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         Hand-Me-Down
The Masonic
        Hand-me-Down
   Memorabilia Collection


by George T. Halteman, MPS

The Hand-Me-Down Masonic Memorabilia
Collection is truly a collection
which has been handed down from
Masonic Brother to Masonic Brother. The
original collector is not known. I
received, in 1978, what had begun as a
collection of Michigan Masonic lapel 
pins, from the Illustrious Llewellyn S. 
Hughes, 33, NMJ. Brother Hughes had 
added his own pins and medals from his 
55 years of Masonic service. This is the 
second Masonic collection of my forty 
years as a Freemason. The first collection
was lost in a burglary. It was a very
deep personal loss.
 
The Hand-Me-Down Collection now 
contains brass and glass; cups and 
plates; steins; wooden, hand-carved ash 
trays; wooden plaques; aprons; belt 
buckles; lamps; rings; watches; watch 
fobs; and nineteen century certificates. 
And . . . there is one gold knife (Circa 
1940) in the collection which has been 
handed down from the Illustrious 
Henry Ford, 33, Scottish Rite.
 
The first five years I had this collec-
tion, I, like the Brothers who originally 
started the collection, kept it locked 
away. In 1984 I started collecting books 
for the purpose of researching the his-
tory of pins and other items in the col-
lection. Finding details of Michigan 
pins was fairly easy. The next research
involved the lapel pins with only names
and numbers with no hint of their 
origins. I started visiting any place that 
sold used articles that might help. I also 
made many inquiries to the Grand 
Secretaries of various jurisdictions, 
many of which were not always an-
swered. This lack of responses added to 
my difficulties.
 
I recently read an article somewhat 
critical of Brothers who came into Ma-
sonry " . . . and after receiving the 
Master Mason's degree, looked like 
walking jewelry stores. " The author 
was comparing a solid Masonic educa-
tion to the Brother who simply wanted 
the world to know HE was a member. I 
have found collecting Masonic Jewelry 
to be an excellent way to receive a 
worthwhile education in Freemasonry. I 
have two lapel pins I wear; a small Past
Master's Pin and a Philalethes Society 
Pin. The rest stay in the collection for 
the viewing pleasure of my friends and 
Brothers. Of course, in addition to just 
collecting, I have also done extensive 
research and had the pleasure of read-
ing many fine articles on Brothers who 
are represented in the Hand-Me-Down 
C ollection.
 
One particular Lodge pin has sent me 
scurrying through history books for the 
past four months. I have read where the
great Shawnee Chief Tecumseh was a 
Mason. I have not yet found the record 
of where the Chief was made a Mason. 
If I could speculate, I would say, 
"Southern Illinois, and shortly after re-
ceiving his title as Chief at the young 
age of 23 years." Yet, I believe there 
should be no room for speculation. I 
will not leave this collection with loose 
ends! Perhaps continued research will 
yield the answers.
 
When I became heir apparent of this 
collection, I really had no intention of 
collecting from other branches (append-
ant bodies) of Freemasonry. When I de-
cided to get very serious about adding 
to the Hand-Me-Down Collection, 
however, one thought was, "How beau-
tiful it would be to have one pin from 
each of the Shrine Temples. "
 
I called the Shrine Temple and asked 
for the name of the Recorder of each 
Temple in several states. I sent a letter 
to each. With no response sixty days 
later, I mailed a second letter. Again, no 
response. The next time I was in the
city where my Shrine Temple was lo-
cated, I spoke to the Temple Manager. 
He could offer no solution, but did pre-
 
sent me eight Potentates'\ lapel pins.
These are a treasure! They are all
different and have the temple name and 
a motto.
 
Later, I was invited to display my col-
lection to the next ceremonial of my 
Shrine Temple. The oldest pin in the 
collection was a Representative's Medal 
to the 1909 Shrine Convention at 
Kosair Temple; Louisville, Kentucky. 
Another outstanding medal was the one 
from Moslem Temple; Detroit, Michi-
gan. It was originally a gift from the 
temple to the individual signing the
most candidates for one ceremonial. 
The Nobles in attendance appeared to 
appreciate the showing.
 
One Noble informed me that the 
temple was trying to collect a fez from 
each of the Shrine Temples. I donated 
the six fezzes which I had at the time. It 
was a pleasure to be able to be a party 
to this collection.
 
Keeping additional items coming to 
the collection is a challenge. It has been 
suggested, by a well-meaning Brother, 
that I place an ad in a national Masonic 
magazine, asking for donations to the 
collection. While I certainly do accept 
gratis additions to the collection, if the 
item is already represented in the collec-
tion, the Brother making the offer is 
politely informed of that fact and the 
donation declined.. Becoming greedy 
would not seem to be in accordance 
with Masonic principles or the intent of 
the collection. It is necessary, however, 
to "harvest" many sources for the col-
lection and to be very diligent in the 
task.
 
For example, I recently wrote to a 
Grand Lodge in Europe, requesting in-
formation on anything they might have 
for their 150th Anniversary. I received a 
very prompt answer from that Grand 
Lodge, directing me to a particular 
Brother. I wrote this Brother and sent 
him a Texas Sesquicentennial pin, as a 
token of friendship. Even after the sec-
ond letter, there is yet no response. Re-
sponses, though, can come when least 
expected and be pleasant surprises.
 
I recall one instance, in 1989, when I 
sent a letter to the Grand Chapter of 
North Dakota. Three years later I re-
ceived a beautiful pin from the Grand 
Secretary, in commemoration of their 
100th Anniversary. This was a bonus 
for me and intended to be gratis. After 
reading about this Grand Chapter I de-
cided they could use a donation. The 
Brethren of North Dakota appear to be 
very generous in all of their laudable 
undertakings.
 
Many items come to me through Ma-
sonic and Masonic-related associations 
that have heard why I'm building this 
collection, and where its eventual home 
will be. The purpose of the Hand-Me-
Down Collection is to inform and edu-
cate the Masonic Brethren of the abso-
lute wealth of Masonic memorabilia 
that exists outside their home jurisdic-
tion. When I can no longer take care of 
the collection, I plan to donate it to the 
Grand Lodge of Texas.
 
I have found when one collecting 
source dries up. It is necessary to look 
for an alternative. For example, I origi-
nally collected only a few coins which 
were Masonic related; such as the 100th 
Anniversary of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, the Surrender of Cornwallis 
at Yorktown, and the 1 00th Anniver-
sary of the Baltimore Convention. 
Adding to these, I have now collected 
109 coins with a Masonic connection.
 
One particularly interesting coin bears 
the face of Carter Henry Harrison. 
There seemed to be not a clue as to his 
Masonic connection. This coin became 
a thorn in my side. I read four different 
books referencing this individual. He 
served two terms in Congress as a rep-
resentative from Chicago and served 
five terms as Chicago mayor. Finally, in 
the Texas Masonic Journal for 1886, I 
found that Carter Henry Harrison had 
attended a 1885 Scottish Rite Cere-
monial and Banquet at the Oriental
Consistory, Valley of Chicago. (Also at-
tending was Lt. Governor John C. 
Smith.) Mayor Harrison was assassi-
nated in 1893 at the end of the Chicago 
World ' s Fair.
 
Texas is now my home. The Grand 
Lodge has only recently started allow-
ing certain pins to be issued, and these 
are controlled by the Grand Lodge. As I 
travel around the state, showing the Mi-
chigan pins, I keep hoping that the idea 
of individual Lodges issuing their own 
pins might "catch on." So far, the only 
comment I have received is, "We don't 
have these in Texas." But Texas, as 
large as it is, is only ONE state.
 
Twenty-three states are represented, 
so far, in the Hand-Me-Down Masonic 
Memorabilia Collection. It is my goal 
to collect items from each of the other 
twenty-seven states so that all fifty states 
of the United States of America will be 
represented. And, if God is willing, 
maybe there will be items from many 
more countries throughout the world!
