
Through  Masonic  Windows
by Allen E. Roberts, FPS

A Helping Hand Team: Should
Lodges have them? (A question we
asked in the August issue.)

1. No, says Earl T. Spicer, MPS, a
42-year Master Mason. True Masons,
he believes, will help automaticaUy he
won't have to be appointed to a com-
mittee. He praised one member who
has helped his wife and him constantly.
Yet, no one else has even visited his
home during the more than two years
he has been incapacitated.

2. Yes. Richard Cadmus, MPS,
believes this could be useful. "Few Ma-
sons, their spouses or widows will
openly ask for help, aid or assistance.
So many lodges are so overly concerned
about new members that they overlook
the needs of their current members--
especially the old and infirm. " He says
each member of the committee (I prefer
'Team') should stay in touch with his
assigned Brother and help him in
various ways.

3. Yes--emphatically! Doug Griggs
of Oklahoma says this will be the first
committee he appoints when he's in-
stalled as Master. It will make regular
reports about what it has accomplished.
He will continually ask: "What can we
do to be more involved with the family
life of our brethren who are in need of
help?"

4. Perhaps. Such a committee wasn't
necessary when James M. Blair, a
member of Pleasants Lodge No. 63 of
Virginia, was severely burned. An item
in The Scottish Rite Journal, edited by
John W. Boettjer, MPS, tells the story.
Blair's Lodge and the appendant bo-
dies raised money to pay the household
bills of this self-employed Brother. His
church and other organizations then
joined the cause. As Brother Blair
wrote: "This is an example of what
Masonry is all about; Brothers caring
about Brothers, people caring about
people. "

5. Not Relevant; higher authority
necessary. Edward Fazio, a police of-
ficer, was dying of cancer. He had two
wishes he'd like fulfilled before he died:
first to marry his girl friend of many
years; second to become a Master
Mason. The first took place on April
26, the second on April 29. His fellow
police officers arranged for an ambu-
lance to take him to the Lodge where he
was made a Master Mason, under a
dispensation granted by the Grand
Master. A week later Brother Fazio
died. Truly, Brotherhood in action.

  -

WOW! Hoodwinks with shutters and
colored lenses! An article in The Northern
Light tells the story of a couple of these
unusual blindfolds. One may see these
unusual means of " pulling the wool
over your eyes." They reside in the
Scottish Rite Masonic Museum of Our
National Heritage, in Lexington, Mas-
sachusetts. While there, join the thou-
sands who enjoy the multitude of other
displays.

  -

Joseph A. Walkes, Jr., FPS, Presi-
dent of The Phylaxis Society, in a re-
print in Thc Phyhxis, of his opening
statement in Indianapolis, deplores the
unmasonic attitude sometimes found
among members of the Craft. He finds
there are leaders who "lead with little
knowledge of Freemasonry, and what
Freemasonry is all about, some at-
tempting to change Freemasonry....
What we often have is the blind leading
the blind." He, along with many of us,
has long been an advocate of good Ma-
sonic education. This is our only hope
for the future success of Freemasonry.

  -

Cornerstones! Once upon a time lay-
ing the cornerstones of public buildings
was an important, and publicly visible,
activity of Freemasonry. This ran into
objections by certain factions in recent
years. Not so in Oklahoma. The Grand
Master tells us in The Oklahoma
Mason (edited by Jim Tresner, MPS)
that his Grand Lodge had laid nine
before August; it has five confirmed for
the future. Included was the laying of
the cornerstone of the Guthrie City Hall
building on August 31. The festivities
included a giant public parade, with all
branches of the Masonic family partici-
pating. Excellent!

  -

"What a tangled Web we Weave,
When First We Practice to Deceive"
wrote Richard L. Crawford for The Ok-
lahoma Mason. Within his article he tells
us: "False causes always require an
enemy to rally mass appeal. For the In-
quisition, it was any expression of free
thought. For the Nazis, it was the Jews
[and Freemasons]. For the Ayatollah it
was made visible in holding Americans
hostage for 444 days. Even people of
goodwill can be misled. Blind, unques-
tioned adherence to leaders who ignore
the truth has, can, and perhaps will give
rise to even greater intolerance, as it
now does in fundamentalism Islamic
countries." And, of course, it is hap-
pening in supposedly free countries.
Crawford suggests: "We can show the
world we're Masons and proud of it,
we're good neighbors and citizens, and
good friends to people who" see us as
Freemasons who stand for truth and
honesty.

  --

S. Brent Morris, FPS, we regret will
not be the book reviewer for the Scottish
Rite Journal. He has done an excellent
job with a difficult subject since 1989.
We thank him for his fine efforts. The
job will now be turned over to another
capable reviewer, Jim Tresner, MPS,
who is also editor of The Oklahoma
Mason. We wish them both well as they
continue to faithfully serve the Craft.

.

Costa Ricans Need Assistance

Some 500 000 Costa Ricans lost most of
their belongs durlng Hurrlcane Cesar and
urgently need help. When you consider thls
tlny country has only 3 000 000 population
thls destruction is devastatln~. Damage
estlmates cllmbed this week to $37 141 bll-
llon or $177 mllllon U.S.

The Phllalethes Soclety Is worklng hand In
hand with the GRAN LOGIA DE COSTA
RICA. All money ralsed wlll be thankfully
recelved and falthfully applled by the Grand
i od~e of Costa Rlca. If you are able to help
please send your donatlon payable to

Nelson King In Trust.
2 Knockbolt Crescent
Agincourt Ontario MlS 2P6
Canada

Thc Philalethes, Octobcr 1996
