to the Moderns, and they could not agree which was right, so they kept both. By the way the Ancients were the modern group and the moderns were the oldest group, but that is a different story. And that is why my ritual differs so much from yours. That and the Baltimore Convention of 1843 when you decided to do all your work in the Third Degree, and changed the Moveable Jewels to the Immovable Jewels, in order that you could keep out all Cowans and Eavesdroppers. This National Masonic Convention even changed the Due Guard in the First and Third Degrees. Due Guards, that I don't have.

The work of well over half the Lodges under the English Constitution and the standard work of several overseas Constitutions including the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario is based on the Emulation Ritual.

No, I don't have a Due Guard.

But I am a Master Mason. Try me and prove me.

By what instruments of architecture will I be tried? By the Square and Compasses the well known symbols of Masonry, which convey the abstract means and end of the Science in a most clear and comprehensive manner, Worshipful Sir.

The Philalethes, February 1998

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Through Masonic Windows

by Kenneth D. Roberts, MPS

Wow! Quatuor Coronati in the U.S. - For the first time in more than 110 years the members of QC will gather together outside Britain as the quests of the Civil War Lodge of Research #1865, a Virginia chartered research Lodge. This historic event will be held in the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria Virginia near Washington, D.C. on July 1 1,1998. Paul M. Bessel, MPS the Master of the Civil War Lodge of Research and Yasha Beresiner, MPS the Master of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, together with other officers and members of both Lodges, as well as Donald M. Robey, MPS of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, have worked together in the most cooperative manner to bring about this first ever event. The plan is to have the Civil War Lodge of Research, open the meeting in the morning and present a paper on Freemasonry and the Civil War, which also relates to British history, followed by a recess and joint luncheon at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. The members will then reconvene and the members of Quatuor Coronati Lodge will take over and show us how their meetings are held, including the presentation and discussion of one of their research papers in their unique style (unlike any other Lodge meeting anywhere). The meeting is open to all Masons recognized by the Grand Lodge of Virginia. If you plan to attend please R.S.V.P. Brother Bessel: (Tel.)703 418-1172, (fax)703 418-6625 .

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What happened to Brian? He's a good man, became a Master Mason a few years ago, but I haven't seen him at Lodge in a couple of years. He has a brother, son-in-law, nephew and friends that he had said he wanted to explain Masonry to. Of course, all Lodges have many Brians. What happened to them? They may have been overwhelmed, ignored, or didn't feel like they fit. Maybe something as simple as forgetting the password or, after years, being afraid, they won't know anyone. A little effort on our part could bring thousands of good men back to Lodge and there is no better spokesman for Freemasonry than an involved and proud Mason.

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"The Alta Vendita," subheadline: A Blueprint for the Subversion of the Catholic Church. This story has been run by several Catholic newspapers according to "FOCUS," a publication of The Masonic Information Center. "There follows a story about a 'secret plan' of the Freemasons to infiltrate the Catholic Church, particularly by introducing such ideas as the 'Principles of 1789' which include: pluralism, equality of religions, and separation of Church and State." The plan was supposed to have been introduced around 1820. "The story itself is baseless and false. Freemasonry neither had nor has a plan or a desire to infiltrate or try to destroy the Catholic Church. As best as we can determine, this particular story is being retold by extremists within the Catholic Church to strengthen their own position. Much as anti-Masonic material is distributed by extremists within several Protestant denominations. Freemasonry is making every attempt within its power to establish cordial relations with the Catholic Church, based on mutual respect and toleration. We shall continue this effort!"

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"The History of the Blue Lodge Ritual," a film based on the forthcom- ing book by Robert G. Davis, FPS is available from Capstone Productions, P.O. Box 221466, El Paso, TX 79913. Jim Tresner, MPS reviewed this film for "The Scottish Rite Journal" and had this to say: .."Thirty-nine minutes in length, the program shows how William Preston and Thomas Smith Webb influenced the Masonic Ritual as it is used in the United States. I'm biased, of course, because Brother Davis is not only a colleague but also one of my best friends, but I think it's a fine piece of work. Anyone who wants to know why our Ritual says the things it does should see this videotape. It makes a good program to show in Lodge." Brother Davis will be installed as President of The Philalethes Society on February 20th. Other films, relative to Freemasonry, are also available from Capstone. Phone: 915-833-8700.

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"The Masonic social scene has been turned upside down in just a year or so" says Pat Streams, in "The Square" published in England. "Intervisiting (not in Lodge) socially is now routine, and only rarely is the Grand Lodge consulted - although this is hardly necessary unless you are visiting in a temple. Is this a good thing? I honestly don't know. I think it is. But I do know that you cannot stop it." He was talking about the Internet. "...It is the Grand Lodges that recognize this, and learn to live with the new philosophy, which will fare best. Freemasonry has broken free; for better or worse." "Keep on pluggin"

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