April - May 2019 ORIent Of LOuIsIAnA Volume 21 Issue 2

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Louisiana Scottish Rite Trestleboard

Scottish Rite FULFILL-BUILD-PROVIDE

A Glimpse into Kabbalah Part Iby

J. Quincy Gotte, 32° KCCHValley of Lake Charles

continued page 4

A Brief History on the Development of KabbalahThe higher Degrees of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of

Freemasonry encourage its students to become familiar with Kab-balah in order to better understand Masonic Symbolism1. However, tracing the history and origins of Kabbalah can be as complicated and contentious as tracing the history and origins of Freemasonry, so it is better to discuss it in terms of its development.

Since the medieval period, Kabbalah has been the general term used to describe Jewish Mysticism. Prior to this, it was only one of many terms that were used. Some other terms that were used to describe the mystical interpretation of the Torah were “sitrei torah” and “razei torah.” There were also terms like “ma’aseh merkabah” and “yoredei merkabah,”2 which identify the different types and styles of mystical interpretations around the details of Ezekiel’s vision found in the first chapter of the book Ezekiel. These are but several examples of Jewish Mysticism that were present during that time. As we will see, Kabbalah embraces elements belonging to many styles of mysticism, and some aren’t necessarily Jewish. When we consider the Hebrew word “kabbalah,” it is a very broad word that simply means “something handed down by tradition.”3

To gain a better understanding around the development of Kabbalah without getting too deep into the details, we can look to Gershom Scholem, who was a renowned 20th century philosopher and scholar on the subject. In his book titled Kabbalah, Scholem touches on its history as well as the prevailing influences that af-fected its development, namely Hellenism, Gnosticism, and Juda-ism. Scholem agrees that Kabbalah can be viewed as mysticism from a generalized stand point, but says it is more accurately defined as “esotericism and theosophy.”4 He explains that, “from the beginning of its development, Kabbalah embraced an esotericism closely akin to the spirit of Gnosticism…” and that it was “only later, and as a result of the contact with medieval Jewish philosophy, the Kabbalah became a Jewish ‘mystical theology,’ more or less systematically elaborated.”5 Scholem also points out the Pythagorean and Stoic influences reflected in some of the early Kabbalistic texts like the Sefir Yetzirah, which will be discussed later. However, he also notes that many kabbalists deny a historical development of Kabbalah, 1 “Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor & Guide” – Third Edition Revised and Enlarged – by Arturo DeHoyos, page 191.2 “Kabbalah” – Gershom Scholem, the introduction on page 6 talks about the dif-ferent forms of Jewish mysticism that existed prior to the medieval period. 3 “Kabbalah” – Gershom Scholem, the introduction on page 3 gives a definition of the word “Kabbalah.” 4 “Kabbalah” – Gershom Scholem, see introduction on page 3. 5 “Kabbalah” – Gershom Scholem, see introduction on page 5

but see it as a revelation given from the Deity to Adam or the early generations. He goes on to explain that Kabbalah “became widely accepted” as “the esoteric part of the Oral Law given to Moses at Sinai,” but concludes that “several of the genealogies of the tradition appearing in kabbalistic literature, which were intended to support the idea of the continuity of the secret tradition, are themselves faulty and misconceived, lacking in any historical value.”6 Scholem also acknowledges the ongoing debates that continue amongst scholars around its history and origins. But when we consider Scholem’s findings, we can see that it is more reasonable to conclude that Kabbalah is a system that has been developed through exposure, by some degree, to a variety of cultural and theological influences over time into what we know it as today. Ultimately, the fundamental spirit of Kabbalah is to contemplate and experience the relationship between the Creator and creation through a uniquely formulated path. This path is laid out in the form of a symbol that is referred to in Kabbalah as the “Tree of Life.”

The Tree of LifeThe characteristics of the Tree of Life symbol were first recorded

and expounded on in two of the earliest Kabbalistic texts known as the Sefer Yetzirah and the Bahir. Both were primary texts used in developing the foundation of Kabbalah during the medieval pe-riod. Concerning the Bahir, most attribute its authorship to Rabbi Nehuniah ben HaKana sometime in the first century under the pseudonym Rabbi Amorai.7 The Bahir is considered to be one of the most influential texts in Kabbalah. According to Aryeh Kaplan’s introduction of The Bahir, “It (Bahir) is quoted in virtually every major book on Kabbalah, the earliest being the Raavad’s commen-tary on Sefer Yetzirah, and is cited numerous times by Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban) in his commentary on the Torah. It is also paraphrased and quoted many times in the Zohar.” He notes that “some consider it (Bahir) the oldest Kabbalistic text ever written.”8 Kaplan goes on to add that “Even though the ‘Bahir’ cites many things found in ‘Sefer Yetzirah,’ it might have actually been written earlier” and that “Although the teachings of ‘Sefer Yetzirah’ may have been known from earlier sources, they were not redacted until after the Bahir.” 9

Concerning Sefer Yetzirah, according to Kaplan, the exact date 6 “Kabbalah” – Gershom Scholem, see introduction on pages 4 & 5 7 “The Bahir” – Aryeh Kaplan, see page xi of the introduction talks about Rabbi Nehuniah’s pen name to be Rabbi Amorai 8 “The Bahir” – Aryeh Kaplan, see first and second paragraphs in the introduc-tion 9 “The Bahir” – Aryeh Kaplan, see footnotes #5 in the introduction

Louisiana scottish Rite trestleboardPublished bimonthly by the

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

editorSteve Pence

105 Bay Hills DriveBenton, LA 71006

Tel: (318) 965-9977E-mail: storm52@bellsouth.net

Louisiana Scottish Rite Trestleboard is published bimonthly by the Louisiana Scottish Rite Foundation. Any article or views expressed in this publication are those only of the writer and do not reflect the official position of the Louisiana Scottish Rite. The editorial policy of this publication grants free reign to the Editor, within the lines of Masonic principles and teachings. Articles and pictures submitted become the property of this publication.

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

Editorial StaffEditor: Steven S. A. Pence, 33° Valley of Baton Rouge: James E. Wingate, 33°Valley of New Orleans: Martin J. Reinschmidt, 33° Valley of Shreveport: Troy J. Jones, 32° KCCHValley of Lake Charles: Gerald H. Houston, 33° Valley of Monroe: Wilson O. “Will” Cook, 32° KCCHWebmaster: Robert W. Hagen, Jr., 32° KCCH

AllegianceThe bodies of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish

Rite of Freemasonry, sitting in the Orient of Louisiana, acknowledge and yield allegiance to The Supreme Council of the Thirty-third Degree for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America (Mother Supreme Council of the World) whose See is at Charles-ton in the State of South Carolina, and the House of the Temple, Washington, D.C., of which

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

andIll. Richard B. smith, 33° G.C.Deputy of the Supreme Council

Ill. Clayton J. “Chip” Borne, III, 33° PGMPersonal Representative for Valley of New Orleans

Ill. Warren A. Hintz, Jr. 33° Assistant Personal Representative for New Orleans

Ill. Ballard L. smith, 33° G.C. PGMPersonal Representative for Valley of Shreveport

J. Briggs Becton, 32° KCCHPersonal Representative for Valley of Lake CharlesJames e. “Buddy” Pearce, sr., 32° KCCH

Personal Representative for Valley of Baton RougeIll. Will P. Gray, 33° PGM

Personal Representative for Valley of MonroeIll. Martin J. Reinschmidt, 33°

Grand Master of Masons in Louisiana

Scottish Rite FULFILL-BUILD-PROVIDE

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Master Craftsman Program

Program I: The Symbolic Lodge will familiarize students with aspects of the development of Blue Lodge Masonry and explore some of its developing symbolism.

Program II: Scottish Rite History & Ritual consists of six lessons, utilizing the Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor & Guide and A Bridge to Light (4th ed.).

Program III: Scottish Rite Philosophy uses Albert Pike’s Morals & Dogma, An-notated Edition. The course consists of 33 quizzes, grouped into 10 sections.

The following members have recently completed Master Craftsman Course I, II or III and have received or should shortly receive their certificates and lapel pins.

ShreveportEugene E. Morse - Level II

Baton RougeJ. Andrew Owen - Level I

www.louisiana-sr.org

The jurisdiction of this Supreme Coun-cil includes all the territory over which the United States of America exercises domain of powers of government, except the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Mas-sachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Del-aware, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, which were apportioned by this Supreme Council to the Northern Ma-sonic Jurisdiction of the United States. The jurisdiction of this Supreme Council also includes those countries where it has estab-lished, or may hereafter establish, Bodies of the Rite, and over which countries no regular Supreme Council has acquired ju-risdiction.

Jurisdiction supreme Council

April - May 2019

Calendar of eventsSupreme Council

Celebrating the Craft Telethon May 182019 Biennial Session August 18-20Washington, D.C.

OrientConference of the Orient June 1Alexandria Honors Day November 9Shreveport

ReunionsNew Orleans TBA Shreveport August 10-11Lake Charles September 14-15Baton Rouge October 26 Monroe August 3-4

Grand LodgeQuarterly Board Meetings April 20AlexandriaGrand Lodge Session June 29-30

Rite Care eligibilityAs a rule, the five Scottish Rite Child-

hood Learning Clinics accept preschool children who have difficulty speaking or un-derstanding the spoken word or school-age children who have difficulty learning to read.

Inquiries on age groups and program offerings in specific areas should be ad-dressed to the director of the local Scottish Rite facility. Equally important, all services are available regardless of race, creed, or the family’s inability to pay.

The Louisiana Scottish Rite Foundation

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Scottish Rite FULFILL-BUILD-PROVIDE

2018-2019 Officersfoundation

President: S. Bruce Easterly, 33° Vice President: William V. King, 33° Secretary: James E. Wingate, 33°Treasurer: E. Louis McGee, 33°

Ex-Officio OfficersChairman of the Board : Richard B. Smith, 33° G.C. Board Member: Ralph H. Owens, 33° Board Member: I. C. Turnley, Jr., 33°Board Member:

elected MembersJames H. Morgan, III J. F. “Jeff” WebbHarry C. Northrop, III Woody D. Bilyeu Clayton J. Borne, III Martin J. ReinschmidtSamuel B. Owens D. Randall Terrell

Appointed MembersJason K. Rigsby James L. PearceJ. Quincy Gotte J. Briggs BectonCharles H. Penn, III Lloyd E. Hennigan, Jr. Jay W. Owensby Ion Lazar Gary L. Gribble Christopher E. Cannon

Roy B. Tuck, Jr.-Emeritus

Investment Committee Woody D. Bilyeu - Chairman Jason K. Rigsby J. Qunicy Gotte Charles H. Penn, III Martin J. Reinschmidt Ion Lazar Ballard L. Smith

H. Edward Durhamspeech scholarship Committee

- Chairman Howard L. Dalton, Jr. Leroy George Stenzel Max P. Adame Gregory L. Bruce John C. Miller Edward A. Reine, Sr. Gary L. Gribble John D. Autry, Sr.

engineering scholarship Committee-Chairman

Ralph H. Owens E. Louis McGee Anthony Radosti David R. Frohn

Wills and Legacies Travis M. Holley W. James Hill, III Patrick C. Kelly Ralph T. Rabalais

J. Bradley Dill

April - May 2019

The Louisiana Scottish Rite Foundation is proud to announce that the following Scholarships have been awarded:

scholarship Awards shreveport scottish RiteLearning Center

D. Walter Jessen, sr. engineering scholarship Award

The Scholarships were established by the five Scottish Rite Bodies of Louisiana in honor of D. W. Jessen, Sr., Past Grand Master and Sovereign Grand Inspector General of Scottish Rite Masons in the Ori-ent of Louisiana, at his mandatory retire-ment at the age of eighty (80) years.

The Scholarships, a grant of $2,000.00 each, are awarded annually to rising Ju-nior or Senior students enrolled in an ac-credited Civil Engineering curriculum at a Louisiana college or university. Each grant is awarded to a student who is in the upper half of his or her class, has dem-onstrated leadership capabilities through involvement in engineering college and campus activities, and shows potential for development into a motivated, innovative, well-rounded and successful practicing professional engineer. Financial need is a significant determining factor.

2019 Scholarship Awards L:R - Dr. Heath Tims-Associate Dean College of Engineering and Science, and Benjamin Robins-recipient.

2019 Scholarship Awards L:R - Dr. Heath Tims-Associate Dean College of Engineering and Science, and Katya Opel-recipient.

speech and Language scholarshipsUniversity of Louisiana-Monroe

Cassie ThomasIvey King

Kendda SoileauLouisiana State University-Shreveport

Samantha ArdoinHaley Krumpelbeck

D. Walter Jessen scholarshipsLouisiana Technical University

Katya OpelBenjamin Robins

Spring Scholarship Awards L:R - Samantha Ar-doin, John Autry, 33° Clinic Coordinator and Haley Krumpelbeck.

Admiral e. A. Barham, 33° scottish Rite Childhood Learning Center

Spring Scholarship Awards L:R - Cassie Thomas, Ivey King and Kenda Soileau.

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Scottish Rite FULFILL-BUILD-PROVIDE April - May 2019

Fraternally,Quincy Gotte, 32° KCCH

Valley of Lake Charles

continued from front pageA Glimpse into Kaballah Part I:

The final Celebrating the Craft will be held on May 18, 2019.

and authorship of the text is considered to be a highly debatable topic. Most modern historians, however, place its date around the Talmudic period, and its authorship is often attributed to Rabbi Akiba, who was considered in his time to be “the greatest of all experts in the mystical realm.”10 The content and lineage of the text is fascinating. Aryeh Kaplan’s revised edition of Sefer Yetzirah touches on the possibility of its roots passing through the Essenes, and also states that the text “contains elements that resemble the teachings of the Pythagoreans.”11 As mentioned earlier, Scholem also notes that “the doctrine of the Sefirot and the language system hint at neo-Pythagorean and Stoic influences.”12 The objective of

the text is to give an explanation of the creation of the universe by intro-ducing what it describes in the first chapter as the “32 Paths of Wisdom.” Considering the history and lineage of the texts, it is reasonable to appreciate the multi-cultural layers that weave together the system of Kabbalah into a unique and beautiful path harmoni-ously combining Eastern and Western theologies and philosophies.

There are many elements that make up the 32 Paths of Wisdom that need to be introduced, but only the primary characteristics of the 3 Princes, the 22 Branches, and the 10 Sefirot will be discussed over the next

couple of series.

10 “Sefer Yetzirah – The Book of Creation – In Theory and Practice – Revised Edition” – Aryeh Kaplan page xvii. 11 “Sefer Yetzirah – The Book of Creation – In Theory and Practice – Revised Edi-tion” – Aryeh Kaplan page xvii. 12 “Kabbalah” – Gershom Scholem, page 27

On February 5, 2019, Illustrious Ronald A. Seale, Grand Com-mander, designated Brother Brent Randall Salter, 32°, as a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor. Brother Salter began his Ma-sonic career at the age of 14 when he joined Demolay. For the next 47 years, Brother Salter has taken an active role in Demolay, Blue Lodge and Scottish Rite Masonry. Brother Salter was raised in St. James Lodge #47 in 2001, by W: Brother Frank Dedman, Brother Salter’s father-in-law. Brent joined the Baton Rouge Valley of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, S.J. in 2008. Brent’s son, Ryan Salter followed his father in St. James Lodge, having been raised there in 2009 and joining the Baton Rouge Valley in 2010.

An accountant by profession, Brother Salter has served our fraternity in many leadership positions, especially as treasurer for the Louisiana Youth Foundation.

In recognition of his dedication and humble service to Masonry and humanity, on Friday, February 15, 2019 Brother Brent Randall Salter was invested with the jewel, cap, and certificate of a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor during a brief ceremony in his home, with several members of his family present. The investiture was conferred by Ill. R.B. Smith, 33°, G.C., Deputy in Louisiana for the Supreme Council, assisted by Ill. James H. “Chuck” Morgan III, 33° IGH, and Brother Richard L. Fox, 32°, Venerable Master for the Baton Rouge Lodge of Perfection.

Congratulations to Brother Brent Salter, 32° KCCH on receiving this well-deserved honor.

Knight Commander of the Court of Honour Investiture

L:R - Brothers Ryan Salter (son), Richard L. Fox, James H. “Chuck” Morgan, III, Brent Randall Salter, Richard B. Smith and Frank Dedman (father-in-law)

Fraternally,Richard Smith, 33° G. C.

Deputy

Valley of New Orleans News Chartered April 7, 1811

Meets on the first Wednesday of every month

new Orleans scottish Rite temple433 Metairie Road - Suite 206

Metairie, LA 70005Sect’y: Martin J. Reinschmidt, 33°

Tel: (504) 835-3780 Email: nosrt@bellsouth.net

WebSite: www.nolascottishrite.com

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Scottish Rite FULFILL-BUILD-PROVIDE

Calendar of eventsstated Communications 7:30 PM6209 3rd street Harahan, LA 70123(Louisiana Lodge #102)

In Memoriam

2019 Dues are past due!

Lawrence W. HinyupDale M. Smith

Robert W. Marks

Wednesday, April 3rdService of RemembrandTuesday, April 23rdAdvisory ConferenceWednesday, May 1stFeast of ConsistoryWednesday, June 5thSpecial PresentationWednesday, July 3rdIndependence Day ProgramTuesday, July 23rdAdvisory ConferenceWednesday, August 7thGuest SpeakerWednesday, September 4thRegular MeetingWednesday, October 2ndFeast of TishriTuesday, October 22ndAdvisory ConferenceWednesday, November 6thNomination & Election of 2020 OfficersWednesday, December 4thHoliday Celebration

April - May 2019

from the secretary’s Desk

2019 OfficersAlbert Pike Lodge of Perfection

Venerable Master: Kenneth K. Bell, Jr., 32° KCCHSenior Warden: Freddie J. Touchet, 32° KCCHJunior Warden: Eddie A. Lebouef, III, 32º KCCH

Pelican Chapter Rose CroixWise Master: Martin J. Reinschmidt, 33° Senior Warden: Charles R. Smith,32° KCCHJunior Warden: Stephen M. Bryant, 32°

eagle Council of KadoshCommander: Ion Lazar, 33°1st Lt. Commander: Adam, G. Krolikowski, 32°2nd Lt. Commander: Larry J. Plaisance, 33°

new Orleans ConsistoryMaster of Kadosh: John C. Miller, 32° KCCHPrior: Charles R. Bertrand, 32° Preceptor: Kenneth M. Mayer, 32°

Treasurer All BodiesIon Lazar, 33°

Secretary All BodiesMartin J. Reinschmidt, 33°

continued page 10

Venerable Master’s MessageSometimes we often ask ourselves,

“WHY?” Why did we become Masons? As always, it is a simple answer. As our motto states, “WE MAKE A GOOD MAN BETTER”. But what does that mean? Is it just listening to a person or Brother having a personal problem and needs someone just to talk to, or helping an elderly person down steps or with packages, or giving a person who needs food a little monetary help, or maybe just helping the spouse with some of her duties? I think all of these and many more would fall under that criterion.

Just think how many times that you called or checked on a Brother that is ill for no other reason than to see how he is doing or need something. How many times did you go to the aid of a neighbor or friend to give them assistance without being asked? Many times, I would guess. The answer is easy “WE MADE A GOOD MAN BET-TER” without thought or hesitation you gave willingly. In our apron lecture it is said “WELL DONE THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT. WELL DONE” , etc. as we explain to the Entered Apprentice the importance behind the apron. We state it for a reason all because “WE MADE A GOOD MAN BETTER”.

So, what does it mean? If you notice

Hopefully, everyone has successfully “sprung forward” and is eagerly awaiting the arrival of our spring weather, even if that may only be for a few days followed by the dog days of summer.

Before we look forward to the coming months, we must look back at the month of February when we lost W: Brother Herbert W. Marks, Sr., PM at the young age of 104 years. Brother Herb, as he was so well known, was a member of the Valley of New Orleans for 30 years and was a member Jacques DeMolay Lodge #389, Boaz Lodge #483 and Louisiana Lodge #102. He also served Jacques DeMolay Lodge and Boaz Lodge as Worshipful Master on numerous occasions. He was one of the last members

that when we enter the lodge all is good. Brotherly love prevails, the meeting goes on without a hitch (sometimes). Then what? Once the lodge is closed, we go our separate ways and life goes on. But what if we went a little further? During the days that pass, we call several of the Brothers and meet for lunch or go out to dinner with our wives or girlfriends and enjoy each other’s company. This is something that some of us do each Friday night and let me tell you that it is a great time with good friends and good food. This type of a gathering stresses the importance of unity and brotherly love. This, I feel, may relieve some of the ill feel-ings that sometime occur between Brothers. Just think that if we sat down and talked out our problems, as adults and Brothers, how this would change much of what is going on today throughout the state. Just remember “WE MAKDE A GOOD MAN BETTER”.

Just a little food for thought. Until next time “PEACE, LOVE, AND HAPPINESS”.

Fraternally,Kenneth K. Bell, Jr., 32° KCCH

Venerable Master

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: Gary L. Gribble, 33°

Tel: 318-221-9713 Fax: 318-226-0843Email: brosecssr@gmail.com

Web: www.shreveportscottishrite.com

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In Memoriam

Calendar of Events

Scottish Rite FULFILL-BUILD-PROVIDE

Donate to the Shreveport Scottish Rite Foundation

Dinner 6:00pm Meeting 7:00pmAdvisory Conference begins at 5:30 Tuesday, February 12th Annual Round Table discussion Tuesday, April 16th Service of Remembrance Tuesday, May 14th Feast of Consistory Tuesday, June 11th Degree Presentation Tuesday, July 9th Independence Day Program Summer Reunion August 10Tuesday, August 13th Candidate Appreciation Dinner Tuesday, September 10th Feast of Tishri Tuesday, October 8th Degree Presentation Tuesday, November 12th 50 Year Milestone - Veterans Day Program Tuesday, December 10th Election and Installation of OfficersThe KCCH Club meets during the January, April, July & October meetings.

April - May 2019

2019 Officersshreveport Lodge of Perfection

Venerable Master: John F. Knox, Jr., 32° KCCH Senior Warden: John C. Sharlow, 32° KCCHJunior Warden: J. David Maxey, Sr., 32°

shreveport Chapter Rose CroixWise Master: Albert G. Simms, Jr., 32° Senior Warden: Troy J. Jones, 32° KCCHJunior Warden: W. Glen Girard, 32°

shreveport Council of KadoshCommander: Bradley T. Smith, 32°1st Lt. Commander: John R. Cunningham, 32°2nd Lt. Commander: Robert L Rowe, II, 32° KCCH

shreveport ConsistoryMaster of Kadosh: Stephen C. Caskey, 32°Prior: Charles R. Smith, 32° KCCHPreceptor: Adrian K. Winham, 32° KCCH

Treasurer All Bodies:E. Louis McGee, 33° Secretary All Bodies:Gary L. Gribble, 33°

Mervin P. ArdoinBilly R. JamesJohn J. Long

John H. HickmanHoward G. Moore, Jr.

Daniel A. McCoy

From The Secretary’ DeskThere is a time for all things and now is

the time for having a light green or yellow vehicle. Azaleas, as well as gymnosperms aka pine trees, are blooming. Factoid for you, the male pine cones produce the pol-len. Yes, there are male and female pine cones. Contrary to rational thinking, pine pollen does not cause seasonal allergies. It is the dastardly oaks that are the culprit.

Spring brings positives, including the celebration of our Risen Lord. The Valley held a successful spring reunion, bring-ing four new Masters of the Royal Secret into our ranks. Brothers Lance Whittaker Spradling, Craig Randell Caskey, Logan Kyle Taylor and August Alexander Gough were members of the 214th Class Reunion. Brother Whittaker is a member of Martin McClanahan Lodge #384 in Bossier City. Brother Caskey is a member of Phoenix Lodge #38 in Natchitoches and currently serves as its Worshipful Master. Brother Taylor is a member of Springhill Lodge #348 and serves as Senior Deacon. Broth-er Gough is a member of D. A. Strickland Lodge #465 and he joined the reunion as a courtesy to the Monroe Valley. We wel-come these young brothers to Scottish Rite Masonry.

Spring brings us the Chapter of Rose Croix’s presentation of Service of Re-membrance. We traditionally observe the celebration of the Mystic Banquet as a memorial service honoring the Knights of the Chapter who have passed on during the preceding year. This observance strengthen

2019 Knights of St. AndrewKnight Commander: J. David Maxey, Sr.Knight Warder: Bradley T. SmithKnight Captain: Billy E. BarnesKnight Recorder: Christopher E. Cannon

the ties of brotherly love, past and present. We meet together to break the bread of fra-ternity, to reconcile our selves with those we may have offended, and to drink the wine of refreshment and renewal. Thus, we celebrate the lives of our departed Breth-ren and promise to abide by the New Law, the Law of Love, with our present Brethren and all mankind.

In this celebration, we also commemo-rate the lives of all those who labored to improve mankind and were rewarded with betrayal, punishment, and death. Whether poet, religious leader, scientist or social reformer, all who seed to elevate human-kind may be considered as Brethren. Ma-sonry is duty, and its practice, often fraught with personal sacrifice, requires the perfor-

continued page 10

Front Row L:R - Lance Spradling, Craig Caskey, Logan Taylor and August Gough.Back Row L:R - Darin West, 32° KCCH- Assistant Director of Work, Ed Durham,33°-Director of Work, Ballard Smith, 33° C.G.-Personal Representative, Gary Gribble, 33°-General Secretary and John Au-try, 33°-Shreveport Childhood Learning Center Co-ordinator.

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: Frank M. Bult, Jr., 32° KCCHTel: 337-436-1676 Fax: 337-436-1673Email: lcscottishritebodies@yahoo.com

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Calendar of EventsDinner 6:30 Meeting 7:00Wednesday, April 17th Service of RemembranceWednesday, May 15th Feast of the ConsistoryWednesday, June 19th Master Mason ProgramWednesday, July 17th Honor Law EnforcementNew City Marshall-guest speakerWednesday, August 21st Gueydan Road TripFall Reunion September 14-15Wednesday, September 18th Feast of TishriWednesday, October 16th Micro-brewery programWednesday, October 30th KCCH DinnerWednesday, November 20th ULL RiteCare ProgramWednesday, December 18th Election of Officers

Scottish Rite FULFILL-BUILD-PROVIDE

In Memoriam

2019 Membership Fees are past due!

Back Door Lunch: Last Friday of every month. Except in November & December

2019 OfficersLake Charles Lodge of Perfection

Venerable Master: Elton J. Blanchard, 32° KCCH Senior Warden: Oscar Abshire, 32° KCCH Junior Warden: W. Keith Powell, Sr., 32° KCCH

Lake Charles Chapter Rose CroixWise Master: John W. Derby, 32° KCCH Senior Warden: Joseph E. Thibodeaux, 32° Junior Warden: Kirby O. Vinson, 32°

Lake Charles Council of KadoshCommander: George A. Wilkinson, 32° KCCH 1st Lt. Commander: William W. Bailey, 32° KCCH2nd Lt. Commander: James E. Josker, 32°

Lake Charles ConsistoryMaster of Kadosh: John E. McDaniel, III, 32° Prior: Errol B. Cheramie, 32°Preceptor: David R. Frohn. 32°

Treasurer All Bodies:J. Quincy Gotte, 32° KCCH

Secretary All Bodies:Frank M. “Dickie” Bult, Jr., 32° KCCH

April - May 2019

James L. Granger

Personally speaking

Fraternally,J. Briggs Becton, 32° KCCH

Personal Representative

It is time once again for us to prepare an update on the great advancements of the Order in the Lake Charles Valley. With the first quarter of 2019 behind us, I reflect back on the installation of officers, as well as, the Masonic Light shared by our Grand Worthy Matron, Marilyn Abshire, for the Order of the Easter Star in February. We had a wonderful evening in March where our Lt Governor, Billy Nungesser, provided an informative presentation on tourism in our State. Our Spring Reunion was a great success.

As I mentioned in the last Trestleboard, I believe all Masonic bodies can thrive with a strong foundation. As the cornerstone of freemasonry is set in the Northeast corner of our local lodges a strong foundation begins there. Encouraging and supporting our blue lodges in their growth and search for more light is a goal which we should all have to support our great Order. As we move into the 2nd quarter of 2019 I encourage each and every Scottish Rite Mason to attend their home lodge or neighboring lodge and share in the brotherhood they offer. Invite a brother to ride with you or drive you to lodge meetings. As my masonic journey began, I recall many times where brothers Morgan and/or Young called and we travelled to Dequincy, Sugartown, Sulphur, Jennings, Moss Bluff, Vinton or other areas around the State to fellowship at another lodge. With each of these travels came an opportunity to meet new brothers while supporting ma-sonry and seeking more light in masonry. I feel that if we take these opportunities, we can not only learn more about masonry in other areas of our great state, but we can share what the Scottish Rite has to offer new and old masons alike. We as Masons can visit with brethren from around the state. Just as our Lt Governor has shared recently in his travels around Louisiana on what Louisiana has to offer, “Come to Louisiana to Feed your Soul”, so do I believe that we as Scottish Rite Masons have an opportunity to bring together brethren from around our valleys to learn from each other as we share in masonic light and fellowship.

In the coming months we will have the Service of Remembrance on April 17th, a backdoor lunch on April 26th, the Feast of The Consistory on May 15th, and a Master Masons program on June 19th. The Lake Charles Valley would like to invite all Masons to come eat with us on the 3rd Wednesday of each month and attend the open programs that our Venerable Master, Elton Blanchard, has prepared. I hope to see you there.

If any brother would like to talk, I can be reached by email at:

BECTONWLPD@YAHOO.COM or by phone (text or voice) at 337-853-9099.

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: James E. Wingate, 33° Tel: 225-953-8556

Email: BRScottishRite@att.net

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Calendar of EventsDinner 6:30 Meeting 7:30 Monday, April 8th17th & 18th Degree presentationSunday, April 20thAnnual Easter Egg HuntJoint York Rite-Scottish Rite programMonday, May 13thConsistory observanceMonday, May 18thFamily Day - CTC broadcastMonday, June 10thFeast of ConsistoryScottish Rite history within the U.S.Monday, July 8thIndependence Day observanceMonday, August 12thDegree presentationMonday, September 9thDegree presentationMonday, October 14thFeast of TishriFall Reunion October 26Monday, November 11thVeterans Day ProgramSaturday, November 16thAnnual Widows Night ProgramMonday, December 9thElection of OfficersPresentation on St. John the Evangelist

Scottish Rite FULFILL-BUILD-PROVIDE

In Memoriam

2019 MEMBERSHIP FEES ARE PAST DUE!!!

Carle Lorenz JacksonWalter Richard Whitehead

April - May 2019

from the secretary’s Desk 2019 OfficersBaton Rouge Lodge of Perfection

Venerable Master: Richard L. Fox, 32° Senior Warden: Richard W. Black, 32° Junior Warden: J. Andrew Owen, 32°

Baton Rouge Chapter Rose CroixWise Master: V. Eugene Dawson, Jr., 32°Senior Warden: Jason K. Rigsby, 32° Junior Warden: James D. Lucas, 32°

Baton Rouge Council of KadoshCommander: Timothy P. Sibley. 32° 1st Lt. Commander: William E. Womack, 32° 2nd Lt. Commander: Monty L. Reed, 32°

Baton Rouge ConsistoryMaster of Kadosh: James M. Stockner, 32° KCCHPrior: Scott J. Plasaince, 32°Preceptor: Taylor P. Nauta, 32°

Treasurer All Bodies:Jeffrey D. Maynor, 32° KCCH

Secretary All Bodies:James E. Wingate, 33°

Fraternally yours,James E. Wingate, 33°

General Secretary

Spring time is now upon us and new life has come forth. It is time to shake off the dust from Winter days, clean out the garage, pull out the Summer clothing, open-up the doors and windows for some clean air. Some say Spring time is a time of renewal or new life where we come out of hibernation to enjoy life and living once again. As I look out the kitchen window, I see the bird feeder in my backyard and the many birds that feast on the offerings place there for them. And yes, that mischievous squirrel will jump out of the tree crossing the yard to pick-up the seed droppings left from the birds.

As we look forward into the months of April and May, there is new life present at the Valley of Baton Rouge. Our stated meetings are always scheduled on the sec-ond Monday of the month. The April 8th meeting will be hosted by the Council of the Rose Croix with a short presentation of the 17th and 18th degrees. On Saturday, April 20 the Valley of Baton Rouge will host the B.J. Pritchard Memorial Easter Egg Hunt and the Joint York Rite-Scottish Rite Easter observance. And, on Saturday, May 18, we will hold our annual Family Day that morn-ing and the CTC broadcast that evening.

There are lots of activities for this Spring. Please check the calendar on the website located at www.louisiana-sr.org for more details. As always, the Honor is to Serve.

Ill. Chuck Morgan, 33° (L) presents Jeff Maynor, 32° KCCH with a Certificate from the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, announc-ing Brother Maynor as a permanent member.

Venerable Master’s MessageThank you, Brethren, for electing me

Venerable Master of the Baton Rouge Lodge of Perfection for the year 2019. This is both an opportunity and a great responsibility. If we enjoy a successful year, it will be in large part because of your efforts. No one member can make our Valley a success, though our General Secretary has been valiantly doing more than his part for some time now. Thank you, Ill. Bro. Wingate 33⁰.

As one of my first opportunities, I was most fortunate to be present at the Investiture of Brother Brent Salter, 32⁰ KCCH at his home, Friday, February 15th. I got to meet his lovely family and spend some time talk-ing with them. Brother Salter is a great man and Mason, well-deserving of this honor.

Our Valley website has been updated and will likely stay updated thanks to Bro. Rob Hagan 32⁰ KCCH. Many of our Brethren work tirelessly ‘behind the scenes’ to help this Valley stay alive and thrive. Planning is ongoing for some events this year that will change some of those currently on our website. So, keep checking it for updated information. We will have a special guest

continued page 10

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: W. O. “Will” Cook, 32° KCCHTel: 318-343-6388 Fax: 318-343-5492Email: monroescottishrite@icloud.com

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Calendar of Events

Scottish Rite FULFILL-BUILD-PROVIDE

2019 Membership Fees are past due!

Dinner with Ladies 6:00 PMProgram 7:00 PM

Thursday, April 4thService of RemembranceThursday, May 2ndRose Upon the Altar Thursday, June 6thFlag PresentationThursday, July 4thIndependence Day programSaturday, July 27thMaster Mason of the Year Grand Master & Official FamilyThursday, August 1stKnights of St. Andrew squiring ceremonySummer Reunion August 3-4Thursday, September 5thHistorical Preservation programErica Gulledge - guest speakerThursday, October 3rdFeast of TishriThursday, November 7thHomeland Security programThursday, December 5thElection and Installation of 2020 Officers

April - May 2019

In MemoriamGordon Lee CroftJames C. Smith

Personally speakingLooking forward, as Ill. Brother RB

Smith recommends, is definitely good ad-vice for anyone or organization on the move. As an old jet pilot I can assure you I looked forward with great interest but always with a mind for what was to the port and starboard as well what was above and below. But the kill shots come from behind so we must be ever aware of what is behind us (our his-tory), all the while being careful not to get “T” Boned at the intersection or railroad grade crossing (lawsuits and such). Hope-fully, as they say at the Emergency Room when you happen to go there: the patient is alert and aware. That is the case here in the Monroe Valley.

January and February have been good months for Monroe Scottish Rite. Our General Secretary is doing a fine job of continuing to improve the function and appearance of our building. He is locating renters for events so some cash is coming our way. We are working with the Monroe Scottish Rite Foundation Board to qualify a business that wants to make routine use of our kitchen. Such a plan will be fully covered by a contract/lease agreement, as we will have to spend some cash on safety and utility upgrades to our kitchen equipment.

Membership continues to fall slowly due to deaths and an occasional resignation, but we are working with possible new members. We are doing what we can to be better known in the community through events like invit-ing the families of those college students in Monroe who have been awarded scholar-ships by our foundation. Venerable Master Michael Watts has a good and complete plan for the meetings this year and we are on track in that effort. Our VMAP coordinator, Leroy Stenzel, 33° keeps us focused on the purpose of the program and provides good and timely input to me and the rest of our leadership team to insure that we are doing the best we can to improve and grow our Valley.

I will continue to involve younger and capable members in our programs and place them in positions where they may grow in knowledge and value to our Valley. Having younger men in positions of significance will help us attract more younger members

Fraternally yours,Will P. Gray, 33° PGM

Personal Representative

From The Secretary’s DeskDeMolay International has appointed me

as the Personal Rep. to the Grand Master of DeMolay International for the State of Loui-siana. If you know of any young men who are between the ages of 12 and 21, please invite them to contact me about joining De-Molay. The young men of DeMolay are the future of our great fraternity and we should encourage the growth of their organization which will grow our fraternity.

If you have not sent in your dues for 2019, please do so at your earliest conve-nience.

Fiat Lux!,Wilson O. “Will” Cook, 32° KCCH

General Secretary2019 Officers

Monroe Lodge of PerfectionVenerable Master: Michael A. Watts. 33°Senior Warden: Mitchell A. Reynolds, 32° KCCHJunior Warden: Wilson O. Cook, 32º KCCH

Monroe Chapter Rose CroixWise Master: William S. Blake, 32° Senior Warden: W. Bradley Evans, III, 32°Junior Warden: Matthew P. Tessier, 32°

Monroe Council of KadoshCommander: Troy L. Lord, 32° KCCH1st Lt. Commander: John. W. Barnett, 32° 2nd Lt. Commander: Gary L. Foster, 32°

Monroe ConsistoryMaster of Kadosh: Buddy G. Barnett, 32° Prior: Allan K. Bean, 32° Preceptor: David R. Marine, 32°

Treasurer All Bodies:Roy McDuffie, 33° PGM

Secretary All Bodies:Wilson O. “Will”Cook, 32° KCCH

who will see there may be ways for them to support and grow the Craft. Ill. RB Smith is a joy to work with and we are follow-ing his advice to look forward through the windshield, rather than in the rear mirrors. I will do my best to keep the bugs off the windshield with the wiper blades in good condition and an adequate supply of washer fluid.

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Scottish Rite FULFILL-BUILD-PROVIDE

April - May 2019

Fraternally,Martin J. Reinschmidt, 33°

General Secretary

continued from page 5New Orleans Valley-From The Secretary’s Desk:

continued from page 6Shreveport Valley - From the Secretary’s Desk:

L:R - Ballard Smith, 33° C.G.-Personal Representa-tive and Troy J. Jones, 32° KCCH.

be sent your way. If you have any questions, please do not

hesitate to call the office, 504-835-3786, and I will do my best to answer your questions.

of the Order of DeMolay to have met and conversed with Dad Land, the founder of DeMolay for boys. Brother Marks was a Master Mason in Good Standing for 81 years at the time of his passing. Many of his brothers turned out to pay the last sad rites to our departed Sir Knight Herbert W. Marks.

Many questions have been asked about our next reunion. I along with Brother Barnes will be working out the details and as soon as everything is set we will let you know. I am sure that we will be once again working with our brothers in the Valley of Baton Rouge to set up a joint reunion. Some have criticized the idea of a joint reunion, but in our current situation, a joint reunion with our brothers in Baton Rouge works for both valleys. So, stay tuned and stay positive.

In May, representatives of the Orient of Louisiana, A.A.S.R. and the Grand Lodge of Louisiana F & A M will present to the House of the Temple and our Sovereign Grand Commander, Illustrious Ronald A. Seale, the sabre that was presented to Il-lustrious Brother Albert Pike when he was commission a General in the Army of the Confederate States of America. The sabre was recently purchased from an online auc-tion house in order to preserve this piece of Scottish Rite memorabilia.

At the end of June, masons from all over the state will convene in Alexandria for the Annual Grand Communication of our Grand Lodge. This is a great time to see and catch up with your brothers from around the state. On Sunday June 30th, we will hold our Annual Louisiana Scottish Rite Honours Luncheon and the Annual Meeting of the Foundation. Invitations will be coming out shortly for this event.

Make plans to attend our July 3rd meet-ing as our Venerable Master, Brother Ken Bell, has plans for a traditional 4th of July Celebration. I have a feeling the dinner that evening will be more along the lines of a picnic, and I even heard that he is going to serve apple pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

There are still many 2019 dues cards waiting anxiously to be adopted by you, their rightful owner. Do you have you 2019 Dues Card, if not it is waiting for you to claim it. Simply send in your check for $120 or call the office and you can pay by a credit card and your 2019 Dues Card will

Fraternally,Gary L. Gribble, 33°

General Secretary

mance of duty for the good of humanity. The Ceremony of Remembrance and

Renewal is a great opportunity to share a bit of what Scottish Rite Freemasonry is about with friends and family, as the cer-emony is open to the public. Please join us on Tuesday, April 16th for our program. Of course, it is open to family, friends and guests. A wonderful meal will be served after the first section of the program and prior to gathering again in the theater to re-light the lights and rejoice in the fact “He has Risen”.

The Shreveport Valley is very fortunate to have members who support the many charitable programs offered by the Su-preme Council. Troy J. Jones, 32° KCCH was recently recognized for his donation to the Supreme Council 33° Charitable Foun-dation. Ill. Ballard L. Smith, 33° G.C.-Per-sonal Representative presented Troy with a certificate from the Supreme Council.

Looking forward, the Conference of the Orient is scheduled near the end of May, in Baton Rouge. Our summer reunion is set for August 10th. The Supreme Council Biennial Session is scheduled on August 18-20, in Washington D.C. Come join us!

speaker June 10, 2019, so mark your calen-dars to be there.

April and May will be quite busy. Our presentation for the April meeting should be very interesting with the Chapter of Rose Croix presiding. We plan a Work Day for Spring cleaning of the Consistory Annex in preparation for our annual Joint York Rite/Scottish Rite Easter Program to be held Saturday, April 20th. Earlier that day, the Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held with Amaranth from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Please plan to attend to help clean-up, entertain the kids, serve hot dogs, celebrate a fine evening meal and an Easter message.

April 27th, we’ll be hosting the Confer-ence of the Orient. A good opportunity for the Valley of Baton Rouge to shine. May 13th will be our Obligatory Day for the Consistory Officers to preside. And, May 18, 2019 will see the last “Celebrating the Craft” program with food and drinks from 5:00 PM. Before that, however, enjoy Family Day at the C. Lenton Sartain Learning Center from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM with a live band, hot dogs, hamburgers, and more.

I hope you all will join us for these awe-some events for fellowship, educational, and family events. You can make this a memorable year for the Valley of Baton Rouge and the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. We already have some good speakers lined up for future meetings. It is not too early to note the multi-Valley Reunion happening in Monroe, Saturday, August 3rd. Again, thank you for this opportunity to serve you as Venerable Master.

continued from page 8Baton Rouge Valley - Venerable Master’s Message:

Fraternally,Richard L. Fox, 32°

Venerable Master

Brother Donovan G. Simmons, 32° received his 50 Year Membership cap at the Baton Rouge Valley stated meeting.

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Scottish Rite FULFILL-BUILD-PROVIDE

Ill. Richard B. smith, 33° G. C.Deputy of the supreme Council

The FinalWord

April - May 2019

We, as Scottish Rite Masons, hold Illustrious Albert Pike, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander from 1859 to 1891 as one of our most celebrated leaders. Grand Commander Pike was a once in a generation man, possessing superior intellect, unending curios-ity, and courage to take on challenges to established conventions, resulting in the advancement of human society.

When Grand Commander Pike entered office, the Scottish Rite was a struggling organization that could scarcely define its purpose and relevance in the family of Masonic organizations. Over the years of his tenure, the Scottish Rite degrees were rewritten, reor-ganized, and enlarged into a complete system of moral teachings. Scottish Rite is now known as the University of Freemasonry, as its members are challenged and encouraged to become lifelong students of Freemasonry.

The Scottish Rite degrees are designed so that new candidates experience a broad range of Masonic teachings. These teachings may be interpreted from several perspectives and hold different meanings for each candidate, depending on their age, education, and personal filters. The beauty of these degrees can be appreci-ated again and again as the candidate becomes an active member of the Scottish Rite and returns to see the degrees during reunions of their own or other Scottish Rite Valleys.

In the latter half of the nineteenth century, there was no radio, television, or Internet. The telephone was discovered in 1876, and was a growing means of communication, but did not yet have the ability to reach the masses. The primary means of communication during this period was through newspapers, worship services, and stage plays. As these were the best and only forms of mass com-munication at the time, it was not uncommon for church services, oratories, and stage plays to last several hours. For most people, this was their only form of entertainment and enrichment from the chores, pains, and labors of daily life.

Grand Commander Pike organized and wrote/rewrote the Scot-tish Rite degrees to reach the masses by using stage plays to com-municate the lessons and mysteries of the Rite. His original manu-scripts included opening and closing ceremonies, obligations and orations for each degree.

The “Pike degrees” were used by all of the Scottish Rite val-

Albert Pike versus Artificial Intelligence

Fraternally and Sincerely,Richard Smith, 33° G. C.

Deputy

leys for over 100 years. These degrees were portrayed using cos-tuming and stagecraft developed in the nineteenth century. Many of the degrees required huge casts and several scenes depicting places and times of historic significance. The audiences of the nineteenth and most of the twentieth centuries, were enthralled by the depth and beauty of the degrees, as they wanted and expected “a show,” and Pike did not disappoint.

In the twenty-first century, people today are operating on infor-mation overload. Radios, televisions, computers and smart phones are everywhere, constantly on, and providing information 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. These devices have reduced dialog to tweets of 144 characters. They have re-placed face-to-face communication with Facebook. Electronic media and communications has diminished our attention span as a society to barely able to watch a 30 second sound bite without becoming distracted.

The advancements in technology are changing the way we live, work and play. Robots and artificial intelligence are taking over the mundane tasks in our lives so we may have “more time” to do other things. Soon, autonomous automobiles will be on the streets where we live. Kiosks at fast food restaurants are replacing human beings in taking your orders. Voice recognition software makes Siri, Alexa, and Echo your personal assistant to do everything from web searches to ordering lunch.

How can the Scottish Rite remain relevant in a world where everyone is connected to their devices? The answer is that we connect men with men to share our mutual need for knowledge, enrichment, and affirmation. The current degree rituals have been rewritten to remove the pomp and pageantry of the Pike versions. While these degrees have been shortened, they still teach those valuable lessons that all men need.

As Scottish Rite Masons we seek to replace bigotry with toler-ance, ignorance with knowledge, superstition with understanding, idleness with labor, oppression with liberty, and falsehood with truth. We just cannot get these values from your smart phone. We have to practice them daily. By following these teachings, every member of the Scottish Rite is able to distinguish himself in his community as a good and honorable man. Like Albert Pike, Scottish Rite Masons must not be afraid to challenge the current conventions of society, and work to elevate each generation to un-derstand what truly matters. The world needs more of us. Go to work!

Scottish Rite FULFILL-BUILD-PROVIDE

PRESORTEDSTANDARD MAIL

US POSTAGEPAID

PEMIT #1031SHREVEPORT, LA.

C. Lenton sartian, 33°RiteCare Childhood Learning Center 14598 Florida BlvdBaton Rouge, LA 70819Telephone: (225) 275-0668Admiral e. A. Barham, 33° scottish Rite Childhood Learning Center 205 University Avenue Monroe, LA 71203-3701 Telephone: (318) 343-6388southeastern Louisiana scottish Rite Childhood Learning Center Southeastern Louisiana UniversityCampbell Hall - Room 102Hammond, LA 70402Telephone: (985) 549-2214shreveport scottish Rite Childhood Learning Center Scottish Rite Temple 725 Cotton Street Shreveport, LA 71101 Telephone: (318) 221-9713southwestern Louisiana Regional scottish Rite Childhood Learning CenterUniversity of Louisiana-Lafayette231 Hebrard Blvd Burk-Hawthorne HallLafayette, LA 70504Telephone: (337) 482-6490

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It is the mission of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, SJ, to improve its members and enhance the communities in which they live by teaching and emulating the principles of Brotherly Love, Tolerance, Charity, and Truth while actively embracing high social, moral, and spiritual values including fellow-ship, compassion, and dedication to God, family and country.

stRAteGIC OBJeCtIVes♦ Fulfill the promise of additional Masonic knowledge through education and training.♦ Build a Positive Public Image of Freema-sonry and the Scottish Rite.♦ Support and expand our philanthropic activities.♦ Provide a framework for effective leader-ship to ensure the stability and long-term success of the Fraternity.♦ Provide a financial process to ensure the stability and long-term success of the Fraternity.

Mission statement

Louisiana scottish Rite foundationLouisiana scottish Rite trestleboard

Post Office Box 64Shreveport, LA 71161

Tel: 318-221-9713

April - May 20192019 02

Louisiana scottish Rite Childhood Learning Centers

Did You Know?In the early 1950s the Scottish Rite of

Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States initiated a program to help children with speech and language disorders. The results obtained from this program led to the establishment of RiteC-are Scottish Rite Childhood Language Pro-gram clinics to provide diagnostic evalua-tion and treatment of speech and language disorders, as well as learning disabilities.

Today, there are SRCLP clinics, cen-ters, and special programs operating or planned for children and therapists located throughout the United States. Each facility is staffed by speech-language pathologists or other trained personnel. Through the support of Scottish Rite members, these clinics, centers, and programs continue to increase. The value of this philanthropy has long been apparent. Tens of thousands of youngsters across the United States have been helped significantly. With the good work of dedicated clinicians and parents, the Scottish Rite has achieved successes that could only be imagined a few years back. Children who might have remained educationally behind for a lifetime can now talk, read, and lead productive lives.