FURRY


A column wherein our gentil readeres shake a lance at
ignorance, at one another, at ye olde editor and on rare
occasions even succeed in hittinge ye naile on ye heade.

Dear Brother Marsengill:

I was by turns both overjoyed and
amazed at the response which my letter
in the August issue provoked from
Brother Allen E. Roberts. It certainly
did get his attention, even if it failed in
making clear my points of argument. I
was especially delighted when I read his
initial exclamations of "Touche!" and
"Wow!" However, after reading the rest
of the letter I got the definite impression
that the "Touche!" was reserved for
Brother Papas, while the "Wow!" was
meant for me.

Some of Brother Robert's rebuttals
were very much to the point, and af-
forded me a better understanding of his
position, as opposed to mine. This is
very good, and as it should be. Others,
however, seemed to 'beat around the
bush' and centered more on my choice
of words than on the point I was trying
to make.

First, his refusal to apologize for what
he wrote was unnecessary. I never asked
him to make one, and to do so would
have been unthinkablel I am opinion-
ated, but I would hope that I am not
that self-important.

Second, I am in total agreement with
Brother Allen's view that we should
never, ever buckle to our critics from
outside of the Craft. I merely tried to
advance my point that a much larger
body of strong opinion exists within the
Craft than what he would be able to un-
cover by asking for a show of hands at
seminars and conferences.

I would further state that as more and
more of our 'neutral' Brothers become
acquainted with the arguments in this
case, both pro and con, many of them
will leave that deceptively calm sea of
neutrality and take a stand on the sub-
ject. So, whereas Brother Roberts seems
to view these large numbers of neutral
Brothers as an indicator of no problem,
I see them as a group prudently waiting
for more light on the subject before
committing themselves to one side or
the other, or even to a position some-
place in-between.

Third, and in a somewhat lighter
vein, I will not retreat from my descrip-
tion of Brother Roberts as "a very elo-
quent, very important, very influential
spokesman for the Craft." His assertion
that he ain't no such thing reminds me a
little bit of one of our nations most elo-
quent speakers, Abe Lincoln, claiming
to be little more than an Illinois rail
splitter. He should also not interpret the
word influential as meaning able to get
one's own way, right away. If he wanted
to make things happen right now he
should not have chosen that noblest, yet
least rewarded field of endeavor known
as Education. Educators rarely make
things happen fast, yet they are consis-
tently remembered as being among the
most influential people of all ages.

In token of my sincerity on this point
I am willing to wager Brother Allen that
every one of the excellent causes which
he has championed over the years will
eventually be adopted as policy by the
vast majority of Masonic jurisdictions in
this country. This includes the elimina-
tion of the ballot box and the recogni-
tion of the regularity of Prince Hall
Masonry, both of which are long over-
due. If we hadn't had the ballot box in
the first place we might not have been
stuck with this silly system of segregated
Freemasonry which we have in the
United States. (Bigots as well as cowards
have hidden behind that box.) Unfortu-
nately, this is a wager we may have to
settle from a vantage point in that celes-
tial Lodge above. As I said, education
works very slowly at times. But it does
workl

Finally, as a step forward in this cause
of Masonic education I am enclosing a
copy of an excellent paper in support of
my views on the controversy of the Ma-
sonic penalties. This work did not origi-
nate from outside the Craft. It was writ-
ten by W. Bro. G.G.F. Halliwell, and
appeared in the 1987 Masonic Yearbook
of the Provincial Grand Lodge of York-
shire, North and East Ridings. It pre-
sents the United Grand Lodge of Eng-
land's reasoning behind their ritual
changes concerning the penalties. I
would love to see it reprinted in The
Philalethes, but I do not know much
about copyright laws and such. If it is
not appropriate to print it, I will gladly
send a copy of it to any Brother who
sends a stamped. self-addressed enve-
lope to me at: 5986 N. Ionia Rd., Ver-
montville, MI 49096.
Fraternally yours,
Mark L. Jarvie

--------------------------------------
Dear Bro. Roberts:

Enclosed is my report for our Chapter
for our last year. We have had a fair
jrear, but like almost everyone else,
membership continues to be a problem.
We actually feel the need for new mem-
bers in order to get some new ideas into
our Chapter.

A few months ago you asked if you
should be allowed to express your per-
sonal opinion based on your experience
and work with so many of the bodies. I
am afraid my answer is that as long as
you are an officer, you should not. I feel
(and I am sure you feel) that this is un-
fair, but my experience is that no mat-
ter how much you tell people that you
are speaking as Alan Roberts the Ma-
son, they will hear you as the Executive
Secretary of the Philalethes Society or as
one of the other offices which you hold.
When the chairman of the Elders at our
church tried to express his personal feel-
ings concerning our Senior Minister and
his health, he was interpreted as speak-
ing for the Elders, he was subject to
rather insulting phone calls, and he
seriously considered leaving the church.
Two other families who expressed
similar opinions did leave the church,
he resigned as chairman, as did the vice
chairman. That was almost three years
ago, our Senior Minister did resign for
health reasons almost a year later, we
had an interim minister for one year
and we now have a new Senior Minister.
Our Associate Minister, who was
perceived as being in on the "plot" to
oust the Senior Minister, as well as our
Minister of Education are also now at
other churches. I was lucky enough to
be the only one foolhardy enough to
replace the resigned chairman of the
Elders, and I still feel a little burned
over the experience. I think the church
is beginning to recover, but it has been a
long road. I have dwelt perhaps too long
on this, but the "bottom line," if you
will, is that although the chairman tried
to express a personal opinion (which was
after all a correct assessment of the
situation), he was heard as speaking for
the Elders, he was personally insulted
and the authority of the Elders, limited
as it was, was seriously eroded. From
that experience, I suggest that you
should not, unfair as it seems, express
your opinion over important issues.
However, one alternative might be to
create a "Poor Richard" to speak for
you, under another name. Since most of
your opinions have appeared to corres-
pond to mine, I would hate for you to
lose your forum; however, for harmony's
sake, I do not believe you can express
yourself as long as you hold an office.

I am down to about half a dozen Soci-
ety applications; would you please send
about fifty or seventy-five? Thank you.

Fraternally, Thomas Craig
Secretary/Treasurer
Tennessee Valley Chapter
Philalethes Society

------------------------------------
Guatemala, June 3, 1990

Re: The Philalethes, February 1990:
"You be the Judge and the Jury."

Dear Brother Marsengill:

Well, as a good European lawyer, I
do not believe in Juries, and thus I will
be the Judge--three bangs of the gavel.

Having read your articles carefully in
the course of time; Having admired
your courage to advertise and advocate
new ideas, not touching the basic prin-
ciples of Masonry, and not trying to
bring forth "innovations," but simply
adjustments to modern times--after all,
how many of us go on horseback to the
Lodges today?

Having admired your logical ap-
proach to administrative changes and
the simplicity of the solutions planted in
your writings and addresses; WE, This
Court, presided by me, Dr. Johannes
Marinus van Beusekom LL.M. (Har-
vard Law School), having heard all
comments and arguments from all par-
ties, CONDEMN you, Allen Roberts,
FPS, to continue with your writings,
calling for changes and adjustments to
modern times, by whatever means or
function you have available, and to
shake up sleepy and stuffy Brethren to
better thinking and activities, and by no
means to be silenced by anyone.

Non-compliance with this order will
invoke the serious punishment that I
will strip you from all Masonic honours
and functions.

So be it.
J.M. van Beusekom
