Questions & Answers Question: Why are we called "Freemasons?" Answer: There a re many theories : A man was a Freemason because his ancestors were not slaves nor was he a slave. He was so called because h e was free within his Guild, or free of the Guild's laws and could travel and work where h e desired. H e was a Freemason because he worked in freestone-any stone which can be cut, smoot hed, carved in any direction. ~e was free when he passed his apprenticeshtp and became a Fellow of the Craft. He was free when he left t he status of serf or villein and legally became free. T he consensus leans to the t heory that the Freemason was such because of h is skill, knowledge and abilities which set him free of those conditions, laws, r ules and customs which circumscribed masons of lesser abilities in the cathedral building age. Question: H ow should I wear my Masonic ring? A view o f The Louis W atres Memorial Library Room located on the sixth floor in the tower of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial at Alexandria, Va. This library, sponsored and completed b y the Grand Lodge F. & A . M. of Pennsylvania, is a most fitting tribute to the late Bro. Louis A . W atres~ Past Grand Master of Pennsylvani a, who was the enthusiastic and ~ealous president of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association from 1918 to 1938.
IMPORTANT NOTICE Always Report Your Correct Address, Including ZIP Code, Promptly If at any time your m ailing address changes, please notify your Lodge Secret ary 1 immediatel y. You; Lodge Secretary has special forms for reporting su ch changes to the Distribution Office for The Pennsylvania F reemason. . Failur e to repart your correct mailing address can only result m ~nnecessary handling of your copy of The Pennsylvania Freemason. In fact, copies of The Pennsylvania Freemason with incorrect addr.esses are destroye~ except for the panel showing your name and address. T his portH~n ~f ~ur copy ts attached to a Postal Return Form 3579 and mailed back to our DtstributtOn Office. These Postal Returns cost us ten cents each. One at a time, these Postal Returns do not seem much, but multiplied by 2,000 or more makes them quite expensive.. . . your cooperation in making certain that y our correct m a thng addr~ss ts alwars listed with your Lodge Secretary will be greatly app~eciated. By so domg, you wtll assure yourself of future copies of The Pennsylvama F reemason.
THE PENNSYLVANIA FREEMASON Distribution Office MASONIC HOMES Elirobethtown, Pa. 17022 ISend FORM 3579 to Above Address)
Second Clau POSTAGE PAID AT· Eli:robethtown Pennsylvania
POSTMASTER: Please Include Complet e Nome, Address o nd Identification No. on Return clipping.
Answer: No Grand Lodge has legislated upon this subject except North Carolina w hose law suggests that a Master Mason wear the ring so the tips of the compasses a~e poin ted t owards him. The consensus . ts t hat if a Masonic ring is worn to advtse those who se e it that the wearer is a Master Mason, the tips of the compasses should be point ed toward the tips of the finge rs. However, if the ring_ is worn to remind the wearer that he ts a Master Mason, the ring should b_e worn w ith th e tips of t he c.ompasses potnted toward the wrist. Question: I s "The Pennsylvania Freemason" mailed, free of c ha rge, to all Members of our Pennsylvania Lodges? Answer: Yes. Every Member of our Pennsylvania L odges is entitled to a copy of each issue of "The Pennsylvania F reemason," quarterly publication of the Grand Lodge F . & A . M . of P ennsylvania . The Grand L odge Commi tt ee on Masonic Culture has est ablished a Distribution Office at t he Masonic Homes, Elizabethtown, Pa. From this Distribution Office each issue of "The Pennsylvania Freemason" is addressed and prepared for mailing. The rather large mailing list is maintained by a staff consisting of two full-t ime employes and one part-time employe. Several of the Guests at the Homes also assist with the details in the D istribution Office a few hours each day, thus participating in a n occupat ional therapy activity . The names of new Membe rs and changes of addresses must come from L odge Secretaries who are provided with special re.P~rt for ms used in k eeping the general mathng list accurate and current. Editor's N ote: If you have a question on Freemasonry, share it with u s. We will make every effort to answer it. If per· missible , we will include both the question and the answer in this Question and Answer column for others to read.
FREE::M:.ASO~ AN OFFICIAL PUBL ICATION OF THE RIGH T WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF PENNSYLVANIA
VOLUME XII
MAY
•
1965
NUMBER 2
'Image of Freemasonry' Should Be Constant Concern of All Members In another month, practically all of the 609 Masonic Lodges in Pennsylvania w ill call off from labor and prepare for the so-called vacation periods. However, before our members become scattered and relaxed, I t ake this opportunity to sincerely thank you for the wonderful response to my appeal for the Guest Fund at the Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown. Brethren, I asked Pennsylvania Ma~ sons to provide more tha n $2 50,000 to permit the Committee on Masonic Homes to continue to make E lizabeth town a "Home" and not Just a nother institution. M arch 15, 1965, ended the 1964 appeal. I am very h appy to report the total collection was $253,456.00. I deeply apprecia te this response, a nd to those B r ethren who par t icipated I again extend a per son al "th a nk you, my Brethren." For the past several years, it h as been the hope of Grand Lodge Officers that the contributions be increased to a sum equal to at least one dollar for every M ason in Pennsylvania. Our membership figures n ow show that, as of D ecember 27, 1964, we h ave 253,712 M asons in this Jurisdiction. This is before the examination of the General Returns by the Grand Secreta ry. I feel sure that in the next request M asons in Pennsylvania will bridge the gap a nd send the total contributions far b eyond the goal of an average of one dollar per member. If you open your Holy Bible to I Cor inthia ns 13 : 13, you would r ead: "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three: but t h e greatest of these is ch arity." My Brethren, you h ave my everlastin g gratit ude for your gen erosity. In another article in this edition of
the "Freemason" you will note that the June Quarterly Communication will be held in Harrisburg, and, on t h e day before, two me n will b e made Masons at Sight. I extend a cordial inv itation to a ll Masons to attend these two very important communications of Grand Lodge. Many Masons have the b elief that only member s of Grand Lodge can attend Grand Lodge Communications. This is not the fact. All sessions of Grand Lodge, r egardless of wh ere they are h eld, are open to all Masons. Brethren, as we approach the summer season, I again would apprecia te y our giv ing some consideration to the "Image of Freemasonry." Don't consider our fraternity as a secret society. Cert a inl y we h ave secrets, just as you h ave in you r family group. You don't openly discuss fa mily secrets. A secret society in most people's minds, is a group of indiv iduals, meeting in secr et, conspiring against our government, w hose members are known only to themselves, whose aims and purposes are secret, and whose m embership is compos~d of schemers, plotters, atheists, and those who have views opposite from 'rightthinking, God-fearing men. Freemasonry is a private society, based on Brotherly Love, Relief a nd Truth. Its tenets, its cardinal v irtues a nd its teachings ar e not secret, a nd are open for insp ection. F reemasonry h as existed through the ages because it emphasizes the observance of the moral law. W e must admit to the existence of the Great Architect and the immortality of the soul. Contrary to the ideas of some people, not me mbers of the Craft, Ma-
Bro. Earl F . Herold R. W. Grand Master sonry is not a religion and never has claimed to be. It teach es that our first responsibility is to our church of our own choice. I have often been told b y church lead ers, "A good M ason is a good church worker. I look to m en who b elong to the M asonic Fraternity for leadership." Brethren, our private society h as earned the r espect of thinking men throughout the world. Because of this, we are not permitted behind the iron curtain. In considering the image of Freem asonry, m y Brethren, k eep in mind that each one of us is the custodian of tha t respect. Then F reemasonry can b e judged on what we are and what w e do as M asons. Fraterna lly y ours,
R. W. Grand Master