Monthly Archives: March 2011

Guilt by Moral Turpitude not until proven guilty

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The Journalstar.com news website, out of Lincoln Nebraska, reported on November 22, 2010:

“Lincoln police went to Waverly early Sunday to find a man who they say fired a handgun twice following a fight at his girlfriend’s Lincoln home.

[Edward Watts was] arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault, strangulation, terroristic threats and use of a weapon to commit a felony after police learned of the incident at the house in the XXX block of Eldora Avenue in Lincoln, Officer Katie Flood said'”

The man arrested, shown in Journal Star report as the booking photo, is alleged to be the 2011 incumbent Grand Master of Nebraska Masons – Edward David Watts.

The a consequence of the events following the brutality of that day have started to make some ripples in the Masonic pond, which have lead to calls for his removal from notable past editor of the Philalethes Society Journal of Masonic Research Nelson King who published on the Masonic Brothers yahoo Group on a January 8th:

It is necessary to bring to your attention a grave breech of dignity and honor imminently befalling the Grand Lodge of Nebraska, USA with ramifications for Freemasonry worldwide. The man set to be installed as Grand Master of Masons of Nebraska on February 5, 2011, Deputy Grand Master Edward David Watts, was recently arrested by police and subsequently formally charged by the Lancaster County Attorney in Lincoln, Nebraska with four felony crimes. These include First-degree Assault, Strangulation, Terroristic Threats, and Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony.

He goes on to say that, following his installation as Grand Master that he would dismiss the charges against himself and continue on as the Grand Master of Masons in Nebraska.  He says further:

The distressing part of this situation is the fact that nothing has yet been done to remove Watts from Freemasonry in Nebraska or even remove him as a Grand Lodge Officer. In fact, it has come to our attention that even though Masonic charges have been filed, the leadership of the Grand Lodge of Nebraska and the Nebraska Jurisprudence Committee appear to still believe there is nothing that can prevent Watts from being installed as Grand Master.

The plea in the email continues as King says:

The notion of “innocent until proven guilty” does not apply in this case. That standard applies to the court system, not a private fraternity. Watts has already done significant damage to the fraternity by making the wrong decisions that led to his latest felony arrest and his past criminal misconduct contributes to the overall assertion that he should not be Grand Master. Watts’ tactics include making unsubstantiated claims that the charges will be dropped, the police were corrupt and wrong, and the man he victimized is lying. This is in an effort to ensure no Masonic punitive action takes place before he is installed as Grand Master. Watts then intends to keep pushing back his trial until after he leaves the Grand East or doesn’t care if he is convicted of the crimes once he is already Grand Master.

Citing a long spate of felonies and morally questionable activities, King sums his appeal this way saying:

All of these things show a pattern of poor judgment and conduct unbecoming any Freemason, let alone a man who would be Grand Master. Regardless of whether or not any of the current felonies with which Watts is charged are dismissed or reduced, the totality of the circumstances dictate that Watts must be expelled from the fraternity lest it be viewed by the public as a secret society that condones misconduct by its leadership and further covers up such behavior.

The fear is that besides am ugly public drubbing, that the UGLE would rescind its recognition of the Grand Lodge of Nebraska because of such horrendous decision making and unsound judgments.

The argument itself is based on the question Moral Turpitude which is a Masonic Jurisprudence loop hole by which to expel a member should they befall, or have discovered, a social hiccup.

Wikipedia has an good definition of Moral Turpitude that, though lengthy, says it all.

Moral turpitude is a legal concept in the United States that refers to “conduct that is considered contrary to community standards of justice, honesty or good morals.” It appears in U.S. immigration law from the nineteenth century. In other common law jurisdictions it is dated or obsolete.

The concept of moral turpitude escapes precise definition but has been described as an “act of baseness, vileness or depravity in the private and social duties which a man owes to his fellowmen or to society in general, contrary to the accepted and customary rule of right and duty between man and man.” The specific acts that such a concept includes inevitably change over time, as general public acceptance or abhorrence of issues alters; for example, until recent times, a man engaged in homosexual behavior was still considered as engaging in “criminal behavior involving moral turpitude.”

The classification of a crime or other conduct as constituting moral turpitude has significance in several areas of law. First, prior conviction of a crime of moral turpitude (or in some jurisdictions, moral turpitude conduct, even without a conviction) is considered to have a bearing on the honesty of a witness and may be used for purposes of witness impeachment. Second, moral turpitude offenses may be grounds to deny or revoke a professional license such as a teaching credential, license to practice law, or other licensed profession. Third, it is of great importance for immigration purposes, as offenses which are defined as involving moral turpitude are considered bars to immigration into the U.S.

So, in a nutshell, if you have a DUI, minor criminal infraction, pay your taxes late, spit on the curb, have been drunk in public, or any of a long long list of base acts in society, your guilty of moral turpitude, in a sense, a moral law.

The charge is prevalent and in use in modern Masonic times in that I myself have seen it administered on a, then, brother for a past criminal offense that had since been socially paid and legally expunged.  Let there be no mistake – Moral Turpitude is still very much a scarlet letter offense in Modern Masonry and a good means to clean house when little else for Masonic charges can be found.

In the case of Watts, the appeal from King was not the only place the story surfaced on the web.

In December of 2010, a small local opinion piece on the matter appeared on the website VansOpinions.com. A reading though the published journal gives a detailed reporting of one, seemingly, Nebraska Mason observed the incident as Robert J. Van Valkenburg, the author Van, opines about the Golden Chain Gang of Nebraska Grand Lodge leadership who in his first writing on the subject slams the leadership of Nebraska saying:

Year back, a few of the self-serving “leaders” of the fraternity, nearly all of which were lawyers wanting to maintain control of the fraternity, plumbed themselves into several of the key committees of the grand lodge. Additionally they changed the Bylaws of the Grand Lodge to the extent that the man elected to the position of Deputy Grand Master was also “Grand Master – Elect” meaning he would assume the highest position without a further vote of the Masons attending the subsequent “Annual Communication” [meeting] Thus, Watts, when elected, was locket into being installed in 2011.

His complaint was that Watts had resigned without there being a clear line of succession for the outgoing Grand Master John T. Parsons of Papillon.  Van said that this was a coup of sorts bemoaning “about the few so called leaders of the fraternity who are corrupting its teachings for their own self-serving purposes. The members are kept in the dark, manipulated, lied to and deceived by “The Gold Chain Gang” in Nebraska.”

But that wasn’t the end of the story, of Van’s or of Watts, and continues in later posts by Van who chronicled the story in the days following his first post.

In his next post Van says:

Since the posting of the last article a number of sources have indicated Edward David Watts in fact, had NOT resigned as Deputy Grand Master of Masons of Nebraska. In all fairness to Watts, a good deal more discovery has taken place and interesting discoveries have been made. Unless we have received erroneous information from a person in the Office of the Clerk of Lancaster County Court, Criminal Division, a “Preliminary Hearing” will be held on a case captioned “State v. Edward D. Watts” at 10:00 A.M. on 6 December 2011, at which time we believe a number of interesting facts will be presented to the Judge. This article should give all interested parties…INCLUDING THE JUDGE…a number of documented facts worthy of detailed investigation. My advice to Watts – FOR NOW DO NOT RESIGN. IF YOU HAVE, RESCIND IT!

He goes on to quote from the first degree saying:

“Justice is that standard, or boundary of right, which enables us to render to every man his just due without distinction. This virtue is not only consistent with divine and human laws, but is the very cement and support of civil society; and as justice in a great measure constitutes the real good man, so should it be the invariable practice of every Mason, never to deviate from the minutest principles thereof…”

To which he takes the position that Watts is innocent until proven guilty – even of moral turpitude, which I have to be honest, is the best way to proceed, no matter our elevated idea of morality that allows us to evaluate and condemn a man for what we want to say his depravity is.

Van takes it a step further and begins a tirade on the GL leadership who, in acting in their mind in the best interest of the fraternity.  He starts his next foray February 17th, 2011, this way:

At the 154th Communication (Convention) of the Grand :Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Nebraska held in Grand Island in early February 2011, John T. Parsons, the incumbent Grand Master, proved the fraternity can provide a means to make good men bad when they ignore and corrupt the teachings of the fraternity and its Constitution and Bylaws. Bad people, even egomaniacal asses manage to wedge themselves into all organizations even the most honorable Masonic Fraternity.

He goes on to proclaim the Nebraska Grand Master, John Parsons (note Watts has not been installed yet) as being “Most Un-Masonic” while he while presided over the last annual meeting of the fraternity.  The rub this time over a conspiracy that was fomented to keep Watts from being installed, Van reports:

John Parsons has unfortunately chosen to conspire with others in an unlawful attempt to keep a worthy Brother, David Watts, from rightfully being installed as his successor pursuant to ARTICLE VII of the organization’s Constitution. Parsons has pompously pranced about Nebraska making appearances and elsewhere for the last year as the seated “Grand Master” and do so to a large extent on OTHER MASONS’ MONEY. Having members of the Masonic Fraternity and those in other appendant bodies treat him royally has, in my opinion, gone to his head. I believe he just can’t accept the fact that from the ranks he came, and now most properly, to the ranks he must return.

Van writes this on the heels of Parsons having told the oldest living Past Grand Master Don Swanson, a permanent member of the Nebraska Grand Lodge, to “sit your ass down and shut up” in an open meeting attended by hundreds of Nebraska Masons when Swanson stood up for Watts.  Van says of the matter:

During a business portion of the Grand Lodge session, Parsons presiding, the matter of false and fabricated “Masonic Charges” against Watts were presented to the body (by Swanson). That in itself was totally out of consonance with “Masonic Law” and in fact, in my opinion, a Masonic Offense.

But, the story doesn’t end there.  Van Valkenburg goes on to post on February 24th some of the most controversial yet material reporting:

It’s time for ALL Nebraska Masons to know what has been going on “behind their backs” In some areas of government, it might be called “back channeling” or clandestine dealings outside of prescribed and lawful avenues. It appears the Grand Lodge of Nebraska has been taken over by a self-appointed group of Past Grand Masters and their cronies reducing all honest and trusting Masons to being nothing more than a source of funding to support their wishes and whims. Most of the evil doers are attorneys.

Going further proclaiming now that Parsons is in fact the Mason who should be expelled from Nebraska Freemasonry and not Watts, as you would think based on the Moral Turpitude clause.

Then, Van drops a bombshell:

On the evening of 17 February 2011, before the close of a duly opened Lodge of Master Masons in Wood River, Nebraska (Cement Lodge #211), the oldest living Past Grand Master of Masons in Nebraska, Donald Swanson, properly and formally installed David Watts as the new Grand Master replacing Parsons.

Careful attention was given to the installation being done in strict accordance and compliance with established procedures and within the scope of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Grand Lodge. There were 14 members present, two of which were Past Grand Masters. This was done in spite of the fact Parsons had sent a letter to all Past Grand Masters telling them he would have them expelled from Masonry if they participated in installing Watts. I forgot to mention, the installation had to be done by a Past Grand Master. Swanson was the only one willing to thumb his nose at Parsons and see the deed was done without interruption.

The following Saturday, Dave Watts, the newly installed Grand Master, traveled to Alliance, Nebraska and installed the other “elected” officers of Grand Lodge. He thereafter went directly to Denver, Colorado to attend a regional conference of Grand Masters as Nebraska’s representative.

As with any bombshell there was a lot of collateral damage with shaking fists and claims of charter pulling, expelling members, and even civil law suits, as Van opined that he believes the “‘SOB(s)’ victimized by fraternal corruption may have civil recourse in a real court of law.”

And, if bad couldn’t go to worse, Van then begins to enumerate the raising of sex offenders as Masons in Nebraska lodges who was left unchecked to move through the chairs.

Overwhelming, isn’t it?  The picture of a train wreck comes to mind from all fronts here, especially if even half of what Van reports is to be believed.

The facts we do have is that an Edward D. Watts was in fact arrested and in fact charged with the crimes.  The Grand Lodge of Nebraska website shows as its leadership John T. Parsons as the Grand Master and E. David Watts as the deputy Grand Master, presumably the one and same E. David Watts currently listed as the Deputy Grand Master from Osceola.  Further, the Annual Communication and Installation invitation of GL officers’ looks like business as usual with no mention of who is slated for installation or who was installed, and the Nebraska Grand Lodge news tab of the site has as its most recent entry a communication award from 2009.

And, news reports abound on the story:

ABC 8 KLKNTV reports Man fires gun after fight.
1011Now.com shares the same head line
The Journal Star mentioned at the beginning: Man suspected of fighting, firing handgun early Sunday
and KFOR 1240 AM reporting 54-Year-Old Waverly Man in Jail Today.

Very little else can be gleaned from the web on the issue, and it seems that Van’s reporting is the ONLY reporting coming out of the state.  Van mentioned Watts and Parsons crossing paths at the Conference of Grand Masters in February, but the events itinerary has no mention of either nor of Nebraska for that matter.

I did come across a open case in the Lancaster County office of the District Attorney, State vs Edward Watts case number of CR11-95, where the name matches the criminal charges from November 21, 2010 with two of the previous charges dismissed by the court.  Those two dismissed charges were Terroristic Threats and Use of a Deadly Weapon to Commit a Felony.  While those two charges were dropped Assault, 1st degree and Strangulation remain in an open case.

So where do things stand now?

Truthfully, it’s hard to tell, especially as Van has not reported further, and there has been no “official” word from the Grand Lodge.  It would seem, from Van’s observation that there is a Schism in that there are two presiding Grand Masters Watts and Parsons while issues of Moral Turpitude and guilt sway in-between.  Is this really a pall over Nebraska or Freemasonry for that matter as King so chillingly proclaimed?  Or is it just another bump in the long road of independent governance that each state of Masonic fiefdoms cling to?

Truly in this train wreck, only time will tell which engine stays on the tracks and if it really reflects a knee jerk expulsion for moral turpitude or a claim of guilty until proven innocent.

Personally, if the facts are true, it’s not a very good example of Masonry to be put forth – period.

The super luminary Supermoon

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Are you ready for the Supermoon?

Its an interesting idea, a super close moon, and and a high astrological portent…

The term comes from Richard Nolle (aka Astropro – Certified Professional Astrologer) who coined it, according to his website, in 1981.  Of the event, besides a myriad of planetary calamities of floods, fires, and earthquakes, Nolle says of the SuperMoons that they have a noteworthiness “for their close association with extreme tidal forces working in what astrologers of old used to call the sublunary world: the atmosphere, crust and oceans [and earth].”

Mark Paquette on the Accu Weather blog, states Nolle’s predictions to the celestial going on with the forcast which “will bring strong earthquakes and storms and/or unusual climate patterns.”

Who knows, sounds like their trying to pin the Japan quake on the phenominon.

Paquette points out what science believes are the benchmarks of the lunar rising saying

“there are scientific laws that say the moon affects the Earth (i.e. tides). There are also less proven theories that propose that the moon affects the Earth in other ways (i.e. abnormal behavior during a full moon [lunacy])

NASA scientist Jim Garvin had this to say of the Supermoon:

“‘Supermoon’ is a situation when the moon is slightly closer to Earth in its orbit than on average, and this effect is most noticeable when it occurs at the same time as a full moon, So, the moon may seem bigger although the difference in its distance from Earth is only a few percent at such times.”

“It is called a supermoon because this is a very noticeable alignment that at first glance would seem to have an effect,” Garvin explained. “The ‘super’ in supermoon is really just the appearance of being closer, but unless we were measuring the Earth-Moon distance by laser rangefinders (as we do to track the LRO [Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter] spacecraft in low lunar orbit and to watch the Earth-Moon distance over years), there is really no difference.”

Not so much a link to the Japanese quake Garvin says:

“The Earth has stored a tremendous amount of internal energy within its thin outer shell or crust, and the small differences in the tidal forces exerted by the moon (and sun) are not enough to fundamentally overcome the much larger forces within the planet due to convection (and other aspects of the internal energy balance that drives plate tectonics),”

Either way stock up on provisions just in case and break out the binoculars Saturday evening and enjoy the super moon.

150 years of Italian Masonic unity

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NPR had an interesting story about the upcoming celebration of 150 years of the Italian Constitution and the apparent dis-unity between its Northern and Southern Region.

The statement was about the culminating fight in 1861 to create a liberal, unified Italy. Unified in that Italy prior to this revolution was the center occupations, revolution, and Papal monarchies, and European incursions.

In the story, the line that jumped out in the middle was about a present day conservative coalition that has espoused a separatist agenda from the unified Italy, called the Northern League.

Their present day disdain for a unified Italy comes with this condemnation about the Revolutions commander, Giuseppe Garibaldi. their comment in the piece was that “Garibaldi was a mercenary,…financed by English Freemasons.”

You can listen to the NPR story A Divided Italy Prepares For Unification Anniversary.
[podcast]http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2011/03/20110317_me_07.mp3[/podcast]

Just in trying to unravel the complexity of the Italian civil and political world in the 1860’s would take a few pages of preliminary explanation, but at the heart of the quote above is the idea that Garibaldi, and the revolutionary forces, were somehow Masonic in nature.

Foldout lithograph from Memoirs of the Secret Societies of the South of Italy, particularly the Carbonari - from the International Institute of Social History

Early, as Italian unity was beginning to take shape in the moral imagination of the peninsula’s inhabitants, it began to take shape in a patriotic and liberal secret society called the Carbonari, who were said to of organized in the form of Freemasonry, broken into small cells scattered across Italy – and more especially as it was populated by Freemasons attempting to separate the fraternity from the political movement.

From Wikipedia on the Carbonari:

The aim of Carbonari was the creation of a constitutional monarchy or a republic, they wanted also defend the rights of people against all forms of absolutism. Carbonari, to achieve their purpose, were ready to commit assassinations and armed revolts. The membership was separated into two classes—apprentice and master. There were two ways to become a master, through serving as an apprentice for at least six months or by being a Freemason on entry. Their initiation rituals were structured around the trade of charcoal-selling, hence their name.

It goes on to say that the Masonic revolutionaries were wiped out by 1831, but not after fomenting and revolting against the then Papal States of Pope Gregory XVI with the aid of the Austrian Army in Rome. And, the article suggests that it was the Carbonari Victory in Naples, in 1820, in which the Carbonari revolution in Naples led to King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies to promise a constitutional Monarchy and make concessions to revolutionaries.

Giuseppe Garibaldi

Giuseppe Garibaldi

What strikes me is that it was in this vein that led to the future battles of Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1860 and his push to unify the region which didn’t fully manifest for many years after in 1871 with the Franco-Prussian War to link it to the Carbonari/Freemason connection.

The Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon has a terrific article on Garibaldi – the Mason which says of his Masonic career:

Garibaldi, as Fulvio Conti recounts in an article published in “Hiram” in 2002 on the occasion of the one hundred and twentieth anniversary of his death, was initiated into Freemasonry in 1844, at the age of thirty-seven, in the “L’Asil de la Vertud” Lodge of Montevideo. This was an irregular lodge under a Brazilian Freemasonry which was not recognised by the main international masonic obediences, such as the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Orient of France.

Later, in 1844 he regularised his position, joining the lodge “Les Amis de la Patrie” of Montevideo under the Grand Orient of France. Garibaldi entered Freemasonry during his exile, taking advantage of the asylum which was offered by the lodges to political refugees of European countries governed by despotic regimes hostile to democratic or nationalistic movements.

Garibaldi then attended the masonic lodges of New York in 1850 and London in 1853-54, where he met several supporters of democratic internationalism, whose minds were open to making socialist thoughts their own and give Freemasonry a strong anti-papal stand.

It makes for an interesting link, Garibaldi the Mason and the Revolutionary fore-bearers in the Carbonari, which leaves one to wonder if perhaps the Northern League might not just be plucking a ill-tuned cord in Italian history.

Garibaldi, if in fact was a Masonicly influenced revolutionary, seems to of had the right idea, at least about throwing in his aid to an early Civil War president Abraham Lincoln, offering his military prowess to the embattled president, as he ardently desired to do so was upon the “declaring the abolition of slavery”, which he suggested nearly 2 years before Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

You can read more on the Carbonari and on the many years of Italian Revolution in the works of Christopher Hibbert Page – Garibaldi: Hero of Italian Unification and/or explore the group who would make just such a Masonic-politico connection by exploring the Northern League itself in Nationalism in Italian Politics: The Stories of the Northern League, 1980-2000 (Routledge Advances in European Politics) by Damian Tambini. Or, if European Secret Societies are of greater interest, check out Memoirs of the Secret Societies of the South of Italy; Particularly the Carbonari by Bertoldi

On a lighter side, why not just stay more up to date on the peccadilloes of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi which really seem to tumb-the-nose at the great achievements of his revolutionary predecessors.

In the mean time, a warm Masonic salute to 150 years of Italian Unification.

Masonic Vedanta, Freemasonry in India

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Emblem of IndiaA new video out from the World Exemplification of Freemasonry by Br. Dr. Guy L Beck on Freemasonry in the British Empire and the Colonial expansion of Freemasonry into India.

The video WEOFM video explores the expansion of Freemasonry in the Hindu world including the notable Freemason, and Swami, Vivekananda who, while still named Narendranath Dutta, was Initiated in 1884 at Anchor and Hope Lodge No. 1, Kolkotta.

He opens with an excerpt from Professor Jessica Harland-Jacobs, who some may remember was a guest on Masonic Central.  Makes for an interesting view.

Presentation by Dr. Guy Beck

Masonic Center for Youth and Families

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Masonry helping the community, a subject near and dear to me especially given its taking shape in California.

The Masonic Homes of California today announced the opening of the Masonic Center for Youth and Families, a not-for-profit, outpatient facility that will provide integrated psychological services to youth ages 4 to 17 struggling with behavioral, academic, emotional, or social difficulties.

“Existing resources to help young people are strained and at times limited. The Masonic Center for Youth and Families is one of the few centers in the nation to bring together testing, assessment and treatment services under one roof,”

says Steffani Kizziar, executive director.

The center, located in San Francisco’s historic Presidio, is now accepting clients. Youth and families are eligible to receive services, which include:

  • Comprehensive assessment of the youth through cognitive, personality, and neuropsychological tests as well as interviews with the parents, teachers, and other individuals for additional insight
  • Psychodynamic psychotherapy, family therapy, and couples therapy treatment delivered through individual and group therapy and analysis
  • Comprehensive treatment management during and after care

“As professionals, we have witnessed attrition and oversimplification of needed services for children and adolescents,” says Dr. Terrence Owens, clinical director. “We are steadfast in our commitment to provide young people and their families the help they need and address psychological difficulties in a complex, comprehensive and thorough manner.”

Many of the staff professionals are nationally and internationally recognized leaders in various disciplines of the mental health field. The center’s integrative model of multidisciplinary collaboration among the clinical professionals provides the benefit of multiple perspectives for each client.

Each member of the center’s clinical staff holds advanced degrees and licenses and has an average of 20+ years of experience. Besides Dr. Owens, clinical director, key staff includes Philip Erdberg, PhD, research and assessment director, and Michael Bronzo, MD, medical director.

Charitable funding provided by the Masons of California allows the Masonic Center for Youth and Families to offer accessible treatment and flexible payment options. The center reviews each potential client on a case-by-case basis to ensure that all in need receive treatment, regardless of financial limitations.

“Our organization has been an advocate for youth and seniors for more than 110 years,” says Melvin Matsumoto, executive vice president of the Masonic Homes of California. “The founding of this center demonstrates our commitment to helping young people feel understood and empowered to realize their potential.”

For more information about the Masonic Center for Youth and Families, including the application and treatment process, visit www.mcyaf.org.

The center, from theirwebsite, says of its service:

The Masonic Center for Youth and Families is a place where young people who struggle with behavioral, learning, and psychological problems can unlock their full potential.

We form a complete picture of the young person’s life: how cheerful she is in the morning and how difficult her tantrums can be. That his report card shows Cs, but he invented a new axle for a truck when he was five. Then we base our treatment on what we learn.

We help young people find their voices, and then themselves.

This sounds like a terrific asset to the Golden State, and I’m really glad to see Masonic relief action.

Happy Pi Day

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What celebration of the study of mathematics would be complete without taking a day off for pie, strike that I mean Pi?

We can pick up a brief history on the numerical letter from Wikipedia which may pique the interest of some readers and its relation to the Temple of Solomon, as it reads…

The earliest known textually evidenced approximations date from around 1900 BC; they are 256/81 (Egypt) and 25/8 (Babylonia), both within 1% of the true value.[9] The Indian text Shatapatha Brahmana gives π as 339/108 ≈ 3.139. It has been suggested that passages in the 1 Kings 7:23 and 2 Chronicles 4:2 discussing a ceremonial pool in the temple of King Solomon with a diameter of ten cubits and a circumference of thirty cubits show that the writers considered pi to have had an approximate value of three, which various authors have tried to explain away through various suggestions such as a hexagonal pool or an outward curving rim.

Without getting into the mathematics of the irrational yet transcendent number, the number has a significance too for the calculations involved in the ancient exercise of squaring the circle, a past time often associated in the practice of Freemasonry – hence the Square and Compass.  you can read an interesting article on the practice by Bro. William Steve Burkle KT, 32° in a paper titled Musings on the Geometric Properties of the Square and Compasses.

And, if your stuck on the idea of having pie for National Pi day, then NPR has a good write up on the subject with some tasty sounding recipes to celebrate the day with  they did a neat story on the day too, with an audio clip on the “Sound of Pi by Michael Blake (the original video has been taken down, but you can still hear his musical arrangement in the NPR piece.

Here are a few more videos that relate the infinitely long series of numbers to musical notes, creating an interesting arrangement of modern sound.

And, if the math isn’t your thing, then just have some pie to celebrate as you continue trying to square that circle, something even Pike mentions in his 28th degree.

You can read more about what others are doing for Pi day at the Pi Day website.

 

Lewis and CLark

The Lessons Of History

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Thomas Jefferson had long desired to have the lands west of the Mississippi explored with the hopes of finding a waterway passage to the Pacific.  The Lewis & Clark expedition was the brainchild and pet project of Jefferson.  He plucked Meriwether Lewis from his staff and put him in charge of leading this exploration. Lewis picked William Clark to be his co-captain on the journey.

Lewis was a Mason having been made such in Virginia in 1797. It has been thought by Historians that Clark was recruited by Lewis to join the Craft on the expedition. We do know that Clark joined a Lodge in St. Louis at a later date.

Lewis and CLarkThe expedition, 1804-1806, took some 2 ½ years and covered approximately 7,200 miles. Lewis & Clark brought back a large set of journals along with samples providing detailed information on species of animals and plants, geography, cultural observations, Indian tribe information, climate and some 60 maps. While they did not find an all waterway passage to the Pacific they did explore routes and alternatives for a Northwest Passage.

Historians count this expedition which immediately followed the Louisiana Purchase as a very important event in the history of the United States. Among other things it paved the way for westward expansion and the territorial claims of the United States from coast to coast.

Much has been written about the Lewis & Clark Expedition many times over so there is little need for repetition here. Rather the focus of this article will deal with the unknown, or more accurately the little known, its importance to the success of the mission and the historical lesson it has for us.

The expedition was undertaken by some 29 regulars along with 16 others. Much of the travel was in areas never chartered or explored, among the habitation of many different Indian tribes, some of whom were hostile. How is it then that these 45 explorers trekked all those miles, during all that time and meeting many new and strange tribes yet recorded only one fatality that being of Sergeant Charles Floyd who was thought to have died from a ruptured appendix?

That is the story of the video here which in some detail will explain that Lewis brought with him the cutting edge of technology for that time, the Girandoni Air Rifle. My friend, Brother Mason and historian from Canada has supplied us with his take on this rifle.

300px-Girandoni_Air_Rifle“Interesting technology. The gun had some drawbacks – it took 1500 strokes of the air pump to re-charge the air bottle, and the shape at the back was not easy for the human shoulder to “sit” with. In Austrian use each soldier, it is said, carried two spare, already charged, air bottles. Later, again in Austrian service, there was a larger compressor on wheels that accompanied the army.”

“The air bottles themselves were difficult to manufacture with the metal, rivets and brazing technology of the time, and sometimes leaked because of the air pressure of up to 800 psi. Still, the ability to fire about 30 rounds without re-loading, with little noise and no smoke, and with enough power to seriously injure or kill was an enormous advantage.”

“The ammunition was a gravity feed, so the rifle had to be elevated before each round. The fact that Austrian forces issued the weapon and used it in combat makes it the first repeating rifle to be so used in history. “

“Apparently the mechanism was very delicate, and the rifle could easily break down for that reason. It is said certain seals had to be kept moist at all times. I still do not understand how the system regulated the exact charge of compressed air necessary for each shot.”

“I guess its remote descendant was the famous Daisy Air Rifle we all knew as children.”

“For the time, however, it would truly be seen as a wonder weapon, as it was.”

History often has for us some valuable lessons.  If Hitler had studied Napoleon’s disastrous march into Russia, if he had learned from history, perhaps he would not have repeated the same mistake.

The fact that we now know that the success of the Lewis & Clark Expedition can be partially attributed to adopting the latest technology perhaps has something to tell us about modern day Freemasonry.

Perhaps Grand Lodges have only themselves to blame for the steep decline in membership. Maybe there is nothing wrong with the message it’s the messengers. The question posed is this: Where would Freemasonry be today if in the early 90s it had adopted the latest technology to help convey its message? What if the Craft had embraced computer technology that far back and had been keeping abreast of all the changes to date? Where would we be right now if that had been done?  Let’s take a look at three areas.

PUBLICITY &MARKETING

Today we would see huge interactive Grand Lodge websites that would include forums, ask a question and get an answer areas, You Tube videos geared to explaining Freemasonry to the uninitiated, A Grand Lodge Facebook page and a Grand Lodge Twitter account for starters.

EDUCATION & INFORMATION

There might be in place today a complete Grand Lodge library search by computer, scanned books available on line, E-Books also available, videos that provide instruction and information, Masonic courses on line, a Grand Lodge radio show on line, proficiency instruction and proficiency testing on line and many more items.

ADMINISTRATION

Today all Grand Lodge forms and reports would be available on line and filed on line, computerized minutes, interactive calendars, special events, addresses by the Grand Master, memos and even Business meetings could be held on line.  All material could easily be encrypted. Grand Lodges might have their own server system or the latest in cloud technology.

The failure of Freemasonry to keep up with the times, to forge ahead boldly employing the latest technology and to structure the message into the forms of communication that are used by today’s generation is the failure to heed the lessons of history and to profit therein. Kodak declined because it didn’t’t see the merit in digital cameras, IBM an early powerhouse gave way to Microsoft. There are many examples of organizations and companies going under because they refused to adapt. Adapting to new ways of doing things is seen in Freemasonry as changing Freemasonry. It is not. The Drive In Movie is a relic of the past.  But movie making and movie viewing thrive on using different methods of deliverance.  And that’s the way Freemasonry should go.  Be a Meriwether Lewis and be a leader breaking new ground, forging new paths and setting the standard for greater performance.

Those creepy hyper patriotic gatherings.

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Gene Weingarten from the Washington Post seems to think that only “ladies who are direct descendants of Cotton Mather, or…secret Masonic initiation rites involving men wearing aprons” sing the second stanza of the Star Spangled Banner.

It would be an interesting rant to rail on the guy for deciding to use Masonry in his description of which “creepy hyper patriotic gatherings” sing the added lines, but it does make for an interesting read.  Maybe he was thinking of the Tea Partiers or something?

So, just for the record, Secret Masonic initiation Rites don’t sing the second stanza either…  even if there are a few Masonic/Patriot reinactment groups out there.

Green Mountain Chapter, National Sojourners from http://www.vtfreemasons.org/photoalbum/pawin06.asp

For the record, this is the full version…  And yeah, maybe Masonic blogs post the whole thing… just for the record.

Maybe he was thinking of the Krista Branch ” I am America” listening audience?

An interesting couple of facts, the song actually has 4 stanza’s and was written to the tune of a popular British drinking song for the Anacreontic Society, a popular gentlemen’s club of amateur musicians in London, so it goes in Wikipedia. They have an interetsing song that goes along with their name called The Anacreontic Song which goes something like this…

But back to the Star Spangled Banner, should you want to sing all 4 stanzas, the lyrics are:

O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation.
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

I wonder how much poor Christina Aguilera would of missed that mark.

Minister Louis Farrakhan’s got a job for you.

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Just a few words of “wisdom” from Minister Louis Farrakhan about Freemasonry.

“What is the function of the Masons and Shriners today, now that the secret that you were hiding is out? Your function is to help me build what was in the nature of Hiram…”

“Master the 360 degrees of knowledge, not just the 33.”

He does get into the Fez of the Moors…

 

A Friday Night To Remember

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It was 4:30 PM on a Friday afternoon and I had already left the office to pick up my car in the underground garage.  It was good to get away a little early as Fridays can be so hectic, everybody trying to wrap up all the loose ends so that Monday morning’s challenges contained no leftovers.

I turned out of the garage and headed north, weaving my way in and out of already heavy rush hour traffic. Yesteryear’s rush hour is today’s more than three hour headache of beep and creep or stall and crawl. Hitting the North Toll way, I stayed in the right had lane, exiting 5 miles north and ran the service road. Soon I was pulling into Antonio’s Restaurant, parking and entering at the door to the back, just in time for happy hour.

The whole back end of Antonio’s was one huge function room, beautifully decorated and comfortably furnished. Upon entering you are struck by the rustic loft look with the exposed beams visible across the ceiling.  The floors were all beautiful wide plank oak, the kind you might see in an old factory.  There was only one humongous room but it was really divided into two parts, without walls.  To the right in the middle of that half was a large circular mahogany bar with brass rail foot rests around the exterior bottom. Lined around the bar were captain’s chairs that swiveled 360 degrees and above the bar were the glass racks where every kind of drinking glass hung upside done by its stem. Scattered all around the bar in a wide arc were couches and chairs, some of them leather, with end tables and coffee tables placed here and there.

The left half was all about dining with tables and cushioned chairs arranged according to that group’s preference.  For our group the setup was rectangular tables pushed together into one giant horseshoe with seating around the outside only. The tables were covered with white tablecloths and white linen napkins accompanied the silverware.

I headed straight for the bar and one of those captain’s chairs, promptly ordering a Jack Daniels and soda from the bartender who was dressed in tux with a red shirt.

“Did you sign in on the menu choice book yet?” intoned the bartender as he brought me my libation.

“No, what are the choices for tonight,” I asked.

“Baby back ribs or grilled salmon.”

As I signed into the book at the end of the bar someone put his arm around my shoulder. I turned to see the face of my good friend Paul.

“How are you doing, tonight Fred,” he asked.

“As my son would say I’m just chillin’ out,” I replied.  “Doing fine Paul and glad to be here. I understand we have an excellent speaker on tap for tonight.”

“Who is that?” quipped Jim as he strode into the conversation.

“Dr. G.F. Stewart,” I replied.

“And what is his topic going to be,” queried Paul.

“Salutary Effects Of A System Of Ethics And Morality Upon Human Health,” said I.

“Now this I got to hear,” retorted Jim.

The room that had nary a soul in it when I arrived at a few minutes past 5:00 o’clock had now started to fill up. Antonio only required that we guarantee him 50 people and that everybody paid retail prices, no discounts and he would waive all room charges. The group flat charged each member $40 which included the price of the meal with tip and costs of the guest speaker. Beverages were an additional individual charge. Although that might sound like a hefty charge, each month our numbers grew.

As the hour approached the waiters brought in a salad for each place setting. Precisely at 6:00 PM there was heard three loud raps.

RAP, RAP, RAP

Whereupon we all gathered around the tables standing at our places. One of the group brought into the inside of the horseshoe a small table upon which he place a closed Bible and the square and compasses. And then was heard these time honored words, “Brother Senior Warden, what duty proceeds the opening of a Lodge?”