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Goofs in "Three Rarities"
in the February issue

Obviously the fellow who was made a
Mason at Sight in Ohio in 1909 was
William (not Warren) Howard Taft.
Wow.

From Dr. Hilmer N. Neumann, MPS,
PGM of Ohio, comes a letter asking for
a correction. I'm happy to comply. But I
must say that either I misunderstand the
term "Mason at Sight" or some of those
who use the term aren't correct. (And if
my reasoning which follows isn't correct,
I'm certain there will be those who will
be happy to straighten me out.)

As I see it, a man who petitions a Lodge
for the degrees is the "property" of that
Lodge. From then on no matter what
happens as he progresses toward the de-
gree of Master Mason it's something
that he initiated. He may receive the
degrees in a shortened time, version,
somewhere other than a Lodge, or what-
ever, by order of or with permission of a
Grand Master, but he is still a member
of the Lodge he petitioned.

Now, a Mason at Sight, receives all
three degrees by order of a Grand Mas-
ter, in whatever manner the Grand Mas-
ter may state. This is done solely at the
discretion of the Grand Master. The re-
cipient hasn't petitioned a Lodge for the
degrees. In fact he may never have men-
tioned he desired to become a Freema-
son. After he has been "made" a Master
Mason he must petition a Lodge for
membership. Until he does this and is
accepted he is an unaffiliated Mason.

It's good to see that in the photocopy of
"Making a Mason at Sight" by Louis L.
Williams which Brother Neumann sent
me, Louis agrees with my assessment. In
referring to the Glenn case (which I had
mentioned in the earlier article) in which
he received all three degrees in one day,
(but who had petitioned and been ac-
cepted by Concord Lodge No. 688 years
earlier) Louis writes:".. it does not truly
fit the pattern, [for making a Mason at
Sight] since there was a proper petition
and ballot. "

Louis Williams does tell of an earlier
episode that I didn't mention. Louis
(Lajos) Kossuth, a Hungarian freedom
fighter, and four associates petitioned
Cincinnati Lodge No. 133. With the per-
mission of the Grand Master all of them
were balloted on and initiated the same
day ! Two days later they were made
Fellowcrafts, and Kossuth was made a
Master Mason. The following day his
four associates were made Master Ma-
sons. Certainly unusual, but this did not
make them "Masons at Sight."

On February 18, 1909 William How-
ard Taft WAS made a Mason at Sight.
He applied for and was granted member-
ship in Kilwinning Lodge No. 356. War-
ren G. Harding was initiated in Marion
Lodge No. 70 in 1901. On August 27,
1920, while campaigning for President,
he received the next two degrees in one
day.

As reported in my earlier article next
came John A. Glenn on August 17,
1978.

This was overlooked by me, and has
been called to my attention for correction
by PGM Hilmer W. Neumann, M.D.,
MPS. He included a portion of his ad-
dress as Grand Master, including an
item titled " Mason at Sight. " He
learned of an Entered Apprentice of
Fostoria Lodge No. 288 whose health
was deteriorating. He wrote: "On Au-
gust 28, 1986, I traveled to Fostoria,
Ohio, to constitute and create Clifford
Keckler a Mason at Sight. " He entered
the Intensive Care Unit where the can-
didate was confined and "was able to
obligate Brother Keck~er in the Fellow
Craft and Master Mason degrees and
declared him constituted and created a
Master Mason. "

Commendable, indeed! Not factual,
however. He wasn't made a "Mason at
Gools in "Three Rarltles"
Sight"; he was already an Entered Ap-
prentice of a Lodge.

In so far as I can determine, the next
outstanding and unusual conferring
of the degrees was on December 3, 1992
forJohn J. Robinson, about whom I've
already reported.

And now I humbly bow my head. I
should tell you that each morning I
awaken and shudder to think about how
little I really know.

Allen E. Roberts, FPS


The Philalethes, April 1993


