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including any redistribution rights are reserved by the copyright holder.
Permission to quote from, redistribute or to otherwise use these materials
must be obtained from the copyright holder directly by contacting The
Philalethes, Nelson King, FPS, Editor, 2 Knockbolt Crescent, Agincourt
Ontario Canada, M1S 2P6. Tel: 416-293-8071 Fax: 416-293-8634 or
nking@freemasonry.org or nking@onramp.ca




Through Masonic Windows

by AllenE. Roberts, FPS

An interesting program has been
started by Widow's Sons' Lodge No.
60 in Charlottesville, Virginia. It's of-
fering its members an opportunity to
be "Apprentice" or "Crafter" or
"Master. " Other such programs plead
for money; this one is for service. It's
called "Helpline" and is designed to
provide assistance to distressed Broth-
ers, widows, family members, or the
general public. Even one hour a year
makes one eligible; 16 or more hours
makes one a "Master." And any type
of service is welcome.

Brotherhood in action. A man inter-
ested in Freemasonry asked if being
divorced and having declared bank-
ruptcy years ago would be a bar to his
acceptance. A Master Mason an-
swered: "I celebrated my 9th Masonic
birthday this year. I have been di-
vorced twice and filed bankruptcy in
1989. I also had no income for over a
year. My wife shattered her wrist in
Feb of 1991 which put her out of action.
We were supported by my Lodge and
our Eastern Star Chapter. During this
period, I also went through a bout of
severe depression which resulted in
being hospitalized in a psychiatric hos-
pital for one month. The Lodge and
the Chapter were right there to help
out. When I finally landed a. . .job. . .the
Lodge furnished funds for me to travel
here and support myself until money
started flowing again." (As recorded
from the Masonic forum on Com-
puServe.)

Please read (and pass along) Paul
Harasim's excellent article reprinted,
with permission, from The Houston Post.
He could have added several other in-
tolerable acts performed in the name of
" religion. " Witness the Catholic/Prot-
estant killings and maiming in Ireland,
the "religious" ethnic cleansing in the
former portions of the Soviet block,
acts of terrorism, and numerous other
episodes all in the name of some "reli-
gion. "

Who would have predicted it? A
"Grand Master's Class" was held by
the Grand Lodge of the District of Co-
lumbia. On August 29, 1992 a Fellow-
ship Night was held; on November 13
and 14 (the Grand Master having
waived the customary requirements)
114 men received the degrees of En-
tered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and
Master Mason. About 300 Master
Masons attended the Table Lodge that
ended the weekend. This wasn't the
end. The following weekend the Scott-
ish Rite and Shrine degrees were con-
ferred. And this Grand Master and
Grand Lodge weren't finished. On De-
cember 15 the Architect of the C apitol,
George M. White, was made a Mason
at Sight.

  -

JohnJ . Robinson, along with our Ed-
itor, Charles S. Guthrie, was chosen a
Blue Frair on February 19. John tells
us how to combat the enemies of Free-
masonry in his excellent book, A
Pilgrim's Path. Among the questions he
asks is how far the zealot from Texas
who railroaded his anti-Masonic reso-
lution through the Southern Baptist
Convention will go to "purify" its
churches of Masonic influence. Will he
ask its adherents to refuse to pledge
allegiance to the flag of our country? (It
is written by a Baptist minister who
was a Freemason.) Will Holly order
them to ignore the flag all together? (It
was George Washington, a Freemason
who asked the wife of a Freemason to
design and sew the first one.) Will he
ask them to outlaw Onward Christian
Soldiers? (It was composed by a Free-
mason.) Will he ask them to close their
ears to God Bless America? (It was writ-
ten by a Freemason.) This book should
be read by every Freemason--and ev-
eryone in the world who believes in the
freedom of religion. In our last issue I
said: "This book is the best answer to
the enemies of Freemasonry yet writ-
ten." S. Brent Morris, FPS, wrote:
"It's a masterpiece. " It's available
from The Masonic Service Associa-
tion, 8120 Fenton Street, Silver
Springs, MD 20910, for $11.95, post-
paid. The MSA will receive S5.00 for
every copy sold to help finance a Ma-
sonic Clearing House, something
Freemasonry has desperately needed
for many years.

From the MSA we learn a documen-
tary film about Harry S. Truman, 33rd
President of the United States, a Past
Grand Master of Masons in Missouri,
and one of the strongest advocates of
The Masonic Service Association has
ever had, is in the planning stage. It is
scheduled to be completed in 1993 and
released in 1 995, 50 years after Brother
Truman became President on the
death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Work
is going forward under the designation
of the "Truman Film Project." The
tentative budget for the film is Sl.5
million. A shorter version of the docu-
mentary is expected to be available for
libraries and classrooms. It is claimed
a "special video offer is planned for
Masons. " In 1985 the Missouri Lodge
of Research published Brother Truman;
it was offered as a bonus book to mem-
bers of The Philalethes Society.

Barry Goldwater was honored by his
Lodge, Scottsdale No. 43, says the Ar-
izona Mason. He was presented with an
engraved plaque noting his years of
public service and Freemasonry. His
rise from a clerk to president and board
chairman of the Goldwater Depart-
ment Store were noted. Brother Gold-
water suggested the Lodge start pre-
paring for his 80th anniversary as he
was going to live to be 100!

The Philalethes, April 1993

