From the Editor's Desk


Our Global Masonic Village con-
tinues to shrink due quicker and easier
communications such as E-Mail. It has
been suggested that The Philalethes
compile a directory of E-Mail addresses
of its Members. If you want to be in-
cluded in this E-Mail Directory [which
will only be available to those Members
who request it] drop me an E-Mail at
nking@freemasonry. org.


oOo

George Helmer of Alberta, Canada
tells me that he has successfully scanned
the philalethes magazine issues of the
1940's, 50's and 60's. Hopefully a CD-
Rom of the first 50 years of the philalethes
magazine will be available for Christmas gifts.

oOo

Membership is the life blood of any
organization. If every one of us got only
ONE new Member, we would have
double the informed Master Masons.
And we all know that an informed
Master Mason is a good Master
Mason.

ooo

I would like to suggest to all Chapters
that they include the Executive Officers
of The Society in their mailings. There
are some Chapters that already do have
the President, Vice Presidents, Execu-
tive Secretary and Editor on their mail-
ing list. It is indeed a pleasure to receive
these Notices of Meetings, and infor-
mation about the Chapter and its Mem-
bers.

Nelson King, FPS Editor




        Letters to the Editor



Dear Editor,
  The ways of our journal are wonderful
indeed. On two adjacent pages of the
April 1996 issue appear two articles that
are 100% contradictory of one another.
MPS Kevin M. Tuck expresses a view
of our order from the vantage point of
one who experienced Masonic
Brotherly Love. Our Masonic bond was
created by our shared experience of the
spiritual and emotional exaltation we all
felt as we were initiated into the Order
in a just and perfect (edge. It was later
enhanced a hundredfold when we were
raised to the sublime degree of Master
Mason.

The knowledge that we are indeed
better people thanks to this shared exal-
tation, that we are the ones whose lives
were enriched by it, makes every
Mason our Brother. This up-lifting ex-
perience is the single most important
aspect of our order. It is the unique
thing about Freemasonry that makes it
so beautiful. It is the most outstanding
feature of our BROTHERHOOD OF
MAN UNDER THE FATHERHOOD
OF GOD.

Just preceding this wonderful article
was FPS Richard H. Curtis' horror vi-
sion of a 2017 without Temples,
Lodges, Initiations, Raisings and En-
lightment. What a NIGHTMARE~
Freemasonry is not all about dispensing
charity to distant corners of the earth
nor about sharing bread with visitors. I
am an active member of quite a few
voluntary organizations and correspond
regularly with members of these organi-
zations about our various fields of com-
mon interest. I met some of my pen-
pals, visited them when I was in their
home towns or countries and had the
pleasure of entertaining them at my
home when they came to Jerusalem. I
don't need our fraternity for that - none
of us does. Giving charity to the needy
is something every decent Human
being does regularly. Corresponding
with others via the old fashioned mail,
via Mail or via the Information Super-
highway, eventually meeting our pen-
friends, is something many of us do
being social animals. Freemasonry is all
about the enlightment available
through the ceremonies of the degrees.
Charity, the exchange of ideas and thoughts
and sitting together to share a meal are only
the side dishes on our Masonic dinner
table. Seeing the Light and then showing it
to others is the main course.

I have no objection to the estab-
lishment of sites on the World Wide
Web that will serve as Masonic meeting
grounds for Masons who wish to reach
out and touch one another digitally. I
have no objection to creating a hierar-
chy of service in such sites - Masters
who moderate the exchange, Almoners
(Aid Directors?) who organize the help
members extend to the needy, Masters
of Ceremonies (System Managers?)
who handle the technical aspects of or-
ganizing the sites' functions. But elec-
tronic monitoring of applicants' life? It
sounds like "Big Brother"ing to me.

FPS Curtis presents us with an apo-
calyptic vision of a possible future of
our fraternity, a vision without the light
of Freemasonry to guide us on our
moral way.
Fraternally,

Ron Berger, MPS








WHEN WILL WE EVER LEARN
Part 3

With due respect to ALL Grand Lodges,
[whether they recognize each other or not].

"What is wrong with Masons from
any jurisdiction sitting down and talk-
ing with Masons from another jurisdic-
tion?" "What is wrong with a Grand
Lodge sitting down and talking to
another Grand Lodge? [Whether they
recognize each other or not]" I am not
talking about sitting in an Open Lodge
or Grand Lodge Sessions, I am talking
about just conversing with each other. I
know that most Grand Lodges have the
same problems. Maybe, just maybe we
could learn how to solve those problems
together. Is this just a wishful dream?
Below you will find a letter from The
Grand Master, the Grand Lodge of
Western Australia of Antient Free and
Accepted Masons Incorporated. I think
this letter clearly spells out the some of
the problems the Craft is facing.

Dear Brother,

The 1st Indian-Pacific Congress is
canceled.

It was with deep regret that the Grand
Lodge of Western Australia has made
this decision but did so only because it
felt there was no other course of action
left it could take.

At this time Freemasonry is torn by
division worldwide. The Grand Lodges
of England, Scotland and Ireland are in
conflict with Italy, Greece and India.

Fourteen of the Grand Lodges of the
United States are in dispute with the
Grand Lodge of England. Indeed, even
the Grand Lodges of Australasia dis-
agree with action taken by the Grand
Lodge of England on matters. of frater-
nal relations.

The Grand Lodge of Western
Australia finds this incomprehensible.

The 1st Indian-Pacific Congress was
planned to be a forum that would pro-
vide the worldwide Brotherhood of
Freemasonry the opportunity to plan a
united and harmonious future for the
good of mankind after all we are taught
Freemasonry is a universal Brother-
hood.

The Grand Lodge of Western
Australia is bitterly disappointed that
petty politics means that the Grand
Lodges of England, Scotland and Ire-
land would not attend if Grand Lodges
of Italy, India, Greece and even Wash-
ington (because of Prince Hall Freema-
sonry) who have indicated their pre-
sence, were in attendance.

This Grand Lodge has always believed
that open frank discussion is the way to
resolve disputes. The 1st Indian-Pacific
Congress was, in part, to be such a
forum. It seems however that such de-
bate is not universally acceptable.

The Grand Lodge of Western Australia
finds it intolerable that international
politics are impinging on this Congress
and being played without regard to the
health and well-being of Freemasonry.

While there is the real and implied
threat of boycott action by some Grand
Lodges which would see the withdrawal
of those highly valued regional District
Grand Lodges this Congress cannot
proceed .

The Grand Lodge of Western
Australia had a vision.

The vision was of a forum in which the
international community of Freema-
sons to meet "in peace, love and har-
mony" for the good of mankind. That
vision lies in pieces as the good of the
Craft is neglected in favour of parochial
and tawdry politics.

The Grand Lodge of Western
Australia's choice was simple.

We could proceed in an atmosphere of
threat, intimidation and bitterness or
cancel and hope the schism can heal.

The Grand Lodge of Western
Australia had no choice while others are
in such conflict.

I believe it is a catastrophe for
Freemasonry but the 1st Indian-Pacific
Congress and the dream it stood for is
canceled. We have no other recourse.

Yours fraternally
Hon. H. W. (Mick) Gayfer, OAM
GRAND MASTER
The Grand Lodge Of Western
Australia of Antient Free and Accepted
Masons Incorporated
Freemasons' Hall
78 Terrace Road
East Perth WA 6004
Telephone: (09) 325 3999
Facsimile: (09) 221 4783
Postal Address:
PO Box 6015, East Perth WA 6892

