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Washington Letters Tell Relationship
Grand Lodge Installs Officers; All Elected to Homes Committee
Much interest was shown and many questions were asked about the three George Washington items displayed during the Quarterly and Annual Communications of the Grand Lodge in Philadelphia. The three items tell an interesting relationship between Bro. Washington and the Grand Lodge. When Bro. Washington was President of the United States, he resided in the Presidential Mansion on Market Street near Sixth Street in Philadelphia. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania at its Annual Communication, December 27, 1791 , proposed that Bro. William Smith, a minister, and the Right Worshipful Grand Lodge Officers be a committee to prepare an address to the President. The Grand Lodge was adjourned to the second day of January, 1792, to receive the report of the committee. On the appointed day, Grand Lodge was opened in ample form and Bro. Smith presented a draft of the address to be presented to Bro. Washington. This draft was unanimously approved and signed by Bro. Jonathan Bayard Smith, R. W . Grand Master, and by Bro. P. Le Barbier Duplesses, R. W. Grand Secretary. The original of this draft is on display in the Museum of the Grand Lodge. It reads:
Besides the Grand Master, other Grand Lodge Officers installed at the Annual Grand Communication December 28, 1970 were: Bro. W. Orville Kimmel, a Harrisburg funeral director, R. W. Deputy Grand Master. Bro. Rochester B. Woodall, a retired Philadelphia businessman, R. W . Senior Grand Warden. Bro. fohn L. McCain, personal inve~tments, Pittsburgh, R. W. Junior Grand Warden. Bro. Arthur R. Diamond, a Philadelphia engineer, R. W . Grand Treasurer. Bro. Ashby B. Paul, of Harrisburg, R. W . Grand Secretary.
"To His Excellency George Washington President of the United States Sir & Brother The ancient York-Masons of the Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania, . . . since your Election to the Chair of Government in the United States, beg leave to approach you, with Congratulations from the East, and in the Pride of Fraternal :affection to hail you as the Great Master-Builder (under the Supreme Architect) by whose Labours the Temple of Liberty hath been rear'd in the West; exhibiting to the Nations of the Earth a Model of Beauty, Order and Harmony, worth of their Imitation and Praise . . ."
Busy Three Months
Quarterly Session Tops Itinerary The schedule for Grand Lodge Officers the next three months includes: March 2-3 - Quarterly Communication, Masonic Temple, Philadelphia. March 6 - Grand Master, 100th Anniversary, Robert A. Lamberton Lodge No. 487, Philadelphia. March 13 - Grand Lodge Officers, Special Communication, constitute South Gate Lodge No. 808, Masonic Hall, Pleasant Hills. March 20 - Grand Lodge Officers, Special Communication, lay cornerstone and dedicate Lodge Room, Prince Edwin Lodge No. 486, Middletown. March 26 - Grand Lodge Officers, meeting, Committee on Masonic H omes, Elizabethtown. March 27 - Grand Master, 100th Anniversary, Excelsior Lodge No. 491, Philadelphia. April 10 - Grand Lodge Officers, Special Communication, lay cornerstone and dedicate Lodge Room, George Wagner Lodge No. 639, St. Marys.
THE PENNSYLVAN IA FREEMASON
Second Class
Distribut ion Office MASONIC HOMES Elizabethtown, Pa. 17022
POSTAGE
(Send FORM 3579 to Above Address)
All the elected Grand Lodge Officers are members of the Committee on Masonic Homes which operates the Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown . Others elected to the Committee on Masonic Homes are: Bro. William E. Yeager, R. W. Past Grand Master, of Warren. Bro. Robert E. Woodside, Jr., of Harrisburg. Bro. Scott C. Rea, of Sunbury. Bro. Ellis E. Stern, Past District Deputy Grand Master, of Coatesville. Bro. Walter P. Wells, of Coudersport. Bro. Milton Fritsche, of Douglassville. Bro. Theodore K. Warner, fr. , Past District Deputy Grand Master, of Devon.
PAID AT Elizabe thtown Pennsylva nia
POSTMASTER: Please Include Comple te Imprint of Add ress on Your Pos tal Retu rn Clipping.
April 16 - Grand Lodge Officer, 50th Anniversary, John F. Laedlein Lodge No. 707, Williamsport. April 23 - Grand Lodge Officers, meeting, Committee on Masonic Homes, Elizabethtown. April 24 - Grand Master, 100th Anniversary, Crescent Lodge No. 493, Philadelphia. May l - Grand Master, 75th Anniversary, Tyrian Lodge No. 612, Wilmerding, and Valley Lodge No. 613, Turtle Creek. May 8 - Grand Master, 100th Anniversary, Fraternal Lodge No. 483, Rouseville. May 10 - Grand Master, 100th Anniversary, Pittsburgh Lodge No. 484, Pittsburgh. Junior Grand Warden, Junior May 14 Grand Warden's Night, McKeesport Lodge No. 64 1, McKeesport. May IS - Grand Master, 100th Anniversary, Logan Lodge No. 490, Altoona. May 19 - Grand Master, 100th Anniversary, Tyrone Lodge No. 494, Tytone. May 22 - Grand Lodge Officer, 100th Anniversary, Valley Lodge No. 499, West Pittston. May 23-26 - Grand Master, Grand Conclave, Grand Commandery of Knigh ts Templar, Scranton. May 28 - Grand Lodge Officers, meeting, Committee on Masonic Homes, Elizabethtown.
School of Instruction Following are the dates for the Sectional Meetings of the School of Instruction for 1971: March 6 - Harrisburg March 27 - Pittsburgh April 3 - Uniontown April 17 - New Castle April 24 - Allentown May 8 - Williamsport May 15 - Pleasant Hills September 11 - Meadville September 25 - Philadelphia
AN
OFFICIAL PUBLI CATION
VOLUME XVIII
OF THE RIGHT WORSH IPFUL GRAN D LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF PENNSYLVANIA
FEBRUARY
e
1971
NUMBER
Bro. Ball Serves 2nd Year As State's Grand Master Bro. Hiram P. Ball, a Pittsburgh industrialist, has been installed as R. W. Grand Master of Masons in Pennsylvania. . .This is the second year Bro. Ball will serve as Grand Master. He wlll head more than 245 ,000 Masons in 610 Blue Lodges throughout the state. The ancient ceremony of Bro. Ball's installation took place Dec_. 28, 19~0 at the Annual Grand Communication of the Grand Lodge held 111 Masomc Temple in Philadelphia. In accordance with Masonic Law, the installation ceremony is held on December 27th, St. John the Evangelist's Day, except when it falls on Sunday and then it is held the follow~Strangers' ing day. ' Thousands of Masons are strangers in Bro. Ball is a Past Master of Harmony Lodge No. 429 , F. & A. M., their Blue Lodges because they hold Zelienople, Butler County; a former night-time jobs which keep them away member of Corinthian Lodge No. 573, from their meetings and activities. Thousands of other Brethren are Millvale, Allegheny County, and was Warrant Master of Col. Henry Bouquet members of city Lodges but live in outlying suburbs. They go home after Lodge No. 787, Pittsburgh. He was elected to Junior Grand work and find it difficult to return for Warden of the Grand Lodge on Dec . 27, their Lodge meetings. Recognizing this as one of the major 1963, after serving as District Deputy Grand Master of the 48th Masonic Dis- problems Freemasonry faces today. Grand Lodge is considering steps to trict. Bro. Ball has been a member of the assist its Brethren. Bro. Richard A . Kern, R. W. Past Grand Lodge Committee on Finance since 1958, having served as vice chair- Grand Master, is keenly interested in man for eight years. He also ser'ved six the problem and is taking an active part years as a Trustee of the Thomas Ran- in the Grand Lodge program. BRO. HIRAM P. BALL If enough Brethren indicate their inRight Worshipful Grand Master (Continued on Page 2) terest, one or more Daylight Lodges may be constituted to meet in the Ma'70 Collection Lags sonic Temple, Philadelphia. Bro. Kern said he will assist in every way he can in form ulating and getting the Lodges started. If there is adequate interest in other The closing date is March 15 for the them before March 15. cities, Grand Lodge will provide the 1970 Guest Fund collection for the A major part of the Guest Fund w ill same assistance. Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown. go toward construction of faciliti es fo r Bro. Kern, who recently returned from The Guest Fund is running more than 23 more hospital beds at the Masonic a world-wide trip , cited London, Eng$30,000 behind the 1969 collection , Homes. land, as one city where the problem is when Pennsylvania Masons contrib uted Contributions to the Guest Fund are recognized . Most of the Lodges in Lonnearly $492,000. deductible for income tax purposes. don, he said, hold their meetings in Hoping the current collection goes the afternoon, have an early supper and Checks or money orders should be over this amount, Bro . Hiram P. Ball , R. W. Grand Master, has urged all made payable to the Guest Fund and the Brethren then are free to go home. Bro. Kern pointed out that UniverMasons who have not mailed in their mailed to the Executive Director, Ma(Continued on Page 2) contri butions to the Guest Fund to send sonic Homes, Elizabethtown, Pa. 17022.
Daylight Lodges Seen Possible to Offset Problem of
Guest Fund Drive Hits Homestretch