THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON Issued Every Three Month• By The Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of The Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free ond Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging, through its
COMMITIEE ON MASONIC CULTURE- William E. Yeager, Post Grand Master, Chairman; William E. Montgomery, G . Edward Elwell, Jr., Frank R. Leech, William A. Carpenter, Charles A. Young ond Ashby B. Paul. APPROVED AND AUTHORIZED TO BE PRINTED BY
CHARLES H. NITSCH Right Worshipful Grand Master WILLIAM A. CARPENTER, Editor Mailing Address: The Masonic Temple, Broad and Filbert Stree ts, Philadelphia 7, Po.
Vol. IV
May, 1957
No. 2
Freemasonry in a New Age It may come as something of a shock, it may be a bi t di fficult to comprehend for a time, but it is a fact that the world is entering or actually in a new era. This is a situation which Freemasonry certainly must consider. It is n ot the poli cy of Freemasonry to enter into poli tical or economic disputes. We do not at tempt to advise or instr uc t any civil organiza. tion as to what its course of procedure should be. Such a thing is not within the purposes or fu nctions of th e Craft. Yet, the fact remains that we are a defin ite part of any social order set-up and whatever tha t may be will surely h ave an effect upon our Fraterni ty. Therefore, we must take cognizance of these things and gear our thinking to whatever the future is likely to be. We know t ha t violent and revolutionary even ts are taking place in the world . Almost unbelievable things are happening to social orders that have existed for centuries. P erhaps driven by the ex traordinary and urgent demands of the past years, scien tific development has been speeded up to a bewildering degree. The manner of life to which we were born and in which we grow alters so rapidly that we can hardly keep up with the tempo. This, in a word, presents th e picture and poses the problem of what we as Freemasons shall do about it. Frankly, as an organ ized body, we should do only wha t we have always done -with a constant effort to do it better. The lessons for Freemasons to remember or to relearn are that cha nges in the physical life of nations h ave been going on since t he dawn of man's ordered experience and will con tinue to go on, but n ot one of them ever has n or ever can alter the fo undatio ns upon which Freemasonry is fo unded. Freemasonry has nothing in it which needs changing. Some of our practi ces migh t well be improved but all of these refer solely to the machinery of application and are matters always under considera tion . When we speak of Freemasonry in a new age, and what may
happen to it there, we are thinking of the principles that brought it into being, that are the justifica tion for its perpetuation . The wh ole matter is really simple. What difference does it make what the world does with its affairs? It will still need in it what Freemasonry teaches. Let us be plain about it. New age, era or whatever you may want to call it, men will still need love, friendship, loyalty, brotherhood, generosity and kindness. They will still need understanding, patience and good will. All these are principles, basic and fund amental. No society can be firmly established or endure wi th out them. These are what Freemasonry teaches and there will never be any reason to change or forsake them. And, incidentally, it is these principles with which we sh ould be most concerned. Sometimes I feel that we get so involved in the organization and machinery of the Fra terni ty that these more vital things are pushed into the background. Such a danger could exist now when all of us are so mu ch concerned about the futur e. Th erefore, let us remember that what was really true a th ousa nd years ago with referen ce to the great virtues is just as true today and will be eq ually true in the ages to come. We may be assured that Freemasonry in any n ew age will be unchanged th ough I hope a deeper appreciation of its moral and spiritual values will be reached and enjoyed by all of us . -W.A. C.
George Washington Ma sonic Memorial (Continued from page 2)
Freemasons over the land, be increased, if possible, so th at this fund may become a reality. It is, therefore, urged that each of the Lodges throughou t this Grand Jurisdiction con tinue to remai n steadfast in the matter of secu ring the amount of Sl.OO from each newly raised Master Mason, forwarding same to the R. W. Grand Secre tary so that Pennsylvania may continue i ts prominent position in support of thi s grea t undertaking. Earl y in the hi story of Freemasonry in the Colonies there was considered th e proposition of a National Grand Lodge uncler one National Grand Master. This suggestion first crystalized in a memorable meeting a t Morristown, New Jersey on December 15, 1779 and the subject was la ter discussed at a meeting near Morristown on January 31, 1780. Masonic h istory indica tes that George W ashington was present at one or both of these mee tings and opposed the idea. It is significan t that Masonry in the United States today operates under the several Grand Lodges of the several states, each of whi ch is supreme. In th e erec tion of th e George Washington Masoni c National Memorial all of the Grand Lodges of our United States, as well as many of the Grand Lodges of other countries, have in a sense been brought togeth er in a grea t undertaking. The Freemasons as indi vidual members of their respective Lodges
acting under the jurisdiction of their Grand Lodges have also worked together and by their contributions have made possible this great Memorial. One of the greatest undertakings of our time has been a successful one because of the unanimity of thought and action of all Freemasons . In the erection and construc tion together with the continued activi ty necessary to the mai ntenance and preservation of this Memorial, Freemasonry has surely exemplified a grea t cooperative endeavor. The deep sense of gratitude in the hearts of all mankind in general and Freemasonry in particular for George Washington will be forever exemplified in the Memorial on Shooters Hill. Truly it can be said of him- "FIRST IN THE HEARTS OF HIS MASONIC BRETHREN."
New District Deputy Grand Masters Appointed Seven new Distri ct Depu ty Grand Masters have been appointed by the Right Worshipful Grand Master. They includeDistrict ]-BROTHER JOHN HARPER, a P ast Master of Robert A. Lamberton Lodge No. 487, in Philadelphia. He is an Attorney and succeeds Brother John H. H. Morrow. District 4-BROTHER PAUL G. P ENSINGER, of Gettysburg, a Newspaperman , and a Past Master of Good Samaritan Lodge No. 336. His predecessor was Brother Claude 0. Meckley. Dis trict 13-BROTHER W ILLIAM E. FLETII, a Pas t Master of King Solom on Lodge No. 584, in Dunm o r e. Brother Fleth, who succeeds Brother Cecil F. Reeser, is in the lumber business. Dis t rict 28- BROTHER JOliN WATSON HARMEIER, P as t Master of Hugh Thomson Kerr Lodge N o. 768, Pittsburgh. Dr . Harmeier follows Brother Robert R. Davey. Distric t 34- BROTHER RICHARD E . SHAFFER, a Pas t Mas ter of H yndman Lodge No. 589, in H yndman , is in the Ins urance busi ness, a nd s u cceed s Brother I. Newton Taylor. District 40- BROTHER MINOR M. DAIN, P ast Master of Phoenix Lodge No. 75, Phoenixville, who is in the Hardware business, succeeds Brother Earl Himmelberger. Dis tric t 57-BROTHER RAYMOND H. G RIMM , a n E n g in ee r a nd a Pas t Master of William D. Mcilroy Lodge No . 758, Pi ttsburgh, succeeds Brother P aul H. Magnus .
All of the above outgoing Deputies have served a t least ten years and have been ap· poin ted Past District Deputy Grand Masters .
FREEMASON AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL GRAND LOD GE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF PENNSYLVANIA
VOLUME IV
NUMBER 2
MAY • 1957
A Message from ·Our Grand Master VISIT TO HOLLAND One of the most delightful experiences of my term of office as Grand Master, was my visit to the Netherlands to a ttend the 200th Anniversary celebration of Freemasonry in Holland. I was very happy indeed to have been invited and it was a memorable event. Measured by American standards, the Grand Lodge of the Ne therlands is not large. There are some 4-500 Masons in 78 Lodges but the spirit of Freemasonry is very strong. The celebration was held at The Hague on March first a nd second and was attended by Grand Lodge Officers fro m many countries. There were present representatives from the Grand Lodge of England, Ireland, Sweden, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Sou th Africa, Aus tralia and five Grand Lodges from the United States. The United States representatives were Wh itfield W . Johnson, P ast Grand Master of Massachusetts, L. Wade Temple, Jr., Grand Master of South Carolina and his Grand Marshal George R. Alford, Leone] M. Jensen, Grand Master of South Dakota, Colonel and Brother Edward B. Harry, representing the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia and your Grand Master representing P ennsylvania. On March fi rst, an informal reception was held a t the Masonic Temple at the Hague, giving ample opportunity for the various representatives to become acquainted. At this recepti on various gi fts were presented by foreign Grand Lodges. In this Pennsylvania missed her opportunity and it is my hope that this will be corrected and an appropriate gift be sent in the name of our Grand Lodge. On the evening of March fi rs t, the Grand Master entertained his officers and the visitors from foreign jurisdictions at a pri vate dinner, a mos t delightful .affair and here we were presented with a beautifu l bound volume of the History of Freemasonry in th e Ne therlands and a bronze commemorative medal. Both of these important items will be placed in the museum of our Masonic Temple in Philadelphia. On March second at 11 A.M. the top representa tives of the Grand Lodges were received in audie nce by Her Majesty, Queen Juliana, a t her palace at Soestdijk, where we were graciously received by this great lady. There were 19 Bre thren in the party and we were ser ved coffee and cakes and spent an interes ting hour in her compa ny and during this reception she found time to talk with all of us. A photograph was taken of Her Majes ty and the visitors which will be a delightful souvenir of this event. The formal session of the Grand Lodge of the Netherlands was opened at 3 P.M., March second, in the " Dierentuin" a large assembly hall in the Zoological Garden , the Grand Lodge Hall being inadequate for the large assemblage. The guests were dramatically received under an arch of steel in a Lodge room beautifully decorated with flowers of all description.
Every available space was covered with flowers. A splendid symphonic orchestra played appropria te music. Each representa tive was • separately received by the Grand Master, Brother C. M. R. Davidson and escor ted to a place on the platform. There were 1050 Brethren in the Lodge room, all dressed in full evening dress, white tie, tails and white gloves. This ia the dress a t all Lodge meetings, both Grand and ~ u bordin a te. The Grand Lodge ceremonies were beautiful and dignified. A touching service with appropria te music was performed for their martyred Grand Mas ter Hermannus vo n Tongeren, who died in the concentration camp in Sachsenhausen. He had been Grand Master from 1929 until 1941. The Grand Master, Brother C. M. R. Davidson, is a n accomplished linguis t. He add ressed the Grand Lodge in several languages, but nonetheless a tra nsla tor was available fo r those from fo reign Ju risdictions. Six subordina te Lodges have been in con tinuous existence from the beginning of Freemasonry in the Netherlands and the present Masters were given special honors. The Grand Lodge session lasted from 3 P.M. until 4.30 P.M. At 7 P.M. the Grand Lodge banquet was held. Some 2000 Brethren were presen t. Again th e visi tors were graciously received after the Brethren had been seated. Toasts were proposed for Queen Juliana, Queen Elizabeth , our own President Dwight D. Eisenhower and to the heads of the other countries represented. Short addresses were given by all but Sir Allan Adair, the principal speaker, repr~senting the Grand Lodge of England. This fin e brother received a tremendous ova ti on. He had commanded the British troops that had dri,·en the Nazis from the Netherlands and is a hero t o all Dutchmen. I was fo rtuna te during my visit to mingle with ma ny of the Dutch Brethren a nd I was tremendously impressed with t heir knowledge of Freemasonry; its purposes, philosoph ~· and histor~· . I learned it is required of all maso ns in the etherlands to s tudy Freemasonry thoroughly. They know much of wha t Freemasonry does in the United States. They are envious of our opportunities for sen ·ice and of our wealth. I t is my intention to keep in touch wi th se,·eral of the Brethren whom I met and I have already recei,·ed several letters. It was a most delightfu l and rewa rding experience to have visited with our European Brethren and it is an experience I shall always cherish.
CHARLES N. N ITSCH, Grand Master