FRATERNAL REVIEW

Editor - Ralph A. Herbold        (3-15-94)                        No. 688

SHRINE - SCOTTISH RITE - CHARITY
A short item in the February 1994 Dallas (Texas) Scottish Rite Herald (1944 -
Famous film star Mary Pickford visited the Scottish Rite Hospital) reminded me
that when watching the bowling program a few weeks ago from Dallas that the
Scottish Rite Hospital got a bit of publicity including an introduction of one
of the patients.

And from the February 1994 AI Malaikahan, Los Angeles Shrine publication:

"With an operating budget of $304 million and a building and equipment budget of
$90 million, the planned cost of running Shriners Hospitals for Crippled
Children in 1994 will total approximately $394 million, or about $1,080,000 per
day."

MASONIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION - MASONIC EDUCATION
Just received the latest "Catalog - Publications and Materials of The Masonic
Service Association."  You can request a copy by addressing them at 8120 Fenton
St., Silver Spring MD 20910 or calling them at 301-588-4010.  All Short Talk
Bulletins are listed and as they have been publishing them since 1923 you can
readily see a source for just about any subject imaginable.  They also list
booklets, digests, surveys and videocassettes available for rent.

APPENDANT BODIES - NEW ZEALAND
A part of "The Other Orders In New Zealand" by Bro. G.C. Pallier, Waikato
Lodge of Research No 445, November 1993, covering orders requiring MM
qualification for entry:

THE ROYAL ARCH
    The Royal Arch degree was long seen as the completion of the craft degrees,
particularly in England where a very high proportion of Master Masons proceed
to it.  It researches and extends the craft's legend.  In New Zealand our
Supreme Grand Royal Arch comprises nearly 100 chapters, meeting mostly monthly.
    One significant difference in the officership of Chapters is that they are
controlled by three Principals, who share the chairs in the east and share the
responsibilities for degree work and management decisions.
    The Royal Arch degree centres on the symbolism of building the second
temple after the destruction of Jerusalem and King Solomon's Temple; its
spiritual lessons are taken from there.  The whole Order has a greater spiritual
emphasis than the craft, which by comparison looks more to the practical side of
life.

THE ORDER OF THE SECRET MONITOR
    This Order concerns itself with the theme of friendship as its directing
force, calling on Old Testament history for its legends.  It has 44 conclaves
nationally.  They meet quarterly; members wear a breast jewel or collarette to
mark their membership.  The Order has approximately 1800 members and a major
feature is that it seeks to keep much closer contact with its members than any
other masonic Order, including the craft. -This is done by dividing each
conclave's membership into four, with a monthly contract requirement through
four deacons.  It is a very friendly and relaxed Order.

THE ROYAL ORDER OF SCOTLAND
    This Order has a history of over two centuries, and charges itself with
preserving the rituals of the two-degree craft system before it was
dechristianised in 1723.  Each of the four Provincial Grand Lodges in New
Zealand meet four times yearly, and owe allegiance to the Grand Lodge of the
Order in Edinburgh.  The local control is under a Provincial Grand Master who is
appointed for five years, and membership is by invitation for Master Masons who
have been raised for at least five years and who are judged to have made some
reasonable contribution to freemasonry.

THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED RITE
    This is best known through New Zealand as the Rose Croix Order.  It is
open to invited Master Masons who profess a belief in the Christian Trinity,
for it makes a study of aspects of that faith as a way of life, over and above
those moral duties so well inculcated in the craft.
    The Constitution in NZ is an English one, comprising 44 Chapters and there
is also a Scottish Constitution with 16 Chapters as well.  The degrees awarded
run to 33 in number but the full ceremonials are restricted to a much lower
number.  The work is of a more formal nature than in some of the other Orders
and it takes some time to fully grasp the profound lessons.  Regalia for the EC
Order is a collar and for the Scottish Order a collar and apron.  Evening dress
is always worn.

THE SOCIETAS ROSICRUCIANA IN ANGLIA
    This Order meets in Christchurch and Auckland, quarterly.  There are nine
grades, and work of a philosophical nature is undertaken, in papers, by members
on the subject of philosophy, theosophy and science.  The headquarters of the
Order are in England.

PILLARS
"Pillars of Brass, or Bronze" in the Quatluor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 summons
for their 17 February 1994 meeting was interesting to me for in my work of
supplying brass pipe we had, prior to WWII, yellow and red brass pipe, the
former 67% copper, the latter 85% copper.  The yellow variety seemed to
disappear following that conflict.

Q.  Were the Pillars of Solomon's Temple made of brass, or bronze?

A. The Hebrew word which appears in connection with the story of the Temple
   Pillars in I Kings, chap. vii, is 'nehoshet' and it is translated 'brass'
   in the Geneva Bible, and in the Authorised Version.

    'Brass is an alloy consisting mainly if not exclusively of copper and
zinc; in its older use the term was applied rather to alloys of copper
and tin, now known as bronze.
    The brass of the Bible was probably bronze, and so also was much of
brass of later times, until the distinction between zinc and tin became
clearly recognized'.  (Ency. Brit. l4th Edn.).

The use of bronze is believed to date back before 2,000 B.C., in Egypt and
the Near East, and it seems probable, therefore, that despite the use of
the word brass in biblical account, the Pillars were made of bronze.


