THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON Issued Every Three Months By The Right Worshipful Grand lodge of The Most Ancient and Honorable Frate rnity of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Be longing, through its COMMITTEE ON MASONIC CULTURE - William E. Yeager, Past Grand Master, Chairman; William E. Montgomery, G. Edward Elwell, Jr., Frank R. Leech, William A. Carpenter, Charles A. Young and Ashby B. Paul. APPROVED AND AUTHORIZED TO BE PRINTED BY
SANFORD M. CHILCOTE Right Worshipful Grand Master
the Ball Chemical Company, a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College and Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. A Trustee of Franklin and Marshall College and a Past President of the Franklin and Marshall Alumni Association, he is presently serving as President of the Middlesex Township School Authority. It is of general opinion that Brother Ball's appointment will be of great benefit to Freemasonry in Pennsylvania in general and to the Committee on Finance in particular.
Committee on Landmarks
WILLIAM A. CARPENTER, Editor
Change of Address:
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Notify above address, your l odge number must be in cluded.
ing "Notices of Lectures to be given by those approved by the Committee on Lecture Corps" and inserting in place thereof ''Matters relating to the activities of the Committee on Masonic Culture." A discussion regarding the recognition of those Bodies which require Symbolic Lodge Membership as a prerequisite indicated that no record as to the recognition of any of t hem by our Grand Lodge could be found. Brother Chilcote, R. W. Grand Master, suggested that the matter be deferred to a later meeting and asked Brother Scott S. Leiby, R. W. Past Grand Master, to prepare a list of those Bodies which in his opinion should be recognized. Some lively discussions were had over several other subjects which were held over for a future meeting when more Past Grand Masters might be present. Those present at the March 29th meeting included: Brothers Sanford M. Chilco te, R. W. Grand Master; Max F. Balcom, R. W. Deputy Grand Master; W. LeRoy McKinley, R. W . Senior Grand Warden; Earl F. Herold, R. W. Junior Grand Warden, and John A. Lathwood, Scott S. Leiby, W illiam E. Yeager, Ralph M. Lehr and Charles H. Nitsch, R. W. Past Grand Masters.
May, 1958
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Brother Harold S. McGear, Deputy Grand Secretary reported the following statis tical report covering a tentative summary of the Membership for 1957: Number of Lodges December 27, 1956 .. Number of Lodges Constituted in 1957.
587 2
T otal number of Lodges, December 27, 1957 ... .. . ...... . ... .. .. .. . . Membership December 27, 1956 .... . Admitted during 1957 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 687 Initiated during 1957 . . . ..... . . .... 7,909
589 255,252
FREEMASON
8,596
Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 688, WARREN, PA.
Vol. V
Highlights of March Communication
No. 2
Our Real Secrets The real secrets of Freemasonry can be realized only in a Member's own heart, and perfect realization of Freemasonry is governed by his own conduct and habits of mind. The Freemason who keeps the sacred fires of education burning on the altar of his heart will be inevitably drawn nearer to his God and will definitely learn and appreciate the real meanings of this life. Merely receiving the Degrees in Freemasonry does not make a man a Freemason. The various Degrees do, h owever, point and direct the way and provide that way and means by which we can secure the most noble and valuable secrets of the Craft. In reality, the Symbolic Degrees are the keys to the door and the Member must determine for himself whether or not he will pursue the ways that open up those vast stores of wisdom preserved for those desirous, diligent and determined. - W.A.C.
Brother Hiram P. Ball Appointed Vice-Chairman of Committee on Finance On May 2, 1958 Brother Sanford M. Chilcote appointed Brother Hiram P. Ball of Pittsburgh, to serve as Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Finance of The Right Worshipfu l Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Brother Ball is a Past Master of Harmony Lodge, No. 429 and presently a Member of Corinthian Lodge, No. 573. A member of the Scottish Rite Bodies of the Valley of Pittsburgh, he is also Immediate Past Potentate of Syria Temple, a member of Mt. Moriah Council, No. 2, Zerubbabel Royal Arch Chapter, No. 162 and Pittsburgh Commandery, No. 1, Knights Templar. Brother Ball is Secretary and Treasurer of
YOUR NAME, NEW ADDRESS AND LODGE NUMBER IS MOST IMPORTANT, IF AND WHEN YOU MOVE If, at any time, your present mailing address is changed, please r e member that, in a ddition to your new address, your Lodge Number MUST be indicated if you wish to continue receiving " The Pennsylvania F reemason ." In mailing in a "Change of Address Card," it is vitally important to process one card only a nd to b e certain that your Nam e, New Address a nd Lodge Number a r e so not ed.
Suspended du ring 1957 ... . ....... . 1,020 Resign ed during 1957 ... .. ...... . . . 558 Deceased during 1957 . . .. . .. •..... 5,208
AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF PENNSYLVANIA
6,786 Net Increase for 1957 .. . ...... . .. .
1,810
Membership December 27, 1957 .. . . .
257,062
A beautiful In Memoriam to our late R. W. Grand Secretary, Brother George A. Avery, prepared by Brother Albert T. Eyler, R. W. Past Grand Master, was read by Brother Richard A. Kern, R. W. Past Grand Master. It was reported that Forbes Trail Lodge, No. 783, constituted in the Mason Temple, Pittsburgh, Pa., on Thursday, January 16, 1958, had 115 Warrant Members, coming from forty-five Lodges, including one from Ohio and one from Texas. The Lodge is due to move into its new home late this fall in Export, Pa. Brother Max F. Balcom, R. W. Deputy Grand Master, reporting on the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association, stated that this magnificent structure, located near Alexandria, Virginia, was nearing completion . A check of the annual contribution made by our Grand Lodge to this great memorial, however, indicated that many of our Lodges have not been remitting the one dollar to be collected from each Initiate. It is felt that each newly made Mason would more than welcome this "once only" oppor tunity and honor to share in the completion and maintenance of this great undertaking.
VOLUME V
MAY • 1958
NUMBER 2
A Message from Our Grand Master DUAL AND PLURAL MEMBERSHIP
At the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America I was asked to speak on the question as to whether Grand Lodges should grant their members the privilege of dual and possibly plural membership. Brother William 0. Ware, Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons in Kentucky, spoke on the positive phase of this question and I responded to the negative of the proposition. This question is one which frequently arises but in our Grand Jurisdiction from the early days of our history the rule has always been prohibitive of such membership. As far back as the year 1804 when the question was raised, the decision was against dual membership and in the year 1893 it was decided, without equivocation, that " no Brother can be a member of two Lodges at one and the same time." In the year 1889, in a discussion of this rule, it was decided that it applied to dual membership "either in this Jurisdiction, or in this and another Jurisdiction."
Grand Lodge of State of Israel to Commemorate Fifth Anniversary
By dual and plural membership is embraced the proposition that a Mason may belong to two or more Lodges at one and the same time. The word "dual" pertains to two. This suggests membership in two Lodges at the same time. A number of the Grand Lodges over the world permit such membership. On the other hand, plural membership comprehends membership in more than two Lodges at one and the same time.
An elaborate and most inspiring and festive Masonic program has been designed and arranged by The Grand Lodge of The State of Israel to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the erection of that Grand Lodge. This celebration will be held in Jerusalem and will cover a period of ten days beginning July 1, 1958, and should be a rich, memorable and rewarding experience. Full details covering the many phases of the ten-day program are available to any Master Masons interested and may be obtained by writing The Grand Secretary of The Grand Lodge of The State of Israel, P. 0. B. 2080, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
There may be good basic reason for these rules. A Mason for sentimental reasons may desire to belong to more than one Lodge. If his mother Lodge is in Pennsylvania and he finds himself permanently located in another Grand Jurisdiction, there are persuasive reasons which could well engender within him the sincere desire to belong also to the Lodge in the community in which he has become a permanent resident and at the same time maintain his original membership in the Lodge in which he was made a Mason. If perchance unknown factors result in his being transferred from the area in which he has thus created a dual membership to an area other than the one in which he first took up residence, he may desire to become a member of a third Lodge. Of course, it is entirely possible that a Mason living in the Jurisdiction in which he has been made a Mason
would have certain reasons also to like to become a member of another Lodge in the same Jurisdiction. There are, of course, a great many circumstances which might well result in a desire to be a member of more than one Lodge at one and the same time. Referring to dual or plural membership involving a Lodge in a Foreign country, our Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America through its Committee On Recognition has done an excellent job in sifting down and distilling the truth with regard to the practice of true Masonic principles in Foreign Grand Lodges. This information has enabled the Grand Lodges in the United States to decide with reference to recognition of the Foreign Grand Lodges. Almost all of our Grand Lodges do recognize other properly constituted Lodges located outside of the United States and Canada. It is, therefore, most difficult for me to conceive of the necessity or advisability of plural membership by a Brother living in a Foreign country. He is free to visit such Lodges as are recognized by his Grand Lodge and wherever he may travel throughout the world, and especially wherever he may travel within the Grand Jurisdictions of North America, his Brethren in any Lodge will be most cordial in receiving him as a visitor. Wherever he may be located by reason of removal from the location of his mother Lodge, he may, if he so desires, resign his membership in his mother Lodge and petition the Lodge in hi~ n ew home location. In many circumstances this is advisable be6ause he will then feel free to work in his new Lodge and make his contribution to Masonry there. On th e other hand if for sentimental reasons he desires to retain his membership in his original Lodge there is little doubt but that he will form friendships in the Lodge in the area to which he has removed himself as there are in every Lodge activities in which he can participate with freedom and enthusiasm, although not a member of that Lodge. If he is embarrassed in the thought that he is receiving a certain "something for nothing," I am quite sure that the Lodge would be pleased if he made a contribution to its financial support from time to time. It is true that membership in a Lodge involves a corresponding obligation. Each Mason should make such contribution to his own Lodge as is reasonably possible in his particular circums tances. If at (Continued on page 2)