Freemasonry is a post-collegiate mostly-all male fraternity dedicated to the social development of the member to form a broader sense of the self and their community.
With all due personal and Masonic respect, in the spirit of Masonic “due and timely notice,” I feel compelled to address your Ruling and Decision No. 3, of 2012. While your ruling is unique to the Florida Jurisdiction, it has stirred a major controversy; adverse to the peace and harmony amongst regular Freemasons, beyond your Jurisdiction.
As a particular case in point, it was thoroughly, passionately and constructively discussed at my most recent Lodge meeting. It is also currently scheduled to be discussed in at least one other Lodge in the Seattle area, which I’m aware of. None present at my Lodge’s most recent meeting indicated any magnitude of agreement with your position, as expressed in your Ruling and Decision No. 3. However, one of the points of the discussion was whether or not it was appropriate to advocate that the Washington Grand Lodge remove its recognition of the Florida Grand Lodge.
In the spirit of Freemasonry, and in hope of contributing to the healing of any controversy surrounding your Ruling and Decision No. 3, I respectfully request that you seriously consider the following viewpoints:
1.Your ruling clearly cites the “Landmarks” submitted by Dr. Albert Mackey; which, in their entirety, did not actively serve Freemasonry when they were written. Nor have these “Landmarks” been at all widely accepted, to any appreciable degree, by Freemasons as the basis for Masonic Jurisprudence; unique Masonic Code coincidence excepted.
2.If “Mackey’s Landmarks” (25) are to be the basis for strict modern Masonic jurisprudence, it is academic that they must be considered in their entirety. Such would be unacceptable, just by virtue of their assertion that any Grandmaster is entitled to make “Masons at site.”
3.If followed, “Mackey’s Landmarks” – and your Ruling and Decision No. 3 – regarding religion, would by extension, imply the necessary exclusion of those, amongst others, of the Jewish faith; while accepting those of the Islamic following – with a predictable accompanying furor, however irrational such may be. Certainly, the expense and monetary consequences of potential civil litigation need to be considered; add the predictable PR damage to the Masonic fraternity.
4.If continued, your Ruling and Decision No. 3 is clearly and logically destined to force a ‘comparative review’ of the Christian religion, in general; with potentially damaging viewpoints and associated consequences – to ultimately be associated with not only “Freemasonry,” but your personal legacy as a Grandmaster. Just within the confines of Freemasonry, any such exchanges are overwhelmingly unconscionable, particularly having been instigated by a Masonic Grandmaster, inadvertently or otherwise.
5.Additionally, your Ruling and Decision No. 3 sends the clearly implied message that the Masonic doors and Lodge rooms are open to liars; while punishing members of integrity and honesty. Worse, fearing an unpredictable ‘purge, a significant percentage of members of any Florida Lodge would find it instantly compelling to resort to dishonesty; as the easiest resolution to a clearly distasteful ruling – with a consequent and enduring distrust of the Florida Grand Lodge, per se.
6.I would also encourage you to consider the potential for your Ruling and Decision No. 3 also being locally viewed and noted as a personal violation of the Florida Jurisdiction’s Master Masons’ Obligation, prohibiting any act which would wrong either a Lodge or an individual Master Mason; regardless of whether or not Masonic charges are asserted.
Accordingly, in the interest of Masonic peace and harmony, I implore you to withdraw your Ruling and Decision No. 3.
Fraternally and Respectfully,
Ralph W. Omholt P.M.
If we are to grow and if we are to meet the challenges of the 21st Century, we must have a national approach for Freemasonry
Have you talked to today’s generation lately?
I am referring to someone who was born say in 1990. Have you noticed what kind of values they hold, their idealism, what they will not put up with, how they communicate? Do they seem to hold a higher level of tolerance and a much less judgmental attitude from their fathers and grandfathers?
Here is an article from 1988. The bold section has been added by this writer.
The Bee Hive is indebted to Canadian Brother Wayne Anderson for another great article. Brother Anderson operates a weekly Masonic Newsletter. Each Sunday he sends out a new article.
To get on Brother Anderson’s list, at no cost, E-Mail him at wda_572@sympatico.ca
DEALING WITH OUR MASONIC DESTINATIONS
by Francis G. Paul Sovereign Grand Commander AASR Northern Masonic Jurisdiction THE NORTHERN LIGHT November 1988
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see,” someone wrote, “when you take your eyes off your goals.”
One of the best, most efficient ways to stay where you are or even go backward is to focus on the obstacles. They are the distractions that keep us from becoming the best we can – both personally and as a fraternity.
When you and I take a risk, we test ourselves. When we decide to solve a problem, we face the possibility of failure. When we step out to break new ground, we know the voices of the critics will be raised. Safety is certain, at least for awhile, if we do nothing.
Yet, Masonry teaches us to be dissatisfied – discontent – with the status quo. Freemasonry challenges us to reach for the ideals of justice, brotherly love, and improvement – individually and as a fraternity.
In its annual report to the Supreme Council in September, the Committee on the General State of the Rite broke new ground. While applauding our many successes, the committee urges us to set our eyes on our destinations, our goals.
Race and ethnic groups. “This committee carefully searched our constitutions and ritual,” the report reads, “finding nothing to indicate that we should deprive membership in our fraternity to any man because of race, color or creed.” Pointing out that this is indeed a difficult subject, yet it is one “that has been avoided for too many years.”
The report continues, “It is the committee’s opinion that unadmitted, residual racial bias hurts us, sapping our strength, and depriving us of men with strong leadership ability.”
Although long overdue, the Supreme Council has elected the first black member to receive the 33rd degree at our next annual meeting. “In today’s society, we can no longer ‘stone-wall’ this vital issue if we really intend to practice what we preach – brotherly love – in this wonderful nation of people with many and diverse origins,” states the committee report.
Sovereignty of the Grand Lodges. Noting that the framers of our U.S. Constitution recognized that the survival of the young nation depended on a balance of authority between the individual states and a federal government, the committee indicates that “there is a lesson to be learned” for our fraternity.
The committee has stepped forward with a call for “some central governance group – a policy-setting body with executive power to provide cohesive, coordinated management of the total Masonic fraternity.”
If we are to grow and if we are to meet the challenges of today and those of the 21st century, we must have a national approach for Freemasonry.
Penalties of the obligations and balloting. “It is becoming increasingly apparent that thinking candidates are having trouble giving honest assent to the current penalties contained in the obligations,” reports the committee. “Oaths required deal with ‘ancient’ penalties which are obsolete, unbelievable, unacceptable and simply not relevant in today’s society.”
Oaths taken anywhere on a Bible are not “symbolic.” Our credibility as a fraternity suffers when we attempt to “explain away” our ancient Masonic penalties. As a result, the committee urges all Bodies of Freemasonry to commence an “orderly rewrite and substitution of the onerous penalties in the various obligations of our order. “
Finally, the committee addressed the balloting issue. “With our prevailing procedures of admitting new members only by unanimous, favorable ballot, we leave too much room for private pique and spite, all of which serves to deny true liberty and justice.” In order to rectify this situation, the committee has called for the Supreme Council to amend its Constitutions to require three negative votes to reject a candidate for all of our degrees, and urges all Masonic Bodies to give this suggestion immediate attention.”
For men whose eyes are on the goals, there are no obstacles, just opportunities to lead the way. The committee report received a standing ovation. Evidently, we are ready to move forward.
We may never achieve perfection, but we can find more perfect ways for justice, brotherly love, and improvement to prevail in Freemasonry – and the world. When you think about it, the only frightful obstacle is our unwillingness to act on our Masonic ideals.
Wayne Anderson, FCF, MPS Alle Menschen Werden Brueder 2B1ASK1
If Freemasonry is to gain wide acceptance among the current generation and the next it needs to do two important things.
Communicate using today’s technology
Have the same purpose, values, virtues and principles throughout the entire nation
Today’s high tech generation living in the highly mobile society of the Information Age is no longer grounded in one state. The days of a family tracing back its ancestry to the same town in the same state are long gone. The days of the Moon Lodge and most Freemasons walking to Lodge are also extinct. Today’s American thinks country not state moving many times to different regions of America.
Today’s generation and future generations will not join Freemasonry if there is a segment that discriminates against African Americans or turns its nose up to non Christians or shuns the foreign born-foreign speaking.
THE IDEALS OF FREEMASONRY ARE UNIVERSAL BUT THE AMERICAN PRACTICE IS PAROCHIAL.
The words of Sovereign Grand Commander Paul 34 years ago are here reiterated:
The committee has stepped forward with a call for “some central governance group – a policy-setting body with executive power to provide cohesive, coordinated management of the total Masonic fraternity.”
If we are to grow and if we are to meet the challenges of today and those of the 21st century, we must have a national approach for Freemasonry.
The South did not become integrated by leaving it up to the states. Federal enforcement became necessary. If Freemasonry is to meet the expectations of the current and future generations it must put a stop to racial discrimination, expulsions without a good reason and without a Masonic trial, overbearing Grand Lodge mandates, requirements that exclude, overly moralistic prohibitions against alcohol, gambling and independent Masonic thought & expression and intrusions into the private lives of individuals.
American Freemasonry must think American, be American and in the process insist that certain basic requirements and practices are met everywhere, otherwise the practice ceases to be Freemasonry. We must have a national approach to Freemasonry as Paul suggests. American Freemasonry needs to be Universally American not Parochial. The parts of American Freemasonry that do not live up to Freemasonry’s ideals cannot be allowed to drag down the reputation of the good parts that practice true Universal Freemasonry.
We have allowed 51 fiefdoms, under the tradition of non interference into another jurisdiction’s affairs, to corrupt Freemasonry in some quarters thereby resulting in versions of Freemasonry that are no longer Freemasonry. They call themselves Freemasonry but they have so distorted the basic principles of the Craft as to be actually practicing some sort of heresy.
To that end some sort of national enforcement is necessary. The bureaucracy of a National Grand Lodge would be fraught with the same cronyism and ineptitude that is indicative of many jurisdictions. The vehicle of enforcement is already in place, The conference of Grand Masters. This Conference could, insisting on a two thirds majority, codify basic cornerstones of American Masonic beliefs and practices. This would not interfere with the sovereignty of each state jurisdiction. The affairs of state would be administered by the individual states. But the overall cornerstone upon which the rest of American Freemasonry rests would now be the same from state to state.
Those jurisdictions who refused to comply with the two thirds rulings of The Conference of Grand Masters, remembering here we are only talking about basic cornerstone beliefs and practices, would be declared clandestine and Recognition of them would be removed. There would then be only one version of Freemasonry in the United States, American Freemasonry, governed by 51 jurisdictions.
American Freemasonry needs to liberate itself from the confines of CONTROLLED THOUGHT AND ABUSIVE POWER. It must police itself before it turns off future prospects who will look upon the corruptions of Freemasonry with disgust.
When the gathering of the family, that is a joy, but goes on and on during the holiday season, and exhaustion sets in for all the partying, it is nice to get away and curl up in a cozy corner all by one’s self to relax. At such times a good book will be just the elixir that one needs.
In just such a getaway moment I reached for an old book not touched for years on end from my bookcase. And what to my surprise should appear in my hands but Carl Claudy’s These Were Brethren, a collection of 24 Masonic short stories. Claudy is the master of the short story and not a bad playwright to boot. He is often best remembered for his Old Tiler Talks.
The very first story,The Gentle Masonic Way, had me in a state of nostalgic Masonic bliss. Here I met once again Worshipful Master Amos Andrews, Secretary Jeffries, Billy Morton, Dr. Witherspoon, Sneed and all the regulars from Doric Lodge.
My first encounter with Doric Lodge and all its characters was when I performed with a group of Masonic players who put on the Carl Claudy play A Rose Upon The Altar. It has been ten years since I played the part of Squire Bentley in a tear jerking performance.
Now here was Amos Andrews once again up to his eyeballs in what the British would call a “sticky wicket.” It seems that his son has come of age and petitioned Doric Lodge for membership. Repeated balloting a year apart has brought forth a black ball each time. The suspected culprit is an old time member of the Lodge who owns an expensive herd of cattle. The story goes that young Andrews shot his prize bull, worth a great deal of money, as it was mauling a vagrant. Now it is payback time.
Worshipful Andrews will not resort to subterfuge to sneak his son through the balloting process. But after the ranch owner fires his ranch foreman and all the workers he comes down with an illness that leaves him bedridden. Meanwhile a crippling winter blizzard hits the area and this ranch owner cannot feed and care for his cattle.
As the story comes to an end this bitter rancher out for revenge comes to Lodge a week later to once again participate in the balloting on young Andrews. But this time he has a change of heart and drops a white ball as he reveals that Worshipful Andrews spent three whole days and nights in his barn feeding and caring for his cows.
Claudy’s references to farming and cows are dated with analogies not easy to visualize in this day of mechanization and The Information Age. But the stories are timeless just as the references to sheep and sheep herding in the Bible provide analogies to timeless parables.
There are 23 more stories to tickle your fancy in this book including an outstanding mystery. So once in awhile reach into your bookcase and reacquaint yourself once again with a work of inspiration you have not visited in years, thereby renewing a right spirit within yourself.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
“Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.”
– Bro. Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) US humorist and author (1835-1910) Polar Star Lodge No. 79 A.F.& A.M., Missouri, USA
“History is more or less bunk. It’s tradition. We don’t want tradition. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinker’s damn is the history we made today.”
– Bro. Henry Ford US automobile industrialist (1863-1947) Palestine Lodge No. 357 F.& A.M., Michigan, USA
“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
– Bro. Benjamin Franklin US author, diplomat, inventor, politician, & printer (1706-1790) St. John’s Lodge of Philadelphia, USA
“Take everything you like seriously, except yourselves.”
– Bro. Rudyard Kipling British (Indian-born) author (1865-1936) Hope and Perseverance Lodge No. 782. E.C., Lahore, India
“Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”
– Bro. Will Rogers US humorist and showman (1879-1935) Claremore Lodge No. 53 A.F.& A.M., Oklahoma, USA
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails Daring Greatly so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”
– Bro. Theodore Roosevelt 26th President of the United States Matinecock Lodge No. 806 F.& A.M., Oyster Bay, NY, USA (entitled, “Daring Greatly”)
“I’ve always followed my father’s advice: he told me, first to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally. If I insult you, you can be goddamn sure I intend to. And, third, he told me not to go around looking for trouble.”
– Bro. John Wayne US movie actor and director (1907-1979) Marion McDaniel Lodge No. 56 F.& A.M., Arizona, USA
“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”
– Bro. Oscar Wilde Irish dramatist, novelist and poet (1854-1900) Apollo University Lodge No. 357, Oxford, UK
QUOTATIONS FROM FAMOUS MASONS REGARDING BUSINESS
“Serve the classes, live with the masses. Serve the masses, live with the classes.”
– Bro. John Jacob Astor American Capitalist Holland Lodge No. 8 F.& A.M., NY, USA
“I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done.”
“The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”
“There is one rule for industrialists and that is: make the best quality goods possible at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible.”
– Bro. Henry Ford Pioneer Automobile Manufacturer Palestine Lodge No. 357 F.& A.M., Detroit, MI, USA
“I have never known a man who died from overwork, but many who died from doubt.”
– Bro. & Dr. Charles Mayo Cofounder, the Mayo Clinic Rochester Lodge No. 21 A.F.& A.M., Rochester, MN, USA
“I will have no man work for me who has not the capacity to become a partner.”
“The surest way for an executive to kill himself is to refuse to learn how, and when, and to whom to delegate work.”
– Bro. James C. Penny JC Penny Founder Wasatch Lodge No. 1 F.& A.M., Salt Lake City, UT, USA
“It all comes back to the basics. Serve customers the best-tasting food at a good value in a clean, comfortable restaurant, and they’ll keep coming back.”
– Bro. Dave Thomas Wendys Restaurants Sol. D. Bayless Lodge No 359 F.& A.M., Ft. Wayne, IN, USA
“Don’t be misled into believing that somehow the world owes you a living. The boy who believes that his parents, or the government, or any one else owes him his livelihood and that he can collect it without labor will wake up one day and find himself working for another boy who did not have that belief and, therefore, earned the right to have others work for him.”
“Competition brings out the best in products and the worst in people.”
– Bro. David Sarnoff Father of television Strict Observance Lodge No. 94 F.& A.M., New York City, USA
“Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window.”
– Bro. Steve Wozniak Cofounder Apple Computer Charity Lodge No. 362 F.& A.M., Campbell, CA, USA
QUOTATIONS FROM FAMOUS MASONS REGARDING SPORTS
“Sport must be amateur or it is not sport. Sports played professionally are entertainment.”
– Bro. Avery Brundage President, International Olympic Committee North Shore Lodge No. 937 A.F.& A.M., Chicago, IL, USA
“The great trouble with baseball today is that most of the players are in the game for the money and that’s it, not for the love of it, the excitement of it, the thrill of it.”
– Bro. Ty Cobb Baseball Great Royston Lodge No. 426 F.& A.M., Detroit, MI, USA
“A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.”
– Bro. Jack Dempsey Boxing Champion Kenwood Lodge No. 800 A.F.& A.M., Chicago, IL, USA
“I don’t like to sound egotistical, but every time I stepped up to the plate with a bat in my hands, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the pitcher.”
– Bro. Rogers Hornsby Baseball Great Beacon Lodge No. 3 A.F.& A.M., St. Louis, MO, USA
“Be strong in body, clean in mind, lofty in ideals.”
– Bro. & Dr. James Naismith Inventor of Basketball Roswell Lee Lodge A.F.& A.M., Springfield, MA, USA
“I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone’s golf game: it’s called an eraser.”
– Bro. Arnold Palmer Golf Legend Loyalhanna Lodge No. 275 F.& A.M., Latrobe, PA, USA
“I don’t like the subtle infiltration of ‘something for nothing’ philosophies into the very hearthstone of the American family. I believe that ‘Thou shalt earn the bread by the sweat of thy face’ was a benediction and not a penalty. Work is the zest of life; there is joy in its pursuit.”
– Bro. Branch Rickey Baseball Legend Tuscan Lodge No. 360 A.F.& A.M., St. Louis, MO, USA
“I’ve always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.”
– Bro. Sugar Ray Robinson Boxing Champion Joppa Lodge No. 55 PHA, New York, NY, USA
QUOTATIONS FROM FAMOUS MASONS REGARDING POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
“I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosities he excites among his opponents.”
“I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.”
– Bro. Winston S. Churchill Former Prime Minister of Great Britain Rosemary Lodge 2851 and Studholme Lodge No. 1591, UK
“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself…”
“No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.”
“It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress.”
– Bro. Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) Writer Polar Star Lodge No. 79 A.F.& A.M., St. Louis, MO, USA
“As long as there are only three to four people on the floor, the country is in good hands. It’s only when you have 50 to 60 in the Senate that you want to be concerned.”
“If you’re hanging around with nothing to do and the zoo is closed, come over to the Senate. You’ll get the same kind of feeling and you won’t have to pay.”
– Bro. Bob Dole Former U.S. Senator & Presidential Candidate Russell Lodge No. 177 A.F.& A.M., Kansas, USA
“If the government is big enough to give you everything you want, it is big enough to take away everything you have.”
– Bro. Gerald R. Ford 38th President of the United States Malta Lodge No. 465 F.& A.M., Grand Rapids, MI, USA
“History has to judge every man who served. I don’t know how they’re going to treat me. I may be the worst S.O.B. that ever came down the pike. But I won’t lose any sleep over it. I just like to be remembered as an honest person who tried.”
– Bro. Barry Goldwater Former U.S. Senator & Presidential Candidate Arizona Lodge No. 2 F.& A.M., Phoenix, AZ, USA
“I will not deny that there are men in the district better qualified than I to go to Congress, but gentlemen, these men are not in the race.”
– Bro. Sam Rayburn Former Speaker of the House Constantine Lodge No. 13 A.F.& A.M., Bonham, TX, USA
“I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.”
– Bro. Will Rogers Humorist Claremore Lodge No. 53 A.F.& A.M, Oklahoma, USA (renamed Will Rogers Lodge No. 53 in 1979)
“In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.”
– Bro. Franklin D. Roosevelt 32nd President of the United States Holland Lodge No. 8 F.& A.M., New York, NY, USA
“When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer ‘Present’ or ‘Not guilty’.”
– Bro. Theodore Roosevelt 26th President of the United States Matinecock Lodge No. 806 F.& A.M., Oyster Bay, NY, USA
“A politician is a man who understands government and it takes a politician to run a government. A statesman is a politician who’s been dead ten or fifteen years.”
– Bro. Harry S. Truman 33rd President of the United States Belton Lodge No. 450 A.F.& A.M., MO, USA
“In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.”
– Bro. Voltaire Writer Lodge of the Nine Sisters (Lodge Les Neuf Soeurs), Paris, France
Keep the Faith.
Freemasonry From the Edge
by W:.Tim Bryce, PM, MPS timb001@phmainstreet.com Palm Harbor, Florida, USA “A Foot Soldier for Freemasonry”
Originally published on FmI in 2008
NOTE: The opinions expressed in this essay are my own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of any Grand Masonic jurisdiction or any other Masonic related body. As with all of my Masonic articles herein, please feel free to reuse them in Masonic publications or re-post them on Masonic web sites (except Florida). When doing so, please add the following:
Article reprinted with permission of the author and www.FreemasonInformation.com
Please forward me a copy of the publication when it is produced.
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Weight and volume are very important. Two evenly measured weights on a opposite pans of a scale and you have a perfect balance, so long as your equipment is calibrated correctly. Add more weight to one pan and incrementally the scale will move towards which ever side the heavier burden is applied.
Extrapolate this idea into a larger arena where the medium that surrounds the moving weight is fluid, and with the Newtonian force of gravity, the material closest to, and bonded tightest to the weight will move with it, in effect causing an avalanche of sorts, or at least a heightened shift of position.
Perhaps you could say its an Alchemy of sorts, the transmutation from one thing into another, from one state to another. Neutral buoyancy to weight displacement. From Lead to Gold, or perhaps in this instance, from Gold to Lead.
Its quite a paradigm shift in the way things have been to the way things are to be. What I mean by that is apparently, without much fanfare, the Grand Lodge isn’t just rolling out a few changes for 2010, they are rolling out a battalion of them, for what seems to be for the purpose of improving Pennsylvania Freemasonry and the lives of its members. All said, in their introduction site, the changes are (by category):
Membership Recruitment Members May Selectively Invite Good Men to Join
Three Black Balls Are Now Required to Reject a Candidate
One Day Masonic Journey: October 30, 2010 (at 13 locations and with YR, SR, and Shrine)
All-Star Teams Will Confer District-wide Degrees
An Unlimited Number of Freemasons Can Be Made in One Day
Senior Recruitment Program
Lodges Awarded for Membership Growth and Retention
Membership “Call ‘Em All” Will Continue as “Call to the Craft”
Dues Can Now Be Paid By Credit or Debit
Lodge Notices Are To Be Distributed Electronically
Masonic Ritual Members May Learn Our Ritual From Printed Manuals That Will Be Monitored Closely And Never Used in Open Lodge
Certified Brethren Will Receive a Proficiency Award Pin
Opening and Closing of Meetings May Be Shortened
Grand Lodge Governance District Deputy Grand Masters May Now Serve 10 Years
Some Masonic Districts Will Be Eliminated and Realigned
A Masonic Congress Will Be Held in February 2010
A New Due Process for Suspensions and Expulsions
The Legal Structure of Grand Lodge Will Be Assessed
New Software Will Simplify the Lodge Audit Process
Committee on Masonic Homes Meeting Change
The Dress Code for Masonic Meetings Is Relaxed
On Image and Visibility Open Installations of All Symbolic Lodge Officers
Electronic Guide Will Provide Tours of the Masonic Temple
Masonic Villages Adopt-A-Resident Program
Lodges Will Conduct Monthly Community Service
Members Will Commit A Weekly Random Act of Kindness
Members Will Support Our Military Through “HELP FOR OUR HEROES”
Lodges Will Raise Funds to Support Our Masonic Villages
Masonic Youth Initiatives Will Be Supported By Lodges
On the page from the PA GL, they provide a brief explanation of what each change represents, and the hole that it seeks to fill, and while I am having a hard time understanding (agreeing?) with some of them, I have to say that the approach is an inventive and bold addition of weight to a scale that has long been un-moved by any form of change.
But, this change isn’t without its detractors, and a website has already been published to argue the counter point to the Grand Masters plan, billed as Pennsylvania Masonic Restoration. While I respect the civil dissent, I have to say that the call to arms may be premature given the nature of the changes the Grand Lodge is trying to implement.
On the 21 Century Renaissance site, it is easy to see the large one day class as BIG CONCERN to an otherwise interesting program and a potential affront to what has traditionally been Masonry the way its “always” been, which is clearly not the case. Not that one day classes have ever been the norm, the process of Masonry today is an evolved process that had a beginning that came from something else. It evolved, and this one day mass raising is another step in that evolution for better or worse. And, I’ll be open here, I have my own misgivings as to the intention of the one day class process, but taken in parcel with the other items, it becomes an easier bitter pill to swallow.
Some of what I do like in the program:
Three Black Balls Are Now Required to Reject a Candidate:
This is a good way to break a singular majority in a solitary vote. Harmony in the lodge still needs to be met, but giving live or die power to one brother may be to much power in one place.
Dues Can Now Be Paid By Credit or Debit:
This is a fantastic change that really brings things into he 21st Century.
Lodge Notices Are To Be Distributed Electronically:
Another great system/operations update.
A Masonic Congress Will Be Held in February 2010:
This is a great idea and something FmI and Time Bryce have advocated to see for some time. Perhaps this will lead up to something National.
Lodges Will Conduct Monthly Community Service:
This is a Great program, and my guess is that it will be another hard pill to get down. Not that there isn’t a level of charity within the membership, but to be told to do is it quite different than doing it out of will and love. an interesting idea, however, is the opportunity it gives to lodges to explore what that charity looks like, from donating lodge rooms to Boy Scout Troops, hosting voter polling locations, or any other creative measure to give back to the communities from which the membership comes from.
Members Will Commit A Weekly Random Act of Kindness:
This one escapes me, but I like the idea of it. It has a definite Pay It Forward appeal to it.
Personally, I have some concerns for these items, but I’m sure they are being implemented with the utmost caution.
Members May Selectively Invite Good Men to Join.
One Day Masonic Journey: October 30, 2010.
An Unlimited Number of Freemasons Can Be Made in One Day.
Senior Recruitment Program.
All of these are cause for some alarm, but as I mentioned, to enter into the 21st Century Renaissance, we enter into a period of change, just as Europe did in the post Medieval Renaissance.
Members May Learn Our Ritual From Printed Manuals:
This one concerns me too, in that it would be the first state (to my knowledge) to openly WRITE what had here-to-fore only been given in written cipher. Despite the warnings and admonitions, the content will be copied and distributed no matter the level of governance and audit processes. And if not lost in the original content, photocopiers and scanners are very easy to make use of these days (though I do have some security ideas for how to safeguard the material).
All in all, I say lets see what these changes have in store for 2010. The concerns being what they are, the changes do seem to have the over arching growth and good will of the fraternity in mind.
At first blush, the 21st Century Renaissance seems to be mind blowingly radical, but really, the alchemy is in putting into play the ideas of best practice to bring its large membership in the modern age. Hopefully the ambitious shift of their weight shift will be a good one and something others will adapt too and continue the Renaissance of the 21st Mason.
Many books have been written about Freemasonry’s “occult” symbolism, the assertion of its quasi religious practice, the connections between Freemasonry and the founding fathers, and the bizarre layout of Washington D.C. Each of these texts offer a glimpse into the present tense fraternity, as they ask the same questions that many masons themselves ask. But those books fall short of answering questions put forth by those without any prior knowledge of the craft. That is why this book is a must read for anyone asking the question “What is Freemasonry?”
As the fraternity enters into the 21st century digital age, there needed to be an answer to that question. There needed to be an easier way to communicate the particulars of what Freemasonry is today, right now, which is at the heart of this free e-book.
I encourage you to download the e-book, read it, and share it with others. As you go through it, I hope that it will help you to explore the questions put forth in it that describe what the modern fraternity is today and how it exists in the present.
This show dedicated to talking about the fraternity of Freemasonry, what it is and what it represents. It is an open line program for your questions, comments, ideas, and theories. The goal is to talk about the various aspects of the fraternity and what it means to be a member.
At its heart, Freemasonry is a fraternity of brothers who share common values, who gather to better serve society and improve themselves through their fellowship. I encourage you to listen to the full program.
For some background, Mackey says of the ritual that it is “… simply a lustration or purification by water, a ceremony which was common to all the ancient initiations”.
In the present day, the ceremony and ritual are designed to be performed in lodges wishing to baptize children of Masonic families. The ceremony is not a religious function, nor does it compete with the baptisms of the different religions of the world. Rather it is a solemn act of fidelity and a pledge to the children of Freemasons to signify that they are now a part of a broader community and that they will never be alone. Br. Porter’s work has brought the ritual back into a modern parlance and reintroduces us to this past practice in a modern era.
Reconnect with Dean and Greg, and travel with them through their summer adventures and this appropriate topic of the Masonic Baptism on this special hour and a half long program on Masonic Central this Sunday,August 16th starting at6pm PDT/9pm EDT. For your questions and comments to the guest live on the air call: (347) 677-0936 during the program.
With all due personal and Masonic respect, in the spirit of Masonic “due and timely notice,” I feel compelled to address your Ruling and Decision No. 3, of 2012. While your ruling is unique to the Florida Jurisdiction, it has stirred a major controversy; adverse to the peace and harmony amongst regular Freemasons, beyond your Jurisdiction.
appeal to it.
