iht Araria Spirit Vol. XIII A
MARCH, 1918.
CENSORED LETTER FROM ONE ACACIAN IN THE SERVICE
No.4
THE 364TH AMBULANCE CO., AMERICAN LAKE, WASHINGTON
"Dear Brother - - - - "It was with a great deal of interest that I read the November Acacia Spirit and you do not know how I hope that your remarks to the men in the active chapter will be carried HOME and that they will heed and obey your suggestions. Your remarks about how we in the servIce appreciate letters from our chapters are absolutely correct; those letters if they would only come would certainly add greatly to make our tasks easier for us, and help to lessen the lonesomeness which necessarily comes when one is away from home, old ties and associations. "My home 'chapter, , seems to be very negligent in their attitude toward·s us who have gone; although no one ever took a m'ore active interest in Acacia and its welfare than some of us who are now away from its a,s sociations. I have never received any copies of the Acacia Spirit from my chapter, in fact never knew that there was such an edition until some of the good brothers of chapter provided me with copies. "I am writing direct to you, hoping to receive the Acacia Spirit in the future. Although I have written to my chapter about once a month this school year I have received only two letters and one of those was merely asking for advice and information: About two months ago I sent money to the chapter to forward to you for The Journal but I never even received an acknowledgment. A letter from Bro. (also in the service) which I received last night informs me that although he has written repeatedly they seem to have forgotten him, too. "I do not wish to complain of my own chapter but it is very evident someone is negligent and we who are away are still vitally interested in Acacia and its brotherhood, which means even more to us now that we are away and in a new environment and associa,t ion. - - - - - has failed to place some of us on your files, as shown in the November Acacia Spirit, and as I know these
Early in May last year there roomed together in San Francisco two Acacians Brothers Ja,mes G. Marshall and Clayto~ Elliott; both well known about The Bav for their Masonic activities. Brothe.r Marshall was above the draft age, but Brother Elliott, being within the service ag>e limits set by the government. became interested in the army work and started in to take a course in Red Cross work and first a,id. While returning from instruction class one evening Brother Elliott conceived the idea of organizing a Masonic ambulance unit, believing that only twenty men were needed. Upon reaching his apartment that evening he found in waiting the board of Alta Vista Lodge No. 464. !This Lodge, of which Brother Elliott was master, is essentially a young man's lodge, founded in 1916 by young men nine-tenths of whom were Acacians: occurred to Brother Elliott that he would bring his idea to the attention of his Lodge, and he called Marshall into an adjoining room and asked for his opinion. Brother Marshall was enthusiastic and when the idea was presented to the board they, too, entered into the spirit of the idea and turned the work of organization over to Elliott. Men usually turn to those instrumental in influencing and shaping their careers, when they a,re confronted with unusual problems, and in this case we find Brother Elliott turning to John L. McNab, an attorney of San Francisco, and member of Bethlehem Lodg~ No . 357. With the enthusiastic support and the determination ·c ommon to the Scotch McNab personally guaranteed to raise th~ funds providing the boys would attend to the enlisting, and he raised the first $300 in his own lodge, at a noon-day luncheon. The task Brother Elliott had assumed grew in proportions as he became more familiar with the undertaking. The Red
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The Masonic Ambulance Corps
It