
Through   Masonic  Windows

by Allen E. Roberts, FPS

Concerning Masonic education,
Ralph A. Herbold, FPS, records the
importance of putting the principles of
Freemasonry into practice. He speaks
of a Lodge that hadn't Raised a candi-
date in 12 years, and couldn't have
done the work anyway! Now it can.
Why? Its leadership found it should put
the principles of the Craft to work, get
involved in the community and the
Lodge, and teach its members construc-
tively. On another front, the Grand
Master in Minnesota ordered his
Lodges to make quality improvements
in their meetings. They were no longer
to meet, pay the bills, and close; they
must put Masonic education to work.
Importantly, the Grand Lodge
budgeted enough money for this educa-
tion. More Lodges are successfully pro-
viding lectures on some phase of
Freemasonry at every meeting. We
must remember dedication is all impor-
tant, and no one can be dedicated to
something they know nothing about!

     *    *    *

Connecticut, and several others
Grand Lodges, are placing, or asking
their Lodges to donate, Masonic books
in public libraries. They are aware that
public librarians seldom purchase these
books. They want the general populace
to learn the truth about Freemasonry.
The constructive Masonic leadership
realizes that the Craft must become
more visible. The fear of secrecy is far
too prevalent, and there's really nothing
secret about Masonry. Why not take the
"mystery" out of what Freemasonry
does?

     *   *   *

To build its library, the titles of Ma-
sonic books and their price are placed
on slips of paper in a box. Members
grab a slip and give it, along with the
cost, to the Secretary, who then places
an order for the books selected. We hear
that another Lodge does this, then
donates the books to local public and
school libraries. An interesting way to
advance the cause of Masonic education
in the Lodge and to the public.

       *   *   *

Norman G. Lincoln, MPS, informs
us that a United States postal stamp
was issued for Jimmie Rogers, the
"singing brakeman," in 1978. He asks
us to promote other Freemasons.
Among them Burl Ives, Wallace Beery,
and Charles Coburn. Or the great
directors who were Freemason-s.: Wil-
liam Wyler and Cecil B. DeMille.

       *   *   *

Kudos to Nelson King, FPS, Editor
of The Philalethes. He has been con-
ducting a 10-part Masonic Leadership
Course on the internet. It's a project of
the Masonic Leadership Center, of
which The Philalethes Society is one of
the sponsors. Several have now
graduated, and praised the course.
There are those who have put the
leadership concepts advocated to work
in the business world. Should we ask
Nelson to do the same thing through The
Philalethes?

       *   *   *

Roger Van Gordon, MPS, is now the
Editor of The Indiana Freemason. Many
remember a former Editor of this pres-
tigious periodical, Dwight L. Smith,
FPS who did an outstanding job for
many years. No less will be expected
from Roger. We congratulate him, and
his Grand Lodge for an excellent
choice.

       *   *   *

In the "Emessay Notes" of The Ma-
sonic Service Association, Richard E.
Fletcher, FPS, tells us that Robert J.
Dole is a member of Russell Lodge No.
177, Kansas, andJack Kemp is a mem-
ber of Fraternal Lodge No. 625, Ham-
burg, New York. In Freemasonry in Ameri-
can History you can read about the good
work Dole did for a Lodge in Panama
when the Canal Zone was given away.

        *   *   *

"Notes" also commends the
founder of the Navy "SeaBees,"
Lewis B. Combes, a member of Hen-
drick Hudson Lodge No.. 875, Red
Hook, New York. My admiration for
the SeaBees is endless. When other mil-
itary outfits said a "hopeless" job
would take months, the SeaBees did it
in days and at times, hours!

       *   *   *

Men of goodwill are cooperating at
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, as they
should everywhere, regardless of their
profession of faith. The annual Affirma-
tion Sunday celebration of the Royal
Arch Masons on Cape Cod was held on
October 27,1996, with the full coopera-
tion and blessing of the Parish Priest of
St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic
Church. Excellent!

        *   *   *

Two Lodges in Ireland aided
Alzheimer victims. Two of them (342
and 728) joined hands to present an
evening of music in Dublin. Proceeds
from the sale of tickets went to the
Alzheimer Society. Earlie'r, one of them,
Rathgar Lodge No. 342 had a "Gour-
met Cheese and Wine evening" to aid
this society and other charities. Brother-
hood in action in the community.

       *   *   *

John W. Boettjer, MPS, Managing
Editor of The ScottishRite Journal, wrote
an excellent account about the Burl Ives
Monument. He rightly called it "a
tribute to a great man and Mason. "
Brother Ives entertained all of us with
masterful renditions of folk songs, and
as a stage, motion picture and television
actor. His career began in 1938 until his
death in 1995. He was a member of
Magnolia-LaCumbre Lodge No. 242 of
Santa Barbara, Califomia. A room in
the House of the Temple will house a
collection of its 33  Illustrious Brother.

Brother Boettjer also expanded greatly
on the note we included in the last issue
of The Philalethes about the foul work
of would-be "Christians" of the West-
wood Hills Baptist Church in Virginia.
He titled his article "Garden of Evil?"
It's well worth reading. You will find
many members, most of them not
Freemasons, left the church because of
the un Christian acts of its "leaders. "

The Philalethes, December 1996
