ALABAMA GOVERNOR, GRAND LODGE UNDER SCRUTINY

An Associated Press article is making the rounds today concerning the Masonic membership of Governor Robert Riley in an Alabama lodge. Specifically, it takes him to task over the apparent "whites only" makeup of the Grand Lodge of Alabama.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Gov. Bob Riley is defending his membership in a Masonic organization that critics say excludes blacks.

Riley, a Republican who is running for re-election against Democratic Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley, is a member of a Masonic lodge in his east Alabama hometown of Ashland that is affiliated with the Grand Lodge of Alabama, a statewide group with no known blacks among more than 30,000 members.

Speaking in an interview with The Associated Press, Riley said he did not know whether his lodge had any black members. But Riley denied that the Masonic group is racist, as did two leaders of the organization in interviews Friday.

Riley's membership in the Masons has been mentioned on Internet blogs and was a hot topic on a Birmingham-based talk show hosted by Russ and Dee Fine, Baxley supporters who claim they were fired earlier this week partly for pointing out Riley's membership in the Masons.

In an interview, Dee Fine said a governor shouldn't be a member of an all-white group, particularly since Grand Lodge documents dating to 1876 show it bars blacks as members.

The Governor went on to say,

Riley said the comments about his ties to Masonry are "bordering on ridiculous." He said that he knows some black Masons.

"Both Shriners and Masons do a lot of good."

Yes, he may very well know some black Masons. They are Prince Hall Masons, and he is prohibbited by his Grand Lodge from communicating Masonically with them. They certainly aren't members of the Grand Lodge of Alabama, at least not according to the Grand Master.

The head of the Grand Lodge of Alabama, Grand Master Frank W. Little, said he knows of no blacks among the 32,000 members of the state organization, which has 318 lodges and accepts new members by applications and referrals from other members.

But Little denied that there is anything in the organization's current constitution or edicts to prevent a black from joining.

"To my knowledge I don't know of any black who's ever applied for membership in the Grand Lodge," he said. "Is there anything that would prevent them? No. As the grand master, if I heard of any lodge that denied a man membership because of his race they wouldn't be a lodge for long."

But since Masonic law says that no Mason can be asked whether he voted against a petitioner or not, or why he would have voted against a petitioner, and that to ask about such things is a violation of Masonic laws, the Grand Master couldn't possibly hear of such things.

Another state Masonic official, Grand Secretary Jerry M. Underwood, said the group has an ethnically diverse membership even though critics say it has no blacks.

"We have Hispanics and Indians," he said. "In fact, we brought in an Iranian here in Montgomery a few weeks ago."

Why does this sound like a Lenny Bruce routine? Or a scene from Blazing Saddles?

I don't for one second believe that Brother Riley is a bigot. It's also likely that he doesn't know the first thing about Prince Hall Masonry - I suspect the subject doesn't come up very often in lodges there. But I absolutely believe that the press will seize on this as an October Surprise during the last six weeks before the election in the Governor's race in Alabama. Undoubtedly the Democratic challenger will make some dramatic statement over the weekend denouncing the Masons as a bunch of old racists. I wouldn't even be surprised if the Governor demitted from his lodge on live television by Monday morning. In fact, I'll bet it pops up somewhere on a Sunday Morning pundit show. All about how the Freemasons are a bunch of racists.

My Brothers, de jure (maybe even de facto, in some states) segregation continues to exist in Freemasonry in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana and West Virginia. In Canada, Prince Hall recognition has not been extended in Ontario. Certainly, some few lodges in these states may very well have black members, but those Grand Lodges that have failed to recognize their Prince Hall counterparts will besmirch the rest of us by their passive silence or their attempts to construct legalistic barriers to recognition.

People are funny social animals. We all tend to associate with people we feel comfortable with. In states where Grand Lodges have extended joint recognition with their Prince Hall brethren, the Prince Hall lodges have not ceased to be. And there are plenty of Prince Hall Masons who want nothing to do with their white counterparts, either. There has been no talk of mergers, and probably never will. Prince Hall Masonry has a 225 year heritage, older than many other US Grand Lodges, and they are not going away anytime soon. Visitation between lodges has been by mutual agreement, and no Mason has given up his right to object to the visit of a stranger. Lodges that have no problem with joint meetings and degree work have engaged in these events happily, but no one has forced anyone to do so.

Unfortunately, now that this story has hit the fan, the rest of us will have to answer the criticism. "Gee, I read that Freemasonry is made up of a bunch of racists."

It isn't.

It was never meant to be.

It only is in a small, isolated part of the world. And the rest of us are ashamed. "Separate but equal" died in this country with Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, my Brothers.

1954.

The time has come to put this shameful issue to rest once and for all. A fraternity that espouses universal brotherhood either means it or it doesn't. The time has come to put aside the fear, put aside the rhetoric and extend the hand of brotherly love and friendship on both sides of the color barrier.

THE GREAT ARCHITECT AND "WAR & PEACE"

From War and Peace, Chapter 2, by Leo Tolstoy:

"Allow me to ask," he said, "are you a Mason?"

"Yes, I belong to the Brotherhood of the Freemasons," said the stranger, looking deeper and deeper into Pierre's eyes. "And in their name and my own I hold out a brotherly hand to you."

"I am afraid," said Pierre, smiling, and wavering between the confidence the personality of the Freemason inspired in him and his own habit of ridiculing the Masonic beliefs- "I am afraid I am very far from understanding- how am I to put it?- I am afraid my way of looking at the world is so opposed to yours that we shall not understand one another."

"I know your outlook," said the Mason, "and the view of life you mention, and which you think is the result of your own mental efforts, is the one held by the majority of people, and is the invariable fruit of pride, indolence, and ignorance. Forgive me, my dear sir, but if I had not known it I should not have addressed you. Your view of life is a regrettable delusion."

"Just as I may suppose you to be deluded," said Pierre, with a faint smile.

"I should never dare to say that I know the truth," said the Mason, whose words struck Pierre more and more by their precision and firmness. "No one can attain to truth by himself. Only by laying stone on stone with the cooperation of all, by the millions of generations from our forefather Adam to our own times, is that temple reared which is to be a worthy dwelling place of the Great God," he added, and closed his eyes.

"I ought to tell you that I do not believe... do not believe in God, said Pierre, regretfully and with an effort, feeling it essential to speak the whole truth.

The Mason looked intently at Pierre and smiled as a rich man with millions in hand might smile at a poor fellow who told him that he, poor man, had not the five rubles that would make him happy.

"Yes, you do not know Him, my dear sir," said the Mason. "You cannot know Him. You do not know Him and that is why you are unhappy."

"Yes, yes, I am unhappy," assented Pierre. "But what am I to do?"

"You know Him not, my dear sir, and so you are very unhappy. You do not know Him, but He is here, He is in me, He is in my words, He is in thee, and even in those blasphemous words thou hast just uttered!" pronounced the Mason in a stern and tremulous voice.

He paused and sighed, evidently trying to calm himself.

"If He were not," he said quietly, "you and I would not be speaking of Him, my dear sir. Of what, of whom, are we speaking? Whom hast thou denied?" he suddenly asked with exulting austerity and authority in his voice. "Who invented Him, if He did not exist? Whence came thy conception of the existence of such an incomprehensible Being? Didst thou, and why did the whole world, conceive the idea of the existence of such an incomprehensible Being, a Being all-powerful, eternal, and infinite in all His attributes?..."

He stopped and remained silent for a long time.

Pierre could not and did not wish to break this silence.

"He exists, but to understand Him is hard," the Mason began again, looking not at Pierre but straight before him, and turning the leaves of his book with his old hands which from excitement he could not keep still. "If it were a man whose existence thou didst doubt I could bring him to thee, could take him by the hand and show him to thee. But how can I, an insignificant mortal, show His omnipotence, His infinity, and all His mercy to one who is blind, or who shuts his eyes that he may not see or understand Him and may not see or understand his own vileness and sinfulness?" He paused again. "Who art thou? Thou dreamest that thou art wise because thou couldst utter those blasphemous words," he went on, with a somber and scornful smile. "And thou art more foolish and unreasonable than a little child, who, playing with the parts of a skillfully made watch, dares to say that, as he does not understand its use, he does not believe in the master who made it. To know Him is hard.... For ages, from our forefather Adam to our own day, we labor to attain that knowledge and are still infinitely far from our aim; but in our lack of understanding we see only our weakness and His greatness...."

Pierre listened with swelling heart, gazing into the Mason's face with shining eyes, not interrupting or questioning him, but believing with his whole soul what the stranger said. Whether he accepted the wise reasoning contained in the Mason's words, or believed as a child believes, in the speaker's tone of conviction and earnestness, or the tremor of the speaker's voice- which sometimes almost broke- or those brilliant aged eyes grown old in this conviction, or the calm firmness and certainty of his vocation, which radiated from his whole being (and which struck Pierre especially by contrast with his own dejection and hopelessness)- at any rate, Pierre longed with his whole soul to believe and he did believe, and felt a joyful sense of comfort, regeneration, and return to life.

"He is not to be apprehended by reason, but by life," said the Mason.

"I do not understand," said Pierre, feeling with dismay doubts reawakening. He was afraid of any want of clearness, any weakness, in the Mason's arguments; he dreaded not to be able to believe in him. "I don't understand," he said, "how it is that the mind of man cannot attain the knowledge of which you speak."

The Mason smiled with his gentle fatherly smile.

"The highest wisdom and truth are like the purest liquid we may wish to imbibe," he said. "Can I receive that pure liquid into an impure vessel and judge of its purity? Only by the inner purification of myself can I retain in some degree of purity the liquid I receive."

"Yes, yes, that is so," said Pierre joyfully.

"The highest wisdom is not founded on reason alone, not on those worldly sciences of physics, history, chemistry, and the like, into which intellectual knowledge is divided. The highest wisdom is one. The highest wisdom has but one science- the science of the whole- the science explaining the whole creation and man's place in it. To receive that science it is necessary to purify and renew one's inner self, and so before one can know, it is necessary to believe and to perfect one's self. And to attain this end, we have the light called conscience that God has implanted in our souls."

"Yes, yes," assented Pierre.

"Look then at thy inner self with the eyes of the spirit, and ask thyself whether thou art content with thyself. What hast thou attained relying on reason only? What art thou? You are young, you are rich, you are clever, you are well educated. And what have you done with all these good gifts? Are you content with yourself and with your life?"

"No, I hate my life," Pierre muttered, wincing.

"Thou hatest it. Then change it, purify thyself; and as thou art purified, thou wilt gain wisdom. Look at your life, my dear sir. How have you spent it? In riotous orgies and debauchery, receiving everything from society and giving nothing in return. You have become the possessor of wealth. How have you used it? What have you done for your neighbor? Have you ever thought of your tens of thousands of slaves? Have you helped them physically and morally? No! You have profited by their toil to lead a profligate life. That is what you have done. Have you chosen a post in which you might be of service to your neighbor? No! You have spent your life in idleness. Then you married, my dear sir- took on yourself responsibility for the guidance of a young woman; and what have you done? You have not helped her to find the way of truth, my dear sir, but have thrust her into an abyss of deceit and misery. A man offended you and you shot him, and you say you do not know God and hate your life. There is nothing strange in that, my dear sir!"

North Carolina Grand Lodge votes against recognizing Prince Hall Masons

The Burning Taper blog is reporting that the Grand Lodge of North Carolina has once again voted against recognizing their Prince Hall brethren. I understand from another source that the vote was very close for the last two years, but not close enough to pass.

Until just a few short years ago, North Carolina only required a simple majority vote to change legislation. When the vote got closer to passing the recognition of Prince Hall resolution, the assembled voting members passed a new rule that now requires a 2/3 majority to recognize another Grand Lodge in its jurisdiction. An attempt this year to return to the old simple majority vote failed as well, as did a resolution to end voting rights of Past Grand Masters.

*LATER*
Larry Thompson is reporting on the Philalethes List the following vote count:

1085 votes cast
681 pro recognition
404 against recognition

Passage failed by 43 votes.

There are many men who have worked very hard from within to change this situation, and they deserve our thanks and our admiration in the face of adversity. The institutional racism embedded in Freemasonry in the Old South is appalling to the rest of us. There is no place in the fraternity for it. The question is will the mainstream GLs in the South continue to ignore the problem as young professional men say no thanks and move on? There used to be no alternative. There is now. Actions like this give new groups like the UGLA more momentum, and the internet has made it impossible to hide these actions behind the formerly imperceptible facade of Grand Lodge proceedings.

The real question is, when will COGMNA stand up and finally call them on it? When will the rest of the North American Grand Lodges realize the international embarrassment this causes and treat the Southern GLs with half as much indignation as they treated the Grand Lodge of Minnesota when it strayed off the plantation and recognized the Grand Lodge of France? They certainly didn't mind yanking recognition of Minnesota.

"give the right hand of affection and fellowship
to whom it justly belongs, let their color and
complexion be what it will, let their nation be
what it may, for they are your Brethren, and it
is your indispensable duty so to do; let them as
Masons deny this, and we & the world know what
to think of them, be they ever so grand"

-- From Prince Hall's Charge to African Lodge,
June 24, 1797

Masonic Traveler: Hollywood, Jimmy Kimmel, and Freemasonry

Brother Greg Stewart over on Masonic Traveler has done a great historical piece about Hollywood Lodge No. 355 called Hollywood, Jimmy Kimmel, and Freemasonry.

Wish I'd been a Mason 28 years ago when I lived in Studio City. Strange, when I think of it. My first attempt to find out who the Freemasons were came after I had seen Murder By Decree back in 1978, in the UA theaters in North Hollywood.

It took me a while to find out.

THE DEVIL AND BRO. RANGEL

I see where Charlie Rangel, Democratic Congressman for the 15th District of New York and longtime George Bush opponant came out swinging in defense of the President yesterday.

"I want President Chavez to please understand that even though many people in the United States are critical of our president that we resent the fact that he would come to the United States and criticize President Bush... you don't come into my country, you don't come into my congressional district and you don't condemn my president."

I'm not attempting to interject partisan politics into this blog - that wouldn't be Masonic. Nevertheless, I'm no fan of Charlie Rangel, and find myself opposed to almost every position he takes. But Rangel is a patriot, regardless of what you may think of his politics. He served for four years in the Army during the Korean War, and was awarded both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Agree with him or not, he fights for what he believes.

It shouldn't be a big surprise.

Brother Charles Rangel is a member of Joppa Lodge No. 55 in Harlem.

Just take the A Train...

PRINCE HALL RECOGNITION AS OF 2006

The recent joint recognition between the Grand Lodge of Delaware and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Delaware this past week has brought up the question of which remaining states have not yet extended such privileges between their two principal Grand Lodges.

Many, many thanks to Brother Peter Renzland of Toronto for providing this information on the Philalethes Society mailing list:

The following are the only US States with no recognition between their two Grand Lodges of any kind: Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. All are former states of the Confederacy.

In June of 2002, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia unanimously voted to recognize the mainstream Grand Lodge of Georgia. The GLGA has never considered the question to reciprocate.

In September 2004, the mainstream Grand Lodge of North Carolina voted 520 to 459 (53%) in favour of recognition of their Prince Hall counterpart. This did not meet the newly required 2/3 majority to pass. In October 2004, the MWPHGL of NC unanimously voted to recognize the mainstream GL of NC.

In October 2005, the Grand Master of the mainstream Grand Lodge of Texas reported that the MWPHGL of TX had offered recognition. The next Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Texas is in December.

Lest anyone get smug, this is not just an issue confined to the former territory of the Confederacy. In Canada in 1991, the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ontario & Jurisdiction offered intervisitation recognition to all mainstream Canadian Grand Lodges. Their invitation has never been reciprocated. The mainstream Grand Lodge of Canada/Province Of Ontario meets again next July. It is not known at this time whether the question will be called.

THANKS TO THE GL OF IOWA

My great thanks go out to the Freemasons of Iowa. Alice and I have had a wonderful couple of days visiting the Grand Lodge. The hospitality was outstanding, and we have made many new friends here.

Many thanks to Immediate Past Grand Master Charles Brinkerhoff and Grand Secretary William Crawford for their kindness, their hospitality and their graciousness in giving me an opportunity to address their Grand Lodge.

It was a great opportunity to see Wbro. Timothy Bonney for the first time since he left Indiana. Tim was one of the co-authors of Laudable Pursuit, and remains a good friend.

A surprise attendee for me was Mark Tabbert, author of American Freemasons: Three Centuries of Building Communities. In spite of his former position at the AASR-NMJ's museum in Massachusetts, and his current one at the George Washington Masonic National memorial (did anyone mention that George Washington was a Mason?), Mark is actually an Iowa Mason.

Thursday evening, Alice and I were honored to be seated at the Grand Master's table for dinner and had the pleasure of dining with the Grand Master of Prince Hall Masons in Iowa, MWBro. Donald W. Austin, and with Davenport Mayor Ed Winborn and his wife Sandy. I also had an opportunity to meet MWBro. Scott J. Krieger, Grand Master of Nebraska. His Grand Lodge has invited me to speak to them next February - although now that he's heard my presentation he might reconsider!

And it was great to finally meet Phil Enabnit, publisher of the Philalethes Magazine. Phil and I got to talk a lot with each other sitting side by side in the vendor's room. He is also the Secretary of the respected Iowa Research Lodge No. 2.

In addition to addressing the Grand Lodge session, I was also asked to speak to the ladies on Friday morning. They were great fun, but I refuse to join the OES. White dresses make my hips look fat.

Again, my thanks to everyone who made Alice, Wiley and myself so welcome. I cannot express how gratified I am to the many brothers who stopped and bought a book and were so kind to a dummy fro Indiana. They are too numerous to mention, but I am humbled by your many kind words.

One event cast a terrible pall over the gathering. On Thursday night, a tragic accident killed Past Grand Master and former Grand Treasurer Allen Heaton and hospitalized his wife Beverly. The hotel sits between two very busy one-way streets, and they were walking across the road to get ice cream from McDonald's. Apparently, they were unaware of an oncoming pickup truck and stepped right in front of it. MWbro. Heaton was also a trustee of Iowa's Masonic Home. He died at the scene while the EMS team tried in vain to save him, but his wife survived. The last update I heard was Friday, and Mrs. Heaton was scheduled for surgery. I fear she will have a long hard road ahead.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family, and to the Masons of Iowa for their tragic loss of their dear friend and brother.

My New Lodge

I'm proud to say that as of Wednesday evening, I have been elected to plural membership in Delaware Lodge No. 46 in Muncie. I'm looking forward to new friendships and a proud association with one of the most beautiful lodge buildings in Indiana.

Thanks to Wbro. Tim Brinkmeyer and all of the brethren at Delaware Lodge.

GAS PRICES FALL TO $2.05 A GALLON IN IOWA!

Hot damn, it's an omen!

Alice, Wiley and I are hopping in the shuttlecraft and headed for Davenport and the Grand Lodge of Iowa's Annual Communication in the morning. I'm looking forward to this trip. The greatest thing about writing Freemasons For Dummies has been the chance to travel the country and meet Masons from literally everywhere.

I've also been asked to speak to the ladies in the morning on Thursday. This is a first for me. The Iowa Masonic magazine said I would have some "entertaining remarks." DOH!

LODGE VITRUVIAN'S "MEN OF LETTERS"

The Freemasons of Lodge Vitruvian No. 767 are coming to a bookstore near you.

Eric Schmitz, PM, Senior Deacon and Past Master of Monroe Lodge No. 22 in Bloomington, has authored The Quest For The Holy Grail, an "interactive exploration kit" about the Grail legends. This unique presentation contains a 176-page book about the bloodline of Jesus, 22 full-color cards of the people involved, a full-color map and genealogical chart, and a grail medallion, all packaged in a keepsake box. (Fair Winds Press, $26.95)

Christopher Hodapp, PM is following up last year's Freemasons For Dummies this December with Solomon's Builders: Freemasons, Founding Fathers and the Secrets of Washington D.C. (Ulysses Press, $14.95)

Wbros. Hodapp, Schmitz, Nathan Brindle and Jeffrey Naylor, along with other brethren collectively writing as the "Knights of the North", authored Laudable Pursuit: A 21st Century Response To The Questions Of Dwight Smith, an essay that was first presented at the Lodge Vitruvian festive board in March 2005. It will be published in an upcoming issue of the Philalethes Society magazine.

In addition, Past Grand Master of Indiana Roger S. VanGorden will be contributing the Through Masonic Windows column on the back page of the Philalethes Magazine, beginning in September 2006.

Brother Kenneth W. Davis is our resident professor. His latest book is the McGraw Hill 36-Hour Course In Business Writing and Communication (2005, McGraw Hill, $19.95)

In the best spirit of competition, honorary Vitruvian member Dr. S. Brent Morris has taken on Vitruvian's "dummy" and written the Complete Idiot's Guide To Freemasonry (Alpha, $18.95). Brent is managing editor of the Scottish Rite Journal of the Supreme Council, 33°, Southern Jurisdiction, and has spoken twice at Vitruvian. He is also the co-author of Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?

Honorary member Wbro. Stephen Dafoe of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada is a noted author of many books on the Knights Templar, including recently released The Knights Templar Revealed (Constable & Robinson, $7.95), along with being the editor of Templar History Magazine. In the Masonic world, he is the editor of the respected Masonic Magazine, and his new book, Climbing The Winding Staircase is due out in 2007.

Finally, several Vitruvians have contributed many of the twenty-six essays of the online www.MasonicDictionary.com, a field guide for progressive Freemasonry.

Freemasonry is the world's largest, oldest and most respected gentlemen's fraternal organization, with more than two million members in the United States. Lodge Vitruvian No. 767 is Indiana's first "European Concept" lodge, featuring limited membership, brief meetings, fine feasts, and the celebration of Masonic learning. Visit us on the web at http://www.vitruvian.org

MY FRIEND AND BROTHER DAVID BOSWORTH

I just received the news that my friend and brother, Worshipful Brother David W. Bosworth, PM died of a heart attack this morning.

My heart goes out to his wife Ann, his daughter Sheila, and his son Guy.

David was a Past Master of Calvin W, Prather Lodge No. 717 in Indianapolis, a member of my own Lodge Vitruvian No. 767, and Masonic bodies far too numerous to mention. He was the Master of the Dwight L. Smith Lodge of Research, and the Vice-President of the York Minster Philalethes Chapter. For many years, he was a regular contributor to the Philalethes Society's email list, until his health began to rapidly fail about two years ago.

David was one of the first Masons I ever met just prior to joining the fraternity, and I always valued his humor, his thoughtfulness and his advice. He was truly a larger than life figure, and he will be sorely missed. Farewell, my friend.

FAREWELL TO BROTHER GLENN FORD

Brother Glenn Ford passed to the celestial lodge above on August 30th. A nice article from the Grand Lodge of California about him.

Brother Ford was raised in Palisades Lodge No. 637 in 1954, and later affiliated with Riviera Lodge No. 780. He received his 50 year award last January.

I always wondered how he felt about being in the film The Brotherhood of the Bell...

THANKS, TEXAS

Thanks to the Grand Secretary of Texas, RW:. Tommy Guest, for recommending Freemasons For Dummies in his monthly message to lodges. The steps of my path to Freemasonry began in Texas, a debt I can never repay.

CHARLES MARTIN, IRAQ AND FREEMASONRY

I just stumbled into Charles Martin's Blog about Freemasonry in Iraq. Brother Charles is working on the creation of Land Sea and Air Lodge No. 1 in Iraq, chartered May 2, 2006 by the Grand Lodge of New York. From the sounds of it, getting this lodge started has been a long, hard job. They started working on getting the charter in November 2005, received it in May of this year, but won't meet until September.

I see that they have tee shirts available.

Best of luck to Brother Martin and all of our brothers serving the cause of freedom.

I found his information while looking at the Military.com Forum about Freemasons in the military. Interesting site.

INDIANA MASONIC HOME FESTIVAL 2006

I'll be at the Masonic Home Festival in Franklin, Indiana in the vendors' tent selling and signing books this Sunday August 20th, between 8AM and 3PM. Drop by if you get a chance!

RAPER COMMANDARY #1 WINS FIRST PLACE IN HOUSTON TRIENNIAL

My own Knights Templar Commandary, Raper Commandery No. 1 in Indianapolis, has won First Place in the Class B Drill Competition at the 63rd Triennial of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar in Houston, Texas this past week. Captain George D. Kivett, who has had the distinction of having won six consecutive Triennial Drill Competitions, was recognized as the Outstanding Drill Captain.

George IS an outstanding Drill Captain, and his dedication to Freemasonry and Templary is unquestioned. This represents untold hundreds of hours and decades of service, skill and leadership, and he deserves far more than just an award. Congratulations to everyone on the team, and especially to George.

GRAND LODGE OF DELAWARE RECOGNIZES PRINCE HALL GL

I just received word via the Philalethes Society that the mainstream Grand Lodge of Delaware has voted to extend recognition to the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Delaware. Meaning that the last dozen or so holdouts remain mainstream GLs south of the Mason Dixon Line.

VISIT TO MABEL LODGE No. 255 IN MACON, GEORGIA

I was in Macon, Georgia this week working at one of my real-world jobs. The day went well and we got finished quicker than expected. I happened to luck into the business meeting of Mabel Lodge No. 255 and I had the honor of meeting the Grand Master of Georgia, MWBro. F. Ray Jackson. I found him to be a gracious and generous gentleman, and enjoyed the lodge's warm hospitality. They serve up a fine pork chop.

Many thanks to their Worshipful Master Jammell Corliss, RWBro.Carl Dohn PGM, Grand Marshal Walt Bowers, and all of the other brethren I met this evening. Please forgive me for misspellings and omissions - I knew I should have been taking notes, and they don't have a website I can cheat off of!

I also had the pleasure of meeting several Prince Hall brethren who work at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. They went out of their way to help a hot, overweight Brother who had been broiling in the Georgia sun move lots of heavy camera cases, thereby saving me the embarrassment of passing out from heat stroke in the lobby. The hospitality has been outstanding here in Macon, and I wish I could have had more time to explore before heading home in the morning. I have to quit my other jobs - they're interfering with my Freemasonry!

BTW, I highly recommend two downtown Macon eateries. Luigi's Italian Restaurant is friendly, fun and has excellent food. And the Downtown Grill is absolutely outstanding. They put up with a group of ten of us, and the food and service was way above average. Sarah and Heather were great fun, knowledgeable and incredibly efficient with a large party. They deserve a raise. I recommend the mixed grill (filet mignon, lamb chop and quail), and order just one of the vanilla/cinnamon ice cream amaretto cakes for an entire table. It is as large as an average human head.

KNIGHT OF THE NORTH ERIC SCHMITZ and the QUEST FOR THE HOLY GRAIL

My friend and brother, Eric Schmitz, Senior Deacon of Lodge Vitruvian No. 767 and Past Master of Monroe Lodge No. 22 in Bloomington presented a program at Vitruvian's April meeting on the origins of the Grail legend. He has a new "interactive exploration kit" about the Holy Grail, due out in October of this year:

The Quest for the Holy Grail
An Interactive Exploration of the Grail Legends
Eric Schmitz
The perfect kit for anyone who wants to know more about the secrets of the Holy Grail!

Long before “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” the Grail Quest captured the imagination of writers and the public. Long believed to be an actual goblet brought to Spain by Joseph of Arimathea, the Grail inspired Mediaeval knights to go on pilgrimage in ill-fated attempts to find it. More recently, the Grail has gained new adherents as a different kind of treasure, the royal bloodline of the descendants of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, kept secret for two millennia by the Knights Templar and the Masons. Books like The DaVinci Code and Fair Winds’ own Bloodline of the Holy Grail have introduced this Grail concept to millions of people. This kit is for them.

This kit contains a 176-page book about the bloodline of Jesus, 22 full-color cards of the people involved, a full-color map and genealogical chart, and a grail medallion, all packaged in a keepsake box.

Eric Schmitz is a 12-year Freemason, with a longstanding interest in Arthurian legend and Grail mythology dating back to childhood. He is a Past Master of Monroe Lodge #22 in Bloomington, Indiana, a co-founder of Lodge Vitruvian #767 in Indianapolis, Indiana's premier "European Concept" Lodge, and an original "Knight of the North." He has written for the Indiana Freemason magazine, and is a co-author of the pamphlet Laudable Pursuit, a commentary on the past, present and future of Freemasonry in America. He holds degrees in electrical engineering and library science. This is his first book.

Bravo Eric! Vitruvians rule!

WEST VIRGINIA VISIT - JOSEPH W. SUMMERS #173

I had the great experience of visiting Wbro. Jason Craig at Valley Lodge in Masontown, Pennsylvania last January. I also had the honor of meeting MWBro. Frank Joseph Haas, Grand Master of West Virginia, and Junior Grand Deacon R. Jay Guminey, also of the GL of West Virginia. That's the greatest thing about Freemasonry - I have met brothers everywhere in the world, and it's like ripples in a pond. Every friendship leads to more and more, and the list just keeps growing.

On August 26th, I'll have the honor of speaking at Brother Jay Guminey's lodge, Joseph W. Summers Lodge #173 in Morgantown, WVa.

SOLOMON'S BUILDERS IS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED

Ulysses Press has officially announced the December release of SOLOMON'S BUILDERS: FREEMASONS, FOUNDING FATHERS AND THE SECRETS OF WASHINGTON D.C.

Solomon's Builders transports the reader back to the birth of a radical new nation and tells how a secretive society influenced and inspired the formation of what would become the most powerful nation on earth.

A history that reads like a thriller, it follows George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and the other Founding Fathers who transformed the lessons of their Masonic lodge rooms into models for a new democracy. In the process, it pieces together the still-visible clues of the Freemasons as it uncovers the mystical Masonic symbolism hidden in the design of the city and in its monuments, statues and buildings.

From "all-seeing eyes," pentagrams, and Egyptian-inspired obelisks to the imposing and mysterious Masonic temples of the "Widow's Sons," Solomon's Builders guides readers on a Freemason’s tour of Washington, D.C. as it separates fact from myth and reveals the background of the sequel to The Da Vinci Code.

LAUDABLE PURSUIT SPURS MASONS TO ACTION

The ideas from Laudable Pursuit keep bearing fruit. All over the country, we get messages about young Masons using it as a guide for making changes, getting back to basics, and reinvigorating their lodges.

The following note was posted on the Knights of the North forum the other day.

I don't think you fully realize how ripe my jurisiction is for change! We had a degree night last night with representives of 5 Lodges. Almost all Past Masters and Officers of Lodges. LP was discussed and every person there is backing it! And taking it to thier Lodges.

One Brother, a KYCH, when he heard what we were doing, left and came back with his suit coat on to show his support. Even though the temp in the Lodge room was about 98. Brothers are showing up wearing only black suit, white shirt and black tie already.

Every day more Brothers say, "It's about time."

I fully understand the pitfalls and your wise counsel is greatly appreciated. But I believe we are at a watershed. The moment must be siezed with the dedication and intensity that has proven contagious. Here is the text of our new committee:

Consilium Reconciliatio

Resolution for the Brothers of the Milton Masonic Lodge No. 161, Free and Accepted Masons of Wisconsin, to establish a Committee for Lodge Restoration and Reform for the purpose of making a studied approach to improving the health of our beloved Craft.

Whereas: Brothers are being rushed through their advancement to the sublime degree as Master Mason without proper instruction and regard to the fraternity, to our detriment, the investigation period for a petitioner should be a minimum of 6 months. Also to facilitate the proper education of a Brother the time spent as an Entered Apprentice should be a minimum of one year. Likewise as a Fellowcraft.

Whereas: Entered Apprentices and Fellowcrafts are allowed into Lodge meetings everywhere except in the United States after the 1840’s and to provide for making Masons, not just members, the stated communication should be open on the Entered Apprentice Degree for the purpose of Masonic education and fellowship. A business meeting being held separate on the Master Mason Degree in accordance with the Wisconsin Masonic Code.

Whereas: The standards of the fraternity are integral to our survival, arrangements should be made to teach and enforce requirements for proficiency, dress code and attendance.

Whereas: The fees and dues for Lodges have not increased proportionately over the last two centuries, which only hurts the Lodge, petition fees and yearly dues should be increased to a reasonable enough level to ensure the financial stability of the Lodge and impress upon new members the value of association.

Whereas: The worldwide Masonic community is bringing increased pressure on American Grand Lodges for the use of one day classes for all three degrees the practice should not be engaged in by the members of our Lodge preferring instead to hold to our initiatic traditions and make Masons not just members.

Whereas: The leadership of the Lodge is paramount to it’s survival and prosperity, a proper education program should be enacted with the mentor program for Apprentices and Fellows as well as a more detailed program for officers and Wardens concerning history and ritual, completion of which would be required to ascend to the East.

Therefore: The Lodge should weigh these considerations with care and due diligence appointing learned Brothers to a committee tasked with educating themselves concerning the decline of our Craft and the solutions required to restore it to the dignity that it deserves.

Worshipful Brother Winter Jefferson Guite
Past Master
Thirty Second Degree
Milton Masonic Lodge No. One Hundred and Sixty One
Seventeenth of July
Common Era Two Thousand and Six
Anno Lucius Six Thousand and Six

GARY DRYFOOS' "...A PAGE ABOUT FREEMASONRY"

Since 1994, Wbro. Gary Dryfoos' website, "...A Page About Freemasonry" has been an outstanding source of reference material for new and seasoned Masons, as well as for the uninitiated. I owe Gary two notes of thanks. First, for providing a link to Laudable Pursuit and the Knights of the North website. And second for a most flattering review of Freemasons For Dummies.

"Those of you who have ever visited my website will know that I am a proponent of Masonic education. When we make a new Mason, we owe him a first-class course of instruction in what Masonry is, what it does, and where it came from. We owe it for his own sake, as our brother, for the sake of his circle of family and friends who will ask him about this peculiar organization he's joined, and for the sake of our own future. "Freemasons for Dummies" could serve as an important part of that education in any lodge."

"...Freemasons for Dummies belongs on every Masonic bookshelf. A few years ago, I attempted to compile my own list of books about Masonry for the general audience. The idea would have been to raise funds to donate a small "Masonic bookshelf" to local public libraries. I could never decide on that list, until now. If your lodge is looking for a way to inform your community about Freemasonry, consider donating a few copies of this book to your town library, and maybe even the public high school libraries."

STEPHAN DAFOE'S MASONIC MAGAZINE

Stephen Dafoe's latest issue of Masonic magazine arrived this week, and it continues to be a tremendous publication for Freemasons. His four-part article on the Morgan Affair alone has been worth the price of subscription. He is assembling a stable of respected authors who are breathing fresh life into Masonic research. I ordered a subscription for Lodge Vitruvian, and it flies off the table as soon as it comes.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RESEARCH LODGE

I had a long conversation with Wbro. Ralph Herbold tonight, who informs me that the SCRL has just ordered its 1,600th copy of Freemasons For Dummies!

I am absolutely astonished every time I speak with Ralph at the great reception the book has received. More to the point, the SCRL is a wonderful resource for Masons seeking further light. It is possibly the biggest steal in Freemasonry at just $15 a year. In return you receive the monthly mailing, packed with information culled from Masonic publications all around the world. And their incredible book department sells a massive list of Masonic books at just over wholesale cost. Plus, their Entered Apprentice program provides a copy of Allen Roberts' The Craft And Its Symbols to any EA that an SCRL member chooses, along with a free year's membership in the SCRL. If you aren't a member, you can't imagine what you're missing, every single month.

Find out more by visiting their website.

MASONIC DICTIONARY ONLINE

WBro. Stephen Dafoe, Masonic and Templar author and publisher, has collected together 26 new essays on progressive Freemasonry at www.MasonicDictionary.com.

A is for Apathy by Bro. R. John Hayes
Boring Our Members To Death by W. Bro. Christopher Hodapp
Charity by W. Bro. Fred Milliken
Dues That Don't Anymore by W. Bro. Nathan C. Brindle
Education: The Unspeakable Masonic Word by W. Bro. Jay Hochberg
Freemasonarian: How intellectualism Rots by W. Bro. Stephen Dafoe
Grand Lodge by W. Bro. Tim Bryce
Harmony by Bro. David Weinberg
Intolerance by W. Bro. C Shawn Oak
Jurisprudence, Masonic by W. Bro. Dan Ellnor
Kakistocracy by Bro. XXXXX
The Ancient Landmarks - Abusing Them by W. Bro. Dan Ellnor
Membership: Where Are We Really Losing Members by W. Bro. Stephen Dafoe
Nationalism by Bro. Jelle Spijk
Obligations by Bro. Steve Schilling
Whatever Happened To Masonic Pride? by W. Bro. Christopher Hodapp
Quality vs. Quantity - "Foodmasonry and You" by W. Bro. Michael Bayrak
Racism in Freemasonry by W. Bro. Fred Milliken
Stated Meetings and Entered Apprentices by Bro. Steve Schilling and W. Bro. Christopher Hodapp
That's Not How We Did It In My Year by W. Bro. Carl W. Davis
Universality by W. Bro. Eric Schmitz
Virtues by W. Bro. Tim Bryce
Asleep at the West Gate by W. Bro. Stephen Dafoe
X is for Xenophobia by Bro. John Hayes
Y AREN'T YOU LISTENING TO THEM? (GENERATION Y) by W. Bro. Tim Bryce
Zeal for the Institution by W. Bro. James Dillman

I'm honored to have been a participant in this project along with several of my fellow Knights of the North. And thanks to Stephen for his guiding, prodding and organizing.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST DAY

Greg Stewart, the "Masonic Traveler," has a terrific article aboutSaint John the Baptist Day, June 24th, and just what a couple of identically-named Catholic saints are doing in a non-denominational, non-sectarian men's fraternity.

IN DEFENSE OF MAGISTERIAL LANGUAGE

The Catholic Church is having a lengthy wrangle over the wording of the mass - their ritual, if you will. In the 1970s, a directive came from the Vatican to "simplify" the ritual, namely, to create a new translation that was closer to the vernacular, to the way people really speak and think, instead of the poetry of the mass as it had appeared in Latin. The new pope has decided that something was lost in that decision, that there is worth and majesty in the original Latin, and that a closer translation to its original Latin form would be more desirable, more affecting, more, well, reverent. In short, it sounds like the new pope has at last recoiled from the dumbing down of the liturgy.

Some interesting quotes:

"Folks are finally beginning to see what a banal translation of the Mass we've been saddled with for so long. The new translation is, I'm happy to say, not so very new-many of the expressions are just revivals of traditional expressions that have been used in English for generations."

"We need to give God the best words we can use. Words shape thoughts and cultures. We should not give God second best just to make things easier."

"Sometimes profound thoughts and truths require long sentences and big words," Harden said. "We don’t want to reduce the wording of the sacred Mass to the level of Time magazine. If people don't understand it, you educate and prepare them."

What a fantastic concept.

Pope Ratzinger has put the hammer down and called for a return to higher standards (in many areas, not just the wording of the mass) and more challenging vocabulary. For all those who point to Masonic ritual and call it too archaic, too long, or too complex for "modern men" to be interested, I find it interesting that the Church is taking the opposite view.

They are raising the standards. They are making it more challenging.

Freemasonry keeps making changes in an effort to appeal to young men, yet we keep doing it without asking young men about it first. We say they don't have time to take the degrees individually. We say the lectures are too long. We say the memorization is too hard. Yet, men who are staying away from Freemasonry don't know about those things. They don't know what Freemasonry IS! The young men who ARE joining our lodges are better educated than any generation of Masons ever before. They've done incredible research about the Craft before knocking on our doors. They are looking for something legendary, something mythical, something timeless. These are the men who grew up fascinated by the minutiae of the Star Wars universe and its organization; of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and its heroic stories and fascinating tapestries of cultures; of the esoteric discussions and philosophical labyrinths of The Matrix. These men are not looking for fast, easy ways to join this most famous and legendary initiatic brotherhood. And when we rush to MAKE it simple and cheap and fast, Freemasonry loses its value and its allure.

MUNCIE MASONIC CENTER REVISITED

After visiting with Wbro. Tim Brinkmeyer and the brethren of Delaware Lodge in Muncie, I put together a website for them. They have a magnificent facility, and they are so close to Ball State University that I think the students there simply need to be aware that Freemasonry is alive and well in Muncie, and that they have a true Masonic treasure in their midst.

THE MOTHER OF ALL EA DEGREES!

Last night the brethren of Major General John A. Logan Lodge #575 initiated a new brother in one of the most unique presentations I've ever seen. The room was illuminated solely by candlelight, and the room was scented with incense. The Bible reading was beautifully chanted by Brother Phillip Garver, who is a gnostic bishop and the SW of my own Lodge Vitruvian #767.Prior to the degree, the candidate was placed in a Chamber of Reflection, complete with the proper accessories of that tradition. And Brother Gary Messer, a talented artist, contributed special props, along with a newly painted mosaic floorcloth, complete with a blazing star and indented tessel. For brethren of Indiana, these are all very unique and non-traditional flourishes. For the candidate, they made an enormous impact, and made the evening even more memorable.

Bravo to WBro. Jim Lindsey PM, his officers, members and Past Masters for bringing these elements of Traditional Observance lodges to downtown Indianapolis! Logan Lodge was on the ropes just three years ago, held together by a dedicated but dwindling core group. A group of Masons from across Indianapolis saw the opportunity to help the brethren of Logan keep their lodge, while trying new and innovative ideas to reinvigorate it. Last night they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.