THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON Issued Every Three Months By The Right Worshipful Grond Lodge of The Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free ond Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging, through its COMMITTEE ON MASON IC 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, Grand Secretary. APPROVED AND AUTHORIZED TO BE PRINTED BY
MAX F. BALCOM Right Worshipful Grond Master Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 688, WARREN, PA. WILLIAM A. CARPENTER, Editor Change of Address:
toward men, respect for one's family, charity towards all and being true to God for His gracious and numerous blessings. Be proud to proclaim that Freemasonry is a band of men bound together in the bonds of Brotherly Love and Affection that extends throughout the World. And to sum it all up Freemasonry is kindness in the home, honesty in business, courtesy in society, fairness in work, pity and concern for the unfortunate, resistance toward the wicked, help for the weak, trust in the strong, forgiveness for the penitent, love for one another and, above all, reverence and love for God. These and many other answers can be applied to the questions your friends will ask. Speak up. What do we have to hide-save that which pertains to our esotelic Work? Freemasonry is a way of life. -W.A.C.
Notify above address. Your Lodg e number must be included.
Vol. VII
May, 1960
No.2
What Should We Tell Our Non-Masonic Friends about Freemasonry What should we tell our non-Masonic friends when they ask questions about Freemasonry? When these questions arise, and they often do, our response will undoubtedly influence the mental attitude of our friends toward our. selves and the Craft in general. We should not take a timid approach to our answers. We should not indicate a· desire to "change the subject." We should not reflect a "mum's-the-word" attitude. Instead, we should be prepared to speak with ease, pride and authority. What do we have to hide? Make it known that Freemasonry is a way of life. Freemasonry is fraternal in organization, religious in character, based on the belief in the Fatherhood of God, Brotherhood of Man and the Immortality of the Soul. Be prompt to make it known that Freemasonry is not a "secret society" as many surmise. Freemasonry is a voluntary association wherein the interested one comes of his own free will and accord, Indicate also that Freemasonry is not a religion as many claim it is. Discussions on religion or politics have no place in our proceedings. Proclaim that Freemasonry, in its every effort and purpose strives to do charitable work within its membership and for society, and through its teachings, seeks to make good men better men. You can proudly state that the basic ethical principles as exemplified in our Ritual and Lodge Work, are such as are most acceptable to all good men; they are lessons based on the golden rule, tolerance
WANTED!! Boys for The Patton School For several years The Thomas Ranken Patton Masonic Institution for Boys has not been filled to its normal capacity. It is believed that this condition results primarily from the fact that so many Masons in the State lack information concerning the Patton School, its purposes, its courses and the requirements for admission. Founded through the generosity of Thomas Ranken Patton (for many years, 1874 until his death in 1907, the Grand Treasurer of Grand Lodge and of Grand Chapter) , the School is near Elizabethtown on land adjacent to that of The Masonic Homes. It was established for the education of male orphan children of Master Masons who were at the time of their deaths members in good standing in some subordinate Lodge in Pennsylvania. In the absence of such qualified applicants, it is permissible to admit any male orphan who might be deemed worthy. Applicants must have completed the ninth grade and be between fifteen and eighteen years of age. They must be of good character, and mentally and physically capable of working at a trade. The School gives excellent three-year courses in Machine Shop Practice, Carpen try, and Electronics plus academic training equivalent to the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades of high school. Provision has been made for students who wish to enter a college or university to continue their education. The program also includes competition with other schools in a number of sports, and quite naturally there is provision for social activities of various kinds. Attendance at church each Sunday is obligatory. No charge whatever is made, but each boy is expected to have a sponsor, preferably from a Blue Lodge. The sponsor would be obligated to pay for such items as clothing and tools not supplied by the school. The Thomas Ranken Patton Institution for Boys is administered by
a Board of Trustees appointed by the R. W. Grand Master. It is financed largely out of income from the investment of funds received under Brother Patton's will, supplemented by moneys appropriated by Grand Lodge. There must be quite a number of boys throughout the State who could qualify for admission and who would be happy to take advantage of the manifold opportunities afforded by this splendid Masonic Institution. Application forms can be secured through the Superintendent of the School whose post office address is Elizabethtown, Pa.-W.E.M.
A Real Family Affair, Ten Brothers of the Craft At an Extra Meeting of Thomas R. Patton Lodge, No. 659, held in Egyptian Hall, Masonic Temple, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Friday evening, December 18, 1959, Brother Robert P. Richter was introduced and received his Entered Apprentice Mason's degree, the degree being conferred by his brother, Horace F. Richter, Jr., assisted by his father, Horace F. Richter and his seven brothers. The father and six of the seven brothers, all Members of Thomas R. Patton Lodge, and the seventh brother, a Member of a New Jersey Lodge, filled each of the positions on the floor which is a Masonic rarity, to say the least. Thomas R. Patton Lodge may well be proud in having within its Membership one who has made such a wonderful contribution t o the Fraternity. The teachings of the Order of DeMolay ... love of parents, love of God, patriotism, purity, cour tesy, comradeship and fidelity ... are those which n ot only develop the best in youth, but insure the best in man.- CHARLES G. DAWES
YOUR CORRECT MAILING ADDRESS IS MOST IMPORTANT If, at any t ime, y our mailing address changes, please notify The A ide to The Committee on Masonic C ulture appointed within your Lodge. He is equipped with a special "Change of Address Card" that he will process imme (lia tely and thereby assm·e you of each n ew issue of "The Pennsylvania Freemason." Failure to keep your correct m a iling address can only result in unnecessary handling of your mail and the possibility that your copy of " The Pennsylvania Freemason" will either be returned for lack of the proper address or 1;he chance that it may get into the hands of the wrong person. Your cooperation in making certain that your name and address is always correct on our mailing list is gt·eatly appreciated.
FREEMASON AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF PENNSYLVANIA
VOLUME VII
MAY • 19 60
NUMBER 2
A Message from Our Grand Master The George Washington Masonic National Memorial on Shooters Hill, Alexandria, Virginia-across the river from Washington, D. C.-is a " living" tribute to the high ideals of Freemasonry. It stands as "A Lamp to the world of men" -an inspiring reminder of the wisdom, strength and beauty given this country by Brother George Washington. Today, it represents Freemasonry's faith in the principles of civil and religious liberty-the very message of Freemasonry. The Memorial is practically completed. However, this doesn't solve the problem. The immediate need is for a $5,000,000 Endowment Fund to assure that the Memorial will be opened to visitors in its entirety. It now has almost $1,000,000 in the Endowment Fund. The need is $4,000,000 more. When this goal is reached, the Memorial will be operated in a manner befitting the high ideals of Freemasonry. Brother Sanford M. Chilcote, when Grand Master, proposed a plan to raise the needed money. His plan, now called the "PENNSYLVANIA PLAN," was adopted at a meeting of Grand Mas ters at the Memorial on February 22, 1960. The plan is simple- every Lodge raise a sum equal to at least $1.00 a member and $10.00 from the Lodge itself. I am confident that Masons in Pennsylvania will more than meet this challenge when they full y understand the need. The Endowment Plan is a one-time program. Once your Lodge has fulfilled its obligation, it will not be asked for a repeat contribution. The only exception is the $1.00 contribution from each new initiate. This will be continued. It gives the new member a personal share in the Memorial. All contributions to the Memorial are tax exempt. This could mean an important tax deduction. I have asked every Lodge in Pennsylvania to accept this challenge and reach the 100 per cent participation mark. Every Mason in Pennsylvania should also accept this challenge and help the Lodges reach this goal. In this way you will have a direct interest in this wonderful structure. In past years, many of you have helped build the Memorial. For these contributions, I personally thank you. I hope you now can see your way clear to help endow it, to assure its operation. Send your contributions to your Lodge secretary. Your Lodge will be given credit for your contribution. You will be helping your Lodge reach its 100 per cent participation goal. Brethren who give $100.00 to the Memorial will receive a beautifully engraved Life Membership Certificate from the Memorial Association. This contribution will also be credited to the donor's Lodge. A Grand Master's Award certificate will be presented to Masonic Lodges that reach their quota. I would like to see one of these certificates in every Lodge in Pennsylvania.
Lodges that reach their quota, and those purchasing $100.00 Life Memberships will be recognized by THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON. The 146 Lodges and 30 Life Members, with payments received before May 1, 1960, are recognized in this issue of THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON. Lodges completing their quotas and additional Life Members received after May 1, will be recognized in the next issue. I hope the list is much greater in the next issue. I'm sure it will be if we all assume a personal responsibility and make sure we have contributed. Many Lodges which have reached the quota did it by having the Lodge advance the required money. They plan a campaign to r eplenish the treasury. I personally thank you Brethren fo r doing everything possible to help your Lodge reach the 100 per cent participation goal. I'm sure you will be proud to visit this wonderful Memorial when it is opened in its entirety. Since the beginning of construction, in 1922, Memorial expenditures included: Building construction, $4,953,372.28; grounds construction, S309,790.29; purchase of land, $73,313.88; general disbursements and promotion, $523,290.41; maintenance and operation of the building, $610,673.64; and maintenance of grounds, $137,738.38. This is a total expenditure of $6,608, 178.88. The great aim in this worthy undertaking is that set forth by the Association at the time construction was s tarted more than thirty years ago. "We could not hope to increase the fame of Brother George Washington nor add t o the enduring luster of his name. Our purpose was, and is, to hand down to coming generations a testament of love of our Fraternity for him who was the glory of his country and an ornament to Freemasonry .... " We could not fulfill our wishes by the creation of a new planet to shed its spl~ndor among the stars. We could not set to music the ceaseless sungings of the sea to carry the message of our appreciation to every shore throughout the coming years. "So, turning from t he domain of the impossible, we opened the granite hills of New Hampshire to take their strength and make it attest our everlasting admiration fo r him to whom it is dedicated. Erected of enduring materials, our temple will stand throughout the ages. " It will carry to generations yet unborn, and to those to whom we may seem an ancient race, the message of human br otherhood. It will perpetuate the attributes of self-denial, patriotism, love of country and fellow man, which were typified in the life and work of the great Mason, the master builder of our Nation-Brother George Washington." Cordially and fraternally,
MAX F. BALCOM, R. W. Grand Master