FRATERNAL REVIEW

Editor - Ralph A. Herbold

(3- 1 5-92)

DUNGEON, FIRE AND SWORD 
John J. Robinson, speaking before the Virginia Research Lodge No. 1777 and 
telling how he titled his latest book:

No. 646

"While writing the book I remembered the old hymn called 'Faith of Our
Fathers.' The opening line of the hymn is, 'Faith of our fathers, living
still in spite of dungeon, fire and sword.' So that's the name of the new
book: Dungeon Fire and Sword: The History of The Knights Templar in The
Crusades."

Incidentally, the latter book enjoyed a six column spread review in the Los
Angeles Times for January 29, 1992. If this reminds you that you forgot to
order a copy, the price is: CA $23.26, out of state $21.71, foreign
$23.00.

HUMOR 
The following quoted from One Hundred Years of Freemasonry in California in the 
narration of Mariposa Lodge No. 24. One of their most devoted members and Past 
Masters was Brother Frank H. B. Catherwood who served his Lodge ten years as
Master and twelve as Secretary, never missing a meeting while an officer in 
spite of the fact that: "In good weather or bad, he hiked eight miles across 
the mountain to the ranch of Thomas J. Ferguson. There Ferguson would hitch up 
a team of horses to a wagon or buckboard and he and Catherwood would cover the 
remaining eighteen miles to Lodge together, retur~ring home the next day."

"Catherwood's memory and knowledge of the ritual amazed everybody who knew him. 
He never missed a word and his delivery was spellbinding. When asked how he 
attained such proficiency, he smilingly replied that he acquired it with the 
help of a couple of jackasses that he kept at his place back in the mountains. 
'You see,' he said, 'after I'd finish my supper dishes of an evening, I might 
feel that I needed a little practice with the ritual. So I'd go out in front of 
my cabin and call my jacks. I'd post one in the South and one in the West, and 
sit on a stump in the East myself. Then I'd begin at any place in the ritual 
where I thought I needed brushing up. You know, those jacks had heard that 
ritual so many times that they knew it backward and forward and straight up and 
down. They could pick up with me anywhere along the line. As long as I was all 
right, they'd just stand there, with their ears laid back, following every word. 
But if I made the slightest mistake, they'd flop their ears forward and I knew I 
was wrong. Yessir, and I'd have to back up and get it right before they'd lay 
their ears down again."'

PRINCE HALL 
An update in the James O. Wood - Editor-in-Chief, column in the February
1992 Washington Masonic Tribune. He seems to be developing into quite an
amhassador in the Prince Hall situation.

"I received a telephone call from the Grand Secretary of the United Grand
Lodge of England, RW Michael Higham. He thanked me for my efforts to
establish communication with Prince Hall Masonry in the States. The Board
of General Purposes feel that to really solve the recognition problem,
contact should be made with the Prince Hall Grand Lodge in Massachusetts
since they are the founding Grand Lodge. Toward this end RW Brother Higham
has scheduled a meeting on January 27 to meet with the Prince Hall Grand
Lodge. One item of discussion that may move things along in the right
direction is to consider a revision of the letter issued in 1792 in which
the Prince Hall Lodge severed all ties with the Grand Lodge of England and
declared themselves sovereign. A desire to re-establish relations might be
the trick which solves the problem and clarifies the matter of visitation
on the part of English Masons visiting in the eight Jurisdictions in the
United States which recognize Prince Hall Masonry in their respective
Jurisdictions."

In the event you missed the information, the United Grand Lodge of England
has notified their members they can not visit a Lodge in the Jurisdictions
that recognize Prince Hall Masonry.

RITUAL - VERMONT - CHARITY 
In "An Open Letter To Junior Wardens" in the Spring/Summer 1991 Green
Mountain Freemason we find Vermont's answer to one sometimes asked here:

"On questionable phraseology ask the D.D.G.M. for assistance and
clarification. He has a copy of the Black Book with the ritual written
out."

In the same issue in Annual Reports we find their Charity Fund contributed
$32,099.58 to such as the Vermont Girl Scout Council, Grand Orient of
Haiti, Vermont Educational Television, Shrine Crippled Children's
Hospitals, National Masonic Foundation (Drug Abuse Program) with the
largest, $7,500, to the Masonic Service Association Hospital Visitors
Program. The smallest item was for the Charity Committee expense, $20.10.
In addition to this their Masonic Charities of Vermont gave $17.286.47 to
Drug & Alcohol Education Programs. Note that the Grand Lodge membership is
10,617 and it is a member of our Lodge.

DRESS CODE Interesting item in the Oregon Scottish Rite Freemason, January
1992:

"Brethren of the Portland Valley, it has been observed that sponsors are
perhaps not passing on complete information to their candidates. The
Scottish Rite is a voluntary organization of adult men and we do have a
dress code. A coat and tie is the accepted dress for all regular Tuesday
night meetings. As sponsors it is our responsibility to inform our
candidates of the dress code, but even more important, we must ourselves be
mindful of the proper attire."

EGYPTIAN "MASONRY" The December 1991 Phllalethes notes that the story of
Dr. O. J. Kinnamon opening the Tomb of King Tutankhamen and on unwrapping
the mummy finding a Masonic apron is again appearing in Masonic
publications, describing it as a fraud.

VIDEO - RAINROW FOR GIRLS The Pennsylvania Grand Assembly has produced a
videotape program about the organization and it may be purchased from their
Supreme Inspector, Mrs. Beryl L. Hogue, 2901 Ellwood Road, New Castle PA
16110 , for $25.
