Monthly Archives: June 2012

Across the Atlantic Masonic History In The Making

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Opening the PHA Grand Session

Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas

Something that doesn’t happen every day of the week, no something that doesn’t happen every year, no something that doesn’t happen every decade…let’s put it this way. When was the last time you heard of a Grand Master traveling thousands of miles to another Continent to establish a Lodge under its jurisdiction (excluding military Lodges)? Well that is exactly what the Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas, the Honorable Wilbert M. Curtis has done.

An invitation was extended to Grand Master Curtis from a group of Masons, lead by Brother Louis Metan, from Cote d’Ivoire, Africa to organize and consecrate a Lodge there in the Prince Hall family under the jurisdiction of The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas.

On February, 7, 2012 Grand Master Curtis with a delegation of Prince Hall Texas Grand Officers arrived in Cote d’Ivoire to perform this mission.

The Texas Prince Hall Junior Grand Warden and Grand Historian, Frank Jackson, who was among the Brothers that made this historic trip tells us:

“Cote d‘Ivoire is a West African country with a surface area of 322,462 km, bordered on the northern part by Mali and Burkina, on the west by

gift, tablecloth, presentation

The Gift of Table Cloth

Liberia and Guinea, neighbored to the east by Ghana and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The population of Cote d‘Ivoire is estimated at 21,058,798 inhabitants in 2011. The political and administrative capital of Cote d‘Ivoire is Yamoussoukro (the economic capital is Abidjan), the official language is French and the currency is the franc CFA. The country is also a member of the Economic Community of West African States (E.C.O.W.A.S.).”

Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas Grand Session 2012

The Brothers of Cote d’Ivoire selected as the name of their Lodge Roots Lodge UD.

Again Jackson informs us:

The Brothers of Cote d‘Ivoire chose the name Roots Lodge to symbolize the indomitable connectivity between Africans on the continent and Africans in the Diaspora.

Bro. Metan said, “The name Roots, is taken from Alex Haley‘s famous book, and is representative of men of African descent all over the world. Roots is a rallying name in which they all recognize themselves. Its powerful symbolism is sacred and spans time and space in answer to the distant call from our forefathers, who used similar symbolism with the adoption of the name African Lodge. The adoption of the name, African Lodge, in that time, was a call to Mother Africa from where they expected blessings to flow for the success of their ambitions. Likewise, the Brothers of Roots Lodge U.D. believe that the bond of union is established from now on between Africans worldwide and across centuries, provided that they use the Square and the Compass and are righteous.”

“This name also reflects the beginning of our Work, its roots. We pray that the originators and those that follow increase in the wisdom of the Sacred Law. The roots are also symbolic of a very strong African tree, the Iroko, under which we, like our ancestors pray for so many spiritual intercessions. On the banner the Iroko is white, to express the ingenuousness of our ambition and its capacity to progress forward in a perpetual cycle of accomplishment that never stops. The Master Mason‘s work never stops. The Iroko tree, super-imposed against the sun represents the dawn of a new day and more light. So this is how one must read our banner: the wisdom resides at our work, supported by Strength and adorned in Beauty. May we always express the fact of this boundless dream,” said Bro. Metan.

Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Texas line, 2012, Roots Lodge

Grand Master Curtis with the Roots Lodge Brothers

Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas Opening

Roots Brothers at the Installation

Before leaving, Grand Master Curtis extended an invitation to Worshipful Master Metan and the Brothers of Roots Lodge to attend the summer Grand Session of The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas, June 21-24, 2012 and to perform the opening ritual for the Grand Session which they accepted.

On Friday June 22, 2012,  Roots W.M. Louis Metan and his officers opened the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas’ 137th Grand Communication performing the ritual in the French language. As Arkansas Prince Hall Grand Master Cleveland Wilson was later to say, “I didn’t understand a word they said but I could follow exactly what they were doing.” The largest attendance of a Texas Prince Hall Grand Session in many a year gave the Roots Brothers a standing ovation that seemed as if it would never end.

Throughout the four day Grand Session the Brothers from Roots attended all the functions of the Grand Lodge, its business, elections and all the social functions, the festivals and banquets.  Whether at breakfast at the host hotel or during a break at Grand Session one by one Texas Brothers would engage them in conversation and exchange a token of brotherly love and affection. The language barrier didn’t exist for we all spoke the Masonic language, that understanding that only Brothers of the Craft can share.

Gift of Dacshiki

Grand Master Curtis in his Allocution announced that Roots lodge UD was no more. Grand Lodge had voted to charter the Lodge as a full working Lodge. Now it was Roots Lodge #656 of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas. And he announced that Roots Lodge would be taking back with them a dispensation to open a second Lodge in Cote d’Ivoire. Soon he said there would be a third Lodge consecrated. This all follows a master plan. Three Lodges can come together to form a Grand Lodge. Someday in the near future there will be a Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Cote d’Ivoire.

candle presentation

Presenting a special candle at the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas Opening 2012

The last day of the four day Grand Session was the Tri Installation of officers of The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas, The Heroines of Jericho and Eastern Star. At the very end W.M. Louis Metan made a special presentation to Grand Master Curtis. First of all he thanked all the Brethren for the great hospitality of the Grand Lodge. Having immersed themselves in the brotherly love and affection of all the Texas Brethren he said that he and his delegation were leaving with much joy and inspiration. He said that they all had listened, watched and learned from this experience and that they had received helpful information that they would take back to Cote d’Ivoire to use in Roots Lodge.  Lastly he presented Grand Master Curtis with gifts of the flag of Cote d’Ivoire, a special candle, a Dashiki and a tablecloth for Mrs. Curtis.

There remained nothing left to say but “au revoir mon frère.”

En français:

Continent au continent Histoire maçonnique dans la fabrication

Quelque chose qui ne se produit pas chaque jour de la semaine, aucune quelque chose qui ne se produit pas chaque année, aucune quelque chose qui ne se produit pas chaque décennie… nous a laissés la mettre de cette façon. Quand la dernière heure vous avait-elle lieu des milliers de déplacement entendus parler d’un maître grand de milles à un autre continent d’établir une loge sous sa juridiction (à l’exclusion des loges militaires) ? Jaillissez est exactement qui ce que le maître grand de Prince le plus adorable Hall Grand Lodge du Texas, Wilbert M. Curtis honorable a fait.
Une invitation a été prolongée au maître grand Curtis d’un groupe de maçons, avance par le frère Louis Metan, le d’Ivoire de Cote, d’Afrique pour organiser et consacrer une loge là dans la famille de prince Hall sous la juridiction de Prince le plus adorable Hall Grand Lodge du Texas.  En février, 7, 2012 le maître grand Curtis avec une délégation de prince Hall Texas Grand Officers sont arrivés dans le d’Ivoire de Cote pour exécuter cette mission.

Le gardien de Texas Prince Hall Junior Grand et l’historien grand, Frank Jackson, qui était parmi les frères qui ont fait ce voyage historique nous dit :

Le Ivoire de Cote d est un pays d’Afrique occidentale avec une superficie de 322.462 kilomètres, encadrée à la partie nord par le Mali et Burkina, à l’ouest par le Libéria et la Guinée, neighbored à l’est par le Ghana et aux sud par l’Océan Atlantique. La population du ` Ivoire de Cote d est estimée à 21.058.798 habitants en 2011. La capitale politique et administrative du ` Ivoire de Cote d est Yamoussoukro (le capital économique est Abidjan), la langue officielle est française et la devise est le franc CFA. Le pays est également un membre de la communauté économique des états d’Afrique occidentale (E.C.O.W.A.S.).

Les frères du d’Ivoire de Cote choisis comme nom de leurs racines de loge logent UD. Encore Jackson nous informe :

Les frères du ` Ivoire de Cote d ont choisi les racines de nom logent pour symboliser la connectivité invincible entre les Africains sur le continent et les Africains dans les Diaspora. Bro. Metan a dit, « les racines de nom, est pris du famousbook du ` s d’Alex Haley, et est représentant des hommes de l’origine africaine partout dans le monde. Les racines est un nom de rassemblement dans lequel elles toutes s’identifient. Son symbolisme puissant est sacré et enjambe le temps et espace en réponse à l’appel éloigné de nos ancêtres, le symbolisme semblable whoused avec l’adoption de l’adoption africaine du nom Lodge.The du nom, loge africaine, dans ce temps, était un appel pour enfanter l’Afrique d’où ils se sont attendus à ce que les bénédictions coulent pour le succès de leurs ambitions.

De même, la loge U.D. de racines de Brothersof croient que le lien de l’union est établi dorénavant entre les Africains dans le monde entier et à travers des siècles, à condition que elles utilisent la place et la boussole et soient justes. » « Ce nom reflète également le début de notre travail, ses racines. Nous prions que les créateurs et ceux qui suivent l’augmentation de la sagesse de la loi sacrée. Les racines sont également symboliques d’un arbre africain très fort, l’Iroko, sous lequel nous, comme nos ancêtres prions pour tant d’interventions spirituelles. Sur la bannière l’Iroko est blanc, pour exprimer l’ingénuité de notre ambition et de sa capacité de progresser en avant dans un cycle perpétuel de l’accomplissement qui ne s’arrête jamais. Le travail principal du ` s de maçon ne s’arrête jamais. L’arbre d’Iroko, superposé contre le soleil représente l’aube d’un nouveau jour et de plus de lumière. Ainsi c’est comment on doit lire notre bannière : la sagesse réside à notre travail, soutenu par force et orné dans la beauté. Pouvons nous exprimons toujours le fait de ce rêve illimité, » a dit Bro. Metan.

Avant de laisser le maître grand Curtis a prolongé une invitation à Master Metan adorable et les frères des racines logent pour assister à la session grande d’été de Prince le plus adorable Hall Grand Lodge du Texas, 21-24 juin 2012 et pour effectuer le rituel d’ouverture pour la session grande qu’ils ont acceptée.

Vendredi 22 juin. 2012 racines W.M. Louis Metan et ses dirigeants ont ouvert le prince Hall Grand Lodge de communication grande du Texas la 137th effectuant le rituel dans la langue française. Car prince Hall Grand Master Cleveland Wilson de l’Arkansas était plus tard pour dire, « je n’ai pas compris un mot qu’ils ont dit mais je pourrais suivre exactement ce qu’elles faisaient. » Le plus grand assistance de Texas Prince Hall Grand Session pendant de nombreux année a donné aux racines des frères une ovation debout qui a semblé comme si elle ne finirait jamais.

Dans toute la session grande de quatre jours les frères des racines ont assisté à toutes les fonctions de la loge grande, ses affaires, élections et toutes les fonctions de social, festivals et des banquets. Si au petit déjeuner à l’hôtel de centre serveur ou pendant une coupure à la session grande un Texas Brothers les engagerait dans la conversation et échangerait une marque de l’amour fraternel et de l’affection. La barrière linguistique n’a pas existé pour nous tout le rai la langue maçonnique, cette compréhension que seulement les frères du métier peuvent partager.

Le maître grand Curtis dans son allocution a annoncé que la loge UD de racines n’était pas plus. La loge grande avait voté pour affréter la loge comme pleine loge fonctionnante. Maintenant c’était la loge #656 de racines de Prince le plus adorable Hall Grand Lodge du Texas. Et il a annoncé que la loge de racines rapporterait avec elles une dispense pour ouvrir une deuxième loge dans le d’Ivoire de Cote. Bientôt il a dit qu’il y aurait une troisième loge consacrée. Ce tout suit un programme-cadre. Trois loges peuvent venir ensemble pour former une loge grande. Un jour dans un avenir proche il y aura Prince le plus adorable Hall Grand Lodge d’Ivoire de Cote.

Le dernier jour de la session grande de quatre jours était la tri installation des dirigeants de Prince le plus adorable Hall Grand Lodge du Texas, les héroïnes de Jéricho et étoile orientale. À la fin W.M. Louis Metan a fait une présentation spéciale au maître grand Curtis. D’abord de tous il a remercié tous les frères de la grande hospitalité de la loge grande. Après s’être immergé dans l’amour fraternel et l’affection de tout le Texas Brethren il a dit que lui et sa délégation partaient avec beaucoup de joie et d’inspiration. Il a dit qu’ils tout avaient écouté, observé et appris de cette expérience et qu’ils avaient reçu l’information utile qu’ils prendraient de nouveau à Cote le d’Ivoire pour employer dans la loge de racines. Pour finir il a présenté le maître grand Curtis avec le drapeau de Cote d ” Ivoire, des cadeaux d’une bougie spéciale, d’un Dashiki et d’une nappe pour Mme Curtis. Enfin, il a présenté le Grand Maître Curtis avec des cadeaux du drapeau de la Côte d’Ivoire, une bougie spéciale, un Dashiki et une nappe de Mme Curtis.

Là non resté rien laissé pour dire mais « frère de lundi de revoir d’Au.

 

Palmestry Freemasonry and Apollo

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In case you were wondering what those funny hand-signs were, Chris Constantine , editor of the website Let the Truth be Known, has made a video to tell you what they mean.

By association, he seems to believe the secret hand and finger signals of Illuminati, Freemasons, Wiccans, Pagans, Druids all relate to Apollyon the Beast, the dread monster from the Book of Revelation aka HALIOS or Zeus.

He reveals his startling revelation of in hand maps of palmistry which use the names of so called Greek “gods” (Nephilim) to name the fingers.

There is so much truth in this video that it’s like a truth bomb.  Kidding, of course.

Enjoy.

Fraternal Oddities

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An interesting find is the turn of phrase that introduces each new visitor to the New York Obscura Antiques shop captured in the now three season program Oddities on the Science Channel.

Shop owners Mike Zohn and Evan Michelson are joined by buyer Ryan Matthew who together bring to this slice of Reality TV heaven a real sense of the obscure items that most are afraid to acknowledge exist or that they have an interest in.

The production plays exactly like a reality TV show but because of its eclectic nature is free from the mannequin like people of most instead being chock full of characters from the other side of life.  Reality wise, the show is one part Storage Wars, one part American Pickers, and a healthy does of Jim Rose’s Circus, such that it is every bit the reality TV show for the Alt mainstream American.

One of my favorite parts of  the show are the reactions to some of the more ‘out there’ artifacts that people come looking for or bring in to sell.  Some of the most sought after treasures include quack medical equipment, pickled two headed animals or shrunken headhunter trophies, all of which could be described in a single episode.

Besides the featured items of the programs name sake, I have been making a visual count of all the fraternal items in the shop sitting on the shelves behind the owners as they haggle with patrons over the cost of many of the stores cabinet of curiosity curios.

One of the items that stood early on was the Knight Templar uniform, complete with its flair of embroidered embellishments on a mannequin.  Resting on the shelves in other episodes was the uniforms matching feathered chapeau.  I’ve spotted a number of other Masonic oddities in the background too (all of which I’d love to have in my own collection) including beautifully adorned aprons, alter dressings, banners, flags, and a sparkling crimson Fez from the Shriners.

You can clearly see the Fez in this Oddities clip with Judah Friedlander.

One of the more curious items in the background is the skeleton in a coffin, which one episode pointed out was a fraternal prop with articulated joints and jaw wired to move in the delivery of a poignant ritual lesson.  Store buyer Ryan describes just such a purchase at an upstate Masonic temple in his show bio which gives us a good idea of how the masonic material ends up in the store.

You can catch a stunning antique Apron in this clip

Another cool item in the shop, picked up by an aspiring Steampunk aficionado, is an old Odd Fellows hoodwink with alternating lenses.

While the goggles may not be overtly Masonic, they do still bear the fraternal hallmark of an object with an esoteric purpose.

What I find most interesting about oddities, from a fraternal point of view, is the amount of material culture gathered into their oddities collection.  With so much history disassociated from its source (which is true of most everything on the show) the fraternal items in Obscura stand out in contrast as most of the fraternal items are from groups that still meet today.  Thinking about it presents an interesting perspective on the change in culture and the shift in the relevant.  The question it raises is about the stewardship of the material culture to go from what was likely once a proudly owned piece of ephemera to an oddity in a collection of progressively curious forgotten memorabilia.

Oddities airs on Saturday nights at 10PM, or in multiple re-broadcast on the Science Channel.  While you wait, you can watch clips from past episodes on the programs website.

If you really can’t wait, and you’re in the market to fill your cabinet of curiosities, look no further than the Obscura Antiques Facebook page where you can find lots of photos of their obscure treasures (look for the Knights Templar skull and cross bones apron in a photo in their album).

The Hour Glass

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The Hour Glass

African American Freemasonry In The State Of New York 1812-2012
By Ezekiel M.Bey

A Review by:  Wor.  Bro. Frederic L. Milliken

Talented Prince Hall Masonic authors and writers are not as plentiful as grapes on the vine. So when one comes along we need to take notice and pay close attention to his works. Such a man is Ezekiel M. Bey whose latest book is “The Hour Glass, African American Freemasonry In The State Of New York 1812-2012.” The Hour Glass records the sands of time in the life of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of New York, the great men therein who shaped the world to come and the part Bey has played and continues to play in the development of Prince Hall Freemasonry in New York and the nation.

Ezekiel Bey is a writer, a Historian and a poet all rolled into one. He combines that unusual dual talent of being a great researcher and historian and a great writer at the same time. Bey is no esoteric closet intellectual, however. He is a Past Master and has served on the Grand Lodge Committee on Works & Lecture, the Committee on Masonic Education where he spent some time as Secretary and the office of Grand Historian from 2006-20011. He is a Fellow of the Phylaxis Society and has spent 10 years on its Commission on Bogus Masonry much of that time as its Deputy Director. At the same time he has served as editor in chief of his Grand Lodge’s publication, The Sentinel until 2008.

One of Bey’s pride and joys is the nationwide E-Group Blue Lite which he founded. A Prince Hall discussion and educational undertaking it has blossomed into one of the most active gatherings of Masons on the Internet. Recently he has added the Prince Hall Research & Information site Blue- Lite.com.

Ezekiel M. Bey

Ezekiel Bey has paid his dues. Now all that blood, sweat and tears – that hard work and dedication and honing of skills – has culminated in a fascinating work of Masonic history, The Hour Glass.

The Hour Glass begins where every other Prince Hall Masonic book doesn’t, with the Haitian Revolution, the revolt of African American slaves from 1791-1804. The connection here is by way of Freemason Jean Pierre Boyer who was to become the second President of Haiti. Sometime during this conflict when the US and France were fighting the Franco-American War he, and all the others on his French vessel, was captured by the American war ship Trumball and brought back to Connecticut as a prisoner of war. Discovering him to be a Mason they gave him a modem of freedom and then sent him to Pennsylvania where he was ultimately set free. Boyer who attended some Lodges while he was in Pennsylvania seems to have had a profound effect on all he came in contact with as New York’s first African American Lodge, African Lodge #459 New York chartered by African Lodge #459 Boston in 1812 soon changed its name to Boyer Lodge #1. After assuming the Presidency of Haiti Boyer welcomed a migration of freed Black Americans to his country.

Bey then takes us through the Underground Railroad and the part that early New York African American Freemasons played in that historical time after which there is a detailed account of the false information that the first African American Grand Lodge in New York was Boyer Grand Lodge supposedly formed in 1845. Upon due research Bey confirms that the first African American Grand Lodge in New York was The United Grand Lodge of the State of New York formed in 1848 which later changed its name to The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the State of New York.

Next comes the painful experience of the National Grand Lodge or Compact as it was called. It was extremely stressful for New York as the United Grand Lodge of the State of New York never joined the Compact and its failure to do so resulted in the Compact attempting to expel the United Grand Lodge. Within Prince Hall Freemasonry the whole National Grand Lodge episode is a sore that will not heal. Remnants of the National Compact remain today but they are clandestine as many would say they always have been. While Mainstream Masonry also flirted with a National Grand Lodge at the same time it never pulled the trigger. Bey has contended that the whole National venture was illegal and he takes the reader through the steps of how this all came about.  The documentation he provides on the history of New York African American Freemasonry at this time and New York’s involvement with the Compact is outstanding. Any historian who would like to have a better understanding of this issue should refer to The Hour Glass.

What follows is a wealth of information on clandestine African American Freemasonry in New York. Bey takes us through the Committee on Clandestine Masonry and The Legal Committee reports at Grand Lodge Sessions 1954-1969. We learn who the players are, the measures taken by the MWPHGLNY to combat bogus Freemasonry and even about a court case filed against two bogus New York Masonic Grand Lodges.

From the 1962 report of the Legal Committee to the Grand Lodge:

Litigation was commenced against two of these spurious organizations in New York State about three years ago. In November of 1961, there was a trial involving your Grand Lodge and one of these spurious organizations. In January of this year, injunctive relief was secured against this organization known as the Supreme Council of the United States of the Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of the 33rd and Last Degree A.A. Scottish Rite. This was the first case of its kind in the State of New York, in which injunctive relief was granted to a Masonic organization, giving it the right to put the spurious organization out of business. Moreover, the decision specifically stated that Prince Hall Masonry was legitimate and that it had a prior or better right to practice Masonry as against the organization which was enjoined. Your Legal Committee reports that this organization is now out of business.

Bey has continued in the footsteps of Harry A Williamson and Joseph Walkes in association with the Phylaxis Society in educating the Craft and those seeking membership about the evils of Bogus Freemasonry. This remains a continuing battle against ignorance. The Hour Glass exposes each and every one of these clandestine organizations, names names, dates and places, for all to see.

No story would be complete without heroes. Bey, in addition to his mentor Joseph Walkes, chronicles the lives and contributions to Prince Hall Freemasonry of RW Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, Harry A Williamson and S. David Bailey.

Schomburg, a native of Puerto Rico, was a promoter of Spanish speaking Lodges within Prince Hall New York. He was a researcher, historian, writer and accumulator of many Masonic books and manuscripts. In 1911 with John A. Bruce he formed the Negro Society for Research. Schomburg was elected Grand Secretary in 1918 and served in that position through 1926.

Bey tells us:

Schomburg saved every bit of information that he could get his hands on and built an archive in which he donated to public libraries. He is the reason that today Freemasonry and the black struggle in America have a huge section in the New York City Public Library in Harlem. This spirit of saving information for our future influenced his good friend and Brother, R.W. Harry A. Williamson, Grand Historian of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of New York. It was Arthur Schomburg who encouraged Williamson to place his collection of over 800 books, manuscripts, photographs, periodicals, pamphlets, and scrapbooks in the N.Y.C. Public Library’s Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints.

By the year 1925, Schomburg had acquired over 5,000 books, pamphlets, manuscripts, etchings and many other items. When the Division of Negro Literature opened in the New York City Public Library on 135th Street in Harlem, Schomburg sold his collection for $10,000 to the Carnegie Corporation to be placed in the new library. Schomburg later became curator for the library in 1932 in the Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints. In memory of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, the New York City Public Library in Harlem was renamed in 1973, “The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture”.

Another giant of Prince Hall New York that Bey writes about was Harry A Williamson. Grand Historian from 1911 through 1924 Williamson held many Grand Lodge offices including Senior Grand Warden and Deputy Grand Master and chaired many Grand Lodge Committees. He was a prolific writer and was an early crusader against Bogus Freemasonry in the state of New York.

The third legend from Prince Hall New York was S. David Bailey an accomplished jazz percussionist. Bey tells us that he had:

collaborations with most of the Ellington Alumni, such as Mercer Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Ben Webster, “Shorty” Baker, and Al Sears. David Bailey also played with Billy Taylor, Clark Terry, Bob Brookmeyer, Miles Davis, Chris Conner, Billie Holiday, Marian McPartland, Lucky Thompson, Lena Horn, Harry Bellefonte and the Gerry Mulligan Band(s) for 13 years until 1968 when he left to join the newly formed “Jazztet” featuring Art Farmer, Benny Golson,

But Bailey had another love – flying. Again we learn from Bey:

From 1968 to 1973, David worked with famed criminal attorney F. Lee Bailey as Vice President of Marshfield Aviation in Marshfield Airport, Massachusetts, 20 miles south of Boston. As Chief Pilot and flight instructor, and the attorney’s personal pilot, David flew the business Learjet in and out of Logan International Airport in Boston. Dave was also a Designated Pilot Examiner for the FAA in Boston as he was in New York. David enjoyed a good professional relationship and warm friendship with F. Lee Bailey.

But in a strange twist of career paths Bailey returned to his first love when he became Executive Director of Jazzmobile.

In Prince Hall Freemasonry Bailey became a District Deputy and his efforts in Masonic Instruction and Masonic Education became renowned. He headed up the first Grand Lodge Committee on Education and now 86 years old he can look back upon an illustrious Masonic career of 60 years.

It is difficult to know where you are going unless you know where you have been. The Hour Glass will prove to be a most valuable work for Prince Hall New York Masons to remember where they have been and to honor and treasure the memories of those who have gone before them.

It is vitally imperative that within the Craft records and archives are kept to show a clear path of what Freemasonry has stood for and what it has withstood throughout its history. Ezekiel Bey has been meticulous and detailed in his research for this book. The Hour Glass is both interesting and informative.

Not shy in expressing himself, Bey writes with a passion that jumps out at you from the pages of his book. His love for the Craft comes through loud and clear.

Moreover, Bey blazes a trail that other Prince Hall Grand Lodges should take. A chronicling of the history of any Grand Lodge casts in stone what defines that Masonic community and it is by such a work as this that a Grand Lodge can tackle the future with a mission statement in hand.

This is a monumental work that will be on every library shelf and in many a Mason’s bookcase. It should be in yours also.

Eulogy for a Friend

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– Writing it is one thing, delivering it is something else.

Writing a eulogy commemorating a family member or close friend can be a daunting task. I have written my fair share of them over the years and they are never easy. You have to look into your heart and try to put into words how you feel about the deceased in a way others can easily comprehend. Your choice of words must be very precise as you want to invoke the proper responses from your audience who is normally in mourning. Consequently, you write it more for the purposes of oratory as opposed to just text narrative. As for me, I do not like to dwell on doom and gloom, but to remember the brighter side of people. Such was the case recently when I wrote a eulogy for a good friend, Frank Verderame, who I met years ago through the Masons. He was an Italian from Brooklyn who retired to Clearwater back in the 90’s. Frank may have been older than me, but we found a kinship that flourished over the years. Here is what I wrote:

“I want to take a few moments and talk about my paisan, Frank Verderame.

I’ve been fortunate to have known Frank for the last ten years. We met when we were both wardens in our respective Masonic Lodges; then as Masters of our Lodges, we worked together on a variety of projects. After our tour of duty, we remained fast friends, and I think this is because Frank was a very down-to-earth type of guy; he was fun loving, very practical, a hard worker, loved his family, was very compassionate, and you could take Frank’s word to the bank. He also made some excellent tomato sauce.

Coming from Brooklyn and the hustle of New York, Frank suffered from an acute case of common sense. He didn’t go to college, but he was a voracious reader with an inquisitive mind, and a student of life. Yes, I knew Frank would frequently say, “Don’t worry about it”, but Frank would. He would worry about his family and friends, his church, and what was going on in this nutty world.

I will miss sitting at his kitchen table with him just talking, about everything it seemed, be it national politics, religion, and the changing world around us. And I guess that is the true litmus test of a friendship: when two people can talk about anything without fear of blushing. I very much valued Frank’s opinion and he would often review my editorials before I published them, and I respected his advice.

Frank loved baseball. He enjoyed spring training down here, not to mention his Tampa Bay Rays. Being from Brooklyn, he made it very clear he was more of a Dodgers fan as opposed to the Yankees. Back in 2003, our Lodges played a softball game for charity. Frank was about 65 at the time, but he dusted off his old mitt and played the infield. And you know what? He wasn’t too bad. He just loved being out on the diamond again with the boys. You see, I don’t think anyone told Frank he was getting old, and he thought of himself as a young kid.

I’m not much of a golfer, but I have to tell you about the last time I played, which was with Frank several years ago at a tournament for charity. We played with my son and his friend who are good golfers, but giving guys like Frank and myself a set of clubs, well, that’s just wrong, and rather dangerous I might add. We killed a lot of snakes that day and made a lot of divots. Getting the ball into the cup, well, that was optional. As Frank would say in his Brooklyn accent, “Forget about it.” We laughed through 18 holes, making it the best round of golf I ever played, and a good way to leave the sport.

Frank’s hobbies included woodworking and he built an amazing shop in his garage. He possessed great attention to detail and found the work very gratifying. I well remember the doll house he built for his grand-daughter. Unbelievable detail and craftsmanship.

He also had an impressive library of books, videos, and records. Boy, did he love those records which he learned to digitize on the computer.

Frank was no stranger to the Internet and he would do a lot of research and correspondence on it. He particularly enjoyed it when I showed him his old house in Brooklyn using Google Earth. I think he has traveled the world since then using Google.

You had to love Frank’s infectious sense of humor. The stories he would tell about working with his father as a longshoreman, in the army, or working in Manhattan were priceless. I still cannot think of pineapple concentrate or elevators without chuckling. He loved to tell a good tale. And that’s how I think he enjoyed life; by building one relationship at a time. In 2003, my Lodge held a roast for me as the outgoing Master. Frank, of course, had to put in his two cents,…several times. So much so, he had me in tears of laughter, as well as everyone else.

I’m going to miss this man. It was a privilege to have known him, not too many like him come along, and it was a sincere honor to call him my friend.”

The eulogy was relatively short and to the point, and I hope I communicated Frank’s spirit adequately. In delivering the speech, I was doing fine until I got to the last line where I unexpectedly choked up. No matter how I tried to clear my head, I just couldn’t form the words. In desperation, I asked a friend to finish it for me. I was somewhat embarrassed I couldn’t complete it, but afterwards I had several people thank me, including Frank’s family, who said they could tell it came from the heart. Actually, I blame Frank who had touched mine. Alas, my Brother, my Paisan.

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

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timbryce.com

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Copyright © 2012 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

An Obligation For Fathers

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Happy Father's DayOnce again Father’s Day has rolled around again like it does every year. The question comes to mind – Is this just another day to boost the greeting card and restaurant business? Or does it perhaps have some special significance to Freemasons?

Are we not one of the few social/charitable organizations that binds its membership with a strong moral message? Doesn’t that distinguish Freemasonry above and beyond what constitutes most groups and societies? Do we not tout ourselves, as Freemasons, that we make good men better? Perhaps then family values are also among the many virtues that Freemasons promote.

Will you take the FATHERHOOD PLEDGE then today?

Reprinted with permission from Dr. Brother Gerry L. White, LMSW, PHD author of The Pledge and additional words by Brother Douglas Evans.

Brothers, many times when we say that Masonry is a beautiful system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated through signs and symbols…we forget the key word is Morality. I have grown so much since I was raised in 1994, that the teachings of this institution take a greater and deeper meaning in my life more and more. My lodge Brother is a licensed social worker and family therapist and he developed an Obligation for Fathers; Hope it helps you like it has me:

FATHERHOOD PLEDGE

OF CARING, COMMITMENT AND CONSISTENCY

Honoring

“YOU” A New Father

I ___________PLEDGE TO BE A CARING, COMMITTED AND CONSISTENT FATHER, GRANDFATHER, UNCLE, CO-PARENT OR ANY OTHER

“REAL MODEL”

IN THE LIFE OF MY CHILD(REN).

AS A CARING FATHER,

I _____________

PLEDGE TO SHOW UNCONDITIONAL LOVE TOWARDS MY CHILD(REN). TO ADMIT WHEN I’M WRONG OR MAKE MISTAKES, AND INSTILL DISCIPLINE AND REASONABLE CONSEQUENCES SHOULD MY CHILD(REN) BEGIN TO GO ASTRAY.

AS A COMMITTED FATHER,

I _______________

PLEDGE TO DEDICATE MYSELF TO THE WELL BEING, EMOTIONAL, EDUCATIONAL AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OF MY FAMILY; TO AVOID, WHENEVER POSSIBLE, MAKING COMMITMENTS I CAN NOT KEEP, AND TO KEEP COMMITMENTS THAT I MAKE;

BE IT FINANCIAL, ATTENDING SCHOOL FUNCTIONS OR ANY OTHER CHILD RELATED ACTIVITY I’VE AGREED TO ATTEND; AND TO COMMIT MYSELF TO ESTABLISHING AND/OR MAINTAINING A POSITIVE WELL FOCUSED RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS/HER MOTHER.

AS A CONSISTENT FATHER,

I__________________________

PLEDGE TO BE A CONSTANT FIGURE IN THE LIFE OF MY CHILD(REN) REGARDLESS OF MY EMPLOYMENT STATUS, FINANCIAL STATUS OR RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE AROUND THEM.

FOR I UNDERSTAND THAT CARING AND COMMITMENT IS MEANINGLESS WITHOUT CONSISTENCY.

I MAKE THIS PLEDGE FREELY AND WILLINGLY BEFORE THE

EYES OF GOD, GUEST WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE TODAY,

AND MY FELLOW FATHERS WHO ARE DEDICATED TO A LIFETIME OF CARING, COMMITMENT AND CONSISTENCY.

Dr.  Gerry L.  White,  LMSW,  Ph.D. 

W. C. Thomas Lodge #112  MWPHGL GA

The Cost of Charity

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Someone said to me once that true altruism is a myth.

Defined as the “principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others”, true altruism implies a giving without the need for getting anything in return. But, in any system of morality when you dissect the notion of giving, even the most devout or un-materialistic comes with a cost. Even the devout Buddhist, in their relentless pursuit of Nirvana, can find that in the desire to give away everything to achieve that state of emptiness is giving it away with a purpose, nullifying the aspect of it being altruistic.

But this look at the cost of charity isn’t about altruism; rather it is about a change taking place in the public sphere on trading a benefit for a benefit in the name of charity.

Once seen as an act of love, charity has evolved from the notion of a fraternal or brotherly love to an act of alms giving, and now a value proposition of scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.

Perhaps it’s a more honest way to give, knowing in advance what you get back.

What I’ve started to notice is an increase of corporate giving based entirely on what you can do for the corporation. For example, since the advent of Facebook and the ever increasing importance of the Like button, more and more organizations are making use of the Like button to give a little for every click they receive.

Stories of this benefit for benefit abound.

And these are just a few examples. All it takes is a Google search of “Like us on Facebook to donate “ to come up with lots of pages to be Liked triggering a donation.  Doing this every week might be a fun altruistic activity to do every month.

Read: Charity in Freemasonry

What I wonder is in this rush to give money, is the charity really about giving to those in need or is it about accumulating Likes?

The more of these you see, the answer starts to become obvious. But is that such a bad thing? While most of these charitable agencies would still accept a check, pick up your used car, or even be appreciative for your sweat equity, the ‘buck a Like’ proposition seems to be a foundational retraining of our public sensibilities shaping the how and why to give.

Should we give because we want to help someone or because someone else will give money if we ‘Like’ them and potentially win a prize for the click.

I found this same kind of trend making its way into the grocery store too.

In the midst of a festive holiday meal, I glanced down at a bottle of Hunts Ketchup and noticed a tiny pop out graphic on the ConAgra product label that offered to End Child Hunger by donating a meal to a Hungry Child ($ 0.13 – thirteen cents) for every code entered off of one of their products. Their fine print reads:

Donation per code entered = $0.13, the cost to provide one meal through Feeding America’s network of local food banks. Codes will be accepted up to a maximum of 3 million meal donations or until 8/31/2012. Valid in U.S. only. Limit five codes entered per computer per day.

Three million times $0.13 happens to be $390.000 by the way.

On their webpage for their End Child Hunger campaign, there is no mention of whether or not they would give the thirteen cents regardless of your entering in the code (though they do say that they have given more than $36 million and 275 million pounds of food to Feeding America). Would some hungry kid not eat if I didn’t put in that code? I feel socially guilty for not following the instructions of someone with the potential of helping but only by my complicity. Why not just give whether or not I enter a code.  Is my marketing data really that important to hold a kids 13 cent meal hostage for my name and email address?

But, before I get to down on corporations, they haven’t all been greedy and, in fact, they’ve given quite a bit. As of 2009, USA Today reports that corporations have given upwards of $3.9 billion in contributions to non-profits, from Wal-Mart to Fannie Mae (Con Agra is on that list, and if you sort it, have some fun finding where they rank on the bar graph).

This is corporate giving, with stock holders and bottom line profit margins, so I can understand how they might be a bit tighter purse strings.

But in personal giving, how much do you give? When ever I’m able I put a few dollars into the hands of those who ask and have a need, and I’ve been known to buy a hot dog for the guy outside of the convenience store when he asked for one. But how many of you would be willing to give more than 60 billion dollars?

You can point to a few people today who have been very generous with their wealth, but generally speaking it’s been in the $100’s of millions and to specific institutions. You can see a slide show of the 10 most-generous donors in America by The Chronicle of Philanthropy from CNBC. This is a change from what the industrialist Andrew Carnegie saw as the responsibility of the upper class.

Carnegie’s idea, written into his essay The Gospel of Wealth, was that charitable giving shouldn’t just give to the poor and maintain their impoverished state. Rather, he urged a movement towards creating new modes of giving to create opportunities for the beneficiaries of the gift so as to better themselves. His idea was that if given without some controls, the gift would not simply be consumed in quick order and not be a source of greater and greater benefit throughout society.

No more hot dogs to the hungry guy.

In other words, you could say that Carnegie’s idea of giving was to teach a man to fish, rather than just giving him one.

In his time, Carnegie built 2509 libraries around the world, with more than 1,600 of them in the US alone. To be fair, not every library was maintained, and later Carnegie established the Carnegie Corporation to continue giving back 90% of his fortune (estimated in 2011 dollars as between 3 to 60 billion dollars) after his passing in managed grants.

Carnegie’s idea was that those best suited to support the greater good of society were the rich and the way for them to support it was achieved by the recirculation of their money back into it, an idea far different from the notion today of giving because you’ve been crowd sourced to ‘Like’ someone.

When did this idea of charity shift from a desire to benefit society with accumulated wealth to leveraging it for public social approval?

Maybe it’s a change in thinking of the greater good to making your enterprise shine like a jewel of “social responsibility”. This New Deal in charitable giving comes with the moniker of Crowdsourcing, which marketers consider to be “a perfect example of a direct method of engaging the consumer in corporate social responsibility.”

But this type of corporate giving comes with a cost, delivered on the backs of the giving corporation in little pats and ‘atta boys, something corporations are perfectly willing to talk about.

From a White Paper on Demystifying Corporate Social Responsibility, Laura McKnight, President & CEO Greater Kansas City Community Foundation quotes Brenda Tinnen, general manager of Kansas City’s Sprint Center, who she says “hits home run after home run with spectacular and diverse productions.” Her secret, she reports?

“‘Promote your promotions,’… So often a company is, in fact, engaging its employees, consumers and the community in giving back, but no one knows about it. And often that is the case with a company’s social responsibility footprint.”

To the company be true, meaning to the share holders and the bottom line of its income. The Sprint Center Foundation, by the way, engaged in their own 12 days of charitable giving in December of 2011 promising prizes for participation in a contest of ‘Likes’. Mind you, there was no cost to participate, and for your ‘Like’, the Sprint Center Foundation promised to donate $1 to local charities – while giving $318.00 away in prizes (no purchase necessary).

So what gets accomplished here in this complex milieu of being charitable today?

crowdsourcing on facebook, charity is fun, getting likes on facebook
Don’t Like me, Love me.

In the age of being electronically sociable, have we evolved a need to tell others what a good job their doing with being socially responsible and charitable and then jumping on board with a few clicks of the Like button? Maybe you can win a prize for the click, maybe not. What you can be sure of is that you raise the electronic footprint of every Facebook Page you like (and by consequence give them a means to bombard you with their posts and offers). Meanwhile, everyone gets to bask in the glow of giving and loving their brother.

This idea is really a seed change from the notion of charity and the wealthy helping to support the betterment of society putting it off on the very people who gave them their wealth in the first place. And then making the proposition even sweeter by layering the concept of giving with the idea of receiving gifts and prizes for it, a notion that has Crowdsource Marketers asking Can taking people’s money be fun?

No longer is the social responsibility on the rich.  Now its spread across the spectrum of society in general so as to fund the betterment of mankind in general, while the wealthy hold onto the bulk of their money asking us to give with a click, or a text message, or with a small contribution or by Liking us on Facebook.

It’s a far cry from Carnegie’s idea of giving to society for the greater good, today the greater good has a price and prize attached to it, and social responsibility refers to a Social media engagement point to talk about fishing rather than teaching a man how to fish.  But the cost of charity is less now a question of altruism, or even of social responsibility, instead it has become a value proposition of what do I get by giving it while those with the money to give less, crowdsourcing instead the contributions out to you.

Maybe instead of altruism being a myth, real charity for brotherly love is the myth.

This Time Right Beat Might

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Struggle of Grand Lodges, Arizona Grand Lodge, Grand Master

The Beehive has often been accused of muckraking Masonry, exposing the seamier side of Masonry to the detriment of the Craft. Actually I have written just four major stories that involved battles with Grand Lodges plus perhaps a few more articles on the state of Grand Lodges in general.

The big four were the Grand Lodge of West Virginia versus PGM Frank Haas, the Grand Lodge of Georgia versus Gate City Lodge No. 2, the Grand Lodge of Arkansas versus Derek Gordon and the Grand Lodge of New Jersey versus Mike McCabe. In all four instances the Grand Masters involved took on powers not granted to them by their Constitutions and pursued paths of Masonic tyranny. We all know that Freemasonry is not a Democracy but that does not mean that the individual Mason has no Masonic rights.

Along the way the Beehive has turned down over 100 requests from other Brothers who have been dealt a nasty and unwarranted blow by their Grand Lodge.  Their hurt cries out for closure yet a litany of one injustice after another on the Beehive would soon make it irrelevant.

Fellow Masonic Traveler Greg Stewart just penned an article titled “When it Reigns…” where he reports the questionable expulsion of PGM Neal Bidnick of New York and the firing and suspension of Arizona Deputy Grand Master Mike Meier.  It is the Arizona situation we now turn our attention to.

Stewart writes, “Yesterday afternoon the Grand Master summoned the elected Deputy Grand Master into his office and in the presence of R:. W:. Junior Grand Warden William A. Garrard Jr, and Senior Grand Deacon Mike Manning, informed the Deputy Grand Master he was suspended from Masonry.”

“The reason the Grand Master gave for this action, which, in my reading of the AMC, is in conflict with the powers given to him by the Arizona Grand Lodge, was that the Deputy Grand Master did not promptly return his apron and jewel of his office, when he relieved the Deputy Grand Master of his Grand Lodge duties, while he still served as the elected Deputy Grand Master. The meeting was brief but it was recorded to avoid any misunderstanding.”

So here we go again. How many times does this story have to be repeated over and over again from jurisdiction to jurisdiction before we will take out heads out of the sand and admit we have a problem? “Houston we have a problem.”

The majority view is that these are isolated incidents and/or that they are none of our business only the business of the jurisdiction where they occurred. That’s the old syndrome of when Hitler came after the Jews it was no concern of mine because I’m not a Jew.

Most Masons when they hear of Grand Lodge abuses and injustices criticize any action but going through the prescribed Constitutional redress of grievances available in theory in all jurisdictions. It sounds good but the practical application runs into reality. Theory is theory and reality is reality and never the twain shall they meet.

Just yesterday The Beehive received a reader’s comment that took Derek Gordon to task for not following regular channels to right a wrong on the part of Grand Lodge. If he was charged with something he must be guilty of something, right?

“Quitting is NOT an American trait much less that of a Freemason. I’ve read the Arkansas GL By-Laws and there are a number of remedies for any rank & file Mason to avail himself of, including legislation at a GL session. I have no idea whether Bro. Gordon committed a Masonic offense but by AR GL By-Laws he has the remedies of a Masonic Trial plus the GL in session can disapprove the actions of a GM. (bearing in mind ANY GL in session is largely rank & file Masons representing subordinate Lodges. If the various delegates choose to ignore a wrong, shame on them but unless one follows the procedures, which were agreed to during the Degree oaths, one cannot complain).”

What would you say in the Frank Haas case where the Grand Master called Haas and asked him if he was going to be present at his next Lodge meeting and then worked up some excuse why he asked the question? When Haas showed up the Grand Master was there waiting for him and expelled him on the spot, without a trial in front of his father. Do you think this Grand Master followed his Degree oaths? Why is there never any legal or moral limitations on Grand Masters?

Maybe the commenter was right as Brother Jack Buta tells us what went on at the recent Grand Session of Arizona.

“What an exciting day!

Perhaps the best comment on the events of the first day of the Grand Lodge can be summed up by a distinguished guest from the Grand Lodge of Maryland. He stated “The Maryland Grand Lodge has been in business for 225 years during which time I thought that everything which could happen at a Grand Lodge had happened. After what transpired this morning, I was proven wrong.”

The Grand Lodge opened to a packed house with 47 visiting dignitaries from all over the United States, approximately 270 voting members of the Grand Lodge carrying 350 votes. Prior to the opening, the Grand Master announced to the overcrowded Lodge room that he was aware several Brothers in the Lodge had plans to disrupt the meeting and should they try, they would be escorted out of the lodge, their credentials confiscated and not allowed to re-enter.

The Grand Master opened the Grand Lodge, the roll call of the Lodges was completed, and the roll call of the Grand officers begun. At the mention of the appointed Deputy Grand Master, things began to go from bad to worse. Eleven men stood up in protest, Rick Skoglund, Jim Moore, and I, on the Grand Master’s right, and eight members of Acacia Lodge on his left. The Grand Master ignored those of us on the right and focused in on the 8 members from Acacia. He ordered their removal from the Lodge room. PM Adrian Fontes, an Attorney in the Phoenix area, who actually rewrote the Arizona Masonic Constitution in 2011, pointed out that they had the right to plead their case to the Delegates. After repeated demands by the Grand Master and receiving the same response, the Grand Master then threatened to suspend Adrian Fontes, and presumably  all the other Brothers on their feet. Adrian then demanded to know on what grounds. At this point other Brothers who were not previously standing began to object to the Grand Master’s actions. Finally, the Grand Master announced that he would close the Grand Lodge, have the room cleared and if anyone refused to comply he would call the authorities. At this point more Brothers objected. The Grand Master slammed the gavel down and ordered the room cleared, and walked out. However approximately 100 Past Masters, Masters, and Wardens refused to leave.

After a 45 minute stand-off, a compromise was agreed to. The first order of business would be a vote on whether or not the Grand Master had the right to suspend Michael Meier, the elected Deputy Grand Master. This was to take place without further Character assassination of the Deputy Grand Master.

Unfortunately, the last part of this agreement was not held up by the Grand Master. After the Jurisprudence Committee reported the Grand Master did not have the right to suspend the Deputy Grand Master the General Policies Committee stood up to make a report. What transpired next was a trial of the Deputy Grand Master. Unsubstantiated allegations were made, a witness called and a guilty verdict rendered. Then the Grand Master announced that three Brothers had requested to speak on behalf of his action. PM Richard McNeil delivered a 4 minute long list of unsubstantiated allegations of the worst sort on why Michael Meier should not be a Mason and definitely did not deserve to be Grand Master.

Finally the vote was called for, the ballots counted, re-counted, and finally announced. The Grand Master’s suspension of the Deputy Grand Master was set aside in a very tight vote where the difference was approximately 20 votes.

The afternoon session was rather anti-climactic. After the Grand Lodge elections the new Grand Master is Jeff Carlton, Deputy Grand Master is William Garrard, Senior Grand Warden is Michael Manning. No breakdown of votes other than the total cast was provided.”

The point to be made is that Grand Masters are not God. Neither do they possess the infallibility of the Roman Catholic Pope.

In this case right beat might but is this any way to run a Grand Lodge?