by Robert G. Davis, FPS

My Brethren:

At this writing, I had just experienced a remarkable disaster in Oklahoma. Fortunately, most of us survived; but it was the worst night of tornadoes in the history of our state. Over a 6 hour period on Monday evening, May 3, 1999, some 43 tornadoes laid waste to the heartland, causing a loss of 9,000 homes, and property damage in excess of $750 million. The power of several of the largest storms was beyond description. Every piece of vegetation in the direct path of the two largest tornadoes was literally sucked out of the ground. Trees and their root systems were pulled up and then thrown at will or carried in the air for miles, and those strong enough to keep their hold on the earth were violently divested of all bark. Debris from buildings, automobiles, power stations, barns, fences, homes, clothing, papers are scattered everywhere, leaving an almost surrealistic landscape of waste and destruction. One is reminded of what an apocalypse must be like.

Our fraternity was not spared the scourge. A number of Masons and widows of Masons lost their homes, and at least one lodge building was heavily damaged. Our fraternity has been very busy in efforts to be of direct assistance to our brothers. We are very grateful for the weather system's storm tracking teams. They saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives. In the big picture, we have much for which to be thankful.

And, after all the trauma and heartbreak, all the news coverage and attention, all the individual stories, all the processes of recovery, the fact remains that the human spirit is strong and will prevail.

To witness a disaster is to understand the necessity and value of disaster preparedness. But there is more than one kind of disaster. The events of this week causes one to ponder if we are well enough prepared to survive another impending disaster that is slowly eating away at our fraternity. In Grand Lodge after Grand Lodge, we continue to lose numbers and influence at an almost startling rate. There is a critical mass below which we cannot afford to venture and maintain ourselves as a fraternity which is viable in the world. In my view, there are several types of disasters for which we need to prepare.

There is the disaster of non-conformity-which deprives us of being part of the popular movement of men. We seek Truth in a world that insists on political correctness and special group agendas. And yet, we must be non-conformists to remain true to our mission.

There is the disaster of non-identity which deprives us of an adequate public understanding about Freemasonry. And yet, our identity must always be somewhat concealed. A man's transformation is an intensely personal thing, and doesn't fall into neatly constructed organizational boxes.

There is the disaster of non-relevancy-which deprives us of attracting experienced leaders and opinion leaders in the affairs of our community and world. And yet, it is difficult to be seen as relevant when our principle purpos is to effect how the individual lives hi own life. It takes a different formula tc measure the value of right thinking and good works.

So, we face a serious threat of dying that quiet kind of death which occur when one is too isolated from his culture for so long that no one really cares

My brethren, there is only one way to prevent the kind of disasters we face a a fraternity. Enough of us have to pre pare ourselves with enough informa tion to teach those who are ready to listen that we offer the right agenda fo personal development through a frater nal experience.'Our disaster prepared ness program is Masonic Education When we learn the right things and relate them in the right ways to the right men, it will then be okay to be considered nonconforming. Our disasters may become our fortunes. Who knows, our movement may even become popular again.

the pbilalethe& June 1999

JOIN US IN OKLAHOMA, U.S.A.

-the Heartland of America

for the

Semi-Annual Meeting

International Philalethes Society

September 24 and 25, 1999

Holiday Inn Oklahoma City Airport

2101 So. Meridian, Oklahoma City, OK 73108

(Located 3 miles north of Will Rogers World Airport)

(405) 6854000 * FAX (405) 685-574

1-800-622-7666

Make Room Reservations directly with the hotel. Tell them you are with the lr~

ternational Philalethes Society. They have given us a rate of

$60.00 per night, plus tax.

(Shuttle service to and from the airport, iron, coffee makers, computer ports in

every room, fitness center, laundry, facsimile and copy service, etc.)

Conference Registration

Registration Fee for the conference is $75.00, made payable to the Oklahoma Philalethes Society. Mail check to Bro. Dwayne Dixon, 5001 Judy Dr., Del City, OK 73115. This fee covers all expenses of the Conference except air fare & hotel. For additional information contact Robert G. Davis, FPS, (405) 282-1281, bobg@nstar.net.

Sight Seeing - Dining - Entertainment

Friday, leave the hotel at 3:00 p.m. by trolley and journey to Victorian downtown Guthrie, the Territorial & 1st State Capitol of Oklahoma. Tour the beautiful Guthrie Scottish Rite Masonic Center, then off to the famous Blue Bell Saloon for refreshments. Take in the Preservation Playhouse to dine and solve a murder, while participating in "Governor Big Ed Jim Bob's BBO Bash & Murder'(a turn of the century musical comedy). Trolley returns to hotel after the play.

Two Venues and Banquet

Saturday, all meetings will be held at the Holiday Inn Airport, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Two concurrent venues are planned throughout the day. The session will end with a banquet on Saturday evening.

You Can't Beat Oklahoma Hospitality!

You won't forget this weekend of Fun & Enlightenment!

From the Editors Desk

It appears that English College Students, enjoy sending what can be described "hate" postings and death threats through the Internet. Below are a couple of the more tame postings to our Welcome Wall Site at E-M@son

COMMENTS - you want a welcome message alright then- get a load of this you hipecrite your freemasonry thing stinks of dog shit you stupid satan beliviers. we will beat you, you will burn horribly to death i'll make sure of that you cants. Is that what you call 'life' ypu big stinking bullies! and don't you dare delete all of our nice comments of your list board. Does it hurt to know that we all hate your fliping guts

COMMENTS- ISLAM WILL PREVAIL OVER YOUR BULLSHIT RELIGEON , ITS ALL WRITTEN IN THE HOLY QURAN WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN; WE WILL DESTROY THE DAJJAL AND CONQUER THE WORLD.. aLL FREEMASONS INSHALLAH BURN IN HELL FOR ETERNITY.EVIL WILL NEVER PREVAIL OVER THE ONE TRUE GOD ALLAH TALAH. THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND MOHAMMED WAS HIS LAST AND FINAL MESSENGER

COMMENTS- Your satanic organization which was established during the crusades and then regenerated in Scotland will soon end the suffering which u have caused for the past 650 yrs will soon be over and u can screw your Kebala Your fate is the worst

These are just some of the "milder" postings, the others contain Death Threats and so many four letter swear words that I could not bring myself to publish them. However I have come to some conclusions.

These students from UK Colleges, cannot spell. These students do not realize that all postings and e-mail can be traced. Each of the postings has been traced and the student has faced disciplinary charges.

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Television interviews with ten Masonic authors, scholars, and leaders of Masonic groups are now ready for distribution. Each half-ho ur television interview was recorded at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial last year on a variety of Masonic topics. The interviews were conducted by Jackson Polk and Ernie Lissabet of Capstone Productions Inc., a leader in producing Masonic videos.

Funding for the recording of the interviews was provided by the Scottish Rite Research Society, the Masonic Information Center, The Masonic Renewal Committee of North America, the Philalethes Society, and Capstone Productions Inc. Capstone Productions recorded the interviews on three separate cameras and has now completed the necessary TV editing to turn the tapes into ten half-hour video available from Capstone on VHS video cassettes. The programs are good Lodge programs and can also be placed on local cable access television channels across North America.

The scholars included Dr. Steven Trachtenberg, President of George Washington University in Wash' ton, D.C. who spoke about Freemasonry during the Enlightenment, James Reese, director of Historical Mount Vernon, and Donald M. Robey FPS, Executive Secretary and Treasurer of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association described their efforts to publicize history of George Washington the man and the Freemason. Dr. William Fox, MPS, gave a summary of his new book, "THE LODGE OF THE DOUBLE HEADED EAGLE", a history of Southern jurisdiction of the Scotish Rite of Freemasonry. The Director of

the Institute for Masonic Studies at the Grand Lodge of California, F. & A. M. is Kevin M. Tuck, MPS. Tuck described various Masonic symbols and their meaning in Freemasonry. Other scholars interviewed include Richard E. Fletcher of the Masonic Information Center; Colonel George Harrington, MPS, President of the National Sojourners, Inc.; Wallace E. McLeod, FPS, Executive Secretary, The Philalethes Society-, Dr. S. Brent Morris, FPS, Author and Historian-, Dr. Rex R. Hutchens, MPS Author and Historian; Pete Normand, MPS, Editor of The Plumbline.

Capstone Productions Inc. sells the Masonic Conversations for (US) $20.00 each plus $5 shipping by check or money order. Shipping is free on orders of three or more videos. For a free catalog of videos about Freemasonry, contact Capstone Productions Inc., BOX 221466 El Paso TX 79913, 915-833-8700 fax 915-584-6903 or at www.masonictv.com.

000

The tragedy that struck Kansas & Oklahoma on May 3rd and 4th, 1999 through the destruction of the many tornados is well known to everyone.

In an attempt to help our Brethren and their families in Kansas and Oklahoma an urgent appeal for funds is being put out on their behalf You may send funds to the MSA.

Please forward to the MSA such funds as you feel will be appropriate to help our devastated Brethren in these stricken jurisdictions. Please make checks payable to the MSA Disaster Relief Fund and send to 8120 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, MD20910-4785, or you can make a credit card donation at http-//freemasonry.org just click on URGENT APPEAL and follow the links.

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Pittsburg Kansas Masons Move Into New Facility

Pittsburg. Lodge No. 187 AF & AM, Pittsburgh, Kansas, received dispensation on January 27, 1879 after forming a lodge in the Fall of 1887. The lodge increased in size throughout the early 1900s. In 1908 members set about building a home for the lodge. Several other bodies joined with the lodge to form the Masonic Temple Association.

Numerous modifications were made to the facility over the years. Recently a complete mechanical inspection and evaluation of the building was performed. It indicated that just maintaining the structure until the year 2025 could cost between $150,000 -and $300,000. If the plumbing and wiring were updated to support air conditioning the cost would rise to $400,000. With the organization unable to handle these amounts, the decision was made to relocate to a new site. Through negotiations with the Presbyterian church, the decision was made to move the lodge and raise the old building to provide much-needed parking for the downtown area. The disassembly began. The new Pittsburg Masonic Center was completed this past year. It located at 3105 N. Joplin. The new building has a large. meeting, hall, a huge, fully equipped, kitchen, storage space and plenty of parking.

The dome window pictured on this months cover was removed, a new frame built and positioned near center of the ceiling in the new Lodge hall. The dome was in six pieces including the back lighting and was cleaned and re-assemble by two of the members

Our thanks to Brother Chuck Blatchley for the photo of this great dome window.

000

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor:

I know that I am going to get clobered on this, but I simply have to say what I am feeling about this subject. I am wondering if we are getting so desperate for members that we are ready to take any person who has the few bucks joining fees.

Used to be that joining Freemasonry was special, not available to everybody (sure I know that doesn't mean we always got the best people), and only available to the few. As a rule the Lodges were fairly selective in their choices and generally speaking we only initiated "good men" whom we were going to make better men. One of the ways we insured that we got these good men was that they had to be properly sponsored and seconded and investigated before being presented to the Lodge, and the Lodge voted on the request. I thought that this was still our Masonic objective.

Have we gotten so carried away by all the gold braid on aprons, chains and collars that we find it necessary to open the doors to all and sundry because WE NEED THEIR MONEY to pay for these items.

Isn't that in fact what the real problem is. We simply can not afford to keep on living in the style to which we in have become accustomed on the membership numbers that we now have.

PERHAPS instead of increasing the numbers of "dues payers" we should consider cutting back on some of the luxuries that we have come to enjoy in the past years. Perhaps we should stop travelling all over the country attending meetings of other Grand Lodges; perhaps these self same people could invest more of their time in visiting their own Lodges and encouraging and helping them.

PERHAPS international travel, for example, by senior officers is not necessary every year. Perhaps the very luxurious Temples are not necessary - our ancestors didn't have them and Masonry did very well then.

PERHAPS we should get back to the drawing board and start looking at-how we can bring those members that we already have back into our Lodges rather than looking for more than we can handle. If we do this, then we won't need to go "all the way in one day" because our members will fill the benches and take part in our Lodges as in bygone days.

AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE what makes us think that we will be able to keep these "all the way in one day" wonders interested in the Lodge and Freemasonry if we can not even keep the Brethren we already have interested.

AFTER ALL the "excuse" being given here is that these "one day" candidates do not have the time to be present in Lodge and receive their degrees in the "usual'' way. If that really is so then all we are doing is selling them our degrees as this system will not increase their time for the Lodge. It will only increase the dues that we receive, and then only for short periods as I personally believe that in the long run most of the "one day" candidates will become "demits" for the Lodges.

In my not humble at all opinion, we are simply looking for more cash-flow here, and not for a way of making Masons. If there are enough candidates to do it all in one day - then there are enough candidates to be done in the usual manner.

We need the Masons much more than we need the money and it's time we woke up to reality. If we have nothing to offer, then we won't keep the "one day" Masons either - we will just generate some cash.

IF WE DO have something to offer, and again I personally believe that we do, then we will get candidates even if they have to wait three to six months to get all three degrees. AND in my opinion we will get better Masons for having them go the slower route.

The opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of, nor is it a criticism of, my Mother Grand Lodge or any of its (Past) Grand Officers.

Sincerely and fraternally

Errol Feldman. MPS

53

JUDAISM AND FREEMASONRY:

The Intersection of the Religious and the Secular

By Joel H. Springer III, MPS

In recent years renewed attention has been placed on the question of whether Freemasonry is compatible with various religious faiths, particularly Christianity. Masonic literature, including online computer services and the Internet, along with books and periodicals, has abounded with affirmative defenses of Freemasonry against charges from Christian fundamentalists, the Southern Baptist Convention, and such conspiracy theorists as Pat Robertson with his fear of the "New World Order." Those opposed to Freemasonry claim not only that Freemasonry is incompatible with religion, but that it is antithetical to the "true faith" and a danger to our national sovereignty. We are all familiar with the Roman Catholic Church's historical condemnation of Freemasonry as a nature religion and an institution lumped with democracy and capitalism as representing the temptations and dangers of modernity.

Interestingly, there has been relatively little written from the Jewish perspective regarding the relationship and compatibility of religion and Freemasonry in general, or, specifically, of the relationship of Judaism and Freemasonry. Several Masons who are Jews have written articles making clear their view that a man can responsibly and comfortably practice Judaism and be a Freemason at the same time. Paul M. Bessell has written that there are "many common themes" shared by Freemasonry and Judaism. For example, he writes:

Judaism's most basic teaching is to believe in God who created everything in our existence and who gave us laws to follow, including the requirements to act honorably and kindly toward everyone.

The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the points at which the secular institution Of Freemasonry and the religion of Judaism intersect in their ideas and teachings. In particular, we will be discussing each as a Way of Life, and how the ideas of Justice, Brotherly Love, and Relief are central to both institutions.

Freemasonry and Judaism differ of course in certain fundamental aspects, for the simple reason that Freemasonry in its secular nature is distinct from all religions, and is not itself a religion. Freemasonry does not have a faith of its own. Indeed, Freemasonry lacks the basic elements of religion:

It has no dogma or theology (and by forbidding religious discussion at its meetings will not allow a Masonic dogma to develop.

It offers no sacraments.

It does not claim to lead to salvation, by works, secret knowledge or any other means.... Freemasonry does not pretend to take the place of religion or serve as a substitute for the religious beliefs of its members. It does, however, require that each member believe in a Supreme Being, a future existence, and the brotherhood of man. How he interprets or elaborates these fundamentals, is left to the individual's private judgment and religious faith. Freemasonry expects each person to follow his own faith, and "to place his duty to God ... above all other duties."

Where Judaism and Freemasonry are similar in a very fundamental way, is in the source of the authority for their respective teachings. Each relies on a Volume of the Sacred Law as the foundation of ethical teachings, morality, and the standards of how men should deal with other men in socicty.judaism is based on the Torah, and on the set of canonical books known as the Tanakh. The Tanakh is comprised of the Torah, the Prophets, and the writings, and is what is commonly known as the Old Testament portion of the Bible. The Torah consists of the five Books of Moses, and the scrolls of the Torah are prominently displayed in temples and synagogues. Freemasonry is essentially based on the Judeo-Christian Bible, consisting of the Jewish Scriptures (Old Testament) and the New Testament (which is not to say that there have not been other influences on the development of Freemasonry). The King James translation of the Bible is generally placed on the altar in Anglo-American Masonic lodge representing the Holy Writings or volume of the Sacred Law.

Freemasonry and Judaism are not single-minded institutions. Neither speaks with one voice, and neither has one leader who speaks for all Jews or for all Freemasons. Their interpretations of the holy books and other writings are derived from many writers and commentators, whose work is evaluated and re-evaluated over hundreds or even thousands of years. Jews and Freemasons alike can look to many autoritative writers to develop an understanding of the teachings and philosophy of the respective institution rather than waiting for a single religious leader or Grand Master to issue dogmatic pronouncements or interipretations of the Torah or Masonic symbolism. Jewish scholars have conducted an extended dialogue over the centi in the Mishnah and the Talmud, and through the responsa issued by sages in reply to questions from people see practical guidance on the application of Jewish law (Halakha) to new situations.

Similarly, Freemasons consult Masonic law codes and jurists; the work of eminent historians, philosophers and teachers in both the Eastern and Western traditions past and present, and contemporary writers and researchers in many fields in order to develop a philosophy of Freemasonry as a guide to living. Except for certain central principles and beliefs forming the foundation of each institution, both Judaism and Freemasonry enjoy lively debates in their periodic gatherings, whether they be congregational Boards of Directors and Rabbinical Assemblies, or Conferences of Grand Masters of North America and Annual Communications of Grand Lodges.

Both Judaism and Freemasonry speak of being a "Way of Life." This is not said to equate a secular with a religious institution, but to point out a similarity in their expression of a similar purpose. That purpose is to explicate from the great principles, symbols, and ethical teachings of each tradition, a specific guide by which men and women "should ever walk and act."

Masonry, for example, states that it is a Way of Life, universal in its appeal to men of all nations and religions. From the very first, in Anderson's Constitutions of 1723, Freemasons have been enjoined to obey the moral law. Masons are obliged to follow "that religion in which all men agree, leaving their particular opinions to themselves: that is, to be good men and true, or men of honor and honesty, by whatever Denomination or Persuasion they may be distinguished." Masonry thus will unite men of every country, sect and opinion, and cause true friendship among those who must otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance.

While Freemasonry is founded on such moral and ethical doctrines as Brotherly Love, Relief, Truth, Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice, these ideas are not the starting point for abstract speculation, but as the basis for practical action in the lives of Freemasons. Masons are taught that because all men and women are the children of God, they are brothers and sisters, entitled to dignity, respect, and consideration of their feelings. Each person must learn and practice self control, to make sure that his or her spiritual nature, the requirement to "do good, and avoid evil," guides him or her when dealing with other persons. Finally, Freemasonry emphasizes that it is important to work to make this world better for all that live in it.

"Masonry teaches the importance of doing good, not because it assures a person's entrance into heaven-that's a question for a religion, not a fraternity-but because we have a duty to all other men and women to make their lives as fulfilling as they can be.

The Grand Lodge of California elaborates on this idea in a pamphlet given to prospective candidates. Freemasonry is defined as "kindness in the home, honesty in business, courtesy In society fairness in work, pity and concern for the unfortunate, resistance toward evil, help for the weak, forgiveness for the penitent, love for one another" and reverence for God. These are not abstract tasks-while not easy, any Mason adhering to the teachings of the Fraternity can practice them in his daily coming and goings in this world.

Halakha, the body of Jewish law, guides Jews in their daily lives. The word itself means "the way on which one goes." Judaism has never been overly concerned with creating a theology or articles of faith, but seeks rather to develop a mode of religious practice in daily life. Halakha is practical and legal, not theoretical and philosophical. It is concerned with the proper application of the 613 commandments (mitzvot) found in the Torah to the various situations and circumstances of the "real world." Halakha is not static or rigid, for the process of religious-legal decision making continues in our own day, resting on an authoritative foundation comprised of Biblical statutes and commandments, rabbinic legislation and enactments, and the Responsa and Commentaries of great scholars, These are the sources of the legal precedents that constitute the Judaic "Way of Life." Halakha "asks for a commitment in behavior. It deals with ethical obligations and religious duties. "

Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin writes that while doctrine and faith do play a

central role, "emphasis is on the deed." Judaism and its values mean little unless they are translated into action, an approach that should be well understood by Freemasons. Rabbi Donin continues:

"The halakha, with its focus on the implementation and fulfillment of the commandments... serves to make concrete that which is otherwise in the realm of the abstract, while serving to sanctify that which is otherwise in the realm of the mundane."

Ernst Simon of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem has commented that halakha embodies and represents an attitude toward life appealing to modern Jews, but also one that, I believe, resonates for late-20th century Freemasons This attitude

... emphasizes the need for the restitution of the intellect in a partly anti intellectual society, for discipline in a partly libertarian world, for orientation and a sense of direction in a chaos of over-information, and for a rational religion in the face of inroads of mysticism and obscurantisms.

Halakha is the practical application and implementation of the Biblical injunction that men and women should walk in the ways of God. The Prophet Micah is blunt in his advice to men: "It hath been told thee, 0 man, what is good, and what the Lord doth require of thee: Only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God" Micah 6:8. The ancient Sage Simon the Just made it clear that acts of loving kindness were doing God's work in the world. He used to say, "Upon three things the world is based: upon the Torah, upon Divine worship, and upon the practice of charity."

Freemasonry likewise enjoins us to render our neighbor "every kind office which justice or mercy may require, by relieving his distresses and soothing his afflictions; and by doing to him as, in similar cases, you would that he should do unto you."Masonry teaches, "...and as Justice in a great measure constitutes the really good man, so should it be [his] invariable practice never to deviate from the minutest principles thereof."

For Judaism as for Freemasonry, there is the requirement that individuals show compassion for their fellow men, treat all in a just and upright manner, and commit random acts of loving kindness. These core themes are approached differently yet in a complementary fashion in the religious and secular institutions. justice and righteousness (tzedakab), kindness, and mercy are central for Jews, while Freemasonry speaks of Brotherly Love and Relief as two of its three great tenets. The institutions share much in common here, but whereas the Jewish Way seeks to sanctify daily life by implementing the Divine commandments and thereby blessing God, Freemasonry, not being a religion, is one step removed by simply enjoining its members to act according to the fundamental precepts of their own religions. Judaism and Freemasonry intersect at this point, for Brotherly Love and Relief flow from Jewish law and precepts.

Freemasonry teaches that by the "exercise of Brotherly Love" we are taught to regard all people as the children of God, and therefore part of one great family uniting the rich and the poor, the exalted and the common man. The members of this family are commanded to "aid, support, and protect each other" and to treat each other with justice and kindness.

Standing behind this teaching is the Biblical injunction that "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Leviticus 19:18). Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz interprets the Hebrew words to mean that the honor and property of our fellow men should be as dear to us as our own. They are a comprehensive rule of conduct, "containing the essence of religion and applicable in every human relation and towards all men." Genesis 5:1 proclaims "This is the book of the generations of man. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him." As this verse teaches reverence for the Divine image in man, it proclaims the unity of mankind, and the resulting doctrine of the brotherhood of man. All men are created in the Divine image, and arc therefore our fc1lowmen and entitled to human love. Even the stranger and the foreigner living In Israel were embraced in the commandment "love thy neighbor as thyself," for the Jews had been strangers in a strange land, Egypt. The strangers were not to have wrong done to them-they belonged to the brotherhood of man just as clearly as did the Jewish people (Leviticus 19:34).

So important is this injunction to Judaism, that there is the well-known Rabbinic story of Hillel and a pagan scoffer who asked Hillel to summarize for him the entire Torah in the briefest manner. Hillel replied "Whatever is hateful unto thee, do it not unto thy fellow, this is the whole Torah; the rest is explanation."

So how then are brothers to treat brothers? Both Judaism and Freemasonry would answer, with justice and Charity. Masonry defines Justice as "that standard or boundary of right which enables us to render unto every man his just due, without distinction." And in Deuteronomy 16:20 we are admonished, "Justice, Justice shalt thou follow...." Repeating the word Justice emphasizes the "supreme duty of equal-handed justice to all." This phrase is the keynote of the demand for social righteousness by the Prophets, Psalmists, and Sages, and, not least, among the teachers and leaders for over 2,000 years. Judaism sees Justice and righteousness as the major ethical qualities of God and man, upon which all other ethical commandments rest. The Jewish conception of Justice stresses equality and the equitable treatment of individuals and peoples, so that every man receives his Just due "without distinction" as to rank or wealth or honors.

Because man is created in the image of God, each individual human life is sacred and of infinite worth and deserving of being treated with dignity. Consequentially, Judaism teaches the utmost importance of treating each individual as a personality possessing the right to life, honor, and the fruits of his labor. Rabbi Hertz writes that justice is the awe-inspired respect for the personality of others, and their inalienable rights; even as injustice is the most flagrant manifestation of disrespect for the personality of others.

But the Jewish concept of justice and righteousness (tzedakah) does not end with avoiding doing harm against our brothers and sisters. justice is a positive concept, and for Judaism includes charity, philanthropy, and all endeavors aimed at bringing out the highest and best in others. Judaism seeks to improve the world and the relations among men and nations by spreading wide the net of justice, through both great and small acts of tzedakah. Hence the long Jewish tradition of promoting social justice through various societies and agencies, and involvement in political reform and civil liberties movements. Justice and loving kindness (hesed) go hand in hand-so that strict justice must, in its execution, be mitigated by humanity. As I quoted the Prophet Micah above, "to do justly and to love mercy" sums up man's duty to his fellow men and women.

Thus, the poor man as well as the rich man are considered to be brothers. When the poor man is in need, he is to be relieved ungrudgingly with an open hand and an open heart. Yet in matters in dispute before a judge, there is to be neither prejudice in favor of the poor nor fear of offending the rich, but there must be justice. Every man is to be judged in the scale of merit; we mus not condemn men's actions by appearances, but put the best interpretation on the deeds of our fellowmen.

Charity became so identified with justice, that the Hebrew word izedakab, meaning righteousness (and synonymous with the word misbpat or "justice") came to denote charity almost exclusively. The Masonic definition of Relief as "a duty incumbent upon all men, but particularly on Masons" is closely linked with the Judaic commandment or duty to take positive actions for the relief of a fellow man or woman in distress or suffering. Indeed, a Jew who, seeing a person in distress but taking no action, was often thought not to be a true descendant of Abraham.

Nevertheless, Judaism speaks of tzeclakah and Freemasonry refers to charity, words with different origins and meanings. We have already discussed "tzedakah." The word "charity" comes from the Latin caritas, and denotes something different from "justice." In the early years of the Common Era, when Christianity was developing out of Judaism, the Latin word caritas, or love, came to be identified with the Greek word agape. Agape is a complex religious concept explaining the love of God or Christ for mankind. It is the spiritual love of one Christian for another, corresponding to the love that God has for man in all his imperfections and sinfulness. Agape is the unselfish love of one person for another, in emulation of Jesus' love for all men and women, but especially the poor and the outcast. Since the original Christian scriptures were written in Aramaic and then Greek, they of necessity had to be translated into Latin, to appeal to the western end of the Roman Empire. Agape was translated as caritas, which has come down to us as the word Charity, and in its religious connotation refers to Christian love or spiritual benevolence.

And so we read in Masonic ritual, from I Corinthians I and 13:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal....

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Freemasonry and Judaism thus have different bases for taking action to assist the distressed and homeless: one being justice and mercy, the other spiritual benevolence and philanthropy.

But how are tzedakah and charity to be administered? Tzedakah calls for more than mere almsgiving. In its exercise there must be kindness and tenderness, so as not to shame the poor or put him in disgrace. The human dignity and personality of the recipient must not be hurt or lowered. The great Jewish philosopher Malmonides wrote in the late 12th century C.E. that Whoever gives charity to the poor with bad grace and downcast looks, though he bestow a thousand gold pieces, all the merit of his action is lost. He must give with good grace, gladly, cheerfully, and with an abundance of sympathy for the poor in his plight. It is the kind word, the gentle reception and sympathetic attitude that help and encourage the poor and needy more than the giving of a coin.

Maimonides defined the moral and ethical hierarchy of giving tzedakah by his list of the Eight Degrees of Almsgiving, a standard of righteousness with which I think all Masons could concur. On an ascending level they are:

• The eighth and lowest level of charity is when one gives charity grudgingly.

• The seventh level is when one gives less than he should, but does so cheerfully.

• The sixth level is when one gives directly to the poor upon being asked.

• The fifth level is when one gives the alms directly to the poor without being asked.

• The fourth level is when the giving is indirect. The recipient knows who he giver is, but the giver does not know the identity of the recipient.

• The third level is when the giver knows the identity of the recipient, but the recipient does not know the identity of the giver.

• The second highest level is when the one who gives is unaware of the recipient, and the recipient is unaware of the giver. When Jews and Freemasons contribute to communal funds or to special charity funds, they are acting on this level of generosity and caring. The various synagogues and Jewish Federations maintain charitable funds, trusts, and endowments for aiding those in need. The Masonic Homes Endowment Fund in California is a classic example of a fund whose resources give great benefits to many, but whose beneficiaries never know the countless donors to this charity.

• The highest form of charity is to help sustain a person before he becomes Impoverished, by offering a substantial gift in a dignified manner or by extending a suitable loan, or by helping him find employment or establish himself in business. Thus it will be unnecessary for him to become dependent upon others. The Hebrew Free Loan Association system is widely known for giving interest-free loans to Jews (and non-Jews) to meet short term needs (such as apartment rental deposits) or to help start a business.

The founder of San Francisco's very successful Just Desserts bakery was one such recipient. He created a new business, which in turn was able to create jobs for people who might otherwise be unemployed. He has long since repaid the loan, and continues to be a major donor of capital to the Free Loan Association that benefited him so much.

Freemasonry, similarly, grants scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students, enabling them to enjoy the benefits of an advanced education, and to become the teachers, doctors, scientists and philosophers for the next generation, who in turn will have an impact on the lives of unknown numbers of people. Charity or tzedakah exercised on the highest levels each create a ripple effect for the benefit of the brotherhood of man.

One final word on the intersection or convergence of these two great institutions, in the area of tzedakah, relief, and charity. A distinguishing character of Masonic philanthropy is that with its "rich tradition of sharing comes the Masonic ideal of anonymous good works." Freemasonry has seldom or never broadcast charitable activities to any great extent to the general public. Yes, the public may be aware of the Shrine Hospitals and Burn Centers for children, or perhaps of a Grand Lodge scholarship program, but it knows little of the Masonic homes, museums and libraries, and the extent and depth of community support given freely by Masons, lodges, and Grand Lodges. And so private has been Masonic charity in thousands of small, personal instances, that even Masons cannot fully catalogue or tabulate the full extent of Masonic tzedakah in the United States. This desire for privacy for the recipient is basic to the exercise of the Masonic duty to "soothe the unhappy, to sympathize with their misfortunes ... and to restore peace to their troubled minds." Brother Morris cites Dorothy Ann Lipson's book Freemasonry in Federalist Connecticut:

Masonic charity was secret unlike civic charity whose administration made the entire town privy to the needs of each recipient. The derogation of character implicit in acknowledging poverty must have compounded suffering. In contrast the Masons asked, "What has the world to do with private transactions, whether a widow, an orphan, or a pilgrim has obtained relief?"

And so, in the final analysis, while Judaism teaches us to be charitable because of Divine commandments to be just, kind, and merciful, and Freemasonry speaks of charity as spiritual benevolence, yet in actual practice by real human beings, both the religious and secular institutions enjoin us to respect the personality and sacredness of each individual, to extend the hand of Brotherly Love and friendship to all men and women, and to honor and respect those in the greatest need of material and spiritual support.

Judaism and Freemasonry are indeed distinct institutions. Judaism is a religion of faith and revelation, yet it is also very much of this world as each Jew applies the ethical obligations and religious duties to his or her daily life.

Freemasonry is a secular fraternity, distinguished from other fraternities by the emphasis it places on the place of ethics and morality in the daily lives of its members, and its enjoining of each member to practice the domestic and public virtues, with justice as the guide of all their actions in this world.

As institutions, Judaism and Freemasonry are indeed focused on making this world better for the people living now, and to hand down those improvements from generation to generation -"L'Dor Va'Dor." To paraphrase Moses in his farewell to the Jewish people in Deuteronomy, the commandments are not in the sky, or in the earth, but they are in your mouths and on your lips. We do not have far to seek the Brotherhood of Man, justice, Mercy, Tzedakah and Charity-they are before us.

Bibliography

California Masonic Code, 1956 Edition, The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of California, San Francisco, California.

Freemasonry. A Way of Life, pamphlet published by The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of California, San Francisco, California, undated.

What's a Mason, brochure published by Masonic Information Center, Masonic Service Association, Silver Spring, Maryland, undated.

Bessel, Paul M., "Freemasonry and Judaism, " a paper originally prepared to accompany presentations at a number of Masonic Lodges and Royal Arch Mason Chapters, 1989,1995, and 1997.

Budkofsky, Morris 1, "Prayer-Your Sect or Mine-Neither," Short Talk Bulletin, Volume 66, Number 9, Masonic Service Association of the United States, Silver Spring, Maryland, September 1988.

Donin, Rabbi Hayim Halevy, To Be a Jew, Basic Books, Inc., New York, 1972.

Haggard, Forrest D, "Freemasonry and Religion are Compatible", Short Talk Bulletin, Volume 67, Number 11, Masonic Service Association of the United States, Silver Spring, Maryland, November 1989.

Haywood, H. L., The Great Teachings of Masonry, Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply Co., Inc., Richmond, Virginia, 1971 edition

Hertz, Dr. Joseph H., Daily Prayer Book, Revised Edition Bloch Publishing Company, New York, 1975.

Hertz, Dr. Joseph H., Editor, The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, Second Edition, Soncino Press, London, 1993.

Isaacs, Ronald H., Mitzvot. A Sourcebok for the 613 Commandments, Jason Aronson Inc., Northvale, NewJersey, London, 1996.

Jackson, Thomas W., "Masons Making a Difference" Short Talk Bulletin, Volume 70, Number 9, Masonic Service Association of the United States, Silver Spring, Maryland, September 1992.

McLeod, Wallace, The Grand Design, Published by Anchor Communications, Highland Springs, Virginia, for Iowa Lodge of Research No. 2, Des Moines, Iowa, 1991.

Minkin, Jacob S., The Teachings of Maimonides, Jason Aronson Inc., Northvale, New Jersey, London, 1987.

Morris, S. Brent, 'And the Greatest of These is Charity" Short Talk Bulletin, Volume 69, Number 5, Masonic Service Association of the United States, Silver Spring, Maryland, May 1991.

Schieck, Harold J., "In Whom Do You Put Your Trust" Short Talk Bulletin, Volume 74, Number 9, Masonic Service Association of the United States, Silver Spring, Maryland, September 1996.

The Decline in Masonic Membership

It's not completely our fault.

by James W Hogg, MPS

Preface:

This article details the thoughts and perceptions of the author, who grew up in the 1960's and 1970's, as a member of the baby boom generation. It is not meant to assert that there is only one way of viewing the events leading up to the present. Necessarily, some generalizations have been made in presenting this material. Any good lawyer will acknowledge that, for the most part, there is an exception to every rule. Where reference is made to a "liberal" view, this describes a philosophical theory or belief- not a political commentary. The author has attempted to write in a politically neutral style. "Liberalism" is known to transcend both of the political parties in our two party system of politics in the United States. Members of both of these parties hold liberal beliefs to various extent. There are many different ways to look at things. The purpose of this article is to provoke serious thinking, brought to your attention by a member of one group Masonry would like to target for future membership growth. This article merely advances some of these viewpoints as perceived by the author.

Agenda of social engineers of the 60's

Society has changed dramatically since the heyday of Freemasonry after World War II. These were the days of unprecedented growth in America's economy, bringing with it prosperity and a wide variety of well paying jobs. During these years, it was possible for the average wage earner to raise a family on one income. We were rebuilding our economy in the wake of the war with many new manufacturing jobs. Back in those years, America was the innovator and virtually all the well made products came from the industrialized countries, such as the United States, Germany, and Great Britain. "Made in the U. S. A." became a mark of quality. Then came the 1960's. What changed? We had a new liberal focus on the way things should be for a better future. Along with this came the civil rights protests in the South, resulting in new laws being passed by the legislature in Washington guaranteeing civil rights to everyone. This conjures up images of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I have a dream" speech. No longer would segregated schools and racial discrimination in this great land of ours be tolerated. Now, there were laws on the books to prevent this type of discrimination against others because of their race. Today, these laws are also being applied with respect to gender. Recent developments in the law provide that one cannot discriminate against an individual because she happens to be a woman. Examples of this are the U. S. armed forces and the B.P.0. Elks. Today, both must accept women among their ranks. This new outlook was to have a profound influence on not only Freemasonry, but other fraternal organizations and private clubs throughout the United States.

Results of this change - tax code, public accommodation laws, disdain for private groups

The social engineers of the 60's saw this as an opportunity to re-mold our society and change things to dismantle the old ways of doing business. This was the beginning of a new attitude toward private groups and fraternal organizations. These groups were seen as hotbeds of racial discrimination and no longer of use to a civilized society where everyone was supposed to be equal. It was thought that because these groups selected those with whom they wanted to be associated with by ballot of the membership, this was tantamount to discrimination. It was also a well known fact that membership in certain of these organizations benefitted the members in their business endeavors. Frequently, business meetings were held within the rooms of private clubs. Thus, the social engineers asked, "why should members of private clubs be permitted to use their memberships in these clubs to benefit themselves financially?" They saw this as the epitome of an "old boy's" network, to which those who were not white male Caucasians were excluded from participation.

With this general analysis as a base, new laws were promulgated. The result is the familiar rubric of Internal Revenue tax code regulations concerning what a tax exempt organization can and cannot do with respect to retaining its tax exempt status. Also, the public accommodation laws on the federal level came into being, severely restricting what a private group could do if it wished to remain private and keep its Constitutional First Amendment right of freedom of association. To quote from coverage of the General Governor's report contained in the August/September 1997 issue of Moose Magazine, which is the international publication of the Loyal Order of Moose: "The Private Policy, which essentially states that only members of the Loyal Order of Moose and the Women of the Moose may enjoy full Social Quarters privileges within our Lodges, was emphasized throughout the General Governor's report [to the 109th International Convention]. He noted that in the U. S., the Internal Revenue Service has recently stiffened enforcement and penalties against fraternal and veterans' organizations that sell merchandise to non-members. 'Sales to non-members threaten a Lodge's right to privacy and its not-for profit status,' said [David A.] Chainbers [the out-going General Governor]. 'The rule is simple; you are either a member or a guest, but you cannot be both. Non-members cannot make purchases in our Lodges. In other words, non-members cannot spend one penny. Moose Magazine, p. 14. [emphasis ill original]. From all of this, it is very clear that our Federal Government has a complete disdain for private organizations for many of the reasons outlined above.

Case in point.

Judge David B. Sentelle.

President Reagan nominated judge Sentelle on February 2, 1987, to be a U. S. circuit judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit. judge Sentelle happens to be a prominent Mason from North Carolina, having been unanimously confirmed by the U. S. Senate on October 16, 1985, to be a U. S. District Court judge for the Western District of North Carolina. It seems that this time, his membership in the Masonic fraternity became of issue during the nomination and confirmation process in the Senate. The issue raised there should be very familiar to everyone by now: invidious racial discrimination. After a lengthy discourse about what the fraternity represents, a tally of present and past U. S. Presidents and legislators as being Masons, and a reference to our own Sovereign Grand Commander advising that Freemasonry does not discriminate based on race, color or creed, judge Sentelle was confirmed. Freemasonry was under attack in the United States Senate of all places! I recommend as required reading the Senate proceeding, which contains the details of this account. It can be found in the 100th Congress, First Session, p. S-1 1868 to 11870, which was re-printed in Transactions, The American Lodge of Research, F &A M., Vol XV, No. 3 - 1983.

Government being the answer to everything

The liberal view of government also embraced the concept that government was the answer to everything. No matter what the problem was, it could be solved by establishing another government agency on the federal level. All we had to do was give this new agency money to address whatever happened to be the problem of the day. A perfect solution would be found and implemented by the agency and all would be well with the world. This attitude began with Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" era, later to be refined during Lyndon B. Johnson's "Great Society". Indeed, government also grew in latter years during George Bush's administration with tax increases and more government regulation imposed on the people. It was not until the late 60's where we finally achieved deficit spending on the federal level on a recurring basis. The belief was, and still is today, that we can spend and tax our way out of all the problems facing us. High taxes are necessary to maintain a large and strong central government. This Is one reason why it takes two incomes to accomplish today what one income could do in the 1950's. The general public is generally thought to have insufficient knowledge to know what is best for them. Thus, the need for a large and strong central government. After all, someone needs to protect the people from themselves.

Vietnam era protests,

anti-establishment views

The protest movement surrounding the Vietnam War added fire to this new liberal view of government. The post World War II baby boomers growing up in the 50's and 60's did not want to fight in this unpopular war in Southeast Asia. Many asked: just what was the U. S. really doing there in the first place? These young people saw those running our country as the establishment and they wanted change. Many saw versions of socialism as the answer to all of our, problems. Not coincidentally, the belief was that private groups and clubs, such as Freemasonry, were part of the establishment. In the eyes of these baby boomers, this was considered bad. We had a big central government now to take care of all our needs. Private groups and clubs were no longer considered relevant in this newly re-engineered society. Another thing that did not set well with these baby boomers was the way in which our returning Vietnam Veterans were generally treated by our society. They were openly criticized and, for the most part, not welcomed back after serving in the armed forces. This was quite a stark contrast from the welcome that awaited those returning from military service after World War 11. It is interesting to note that today, many of these baby boomers are now running our country. It is no small wonder that they feel the way they do about private organizations such as ours!

The Re-engineering of our Educational system.

Concerning perceptions gained by our youth regarding fraternal organizations, there is one other dynamic that comes into play and that concerns how our children have been educated in the recent past. The social engineers also were able to influence our institutions of higher learning, convincing educators that the new liberal view of government was good for the country and would vastly improve the standard of living for everyone - particularly those who were poor or disadvantaged. The siren call was irresistible. Who could possibly be against helping the poor and enhancing educational and occupational opportunities for the disadvantaged? Opposing these ideals would be un-American! Thus, we instituted a socially responsible curriculum in America's schools and colleges. Those of us who grew up under this new system were taught all about the evils of race discrimination and how the government was there to help us, doing many great things for the people. We were also taught that collective bargaining was good for America and that, generally, big business was greedy and had no interest in its workers' well being. We were also taught that the Keynesian theory of economics was the universal and accepted way of studying business and economic cycles in America. Let us not forget the concept of new math - also a product of the 60's. None of our educational materials ever mentioned Freemasonry, the Moose, Elks, the American Legion, V. F. W., or the many other worthy organizations in existence at the time. Only one time do I recall a passing reference to the Grange and its relationship to farming being mentioned in connection with a social studies course I had in grade school. None of the schools I attended ever had any programs where groups such as these ever conducted a program or presentation for the students. I had never heard of Freemasonry until I was a junior in high school and then I happened upon it only because I was a stamp collector. To make matters worse, I could find nothing in my high school or university libraries that would tell me what Freemasonry was! (Note: I grew up in the Northeast.) This raises an interesting question: How can fraternal organizations encourage people to join them if prospective members have no clue as to what a fraternal organization does and has to offer? Put another way, people will not enter a store unless they perceive that there is something within that store which they can obtain to fulfill a need. Remember, however, that one major reason for this lack of available information was that private groups were seen as being part of what was wrong with America!

Change in corporate culture and

financial rewards to employees.

The gradual shift in the moral perception of society is reflected in the new corporate culture in existence today. In the years that my father pursued his career, loyalty and hard work were usually rewarded by promotions and the ability to climb the corporate ladder to success. This made career planning relatively easy. Also, many companies shared their profits with the employees because, after all, they were the ones who made the wheels turn generating corporate earnings. When the company did well, so did the workers. Profit sharing today, generally, is now relegated to the top corporate executives and the shareholders of a corporation. When the workers do get profit sharing, it is not as generous as the way it was in the old days. A case in point is this: A neighbor who lived across the street from me while I was growing up received a profit sharing' bonus in the early 1950's amounting to $30,000 from her employer. (Note: that is $30,000 in early 1950's dollars. Think about what that would be worth today.) At the time, she was an executive secretary for a mining firm that mined Molybdenum, a mineral used in the steel making process. The company she worked for was a predecessor to another company, which is known today as Amerax. She informed me that everyone in the firm received bonuses like this that particular year, according to position and years of service. When she received her bonus, she was called into the President's office, made to feel comfortable, and told that the firm was grateful for her services as an employee. It was at that time she was handed the envelope containing the $30,000 check. In the years following, the bonuses were smaller, more typically amounting to anywhere from one half to 100% of her salary for the previous year. The story nowadays is different. While profit sharing does exist today, it rarely reaches heights such as in this example just described. There are, of course, exceptions - such as securities firms on Wall Street after an extraordinarily successful bull market year. As for wages in general, it should be noted that the relationship between a top executive's pay and the average worker's pay today continues to grow in disproportionate ways. This is a matter of public record. just pick up a proxy statement for almost any public corporation and this fact becomes very evident.

Loyalty generally goes unrewarded,

employment security suffers.

Today, we are in an era of mergers and acquisitions, resulting in a constant re-engineering of a company's reason for existence. This generally means that downsizing for competitiveness is in order. This includes layoffs to make way for productivity advances through the use of technology and automation. Loyalty is generally no longer a part of the equation. An employee's loyalty to company A is meaningless when company B steps in and acquires company A. There is no longer employment security, especially after a merger has taken place or when an economic recession grips the economy. This is evidenced by the sheer number of workers who job hop regularly. The economic fortunes of a company are more tenuous today as well. For example, look at the Hudson Foods scare, where E.Coli bacteria was found in meat processed by this firm. This resulted in an expensive recall of processed meat, ultimately resulting in the company being sold to another corporation. One can only wonder if the owners of Hudson Foods received a fair price for their company! Consider also the number of jobs that were lost after Wells Fargo Corporation acquired First Interstate Bank Corp. and the former began downsizing the product of the two combined organizations. These are just two of many examples one could cite.

Civility in business is lacking.

Civility in competition between business existed in the 60's when I was growing up. Rarely did one see a business deprecating its competition in advertisements during that era. Today, one hears it on a daily basis. A case in point is the current burger war between McDonald's and Burger King. The tatter introduced a burger that is very similar to one marketed by McDonald's and has been advertising that "the Big King is better than the Big Mac because it's bigger and more tasty." Back then, this was just not done. The competitor was simply referred to as "brand X"

Freemasonry in prospective.

As Masons, we are all aware of what Freemasonry represents and what it teaches. I need not reiterate them here. Our ceremonies are beautiful and the lessons taught in them are great. There is no doubt about this. However, look at modern life today. We have experienced a decline in civility, increase in crime, and a general lack of concern for others. Would this condition exist today if our fraternity were as powerful and influential as it was years ago? That, unfortunately, is a question that none of us can really answer. We would all hope that the answer is a resounding "no." We must all attempt to find a way to make Freemasonry relevant and applicable to our fellow man in today's society. Failure to do this will mean Freemasonry's eventual extinction in future years.

Masonic Renewal Success is a

journey, not a destination

A lot has changed in the United States in the last 40 years. Unfortunately, we in the Masonic Fraternity were not paying attention to these changes over those many years. One of the great things we have established in the fraternity, which is long overdue, is a Masonic Renewal Plan. We are attempting to define Freemasonry as it applies to society today. No longer is it possible for us to continue doing things as they have been done in the past. Today, we must identify benefits that we can confer on our new members, find new ways to satisfy their needs for associating with their fellow men, and new ways to benefit new Masons' families and their communities. Do we know what these needs are and how to fulfill them? After all, isn't this what we are really "selling" in our Masonic "store"? The only way we will be able to restore Masonry to its former position of respect in society is through hard work, good public relations, and providing solutions to the needs of today's society. We have some very capable brothers behind this effort, along with some very talented professionals to help us implement the plans. My prayers are that these efforts will pay off. However, the results will be hard won and will certainly come slowly. We must remember that true success is a journey and not a destination. There is no such thing as instant success in any field. We all must do the best we can if we want to preserve the rich heritage of our fraternity for those who will follow us in the years to come.

Reflection's

Getting Bumped

by Skip Boyer, MPS

In ancient times, the great teachers and philosophers sat informally upon the steps of the great temples and libraries and discussed great issues for the benefit of their students and the masses. Plato, Homer, Sophocles and others held legendary dialogues on the nature of man and the universe, the nature of the earth (flat, at the time), and the relationship of people to their leaders, their environment and themselves.

We do pretty much the same thing today-except we've eliminated the temples, libraries, discussions and teachers. We still, however, converse about the nature of just about everything. We use bumper stickers to do it.

The great philosophical thoughts about the major issues of the day are recorded on the bumpers of everything from '57 Chevrolets to '97 BMWs. On those bumpers, we discuss everything from world peace and saving whales to individual driving habits and the relative location of cell phones while driving.

I've been collecting bumper sticker philosophy. There may be a book or something in it. I saw one yesterday that I liked: "Eat more moose; 70,000 wolves can't be wrong." It was on the back of a pickup truck from British Columbia.

Here are a few other gems from the collection:

I love cats; they taste like chicken.

Cover me. I'm changing lanes.

*Hiroshima '45; Chernobyl '86; Windows'95.

Why is abbreviation such a long word?

It's lonely at the top. But you eat better.

They are out to get you.

We must also pay tribute to a true genius in this business of bumper sticker philosophy. That would be Paul Rosa of Colorado Springs. You may have never heard of him but you've certainly read his work.

You've seen that sticker, "My Student Made the Honor Role" or one of similar message? Well, Rosa is the guy who produced the follow-up: "My Kid Beat Up Your Honor Student."

That, of course, gave birth to an entire generation of stickers. "My Kid Sold Your Honor Student the Answers to the Test." "Your Kid May Be an Honor Student, but You're Still an Idiot." Rosa has even formed a company Idiot Inc. to market his stickers.

There are other stickers in the collection.

Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

• I suuport publik edekasion.

• Give me ambiguity or give me something else.

• The gene pool could use a little chlorine.

• Very funny, Scotty. Now beam down my clothes.

Forget about world peace ... visualize using your turn signal.

Puritanism: the haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy.

Consciousness: that annoying time between naps.

We are Microsoft. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

I like you but I wouldn't want to see you working with sub-atomic particles.

Well, enough of this. This is the sort of thing that happens when the weather gets hot and thinking becomes more of a challenge than usual.

Still, if you can't think of anything else to do, read the bumpers of the cars occupying the jammed freeway lanes with you on the way home tonight. It may be the best thing about your commute home.

How Did It Ever Come To This?

by Stuart M. Cowan, MPS

In January, 1993, 1 gave this speech or something similar to it, as my Grand Oration to the Grand Lodge of Hawaii. Not too much has changed in the past 5 years, save the killing fields of foreign lands have removed themselves to the school campuses of these United States, the latest outrage being Littleton, Colorado, where incidentally, my youngest daughter attended high school. Thus this subject, "Prayer in Public Schools", is again at the top of the charts. You have the dubious honor of listening to it again. Maybe things will change. In any event, I give you here the Mother of All Disclaimers. The thoughts contained in this presentation are those of the deliverer only. However maybe somewhere in the world, this wee small voice in the wilderness may yet be heard though lately it has been joined by a number of radio and TV talk show hosts echoing the sentiment that we have replaced spirituality with violence in our school systems and that morality has fled our educational establishment. If Freemasons everywhere will unite to put prayer and moral values back in our schools, this will have served its purpose.

In the October, 1992 issue of the University of Pennsylvania Gazette, I read an article entitled "Responding to a Whispered Summons" by Dr. Thomas Childers, Professor of History at the University and an authority on modern German history. The "whispered summons" Dr. Childers discovered almost 50 years after the Last Great War to End All Wars, was a faded snapshot of the flag draped casket of his uncle who was shot down over Nazi Germany at the close of World War 11 during the last "penultimate" allied bombing raid. This photograph gave Dr. Childers the "raison d'etre" of his career in teaching and writing about modern Germany. Without detailing the. reasons for the rise of Nazism in the 1930's and the popularity Hitler attained across the general spectrum of socioeconomic levels in pre-war Germany, the world learned, to its sorrow, that the Third Reich sprang from a series of problems common to all of modern society and which yet pervade our lives today. Dr. Childers cautions that it was foolhardy to see fascism and its disastrous consequences to the world as peculiarly German. He states that "On May 2nd, 1945, the Third Reich ceased to exist. When the last Anglo-American bomb had been dropped on central Europe, the last Russian shell had landed and the German people began emerging from their hiding places to survey the smoking heaps of rubble that had once. been Berlin, or Dresden, or Hamburg, there must have been a moment, however fleeting, when the grisly reality of all that had happened fell in upon them", and they asked themselves the question:

How Did It Ever Come To This?

The story was not and is not unique to Germany. It is about us even now! Its lessons apply to all of us, touch all of us who live in democratic societies. Dr. Childers admonishes us to be vigilant about our rights. When the rights of any group are violated, our liberty is jeopardized and put at risk - and we cast about in horror and may again have to ask the question:

How Did It Ever Come To This?

And how do we avoid having to ask ourselves that very same question now, or a year from now, or a decade or twenty years from now? And how do we Masons fit into the equation thus to avoid our children's children having to answer this question? So on the subject matter of the day, we need to arrive at an accommodation to allow those who wish to pray, to pray and for those who will have none of it, for whatever reason, the ability to ignore our prayers or have "equal time" to do their own thing. But we cannot continue to allow an asserted "right" of a very, very, small minority to over ride the "rights" of far and away the huge majority of our peoples and lead us thus into anarchy.

We read daily in our newspapers... hear daily on our radios... see daily on our television screens, the results of ignorance, apathy, bigotry, intolerance, injustice, intemperate conduct, the same sort of things which led inexorably to the Germany of May 2nd, 1945. Images of civil abuses, of school shootings, indiscriminate domestic bombings and the aftermaths of these events must stay with us as vivid reminders of our absolute determination and dedication to protect and preserve our social fabric and systems and our hard won Freedoms.

The late 1930's saw the introduction of some of the super heroes of my youth. Young Billy Batson walked the Halls of justice and confronted the Seven Deadly Sins. Vowing to fight these and all evil and oppression, with the cry of "Shazam!", he became Captain Marvel. A succession of comic book superheroes fighting evil and crime followed Captain Marvel. But is the Superman or Batman of yesteryear with us today in some mutation other than the imaginations of Hollywoood writers? We know the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - death, war, famine, pestilence: are yet with us, and we fight them in places like Rwanda, Iraq, Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, Jonesboro and Chicago. Unfortunately, we cannot shout "Shazam" or duck into a handy phone booth, turn into a super hero and defeat those Riders foretold to us in the Book of Revelations. Are we destined always to be Clark Kent or Billy Batson or can we clothe ourselves with attributes of Superman or Captain Marvel.). The answer is deep within us all, because each of us as Masons, have a modicum of super hero in our souls dedicated to the elimination of the perverse new forms of the Kristelnachts, Tianamen Squares and Cambodias of the past. When next may we expect a new outbreak of violence, bigotry, or intolerance, and what can we Masons do about it. In our Masonic lives and conduct, how do we avoid having to ask the question:

How Did It Ever Come To This?

There must be another way, if we are to avoid awakening to' the dawn of another May 2nd, 1945 and asking, How Did It Ever Come To This? There are stable futures for us and our unborn generations if we Masons provide leadership, guidance and counsel to light the way. So start with basics. Remember the Cornerstones of Freemasonry: Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. Promulgate and teach these Great Principles to those outside the Fraternity. Assist the Brotherhood of Man to understand and encompass the tenets we know and teach.

We have seen a gradual erosion and deterioration of our freedoms and a steady rise of anarchy. Yet in a kind of perverse dichotomy, in the name of Freedom, we slowly destroy our Freedoms. Our modern society is the greatest system of government conceived in the recorded history of Man (by Masons I must note in passing). But we are allowing it to deteriorate and fade away. While we condemn immorality, in the name of justice we excuse those who are immoral and thus erode those basic institutions we held most dear in this society.

As citizens and Masons, we deplore the increasing delinquency and violence of our youth, decreasing attendance in our Churches and schools, substance abuse and high crime rates, a general lack of self esteem, and apathy in our communities. This in some large measure is tracable to a serious disregard in our schools.

As Masons, we express belief in the existence of a Supreme Being and we support our public schools. Yet we are in the midst of failure, if a look around us is any indication. How have we failed, our God, our Schools, our Country, ourselves? And how do we Masons help avoid the question:

How Did It Ever Come To This?

In 1962, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, a self-professed "atheist", pleading the theory of separation of Church and State, "prayed" the State of Maryland to disallow prayer in Public Schools. But having been Madalyn's lawyer when she came to live in Honolulu in the mid-sixties, I can unequivocally state that Madalyn Murray and her family were no more atheists than you or I. In passing I note her son William, in whose name that litigation was brought, has been a Christian activist for the past twenty years. And I also offer a personal vote of thanks that Madalyn was unsuccessful in her later efforts to remove "God" from the Pledge of Allegiance to our Flag and the motto, "In God We Trust", from the coinage of the realm. Yet in agreeing with Murray's extreme minority claim to abolish prayer in public schools, the Supreme Court unfortunately wrought the single greatest change in the morals and ethics of our society since the founding of our country in 1775, which to this speaker at least, is responsible for'many of our social ills today. In response to an unvoiced desire of perhaps 7.5% of our population who profess no religion, and who would be free to ignore prayer at their option, we have destroyed the right of 92% of our citizenry, publicly to worship as they see fit, if they see fit, and when and where they see fit. In short, we have destroyed one of the fundamental and supposedly inalienable rights for which our forebears fought and died and upon which this nation was founded, one Nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.

While all would agree that the extreme minority has rights which should be protected, when the protection of those rights infringes on the ability to exercise freely and independently those rights consecrated to the rest of society, the pendulum has swung too far. Reduced to its simplest terms, the right to swing one's fist ends where another's nose begins. I firmly believe, and I think the Brotherhood of Freemasonry believes, that society's collective nose begins in the classroom, with the right, no - obligation, to reinstate a voluntarily expressed belief in a Supreme Being in the public school systems of this country.

Prior to Madalyn, our schools taught morals, ethics and behaviour forming the basis and guidelines of our lives. We prayed to the God of our choice.

Or we ignored prayer if we chose. Or we offered thanks or no thanks to no God at all, as we saw fit. We daily recited excerpts from Holy Writings and gave the pledge of allegiance to the Flag of our Country (which fortunately still has reference to "One Nation, Under God"). We recognized through the power of our personal prayer, if we chose to do so, the existence of something outside ourselves, that greater Being to whom we owed our allegiance, our gratitude, and our existence.

But for the past thirty plus years, we allowed "prayer" in our schools to be abolished, and having done so, ignored the cornerstone on which our ethics, behavior and teachings are based. We deprived our children of the lessons they needed and required to avoid temptations, wrongdoing and failure. Surveys reveal that over 80% of Americans disapprove of these restrictions and desire that we continue and resurrect in our schools, the right to acknowledge, each in his own way, of the existence of the Supreme Being, and to render Thanks to Him for His Gifts to us. But, in the name of "Freedom" our generation has retreated to the "blissful" dark ages of the 16th century.

That this "ignorance" is bliss is no more exemplified than by the 16th century mandates of the powers of that age that the Sun and Universe revolved around the Earth. In 1532, Galileo Galilei was commanded by those powers that he not hold or defend Copernican theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun. He was hauled before the Inquisition because he supported the discoveries of then modern astronomy and commanded to abjure his opinions and teachings regarding Copernican theory and to submit to penitence on account of them. Galileo could not and in his heart of hearts deny the truth of the Universe, but neither could he convince the ignorant of the truth of his beliefs, much as we today are unable to convince those in authority of the need for prayer at the start and conclusion of "every important undertaking". It is curious indeed that our children may not invoke the Blessing of the Supreme Being at the start of the school day-, but every session of Court begins with "God save the United States and this Honorable Court"; and the sessions of our legislative bodies invariably commence and close with an Invocation and a Benediction. As Alice once said during her travels and travails in Wonderland: It gets "curiouser and curiouser!".

How doth the little crocodile

Improve his shining tail

And pour the waters of the Nile

In every golden scale.

How cheerfully he seems to grin

How neatly spreads his claws

And welcomes little fishes in

With gently smiling jaws!

If we cannot become the Galileo Galilel of today's world, we should not allow our Institutions to become the crocodile of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland. We must remember we espouse the Eternal Truth that we owe allegiance to a Supreme Being. We ought not to be castigated for our refusal to concede the erroneous tenets of a discriminatorily secular but very vocal small minority, tenets which our physical beings deny, our morals and ethics deny, and which God has denied. If we have not the eyes to see and the vision to observe the world around us, we perforce return to that 16th century world where society revolves around the individual, God exists for the benefit and use of the State only, and we do not recognize His commands given by Him for our greater good. We be then concerned only with our individual selves, manifesting itself in our failures to teach and acknowledge in our public doings, the existence of a "Superior Force" if you will, of the presence of that Great Architect of the Universe to whom we owe our world, our allegiance, our future, our very being and Whom we cannot ignore. Christian, Jew, Hindu, Moslem, Buddhist, all the great religions and philosophies of Mankind acknowledge these truths -But not our public schools, because in the name of "Freedom", we have inhibited and destroyed the right there to recognize and give Thanks to our Supreme Being.

Today we see the consequences of an absence of religion and God in our homes, our schools and our public life. The failures in our homes and our schools are producing a generation ill prepared to cope with pressures of society. We have instead, an inability freely to walk the streets of our cities safe from violence and harm, an inability to send our children to schools free from shootings and other violence and the abominations of drug dealers and gangs, and we do not any more instill in our young ones those values which at one time inspired our society. These failures pervade our schools, our streets and cities with mayhem and violence, with concommitant erosion of our rights and liberties. They are encouraged by the decay of our moral fibre, abuses of our systems, failures to adhere to values taught by generations past. They multiply our inability to instill in future generations, those lessons taught by the Great Light of Masonry. Moreover, while these values are not now taught in our schools, they are trampled under foot by modern Rap groups, our entertainment industry and today's media. Instead of values, we see violence, incitement to rebellion against civil authority at public events and concerts, indiscriminate shootings, flag burnings, mayhem and murder, violence inspired by Hollywood and the television networks under the guise of Entertainment.

We as Masons need to practice and pass on our "Karma" of morality. Every action produces its own result - if not immediately, then at some future time - and every disposition to act is the result of past actions. This applies to us in Freemasonry thusly:

Our forefathers constructed King Solomon's magnificent Temple. When built it was ecologically, New and Fresh. It was destroyed over the years through social and ecological problems and the devolutions of many succeeding generations. It was liberated, reconstructed and rededicated in 165 BCE when the forces of tyranny were driven from its Gates by our later forebears. In the years since, due to further devastations of subsequent generations, intentional or unintentional - acid rains, smogs, grafitti and debasements of the social fabric, continued to eat away at its warp and woof until today, there remains but one Wailing Wall, and the people go thither to lament the excesses and prodigalities of past generations. And yet once again we Masons are called to rebuild the Temple, not in material form, but that it might continue intrinsically in the hearts, minds and spirits of Manas that "House not made with Hands, Eternal in the Heavens".

From this we learn that each generation remains responsible not only for the present effects of its conduct, but also for the failures to remove the cancers which produce later destruction. We Masons must understand we are responsible not only for building our Institutions, but for the repair and maintenance of those Institutions. If we do our job not well, if we labor not long enough in the quarry, then our future generations must somehow find the solutions ignored by us, or mankind is condemned to inevitable destruction by its own hand.

More than four centuries before Christ, Euripides said: "Whoso neglects learning in his youth, Loses the past and is dead for the future". As was well noted by George Santayana in 1905 -"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".

Masons are dedicated to the belief and existence of a Supreme Being. We are dedicated to the education of our children and the Public Schools of this country. Query: Are these dedications consistent with each other. As justice William Douglas declared 40 years ago, "if in every and all respects there shall be a separation of Church and State, then the state and religion would be alien to each other - hostile, suspicious and even unfriendly.". The former Secretary of Education William Bennett appropriately put it: "A people's faith is intertwined with the issues of the day. It is a wellspring of civic virtue that democracy requires in order to flourish. It promotes hard work and responsibility. It lifts each citizen outside himself and inspires concern for community and country. It is a clarion call to kindness, decency and forgiveness".

We ask: where does it start, and how is it nurtured? We must work at it! As noted in one of our degrees... "Man can only fulfill himself through work. Work and you shall be happy". So must we work now, for ourselves, our children, and the future ages of Masons yet to come. And we must ask ourselves, how shall we preserve that ethical, moral and social "warp and woof' for which our ancestors, labored long and hard, fought and died. Shall we through apathy or ignorance allow the work of hundreds of generations and the Commandants of the Supreme Architect, to lapse for lack of motivation? Remember, there is yet in us the strength of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, in us to help the pendulum return to dead center.

There is pending in the Congress, the Religious Freedom Amendment which if passed, will restore our choices to pray or not pray in our public institutions. And there have been recent court decisions which hold hope that we may publicly revive our Freedoms to believe in our Great Architect above. We Masons need to make our voices heard on this subject.

I was reading Rush Limbaugh's latest newsletter in which he commented on the unfortunate rash of recent violence in the schools:

"I couldn't watch the televised memorial service from Jonesboro without observing: Isn't it amazing how after the fact, we always turn to God? We ask for national prayer. We ask for God's help, we ask for God's guidance, we ask for God's understanding, we pray to God for the forgiveness of sins. Always after the fact.

This subject was recently addressed on the Floor of the House of Representatives by James Traficant from Ohio, who said: "Schools are overrun with drugs, violence, guns, rape, murder, and now even mass murder. It seems America's schools have everything, Congress, everything except prayer. Maybe the so-called experts might finally realize that a nation that denies God in our schools is a nation that encourages the Devil in our schools. The Constitution never, never intended to ban school prayer, and never intended to separate God and the American people. Think about it".

And we Must Think About It. We must help revitalize our schools and institutions with the morals and righteousness given us in the Book of Light and prevail upon our leaders to reinstate observance to our Supreme Being in all the schools and institutions of the land. If we continue to do nothing to reinstate obeisance to the Commandant of the Supreme Ruler when he commanded:

"For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the inequity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me", will we or our children, or our children's children, awake one morning emerge from our hiding places, cast about in horror across the flood waters, and again ask the question:

HOW DID IT EVER COME TO THIS?

As It Was - It Still Is,

The following was written by Dwight L. Smith, FPS

thirty-six years ago. Has anything changed?

Is anyone listening?

Let's face it! Can we expect Freemasonry to retain its past glory and prestige unless the level of leadership is raised above its present position? On many an occasion in the past 14 years, Masters and Secretaries have come into my office to ask my advice on what to do about lagging interest. Again and again I have said, "There is nothing wrong with your Lodge, nor with Freemasonry, that good leadership will not cure." I believe that.

How well are we guarding the West Gate? Again, let's face it. We are permitting too many to pass who can pay the fee and little else. On every hand I hear the same whispered complaint, "We used to be getting petitions for the degrees from the good, substantial leaders in the community. Now we are getting . . ." Just what it is they are getting, you know as well as 1.

Has Freemasonry become too easy to obtain? Fees for the degrees are ridiculously low; annual dues are far too low. Everything is geared to speed-getting through as fast as possible and onto something else. The Lodge demands little and gets little. It expects loyalty, but does almost nothing to put a claim on a man's loyalty. When we ourselves place a cheap value on Masonic membership, how can we expect petitioners and new members to prize it?

The Philalethes Society: an Update

by Wallace McLeod, FPS

Introduction

The philosopher George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." In other words, if we don't where know we've been, we can't tell where we're going. As a great historian noted more than two thousand years ago, there are certain types of events "that happen. and always will happen, so long as human nature remains the same" (Thucydides 3.82.2). These are the reasons why a few of us believe that history is important. So far as the Philalethes Society International is concerned, Allen Roberts has told us the story of the first sixty years in Seekers of Truth (1988) - of which copies are still available. Let me remind you of a few highlights.

The Society was founded in 1928, by six men, explicitly in order to keep free thinkers in Masonry from being muzzled by those "dressed in a little brief authority" (as Shakespeare so aptly puts it, in Measure for Measure, Act 2, Scene 2). Over the years the Society increased its profile. The first issue of the Philalethes magazine appeared in March of 1946. In February, 1956, the Society began to help sponsor a Workshop, as part of the meetings of the Allied Masonic Bodies in Washington. And that same year the first Certificate of Literature was awarded, for the best article published in the magazine. In 1980 the Workshop was replaced by the "Annual Assembly and Feast" (a memorable phrase suggested by Jerry Marsengill, and borrowed from Anderson's Constitutions of 1738). In 1981, for the first time, a Philalethes Lecturer was named, to present a talk at the Assembly and Feast, and, appropriately, the inaugural appointment was Allen E. Roberts. In the April issue of the magazine for 1982, the column "Through Masonic Windows," which had previously been published in the now defunct journal Altar Light, began to appear in the Philalethes. In 1986 the Workshop was revived, under the title of the Forum, but now as a sequel to the Assembly and Feast. The Society had planned to hold a Semi-Annual meeting in 1985, but this proved to be impossible, and the first one actually took place in 1986.

All these efforts raised the profile of the Society, and led to an increase in membership. In 1931 forty fellows had been proclaimed. The total numbers climbed, slowly at first, to over 300 in 1950, over 700 in 1961, over 1000 in 1963, over 1500 in 1976, and over 3000 in 1987. By then the Society was respectable enough that, as we used to put it, it had become "the oldest, largest, and most successful Masonic research body in the United States." Over the years, a number of Brothers who had served as Grand Masters in their respective jurisdictions were persuaded to serve as Presidents of the Philalethes Society. One thinks of such notable members as William Moseley Brown, P.G.M. of Virginia (President, 1958); Robert H. Gollmar, P.G.M. of Wisconsin (President, 1967); William R. Denslow, P.G.M. of Missouri (President, 1970); William E. Yeager, P.G.M. of Pennsylvania (President, 1973); Robert V. Osborne, P.G.M. of Wisconsin, (President, 1974); Eugene S. Hopp, P.G.M. of California (President, 1976); Dwight L. Smith, P.G.M. of Indiana (President, 1979); Robert L. Dillard, P.G.M. ofTexas (President, 1981); Bruce H. Hunt, P.G.M. of Missouri (President, 1983); Forrest D. Haggard, P.G.M. of Kansas (President, 1994); and Royal C. Scofield, P.G.M. of Ohio (President, 1996). A fairly impressive list! Clearly the efforts of such men were beneficial to the Society, and we must be grateful to them for their service.

Since the publication of Seekers of Truth the Society has continued to make progress. Consider the question of electronic media. In the Philalethes magazine, 36.5 (October 1983), Allen Roberts had written: "Computers are in! Everywhere we turn we're finding them. They aren't just for business any more.... Computer clubs are booming. Computer bulletin boards are located all over the country - and world. Has the time arrived for the Freemasons of the country to begin linking their computers, through modems, all over the country? Is it time to consider a Masonic bulletin board? .... Or should Freemasonry ignore this tremendous technological breakthrough as it has so many others?" What a far-sighted prophet! Less than nine years later, the magazine reported, in August, 1992, that a dispensation had been issued to Cornerstone Computer Chapter of the Philalethes Society, and the Chapter was granted a Charter in February, 1993. And the Society's website (now located at the address http://freemasonry.org/psoc/) was opened at the end of June, 1995, and has been very successful. Thus, on March 25, 1999, the site had 1612 visitors - a pretty impressive total for one day.

Semi-Annual Meetings

At the end of his book, Allen Roberts provided a number of lists. Here we might copy his example. We begin with one that, actually, he didn't include- the Semi-Annual Meetings.

[Saturday, 5 October, 1985, Houston, TX; canceled.]

1. Saturday, 20 September, 1986, Los Angeles, CA.

2. Saturday, 26 September, 1987, Cleveland, OR

3 Saturday, I October, 1988, Richmond, VA.

4. Saturday, 23 September, 1989, Toronto, Ontario.

5. Saturday, 29 September, 1990, Oklahoma City, OK.

6. Saturday, 14 September, 1991, Indianapolis, IN.

7. Saturday, 12 September, 1992, Rochester, NY.

8. Saturday, 2 October, 1993, Cleveland, OH.

9. Saturday, 17 September, 1994, Louisville, KY.

10. Saturday, 16 September, 1995, Kansas City, M0

11. Saturday, 5 October, 1996, Minneapolis, MN.

12. Saturday, 27 September, 1997, San Diego, CA.

13. Saturday, 19 September, 1998, Bangor, ME.

Officers of the Society On pages 223-224 of Seekers of Truth, there is a list of the Officers of the Philalethes Society. We might bring it up to date. Officers for 1988-1990, who took office on February 12, 1988: President, Jerry Marsengill; First Vice President, John Mauk Hilliard; Second Vice President, Wallace E. McLeod; Executive Secretary, Allen E. Roberts; Treasurer, Henry G. Law-, Librarian (new office), Harold L. Davidson. Officers for 1990-1992, who took office on February 23, 1990: President, John Mauk Hilliard; First Vice President, Wallace E. McLeod; Second Vice President, Forrest D. Haggard; Executive Secretary, Allen E. Roberts; Treasurer, Henry G. Law-, Librarian, Harold L. Davidson. Officers for 1992-1994, who took office on February 14, 1992: President, Wallace E. McLeod; First Vice President, Forrest D. Haggard; Second Vice President, Royal C. Scofield; Executive Secretary, Allen E. Roberts; Treasurer, Henry G. Law, Librarian, Harold L. Davidson. Officers for 1994-1996, who took office on February 18, 1994: President, Forrest D. Haggard; First Vice President, Royal C. Scofield; Second Vice President, Robert G. Davis; Executive Secretary, Allen E. Roberts; Treasurer, Henry G. Law-, Librarian, Harold L Davidson. Officers for 1996-1998, who took office on February 16, 1996: President, Royal C. Scofield; First Vice President, Robert G. Davis; Second Vice President, Nelson King; Executive Secretary, Allen E. Roberts; Treasurer, Henry G. Law-, Librarian, Harold L. Davidson. The Executive Secretary, Allen E. Roberts, died on March 13, 1997; Kenneth D. Roberts was named as Acting Secretary in April, 1997, and as Business Manager or Corresponding Secretary in June. 1997; Wallace McLeod became Executive Secretary in June, 1997;

Officers for 1998-2000, who took office on February 20, 1998:

President, Robert G. Davis;

First Vice President, Nelson King;

Second Vice President, Duane E. Anderson;

Executive Secretary, Wallace E. McLeod;

Business Manager, Kenneth D. Roberts;

Treasurer, Henry G. Law-,

Librarian, Harold L. Davidson.

Editors of The Philalethes