GCMESSG.TXT

                                                                                                                                          REMEMBERING THE TRIANGLE:
                                                                                                                                               PIKE, KALAKAUA, FLORENCE

GOOD WORKS ARE SEEDS THAT, after sowing, return to us a
continual harvest; and the memory of noble actions is more
enduring than monuments of marble."  These words, written by Sovf
Grf Cmdrf Albert Pike, 33, have great meaning for Masons today. 
Throughout the country, preparations are being made to celebrate
significant centennials and anniversaries in recognition of the good
works sown by America's Founding Fathers.
   During the next three years, for instance, citizens of our nation's
capital will gather to recall the bicentennials of the cornerstone
ceremonies of the District of Columbia (1791), the White House (1792),
and the Capitol Building (1793).  Masons, who played a central role in
each of these events, will be key participants in the forthcoming
celebrations.  In addition, December 15, 1991, marks the bicentennial
of ratifying the Bill of Rights as part of the United States Constitution.
   This year also marks a different, yet no less important, Masonic
anniversary.  One hundred years ago, in 1891, the Fraternity lost three
influential and devoted MasonsAlbert Pike, 33, April 2, 1891; King
David Kalakaua of Hawaii, 33, January 20, 1891; and William "Billy"
Jermyn Florence, 32, November 19, 1891a general, a king, and an
entertainer, great men and Brothers whose noble actions still benefit and
inspire us today.
   Though they possessed unique and diverse personalities, the lives of
these men were intertwined via world events and the fundamental roots
of the Craft into an enduring Ma-
sonic triangle.  In the mathematical
sense, an equilateral triangle cre-
ates one unit comprised of three
separate, but equally supportive
parts.  Similarly, in this Masonic
triangle, Brothers Pike, Kalakaua
and Florence contributed time,
effort, and knowledge in support of
their Craft and their country.  In
doing so, the foundations of Free-
masonry and democracy were
strengthened.
   Born on December 29, 1809, the
son of a working-class, New Eng-
land family, Albert Pike possessed
talents which extended from educa-
tion, philosophy, and law to diplo-
macy, exploration and poetry.  He
received the Degree of Master Ma-
son at Western Star Lodge No. 2, in
Little Rock, Arkansas, on November
26, 1850, at the comparatively late
age of forty.  From that moment on
his life was, at first largely and then totally, dedicated to Masonic pur-
suits.  Although he traveled a great deal, Illf Pike still held important
positions in the numerous Lodges with which he affiliated.  He was, of
course, best known for his dedication to the Scottish Rite of Free-
masonry, receiving these Degrees in Charleston, South Carolina, on
March 20, 21, and 22, 1853.
   Becoming Grand Commander of The Supreme Council, SJ, in 1859,
Illf Pike spent the next 32 years ensuring that Masons everywhere
would not only hear about but also become members of the Scottish
Rite.  His supreme accomplishments were his rewriting of our Rituals
and the compilation of his epic philosophical work, Morals and Dogma. 
His tireless efforts established a stronger, more organized base from
which the Scottish Rite continues to provide further Masonic Light.
   King David Kalakaua, 33, was born on November 16, 1836, of noble
parents descended from the chief family of the Sandwich Islands. 
Elected King of Hawaii in 1874, Brof Kalakaua was soon forced to call
upon Marines from England and the United States to quell the activities
of a rebel faction. From this cooperation came a reciprocity treaty with
the United States.  At the time of his ascension to the throne, Brof
Kalakaua had already been a Mason in Lodge Le Progress de L'Oceanie
No. 124, Honolulu, Hawaii, for fifteen years, and he went on to receive
the Scottish Rite Degrees in Honolulu, in 1874, the same year as his
election to the Hawaiian throne.
   One of his first acts as King was to tour the U.S. and Europe where
he visited many Lodges and continued to cement the relationship
between his island kingdom and the leaders of the American govern-
ment and Freemasonry around the world.  He died in San Francisco just
six days after attending a Shrine reception in his honor.  Acting against
the advice of his doctors, King Kalakaua insisted on participating in the
ceremony, saying, "I must go [to the Shrine], and nothing shall prevent
me from going."  Despite his early death, his devotion to the Craft
strengthened Masonry in Hawaii, and his steadfast belief in the
principles of democracy laid the groundwork for the incorporation of our
fiftieth state.
   William "Billy" Jermyn Florence, 32, was born Bernard Conlin on July
26, 1831, in Albany, New York, to
a newly immigrated Irish family. 
Experiencing early success as a
stage performer, Florence was well
on his way to becoming an enter-
tainment legend when he joined
Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 155, Phila-
delphia, Pennsylvania, by special
dispensation on October 12, 1853.
In l867 he became a Master of the
Royal Secret and was later hon-
ored, according to William R. Dens-
low's 10,000 Famous Freemasons, as
an Inspector General Honorary of
the Northern Jurisdiction. A jovial
and personable man, he yearned
for a Masonic organization with a
more relaxed, appealing atmo-
sphere.  He hoped it would encour-
age greater fellowship among
Brethren outside of the serious
Ritual and Degree work of Craft,
York, and Scottish Rite Masonry.
   In 1870, while on an acting tour
in Europe, Brof Florence found the
inspiration for the Shrine.  An Arabic banker hosting a party in Mar-
seilles, France, invited Brof Florence, (whom he knew to be a Mason)
to be present at a ceremony which was, in the words of Brof Florence,
"of an unusually attractive charac-
ter."  The elaborately staged musi-
cal comedy appealed to his own
comedic flair, and he asked the
banker for the script of the play. 
Returning to New York later that
year, Brof Florence conferred with
Brother and Doctor Walter M. Flem-
ing, 33, who composed the basis of
the Shrine Ritual from the script as
well as Brof Florence's copious
notes.  
   Bro. Florence's interest in the
Shrine, combined with his social
prominence and devotion to the
Craft, greatly enhanced Masonry's
public image. Upon his death in
Philadelphia, on November 19,
1891, his final wish was carried
out, and his dedication to Masonry
was inscribed on his gravestone
which reads, "Founder in America
of the Order of The Mystic Shrine."
   The equilateral triangle, one of
Masonry's greatest symbols, appro-
priately represents the lives, joined
in Masonry, of these three great Brothers who died exactly one century
ago. Let us remember the creativity, dedication, and purpose of their
good works and noble actionsbuilding from these our own triangles of
Masonic mission, enthusiasm, and accomplishment! 
   
