                      Fraternal Review

                        (8-15-94)                              No. 698

MASONIC EDUCATION - PRESTON
Like to quote from a letter received from Alfred W. Schulmeyer, Chairman of 
the Masonic Education Committee of the Grand Lodge of Montana:

"I have also made use of your book sales.  The Dyer book on Preston (William
Preston And His Work) proved extraordinarily instructive when compared to the
Webb Work Rituals.  It provides great background for what it was that Webb
condensed and arranged.  But the reverse is also true.  Because some of Webb's
catechism in the Lectures are condensed, here we can find some elaborations 
and explanations to provide solid information for contemporary Masonic 
education."

Incidentally, Brother Schulmeyer ordered three more copies so they must be
using this book to advantage - which you could also do especially at our new
low price, $9.85, against the publisher price of 9.95# ($15+), or, for ease 
in ordering:  CA $12.50, out of state $11.60, foreign $13.45.

PRINCE HALL - WASHINGTON - MINNESOTA
Last month under Washington we mentioned their recognition of the Prince Hall
Grand Lodge of Connecticut.  Further information from Washington tells us that
the Prince Hall Grand Lodge requested this recognition, the reason only this
jurisdiction was recognized.  Now we note in the May-June 1994 Minnesota Mason
that Minnesota also recognized the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Connecticut.

JOHN L. COOPER III
The June 1994 Occasional Bulletin of the Texas Lodge of Research notes that 
John L. Cooper III, currently serving our Grand Lodge as Grand Secretary, was 
Master of our lodge in 1972, gave their Anson Jones Lecture June 18th at San 
Antonio. Prior to that, June 16th, he delivered the L.A. Pires Lecture for the 
Scottish Rite in Dallas.

HARRY S TRUMAN
In "Leadership In Masonry" by Robert Heath, in the mailing from Research Lodge
of Colorado for April 17, 1993, an interesting side light:

In Harry Truman's case, Grand Master of Missouri in 1941, his vision was 
shaped by an overreaching sense of honesty and integrity, shaped by an 
unceasing study of leaders and an unswerving devotion to the teachings of 
Masonry.  His lifelong study began as a child where it was claimed by the 
family librarian, Mary Ethel Noland, "by the time he was fourteen, he had read 
every book in the Independence Public Library."  He said the study of history 
taught him that "a leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to 
do what they don't want to do and like it.  It takes a leader to put economic, 
military and government forces to work so they will operate.  I learned in 
those periods of history where there was no leadership, society usually groped 
through dark ages of one degree or another.  I saw that it takes men to make 
history, or there would be no history."  This vision of leadership caused him 
to have an agenda of public service, and Truman made many enemies among those 
who used public service for private gain.

Harry Truman understood the importance of symbolism to communicating a 
leader's vision.  No doubt, the importance of symbolism to him was rooted in 
his dedication to the Fraternity.  Even in his political life, however, the 
message of symbols was found.  He executed numerous changes to the Seal and 
Flag of the President of the United States to more accurately symbolize the 
President's role as Commander-In-Chief.  He even executed an executive order 
to remove the pause in our Pledge of Allegiance between "One Nation" and 
"Under God" to symbolize the intimate connection between our nation's unit and 
Divine Providence.  His occupation with symbolism even extended to those times 
when politics and Masonry were intertwined.  One time, when he was President, 
he had occasion to visit a lodge.  After the ceremony several Democrats asked 
him to pose with them for a picture.  They clasped hands and the pictures were 
taken.  The politicians asked if they could take another set of pictures with 
their hands covering his Masonic ring this time, explaining that some of their 
constituency did not approve of Masonry.  He replied "to hell with it!" and 
immediately parted company with them.

ROTARY
The Volume 13 Chater-Cosmo Transactions, Hong Kong, told of the Consecration 
of the Rotarian Lodge of Hong Kong No 9378 English Constitution on 31 October 
1990. The Consecrating Officer's (Christopher Haffner) Message included:

When I was approached about a year ago by W Bro Dominique Vessigault and a
number of brethren about the possible formation of a Rotarian Lodge, I gave it
my consideration and agreed to support the petition to Grand Lodge under three
conditions, which I feel I must now review as the basis under which this lodge
is being consecrated.

 First, although I had no objection to its title, it should be open to members
 of any service club.

 Second, it should not be a means of giving yet greater glory to installed
 Masters, least of all to senior masons.  Those installed Masters who
 petitioned should agree to serve the lodge as non progressive officers so as
 to allow younger masons to progress regularly to the chair.

 Third, it should not be the means of yet further increasing the committment
 of masons, but should see itself primarily as a means whereby members of Hong
 Kong's service clubs might become candidates for initiation.

Now I have been told that there are a number of applications for joining
membership to be considered tonight, some perhaps from masons who are not the
members of any service club.  This is as may be, but may I request that the
lodge stop at this point and refuse to consider any further joining members
until at least four candidates have been initiated.  When this has been done,
they must be given priority over all other members in terms of progression in
floorwork, filling offices of steward, inner guard and perhaps even deacon at
the next installation, so that in four or five year's time we might 
contemplate an initiate of this lodge as its Master.

There is much to think about in the above remarks of Brother Haffner.


