THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON Issued Every Three Months By The Right Worshipful Grand lodge of The Most Ancient end Honorable Fraternity of Free ond Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania end Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging, through its COMMITTEE ON MASONIC CULTURE- William E. Yeager, Past Grand Moster, Chairmen; William E. Montgomery, G. Edward Elwell, Jr., Frank R. leech, William A. Carpenter, Charles A. Young and Ashby B. Paul. APPROVED AND AUTHORIZED ro BE PRINTED BY
CHARLES H. NITSCH
J. P ATERSON
Grand Librarian and Curator
WILLIAM A. CARPENTER, Editor
Mailing Address: The Masonic Temple, Broad and Filbert Streets, Philadelphia 7, Pa. May, 1956
Masonic Portrait of Brother George Washington BY WILLI AM
Right Worshipful Grand Master
Vol. III
The best informed Master Mason is the Master Mason who reads and studies. Consequently, if we want Freemasonry to be of practical usefulness and cultural attainment, we, as Freemasons, must not neglect our Masonic reading, our Masonic studying and our search for more Masonic Light.-W. A. C.
No.2
Seek And Ye Shall Find The maki ng of a Freemason consists in a continued course of education, of training, and of character forming. While it may be accepted that it is an innermost desire, followed by obligations that makes one a member of the Craft, yet in a tru er form and better sense, a man is never a Freemason until he tru thfully and loyally lives up to his obliga· tions. And he cannot do that until he understands them, and eventually knows their scope and real meaning. Freemasonry can very well be divided into many phases. Its landmarks, its customs, its constitution and its laws, just to mention a few, if studied and mastered, can provide a most interesting co urse for the Master Mason seeking Masonic knowledge. Its historical background can provide a most interesting program of investigation to the member attracted to a desire for research. One peculiarity about Freemasonry is that it will stand investigation. The deeper the research , the more extensive the knowledge of its hidden art and secret mysteries, the more highly it is appreciated. A member of the Craft who merely takes his degrees in a listless, careless sort of manner, and then remains as just a spectator at Lodge meetings, may hold to the opinion that Freemasonry differs little from other societies. To the contrary, the Master Mason who delves deeply into Masonic literature, takes a lively interest in every part of the Ritulistic and lodge Work, and learns the origin, meaning and moral bearings of its symbols, cannot possibly fall into such an error. To him Freemasonry has a refining and elevating influence not to be found in the ordinary run of societies. The philosophies of Freemasonry, when discovered and then accepted and practiced, provide that simple but profound solution to the problems of human relationships. May it be accepted that Freemasonry is a way of living to th e Master Mason who is interested enough to appraise and value the wealth that is his, and his alone, by virtue of his Masonic membership.
Through the thoughtfulness and munificence of Brother John Wanamaker, Chairman of the Committee on Library and Museum, this extraordinary oil painting of Brother George Washington, adorned with Masonic clothing, was presented to the Right Worshipful Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania on December 7, 1910, therefore it is proper to call attention to the appropriateness of its having a place in the Masonic Temple, Philadelphia. The original of this painting, a precious relic, is the cherished property of Alexandria Lodge No. 22, Alexandria, Virginia, of which Washington was Master. The Artist, William Williams, painted the portrait from life while Washington was in Philadelphia as President, at the request of Alexandria Lodge No. 39, Ancient York Masons of Fairfax County, Virginia, September 1794. This Lodge was originally chartered at an Extra Grand Communication of the Grand Lodge of P ennsylvania on February 3, 1783, and on June 24, 1784 Washington was elected an honorary member. A circular letter was sent from the Grand Lodge of P ennsylvania under date of February 23, 1787 informing Lodge No . 39 that the Grand Lodge had been established independently of Great Britain, and that it desired the return of their Warrant in order to renew it under the new organization. On April 28, 1788, the Grand Lodge of Virginia was organized and the Lodge decided it would be more convenient to work under its authority than that of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Therefore, on October 25, 1788, the Lodge made application to the Grand Lodge of Virginia for a renewal of their Warrant and stated it was the desire of the members of the Lodge that our Brother George Washington should be named in the Charter as Master of the Lodge. The desire of the Lodge was granted and its registry number was changed from No. 39 to No. 22 under the title of Alexandria Lodge No. 22. After the death of Washington the Lodge in the year 1804. again requested permission to change its name so as to embrace that of "Washington," and the Grand Lodge of Virginia granted their wishes and named it Alexandria Washington Lodge No. 22 without the Lodge changing their said Charter. The portrait owned by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania is an excellent reproduction of
the original and was painted by Fanny Burke, a descendent of Washington's great co-worker , Thomas Jefferson, for Brother Wanamaker who was the donor of this most valuable gift, and it is in Grand Lodge Museum with many other priceless possessions. It will be observed that the portrait presents a fa r different personal appearance from many others made at the same period. Washington was then sixty-four years old. He had passed through innumerable cares and unparalleled responsibilities, and none could perform the duties he was called upon to do without betraying those bodily signs of care and premature old age, which are so faithfully depicted in the portrait. The painter has given us a living, truthful, representation of the man as he was, not of the imaginary heroic figure with which others have attempted to flatter. The appearance of the man whose character and noble example will ever linger in our memory for time to come, is in striking contrast to that portrayed by other artists.
Grand Lodge of S. Carolina Honors R. W. P. G. M. Lehr On April 26, 1956, in Charleston, S. C., Brother Ralph M. Lehr, Right Worshipful Past Grand Master of Pennsylvania, received the Albert Gallatin Mackey Medal fr om the Most Worsh ipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of South Carolina. The presentation was made by the M. W. Grand Master of South Carolina, Brother J. Ansel Eaddy, in recognition of Brother Lehr's "outstanding service to Freemasonry during the year 1955."
Pennsylvania Work is Sublime from its Simplicity Albert G. Mackey, in his Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, has seen it fit ting and proper to use the very words of a Past Grand Master of P ennsylvania, Brother Richard Vaux, as pertaining to the Ritualis tic and Lodge Work of Lodges in P ennsylvania. Brother Vaux, who served as Grand Master in 1868 and 1 869, speaks of the Masonic Works of his Ju risdiction with pardonable, if not impartial, commendations : " The P ennsylvania Ritualistic and Lodge Work is sublime from its simplicity. That i t is the Ancient Work is best shown conclusively, however, from this single fact, it is so simple, so free from those displays of modern inventions t o attract the attention , without enlightening, improving, or cultivating the mind. In this Work every word has its significance. Its types and symbols are but the language in which truth is conveyed. These are to be studied to be unders tood. In the spoken language no synonyms are permitted. In the ceremonial no innovations are tolerated. In the Ritual no modern verbiage is allowed."
FREEMASON AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF PENNSYLVANIA
NUMBER 2
MAY • 1956
VOLUME III
A Message from Our Grand Master Annual Conference of Grand Masters of Maso ns in North America was convened in the City of Wash ington, D. C. on February 20 and 21, 1956 with 363 registered from 56 member and seven fo reign jurisdicti ons. All 49 Grand Masters of the Uni ted States were present. The District of Columbia has its own Grand Lodge, thus 49 Grand Masters of the United States. The Conference has no legislative function since each Grand Lodge is sovereign in its own J urisdiction. It meets to exchange views and t o discuss mutual problems. The response to the address of welcome was delivered by Brother Joseph A. Batchelor, Grand Master of Indiana, who said:
T
HE
"Yes, we are different in our practices. During the life span of our respective jurisdictions we have each developed some of our own forms, observances and methods of procedure. In many ways these constitute interesting variations that add richness to our traditions. " But however we differ in external forms or in meth ods of operation, we have always the unifying influence of common allegiance to the same basic principles . So long as we are cosmopolitan in our thinking and have such opportunities for the free communication of our ideas as are afforded in this great Conference and in our interjurisdictional visitations, then we can never truly wander far apart. "We are abou t t o discuss some very interesting questions . It would be very unusual and probably unhealthy if we should all agree on all of them. But the importan t thing is the manner of our agreement or disagreement, for here it becomes a matter of mutual growth in the solution of common problems. We are grateful for that free exchange of ideas." Five topics were discussed, one Grand Master taking the affirmative, one the negative. After each topic had been thoroughly discussed, a vote was taken to test the opinions of the Grand Masters present. Only Grand Masters were permitted to vote. Should We Change Our Theory of Non-Solicitation For the Degrees? 30 voted "Y es"-5 voted "No" Is DeMolay a Proper Activity for Grand Lodges and Subordinate Lodges? 23 voted "Yes"-13 voted "No" Should a Numerical Limit Be Placed on the Membership of Our Lodges? 17 voted "Yes"-23 voted "No"
Should ~fttnicipal Jurisdictional Limits in States and Provinces Be Abolished? 21 voted "Yes"-20 voted "No" S hould Our Ritual Obligations Conform Wit h Our J>rinciples and Practices? 12 voted " Yes"-30 voted " No"
Your Grand Master was assigned the affirmative of the topic "Should a Numerical Limit Be Placed on the Membership of Our Lodges?" His address follows: " Brother Chairman and Brethren of the Conferen ce : " The G.rand Lodge of Pennsylvania has given considerable attention to the m'a tter of placing a numerical limit on the membership of
Lodges. " The Jurisdiction of P ennsylvania has 585 Lodges with a t otal membership of 252,453, or an average membership of 432 per Lodge. We have 126 Lodges wi th a membership of over 600 and of these 126 Lodges 21 have a membership of over 1000. One Lodge has 2075 members: " Let us compare these figu res with those of some of the foreign Jurisdictions. England has 550,000 members in 6626 Lodges, an average of 84 members per Lodge ; New Zealand has 4-1,938 members in 379 Lodges, an average of 110 members per Lodge; South Australia has 24,204 members in 186 Lodges, an average of 130 members per Lodge; Cuba has 31,919 m·embers in 312 Lodges, an average of 102 members peM Lodge. " At the Conference of Grand Masters in 1947, Brother Richard A. Kern, R.'W. Past Grand Master of Pennsylvania, addres:;ing this Conference, said 'Now is the time to think of fostering more Lodges to take care of the increasing membership, rather than letting our Lodges become too large and impersonal. I strongly feel that we should limit the number that may be initiated by any Lodge in a given month.' " In my address delivered in Grand Lodge on December 27, 1955, I recommended a careful study of the desirability of smaller Lodges. The smaller Lodges will encourage more Brethren to aspire to office and serve their Lodge more fully. " I have visited many Lodges in our Jurisdiction and have found in those Lodges having a large number of petitioners, that the meetings were too long. The Lodge was too busy obligating great numbers of new Brethren. There was no time for furth er personal interest and, as far as we were concerned, they became just so many more names on the Secretary's r oll. (Continued on page 2)