louisiana scottish rite trestleboard 2008.pdf · and the masonic situation. it was composed,...

April - May 2008 ORIENT OF LOUISIANA Volume 10 Issue 2

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Louisiana

Scottish Rite Trestleboard

Scottish Rite KEEP MOVING FORWARD

Reflections on the 15th DegreeKnights of The East, Of The Sword or

Of The Eagleby

Ricks Martin Bowles, 32° KCCHValley of Baton Rouge

The quotation heading this column sounds like contempo-rary commentary from a learned observer of current events,and the Masonic situation. It was composed, however, around1870. That's a mere 153 years after The Grand Lodge of En-gland was formed and about 138 years ago. These words werecomposed when formal Freemasonry, as we know it, was a littlemore than half the age that it is today. As you may have sur-mised, the quotation is from our Illustrious Brother Albert Pike;a learned observer of his world and, I gather from reading histome "Morals and Dogma, a fairly comprehensive critic of oursocial, political, and Masonic conditions.

These questions occur to me, when I contemplate the statusof Freemasonry and the Scottish Rite in today's world:

•"Why are we afraid to practice Freemasonry?

•"Why are we afraid to return to the methods that madeFreemasonry, and the Scottish Rite the great and forceful or-ganization that we once were?

Let me hasten to say that I am not talking about the postWorld War II era when our numbers swelled. I truly believethis period marked the beginning of our decline. I am refer-ring to the time when those few men who were Freemasons

were men dedicated to the ideas of equality, liberty for all men,and who valued honor and duty above all power, wealth, andfame. This was an era when Freemasons were leaders in bring-ing Europe, both Continental and British enlightenment, whenreason was valued above superstition; an era when both reasonand science were respected along with religion. It was a timewhen the ideals of liberty and equality blossomed to become anew nation led by Freemasons. A time when intellect was re-spected, not ridiculed.

Memberships in Freemasonry and The Scottish Rite are tum-bling downhill and suddenly the bottom of the hill is in sight.Grand Lodges and AASR Valleys are losing money, and I ampersuaded that the only true reason is fear. Paralyzing, dissen-sion causing fear. Well, of course we are afraid, one might say,because we are losing left and right. But I am thinking about amuch more devastating fear.

I am convinced that we are afraid of the actual practice ofFreemasonry. Yes, I am convinced that many of our Lodgesand Valleys are afraid to practice the forms of our order. Weare afraid to ask our members to learn ritual because we fearthat they will do nothing if they are challenged to do some-thing. We put Candi-dates through "one dayclasses" and proclaimhundreds, perhapsthousands, of newmembers to a worldthat simply does notcare. In the ScottishRite we "put on" thefive required degreesfor our Candidates andcall them "Masters ofthe Royal Secret" at theend of the day, thuscheating them out oftwenty-four beautifulmorality plays that aretruly enlighteningwhen done reasonablywell. But, who are wereally "putting on"?Some would say theCandidates. Aren't we really "putting on" ourselves?

An education program has become a major event in bothBlue Lodges and AASR Valleys, rather than a normal, recur-ring expectation. And when we have these events they are onsubjects ranging from ostrich ranching to hurricanes (I havebeen present for both) having nothing to do with Freemasonry.

The chief obstacles to her (Freemasonry's) success arethe apathy and faithlessness of her own selfish children, andthe supine indifference of the world. In the roar and crushand hurry of life and business, and the tumult and uproar ofpolitics, the quiet voice of Masonry is unheard and unheeded.

continued on page 4

Louisiana Scottish Rite TrestleboardPublished bimonthly by the

Louisiana Scottish Rite FoundationP. O. Box 64 Shreveport, LA 71161

EditorSteve Pence, 33°

105 Bay Hills DriveBenton, LA 71006

Tel: H: 318-965-9977

E-mail: [email protected]

Louisiana Scottish Rite Trestleboard is published bi-monthly by the Louisiana Scottish Rite Foundation. Anyarticle or views expressed in this publication are thoseonly of the writer and do not reflect the official positionof the Louisiana Scottish Rite. The editorial policy ofthis publication grants free reign to the Editor, within thelines of Masonic principles and teachings. Articles andpictures submitted become the property of this publica-tion.

Permission is granted to use contents of this Trestle-board for Masonic purposes, as long as credit is given tothe source.

Editorial StaffEditor:

Steven A. Pence, 33°Valley of Baton Rouge:

Albert J. Meek, 32°Valley of New Orleans:

Marc H. Conrad, 32° KCCHValley of Shreveport:

John F. Ayer, 32° KStAValley of Lake Charles:

John C. Butterick, 32°Valley of Monroe:

Beryl C. Franklin, Ph.D., 33°

AllegianceThe bodies of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite

of Freemasonry, sitting in the Orient of Louisiana, ac-knowledge and yield allegiance to the Supreme Councilof the Thirty-third degree for the Southern Jurisdictionof the United States of America (Mother Supreme Coun-cil of the World) whose See is at Charleston in the Stateof South Carolina, and House of the Temple, Washing-ton, D.C., of which

Ill. Ronald A. Seale, 33°Sovereign Grand Commander

and

Ill. William J. Mollere, 33°,Sovereign Grand Inspector General

Orient of Louisiana

Ill. Charles L. McCarty, 33°Personal Representative for Valley of New Orleans

Ill. Ballard Smith, 33°, PGMPersonal Representative for Valley of Shreveport

Ill. Richard B. Smith, 33°Personal Representative for Valley of Lake Charles

Ill. Robert J. Hutchinson, 33°Personal Representative for Valley of Baton Rouge

Ill. Woody D. Bilyeu, 33°, GSWPersonal Representative for Valley of Monroe

M.W. Lloyd E. Hennigan, Jr., 33°and Grand Master of Masons in Louisiana


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Calendar of EventsGrand Lodge

Quarterly Committee MeetingAlexandria April 19

Supreme CouncilRite Care® ConferenceWashington, DC August 28-30

Orient of LouisianaConference of the OrientBaton Rouge May 3

ReunionsBaton Rouge October 4-5Lake Charles April 5-6Monroe April 26New Orleans April 5Shreveport April 5-6

The Ed

Leadership CertificationThe Leadership Certification Workshop

is designed to assist the officers of the fourbodies in several specific areas and to pro-vide new ideas for a successful year in theirrespective Valleys.

The most interactive session is con-ducted by Ill. Richard B. Smith, 33° Per-sonal Representative. RB leads the partici-pants in a brainstorming exercise to gleanideas in answer to a particular question. Thequestions have varied year to year and thissession’s question was: What should we doto increase attendance during regular meet-ings?

No idea or suggestion is too outrageousor excluded. All of the suggestions carry thesame weight and they aren’t prioritized toinsure participation by everyone in atten-dance. The answers are placed under threeor four major categories. The ideas fell into4 catagories this session. They were Com-municate, Educate, Personal Involvement& Creativity.

If you just take into account the sheernumber of ideas that were in Creativity, itbecomes obvious we should focus efforts inthat area. Education was a close second. Itwas the general consensus, during wrap-up,that if we are more creative and educate ourmembers, personal involvement and com-munication would naturally follow.

Now the challenge for the officers is touse this information.

NumbersThe free flow of information is a ba-

sic element of the team approach man-agement style that we are fortunate tohave in our Orient. The following is in-formation on our 2007 membership num-bers.

2007 Suspensions NPD 237 Deaths 174Other 33Total Losses 444

Total Gains 198

Total 2007 Membership 5097Total 2006 Membership 5346

www.la-scottishrite.org

The Louisiana Scottish Rite Foundation

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John L. Atkinson, 33° G.C.President

Officers continued:

William J Mollere, SGIG Louisiana, ThomasHinton and John L Atkinson, 33° GC President

Elected membersJames H. Morgan, Baton RougeC. Lenton Sartain, Baton RougeHarry Northrop, Lake CharlesJ.F. “Jeff ” Webb, Lake Charles

Woody Bilyeu, MonroeRobert Joyner, Monroe

Charles McCarty, New OrleansLloyd Hebert, New OrleansGary L. Gribble. Shreveport

Robert L. Laborde, Shreveport

The Foundation's Annual Meetingwas held on February 3, 2008 at Shreve-port, Louisiana. The following memberswere elected and/or appointed to serve thefoundation for the fiscal year 2008 - 2009.

Appointed Members:Richard B. Smith, Lake Charles

Charles H. Penn, III, MonroeJohn L. Atkinson, Shreveport

Roy B. Tuck, ShreveportSpeech and Hearing Scholarship

CommitteeJoe C. Stroud, Baton Rouge

Richard B. Smith, Lake CharlesWilbert Stelly, Lake Charles

Harry Moseley, MonroeMarc H. Conrad, New Orleans

John Atkinson Chair, ShreveportThomas F. Murphy, ShreveportD. Walter Jessen Engineering

Scholarship CommitteeJim Grady, Baton Rouge

Richard B Smith, Chair, Lake CharlesNeil R. Crane, Lake Charles

Harry Moseley, MonroeE. Louis McGee, Shreveport

Nominating CommitteeRichard B Smith – Chair, Lake Charles

I.C. Turnley, Jr., M.D., MonroeWills and Legacies

C. Lenton Sartain, Chairman Emeritus,Baton Rouge

James H. Morgan, III, Baton RougeWilliam Haskell Brown, Baton Rouge

James H Morgan, III, Baton RougeJay McCallum, Monroe

Steve Plotkin, Chairman, New OrleansInvestment CommitteeIan James, Baton Rouge

John Bilisoly, Baton RougeRichard B. Smith, Lake CharlesJ.E. “Jeff ” Webb, Lake Charles

Charles H. Penn, III, MonroeWoody Bilyeu, Chairman MonroeCharles L. McCarty, New Orleans

Louis Stern, New OrleansH. Edward Durham, Shreveport

continued next column

Foundation OfficersJames H. Morgan, III, Vice President

Robert C. Joyner, SecretaryJohn L. Atkinson, President

Ballard L. Smith, Vice ChairmanE. Louis McGee, Treasurer

The Budget for Fiscal year July 1,2008 through June 30, 2009 was pre-sented to the Board and approved for$195, 334.00. $150.000.of the budgettotal is listed for Speech Therapy andScholarships. Remainder is for Insurance,Professional Services, and Administra-tion.

GenerosityDuring the Foundation’s annual board

meeting, Thomas Hinton, 32° KCCH pre-sented John Atkinson, 33° GC-Presidentwith a generous donation from the CrossRoads Scottish Rite Club, Marksville,Louisiana.

The Cross Roads Scottish Rite Clubwas formed in 2000. It benefits many ofmembers of the five Valleys with a placeto meet, without having to travel longdistances. The Club meets on the f irstWednesday at Gordy Lodge #133,LeCompte. Every third meeting is a din-ing out meeting for members and fami-lies. All Scottish Rite members are wel-comed and are urged to attend when inthe area.

In Memory of Lloyd G. PenceRichard B. Smith

William J. Mollere

In Memory of Florence O. BurroughsDr. & Mrs. Beryl C. Franklin

In Memory of James W. JacksonDr. & Mrs. Beryl C. Franklin

Miss Gertrude Sandrock

In Memory of Mrs Lina Lee AmbroseDr. & Mrs. Beryl C. Franklin

In Memory of James Roy Walters, Jr.Dr. & Mrs. Beryl C. Franklin

In Memory of Charles “Smitty” SmithATRC Staff

The Foundation is so very blessed bythe continued financial support fromwithin the Fraternity as well as from thosefrom outside.

It is only fitting that these supportersbe recognized in some small way.

DonationsFoundation

Broadmoor Lodge 432Mr. & Mrs. P.L. Giddens

James T. WigginsJoseph T. Loyacano

Monroe Scottish Rite BodiesBaton Rouge Scottish Rite Bodies

D Walter Jessen ScholarshipIn Memory of Mrs. Emma Bert Hebert

D. W. Jessen & Associates, LLC

In Memory of Mrs. Dorothy NataliD. W. Jessen & Associates, LLC

continued page 10

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How long has it been since you have heard music in yourLodge? We pompously point to Mozart, Hayden, and other greatcomposers as proud members of our fraternity, yet even theirMasonic offerings are seldom heard in Lodge or at a Masonicfunction. How often do we hear the poetry of Robert Burns,Rudyard Kipling, or Edgar Lee Masters read in Lodge? Al-most never! Not even their Masonic poetry.

Does the Master of your Lodge demand that the Sacred Spacecreated by the formal opening of the Lodge be revered or is itchit-chat time on the sidelines. Should he have to demand it?

Programs on Freemasonry, its history, philosophy, music,and poetry comprise the business of Freemasonry, and yet wemost often spend the time in our Stated Communications lis-tening to minutes and reports that could, instead, be posted ona bulletin board or, more often, sent to the members via e-mail.We spend valuable time expressing opinions and entertainingmotions, then voting on trivia such as whether or not to paythe light bill or to have the lawn mowed.

Illustrious Brother Pike tells us, "It is the motionless andstationary that most frets and impedes the current of progress;the solid rock or stupid dead tree, rested firmly on the bottom,and around which the river whirls and eddies: the Masons thatdoubt and hesitate and are discouraged; that disbelieve in thecapability of man to improve; that are not disposed to toil andlabor for the interest and well-being of general humanity; thatexpect others to do all, even of that which they do not opposeor ridicule; while they sit applauding and doing nothing orperhaps prognosticating failure”.

We should not be asking Candidates and newly made Ma-sons what they want. We should be telling them what Freema-sonry requires of them and then providing them with encour-agement, education, and opportunity to meet and vastly ex-ceed those requirements. Our tendency is to say, "Oh, the youngpeople today don't have time for all that. They don't want tostudy and learn and improve. They want a party. They wantfamily outings."

How many times do young Freemasons have to tell us, intheir writings in Masonic publications and in Masonic leader-ship conferences, that what they need is challenge? "Don't makeFreemasonry easier," many have written, "Make us work forthe degrees. Charge us more for entry into the order and in-crease the dues. But make it worth our while!"

In his masterpiece, Morals and Dogma, Brother Pike tellsus, "Let us still remember that the only question for us to ask,

as true men and Masons, is what does duty require…?"All that I have learned about our Fraternity tells me that

duty requires us, as Freemasons, to practice the Arts and Sci-ences of Freemasonry both within and without the Lodge tothe best of our ability. Duty requires us to explore the oppor-tunities that the Fraternity offers in all disciplines. Duty re-quires that we practice the form of the ritual in our Lodges,revering the Lodge for the Sacred Space that is formed whenit is properly tiled. Duty requires that we make our Lodgesplaces of learning, increasing wisdom, strengthened morality,and beauty of thought and spirit. Duty requires that we pro-ceed with our responsibilities without fear, placing our faithin our God, ourselves and our ability to do good, and in ourfellow humans. Duty requires us to accept all people as equals.Duty requires us to accept all regularly made Freemasons, triedand true, into our Lodges.

Why are we afraid to boldly do the things that duty re-quires? I don't have the answer, but the question is there hang-ing over every one of us who has followed the quest of Free-masonry and it is our duty to answer, each of us for ourselves.Albert Pike ends his commentary on this degree by saying,"We must pass through the darkness, to reach the light."

We must pass through the darkness of our fear, to the lightof a new dawn of Freemasonry. If we do not, there will be nodawn.

"Don't waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself onthe work before you, well assured that the right performanceof this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hoursand ages that will follow it."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

continued from front pageReflections on the 15th Degree:

Valley of New Orleans NewsThe Oldest Scottish Rite Valley in the World - Chartered April 7, 1811

Albert Pike was Grand Commander of Grand Consistory of LouisianaFrom April 1857-January 1859

Meets on the first Wednesday of every month

New Orleans Scottish Rite Temple619-621 Carondelet Street

New Orleans, LA 70130-3503Secretary: Lloyd A. Hebert, 33°

Tel: 504-522-3789 Fax: 504-527-5982Email: [email protected]

WebSite: www.nolascottishrite.com

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Calendar of EventsStated Communications 7:30 PM

Wednesday, April 2ndService of RemembranceEsoteric LectureFriday, April 4th 6:30 PMScottish Rite Entered Apprentice DegreeChicago Valley hosts refreshementsSpring Reunion April 5thJoint NMJ & SJ reunion 7:00 AMWednesday, May 7thPast Venerable Masters NightGourmet MealWednesday, June 4thBring a Friend NightEsoteric LecturerGourmet Meal continued on page 12

In MemoriamJohn Larry Dodgen, 32°

Robert Houston Cameron, 32°Davis Cavanaugh Ebanks, Sr., 32°Charles Thomas George, Sr., 32°

Earl Joseph Henry, 32°Willis Irwin Nall, 32°

Richard Christopher Schmid, Jr., 32°Howard Lewis Switzer, 32°

Eugene William Tschantz, 32°Joseph Marion Vernaci, 32°Charles Vestal Williams, 32°

2008 Membership Fees are nowPAST Due

Recent Valley News

Knightly NewsOn January 25th, the Knights of St.

Andrew coroneted our newest membersusing a Scottish knighting ceremony ru-mored by legend to have been influencedby an ancient ceremony performed byRobert the Bruce following the Battle ofBannockburn. We offer our congratula-tions and best wishes to the following newKnights of St. Andrew: George Lupo,David Silverman, Joe Pacaccio, Cliff

Land, James W. Vann and Quentin J.Buras. The KStA also bestowed its high-est honors, the Knight Chevalier Awardupon two of its Past Venerable Masters:Bros. Ion Lazar, 32º KCCH and MarcConrad, 32º KCCH. At the Supper, Bros.Lazar and Conrad were each presentedwith a beautiful Knight Chevalier Jewelbearing the Cross of St. Andrew sus-pended upon a green ribbon. Our Order'sfirst Knight Chevalier recipient, Ill. Bro.Lloyd Hebert, 33º administered theprayers at the event and served as Chap-lain. Notably, our Valley's Knights of St.Andrew Chapter made the "In the News"section on the Supreme Council's websitewhere a description of our Chapter's An-nual Robert Burns Supper and a pictureof our Knights was posted on the SupremeCouncil's website.

If you would like more informationabout the Knights of St. Andrew and howto become an active worker in the Valleyby squiring with the Order, then pleaseask Bro. Guy Wilson 32º, KSA, Vener-able Master of KSA, or any other Knightof St. Andrew for more information at theValley's next meeting. The Knights of St.Andrew is an invitational only order formeritorious 32º Masons but all are wel-come to advance by demonstrating rou-tine attendance, commitment, and worktoward the Valley's numerous projects.

Brethren, it is a great honor to serveas your Venerable Master this year. OurValley holds a special place in the time-less legacy of the Scottish Rite and in theHistory of Louisiana Freemasonry. Ourtimeless place in Scottish Rite history isreinforced by the fact that the Valley ofNew Orleans has been chosen to serve asthe host for the upcoming Historic JointNMJ & SJ AASR Reunion. I hope thateveryone will make plans to attend andthat you will offer a Petition to anybrother who has not yet received the Lightoffered by the Scottish Rite degrees. Fi-nally, I truly stand in awe of the fact thatIll. Bro. Albert Pike once held a positionof leadership here. Anyone who has everheld the office of Venerable Master mustsurely measure himself against the greataccomplishments and leadership skills ofIll. Bro. Pike. This comparison makes onefeel very small but it also encourages ev-eryone to work that much harder forprogress. I intend to do my small part. Ilove the Scottish Rite and its historicallegacy. My fellow officers and I will workto advance its principles and mission onyour behalf. I look forward to serving theValley this year. If I can do anything foryou, then please feel free to call upon me.I am always glad to help.

Sincerely & Fraternally,Ion Lazar, 32º KCCH.

Valley of Shreveport News Chartered October 26, 1913

Meets on the second Tuesday of every month

Shreveport Scottish Rite Temple725 Cotton Street

Shreveport, LA 71101-9713Secretary: John L. Atkinson, 33° G.C.


Web: www.shreveportscottishrite.com

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IN MEMORIAM

CALENDAR OF EVENTSTuesday, April 8thRegular Meeting 6:30 PM

Tuesday, May 13thOpen Meeting 6:30 PMBroadmoor Baptist Gospel Quartet

April 5th-6th Spring ReunionNote: Advisory Conference meets at 5:00

P.M. before each meeting.


Give a Living Legacy! Donate tothe Shreveport Scottish Rite

Foundation

Alvin Curtis TurnerEdward Eugene Waites, 32º, KCCH

Frank Rodgers BrittonWilliam Fayette Ferguson

Building FoundationKnightly News

From the Secretary’s Desk

Spring ReunionSaturday April 5th

2008 OfficersShreveport Lodge of Perfection:Venerable Master: Robert L LaBorde, 32° KCCHSenior Warden: Richard L Hollier, 33ºJunior Warden: Larry B Ledbetter, Sr., 33º

Shreveport Chapter Rose Croix:Wise Master: H Edward Durham, 33°Senior Warden: Stanford L Jensen, 33ºJunior Warden: Gary L Gribble, 33°

Shreveport Council of Kadosh:Commander: Stanford L Jensen., 33°1st Lt. Commander: Gary L Gribble, 33º2nd Lt. Commander: Charles F Jackson, 33°

Shreveport Consistory:Master of Kadosh: Robert L LaBorde, 32° KCCHPrior: Charles E Shearer, 33ºPreceptor: Richard L Hollier, 33º

Treasurer All Bodies:Louis E McGee, 33°Secretary All Bodies:

John L Atkinson, 33° GC

2008 OfficersKnight Commander: E Allen Kelly, 32° KStAKnight Warden: Carey C Allison, 32º KStAKnight Captain: Joseph E Moore, 32º KStAKnight Steward: John F Ayer, 32° KStA

The Knights had the recent honor ofserving as Color Bearers at the openingof the 197th Session of the Grand Lodgeof the State of Louisiana held at theBossier Civic Center. The Colors wereaccompanied by Michael Beeler (Shreve-port Chapter) and Larry Bossier (BatonRouge Chapter) on the bag pipes. Flagbearers were Joe Moore and John Ayer.The Honor Guards, in formal attire, wereCliff Brown and Jim Smith.

If you haven't noticed, our Temple'soriginal Light Post is back. It was dam-aged years ago by a Tornado. We arelooking forward to when the lights canbe turned on. Only through your contri-butions to the foundation can we con-tinue to maintain our Temple. Send yourcontributions to: Shreveport ScottishRite Foundation, Inc. P. O. Box 64Shreveport, LA 71161.

We f ind ourselves these days inun-dated with things to do and little time toget them done. One of those is to checkour dues cards. If yours are not current,just drop by or mail in your dues. If youhave changed your address, phone num-ber, or e-mail address please let us know.

Class Registration 7:15Class Picture 8:004th Degree 8:156th Degree 8:457th Degree 9:15

10:00 Coffee Break8th Degree 10:159th Degree 10:4510th Degree 11:1511th Degree 11:45

12:15 Lunch12th Degree 1:0014th Degree 1:30

2:30 P.M. Coffee Break17th Degree 2:4518th Degree 3:1519th Degree 4:3020th Degree 5:00

5:45 P.M. Dinner21st Degree 6:30

Sunday April 6th24th Degree 8:0026th Degree 8:4528th Degree 9:20

10:15 Coffee Break30th Degree 10:30

11:30 Church Services12:00 Lunch

31st Degree 1:002:00 P.M. Coffee Break

32nd Degree 2:15

Valley of Lake Charles News Chartered October 16, 1923

Meets on the third Wednesday of every month

Lake Charles Masonic Temple717 Hodges Street

Lake Charles, LA 70601Secretary: Charles G. Callahan, 33°


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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

April 5th-6th Spring ReunionWednesday, April 16thDr. Ronald R Thigpen, D.C.Wednesday, May 21stDaniel CastorianoWednesday June 18thCalcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony MancusoWednesday, July 16thHarold Young Dyslexia ProgramWednesday, August 20thAnnual Charter move meetingWednesday, September 17thHonor Past Venerable Masters-50 yearWednesday, October 15thFeast of TishriSaturday, October 18thFamily Day FestivalWednesday, November 19thChildhood Learning CenterWednesday, December 17thElection of Officers


IN MEMORIAM

2008 Membership fees were dueDecember 31, 2007

Back Door Lunch-Last Friday every month

Valley Jewels

Endowed Membership

Loy Junior Cryer, 32°Billy Ray Barnhill, 32°

William Robert Winfree, 32°

2008 OfficersLake Charles Lodge of Perfection:Venerable Master: Jimmy H Leger, 32° KCCHSenior Warden: C Clifford Heath, 32º KCCHJunior Warden: Daryl G Johnson, 32º, KCCH

Lake Charles Chapter Rose Croix:Wise Master: Kenneth V Michel, 32° KCCHSenior Warden: John C Butterick, 32ºJunior Warden: Allen R Fruge, 33°

Lake Charles Council of Kadosh:Commander: Archie E Hickman, Jr., 32° KCCH1st Lt. Commander: Jimmy H Leger, 32° KCCH2nd Lt. Commander: William B Powell, 32º KCCH

Lake Charles Consistory:Master of Kadosh: C Clifford Heath, 32° KCCHPrior: Donald R Veret, 32º KCCHPreceptor: Murry C “Bo” House, 33º

Treasurer All Bodies:Clarence L Callihan, 32° KCCH

Secretary All Bodies:Charles G Callahan, 33°

Our reunion is scheduled for April 5thand 6th. Many of our members have re-ported their respective lodges have beenbusy raising new Master Masons andpeaked interests in the Craft in general.This presents a wonderful opportunity toour Valley in that we can offer a continu-ing journey for these new Masons.

A few beautifully detailed limited pro-duction Consistory jewels for wear by thebrethren at Scottish Rite events are stillavailable for sale for $25.00. This spe-cial jewel comes with a stylish blackleather-like hanger for wear with a suitor sports coat. For more information aboutpurchasing one of these limited produc-tion jewels, please contact our Secretary:Ill. Bro.Callahan, 33°

Did you know that our Valley offersits members a manner by which they cansupport the traditions and future of theScottish Rite while at the same time en-joying the personal benefits of perpetuallife membership? Any brother who has acurrent dues card may obtain an endowed.perpetual membership in our Valley. Thecost is only $1,500.00, but a payment planis available. Please contact Ill. Bro.Charles Callahan, 33° for more informa-tion and details. This would make a greatgift for a dedicated Scottish Rite Brother.

Spring Reunion

Valley of Baton Rouge NewsChartered October 20, 1955

Meets on the second Monday of every month

Baton Rouge Scottish Rite Temple14598 Florida BoulevardBaton Rouge, LA 70819

Secretary: Beverly J. Guillot, 33° GJWTel: 225-275-0668 Fax: 225-273-0750

Email: [email protected]

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CALENDAR OF EVENTSDinner 6:30 Meeting 7:30Monday, April 14thService of RemembranceMonday, May 12thIll. Howard E Kerce, 33° SGIG MississippiMonday, June 9thIll. Dwane F Treat, 33° SGIG ArkansasMonday, July 14thIll. M Douglas Adkins, 33° Deputy TexasMonday, August 11thM:W: Ill. Lloyd E Hennigan, 33° GMMonday, September 8thPast Venerable Masters NightOctober 4-5 Fall ReunionMonday, October 13thFeast of TishriMonday, November 10thPast Grand Masters Night Knights of St. AndrewMeets the 4th Monday of every month.Refreshment 6:30 Meeting 7:00


In MemoriamDennis Michael Corban, 32°

Dayton J. Smith, 32°Charles Edward Weaver, Jr. 32°

2008 MEMBERSHIP FEES ARENOW PAST DUE

2008 OfficersBaton Rouge Lodge of Perfection:Venerable Master: Jimmie A Galloway, 32° KCCHSenior Warden: Ricks M Bowles, 32º KCCHJunior Warden: A Nicholas Auck , 32º, KCCH

Baton Rouge Chapter Rose Croix:Wise Master: Marshall L Woodard, 32°Senior Warden: Charles R Peabody, 32º KCCHJunior Warden: Robert T Canzonire, 32º

Baton Rouge Council of Kadosh:Commander: David M Wallace, 32° KCCH1st Lt. Commander: G Eugene Cagle , 32°2nd Lt. Commander: William E Womack, 32º

Baton Rouge Consistory:Master of Kadosh: Wayne M Mitchell, 32° KCCHPrior: Lawrence D Wade, 32ºPreceptor: Brian L Watson, 32º KCCHTreasurer to All Bodies Ben F Melanson, 33°

Personal Representative Notes

continued on page 10

Have you ever noticed how joyoustimes can sometimes be really sad? After46 years working in one industry, and formany of those years' owner or partner inthe company, I have officially retiring.Although I am happy and thrilled that Iwill be able to spend time with my wife,who I have woefully neglected all theseyears, I am sad that I will not be able tobe with people who have been a majorpart of my life and family. They say thatwith every ending, there is a beginningand I can only hope that I will find thatnew beginning soon.

As our brethren now know, we did nothave a spring reunion as we had planned.We elected to take our candidates to NewOrleans to be with our New Orleansbrethren and our northern brethren whocame from the Valley of Chicago.

Brethren, by the grace of God and ourBaton Rouge Scottish Rite members, wewill be having a two-day fall reunion onOctober 4th & 5th and a great reunion itwill be. This will be the Lloyd G. PenceMemorial Reunion and we already havebrethren who are working on this reunionto make it a success. What better way tohonor a man who was the image of ma-sonry and brotherhood in the BatonRouge Valley for over 25 years? Our goodfriend and Brother, John Belanger 33°,has promised 15 candidates for the re-

union and we hope that others jump onthe bandwagon to make this reunion onethat will truly honor Brother Pence.

For the past several years we havebeen fortunate to have as our Director ofWorks Ricks Martin Bowles 32°-KCCH.Because of time constraints, he is step-ping down as Director of Works and tak-ing a position as Education Chairman ofthe Baton Rouge Valley. Ricks, in thisnew capacity, and also our Senior War-den in the Lodge of Perfection, will con-tinue to be an integral part of our Valleyexperience.

We have made the decision to againseparate the roles of Director of Worksand Director of Reunion, dual roles thatBrother Ricks Bowles has been handling.Nick Auck 32°-KCCH has taken the roleof Director of Works and is actively work-ing toward a successful fall reunion.Charles "Danny" Smith 33° has assumedthe position of Director of Reunion, aposition he has previously handled suc-cessfully.

In the coming months our VenerableMaster Jimmy Galloway 32°-KCCH hasprominent speakers who will be visitingour valley. Ill. Howard Kerce, Deputy-Mississippi will be at our May meeting,Ill. Dwayne Treat, Deputy-Arkansas atour June meeting, Ill. Douglas Adkins,Deputy-Texas at our July meeting, andIll. Lloyd Hennigan, 33° GM of LA atour August meeting. Put these meetingon you list of meetings to attend, as wewant our visiting brethren to know thatMasonry is alive and moving in Louisi-ana.

We all want to be remembered afterwe depart this earth to a better place andwhat better way than to leave a gift tothe fraternity in your will. You can namethe fund or where you want the gift ap-plied. You may want to consider a per-

Valley of Monroe NewsChartered November 13, 1971

Meets on the first Thursday of every month

Monroe Scottish Rite Temple205 University Avenue

Monroe, LA 71203-3701Secretary: Robert C. Joyner, 33°


9

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Thursday, April 3rdDinner with Ladies 6:00 PMProgram 7:00 PMBeth Green, Dept of Social ServicesSPRING REUNION APRIL 26Thursday, May 1stDinner with Ladies 6:00 PMProgram 7:00 PMRobert Barham, Secretary La. Depart-ment of Wildlife & FisheriesThursday, June 5thDinner with Ladies 6:00 PMProgram 7:00 PMCapt. Will Gray, USN (Ret.) review onBattle of MidwayThursday, July 3rdDinner with Ladies 6:00 PMProgram 7:00 PMJoe Baker, 33°-PGM-President NationalSojourners patriotic program


2008 Membership fees were due byDecember 31, 2007

Master Mason Night

Fraternally,Beryl C Franklin, PhD 33°

2008 OfficersMonroe Lodge of Perfection:Venerable Master: Challie B Griggs, 32° KCCHSenior Warden: Joseph H Baker, PGM, 33ºJunior Warden: Gregory L Wrenn , 32º, KCCH

Monroe Chapter Rose Croix:Wise Master: William P Griggs, 32° KCCHSenior Warden: Michael A Watts, 32ºJunior Warden: Randall S Hollis, 32º KCCH

Monroe Council of Kadosh:Commander: Ralph H Owens, 33°1st Lt. Commander: Earl D Killingsworth, 32º KCCH2nd Lt. Commander: Elzy L Roberson, 32º KCCH

Monroe Consistory:Master of Kadosh: C Alton Drummond, 33°Prior: H Levern Defee, 32ºPreceptor: E S “Sparky” Foster, 32ºTreasurer to All Bodies Carl T Fatheree, 33°Secretary to All Bodies Robert C Joyner, 33°

The Monroe Scottish Rite Bodies willnot be hosting its annual Tennessee Walk-ing Horse Show this year due to difficultybringing enough participants to the pro-gram. Ideas for a new program to replacethis great fund raiser are solicited fromour members.

Annual Horse Show Cancelled

For Twenty-Two years the MonroeScottish Rite Bodies have selected andhonored an outstanding Mason from the3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th Masonic Districts(those Districts encompassed by the Mon-roe Bodies) at a Special Dinner at theMonroe Temple. This years honoree andthe Subsequent Festivities were in keep-ing with the Tradition.

On February 23rd, the Monroe Scot-tish Rite honored one of its own, BrotherIrby Stuart Gamble, 32°, from St. Joseph,LA as the well-deserving Honoree. Eachyear, the Grand Master of Masons inLouisiana, presents a plaque to the Hon-oree. This year, another of our own, Ill:Lloyd E. Hennigan, Jr., 33° Grand Mas-ter did the honors. Grand MasterHennigan was accompanied by all of theelected Grand Officers and this certainlyadded a bit of "pomp and circumstance"to the occasion. The recipient was totallysurprised because his two sons and theirfamilies were in attendance. The Honoreewas told by his family that they were justcoming from Dallas to spend the week-end with their Mother and Dad. What awonderful and caring family to join inthe Honor their father had earned.

More than one hundred were in at-tendance and many were overheard say-ing, "This is one of the best programs

we have had." It was a truly heart-warm-ing program and very ceremoniously pre-sented. Brother Gamble was flabbergastedand humbled by the honor his MasonicBrethren had bestowed on him. Of coursehis accomplishments, from his basketballyears at NLU (now ULM) to serving asMaster of St. Joseph-Tensas Lodge #309to his service as D.D.G.M. of the 4thMasonic District, to his election as Taxassessor of Tensas Parish, he has alwaysperformed his assigned duties with integ-rity and has earned the Designation as"Master Mason of the Year".

IN MEMORIAM

James Roy Walters, Jr., 32°Arnold Eugene Watts, 32°

Dr. Najeeb Klam, 32°Frank Ray Vinyard, Sr., 32°

George Richmond Goforth, 32°

Master Mason of the Year, W: Bro Irby Gamble andM: W: Lloyd Hennigan, GM


10

Scottish Rite KEEP MOVING FORWARDcontinued from page 8Baton Rouge Valley:

May God continue to bless you for your service,Robert J Hutchinson, 33°

Personal Representative

Program Review

petual membership also as this will continue to bring benefitsto the valley forever. This about this in your estate planning.

We take for granted the food that we eat before the meetingand believe that gremlins prepare it and clean up afterwards.We don't have the gremlins and we are most fortunate to havea kitchen crew under the leadership of Gene Cagle who do ayeoman's job at our meetings and reunions and at all events. Ican tell Steve Pence that they prepare the best-fried chicken inthe state. Thank them the next time you come to a meeting,especially if you enjoy the meal.

Brethren, be proud of your Masonic heritage and let othersknow your feelings. Recently a member of our lodge died andhis family did not request a Masonic burial, simply becausethey did not know who to contact. I have informed my familyI want a Masonic service at my burial service and if you wantone, let someone know.

Attend a lodge meeting and let members know you are stillinvolved, as we need your help. Take care and God Bless.

The Foundation is proud to announce the following Speechand Language Scholarships for the Spring Session 2008. These$1250.00 awards are given to graduate students working to-ward a Masters Degree in Speech Pathology.

MonroeJamie Lynne Hartwell

Michael Nicholas TarantinoAlison Lauree Tugwell

Baton RougeSarah Brooks HowardOlivia Lee Bordelon

ShreveportAshley J. Cash

In addition to the Speech and Language, the Foundationawarded a D. Walter Jessen Memorial Scholarship of $1,000.00to Cole Robert Thompson who is attending McNeese Univer-sity in Lake Charles and will graduated with a Civil Engineer-ing Degree in May 2008.

continued from page 2Foundation News:

continued from page 9Monroe Valley-Master Mason Night:

W: Bro Irby Gamble is surrounded by his family during the Master MasonNight at Monroe.

Our January program was given by Janice James on thebasics of training horses for trail riding. Although Janice re-ally loves horses, she was not born 100 years too soon, as shedoesn't care much for plowing fields and having to go shop-ping on horseback. The program resulted from VenerableMaster Buddy Griggs watching too much RFD TV's ClintonAnderson horse training shows, but the program was very in-teresting anyway. You missed a great program if you didn't seethis one!

At our February meeting, West Monroe High School ROTCstudents presented an interesting review of their ROTC Pro-gram. The ROTC program is part of their core curriculum andencourages leadership skills and extracurricular activities.

FraternallyRichard L James

M: W: S. Bruce Easterly & Ronald A. Seale, SGC

During the Grand Master’s Banquet of the197th AnnualCommunication of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana Free & Ac-cepted Masons, Ill. Ronald A. Seale, Sovereign Grand Com-mander, AASR-SJ was the keynote speaker. Bro. Seale remindedthe brethren to recall their feelings and significance of receiv-ing the white leathern apron.

11


Lake Charles Scottish RiteChildhood Learning Center

CENTER NEWS

Beryl C. Franklin, 33°Center Administrator

Dr. Franklin presenting scholarship awards to Jamie Hartwell (Left)Leslie Latino (Right) amd Nick Tarantino (Below)

The Lake Charles Center of the Scottish Rite ChildhoodLearning Center is located at the University of LouisianaLafayette (ULL). This is because ULL is the nearest collegeoffering the Master's degree in communicative disorders to LakeCharles.

The clinic director is Mrs. Holly D'Amico. She and thegraduate faculty, under the tutelage of Dr. Martin Ball Depart-ment Head, offer our children and clinicians the very best andlatest technology and methodology in the educational setting.This group of professionals completely embraces our programand could not be more willing to work with us and our chil-dren.

We are currently working with five to six children per se-mester. This is due to the university remodeling the buildingwhere the communicative disorders school is located. This isonly a temporary hindrance and we plan to grow numericallyin the number of children we serve at this clinic as the facili-ties become available.

Brother Wilbert Stelly, 32° KCCH, is our Scottish Rite rep-resentative at the clinic. He does an excellent job working withthe staff, parents and children in administering the program.As we enter our third year of operation, we look forward to thework ahead in making a positive change to the lives of theyoung people we serve.

Baton Rouge Scottish RiteChildhood Learning Center

Prior to a session with their clients, the three Graduate Cli-nicians from ULM's Department of Communicative Disorders,were presented their checks from the Louisiana Scottish RiteFoundation by the Administrator of the Admiral E. A. BarhamScottish Rite Speech and Hearing Center at the Monroe Scot-tish Rite Temple. Those Receiving their Scholarship checkswere: Jamie Hartwell, Leslie Latino and Nick Farantino. TheseClinicians are providing therapy to fifteen children this se-mester under the Supervision of Mrs. Meg Hayden, CCC/SLPwho is our Clinical Director from ULM.

Admiral E. A. Barham, 33°Scottish Rite Childhood Learning Center

Olivia with Luke (Left) and Sarah with Eva (Right)

The Spring 2008 Semester for the Center has started andwe have thirteen very energetic pre-schoolers. These childrenenjoy being with us and are hard at work.

We are also proud to have two very motivated and intelli-gent young graduate students from LSU. Ms. Olivia Bordelonand Ms. Sarah Howard are the clinicians this semester. Oliviais from Lafayette and Sarah is from Laurel, Mississippi. Theytoo enjoy being at the Center and working with our children.

An open invitation is extended to you for a visit to observethe quality therapy and the Center’s exceptional setup.

Joe C Stroud, 33°Center Administrator

Baton Rouge Center Director Dr. Alsia Mendoza with Bill Mollere, SGIG

12

Scottish Rite KEEP MOVING FORWARDcontinued from page 5New Orleans Valley:

Valentine’s Day Celebration

continued from previous columnNew Orleans ValleyEsoteric &Philosophical Lecture:

From Your CorrespondentHow to obtain all the light in Scottish Rite Masonry


On February 6th the Valley held an open meeting wherebythe women in our lives were honored with fresh roses, heartshaped candy boxes, and a catered meal served by the men.After the meal, the Valley heard a special message regardingthe upcoming Historic Joint NMJ & SJ AASR Reunion in April,2008, from Ill. Charles J. McCarty, 33º Personal Representa-tive. Ill. McCarty invited all Scottish Rite brothers to attendthe Reunion to honor the Orient of Louisiana, our own Valley,our SGIG, Ill. William Mollere, 33º, and our Sovereign GrandCommander, Ill. Ronnie Seale, 33º who is expected to attendthe event. Bro. Ion Lazar, our Valley's Venerable Master, of-fered a few remarks to the brothers and our guests. Thereafter,the Valley listened to an esoteric lecture by Bro. Marc Conradon the ancient underpinnings and sources of the Valentine'sDay Celebration. Bro. Conrad's lecture included a discussionabout the Roman holidays of Juno Februa, Lupercalia and theearly Christian Church's multiple "Saints" Valentine Day Cel-ebrations and traditions.

The brethren and our guests departed in peace and harmonyafter a closing prayer, and, hopefully, the brethren left with abit of romance and gratitude for the special women who sup-port us in our fraternal work.

Esoteric & Philosophical Lecture CommitteeIs Indiana Jones and his search for the Lost Ark a work of

fiction or was he and his adventure modeled after a series ofreal life modern treasure hunters who seek clues as to the finallocation of the Ark of the Covenant? This fascinating topicand the current debate about the location of the Ark was ex-plored in a best selling book called Sign and the Seal: TheQuest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant and written by GrahamHancock. In Sign and the Seal, Graham Hancock follows his-torical clues that eventually lead him on a journey to Africaand Ethiopia in search of the Ark's final resting place. In Feb-ruary 2008, a new book was published by HarperCollins whichcontinues the genre and saga of investigatory journalism seek-ing clues hoping to reveal the final resting place and locationof the famed Lost Ark. The new book is The Lost Ark of theCovenant Solving the 2,500 Year Old Mystery of the Fabled

Biblical Ark by Tudor Parfitt. HarperCollins, the publisher ofthe book, promotes Parfitt as a real life "Indiana Jones". Forthose who follow the mystery of the Ark and who hope to dis-cover clues regarding its final resting place, this new book willbe mandatory reading. Where will the new book place the Ark'sfinal location? The Middle-East, Africa, or elsewhere? If youdecide to purchase and read the book, then please let me know.If you would like to join our study group, give an educationallecture to the Valley in 2008, or if you have a suggestion abouta proposed lecture topic, then please inform Bro. Marc H.Conrad when you next visit the Valley.

Upon petitioning the Scottish Rite, most candidates wit-ness the Scottish Rite degrees in a whirlwind marathon con-sisting of a few mandatory degrees (the 4th, 18th, 30th and32nd) over the space of a day. Or, if they are very lucky, theyreceive all of the Scottish Rite degrees over the course of aweekend or over a period of several days. However, many ofour newest Scottish Rite brothers often leave our Reunions feel-ing overwhelmed and numb. There is simply too much infor-mation to absorb in one sitting given the fact that the material,concepts, ideas, and philosophies presented in the Scottish Ritedegrees take many an entire lifetime to understand. We pro-vide a meaningful initiatory experience in our Reunions butwe are unable to equip our new brothers with a sound founda-tion for understanding the meaning underlying the ScottishRite degrees due to time constraints. Our newest brothers de-part our Reunions with instructions to read their newly mintedcopies of A Bridge to Light if they want more information abouthow to continue their journey for more education. Many aredaunted by this task. As excellent as the summary is in A Bridgeto Light, it was meant only to introduce new brothers to therich and bountiful world of ideas, concepts, and philosophiesrepresented by the Scottish Rite degrees.

Our newest members, especially those in the younger gen-eration, are now entering the Scottish Rite seeking more Lightand esoteric instruction. It goes without saying that the Scot-tish Rite degrees and the principles and ideas representedtherein illuminate the mind and make one's overall Masonicjourney a more meaningful experience. Yet, our new brothersneed help in achieving their educational goals. These brothersseek Light and we need to be able to provide it to them.

I offer the following guidelines in an effort to assist ournewest brothers in obtaining all of the Light offered by theScottish Rite degrees. Most of my recommendations are di-rected to individual brothers since I believe that education isan individual effort. Improving oneself is largely an individualtask and one that is dependent upon your own God given tal-ents, labors and efforts. I have provided advice about how toadvance one's own personal educational and spiritual journeyin the Scottish Rite. I also offer a few brief comments abouthow the Scottish Rite overall might increase education and the

13

Scottish Rite KEEP MOVING FORWARDcontinued from page 12New Orleans Valley-From Your Correspondent:

initiatory experience throughout the entire fraternity.A Few Recommendations for the Overall Fraternity to IncreaseScottish Rite Education.

In my opinion, the foremost practice that might increasethe Light received in the Scottish Rite in the fraternity overallwould be a return back to our oldest traditions: we would sim-ply slow down the conferral of the degrees. In the past, broth-ers labored at each degree until they were ready to advance tothe next. They labored in the quarries of the Lodge of Perfec-tion and its degrees until they were ready to advance to theRose Croix Chapter and so on until they advanced to theConsistory. We should consider, at the very least, the idea ofeliminating lump sum conferrals whereby a candidate receivesall of the degrees at once. This practice may be part of ourAmerican culture and it may reflect American society's demandfor a hurried pace, but, the possibilities should be examined.One possibility would be offering a degree-by-degree ScottishRite degree advancement option to those who candidates whoseek it. This could be done on individual and case-by-case ba-sis in conjunction with an organized and official course of edu-cation and study such as the educational course provided bythe Valley of Guthrie and its College of the Consistory. Thereis truly something to be said for a return back to our Europeanroots of conferring each Scottish Rite degree one-at-a-time andonly after a period of mandatory deep reflection and study ofthe degree by the candidate. The more time spent reflectingupon the ideas presented in each degree could reap a huge eso-teric harvest and the resulting human capital and personal de-velopment generated could impact the fraternity as a whole.

Regardless of the pros and cons of the manner in whichcandidates currently receive the Scottish Rite Degrees in theUnited States, most new brothers leave a Scottish Rite Reunionfeeling numb and a bit overwhelmed. Our new brothers areimpressed with the overall initiatory experience and the theat-rical beauty of our degrees as currently presented. However,many new brothers leave our Reunions without the tools neededto continue their journey for illumination, more Light, and moreeducation. In my opinion, this continued journey requiresmentoring and a structured guide for most who are currentlyentering the Scottish Rite.

Another fraternity wide recommendation that might increasethe educational opportunities in the Scottish Rite would be tocreate an organized traveling Scottish Rite Lecture Bureau spon-sored by the Supreme Council. The Scottish Rite already hasan excellent National and Regional Leadership ConferenceProgram and my suggestion might fit in with those activities.The proposed Scottish Rite Lecture Bureau would consist ofour brightest and best speakers selected from each of our Ori-ents. We have so many talented members in the Scottish Riteoverall and we have experts in every profession, field and topic.This is a human resource that we need to mine. Each lecturercould agree to prepare a presentation on one or more topics inhis field of expertise along with a paper for distribution to anaudience. The lecturer could deliver his educational presenta-tion in his own Orient and within his own Orient's Valleys.Thereafter, he would travel to other Orients each year to give

the presentation, perhaps, once or twice a year as his schedulemight permit. Travel expenses and organization, of course,would be addressed on a National level by the leadership ofthe Supreme Council in Washington, DC. We might even con-sider inviting non-Masonic speakers to serve in the lecture cir-cuit to give talks on important educational topics such as com-munication, leadership, and charitable fundraising. If we hadenough interest and participation in a National speaker's bu-reau, then each Valley could be assured of a constant stream ofmeaningful educational presentations throughout the year thatcould generate interest in creating new locally grown speakerswho might further encourage new brothers to continue theirpersonal educational studies in the Scottish Rite.

Finally, I would recommend implementing a formalmentoring system to be established in each Valley to assist ournew Scottish brothers. After a Reunion, our candidates becomeScottish Rite brothers, but we need to show them where to goand what the Scottish Rite has to offer. A mentor could assistwith a new brother's education. A mentor could answer a newbrother's questions about the Scottish Rite's structure. A men-tor could direct a new member to someone who could provideanswers if the mentor didn't have one. A mentor could steer anew brother toward a Valley's social activities, degree teams,committees, and educational opportunities. A mentor couldinform a new brother about the books available in a ScottishRite library or offered by the Supreme Council's store. Weshouldn't assume that this information is readily available. Ihave heard brothers comment that a new candidate's signingsponsor in the Scottish Rite should be required to act as thecandidate personal guide to the fraternity by gently guidingand traveling with him to the Valley's meetings and activitiesuntil the new brother finds his place. I happen to agree withthis concept. We are builders and we need to build our frater-nal bonds.Recommendations for Individual Brothers Who Seek MoreScottish Rite Education & Light.

What can you do to further your own individual journey formore Light in the Scottish Rite? How do you increase yourchances of seeking more Light in the Scottish Rite and gain-ing an increase understanding about it degrees and traditions?The Scottish Rite offers numerous educational resources andpublications intended to assist a brother in his quest for moreLight. We even have an educational society called the ScottishRite Research Society (SRRS) which is dedicated to this mis-sion. Yet, for the most part, educational opportunities are per-sonal and dependent upon the student's own efforts. After be-coming a Scottish Rite mason, a new brother must continue tostudy the ideas, concepts, and philosophies presented in theScottish Rite degrees if he desires more Light. I also want topoint out that a Scottish Rite education requires hard workand dedication and there is no substitute for individual effort-there aren't any shortcuts or easy paths. But, a new brotherwho wants to begin his first steps toward Scottish Rite educa-tion often doesn't know how to begin the process or he is in-timidated.

There are differing opinions on this topic, but I offer thefollowing suggestions about how to begin one's first steps to-ward seeking a deeper understanding of the Scottish Rite de-


14


Fiat Lux!Marc Conrad, 32° KCCH

continued from page 13New Orleans Valley-From Your Correspondent:

grees. First, you should begin by gathering the following ba-sic starter resources for your personal study library. Many ofthese references are available in a Valley's library, online forfree on the Internet, or available for purchase from the Su-preme Council's bookstore or other National book vendors. Irecommend obtaining the following books: (1) Bible; (2) Mor-als & Dogma; (2) Glossary to Morals & Dogma; (3) The Biblein Albert Pike's "Morals and Dogma"; (4) A Bridge to Light;(5) Clausen's Commentaries on Morals and Dogma; (6)Dehoyos's Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor & Guide; (7) Legenda;(8) Liturgy; (9) Book of Words; (10) Lodge Of The Double-Headed Eagle; (11) Forms and Traditions of The Scottish Rite;and, (12) Manly P. Hall's The Secret Teachings of All Ages (asa general reference for the concepts encountered in the eso-teric traditions).

Again, I should repeat that opinions will differ on the con-tents of a required Scottish Rite reading list and my own opin-ion on the list will probably change as my studies continue.There are other books that you will eventually want to add toyour library-there are too many too list here. But, I alwaysrecommend that a new brother start with the books listed above.Once you begin your path for more Scottish Rite educationand once you begin to grasp the ideas, concepts, and philoso-phies presented by the Scottish Rite degrees, you will embarkupon your own quest to read more and more; and, this neces-sarily involves purchasing more books! It all depends uponyour individual interests. It is a perpetual cycle. But, as yourknowledge increases, you will develop your own tastes and yourown recommended reading list.

In my opinion, a new brother should start his Scottish Riteeducational journey by reading A Bridge to Light and Clausen'sCommentaries on Morals and Dogma. Both of these texts helpa student to obtain a basic understanding of the overall ideasand themes presented by each degree. After reading these texts,a new student should begin a study of Morals & Dogma. It isthick, intimidating, and a daunting. While reading Morals &Dogma, a reader must pay careful attention to the task of de-termining the "meaning" of each paragraph. Given the Victo-rian language used by Albert Pike in Morals & Dogma, thiscan be a labor-intensive task; however, it is also rewardingand worth the effort to interpret the text. You should look-upany references to items, ideas, or concepts previously unknownto you as they appear in the text-this is a separate study initself and it will take you in many different directions as youcover the subjects.

Second, you should keep a private hand-written journalnoting your thoughts concerning each concept, idea, philoso-phy, and reference mentioned in Morals & Dogma. You shouldattempt to summarize each paragraph, chapter and degree inyour own words. You should write down your thoughts aboutthe ideas and concepts referenced. Importantly, your ownthoughts are truly more important than the text itself in Mor-als & Dogma or any of the other recommended books becauseyour own thoughts represent the quarried and hewn stones ofyour personal path for Light-these stones are unique to everyindividual and form part of the overall mosaic that defines your

inner being. But, take caution, it isn't possible to read Morals& Dogma from cover-to-cover in one night or to understandthe Scottish Rite degrees in an instance. If you make that mis-take and study it or the topics mentioned within it in haste,then you'll end up casting it aside as a cure for insomnia or asa heavy red doorstop.

The most useful advice for reading Morals & Dogma is tostudy it sentence-by-sentence, page-by-page, from concept-to-concept, from idea-to-idea, from degree-to-degree, and fromchapter-to-chapter. It also doesn't have to be read in any par-ticular order. It isn't a novel or a story. It is a collection ofconcepts and ideas. Start by looking for the ideas and conceptsthat interest you and later go back to those topics that do notfirst grab your attention. Approach it like a jigsaw puzzle: pieceby piece. The other books listed above in the recommended listare extremely useful references that will elaborate upon theconcepts that you will encounter in your studies of Morals &Dogma and the Scottish Rite degrees. They help to define andidentify the various pieces to the puzzle.

Third, in addition to personal study and reading, new broth-ers should also ask to join a degree team at your Valley. Be-coming a living part of a degree team and initiatory frameworkat your Valley will also increase one's understanding of themeaning behind each degree. Joining a degree team is an ex-cellent way to seek a deeper understanding of a particulardegree's ritual. For example, I have personally received manyinsights from the 32nd degree by simply participating in itduring several Reunions-in fact, none of these insights wouldhave been discovered had I simply read about the degree in abook.

Fourth, I also recommend that a new brother join the Col-lege of the Consistory offered by the Valley of Guthrie. TheCollege of the Consistory offers a structured educational frame-work for each degree based upon A Bridge to Light. It is also agood place to start. And, finally, f ifth, I recommend that youjoin the Scottish Rite Research Society (SRRS) which providesa yearly journal, newsletter, and book intended to further yourresearch. Every journey begins with the first step. I hope thatthese comments will assist you on your path to Light and intaking the first step toward more Scottish Rite education. Ipromise you that more education will enhance you personallyand make your overall experience in the Scottish Rite morerewarding.

15


Ill. William J. Mollere, 33°Sovereign Grand Inspector General

THE FINALWORD

March 18, 1919 and April 6, 1922-Two dates that probablymean nothing to you. Frank S. Land of Kansas City, Missouri andRev. S. Mark Sexson of McAlester, Oklahoma - two men in twocities that might not mean anything to you. As a Scottish RiteFreemason, all of the above should mean a great deal to you. Toalmost four million American young men and women, the dates,the men and the cities mean a great deal - the founding dates,founders and founding cities for DeMolay and for Rainbow forGirls.

Frank S. Land was employed by the Scottish Rite Valley ofKansas City, Missouri as the Social Services Director when a youngman by the name of Louis Lower came into the Scottish Rite build-ing one afternoon in 1918 looking for part-time work after school.Land hired young Lower to help clean up, and befriended the teen-age boy and found out that Lower's father had died during theGreat War, and the boy was trying to help support his family bydoing after-school work. Land, in talking to Lower, realized thatseveral other young men in the neighborhood also needed workand after-school activities. Land, through Lower, tried to help eachyoung man, and also organized a baseball team sponsored by theScottish Rite, and the nine young men's team formed a club thatbecame the Order of DeMolay. Land convinced the leading ritual-ist in the Valley, Frank Marshal, to write a ritual based on theThirtieth Degree of Scottish Rite-the Degree that the young menseemed to be captivated by when Land explained the background,Jacques DeMolay, the last Grand Master of Knights Templar whodied rather than betray his fellow Templars or their promises toeach other. Yes, Scottish Rite stepped up to the plate.

Three years later, a minister named Mark Sexson, who servedas Chaplain and Prelate for the Valley of McAlester, recognizedthat young girls who were daughters of Masons needed some worth-while, wholesome association-the authored a new ritual based onthe seven colors or the rainbow and associated each color with aquality of life - love, religion, nature, immortality, fidelity, patrio-tism and service. The Order of the Rainbow for Girls was formed-Scottish Rite offered the support that made a difference. For therest of their lives, Frank Land and Mark Sexson devoted their livesto their youth groups and saw each grow beyond their wildest imagi-nations-millions of young men and women were drawn into theMasonically-sponsored organizations. Life-changing experiencesthrough DeMolay and Rainbow helped many young men andwomen become leaders and credits to their family, friends, com-munities, states and nation.

Today in Louisiana, DeMolay has four active Chapters; Rain-bow has five active Assemblies, not nearly enough to serve ouryouth. Why? Masonic Men and Eastern Star Women are needed,who are properly trained, who will devote time to young peopleand show them the Masonic "way of life". Mentors, advisors, vol-unteer workers - all who have patience, time and willingness tolisten, assist, and help young people who need adults who willlisten, assist and help. Originally, only Master Masons could beDeMolay Advisors and only Master Masons and Eastern Stars couldbe Rainbow Advisors. Over the years, parents who were not Ma-

OUR YOUTH

sons or Eastern Stars were invited to witness their young son anddaughter being initiated into DeMolay and Rainbow, after takingan oath to keep the ceremony secret and to support their son anddaughter in the organizations - many parents joined Masonry andEastern Star once they saw the dedication of the Advisors and thebeauty and meaning of the organizations. Then Senior DeMolayswho were not Masons were allowed to become DeMolay Advisors.Legal Guardians, relatives of young men and women who werenot members were also later allowed to become Advisors. Con-cerns over youth protection, first recognized through contact withthe Boys Scouts of America led DeMolay to require improved Ad-visor Training, Youth Protection Training and background checks;Rainbow offered Advisor Training. Lawsuits from injuries at ac-tivities ushered in insurance protection for young members andrequired health records being carried by Advisors-in-charge at eachevent in the event of a health problem. Parents' insurance protec-tion information was required for primary coverage in the event ofan accident, all designed to protect the young men and women,and to offer maximum protection for the Advisors and adult vol-unteers who worked with the young people, and, to protect thesponsoring organizations.

In Louisiana, Scottish Rite is committed to assist these Ma-sonic youth organizations. Every Scottish Rite Valley is commit-ted to sponsoring a DeMolay Chapter, offer members as Advisorsand offer safe, rent-free meeting space, all existing four DeMolayChapters are thus sponsored by, advised by and meeting in Scot-tish Rite facilities. Likewise, Rainbow is extended supporting spon-sorship and rent-free meeting space if needed. The current youngleader of DeMolay has been Raised a Master Mason recently, andthe young leader of Rainbow has joined Eastern Star, two newmembers committed to giving back something to the organiza-tions that have given them so much. Scottish Rite gives Ameri-canism Awards and JROTC and ROTC certificates, medals andribbons to outstanding high school and college students. Our GrandLodge sponsors the Honesty and Integrity Award to high schooljuniors each year. Many Lodges and some appendant organiza-tions sponsor T-Ball and Little League Ball teams. All of theseawards and teams recognize and support outstanding young peopleand introduce Masonry to them and to their parents. Masonry haseven supported some Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops in the past.But why not more DeMolay and Rainbow?

In its prime in the early 1970's DeMolay had 28 Chapters andRainbow had 47 Assemblies in Louisiana, all sponsored by Ma-sonry and Eastern Star. Today, 4 Chapters and 5 Assemblies, whathappened? We happened, we stopped supporting, assisting andadvising young people in our Masonic Family of Youth organiza-tions. Masonry needs to rediscover what Frank Land and MarkSexson discovered-quality Masonic youth organizations developquality leadership programs that result in quality youth for ourcommunities, state, nation and the world. Scottish Rite in Louisi-ana is willing to step up to the plate again-Louisiana needs moreDeMolay Chapters and Rainbow Assemblies-will you help?

Thank you for making the commitment to continue being anactive Scottish Rite Mason who cares about our youth.

Bill Mollere, S.G.I.G.

Louisiana Scottish Rite FoundationLouisiana Scottish Rite Trestleboard

Post Office Box 64Shreveport, LA 71161

Tel: 318-221-9713

April - May 2008 Issue08-02


Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PaidBaton Rouge, LAPermit No. 2408

Baton Rouge Scottish Rite ChildhoodLearning CenterP.O. Box 15766Baton Rouge, LA 70895-5766Telephone: (225) 275-0668Admiral E. A. Barham, 33° ScottishRite Childhood Learning Center205 University AvenueMonroe, LA 71203-3701Telephone: (318) 343-6388Southeastern Louisiana RegionalScottish Rite Childhood LearningCenterSoutheastern Louisiana UniversityScottish Rite Temple619 Carondelet StreetNew Orleans, LA 70130Telephone: (504) 522-3789Shreveport Scottish Rite ChildhoodLearning CenterScottish Rite Temple725 Cotton StreetShreveport, LA 71101Telephone: (318) 221-9713

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Lake Charles Scottish Rite ChildhoodLearning CenterUniversity of Louisiana-LafayetteLake Charles Masonic Temple717 Hodges StreetLake Charles, LA 70601Telephone: (337) 436-1676

Did You Know?

When you are deep in trouble, look straightahead, keep your mouth shut and act like thosearound you.

Under the supervision of the SovereignGrand Commander, the Grand ExecutiveDirector shall keep all of the accounts ofthe Supreme Council, receive all monies dueit, and ensure proper receipt thereof, andshall immediately deposit, in the name ofthe Supreme Council, in a depository ordepositories designated by it, and moniesreceived, and render a due account thereofto the Grand Treasurer General. The booksand accounts of the Grand Executive Di-rector shall at all times be open for inspec-tion by any Sovereign Grand Inspector Gen-eral. The Grand Executive Director shallalso be custodian of the House of the templeand of all property, real and personal, be-longing to the Supreme Council and ischarged with the safekeeping of the same.He shall perform such other duties as maybe delegated to him by the Sovereign GrandCommander.

Who is our Grand Executive Director?

Article VI, Sec. 5

Our 2008-2009 Grand Lodge officersare M:W: Lloyd E. Hennigan, 33° GrandMaster, R:W: J. F. “Jeff ” Webb, 33°Deputy Grand Master, R:W: Woody D.Bilyeu, 33° Grand Senior Warden andR:W: B. J. “Bev” Guillot, 33° Grand Jun-ior Warden.

louisiana scottish rite trestleboard 2008.pdf · and the masonic situation. it was composed,...

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